
Maria's English Class
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Review previous lessons
April 10, 2020
Lesson 4/5 60 Min
Hello Maria,
Finally, a ted talk by Annan Giriharadas called "A Tale of Two Americas."
https://www.ted.com/talks/anand_giridharadas_a_tale_of_two_americas_and_the_mini_mart_where_they_collided/details?language=en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anand_Giridharadas
1. The title of Anand Girihardas ted talk, "A Tale of Two Americas" brings to mind Charles Dickens' classic historical novel, "A Tale of Two Cities" a story set in France and England at the time of the French Revolution about the troubles the poor went through and how the rich ignored them. What do you think of this title for his talk ?
2. Anand has written a book called "The True American". What do you think this title means?
3. Anand begins with the question and dialogue which happened right before Raisuddin was shot, and we are hooked and curious to know what happens next. Comment on the effectiveness of Anand's storytelling style.
4. Two souls, Stroman and Raisuddin, met that day; one suffering and one about to suffer. Anand proceeds to deconstruct the crime which took place in that minimart so we can make sense of it. What can we take away from this story?
5. Anand asserts that poverty and lack of opportunity plague too many native-born Americans making them angry young men victims from their childhood looking to blame someone for their troubles. How can society intervene to help and rehabilitate such people?
6. Anand calls for an awakening on the part of America's elite who are, by the way, sitting in the ted audience listening to him. He calls for a moral challenge and presents Raisuddin, a Muslim immigrant, as an example to follow. Do you think it can be done?
April 3, 2020
Lesson 3/5 60 Min
Hello Maria!
Why aren't waiters give the respect and pay they deserve? This is the question and the topic of our Guardian article/lesson today.
BNE shows that UK waitstaff didn't receive the full amount of the tips intended for them by customers until a law was passed in 2018..
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1810/181004-tipping.html
Mar 27, 2020
Lesson 2/5 60 Min
Hello Maria!
Why do we gender AI? Voice tech firms move to be more inclusive Gender-neutral voice assistants and accent recognition among projects in the pipeline.
For more discussion we can discuss the gender-neutral pronoun 'they' which is often used by technology.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1909/190920-the-pronoun-they.html
Feb 20, 2020
Lesson 1/ 60 Min
Hello Maria!
Choirs are trendy now with many different kinds to choose from!
Mariah Carey's Christmas song "All I want for Christmas is you" was the number one hit again after it was first released 25 years ago.
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1912/191219-mariah-carey.html
Quizlet:
https://quizlet.com/482659302/mariah-carey-xmas-hit-number-1-after-25-years-level-3-flash-cards/
Feb 12, 2020
Lesson 5/5 60 Min
Hello Maria!
The farmers are using drones to watch their flocks by flight.
And, we'll discuss drones which are used to battle tortoise-killing ravens
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1906/190612-ravens.html
Quizlet:
https://quizlet.com/474429142/drones-used-to-battle-tortoise-killing-ravens-level-6-flash-cards/
Jan 29, 2020
Lesson 3/5 60 Min
Hi Maria,
A woman wants to climb Mt Everest for the tenth time!
One couple got married at the top of Mt Everest!
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/0506/050604-everest-e.html
Jan 22, 2020
Lesson 2/5 60 Min
Hi Maria,
Some metal detectorists in the UK have discovered an ancient
Saxon treasure of gold coins and other items!
In the U.S. a couple found a stash of gold coins under a tree!
https://breakingnewsenglish.com/1402/140228-gold-coins.html
Jan 15, 2020
Lesson 1/5 60 Min
Hi Maria,
Today our lesson concerns the Millennial generation in the gig economy of the UK and the US, too.
Who are the Millenials? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennials
The video to the right says that millenials carry a large amount of debt.
And this article says that the top concern for millenials looking for a job is flexible hours.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-09-16/what-makes-millennials-unique-when-deciding-whether-accept-new-job