Varieties of English
Give five words that are different in British and American English.
flat/apartment
holiday/vacation
chips/fries
lift/elevator
biscuit/cookie
How is the main character in a film called?
The protagonist.
Name four inventions that changed everyday life.
Electricity, the internet, the smartphone, the automobile, and antibiotics are five inventions that have significantly changed everyday life.
What is fake news?
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as real news, often created to influence people’s opinions or attract attention.
Name five products that often have a Fair Trade label.
Coffee, chocolate, bananas, tea, sugar, cotton.
Name six countries where English is an official language.
UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, India, Singapore, etc.
Name five film genres.
Comedy, thriller, action, horror, fantasy, science fiction, romance, documentary...
Give three examples of technology used in medicine.
MRI scanner, robot surgery, prosthetic limbs, pacemaker, telemedicine...
Give three ways to check if a news story is trustworthy.
What is Fair Trade? Name two advantages.
Fair Trade is a system that ensures producers in developing countries receive fair prices and better working conditions for their products.
What is the difference between an accent and a dialect?
An accent refers to pronunciation; a dialect includes pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary.
Name three people who work on a film and describe their job.
An actor plays a role in the film. A director controls how the film is made. A camera operator records the scenes.
Name two advantages and two disadvantages of self-driving cars.
Advantages: Self-driving cars can reduce accidents caused by human error and improve road safety. They can also make transport more efficient by reducing traffic and allowing people to use travel time more productively.
Disadvantages: They can be unreliable in complex or unexpected situations, and there are concerns about hacking and data security. In addition, they could lead to job losses for professional drivers.
What is a filter bubble?
A filter bubble is a situation where algorithms show people mostly content that matches their interests and opinions, so they are less exposed to different viewpoints.
What is globalisation?
Globalisation is the process of increasing connections between countries through trade, communication, technology, and culture.
Explain why English has become a global language. Give at least three reasons.
The British Empire spread English around the world.
The influence of the USA in politics, business and culture.
English is widely used in science and research.
It is the main language of international business.
It is commonly used in aviation and shipping.
It dominates the internet, social media and technology.
Many international organisations use English as a working language.
People use English as a lingua franca to communicate with speakers of other languages.
Explain the meaning of the following film-related words: plot, genre, scene, soundtrack, script.
Use each word in a separate sentence.
The plot is the story of a film.
The genre tells us what type of film it is, for example comedy or action.
A scene is one part of a film.
The soundtrack is the music used in a film.
The script is the written text of a film, including dialogues and instructions for actors.
Imagine smartphones disappear tomorrow. How would life change? Give at least four ideas.
Communication would become much slower because people would have to rely on landlines, emails, or face-to-face contact.
Navigation would also be more difficult since we would lose GPS apps and digital maps.
Many everyday services like online banking, mobile tickets, and instant information access would be harder or impossible to use.
Social life and entertainment would change because people would spend less time on social media and more time using traditional media like TV, newspapers, and computers.
Explain the difference between misinformation, disinformation and opinion.
Misinformation is false information shared without knowing it is false.
Disinformation is false information that is shared intentionally to mislead people.
An opinion is a personal belief or view that is not necessarily based on facts.
Give two advantages and two disadvantages of globalisation.
Advantages: Globalisation increases international trade and gives people access to a wider range of cheaper goods and services. It also improves communication and cultural exchange between countries.
Disadvantages: It can lead to unfair working conditions in poorer countries and increase environmental damage due to global transport and mass production.
What is a lingua franca? Name one advantage and one disadvantage of using English as a lingua franca.
A lingua franca is a language used for communication between people who have different first languages.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Many people do not go to the cinema as often as before. Explain two advantages and two disadvantages of cinemas, and give two reasons why people prefer watching films at home today.
One advantage of cinemas is the big screen and strong atmosphere, which makes the film more exciting. Another advantage is the shared experience with a live audience. However, cinemas are expensive and not very flexible.
Many people prefer watching films at home because of streaming services, which are cheaper and more convenient. They can also pause films and choose from a wide range of titles instead of waiting for a cinema release.
Artificial Intelligence is increasingly used in schools, workplaces, and healthcare. Do you think AI will improve or harm society in the long term? Give at least three arguments and include both advantages and disadvantages in your answer.
Advantages:
Increases efficiency and saves time
Improves medical diagnosis and treatment
Supports learning and personalisation in education
Disadvantages:
Job displacement (automation)
Privacy and data concerns
Lack of human judgment / ethical issues
A shocking news story appears on TikTok. Describe, step by step, how you would verify whether it is true before sharing it.
First, do not immediately believe or share the story. Check if the information is confirmed by reliable news sources, look for the original source of the story, and compare it with other reports. You can also check who posted it and whether the content shows evidence or seems emotional and misleading.
People should buy Fair Trade products because they ensure that producers receive fair wages and work in safe conditions. Fair Trade also helps reduce poverty and supports sustainable development in developing countries. In addition, it encourages more ethical and environmentally friendly production, which can improve global trade practices in the long term.