Subject File INTERNET ADDICTION

Internet Addiction

The term "internet addiction" is not new, and it is well known that spending extended periods of time online is detrimental to one's health. Screens affect our eyes, the internet affects our cognitive processes, and so forth. However, a new study shows that internet addiction has more profound effects, changing our brains' neurons completely.

Ex. 1: Complete the text below with a suitable word.

brain - chemistry - connectivity - control - decision 

disruption - focusing - memory - urge - usage

Endless scrolling on the Internet: a habit, harmless at first sight, afflicts a significant portion of the population. This behaviour has become a compulsive addiction that has far-reaching consequences. 

Around one third of people globally are at risk of smartphone addiction, an issue linked to excessive Internet __________ (1). According to a new study, researchers have uncovered disturbing changes in the brain __________ (2) of young individuals grappling with Internet addiction. 

Their findings reveal a complex interplay of neural activity with multiple __________(3) networks displaying heightened activity even during resting states. This __________(4) in brain function is particularly alarming because it can potentially lead to a cascade of adverse effects. 

The study also reveals a worrying decline in another crucial brain network: the functional __________ (5) in areas responsible for executive __________ (6) functions including __________ (7) and __________ (8) making were significantly weakened. This imbalance can explain the struggles that young people with Internet addiction often face: difficulty in __________ (9), prioritizing tasks, and resisting the _________ (10) to return to the online world despite the negative consequences. 

The neurological price of excessive Internet use is becoming increasingly evident, and addressing the challenge will require a multi-faceted approach involving families, educators and policy makers. 

Ex. 2: Now watch the video and check your answers.

Ex. 3: Rephrase the adjectives in bold.

Vocab File: LAST ____ LEAST

Last, lastly 

👉used to indicate a sequence or chronology

Example: "And lastly, I'd also like to assess the importance of English globally."

'At last'

👉used to say that something has happened after long period of waiting or trying.

Example: "After a ten-hour drive, they at last arrived home."

👉used at the beginning of a sentence to express stronger emotions. 

Example: "At last! You're here! Where have you been?"

'At least'

👉used to say 'not less than and possible more'

Example: "It'll cost you at least 100 dollars."

'Last but not least'

👉used to say that a final statement is not less important than previous statements

Example: "Last but not least, we also have to talk about the project's costs!"

Ex. 1: Put "last/lastly", "at last", "at least", and  "last but not least" in the following sentences.

1. How old do you think this man is? - Oh, he must be ______ 40.

2. I have spoken to all my students, their parents, and _________ to my teacher colleagues about this issue.

3. ___________! The post's arrived. Is there something for me?

4. In summer, I cut the grass ________ once a week.

5. I'm so glad to meet you ___________.

6. And __________, we need to discuss our next steps.

KEY: 

1. at least; 2. last but not least; 3. At last; 4. at least; 5. at last; 6. last/lastly

Vocab File: STARK (adjective)

 

stark (adjective)

comparative form: starker; superlative form: starkest

👉 severe, without comfort:

• stark prison conditions
• a grey and stark landscape

👉 plain, basic:

• the stark facts
• the stark reality of long-term unemployment

👉 clearly obvious to the eye or mind:

• wealth in stark contrast to the poverty 

👉 attributive: absolute, complete

• stark madness/terror 

Subject File NEW MEDIA and the INTERNET

 

Ex. 1: The Internet - good or bad?

BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is the internet good or bad?

Ex. 2: Complete the sentence starters with information from the podcast.

• Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the Internet, criticizes the "internet giants" because ...
• He points to the anonymity on social networks  and explains that it is an issue since it leads to ...
• He also thinks giving kudos are a way of improving social media as they ... 

Ex. 3: Pros and Cons of the Internet. Make a list (5 items each).

Think of 

    a) communication

    b) information

    c) organisation and administration

Use phrases such as "on the one hand ... on the other hand", "however", "but", etc.

Subject File DISCRIMINATION IN THE WORKPLACE

 

Ex. 1: Match the concepts from the word cluster above with their definitions.

Ex. 2: Find the words in the word cluster that can be used to talk about ...

 

a)       causes of/reasons for discrimination in the workplace

b)      actions and behaviours typical of discrimination in the workplace

c)       strategies against discrimination in the workplace

 

Ex. 3: Study the categories of bullying behaviour in Fig. 1 and match them with common forms of bullying in Fig. 2. 

Figure 1: Categories of bullying behaviour

Figure 2: Common forms of bullying 

Subject File LIFESTYLE & LIFESTYLE DISEASES

Lifestyle Diseases

Ex. 1: Which of these diseases are likely to be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle?

arteriosclerosis - Crohn's Disease - fatty liver disease - type 1 diabetes - haemophilia - coronary heart disease - high blood pressure - malaria - stroke - tuberculosis - obesity - Ebola - cancer - depression - HIV/AIDS - type 2 diabetes - Covid-19 - sleep apnoea - osteoarthritis 

Ex. 2: Complete the text with items from the box. 

Causes of Lifestyle Diseases 

______ (1) and lifestyle are the most common causes of these lifestyle diseases. __________ (2) smoking, drug abuse and meat intake as well as a lack of exercising can increase the risk of acquiring certain diseases. This is especially common in the elderly. 

In western nations, people consume a lot of __________(3), vegetable oils, _________(4) products, alcoholic beverages and sugary foods. People have also adopted sedentary lifestyles and thus increasing the prevalence of ______________ (5). These dietary changes have led to ____________ (6) medical cases such as colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer and endometrial cancer. People living in developing countries consume foods that are _________ (7) sugar and ____________ (8) starch with little quantities of meat. As a result, the cancer _________ (9) are lower in these nations. 

So if you want to stay away from lifestyle diseases, it is a must to keep a healthy lifestyle, maintain a healthy diet regime and _____________(10) often.

Obesity

Ex. 3: Obesity in the UK.

Ex. 4: Read the text and decide whether these statements are true of false.

Statement	True	False
About 65 % of children across the region have been found to be overweight.
Meal delivery apps are partly responsible for the obesity epidemic because foods available are particularly calorie intense.
Soon, the obesity epidemic will be a higher risk factor to develop a disease than smoking.

WHO: Obesity in Europe at ‘epidemic proportions’

Report flags meal delivery apps as possibly contributing to the obesity problem. 

Obesity rates in the European Region are at “epidemic proportions,” warns the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe in a report released Tuesday. The numbers are growing: Fifty-nine percent of adults and nearly one in three children are either overweight or obese, and no country in the European region is currently on track to halt the rise of obesity by 2025. Early studies from some countries showed the prevalence of being overweight or obesity increased in children and teenagers during the pandemic.  

In its report, WHO Europe flagged meal delivery apps as possibly contributing to the obesity problem, saying they may encourage sedentary behavior. The pandemic accelerated the use of these apps when people were advised to stay at home. The report recommends policies that ensure restaurants that are required to display nutrition information also do so on apps, and that, where applicable, meal delivery companies be classified as food businesses, to be held accountable in the same way.  

Obesity and overweight are responsible for more than 1.2 million deaths across the region each year, the report finds. Obesity is behind at least 13 different types of cancer, and is likely directly causing at least 200,000 new cancer cases every year in the region. In some countries, according to the WHO report, obesity is predicted to overtake smoking as the leading risk factor for preventable cancer in the decades ahead. 

Ex. 5: Use the present progressive to talk about trends and current developments. Complete the sentences. 

Example: 

Obesity _____________________________ (to become) an epidemic across Europe. 

-> Obesity is becoming an epidemic across Europe. 

1. More and more people __________________________ (to spend) their lives sitting in front of a monitor or screen at the office or at home.  
2. Levels of overweight and obesity among children ___________________ (to increase) steadily. 
3. Smoking __________________________ (to lose) its significance in terms of causing non-communicable diseases. 
4. Meal delivery companies _____________________ (to contribute) to the quick increase in overweight and obese individuals in European societies. 

Diabetes 

Ex. 6: Learn about diabetes and complete the sentences.

Topic vocab: 

glucose - processed food - urbanisation -  to be overweight - 

cardiovascular disease - mortality - obesity - cancer - sugary drinks 

Sentence starters: 

    1. Diabetes is a condition ... 

    2. Risk factors include ... 

    3. Increased urbanisation contributes to lifestyle diseases such as diabetes because ... 

    4. Type 2 diabetes is a gradual disease since ... 

    5. A solution to the health crisis caused by diabetes is ... 

BBC Learning English 6 Minute English: Diabetes

Ex. 7: Learn more about symptoms and complications of diabetes.

Ex. 8: Sugar is one of the main causes for the health crisis western societies are in. Learn more about it in the podcast.

BBC Learning English 6 Minute English: Addicted to Sugar

Stress

Ex. 9: Learn more about stress and how we are affected by it. List the conditions caused by stress.

KEY: 

Ex. 1: arteriosclerosis, fatty liver disease, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, obesity, cancer, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis 

Ex. 2: 1) diet; 2) tobacco; 3) meat; 4) dairy; 5) obesity; 6) an increase in; 7) low in; 8) high in; 9) rates; 10) exercise

Ex. 4: False (33 % of all children); True; True

Ex. 5: (1) are spending; (2) are increasing; (3) is losing; (4) are contributing

Subject File DISCRIMINATION

Key Concepts

Stereotypes

Stereotyping means making an unfair assumption or generalisation about a person or group of people based on an aspect of their identity, for example their race, culture, religion, or gender.

Stereotypes are thus widely held but fixed, i. e. permanent, and oversimplified images or ideas of a particular type of person or thing or of a social group. 

Example: All Germans are always punctual.

Prejudice

Prejudice means to ‘pre-judge’ someone. It starts in the mind and is a negative attitude towards people based solely on a group to which they belong. It is based on an unfounded opinion.

A prejudice is thus a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience

Bias 

Bias is a disproportionate preference or inclination for or against an idea, thing, or group. It often leads to closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair judgments because it allows personal opinions or stereotypes to override objective facts.

Bias leads to actions or behaviours which support the group/the individual which is favoured.