Tuesday, 16 June 2026

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 ... 





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.


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

Sunday, 14 June 2026

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.


Friday, 12 June 2026

SPOTLIGHT on ENGLISH # 3 _ Learning English as a Global Lingua Franca

Task 1

Discuss English as a global lingua franca (a global means of communication) and highlight the consequences for other languages. 

  1. Study the cartoon: What does it say about the significance of English in comparison to other languages?
  2. Based on the bar chart, determine why English and French are considered global means of communication, but Chinese is not.




Task 2

Make predictions about the reasons why the significance of English as a global means of communication will only grow in the future. (Use the future simple with 'will'.)

-> Refer to the info-graphic below.


Task 3

Practising function verbs/descriptors. 

-> Develop the following key points in a presentation and study the differences.

  • suggest institutions in your country which provide English language instruction
  • describe institutions in your country which provide English language instruction
  • evaluate institutions in your country which provide English language instruction



Wednesday, 10 June 2026

Subject File MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION

 

Classic London Routemaster Double Decker Bus
Courtesy: https://www.guidelondon.org.uk/blog/around-london/the-classic-routemaster-double-decker-bus/



Ex. 1: Prepositions of Transport. 



Ex. 2: Talking about public transport.



Ex. 3: English transport announcements. Complete the online exercises.

British Council Learning EnglishTransport Announcements


Green Mobility 

BBC Learning English - 6-Minute English: Should we cycle more

Sunday, 31 May 2026

Subject File FOOD TRENDS

 Fast Food



Ex. 1: Watch the video and complete the News Review quiz online.

Fast Food: Bad for the Brain?

Ex. 2: Watch the video and complete the News Review quiz online.

Junk Food Addiction

Ex.3: 

BBC Learning English: Ultra-processed food health warning




Subject File A HEALTHY AND BALANCED DIET

 

Courtesy: https://www.safefood.net/healthy-eating/the-food-pyramid-(1)/what-is-a-healthy-diet-(1)

 More information on the Eatwell Guide




Ex. 1: Diet or nutrition? Complete the table with the suitable concepts.

Ex. 2: Complete the gap text with concepts from Ex. 1.

  1. The doctor has told me to go on a ........................... (1) because I am too big. 
  2. Children not receiving adequate ............................... (2) frequently suffer from poor health.
  3. The Japanese ............................ (3) consists of rice, vegetables, and plenty of fish.
  4. It is crucial to eat a balanced .............................. (4)
  5. Many illnesses are caused by poor ............................. (5)     

Ex. 3: 

You are a nutritionist and you advise people on how to improve their diets if they suffer from the following conditions. Study the food pyramid and suggest a diet to improve them. 

  • a skin rash
  • digestive problems
  • a heart condition
  • osteoporosis

https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/healthy-eating-pyramid/

Ex. 4: Eating habits and meal routines.



Ex. 5: Reflect on your personal eating habits and meal routines, using the present simple tense.

  • What I have/eat ...


Ex. 6:
Learn more about which foods not to consume in a healthy and balanced diet.

Harvard Health: Which foods don't belong in a healthy diet?


Ex. 7: Food and Mental Health. 

BBC Learning English: Food and Mood

Ex. 8: The impact of alcohol on the human body.

Alcohol can unravel the brain's connections. 
Alcohol damages the brain, leading to nerve cell death and the loss of neural connections. 
Brain atrophy is the gradual loss of brain cells and neural connections, causing the brain to shrink. When this process progresses more rapidly, it is often associated with neurological disorders, especially dementia. 







Friday, 22 May 2026

Subject File HOUSING

Ex. 1: Listen to the podcast and note down the types of houses mentioned.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/real-easy-english/250117


Ex. 2: Different types of housing in the United Kingdom and the United States. 

manor house - farmhouse - thatched cottage - mobile home (BE), caravan, trailer (AE) - detached house (BE), single family house (AE) -mansion - semi-detached house (BE), two-family house (AE), skyscraper - terraced house (BE), row house (AE) - high-rise residential building - flat/block of flats (BE), apartment - penthouse 

Country File UNITED KINGDOM: Guy Fawkes' Night _ Bonfire Night_5 November

Guy Fawkes Night , also widely known as Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night , is an annual British commemoration held on 5 November.  The Lewe...