2 December
People
Tell us about your best friends. Why are they your friends?
Who is your idol? Why is he/she your idol?
Tell us about your favourite fictional character. Why is he or she your favourite?
What qualities make a person likeable?
Do you prefer having a few close friends or many acquaintances? Why?
Have you ever met someone who completely changed your perspective on life?
Do you think people can change their personality? Why or why not?
Do you think people are more selfish today than in the past? Why or why not?
Have you ever met someone famous? How was the experience?
What are some things that annoy you about people?
Are people generally good or bad? What do you think?
Do you think social media has changed how people interact? How?
Tragic Trend: Fatal Selfie Accidents
Five people died from shark attacks in 2017. A study in 2017 shows that every 3 days, someone is killed by selfie-related accidents. But that number is “just the tip of the iceberg,” said the study’s authors, because such deaths are often reported to other causes. This year, the number must be even worse. The study also found that the people who died while taking selfies were mostly male (about 72 per cent) and under the age of 30 (86 per cent). The most common type of death was drowning, which often occurred after the selfie-taker was washed away by waves on a beach or a boat. Next were “transport” deaths, which most frequently happened when someone was taking a selfie too close to a moving vehicle. Those were followed by deaths from falls, fires, firearms and animals. Here are some examples of how people die:
A man visiting a park in eastern India was beaten to death by a bear while trying to take a selfie with the wounded animal.
A British man and an Australian woman fell to their deaths while taking a selfie atop a cliff overlooking a popular Portuguese beach.
A teenager died after she shot herself in the head while taking a series of selfies with a loaded gun.
A young woman died after falling into Lake Superior from a 60-meter cliff while positioning herself for a selfie.
READ/SPEAK
Why are some people obsessed with sharing their lives on social media? What are the other obsessions of modern humans?
How do social media and “likes” affect the way people take selfies?
Do you think selfie culture has changed the way people experience travel and special moments?
Have you ever taken a selfie in an unusual or unique place? Where was it?
Do you think taking too many selfies can hurt self-esteem? Why or why not?
How has the way people take photos changed compared to 20 years ago?
Something you say that means people should not criticise someone else for a fault that they have themselves:
“Elliott accused me of being selfish. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!”
LEARN THE IDIOM AND SPEAK
Can you criticise the worst things about our country? How do you think we can change those bad things? Also, talk about the good things about our country. What things are better in our country than in other parts of the world?