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Take some questions
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• Who’s your favorite YouTuber?
• Do you watch YouTube often?
• Do you know about autism?
• etc… etc… etc…
Maybe watch this video:
Robots have increasingly become an important part of society. Engineers have designed many types of robots, such as industrial robots, medical robots, and service robots.
Japanese engineers have been particularly influential in the development of robots. For example, Softbank developed Pepper, a robot who can talk and assist businesses. See the video below to learn more about Pepper.
Today, many businesses are finding new uses for robots. For example, check out the article below about how a restaurant in the Netherlands is using robots during coronavirus to greet customers, take orders, and serve food, just like waiters.
In the future, engineers will continue to develop robots with various applications. What do you think about this? Are robots good for the future, or are there potential negatives associated with robots?
News article: “Dutch Restaurant Uses Robot Waiters”
In this news article, the writer introduces a restaurant in the Netherlands which uses robots as waiters. Read the article and consider the ways robots will change common businesses, such as restaurants or even schools, in the future.
Video: “We Interviewed Pepper”
Watch the following video in which a journalist introduces and “talks” with Pepper, the Softbank Robot. What do you think about robots like Pepper?
Important Vocabulary related to Robots
| Application (noun – definition 2) | Electricity (noun) |
| Artificial Intelligence (AI) (noun) | High-tech (adjective) |
| Battery (noun) | Machine (noun) |
| Control (verb) | Robot (noun) |
| Develop (verb), Development (noun) | Robotic (adjective) |
| Digital assistant (noun) | Robotics (noun) |
Questions to ask at English Lounge
Have you ever “met” a robot? What was the experience like?
What are some future applications for robots? In other words, what are some other ways robots can help humans in the future?
In your opinion, are robots helpful or harmful to society? Why?
It’s June, which means summer has finally arrived! The temperature is increasing day-by-day, so people will soon be heading to parks and beaches to relax and enjoy this weather.
Since summer has just begun, it’s a great time to start thinking about our summer plans! Even though we may be limited this year due to coronavirus, we can still imagine what types of things we would like to do during the summer.
Check out the following articles, videos, and learning resources so you are prepared to talk about your summertime plans and vacations!
Video: Easy English 32 – Travel Destinations
In this video, a man asks people in Margate (a beach near New York City) the following question: “If you could go anywhere in the world for your ideal vacation, where would you go?”
Watch the video and listen to the answers. What kinds of places do these people want to visit? What are their reasons for wanting to visit these places?
If you could go anywhere in the world for your ideal vacation, where would you go? Why?
Article: Walt Disney World and the Coronavirus
Many people are looking forward to visiting Tokyo Disneyland this summer. However, although amusement parks like Disneyland are reopening, there are strict rules to ensure that the coronavirus does not spread.
Read this article to learn about some of the precautions that theme parks are taking to limit the spread of the virus!
What kinds of precautions can you take to protect yourself from coronavirus this summer?
Useful Vocabulary to talk about Vacations
General Travel Vocabulary
| abroad (adverb) | safari (noun) |
| adventure (noun) | sightseeing (noun) |
| backback (verb) | souvenir (noun) |
| excursion (noun) | stay (noun) |
| foreign (adj.) | traveler (noun) |
| postcard (noun) | voyage (noun) |
| road trip (noun) |
Planning a Vacation
| day trip (noun) | destination (noun) |
| tour (noun) | brochure (noun) |
| tourism (noun) | visa (noun) |
| travel agency (noun) | honeymoon (noun) |
| travel agent (noun) | package tour (noun) |
| reservation (noun) |
| Cruise (noun) |  |
| Theme park/Amusement park (noun) |
Hotels and Accommodations
| accommodation (noun) | double room (noun) |
| book (verb) | room service (noun) |
| card key (noun) | pack (verb) |
| check-in (noun/verb) | unpack (verb) |
| checkout (noun) | guest (noun) |
| Hostel (noun) |  |
| Bed and breakfast (noun) | |
| Cottage (noun) |  |
| Villa (noun) |  |
| Resort (noun) | |
| Front desk (noun) |  |
Camping
| camp (verb) | explore (verb) |
| campfire (noun) | trek (noun) |
| campsite (noun) | backpack (noun) |
| tent (noun) | sleeping bag (noun) |
| hiking (noun) |
Day Trip to the Beach
Money and Travel
Possible Questions about Vacations to ask during English Lounge
Lately, the corona virus is often in the news…
Some questions you can ask in English:
Some things you might hear:
Some useful words for this topic:
| ache 動詞 | serious 形容詞 |
| ache 名詞 | severe 形容詞 |
| attack 名詞 | severely 副詞 |
| bacteria 名詞 | sickness 名詞 |
| be sick 慣用句 | sneeze 動詞 |
| catch 動詞 | sneeze 名詞 |
| collapse 動詞 | spot 名詞 |
| condition 名詞 | spread 動詞 |
| cough 動詞 | stomach ache 名詞 |
| crisis 名詞 | suffer 動詞 |
| develop 動詞 | sufferer 名詞 |
| fever 名詞 | suffering 名詞 |
| germ 名詞 | symptom 名詞 |
| headache 名詞 | temperature 名詞 |
| ill 形容詞 | toothache 名詞 |
| illness 名詞 | transfer 動詞 |
| infection 名詞 | trouble 名詞 |
| pain 名詞 | unconscious 形容詞 |
| painful 形容詞 | unfit 形容詞 |
| painfully 副詞 | unwell 形容詞 |
| pale 形容詞 | upset 形容詞 |
| react 動詞 | upset 動詞 |
| reject 動詞 | upset 名詞 |
| seasick 形容詞 | virus 名詞 |
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/
Here’s a good news article about the corona virus:
Newsela.com
“All the closures are costing money. So are the delayed events. Still, sporting events and businesses are being canceled. This shows how serious the spread of coronavirus is. “
When we talk about the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, we often talk about shopping and food. Here are some questions and words to help you have a good conversation about shopping and food:
Come to the English Lounge and talk about places to stay when you travel.
These words will help you:
(www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com)
Google is one of the largest technology companies in the world, and Fitbit is a popular health and fitness watch that many people wear. Recently, Google purchased Fitbit for about $2 billion dollars. Do you think this was a good idea? What will Google do with its new fitness technology? What should Google do next? What Google products do you use? What fitness products do you enjoy? Come to the English Lounge and tell us what you think.
You might need some of these words below:
(www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com)
