Elementary

Onomatopeia is a fancy way to describe words that sound like what they mean. For instance, in English, bees "buzz" and cats "meow". Words for animal sounds are almost always built on how the animals actually sound to listeners. But that can be different in different languages. Since each language has its own set of sounds to work with, they hear animals based on those sounds.

For example, a rooster's crow is translated as:

Indonesia has over 17,000 islands. If you ever go there, you will see how different some of the major islands are. For example, Bali is the only island where most of the people are Hindu. It attracts a very large number of tourists. It is known around the world as a great place for a holiday.

However, Sulawesi, an island to the north of Bali, has very few tourists. Here, most people are Christian. There is very little made for tourists on the island. Makassar, the main city, has only one hotel. You will also have to take public transportation to get around.

I don't play video games. I get addicted and spend too much time playing them! But a friend who is a gamer told me about a new game called Death Stranding, by video game designer Hideo Kojima. In this game, gamers help each other win. One player can build a bridge or road, then leave it there for other players to use. The point of the game is to bring a broken world back together. The reviews of the game are mixed—there are good and bad things about it—but I like the idea of a game based on working together rather than against each other.

People say a lot with their body language. When we're happy, we smile. When we're excited, we might dance a little, or raise our hands in the air. Body language is an important part of communication. How well do you communicate with your face and body? Let's find out!

The killing of the Japanese ex-prime minister, Shinzo Abe, shocked the whole world. Even though some of the people in Japan did not agree with his policies, the ex-prime minister’s murder is a sad event for the entire nation. 

The murder is shocking because it happened in Japan, where deaths from guns are very rare. It is also uncommon to hear about politicians being killed in developed countries. 

Please, have a look at the graphs below and discuss them with your teacher. 

There has been a lot of bad news in the last few years. Some people have decided to stop looking at the news because it's so bad. Since 2017, the number of people who avoid seeing the news has doubled in some places. The graph below shows the increase in countries around the world. Look at the graph and discuss it with your teacher.

Harvard Business Review has researched the mindsets that affect a person’s leadership ability. Here are different mindsets they have found.

Growth and Fixed Mindsets. People with a growth mindset believe that people change. Everyone can develop their abilities, intelligence, and talent. However, people with a fixed mindset believe people are born with specific skills and cannot develop them. 

Society is filled with social and etiquette rules. As we grow up, we learn them and follow them without even noticing. Etiquette can be different in various situations, cultures, communities and workplaces. 

Even though people learn these rules when growing up, they are later able to distinguish the rules themselves in new cultures. However, what should we do with robots? If robots become parts of our workplace, what should we teach them?

Please, look at the task below with your teacher and discuss it.

Elon Musk is a famous Twitter user. He wants to change Twitter rules on what is allowed to be posted. However, recently he surprised everyone by saying that he would buy this social media company. Musk has been offered loans of $25.5 billion from big American banks and he promised to pay the rest of the $21 billion out of his pocket.

It’s difficult to be productive when you work at home. Sometimes, you are busy all day and don't make any progress on important work.

Some people tell themselves to “Try harder!” or blame themselves for not achieving enough. Other people work with a long to-do list and try to do many tasks at the same time. But these solutions aren’t helpful.

Instead, you should do this:

Tokyo Paralympics were amazing not only because of sports results. There were also a few truly heartwarming moments. 

One of them happened after a Paralympic runner Keula Nidreia Pereir came fourth in a 200-meter race. Even though she didn’t get a medal, something happy was waiting for her at the finish line. Her running guide and a partner got down on his knee and proposed to her. She said yes. 

Many children feel stressed when they need to take exams. But exam anxiety can affect everyone, from children to adults. It can even damage the mental health of students who receive very high marks. It can also negatively affect students who are less successful, for example, children with special needs and children who are anxious in general. Sometimes children are worried because their parents set goals that are too high for them.

A cat named Forbes disappeared in 2011. Its owners were trying to find the cat for months. They made posters and went door-to-door asking about the cat. The cat’s owner said, “We'd had him from when he was a kitten and we had such a special bond. He was such a unique and friendly character, we absolutely adored him.” After almost eight or nine months of constant searching, they lost hope to find Forbes. 

Our world is unequal. The distribution of the vaccines shows that. Rich countries have more doses than they need, while poor countries can’t buy enough. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) says that this situation is slowing global economic recovery. Economists predict that low-income countries will lose at least $38 billion of their GDP in 2021 because of low vaccination rates. 

Low vaccination rates also put a lot of pressure on the healthcare systems of poor countries. Hospitals can’t treat other illnesses because of Covid.

Since smartphones first connected us to the Internet, the time we spend on our phones has been increasing. 

When I was a child, my mother wanted me to be elegant. She sent me to dance class. I didn’t like it. I cried before the class because I didn’t want to do it. But my mother didn’t allow me to quit. After five years of dancing, I finally stopped going to the classes. I never participated in any concerts, even though everyone else from this dance club did several times. I wasn’t good enough. I felt like a failure.

After dancing, I didn’t come back to sports until I was in university.

The life expectancy of people in Japan has been increasing for the past 65 years. Life expectancy means the prediction of how long people are expected to live. There are many reasons for the increase in life expectancy, such as better food, cleaner water and improved medicine.

Please have a look at the chart below and discuss what you see with your teacher.

People around the world follow different religions. We use specific words to describe them.

Crossing the street is very easy in most countries. You simply wait for the crosswalk light to turn green. The cars stop and let you walk safely to the other side.

However, in Hanoi, Vietnam, crossing the road is an adventure. There are few traffic lights, and the cars and motorbikes will never stop for you. You need to just walk into the street and the vehicles will go around you. It can be very scary, but that is the only way to cross the street in Vietnam. You have to trust the drivers not to hit you.

On New Year's Eve, people all over the world have celebrations and customs to ensure a good year to come. Each country has its own unique traditions which may seem pretty strange to other people. For a taste of what your neighbors may be doing, check these out!