Cruise Ships: discover the world in luxury

  The 400-word text discusses how the cruise industry has reinvented itself over the last two decades and as a consequence has become incredibly successful. It provides key data on the biggest businesses in the industry and highlights that the Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination. It finishes with explaining why cruise holidays are so saleable. The reading test worksheet includes: headings/ T,F,NG / vocabulary. 

Charity: a brief overview

The 400-word text discusses the first charity and how many charities there are now.  It provides information on the top three most popular charity types in the UK and their annual income revenue in 2020.  It discusses how charities raise money and the importance of volunteers. The reading test worksheet includes: headings/ T,F,NG/ vocabulary. 

The Electric Car Revolution

The 400-word text discusses the dramatic growth of the electric car market in the last few years because of the UK government’s future ban on petrol and diesel cars. It provides information on the different types of electric cars available and their green environmental credentials.  It finishes with public perceived barriers and how these issues are being addressed. The reading test includes headings / T,F,NG / vocabulary

The environmental price of single use plastics

The 400-word text defines single use plastics (SUPs) and highlights their devastating impact on the environment. It discusses how they break up in the natural environment into micro and nano plastics. It provides evidence on how they are harmful to human health and this is exacerbated through recent research discovering micro plastics in our drinking water systems. It finishes with a range of suggestions necessary to deal with the problem. The reading test includes: headings / T,F,NG / vocabulary.

Single use plastics: bio-plastic the alternative?

The 4-minute lecture focuses on the recent facts and figures connected to single use micro plastic pollution. The lecturer presents bioplastic as a possible alternative and analyses the company Vegware: plant-based compostable plastics. He discusses the process of creating bioplastic through the use of corn starch – polylactic acid. He questions whether bioplastic is a valid environmental alternative for SUPs and concludes by suggesting other measures that would be more successful. The listening test includes: open questions,  table completion and summary gap fill.

The biohacking movement

The 400-word text starts by defining what biohacking is and explains who biohackers are and what they are trying to achieve. It provides information about the first biohacking facility and the treatments on offer. It then illustrates the most extreme and controversial treatments available. It finishes with explaining the future of biohacking.The reading test includes: headings / T,F,NG / vocabulary.

 Cybernetic Organisms

The 3:40 minute lecture starts by defining cybernetic organisms and gives some examples of restorative medical procedures that are currently being offered. It then provides information about enhanced procedures that will be available in the near future. It finishes with a discussion about the ethical issues of cybernetic organisms. The listening test includes: gap fill exercises, open questions and multiple choice. 

COVID-19: can it be controlled?

The 400-word text defines COVID 19 and highlights the key symptoms associated with the virus. It discusses the possible origins of the virus as zoonotic and a possible conspiracy theory of a laboratory leak. It describes how countries responded to the pandemic using lockdowns and finishes by discussing the key vaccines being used to control the virus. The reading test includes: headings / T,F,NG / vocabulary.

The COVID-19 pandemic

The zero waste movement

The 400-word text discusses the issue with landfill sites and explains that some people are eliminating waste from their lives. It provides information about the zero waste movement and the strategies that people can use to make the change. It finishes with examples of large companies who have reduced their waste significantly and small companies who are completely zero waste. The reading test includes: headings / T,F,NG / vocabulary.

The rise in zero waste shops

Fast Fashion: the pros and cons

The 400-word text discusses what is fast fashion and what kind of shoppers it attracts (self and social consumers). It provides information about the production of clothing lines and how quickly a clothing store can turn around a new product from design to shop floor. It finishes by examining the darker side to the industry through unethical labour practices, the pollution to the environment and consumer waste. The reading test includes: headings / T,F,NG / vocabulary.

The true price of fast fashion

Fintech: how technology is changing financial services

The 400-word text defines Fintech and explains how Fintech is changing the financial landscape. It illustrates some of the Fintech services and finishes with illustrating the drawbacks for the people with no access to the technology that Fintech relies on. The reading test includes: headings / T,F,NG / vocabulary.

Fintech payment systems: PayPal & Stripe

Mental health: a brief overview

The 400-word text starts by explaining the changes to mental health over the last 70 years. It then provides information about the two most common types of mental disorders and includes some important statistics on how many people suffer from each type of illness. It finishes with an explanation of the different treatments on offer. The reading test includes: headings / T,F,NG / vocabulary.

Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)

Automation: the next Artificial Intelligence evolution? 

The 391-word text defines automation and discusses the three main types of automation. It gives examples of industries that rely on automation, illustrates the savings that countries make through the implementation of automation and it also highlights the negative impacts of automation.  The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

Chatbots: more than simply the 21^st century call centre

This short lecture defines chatbots, discusses the industries that use chatbots and explains how chatbots work. It looks at the reasons why people prefer engaging with chatbots, the growth of the chatbot industry and identifies an untapped area where growth in the use of chatbots is possible. The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

Data: revolutionising and transforming the business world

This 438-word text defines data and big data. It explains the importance of data for a business, it looks at the revolutionary technologies for industry and discusses how companies use data through data leveraging. The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

Big data and privacy: a complex balancing act

This short lecture defines big data, illustrates how it influences the business world and explains the importance of data protection. It introduces laws, guides and tools to help protect our private information, and it puts forward measures that could be implemented further to protect everyone’s data. The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

Business model innovation: a critical success factor

This 432-word text defines business model and business model innovation. It explains the importance of the business model for particular companies, it provides information on why some businesses innovate and it highlights some of the challenges companies face.  The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

Adapt or die: how Netflix triumphed over Blockbuster

This short lecture compares Blockbuster and Netflix. It starts by looking at Blockbuster and talks about its product, how it expanded, its revenue and then its downfall. It then introduces Netflix and explains how it started, its pricing model, its business strategy and its global success. The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

Cryptocurrencies: money of the future?

This 383-word text defines cryptocurrencies, illustrates the cryptocurrencies in the market and explains how cryptocurrencies work. It provides information on the global market size and explains how they are traded. The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

Bitcoin: the standout trendsetter in a digital monetary minefield

This short lecture defines bitcoin, talks about the success of bitcoin and explains how bitcoin works. It looks at the different perspectives from financial institutions, its market volatility and potential risks.  The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

Cybercrime: the 21^st century’s biggest threat to society

This 387-word text defines cybercrime. It explains why cybercrime happens, it provides examples of the most common types cybercrime, it looks at economic costs and the most likely targets.  The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

Cybersecurity: today’s booming but necessary global market

This short lecture defines cybersecurity, it looks at how we can protect ourselves from a cyberattack, it explains who is most responsible for cyberattacks in business, it puts forward the security measures companies can take and it provides data that indicates how cybersecurity is a booming industry.  The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

Geometry: much more than a theoretical subject

This 358-word text firstly defines geometry, it then introduces the different types of geometry and it finally discusses the many uses of geometry in everyday life. The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

Triangles used in bridge design and construction

This short lecture discusses the purpose of a bridge, it introduces the use of triangles in bridge design, it puts forward the reasons why triangles are used in bridge design and illustrates some examples of some famous bridges. The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

HS2: better connections, more capacity and zero emissions

This 412-word text defines High Speed 2, it discusses the strategic significance and the key phases of the building HS2 from London to Manchester. It also explains the net zero carbon economic objectives connected to the future of UK railways. The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

HS2: over-promised and under-delivered

This short lecture discusses problems that HS2 has faced since 2009. The key issues discussed include the environmental impact, the cost and the axing of the eastern leg. The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

Peer-to-peer lending: potentially profitable yet increasingly risky

This 420-word text defines peer-to-peer lending / crowdfunding, it then discusses the process of how the system works and its main advantages. The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

Crowdfunding: the cause of a radically-changing financial outlook

This short lecture discusses the origins of crowdfunding and explains the different types of crowfunding: reward-based, equity-based and donation-based. It then focuses on how crowdfunding has changed the financial landscape of borrowing money. The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

SpaceX: making humanity multiplanetary

This 407-word text provides a background on SpaceX aerospace company. It discusses SpaceX’s successes in rocket design and the future mission of the company. The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

SpaceX: The Colonisation of Mars

This short lecture discusses SpaceX’s founder Elon Musk’s mission to have a human presence on Mars. It explains how this will become a possibility through using reusable rocket ships and fuel-efficient engines. The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.

How a business can and must reduce its carbon and water footprint

This 420-word text begins with a definition of carbon and water footprint, it then discusses the biggest contributors to these footprints and possible solutions for the future. The reading test includes: headings, T/F/NG and vocabulary.

‘Think global, act local’: the more sustainable supply chain

This short lecture discusses how and why businesses are changing from globalised supply chains to more localised manufacturing. It focuses on the positive aspects of ‘reshoring’ and the reduced impact of environmentally conscience business strategies. The listening test includes: open questions, multiple choice and gap fill tasks.