SMART GOALS

S specific Listening to a video that is 3 to 5 minutes long on YouTube

every Monday and Thursday at 09:00 p.m.
M measurable Complete the Google Form provided in the listening task.
A attainable The task includes before you listen, while you listen and after you
listen. The task can be reasonably accomplished within 15
minutes.
R relevant This listening task not only improves listening skills but also
boosts your vocabulary. Consequently, you have more ideas for
speaking and writing tasks.
T time-based Deadline for one listening task is 48 hours after it is released.
Solutions for before you listen and while you listen is shown immediately after you submit your
answer.
Your answer to after you listen will be shared to Facebook Group.
 Date 23/01/2022 Level Easy Tag Personal development
Source Rebel, Upholder, Questioner, Obliger: which one are you? | Gretchen Rubin
Channe RSA Shorts
l
Link https://youtu.be/QmpWW-KibOo
Form https://forms.gle/8fy9Vm48B1rawYGo6

Test 1
Part 1 – Before you listen: (1 minute)
Make two lists of the phrases below, dividing them into a) outer expectations and b) inner
expectations.
 work deadline
 keep a New Year’s resolution
 request from a friend
 get back to practicing a musical instrument
Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)
[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Which one are Upholders Questioners Obligers Rebels
you?
Favorite motto (1) _______ is my If you’ll (7) ____ You can count on me – You can’t make
freedom. we why; then and I’m counting on me – and (14)
I’ll (8) _____. you to count on me. _________.
Outer Yes Maybe Yes No
expectations
Inner Yes Maybe No No
expectations
Characteristic
s
Upsides They’re (2) ______. Two solutions They are the type O. What rebels
They’re (3) ______. are (9) _____ They are the type that should know:
They’re excellent at and (10) ____. pairs up most easily 1. Information
(4) _______. with other tendencies. 2. Consequences
3. Choices
Downsides They can be (5) Drain and (11) Create The ultimate
___________ _________ others systems of (13) ______ solution is to
and become the (6) with their (12) around that inner show more (15)
_________ of doing ________. expectation. _________ to yourself
 their own and other people.
paperwork forever.

Part 3 – After you listen: (3 minutes)

Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. What is your favorite motto?
2. How do you react to outer and inner expectations?
3. What type do you think is most similar to you? Why?
Answer
1. Discipline
2. self-reliant
3. self-starters
4. executing
5. rigid
6. mindless bureaucrat
7. convince
8. comply
9. deadlines
10. limits
11. overwhelm
12. constant questioning
13. outer accountability
14. neither can I
15. compassion

Transcript

There are outer expectations, like a work deadline or a request from a friend – and then there are inner
expectations, like our own desire to keep a New Year’s resolution, our own desire to get back into
practising guitar. So, depending on how you respond to expectations, you are an Upholder, a
Questioner, an Obliger, or a Rebel.

Upholders readily meet outer and inner expectations – they keep to the work deadline, they keep the
New Year’s resolution without much fuss.

Questioners question all expectations. They’ll do it if they think it makes sense.

Obligers readily meet outer expectations, but struggle to meet inner expectations

Then finally, Rebels. Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike - they want to do what
they want to do in their own way, in their own time.

So what do you do with this information – how can it help you manage yourself better, and
how can it help you deal better with other people?
Each of the tendencies has many mottos, and my favourite motto for Upholders is “discipline (kỷ luật)
is my freedom”. And there’s a lot of great things about Upholders – they’re self-reliant (tự chủ),
they’re self-starters (năng động, tự biết bắt đầu làm), they’re very good at executing (thi hành, thực
hành), they want to meet expectations – but as with all the tendencies, the upsides are also the
downsides. And upholders can be rigid (cứng nhắc), so you want to make sure if you’re dealing with an
Upholder, they’re not turning into the mindless bureaucrat (quan chức làm việc điên cuồng) of doing
their own paperwork endlessly.

Next, Questioners – and the motto of the Questioner is: “if you’ll convince (thuyết phục) me why;
then I’ll comply (tuân theo). They’re always looking at how to make processes better, they tend to love
information, they’re really great for all of us because they are the ones that are saying – why are we
doing this by Friday? Why are we doing this report? Why are we listening to you? Why are we doing this
at all? But the upsides are the downsides, and Questioners sometimes drain and overwhelm (lấn át,
choáng ngợp) others with their constant questioning. So, what do you if you’re a Questioner – or
you’re dealing with a Questioner who is stuck in analysis paralysis? One is to use deadlines. Another is
limits – ‘we can interview 5 people for this position, but we’re not going to interview 15’. Or you find a
trusted authority – if you want to buy a new great bicycle, you can spend the rest of your life trying to
figure out what is the best bicycle, or you just go to a really great bike shop - ‘the people who work here
know a lot about bikes, I can be very guided by their judgment.’

So next Obligers – Obligers are the rock of the world – they are the type O, they are the type that pairs
up most easily with other tendencies. Really the frustration of being an Obliger falls most on Obligers
themselves, which is reflected in their motto which is “you can count on me – and I’m counting on
you to count on me”. What’s the cure for this? If you want to meet an inner expectation, you must
create systems of outer accountability around that inner expectation. You want to read more – join a
book group.

Finally, Rebels. Their motto is “you can’t make me – and neither can I”. It can be challenging working
or living with somebody, where every time you ask them or tell them to do something – they’re very
likely to resist. So how do you help a Rebel – or help yourself as a Rebel? So let’s say you have a Rebel
colleague who is refusing to go to a mandatory Wednesday morning meeting. You could say to the Rebel
something like, “so I don’t know if you know we have these Wednesday 10 am meetings? It’s like -
everybody who’s at the meeting, we think about all the projects coming up in the next several weeks,
and then everybody in the meeting, we take the interesting ones, and then we leave the dregs for the
people who aren’t at the meeting. So, yeah, the meeting is at 10am on Wednesday.”
Information...Consequences... Choice... It’s up to you. I really do think this can help you show
compassion for yourself – because there’s nothing wrong with you! You’re not lazy, you don’t lack
willpower. It’s totally predictable that something that’s easy for someone else might be challenging for
you. There’s plenty of ways to work around that. And it can also allow us to show more compassion
(long trắc ẩn) to other people. Because when we understand other people, then it’s not a matter of -
one person’s right and one person’s wrong, it’s just, how do we both – or all of us - get where we want to
go?
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Easy Tag Health
Source How sugar affects the brain - Nicole Avena
Channe Ted Ed
l
Link https://youtu.be/lEXBxijQREo
Form https://forms.gle/u7rQUbKcaRRBkK8F9

Test 2
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
yogurt granola bars raw sugar honey tomato sauce
fruit juice dried fruit crunchy candies gooey cookies velvety cakes

Match the phrases above with the pictures.

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)

[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Continue in the next page. 
Is your mouth watering? Are you craving (1) ______________?
Sugar is a term used to describe a class of molecules called (2) _______________.

Sugar hits your tongue

Sugar activates the (3) ___________________ receptors,

part of the taste buds on the tongue

These receptors send a signal to the cerebral cortex, which processes different tastes:
bitter, salty, umani, sweet

The signal activates the brain’s reward system

(4) ______________, sexual behavior, and drugs also activate reward system.
But over-activating this reward system kickstarts a series of unfortunate events:
 loss of control,
 craving,
 and (5) ________________ to sugar.
The currency of our reward system is (6) ___________________, an important chemical or neurotransmitter.
Drugs like alcohol, nicotine, or heroin send dopamine into (7) __________, leading some people to be
addicted.
When it comes to food, the brain evolved to (8) ___________ to new or different tastes. Why? Two reasons:
 first, to detect food that's gone bad.
 second, to keep eating a variety of food
Every time any sugar is consumed, it kickstarts a (9) __________ in the brain that sparks a rewarding feeling.
(10) _______________ of sugar can have addictive effects on the brain, but a small dose won't hurt you.

Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)

Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. Name three foods containing sugar that you often eat.
2. Describe your ideal breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. Do you think you have a balanced diet? Why?
Answer
1. dessert
2. carbohydrates
3. sweet-taste
4. socializing / socializing
5. increased tolerance
6. dopamine
7. overdrive
8. pay special attention
9. domino effect
10. overconsumption

Transcript:

Picture warm, gooey cookies, crunchy candies, velvety cakes, waffle cones piled high with ice cream. Is
your mouth watering? Are you craving dessert (món tráng miệng)? Why? What happens in the brain
that makes sugary foods so hard to resist?

Sugar is a general term used to describe a class of molecules (phân tử) called carbohydrates, and it's
found in a wide variety of food and drink. Just check the labels on sweet products you buy. Glucose,
fructose, sucrose, maltose, lactose, dextrose, and starch are all forms of sugar. So are high-fructose corn
syrup (đường hóa học từ mía), fruit juice, raw sugar, and honey. And sugar isn't just in candies and
desserts, it's also added to tomato sauce, yogurt, dried fruit, flavored waters, or granola bars. Since sugar
is everywhere, it's important to understand how it affects the brain. What happens when sugar hits your
tongue? And does eating a little bit of sugar make you crave more?

You take a bite of cereal (ngũ cốc). The sugars it contains activate the sweet-taste receptors, part of the
taste buds on the tongue. These receptors (thụ thể, cảm biến tiếp nhận) send a signal up to the brain
stem, and from there, it forks off into many areas of the forebrain, one of which is the cerebral cortex.
Different sections of the cerebral cortex process different tastes: bitter (đắng), salty (mặn), umami (vị
bột ngọt), and, in our case, sweet. From here, the signal activates the brain's reward system. This
reward system is a series of electrical and chemical pathways across several different regions of the
brain. It's a complicated network (mạng lưới phức tạp), but it helps answer a single, subconscious
question: should I do that again? That warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you taste Grandma's chocolate
cake? That's your reward system saying, "Mmm, yes!" And it's not just activated by food.

Socializing, sexual behavior, and drugs are just a few examples of things and experiences that also
activate the reward system. But overactivating this reward system kickstarts (kích hoạt) a series of
unfortunate events: loss of control, craving, and increased tolerance (tăng mức chống chịu) to sugar.
Let's get back to our bite of cereal. It travels down into your stomach and eventually into your gut. And
guess what? There are sugar receptors here, too. They are not taste buds (nụ vị giác), but they do send
signals telling your brain that you're full or that your body should produce more insulin to deal with the
extra sugar you're eating. The major currency (đơn vị tiền) of our reward system is dopamine, an
important chemical or neurotransmitter. There are many dopamine receptors in the forebrain, but
they're not evenly distributed. Certain areas contain dense clusters of receptors, and these dopamine hot
spots are a part of our reward system. Drugs like alcohol, nicotine, or heroin send dopamine into
overdrive (sự quá tải), leading some people to constantly seek that high, in other words, to be
addicted.

Sugar also causes dopamine to be released, though not as violently as drugs. And sugar is rare among
dopamine-inducing foods. Broccoli, for example, has no effect, which probably explains why it's so hard
to get kids to eat their veggies. Speaking of healthy foods, let's say you're hungry and decide to eat a
balanced meal. You do, and dopamine levels spike in the reward system hot spots. But if you eat that
same dish many days in a row, dopamine levels will spike less and less, eventually leveling out. That's
because when it comes to food, the brain evolved to pay special attention to (chú ý tới) new or
different tastes. Why? Two reasons: first, to detect food that's gone bad (bị hư). And second, because
the more variety we have in our diet, the more likely we are to get all the nutrients we need. To keep
that variety up, we need to be able to recognize a new food, and more importantly, we need to want to
keep eating new foods. And that's why the dopamine levels off when a food becomes boring.

Now, back to that meal. What happens if in place of the healthy, balanced dish, you eat sugar-rich food
instead? If you rarely eat sugar or don't eat much at a time, the effect is similar to that of the balanced
meal. But if you eat too much, the dopamine response does not level out. In other words, eating lots of
sugar will continue to feel rewarding. In this way, sugar behaves a little bit like a drug. It's one reason
people seem to be hooked on sugary foods. So, think back to all those different kinds of sugar. Each one
is unique, but every time any sugar is consumed, it kickstarts a domino effect (hiệu ứng domino) in
the brain that sparks a rewarding feeling. Too much, too often, and things can go into overdrive. So, yes,
overconsumption (tiêu thụ quá nhiều) of sugar can have addictive effects on the brain, but a wedge of
cake once in a while won't hurt you.
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Easy Tag Health
Source Your Body's Real Age | NPR's SKUNK BEAR
Channe NPR’s Skunk Bear
l
Link https://youtu.be/Nwfg157hejM
Form https://forms.gle/JqstyESzunsVykrm6

Test 3
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
fingernails scalp skeleton heart
skin care muscles red blood cells neurons

Match the phrases above with the pictures.

1 2 3 4

5 6 7
8

Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)

[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Continue in the next page. 
How old are our bodies actually?
Because if you think about how we're constantly being (1) __________; what actually remains?

Body parts What happens?

Hair A hundred hairs fall out every day.

(2) __________ Every six months

The (3) __________ of your Those cells get replaced every (4) __________ due to constant exposure to
stomach and intestines acid and bile.
Outer layer of skin Every few weeks
(5) __________ cells Every four months

Skeleton Every (6) __________

Muscles Every 15 years

But there are a few things that stick around for your entire life

Body parts What happens?

About half of your (7) __________ because those cells are replaced very slowly
The vast majority of your neurons It's the (8) __________ between those neurons that are constantly
changing.
Your lens Its (9) __________ has remained the same since the moment you
first opened your eyes.

So how old is your body really?

Some of it is (10) __________ and some of it is as old as you are.

Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)

Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. How important is it for you to eat healthily?
2. Which sport do you play or do regularly?
3. Do you think you have enough free time to relax?
Answer
1. regenerated
2. fingernails
3. lining
4. few days
5. red blood
6. 10 years
7. heart
8. connections
9. core
10. brand new
Transcript
Hi, I'm Adam Cole.
This week we've got a question from Lulu Miller, the host of NPR's Invisibilia podcast: How old are our
bodies actually? Because if you think about how we're constantly being regenerated our physical matter
is being shed and replenished ... what actually remains?

Good question, Lulu!

Well, your hair obviously doesn't remain the same and I'm not just talking about the style each hair on
your head is replaced every 2 to 7 years A hundred hairs fall out every day and new ones grow back in
their place And look at your fingernails - they're completely new every six months or so it turns out it's
just a matter of time before almost every part of your body refreshes itself in a similar way The lining of
your stomach and intestines gets pretty beat up -- it's constantly exposed to acid and bile and so those
cells get replaced every few days Every few weeks, your outer layer of skin is completely renewed Every
four months you have a fresh army of red blood cells A hundred million new cells are born every
minute and a hundred million old cells are destroyed It's actually the breakdown products of these red
blood cells that turn your bruises and urine yellow Every 10 years, you've got a new skeleton a special
team of cells breaks down old bone and another builds new bone Every 15 years your muscles are
refreshed You might think you gain and lose fat cells when you gain and lose weight but the actually just
get bigger and smaller Over the course of 25 years though, most of them turn over But there are a few
things that stick around for your entire life About half of your heart stays with you from birth to death
because those cells are replaced very slowly Certain parts of your brain add a few new neurons over the
course of your life but the vast majority of your neurons developed before you were born It's the
connections between those neurons -- the circuits that store memories -- that are constantly changing
And there's one more part of you that lasts your whole life Months before you were born, a little cluster
of cells stretched and filled themselves with transparent protein As you grew, even after birth, more and
more fibers were added, but that center endured This is your lens the window through which you are
watching this video right now and its core has remained the same since the moment you first opened
your eyes So how old is your body really? Some of it is brand-new and some of it is as old as you are To
learn how scientists figured all this out, check out our post at skunkbear.tumblr.com And listen to
Invisibilia -- the latest episode is about whether or not personality persists throughout your entire life If
you have science questions send them our way and please subscribe to our channel!
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Easy Tag Psychology
Source Klexos: The Art of Dwelling on the Past
Channel Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows
Link https://youtu.be/pxN1YnVUfjM
Form https://forms.gle/JgE1UNaQMG4Lxiiz8

Test 4
Part 1 – Before you listen: (4 minutes)
From German “klecksography”, the art of making images from inkblots, famously used in Rorschach
psychoanalytic tests. Interpreting their ambiguity is thought to illuminate the subconscious of the
patient.
Answer the following questions.
1. Search Google for Rorschach test. It is named after Hermann Rorschach. Which country was Hermann
Rorschach born in?
2. What do you see in these photos?
Part 2 – While you listen: (6 minutes)
[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Full transcript:
Your life is written in (1) ____________ ink. There's no going back to erase the past, (2) ____________ your
mistakes or fill in missed opportunities. When the moment's over, your fate is (3) ____________.

But if look closer, you notice the ink never really dries on any our experiences. They can change their
meaning the longer you look at them.

Klexos.

There are ways of thinking about the past that aren't just (4) ____________. A kind of questioning that
enriches an experience after the fact. To dwell on the past is to allow (5) ____________ to trickle in over the
years and fill out the picture; to keep the memory alive, and not just as a (6) ____________ of itself. So you
can look fairly at a painful experience, and call it by its name.

Time is the most (7) ____________ in the universe. It can turn a giant into someone utterly human, just trying
to make their way through. Or tell you how you really felt about someone, even if you couldn't at the
time. It can put your childhood dreams in context with (8) ____________ or turn a universal consensus into
an embarrassing fad. It can (9) ____________ in a relationship that once seemed perfect. Or keep a friendship
going by thoughts alone, even if you'll never see them again. It can (10) ____________ your greatest shame
into the source of your greatest power or turn a (11) ____________ into something petty, done for the wrong
reasons, or make what felt like the end of the world look like a natural part of life.
The past is still mostly a (12) ____________, so we may be doomed to repeat it. But it's still worth looking
into if it brings you closer to the truth.

Maybe it's not so bad to (13) ____________ in the past, and (14) ____________ in the memories, to stem the
simplification of time, and put some craft back into it. Maybe we should think of memory itself as an art
form, in which the real work begins as soon as the paint hits the (15) ____________. And remember that a
work of art is never finished, only abandoned.

Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)

Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
2. Do you ever wish life had play, pause, rewind and fast forward buttons? Why?
3. If you could time travel and meet your 10-year-old self, what would you say?
Answer
Popular resonses: bat, butterfly, moth Popular responses: two humans, four-legged animal
such as a dog, elephant or bear
This card is a relatively easy one in the series, with
much of any asosciated stress in dealing with it being Many subjects interpret the red as blood, which can
trying to understand how to conduct a new task. display how the subject might respond to feelings of
anger or physical harm. Some also associate the
blood with power & have sexual responses to the
card.

1. indelible
2. tweak
3. sealed
4. nostalgia or regret
5. fresh context
6. caricature
7. powerful force
8. adult burdens
9. expose cracks
10. flip
11. jolt of pride
12. blank page
13. dwell
14. muddle
15. canvas

Transcript

Your life is written in indelible ink.

There's no going back to erase the past,
tweak your mistakes,
or fill in missed opportunities.
When the moment's over, your fate is sealed.
But if look closer, you notice the ink never really dries on any our experiences.
They can change their meaning the longer you look at them.

Klexos.

There are ways of thinking about the past that aren't just nostalgia or regret.
A kind of questioning that enriches an experience after the fact.
To dwell on the past is to allow fresh context to trickle in over the years,
and fill out the picture;
to keep the memory alive, and not just as a caricature of itself.
So you can look fairly at a painful experience, and call it by its name.
Time is the most powerful force in the universe.
It can turn a giant into someone utterly human,
just trying to make their way through.
Or tell you how you really felt about someone, even if you couldn't at the time.
It can put your childhood dreams in context with adult burdens
or turn a universal consensus into an embarrassing fad.
It can expose cracks in a relationship that once seemed perfect.
Or keep a friendship going by thoughts alone,
even if you'll never see them again.
It can flip your greatest shame into the source of your greatest power,
or turn a jolt of pride into something petty,
done for the wrong reasons,
or make what felt like the end of the world
look like a natural part of life.
The past is still mostly a blank page,
so we may be doomed to repeat it.
But it's still worth looking into if it brings you closer to the truth.
Maybe it's not so bad to dwell in the past,
and muddle in the memories,
to stem the simplification of time,
and put some craft back into it.
Maybe we should think of memory itself as an art form,
in which the real work begins as soon as the paint hits the canvas.
And remember that a work of art is never finished,
only abandoned.
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Medium Tag Health
Source Products that promise "detox" are a sham. Yes, all of them.
Channe Vox
l
Link https://youtu.be/lw08dtKt4oY
Form https://forms.gle/sogykuTwsq1Y6PtT8

Test 5
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
Detox products sell an incredibly alluring idea. Have a few indulgent days over Thanksgiving or
Christmas? Just use a tea, drink a juice, take a supplement and look as fresh as Gwyneth Paltrow — no
exercise or surgery required. The truth is unless you’re a heroin addict or you’re at risk of alcohol
poisoning, you probably don’t need a “detox.” Here’s why.
The idea can be traced all the way back to the Garden of Eden: Almost as soon as we were
created, we ate a toxic apple. Since then, perhaps to atone for this original sin, many of us have fallen
prey to the idea that we are full of nasty, usually nebulously defined toxins in our bodies and we need to
get rid of them to be purer, cleaner, and lighter.
Look back to ancient Egypt: Physicians thought that toxic substances could be produced in
people’s bodies (particularly within feces), caused disease, and needed to be expelled. This idea — called
“auto-intoxication” — persisted, according to the medical journal the Lancet, and even microbiologists
believed it through the past century. By the early 1900s, however, our understanding of physiology
evolved, and scientists sent auto-intoxication “to the dustbin of medical history,” according to the
Lancet.
Before you succumb to this incredibly appealing notion, you should know that the idea of using
some product to “detox” is nonsense. But this hasn’t stopped clever marketers from selling the idea that
we can become, somehow, less toxic by using special products.

Read the text above and match the words with its meaning.

1 alluring a a doctor, one who is a specialist in general medicine

2 fall prey to b the way in which a particular living thing functions
3 physicians c attractive and exciting in a mysterious way
4 feces d a scientist who studies microbiology
5 microbiologists e be harmed or affected by something bad
 6 physiology f a person whose job is to advertise and sell a company's products
in the best possible way
7 succumb to g solid waste material that leaves the body through the anus
8 marketers h not be able to fight an attack, a temptation, etc.
Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)
[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Long story short, detoxing is nonsense. But it’s been reinforced thanks to some really (1) _________ about
how our bodies work and a whole lot of (2) _________.

Remember how we used to use (3) _________ to get out the “bad blood” when people were sick? That’s kind
of the same idea. People thought that the body would poison itself when toxins from (4) _________ were
absorbed back into the blood. They called this idea autointoxication, and it lasted for a long time. And
even (5) _________ believed in it through the last century.

But in the (6) _________of health pseudoscience, detoxing still stuck around. Gwyneth Paltrow is a fantastic
example of that, her website is just a panorama of pseudoscience.

Here’s the thing: our bodies are already (7) _________.

The best things you can do to boost your well-being and maybe even improve your long-term health
outcomes are:
 (8) ___________,
 don't drink too much,
 don't smoke,
 exercise,
 eat a (9) ____________
— and these don’t come in a magical pill form, they don’t come in a tea form, you can’t put them on
your face in a special cream.

The detox that you see on the side of a shampoo bottle, or vitamin bottle — that’s marketing hype. But
there’s actual, real, legitimate (10) _________for people who have dangerously high levels of alcohol in their
body.

The bottom line is, (11) _________ detox products just aren’t supported by science.

More extreme detoxes like (12) _________can deplete electrolytes to dangerously low levels. There have
been reports of (13) _________ of the gut and even death when people use these kinds of products.

Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)

Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. Do you often use any detox products? Why/Why not?
2. Do you often use health supplements? Why/Why not?

Answer
1. archaic misconceptions
2. celebrity endorsements
3. leeches
4. feces
5. microbiologists
6. realm
7. fantastic detox machines
8. sleep
9. balanced diet
10. medical detox procedures
11. over the counter
12. colon cleanses
13. perforations

Transcript

In 2007, a science advocacy group called Sense About Science reached out to the manufacturers of 15
detox health products. They wanted to figure out one thing: what exactly was the toxin that those
products were targeting?

After talking to the makers of everything from smoothies to supplements to shampoos, the researchers
came back with absolutely nothing. Not a single company could identify what “toxic substance” their
“detox” product eliminated. Long story short, detoxing — for weight loss, for beauty treatments, for
fitness — is bullshit. But it’s been kept alive thanks to some really archaic misconceptions about how
our bodies work, and a whole lot of celebrity endorsements. In fact, I've created a great 48-hour detox
plan on DoctorOz.com. So how did we get here? Now when we talk about detox, we're thinking about
getting rid of things we've overconsumed, too much food, too much alcohol, or dangerous chemicals that
have entered our bodies from the environment.

But if you go back to about 3000 BC in ancient Egypt, physicians thought that toxic substances were
actually produced within people’s bodies, and that these toxins were the cause of disease, and that they
needed to be expelled. Remember how we used to use leeches to get out the “bad blood” when people
were sick? That’s kind of the same idea.
People thought that the body would poison itself when toxins from feces were absorbed back into the
blood. They called this idea autointoxication, and it lasted for a long time. And even microbiologists
believed in it through the last century. By the early 1900s, our understanding of physiology evolved, and
we stopped taking the idea of autointoxication seriously. But in the realm of health pseudoscience,
detoxing still stuck around. And a lot of that detox culture has been shaped by celebrity culture. Movie
stars and other performers will use detox products, and their stories will get written up in magazines.

Gwyneth Paltrow is a fantastic example of that, her website is just a panorama of pseudoscience. She’s
famously endorsed different types of cleanses that she allegedly uses herself. What you don’t see is that
those products are just one part of a multi-million dollar business promoting easy exercise and diet
solutions. It’s very appealing to just believe you can take something from a store shelf, take it for a few
weeks, and somehow have this very quick transformation into something that will look as wonderful as
she does. Here’s the thing: our bodies are already fantastic detox machines. We have the skin, the
lymphatic and gastrointestinal systems, the kidneys, the liver — they’re all working together to convert
toxic substances that enter the body into harmless things that your body can either store or eliminate.
But the best things you can do to boost your wellbeing and maybe even improve your long-term health
outcomes are just sleep, don't drink too much, don't smoke, exercise, eat a balanced diet — and these
don’t come in a magical pill form, they don’t come in a tea form, you can’t put them on your face in a
special cream. At the same time, “detoxing” is a real process for people suffering from substance
addiction. The detox that you see on the side of a shampoo bottle, or vitamin bottle — that’s marketing
hype. But there’s actual, real, legitimate medical detox procedures for people who have levels of
alcohol or drugs or poisons in their body that are too high, and they need to go through some kind of
treatment to get them back to levels that basically won’t kill them, or overwhelm their organ systems.
Again, that’s not something you can buy on the shelf at the grocery store or the pharmacy. The bottom
line is, over the counter detox products just aren’t supported by science. And they can also actually be
dangerous. More extreme detoxes like colon cleanses can deplete electrolytes to dangerously low levels.
There have been reports of perforations of the gut and even death when people use these kinds of
products. "And the things that these 'detox' and 'cleanse' products claim to accomplish?

Your body does those things on its own." So any time you see words like ‘detox’ or ‘cleanse’ on a product
label, remember: it’s just marketing hype. And it’s time we start treating it accordingly. One of the things
we didn't get into in this story is that Amazon, one of the world's largest retailers, is also selling
hundreds of detox products on its site. So everything from colon cleansers to help you lose weight to
detox footpads, teas. So it's not just Gwyneth Paltrow selling this stuff, it's everywhere, and it's a
reminder of how critical we need to be of health claims that seem to good to be true.
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Hard Tag Economics
Source Didi, Alibaba, Tencent: The Risks of Investing in Chinese Tech | WSJ
Channe Wall Street Journal
l
Link https://youtu.be/3Os-e52MDY4
Form https://forms.gle/TKB8YQ8deosjxhNm6

Test 6
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
Let’s look at a generation of Chinese copycats
International users Chinese users
Google Baidu
YouTube Youku
Twitter Weibo
Amazon Alibaba
Ebay Taobao
Facebook WeChat
Uber DiDi
Match China’s biggest names in tech with its industry.
1 Alibaba a video games
2 Tencent b ride hailing service
3 DiDi c e-commerce platform

Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)

[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
For the past several years, (1) __________ have been pouring money into the stocks of some of Chinese
biggest tech firms. But this summer, those shares saw (2) __________.

China has clamped down on alleged (3) __________ and tightened rules on data security. A top Chinese
securities regulator privately reassured (4) __________ that the government would consider the market
impact of its policy decisions.

China has stepped up efforts to rein in big tech.

China's regulars launched a (5) __________ and suspended DiDi's apps. Shortly after, its share (6) __________.
Regulators shut down Ant's (7) __________, which was expected to be the world's largest public listing and
launched an (8) __________ into Alibaba.

Now after all these events, markets are jittery.

Tencent has recently come under pressure to address what authorities are calling (9) __________ and
security issues.

Until recently, Chinese companies going public in the US were a bright spot in the otherwise tumultuous
US-China relationship.

There is a sense maybe that the Chinese regulators were kind of (10) (2) __________ by how severe the
foreign reaction was.

Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)

Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. Why do people use e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee?
2. Why do people use Uber and Grab instead of traditional taxi?
3. How often do you use cashless payments such as credit cards?
Answer
1. foreign investors
2. sharp selloffs
3. monopolistic behavior
4. foreign financial firms
5. cybersecurity probe
6. plummeted
7. blockbuster IPO
8. antitrust probe
9. anti-competitive practices
10. blindsided
Transcript
[Narrator] Alibaba's e-commerce platforms, Tencent's video games, DiDi's ride hailing service, these are
some of China's biggest names in tech, and for the past several years, foreign investors have been
pouring money into their stocks. But this summer, those shares listed in New York and Hong Kong saw
sharp selloffs and it had little to do with their business performance. China has taken a series of actions
against big tech, and those moves, from clamping down on alleged monopolistic behavior to tightening
rules on data security have sent shock waves through international markets. - There has been a sense
amongst Chinese officials that some of these companies have become a bit too powerful.

[Narrator] In July alone, food delivery app Meituan, Tencent, Alibaba and short video app Kuaishou lost
about 20% of their combined market value. A top Chinese securities regulator privately reassured
foreign financial firms that the government would consider the market impact of its policy decisions. But
investors wonder what the future holds of China's tech companies, and more broadly, for listings of
Chinese companies in the US and other countries. - The scope and severity of the moves recently has
taken people aback. Many foreign investors are kind of asking okay, we thought we knew all the risks
here but are things actually worse than we imagined?

[Narrator] China has stepped up efforts to rein in big tech. And fast-growing firms like Tencent and ride
hailing app DiDi, which have become central to everyday life in China have been subject to the clamp
down.

[Quentin] In many ways, DiDi is the Uber of China.

[Narrator] Earlier this year, DiDi went public on the New York Stock Exchange in a multi-billion dollar
IPO that was completed in just a few days. - It emerged that perhaps they hadn't got the full sign off
from the Chinese authorities or at least the Chinese authorities had suggested to them they might wanna
hold off partly for kind of data security reasons. But DiDi pressed ahead.
[Narrator] China's regulars launched a cybersecurity probe and suspended DiDi's apps and said the
company, which collects a range of user data, hadn't complied with China's data protection rules. Shortly
after, its stock plummeted.

[Quentin] It kind of left investors with the sense that DiDi had been punished for having the temerity to
go public when it should perhaps have been more heedful of what Chinese regulators were saying.

[Narrator] DiDi said it would comply with requirements made by relevant authorities. (speaking in
foreign language)

[Narrator] Last year, after billionaire Jack Ma publicly called for regulatory changes, Chinese authorities
targeted Ant and Alibaba, two firms he's closely associated with. Regulators shut down Ant's blockbuster
IPO, which was expected to be the world's largest public listing, and launched an antitrust probe into
Alibaba. Now after all these events, markets are jittery.

In August when a state-owned Chinese newspaper criticized online gaming as opium for the mind, the
stock of gaming giant Tencent saw a massive selloff. Tencent, also the owner of social media and
messaging platform WeChat, has recently come under pressure to address what authorities are calling
anti-competitive practices and security issues. Tencent said it would introduce new rules, including
stricter curbs on younger gamers.

Some investors wonder if Chinese authorities might also target the mechanism foreign buyers use to
invest in Chinese stocks listed offshore. If you're investing in certain US-listed Chinese companies, like
Alibaba, you're not exactly buying shares directly in the business. You're buying into an offshore vehicle
that has a series of legal arrangements with the operations inside China. This setup uses what is known
as a VIE, or a variable interest entity. There are literally trillions of dollars worth in market cap of
Chinese companies listed abroad. And most of that is done through these VIE structures. Over time, some
people have questioned it because it operates in this kind of gray area where the Chinese authorities
might one day kind of decide that they don't like this loophole.

[Narrator] Until recently, Chinese companies going public in the US were a bright spot in the otherwise
tumultuous US-China relationship. And some Chinese tech stocks have produced big gains for foreign
investors in the last few years. But now everyone's watching to see what steps Chinese regulators will
take next. (speaking in foreign language). There is a sense maybe that the Chinese regulators were kind
of blindsided by how severe the foreign reaction was. They don't wanna completely close the door on the
outside world, and they don't want to completely terrify markets. But they also are pretty resolute about
what they feel they need to do, and they feel like this is all good for the long-term development of the
Chinese economy. It seems like the campaign isn't over.
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Easy Tag Animals
Source Why Does Your Cat's Tongue Feel Like Sandpaper? | Deep Look
Channe Deep Look
l
Link https://youtu.be/9h_QtLol75I
Form https://forms.gle/AvzRWw1gA6pCh1SDA

Test 7
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
Do the following quiz.
1. What’s the first thing a caterpillar usually eats after it’s born?
A. other bugs B. grass C. its own eggshell
2. Which of the following animals is not nocturnal?
A. sheep C. leopard
B. skunk D. tiger
3. What is a baby rabbit called?
A. doe C. buck
B. kit D. hare
Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)
[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Cats are (1) _________________ staying clean.
They can spend up to half their waking hours (2) _________________.
Their tongue is covered in tiny (3) _________________, made of keratin.
They’re what makes the tongue feel so sandpapery.
Researchers at Georgia Tech made a (4) _________________ of a cat’s tongue to test how it works. The fur just
peels off because the spines are all (5) _________________ in the same direction.
For cats, staying clean is a matter of life and death.
Cats are (6) _________________ who are also known as ambush predators.
Cats have (7) _________________ mouths so they can get their teeth around their prey’s neck.
But there’s a (8) _________________ that comes with that big bite.
Those wide mouths mean their lips can’t come together to form a good (9) _________________. They can’t
create (10) _________________ to drink the way we do.
Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)
Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. Do many people in your country like to have a pet?
2. What kinds of pets are most popular in your country?
3. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of having a pet?
Answers
1. What’s the first thing a caterpillar usually eats after it’s born?
A. other bugs
B. grass
C. its own eggshell
2. Which of the following animals is not nocturnal?
A. sheep
B. skunk
C. leopard
D. tiger
3. What is a baby rabbit called?
A. doe – female rabbits
B. kit
C. buck – male rabbits
D. hare

1. obsessed with
2. grooming
3. spines
4. 3D model
5. angled
6. carnivores
7. extra-wide
8. tradeoff
9. seal
10. suction

Transcript

Cats are obsessed with staying clean. They can spend up to half their waking hours grooming. Their
tongue is covered in tiny spines. They’re what makes the tongue feel so sandpapery. These spines,
called papillae, are made of keratin, just like their claws and our fingernails. The papillae even look
like miniature cat claws. They do an impeccable job of detangling their fur. Researchers at Georgia
Tech made a 3D model of a cat’s tongue… to test how it works. See how the fur just peels off? It’s
because the spines are all angled in the same direction. With a typical hairbrush, you’d have to pick the
fur out from between the bristles. So why are cats so preoccupied with grooming? For them, it’s about
more than just vanity. For one thing, it’s a way to show affection-- to build bonds. That’s why they
appreciate us petting them. And it spreads out oils produced by the cat’s skin that gives their fur some
water resistance. But when it really comes down to it, for cats, staying clean is a matter of life and
death. Cats are carnivores… ambush predators. They hide and sneak up on their unsuspecting prey.
One whiff of the wrong odor could give the cat away. But when they pounce, it’s their bite that finishes
the job. Cats have extra-wide mouths so they can get their teeth around their prey’s neck. It would be
like having the corners of your mouth go all the way back by your ears. But there’s a tradeoff that
comes with that big bite. Those wide mouths mean their lips can’t come together to form a good seal.
They can’t create suction to drink the way we do. So, they flick the water with the tip of their tongue
Researchers at MIT made a model using a glass disc, to show how cats get a drink by just barely
touching the water’s surface. The water sticks to the disc and to itself. Lift the disc at the right speed and
it pulls the water up into a column. Then, the cat bites it at precisely the right moment to get as much
water as possible. And all of this happens four times per second! It’s a complicated way to take a drink,
but it’s just one of prices cats pay to be the expert predators they are… Hey guys, It’s Lauren. You know
you love fuzzy critters. So check out our other episodes like this one. See what you can learn about a
squirrel's mood just by looking at its tail. Or how the fuzziness of owl feathers makes them such stealthy
hunters. And if you like the show, share us! Thanks for watching.
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Medium Tag Technology
Source The internet is after your job | Guardian Explainers
Channe The Guardian
l
Link https://youtu.be/9ctDMfhyFGA
Form https://forms.gle/rP6D3M8vYqpyyXMq5

Test 8
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
1. If you could buy any new gadget you wanted, what would you choose and why?
2. Do you always want to buy the latest technology or are you happy with an older model? Why?

Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)

[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Technology is taking away our work.

Job Replaced by Note

(1) _________ Crunch, Freeagent Replace

Lawyers Legalzoom, Rocket Simplify the process of writing (2) ____

Higher education (3) ______________ Overhyped

Doctors HealthTap, Doctor on Demand Connect a patient directly to a (4) _____

from smartphones

This is the (5) __________ - where any one task or service can be put out to a worldwide, hungry (6) _________.

When (7) ____________ become ubiquitous, Uber taxi drivers will be made redundant.

Advice on finding secure work:

1. Find your own (8) __________________ - your specialized field

2. Go global, (9) ________________ yourself to the world and become famous for your particular area.

3. Become a (10) _________________

Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)

Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. Why do you think older people struggle so much with new technology?
2. What changes in technology do you think we will see in the next 50 years?
Answer
1. (high street) accountants
2. legal documents
3. MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
4. GP
5. commodification of labour
6. freelance workforce
7. driverless cars
8. niche
9. pitch
10. programmer
Transcript

Technology destroys jobs. We know this. It has the potential to make entire professions obsolete faster
than you can say Xerox. Oh well, people thought. Never mind. It's the price of progress. But that was
because it was largely unskilled, manual labour jobs that were affected; working class jobs. And as long
as you were educated, you’d be alright. But then came the internet.

Sure, the working classes are still losing jobs to technology - but now it’s hitting middle classes too - and
within a generation we may find that there is no such thing as a career - or at least, not one with any
security. For a vision of the future, look at the creative industries. We’ve become so used to watching
films, listening to music or getting information for free that their value has shrunk drastically. That
same economic model is now poised to disrupt all sorts of industries that were typically the preserve of
the middle class, such as accountants, lawyers, teachers, and to some degree, doctors. Online services
such as Crunch and Freeagent are taking the place of the high street accountant, companies such as
Legalzoom and Rocket Lawyer are simplifying the process of creating legal documents, and whilst -
MOOCs, Massive Open Online Courses - may have been overhyped, they remain competition for higher
education. Ah! But, say the doctors, we’re secure. We have a personal connection with each of our
patients. You can’t upscale our profession. True, but there’s already apps like HealthTap and Doctor on
Demand which can put patients directly in touch with a GP from their smartphone. Imagine that
combined with a cloud service like TaskRabbit where you could send a list of jobs - or, say, ailments -
and hundreds of doctors around the world compete to diagnose you.

This is the commodification of labour - where any one task or service can be put out to a hungry,
worldwide and freelance workforce, where it’s winner-takes-all - and no one local business can depend
on regular custom. And even those who are working can’t make any guarantees where innovations are
concerned. For example, what’s to stop a company like Taxi app Uber cutting loose its tens of thousands
of drivers once driverless cars become commonplace? So what prospects do we have for finding secure
work? Work that pays well enough to cover our new lack of 'formal' employee benefits in this new,
informal economy? After all, you can't get paid in likes. And what about the freelancers that will make
up the majority of the working population now migrating to the web? Well, the trick may be to find a
niche - an area of your industry which is suitably specialist, but which isn’t lucrative enough that you’ll
be competing with billions of freelancers, or one giant monopoly. And go global, pitch yourself to the
world and become renowned for your particular area of expertise. Or, if that doesn't work, you could
become a programmer.
Test 9

Date 24/01/2022 Level Medium Tag Technology

Source How Dark Patterns Trick You Online
Link https://youtu.be/kxkrdLI6e6M
Form https://forms.gle/FtUgpmB9Sfobduei6

Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)

subscribe button LinkedIn Pavlov’s dog
spam emails Amazon Two Dots
UX/UI design informed consent Architectural Digest

Match the phrases above with the pictures.

1 2
3

5 6

9
7 8
Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)
[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Dark patterns are features of (1) _____________________ crafted to trick users into doing things that they might
not want to do, but which benefit the business in question.

How to close your Amazon account:

The Account drop-down  Your Account  Payment options  Login & security  Go all the way
down to the bottom of the page  under 'Let Us Help You' click 'Help'  navigate to 'Need More Help?'
 click 'Contact Us'  click 'Prime or Something else'. (You want the 'Something else'.)  In this 'Tell us
more about your issue' drop-down  click 'Login and security'  'Close my account'.

To close your Amazon account, you have to have (2) _____________________ with an Amazon associate, who
will tell you that deleting your account is a bad decision.

This is a dark pattern: a crappy user experience that intentionally makes it almost impossible to do
something that hurts Amazon.

Dark pattern Example

Spam emails from It’s devilishly hard to see the (3) _____________________ link.
Architectural Digest

Green button in When you lose a level, the color scheme changes. The first screen button you
mobile game Two Dots see leads you right to an (4) _____________________, while the continue button is
just a little X that blends into the larger element. (I wonder how many
people clicked 'Buy Moves' reflexively as a (5) _____________________.)
To be fair, this is a rather (6) _____________________ dark pattern, but it shows how
companies can use something as simple as color to trick you into doing what
they want.
Banner ad for On the more (7) _____________________ end of the spectrum, banner ad is made to
Chatmost look like it has a (8) _____________________ on it, causing people to brush it away
and accidentally click the link.
Sites like Booking.com They do everything in their power to increase the (9) _____________________ of a
purchase, going so far as to alert you in big red notifications of the hotel
rooms that you *just* missed.
LinkedIn Remember when you used to get spam with all those LinkedIn invites from
friends?

This is because of a confusing dark pattern on their 'Add Contacts' page

 which allowed LinkedIn to scoop up people's email contacts and send them
messages repeatedly without (10) _____________________.

Unfortunately for LinkedIn, this proved to be a step too far; users filed a
legal challenge claiming that sending (11) _____________________ damage their
professional reputation.

LinkedIn (12) _____________________ for $13 million, equivalent to about $10 per
user.

It's rare for dark patterns face consequences like these. Mostly, they stay *just* on the right side of the
law, understanding that it's hard to legislate around the (13) _____________________ of UX design.

"Our best defense against the dark patterns is to be aware of them and shame the companies who utilize
them."

Design is what (14) _____________________ with the Internet: it's the language we read it in.
It's not too much to ask that that language be (15) _____________________.

Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)

Answer these self-reflection questions.
Describe a website that you often use.
You should say:
 what type of website it is
 how you found out about it
 what it allows you to do, and why you find it useful.
Here are some ideas, with some of the band 7-9 vocabulary underlined:

1. Facebook is a social networking website. It's a free website that allows you to keep in contact
with friends or find people you've lost touch with. It's one of the most popular websites in the
world, with millions of users in different countries.

2. All of my friends use Facebook. One of my friends sent me an email inviting me to join. I
signed up and I've been using it ever since.

3. Facebook allows you to keep up to date with what friends are doing. You have a profile page
with information and status updates so that you can tell everyone what you're doing. You
can post messages to other people's pages. You can upload photos and videos. I find Facebook
most useful for organising my life, keeping in touch with friends and storing photos. I think
social networking websites have become part of everyday life.

Answer
1. interface design
2. chat conversation
3. unsubscribe
4. in-app purchase
5. Pavlovian response
6. benign
7. egregious
8. speck of dust
9. urgency
10. their consent
11.multiple unwarranted emails
12. settled the dispute
13. psychological tricks
14. mediates our interaction
15. comprehensible and honest

Transcript

Dark patterns are features of interface design crafted to trick users into doing things that they might not
want to do, but which benefit the business in question. Here's an example: have you ever tried to delete
your Amazon account? Here's the Amazon homepage. What's the first thing you might think to do? The
obvious place to look is the account drop-down, here. Once you're in here, you look around -- it's a lot of
information. But if I'm interested in deleting my account, I'd think that 'Your Account' is probably a good
place to go. Once I'm on this page, there's a lot more information: 'Payment options', 'Login & security'
and a bunch of stuff down here. Unfortunately, you could click every link on your account page but none
would deliver you to a place where you could actually delete it, because it's not here. In order to actually
delete your Amazon account, you have to go all the way down to the bottom of the page, and under 'Let
Us Help You' click 'Help'. Once you're in here, you have to navigate to 'Need More Help?' because,
y'know, putting it on this page would just be too easy. Then click 'Contact Us'. (This is where it starts to
get ridiculous.) It's still nowhere to be seen, but of the four options on the top that you want help with,
click 'Prime or Something else'. (You want the 'Something else'.) In this 'Tell us more about your issue'
drop-down, there's still nothing that suggests account deletion; you just have to know to click 'Login and
security', and then in a second drop-down, there it is, the magic button -- 'Close my account'. Except in
order to actually do that, you now have to have a chat conversation with an Amazon associate who's
going to tell you all the reasons account deletion is a bad idea.

See, you can't delete the account yourself; they have to do it for you. This is a dark pattern: a crappy user
experience that intentionally makes it difficult, almost impossible without help, to do something that
hurts Amazon. UX specialist Harry Brignull categorizes the specific kind of dark pattern as a 'roach
motel': a design that makes it very easy for you to get into a situation, but very hard to get out. Brignull's
actually the one who coined the term 'dark pattern' in 2010 and he's been cataloguing and lecturing
about the issue ever since.

Many of these dark patterns we're all familiar with; I only have to search my email for a few seconds to
find one. For example, here: I'm getting spam emails from Architectural Digest. I scroll down, and...
Look at that. This is a mess, but it's a mess on purpose. The unsubscribe link is here but it's devilishly
hard to see. That's because it's the same font and virtually the same color as the rest of the fine print.

Here's another dark pattern that uses color to misdirect: over at the UserTestingBlog, Jennifer Derome
points out that the mobile game Two Dots carries you through the experience by offering green buttons.
A green button to start the game, a green button to pick a level, a green button to start the level and
three green buttons to continue to the next level, and so on. But once you lose a level, the color scheme
changes. The first screen button you see leads you right to an in-app purchase, while the continue button
is just a little X that blends into the larger element. (I wonder how many people clicked 'Buy Moves'
reflexively as a Pavlovian response.)

Now to be fair, this is a pretty benign dark pattern, but it shows how companies can use something as
simple as color to trick you into doing what they want. On the more egregious end of the spectrum, you
have stuff like this banner ad for Chatmost, which is made to look like it has a speck of dust on it,
causing people to brush it away and accidentally click the link. Or you have sites like Booking.com
where they do everything in their power to increase the urgency of a purchase, going so far as to alert
you in big red notifications of the hotel rooms that you *just* missed. (I mean, you better book now. You
don't want to be left behind again, do you?)
Every once in a while, a company goes a little too far and actually breaks the law. Remember when you
used to get spam with all those LinkedIn invites from friends? Well, that was because of a confusing dark
pattern on their 'Add Contacts' page which allowed LinkedIn to scoop up people's email contacts and
send them messages repeatedly without their consent.

In a comprehensive blog post, Dan Schlosser showed how LinkedIn tried to trick users eight times in
their sign up and onboarding procedures into surrendering their email contacts. Unfortunately for
LinkedIn, this proved to be a step too far; users filed a legal challenge claiming that sending multiple
unwarranted emails hurt their professional reputation. LinkedIn settled the dispute for $13 million,
which came out in the end to about $10 per user. It's rare for dark patterns face consequences like these.

Mostly, they stay *just* on the right side of the law, understanding that it's hard to legislate around the
psychological tricks of UX design. Everything on the internet is fighting for your attention, but there's a
difference between those who are taking the time to build trust and loyalty and the special offer you
clicked which actually enrolled you in a monthly subscription, or the social network that dark-patterned
you into letting it sell data that you didn't even know it had. Some of the responsibility is on us but some
is on design, too. And it's not the fault of the designers -- they're just doing what they're tasked to do,
knowing full well that if they don't, others will. As Brignull says, "Our best defense against the dark
patterns is to be aware of them, and shame the companies who utilize them." Design is what mediates
our interaction with the Internet: it's the language we read it in. It's not too much to ask that that
language be comprehensible and honest.
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Medium Tag Economics
Source How Costco Works
Link https://youtu.be/RRIpO-7ArZY
Form https://forms.gle/mNLEsemse3Cd5Rp68

Test 10
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
Chemist Warehouse Woolworths Coles
JB Hi-Fi Aldi Target

Match the phrases above with the pictures.

1 2 3

4 5 6

Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)

[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Amazon has completely transformed the retail sector with its (1) ___________________, causing many retailers
to (2) ___________________. However, Costco is still thriving.

Costco's business model is completely different from other stores. Costco runs on what is called a (3)
___________________ business model, which means that in order to shop from Costco you need to be a Costco
member.
Costco is able to provide high quality products at low prices by keeping their (4) ___________________ as low as
possible. Despite their large (5) ___________________, Costco’s selection of products is actually very limited.
This has two advantages:

1. Cost savings: Having fewer products to order, track and display

2. Costco’s purchasing power: Brands are willing to reduce their (6) ___________________ to get their products
on Costco shelves, which gives Costco a (7) ___________________ over the supply, ultimately reducing the
price of products for the customer

The best part is if Costco doesn't like the quality of a product, they make their own. Since Costco makes
its own products anyways, it doesn't have to rely on other brands, which helps Costco prevent a (8)
___________________ in their stores.

Because of all this Costco has developed a reputation for having (9) ___________________ than its competitors,
which keeps people coming back to Costco.

Costco gets customers to spend more by putting all of the essentials at the other end of the store. In fact,
while passing through the aisles, shoppers are more likely to feel like they are constantly hunting for
treasure.
Costco also provides (10) ___________________ to its employees.

Costco’s cycle:
Higher wages employees  happy and productive employees  good customer service d a great
overall customer experience  customers come back to Costco.
Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)
Answer these self-reflection questions.
1. Do you enjoy shopping?
2. What things do you like shopping for?
3. Do you prefer to shop alone or with other people?
Answer
1. e-commerce platform
2. go bankrupt
3. mandatory subscription-based
4. gross margins
5. warehouses
6. profit margins
7. leverage
8. monopoly
9. consistently lower prices
10. health care facilities

Transcript

Amazon has completely transformed the retail sector with its e-commerce platform causing many
retailers to go bankrupt but despite this great disruption in the retail sector a company by the name of
Costco is thriving according to Morgan Stanley Costco operates on one of the best business models in this
space so let's talk about this business model Costco's business model is completely different from other
stores instead of spending money to get you into their stores you actually pay them to enter Costco runs
on what is called a mandatory subscription based business model which means that in order to shop
from Costco you need to be a Costco member but not all memberships are created equal you can choose
from three levels goldstar membership business membership and executive membership at first the
memberships may seem like a liability to the customer but Costco actually provides high quality
products at low prices the way that Costco keeps prices low is by keeping their gross margins as low as
possible which means that if you buy shampoos worth $15 it typically costs the company 1350 whereas
on the other hand Walmart's gross margin is 25% and Amazon's gross margin is 40% which compared to
cost goes 11% is significantly higher despite their big warehouses Costco selection of products is actually
very limited rather than confusing customers with hundreds of different brains for one type of product
Costco only offers one or two choices and that too with large quantities of whatever it considers highest
quality this has two advantages first having fewer products to order track and display means cost savings
for Costco in order to expand its product selection Costco would need larger warehouse stores and more
employees to organize ship and negotiate prices for the products the second benefit is purchasing power
paschal only offers one or two brand choices for any given type of product thus the brand faces the least
competition and has a better chance to be sold out in Costco compared to Amazon or Walmart thus in
order to sell their products brands are willing to reduce their profit margins to get their products on
Costco shelves which gives Costco a leverage over the supply reducing the price of products for the
customer the best part is if Costco doesn't like the quality of a product they make their own product
under the brand Kirkland Signature and since Costco makes its own products anyways it doesn't have to
rely on other brands which helps Costco prevent a monopoly in their stores because of all this Costco has
developed a reputation for having consistently lower prices than its competitors which keeps people
coming back to Costco but unlike other stores Costco doesn't make much of its money through gross
margins Costco makes around 75% of its money through its membership fees and in 2019 Costco
reported a revenue of one hundred and fifty 2.7 billion dollars which just keeps increasing year after
year in addition to all this Costco gets you to spend more by putting all of the essentials at the other end
of the store so that you'll need to pass through everything else they sell and surprisingly people don't
seem to be annoyed by this at all in fact while passing through the aisles shoppers are more likely to feel
like they are constantly hunting for treasure and great deals while the average wage for retail sales
workers is around $11 Costco's average employee wages $20 an hour on top of high wages Costco also
provides health care facilities to its employees but the question is how well Costco's warehouse is
designed in such a way that it requires less employees to operate which gives it the ability to pay these
employees higher wages thanks to higher wages employees are generally happier which makes them
more productive and now with happy and productive employees comes good customer service and a
great overall customer experience which leads to customers coming back again and again and with more
customers comes more revenue and with more revenue comes higher wages and thus the cycle continues
be sure to subscribe for more awesome videos like this one you
 Date 24/01/2022 Level Easy Tag Animals
Source Why do cats act so weird? - Tony Buffington
Link https://youtu.be/sI8NsYIyQ2A
Form

Test 11
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
1. Have you ever had a pet before?
2. What animals you would like to have as pets?
2. Do you like to see animals in the zoo?

Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)

[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Cats are very entertaining. These somewhat strange (1) _______________ behaviors, both amusing and
baffling, leave many of us asking, "Why do cats do that?"

Throughout time, cats were simultaneously solitary predators of smaller animals and prey for larger (2)
_______________.

Enabled by their unique (3) _______________ and keen balancing abilities, cats climbed to high vantage points
to (4) _______________ their territory and (5) _______________ in the wild.

As wild predators, cats are (6) _______________ and hunt whenever prey is available.

Sharpening their claws on nearby surfaces kept them (7) _______________ and ready, helped (8) _______________
their back and leg muscles, and (9) _______________ some stress.

Grizmo is an expert at squeezing into small spaces and seeking out and hiding in (10) _______________ areas.

It also explains why she prefers a clean and (11) _______________ litter box. That's less likely to give away her
location to any predators that may be sniffing around nearby.

Cats may (12) _______________ for any number of reasons, such as happiness, stress, and hunger. But
curiously, the frequency of their purrs, between 25 and 150 hertz, is within a range that can promote
(13) _______________.
They developed through time as both (14) _______________ that hunted and killed to eat, and (15) _______________
that hid and escaped to survive. This explains some of their seemingly strange behaviors.
Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)
Answer these self-reflection questions.

Describe an interesting animal

You should say about:
 what animal it is
 what features it has
 why you find it interesting
 and explain how you feel about it.
Answer
1. feline
2. carnivores
3. muscular structure
4. survey
5. spot prey
6. opportunistic
7. conditioned
8. stretch
9. relieve
10. unconventional
11. odor-free
12. purr
13. tissue regeneration
14. solitary predators
15. stealthy prey
Non-relevant
……
…….
……
Cats are very entertaining. These somewhat strange feline behaviors, both amusing and baffling, leave
many of us asking, "Why do cats do that?"

Throughout time, cats were simultaneously solitary predators of smaller animals and prey for larger
carnivores.

Enabled by their unique muscular structure and keen balancing abilities, cats climbed to high vantage
points to survey their territory and spot prey in the wild.

As wild predators, cats are opportunistic and hunt whenever prey is available.

Sharpening their claws on nearby surfaces kept them conditioned and ready, helped stretch their back
and leg muscles, and relieve some stress.

Grizmo is an expert at squeezing into small spaces and seeking out and hiding in unconventional areas.

It also explains why she prefers a clean and odor-free litter box. That's less likely to give away her
location to any predators that may be sniffing around nearby.

Cats may purr for any number of reasons, such as happiness, stress, and hunger. But curiously, the
frequency of their purrs, between 25 and 150 hertz, is within a range that can promote tissue
regeneration.

They developed through time as both solitary predators that hunted and killed to eat, and stealthy
prey that hid and escaped to survive. This explains some of their seemingly strange behaviors.
…….
……
Test template
Part 1 – Before you listen: (2 minutes)
Part 2 – While you listen: (10 minutes)
[1] Watch the video [2] Listen and complete the table below [3] Read the transcripts
Part 3 – Post-listening task: (3 minutes)
Answer these self-reflection questions.
Answer

Non-relevant
Test 9
Dark patterns are features of interface design crafted to trick users into doing things that they might not
want to do, but which benefit the business in question.

How to close your Amazon account:

The Account drop-down  Your Account  Payment options  Login & security  Go all the way
down to the bottom of the page  under 'Let Us Help You' click 'Help'  navigate to 'Need More Help?'
 click 'Contact Us'  click 'Prime or Something else'. (You want the 'Something else'.)  In this 'Tell us
more about your issue' drop-down  click 'Login and security'  'Close my account'.

To close your Amazon account, you have to have a chat conversation with an Amazon associate, who
will tell you that deleting your account is a bad decision.
This is a dark pattern: a crappy user experience that intentionally makes it almost impossible to do
something that hurts Amazon.

Dark pattern Example

Spam emails from It’s devilishly hard to see the unsubscribe link.
Architectural Digest

Green button in When you lose a level, the color scheme changes. The first screen button you
mobile game Two Dots see leads you right to an in-app purchase, while the continue button is just
a little X that blends into the larger element. (I wonder how many people
clicked 'Buy Moves' reflexively as a Pavlovian response.)
 To be fair, this is a rather benign dark pattern, but it shows how companies
can use something as simple as color to trick you into doing what they want.
Banner ad for On the more egregious end of the spectrum, banner ad is made to look like
Chatmost it has a speck of dust on it, causing people to brush it away and accidentally
click the link.
Ssites like They do everything in their power to increase the urgency of a purchase,
Booking.com going so far as to alert you in big red notifications of the hotel rooms that
you *just* missed.
LinkedIn Remember when you used to get spam with all those LinkedIn invites from
friends?

This is because of a confusing dark pattern on their 'Add Contacts' page

which allowed LinkedIn to scoop up people's email contacts and send them
messages repeatedly without their consent.

Unfortunately for LinkedIn, this proved to be a step too far; users filed a
legal challenge claiming that sending multiple unwarranted emails hurt
their professional reputation.

LinkedIn settled the dispute for $13 million, which came out in the end to
about $10 per user.

It's rare for dark patterns face consequences like these. Mostly, they stay *just* on the right side of the
law, understanding that it's hard to legislate around the psychological tricks of UX design.

"Our best defense against the dark patterns is to be aware of them and shame the companies who utilize
them."

Design is what mediates our interaction with the Internet: it's the language we read it in.
It's not too much to ask that that language be comprehensible and honest.

Answer:
1. interface design
2. chat conversation
3. unsubscribe
4. in-app purchase
5. Pavlovian response
6. benign
7. egregious
8. speck of dust
9. urgency
10. their consent
11.multiple unwarranted emails
12. settled the dispute
13. psychological tricks
14. mediates our interaction
15. comprehensible and honest
Test 10
Amazon has completely transformed the retail sector with its e-commerce platform, causing many
retailers to go bankrupt. However, Costco is still thriving.

Costco's business model is completely different from other stores. Costco runs on what is called a
mandatory subscription-based business model, which means that in order to shop from Costco you
need to be a Costco member.

Costco is able to provide high quality products at low prices by keeping their gross margins as low as
possible. Despite their big warehouses, Costco’s selection of products is actually very limited. This has
two advantages:

1. Cost savings: Having fewer products to order, track and display

2. Costco’s purchasing power: Brands are willing to reduce their profit margins to get their products on
Costco shelves, which gives Costco a leverage over the supply, ultimately reducing the price of products
for the customer

The best part is if Costco doesn't like the quality of a product, they make their own. Since Costco makes
its own products anyways, it doesn't have to rely on other brands, which helps Costco prevent a
monopoly in their stores.

Because of all this Costco has developed a reputation for having consistently lower prices than its
competitors, which keeps people coming back to Costco.

Costco gets customers to spend more by putting all of the essentials at the other end of the store. In fact,
while passing through the aisles, shoppers are more likely to feel like they are constantly hunting for
treasure.
Costco also provides health care facilities to its employees.

Costco’s cycle:
Higher wages employees  happy and productive employees  good customer service d a great
overall customer experience  customers come back to Costco.
………………….
……………….
………………..