The Black Swimming Association is up in arms over a ban on the use of a swim cap at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. FINA, the body that regulates international swimming, has rejected an application from the brand SOUL CAP. Its product is a cap that accommodates diverse hairstyles and hair types. The company wants the cap certified for competition swimming. It wants to help swimmers with afros, braids, dreadlocks, hair extensions, weaves, and thick and curly hair. FINA said it would not permit the Soul Cap because swimmers have never used a cap “of such size and configuration” before. FINA stated it would not be permitted because “it didn’t fit the natural form of the head”.
New research has revealed that toxic workplaces can be hazardous to mental health. The year-long study is from the University of South Australia. Researchers found that full-time workers who work for companies or organizations that do not prioritise employees’ mental health are three times more likely to suffer from depression. The researchers examined the adverse effect of “toxic” environments on health. Elements of a toxic workplace included poor management practices, bullying, and a failure to consider mental health issues. The researchers indicated that if employees are unhappy at work, mistreated or burnt out, their productivity will suffer and absenteeism will increase.
It seems views on having children are changing in the USA. New research shows that 25 per cent of adults do not want to have children. A study from Michigan State University (MSU) reveals that a quarter of American adults are happy to be “child-free”. It says these people do not want children and are happier without them. MSU psychologists Jennifer Watling Neal and Zachary Neal did research on why people who do not want children might be different. They wanted to find out what the differences were between these child-free people and “non-parents”. They said non-parents include “not-yet-parents” (those planning to have kids) and people who cannot have kids due to medical problems.
Many of us thought the world had four oceans – the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. That’s what we were taught in school. However, a search on the Internet will show that there is also a “Southern Ocean” around the South Pole and Antarctica. The National Geographic Society has now officially accepted that this body of water around Antarctica is a real ocean. Geography teachers will now have to teach their students that the world has five oceans. Alex Tait, a geographer and cartographer at National Geographic, said: “We think it’s really important from an educational [viewpoint], as well as from a map-labelling standpoint, to bring attention to the Southern Ocean as a fifth ocean.”
Do you prefer traveling alone or traveling with a companion? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
Do you prefer to live in places that have the same weather or live in areas where the weather changes several times a year? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
Many people think that students study course materials more effectively by taking exams, while others think that students learn more effective through doing other activities like completing projects, which one do you think is more effective?
Do you prefer long-term trips or short-term trips? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
Do you prefer indoor activities or outdoor activities? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
Do you prefer to go someplace you have never been before or someplace you have been before? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
If you had a small amount of money, would you spend it right away or save it? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
When going to a restaurant, do you prefer to meet your friends at home or at the restaurant? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
Do you like to spend time alone or spend time with your friends? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
When going on a trip, do you prefer to drive or take a train? Use details and examples to support your explanation.
A herd of 15 wild elephants is approaching a city of 6.6 million people in China. The group of Asian elephants has trekked nearly 500km from their habitat in a nature reserve in the south of Yunnan province, near the borders with Myanmar and Laos. China’s official news agency, Xinhua, reports that there are three calves in the herd. The giant beasts are heading north to the outskirts of the provincial capital, Kunming. They have travelled along highways and through fields of crops over the past few months. A Chinese TV station said that over the past week, the animals guzzled down the water in a water tank and feasted on kilos of corn in farmers’ fields. Their journey has been captivating the Chinese public.
Some people prefer to shop for fruit and vegetables in supermarket chains. Others prefer outdoor markets. Which do you think is better and why? Use specific reasons and examples to support your preference.
(M) Personally, I prefer to shop for my fruits and vegetables at outdoor markets instead of at supermarkets. (T) The first reason is that (R1) the produce I purchase at outdoor markets is often fresher than the produce sold at supermarkets. (E1) For example, many times, the people selling the fruits and vegetables are the farmers who grew the products. Since they came straight from the farm, I know that they’re fresh. (T2) Another important thing is that (R2) you can often negotiate the price at outdoor markets, which is something you can’t do when you shop at supermarkets. (E2) By negotiating the price, this lets you save money, especially when you buy large amounts of produce.