top of page

Upper Intermediate Course

CK English Aulas Particulares de inglês em Uberlândia ou online no Brasil

So by now your conversation is improving and you are able to talk a lot about a variety of topics. In this course you will focus on improving your vocabulary on a wide range of topics. This course also includes a lot of reading and phrasal verbs. 

Ui81

Personal Finance & RetirementCK English
00:00 / 00:59

Ui82

PoliceCK English
00:00 / 01:35

Ui83

Skill 2CK English
00:00 / 03:50

Reading 1

The story of Coca-Cola

Choose the word to complete the article. 

Probably the best-known drink in the world

What is the most recognizable object in the world? Could it be a football? Or a Big-Mac?

No, the answer is a Coca-Cola bottle. The famous Coca-Cola bottle is over 100 years old!

Footballs and big macs are certainly part of life for lots of people, but Coca-Cola is now a permanent part of world culture. People know and drink Coca-Cola all over the world. It is said that the Coca-Cola bottle is the most recognized object in the world. Hundreds of millions of people can recognize a Coke bottle by its shape, even if they cannot see it! And the famous Coca-Cola logo is the most famous logo in the world. Unlike any other famous commercial logo, it has not changed in 100 years!

But the story of Coca-Cola is (more/even/ever) older than that. It was in 1886 (that/what/than) John Pemberton, a druggist in Atlanta, Georgia, invented a new type of syrup, (using/uses/used)  coca leaves, sugar and cola nuts, plus a few (others/another/other) secret ingredients! Pemberton sold it (to/as/at)  a medicine; and with its coca (the source of cocaine), it must have (made/make/making) people feel good!

Nevertheless, Pemberton's medicine was not very successful, so he sold his secret formula to (other/others/another) druggist, Asa Candler. Candler was interested, because he had another idea; he thought that Pemberton's "medicine" would (to be/been/be) better if it was mixed with soda.

Candler was thus the man who really invented the drink Coca-Cola. At first he sold it in his drugstore, then he began (sell/sold/selling) the syrup to other drugstores, who used it with their soda fountains. Candler also advertised his new drink, and soon people were going to drugstores just (get/to get/getting) a drink of Coca-Cola.

Before long, other people became interested in the product, (including/included/inclusive) a couple of businessmen who wanted to sell it in bottles. Candler sold them a license to bottle the drink, and very (quick/quickest/quickly) the men became millionaires. The famous bottle, with its very distinctive shape, was designed in 1916.

      (During/While/Before) the First World War, American soldiers in Europe began asking for Coca-Cola, so the Coca-Cola company began to export to Europe. It was so popular with soldiers, that they then had to start bottling the drink in Europe.

Today, Coca-Cola is made in countries all over the world, including Russia and China. It is the world's (more/most/mostly) popular drink.

As for the famous formula, it is probably the world's most valuable secret! The exact ingredients for making Coca-Cola are only (knowed/knowing/known) to a handful of people. And as for the "coca" that was in the original drink, that was eliminated in 1903. It was a drug, and too dangerous. Today's Coca-Cola contains caffeine, but not cocaine!

Aulas de ingles

Copy and paste the story to your book if you want.

Ui84

WalkingCK English
00:00 / 00:57

Ui85

Test 1 Part 1CK English
00:00 / 05:14

Ui86

Ui86 Being SingleCK English
00:00 / 01:00

Ui87

Beef IndustryCK English
00:00 / 00:54

Ui88

The pubCK English
00:00 / 01:04

Ui89

Ui90

Ui90 ReligionCK English
00:00 / 00:57

Ui91

Information TechnologyCK English
00:00 / 00:29

Ui92

Insurance BasicsCK English
00:00 / 01:08

Reading 2

The story of Silicon Valley 

If old America was made in New York or Detroit, modern America is made in Silicon Valley.

But what is "Silicon Valley", where is it? And why is it where it is?

 

It is not made of silicon and it is not a river valley, but forgetting that, Silicon Valley is probably

the most famous valley in the world. Although it is not the place where the first computer was built

(that was Manchester, England), Silicon Valley, near San Francisco,  was the birthplace of the modern

computer industry.

For this, we can say thank you to scientists at the universities in California, and to the hippies of the 1960's.

It was in the nineteen-sixties that American "youth culture" really began. California, of course, already existed, but the sixties generation rediscovered it. At the time there were really two different forms of youth culture: the "Beach Boy" culture on the one hand, and the anti-establishment hippies and radical students on the other hand. And they all dreamed of California. For the beach boys, that meant southern California, where they could sing about surfing and cars. For the hippies and radicals, it meant San Francisco, "flower power" and revolutionary new ideas. The campuses at Berkeley and Stanford, near San Francisco, were hot-beds of new ideas, new technology, new culture, and new ways of living. 

 

When they finished university, many of the best students did not look for jobs with big companies like Ford or Exxon. Instead they wanted to be free and run their own operations... and stay in California, not far from San Francisco. Silicon Valley is thus a group of small towns, including Palo Alto and San José,  a few miles south of San Francisco.

The high-technology industry was already present around San Francisco. Intel had been founded in 1968, and in the same year the first computer mouse was built at Stanford University. In 1970, Xerox opened a research center in Palo Alto. There were also other electronics companies, like Hewlett Packard, and Fairchild, the world's first "semiconductor" company. Then, in 1976, an electronics student called Steve Jobs started a small computer company in his garage. He gave it the same name as the Beatles' record company: Apple. Very soon, more companies, like Seagate and Google appeared. "Silicon Valley" had arrived. There was even a sort of primitive Internet connecting many addresses in Silicon Valley, called the Arpanet.

Today, Silicon Valley is still the home of the computer industry. It is still full of high technology, but it is not the only center for high-tech in the USA.  Today, there are computer firms all over the USA... and all over the world, but Silicon Valley still has the largest concentration of high-tech companies and research centers. Microsoft, the world's biggest high-tech company, is not based in Silicon Valley. It is further north, near Seattle in the state of Washington.

Silicon Vallley

Copy and paste the story to your book if you want.

Ui93

Ui93 HangoversCK English
00:00 / 00:59

Ui94

IT - Images and Graphic DesignCK English
00:00 / 00:30

Ui95

GMOsCK English
00:00 / 00:58

Ui96

14. Part A Dialogs Exercise 3.1CK English
00:00 / 03:21

Ui97

14. At the train station - page 18CK English
00:00 / 01:07

Ui98

Ui98 The Life of the AmazonCK English
00:00 / 01:52

Reading 3

Mental health

Around the world, one in four people will have some kind of mental illness during their lifetime.

Around 450 million people are living with a mental health problem right now, making it one of the

biggest health issues in the world. Yet people rarely talk about any mental health problems they have

because there is still a lot of stigma.

 

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health (WMH) Day was first celebrated in 1992. It was created to raise awareness of just how common mental health issues are, fight against stigma and campaign for better conditions and treatment for people who have a mental health problem. The number of people and organisations involved in celebrating WMH Day has grown and grown, and now many countries, such as Australia, actually have a Mental Health Week, which includes WMH Day on 10 October. Each year there is a different theme. For example, in 2017 the theme was mental health in the workplace.

 

Mental health in the workplace

Employers should create an environment which supports good mental health. This also helps to reduce the number of days employees take off work. Employers should help employees to achieve a good work–life balance by encouraging them to take breaks and holidays and discouraging them from working at home in the evenings and at weekends. Employees should also feel that they can talk to their managers about any problems they might have, and employers should be supportive.

 

Get some exercise

Of course, we also need to look after our own mental health. Most people know that exercise is good for your body, but did you also know how good it is for your mental health? Regular exercise can really help you deal with anxiety and depression. Spending time in nature can also make people more relaxed and reduce stress. So why not get your exercise by going for a walk in a park or the countryside?

 

Eat well

Your diet can also change your mood. If you eat crisps, cake, chocolate, etc., your blood sugar will rise and fall, making you feel cross and tired. Make sure you are eating enough vegetables and fruit or you may be missing some nutrients you need to feel good. It’s also important to drink enough water – being thirsty can make it difficult to think clearly.

 

Spend time with family and friends

Everyone needs some time alone, but it’s also good for us to spend time with other people. If you feel lonely, try volunteering. It’s a good way of meeting new people, and you will feel good for helping others. One survey showed that 48 per cent of people who volunteered for more than two years said they felt less depressed as a result. If you do have close friends and family, try talking to them more about how you feel and asking them to support you. Every time someone speaks to someone else about mental illness, it helps to reduce the stigma.

 

What to do on World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day encourages us to be more aware of both our own mental health and other people’s. As well as looking after yourself, think about how you could support other people. For example, you could find out more about common issues such as anxiety and depression, so you will understand friends’ and colleagues’ problems better. You could also encourage your workplace to start a wellness program that would benefit everyone – they might offer free exercise classes or encourage employees to take walks at lunchtime. Companies with wellness programmes have found employees take 28 per cent less time off for sickness.

Anything you do on WMH Day, even just talking to people about it, will help us all to understand and support people better.

Mental Health

Copy and paste the story to your book if you want.

Ui99

Ui99 CookingCK English
00:00 / 02:46

Ui100

The Respiratory SystemCK English
00:00 / 00:40

Ui101

At the bankCK English
00:00 / 01:17

Ui102

Ui102 WineCK English
00:00 / 02:45

Ui103

Avoiding Similar SoundsCK English
00:00 / 03:40

Ui104

Animal BehaviorCK English
00:00 / 00:53

Ui105

Ui105 ThailandCK English
00:00 / 01:34

Ui106

Organic FarmingCK English
00:00 / 01:12

Ui107

Grammar
Hackers & VirusesCK English
00:00 / 01:03

Reading 4

Veganism

‘All life deserves respect, dignity and compassion. All life.’ – Anthony Douglas Williams

 

What is veganism and what do vegans do?

Vegans try to live, as much as possible, in a way that avoids exploiting and being cruel to animals. This means

following a plant-based diet. Vegans do not eat animals or animal-based products like meat, fish, seafood, eggs,

honey and dairy products such as cheese. For many vegans, living a committed vegan lifestyle means not wearing

clothes made from animal skins and avoiding any products which have been tested on animals.

 

How are vegans different from vegetarians?

Vegetarians don’t eat meat or fish but they can eat eggs, honey and dairy products, but vegans don’t eat any animal-based food products. Vegans argue that suffering is caused in the production of these foods, for example they say that, on some dairy farms, male calves are killed because they are too expensive to keep, and on some farms, cows are killed when they get older and produce less milk. Similarly, on some egg farms, male chicks are killed because they do not produce eggs. As for honey, vegans say that bees make honey for bees, not for humans, and that bees’ health can suffer when humans take the honey from them. Vegans believe that the products they use and consume should be free from not just cruelty but any exploitation of animals.

 

When did veganism start?

The Vegan Society was founded in 1944, but there is evidence of people deciding not to consume animal products over 2,000 years ago. The sixth-century BC Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras was in favour of kindness to all species, and his diet could be described as vegetarian. There was a tradition of vegetarianism in the Indus Valley, Babylonian and ancient Egyptian civilisations even earlier. The Vegan Society points out that in 1806, the famous romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was one of the first people to publicly object to eating eggs and dairy products on moral grounds.

 

Why do many people decide to become vegan?

For many people, the main reason for going vegan is probably that they believe that animals and all other sentient beings should have the right to life and freedom. However, there are other reasons. Vegans argue that the production of meat and other animal products is very bad for the environment. They point out that a huge quantity of water is needed to grow grain to feed animals in the meat industry. The enormous amount of grain which the meat industry needs often leads to forests being cut down and habitats being lost. In contrast, much lower quantities of grain and water are needed to sustain a vegan diet. In addition, many vegans say that all the nutrients our bodies need are contained in a carefully planned vegan diet and that this type of diet helps prevent some diseases.

 

What is World Vegan Day?

On 1 November every year, vegans all over the world celebrate their way of life. There are workshops, exhibitions and public debates on World Vegan Day, and it is a wonderful opportunity for anybody thinking of becoming a vegan to learn more about the subject.

Veganism

Copy and paste the story to your book if you want.

Ui108

Grammar
ApicultureCK English
00:00 / 00:47

Ui109

Grammar
WarCK English
00:00 / 01:00

Ui110

Grammar