LEVEL 5

TUESDAY
A Comparison between the Ancient and Modern Olympics

The Modern Olympic Games or the Olympics were first held in 1896 AD. It may be
considered the most popular and prestigious international sporting event that
features different sporting competitions for athletes from different parts of the
modern world. The Ancient Olympics, on the other hand, was first held in 776 BC. It
was especially created for the citizens of Greece as a way for them to honor the
Greek god, Zeus. These two events have a number of similarities as well as
differences.

The Ancient and Modern Olympics are both held every four years, but their
durations are not the same. Ancient Olympic Games only lasted for five days while
Modern Olympics, both the Summer and Winter Games, last for two weeks. The
Ancient Olympics was held in special arenas or stadiums built in Greece where only
the Greeks were allowed to watch. For the Modern Olympics, a different host city is
chosen every time. There is now a commission called the International Olympic
Committee which is in charge of the process of choosing the host city for the
Olympic Games. Anyone can watch the Modern Olympic Games live at the venue,
on TV, or on Internet feeds.

Provisions for the athletes of the Ancient and Modern Olympics also have
differences. For the participants of the Ancient Olympics, players were naked, and
they only rubbed oil on their bodies. For the participants of the Modern Olympic
Games, athletes are required to use sport kits that are specific and ideal for the
sport they are playing. Having and using the correct sports gear is strictly
implemented in the Modern Olympics.

In terms of the sporting events featured in the Ancient and Modern Olympics, there
are far more events included in the Modern Olympics as compared to the ones in
Ancient Olympics. The Modern Olympics has 400 events for 26 different sports while
the Ancient Olympics only had running, wrestling, pentathlon, chariot racing, and
horse racing.
Guide Questions:

1. When did the Ancient Olympics start? How about the Modern Olympics.
2. How is the Ancient Olympics different from the Modern Olympics in
terms of when and how they are held?
3. What is the difference between the provisions given to the athletes in
the two Olympics?
4. Why is it important for countries to participate in the Modern
Olympics?
5. Why is there a different host country for every Modern Olympics?
Would it be better to stage the olympics at a fixed venue? Why or why not?

Vocabulary:
Prestigious - greatly respected and admired, usually because of being important:
Duration - the length of time that something lasts:
Provisions - something supplied

WEDNESDAY
Should the Trend of Staying Single be a Societal Problem?

Peoples attitudes towards marriage have changed over the years. In Western
cultures, staying single is a common societal norm. In Asian cultures, however, it is
still slowly getting acknowledged.

The roles of men and women have changed over the years. Supporters of this trend
emphasize the fact that women no longer dream of finding a good man for financial
support and security. Education has empowered women to forge their own paths
and redefine their purposes in society. It also made them self-reliant and selfdetermined. For instance, many women today no longer feel that their roles are only
limited to childbearing and homemaking.

Finally, staying single is accompanied by incentives enjoyed by many single people.

To explain further, many people value independence and financial freedom that
cannot be fully enjoyed when one is in a marriage or in a committed relationship.

On the other hand, supporters of marriage say that families are the building blocks
of any society. Marriage is the stepping stone that helps people achieve a society
that shares common values and aspirations and preserves the continuity of its
traditions. For these reasons, the value of marriage needs to be made constant
amidst all the rapid changes and challenges that many societies are facing, like
decreasing population, for instance.

Furthermore, living life alone should be discouraged because finding a partner to

build a family with is a natural part of ones life cycle. Humans are social beings who
are not built to live in isolation. Finding a companion to love, lean on, and grow old
with is a basic human need.
Guide Questions:
1. How did the changing roles of men and women in society result into
more single people?
2. What are some of the benefits of staying single?How about getting
married?
3. Why should the society try to uphold the value of marriage?
4. What social problems can arise from having too many single people?
5. What could governments do to encourage people to start families and
have more kids?

Vocabulary:
Isolation - To set apart or cut off from others.
building blocks - the basic things that are put together to make something exist:
stepping stone - an event or experience that helps you achieve something else:

THURSDAY
Universal Basic Income in Switzerland

On June 5, 2016, Switzerland became the first country ever to have a referendum on
the introduction of the Unconditional Basic Income (UBI) which proposes to give all
adult citizens of Switzerland a monthly basic income of 2,500 Swiss francs (U.S.
$2,560) and 625 francs to those below 18 years of age. The voting ended with a
landslide loss for the supporters of the UBI as only a little over 20 percent of the
population voted in favor of the policy. The referendum may have come to an end
but the debate over the UBI continues in and out of Switzerland.
Some still believe that the policy can still be actualized in the future. They say that
the motive for such a policy is for the general good of Switzerland and its people.
Through the UBI, every citizen will have the equal right to have a dignified and
comfortable life. Everyone, regardless of social class, type of job, family size, and
the like will receive the same amount of money from the government or other public
entities. On top of this, the UBI will provide a constant source of income for all the
residents of Switzerland which would come in handy during the times when one is
going through financial uncertainties like falling sick, losing a job, and welcoming a
new baby.
Supporters of the UBI say that it is essential in this time and day, especially with the
increase in work automation. The monthly basic income will allow people to take
risks as they start new businesses and look for other jobs that will be unaffected by
the increasing utilization of technology and artificial intelligence.
Opponents, on the other hand, emphasize that the UBI is not what the entire
population of Switzerland needs as of now. In fact, Switzerland should be the last
country to worry about this problem because majority of Switzerlands adult
population have jobs that give them stable incomes. The country has among the
lowest unemployment rates of only 3.5 percent. It is a developed country that does
not have any major problems on poverty.
Guide Questions:
1. What is the Unconditional Basic Income proposal all about?
2. Why is it essential to have some form of UBI according to its
supporters?
3. Why is the UBI not necessary for Switzerland according to the article?
4. Would the Unconditional Basic Income remove the incentive to work?
Why do you think so?
5. Why do you think that the majority of people in Switzerland voted
against the UBI despite its benefits?

Vocabulary:

Actualize - To realize in action or make real:

Landslide - the winning of an election with an extremely large number of votes:
Come in handy - useful in a particular situation.