Written in the Stars — or in the Algorithm?
Grammar: Discourse markers and cohesion devices
A Level 5 English lesson exploring psychology.
What's in this lesson
A Level 5 (advanced) ESL lesson on psychology, practising discourse markers and cohesion devices. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary and discussion questions.
From the reading: Written in the Stars — or in the Algorithm?
In 2023, the astrology app Co-Star reported over 20 million downloads, a figure that would baffle most scientists but surprise almost nobody under thirty. The app sends daily notifications — sometimes cryptic, sometimes unsettling, occasionally tender — drawn from the user's natal chart, that ancient map of planetary positions at the moment of birth. What is striking is not that people download it; it is that educated, analytically-minded people download it, read it seriously, and quietly wonder whether it might be onto something. The persistence of astrology in an era of machine learning and genomic medicine is not a failure of reason. It is, arguably, a symptom of what reason alone cannot provide.
Vocabulary
- at
- by
- for
- into
- onto
Discussion questions
- Do you believe that the month you were born can shape your personality?
- Is there a difference between believing in astrology and enjoying it?
- Would you trust a personality test more than a horoscope — and why?
Written in the Stars — or in the Algorithm?
Grammar: Discourse markers and cohesion devices
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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