HOT TOPICS is guaranteed to engage readers, stimulate thinking, and provoke conversation while developing vocabulary and reading skills. The controversial topics explored in the text all have more than one side to them, thus encouraging debate and classroom discussion.

Communication Skills emphasizes knowing your audience before writing or speaking. Problem-solving exercises are attached to business examples as well as life examples. The information is broken into easy-to-digest segments, including sidebars like "Rules of the Cube" for cubicle dwellers and a list of tips on remembering names.

Millions of years of evolution have endowed Homo sapiens with remarkable intellect. But not all human brains are created equal.
From the great powers of memory seen in savants to the skills of chess grandmasters, unusual talents can offer a unique window on how the mind works. This exclusive online issue examines genius in some of its most intriguing forms.
Meet Kim Peek, whose abilities provided the inspiration for the character Raymond Babbit in the movie Rain Man. Peek’s severe developmental disabilities prevent him from managing the chores of daily life, but he has learned 9,000 books by heart so far, among other astonishing feats of memory. Other savants have musical or artistic talents.

Less well known than savant syndrome is Williams syndrome, a disorder in which affected individuals generally score below average on standard IQ tests, but often possess startling language and music skills, as another article in this issue describes. Mood disorders, too, have been linked to genius: it seems that manic-depressive illness and major depression can enhance creativity in some people.
Other articles focus on gifted children. These youngsters fascinate with their precocious intellect, but they often suffer ridicule and neglect. They also tend to be keenly aware of the potential risk of failure, which can prove emotionally paralyzing for them. Studies of such children have provided key insights into brain development—and revealed how best to nurture their extraordinary minds.
Our final article in the issue considers whether some geniuses are made, not born. Dissections of the mental processes of chess grandmasters have shown that their skills arise from years of “effortful study”—continually tackling challenges that lie just beyond their competence. Could comparable training turn any one of us into such an expert? Food for thought.--The Editors

Entry 2 Skills for Life ESOL Student Workbook is the second level in a series of five for new arrivals in the UK wishing to study English.  (Note: do not be confused by the illogical naming of the level by the DfES!)
It is an adult course that takes students from beginner/starter level to point equivalent to a GCSE in English.
The course is designed to help new arrivals in the UK learn communicative English as quickly as possible.  I focusses on real life scenarios for those living in the UK.  It thus contains a lot of material and subjects not normally covered in general English coursebooks.
It is written and produced by the UK Department of Education and Skills (DfES).