Magazine PDF

Magazine Article - "Feeding the world" why we need rice
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/feeding-world-why-we-need-rice
Introduction
This support pack accompanies the magazine article:
"Feeding the world" why we need rice
To read or listen to the article online, go to:
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine
/feeding-world-why-we-need-rice
This support pack contains the following materials:
 a pre-reading vocabulary activity;
 the article;
 a comprehension task Rice is low-fat and high in energy, and you can mix it with just
about anything to make a wide variety of tasty nutritious dishes,
ranging from sushi in Japan to risottos in northern Italy.
Before you read / listen
Match the words and phrases in the table to their definitions.
1. cultivation 2. crop 3. staple 4. drought
5. agriculture 6. prone 7. tolerance 8. thrive
9. emissions 10. yield 11. seed 12. weed
Definitions:
a. the amount of crops or goods produced
b. harmful gasses produced by burning fuel
c. farming
d. growing particular plants for food or other goods
e. a small object which if planted, grows into a plant
f. a period with no rain
g. a plant’s ability to survive with poisonous pesticides
h. to grow or develop well
i. a plant grown by a farmer
j. main or standard
k. likely to suffer from a problem
l. a wild, unwanted plant
© The British Council, 2011 Page 1 of 3
The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
"Feeding the world" why we need rice by Clare Powell

Rice is low-fat and high in energy, and you can However, Asia is still the biggest rice producer,
mix it with just about anything to make a wide accounting for 90% of the world’s production
variety of tasty nutritious dishes. Ask anyone and consumption of rice.
from any country in the world to tell you their
favourite rice recipe and you will get a wide Rice is a staple food for many countries. In
selection, ranging from sushi in Japan to parts of Africa and Asia, many poorer urban
risottos in northern Italy. families get over half their daily calories from
rice. As the world population increases, can rice
Rice is closely connected to the culture of many keep up? To meet growing demands, rice
societies. Hindu and Buddhist religions use rice production has to be raised by at least 70%
as a religious offering. Burmese folklore uses over the next three decades. The area devoted
rice as a central part of their creation story; the to rice cultivation cannot grow, so much
gods gave the first people of Burma rice seeds international research is being done to find
and directed them to Burma, where the rice ways of growing rice on less land.
would grow well. A Chinese proverb says that
‘precious things are not pearls and jade but the Rice needs a good water supply to grow. Water
five grains, of which rice is the finest.’ Chinese is wasted daily all over the world and estimates
myth tells how, after severe floods, there was suggest that most Asian countries will have
nothing to eat and the people were starving. severe water problems by 2025. It takes 5000
One day they saw a dog coming across the litres of water to grow a kilo of rice, yet many
fields, and hanging onto the dog’s tail were rice growing areas in Asia and Africa are
bunches of long yellow seeds. The seeds grew drought-prone. Scientists need to develop
into rice and the people survived. varieties of rice that can withstand sudden
heavy rains and compete with weeds.
The origins of rice are uncertain, because rice
has been grown for so many thousands of Worryingly, rice production is affected by global
years. In several Asian languages, the words for climate changes. Global warming is caused by
food and rice, or for rice and agriculture, are the toxic gas emissions in developed countries. The
same, one of the facts that points to Asia as the rise in global temperature cuts rice-growing
origin of rice. It is certain, however, that rice time, and ultra violet light radiation from the sun
cultivation is one of the most important reduces tolerance to disease. Methane gas, one
developments in history, for rice has fed more of the culprits of global warming, is, ironically, a
people over a longer period of time than any by-product of wet lowland rice cultivation.
other crop. Methane-producing bacteria thrive in wet rice
fields and the plants themselves send the gas
The demand for rice is growing steadily, with into the atmosphere. Water management could
consumption stretching beyond the traditional reduce methane emissions, but practical
rice growing areas in Asia. You can find rice methods that do not reduce rice yields still have
fields in Europe, Latin America and Australia. to be found.
Comprehension task
Multiple Choice
Read the sentences and select the right answers.
1. Rice is produced...
a. all over the world.
b. only in Asia and Africa.
c. only in China and Japan.
2. In Chinese mythology, people were saved from starvation by...

a. a dog carrying rice in its mouth.
b. a dog carrying rice seeds on its tail.
c. a dog carrying rice on its tail.
3. According to a Chinese saying, rice is...

a. more important than other grains but less important than pearls and jade.
b. less important than other grains but more important than pearls and jade.
c. more important than other grains and more important than pearls and jade.
4. 90% of rice is...

a. eaten in Asia.
b. eaten and produced in Asia.
c. produced in Asia.
5. Rice production must increase by 70%...

a. in the next three years.
b. in the next thirty years.
c. in the next three hundred years.
6. A by-product of rice production is methane which...

a. has no effect on global warming.
b. helps global warming to increase.
c. stops global warming.
7. Global warming means changes in the earth’s temperatures which...

a. increases the amount of time rice can grow.
b. decreases the amount of time rice can grow.
c. has no effect on the amount of time rice can grow.
Answers
Podcasts – Themes – Beaches
Introduction
Download the LearnEnglish Themes podcast. You’ll find more information on this page:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-podcasts-themes.htm

• the article that you can listen to in the podcast
• a comprehension activity based on the article
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (beaches).
Read the article
A beach
by John Russell
Imagine a beach; a quiet place, with only the Storms

noise of the sea and the gulls in the background. Although the sea can be beautiful, this beach is
There are boats floating near the shore and a few sometimes a dangerous place to be. When the
people swimming in the water next to them. It’s a weather is bad there are often storms with strong
hot day, and there are some people lying on the winds. When this happens the waves can get up
sand enjoying the sunshine and slowly going to 2-3 metres high – definitely not weather for
brown. There are no shops, no people making swimming. Every year some of the boats
noises, no loud music, everything is peaceful. anchored on the beach are lost because the sea
There is just the sea, the sun, and the beach; a is so rough. I remember holding down our tent to
little paradise. stop the wind blowing it away on many
occasions! However, if the waves weren’t too
Where is it? high all the children (and some adults) used to go
The beach is on the south coast of Scotland, near swimming in life jackets, as it was very exciting.
a little town called Gatehouse of Fleet in the
county of Dumfries and Galloway. 22 years ago
my family and I found this place for the first time
and we have never really left it. Every year in the
summer while other people go on holiday to
foreign countries and exotic places, we go to our
private paradise and relax. There is a little
campsite with tents and caravans next to the
beach, and this becomes our home for one
month every year.
Growing up
For a child a beach is a wonderful place. Here I
found lots of space to run and play on the sand or
to swim in the water. Being a campsite there
were always lots of other families with children to An interesting hobby
play with. Another of my favourite activities was Sailing is a very serious activity in the UK, this
climbing on the rocks and cliffs around the beach. beach is no different. There are large racing
Rock pools were very educational places where I boats for three or more people, smaller boats
used to study the little fish and sea animals. (such as the Topper) for just one or two people,
Silence was also important; at school I was fishing boats and windsurfers. In fact people on
always surrounded by people and noise but the this beach are willing to try any type of water-
beach gave me the chance to be on my own and sport; water skiing, speed boating, even the
think, or read, away from anyone else. recent sport of sail surfing is becoming popular.
Over the years my family has had 4 different
Page 1 of 3
boats, from a small Topper to a large Caprice for Galloway can be seen. Lots of photographers
racing. We have sailed, raced, and fished off the and artists come to the area (also known as the
boats, and have even capsized in bad weather a Solway) because they can capture such beautiful
few times. scenery.
Surroundings A refuge
If this beach had been next to a town or near a Even after 22 years, the beach is still a sanctuary
popular tourist area I don’t think we would have for me. It’s a place away from the rest of the
continued going there. But its location is very world where I can forget about life’s problems,
beautiful indeed. It’s in the middle of green and just relax. In today’s modern, busy world,
countryside with many different types of plants everyone should have a place like this.
and flowers, and in the background the hills of
Glossary
Anchor (v): to make something or someone stay in Life Jacket (n): a piece of equipment, like a jacket
one position by fastening them firmly without sleeves, which is filled with air or light
Campsite (n): a piece of land where people on material and designed to help someone float if they
holiday can camp, usually with toilets and places for fall into water
washing Paradise (n): a place or condition of great
Capsized (v): to (cause a boat or ship to) turn happiness where everything is exactly as you would
upside down accidentally while on water like it to be
Capture (v): to record or take a picture of Refuge (n): (a place which gives) protection or
something using a camera shelter from danger, trouble, unhappiness, etc
Caravan (n): a wheeled vehicle for living or Rock pool (n): a small area of sea water contained
travelling in, especially for holidays, which contains by the rocks around it
beds and cooking equipment and can be pulled by Sanctuary (n): protection or a safe place
a car Tent (n): a shelter made of cloth, which you can fold
Cliff (n): a high area of rock with a very steep side, up and carry with you and which is supported by
often on a coast poles and ropes
Float (v): to stay on the surface of a liquid and not Water-sport (n): sports which take place on or in
sink water
Gulls (n): a sea bird with black and white or grey
and white feathers
After reading
Exercise 1: Answer the 10 questions below about the text.
1. Where is the beach?

2. How long has the author been going there?
3. What's the name of the nearest town?
4. What is next to the beach?
5. Where can you study sea creatures?
6. In bad weather what do people wear to swim?
7. What is a Caprice?
8. What new sport can be tried on the beach?
9. Why is the area popular with artists?
10. Why does the author keep returning to the beach?
Page 2 of 3
More activities on this topic

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of beaches at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-charities-beaches.htm
• Word game: Beach. Find 10 words related to the beach in this word square.
• Story: The Golden Boys. A bored teenager cannot take any more of the golden boys after twelve
years of humiliation on holidays.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about beaches.
• There are also 2 beach-related cartoons and some carefully selected external links.
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. In Dumfries and Galloway (Scotland); 2. 22 years; 3. Gatehouse of Fleet; 4. A campsite;
5. Rock Pools; 6. Life Jackets; 7. A sailing boat; 8. Sail surfing; 9. It has beautiful scenery; 10. Because
of the peace and quiet
Page 3 of 3
Magazine – Archaeology
Introduction
You can listen to a recording of this article at:
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine-articles/archaeology

• a pre-reading vocabulary activity
• the article that you can listen to
• a comprehension activity
• an activity that practises 'reference words'
Before you read
Activity 1
Match the words and phrases at the top to their definitions.
a. decompose b. evidence c. forensic d. mind-boggling

e. preserved f. remains g. sacrificed h. sink
i. sticking out j. throat
1. applying scientific methods to solving a crime

2. data on which to base proof
3. decay, break into smaller parts
4. extremely surprising, difficult to understand
5. go down below the surface
6. going above the surface of something
7. kept in its original condition
8. killed and offered to the gods
9. parts of something that still exist when the rest has been destroyed
10. space inside neck where food and air go
Read the article
Archaeology
by Paul Millard
Archaeology, like many academic words, comes some of their most famous writers are still quoted
from Greek and means, more or less, ‘the study in English. We also know a lot about them from
of old things’. So, it is really a part of the study of what they made, from their coins to their
history. However, most historians use paper buildings. Archaeologists have worked on Roman
evidence, such as letters, documents, paintings remains as far apart as Hadrian’s Wall in the
and photographs, but archaeologists learn from north of England and Leptis Magna in Libya.
the objects left behind by the humans of long
ago. Normally, these are the hard materials that Of course, for much of human history, there are
don’t decompose or disappear very quickly – no written documents at all. Who were the first
things like human bones and skeletons, objects humans, and where did they come from? This is
made from stone and metal, and ceramics. a job for the archaeologists, who have found and
dated the bones and objects left behind. From
Sometimes, archaeologists and historians work this evidence, they believe that humans first
together. Take, for example, the study of the appeared in Africa and began moving to other
Romans, who dominated the Mediterranean area parts of the world about 80,000 years ago. The
and much of Europe two thousand years ago. We movement of our ancestors across the planet has
know a lot about them from their writing, and been mapped from their remains – humans went
Page 1 of 5
to Australia about 70,000 years ago, but have acid preserved the man’s skin in the way that
been in South America for just 15,000 years. The animal skin is preserved for leather coats and
evidence of archaeology has helped to show the shoes.
shared origin and history of us all.
How did he die? Understandably, archaeologists
and other scientists wanted to know more about
the person that they called, ‘Lindow Man’. His
hands and fingernails suggested that he hadn’t
done heavy manual work in his life– he could
have been a rich man or a priest. They found that
he hadn’t died by accident. The forensic
examination revealed that he had been hit on the
head three times and his throat was cut with a
knife. Then a rope was tightened around his
neck. As if that wasn’t enough, he was then
thrown into the bog.
So, Lindow Man was killed using three different

methods, when just one would have been
It is very unusual to find anything more than the sufficient. The archaeologists believe that he was
hard evidence of history – normally, the bacteria sacrificed to three different Celtic gods, called
in the air eat away at soft organic material, like Taranis, Esus and Teutates. Each god required a
bodies, clothes and things made of wood. different form of death. A sacrifice to Teutates
Occasionally, things are different. required drowning, which is why he was found in
the bog. Nobody can tell the complete story of
A mind-boggling discoveryIn 1984, two men Lindow Man. The Romans said that the Celts
made an amazing discovery while working in a made sacrifices every May to make sure that
bog called Lindow Moss, near Manchester in the there was enough food that year. Was he a
north of England. A bog is a very wet area of typical ‘routine’ sacrifice?
earth, with a lot of plants growing in it. It can be
like a very big and very thick vegetable soup – An archaeologist called Anne Ross has
walk in the wrong place and you can sink and suggested that Lindow Man was a special case.
disappear forever. After hundreds of years, the Why would an important man be sacrificed to
dead plants can compress together and make three gods? Perhaps it was in response to the
‘peat’, which is like soil, but is so rich in energy Roman invasion of Britain, which started in the
that it can be burned on a fire, like coal. year AD 43, close to the time that Lindow Man
died. He might have been killed to gain the help
The men were cutting the peat when one of them of the gods against the Romans. It didn’t work.
saw something sticking out – a human foot! The Romans stayed in Britain for four hundred
Naturally, the men called the police, who then years and Lindow Man stayed in his bog for two
found the rest of the body. Was it a case of thousand.
murder? Possibly – but it was a death nearly two
thousand years old. The two men had found a Say hello to Lindow ManIf you visit London, you
body from the time of the Roman invasion of can go and see Lindow Man at the British
Celtic Britain. Despite being so old, this body had Museum, where he is spending some time in the
skin, muscles, hair and internal organs – the company of more famous mummies from Egypt.
scientists who examined him were able to look Whereas the bodies of the Egyptian kings and
inside the man’s stomach and find the food that queens were intentionally preserved, Lindow Man
he had eaten for his last meal! is with us by accident. Whatever his origins, it is a
fascinating experience to see him face to face. I
Why was this man so well preserved? It was recommend it.
because he was in a very watery environment,
safe from the bacteria that need oxygen to live.
Also, the water in the bog was very acidic. The
Page 2 of 5
After reading
Activity 2
Choose the correct answer to each question.
From which language does the word archaeology come from?

a. Greek
b. Celtic
When did humans arrive in Australia?

a. 70,000 years ago
b. 15,000 years ago
Soft, organic material normally does what?

a. Decompress
b. Decompose
Where is Manchester?
a. In the north of England
b. In the south
What was Lindow Man’s ethnic group?

a. Roman
b. Celtic
He was put into the water to please which god?

a. Teutates
b. Taranis
When did the Romans invade Britain?

a. AD 43
b. AD 34
How long did the Romans stay in Britain for?

a. Four hundred years
b. Two thousand years
Which city is Lindow Man in now?

a. Manchester
b. London
c. Rome
What is the name of the museum?

a. The British
b. The Celtic
c. The Egyptian
Page 3 of 5
Activity 3
In each of the questions there are words in bold. Decide in each case what these words refer to by
selecting the correct answer.
1. ‘Archaeology, like many academic words, comes from Greek and means, more or less, ‘the study of
old things’. So, it is really a part of the study of history.’
What does ‘it’ refer to?
a. Greek b. archaeology c. academic words
2. ‘...but archaeologists learn from the objects left behind by the humans of long ago. Normally, these
are the hard materials that don’t decompose or disappear very quickly…’
What does ‘these’ refer to?
a. archaeologists b. humans c. objects
3. 'Take, for example, the study of the Romans, who dominated the Mediterranean area and much of
Europe two thousand years ago. We know a lot about them from their writing…'
What does ‘them’ refer to?
a. the Romans b. the Mediterranean area c. two thousand years
4. ‘This is a job for the archaeologists, who have found and dated the bones and objects left behind.
From this evidence…’
What does ‘this evidence’ refer to?
a. the bones b. the objects c. the bones and the objects left behind
5. ‘…one of them saw something sticking out – a human foot! Naturally, the men called the police, who
then found the rest of the body.’
What does ‘who’ refer to?
a. a human foot b. the men c. the police
6. ‘Despite being so old, this body had skin, muscles, hair and internal organs – the scientists who
examined him were able to look inside’
What does ‘him’ refer to?
a. skin b. this body c. hair
7. ‘So, Lindow Man was killed using three different methods, when just one would have been sufficient.’
What does ‘one’ refer to?
a. method b. Lindow Man c. being killed
Page 4 of 5
8. ‘He might have been killed to gain the help of the gods against the Romans. It didn’t work.’
What does ‘It’ refer to?
a. Lindow Man b. the help of the Gods c. being killed
9. ‘Lindow Man is with us by accident. Whatever his origins, it is a fascinating experience to see him face
to face. I recommend it.’
What does ‘it’ refer to?
a. seeing him face to face b. Lindow man c. being with us by accident
Answers
Activity 1:
1. c; 2. b; 3. a; 4. d; 5. h; 6. i; 7. e; 8. g; 9. f; 10. j
Activity 2:
1. a; 2. a; 3. b; 4. a; 5. b; 6. a; 7. a; 8. a; 9. b; 10. a
Activity 3:
1. b; 2. c; 3. a; 4. c; 5. c; 6. b; 7. a; 8. c; 9. a
Page 5 of 5
Magazine – Awards
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/awards

Read the article
Awards
by Chris Rose
The Nobels are the originals, of course. Alfred people who don’t make a lot of money carry on
Nobel, the man who invented deadly explosives, their work without worrying about finances, but
decided to try and do something good with all the professional soccer players these days certainly
money he earned, and gave prizes to people who aren’t short of cash!
made progress in literature, science, economics
and – perhaps most importantly – peace.
Not all awards are as noble as the Nobels. Even

though most countries have a system for
recognising, honouring and rewarding people
who have done something good in their
countries, there are now hundreds of awards and
awards ceremonies for all kinds of things.
The Oscars are probably the most famous, a time
for the (mostly) American film industry to tell itself
how good it is, an annual opportunity for lots of
big stars to give each other awards and make
tearful speeches. As well as that there are also
the Golden Globes, apparently for the same
thing. Many small towns and communities all over the
world also have their own awards ceremonies, for
But it’s not only films – now there are also local writers or artists, or just for people who have
Grammies, Brits, the Mercury Prize and the MTV graduated from high school or got a university
and Q awards for music. In Britain, a writer who degree. Even the British Council has its own
wins the Booker prize can expect to see their awards for “Innovation in English Language
difficult, literary novel hit the bestseller lists and Teaching”.
compete with "The Da Vinci Code” for popularity.
The Turner Prize is an award for a British Why have all these awards and ceremonies
contemporary artist – each year it causes appeared recently? Shakespeare never won a
controversy by aparently giving lots of money to prize, nor did Leonardo da Vinci or Adam Smith
artists who do things like display their beds, put or Charles Dickens.
animals in glass cases or – this year – build a
garden shed. It would be possible to say, however, that in the
past, scientists and artists could win “patronage”
Awards don’t only exist for the arts. There are from rich people – a king or a lord would give the
now awards for Sports Personality of the Year, artist or scientist money to have them paint their
for European Footballer of the year and World palaces or help them develop new ways of
Footballer of the Year. This seems very strange making money. With the change in social
– sometimes awards can be good to give systems across the world, this no longer
recognition to people who deserve it, or to help happens. A lot of scientific research is now either
funded by the state or by private companies.
Page 1 of 2
Magazine – Awards
Perhaps awards ceremonies are just the most it is not only the person who wins the award who
recent face of this process. benefits – but also the sponsors. The MTV
awards, for example, are great for publicising not
However, there is more to it than that. When a only music, but also MTV itself!
film wins an Oscar, many more people will go and
see it, or buy the DVD. When a writer wins the On the surface, it seems to be a “win-win”
Nobel prize, many more people buy their books. situation, with everyone being happy, but let me
When a group win the MTV awards, the ask you a question – how far do you think that
ceremony is seen by hundreds of thousands of publicity and marketing are winning here, and
people across the world. The result? The group how much genuine recognition of achievement is
sell lots more records. taking place?
Most awards ceremonies are now sponsored by

big organisations or companies. This means that
After reading
Match the two parts of the sentences.
1. The Nobel prize is awarded for

2. The Oscars
3. Golden Globes
4. There are lots of awards for
5. The Booker prize
6. The Turner Prize
7. World Footballer of the Year
8. “Patronage”
9. Governments and private companies
10. When people win awards
11. The MTV awards
12. The writer asks
a. are almost the same as another important prize

b. are given to (usually) American film stars and directors
c. can help someone who is not usually successful become successful
d. if people are really being given credit for what they have done
e. is a prize given to someone who doesn’t really need a prize
f. music – for example, the Grammies, the Brits, the Mercury Prize and the MTV and Q awards
g. now fund most scientific research
h. often confuses the public by giving a prize to people who do unusual things
i. publicise the people who are giving them more than the people who win them
j. they usually become richer and more famous
k. valuable contributions to human knowledge
l. was perhaps an old-fashioned form of prize-giving
Answers:
1. k; 2. b; 3. a; 4. f; 5. c; 6. h; 7. e; 8. l; 9. g; 10. j; 11. i; 12. d
Page 2 of 2
Magazine Article - Be your own investigative journalist
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/be-your-own-investigative-journalist
Introduction
This support pack accompanies the magazine
article:
Be your own investigative journalist
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/
be-your-own-investigative-journalist
This support pack contains the following
materials:
 a pre-reading vocabulary activity;
 the article; We are often told that the age of the "information economy" has arrived.
But there is a problem with information as an organising principle in
 a comprehension task society. It only counts if people pay attention to it.

1. armed with 2. claim 3. compile 4. definitely
5. eye-witness 6. fabricated 7. news-gatherer 8. scoop
9. the source 10. subcontractors 11. tycoon 12. web log
Definitions:
a. a person or organisation that collects news information
b. a diary which is regularly published on the internet, often shortened to “blog”
c. the place where something comes from
d. a successful business person who owns a number of different companies
e. equipped with, carrying
f. certainly, without a doubt
g. demand, asking for something that you think you have a right to
h. a person who sees something happening with their own eyes
i. put together
j. an exclusive story that only one journalist knows about
k. invented, untrue, made-up
l. people who carry out part of a job for the person who sells the finished product
Be your own investigative journalist by John Kuti
News in the age of information the press. In the book, everyone was sure that the
real story was happening somewhere else - but they
We are often told that the age of the “information weren’t exactly sure how to get there. Nowadays, the
economy” has arrived. The idea is that intellectual journalist who arrives in the right place at the right
work is becoming a more important source of wealth time is almost guaranteed a world exclusive. Armed
than manufacturing. There are already too many with digital cameras and satellite phones, they can
factories for the number of people who want to buy file their story on the spot. Which is why the military
stuff, so the winners in the marketplace need to have control the movements of journalists ever more
a lead in terms of fashion, or technology to beat the closely.
competition. You can easily see this process at work
in important industries like cars and clothing and Don’t believe everything you read
computers where big companies prefer to in the papers
concentrate on promoting their brand and let
subcontractors do the less profitable work of The best joke in Scoop is about the newspaper’s
manufacturing the products. owner, Lord Copper. The editors can never disagree
with him. When he’s right about something they
But there is a problem with information as an
answer “definitely”, and when he’s wrong they say
organising principle in society. It only counts if
“up to a point, Lord Copper.” It seems reasonable to
people pay attention to it. Together with inventors
suppose that, in the real world, the opinions of such
and designers, the information economy needs
powerful tycoons still influence the journalists and
Public Relations executives to make sure customers
editors who work for them.
are getting the right message. So, faced with the
increasing claims on our attention, organisations in Info-tainment
other spheres of life have to do more to get their
In countries where the news is not officially
share of it too. So PR people may work for politicians
controlled, it is likely to be provided by commercial
(then we call them “spin doctors”) or they may work
organisations who depend on advertising. The news
for artists (then we call them “publicists” or
has to attract viewers and maintain its audience
“pluggers”.) A lot of our news is actually compiled
ratings. I suspect that some stories get air-time just
from press releases and reports of events
because there happen to be exciting pictures to
deliberately staged for journalists. Journalists spend
show. In Britain, we have the tabloid newspapers
their time, not investigating, but passing on the
which millions of people read simply for
words of a spokesperson, publicist or other
entertainment, without even expecting to get any
professional propagandist.
important information from them. I think this is why
Quoting from Evelyn Waugh politicians’ speeches nowadays have to include a
“sound bite” the small segment that seems to give a
The manipulation of news is most clearly visible in
powerful message. There is progressively less room
times of war. A BBC journalist speaking about the
for historical background, or statistics, which are
present war in Iraq compared his situation with that
harder to present as a sensational story. The arrival
of the reporters in Scoop, Waugh’s satirical novel on
of CNN, the 24-hour all-news channel, has not I think this is true, up to a point. But what it will mean
increased the amount of real news reporting also is that we’ll be subjected to a still greater
because the format of the channel is designed so amount of nonsense and lies. Any web log may
that people who want to get the headlines will not contain the scoop of the year, or equally, a fabricated
have to wait long. It tends to concentrate on the main story that you will never be able to check.
story and repeat it.
Have you ever wished you were
Alternative reporters better informed?
There is an argument that with spreading access to
Maybe the time has come to do something about it,
the internet and cheap technology for recording
and I don’t just mean changing your choice of TV
sound and images we will all be able to find exactly
channel or newspaper. In a world where everyone
the information we want. People around the world
wants you to listen to their version, you only have
will be able to publish their own eye-witness
two choices: switch off altogether or start looking for
accounts and compete with the established news-
sources you can trust. The investigative journalist of
gatherers on something like equal terms.
the future is everyone who wants to know the truth.
Comprehension task
Multiple Choice
Read the statements below and choose the correct answers.
1. In the "information economy" the quantity of goods on sale:
a. is not enough to give everyone what they want
b. is more than what everyone wants
c. is exactly right for the number of people who want to buy things
2. A "spin doctor" usually works for:
a. a big company that manufactures things like cars or computers
b. a political party or a politician
c. an artist or entertainer
3. In modern wars journalists ...
a. can't find the places where the important events are happening
b. can't communicate the information they find
c. can't go to the places where the important events are happening
4. In the novel by Evelyn Waugh, Lord Copper is
a. a media tycoon
b. an editor
c. a journalist
5. The author thinks that tabloid newspapers are
a. entertaining
b. informative
c. a mixture of information and entertainment - "info-tainment"
Answers
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish
LearnEnglish Central
Articles
BILINGUALISM
by Jo Bertrand
Being the mother of two potentially bilingual children (the youngest is only three months
old) and the teacher of French and English bilingual children, the subject of bilingualism is
very important to me. In fact we have recently moved to China and are now considering
multilingualism. But what are the advantages of learning several languages from an early
age? What are the dangers? What’s the best way to teach your child two or more
languages simultaneously? I don’t suggest I have the answers here but like most mothers
and teachers I certainly have a point of view!
What is a bilingual child?
The way I see it, being bilingual means being able to communicate almost perfectly in two
languages and also knowing something about both cultures. If I take the example of my daughter
it’s about being able to understand when someone is speaking another language and being able
to switch automatically into speaking it with them. At two and a half she has already grasped the
concept of ‘Daddy speaks French and Mummy speaks English’. She has even picked up that Bai
Yuoine speaks Chinese! I think it’s very important for her to know that the cartoon character
Noddy is also called Oui Oui by her friends at playgroup and that Marmite and Cadburys
chocolate exist as well as croissants. This is what makes it possible for her to communicate with
the people around her regardless of whether they are French or English.
Why encourage bilingualism?
In our case it is logical that with an English mother and French father our children should be able
to speak both languages to communicate, not only with us, but with their grandparents and
extended family. On a wider scale, learning two or more languages helps children to accept
cultures other than their own. If speaking their mother tongue(s) at home and at school is
encouraged they are more likely to enjoy their difference and view difference in general as a
positive thing.
How do you raise a bilingual child?
There may be a dominant language and this will normally depend on the country you live in or the
language your child uses most at school. However, it will also depend on what language is
spoken in the home. We lived in France and spoke French at home but I always speak to my
children in English. It’s imperative that the child has consistency. They know that their English
auntie will always speak to them in English and that for her to understand them they should speak
to her in English.
What are the dangers?
It can be very difficult for people around you to support what you do. Grandparents can be upset
if they don’t understand what you’re saying to their grandchild and worry that they will never be
able to communicate with them. This is of course highly unlikely and you should stick to your
guns.
Another problem we have encountered was when our daughter refused to listen to either of us. A
psychologist advised us that as there wasn’t a common language at home between the parents
and child and so I should stop speaking English and spend the weekend speaking only in French.
Thankfully I decided to ignore this piece of advice and persisted with my English!
I also know of one child who had problems at school because his friends made fun of him. His
parents eventually gave up speaking English to him. Unfortunately children can be cruel and
differences whatever they may be are often a source of bullying. Differences need to be promoted
and valued and celebrations such as the International Mother Language Day help to do just that.
International Mother Language Day
21st February 2000 saw the first Mother Language Day celebrated internationally. However the
importance of this date originated in Bangladesh where in 1952 a handful of students, now known
as language martyrs, were killed in demonstrations defending Bangla, their mother language. In
1999 UNESCO decided to take this cause onto an international scale in order to encourage
cultural diversity and worldwide tolerance.
The Themes
Each year the celebration is devoted to a different aspect of language. This has ranged from how
children learn their literacy skills at school to how to preserve some of the 6000 languages that
exist worldwide. One year was about developing the teaching of mother languages and in 2002
the celebration helped raise awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions around the world. Yet
another year the International Mother Language Day was dedicated to Braille and Sign
Language, two non-verbal languages that are an invaluable source of communication for many
people around the world.
A Multilingual Community
It’s essential that we limit alienation throughout the world. By speaking other languages as well as
your own, or having two or more mother languages, you can contribute to the creation of a global
community. My contribution to this multilingual community is exposing my children to varied
cultures and languages, maintaining their mother language, while trying to learn the language of
the people around me. Although with my ten or so words of Mandarin I am far from being
multilingual!
Magazine Article - Black sheep and the mysterious Uncle Bob
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/black-sheep-and-mysterious-uncle-bobr
Introduction
Black sheep and the mysterious Uncle Bob.
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/black-
sheep-and-mysterious-uncle-bob
 a pre-watching vocabulary activity;
 the article;
 a comprehension task

1. adventurous
2. affectionately 3. exotic 4. fortune 5. genealogist
soul
6. heirloom 7. mystery 8. nickname 9. nut 10. personality
11. relations 12. siege 13. talent 14. turn into 15. unique
Definitions:
a. An object kept in a family and passed down from parents to children.
b. Different, special, not like anything else.
c. Family members.
d. Something interesting that you can‟t find out all the facts about.
e. Character.
f. Become.
g. A person who likes adventure.
h. A name given to someone which is not their real name.
i. (slang) A mad person.
j. Something which you a good at, e.g. playing a musical instrument or a particular sport.
k. In a friendly or loving way.
l. A person who researches family history.
m. Unusual and romantic.
n. A lot of money or something worth a lot of money.
o. A situation in war when an army surrounds a city and stays there for a long time.
Article: Black sheep and the mysterious Uncle Bob by Keith Sands
I‟m an English teacher working in Russia, in your own. Someone or something unique
and for some reason I really don‟t like that to your family. Or, as genealogists like to
classroom topic - Talk About Your Family. say, “Shake your family tree - and watch the
Perhaps it‟s because everyone studied nuts fall out.”
English from the same book at school. So
all the students say, “My family consists of My mother started tracing our family tree a
five members. Me, my mother, my father, few years ago, not expecting to get far. But,
my brother and my dog…” And so on. As if digging in old records and libraries she got
all families are exactly the same. back three hundred years. She turned up
old stories and a few mysteries. What
It‟s such a shame, because our families are happened to the big family farm? Where did
unique. All families have their stories, their the family fortune go in the 1870s? More to
dramas, their private jokes, nicknames and the point – where is it now?
phrases. They‟re the place where our
personalities were made. How often have I‟m the traveller in my family, and I like to
you heard someone with young children think I got it from a great-grandfather on my
complain “Oh no, I think I‟m turning into my Dad‟s side. He was an adventurous soul.
parents…”? My two favourite family heirlooms are a
photo of him on a horse in a desert
The other day I found myself turning into landscape (1897 in Patagonia) and a
one of my grandparents. I was trying to get postcard home from Portugal complaining
my daughter (1 year and 8 months old) to that his boat was late because of the
eat her dinner and I said “That‟ll make your Revolution in Lisbon. “Dreadful business,
hair curl.” Now, I don‟t think that green they seem to have arrested the King...” he
vegetables give you curly hair, or even that says. If you look at your family, you open a
curly hair is a great thing to have. It‟s just a window on the past.
phrase I heard from my Granddad a
hundred times when I was small. It had History in miniature
stayed in my mind, half-forgotten, until the
time I could use it myself. I wonder if he Start someone talking about their family
heard it from his own grandparents? How stories and they might never stop. You‟ll
many other old-fashioned phrases like this find the whole history of your country there,
stay inside families, when the rest of the too. When my mother, still putting the family
world has forgotten them? tree together, asked me for a few names
from my Russian wife‟s family, my wife got
Shaking the family tree on the phone to her own mother. Just to
check a name or two. But they were still
Talk about your family? “Well…they‟re just talking an hour later, and she‟d filled 5
there”, we say. Our families are so ordinary pages of A4 paper. And so I was introduced
to us that we even think they‟re boring. Not to: someone who lived through the siege of
a bit of it! Families are the most exotic Leningrad (but forgot how to read in the
things on earth. If you dig enough in your process), a high official in the Communist
own family, you‟re sure to come up with all Party, and some rich relations who used to
the stuff you could want for a great novel. go to Switzerland for their holidays before
Surprising characters, dramatic or funny the Revolution. There was also a black
stories passed down for generations, or a sheep of the family (or “white crow” as they
face from the past you recognise – maybe say in Russian) who left his wife and
children and disappeared in the Civil War – If you want to get more technical, you can
though nobody in the family knows which discuss the benefits of the nuclear family : a
side he fought on. All these people seemed small family, just parents and children living
impossibly exotic to me. in the same house. If grandparents or other
relatives live there too, then you have an
Who wears the trousers? extended family. In English we talk about
the average nuclear family with the phrase
To go back to that English class then, let‟s 2.4 children.
get rid of the phrase “my family consists
of…” and look at some more interesting Then there are idioms that have left the
ways to talk about families. English is rich in family (flown the nest) and gone on to have
idioms to talk about family life. We‟ve a life of their own. You can‟t teach your
mentioned the black sheep of the family – grandmother to suck eggs. It means you
that‟s someone who didn‟t fit in, or caused a can‟t tell your elders anything they don‟t
family scandal. If you‟re loyal to your family, know already. But why would anyone want
you can say blood is thicker than water or to suck eggs anyway? Now here‟s a really
keep it in the family. If you share a talent strange one. A Londoner is telling someone
with another family member, you can say it how to get a new passport. “Get four
runs in the family. You might have your pictures taken, pick up a form in the post
father‟s eyes or your mother‟s nose. If office, hand it in with your old passport
you‟re like one of your parents, you can say and …Bob‟s your uncle.” It means “the
like father, like son or you can be a chip off problem is solved”. But I‟d love to know who
the old block. the original Bob was, and why he was such
a useful uncle to have.
Who wears the trousers in your family?
(Who‟s the head of your family?) You might
affectionately talk about your bro, your sis
or your folks (parents). Or if you like
Cockney slang, what about her indoors or
the missus to talk about your wife? Though
both these phrases make feminists reach
for their guns.
Comprehension task
True or false
Read the following sentences and decide if they are true or false.
1. The writer likes the way his students talk about their families.
2. He used a phrase he heard when he was a child.
3. He thinks families are boring.
4. His Mum found out everything she wanted to know about the family history.
5. The writer takes after his great-grandfather.
6. He was surprised at how much his mother-in-law remembered.
7. A chip off the old block means the same as black sheep of the family.
8. Only men wear the trousers in families.
9. You should be careful if you use the phrase „her indoors‟.
10. The writer has an uncle called Bob.
Answers
Magazine Article - Building bridges
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/building-bridges
Introduction
Building bridges
building-bridges
a pre-reading vocabulary activity;
the article;
a comprehension task

1. old people's
2. residents 3. snoring 4. concept
home
5. crèche 6. extended family 7. retired 8. intergenerational
Definitions:
a. A family unit which includes aunts, uncles, and grandparents as well as parents and children
b. Having stopped working (usually because of age)
c. A home for older people where they are supported (given food and help when they need it)
d. A place where children can be left safely freeing parents to work, go shopping, etc...
e. Idea
f. A noise made by some people when they sleep where soft tissues their person’s nose and
throat vibrate
g. Involving more than one generation: children, parents, and grandparents make 3 generations
h. People who live in a specific place
Article: Building bridges by Linda Baxter
Being old is when you know all the answers, they get a lot more individual attention, and
but nobody asks you the questions. respond well because someone has time for
them. They also learn that old people are
(Anonymous)
not different or frightening in any way. And
Six months before she died, my of course, they see illness and death and
grandmother moved into an old people's learn to accept them. The residents are
home and I visited her there when I was in happy because they feel useful and
Britain. She was sitting in the living room needed. They are more active and more
with about fifteen other residents, mostly interested in life when the children are
women, half of them asleep. The room was around and they take more interest in their
clean and warm, with flowers and pictures, appearance too. And the staff are happy
and the care assistants were kind and because they see an improvement in the
cheerful. 'The Weakest Link' was on the physical and psychological health of the
television ('to keep their brains active' one residents and have an army of assistants to
of the assistants said), and the only other help with the children.
sound was snoring and embarrassing
Nowadays there is less and less contact
digestive noises. People only moved when
between the old the young. There are many
they needed to be helped to the bathroom.
reasons for this, including the breakdown of
It was depressing. Gran talked a lot about
the extended family, working parents with
how much she missed seeing her
no time to care for ageing relations, families
grandchildren (my nieces aged 7 and 5), but
that have moved away, and smaller flats
I knew from my sister that they hated going
with no room for grandparents. But the
to visit her there, and to be perfectly honest,
result is the same: increasing numbers of
I couldn't wait to get away myself.
children without grandparents and old
So I was interested to read a newspaper people who have no contact with children.
article about a new concept in old people's And more old people who are lonely and
homes in France. The idea is simple, but feel useless, along with more and more
revolutionary: combining a residential home families with young children who
for the elderly with a crèche/nursery school desperately need more support. It's a major
in the same building. The children and the problem in many societies.
residents eat lunch together and share
That's why intergenerational programmes,
activities such as music, painting,
designed to bring the old and the young
gardening, and caring for the pets which the
together, are growing in popularity all over
residents are encouraged to keep. In the
the world, supported by UNESCO and other
afternoons, the residents enjoy reading or
local and international organisations. There
telling stories to the children, and if a child is
are examples of successful initiatives all
feeling sad or tired, there is always a kind
over the world. Using young people to teach
lap to sit on and a cuddle. There are trips
IT skills to older people is one obvious
out and birthday parties too.
example. Using old people as volunteer
The advantages are enormous for everyone assistants in schools is another, perhaps
concerned. The children are happy because reading with children who need extra
attention. There are schemes which involve But it isn't only the individuals concerned
older people visiting families who are having who gain from intergenerational activities.
problems, maybe looking after the children The advantages to society are enormous
for a while to give the tired mother a break. too. If older people can understand and
Or 'adopt a grandparent' schemes in which accept the youth of today, and vice versa,
children write letters or visit a lonely old there will be less conflict in a community. In
person in their area. There are even holiday a world where the number of old people is
companies that specialise in holidays for increasing, we need as much understanding
children and grandparents together. One and tolerance as possible. Modern Western
successful scheme in London pairs young society has isolated people into age groups
volunteers with old people who are losing and now we need to rediscover what
their sight. The young people help with 'community' really means. And we can use
practical things such as writing letters, the strengths of one generation to help
reading bank statements and helping with another. Then perhaps getting old won't be
shopping, and the older people can pass on such a depressing prospect after all.
their knowledge and experience to their
young visitors. For example, a retired judge
may be paired with a teenager who wants to
study law. Lasting friendships often
develop.
Comprehension task
Multiple choice
Read the questions and choose the right answer.
1. What was wrong with the home that the writer's grandmother was in?
a. The old people weren't looked after properly.
b. Children weren't allowed to visit.
c. The residents had no stimulation.
2. What was the new concept that the writer read about in the newspaper?
a. Old people being allowed to keep pets.
b. A nursery school inside an old people's home.
c. Children visiting old people for lunch and birthdays.
3. Who benefits from this new type of old people's home?

a. The staff.
b. The staff and the old people.
c. The staff, the old people, and the children.
4. What does the writer think is a major problem in society today?

a. The breakdown of the extended family.
b. There isn't much contact between the old and the young.
c. Old people are lonely.
5. Why are intergenerational activities important nowadays?

a. There will be more old people in the future.
b. Western communities are isolated.
c. Old people don't like young people.
Answers
Magazine Articles - Calendars
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine/calendars
Calendars
Are you looking forward to summer? In Saint Petersburg, where this article was written, a day can be less than
less six hours long in the middle of winter and nearly 19 hours in summer. At this time of year, you can easily
see in people’s faces that they are ready for brighter, sunnier days to come round again.
Months from the moon and years from the sun
To the first people it was obvious that time went in circles. The sun rises (comes up in the morning) and sets
(goes down in the evening). The moon waxes (gets fatter or wider) and wanes (gets thinner or narrower). The
seasons follow each other in order. These things happen because we are all going round in circles…the earth
spins round in 24 hours, the moon goes around the Earth, and the Earth goes round the Sun in about 365 and a
quarter days. The most natural kind of calendar comes from the sun and the moon. You can count the number
of days and nights in the moon’s cycle from New Moon (when it is all dark) to Full Moon (a bright disk), and back
again: 29 and a half.
The basic problem for calendar makers is how to get the months (which come from the moon) to stay in synch
with the years. The years all have a bit more than 12 New Moons in them. Maybe you read about the Chinese
New Year in Claire Powell’s article in January. If you did, you already know that some years, the Chinese
calendar has an extra month, so they have exactly 235 months in every period of 19 years. This article is about
how the western world solved the same problem by adding an extra day in leap years (and having longer
months the rest of the time.)
Days and weeks from the planets
You can’t find any cycles of seven days by looking at the sky. However, the ancient world knew five planets
apart from the sun and moon: Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They probably made the week seven
days long to give one day for each. In English, the first days of the week clearly come from The Sun (Sunday)
and The Moon (Monday). The last day comes from Saturn (Saturday). Just like the rest of our language, an
English week is a mixture of Latin and words from other places … Germanic gods: Tiw (an Anglo-Saxon god of
the sun and war) and Wodin (the head of Anglo-Saxon gods) for Tuesday and Wednesday and Scandinavian
gods Thor (another god of war) and Frigg (goddess of love) for Thursday and Friday.
Months of the Year
Our names of months all come from Latin. Janus a god with two faces, the god of doors and gates gives us
January; and February comes from a Roman festival of spring cleaning. Mars, who didn’t get a day of the week
in English, got the whole month of March. Jupiter , well his wife was Juno – which makes the month of June.
Most of the later months just come from the Latin words for numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10 septem, octo, nove, decem.
But why isn’t September month number seven? It was for the Romans, because they started the year with
March.
The Emperors’ calendars
July is occupied by Julius Caesar, who also occupied part of Britain. And August by Augustus Caesar who was
the next Roman emperor. These two men both played an important role in creating the modern calendar. The
Julian calendar (which Julius introduced in 46 BC) had a leap year every four years, when one day was added
onto the end of the year (as it was then) on February 29th. Julius’ calendar was much simpler than the old one,
and it was pretty accurate, although not as good as the Chinese one. It was only 11 minutes and 14 seconds a
year too slow. Somehow, the people in charge of the calendars in Rome didn’t understand their instructions and
added an extra day every three years. Augustus, the next emperor, corrected that mistake but left the leap
Magazine Articles - Calendars
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine/calendars
years as they were, so the calendar went on being 11 minutes a year too slow for centuries. Russia only
introduced the Julian calendar in 1700 and changed to the Gregorian one after the revolution.
Behind the times
Over the centuries those 11 extra minutes in the Julian calendar added up to quite a lot. Our modern
"Gregorian" calendar goes more quickly because we don’t have leap years at the end of most centuries – only
1600 and 2000. When Pope Gregory brought it in in 1582, they had to take out 10 days to catch up. The year
jumped directly from 4th to 15th October. In the same year, William Shakespeare got married in Stratford-upon-
Avon, but Britain went on for another 180 years with the old calendar. By 1752, when Britain changed to the
new Gregorian calendar, they needed to miss 11 days to catch up. This caused violent protests…people
thought the government was making their lives 11 days shorter, or even worse, stealing their wages for the 11
missing days. Here in Russia, the years carried on being a bit too long right into the twentieth century. On the
25th October 1917, when the Bolsheviks pushed their way into the Winter Palace it was already 7th November
across the rest of Europe…a difference of 13 days. As a result, in 1918 Russia missed the whole first half of
February: going directly from 31st January to 14th February. Maybe they were pleased to get closer to the
summer.
Activity – Read the questions and select the correct answer.
1. The moon waxes … 6. In the Roman calendar, December …

a. after a full moon. a. was the last month of the year.
b. when the moon is full. b. was the tenth month of the year.
c. until the moon is full. c. was in the summer.
2. The year really has … 7. Julius Caesar started a calendar which was …
a. a bit more than 365 days. a. less accurate than the Chinese one.
b. a bit less than 365 days. b. as good as the Chinese one.
c. exactly 365 days. c. more accurate than the Chinese one.
3. 12 cycles of the moon are … 8. The Roman Leap year had …

a. about 354 days. a. an extra day at the start.
b. about 365 days. b. an extra day in the second month.
c. about 365 and a quarter days. c. an extra day at the end.
4. The Chinese calendar has … 9. In Russia they used the same calendar as
a. more months than the western one. Britain ...
b. the same number of months as the a. from 1700 to 1752.
western one. b. from 1582 to 1700.
c. less months than the western one. c. from 1582 to 1752.
5. In English, the Moon is the origin of our word 10. In Russia in 1918 they had …
for ... a. an especially short year.
a. Monday. b. a leap year.
b. November. c. an especially long day.
c. Nothing in the calendar.
Podcasts – Themes – Christmas
Introduction

• an optional comprehension activity based on the article
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (Christmas).
Read the article
Christmas – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

by Keith Sands
Christmas is one of those holidays which means of 1970s rock. Played endlessly in British pubs
very different things to different people. and on the radio through December. It is the
musical equivalent of jumping up and down with
It can be a spiritual time, a family time, a time for heavy boots on and trying to drink beer at the
giving, a time for partying or a time for just over- same time. I remember once, at a Christmas
eating... Most people (in those countries where it party, picking up my can of beer and taking a sip
is the main religious festival of the year) find - to find out someone had used the can as an
something to enjoy about Christmas, whether ashtray. And this song is the theme tune of that
they are Christians or not. But hasn’t Christmas in kind of party.
the consumer age become just a bit too big? And Replace with: The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl’s
a lot too commercial? Fairytale of New York: a great, soulful Christmas
song.
I think so. The secret of a good Christmas is to be
selective. Here is my personal list of the things
Christmas (at any rate, Christmas in Britain)
would be infinitely better without. Let’s get rid
of….
Plastic Christmas trees

Fussy people don’t like trees that drop their
needles on the carpet. Surely, in the age of
vacuum cleaners, this is not a problem any
more? Worst of all are those plastic trees that
come with their own decorations already
attached, so depriving children of the great
pleasure of hanging the decorations themselves.
Replace with: Real fir trees, from sustainable
forests. Bing Crosby’s White Christmas
While we’re on the subject of Christmas songs,
Fairy lights that don’t work let’s not forget that this sentimental 1950s tune is
We have sent people to the moon. Computers the biggest selling single of all time. It’s ideal for
have changed our lives. On the Internet, huge falling asleep in an armchair but finally just too
amounts of information travel all over the world at nostalgic. And very annoying.
the speed of light. So it shouldn’t be too difficult to Replace with: Silent Night, a beautiful German
put a few coloured light bulbs in a row, so they carol known all over the world.
last until New Year without breaking down.
Replace with: Candles. And fireproof fir trees. Office parties
Doesn’t a computer decorated with tinsel, and an
Slade’s "Merry Christmas Everybody" office with paper chains hanging from the ceiling,
A stomping, two-chord song from the dark days look just a tiny bit depressing? And office
Page 1 of 3
Christmas parties are worse. Under the influence Turkey with Cranberry Sauce
of cheap wine in paper coffee-cups, strange In Britain, the usual Christmas dinner is turkey
things happen with the photocopier. Rude with cranberry sauce – although ultra-
messages are faxed to clients. Most people can’t traditionalists may prefer goose. Cranberry sauce
relax in the office. And those that can will is basically a kind of jam. We don’t put jam on
probably do something they’ll regret later. meat at other times of year, so why at Christmas?
Replace with: an extra afternoon off work. Replace with: No cranberry sauce.
British Christmas Weather Consumerism

In Richard Curtis films (like the recent hit "Love, You know what I mean. Adverts for toys on
Actually"), it always snows at Christmas in children’s TV. Department stores which put out
London. The city is covered with a beautiful white Christmas decorations as early as September.
blanket, the perfect setting for a romantic happy The stress of Christmas shopping. Everywhere
ending. What’s the reality of Christmas weather in the message is spend, spend, spend. Christmas
the South of England? Grey skies with a good is a Christian religious festival, to celebrate the
chance of cold drizzle in the late afternoon. birth of Jesus Christ. It’s not just an excuse for
Replace with: Russian Christmas weather. making money.
Replace with: Midnight carols at church, peace
TV on earth, and goodwill to all men.
It’s a fact that we spend more time in front of the
TV at Christmas than at any other time of year. So that’s my advice. Avoid these things and you’ll
The TV schedules are filled with old films, have a good chance of having a truly Merry
comedy “Christmas Specials”, soap operas with Christmas. Which is what I wish you now. And a
Christmas-related plots, and of course hundreds happy new year.
of adverts. Switch it off and visit your relatives
instead.
Replace with: log fires, board games.
After reading
Exercise 1
Below are 11 statements about the text. For each one decide if it is True or False.
1. The writer doesn’t like Christmas.

2. He doesn’t like the commercialisation of Christmas.
3. It’s not really difficult to clean up the needles from a real tree.
4. He is impressed by the technology of fairy lights.
5. He doesn’t like any Christmas songs.
6. He mentions two kinds of party he doesn’t like.
7. He thinks the film ‘Love Actually’ is realistic.
8. Christmas should be a time for visiting your family.
9. He thinks Cranberry sauce goes well with turkey.
10. He enjoys Christmas shopping.
11. He seems to prefer a rather traditional Christmas.
Page 2 of 3

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of Christmas at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-christmas.htm
• Magazine article: Christmas Past or Christmas Presents. “Christmas is a time of many
traditions which haven’t changed in centuries but its meaning has changed for me as I have got
older”.
• Word game: Christmas jokes. Match the questions and answers to get the Christmas jokes
• Game: Run Santa Run! In this fun Christmas game, you control Santa, making him jump and duck
to avoid obstacles. See how far you can get him to run without getting knocked over!
• Story: A Christmas Carol. This story by Charles Dickens is a Victorian morality tale of an old and
bitter miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, who undergoes a profound experience of redemption.
• Story: The Christmas the Lights Went Out : Five people, whose lives interrelate, live the build up
to Christmas in different ways in different places. A sudden blackout changes their lives forever ...
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about Christmas.
• There are also 2 Christmas-related cartoons, a poll and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity:
1. False (F); 2. True (T); 3. T; 4. F; 5. F; 6. T; 7. F; 8. T; 9. F; 10. F; 11. T
Page 3 of 3
Magazine Article - Collecting things: My Grandmother's elephant
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/collecting-things-my-grandmothers-elephant
Introduction
Collecting things: My Grandmother's elephant
collecting-things-my-grandmothers-elephant
• a pre-reading vocabulary activity;
• the article;
• a comprehension task

1. sandalwood 2. covet 3. rummage 4. flea markets 5. illegal
6. malachite 7. deteriorate 8. kitsch 9. niggling 10. periodically
Definitions:
a. Causing a small worry
b. A green stone used in jewellery
c. Places where second hand and old things are sold
d. Decorative but thought to be ugly. Some people like this because they find it funny.
e. Against the law
f. To search for things my moving stuff around
g. To want something very much that belongs to someone else
h. To become worse
i. Every now and again
j. Hard wood from a tree in Asia that has a pleasant smell
Article: Collecting things - My Grandmother's elephant

By Chris Wilson
My grandmother had a beautiful elephant something, then another and another and then,
carved out of sandalwood on her dressing table once you’ve got a small collection you just keep
which I secretly used to covet. I wanted it more adding to it. I have an uncle who collects key
than anything in the world. It was about the size rings – he has hundreds of them from all over
of a football and had a cheeky smile. It was the world – but he can’t remember how it
inlaid with tiny circular mirrors and mother of started. Other people collect stamps, stones,
pearl, and had real ivory tusks and toenails. beer cans, beer mats, match boxes, all sorts of
One day my sister said “Oh Grandma, please things. For some it can become a total
can I have it?” and, to my fury and disbelief, she obsession and they will go to any lengths to get
just gave it to her! I immediately made two something. One of my colleagues collects Royal
resolutions: 1) never to speak to either of them memorabilia, which to me is the ultimate in bad
ever again. 2) To find another elephant just like taste! Her house is crammed full of kitsch things
it. like Coronation mugs, ashtrays with pictures of
Charles and Diana, British flags, tea towels
Ever since, I have been scouring the world. I
printed with Windsor Castle and even a toilet
have rummaged round junk shops and antique
seat cover with Prince Andrew grinning widely
shops all over Europe, I have been to garage
up at you. What is this urge to possess all these
sales and flea markets in America, I have hung
things?
about in Arab souks and Indian bazaars, but I
have never seen anything quite the same. I recently discussed this question with a group
of students in Mozambique and what rapidly
Along the way, however, I have acquired all
became evident was that few of them had such
sorts of other elephants and my collection has
an urge. “Why not?” I asked. “I don’t know” said
grown and grown. I have got black ebony
Anotonio. “It’s just not in our culture”. “Does that
elephants from Malawi, and a couple of ivory –
mean you’re not as materialistic as
all, I hasten to add, made a long time ago,
Europeans?”Antonio laughed. “No way! We
before the ebony trees were chopped down
want cars and houses and fancy things just like
and the ivory trade was made illegal. I also have
anyone else, but we don’t collect knick knacks,
soap stone elephants from Zimbabwe, and an
things we can’t use”.“I think it’s because of our
exotic Congolese one carved out of bright green
recent war” said Maria “and the state of the
malachite. I have a whole family of wooden Thai
economy. For many years there was nothing to
elephants marching along the top of my piano –
collect, except shells off the beach perhaps”.“Ï
sometimes when I sit and play I could swear
collect shoes” said Teresa, who comes from
they are marching in time to the music. I have
Angola. “I have over seventy pairs. But I buy
two very heavy, long legged elephants which I
them to wear, not just for the sake of having
bought in Khan el Khalili, in Cairo, which I use
them”.“Oh come on!” laughed Antonio.
as bookends, and an enormous fat one from the
“Anything you don’t actually need you have for
Sudan which I use as a coffee table. My search
the sake of having it, and you can’t possibly
goes on, but it gets more and more difficult to
need seventy pairs!”“I do, I need every single
find really good pieces. On recent trips to Africa
pair!” she insisted.“So you are a collector!”“No
I have noticed how the quality of the
I’m not!”“Yes you are!” shouted the whole class.
workmanship has deteriorated. In craft markets
all over the continent you can find thousands of Paula stuck up her hand. “I’m a collector” she
elephants, but they are nearly all shoddily said. “Ï am a fan of Julio Iglesias and I have all
made, churned out for tourists by people who his CD’s, every one, even the latest which, I
probably have never seen a real elephant in have to admit, isn’t very good at all”. “So why
their lives. did you buy it?” I asked. “Well, because I’ve got
all the others of course” she said. “And my son
Why do people collect things? Probably many,
collects those little plastic dinosaurs you find
like me, don’t set out to do so. You just acquire
inside cereal packets. He’s only got to get T- usual there was that niggling feeling that my
Rex and then he’s got the whole set.”“They are collection, not matter how valuable, would never
exploiting you” said Antonio. “They encourage be complete. Not without my Grandmothers
children to become collectors so that you keep elephant! What a waste for it to be with my
buying more and more. This is something new sister when it could be, should be, with me!“Oh
in our country. Soon we will all be fanatically well, never mind, try not to be obsessed” I told
collecting things, just like everyone else in the myself.
world”.
Ever since though, I have been lying awake at
Harshill, who is of Indian origin, had been silent night, thinking of it standing there on a brass
all this time. He cleared his throat. “One good table in her hallway, next to the window she
reason to collect things is that a collection is always leaves open for her cat. Her dogs know
worth more - how do you say in English? More me, so they won’t be a problem when I climb
than the sum of its parts. If you sold your over the wall in my gloves and balaclava. The
elephants one by one you wouldn’t get nearly whole operation will be over in less than five
as much as if you sold the whole collection. So minutes. The only problem is, having acquired
it is a way of saving money, a good investment.” it, what will I do when my sister comes barging
in to nose around, as she periodically does, and
On the way back to my hotel a young boy was
sees it in pride of place in my house? I’ll have to
selling a badly carved elephant by the side of
keep it hidden and then what will be the point of
the road. I didn’t want it but I bought it because I
having it? Oh dear. Perhaps I could have a
felt sorry for him. Later I thought I should just
special alarm that would only ring when my
have given him some money and let him try to
sister is on her way. No that’s silly. I’ll just have
sell it to someone else. It would never be part of
to move. To another country, under another
my collection, each in its own special place in a
name, far, far away. But even then, knowing
different part of my house. I imagined walking
her, she’ll track me down. Oh – dear Reader,
round looking at them all and thought about
what would you do if you were me?
what Harshill had said – it’s a way of increasing
the value of what you already have - but as
Comprehension task
True or false
Read the statements below and decide if they are true or false.
1. The writer kept his resolution not to speak to his sister every again.
2. His grandmother was unaware of how much he wanted it.
3. Ebony is a kind of wood.
4. It is difficult to find ebony nowadays.
5. The writer’s Thai elephants actually move in time to the music.
6. Nowadays it is not easy to find well made elephants in Africa.
7. The writer is fond of Royal memorabilia.
8. People often decide in advance to start a collection.
9. Mozambicans do not collect things because they are not materialistic.
10. “For the sake of having it” means having something which is a necessity.
11. Paula bought Julio Iglesias’ latest CD to “complete the set”.
12. Antonio thinks it is a good thing to collect things.
13. If something is worth “more than the sum of its parts” it means the whole thing is worth more than
the total value of all the individual parts.
14. The writer firmly intends to steal his sister’s elephant.
15. “To go to any lengths” to get something means to travel anywhere, no matter how far, to get it.
16. If something in a room is “In pride of place” it means it is in the part of the room where the owner
displays all the objects of which he/she is most proud.
Answers
Podcasts – Themes – Conspiracies
Introduction

• a grammar activity based on the article
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (conspiracies).
Read the article

Conspiracies
by Richard Sidaway
Are you convinced that your government is in were taken seriously enough at the time - the
contact with UFOs? Do you think that President conspirators confessed after being tortured and
Kennedy was the victim of more than one they were then executed.
assassin? Do you get the feeling that we are
being watched? Then you are probably a believer Secret societies are a matter of historical record
in conspiracy theories. too, with their initiation rites, hierarchy, secret
signs and elaborate rituals. Some, like the
The success of the ‘Da Vinci Code’ Brotherhood of the Rosicrucians, were mystical
alleging that the Catholic Church has suppressed or religious in nature. Others are more social or
the truth about the death of Jesus shows how political in character like the Freemasons, whose
such theories can take hold of the popular members have included writers, generals,
imagination. politicians and even kings. They formed the
opposition to the Catholic Church in Southern
Everyone loves a conspiracy Europe, for example, and supported the pursuit of
They say that there are two basic explanations rational thought, scientific endeavour and liberal
for dramatic or world-changing events. The democracy.
conspiracy theory assumes that tragedies such
as the death of Princess Diana in Paris were not
just accidents but were carefully planned and
carried out by a group of powerful people
operating behind the scenes for various sinister
motives. The cock-up theory of history says that
such events are probably caused by a
combination of human incompetence and bad
timing.
The conspiracy theory is, naturally, much more

attractive because humans can be seen as
powerful shapers of their own destiny, rather than
the weak and fallible creatures they are. And
because they are usually impossible to prove
either one way or the other, conspiracy theories Verging on the paranoid
are limited only by the human imagination. But just because you say you have discovered a
plot and brought some people to trial doesn’t
The real thing mean that a conspiracy really existed. In the
Of course, there have been some real dying days of Stalin’s regime, a group of Jewish
conspiracies through the ages. The Gunpowder medical professionals were accused of conspiring
Plot in England in 1605 to get rid of the King of to poison Soviet leaders and overthrow the state.
England, or the July 20th plot to kill Hitler in 1944, Hundreds were arrested and executed. The
Doctors’ Plot of 1953 was just one in a long line
Page 1 of 3
of purges necessary to maintain the climate of has been kept from consumers deliberately? Or
fear by which the Communist Party ruled. It was the automobile company that tried to get control
more a symptom of Stalin’s anti-semitism and of trams in cities so that people would buy more
paranoia than a real conspiracy. cars instead of using public transport?
Tragic consequences Some people even believe barcodes are a

The longest-running conspiracy theory is population-control device used by a secret
probably the one about the Jews wanting to take unnamed organisation intent on world domination
over the world. Such ideas have served as the and that the numbers hide the mark of the devil…
justification for acts of random, irrational violence
against Jewish communities over the centuries, And the death of Diana? Well, apparently the
and led to the systematic persecution of the driver wasn’t really drunk and there was a lot of
Inquisition. A book was published in the 1920s carbon monoxide in his blood. A letter had been
supposedly giving documentary proof of such a written by the Princess just before the accident
world conspiracy, but it was later exposed as a happened claiming that someone wanted to get
fraud. This didn’t prevent the horrific attempt by rid of her, and the French authorities never
the Nazis to exterminate the entire Jewish carried out a post-mortem to find out the cause of
population of Europe during the Second World her death. These isolated facts supposedly add
War. up to a secret plot by intelligence agencies to
prevent the destruction of the British monarchy.
The downright silly
Some conspiracy theories can be quite An awful warning
entertaining. Take the case of the humble light Whatever you do, though, don’t let your life be
bulb. Who would believe that companies had dominated by conspiracy theories or you could
known for years how to make one that lasts for end up like the former footballer and TV sports
much longer than normal, but formed a cartel to commentator who currently believes that the
suppress it from the market because it would world is going to be taken over by a secret
mean their profits would be drastically affected. brotherhood of reptiles, and has published
various books giving details. His writings sell very
And what about the carburettor that can make a well in some parts of the world, but there must be
car run 300 miles on a single gallon of petrol but easier ways of being popular in Canada …
After reading
Exercise 1
What do the words in bold in the text refer to?
1. such events b. people

a. conspiracy theories c. Soviet leaders
b. powerful people operating behind the scenes
c. tragedies such as the death of Princess Diana 5. It
a. the Communist Party
2. they b. The Doctors’ Plot
a. conspiracy theories c. a long line
b. humans
c. weak and fallible creatures 6. This
a. the fact that the book was exposed as a fraud
3. Some b. documentary proof of such a world conspiracy
a. initiation rites c. a book
b. elaborate rituals
c. secret societies 7. one
a. a cartel
4. Hundreds b. a conspiracy theory
a. Jewish medical professionals c. a light bulb
Page 2 of 3
Exercise 2
The phrases in the first table below all use the passive because the people involved are not known or
because what happened is more important than who did it.
Match each of the phrases with a form of the passive in the second table below.
We are being watched A book was published A letter had been written
humans can be seen as …has been kept from don’t let your life be dominated
medical professionals were their profits would be drastically the world is going to be taken
accused of affected over
Form Phrase
Future
Imperative (negative)
Present Continuous
Modal present
Present Perfect
Past simple (x2)
Past perfect
Conditional

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of conspiracies at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-conspiracies.htm
• Word game: Conspiracy idioms puzzle. This jigsaw puzzle practises idioms and expressions
related to conspiracies.
• Story: The Trial. This surreal novel by Franz Kafka is about a character named Joseph K., who
awakens one morning and, for reasons that one never discovers, is arrested and subjected to the
rigours of the judicial process for an unspecified crime.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about conspiracies.
• There is also a conspiracies-related cartoon, a poll, and some carefully selected external links.
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. c; 2. a; 3. c; 4. b; 5. b; 6. a; 7. c
Exercise 2:
Form Phrase
Future the world is going to be taken over
Imperative (negative) don’t let your life be dominated
Present Continuous we are being watched
Modal present humans can be seen as
Present Perfect …has been kept from
Past simple (x2) medical professionals were accused of
A book was published
Past perfect A letter had been written
Conditional their profits would be drastically affected
Page 3 of 3
Magazine – Consumer society
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/consumer-society

Before you read
Exercise 1
In the table are words from the text. Below are sentences containing these words. Can you put the words
into the gaps in the sentences?
choice choose
influenced probably
rewarding unemployed
wrapping
1. The …………… could find work more easily if we didn't work more than 6 hours per day.
2. Being able to make your own things is more …………… than buying.
3. We should be able to …………… environmentally friendly products.
4. Consumers enjoy having a …………….
5. Some products have too much …………….
6. Try not to be …………… by advertising.
7. If you enjoy making something it is …………… good quality.
Read the article
Consumer society
by Julie Bray
“There is enough on earth for everybody’s need, Food An appointment at the

but not for everyone’s greed.” hair salon
Gandhi Paracetamol Shampoo
An iPod Beer
If we only bought things we needed, there would Toothpaste A packet of M&Ms
be enough for everybody. What do we need? Cushion covers Table mats which
What you need depends on how old you are and match the curtains
your way of life. Rearrange the list of things you
can buy and put the things you think we most If we don’t need to buy so much, we don’t need to
need at the top of the list. work so much. We can take part-time jobs or
reduce our working day from 8 hours to 6 hours.
A coat A pair of trainers Some people are leaving very well-paid jobs to
Levi’s jeans Water live a healthier life in the countryside or a more
A CD player A pair of jeans exciting life abroad. This is called ‘downshifting’.
A dental check-up Paper Parents can spend more time with their children
A restaurant meal A telephone and the unemployed are given more opportunities
Jewellery Gold-coloured laces in to work.
your trainers
Page 1 of 3
Who made it?
Do you know? If a friend made it, you probably

like it more and you will want to keep it for a long
time. If it was made by somebody who enjoyed
making it, the quality and the design are probably
better. Or does it look like it might have been
assembled in a large factory?
There are children in Asia who make Santa Claus

dolls for European children to play with. The
children who make the toys don’t celebrate
Christmas because they are not Christian; they
think of the dolls as work. Would it be better if the
If we start to respect saving the earth more than
children in Europe made their own Christmas
spending money, we will become ‘conservers’.
dolls?
When we are conservers, we try to choose
environmentally friendly products which are
What is it made from?
durable and last a long time. We may find
growing our own vegetables or making our own
One of the places where we want to buy
clothes more rewarding than buying them.
expensive luxuries is at the airport’s duty-free
shop. Next to the chocolate and cigarettes, there
What was the best thing you bought last
are beautifully shaped bottles and compact boxes
week?
full of perfumes and creams which promise to
make you look and feel more beautiful. If you look
Could you choose from lots of different types?
at the ingredients you will find that the perfumes
We like having a choice of what to buy. People
are mainly alcohol and the creams are mainly
who buy things are called consumers.
made of petroleum!
Consumers have choices. We usually choose the
colour, taste, smell or size of what we buy, but
Almost all products are sold in packaging. Some
there are other choices we can make. The
products have too much packaging, creating
following questions will help you to consider
more rubbish and using up resources. Some use
these choices.
recycled packaging, which is better for the
environment.
Where was it made?
Next time you go shopping, think about what you
If you don’t like the place it was made, you might
really need to buy. Don’t deprive yourself of
decide not to buy that particular product. A lot of
things you like, but decide what you should buy
people don’t buy products from certain countries
before you go out, so that you won’t be
when they don’t like the way the country is run.
influenced by advertisements or promotions. If it
Was it made in a factory or on a local farm? If the
is more expensive to buy goods which don’t have
product was unbelievably cheap, the people who
much packaging and things which are more
made it might not have been paid much.
durable, buy less. If you can choose to work less,
decide which things you would like to make, do or
grow yourself. Even though you have less
money, your life will become richer!
Page 2 of 3
After reading
Exercise 2
Decide which is the best answer to each of the following questions/statements about the text.
1. Taking a job where you work less and are paid less is called:
a. consumerism
b. downshifting
c. conservation
2. If you are a conserver, you:

a. throw your things away so you have less
b. look after your things well and keep them for a long time
c. only eat vegetables you grow yourself
3. When we buy something, we can usually choose:

a. the size and colour
b. where it comes from
c. where it is made
4. We can tell that the people who made a product were not paid well when:
a. the product is not made well
b. they forget to put the label on
c. the product is unbelievably cheap
5. Most perfumes and creams are made from:

a. plastic
b. alcohol and petroleum
c. plants
6. If we don't use something very often we should:

a. put it in a safe place
b. buy a cheaper one
c. borrow one from somebody else or lend our own to others
7. The working day could be:

a. reduced to 6 hours
b. from 6-8 hours
c. reduced to 8 hours
Answers:
Exercise 1
1. unemployed; 2. rewarding; 3. choose; 4. choice; 5. wrapping; 6. influenced; 7. probably
Exercise 2
1. b; 2. b; 3. a; 4. c; 5. b; 6. c; 7. a
Page 3 of 3
Magazine – Magic
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/magic

• an activity in which you rearrange the words in sentences
Before you read
Vocabulary activity
a. blamed b. harm
c. household names d. infamous
e. levitating f. persecuted
g. pick h. potion
i. spell j. tap into
1. a liquid believed to have a magical effect

2. choose
3. famous for something considered bad
4. famous people that most people know of
5. hurt someone
6. make a connection with
7. making something rise or float in the air without support
8. said to be the cause
9. spoken words thought to have magical power
10. treated cruelly for a long time because of your beliefs
Page 1 of 4
Magazine – Magic
Read the article
Magic
by John Russell
Double, double, toil and trouble; were persecuted or even killed because they
Fire burn and cauldron bubble. were thought to be witches or wizards. When a
Fillet of a fenny snake, sick person suddenly became well or a well
In the cauldron boil and bake; person (or even animal) became ill, magic was
the cause. Unexplained events were blamed on
Macbeth – William Shakespeare people who were said to use magic. It was
thought that the devil or strange forces allowed
them to have these powers. However, accusing
someone of being a witch or of having magical
powers was often just an excuse to remove an
unpopular person from the community or take
someone’s property away. Unfortunately,
thousands of people were executed for witchcraft
over hundreds of years. The most infamous
recent trials were the Salem witch trials in
America, dramatised in Arthur Miller’s play, The
Crucible.
D.
A. Magic has always been used as a form of

entertainment. People enjoy the mystery of
From the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, to working out which cup the little ball is underneath
Gandalf the Wizard in Lord of the Rings books or how he knows which card I was thinking of.
and films, it is clear that the idea of magic has From early Egyptian times magicians and
been around for many years. Both play and illusionists have entertained people, and there
books / films use the idea of something have been many great magicians. Harry Houdini
mysterious to add interest and excitement to the was one of the first world-famous magicians –
story – but they also tap into something famous for escaping from deadly situations. In
deeper…our fascination with magic. more recent times magicians such as David
Copperfield or David Blane have become
B. household names for their illusions; such as
making the Statue of Liberty disappear or
The word ‘Magic’ has many different meanings. A levitating.
man playing card tricks in the street is doing
magic, just as a wizard in a story fighting with E.
dragons is using magic. Magic is when something
happens that we can not explain or understand. Not a lot of people would argue that David
Often forcing us to not believe our own eyes or Copperfield has real magical powers – he is just
even appearing to be breaking the laws of a great illusionist. But there are some who
physics or nature! When a rabbit appears in a hat believe magic really exists and can change our
or when someone claims to see into the future – lives. A few believe that a spell can make
both can be called magic. someone fall in love or a potion will protect you
from danger. White magic is the idea that spells,
C. or mixtures of certain herbs can have a positive
influence on our lives. Black magic is the
In the past anything that people couldn’t opposite of this, the idea that magical powers can
understand was called magic – and many people be used to harm others. Dark magic is associated
Page 2 of 4
Magazine – Magic
with the devil and evil powers, but white magic is about King Arthur. The British author Terry
more to do with the earth and nature. Pratchett uses magic a great deal in his popular
Discworld series of books, witches and wizards
F. are often his main characters and there is even
an ‘Unseen University’ of magic. A young wizard
Wizard, warlock, witch, sorcerer, enchantress. All called Harry is also quite popular in books and
names associated with magic, but made popular films at the moment, so I’m told ...
(and most created) through stories, plays or films.
Shakespeare was not the first to add interest to a G.
story with magic and the 20th Century saw a
huge rise in stories about magic. The fantasy Magical rings and three headed dogs may not be
novel and film has created new universes where real, but does this mean nothing magical really
magicians fight to save the world, or something exists? Can you always explain how the magician
magical is the key to the story (like the ring in has done the card trick? Maybe it is better not to
Lord of the Rings). T.H. White wrote about the explain, but to leave a little magic and mystery in
most famous wizard of all – Merlin, in his books our lives. Pick a card, any card ...
After reading
Comprehension activity
Someone has magically removed the headings from each paragraph in the text. Can you match the
correct heading with the correct paragraph? There is one extra that you don’t need to use.
Paragraphs in text:
A B C D E F G
Headings:
1. But it’s fun to watch…

2. Do you believe in magic?
3. Good magic, bad magic, black magic, white magic
4. Have people always liked magic?
5. It’s a kind of magic!
6. Magic books and silver screens
7. Magic on television
8. What is magic?
Word ordering activity

These sentences from the article have been mysteriously mixed up. Can you put them back in the right
order? Try not to look back at the text.
1. events were on Unexplained blamed people use were said to magic who
2. make A believe a spell few that can in fall love someone
3. is clear magic idea of It has been that the around for years many
4. 20th a saw huge The about rise in Century magic stories
5. always you explain the trick how magician Can done the card has
Page 3 of 4
Magazine – Magic
Answers to vocabulary activity:

1. h; 2. g; 3. d; 4. c; 5. b; 6. j; 7. e; 8. a; 9. i; 10. f

1. D; 2. G; 3. E; 4. C; 5. A; 6. F; 7. extra heading; 8. B
Answers to word ordering activity:

1. Unexplained events were blamed on people who were said to use magic; 2. A few believe that a spell
can make someone fall in love ; 3. It is clear that the idea of magic has been around for many years; 4.
The 20th Century saw a huge rise in stories about magic; 5. Can you always explain how the magician
has done the card trick
Page 4 of 4
Articles
Martial arts
by Mike Rayner
Everybody was kung-fu fighting

Those cats were fast as lightning
In fact it was a little bit frightening
But they fought with expert timing
Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas
Martial arts have never been more popular. Recent Hollywood action blockbusters featuring acrobatic fight
scenes like The Matrix and Charlie’s Angels have been hugely successful, and the popularity of martial arts
films from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan have turned actors like Jet Li and Jackie Chan into international
superstars. While the closest that many martial arts enthusiasts get to a dojo is playing Mortal Kombat and
Street Fighter in front of a TV screen in their living room, others are keen to hit the mats and have a go at
martial arts themselves.
From the graceful, dance like moves of t’ai chi and capoeira to the explosive fighting styles of kung fu and
karate, there is a martial art to suit every taste. Rock stars to bus conductors, vicars to politicians - people of all
ages and from all walks of life are discovering the physical and mental benefits of practising a martial art.
Music
Rock stars have often used martial arts to spice up their live performances. Elvis, who was a karate black belt,
entertained his fans on stage with his karate kicking antics, and Madonna’s recent tour features dance routines
heavily influenced by martial arts. Jean Jacques Burnel, the French bass player in British punk band The
Stranglers, shared Elvis’ love for karate and often demonstrated his skill to fans. Unfortunately, however, his
enthusiasm sometimes got the better of him – in the punk era he was well known for using karate to intimidate
rival bands and music journalists.
Health
Many doctors have realised that practising martial arts can replace drug therapy for patients suffering from
psychological conditions. The more aggressive styles such as kendo and kick-boxing appear to help people with
problems such as depression, while the softer disciplines of aikido and t’ai chi can help people who are anxious
or under a lot of stress. Lou Reed, singer and guitarist from the seminal New York rock band The Velvet
Underground, who has a notoriously difficult artistic temperament, says he has tamed the rock and roll animal in
his soul by practising t’ai chi for three hours a day.
Politics
There can’t be many jobs more stressful than being a politician. American president Theodore Roosevelt was
perhaps the first head of state to be associated with martial arts – he became fascinated by judo after watching
a demonstration by a Japanese teacher at the White House, and was the first American to get a judo brown
belt. Vladimir Putin, Russian president and ex-KGB official, holds an advanced rank in judo, and has won both
junior and senior tournaments in Russia. Ryutaro Hashimoto, the prime minister of Japan from 1996 to 1998,
has been practising kendo since he was a child, and reached a very high level in the sport. In kendo “the way of
the sword”, opponents wear heavy armour and masks, and try to hit each other with bamboo swords.
Hashimoto’s speeches as prime minister were peppered with phrases comparing politics to samurai battles, he
once famously said, ” If you don’t pay attention to your rival you get hit on the head,” when talking about a
Japanese trade agreement with the US.
Difficult jobs
Of course martial arts were originally developed as effective ways of attacking or defending yourself against
enemies. It comes as no surprise that soldiers and police forces around the world are trained in fighting arts, but
people in other jobs who may often face difficult situations can also benefit from a knowledge of martial arts.
Vicars in London have been trained in tae kwon do, a Korean form of karate, after a survey showing that they
were at high risk of attack. Taxi drivers in Birmingham have also been offered courses in self-defense, and
Page 1 of 2
Articles
female bus conductors in Hyperabad in southern India learn shotokan karate to help them protect themselves
from sexual harassment. Officers whose job is to hand out fines to people caught littering in Hong Kong are now
given training in aikido, a Japanese martial art which can help to calm people down, after a series of attacks by
angry law breakers.
So, perhaps it’s time to put on your gi, turn off the video, put down the joystick, and head off to your local sports
centre to uncover the joys of martial arts for yourself.
Page 2 of 2
Magazine – Mary Seacole
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/mary-seacole

Read the article
Mary Seacole
by Linda Baxter
The most famous nurse of all time must be

Florence Nightingale, the ‘lady with the lamp’,
who became famous for her work during the
Crimean War in the middle of the nineteenth
century. But have you heard of Mary Seacole? I
hope your answer is ‘Yes’, but I must admit that,
until recently, the name meant nothing to me at
all. Then, earlier this year, I read that a woman
called Mary Seacole had been voted the
‘Greatest Black Briton’ of all time in a BBC poll. I
was shocked to realise that I had no idea who
she was. When I found out more about her I
realised that she was ‘the black Florence
Nightingale’ that I had heard mentioned on a BBC
history programme a few years ago. So I did
some research. What was her story? And, more
importantly, why isn’t her name as well known as
Florence Nightingale’s?
The story
The war
Mary Seacole was born in 1805 in Kingston,
Jamaica. Her mother was Jamaican and her When the Crimean War started, Jamaican troops
father was Scottish. Her mother ran a boarding were sent to fight, and stories soon started to
house for invalid soldiers and was also an expert reach Kingston about the terrible conditions that
in herbal remedies, which she used to treat the they were suffering, and how badly they needed
soldiers. When her mother died, Mary took over nursing care. So Mary travelled to London in
the boarding house and the care of the sick 1854 and presented herself at the War Office as
soldiers. In 1850 there was a serious outbreak of a volunteer nurse. But they refused her. She
cholera in Jamaica. Mary worked night and day went to all the military and nursing organisations
to help the victims and created her own herbal but not one of them wanted her services. So
medicine for the disease. She also believed that Mary decided to go to the Crimea independently.
clean conditions, fresh air and good food were She opened a boarding house there to earn the
important in fighting the disease, ideas which money to finance her nursing work. She
most doctors thought were ridiculous. She saved regularly went out onto the battlefields to feed
the lives of thousands of people. and care for the fallen soldiers, often putting her
own life in danger. The soldiers loved her and
called her ‘the black nightingale’.
The fame
Page 1 of 2
Magazine – Mary Seacole
rights, anti-racism campaigns, women’s liberation

When the war finished Mary came back to and of course, nursing groups. In 1981 a special
London as a famous figure – well known and well service was held to mark the centenary of her
oved by the British people, but completely death. In 1984 ‘The Wonderful Adventures of
bankrupt as a result of her work. Some of the Mrs Seacole in Many Lands’ was reprinted so
officers and soldiers who knew her raised money that Mary’s story could reach a wider audience.
for her, but she still had financial problems. So And of course, as you already know, she was
Mary once again decided to do something voted the Greatest Black Briton in 2004.
herself. She wrote her autobiography called ‘The
Wonderful Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many So, the question remains
Lands’. This was the only book she ever wrote,
but it was very successful and generated enough Why was Mary Seacole forgotten? Racism?
money to allow her to live the rest of her life in Prejudice against such an independent woman?
comfort, dividing her time between Jamaica and Florence Nightingale was white and had friends
London. She died in 1881 and was buried in in high places. Mary Seacole was black but
London, but as the years passed, her story was overcame a lot of the racial prejudice against her
forgotten outside of her native Jamaica. and had friends in high places too. Both women
wrote books. Florence Nightingale’s ‘Notes on
The rediscovery Nursing’ became a standard nursing textbook,
whereas Mary Seacole wrote nothing about the
In 1973 a British nurse bought an old copy of theory of nursing. The medical community
Mary’s book in a second-hand bookshop. She accepted Florence Nightingale, whereas Mary
did some detective work and found Mary’s Seacole worked independently, outside of the
forgotten grave in a London cemetery. She hospitals, and without the supervision of doctors.
organised the restoration of the grave and a Whatever the reasons, after a hundred years of
special ceremony was held to honour her. obscurity, Mary Seacole isn’t going to be
People began to hear about Mary and she forgotten again.
became a symbol for people involved in civil
After reading
Exercise 1
Decide if each of the following statements about the text are True or False.
1. The writer knew nothing about Mary Seacole until she read the results of the BBC poll.
2. Mary opened a new boarding house for sick soldiers in Jamaica.
3. Doctors disagreed with Mary’s ideas about the treatment of cholera.
4. The War office refused Mary because they didn’t need any more nurses.
5. Mary opened a boarding house in London to pay for her work in the Crimea.
6. Mary spent all of her money caring for the soldiers in the Crimea.
7. Mary lived on charity for the rest of her life.
8. Mary’s book was a best seller in the 1970s.
9. Mary was accepted by the most important people in the medical community.
10. Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale had some things in common.
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. False (F); 2. F; 3. True (T); 4. F; 5. F; 6. T; 7. F; 8. F; 9. F; 10. T
Page 2 of 2
Magazine Article - Mobile phones
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/mobile-phones
Introduction
Mobile phones
mobile-phones
• the article;

1. emerge 2. primitive 3. rival 4. decade
5. synonymous 6. postmodern 7. lax 8. vital
Definitions:
a. Really important; without this it won't work
b. To appear as if from a hidden place
c. Meaning the same
d. Consciously mixing ideas from different periods or disciplines
e. Basic
f. Someone you compete with
g. Without care and attention to the rules
h. 10 years
Article: Mobile phones by Craig Duncan

When Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell many of us swore that we would never, ever
invented the telephone in 1876, it was a own a mobile phone.
revolution in communication. For the first time,
people could talk to each other over great But in the mid-90s, something happened.
distances almost as clearly as if they were in Cheaper handsets and cheaper calling rates
the same room. Nowadays, though, we meant that, almost overnight, it seemed that
increasingly use Bell’s invention for emails, everyone had a mobile phone. And the giant
faxes and the internet rather than talking. Over plastic bricks of the 80s had evolved into
the last two decades a new means of spoken smooth little objects that fitted nicely into
communication has emerged: the mobile phone. pockets and bags. In every pub and restaurant
you could hear the bleep and buzz of mobiles
The modern mobile phone is a more complex ringing and registering messages, occasionally
version of the two-way radio. Traditional two- breaking out into primitive versions of the latest
way radio was a very limited means of pop songs. Cities suddenly had a new,
communication. As soon as the users moved postmodern birdsong.
out of range of each other’s broadcast area, the
signal was lost. In the 1940s, researchers Moreover, people’s timekeeping changed.
began experimenting with the idea of using a Younger readers will be amazed to know that,
number of radio masts located around the not long ago, people made spoken
countryside to pick up signals from two-way arrangements to meet at a certain place at a
radios. A caller would always be within range of certain time. Once a time and place had been
one of the masts; when he moved too far away agreed, people met as agreed. Somewhere
from one mast, the next mast would pick up the around the new millennium, this practice started
signal. (Scientists referred to each mast’s to die out. Meeting times became approximate,
reception area as being a separate “cell”; this is subject to change at any moment under the new
why in many countries mobile phones are called order of communication: the Short Message
“cell phones”.) Service (SMS) or text message. Going to be
late? Send a text message! It takes much less
However, 1940s technology was still quite effort than arriving on time, and it’s much less
primitive, and the “telephones” were enormous awkward than explaining your lateness face-to-
boxes which had to be transported by car. face. It’s the perfect communication method for
the busy modern lifestyle. Like email before it,
The first real mobile telephone call was made in the text message has altered the way we write
1973 by Dr Martin Cooper, the scientist who in English, bringing more abbreviations and a
invented the modern mobile handset. As soon more lax approach to language construction.
as his invention was complete, he tested it by The 160-character limit on text messages has
calling a rival scientist to announce his success. led to a new, abbreviated version of English for
Within a decade, mobile phones became fast and instantaneous communication.
available to the public. The streets of modern Traditional rules of grammar and spelling are
cities began to feature sharp-suited characters much less important when you’re sitting on the
shouting into giant plastic bricks. In Britain the bus, hurriedly typing “Will B 15min late - C U @
mobile phone quickly became synonymous with the bar. Sorry! :-)”.
the “yuppie”, the new breed of young urban
professionals who carried the expensive Mobile phones, once the preserve of the high-
handsets as status symbols. Around this time powered businessperson and the “yuppie”, are
now a vital part of daily life for an enormous with broadband internet access, which will allow
amount of people. From schoolchildren to us to watch TV, download internet files at high
pensioners, every section of society has found speed and send instant video clips to friends.
that it’s easier to stay in touch when you’ve got
a mobile. Over the last few years mobiles have Alexander Graham Bell would be amazed if he
become more and more advanced, with built-in could see how far the science of telephony has
cameras, global positioning devices and internet progressed in less than 150 years. If he were
access. And in the next couple of years, we can around today, he might say:
expect to see the arrival of the “third generation” “That’s gr8! But I’m v busy rite now. Will
of mobile phones: powerful micro-computers call U 2nite.”
Comprehension task
Multiple choice
Read the questions and choose the right answer.
1. Modern mobile phone technology is based on:
a. two-way radio
b. global positioning devices
c. yuppies
2. More people bought mobile phones in the 1990s because:
a. traditional phones didn't work anymore
b. they were bad at timekeeping
c. mobile phones became a lot cheaper
3. The first mobile phone call took place between:
a. two scientists
b. two Scotsmen
c. two yuppies
4. Mobile phones are sometimes called cell phones because of:
a. a technical term for telephone masts
b. a technical term for mobile handsets
c. the number of mobile phones used in prisons
5. The first commercially available mobile phones looked like:
a. small, pocket-sized objects
b. telephone masts
c. giant plastic bricks
6. A text message saying "Gr8! Will call U 2nite" means:
a. Great! I'll call you tonight.
b. Good grief! Please call William tonight.
c. I'll be 15 minutes late.
Answers
Mountains
Mountains
by Richard Sidaway
Here's a look at three popular mountain sports and some serious environmental problems
facing mountains and the people who live on them.
Snowboarding
Thankfully, 'the winterstick' and 'the snurfer' never caught on as names for the snowboard,
or this sport might not have attracted such a cult following. Initially looked down upon by
skiers and ski resorts, snowboarding has rapidly increased in popularity and is starting to
replace skiing as the top alpine sport. Snowboarding debuted at the 1998 Nagano
Olympics, but despite 'selling out' to the mainstream, the sport retains the spirit of
alternative culture.
BASE Jumping
Extreme with a capital X, BASE jumpers don’t necessarily limit themselves to jumping off
mountains. These thrill seekers will jump off just about anything. The name is an acronym
for Building Antennae Span Earth, and refers to the fixed objects from which jumps are
usually made. In search of the ultimate adrenaline rush, a BASE jumper will throw himself
off a structure or cliff face, hurtle downwards at speeds of up to 60 mph and open a small
parachute at the last possible moment. Famous jump sites include the Eiffel Tower, the
London Eye and the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro.
Rock Climbing
There are many climbing techniques, but 'Solo' is seen as the purest form. Here the
climber has no ropes or safety equipment and is free to move as he or she pleases up the
face of the mountain. It's the most exciting method, but obviously the most dangerous and
only for highly experienced climbers. For the truly adventurous, 'Ice Climbing' adds an
extra level of excitement and an extra level of risk. The Alps, Himalayas and Rockies are
the mountain ranges of choice for serious climbers.
The International Year of Mountains
It's perhaps not common knowledge, but 2002 was in fact the International Year of
Mountains, and time to take a short rest from climbing up, snowboarding down and
parachuting off these majestic natural wonders to consider some of the very serious
problems faced by mountains and mountain people.
Problems
A meeting organised by the United Nations University in Tokyo identified three main areas
that need to be address to ensure the future safety of the world's mountains. These are:
the protection of mountain ecosystems, the encouragement of peace and stability in
mountain regions and the assistance of mountain people to reach their goals..
Ecosystems
From the bustling cities of India to the farmlands of California, more than half the world's
population is dependent on mountains for their fresh water supply. Global warming,
deforestation, mining and heavy farming seriously damage fragile mountain ecosystems
and put vital fresh water sources at risk.
Peace and Stability
Mountain regions host a large proportion of the world's wars. From Afghanistan to the
Balkans and the Andes to many parts of Africa, territorial and drug related conflicts have
devastating effects on the local environment and the lives of the local people. Fighting
makes essential tasks such as farming impossible. Land mines make large areas of
potential farming ground unusable. Also schools, roads, bridges and other important
infrastructure are left in ruins.
Mountain People
Mountain people are among the poorest, least represented groups on the earth. They face
many hardships and each day can be, 'a test of survival'. Damage to mountain
ecosystems worsens their situation and leaves them even more vulnerable to disease and
'natural' disasters such as floods and landslides. It's been recommended that forest
revenue should be reinvested in mountain communities and the people living there should
be given a stronger political voice. Their fate is in many ways directly connected with that
of people living at sea level. As this year's slogan says, we are all mountain people.
Podcasts – Themes – Names
Introduction

• an optional vocabulary activity based on the article
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (Names).
Read the article
Names
by Katherine Bilsborough
Shakespeare told us that a rose, by any other 1. Jack
name, would smell as sweet. But is that true? Are 2. Joshua
names important? Are you happy with the name 3. Thomas
that you were given as a baby? And how do you 4. James
choose a name for your own children when they 5. Daniel
come along? 6. Oliver
7. Benjamin
Humans have been using names since 8. Samuel
prehistoric times but although all cultures use 9. William
names, the ways that we have of naming our 10. Joseph
children differ from place to place. In some places
people have just a single name while in others It appears that parents are more adventurous
the naming process is far more complex. when it comes to naming daughters. Boys names
Sometimes our names carry information about tend to be more traditional and favourites change
our family roots or even, in the case of some less frequently. Jack has topped the list for the
African cultures, the order in which each sibling is past nine years and shows no sign of moving.
born. The etymology of names (the linguistic
origin or meaning) is a subject which has
fascinated us for generations. Another interesting
aspect of names is why people choose to give
their child one name and not another and why
certain names become popular at particular
moments in time.
In 2004 the top ten names for girls born in the

United Kingdom were:
1. Emily
2. Ellie
3. Chloe
4. Jessica
5. Sophie
A fairly recent trend in choosing a name has
6. Megan
meant that there are now generations of young
7. Lucy
people named after musicians, film stars and
8. Olivia
even designer clothes labels. Kylie is one of the
9. Charlotte
most popular girls names at the moment and last
10. Hannah
year in the UK alone, 221 babies were named
For boys, the top names were: Shakira after the Columbian singer. Following the
success of “The Matrix”, fans started calling their
Page 1 of 3
children Morpheus and Trinity after the lead Guggi, the actor Sean Penn’s son is called
characters. And, if that isn’t bad enough, there Hopper and film director Robert Rodriguez has
are around three hundred American teenagers three sons; Rebel, Rocket and Racer. How do
called Armani. you think these children feel? When David
Bowie’s son Zowie Bowie was old enough, he
Colours have also entered the naming arena with rebelled against his father’s choice of name and
Pink, Ruby and Scarlet popular choices for girls changed it to Joey.
and Blue and Grey for boys. And what about the
current craze for calling your child after a town or There is little to be done about the name you
city? When David Beckham called his child were given as a child but maybe we ought to
Brooklyn, 105 other parents followed the craze think more carefully about the names we choose
and called their children; boys and girls alike, to give future generations. It would be sad to
Brooklyn too. Other “place” names that are think that names that have been good enough for
popular are Adelaide and Devon. Kings, Queens, heroes and heroines throughout
history will lose out to passing trends or short
Beckham is not the only celebrity who has lived crazes. So, let’s have more Georges,
chosen to give his children unusual names. Bono, Henrys, Katherines and Annes and less Hilfigers,
of U2 fame called his son Elijah Bob Patricius Khakis, Chelseas and Pinks!
After reading
Exercise 1
Below are 8 statements about the text. Decide if each one is True or False.
1 Names have been around for thousands of years.

2 Some African names tell us whether the person is a first-born child.
3 In the UK parents are more adventurous when they choose a name for a boy.
4 Jack has become a popular name in the UK in the last year.
5 Hundreds of American boys are named after a fashion designer.
6 Blue is a popular girl's name.
7 There are both boys and girls called Brooklyn.
8 Zowie Bowie was unhappy with his name.
Exercise 2
In the table are 8 adjectives from the text. Below are the definitions of these adjectives. Match the
adjectives and their definitions.
adventurous complex current important

interesting popular traditional unusual
1. keen to try new or exciting things

2. happening or existing now
3. not normal, common or ordinary
4. having a major effect on someone or something
5. related to or based on very old customs, beliefs or stories
6. to describe an activity, place or thing that many people like
7. with a lot of details making it difficult to understand
8. to describe something that makes you want to know more about it
Page 2 of 3

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of names at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-names.htm
• Word game: Names. Do a jigsaw puzzle and practise idioms that contain the word 'name'.
• Story: Names: Naming houses? Naming babies? It's sometimes not as straightforward as it seems
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about names.
• There is also a name-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1.True (T); 2. T; 3. False (F); 4. F; 5. T; 6. F; 7. T; 8. T
Answers to vocabulary activity: 1. adventurous; 2. current; 3. unusual; 4. important; 5. traditional; 6.
popular; 7. complex; 8. interesting
Page 3 of 3
Magazine Article – New Zealand
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/new-zealand-two-islands-where-old-meets-new
Introduction
New Zealand: Two islands where old meets new
new-zealand-two-islands-where-old-meets-new

a pre-reading vocabulary activity
the article

1. legendary 2. horizon 3. stunning 4. dying out
5. a core subject 6. originated from 7. convincing 8. vibrant
Definitions:
a. came from a particular place
b. becoming less common until it stops happening
c. very famous for a long time
d. believable
e. as far as you can see into the distance, where the land meets the sky
f. extremely beautiful
g. an important subject that everyone has to study
h. energetic and exciting
New Zealand: two islands where old meets new

By Claire Powell
Talking to friends from New Zealand while Maori representation, and Maori rights have
writing this article confirmed New Zealand’s been recovered.
place at the top of my ‘Must Visit’ list! Tucked
A few years ago, in the north island, a road was
away in the Pacific Ocean, here the sun seems
being built. Maoris objected to the road going
to slip more slowly across the sky, perhaps
through a lake, where there was a ‘taniwha’ (a
thanks to Maui, a legendary Maori demi-god,
legendary water monster). The government
whose magic fishing net caught the sun,
bent the road around the lake, preserving not
allowing Maui to ask it to make the days longer.
only the ‘taniwha’ but also a stunning natural
The first New Zealanders were the Maoris, who area.
travelled there by boat about ten thousand
Traditionally community-minded, Maoris lived
years ago. Maori legend has it that Maui
close together, with extended family living
magically fished New Zealand’s north island up
nearby. Now, many Maoris are again buying
out of the sea. The south island was his canoe.
houses together to recreate these communities.
When you look at a map of the north island, it
The houses may not be old, but they are
looks like a fish.
decorated with traditional paintings and
With Maui were his brothers, who promised to carvings, and in front of the ‘marae’ (meeting
stay on the canoe while Maui dived down into house) is a space where visitors can be
the sea to thank the gods for his discovery. welcomed into the house traditionally.
While waiting, the brothers got greedy, and
A visitor is ‘sung’ onto the ‘marae’, clearing a
started trying to divide up the land by beating
spiritual pathway for a peaceful meeting
the fish. When Maui came up and stopped
between host and guest. The Maori greeting is
them, the fish had changed shape – which is
a ‘hongi’, where, as well as holding hands, you
how the north island got its valleys and
press noses together – meaning you share
mountains.
breath, and, if your foreheads are also pressed
‘New Zealand’ in Maori is ‘He Aoteroa’ which together, you share minds as well.
means ‘Land of the Long White Cloud’. When
New Zealand is a very developed, industrialised
the Maoris travelled by boat to the islands, they
country, where western and Maori cultures and
crossed what must have seemed like a never-
peoples have integrated so much that Maori
ending ocean. The first thing they saw for a long
traditions were in danger of dying out.
time was a long white cloud on the horizon, over
New Zealand, hence the name. Both Maoris and non-Maoris realised the
importance of preserving Maori culture. Maoris
Centuries later, Europeans arrived.
began re-teaching their children traditional
Unfortunately, the relationship between these
Maori crafts. Recently, Maori language became
settlers and the Maoris was difficult. In 1840,
a core school subject. Many New Zealanders
the British and the Maoris signed the Treaty of
encourage this development, recognising that
Waitangi, which detailed land and fishing rights.
Maori language is an integral part of New
Poorly translated into Maori, the Treaty was
Zealand’s culture.
misinterpreted, often unfairly for the Maoris.
The Maoris probably originated from around
In 1975, the government established the
Japan, as the pronunciation of the Maori
Waitangi Tribunal, to clarify the Treaty and
language is very similar to Japanese, and the
honour it as a relevant and living document.
Japanese can often say Maori words more
Now the New Zealand government has a large
convincingly than the average non-Maori New New Zealand slang for a cool box, and ‘give it
Zealander. some jandal’, meaning ‘put your foot down on
the accelerator and speed up’ (‘jandals’ are
Interestingly, New Zealand English also has its’
plastic shoes -‘flip flops’ in the UK and ‘thongs’
own vibrant language! New Zealand slang is
in Australia!). Now I must rattle my dags (hurry
different to British and American slang, and
up) because today I’m off tramping (walking) in
even different to Australian. My favourites are
the bush (countryside). See you later! And in
‘chilli bin’; nothing to do with spicy food, but
Maori – Aroha nui!
Comprehension Task
True or False
Read the following statements and decide if they are true or false.
1. New Zealand is a country made up of two islands.

2. European settlers came long after the arrival of the Maoris in New Zealand.
3. According to Maori legend, the south island was fished out of the sea by Maui.
4. The north island has many mountains and valleys.
5. The treaty of Waitangi was written in the eighteenth century.
6. Many Maoris hold positions in New Zealand government.
7. 'Marae' is Maori for a traditional meeting house.
8. With 'hongi', the traditional Maori greeting, you shake hands.
9. In order to keep the Maori language alive, children learn it at school.
10. New Zealand English slang is sometimes different to slang in other English-speaking
countries.
Answers
Podcasts – Themes – Overpopulation
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (overpopulation).
Read the article
Overpopulation
by John Kuti
I come from the south of England, in the most something must be wrong with the theory. In the
densely-populated corner of a small island, 19th century world population rose from 1 to 1.7
which, you might think, is full of people. (The UK billion. In the 20th, it increased to about 6 billion.
as a whole has 2.4 people per hectare.) I have
never gone hungry. The only time when I wish Doom, version 2
there were less people is on rush-hour trains. In 1961, J.G. Ballard wrote a story called
However, one of the most interesting findings of Billenium. It’s about a world where the population
the census of 2001 was that a million people has gone on increasing at 3% a year to reach a
were missing. Or at least there were a million figure of at least 20 billion, although the true
people less than the authorities expected. Should number is kept secret. To make space for
we be happy that we have more space and less growing food, everyone lives in giant cities where
mouths to feed? I don’t know. the buildings are divided into little cubicles. A
single person can have 4 square metres and a
As I start writing this article the world population married couple six. Everyone has enough to eat,
(according to the Office of Population Research but life is certainly very inconvenient. People
at Princeton University – see the link) stands at spend most of the time waiting in queues for the
6,315,850,431. bathroom or anywhere else they want to go.
Doom, version 1:
In 1798 Robert Malthus wrote an essay which got
economics the name of the dismal science. It was
called “The Principle of Population”. He said that
it was impossible for the number of people to
increase, and even worse, it was impossible for
the standard of living to rise. The argument went
like this:
1. population naturally increases geometrically:
2, 4, 8, 16…
2. food production increases arithmetically 2, 4,
6, 8…
3. so, population will be controlled by lack of
food, the same as it is for animals. Some
people will always be starving.
A lot of people disliked Malthus’ point of view.

Often, because it seemed to go against the idea Reality
of progress, which was so important for other The real situation is not as bad as these alarming
social theories of the time. Anyway, the predictions. A very surprising and dramatic
experience of the next two centuries shows that change is happening in the world, but it is not
Page 1 of 3
what Malthus or Ballard predicted. To understand don't have a supply of clean drinking water.
the statistics, we need first to think about the two Ballard is right about the trend towards city life.
ways the number of people can go up. By the year 2006, the United Nations predicts
that more than 50% of people will live in cities.
The Fertility Rate
The most obvious way to increase population is City life in the developed world
for more babies to be born. If the population is At least in the rich countries, the move into cities
exactly constant, the average woman has 2.1 seems to be connected with falling fertility rates.
children. This number is called the "replacement It is more expensive to have a child in the city,
rate". These rates are going down very fast. The and children are less useful as workers. Women
peak was in the period 1965-75 at 4.9, now the receive a better education and are able to work –
rate for the world as a whole is 2.8. However, so they have more to lose by becoming mothers.
there is still a big difference between the City life seems to encourage individualism –
developed countries, where the rate is 1.6 and people become more interested in getting an
poor countries where it is 3. To quote some education and a career. They marry later in life,
extreme examples, in Italy the figure is 1.2 and in and divorce more often, so producing smaller
Zambia 5.6 families.
Life expectancy
The other reason why there are more people now At the moment, it seems quite possible that the
is that we live longer. This figure also shows a same pattern will be repeated everywhere. One
dramatic change. The people born in 1950 could UN forecast now foresees a world population of
expect, on average, to live 45 years. Now the about 5 billion in 2100. But, the more time you
world life expectancy at birth is 65, and the spend looking at predictions the more you realise
United Nations predicts this will increase to 76 in that the human race is a surprising phenomenon.
the next 50 years. It looks like we will have a clearer idea of what
will happen in ten or twenty years time when the
Predictions of doom present generation of parents moves beyond
Malthus and Ballard were still right about some child-bearing age.
things. The dismal picture painted by Malthus is
still true in poor countries where 18 million people Now there are 6,318,042,422 people.
starve every year, and more than a billion people
Glossary
densely-populated: with a lot of people living close cubicle: a very small closed off space, e.g. a
together shower cubicle
hectare: the size of a square 100 metres by 100 predictions: things people say about what they
metres think will happen in the future
census: the official procedure for counting all the constant: staying the same, not changing
people in a country peak: the highest point
dismal: dark, sad and depressing average: the figure you get if you add together a set
lack: not having something of numbers and divide that total out equally
starving: dying from lack of food. encourage: to make something happen or increase
go on - ing: continue foresee: to predict, to see something that might
figure: number happen in the future
After reading
Exercise 1
Choose the best answer to each of the 8 questions below.
1. the population of the UK in 2001

A) was impossible to count
B) was less than the government thought
C) was one million
Page 2 of 3
2. Malthus thought that the number of people:

A) would go up very fast, much faster than the amount of food
B) would stay the same because there would always be people dying of hunger
C) would rise slowly together with the increase in food production
3. When Malthus wrote his essay the world population was…

A) just under one billion
B) 1.7 billion
C) 6 billion
4. The number of people in the world depends on:

A) the number of babies born
B) how long people live
C) the combination of A and B
5. In Italy the average women has

A) one baby
B) one point two babies
C) two babies
6. People born in the year 2050 will probably

A) live to be very old, live in villages and have few children
B) live to be very old, live in cities and have few children
C) live to be very old, live in cities and have lots of children
7. people who live in villages and farms have more children because
A) mothers can have a good education and better jobs
B) people are more individualistic
C) the children are useful workers
8. The author
A) is worried about overpopulation
B) is worried about the lives of people in poor countries
C) is worried about the million people who went missing from the UK

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of overpopulation at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-overpopulation.htm
• Word game: Apartment game. Read the text and decide which person lives in which apartment.
• Story: Stand on Zanzibar. In this science-fiction story by John Brunner, perhaps the definitive
overpopulation novel to date, the main driver is overpopulation and its projected consequences.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about overpopulation.
• There is also an overpopulation-related cartoon, and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. B); 2. B); 3. A); 4. C); 5. B); 6. B); 7. C); 8. B)
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Papua New Guinea
Introduction

• two optional comprehension activities based on the article
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (Papua New Guinea).
Read the article
Papua New Guinea

by Richard Sidaway
Why New Guinea? turned to mud after the rains and then hardened
One of the first Europeans to arrive in the 16th like cement. Luckily, the town had been
century from Portugal thought the country evacuated the night before and only five people
resembled Guinea in West Africa. died.
Why Papua? P ostage stamps – during the First World War, a

The word comes from the Malay language and set of stamps issued by the former Germany
means ‘fuzzy-haired’, referring to the natives. colonial authority was used by the Australian
occupying forces who simply added the British
Why have such a long name when you can King’s initials over the top. This only happened
abbreviate it? for a short time and as a result they are extremely
Papua New Guinea is a bit of a mouthful, so most rare. Today, one stamp originally costing five
people shorten it to PNG. Here are some of the shillings can now sell for $10,000.
many curiosities you might come across if you
visit: U nusual animals – most people think that
marsupials only live in Australia. Not so. There
P idgin – or Tok Pisin, is the language that at are quite a few weird and wonderful examples
least 2 million of the 5 million Papuans use to here too, like the tree kangaroo, along with egg-
communicate with each other, in the street or in laying mammals such as the echidna, the New
parliament, on radio and TV, possibly because Guinea Singing Dog (see below) and the world’s
the island has so many other languages (over longest lizard, the Salvatori Monitor, which is over
700). Pidgin originated as the lingua franca 3 metres long.
between foreign traders and natives and denotes
any ’language’ which does not have a fully A mazing birdlife – any ornithologist would jump
developed grammar and a vocabulary which is a at the chance to visit New Guinea with its 700
mixture of other languages, in this case species of birds. The most striking is the Bird of
Portuguese, English, German and Melanesian. Paradise, whose mating ritual is emulated in the
For example, the word for moustache is local tribal dances, and whose image adorns
‘mausgras’ (mouth grass), child is ‘pikinini’ from banknotes and the country’s flag. Another is the
the Portuguese word for ‘small’, and ‘raus’ comes flightless Cassowary, which uses the bony
from German ‘get out’. protuberance on the top of its head to force its
way through the dense rainforest. Then there are
A ctive volcanoes – being situated on the edge countless variety of parrot, cockatoo and hornbill,
of the Pacific Ocean, the island has at least not to mention a pigeon the size of a turkey, and
fifteen major volcanoes. The provincial capital of the pitihui, thought to be the only known example
Rabaul, once a beautiful coastal town, was of a poisonous bird!
almost completely destroyed by the eruption of
Tavurvur and Vulcan in 1994. Many buildings
collapsed under the weight of volcanic ash which
Page 1 of 3
the anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski in the

1920s. It appeared to show a reversal in the
usual gender roles prevailing in most human
societies. At the annual Yam Festival, the young
maidens were very assertive in their quest for a
mate, to the point where it was the custom for
groups of adolescent girls to rape lone males.
U nusual musical instruments – bamboo bands

were popular in the islands in the 1970s,
musicians who played tubes of bamboo by hitting
them with sandals! An older instrument is the
nose flute, a piece of bamboo from which sound
is produced not by blowing through the mouth but
through the nose. The preference for this method
N atural Resources - the country is rich in of playing may be connected to the idea that
minerals -gold and copper are mined extensively breath, which passes through the nasal cavity, is
which together with oil, bring in three quarters of the essence of the human soul.
the country’s export earnings. Coconut and palm
oil are also significant industries and PNG I nfinite variety of plants – there are over
produces its own tea and coffee. The most 11,000 known types of plant in New Guinea, the
spectacular resource – the trees of the rainforest most colourful being the country’s orchids, of
– are being cut down at an alarming rate by which there are 3,000 different species. PNG is
loggers, however. Even so, companies have to rich in food plants - tropical fruits, root and leaf
tread carefully in this country as 97% of the vegetables, beans and nuts, along with many
country is owned by the people, and local clans herbs, spices and flavourings including pepper,
expect compensation for lost land. When a nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla. Scientists
copper mine polluted a river on the island of hope that the islands’ yet uncatalogued plants
Bougainville in the 1980s, it provoked a ten year could also hold cures for HIV, malaria and
civil war and attempt at independence. cancer.
E ating people – usually considered to be wrong N ew Guinea Singing Dog – most dogs whine or
in most parts of the world, cannibalism used to be howl from time to time, but this species actually
very common in parts of PNG, and human flesh, sounds like it is singing. The song has been
usually of a tribe’s enemies, was a treated as a likened to a bird call or even the sounds that
delicacy. Thankfully, the practice largely whales make. It looks similar to the Australian
disappeared in the 1950s, which was good news Dingo with a reddish coat and pointed ears, and
for the tourist trade. was only ‘discovered’ in the 1950s when a pair
was taken to a zoo in Sydney. Scientists think it
W orld’s largest butterfly –the Queen was originally domesticated, and then escaped to
Alexandra Birdwing butterfly, with a wingspan of the mountain forests where it now makes its
over 30cm, is a tricky creature to find, in spite of home.
its size. It lives only in the coastal rainforest in the
northern part of the island, stays mostly up in the E arthquakes and tidal waves - several tectonic
canopy, 30 meters from the ground, and only plates meet under New Guinea and so it suffers
lives for about three months. The caterpillar feeds from frequent earthquakes. These are often
on a poisonous plant, the pipevine, which makes followed by tidal waves or tsunami. In July 1998,
it toxic to any potential predator. after an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter
scale, a tsunami ten metres high hit the north
coast and more than 3,000 people lost their lives
G ender Relations – the Trobriand Islanders or went missing.
aroused great interest amongst students of
human nature after the publication of research by
Page 2 of 3
A irstrips – there were 560 at the last count- are no railways, and the roads are often poor due
that’s one for every 10,000 people. (In to the mountainous terrain. And if you are
comparison, Britain, with ten times the responsible for a road accident, you may end up
population, has only about 200). Going by plane having your car stoned and burned, so you’re
is the easiest way to travel any distance as there probably better off flying!
After reading
Exercise 1
Find the significance of the numbers in the table, which are all from the text.
There are two answers for each.
30 700 3,000 10,000 1950s
1. The height above the ground in metres that the largest butterfly in the world usually lives
2. The number of bird species in PNG
3. The number of languages spoken in PNG
4. The number of orchid species in PNG
5. The number of people per airstrip
6. The number of victims of the tsunamis in 1998
7. The value in dollars of a PNG stamp from WW1
8. The wingspan in centimetres of the largest butterfly in the world
9. When cannibalism stopped
10. When the Singing Dog was discovered
Exercise 2
What’s the connection between the following pairs of things mentioned in the article?
1. 'Papua’ and ‘mausgras’

2. Tribal dances and the Bird of Paradise
3. Whales and a species of dog
4. Australia and Germany
5. Earthquakes and tsunamis

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of Papua New Guinea at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-png.htm
• Word game: Pidgin English: Match English words and phrases to their equivalents in the Tok
Pisin language of Papua New Guinea.
• Story: The Masalai of Lep Island: This Papua New Guinea folk story involves a masalai (a large
ugly cannibal, similar to an ogre).
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about Papua New Guinea.
• There is also a Papua New Guinea-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. 30; 2. 700; 3. 700; 4. 3,000; 5. 10,000; 6. 3,000; 7. 10,000; 8. 30; 9. 1950s; 10. 1950s
Exercise 2: 1. hair - papua means fuzzy-haired, mausgras means moustache; 2. some tribal dances
are imitations of the movements of the bird of paradise; 3. the song of the New Guinea Singing Dog is
supposed to resemble that of whales; 4. Australia used German postage stamps in PNG; 5.
earthquakes often cause tsunamis
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Parts of the body
Introduction
Download the LearnEnglish Themes podcast. You'll find more information on this page:

• The article that you can listen to in the podcast
• An optional comprehension activity based on the article
• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (parts of the body).
Read the article
Parts of the Body

by Richard Sidaway
There are 50 trillion cells in the human body, 206 bones, 32 teeth, and more than five and a half litres of
blood. There is also at least one part of the body for every letter of the English alphabet. Here are 25 of
them. Can you guess what they are..?
This is a 10cm long piece of the intestines and nobody can really work out what it's for.
A It's probably a leftover from the days when our ancestors were vegetarian, and many
people have it removed when it becomes infected.
A muscular bag which expands to collects urine from the kidneys. It can hold as much
B as half a litre before you have to go to the toilet. They used to be kicked around as
footballs and played as musical instruments, although only after the animals had
finished using them…
Some people have clefts in theirs, others let hair grow on them…You keep it up to
C recover from a misfortune, and use the word twice to toast someone.
The little depression which appears each side of your mouth when you smile is, like
D the ability to make a u-shape with your tongue, genetic. You've either got it, or you
haven't…
That most perfect of organs, the biologist's best argument for natural selection, the
E window to the soul. In sleep, it is covered by a lid. Close one and you wink, close two
and you blink. The third is a symbol of enlightenment.
People paint the nails to make themselves more attractive and put rings on them to
F signify alliance. They help us read if we cannot see, and help us speak when we
cannot hear. They wrote these words…
I've always thought that this sounds like the name of a distinguished Roman Emperor,
G but it is in fact the most powerful muscle in the human body. There are two of them
and chances are you're probably sitting on them right now.
The size of a fist, it beats 70 times a minute without stopping for more than 60 years.
H So much more than just a pump for the blood, it symbolizes love and the centre of our
being. It can be followed, broken, even worn on your sleeve!
It opens and closes in reaction to light and gives colour to the eye. It is now scanned to
I check people's identity. The word comes from the woman in Greek mythology who
personified the rainbow.
The bone that opens and closes the mouth and holds your teeth. It drops if you are
J shocked or surprised. Snakes can unlock theirs if they're having a particularly big lunch.
Page 1 of 4
Bend it and you get shorter, get down on it and you show respect. Footballers and skiers
K put it under great stress. Children and ventriloquists' dummies tend to use it as a seat. It
should jerk if you hit it with a small hammer.
Some people fill theirs with smoke, although they are supposed to be used for getting
L oxygen to the blood and removing carbon dioxide. The right one is bigger than the left
one. They have enough airways to cover a tennis court.
There are 650 of these and we move when they get shorter. They often work in pairs.
M Some you can't control at all. One you can, supposedly, is the tongue. It takes 17 of them
to make a smile.
The 'wires' which pass messages to and from the brain to all parts of the body by using
N electrical pulses and chemical changes. If the blood to them gets cut off, they get irritated
and the result is 'pins and needles'. There are over 70km of them in the skin alone.
About the size of a nut, there are two of these organs which produce an unfertilised
O human egg every month or so for about thirty years. They also release the hormones
which change girls into women.
This is the part of the body that can be moved sensually while dancing and led to the
P invention of Hawaiian grass skirts, rock'n'roll and the hula-hoop. It is larger in women for
the purposes of childbirth only because humans insist on having such big heads.
Twelve pairs in both men and women form a cage to protect various vital organs inside.
R Some of them 'float' because they don't meet in the middle. If you crack one, you just
have to wait until it heals.
This is our surface covering. It takes a month for each new cell to move through the three
S layers to the top, after which it drops off. You lose about 50 kilos of it by the time you are
70. It comes in a variety of colours to protect us from the sun, and gets more wrinkled as
we get older.
60,000 litres of water pass down it in the average lifetime and sometimes you get a frog
T in it. It contains one pipe for food and one for air. Pressure on the outside can lead to
strangulation, a blockage inside can cause suffocation.
The thing that hangs down at the back of your mouth. This is what you see when you
U yawn, and can sometimes cause people to snore when they are asleep.
This makes your blood look blue. Medical professionals use them if they need to extract
V a specimen for testing. They can become inflamed or varicose if you spend too much
time in one position.
A joint that links fifteen separate bones. It is used to hang an accessory for telling the
W time, or one to persuade you to accompany the police to the station.
A long continuous piece of DNA, containing around 1,000 genes, this is one of the 23
X pairs that are found in human cells. Women have two of them, men one.
A long continuous piece of DNA, containing between 70 and 300 genes. Its sequence
Y has now been mapped by the Human Genome Project. It is found only inside the cells of
the male of the species.
If you've never heard of this, then you're probably not the only one. Nor had I until I found
Z out it's another name for the cheekbone.
Page 2 of 4
After reading
Exercise 1
In the first table are the letters of the alphabet. In the second table are the parts of the body described in
the text above, with the first letter missing from each. Can you match the rest of the word to the first letter
in each case?
A E J O V
B F K P W
C G L R X
D H M S Y
E I N T Z
…elvis …aw …hroat …ung …inger

…nee …ein …ladder …kin …ib
…uscle …ppendix …vula …ye …ris
…ygoma …erves …chromosome …hin …chromosome
…luteus maximus …rist …Imple …eart …vary

You'll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of parts of the body at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-body-parts.htm
• Word game: Anatomy. Match the names of parts of the eye, face and rest of the body to pictures
of these.
• Story: Mr Smith's New Nose. It is the 22nd century and the world is very different. With new
technologies, people can have the bodies that they want.
• Science: cubed. Artificial breathing: A prosthetic lung mimicking our natural lungs could save
lives.
• Science: cubed. Cell printout: Creating viable cell structures from living tissue.
• Science: cubed. Heart of hope: Growing replacement heart valve tissue from stem cells gives
hope to heart patients.
• Science: cubed. Mind reader: brain scanning technique maps brain signals to predict our
intentions.
• Science: cubed. Nose for trouble: New electronic nose sniffs out more smells than ever.
Page 3 of 4
• Science: cubed. Plastic blood: Providing a possible solution to the global problem of blood
shortages.
• Science: cubed. Rhythm of life: Measuring the 'heartbeat' of living cells offers a safer approach to
drug testing.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about parts of the body.
• There is also a parts of the body-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Ankle Finger Knee Pelvis Vein

Bladder Gluteus maximus Lung Rib Wrist
Chin Heart Muscle Skin Xchromosome
Dimple Iris Nerves Throat Ychromosome
Eye Jaw Ovary Uvula Zygoma
Page 4 of 4
Podcasts – Themes – Peace
Introduction
• An optional language activity based on the article
• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (peace).
Read the article
Symbols of Peace
by Linda Baxter
The concept of peace is a very important one in tradition, the rainbow is a common symbol for
cultures all over the world. Think about how we marriage because the colours represent the
greet people. In some languages, the phrases union of yin and yang. Nowadays the rainbow is
for greetings contain the word for peace. In some used by many popular movements for peace and
cultures we greet people by shaking hands or the environment, representing the possibility of a
with another gesture to show that we are not better world in the future and promising sunshine
carrying weapons - that we come in peace. And after the rain.
there are certain symbols which people in very
different cutures recognise as representing
peace. Let's look at the origins of a few of them.
The dove
The dove has been a symbol of peace and
innocence for thousands of years in many
different cultures. In ancient Greek mythology it
was a symbol of love and the renewal of life. In
ancient Japan a dove carrying a sword
symbolised the end of war.
There was a tradition in Europe that if a dove flew
around a house where someone was dying then
their soul would be at peace. And there are
legends which say that the devil can turn himself
into any bird except for a dove. In Christian art,
Mistletoe
the dove was used to symbolise the Holy Ghost
This plant was sacred in many cultures, generally
and was often painted above Christ's head.
representing peace and love. Most people know
But it was Pablo Picasso who made the dove a
of the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe at
modern symbol of peace when he used it on a
Christmas time, which probably comes from
poster for the World Peace Congress in 1949.
Scandinavian mythology. The goddess Freya's
son was killed by an arrow made of mistletoe, so,
The rainbow
in honour of him, she declared that it would
The rainbow is another ancient and universal
always be a symbol of peace. It was often hung
symbol, often representing the connection
in doorways as a sign of friendship.
between human beings and their gods. In Greek
The ancient Druids believed that hanging
mythology it was associated with Iris, the
mistletoe in your doorway protected you from evil
goddess who brought messages from the gods
spirits. Tribes would stop fighting for a period of
on Mount Olympus. In Scandinavian mythology
time if they found a tree with mistletoe. But you
the rainbow was a bridge between the gods and
will never see mistletoe in a Christian church - it
the earth. In the Bible a rainbow showed Noah
is banned because of its associations with pagan
that the Biblical flood was finally over, and that
religion and superstition.
God had forgiven his people. In the Chinese
Page 1 of 3
The olive branch One well-known example is the United Nations

The olive tree has always been a valuable source symbol.
of food and oil. In Greek mythology, the goddess
Athene gave the olive tree to the people of The ankh
Athens, who showed their gratitude by naming The ankh is an ancient symbol which was
the city after her. But no one knows for sure adopted by the hippie movement in the 1960s to
when or why it began to symbolise peace. There represent peace and love. It was found in many
is probably a connection with ancient Greece. Asian cultures, but is generally associated with
Wars between states were suspended during the ancient Egypt. It represented life and immortality.
Olympic Games, and the winners were given Egyptians were buried with an ankh, so that they
crowns of olive branches. The symbolism may could continue to live in the 'afterworld'. The
come from the fact that the olive tree takes a long symbol was also found along the sides of the
time to produce fruit, so olives could only be Nile, which gave life to the people. They believed
cultivated successfully in long periods of peace. that the ankh could control the flow of the river
Whatever the history, the olive branch is a part of and make sure that there was always enough
many modern flags symbolising peace and unity. water.
After reading - Exercise 1

In the first box are 2 or 3 facts about each of the peace symbols. Can you match the facts to the peace
symbols in the second box?
could keep evil spirits away explains how a city got its name
is a Christian symbol of forgiveness is also a symbol for marriage
is associated with Pablo Picasso is never seen in Christian churches
is often seen in paintings of Christ is often seen on flags
symbolised immortality symbolises hope for the future
was used in the entrance to your house was used near a river
was used to represent peace in the 1960s
1. the dove
2. the rainbow
3. mistletoe
4. the olive branch
5. the ankh
Page 2 of 3

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of peace at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-peace.htm
• Article: Peacekeeping: Wherever there is conflict in the world and enemies have agreed to let a
third party or neutral force come in to try and maintain the peace, it is usually the familiar blue
helmets of the United Nations that we see on the scene.
• Word game: Peace symbols. Match pictures of peace symbols with their names.
• Story: The Robe of Peace. Johnny Bellchambers was the flashiest dresser in all of New York.
Then, suddenly, he disappeared into thin air. In this amusing story by O. Henry you find out what
happened to him.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about peace.
• There is also a peace-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. the dove = is often seen in paintings of Christ; is associated
with Pablo Picasso 2. the rainbow = is also a symbol for marriage; symbolises hope for the future; is a
Christian symbol of forgiveness 3. mistletoe = is never seen in Christian churches; was used in the
entrance to your house; could keep evil spirits away 4. the olive branch = is often seen on flags;
explains how a city got its name 5. the ankh = symbolised immortality; was used to represent peace in
the 1960s; was used near a river
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Peacekeeping
Introduction

• three optional vocabulary activities based on the article
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (peace and peacekeeping).
Read the article
Peacekeeping
by Richard Sidaway
Wherever there is conflict in the world and Are all UN peacekeeping missions similar?
enemies have agreed to let a third party or There are different types of intervention, some
neutral force come in to try and maintain the more discrete than others:
peace, it is usually the familiar blue helmets of
the United Nations that we see on the scene. Observation/monitoring only, for example of
The actual definition of peacekeeping is a bit Cuban troops leaving Angola or of the Iran-Iraq
unclear and it was never written into the original ceasefire in 1991
UN Charter, but it goes something like 'using
military personnel from different countries under Assisting a country to independence, for example
the command of the UN to control and resolve in Namibia 1978-1989
armed conflict either between or within states’.
Peacekeeping is neither just finding out the facts
nor full-scale military intervention, but something
in between.
Over the last ten years it has become clear that

for peacekeeping to work certain things must
already be in place – the conflict must actually
have finished and there must be a genuine desire
for peace on both sides. The peacekeeping force
must have clear international support and a
mandate that shows it is strictly neutral; and it
needs adequate resources to do the job.
How long has it been going on?

There have been 56 UN peacekeeping Armed intervention, for example in the Suez
operations in total since 1948, although over 30 Canal region 1956-1967 to keep Egypt and Israel
of those have happened since 1990. apart and supervise the withdrawal of troops from
the UK, France and Israel
Two of these operations have in fact never
stopped since 1948: the interventions in the Who are the peacekeepers?
Arab/Israeli conflict following the foundation of the They are professional soldiers, civilian police and
state of Israel, and in the dispute between military observers from any member country of
Pakistan and India over the Kashmir region. the UN. These countries also provide supplies,
transportation, telecommunications, and
Another that has been going on for over forty administrative help, amongst other things.
years is on the divided island of Cyprus, where
peace has been maintained between Greek and Who pays?
Turkish Cypriots since March 1964.
Page 1 of 3
These forces are paid for by all UN member

countries. The budget is currently $2.82 billion, Didn’t peacekeeping get a bad name in the
although they have been a bit behind in their 1990s?
payments recently- $2.3 billion is still owing! Somalia was the first big failure for UN
intervention in 1992. In Srebrenica in 1994, a
What do they actually do? Dutch force under UN command failed to prevent
The typical image of a peacekeeper is a soldier a massacre of the local population, and in
sitting in a watchtower with a pair of binoculars Rwanda in the same year there was full-scale
keeping an eye on a border, but they also genocide of nearly a million people, despite a
organise the clearing of mines, supervise peacekeeping force of 5,000.
elections, monitor human rights and oversee the
return of refugees to their homes. Four UN missions to Angola failed to stop civil
war breaking out again and again. It seems only if
It is a risky occupation and sometimes they have there is a real will to turn away from war, can
to resort to force to defend themselves, recently peacekeepers be effective.
for example in Liberia. Since peacekeeping
began there have been 1,879 fatalities, the The future
highest being between 1993 and 1995 when over Now that the Cold War is over and small localised
500 UN peacekeepers were killed. wars break out ever more frequently, there have
been calls for the establishment of a UN Rapid
Give me some success stories Response force, so that it doesn’t take the
UN peacekeeping missions have intervened very international community six months to assemble
successfully following the end of civil wars such a peacekeeping mission, by which time it is often
as in El Salvador 1991-95, Mozambique 1992-94 too late.
and Cambodia 1991-93 where they verified
agreements on ceasefires, elections, land and The attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad in
electoral reform, organised the demobilization of 2003 has also called into question the respect for
soldiers and helped create new police forces. being impartial which the organisation thought it
had.
In East Timor in 1999 they restored order after
the violent reaction to the vote for self- Nevertheless, most people agree that the world
government and they were the transitional still needs some kind of neutral body, backed by
administration that helped Timor to create new force if necessary, for helping former enemies
structures after independence in 2002. make the transition from war to peace.
After reading
Practice collocations (combinations of words formed when two or more words are frequently used
together in a way that sounds correct).
Exercise 1
Match the verbs in the first column with the nouns on the right.
1. restore a. an agreement
2. resort to b. a conflict
3. call into c. force
4. resolve d. order
5. maintain e. the peace
6. verify f. question
Page 2 of 3
Exercise 2
Match the adjectives in the first table with the nouns in the second table.
1. peacekeeping
2. third
3. adequate
4. military
5. international
6. electoral
a. Community b. Intervention c. Mission

d. Party e. Reform f. Resources
Exercise 3
Match the nouns in the first table with the nouns in the second table.
1. withdrawal
2. clearing
3. return
the 4. demobilization of
5. end
6. massacre
7. establishment
a. civil wars b. the local population c. mines

d. refugees e. soldiers f. troops
g. a UN rapid response force

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of peace and peacekeeping at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-peace.htm
• Article: Peace symbols. "The concept of peace is a very important one in cultures all over the
world. Think about how we greet people. In some languages, the phrases for greetings contain the
word for peace."
• Word game: Peace symbols. Match pictures of peace symbols with their names.
• Story: The Robe of Peace. Johnny Bellchambers was the flashiest dresser in all of New York.
Then, suddenly, he disappeared into thin air. In this amusing story by O. Henry you find out what
happened to him.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about peace and peacekeeping.
• There is also a peacekeeping-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Answers:
Exercise 1: 1d; 2c; 3f; 4b; 5e; 6a (These are the collocations from the text. Other possible collocations
include: maintain order; restore the peace)
Exercise 2: 1c; 2d; 3f; 4b; 5a; 6e (These are the collocations from the text. Other possible collocations
include: military resources; international intervention; international mission)
Exercise 3: 1f; 2c; 3d; 4e; 5a; 6f; 7g (These are the collocations from the text. Other possible collocations
include: the withdrawal of soldiers; the demobilization of troops; the massacre of refugees)
Page 3 of 3
Articles
Philosophy
by Julie Bray
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on and our little life is rounded with a sleep.”
(Shakespeare)
Does this sentence make you think? What does it make you think about? Shakespeare was a dreamer, and
some say he was a philosopher too. In this sentence he tells us that our lives are short but we can think up big
and important ideas in that short time.
The two Greek words – “philo”, which means love and “sophia”, which means wisdom are the beginnings of the
word we use today; Philosophy, the love of wisdom.
Most people have a philosophy on life. Everybody has an idea of what is right and what is wrong, and why
things are the way they are, and who they are and who to trust. A lot of people believe somebody else’s
philosophy. That person may be a religious or political leader, or anybody you look up to. Some people have
their own philosophy on life which might be a mixture of theories. Others are philosophers; people who want to
know the truth about life for themselves and spend their time studying, thinking and asking questions.
One of the earliest Eastern philosophies was Taoism, which came from China. We are all aware of the yin and
yang halves of the universe – nothing can exist without its opposite. Another great eastern philosophy is
Buddhism, which is a religion and also a system of beliefs which help us to understand ourselves and others
better. One branch of western philosophy, Existentialism, is very similar to Buddhist ideas. Both ask questions
about what really exists in life, and help us to decide what is important.
The first western philosophers lived in Greece. They encouraged people to find their own answers to questions
about life instead of believing the Gods did everything. Socrates was the most famous of these. He is one of the
most famous philosophers in the world, yet he said ‘one thing I know and that is that I know nothing.’ This is why
he never wrote or lectured. He only discussed. He did not believe he could tell anybody anything, that it was
better to encourage individual thinking.
Today philosophers are still encouraging people to think. Schools in some countries teach philosophy to
children. Reading books written by old philosophers can be difficult because the language is from the past. So
stories are used to help schoolchildren make their own decisions about what is right and wrong and think about
the best way to solve problems.
Why do we need philosophy? There are plenty of people who think that killing animals is cruel, but eating
animals is fine. If you are one of these people, you should ask yourself why. Why is killing animals cruel? Why is
it okay to eat animals? You might find that the answer to each question is very different and you could have an
argument by yourself using your own ideas! Go on and argue - you will understand more about what you
believe. You will begin to understand the subject more deeply. And this helps you to feel comfortable with it. And
you might change something or you might not. When we ask ourselves questions, we start to understand
ourselves and our lives, and it’s up to us to make changes or not. If the ideas in your head agree, this means
you have integrity. What you say and what you do are the same. Everyone respects someone who has integrity!
By thinking and questioning, we can understand more and maybe prevent problems caused by
misunderstanding. But philosophy can also cause problems and conflict when people don’t agree. When one
group of people choose one philosophy to believe and another group of people choose a different philosophy,
when they need to think or make a decision together, they start trying to change each other instead of working
together on bigger ideas about life.
So when you have some spare time, ask yourself the following philosophical questions:
Does the world own us or do we own the world?

Which is more important, humans or stars?
If a tree falls where nobody can hear it, does it make a sound?
And the Zen Buddist riddle: What is the sound of one hand clapping?
Page 1 of 1
Magazine – Physical education
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/physical-education

Read the article
Physical education
by Richard Sidaway
School days are supposed to be the best days of I was chosen to be the leader, I think, because I
your life and part of that experience usually was the only one who knew how to read a map!
involves some strenuous physical activity. I asked When we arrived back at the campsite we found
some colleagues to give me their recollections of out that all the other groups had cheated and
what happened to them on the sports field and hitched most of the way instead... I felt a bit of a
beyond, and this is what they told me … mug, but also rather proud of myself at the same
time for having done it properly.
Learning to swim, learning to drown
I learned to swim comparatively late, I suppose, I

was maybe nine years old, but my brother had a
traumatic experience which nearly put him off for
life. We lived in the USA for a while and had
access to a university pool where the coaches
had trained the American Olympic team. In those
days, though, their idea of teaching kids how to
swim was to tie a tin can to their ankles with a bit
of string, throw them in the deep end and shout
‘Swim!’. I’m surprised my brother survived at all.
Cup winners He could only have been about six at the time.
When I was about ten, the football team from our Sponsored walk
year inexplicably made it to the cup final of the
local schools’ league. I say inexplicably because I One of my earliest physical feats was probably
only remember us losing nearly every match we going on a ten-mile walk for charity when I was
played. Anyway, in the final I set up the winning about seven. I went with my older brother and my
goal, a brilliant cross to my mate David who Dad, but they didn’t make much allowance for the
headed the ball in just before the final whistle. I fact that my legs were shorter - I had to go at the
still have a photograph of the team holding the same pace as them! Even so, I made it and
cup. raised quite a lot of money from school friends
and teachers who had agreed to pay me for
Forest hike every mile I walked.
I remember having to lead a group of eight boys Cross-country ordeal

on a school expedition for the best part of two
days when I was a teenager. Even though we got I remember one dark, wet afternoon in February
lost at one point, I managed to keep them all being herded out onto the school field and having
together and got them from one end of a large to run three miles across country while the rain
forest to the other and back by sheer force of will. came bucketing down. Soon we were all
Page 1 of 3
drenched to the skin, shivering with cold and the tallest mountain in the British Isles. It was a
only way to stay warm was to keep running. One glorious day, which is pretty rare for that part of
of the gym teachers, who had been sitting inside Scotland, and we walked up in about five hours.
having a cup of tea, came out to meet us halfway The last bit is pretty hard going as it’s a zigzag
around the course and told us to jump over a path of big stones. We took the family dog and
stream before we could start on the home stretch. she had a really difficult time of it. The strangest
This teacher actually stood on the hands of the thing was that we didn’t see too many people on
boys he didn’t like as they were trying to climb up the way up, and then when we reached the top it
the muddy bank on the other side, so that they was suddenly covered with Japanese tourists. I
slid back down into the freezing water. I was can only presume they had been airlifted there by
disgusted by this, but of course I didn’t say helicopter.
anything, I was only twelve. I think it changed my
view of human nature a bit after that, the fact that Down to earth
someone who I had previously respected could
be so cynical and cruel. My cousins were always the outdoor,
adventurous types, learning how to canoe and
Dwarfed in Germany windsurf and abseil and so on. One day, one of
them climbed onto the top of the house to fix
We went on a tour of Germany one year from some tiles with my uncle. The next minute he
secondary school to play football against three appeared at the kitchen door a little bit dazed and
different teams there. Everyone was violently sick his mother, who was cooking lunch, looked at him
on the ferry going across to Holland, and the in surprise and said: ‘What are you doing here? I
whole thing was a bit of a farce as the teacher thought you were helping your Dad.’
who had arranged it didn’t speak German very ‘I’ve just fallen off the roof, Mum’, he said.
well so we ended up playing teams who were Apparently he had overbalanced and toppled
three or four years older than us! Naturally we got over backwards. Because he had recently been
beaten every time. doing parachute training -his latest hobby- he had
rolled over automatically when he hit the ground,
Climb every mountain without thinking. This was a big, old two-storey
house and he must have been at least 10 metres
One of my best memories of early physical from the ground, but he didn’t have a scratch on
endeavour was climbing Ben Nevis, which is the him!
After reading
Exercise 1
Choose the best answer to each of the following 8 questions.
1. What did the first person do in the schools’ cup final?
a. He scored the winning goal

b. He provided the pass for the final goal
c. He blew the whistle at the end of the game
2. The second person felt a bit stupid after hiking through the forest because
a. the other groups had arrived before them

b. the other groups had known how to read the map
c. the other groups had gone by car instead of walking
Page 2 of 3
3. When he was learning to swim, this person’s brother
a. shouted at the coach

b. started in the shallow end of the pool
c. had something attached to him
4. Which sentence is not true about the walk for charity
a. he walked quite slowly

b. he walked a long way
c. he was quite young at the time
5. Which sentence is not true about the cross-country run
a. the teacher made the students run in the rain

b. the teacher ran the whole way with the students
c. the teacher made some of the boys fall into the stream
6. His school team lost all of its matches in Germany because
a. they were all sick from the journey there

b. they didn’t speak German
c. the teams they played were older than them
7. Why was the final part of climbing the mountain more difficult?
a. there were lots of people in the way

b. the dog refused to continue
c. they had to walk over large stones
8. What was surprising about what happened to the person’s cousin?
a. he wasn’t hurt
b. he fell a long way
c. his parachute didn’t open

1. b; 2. c; 3. c; 4. a; 5. b; 6. c; 7. c; 8. a
Page 3 of 3
Magazine Article - Physics
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/physics
Introduction
Physics
physics
• the article;

5. particle
1. strenuous 2. recollections 3. right angle 4. mass
accelerators
10. crouching
6. fuzzy 7. constants 8. quark 9. tiny
down
Definitions:
a. Amount of matter in a solid object
b. One of the most basic forms of matter
c. Neither true nor false
d. With bent knees and close to the ground
e. Descriptions of memories
f. Very small
g. Numbers or amounts that never change
h. 90º space where two lines touch
i. Machines making small pieces of matter move at high speed
j. Requiring a lot of strength
Article: Physics by John Kuti

School days are supposed to be the best days because of something no-one has ever
of your life and part of that experience usually detected called the Higg’s boson.) Either very
involves some strenuous physical activity. Here small things in quantum physics or very big
are some recollections of what happened on the things like galaxies. Putting them together is the
sports field… main problem of modern physics. The universe
and space and time described by Einstein and
In the square outside the British Library in
the fuzzy fast-moving little sub-atomic particles
London is a sculpture of Sir Isaac Newton - The
and small things that might make them up. If
first man who asked why apples seem always to
you want to know how the universe began - with
fall towards the centre of the earth. Maybe they
a tiny size but very big mass, then you need a
chose it for the spot because it shows a great
theory that fits both together. At the moment,
scientist at work. Actually, it is a critical view of
the theory suggests that the things we can see
a great scientist, which comes originally from a
– stars and planets etc. make up only 5% of the
drawing by William Blake, the romantic poet and
universe. The rest is 25% “dark matter” and
artist. Blake wanted to show the limits of
70% “dark energy”.
science, that it could never understand the
beauty and strangeness of nature. The A theory that could explain all that would be a
sculpture shows a man crouching down to draw ‘theory of everything” - the real laws of nature.
a right-angle on the ground or to measure There are already suggestions of what it might
something he can’t see. Maybe he’s trying to be. Scientists think that the laws of nature might
find the direction to the centre of the earth. In be rather simple, even though the real world is
Blake’s original you can see strange full of strange and beautifully complicated
complicated rocks around Newton that he does things. One suggestion is called “string theory”,
not seem interested in studying. the idea is that inside every particle there is
some energy that is like the string of a musical
A lot of things in the universe can be measured,
instrument – the way it vibrates makes a
but people want to know why they are that size.
different sort of particle. At the moment they say
We know the mass of a quark and the charge
there are 18 sorts.
on an electron. These are constants. It turns out
that these numbers HAVE to be exactly what Physicists say that string theory needs extra
they are, because if they were different we dimensions. There are other directions where
would not be here. You, me and the physicists, energy can get carried away, and other particles
we’re part of the universe. We have to be here which no one has seen. They try to find them in
to make physics, so physics has to describe a particle accelerators where protons go round in
universe where there can be people. Gravity is circles in tunnels getting faster and faster until
another problem for physics - because it is they reach almost exactly the speed of light.
everywhere and acts on everything, including This year the Large Hadron Collider should start
space itself. It’s different from other forces like work in Switzerland and it is just possible that
electricity or radiation, because you can’t stop it they will find the Higg’s boson, or even the little
or turn it off. strings inside it. In 2005, there are also still
poets and romantics who would prefer to look
Modern physicists still look mostly at things we
for nature’s secrets in other places.
can’t see. (They think gravity might happen
Comprehension task
True or false
Read the questions below and select the right answer.
1. We know there are ________ things that can't be measured.
a. a lot of
b. mostly
c. full
2. Gravity is ________ other forces because we don't know how it works.

a. almost exactly
b. different from
c. part of
3. Physicists ________ study things that we can't see.
a. other
b. mostly
c. small
4. Quantum physics is a science of very ________ things.
a. extra
b. a lot of
c. small
5. String theory says there must be ________ dimensions.
a. another
b. other
c. others
6. The constants in physics are ________ what they should be.
a. exactly
b. particularly
c. occasionally
7. Gravity is ________ problem for physics.
a. another
b. other
c. others
8. Uniting quantum theory and relativity is the ________ problem of modern physics.
a. mostly
b. main
c. exactly
9. The real world is ________ of strange and beautiful things.

a. part
b. different
c. full
10. We are ________ of the universe.

a. part
b. full
c. main
Answers
Podcasts – Themes – Pilgrims
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (Pilgrims).
Read the article
Pilgrims
by Claire Powell and Dave Collett
Who were the pilgrims? Atlantic. The crossing was smooth at first but
then came many storms, which damaged the
There are many legends surrounding the ship. Two people died on board and one baby,
pilgrims. In fact they were real people: English named Oceanus, was born. Eventually after 66
men and women who wanted to escape the days of travelling the emigrants arrived in Cape
religious controversies and economic problems of Cod in southeastern Massachusetts. The pilgrims
their time by emigrating to America. chose to stay here as it was too late to go to the
northern part of Virginia.
The pilgrim story begins in England in the 16th
century. A congregation of religious dissidents in The first winter
Nottinghamshire believed the Church of England
did not act in accordance with the teachings of The pilgrims went ashore to explore the
the Bible so they established a church of their wilderness. They had carried a small boat in
own in 1606. At that time the church and state sections below decks on the Mayflower, and this
were one, so being a separatist was considered had to be assembled before groups could go and
an act of treason. The congregation had no explore the coastline. Exploration began with a
choice but to leave their motherland. They fled to small group of sixteen men. They discovered a
the city of Leiden in Holland where they could buried cache of corn and a kettle, signs that the
worship as they liked. native Americans had a camp there.
Unfortunately life was hard there, so they decided Later on, in December, the pilgrims discovered a
to emigrate to the English colonies in North sheltered bay, called Plymouth Harbour, a place
America, then known as ‘Virginia’. Other pilgrims which was protected and good for them to live
also came for the economic opportunity although permanently. Their first winter was much colder
they remained loyal to their national church. than the English winters they had experienced
before, but all the same, the pilgrims continued
Finance exploring. They found a native American burial
The voyage and settlement was financed by a ground and unoccupied homes. After a cold night
group of English investors known as the camping, the pilgrims came face to face with the
‘merchant adventurers’. They formed a native Americans at dawn. The pilgrims fled back
partnership with the colonists whereby the to their boat and sailed home to Plymouth
merchants agreed to risk their money, and the Harbour.
settlers to invest their labour for seven years.
Land and livestock were jointly owned and the The pilgrims began building houses, but the
company would dissolve and divide its assets weather conditions were terrible, meaning that
after the seven years. the building took longer to complete. Some of the
thatched houses caught fire, due to pilgrims
Departure to New England cooking and trying to keep warm. The pilgrims
On September 6, 1620, aboard a ship called the sheltered from the snowstorms in the Mayflower
Mayflower, 102 passengers set sail across the ship. About half the group died from the bitter
Page 1 of 3
cold and from malnutrition, although happily, a would be able to live peacefully together.
baby, Peregrine, was also born. The pilgrims Massosoit, the regional leader of the
persevered and finally finished their village in Wampanoag also visited the pilgrims and they
February. exchanged gifts. They signed a peace treaty,
which would last for over 50 years.
The native Americans met the pilgrims on March
16th. A native American, Samoset, from present The first Thanksgiving festival was held in the
day Maine, welcomed the pilgrims in English. autumn of 1621, and Massasoit was invited.
Samoset had learnt English from fishermen. He Together, they celebrated the harvest and the
explained how previous explorers had kidnapped success of their peace with feasting and dancing.
some native Americans, and said he hoped they This festival is now a public holiday in the USA.
Glossary
assemble (v): to build or make something.

assets (n): (in business) buildings, equipment and land owned by a company.
cache (n): a hidden store.
controversy (n): a lot of argument or disagreement about something, usually because it affects or is
important to many people.
dawn (n): when the sun rises in the morning.
dissident (n): a person who publicly disagrees with and criticises their government.
dissolve (v): to end an official organisation or legal arrangement.
flee, fled (v): to run away from something / somebody.
loyal (adj): not changing your friendship, support for a person or an organisation.
malnutrition (n): a poor condition of health caused by a lack of food or a lack of the right type of food.
merchant (n): a person whose job is to buy and sell products in large amounts, especially by trading
with other countries.
persevere (v): to continue to work hard at something, even if it is very difficult.
separatist (n): someone who is a member of a racial, religious or other group. within a country who
believes that this group should be independent.
thatched house (n): a house where the roof is made of dried straw or thick grass.
treason (n): (the crime of) lack of loyalty to your country, especially by helping its enemies or attempting
to defeat its government.
unoccupied (adj): an adjective describing an empty place that nobody lives in.
After reading
Exercise 1
Below are 10 events from the article, but they are in the wrong order. Can you put them in the right
order?
a) A baby, called Oceanus, was born.

b) A peace treaty was signed on March 16th.
c) The first Thanksgiving took place in the Autumn of 1621.
d) They arrived at Cape Cod in south-eastern Massachusetts.
e) They built a small boat to explore the coastline.
f) They discovered a sheltered bay which they called Plymouth Harbour.
g) They found empty houses and a burial ground.
h) They left England, and went to Holland.
i) They met native Americans at dawn.
j) They set sail on the Mayflower from Holland.
Page 2 of 3

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of Pilgrims at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-pilgrims.htm
• Word game: Holy places. Match the names of religions to the names of their holy places, the
locations of these, and the name of a monument which can be found there.
• Story: In my father's footsteps: Today was a pilgrimage. Today – for Andy – was a day like going
to Rome, or sick people to Lourdes, or the people walking to Santiago de Compostela, or even
Mecca. But Andy is a different type of pilgrim ...
• In History: Mecca deaths
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about pilgrims.
• There is also a pilgrim-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. (h); 2. (j); 3. (a); 4. (d); 5. (e); 6. (f); 7. (g); 8. (i); 9. (b); 10. (c)
Page 3 of 3
Articles
Pirates and piracy
by Paul Millard
Piracy - the act of robbery from ships at sea - has existed for thousands of years. It was written about
by the ancient Greeks and has been written about ever since. As long as some people have moved
valuable cargo in ships, other people have wanted to rob them.
However, to most people in Britain and North America, piracy belongs to the Caribbean of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a time known to some as ‘The Golden Age of Piracy’. This is
the era of parrots sitting on shoulders, wooden legs, eye patches, metal hooks instead of hands and
men with beards shouting, ‘Aha me hearties’. And people robbing ships.
Many of these ideas and images come from books, such as Stevenson’s ‘Treasure Island’, Defoe’s
‘King of Pyrates’ and Barrie’s ‘Peter Pan’. As you may have noticed, pirates are well-represented in
films and cartoons, from Errol Flynn to Walt Disney right up to the Curse of the Black Pearl.
Why is this era of piracy written about so much in English literature? One obvious reason is that the
pirates were British and American. While many stories show them to be cruel robbers and killers,
another view of piracy is commonly depicted, in which the pirates are much more heroic and
adventurous. There are a number of reasons for this. One is that rebellious outlaws are often
attractive figures, especially if they are from another time in history. More importantly, many pirates
were acting in the national interest and became heroes for this. It was quite common for governments
to give permission for pirates to attack ships belonging to enemy nations. These pirates were known
as ‘privateers’.
The British privateers in the Caribbean became famous because they were part of the long-running
conflict with Spain for domination of the region and the world. One of England’s great naval heroes,
Sir Francis Drake, was really just a privateer who attacked Spanish ships. The rich cargoes of gold
and silver leaving South America were an attractive target for him and many others that followed.
Similarly, pirates often have a heroic image in the United States because of their role in the War of
Independence against Britain. Initially, the American navy was very small, so Congress encouraged
privateers to attack British ships, which they did, in large numbers. For every ship in the American
navy, there were at least ten pirate ships. These caused severe damage to Britain’s ability to supply
its army in North America. The privateers fought again in the War of 1812, most famously in New
Orleans, where Jean Lafitte and his men played a vital role in the defence of the city.
There is another reason why pirates have a positive image in popular history. Most pirate ships were
surprisingly egalitarian and democratic. It was normal for the captain to be elected and most issues
were decided by a vote. The stolen goods were fairly divided amongst the crew members. Many
pirates were men who had escaped from the harder discipline of the merchant ships and the navy. In
their escape from authority, they created a model of a more just and fair society, many years ahead of
the revolutions in America and France.
To many of us, pirates are an interesting and colourful part of history, useful as entertainment but not
much else. However, modern piracy is alive and well and increasing every year. In 2002, there were
370 incidences of piracy world-wide. These days, the Caribbean is fairly quiet. The piracy hotspot now
is Asia, particularly in the seas around Indonesia, where over a hundred pirate attacks took place.
Some acts of piracy are opportunistic, simple affairs – robbers boarding a ship that is waiting in a port,
hoping to take money and anything else that can be easily carried. Others use advanced technology
and are very organised. Sometimes, the pirates take the valuables from a ship and sometimes they
Page 1 of 2
Articles
take the entire ship. This is especially true if the cargo is a valuable one that can easily be transferred
to another ship, such as oil or gas. Very often, a stolen ship can be repainted, renamed and reused
elsewhere. Operations of this size are difficult to hide and money is often paid to government officials
to get their help and cooperation. Sometimes, government employees are the pirates – one victim of
Asian piracy in the 1990s complained that his attackers appeared to be members of the Navy that
was supposed to protect him.
Protecting ships is difficult. Most ships have fewer sailors than they did in the past, and they no longer
carry weapons. One defence mechanism now on the market is an electric fence that deters attackers
with a 9,000 volt shock. Whether it works or not, it is too late for the fourteen crew of one Indonesian
vessel. On November 25th 2003, they became the year’s final piracy statistic. Their tug boat was
pulling a barge when they were attacked by fifteen pirates armed with guns. The crew were ordered to
jump off the ship and swim to a nearby island. Fortunately, they all survived, but their ship and the
pirates have disappeared.
Page 2 of 2
Articles
Puppets
by Linda Baxter
Watch a group of children playing with their toys. At first they might be happy to put the plastic
animals in their cages at the zoo and take them out again, or dress the dolls in different clothes, but
after a while things get a bit boring. So the toys will be moved across the floor as if they had real legs,
the animals will start to speak to each other and the dolls will pay visits to each other's houses and
talk about what they've been doing today, all in slightly different voices of course. It seems that the
impulse to make inanimate figures move and talk is a very natural one, and, of course, that's exactly
what puppets are all about. And that's probably why they've existed for thousands of years - and are
known to children and adults all over the world.
The basic types
Shadow puppets are one-dimensional silhouettes which move against a light background so that they
can be clearly seen by the audience. They usually have moveable arms and legs which the puppeteer
controls. These ancient puppets still survive in some parts of the world, for example, the leather
puppets of India and the Javanese Wayang Kulit.
Rod puppets are three-dimensional figures controlled by pieces of wood or bamboo attached to
different parts of their bodies. The simplest form, and one of the earliest, is just a head on a stick - an
early form of doll. But more sophisticated versions have many moveable body parts and can be
moved in a very realistic way. Once again, Java has probably the most famous rod puppets in the
world - the Wayang Golek.
As the name suggests, string puppets (or marionettes) are three dimensional figures controlled by
strings. The standard puppet has strings attached to its arms, legs, shoulders, back and head. These
are attached to a cross of wood which the puppeteer holds in one hand while moving individual
strings with the other. Different versions of string puppets are found all over the world.
Hand puppets (also known as glove puppets) are three-dimensional figures which are usually made of
cloth and worn on the puppeteer's hand or arm. They are probably the most common form of puppet
all over the world because they are easy to make and to manipulate. The famous Punch and Judy
puppets, which every British adult remembers from childhood days at the seaside, are glove puppets.
How they developed
Very little is known about the origins of puppets. Puppets have been found in ancient Egyptian and
Chinese sites and puppets were mentioned by Plato and Aristotle but we have no details about how
they were used. All we know is that different cultures had them and they developed in different ways.
The earliest puppets were probably simple shadow puppets. Later, when rods were added to give
more control to the silhouettes, the three-dimensional rod puppets developed and then the types that
we know today.
In Britain, string puppets became very popular in the Middle Ages, when they were used in church
services to illustrate Bible stories, such as the birth of Christ. It's possible that the word 'marionette'
(which means 'little Mary') comes from this time. The puppet shows slowly moved out of the churches
and into the streets and by the sixteenth century there were puppet theatres at every country fair. The
shows were popular entertainment and were often very rude and satirical.
Punch and Judy arrived at this time from Italy. The puppets were marionettes but by the nineteenth
century they had became glove puppets because they were cheaper to make and easier to transport
and manipulate.
Page 1 of 2
Articles
Puppets today
Nowadays in Britain puppets are usually associated with children's entertainment but they still survive
as an adult art form in many countries, particularly in the East. One of the most important uses of
puppets today is in education for children and adults alike. Traditional puppet shows are a good way
of exploring sensitive issues such as sex education or AIDS awareness which people may be
embarrassed to discuss openly. They are widely used in therapy too. A child who doesn't want to talk
about the terrible thing that happened to him is often happy to act out the scene using puppets.
And of course, on a lighter note, let's not forget the new generations of puppets that television has
brought us through the years, from the old classics like Thunderbirds, to Kermit and Miss Piggy of the
Muppets, and the satire of Spitting Image. It really does seem that puppets are not just for children.
Page 2 of 2
Magazine – Rainforests Rule!
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/rainforests-rule

Read the article
Rainforests rule!
by Claire Powell
A world like no other – perhaps this is the best caterpillars. To survive in the forest, animals must
way to describe the world of the rainforest. No climb, jump, fly or glide across the gaps. The
rainforest is exactly the same – yet most ground floor of the forest is not all tangled leaves
rainforests are now distributed in the small land and bushes, like in films, but is actually fairly
area 22.5 degrees north and 22.5 degrees south clear. It is where leaves decompose into food for
of the Equator, between the Tropic of Capricorn the trees and other forest life.
and the Tropic of Cancer. You can find tropical
rainforests in South America and Indonesia.
Other rainforests flourish further from the
Equator, in Thailand and Sri Lanka.
Despite occupying a relatively small area,

rainforests have a colossal role to play in
maintaining the world as we know it. Tropical
rainforests are home to a rich, colourful variety of
medicinal plants, food, birds and animals. Can
you believe that a single bush in the Amazon may
have more species of ants than the whole of
Britain! 480 varieties of trees may be found in just
one hectare of rainforest. These forests sustain
around 50% of all the species on Earth, and offer
a way of life to many people living in and around
the forest.
Rainforests are the lungs of the planet – storing They are not called rainforests for nothing!
vast quantities of carbon dioxide and producing a Rainforests can generate 75% of their own rain.
significant amount of the world’s oxygen. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal – and
Rainforests have their own perfect system for in some areas there may be as much as 430
ensuring their own survival; the tall trees make a inches of rain annually. This is real rain – your
canopy of branches and leaves which protect umbrella may protect you in a shower, but it won’t
themselves, smaller plants, and the forest keep you dry if there is a full rainstorm. In just two
animals from heavy rain, intense dry heat from hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet. The
the sun and strong winds. humidity of large rainforests contributes to the
formation of rainclouds that may travel to other
Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their countries in need of rain.
leaves and branches, although close together,
never actually touch those of another tree. Worryingly, rainforests around the world are
Scientists think this is a deliberate tactic to disappearing at an alarming rate, thanks to
prevent the spread of any tree diseases and deforestation, river pollution, and soil erosion as
make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects like
Page 1 of 2
Magazine – Rainforests Rule!
land is being claimed for agriculture and trees are businesses to use their environmental knowledge
felled for wood. A few thousand years ago, and power to preserve the rainforests – awe-
tropical rainforests covered as much as 12% of inspiring, beautiful and vital for our existence.
the land surface on Earth, but today this has
fallen to less than 5.3%.
We can only hope that the world governments

work together with environmentalists and
After reading
Exercise 1
Select the best answer to each of the following questions.
1. Rainforests can be found

a) only in South America
b) in many countries all over the world
c) in a small strip of land, mostly equatorial
2. Rainforests hold
a) more than half the world’s species
b) less than half the world’s species
c) approximately half the world’s species
3. Rainforests are ‘the lungs of the planet’ because they

a) produce a large amount of oxygen and store a large amount of carbon dioxide
b) store a small amount of oxygen and produce a large amount of carbon dioxide
c) produce a small amount of oxygen and store a small amount of carbon dioxide
4. Rainforest tree leaves never touch the leaves of another tree

a) to make rain fall on the ground of the forest
b) to protect the trees from disease and insects
c) to give the forest animals more exercise
5. Rainforests make a difference to the world’s water supply because

a) the humidity of the rainforests produces rainclouds
b) rainforests are very rainy places
c) the rainforests produce their own rain
6. Over the last few thousand years, the land covered by rainforests has
a) increased
b) decreased
c) stayed the same
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. c; 2. c; 3. a; 4. b; 5. a; 6. b
Page 2 of 2
Magazine Article - Refugees
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/refugees
Introduction
This support pack accompanies the magazine
article:
Refugees
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/
magazine/refugees
the article
a glossary

1. refugee 2. armed conflict 3. asylum 4. detention centre
5. legislation 6. influx 7. minority 8. persecution
Definitions:
a. an official law or set of laws
b. a disagreement between people where weapons are used
c. a large number of people or things arriving at the same time
d. protection or safety
e. being treated unfairly or cruelly because of race, religion or political beliefs
f. a person who has left their country for political, religious or economic reasons or because of a
war
g. a place where people who have entered a country without right documents can be kept for
short periods of time
h. a national or racial group living in a country or area which contains a larger group of people of
a different race or nationality
Refugees by Claire Powell and Dave Collett
What is a Refugee? Another worry is the thought that the refugees might
not be genuine. Also, the fact that the country they
A refugee, defined by the United Nations, is a person flee to is culturally different from their own makes the
who is unable or unwilling to return to their country citizens of these developed nations feel that their
because of a well-founded fear of persecution based culture is being stolen from them.
on their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or
because they belong to a particular social group. Criminal activity seems to be a growing concern.
People worry that asylum seekers who arrive
Why Do They Come? penniless and without any documents might be
Most refugees flee their country to escape armed criminals or involved in acts of terrorism. In many
conflict. They often leave with their families and countries, new anti-terrorism laws have made
apply for asylum in another country. Many of them migration legislation much stricter. Increasingly,
do not want to leave their own country, but have no governments are locking asylum seekers in
choice. The journeys they undertake to reach a safe detention centres regardless of their status.
place may be almost as risky as staying in their own Unfortunately, this causes further criminalisation as
country. They would do anything to escape their genuine asylum seekers resist what they see as
suffering: crossing deserts, mountains, seas and injustice. However, protests and riots lead to criminal
rivers, sometimes using dangerous means of charges and prison sentences.
transport. They also hide in parts of ships that are These negative assumptions are not true. First of all,
too cramped, too hot and too smelly for anyone to numbers indicate that Asia and Africa have the
check. Many never arrive. world’s highest influx of refugees. Secondly, most
rich or developed countries’ economies rely on these
World Refugee Day
refugees as they are the ones who are often more
On the 20th of June each year people celebrate than willing to do the kind of work that no one else
World Refugee Day. An important part of this would even think of. Furthermore, the migrants tend
celebration is the award given to a person or group to be very hardworking and highly motivated at their
who excels in helping refugee causes. jobs and are the backbone of agricultural labour.
Thirdly, governments like to play with words such as
To Help or Not To Help? ‘crime’ and 'immigration' to gain popularity with their
There are an estimated 14 million refugees and citizens during elections. Moreover, after all the
asylum seekers in the world. Some countries in the problems a refugee has faced fleeing his own
world, especially the rich, are adamant against country, the last thing he wants is to be mistrusted.
allowing too many refugees coming into their Finally, it is absurd for the rich nations to claim that
country. One worry is that there may be too many of their culture is being swamped by refugees,
them seeking asylum therefore causing a great considering that the refugees are in a minority there.
problem for these developed countries. Their next
Perhaps politicians should remind themselves of the
worry is resources. These refugees may fill their
fact that, whether they are dealing with genuine
hospitals, their schools, take over their jobs as well
asylum seekers or economic migrants, they are
as abusing their social welfare system. At the end of
dealing with human beings, not numbers, and the
the day, some fear there could be no more resources
people should be treated humanely.
left for the people of these developed nations.
Glossary
absurd (adj): ridiculous or unreasonable.
adamant (adj): impossible to persuade, or unwilling to change an opinion or decision.
armed conflict (n): an active disagreement between people with opposing opinions or principles
where weapons are used in the disagreement.
assumption (n): something that you accept as true without question or proof.
asylum (n): protection or safety, especially that given by a government to foreigners who have been
forced to leave their own countries for political reasons.
asylum seeker (n): someone who leaves their own country for their safety, often for political reasons
or because of war, and who travels to another country hoping that the government will protect them
and allow them to live there.
backbone (n): the part of something that provides strength and support.
cramped (adj): not having enough space.
detention centre (n): a place where people who have entered a country without the necessary
documents can be kept for short periods of time.
influx (n): the arrival of a large number of people or things at the same time.
legislation (n): a law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official by a parliament.
minority (n): a national or racial group living in a country or area which contains a larger group of
people of a different race or nationality.
persecution (n): from the verb persecute (v): to treat someone unfairly or cruelly over a long period of
time because of their race, religion, or political beliefs or to annoy someone by refusing to leave them
alone.
status (n): an official position, especially in a social group.
swamped (adj): If something swamps a person, system or place, they receive more of it than they
can easily deal with.
well-founded (adj): based on facts.
Comprehension Task
Multiple Choice
Read the statements and select the right answer according to the text.
1. A refugee is someone who...
a. doesn't want to return to their country.
b. can't afford to return to their country.
c. is afraid to return to their country.
2. The majority of refugees leave their country because...

a. they can't find a job in their country.
b. there is war in their country.
c. their family is in another country.
3. The following reason is suggested as one explanation for why people don't want to help
refugees:
a. People think refugees won't be able to integrate into their host culture.
b. People are afraid of refugees.
c. People think refugees will take up all of the country's resources.
4. It has become more difficult to seek asylum since...

a. new laws to combat terrorism were introduced.
b. stricter airport controls were introduced.
c. the cost of travel increased.
5. Rich, developed countries benefit from asylum seekers because...

a. refugees enrich the cultural diversity of a country.
b. refugees will do unpleasant jobs.
c. refugees bring skills and knowledge from their countries.
6. Politicians in rich, developed countries...

a. use people's fear of refugees to win political support.
b. like to help refugees.
c. want refugees to settle and vote for them.
Answers
Podcasts – Themes – Rescue
Introduction

• An optional language activity based on the article
• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (survival and rescue).
Read the article
Rescue at Sea – the RNLI

by John Russell
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee, donations, legacies and fundraising events. The
For those in peril on the sea! first time public collecting boxes were officially
used in Britain was for the RNLI – back in 1891.
These words come from a famous hymn by Today boat-shaped collection boxes can be
William Whiting; Eternal Father Strong to Save. It found all around the country.
is better known as the Naval Hymn and is popular
with many navies and lifeboat services around Who runs it?
the globe. One of the first national lifeboat As well as being a charity, the RNLI is run by
organisations in the world was founded in the UK, volunteers. Almost 4000 brave men and women
in 1824. It was then called the National Institution risk their lives to help rescue others at sea. Most
for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, today volunteers have normal jobs, which they must be
it is better known as the RNLI – the Royal ready to leave at a moment’s notice if their
National Lifeboat institution. lifeboat needs to be launched.
What is the RNLI? Volunteers come from all walks of life, there is
even a lifeboat service in South Wales manned
The RNLI is an organisation dedicated to the completely by students at a local college, Atlantic
saving of people’s lives at sea. If a boat is in College. They are mainly 17 and 18 years of age,
difficulty less than 50 miles off the coast of Britain and over the last 30 years this service has saved
or the Republic of Island, the RNLI can send a over 100 lives.
lifeboat to rescue these people. It also provides
lifeguard services in certain areas, making Fateful Dates
beaches safe for swimming.
1886 – The Mexico
There are over 230 RNLI stations and almost
8000 people were rescued in 2003 alone. Since The crew of a German boat; The Mexico,
its foundation in 1824 by Sir William Hillary, over travelling off the North-West coast of England
130,000 people have been rescued by the RNLI. needed rescuing in a storm. Three RNLI lifeboats
went to the rescue but the sea was so rough that
Who pays for it? only one reached The Mexico. One boat was hit
by a large wave and the other was never seen
As a large fully equipped lifeboat costs almost again. Twenty-seven lifeboat-men died that day.
two million pounds and it takes over £200,000 a
day to keep the service running, money is very 1979 – Fastnet Race
important. It is surprising to learn that although
the organisation saves so many lives, it is a On August 11 1979, 303 yachts were competing
charity and receives no money from the in the biennial Fastnet race - a 608 mile yacht
government. It is paid for completely through race off the South Coast of England. They were
Page 1 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – Rescue
caught unexpectedly in a very bad storm- the Who is Captain Calamity?

worst for many years. Winds of over 60 miles an
hour struck the boats and many sank. 17 people In an attempt to sail round Britain in a 4 ½ metre
drowned - it was the worst yachting disaster ever boat, Mr Stuart Hill had to be rescued 5 times by
in the UK. Even more would have died without RNLI Lifeboats, and twice by helicopters in the
the help of the RNLI and other rescue boasts. summer of 2001. The papers at the time called
him ‘Captain Calamity.’ Similarly, in the year
Safety procedures have improved since then. 2000, another sailor had to be rescued more than
Racing yachts are more difficult to sink and all 5 times in the Irish Sea – he was using a road
must carry emergency radios. Accidents still map for directions!
happen though. At a recent sailing event near the
Isle of Wight (the Cowes Regatta) the RNLI Whatever the situation, whatever the weather, the
launched more than 70 times to help or rescue work of the RNLI volunteers continues, day and
people at sea. The event only lasted one week! night, 365 days a year.
Happily, no lives were lost on this occasion.
After reading
Exercise 1
In the first box are numbers and dates from the article. Can you match these to the correct information in
the second box?
1979 Over £200,000 More than 100 1824 50 miles

Over 130 000 1886 Over 8000 Almost 4000 More than 230
1 RNLI founded
2 The Mexico tragedy
3 Fastnet race tragedy
4 People rescued by the Atlantic College lifeboat
5 Lifeboat stations in UK
6 Distance from coast covered by RNLI
7 People rescued in 2003
8 Cost to run the service - per day
9 Volunteer lifeboat crew
10 People rescued in its history

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of rescue at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-rescue.htm
• Word game: Idioms with "Save". Do a jigsaw puzzle and learn different idiomatic expressions
that include the word "save".
• Story: River. The river is never what it seems. The river changes. And so, of course, do people -
especially after an experience on the river one day ...
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about survival and rescue.
• There is also a survival and rescue-related cartoon, a poll and some carefully selected external
links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. 1824; 2. 1886; 3. 1979; 4. More than 100; 5. More than 230; 6. 50
miles; 7. Over 8000; 8. Over £200,000; 9. Almost 4000; 10. Over 130 000
Page 2 of 2
Magazine – Revolution
Introduction

Before you read
Activity 1
a. backwards b. bid c. disappointment

d. extremist e. field f. shareholders
g. steam h. the human race i. velvet
1. all people considered as a species

2. area of activity
3. hot gas produced when water boils
4. offer of a sum of money for something on sale
5. opposite to the usual direction
6. people who own equal parts of a company
7. someone with beliefs that most people think are unacceptable
8. something that is not what you were hoping it would be
9. thick, soft cloth made from silk or cotton
Read the article
Revolution
by John Kuti
The other day I was watching a debate on TV on Going forwards

the subject “Should it be compulsory to learn
English?” The speaker chosen to oppose the idea Since the 19th century there has been an idea
was Vladimir Zhirinovskiy - a politician who many that certain changes in society must happen. Are
people in Europe think is a dangerous extremist. you optimistic about the human race? I guess
He said that one of the causes of the problems in most people still are. I think most people believe
Russia’s sad history in the 20th century was the in Progress…you know: “Scientists get closer to
use of imported words which people didn’t fully the truth. Societies improve. We’ve never had it
understand. “Revolution” (or the Russian word so good. A Pentium 4 is better than a Pentium 3”.
“revolyutsia”) was one of these. He also I think it is dangerous when someone says that
mentioned “communism” and “privatisation”. If all our problems will be solved by new
you use other words like “revolt”, “rebellion” or technology, or by choosing a government with a
“coup d’état” the idea of changing the more modern ideology. Revolutions seem to
government by force seems a lot less attractive. depend on the hope of a beautiful future, maybe
Calling some important change “a revolution” can that’s why they end in disappointment. Some
make people think it is good, or maybe that it’s people are so optimistic that they can forget
something that no one can stop, as the Marxists about reality altogether. They can make logic
used to say. work backwards…I remember, back in my days
as a student political activist, having arguments
Page 1 of 3
about Chinese history with the young members of Marxist revolution” but also one change of style
The Socialist Workers’ Party – enthusiasts for by a Marxist government “China’s cultural
revolution. They used to say that there had been revolution,” and two changes of government
no revolution in China. This was because the where the Marxists lost power: “Czechoslovakia’s
results had not been the happy ones that they velvet revolution” and “Estonia’s singing
expected. revolution”.
However, more often than any of these,

“revolution” is just used to talk about a general
change in the way people live or work. The most
common of these is the “industrial revolution”
which happened more than 200 years ago in
Britain when they started making steam engines
and factories.
The newspaper thinks these other revolutions
might be happening now…
Educational revolution,
Sexual revolution,
Information revolution,
Telemarketing revolution,
What’s another word for it? Training revolution,
If you look on the website When something not so big or important happens
http://www.visualthesaurus.com/online/ you can you can still call it a “minor revolution”. The Times
find words with similar meanings to the one you reports one minor revolution in Edinburgh –
type in. Starting with “revolution” the visual people starting to live in some old buildings that
thesaurus gives: had been used as offices for a long time.
coup Of the other words in my list “coup” is used most

takeover often. This is a short way of saying “coup d’état”
putsch and it usually refers to a revolution organised by
coup d’état people who are already quite close to the top of
revolt the government. A revolution organised by
insurrection people a long way from power might be better
uprising called an “uprising”.
mutiny
insurgency In The Times, “a revolt” or “a mutiny” usually
happens inside a British political party when
Which word to choose? ordinary Members of Parliament disagree with
the leaders of their party. But the newspaper also
When you want to choose a word really carefully mentions a revolt by shareholders who did not
it’s a good idea to see how other people use it. In agree with the managers of the company they
my experiment I used the Times newspaper from had invested in.
March 1995, and the website at
http://www.edict.com.hk/concordance/WWWConc “Takeover” belongs especially to the field of
appE.htm business. In March 1995 there was a big story
about the “hostile takeover bid” by Glaxo for
This site is called a “concordancer” and it lets you another pharmaceutical company – Wellcome.
look at how words are used. You can choose
different materials instead of The Times, but I I think Zhirinovskiy was right – “revolution” is a
thought a newspaper would have more about word that makes you want to believe in it. It
politics. It mentions one revolution the socialist means “this is better than what there was before”.
workers might agree really happened “Cuba’s
Page 2 of 3
Of course, The Times is not a revolutionary waiting for the revolution which will automatically
newspaper, but in this case it chooses words just make everything better.
like those “socialist worker” students optimistically
After reading
Activity 2
Which “revolution described in The Times” do these things relate to?
a. Cuban revolution b. Czechoslovakia's velvet revolution

c. educational revolution d. Estonian singing revolution
e. industrial revolution f. information revolution
g. minor revolution h. revolt
i. sexual revolution j. takeover
k. telemarketing revolution l. training revolution
1. Free primary schools

2. Reliable contraception
3. The company is hoping to sell its agrochemicals and specialty-chemicals divisions to raise up to
$3billion and mount an alternative bid that analysts expect to be in the region of $10.5billion
4. Two million people standing on a road holding hands
5. Change in the economy from making things in factories to services
6. Buying and selling things by telephone – consumers demand convenience
7. 26th of July Revolutionary Movement, the People's Socialist Party and the Revolutionary
Directory March 13th join together
8. Help for people who have finished school and can’t find jobs
9. Using a steam engine to make cotton textiles
10. A copy of an experimental 1960s pop record by the Velvet Underground
11. Five-storeyed properties, occupied for decades by firms of lawyers, bankers and surveyors, are
being turned into homes by families
12. Tory MPs defy John Major by condemning what they regard as a "climbdown" by the cabinet.
Thirty Tory backbench MPs will sign a Commons motion
Answers
Activity 1
1. h; 2. e; 3. g; 4. b; 5. a; 6. f; 7. d; 8. c; 9. i
Activity 2
1. c; 2.i; 3. j; 4. d; 5. f; 6. k; 7. a; 8. l; 9. e; 10.b; 11. g; 12. h
Page 3 of 3
Magazine – Rock'n'roll grandads
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/rock-and-roll-grandads

Before you read
Activity 1
a. been around b. contestant c. emphasis

d. hugely e. outrageous f. regarded as
g. released h. stage i. tastes
1. considered or seen as
2. extremely
3. been in existence, present
4. made available for the public to buy
5. particular importance or attention given to something
6. person who competes in a contest
7. raised area where actors or entertainers perform
8. shocking and morally unacceptable
9. what someone likes
Read the article
Rock’n’roll grandads
by Chris Rose
In 2005 The Rolling Stones released an album band Radiohead to give himself a more modern
called “A Bigger Bang”. Many critics, as usual, sound. His record only had limited success, but
chose it as their favourite of the year. This isn’t again thousands of people came out to see the
very surprising, but if you think that “A Bigger man when he played live concerts. Many young
Bang” was their 25th album now the Rolling people still listen to Madonna, as well. She is
Stones have been around for more than 40 regarded as being an exciting contemporary
years, and that singer Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith artist, even though she has now been making
Richards and the other musicians are all well into records for more than 20 years and is in her late
their 60s, and are all grandfathers, it starts to look 40s. Even a former terror like John Lydon (who
a bit strange. The idea of my grandfather used to be called “Johnny Rotten” when he was
standing on a stage in front of thousands of the leader of infamous punk band the Sex
people singing “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” is just Pistols) still makes records. He now appears
embarrassing. Can you imagine your grandfather regularly on TV chat shows in Britain, and was
doing it? even a contestant on the reality show “I’m a
Celebrity Get Me Out Of here!”
But the Rolling Stones are not an exception. Last
year, ex-Beatle Paul McCartney also released a It used to be said that pop music was an art form
new record. He worked with the producer of the created by and for young people. Many groups
or singers make one or two good records when
Page 1 of 3
they are in their early 20’s, then disappear, or on youth, perhaps it is to be expected. Last year,
carry on making less interesting records. It was veteran Indian singer Asha Bhosle, now in her
difficult to find artists who could continue making 70’s, released a new record. She is a musician
great records, year after year, for a long time. In who has continued to develop, changing her style
some ways, this is still the case. The Rolling and working with other interesting western
Stones, for example, are still much more famous musicians such as Michael Stipe from the
for the songs they made in the 1960’s and 70’s American rock band REM and classical
than for their more recent recordings, and even musicians, the Kronos Quartet. However, it
though many people go and see Paul McCartney seems that at her concerts people still hope that
in concert, they are really hoping he will sing she will sing the old Bollywood film songs such as
some old Beatles songs, rather than his new “Dum Maaro Dum” that originally made her
ones. People like to watch John Lydon on TV famous.
because they hope he will do something
outrageous, like he used to do. Many of these Pop only used to be for young people, now it has
rock’n’roll grandads are really still living off the grown up. Now pop and rock music have been
past. around for 50 years, people who started listening
to it when they were young are now old. Why
should their tastes change?
Of course, boy bands – groups of singing and

dancing young people who are often not much
older than the people who buy or download their
songs - still continue to be hugely popular all over
the world. However, it is very difficult to imagine
a group like Blue still going in forty years time.
And while older readers might remember the
Backstreet Boys, or even Take That – how
significant has their contribution to popular music
really been? And can anyone already even
remember McFly? Will anybody still be listening
to Blue or Britney Spears when they’re in their
This phenomenon is not limited to the west. In sixties?
other parts of the world where there is more
respect for older people and less of an emphasis
After reading
Activity 2
Below there are 10 sentences from the article. In each case, choose the sentence which has the same
meaning.
1. Many critics... chose it as their favourite of the year.

a. A lot of people who write about music said the record was for them the best of 2005.
b. A lot of people who write about music said the record was the biggest seller of 2005.
c. A lot of people who write about music said the record was the best Rolling Stones have made.
2. Mick Jagger... Keith Richards and the other musicians are all well into their 60s...
a. The Rolling Stones started in the 1960s
b. The Rolling Stones were born in the 1960s
c. The Rolling Stones are aged over 60.
3. Madonna... is regarded as being an exciting contemporary artist

a. Madonna does paintings and sculptures.
Page 2 of 3
b. Madonna works in films and music and other artistic areas.

c. Many people think Madonna is still making great music.
4. Even a former terror like John Lydon...still makes records.

a. John Lydon used to be a terrorist
b. John Lydon used to be terrifying
c. John Lydon used to be a punk
5. Many groups or singers make one or two good records when they are in their early 20’s, then
disappear, or carry on making less interesting records.
a. The creative life of most groups is quite limited
b. Only young people can make pop music
c. Groups always make two good records then become boring
6. The Rolling Stones... are still much more famous for the songs they made in the 1960’s and 70’s than
for their more recent recordings
a. The new Rolling Stones song are their best
b. The old Rolling Stones songs are better
c. People remember the old songs more than the new ones
7. Many of these rock’n’roll grandads are really still living off the past.
a. A lot of older rock and pop singers are famous because of what they did 20 or 30 years ago
b. A lot of singers still think its the 1960s
c. A lot of singers are now grandparents
8. This phenomenon is not limited to the west

a. This doesn’t only happen in Europe and the USA
b. This only happens in Europe and the USA
c. This doesn’t happen in Asia
9. Now pop and rock music have been around for 50 years, people who started listening to it when they
were young are now old.
a. Rock and pop’s audience is getting older
b. Older people are now bored of listening to the same music for so long
c. Pop and rock is now an outdated music form
10. Will anybody still be listening to Blue or Britney Spears when they’re in their sixties?
a. The writer suggests that no-one will be listening to them
b. The writer suggests that everyone will still be listening to them
c. The writer doesn’t know, but suspects nobody will be listening to them
Answers
Activity 1
1. f; 2. d; 3. a; 4. g; 5. c; 6. b; 7. h; 8. e; 9. i
Activity 2
1. a; 2. c; 3. c; 4. b; 5. a; 6. c; 7. a; 8. a; 9. a; 10: c
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Ireland
Introduction

• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (Ireland).
Read the article
Saint Patrick’s Day

by Dave Collett
St. Patrick is the patron saint and national apostle human, he will reveal where he hides his pot of
of Ireland. He was born in the fourth century and gold. On this day, pictures of shamrocks and
is famous for bringing Christianity into Ireland. St. leprechauns are hung everywhere. Some people
Patrick’s Day is a very well known Irish national even dress up as leprechauns complete with their
holiday, which is celebrated not only in Ireland big green hats!
but all around the world. It falls on the 17th of The village of Blarney is situated northwest of the
March. Irish city of Cork. Blarney comes from the Irish
word ‘An blarna’, meaning the plain. Blarney
History of St. Patrick Castle is a very famous castle in this village and
is 90 feet tall. The world famous Blarney Stone is
St. Patrick was born to wealthy parents in the late
on the top story. It is said that if one kisses this
fourth century. Until the age of 16, he thought of
stone, one will be given the gift of eloquence,
himself as a pagan. He was kidnapped and sold
meaning to have beautiful speaking abilities.
as a slave at this age by Irish marauders. It was
Nowadays, the word blarney means the ability to
during this capture that he turned to God.
influence and coax with fair words and soft
He managed to escape after being a slave for six speech without offending.
years and then studied in a monastery in Gaul for
12 years. This was when he knew that his
‘calling’ was to try and convert all the pagans in
Ireland to Christianity.
St. Patrick went around Ireland founding
monasteries and successfully converting the
people to Christianity. The Celtic Druids were
very unhappy with him and tried to arrest him
several times but he always managed to escape.
After 30 years of being a missionary in Ireland, he
finally settled down in a place called County
Down. He died on the 17th of March, AD 461.
Legend and Folklore

Legend also says that St. Patrick could raise
Shamrocks, leprechauns and the Blarney Stone
people from the dead. He is well-known for
are associated with St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks
driving the snakes out of Ireland, although many
are three-leaved clovers found growing in
people dispute how true this is! Another great
patches on grass. You are thought to be lucky if
story was how he used the shamrock, with its
you find a four-leaved clover, so do keep it if you
three leaves, to explain the Holy Trinity (the
ever come across one!
Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost) to his
Leprechauns are little Irish fairies, and they are followers.
thought to work as shoe-makers for other fairies.
The Irish say that if a leprechaun is caught by a
Page 1 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – Ireland
What Do People Do on St. Patrick’s Day? Irish Proverbs

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated world-wide with The Irish have many proverbs but here are some
people dancing and singing in Irish pubs, favourites.
watching the St. Patrick’s Day parade, drinking • Better the coldness of a friend than the
‘green’ beer, wearing green clothes and just sweetness of an enemy.
generally having a good time. Children in Ireland • Be nice to them on the way up. You might
have a tradition of pinching their friends who don’t meet them all on the way down.
wear green on this day!
• Let your anger set with the sun and not rise
again with it.
Traditional Food and Drink on St. Patrick’s
Day
Irish Humour
Bacon and cabbage is what most people have on
this day. Another popular dish is Irish soda bread The Irish are famous for their jokes and good
and potato pancakes. Irish pub owners go crazy nature. Here’s an example:
on this day, putting green food colouring into their Definition of an Irish husband:
beers and traditional Irish Guinness Stout is a sell He hasn’t kissed his wife in 20 years but he will
out in all Irish pubs! People also drink lots of Irish kill any man who does!
coffee, which is made with warm whiskey, sugar, Now that you know almost everything about St.
coffee and topped off with cream. Sounds Patrick’s Day, go out on March the 17th and
delicious? It is! enjoy yourselves! Why not try and spot a
leprechaun or two to find your pot of gold…?
Whatever it may be, don’t forget to wear green on
this special day!
After reading
Exercise 1
Decide if each of the following 8 questions is True are False.
1. Before the Fourth Century the people of Ireland knew a lot about Christianity.
2. St. Patrick is famous for introducing Christianity to Ireland.
3. St. Patrick was a slave all his life.
4. Four-leaved clovers are very easy to find.
5. The Irish believe that leprechauns like to catch humans and steal their money.
6. People kiss the Blarney stone because they believe it will help them become beautiful speakers.
7. Irish coffee is made with alcohol.
8. On St. Patrick’s Day people usually dress in green.

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of Ireland at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-ireland.htm
• Word game: Ireland. Do this jigsaw puzzle and find out about different things associated with
Ireland.
• Poem: An Irish Airman Foresees His Death. This poem graphically illustrates how it felt to be an
Irishman fighting for the Allies,
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about Ireland.
• There is also an Ireland-related cartoon, a poll and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. False (F); 2. True (T); 3. F; 4. F; 5. F; 6. T; 7. T; 8. T
Page 2 of 2
Magazine Article – Student Power
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/student-power
Student Power
by Chris Rose
When most people think of strikes, they think
of factory workers asking for better pay and
conditions, or perhaps refusing to work to
support a colleague who has been unfairly
sacked. It is not often that people associate
strikes with school students.
But in Italy, it is different. While in many
countries it is absolutely unthinkable, in Italy it
happens almost every year. Some people may
well, some of them are just troublemakers,
remember the “Paris spring” of 1968, when in
others are people who are already planning to
the French capital university students and
become politicians. They want to start their
factory workers all went on strike in a crisis
career now.” Others say that the strike leaders
which almost made the French republic
are being manipulated or used by groups from
collapse, but for many this is a long time ago
outside the schools.
now. But in Italy, however, the tradition has
remained. It seems that almost every autumn Problems occurred recently when students
there is a reason to protest. Most of the from one school which was being occupied
protests are national, like the current marched to another school which wasn’t
opposition to the government’s planned protesting. The strikers stood outside the
educational reforms, but there are also school and shouted and threw things at the
protests against things like local issues such windows. The non-striking students sat in their
as heating in the classes or treatment of classrooms and did nothing, but their teachers
individual students. went out and began to shout at the students
from the striking school.
And what do students do to protest? All over
the country they go on strike, they have In Britain, and a lot of other countries, such
demonstrations in the streets, they occupy action is unthinkable. Students are not allowed
their schools, they have lots of meetings and to go on strike, and if they did they would
sometimes they try to run the schools probably face severe disciplinary measures.
themselves for a period, setting up their own The strange thing about this, however, is that
lessons and courses. despite the number of school hours lost to
Are all the students behind this? Well, it’s strikes, Italian students are certainly no less
difficult to say exactly. But what is certain, is intelligent than their European counterparts.
that very few students object. Their national averages are the same as
others, despite the fact that on average they
“I think it’s important to show what we feel”
spend up to 20% less time in the classroom –
says one high school student, “The new school
with strikes being only one of the many
reform will be very bad for state schools.”
interruptions of the Italian school year.
Other students are more sceptical. “I think it’s
Troublemakers or not, perhaps there is
great!” says one student, “It means we get a
something to be learned from the Italian way of
few days off school.” Another student is openly
studying!
cynical: “All the people who are doing this...
Magazine Article – Student Power
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/student-power
After reading:
Match the two parts of the sentences below.
1. Strikes usually a. are in favour of the protests.
2. In France student strikes b. go on strike.
3. In Italy school students often c. had a strong effect.
4. Students go on strike d. is similar to other European students.
5. Their protests can e. is very difficult for students to strike.
6. Most students f. make people think of factory workers.
7. Some students g. protested more than the students.
8. In one school, teachers h. take different forms.
9. In the UK it i. think the strikers’ motives aren’t clear.
10. Italian students’ academic record j. to protest about all kinds of problems.
Answers to activity: 1. f; 2. c; 3. b; 4. j; 5. h; 6. a; 7. i; 8. g; 9. e; 10. d
Magazine Article
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine/surfing
Surfing
by Nik Peachey
"I've spent most of my entire life surfing, the rest I've wasted." (Anonymous)
It seems that the oceans of the world have become many things to many different people. For some the ocean
is a source of food and income, for others a source of inspiration and fascination, for some a beautiful garden
with hidden depths to explore and for others a dumping ground for their toxic waste, but of all people the ones
that probably appreciate, admire and perhaps even understand the changing landscape of the ocean best are
surfers.
Surfing, which is thought to have originated among the Polynesian peoples of the Hawaiian Islands of the
Pacific Ocean, has been around for quite some time. The earliest recorded account of it was made in the journal
of Captain King, a contemporary of Captain Cook, in 1779, but there are pictures of surfers carved into volcanic
rock that are thought to date back much further. Surfing was regarded by the Polynesians as the sport of kings.
The Chiefs used surfing and other Hawaiian sports to display their strength and agility and even the types of
wood used for the boards was determined by the person’s rank in society.
Nowadays the hierarchy between surfers is determined more by their courage and none are more courageous
than the surfers who brave the jaws of Maui, where 20ft is considered an average sized wave and big can go up
as high as 60 or 70 ft. The huge waves of Maui are created by a mixture of unusual circumstances. There is a
huge ridge deep below the sea's surface that was created by the lava flow from a volcano. This combined with
the presence of a reef not far to the north of the island and swells created by winter storms some two thousand
miles away in the Aleutian Islands can create the kind of waves that make a surfer's heart race. The people who
regularly surf there are almost religious about the spot and they frequently monitor weather forecasts and wave
readings from buoys for days in advance to calculate when the best conditions will be. A ride on the jaws of
Maui can last less than half a minute, but for surfers who fail to keep pace with the 25 mile an hour waves
extreme danger awaits. Trapped inside a wave they can become totally disorientated with little sense of which
direction takes them up to the surface. They also have only seconds to head for the safe zone of calm water
before being crushed by the next big wave. A British surfer who had this experience described the sensation as
like having your whole body pulled in every possible direction at once.
The idea of surfing, however, with its images of sun-tanned youths and tropical beaches, has always seemed to
me somehow at odds with the weather and culture of the UK, yet nothing could be further from the truth. The
UK, being a collection of islands, has no shortage of coastline and rugged seas and is reported to have an
active surfing community of some 250,000. Most of the surfing centres around Croyde Bay in North Devon and
Fistral Beach in Cornwall. It was in fact, at Fistral Beach in 1989, where the world record for the most surfers on
one board was broken, when 12 surfers rode on a 37-ft longboard. Britain was also home to the first ever
University degree course in surfing to be offered and even has its own surfing film. 'Blue Juice', which was
filmed in the south west of Britain, is a light hearted tribute to the lifestyle of Britain's surfers and counts Welsh
girl Catherine Zeta Jones and Ewan McGregor among its cast. The lifestyle and the people it portrays are very
different from the stereotypes of muscular bronzed young men listening to The Beach Boys as they wax their
boards, but beneath the surface it is clear that there is still a common link that runs between them and that is
their love and admiration of life and the sea.
© The British Council, 2010
Magazine Article - Ten years without books
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/ten-years-without-books
Introduction
Ten years without books
ten-years-without-books
• the article;

1. adolescence 2. avid 3. circuit board 4. fateful
5. intellectual 6. pamphlet 7. peer 8. profound
9. rig up 10. scour 11. simultaneously 12. world-view
Definitions:
a. A person who is the same age or has the same social position or the same abilities as other
people in a group
b. In a way that happens or is done at exactly the same time
c. Very important because of its, often negative, effect on the future
d. Period of a person's life between childhood and adulthood
e. A small electronic circuit which consists of a lot of small parts made on a piece of
semiconducting material
f. Clear and deep (relates to a person’s understanding)
g. Extremely eager or interested
h. To fix (a piece of equipment) in place
i. To search (a place or thing) very carefully in order to try to find something
j. A highly educated person whose interests are studying and other activities that involve careful
thinking and mental effort
k. A thin book with only a few pages which gives information or an opinion about something
l. A way of looking at or considering the world
Article: Ten years without books by John Kuti

As I write this, I have half an eye on an old to get through. They were the end of my
James Bond film that is showing on my youthful reading.
computer. But this is a story about how I
Working life was hard to get used to after so
stopped watching TV and began reading again
much theory. It was the end of books for me.
for pleasure, after ten years in which I hardly
There didn't seem to be much in books that
turned a page.
would actually get things done. To do things you
I suppose I was an avid reader of "literature" had to answer the telephone and work a
between the ages of nine and fourteen. I had computer. You had to travel about and speak to
enough time to be White Fang, Robinson people who weren't at all interested in
Crusoe, and Bilbo Baggins and Jeeves. Of philosophy. I didn't stop reading, you can't avoid
course there was room in the schoolboy's that. I read all day. But no books came my way,
imagination for some real historical figures: only manuals and pamphlets and contracts and
Scott of the Antarctic, all of the Vikings, and documents. Maybe most people satisfy their
Benjamin Franklin were good friends of mine. need for stories and ideas with TV and, to tell
the truth, it was all I needed for ten years. In
Then, in adolescence, I began a long search for
those days I only had a book "on the go" for the
strange and radical ideas. I wanted to challenge
duration of aeroplane flights. At first I would
my elders and betters, and stir up my peers with
come home and watch TV over dinner. Then, I
amazing points of view. Of course, the only
moved the TV so I could watch it from bed. I
place to look was in books. I hunted out the
even rigged up a switch so I could turn it off
longest titles and the authors with the funniest
without getting out of bed. Then, one fateful
names, I scoured the library for completely
day, my TV broke and my landlady took it away.
unread books. Then I found one which became
my bible for the whole of 1982, it had a title My new TV is an extra circuit board inside my
composed of eleven long words and an author computer. It's on a desk in front of a working
whose name I didn't know how to pronounce. It chair and I can't see it from the bed. I still use it
was really thick and looked dead serious. Even for the weather forecasts and it's nice to have it
better, it put forward a whole world-view that on while I'm typing this… but what to do last
would take days to explain. Perfect. I took it out thing at night? Well, have another go with
of the library three times, proud to see the date- books.
stamps lined up on the empty library insert.
Now, I just like books. I have a pile of nice ones
Later, I went to university. Expecting to spend by my bed and I'm reading about six
long evenings in learned discussion with clever simultaneously. I don't want to BE any of the
people, I started reading philosophy. For some characters. I don't care if a thousand people
reason I never found the deep-thinking have already read them. I don't have to search
intellectuals I hoped to meet. Anyway, I was through libraries. There are books everywhere
ready to impress with my profound knowledge and all of them have something to read in them.
of post-structuralism, existentialism and I have the strange feeling that they've been
situationism. These things are usually explained there all along, waiting for me to pick them up.
in rather short books, but they take a long time
Comprehension task
Multiple Choice
Read the questions below and select the right answer.
1. The author probably read "Where the Wasteland Ends: Politics and Transcendence in Post-
Industrial Society":
a. in 1972
b. in 1982
c. in 1992
d. in 1993
2. When he was a boy, the author:
a. avoided books
b. looked at books but didn't read them
c. preferred videos to books
d. read enthusiastically
3. Students at university used to spend the evenings:
a. discussing philosophy
b. reading short books
c. thinking deeply
d. the author doesn't say how they spent the evenings
4. At work, the author:
a. didn't have to read
b. didn't have to read books
c. didn't have to read manuals and pamphlets
d. didn't have to read contracts and documents
5. The author:
a. hardly read a book for ten years
b. doesn't read books
c. hasn't read a book for ten years
d. didn't read a book for ten years
6. Now the author:
a. doesn't have a TV
b. has a TV next to his bed
c. has a computer with a TV inside it
d. has a computer instead of a TV
Answers
Podcasts – Themes – The Commonwealth
Introduction

• an optional general knowledge activity
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (the Commonwealth).
Read the article
The Commonwealth
March 11th is Commonwealth Day, but what The member states all use English as a common
exactly is the Commonwealth? working language, and have similar legal and
education systems. The countries support each
Where is the Commonwealth, and who lives
other in their aims to reduce poverty, prejudice,
there?
ignorance and disease, and to promote human
The Commonwealth is a group of 54 countries, rights and social development.
spread all over the globe, north to south, east to
Historically, the modern Commonwealth is a
west. The countries range in size from the tiny
product of the British Empire, and began in the
island of Nauru in the Pacific ocean (which is so
late 1940s, after India and Pakistan gained
small that it doesn't have a capital), to Canada,
independence. As more and more countries took
the largest territory in the world. Both rich and
charge of their own affairs in the 1950s and
poor countries are members - the GDP of
1960s, many were attracted to the aims and
Singapore is about 200 times that of Sierra
values of the Commonwealth, resulting in the
Leone. Over one and a half billion people (a
family of nations seen today.
quarter of the world's population) live in the
Commonwealth, and between them represent Activities and events
nearly every religion, race and political system on
The Commonwealth is active in a huge number of
the planet.
areas, including ecology, health and economics,
providing and sharing information, training and
expertise to further the aims of the organisation.
The Heads of Government Meeting is held every
two years, where the leaders of the member
states get together to discuss current issues.
Commonwealth Day is held in the second week
of March every year, where Commonwealth
citizens, particularly children, have a chance to
celebrate their friendship. The Commonwealth
also hosts sporting and arts events. There is an
annual writers prize, which has been won in
previous years by famous authors such as Peter
Carey and Louis de Bernieres, and a yearly arts
What is the Commonwealth? and crafts competition. Perhaps the most well-
known event sponsored by the organisation is the
Hot and cold, rich and poor, wet and dry, island Commonwealth Games, which is held every four
and land-locked, the list of opposites used to years in one of the member countries. The
describe the countries which make up the games have gained the nickname 'the Friendly
Commonwealth seems endless. Just what do Games' because of their reputation for good-
they all have in common? natured competitiveness.
Page 1 of 3
After reading
Exercise 1
In the second table below are the names of six countries in the Commonwealth. In the first table are
these countries’capital cities, populations (in 2006, according to Wikipedia) and the year each country
joined the organization. Do you know or can you guess which information goes in each box?
Capital cities Populations Joining year

Funafuti 11,000 1962
Kingston 400,000 1964
Maseru 1.8 million 1965
Singapore 2.7 million 1966
Valletta 4.4 million 1978
Yaounde 15.7 million 1995
Cameroon Jamaica Lesotho Singapore Tuvaulu Malta

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of the Commonwealth at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-commonwealth.htm
• Magazine articles: Articles about the following countries in the Commonwealth: Australia; Canada;
India; Kenya; New Zealand; Nigeria; Papua New Guinea; South Africa.
• Word games: The following word games are available for this theme: Australian English; Canadian
English; Indian and Pakistani English; Kenyan wildlife; New Zealand English; South African
English; Tok Pisin (New Guinea); West African and Jamaican English.
• Story: Australia -The Dreamtime is the central, unifying theme in Australian Aboriginal mythology. It
describes the process of the world being called into being. The Australian Aboriginal culture is based on
nature in every aspect. Most of their mythological heroes are animals common in Australia.
• Story: New Zealand. Dame Ngaio Marsh, one of New Zealand’s most remarkable and charismatic
women, was world-renowned as a leading crime fiction writer. In this activity, compare the plots of some
of her different crime stories.
• Story: Nigeria - A Visitor to the Star. Anna Winter pulled on her Gucci sunglasses and sprayed herself
with the extra-strength mosquito repellent she had bought in the airport. Anna thought her job was very
difficult, and she told everybody about this. How could she be a front-line, award-winning, adventurous
journalist if she had to stay in bad hotels and eat bad food?
• Story: Papua New Guinea. This folk story involves a masalai (a large ugly cannibal, similar to an ogre).
• Story: South Africa - Coetzee's novels. Read synopses of some of the novels of Nobel prize winning
writer, South African J.M. Coetzee, and then compare them.
• Poem: Australia - Mulga Bill's Bicycle - a funny ballad by one of Australia’s favourite poets, ‘Banjo’
Paterson.
Page 2 of 3
• Poem: Canada. Sir Charles George Douglas Roberts was the first Canadian to be knighted for his work
as a writer. According to one source: "Those of his poetical compositions that are distinctively Canadian
are regarded as being specially excellent”.
• Poem: India. Tagore, the author of this poem, once said "To study a banyan tree, you not only must
know its main stem in its own soil, but also must trace the growth of its greatness in the further soil, for
then you can know the true nature of its vitality".
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about the following countries in the Commonwealth:
Australia; Canada; India; Kenya; New Zealand; Nigeria; Papua New Guinea; South Africa.
• History: India. Bhopal massacre; Black Hole of Calcutta.
• History: South Africa. Mandela trial; Mandela released; Apartheid repeal.
• History: Uganda. Amin coup; Operation Entebbe
• There are also cartoons related to all of these countries and some carefully selected external links for
each country.
Answers to general knowledge activity:
Cameroon Jamaica Lesotho Singapore Tuvaulu Malta

Yaounde Kingston Maseru Singapore Funafuti Valletta
15.7 million 2.7 million 1.8 million 4.4 million 11,000 400,000
1995 1962 1966 1965 1978 1964
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Biodiversity
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (biodiversity).
Read the article
The Eden Project

by Mike Rayner
We are stardust destroying natural habitats, and creating a world
We are golden with less biodiversity. These activities are not
And we've got to get ourselves sustainable, that is the planet is unable to survive
Back to the garden if we continue to take more from the Earth than it
can replace. Recent research by the World
Joni Mitchell (Woodstock) Wildlife Fund suggests that we will have to
colonise two planets the same size as the Earth
According to the Bible, the Garden of Eden was by 2050 unless people in rich countries change
the home of the first two humans, Adam and Eve. the way they live.
In the story, the Garden provided everything the
couple needed, and they lived there in peace and
happiness until they were banished for breaking
the rules. In 1999, Tim Smit, an ex-rock musician
and record producer, borrowed the name of the
biblical garden for a collection of space-age
domes in a corner of southwest England - the
Eden Project.
Rock and activism

It is not unusual for people involved in the music
business to alert us to environmental and political
issues. Bob Geldof (the singer from British punk
band The Boomtown Rats) raised a huge amount
of money to help feed millions of starving people
in Africa in 1985, Bono from U2 has been The solution
successful in campaigning for the reduction of The Eden Project is in on the site of an
debts which developing countries owe to rich abandoned clay pit in Cornwall, and consists of
nations, and the music festival at Woodstock in two enormous domes, or biomes, and an outdoor
1969 is seen by many as the culmination of the area. The first biome houses a humid tropical
civil rights marches and anti-war protests of the zone representing Malaysia, West Africa and
1960's. Tim Smit’s Eden Project was created to South America, and is the biggest greenhouse in
highlight the relationship between humans and the world. The second biome is a warm
the environment, and through information, temperate zone which contains the type of
research and education lead the way to a brighter environment found in Mediterranean countries,
future. California and South West Australia. The outdoor
area displays a collection of plants and
The problem landscapes typical of temperate climates like
The modern world is a far cry from the balance those in Britain, parts of North America, Russia
and harmony of the Garden of Eden. By-products and India.
of a typical modern lifestyle such as overfishing,
deforestation and intensive farming are
Page 1 of 3
As visitors to the domes walk past lakes and also attracted the attention of the director of the
waterfalls, through rainforests and over deserts, James Bond film ‘Die Another Day’, in which the
they discover how the ecosystems in each zone domes featured as the lair of the villain, Gustav
operate, learn how people have damaged each Graves. In 2002 the biomes were also the venue
environment, and find out how people native to for a music festival featuring Pulp, Spiritualized,
the different areas can learn to live in harmony Doves and other major acts who performed
with their environment, and have a positive and amongst the foliage. Works of art from around the
beneficial effect on it. world are also on display, and one summer the
events included a play based on a story by Monty
Science, Horticulture, Creative, Marketing, Media Python’s Terry Jones.
and Human Resources researchers at the site
are constantly investigating ways of combining The future
science, art, technology and communication in But the Eden Project is no Disneyland, “If this
new ways to find solutions to the problem of living place becomes no more than an upmarket theme
a modern lifestyle in harmony with the natural park, it will all have been a gigantic waste of
world. The researchers form part of a new green money” Tim Smit writes in the visitor’s guide (the
movement, which is discovering new uses for domes cost 86 million pounds.) After a day spent
plants including plant plastics, medicines and oils. walking around the biomes in Cornwall, he hopes
that visitors will be inspired find out more about
Success ecology, look at ways of changing their lifestyles,
The Eden Project has been enormously and participate in trying to get the human race
successful since it has been open. Millions of back into the Garden of Eden.
people have flocked to the site, and the biomes
Glossary
abandon (v): abandoned (adj): to leave a place, thing or person forever.
activism (n): the use of direct and noticeable action to achieve a result, usually a political or social one.
banish (v): to send someone away, especially from their country, and forbid them to come back.
biodiversity (n): the number and variety of plant and animal species that exist in a particular
environmental area or in the world generally, or the problem of preserving and protecting this.
by-product (n): something that is produced as a result of making something else, or something
unexpected that happens as a result of something.
campaign (v): to organize a series of activities to try to achieve something.
civil rights (n): the rights that each person has in a society, whatever their race, sex or religion.
colonise (v): to send people to live in and govern another country.
culminate (v): culminate in/with sth If an event or series of events culminates in something, it ends with
it, having developed until it reaches this point.
dome (n): a rounded roof on a building or a room, or a building with such a roof.
ecology (n): ecological (adj): the relationships between the air, land, water, animals, plants, etc., usually
of a particular area, or the scientific study of this.
ecosystem (n): all the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment.
flock (v): to move or gather together in large numbers.
foliage (n): the leaves of a plant or tree, or leaves on the stems or branches on which they are growing.
greenhouse (n): a building with a roof and sides made of glass, used for growing plants that need
warmth and protection.
habitat (n): the natural surroundings in which an animal or plant usually lives.
humid (adj): Humid air or weather is hot and slightly wet.
inspire (v): to make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it.
intensive (adj): Intensive farming methods are intended to produce as much food as possible from an
area of land.
pit (n): a coal mine or an area of land from which a natural substance is taken by digging.
temperate (adj): (of weather conditions) neither very hot nor very cold.
Page 2 of 3
After reading
Exercise 1
Decide if each of the 9 statements about the text is True or False.
1) The Garden of Eden is a place from a story in the Bible.

2) Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden.
3) The Eden Project is in the north of England.
4) Bob Geldof played at Woodstock.
5) The number of types of animals and plants in the world is decreasing.
6) The warm temperate biome is the biggest greenhouse in the world.
7) The biomes were James Bond's base in 'Die Another Day'.
8) Lots of people visit the Eden Project.
9) The Eden Project is a theme park like Disneyland.

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of biodiversity at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-biodiversity.htm
• Word game: Animal kingdom. Do you know annelids from echinoderms, or crustaceans from
mollusks?
• Poem: The Tyger. This famous poem by William Blake conjures up amazingly vivid images of the
mighty tiger.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about biodiversity.
• Science: cubed. Natural engineering: Copying nature’s superior designs to make manufacturing
more environmentally friendly.
• There is also a biodiversity-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. True (T); 2. T; 3. False (F); 4. F; 5.T; 6. F; 7. F; 8. T; 9. F
Page 3 of 3
Magazine – The Funniest Jokes in the World
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/funniest-jokes-world

• the article that you can listen to;
Read the article
The Funniest Jokes in the World

by Chris Rose
Recently, a group of scientists and psychologists shot is heard. Bang! The hunter’s voice comes
decided to try and find out what the funniest joke back on the line. He says: “OK, now what?"
in the world was. This was obviously going to be
a difficult task, as no two people ever really agree
about what is funny and what is not – especially
when they are from different countries.
In some ways, this is strange. Telling jokes,

along with telling stories (which is a similar
activity), is one of the most frequent and
widespread activities around the world. All
countries, all cultures, all languages have their
jokes. Unlike telling stories, however, jokes are
sometimes not funny or often completely
incomprehensible to people who are not part of
that culture.
Some things do remain the same – many jokes Hmmmm. I don’t know about you, but I think this
from around the world like to make fun of people is perhaps mildly amusing rather than side-
who are stupid, or sometimes people in authority. splitting. Culturally, it depends on us knowing
A lot of jokes are about taboo subjects – jokes that often hunters are not considered to be very
can be a way of talking about things that in intelligent people, and that often they are quite
normal “polite” society we are not allowed to violent. But perhaps this is not so all over the
mention. The problem is, of course, that people world. It’s also quite a “black” joke – a joke about
in authority or taboo subjects, for example, something which isn’t really a funny subject.
change from country to country and from culture The experts also found the second funniest joke
to culture. in the world. Here it is:
Anyhow, after a year-long serious academic Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a

survey, here is the joke which the experts camping trip. After a good dinner and a bottle of
decided was the funniest joke in the world: wine, they retire for the night, and go to sleep.
Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and asks his
Two hunters are out in the woods. One of them faithful friend, "Watson, look up at the sky and tell
falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be me what you see."
breathing, his eyes are closed. The other hunter "I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes"
takes out his mobile phone and calls emergency replies Watson.
services. “My friend is dead!” he cries to the "And what do you deduce from that?"
operator, “What can I do?” The operator, in a Watson thinks for a minute.
calm voice says: “Don’t worry. I can help. First, "Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are
make sure he's dead.” There is a silence, then a millions of galaxies and potentially billions of
planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in
Page 1 of 2
Magazine – The Funniest Jokes in the World
Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is Understanding this joke, however, depends on us
approximately a quarter past three. knowing who Sherlock Holmes and Doctor
Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a Watson are. It also has an unexpected ending –
beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see something that is essential for most jokes.
that God is all powerful, and that we are a small Surprise can be funny.
and insignificant part of the universe. What does
it tell you, Holmes?" Can scientists in the end decide what is funny?
Holmes is silent for a moment. "Watson, you Some things are much too complicated, even for
idiot!" he says. "Someone has stolen our tent!" scientists.
I personally think this is better – perhaps still not

exactly a side-splitter, but certainly a rib-tickler.
After reading
Decide which is the best answer to each of the following questions.
a. black joke b. incomprehensible

c. make fun of d. mildly amusing
e. rib-tickler f. side-splitting
g. survey h. taboo
i. unexpected j. widespread
1. Telling jokes is something that people do all over the world. It is a very [..........] activity.
2. Some jokes are [..........], very difficult to understand for people outside of a specific culture.
3. Many jokes make people look stupid, they [..........] people from a certain group.
4. Some jokes are about subjects which we don’t often speak of, [..........] subjects.
5. The scientists asked many people from around the world about jokes and recorded thier responses.
These are the results of that [..........].
6. A joke that is quite funny is [..........].
7. A joke that is very funny indeed is [..........].
8. A joke about a subject which isn’t usually funny is called a [..........].
9. A joke which makes you laugh a bit is a [..........].
10. Many jokes have [..........] endings.
Answers:
1. j; 2. b; 3. c; 4. h; 5. g; 6. d; 7. f; 8. a; 9. e; 10. i
Page 2 of 2
Magazine – The Kernewek Success Story
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/kernewek-success-story

• a vocabulary activity based on the article
Read the article
The Kernewek Success Story

by Linda Baxter
In the first lesson of any language course you'll course, there were still people who spoke
probably learn a mini dialogue like this. You'll find Cornish as a native language, even if they also
the translation at the end of this article, but can knew English. And their children learned some
you guess what it means? Cornish from them even if they spoke English
most of the time. The number of speakers got
A: "Dydh da! Fatla genes?" smaller and smaller and they knew less and less
B: "Yn poynt da, meur ras. Ha genes jy?" of the language, but Cornish didn't disappear.
There are stories of fisherman still using Cornish
What you probably can't guess is the language of numbers to count fish in the 1940s and 50s. So
the exchange above. It's actually Cornish, a some people argue that the language never died
language that is listed as 'extinct' in the UNESCO out completely, but survived until the Cornish
Red Book on Endangered Languages but which revival started at the beginning of the twentieth
has experienced a remarkable revival in recent century.
years.
What do you mean by 'Cornish revival'?
What is Cornish?
At the beginning of the twentieth century
It's a member of the Celtic family of languages academics became interested in Cornish and
which also includes Scots, Irish, Welsh and started to study some of the ancient texts that
Breton. When Britain was invaded by the Anglo- had survived. From these old documents they
Saxons in the fifth century AD, the native Celtic worked out the rules for spelling and grammar
people were pushed to the West and North of the and people became interested in learning to
country and the language that they spoke speak the language again and teaching it to their
developed differently in these separate areas. children. Some people still say that Cornish died
Some Celts left the country completely and went with Dolly Pentreath and this 'new' Cornish is an
to the West of France where their language artificial language, but the revival has continued
became known as Breton. Cornish (Kernewek) is to this day.
the language that people spoke in Cornwall
(Kernow) which is the county in the extreme So how many people speak it now?
South West of England. Welsh and Breton are its
nearest relatives and the three languages have a Surprise surprise, people don't agree about that
lot of similarities. either. It depends on what you mean by 'speak'.
There are probably only a few hundred people
When did the language die out? who speak it as their everyday language. But
there are several thousand who can have a
It really depends on your definition of 'died out'. conversation in Cornish even if they aren't fluent.
The story goes that the last person who spoke And if you include all the people who know some
Cornish (and no English) was a woman called words and basic phrases then it could be as
Dolly Pentreath. She died in 1777 and some many as ten thousand. Not a lot admittedly, but a
people say that the language died with her. But of lot better than a hundred years ago. And the
Page 1 of 3
numbers are growing every year. Some children 'ayrplen' for aeroplane and 'pytsa' for pizza.
now grow up bilingual and the language is offered Some words are similar to English: fas (face),
as an option in some schools. You can even mam (mother), onyonen (onion) and plat (plate).
study the language to degree level at university. 'Avon' is Cornish for 'river' which may explain why
there are so many River Avons in Britain. Some
But is it really used in everyday life? words seem to be influenced by French, for
example, 'pons' (bridge), 'chambour' (bedroom),
Yes it is. You'll see and hear a lot of it if you visit and 'eglos' (church). But you might have a few
Cornwall. You'll see road signs in Cornish for a more problems with 'kenynen ewynek' (garlic)
start. Newspapers and radio stations have and 'scubylen dens' (toothbrush). And remember,
regular articles and programmes in Cornish and if you see 'stevel omwolhy' on a hotel door it isn't
there are some magazines written entirely in the the name of the manager - it's Cornish for
language. There are bookshops which only sell 'bathroom'.
books in Cornish and many businesses use
Cornish names. There is even a Cornish And here's the translation of the mini dialogue at
language film industry. the beginning of the article.
Can I understand it if I speak English? A: Hello! ("good day"). How are you?
B: Very well thank you. And you?
That doesn't help much I'm afraid. Some of the
modern words are easy to guess, for example Obvious isn't it?
Page 2 of 3
After reading
Exercise 1
In the table are 11 words from the text. Below are the definitions of these words. Can you match the
words to their definitions?
a. Celtic b. county c. degree

d. endangered e. everyday f. extinct
g. influenced h. invaded i. promote
j. revival k. survived
1. A political division of the UK or Ireland, forming the largest unit of local government
2. An instance of coming or bringing (something) back to life, health, existence, or use
3. At risk or in danger of being harmed, damaged or destroyed
4. Continued to live or exist, esp. after coming close to dying or being destroyed or after being in a
difficult or threatening situation
5. Encourage the popularity, sale, development or existence of (something)
6. Entered (a place) when not wanted, often by using force or in large numbers
7. Had an effect on people or things
8. No longer existing
9. Of an ancient European people whose modern relatives include the Irish, Scots, Welsh and Bretons,
or of their language or culture
10. Ordinary, typical or usual
11. The qualification given to a student who has completed a course of study at a college or university
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. b; 2. j; 3. d; 4. k; 5. i; 6. h; 7. g; 8. f; 9. a; 10. e; 11. c
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Languages
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (languages).
Read the article
The Meaning of Tingo

by Chris Rose
I recently found a book by the writer Adam Jacot Japanese, for example, may have given us
de Boinod called The Meaning Of Tingo. As a manga to describe a particular style of comic
native speaker of English, I was a bit confused. I book, but the English have not yet adopted the
had never heard of this word “tingo”, and was useful expression katahara itai - laughing so
curious about the title of the book. much that your stomach hurts. The Japanese, it
As I soon found out, even if you are not a native seems, have many such useful words – another
speaker, then going to your dictionary and one for example, is bakku-shan - a girl who
looking up the word “tingo” will not help. In fact, appears pretty from behind but not from the front.
you probably won’t find the word “tingo” there at Have you ever wanted to say that in merely one
all, and not least because of the fact that “tingo” word? Now you can.
is not an English word. “Tingo”, it seems, is one As well as Japanese, it seems that German is
of very many words which cannot be translated also a useful language. German often makes
into English – or at least one of those words “compound words” – one or more words joined
which are very difficult to try and translate into together to make a new word. Putzfimmel, for
English, or even into your own native language. example, is a mania for cleaning while
Backpfeifengesicht apparently describes the kind
The book The Meaning of Tingo is a kind of of face that people want to hit.
dictionary, but perhaps a dictionary you will not
find useful in the same way that your usual Jacot de Boinod’s book is not only amusing, but,
dictionary is. The Meaning of Tingo is a list of he claims, shows that way in which a language is
words from languages all over the world which inextricably linked to the culture in which it is
have very specific, not to say very unusual, spoken. Is it really true, then, that in Germany
meanings. there are a lot of people who have faces which
other people want to punch? Or that Japan has
English is a language that has always been more than its share of of bakku-shan? The reader
omnivorous, taking words from other languages may not at first be convinced by this, but when
to enrich its own vocabulary. English has taken you read that Hawaiians have 108 words for
the words pyjamas from Hindi to describe the sweet potato, 65 for fishing nets and 47 for
loose clothes you may wear when you go to bed, banana (simply because in Hawaii there are
croissant from French to describe a particular indeed 108 different kinds of sweet potato, 65
kind of sweet bread roll, or catastrophe from fishing nets and 47 different types of banana), it
Greek to describe a particularly bad event, or makes more sense. Albanians are famous for
angst from German to describe a particular their moustaches – and indeed the Albanian
mixture of fear and anger. And these are just a language contains 27 different words for
few of the many examples of words that English “moustache”- madh, for example, is a bushy
has made its own. moustache, posht is a moustache hanging down
However, it is interesting to look at words that at the ends while a fshes is a long moustache
even a greedy language such as English has not with short hairs. People from Holland and
(at least yet) made its own. Belgium appear to be more fun-loving. Dutch has
Page 1 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – Languages
a word uitwaaien - “walking in windy weather for have to work with an aviador - a government
fun”, while people in the Netherlands apparently employee who only shows up on payday.
often go to plimpplampplettere. What are they
doing? Just think about the sound – they are So, what exactly does “tingo” mean then? Well, to
skimming stones on water. find that out, you’ll just have to find the book. No,
not really! It's from the Pascuense language of
Easter Island, meaning "to borrow objects from a
friend's house, one by one, until there's nothing
left".
POSTSCRIPT
Some reviewers of the book have said that it

contains a number of mistakes. For example, the
etymology, or explanation of where words come
from. They have also said that many definitions
lack explanation, which suggests that his
research is really quite superficial. Perhaps most
importantly, one reviewer noted that de Boinod
writes that the word “papa” is used to mean
“father” in 70% of all languages in the world. This
More evidence of this link between language and seems interesting, but then the reviewer points
culture can be seen in the words which different out that seeing as there are more than 6 000
languages have for jobs which exist only in their languages in the world (a fact which de Boinod
cultures. Some of these jobs are pretty unusual: a includes), this means that he must have looked at
koshatnik in Russian is a dealer in stolen cats, around 4,200 languages – when he says that he
while Spanish speakers in central America often looked at only 270 dictionaries!
After reading
Exercise 1: Decide if each of the 8 statements about the text is True or False.
1. The writer says that English is a language which takes words from other languages and makes them
its own.
2. The writer thinks it is logical that there are so many words for “sweet potato” in the Hawaiian
language.
3. You have to read the book to find out what “tingo” actually means.
4. Some critics call into question the academic validity of the book.
5. The Meaning of Tingo is a dictionary.
6. The writer of the article was confused at first.
7. The writer of the article thinks that the book The Meaning of Tingo is useless.
8. The writer of the book thinks that there isn’t a connection between language and culture.

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of languages at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-languages.htm
• Magazine article: Cornish: "In the first lesson of any language course you'll probably learn a mini
dialogue like this. You'll find the translation at the end of this article, but can you guess what it means?"
• Word game: Foreign words. There are many words we use in English that come from or are adapted
from other languages. Match words to their languages of origin.
• Story: Funny Signs. Sometimes speakers of other languages do their best to try and help English
speakers by making signs in English. The results are sometimes surprising, to say the least!
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about languages.
• There is also a languages-related cartoon, a poll and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. True (T); 2. T; 3. False (F); 4. T; 5. F, 6. T; 7. F; 8. F
Page 2 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – Nigeria
Introduction

• the article that you can listen to in the podcast;
• two optional vocabulary activities based on the article;
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (Nigeria).
Read the article
The Nigerian Sound of Afrobeat

by John Kuti
My surname “Kuti” is a normal Hungarian During the 1970s and 1980s Fela was a leader
surname – it means something like “Wells” … as not only in music but in politics. They were
in the places where you get water out of the complicated times in Africa when many countries
ground. By a strange coincidence “Kuti” is also a in the region had recently become independent.
name in Nigerian. In the Yoruba language it People often found being freed from an empire
means “death cannot be caused by any human was not the solution to all their problems. Nigeria
being”. Now I don’t think that coincidences have had become independent in 1960. In 1968 the
any special meaning most of the time – but in this terrible Biafran war began, with the short-lived
case it is an example of the power of music to tell country of Biafra which was in the southern part
you things that are impossible to find out any of Nigeria. Up to a million people died – many of
other way. them from starvation. The country has had
various periods of military government since then.
I know this because of a musician – Fela Kuti. He
was born in Abeokuta about 60 miles north of
Lagos (which was then the capital of Nigeria) in
1938. When he was 20, his parents sent him to
London to study medicine. But instead he joined
Trinity College of Music, and he formed a band
called “Koola Lobitos”. I have no idea where they
got that name, but they became quite popular
around 1961 in London clubs. They probably
played some “r’n’b” which means “rhythm and
blues” an American style which, at that time, was
being adopted by British groups like the Rolling
Stones. They must have played West African
styles as well like “high-life” because another
member of the band was a singer from Lagos Fela was never afraid to express his opinions in
called Jimo Kombi Braimah. his songs, and that often got him into trouble. For
example his 1977 song “Zombie” about the
I think the first recordings of Fela Kuti were made military mentality …
under the name “Koola Lobitos”; but by then he
had already returned to Nigeria and invented his “Zombie - no go talk unless you tell him to talk
own style which was called “afrobeat” a mixture Zombie - no go think unless you tell them to
of American funk rhythms and jazz improvisation think”
with African percussion and vocals. His first hit
was sung in the Yoruba language and recorded They are very serious songs but they sound
by his group “Afrika 70” - Jeun Ko'ku (which happy, with lots of groovy rhythms and energetic
means ‘eat and die’) trumpet and saxophone playing. The words are
really a special variety of Nigerian Pidgin English,
Page 1 of 3
which is the best way to communicate with his Anikulapo instead of the English “Ransome”
audience– there are hundreds of different (which he called a “slave-name”.)
languages in Nigeria.
From the point of view of the government, maybe
Fela was always serious about his identity as an the worst thing he did was to try to make young
African. In his song “Gentleman” he made fun of Nigerians more interested and more active in the
Africans who wear clothes from cold countries in political life of their country. His music is a source
the tropical heat. In “Colonial Mentality” he also of information and an introduction to new ways of
explains why he adopted the African name thinking.
After reading
Exercise 1
In the table are some names and other words from the text. Below the table are explanations of the
names and other words. Can you match the names and other words to the explanations?
a. Afrika 70 b. Afrobeat c. Anikulapo

d. Biafra e. High-life f. Lagos
g. R’n’b h. wells i. Zombie
1. Places where you get water out of the ground

2. The former capital of Nigeria
3. Rhythm and blues
4. A west-African style of music popular in the 1960s and 70s
5. The style of music invented by Fela Kuti
6. The group which recorded Fela’s first hit
7. A country which was created from a part of Nigeria in the 1960s
8. A song by Fela about how soldiers think
9. The variety of English you can hear in many of Fela’s songs
10. The name Fela took instead of “Ransome”
Exercise 2
Choose the correct answer to each of the 10 questions below.
1. When two things happen that seem connected but are not, we say it’s:
a. a coincidence
b. a mentality
c. starvation
2. When you understand something you know its:

a. vocals
b. mentality
c. meaning
3. If you start to follow or use a certain style you:

a. adopt it.
b. find it out
c. express it
Page 2 of 3
4. If you play the drums, and other instruments which you hit, you play:
a. improvisation
b. percussion
c. region
5. If you are the singer in a group you do the:

a. funk
b. solution
c. vocals
6. If something is “complicated” it means that it:

a. is difficult to understand
b. has lots of people trying to be number one
c. feels sure that everything is OK
7. The problem of people not having food to eat is:

a. starvation
b. trouble
c. trumpet
8. Fela’s political songs often “got him into trouble” because:

a. they made fun of people
b. they were fun
c. they were funny
9. A good word for music that makes you want to dance is:
a. serious
b. groovy
c. active
10. Fela’s song “Colonial Mentality” explains:

a. why he changed his name
b. how soldiers think
c. the hot weather in Africa

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of Nigeria at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-nigeria.htm
• Word game: West African English. Discover differences between British English and West African
(and also Jamaican) English.
• Story: A Visitor to the Star. Anna Winter pulled on her Gucci sunglasses and sprayed herself with
the extra-strength mosquito repellent she had bought in the airport. Anna thought her job was very
difficult, and she told everybody about this. How could she be a front-line, award-winning,
adventurous journalist if she had to stay in bad hotels and eat bad food?
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about Nigeria.
• There is also a Nigeria-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. h; 2. f; 3. g; 4. e; 5. b; 6. a; 7; d; 8. i; 9. c
Exercise 2: 1. a; 2. c; 3. a; 4. b; 5. c; 6. a; 7. a; 8. a; 9. b; 10. a
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – The Olympic Games
Introduction

• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (Olympic Games).
Read the article
The Olympic Games: then and now

by Craig Duncan
In 2004 the Olympic Games returned to its home At the start of the games, every competitor had to
in Greece, where it began around 3000 years swear an oath that they were a free citizen of
ago. The first recorded Olympic festival took Greece who had committed no sacrilege against
place in 776 BC. Similar festivals had been the gods. In today’s Olympics, one athlete takes
organised for at least two or three centuries prior an oath on behalf of all the competitors, although
to this, but 776 BC saw the start of a regular of course it is a little different to the ancient Greek
festival which was to take place every Olympiad, oath. Today, competitors promise that they shall
or four year period. abide by the rules of the games, will act in an
honourable and sportsmanlike manner, and not
In ancient Greece citizens of different city states use any performance-enhancing drugs. Cheating,
could not always travel freely around the country, though, is almost as old as the games itself:
but during the Olympics the various rulers agreed records of the ancient Greek games are riddled
truces so as that their citizens could attend the with tales of athletes paying off their competitors,
Olympics without problems. Sport was only one and of boxers fixing the results of their fights. In
part of the festival; there were also ritual ancient Greece, though, there weren’t many ways
sacrifices, poetry readings, exhibitions of an athlete could cheat in a race: maybe take a
sculpture and trade fairs. It was a festival which shortcut, or borrow a horse. By the time of the St
celebrated on the one hand the Greek gods, and Louis Olympics in 1904, more modern means
on the other hand the abilities of the Greek were available. The original “winner” of the 1904
people. Olympic marathon, Fred Lorz, was disqualified
after it was revealed that he had travelled half the
The early athletic competitions were only running distance in a car. The man later declared the
races, but later other sports such as boxing and official winner, Thomas Hicks, wasn’t much
wrestling came to be included. It was not simply a better: he was carried across the finishing line by
matter of professional athletes arriving and two of his trainers. Hicks’s trainers had tried to
entering the competitions; for one thing, there enhance his running ability by feeding him a mix
were no professional athletes! All the competitors of egg whites, strychnine and brandy. This early
were ordinary Greek citizens who felt that they attempt at a performance-enhancing drug was
were among the best in their chosen sports. rather unsuccessful, as it left Hicks drunk and
Anyone wishing to compete had to arrive four incapable. The trick of having two men carrying
weeks early, and undergo a full month of training. him, though, seems to have worked.
It wasn’t only physical training, either: would-be
competitors had to prove that they were morally The motivation for cheating hasn’t changed much
and spiritually suitable to compete. Even if at all. Today, athletes compete primarily for the
someone was physically fit enough, they couldn’t honour of being awarded a gold medal, but also
compete unless the judges thought they were of for the enormous amounts of lucrative corporate
the right moral fibre. Curiously, all sportsmen sponsorship bestowed upon top sportspeople.
competed nude – it was widely believed that Similarly, while ancient Greek athletes were
wearing clothes slowed an athlete down! officially only competing for the honour of being
Page 1 of 3
awarded a symbolic olive branch, winners were politicians of the time felt that nations were no
usually sponsored by their city state, receiving a longer competing primarily in sport, but in
large sum of money, or a new home, or a lengthy agriculture and manufacturing. It was decided,
tax holiday. then, that these new Olympics ought to be as
much about competing in industry as in sport.
As mentioned earlier, the connection between The sports events were highly popular, but in
sport and business hasn’t changed much. Even terms of funding and regularity were of a lower
in the earliest Olympics, sporting competition priority than the commercial side, which
went alongside trade fairs and business deals. concentrated on the demonstration of agricultural
This was acknowledged in 19th century Greece and industrial inventions.
when the first modern attempts were made to
revive the Olympics. The “Zappian Olympics”, as However, the sporting side of the games were
they became known after wealthy organiser hugely popular with the public, and the level of
Evangelos Zappas, were the bridge between the support meant that, in Athens in 1896, the
ancient and modern Olympics, and took place in Olympics as we know them began. Despite the
Greece between 1859 and 1875. It was the first occasional shambles of the sort we saw in St
real international sporting competition, but Louis in 1904, it has continued from strength to
officially it was about far more than sport. Greek strength since then.
After reading
Exercise 1
Choose the correct answer to each of the following 5 questions about the text.
1. The Zappian Olympics were:

(a) a 19th century attempt to revive the Olympic Games
(b) a huge Frank Zappa concert
(c) a competition between ancient Greek city states
(d) a series of marathons
2. The 1904 Olympic marathon was eventually won by:

(a) a man in a car
(b) a drunk man who was carried across the finishing line
(c) Evangelos Zappas
(d) one of the competitors’ trainers
3. In ancient Greece, an Olympic winner might receive:

(a) an olive branch
(b) a tax holiday
(c) a sum of money
(d) all of the above
4. An “Olympiad” is:
(a) a promise not to cheat
(b) a type of ancient vehicle
(c) a four year period
(d) a festival
5. The ancient Olympics attracted competitors from:

(a) all over the world
(b) Athens
(c) all over Europe
(d) all over Ancient Greece
Page 2 of 3

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of the Olympics at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-olympics-summer.htm
• Magazine article: The Olympics. "Winning the Olympics is not about the medal. It is about how you
feel, deep inside, at the moment of victory…it is about the unbelievable attraction of history."
(Matthew Pinsent: - Olympic Gold Medal Winner (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000).
• Word game: Olympic events (x 4) Match names and descriptions of different Olympic sports.
• Story: Athletes of the Ancient Olympic Games. Read short biographies of 5 great athletes from
the Ancient Olympics and do an activity in which you compare the information in them.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about the Olympic Games.
• There are also 2 Olympic-related cartoons, a poll and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. (a); 2. (b); 3. (d); 4. (c); 5. (d)
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Postal systems
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (postal systems).
Read the article
The post
by John Russell
How did the postal service begin? international traders and many capital cities set
For as long as humans have existed there has up unofficial postal links. There was one such link
been a need to keep in touch, to transfer between Venice and Constantinople in the 14th
information between people in different places. Century.
This could have been news about important
events, military information, or families staying in Who could use the post?
contact. Before the invention of writing, spoken - Until the mid 1600's in Europe only official
oral messages were carried from one person to Government messages could be carried by the
another or between towns. Writing made it much state networks; everyone else had to use less
easier to send longer messages; however, it was secure, unofficial networks. However, as more
still difficult to make sure that your message got roads were built, unofficial networks became
to the right place. safer, more reliable and very profitable. Realising
they could make money, governments in most
Who organised the first delivery system? countries took control of their own public postal
The Romans created an organised system of system - making the unofficial networks illegal!
mail delivery, called Cursus Publicus. This was
used by the Emperor and officials to transfer
information throughout the Empire. Staging posts
and a relay system with horses and carriages
meant that messages could move quickly, by
using many riders instead of one. It was very
important for law and order, business, and
military reasons that good communication
systems existed. However, the Romans were not
(as many people think) the first to realise this. In
2000 BC the Egyptians used a similar messenger
system to keep people informed about the laws in
the country. The Chinese and Persian empires
also used systems of horses and riders more
than 500 years before the Romans.
How was it paid for?
Before the invention of the postage stamp, letters
What came after the Romans?
were 'franked.' This meant that it was marked on
After the Roman postal service disappeared,
the letter that delivery had been paid for. This
other systems were created, but never again as
could have been either written or stamped. A
large as the Roman’s. Rulers of countries or
post-mark was also stamped on the letter.
regions (such as Charlemagne) and even the
Invented in 1660 in England, this was a mark that
church created their own official mail network. It
showed where and when the letter had been
was also very important for business between
posted. It was used to see how long it took to
countries that good communication existed;
Page 1 of 3
deliver the letter - to make sure the service was Until the 1870's it was still very expensive to send
reliable. mail to other countries. The Universal Postal
Union was created in 1874 to help countries work
When were stamps invented? together and set reasonable prices for
A number of countries claim to have invented the international mail prices. It cannot tell individual
idea of stamps - placing a piece of paper on the countries how much to charge, but it encourages
letter showing that delivery had been paid for. But co-operation. Its main aim is to make sure that
the first widely available stamp was the Penny "all people have affordable and reliable access to
Blank, introduced in Britain by a man called postal services."
Rowland Hill in 1840. It was a black stamp with a
white picture of the Queen’s head on it. Hill What is snail mail?
changed the idea of payment from distance to With the creation of airmail, it's now cheap and
weight, which meant you paid for how heavy your quick to send letters to most parts of the world.
letter was, not how far it travelled. The year Unfortunately, the growth of new technology (the
before its introduction about 75 million letters had Internet, emails, fax machines) means that
been posted in Britain, yet only 10 years later traditional postal services are becoming less
over 340 million letters were sent using stamps. It popular. Many people now call traditional post
was a very important invention and completely “snail mail”, because it does not have the speed
changed the postal system. To buy a first-edition of an email or a text message. Remember
of this stamp today can cost over £1000! though, it has been here for over 2000 years, and
is still a way of delivering a personal message.
Who decides international prices? Why don't you write a letter to someone today?
Glossary
affordable (adj): not expensive reliable (adj): Something or someone that is reliable
carriage (n): a vehicle with four wheels, which is can be trusted or believed because they work or
usually pulled by horses and was used especially in behave well in the way you expect
the past relay (n): a group of people who continue an activity
deliver (v): to take goods, letters, parcels etc. to that others from the same team or organization have
people's houses or places of work been doing previously
first edition (n): an original version of something, e.g. rider (n): a person who travels along on a horse
a book / painting staging posts (n): a place where stops are regularly
keep in touch (idiom): If you are in touch with made on long journeys
someone, your knowledge about him or her is recent stamp (v): putting a mark on an object either by
network (n): a large system consisting of many similar printing on it or pushing into it
parts that are connected together state (n): a country or its government
official (adj) agreed to or arranged by people in trader (n): a person who buys and sells things
positions of authority unofficial (adj): opposite of official
After reading
Exercise 1
Can you put the events from the article below in the correct order?
1. Airmail was first used

2. Egyptians used a postal system
3. Governments took control of the post
4. Oral messages were first transmitted
5. People began using the word 'snail mail'
6. Persians first used a postal system
7. Romans delivered messages using horses and riders
8. The Church developed a postal system
9. The first stamp was used
10. The post mark was invented
11. Universal Postal Union was created
Page 2 of 3

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of postal systems at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-post.htm
• Word game: "Post" words. Group words depending on which meaning of the word 'post' they
relate to.
• Poem: Travelling Post Office: This ballad by ‘Banjo’ Paterson shows what an enormous task it was
delivering mail in a country as vast as Australia before modern technologies existed.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about postal systems.
• There is also a post-related cartoon, and some carefully selected external links.
Answers
Exercise 1: 4; 2; 6; 7; 8; 3; 10; 9; 11; 1; 5
Page 3 of 3
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish
LearnEnglish Central
Articles
THEATRE
by Chris Rose
In many parts of the world, and not only in the UK, “going to the theatre” is seen as an
activity which only a very few people do.
“Theatre” is not often seen as being a pastime that many ordinary people do. Ordinary people
watch tv, or go to the cinema, or go out to eat with friends. The theatre is for rich, upper class
intellectuals.
Like a lot of clichés, there is some truth in this. Theatre tickets are quite expensive. They cost
more than cinema tickets. Theatres which show new plays are usually only in big cities.
However, even though this is true, there are a lot of theatre companies who are challenging this
idea. And the way they are challenging this idea is by working with schools. In the UK, many
theatre companies now have an “educational department”. Companies such as Complicité,
Northern Broadsides and Shared Experience go into schools and help students to understand
and enjoy the plays they do.
One company that has made educational work their speciality is the David Glass Ensemble. The
work they do, however, is quite different. The David Glass Ensemble run an ongoing project
called “The Lost Child”. “The Lost Child” is not a play which they travel around the world to
perform. “The Lost Child” doesn’t even have a script. What exactly is “The Lost Child” then?
“The Lost Child” is a series of activities which actors from the David Glass Ensemble do together
with children who are in difficult situations. They have worked with refugees and victims of child
abuse all over the world, mostly in South East Asia, but also in Europe and South America.
Three or four actors from the company spend a period of time, usually three or four weeks,
starting from games, drawing and singing to develop the children’s confidence and give them a
sense of security. Out of the childrens’ drawings, and from talking to them, the actors identify
some of the children’s problems and ideas, and then they develop a play based on these ideas.
Sometimes they have made short films. Sometimes the plays are a series of sketches and
songs. Sometimes the plays tell one story.
Children who have taken part in “The Lost Child” almost always end up with a better sense of
security, and feel more confident about themselves. They can show that they have intelligence
and creativity, no matter what has happened or is happening in their lives. They also have more
interest in theatre and film.
In Shakespeare’s day going to the theatre was an activity which everyone did. There were
expensive seats for the rich people, and other people could buy a cheap ticket to stand up and
watch the play. (This still happens at the rebuilt Globe theatre in London – a theatre which is
exactly the same as it was in Shakespeare’s time. The Globe, of course, also has its educational
department). Even though today’s world is very different, companies like the David Glass
Ensemble are helping to create a situation in which the theatre is for everyone.
Magazine Article - Tobacco
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/tobacco
Introduction
Tobacco
tobacco
the article
a glossary

1. deadly 2. addictive 3. crumble 4. spoil
5. cure 6. puff 7. brand 8. income
Definitions:
a. amount of smoke inhaled each time a smoker puts a cigarette to his/her mouth
b. to become bad
c. the money you receive from doing work
d. a type of product made by a particular company
e. describes something that you can't stop doing
f. to treat food, tobacco, etc. with smoke or salt, etc... in order to preserve it
g. to break something into small pieces
h. very dangerous
Tobacco
What’s in a cigarette? What’s in a puff? couple of months, the flowering plants and
Tobacco smoke contains about 4,000 some of the upper leaves are cut to allow more
chemicals. Some of which are harmful, others growth in the remaining leaves. The crop
deadly. Here are 3 of the deadliest. gradually grows towards the harvesting stage.
Tar Harvest
Tar, a mixture of chemicals such as In most countries harvesting is done by hand.
formaldehyde, arsenic and cyanide, can cause The farmer takes off a few leaves from the
serious lung diseases. Seventy percent of the lower part of each plant. A typical farmer can
tar from tobacco smoke remains in the smoker’s expect to harvest about 15,000 plants. This is
lungs. quite a lot considering each plant contains
around 22 leaves.
Nicotine
Many people are unaware that nicotine is more Curing
addictive than heroine. A powerful and fast- There are four main methods.
acting drug, nicotine reaches the brain in about
Air-cured tobacco is hung in unheated,
seven seconds. One of the major effects of
ventilated barns until the tobacco dries and the
nicotine is an increased heart rate and blood
tobacco leaf becomes a light to medium brown
pressure.
colour.
Carbon monoxide Flue-cured tobacco is made when heat is
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas formed introduced into a barn through pipes from a
when a cigarette is lit. The red blood cells furnace outside. The leaves are heated until
absorb the gas more easily than oxygen, so up they turn yellow.
to fifteen percent of a smoker’s blood may be
Sun-cured tobacco leaves are hung out on
carrying carbon monoxide instead of oxygen.
racks and exposed to the sun’s rays. The direct
Breathing becomes more difficult because the
heat turns the leaves a yellow to orange colour.
heart has to work harder to pump less oxygen
around the body. For fire curing, wood is burnt under the tobacco
leaves, which dries the tobacco and produces a
From seed to smoke smoky fragrance.
What do tomatoes and tobacco have in
Processing
common? They are both a member of the same
botanical family. Tobacco is grown in more than There are four stages in processing. Dirt is
one hundred countries with China being the removed from the cured tobacco. The leaf is
largest producer, closely followed by the USA. separated from the stem (a process known as
Tobacco can grow well in poorer soils so a threshing). The moisture content is checked
typical farmer can expect a good income from carefully. The processed tobacco is packed into
planting this crop. 200kg cardboard boxes, for shipping to
manufacturing sites.
Seeds and fertiliser are often provided by British
American Tobacco. The seeds are so small that Manufacturing
they must be protected in seedbeds for sixty At the factory, the matured tobacco is checked
days before transplanting to the field. Two for quality and then carefully blended with other
weeks later, soil is carefully pushed up against ingredients which are needed for the brand
the seedlings to further protect them and help to recipe, such as flavourings.
develop a good root system. Finally, after a
Moisture content is crucial. Too dry and the tobacco, cigarette paper and filters continuously
tobacco leaf will crumble; too moist and it may fed into the cigarette-making machines.
spoil during storage. The blended tobacco is
Packing machines put the cigarettes into the
treated with just the right amount of steam and
familiar brand packs, wrap the packs in
water to make it supple, and then cut into the
protective film, and group them into cartons and
form in which it appears in the cigarette. The cut
cases.
tobacco is then given a quality check.
The completed cases, time-dated to ensure the
Cigarette making, once done entirely by hand,
freshest product possible, are then ready for
is today almost fully automated with the cut
distribution.
Comprehension Task
True or False
Read the following statements and decide if they are true or false.
1. There are about 4,000 deadly chemicals in cigarette smoke.

2. If you start smoking cigarettes, it is really difficult to stop.
3. Tobacco is a good crop for farmers.
4. Most farmers use machines to harvest their tobacco crop.
5. After the crop is harvested, it is ready to be processed.
6. All tobacco is cured, hung in a barn over a fire.
7. When the tobacco has been processed, it is rolled into cigarettes by machines.
Glossary
arsenic (n): a very strong poison that can kill people.
automated (adj): from the verb automate - to make a process in a factory or office operate by machines or
computers, in order to reduce the amount of work done by humans and the time taken to do the work.
cyanide (n): a highly poisonous substance.
fertiliser (n): a natural or chemical substance used to make plants grow.
film (n): a thin layer of plastic to cover and protect an object.
formaldehyde (n): a strong smelling gas used for preservation.
fragrance (n): a smell.
stem (n): the stick-like central part of a plant which grows above the ground and from which leaves and flowers
grow, or a smaller thin part which grows from the central part and which supports the leaves and flowers.
furnace (n): a piece of equipment for heating a building.
seedling (n): a young plant grown from a seed.
supple (adj): bending or able to be bent easily; not stiff.
ventilated (adj): from the verb to ventilate, provide air to cause fresh air to enter and move
around an enclosed space. Answers
Podcasts – Themes – City vs. country
Introduction

• an optional language activity based on the article
• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (city vs. country).
Read the article
Town or country mouse?

by John Russell
Once upon a time, there were two mice – Alex, however, lives in a small village in the
cousins. One lived in the town and the other in countryside. He cycles to work down country
the country. The town mouse was a very superior lanes every morning, the sound of tractors, birds
mouse, who thought that living in the town was and animals in his ears. In the evening, he
far better than living the country. So one day, he relaxes at home in front of the fire with a good
invited his country cousin to stay with him in his book to read. At weekends, he goes for long
town house and experience the civilized lifestyle walks in the fields with his dog.
of the town. They sat down to a meal, which to
the country mouse was a feast. “Goodness me” Unfortunately, life is not as simple as stories
he said. “If I was in the country, I would be having make it. A lot of today’s ‘town mice’ such as
only simple bread and cheese in the quiet of my Maria would be happy to live in the country. Many
peaceful home.” Suddenly, there was a loud modern cities have very large populations (Tokyo
noise at the door. “Don’t worry,” said the town or Mexico City - over 25 million) and can be
mouse, “that’s just my neighbour - the dog, he crowded, dirty and dangerous places to live.
wants to join us for dinner.” The country mouse More than half the world’s population now lives in
ate a little faster. Another noise was heard cities. In much of Europe and North America this
outside, even louder this time. “Oh dear” said the can be as high as much as 80% of a country’s
town mouse, “the cat who lives facing my house population. (According to the United Nations,
wants to join us too.” Quickly eating the last of his approximately 1 billion people in cities are living
meal, the country mouse said, “thank you, but I in slum conditions – overcrowded and unhealthy).
think I will return to the peace and quiet of my
own house after all!” Then he ran back home as
fast as his legs could carry him.
This simple tale (taken from Aesop’s famous

stories) shows that what may be a good place to
live for one person, may not be good for another.
A modern version of this story might look like this:
Maria lives in a big city surrounded by the speed

and convenience of urban life. She works in an
office with 1000 other employees, and travels too
and from there on a crowded Metro. Her home is
a flat overlooking a busy city-street, which is
always alive with the sound of traffic and people
passing by. After work she meets with friends in a The 18th Century marked the beginning of the
bar or restaurant before going on to a disco or Industrial Revolution, the depopulation of the
nightclub. Weekends are spent in the shopping countryside, and the move to towns. The towns
mall with its numerous shops, multi-screen became places of mass employment in factories
cinemas, fast food and entertainment complexes. and offices. Today, many town dwellers wish to
Page 1 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – City vs. country
reverse this trend and return to a slower pace of people are to be persuaded to stay in the
life like Alex, our modern ‘country mouse’. Yet, a countryside, other benefits of the city need to be
modern country existence is not without its available (employment, healthcare and
problems; poor transport, lack of access to education). Conversely, the introduction of city
hospitals and education, and services found in parks and forests, and traffic free zones, has
towns such as large shops, banks and helped in bringing a little of the countryside to the
entertainment. city streets.
The debate between town and country is The UN World habitat day (4th October) this year
meaningless these days, as so many people live looks at this issue. It emphasises the need for
in towns, and very few people are actually able to strong links between town and countryside, and
choose where they live; this is dictated by their their mutual dependence upon each other.
work or birth. The internet and other mass media
have linked country areas to the world, providing Are you a town mouse or a country mouse?
access to information – even to remote areas. If
After reading
Exercise 1: Below are 10 sentences from the text, but the words are in the wrong order and the
punctuation is missing. Can you put the words in the correct order and put in the punctuation?
1. civilised mouse town the city life thought was

2. peace quiet the and country missed mouse
3. maria’s a busy house overlooks street city
4. the shopping weekends goes to maria mall at
5. reading of the alex enjoys front in fire
6. large very modern have cities populations
7. to are live slums places overcrowded
8. in 18th moved to countryside people city the from century
9. internet in information the people to provides local areas
10. the is world un in october day habitat

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of city vs. country at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-city-country.htm
• Word game: Town and Country puzzles. Practise idioms containing the word "town" in the town jigsaw
puzzle. Practise different expressions containing the word "country" in the country jigsaw puzzle.
• Poems: Town & country. In 'Progress', Osbert Sitwell provides negative images of the city and conjures
up fond memories of the country. In 'The City', Charles Hanson Towne does the opposite. Compare
them!
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about city vs. country.
• There is also a city vs. country-related cartoon, a poll and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to language activity:
1. The town mouse thought city life was civilized.
2. The country mouse missed peace and quiet.
3. Maria's house overlooks a busy city street.
4. At weekends Maria goes to the shopping mall.
5. Alex enjoys reading in front of a fire.
6. Modern cities have very large populations.
7. Slums are overcrowded places to live.
8. People moved from countryside to cities in the 18th century.
9. The Internet provides information to people in remote areas.
10. The UN World Habitat Day is in October.
Page 2 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – Transport
Introduction

• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (transport).
Read the article

Trains: past, present and future
by John Russell
Why did railways develop? line. Unfortunately, during the competition, a

Railways are not a modern invention as most of Member of Parliament wasn't careful as he
us think. The idea of transporting things and crossed the tracks and The Rocket knocked him
people on rails has been around for a long time. down. He died later. This was one of the first train
Rails were made of wood, stone or metal, and accidents in history.
railway wagons were pulled by horses, some What was the Golden Age of Steam?
were even wind powered and had sails. At the The next 130 years can be described as a
start of the Industrial Revolution in Britain, people Golden Age of Steam. Railways were built all
needed to transport raw materials such as coal, over the world, and the size, speed and comfort
so created a network of canals and rail links of trains continued to increase. By 1870 it was
between towns. But canals and horsepower were possible to cross America by train, and the
a very slow way to move things around the building of railways in many other countries
country, so the speed of railway wagons needed allowed people and progress to move quickly
to be increased. across the world.
How did steam engines help?
By 1800 many industries were using steam
engines, designed by James Watt (from where
we get the electrical measurement - Watt).
Richard Trevithick, a Cornish engineer, refined
Watts’ invention and after failing to build a steam
powered road vehicle, he designed the first
locomotive for an Iron Works in Wales. He called
it a 'puffer' because of the noise it made, and on
its first journey it travelled at almost 8 km/h an
hour! Unfortunately, it was so heavy that it broke
the rails - it only made three journeys. But it had
shown that steam engines could be used to move
trains, and speeds began to increase. There were famous trains and famous journeys.
The Orient Express started in 1883 and carried
When was the first accident?
people in luxury through more than 13 countries
By 1829 locomotives were travelling at speeds of
between France and Turkey. The Flying
over 45km/h and the first public railway had been
Scotsman travelled non-stop from London to
opened, the Stockton and Darlington Railway.
Edinburgh, between 1928 and 1963, and reached
The most famous early locomotive was The
speeds of over 130 km/h. The Trans-Siberian
Rocket. In 1833 it won a competition organised
railway was finished in 1916, and is still the
by the owners of the Manchester and Liverpool
longest railway line in the world. It goes between
railway, to find the best locomotive for their new
St. Petersburg and Vladivostok, is over 9000 km
Page 1 of 3
long and even today the journey takes over a The famous Bullet Train in Japan and the TGV in
week. France can both carry passengers at speeds of
over 300km/h. Journey times are now much
The fastest steam train in the world was The shorter, and trains can travel on some unusual
Mallard. This locomotive travelled up and down routes; up hills, through mountains, even under
the east coast of England between London and the sea. Euro-tunnel was opened in 1994 and
York, and in 1938 reached 202 km/h. connects Britain to France through a railway that
goes under the sea.
What replaced steam engines?
Although it is still possible to travel on the Trans- How can trains further develop?
Siberian railway, and take the Orient Express The future of train travel could be in Maglev
from Paris to Vienna, steam trains such as the trains. These trains are supported by electro-
Mallard or Flying Scotsman, have not travelled magnets and hover off the ground. Some
regularly for almost 30 years in many countries. countries are already using this technology in
Diesel powered locomotives or trains running on cities, and others are planning to use it on longer
electrified lines now run on most railways. journeys. At the moment they can go more than
Modern trains are cleaner and much faster than 500km/h, but some engineers think speeds of
steam engines but many people still miss the over 1000 km/h are possible – some even think
puffing sound and the romance of steam. they could be used to launch space shuttles!
Trains have come a long way since Richard
How fast can trains travel now? Trevithick’s puffer.
Quite a few countries now use high speed trains.
Glossary
coast (n): the land next to or close to the sea. movement or communication between the parts.
comfort (n): a pleasant feeling of being relaxed. rails (n): one of the two bars fixed to the ground on
electrify (v): to make a machine or system operate which trains travel.
using electricity. refine (v): to improve an idea, method, system, etc.
hover (v): to stay in one place in the air. by making small changes.
knock sb down (phr v): to hit someone with a steam engine (n): a machine that uses the energy
vehicle and injure or kill them. from steam to produce movement.
locomotive (n): the engine of a train. tracks (n): the pair of long metal bars fixed on the
luxury (n): great comfort, especially as provided by ground at an equal distance from each other, along
expensive and beautiful things. which trains travel.
magnet (n): an object that is able both to attract wagons (n): a vehicle with four wheels, usually
iron and steel objects and also push them away. pulled by horses or oxen, used for transporting
network (n): a large system consisting of many heavy goods, especially in the past.
similar parts that are connected together to allow
Page 2 of 3
After reading
Exercise
1. Railways are a recent invention 6. How many times did The Flying Scotsman stop
• True (for passengers), between London and
• False Edinburgh?
• 0
2. Rails were always made of metal • 2
• True • 5
• False
7. Was all of the Trans-Siberian Express open
3. Who invented the first steam engine for trains? 100 years ago?
• James Watt • Yes
• Richard Trevithick • No
4. The Rocket first travelled on the: 8. Which country uses the TGV?
• Stockton and Darlington Railway • France
• Manchester and Liverpool Railway • Germany
• Eurotunnel • Japan
5. The Orient Express was: 9. Euro Tunnel connects which two countries?
• A railway in China • Britain and Wales
• The fastest steam train in the world • France and Italy
• A European train service for rich people • Britain and France
10. Maglev trains can now travel at 1000 km/h

• True
• False

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of transport at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-transport.htm
• Magazine articles: There are 2 other articles: Amelia Earhart and Motorcycles
• Agents Underground: I spy with my little eye ... In this game you are a secret agent travelling
around London on the tube, solving puzzles as you go.
• Word games: There are 9 word games, including aircraft; motorcycle; seafaring and train game.
• Stories: There is 1 story: The Secret Motorcycle.
• Poems: There are 3 poems: Alfie and Me, Mulga Bill's Bicycle and The Tay Bridge Disaster.
• Trivia: The following trivia topics are available for this theme: aviation, motorcycles and trains.
• Science: cubed - Driverless bus and Grow your own car.
• There are also 6 transport-related cartoons, and the following sets of carefully selected external
links: aviation, motorcycles, seafaring and trains.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. False; 2. False; 3. Richard Trevithick; 4. Manchester and Liverpool
Railway; 5. A European train service for rich people; 6. 0; 7. No; 8. France; 9. Britain and France; 10. False
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Treasure
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (treasure).
Read the article
Treasure!
by Alison Driver
When I was a young girl living in Ireland, I was priceless cargo of the sunken Spanish galleon
always pleased when it rained, because that Atocha, which netted him an incredible 400
meant I could go treasure hunting. What’s the million dollars!
connection between a wet day and a search for
buried treasure? Well, it’s quite simple. Ireland,
as some of you may already know, is the home of
Leprechauns – little men who possess magic
powers and, perhaps more interestingly, pots of
gold.
Now, although Leprechauns are intriguing

characters (and you can read up more about
them as there is a link at the end of this article), I
have to admit that I was more intrigued by the
stories of their treasure hoard. This, as all of
Ireland knows, they hide at the end of the
rainbow. Leprechauns can be fearsome folk but if
you can discover the end of the rainbow, they
have to (begrudgingly) surrender their gold to
you. So whenever it rained, I would look up in the
sky and follow the curve of the rainbow to see
where it ended. I never did unearth any treasure,
but I did spend many happy, showery days
dreaming of what I could do with the fortune if I
found it.
As I got older, and started working, rainy days

came to be just another nuisance and my
childhood dreams of finding treasure faded. But After the ship sank in 1622 off the coast of
for some people the dream of striking it lucky Florida, its murky waters became a treasure trove
never fades, and for a fortunate few, the dream of precious stones, gold bars and silver coins
even comes true! Such is the case of Mel Fisher. known as “pieces of eight”. The aptly-named
His dream of finding treasure also began in Fisher, who ran a commercial salvaging
childhood, while reading the great literature operation, had been trying to locate the
classics “Treasure Island” and “Moby Dick”. underwater treasure for over 16 years when he
However, unlike me, he chased his dream and in finally hit the jackpot! His dreams had come true
the end managed to become one of the most but finding and keeping the treasure wasn’t all
famous professional treasure hunters of all time, plain sailing. After battling with hostile conditions
and for good reason. In 1985, he fished up the at sea, Fisher then had to battle in the courts. In
Page 1 of 3
fact, the State of Florida took Fisher to court over is accurately and minutely recorded and that it is
ownership of the find and the Federal this information which is more important than the
government soon followed suit. After more than actual artefact, and that such operations help
200 hearings, Fisher agreed to donate 20% of his increase our wealth of archaeological knowledge.
yearly findings for public display, and so now Indeed, as in Fisher’s case, they make history
there is a museum in Florida which displays more accessible to people through museum
hundreds of the artefacts which were salvaged donations and information on web sites.
from the Atocha.
The distinction of whether these treasure hunters
This true story seems like a modern-day fairytale: are salvaging or pillaging our underwater heritage
a man pursues his dream through adversity and may not be clear, but what is clear is that
in the end, he triumphs over the difficulties - they treasure hunting is not just innocent child’s play
all live happily ever after, right? Well, not exactly. anymore but profitable big business. I have learnt
Archaeologists object to the fact that with that the end of the rainbow is beyond my reach,
commercial salvaging operations like Fisher’s, but in consolation, with just a click of the mouse, I
the artefacts are sold and dispersed and too can have a share in the riches that the Atocha
UNESCO are worried about protecting our has revealed. As Friedrich Nietzsche so wisely
underwater heritage from what it describes as said:
“pillaging”.
“Our treasure lies in the beehive of our
The counter-argument is that in professional, knowledge”
well-run operations such as Fisher’s, each piece
After reading
Exercise 1
This exercise tests your knowledge of collocations. Match the words in the left-hand column with the
words in the right-hand column.
1. dreams a. it lucky
2. follow b. waters
3. hit c. trove
4. murky d. suit
5. plain e. a dream
6. pursue f. the jackpot
7. strike g. come true
8. take h. sailing
9. treasure i. over adversity
10. triumph j. someone to court
Page 2 of 3

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of treasure at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-treasure.htm
• Word game: Treasure hunt. Follow the instructions and move around like you're told to until ... X
marks the spot!
• Story: Treasure Story. This story by Serdar Yıldırım, one of our readers, tells of Keloğlan, a
young man who sets off to find some hidden treasure. With the help of the wise man Nasreddin
Hodja he succeeds, and all his dreams come true ...
• Story: Treasure Island. This classic adventure novel by Robert Louis Stevenson narrates a tale of
"buccaneers and buried gold". First published in 1883, its influence on popular perception of
pirates is vast.
• Story:The treasure map. Sarah and Sanjay can see a bottle. What's in it? It's a treasure map! Will
Sarah and Sanjay find the treasure? What will they find?
• Printable activity: A treasure map. Can you break the code and find the treasure?
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about treasure.
• There is also a treasure-related cartoon, and some carefully selected external links.
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. g; 2. d; 3. f; 4. b; 5. h; 6. e; 7. a; 8. j; 9. c; 10. i
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Twins
Introduction

• A pre-reading vocabulary activity
• A language activity based on the article
• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (twins).
Before you read

Before you read the article, have a look at the glossary, which explains some of the more difficult words
and expressions.
Glossary
have in common when two things or people are the same in some way
there are more of them about these days you can see more of them now than in the past
increase the probabilities of it is more possible that it will happen
grown up adult
after 40 years apart they were separated for forty years
short-sighted when you have difficulty seeing things far away from you
picked up the local accent started speaking with the same pronunciation as people
who live near him
was obsessed with thought continually about the same thing
telling which is which to distinguish one person from another
had similar tastes in like the same things as someone else
time to themselves time alone
take the words out of her mouth to say exactly what another person is going to say
Read the article

Twins
by Richard Sidaway
What do the singer Alanis Morissette, the The USA seems like a particularly good place to
supermodel Gisele Bundchen and the head of the have a similar sibling. At the University of
United Nations Kofi Annan all have in common? Minnesota they have been studying 8,000 pairs
The answer is that they all have a brother or of twins since they were born. In the state of
sister who was born on the same day as them – a Ohio, there is a festival for twins every year in a
twin. And what links actresses Julia Roberts, place called… Twinsburg. And in New York there
Geena Davis and Holly Hunter? They all have is even a restaurant which employs 37 sets of
twin children. identical twins!
You probably either have some twins in your Scientists love twins. Because they share the
family or you knew some at school – there are same genes, any differences between them must
more of them about these days. This is because be because of environmental factors. Science
women are older when they have their first child now understands more about heart disease,
and because more women are having fertility cancer, and getting old from studying twins.
treatment. Both of these things increase the
probabilities of two babies developing from the Sometimes twins are separated at birth and only
same egg. meet again when they are grown up. Even so,
Page 1 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – Twins
they sometimes make choices in life which are just spending time together. Both pairs had
strangely similar. One pair only met each other similar tastes in music and food, and even
after 40 years apart and found that their wives thought their voices sounded the same
had the same name. And so did their children sometimes. Both pairs also commented that they
and their pets! would like more time to themselves…
Is there a difference between being physically When I asked them what they were good at in
identical and only being born on the same day? I school, one pair wrote the same five subjects
knew a pair of non-identical twins when I was a almost in the same order. The other pair only had
boy. They were proud to be completely different three subjects in common - one was interested in
from each other. One was very short-sighted from the Arts and the other more in science subjects.
an early age and wore glasses. He picked up the
local accent and was obsessed with trains. His I also asked them if they ever had the same
brother spoke with a posh accent and was very thoughts as their twin. The first pair said yes – for
musical. The first became a train driver and example, one of them often started talking about
moved to Scotland. His brother went to a music what the other one was thinking. Strangely, the
college in London and became a concert pianist. other pair disagreed about whether this was true.
One of the twins said that her sister would take
I have recently been the teacher of two pairs of the words out of her mouth, while the other said
identical twins - I often have difficulty telling which this never happened to her.
is which. Luckily they don’t seem to mind. One
day, I gave them a list of questions to see what The most interesting thing for me was studying
they felt about being so close. Each twin the results of the psychological part of the test. I
answered the questions in a separate room. asked them to describe their personality using
twelve different pairs of sentences. I found that
Both pairs said they did many everyday activities each twin gave almost identical answers to her
together – studying, shopping, watching TV, or sister!
After reading - Exercise

Below are 7 facts from the article, but they are not in the order that they appear in the text. Decide which
is the correct order.
A Non-identical twins often have very different lifestyles

B Studying twins can help us know if illness is related to genetics or upbringing
C Identical twins say they sometimes read each other’s thoughts
D There were fewer twins in the past because women didn’t use fertility treatments
E Some twins take similar decisions in life even when they live completely separate lives
F Identical twins sometimes have very similar personalities
G An American university is studying thousands of twins from the moment of their birth

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of twins at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-twins.htm
• Word games: Homophones. Homophones are words that sound the same but are spelt differently. In these
4 games you match homophones to pictures that illustrate them.
• Story: Two Peas in a Pod. Edie and Evie are identical twins. Identical in appearance, but their personalities
are not at all identical. Things get very weird when one of them pretends to be the other ...
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about twins.
• There is also a twins-related cartoon and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to Exercise: 1. D; 2. G; 3. B; 4. E; 5. A; 6. C; 7. F
Page 2 of 2
Magazine – Universities
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/universities

Read the article
Universities
by Richard Sidaway
More than a quarter of the working population of expenses as well. These days most European
the USA has one. Cairo, Bologna, and Paris have and North American students are given a loan
been offering them the longest. And you can now which they have to pay back to the government
supposedly get them by sitting at home at a once they are in full-time employment, or they
computer. What am I talking about? A university finance themselves by working their way through
education, of course. So who goes to university college with part-time jobs in the evenings or at
and what do they get out of their experience? weekends.
Admission
Most universities don’t let just anyone in. Grades
in the subjects you take in the final years of
secondary education are what usually count and
in many countries people also have to do an
entry test. While most participants in higher
education are in the 18-25 age group, some
people choose to take a break from work later on
in life and opt for the role of mature student,
bringing experience of work and the real world to
their studies.
Which one to go to
In many countries there is a pecking order to the
universities, with a few high status institutions at Where to live
the top turning out an intellectual elite and For the majority of students, attending a
attracting the best minds in teaching and university in a town or city near to where they live
research. Take a quick name check of the is the only financially viable option, but in Britain
leading writers, politicians or scientists in the UK for many years going to university meant leaving
or the USA and you should find the majority home, with all the freedom and independence
chose to spend their student years sitting in the that implied. Universities traditionally offer cheap
dining halls and libraries of Oxford and and clean accommodation in halls of residence or
Cambridge or Harvard, Princeton and Yale. The student houses. After a year or so, many
training grounds for medicine, law or engineering students opt to share private rented
in Britain tend to be the metropolitan ‘redbrick’ accommodation outside the university, which
universities slightly lower down the list. often pushes their culinary and hygiene skills to
the limit.
Money
When entrance was restricted to a lucky few in Year out
Britain, the state actually paid the sons and These days if you haven’t taken time off between
daughters of the middle classes not only their finishing school and embarking on higher
tuition fees but also a yearly grant towards living education, you haven’t really lived. The gap year
Page 1 of 4
can be devoted to working for charities in secondary sources and on some sort of gathering
different parts of the world, or simply to travelling, and interpretation of data.
but it can at least concentrate the mind and
perhaps give you a few more ideas about what Social life
you should do with the rest of your life. If you There is an old saying that ‘all work and no play
want to study abroad, you can often get a year makes Jack a dull boy’, and prospective students
out as part of a language course, or enter a expect a rich and varied social life. Friendships
scholarship programme such as Erasmus to forged in the student union bar or in the many
support you while studying at a foreign university. and varied clubs & societies that exist at most
Business or management students often devote universities may last a lifetime. In the USA
time away from university in the form of a work fraternities & sororities encourage a similar bond.
placement, to help them gain practical experience
in a professional environment. Life after university
Well before the graduation ceremony, when
Teaching & learning students queue up to receive their degrees from
A common feature of any university is attending the Chancellor of the university at a special
lectures, which involves taking notes while a ceremony, the careers office has been busy
lecturer, a university teacher, is speaking to large assessing future graduates for the kind of
group of students. In Britain, you are also employment paths they should take by giving
expected to present a subject perhaps once a them an aptitude test, arranging interviews,
term and comment on it in tutorials. These are company presentations and recruitment fairs. For
small group discussions led by a lecturer at which those attracted by the academic life, there are
closer analysis of a particular area is undertaken. further opportunities for study on Masters and
Science-oriented courses also involve practical Doctorate (PhD) programmes and on into further
lessons and field trips which enable students to research and teaching.
get to grips with their chosen course of study in
the laboratory or beyond the university walls. And what does university education all add up to?
How you are doing This was the opinion of Theodore Roosevelt, a
As at school, progress is measured by former US American President - A man who has
examinations, either divided into Parts I & II, or never gone to school may steal from a freight car;
taken at the end of the course, and known as but if he has a university education he may steal
Finals. Alternatively, it can be based on the whole railroad.
continuous assessment and coursework. An
important component of most systems is the Or is it as an American journalist, Sydney Harris,
extended dissertation, a piece of writing said? - The primary purpose of a liberal education
measured by the number of words a student has is to make one's mind a pleasant place in which
to produce, say 10,000. This must be based on to spend one's time.
some original research from primary as well as
Page 2 of 4
After reading
Exercise 1
For each section, match the words taken from the text (in the box at the top) with the definitions below.
.
aptitude test clubs and societies continuous assessment
degree dissertation Doctorate
entry test field trip finals
fraternities and sororities gap year grades
grant halls of residence intellectual elite
lecture Masters pecking order
private rented accommodation recruitment fairs redbrick universities
scholarship programme student houses student union bar
subjects tuition fees tutorial
work placement working your way through
college
Admission
1. an examination to see if you are good enough to go to university
2. areas of knowledge you study at school
3. a number or letter to symbolize how well you have done in an exam
Which one to go to
4. learning institutions built later than Oxford or Cambridge
5. hierarchy
6. the best minds in the country
Money
7. money given by the state to help for e.g. education
8. money you pay for a university course
9. paying for your education by being employed while you are studying
Where to live
10. houses bought by the university and rented to their students
11. houses rented to anyone
12. communal accommodation built by university
Year out
13. a year between school and university when you don’t study
14. a temporary position with a company to gain employment experience
15. money from a private organisation to help with the cost of study
Teaching & learning

16. study away from the classroom often to collect data or samples
17. small group lesson based on discussing an area or problem
18. lesson in the form of a formal speech using notes and visual aids
How you are doing

19. a long, structured piece of writing exploring a subject in detail
20. examinations at the end of a course
21. evaluating pieces of work during the course
Page 3 of 4
Social life
22. organisations run by and for students to develop different interests
23. a place for students to have a drink
24. student membership organisations in the USA
Life after university

25. exam to see what kind of jobs would suit you
26. university qualification gained after a degree taking one or two years
27. highest university qualification after a Masters taking four or more years of research
28. the first university qualification you receive after 3 or more years of study
29. large ‘market place’ where employers try to interest students in working for them
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. entry test; 2. subjects; 3. grades; 4. redbrick universities; 5. pecking order; 6. intellectual
elite; 7. grant; 8. tuition fees; 9. working your way through college; 10. student houses; 11. private rented
accommodation; 12. halls of residence; 13. gap year; 14. work placement; 15. scholarship programme;
16. field trip; 17. tutorial; 18. lecture; 19. dissertation; 20. finals; 21. continuous assessment; 22. clubs
and societies; 23. student union bar; 24. fraternities and sororities; 25. aptitude test; 26. Masters; 27.
Doctorate; 28. degree; 29. recruitment fairs
Page 4 of 4
Podcasts – Themes – Venomous animals
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (creepy crawlies and
venomous animals).
Read the article

Venomous animals
Sea wasp far the most potent land snake venom in the
world. When they strike, fierce snakes snap
Despite the glorious semi-tropical climate, repeatedly, pumping venom time after time, and
nobody swims at beaches in the northern half of can kill an adult in less than 10 minutes. There
Australia from September to May. For there, all are another 20 snakes in Australia capable of
but invisible as it cruises in the calm tropical killing a human being.
shallows, is the world's most dangerous marine
stinger - the chironex jellyfish, or sea wasp. It is Blue-ringed octopus
blamed for the deaths of more than 60 people
last century, exceeding the combined toll taken in Stranded in rock pools after big tides anywhere
the same region by sharks and crocodiles. The on Australian coasts, the blue-ringed octopus is a
stinging tips are astonishingly tiny and densely common sight. It is just the sort of pretty toy that
packed: more than 1000 venom-injecting threads a toddler will pick up. If not seen, it is tiny enough
can be fired from an area about the size of a to be hiding in a can of drink. But it is the most
pinhead. In total, each sea wasp has thousands lethal octopus in the world. Its venom includes
of millions of these threads. A serious sting can tetrodotoxin (TTX), a component found in no
kill within seconds. A less serious one results, at other creature. Two ducts pass right through its
very least, in tissue destruction and horrendous brain, bringing venom down to the mouth from a
subsequent scarring. pair of salivary glands. Each is as big as the
brain. Each contains enough venom to inflict
Funnelweb spider paralysis and eventual agonising death on at
least ten men.
Rearing up, with beads of venom already
glistening at the tips of its massive fangs (which Cone shell
are capable of biting through a leather boot), a
big funnelweb spider is an unnerving sight. The These beautiful shells can earn collectors
threat is no bluff. The monster will attack on sight, thousands of dollars, and so are greatly prized.
and until an antivenin was finally discovered in But they produce and store continuous supplies
the mid-1980s, dozens of people living in the city of disposable poison darts, which can be
of Sydney were killed, including one victim who extended for a distance as long as the shell.
died in just 15 minutes. When its prey passes close by, the cone shell
propels a dart forward, rams it violently against
Fierce snake the unsuspecting passer-by, and then draws the
Venom yielded in an average milking of a big paralysed victim back into its snout. The larger
fierce snake could kill 250,000 mice, making it by species can kill human beings.
Page 1 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – Venomous animals
After reading
Exercise 1
Here are two pieces of information about each of the creatures. Can you them in the correct box?
a. It can be found closest to where many people live.

b. It can get rid of its poisonous device and then make another one.
c. It can kill the quickest.
d. It has got a unique kind of venom.
e. It is one of many of its kind that are dangerous to man.
f. It is the most attractive.
g. It is the smallest.
h. It prevents people from doing what they would normally do.
i. It will attack without provocation.
j. It will continue biting its victim.
´
1. Blue-ringed octopus
2. Cone shell
3. Fierce snake
4. Funnel web spider
5. Sea wasp

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of creepy crawlies and venomous
animals at:http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-creepy-crawlies.htm
• Magazine article: Creepy Crawlies. "A few years ago I was on holiday in Holland. I was on a bicycle
trip and at the very first sign of a hill, I got off my bike for a rest. I sat down by the side of the road on the
grass. A few seconds later, I was covered in ants. They were swarming all over me so I quickly got up
and brushed them off."
• Word game: Insects and other creepy crawlies. Match the names of 20 different insects and other
creepy crawlies to pictures of them.
• Word game: Venomous animals. Match the names of 20 different venomous animals to pictures of
them.
• Story: A Serious Case. I have a friend who is afraid of spiders. This isn’t very unusual; a lot of people
are afraid of spiders. I don’t really like spiders much myself. But my friend isn’t afraid of spiders in any
normal way. She isn’t just afraid of spiders, she is totally, completely and utterly terrified of them.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about creepy crawlies and venomous animals.
• There are also 2 creepy crawly and venomous animals-related cartoons, a poll and some carefully
selected external links.
Answers - Exercise 1: 1. d; g; 2. f; b; 3. j; e; 4. i; a; 5. c; h
Page 2 of 2
Magazine – Vice
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/vice-investment-and-seven-deadly-sins

• a pre-reading vocabulary task
Before you read
Activity 1
Match the words at the top to their definitions.
a. bigotry b. boasts c. commodity

d. eradicated e. frown on f. gambling
g. gluttony h. greed i. horny
j. recession-proof k. shortcomings l. sloth
m. speculative n. vice-ridden o. wisdom
1. ability to use knowledge and experience to make good decisions

2. betting money on a game or race
3. bought to make a profit in the future
4. disapprove of
5. eating and drinking more than you need to
6. faults or failure to reach a standard
7. full of moral faults or weaknesses
8. got rid of completely
9. has something to be proud of
10. having strong, unreasonable beliefs
11. not wanting to work or make an effort
12. sexually excited (informal)
13. strong wish to always get more of something
14. substance or product that can be bought or sold
15. that can’t be damaged by a bad economic situation
Read the article
Vice, Investment, and the Seven Deadly Sins

by Craig Duncan
March 2005: it’s official – vice pays. And it’s not boasts that its investments are “nearly recession-
even illegal. proof,” on the basis that no matter what the
economic climate, the people of the world will
This month the Financial Times examined the continue to drink, smoke, gamble and kill each
spectacular growth of The Vice Fund, a Texas- other. With a growth rate of 20% in the last year
based investment company which encourages its alone, The Vice Fund offers us the chance to
members to invest in the certainty of a vice- personally profit from the fairly inevitable future
ridden future. The Vice Fund restricts its shortcomings of humanity.
investments to four areas: alcohol, tobacco,
gambling and war. The company’s prospectus
Page 1 of 3
Magazine – Vice
Have our vices ceased to be something bad, and basis of our society. The only one of the original
instead have become just another market seven sins that made the new list was greed –
commodity? What exactly is a vice, anyway? the others were replaced by six new sins: cruelty,
adultery, bigotry, dishonesty, hypocrisy and
The Western conception of a vice (from the Latin selfishness. Cruelty was voted to be the worst
vitium, meaning a defect or imperfection) implies sin of all. According to the BBC’s Ross Kelly,
some sort of shortcoming or moral weakness on traditional concepts of sin are much less
the part of its practitioner. While we may refer to important to us today than the simple question of
a particular type of activity as being a vice, what whether or not our actions harm anyone else.
we are really condemning is not just the action “For instance,” he says, “we're less bothered
itself, but also the moral weakness that led to it. about anger than we are about cruelty; and while
Our understanding of vices has long been tied to many of us actually enjoy lust, we still frown on
the 6th century Christian concept of the “seven adultery."
deadly sins”: pride, greed, envy, anger, lust,
gluttony and sloth. Since most people at some So, our moral priorities today appear to be more
point feel proud, jealous, angry, horny, lazy, or humanist than spiritual: we see the deadliest sins
greedy for material possessions or for food, we as being those whose results can most palpably
might say that the “seven deadly sins” represent harm another person. Presumably this means
traits in human nature that cannot realistically be that we can indulge in whatever vices we wish, as
eradicated. At the same time though, they are long as we do not harm anyone else. But what
also traits which need to be controlled to some are we to think of The Vice Fund, and the idea of
degree if a society is to be able to function actively seeking to profit from the vices of others?
properly. The practical purpose of the “seven Judging it in terms of the newly updated seven
deadly sins,” then, has not been eradication but deadly sins, one might argue that The Vice
moderation: they have served to remind people Fund’s aims are cruel, but then, the same
not to be too greedy, too jealous, too lazy et accusation could be levelled at a great deal of
cetera. Excessive repetition of one such sin modern business. Given the Fund’s openness
would constitute a vice. about its aims, it could hardly be described as
hypocritical. And it’s not really any more greedy
or selfish than any other speculative investment.
The Financial Times was ultimately rather critical

of The Vice Fund, but not from a moral
standpoint. It warned us: “There are…
fundamental problems with negative screening of
stocks on ethical grounds - good or evil. This
approach is subjective [and] divorced from
established investment wisdom.” In other words,
bringing any moral considerations into an
investment decision is simply bad business
sense.
The Vice Fund is rare among modern investment

In an increasingly secular, increasingly funds in that it is open about its aims. This is
multicultural society one might well ask: is this perhaps the only reason it provokes the question
1500-year-old Christian definition of wrongdoing of whether or not we are morally responsible for
still relevant? In February the BBC the effects of our investments. Most investment
commissioned an opinion poll to answer this funds today allow us the luxury of not having to
question. They asked the British public which of contemplate what our money is being used for.
the “seven deadly sins” they still considered to be Accordingly this writer is not prepared to
particularly bad, and invited them to create a new condemn The Vice Fund, but will instead applaud
list of the deadliest modern sins. The results it for its honesty and openness in a field where
arguably showed a major change in the moral such qualities are largely unknown.
Page 2 of 3
Magazine – Vice
hypocrisy, is it not time to take a deeper look at

We can only close by asking a question to which the very nature of modern investment practises
we have as yet no answer: given our apparent as a whole?
concern with the “sins” of cruelty, selfishness and
After reading
Activity 2
Choose the best answer for each of the following 6 questions about the text.
1. In which of these areas does The Vice Fund NOT invest?

a. cigarettes
b. guns
c. casinos
d. sloths
2. Which of the following is one of the traditional “seven deadly sins”?

a. grumpy
b. sleepy
c. envy
d. taxidermy
3. How long have vices been categorised in term of the “seven deadly sins”?
a. since the 6th century
b. since the 16th century
c. since a recent BBC poll
d. since Adam ate the apple
4. Which of these was voted a modern “deadly sin” in this year’s BBC survey?
a. cruelty
b. lust
c. sloth
d. anger
5. How does the Financial Times suggest we should approach investment opportunities?
a. We should only invest in ethically sound companies
b. We should only invest in ethically unsound companies
c. We should only invest on the basis of BBC opinion polls
d. We should ignore ethical considerations
6. What does the writer think of The Vice Fund?

a. It is a great idea
b. It is evil and sinful
c. It is more honest about its aims than most investment funds
d. It ought to expand its investments to include pride, lust and envy
Answers:
Activity 1: 1. o; 2. f; 3. m; 4. e; 5. g; 6. k; 7. n; 8. d; 9. b; 10. a; 11. l; 12. i; 13. h; 14. c; 15. j
Activity 2: 1. d; 2. c; 3. a; 4. a; 5. d; 6. c
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Information Society
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (information society).
Read the article
Viral marketing
by Nik Peachey
When word of mouth turns to word of mouse 1. You give away some form of free product or
service
On December 16, 1998 Iconocast gave the
award for Internet marketing buzzword of the This may not seem like a very sound business
year to the term 'viral marketing', but what does it practice as there is no immediate profit in giving
really mean? The concept itself was by no means something away for free, but viral marketing
new, businesses world-wide from the smallest campaigns rely on patience. By giving something
corner shop to the biggest multinational had long away for free you attract customers and once you
relied on and benefited from it. Basically it isn't have them using your product you have the
much different from word of mouth; for example opportunity to sell them other desirable things,
someone buys your product, if they like it, they not to mention the possibilities you have for
tell their friends how good it is. Then the friends generating revenue through advertising.
go and buy the same product and like it and tell
their friends and so on and so forth until you have
reached a huge market without spending a single
penny on advertising.
What is remarkable about 'viral marketing' though

is the degree to which using the Internet has
accelerated this process. A prime example of
this, and one which is often sited as the first viral
marketing campaign, is the huge growth of the
free email provider Hotmail.
Hotmail was originally launched in 1996 and it

grew faster than any other company in the history
of the world. Within the first eighteen months of
its launch it had already signed up over 12 million 2. You provide for the effortless spread of your
subscribers and continues to gain more than message
100,000 subscribers every day.
Your message will only spread if it is easy to
So how is it done? transmit. This is where the Internet has been so
successful. Communication is cheap and can be
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson, E-Commerce Consultant as simple as a single mouse click. Hotmail for
wrote in Web Marketing Today, Issue 70, example spread their message "Get your private,
February 1, 2000, that there were 6 key elements free email" by ensuring that this message was
to a successful viral marketing campaign: automatically copied into the bottom of every
email sent through their mail server.
Page 1 of 3
3. You are able to scale the campaign from small message then they will soon find that other
to large very rapidly people are doing their marketing for them.
Viral marketing campaigns can achieve great
If your campaign is to be successful you must success using all or only one or two of these key
ensure that you can meet rapidly growing elements.
demand for you product or service. If demand
exceeds your ability to supply then instead of Does it work for everyone?
growing it, your viral campaign will start to kill
your business. Sadly there are also some down sides to viral
marketing. Not every product is going to be
4. You identify and exploit common motivations marketable through this method. It is best suited
and behaviours to low cost products that can easily be delivered
and which are usually bought on impulse. An
Most people are driven by a desire to be loved or advertising campaign for something like a car is
popular or even financially better off. These likely to be less successful as most people give a
desires are part of what generates the huge lot of thought and consideration to this form of
amount of Internet communication each day. A purchase as it involves parting with large sums of
successful viral marketing campaign will be able money.
to build on these common motivations in some
way. Recent figures also suggest that 50% of all email
communications will soon be unwanted and
5. You encourage people to spread the word largely unsolicited SPAM messages. With the
among their existing networks growing tendency of viral marketing campaigners
to offer financial incentives to those who are
Most people have on average a network of some willing to pass their message on, there seems to
10 to 12 close friends or family who they are in be an ever growing possibility that what
regular communication with. Added to this they advertisers consider to be legitimate marketing
often have a wider network of associates and will, to the unwilling consumer, soon start to seem
casual or work contacts of tens perhaps even like just more SPAM.
hundreds or thousands. A campaign that taps
into this wider network will soon bring huge So will this be the death of viral marketing?
rewards.
Well most experts seem to think not, but what is
6. You take advantage of others' resources likely to happen is that we as consumers are
likely to become more careful about what we click
Some of the most successful campaigns try to on and that advertisers will have to become more
position messages on other peoples programs. If creative in their design of such campaigns. One
they can put links on other people's websites or other result of this might be that we find out how
supply content to others which carries their many email address books contain our address
and how many real friends we have.
Page 2 of 3
After reading
Exercise 1
Identify which of the 10 elements below would be part of an effective viral marketing campaign.
1. Buy access to information about people's email addresses, and then send your message to them
all.
2. Have a button on your site that visitors can click to send your link to their friends.
3. Let people email free postcards or greeting cards from your site.
4. Pay people a percentage for each person they forward your message on to.
5. Send out a newsletter that people can send on to their friends.
6. Supply some free software.
7. Target only a small specific market group.
8. Use small cheap servers to save money.
9. Use TV advertising.
10. Write an article and allow others to publish it on their site.

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of information society at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-information-society.htm
• Magazine article: Information society. Once upon a time societies were organised around
religion, farming, trade or industry.
• Word game: Internet abbreviations. We all know that 'WWW' stands for 'World Wide Web',
but the internet has lots of other abbreviations like this.
• Poem: The Good Old Days. This amusing poem compares the meanings of words and
expressions as they are used nowadays when speaking about computers, and in their original
contexts.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about information society.
• There is also an information society-related cartoon, and some carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. No; 2. Yes; 3. Yes; 4. Yes; 5. Yes; 6. Yes; 7. No; 8. No; 9. No; 10.
Yes
Page 3 of 3
Magazine – Wormholes
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/wormholes

Read the article
Wormholes
by Linda Baxter
Have you ever read Carl Sagan's 1985 science So, did Kip Thorne invent wormholes?
fiction novel 'Contact'? Or have you seen the film
of the same name starring Jodie Foster? If you No he didn't. Kip Thorne proved that there is
have, then you will remember the scene near the nothing in the laws of physics and the general
end of the film, when the heroine travels to the relativity theory to say that they're not possible.
star Vega, twenty-six light years away from Earth, Einstein talked about 'folds' in the universe. He
through a wormhole in space. Just a story, you also thought that if these folds existed, then there
think. But is it? might be passages, or shortcuts connecting
them. He thought that there might be passages
The truth is that the scene described above is a like these connecting two black holes, so that
serious scientific picture of travel through something could enter one black hole, travel
spacetime using a wormhole. When Sagan was through the wormhole and come out again at the
writing the book, he asked an American scientist, other end. He called them 'bridges'. But for some
Kip Thorne, to give him an idea for a way of reason, nobody thought very much about them
travelling long distances through space that was until the 1980s. (see glossary)
scientifically possible. Thorne thought about it for
a long time and then had the idea of using a But isn't it impossible for anything to escape
wormhole. He then looked again at Einstein's from a black hole?
theories and the accepted rules of physics and
was surprised to see that wormholes really could True. A black hole has such strong gravity that
be used to travel through space. nothing, not even light, can escape from it.
Everything is crushed at the centre point of the
But what is a wormhole? black hole. But mathematicians have proved that
things are different if the hole is rotating. Then, it
A wormhole is a passageway between points in a may be possible for a doorway to open at the
'folded' universe. The easiest way is to imagine a centre point, where the wormhole begins. And
big piece of paper, with A written at one end and some people believe that white holes exist too.
B written at the other. It will take a small insect a These are the opposite of black holes. Instead of
long time to walk from A to B. But now fold the holding everything inside, a white hole pushes
paper in half, so that A and B are near to each everything out. So you could enter a rotating
other. Now connect A and B with a small tube black hole, travel through a wormhole, and then
pushed through the paper - the wormhole. The come flying out of a white hole at the other end.
distance between A and B is now only a few (see glossary)
millimetres, and the insect can walk along the
tube and make the journey in a fraction of the But is it really possible?
time. So distances of many light years in space
could become just a few metres. (see glossary) Theoretically, yes. But there are a few problems.
Wormholes are not very stable. They only exist
for a few seconds before they collapse. And
something travelling through one would probably
Page 1 of 3
make it break up anyway. And a wormhole would through space and maybe even time would be a
be full of x-rays and gamma rays, which would real possibility. (see glossary)
burn you. And of course, you would never be
sure where you were going and almost certainly, Glossary
you wouldn't be able to come back again the
same way. So if we can find a natural wormhole, Heroine: a female who is admired for having
we then need the technology to control and done something very brave or having achieved
stabilise it. Which is exactly what the advanced something great, or the main character in a book,
civilisation in 'Contact' were able to do. (see film or play, esp. one who is admired for their
glossary) good qualities.
Light year: the distance that light travels in one
Could we use wormholes to travel through year (about 9,500,000,000,000 kilometres).
time? Equation: a mathematical statement that two
amounts, or two symbols or groups of symbols
There are people who think exactly that. representing an amount, are equal, or fig. a
Einstein's equations treat space and time in difficult problem which can only be understood if
exactly the same way. So a wormhole can link all the different influences are considered.
two different times as well as two different places. Fold: to bend (esp. paper or cloth) so that one
According to Einstein's theories, time travel would part of it lies on the other part.
be difficult but not impossible. Scientists now take Law (of physics): a general rule which states
the idea very seriously. But there are some big what always happens when the same conditions
problems of logic. For example, if you went back exist.
in time and killed your grandmother, you would Shortcut: a quicker and more direct way of
then never be born. So you never existed, so you getting somewhere or doing something.
couldn't travel back in time because you didn't Rotate: to (cause to) turn in a circle, esp. around
exist! To explain this problem (known as 'the a fixed point.
granny paradox') people have invented theories Theoretical: According to the facts of a formal
to say that you can only travel back in time to the statement of the rules on which a subject of study
moment when the time machine was invented. is based or of ideas which are suggested to
This theory also explains why we don't have lots explain a fact or event.
of 'time travel tourists' visiting us now. (see Stable: firmly fixed or not likely to move or
glossary) change.
Paradox: a situation, fact or statement which
So, in conclusion, wormholes have never been seems impossible and/or difficult to understand
found in nature. No astronomer has ever seen because it contains two opposite facts or
things come flying out of one in the middle of characteristics.
space. But we do know that, according to the Common sense: the basic level of practical
rules of physics that we use, they are possible. knowledge and wisdom that we all need to help
And if we could find one and control it, travel us live in a reasonable and safe way.
Page 2 of 3
After reading
Comprehension activity
Decide if each of the following statements about the text is True or False.
1. Carl Sagan used the idea of wormhole travel in his novel 'Contact'.
2. Kip Thorne invented the idea of wormholes.
3. A wormhole is a fold in space.
4. Einstein said that wormholes were impossible.
5. You can only enter a wormhole if the black hole is rotating.
6. You need advanced technology to be able to travel through a wormhole.
7. The 'granny paradox' proves that time travel is impossible.
8. Astronomers have found a wormhole in space.
Answers:
1. True (T); 2. False (F); 3. F; 4. F; 5. T; 6. T; 7. F; 8. F
Page 3 of 3
Podcasts – Themes – Cultural heritage
Introduction

• links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (cultural heritage).
Read the article
World Heritage
by Linda Baxter
If you think about World Heritage Sites, you Robben Island in South Africa
probably think of places associated with ancient
art and culture, historical buildings and This island was used through the centuries as a
monuments. And of course, many of these are on prison, a hospital and a military base. But it's
the World Heritage List. probably most famous as a maximum-security
prison for political prisoners in the twentieth
Remains of ancient cultures, like Cuzco in Peru, century. Nelson Mandela was one of its most
Angkor in Cambodia, or the famous rock city of famous residents. The WHL says it represents
Petra in Jordan. Or old city centres, such as 'the triumph of democracy and freedom over
Rome in Italy, or Sana'a in Yemen. Or places of oppression and racism'.
artistic or cultural significance, like the
Stonehenge stone circle in England, or the The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in India
Tsodilo rock paintings in the Kalahari Desert in
Botswana. But The World Heritage List contains This railway was opened in 1881 and is still
a lot of sites that are not so obvious. Some of operating today. It crosses a difficult area of
them are well known. For example, the mountain landscape and it is a great example of
Galapagos Islands, which inspired Darwin's railway engineering. The WHL says that it is 'the
theories of evolution, or the Victoria Falls first, and still the most outstanding, example of a
waterfalls in Africa, and the Grand Canyon in the hill passenger railway.'
United States. Borders of France and Spain
Let's look at a few of the more unusual sites on This is an area of great natural beauty and the
the World Heritage List and why it is important to mountains have many interesting geological
preserve them. formations. But it is also an area of small farms.
Citadel of Haiti People there still use a type of agriculture that
used to be common in mountainous areas of
These monuments were built at the end of the Europe but has almost completely disappeared in
nineteenth century when Haiti became modern times. The WHL has listed the site
independent and the many thousands of black because it shows us about 'past European
slaves in Haiti were free for the first time. These society through its landscape of villages, farms,
ex-slaves built the monuments, which The World fields, upland pastures and mountain roads.'
Heritage List (WHL) describes as 'a universal
symbol of liberty'.
Page 1 of 4
The city of Brasilia, Brazil Rio Platano Reserve, Honduras
Brasilia is a capital city that was created from The WHL says that this site is 'one of the few
nothing in 1956. The WHL calls it 'a landmark in remains of a humid tropical forest in Central
the history of town planning.' The different areas America.' It's a mountainous area on the
of the city and the buildings themselves were all Caribbean coast with many different species of
designed at the same time so that they would plants and animals. The people who have always
harmonise with each other. Every part of the city lived there still have the same traditional lifestyle.
shows the ideas of the planner and architect.
Simien National Park, Ethiopia
Dorset and East Devon Coast, United
Kingdom Simien National Park was one of the first sites to
be listed in 1978. It is one of the highest mountain
This part of the coast in the South West of areas in Africa, and the WHL calls it 'one of the
England is famous for its fossils and is popular most spectacular landscapes in the world'. It is
with scientists and amateur fossil hunters. The also important for its wildlife. Rare animals like
cliffs also show rock formations from millions of the Gelada baboon and the Simien fox live there.
years ago. The WHL says that they 'have It is also the only place in the world where you
contributed to the study of earth sciences for over can find the Walia ibex, a type of goat. The
300 years.' population of this animal is getting smaller and
smaller. That's why the site is now on the List of
Alto Douro, Portugal World Heritage in Danger.
This is an area in the North of Portugal where So, the World Heritage List isn't only about
wine has been produced for thousands of years. ancient monuments and buildings. It's also
Nowadays it is world famous for the 'port wine' concerned with technology, natural beauty,
that is produced there. The WHL says that this wildlife and traditional ways of life.
long tradition of winemaking 'has produced a
cultural landscape of outstanding beauty that
reflects its technological, social and economic
evolution.'
After reading
Exercise 1
Choose the answer to each of the six questions below, depending on the information in the text.
1. Why is the Citadel of Haiti included on the list?
a. It shows a traditional way of life.

b. It represents freedom.
c. The buildings are thousands of years old.
2. Why is the Darjeeling Railway listed?
a. The landscape is very beautiful.

b. It was difficult to build.
c. It carries a lot of passengers.
3. What is the most important reason for listing the area on the borders of France and Spain?
a. We can learn about the history of Europe.

b. The geology is interesting.
c. It's very beautiful.
Page 2 of 4
4. Why is Brasilia listed?
a. It's an interesting example of town planning.

b. It was the ancient capital of Brazil.
c. It was difficult to build.
5. Why is the Dorset and East Devon Coast listed?
a. The wildlife is unusual.

b. It's important for scientific study.
c. You can find fossils there.
6. Why is the Simien National Park on the List of World Heritage in Danger?
a. Because of the animals that live there.

b. Because of the people that live there.
c. Because of the natural landscape.
Exercise 2
In the table below are 10 words from the text. Below the table are definitions of the 10 words. Can you
match the words to their definitions?
Evolution Fossils Geology

Heritage landmark landscape
Outstanding preserve symbol
triumph
1. …………… means features belonging to the culture of a particular society, such as traditions,
languages or buildings, which still exist from the past and which have a historical importance.
2. …………… means gradual development.
3. To …………… something means to keep it as it is, esp. in order to prevent it from decaying or
being damaged or destroyed.
4. A …………… is a sign, shape or object which is used to represent something else.
5. A …………… is a very great success, achievement or victory, or a feeling of great satisfaction or
pleasure caused by this.
6. …………… means excellent; clearly very much better than what is usual.
7. …………… the study of the rocks and similar substances that make up the Earth's surface, esp.
in order to understand its structure, origin, etc.
8. A …………… is a large area of countryside, esp. in relation to its appearance.
9. A …………… is a building or place that is easily recognized, esp. one which you can use to judge
where you are.
…………… are bones, shells or shapes of a plant or animal which have been preserved in rock, ice or
earth for a very long period.
Page 3 of 4

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of cultural heritage at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-cultural-heritage.htm
• Word game: World heritage. Match the names and descriptions of national parks in each continent,
which feature on the World Heritage List.
• Poem: Ozymandias. In this poem on the theme of the ruined monument to himself built by Pharaoh
Ramses II in the Egyptian desert, Shelley reflects on the nature of political power, and those who
hold it.
• Trivia: Everything you (n)ever wanted to know about cultural heritage.
• There is also a cultural heritage-related cartoon, and some carefully selected external links.
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. b; 2. b; 3. a; 4. a; 5. b; 6. a
Exercise 2: 1. Heritage; 2. Evolution; 3. preserve; 4. symbol; 5. triumph; 6. Outstanding; 7. Geology; 8.

landscape; 9. landmark; 10. Fossils
Page 4 of 4
Podcasts – Themes – Wild animals
Introduction

• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (animals).
Read the article: Wild animal trivia

Bears giraffe's neck to stop the blood rushing to its
At the end of last century, every tenth house in head when it bends down. Giraffes make no
St Petersburg would have at least one pet bear noise and show affection by pressing their
cub during the season. Lord Byron kept a pet necks together. The giraffe gives birth standing
bear when he was at Cambridge University. up, which means that the first experience of
Bears have been observed to climb telegraph each baby giraffe is a fall to earth from a height
poles in their search for honey, mistaking the of about 6 feet (1.83 metres). The neck of the
buzzing sound for that of bees. Bears have giraffe has seven vertebrae, the same number
been taught to play basketball. Dr Leon Smith, as in the human neck.
their coach, commented: “Food is now Hippopotamuses
secondary to the thrill of making a score”. In the Nigerian Navy, there are twenty ships all
According to Mexican folklore, it is dangerous of whose names mean ‘hippopotamus’ in
for a woman to catch sight of a bear in a zoo various dialects of the country. Hippos can run
while she is pregnant, because her baby could faster than men. They give birth underwater,
take the form of the bear. Eskimo women never and the first act of the newborn is to float to the
comb their hair on the day a polar bear is to be surface for its first breath of air. Hungary
killed. All polar bears are left-handed. exports more hippos than any other European
Elephants country. Hippos cannot swim.
The elephant may be distinguished from other Monkeys and apes
animals by its knee joints, which are much lower Art school examiners in Pretoria, South Africa,
down than in most hoofed creatures. It is thus once gave a pass mark to a chimpanzee’s
able to bend its hind legs in the fashion of a drawings which had been submitted as a joke
kneeling man. Ivan the Terrible put an elephant by a student. According to the United States
to death because it bowed down before him. customs office at Baltimore, “paint placed on a
The African elephant sleeps in a standing canvas by a sub-human animal” is not a work of
position. The elephant needs only two hours art and therefore cannot be allowed to enter
sleep a day. The elephant cannot jump, but is their country free of duty. This was decided in
the only animal apart from man that has been 1950 when an attempt was made to import
taught to stand on its head. It is forbidden to paintings produced at London Zoo by the
lead an elephant through the approach tunnels chimpanzee artist Congo. They were heading
of London’s Heathrow Airport. In Milwaukee, pet for an exhibition of monkey art. A customs
elephants must be kept on a lead when taken spokesman commented, however, “If we did not
for a walk on public streets. know they were produced by an animal we
Giraffes would have thought they were good modern
Giraffes’ milk is seven times richer in protein art”. The gorilla sleeps for fourteen hours a day,
than cow’s milk. Their hearts weigh about 25 lb. is a vegetarian, and has no hair on its chest.
(11.4 kgs.) and their blood pressure is two or Gorillas never snore. Chimpanzees often greet
three times that of man, which is quite one another by shaking hands.
necessary considering how high the blood must (Source: The Ultimate Irrelevant Encyclopaedia by
be pumped. There is a unique valve in a Bill Hartson and Jill Dawson).
Page 1 of 2
Podcasts – Themes – Wild animals
After reading
Apart from the main reading skills (skimming, scanning, intensive and extensive reading) there are
other skills that a reader must acquire. One of these is the ability to infer information, or to read
between the lines. This involves making use of clues (syntactic, logical and cultural) to discover the
meaning of unknown elements. The activity that follows is designed to help you develop this skill.
Exercise 1
Answer the 10 questions below by “reading between the lines” of the text.
1) Which animal seems best suited to praying?

2) Which animal would do best in the Olympic stadium?
3) Which animal causes people to look worse than usual?
4) Which animal offended a dictator?
5) Which animal would be most welcome in a library?
6) Which animal is the laziest?
7) Which animal could get a shock when it is hungry?
8) Which animal has special protection when having a drink?
9) Which animal seems poorly adapted to its natural habitat?
10) Which animal would be easiest to sleep with?

You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of animals at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-animals.htm
• Magazine articles: There are 12 articles, including creepy crawlies; flea circuses; iguana
farming and sea monsters.
• Word games: There are 28 word games, including animal idioms; animal noises; venomous
animals and zoo puzzle.
• Stories: There are 8 stories, including Aesop’s fables; Chinese zodiac; The Dinosaur in Jake’s
Garage and The Hunting Bird.
• Poems: There are 6 poems, including The cat that walked by himself; Danger in the Wet; The
Tyger and Wolf poetry.
• Trivia: The following trivia topics are available for this theme: animal conservation; biodiversity;
creepy crawlies; dinosaurs and pets.
• There are also more than 30 animals-related cartoons, and the following sets of carefully selected
external links: animal conservation; biodiversity; creepy crawlies; dinosaurs and pets.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. elephant ("It is thus able to bend its hind legs in the fashion of a
kneeling man."); 2. hippo ("Hippos can run faster than men." [It is not the bear, because basketball is not played
in the Olympic stadium]); 3. (polar) bear ("Eskimo women never comb their hair on the day a polar bear is to be
killed."); 4. elephant ("Ivan the Terrible put an elephant to death because it bowed down before him."); 5. giraffe
("Giraffes make no noise."); 6. gorilla ("The gorilla sleeps for fourteen hours a day."); 7. bear ("Bears have been
observed to climb telegraph poles in their search for honey, mistaking the buzzing sound for that of bees."); 8.
giraffe ("There is a unique valve in a giraffe's neck to stop the blood rushing to its head when it bends down.");
9. hippo ("Hippos cannot swim."); 10. gorilla ("Gorillas never snore.")
Page 2 of 2
Magazine Articles - Weather
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine/weather
Weather
by Mike Rayner
It's hardly surprising that weather is a favourite

topic for so many people around the world - it
affects where we choose to live, what we wear,
our moods, and perhaps even our national
characteristics. A sunny day can relieve the
deepest depression, while extreme weather can
destroy homes and threaten lives.
The effects of weather

Palm trees bent double in hurricane force winds, cars stranded in snow drifts, people navigating small
boats down flooded city streets – images we are all familiar with from news reports of severe weather
spells. But many of the effects of the weather are less newsworthy.
‘I’m feeling a bit under the weather’ is a common complaint in Britain, especially on Monday mornings, and
it seems that weather really can be responsible for moods. Studies have shown that changeable weather
can make it hard to concentrate, cloudy skies slow down reflexes, and high humidity with hot, dry winds
makes many people irritable and snappy.
Some suggest that the weather also leaves its mark on character, giving people from the same region
similar temperaments, although it seems that economic, political and social factors are likely to have a
much stronger effect than the weather.
What causes changes in the weather?

If you live in a place like Britain, where the weather seems to change daily if not hourly, you could be
forgiven for thinking that the weather is random. In fact the weather is controlled by systems which
move around areas of the globe. In the UK the weather depends on depressions, often called ‘lows’,
and anticyclones, also known as ‘highs’. These systems start in the Atlantic Ocean, and make their
way across the British Isles from the west to the east. Highs bring sunny weather, while lows bring
rain and wind.
The weather systems in tropical climates are very different from those in mid and high latitudes.
Tropical storms develop from depressions, and often build into cyclones, violent storms featuring
hurricanes and torrential rain.
In modern times, human activity seems to be altering weather patterns. Gases produced by heavy
industry change the temperature of the Earth’s surface, and affect cloud formation. Some researchers
say that factories in Europe and North America may have been one of the causes of the droughts in
Africa in the 1980s.
Can we predict the weather?

The human race has always tried to guess the weather, especially in areas of the world where there
are frequent changes. Traditional rhymes point to early attempts to identify weather patterns, popular
poems include:
• Red sky at night, shepherds’ delight; Red sky in the morning, shepherds’
warning
• Ash leaf before the oak, then we will have a summer soak;
Oak leaf before the ash, the summer comes without a splash
• Flies will swarm before a storm.
• Rain before 7, clear by 11.
Two other popular traditional ways of forecasting the weather used pine cones and seaweed. When the air
has a high level of humidity there is a higher chance of rain, when the humidity is low, there is more
chance of fine weather. Pine cones and seaweed react to changes in humidity - pines cones open, and
seaweed feels dry when the humidity is low, while high humidity has the opposite effect.
While folk wisdom can still provide a guide to help forecast weather, today’s methods of prediction
increasingly rely on technology. Satellites, balloons, ships, aircraft and weather centres with sensitive
monitoring equipment, send data to computers. The data is then processed, and the weather predicted.
However, even this system cannot predict weather for longer than about week.
A recent study by an Australian psychologist suggests that certain people may have a special gift for
predicting the weather. However it is possible that these people would use their talent in another way,
since the same group had considerable success in forecasting changes in another chaotic system –
the stock market.
It appears that a study of weather patterns may also enable scientists to predict the outbreak of
disease. An Ebola epidemic in Uganda in the year 2000 came after the same rare weather conditions
that had been present before an outbreak 6 years earlier. Efforts to limit the spread of airborne
diseases such as foot and mouth are also strongly dependent on favourable wind conditions.
Extreme weather
Although people in Britain often moan about the weather, we should spare a thought for the inhabitants of
parts of the world where extreme weather regularly wreaks havoc on the environment and population.
Sandstorms, tornadoes, blizzards and flashfloods regularly kill thousands of people and leave many others
homeless.
While most of us try to avoid extreme weather, some adventurous souls actively seek out places
where extreme weather conditions exist. Sports such as surfing, kite boarding, ice-climbing and white-
water rafting are becoming increasingly popular with people seeking relief from the monotony of daily
routine. Extreme sports are about exhilaration, skill and danger, and often harness the weather to
provide adrenaline addicts with their kicks.
Even more extraordinary are storm-chasers – weather enthusiasts who risk their lives following
tornadoes and thunderstorms at high speed to witness the damage they cause at close hand.
Glossary
adrenaline (n): a hormone produced by the body when you are frightened, angry or excited, which makes the
heart beat faster and prepares the body to react to danger.
ash (n): a forest tree which has a smooth grey bark, small greenish flowers and seeds shaped like wings.
blizzard (n): a severe snow storm with strong winds.
climate (n): the general weather conditions usually found in a particular place.
drought (n): a long period when there is little or no rain.
humid (adj): (of air and weather conditions) containing extremely small drops of water in the air.
hurricane (n): a violent wind which has a circular movement, especially found in the West Atlantic Ocean.
latitude (n): the position north or south of the equator measured from 0° to 90°.
oak (n): a large tree that is common especially in northern countries, or the hard wood of this tree.
pine cone (n): the hard egg-shaped part of the pine tree which opens and releases seeds.
psychologist (n): someone who studies the human mind and human emotions and behaviour, and how
different situations have an effect on them.
reflex (n): an uncontrollable physical reaction to something.
shepherd (n): a person whose job is to take care of sheep and move them from one place to another.
tornado (plural tornados tornadoes) (n) (US INFORMAL ALSO twister): a strong dangerous wind which forms
itself into an upside-down spinning cone and is able to destroy buildings as it moves across the ground.
torrential (adj): used to refer to very heavy rain.
After reading
1. When the weather keeps changing:
a. people's reaction slow down
b. people become irritable
c. people find it hard to focus on their work
2. The weather in Britain:
a. is very changeable
b. is depressing
c. is random
3. Violent storms are common:
a. in mid and high latitudes
b. in Britain
c. in tropical climates
4. Anticyclones often:
a. bring cloudy weather
b. bring rain and wind
c. bring fine weather
5. Weather forecasting:
a. is always wrong
b. has been done for a long time
c. is easy
6. According to a traditional rhyme, if there is a red sky at night:
a. the next day will be fine
b. the next day will be rainy
c. the next day will be windy
7. When the air is humid:
a. pine cones close
b. seaweed feels dry
c. the weather will be fine
8. According to the article, weather is linked to:
a. the stock market
b. the outbreak of disease
c. successful studying
9. Extreme sports are:
a. dangerous
b. routine
c. easy
Magazine Article – Water sports
https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine-articles/water-sports
Introduction
This support pack accompanies the magazine article Water sports by Mike Rayner. To listen to or read
the article online, go to: https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/magazine-articles/water-sports
Read
All over the world people head for oceans, lakes, Schweiter in South California in the late 1960s.
pools and rivers in search of fun, freedom and Windsurfing has become a hugely popular
w
excitement. On the water, in the water or under outdoor activity, and made its first appearance at
w
the water, there are a huge range of sports and the Olympics in LA in 1984. There are many
activities available to lovers of H2O. This week, different styles of windsurfing which include
w
let’s take a look at some of the more colourful ‘freestyle’, where windsurfers do tricks, ‘bump-
and adventurous water sports. and-jump’ in which surfers use waves to take to
.b
the air, and ‘slalom’.

rit
Surfing Kitesurfing is an even more recent development;

When Captain James Cook landed in the it has only been around since the 1980s, and is
is
Polynesian islands of Hawaii in 1778, he was only recently becoming an established

surprised to find the native men and women, both watersport. As the name of the sport suggests,
hc
royalty and ordinary citizens, riding waves kitesurfers are towed along by large kites,
standing on wooden boards. Despite being allowing them to pull-off incredible tricks in the
o
centuries old, surfing only really took off in the air. The names of the tricks give an idea of how
rest of the world from the 1950s, starting with the exciting the sport is; the ‘heart-attack’, ‘boneless’
un
southwest coast of the USA. Nowadays surfing is and ‘slim chance’ are among the most
enjoyed by surfers wherever there are waves, in exhilarating to watch.
ci
Bali, Australia, Japan, France and even Britain.

Contemporary surfers use lightweight fibreglass SCUBA diving
l.o
boards to catch waves of varying shapes and Just as mankind has always had a desire to fly,
sizes as they roll in towards the beach. One of the human race has wanted to swim under the
rg
the main attractions of the sport is its simplicity – water since prehistoric times. Pictures of primitive
all a surfer really needs is a surfboard, a wetsuit devices to enable people to breathe underwater
/le
and a way of getting to the beach. have been found dating from 3000 years ago, but
Although there has been a fiercely competitive our dream of moving freely beneath the ocean
ar
professional tour since the 1970s, surfing waves for long periods of time was only realised
traditionally appeals to young people with a about 60 years ago, when French diving legend
ne
relaxed outlook on life. A whole lifestyle has built Jacques Cousteau developed the first practical
up around the sport, and movies like Big Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
Wednesday, Point Break and Blue Crush have (SCUBA). Since then the sport of SCUBA diving
n
popularised surf culture. Surfing also has its own has gone from strength to strength.
gl
language – an excited surfer is ‘stoked’, a surfer Lovers of SCUBA diving rave about the feeling of
who falls off their board ‘wipes out’, and weightlessness, the peace and quiet under the
is
something a surfer really likes is ‘awesome’. The water, the ability to move in three dimensions and
heroes of the surfing community are the soul the sense of adventure they get while on a dive.
h
surfers – surfers who live only to travel and surf. SCUBA divers often travel to some of the most
beautiful and remote places in the world in the
Windsurfing and kiteboarding search for rare underwater flora and fauna.
Both close cousins of surfing, windsurfing and Palau, The Red Sea, The Maldives and Hawaii
kiteboarding use the wind to propel modified have many of the most popular diving sites, but
surfboards at high speeds across the surface of recreational divers often have to make do with
the water. less exotic local destinations, like the North Sea
in Britain.
Windsurfing is a hybrid of sailing and surfing SCUBA diving is not without its dangers,
invented by sailor Jim Drake, and surfer Hoyle however. The mixture of nitrogen and oxygen
Page 1 of 3
divers breathe underwater, combined with the irresponsible divers have caused a great deal of
pressure under the water can be deadly if a diver damage to coral reefs. However with proper
rises too quickly to the surface, causing a precautions diving can open up a whole new
condition called ‘the bends’. Divers can also get world, far from the stresses of daily life.
lost or trapped when diving on wrecks, and
fatalities are particularly common in cave diving, So what are you waiting for? Get your wetsuit on,
where divers add to the dangers of diving by strap your board to the roof rack, throw your
swimming through underground caves filled with SCUBA gear in the boot and head for the beach.
water. Diving can also be harmful to the I’ll see you there.
w
underwater environment – in the past

w
Glossary
w
contemporary (adj): existing or happening now. improve it or make it more acceptable.

coral reef (n): a bank of coral, the top of which can precaution (n):an action which is done to prevent
.b
sometimes be seen just above the sea. something unpleasant or dangerous happening.
device (n): an object or machine which has been prehistoric (adj): describing the period before there
rit
invented to fulfill a particular purpose. were written records.

establish (v) (established adj): to cause to be primitive (adj): relating to human society at a very
is
accepted in or familiar with a place, position, etc. early stage of development, with people living in a
hc
exhilarating (adj): making you feel very excited and simple way without machines or a writing system.
happy. propel (n): to push or move something somewhere,
fatality (n): a death caused by an accident or by often with a lot of force.
o
violence, or someone who has died in either of rave (v): to praise something greatly.
un
these ways. royalty (n): the people who belong to the family of a
fibreglass UK, US fiberglass (n): a strong light king and queen.
material made by twisting together small fibres of slalom (n): a race for people on skis or in canoes (=
ci
glass and plastic, used especially for structures long light narrow boats) in which they have to follow
l.o
such as cars and boats. a route that bends in and out between poles.
flora and fauna (n): the flora and fauna of a place tow (v): to pull a car, boat, etc. along, using a rope
are its plants and animals. or a chain attached to another vehicle or boat.
rg
hybrid (n): a plant or animal that has been wetsuit (n): a piece of clothing covering the whole
produced from two different types of plant or animal, body that keeps you warm and dry when you are
/le
especially to get better characteristics, or anything under water.

that is a mixture of two very different things. wetsuit (n): a piece of clothing covering the whole
ar
modify (v): to change something such as a plan, body that keeps you warm and dry when you are
opinion, law or way of behaviour slightly, usually to under water.
ne
After reading
n
Exercise 1
gl
Decide if each of the following 10 statements about the text is True or False.
is
1. Surfing is an old sport.

h
2. Surfers use wooden surfboards.

3. Surfing is only possible in Hawaii, Bali, the USA and Australia.
4. Surfers use a lot of special words.
5. Windsurfing was invented in the USA in the 1980s.
6. Windsurfing is a cross between surfing and sailing.
7. Windsurfing is an Olympic sport.
8. Kitesurfing has been popular for many years.
9. SCUBA diving was invented 3000 years ago.
10. SCUBA diving can be dangerous.
Page 2 of 3
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. True (T); 2. False (F); 3. F; 4. T; 5. F; 6. T; 7. T; 8. F; 9. F; 10. T
w
w
w
.b
rit
is
hc
o un
ci
l.o
rg
/le
ar
ne
n gl
is
h
Page 3 of 3
Magazine – Waltzing Matilda
Introduction
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/magazine-articles/waltzing-matilda

Read the article
Waltzing Matilda
by Paul Millard
Most countries have a unique piece of music that Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with
means something special to its people. For many glee
of those celebrating Australia Day this week, it’s a And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his
song called ‘Waltzing Matilda’, written in 1895 by tucker bag
a song-writer and poet known as ‘Banjo’ You’ll come a-waltzing matilda with me
Paterson. It’s a song that, for many, evokes the
unique feel of the country, yet tells a very simple (Chorus)
story.
Down came the squatter, mounted on his
thoroughbred
Down came the troopers, one, two, three
‘Whose is that jumbuck that you’ve got in your
tucker-bag?
You’ll come a-waltzing matilda with me!’
(Chorus)
Up jumped the swagman and jumped into the

billabong
‘You’ll never take me alive!’ said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that
billabong
You’ll come a-waltzing matilda with me
The song (Chorus)
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong If you are a little confused, don’t worry! Some of
Under the shade of a coolibah tree the most important words are only used in
And he sang as he watched and waited ‘til his Australia and the story isn’t obvious to many
billy boiled speakers of English. In short, a travelling worker
Who’ll come a-waltzing matilda with me? camps next to a lake and heats some water. A
sheep comes for a drink at the lake and the man
Chorus: Waltzing matilda, matilda my darling catches it and puts it in a bag. Then the sheep
You’ll come a-waltzing matilda with me farmer arrives on his horse, with three policemen.
And he sang as he watched and waited ‘til his Instead of being captured and sent to prison, the
billy boiled man jumps into the lake and dies.
Who’ll come a-waltzing matilda with me?
By the way, the ‘matilda’ is the swagman’s
Down came a jumbuck to drink at the billabong sleeping blanket, rolled up for carrying. ‘ Waltzing
matilda’ probably refers to the act of carrying it
Page 1 of 3
around the country. Alternatively, the swagman sympathy with the poor workers. He gave the
was dancing with his blanket! song its words, but the music was probably
provided by Christina Macpherson, the sister of
So, the story is a universal one – a conflict the sheep farmer. She didn’t write it, but she had
between poor and rich, in which the poor man remembered the tune, called ‘Craigielee’ being
loses but defiantly keeps his pride. It may have played in the south of Australia the year before.
gained extra significance and popularity because
of the things that were happening in Australia at Waltzing Matilda – Australia’s anthem?
that time.
The song became very popular in Australia,
The writing of Waltzing Matilda although it existed in three different forms. In the
1970s, it nearly became Australia’s official
Although Banjo Paterson lived in Sydney, the national anthem, to be played at major events like
song was written while he was visiting the interior the opening of parliament and international
of the country – known as the Outback, a tough matches in football and rugby. Until 1974,
place where only a few people lived, mostly by Australia’s anthem was the same as Britain’s –
farming sheep and cows. Paterson went to God Save the Queen. Many people were
Queensland in the north of the country, where, a dissatisfied with this and votes were held in 1974
few months earlier, there had been a lot of and 1977. Waltzing Matilda came in second, with
tension and conflict. The shearers – workers who nearly 30% of the vote. Popular, but not as
travelled around the farms, cutting the wool from popular as ‘Advance Australia Fair’, a song dating
the sheep – wanted more money from the sheep from 1878. This begins with the line, ‘Australians
farmers. The shearers went on strike, meaning all let us rejoice, for we are young and free’, and
that they stopped working. There had been a lot goes on to praise Australia as a nation. It is more
of anger and violence. typical of a national anthem than a story of a man
who takes a sheep and then jumps in a lake, but
In January 1895, Paterson was staying with the perhaps it is less typically Australian.
Macpherson family on their sheep farm near
Winton in Queensland. Some people say that Whatever the official anthem is, for many
during the strike a building on the farm had been Australians ‘Waltzing Matilda’ will continue to be
burned down and many sheep had died. Guns their real national song.
were fired during the incident. The next day, the
leader of the workers was found dead near a
lake.
Yet it was here, among the owners of the land,

that Banjo Paterson wrote this song in apparent
Page 2 of 3
After reading
Exercise 1
Below are 11 words from the song (numbered 1-11). In the table above these are the meanings of these
words (a-k). Can you match the words to their meanings?
a. a blanket b. a lake c. a policeman

d. a pot for heating water e. a sheep f. a travelling worker
g. a type of eucalyptus tree h. a type of farmer i. an expensive horse
j. food k. happy
1. billabong
2. billy
3. coolibah
4. jolly
5. jumbuck
6. matilda
7. squatter
8. swagman
9. thoroughbred
10. trooper
11. tucker
Answers
Exercise 1: 1. b; 2. d; 3. g; 4. k; 5. e; 6. a; 7. h; 8. f; 9. i; 10. c; 11. j

Page 3 of 3

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Magazine Article - "Feeding the world" why we need rice

1. cultivation 2. crop 3. staple 4. drought

5. agriculture 6. prone 7. tolerance 8. thrive

9. emissions 10. yield 11. seed 12. weed

© The British Council, 2011 Page 1 of 3

"Feeding the world" why we need rice by Clare Powell

© The British Council, 2011 Page 2 of 3

2. In Chinese mythology, people were saved from starvation by...

3. According to a Chinese saying, rice is...

4. 90% of rice is...

5. Rice production must increase by 70%...

6. A by-product of rice production is methane which...

7. Global warming means changes in the earth’s temperatures which...

© The British Council, 2011 Page 3 of 3

This support pack contains the following materials:

Read the article

Imagine a beach; a quiet place, with only the Storms

Exercise 1: Answer the 10 questions below about the text.

1. Where is the beach?

More activities on this topic

This support pack contains the following materials:

Before you read

a. decompose b. evidence c. forensic d. mind-boggling

1. applying scientific methods to solving a crime

Read the article

So, Lindow Man was killed using three different

From which language does the word archaeology come from?

When did humans arrive in Australia?

Soft, organic material normally does what?

What was Lindow Man’s ethnic group?

He was put into the water to please which god?

When did the Romans invade Britain?

How long did the Romans stay in Britain for?

Which city is Lindow Man in now?

What is the name of the museum?

What does ‘it’ refer to?

a. Greek b. archaeology c. academic words

What does ‘these’ refer to?

a. archaeologists b. humans c. objects

What does ‘them’ refer to?

a. the Romans b. the Mediterranean area c. two thousand years

What does ‘this evidence’ refer to?

What does ‘who’ refer to?

a. a human foot b. the men c. the police

What does ‘him’ refer to?

a. skin b. this body c. hair

What does ‘one’ refer to?

a. method b. Lindow Man c. being killed

What does ‘It’ refer to?

a. Lindow Man b. the help of the Gods c. being killed

What does ‘it’ refer to?

a. seeing him face to face b. Lindow man c. being with us by accident

This support pack contains the following materials:

Read the article

Not all awards are as noble as the Nobels. Even

Most awards ceremonies are now sponsored by

1. The Nobel prize is awarded for

a. are almost the same as another important prize

Before you read / listen

1. armed with 2. claim 3. compile 4. definitely

5. eye-witness 6. fabricated 7. news-gatherer 8. scoop

9. the source 10. subcontractors 11. tycoon 12. web log

© The British Council, 2011 Page 1 of 3