Level 2 Intermediate - Comunicazione e DAMS

Transcription

US drug agency recruits speakers of ‘street slang’
Level 2
1
Intermediate
Warmer
Complete the sentence by choosing the correct second half of the sentence.
Ebonics is ...
a.
… the street name of an illegal drug.
b.
… an informal language used by some African Americans.
c.
… a style of underground music similar to jazz.
2
Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. The paragraph numbers are given to
help you.
intent
surrender
undermine
translator
surveillance
recruit
linguist
deals
slang
vernacular
wiretaps
dialect
1.
someone who changes spoken or written words into another language, especially as their job
_________________________ (para 1)
2.
to get someone to work in a company or join an organization _________________________ (para 1)
3.
the language spoken by a particular group or in a particular area, when it is different from the formal written
language _________________________ (para 2)
4.
equipment that secretly lets telephone conversations be heard or recorded _________________________
(para 2)
5.
the process of carefully watching a person or place that may be involved in a criminal activity
_________________________ (para 2)
6.
a business transaction that often involves buying or selling drugs _________________________ (para 2)
7.
someone who teaches or studies languages _________________________ (para 3)
8.
words or expressions that are very informal and are not considered suitable for more formal situations
_________________________ (para 3)
9.
WRPDNHVRPHWKLQJRUVRPHRQHEHFRPHJUDGXDOO\OHVVHIIHFWLYHFRQ¿GHQWRUVXFFHVVIXO
_________________________ (para 8)
10. the act of giving in to somebody _________________________ (para 8)
11. plan, or well-meant idea (the intention to do something) _________________________ (para 8)
12. a regional variety of language distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation
_________________________ (para 11)
3 Scanning for information
What does DEA stand for?
2.
How many speakers of Ebonics are the DEA looking for and where will they work?
3.
What will the main work of the speakers of Ebonics be?
4.
Which of the following languages do the DEA class as ‘common’ and which do they class as ‘exotic’? Arabic,
Norwegian, Farsi, Chimora.
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2010
NEWS LESSONS / US drug agency recruits speakers of ‘street slang’ / Intermediate
P
H
1.
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D
6FDQWKHDUWLFOHWR¿QGDQVZHUVWRWKHTXHVWLRQV
Level 2
Intermediate
California decided to recognize it as a primary
language and to offer classes taught in Ebonics.
US drug agency recruits speakers of
‘street slang’
Chris McGreal in Washington
24 August, 2010
1 The demand for large numbers of Spanish
translators in America’s war on drugs will come
as no surprise. But now, an attempt to recruit
people who speak what some consider to be
a homegrown United States language has put
the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
in the unique position of seeking translators to
understand what African Americans are saying to
each other.
2 The DEA is hiring nine speakers of Ebonics.
Ebonics is a term that appeared in the
mid-1970s to describe US black vernacular
English. The speakers of Ebonics will translate
wiretaps and video surveillance tapes into
standard American English. The translations will
allow government agents to track criminal deals
and provide evidence that will stand up in court.
3 Ebonics is described by some linguists as a
kind of English that uses the grammar of African
languages. But as it also includes many words
that have been invented on the streets, others
say it is just slang.
4 Nonetheless, the DEA is confused enough by
the language to ask companies which provide
WUDQVODWLRQVHUYLFHVWR¿QGQLQH(ERQLFV
translators. These translators will cover an area
from Washington DC to New Orleans and Miami
and even the Caribbean.
5 Not everyone agrees with this decision.
$PHULFDQRI¿FLDOVKDYHLQWKHSDVWGHQLHGWKDW
Ebonics even exists.
6 “A lot of times people think you’re just dealing
with a few slang words and that you can work
your way around it,” John Rickford, a Stanford
University linguistics professor, told the
Associated Press. “But that’s not true –
it’s a big vocabulary. There are some
VLJQL¿FDQWGLIIHUHQFHV´
8
The decision was criticized because people
thought it would undermine African American
children’s command of English. Jesse Jackson,
the African American civil rights leader,
described it as “an unacceptable surrender”.
He later changed his position, saying he had
misunderstood that the school’s intent was to
use Ebonics to improve the students’ English.
9
“It seems ironic that schools that are serving and
educating black children have not recognized
this language,” said H Samy Alim, a Stanford
linguistics professor. “Yet the police are
recognizing that this is a language that they don’t
understand. It tells us a lot about where we are
socially in terms of recognizing African
American speech.”
10
The DEA’s need for Ebonics translators was
UHYHDOHGLQDGRFXPHQW¿UVWSXEOLVKHGE\7KH
Smoking Gun (a website belonging to Turner
Entertainment Digital Network that uploads
material obtained from government and law
enforcement sources, via freedom of
information requests).
11
The DEA says it mostly needs speakers of
Latin American Spanish but it is also seeking
SHRSOHÀXHQWLQODQJXDJHVOLVWHGHLWKHUDV
“common” or “exotic”. The common languages
include Arabic, Farsi and Punjabi. On the
exotic list are Baloch from Iran, Berber dialects,
Chimora from Guam, Ibo from Nigeria
and Norwegian.
12
The Ebonics translators will work in the Atlanta
Field Division where there will be a similar
number of Vietnamese, Korean and Laotian
speakers – and 144 Spanish translators.
© Guardian News & Media 2010
First published in The Guardian, 24/08/10
P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D
7 Although many scholars do not accept that
Ebonics is a language, it got nationwide attention
in 1996 when a school board in Oakland,
Level 2
Intermediate
4 Verb or noun?
These words can all be verbs or nouns. Find them in the article. How are they used – as verbs or nouns?
Explain both meanings of the word by making example sentences.
1.
recruit (title)
verb / noun
2.
demand (para 1)
verb / noun
3.
attempt (para 1)
verb / noun
4.
track (para 2)
verb / noun
5.
deal (para 2)
verb / noun
6.
cover (para 4)
verb / noun
7.
offer (para 7)
verb / noun
8.
surrender (para 8)
verb / noun
5 Ebonics translation
In the US TV series, The Wire, Baltimore police spend hours listening to wiretaps. How good do you think
you would be at understanding what is being said? Match the Ebonic language on the left with the more
standard English translation on the right.
1.
We got to book
a.
Can I borrow $10?
2.
I need a re-up
b.
Is he scared?
3.
Word is bond
c.
We’ve got to leave.
4.
Got $10 I can hold?
d.
Bye. Got to get to work.
5.
Is he shook?
e.
I mean it.
6.
Well, later. I got to grind
f.
I need a new supply (e.g. of drugs)
6 Discussion
'LVFXVVRQHRUPRUHRIWKHVHTXHVWLRQV
Are there any expressions, or special ways of communicating, used by young people in your area that
older people may not understand?
Is there a strong dialect used in your area? In which ways, and how much, does it differ from the
standard language of your country?
P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D
How much has your language changed in the course of two generations? Do you use the same terms
as your grandparents do / would have done?
Level 2
Intermediate
KEY
1 Warmer
4 Verb or noun?
b
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
translator
recruit
vernacular
wiretaps
surveillance
deals
linguist
slang
undermine
surrender
intent
dialect
7HDFKHU¶VQRWHMore information about the Atlanta
Field Division can be found here:
KWWSZZZDWIJRY¿HOGDWODQWD
3 Scanning for information
1.
2.
3.
4.
Drug Enforcement Administration
Nine. They will be assigned to the Atlanta
Field Division.
To translate wiretaps and video surveillance tapes
into standard US English so that the evidence can
be used in court.
Common = Arabic and Farsi.
Exotic = Norwegian and Chimora.
5 Ebonics translation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
c
f
e
a
b
d
6 Discussion
7HDFKHU¶VQRWHAsk your students to discuss the
question they feel most comfortable with and are able to
give an opinion on. The question they choose may well
depend on the age of the students. If you have a larger
class with students of different ages, you might like to
divide them into groups according to their ages, ask
them to discuss one question and then have a group
feedback session.
7HDFKHU¶VQRWHYou can listen to and watch excerpts
from the TV series The Wire on YouTube, for example,
‘The Wire – 100 greatest quotes’ here:
KWWSZZZ\RXWXEHFRPZDWFK"Y 6JM4*%J
Please be aware that it contains a lot of swearing and
may not be suitable for all classes.
P
H
2 Key words
verb
noun
noun
verb
noun
verb
verb
noun
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D
7HDFKHU¶VQRWHThe term derives from a blend of the
words “ebony” and “phonics”. It is also known as
African American Vernacular English.
recruit
demand
attempt
track
deal
cover
offer
surrender
Return to Algeria
Level 2 ● Intermediate
1 Key Words
Match the words from the text with the definitions.
1. anxious
2. talkative
3. determined
4. innumerable
5. indifferent
6. hostile
7. daring
8. dilapidated
9. slightly
10.hospitable
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
impossible to count
old and in a bad condition
generous towards visitors and guests
not willing to let anything prevent you from doing what you have decided to do
lacking interest or sympathy
brave enough to do dangerous things
just a little
worried
behaving in a very unfriendly way
talking a lot
2 Find the information
Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible.
1. Where are the people in the text travelling to?
2. When did they leave Algeria?
3. Why are they going back?
4. What was the attitude of French people towards them when they arrived in France?
5. When did Pierre’s family first settle in Algeria?
6. What did Enrico think of Algiers?
No one says a word. They are anxious, lost in their memories and perhaps their fears too. Once on board
the plane they start to relax. “When we get there, it will be like stepping back into my teens,” says Robert,
60. It is his wife Marie-France’s first flight. They live near Marseille, and in less than an hour they will be in
Algiers. “I have two little brothers there,” he suddenly says. They are buried in the Christian cemetery of
Algiers, next to his father and his grandparents.
•P
CA
Downloaded from the Magazine section in www.onestopenglish.com
HO
N TO
B
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
As we approach Algiers he becomes more talkative. “I was born in the Hussein Dey district,” he says. “I
started work at 15. We lived in a rented flat, but we were happy. All we wanted was to go to the beach, do
some fishing and shooting.” When the plane lands, Robert simply says: “Here I am, back where I started 44
years ago.”
Return to Algeria
Everyone in the group of about 50 people seems to want to do the same thing: see their old street, their
house, maybe their school and perhaps some childhood friends. The three-day tour is organised by a
French tour company which organises visits specially for French people who left Algeria in 1962. In the past
two years about 60,000 people have made the trip and numbers are increasingly steadily.
“When I saw the advert I didn’t hesitate for long,” says Lydia, 50. “My family and friends all said: ‘Algiers? But
you’re crazy. What are you are going to do in a place like that? What do you expect to find?’ Perhaps they
think we are going to Baghdad.” She was determined to go and told them: “Perhaps I’ll be disappointed, but
at least I’ll have tried.” So here they are again in Algiers for the first time in almost half a century. During the
dark years of Islamist terror (1990-2000) they thought they would never see the place again. For many it is
a big surprise, the streets full of people, the traffic jams and pollution, the innumerable satellite dishes, and
washing drying everywhere.
They cannot believe the warmth of their reception. Wherever they go they hear the same greeting:
“Welcome home.” Older people come up to them and ask, in French: “Why did you leave? Come back, we
need you.” Even the young people tell them: “It’s good to see Europeans again.” As time passes the anger
they have felt for so long begins to disappear. Who, they wonder, was actually threatening them when they
left in such a hurry in the summer of 1962? Was it the victorious National Liberation Front or the [far-right]
OAS extremists? Nothing seems clear any more. “I should never have left. Here, at least, I would have been
some use,” says Mary-Josette, a retired nurse. “We had no choice. We had to go,” say the others.
None of them have forgotten their nightmare arrival in France. Suddenly Algeria was no longer part of
France and they were no longer important. They lost everything. In France people were indifferent to them
and sometimes even hostile. “In Marseille and Toulon they referred to us as ‘repatriates’ but that was
nonsense. We were immigrants. Only here, in Algeria, are we really repatriates,” says Lydia.
Fabienne, 73, and Pierre, 60 met on the plane and discovered they were born in the same quarter of
Algiers. Fabienne is a colourful figure. Pierre, in contrast, is quiet, with blue eyes and fair hair. His family,
from Alsace, first settled in Algeria in 1870. He plans to visit his family’s old flat, a move that seems too
daring for Fabienne. She gathers some earth from outside her former home, a dilapidated block of flats.
This is where she used to buy doughnuts for breakfast and where she did her athletics training. At one point
in the 1950s she was the “Algerian champion over 100 and 200 metres”. She sees a bar she used to visit.
“Ah, I was young then,” she says, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. To the Algerians who smile at her,
she says: “Khuya” [my brother], adding: “I feel I know them, we have the same blood.”
When he reaches his building Pierre hesitates. “It’s all a bit too much,” he says, his voice full of emotion. He
climbs to the second floor and rings the bell. The door opens slightly. His wife Dominique waits on the stairs,
anxious. Her husband has been dreaming of this moment for 40 years and she wonders what will happen if
he is turned away. A woman, in her 60s appears. “Come in,” she says with a smile. Little has changed inside
the flat. Pierre goes from room to room. He finds the room where he was born, once occupied by his mother,
a musician. And here is the fireplace where the family used to put their Christmas presents. For a while,
Pierre says nothing, lost in his thoughts.
•P
H
CA OT
N
B O
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
“Goodness, you have kept everything the same as it was,” says Pierre. The woman, who has lived in the flat
with her husband’s family since 1963, says: “This gentleman was born here and now he is reliving his whole
life. It must be terrible for him.” Finally everyone sits down and they exchange addresses. “You must come
back with your family, stay for a week,” says the old woman’s husband, when the visitors leave. “It’s a lot to
take all at once,” says Pierre, his eyes full of tears.
Return to Algeria
Marcel Pontier has still not recovered from the shock he had that afternoon. He was taking a photograph of his old
home when the owner appeared. Marcel apologised and explained that he once lived there. The other man replied:
“Oh, you must be Mr Pontier.” Andre, a Jew born in the poor district of Bab el-Oued, is delighted. “What a welcome!
After all that has happened, it is quite unexpected. These are our people.”
Enrico, 79, does not share the enthusiasm. A barber and former member of the OAS, he now lives in the US. “It’s
dirty. I should have stayed at home with my memories. Still, I must admit, I’ve never seen such hospitable people.”
3 Comprehension Check
Decide whether these sentences are True or False according to the text.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
All the travellers in the group were very talkative on the plane.
Robert’s two brothers live in Algiers.
Everyone in the group seems to want to revisit the scene of their childhood.
Lydia’s friends thought she was crazy to want to visit Algiers.
People in Algiers were indifferent and hostile to them.
The woman living in Pierre’s old flat has changed everything.
Pierre was invited to return and stay for a week.
Enrico was pleased he had visited Algiers.
4 Vocabulary 1 Collocations
Match the verbs with the nouns.
1. make
a. a bell
2. feel
b. a photograph
3. do
c. addresses
4. ring
d. a trip
5. exchange
e. training
f. take
f. anger
5 Vocabulary 2 Prepositions
Fill the gaps using prepositions.
tears
2.
board the plane
3.
the first time
4.
a hurry
5.
contrast
6. recover
8. smile
•P
H
7. refer
CA OT
N
B O
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
1. full
Return to Algeria
6 Vocabulary 3 Word building
Complete the table.
Verb
Noun
1. receive
2. greet
3. disappear
4. hesitate
5. threaten
6. arrive
7. discover
8. recover
7 Discussion
•P
H
CA OT
N
B O
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
What things do you remember from your childhood and adolescent years? Do you find it an emotional
experience to visit the house where you were born or to go back to your first school?
Return to Algeria
KEY
1 Key Words
1. h; 2. j; 3. d; 4. a; 5. e; 6. i; 7. f; 8. b; 9. g; 10. c
1. Algiers (Algeria)
2. 1962
3. To visit the place where they were born (their old house, their street, school, childhood friends)
4. They were indifferent or hostile
5. 1870
6. He thought it was dirty (but the people were very hospitable)
3 Comprehension Check
1. F; 2. F; 3. T; 4. T; 5. F; 6. F; 7. T; 8. F
4 Vocabulary 1
Collocations
1. d; 2. f; 3. e; 4. a; 5. c; 6. b
5 Vocabulary 2
Prepositions
1. of; 2. on; 3. for; 4. in; 5. in; 6. from; 7. to; 8. at
6 Vocabulary 3
Word building
•P
HO
N TO
B
C
CA
FR E D O
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
1. reception
2. greeting
3. disappearance
4. hesitation
5. threat
6. arrival
7. discovery
8. recovery
Is Stephen Hawking right about aliens?
Level 2
1
Intermediate
Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. The paragraph numbers are given to
help you.
motive
galaxy
astronomer
millennium
orbit
cosmos
alien
light year
interstellar
radar
1.
An _______________________ is someone who studies the stars and planets using scientific equipment,
including telescopes. (para 1)
2.
An _______________________ is a person or creature from a planet other than Earth. (para 1)
3.
The _______________________ is a term meaning the whole universe. (para 2)
4.
A _______________________ is an extremely large group of stars and planets. (para 3)
5.
The planets of our solar system _______________________ the sun. (para 3)
6.
_______________________ communication is communication between different stars. (para 3)
7.
A _______________________ is a system that uses radio signals to find the exact position of something. (para 5)
8.
A _______________________ is the distance that light travels in a year. (para 5)
9.
A _______________________ is a period of one thousand years. (para 6)
10. A _______________________ is the reason you do something. (para 9)
2
Find the information
How many stars are there in our galaxy?
2.
How far has the oldest broadcast already travelled from Earth?
3.
How long would it take for a message from a planet 1,000 light years away to reach Earth?
4.
Where is the SETI Institute?
5.
What kind of moon is Endor?
6.
How many cells do ‘extremophiles’ have?
NEWS LESSONS / Is Stephen Hawking right about aliens? / Intermediate
•P
H
1.
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Find this information in the text as quickly as possible.
Intermediate
Is Stephen Hawking right
about aliens?
5
If we were really worried about letting aliens
know we were here, Shostak says, the first
thing to do would be to shut down the BBC,
NBC, CBS and the radars at all airports. Those
broadcasts have been sending messages into
space for years – the oldest is already more than
80 light years from Earth – so it is already too
late to stop aliens watching our TV programmes.
6
There are lots of practical problems involved in
hunting for aliens, of course, mainly the distance.
If our nearest neighbours were life forms on the
(fictional) moon of Endor, 1,000 light years away,
it would take a millennium for us to receive any
message they could send us. If the Endorians
were watching us, the light reaching them from
Earth at this very moment would show them our
planet as it was 1,000 years ago; in Europe that
means lots of fighting between knights around
castles and, in north America, small bands of
natives living on the great plains. It is not a
timescale that allows for a quick conversation –
and, anyway, they might not be communicating
in our direction.
7
The fact that we have not received any
messages from aliens has not, however,
prevented astronomers and biologists (not to
mention film-makers) from producing a whole
range of ideas about what aliens might be like. In
the early days of SETI, astronomers were trying
to find planets like ours – the idea being that,
since the only biology we know about is our own,
aliens would be something like us. But there’s no
reason why that should be true. You don’t even
need to step off the Earth to find life that is very
different from our experience of it.
8
‘Extremophiles’ are species that can survive in
places that would quickly kill humans and other
‘normal’ life forms. These single-celled creatures
have been found in boiling hot jets of water that
come through the ocean floor, or at temperatures
many degrees below the freezing point of water.
Alok Jha
30 April, 2010
1 The hunt for intelligent species outside Earth is
something we often see in literature and film –
but it is happening in real life, too. Space probes
are searching for planets outside our solar
system, and astronomers are carefully listening
for any messages coming to us through space.
How incredible it would be to get confirmation
that we are not alone in the universe and to
finally speak to an alien race. Wouldn’t it?
2 Well, no, according to the eminent physicist
Stephen Hawking. “If aliens visited us, the result
would be the same as when Columbus landed
in America, which didn’t end well for the Native
Americans,” Hawking says. He argues that,
instead of trying to find and communicate with
life in the cosmos, humans should be doing
everything they can to avoid contact.
3 Hawking believes that because of the huge
number of planets that scientists know must
exist, we are not the only life form in the
universe. There are billions and billions of stars
just in our galaxy, and we should expect that an
even larger number of planets orbit these stars.
And we can also expect that some of that alien
life will be intelligent, and capable of interstellar
communication. So, when someone with
Hawking’s knowledge of the universe advises
against contact, it’s worth listening, isn’t it?
4 Seth Shostak, a senior astronomer at the
SETI Institute in California, the world’s leading
organization searching for signs of alien
existence, is not so sure. “This is an unwarranted
fear,” Shostak says. “If their interest in our planet
is for something valuable that our planet has to
offer, there’s no particular reason to worry about
•P
H
Stephen Hawking thinks that making contact
with aliens would be a very bad idea indeed. But
with new, massive telescopes, we humans are
stepping up the search. Have we really thought
this through?
them now. If they’re interested in resources, they
have ways of finding rocky planets that don’t
depend on whether we broadcast or not. They
could have found us a billion years ago.”
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Level 2
Level 2
Intermediate
The front ends of some creatures that live
near deep-sea jets are 200°C warmer than
their back ends.
9
10
On Earth, life exists in water and on land but,
on a huge gas planet, for example, it could exist
high in the atmosphere, eating food from the air
around it. And, as aliens would be so different
from us, guessing their motives and intentions
if they ever got in touch seems to be something
that even Hawking cannot explain.
Paul Davies, an astrophysicist at Arizona
State University argues that alien brains, with
their different architecture, would interpret
information very differently from ours. “Lots
of people think that because they would be
so clever and knowledgeable, they would be
peaceful,” adds Stewart. “I don’t think you can
say that. I don’t think you can put human views
onto them; that’s a dangerous way of thinking.
Aliens are alien. If they exist at all, we cannot
simply believe they’re the same as us.”
3 Comprehension check
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text?
1.
Stephen Hawking believes we are the only life form in the universe.
2.
Hawking thinks it is a bad idea to try to contact aliens.
3.
The BBC, CBS and NBC are sending radio messages in order to contact aliens.
4.
Aliens that are 1,000 light years away would see the Earth as it was 1,000 years ago.
5.
Aliens would definitely be peaceful.
6.
On a gas planet, life could exist high in the atmosphere.
4 Find the word
a two-word noun meaning a vehicle containing cameras and other equipment that is sent outside the Earth’s
atmosphere to collect information (para 1)
2.
an adjective meaning important, respected and admired (para 2)
3.
a two-word noun meaning living thing (para 3)
4.
an adjective meaning not necessary (para 4)
5.
an adjective meaning invented for a book, play or film (para 6)
6.
a noun meaning the period of time when something happens or is done (para 6)
7.
a noun meaning someone who studies the physical and chemical structure of the stars and planets (para 10)
8.
an adjective meaning knowing a lot about different subjects (para 10)
•P
H
1.
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Find the following words and phrases in the text.
Level 2
Intermediate
5 Two-word expressions
Match the beginnings and endings to make phrases from the text.
1.
freezing
a. life
2.
solar
b. year
3.
light
c. point
4.
life
d. maker
5.
film-
e. form
6.
real
f. system
6 Word-building
Complete the table using nouns from the text.
verb
1.
hunt
2.
confirm
3.
contact
4.
exist
5.
intend
6.
know
noun
7 Discussion
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Do you believe that aliens exist? Why? Why not?
Level 2
Intermediate
KEY
1 Key words
4 Find the word
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
astronomer
alien
cosmos
galaxy
orbit
interstellar
radar
light year
millennium
motive
space probe
eminent
life form
unwarranted
fictional
timescale
astrophysicist
knowledgeable
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
billions and billions
80 light years
1,000 years (a millennium)
California
a fictional one
one
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
F
T
F
T
F
T
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
c
f
b
e
d
a
6 Word-building
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
hunt
confirmation
contact
existence
intention
knowledge
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
2 Find the information.
Racism, ratings and reality TV
Level 2
1
Intermediate
Key words
Fill the gaps using these key words from the text.
controversy
elocution
allegation
contestant
condemn
fake
regulator
overt
petition
prejudice
1. If someone is a ____________, they pretend to have skills they do not really have.
2. A ____________ is a document signed by many people asking the authorities to do something.
3. If you have ____________ lessons, you learn to speak clearly and with an accent that is considered correct.
4. If something is ____________, it is not hidden or secret.
5. ____________ is an unreasonable opinion or feeling, especially the feeling of not liking a group of people.
6. An ____________ is a statement that someone has done something wrong or illegal even though this has
not been proved.
7. A ____________ is a disagreement that a lot of people have strong feelings about.
8. If you ____________ something, you say publicly that something is bad or wrong.
9. A ____________ is an organization whose job is to check that companies, systems etc. act fairly
and follow rules.
10. A ____________ is someone who takes part in a contest or competition.
2
1. What is Celebrity Big Brother?
2. What TV station broadcasts Celebrity Big Brother?
3. How many people signed the online petition against the programme?
4. How many people watched the Monday night edition of the programme?
5. How many complaints will the police investigate formally?
NEWS LESSONS / Racism, ratings and reality TV / Intermediate
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
6. Who is the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer?
Intermediate
Complaints over Channel 4 show hit record
22,000. Police to investigate abuse of Bollywood
film star.
by Owen Gibson, Vikram Dodd and Randeep
Ramesh in Delhi. January 18, 2007
The reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother is
already in its fifth year. The number of viewers
has been falling but now a controversy over
the alleged racism of some of the participants
in this year’s show has led to demonstrations
on Indian streets, shock and anger in Downing
Street, condemnation from the Chancellor of the
Exchequer on a state visit to India and a police
investigation.
The Channel 4 show has always been
controversial but has never before caused an
international incident. However, as the number of
complaints from angry viewers grew to 22,000,
the Indian government criticised the programme
and local police confirmed they would investigate
allegations that three white fellow contestants
had behaved in a racist way towards Bollywood
star Shilpa Shetty.
The number of complaints looked sure to rise last
night as Channel 4 broadcast a furious argument
between Shetty and Jade Goody, who earned
millions after appearing on the non-celebrity
version of the show. Speaking to another
contestant, Cleo Rocos, after the argument
Shetty said: “I’m representing my country. Is
that what today’s UK is? It’s scary. It’s quite a
shame actually.” Rocos said: “I don’t think there’s
anything racist in it.” But Shetty replied: “It is, I’m
telling you.” Later, glamour model Danielle Lloyd,
talking to Goody, said that the Bollywood star
should go back home.
India’s Information and Broadcasting Minister
appealed to Shetty to appear before the Indian
High Commission in London when she came out
of the house. “If there has been some racism
shown against her in the show, it is not only an
attack on women but also on the colour of her
skin and her country,” he said. 19,300 complaints
were made to the UK media regulator, more
than double the previous record, while a further
3,000 complaints were made direct to Channel 4.
Another 20,000 people signed an online petition
organised by the newspaper Eastern Eye.
The local police said they would formally
investigate 30 complaints. A spokesman said:
“We are investigating allegations of racist
behaviour in the Big Brother house, and
will conduct an inquiry, including a review
of videotapes of the programme.” Channel
4 executives and the show’s producers met
yesterday to discuss the row, but privately they
may be delighted. Tuesday night’s show was
watched by 4.5 million people, one million more
than on Monday.
The controversy started after a series of incidents
involving a group of contestants led by Goody,
and including her boyfriend Jack Tweed, Lloyd
and former pop singer Jo O’Meara. At one point
Goody, after an argument with Shetty, had said:
“You need elocution lessons. You need a day in
the slums. Go to those people who look up to you
and be real. You’re a fake.”
Channel 4 released a statement saying that
there had been no overt racism, and claiming
that the arguments were the result of class and
cultural differences. But in India, the row has
united all the major political parties. Communists,
Hindu nationalists and the ruling Congress party
have all demanded action be taken to preserve
Shetty’s dignity. “[Big Brother] is holding a mirror
to British society. This is not a one-off situation.
We should thank Channel 4 for showing us the
hidden prejudices of Britain,” Mahesh Bhatt, a
Bollywood director, told the Guardian.
Dozens of Shetty’s fans protested on the
streets in Patna, eastern India. In Bangalore,
the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon
Brown, had to answer questions from journalists
about a reality show he said he had never
seen. “I understand that in the UK there have
already been 10,000 complaints from viewers
•P
H
Racism, ratings and reality TV: now
Big Brother creates a diplomatic
incident
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Level 2
Level 2
Intermediate
about remarks which people rightly regard as
offensive,” he said. “I want Britain to be seen as
a country of fairness and tolerance. I condemn
anything that goes against that view.” Tony
Blair’s spokesman later added that racism is not
tolerated in any way in the UK.
In one exchange, Goody said about Shetty: “She
makes me feel sick. She makes my skin crawl,”
while another contestant continually referred to
her as “the Indian”. Later Lloyd claimed that the
Bollywood star “wants to be white” and called
her a “dog”. After Shetty cooked a roast chicken
dinner, Lloyd had said: “They eat with their hands
in India, don’t they. Or is that China?” She added:
“You don’t know where those hands have been.”
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Level 2
Intermediate
Are these sentences True or False according to the text?
1. This is the first time that Celebrity Big Brother has caused an international incident.
2. People in India are angry because a Bollywood actress appeared on the show.
3. A record number of people have complained to the UK media regulator.
4. The number of people watching the programme has fallen since the controversy started.
5. Channel 4 executives will probably be angry about the controversy.
6. The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer is a fan of the programme.
7. Some of the contestants made fun of Shilpa’s accent.
8. The police are not involved.
4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word
Look in the text and find the following:
1. An adjective meaning frightening. (para 3)
2. A verb meaning to try to find the facts about something in order to find the truth. (para 5)
3. A noun meaning an argument or a serious disagreement. (para 5)
4. An adjective meaning extremely pleased. (para 5)
5. A noun meaning a very poor area of a city where the buildings are in a very bad condition. (para 6)
6. A noun meaning the respect that other people have for you. (para 7)
7. An adjective meaning unpleasant or insulting. (para 8)
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
8. An expression meaning to suddenly feel uncomfortable because you dislike someone very much. (para 9)
Level 2
Intermediate
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations
Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns in the right-hand column.
1. investigate
a. an inquiry
2. cause
b. a petition
3. make
c. someone’s dignity
4. sign
d. action
5. conduct
e. an allegation
6. release
f. an international incident
7. demand
g. a statement
8. preserve
h. a complaint
6 Vocabulary 3: Word building
Complete the table.
verb
noun
1. tolerate
2. complain
3. allege
4. condemn
5. behave
6. refer
7. criticise
8. argue
7 Discussion
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Would you appear on a reality TV programme like Big Brother? Why? Why not?
Level 2
Intermediate
KEY
1 Key words
4 Vocabulary 1: Find the word
1. fake
2. petition
3. elocution
4. overt
5. prejudice
6. allegation
7. controversy
8. condemn
9. regulator
10. contestant
1. scary
2. investigate
3. row
4. delighted
5. slum
6. dignity
7. offensive
8. to make your skin crawl
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
6 Vocabulary 3: Word building
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
T
F
T
F
F
F
T
F
tolerance
complaint
allegation
condemnation
behaviour
reference
criticism
argument
•P
H
A reality TV programme
Channel 4
20,000
3.5 million
30
Gordon Brown
e or h
f
h or e
b
a
g
d
c
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
5 Vocabulary 2: Verb + noun collocations
Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam
Level 2 Intermediate
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using these key words from the text:
commuter
disruption
road rage
stationary
shoot-out
potholed
irritable
neglect
tense
shanty town
1. If a vehicle is ____________, it isn’t moving.
2. A ____________ is a fight in which guns are used.
3.
____________ is a situation in which something cannot continue because of a problem.
4. A ____________ is an area in which poor people live in badly built houses made of wood, metal or other thin
material.
5.
____________ is a situation where drivers behave violently towards other drivers.
6. If a road or street is ____________, it is full of holes.
7. If you ____________ something, you don’t look after it properly and you don’t pay any attention to it.
8. If you are ____________, you become angry or impatient very easily.
9. A ____________ is someone who travels regularly to and from work.
10. If you are ____________, you feel nervous and you cannot relax.
2 What do you think?
The article gives advice on what to do if you are stuck in a traffic-jam. Which three of these six pieces of
advice do you think will be given?
1. read a newspaper
2. close your eyes
3. take deep breaths
4. do a crossword puzzle
5. eat a snack
6. punch someone
NEWS LESSONS / Car boom leaves Caracas in one big jam / Intermediate
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Now look in the text and check your answers.
by Rory Carroll in Caracas
The capital city of Venezuela, Caracas, has
some of the worst traffic jams in the world. The
situation is so bad that psychiatrists have now
begun to give advice to commuters about what
to do when they are in a traffic jam. The advice
includes the following: eat a snack, read a book,
do a crossword, listen to music but don’t punch
or shoot anyone.
The number of car owners in Caracas has
increased dramatically and the result of this has
been blocked motorways and side-streets that
are jammed from early morning until late at night.
Entire districts are paralysed and the situation
is driving some motorists crazy. Doctors say the
stress is causing both physical and mental damage and is leading to more cases of road rage,
including shoot-outs.
People who try to avoid the traffic jams by leaving home at 5 a.m. have been warned that they
may suffer from lack of sleep, which will reduce
productivity, make them irritable and have a
negative effect on their sex lives.
People are feeling more and more anxious and
tense, Robert Lespinasse, the former head of
the Venezuelan Society of Psychiatry, told the
daily newspaper Ultimas Noticias. A psychologist, Hernan D’Oliveira, said that the disruption in
mental processes was making people less open
to criticism. Armed motorcycle gangs who attack
and rob stationary motorists in broad daylight do
not help the situation.
With no obvious solution, people have been
advised that when they are sitting in a traffic jam
they should have a drink or something to eat and
occupy their minds with music, a book, newspaper or crossword.
traffic streams into potholed streets that have
been neglected for years.
Caracas lies in a long narrow valley between
skyscrapers and shanty towns. In the hot tropical
sun it can appear to be the site of a battle against
both geography and climate.
The government, with plenty of money from the
sale of oil, has started a programme of building bridges and metro lines before next month’s
presidential election, but many of these are unfinished, including a bridge connecting Caracas to
the airport, which means that drivers have to take
detours through hillside barrios that can turn the
16-mile trip into a five-hour nightmare.
Everyone agrees that the traffic jams are getting
worse every month. Taxi drivers say their income
has fallen dramatically because they are down
from an average of five to three fares a day. “It’s
impossible. If someone asks to go into especially
heavy traffic I say no because it will take up half
my day,” said Fredy Afanador, a local taxi driver.
President Hugo Chávez has criticised former
infrastructure ministers but has praised the
present minister for doing a good job. He is also
looking abroad for help. In return for cheap fuel
for London buses, the mayor of London, Ken
Livingstone, will share his ideas on congestion
charging and other policies in an attempt to solve
the problem of traffic jams in Caracas.
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
The rapid increase in vehicle ownership in Venezuela is the result of huge profits from the sale
of Venezuelan oil. Last year car sales doubled
to 300,000. There are no new roads so the extra
Are these statements True or False according to the text?
1. Traffic jams in Caracas are not as bad as in other parts of the world.
2. The jams are caused by a rapid increase in car ownership.
3. There is no simple solution to the problem.
4. The government has a lot of money from the sale of oil.
5. Taxi drivers are earning more money now.
6. There is a new bridge linking Caracas with the airport.
7. The president has criticised the work of the current infrastructure minister.
8. The mayor of London will try to help solve the traffic problems in Caracas.
4 Vocabulary
Opposites
Replace the underlined words with their opposites. Check your answers in the text.
1. increase productivity
____________
2. increase slightly
____________
3. gradual increase
____________
4. very small profits
____________
5. getting better
____________
6. light traffic
____________
7. too much sleep
____________
8. a long wide valley
____________
5 Vocabulary
Find the word or expression
Find these words or expressions.
1. A word meaning a street that is not a main street. (para. 2)
2. Two more words for blocked. (para. 2)
3. An expression meaning in the middle of the day. (para. 4)
4. A verb meaning to increase by 100%. (para. 6)
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
5. A word meaning a very tall building containing offices or flats. (para. 7)
6. A word meaning a way of going from one place to another that is not the shortest or the usual way. (para. 8)
7. A word meaning a poor district in a city in a Spanish-speaking country. (para. 8)
8. A system of making drivers pay to enter city centres. (para. 10)
6 Vocabulary
Word building
Complete the table.
Verb
Noun
1. advise
____________
2. warn
____________
3. criticise
____________
4. reduce
____________
5. rob
____________
6. disrupt
____________
7. attack
____________
8. appear
____________
7 Discussion
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Do you have traffic jams in your town or city? What are the best ways to avoid such jams in the future?
KEY
1 Key words
5 Vocabulary: Find the word or expression
1. stationary
2. shoot-out
3. disruption
4. shanty town
5. road rage
6. potholed
7. neglect
8. irritable
9. commuter
10. tense
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
side-street
jammed / paralysed
in broad daylight
double
skyscraper
detour
barrio
congestion charging
6 Vocabulary: Word building
2 What do you think?
1; 4; 5
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
F
T
T
T
F
F
F
T
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
advice
warning
criticism
reduction
robbery
disruption
attack
appearance
4 Vocabulary: Opposites
reduce
dramatically
rapid
huge
worse
heavy
a lack of
narrow
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Christmas is coming - all the way from China
1 Key words
Fill the gaps using the key words from the text.
cargo
goods
cracker
decorations
exploitation
1 A
capital
maiden
wrapping paper
implications
is a decorated paper tube that makes a noise when you pull it apart. It contains a small
toy, a paper hat and a joke inside. It’s used traditionally at Christmas in the UK.
2 In countries which celebrate Christmas, people often put
up in their house.
3
is special paper used for wrapping presents.
4
are objects produced for sale.
5
is money or property that you use to start a business or invest.
6
is unfair treatment of someone in order to get benefit for yourself.
7
are possible effects or results
8
are things that are sent by ship, airplane or truck.
9 A
voyage or flight is one that is done for the first time.
1 What is the Emma Maersk 3?
2 Where is it from?
3 Where is it going?
4 What is on the Emma Maersk 3?
5 Are people happy about this?
by John Vidal
Christmas is coming this year on board the biggest ship afloat, on its maiden voyage from China. To the
relief of children, parents and shopkeepers everywhere - but to the despair of European manufacturers
- mountains of crackers, toys and games as well as decorations, wrapping paper, food and every imaginable
gift are on the way to Felixstowe, Suffolk, aboard the Emma Maersk 3.
•P
CA
NEWS LESSONS / Christmas is coming / Intermediate
HO
N TO
B
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
If anything should happen to this 400m-long, 61 metre-high boat, that is as wide as a motorway and is
powered by the largest diesel engine ever built, then Christmas might have to be cancelled. The 3,000
containers of goods that it will drop off in Britain on its way to mainland Europe contain the largest amount
of Christmas goods ever delivered - a floating world of British desires and necessities. Crackers, poker
tables, bingo sets, drum kits, electronic toys and pre-school building blocks will be delivered in astonishing
quantities: 1,886,000 Christmas decorations are loaded in one container, 40,000 rechargeable batteries and
22,280kg of Vietnam tea in another. In another are 12,800 MP3 players.
There are potato mashers and spoons to cook with, leather sofas to recline on, new spectacles to watch
new televisions by, and pyjamas to go to bed in. Pets will be especially happy; 138,000 tins of catfood are on
their way, as are mountains of dogfood. But the ship and its cargo was the subject of an intense row over the
increasing number of imports from China. Caroline Lucas, Green Member of European Parliament (MEP) for
southeast England, said it was a “microcosm of globalisation gone mad”. “All these goods could have been
made in Europe,” said Ms Lucas “Whole sectors of global trade are now being dominated by China. The real
cost of the goods that the Emma Maersk is bringing in should include the environment, the markets destroyed
in developing countries and the millions of jobs lost.” Britain exported more than GBP 2.8bn of goods to China
last year but imported nearly GBP 16bn, a 30-fold increase on 1980. The UK is Europe’s third-biggest trading
partner with China but in global terms represents less than 2% of China’s trade.
The Emma Maersk is carrying about 11,000 containers and is by far the largest container ship ever built.
Yentian port, from which it set off last month, now exports nearly three times that many containers every day.
Last year Ms Lucas led an EU study into trade with China and found its implications terrifying. “These are
the goods that Europe used to make. We are faced with a country that has an almost absolute advantage
in an increasing number of sectors. This a triumph for multinational capital, not for Chinese workers who, as
well as suffering from some of the worst labour exploitation on record, are also losing jobs at a phenomenal
rate,” she said.
The Emma Maersk, the first of a fleet of seven equally large container ships, will soon be on its way back
to China taking back the waste of Christmas. One of Britain’s biggest exports to China is now waste plastic
- which is turned back into soft toys and decorations.
GBP: Great Britain Pounds
bn: billion
© Guardian News & Media Ltd 2006
Choose the correct answer.
1
The Emma Maersk contains 3,000 containers for
a) China
b) Britain
c) Europe
2
The UK represents
a) the majority
b) a small part
c) the third-largest part
.
of China’s trade with the world.
•P
H
CA OT
N
B O
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
3 According to Christine Lucas, the Emma Maersk
a) harms the environment
b) creates jobs
c) creates markets in developing countries
4 Yentian port exports
a) around 11,000
b) around 33,000
c) 2.8 bn
5
containers every day.
The goods on board the Emma Maersk 3
a) used to be made in Europe
b) are made in Europe
c) are made in Britain
.
6 When the Emma Maersk 3 returns to China it will contain
a) decorations
b) soft toys
c) waste plastic from Britain
.
4 Vocabulary Lexical sets
Put the words and phrases in the box into one of the different categories:
on board
manufacturers
wrapping paper
floating
imports
trading partners
ship
capital
abroad
goods
sectors
crackers exports
trade
labour
globalisation
cargo
markets
toys
maiden voyage
decorations
boat
port
fleet
afloat
SEA TRAVEL vocabulary: on board,
TRADE vocabulary: trade,
CHRISTMAS vocabulary: toys,
5 Vocabulary Word information
Complete the table.
Verb
Adjective
float
recharge
develop
terrify
•P
H
CA OT
N
B O
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
imagine
6 Vocabulary Collocations
Make collocations with the words in A and the words in B. Check your answers in the text.
A
B
1 intense
trade
2 building
countries
3 trading
rate
4 phenomenal
row
5 rechargeable
batteries
6 developing
blocks
7 global
partner
7 Discussion
•P
H
CA OT
N
B O
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
Do you think people consume too much at Christmas?
Is it wrong to import so many goods from China?
KEY
cracker
decorations
Wwrapping paper
Goods
Capital
Exploitation
Implications
cargo
maiden
1
2
3
4
5
A boat
China
Britain and Europe
Christmas gifts, decorations and other goods
Not everyone – some think it’s bad for the
environment and the economy
1
2
3
4
5
6
b
c
a
b
a
c
4 Vocabulary: Lexical sets
SEA TRAVEL vocabulary:
on board
ship
maiden voyage
aboard
boat
floating
cargo
port
fleet
afloat
CHRISTMAS vocabulary:
crackers
toys
games
decorations
wrapping paper
5 Vocabulary: Word formation
VERB
float
recharge
develop
terrify
imagine
ADJECTIVE
floating
rechargeable
developing
terrifying
imaginable
6 Vocabulary: Collocations
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
intense row
building blocks
trading partner
phenomenal rate
rechargeable batteries
developing countries
global trade
•P
HO
N TO
B
FR E D CO
OM OW P
W NL IAB
EB OA L
SIT D E
E ED •
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
TRADE vocabulary:
manufacturers
goods
globalisation
imports
sectors
markets
trading partners
trade
exports
capital
labour
CA
1 Key words
Match the words and their definitions.
1. audacious
2. collision
3. equivalent
4. eruption
5. monitor (verb)
6. data
7. astronomer
8. crater
9. solar system
10. orbit
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
the sun and the nine planets
the moment when a volcano explodes
someone who studies the stars
bold, daring
the same as
the path a planet or a comet follows as it goes around the sun
to observe something for a long time
crash
facts and figures, information
the large round hole caused by an explosion
Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible.
1. How much did this space mission cost?
2. How fast was the spacecraft travelling when it hit the comet?
3. How much did the comet slow down after the collision?
4. How far was the mothership from the collision?
5. How many telescopes on Earth were focused on the comet?
6. How long has Tempel 1 been parked beyond the orbit of the furthest planets?
Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2005
Taken from the Magazine section in www.onestopenglish.com
NASA gladly loses a spacecraft
By Tim Radford
Last week a little American spacecraft crashed
into a comet 133m km from Earth, taking a
photograph every minute before it was totally
destroyed in an explosion that was equivalent
to exploding five tonnes of TNT.
The mission cost $335m and involved accurate
timing, a speed of 37,000km/h at the point of
impact and an amazing series of photographs
that ended with a final close-up picture just
three seconds before the destruction of the
spacecraft. "Right now we are minus one
spacecraft," said a delighted NASA engineer,
while a colleague at the Jet Propulsion
Laboratory in Pasadena said: "There is a comet
in the sky wondering what happened." Deep
Impact was like an American Independence
Day fireworks display. It took many years to
plan and ended in a flash.
The spacecraft which crashed into the comet
was made of copper and was the size of a
washing machine. It was dropped from a
mothership into the path of the comet and the
mothership then photographed the cloud of ice,
dust and organic chemicals that rose from the
surface of the comet.
This traffic accident in space completely
destroyed the spacecraft but hardly affected the
comet: experts believe that the impact would
have slowed the comet down by no more than
1/10,000th of a millimetre a second. The aim of
the mission was to investigate for the first time
the interior of a comet, one of the ghostly
visitors that have fascinated human
imagination throughout history.
The mothership was 480km from the explosion
and observed the impact, and the eruption that
followed, with instruments for 800 seconds.
Seven satellites, including the Hubble space
telescope, monitored the moment of drama,
and over the next day and night about 50
telescopes on Earth were focused on the tiny,
faraway flare.
The first people to produce pictures in Britain,
even ahead of NASA, were pupils from King's
school, Canterbury, using data from the 2m
Faulkes telescope in Hawaii, an instrument
intended for the use of schools. But long
before giant telescopes could begin to analyse
the details of the collision in the optical
ultraviolet, infra-red and x-ray wavelengths,
astronomers and planetary scientists from the
US and around the world were enjoying a
moment of triumph. For the first time, they had
clear and close-up studies of a comet. They
could count the impact craters on its surface,
they could estimate the density of the comet,
and they could estimate the firmness of its
surface from the size of the flare after the
collision. And the clouds of material coming
out of the collision crater, might enable them
to see the pure raw material of the whole solar
system.
Comets like Halley’s Comet which visit the
Earth frequently fly close to the sun and have
been weathered and altered by solar radiation.
But comets such as Tempel 1 have spent most
of the past 4.6bn years parked far beyond the
orbit of the furthest planets. Because of their
relative isolation, these icy time capsules could
hold the secrets of the planets, the Earth's
oceans and even of the original organic
chemistry from which life developed. "If you
are thinking of comets as possible sources of
organic material, then you want the organic
elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen.
And we now know enough about comets to
know that some of these elements are in the
form of organic molecules," said John
Zarnecki of the Open University.
For Andrew Coates of the Mullard space
science laboratory of University College
London, it was one of the most audacious
experiments in history. "You have the comet
getting bigger and bigger in the field of view,
the level of detail on the comet getting better
and better," he said. "We know that comets
produce jets. What we have now is the first
artificial jet from a comet," he added. "The fact
that there are craters tells us the surface must
be solid in some way. We see a relatively dark
surface, probably some organic molecules and
silicates, and it is the composition of that
mixture which is going to be really exciting."
The Guardian Weekly 15/07/2005, page 19
Are these statements True or False according to the text?
1. Scientists were very disappointed when the spacecraft hit the comet?
2. The aim of the mission was to find evidence of life on comets.
3. Scientists hope the mission will help to solve some of the secrets of the planets.
4. The first pictures of the comet were produced by NASA.
5. This is the first time scientists have had clear, close-up pictures of a comet.
6. Tempel 1 doesn’t orbit near the sun like Halley’s Comet.
Fill the gaps using prepositions. Check your answers in the text.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
focus
intended
source
equivalent
crash
ahead
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
Complete the table.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Verb
Noun
collide
explode
destroy
analyse
erupt
investigate
develop
compose
Look at this example from the text: The comet is getting bigger and bigger.
Make similar sentences from the prompts.
1. Space research/expensive
2. Scientists/excited
3. The temperature of the Earth/hot
4. The weather/unpredictable
5. Information about comets/detailed
6. Space missions/audacious
Should money be spent on space research or should the money be spent on
projects on Earth?
KEY
1
Key words
1. d; 2. h; 3. e; 4. b; 5. g; 6. I; 7. c; 8. j; 9. a; 10. f
2
1. $335m
2. 37,000km/h
3. 1/10,000th of a millimetre a second
4. 480km
5. About 50
6. 4.6bn years
3
Comprehension check
1. F; 2. F; 3. T; 4. F; 5. T; 6. T
4
Vocabulary 1 – Collocations
4. to
5. into
6. of
1. on
2. for
3. of
5
1.
2.
3.
4.
6
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Vocabulary 2 – Word-building
collision
explosion
destruction
analysis
5.
6.
7.
8.
eruption
investigation
development
composition
Grammar Focus – Comparatives with get
Space research is getting more and more expensive.
Scientists are getting more and more excited.
The temperature of the Earth is getting hotter and hotter.
The weather is getting more and more unpredictable.
Information about comets is getting more and more detailed.
Space missions are getting more and more audacious.
Hellraiser Dennis Hopper dies from cancer
Level 2
1
Intermediate
Warmer
What do you know about the following?
Easy Rider
2
Apocalypse Now
Blue Velvet
Speed
Cool Hand Luke
Key words
Match the words from the article with the definitions. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.
sober up
psychotic villains
heart-throb
portrayal
binge
frail
flowered
restraining order
bedridden
acclaimed
hung out
brute
era
nomination
1.
talked and written about in an admiring way ______________________ (para 1)
2.
became more successful and completely developed ______________________ (para 3)
3.
a period of time that has a particular quality or character ______________________ (para 3)
4.
dangerous and violent characters in stories, plays, films, etc. ______________________ (para 3)
5.
a legal document from a judge that stops someone from doing something ______________________ (para 6)
6.
unable to get out of bed because you are too weak or ill ______________________ (para 6)
7.
to become less drunk ______________________ (para 7)
8.
to drink too much (especially in a short period of time) ______________________ (para 7)
9.
the way an actor plays the part of a particular person in a film, play, etc. ______________________ (para 8)
10. a strong man who acts in a cruel or violent way ______________________ (para 8)
11. spent time with particular people ______________________ (para 10)
12. a man who is very attractive, especially a young film actor or pop singer ______________________ (para 10)
13. an official suggestion that someone should get an award or a prize ______________________ (para 11)
NEWS LESSONS / Hellraiser Dennis Hopper dies from cancer / Intermediate
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
14. physically weak and not very healthy ______________________ (para 11)
Intermediate
6
His private life was as variable as his professional
one. He married five times and fathered four
children. One of his marriages, to his second
wife, Michelle Phillips, a singer in the group The
Mamas and the Papas, lasted just eight days in
1970. Of the experience, Hopper famously said:
“Seven of those days were pretty good. The
eighth day was the bad one.” His final marriage,
to actress Victoria Duffy, took place in 1996. The
pair were undergoing a bitter divorce when he
died. So bitter, in fact, that a dreadfully ill Hopper
sought a restraining order against his wife even
though he was dying and virtually bedridden.
7
Hopper’s private life was often full of tales of harddrinking and drug-taking. He confessed that he
used cocaine in order to sober himself up so he
could binge on more alcohol. His problems and
lifestyle became the stuff of Hollywood legend –
or nightmare.
8
But nothing in Hopper’s personal life could
overshadow a handful of truly great screen
performances. In 1969’s Easy Rider, which he
directed, co-wrote and co-starred in, Hopper
explored people’s reactions to the Vietnam war.
The film was a roaring critical success which
paved the way for the New Hollywood of the
1970s and directors such as Martin Scorsese and
Francis Ford Coppola. Then, in Apocalypse Now
Hopper mixed reality and fiction with his portrayal
of a burned-out and insane war photographer.
Finally, Hopper’s portrayal of a sadistic brute,
Frank Booth, in David Lynch’s surreal Blue Velvet
introduced the actor to an entirely new generation
of fans.
9
He was born in Dodge City, Kansas, in 1936.
After the Second World War, the Hoppers moved
to Kansas City, Missouri, where Hopper went to
Saturday art classes. They moved again, to San
Diego in California where Hopper was better able
to express his interest in the arts.
Easy Rider star has died peacefully at his Los
Angeles home after five decades of hard living
Paul Harris in New York
30 May, 2010
1 Dennis Hopper, the hard-living Hollywood star
with acclaimed roles in films including Apocalypse
Now and Easy Rider, died yesterday of prostate
cancer. He passed away at his home in Venice,
California, at the age of 74.
2 He was surrounded by his family and friends and
died peacefully at around 9am local time. Hopper
had been taken ill last September with serious flulike symptoms. Doctors quickly discovered he had
cancer, which then spread to other parts of his body.
3 Hopper’s career was one of the most long-lived
in a notoriously difficult industry. It began in the
1950s with a role opposite James Dean in Rebel
Without a Cause, flowered in art films of the
1960s and 1970s, and then transitioned into the
modern era of the blockbuster, as he specialized
in psychotic villains. “Great actor. Great director.
Great American. Terrible loss. God bless the wild
man with the gentle soul. May he rest in peace,”
wrote John Nolte, editor-in-chief of the Big
Hollywood blog. “We all knew this was coming,
but that does not lessen the blow.”
4 Certainly not every role Hopper took was a great
one. Especially towards the end of his career, he
appeared in many movies that did little to impress
critics or audiences. In his filmography cinematic
failures such as Hell Ride and The Crow: Wicked
Prayer sit alongside true classics including Blue
Velvet, Cool Hand Luke and Speed. But Hopper’s
wild-eyed performances often lifted the quality of
any B-movie, reminding viewers that he was one
of the most watchable of Hollywood stars. “There
are moments that I’ve had some real brilliance,
you know,” he reflected recently. “But I think
they are moments. And sometimes, in a career,
moments are enough.”
5 With a reputation as a difficult actor to work
with, Hopper had also begun working as a
photographer in the 1960s. That flowered into an
alternative career that included painting and poetry.
10 He hung out with actors and actresses and
eventually won a role playing opposite James
Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. The young heartthrob, whose life was to be tragically cut short,
left a major impression on Hopper. Aside from
the drug problems, Hopper often refused to take
a director’s advice and instructions and wanted
•P
H
Hellraiser Dennis Hopper dies
from cancer
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Level 2
Level 2
Intermediate
to go his own way. In one film, Hopper needed 87
film takes to get a simple line right after disagreeing
over how to play a scene. “Much of Hollywood
found Hopper a pain in the neck,” wrote critichistorian David Thomson.
received two Oscar nominations, got his own
star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. During the
ceremony, a frail-looking Hopper, with a bandage
on his forehead, told an audience of fans and
Hollywood industry figures: “Everything I learned in
my life, I learned from you.”
11 In the end, Hopper’s career lasted more than
five decades and 100 films – a huge triumph
by anyone’s standards. In March, Hopper, who
Use information from the text to fill in the bio-data card for Dennis Hopper.
name
born
died
nationality
profession
alternative career / hobbies
famous films
awards / recognitions
family
other
4 Fixed expressions
Put the words (1-7) in the correct order to make fixed expressions from the text. Then match them with the
words and expressions (a-g) which have the same or similar meanings.
1.
away he passed
a.
do what he wants and not listen to others
2.
peace rest in
b.
died
3.
the blow lessen
c.
to prepare the path, making it easier for those who follow
4.
Hollywood the of legend stuff
d.
difficult and problematic for others
5.
way the paved for
e.
may his soul and body be untroubled
6.
his way go own
f.
the content of film-related stories
7.
the a pain in neck
g.
make the shock any easier to deal with
Now write four sentences about Dennis Hopper using some of the fixed expressions.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
5 Discussion
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
As part of a research project, you have been asked to watch and report on one of the films mentioned in
the text. Decide in groups which you would prefer to watch and why.
Level 2
Intermediate
6 Film star quiz
Work in two groups. Each group should complete one set of cards with bio-data of eight film stars of your
choice. Do not include the name of the star!
born/died
nationality
nationality
famous films
famous films
awards
awards
family
family
other
other
born/died
born/died
nationality
nationality
famous films
famous films
awards
awards
family
family
other
other
born/died
born/died
nationality
nationality
famous films
famous films
awards
awards
family
family
other
other
born/died
born/died
nationality
nationality
famous films
famous films
awards
awards
family
family
other
other
•P
H
born/died
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Exchange cards with the other group and try to find out whose bio-data is on the cards. You may ask four
questions per card to gain further clues and information.
Level 2
Intermediate
KEY
1 Warmer
4 Fixed expressions
They are all acclaimed American films. The connecting
factor is Dennis Hopper who starred in, appeared in,
directed or co-wrote them all.
1.
2.
he passed away
rest in peace
b.
e.
3.
lessen the blow
g.
4.
f.
5.
the stuff of
Hollywood legend
paved the way for
c.
6.
go his own way
a.
7.
a pain in the neck
d.
Teacher’s note:
Dates of film release: Cool Hand Luke (1967); Easy
Rider (1969); Apocalypse Now (1979); Blue Velvet
(1986); Speed (1994)
Additional task:
Ask the students to skim-read the article to find other
film titles. Find out whether any of the students have
seen any of the films mentioned.
died
may his soul and body
be untroubled
make the shock easier
to deal with
the content of filmrelated stories
to prepare the path,
making it easier for
those who follow
do what he wants and
not listen to others
difficult and problematic
for others
2 Key words
6 Film star quiz
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
acclaimed
flowered
era
psychotic villains
restraining order
bedridden
sober up
binge
portrayal
brute
hung out
heart-throb
nomination
frail
Teacher’s note:
Copy at least one sheet per group, more if necessary.
Information on film stars can be found on the Internet
Movie Database: www.imdb.com
Variations:
1. Students write the name of the star on the back of
the card. The cards can then be used as memory
cards, e.g. What can you remember about (name)?
2. Students can only ask closed questions to obtain
further information.
3. Write bio-data for music/pop/sports stars instead of
film stars.
name
Dennis Hopper
born
Dodge City, Kansas, in 1936
died
Venice, California, in 2010
nationality
American
profession
actor, director, scriptwriter
alternative career / hobbies
photographer, artist, poet
most famous films
Cool Hand Luke, Easy Rider, Apocalypse Now, Blue Velvet, Speed
awards / recognitions
two Oscar nominations (but no Oscars), star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame
family
married five times, four children
other
...
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Dogs are either optimists or pessimists, claim scientists
Level 2
1
Intermediate
Key words
Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text.
calm
anxious
breed
ambiguous
gloomy
spiteful
vet
relinquish
bowl
issues
1.
If you feel _________________________, you feel sad and without hope. (para 1)
2.
If a person or an animal is _________________________, they are not affected by strong emotions, such as
excitement, anger, shock or fear. (para 1)
3.
If someone is _________________________, they are worried because they think that something bad might
happen. (para 2)
4.
If you _________________________ something, you give up ownership of it. (para 3)
5.
Someone who is _________________________ deliberately tries to upset others or cause problems for them.
(para 3)
6.
If you have _________________________, you have problems of some kind. (para 3)
7.
A _________________________ is a doctor for animals. (para 3)
8.
A _________________________ is a particular type of animal that is different from others but not so different
that it is another species. (para 4)
9.
A _________________________ is a round container used for eating, serving or preparing food. (para 5)
10. If something is described as _________________________, it is not clear or it is capable of being understood
in more than one way. (para 5)
2
How many pet dogs are there in the UK?
2.
How many dogs were studied in the research?
3.
How old were the dogs?
4.
How long did the researchers play with each dog?
5.
How long were the dogs left alone for?
6.
What does RSPCA stand for?
NEWS LESSONS / Dogs are either optimists or pessimists, claim scientists / Intermediate
•P
H
1.
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Find the following information in the text as quickly as possible.
Level 2
Intermediate
Dogs are either optimists or
pessimists, claim scientists
5
A day or two later, they trained the dogs to walk
to a food bowl that was full when placed at one
end of a room and empty when placed at the
other. When the dogs had learned the difference,
the scientists tested the animals’ mood by
placing bowls in ambiguous positions – in the
middle of the room, for example – and noting
how quickly each dog went to the bowl.
6
The dogs that had been most anxious in the
earlier test were slowest to approach food bowls
placed in or near the middle of the room. This
suggested that they expected to find the bowl
empty. The less anxious dogs ran to the food
bowls, suggesting that they were more optimistic,
according to a report in Current Biology.
7
“We know that people’s emotional states affect
their judgements and that happy people are
more likely to react positively in an ambiguous
situation,” Mendl said. “Our study shows that
dog are similar – that an optimistic dog is less
likely to be anxious when left alone than one
with a more pessimistic nature.” Samantha
Gaines, deputy head of the companion
animals department at the Royal Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said:
“Some dogs may be more likely to develop
these behaviours and should be re-homed with
appropriate owners.”
Ian Sample
11 October, 2010
1 Scientists have now confirmed what many pet
owners have long believed: some dogs have
a more gloomy view of life than others. The
unusual picture of canine psychology came from
researchers at Bristol University who studied
how dogs behave when separated from their
owners. Dogs that were generally calm when
left alone were also found to have an optimistic
attitude, while those that barked, relieved
themselves and destroyed furniture seemed to
be more pessimistic, according to the study.
2 Michael Mendl, head of animal welfare and
behaviour at the university, said that if a dog was
anxious when left alone by its owner, it would
be pessimistic in its behaviour. The research
suggests that the problems caused by some
dogs when they are left alone could indicate
deeper emotional problems that could be treated
with behavioural therapy.
3 “Owners see this kind of anxious behaviour in
dogs in different ways. Some are very worried,
some relinquish the dog to a dog’s home, but
others think the dog is happy or just being
spiteful,” said Mendl. “Some of these dogs may
have emotional issues and owners should talk to
their vets about possible treatments,” he added.
Of the ten million pet dogs in the UK, around
half may show anxiety when left alone, the
researchers said.
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
4 Mendl’s team studied 24 animals at two dog
homes in the UK. Half of the dogs were male
and they were various breeds. They were from
nine months to nine years old. Researchers
began the study by going to a room with each
dog in turn and playing for 20 minutes. They
returned the next day, but this time left the
dog alone for five minutes, during which the
scientists recorded the animal’s behaviour with
a video camera. They used the film to give each
dog an anxiety score.
Level 2
Intermediate
Are these statements true (T) or false (F) according to the text?
1.
All dogs have a pessimistic view of life.
2.
Dogs do not all behave in the same way when they are left alone.
3.
Dog owners react in different ways if their dogs are anxious.
4.
The researchers recorded the dogs’ behaviour while they were playing with them.
5.
The anxious dogs were the quickest to approach the food bowls.
6.
Unhappy people are more likely to react negatively in an ambiguous situation.
4 Find the word
Find the following words and phrases in the text.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
an adjective meaning relating to dogs (para 1)
a reflexive verb meaning to pass bodily waste (para 1)
a noun meaning health and happiness (para 2)
a two-word expression meaning treatment designed to improve behaviour (para 2)
an adjective meaning different (para 4)
a two-word expression meaning one after the other (para 4)
a verb meaning to write something down so that you will have a record of it (para 5)
a verb meaning to accommodate with new owners (para 7)
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right-hand column to make two-word phrases
from the text.
a. therapy
b. owner
c. situation
d. welfare
e. bowl
f. issues
•P
H
animal
emotional
behavioural
food
pet
ambiguous
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Level 2
Intermediate
6 Word-building
Complete the table.
noun
1.
anxiety
2.
emotion
3.
ambiguity
4.
optimism
5.
behaviour
6.
spite
adjective
7 Discussion
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Do you like dogs? Why? Why not?
Level 2
Intermediate
KEY
1 Key words
4 Find the word
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
gloomy
calm
anxious
relinquish
spiteful
issues
vet
breed
bowl
ambiguous
canine
relieve oneself
welfare
behavioural therapy
various
in turn
note
re-home
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
ten million
24
from nine months to nine years old
20 minutes
five minutes
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
F
T
T
F
F
T
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
d
f
a
e
b
c
5 Word-building
noun
adjective
anxiety
emotion
ambiguity
optimism
behaviour
spite
anxious
emotional
ambiguous
optimistic
behavioural
spiteful
•P
H
CA O
N T
O
FR BE C
O DO O
M W P
W N IA
EB LO B
SI A L
TE DE E
D •
Fill the gaps using these key words from the text:
bureaucracy
corrupt
hijack
disastrous
rescue plan bribe
nickname
sanctions
incompetent
émigré
1. A ____________ is a plan designed to save a company and change its
fortunes.
2. An ____________ is a person who leaves their country in order to live
somewhere else.
3. A ____________ is money offered to an official to help you by doing
something illegal or dishonest.
4. If you ____________ a plane, you take control of it using force.
5. ____________ are official orders to stop trade with a country that has
broken international law.
6. ____________ is a complicated system of rules and processes.
7. If something is ____________ , it causes a lot of damage or harm.
8. An ____________ person does not have the ability to do a job correctly.
9. A ____________ person does dishonest or illegal things to earn money.
10. A ____________ is an informal name that is not a real name.
Look in the text and find this information as quickly as possible:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What is the name of Afghanistan’s national airline?
How many employees does Ariana have?
How much money does the manager of Ariana earn each month?
When was Ariana founded?
When did the US invade Afghanistan?
How many flights does Ariana now operate each week?
It’s four o'clock in the afternoon and a hundreds of employees are leaving the
headquarters of Ariana, Afghanistan's national airline. In the boardroom, one
man stays behind. Dr Muhammad Atash, a man with a kind but worried face,
sits in his chair and rubs his eyes. Ariana faces a number of "difficulties", he
explains. "Employees steal from the company. They give jobs to members of
their family. There’s a lot of bureaucracy. There aren’t many qualified staff and
a lot of people prefer not to do any work." But then he pauses. "I believe we
are starting to make progress."
Ariana is different from most other airlines for many reasons, all of them bad.
Its history is terrible. During Afghanistan's quarter of a century of war, Ariana
planes were shut down, shot down or hijacked. No-one chooses to fly Ariana
today. It has a disastrous safety record and this means it cannot fly to most
European and American airports. It is nicknamed "Scaryana". UN officials and
foreign diplomats are not allowed to take Ariana flights. And most of the 1,700
staff are, according to Atash, either extremely incompetent or corrupt.
Is Ariana the world's worst airline? Perhaps not. There are many bad airlines
in the developing world. "Ariana is no worse than many others," says David
Learmount at Flight International magazine. "If a country has no safety
culture, neither does its airline." But Ariana has one advantage over other
disaster airlines – it has a rescue plan. Atash, a straight-talking AfghanAmerican emigre, returned three years ago from the USA where he ran a
business. He was given the job of manager at Ariana in June.
It is not a glamorous job. Atash is paid just $100 a month and uses his own
mobile phone. But he has a can-do attitude and plans to get rid of hundreds of
incompetent staff. It is a difficult task but he is not alone. In comes Hanns
Marienfeld, the leader of a six-strong team from Lufthansa hired to help with
the rescue plan. He describes the state of Ariana one year ago: "It was not up
to international standards," he says. "It had no flight schedule. Customers had
to pay a bribe to get a ticket, a second bribe to get a boarding pass and
sometimes a third to get their seat in business class. We flew here or there,
whenever the pilots felt like it." Initial safety standards were not good. In 2003
and 2004, Ariana's fleet of six planes suffered six major engine failures. "In
Germany, our pilots only see that sort of thing in a flight simulator. In Ariana
we do it in real life," says Marienfeld.
The early years were very different. Ariana was founded in 1955 and quickly
gained a reputation as a small but proud regional carrier. It flew hippies and
adventurers from London, Paris and Frankfurt and brought honeymooning
couples from neighbouring Pakistan. But in 1973, King Zahir Shah was
overthrown and five years later a civil war began. The visitors vanished and
Ariana, like the rest of Afghanistan, suffered very badly.
During the 10-year Soviet occupation, when the roads were too dangerous,
Ariana became the safest way to travel. But the sense of security was relative.
The mujahideen fighters who were fighting the Soviet forces were armed with
American anti-aircraft missiles. So Ariana pilots had to learn how to avoid the
missiles while taking off and landing. Some staff could take no more. On a
flight to Kandahar in 1989, a fight broke out between the pilot and the co-pilot.
The pilot wanted to fly the plane to Iran. The co-pilot did not want to go. As
they fought for the controls, the plane fell out of the sky, crashing into the
desert near the Iranian border. All six people on board died.
After the Soviet departure the airline went from bad to worse. When the
Taliban took control of Kabul a year later, they brought their 7th century ideas
to Ariana's 20th-century business. They sent the stewardesses home, banned
inflight music and gave the job of director to a 26-year-old religious fanatic.
The UN imposed an international flight ban on the airline as part of UN
sanctions against the Taliban. The company's reputation for disaster got
bigger as its fleet of ageing aircraft got smaller. The former prime minister
died in a 1997 crash; two accidents in 1998 killed about 100 people. In 2000,
a flight from Kabul to Mazar-i-Sharif was hijacked to Stansted airport in the
UK.
In 2001, the US led an international invasion of Afghanistan. This should have
saved Ariana but instead it almost destroyed the company. US planes
bombed the Ariana fleet, destroying six of its eight planes. The Taliban took
$500,000 in company cash and ran.
Now a process of change has begun. The number of flights has increased
from 10 to 15 a week. Ariana management says 85% of flights are on time.
Ariana made a modest $1m profit last year. At Kabul airport the mechanics
have new tools and new pilots are being trained. The old Kabul office will
close soon and a modern sales centre, complete with young, enthusiastic staff
and computerised booking, will open soon.
Meanwhile Atash plans to ask half his 1,700 staff to stay at home but continue
their pay. "We are building the system with completely new people. We
cannot mix them with the corrupt old ones," says Atash. Success is not
guaranteed, however, and there is now a battle for control of the company.
"We're going to fight all the way," Atash promises. "Because the other option
is to sit here and do nothing. And that's not an option - either for Ariana or for
Afghanistan."
Choose the best answer to each question:
1. Most of the current staff at Ariana are:
a. hard-working
b. lazy and corrupt
c. new
2. The situation at Ariana is:
a. getting worse
b. getting better
c. dangerous
3. Ariana is banned from most European and US airports because of:
a. its safety record
b. its pilots
c. UN sanctions
4. The flight to Kandahar in 1989 crashed because of:
a. engine failure
b. an American missile
c. a fight between the pilot and co-pilot
Match the words in the left-hand column with those in the right hand
column to make phrases from the text:
1. safety
2. flight
3. rescue
4. boarding
5. engine
6. flight
7. sales
8. business
a. failure
b. centre
c. standard
d. plan
e. schedule
f. pass
g. class
h. simulator
Complete the table:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Adjective
safe
disastrous
different
corrupt
incompetent
proud
enthusiastic
successful
Noun
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
___________
Fill the gaps using an appropriate preposition. Check your answers in
the text.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
different _______
advantage _______
get rid _______
fall _______ the sky
_______ bad _______ worse
a process _______ change
increase _______ 10 _______ 15
85% of flights are _______ time
Would you travel with this airline? Why? Why not?
KEY
1
Key Words
1. rescue plan
2. emigre
3. bribe
4. hijack
5. sanctions
6. bureaucracy
7. disastrous
8. incompetent
9. corrupt
10. nickname
2
Find the Information
1. Ariana
2. 1,700
3. $100
4. 1955
5. 2001
6. 15
1. b; 2. b; 3. a; 4. c
4
Vocabulary 1
Noun + Noun Collocations
1. c; 2. e (h); 3. d; 4. f; 5. a; 6. h (e); 7. b; 8. g
5
Vocabulary 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
safety
disaster
difference
corruption
incompetence
pride
enthusiasm
success
Word Building
6
Vocabulary 3
Prepositions
1. from
2. over
3. of
4. out of
5. from; to
6. of
7. from; to
8. on

Level 2 Intermediate - Comunicazione e DAMS

Transcription

Similar documents

Arcot - Master template - ARCOT Manufacturing Corporation

Sacred Heart Catholic Church Week of June 19, 2016

Exhibition–Bazaar of New Russian and West Literature

2009 Flyer - Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21

AUTO LOAN - El Clasificado

Bonus ball sweepstake - Macmillan Cancer Support

Beverages Menu copy

AVS24 2.4 GHZ Wireless Audio/Video Sender

birthday parties - Imaginarium of South Texas

Children`s conference: how to grow the market 10 10