Phone boxes turn green to charge mobiles

Disused phone boxes in London are being put to a novel use - as solar-powered charging stations for mobile phones. Many of the UK's red telephone boxes have largely fallen into disuse although some are being revived as libraries or being fitted with medical equipment.

            The first box was unveiled on Tottenham Court Road this week. Five more boxes will be rolled out by April 2015. The solarbox can charge up to 100 phones a day, offering a 20% battery boost in 10 minutes. The service is free to use although users will be shown adverts as they wait for their phone to charge.

             The boxes have had a makeover for the project - painted green and fitted with a roof-mounted 86cm solar panel. Inside there are a variety of charging stations for different models of phone and a screen which shows adverts. The advertising screen is reinforced to deter vandals and the boxes are maintained daily and locked overnight.

            The project was the brainchild of two geography students turned entrepreneurs, Harold Craston and Kirsty Kenny. Both studied at the London School of Economics (LSE) and were interested in finding new ways to use public spaces.

            "I lived next to a phone box in my second year at uni and walked past it every day. I thought, 'There are 8,000 of these lying unused in London and we must be able to find a use for them,'" explained Mr Craston.

            Running out of battery is a perennial problem for smartphone users as they become ever more powerful without an equivalent technology leap in battery life. Since launch, about six people per hour use the booth, according to the founder. "On launch day, my phone ran out of battery and I genuinely had to use the box," said Mr Craston.

            Solarbox won second place in the Mayor of London's Low Carbon Entrepreneur of the Year Award earlier this year and also won the LSE's Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year award.

            Funded by advertising, the founders are keen to make sure users are engaged by "short, fun and exciting ads showing exclusive content". Firms signed up include Tinder and Uber, and 30% of advertising space is reserved for community projects.

Question 1 (2 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a. You don’t have to spend any money to charge your mobile.

b. You can use the new boxes at any time.

c. Mobiles have evolved faster than the batteries they use.

d. The new boxes have been used by Mr Carston from the very beginning.

Question 2 (2 points) Answer the following questions in your own words.

a. How will the boxes be taken care of?

b. How was the idea started?

Question 3 (1.5 points) Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a. new (paragraph 1)

b. transformation (paragraph 3)

c. creation, invention (paragraph 4)

d. use up, exhaust, finish up (paragraph 6)

e. financed, paid (paragraph 8)

Question 4 (1.5 points) Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. Disused phone boxes are being put to a novel use.

    London council…

b. Mr Craston had this brilliant idea because he walked past a phone box every day.

    If…

c. “There are 8,000 of these phone boxes lying unused in London and we must be able to find a use for them” Mr          Carston said.

     Mr Carston said that…

Question 5 (3 points) Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

Advantages and disadvantages of having a smartphone.

Rephrasings 14

  Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning

1.         She started drinking too much alcohol two years ago.

-She has

2.                  I don’t have a computer so I can’t type the essay on English grammar.

If I

3.                  Despite having been vaccinated she caught the flu.

Although she

4.                  “We will arrest them for illegal entry in the country”, the policeman said.

The policeman said

5.                  The teacher glued the pieces of the broken toy.

The pieces

6.                  It is possible that I finish work earlier than usual today.

I

7.                  This is the place. We last had coffee together here.

This is

8.                  I love German. Unfortunately, I can’t speak it fluently.

I wish I

9.                  As he hadn’t behaved himself, his parents got angry with him.

His parents

10.               Everybody must read the instructions first.

The instructions

11.               He made an effort to speak in English.

He tried

12.           This is the man. His job is very dangerous.

This is

13.            The engineer has repaired my television.

I’ve

14.            She gave up going to French lessons.

She stopped

15.            I regretted having hit the dog on the head.

I wish I 

KEY

1.       She has been drinking too much alcohol for two years.

2.       If I had a computer, I would be able to type the essay on English grammar.

3.       Although she had been vaccinated, she caught flu.

4.       The policeman said that they would arrest them for illegal entry in the country.

5.       The pieces of the broken toy were glued by the teacher.

6.       I may finish work earlier than usual today.

7.       This is where we last had coffee together.

8.       I wish I could speak German fluently.

9.       His parents got angry with him because he hadn’t behaved himself.

10.   The instructions must be read first.

11.   He tried to speak in English.

12.   This is the man whose job is very dangerous.

13.   I’ve had my television repaired (by the engineer)

14.   She stopped going to French lessons.

15.   I wish I hadn’t hit the dog on the head.

Shakespeare

Fill in all gaps with the words below

because / become / born / died / enjoyed / go / jobs / maker / married / play / worked / wrote

            William Shakespeare was__________ in 1564 in Stratford upon Avon. When he left school he__________ for his father who was a butcher and glove__________ . But William was not interested in his father's__________ . He read a lot of books and wanted to__________ a writer. At the age of eighteen he__________ Anne Hathaway. They had three children - Susanna, and the twins Hamnet and Judith.

            William was not happy in Stratford__________ life was boring there. But there was one thing he really liked - going to theatres and talk to actors. He started dreaming to become an actor and a __________ writer. His wife didn't like his idea very much but at the age of 23 he decided to__________ to London. There he became an actor and__________ a lot of famous plays. His plays were for everybody - for poor and rich people. They all loved to see them and__________ them a lot. His best - known play is Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare__________ in April 1616.

KEY

            William Shakespeare was BORN in 1564 in Stratford upon Avon. When he left school he WORKED for his father who was a butcher and glove MAKER . But William was not interested in his father's JOBS . He read a lot of books and wanted to BECOME a writer. At the age of eighteen he MARRIED Anne Hathaway. They had three children - Susanna, and the twins Hamnet and Judith.

            William was not happy in Stratford BECAUSE life was boring there. But there was one thing he really liked - going to theatres and talk to actors. He started dreaming to become an actor and­ a PLAY writer. His wife didn't like his idea very much but at the age of 23 he decided to GO to London. There he became an actor and WROTE a lot of famous plays. His plays were for everybody - for poor and rich people. They all loved to see them and ENJOYED them a lot. His best - known play is Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare DIED in April 1616.

Yet, still, already

Translate the following sentences into English

1. ¡Ya has terminado!
2. El jefe todavía está hablando.
3. El jefe todavía no ha acabado de hablar.
4. El jefe ya ha acabado de hablar.
5. Todavía no han vuelto, ¿no?
6. Mi vecina tuvo un accidente y todavía está en el hospital.
7. Las diez de la mañana y todavía en la cama.
8. Las ocho de la tarde y ya estás en la cama.
9. Tu hermana todavía está en el supermercado, todavía no ha acabado de hacer las compras.
10. Dijo que venía, pero aún no ha llegado.

KEY

1. You’ve already finished!
2. The boss is still talking.
3. The boss hasn’t finished talking yet!
4. The boss has already finished talking.
5. They haven’t come back yet, have they?
6. My neighbour had an accident and she’s still in hospital.
7. Ten o’clock in the morning and still in bed!
8. Eight o’clock in the evening and you’re already in bed!
9. Your sister is still at the supermarket, she hasn’t finished doing the shopping yet.
10. He said he was coming, but he still hasn’t come.

British and American English 12

The American words in the sentences below are printed in italics. 

Replace each American word or phrase with a British word or phrase from the following list:

Petrol  jam      specialize (university studies)           garden          windscreen     underground  
Lift       shops         maths (mathematics)            university    cinema        rubbish         Note    queue      secondary school      ground floor   sweets             autumn             Petrol station

1. We had to stand in line at the movie theater last night.
2. Our back yard looks lovely in the fall. The leaves on the trees turn brown and red.
3. He wants to major in math at college when he leaves high school.
4. When you stop for gas at a gas station, they sometimes clean your windshield.
5. We had to buy a lot at the stores, then we took the subway home.
6. The elevator’s broken down again, but it doesn’t matter. We live on the first floor.
7. She likes candy and bread and butter with jelly on it. They’re bad for her teeth.
8. The only money I have is a twenty dollar bill. 
9. In this district they only collect the garbage once a week.

KEY

1.       Queue … cinema  
2. Garden .. autumn    
3. Specialize … maths … university… secondary school 
4. Petrol .. petrol station .. windscreen         
5. Shops…underground

6.   Lift … ground floor          
7. Sweets … jam         
8. Note                       
9. rubbish

Travel better

Read the information above about a campaign that took place in 2013 and answer these questions, using your own words:

1  Who organised the campaign?

2  What did the campaign want to do?

3  How many poets were there?

4  What did the poets do?

Watch the video below to find out more about the campaign from the poets!

Now, look at some of the posters that were created and displayed around the London Underground.  Which one is your favourite?

You can see these situations and listen to these poems here:

What about you?

What's your favourite way of travelling?

What annoys you about other people when you're travelling?

How do you try and be a better person when you're travelling?

Phone boxes turn green to charge mobiles

KEY

Question 1

            a) True. The service is free to use.

            b) False. The boxes are maintained daily and locked overnight.

            c) True. They become ever more powerful without an equivalent technology leap in battery life.

            d) True. „On launch day, my phone ran out of battery and I genuinely had to use  the box“, said Mr                        Craston

Question 2

            a) - reinforced advertising screens to stop vandals

                -  maintained daily

                -  locked overnight

            b) - two geography studentsi nterested in finding new ways to use public spaces

                -  problem for smartphone users

Question 3

a)       novel

b)       makeover

c)       brainchild

            d)   run out of

            e)  funded

Question 4

            a)    London council is putting a novel use to disused phone boxes.

            b)    If Mr Carston hadn’t walked past a phone box every day, he wouldn’t have had this brilliant idea.

     c)    Mr Carston said that there  were 8,000 of those phone boxes lying unused in London and they had to be able to find a use for them.

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