Revealed: plans for the UK's next mega-skyscraper that will rival the Shard

Plans to build the UK’s next mega tower, which will rival the Shard for the title of the tallest building in Europe, and will dwarf all other office blocks in the City of London, are to be unveiled today for the first time.

The 73-floor skyscraper at 1, Undershaft, will be 309.6m high when completed, making it on a par with the Shard in London Bridge, and will host a free public viewing gallery at the top, which can be accessed by lifts, and the highest restaurant in the capital. Designed by the architect Eric Parry, the man behind the St Martin-in-the-Field project in London’s Trafalgar Square and the new City of London office development at 10 Fenchurch Avenue, it will also feature a large square underneath the building, creating a public space.

 “Sky scrapers are notoriously anti-social...they cast enormous shadows on the ground below them,” said Mr Parry. But with 1, Undershaft he is attempting to put “the public first” by creating public spaces at the bottom and top of the tower. As well as offices it will have classrooms on the upper most floors for school trips learning about London.

The Aviva Tower, which currently occupies the site, will be demolished to make way for the new development, opposite the Gherkin. “The City of London is proving it can yet again attract international investment in creating unique and important new buildings. This building will set new standards for the City in terms of comfort, quality, environmental sustainability and putting the public at the heart of the tower,” said Mr Parry.

“Most skyscrapers are used Monday to Friday but 1, Undershaft will be used seven days a week, with the public able to enjoy the new public square, viewing platform and restaurant every day. It will be the jewel in the crown of the City of London and something we hope Londoners will be very proud of.”

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. 1- Undershaft will be the tallest building in London financial district.

b. This is the first time Eric parry has designed a building in London.

c. The new skyscraper will have and education centre.

d. A foreign company is financially implied in this project.

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

a. What will 1- Undershaft be like?

b. How does it differ from other skyscrapers?

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

a. make known(par.1)                   b. reach (par.2)            c. try (par.3)

d. at present (par.4)                      e. unequalled (par.4)

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

a Plans to build the UK’s next mega tower are to be unveiled today for the first time.

They ……………………………………….

b. Sky scrapers are notoriously anti-social.They cast enormous shadows on the ground below  them,” said Mr Parry.

Mr. Parry said that  ……………………..         

c. It will be a very tall skyscraper but the public will be able to enjoy it.

In spite of ………………………………...

           

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

                Which cities would you like to visit around the world?

We think pretty people are smarter

Society has taught us two crucial - and contradictory - codes to live by: ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ and ‘first impressions last a lifetime.’ Yet new research shows that first impressions may be misleading, especially when it’s guided by our sexual attraction towards the person in question.

A study conducted by Sean N. Talamas and his team investigated the connection between physical attractiveness and intelligence. He took photos of 100 students at the University of St. Andrews, ensuring that they were standardised by only picking those who wore no jewellery, wore neutral expressions and were Caucasian (to control racial bias). Academic data of the students was collected and used to form the basis of comparison between perceptions of intelligence and the reality. He then showed the photographs to Amazon Mechanical Turk, who rated the faces based on perceived intelligence, conscientiousness and academic performance.

The findings showed that those people who were perceived attractive were also rated as having higher intelligence. We automatically assume that attractive people are more intelligent, and when compared against actual grades, the findings demonstrated that there is no correlation between attractiveness and intelligence.

The authors of the study said: Facial impressions have consistently been shown to influence our opinions as well as bias decisions in politics, leadership, law, parental expectations and punishments on children, military rank promotion, and teacher evaluations. Clearly, the power of first impressions is critical and has repeatedly been shown to influence our opinions about a person.

The implications of this study are quite severe when real world situations are taken into account: not only do we look favourably upon those deemed attractive, but we make a number of positive assumptions that can affect outcomes in professional and legal contexts.

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. The results of the study confirm what society teaches us about first impressions.

b. Dr. Talamas chose photographs of attractive people for his study.

c. We often associate beauty with intelligence.

d. The findings of this study don’t apply to real life situations.

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

a. What kind of people was studied?

b. How do first impressions influence others?

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

a. deceptive (par.1)                   b. evaluated  (par.2)                 c. real (par.3)

d. influence, prejudice (par.4)                                                   e. keep in mind (par.5)

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

a. Society has taught us two crucial codes to live by.

We ……………………………

b.  “The power of first impressions is critical and has been shown to influence our opinions.”

He said that …………………………….            

c. Noah didn’t make a good impression on the employer. He didn’t get the job.

If Nohah …………………………………

           

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

How important do you think it is to make a good first impression?

Relative clauses

Re-write the sentences so that they have the same meaning as the original. You must use a relative pronoun.

 

1 There's the lady. Her dog was killed.

2 I have a friend. He's a wonderful skater.

3 The boy broke the window. He ran away.

4 Scrabble is a very enjoyable game. I play Scrabble every weekend.

5 Camilo José Cela died a few years ago. He wrote Viaje a La Alcarria.

 

6 Vielha is a nice village in the Pyrenees. I usually spend my summer holidays there.

7 He received the parcel. He was waiting for it.

8 Robert Graves wrote I Claudius. He used to live in Majorca.

9 We went to the National Gallery in London. It was fascinating.

10 I remember those days. We were so happy then.

11 She hasn't got anything to do. This makes her angry.

12 Pete has become a singer. You met him last year.

13 Terenci Moix didn't like publicity. His novels were best-sellers.

14 The mountain is 3000 metres high. They climbed it.

15 I was happy to see my friend. He has been living in London for three years.

16 We have visited Tarragona. There are many Roman remains there.

17 He has lost the ring. Everyone admired it.

18 She finally passed the driving test. It made her very happy

19 Do you know the exact date? We are going to meet then.

20 He's the man. They were talking about him. 



 

KEY

1. There's the lady whose dog was killed.
2. I have a friend who is a wonderful skater.
3. The boy who broke the window ran away.
4. I play Scrabble, which is a very enjoyable game, every weekend.
5. Camilo José Cela, who wrote Viaje a La Alcarria, died a few years ago. 
6. Vielha, where I usually spend my summer holidays, is a nice village in the Pyrenees.
7. He received the parcel (which) he was waiting for.
8. Robert Graves, who used to live in Majorca, wrote I Claudius.
9. We went to the National Gallery in London, which was fascinating.
10. I remember those days when we were so happy
11. She hasn't got anything to do, which makes her angry.
12. Pete, whom you met last year, has become a singer.
13. Terenci Moix, whose novels were best-sellers, didn't like publicity.
14. The mountain (which) they climbed is 3000 metres high.
15. I was happy to see my friend, who has been living in London for three years.
16. We have visited Tarragona, where there are many Roman remains.
17. He has lost the ring (which) everyone admired.
18. She finally passed the driving test, which made her very happy
19. Do you know the exact date when we are going to meet?
20. He's the man (who) they were talking about. 

Defining Relative Clauses

Translate the following sentences into English

1. María es la que tiene la madre viviendo en Roma.
2. Ése es el cine en el que vi mi primera película.
3. Disney fue un artista que divirtió con sus creaciones a millones de personas.
4. Una mujer sostenía la mano de una niña que había perdido a su perro.
5. El estudiante con el que estaba hablando jugaba en el equipo escolar.
6. La tienda en la que compré esta camisa se llamaba “The Old House”.
7. Él es el que tiene un hermano que es un actor famoso.
8. Ése es el chico que tiene un padre millonario.
9. La chica de pelo largo y rubio es mi mejor amiga.
10. A la conferencia de ese hombre asistí ayer.
11. Ésa es la mujer que me entrevistó.

KEY

1. Maria’s the one whose mother lives in Rome.
2. That’s the cinema (that) I saw my first film in.
3. Disney was an artist whose creations gave pleasure to millions.
4. A woman was holding the hand of a girl whose dog was missing.
5. The student (who/that) she was talking to played for the school team.
6. The shop (that) I bought this shirt in was called “The Old House”.
7. He is the one whose brother is a famous actor.
8. That is the boy whose father is a millionaire.
9. The girl whose hair is long and fair is my best friend.
10. That’s the man whose conference I listened to yesterday.
11. That’s the woman who/that interviewed me.

We think pretty people are smarter

KEY

Question 1

a.  False. “Society has taught us two crucial - and contradictory - codes to live by: ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ and ‘first impressions last a lifetime.’ Yet new research shows that first impressions may be misleading.”

b.   False. “He took photos of 100 students at the University of St. Andrews, ensuring that they were standardised by only picking those who wore no jewellery, wore neutral expressions and were Caucasian.”

c.  True. “We automatically assume that attractive people are more intelligent.”

d.  False. “The implications of this study are quite severe when real world situations are taken into account.”

Question 2

a.  Dr. Talamas chose 100 photographs of university students. He made sure they were white, had no accessories and showed no special feelings.

b  First impressions influence the way we react towards other people not only in our personal relationships in the family but also in public life.

Question 3

a. Misleading

b. Rated

c.  Actual

d. Bias

e. Taken into account / to take into account

Question 4

a. We have been taught two crucial codes to live by by society.

b. He said that the power of first impressions was critical and had been shown to influence our opinion.

c. If Noah had made a good impression on the employer, he would have got the job.

Revealed: plans for the UK's next mega-skyscraper that will rival the Shard

KEY

Question 1

a. True. “Plans to build the UK’s next mega tower, which will rival the Shard for the title of the tallest building in Europe, and will dwarf all other office blocks in the City of London.”

b. False. “Designed by the architect Eric Parry, the man behind the St Martin-in-the-Field project in London’s Trafalgar Square and the new City of London office development at 10 Fenchurch Avenue.”

c. True. “As well as offices it will have classrooms on the upper most floors for school trips learning about London.”

d. True. “The City of London is proving it can yet again attract international investment in creating unique and important new buildings.”

Question 2

a.It will be more tan 300m high.From the top, people will have a magnificent view of the city and will also be able to enjoy its restaurant. At the base, there will be a public square.

b. Unlike the majority of skyscrapers which are closed at weekends, 1-Undershaft will stay open all week for public use.

Question 3

a. Unveiled / to unveil

b. Accessed / to Access

c. Attempting / to attempt

d. Currently

e. Unique

Question 4

a. They are to unveil plans to build the UK’s next mega tower today for the first time.

b. Mr. Parry said that skyscrapers were notoriously antisocial. They cast enormous shadows on the ground below  them.

c. In spite of being a very tall skyscraper, the public will be able to enjoy it.

24 words that mean totally different things now than they did before the Internet

Technological change, as we know very well, tends to provoke linguistic and cultural change, too. It’s the reason why, several times a year, dictionaries trumpet the addition of new and typically very trendy words.

But more interesting than the new words, I think, are the old words that have got new meanings: words such as “cloud” and “tablet” and “catfish,” with very long pre-Internet histories. The reappropriation is rarely random; in most cases, the original meaning of the word is a metaphor for the new one. Our data is as remote as a cloud, for instance; catfish are just as tricky and unpredictable as an online love interest.

Anyway, this is all a very long way of saying that Dictionary.com’s 20th birthday is more interesting than most: To mark the occasion, the online dictionary has compiled a list of words whose meanings have changed since it launched two decades ago. To that list, we have added a few tech terms of our own: such as “troll” and “firehose.”

On the one hand, the list shows how technology has shaped language over time. But it also shows how language has shaped technology — or, at least, our technological understandings and paradigms. Think about a term such as “cloud”: the fact that we picked that to describe cloud computing says a whole lot about how we viewed that technology when it was brand-new. Don’t even get me started on words such as “sandbox” and “canoe”…

Bump

Then: “to encounter something that is an obstacle or hindrance.”

Now: “to move an online post or thread to the top of the reverse chronological list by adding a new comment or post to the thread.”

Block

Then: “to be placed in front of something, such as a road or path, so that people or things cannot pass through.”

Now: to prevent someone from contacting you on a social network like Twitter, or from viewing your profile.

Canoe

Then: “a long narrow boat that is pointed at both ends and that is moved by a paddle with one blade.”

Now: “a Twitter conversation that has picked up too many usernames for an actual conversation to take place.”

Catfish

Then: “a freshwater or marine fish with whiskerlike barbels around the mouth, typically bottom-dwelling.”

Now: “a person who sets up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes.”

Cloud

Then: “a visible mass of particles of condensed vapor (as water or ice) suspended in the atmosphere of a planet (as the earth) or moon.”

Now: “any of several parts of the Internet that allow online processing and storage of documents and data as well as electronic access to software and other resources.”

Firehose

Then: “a large-diameter hose used in extinguishing fires.”

Now: “a very large stream of data.”

Footprint

Then: “a track or mark left by a foot or shoe.”

Now: “a unique set of characteristics, actions, etc., that leave a trace and serve as a means of identification.”

Friend

Then: “one attached to another by affection or esteem.”

Now: “to add a person to one’s list of contacts on a social-networking website.”

Follow

Then: “to go or come after or behind someone or something; to pursue in an effort to overtake.”

Now: to subscribe to someone’s updates on social media.

Handle

Then: “a part of something that is designed to be held by your hand.”

Now: your screen name; the name you go by on the Internet.

Like

Then: “to be suitable or agreeable to.”

Now: “to indicate one’s enjoyment of, agreement with, or interest in website content, especially in social media.”

Meme

Then: “an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.”

Now: “a cultural item in the form of an image, video, phrase, etc., that is spread via the Internet and often altered in a creative or humorous way.”

Ping

Then: “a sharp sound like that of a striking bullet.”

Now: “to make contact with someone by sending a brief electronic message, as a text message.”

Profile

Then: “a representation of something in outline; a concise biographical sketch.”

Now: “the personal details, images, user statistics, social-media timeline, etc., that an individual creates and associates with a username or online account.”

Sandbox

Then: “a low box filled with sand that children can play in.”

Now: “an environment in which software developers or editors can create and test new content, separate from other content in the project.”

Swipe

Then: “a criticism or insult that is directed toward a particular person or group; a swinging movement of a person’s hand, an animal’s paw, etc.”

Now: “to move the fingers across a touchscreen.”

Tablet

Then: “a flat piece of stone, clay, or wood that has writing on it.”

Now: “a general-purpose computer contained in a touchscreen panel.”

Tag

Then: “to supply with an identifying marker or price; to attach as an addition.”

Now: to link to someone else’s profile in a social media post, commonly a photo or status update.

Text

Then: “a book or other piece of writing; especially : one that is studied.”

Now: “to send a text message.”

Timeline

Then: “a table listing important events for successive years within a particular historical period.”

Now: “a collection of online posts or updates associated with a specific social-media account, in reverse chronological order.”

Troll

Then: “a dwarf or giant in Scandinavian folklore inhabiting caves or hills.”

Now: “a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people.”

Tweet

Then: “a chirping note.”

Now: “a very short message posted on the Twitter website.”

Unplug

Then: “to disconnect something, such as a lamp or television from an electrical source or another device by removing its plug.”

Now: “to refrain from using digital or electronic devices for a period of time.”

Viral

Then: “of, relating to, or caused by a virus.”

Now: “becoming very popular by circulating quickly from person to person, especially through the Internet.” 

The Cosmic Classroom Video

Watch the first 8'50 minutes of the video and answer these questions:

1  Which things do you see Tim do?

2  Which two questions do the children ask Tim?

3  What are Tim's answers to these questions?

4  What is beautiful about Africa from space?




Key:
1  He crouches down and spins around and touches his toes.

2  What can you see out of your windows?   Why doesn't space have any gravity?

3  He can see the Atlantic Ocean and the coast of Africa.
Space does in fact have gravity but the spaceship moves so fast that it doesn't hit earth.

4  The desert areas - the Sahara Desert - and the beautiful colours.

Astronaut Tim Peake's live TES #CosmicClassroom thrills hundreds of thousands of school pupils

http://ynuk.tv/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tim-explains-gravity-on-ISS-e1454466764846.jpg

British astronaut Tim Peake inspired hundreds of thousands of school pupils today as he spoke to them live from the International Space Station.

“Just do what you really enjoy doing,” Major Peake told students as he demonstrated how serious science could also be lots of fun.

During the 20-minute lesson,  Major Peake crouched down, spun around and touched his toes in order to demonstrate that without gravity it is much harder to stop moving and much easier to do somersaults.

 “We are so privileged to get to work up here,” he said. “It is like playing in a playground of weightlessness.”

Major Peake also answered some of the 7,000 questions which were submitted by school children, including whether his heart was beating faster (it actually beats slower because it has to work less hard), what his favourite button was (the one which opens the air lock to outer space) and whether it was fun to drink water bubbles (yes, a lot of fun). Tim Peake explained that the space station was hit all the time by small particles, but if anything larger was spotted the craft moved course.

At the World Museum in Liverpool, pupils from 12 schools around Britain took part in workshops ranging from "training like an astronaut" to modelling planets.

After the workshops, the pupils gathered to watch Kevin Fong – space medicine scientist and television personality – host the live link-up on a giant screen.

Dr Fong told TES why he thought space held such a fascination for children. “Space is about their future,” he said. “It gives them a sense that anything is possible, which is really what you want to encourage children to think.”

The Cosmic Classroom was watched by an estimated 300,000 students, in more than 10,000 schools.  Schools in the USA, Australia, the Philippines, Egypt, India, Pakistan and China were among those registered. But no registration was required to watch the broadcast, which was open to all.

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.  Tim Peake went to visit students in British schools today.

b.  It is difficult to keep still in space.

c.   All the students at the World Museum were from schools in Liverpool.

d.   Everyone could watch the Cosmic Classroom for free.

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

a.   What were Major Peake’s answers to the questions about his heart and the water bubbles?

b.   Who is Dr Kevin Fong?

Question 3 (1·5 points)  Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words and definitions given.

a.  turn round very fast  (para. 3)  b. see (para.5)  c.  change direction (para. 5)

d. huge  (para. 7)   e.  show, programme (para. 9)

Question 4   (1·5 points)  Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a. “Space is about their future,” Kevin Fong said. “It gives them a sense that anything is possible, which is really what you want to encourage children to think.”

Kevin Fong said that ……

b. British astronaut Tim Peake inspired hundreds of thousands of school pupils today.

Hundreds of thousands………….

c. The Cosmic Classroom was watched by an estimated 300,000 students, in more than 10,000 schools.

An estimated …

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

Nowadays, we can learn in very different ways to the ways our parents did.