Piccadilly Circus Goes Dark

         The advertising screens at Piccadilly Circus, central London, after they were switched off in preparation for redevelopment on Jan. 16, 2017.
 
          The iconic array of advertising will be under construction until late 2017 

     The billboard lights at Piccadilly Circus, London’s answer to Times Square, have been switched off for what will be the longest period of time since World War Two.
 
     Land Securities, the real estate company which has owned the iconic advertising site since the 1970s, said on their website that a new “cutting edge’ single screen is scheduled to be switched on in fall 2017, replacing the six current screens.
 
     The distinctive curved shape of the present lights will be retained, with the new design set to be Europe’s largest sole digital screen. The boards have typically attracted high-profile brands, such as Samsung and Coca-Cola, with Perrier being the first to advertise there in 1908. The original bulbs were replaced by neon lights, which in turn gave way to LED displays by 2011.
 
     The site, set in the heart of London’s West End, will be covered by a protective banner, which will be used for further advertising during the redevelopment. Since World War Two the boards have only darkened for the funerals of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Princess Diana.

Are these senteces TRUE or FALSE

1.      The screens have never been switched off for so long. 
2.      They will reduce the number of screens. 
3.      The pattern of the screen will remain the same.
4.      There will be no publicity during the works.

Read the text and answer the following sentences 

1. When were the lights first switched off?
2. Which was the first company advertising its product in the panel?
3. How many screens are there?

Vocabulary 

1. display panel 
2. planned
3. actual 
4. preserved
5. painted
6. sign

Want to watch more videos?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFtc_OGgb8s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVTj45n7kb4

KEY

True or false?

1. False “ what will be the longest period of time since World War Two”
2. True “a new “cutting edge’ single screen [...]replacing the six current screens”
3. True “The distinctive curved shape of the present lights will be retained”
4. False “The site, set in the heart of London’s West End, will be covered by a protective banner, which will be used for further advertising during the redevelopment”

Questions

1. The lights were first switched off for Winston Chruchill's funeral.
2. The first company which advertised its product in the panel was Perrier.
3. There are six screens.

Vocabulary

1. billboard
2. scheduled
3. current
4. retained
5. banner

Rephrasing 10

Rewrite these sentences. (Passive)

1. Susan was given a lovely present for her birthday.

I...

2. People think that the weather will improve next month.

It ...

3. My hairdresser is cutting my hair.

I...

4. My grandmother used to tell me beautiful stories at night.

Beautiful....

5. They believed that Paul cheated in the exam

Paul ...

6. The mechanic repaired Ann’s car last week.

Ann ...

7. A very dangerous criminal is thought to be committing those crimes.

They ...

8. Children will have done their homework when their parents get home..

Homework...

9. I have to see it to believe it.

It...

10. They didn’t serve cold drinks in that shop.

Cold drinks ...

KEY

1. I gave Susan a lovely present for her birthday.

I gave a lovely present to Susan for her birthday.

2. It is thought that the weather will improve next month.
3. I am having / getting my hair cut.
4. Beautiful stories used to b told to me by my grandmother at night.
5. Paul was believed to have cheated in the exam.
6. Ann had / got her car repaired last week.
7. They think a very dangerous criminal is committing those crimes.
8. Homework will have been done when the children’s parents get home.
9. It has to be seen to be believed.
10. Cold drinks weren’t served in that shop.

Rephrasing 9

Complete the sentences without changing their original meaning. 

1.   People think he’s a brilliant musician.

     He ...........................................................................................................  .

2.   The organisers of the event will provide the refreshments.

     The refreshments ........................................................................................  .

3.   He didn’t tell me the truth.

     I ..............................................................................................................  .

4.   The airline gave each passenger a free ticket.

     A free ticket ................................................................................................  .

5.   You didn’t give Sam a chance to speak.

     Sam .........................................................................................................  .

6.   Someone painted our flat.

     We ..........................................................................................................  .

7.  Have you set the table?

     Has ..................................................................................................................  ?

8.  We have to put the meat in the oven by 7 o’clock.

     The meat ............................................................................................................  .

9. Their rooms aren’t kept tidy.

     They .................................................................................................................  .

10. Everyone knew that that road was dangerous.

     That road  ......................................................................................................... .         

KEY

1. He is thought to be a brilliant musician.

2.   The refreshments will be provided by the organisers of the event.

3.   I wasn’t told the truth (by him).

4.   A free ticket was given to each passenger.

5.   Sam wasn’t given a chance to speak.

6.   We had / got our flat painted.

7.   Has the table been set

8.  The meat has to be put in the oven by 7 o’clock

9.   They don’t keep their rooms tidy

10. That road was known to be dangerous

Fifth skyscraper to join Madrid’s landmark ‘Four Towers’

Spanish construction company OHL has announced plans to build a fifth skyscraper alongside the four towers that were completed at the northern end of Madrid’s main Paseo de la Castellana thoroughfare in 2008.

The proposed structure will sit on the part of the Cuatro Torres Business Area site originally assigned for an international conference center. City Hall will charge the owners €2 million a year for 75 years for using the land, after which the building will become the property of the city. City Hall has spent around €82.8 million on the foundations for the conference center.

City Hall has approved zoning for the 33,325-square-meter plot of land, on which OHL proposes to construct a tower providing 70,000 square meters of space. The new tower will also offer parking for 2,000 cars.

Financial daily Expansión says the building will cost €200 million to construct and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

The tower will house a private hospital, along with areas for research and teaching and a homeopathy center. A shopping mall and leisure area are to be built around the foot of the tower in the form of a series of gardened terraces and green areas.

Are these statements TRUE or FALSE?

1.- OHL has started building a fifth skyscraper in Madrid.

2.- After 75 years the building will belong to the city.

3.- The new tower will only be used as a conference centre.

4.- New laboratories and educational areas will be created.

5.- There will be a shopping centre inside the building..

Can you find synonyms for these words in the text?

1.- close by(par.1)

2.- base (par.2)

3.- area (par.3)

4.- to hold (par. 5)

5.- spare time (par. 5)

KEY

True or false?

1.  False. “OHL has announced plans to build a fifth skyscraper.”

2. True. “City Hall will charge the owners €2 million a year for 75 years for using the land, after which the building will become the property of the city.”

3.  False. “The proposed structure will sit on the part of the Cuatro Torres Business Area site originally assigned for an international conference center.”

4.  False. “A shopping mall ………..are to be built around the foot of the tower.”

5. True. “leisure area are to be built around the foot of the tower in the form of a series of gardened terraces and green areas.”

Vocabulary

1.- alongside

2.- foundations

3.- plot

4.- to house

5.- leisure

Priceless paintings threatened by Italian gallery's broken air conditioning

A series of Renaissance paintings is threatened after the Borghese Gallery's air conditioning system broke two months ago.

           

            Priceless masterpieces by Renaissance masters including Raphael, Titian and Caravaggio could be seriously damaged by excessive heat and humidity following the collapse of the air conditioning system at the Borghese Gallery in Rome. The renowned gallery is one of Italy's most popular tourist attractions with more than 500,000 visitors a year, but appears to be the latest casualty from dramatic cuts in arts funding. Two years ago one of the motors had to be repaired but it wasn't fixed due to a lack of resources.

            Anna Coliva, gallery director, said precious art works were now facing serious risk. "We have been dealing with this emergency for two months. The air conditioning system, built in 1997, is completely run down and damaged due to years of chronic lack of maintenance. We requested new air conditioning several years ago." Ms Coliva said.

            Among the works under threat are The Deposition of Christ by Raphael, Titian's Sacred and Profane Love, and Madonna and Child with St. Anne by Caravaggio. Fine marble sculpture such as the gallery's signature statue of Paolina Borghese by Antonio Canova could also face damage.

            They are trying to resolve the emergency with action to control the atmosphere while waiting to replace the system. The museum is leaving the windows open, but Elisabetta Giani, expert from the Superior Institute for Conservation and Restoration (ISCR), warned a move could cause further damage. "You have to limit that as much as possible because of what comes inside," she said. "I am talking about chemical and biological pollutants which are not controlled."

            Ms Giani said temperatures higher than 30 degrees Celsius or humidity above 50-55 per cent could deform or damage the art works and both had to be monitored constantly.

            In 2012 several rooms were closed inside the Uffizi Gallery in Florence due to excessively high temperatures, while the Vatican Museums are currently installing a new air conditioning system in the Sistine Chapel after years of debate about the damage caused by 20,000 visitors a day.

Adapted from The Telegraph 11 May 2014

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] indicate whether the following statements are true or false and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

            a) The air conditioning at the Borghese Gallery had broken down before.

            b) The system has been well maintained for the last years.

            c) The Gallery asked for a new air con system years ago.

            d) The action taken to control the atmosphere at the gallery is also dangerous.

            e) The temperature and humidity at the gallery needn’t be controlled at all times.

Question 2: [2,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words and definitions given.

a) breakdown (paragraph 2)

b) to repair (paragraph 2)

c) to confront (paragraph 4)

d) more (paragraph 5)

e) to control (paragraph 6)

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.

a) The Borghese Gallery is one of Italy's most popular tourist attractions. It is visited by more than 500,000 people a year.

            The Borghese Gallery....

b)  "I am talking about chemical and biological pollutants which are not controlled", she said.

            She said that...

c) Several rooms were closed at the Uffizi Gallery in 2012 by experts.

            Experts…

d) The Uffizi Gallery closed because there were high temperatures in 2012.

            If there had not…

Question 4: [3 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

            Do you think it is important to preserve the culture of a country?

Amazon just opened a grocery store without a checkout line

Amazon is testing a grocery store in downtown Seattle that lets customers walk in, grab food from the shelves and walk out again, without ever having to stand in a checkout line. The Seattle-based company calls it, "Just walk out technology."

Customers tap their cellphones on a turnstile as they walk into the store, which logs them into the store's network and connects to their Amazon account through an app.The service is called Amazon Go. It uses machine learning, sensors and artificial intelligence to track items customers pick up. These are then added to the virtual cart on their app. If they pick up an item they later decide they don't want, putting it back on the shelf removes it from their cart. When the customer leaves, the app adds up everything the customer has taken and charges their Amazon account.

Amazon said it began to work on the project in 2012. It is currently being tested by Amazon employees at the location at 2131 7th Ave., near Amazon's offices, but will open to the public in early 2017, the company said.

The technology "is amazing," said Phil Lempert, a food marketing expert based in Los Angeles. He's even more intrigued by the multiple images of "meal kits" show in Amazon's video. These "everything you need to cook a quick, high-quality dinner" kits have become popular, but the economics of delivering them has meant they're difficult to make economically viable. Stores such as Amazon Go may provide a sweet spot for them.

"When you look at the store itself in the video (and presumably it is the actual store), they have done a great job of merchandising, and having "meal kits" available is simply brilliant. As the meal-kit industry struggles due to the shipping/logistics aspect," Amazon Go could be a venue where they could succeed, said Lempert.

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 need to wait for change at the new store.

b. The customers’ bill is calculated by an app.

c. The store has been opened to the public recently.

d. Shoppers don’t have access to meal kits at the actual store.

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

a. What advantages does the new-concept store have for the customers?

b. What great job have they done at the store and why?

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

a. follow (par.2)  b. at present (par.3)  c. distribute (par. 4) have problems, fight (par.5)  d. have problems, fight (par5)    e. ready for use (par. 6)

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

a.     The store is called Amazon Go and is being tested in Seattle.

 They …………………

b.     “We ackowledge some people may never be comfortable with the idea”

  The analysts said that ……..

c.     The grocery store markets are tough nuts to crack. Profit margins are low and competence is intense.

   If profit margins …………

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

What is your favourite store, and why?

Rephrasing have something done 8

Complete the sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the one above it. You must write between two and five words including the word given. You must not change the WORD you are given. 

You should get a dentist to look at your teeth if your toothache is getting worse.

GET
You should _________________ at if your toothache is getting worse.
1. A specialist is going to examine my back next week.
HAVE
I’m going _________________ by a specialist next week.
2. Before you move to Spain you should arrange _________________ for someone to install air-conditioning in your new house.
HAVE
Before you move you should arrange to _________________ in your new Spanish house.
3. Who did your hair last week?
GET
Where did _________________ last week?
4. My dad was really angry because someone had pierced my ears without his permission
HAD
My dad was really angry because I _________________ without his permission.
5. I can’t do the translation because my computer is being repaired.
MY
I can’t do the translation because I _________________at the moment.
6. Robert's shoes are always made in London.
HIS
Robert always _________________ in London.
7. Your headaches might be because of your eyes. An optician should check them.
WOULD
If I were you I _________________ by an optician.
8. You had better fix the puncture before mum and dad get back from holiday.
GET
You had better _________________ before mum and dad get back from holiday.

KEY

1. I’m going to have my back examined by a specialist next week.
2. Before you move you should arrange to have air-conditioning installed in your new Spanish house.
3. Where did you get your hair done last week?
4. My dad was really angry because I had my ears pierced without his permission.
5. I can’t do the translation because I am having my computer repaired at the moment.
6. Robert always has his shoes made in London.
7. If I were you I would have/get your eyes checked by an optician.
8. You had better get the puncture fixed before mum and dad get back from holiday.

Rephrasing 7

Complete the second sentence with ONE word so it means the same as the first one.

1. When I was a little child I used to play with teddy bears.

When I was a little child I ________________ play with teddy bears

2. How much is it?

How much does it ________________?

3. They started studying English six years ago.

They’ve been studying English ________________ six years.

4. She said: “Let’s dance!”

She ________________ dancing.

5. Students aren’t allowed to use their mobile phones in the  library.

Students ________________ use their mobile phones in the  library.

6. When they arrived, I was watching TV.

They arrived ________________ I was watching TV.

7. John is fatter than Paul.

Paul is ________________ than John.

8. I won’t go to the party if Ann doesn’t go.

I won’t go to the party ________________ Ann goes.

9. I never  used to wear jeans.

I ________________ use to wear jeans.

10.  He missed the train because he arrived late.

He arrived late ________________ he missed the train.

11. If I were you, I’d go on a diet.

You ________________ go on a diet

12. I’ve known him for ten years.

I’ve known him ________________ 2006.

13. The room was so dark that I couldn’t see anything.

It was ________________ a dark room that I couldn’t see anything.

14. There isn’t much milk left.

There is ________________ milk left.

15.My brother isn’t as tall as me.

My brother is ________________ than me.

KEY

1. Would
2. Cost
3. For
4. Suggested
5. Mustn’t
6. While
7. Less
8. Unless
9. Didn’t
10. So
11. Should
12. Since
13. Such
14. Little
15. Shorter

Amazon just opened a grocery store without a checkout line

Question 1

a)True. “Amazon is testing a grocery store in downtown Seattle that lets customers walk in, grab food from the shelves and walk out again, without ever having to stand in a checkout line.”

b)True. “to track items customers pick up.These are then added to the virtual cart on their app”.

c)False. “It is currently being tested by Amazon employees at the location at 2131 7th Ave., near Amazon's offices, but will open to the public in early 2017.”

d)False. “"When you look at the store itself in the video….. and having "meal kits" available is simply brilliant."

Question 2

a)     Customers won’t need to queue or deal with cashiers. They won’t have problems with credit cards, slow customers or waiting for change,either.

b)    They have made it posible for people to buy “meal kits” which are very much asked for. This is a very good idea because these kits are really expensive to deliver.

Question 3

a)  to track

b)  currently

c)  delivering / to deliver

d)  struggles / to struggle

e)  available

Question 4

a) They call the store Amazone Go and they are testing it in Seattle.

b) The analysts said that they ackowledged some people might never be comfortable with the idea.

c) If profit margins were higher and competence were not so intense, the grocery store markets wouldn’t be such tough nuts to crack