Voyager reaches destination

Do you know the answers to these questions? Read the text to find the answers.

1. What’s the name of the spacecraft that flew past Neptune?

2. What’s the name of one of Neptune’s moons?

 

After 12 years and 4.43 billion miles, the unmanned spacecraft Voyager 2 reached its final destination, the blue planet Neptune.

The Voyager has flown through the solar system and has spent spectacular photos of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and now Neptune to the eager astronomers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The Voyager will continue to send data about Neptune for a few days, but the pictures seen today have amazed scientists. They are surprised-and delighted-by the amount of information the Voyager has given them about the solar system, although they have not had time to analyse the new information and pictures.

It is interesting that Neptune, which is 2.8 billion miles form earth, was only discovered 144 years ago.

The biggest surprise to the astronomers came when they saw photographs of Triton, Neptune’s blue and pink moon. “Triton” said one of the astronomers, “is the most interesting thing we have ever seen.”

Now look at the text again and write the question to go with answers.

1. Where________________________________________________?

Neptune.

2. When_________________________________________________?

In 1977.

3. How long______________________________________________?

12 years.

4. How long______________________________________________?

144 years ago.

5. What_________________________________________________?

Spectacular photos and data.

6. Why__________________________________________________?

Because they haven’t had time.

KEY

1. Voyager

2. Triton

1. Where did the spacecraft go/travel to?

2. When did Voyager 2 reach its final destination?

3. How long did it take to reach the planet Neptune?

4. How long ago was Neptune discovered?

5. What has the Voyager sent to the earth?

6. Why haven’t they analyse the new information?

WARM UP about LANGUAGES

You can use the questions below as a WARM UP ACTIVITY to check your students' knowledge about languages. 

Answer the following questions:

1. How many languages are there in the world?

1. Between 200 and 300
2. Between 2000 and 3000
3. Between 6000 and 7000

2. How many indigenous languages are there in Europe?

1. Between 5 and 10
2. Between 50 and 100
3. Between 200 and 300

3. In which two continents are most of the world’s languages spoken?

4. What percentage of the world’s population is bilingual or plurilingual?

1. About 20%
2. About 40%
3. More than 50%

5. How often do Europeans come across foreign languages?

1. Once in a blue moon
2. Every now and then
3. Very often

6. How many words do many languages have?

1. A few hundred
2. A few thousand
3. 50,000

7. Do languages affect each other? Why?

8. In its first year a baby utters a wide range of vocal sounds; how many words does he/she possess at five?

1. Several hundred
2. Several thousand
3. Several million

9. How many languages are spoken in London alone?

1. between 30 and 50
2. about 300
3. about 3000

10. What is a “mother tongue”?

11. What are the benefits of bilingualism?

12. Most …………………. languages belong to the Indo-European family.

13. Most …………………. languages belong to the three broad groups: Germanic, Romance and Slavic.

14. Can you name three Germanic languages?

15. Can you name three Romance languages?

16. Can you name three Slavic languages?

17. Can you name three alphabets?

KEY

1.There are between 6000 and 7000 languages in the world - spoken by 7 billion people divided into 189 independent states.

2.There are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe - roughly 3% of the world’s total.

3. Most of the world’s languages are spoken in Asia and Africa.

4. At least half of the world’s population is bilingual or plurilingual, i.e. they speak two or more languages.

5. In their daily lives Europeans increasingly come across foreign languages.

6. Many languages have 50,000 words or more, but individual speakers normally know and use only a fraction of the total vocabulary: in everyday conversation people use the same few hundred words.

7. Languages are constantly in contact with each other and affect each other in many ways: English borrowed words and expressions from many other languages in the past and European languages are now borrowing many words from English.

8. In its first year a baby utters a wide range of vocal sounds; at around one year the first understandable words are uttered; at around three years complex sentences are formed; at five years a child possesses several thousand words.

9. Due to the influx of migrants and refugees, Europe has become largely multilingual. In London alone some 300 languages are spoken (Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Berber, Hindi, Punjabi, etc.).

10. The mother tongue is usually the language one knows best and uses most. But there can be “perfect bilinguals” who speak two languages equally well. Normally, however, bilinguals display no perfect balance between their two languages.

11. Bilingualism brings with it many benefits: it makes the learning of additional languages easier, enhances the thinking process and fosters contacts with other people and their cultures.

Bilingualism and plurilingualism entail economic advantages, too: jobs are more easily available to those who speak several languages, and multilingual companies have a better competitive edge than monolingual ones.

12. Languages are related to each other like the members of a family. Most European languages belong to the large Indo-European family.

13. Most European languages belong to three broad groups: Germanic, Romance and Slavic.

14. The Germanic family of languages includes Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, German, Dutch, English and Yiddish, among others.

15. The Romance languages include Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian, among others.

16. The Slavic languages include Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian, Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, Bulgarian and others.

17. Most European languages use the Latin alphabet. Some Slavic languages use the Cyrillic alphabet. Greek, Armenian, Georgian and Yiddish have their own alphabet.

A True or False Quiz about England

Watch the video and guess which of these facts are true or false


















KEY

facts 2,3,6,7 and 11 are false

How to make the perfect cup of tea

Watch the video and order the sentences. You'll make the perfect cup of tea.

1. Empty the warmed pot

2.Fill pot with boiling water

3. Fill the kettle with boiling fresh water

4.Let the tea sit for 3 to 5 minutes

5. Add milk after/before pouring the tea

6.Warm the pot before the water boils

7. Take a fine china cup

8.Put tea in the teapot

KEY

1.     Fill the kettle with boiling fresh water

2.     Warm the pot before the water boils

3.     Empty the warmed pot

4.     Put tea in the teapot

5.     Fill pot with boiling water

6.     Let the tea sit for 3 to 5 minutes

7.     Take a fine china cup

8.     Add milk after/before pouring the tea

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

Biggest Lego store just opened in Leicester Square

Match these figures to the facts they refer to:

a) 200,000                               1) different items that can be purchased in the store

b) 2,280                                   2) height of Big Ben replica

c) 6.5                                       3) hours to complete Big Ben replica

d) 14                                        4) Lego bricks for life-size London tube train

e) 800                                      5) Lego bricks to build Big Ben replica

f) 400                                       6) price of one of the most expensive items that can be purchased

g) 600,000                               7) Lego stores in the UK

KEY

a) 200,000 Lego bricks to build Big Ben replica

b) 2,280 hours to complete Big Ben replica

c) 6,5 height of Big Ben replica

d) 14 Lego stores in the UK

e) 800 different items that can be purchased in the store

f) 400 price of one of the most expensive items that can be purchased

g) 600,000 Lego bricks for life-size London tube train

23rd of April

23rd of April

1.    What do we celebrate on 23^rd April? Choose from the list

a.       St George’s Day

b.      Easter Monday

c.       The death of Miguel de Cervantes

d.      St Patrick’s Day

e.       The Patron Saint of England

f.       The death of William Shakespeare

g.       Bank holiday

h.      International Day of the Book

i.        Boxing Day

2.    St. George’s Day. True or False?

a.    In 1222 the Council of London declared April 23rd to be St George’s Day.

b.    It was not until 1348 that St George became the Patron Saint of Scotland.

c.    In 1415, St George’s Day was declared a national feast day and holiday in England.

d.    However, after the union with Scotland at the end of the 18th Century, the tradition diminished. Since then, it has not been widely acknowledged and is no longer a national holiday.

e.    Traditional customs were to fly the St George’s dragon and wear a red rose in one’s lapel.

3.    Complete the following text with the following words

St George and the Dragon

Christianity • however • knight • nest • pagan • people • sheep • town • years

The medieval legend of St George and the dragon is over a thousand ...............old. The tale goes that the dragon made its ................ by the fresh water spring near the ................. of Silene in Libya. When ................ came to collect water, they inadvertently disturbed the dragon and so offered ................ as a distraction.

After time, there were no sheep left to offer the dragon and so the people of Silene decided to offer the dragon a maiden. They would choose her by draw. When the results were read, it was revealed that the princess was going to be the dragon’s next victim. Despite the Monarch’s protest his daughter Cleolinda was offered to the dragon...

...................., at the moment of offering, a .................. from the Crusades came riding by on his white stallion. St George dismounted and drew his sword, protecting himself with the sign of the cross. He fought the dragon on foot and managed to slay the beast and saved the princess. The people of Silene were exceptionally grateful and abandoned their .................. beliefs to convert to ...................................

4.    Read the following text and answer the questions using your own words

World Book Day

World Book Day is celebrated every year on April 23^rd. UNESCO undertakes the responsibility of the event. UNESCO aims to inculcate reading habits among people, especially the youth and highlight the various issues surrounding authors, publishers and other related parties. Since Copyright is a big issue in the world of books and writing, there is always a focus on the issue on the World Book Day. That's why, in many parts of the world, this day is also known as the World Book and Copyright Day.

The first ever World Book Day was celebrated on April 23, 1995. The date was decided by UNESCO as it was also the death and birth anniversary of William Shakespeare, a world famous author. The date also coincided with the death anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes, who was a noted Spanish author. Some other well known authors whose birth or death anniversary falls on this day are Maurice Druon, Josep Pla and Halldor Laxness.

The idea of the day was taken from a Spanish tradition. April 

23^rd has always been celebrated as "The Rose Day" in Spain. On this day, people exchanged roses for showing their love and support, much like the Valentine's Day. However, in 1926, when Miguel de Cervantes dies on the day, people exchanged books instead of roses in order to commemorate the death of the great author. The tradition continues to this day in Spain and that's from where the idea of the World Book Day came about.

a.    Who is responsible of the celebration of World Book Day?

b.    Why do we celebrate it?

c.    Why is it celebrated on the 23^rd April?

d.    How did people celebrate “The Rose Day” in Spain before 1926?

KEY

1.    a, c, e, f, h

2.  

a.  In Oxford

b.  England

c. True

d.True

e. St George’s flag

3.

1.    Years

2.    nest

3.    town

4.    people

5.    sheep

6.    However

7.    knight

8.    pagan

9.    Christianity

4.

a. UNESCO

b. UNESCO wants to encourage reading habits among people, especially young people and it also wants to highlight different issues about writers, publishers and other people related to books.

c. It was the death and birth anniversary of William Shakespeare and the death anniversary of Miguel de Cervantes

d. People used to give roses as a proof of love

The Most Inspiring Bookstores of the World

See if you can match the information to each bookstore:

Location	Bookstore name	Interesting fact
Oporto, Portugal	Shakespeare & Company	Is also a café.
Mexico	Selexyz Dominican Bookstore	Is for children.
New York	El Ateneo	Is a labyrinth of books.
Lisbon, Portugal	The Kids Republic	Is in a 13th century church.
New York	The Last Bookstore	Specialises in rare books.
The Netherlands	Lello & Irmao	Specialises in antique books and other objects.
Paris	Burman Rare books	Is in an old factory.
Buenos Aires	Argosy Bookstore	One of the country’s oldest bookstores.
Beijing	Le Devagar	One of the most popular bookshops in Europe.
Los Angeles	Cafebreria	Is also a theatre.

Now, watch the video and see if you were right!

Which of the bookstores would you most like to visit?  Why?

Key - The Most Inspiring Bookstores of the World

Location	Bookstore name	Interesting fact
Oporto, Portugal	Lello & Irmao	Is one of the country’s oldest bookstores.
Mexico	Cafebreria	Is also a café.
New York	Argosy Bookstore	Specialises in antique books and other objects.
Lisbon, Portugal	Le Devagar	Is in an old factory.
New York	Burman Rare books	Specialises in rare books
The Netherlands	Selexyz Dominican Bookstore	Is in a 13th century church.
Paris	Shakespeare & Company	One of the most popular bookshops in Europe.
Buenos Aires	El Ateneo	Is also a theatre.
Beijing	The Kids Republic	Is for children.
Los Angeles	The Last Bookstore	Is a labyrinth of books.