Switzerland's secret weapon

Learning English - Words in the News

 

31 May, 2006 - Published 10:57 GMT

With the World Cup only a couple of weeks away many people are preparing for a month's football watching. But what if you're not interested in football? Switzerland has come up with a surprising alternative. This report from Imogen Foulkes:

Listen to the story

Switzerland attracts thousands of holidaymakers every summer. But this year, Germany's hosting the World Cup and the Swiss Tourist Board is worried about loss of revenue - and so, its latest television campaign reveals Switzerland's secret weapon. Football widows take note: Switzerland isn't limited to beautiful scenery; it has beautiful men too ...

From smiling cable car attendants to sexy mountain climbers to ... yes ... farmers with a smooth line in milking and what's more, they're not that interested in football. Oliver Kirstalt of the Tourist Board insists this is a true picture of Swissmasculinity:

OLIVER KIRSTALT:
"It is a true picture of Switzerland. All the men are Swiss and are working in the real jobs and they're representing men in everyday Switzerland, yes ..."

The campaign has been tested on Swiss women and they love it. But while they like the marketing concept, they're not absolutely convinced these men exist:

SWISS WOMAN:
"Just go to the mountain and see the nice lakes and the view and the summits and there you might find a good man. But I wouldn't make too much ideas about that ..."

SWISS WOMAN:
"People out there in the world probably think about Switzerland as a conservative or more traditional country and I think this shows that we are the opposite ..."

REPORTER:
'But are Swiss men like that? Can I walk out in the street and find one like that?'

SWISS WOMAN:
"Yeah, I guess so. Good luck ... " (laughter)

Well, a quick tour of the streets of Zurich reveals the sad truth that you can't believe everything you see on television. Still, if you want a break from football this summer, then Switzerland is waiting. Just one word of warning: a Swiss team has actually qualified for the World Cup - so those Swiss men, gorgeous or otherwise, might all be watching the match.

Imogen Foulkes, BBC News, Zurich

Listen to the words

hosting the World Cup
being the country where the competition will be played

loss of revenue
not getting money that was expected

television campaign
a series of advertisements on television

Football widows
women who can't have time with their husbands because the husbands are watching a lot of football

masculinity
the features and qualities of being male

the marketing concept
the idea behind the advertisements

summits
tops of mountains

conservative
with traditional, maybe old-fashioned attitudes

gorgeous
very attractive

Read more about this story

Original BBC page here



WORKSHEET 1
Are the following sentences true or false?
1. This year, The Swiss Tourist Board expects to tourism to generate a lot of money. T/F
2. The Swiss countryside is very attractive. T/F
3. The men in the advertising campaign are keen football fans. T/F
4. The men in the advertising campaign are models and actors. T/F
5. Swiss women have reacted positively to the publicity. T/F
6. Swiss women are not certain that the lovely men in the adverts can be really found. T/F
7. Some people think that Switzerland doesn’t usually try out new ideas. T/F
8. The reporter found several lovely men, but they were watching the TV. T/F
9. The Swiss football team isn’t playing in this year’s World Cup. T/F

WORKSHEET 2
VOCABULARY
Match these words and phrases to their definitions
1. hosting the world cup      A. a series of advertisements on television
2. loss of revenue                 B. being the country where the competition will
be played
3. television campaign           C. the idea behind the advertisements
4. football widows                D. with traditional, maybe old-fashioned attitudes
5. masculinity                        E. not getting money that was expected
6. the marketing concept       F. women who can't have time with their
husbands because the husbands are watching a
lot of football
7. summits                              G. very attractive
8. conservative                       H. the features and qualities of being male
9. gorgeous                            I. tops of mountains

WORKSHEET 3
GRAMMAR FOCUS – VERB PHRASES WITH PREPOSITIONS
Fill the blanks with a preposition from the box below.
on for(x2) about of in to(x2) with

1. Make sure you prepare carefully _____ your exams next week.
2. Most medicines are tested _____ animals before they are given to humans.
3. I think I’m the only person who isn’t interested _____ the World Cup. What a lonely
summer I’ll have!
4. She’s really worried _____ her future, she doesn’t know whether to leave University to
join the rock group.
5. Playing computer games all day is not my idea ____ fun. I’m leaving!
6. David’s musical skills are limited _____ singing: he can’t play any instruments at all.
7. You’re so creative. You come up ____ new ideas all the time, and they’re always good
ones.
8. In the summer I love going ____ the beach
9. ‘Did Sasha qualify _____ the Olympics? Was his time fast enough?’
Can you find these verb phrases in the news report?

ANSWER KEY
WORKSHEET 1
1. False – Paragraph 2 says ' the Swiss Tourist Board is worried about loss of revenue.'
2. True – Paragraph 2 'Switzerland isn’t limited to beautiful scenery.'
3. False – Paragraph 3 says ‘They’re not that interested in football.’
4. False – Paragraph 4 says ' All the men…are working in the real jobs.'
5. True – Paragraph 5 says ‘The campaign has been tested on Swiss women and they
love it'.
6. True – Paragraph 5 says ‘they’re not absolutely convinced these men exist.'
7. True – Paragraph 7 says ‘people out there…think about Switzerland as a
conservative…country’
8. False – Paragraph 8 says ‘a quick tour of the streets of Zurich reveals the sad truth that
you can’t believe everything you see on TV’
9. False – Paragraph 9 says ‘a Swiss team has actually qualified for the World Cup’
WORKSHEET 2
1. B 6. C
2. E 7. I
3. A 8. D
4. F 9. G
5. H
WORKSHEET 3
1. for
2. on
3. in
4. about
5. of
6. to
7. with
8. to
9. for


Page with more useful lesson plans here

John Lennon

It's now twenty-five years since John Lennon, the former Beatles star, was shot dead. We revisit that sad day and find out why John Lennon is still remembered by so many people today. Listen to Entertainment to hear some interesting answers. 

Words and expressions from the programme 

iconic 
a person, group or item that represents a certain time in history, e.g. John Lennon 

an altercation 
a short, noisy argument 

an autograph 
the signature of someone famous, e.g. on a book or a photograph 

a police squad car 
an American English noun for an ordinary police car 

to be pronounced dead upon arrival 
an official announcement that someone has already died before arriving somewhere, usually at a hospital 

lyrics 
the words of a song 

BBC page

Yvonne: Hello, I'm Yvonne Archer - and this is Entertainment.
Twenty-five years ago today, the British pop star John Lennon was shot outside
his apartment building in New York in the United States.
Tom Brook
There were 7 gunshot wounds, one report said, when he arrived at the hospital, but he was in a
very bad state indeed.
Yvonne: That was a part of a BBC report from Tom Brooks twenty-five years ago. In
fact, John Lennon was in such a very bad state – he was so ill – that he actually
died from his gunshot wounds. Of course, John Lennon had been a member of
the very popular 1960s British pop band, The Beatles. The band and John
Lennon help to represent that time in history so they’re thought of as ‘iconic’.
The BBC news report explained that there was a short, noisy argument between
John Lennon and the person who shot him. As we listen on, try to spot the
word that’s used to describe the argument and the reason why John may have
been shot. So, what word does Tom Brook use to describe the noisy argument
that took place and why does he think John Lennon may have been shot?
Tom Brook
Everything is still rather confused, but we gather that he got out of a car and there was an
altercation about an autograph. Shots were then fired – several shots - he was very badly
wounded and the police squad car took him to hospital and he was pronounced dead upon
arrival.
Yvonne: The report told us that there had been an argument about an autograph – that’s
a famous person’s signature, in this case, John Lennon’s. And that may have
been the reason why John was shot. But did you spot the word that the report
used to describe that argument? Yes, the report said that there was ‘an
altercation’. Listen again to the series of events that lead to John Lennon’s
death. This time, note how the words ‘altercation’ and ‘autograph’ are used.
Also, try to catch the formal phrase that ends the report. It’s often used in news
items to let people know that someone died before they could be treated at the
hospital.
Tom Brook
He got out of a car and there was an altercation about an autograph. Shots were then fired –
several shots - he was very badly wounded and the police squad car took him to hospital and
he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Yvonne: So did you manage to follow the series of events? After John got out of the
car, there was an altercation, he was shot and taken to the hospital by a police
car – what Americans call ‘a police squad car’. And to end the report, we heard
the formal phrase that John Lennon ‘was pronounced dead upon arrival’. Sadly,
by the time the police got him to the hospital, John Lennon was already dead
and a formal announcement was made by the medical staff to let everyone
know. Listen out for that formal phrase in future news reports…
Tom Brook
He was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Yvonne: As you probably know, John Lennon left the Beatles but continued to record his
own songs. He wrote “Give Peace a Chance” in the 1960s to protest against
the US’s part in the Vietnam war. He even stayed in bed with his wife, Yoko
Ono, for two weeks during their honeymoon – just after they were married - to
draw further attention to the protest.
But “Give Peace a Chance” has been criticised because it contains very few
words - or ‘lyrics’. Phillip Norman is writing a biography of John Lennon’s life
and doesn’t agree with all the criticism. In fact, he compares the song lyrics of
“Give Peace a Chance” to the type of rap songs that sometimes talk about
violence as though it’s a positive thing – gangster rap.
Phillip Norman
I think it’s better to be saying “Give peace a chance” than, you know, the sort of obscene,
brutal to women lyrics of gangster rap.
Yvonne: And twenty-five years after his death, John Lennon is still remembered for his
his protest against the war in Vietnam as well as for his music.
There’s just time now for a quick recap of some of the language we’ve come
across today:
A person or a band that represents a specific time in history can be described
as…
iconic
If someone famous gives you their signature, it’s their…
autograph
And the words of a song are called the…
lyrics
That's all from Entertainment this week. Goodbye.

Tiffany

Over 150 years after it was first established an exhibition about the famous jewellery company Tiffany has opened in central London. 

The exhibition features over 200 pieces of Tiffany jewellery. Our BBC Learning English colleague, John Escolme, went along to meet the curator and see some of the renowned Tiffany jewels for himself. 

Before you listen to the interview look at these comprehension questions. You can hear the answers in the programme. 

1: Which year was Tiffany first founded? 
2: What is Claire's favourite exhibit? 
3: What is the name of the unit used to measure the weight of jewels? 

Words and expressions from the programme 

brand 
a type of product made by a particular company 

exhibit 
an item in an exhibition 

opal 
a precious stone 

glowing 
producing a continuous light 

pendant 
a decorative object usually hanging from a necklace 
Example 
Her grandmother gave her a beautiful antique pendant to wear on her eighteenth birthday. 

in the palm of your hand 
the inside of your hand from the wrist to the base of your fingers. 
Example 
He held the ring safely in the palm of his hand. 

carat 
a unit for measuring the weight of jewels 
Example 
She had a 20 carat diamond ring. 

---

Extras 
 Programme script (pdf - 20k) 
Download this programme (mp3 - 1.5mb) 
Original BBC page here

Anna: Hello, I'm Anna Jones and this is Entertainment.
Today we’re looking at the language used to describe glittering stones and
silver jewellery made by the well known jewellery company, Tiffany. The
Tiffany brand – a brand is a type of product made by a particular company -
was founded in 1837 by Charles Lewis Tiffany in New York and by the 1840’s
was selling diamond jewellery. Over 150 years later Tiffany is now known all
over the world for its stunning jewellery. And for the first time in its history
an exhibition has opened in central London featuring over 200 pieces of
Tiffany jewellery. Our BBC Learning English colleague, John Escolme, went
along to see the exhibition and was guided around it by its curator Claire
Phillips. Claire tells us which is here favourite exhibit or piece of jewellery
featuring at the exhibition. What is it and when was it made?
Claire Philipps Dur: 11"
One of my absolute favourites is the fire opal collar made for the Paris exposition in 1900.
And at the time it was described as being the finest collection of fire opals in the world.
Anna: Claire says that “one of her absolute favourites” – one of her best-liked things –
is the “fire opal collar.” An opal is a precious stone whose colour changes
when the position of the person looking at it changes – this one is a fire opal –
the colours of fire – reds, yellows, greens and oranges. Claire describes the fire
opal collar in more detail. Listen out for some of the adjectives and other
descriptive terms that she uses:
Claire Philipps Dur: 33 "
These extraordinary glowing orange and green stones with their marvellous play of colour
arranged as a collar that would have been worn around the neck with originally a wonderful
pendant hanging from it.. The geometric patterning based on native American art but really
the river of rich orange and green stones described by Tiffany’s gemologist at the time as
“each one a miniature sunset in the palm of your hand.” .
Anna: Claire uses some lovely language to describe the fire opal collar. She uses the
adjective “glowing” which means that the stones are producing a continuous
light. The stones are arranged as a collar that would have been worn around
the neck and would have had a pendant or object - perhaps a diamond cut
into a special shape - hanging from the opal stones. She says that the collar
is like a “river of rich orange and green stones” – the necklace of precious
stones looks like an orange and green river. It has geometric patterning which
means that the stones are arranged in a particular order or pattern. The
gemologist – the person at Tiffanys who is a precious stones expert – says that
each one of the stones is like a miniature sunset in the palm of your hand. Each
stone is like a tiny image of the sun setting with its mass of rich red and
orange colours. If you hold something in the plam of your hand you hold it in
the inside of your hand from the wrist to the base of your fingers. Here’s Clare
again – try to listen out for the descriptive language she uses.
Claire Philipps Dur: 33 "
These extraordinary glowing orange and green stones with their marvellous play of colour
arranged as a collar that would have been worn around the neck with originally a wonderful
pendant hanging from it. The geometric patterning based on native American art but really
the river of rich orange and green stones described by Tiffany’s gemologist at the time as
“each one a miniature sunset in the palm of your hand.”
Anna: Finally John ask about a picture at the exhibition of Audrey Hepburn, the
famous actress who starred in the 1961 film ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. What
colour is the diamond she is wearing and what other word does she use to
describe its colour?
Claire Philipps Dur: 22 "
So we’ve come now to quite a large picture of Audrey Hepburn – wearing what? Well Audrey
Hepburn wearing a magnificent Tiffany necklace designed by John Schlumbaget in a pattern
of ribbons, diamond ribbons. But at its centre the magnificent Tiffany diamond which is over
128 carats - a beautiful yellow diamond – a beautiful canary yellow stone.
Anna: Well Audrey Hepburn is wearing a beautiful yellow diamond and Claire
describes it as a “canary” yellow diamond - a canary is a small yellow bird -
with a pattern of diamond ribbons.. Clare says that the diamond is over 128
carats – a carat is a unit for measuring the weight of jewels. So Audrey
Hepburn is wearing a beautiful yellow Tiffany diamond.
That's all from this edition of entertainment. Join us again next time.

Houskeeper

This week, Margaret tells us what it's like to be a housekeeper and look after a family and their guests. She explains what made her stop working as a 'professional' and become a 'Mrs Mop.' 

As you listen, try to answer these questions: 

1: What did Margaret do before she became a housekeeper? 
2: Why did she decide to change her job? 
3: Why was she once embarrassed when people asked her what she did? 

Vocabulary from the programme 

a housekeeper 
someone who looks after a house, makes sure it's clean and the people in it have what they need 

the most enjoyable aspect 
the thing you like the most 

it gives me a buzz 
it makes me feel good or excited 

to be made redundant 
to lose your job because you aren't needed any more 

to give it a go 
to try it 

your soocial status 
your social position e.g. whether others see you as important or educated 

to give it a go 
to try it 

to be insecure 
to feel unsure about yourself and lack confidence 

---

Extras 
Programme script (pdf - 22 k) 
Download this programme (mp3 - 2.9 mb)
Original BBC page here

Script
Jackie: Hello, welcome to the programme, I’m Jackie Dalton.
Margaret
Hello, my name is Margaret McMullen…
Jackie: Today we’re going to explore some work-related language and find out
about a certain job. Any ideas what?
Margaret
I’m the Head Housekeeper at this incredibly beautiful Tudor house, which has had a
variety of inhabitants throughout its long history, but now has been restored and
brought back into a full-time family house.
Jackie: Margaret is a housekeeper in a big house – a housekeeper is someone
who looks after a house, makes sure it's clean and looks after the
people who live in it. Margaret is going to tell us now about the most
enjoyable aspect of her job. The ‘most enjoyable aspect’ - the thing she
likes most. What does she like most? Listen to find out:
Margaret
The most enjoyable aspects of the job are definitely the buzz of giving very good
service to guests when they come. Even just making their beds, you know. I mean,
making beds is making beds, but there’s a way of doing it well and you get ‘Yes, that
really does look good.’
Jackie: Did you get the answer? The most enjoyable aspect for Margaret is
giving very good service to guests - she used the word “buzz”.
Margaret
…the buzz of giving very good service to guests when they come.
Jackie: If you get a buzz from something, you enjoy it, it makes you feel
excited. Listen to more examples of that expression being used.
Voice: I get a real buzz from taking part in a big race.
Voice: I love the buzz of knowing hundreds of people are watching me
perform on stage.
Jackie: Now it’s time for the next listening comprehension question. When did
Margaret decide to become a housekeeper? And what did she do
before?
Margaret
Well, I decided to enter into the service world when I became redundant from my
public service job. I worked in a school.
Jackie: Margaret made the decision when she was made redundant from her
previous job, which was being a teacher. To be made redundant is to
lose your job because you are no longer needed.
STING
Jackie: Why was Margaret a bit worried about the decision she made?
Margaret
When I decided that I would do this, I thought myself ‘Are you being completely mad
here? Here you are, you are a university graduate, you’re a qualified teacher, you’ve
had a professional career - why on earth do you want to go and be a professional Mrs
Mop?
Jackie: Margaret was worried because she was well qualified and had a
professional career and was going to do something which she saw as
not a professional career – as she puts it, being ‘Mrs Mop’ - a kind of
joking way of describing a simple person who spends her time
cleaning the floor. But Margaret decided to make the change anyway.
Why did she finally make that decision?
Margaret
And I thought well, I don’t particularly want to carry on doing what I’m doing
because it is stressful, I want to do something different so I’m going to give it a go.
Jackie: Margaret decided she wanted to do something different and teaching
was too stressful. What expression did she use to say that she was
going to try being a housekeeper? Listen again.
Margaret
I want to do something different so I’m going to give it a go.
Jackie: To ‘give it a go’ – to try something to see what it's like. Listen to more
examples of that expression in use:
Voice: I’m worried about riding horses because they look scary, but I’ll give it
a go!
Voice: Go on, give it a go! You might actually enjoy it!
Jackie: Once Margaret had become a housekeeper, she was uncomfortable at
first when other people asked her what she did. Why was that?
Margaret
Now, when it came to actually working as a professional Mrs Mop, when people ask
me in a social situation, ‘What to do you do?’ that hit me across the head personally,
that I could no longer say that I was a professional bursar or I was a teacher –
something that had status. I was saying, ‘Well actually I’m a housekeeper. And I had
difficulty with that myself because I’d always perceived myself as being a
professional person in a professional job. I never associated housekeeping with being
a profession.
Jackie: Margaret was worried about her status – whether other people would
see her as being not very educated or important. She said she didn't see
housekeeping as a professional job. But what does she think now?
Margaret
…and it wasn’t until I was in it for about six months that I realised it was. And I was
being particularly insecure by holding back from saying what I did. Now, I say it
very happily.
Jackie: Well now Margaret is comfortable with being a housekeeper. She used
to be ‘insecure’ about it – uncertain, embarrassed, but now she is quite
happy to say what she does!

The Thames Tunnel

 

In this edition of London Life we celebrate one of the great engineering achievements of all time - the first tunnel to be built under a river anywhere in the world - the Thames Tunnel.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was born 200 years ago in 1806, and his father were the engineers behind this historic tunnel.

Before you listen to the programme look at these comprehension questions. You can hear the answers in the programme. You can download this programme in mp3 format and follow it with a transcript.

1: Who built the Thames Tunnel?
2: Why did they need to build a tunnel?
3: Who uses the tunnel today? 

Vocabulary from the programme

civil engineer
someone who plans, designs and builds roads, bridges and public buildings
Example
In her work as a civil engineer she designed and built motorways and bridges

to sink
to move downwards
Example
After the two boats hit each other they both started to sink

tower
a tall, narrow building
Example
Her office was on the 19th floor of a very high tower block

hacking
the act of cutting at something with a sharp tool
Example
He spent hours hacking away at the big pile of branches

northwards
towards the north
Example
The army trekked northwards for four days.

---

Extras
 Try the London Life quiz
Programme script (pdf - 21k)
Download this programme (mp3 - 1.6mb)

Original BBC page here

Script

Anna: Hello, I'm Anna Jones and this is London Life. 

Two hundred years ago in 1806 Isambard Kingdom Brunel was born. He was 

the son of a French civil engineer – civil engineers plan, design and build roads, 

bridges and public buildings. And Isambard Kingdom Brunel was destined to 

follow the same career path as his father and become one of the world’s most 

famous engineers. During his life Brunel designed and built docks – enclosed 

areas of water where ships are loaded, unloaded and repaired. He also designed 

and built railways, steamships and much more. With his father, Brunel 

designed and built the historic Thames Tunnel which is now used by the East 

London line of the London Underground train system. The Thames Tunnel is 

35 feet wide and 1,300 feet long, beneath the River Thames between 

Rotherhithe and Wapping. A BBC reporter recently met Robert Holse who is 

the director of the Brunel Museum in East London. As you listen to Robert, try 

to answer this question – why did they need to build the tunnel?

ROBERT HOLSE: 

They needed a way of moving stuff across the river as well as up and down it. You can’t build 

a bridge here because you’ve got 3,000 tall-masted ships. The only way to do it is to move 

stuff under the river but no-one had ever done that before and we’re standing more or less 

directly above the first tunnel under a river anywhere in the world 

Anna: Did you hear why they needed to build the tunnel? Well Robert said that they 

needed to move stuff - things and people - across the river as up and down or 

along the river. It was not possible to build a bridge because at that time 

there were as many as 3,000 ships with very tall masts using the river. Robert 

explains that the only solution was to build a tunnel under the river but no-one 

had ever done that before. Here’s Robert again – this time try to listen out for 

several prepositions that he uses. I’ll give you the first one – its across – 

across ,but there are four more. Good luck!. 

ROBERT HOLSE: 

They needed a way of moving stuff across the river as well as up and down it. You can’t build 

a bridge here because you’ve got 3,000 tall- masted ships. The only way to do it is to move 

stuff under the river but no-one had ever done that before and we’re standing more or less 

directly above the first tunnel under a river anywhere in the world 

Anna: Did you get the four other prepositions? They were: up, down, under and above.

Robert goes on to explain how Brunel and his father decided to go about 

building the tunnel. What did they decide they had to do? 

ROBERT HOLSE 

For the first time anywhere in the world they understood the best way to build below the 

ground is to build above the ground and sink it. 

Anna: Well they decided that the best way to build a tunnel was to start building it 

above the ground and let it sink – allow it to move downwards. Listen out for 

the two prepositions that he uses. 

ROBERT HOLSE 

For the first time anywhere in the world they understood the best way to build below the 

ground is to build above the ground and sink it. 

Anna: Well he uses the prepositions below and above. Robert explains how they 

start to build the tunnel. What is the first thing they build and why? 

ROBERT HOLSE 

They build here on the river bank a 50-foot tall tower – now that’s taller than any of the 

buildings here now. And as the weight of the bricks gets heavier and heavier it sinks under its 

own weight into the soft earth. And then they lower people inside … 

So the shaft sinks itself under its own weight, the men go down 50foot, when they hit the 

bottom, they start digging, hacking at the walls and they’re heading northwards across to the 

other side of the river. 

That’s right. 

Anna: Robert explains that they build a 50-foot tower – a tall narrow building just 

over 15 metres high. They build the tower in soft earth and it slowly sinks into 

the soft earth under its own weight. They then put people inside the shaft - or 

underground tower which then sinks about 50 feet. Once they are at the 

bottom the men inside the shaft start to mine – they dig or hack away at the 

walls and they start to move northwards – they are heading towards the north 

bank of the river and starting to build the tunnel. Listen again and try to listen 

out for the prepositions.

ROBERT HOLSE 

They build here on the river bank a 50-foot tall tower – now that’s taller than any of the 

buildings here now. And as the weight of the bricks gets heavier and heavier it sinks under its 

own weight into the soft earth. And then they lower people inside … 

So the shaft sinks itself under its own weight, the men go down 50foot, when they hit the 

bottom, they start digging, hacking at the walls and they’re heading northwards across to the 

other side of the river. 

That’s right. 

Anna: That’s all from London Life – join us next time.

Portobello Road

Welcome to London Life. This week we find out about one of London's most interesting streets, Portobello Road. It is especially famous for its Saturday market. We'll hear from a trader there and look at the language of markets and shopping. You can download the programme script and an mp3 version at the bottom of this page. Here are some questions for you to answer as you listen: 1. What makes Portobello Road different from other shopping streets? 2. What kinds of things can you buy at Portobello Road? 3. Why is it a good idea to get to the market early?  Words and expressions from the programme chain stores big, well-known shops which have stores in many places selling the same products Example sentence These days chain stores own shops in nearly every high-street in the country. traders people who have market stalls or shops Example sentence Traders at the market sell all kinds of different things. merchandise products which are sold Example sentence Shops there have some very unusual merchandise. bric-a-brac small objects that aren't worth much, but that are interesting Example sentence One of the best things about the market is all the bric-a-brac you can find. a bargain something you buy for cheaper than the usual price Example sentence This jumper was a real bargain. to haggle to argue over the price of something with the person who is selling it Example sentence I haggled the price down from seven to four pounds. Extras Programme script (pdf - 21k) Audio - Download 'Portobello Road' (mp3 - 1.8mb)   Find out more about Portobello Road  Original BBC Page here Script Jackie: Hello, I'm Jackie Dalton. Welcome to London Life! This week we find out  about one of London's most interesting streets – Portobello Road, which is  especially famous for its Saturday market. We'll look at the language of  markets and shopping. First, we'll hear from Jonathan, who is a dealer there.  He sells old maps. Listen to him describe what it's like there. He'll talk about  the stalls – small shops with an open front or stands where things are sold.  They sell antiques – old objects like furniture or decorations which some  people like to collect. And junk – things that people don't want anymore and  have thrown out, but others might like to buy. Listen out for those words now.  Jonathan Well Portobello Road is a wonderful place to go if you want to wander round antique stalls,  junk stalls. You never know quite what you're going to find. Every stall sells different things,  there must be well over a hundred different dealers and shops. So there's plenty to see and do  and it's great fun for a day out. Jackie: So what makes Portobello Road special – different from any other street where  you can go shopping? This time, listen out for these expressions:  Chain stores – big, well-known shops which have stores in many places and  tend to sell the same kinds of products. An example of a chain is MacDonald's  or Burger King, they are chains which have similar restaurants all over the  world.  Traders – in this context are the people who have market stalls or shops and  who are selling. Merchandise – is the product they're selling, whether it's food, clothes, antiques,  or anything else. Now as you listen to Jonathan, try to answer this question: What's the  difference between Portobello Road and other shopping streets?  Jonathan The real difference you'll notice is the lack of big chain stores. The area has a semi-protected  status so you get a lot of small traders in there who would never be able to afford to run a  shop anywhere else. So you'll get completely unique shops and stalls selling very, very  unusual merchandise. It's unlike any other street in London and is well worth a visit.  Jackie: Did you get the answer? The difference is it's not just full of big chains, selling  the same things as everywhere else. There are smaller shops, selling things that  are 'unique' – different, unusual.  What kinds of things? You'll hear the word 'memento', which means a small  thing that you keep to remind you of something. And you'll hear the word  'bric-a-brac' – Jonathan will explain what that means.  Jonathan Anything and everything! I mean, there are some stalls and there are some shops which are  very expensive and they will have wonderful furniture or paintings and then there will be a  stall that will be selling what we would call in this country 'bric-a-brac' and that can be  anything from a little cup, to a tin, to a glass, to a toy, you name it! And that is the great thing  about going to Portobello Road, is that you're never sure what you're going to find. For a few  pounds you'll come away with a lovely memento of London and something, probably, that's  almost unique. Jackie: The market takes place every Saturday. Why does Jonathan think it's good to  go early?  Jonathan It opens quite early. If you were to arrive there, say, at seven o'clock in the morning it would  already be there full of dealers and a lot of the stalls would all be up and running and that  would be the time to get the really interesting bargains. Jackie: Jonathan says if you go early, that's the best time to pick up an interesting  bargain. A 'bargain' is something you buy cheaper than the usual price:  Voice: This jumper was a real bargain – it was reduced from 30 pounds to 14!  Jackie: So you can go early to get an interesting bargain. There's another way of  getting a good bargain. Listen to Jonathan again. You'll hear the word 'haggle'.  Try to work out from the context what 'to haggle' means.  Jonathan If you see something on a store and you think 'I really like that, but it's a bit too expensive,'  haggle! Say to the man or the woman 'What's the best price you can do on this?' And if they  want to sell it they'll give you a price.  Jackie: To 'haggle' is to argue over the price of something with the person who is  selling it. In most shops in Britain, you shouldn't try to haggle because there is  a fixed price for things. But in many markets and in some smaller shops you  can sometimes haggle to get a better price for whatever you want to buy.  Well, Portobello Road is certainly one of my favourite streets in London and if  you're visiting the capital city and want to pick up a memento of London or a  good bargain, it's certainly the place to go.

The Science Museum

Welcome to London Life. This week, we find out out about London's science museum. It is one of London's most popular attractions. This week is National Science Week in Britain, so it's likely to get lots of visitors. During the programme, we look at some useful science vocabulary. As you listen, try to answer the following questions: 1: What kinds of things are children most interested in? 2: What is William's favourite thing at the museum? Words and expressions from the programme ingenuity the ability to think of clever new ways of doing things The criminals used their ingenuity to find a way to break in to the house without anyone else ever knowing. interactive people who use it can also be involved in the exchange of information This website is interactive - users can do quizzes and post comments. Industrial Revolution a period of time in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when more and more machines started to be used instead of people to do work The Industrial Revolution completely changed people's lives. a steam engine a machine which makes power by boiling water More and more machines were powered by steam engines. a blueprint a plan or design for something I have completed the blueprint for the new building. Extras Audio - Download 'Science Museum' (mp3 - 1.9mb)   Visit the Science Museum website  Original BBC page here Ingenuity – definition and use as a noun, adjective (ingenious) and adverb (ingeniously). What’s the Science Museum about? – The past, present and future of human ingenuity. How things were done in the past, how things are being done at the moment and how they will be done in the future. All kinds of people visit the museum, of all ages, including lot of children, What are children most interested in? - Children really like the interactive objects. We have an interactive gallery. It is hands on. Interactive – people can be involved in the exchange of information. The BBC web site is interactive. – you can do quizzes and write into message boards. Interaction can be used in lots of different contexts. Industrial revolution (late 18th and early19the cc) when more and more machines started to be used instead of people to do work. A key part of the industrial revolution was the steam engine a machine that creates power by boiling water. William – what is his favourite thing and what the word blue print means? George Stevenson‘s rocket – the first traction (tažný) steam engine, so first kind of train engine. Stevenson‘s design became the blue print for all of the steam trains of the 19th century. A blue print – a plan of how steam trains would later be made.