Road safety for cyclists

Bikes for hire in London

More and more people are using bikes to commute to work or university. Cycling is a cheap way to travel and a good way to get fit. But it can also be dangerous. Join Jen and Neil as they discuss ways to be safer on the roads.

This week's question:

A record number of bikes were hired on one day during the London Olympic Games in 2012. But how many times were bikes borrowed on this day? Was it:

a) 15,000

b) 31,000

c) 47,000

Find out the answer at the end of the programme.

Click to go to the original page and listen

to commute

to travel to work

a folding bike

a bicycle which can be made smaller so that it can be carried

heavy traffic

lots of vehicles on a road

vehicles

cars, buses, lorries and taxis

helmet cameras

small cameras attached to a protective hat worn by cyclists

footage

something which has been filmed

insurance

a way of protecting you financially if you have an accident

peace of mind

a feeling of being calm or not being worried

The Highway Code

a set of rules that drivers and cyclists must follow

fluorescent clothing

bright, reflective clothes

NB: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.com. My name is Jennifer and I’m joined in the studio by Neil.

Neil: Hello. In this programme, we look at a story in the news and teach you some new vocabulary and expressions along the way. 

Jennifer: In this episode, we’re going to be talking about cycling and how to keep safe on the road. Do you cycle, Neil?

Neil: Yes I do. I use my bike to commute, or travel to work. It’s quite a long journey, but it’s much cheaper than taking the Tube or the train. What about you, Jen?

Jennifer: Well I’ve just bought a folding bike – that’s a bike that you can take apart, fold up and carry if you don’t want to ride it. For me, it’s a good way to get fit.

Neil: A folding bike is very handy. But they are very expensive. 

Jennifer: You can hire bicycles for short journeys in London. It leads me on to today’s question.

Neil: OK, what is it?

Jennifer: A record number of bikes were hired on one day during the London Olympic Games in 2012. But how many times were bikes borrowed on this day? Was it:

a) 15,000

b) 31,000

c) 47,000

Neil: Well, those are all very high numbers, but I'm going to guess c) 47,000. 

Jennifer: We’ll find out if you’re right at the end of the programme. So, let’s go back to our story about cycling. We’ve said that the advantages are that it is a good way to get fit and a cheap way to travel. But, are there any disadvantages?

Neil: I suppose that it can be a dangerous way to travel if you're cycling in a city centre, especially in heavy traffic. Heavy traffic means lots of cars or other vehicles on the road. 

Jennifer: Many cyclists now wear helmet cameras – a device attached to their cycling helmet – so that they can film people who drive dangerously. 

Neil: Listen to this clip of London cyclist Ben Porter. Why did he start using a helmet camera? 

Ben Porter, cyclist

I first got the camera because I’d had trouble convincing friends and family of what actually happened on the roads, and I’d thought that having a camera and footage would be a good way of explaining what it’s like to be a cyclist on the road. I always saw it as some form of insurance and it did feel like, as a cyclist, I didn’t have as much behind me as, say, a car driver with an insurance company.

Jennifer: So, that was cyclist Ben Porter. He said he thought that having a camera and footage would be a good way to explain what it’s like to be a cyclist on the road.

Neil: Footage is what a video camera records. When the camera is attached to your head, the footage shows the journey from your point of view.

Jennifer: Ben Porter gave another reason why he started to use the camera. Did you hear what it was?

Neil: He said it was a form of insurance. That means it gives the cyclist a form of protection.

Jennifer: Let’s hear that clip of Ben again. Listen this time for the words ‘footage’ and ‘insurance’. 

Ben Porter, cyclist

I first got the camera because I’d had trouble convincing friends and family of what actually happened on the roads, and I’d thought that having a camera and footage would be a good way of explaining what it’s like to be a cyclist on the road. I always saw it as some form of insurance and it did feel like, as a cyclist, I didn’t have as much behind me as, say, a car driver with an insurance company.

Neil: So, Ben got the camera so that he could show what it’s like to be a cyclist on the road, and also to protect himself from blame if there was an accident.

Jennifer: Having a camera can give you peace of mind – it can make you feel safer in terms of the law – but it can’t stop you from being hit by a car. How do you think cyclists could be safer, Neil?

Neil: I think that both cyclists and drivers need to pay attention to The Highway Code. The Highway Code is a list of rules that drivers and cyclists must obey – or do. How do you think cyclists could be safer? 

Jennifer: I think it’s important to be visible – for other road users to know you’re there. Many people wear fluorescent clothing which is very bright and reflective…

Neil: And don’t forget – a helmet could save your life! 

Jennifer: Time now to get the answer to the quiz. I asked how many bicycles were borrowed on one day in London during the 2012 Olympics. Was it:

a) 15,000

b) 31,000

c) 47,000

Neil: And I guessed c) 47,000.

Jennifer: And you were right!

Neil: Aha!

Jennifer: On that day alone, bikes were hired 47,105 times.

Neil: Well, that is a lot of cycling. There must have been lots of tired people in London that day.

Jennifer: I’m sure! Do join us again for another edition of 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Bye!

Neil: Bye!

Monkeys 'talk in turns'

Summary

18 October 2013

Recordings of monkeys calling to one another have revealed that they take it in turns to make sounds, in a pattern very similar to human conversation. Scientists from Princeton University recorded marmosets as they called each other. The animals would wait several seconds before responding.

Reporter:

Victoria Gill

They can chat too

Listen

Click to go to the original page and listen

Report

(Sound made by a monkey)

These very high-pitched squeaks could provide a clue about the evolutionary route of our own conversational turn-taking.

The Princeton University team recorded these exchanges between marmosets as they sat in opposite corners of a room. The animals were separated by a curtain, so they could hear but not see one another.

After one of the diminutive monkeys called out, the other waited several seconds before responding.

(Sounds made by a two monkeys, one after the other)

The scientists suggest that sounds might contain information that the listener needs to take time to digest.

Whatever the reason for this polite pausing, these simple, squeaky exchanges could illustrate the foundations of the way we communicate - by talking and, perhaps more importantly, listening.

high-pitched

(of a sound or voice) very high

evolutionary route

gradual change and development over time

turn-taking

from one to another

exchanges

brief conversations

diminutive

very small

to digest

to consider

foundations

basic elements

Canadian wins Nobel Prize for Literature

Summary

11 October 2013

This year's Nobel Prize for Literature has gone to the Canadian writer Alice Munro. She is highly praised for her short stories which focus on life in the part of Canada where she has spent most of her time.

Reporter:

Vincent Dowd

Alice Munro has been writing since the late 60s

Go to the original page to listen

Report

Aged 82, Alice Munro has for several years been mentioned as apotential Nobel laureate. The Swedish Academy, which makes the award, spoke of her "finely-tuned storytelling, characterised byclarity and psychological realism."

Alice Munro has published many books of stories since the late 1960s. And she has often been compared to Anton Chekhov: for many, the greatest of all short-story writers.

She writes almost entirely about society and families and the passing of time in the part of Ottawa which she has known all her life. She is the first Canadian to take the prize: Saul Bellow, who won in 1976, was Canadian-born but became an American citizen.

Alice Munro gave her reaction soon after hearing news of the award, at home.

Alice Munro:
"It is so surprising and so wonderful, and I don't think I knew that I was even on the list or anything until maybe yesterday. My daughter woke me up, she said: 'Mum, you won!' I kind of wasdazed about what had I won, but I came to my senses."

Alice Munro will get prize money of 8 million Swedish kroner, that's around 1.2 million US dollars. She is only the 13th woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature since it began in 1901.

potential

possible or likely

laureate

a person who has been given a high-level award for their ability or achievements (such as a Nobel Prize)

finely-tuned

having made many small changes to make something as good as possible

characterised by

usually including

entirely

completely

Canadian-born

born in Canada; usually the suffix '...-born' is used to show that someone was born in a place but no longer lives there

dazed

unable to think clearly

came to my senses

started thinking clearly (and understood what was happening)

Ocean life under threat

Summary

21 February 2012

There's heightened concern about the future state of the world's oceans. New research indicates that if seawater continues to acidify at the rate currently seen then the marine environment could lose about 30% of the diverse life forms that exist within it by the end of the century. The research was presented at a major meeting in Vancouver.

Reporter
Jonathan Amos

Go to the original page to listen

Report

Much of the carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere through fossil fuel burning is being absorbed by the seas. It's acidifying the waters, corroding the shells and skeletons of corals, sea urchins and similar species. Scientists want to know how conditions might deteriorate in the future and have been looking at underwater volcanoes, where C02 naturally bubbles through the water.

The level of acidification in these places simulates what the global oceans might look like if we keep on emitting carbon dioxide. And the new data gathered by a Plymouth University team indicates the world's oceans could lose up to 30% of their biodiversity by 2100. Dr Jason-Hall Spencer led the research at volcanic vents in Europe, the US and in Asia.

CLIP: "What we notice, unfortunately, is there're very dramatic shifts in the ecosystem. There's a tipping point that occurs at about the levels of ocean acidification we expect to see at the end of this century, but even before that - even within the next few years - the water becomes corrosive to the shells of organisms, and some corals can't survive."

The scientists warn that the rates of change seen in our oceans are unprecedented in the recent Earth history, and the damage our seas are on course to sustain could take thousands, even millions, of years to correct.

The seawater acidification may endanger world's oceans biodiversity

Vocabulary

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absorbed

taken in

corroding

gradually destroying

simulates

creates particular conditions that exist in real life using computers, models, etc, for research

deteriorate

become worse

emitting

giving off, releasing

indicates

shows

biodiversity

the existence of many different kinds of animals and plants

dramatic shifts

big changes

a tipping point

the point at which many small changes reach a level where a further small change has a very great effect

unprecedented

has not happened before

Chimpanzee tantrums

Summary

31 May 2013

Scientists in the US have found that chimpanzees become upset when they make the wrong decisions. Researchers from Duke University designed decision-making games for chimpanzees and bonobos, where the animals could win edible treats. Those that lost appeared to lose their temper.

Reporter:

Victoria Gill

Click to hear the report

Report

The Duke University team designed two games - one to test patience and the other assessing risk-taking.

The second was a sort of gambling game where the forty chimps and bonobos the team studied were offered a choice between a safe option - six peanuts hidden under a bowl - or a risky option. The second bowl concealed either a slice of cucumber or a much tastier piece of banana, and that prize wasn't revealed until the ape had made its choice.

When one chimp, named Timi, gambled and got the cucumber, he threw what looked and sounded very much like a tantrum. Although some were more stoic than Timi, many of the animals involved showed an emotional response to a bad decision - anxiously scratching themselves or calling out.

The study, the scientists say, suggests that emotions like frustration and regret - so fundamental to our own decisions - are not uniquely human, but are an important and ancient part of ape society.

Vocabulary

SHOW ALL | HIDE ALL

patience

the ability to keep calm

risk-taking

taking a chance; making a decision where the result might be good or bad

a safe option

a choice which is not risky

concealed

hidden

revealed

shown

a tantrum

a period of anger without control

frustration

feeling annoyed

regret

feeling of sadness about a decision you have made

fundamental

important

uniquely

only

Cleaning up space

Cleaning up space

Could a harpoon be used to clear up junk in space?

A new study has shown that millions of pieces of junk floating in space could be a big hazard for satellites orbiting Earth.

Serious collisions could take place that would damage the satellites we depend on for communication. Scientists fear the problem could get worse unless something is done to clear up the mess.

In this programme Rob and Jen discuss why the problem exists and how a harpoon could be used to clear up some of the mess.

For listening click here

Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I’m Rob and joining me in the studio today is Jennifer. Welcome, Jennifer!

Jennifer: Hi there. Now Rob, I believe our subject for discussion this week is a load of rubbish?!

Rob: I wouldn’t put it exactly like that. We are talking about rubbish – or to use another word – junk – and hearing some language about a subject that is out of this world – space junk.

Jennifer: Yes, here on planet Earth we don’t like seeing rubbish or litter on our streets but in space the problem is far more serious and it could even be catastrophic – so it could lead to a serious disaster.

Rob: Well, we’ll hear more about that in a moment and also find out how scientists are going to clear up this mess. But, before that, I think we should blast off with a space-related question. Now, did you know, the Russian satellite, Sputnik, was the first man-made object to be blasted into space? Do you know in which year it was launched?

a) 1957

b) 1960

c) 1967

Jennifer: I think it was in the sixties perhaps so I’m going to say b) 1960.

Rob: Well, we will find out if you are right at the end of the programme. So, we’ve mentioned that junk – or debris – floating around in space is a big problem. It can take a long time to tidy up your house so imagine the challenge that lies ahead in tidying up the great mess in outer space.

That’s something that’s been discussed at a recent conference on space debris in Germany.

Jennifer: Well, tidying up space is not something I would like to do! But how did all this rubbish end up floating about up there in the first place?

Rob: A good question. For the past 50 years, man has been sending objects like rockets and satellites into orbit. In fact, even now around 70 satellites are sent into space every year. But when they are no longer needed they are just left up there and not disposed of – or put away somewhere where they won’t cause harm. They were never designed to be brought back down to Earth.

Jennifer: These old fragments – or bits of technology continue to circle the Earth and become a threat to spacecraft which are operating up there. In 2009, for example, two satellites accidently hit each other – or collided - causing them to break into small pieces.

Rob: That’s added to the millions of small pieces of junk that are just floating around that might never be recovered – in other words collected and brought back down to Earth. Let's hear more about this Professor Richard Crowther, Chief Engineer at the UK Space Agency. What other issue does he compare this problem with?

Professor Richard Crowther, Chief Engineer at the UK Space Agency:

Perhaps the most alarming factor is, even if we stop launching anything in to orbit from now on we would still see collisions occurring between satellites currently up there. But we recognise that if we want to actively manage this problem we have to do something now. It’s like global warming – we’re not 100% certain that a certain scenario will occur but we have a pretty good idea of what’s dominating and what’s influencing the evolution.

Rob: Professor Crowther mentioned an ‘alarming factor’, so a very worrying piece of information, that even if we didn’t put any more objects into space there is already a risk of the current satellites hitting each other.

These satellites are the ones that we depend on for communications, watching TV, weather forecasting and for using satellite navigation – satnavs.

Jennifer: Well, that’s why he says we have to do something now. He predicts catastrophic – or very bad - collisions could occur every five to nine years unless something is done. He compares the problem with global warming.

It’s serious. We’re not sure what might happen in the future but we do need to protect against it.

Rob: Maybe they need a huge vacuum cleaner, or what about a giant magnet to gather up all that metal clutter?

Jennifer: Hmm, I think you’re talking rubbish – or saying things that will never happen. But there are some more realistic ideas being developed such as using nets, lasers to destroy the pieces of junk and a harpoon to catch them.

Rob: It sounds like science-fiction – something you just read about in stories. But are these ideas really being developed?

Jennifer: Yes, although research is in its very early stages. A harpoon could be fired at a redundant - or no longer working - satellite and then it would be pulled downwards to burn up in the atmosphere.

Rob: But, surely up in space, lasers and harpoons might be thought of as weapons which could be used in a space war?  Jennifer: Well, according to Professor Richard Crowther, it is something that will need managing. What does he suggest?

Professor Richard Crowther, Chief Engineer at the UK Space Agency

If you’ve watched James Bond films over the years, you know that anything with a harpoon, with a laser, with a net in space, has the potential to grab another spacecraft and destroy it, so what we need to do is build reassurance within the space community and demonstrate that the systems being proposed are peaceful in their nature but also peaceful in the intent and the way in which they are going to be used.

Jennifer: He talked about reassuring – or explaining – that the new technology is of a peaceful nature. That means it’s not for use in war or violence. He says the intent – or the purpose behind using it – is good not bad.

Rob: OK, well there’s one thing back on planet Earth that needs tidying up and that’s the answer to today’s question. Earlier I mentioned that the Russian satellite, Sputnik, was the first man-made object to be blasted into space.

But did you know in which year it was launched?

Jennifer: I said b) 1960.

Rob: And I’m afraid you were wrong! It launched in 1957. OK, we’re almost out of time now, so Jennifer, could you remind us of some of the words and phrases we’ve heard today?

Jennifer: Yes. They were:

junk  - rubbish

mess – untidy place

debris - broken pieces from a larger object

disposed of  - put away somewhere where they won't cause harm

recovered - get something back to where it came from

clutter - lots of objects in an untidy state

talking rubbish - saying things that are untrue or ridiculous

redundant - no longer needed

Rob: Thanks. Let’s get our feet back on the ground now and say farewell. Bye for now!

Jennifer: Bye!

Scientists discover earth-like planet

Summary

1 October 2010

Astronomers have discovered a planet that could support crucial conditions needed for life. They say it could be more Earth-like than any other found outside our solar system.

Reporter:Neil Bowdler

To listen go to the BBC page

Report

Gliese 581g is the sixth planet to be found circling a dwarf star some 20 light-years away, in the constellation of Libra. On paperit looks good – three times the mass of the Earth with possibly arocky surface and enough gravity to hold on to an atmosphere.

The researchers also promised shirt-sleeve weather in some regions, but not everywhere. One side of the planet is almost always in sunshine; the other almost always in darkness and estimated temperatures range from minus four degrees Celsius to a very hot 71 degrees. A year meanwhile would go by in just 37 days.

Of course, whether life could really be supported on Gliese 581g will need much more investigation and, most probably, technologies which don't exist yet. But the astronomers say planet hunting is getting easier and they were surprised how quickly they detectedthe tell-tale signs of this distant body, using ground-based telescopes.

Neil Bowdler, BBC science reporter

dwarf star

type of star similar to our sun

light-years

units for measuring long distances in space (how far light travels in a year)

constellation

group of stars that form a shape in the sky

on paper

in theory

mass

size or weight

rocky surface

ground covered in rocks

shirt-sleeve weather

warm weather where a sweater or coat is not needed

hunting

searching

detected

discovered or noticed

tell-tale signs

obvious clue
s