A compilation of newsTicker 1 articles with Exercises January · Find out the following ... he and...

A compilation of newsTicker 1 articles with Exercises

January 2006

Contents

LOTTERY TICKET GOES UNCLAIMEDWorth ten million pounds 4

NORTH POLE BY NIGHTExplorers to travel in darkness 6

GREENLAND SETS LIMITSHunting quotas on polar bears 8

BRITISH CABBIES COMPLAINBan on comfy casuals 10

GREENPEACE SUFFERS SEA CRASHHot pursuit of whalers continues 12

KILLER JELLYFISH IN AUSTRALIAGirl dies from sting 14

TERMINATOR SPORTS FAT LIPSchwarzenegger has bike crash 16

BLAIR CALLS FOR RESPECTCrackdown on smacking 18

PLAY IT AGAIN, PANTSLevi‘s introduces iPod-compatible jeans 20

SAY ‘CHEESE’!British passport pics a nightmare 22

LAUGHTER THE BEST MEDICINEGets heart pumping 24

JANE GOODALL RECEIVES UNESCOBritish primate expert honored 26

ENOUGH MONKEY BUSINESSIndian judges give beasts the boot 28

38-TON STATUE MISSINGSpanish museum stumped 30

SPY GAMESEspionage in Russia 32

© LOESCHER EDITORE & IPS

LOTTERY TICKET GOES UNCLAIMEDWorth ten million pounds

2006-01-09

A winning lottery ticket worth about 10 million pounds (14.5 million euros,

17.2 million dollars) went unclaimed in Britain. Most likely, the unlucky winner, from Doncaster, simply forgot to check the ticket, causing him or her to lose a hefty 9,476,995 pounds.

A British paper calculated that an additional 300,000 pounds (437,000 euros, 517,000 dollars) in interest

could have been earned if the winner had immediately deposited the money into a savings account.

According to lottery rules, if winners fail to collect their prize within six months, the money is

automatically given to a charitable organization.

The largest unclaimed prize to date in the lottery’s 11 year history is seven million

pounds (10.2 million euros, 12 million dollars).

A ‘EuroMillions’ lottery ticket

Exercise


Read the article and answer the following questions.

1. Imagine you have the winning lottery ticket...what would you do with the money? Name five specific things you would buy. Would you share any of it? Explain.

2. Imagine you are the person that forgot to check the ticket and you have a chance to get the money. What explanation would you give for not claiming the money? Be creative and have fun! Share your explanations with the class.


NORTH POLE BY NIGHTExplorers to travel in darkness

2006-01-10

South African explorer Mike Horn is preparing another journey to

the Arctic, but this time he‘ll try to reach the North Pole at night.

Horn plans to start the thousand-kilometer hike from Russia‘s Cape

Artichesky in mid-January, together with Norwegian friend Borge Ousland. If the two men reach the North Pole, it will be the first time an explorer has done so in winter, when the sun never rises.

Horn and Ousland, will each drag a 180-kilogram (397-pound) sled carrying their equipment. They

expect to complete the expedition in 67 days.

Both men are experienced trekkers. Horn completed a solo circumnavigation of the Arctic

Circle. Ousland was the first man to trek to both the North and South Poles alone and unassisted.

Mike Horn

Exercise


Read the article and complete the following activities.

1. Are you an adventurous person? Would you travel to the Arctic? Why or why not?

2. What do you think the North Pole looks like? Describe what you would find there.

3. Name ten things you would need to travel to the North Pole. Compare lists with your classmates. Did you forget anything important?


GREENLAND SETS LIMITSHunting quotas on polar bears

2006-01-11

For the first time ever, Greenland is setting strict

limits on polar bear hunting in an attempt to protect the species threatened by global warming.

Ole Heinrich of Greenland‘s fishing and hunting directorate

reports that only professional hunters with special permits will be allowed to kill a maximum of 150 bears per year. Normally 200 to 250 bears are killed each year. In addition, plans to introduce polar bear hunting safaris for tourists will be postponed until 2007 at the earliest.

The bears roam the large Arctic ice fields in search of seals and fish. But rising temperatures in

the bears‘ habitat are causing the ice to recede, making it difficult for them to hunt their prey.

A polar bear holds a block of ice at a zoo

Exercise


Read the article and complete the activities.

Do you know much about Polar bears? Find out the following information about them:

-What kind of habitat do they live in?-What kind of food do they eat?-Do they hibernate?-How much do they weigh?-How long do they live?-What do they do in the summer?


BRITISH CABBIES COMPLAINBan on comfy casuals

2006-01-12

Corduroy has made a comeback in the fashion world but not at some train

stations in England where taxi drivers are prohibited from wearing casual clothes.

Train operator One has set new dress code rules for the cabbies

at Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft stations. Cabbies are only permitted to wear shirts and blouses with a collar, black pants or skirts and black shoes. Corduroy, denim clothing, trainers, sandals, tracksuits, T-shirts and baseball caps are strictly prohibited.

Ray Stringer, a veteran taxi driver, said there had always been an unwritten agreement for what was

considered appropriate apparel, but it had never been so specific. „What‘s wrong with corduroy?“ he asked.

Spokesman Peter Meades said the dress code was aimed at creating a more „professional image“.

Taxi drivers in their vehicles

Exercise


Listen to the article and answer the following questions. Check your answers by reading the text.

-What articles of clothing are not allowed?

-What stations are following the dress code rules?

-What is another name for tennis shoes?

-Who has to follow the new dress code?

-What kind of clothing is allowed?


GREENPEACE SUFFERS SEA CRASHHot pursuit of whalers continues

2006-01-13

Greenpeace activists are determined to continue with anti-whaling

action despite the collision of their ship with a Japanese whaler.

The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise was following the Japanese

whaling fleet in an attempt to disrupt the killing of whales until the vessel was damaged in the collision. Spokesman Shane Rattenbury reported that there was damage to the ship, but not enough to make them stop their pursuit of the whaler.

The International Whaling Commission suspended commercial whaling in 1986 but Japan has continued

hunting whales for scientific research purposes.

Greenpeace and the Japanese whaling authority have accused each other of deliberately

causing the collision. Rattenbury reported that Greenpeace is seriously considering taking legal action against the Japanese captain.

Japanese whaling ship

Exercise


Read the article and answer the statements with True or False. Correct all false statements.

1. The Arctic Sunrise had to stop to repair damages.

2. Greenpeace wants to sue the captain of the Japanese boat.

3. Whaling is an approved occupation.

4. Each party blames the other for the collision.

5. Activists refuse to continue their pursuit of the whalers.


KILLER JELLYFISH IN AUSTRALIAGirl dies from sting

2006-01-16

A seven-year-old girl recently died from a jellyfish sting off the

Australian coast only one day after a woman perished from a shark bite.

The girl and her family were enjoying a day swimming at the beach in

Queensland state when suddenly the girl came screaming out of the water and collapsed on the beach. Paramedics tried to revive her, but the little girl was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Tentacle marks across the girl‘s chest and legs indicated she had been stung by a Box

jellyfish, but this couldn‘t be confirmed.

Sarah Whiley, 21, died in a shark attack off North Stradbroke Island. Whiley suffered from deadly

wounds to her legs and torso and both of her arms were bitten off. This was the 10th fatal shark attack since 2000.

Sharks swim in an aquarium

Exercise


Read the text below and fill in the blanks with the correct preposition.

A seven-year-old girl recently died __________ a jellyfish sting off the Australian coast only one day __________ a woman perished from a shark bite.

The girl and her family were enjoying a day swimming __________ the beach __________ Queensland state when suddenly the girl came screaming out of the water and collapsed __________the beach. Paramedics tried to revive her, but the little girl was pronounced dead _________ arrival __________ the hospital.

Tentacle marks across the girl’s chest and legs indicated she had been stung __________ a Box jellyfish, but this couldn’t be confirmed.

Sarah Whiley, 21, died in a shark attack off North Stradbroke Island. Whiley suffered __________ deadly wounds to her legs and torso and both of her arms were bitten __________. This was the 10th fatal shark attack since 2000.


TERMINATOR SPORTS FAT LIPSchwarzenegger has bike crash

2006-01-16

California‘s movie star Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared in public

with a fat lip following a motorcycle crash, assuring fans that the swelling was not the result of plastic surgery.

„What normally happens when you see someone in Hollywood with swollen

lips, it‘s collagen shots,“ the former Mr. Universe bodybuilder joked, referring to a popular treatment that puffs up the lips of pouting celebrities. „But this is not what it is, it‘s no plastic surgery or anything like that,“ he said a day after receiving 15 stitches in his upper lip after colliding with a car as he and his 12-year-old son Patrick rode on his Harley Davidson motorbike near his Los Angeles home.

Patrick was riding in the motorcycle‘s sidecar and both he and his father were wearing helmets. The female

driver of the car involved in the crash was uninjured, according to the former „Terminator“ star‘s office.

Schwarzenegger revealed that his doctor had told him to clear his schedule for the next three days and to even

avoid speaking, but that he had refused. „The doctor then told me that I should not do any events for three days and also said to me that I should not speak for three days,“ he said. „My wife said, ‚Make it seven‘,“ he quipped.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

speaks carefully with 15 stitches in his lip

Exercise



1. What other famous actors have held important government positions?

2. What political dilema did Governor Schwarzenegger face recently concerning a prisoner on Death Row? Do you agree with the decision he made? Why or why not? What would you have done?

3. What does it say about Schwarzenegger’s character that he refused to take time off from his political responsibilities? Explain.


BLAIR CALLS FOR RESPECTCrackdown on smacking

2006-01-17

British Prime Minister Tony Blair‘s goal is to promote respect in British society. His

plan includes dealing with problem parents and their uncontrollable children, while outlawing harsh physical reprimands.

Blair‘s main theme for his last term in office is to tackle anti-social behavior

through his ‚respect agenda‘. Blair‘s government bans smacking that leaves marks. Families guilty of taking a hard hand to their children could wind up in prison. A National Parenting Academy has also been proposed to help parents with out-of-control children.

Even though Blair advocates a ban on smacking, the 52 year old father of four admits physically

punishing his own children. He said, ‚„look - I think everybody knows the difference between smacking a kid and abusing a child.“

Tony Blair

Exercise


Read the article and answer the questions.

1. What is your opinion on smacking children? Explain.

2. What other types of discipline are there?

3. What is the difference between smacking and abusing a child? Talk about this as a class.


PLAY IT AGAIN, PANTSLevi‘s introduces iPod-compatible jeans

2006-01-18

Jeans giant Levi‘s has come out with a new product sure

to grab fashion and music lovers by the seat of their pants. This fall the company will present its new iPod-compatible RedWire DLX jeans.

The small watch pocket will house a joystick that allows

wearers to play, pause, track forward or back and control the volume all without their iPods leaving their pockets. Another pocket will provide room for the iPod itself and a built-in retractable headset with tangle-free wires. A red conductive ribbon maintains the connection even while users remove the iPod from their pockets.

The company, quite proud of its innovative product said, „In designing the jeans, we considered

both function and fashion. The result is a uniquely functional - yet stylish- great-fitting jean.“

Levi’s

Exercise



1. Do you use an iPod or MP3 player? Do you think the new iPod compatible jeans are a good invention? Would you wear them? Why or why not?

2. In the first paragraph, what does the expression “grab by the seat of their pants” mean? Give some examples.

3. What would you add to the jeans to make it an even better product?


SAY ‘CHEESE’!

2006-01-19

A rule that obligated children to have ‚neutral‘ expressions in their

passport pictures has been dropped after thousands of pictures were rejected.

Last year over 15,000 children‘s passports were turned down due

to ‚irregular‘ expressions, reported The Daily Telegraph. The rule insisted that children, including babies, look straight ahead, keep a neutral expression, their mouth closed and eyes open; no small feat for the harried parents.

Lawmaker John Hemming campaigned against this ‚bureaucratic nightmare‘ to change the

regulations. The new rules have been simplified. Any photos that give ‚a true likeness of the child‘ are now considered acceptable. All children under British law must have a passport but now, the young applicants are allowed to smile.

The new biometric passport

British passport pics a nightmare

Exercise


Complete the sentences below.

1. In the picture, children must......

2. The requirements for the new photos are.....

3. Many passport pictures were....

4. John Hemming.......


LAUGHTER THE BEST MEDICINE

2006-01-23

What you watch can affect your heart.

According to a new study, watching comedy films increases blood flow to the heart while watching sad films reduces it.

Researchers at the University of

Maryland had 20 young people watch movie excerpts from both funny and serious films while monitoring their blood flow. Results showed that when watching upsetting segments of „Saving Private Ryan“ blood flow was reduced in 14 of the 20 volunteers. However, it rose in 19 out of 20 when they watched humorous clips from ‚Something About Mary“. The difference between the two flows was more than 50 percent.

Negative feelings affect the pathways that help blood vessels to dilate. The authors suggest

having a good laugh will have the opposite effect.

Laughing

Gets heart pumping

Exercise



1. What things make you laugh? How does laughing make you feel?

2. What is the funniest movie or TV show you have ever seen? What made it so humorous?

3. Are you good at telling jokes? Take turns sharing a joke with the class.


JANE GOODALL RECEIVES UNESCO

2006-01-24

British scientist Jane Goodall has been awarded the UNESCO honor for her

work protecting African primates.

Koichiro Matsuura, head of UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

gave Goodall, 71, the 60th Anniversary Medal for her contributions to science. Goodall said she hoped this award would inspire others ‚to make the world a better place.‘

Goodall, the British primatologist, spent years in Tanzania studying the social behavior of

Chimpanzees. She is considered one of the top scientists of the 20th century. Some of her accomplishments include the Jane Goodall Institute that provides care for chimpanzees, the ChimpanZoo program that improves the lives of primates in captivity and Roots and Shoots that educates children on environmental issues.

Jane Goodall

British primate expert honored

Exercise



1. What is the definition of a primate? Name 5 specific animals that are in the primate category.

2. What does a “primatologist” do? Explain.

3. What environmental issues would you like to learn more about and why?


ENOUGH MONKEY BUSINESS

2006-01-25

Judges finally get tough with annoying monkeys and order them

out of New Delhi‘s courthouse after a frustrated lawyer files petition.

Lawyer Nirmal Chopra complained of frequent attacks on employees,

lawyers and their clients by bands of obnoxious monkeys in Tis Hazari courthouse. Other lawyers added that it was impossible to work alongside the monkeys. Judges Vijender Jain and Rekha Sharma took immediate action and told the municipal body to get rid of the monkeys or close the institution.

The government employs monkey-catchers but they have not been successful at trapping the monkeys

that roam through India‘s presidential palace, the prime minister‘s offices and other official buildings.

Hindus revere monkeys and consider them to be a living link to the Hanuman, a god in the Hindu religion.

Monkeys in New Delhi

Indian judges give beasts the boot

Exercise


Listen to or read the article and answer the questions.

1. What did Nirmal Chopra complain about?

2. How did the judges react to the petition?

3. Why are monkeys allowed to be in buildings?

4. What does the government do to try to get rid of the pests?


38-TON STATUE MISSING

2006-01-26

Spanish police are looking for a 38-ton sculpture that vanished from the

Reina Sofia art museum in Madrid.

The Spanish culture minister purchased the artwork, titled Equal-

Parallel/Guernica-Bengasi, by American artist Richard Serra in 1987. The sculpture was designed for the Spanish capital‘s modern art museum and cost 217,000 euros (263,000 dollars).

The sculpture appeared at the museum during a special exposition, but was

transferred to a private Spanish company and put on public display in their offices due to a lack of space at the museum. It was discovered missing in 2005 when the museum asked the company to return it.

If it is found the statue could finally have a permanent home since the Reina Sofia recently inaugurated an

extension, adding 50 percent more display space.

Richard Serra’s Equal-Parallel/

Guernica-Bengasi

Spanish museum stumped

Exercise



1. Do you like classic or modern art better? Why?

2. What art museums does your city offer? Have you ever visited them? What famous works of art can you see there? Find out what special exhibitions are currently there.

3. How do you think the 38-ton sculpture was stolen?


SPY GAMES

2006-01-27

Russia‘s intelligence service has uncovered a spy ring

with four British diplomats.

In a recent documentary by Rossiya television, the

Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that they had discovered a high-tech communications point hidden in a stone on the ground near Moscow.

The stone supposedly contained equipment enabling it to receive

and transmit information and was used as a drop off point for the spies.

Rossiya television said that Russian informants and British diplomats used the stone to exchange

information via a pocket computer. The spies are thought to have connections with several Russian non-governmental organizations. But a spokesman for London‘s Foreign Office denies these claims saying that he was both ‚concerned and surprised‘ by the accusations.

General view of the British embassy

in Moscow

Espionage in Russia

Exercise


Read the article and answer each statement with either True or False. Correct all false statements.

1. Russian officials discovered someone had “bugged” their computer.

2. Diplomats from the British embassy are suspected of carrying out secret investigations.

3. Rocks outside of the capital city contained radio devices that record conversations.

4. Micro-sized computers were used for exchanging secret information.

5. London officials says the accusations are false.

A compilation of newsTicker 1 articles with Exercises January · Find out the following ... he and...

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