7/27/2019 HotEnglish97 p31 Quirky News

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QUIRK

YNEWS,CORNYCRIMINALS

&RIDDLESquirky news

Unusual news stories from around the world.

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Wallaby Lawnmowers

GLOSSARYa lawnmowern

a machine or cutting the grassa wallabyn

a general word used to reer to

animals that are similar to kangaroosto trimvb

to cut a little bit

a lawnnan area o fat, well-kept grass

an enthusiastn

a person who is very interested in a

particular hobby or activitycuteadj

nice, pretty, attractive, etc.

a malena man (a emaleis a woman)

a suppliern

a person or organisation that sellsgoods/products, etc.

a marsupialn

a group o animals that includes thekangaroo. Female marsupialscarry

their babies in pouches (little pockets

in their stomachs)

to drivevbi something drivessales, it

produces/causes those sales

to runvb

to direct and organiseto roamvb

to walk about reely in an areaproud ofexp

i you are proud osomething you

have done or can do, you are pleased/satised with it

to kidnap vb

to detain a person illegallya repairmann

a person who comes to x something

that is broken

to break downphr vbto stop working

to send someone roundexp

i a company sends someone round,they tell that person to visit a house in

order to do a job

under warranty expcovered by a product guarantee

to lose itexp

to become very angry; to lose controlo yoursel

there was no way I was going

to Xexp

I was not going to X under anycircumstances

to lockvb

to close with a key

An eco-solution to all your gardening problems.

Whats the best way to cut grass?Most people use a lawnmower.Some people use sheep. But now

a ew gardeners are using wallabies to trimtheir lawns.Theyre great, said wallaby owner SarahJenkins. They play in the garden and eatthe grass. The kids love them too. Werereally happy with the animals. Enthusiastssay the animalis a cuter,riendlier anda more exoticalternative tosheep. But apair o wallabiesarent cheap:males cancost 150 andemales around650.WaveneyWildlie, Britains

biggest private supplier o wallabies, hasreported a 100% increase in orders or themarsupials. And most o it is driven bygrowing interest rom individuals. Trevor Lay,who runs the centre in Bungay, Suolk, nowsells 35 a year and says he could fnd homesor three times as many. Its crazy. To behonest, i I had 100 I could easily sell them,he explained.

So, are youinterestedin keeping awallaby at home?I you are, youregoing to needenough land orthem to roam (atleast hal an acre)and ences about2 metres highso the animalscant jump toreedom.

QUIRKY NEWS&CORNY CRIMINALS

1 The turtletook twochocolates toTexas to teachThomas to tie hisboots. How manyts in that?

2 What gets biggerand bigger as youtake more awayfrom it?

3 What goes up,but never comesdown?

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RiddlesCANYOUSOLVETHESE?

ANSW

ERSONPAGE45

Im not proud ofmy actions, but I elt there wasno other option, said Stacey Lines, 42, ater shekidnapped a washing machine repairman. Butwhy?About ten months ago I bought a new washing

machine. Ater using it a couple o times, itbroke down, so I called an engineer. I hadto call fve times beore they fnally agreed tosend someone round. When the man came,he checked the machine and pulled out a 2p

coin rom it. He said the coin was causing the

problem. However, a ew days later I turned onthe machine again and it still wouldnt work. Theguy came back and he said that Id have to payor any extra repairs even though the machinewas still under warranty, and that I might as wellget a new one because the amount it would costto fx it would be the same as buying anotherone. Then, he said he had to leave because hehad another client to see. And thats when I lostit. There was no way I was going to let him outuntil it was fxed. So, I locked the door and stoodin ront o it and he couldnt get out. He waitedor about ten minutes and then called the police.

Later, police confrmed that they were calledto the address and that a man was liberated,but that no urther action was taken. The shopeventually oered Ms Lines a new washingmachine.

Washing MachineCorny Criminals

Angry customer kidnaps washing machine repairman.

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Werecuter than

lawnmowers!

All I want isa washing

machine thatworks.