
The statue of the Duke of Wellington outside the Glasgow Museum of Modern Art in Glasgow, Scotland, with a traffic cone on his head. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The people of Glasgow have managed to convince the city council not to kill off a much-loved tradition. For years, locals have repeatedly placed a traffic cone on the Duke of Wellington’s head (on a statue of the Duke on his horse). The council complained that it cost £100 a time to have the cone removed and revealed plans to raise the statue to stop people from climbing up. The people responded by launching a petition, which gathered 10,613 signatures in less than 24 hours. The petition organizers said ‘The cone on Wellington’s head is an iconic part of Glasgow’s heritage.’
Listen below
Read by Claire (English accent).
Read by Annette ( Scottish accent)
Study the words
Kill off– end Repeatedly– over and over again Complained– said they were not happy Raise– lift, make higher Launch a petition– collect a list of signatures to protest against something Gathered– collected Iconic– famous, representative Heritage– culture
Strange things happen in Glasgow…
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Do the takeaway test: Glasgow Keeps its Cone
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Mount Rtanj
A mystic mountain in Serbia is becoming a popular destination for people who believe that the world will end on December 21st. Hotels at its base are being inundated with booking requests. The mountain is pyramid-shaped and many people believe that it conceals a building left behind by alien visitors thousands of years ago. They say that it emits a special energy that could protect them from the apocalypse. Scholars of Mayan civilisation say that people have wrongly interpreted the Mayan calendar and that the world will not be destroyed. However, this has not stopped fears from spreading.
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Read by Annette (Scottish Accent)
Study the words
Mystic– magical Inundated– made very busy Conceals– contains, covers Left behind– forgotten Emits– produces Scholars– researchers Wrongly– incorrectly Destroyed– ruined Spreading– growing and becoming more extensive
Do the takeaway test: Apocalypse Believers head for Mystic Mountain
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- Serbia’s mystic mountain targeted by apocalypse believers… (telegraph.co.uk)
Do you look like yourself in your passport photo?
A study by researchers at Glasgow University has shown that people are unrecognisable in their passport photos because they are not allowed to smile. Biometric passports, which were introduced in 2006, require a serious expression: no grinning or smiling is allowed. They use information about the face to identify people, such as the distance between the eyes and the position of the nose and mouth. However, it has been shown that this serious expression makes it extremely difficult for a stranger to recognize a face. The study concludes that checking passport photos may not be the best way to spot imposters at border controls.
Listen below
Read by Annette
Study the words
Unrecognisable – impossible to identify
Allowed – permitted
Grinning – smiling with your teeth showing
Checking – inspecting
Spot– see, notice
Imposters – people with false passports
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Do the takeaway test: passport photos
Do you love New York? Read on…
If you own an original ‘I love New York’ T-shirt, mug or key ring, hold onto it. It could soon become a collector’s piece. The Governor of New York has launched a campaign inviting tourists and locals to replace the red heart symbol with whatever they think most represents the city. Apparently, the logo needs a makeover because it has lost its meaning.
It has become a cliché. In fact, you can find ‘I heart something’ on products all over the world. Some of the suggestions have caused controversy, such as a slice of pizza or a beach ball. New Yorkers and the original designer of the logo are not impressed. Let’s face it, ‘I pizza New York’ just doesn’t work. Let’s hope they come up with a better idea soon.
Listen
Read by Crissy Faita Learning English Matters (Canadian accent)
Study the words
Mug– a large cup
Key Ring– a holder for keys
Hold onto– keep
Launched– started
Makeover– complete change
Cliché– boring, predictable
Controversy– disagreement
Let’s face it– accept the facts
Come up with– think of / invent
Do the takeaway test: New York
Answer a tiny question:
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