Comprehension: Britain Mulls Future Airport Expansion

Britain has kicked-off a debate on how to compete with hub airports like Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt. While some want to expand existing airports, others would rather build a new four-runway hub from scratch.

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Hounslow is in east London.

a. True

b. False

2. The Chief Executive of Heathrow Airport believes that a third runway at Heathrow will be cheaper than the alternatives.

a. True

b. False

3. The RSPB spokesman said that about 300 thousand birds come to the Isle of Grain for the summer.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Hounslow in west London knows all about living life on a flight path.  Around 600 flights come into land daily at nearby Heathrow airport, one of the world's busiest.  But running at 98 percent capacity, the airport has for years argued for a third runway to make room for future growth. And for years those plans have been fought off by campaigners concerned about additional noise and air pollution. 

Now though, a government advisory panel has been set up to look at the question of capacity and Heathrow are keen to put their case forward:

"I think it's really important because it connects the UK to growth, to jobs - without those air links we can't participate in the same way in trade with countries that are growing - in China, in Brazil, in India. We have to have access to those markets, our proposals give that quicker, for less money than the alternatives and we've configured it in a way to minimise the unwelcome aspects locally and maximise the local employment benefits."

While some favour a single large hub airport over limited expansion of existing airports such as Gatwick and Stansted to best serve Britain's needs, none have been as radical as London's mayor, Boris Johnson.  He backs closing Heathrow altogether and building a four-runway hub from scratch on an artificial island in the Thames estuary to the east of London or on the nearby Isle of Grain.

"I still think that the Isle of Grain solution seems to me to combine the regeneration with the connectivity and with the ease of communication to London - that seems to me to be why that option for my money has the edge at the moment."

Building an airport here would cost around £65 billion and would not open until 2029 at the earliest. But the mayor would have to overcome local opposition and work out how to relocate a vast swathe of protected natural habitat, including its marine and bird life.

                    

"I'm talking about 300 thousand wintering waders and wildfowl that are coming down from the whole of the Arctic Circle, from Canada across to Siberia, Iceland and Greenland are coming here for the winter, many of these birds have seen catastrophic population declines in recent years, they are managing to keep a toehold because of places like this."

The threat of bird strikes and the challenge of relocating an entire ecosystem may well kick this plan into the long grass.

The Airports Commission will deliver its verdict in 2015 on how Britain should resolve its aviation conundrum.  Only then the poisoned question of what type of airport, and in whose back yard it should be built, may finally be resolved.

Answers:

1. b

2. a

3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/

For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Amish-Mennonite Community Offers Aid in Kenya

They're usually known for living in rural areas of North America, but an Amish-Mennonite community living in western Kenya is providing aid programs to those who accept their faith. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The number of Amish-Mennonite churches in Kisumu has doubled in the last few years.

a. True

b. False

2. To receive any of the services the Amish-Mennonite provides, you must be a member of the church.

a. True

b. False

3. Martin Bender believes that they don’t have enough resources to help everyone who lives with HIV/AIDS.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

These teens have come together to record a hymn in Luo, the language spoken by the Luo ethnic group of western Kenya. They are members of eight Amish-Mennonite families living in Kisumu and the hymns will be distributed to local churches in an effort to spread their faith. The first members arrived from the United States in the 1990s and the community has maintained a presence here ever since. Families come for periods ranging from two to sixteen years to build churches, establish congregations and also to help run aid programmes.

"The church-planting project was here first. And then as needs were... you know as they were seeing needs, and not knowing how to deal with them, they started, actually another organization funds that. They started pulling that in. So they work well together, but I'd say the primary focus around here is the church-planting." 

A few years ago there were six Amish-Mennonite churches in the Kisumu area, now there are twelve. People who want to join the church must take special classes to learn about the faith, and dress in line with the church's guidelines. Dorthey Ogea who was baptized into the Amish Mennonite church in 1997, has since received food aid and had a well dug in her village. 

"The church has protected me from many things, and the teachings we get there, they’re good." 

The missionaries hope to expand their flock not just through hymns and prayers but through help for the most needy; bi-weekly food handouts for orphans, seeds and fertilizers at subsidized prices, and by digging wells for local communities. 

"They are going to be very very much grateful. And you know the moment we are grateful, because of being beneficiaries, the name of the lord God is glorified." 

But while some of these essential services are open to the whole community, other programs, like the Aid for AIDS program, which provides food to those living with HIV/AIDS, and the HIV/AIDS medical program, are only available for those who adhere to the Amish-Mennonite faith.

"There's a great need, innumerable need. If we'd broadcast to people that we're helping people we'd get flooded. There's no way we could help them all. So we reach out to those of the Christian faith, probably first, because we know that they're going to utilize it in a good way." 

By prioritizing those who convert to their beliefs, the message is clear: accepting their faith is not only the quickest way to spiritual salvation, but also the most direct path to improved health and material sustenance. 

Answers:

1. a

2. b

3. a

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/

For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: French Police's Notes from Underground

They carry a badge...and an extremely big flashlight. Paris's "cataflics", or "cave cops", have a mission that's unique in the world: to patrol the catacombs under France's capital city and enforce the law among a hidden society of indigents, graffiti artists, and urban explorers.

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The old catacombs were once a place where stone was mined.
a. True
b. False

2. Audrey thinks that  society in the mines is different from society above the mines.
a. True
b. False

3. Audrey and her team find people down in the catacomb every day.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Audrey knows the underbelly of Paris like the back of her hand. She's part of the underground police force, known as "cataflic" in French, and her job is to patrol the old stone mines that run underneath the French capital. She's on the tracks of a rare kind of tourist: the cataphile, urban explorers who illegally tour these parts, attracted by the mystery of the catacombs. 

"They want to leave a little trace in the history of the mines. It's not bad, what they do. But it's forbidden." 

This underground network is so vast that it would take a week of walking non-stop to see it all. Some have made it their home: graffiti artists, drifters, and urban explorers all play cat and mouse games with the police. 

"A group made this, and then another group likes to just damage the mine. They leave their garbage, they destroy everything. Society down here is like society up there: there are those who break things, there are those who like to mend things and between them, there's us, the police."  

This space here is known as the Beach, it's one of the biggest caves, and a popular setting for parties. Audrey and her team have broken up a rave here of 300 people. 

"The cataphiles come here to party, to be on their own. So when they see the police, they're not very happy. They say we’re everywhere." 

Today as well, they will find three people on their watch. 

We were exploring. We just wanted to see some new rooms." 

"I've heard a lot about the catacombs, and I like the art. But it's my first time down here so I'm just exploring." 

"It's rare to find people during the week, but sometimes it happens: groups of three, maybe four. Tourists, for instance - these three weren't French, but it's so famous that you'll still meet them down here." 

With explorers swapping tips on the internet, these subterranean tours are not about to stop. But they are becoming expensive: running into Audrey down one of these rabbit holes will cost you some 60 Euros. 

Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages
Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Morocco Show Jumpers Aim for Olympics with French Help

The Moroccan national show jumping team, fired by the enthusiasm of King Mohammed VI, is training in France to raise their level, with a single aim in mind: take part in the next Olympics. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The king of Morocco is an enthusiastic supporter of showjumping.

a. True

b. False

2. Marcel Rozier was once an Olympic champion showjumper.

a. True

b. False

3. One of the speakers says that a good horse is all you need to be successful.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

 It's here, in faraway France, that the elite of Morocco's riders train. Showjumping, an unusual discipline for the North Africans.                 

And this is Porsche, the star of the royal Moroccan stables, coming third in last year's Grand Prix of the Global Champions Tour.
                    
"Frankly, in Morocco anyone really, can ride. Even someone with no money can join a club. It's accessible to anybody."                   

 The King of Morocco has made building a national riding team a priority, based on his country's ancient equestrian customs. He personally asked former Olympic champion Marcel Rozier and his son Philippe to find the right horses and train the riders.      
                   
 "His majesty trusts me completely.  Horse competitions are Mohamed the Sixth's passion.  He sees everything, he knows everything, he's familiar with all the riders and all the horses."
                   
 Morocco is following in the footsteps of Saudi Arabia, whose team won a bronze medal at the last Olympics, and Qatar, also a big investor, by putting a lot of money into horses and especially, into training.
                                        
"You can buy the best horse in the world, but if you ride it badly it's not going to work. When you're supposed to take five strides, but you take six, you've failed. We are trying to lift Morocco up to its potential level."
                    
In practice that means participating in the next Nations Cup. And according to its highest-ranked rider, Morocco's career should not stop there.
                                        
"The Saudis managed in very little time, so did the Qataris. There no reason why Moroccans shouldn't manage. If we get what we need, we can easily be at the next Olympics."
                    
That day Moroccans will finally take what they see as their rightful place among the great riding nations of the world.

Answers:
1. a
2. a
3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages
Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Being a Woman Mariachi in Male-Dominated Mexican Society

The Mariachis belong to a proud Mexican tradition. The bands are mainly made up of men and the musical genre is the quintessential embodiment of Mexican machismo. But women are trying to be a part of this male-only musical world by fighting prejudices and gender discrimination. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Isabel’s father encouraged her to be a Mariachi musician.

a. True

b. False

2. “Las Coronelas” is a new women-only Mariachi band.

a. True

b. False

3. There are still very few women-only Mariachi bands in Mexico.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Garibaldi square in Mexico City: the heart of the Mariachi tradition. For many years, Mariachi music was performed by men only, not so surprising in macho Mexican society. But a few women are trying to break down prejudices. Isabel is one of them. Her father is a mariachi but it was hard for him to accept that his daughter would follow in his footsteps. Although there have been many women mariachi for the past 50 years, it's still harder for them to be accepted. People sometime insult them, or tell them to go back to the kitchen.

"It was a bit difficult at the start. Today it's easier. People are getting used to it, little by little. But there are many of us in Mexico. It's a silent fight. We are here, we play, and we play well." 

50 years ago, women like Lupita Villa were pioneers in the Mariachi world. Her band, "Las Coronelas", was women-only and created a new genre: not only in the way they sang, but also in the way they dressed. The only way to be accepted was to play as well as men. And sometimes they were even more successful. 

"Musically it's the same thing. Same thing as for men. Back then, when I would play, we were the only band, we were applauded and congratulated because we were women." 

Today, Mariachi women can go to a special training school. It opened last September, and out of the 85 students there are 11 girls.  

"A woman leaves this school fully trained, she can play and you can say that she's capable of playing music. If she plays with other groups, she'll have a substantial musical understanding." 

But there's a long way to go for Mexican women Mariachi. There are still very few women-only bands. Mexican women, Mariachi or not, will have to continue to fight to be accepted and recognised in a still male-dominated society.

Answers:
1. b
2. b
3. a

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages
Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Ultra-Wired South Korea Battles Smartphone Addiction

South Korea's pride in its high-tech prowess is now tinged by anxiety over digital addiction, with even pre-school children showing symptoms of IT obsession.

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. About 30% of South Koreans DON’T have smartphones.
a. True
b. False

2. 10% of teenagers are smartphone addicts.
a. True
b. False

3. Seoul has a reputation for being the most wired city in the world.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

This is a boot camp with no sweat and no tears at least for the moment.  The session, run by a civic group in Seoul, aims to show there’s more to life than being online.  These children are internet and smartphone addicts.

"Smartphone addiction is not only talking about children playing a lot with their smartphones but causing conflicts in their families."
                  
 About 70 percent of South Koreans have smartphones; believed to be the highest penetration rate in the world.  It’s estimated that one in five teenagers is an addict.
                   
Park Sung-Hee, like many parents here, says she has problems communicating with her two children. 

"My kids play games on their smartphones until bedtime. Sometimes when I go check on them at night the smartphones are still running in the dark.”  

Her son spends four hours a day online and doesn’t see what the problem is. 

"When I’m not playing games my mom still yells at me for playing them. She doesn’t even allow me to go on the internet which makes me mad."
                    
Campaigners say some teenagers resort to violence and self-harm when their smartphones are confiscated.   The government’s now asking schools to extend their no-phone policy and organise holiday "boot camps" to try to wean students off their dependency.  But some warn against overstating the problem and demonising technology.
                                        
"I don't believe humanity will vanish because nobody in the future will be talking to anybody else because of IT devices."                    

South Korea is proud of its high-tech prowess and Seoul’s reputation as the most wired city on the planet.  But many are now asking whether the price they’re paying is too high.

Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. a

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages
Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Idioms: Light with answers

This week 'light' is the theme of our idioms. Do you know what they mean?

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/

For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages

Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages

Comprehension: Chinese Tourists Targeted by Paris Pickpockets

With pickpocketing and other petty crime on the increase in Paris, analysts say that Chinese tourists are being singled out for special attention. And with some half a million of them visiting the French capital every year, Paris authorities are taking the problem seriously. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Over half a million Chinese Tourists visit Paris every year.
a. True
b. False

2. There were 6,000 incidents of pickpocketing in the first three months of 2013.
a. True
b. False

3. Paris earns 30 million euros from tourism every year.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

More than half a million of them visit Paris every year.  But Chinese tourists are increasingly being targeted by pickpockets and other petty criminals.  In March of this year alone, 23 of them were assaulted or robbed by people who see them as particularly vulnerable targets.

 "Pickpockets think that Chinese people have a lot of cash on them, that they're easy prey, and of course in harassment cases Chinese tourists can't defend themselves properly because they don't speak the language and they can't respond physically."

 And the crime figures continue to go up: more than 7500 incidents of pickpocketing in the first quarter of 2013, compared to fewer than 6000 over the same period last year.  City authorities say it's become a whole industry.

 "These are people with a great deal of delinquency in their past, who are generally extremely specialised they’re pickpockets, not opportunists. They are mostly foreign nationals, especially from central or eastern Europe."
                    
 To catch them, or dissuade them, police are now deploying some 200 officers every day to the main tourist sites.  The area around the Eiffel Tower is also patrolled by a dozen policemen on bicycles with more plain-clothes officers stationed on the tower itself.

 "The pickpockets come in here with the wallets, they throw them in the bin here or sometimes up in the false ceiling, they open this up and stash the wallets here."

Paris has also launched an information campaign to try and bring crime rates down.  Most tourists say they’re trying to be careful.

"Each day we usually have less than 100 euros, just like, it depends where we go as well, we just bring just enough for the whole day."
                   
 It's an issue city authorities will want to sort out fast.  With 30 million visitors annually, Paris earns around eight billion euros from tourism every year and they won’t want to see their pockets picked when the sums involved are that big.

Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. b

For information about eflex languages go to: http://www.eflexlanguages.com/
For a demonstration of our courses go to: http://www.eflexenglish.com/demo
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eflexlanguages
Follow us on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/eflexlanguages