BBC Learning English
Video Words in the News
22 May 2013
A delicate job for hard men
Transcript:
An unusual sight in a tough environment.
Inmates in a Brazilian prison have been learning how to knit.
The scheme, which sees prisoners working on intricate woollen designs,
is a collaboration between prison authorities and a fashion designer.
Prisoners are paid 75 percent of the local minimum wage and also earn
days off their sentence.
Vocabulary:
tough
strong and difficult
inmates
people in prison
to knit
to make woollen clothes by creating knots with needles
intricate
complex
minimum wage
the least amount of money to be legally paid for work done
Watch the video online: A delicate job for hard men http://bbc.in/10ibdxi
Video Words in the News � British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
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Exercise:
Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from
news reports.
Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence
correctly.
tough / inmates / to knit / intricate / minimum wage
1. Each doll takes at least a month to make because of the __________detail
and design, and thousands of brush strokes are used to create and layer the
colour of each doll to make them as life-like as possible.
2. The 136-year-old jail was one of seven prisons shut by the Ministry of
Justice (MoJ) to cut costs. The last __________were transferred to other
prisons at the end of February.
3. Bangladesh's __________ for garment workers is currently $38 (Ł25) a
month, the lowest in the world.
4. The parrot had plucked out most of its feathers was said to resemble an
oven-ready chicken. A vet said it should be put down but Rebecca Blagg,
the charity's coordinator, __________ jumpers to keep it warm.
5. The cave environment is a __________ place in which to make a living,
limited in food and essential nutrients, forcing microorganisms to fight over
limited resources.
Video Words in the News � British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
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bbclearningenglish.com
Answers:
1. Each doll takes at least a month to make because of the intricate detail and
design, and thousands of brush strokes are used to create and layer the
colour of each doll to make them as life-like as possible.
Source: The dolls which look almost real
http://bbc.in/Z9RKjM
2. The 136-year-old jail was one of seven prisons shut by the Ministry of Justice
(MoJ) to cut costs. The last inmates were transferred to other prisons at the
end of February.
Source: Shrewsbury Prison closure 'was poorly planned'
http://bbc.in/12IACjc
3. Bangladesh's minimum wage for garment workers is currently $38 (Ł25) a
month, the lowest in the world.
Source: Walmart outlines own Bangladesh safety plans
http://bbc.in/11U5MYg
4. The parrot had plucked out most of its feathers was said to resemble an
oven-ready chicken. A vet said it should be put down but Rebecca Blagg,
the charity's coordinator, knitted jumpers to keep it warm.
Source: Nottinghamshire woman saves parrot by knitting it woolly jumpers
http://bbc.in/14rYhVL
5. The cave environment is a tough place in which to make a living, limited in
food and essential nutrients, forcing microorganisms to fight over limited
resources.
Source: Cave bacteria could help develop future antibiotics
http://bbc.in/12IJ2aq
Video Words in the News � British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 3 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com