BBC Learning English
Words in the News
25

th

January 2012

London's Leaning Tower?

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2012

Page 1 of 3

bbclearningenglish.com

Transcript:

Everyone knows this leaning tower but how about this one?

Experts say the famous London landmark could go the same way as the iconic Italian

monument.

Cracks have been spotted in the walls of the Parliament building; recent construction work

may have caused subsidence.

But time is on its side as the tower won't tilt as much as Pisa's for at least 10,000 years.

Vocabulary:

landmark

well-known building or structure

cracks

partial breaks

subsidence

movement of earth

time is on (its) side

it won't happen quickly

tilt

lean to one side

Watch this video online: London's Leaning Tower?

http://bbc.in/zS70xC

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2012

Page 2 of 3

bbclearningenglish.com

Exercise:

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from BBC

news reports.

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.

landmark / cracks / subsidence / time is on (its) side / tilt

1.

The structure - dubbed the blinking eye bridge because of its ability to _______ to allow

ships pass under it - opened to the public on 17 September 2001.

2.

There were fears that the east end of the building would collapse, after centuries of

____________. Deep-sea diver, William Walker, worked under water in total darkness for

six years placing bags of concrete to stabilise the building.

3.

The 14m (45ft) high letters in the Hollywood Hills above Los Angeles have been a

Californian ______________ since 1923.

4.

For the Royal Family's most high profile new recruit, a role continues to be carved out. She

is, like Prince William, still tiptoeing towards her destiny.______________. She has four

patronages, not 400.

5.

Nimet, a mother of three, told Reuters she was tempted to return to her damaged home. "It

looks fine from the outside, but inside it looks very unstable with all the ___________ in the

walls. What other choice do we have but to go back to our houses?" she said.

Words in the News

© British Broadcasting Corporation 2012

Page 3 of 3

bbclearningenglish.com

Answers:

1.

The structure - dubbed the blinking eye bridge because of its ability to tilt to allow ships

pass under it - opened to the public on 17 September 2001.

Source: Events mark 10 years of Gateshead Millennium Bridge

http://bbc.in/qfn4vK

2.

There were fears that the east end of the building would collapse, after centuries of

subsidence. Deep-sea diver, William Walker, worked under water in total darkness for six

years placing bags of concrete to stabilise the building.

Source: Winchester Cathedral celebrates new structure

http://bbc.in/AsJPjR

3.

The 14m (45ft) high letters in the Hollywood Hills above Los Angeles have been a

Californian landmark since 1923.

Source:

Hollywood body parts identified

http://bbc.in/w18Wxy

4.

For the Royal Family's most high profile new recruit, a role continues to be carved out. She

is, like Prince William, still tiptoeing towards her destiny. Time is on her side. She has four

patronages, not 400.

Source: Duchess of Cambridge announces charity patronages

http://bbc.in/AqZou5

5.

Nimet, a mother of three, told Reuters she was tempted to return to her damaged home. "It

looks fine from the outside, but inside it looks very unstable with all the cracks in the walls.

What other choice do we have but to go back to our houses?" she said.

Source: Turkey earthquake: Teenage boy found after four days

http://bbc.in/vHq1sO