BBC Learning English
Words in the News
19th October 2011
Crocodile tears
Transcript:
A lavish funeral for a famous Costa Rican crocodile.
People have lined the streets of Siquirres to bid farewell to Pocho, who was 60 years old.
For the past eight years he's been drawing tourists to the town to see him and his owner
perform hair-raising tricks.
Now the four-and-a-half metre long reptile is to be embalmed and put in a museum.
Vocabulary:
lavish
something that is impressive and possibly expensive
to bid farewell to
to say goodbye to
drawing
attracting or encouraging visitors to
hair-raising
exciting and thrilling and sometimes terrifying (which could possibly make the hairs on your
body stand up)
embalmed
treated with chemicals to prevent something from decaying
Watch this video online: Crocodile tears http://bbc.in/nYd8fP
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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bbclearningenglish.com
Exercise:
Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from a BBC
news report.
Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.
lavish/to bid farewell to/draw/hair-raising/embalmed
1.
The monastery, which was built in 1936, is young by Romanian standards. It was closed
throughout the communist period, when it functioned as the offices of the local agricultural
co-operative. But the ancient crosses which _________ the crowds in September and which
led to the establishment of the monastery in the first place, were carefully preserved.
2.
Numerous _______ receptions and parties are integral to the run-up to the Oscars
ceremony, which is taking place on 26 February, with film companies devoting substantial
budgets to courting voters.
3.
Wedding formalities began after the king and his father, former monarch Jigme Singye
Wangchuk, entered a sacred chamber of the monastery, which holds the __________ body
of the country's 17th Century founder.
4.
Hundreds of people have visited Wellington Zoo ___________________ an emperor
penguin who washed up on a New Zealand beach in June.
5.
"The winchman did a wonderful job and the whole helicopter crew. You see all the TV
documentaries about the air-sea rescue teams and it all looks ______________. Until it
happens to you, you don't appreciate the skill and bravery they show," the judge said.
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
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bbclearningenglish.com
Answers:
1.
The monastery, which was built in 1936, is young by Romanian standards. It was closed
throughout the communist period, when it functioned as the offices of the local agricultural
co-operative. But the ancient crosses which draw the crowds in September and which led
to the establishment of the monastery in the first place, were carefully preserved.
Source: The Romanian monks drawing inspiration from the Danube http://bbc.in/oJIi6u
2.
Numerous lavish receptions and parties are integral to the run-up to the Oscars ceremony,
which is taking place on 26 February, with film companies devoting substantial budgets to
courting voters.
Source: Oscars campaigning to be curbed http://bbc.in/q3tF5P
3.
Wedding formalities began after the king and his father, former monarch Jigme Singye
Wangchuk, entered a sacred chamber of the monastery, which holds the embalmed body
of the country's 17th Century founder.
Source: Bhutan king Jigme Wangchuk marries commoner http://bbc.in/pd3o5b
4.
Hundreds of people have visited Wellington Zoo to bid farewell to an emperor penguin
who washed up on a New Zealand beach in June.
Source: New Zealand's farewell to lost penguin Happy Feet http://bbc.in/ox57DY
5.
"The winchman did a wonderful job and the whole helicopter crew. You see all the TV
documentaries about the air-sea rescue teams and it all looks hair-raising. Until it happens
to you, you don't appreciate the skill and bravery they show," the judge said.
Source: Prince William among team in judge's Snowdonia rescue http://bbc.in/jYEaGS
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2011
Page 3 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com