London Chocolate week

This year London Chocolate Week promises to be as enticing as ever... Who can resist all those events where it's free to taste so many different types of chocolate?! Of course, chocolate's always been a great way to tell someone that you're sorry after an argument or to let someone know how special they are. So why is chocolate often seen as something we shouldn't really eat? In this edition of London Life, we find out all that and more!

Before you listen to the programme, have a look at these comprehension questions; you'll hear the answers during the programme.

1: What is a 'chocoholic'?

2: What is the main difference between very dark chocolate and white chocolate?

3: Who discovered chocolate?

Vocabulary from the programme

to be very fond of something or someone – to love something or someone in a gentle way and to think of them as special and very dear to you;

the creeps – a very unpleasant and sometimes frightening feeling

Example:The old house gives me the creeps; they say there are ghosts in it!

hand-made - something that's made without the use of machines so that each piece is different;

source - a place where something, here cocoa beans, come from;

organic - something that has been grown or raised on soil where chemicals to control pests, for example, haven't been used for a certain number of years;

too indulgent - something that you enjoy so much that you eat or take much more of it than is good for you, you over indulge;

husk - the dry outer covering or shell of some fruits and seed.

Taxi!

In a recent survey London taxi drivers were revealed to have the most stressful job in the country. But why is this? Find out about the life of a London taxi driver in this edition of London Life.

Before you listen look at the following questions. You can hear the answers in the programme.

1: Where does the word 'cab' come from?

2: What is the name of the test that London taxi drivers must take?

3: About how long does it take to prepare for and pass this test?

4: What does Mickey think of the congestion charge?

Vocabulary from the programme

a cab – a taxi;

a cabbie – a taxi driver;

would-be – an adjective used for people who are want to have or who are training for a particular job Example Would-be cabbies have to do a difficult test before they can get a license;

a traffic jam – when the road is so busy that the cars are not moving or are moving very slowly;

from A to B – from one place to another place. This expression is used when talking about travelling and journeys in general. Example A cabbie's job is to take passengers from A to B;

congestion – when there are so many cars that it causes the traffic to move slowly. Congestion causes traffic jams;

the Congestion Charge – a scheme which is used in London and other cities. Drivers have to pay to drive their cars in central London during the day;

to ease off – to get less.

Grumpy Londoners

Out of everyone in England, Londoners are now officially the most grumpy people in the mornings. Jackie Dalton asks why and finds out what kinds of things put people in a bad mood.

Before you listen to the programme, have a look at these comprehension questions; you'll hear the answers during the programme.

1: What percentage of Londoners spend the morning in a bad mood?

2: What are some of the things that make them so grumpy?

3: Why does Judith think women are more grumpy than men?

4: What's Mike's advice to women?

Vocabulary from the programme

to be grumpy - to be unfriendly and in a bad mood;

to be sullen/surly/sulky - be unfriendly and miserable

to be solemn - be serious and formal;

they are their own worst enemies - they create problems for themselves;

e.g. women are their own worst enemies - they tell themselves they have to have a perfectly clean house, when really, it doesn't matter

to be chilled - be relaxed and calm.

Royal Albert hall

Frank Sinatra, Pavarotti and The Beatles all performed at the Royal Albert Hall - and even Winston Churchill spoke there. But when and why was it built and who does the Hall hope will fill its 7,000 seats?

Before you listen to the programme, have a look at these comprehension questions. You'll hear the answers during the programme.

1: Who is the Royal Albert Hall named after?

2: The area where the Royal Albert Hall was built has a special name; what is it?

3: The suffix 'polis' is used to form a combined noun. What does it mean?

4: The Chief Executive Officer says the Hall is not 'elitist'. What does he mean by that?

Vocabulary from the programme

Commissioned – requested and paid for;

e.g. He commissioned a special building for the country to use

steward – a person whose job it is to look after a building, especially during events e.g. The steward made sure everyone had left after the meeting before he locked up the building;

creepy – if you find something 'creepy', it makes you feel nervous and a little bit frightened e.g. I don't like being by myself in the office after dark; it's creepy;

haunted – visited regularly or lived in by ghosts which are the spirits or souls of dead people.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 842