Post CPE Lesson 25

Class

Listening Skills 

High Numbers

Podcast More or Less 22/04/2016
Listen or download here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03s4577

An artist's impression of the planned nuclear power plant. 

What is the most expensive “object” ever built? There are plans in the UK to build a brand new nuclear power station called Hinckley Point. The environmental charity Greenpeace have claimed it is set to be the most expensive object on Earth. But could it really cost more to build than the Great Pyramid of Giza? We take a look at some of the most costly building projects on the planet.

Notes:

Billion 1,000,000,000 (short scale used in the U.S., U.K. since 1974 and most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand).

1,000,000,000,000 (long scale used in the U.K. until 1974, still used in some countries e.g. in South Amercia).

Pronunciation of large numbers:

£324,345,923.00 

Three hundred and twenty four million, three hundred and forty-five thousand, nine hundred and twenty-three pounds.

Note also the use of commas and full stops in English.

Vocabulary

Piffling - trival/of little value e.g. A piffling number/amount = an insignificant number or amount. 

To splash out on (something) = to spend a lot of money on

A bargain = something of good quality obtained at a low price

Quids = pounds

Caveat = caution, warning

to pip (at the post) = defeat by a small margin or at the last moment: you were just pipped for the prize.

(not) much/just north of [amount]  = more than

short of [amount]  = less than

Speaking

Journalism 

"Churnalism"
Collins definition: (noun) derogatory a type of journalism that relies on reusing existing material such as press releases and wire service reports instead of original research, especially as a result of an increased demand for news content

Homework

Reading:

Mass media is over, but where does journalism go from here?
http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2016/may/31/mass-media-is-over-but-where-does-journalism-go-from-here