READ AND TALK - Drink and drive?

Tube driver suspended after arrest for ‘being drunk at the controls of a Jubilee line train’

 

 

A Tube driver has been suspended from duty after he was arrested on suspicion of being drunk in charge of a train, it has emerged.

 

 

The 50-year-old London Underground worker had been at the controls of a northbound Jubilee line train when he was arrested on Saturday afternoon.

According to sources, the man failed to stop the train to take his break and allow a replacement driver board at Wembley Park, it is reported.

When he got off the train several stops later, a colleague allegedly smelled alcohol on this breath and police were called, the Evening Standard reports.

It is claimed he was arrested after refusing to give a breath sample. The driver has since been suspended from duty while the matter is investigated.

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokeswoman said: ‘I can confirm that officers were called to Queensbury London Underground (LU) station shortly after 3pm on Saturday, 22 March.

‘A 50-year-old man has been arrested under the Transport and Works Act and has been released on police bail until Wednesday, 2 April pending further enquiries.’

A TfL spokesman added: ‘On Saturday afternoon a train operator was relieved from duty after concerns were raised about his conduct.

‘The train operator was subsequently taken into custody by British Transport Police. The member of staff is suspended while investigations by ourselves and the BTP are continuing.’

 

 

Read more:

http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/24/tube-driver-suspended-after-arrest-for-being-drunk-at-the-controls-of-a-jubilee-line-train-4676895/

 

 

Has anything similar ever happened in your country?

What are the laws in your country about consuming alcohol before driving?

Do you agree with them? Why or why not?

(Use expressions such as: I think… I don`t think… I agree because… I disagree because… In my opinion… According to my point of view… etc.)

 

 

READ AND TALK - A trip to Asia :-)

 

 

A backpacker found a 3in (7.5cm) leech that had been living up her nose for a month after a trip to South East Asia.

 

1.                 First listen to the story to see how much you can understand. You can find the audio recording at http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29601086

2.                 Afterwards read the whole story to see how much you understood.

3.                 Then discuss these questions:

a, Sum up the story with your own words

b, Practise present perfect:

Have you ever had anything similar or strange happen to you?

c, Practise past simple and past continuous:

Tell your story.

d, If nobody has any strange or unusual stories to tell, then give you opinions:

What should you do to prevent such things to happen to you?

What precautions should you take?

 

Woman finds three-inch leech in nose after South East Asia trip

 

Daniela Liverani, 24, from Edinburgh, had been having nosebleeds for weeks but put them down to a burst blood vessel from a motorbike crash.

Ms Liverani was having a shower last Thursday when she was realised the dark shape wriggling in her nose was actually an animal.

Hospital staff used forceps and tweezers to remove the parasite.

Ms Liverani believes she picked up the leech in Vietnam or Cambodia, but even when she felt it moving up and down her nostril, she thought it was a blood clot.

She told BBC Radio Scotland: "Your initial reaction isn't to start thinking, oh God, there's obviously a leech in my face."

It was when Ms Liverani was in the shower that the leech's presence was most noticeable.

She said: "Obviously my nasal passages would open up because of the steam and the heat and the water, and it would come out quite far, about as far as my lip.

"So I could kind of see it out of the corner of my eye but still didn't think it was a worm because it just looked like a blood clot.

"On Thursday I jumped out the shower and I unsteamed the mirror and I had a proper good look, and I could see little ridges on him."

That was the moment when Ms Liverani realised she was housing a parasite.

She went to accident and emergency where doctors removed "Mr Curly" - as Ms Liverani nicknamed the leech - with forceps and tweezers.

"The doctors did a great job, hats off to them, because obviously they don't see something like that every day", she added.

"They did what they could in a strange situation while trying to keep their cool."

Ms Liverani then took the leech home for the night, at the doctors' suggestion. However, Mr Curly did not live to see another day.

"He's in an Edinburgh City Council bin," said Ms Liverani. "He's probably long gone by now. I boiled him first."

Read more and listen:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29595164?ocid=socialflow_facebook

 

 

Shorter version of the story:

Glasgow woman:

Leech used my nose 'as a nest'

A Glasgow woman was horrified to discover that her persistent nosebleeds had been caused by a leech living in her nostril.

Daniela Liverani started having nosebleeds after a backpacking trip around South-East Asia, and believed it was a "congealed blood clot".

She sought medical assistance when she noticed the nosebleed "had ridges" and had started "poking out" of her nose.

Ms Liverani told BBC Radio 5 live's Breakfast that when NHS staff pulled the leech out with nose forceps, they were "equally horrified and intrigued".

The leech, nicknamed "Mr Curly" by Ms Liverani, has since been destroyed.

Read more and listen:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29601086

 

 

 

READ AND TALK - How not to propose

Dutch man`s proposal

 

 

Listen to the audio recording:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30462825

Then read the whole story to see how much you understood.

Then discuss the following questions:

 

1.     Tell your opinion about it. Was it a good idea? If not, why not?

2.     If you are a man: How will you propose your girlfriend in the future? Do you have any good ideas planned?

3.     If you are a woman how would you like your boyfriend to propose you? What are your dreams? How do you imagine it?

4.     Do you know of any funny or interesting proposal in your family or among your friends? Tell the class.

  

13 December 2014 Last updated at 15:47 GMT

Dutch marriage proposal sees crane smash IJsselstein house

 

The marriage proposal went dramatically wrong, but the woman in question did at least say yes

A Dutchman's plan to propose to his girlfriend has ended with a mobile crane smashing the roof of a house and forcing the evacuation of two others.

The man had wanted to surprise his partner by descending in front of her bedroom in the town of IJsselstein to sing her a song and pop the question.

But the unsecured crane he used instead toppled into a neighbour's house.

The woman still said yes, Dutch media report, and the couple are now said to be celebrating in Paris.

Following the initial impact, more damage was done when the crane fell again during an attempt to right it.

Residents in nearby properties were evacuated but no one was injured.

 

 

The crane which fell into the roof of a house in the Netherlands.

No one was hurt in the accident.

 

READ AND TALK - A boy runs off

11-Year-Old Boy Runs Off,
Hops on Flight From Manchester to Rome

 

It’s not that uncommon to see children flying by themselves. But an 11-year-old English boy took that concept to a whole new level this week.

Not only was the minor without his parents on a Jet2.com flight from Manchester to Rome, but he was also allowed on the flight without a ticket, boarding pass or ID.

Liam Corcoran had been shopping with his mother at a Manchester mall when he ran away, made a three mile trip to the airport and then managed to get himself on a plane to Italy.

According to officials, he attached himself to a family with a group of children, which somehow allowed him to go through five security check points and then board the aircraft without flashing any documentation.

“He was with a large group of other children, he appeared to be in a family group — for whatever reason he wasn’t checked,” explained a Manchester Airport spokesman. “It was our responsibility — we absolutely have to answer for that. This was a young lad on an adventure.”

Needless to say, an investigation into the incident has been launched, and several Jet2.com staffers have been suspended pending its results.

As for Liam, he was returned back to England on the same flight and was met by his mother at the airport. He might have a lot of explaining to do, but the folks at Manchester Airport have even more.

 

Read More: http://thefw.com/11-year-old-boy-london-rome-flight/?trackback=tsmclip

 

Exercise 1.

Sum up the story with your own words.

 

Exercise 2.

- What do you think about this article?
- What do you think what could have been done differently to avoid this situation?

- What could have been done by the boy`s mother?

- What could have been done differently by the staff?

(Use Conditional type 3.)
- Did you ever go missing when you were a child? If yes, tell the story to the class.
(Use past simple and continuous)

 

Exercise 3.

Do you agree or disagree?

Was it the staff`s fault? or Was it the mother`s fault?

(Use expressions such as: I think… I don`t think… I agree because… I disagree because… In my opinion… According to my point of view… etc.)