Learning English

Inspiring language learning since 1943

Transcript

A city of three million people, with only a handful of street names.

No wonder trying to deliver a letter here is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

But this is changing, as the city of Cotonou, in Benin, is starting to name its streets and paint numbers on each house.

Residents hope this will help the city become better connected to the world and provide a boost for local businesses.

Vocabulary

a handful of
a small number of

no wonder
it's no surprise that

a needle in a haystack
something very hard to find

residents
people who live in a particular place

boost
an action that makes something better, happier or more successful

To do

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from news reports. Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.

a handful of / no wonder / a needle in a haystack / residents / boost

1. Sussex expect to announce they made a profit during the last financial year.

The news is a huge _________ to the club, which recorded a deficit of £630,000 for the financial year to October 2013 and significant losses for the previous two years as well.

2. There have been only _________ cases in humans since the infection was first described in 1954 by a researcher called Stefanski.

3. Mr Cameron said a migrant in work with two children was getting £700 a month on average in support from the state, twice the amount paid in Germany and three times as much as in France.

"__________ so many people want to come to Britain," he said, adding that changes to in-work benefits could affect about 400,000 people.

4. With £524 billion worth of goods coming through UK ports each year in millions of containers, [finding illegal goods] can be like looking for __________.

5. _________ of a 3,300-home development in Oxfordshire claim they have been "cut off" after promised community facilities did not materialise.

Answers

1. Sussex expect to announce they made a profit during the last financial year.

The news is a huge boost to the club, which recorded a deficit of £630,000 for the financial year to October 2013 and significant losses for the previous two years as well.

See story

2. There have been only a handful of cases in humans since the infection was first described in 1954 by a researcher called Stefanski.

See story

3. Mr Cameron said a migrant in work with two children was getting £700 a month on average in support from the state, twice the amount paid in Germany and three times as much as in France.

"No wonder so many people want to come to Britain," he said, adding that changes to in-work benefits could affect about 400,000 people.

See story

4. With £524 billion worth of goods coming through UK ports each year in millions of containers, [finding illegal goods] can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

See story

5. Residents of a 3,300-home development in Oxfordshire claim they have been "cut off" after promised community facilities did not materialise.

See story

የቅርብ Words in the News

Record-breaking royal
Episode 150909 / 09 Sep 2015
Queen Elizabeth II has broken the record. She's now been on the throne longer than any other British monarch
Notting Hill Carnival
Episode 150902 / 02 Sep 2015
One of the world's biggest festivals hits the streets of London
Plastic art
Episode 150826 / 26 Aug 2015
The art of recycling. Find out how plastic bags are being turned into pictures
Snakes in a cafe
Episode 150819 / 19 Aug 2015
New cafe in Tokyo offers customers the opportunity to hold a snake. Watch the video
Underwater clean-up
Episode 150812 / 12 Aug 2015
Reducing plastic rubbish on Britain's beaches. Clean-up group gets busy in Cornwall
Surfing dogs
Episode 150805 / 05 Aug 2015
Pets take to the waves at a Californian event. Watch the video and learn new words
Plant energy
Episode 150729 / 29 Jul 2015
Could your garden be a source of green energy? Scientists use electricity from plants
Auditions for Harry Potter spin-off
Episode 150722 / 22 Jul 2015
Do you want to be in the movies? Thousands queue in London for the chance to be in a new JK Rowling film
Grass phone
Episode 150715 / 15 Jul 2015
Would you use a phone made out of grass? Take a look at some 'green' technology
A good year for smelly fruit
Episode 150708 / 08 Jul 2015
What's causing a stink in Asia? Could it be the 'king of fruits'?!
The secret of giraffes' long legs
Episode 150701 / 01 Jul 2015
Is being tall a good thing? Scientists study how giraffes move
Ivory protest
Episode 150624 / 24 Jun 2015
Ivory objects destroyed in New York to curb trade behind killing of elephants
Monuments in Nepal reopen
Episode 150617 / 17 Jun 2015
Nepalese government wants to bring back tourists after earthquake destruction
Oil painting copy shop
Episode 150610 / 10 Jun 2015
Can't afford an original painting by Picasso? Visit the place where cheap copies are made
Paris 'love locks' removed
Episode 150603 / 03 Jun 2015
Padlocks lovers attach to Parisian bridge became a nuisance, say the authorities
New York's view from the top
Episode 150527 / 26 May 2015
The skyscraper replacing the World Trade Center opens its top floor to the public
Fighting child marriage
Episode 150520 / 20 May 2015
Pakistani teen campaigns to end practice of offering girls for marriage to resolve local disputes
Obstacle race in Germany
Episode 150513 / 13 May 2015
About 11,000 athletes endure mud and water to try to win the race
What's the meaning of a royal name?
Episode 150506 / 06 May 2015
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's daughter is called Charlotte Elizabeth Diana
Return of the lynx
Episode 150429 / 29 Apr 2015
Conservationists want to bring the lynx back to the British countryside, but farmers are worried
Ivory smuggling
Episode 150422 / 22 Apr 2015
Customs officials in Thailand capture four tonnes of smuggled ivory from the Democratic Republic of Congo
Playing 'Harry Potter'
Episode 150415 / 15 Apr 2015
A castle in Poland has been transformed into a College of Wizardry to welcome Harry Potter fans
3D paintings
Episode 150408 / 08 Apr 2015
A museum in the Philippines wants visitors to be part of the picture
Giant Easter egg
Episode 150401 / 01 Apr 2015
UK cook uses 100kg of chocolate to create two-metre-tall egg
Symbol of peace
Episode 150325 / 25 Mar 2015
People come together in Northern Ireland around a burning symbol of the future
Can you see the light?
Episode 150318 / 18 Mar 2015
Children who can't see get more active by playing with light and sound
Driving change in Afghanistan
Episode 150311 / 11 Mar 2015
Afghanistan's first female taxi driver
British sea power
Episode 150304 / 04 Mar 2015
The sea is powerful. But how can it be used to create electricity? Find out about a plan to build the world's first lagoon power plant
The 'No Cry' onion
Episode 150225 / 25 Feb 2015
A new type of onion has been developed that tastes good and won't make you cry
Battle of the Oranges
Episode 150218 / 18 Feb 2015
Some 500 tonnes of fruit are used in this Italian festival
Flying food
Episode 150211 / 11 Feb 2015
Food literally flies to the table in restaurants in Singapore
Shining a light on the past
Episode 150204 / 04 Feb 2015
New technology means we can now read texts written in Roman times
Guns in school
Episode 150128 / 28 Jan 2015
Teachers in Pakistan carry guns to protect school children after Taliban attack
Rich and poor
Episode 150121 / 21 Jan 2015
The gap between rich and poor is growing wider, says Oxfam
Desert snows
Episode 150114 / 14 Jan 2015
Snow hits Saudi desert regions for the third year running
How many in the zoo?
Episode 150107 / 07 Jan 2015
Zookeepers count more than 750 species in London
Not just for Christmas
Episode 141231 / 31 Dec 2014
Trees left after Christmas are used to prevent floods in the UK
Spiderman Santa
Episode 141224 / 24 Dec 2014
Why did Santa climb down a building 100 metres tall?
Hunting for medals
Episode 141217 / 17 Dec 2014
Maasai Olympics encourages young to show skills on sports rather than by killing lions
The city with no street names
Episode 141210 / 10 Dec 2014
A new project brings road signs and house numbers to Cotonou in Benin
Stonehenge tunnel
Episode 141203 / 03 Dec 2014
A tunnel is to be built near the ancient monument of Stonehenge. Watch the video and learn new words
Snow in the US
Episode 141126 / 26 Nov 2014
Residents of the north-east United States fear floods as temperatures rise. Watch the video and learn new words
A joke gone wrong
Episode 141119 / 19 Nov 2014
A British man drives his girlfriend's car round an ex-Grand Prix circuit. Watch the video and learn new words
Don't look down!
Episode 141112 / 12 Nov 2014
Two adventurers cross Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls on a high wire. Watch the video and learn new words
Puppet carnival in Thailand
Episode 141105 / 05 Nov 2014
Hundreds of puppets bring colour to the streets of Bangkok. Watch the video and learn some new words
Parkour is here to stay
Episode 141029 / 29 Oct 2014
British academies train people in urban running. Watch the video and learn some new words
Alternative Miss World
Episode 141022 / 22 Oct 2014
Men and women take part in a colourful event in London. Watch the video and learn some new words
Wife-carrying race
Episode 141015 / 15 Oct 2014
Couples should support each other. But, does that mean you need to carry your wife?
Let's rock and roll!
Episode 141008 / 08 Oct 2014
The world's biggest guitar is on show in the US. Watch the video and learn new words
Smoking in France
Episode 141001 / 01 Oct 2014
Will changes in cigarette packets make people smoke less? Watch the video and learn new words
Prison bank
Episode 140924 / 24 Sep 2014
Visit the bank which operates inside Peru's biggest prison. Watch the video and learn new words