英语听力精选进阶版 14426（在线收听）

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

26 March 2014

Road of nails

Transcript:

Mending punctures is big business in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

But competition is intense. And police believe some tyre repairmen are paying criminal gangs to throw nails onto the roads, to drum up more business.

Now, a community group is trying to clear the roads using home-made magnets.

They've collected more than two tonnes of nails in the last three years.

Police say they'll work with these volunteers to tackle the problem.

Vocabulary:

punctures small holes made by sharp objects

tyre a thick rubber ring around a wheel

drum up to create interest, support or business

magnets metal objects that can attract certain metals

tackle to deal with

Exercise:

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.

punctures / tyre / drum up / magnets / tackle

1. Even through the thickness of my hand I can feel the _________ tugging at the disk of metal.

2. A blog was launched on Monday to try and _________ interest, and a cycling campaigner said urgent action needed to be taken.

3. Mercedes' Nico Rosberg won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but several drivers including his teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered __________.

4. Vehicle examiners found fifteen cars with inadequate __________ during a routine check last week on Douglas promenade.

5. A new scheme is being launched this morning to try to _________ long-term unemployment in eight of Wales' worst affected areas.

Answers:

1. Even through the thickness of my hand I can feel the magnet tugging at the disk of metal. Source: Rare earths: Neither rare, nor earths

2. A blog was launched on Monday to try and drum up interest, and a cycling campaigner said urgent action needed to be taken. Source: Giro d'Italia Belfast route to pass site of Dunlop tyre revolution 

3. Mercedes' Nico Rosberg won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but several drivers including his teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered punctures. Source: Your view: Rosberg wins British GP amid tyre chaos

4. Vehicle examiners found fifteen cars with inadequate tyres during a routine check last week on Douglas promenade.

Source: Worn tyres prompt Isle of Man prosecution warning

5. A new scheme is being launched this morning to try to tackle long-term unemployment in eight of Wales' worst affected areas. Source: Long-term jobless scheme offers 5,000 training places