25 November 2015

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2015-11-25

Today's Headlines:

Global climate event

Artificial intelligence versus humans

Being disabled in Rio 

Transcript:

Planet Earth – the most complex thing in the universe. Warmed and cooled by natural trends, heated by greenhouse gases from humans. Scientists are striving to work it all out. In the Pacific for instance, the warming El Nino current is likely to bring floods where there is normally drought and drought where there's normally rain. Corals were bleached by the last big El Nino in 1998. The new El Nino will heat the world, so will a separate climate event in the Pacific. But these will be offset somewhat by a cooling event in the Atlantic. Three big shifts at once.

You're watching what doctors describe as one of the most revolutionary advances in the history of surgery. Here at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London consultant surgeon Declan Cahill seems to sit within the robot – a blend of man and machine. He remains, though, very much in control. It's a tool just like his scalpel or forceps, albeit far more sophisticated.

These are embaixadores da alegria – or happy ambassadors – made up of dancers of all disabilities. They're rehearsing for the 'Paralympics – one year to go' celebrations. Every year they perform at the Rio Carnival. But it wasn't until 2013 that they were allowed to parade with everyone else.

Words and phrases and definitions:

striving
trying hard to achieve something

offset
balancing one influence against an opposite one so no great change happens

revolutionary advances
completely new developments that change the way things are done or made

ambassadors
people who are chosen to represent a group or organisation

Exercise:

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

striving / offset / revolutionary advances / ambassadors

1. Poor food sales in the supermarket were ______ by an increase in the sale of clothing and household goods.

2. He became an ______ for his sport after winning five gold medals at the Olympics.

3. Because of the poor economic conditions, many people are ______ to keep hold of their jobs.

4. Due to ______ in medicine, more people with cancer are able to survive and go on to lead a healthy life.

Answers:

1. Poor food sales in the supermarket were offset by an increase in the sale of clothing and household goods.

2. He became an ambassador for his sport after winning five gold medals at the Olympics.

3. Because of the poor economic conditions, many people are striving to keep hold of their jobs.

4. Due to revolutionary advances in medicine, more people with cancer are able to survive and go on to lead a healthy life.