Today's Headlines:

Hawking backs interstellar travel project

Russia celebrates cosmonaut anniversary

Baby wallaby becomes an internet star

Transcript:

Leading scientists, including Professor Stephen Hawking, are giving their support to an ambitious project to send a spacecraft to another solar system. The ship would need to travel trillions of miles – much further than any before – and the plan is to develop a craft about the size of a microchip that could travel at exceptional speed.

Russia's been celebrating 55 years since Yuri Gagarin became the world's first spaceman. It was an historic moment and a triumph for the Soviet space programme at the height of the Cold War. Today astronauts are constantly in orbit on the International Space Station. Some of them did a live link-up with earth to mark the anniversary.

Take a look at how a baby wallaby is winning hearts across the internet. Here he is, popping his head out of his mother's pouch for the first time. The joey, from just south of Sydney, was born the size of a jellybean and spent six months inside his mother, Lily's, pouch. He has another three months until he emerges fully and becomes more independent.

Words and phrases and definitions:

ambitious
(here) difficult to achieve

exceptional
extreme; greater than normal

triumph
great achievement

the height of
a time when a situation is most active

winning hearts
getting the affection of people

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.

ambitious / exceptional / triumph / the height of / winning hearts

1. The ferry isn't running today because of the ________ waves caused by last night's storm.

2. At ________ the summer, it can get very hot in the office and we have to open all the windows.

3. I think his plan to sail around the world is very ________ but with enough support he might actually do it!

4. William and Kate are _________ of the people as they continue their tour of India.

5. Residents are saying the council's decision not to build new houses on the park is a ________.

Answers:

1. The ferry isn't running today because of the exceptional waves caused by last night's storm.

2. At the height of the summer, it can get very hot in the office and we have to open all the windows.

3. I think his plan to sail around the world is very ambitious but with enough support he might actually do it!

4. William and Kate are winning the hearts of the people as they continue their tour of India.

5. Residents are saying the council's decision not to build new houses on the park is a triumph.