BANK

Bank, to describe a financial institution, appeared in the late 15th Century, probably from the Italian 'banca'. It is related to the word 'bench': the first 'banks' were in fact the tables or benches on which moneylenders did business.

BANANA

The word banana came to English through Spanish or Portuguese, who themselves borrowed it from a West African language. The banana itself was introduced to South and Central America from Africa in the 1500s.

One in five songs "advertises" alcohol

BEFORE READING

1. SYNONYM MATCH:Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	encouraging	a.	strengthening
2	conclusion	b.	words
3.	lyrics	c.	watchful
4.	prevalence	d.	markets
5.	influx	e.	coaxing
6.	impacts	f.	drunkenness
7.	audiences	g.	opinion
8.	vigilant	h.	flood
9.	reinforcing	i.	influences
10.	intoxication	j.	commonness

The songs young people listen to could be encouraging them to drink more alcohol. This is the conclusion of a study into the extent to which lyrics contain references to drinking. Researchers from the John Moores University in Liverpool, England assert that public health warnings on liquor may be of diminishing value because of the prevalence of terms surrounding alcohol in pop songs. The study found that one in five songs in the UK music charts contains references to intoxicating beverages. This figure is double that from a decade ago. They also found that songs from 1981 contained relatively few references to alcohol. John Moores attributed some of the rise to an influx of US-imported songs.


Researchers said the exposure of young people to alcohol in the media is "a major concern". Professor Karen Hughes warned that references to alcohol are a "form of advertising and marketing for alcoholic products." She said: "Public health concerns are already focused on the impacts of alcohol advertising on the drinking behaviours of young people, yet the growing reference to alcohol in popular music could mean that positive, alcohol-promoting messages are reaching much larger audiences." Dr Hughes added: "Health and other professionals should be vigilant to ensure that popular music does not become a medium for reinforcing and extending cultures of intoxication and alcohol-related harm.

COMPREHENSION

1. TRUE / FALSE:Read the headline. Guess if  a-h  below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	Young people may be drinking more alcohol because of pop songs.	T / F
b.	Pop songs lessen the impact of public health warnings about alcohol.	T / F
c.	Around 10 per cent of songs in Britain's music charts mention alcohol.	T / F
d.	There were more references to alcohol in songs from 1981.	T / F
e.	A professor said songs can advertising and marketing tools for alcohol.	T / F
f.	The professor said songs give alcohol a positive image.	T / F
g.	The professor said the drinks industry should be more vigilant.	T / F
h.	The professor said songs do well to limit alcohol-related harm.	T / F

New TomTato plant grows potatoes and tomatoes

BEFORE READING

1. SYNONYM MATCH:Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.	horticultural	a.	nicknamed
2	marketing	b.	joining
3.	crop	c.	cultivate
4.	grafting	d.	gardening
5.	in any way	e.	notion
6.	concept	f.	harvest
7.	yield	g.	exceedingly
8.	dubbed	h.	advertising
9.	extremely	i.	return
10.	grow	j.	at all

A horticultural company in the U.K. is marketing a revolutionary new plant that grows both tomatoes and potatoes. It is called the TomTato and yields up to 500 sweet, cherry-sized tomatoes and a healthy crop of white potatoes. Britain's Daily Mail newspaper joked you can now get ketchup and fries from the same plant. The company, Thompson and Morgan, began research into the possibility of grafting together tomato and potato plants over 15 years ago. Paul Hansord, horticultural director at the company, said the great thing about the plant is that it is not genetically modified in any way. He said he knew it was possible to graft the two plants together because they belong to the same plant species.

Mr Hansord explained how the commercial concept developed. He said: "At the start, we thought it'd just be a novelty thing to do. But as the trials developed, we realised what we had produced was really high yield, had fantastic flavour and could be done commercially for the first time. The TomTato is being dubbed as "veg plot in a pot". Hansord said it can be grown inside or outside, in a large flower pot or in a bag. It is selling at around $25 on the company's website. Britain's Telegraph newspaper said: "'Double-crop' plants like the TomTato could be extremely useful in the future, as they help populations grow more food in smaller spaces.'

COMPREHENSION

1. TRUE / FALSE:Read the headline. Guess if  a-h  below are true (T) or false (F).

a.	A pharmaceutical company produced the new TomTato plant.	T / F
b.	The TomTato plant can produce up to 500 tomatoes.	T / F
c.	The TomTato company has been researching this concept for 50 years.	T / F
d.	The tomato and potato belong to different species of plant.	T / F
e.	The project started out as a serious piece of research.	T / F
f.	The company slowly realised they could make money from TomTatoes.	T / F
g.	One TomTato plant will cost around $25.	T / F
h.	A paper suggested TomTatoes could be one solution to food crises.	T / F

Man’s “entire life” for sale on eBay

BEFORE READING

1. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1.	strange	a.	offers
2	whole	b.	curious
3.	attached	c.	plan
4.	fresh start	d.	prepared
5.	bids	e.	connected
6.	great	f.	unfilled
7.	willing	g.	entire
8.	potential	h.	fantastic
9.	intend	i.	new beginning
10.	available	j.	possible

People have sold many strange things on the Internet auction site eBay, but never a whole life - until now. Ian Usher, a 44-year-old British man is selling his “entire life”. This includes his three-bedroom house in Perth, Australia and all its contents, his job, hobbies, and even his friends. Mr Usher said: "Everything that I have - the furniture in the house - all has memories attached to it. It's time to [say out with] the old, and in with the new.” He explained he wanted to make a “clean break” and make a “fresh start” after splitting up with his wife. The bidding opened on June 22nd and within five hours, he had attracted 70 bids. The highest offer was just over $625,000, which is more than the half-a-million dollars he wanted. There is no telling how much the final offer will be when bidding closes on June 29th.


Friends of Mr Jones thought the auction was a great idea. They are all willing to be introduced to the highest bidder as a potential new friend. Joy Jones, who co-owns a store in Perth where Ian used to work, said: "When Ian came up with this idea, because we had seen him go through a break-up of marriage and pain and bits and pieces, I thought it was really exciting. We thought, why not give it a go?" Ian can’t wait for the sale of his life. He said: "I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other, nothing else at all.” He has no idea what the future has in store for him. "My current thoughts are to…head to the airport and ask…where the next flight with an available seat goes to, and to get on that and see where life takes me from there," he said.

COMPREHENSION

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	A man is selling everything he has, including his friends, on eBay.	T / F
b.	He wants to start a new life after his marriage ended.	T / F
c.	The man is disappointed with the latest offer from an eBay bidder.	T / F
d.	The bidding will be open until the end of the year.	T / F
e.	The man’s friends thought he was mad and tried to talk him out of it.	T / F
f.	The man’s ex-employer told him to give up and go.	T / F
g.	The man has no idea where his life will take him next.	T / F
h.	The man will go to the airport and let fate decide where he’ll fly to.	T / F

PC keyboards dirtier than toilet seats

BEFORE READING

1. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1.	discovered	a.	lab
2	laboratory	b.	stomach
3.	disgusting	c.	sick
4.	symptoms	d.	nasty
5.	tummy	e.	questioned
6.	interviewed	f.	greasy
7.	dirt	g.	found
8.	builds up	h.	filth
9.	oily	i.	collects
10.	ill	j.	signs

A British computer magazine has discovered our computer keyboards could be bad for our health. “Which? Computing” asked a laboratory to check 30 keyboards in its London office for bacteria. The results were shocking, and disgusting. The lab scientists said five of the keyboards they tested put people at risk of illness. One keyboard contained 150 times more bacteria than health officials say is safe. Its test results showed it was five times dirtier than a toilet seat. The researchers said the germs they found could easily cause symptoms similar to food poisoning, such as diarrhoea and upset stomachs. They named these illnesses “QWERTY tummy,” after the first six letters on the keyboard. The magazine recommended people clean their keyboards regularly to stay healthy and avoid stomach bugs.


The magazine said almost half the people they interviewed cleaned their keyboard less than once a month. Ten percent of people said they never cleaned it. Editor, Sarah Kidner, warned: “Most people don't give much thought to the [dirt] that builds up on their PC….But if you don't clean your computer, you might as well eat your lunch off the toilet.” The main causes of germs and bacteria are crumbs and other small pieces of food that drop onto the keys while workers eat at their desks. Oily fingers from eating potato chips and fries also attract bacteria. Joanne Baxter, a secretary from West London, said she was shocked at this news. “I had no idea that my keyboard could make me ill. I’m afraid to find out what nasty things there are hiding under my keys.” she said.

COMPREHENSION 

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	Computer keyboards can be unhygienic and make us ill.	T / F
b.	Toilet seats are 150 times more hygienic than the average keyboard.	T / F
c.	Many germs found on keyboards can cause food poisoning.	T / F
d.	Typing QWERTY (the first six keyboard letters) helps keep germs away.	T / F
e.	Around fifty per cent of people clean their keyboards each month.	T / F
f.	An editor said eating your lunch in the toilet is safer than at your desk.	T / F
g.	Eating fries while using a keyboard can attract bacteria and germs.	T / F
h.	A secretary couldn’t wait to find the bacteria hiding in her keyboard.	T / F

Museum of Laziness opens in Colombia

BEFORE READING 

1. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:

1.	entirely	a.	dramatic change
2	dedicated	b.	relaxing
3.	lounge	c.	devoted
4.	bottoms	d.	foe
5.	coincidence	e.	totally
6.	revolution	f.	let
7.	enemy	g.	backsides
8.	allow	h.	laze
9.	chilling out	i.	suggested
10.	implied	j.	accident

A new museum entirely dedicated to laziness has opened in Colombia’s capital, Bogota. But, you have to hurry if you want to see the exhibits and find out about being lazy because the exhibition lasts for only one week. The unusual show has displays that include a whole range of sofas, beds, hammocks, futons and anything that lets you take the weight off your feet. There are also plenty of televisions for visiting couch potatoes to watch while they lounge around in the museum. The museum’s opening so soon after the holiday season is no coincidence. The idea is for people to think about laziness, and perhaps change their behaviour and lifestyle throughout the rest of the year. It is a hands on, or we should say bottoms on, way of making us think about laziness in our high-speed, fast-paced societies.


The museum’s curator Marcela Arrieta said she wanted people to have a rethink about laziness and decide whether it really is a bad thing. She told the Associated Press news agency: "We always think about laziness as an enemy of work.” Ms Arrieta may not be leading a revolution for a shorter working week, but she could have a point in that we might just be designed to need more down time than our jobs allow us. Avoiding the pressures and stresses of work and chilling out more may even make us healthier and live longer. Arrieta explained that the exhibition aims to “make people think about the social issues implied in taking a nap, in being jobless or in feeling that maybe we are wasting time.” Try out her advice for yourself; take the weight off your feet, put your feet up, and think about being lazy.

COMPREHENSION 

1. TRUE / FALSE: Look at the article’s headline and guess whether these sentences are true (T) or false (F):

a.	Museum workers in Colombia are the laziest people in the world.	T / F
b.	The museum exhibits include beds and sofas that you can try out.	T / F
c.	There are plenty of potato products on sale to make you lazier.	T / F
d.	By chance, the museum opened at the end of the holiday season.	T / F
e.	The museum wants people to think more about laziness.	T / F
f.	The museum curator said laziness is always a bad thing.	T / F
g.	It may be that being lazy might actually make us live longer.	T / F
h.	The article ends by telling us to sit down, relax and think.	T / F