Transcript
This is the River Thames. It is almost 346 kilometres long, and is the second longest river in Great Britain. It flows through London, and it’s this part of the river that most tourists see.
But there’s more to the Thames than a trip down the river.
The Romans built a settlement on the River Thames, and over the centuries it grew into the City of London, with a huge port. Ships from around the world brought food, goods and people to the capital.
But by the 1980’s, most of the docks had closed and the area became run-down.
A lot of money has been invested in this huge riverside area. And today it’s known as ‘Docklands’.
The old warehouses are now attractive apartments. There are new office buildings, shopping centres and leisure facilities, too. People enjoy living and working by the river.
People also enjoy living on the water! This is a houseboat on the Thames.
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Nick: Hi Alistair.
Alistair: Hey Nick, welcome aboard.
Nick: Thank you. So why do you live on a houseboat?
Alistair: I love being close to the water. And it’s a brilliant place to invite friends over.
Nick: What’s it like to live on a boat?
Alistair: In the summer, it’s beautiful. And in the winter, it’s a bit cold.
Nick: Could you give me a tour?
Alistair: Please. Follow me. So this is the kitchen. The bedroom.
Nick: I like it. What’s the best thing about living on the river?
Alistair: For me, it’s being so close to nature. And it’s really cheap.
Nick: Is there anything you miss about living on dry land?
Alistair: I miss not being able to grow my own food and not having a garden.
Nick: Do you think you will ever move?
Alistair: Only if I have to leave London. It’s a really brilliant place to live in the city.
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The Thames has seen a lot of changes over the years. But perhaps the biggest change is still to come.
This image is of the River Thames frozen over. It’s not a real photograph. It’s been created digitally. It shows the effect climate change may have on the river if temperatures drop significantly.
They were created by two illustrators: Didier Madoc-Jones and Robert Graves.
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Nick: Didier, Tell us about this exhibition.
Didier: We wanted to create postcards from the future – well-known views of London – to show people how it might look with the effects of climate change.
Nick: Why does this one show the Thames frozen over?
Gareth: Well, some scientists think we might experience a new mini ice age with very cold winters and in the summer we’d experience flooding due to melting ice sheets.
Nick: Do you think that could really happen?
Didier: Nobody really knows. The point of the exhibition was to get people thinking about climate change and the future of London.
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The River Thames has changed over the centuries, and will continue to do so. But hopefully it will always be here for both local people and tourists to enjoy and explore.
Comments
Hello lellablu,
I'm sorry to hear you're having trouble with the video. It seems to be working correctly as far as I can see, so I can only guess that this is a local compatibility issue. Can you try accessing the site with a different device to see if this helps? Please let us know.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Many thanks for your answer, unfortunely I have no other devices, but no problem it isn't a very serious problem, I can manage the same. All the best.
In the vocabulary question No5, shouldn't it say, "There is an exhibition OF vintage cars" and not "ON" Vintage cars ? This sentence doesn't sound right to me.
Hello Reita,
Yes, that was a mistake. I've now fixed it – thanks very much for telling us about it.
All the best,
Kirk
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi. I see this sentence in the transcrip of "the city of London": today it’s know as ‘Docklands’.
I wonder if it is right or wrong in grammar. In my opinion, it should be : it's known as Docklans.
Hi Daominhvu,
Thank you for letting us know about this - and well done for spotting it! You are quite right and I have corrected this typo.
Best wishes,
Peter
The LearnEnglish Team
Hi, I love to watch "word on the street" because it's natural English. I'm a English learner. But I've learned actual English by following Effortless English method by AJ. And I really love it. I watch TV shows, listen motivated audio program given by expert, and so on. I think the most important that motivate people to do something is to do what we love to do any through your whole heart into that until it's done. I want to you make more videos on "Word on the street" and I only saw the first video where you show a story, I didn't see the second video where you analyze video first. I'm very curious about your culture and your natural word you speak every day with a normal speed. I want you to bring a lot of videos like that on your web. Thanks!
Fantastic
Really London is a very important city, a example of cultural diversity.
Hello Kirk,
Ok, I see. Thank you.
Best regards,
Norbert
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