Today's Headlines:

Artist Banksy's hotel view

London's new black cabs put to Arctic test

Pollution-fighting pigeons

Transcript:

Steeped in irony, an artist's take on the grand hotels of a bygone age - this one claims to have the worst view in the world. The concrete slabs of the barrier Israel's built in and around the occupied West Bank are just feet away. This hotel - as much a political statement as a new business.

This is the brand new design for the iconic London black cab. But before they can put this through its paces in the cities, they have to try it out in one of the most hostile environments on Earth.  It's got an electric engine, most of the time driving with zero emissions, although a small petrol motor charges the battery from time to time.

Can pigeons help us in the battle against air pollution? It sounds far-fetched but academics from Birmingham University are convinced they can. They're attaching sensors to the birds which, unlike drones, can fly without restrictions above busy urban centres. The information collected will help to model how pollution moves around cities and could be used by planners to help decide where to build hospitals or schools.

Words and phrases and definitions

steeped in
with lots of

emissions
amounts of gas being sent into the air

far-fetched
difficult to believe

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.

steeped in / emissions / far-fetched

1. A collapse in the use of coal has driven UK carbon ______ down to levels barely seen since the Victorian era, new figures show.

2. The idea of pigs producing human organs might sound a bit ______ but that is what a group of Japanese scientists is attempting to do.

3. A piano ______ rock history and used by some of the biggest names of the past 40 years has sold for £50,000 at an auction.

Answers

1. A collapse in the use of coal has driven UK carbon emissions down to levels barely seen since the Victorian era, new figures show.

2. The idea of pigs producing human organs might sound a bit far-fetched but that is what a group of Japanese scientists is attempting to do.

3. A piano steeped in rock history and used by some of the biggest names of the past 40 years has sold for £50,000 at an auction.