Holidays in Space...

It's a long time since men last went to the Moon; but there are now people living all the
time in the Russian space station Mir. Today, space is just for astronauts: but soon ordinary
people will be able to enjoy the experience.... if they can afford it.

When you're 50, what sort of holiday will you want to take?
If you're under 30 today, perhaps you'll be able to take a holiday in space!
A Japanese company, Shimizu, plans to open the first hotel in space within 15 years.
They want to offer 3-day holidays in a space station, which will be bigger than the International
Space Station. However, holidays in space will be very expensive! About 90,000 dollars for three days!
Shimizu believe that there are enough people who will be ready to pay the price.
Other firms, in Japan and the USA, want to open hotels on the moon! Trips to the moon will be
even more expensive!
The Japanese firm is quite serious; but they cannot yet start building their orbiting hotel.
First they will have to buy a commercial re-usable shuttle. Today there are no shuttles. The old
American shuttles, such as Atlantis and Columbia, were very expensive to launch. They had to be
launched into orbit with a big rocket which cannot be re-used. Tomorrow's shuttles will take off and
land on their own, probably like aeroplanes. They will therefore be much more economical.
Such shuttles do not yet exist; the Americans are working on them, but they will not be ready for
several years.
However, there are other big difficulties too. How will ordinary people react to life in space? Today's
astronauts spend months training before going into space. They have to be in top form too.
Holidays in space will not be for tomorrow, that is certain; but they will come. That is virtually certain
too!
..

WORDS
within: in no more than - firms: companies - trip: voyage - shuttle: a vehicle that goes into space
then comes back again - launch: send into space - take off: leave the earth - land: return to earth -
on their own: without any assistance, by themselves - such shuttles: shuttles like this - react
to: respond to - .

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Student Worksheet
Holidays in Space
Article or no article? Put back the articles (the, a or an) into this extract from the article when they are
necessary. Be careful; sometimes there must not be any article. But when?

They want to offer 3-day holidays in _______ space station, which will be bigger than _______
International Space Station. However, _______ holidays in _______ space will be very expensive!
About 90,000 dollars for three days! Shimizu believe that there are enough people who will be ready to
pay _______ price.
Other firms, in _______ Japan and _______ USA, want to open _______ hotels on _______ moon!
Trips to _______ moon will be even more expensive!
_______ Japanese firm is quite serious; but they cannot yet start building their orbiting hotel.
First they will have to buy _______ commercial re-usable shuttle. Today there are no
shuttles. _______ old American shuttles, such as Atlantis and Columbia, were very expensive to
launch. They had to be launched into _______ orbit with _______ big rocket which cannot be re-used.
Tomorrow's shuttles will take off and land on their own, probably like _______ aeroplanes.

The Wind-Farm controversy

Plans to upgrade a "wind farm" for generating electricity, on a
hilltop half a mile from the Lake District National park, have caused
a big argument among British conservationists

One of the wind turbines on Kirkby Moor

Since 1993, twelve big wind turbines have stood on Kirkby Moor, a windy hilltop in the north of England. Now, the
company that operates the site, RWE Energy, wants to replace the existing turbines, which are 45 metres high, with
six new ones, 115 metres high.
These turbines will produce more clean renewable energy, but some people do not want them. The wind farm is
less than a kilometre from the edge of the Lake District National Park, and is visible for miles around. The site is also
classified as a SSSI, or Site of Special Scientific Interest, on account of its wildlife.
When the first wind farm was planned, an official inspector was appointed to study the controversy: he decided that
the wind farm would not have any major ecological consequences, but "the visual impact of the scheme would be
sufficiently harmful". The new 115-metre wind turbines will be even more visible.
Almost everyone agrees that we must produce clean renewable energy; but wind-farms have always been
controversial. Some people love them, others do not want them on aesthetic grounds. Do we need massive wind
power generators in beautiful parts of the countryside?

In favour of wind-farms
* "Britain is a windy country, and it ought to make use of its wind. If that means putting wind farms on top of every
windy hill in Britain, then that's what we ought to be doing. It's just ridiculous to say "Stop, you can't put a wind farm
there because this is a National Park, or near a National Park, and wind farms don't look pretty!" It just happens
that most of the windy mountains in England and Wales are in National Parks, or on National Trust land near the
coast.
* "Some people say wind farms are ugly; but this is rather hypocritical; they just don't want to see any signs of the
times on their favourite bits of pretty countryside. It's like the people who complain about new high-speed railways.
Half of them commute into London every day, and use roads and railway lines; yet they complain as soon as
someone suggests building something near them. It's the NIMBY syndrome; Not In My Back Yard. You can build
your wind farms and high speed lines and prisons and factories and rubbish dumps wherever you like, as long asit's
not near me. These people say they're conservationists, but if you ask me they're just jumping on the green
bandwaggon to defend their own interests.

Questions of aesthetics are not really all that important; what is important is that we move over to clean energy
sources as fast as possible, and get rid of pollution and the nuclear risk. That's the real issue. After all, if we don't,
we'll end up destroying the environment that National Parks are meant to protect, through pollution and climate
change."
Against wind-farms
* We've already lost most of our natural environment in England, and thousands of kinds of plants and insects
and animals have disappeared. It's absolutely essential that we conserve what is still left. The answer isn't to build
more power stations, whatever sort of energy they use; it's to use less energy — make people use more public
transport and less fuel.
* O.K., we sould be using more renewable energy, but we've got to find a balance between energy and the
environment. Some places have got to be protected from development, and National Parks more than any other
areas. That's what they exist for! Of course Kirkby Moor is just outside a park, but it's close enough to affect the park.
* There are plenty of other places where wind farms could be built. Besides, wind power isn't the only form of
renewable energy. There's wave power too; that's what we really ought to be developing. Floating wave power
generators could produce all the electricity Britain needs, and they wouldn't cause any problems.
* We don't need renewable energy. Nuclear power is the answer; it's clean and safe, as long as it is properly
looked after. Nuclear waste's a problem today, admittedly, but scientists are sure to come up with a way of treating it
effectively, one of these days.
* The government inspector said that the project should not go ahead, and he should know what he's talking
about. Kirkby Moor is a beautiful part of Britain, and it shouldn't be disfigured. If you build a wind farm, that means
putting up buildings too, and overhead power lines; there'll be people working there to run the place too. Another bit
of unspoilt countryside will be disfigured.
.

WORD GUIDE
upgrade: modernise - on account of: because of - wildlife: nature - appoint: nominate - it happens: it is a
fact National Trust land: land that is protected - commute: travel to work - back yard: back garden - rubbish
dump: place where we put things that we throw away -conservationist: person who wants to protect nature -
environment: the world around us - power-station: place where electricity is generated - waste: what is thrown
away, not used - run: operate - unspoilt : attractive, natural.

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Student worksheet
The Wind Farm Controversy
Here are eleven expressions used in the text. Each one is followed by a definition... but four of
these definitions are definitely wrong! Which ones? Suggest correct definitions to replace those
that are wrong.
1. on aesthetic grounds: for aesthetic reasons
2. the NIMBY syndrome: people who are totally opposed to all forms of progress.
3. as long as: on the condition that
4. jumping on the green bandwaggon: saying they are concerned by the environment, because it is a
popular thing to say.
5. move over to: abolish
6. get rid of: abandon
7. the real issue: the fundamental answer.
8. admittedly: that is indeed true
9. come up with a way: look for a method
10. should not go ahead: ought to be abandoned
11. overhead power lines: electric cables in the air

Don't Cry
Guns N' Roses
Besides - Know – Sorrow – Bed - Raven – Whisper - Before - try – Borrow – Bad - No – Heaven – Whisker – Psy - Sign

Talk to me _________
There is ___________ in your _________
Don't hang your head in _____________
And please don't ________
I know how you feel _________ I've
I've been there __________
Something is changing inside you
And don't you __________

Don't you cry ______________

I still love you, baby
Don't you cry _______________
Don't you cry ______________
There's a ____________ above you, _________
And don't you cry tonight

Give me a _______________
And give me a _________
Give me a ___________ before you
Tell me goodbye
Don't you take it so hard now
And please don't take it so _____________
I'll still be thinking of you
And the ____________ we had baby

Chorus
And please ____________ that I've __________ lied
And please remember
How I felt inside now ____________
You gotta make it your own way
But you'll be __________ now sugar
You'll feel better tomorrow
Come the morning light now baby

And don't you cry tonight

And don't you cry tonight
And don't you cry tonight
There's a heaven above you baby
And don't you cry
Don't you ever cry
Don't you cry tonight
Baby maybe someday
Don't you cry
Don't you ever cry
Don't you cry
Tonight