EnglishClub

Pre-listening vocabulary

• ongoing: continuing, not complete
• acclaimed: praised for an accomplishment
• manuscript: an unpublished text
• century: 100 years
• anthology: a collection of written works by different authors

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

The Future Library is an ongoing creative started by Scottish artist Katie Paterson. In 2014, Paterson began planting trees in Oslo, Norway. She planned to make this the site of a for people 100 years in the . Every year since, Paterson has asked a different acclaimed author to write a manuscript for the library. The manuscripts will be locked in glass boxes until 2114. The goal is to collect a century’s worth of and allow readers of the future to experience the changing times. Canadian author Margaret Atwood was the first person to provide a manuscript, and 6 other texts have since joined the Future Library. By the time that all 100 stories are complete, the trees in Oslo will have grown enough to become for an anthology.

Comprehension questions

See answers below

1. The trees for the Future Library were planted in
   a. Scotland
   b. Norway
   c. Canada
   
2. Margaret Atwood was
   a. the first author to contribute
   b. the only author to contribute
   c. the most recent author to contribute
   
3. The purpose of the trees is to
   a. hide the location of the manuscripts
   b. decorate the outside of the library
   c. provide paper 100 years in the future

Discussion/essay questions

1. It is impossible to fully predict what will happen in 100 years. Do you think the project will achieve its goal? Why or why not?

Transcript

The Future Library is an ongoing creative project started by Scottish artist Katie Paterson. In 2014, Paterson began planting trees in Oslo, Norway. She planned to make this the site of a library for people 100 years in the future. Every year since, Paterson has asked a different acclaimed author to write a manuscript for the library. The manuscripts will be locked in glass boxes until 2114. The goal is to collect a century’s worth of stories and allow readers of the future to experience the changing times. Canadian author Margaret Atwood was the first person to provide a manuscript, and 6 other texts have since joined the Future Library. By the time that all 100 stories are complete, the trees in Oslo will have grown enough to become paper for an anthology.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2a 3c

Pre-listening vocabulary

• archipelago: a group of small islands that are close to each other
• mainland: the main part of a country’s land; not an outside island
• outlaw: to make something illegal
• cremation: a process of burning a dead body to ashes
• permit: a document that allows someone to do something
• decompose: to break down over time
• outbreak: the spread of a disease in a certain area

Listening activity

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20 — )

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | More

Gapfill exercise

The town of Longyearbyen is located on the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. It is known for its local policy that prevents people from . Residents of Longyearbyen who are very sick or injured are sent to on the mainland. The town has also outlawed burying bodies in the ground, and even cremation requires a permit. While this law sounds unusual, it exists for a good . In the 1950s, residents learned that bodies buried on the archipelago don’t decompose. This is because the is so cold that the ground is always frozen. The problem with this is that the cold ground also preserves viruses that the bodies are infected with. In order to prevent an outbreak, Longyearbyen stopped using the town cemetery.

Comprehension questions

[wp_quiz id=”20637″]

Discussion/essay questions

1. Many places around the world have some strange laws. For example, it is illegal to enter the British Parliament building while wearing a suit of armour. Are there any unusual laws where you live?

Transcript

The town of Longyearbyen is located on the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. It is known for its strange local policy that prevents people from dying. Residents of Longyearbyen who are very sick or injured are sent to hospitals on the mainland. The town has also outlawed burying bodies in the ground, and even cremation requires a permit. While this law sounds unusual, it exists for a good reason. In the 1950s, residents learned that bodies buried on the archipelago don’t decompose. This is because the climate is so cold that the ground is always frozen. The problem with this is that the cold ground also preserves viruses that the bodies are infected with. In order to prevent an outbreak, Longyearbyen stopped using the town cemetery.