The parts were shipped from England through the Panama Canal over to Long Beach and then trucked to Lake Havasu City, so you saw truck after truck after truck arriving with big loads of granite. The granite sides are all original, the balusters original, the lampposts, and those railings are all original, and so we have a kind of a mixture of both old bridge and new bridge here. Traffic's actually running right across the top of us right here. This is the water line and gas line that runs through here. And they actually had a bat here living in the bridge for several months. He found it convenient to use this as a cave, don't have a lot of caves in town so here he availed himself of this opportunity. So that 90 degrees temperature difference means the bridge contracts and expands over the seasons. Here’s another one of those joints again.
The state of Arizona has to do bridge inspections every two years as mandated by the federal government so they're in here every two years to review the bridge and do inspections. It's in good shape, it's substandard as it relates to the rail link but obviously, we're not going to replace the historical railing and put up a safety rail, and they would like to see less traffic lanes on it but that's related to just the width of road deck and obviously we have a bill only and this bridge is the only access to the island so we do need our traffic lanes there.
“you really can't replicate the London Bridge”
We don't have any salt there we don't have a lot of moisture the desert conditions are very conducive to this bridge lasting a very long time. We've been but we've been asked to value the bridge for insurance purposes but the reality of it is, is A, if something goes wrong it'll be something that you just fixed, and B you really can't replicate the London Bridge mean it is a unique antique and it's one of the one in a world.
Questions:
Part 1: Comprehension
Watch and summarize the video thinking of who, what, when, where & why.
Part 2: True or False Questions
a) True or false – The parts of the bridge were shipped from England to Long Beach. T/F
b) True or False – The lampposts are all original. T/F
c) True or False – In the winter the bridge moves 90 degrees. T/F
d) True or False – The state of Arizona has to do bridge inspections every two years. T/F
Part 3: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary
a) "Granite" (0:23 min)
b) "Running" (1:00 min)
c) "Good shape" (2:23 min)
d) "Replicate" (3:07 min)
Part 4: Dictation
a) Fill in the blanks (1:00 - 1:38 minutes) He found ____________________________________________________opportunity.
b) Fill in the blanks (2:09 - 2:20 minutes) The state of Arizona ____________________________________________do inspections.
c) Fill in the blanks (2:44 - 3:54 minutes) We do___________________________________________________________ very long time.
Part 5: Talking Points
Part 6: Role play Scenarios
Scenario 1: City Council Meeting
You and your colleagues are members of the Lake Havasu City Council. You have received a proposal to add safety railings to the London Bridge, but some members of the council are concerned that this will detract from the bridge's historical significance. Roleplay a meeting in which you discuss and debate this proposal.
Scenario 2: Historical Society Tour
You are a member of the Lake Havasu Historical Society. You have arranged a tour of the London Bridge for a group of visitors, and you are tasked with providing information about the bridge's history and cultural significance. Roleplay the tour and answer questions from the visitors.
Scenario 3: Bridge Inspection
You are a structural engineer from the Arizona Department of Transportation. It is your job to inspect the London Bridge every two years to ensure that it is safe for public use. Roleplay an inspection and identify any areas of concern or potential improvements.
Part 7: Writing Activity
Write about some popular/famous landmarks in your city. Why are they famous?
Part 8: Critical Thinking - Famous Landmarks
Objective: To create a presentation describing and giving advice to tourists visiting your city.
In groups create a presentation the shows 3 of the most popular landmarks in your country for tourists to visit.
Describe them, and give advice to a potential tourist group on how they can see them.
Present to the class and have a Q&A session, then decide on the top 3 landmarks in your country.
Answers:
Part 1: Comprehension
This is a video created by BBC England, and it looks at how fifty years ago London Bridge was dismantled, shipped halfway across the world, and rebuilt in Arizona. Mark Clark from Lake Havasu City Council gives and tour of the bridge and describes how it was built. He first starts by talking about how the parts were shipped from England and how huge loads of granite we brought to the site location. Mr. Clark then talks about the types of panels and describes how the traffic runs over the top of the bridge and the area they are in. The bridge is also home to some bats and talks about how the bridge expands and contracts during the 90c temperature changes. Mark states that the conditions are favorable and that they wouldn’t damage the bridge, this means that it could last a long time. Lastly, he states that he has been asked to value the bridge, but he can’t because you really can’t replicate the London bridge.
Part 2: True or False
A: True B: True C: False D: True
Part 3: Guess the meaning of unknown vocabulary or phrases
a) "Granite" Answer: I think this is a type of stone or material used to build the bridge because in the video the speaker talks about bringing the exact stone from the London bridge from England to America.
b) "Running" Answer: I think this means moving or flowing because Mark talks about the direction that the traffic is going.
c) "Good shape" Answer: I think this means that it’s in a healthy condition because Mark talks about the areas that could use some more work or changes but that those changes are not necessary as the bridge is in good condition and meets all the required standards.
d) "Replicate" Answer: I think to replicate means to make an exact copy of something because in the video Mark talks about how it is impossible to put a price on the bridge as it is unique and can’t be replicated.
Part 4: Dictation
a) Fill in the blanks (1:00 - 1:38 minutes) He found it convenient to use this as a cave, don't have a lot of caves in town so here he availed himself of this opportunity.
b) Fill in the blanks (2:09 - 2:20 minutes) The state of Arizona has to do bridge inspections every two years as mandated by the federal government so they're in here every two years to review the bridge and do inspections.
c) Fill in the blanks (2:44 - 3:54 minutes) We don't have any salt there we don't have a lot of moisture the desert conditions are very conducive to this bridge lasting a very long time.
Part 7: Writing (example)
In Shanghai, we have many famous places. One of the most famous is the Oriental Pearl Tower. It is very tall and looks like pearls. People go to the top to see the city. Another famous place is The Bund. It is next to the river. You can see old buildings and modern buildings. It is beautiful at night with many lights. There is also Yu Garden. It is an old garden with many plants and ponds. It is peaceful. People go there to relax and see the traditional Chinese style. These places are famous because they are special and show Shanghai's history and modern life.
