the cutty sark

( article taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6670000/newsid_6675400/6675483.stm ) [created by AretiGavalaki-Greece]

Fire devastates Cutty Sark ship

The Cutty Sark ship, one of London's most popular tourist attractions, (1)………………………… ……………………………… (devastate) by a fire, which police think may (2)……………………………… …………………….. (start) on purpose. More than 40 fire fighters (3)………………………….

…………………. (call) to the 138-year-old tea clipper ship in Greenwich early on Monday morning. The ship (4)……… recently ……..……………………… (close) to visitors so improvements costing £25 million could (5)………………………………………………. (carry) out.

A spokesman for the London fire service said

the whole ship (6)……………………………………………… (affect) by the massive fire but nobody (7) ……………………………………… (hurt). Police don't know what caused the fire yet, but said they were treating it as suspicious. That means the fire may (8)……………………………………

……………………………… (start) on purpose rather than by accident. Chris Livett, from the group which looks after the ship, said the fire was a significant setback but they were determined to put the ship back together again.

He said the decks could not (9)………………………… (save) but the damage didn't appear as bad as first feared. Half the planking, as well as all the old artefacts on board, escaped damage as they

(10) ……………………………………………………………… (remove) while the refurbishment work was

under way. He added: "She's been through storms and hurricanes. She's been battling all her life. She's not dead yet, far from it." The Cutty Sark (11) ………………………………………… (use) to carry tea around the world in the 19th century. It now sits at a dry dock at Greenwich

as a living museum.

Read the article and do comprehension exercises 1 and 2. Then put the verbs in brackets in the correct passive form.

1. a place where a ship can be taken out of

the water for repairs …………………………..

2. a problem that delays or prevents

progress …………………………..

3. a storm with very strong fast winds

…………………………..

4. in a way that is not planned or intended

…………………………..

5. intentionally …………………………..

6. making you feel that something is wrong

or illegal …………………………..

7. objects that were made a long time ago

and are historically important

..…………………

8. renovation …………………………..

9. struggling; fighting ………………………...

10. very big …………………………..

11. wood that has been cut into flat pieces

…………………………..

1. The police believe the fire started by chance.

2. People couldn’t visit the ship because it had recently been sold for £25 million.

3. The fire only caused damage to the decks.

4. The police are not sure whether someone set fire to the ship deliberately.

5. According to one of the people who look after the ship, the fire caused a major delay in their work.

6. Chris Livett is afraid the damage to the ship is worse than they had thought at first.

7. The old artefacts were not destroyed because they had been taken away before the fire started.

8. The Cutty Sark has survived many difficult circumstances.

Exercise 2. Are the following statements true or false? Write T for True or F for False.

Exercise1. Find words or phrases in the text which have a similar meaning to the following.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6670000/newsid_6675400/6675483.stm

(story taken from http://www.cuttysark.org.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.fdvmyqknhxemnmvz&pageId=210 ) [created by AretiGavalaki]

Why is the ship called Cutty Sark? Read the following story

to find out. Then fill in the gaps using the following words.

garment tail bonfire narrow madly stormy

suspense scary race(v) beautiful galloped howl

There is an old Scottish legend that was later turned into a story by Robert Burns. This story

is about a farmer called Tam O'Shanter.

It was very late on a dark and (1)……………………. night when Tam, who had been to Market to

sell his wares and had called at the local inn afterwards for a few drinks, began his journey home.

Tam was riding his old mare Meg down a lonely road, when he drew close to the church at Kirk

Alloway.

Through the cold night air he heard a strange and (2)……………………. sound, and as he looked

into the night sky he saw the glare of fire!

There, in the churchyard, dancing around a huge (3)……………………. was a coven of witches

and warlocks. Tam sat on his horse, rigid with terror! The witches danced on and Tam noticed that

one of the hags was younger and more (4)……………………. than the others. Her name was Nannie, but

Tam didn't know this; all she was wearing was a short petticoat so he called her 'cutty sark', which

is an old regional Scottish name for this (5)……………………..

Well, the dancing became wilder and wilder and Tam became more and more engrossed. At

last, he could bear the (6)……………………. no longer and he shouted out,

"Weel done 'cutty sark'!"

With a flash the bonfire went out, and a soul-tearing (7)……………………. went up from the

witches and warlocks, as they began to (8)……………………. towards Tam, desperate to get to this

mortal who had ruined their revelry.

Poor Tam. He was in fear of his life, and for a moment just sat there, but after a few seconds

that seemed like lifetimes, he managed to spur Meg on, in a desperate race to save his life.

Now, witches cannot cross running water, and fortunately for Tam, the river Doon was

nearby. He set Meg galloping (9)……………………. towards the bridge, with the witches in hot pursuit.

Nannie, being younger and faster than the rest, was the closest to him, and was reaching out

to grab Meg’s (10)……………………., just as the mare reached the bridge.

Luckily for Tam (although not so for Meg), the horse's tail came away in Nannie's hand just

as the mare (11)……………………. over the bridge. Tam was saved! The witches and warlocks stood on

the river-bank cursing and screaming at Tam who had had a very (12)……………………. escape.

This was the story that inspired the naming of Cutty Sark. Although we do not know why the

name was chosen, Jock Willis (the owner of the ship) was a well-read man who enjoyed poetry.

During his time as a ship's captain, he would read French novels in his cabin. He also named one of

his other ships the Hallowe'en, the title of another Burns poem. Although "cutty sark" was a little

unusual, it certainly suits a sleek, swift tea clipper, giving her an air of magic and mystery.

1. wild noisy dancing, eating, drinking etc, usually to celebrate something …………………………………

2. a piece of underwear for a woman or girl which is like a dress or skirt …………………………………

3. a group or meeting of witches …………………………………

4. following someone closely, trying hard to catch them …………………………………

5. an adult female horse …………………………………

6. an ugly old woman …………………………………

7. to say magic words which are intended to bring bad luck to someone …………………………………

8. small products for selling, in a market or on the street but not usually in a shop ……………………

9. a bright unpleasant light which hurts your eyes …………………………………

10. a man who has magical powers, especially evil powers …………………………………

11. so interested or involved in something that you think about nothing else ………………………………

Now look at the words in bold. Can you guess their meaning from the context? Underline the key words that can help you to guess. Finally match the words in bold with their definitions.

http://www.cuttysark.org.uk/index.cfm?fa=contentGeneric.fdvmyqknhxemnmvz&pageId=210


Fire devastates Cutty Sark ship The Cutty Sark ship, one of London's most popular tourist attractions, (1)…………………………

……………………………… (devastate) by a fire, which police think may (2)………………………………… …………………….. (start) on purpose. More than 40 fire fighters (3)…………………………. …………………. (call) to the 138-year-old tea clipper ship in Greenwich early on Monday

morning. The ship (4)……… recently ……..……………………… (close) to visitors so improvements costing £25 million could (5)………………………………………………. (carry) out. A spokesman for the London fire service said

the whole ship (6)………………………………………………

(affect) by the massive fire but nobody (7) ……………………………………… (hurt). Police don't know what caused the fire yet, but said they were treating it as suspicious. That means the fire may (8)…………………………………… ……………………………… (start) on purpose rather than by accident.

Chris Livett, from the group which looks after the ship, said the fire was a significant setback but they were determined to put the ship back together again. He said the decks could not (9)………………………… (save) but the damage didn't appear as bad as

first feared. Half the planking, as well as all the old artefacts on board, escaped damage as they

(10) ……………………………………………………………… (remove) while the refurbishment work was under way. He added: "She's been through storms and

hurricanes. She's been battling all her life. She's not dead yet, far from it." The Cutty Sark (11) ………………………………………… (use) to carry tea around the world in the 19th century. It now sits at a dry dock at Greenwich as a living museum.



the water for repairs …………………………..


progress …………………………..


…………………………..


…………………………..

5. intentionally …………………………..


or illegal …………………………..


and are historically important ..…………………

8. renovation …………………………..

9. struggling; fighting ………………………...

10. very big …………………………..


…………………………..



















It was very late on a dark and (1)……………………. night when Tam, who had been to Market to

sell his wares and had called at the local inn afterwards for a few drinks, began his journey home.

Tam was riding his old mare Meg down a lonely road, when he drew close to the church at Kirk

Alloway.

Through the cold night air he heard a strange and (2)……………………. sound, and as he looked

into the night sky he saw the glare of fire!

There, in the churchyard, dancing around a huge (3)……………………. was a coven of witches

and warlocks. Tam sat on his horse, rigid with terror! The witches danced on and Tam noticed that

one of the hags was younger and more (4)……………………. than the others. Her name was Nannie, but

Tam didn't know this; all she was wearing was a short petticoat so he called her 'cutty sark', which

is an old regional Scottish name for this (5)……………………..


last, he could bear the (6)……………………. no longer and he shouted out,


With a flash the bonfire went out, and a soul-tearing (7)……………………. went up from the

witches and warlocks, as they began to (8)……………………. towards Tam, desperate to get to this

mortal who had ruined their revelry.




nearby. He set Meg galloping (9)……………………. towards the bridge, with the witches in hot pursuit.


to grab Meg’s (10)……………………., just as the mare reached the bridge.


as the mare (11)……………………. over the bridge. Tam was saved! The witches and warlocks stood on

the river-bank cursing and screaming at Tam who had had a very (12)……………………. escape.


name was chosen, Jock Willis(the owner of the ship) was a well-read man who enjoyed poetry.




1. wild noisy dancing, eating, drinking etc, usually to celebrate something …………………………………

2. a piece of underwear for a woman or girl which is like a dress or skirt …………………………………

3. a group or meeting of witches …………………………………

4. following someone closely, trying hard to catch them …………………………………

5. an adult female horse …………………………………

6. an ugly old woman …………………………………

7. to say magic words which are intended to bring bad luck to someone …………………………………

8. small products for selling, in a market or on the street but not usually in a shop ……………………

9. a bright unpleasant light which hurts your eyes …………………………………

10. a man who has magical powers, especially evil powers …………………………………

11. so interested or involved in something that you think about nothing else ………………………………



Fire devastates Cutty Sark ship

The Cutty Sark ship, one of London's most

popular tourist attractions, (1) has been

devastated (devastate) by a fire, which police

think may (2) have been started (start) on

purpose.

More than 40 fire fighters (3) were called (call)

to the 138-year-old tea clipper ship in

Greenwich early on Monday morning.

The ship (4) had recently been closed (close) to

visitors so improvements costing £25 million

could (5) be carried (carry) out.

A spokesman for the London fire service said

the whole ship (6) was affected (affect) by the

massive fire but nobody (7) was hurt (hurt).

Police don't know what caused the fire yet, but

said they were treating it as suspicious. That

means the fire may (8) have been started

(start) on purpose rather than by accident.

Chris Livett, from the group which looks after

the ship, said the fire was a significant setback

but they were determined to put the ship back

together again.

He said the decks could not (9) be saved (save)

but the damage didn't appear as bad as first

feared.

Half the planking, as well as all the old

artefacts on board, escaped damage as they

(10) had been removed (remove) while the

refurbishment work was under way.

He added: "She's been through storms and

hurricanes. She's been battling all her life.

She's not dead yet, far from it."

The Cutty Sark (11) was used (use) to carry

tea around the world in the 19th century. It

now sits at a dry dock at Greenwich as a living

museum.




the water for repairs a dry dock


progress a setback


a hurricane


by accident

5. intentionally on purpose


or illegal suspicious


and are historically important artefacts

8. renovation refurbishment

9. struggling; fighting battling

10. very big massive


planking











F

F

F

T

T

F

T

T

ANSWER KEY









It was very late on a dark and (1) stormy night when Tam, who had been to Market to sell his

wares and had called at the local inn afterwards for a few drinks, began his journey home. Tam was

riding his old mare Meg down a lonely road, when he drew close to the church at Kirk Alloway.

Through the cold night air he heard a strange and (2) scary sound, and as he looked into the

night sky he saw the glare of fire!

There, in the churchyard, dancing around a huge (3) bonfire was a coven of witches and

warlocks. Tam sat on his horse, rigid with terror! The witches danced on and Tam noticed that one

of the hags was younger and more (4) beautiful than the others. Her name was Nannie, but Tam

didn't know this; all she was wearing was a short petticoat so he called her 'cutty sark', which is an

old regional Scottish name for this (5) garment.


last, he could bear the (6) suspense no longer and he shouted out,


With a flash the bonfire went out, and a soul-tearing (7) howl went up from the witches and

warlocks, as they began to (8) race towards Tam, desperate to get to this mortal who had ruined

their revelry.




nearby. He set Meg galloping (9) madly towards the bridge, with the witches in hot pursuit.


to grab Meg’s (10) tail, just as the mare reached the bridge.


as the mare (11) galloped over the bridge. Tam was saved! The witches and warlocks stood on the

river-bank cursing and screaming at Tam who had had a very (12) narrow escape.


name was chosen, Jock Willis (the owner of the ship) was a well-read man who enjoyed poetry.




1. wild noisy dancing, eating, drinking etc, usually to celebrate something revelry

2. a piece of underwear for a woman or girl which is like a dress or skirt petticoat

3. a group or meeting of witches coven

4. following someone closely, trying hard to catch them in hot pursuit

5. an adult female horse mare

6. an ugly old woman hag

7. to say magic words which are intended to bring bad luck to someone curse

8. small products for selling, in a market or on the street but not usually in a shop wares

9. a bright unpleasant light which hurts your eyes glare

10. a man who has magical powers, especially evil powers warlock

11. so interested or involved in something that you think about nothing else engrossed


ANSWER KEY


the cutty sark

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