Rotterdam to dismantle bridge for Jeff Bezos

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

Rotterdam to dismantle bridge for Jeff Bezos (part I)

Listening

You are going to listen to the report about the recent events in Rotterdam. Match the items and dates mentioned with the things they relate to.

The audio fragment needs to be opened on a new tab. While you listen, answer the questions in the grid on the next slide.

www.linguahouse.com

	a. When the boat will launch
	b. The number of metres that the boat will measure
	c. When renovations of the bridge finished
	d. When the bridge stopped being used as part of a railway line
	e. When the bridge was originally built
	f. When the bridge was damaged during the bombing of Rotterdam
	g. When renovations of the bridge began

Drag the items and dates to the correct event.

127

1927

1940

1993

2014

2017

2022

Listening / Watching

Listen to the report again, or follow the link on the next slide to watch the video. 

On the next slides you will find a few questions about the clip. Answer the questions true, false or not given.

www.linguahouse.com

The Koningshaven Bridge is going to be completely removed to make way for a superyacht.

1. true
2. false
3. not given

The yacht is in the process of being built by a Dutch company called Oceano.

1. true
2. false
3. not given

Boat International is a publishing company.

1. true
2. false
3. not given

The decision regarding the bridge has not been entirely popular.

1. true
2. false
3. not given

A film about the bridge was released in 1928.

1. true
2. false
3. not given

The bridge has more than one name.

1. true
2. false
3. not given

Officials said that they couldn’t promise that the bridge would never be dismantled again.

1. true
2. false
3. not given

A local called Matthias Van DerWilt is organising a protest.

1. true
2. false
3. not given

Reading

You are going to read a text in which Rotterdam residents offer their opinion on the Koningshaven story. 

Scan the text quickly and match the description with the correct speaker on the next slide. One description cannot be matched to any of the speakers and should be marked "not given".

	a protestor
	a boat salesman
	a journalist
	an expert on bridges
	a business owner

Match the description with the correct speaker. 

Not given

Jens

Renata

Anneke

Kate

Reading

Read the article again. Match the attitudes and opinions with the correct speakers. 

Some attitudes can be matched to more than one speaker.

	feels conflicted about the decision?
	considers the bridge to be important to the city?
	enjoys seeing the bridge every day?
	appears to look up to Jeff Bezos?
	sees Bezos as part of a wider problem?

Match the description with the correct speaker. 

Who...

Jens

Renata

Anneke

Kate

Reading

For each of the questions on the following slides, choose the answer you believe best suits the speaker.

Why might Kate consider the Koningshaven Bridge to be an architectural wonder?

1. It was designed by a famous architect.
2. It’s an excellent early example of a vertical lift bridge.
3. It was the subject of a documentary film.

Why does Renata think the tourism industry in Rotterdam has suffered recently?

1. Because Amsterdam has recently become more popular as a destination.
2. Because of the pandemic.
3. Because of the negative attention brought to the city by the Bezos story.

Why does Jens appear to admire the lifestyle of the superrich?

1. He fell in love with the glamour of the lifestyle when helping his father prepare for boat parties.
2. He became attracted to the lifestyle when he started selling boats.
3. He wanted to own his own yacht, like his father.

Grammar

In the reading part of this lesson Renata (C) and Jens (D) both use the second conditional in their responses to the story.

Let's have a closer look at that conditional.

Which tense do the speakers use to indicate the condition, in their if-sentences?

1. present
2. past
3. future

What verb do the speaker use to indicate the outcome in their if-sentences?

Second conditional

If I did ..., I’d (= I would) ...

In the second conditional we use if + past (if I did, if I didn’t, etc.), but the meaning

is not past. In this type of structure, the past tense refers to an imaginary or hypothetical

situation, such as finding a lot of money in the street.

note: Instead of would, we can use could or might. After if we can use was or were after, except in the set phrase "If I were you..."

Examples:

• If I was in charge, I wouldn’t allow Bezos to sail his boat through the city.

• I know that if I won the lottery, I would buy a superyacht first of all.

• If I was him, I wouldn’t pay attention to their little protests.

Second conditional

On the next slide, you will find a video explaining the zero, first and second conditionals.

Feel free to watch it, to recap the conditional you've seen so far, or skip it for now.

After the video, there are a few questions to practise the second conditional (the one you focused on today).

If I ______ (be) you, I _______ (sit) on that bench; the guy sitting there before had
an accident.

1. was, wouldn't sit
2. was, won't sit
3. were, wouldn't sit
4. were, won't sit

Jenny said that, if she ______(be) rich, she ______ (travel) all over the world.

1. is, will travel
2. is, would travel
3. was, will travel
4. was, would travel

Second conditional

The next slides will contain a few open-ended questions.

You will be asked to write down two verb forms. 

Please write them out in full (no apostophes) and separate the two verbs by using a comma.

If I _______ (win) the lottery, the first thing I _______ (buy) would be a superyacht.

If I _______ (be) in charge of the planet, I ________ (solve) inequality.

He _________ (pass) the exam if he ever _________ (study).

The end!
Do you have any questions or remarks?