Waterford
Activity 1
Complete the gaps
1. Waterford is Ireland's oldest city and its _____ largest.
2. which you can see on a nice leisurely _____ around town.
3. Here are one or two things that you should ___, ___ and ___ on you visit.
4. and has rapidly grown into a ____ event in the Irish calendar.
5. The road project was _____ and the excavations began
6. Like any Irish city, the climate is quite _____ so it's best to pack a jacket
Activity 2
True or false?
1. Waterford was founded in the 10th century.
2. Blaa should be eaten within a few hours of being baked.
3. The Spraoi has been running for more than 12 years.
4. Up to 80,00 people come for the Spraoi.
5. Woodstown seems to have been a poor town.
6. You can buy souvenirs in the Waterford Crystal factory
7. The summer daytime temperature averages 10°c
Transcript
Waterford is Ireland's oldest city and its fifth largest. Founded by the Vikings over 1200 years ago it still has many of the original walls which you can see on a nice leisurely stroll around town. Here are one or two things that you should see, do and eat on you visit.
Firstly, a good Waterford breakfast is not complete without some Blaa. This is the very soft white bread baked in the form of a square roll which is particular to the city. It's eaten at breakfast mainly although any time is good enough for me. Just make sure you eat it soon after buying it as it doesn't stay fresh for very long.
If you're here during the August bank Holiday you'll see the Spraoi, spelt SPRAOI. This is a hugely popular street performance festival that started as recently as 1993 and has rapidly grown into a fixed event in the Irish calendar. Hundreds of performers do their thing over the three days and the city welcomes as many as 80,000 guests for the fun and games.
Just a short hop to the west of the city is Woodstown. This is a ninth century Viking settlement which was discovered while plans for a new road were being made. The road project was abandoned and the excavations began on what was a large, affluent town. It's a huge discovery and is the largest in Europe. Well worth a visit.
Finally, you can't come to Waterford without doing something related to the world famous crystal. A factory was founded here in 1793 and produced crystal of the highest quality, gaining a world class reputation. Today you can take a guided tour of the factory, spend you hard earned Euros in the gift shop and see pictures of some of their more famous work, such as the chandeliers in Windsor Castle and Westminster Abbey, as well as the glass ball which drops at midnight in New York's Time Square to bring in the New Year.
Like any Irish city, the climate is quite cool so it's best to pack a jacket even in the summer, as the average night time temperature drops to around 10°c, the same temperature during the day in the winter months. Still, a nice drop of Irish whiskey will soon warm you up.
This student worksheet is free to download and print for use in the classroom or for self-study. It is meant to be used in conjunction with the listening file which is available in mp3 format. However, the transcript can be used not only to check answers but also for reading comprehension and vocabulary exercises.
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September 22nd 2008 Podcard about: Brisbane Crossword on: Angelina Jolie |
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