Protest at Wind Turbine Plant on the Isle of Wight – exercise
In July 2009 workers staged an occupation of a wind turbine factory to protest against the imminent closure of the plant and the loss of hundreds of jobs. About 25 workers entered the administration block of the Danish-owned factory Vestas Wind Systems in Newport on the Isle of Wight and vowed to remain there until the government discussed their proposal to save it from closure by nationalising the plant.
In April the Danish firm announced that the factory, which employed 525 people, as well as another in Southampton, employing 100 people, would close because of a lack of demand, citing a slowdown in demand and ‘a lack of political initiatives’. Vestas is the world’s biggest wind energy group. The Vestas chief executive, Ditlev Engel, said building wind turbines in Britain was “extremely time-consuming and extremely complicated”. He added: “In the UK, nimbyism is a huge challenge.”
In this recording the reporter Steven Morris speaks to Dave, one of the workers involved in occupying the Vestas wind turbine factory in Newport, Isle of Wight, who accused the company of not living up to the green values it claimed to promote.
1) Can you supply the words from the text above which express the following? a) The adjective indicating that something is about to happen in the very near future? b) the verb meaning to make a determined decision or promise to do something c) the phrasal- prepositional verb meaning to carry out or fulfil (of something promised, planned or expected)? d) the noun describing the phenomenon of people objecting to new developments in the area where they live because they consider them unpleasant.
2 How does Dave express the idea in the recording that ‘the firm is only interested in making a profit‘?
3 What, in environmental terms, makes Vestas unique?
4 The person speaking expected the government to seize an opportunity to prove their environmental credentials. How is the idea in bold expressed here?
5 What does the spokesman for the workers say he does not want the government to do?
6 What does the spokesman for the workers say he wants the government to do?
7 The interviewer asked if the spokesperson is optimistic that this will happen. What adjective does he use to express ‘optimistic’?
8 What phrasal verb is used meaning to honour, or not to abandon their policies?
9 What is the wider issue that the loss of these jobs is also about?
10 How many jobs would be lost if the plant closed?
11 What adjective describes the effect of losing these jobs?
12 How important an employer is Vestas?
13 The speaker mentions that there would be a consequence for others if the factory closed. How are the words in bold expressed here?
14 What verb does the worker use to express workers ‘being very afraid‘?
15 A phrase is used to express the idea that it will be tragic, or sad if the plant closes. What is the phrase?
16 From what the reporter has heard (or read) he has gained the impression that people outside the factory are supporting the sit-in. How are the words in bold expressed here?
17 From what the reporter has seen he has gained the impression that the factory-workers have the support of various groups outside the firm. How are the words in bold expressed here?
18 A single noun is used which means the centre of activity, where main decisions are taken and plannng is done. What is this noun?
19 The workers are in fairly good spirits. How is this expressed, and what causes it to be the case?
20 Dave says they proceeded in small steps, on an ad hoc basis (i.e. taking decisions as they arise). How does he express this?
21 What is management trying to do by stopping the workers’ food supplies going into the factory?
Answers and vocabulary are in the document attached.
Back to the reading bank or the grammar bank or the Home Page