Danger Bird Bath

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Podcasts – Themes – Home

Introduction
Download the LearnEnglish Themes podcast. You’ll find more information on this page:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-podcasts-themes.htm

This support pack contains the following materials:


• The article that you can listen to in the podcast
• An optional comprehension activity based on the article
• Links to other activities on the LearnEnglish website on this theme (home).

Read the article

Danger! Bird bath!


by Andy Baxter

We all know that chainsaws are very dangerous - danger was your wellington boots: 5,615
in Britain 1,207 people had to visit hospitals after accidents.
accidents with chainsaws in 1999. However, in In films, people always hide from danger in the
the same year, 16,662 people – more than twelve bathroom, but that’s a dangerous option in real
times as many - were injured by their sofa! life. Toilet-roll holders alone accounted for 329
In June 2001, the New Scientist reported that “its victims, while 787 people had to confront their
favourite government report” had been published sponge or loofah, and there were 73 talcum
by Britain's Department of Trade and Industry. powder victims. But beware the clothes basket,
This was the annual Home and Leisure Accident which claimed 3,421 victims nationwide.
Surveillance System report for 1999. The report But it was in the kitchen that most people got
looks at what people said had made them go to injured. Tea cosies – woollen covers for tea pots
accident departments in certain British hospitals. to keep the tea hot – caused 37 injuries,
It then uses these figures to estimate causes of compared with 20 the previous year; while
accidents over the whole country. placemat accidents were up from 157 to 165.
Some of the most harmless things prove to be Vegetables caused 13,132 incidents, while 91
extremely dangerous: accidents were caused by bread bins.

Clothes: the Times (07 June 2001) reported that The deadly nature of these common household
there were 5,945 trouser accidents (compared objects becomes clearer when you compare it
with only 5,137 the previous year). Socks and with items people normally think are dangerous.
tights caused 10,773 accidents. Most of these Only 329 injuries were caused by meat cleavers,
accidents were people falling over because they and only 439 caused by rat or mouse poison.
were getting dressed too fast, and many other How can we explain all these horrors hiding in
people fell over clothes left on the floor (you see, our homes? Perhaps the figures are explained by
your mother was right when she told you to tidy the fact that most of the injured people were
up your bedroom!) children under five. And we all know that young
Meanwhile, the garden also took its revenge. children on wobbly legs will go to places and
Tree trunks caused 1,810 accidents, and bird insert their fingers in places that even Lara Croft
baths went on the rampage, attacking 311 people would have thought twice about risking…
- up from 117 victims in 1998. But the biggest

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The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.
Podcasts – Themes – Home

After reading
Exercise 1
Below are 11 statements about the text. For each one, decide if it is True or False.

1. Chainsaws caused many times more accidents than sofas.

2. The New Scientists didn't like the Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System report.

3. The figures for causes of accidents are not very accurate.

4. More people were hurt getting dressed than tripping over clothes left on the floor.

5. The author thinks mothers give good advice.

6. Bird baths actually attack people.

7. Wellington boots are more dangerous than trousers.

8. Many people in films get hurt by clothes baskets.

9. More people got hurt in their kitchens than anywhere else.

10. Common household objects caused more injuries than items people normally think are
dangerous.

11. Lara Croft thinks twice as much as children about having accidents.

More activities on this topic


You’ll find links to all the following activities connected to the theme of home at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish-central-themes-home.htm
• UK Culture: The Housing Issue. We reveal a country that is living in the 21st Century, a nation that
is adopting modern, energy-saving materials, technology and ideas.
• Magazine articles: There are 2 other articles: Black sheep and the mysterious Uncle Bob and
IKEA.
• Word games: There are 10 word games, including apartment game; everyday activities;
household appliances and tools.
• Stories: There are 3 stories: Names; The Untied Nations and Where Home Is.
• Poems: There are 2 (sets of) poems: Family poetry and A glass of wine.
• Trivia: The following trivia topic is available for this theme: family.
• Science: cubed - Domestic LEDs and Intelligent interiors.
• There are also 3 home-related cartoons, and carefully selected external links.
Answers to comprehension activity: 1. False (F); 2. F; 3. True (T); 4. T; 5. T; 6. F; 7. F; 8. F; 9. T;
10. T; 11. F

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The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We are registered in England as a charity.

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