Rob: Hello, I’m Rob and this is 6 Minute English and I’m joined this week by Callum. Hello
Callum.
Callum: Hello Rob.
Rob: Today we’re talking about tall buildings – very tall buildings in fact.
Callum: I suppose we could call them skyscrapers – because they’re so tall they almost
touch the sky.
Rob: They do. Many countries compete with each other in trying to earn the title of having
the tallest building in the world. And this month, London has opened its newest
structure but unfortunately it’s not going to win the world record for being the
highest.
Callum: No, but it is now the European Union’s tallest building standing at 310 metres tall.
Rob: That’s high enough for me. I haven’t really got a head for heights! Anyway if you
don’t know what this new building is called we’ll tell you in a moment but not before
I’ve set today’s question for Callum.
Callum: I suppose this is going to be about height?
Rob: Yes, that’s the long and short of it! According to the Guinness World Records, the
first ever skyscraper was built in the USA, but in which city? Was it in:
a) New York
b) Chicago
c) Detroit
Callum: I don’t know this but I’m going to go for a: New York because there are many
famous skyscrapers in New York. So I’m going to go a: New York.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2013
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Rob: Well, I’ll let you know the answer at the end of the programme. But let’s talk more
about London’s newest building, which has just opened to the public, and is called
The Shard.
Callum: The Shard. That’s because of its shape. The structure narrows as it gets higher and
comes to a point at the top. From a distance, with the sun reflecting on it, it looks
like a shard – or a sharp, broken piece of glass, which is what a shard means.
Rob: Yes, and the steel structure is covered in glass which means that if you are inside
you get a fantastic view over London.
Callum: And if you don’t mind forking out lots of money you can go to the viewing platform
on the 72nd floor for a birds-eye view of the city. That’s what these people did – what
did they think of it?
The Shard visitors:
I’m just a bit blown away to be honest.
It’s what we needed really, isn’t it, against other capitals.
I’ve been on the London Eye and look how much higher up we are.
Rob: Well, The Shard seems to have the wow factor for those people. In other words,
they were very impressed. The first woman said she was ‘blown away’ or amazed by
the experience.
Callum: Someone else mentioned it was much higher than the London Eye – that’s another
famous landmark. And somebody else commented that it was what London needed
– but why?
Rob: A good question. A new skyscraper can create good publicity for a city – it’s an
image that is seen all around the world and it can show a city as being prosperous
and modern.
Callum: Yes, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is a good example of this. It boasts the
world’s tallest building – the Burj Khalifa – standing at 828 metres tall. 'Burj', by the
way, is Arabic for tower. Other countries such as China, Malaysia and the USA all
boast towers much taller than The Shard.
Rob: Of course, the engineering involved is impressive. But what do you put inside these
towers? Most contain luxury living accommodation, a hotel, offices, and, of course,
an observation deck – that’s a viewing platform.
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Callum: But there is a problem for The Shard. At the moment only 20% of the office space is
leased – which means only 20% is rented out. Jack Sidders from the Estates
Gazette newspaper has his reasons for this:
Jack Sidders, of the Estates Gazette newspaper:
What they are trying to do is create an entire quarter here, to make it into more of an established
office location but, you know, maybe if you’re a tenant, economy’s very dodgy, that added bit of
risk, maybe that will put people off.
Rob: So, the owners of The Shard want to make it an established office location – so,
therefore, a good recognised location for business – but the current economic
situation could be putting off tenants from moving in.
Callum: Yes, he said described the economy as dodgy – a slang word for uncertain or risky.
Rob: That’s not the view of Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London. He’s proud of the new
building and, together with other new constructions, he’s optimistic about the future.
See if you can hear the names of some other London landmarks he mentions:
Boris Johnson, Mayor of London:
You’ve got the Walkie Talkie going up, The Cheese Grater, the stuff that wasn’t happening four
years ago, all those cranes stopped moving four years ago; they’re back on the scene now.
Callum: Some interesting names for buildings there – The Walkie Talkie and The Cheese
Grater! This is, of course, because of the shape of the buildings, which look like the
objects they are named after. I suppose these names make it easier to identify the
buildings.
Rob: Yes but I think I’d be quite embarrassed to tell people I work in The Cheese Grater!
OK, well it’s time now to reveal the answer to today’s question.
Callum: Ah yes. You asked me, according to the Guinness World Records, the first ever
skyscraper was built in the USA but in which city?
Rob: Yes, was it in:
a) New York
b) Chicago
c) Detroit
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Callum: And I said New York.
Rob: And you are wrong I'm afraid. The world’s first skyscraper was the Home Insurance
Building in Chicago. Built between 1884 and 1885, the so-called “Father of the
Skyscraper” towered all of ten storeys and was just 42 metres tall.
Callum: Not much of skyscraper by today’s standards, is it really?
Rob: Indeed. OK, well, it’s almost time to go but before we do, Callum could you remind
us of some of the words we have heard today.
Callum: Yes. We heard:
skyscrapers
a shard
forking out
the wow factor
landmark
prosperous
observation deck
leased
established
dodgy
Rob: Thanks Callum. Well, that’s all we have time for today. Please join us again soon for
6 Minute English from bbclearningenglish.
Both: Bye.
