6 Minute English - Big hills and small mountains | Текст песни

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• 6 Minute English
• Big hills and small mountains

Yvonne: Hello, I’m Yvonne Archer - this is '6 minute English' - and today, Callum's
with me. Hi Callum…
Callum: Hi Yvonne
Yvonne: Now this week, we ask: is there any difference between a really big hill and a
small mountain? Dictionaries basically say that a hill is not as high as a
mountain - and a mountain is higher than a hill! Anything to add, Callum?
Callum: Well, if big hills and small mountains were the same, we probably wouldn't
need separate nouns for them in English for them, would we?
Yvonne: Good point. But before we find out more, here's a question for you: Which of
these three places is proud to have the world's highest hill? Is it:
a) Beverley Hills
b) Dar Es Salaam or
c) Oklahoma
Callum: Ummm - this is just going to be a guess because I really have no idea. I'm
going to guess at Oklahoma.
Yvonne: Okay, we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme!
Recently, a report from the BBC's David Bamford had some people thinking
that in Snowdonia, North Wales, people were making a mountain out of a
molehill! But before we hear about that story, here's a look at some of the
language we'll come across. Callum, what can you tell us about 'Ordnance
Survey maps'?
Callum: Well, 'Ordnance Survey' is the name for Great Britain's official mapping
agency. So their maps are known as the most accurate, the most up-to-date and
most reliable maps available –even the government relies on them. And even –
and I do too. When I go walking, I always take an Ordance Survey map with
me and my compass.
Yvonne: Excellent! So we'll hear 'Ordnance Survey maps' in today's report - but listen
out for the answer to this question as well: How high is a mountain?
For many years now, Wales has been very popular with both tourists and
mountaineers – people who enjoy climbing mountains. So, how would you feel
if what you proudly think of as your local mountain is officially classified as -
a mere hill?
DAVID BAMFORD
That's been the case 'til now for Mynydd Graig Goch, in North Wales. The locals KNEW it
was a mountain - that's why they called it Mynydd - the Welsh word for 'mountain'. But
British Ordnance Survey maps classified it as a hill because it was assumed to be under two
thousand feet high - that's six hundred and nine metres - the recognized minimum height for a
mountain.
Yvonne: So how high is a mountain? Callum?
Callum Well anything over two thousand feet high – now that's six hundred and nine
metres high – that's a mountain.
Yvonne: And anything under - or less than - two thousand feet high is officially - a hill.
So what happened - with our mountain in Wales – what happened there?
Callum: The report said that Ordnance Survey assumed it was less than two thousand
feet high - but they didn't actually know for sure that that was true.
Yvonne: Ooh - a big mistake, eh?! But luckily, a group of mountaineers who live in the
area used very reliable equipment to measure their mountain and they proved
that it's definitely not a hill. It's six inches high – or fifteen point two
centimetres higher than the minimum - so Ordnance Survey will change their
map.
Callum: Hurray for Wales, they've finally got their extra mountain!
Yvonne: Yeah…
Callum – you're a film buff… do you know anything about a film with a
similar story?
Callum: Well yes, there was a romantic comedy with the actor Hugh Grant in 1995.
And that was called "The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill, But Came Down a
Mountain".
Yvonne: I love that title! Now as we hear what the film is about, try to guess what 'a
cartographer' is – what's 'a cartographer'?
...
Группа Learning English.
Продолжение транскрипта:
http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/6minute/6minute_081008_mountains.pdf