Time for an update on some previous lessons of Plain English
Lesson summary
Hi everyone, Jeff here, thanks for joining us this Thursday for Plain English. This is lesson number 251. You can find the full lesson at PlainEnglish.com/251.
On today’s lesson, we’ll revisit some of the topics we’ve touched on in the past few years and provide you with an update. We’ll tell you the latest from Notre-Dame, Mt. Everest, the New York City subway, the Houston Astros, and a few more. Don’t forget to stick around until the very end, when I give you my own personal taste test, as a follow up to Lesson 151.
Notre-Dame Cathedral restorations
Just over one year ago, the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris caught fire; we talked about it in Lesson 149 and Lesson 154. A large portion of its roof fell in, and its famous spire collapsed onto the area where the altar would be. The fire started from either an electrical glitch or an errant cigarette. Remarkably, it caused no loss of life and many, though not all, of the cathedral’s priceless pieces of art were saved. France’s business community pledged 850 million euros to rebuild the famous cathedral. French President Emmanuel Macron promised that it would be rebuilt within five years. Christmas 2019 was the first in over 200 years that did not feature a mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
One year on, the difficult work of restoration is under way. The cathedral remains in a precarious position. Large parts of the building are weakened due to the fire, and it’s an urgent priority to make structural repairs to prevent further damage being done. Scientists working inside have to put on heavy protective suits and wear masks because of the toxic chemicals released when the lead roof melted. Meanwhile, a public spat has broken out between the chief architect and the leader of the restoration. The architect, Phillippe Villenueve, wants to build an exact replica of the original spire. The French Army general in charge of the reconstruction effort has different ideas. He said the new spire should be more contemporary. When asked about the architect’s differing opinion, the General said the architect should “shut his mouth.” A lot of the restoration work has been paused due to the coronavirus.
New York begins MetroCard phase-out
The 116-year-old New York City subway is a bit more high-tech. In Lesson 60, we talked about how New York would be introducing electronic payments for the subway, retiring the famous yellow plastic MetroCards—which themselves were a high-tech replacement for tokens, which were a high-tech replacement for coins.
On my last visit to New York, I finally saw OMNY—an acronym for “One Metro New York” and a play on words, since the prefix “omni” means “all” or “of every kind.” It’s the new electronic way to get on the subway, buses, and other forms of public transportation in New York. You can use your phone, a contactless credit card, smartwatch, or even FitBit to pay your fare. So all you future New York tourists will be denied the exquisite New York pleasure of standing at the MetroCard vending machines, trying to figure out what card to buy while impatient commuters stand behind you. Instead, your utter confusion will be delayed until after you pass through the turnstiles and stare at the map.
Speaking of the map, the designer of the modern New York City subway map, Michael Hertz, died recently. If you’ve been on the New York subway, you’ve definitely seen his artwork. The previous subway map was more like ones in Munich, Washington, DC, and London: The lines were straight, with consistent angles. It was more like a diagram than a map. The current New York subway map is different. The curves are more accurate, and you can easily tell where stations are in relation to geographic landmarks.
Mt. Everest
In Lesson 161, we talked about an inconvenient traffic jam. Hundreds of climbers, hoping to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, were jammed together on a narrow path, all clinging to a single safety line. Last year’s spring hiking season was one of the deadliest on record, and hikers say that’s because inexperienced climbers—encouraged by unscrupulous guides—try to climb the mountain without sufficient experience or sufficient strength.
In response, the government of Nepal pledged to strengthen safety measures. But they couldn’t get them passed in time for this year’s climbing season, which is going on right now. One reason is that the fees charged per climber—about $11,000—are an important source of revenue for Nepal’s government, and they don’t want to put that money at risk. The new rules would have included a cap on the number of climbing permits, a requirement that guides have high-altitude experience, and a price increase.
Some private guides are taking things into their own hands. They’re independently requiring their clients to prove they have the climbing skill needed to survive at such high altitudes, and they’re increasing equipment inspections. That’s good for them, but even the best guides and most-prepared climbers will have to contend with Instagram-obsessed people pushing and shoving in line, unless there’s reform of the system. For this year, though, the coronavirus may slow down traffic.
Other stories
In Lesson 3, we talked about the Houston Astros, who won the 2017 World Series of baseball. That victory has a cloud over it now. The Astros were found to have illegally used cameras to steal signs and spy on opposing teams in 2017 and 2018. A number of coaches and executives were fired as a result of the scandal and the team was fined $5 million, the maximum allowed.
In Lesson 140, we talked about the university admissions scandal, where parents were paying a so-called college counselor to cheat the admissions system and get their kids admitted to exclusive universities. Over 50 people have been charged; many have pled guilty. Actress Felicity Huffman was sentenced to 14 days in jail and 250 hours of community service. Several other wealthy parents were sentenced to between one and four months in prison.
And just recently in Lesson 231, we talked about how scientists now believe the average human body temperature is a bit higher than previously thought. That should come in handy as technology companies are developing more efficient and less-intrusive ways to measure body temperature. The new devices are intended to scan people for fevers as they enter public places, like buildings or train stations. Some are used up close and look like a price scanner at store; others can be used more remotely and kept out of sight. The technology was already being deployed before the coronavirus, but is now enjoying a surge in demand.
Great stories make learning English fun
