eupeimproveenglish

SPYPHONES A device first used by German tank drivers in 1942 can prove to be helpful in everyday life: people will no longer have to run out of pubs when their mobile rings showing the number of their boss or their partner. They will talk freely knowing that the person on the other end cannot hear a thing going around them: the roar of the crowd, loud music, or a friend’s laughter. The device, which is worn around the neck, does not transmit outside noise as it does not use a microphone; instead, a microchip translates voice vibrations in the skin into electrical impulses that are then turned into words. It can be worn under the collar of a shirt, and you can only see an earpiece, although a wireless version is also being developed. The apparatus has been brought to Britain by Andrew Darby, who saw it in a spy shop in Hong Kong. He thinks that it can be especially beneficial to emergency services, construction industry and sports people, who could communicate with each other ...

TEXT 1 A NEW TAX ON RUBBISH A new tax, known as “pay–as-you-throw,” in which British families will be charged for the amount of rubbish they produce, is to be brought nationwide. The Government thinks there must be a radical revision of the way in which rubbish is thrown away, otherwise there is a real danger that city council taxes will have to rise and the environment will continue to suffer. In this sense, the Environment Minister has said he would look sympathetically at this new system, which would encourage recycling and make the polluter pay, as he is contributing to climate change. According to figures published recently by a prestigious institute, Britain has the third worst recycling rate in the European Union, after Greece and Portugal. So, the Local Government Association has threatened to increase council tax bills if recycling doesn’t improve. It has said that this tariff will be needed to cover EU fines. As in Britain every family owns its waste container, there is ...