A Chinese doctor built a rocky retreat on top of his Beijing apartment building, but it is now being dismantled after neighbors complained it was noisy and dangerous. Authorities said it was constructed illegally and have ordered its demolition.

1. BBC Learning English
Video Words in the News
21 August 2013
Garden in the clouds
Video Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 1 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com
Transcript:
When there's no space for a garden, the only way is up.
One Chinese doctor has built a rocky retreat on top of this Beijing block of
flats.
But his villa is now being dismantled after neighbours complained it was noisy
and dangerous.
Authorities say it was built illegally and have ordered its demolition.
Vocabulary:
retreat
a private, safe place to get away from everyday life
block of flats
tall building divided into separate homes
villa
large house with a garden in the countryside or by the sea
dismantled
taken apart piece by piece
demolition
destruction (of a building)
Watch the video online: Garden in the clouds http://bbc.in/14ZTpvx

2. Video Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 2 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com
Exercise:
Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from
news reports.
Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence
correctly.
retreat / block of flats / villa / dismantled / demolition
1. Two multi-storey ____________ in Hull dating back to the 1960s have been
demolished as part of planned improvements to a city estate.
2. I noted that London had suffered a similar disregard for many of its
architectural landmarks after the war. Covent Garden Market and the gothic
magnificence of St Pancras Station were earmarked for ____________ and
only saved by a small band of passionate protestors.
3. His appearance on Monday followed a two-month period of convalescence.
He will now join the Queen at their summer ____________ of Balmoral
Castle in Aberdeenshire.
4. But while he is gloomy about the future he is also a dreamer, and the
centrepiece of his dream is a small ____________ in the seaside suburb of
La Goulette.
5. The temporary Neolithic huts were completed and open to the public during
the two May bank holidays.
But last week the volunteers who built them began to ____________ the
reconstructed buildings.

3. Video Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 3 of 3
bbclearningenglish.com
Answers:
1. Two multi-storey blocks of flats in Hull dating back to the 1960s have been
demolished as part of planned improvements to a city estate.
Source: Hull Orchard Park tower blocks demolished
http://bbc.in/154LkCN
2. I noted that London had suffered a similar disregard for many of its
architectural landmarks after the war. Covent Garden Market and the gothic
magnificence of St Pancras Station were earmarked for demolition and only
saved by a small band of passionate protestors.
Source: Exploring Los Angeles' forgotten stairways to the stars
http://bbc.in/16Ge5Ix
3. His appearance on Monday followed a two-month period of convalescence.
He will now join the Queen at their summer retreat of Balmoral Castle in
Aberdeenshire.
Source: Prince Philip appears in public for first time since surgery
http://bbc.in/1doGjsg
4. But while he is gloomy about the future he is also a dreamer, and the
centrepiece of his dream is a small villa in the seaside suburb of La Goulette.
Source: Tunisia Jews: A tiny community hanging on - and cooking
http://bbc.in/19G7tMg
5. The temporary Neolithic huts were completed and open to the public during
the two May bank holidays.
But last week the volunteers who built them began to dismantle the
reconstructed buildings.
Source: Archaeologists demolish Neolithic houses built at Old Sarum
http://bbc.in/13OhWgD