Page 142 - Think 3. Teacher's Book B3+

Student’s Book Audioscript

Host Absolutely right, but you’ve still Cindy No idea at all. It’s probably Ying Of course, that’s more coins than the
only got a hundred pounds. So, OK, Yuan, but no, I really don’t know. I’ll UK needs each year. The Mint also
here’s your next question, for £250. take the thousand pounds please. makes coins for other countries – around
Which day of the week is the one when Host Fair enough. Cindy Jones, you 60 countries in all get their coins from
most people use a cash machine? Is it have won £1,000! And Cindy, if you’d the UK.
Monday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday? said Ying Yuan you would have … lost So far, I’ve only talked about coins. But
Cindy Well, of course I don’t know, but your money! The correct answer is the Royal Mint makes other products
I’ll guess. I think it’s probably Friday. B, Lydian Lion. Applause please for as well. One of the things it produces
Host Why? Cindy Jones! is something called a blank. A blank
is a metal disc which is the size of a
Cindy Well, it’s the start of the 10.07 coin but doesn’t have anything printed
weekend, isn’t it, so I think that’s when You will hear Conner talking about
people most want some money to the Royal Mint, where coins are made. on it. Blanks can be made into coins
somewhere else at a later date.
spend.
For questions 1 to 10, complete the The Mint also produces medals and coins
Host It’s a good guess, Cindy, and sentences with a word or short phrase.
it’s correct! Around the world, more Conner: I’d like to talk to you today to celebrate special occasions. They’re
money is taken out of cash machines about the Royal Mint. I should explain always limited editions and can become
quite valuable. These are the coins that
on Fridays than any other day of the that I’m a numismatist, which means got me interested in the hobby. I started
week. OK, Cindy, you have £250, my hobby is collecting coins. That’s
and here’s your next question. We all why I’m so interested in the Royal in 2012, which was a good year because
know that most of the money in the Mint: it’s where all the UK’s coins are the Mint made special coins to celebrate
the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and also the
world doesn’t exist as actual coins made. London Olympics. I’ve got them both.
and banknotes, it’s just numbers,
figures in computer records. But what The headquarters of the Royal Mint is in Talking of collecting, the Royal Mint has
percentage of all the money in the South Wales in a town called Llantrisant. an amazing collection of its own, with
world is coins and notes? Is it eight I’ve never been there, but I’ve seen examples of almost all the coins it’s
percent, 12 percent, 20 percent or photos and it looks amazing. It’s produced since the 16th century. It keeps
50 percent? massive – there’s no bigger mint on the them in the Royal Mint Museum and you
planet – and it uses the most amazing can see most of them on its online pages.
Cindy It can’t be as high as 50, and technology to produce the coins. Unfortunately, you can’t visit the museum
I think 20 percent is very high, too. in person to see the collection. In fact,
So, eight or 12? Well, I’m sure it’s a low One thing I should mention is that not
percentage, so I’ll say … eight percent. all the UK’s money is made here. The you can’t visit the Mint at all. Until a few
banknotes are made by the Bank of years ago, you could have a guided tour
Host You say eight percent, and that England, which is a different organisation around the museum, but they stopped
is … absolutely right! That puts you at altogether. them because they were worried about
£500. Well done! How do you feel? safety. It’s a real shame because a trip
The Royal Mint is also extremely old.
Cindy Actually, I’m pretty calm now! to the Royal Mint would be my dream
It was started during the reign of King
Host Great! OK, question four! For one Alfred in 886. That’s more than 1,100 day out.
thousand pounds. We often talk about years ago. At that time, there were
paper money, but many banknotes are several mints all over the country, but in Unit 11
made of plastic. Which country was 1279, all coins were made in one place – 11.04
the first country to produce plastic the Tower of London. The Mint stayed in
banknotes? Is it Sweden, Germany, London until 1968, when it moved to its We asked you, our listeners, to send us
the US or Australia? current site in Wales. The new buildings your favourite fables – you know, stories
with a moral, where we learn a lesson
Cindy I know this! I read it somewhere, were opened by Queen Elizabeth II. about life. We’ve received some great
ages ago. It’s Australia. As I’ve already said, the Royal Mint is fables from you and now we’re reading
Host Sure? It’s for one thousand a really big place. It takes up 35 acres, one every day as part of the podcast
pounds! which is about the size of 23 football series.
Cindy I’m sure. Australia. pitches. It’s also a huge employer, Today’s suggestion is from Jeff in Derby.
offering jobs to 900 people. As you can
Host And it’s the right answer! And it’s see, it’s really important for employment He has sent us the classic fable of
got you £1,000. OK, this is where it in the area. Androcles and the Lion. So here it goes:
gets serious. A wrong answer now and Once upon a time in ancient Rome there
you’ll leave here with nothing. Work at the site goes on for 24 hours was a slave called Androcles whose
a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks
Cindy I know. master was cruel and treated him badly.
a year – it literally never stops. So it’s
Host OK, so here’s your next question. not surprising that it has the potential One day Androcles managed to escape
Remember, you don’t have to answer to produce 90 million coins a week, and went to the forest to hide. While
it. What’s the name of the world’s first which means its yearly output is around he was walking through the trees, he
known coin – in other words, the oldest 5 billion coins. came across a lion lying on the ground
coin in the world that we know of? Is it under some trees. His first thought was
the Egyptian Lira, the Lydian Lion, the to turn and run, but then he noticed
Ying Yuan or the Saxon Shilling? that the lion was making strange noises

T128 Student’s Book Audioscript