Coffee Break English, season four, episode four.
Hello everyone and welcome back to Coffee Break English.
My name's Josie. And I'm Mark and I'm delighted to be back for another episode of Coffee Break English.
Josie, today we are going to Canada.
We are. We're going to Toronto and we're talking about the CN Tower, Edgewalk.
Yes, this is quite scary, I have to say.
Yes, we've looked at a video online.
It looks pretty scary, but this text will tell us more about it.
Let's go over to Ryan to find out more about the CN Tower, Edgewalk.
Hi Mark. Hi Josie. It's Ryan here and I'm back with another Canadian themed text for you.
Today we're heading to the city of Toronto.
Let's begin. If you're looking for something unique to do in Toronto, Canada, you have to try the world's highest ever full circle hands -free walk.
The CN Tower Edgewalk lets participants walk around the top of the CN Tower on a 1 .5 metre platform, which is 356 metres above the ground.
Safety is a priority for the Edgewalk and visitors have to wear a harness when they are on the platform.
Each group is accompanied by a guide who encourages them to step outside their comfort zone and lean out over Toronto.
Don't worry though, you don't have to do anything you don't want to.
If that's not your idea of fun, then there are lots of other things to do at the CN Tower.
There is a glass floor which visitors can stand on and look down at the ground 342 metres below.
Although it's not as scary as the Edgewalk, you still have to be quite brave to try that one.
The tower also has a special observation deck called the Skypod.
Visitors can travel up 447 metres in an elevator and see breathtaking views over Toronto and Lake Ontario.
But unlike during the Edgewalk, they don't have to wear a harness.
The CN Tower is a truly special landmark, and the Edgewalk is a one -of -a -kind way of experiencing it.
Participants get access to all the tower's attractions, a souvenir video of their walk, and a certificate of achievement to celebrate what they did.
Are you brave enough to try it?
Thank you, Ryan. And Ryan asked at the end of his text, are you brave enough to try it?
Mark, what do you think?
I think I would be a little scared doing this.
I have visited the CN Tower and I have stood on the glass floor.
But when I was there, unfortunately, the Edgewalk was not available yet.
What a shame! Oh dear.
On the website, I see that you can buy your friends a gift certificate to give them the opportunity to do the Edgewalk.
Josie, please don't ever buy me that gift.
I was thinking of that for your next birthday, but...
Would you do it? I think I would, to be honest.
I'm not too scared of heights, of being up high, so I think I might try it.
You're braver than me.
Let's go back through the text now.
OK, and before we start, let's mention the language point for today, which is the verb have to.
OK, if you're looking for something unique to do in Toronto, Canada, you have to try the world's highest ever full circle hands -free walk.
Lots of adjectives there.
Yeah, lots of adjectives.
The first one we have, unique, if you're looking for something unique to do.
Unique means unusual and special, usually the only one of its type.
And Ryan says you have to try this Edgewalk.
In this case, what does have to mean, Mark?
Here it means you should do the Edgewalk, if you can.
That's right. So Ryan is recommending to us.
He's saying it's a good idea to try the world's highest.
So most high, most tall, full circle.
So the walk goes in a full circle around the tower, hands -free walk.
What's hands -free? Well, you don't use your hands, so there's nothing to hold on to.
That's right. Yeah, you're not holding on to the tower as you walk.
Your hands are free.
The CN Tower Edgewalk lets participants walk around the top of the CN Tower on a 1 .5 -metre platform, which is 356 metres above the ground.
Yeah, so you're walking on a platform.
A platform is a flat structure to stand on, usually made of metal or wood.
I think in this case it's made of metal.
That's stronger. I think that's probably important.
Yes. And it's 356 metres above the ground, above the surface of the Earth.
OK. And notice that we said 356, whereas Ryan said 356.
That's right. This is the North American way to say this.
Safety is a priority for the Edgewalk, and visitors have to wear a harness when they are on the platform.
Yeah, so safety is a priority.
A priority is one of the most important things.
And this is obvious because visitors have to wear a harness.
First of all, what's a harness?
A harness is a set of straps which go around a person's body to stop them from moving, or in this case to stop them from falling.
Yes, so obviously you have a harness.
You're not just free on this platform, luckily.
And visitors have to wear a harness.
So have to. In this case, it's talking about obligation, a rule.
It's like must. Yeah, visitors must wear a harness.
They must wear a harness for safety.
That's right. Each group is accompanied by a guide who encourages them to step outside their comfort zone and lean out over Toronto.
Yeah, so this guide, they encourage the visitors.
They try to make the visitors step outside their comfort zone.
What's your comfort zone, Mark?
Your comfort zone is when you're in a situation where you feel comfortable and in control.
That's right. So I think for most people, this walking on top of this very tall tower is not in their comfort zone.
They don't feel comfortable.
And I think I agree.
That's fair. And the guide also encourages them to lean out over Toronto, over the city.
So lean means to bend your body in a direction.
Don't worry, though.
You don't have to do anything you don't want to.
So here we have the negative of have to.
You don't have to do anything you don't want to.
So we said before, have to is used for obligation.
For example, in a car you have to wear a seatbelt.
But don't have to means there is no obligation to do something.
You can if you want to, but you don't have to.
That's right. For example, tomorrow it's a holiday.
So I don't have to go to work.
I can if I want to, but it's a holiday.
Yeah, it's a holiday.
So I won't. OK, let's pause there, and we'll be back soon with the rest of this text.
And we'll have to talk lots about all the interesting language in it.
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Welcome back to Coffee Break English.
We are talking about the scary CN Tower Edgewalk.
So if the Edgewalk is not your idea of fun, then there are lots of other things to do at the CN Tower.
There is a glass floor which visitors can stand on and look down at the ground 342 metres below.
Yes, that's what you did, isn't it, Mark?
That's right. And that was quite exciting.
Exciting enough for me, I think.
Yes. And this glass floor is still quite high.
It's 342 metres up from the ground.
And yeah, we say 342 metres.
Ryan says 342 metres.
OK. Although it's not as scary as the Edgewalk, you still have to be quite brave to try that one.
So here we have another have to.
You have to be quite brave.
So this means you should be quite brave.
It's a very good idea if you are brave to try this.
The tower also has a special observation deck called the Skypod.
Yeah, an observation deck is an area in a tall building where you can stand and look at the view.
Visitors can travel up 447 metres in an elevator and see breathtaking views over Toronto and Lake Ontario.
Yeah, so you can travel up in an elevator.
Elevator is North American English, and we in British English, we would say lift.
And from this lift, you can see breathtaking views.
Breathtaking means very good or very impressive, amazing.
The views take your breath away.
You can't breathe because they're so beautiful.
Exactly. But unlike during the Edgewalk, they don't have to wear a harness.
That's if you go up in the elevator.
That's right. So here we have another have to.
In this case, it's a negative form.
So the visitors in the elevator, they don't have to wear a harness.
So if they want to, they can, but they don't need to.
It's not necessary because it's quite safe.
The CN Tower is a truly special landmark.
And the Edgewalk is a one of a kind way of experiencing it.
Yeah, so it's a special landmark.
A landmark is a noticeable building or a natural thing in a place.
And the Edgewalk is a one of a kind way of experiencing it.
One of a kind means special because there's nothing similar to it.
That's right. OK, let's finish the text.
Participants get access to all the towers attractions, a souvenir video of their walk and a certificate of achievement to celebrate what they did.
Yeah, so the participants, the people who take part in this walk, they can see all of the attractions, all of the interesting things in the tower, and they also get a souvenir video of their walk.
What's a souvenir mark?
It's something which you keep to remind you of a place or in this case, an experience.
That's right. For example, every time I visit a new place, I buy a souvenir.
I buy a little magnet to put on my fridge.
Good. And they also get a certificate of achievement.
What's achievement?
Yeah, so an achievement is something difficult or something impressive that you have managed to do.
Exactly like the CN Tower Edgewalk.
Yeah. And then the last sentence in the text, are you brave enough to try it?
Let us know if you, our listeners, are brave enough to try the CN Tower Edgewalk.
Yes. Okay. Now let's listen to the text again and try to notice all the examples of have to and don't have to.
If you're looking for something unique to do in Toronto, Canada, you have to try the world's highest ever full circle hands -free walk.
The CN Tower Edgewalk lets participants walk around the top of the CN Tower on a 1 .5 -metre platform, which is 356 metres above the ground.
Safety is a priority for the Edgewalk, and visitors have to wear a harness when they are on the platform.
Each group is accompanied by a guide who encourages them to step outside their comfort zone and lean out over Toronto.
Don't worry though, you don't have to do anything you don't want to.
If that's not your idea of fun, then there are lots of other things to do at the CN Tower.
There is a glass floor which visitors can stand on and look down at the ground 342 metres below.
Although it's not as scary as the Edgewalk, you still have to be quite brave to try that one.
The tower also has a special observation deck called the Skypod.
Visitors can travel up 447 metres in an elevator and see breathtaking views over Toronto and Lake Ontario.
But unlike during the Edgewalk, they don't have to wear a harness.
The CN Tower is a truly special landmark, and the Edgewalk is a one -of -a -kind way of experiencing it.
Participants get access to all the tower's attractions, a souvenir video of their walk and a certificate of achievement to celebrate what they did.
Are you brave enough to try it?
Thank you Ryan, thank you Josie and thank you to all of our listeners.
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We'll be back soon with our extra episode and our next main episode of Coffee Break English when we're heading down to Australia.
Yeah, see you soon.
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