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‘Sky Pool’ Opens over London Streets

1. Discuss
Discuss the following with a partner.

1. Read the title of this Handout. How high do you think the pool is?

2. What kinds of things are people afraid of?

3. What can people do to overcome their fears?

2. Reading and Listening headphones

Fill gaps 1-12 as you read or listen to the article.

a. bustling c. adjacent e. oasis

b. atop d. gap f. transparent

1 Are you afraid of heights? Embassy Gardens, a London development, has opened what is being called the world’s first
2 Sky Pool. The completely 1. swimming pool has been built between the roofs of two
3 2. buildings, making swimmers appear as if they are floating in the air. Described by Architectural
4 Digest magazine, Sky Pool is an “82-foot heated 3. ” suspended in acrylic between the two roofs of
5 Embassy Gardens’ Legacy buildings.

6 The pool was conceptualized because of the lack of room to build a large enough pool 4. either one
7 of the buildings. The pool stretches across the 14-meter 5. between the two apartment buildings
8 and is 25 meters long and 3.2 meters deep. Floating 35 meters above the ground, swimmers will be able to see through
9 the pool’s transparent bottom to the 6. city streets below.

a. one of c. onto a e. will only

b. will be d. even a f. about the

1 The pool was produced in Colorado, USA, then transported to Texas, where it was then loaded 7.
2 cargo ship to take a three-week long (8,000 kilometers) journey to its new home above the streets of London. Brian
3 Eckersley, the director of 8. the companies that designed and built the Sky Pool says that, “…when
4 swimming, residents can look right down. It 9. like flying.”

5 If you are excited 10. idea of swimming in the Sky Pool don’t go booking a trip to London just yet;
6 the pool 11. be open to residents of Embassy Gardens and their guests. Residents can also enjoy
7 other amenities, like bars, lounges, a gym, and 12. private cinema. Apartments in the development
8 start at $1.2 million. So, the next time you visit London, why not look up at the sky to see if someone is looking down at
9 you?

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 3. True, False, or Not Given
Are the statements true, false, or not given? Reference the article to correct false
statements.

1. Many people are afraid of heights. true / false / not given

2. The swimming pool is partially transparent. true / false / not given

3. There wasn’t enough room to build a pool on the roof of either building. true / false / not given

4. The pool is suspended 25 meters about the street below. true / false / not given

5. The pool was constructed in Colorado and Texas. true / false / not given

6. The London public can swim in the pool for a small fee. true / false / not given

4. Complete the Sentences

Complete sentences 1-6 with endings a-f. Identify grammar patterns to help.

1. ______ The swimming pool has a. able to see through the pool’s transparent bottom.

2. ______ The pool was conceptualized because b. of the lack of room atop either one of the buildings.

3. ______ The pool stretches c. been built between the roofs of two adjacent buildings.

4. ______ Swimmers will be d. up at the sky to see if someone is looking down at you?

5. ______ If you are excited e. about the idea of swimming in the Sky Pool don’t go
booking a trip to London just yet.
6. ______ Why not look
f. across the 14-meter gap between two buildings.

5. Vocabulary Match
Match words 1-8 to synonyms or meanings a-h. Check the article for context clues.

1. ______ transparent <adj> a. Full of activity.

2. ______ adjacent <adj> b. Traveling from one place to another.

3. ______ oasis <noun> c. To hang (something) from somewhere.

4. ______ bustling <adj> d. To form a concept or idea.

5. ______ journey <noun>
6. ______ amenity <noun>
7. ______ conceptualize <verb>
8. ______ suspend <verb>
e. Allowing light to pass through so that objects behind can be easily
seen.
f. Near or close to but not necessarily touching.
g. A pleasant or peaceful area.
h. A desirable or useful feature or facility of a building or place.

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 6. Word Choice
Fill the gaps in the sentences by choosing the best option a-c.

1. ______ Embassy Gardens has opened what called the a. had been
world’s first Sky Pool. b. is being
c. been

2. ______ The completely transparent swimming pool has a. be built

between the roofs of two adjacent buildings. b. being built
c. been built

3. ______ Sky Pool is an “82-foot oasis” suspended in a. heating

acrylic between the two roofs of Embassy Gardens’ Legacy buildings. b. heated
c. heat

4. ______ The pool was conceptualized because of the lack of room a. build
a large enough pool atop either one of the buildings. b. to build
c. building

5. ______ If you are about the idea of swimming in the a. excite

Sky Pool don’t go booking a trip to London just yet. b. exciting
c. excited

6. ______ Residents can enjoy other amenities, like bars, a. as well

lounges, a gym, and even a private cinema. b. too
c. also

7. Short Answers
A. Write answers to the questions.

1. What are you afraid of and why?

2. Is the Sky Pool a great idea or a waste of money?

3. What unique buildings or developments do you have in your city?

B. Share your answers with your partner or class and discuss.

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