World News for Students of English

18-07-2014 15:00

Police have released underwater footage showing the inside of the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise liner, just days before it is set to be re-floated.

The cruise liner will be towed away from the Italian island where it ran aground and capsized two-and-a-half years ago. Underwater footage of the stricken cruiser liner, whose capsize claimed the lives of 32 people, showed the submerged decks of the ship littered with objects including pillows, shoes and books.

The ship’s ornate reception area can be seen partly above water levels, with sofas, tables and computers remaining in place. The re-floating might start as early as June 13, and the arrival of the summer weather has allowed for it to be towed to Genoa to be broken up for scrap.

The captain is on trial accused of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship.

Difficult words: cruise liner (large ship for cruising– sailing for pleasure), tow (pull), capsize (be overturned in the water), stricken (seriously affected), claim (take), submerge (covered in water), ornate (highly decorated), scrap (old metal for reprocessing), manslaughter (killing somebody because of negligence).

Source: www.itn.co.uk