Should Thames Water Be Nationalised?
Listen to the story
Thames Water is a big company in England. It gives water to millions of people. But the company has money problems.
This month, a group of politicians looked at Thames Water. They said the company should go into a special administration. This means the government takes control for a time.
Some people think the government should nationalise Thames Water. This means the public owns it, not private investors.
The company has needed help before. Bill payers gave money to save it. Some people say this should not happen again.
People who support nationalisation say it can stop a bad cycle. In this cycle, investors take money out, and the company gets weaker.
The debate is about who should own important services like water. Many people are watching what happens next.
Vocabulary15 words
- administration
- when someone else takes control of a company to fix problems
- nationalise
- to make a company owned by the government, not private people
- monopoly
- when only one company controls a service
- committee
- a group of people who study a problem
- investors
- people who put money into a company
- public ownership
- when the government, not a private company, owns something
- bill payers
- people who pay money for a service, like water
- cross-party
- including politicians from different political groups
- rescue
- help given to save something from failing
- extraction
- taking money or resources out of something
- financiers
- people or companies that give money to businesses
- failure
- when something does not work or succeed
- cycle
- a pattern that repeats again and again
- parliamentary
- connected to parliament, where politicians make laws
- special measures
- extra actions taken when something is in serious trouble
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Quiz
Answer key
1. A water company 2. It should go into special administration 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Thames Water is a big company in England. It gives water to millions of _____.
This month, a group of _____ looked at Thames Water.
They said the company should go into a special _____.
Some people think the government should _____ Thames Water.
This means the public owns it, not private _____.
The company has needed help _____.
_____ payers gave money to save it.
In this cycle, investors take money _____, and the company gets weaker.
The debate is about who should own important _____ like water.
Many people are watching what happens _____.
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