Spain's Government Spends €72,358 on Eclipse Event at Yebes Observatory
Listen to the story
The Spanish government has spent 72,358 euros on an official event to mark a solar eclipse. The event took place at the Yebes Observatory in Spain.
The observatory opened its doors to the public for the occasion. Visitors were able to see special instruments that are used to observe eclipses and other events in the sky.
The event included a "VIP zone," a special area for important guests. In total, 300 guests attended the event at the observatory.
The large amount of money spent has caused some criticism. Some people believe the government organised such a big event to draw attention away from the crisis happening in Ceuta, a Spanish city. Ceuta is currently facing a difficult situation, and critics say the government wanted to shift public focus onto the eclipse instead.
The eclipse event is part of a bigger deployment by the government, with officials putting significant effort and money into making the day a major public occasion.
Vocabulary8 words
- government
- the people who officially run a country
- euros
- the money used in Spain and other parts of Europe
- eclipse
- when the moon blocks the light of the sun
- instruments
- tools used for scientific work
- VIP zone
- a special area for very important guests
- guests
- people invited to an event
- criticism
- comments saying something is wrong or bad
- deployment
- a large, organised effort or action
Quiz
Answer key
1. 72,358 euros 2. A VIP zone 3. To draw attention away from the crisis in Ceuta
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The Spanish _____ has spent 72,358 _____ on an official event to mark a solar _____. The event took place at the Yebes Observatory in Spain.
The observatory opened its doors to the public. Visitors were able to see special _____ that are used to observe eclipses.
The event included a "_____," a special area for important guests. In total, 300 _____ attended the event.
The large amount of money spent has caused some _____. Some people believe the government organised such a big event to draw attention away from the crisis happening in Ceuta.
The eclipse event is part of a bigger _____ by the government, with officials putting significant effort and money into the day.
Discussion questions
- Do you think governments should spend money on public science events like this? Why or why not?
- What do you think about the idea of a "VIP zone" at a public science event?
- Have you ever seen a solar eclipse? What was it like?
- Why do some people think this event was used to hide other problems?