READING 013: "London's largest Roman mosaic in 50 years discovered by archaeologistS"

A large area of well-preserved Roman mosaic -- parts of it approximately 1,800 years old -- has been uncovered in London near one of the city's most popular landmarks.

The mosaic is thought to have adorned the floors of a Roman dining room, and the spot where it stands is near the Shard -- the capital's tallest building, close to London Bridge.

Archaeologists from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) unearthed the mosaic earlier this month during an excavation ahead of building work due to take place on the site, which previously served as a car park.

www.edition.cnn.com

The find is the largest area of Roman mosaic to have been discovered in London in at least 50 years, according to a press release from MOLA.

"It is a really, really special find," Sophie Jackson, MOLA's director of developer services, told CNN Wednesday, adding that large Roman mosaics were not often built in London due to it being a "crowded" city.

"It is just incredible that it's survived," Jackson said.

"To actually to have a whole big spread of mosaic like that in a definable room -- we think it's a dining room -- is really amazing. And it looks really nice as well, it's just really pretty, actually."

The dining room where the mosaic was found is thought to have been part of a Roman "mansio," or "upmarket 'motel' offering accommodation, stabling, and dining facilities," the team said in the press release. The lavish decorations and size indicated only "high-ranking officers and their guests" would have stayed there.

The mosaic itself is comprised of two panels, with the larger dating to the late 2nd or early 3rd century AD. However, the team spotted traces of an earlier mosaic underneath, which Jackson said an expert will now attempt to retrace and reconstruct. 

The larger panel is decorated with "large, colorful flowers surrounded by bands of intertwining strands" and patterns including a Solomon's knot (a looped motif). The smaller one has two Solomon's knots and "stylized flowers," the press release added.

As there is an "exact parallel" to this design in a mosaic found in the German city of Trier, the team believes the same artists worked on both, suggesting a tradition of "traveling Roman artisans at work in London."

Describing the placement of the mosaic, Jackson said: "The people -- probably men in this case -- would be lying on the couches, leaning on their left shoulders, eating, being fed food, and looking south into the bigger room, sort of admiring the mosaic."

Near the spot where the mosaic was found, the team also found traces of "lavishly" painted walls, terrazzo-style and mosaic floors, coins, jewelry and decorated bone hairpins, suggesting the area was occupied by wealthy inhabitants.

Although the mosaic's future is not yet decided, Jackson said it will likely go on public display. The archaeologists will now proceed to the final stage of the excavation, at a spot that has not previously been examined.

Source: CNN (Thursday,24 February 2022)

                           VOCABULARY LIST

NO	ENGLISH	INDONESIA
1.	landmarks	Ciri khas
2.	mosaic	MOSAIK
3.	adorned	Dihiasi
4.	unearthed	Digali
5.	definable	Ditentukan
6.	incredible	Menakjubkan
7.	retrace	Menelusuri kembali
8.	shoulders	Bahu
9.	admiring	Mengagumi
10.	Examined	Diperiksa

 

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27 CONTOH KOLOKASI WAKTU (TIME) DALAM BAHASA INGGRIS

 Berikut ini adalah daftar kolokasi waktu (Time) yang biasa digunakan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari.

Free time (waktu luang)	Going through a tough time (melalui masa-masa sulit)	Have time (memiliki waktu)
Have a great time (selamat bersenang-senang)	Have a hard/rough time (menghadapi masa-masa sulit)	It’s about time (tentang waktu)
Just in time (tepat waktu)	Keep time	Kill time (menghabiskan waktu)
Leisure time (waktu luang)	Make time for (meluangkan waktu)	On time (tepat waktu)
Over time (lembur)	Pass the time (menghabiskan waktu)	Precious time (waktu yang berharga)
Pressed for time (terdesak waktu)	Record time (rekaman waktu)	Run out of time (habis waktu)
Save time (menghemat waktu)	Set time (mengatur waktu)	Spare time (waktu luang)
Spend time (menghabiskan waktu)	Stall for time (menghentikan waktu)	Take time off (istirahat)
Take your time (tidak usah terburu-buru)	Tell time (memberitahu waktu)	Waste time (membuang-buang waktu)

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READING EXERCISE 012: "The man who lived in a Singapore forest for 30 years"

The man who lived in a Singapore forest for 30 years

 

Singapore is known for being one of the world's most highly urbanised countries, with no lack of gleaming skyscrapers and luxury apartments. But for one man, that couldn't be further from the place he called home - a makeshift shelter in one of the country's forests.

On meeting Oh Go Seng the first thing that strikes you is the glint in his eye.

He wears his 79 years very lightly, looking in far better shape than many people half his age.

Earlier this month, the story of Mr Oh living in a forest went viral in Singapore - with many across the country reacting with shock.

Some questioned why more help had not been given to him - and even more curiously, how he had managed to live this life unnoticed for 30 years.

 

Trouble at Christmas

 

It all began on Christmas Day when Mr Oh was stopped by officials and found to be trading without a licence.

He was selling leafy vegetables and chillies he had grown - after the pandemic caused him to lose his job selling flowers at markets.

Mr Oh believes he was reported by a disgruntled customer after a disagreement over the SG$1 (£0.55) he was charging for his goods.

At that moment, a charity worker was passing, and noticed he was being spoken to by officials who had confiscated his vegetables.

Vivian Pan said she felt "angry" on his behalf, adding "I didn't want him to go home empty-handed that day".

"But I understand that, in terms of the law, they can't sell on the street," she added.

She filmed the incident and posted it on Facebook, where it quickly went viral - and Mr Oh's plight was eventually brought to the attention of a local member of parliament.

But then the MP, Liang Eng Hwa, soon discovered that there was far more to Mr Oh's story.

He had in fact been living unnoticed in a forest for 30 years.

 

Living in the forest

 

Mr Oh grew up together with his family in Sungei Tengah - a local kampong - or village.

In the 1980s however, these kampongs were knocked down, to make way for new high-rise buildings.

Most kampong residents were offered new homes by the government, but Mr Oh was unable to secure a place of his own.

His brother however, did get a government flat and Mr Oh was invited to live there - but he eventually moved out as he said he did not want to impose on the family.

So, he headed back to a forest close to where his old home once stood and started to spend nights in a makeshift shelter built from pieces of wood, bamboo and tarpaulin.

Upon approaching the shelter, you see ashes in the doorway from the open fire that Mr Oh would cook on. Piles of his belongings sit in the middle of the shelter, with the back of the tent used as his sleeping area.

The garden near his tent is where he would grow his own food. Clothes lines zig-zag between the trees and a fence protects the vegetable plot from intruders.

The towering jackfruit tree over his tent he says, provided ample shade, and he never felt uncomfortable - despite Singapore's sweltering tropical heat and humidity.

Loneliness was never a problem either, he says. He kept himself busy tending his garden, although that, he adds, was made easy by the good growing conditions.

The worst aspect of living in the forest, he says, was the mice. They would find their way into his shelter and chew holes in his clothes.

He also worked at various casual jobs when he could get them.

Mr Oh would sometimes use the money he earned to take a ferry to Batam, a small island in neighbouring Indonesia. It was there that he met Madam Tacih with whom he had a daughter.

Still, after his regular weekend visits to Batam, Mr Oh would return to his forest home in Singapore.

Like his family in Singapore, Mr Oh's wife and daughter, who is now 17, say they had no idea about how he lived.

He would always answer questions about where he lived by saying he "lived in a garden", a relative says.

Mr Oh's trips to Batam stopped once the pandemic hit, with Singapore largely closing its borders and allowing travel only for those willing to pay for quarantine and Covid-19 tests.

However, he still persisted in helping his family financially by sending them between S$500 - S$600 a month.

Homelessness is relatively rare in Singapore. The country has, on average, one of the wealthiest populations on Earth.

The city state's gross domestic product (GDP) per capita stands at almost $60,000 (£44,300), according to the latest figures from the World Bank.

Singapore also has an extensive public housing system, with close to 80% of its residents living in property subsidised, built and managed by the Housing Development Board (HDB).

However, although rough sleepers are not a common sight in the city it has been estimated that around 1,000 Singaporeans are homeless.

 

'I got to watch television for the first time'

 

In February this year - on the first day of the Lunar New Year - with the assistance of his local MP's team, Mr Oh was given a new home to live in.

Mr Liang said the team would continue "assisting Mr Oh, including seeking longer term social assistance [and assisting him in] reuniting with his wife and daughter in Indonesia".

The one bedroom flat he now shares with another man, is small and sparsely furnished.

The few personal possessions in the flat have been supplemented by a fridge, television, kettle and water heater donated by well-wishers.

Mr Oh is particularly pleased with the water heater. He was accustomed to washing in water from the pond next to his shelter in the forest and found tap water too cold.

He now works as a driver, transporting foreign workers from one job to another, and sometimes does gardening work, he says.

His moving-in day was also the first time in more than three decades that he had celebrated the Lunar New Year with his family in Singapore.

"I ate so much! And there were many kinds of food I hadn't tasted in years!," he laughs.

"It was wonderful. I also got to watch television for the first time in more than 30 years. I en However, he clearly still misses the freedom of life in the forest, though he says he prefers living in a flat.

"I lived there for so many years, so yes naturally I do miss it," he said in Hokkien, a Chinese language.

"Even now I return to the forest every single day. I wake up at 3 AM, get dressed and head out to check on my vegetables, all before my workday begins."

joyed it so much."

 

Source : BBC (Sun 20 Feb 2022)

 

LIST OF VOCABULARY

NO	ENGLISH	INDONESIA
1.	eventually	Pada akhirnya
2.	skyscrapers	Gedung pencakar langit
3.	glint	Berkilau
4.	curiously	Penasaran
5.	disgruntled	Tidak puas
6.	charity	amal
7.	confiscated	disita
8.	urbanised	urbanisasi
9.	impose	memaksakan
10.	doorway	Pintu keluar masuk
11.	intruders	Penyusup
12.	sweltering	Panas terik
13.	mice	tikus
14.	extensive	luas

 

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