More Places to Swim in England

May 14, 2026, 21:30
UKEnvironment

Introduction

People can now swim in thirteen new places. For the first time, people can swim in a river in London.

Main Body

The government now checks 464 places for clean water. This includes beaches, lakes, and rivers. The River Thames is now a safe place to swim. Many people like this change. Now, people who surf or use paddleboards are also called swimmers. The Environment Agency tests the water every week. They do this until September 30. Some people want the water to be very clean. They want water companies to stop dirty water from going into rivers. In West Yorkshire, a company spent £85 million to clean a river. In 2025, most sites were clean, but 7 percent were still dirty.

Conclusion

Experts will check the water until September 30. This keeps people safe and makes the water cleaner.

Learning

🕒 Timing & Action

Look at how the text talks about when and what.

The Pattern: "Until" + Date When we want to say an action stops at a specific time, we use until.

  • Example: "They do this until September 30."
  • Meaning: They start now →\rightarrow they stop on September 30.

Everyday Use:

  • I work until 5 PM.
  • We stay here until Monday.

🌊 Describing Things (Opposites)

To reach A2, you need to describe the world using simple pairs. This article uses two key opposites:

Clean ↔\leftrightarrow Dirty

  • Clean: The water is good. (Safe to swim)
  • Dirty: The water is bad. (Not safe)

Quick Tip: If something is not clean, it is dirty. →\rightarrow "7 percent were still dirty."

Vocabulary Learning

swim
to move through water using limbs
Example:I like to swim in the river every weekend.
river
a large natural stream of water flowing to the sea
Example:The River Thames is a popular spot for swimming.
water
a clear liquid that covers most of the Earth's surface
Example:Make sure the water is clean before you swim.
clean
free from dirt or impurities
Example:The water was clean and safe to swim in.
safe
protected from danger or harm
Example:The new swimming area is safe for everyone.
company
an organization that sells goods or services
Example:A water company should keep rivers clean.
check
to examine something to see if it is correct
Example:The government will check the water quality every week.
test
to try something to see how it works
Example:The agency tests the water for safety.
dirty
covered with or full of dirt
Example:The river was dirty before the cleanup.
percent
a part of a whole expressed as a number out of 100
Example:Seven percent of the sites were still dirty.
week
a period of seven days
Example:They test the water every week.
people
human beings in general
Example:Many people enjoy swimming.
new
recently made or discovered
Example:There are new places to swim.
place
a particular position or area
Example:There are thirteen new places to swim.
time
a point or period when an event occurs
Example:For the first time, people can swim in a river in London.
first
coming before all others in order
Example:For the first time, people can swim in a river in London.
thirteen
the number 13
Example:People can now swim in thirteen new places.