More Places to Swim in England

May 15, 2026, 13:39
UKEnvironment

Introduction

The government says people can now swim in 464 places. There are 13 new places. One new place is on the River Thames in London.

Main Body

Most beaches have clean water. But many rivers have dirty water. This is because of waste from farms and pipes. Last year, almost all rivers were not clean. Some people are happy. The government says more sites help tourism. But some water companies are worried. They say the water is not safe for people yet. Other people want the water companies to spend money. They want companies to fix the pipes. One company spent 60 million pounds to clean the River Wharfe.

Conclusion

The Environment Agency will test the water 7,000 times before September 30. You can read the results online.

Learning

πŸ’§ Opposites in the Water

In this story, we see two words that describe the water. To reach A2, you need to know how to describe things using opposites.

Clean β†’\rightarrow Dirty

  • Example 1: "Most beaches have clean water." (Good/Safe)
  • Example 2: "Many rivers have dirty water." (Bad/Not safe)

🏒 Who does what? (Action Words)

Look at these three groups from the text. They all do different things:

  1. The Government β†’\rightarrow Says (gives information)
  2. Water Companies β†’\rightarrow Spend (use money to fix things)
  3. Environment Agency β†’\rightarrow Tests (checks if water is safe)

πŸ“ Where is it?

  • On the River Thames (Use 'on' for rivers)
  • In England (Use 'in' for countries/cities)

Vocabulary Learning

government
The group of people who run a country.
Example:The government announced new rules for swimming.
swim
Move through water using arms and legs.
Example:Children can swim in the clean river.
river
A large natural stream of water.
Example:The River Thames is a popular place to swim.
clean
Free from dirt or impurities.
Example:Most beaches have clean water.
dirty
Covered or marked with an unclean substance.
Example:Many rivers have dirty water.
waste
Useless or unwanted material.
Example:Waste from farms can pollute the water.
farms
Places where crops or animals are raised.
Example:Farm waste often ends up in rivers.
pipes
Tubes that carry water or gas.
Example:The water companies need to fix the pipes.
tourism
Traveling for pleasure or business.
Example:More swimming sites help tourism in the area.
safe
Free from danger or harm.
Example:The water is not yet safe for people to swim.