If you are preparing for an IELTS or another language test in the near future, you might practice your reading skills with the article below.
In addition, if you have an English teacher you trust to help you with pronunciation, read it to them, paragraph at a time, and ask for suggestions or improvements they can offer you.
Enjoy!

UK Shark House Owner Unhappy With Protected Status

The owner of a house in the UK with a 7.6 meter sculpture of a shark on the roof is unhappy about his unusual home being turned into a protected landmark.

The sculpture, called the Headington Shark, was created by the father of the current homeowner, Magnus Hanson-Heine, and shows the back half of a shark crashing through the roof as though it has fallen from the sky.

Bill Heine and his friend John Buckley put up the sculpture as an anti-war protest in 1986. Heine got the idea for it when he heard US warplanes fly over his house one night that year. The next morning he learned that the planes had been on their way to bomb Tripoli, the capital of Libya.

The image of a shark crashing through the roof captures the shock civilians must feel when bombs smash into their homes, Magnus Hanson-Heine said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“That’s obviously something that the people in Ukraine are experiencing right now in very real time,” he said.

Bill Heine installed the sculpture without permission from officials because he didn’t think they should have the right to decide what art people see, and the Oxford City Council spent many years trying to remove it. Hanson-Heine said the council’s decision to turn the house into a protected landmark ignores this message.

Hanson-Heine recently had the shark repainted to keep it looking good.

He laughs when asked whether the shark’s head can be seen inside the house, as people once believed it was above the toilet.

The answer, Hanson-Heine said, is “no.”

Questions
• When was the Headington Shark put up?
• Why didn’t Bill Heine ask for permission to put the shark on his roof?
• Can the shark’s head be seen inside the house?

Discussion
• What are your thoughts on the Headington Shark becoming a protected landmark?
• Are there any interesting public sculptures in your town or city?
• Have you seen any impressive sculptures in museums or galleries?
• In your opinion, is art an effective way to protest? Why do you think so?
• What would you say are the most powerful works of art you’ve seen?

Further Discussion
• What are the most impressive landmarks you’ve seen while traveling?
• What are the most famous landmarks in your town or city?
• Are there any interesting or unusual homes in your area?
• Who’s the most creative member of your family?
• Are there any artistic skills you’d like to learn?

Parts of this lesson are based on an article by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.