Learning Irish English

Oliver Lyons runs the Swan Institute, which has been a fixture裝置物 on Dublin's main shopping street for the past decade. His school attracts around 4,000 students a year, from Europe and beyond以外, with more and more coming from the Middle East and China.

This year, many schools like Oliver's are reporting extra business, due, they think, to the Olympics in London. Some even suggest that reports of higher costs for accommodation住宿 and flights into the UK might have led more students to choose Ireland. And the Irish accent, rather than being viewed as a handicap困難, is actually quite sought after追捧 by students, Oliver says: "Irish English tends to be pretty clear in its pronunciation, easier to actually study. People have said that, for example, in the UK, in advertising agencies公司, the Irish accent is considered attractive吸引力 because it's got no particular class connotation內涵, 意思, and it's a warm, friendly, inflection and tone. I think people find that attractive."

And how do you tell if someone's studied English here or not? The clue is in what Oliver tells me is the rhotic R:

"In Irish English when we speak we simply put the 'r' - we pronounce it when it's actually there, when it's not there, we don't pronounce it."

"So give me an example - a difference between ..."

"Law. When we say 'the law', we don't say 'the law-r'."

So next time you meet an English language student, listen out for that 'r'. Apparently, it's a giveaway提示.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120731_witn_learning_irish_english.shtml

US drought pushes up food prices

The drought乾旱 affecting large parts of the Midwest has withered枯萎, 乾枯的 corn and soybeans in the fields. Those are the staple crops糧食作物 most commonly used to feed animals. As a result, beef, pork and dairy prices are expected to jump next year - but fruit and vegetables will not be affected because those crops are usually irrigated灌溉. The department of Agriculture had been predicting a bumper year豐收的一年 for corn, but didn't realise how bad the drought would get when it made its food price projections預測 last month. Other countries will also be affected, because US food exports have jumped dramatically顯著 in the past few years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120730_witn_usa_food.shtml

Food price warning

With global food prices up 40% on average since last summer, there's a new consensus共識 among the leading nations that they should act together not only to try and secure supplies but to curb抑制 some of the causes of the volatility揮發性, not just in commodity trading商品交易 but on the streets as essential foods become unaffordable買不起 for some.

The G20 nations hope to calm food markets by agreeing greater transparency in how much dairy乳製品, grain糧食, rice or other foodstuffs食品 each country is producing.

Now strong demand需求 for farm foods seem likely to push up prices for years to come but President Sarkozy also blames指責 speculators投機者 for price hikes漲價 which have fuelled unrest 燃料動盪in the Middle East and North Africa but his demand for curbs on investors taking positions in food commodities商品 seem unlikely to get majority support.

But another idea that may not get traction牽引 in Paris is a plan for countries to hold, say, grain or rice stocks庫存 in reserve儲備. An idea seen as a throwback阻止 to the days when countries and not farmers controlled their own food production.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/06/110622_witn_food_prices_page.shtml

New leader for International Monetary Fund

France has held this position for 26 of the past 33 years. So it's "as you were" with one notable顯著, pretty obvious difference.

Christine Lagarde is a woman. She was the first woman to become the finance minister of a G7 country and will now resign her post within the French government to become the first woman to head the IMF.

But such is the respect with which this former lawyer is held internationally it has come as little surprise. She's been the point on many European financial issues in recent years, she is a fluent English speaker and once she had picked up the endorsements代言 of India and China, her confirmation as the new IMF chief was a formality禮節,拘泥形式.

There's an unwritten不成文 rule that Europe takes the IMF, the United States heads its sister organisation the World Bank. The developing countries want a bigger say but this is a critical臨界,危及的 time for Europe with Greece on the brink邊緣. The EU and the IMF is demanding unprecedented史無前例 cuts to guarantee the continued funding of last year's bailout救助 package and Europe wants one of its own at the helm掌舵. Ms Lagarde is straight in at the deep end. They voted for her knowing she is more than capable - but what a challenge.

Christian Fraser, BBC News, Paris

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/06/110629_witn_imf_page.shtml

Olympic drug cheats

Mariem Selsouli gave a sample which contained帶有 a banned diuretic利尿劑 shortly after running the fastest time this year over 1500 metres in Paris earlier this month. She has become one of more than a hundred athletes worldwide who have been caught in the last six months.

The anti-doping operation at this Olympics will be the most rigorous嚴格 in history. There are new ways to detect檢測 banned substances like human growth hormone and synthetic合成的 testosterone which have previously dipped beneath the radar潛在雷達底下. But despite the advances進步, the Director General of the World Anti-Doping Agency has expressed caution警告, 謹慎. David Howman feared as many as one in ten athletes at the Games could be cheating the system. And he said the sophisticated複雜的, 詭辯的 dopers are difficult to trap陷阱.

WADA said intelligence gathering had become key in identifying potential cheats潛在的作弊 and that individual athletes have been targeted. Samples taken in London will be kept for the next eight years. The message to those who want to use banned products was they would never be able to rest at ease輕鬆. Although the International Olympic Committee has been criticised for not re-testing the batch from the 2004 Games in Athens until recently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120727_witn_olympic_drugs.shtml

Olympic hopefuls

Not everyone has the same profile as Usain Bolt, but there are other Olympic athletes here in London who've gained獲得 superstar status, albeit儘管 within the confines侷限 of their own national boundaries邊界. Take the Ukrainian fencer擊劍, Olga Kharlan, who caused a sensation轟動 in Beijing by almost single-handedly prising the team gold medal from the Chinese. She was just 18 then, and the former dancer and model is hoping for further success.

Another celebrity in his homeland, but at the opposite end of the age scale, is 71-year-old Hiroshi Hoketsu. The Japanese dressage rider馬術 is poised準備 to become the second oldest Olympian of all time. Still fit and lean瘦, he puts his longevity長壽 down to an avoidance of oily food.

China topped突破 the medals table four years ago and another strong performance is expected. Their star turn could come in the aquatic水上 centre. Sun Yang is considered the finest最好的 distance swimmer in the world. Standing at an imposing two metres tall, he might even eclipse日食 the serial champion Michael Phelps.

Finally to track and field and Caster Semenya, who will be making her Olympic debut. The South African wasn't allowed to celebrate her 800 metres world title in 2009 as doubts over her gender性別 emerged. She said that's now all behind her and if she wins a medal in London will dedicate it to Nelson Mandela who helped her through those tough times.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120726_witn_olympic_hopefuls.shtml

What's a Jobs worth?

Steve Jobs leaving the top at Apple, a company he set up with a friend in his parent's garage 35 years ago is being seen as a turning point moment.

The world's largest technology company is losing its visionary有遠見的 founder. But investors don't seem worried for the short term. There was little element of surprise. Mr Jobs had a liver transplant two years ago and has been on medical leave for undisclosed不公開的 reasons since early this year.

The company's succession plan繼任者計劃 has rolled into place with Tim Cook, chief operating officer, widely廣泛地 seen as a safe pair of hands, set to take over.

The secret of Steve Jobs success, according to the writer, comedian and tech guru大師,領袖 Stephen Fry, has been his ability to produce gadgets小玩藝 that are likeable as well as functional.

Stephen Fry
"He understood that the object you hold in your hand, that connects you to people, isn't just the sum of its functions. It's something that should make you smile, that you should cradle搖籃, that you should have an emotional relationship with. And if people think that's pretentious自命不凡 then, um, the success of Apple is in a sense how wrong they are."

Mr Jobs has ridden several waves of technology change, with Apple pioneering the personal computer and then years later mobile platforms like the iPhone and iPad. Investors are betting that he's embedded his skills to the point where now the company can do without him.

Mark Gregory, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/08/110826_witn_apple.shtml

Who wants a lift?

London is gearing up for 準備 the Olympics.

And this includes many people's typical ride around the city.

Here the bus is at work. And this is the bus working out...

Czech artist David Cerny is The London Booster's推廣 creator.
The sturdy double-decker seems to be doing well for a 1957 model.

This is a routine exercise for athletes but push-ups can be exhausting. Especially for a 6-tonne vehicle

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120724_vwitn_bus_working_out.shtml

Mind the equality gap!

If you're hoping for a long and healthy life, the best place in London to live is here in Oxford Circus, where the life expectancy平均壽命 for children born now is 96 years. The area is slap拍擊聲 bang in the middle of the city, and its residents tend to be very wealthy - living in imposing威風,雄偉的 houses that are secluded幽靜的 from the hectic忙碌的 high street. So it's not surprising that it has come out top in a new map by Dr. James Cheshire of University College London that he created as a vivid生動的 display of disparities差距 in wealth財富.

"The tube map is a very popular thing for Londoners, all of us can relate to it as we travel around the city. Conventionally常規 these sorts排序 of demographic statistics are displayed as a map that shows general areas rather than giving someone something more tangible有形的, 明確的 to think about."

If you travel 15 minutes or so on the underground - to Brixton station in South London - the life expectancy drops to 78 - a full 18 years less than in Oxford Circus.

There is a well-established公認的 link between life expectancy and deprivation剝奪, and Brixton is one of the poorer areas of London - it has a large immigrant population and was one of the scenes of last year's riots騷亂.

With recent research showing that levels of inequality in the UK have returned to heights last experienced at the start of the Second World War, this map points out that one of the world's wealthiest cities really has to "mind the gap" in living standards.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120724_witn_tube_map.shtml

Alcohol sponsorship and sport

(Extracts of his interview)
"I think the Health Select Committee report has been a very useful addition to the government's Alcohol Strategy… some very useful comments on advertising and I think emphasising強調 that advertising does change behaviour, it does influence影響 children, and it's therefore really important that the government goes further更進一步 on advertising than they've done in the past. The Health Select Committee, for example, suggested that we look harder at what they do in France where there's a complete ban on broadcast advertising of alcohol products, there's a complete ban on sport sponsorship. So that would be a really helpful way forward for this country because advertising does make a difference for children. For example, Heineken is the official beer of the 2012 Olympics now what message does that send to children about the link between alcohol and sporting prowess威力?"

BBC Interviewer:
The committee also says there needs to be greater emphasis on the health impact of drinking alcohol not just anti-social behaviour. Why has this emphasis always been on anti-social behaviour and not on the health impact?

"I think everyone always finds it easier to talk about other people - those young people who are making trouble in our cities on Saturday night - rather than necessarily looking at their own consumption消費. We know that many people drink well above recommended safe limits; they don't make trouble in cities on Saturday night, they're doing so at home. It's this hidden drinking on a regular basis that leads to many of the chronic conditions we see in our hospitals every day of the year – cirrhosis肝硬化 of the liver, strokes, cancers that are strongly alcohol related and so on – so I think it's been a very useful change in emphasis重點."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120723_witn_alcohol_sponsorship.shtml

Sheepish

Neil: Hi, I'm Neil and this is Helen!

Helen: Hello.

Neil: What's wrong Helen? You're looking rather sheepish.

Helen: Sheepish? Like a sheep? I know my jumper is quite woolly.

Neil: I don't mean you look like a sheep. I mean you look sheepish, which is quite different!

Helen: Of course, looking like a sheep and looking sheepish are two totally different things, obviously!

Neil: Yes. If I say you look like a sheep, it means, well, you look like a sheep. But if I say you look sheepish, it means you look embarrassed or ashamed about something.

Helen: To look sheepish means you look embarrassed or ashamed – like you've done something wrong or silly?

Neil: Yes!

Helen: Ah, yes.

Neil: Listen to some examples:

• Tom walked into the room looking sheepish.

• Emily grinned sheepishly as she closed the door behind her.

• James gave her a sheepish look.

Neil: So, come on Helen, why are you looking sheepish today?

Helen: Ah, well...

Neil: Yes?

Helen: Well, you know that book you lent me?

Neil: My favourite book of all time – the original edition of The Private lives of the Greatest Cats in History?

Helen: Yes.

Neil: OK Helen, now you're looking very sheepish indeed, so you'd better hurry up and tell me what happened to it.

Helen: I dropped it.

Neil: You dropped it? Well I hope it's not damaged, otherwise I'll have to -

Helen: ...in the river.

Neil: In the river! You dropped it in the river!

Helen: It was carried away, I couldn't get it out.

Neil: Oh no!

Helen: I'm so sorry. That's why I am looking sheepish.

Neil: You should be looking even more sheepish than that. In fact, I expect you to look sheepish for several days. It was the best book in the world! 'Sheepish' doesn't do it justice...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2012/07/120724_tews_81_sheepish.shtml

UK Banks face major changes

The most radical激進的 reform of British banks in at least a generation has been proposed by the independent commission on banking set up by the Treasury金庫.

What's recommended is as close to a formal break-up of Britain's biggest banks as it's possible to get without obliging要求的 the likes of Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland to physically separate their retail and investment banking operations.

All of Britain's leading banks would have to put retail零售 banking, which provides vital重要的 services to individuals and businesses, behind a new ring fence or firewall.

The retail零售 operations of Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland, for example, would have their own boards, they would have to raise additional capital as a protection against losses and they could have very few financial links with the investment banks also owned by Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland.

Up to two trillion pounds of loans and investments would end up behind these ring fences and the big idea is to reduce the danger that there may once again be huge costs for taxpayers as and when there's a banking crisis on the scale of the crash of 2008.

The biggest structural changes would be faced by Barclays and RBS, which are likely to warn that costs will be increased for themselves and for their customers.

The commission, however, believes that the reduction of risks for taxpayers means that there would be a clear net economic gain收益.

Robert Peston, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/09/110912_witn_banks.shtml

Banks get ready for Greek failure to pay debt

At meetings here in Washington, the group of twenty leading nations have been working on plans to deal with the potential damage from a Greek default.

A lot of their efforts have been focused on the banking system. If Greece were allowed to go bust, the bonds that banks hold would become worthless.

German and French banks are most at risk. So there's been lots of talk here in Washington on how to inject more capital to shore them up支持.

The other big worry is that if Greece defaulted, the financial markets would start turning on other countries. If Italy or Spain were to come under pressure, those here say there isn't enough cash available to help them.

That's why finance ministers are working on building a firewall around Greece to stop the situation from getting that far.

Michelle Fleury, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/09/110926_witn_greece.shtml

Good news for children!

This is a rare罕見 charity report bringing good news. It says that around the world the chances of a child going to school have risen by one third compared with the 1990s - and the prospect前景 of children dying in their infancy嬰兒期 has also been cut by about a third. This is partly explained, Save the Children says, by local economic growth in the developing continents of Africa and Asia. It also reflects反映 international aid幫助 policies which have tended to concentrate集中 on education and health - in aid circles schools and hospitals are sometimes called the "Darlings of the Donors".

But the report also warns that underlying相關 child malnutrition營養不良 is on the rise because of high food prices and global inequality不等式. This is a more hidden problem, and more difficult to tackle解決, 抓住. Save the Children said it welcomed the idea of a Hunger Summit due to be held in London during the Olympics. It called on donor countries to invest more in small scale agriculture農業 and especially to support women farmers. The report said developing country governments should concentrate on reducing income inequalities不等式 and improving health care for mothers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120720_witn_children.shtml

Stolen car returns

Bob Russell says he never gave up the search for his beloved心愛的 1967 Austin-Healey. One day in 1970, when he was a student in Philadelphia, he came home after a night out with the woman who's now his wife, and realised his car had vanished消失. Nearly 42 years later Mr Russell was browsing瀏覽 the online marketplace eBay when he spotted something familiar.

All these years he'd kept the car's papers and keys. He searched them out, and saw the vehicle registration number on the website matched the one on the title certificate of his long-lost sports car. He told the police, who tracked the car down to a dealership經銷商 in Los Angeles, and confirmed it was indeed Bob Russell's Austin-Healey.

Mr Russell said he paid $3,000 for it in 1967 - and it's now worth eight times that much. He says though it wasn't the money that made him to search for it for over four decades - what mattered was the sentimental悲傷的 value it held for him and his wife.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120717_witn_stolen_car.shtml

The human tissue trade

Worldwide millions of body parts are turned into medical products every year from tissue donation, in what has become a flourishing繁榮的 trade. When you donate your tissues, every part of the body worth recycling回收 is stripped剝離, from your skin and bones to veins, muscles, eyes and heart valves閘門. Bones can be used in spinal surgery or for dental牙科 implants植入 and skin is used for burn victims燒傷者, for example. But where does it all come from, where is it used and was it all legally procured採購?

The International Consortium財團 of Investigative Journalists found repeated allegations指控 in Ukraine that proper consent同意 had not been obtained獲得. What's more you won't necessarily know that you are receiving human tissue from a corpse屍體.

The United States is the world's biggest trader of products from human tissue, selling an estimated two million body-derived products a year. Yet, according to the report, the authorities don't seem to know how much tissue is imported, where it comes from, or where it subsequently後來, 以後 goes. Buying and selling human tissue is illegal in most countries, but paying service fees is permissible允許 and the report says a single disease-free body can fetch取,拿 tens of thousands of dollars.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120719_witn_human_tissue_trade.shtml

German circumcision ruling

Muslim and Jewish groups have come together and met members of the European Parliament in the Bundestag to express their strong opposition to the ruling裁決.

A joint聯合 statement said, 'we consider this to be an公然 affront侮辱 to our basic religious and human rights'; adding, 'circumcision割禮 is an ancient古老的 ritual儀式 that is fundamental to our individual faiths and we protest in the strongest possible terms against this court ruling.'

Meanwhile, Germany's doctors have been told not to carry out circumcisions except where medically necessary, for fear of prosecution起訴.

The country's government is clearly uneasy不安 about the ruling, particularly after accusations指責 that it was inappropriate for the country of the Holocaust大屠殺 to outlaw禁止 a fundamental基本 ritual儀式 of Judaism. The foreign minister said that circumcision was, 'an expression of religious pluralism多元化.' Jewish and Muslim groups are now working together to get the court decision overturned推翻.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120716_witn_german_circumcision.shtml

In the picture

Is this a pool party for children or perhaps your eyes are deceiving欺騙 you?

Twenty South Korean artists spent months working on this interactive互動 3D art exhibition展覽.

The 83 oil paintings are now on display展出 in Hangzhou, China.

Thousands have been flocking to植絨 the show, in which some of the works extend beyond their frames.

Visitors are keen to impress打動 their friends with a striking photo.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120718_vwitn_3d_art.shtml

Keep me posted

Neil: Hello, I'm Neil.

Helen: And I'm Helen. How are you Neil?

Neil: Not good.

Helen: What's wrong?

Neil: I posted my house-keys.

Helen: You posted your house-keys? Let me guess, you dropped them in the letterbox by mistake.

Neil: Yes, I got mixed up我混了. Instead of putting a letter in, I put my keys in.

Helen: Oh dear.

Neil: But I have my address attached to my keys, so maybe they'll end up getting posted back to me.

Helen: Yes, you might get them posted back to your house or you might get burgled, now that someone has your address as well as your house-keys.

Neil: Oh no, thieves竊賊 might get into my house! I'd better go and wait outside to see what happens.

Helen: OK, good luck.

Neil: I'll keep you posted. See you later!

Helen: Neil will 'keep me posted'. That doesn't mean he's going to put me in the postbox – even though he's obviously a bit confused about what should or shouldn't go in postboxes! It means he will keep me informed, he will tell me what happens. Listen to some examples:

• I don't know what time they're arriving, but I'll keep you posted!
• Keep me posted on how things go in your new job!
• I kept them posted on what was happening.

Helen: I hope Neil's keys find their way home. Hello?

Neil: Hi, it's Neil.

Helen: Neil! Any news?

Neil: Well, someone posted my keys back to me.

Helen: Great!

Neil: But they put them through the letterbox!

Helen: Oh no, so you've got your keys back, but now you're locked out!

Neil: And I'm stuck! I tried to get through a window but I don't fit. I'm half-in, half-out. Thank goodness, help must be arriving.

Police: Don't move!

Neil: Does it look like I can move?

Police: Hands on your head!

Helen: Oh dear, it sounds like someone called the police – they probably thought Neil was a burglar.竊賊

Neil: But, this is my house!

Police: Is it indeed?

Helen: I'd better leave you to explain yourself now. But do keep me posted Neil!

Neil: Keep you posted! How am I going to do that if I'm locked up? Arrested for for breaking into my own house!

Helen: Bye!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2012/07/120716_tews_80_keep_me_posted.shtml

Obama criticises China over currency貨幣

President Obama's comments criticising China are amongst包括 his strongest to date. In general the US government has preferred to make its feelings known behind closed doors, cautious謹慎 about upsetting one of its biggest trading partners.

During a news conference, Mr Obama said many economists believed the yuan was undervalued低估 by between 20 and 25%, making exports to China from the US much more expensive and imports much cheaper.

He said China had to operate by the same rules as everyone else. Earlier China's foreign ministry issued a statement saying President Obama was told by his counterpart副本, Hu Jintao, that the problems in the American economy wouldn't be solved by an appreciation升值 of the yuan.

President Obama is certainly under pressure on the domestic front. With the American economy still flagging標記, calls from politicians are mounting安裝 for tougher measures to be taken to force China to change its stance姿態.

And with President Obama entering an election year, he may feel now is the time to raise the rhetoric修辭.

John Bithrey, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/11/111114_witn_obama_china.shtml

Preventing Peruvian child labour

Some two million children and adolescents青少年 work in Peru; 400,000 of them do so almost full-time, putting at risk their education. For the government, this is a serious problem and one of its main priorities.

At an event in Lima, it launched推出 a pilot project that aims to benefit thousands of children and their families in three of Peru's poorest regions. Costing 13 million dollars, which were donated by the US government, the project wants to improve access to education接受教育 in rural鄉村 areas, as well as the income of farmers so that they no longer need their children to work in the fields.

But Maro Guerrero, the director of the programme, said that some forms of work would be acceptable, as long as they didn't interfere干擾 with school work:

"We believe that we need to look at the conditions條件 under which adolescents work, making sure they do so with proper適當的 training, without exceeding超過, 超額 working hours, and never in dangerous activities. If adolescents do go to work, it's important that they do it in the right conditions."

Poverty貧窮 is the main reason that drives children and adolescents to work. One in three Peruvians is poor, and most live in rural areas. The government knows that eradicating根除 child labour勞工 won't be easy without boosting提高 income and employment opportunities.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120713_witn_peruvian_child_labour.shtml

Baby panda loses life

The sorrow悲哀 in Japan at the death of the baby panda was as heartfelt衷心, 真心 as the euphoria欣快 at its long-awaited期待已久 birth. NHK television broke into its programming to announce the news. The director of Ueno zoo in Tokyo wiped擦 away tears as he explained that the male cub寶寶 had inhaled吸入 milk while breastfeeding哺乳期間, leading to pneumonia. The baby was found motionless不動 on his mother's chest胸部: efforts to revive修復 him failed. 

He was conceived設想 naturally by two giant pandas sent from China last year just before the devastating破壞性的 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The animals provided some welcome lighter news, and their baby's every wriggle蠕動 was chronicled記載 avidly詳細的, 貪婪的 in the Japanese media. China is famed著名的 for its panda diplomacy: last week Beijing expressed hope that the panda's birth would improve its testy敏感的, 易怒的 relations with Japan.

On Wednesday the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said China lamented哀嘆 the loss of the cub and believed the Japanese people would be grieving悲傷 too. But panda births in captivity圈養 are notoriously眾所皆知的 fraught困難, 複雜的. Some conservationists保育 say these endangered瀕危 animals are just too rare難得 to be traded買賣 as diplomatic trophies獎盃 - and that moving them between countries is a further risk to their health.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120712_baby_panda_dies.shtml

A dog's life

Eight million years ago, a shift轉變 in the climate氣候的轉變 caused more barren貧瘠, open landscapes景觀 to spread傳播 across the globe. And without the cover of trees, large animals grouped together for protection.

This, the scientists say, was when wild dogs started to work together, teaming up聯手 to drive big prey大獵物 out of the herd群. The Colombian team examined檢查 the skulls頭骨 of more than 300 dog species種類, building a timeline that revealed透露 how their jaws and teeth had evolved.演變

This revealed that the wolves from which our domestic dogs家犬 descend下降 started to change when they began to hunt in packs. From then on, the dogs with the biggest teeth and most powerful jaws were most likely to succeed in overpowering their prey, so they passed their 'hypercarnivorous' genes on to the next generation.

The researchers say that this is what's given our pet dogs such good evolutionary reasons進化原因 to really enjoy chewing on咀嚼 bones.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120710_witn_dogs_life.shtml

Time to cross the road!

Anna: At this busy crossing near the centre of town and just outside a hospital, you've got around 20 seconds to make it across the road.
Hillie: My name is Hillie Talens, and I work as a project manager for CROW.
Anna: So you're in control of all this, all these roads basically?
Hillie: In the end road authorities and other people use our guidelines to make the Netherlands more beautiful and sustainable可持續發展, etc.
Anna: We're standing at some lights now, they've just turned green.
Hillie: So we start walking and we can walk with a speed of 0.8 metres per second and reach the other side, so not so fast.
Anna: Not so fast. We're walking at quite a leisurely pace悠閒… but it's flashing already.
Hillie: So what?
Anna: So we're only half way across the road.
Hillie: But they don't drive, they don't try to kill us. So we're here, it's red, we're here, they're still not driving!
Anna: But it's not enough time for everyone. And it's not just the elderly who are having problems getting across on time.
Joella: My name is Joella, I'm not walking slow, but sometimes it's going so fast, especially when I'm with my baby girl, I have a daughter, then I'm going to run because it's scared, yeah!
Anna: So would the authorities be willing to give the pedestrians行人 more time?
Hillie: We could consider this but you can imagine how much time we will lose just by making some people feel more safe. It's just about feelings.
Anna: So the cost to changing the system would be the whole country would slow down?
Hillie: Yeah, if you look at a huge scale maybe the whole country will slow down.
Anna: So the drivers will just have to be patient.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120703_witn_crossings_story.shtml

New app for children who can't speak

Voice of tablet computer:
"Mary, Mary, quite contrary."

Six-year-old Ruby Dunn has autism and can't speak. But now a software application on an mp3 player and on a tablet computer is giving her a voice.

Voice of tablet computer:
"What grows in the garden?"
"The flowers. The flowers grow in the garden."

Pauline Hoygreen works with her to make sure she is integrated in to school life. In one-on-one sessions they communicate through the app:

Pauline Hoygreen, teacher:
"It's giving her her own voice and it's giving her a child's voice for her to be able to communicate to a teacher, her one-to-ones, the children in the class and the children around the rest of the school."

Ruby was born 14 weeks premature過早 and very tiny, so life has been a bit of a struggle.

Voice of tablet computer:
"Can I have lasagne, broccoli, carrots?"

At lunchtime the app allows her to order her meal.

Voice of tablet computer:
"I want the wheels on the bus please."

And in the classroom, Ruby uses it and other technology to play a full part in lessons.

It's worth saying there are now plenty of apps, some of them free, available on all sorts of devices設備 which are designed to help children with disabilities殘障者. The one we've been looking at is pretty expensive – it costs around £130 – but Ruby's family say it's made a huge difference to her life.

Ruby's father:
"There's a lot of frustration involved with autism and quite often Ruby's trying to pull you to show you something, you're not quite sure what it is she's looking at or what she's looking for or what she's asking for. But now she's got this tool, this brilliant tool, that's able to give her this voice, it's taken a lot of frustration out. We find it's calmed her down a lot."

With school over it's time to head home with the technology which has given Ruby and thousands like her a better connection to their world.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120705_witn_app.shtml

To go bananas

Li: Hi and welcome to another edition of The English We Speak. Today I'm joined by Neil, who seems to be a bit agitated激動的.

Neil: Ah, sorry Li. I'm really, really excited! Actually, I haven't even got a script for the programme! I don't need a script! I don't need anything! I'm rich beyond my wildest dreams!

Li: Oh, that's nice. How come that you've got rich all of a sudden?

Neil: …a Mercedes Benz and a Porsche. And then a boat, then a yacht. A big one!

Li: Neil, what happened? You are going bananas!

Neil: Bananas?! No cheap old fruit for me any more… caviar魚子醬, champagne, lobster龍蝦 and…

Li: I'm not offering you bananas. You are not listening. I'm saying that you've gone bananas!

Neil: Sorry Li. I'm very excited because I won the lottery! You know, this week they've got this big jackpot大獎 to offer and I got all the numbers right!

Li: Good on you.

Neil: 'To go bananas' has nothing to do with food, as you know. It's an expression in English we use when we are so excited that we act almost out of control!

Li: It is a very odd expression. We'd better let people know how it is used.

Neil: Good idea. Let me write my shopping list while we listen to some examples of the use of this expression that has nothing to do with the actual fruit. Here they are:

• I'm so happy that I finally got my promotion. Yesterday I went bananas! I ended up running around the office, hugging and kissing my boss and every single co-worker! They probably thought I was mad.

• After the team scored its fourth goal in the final the fans went bananas and started to shout and jump up and down!

Neil: So 'to go bananas' is not an expression about food but about behaviour. It means to behave in a very over-enthusiastic way, like you’ve gone crazy – an explosion of happiness!

Li: All this excitement has made me want to go out shopping too. I'll get myself a toy boat to play with in my bathtub and down the park, in the lake. And then I'm going to the zoo.

Neil: The zoo? Why the zoo?

Li: All this conversation about bananas made me keen to watch the monkeys. I might give them some very big, shiny and tasty bananas – bright yellow, the colour of gold!

Neil: The colour of gold! The most beautiful colour there is! Golden bananas - the monkeys might even think that they've won the jackpot too!

Li: Goodbye!

Neil: Goodbye!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2012/07/120710_tews_79_go_bananas.shtml

Costa Concordia captain speaks out

As the man in command of the Costa Concordia on the night she sank, Captain Schettino became a hate figure in the Italian media. Blame has been heaped堆 on him for sailing his vessel船隻 recklessly鹵莽的, 不顧一切的 close to a reef礁石 off the island of Giglo. But now, for the first time, he's tried to explain his actions publicly.

In a letter released by his lawyers, the captain seems to suggest that he should have been told by one of his crew that he was too close to the shore岸邊. But he says that he realised that he was too near shallow淺的 water when he saw breaking waves off to his left. He then immediately swung轉向 the vessel away to the right. That meant, he says, that a very serious head-on collision with the reef was avoided.

Instead there was a less damaging, glancing blow小傷害 that enabled the ship to limp on rather than sink immediately with huge loss of life. Captain Schettino even suggests that what he calls "a divine hand" might have been guiding主導 him as he made the crucial decision to turn. He says that after the collision he put into operation an emergency plan that involved shutting watertight水閘 doors and sailing his stricken災區 ship into shallower water. This made it possible, he says, to abandon放棄 the vessel more safely. And again, he argues, this action saved lives.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120709_costa_concordia_captain.shtml

Calorie counting menus

Ireland has a proud tradition of producing good quality food, which is enjoyed at home and abroad. But like many developed countries, it's also battling戰鬥 obesity - nearly forty per cent of adults here are overweight.

On Wednesday the country's health minister backed a report calling for calorie labelling, which would mean that Irish restaurants, like this one, and fast food outlets would have to show exactly how many calories are in the dishes that they serve.

The health minister said the country's food businesses have six months to introduce calorie menu labelling, or else face the possible introduction of a compulsory強制性的 scheme.

Some fast food chains here already label their menus, allowing customers to make healthier choices if they wish. But the country's restaurant association has claimed it will cost each outlet around seven thousand dollars to implement calorie labelling.

The move is supported, however, by the findings of the report, which show that most people here support calorie labelling in food outlets. This is a country with a track record of acting on public health - Ireland was one of the first places in the world to implement a blanket完全的, 公共的 smoking ban in public places, for example.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120706_witn_calories.shtml

More wreckage from Air France plane found

News of the find has awakened喚醒 new hopes among the team of crash investigators, that they may finally find the flight data recorders, which they say are crucial關鍵 to determine確定 the cause of the crash.

There's been speculation that malfunctioning故障 speed sensors were to blame, but officials say other factors must have also contributed貢獻, 造成.

The search for the data recorders has been complicated and costly昂貴的, with unmanned無人駕駛 submarines潛艇 diving to depths深處 of up to 4,000 metres to scour沖刷 the sea floor for traces蹤跡 of the plane.

Air France and the aircraft manufacturer製造商 Airbus, who've both been placed under investigation on charges of involuntary過失 manslaughter殺人罪 over the crash, will be among those keen to see the flight recorders retrieved.

Vanessa Buschschluter, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/04/110404_witn_airfrance_page.shtml

Libyan rebels fight back against government

Amidst在…之中 all the dramatic headlines about the rebel叛軍 advances進步 in Libya, two things are clear. Firstly: that the rebel forces still have a very limited offensive punch. Libyan government units seem to have dissolved溶解, 瓦解 in front of them, rather than being defeated in battle. Secondly: the retreat撤退 of the Libyan government forces has been caused by the damage they have sustained持續, 經久 from the air. We do not know how extensive大規模 the air attacks have been, but they clearly have dented凹陷 the Libyan government forces部隊的 morale士氣.

Continuing air attacks will reach a point where they are no longer ensuring確保 the protection of civilians, but aiding協助 the offensive進攻 operations of the rebels. Some might argue that point has already come. Inevitably無可避免的, this will cause strains株 within NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation). No wonder then that diplomatic efforts are beginning to focus on the end game in this crisis.

A major conference involving涉及 the coalition聯盟 countries and the Arab League is to be held in London. The Italians are already talking about an exit route路線 for Colonel Gaddafi himself and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is casting himself in the role of a mediator中間人, 調解員 to attempt to試圖 bring about a ceasefire停火.

Jonathan Marcus, BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/03/110328_witn_libya_page.shtml

Not give someone the time of day

Chris: Hi there Li.

Li: Oh, hi Chris.

Chris: Are you alright? You seem annoyed?

Li: Oh, I'm fed up受夠了. I had to stay late at work again yesterday. I still didn't manage to finish all the work, so I came in early today as well.

Chris: Sounds like you need a cup of tea. I'll put the kettle on. What have you got to finish?

Li: Well, it's not even my work I have to finish – it's Lisa's.

Chris: What do you mean?

Li: Since she started, she's always asking me to do her work for her. She'll start it, and then give it to me to complete, then leave early while I have to stay late to get it all done!

Chris: Oh, I know how you feel. Lisa did the same thing to me last week. She's really difficult to work with. Normally I wouldn't give her the time of day, but she is the manager's secretary.

Li: You wouldn't give her the time of day? What time?

Chris: No, no… it's an expression – a negative expression. What I meant was I wouldn't normally pay attention to her. It's a bit of an unfriendly expression to use. Here are some examples:

After the way Dave talked about me during the meeting, I wouldn't give him the time of day.

Politicians are all the same – they're never honest. I wouldn't give any of them the time of day.


Chris: Long ago, in Shakespeare's time, the phrase 'good time of day' was a greeting often used. These days we say 'good morning'…

Li: Or 'good afternoon'.

Chris: That's right. So to say that you wouldn't give someone the time of day means you wouldn't want to greet them or say hello. So the saying means you refuse to give someone your attention.

Li: Oh, I see.

Chris: But sadly we can't avoid some people in the office, no matter how hard we try!

Li: Well, I'd better get back to work… I've got so much to do!

Chris: Good luck. Let me know if you need any help.

Li: Thanks Chris. See you later.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2012/07/120703_tews_78_not_give_someone_time.shtml

No sanctuary for whales

No new sanctuary避難所 for these whales鯨魚.

In spite of雖然 pressure from conservation groups, there won't be further進一步 protection in the South Atlantic.

The bid for its creation has been defeated at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Panama.

It's been a recurring反覆 issue at the annual年度 gathering盛會 along with隨著 Japan's request for a commercial hunting quota配額.

Indigenous原住民 communities in the Arctic also want more subsistence生活 hunting permits許可證.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120704_vwitn_whale_sanctuary.shtml

Somali piracy gets more violent

The report describes as significant顯著的, 重大的 the increase提高 in hostage人質 deaths last year. 35 people died - that's 3% of all hostages taken. Most were killed during rescue營救 operations, a sign that the increasingly日益 robust強壯的 way of dealing處理 with pirates海盜 makes life more dangerous for the hostages. Others died from malnutrition營養不良 or disease. It used to be rare罕見, 稀有 for a captive俘虜 to die. For the pirates, who are principally主要 interested in ransom贖金 payments, they were worth more alive than dead.

The report describes the often brutal殘酷, 野蠻的 treatment of crew members. Last year nearly 4,000 seafarers海員 were fired upon後 by Somali pirates. Half of all hostages were subjected to what the report describes as moderate abuse including punching and slapping打耳光. 10% suffered遭遇 violent abuse虐待 such as being locked in freezers, burned with cigarettes and having their fingernails pulled out with pliers鉗子.

The report also says that last year there was a 50% increase in the length of time people are kept hostage - it's now an average of eight months. Some have been kept for more than two years, such as the crew船員 of the Panama-flagged MV Iceberg who have been held hostage since March 2010. The report says the ship's owner has gone out of business so there is nobody to negotiate the crew's release. The Director of the International Maritime Bureau, said that although a lot of attention is given to Somali piracy, the human cost on seafarers海員 and their families is often ignored.

this text comes from bbc learning english

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/06/120625_witn_piracy.shtml

No Olympic dream for David Beckham

David Beckham said he was disappointed by the decision to leave him out of the Great Britain football squad for the twenty-twelve Games, but that there would be no bigger supporter of the team's efforts. A few months ago he thought he had a good chance of being picked for the squad, as he'd made the original shortlist名單.

He revealed on Thursday though, that the team's coach Stuart Pearce had rung him with the bad news on Wednesday evening. The thirty-seven-year-old currently plays for LA Galaxy, but his other major role was as a sporting ambassador大使 who helped Britain to secure the Games, and has been enthusiastic熱情 about its legacy遺產. Sports fans are divided over the decision; John Prescott is an opposition politician:

"I think he's done a tremendous巨大的 contribution貢獻 for this country. He's still playing football and those skills that everybody talks about in the British football team and top fifty, I'm afraid it hasn't produced it at the finals, and the World Cup and the Europe Cup. We can't get guys that can score. This fella傢伙 used to 'bend it like Beckham'."

Others support the coach's decision though, saying sentiment情緒 shouldn't play a part in deciding who represents Britain at the world's greatest sporting event. As a child David Beckham played football on pitches close to where the Olympic Stadium now stands, and was hopeful about the regeneration再生 benefits that the Olympics might bring to the area.

this text comes from bbc learning english

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/07/120702_witn_david_beckham.shtml

Put your money where your mouth is

Rosie: Hi, I'm Rosie, and this is Li… Li? Hurry up! Ah, here's the karaoke bar.

Li: Ahhh! Rosie, why is the bar on the top floor? So many stairs… Help me please. I'm so unfit. I need to start doing more exercise. I'm going to join the gym tomorrow.

Rosie: Why don't you join the gym today?

Li: I'll join it tomorrow and then I'll go every single day… I will. I really will.

Rosie: Li, you've been saying that for months but you never actually do it!

Li: This time I will, I promise.

Rosie: That's what you always say. You need to put your money where your mouth is.

Li: You want me to put my money where my mouth is? You want me to eat my coins and banknotes鈔票? That's disgusting!

Rosie: No, Li, that's not what I meant. To put your money where your mouth is means to stop just talking about something and to take action!

Li: Ah, so you didn't really want me to put all these coins in my mouth?

Rosie: No, please don't. I want you to stop talking about joining the gym - and to join it for real! Here are some more examples:

A: If we played a game of tennis I would easily win!
B: Why don't you put your money where your mouth is? I challenge you to a game!

He always talks about how great the charity is – I think he should put his money where his mouth is and donate some money.

Li: So to put your money where your mouth is means to support your words with actions?

Rosie: Yes – I think it's a great expression. So many people just talk and talk about doing things and never actually do them!

Li: So you'd say you’re one of those people who puts their money where their mouth is?

Rosie: Definitely.

Li: That's interesting. So the other day you were saying that you love singing… and here we are in a karaoke bar…

Rosie: Well yes but… I'm really terrible actually. And some of our colleagues are here – how embarrassing.

Li: No excuses! Put your money where your mouth is and sing a karaoke song!

Rosie: Ohhhh… OK.

Li: Oh – maybe sometimes it's best NOT to put your money where your mouth is!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/theenglishwespeak/2012/06/120626_tews_77_put_your_money_where_your_mouth_is.shtml

China's Olympics boast

Detailed it is but modest謙虛 it certainly isn't. The editorial社論的 sets out in precise terms where China can expect to win gold medals. In gymnastics the haul拖拉 could be nine, weight lifting offers up the opportunity for another five, and there could be medals won on the track. All told全部, China believes it can win 37 gold medals - enough to top the table.

What's perhaps surprising about this editorial is that it's been published in the first place. But in a country known for setting targets, it serves運作 as a public warning to Chinese athletes not to disappoint.

Glory goes not only to the individual winner but the country as a whole. And Chinese fans can be unforgiving if their athletes fail to meet expectations or in this case, specific targets. As for the host nation主辦國, Britain, well, there's some good news. China's state-run news agency predicts預測 it could finish third.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/06/120629_witn_china_olympics.shtml

South Africa's female footballers

In training for the Olympics.

South Africa's women's football team is the first in the country's history to qualify for the games.

Although the team is dreaming of winning gold, their debut首次亮相 is about more than the glory榮耀 alone.

Women's football is not yet professional in South Africa, so the team wants to raise提高 the profile of the sport and inspire more young female athletes.

this text comes from bbc learning english

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/06/120627_vwitn_sa_womens_football.shtml

Body confidence

This is what children and teenagers are increasingly faced with. An array連串的 of seemingly看似 picture perfect faces and bodies tanned皮膚變咖啡色, toned色調 and transformed轉化 from what they once were and it's that transformation改造 that the new parent pack hopes to explain – showing parents and their children how images are altered改變 in the media, the actress女演員 Keira Knightley before and after the effects of airbrushing去除. 20 year old Rachel Johnson is a recovering anorexic厭食症, and says getting parents involved家長參與 is key.

"I think it is education for parents, it's actually being able to talk to parents, actually being able to ask those questions 'what do I do?'. And it's not there to scare parents it's there just to raise提高 the profile a little bit more just to get the children to talk about body image."

Aimed旨在 at parents of six to eleven year olds it gives them tips on how to talk to their children about their own bodies and is available online. It follows the success of a teaching pack launched for primary schools last year which also revealed發現 that images aren't always what they seem.

this text comes from bbc learning englishhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2012/06/120626_witn_body_confidence.shtml