China milk scandal continues

Learning English - Words in the News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/newsenglish/witn/2008/09/080926_china_milk.shtml


Batches
a batch is a group of similar things that are all dealt with or produced at the same time


batch Show phoneticsnoun [C]
a group of things or people dealt with at the same time or considered similar in type:--------------------- 1- kumpulan - ban yg dibakar dalam kumpulan 50 biji - - sekumpulan surat dari ibu pejabat - - -----------------2- kumpulan - kelompok - - kumpulan rekrut baru -

............The cook brought in a fresh batch of homemade cakes.
.................We looked at the job applications in two batches.


contaminated
made impure and, as in this case, unsafe through mixing in a harmful substance


contaminate Show phoneticsverb [T]
to spoil the purity of something or make it poisonous:--------------1- mencemari - - sungai itu dicemari bahan buangan - - lalat mencemari makanan - - ------------------2- menodai - akhlaknya telah dinodai oleh teman2nya -

.............Much of the coast has been contaminated by nuclear waste.
.............The food which had been contaminated was destroyed.


pesticides
chemical substances that are used to kill harmful insects, unwanted small animals or wild plants


pesticide Show phoneticsnoun [C or U]
a chemical substance used to kill harmful insects, small animals, wild plants and other unwanted organisms:----------1- racun perosak -

..............The pesticides that farmers spray on their crops kill pests but they can also damage people's health.
..................Compare herbicide; insecticide.


traces
very small quantities


trace (SLIGHT AMOUNT) Show phoneticsnoun [C]
a very slight amount:------------1- sedikit - sedikit pun tidak ada rasa cemburu pada sifatnya --------------2- kesan - tanda - kesan2 arsenik ada pada rambutnya dan kukunya -- kami jumpa kesan2 tapak kaki gajah -

.................Traces of drugs were found in his blood.
..................There is just a trace of grey in his hair.
....................She speaks English without the slightest trace of an accent.
........................There was the faintest trace of a smile on her lips.
.................."How wonderful!" she said, without any trace of sarcasm.


provisions
laws, rules and regulations


provision Show phoneticsnoun [C]
a statement within an agreement or a law that a particular thing must happen or be done, especially before another can be:--------------1- peruntukan [undang2] [ akta] - - perkara ini tidak termasuk dalam peruntukkan akta itu - --------------2- syarat - - kamu boleh lakukan apa saja denga duit ini , tetaluk dgn syarat yg satu ini -

....................We have inserted certain provisions into the treaty to safeguard foreign workers.
......................[+ that] She accepted the job with the provision that she would be paid expenses for relocating.


subjected to tests
checked, examined, chemically analysed


subject (DEPEND) Show phoneticsadjective
subject to sth depending on the stated thing happening:

..............We plan to go on Wednesday, subject to your approval.
....................Moving all the books should not take long, subject to there being (= if there are) enough helpers.


emphasising
stressing, giving importance to the fact



emphasize Show phoneticsverb [T] 1 (UK USUALLY -ise)
to show or state that something is particularly important or worth giving attention to:-------------1- menekankan - menitikan beratkan - dia menitik beratkan pentingnya kebersihan diri - ----------2- dia menekankan perkataa yg teakhir -

......................[+ question word] I'd just like to emphasize how important it is for people to learn foreign languages.
...................[+ that] He emphasized that all the people taking part in the research were volunteers.
........................You can use italics or capitals to emphasize a word in a piece of writing


as/so far as I know
used to say what you think is true, although you do not know all the facts:

..........He isn't coming today, as far as I know.


contamination Show phoneticsnoun [U]
The water supply is being tested for contamination (= the presence of unwanted or dangerous substances).

originating from
coming from, produced in



originate Show phoneticsverb
1 [I] coming from a particular place, time, situation, etc:

................Although the technology originated in the UK, it has been developed in the US.
....................The game is thought to have originated among the native peoples of Alaska.


these measures are purely a precaution
here, the new ban and tests are only steps to prevent things going wrong in the future, not because there is a problem now


precaution Show phoneticsnoun [C]
an action which is done to prevent something unpleasant or dangerous happening:--------------1- langkah [ beringat2]- - langkah mencegah - - mendidhkan air adalah langkah beringat yg baik - - langkah mencegah hamil [mengandung]

..................Many people have been stockpiling food as a precaution against shortages.
....................They failed to take the necessary precautions to avoid infection.


purely Show phoneticsadverb only:
On a purely practical level, it is difficult to see how such proposals would work.

...............We made this decision purely for financial reasons.


a toxic chemical
a harmful, poisonous substance


chemical Show phoneticsnoun [C]
any basic substance which is used in or produced by a reaction involving changes to atoms or molecules:

...................The government has pledged to reduce the amount of chemicals used in food production.
......................Each year, factories release millions of tonnes of toxic (= poisonous) chemicals into the atmosphere.


toxic Show phoneticsadjective
poisonous:

................toxic waste/chemicals/effluent


China milk scandal continues


Batches of powdered milk in China have been contaminated with melamine - which is used in pesticides and plastics. The European Union has now banned imports of Chinese baby food that contain any traces of milk.

The decision, under the bloc's health and safety provisions, will also mean all food imports from China which contain at least 15 percent milk products will be subjected to tests. Officials at the European Commission in Brussels are emphasising that, as far as they know, there has been no contamination of food originating from China, and these measures are purely a precaution.

The ban comes as production of a popular milk-based sweet known as White Rabbit has been stopped in China after traces of a toxic chemical were found in the product.