Idioms and expressions 001

be as free as a bird
completely free to do as you want

.......................Now that she's retired she's as free as a bird and is already planning her round-the-world cruise.


go along

............I go along with what you say. Let's see what the others think about your idea.

go along with sth/sb phrasal verb
to support an idea, or to agree with someone's opinion:

...........................Kate's already agreed, but it's going to be harder persuading Mike to go along with it.



A and E
Short for Accident and Emergency. The part of a hospital where people who are hurt in accidents or suddenly become ill are taken for urgent treatment. Also known as the Emergency Room (ER) in American English or Casualty

..................All the victims were rushed to A and E after the explosion.

Tsvangirai becomes Prime Minister

Learning English - Words in the News


sworn in as Prime Minister
officially made Prime Minister


swear sb in phrasal verb [M] LEGAL
When someone is sworn in, they make a formal promise to be honest or loyal, either because they are in a law court or because they are starting a new official job:--------------1- mengangkat sumpat - - menteri besar baru mengankat sumpat semalam -

..............The next witness was sworn in.
...............William Jefferson Clinton was sworn in as the 42nd President of the United States of America.
................She had a good seat at the President's swearing-in ceremony.


inclusive government
a government which includes members from different political parties


inclusive Show phoneticsadjective
3 describes a group or organization which tries to include many different types of people and treat them all fairly and equally:-----------------1- merangkum - rangkuman - campuran [ merangkumi semua]

...................Our aim is to create a fairer, more inclusive society.


taken the plunge
decided to accept a difficult situation

take the plunge
to make a decision to do something, especially after thinking about it for a long time:-----------------1- membuat keputusan yg berisiko - - akhirnya dia mengambil keputusan yg berisiko , dan mengemukan suat jawatan

................They're finally taking the plunge and getting married.
....................I've decided to take the plunge and start up my own business.
...............They took the plunge and got married last month.


arch rival
an especially bad enemy

arch (CURVED STRUCTURE) Show phoneticsnoun [C]
1 a structure consisting of a curved top on two supports, which holds the weight of something above it:In many churches the side aisles are separated from the central aisle by a row of arches.Passing through the arch, you enter an open courtyard.See also archway.

arch-enemy Show phoneticsnoun [C]
an especially bad enemy

Valentine's Day, or Love is in the Air

News about Britain


public displays of affection
showing your feelings of liking or love for someone in public

affection Show phoneticsnoun [C or U]
a feeling of liking for a person or place:---------------------1- kasih sayang - kanak 2 memerlukan kasih sayang - - anjing dapat menunjukkan kasih sayang pada tuannya - ----------------2- menyayangi -

......................He had a deep affection for his aunt.
..................She felt no affection for the child.
..............The former president still holds a place in the nation's affections.
..................Sula seems to have transferred her affections from Jon to his brother

forked out
forced to spend (colloquial)

fork (sth) out phrasal verb [M] INFORMAL
to pay, especially unwillingly:---------------1- membayar - abang saya berhutang dgn saya rm50 tapi dia enggan membayarnya -- - dia mahu saya bayar 10 pound utk secawan kopi -

.......................I forked out ten quid for/on the ticket.
.....................I couldn't persuade him to fork out for a new one.


hidden in the mists of time
too old for anyone to remember/confirm/clarify

mist Show phoneticsnoun [C or U]
1 thin fog produced by very small drops of water gathering in the air just above an area of ground or water:---------------1- kabut - kabus - rahsia yg senyap dalam kabut masa - ------------2- kabus - sesuatu yg mengelapkan pemikiran [ membuatkan susah nak faham -

2 a thin layer of liquid on the surface of something which makes it difficult to see:

.................UK There's always a mist on the bathroom mirror/windows when I've had a shower.
.....................Through a mist of tears, I watched his train pull out of the station.


martyred
killed because of his beliefs


martyred Show phoneticsadjective
1 A martyred person has been killed because of their religious or political beliefs:.-----------------1- org yang mati atau menderita demi agama ---------------2- syahid - mengorbankan nyawa - dia korbankan nyawa demi kebenaran -

..............a martyred saint
...............a martyred civil rights activist

2 DISAPPROVING showing that you are suffering so that people will have sympathy for you:

...............She was wearing a martyred expression.


emperor Show phoneticsnoun [C]
a male ruler of an empire
...........See also empress.


recorded
known, documented


record (STORE INFORMATION) Show phoneticsverb [T]

1 to keep information for the future, by writing it down or storing it on a computer:------------------1 - catat - setiausaha catat minit mesyuarat - ----------------2 - menjadi bukti kepada - - puing2 menjadi bukti kepada peradaban masa lampau - -------------3- merakam-

................She records everything that happens to her in her diary.
.................Unemployment is likely to reach the highest total that has ever been recorded.
................[+ that] In his journal, Captain Scott recorded that he and his companions were weakened by lack of food.
...................LEGAL The coroner recorded (= decided) a verdict of accidental death.

2 If a device records a measurement, it shows that measurement:
.....................The thermometer recorded a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius


imprisoned
put in jail


imprison Show phoneticsverb [T usually passive]
to put someone in prison:------------------1- memenjarakan - - mengurung - yg dituduh di penjara selama 3 tahun - - anak itu dikurung dalam bilik tidurnya -

..................He was imprisoned in 1965 for attempted murder.
...................FIGURATIVE Unable to go out because of the deep snow, she felt imprisoned in her own house.


sought solace
tried to find comfort


solace Show phoneticsnoun [S or U] LITERARY
help and comfort when you are feeling sad or worried:-------------1- ketenangan jiwa [find solace ] dia dapat ketenangan jiwa dgn solat - ---------------2- [seek solace ] cari ketenangan jiwa - - dia cari ketenangan jiwa melalui kerjanya - - ------------------------3- penawar - - cucu adalah penawar bagi orang tua -

...................When his wife left him, he found solace in the bottle (= drank alcohol).
...................Music was a great solace to me during this period


confinementim
prisonment

confinement Show phoneticsnoun
1 [U] when a person or animal is kept somewhere, usually by force:---------------------1- pengurungan - - pengurungan brasingan - -

.....................She spent most of those years under house arrest or close confinement.


equivalent
here, a special occasion that has the same meaning and purpose


equivalent Show phoneticsnoun [C usually singular]

................There is no English equivalent for 'bon appetit' so we have adopted the French expression.
......................Ten thousand people a year die of the disease - that's the equivalent of the population of this town.


customary
normal, usual

customary Show phoneticsadjective
.........................She's not her customary (= usual) cheerful self today.


customary Show phoneticsadjective TRADITION)
................[+ to infinitive] In my village, it is customary for a girl to take her mother's name
.................It was customary for women to wear hats when they went to church.
.....................The students sat in their customary classroom seats.


commiserate with
show sympathy for

commiserate Show phoneticsverb [I]
to express sympathy to someone about some bad luck:-------------1- turut bersimpati dgn - - dia turut bersimpati dgn wanita itu gagal dapat kerja -

...................I began by commiserating with her over the defeat.
...........She called to commiserate over his loss.


e-cards
short for electronic cards, i.e. virtual cards that are sent via the internet


e- [Show phonetics]combining form abbreviation for electronic
..-----....e-commerce
............e-mail


all the rage
very popular

be (all) the rage OLD-FASHIONED
to be very popular at a particular time:---------------1- menjadi kegilaan - berjoging menjadi kegilaan sekarang ini -

..................Long hair for men was all the rage in the seventies
....................Fake leopard print, so fashionable in the seventies, is all the rage again now.


wary
here, careful


wary Show phoneticsadjective
not completely trusting or certain about something or someone:-----------------1- berhati2 - - waspada - budak2 itu di ajar agar waspada - lelaki tua yg berhati2 dalam kata2 -

..................I'm a bit wary of/about giving people my address when I don't know them very well.


malicious hackers
people who access other people's computers with bad intentions (e.g. to look for their personal information, like credit card details, or to stop their computers working properly)



malicious Show phoneticsadjective
intended to harm or upset other people:----------------1- berniat jahat - - orang yg betul2 berniat jahat - - perbuatan berniat jahat -

....................malicious gossip
..................a malicious look in his eyes
........................He complained that he'd been receiving malicious telephone calls.
.......................She denied the report that she appeared on the movie set drunk, saying it was a malicious story put out by people envious of her success.
.....................LEGAL He was charged with malicious wounding.


hacker Show phoneticsnoun [C] (ALSO computer hacker)
someone who hacks into other people's computer systems-----------------1- hancur - - ceroboh - -

..................Computer hacking has become very widespread over the last decade.
......................A programmer had managed to hack into some top-secret government data.


spyware
computer programs that reveal the identity of a computer user


viruses
here, computer programs which can make copies of themselves, preventing the computer from working properly

warrant (DOCUMENT) Show phoneticsnoun [C]

an official document, signed by a judge or other person in authority, which gives the police permission to search someone's home, arrest a person or take some other action:

.................a search warrant
.....................Judge La Riva had issued an arrest warrant/a warrant for his arrest.


Valentine's Day, or Love is in the Air

It’s that time of the year when couples show their love for each other by sending cards, flowers and chocolates. But Valentine’s Day is not only about public displays of affection: in recent years it has also become big business. In the UK alone, more than £20 million is spent on flowers, whilst in the United States over $1 billion is forked out on chocolates.

Although Valentine’s Day has become a global industry with more than 80 million roses sold worldwide, the origins of the day are unclear and hidden in the mists of time. Nobody knows exactly who St Valentine was, although some historians suggest he was a Roman martyred in the third century AD by a Roman Emperor. It is said that the first recorded Valentine’s card was sent by the imprisoned Duke of Orleans in 1415. It is believed that he sought solace from his confinement by writing love poems to his wife.

Valentine’s Day, or its equivalent, is now celebrated in many countries around the world. However, the traditions often differ from place to place. In Japan, for example, it is customary for the woman to send chocolates to the man, whilst in Korea April 14th is known as ‘Black Day’ and is when the unfortunate men who received nothing on Valentine’s Day gather to eat noodles and commiserate with each other.

Technological developments have also played their part in keeping Valentine’s Day relevant in the 21st century. Valentine’s e-cards have been all the rage in recent years. However, internet security experts urge web users to be wary as malicious hackers could use e-cards to spread viruses and spyware.

Valentine’s cards can also be used for less than romantic purposes. Police in the UK city of Liverpool sent Valentine’s cards to criminals who failed to appear in court or have not paid fines. The cards contained the verse, “Roses are red, violets are blue, you’ve got a warrant, and we’d love to see you.” Who says romance is dead?

Episode 183: Milking the cows

Learning English - The Flatmates

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/index.shtml

milk Show phoneticsverb 1 [I or T] to obtain milk from an animal:

...............Milking a cow by hand is a skilled process.
..................Some goats seem to milk (= produce milk) better than others.

milking machine noun [C]
a machine used to take milk from cows


insist Show phoneticsverb [I]
to state or demand forcefully, especially despite opposition:-----------1- desak - hendak - mahukan - dia mendesak supaya lelaki itu pergi sama- - kamu mesti datang, dia mendesak -

...................[+ (that)] Greg still insists (that) he did nothing wrong.
..................Please go first - I insist!
....................She insisted on seeing her lawyer.--------1- berkeras hendak , mahukan - dia berkeras hendakkan para pekerja datang - - saya terperanjat dia berkeras hendak bayar bil itu -



watch (LOOK AT)
watch (BE CAREFUL)

watch (BE CAREFUL) Show phoneticsverb [T]
to be careful of something:

...............I have to watch my weight (= be careful not to become too heavy) now I'm not doing so much sport.
................Watch your language (= Do not use rude words) in front of ladies, young man!
..................[+ (that)] Watch (that) you don't get glue on your fingers, won't you?
..................[+ question word] Watch what you're doing with that knife, Jim, it's sharp.
....................You want to (= You should) watch him - he's a bit of a strange character.


Bessie is both a surname and a woman's first name. As a given name, Bessie is an English diminutive of Elizabeth or Bessandra, and as such has been used since the 16th century. Bessie is sometimes used as an independent name.

Bessie may refer to:
The name of a cow (including a Beanie Baby cow produced by Ty, Inc.)


hold on (HOLD FIRMLY) phrasal verb
to hold something or someone firmly with your hands or arms:

................She held on tightly to his waist.


hold on to/onto sth/sb
to hold something or someone firmly using your hands or arms---------------1- pegang kuat2 - berpaut dgn kuat - dia berpaut pada kalap itu dgn kuat -

...................... The path's rather steep here so you'll need to hold on to the rail.
........................They held onto each other and kissed passionately.



teat (ANIMAL) Show phoneticsnoun
[C]a part of a female mammal's body through which milk passes to her babies

teat (BOTTLE) UK Show phoneticsnoun-----------1- puting susu
[C] (US nipple)a piece of rubber or silicone for feeding a baby from a bottle


firm (STRONG) Show phonetics
firmly Show phoneticsadverb
..............He shook my hand firmly (= strongly) and climbed into the taxi.


squeeze (PRESS TOGETHER) Show phoneticsverb [T]
1 to press something firmly, especially from all sides in order to change its shape, reduce its size or remove liquid from it--------------1- picit - - dia pegang dan picit tgn wanita utk tambah keyakinannya ----------------2- perah - - perah limau tu -

........................Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl.


I've got it (informal)
I can do it successfully


leg (BODY PART) Show phoneticsnoun [C]

1 one of the parts of the body of a human or animal that is used for standing or walking, or one of the thin vertical parts of an object on which it stands:--------------1- peha - kaki -

..................My legs were tired after so much walking.
.................He broke his leg skiing.
.................The horse broke its front leg in the fall.
.................a chair/table leg


watch out for sb/sth phrasal verb
to be careful to notice someone or something interesting:

...............Watch out for his latest movie, which comes out next month.



Episode 183: Milking the cows

Khalid: Are you sure it's safe to let me do this?

Tim: Of course it is. We've got machines that do most of the milking nowadays but I thought you'd like to give it a go by hand.

Khalid : If you insist.

Tim: So watch me. Lean in near Bessie...

Khalid: Ok, that looks easy enough.

Tim:Hold on to one of her teats, firmly and... squeeze down, and squeeze down. And that's all there is to it. Ready?

Khalid: Ok Bessie. Be gentle with me... Hey! I've got it. I'm milking, I'm milking!

Tim: Ah, good on you Khalid. Now just keep concentrating. And keep your eye on her back leg.

Khalid: This is great! What?

Tim: I said watch out for her... Well, I suppose there's...

Idioms with 'no':

a no-no

something which is unsuitable or unacceptable

.................They're really anti-smoking so lighting up in their house is a real no-no.

be a no-no

if something that someone does is a no-no, people do not think it is an acceptable way of behaving Spanking children is a no-no these days.

no laughing matter

very serious

.................It's not funny! Wait till you're stuck on a train outside the station for 3 hours. You'll see it's no laughing matter.

be no laughing matter

if a subject is no laughing matter, it is serious and not something that people should make jokes about

...................Haemorrhoids are all very funny when other people have them, but if you get them yourself, it's no laughing matter

in no time

very quickly or very soon

..............I know you're hungry but don't worry, dinner will be ready in no time.

a no-go area a place you are not allowed to go That room is for the teachers only.

............It's a no-go area for us students [ kawsan larangan ]

Episode 27: The hungry cat

Learning English - The Flatmates

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/flatmates/episode27/index_blank.shtml

kettle Show phoneticsnoun [C]
a covered metal or plastic container with a handle and a shaped opening for pouring, used for boiling water-------------1- ceret
See picture .

put the kettle on
to start to boil water in a kettle



turn sth around/round phrasal verb [M]
to change an unsuccessful business, plan or system so that it becomes successful:--------------1- berpatah balik - mereka tidak ada dirumah jadi kam patah balik -

.............The new management team turned the ailing company around in under six months.


turn (GO ROUND) Show phoneticsverb
1 [I or T] to (cause to) move in a circle round a fixed point or line:-------------1- pusing - putar -

...............The Earth turns on its axis once every 24 hours.
.............She turned on her toes, holding out her skirt.
.....................The wheels started to turn (round).
.................Turn the steering wheel as quickly as you can.
..................She turned the door knob and quietly opened the door.Slowly, I turned the door handle


It's a pain in the neck (idiom):
It's very annoying

............He is such a pain in the neck. He’s always asking for money.


a pain (in the neck) INFORMAL
someone or something that is very annoying:

...............That child is a real pain in the neck.
...................My little sister won't leave me alone. She's a real pain in the neck



drive (FORCE) Show phoneticsverb
[T] drove, driven

2 to force someone or something into a particular state, often an unpleasant one:---------------1- membuatkan - menyebabkan - - leterannya membuatkan dia gila -

...............In the course of history, love has driven men and women to strange extremes.


starve Show phoneticsverb
1 [I or T] to (cause to) become very weak or die because there is not enough food to eat:-----------1- mati kebuluran - kebanyakn binatang yg terperangkap mati kebuluran ------------1- membiarkan ssorng kebulur - kelaparan - banduan2 itu dibunuh dan dibiarkan kelaparan -

......................Whole communities starved to death during the long drought.
.....................From talking to former prisoners in the camps, an obvious conclusion is that they have been starved.

2 [T often passive] If you are starved of something necessary or good, you do not receive enough of it:

........................People starved of sleep start to lose their concentration and may hallucinate.


I'm starving (informal):
I'm very hungry

starving Show phoneticsadjective
2 INFORMAL very hungry:.............Isn't lunch ready yet? I'm starving.


verb [I usually + adverb or preposition] INFORMAL
to work very hard at something:-------------1- sementara kamu main trup, aku kat dapur bertungkus lumus di dapur -

..................We slaved away all week at the report.
...................HUMOROUS I've been slaving over a hot stove (= cooking) all morning.------------1- bertungkus lumus [ masak ] - - sepanjang hari dia bertungkus lumus memasak utk menyediakan hidangan ini dan kamu jamah sikit jer
............See also enslave.


dusty Show phoneticsadjective
1 -covered in dust:--------berabuk - berdebu -

.............Heaps of dusty books lay on the floor.We drove along the dusty road.

2- slightly grey in colour:................dusty pink-------1- merah jambu yg pudar


To put an animal down:
To kill an animal, usually because it is old or ill


put sth down (KILL) phrasal verb [M
]to kill an animal that is old, ill or injured, to prevent it from suffering:

................If a horse breaks its leg, it usually has to be put down.


A daddy's girl:
A woman who isn't independent but is spoilt and looked after by her father (or other father-like figure)


horrible Show phoneticsadjective
1 very unpleasant or bad:---------------1- dahsyat - teruk - - teruknya baju itu - jenayah yg terlalu dahsyat [mengerikan ] ----------------3- mengerunkan - raksasa yg mengerunkan -

................He's got a horrible cold.
................What's that horrible smell?
...............That was a horrible thing to say!


How dare she/you, etc.!
used to express anger about something someone has done:--------------1- berani - - berani dia kata begitu -

..............How dare you use my car without asking!
.................How dare he tell me what to do!


drive sb up the wall
to make someone extremely angry:

..............My flat-mate is driving me up the wall at the moment.


drive sb up the wall informal
to make someone very angry or very bored

............I was being driven up the wall by their silly chatter.
...............Working in a factory would have driven me up the wall.



chill out phrasal verb (ALSO chill) INFORMAL
to relax completely, or not allow things to upset you:--------------1- relax -tenang -

...........I'm just chilling out in front of the TV.
..............Chill out, Dad. The train doesn't leave for another hour!


guy Show phoneticsnoun [C]

1 INFORMAL a man:
................He's a really nice guy.
.................Do you mean the guy with the blonde hair and glasses?


MAINLY US guys used to address a group of people of either sex:

............Come on, you guys, let's go.



Episode 27: The hungry cat

Tim: I don’t believe it! Kitty's just eaten my dinner. I was putting the kettle on and I turned round and there she was, eating my chicken. That cat’s a pain in the neck.

Alice: Oh calm down.

Tim: It drives me mad! I’m starving, I’ve been slaving away in that dusty old stockroom all day. I hate work just now and then this happens! The cat’s got to go or be put down.

Helen : Don’t be horrible. You can buy something else to eat.

Tim: We're not all as rich as you, you know, daddy's girl!

Helen: How dare you Tim! I didn’t eat your chicken. You drive me up the wall sometimes.

Alice: Hey guys, chill out.

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.

Download script (33 K) Part 2 – Human Rights

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BBC Learning English
Talk about English
Insight Plus
Part 2 – Human Rights
Jackie: Welcome to bbclearningenglish.com and a second chance to hear
Insight Plus - a series first broadcast in 2001 that looks at the language
of issues you hear about in the news. Today’s topic is Human rights -
do we have a right to freedom, food and shelter? Here’s Lyse Doucet.
Lyse: The world is all too full of injustice. People’s rights are not being
respected. And these violations are getting more and more coverage in
the media. Our rights are being denied despite international laws meant
to protect us – laws, conventions, charters on human rights have existed
for centuries but the abuses still exist. In today’s Insight Plus, we’ll look
at the language used to report on human rights and gain some insight
into how the rights of people around the world are not being respected.
First, let’s listen to part of a report by Richard Hamilton, featured in the
BBC World Service radio programme, Analysis. He focuses on the
European Convention on Human Rights. But the language in that
agreement - that convention, is universal, like the issue of human rights.
Clip
We start just after the 2nd World War. In 1945 Europe was in a mess. Many European
cities were destroyed by the bombings, people had suffered greatly. And there were
troubling questions about the cruelty, the attrocities that had occurred during the war.
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The worst abuse of human rights was what came to be known as the holocaust, the
genocide of Jews in Nazi Germany. So much had been destroyed, but from the ruins,
or out of the ashes of post war Europe came a new determination.
After the Second World War, Europe lay in ruins - devastated by bombs, killings and
atrocities. But out of the ashes emerged a convention that lawmakers promised meant
citizens would never again suffer persecution, torture, slavery, or discrimination.
Lyse: Immediately after the war, 46 governments came together under the
title of The United Nations. The UN declared that the horrors of the
Second World War should never be allowed to happen again. Respect
for human rights and human dignity is, it said, “the foundation of
freedom, justice and peace in the world.”
In 1948, The UN created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
and shortly afterwards came the European convention. The spirit and
principles in both these documents can be found in similar works
throughout history - as long ago as 1215, in England’s Magna
Carta…in the Declaration of Independence in the United States of
America in 1776, and in the 1789 French Declaration of the Rights of
Man and Citizen. Let’s return to our report on the European
Convention of Human Rights. We’ll hear from Keir Starmer, a leading
human rights lawyer, on the significance of this convention.
Clip
It’s meant common values across Europe and a common strategy to uphold human
rights and make them central in the protection given to individuals from their
governments.
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Lyse: Human rights are based on the idea that we have common values,
shared ideals such as “all human beings are born free and equal” and
“everyone has the right to life and liberty.” These common values are
stated clearly in the European Convention. Here’s Keir Starmer again
describing the protection the convention has given to citizens.
Clip
Individuals throughout Europe have relied on the right to liberty to challenge arrest
and detention on a widespread basis. They’ve relied on the convention to challenge
discrimination throughout Europe and they’ve widely relied on freedom of expression
to put forward views of minorities as well as majorities.
Lyse: Keir Starmer mentions some rights that are enshrined or permanently
protected in the European Convention. They include the right to
challenge, arrest and detention so we are not punished for things we
haven’t done. There’s also our right to freedom of expression – our
right to say what we think and feel whether its about religion, politics,
or personal matters. That can be especially important when we are part
of a minority, when our views are different from the views of the
majority of people.
In our next clip, we’ll hear some key articles - or points - from the
1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They’re read by Eleanor
Roosevelt, the wife of former American President Theodore Roosevelt,
She chaired the group that spent 3 years creating the historic
declaration.
Clip
(Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
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Lyse: Human rights are the subject of today’s Insight Plus from the BBC
World Service, your guide to the language and background to the
stories that stay in the news. Over the years, a large number of laws and
charters have been developed based on the United Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. They’re meant to protect citizens, and to
confront human rights violations wherever they occur.
Around the world countries and regions have written their own
conventions. We’ve heard about the European Convention of Human
Rights. There’s also an American Convention and an African Charter.
But the report asks whether a global agreement could work.. Some
countries argue that certain cultures, for example Islamic nations, may
need their own human rights charter. But most experts agree that
human rights are universal and should be applied around the world. To
help achieve that, there have even been attempts to establish an
international guide such as The International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, signed in 1966.
It’s a great goal. But the report reminds us that this lofty - or grand,
idealistic talk about people’s rights isn’t much much help to people
living in the poorest nations. If you’re hungry or don’t have a roof over
your head, it’s not much comfort to know you have a basic right to food
and shelter.
Clip
Lofty discussions about civil liberties might seem a long way off for people in many
parts of the world where their first concern is to get enough food to survive. The
human rights lawyer Kier Starmer says in these cases conventions give more priority to
economic rights rather than political ones.
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Kier Starmer
“These are of primary importance to developing nations who rightly see that civil and
political rights, for example, the right to vote the right to education, can only be
achieved if there’s a degree of economic prosperity and that ordinary people are
educated and have access to their civil and political rights. So that’s why there’s
different emphasis. In truth, both sets of rights are indivisible - you can’t have one
without the other. There are not many countries that say we need to be fed and
therefore we don’t care about freedom of expression, for example. There’s many
countries that say in addition to freedom of expression we need to be fed and until we
are fed we can’t have true freedom of expression and that’s a very valid position for
them to take.”
Lyse: As new conventions are prepared, there’s a growing understanding that
economic and social conditions must be emphasised if basic human
rights are to be respected worldwide. When we speak about human
rights, we also look at human wrongs - the abuse of these rights. We
often learn about these abuses through organisations which monitor the
behaviour of governments and other authorities. There are many
national and international human rights organisations. One of most wellknown
is Amnesty International.
Let’s listen to a report on human rights abuses, by the BBC’s diplomatic
correspondent Barnaby Mason. It looks at the violent conflict in the
Middle East and at criticism by Amnesty International of the behaviour
of both sides - the Israelis and the Palestinians. This short extract
contains the kind of language that you often hear in broadcasts about
human rights violations.
You’ll hear the expressions - breaking rules, grave breach and gross
violations. They mean the same thing, that rights have been abused and
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conventions ignored. And words such as gross and grave tell us the
violations are very serious indeed.
Clip
Amnesty International criticises both sides but the weight of its condemnation bears
more heavily on Israel. It says the Israeli forces are breaking their own rules as well as
international standards laid down in the Geneva Conventions. That lethal force must
only be used to conter an immediate threat to life.
Mr Cordone said Amnesty International condemned what apppeared to be random
Palestinian firing at Jewish settlements, as well as punitive Israeli raids mounted after
the event to teach a lesson.. Asked whether "war crimes" was the phrase to decribe
Israeli actions over the past month, Mr Cordone said there was a pattern of gross
human rights violations that might well amount to war crimes. The Geneva
Conventions prohibited wilful killings, he said, that would be a grave breach and
therefore a war crime, though Amnesty could not say that any individual case fell into
this category - that was a matter for a tribunal to investigate.
Lyse: The report says the Geneva Convention has been ignored. Like other
human rights conventions, it outlines how people should be treated.
But the Geneva Convention applies to the specific circumstances of
war. It protects the rights of soldiers captured by the enemy and also
the rights of the sick and wounded. It’s there to remind warring groups
that even in the middle of a conflict, individuals must be treated fairly
and humanely.
You also heard the term tribunal. It’s a committee or group of people
with legal powers to establish whether serious abuses were committed
during wartime. For example, the International War Crimes Tribunal
investigates accusations such as genocide - or mass murder dur