Subtitles section Play video
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Hello I'm Feifei and welcome to The English We Speak.
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And hello, I'm Rob.
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You're looking pleased with yourself, Rob.
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Oh, I am. I've just booked these dirt cheap – I mean really cheap – flights to Ibiza!
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Wonderful!
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Look at the price - 20 pounds return!
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That means extra money to spend on food, drink and partying.
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Let's have a look… hold on. The basic price is 20 pounds, but look at the tax you have to pay on top. One hundred pounds!
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Eh? Let me see. You're right.
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Grrr, I hate paying tax.
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I guess you could say it's a necessary evil.
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Hmm, you could say that – if you mean it's something bad that can't be avoided, and you have to accept it in order to achieve a good result.
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That's exactly what I meant, Rob.
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If it can't be avoided, like paying tax on a plane ticket, then it's a necessary evil.
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Let's hear some examples, shall we?
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For me, exams are a necessary evil – you have to do them to get a place at university.
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Sitting in traffic for hours is a necessary evil if I want to drive to the seaside on a public holiday!
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I hate running, but having to exercise is a necessary evil if I want to stay fit and healthy.
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This is The English We Speak from BBC Learning English and we're finding out about the phrase 'a necessary evil'.
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It describes something that you have to accept in order to achieve something else.
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And Rob, that tax on your plane ticket is unavoidable – so not so cheap now, is it?
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No. Less money for eating, drinking and partying.
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Can you get a refund? Stay at home and eat, drink and party?
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I could but if I stayed at home, there's another necessary evil I have to deal with.
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What's that?
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I'll have to spend more time with you.
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Hmm! What time is your flight exactly?
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Did I say something wrong?
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Bye.
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Bye.