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  • COP26 is under way in Glasgow,

  • but ahead of the conference a leaked report seen by the BBC

  • showed that some countries were trying to get a change made

  • to a crucial scientific report.

  • I'm Neil. This is News Review from BBC Learning English

  • and joining me is Roy. Hi Roy.

  • Hi Neil and hello everybody.

  • If you would like to test yourself on the vocabulary around the story,

  • head to our website bbclearningenglish.com to take a quiz.

  • But now, let's hear more about this story from this BBC News report:

  • OK. So, the story is this: BBC News has seen some leaked documents

  • that suggest that some countries are trying to change

  • a crucial scientific report on climate change.

  • Well, you've been looking at this story

  • and scanning the various headlines to see how people are talking about it.

  • What three items of vocabulary have you got?

  • We have 'water down', 'spanner in the works' and 'lobbying'.

  • 'Water down', 'spanner in the works' and 'lobbying'.

  • So, let's start with your first headline there please, Roy.

  • OK. So, our first headline comes from Politico and it reads:

  • 'Water down' – make something less effective; weaken.

  • OK. So, this expression is spelt:

  • W-A-T-E-R. Second word: D-O-W-N.

  • And like you said, it makes...

  • it's the idea of making something weaker or less effective.

  • OK. So, I was a little bit confused, Roy,

  • because I assumed because this is a climate change story

  • that we've got the word 'water' and 'down' here

  • because there's increased flooding or raining.

  • Is that not the case?

  • No, no. That's a more literal meaning.

  • So, for example, water levels can go down or they can go up,

  • but in this sensefirst of all, let's talk about...

  • it's more of a figurative meaning, so let's talk about coffee.

  • Do you like strong coffee?

  • I do. I do love strong espresso-style coffee, but you know what, Roy?

  • It's... sometimes it's a little bit too strong.

  • I want something – a bit of a longer drink, so I have an americano.

  • OK. So, what... what is an americano then?

  • An americano is an espresso-style coffee,

  • but it's had water added to ithot water.

  • It's been 'watered down' to make it less strong.

  • Yes... So, that's... that's where the expression's from:

  • the idea of adding water to something,

  • like the espresso, to make it less strong,

  • to make it weaker, to lessen that impact that it has on you.

  • Now, in the headline, we're not talking about coffee;

  • we're talking about a document, so we use this meaning...

  • we used this expression in a figurative way.

  • So, we say 'water down' the impact of a document and it's the same idea:

  • to lessen the impact or the importance of somethingto 'water it down'.

  • Yeah, that's absolutely right.

  • There is another word which has the same meaning as 'water down':

  • 'dilute' – so, we have 'dilute' and we have 'water down'.

  • 'Dilute' sounds like a word that has the same meaning

  • in many different, especially Latin, languages,

  • so why can't I just use 'dilute'?

  • Why do I need to use this word 'water down'?

  • Well, this is a great question

  • and you absolutely can use 'dilute' if you wish to use it.

  • And you said it's got a Latin root;

  • now, quite often these wordsthese Latin-origin wordsthey're quite formal.

  • They're more formal than the, kind of, phrasal-verb counterparts.

  • Phrasal verbs are much more natural in speech

  • or in, kind of, informal Englishnatural, everyday English.

  • So, if you, kind of, want to sound more natural when you're talking,

  • use a phrasal verb: use 'water down'.

  • But, obviously if you want to be formal

  • maybe you're writing a scientific report

  • you would use the word 'dilute' and that word 'dilute'

  • has the same meaning, both figuratively and literally.

  • You can 'dilute' something with water

  • or you can 'dilute' the impact of a document.

  • Absolutely. OK. Let's get a summary:

  • If you would like to watch another programme with the topic of coffee,

  • we have the perfect one for you.

  • Coffee smells great, doesn't it, Roy?

  • But, it never quite tastes as good as it smells. Why is that?

  • Well, I'm not so sure, but this 6 Minute English

  • has the answers for you, so grab a biscuit,

  • dunk it in your coffee like Rob would

  • and click the link in the description below to watch it.

  • Absolutely. OK. Let's have a look at your next headline.

  • OK. So, our next headline comes from Down To Earth and it reads:

  • 'Spanner in the works' – something that stops a plan from succeeding.

  • So, Roy, I know what a 'spanner' is:

  • thisthis is a spanner!

  • What are we doing, talking about 'spanners'

  • in reference to this climate change conference?

  • OK. Yeah, well, that is... that is a 'spanner'. There you goperfect.

  • So, what we use a 'spanner' forit's an essential tool

  • for engine maintenance or working on machines.

  • So, for example, you can use it, I believe,

  • to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts.

  • Now, what happens, Neil, if you... you hold that spanner

  • and suddenly you drop the spanner into the engine? What happens?

  • Oooh, that's going to be bad, isn't it, Roy?

  • Because the engine is a very smooth-running machine

  • and if you throw this into it

  • this hard piece of metalit's going to make everything stop,

  • or not work properly.

  • So, yeah, basically that's the idea of the 'spanner in the works'.

  • Now, we're not talking about the literal meaning.

  • Again, we've gone to a figurative meaning,

  • but the idea of a 'spanner in the works'

  • is that same idea of stopping the engine working.

  • So, it's something that is stopping a project,

  • or for example the impact of a document, from working.

  • So, a 'spanner in the works' is a problem that stops a situation

  • from fulfilling itself, if you like.

  • Yeah. Now, you've got an example of a 'spanner in the works', haven't you?

  • Yes, I have and it's a very sad one to be honest, Neil.

  • My wife and my sonwe all lived together in Brazil and at...

  • about two years ago, we decided to move to the UK together.

  • And my wife was getting her visa and everything was organised.

  • She went back to Brazil to finalise processes and then tragically Covid hit,

  • which has been tragic for a lot of families around the world,

  • and my wife and childthey couldn't get here.

  • So, it really threw a 'spanner in the works' in our plan.

  • It did. It threw a 'spanner in the works'

  • and Covid has been throwing a 'spanner in the works' for...

  • for everyone really, hasn't it?

  • Yeah. And I mean in our case, it was a smooth plan that we had,

  • but as it says something came along and it was unexpected,

  • and it threw a 'spanner in the works' there,

  • but obviously, to be positive, our love has got us through this

  • and I'll be seeing her very soon.

  • Brilliant. Yes. So, we have...

  • there are a couple of words that go with 'spanner in the works', aren't there?

  • There's 'throw'.

  • Yes. And we also use the word 'put':

  • so, you can 'put a spanner in the works'

  • and you can 'throw a spanner in the works'.

  • OK. Well, let's get a summary:

  • Well, talking of 'spanners', which are used of course for fixing things,

  • generally, if you don't throw them into machinery,

  • we have a programme about fixing things, don't we, Roy?

  • Yes, we do and all you need to watch it,

  • is click the link in the description below.

  • Let's have a look at your next headline.

  • OK. So, our next headline comes from here

  • at home, at the BBC, and it reads:

  • 'Lobbying' – trying to persuade someone in authority to do something.

  • Yes. So, this word is spelt L-O-B-B-Y-I-N-G

  • and it means to try and persuade somebody

  • to change something or to do something,

  • and it's commonly used to talk about governmental figures or politicians.

  • OK. That's interesting. You said it's about changing people's opinions,

  • or persuading people, but at the beginning of this word

  • we see another word: 'lobby'.

  • Now, a 'lobby' is a room or a space between other rooms,

  • where people might pass each other.

  • What is the connection between a 'lobby' and changing people's opinion?

  • Well, that's a really great question.

  • Now, in most parliaments around the world, they have these huge entrances...

  • these huge rooms that we know as 'lobbies',

  • and politicians would pass through there

  • and people would try and grab themnot necessarily physically

  • but try and get their attentionto try and persuade them to do things,

  • in this 'lobby'. So, that's where the origin of this word probably comes from.

  • Yeah, that's right and a person who does this

  • it's actually a jobis called a 'lobbyist'.

  • Absolutely. And also a group of people that are trying to achieve this

  • or do this are known as 'a lobby' as well, so...

  • and one thing that's really important to talk about here

  • is the propositions that we use after it:

  • you can 'lobby for' something, when you're pro an idea,

  • or you can 'lobby against' something, when your anti.

  • And also, we use it commonly with the infinitive:

  • so, you can 'lobby to change' something or 'lobby to do' something,

  • or you can 'lobby the government to do' something or to change something.

  • Absolutely right. OK. Let's get a summary:

  • Time now for a recap of the vocabulary please, Roy.

  • Yes. We had 'water down' – make something less effective; weaken.

  • We had 'spanner in the works' –

  • something that stops a plan from succeeding.

  • And we had 'lobbying' – trying to persuade someone

  • in authority to do something.

  • If you want to test yourself, there's a quiz on our website

  • bbclearningenglish.com and we're all over social media.

  • Join us again next time. Goodbye.

  •   Bye.

COP26 is under way in Glasgow,

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