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  • Baltimore bridge collapse. Search for missing people suspended.

  • This is News Review from BBC Learning English, where we help you understand news headlines in English. I'm Neil.

  • And I'm Beth. Make sure you watch to the end to learn all the vocabulary you need to talk about this story.

  • Don't forget to subscribe to our channel so you can learn more English from news headlines.

  • Now the story.

  • The search for six people missing after a bridge in the US collapsed has been suspended.

  • The accident happened when a ship hit a support column on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the city of Baltimore.

  • There are fears the collapse could lead to a significant impact on the world's supply chains.

  • Investigators are now trying to understand what went wrong.

  • You've been looking at the headlines, Beth, what's the vocabulary people need to understand this story in English?

  • We have 'heart-pounding,' 'move heaven and earth,' and 'put something to the test.'

  • This is News Review from BBC Learning English.

  • Let's have our first headline.

  • This is from The Mail Online: Heart-pounding audio of Baltimore cops rushing to stop traffic going over Francis Scott Key Bridge.

  • So, this headline describes the recordings of police officers trying to prevent people from driving onto that bridge in Baltimore before it collapsed.

  • Now, the vocabulary that we're looking at is heart-pounding. Heart-pounding, Beth. What is that?

  • Well, normally, your heart beats. That's when blood flows around your body normally.

  • But if you are stressed, your heart pounds.

  • Now, pound means to hit very hard. So, if something is heart-pounding, it's very stressful, very dramatic.

  • Yes. Now, heart-pounding is an adjective and it describes those situations you described.

  • You can literally feel your heart pounding sometimes, but also we can use heart-pounding just to describe very stressful situations where you might not feel the heart pound.

  • Yes, that's right. For example, maybe in a job interview, it's quite stressful, so you could say that's heart-pounding.

  • Maybe you go into an exam, you turn over the exam paper and you think, "I don't know the answer." It's a bit stressful. It's heart-pounding.

  • OK. Let's look at that again.

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

  • This is from The Independent: Biden vows to 'move heaven and earth' to rebuild Key Bridge and reopen Baltimore port after collapse.

  • OK. So, the US President Joe Biden says that they are going to move heaven and earth to build this bridge again.

  • Move heaven and earth is our expression, Beth. What's he talking about?

  • Well, Neil, it helps to think literally here. So, earth is huge. Heaven is huge.

  • Imagine trying to move them. It would be very difficult, but Joe Biden says he's going to try.

  • Of course, we're not talking literally about moving heaven and earth here.

  • OK. So, what it means basically is to make a great effort to do something, which might be difficult, but you are determined to achieve it.

  • What other context could we use this in?

  • Well, it is often used for serious situations like the bridge collapse in Baltimore.

  • We can use it for war. A government might say they will move heaven and earth to defeat the enemy.

  • But we can also use it for more personal situations, especially when you're determined.

  • So, for example, if you haven't seen your family in a long time and then there are train strikes, you might say, "It doesn't matter, I will move heaven and earth to see my family."

  • Let's look at that again.

  • Let's have our next headline.

  • This is from Ars Technica: Bridge collapses put transportation agency's emergency plans to the test.

  • So, this headline says that the accident will put transport agency's plans to the test.

  • Put something to the test is our expression. What's it all about?

  • Well, if we put something to the test, we see how good it is.

  • Now, in this case, the emergency plans of the transportation agencies are going to be put to the test.

  • We'll find out if they work, if the trade flows smoothly or not.

  • Yes. Now, this is a verb phraseput something to the test.

  • And, for example, before the coronavirus pandemic, there were plans to deal with such a situation, but when the actual thing happened, those plans were put to the test.

  • That's right. And put to the test is often used for these kind of complex situations, like the pandemic, but we can also use it for more everyday situations.

  • Now, in school and at work, we have practice fire drills and then when the fire alarm actually goes off, we're putting those plans, those procedures to the test.

  • Yes, and on a really personal level, this weekend, I'm meeting a Spanish friend. It will really put my Spanish to the test.

  • Let's look at that again.

  • We've had heart-poundingdescribes a very stressful event.

  • Move heaven and earthmake a great effort to achieve something.

  • And put something to the testfind out how well something works.

  • Now, if you're interested in learning more English from the news headlines, click here for more News Review.

  • Don't forget to click here to subscribe to our channel so you never miss another video.

  • Thanks for joining us. Bye!

  • Bye!

Baltimore bridge collapse. Search for missing people suspended.

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