BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Shark's fin soup
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 1 of 7
Yvonne: This is 6 Minute English, I'm Yvonne Archer - and Finn has kindly joined me
for today's programme. Hello Finn!
Finn: Hello Yvonne – how are you?
Yvonne: Oh, I'm great thanks! Now, 2011 is the year of the Rabbit in the Chinese lunar
calendar - and Finn, your name is a brilliant clue for today's topic.
Finn: It is.
Yvonne: We're talking about a traditional dish that many people expect to find on the
menu to celebrate the New Year!
Finn: Yes, so what could it be? My name is Finn and we're talking about the dish
'shark’s fin soup'.
Yvonne: Excellent! Now, in Taiwan this year, shark's fin soup may be missing from
quite a few menus. But before we find out why – I've a question for you, Finn.
Are you ready?
Finn: Okay, I'm ready.
Yvonne: Good. Which type of shark is the longest fish in the world?
a) the great white shark
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 2 of 7
b) the whale shark or
c) the hammerhead shark
Finn: Okay, let me see. Well, whales are very big so I think - b) the whale shark.
Yvonne: Right - and I'll tell you whether you're right or wrong later on! For some time
now, animal rights activists have been calling for a ban on shark's fin soup
because of the way the sharks are treated. Finn, explain what 'a ban' is for us
please, because it doesn't mean the same as 'illegal' does it?
Finn: No, not quite. 'A ban' is an official order or statement saying that something
isn't allowed anymore, rather than a law saying that something is illegal - or
that it's a crime. For example, in the UK, smoking cigarettes in offices is
banned but it's not against the law to smoke cigarettes.
Yvonne: Right. Once their fins are chopped off, many sharks are just thrown back into
the sea to die.
.
Finn: Yes, and sadly for the sharks, the simple reason for this is because it saves
space on the fishermen's boats.
Yvonne: Mm, it is very sad. Now the campaign against shark's fin soup is starting to
show small signs of progress. But the BBC's Cindy Sui was still able to find a
restaurant window in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, where a large, dried shark's fin
was on display. Here's what the restaurant's manager told Cindy:
Insert 1: Restaurant owner, Taipei
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 3 of 7
Look at our restaurant, there's hardly any business. The media coverage has affected us,
but many of the fish are caught whole, not just for the fins. In Taiwan, we eat all the
shark, not just the fin.
Yvonne: The restaurant owner says that the media coverage about the campaign to ban
shark's fin soup means he's had fewer customers. As he puts it: "there's hardly
any business". Finn, can you explain what he means by 'the media coverage'
though?
Finn: Yes, well it means things like articles in newspapers and online, as well as
news bulletins and programmes on television and radio – all the publicity, all
gathered together - that's what we call 'media coverage'.
Yvonne: Great. Taiwan catches between 40,000 and 60,000 tons of shark meat each year
for its own use, and the restaurant manager we heard from clearly doesn't agree
that there should be a ban on shark's fin. Now, you lived in Taiwan for a few
years, didn't you Finn?
Finn: I did – yes.
Yvonne: Was this an issue there at the time?
Finn: Well, I lived there about 10 years ago and I have to say there wasn't a lot of
media coverage about banning shark's fin soup at the time.
Yvonne: So, let's find out who is getting involved in the campaign at this time to help
save sharks from a cruel death, from the BBC's Cindy Sui:
Insert 2: Cindy Sui, BBC Correspondent, Taipai
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 4 of 7
In recent years, an increasing number of young people in Taiwan are refusing to order
shark's fin or serve it at their wedding banquets, even though it has long been
considered a must on banquet menus. Celebrities have also spoken out against eating
shark's fin.
Yvonne: So celebrities have spoken out against eating shark's fin?
Finn: They have. They've made it clear to the public that they support a ban – they've
spoken out against it.
Yvonne: And young people are refusing to order shark's fin or to serve it at wedding
feasts, even though it's traditional. We could say they're 'boycotting' it,
couldn't we Finn?
Finn: We could yes – 'boycotting'.
Yvonne: So when you were in that part of the world Finn, was it really 'a must' – an
essential choice on a good menu for special occasions? And I'm scared to ask,
but have you tried shark's fin soup?
Finn: You know - I have actually. And yes, it was at a special occasion - a wedding
in Taiwan, and it did taste very nice. But at the same time, you feel a bit bad
because of the cruelty to the shark. And of course, it's a very prestigious dish
in Chinese culture.
Yvonne: But if the whole fish is being eaten, wouldn't that make a difference?
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 5 of 7
Finn: I think yes, if you were to eat the whole fish and it wasn't wasted, then that
would make a big difference. And I think that's really at the core of the issue
here, isn't it?
Yvonne: I think so. Now, earlier Finn, I asked: Which type of shark is the longest fish in
the world.
Finn: Mm-hmm. And I said b) the whale shark. Was I right?
Yvonne: Errr….
Finn: Was I right?
Yvonne: Yes!
Finn: Oh, fantastic!
Yvonne: Well done Finn! And the longest ever recorded was 13.5 metres.
Finn: Now that is very long, isn't it.
Yvonne: Huge – yes.
Finn: That's a big shark!
Yvonne: Now, how about a Chinese New Year greeting to say goodbye from today's "6
Minute English"?
Finn: Yes, this is the beginning of the year of the rabbit, so we can say: "Happy New
Year" which is: "Xin nian kuai le". Yvonne?
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 6 of 7
Yvonne: Xin nian kuai le.
Finn: Xin nian kuai le. Happy New Year everyone!
Yvonne: Happy New Year!
Finn: Bye for now
Yvonne: Goodbye!
Vocabulary and definitions
lunar calendar something that shows the days and months in a year, based
on the moon’s journey around the Earth each month
a clue a piece of information which can help to find answers
animal rights activists people who try to bring attention to the cruel treatment of
animals and get laws introduced to help protect them
a ban an official order or statement saying that something isn't
allowed
thrown back carelessly tossed or flung to where it came from
the campaign the organised set of activities aimed at achieving an
objective
the media coverage all the information given about a particular situation or
event in newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, websites etc
boycotting refusing to buy goods or be involved in activities because
you don’t agree with them
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 7 of 7
a must something which most people think is essential
prestigious highly thought of, respected and valued
More on this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8470945.stm
Read and listen to the story online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/110210_6min_english_soup_page.shtml
2011年2月10日 星期四
2011年2月3日 星期四
Scam mail!
BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Scam mail
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 1 of 5
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice…
Finn: And I'm Finn.
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! This week we’re talking about a crackdown on
scam mail.
Finn: Scam mail – that’s post sent to people, asking them for money or promising
them prizes like cars or holidays
Alice: The Metropolitan Police – the police force in London – has said that it will
crack down on companies and criminal groups sending scam mail. It’s seized
thousands of letters. Do you ever get these scam mail letters Finn?
Finn: Yes, Alice, I do, occasionally.
Alice: What do they look like?
Finn: They’re often quite convincing, they’re addressed to me personally and some
really look quite official sometimes.
Alice: Well, before we get into the murky world of scam mail – I have a question for
you about the post, Finn. What was the name of the first sticky postage stamp
which went on sale on the 1st May 1840? Was it:
a) The penny brown b) The penny black or c) The penny blue
Finn: I don’t know much about stamps. Let me guess a, the penny brown.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 2 of 5
Alice: Well, I won’t tell you the answer now – we’ll find out at the end of the
programme. So let’s hear more about scam mail from an investigation by the
Metropolitan Police and in this report by the BBC’s Phil Lavelle:
Insert 1: Phil Lavelle
It’s bright, it’s colourful and it tells us that a top gift is waiting, and most of us will have
thrown it straight in the bin. The problem is when the more vulnerable members of
society reply to these letters, especially when they look like they are official. For
example, this one says, ‘You must reply immediately! Do not delay!’ It is a final notice,
so it grabs the attention. Another one looks like it’s come from a government
department. In fact, it says it’s from the US Department of Finance and Disclosure. So
again, it looks official and it grabs attention.
Alice: Phil Lavelle says that most people throw these letters straight in the bin, but the
police are worried about vulnerable people responding to these scam letters.
Finn: Vulnerable people – the elderly, or people with learning difficulties who trust
letters they get in the post.
Alice: The letters often have a sense of urgency.
Finn: The people who send the letters want you to act quickly – they often say things
like ‘Do not delay!’, ‘Reply immediately!’ or, ‘Offer ends soon’.
Alice: They grab attention! And Phil Lavelle says that many of the letters look
official – in his example he has a letter which sounds like it comes from a real
government department.
Finn: So how big is this problem Alice?
Alice: Police estimate that about 3.5 billion pounds is sent to postal scammers every
year in the UK. They’re even linking five suicides of people who got heavily
in debt sending money in postal scams.
Finn: Heavily in debt – that means they owe a lot of money.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 3 of 5
Alice: One of the problems, apparently, is if you respond once to one scam letter – a
tempter letter - your details are given to other criminal groups and entered
onto a sucker list.
Finn: A sucker list – now, a sucker is somebody who is easily fooled or duped.
Alice: Here’s the BBC’s Home Affairs correspondent, June Kelly:
Insert 2: June Kelly
After replying to one of these so-called tempter letters a victim’s name is put on what’s
called a suckers list, and sold to criminals all over the world. These suckers lists
comprise many vulnerable people, including the elderly. They’ll be bombarded with
mail. Some have ended up in desperate financial straits, some with health problems.
Alice: June Kelly says that some people have ended up in desperate financial straits –
a very bad financial situation.
Finn: People get bombarded with mail. They receive lots and lots of letters.
Alice: One elderly man the BBC spoke to who started responding to scam mail has
sent at least ￡3,000 to scammers – and now receives up to 70 letters every day.
The problem is that once people get hooked it’s very difficult to stop. Here’s
Detective Superintendent Mark Ponting of the Metropolitan Police, who says
even with consumer information about the risks of answering scam mail
people continue to send money.
Insert 3: Detective Superintendent Mark Ponting
I’ve met quite a few now, several dozen individuals who find it difficult, if not often
impossible once they’re hooked, to stop. So you can give them all the consumer
education in the world, and actually once they’re hooked they’re not going to stop.
Alice: Well, that’s all we have time for today. But before we go Finn, the answer to
our question about the first sticky postage stamp. You said…
Finn: My sticky answer was a, the penny brown…..
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 4 of 5
Alice: There was a penny brown, but the first sticky postage stamp was actually the
penny black.
Finn: A-ha, the penny black!
Alice: So, you don’t get a prize this week, but it would still be nice if you’d read out
today’s words and phrases.
Finn: That’s enough of a prize for me, Alice! What could be better? Here we go:
crackdown
scam mail
official
vulnerable
a sense of urgency
heavily in debt
tempter
sucker
bombarded
hooked
Alice: Thanks so much for that, Finn. We hope you’ll join us next time on "6 Minute
English". Bye.
Finn: Bye for now.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 5 of 5
Vocabulary and definitions
crackdown strong, official action taken to punish people who break
laws
scam mail post sent to people with the aim of deceiving them, by
offering them gifts or money which are never delivered
official here, an important letter, from an organisation like a bank
vulnerable people who are emotionally or physically weak, or without
protection
a sense of urgency a feeling that something should be dealt with as soon as
possible
heavily in debt owe a lot of money
tempter something designed to persuade you to do something,
often by offering something appealing to you
sucker someone easily fooled or tricked into doing something
bombarded when something happens over and over again in a short
space of time
hooked addicted or unable to stop doing something
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12273260
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/01/110127_6min_scam_mail_page.shtml
6 Minute English
Scam mail
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 1 of 5
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice…
Finn: And I'm Finn.
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! This week we’re talking about a crackdown on
scam mail.
Finn: Scam mail – that’s post sent to people, asking them for money or promising
them prizes like cars or holidays
Alice: The Metropolitan Police – the police force in London – has said that it will
crack down on companies and criminal groups sending scam mail. It’s seized
thousands of letters. Do you ever get these scam mail letters Finn?
Finn: Yes, Alice, I do, occasionally.
Alice: What do they look like?
Finn: They’re often quite convincing, they’re addressed to me personally and some
really look quite official sometimes.
Alice: Well, before we get into the murky world of scam mail – I have a question for
you about the post, Finn. What was the name of the first sticky postage stamp
which went on sale on the 1st May 1840? Was it:
a) The penny brown b) The penny black or c) The penny blue
Finn: I don’t know much about stamps. Let me guess a, the penny brown.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 2 of 5
Alice: Well, I won’t tell you the answer now – we’ll find out at the end of the
programme. So let’s hear more about scam mail from an investigation by the
Metropolitan Police and in this report by the BBC’s Phil Lavelle:
Insert 1: Phil Lavelle
It’s bright, it’s colourful and it tells us that a top gift is waiting, and most of us will have
thrown it straight in the bin. The problem is when the more vulnerable members of
society reply to these letters, especially when they look like they are official. For
example, this one says, ‘You must reply immediately! Do not delay!’ It is a final notice,
so it grabs the attention. Another one looks like it’s come from a government
department. In fact, it says it’s from the US Department of Finance and Disclosure. So
again, it looks official and it grabs attention.
Alice: Phil Lavelle says that most people throw these letters straight in the bin, but the
police are worried about vulnerable people responding to these scam letters.
Finn: Vulnerable people – the elderly, or people with learning difficulties who trust
letters they get in the post.
Alice: The letters often have a sense of urgency.
Finn: The people who send the letters want you to act quickly – they often say things
like ‘Do not delay!’, ‘Reply immediately!’ or, ‘Offer ends soon’.
Alice: They grab attention! And Phil Lavelle says that many of the letters look
official – in his example he has a letter which sounds like it comes from a real
government department.
Finn: So how big is this problem Alice?
Alice: Police estimate that about 3.5 billion pounds is sent to postal scammers every
year in the UK. They’re even linking five suicides of people who got heavily
in debt sending money in postal scams.
Finn: Heavily in debt – that means they owe a lot of money.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 3 of 5
Alice: One of the problems, apparently, is if you respond once to one scam letter – a
tempter letter - your details are given to other criminal groups and entered
onto a sucker list.
Finn: A sucker list – now, a sucker is somebody who is easily fooled or duped.
Alice: Here’s the BBC’s Home Affairs correspondent, June Kelly:
Insert 2: June Kelly
After replying to one of these so-called tempter letters a victim’s name is put on what’s
called a suckers list, and sold to criminals all over the world. These suckers lists
comprise many vulnerable people, including the elderly. They’ll be bombarded with
mail. Some have ended up in desperate financial straits, some with health problems.
Alice: June Kelly says that some people have ended up in desperate financial straits –
a very bad financial situation.
Finn: People get bombarded with mail. They receive lots and lots of letters.
Alice: One elderly man the BBC spoke to who started responding to scam mail has
sent at least ￡3,000 to scammers – and now receives up to 70 letters every day.
The problem is that once people get hooked it’s very difficult to stop. Here’s
Detective Superintendent Mark Ponting of the Metropolitan Police, who says
even with consumer information about the risks of answering scam mail
people continue to send money.
Insert 3: Detective Superintendent Mark Ponting
I’ve met quite a few now, several dozen individuals who find it difficult, if not often
impossible once they’re hooked, to stop. So you can give them all the consumer
education in the world, and actually once they’re hooked they’re not going to stop.
Alice: Well, that’s all we have time for today. But before we go Finn, the answer to
our question about the first sticky postage stamp. You said…
Finn: My sticky answer was a, the penny brown…..
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 4 of 5
Alice: There was a penny brown, but the first sticky postage stamp was actually the
penny black.
Finn: A-ha, the penny black!
Alice: So, you don’t get a prize this week, but it would still be nice if you’d read out
today’s words and phrases.
Finn: That’s enough of a prize for me, Alice! What could be better? Here we go:
crackdown
scam mail
official
vulnerable
a sense of urgency
heavily in debt
tempter
sucker
bombarded
hooked
Alice: Thanks so much for that, Finn. We hope you’ll join us next time on "6 Minute
English". Bye.
Finn: Bye for now.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 5 of 5
Vocabulary and definitions
crackdown strong, official action taken to punish people who break
laws
scam mail post sent to people with the aim of deceiving them, by
offering them gifts or money which are never delivered
official here, an important letter, from an organisation like a bank
vulnerable people who are emotionally or physically weak, or without
protection
a sense of urgency a feeling that something should be dealt with as soon as
possible
heavily in debt owe a lot of money
tempter something designed to persuade you to do something,
often by offering something appealing to you
sucker someone easily fooled or tricked into doing something
bombarded when something happens over and over again in a short
space of time
hooked addicted or unable to stop doing something
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12273260
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/01/110127_6min_scam_mail_page.shtml
2011年1月29日 星期六
Population explosion!
BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Population growth
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 1 of 5
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice…
Finn: And I'm Finn.…
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! This week we’re talking about population
growth and the effects it might have on the world. At the moment it’s
estimated that there are about 7 billion people on the planet.
Finn: It’s estimated – experts make an educated guess at the number of people based
on research.
Alice: If projections are correct experts think there could be 9.5 billion people by the
year 2075.
Finn: Projections – the estimated number of people calculated by looking at
population changes over time.
Alice: Experts say there will be a population explosion.
Finn: That means a dramatic and very fast increase.
Alice: So before we find out more – I have a question for you Finn. How many zeros
are there after the 1 in a billion?
a) 12 b) 9 c) 6
Finn: Let’s guess. A thousand million. A million is 6 zeros so a thousand – 9, 9 zeros.
Alice: As usual, I won’t tell you the answer now - but we’ll find out at the end of the
programme. So let’s see how population growth is going to change the way
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 2 of 5
our planet works. The Institute of Mechanical Engineers recently published a
report about how technology could help us manage larger populations. They
say it’s the defining challenge of the century.
Finn: That’s the most important issue in the next 90 years.
Alice: Here’s the BBC’s environment analyst Roger Harrabin:
Insert 2: Roger Harrabin
One author of today’s report described population growth as the defining challenge of
the century - bigger even than climate change. The report says work needs to start now
on technological solutions for a world of nine and a half billion people. Many of the
practical ideas in the report have been welcomed by development groups.
Alice: Roger Harrabin says that population growth is even more important than
climate change. The report says that engineers need to start work now to find
technological solutions to provide enough food, water, energy and homes for
nine and a half billion people.
Finn: Technological solutions – that’s the use of technology to invent or improve
something.
Alice: One of the authors of the report is Tim Fox, Head of Energy, Environment and
Climate Change at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. He says that
engineers have already created technologies which can deal with the challenge
of providing food, water, energy and homes for everyone in the world in 2075.
But one area he says we can try and improve on is wasting less food:
Insert 2: Dr Tim Fox
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 3 of 5
The challenge of providing food, water, energy and homes internationally can be met
through existing technologies that are available today. So something like 50% of food is
wasted in newly developing countries between the field and the market place – now here
in the highly industrialised countries we’ve solved that problem sustainably through the
use of refrigeration and transportation mechanisms that are highly optimised and we
waste all our food between the supermarket and our consumption.
Alice: What did Dr Tim Fox of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers say were the
two technological improvements we could make to stop wasting so much food?
Finn: He said we could improve refrigeration and transportation
Alice: Dr Tim Fox said that something like 50% of food is wasted in newly developed
countries between the field and the market place. This could be improved by
having better refrigeration and transportation from the farm to markets and
shops. What did he say about developed countries?
Finn: In developed countries the system of refrigeration and transportation has been
optimised.
Alice: optimised – that means it has been developed so that it is extremely efficient
and can’t be improved upon. But he says that in highly industrialised countries
– countries that are very developed economically – food is wasted between the
supermarket and people’s consumption.
Finn: That means that people might buy a lot of food at the supermarket but end up
throwing it away – they don’t consume it. Now, before we go let’s find out the
answer to the question I asked you at the beginning of the programme. How
many zeros come after the 1 in a billion? a. 12, b.9, c.6
Finn: I guessed b. 9
Alice: You’re right. And your prize, Finn, is to read out some of the words and
phrases we’ve heard in today’s programme.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 4 of 5
Finn: What could be better? Here we go:
population
billion
it’s estimated
projection
explosion
defining challenge
technological solutions
refrigeration
transportation
optimised
consumption
Alice: Thanks so much for that Finn. We hope you’ve had fun with us today on "6
Minute English" - and that you’ll join us again next time.
Both: Bye.
Vocabulary and definitions
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 5 of 5
population the total number of people living in a particular country or
region
billion a thousand million (in some parts of the world a million
million)
it’s estimated experts have made approximate calculations of how much
something is likely to be or cost
projection an expected outcome
explosion here, a large, sudden increase
defining challenge a difficult or demanding task that will shape or characterise
related events
technological solution the use of technology to solve a problem or find an answer
refrigeration keeping something at a constant, cold temperature
transportation moving things or people from one place to another
optimised to have made something become as best as it can be
consumption here, eating or drinking something
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12160715
Read and listen to the story online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/01/110119_6min_populations_page.shtml
6 Minute English
Population growth
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 1 of 5
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice…
Finn: And I'm Finn.…
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! This week we’re talking about population
growth and the effects it might have on the world. At the moment it’s
estimated that there are about 7 billion people on the planet.
Finn: It’s estimated – experts make an educated guess at the number of people based
on research.
Alice: If projections are correct experts think there could be 9.5 billion people by the
year 2075.
Finn: Projections – the estimated number of people calculated by looking at
population changes over time.
Alice: Experts say there will be a population explosion.
Finn: That means a dramatic and very fast increase.
Alice: So before we find out more – I have a question for you Finn. How many zeros
are there after the 1 in a billion?
a) 12 b) 9 c) 6
Finn: Let’s guess. A thousand million. A million is 6 zeros so a thousand – 9, 9 zeros.
Alice: As usual, I won’t tell you the answer now - but we’ll find out at the end of the
programme. So let’s see how population growth is going to change the way
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 2 of 5
our planet works. The Institute of Mechanical Engineers recently published a
report about how technology could help us manage larger populations. They
say it’s the defining challenge of the century.
Finn: That’s the most important issue in the next 90 years.
Alice: Here’s the BBC’s environment analyst Roger Harrabin:
Insert 2: Roger Harrabin
One author of today’s report described population growth as the defining challenge of
the century - bigger even than climate change. The report says work needs to start now
on technological solutions for a world of nine and a half billion people. Many of the
practical ideas in the report have been welcomed by development groups.
Alice: Roger Harrabin says that population growth is even more important than
climate change. The report says that engineers need to start work now to find
technological solutions to provide enough food, water, energy and homes for
nine and a half billion people.
Finn: Technological solutions – that’s the use of technology to invent or improve
something.
Alice: One of the authors of the report is Tim Fox, Head of Energy, Environment and
Climate Change at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. He says that
engineers have already created technologies which can deal with the challenge
of providing food, water, energy and homes for everyone in the world in 2075.
But one area he says we can try and improve on is wasting less food:
Insert 2: Dr Tim Fox
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 3 of 5
The challenge of providing food, water, energy and homes internationally can be met
through existing technologies that are available today. So something like 50% of food is
wasted in newly developing countries between the field and the market place – now here
in the highly industrialised countries we’ve solved that problem sustainably through the
use of refrigeration and transportation mechanisms that are highly optimised and we
waste all our food between the supermarket and our consumption.
Alice: What did Dr Tim Fox of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers say were the
two technological improvements we could make to stop wasting so much food?
Finn: He said we could improve refrigeration and transportation
Alice: Dr Tim Fox said that something like 50% of food is wasted in newly developed
countries between the field and the market place. This could be improved by
having better refrigeration and transportation from the farm to markets and
shops. What did he say about developed countries?
Finn: In developed countries the system of refrigeration and transportation has been
optimised.
Alice: optimised – that means it has been developed so that it is extremely efficient
and can’t be improved upon. But he says that in highly industrialised countries
– countries that are very developed economically – food is wasted between the
supermarket and people’s consumption.
Finn: That means that people might buy a lot of food at the supermarket but end up
throwing it away – they don’t consume it. Now, before we go let’s find out the
answer to the question I asked you at the beginning of the programme. How
many zeros come after the 1 in a billion? a. 12, b.9, c.6
Finn: I guessed b. 9
Alice: You’re right. And your prize, Finn, is to read out some of the words and
phrases we’ve heard in today’s programme.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 4 of 5
Finn: What could be better? Here we go:
population
billion
it’s estimated
projection
explosion
defining challenge
technological solutions
refrigeration
transportation
optimised
consumption
Alice: Thanks so much for that Finn. We hope you’ve had fun with us today on "6
Minute English" - and that you’ll join us again next time.
Both: Bye.
Vocabulary and definitions
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 5 of 5
population the total number of people living in a particular country or
region
billion a thousand million (in some parts of the world a million
million)
it’s estimated experts have made approximate calculations of how much
something is likely to be or cost
projection an expected outcome
explosion here, a large, sudden increase
defining challenge a difficult or demanding task that will shape or characterise
related events
technological solution the use of technology to solve a problem or find an answer
refrigeration keeping something at a constant, cold temperature
transportation moving things or people from one place to another
optimised to have made something become as best as it can be
consumption here, eating or drinking something
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12160715
Read and listen to the story online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/01/110119_6min_populations_page.shtml
2011年1月15日 星期六
Brains and politics!
BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Brains and politics
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 1 of 6
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice.
Rob: And I'm Rob.
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! We’ve had a special request from our listeners in
Lugano, Switzerland for a more complicated topic this week. We’re talking
about the structure of the brain, and how it could be related to our political
beliefs.
Rob: Scientists at University College London scanned people’s brains and found
that certain areas were more or less developed depending on people’s political
views.
Alice: And - they found some interesting results! Before we hear them, I have a
question for you Rob. Are you ready?
Rob: Of course.
Alice: Now, which of these isn’t a part of the brain? And please excuse my
pronunciation:
a) corpus callosum
b) tomatosensory cortex
c) pons
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 2 of 6
Rob: Mmm – well, my Latin isn’t that great, but I think I’ll choose b, tomatosensory
cortex. It doesn’t sound real to me.
Alice: OK. Well, as usual I won’t tell you the answer now - but we’ll find out at the
end of the programme. Now let’s learn a bit more about this connection
between the structure of the brain and a person’s political beliefs. Let’s think
about the different ways we can talk about these. If someone is left-wing…
Rob: …they are considered to have liberal views.
Alice: And if they are right-wing.
Rob: If they are right-wing they are thought to be more conservative.
Alice: Scientists carried out MRI scans on two British Members of Parliament – MPs
- as well as 90 other students and postgraduates. Their hypothesis – the theory
they are testing to see if it is correct or not - is to find out if there is any
difference in their brains.
Rob: These MRI scans can measure the thickness of the grey matter in the brain –
that’s the outer layer of the brain which varies in thickness, and is full of
neurons – nerve cells, which are very sensitive.
Alice: Here’s a BBC Science correspondent, Tom Feilden:
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 3 of 6
Insert 1:
Tom Feilden: It’s time to get down to the serious business of scanning our MPs – one left
and one right-wing to see if we can find any differences in the structure of their brains.
(Background) Nurse:
Bit of scanner noise coming now.
Professor Geraint Rees: We’re now standing in the control room of our MRI scanner...
Tom Feilden: Professor Geraint Rees is the Director of the Institute of Cognitive
Neuroscience at University College London.
Professor Geraint Rees: We’re going to look in detail at the thickness of the grey matter
- that’s the outer covering of the brain.
Tom Feilden: The hypothesis we’re testing is to see whether there is any significant
difference in the shape or structure - the thickness of the grey matter covering the brain
- between people who self-classify as either left or right wing.
Rob: So did people who self-classify themselves – describe themselves as being
liberal or conservative - have different shaped brains?
Alice: What the scientists found was that people who have thicker grey matter in one
area of the brain – the anterior cingulate- described themselves as being liberal
or left-wing, and those with a thinner layer described themselves as
conservative or right-wing. Here’s Professor Geraint Rees:
Insert 2:
We find there are two areas of the brain – one called the anterior cingulate and the
other called the amygdala, whose structure seems to vary according to their selfdescribed
political attitudes. The anterior cingulate is a part of the brain that’s on the
middle surface of the brain, at the front. And we found that the thickness of the grey
matter – where the nerve cells or neurons are - was thicker the more people described
themselves as liberal or left-wing, and was thinner the more people described themselves
as conservative or right wing.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 4 of 6
Rob: That’s all very interesting, Alice – but what about people who change their
political beliefs as they get older? Does this mean their brain shapes change
too?
Alice: We don’t know yet if brain shape changes as people’s political views change.
More research needs to be done - but scientist Professor Colin Blakemore
from Oxford University says that grey matter can change shape in the brain.
For example, even playing computer games for a short period of time a week
can change the shape of your grey matter:
Insert 3:
We know from lots of other recent studies, that the brain - even the grey matter of the
brain, the part that’s being measured in these studies - can change its organisation
incredibly rapidly, simply teaching someone computer games for a few minutes each
week, can cause their grey matter in certain areas of the brain to change thickness.
Alice: So perhaps even people who seem hard-wired to believe certain things may be
able to change their minds and the shape of their brains too.
Now before we go let’s answer our question. We heard a couple of terms used
to describe parts of the brain. But which of the ones I gave you, Rob, at the
beginning of the programme were real?
Rob: I think I said the one that sounded like a tomato? It didn’t sound like a real part
of the brain.
Alice: Well, Rob, you’re right. The odd one out was the tomatosensory cortex.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 5 of 6
The corpus callosum and the pons are parts of the brain.
Rob: And before we go, let’s hear some of the words and phrases that we’ve used in
today’s programme:
Political beliefs
Scanned
Left-wing
Liberal
Right-wing
Conservative
MRI scans
Hypothesis
Grey matter
Neurons
Alice: Thanks, Rob. Well, we hope you’ve had fun with us today on 6 Minute English
- and that you’ll join us again next time.
Both: Bye.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 6 of 6
Vocabulary and definitions
political beliefs your opinions on how governments should run the world
scanned here, photographed by a machine which can show images
of people’s brains
left-wing having political ideas which are close to socialism
liberal tolerant of different beliefs or behaviours
right-wing having political ideas which support conservatism and
capitalism
conservative likes to preserve traditional ideas, and resists changes or
new ideas
hard-wired here, unmovable in opinion
MRI scans a machine which can photograph people’s brains (MRI –
magnetic resonance imaging
hypothesis explanation or theory which has not yet proved to be
correct
grey matter type of matter which forms part of the brain
neurons cells in the human nervous system which conduct
messages to and from the brain
nerve cells cells which, together, form human nerves
More on this story:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/today/tomfeilden/2010/12/are_political_beliefs_hard_wir.html
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/01/110106_6min_brain_page.shtml
6 Minute English
Brains and politics
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 1 of 6
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice.
Rob: And I'm Rob.
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! We’ve had a special request from our listeners in
Lugano, Switzerland for a more complicated topic this week. We’re talking
about the structure of the brain, and how it could be related to our political
beliefs.
Rob: Scientists at University College London scanned people’s brains and found
that certain areas were more or less developed depending on people’s political
views.
Alice: And - they found some interesting results! Before we hear them, I have a
question for you Rob. Are you ready?
Rob: Of course.
Alice: Now, which of these isn’t a part of the brain? And please excuse my
pronunciation:
a) corpus callosum
b) tomatosensory cortex
c) pons
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 2 of 6
Rob: Mmm – well, my Latin isn’t that great, but I think I’ll choose b, tomatosensory
cortex. It doesn’t sound real to me.
Alice: OK. Well, as usual I won’t tell you the answer now - but we’ll find out at the
end of the programme. Now let’s learn a bit more about this connection
between the structure of the brain and a person’s political beliefs. Let’s think
about the different ways we can talk about these. If someone is left-wing…
Rob: …they are considered to have liberal views.
Alice: And if they are right-wing.
Rob: If they are right-wing they are thought to be more conservative.
Alice: Scientists carried out MRI scans on two British Members of Parliament – MPs
- as well as 90 other students and postgraduates. Their hypothesis – the theory
they are testing to see if it is correct or not - is to find out if there is any
difference in their brains.
Rob: These MRI scans can measure the thickness of the grey matter in the brain –
that’s the outer layer of the brain which varies in thickness, and is full of
neurons – nerve cells, which are very sensitive.
Alice: Here’s a BBC Science correspondent, Tom Feilden:
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 3 of 6
Insert 1:
Tom Feilden: It’s time to get down to the serious business of scanning our MPs – one left
and one right-wing to see if we can find any differences in the structure of their brains.
(Background) Nurse:
Bit of scanner noise coming now.
Professor Geraint Rees: We’re now standing in the control room of our MRI scanner...
Tom Feilden: Professor Geraint Rees is the Director of the Institute of Cognitive
Neuroscience at University College London.
Professor Geraint Rees: We’re going to look in detail at the thickness of the grey matter
- that’s the outer covering of the brain.
Tom Feilden: The hypothesis we’re testing is to see whether there is any significant
difference in the shape or structure - the thickness of the grey matter covering the brain
- between people who self-classify as either left or right wing.
Rob: So did people who self-classify themselves – describe themselves as being
liberal or conservative - have different shaped brains?
Alice: What the scientists found was that people who have thicker grey matter in one
area of the brain – the anterior cingulate- described themselves as being liberal
or left-wing, and those with a thinner layer described themselves as
conservative or right-wing. Here’s Professor Geraint Rees:
Insert 2:
We find there are two areas of the brain – one called the anterior cingulate and the
other called the amygdala, whose structure seems to vary according to their selfdescribed
political attitudes. The anterior cingulate is a part of the brain that’s on the
middle surface of the brain, at the front. And we found that the thickness of the grey
matter – where the nerve cells or neurons are - was thicker the more people described
themselves as liberal or left-wing, and was thinner the more people described themselves
as conservative or right wing.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 4 of 6
Rob: That’s all very interesting, Alice – but what about people who change their
political beliefs as they get older? Does this mean their brain shapes change
too?
Alice: We don’t know yet if brain shape changes as people’s political views change.
More research needs to be done - but scientist Professor Colin Blakemore
from Oxford University says that grey matter can change shape in the brain.
For example, even playing computer games for a short period of time a week
can change the shape of your grey matter:
Insert 3:
We know from lots of other recent studies, that the brain - even the grey matter of the
brain, the part that’s being measured in these studies - can change its organisation
incredibly rapidly, simply teaching someone computer games for a few minutes each
week, can cause their grey matter in certain areas of the brain to change thickness.
Alice: So perhaps even people who seem hard-wired to believe certain things may be
able to change their minds and the shape of their brains too.
Now before we go let’s answer our question. We heard a couple of terms used
to describe parts of the brain. But which of the ones I gave you, Rob, at the
beginning of the programme were real?
Rob: I think I said the one that sounded like a tomato? It didn’t sound like a real part
of the brain.
Alice: Well, Rob, you’re right. The odd one out was the tomatosensory cortex.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 5 of 6
The corpus callosum and the pons are parts of the brain.
Rob: And before we go, let’s hear some of the words and phrases that we’ve used in
today’s programme:
Political beliefs
Scanned
Left-wing
Liberal
Right-wing
Conservative
MRI scans
Hypothesis
Grey matter
Neurons
Alice: Thanks, Rob. Well, we hope you’ve had fun with us today on 6 Minute English
- and that you’ll join us again next time.
Both: Bye.
6 Minute English © bbclearningenglish.com 2011
Page 6 of 6
Vocabulary and definitions
political beliefs your opinions on how governments should run the world
scanned here, photographed by a machine which can show images
of people’s brains
left-wing having political ideas which are close to socialism
liberal tolerant of different beliefs or behaviours
right-wing having political ideas which support conservatism and
capitalism
conservative likes to preserve traditional ideas, and resists changes or
new ideas
hard-wired here, unmovable in opinion
MRI scans a machine which can photograph people’s brains (MRI –
magnetic resonance imaging
hypothesis explanation or theory which has not yet proved to be
correct
grey matter type of matter which forms part of the brain
neurons cells in the human nervous system which conduct
messages to and from the brain
nerve cells cells which, together, form human nerves
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/today/tomfeilden/2010/12/are_political_beliefs_hard_wir.html
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2011/01/110106_6min_brain_page.shtml
2011年1月7日 星期五
Families!
BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Families
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 1 of 7
Yvonne: Hello, I'm Yvonne…
Rob: And I'm Rob.…
Yvonne: And this is 6 Minute English! Now lots of people have been getting together
with their relatives for Christmas and the New Year, so we thought we’d talk
about families today.
Rob: Now BBC radio in the UK has had a family week. They surveyed their
listeners and web users to find out how they feel about their families.
Yvonne: And - they got some really interesting results! Before we hear them, I have a
question for you Rob. Are you ready?
Rob: Of course.
Yvonne: People in the UK were asked, at what age should their children be able to go to
school on their own. Can you guess what most people thought was an
acceptable age, Rob? 5, 8 or 11 years old?
Rob: Hmm – I know people are quite cautious these days so I'd say, 11 years old.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 2 of 7
Yvonne: Umm - as usual I won’t tell you the answer now, but we'll find out what the
answer is at the end of the programme. Now recently, there's been a lot of
attention given to the break-down of traditional British families.
Rob: The break-down of families – that's when parents get divorced or separate.
Yvonne: And lots of children are brought up by single parents
Rob: Single parents – just one parent, either a mother or a father
Yvonne: There’s also been a lot of talk about people needing to be better parents – or
even attending parenting classes. But despite the negative view of families we
might read about in the newspapers, most people said that their families made
them happy.
Rob: People were asked which of the following things made them most happy –
family, friends, job or hobbies.
Yvonne: Now families came in at almost 80%, friends just over 60%, next came hobbies
and last on the list of the things that make people happy were their jobs. Only
about 25% of the people surveyed said their jobs make them happy!
Rob: Umm - interesting!
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 3 of 7
Yvonne: Hmmm. One of the most surprising things was reading about how people felt
about staying together if they were unhappy in their marriage but they had
children. Would they stay together for the sake of the kids?
Rob: For the sake of the kids – if you do something for the sake of something –
you’re not doing it for yourself, you’re putting other people's needs and
feelings first, even if you're suffering.
Yvonne: Here’s Radio 5 Live’s Chris Warburton:
Chris Warburton/Quiz contestant
How many people say they would stay together for the sake of the children?
Woman:
40%
Nearly two thirds of you think it’s better not to stay together for the sake of the kids.
Yvonne: So Chris Warburton says two thirds of people from the survey think they
shouldn't stay in unhappy relationships just for the sake of the children.
Rob: Perhaps that's because there are many happy single parent families. It is not
unusual for children to grow up in single parent families. It's socially
acceptable in modern Britain.
Yvonne: Now here's an interesting statistic: a large majority of people said they'd report
a relative to the police if they found out their relative had committed a crime.
Here’s more from Radio 5 Live’s Chris Warburton:
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 4 of 7
Chris Warburton
A big majority of people said that they would report to the police if they thought they had
committed a serious crime. 84 per cent of people are prepared to do that even if the
consequences were pretty tough.
Yvonne: 84 percent of people said they were prepared to tell the police if they found out
their relative had committed a crime – even if the consequences were pretty
tough.
Rob: Pretty tough – that's relatively severe, like having a large fine or going to
prison
Yvonne: People were also asked about their family secrets. You may have heard the
phrase: ‘skeletons in the closet’.
Rob: Those are uncomfortable secrets which people try their very best to hide.
Yvonne: Ha ha – and most families have a few skeletons in the closet. The BBC’s
Stephen Chittendon found out about some of the secrets people knew about
their family, but, would rather others didn’t know. Rob, you may have to help
us out here with some of the words and phrases we hear.
Stephen Chittendon
1. My brothers and sisters don't know I'm adopted.
2. My brother in-law pawned his Mum's engagement ring.
3. My Nan – this not all from the same person (woman: that's a relief to hear) – My nan votes
Tory.
Yvonne: So, we heard: 'my brothers and sisters don’t know I’m adopted'
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 5 of 7
Rob: OK, well if you’re adopted, you don’t live with your biological parents – other
people become your new parents.
Yvonne: And – 'my brother-in-law pawned his Mum’s engagement ring'
Rob: The sister's husband – my brother-in-law - gave his mother’s precious
engagement ring to a pawn shop in return for money
Yvonne: And this one was odd: 'My nan votes Tory'
Rob: (Ha ha) That person’s grandmother voted for the Conservative Party! Of course,
that wouldn't be a secret for all families.
Yvonne: OK, thanks very much, Rob. Now, do you have any skeletons in your closet?
Rob: Nothing at all. I'm very honest and upfront. No secrets at all.
Yvonne: Umm, I don't know if I believe you Rob!
Rob: I wouldn't tell you anyway; it's a secret!
Yvonne: (Ha, ha). And the answer to our question - what age do most people think it’s
appropriate for children to go to school on their own?
Rob: And I said 11 years old.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 6 of 7
Yvonne: And you're right, Rob! The largest number of people from the survey think that
children are ready to walk to school on their own when they're 10 or 11. Thank
you, Rob. We hope you’ve had fun with us today on "6 Minute English" - and
that you’ll join us again next time.
Both: Goodbye!
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 7 of 7
Vocabulary and definitions
cautious careful, wary
single parents people who are the only parent to their child or children
hobbies things that people do in their spare time for enjoyment
consequences things that happen as a result or effect of something you do
skeletons in the closet secrets, information that people do not want others to
know about
adopted someone who is adopted was taken into the home of
another family and legally became their child
pawned temporarily exchanged for money
upfront open, honest, truthful
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2010/12/5-live-family-week-survey-resu.shtml
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/12/101230_6min_english_families.shtml
6 Minute English
Families
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 1 of 7
Yvonne: Hello, I'm Yvonne…
Rob: And I'm Rob.…
Yvonne: And this is 6 Minute English! Now lots of people have been getting together
with their relatives for Christmas and the New Year, so we thought we’d talk
about families today.
Rob: Now BBC radio in the UK has had a family week. They surveyed their
listeners and web users to find out how they feel about their families.
Yvonne: And - they got some really interesting results! Before we hear them, I have a
question for you Rob. Are you ready?
Rob: Of course.
Yvonne: People in the UK were asked, at what age should their children be able to go to
school on their own. Can you guess what most people thought was an
acceptable age, Rob? 5, 8 or 11 years old?
Rob: Hmm – I know people are quite cautious these days so I'd say, 11 years old.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 2 of 7
Yvonne: Umm - as usual I won’t tell you the answer now, but we'll find out what the
answer is at the end of the programme. Now recently, there's been a lot of
attention given to the break-down of traditional British families.
Rob: The break-down of families – that's when parents get divorced or separate.
Yvonne: And lots of children are brought up by single parents
Rob: Single parents – just one parent, either a mother or a father
Yvonne: There’s also been a lot of talk about people needing to be better parents – or
even attending parenting classes. But despite the negative view of families we
might read about in the newspapers, most people said that their families made
them happy.
Rob: People were asked which of the following things made them most happy –
family, friends, job or hobbies.
Yvonne: Now families came in at almost 80%, friends just over 60%, next came hobbies
and last on the list of the things that make people happy were their jobs. Only
about 25% of the people surveyed said their jobs make them happy!
Rob: Umm - interesting!
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 3 of 7
Yvonne: Hmmm. One of the most surprising things was reading about how people felt
about staying together if they were unhappy in their marriage but they had
children. Would they stay together for the sake of the kids?
Rob: For the sake of the kids – if you do something for the sake of something –
you’re not doing it for yourself, you’re putting other people's needs and
feelings first, even if you're suffering.
Yvonne: Here’s Radio 5 Live’s Chris Warburton:
Chris Warburton/Quiz contestant
How many people say they would stay together for the sake of the children?
Woman:
40%
Nearly two thirds of you think it’s better not to stay together for the sake of the kids.
Yvonne: So Chris Warburton says two thirds of people from the survey think they
shouldn't stay in unhappy relationships just for the sake of the children.
Rob: Perhaps that's because there are many happy single parent families. It is not
unusual for children to grow up in single parent families. It's socially
acceptable in modern Britain.
Yvonne: Now here's an interesting statistic: a large majority of people said they'd report
a relative to the police if they found out their relative had committed a crime.
Here’s more from Radio 5 Live’s Chris Warburton:
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 4 of 7
Chris Warburton
A big majority of people said that they would report to the police if they thought they had
committed a serious crime. 84 per cent of people are prepared to do that even if the
consequences were pretty tough.
Yvonne: 84 percent of people said they were prepared to tell the police if they found out
their relative had committed a crime – even if the consequences were pretty
tough.
Rob: Pretty tough – that's relatively severe, like having a large fine or going to
prison
Yvonne: People were also asked about their family secrets. You may have heard the
phrase: ‘skeletons in the closet’.
Rob: Those are uncomfortable secrets which people try their very best to hide.
Yvonne: Ha ha – and most families have a few skeletons in the closet. The BBC’s
Stephen Chittendon found out about some of the secrets people knew about
their family, but, would rather others didn’t know. Rob, you may have to help
us out here with some of the words and phrases we hear.
Stephen Chittendon
1. My brothers and sisters don't know I'm adopted.
2. My brother in-law pawned his Mum's engagement ring.
3. My Nan – this not all from the same person (woman: that's a relief to hear) – My nan votes
Tory.
Yvonne: So, we heard: 'my brothers and sisters don’t know I’m adopted'
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 5 of 7
Rob: OK, well if you’re adopted, you don’t live with your biological parents – other
people become your new parents.
Yvonne: And – 'my brother-in-law pawned his Mum’s engagement ring'
Rob: The sister's husband – my brother-in-law - gave his mother’s precious
engagement ring to a pawn shop in return for money
Yvonne: And this one was odd: 'My nan votes Tory'
Rob: (Ha ha) That person’s grandmother voted for the Conservative Party! Of course,
that wouldn't be a secret for all families.
Yvonne: OK, thanks very much, Rob. Now, do you have any skeletons in your closet?
Rob: Nothing at all. I'm very honest and upfront. No secrets at all.
Yvonne: Umm, I don't know if I believe you Rob!
Rob: I wouldn't tell you anyway; it's a secret!
Yvonne: (Ha, ha). And the answer to our question - what age do most people think it’s
appropriate for children to go to school on their own?
Rob: And I said 11 years old.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 6 of 7
Yvonne: And you're right, Rob! The largest number of people from the survey think that
children are ready to walk to school on their own when they're 10 or 11. Thank
you, Rob. We hope you’ve had fun with us today on "6 Minute English" - and
that you’ll join us again next time.
Both: Goodbye!
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 7 of 7
Vocabulary and definitions
cautious careful, wary
single parents people who are the only parent to their child or children
hobbies things that people do in their spare time for enjoyment
consequences things that happen as a result or effect of something you do
skeletons in the closet secrets, information that people do not want others to
know about
adopted someone who is adopted was taken into the home of
another family and legally became their child
pawned temporarily exchanged for money
upfront open, honest, truthful
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2010/12/5-live-family-week-survey-resu.shtml
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/12/101230_6min_english_families.shtml
2010年12月25日 星期六
The World Wide Web turns 20!
BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
The World Wide Web
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 1 of 7
Rob: Hello, I'm Rob.
Yvonne: I'm Yvonne.
Rob: And this is 6 Minute English! Today we’re celebrating a very special
anniversary - the 20th anniversary of the World Wide Web.
Yvonne: Ah, the World Wide Web. That’s something that's really changed our lives -
and in such a short space of time.
Rob: Hmm - definitely. Well, we’ll talk more about that in a moment - but first I
have a question for you: on average, how long does someone spend surfing the
net each day in the UK? Is it:
a) 7 minutes
b) 27 minutes or
c) 57 minutes
Yvonne: Umm – I'm going to say 27 minutes Rob, because I think people spend much
more time on things like Facebook.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 2 of 7
Rob: Hmm – that's true. Well, I’ll give you the right answer at the end of the
programme. But now, let’s find out more about the World Wide Web – or
'www' for short.
Yvonne: www – that’s an acronym! It was on Christmas Day, 20 years ago, that a
breakthrough was made in the development of the internet.
Rob: Yes, a breakthrough or a discovery. The man most associated with this
discovery is Sir Tim Berners-Lee. He’s been nicknamed ‘The Father of the
Web’.
Yvonne: What an amazing thing to invent - but of course, other people were also
involved.
Rob: Yes, of course. Tim Berners-Lee has been quoted as saying: “the remarkable
progress of the Web today has been quite gratifying to me”. 'Gratifying' – that
really means being satisfied - or pleased.
Yvonne: Mm... so he’s really pleased with what has happened to the web – and rightly
so! Rob, can you tell me a bit more about his achievement?
Rob: Well, Sir Tim Berners-Lee worked on the first web page in his spare time. He
was a computer scientist and a computer programmer.
Yvonne: And what did his groundbreaking web page say?
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 3 of 7
Rob: It was just information about the project that he was working on. The web
page had a very catchy address: nxoc01.cern.ch!
Yvonne: Ha ha! Yeah, really catchy!
Rob: C.E.R.N spells CERN, and that’s the European Organisation for Nuclear
Research, which is where he worked. But the page didn't actually go online
until August 1991.
Yvonne: But this really heralded the start of people communicating by computer?
Rob: Yes. It really showed how computers could talk to each other using a language
called Hyper Text Mark up Language.
Yvonne: Ah - that’s HTML for short!
Rob: Very good!
Yvonne: So, HTML is the language that computers use to talk to each other – to
communicate with each other.
Rob: It’s very clever isn’t it?
Yvonne: Hmmm.
Rob: And since then the internet has evolved at a rapid rate. Now, there are believed
to be around one trillion web pages.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 4 of 7
Yvonne: Whew! And I’m sure almost everyone uses the internet now – but I wonder
how we'd cope without it?
Rob: Well, we've been asking people just that. Listen to what they said when we
asked: how would you cope without the World Wide Web?
Insert:
Man:
I'd just have to do without it, wouldn't I? If you remember all the scare stories of the
millennium that, you know, all the power stations would shut down and all that – it
didn't happen. As long as my central heating wasn't controlled by the internet, I'd just
have to manage.
Woman:
Probably not very well. Umm - I imagine that most of my social relationships would be a
lot more difficult. And also keeping in contact with people far away would also be
impossible.
Man:
Err – with great difficulty (laughs)! It would be the phone, I imagine, and lots more
writing, lots more paper. Umm – we'd need bigger file cabinets.
Rob: So the first man would cope without the internet, as long as the computers
which help provide power for his central heating – that's the system he uses to
keep warm – isn't affected! He says he'd just have to 'do without it'.
Yvonne: The woman was most worried about her social relationships – keeping in
contact with her friends and family.
Rob: Yes, especially those who are far away. In fact, she thinks keeping in contact
with them would be impossible without the internet. But the last man we heard
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 5 of 7
from doesn't agree. Although he says he would cope with great difficulty, he
does have some alternatives – ideas about what we could do instead.
Yvonne: And he has a good point I think, Rob. We could write to each other - like we
used to before we had the internet. It would be lovely to get more hand-written
letters from friends and family rather than just e-mails, I think.
Rob: That's what we call 'snail-mail'. But of course, as that man pointed out, lots
more paper would mean that we'd need bigger file cabinets – the pieces of
furniture that are used to keep all those bits of paper safe.
Yvonne: It’s incredible how the World Wide Web has expanded in twenty years, and
how much we now rely on it. I wonder what it will be like after another twenty
years.
Rob: Well, Sir Tim Berners-Lee has said: “we have only scratched the surface of
what could be realised with deeper scientific investigation into the Web’s
design, operation and impact on society”.
Yvonne: It’s true. We've only just begun to understand how useful the World Wide Web
can really be, especially for people in developing countries.
Rob: So this technological breakthrough, twenty years ago, is something worth
celebrating! Now, Yvonne, earlier I asked you a question. On average, how
long does someone spend surfing the net each day in the UK?
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 6 of 7
Yvonne: And I said 27 minutes.
Rob: And you were wrong.
Yvonne: Oh no!
Rob: The average time people spend on the internet each day is a lot longer than that.
It's 57 minutes.
Yvonne: Oh - and without Sir Tim and his colleagues’ work, it wouldn’t be possible at
all.
Rob: That’s right. Well, we do hope you’ve enjoyed today’s 6 Minute English.
Both: Bye bye.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 7 of 7
Vocabulary and definitions
anniversary a date that is remembered each year because something
special happened
surfing searching, looking at, browsing information on the internet
a breakthrough an important discovery, development or achievement
gratifying satisfying, pleasing
heralded signalled something that was going to arrive or happen in
the future
scare stories news that frightens many people unnecessarily, all or parts
of which may not be true
social relationships connections with family and friends
file cabinets (filing cabinets) furniture that is used to keep documents or papers safe;
usually found in offices
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/berners_lee_tim.shtml
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/12/101223_6min_www_page.shtml
6 Minute English
The World Wide Web
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 1 of 7
Rob: Hello, I'm Rob.
Yvonne: I'm Yvonne.
Rob: And this is 6 Minute English! Today we’re celebrating a very special
anniversary - the 20th anniversary of the World Wide Web.
Yvonne: Ah, the World Wide Web. That’s something that's really changed our lives -
and in such a short space of time.
Rob: Hmm - definitely. Well, we’ll talk more about that in a moment - but first I
have a question for you: on average, how long does someone spend surfing the
net each day in the UK? Is it:
a) 7 minutes
b) 27 minutes or
c) 57 minutes
Yvonne: Umm – I'm going to say 27 minutes Rob, because I think people spend much
more time on things like Facebook.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 2 of 7
Rob: Hmm – that's true. Well, I’ll give you the right answer at the end of the
programme. But now, let’s find out more about the World Wide Web – or
'www' for short.
Yvonne: www – that’s an acronym! It was on Christmas Day, 20 years ago, that a
breakthrough was made in the development of the internet.
Rob: Yes, a breakthrough or a discovery. The man most associated with this
discovery is Sir Tim Berners-Lee. He’s been nicknamed ‘The Father of the
Web’.
Yvonne: What an amazing thing to invent - but of course, other people were also
involved.
Rob: Yes, of course. Tim Berners-Lee has been quoted as saying: “the remarkable
progress of the Web today has been quite gratifying to me”. 'Gratifying' – that
really means being satisfied - or pleased.
Yvonne: Mm... so he’s really pleased with what has happened to the web – and rightly
so! Rob, can you tell me a bit more about his achievement?
Rob: Well, Sir Tim Berners-Lee worked on the first web page in his spare time. He
was a computer scientist and a computer programmer.
Yvonne: And what did his groundbreaking web page say?
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 3 of 7
Rob: It was just information about the project that he was working on. The web
page had a very catchy address: nxoc01.cern.ch!
Yvonne: Ha ha! Yeah, really catchy!
Rob: C.E.R.N spells CERN, and that’s the European Organisation for Nuclear
Research, which is where he worked. But the page didn't actually go online
until August 1991.
Yvonne: But this really heralded the start of people communicating by computer?
Rob: Yes. It really showed how computers could talk to each other using a language
called Hyper Text Mark up Language.
Yvonne: Ah - that’s HTML for short!
Rob: Very good!
Yvonne: So, HTML is the language that computers use to talk to each other – to
communicate with each other.
Rob: It’s very clever isn’t it?
Yvonne: Hmmm.
Rob: And since then the internet has evolved at a rapid rate. Now, there are believed
to be around one trillion web pages.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 4 of 7
Yvonne: Whew! And I’m sure almost everyone uses the internet now – but I wonder
how we'd cope without it?
Rob: Well, we've been asking people just that. Listen to what they said when we
asked: how would you cope without the World Wide Web?
Insert:
Man:
I'd just have to do without it, wouldn't I? If you remember all the scare stories of the
millennium that, you know, all the power stations would shut down and all that – it
didn't happen. As long as my central heating wasn't controlled by the internet, I'd just
have to manage.
Woman:
Probably not very well. Umm - I imagine that most of my social relationships would be a
lot more difficult. And also keeping in contact with people far away would also be
impossible.
Man:
Err – with great difficulty (laughs)! It would be the phone, I imagine, and lots more
writing, lots more paper. Umm – we'd need bigger file cabinets.
Rob: So the first man would cope without the internet, as long as the computers
which help provide power for his central heating – that's the system he uses to
keep warm – isn't affected! He says he'd just have to 'do without it'.
Yvonne: The woman was most worried about her social relationships – keeping in
contact with her friends and family.
Rob: Yes, especially those who are far away. In fact, she thinks keeping in contact
with them would be impossible without the internet. But the last man we heard
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 5 of 7
from doesn't agree. Although he says he would cope with great difficulty, he
does have some alternatives – ideas about what we could do instead.
Yvonne: And he has a good point I think, Rob. We could write to each other - like we
used to before we had the internet. It would be lovely to get more hand-written
letters from friends and family rather than just e-mails, I think.
Rob: That's what we call 'snail-mail'. But of course, as that man pointed out, lots
more paper would mean that we'd need bigger file cabinets – the pieces of
furniture that are used to keep all those bits of paper safe.
Yvonne: It’s incredible how the World Wide Web has expanded in twenty years, and
how much we now rely on it. I wonder what it will be like after another twenty
years.
Rob: Well, Sir Tim Berners-Lee has said: “we have only scratched the surface of
what could be realised with deeper scientific investigation into the Web’s
design, operation and impact on society”.
Yvonne: It’s true. We've only just begun to understand how useful the World Wide Web
can really be, especially for people in developing countries.
Rob: So this technological breakthrough, twenty years ago, is something worth
celebrating! Now, Yvonne, earlier I asked you a question. On average, how
long does someone spend surfing the net each day in the UK?
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 6 of 7
Yvonne: And I said 27 minutes.
Rob: And you were wrong.
Yvonne: Oh no!
Rob: The average time people spend on the internet each day is a lot longer than that.
It's 57 minutes.
Yvonne: Oh - and without Sir Tim and his colleagues’ work, it wouldn’t be possible at
all.
Rob: That’s right. Well, we do hope you’ve enjoyed today’s 6 Minute English.
Both: Bye bye.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 7 of 7
Vocabulary and definitions
anniversary a date that is remembered each year because something
special happened
surfing searching, looking at, browsing information on the internet
a breakthrough an important discovery, development or achievement
gratifying satisfying, pleasing
heralded signalled something that was going to arrive or happen in
the future
scare stories news that frightens many people unnecessarily, all or parts
of which may not be true
social relationships connections with family and friends
file cabinets (filing cabinets) furniture that is used to keep documents or papers safe;
usually found in offices
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/berners_lee_tim.shtml
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/12/101223_6min_www_page.shtml
2010年12月17日 星期五
Farming in Africa!
BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Farming in Africa
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 1 of 6
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice.
Yvonne: And I'm Yvonne.
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! And in today’s programme we’re talking about
farming in Africa.
Yvonne: The study of farming is called agriculture.
Alice: This is a new look at agriculture in Africa – how one expert – a Harvard
Professor thinks Africa could change from being an importer of food to an
exporter in one generation.
Yvonne: In one generation – that’s usually a period of about 20 to 30 years. The time it
takes for someone to become an adult.
Alice: In his book ‘The New Harvest’, Professor Calestous Juma says Africa could
become self-sufficient in terms of growing food within one generation. But
before we find out more, can you explain what a staple crop is?
Yvonne: Sure. A staple crop is a plant that is grown for food and it’s considered to be
the most important part of a country’s diet.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 2 of 6
Alice: So like rice or corn. And my question is about the country Professor Calestous
Juma comes from originally – Kenya. Which of these is a staple crop in Kenya?
a) rice
b) maize
c) wheat
Yvonne: I think I’m going for maize because I know that is something that’s used in
other countries in Africa.
Alice: Well, we’ll find out at the end of the programme. Now let’s see how Professor
Juma thinks Africa could become food secure.
Yvonne: Food secure – that’s self-sufficient in terms of food.
Alice: He believes that leaders in Africa need to make agriculture a top priority. And
he says that the modernisation of agriculture is the responsibility of African
Presidents. Let’s listen to what he says:
Insert 1: Professor Calestous Juma
I think the most important message is for them to recognise that agriculture and the
economy for Africa are one and the same. And that is the responsibility of an African
president to modernise the economy and that means essentially starting with the
modernisation of agriculture. And that they should stick with it and not hand it over to
departmental (government) ministries.
Alice: Agriculture and economy are one and the same.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 3 of 6
Yvonne: One and the same – a phrase which means they are identical. They are the
same – here that the economy in Africa is completely dependent on
agriculture.
Alice: The BBC’s Science Reporter Neil Bowdler says Professor Juma is
thinking big.
Yvonne: Thinking big – he has large ambitions.
Alice: He believes it’s a question of political will.
Yvonne: Political will – if politicians want to make something happen, they will.
Insert 2: BBC’s Science Reporter Neil Bowdler
Professor Juma can't be accused of not thinking big. He says that with land and labour
abundant, Africa shouldn't be a hungry importer of food, but a major exporter. He says
it's all a question of political will.
Alice: Juma can’t be accused of not thinking big.
Yvonne: That’s true. He says Africa has abundant land and labour.
Alice: Abundant – lots of, lots of land to grow crops on and lots of labour – lots of
people to work on farms.
Yvonne: But what about the detail of how this can happen? Large areas of Africa’s land
are desert or suffer from drought.
Alice: According to Neil Bowdler, Juma has a wish list.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 4 of 6
Yvonne: A wish list – a list of things he would like to happen. What are they?
Alice: He wants to boost investment in roads – to carry crops and machines from
place to place.
Yvonne: Boost investment – increase the amount of money put into
agriculture. What else?
Alice: To boost investment in irrigation.
Yvonne: Irrigation – moving water from one place to another to make sure crops don’t
dry out.
Alice: And to mechanise farms – introduce big machines to help with the harvest and
process crops. He wants people to embrace what science can offer.
Yvonne: To embrace what science can offer – to take advantage of new technology.
Alice: In agriculture this might mean using genetically modified crops.
Yvonne: GM crops – crops that have been developed by scientists to be stronger or to
need less water to grow, so they may be less affected by climate change.
Alice: Let’s hear Neil Bowdler again.
Insert 3: BBC’s Science Reporter Neil Bowdler
The wish list - and some will call it that - is a long one. Boost investment in roads,
irrigation and energy schemes. Mechanise all farms, and build storage and processing
facilities. He's also asking the continent to embrace what science can offer, and that
includes using GM crops to combat climate change.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 5 of 6
Alice: So before we go Yvonne. Have you thought about our question from earlier?
Which are staple crops in Kenya? Rice, maize, wheat?
Yvonne: I said maize because that’s a staple in other African countries.
Alice: Well, it was a trick question because all three are grown in staple crops
in Kenya. Apparently rice not as much as wheat and maize but it’s catching up.
And before we go today, Yvonne would you mind reading some of the words
and phrases we’ve heard?
Yvonne: Not at all.
agriculture
self-sufficient
staple crop
food-secure
modernisation
thinking big
political will
abundant
Alice: Thanks very much, Yvonne. Beautifully read. We hope you’ve had fun with us
today on 6 Minute English - and that you’ll join us again next time.
Both: Bye.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 6 of 6
Vocabulary and definitions
agriculture farming
self-sufficient able to provide everything you need, especially food,
without the help of other people
staple crop plant grown for food considered essential part of a
country’s diet
food secure referring to a situation when people could live without
hunger or fear of starvation
modernisation to update something
thinking big having large ambitions
political will how politicians can make something happen if they want
to
abundant more than enough
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11890702
Read and listen to the story online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/12/101216_6min_agriculture_page.shtml
6 Minute English
Farming in Africa
NB: This is not a word for word transcript
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 1 of 6
Alice: Hello, I'm Alice.
Yvonne: And I'm Yvonne.
Alice: And this is 6 Minute English! And in today’s programme we’re talking about
farming in Africa.
Yvonne: The study of farming is called agriculture.
Alice: This is a new look at agriculture in Africa – how one expert – a Harvard
Professor thinks Africa could change from being an importer of food to an
exporter in one generation.
Yvonne: In one generation – that’s usually a period of about 20 to 30 years. The time it
takes for someone to become an adult.
Alice: In his book ‘The New Harvest’, Professor Calestous Juma says Africa could
become self-sufficient in terms of growing food within one generation. But
before we find out more, can you explain what a staple crop is?
Yvonne: Sure. A staple crop is a plant that is grown for food and it’s considered to be
the most important part of a country’s diet.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 2 of 6
Alice: So like rice or corn. And my question is about the country Professor Calestous
Juma comes from originally – Kenya. Which of these is a staple crop in Kenya?
a) rice
b) maize
c) wheat
Yvonne: I think I’m going for maize because I know that is something that’s used in
other countries in Africa.
Alice: Well, we’ll find out at the end of the programme. Now let’s see how Professor
Juma thinks Africa could become food secure.
Yvonne: Food secure – that’s self-sufficient in terms of food.
Alice: He believes that leaders in Africa need to make agriculture a top priority. And
he says that the modernisation of agriculture is the responsibility of African
Presidents. Let’s listen to what he says:
Insert 1: Professor Calestous Juma
I think the most important message is for them to recognise that agriculture and the
economy for Africa are one and the same. And that is the responsibility of an African
president to modernise the economy and that means essentially starting with the
modernisation of agriculture. And that they should stick with it and not hand it over to
departmental (government) ministries.
Alice: Agriculture and economy are one and the same.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 3 of 6
Yvonne: One and the same – a phrase which means they are identical. They are the
same – here that the economy in Africa is completely dependent on
agriculture.
Alice: The BBC’s Science Reporter Neil Bowdler says Professor Juma is
thinking big.
Yvonne: Thinking big – he has large ambitions.
Alice: He believes it’s a question of political will.
Yvonne: Political will – if politicians want to make something happen, they will.
Insert 2: BBC’s Science Reporter Neil Bowdler
Professor Juma can't be accused of not thinking big. He says that with land and labour
abundant, Africa shouldn't be a hungry importer of food, but a major exporter. He says
it's all a question of political will.
Alice: Juma can’t be accused of not thinking big.
Yvonne: That’s true. He says Africa has abundant land and labour.
Alice: Abundant – lots of, lots of land to grow crops on and lots of labour – lots of
people to work on farms.
Yvonne: But what about the detail of how this can happen? Large areas of Africa’s land
are desert or suffer from drought.
Alice: According to Neil Bowdler, Juma has a wish list.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 4 of 6
Yvonne: A wish list – a list of things he would like to happen. What are they?
Alice: He wants to boost investment in roads – to carry crops and machines from
place to place.
Yvonne: Boost investment – increase the amount of money put into
agriculture. What else?
Alice: To boost investment in irrigation.
Yvonne: Irrigation – moving water from one place to another to make sure crops don’t
dry out.
Alice: And to mechanise farms – introduce big machines to help with the harvest and
process crops. He wants people to embrace what science can offer.
Yvonne: To embrace what science can offer – to take advantage of new technology.
Alice: In agriculture this might mean using genetically modified crops.
Yvonne: GM crops – crops that have been developed by scientists to be stronger or to
need less water to grow, so they may be less affected by climate change.
Alice: Let’s hear Neil Bowdler again.
Insert 3: BBC’s Science Reporter Neil Bowdler
The wish list - and some will call it that - is a long one. Boost investment in roads,
irrigation and energy schemes. Mechanise all farms, and build storage and processing
facilities. He's also asking the continent to embrace what science can offer, and that
includes using GM crops to combat climate change.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 5 of 6
Alice: So before we go Yvonne. Have you thought about our question from earlier?
Which are staple crops in Kenya? Rice, maize, wheat?
Yvonne: I said maize because that’s a staple in other African countries.
Alice: Well, it was a trick question because all three are grown in staple crops
in Kenya. Apparently rice not as much as wheat and maize but it’s catching up.
And before we go today, Yvonne would you mind reading some of the words
and phrases we’ve heard?
Yvonne: Not at all.
agriculture
self-sufficient
staple crop
food-secure
modernisation
thinking big
political will
abundant
Alice: Thanks very much, Yvonne. Beautifully read. We hope you’ve had fun with us
today on 6 Minute English - and that you’ll join us again next time.
Both: Bye.
6 Minute English c bbclearningenglish.com 2010
Page 6 of 6
Vocabulary and definitions
agriculture farming
self-sufficient able to provide everything you need, especially food,
without the help of other people
staple crop plant grown for food considered essential part of a
country’s diet
food secure referring to a situation when people could live without
hunger or fear of starvation
modernisation to update something
thinking big having large ambitions
political will how politicians can make something happen if they want
to
abundant more than enough
More on this story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11890702
Read and listen to the story online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/2010/12/101216_6min_agriculture_page.shtml
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