Countries try to change UN climate report: BBC News Review

COP26 is under way in Glasgow,

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

showed that some countries were trying to get a change made

to a crucial scientific report.

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

and joining me is Roy. Hi Roy.

Hi Neil and hello everybody.

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

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

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

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

that suggest that some countries are trying to change

a crucial scientific report on climate change.

Well, you've been looking at this story

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

What three items of vocabulary have you got?

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

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

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

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

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

OK. So, this expression is spelt:

W-A-T-E-R. Second word: D-O-W-N.

And like you said, it makes...

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

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

because I assumed because this is a climate change story

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

because there's increased flooding or raining.

Is that not the case?

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

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

but in this sense – first of all, let's talk about...

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

Do you like strong coffee?

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

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

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

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

An americano is an espresso-style coffee,

but it's had water added to it – hot water.

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

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

the idea of adding water to something,

like the espresso, to make it less strong,

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

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

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

we used this expression in a figurative way.

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

to lessen the impact or the importance of something – to 'water it down'.

Yeah, that's absolutely right.

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

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

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

in many different, especially Latin, languages,

so why can't I just use 'dilute'?

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

Well, this is a great question

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

And you said it's got a Latin root;

now, quite often these words – these Latin-origin words – they're quite formal.

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

Phrasal verbs are much more natural in speech

or in, kind of, informal English – natural, everyday English.

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

use a phrasal verb: use 'water down'.

But, obviously if you want to be formal –

maybe you're writing a scientific report –

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

has the same meaning, both figuratively and literally.

You can 'dilute' something with water

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

Absolutely. OK. Let's get a summary:

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

we have the perfect one for you.

Coffee smells great, doesn't it, Roy?

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

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

has the answers for you, so grab a biscuit,

dunk it in your coffee like Rob would

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

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

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

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

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

this – this is a spanner!

What are we doing, talking about 'spanners'

in reference to this climate change conference?

OK. Yeah, well, that is... that is a 'spanner'. There you go – perfect.

So, what we use a 'spanner' for – it's an essential tool

for engine maintenance or working on machines.

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

to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts.

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

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

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

Because the engine is a very smooth-running machine

and if you throw this into it –

this hard piece of metal – it's going to make everything stop,

or not work properly.

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

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

Again, we've gone to a figurative meaning,

but the idea of a 'spanner in the works'

is that same idea of stopping the engine working.

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

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

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

from fulfilling itself, if you like.

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

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

My wife and my son – we all lived together in Brazil and at...

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

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

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

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

and my wife and child – they couldn't get here.

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

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

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

for everyone really, hasn't it?

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

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

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

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

and I'll be seeing her very soon.

Brilliant. Yes. So, we have...

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

There's 'throw'.

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

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

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

OK. Well, let's get a summary:

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

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

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

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

is click the link in the description below.

Let's have a look at your next headline.

OK. So, our next headline comes from here

at home, at the BBC, and it reads:

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

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

and it means to try and persuade somebody

to change something or to do something,

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

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

or persuading people, but at the beginning of this word

we see another word: 'lobby'.

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

where people might pass each other.

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

Well, that's a really great question.

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

these huge rooms that we know as 'lobbies',

and politicians would pass through there

and people would try and grab them – not necessarily physically

but try and get their attention – to try and persuade them to do things,

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

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

it's actually a job – is called a 'lobbyist'.

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

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

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

is the propositions that we use after it:

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

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

And also, we use it commonly with the infinitive:

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

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

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

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

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

We had 'spanner in the works' –

something that stops a plan from succeeding.

And we had 'lobbying' – trying to persuade someone

in authority to do something.

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

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

Join us again next time. Goodbye.

  Bye.