New UK travel restrictions: BBC News Review

Hello. Welcome to News Review from BBC Learning English.

I'm Tom. Joining me this week is Catherine. Hi Catherine.

Hello Tom and hello everybody.

Yes, today's story is about travel restrictions

that the UK government has recently brought into force.

Don't forget – if you want to test yourself on the language from today's episode,

we have a quiz on bbclearningenglish.com.

Now, let's take a listen to this BBC Radio 4 news report:

Yes. So, the UK government is forbidding entry to the UK

except if you have been able to provide evidence of a negative Covid test

before you start your journey. They are doing this in an attempt

to restrict the movement of new variants of coronavirus.

And we have three words and expressions we can use to talk about this story, right?

Yes. We have: 'corridors', 'bid' and 'axed'.

'Corridors', 'bid' and 'axed'.

Let's take a look. Catherine, can we have your first headline please?

Certainly. We are here in the UK for our first headline with Sky News – the headline:

'Corridors' – narrow routes.

Catherine, what can you tell us about 'corridors'?

'Corridors' is a plural noun, Tom,

and the spelling is: C-O-R-R-I-D-O-R-S – 'corridors'. Now..

'Corridors' – narrow routes – now, I thought 'corridors' were something in your house.

You're quite right. Most people have a 'corridor' in their house or apartment.

It is a narrow kind of hallway; it's just a space that leads to rooms.

So, usually long and narrow with lots of doors.

Its only purpose is to take you from one part of your house to another part.

So, it is another kind of narrow route – a literal one. What is a 'travel corridor' though?

Well, a 'travel corridor' is also a route.

In this case, a 'travel corridor' – at the moment – is an agreement

between two countries to allow travel between those countries.

We have a lot of places we're not allowed to travel to at the moment

because of coronavirus, but if two countries agree –

yes, you can travel from this country... our country to your country –

that's known as a 'travel corridor'. It's a narrow route between two countries.

So, what the headline is saying is that these travel corridors,

these narrow routes between countries, are going to close now, right?

Exactly that, yes.

OK. So, travel through travel corridors is restricted,

but we are not restricted from travelling onto our next section...!

So let's... so let's have a look at that slide please:

OK. We have another programme about travelling within certain boundaries, don't we?

Yes. This one's all about microadventures:

small adventures that you've always wanted to have.

And you can find out more by just clicking the link.

Clicking the link. Perfect.

OK. Catherine, can we have a look at your second headline please?

And we're still in the UK with The Sun – the headline:

'Bid' – attempt to achieve.

Catherine, what can you tell us about 'bid'?

'Bid' is a noun in this headline, although it can also be used as a verb.

Its spelling, whether it's a noun or a verb, is the same.

Simple three-letter word: B-I-D – 'bid'.

So, what... so, this 'bid' belongs to the PM – what's a 'PM' in the headline?

Oh yes, 'PM' means 'prime minister'.

At the moment the British prime minister is Boris Johnson.

So what's the... what's the sort of...

what's the article going to talk about from the headline?

Well, what we're talking about here in this article is the prime minister's attempt

to close the travel corridors and the headline's saying that this might be quite difficult.

So, the use of the word 'bid' is talking about an effort:

an attempt, something he's trying to do.

So, would we use this word 'bid' as, sort of, a synonym for 'attempt'

in kind of normal, day-to-day life?

Not so much. You wouldn't say, 'I'm going to make a bid to make a chicken curry tonight.'

You would say, 'I'm going to try...'

Or a 'bid' to go down the shops...!

Yeah, exactly that. So, it's used much more in kind of –

when we're talking about organisations, important individuals –

kind of attempts to do major, important, significant things.

And I think it probably comes up in headlines a lot, as you say,

because it's very short: there's only three letters.

One of those words our newspapers absolutely love.

Yeah. Are there any collocations or like, you know,

regular verbs that we use with this noun 'bid'?

Well, you 'make a bid' is a really... a really strong way of saying it.

You can 'make a bid to do' something or you can 'make a bid for' something.

Kind of like 'make an effort' to do something, right? Similar structure.

And there's a... one of my favourite fixed expressions with 'bid'.

Let's have it. What is it? You tell me!

To 'make a bid for freedom' – do you know this one?

Very much so – I do. 'Try to escape': if you try to escape you 'make a bid for freedom'.

Yes, my cat 'made a bid for freedom' the other day.

She's not allowed out of the front door.

She saw me open it and she escaped as fast as she could, but I caught her.

Yeah. And probably if... probably if you were in an airport in the UK last weekend,

this one just finished, you would be 'making a bid for freedom' –

you'd be trying to escape the UK before the travel corridors close.

Good example, yes.

Thank you very much. OK. Let's make a bid for freedom to get to our next section.

So, there are all different kinds of 'bids'.

Catherine, you've selected a video from the archive, right?

Yes, this one is about various countries making 'bids' to host the upcoming Olympic Games.

And you can find out more by clicking the link.

Catherine, can we have your third headline please?

Yes. We're at The Independent, still in the UK – the headline:

'Axed' – cut or reduced without warning.

What can you tell us about the word 'axed', Catherine?

Yes. 'Axed' – A-X-E-D – lovely pronunciation: it's 'axed' with a 'ks-t' at the end.

Give it a go, Tom! See how good you are.

'Axe.' 'Axe' – so the '-ed' is a 't' – so it's 'axed.'

'Axed'. 'Axed'. That's a verb – the verb infinitive is: A-X-E – 'axe'.

And 'axe' is also a noun: it refers to a piece – a tool actually –

that you can use for cutting things. Do you have an axe at home, Tom, at all?

I don't here, Catherine, no – because I live in the middle of London

so we don't really need an 'axe', but at home in the countryside, yeah:

my dad has an 'axe' – a tool for chopping wood normally.

Chopping wood, yeah. So, it's a big... you get a sort of big, long handle

with a big, sharp piece of metal at one end

and then you grab this handle and you swing the 'axe' behind you

and you bring it round really, kind of, aggressively.

You hit a tree or a piece of wood with the metal at the end

and it breaks into pieces: it's a very, very dramatic action.

It's a strong powerful tool: a weapon, often – an axe can be a weapon.

So, this – to 'axe' something – means to cut it dramatically.

Not just trees: you probably don't 'axe' a tree – you 'cut a tree down' with an axe –

but if you 'axe' a service, or if you 'axe' jobs, or in this case if you 'axe' a travel corridor,

you stop it dramatically or you reduce it greatly,

and it has a big, big impact and usually with very little warning.

That is an excellent explanation there, Catherine.

I can hear you getting very, sort of, into the dramatic spirit of axing things...

I'm passionate about axes, Tom!

But yeah, if you look at the headline as well – if you look at the page –

you know, it's a black background, it's all capitals:

this is... this word 'axe' really makes a statement.

It does, yes. And another... that's another reason why newspapers love it.

It's a short word and it's a dramatic word; it's much better than 'cut' or 'stop'.

And do we have any sort of expressions or wider uses of 'axe'?

Yes. We can say if you 'take an axe to something', you cut it;  you stop it,

you know, violently, dramatically, without warning.

So, you could have said that the UK government has 'taken an axe to travel corridors.'

And we could use it for other figurative things as well, right?

So, we could say, 'Hopefully they're not going to take an axe to News Review,

or any of our programmes.'

I hope not! I hope not! I'll have nothing to do on Mondays!

Hopefully, we will be here with you for some time.

OK. Thank you Catherine. Let's get a look at that slide please:

OK. Catherine, can you recap today's vocabulary please?

Yes. We had: 'corridors' – narrow routes.

We had: 'bid' – attempt to achieve.

And we had: 'axed' – cut or reduced without warning.

Don't forget – if you want to test yourself on the language that we presented today,

there is a quiz at bbclearningenglish.com

and of course we are all over social media as well.

That's it from us for today, so goodbye...

Goodbye!

...and see you next time.