Name: Tonga: Volcano and tsunami hit - BBC News Review
Uploaded: 2022-01-05T16:45:13.000Z
Duration: 10 min 37 s
Description: VoiceTubeの動画で発音を聞きながら英語表現を覚えよう！学べる英語：

There are reports of major damage in the Pacific island of Tonga,

after a huge volcanic eruption and widespread tsunami.

This is BBC News Review from BBC Learning English.

I'm Rob and joining me to talk about this story is Roy.

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

all you need to do is head to our website

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

So, a massive volcanic eruption and tsunami hit Tonga,

it has been difficult to get news from Tonga.

New Zealand has sent a plane to look at the level of damage,

and aid agencies and charities are planning to try and help,

for fear that a number of people are without shelter and water.

And we have three words and expressions from the news headlines

Yes, we do. We have 'cut off', 'step up' and 'go dark'.

That's 'cut off', 'step up' and 'go dark'.

OK. Could we have a look at the first news headline please, Roy?

OK. So, our first news headline is from the Independent and it reads:

That's 'cut off' — isolated; unable to be contacted.

Yes. So, 'cut off' is usually seen as a phrasal verb, which is separable.

First word: 'cut' — C-U-T. Second word: 'off' — O-F-F.

And, as I said, it's separable so you can 'cut somebody or something off'

or you can 'cut off' something or somebody.

And it means to... to be out of contact or to stop contact.

OK. Now, I'm familiar with those two words.

And 'off', of course, is the opposite of 'on'.

So, it's — to stop something you turn it 'off'.

Yeah. So, for example, 'cut' is about severing a communication

And in the sense of 'cut off', what it means in the headline

is that all communications have been stopped for a period of time.

Now, we also use 'cut off' when we're talking about utilities,

they get 'cut off' sometimes, don't they?

Yes, they do. If you don't pay a bill for your internet,

the provider may decide to 'cut you off': to stop your supply.

Getting back to the, kind of, natural environment,

we can use the expression 'cut off' when,

maybe, a village gets 'cut off' because the road is blocked with snow;

or if there's a storm, an island might get 'cut off' —

there's no way of getting the ships in because the sea is rough.

That's when we can say somewhere is 'cut off'. Is that right?

Yeah. I mean, in that sense, it's more about, sort of, a lack of access,

or again it's that idea of communication — being able to contact somebody —

but a village, in that sense, 'cut off' by the snow

means that there is no way to get to the village or for people to leave.

It's 'cut off', isolated, from the outside world.

another interesting way to use 'cut off'.

and they're trying to say something like, for example, tell a story

and the other person stops them from speaking —

Oh yeah! Can I just 'cut you off' there please, Roy?

I don't want to hear one of your stories again, OK?

Great example! So, you stopped me from speaking.

You ended my communication again, if you like.

and let's have a summary of that expression:

We've talked quite a bit about coronavirus here on News Review.

Now, one of the strains that developed last year

there's that expression again: 'cut off' —

So, how can we watch that video again please, Roy?

All you need to do is click the link in the description below.

Right, it's time now to look at our next news headline please.

OK. So, the next news headline comes from the Taiwan News and it reads:

So, that's 'step up' — increase intensity of something.

OK. So, it's another phrasal verb: 'step up'.

First word: 'step' — S-T-E-P. Second word: 'up'.

And it means to increase the intensity of something:

Quite commonly we say: 'Step up my effort.'

So, for example, maybe there's a bomb threat

so they decide to increase the number of security guards:

OK. Now, my boss said the other day that I should 'step up' and take control.

Well, this is another meaning of the word 'step up'

and it basically means to assume responsibility or to...

字幕リスト動画再生

Tonga: Volcano and tsunami hit - BBC News Review

sort

situation

expression

period