2011/1/3 You&Yours Listening Notes

C1: 因大雪及三天公共假期 英國多處垃圾堆積如山
The papers print alarming photographs of huge piles of uncollected domestic waste.
(1) grind to a halt : (to slow down gradually and then stop completely)
ground to a halt = come to a grinding halt
(2)In Birmingham, it is being compounded by a strike by bin men (BrE= dustmen; formal: refuse collector; AmE: garbage men)
stoppage (n.) 停工
(3)Casual staff 臨時工 are hired to clear the backlog.
(4)bank hloiday 公共假日
(5)up in the air = 懸而未決
(6) rubbish truck 垃圾車
C2: 大小企業如何在經濟不景氣(economic downturn) 時運作
Tata Steel and R. Baker (the steel industry) 鋼鐵業
be frought with uncertainty 充滿不確定性
furnace (n.) 熔爐
steel scrap 廢鐵
stay buoyant (a.) 繁榮
C3: water crisis in Northern Ireland
C4: Train fares 英國火車票價調漲
The rise strikes passengers as deeply fair and put them off travelling
fiddle (n.) (BrE) 調整
Extra carrigaes come on stream. (投入使用)
It is about stomaching a price rise. *to approve of sth
C5: Free one-on-one cycling instructions provided to rusty cyclists
倫敦提供新手免費一對一騎腳踏車課程
on-road lessons 一般道路課程
jump the red light 闖紅燈 powe up slowly get up to the gear

(1) avoiding the door zone 避開開門區
(2) to be visible
(3) a meter from the curbside  距人行道邊一公尺
(4) to install a bell and a reflector 反光器

C6: a speech impediment =stammer 語言障礙 = stutter
Stammering is an neurogenetic condition and it is highy curable among children.