F2F Class Notes (Raph)[R]

Vocabulary

Strike (v): 1- to refuse to continue working because of an argument with an employer about working conditions, pay levels, or job losses.
E.g.: We’re striking for better pay and improved safety standards.

Democracy (n): 1- a country in which power is held by elected (chosen by the people) representatives. 2- 民主
E.g.: Few of the Western democracies still have a royal family.

Claim (v/n): 1- to say that something is true or is a fact, although you cannot prove it and other people might not believe it. 2- to ask for something of value because you think it belongs to you or because you think you have a right to it.
E.g.: The company claims (that) it is not responsible for the pollution in the river.
E.g.: The police said that if no one claims the watch, you can keep it.

Decade (n): 1- ten years.
E.g.: He’s been working for the company for over three decades (=30 years).

Inoperable (adj): 1- If a system, plan, machine, etc. is inoperable, it cannot be done or made to work.
E.g.: The problem made the factory inoperable for an entire week.

Cap (v): 1- to put a limit on the amount of money that can be charged or spent in connection with a particular activity:
E.g.: The school is trying to cap spending on anything that’s considered not essential.
E.g.: Our mortgage (抵押) is capped at 8.75 percent for five years.

Inflation (n): 1- a general, continuous increase in prices. 2- 通货膨胀
E.g.: The control of inflation is a key component of the government’s economic policy.

Derisory (adj): 1- A derisory amount of money is so small it is silly. 2- 可笑
E.g.: We were awarded a derisory sum.

Iconic (adj): 1-  very famous or popular, especially being considered to represent particular opinions or a particular time. 2- 标志性的
E.g.: John Lennon gained iconic status following his death.

Congress (n): 1- 国会

Bank of England Staff to Go on Strike
(Source: www.breakingnewsenglish.com/1707/170705-bank-of-england-5.html)

Workers at the Bank of England have voted for a four-day strike in support of a pay claim. It will be the first walkout by the Bank’s staff in over five decades. Over 95 per cent of bankers who voted chose to strike. They say the Bank’s pay rise offer is unacceptable. The Bank offered its workers a collective one per cent pay rise. The deal means that a third of staff could get no pay rise. The workers’ union said: “The result of the Bank’s unwillingness to negotiate fair pay will be that the Bank’s sites…in the City of London will effectively be inoperable.”

The Bank of England was established in 1694. It is the world’s second oldest central bank. Public sector staff in the UK are suffering financially. They have had their annual salary increase capped at one per cent. This is below the 2.9 per cent level of inflation. The union said workers are taking action, “because of the bank’s total refusal to accept that its workforce is struggling to meet their costs of living”. It added that it was shameful that an “iconic symbol of financial services” is ignoring “the concerns of its dedicated and hardworking staff and impose this derisory pay deal.”

Pronunciation

Vitamin: /ˈvaɪ.t̬ə.mɪn/

Strike: /straɪk/

Rise: /raɪz/

Raise : /reɪz/

Derisory: /dɪˈraɪ.ɚ.i/

Iconic: /aɪˈkɑː.nɪk/