Covid-19: A new era for cyclists? – News Review reviews

June 4, 2022



Could the Covid-19 pandemic mean more people using bicycles in the future? Fear of catching the coronavirus has seen many people trying to avoid public transport. The UK has seen a huge uptake of cycle-to-work schemes, which allow new bicycles to be bought tax-free. Neil and Catherine discuss this news story and help you to learn English vocabulary to talk about it.

Please note: We have decided to activate YouTube’s automatic subtitles on this video. The BBC is not responsible for the accuracy of YouTube automatic subtitles.

Story:

Fear of catching the coronavirus has led to many people trying to avoid using public transport. However, people still need to be able to get around which has in turn created a huge demand for bicycles with cycle shops in the UK reporting a surge in sales. Cycle-to-work schemes are also in high demand. These schemes are an arrangement that allow people buy a bicycle without paying tax, effectively making bicycles more affordable. Some people are predicting that this will become a great time for cycling in Britain.

Vocabulary:

boom time
a period in which there is a large increase in demand for something

• Lockdown is a boom time for online shops.
• While radio was big in the last century, it’s now a boom time for podcasts.
golden age
a period in which a particular activity is popular or successful

• Critics say Hollywood’s golden age ended in the early 1960s.
• The 2000s have been a golden age for social media companies.

at the crossroads
at a point where an important decision needs to be made

• The climate stands at the crossroads. Our decisions now will change the future of the planet.
• With many countries debating their future membership, the EU could be standing at the crossroads.

#bbclearningenglish #vocabulary #coronavirus #newsreview

To download the audio and to test your understanding, go to our website at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/newsreview/unit-13/session-142

For more English videos and English lessons to help you learn English: www.bbclearningenglish.com

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37 Comments
  1. Reply
    Hacı Yusuf Narlı June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Pandemic is a boom time for exporting companies. what is the golden age of 21st century ?planet is at the crossroad after the pandemic.

  2. Boom time for
    Golden age for
    At the cross roads

  3. Reply
    Denis Bayma De Lira June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Nice I love this channel😉

  4. Your channel is my favourite you tube channel… Love it

  5. Well, in order to be honest. I am astonished by this story from BBC
    news. Maybe a strong revelation about government negligency. I was on January 27th, 2020 in London, with my Scholl for an Intensive course trip at Oxford School of language in Oxford. This Sunday morning all of
    us, our group ( thirty people pretty much) we went to visit London. We
    were in the classic around holidaymaker walk. Palace, House Parlament,
    Abbey, Tower Of London and so on. When in the afternoon 2 pm. we got around the city center in order to do sightseeing. Suddenly when we carried on to Covert Garden stopped in Trafalgar Square. Over there we
    saw a really crowded Chinese , Korean , and more. Pretty much twenty thousand people all around Trafalgar Square, a load of stalls for food etc. They were holding China's new year, like our New Year eve….It
    was at the moment an akward situation. So don't tear out clothes away,
    because I couldn't imagine why the British PM ( who lives nearby) let this sort of behavior. And still remain. Don't forget it. Still remain.
    Being awkward in a pandemic is the best food for COVID 19.

  6. Neil really you are honest and good me,,love from india,want to meet with u

  7. Very informative and designed! I love you Neil and Catherine and all BBC Learning English team .. by the way I'm at the crossroads of English learning by following BBC Learning English on daily basis 🙂
    I like your T-Shirt Neil 😀

  8. Reply
    Nguyễn Hoàng Anh Thơ June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Hi Niel and Catherine, you guys are AMAZING! ENORMOUS thank you to both of you and others in the crew. Plus, Niel looks so cute and Catherine sounds so caring. I hope you guys stay healthy and happy, always.

  9. Reply
    Tanvi singh 6 Aradhya singh 2 June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Ye video me jo hai ose oratory competition me boll Sakte hai kya

  10. Jesus, the voices of this man and woman sound like family

  11. You are Great! 👍 As always…!🙂

  12. Thanks so much I really enjoy this learning. Regards from Perú

  13. Reply
    Jalat Khan Farhadi June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Thanks a lot for sharing such a good information!

  14. I am still standing at the crossroads. I have no idea what should I choose between my career and my family.

  15. Since the corona virus outbreak, there is a boom time for the number of people testing covid-19's rapid test.

  16. Thank you.

  17. Thank you so much. I learned a lot of English words here.
    Great lesson!

  18. What is 'French for dogs'?

  19. Reply
    Lorenzo Ballantini June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    In Italian we have the same figurative expression but the choice or decision we have to make is between 2 only options while in English, like Neil explains, is not well define, isn't it?

  20. Thanks.. you encourage me to cycle again.

  21. French for dog, hahaha………

  22. Hello BBC,
    I am your new subscriber. I was surfing the platform where I can improve my English & vocabulary with the gain of knowledge. As you know, this is the golden age to enhance the skills for each of us. This is most probably the boom time for those who want to improve their English speaking skill. But my mind always remains at the crossroads. My minds always wonder for some other creative channel when I subscribe one.
    I am sorry, but it's true.

  23. Hey, can I use those words on my ielts writing or speaking.

  24. Reply
    Sanjeev Kumar Pathak June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    ● lockdown has been proven as a boom time for online video game.
    ● It is golden age to polish one's skills for individual development.
    ● Pandemic put the world at the crossroads to bring reforms in their healthcare system.

  25. Thank you for the lesson!

  26. Surprisingly, even BBC does not know how many thousand words they give their listeners for the year from the list of 10,000 most used. You will be surprised, but it will be a maximum of 2500. You can have a dictionary in Anki and check.

  27. Reply
    Daya ShanKar Yadav June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    Amazing Videos

  28. Love you a lot, BBC.

  29. Great lesson!! Thanks!!

  30. Is it OK if I write 'allow people cycle'? Because I am taught 'allow someone to do something'. I don't know if 'allow someone do something' is grammatically correct or not.

  31. baby boom

  32. Reply
    Daud baig .diamond Diamond June 4, 2022 at 4:17 pm

    BBC learning english channel has booming time.nothwithstanding,covid hardships they at cross roads to deliver program at stretch

  33. That’s great! Thanks for helpful lesson!

  34. boom or burst…

  35. Thank you very much

  36. Thanks a lot.

  37. Well, the lesson is a straight fire!

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