Improve Your English Vocabulary with BBC News

Today you'll learn English with the news. We'll  read a news article together on the new peace plan  

that was created to hopefully end the conflict in  the Middle East. Welcome back to JForrest English. Of  

course, I'm Jennifer. Now, let's get started. Our  headline, first round of US Iran talks ends with  

encouraging progress, mediators say. Let's talk  about the word talks. And notice it ends in an s  

here. And then we have our verb ends. Interesting  to note that here, although talk, I am talking,  

talk is of course a verb. And you're probably  familiar with it as a verb. In a business context,  

in a political context, we often use talk as a  noun to mean meetings. So meetings, talks. It's  

in that same category, which is why it has an s on  it because it's meetings plural. Talks plural. But  

then if this is a noun and it has an s, then why  does this verb end have an s on it? Because the  

entire subject of the sentence is first round of  US Iran talks. The subject is actually not talks.  

It's first round, which is viewing all of this  as one thing. First round. Now, if it's the first  

round, round represents occasion. So, it sounds  like there's going to be another round of talks,  

another time when US, Iran, and all the  other stakeholders involved meet to talk. So,  

all of this is singular. It it ends. And that's  why our verb end is in an s. It ends with  

encouraging progress. So encouraging functions as  an adjective. It means positive positive progress.  

Medi mediators say. I added the article 'the'  because grammatically with an ordinal number,  

first is an ordinal number. You need the the  first, the second, the third time. I watched a  

JForest English video. I really liked it. So, it's  very common to leave out articles in headlines  

of of newspaper articles. Don't worry about  taking these notes. I summarize everything in  

a free lesson PDF. Now, let's continue and learn  about this issue in a joint statement early on  

Monday. So a statement written or spoken words  joint means that two or more people are doing  

it together. In a joint statement early on Monday  Qatar and Pakistan the mediating countries. So the  

mediating countries it means Qatar and Pakistan  are mediating. So mediating this comes from the  

word mediator and this is someone who is supposed  to be an impartial party who acts as the neutral  

person. So who conducts the the negotiations in  a neutral way and that's why it says mediators  

say the medi mediators being Qatar and Pakistan  in this occasion Qar and Pakistan the mediating  

countries said that the parties so now the parties  because Qatar and Pakistan said this the parties  

represent the people negotiating so US and Iran  that the parties had agreed to a road map towards  

reaching a final deal within 60 days. So notice  had agreed. This is the past perfect. We use the  

past perfect when you want to show a timeline  of events. And it's important to know that one  

action, the action in the past perfect is in the  past and earlier than another past action. So  

this is earlier in the past and this is later  in the past. This would be the past simple,  

but they're both in the past. The past perfect  is the earlier past action. A road map. So road  

map is a noun. You can just think of map. Of  course, what does a map do? Tells you how to  

get from one point to another. So we use the  the noun road map to represent a plan. a plan  

to achieve a specific goal. So you might have  a road mapap to improve your vocabulary within  

60 days or whatever the time reference. Within  means no later than. So between now 60 days at  

some point but not 61 days or 65 days because it's  within within. So, it's very common to use within  

to give someone a deadline when you are okay  with receiving it earlier, but there has to be  

the latest possible time. So, you could say to a  colleague or a co-worker or even to your spouse,  

let's book the vacation within 5 days  or this report is due within five days.

They also agreed. So they being the parties  Iran and the US, they also agreed to establish  

a deescalation. So escalation, this comes from  the verb escalate. So, if you have a customer  

complaint and you're talking to the the store  representative and you escalate that issue,  

it means you now want to talk to a manager.  You're not happy with the initial resolution,  

the way that the customer service representative  was trying to solve that, and you want to  

escalate, escalate the issue. So that's the verb  to escalate. So escalation, that's the noun form  

which views it simply as a thing. The fact that  the issue has become more intense. But notice  

important. We have this prefix deescalation. So  it means the issue is at an intense level and  

now you want to bring it down to a less intense  level. So escalation deescalation. So they also  

agreed to establish a deescalation working group.  A working group. This is very common in business  

and politics. It's a group of people who have been  assigned to a specific task. And in this case,  

the task is to mediate or to try to deescalate  the conflict. So a deescalation working group  

that includes Lebanon. So Lebanon is part  of the working group to address the fighting  

between Israel and Hezbollah there. So there  being what is there represent? Lebanon. Their  

represents a place. So you have to look to context  to understand the meaning. So there that would be  

Lebanon. Are you enjoying this lesson? If you are  then I want to tell you about the finally fluent  

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can go to my website and click on finally fluent  academy. Now, let's continue with our lesson.  

A communication channel was also established  to prevent incidents and misunderstandings and  

to ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels  through the straight of Hormuse, the mediator said  

calling the progress encouraging. So here they  have the word encouraging because this specific  

word came out of the mouths of the mediator. So  it's a direct quote. Whereas the other information  

could have been changed slightly. We also have  incidents and misunderstandings to show you the  

these aren't the word choices from the author of  the article. These are the words that came out of  

the mouths of the mediators or maybe in a written  statement from the mediators. So an incident this  

is an unintended event with a negative consequence  and a misunderstanding. Well, this is when you can  

hear information, but your interpretation of it  is different from someone else's. So, this yes,  

can happen to non-native speaker speakers because  of an English language barrier or a language  

barrier, but it can also happen between native  speaker and native speaker. So, you could have a  

misunderstanding when you're discussing plans with  a friend and you thought you were going to meet  

at the restaurant, but then your friend's waiting  for you at the movie theater and then you can say,  

"Oh, sorry. I misunderstood. I misunderstood."  So, that would be the verb form here. An incident,  

this is a noun in the plural form. and a  misunderstanding. This is a noun as well in  

the plural form. Now you can use misunderstanding.  Misunderstand as the verb to misunderstand. This  

does not have a verb form. Let me also explain a  communication channel. So a communication channel  

is an official way to communicate. This  wouldn't be used in an everyday context,  

but could be used in a business context or  a political context as well, of course. So,  

it might be a dedicated phone line or a dedicated  phone number. That could be the communication  

channel. Or maybe it is an agreement to meet at a  specific time every week at a specific location.  

That would also be a communication channel.  It could be a representative from each party  

agreeing to do that rather than the the leaders  doing that. So the method of communication could  

be completely different. It's just the fact  that there's an official agreed upon way to  

communicate with one another. Let's keep reading.  The US also agreed to lift a military blockade.  

So a blockade, this is where there's something  to prevent passage. So in this case, it has to  

do with ships. So it could be a physical blockade.  It could also just be that there are air patrols  

and if someone tries to pass, well then the air  patrols prevent them. So it could be physical,  

it could be an a non-physical way as well. So if  you lift a military blockade, it means you remove  

it. We use the verb lift a lot in a political  context. You lift sanctions. You lift a blockade.  

You could even lift a rule or a policy. It could  be used in a business context. And it could be  

used in an everyday context. A parent might lift  a curfew that they had for their child. A curfew  

would be you must be home at this specific time,  but then maybe the child as a child grows older,  

the parent decides to lift that curfew. So, it  absolutely can be used, but it's with some sort of  

preventative measure or even punitive measure.  Punitive comes from the word punishment. So,  

a preventative or punitive measure. And to remove  it is the verb lift. Let's read this again. The US  

also agreed to lift a military blockade on ships  going to and from Iranian ports. The safe passage  

of commercial vessels. So, a vessel is any type  of of vehicle that uh is on the water. So ships,  

boats, large and small, you would refer to all of  them as vessels. But here they're limiting them  

to commercial. So ones that operate for business  purposes, not just people on a boat enjoying uh an  

afternoon cruise on the water or ones just fishing  for fun. So the safe passage of commercial vessels  

through the straight of hormuz is critical to  bringing down global oil prices. So without this  

the safe passage of commercial vessels you will  not have this bringing down global oil prices and  

notice is critical to doing something. So that's  why our verb is in the ing. So this preposition to  

belongs to the phrase to be critical to. And  then because to functions as a preposition,  

your next verb is in the ing form and bringing  down is the phrasal verb of reduce. So you can  

say is critical to reducing global oil prices. And  the word critical means of greatest importance. So  

maybe you would say learning English. So this is  doing something a jarn expression learning English  

is critical. So this as a subject is singular. It  is. So to be critical to is our preposition and  

then we need a jiren. Learning English is critical  to getting a promotion. The most important thing.  

Oo would you agree with that? Let's keep  reading. Since the war began on February 28th,  

surging oil prices have hurt the US economy and  taken a toll on Trump's approval ratings amid  

consumer worries about higher gasoline costs.  Okay, let's take a look at surging oil prices.  

This is the subject. It's plural because we have  prices. So, they have hurt. They have hurt. Now,  

since the war began. So, this is it started in  the past and it continues until now, which is  

why it's in the present perfect. Have hurt the US  economy and have taken a toll. When you use and,  

you don't have to repeat the auxiliary verb if it  is the same. So you could absolutely say and have  

taken a toll but you don't have to because this  one have functions for both just like the one  

subject also functions for both because it's  surg surging. So surging means increasing at  

a rapid pace. Surging oil prices have hurt the US  economy. surging oil prices have taken a toll. So  

because all of this is the same, you don't have to  repeat it, but of course we have a different verb.  

So we repeat, we have to state the verb and taken  a toll on Trump's approval ratings. If something  

takes a toll on something, so here the something  remember is surging oil prices have taken a toll.  

You have to conjugate this with the subject and  the time reference. And now on something. So  

something takes a toll. That's the expression that  you have to conjugate on something else. It means  

it negatively impacts. So you might say, "My lack  of sleep has taken a toll on my productivity."  

or my poor eating habits have taken a toll on my  health. So something negatively impacts something.  

Something takes a toll on something. Or maybe my  lack of studying consistently has taken a toll  

on my English results. Maybe let's read this  again. Since the war began on February 28th,  

surging oil prices have hurt the US economy and  taken a toll on Trump's approval ratings. Amid,  

so amid means that as these things are going  on. So amid consumer worries about higher  

gasoline prices. So this is consumers are worried.  Consumers are worried. negative impact on Trump's  

approval rating. So that would be amid amid  consumer worries about higher gasoline costs. It's  

not common for gasoline to be said as gasoline.  It's it's standard to say gas in American English,  

even in more formal contexts. Let's keep reading.  Speaking before the talks at the Swiss resort of  

Bergenstock, US lead negotiator, Vice President  JD Vance said Trump had asked negotiators to  

turn over a new leaf. Okay, so we have this  in quotation marks. So this came out of JD  

Vance's mouth and he said this before the talks  at the Swiss resort. So before remember the talks  

represent the meeting. So before the official  meeting took place he said this and he's the  

lead negotiator said Trump had asked negotiators.  So negotiators these are the people negotiating  

just like I said mediators are the people  mediating. The idiom means to behave differently,  

but think of it in the sense of leaving the  past behind. So behave differently as if you're  

starting new. You're starting fresh. Because when  you turn over a new leaf, you have a fresh leaf,  

one that you've never seen before. That's the  image you can have. So you want to approach it  

from fresh eyes, a fresh perspective, forgetting  the conflict and issues you had in the past.  

So we use this a lot in our personal lives. Of  course you can use it in business, politics,  

but we also use this in our personal lives when  we want to change our behavior. So you might say  

after years of overspending, spending  too much. After years of overspending,  

he's turning over a new leaf and saving money.  So he's going to forget who he was when he just  

constantly spent his money. and he's going to  behave differently as if he's a different person,  

as if he's a person who is responsible with money.  So, he's turning over a new leaf and saving money.  

So he added, so he being JD Vance, he added  that if Iran's leadership was willing to give  

up being a driver of regional instability. So  a driver of so this this part is in quotation  

marks which means this is a direct quote. So a  driver of a driver means someone who drives. Now  

I'm not talking about a car because a driver of  something in this context means the reason why it  

exists. So in this case the something is regional  instability. Instability is bad chaos uh a lack  

of stability. So instability now it's saying that  Iran is the reason why there is instability. So  

if he's willing to give up, if he's willing to not  be the reason for instability. So if he's willing  

to turn over a new leaf, for example, he added  that if Iran's leadership was willing to give up  

being a driver of regional instability, then it's  and its nuclear weapons ambitions for the longer  

term. Okay. So give up being a driver of regional  instability and also give up its nuclear weapons  

ambitions for the longer term. So two things that  the US is asking Iran to give up to to stop doing  

or stop being involved in. Then the US is willing  to fundamentally transform our relationship with  

that country and of course that country being  Iran. So fundamentally means to transform every  

aspect of our relationship. So, it's a very strong  word. Let's keep reading. The deal also includes a  

$30 billion plan. So, notice 30 billion. BN  is billion dollar. There's no s here because  

this comes before the noun. So, it functions as  an adjective. It's a plan. What type of plan? A  

$30 billion plan. So, because it comes before the  noun, it's an adjective. And adjectives don't have  

plural forms. So a $30 billion plan, you still  say the you vocalize this as the word dollar  

last. $30 billion plan for Iran's reconstruction.  So this specific word came out of JD Vance's or  

Trump's mouth. But the the rest of the words  maybe he didn't say plan. Maybe he said road  

map or maybe there were subtle changes to the  word choice. So reconstruction is well you have  

the word construction and then re means you're  doing it again. So because of a lot of damage to  

buildings or infrastructure so reconstruction  they have to build those things again. Iran's  

reconstruction and the US terminating. So this is  the deal also includes the US terminating ending  

all types of sanctions on it. So all types of  sanctions again these specific words came from uh  

the US government's mouth. I'm not sure if it was  Donald Trump or JD Vance to be honest. All types  

of sanctions on it on Iran. Iran being the it. And  remember, we learned before that with sanctions,  

you could theoretically use the word lift and  the US lifting because if you lift a sanction, it  

means you end a sanction. And terminating is just  a more formal way of saying end. So they mean the  

same thing. It's just different words. And that's  why I said these specific words came out of the US  

government's mouth. But maybe this word didn't  because there's so many different ways you can  

express this and the meaning is the same. Ending,  lifting, terminating all types of sanctions on  

it. Let's keep reading. But the issue of Iran's  nuclear program is still to be negotiated. So to  

be negotiated, this is in the future. So it means  they have not negotiated it yet. is still to be  

negotiated. So you might use this in an everyday  context and say, "Yeah, we're going on vacation,  

but the location is still to be determined or  to be decided." Have you seen TB D? That means  

to be determined. This is very commonly used in  a business context. However, we also use it in an  

everyday context. is more commonly used in text  messages or written English emails, but you can  

say verbally TBD. TBD, especially in a business  context. It might sound a little businessy if you  

use it I in your personal life, but you absolutely  can. So, in a personal context, our weekend plans  

are TBD. You could say that you might send it as a  quick text message. Or maybe if someone texts you,  

where are you going on vacation? And you just  you don't have a lot of time, you just want  

to reply back very quickly. You could just say  TBD and just write those three letters TBD to  

be determined. So it's very commonly used and it  comes from this to be negotiated to be determined.  

Determining our weekend plans is a future event.  It has not been done yet. Iran has insisted its  

nuclear program is peaceful. So has assisted  insisted. So if you insist something, it means  

you say something with a lot of conviction and  you maybe you even say it again and again or you  

say it. conviction means very strongly. So Iran  has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful.  

It's in the present perfect because Iran has said  this in the past and then it still applies today.  

And the result is that when Iran is negotiating  with the US, they're going to be thinking about  

this because the present perfect is used with  the past action with the result in the present.  

So Iran is going to be negotiating with the US  from the perspective that their nuclear program  

is peaceful. And that's the end of the article.  So now I'll read the article from start to finish  

and you can focus on my pronunciation. First round  of US Iran talks ends with encouraging progress.  

mediators say. In a joint statement early  on Monday, Qatar and Pakistan, the mediating  

countries, said that the parties had agreed to a  roadmap towards reaching a final deal within 60  

days. They also agreed to establish a deescalation  working group that includes Lebanon to address the  

fighting between Israel and Hezbollah there. A  communication channel was also established to  

prevent incidents and misunderstandings and to  ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels  

through the straight of Hormuz, the mediator said,  calling the progress encouraging. The US also  

agreed to lift a military blockade on ships going  to and from Iranian ports. The safe passage of  

commercial vessels through the Straight of Hormuz  is critical to bringing down global oil prices.  

Since the war began on February 28th, surging oil  prices have hurt the US economy and taken a toll  

on Trump's approval ratings amid consumer worries  about higher gasoline costs. Speaking before the  

talks at the Swiss resort of Bergenstock, US lead  negotiator vice president JD Vance said Trump had  

asked negotiators to turn over a new leaf. He  added that if Iran's leadership was willing to  

give up being a driver of regional instability and  his nuclear weapons ambitions for the longer term,  

then the US is willing to fundamentally transform  our relationship with that country. The deal also  

includes a $30 billion plan for Iran's  reconstruction and the US terminating  

all types of sanctions on it. But the issue of  Iran's nuclear program is still to be negotiated.  

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful.  Do you want to keep learning English with the  

news? If you do, put yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.  Put yes, yes, yes in the comments below. And of  

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