BBC Learning English

Words in the News

30
th
April 2010
Deal near for Greek economy



Words in the News British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
Page 1 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com



Senior officials from Greece, the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission
are trying to put the finishing touches to a deal to rescue the Greek economy. Gavin Hewitt
reports:

As the talks over a giant bail-out deal for Greece reached a critical stage the government in
Athens is coming under intense pressure to implement new spending cuts. The IMF and
the EU are discussing loaning Greece at least 40 billion pounds this year. But they want to see
further measures to reduce the deficit.

Greek trade union officials expressed outrage at the conditions after a meeting with the
Greek prime minister. They claim Greece is being asked to make cuts of over 20 billion
pounds over the next two years. The unions have now called a general strike for next week.
Last night tear gas was fired at hundreds of demonstrators who were protesting at the bail-
out plan.

The expectation that a rescue for Greece was just days away helped bring some calm to the
financial markets. But the mood in Athens is increasingly against any bail-out and the
Greek prime minister George Papandreou has said that the country is in a battle for survival.

Gavin Hewitt, BBC News



Words in the News British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
Page 2 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com

Vocabulary and definitions

bail-out when someone helps a person or organisation (or here, a
country) that is in difficulty, by giving or lending them
money
critical very important
coming under intense pressure being asked very forcefully to do something
implement

put a plan into action
spending cuts

decreasing the amount of money being spent
expressed outrage at the
conditions
said that they were very angry about what they are being
asked to do
called a general strike asked all workers in the country to stop working to show
that they disapprove of something (here, the financial
rescue plan)
tear gas

a gas (used by police to control groups of people) which
causes your eyes to sting and fill with tears
demonstrators who were
protesting
people who were publicly saying they didn't agree with the
bailout
bring some calm to the financial
markets
steadied Greece's value on the stock exchange or made
Greek (and other countries') stocks and share less likely to
crash or fail


More on this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8508136.stm


Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2010/04/100430_witn_greece.shtml