Bird Flu Causes Problems in New York: English Conversation for the IELTS and TOEFL

If you like learning English while watching the news, you'll love this English lesson. Even though the news is very sad. If you like learning about the current news and improving your English for your next English conversation, this English lesson is for you. While watching a news clip about how birds are getting the flu and causing prices to skyrocket, you will learn English phrasal verbs, English idioms, and other advanced English vocabulary that can really stump English learners. Bird Flu 1. Poultry: Birds like chickens, ducks, and turkeys that people raise for their eggs or meat. • : “Many poultry farms are taking extra steps to protect their birds from the flu.” 2. Spread (verb): To move and affect more people or areas. • : “The bird flu can spread quickly among birds if not controlled.” 3. An order: A command or instruction given by someone in authority. • : “The governor gave an order to close all live bird markets temporarily.” 4. An abundance of caution: Taking extra care to prevent problems, even if it seems unnecessary. • : “Officials closed the markets out of an abundance of caution to stop the flu from spreading.” 5. Transmission: The act of passing a disease from one person or animal to another. • : “Wearing protective gear can help prevent the transmission of the bird flu.” 6. Skyrockets: To increase very quickly. • : “Egg prices skyrocketed because many chickens got sick from the flu.” 7. Shutting down: Closing something temporarily or permanently. • : “Authorities are shutting down live bird markets to clean them thoroughly.” 8. Detected: Discovered or noticed something. • : “The virus was detected in several bird markets during routine checks.” 9. Routine inspection: A regular check to ensure everything is in order. • : “During a routine inspection, health officials found signs of the bird flu.” 10. Counties: Regions within a state, each with its own local government. • : “Live bird markets in New York City and nearby counties were closed due to the flu.” 11. Sell down: To sell all or most of the products in stock. • : “Markets were told to sell down their birds before closing for cleaning.” 12. Inventory: The goods or products that a business has in stock. • : “The store checked its inventory to see how many chickens were left.” 13. Shutter: To close a business or activity. • : “Several markets were shuttered to prevent the spread of the disease.” 14. Cut down: To reduce the amount of something. • : “People are trying to cut down on visits to bird markets during the outbreak.” 15. H5N1: A specific type of bird flu virus. • : “The H5N1 virus has affected many birds in the area.” 16. Dairy: Products made from milk, like cheese and yogurt. • : “While dairy products are not affected, the bird flu has impacted poultry farms.” 17. Mutation: A change in a virus that can affect how it behaves. • : “Scientists are studying if the virus has any mutations that make it more dangerous.” 18. USDA: United States Department of Agriculture, a government agency overseeing farming and food safety. • : “The USDA is monitoring the bird flu outbreak to protect public health.” 19. Elderly: Older adults, usually over the age of 65. • : “The elderly are advised to be cautious, even though the bird flu mainly affects birds.” 20. Flying through the roof: Increasing rapidly; similar to “skyrocketing.” • : “Demand for flu vaccines is flying through the roof due to health concerns.” 21. Organic: Food produced without fake chemicals or pesticides. • : “Some people prefer to buy organic chicken, believing it’s healthier.” 22. Taken out: Removed or eliminated. • : “Infected birds were taken out of the market to prevent the disease from spreading.” Last month’s fire in California, took out many homes and buildings.