LESSON 13 - a round-up story

Word of the week: A ROUND-UP STORY

Related expressions 
1. a round-up story – a story that looks back at what has happened over a specific period of time, such as the previous year or quarter.
Our Friday edition of “Travels around the globe” will feature a round-up of the best stories from 2008.

2. malfeasance – an example of dishonest and illegal behavior, especially by a person in authority
There were many cases of malfeasance in the financial world that have shaken the foundations of probity and integrity.
 
3. a buzzword – a word or expression from a particular subject area, that has become fashionable by being used a lot, especially on television and in the newspapers
Have you heard the new buzzword for a woman that wants to stay thin during pregnancy? It’s “pregorexia”.

In context

The beginning of the year is always a good time to look back at all the stories that made the headlines in the previous year. Such round-up stories usually portray the mistakes that one couldn’t foresee, yet now seem so obvious in hindsight. 

2008 saw a lot of malfeasance by individuals and companies. The story that is ranked second on the list of most read stories in The Guardian is that of a young woman imprisoned for 24 years by her father. Josef Fritzl kept his daughter in the cellar which became her dungeon for many years. This was a gruesome story which shocked the public. A story that is ranked lower on the list yet is quite exceptional was the bankruptcy of a nation, namely Iceland. Voted the best place to live in 2007, Iceland was an example of a rags-to-riches story, yet due to the financial crisis in 2008 was on the brink of collapse.

2008 was also a year of the appearance of many buzzwords that have been introduced into the English language. They were coined for the current political, economic and social situations. Words like hockey mom, thanks to Sarah Palin, greyjing, which is a nickname for Bejing whose skies are always polluted, and finally staycation, which is a vacation not involving travelling. There are many more words worth looking back on, and one wonders what new buzzwords 2009 will bring. 

Read more
NewYorkTimes.com
TheGuardian.com

Listen and repeat
LISTENING/LESSON 13