Learning English

Scottish government sets minimum price for alcoholic drinks

Cheap alcohol is about to get more expensive in Scotland as the government introduces a minimum price per unit in an attempt to combat alcohol-related health problems. Neil and Catherine bring you the language you need to talk about this story.

Language challenge

The pub is a British institution. What is 'pub' short for?

a) public drinking
b) public house
c) public bar

Watch the video and complete the activity

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The story

A minimum unit price for alcohol has come into force in Scotland.

The Scottish government believes it will reduce the harm caused by excessive drinking – leading to fewer hospital admissions and alcohol-related deaths.

Key words and phrases

booze
alcoholic drink

• It was difficult to get up early today. There was a lot of booze at last night's party.
• Too much boozing can lead to serious health problems.

calls time on
announces the end of an activity

• Neil's called time on using the internet. He's had enough of it.
• Environmentalists say we have to call time on fossil fuels

day of reckoning
a time when you have to deal with a past mistake

• Catherine had a day of reckoning with her garden after the weeds started to take over.
• Some people say social media's day of reckoning will happen soon.

To do

Try our quiz to see how well you've learned today's language.

Downloads

You can download the audio and PDF document for this episode here. 

Language challenge - answer

a) someone who encourages or supports you

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