Learning English

A problem with Samsung Galaxy Note 7 

Users of the new Samsung smartphone are being told to switch them off after reports that some of them are catching fire.

Language challenge

In this News Review, Sian and Neil discuss idioms relating to fire. The idiom there’s no smoke without fire means:

a) It’s very easy to quit smoking if you really want to.
b) If bad things are said about someone or something, there's probably a good reason for it.
c) A bad situation will improve very soon.

You'll find out the answer in the programme.

Watch the video and complete the activity

The story

Samsung has suspended sales of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone amid reports that the South Korean company could permanently stop producing the phone.

The move follows continuing reports that battery problems are causing a few to catch fire, including replacements. South Korean safety authorities say they are investigating a possible new fault.

Samsung, the world's biggest mobile phone maker says Note 7 users should switch them off and get a refund or a different phone. Shares in the company fell almost five percent.

Steve Evans - BBC News

It is a brutal statement from the company: all phone shops around the world should stop selling the product, which was meant to be Samsung's answer to Apple's iPhone 7, and all customers who've already bought it should power it down and stop using it.

This is the second recall. After the first set of battery fires started on new Galaxy Note 7s, Samsung told customers to send back their phones, but now the replacement is also being declared unusable and for an unspecified time.

Key words and phrases

a burning issue
an important and urgent problem, often one that people have strong opinions about

burn a hole in (someone's accounts)
cause them to spend lots of money

money burns a hole in my pocket
whenever I have money I have to spend it

something burnt a hole in my pocket
it cost a lot of money

come/be under fire
be criticised or held responsible

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

The correct answer is b). There’s no smoke without fire means: If bad things are said about someone or something, there is probably a good reason for it.

End of Session 2

Join us in Session 3 for Lingohack - our video which teaches you words from the news using the latest BBC World News bulletins.