Bond Is Back

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Fans of James Bond have been thrilled with the release of the new Bond book Devil May Care, which was published on 28th May 2008. Ian Fleming was the creator of thefictional character James Bond 007 and wrote 14 Bond books during his lifetime, including some of the very well-known ones, such as Casino Royale, Diamonds are Forever and Goldfinger.

Ian Fleming died in 1964 but the legacy of Bond carries on. Sebastian Faulks, a reputable novelist, was commissioned to write the latest Bond book.

Faulks is not an author known for writing thrillers, so there was some speculation that he would struggle to write a Bond novel successfully. A review in the British newspaper, the Guardian, said, "The book, though, is a smart and enjoyable act of literary resurrection. Amongst the now 33 post-Fleming Bonds, this must surely compete with Kingsley Amis's for the title of the best".

Devil May Care is set in 1967 during the Cold War and it is said that Bond will once again travel between continents, appearing at exotic locations and in some of the world's most thrilling cities.

It's fair to say that James Bond has become a household name and remains a huge influence within the thriller genre through his films.

It's a double bonus for Bond fans as the new Bond film will be released later this year. The name of the new film is Quantum of Solace*, a very confusing title which makes people scratch their heads. Daniel Craig has been the latest James Bond and will star again in Quantum of Solace. The new film is the sequel to the 2006 film Casino Royale. Craig said he felt Casino Royale was "a walk in the park" compared to Quantum of Solace.

* Literally, 'quantum' means the smallest amount of something, especially energy, and 'solace' means somebody or something that provides comfort at a time of sadness, grief or disappointment

 

Vocabulary

thrilled with
very excited by

release
making available in the shops

creator
somebody who produces or initiates something

fictional
not real, made-up in a book or film

legacy
something that remains from a previous generation or time

commissioned
asked and paid

speculation
when people express their opinions about what might happen without having enough facts to be certain

literary resurrection
here, when a character of a previously published book appears again in a new book

the Cold War
the hostile yet non-violent relations between the former Soviet Union and the United States (and their respective allies) from after the Second World War to 1989

continent
one of the seven large land masses on the Earth's surface, surrounded, or mainly surrounded, by sea and usually consisting of various countries (e.g. Asia, Europe, Africa)

exotic
here, relating to a distant, especially tropical country

a household name
someone or something that is well known and appreciated by people of different generations

thriller genre
books, plays or films that have an exciting plot involving crime, mystery or espionage

confusing
not clear, difficult to understand

scratch their heads
think hard about something trying to understand or solve it; be confused about something

star
play the leading role

sequel
a film, novel or play that continues a story begun in a previous film, novel or play

a walk in the park
here, a lot easier to make/do

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Ghost Writers

This week, Amber and Callum chat about 'ghost writing'. What does the verb 'to ghost write' mean? (It's nothing to do with ghost stories, ghost trains or ghost towns ...) And why do celebrities these days tend to use ghost writers to write their life stories for them? Find out here. 

This week's question: The word 'autobiography' comes from the Greek for: 

a) 'life pictures' 
b) 'life' and 'self' 
c) 'self', 'life' and 'write' 

Listen out for the answer at the end of the programme! 

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	Ghost writing

Vocabulary from the programme 

to ghost write 
to write a book or article etc. for another person, so that they can pretend it is their own 

no-holds-barred 
without any limits or controls 

stilted style 
a style that doesn't flow very well, that doesn't sound natural or elegant 

coherent 
well-structured 

to be credited 
to have your contribution to something (e.g. to writing a book) acknowledged 

becoming more mainstream 
if something is 'becoming more mainstream', it is thought to be less shocking than before because more people know about it and accept it 

stepping out of the closet 
if something is 'stepping out of the closet', it is no longer a secret 

to be savvy 
if you're savvy about something, you know and understand it 

Tibet unrest

A spokesman for the Tibetan government-in-exile in northern India says demonstrations in Tibet's main city Lhasa have for the moment stopped. The spokesman, Tenzin Takhla, said he had no reports of further violence. This report from Chris Morris:

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The spokesman said it was impossible for anyone to hold a demonstration in Lhasa at the moment. The city has, he said, been clamped down by Chinese security forces. There arehouse to house searches going on, and a number offormer political prisoners are reported to have beendetained again.

The spokesman, Tenzin Takhla, said protests have still been happening outside Lhasa. 'I can confirm, he said, that several thousand people have been demonstrating about four hours east of Lhasa, and the Chinese authorities have notintervened'.

China has given demonstrators in Tibet until midnight tonight local time to surrender. Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has said he is concerned about the deadline. He says up to a hundred people have been killed in protests over the past week. Chinese officials say the number is much lower, and they deny that any lethal force has been used to quell demonstrations.

Chris Morris, BBC News, Dharamsala in northern India

Listen to the words

clamped down
if someone in authority clamps down, they do something in order to stop or limit a particular activity

house to house searches
if a police officer searches you or your possessions, he or she looks for something you might be hiding ('house to house' refers to the fact that virtually every property is being searched)

former political prisoners
people who were previously held in prison for expressing disapproval of their own government, or for belonging to an organization, race or social group not approved of by that government

detained
arrested, put back in prison

intervened
stopped the protests

to surrender
to stop demonstrating and fighting and admit defeat

spiritual leader
someone who is widely respected for his or her ideas and religious beliefs and is followed by others

deadline
a time by which something must be done at the latest

lethal force
a force, or power that can cause deaths; deadly weapons

to quell demonstrations
to stop the protests by using force

Truckers strike worldwide

Thousands of lorry drivers around the world are on strike in protest at rising fuel prices. Protests are taking place in Spain, Malaysia, South Korea and the UK. In Argentina food retailers have warned of shortages due to disruption caused by truckers. This report from Jane Warr:

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In Spain, about 75,000 lorry drivers have been on strike since Sunday night and more than 70 have been arrested. The Spanish government has promised zero tolerance for any violence by the drivers, following a series of incidents which included an attack on a trucker who broke the strike. That attack left him with 25% burns to his body.

In Malaysia, security has been stepped up in the capital Kuala Lumpur for a rally the opposition hopes will bring more than 20,000 people onto the streets. Oil prices have risen by about 40% since the start of the year to an all-time high of more than a $139.

Truck drivers are also on strike in South Korea, affecting operations at major ports. They're demanding cuts in energy costs or an increase in transport fees as a result of a more than 30% increase in the price of diesel since the beginning of the year.

In Britain, fuel supplies to around 900 Shell petrol stations across the country stopped early on Friday because of a strike by tanker drivers employed by two haulagecompanies. The drivers have also set up picket lines outside a number of oil terminals.

And in Argentina, truck drivers are protesting against a protest. They say demonstrations by farmers are preventing them from working. The farmers have been blocking roads for the past three months in a dispute with the government over export taxes.

Jane Warr, BBC

Listen to the words

zero tolerance for any violence
when any use of physical force to injure somebody or damage something, even if not very serious, is treated as unacceptable and punished severely

broke the strike
continued to work despite the fact that most drivers have refused to work as a protest (here, against rising fuel prices)

security has been stepped up
more precautions have been taken (to keep somebody or something safe from attack or danger)

an all-time high
the highest they have ever been

affecting operations
here, stopping the ports from working normally

tanker
here, a vehicle built to carry liquid or gas

haulage
the business of moving goods by road or railway

set up picket lines
when people, such as striking workers, show their protest by standing in lines outside buildings to try to prevent other workers from going inside

a dispute
here, a prolonged disagreement between the government and workers involving a strike

export taxes
taxes that must be paid when selling goods abroad

Women's Studies to end in UK universities

Women's Studies is to disappear from British universities as an

 undergraduate course this summer. It's part of a gradual decline in the academic subject which became popular following the 1960s feminist movement. This report from BBC Social Affairs reporter Adrian Brown:

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London's Metropolitan University stopped taking new students for its undergraduate degree in Women's Studies in 2005 and the last 12 students will graduate with a BA in the subject this July.

Its demise follows that of other Women's Studies departments across Britain that have lost both funding and students or been merged into other disciplines.

Critics say the subject was a product of its time and that thefeminist arguments of the 1970s no longer apply. It becamethe butt of many a joke in the mainstream media and in today's competitive job market students steer clear, preferring degrees that will secure employment.

But all is not lost for the subject. Postgraduate studies will continue in this country and Women's Studies is thriving in many countries such as India and Iran.

Adrian Brown, BBC Social Affairs reporter

Listen to the words

demise
ending or finishing

funding
money that is available (usually from outside sources, for example, the government)

been merged into other disciplines
been put together to be studied with other academic subjects

a product of its time 
something that was appropriate or needed in a particular time or era (here, in the 1960s women and men were not treated equally so Women's Studies was seen as a useful and relevant subject to study at university)

feminist arguments
reasons in favour of treating men and women equally

the butt of many a joke
not taken seriously, made fun of

steer clear
stay away from, do not go near

secure employment
get a job

all is not lost
the situation is not completely negative

is thriving
is doing well, is successful or is popular

Nissan Navara scores worst for safety

The European body responsible for testing new cars has demanded a popular model of pick-up truck to be recalled after giving it poor safety ratings. Experts say the poor design of the Nissan Navara made deaths and serious injuries more likely in an accident. This report from Tom Symonds:

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The Nissan Navara is marketed as a rough and tough off-road vehicle. Sometimes used for transporting goods or equipment, it's increasingly popular as a recreational car.

But the Euro NCAP test revealed its airbags opened too slowly and seatbelts didn't provide enough protection during a collision. The body shell of the vehicle wasn't strong enough, and the foot well deformed on impact, putting the driver at risk of injuries from the foot pedals. Another pickup truck, the Isuzu Dmax, also scored poorly with just two stars.

Nissan said the problem with the airbags only affected 2008 models of the Navara. It's inviting owners to have their airbag settings changed, and Euro NCAP to publish test results for the modified vehicle.

Tom Symonds, BBC

Listen to the words

is marketed
is advertised, is promoted

a rough and tough off-road vehicle
a strong, robust car that you can drive in fields, tracks or small lanes

recreational
something you use in your spare time, as a hobby, not something you use for work

airbags
bags in vehicles that automatically fill with air if vehicles are involved in an accident, so that drivers or a passengers are protected from injury

during a collision
in a car crash

body shell
the whole of the outside structure

the foot well deformed on impact
the foot well (i.e. the area in the car where you place your feet) got damaged very badly when the car crashed

putting the driver at risk of injuries
it was likely that the driver would get injured

pedals
bars which you push down with your foot to control a vehicle

modified
changed