Nepal recovering from impact of flash floods

**Phil** (0:00)
From BBC Learning English, this is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

**Georgie** (0:06)
In this program, devastating flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border with a death toll of more than 1,000 people.

**Phil** (0:18)
Hello, I'm Phil.

**Georgie** (0:20)
And I'm Georgie.

**Phil** (0:21)
In this program, we look at one big news story and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

**Georgie** (0:28)
You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode as well as a worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

**Phil** (0:36)
So, let's hear more about this story.

**Georgie** (0:44)
More than 1,000 people have been confirmed dead after last week's flash floods on the border of Nepal and Tibet, according to Nepal's disaster agency.

**Phil** (0:54)
Almost 4,000 people are still missing. Rescuers are trying to reach hundreds of workers who've been trapped in a large network of tunnels at hydropower sites.

**Georgie** (1:04)
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Monday that 279 people had been rescued from the sites.

**Phil** (1:12)
A key cause of the deadly floods is thought to be a glacier collapse in the Himalayas. A glacier is a large area of dense ice.

**Georgie** (1:20)
Let's have our first headline. This one is from Sky News, an international news organisation. Seven days after the disaster caused by the flash floods in Nepal, it's clearly not over.

**Phil** (1:33)
That headline again from Sky News, an international news organisation. Seven days after the disaster caused by the flash floods in Nepal, it's clearly not over.

**Georgie** (1:43)
So this headline quotes Sky News reporter John Sparks, who says that seven days after the floods in Nepal, it's clearly not over.
Let's look at the meaning of over in this phrase. Phil, over has lots of meanings, doesn't it?

**Phil** (1:57)
Yes, over often is used as a preposition. For example, the man walked over the bridge.
Here, though, the meaning is similar to finished. If something is not over, it's not finished.

**Georgie** (2:10)
Yes, so a week has passed since the floods in Nepal, but the consequences of the floods, the destruction and the loss of life are not over. They haven't ended yet. Rescuers are still searching for survivors and many people need help.

**Phil** (2:24)
Now, of course, this is a really serious context to use over with this meaning, but you can use it in a variety of situations.

**Georgie** (2:32)
Yes, so for example, it's September now, so summer in the UK is over. People also often use it to describe relationships which have ended. It's over between them.

**Phil** (2:43)
A useful expression with the word over is over and done with. This means something is finished and no longer needs your attention. It has a sense of relief. For example, I'm so glad exam season is over and done with.

**Georgie** (2:58)
Yes, it's also something we say when we want to stop procrastinating. For example, I know you don't want to clean your bedroom, but come on, let's just get it over and done with.

**Phil** (3:11)
We had not over, not finished.

**Georgie** (3:17)
For example, firefighters are working to put out the wildfires, but it's not over yet. The fires are still spreading.

**Phil** (3:28)
This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines. Today, we're talking about what's happened since the flash floods in Nepal last week.

**Georgie** (3:39)
Flash floods and landslides on the Nepal-Tibet border have caused widespread damage, leaving more than 1,000 dead and thousands more missing. But what caused it?

**Phil** (3:48)
Initially, many believed that an earthquake had caused a landslide, which then caused the devastating floods.

**Georgie** (3:55)
However, the US Geological Survey later confirmed that the disaster was caused by a glacial collapse, when a glacier or part of a glacier breaks up.

**Phil** (4:05)
China has warned that there's a newly formed lake near the Nepal-Tibet border, which could cause a second flooding. But experts have told the BBC that it's possible that the lake could drain out naturally over time.

**Georgie** (4:19)
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah said, this incident indicates that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing alongside climate change.

**Phil** (4:29)
Let's have another headline. This is from The Independent, a British news site.
What triggered Nepal flash floods? And why are experts worried a second flood is imminent?

**Georgie** (4:41)
And that headline again from The Independent, a British news site. What triggered Nepal flash floods? And why are experts worried a second flood is imminent?

**Phil** (4:50)
So this article is about the causes of the flash floods in Nepal and asks whether a second flood is imminent. Imminent means likely to happen soon.