Barclays CEO Says Bank Taxes in Budget Could Be 'Bearable'
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The boss of Barclays bank talked to reporters this week. Barclays is a big bank in the UK.
He said new taxes on banks in the budget could be bearable. This means banks could accept them.
A budget is a government plan for money. The UK government will share a new budget soon.
The bank boss also said he supports the chancellor. A chancellor is the government minister for money.
He said: 'I deeply respect the responsibility that the chancellor has.' He said the chancellor has his full support.
The chancellor's name is John Healey. He must decide how the government gets and spends money.
Also this week, a UK statistics office shared a new report. The report is about pay for men and women.
This is called the gender pay gap. It shows if men and women earn different pay.
The report came from the Office for National Statistics. This office collects facts about the UK.
Vocabulary15 words
- boss
- the leader of a company
- taxes
- money people or companies pay to the government
- bearable
- possible to accept, not too hard
- budget
- a government plan for money
- chancellor
- the government minister in charge of money
- statistics
- numbers and facts collected and studied
- gender pay gap
- the difference in pay between men and women
- reporters
- people who write news stories
- government
- the group of people who run a country
- support
- help or agreement
- bank
- a place that keeps and manages money
- minister
- an important person in government
- report
- a document with information
- office
- a government department
- plan
- ideas for what to do
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Bank taxes in the budget 2. Possible to accept 3. True
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The boss of Barclays bank talked to _____ this week.
He said new taxes on banks in the _____ could be bearable.
A budget is a government _____ for money.
The bank boss also said he supports the _____.
He said: 'I deeply _____ the responsibility that the chancellor has.'
The chancellor's name is John _____.
Also this week, a UK statistics office shared a new _____.
The report is about pay for men and _____.
This is called the gender pay _____.
The report came from the Office for National _____.
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