Katrina: Hey there, how’s it going? You’re listening to Babbel News – English Only, featuring global news clips sourced directly from Reuters. My name is Katrina, and I’ll be filling in for Ted as your host today.

We’ve got two great stories for you today. The first one looks at how a technique called snow farming is making it possible for Austrian ski resorts to reopen for the season despite warming temperatures. And the second story takes us to Nepal, where the government has recently banned TikTok.

Before we begin, just a little reminder: if you prefer to read along while you listen, just follow the link in the episode description for a transcript.

We’ll start by going over some of the key words and phrases from our first story. First off, we have “to hit the slopes”, which is another way of saying to go skiing. Next, when something is “unpredictable”, it changes so much that you don’t know what’s going to happen next. “Wood chippings” or “chips” are small pieces of wood. After that, when something “melts”, it changes from a solid into a liquid because of heat. And then we have “preserved”, which in the context of the story means kept the same or not damaged. And finally, “to flex one’s muscles” is another way of saying to show one’s strength or skills.

And with that, let’s head to the Alps to find out more.

Reuters: This Austrian ski resort is using snow that has been farmed from last winter to give skiers a chance to hit the slopes during unpredictable climate.

In the province of Tyrol, climate change makes the winter season increasingly difficult for ski resorts to plan. To combat these weather changes, snow is stored over the summer under wood chippings that can then be used for the Leutasch cross-country ski trail.

Elias Walser is the CEO of Seefeld’s Tourism Association.

"So, we prepared this pile which you can see in the background and is from last winter, at the height of winter, when it's really, really cold. That's when we produce snow and also push the snow from the cross-country ski trail together. And this pile of snow is then covered with wood chips in the spring. We put about half a meter of wood chips on top, and this half-meter of wood chips is enough to keep the snow in place throughout the summer. It sinks in, it compacts. Around 10 to 15% of the snow melts, but the rest is preserved. And then this pile is covered by the wood chips until the beginning of November. And then, when the temperatures are right, we put it on the cross-country ski trail."

Leutasch has been using this technique since 2015 with more than 10,000 cubic meters of snow kept under wraps over the summer. That could fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools.

"So we notice climate change. Winters are no longer as predictable. The natural snow cover is becoming a little less. And that's why we decided many, many years ago to make snow for some of our cross-country ski trails."

The cross-country snow trail on the Tyrolean high plateau is over a mile long and takes the resort four days to prepare. Despite mild temperatures and green forests still visible, cross-country skiers can flex their muscles from mid-November.

"The advantages are that you can plan when the cross-country skiing season starts. Otherwise, in some winters you have no problem cross-country skiing already in November and then there have been winters where we can only open the cross-country ski trail just before Christmas. So this gives us planning security."

Katrina: Now let’s look at the vocabulary from the second story you’ll be hearing today. We’ll start with the expression “to hit something hard”, meaning to greatly impact or affect something, usually in a negative way. Then we have “to scale”, which in the context of the story means to change the size of something. Next, “shambles” is a situation which is confusing and disorganized. And then we have “proximity”, or closeness. The next one is “hold”, which in this context means the power or control someone has over something. And the last word for today is “income”, or money that is earned from work or investments.

Alright, let’s listen to the clip!

Reuters: Nepali TikToker Manjita Manandhar was so successful on TikTok, she hired a videographer and a manager for her clients.

Manandhar earned about $1,500 a month making TikTok content for restaurants, hotels and brands. But now, the ban has hit her business hard.
 
"A few days back, TikTok was banned. My business has been completely halved. I had invested and scaled my business thinking of both Instagram and TikTok. Also, I have everything planned one month in advance and clients were promised that their posts would make it on these platforms within certain timeframes. All promises are made accordingly. All planning has been made accordingly. All of which is now in shambles. Now what do I tell my clients?"

Nepal's government is the latest to ban the app, which is owned by China-based ByteDance. Several countries have raised concerns over its proximity to the Chinese government and its hold over user data. Many Nepalis, however, said the ban has cut off a source of income and shut down a forum for free speech.

Nirjal Karkee is one of dozens in capital Kathmandu who protested the decision.

"We have gathered here because the Nepal government has banned TikTok. Our friends, relatives, parents, youths have all gathered here to protest the ban imposed by the government on TikTok."

Others filed petitions against the decision at the Supreme Court. The court has asked the government to provide its reasons in writing for the ban before a hearing on December the 5th.

Katrina: So, that’s the end of today’s episode! If you feel like you missed anything, feel free to replay the episode as many times as you need, or have a look at the transcript. You know the drill!

Thanks for listening to the show! We’ll be back next week with another episode of Babbel News – English Only. See you then!