Hiroko-san's Monday Morning English [Week 25]

Travel News wire… A committee has been established to deal with the problem of London's Clock Tower leaning 46cm. The Clock Tower and it's famous clock, Big Ben, has a visible slant when viewed from London's Parliament Square.

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Hiroko's Memory Tips:

Look over the phrases for 5 minutes.
Say them to yourself without looking at the screen.
At lunchtime, say them to yourself again. Can you remember all three phrases?

Achilles' Heel

Gilda: Did you go to the welcome party for the new employees?

Margaret: Yes I did. All of the new people were there as well as the current staff. The room was packed. There weren't enough chairs, so many of us had to stand.

Explanation: the room was packed means that the room was full of people, like food packed tightly in a package. We often say the train was packed or the concert hall was packed.

Prescription drug abuse

Patient: Do you think that my cigarette smoking could be the reason for my high blood pressure?

Doctor: We don't know if it's the only reason, but it could be a contributing factor.

Explanation: When we say that something is a contributing factor, we mean that it is one of the many things that made a condition worse. Age, eating habits, and smoking are common contributing factors to many illnesses.

per diem

Dear Niles: Regarding your business trip next week, you don't need to bring receipts for each small meal purchase. We will give you a per diem budget of 50$ each day. You can just pay for things from that budget. Explanation: A per diem budget is a phrase that comes from Latin, which means an amount of money for every day. Employees can use their per diem account to pay for small things such as meals and bus tickets.

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