Visas for India now easy The Indian Government has relaxed visa requirements for visitors from Japan, Australia, U.S.A, Germany and Brazil, now allowing visitors to apply online from their home countries and then get a simple visa upon arrival in India. Previously, visitors from the above countries needed to apply and complete the visa process before starting their journey. The program is available at nine major airports in India.

elephant in the living room

Ava: Did you hear that last year in Japan a total of 30,000 people committed suicide? What is the government doing about it?

Juan: That's the elephant in the living room of Japanese society. The police are always warning about terrorism but no-one wants to talk about people killing themselves in such huge numbers. There is very little discussion about it.

Explanation: The term "the elephant in the living room" means a very important and sensitive problem that people avoid talking about, even though it is obviously right in front of them, like a huge elephant.

statistically proven

Patient: My husband says that drinking red wine can help reduce his blood pressure. Is that true?

Doctor: There have been some small-scale studies suggesting that polyphenols may help reduce blood pressure, but it has not been statistically proven. We would need a full-scale clinical study to prove that conclusively.

Explanation: The phrase "statistically proven" means to have clinical data from large studies that show results with exact numbers.

narrow down

Dear Olivia:

We have more than 100 people who have applied for the job opening at our company. We have to narrow the number down to just five or six candidates and then interview them in person. Can you handle that process for us?

Explanation: To "narrow (something) down" or to "narrow down the possibilities" means to reduce the possible options so that it is easier to make a decision. It can be used for people such as job candidates, or choices such as colors, places etc.