Kobe earthquake: lessons after 20 years Disaster risk reduction studies conducted in Japan after the 1995 Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe found that approximately 80% of the people trapped in rubble were rescued not by professional crews but by their families and neighbors. The United Nations Development Program and Hyogo Prefecture held meetings at the beginning of this year to discuss policies for reducing earthquake risks. January 17, 2015 marked the 20-year memorial of the Hanshin Earthquake.

steer clear

Wyatt: I'm thinking about buying a new sports car. Do you have any favorites to suggest?

Jacob: You should steer clear of imported brands. The spare parts are very difficult to find, and they are extremely expensive.

Explanation: When we say that you should "steer clear of" something, it means that you should keep far away from it, like steering a boat away from rocks, or steering a car away from a dangerous part of the road.

nosocomial infection

Doctor Rodriguez: We have a patient that came in for a simple operation, but it seems that after the operation she contracted hepatitis.

Doctor Moore: She may have contracted the hepatitis from the instruments used in the operation. These nosocomial infections are very troubling for our hospital patients and staff.

Explanation: A "nosocomial infection" is an illness that is transmitted inside the hospital, either from patient to patient, from hospital equipment to patient, or from patient to hospital worker. The word comes from the ancient Greek words for nurse and hospital, 'nosokomos' and 'nosokomio'.

Venn diagram

Sophie:

For tomorrow's presentation, can you design a Venn diagram for me? It should have one circle showing the number of couples who have children, another circle showing the couples who have pets, and the overlapping circle in the middle showing the couples who have both children and pets.

Explanation: The term "Venn diagram" means a circle graph that shows two or more groups, and also shows the groups that overlap. The overlapping part is called the 'universal set.' The Venn diagram was created by John Venn.