Monday Morning English with Mai

Week

146

 
Travel News wire...


SampleShaolin Monks in London The martial arts style practiced by the monks of the Shaolin Temple will be on display in London as part of a cultural tour. The training, discipline, and aesthetics of the centuries-old Shaolin kung fu masters have been featured in Bruce Lee's movies and many other martial arts films.

This week's Natural Phrase

completely unpredictable

SampleAllan: Are the ferry boats to the islands running on a regular schedule?

Harbor Offical: No, we've been having very bad weather, and many of the routes have been cancelled. There were a few departures in the morning, but now the situation is completely unpredictable.

Explanation: When we say that something is "completely unpredictable" it means that there is no way to guess what will happen. There is no set schedule, and no idea about what will happen from one moment to the next.


This week's Medical Phrase

disparity

SamplePatient: Did you find that low-income and high-income patients had relative parity in their incidence of lung cancer?

Doctor: No, we found a surprisingly large disparity. Low-income patients had much higher incidence of cancer, and severely limited access to health care and health insurance.

Explanation: The term "disparity" means that the situation between A and B is not equal. The prefix "dis" indicates a negative situation, and "parity" means sameness or equality.

 

This week's Business/Email phrase

successive years

SampleMr. Carlson:

I want to say congratulations to you and all of the staff at the marketing department. Our company has achieved three successive years of increased sales, and we have almost doubled our profits. Let's hope that next year will bring a fourth successive year of profits!

Explanation: The term "successive years" means one year after another, without any break.

This week's Medical Phrase

contraindicated

SampleAbagail: Can I use this drug if I have a heart murmur?

Doctor: No, that drug is contraindicated for people with your condition. I need to give you another drug that is safe for patients with cardiovascular difficulties.

Explanation:  The term “contraindicated” means that a drug should not be used for people with certain conditions such as heart problems, certain allergies, etc.

 

This week's Business/Email phrase

staff shortage

SampleMr. Kim: 

We have a staff shortage at the moment and we can’t keep up with our customer orders. We need to quickly hire some temporary workers. Can you contact a temp staff company and bring in ten people to work in the inventory department?

 Explanation:  The term “staff shortage” means that there are not enough people on the staff to handle the current work. 

 

 

 

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