Virgin Airways fathers can get full pay for one year Virgin Airways founder Richard Branson has announced that male employees in his Britain-based management company can receive up to one year of paid vacation in order to spend time with a newborn child. The practice, called paid parental leave, is one of the most generous in the U.K. Under the new program, both the new mother and the new father can receive full pay for 52 weeks, if they have been working for the company for at least 4 years.

parental leave : 育児休業
generous : 太っ腹

run errands

Louis: Are you going to come to my barbeque party this weekend?

Miles: I’ll try, but I have to buy some gardening equipment, pick up some parts for my car, take my daughter to piano practice, and run a lot of other errands. I might not arrive at the barbeque until late in the afternoon.

Explanation: The phrase “run errands” means to go from place to place, completing small jobs and tasks.  We can also say “I have an errand to run” when we don’t want to give details about where we are going.

errands :  雑用    
tasks :  用事

cartilage

Patient: I got hit in the side of the head with a baseball. Are any bones in my ear broken?

Doctor: No, the ball just bruised the cartilage on the outer part of the ear. It will heal quickly, and there is no need for further treatment. The cartilage is softer than bone, so it flexes with pressure. It’s similar to the tip of your nose.  

Explanation:  The “cartilage” is the slightly soft material on the outside of the ear, the tip of the nose, and parts connecting the ribs. 

cartilage: 軟骨

watchdog group

Dear Margaret:

We have received a letter from a government watchdog group that wants to check the water quality in the hotel pool. I want you to cooperate with them and provide the water samples that they need for testing.

Explanation:  A “watchdog group” is an organization that monitors standards and safety regulations. It is like a watchdog that guards against improper activity in an area. Some watchdog groups are Amnesty International, the Ministry of Health, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and many others.

watchdog group: 監視組織