Monday Morning EnglishTRAVEL NEWS WIRE…
Panasonic workers in China get bonus for air pollution: Japan’s Panasonic corporation has announced that its Japanese expatriate staff in China will get a salary bonus to compensate for dangerously high levels of air pollution. News sources reported that particulate matter in some Chinese cities was as high as 505micrograms per cubic meter – more than 20 times the U.N.-accepted health limit. Chinese citizens who work for Panasonic are not eligible for the salary bonus.
THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE
skip it
Brad: Are you going to the local tomato festival this weekend?
Eve: Well, I went last year, but it was really boring. I think this year I’m going to skip it.
Explanation: If someone says they are going to “skip it” they mean that they don’t want to go to the event, even though they went last time, or even though someone has invited them.
THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE
spike in levels
Patient: My sister told me that I shouldn’t drink coffee before a medical checkup. Why is that?
Dr. Hale: Drinking too much coffee might cause a brief spike in your blood pressure level. It’s best to avoid coffee so that we can get an accurate reading when we check your vital signs.
Explanation: The word “spike” means a sudden, temporary rise in value of something being measured.
THIS WEEK’S EMAIL PHRASE
waited until the eleventh hour
Dear Craig:
We need to move fast to deliver the new computer hardware. Our new supplier waited until the eleventh hour before sending the equipment, and now the retail stores are waiting. We need to deliver by tomorrow!
Explanation: If someone waits “until the eleventh hour” it means they have waited until the last moment before the deadline for finishing. It is similar to saying that someone waited until the last minute.