[121] France is World’s most visited country

TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…

France is World’s most visited country France is easily accessible by road, train and air from many European cities, and within easy flying distance from African and Middle Eastern airports. Recent statistics showed France had 83,000,000 visitors in 2012. The U.S is in second place with 69,000,000 arrivals (2013 figure), but tourists spent more money in U.S. than France. Spain and China have been competing for third place. China’s recent tourism arrivals declined slightly in 2013. Other destinations near the top of the list were Italy (5th) Turkey (6th) Germany (7th) UK (8th) Russia (9th) and Thailand (10th). Thailand and Russia both have recently seen significant increases in tourism.

THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE

unfold / unfolding

Parker: What happened at the scuba diving school? Did you choose a new school chairman?

Xavier: Well, it’s still unfolding. There were two candidates who wanted to replace the retiring chairman. But we couldn’t vote because there weren’t enough members at the meeting. So we have to vote at another meeting next month. I’ll tell you when everything has unfolded.

Explanation: When we say that something is “unfolding“, it means that the conclusion is coming about slowly. The facts are still coming out.

THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE

self-medicate

Patient: Sometimes I drink alcohol when I have muscle aches. It makes me feel better.

Dr. Huang: You shouldn’t try to self-medicate your muscle aches. We should diagnose your condition and decide on a proper medical treatment.

Explanation: When a patient is “self-medicating” a problem, it means they are trying to solve the problem based on their own ideas. It often means that they are relying on alcohol or drugs as pain-killers.

THIS WEEK’S EMAIL PHRASE

game changer

Dear Brody:

If the improved battery-hybrid engine goes on the market, it will have better gasoline mileage than any other car. It will be a real game changer that could phase out the gasoline engine. We should invest heavily in this new technology.

Explanation: The phrase “game changer” means that a new development has changed the way that things are done. It is like changing the rules of a game.