Monday Morning English
TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…
Swiss Franc skyrockets The Swiss National Bank announced that they are giving up on efforts to stop the rising value of the Swiss Franc. The policy decision resulted in the Franc rising by more than 20% against the Euro and other currencies. Pharmaceutical and luxury good products from Switzerland will likely become more expensive. Switzerland is home to “Big Pharma” giants Novartis, Roche, Sandoz, and others, as well as food product giant Nestle.
THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE
juggling responsibilities
Anne: It’s been so hard to find any free time lately. I have my work and the kids, and I also have to take care of my elderly mother, along with cleaning the house, feeding the cat and washing the car.
Henry: It sounds like you are juggling responsibilities all day long. Why don’t you have the kids feed the cat and wash the car?
Explanation: The phrase “juggling responsibilities” means that you are trying to handle many things at the same time, like a juggler tossing many balls into the air.
THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE
common misconception
Patient: If I take an influenza vaccine, is there some chance that the vaccine will give me the flu?
Doctor: That’s a common misconception in the U.S. among almost 40% of the population. No, it’s not possible to get influenza from taking the vaccine. That story is based on misinformation from uneducated sources.
Explanation: The term “common misconception” is something that many believe, even though it is factually wrong.
THIS WEEK’S EMAIL PHRASE
inflated figure
Mr. Wilson:
The contractor who is supplying our computer equipment said that we need one million dollars for the new computer system, but I think they are giving us a wildly inflated figure. We should ask them to do the work for half of the price.
Explanation: The term “inflated figure” means that a number has been made larger than the original number, like a balloon being blown up to a larger size.
