Monday Morning English
TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…
Shaolin 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
Allan: 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
Patient: 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
Mr. 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.
