Monday Morning English
TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…
Nagoya to Hawaii flight with no fossil fuel The Swiss-built solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse has travelled on a 5-day nonstop flight from Nagoya, Japan, to Hawaii. The landing was the most recent leg of record-breaking around-the-World flight. The all-solar aircraft had arrived from Nanjing, China and made an unscheduled landing in Japan due to heavy weather conditions. After staying in Nagoya for two weeks and repairing a damaged wing, the flight took off for Hawaii, arriving in Oahu on July 3rd. The aircraft’s batteries were charged during daytime flight and the engines were run on surplus power during the night.
THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE
double-edged sword
Howard: You must be happy that your daughter got into an Ivy League university!
Andre: Yes, I’m happy, but the news is a double-edged sword. She will go to the university she wants, but it will be very difficult to pay for it. So we are happy, but also a bit worried.
Explanation: When a development has both a positive aspect and a negative aspect, we can say that it is a “double-edged sword.”
THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE
shelf life
Doctor: Can we use this vaccine in rural areas of poor countries, where they might not have refrigeration systems?
Researcher: Yes, you can use it without refrigeration, but it will have a very decreased shelf life.
Explanation: The term “shelf life” means the time that a drug or a food product can stay in storage. It is another way of saying “expiration date.”
THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS/EMAIL PHRASE
proven in the field
Dear Albert:
Your technology for delivering medicines by small unmanned aircraft sounds like a great idea, but as far as I know, it hasn’t been proven in the field. Can you test it outdoors for a few days, and then tell us about the results?
Explanation: When a technology has been tested in real-life conditions and is successful, we say that it has been “proven in the field.”
