Monday Morning English
TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…
Ramadan fasting holiday ends across North Africa and Asia Muslims ended their month of fasting on July 17th this year, with celebrations called Eid al-Fitr. Followers of Islam refrain from drinking or eating from sunrise until sunset. After sunset, they traditionally gather at homes and mosques to enjoy the first meal of the day. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population, followed by Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. More than one fifth of the World’s population is Muslim.
THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE
cut to the chase
Laura: Did you go on a date with Brad last Saturday? How was it?
Cora: Well, he called me on Friday, and asked if I had time to see him. I told him that I was busy on Saturday morning, but I might be able to meet him later in the afternoon, so then…
Laura: Stop with the long introduction. Just cut to the chase! Did you go on a date with him or not?
Explanation: When we want a person to tell the main point of a story, we can ask them to “cut to the chase.” The phrase is from Hollywood movies, when the director wants to show the exciting chase scene with a horse chase or a car chase. It is similar to saying “tell me the most exciting part of the story.”
THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE
adhere to the treatment
Mrs. Jenson: If my daughter takes this medicine and follows your advice, will she get better soon?
Dr. Singh: Yes, but you have to encourage her to adhere to the treatment. She has to take the drugs at the right time and do the physical exercises every day.
Explanation: To “adhere to the treatment ” means to strictly follow the treatment instructions from the medical team. The verb form is “adhere,” while the noun form is “adherence.”
THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS/EMAIL PHRASE
voted overwhelmingly
Dear Mr. Morimoto:
The stockholders and the board of directors have voted overwhelmingly to approve the merger with the company in Manchester. Let’s celebrate!
Explanation: When a group has voted for something with a large majority, we say they have “voted overwhelmingly.” We can say they have “voted overwhelmingly in favor of X” or “voted overwhelmingly against X.”
