[191] Taiwan earthquake victims survive two days until rescue

TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…

Taiwan earthquake victims survive two days until rescue Survivors were pulled from a collapsed building in Tainan, southern Taiwan, two days after the city was shaken by a 6.4 earthquake. More than 30 people died in the buildings that collapsed in the early-morning quake. One man who was searching for his grandchildren in a collapsed apartment building said to the press “I told my son not to buy an apartment here. It was suspiciously cheap.”

HEALTH AND TECH NEWS

Can a hyperloop tube train go faster than the Shinkansen? Elon Musk’s Hyperloop transportation project has taken a step forward, with construction of a test track in California. The system will use transport cabins that move through depressurized tubes at very high speeds, similar to the way pneumatic tube systems were used in office buildings to move papers from one department to the next. Musk claims that the hyperloop will eventually be able to travel the 600-km distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles in only one hour.

THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE

designated driver

Molly: Welcome to my birthday party! Sit down and relax. Do you want a glass of beer?

Robert: No, thanks. I’ll just have a glass of fruit juice. I’m the designated driver for the night, so I can’t drink any alcohol. I have to drive my three friends home at the end of the evening.

Explanation: The “designated driver” is the person in a group of friends who has promised not to drink any alcohol. At the end of the evening, that person will then safely drive the car for the other members of the group.

THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE

collapsed

Hospital Assistant: One of the patients suddenly collapsed in the hallway. What should we do?

Nurse Taylor: The first thing is to restore the patient’s blood pressure. Make sure that their legs are elevated, and check their heart rate.

Explanation: When a person has “collapsed” it means that they suddenly fell down, usually because they have become very tired or very dizzy. We can use the phrase for many situations: A patient’s lung can collapse, a building can collapse, and a dizzy patient with low blood pressure can collapse on the floor.

THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS/EMAIL PHRASE

within 30 days

Hello Corey:

We have shipped your order from our warehouse to your office. Please pay the merchandise fee and the delivery fee within 30 days from today.

Explanation: It is common in business to ask a customer to pay in a maximum of one month, or “within 30 days.” This phrase means that they can pay before 30 days, but that 30 days is the maximum amount of time to pay.