Monday Morning English
TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…
Flight attendants refuse to let a black woman doctor help passenger During an onboard medical emergency on a recent Delta Airlines flight, Dr. Tamika Cross offered to care for the ailing passenger, but a flight attendant rejected the offer to help. Dr. Cross is a female with dark skin. The flight crew then accepted the assistance of a white man who said he was a doctor. The white doctor did not supply any documents to prove that he was a licensed medical professional. Dr. Cross, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the University of Texas-Houston, complained about the incident on her social media page. The issue has increased debate about racial discrimination, and about medical care on flights. Delta has launched an investigation.
HEALTH AND TECH NEWS
Melting glaciers in Andes means less drinking water in Bolivia. The heating of the planet is causing glaciers to melt in the high-altitude South American country of Bolivia. The elimination of glacier ice is causing a drinking water crisis for people living in mountain areas. A large part of the population depends on the glaciers for their water needs. The Bolivian glaciers have shrunk more than 40% in the past 30 years.
THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE
wait until the dust clears
Nicholas: The president of my company just died two days ago, and his oldest son has become the new president. I think I’m going to ask him to promote me to marketing director. This is my big chance.
Greg: I think you should wait until the dust clears before you ask for a promotion. The new president hasn’t even been in the job for one week. He probably isn’t ready to make such decisions yet.
Explanation: The phrase “wait until the dust clears” means to wait until the situation is calm. It is like waiting after a horse runs through a dirt road. We can say “wait until the dust clears” or “wait until the dust settles.”
THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE
throat swab
Patient: I have been coughing and sneezing for two weeks, and there is a strange taste in my mouth. I think I have some kind of viral infection.
Doctor: We can run some tests, and take a throat swab to check your oral cavity for anything unusual.
Explanation: The word “throat swab” means to use a cotton ball to rub on the inside of the mouth in order to pick up any infection that can later be checked in a laboratory.
oral cavity: 口腔
THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS/EMAIL PHRASE
policy holder
Hello Mr. Chen:
Recently you applied to have insurance coverage with our insurance company at a local hospital for your spouse. But we are sorry to say that with your individual policy, we can only provide insurance coverage to the actual policy holder. We cannot cover the policy holder’s spouse, children, and other relatives.
Therefore we regret to say that we cannot honor your application to have your spouse covered by your policy.
We apologize for any misunderstanding or inconvenience.
Explanation: The phrase “policy holder” means the person who signed the insurance policy and receives the coverage. For an individual policy, there will be one policy holder. Family policies will allow more than one person to be covered by the insurance. A company policy may cover all of the employees working in the company.
