[227] Blue lights for Diabetes Day

TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…

Blue lights for Diabetes Day Various hospitals and landmarks around the World were bathed in blue light on November 14th, the birthday of insulin discoverer Dr. Frederick Grant Banting. The Canadian doctor identified the pancreas and insulin as key factors in regulating blood sugar levels. He then harvested the insulin that improved the lives of millions of diabetes sufferers. Banting received the Nobel Prize in Medicine when he was only 32 years old, making him the youngest person to ever receive that award. After preliminary experiments on several dogs, the Canadian researcher successfully injected a clinically-induced diabetic dog, named “Alpha” or “Marjorie” with insulin. The injection made a major breakthrough that led to insulin injections in humans. Banting died following an airplane crash in 1941.

HEALTH AND TECH NEWS

Chinese flood online stores on 11/11 The newly-invented holiday of Singles Day in China has seen a 600% year-on-year rise in online sales. The shopping holiday was started several years ago by Chinese college students on November 11th, written as 11/11, with the idea of single people being represented by the number one. Single students bought gifts for themselves, and online sales on sites such as Alibaba and Dealmoon have increased steadily. This year’s holiday saw some large brands registering more than 1m$ in sales within 48 hours. In 2010, 23% of China’s population shopped online. By 2015, 44% of China’s population was shopping online.

THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE

stunned

Allie: Did you hear that Donald Trump is going to be president? I was stunned by the election results.

Megan: Yes, I think everyone is shocked. He has zero political experience, and he runs casinos and beauty pageants. He reminds me of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. Both of them are famous for making rude statements in public.

Explanation: When someone is “stunned” it means that they are unable to think clearly because of some shocking information that they have encountered.

THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE

seasonal allergy

Patient: Doctor, I get cold-like symptoms in the Autumn. This happens every year. Can you figure out the cause?

Doctor: There are several causes of seasonal allergies. Some people are allergic to ragweed in the Autumn, or indoor pines such as Christmas trees. You should be careful to shower after spending time outdoors, and avoid potential winter allergens such as trees, holiday flowers, or firewood.

Explanation: The phrase “seasonal allergy” means an allergy that only appears at a certain time of year. There are many seasonal allergies that peak in the Spring or Summer, but some others appear in the Autumn or Winter.

THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS/EMAIL PHRASE

trade barriers

Hello Vanessa:

The new government in the U.S. might decide to put up trade barriers against Chinese imports. This might make our goods more expensive. We need to find new ways to cut costs so that our sales prices stay low.

Explanation: The phrase “trade barriers” means a restriction or special tax on imports from another country.
A typical phrase would be “Country A has imposed trade barriers against Country B.”