[228] Nine of 20 top growing airports are in China

TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…

Nine of 20 top growing airports are in China Travel industry research has found that of the 20 fastest-growing airports (Nov. 2015-Nov. 2016), nine of them are in China. The top three of the fastest-growing airports worldwide are Tehran, Iran; followed by Chengdu, China; and Kolkata, India. The other eight Chinese airports in the top 20 are: Kunming (23% growth); Guangzhou, Bengaluru, Xi’an, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Shenzhen.

HEALTH AND TECH NEWS

Theranos medical testing company in massive lawsuit One of America’s top drug store chains, Walgreens, is suing medical testing corporation Theranos for 140 million dollars. Walgreens has alleged that Theranos was conducting blood testing for Walgreens’ customers without having proper regulatory approval, and that a large number of the testing requests made in 2016 were cancelled by Theranos. The C.E.O. of Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes, was said to be the richest self-made woman in the U.S., with an estimated fortune of 4,500,000,000 dollars. Recent estimates have lowered that figure, speculating that the value of her 50% share of the Theranos corporation may soon drop to zero.

“MEMO”
allege (verb): 言い張る・主張する
regulatory approval: 承認

THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE

glass ceiling

Katie: Do you think that the U.S. will ever have a female president?

Laura: I think that it will happen, eventually. Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Korea, Thailand, the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Brazil, Argentina and other countries have all had female heads of state. But it seems it will take a few more years for a woman to break through the glass ceiling in American politics.

Explanation: The phrase “glass ceiling” means the real but invisible block against women and minorities in career advancement. Of the 500 largest companies in the U.S., only 4% have female C.E.O.s.

“MEMO”
glass ceiling: ガラス天井

THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE

congenital vs. acquired
(abnormalities)

Doctor Hassan: What do you think is the reason for Mr. Hernandez’ spinal deformation?

Doctor Wu: We have to check whether it is a congenital or acquired abnormality. I would like to see his previous medical records to determine how long he has had this condition.

Explanation: A “congenital abnormality” means a problem that the patient had from birth, or from hereditary genes. An “acquired abnormality” is a problem that appeared without any genetic reason.

“MEMO”
congenital (abnormality): 先天性
acquired (abnormality): 後天性

THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS/EMAIL PHRASE

wage gap

Hello Mr. Perez:

Women in our economy still have trouble breaking through the wage gap. Our female employees expect to have the same opportunities of advancement as our male employees. We need to review our salary standards and make sure that both women and men earn a fair wage.

Explanation: The phrase “wage gap” means the difference between wages for males and wages for females. Research has found that on average, white men in the U.S. are paid more money than white women, black men, and black women.

“MEMO”
wage gap: 賃金格差