[230] German Passports Ranked Top

TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…

German Passports Ranked Top Travellers with German passports are able to travel visa-free to the greatest number of countries. German citizens can go to 177 countries without a visa. The second-best passport for travelling is the Swedish passport, while the worst passports are from Afghanistan and Pakistan, which allow the bearer to travel to less than 30 countries without a visa. The Japanese passport was ranked 7th. The survey was conducted by Henley & Partners.

HEALTH AND TECH NEWS

World AIDS Day was observed on December 1st around the World. The date was chosen to maximize news coverage after U.S. elections and before the year-end holidays. More than 35 million people have died from the disease. Japanese pharmaceutical company Takeda is testing a drug called Vedolizumab, which it believes to be a “functioning cure.” In clinical trials on monkeys, the virus went into sustained remission. The testing is done in cooperation with the National Institutes of Health in the U.S.

THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE

plenty of time

Laura: Do we need to grab a taxi and rush to the airport?

Wang: Relax! We only need one hour to get to the airport, and we have 4 hours before the flight. We have plenty of time to take the airport express train, check in, and maybe have some fruit drinks before we board the flight.

Laura: That’s good news. I hate rushing to the airport.

Explanation: The phrase “we have plenty of time ” means that there is extra time available.

THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE

prevention is better than cure

Kathleen: I don’t like vaccinations, but can I get treated if I get infected with the flu?

Doctor Sugihara: With this health issue, prevention is better than cure. You should get vaccinated as soon as possible. That way you won’t have to deal with expensive treatments later.

Explanation: The phrase “prevention is better than cure” means that it is better to protect a person from infection than to treat a sick person later. Hospitals promote healthy living so that they do not have to perform surgery and other serious measures later.

THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS/EMAIL PHRASE

in hindsight

Hello Mr. Huang:

When we made the decision last year to open the two new Chinese factories in Dalian and Chengdu, it seemed like a good idea. But in hindsight, it seems that we moved too fast. The factories are not earning a strong profit yet.

Explanation: The phrase “in hindsight,” means that it is easy to look back on a decision and see the problems. The phrase “hind” means back, or towards the back. The back legs of an animal are “hind legs.” We also say “It’s easy to see things in hindsight.”