[245] Hurricanes and monsoons strike worldwide

TRAVEL NEWS WIRE…

Hurricanes and monsoons strike worldwide Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane, brought nearly 50 inches (127 cm) of rain to Houston and several surrounding cities. More than 30 died, with the death toll expected to rise. Thousands were made homeless. Rescue organizations used various types of boats to navigate through flooded streets searching for stranded citizens. Houston’s airport is operating, but with many flight cancellations. Across the planet in India, Bangladesh and Nepal, more than 1,000 people lost their lives in unexpectedly high monsoon rains. Across the South Asia region, more than 18,000 schools were damaged, with some 1,800,000 children unable to attend classes.

HEALTH AND TECH NEWS

North Korea displays ICBM capabilities North Korea fired a ballistic missile which passed over Hokkaido, Japan before landing in the Pacific Ocean. The launch capability was expected, but proved to be an embarrassment to Shinzo Abe, who was unable to provide a concrete response to the missiles passing over Japanese territory. Chief ally United States also had no immediate military response to the missile overflights. North Korea’s Hwasong 12 missile, used in the latest launch, has an estimated range of 3,700-6,000km.

THIS WEEK’S NATURAL PHRASE

apparently…

Molly: Do we have to take anything with us to the weekend volleyball tournament?

Vanessa: I checked with the organizers, and apparently, each team has to bring their own equipment and supplies. So we need to pack uniforms and practice balls. And each team member needs to bring their own supply of food and drinks.

Explanation: The phrase “apparently” is a phrase that usually goes at the beginning of a sentence. It means that something seems to be, or appears to be a certain way. It is related to the word “appear.”

THIS WEEK’S MEDICAL PHRASE

syncope

Doctor Wang: We have a patient who reported 3 instances of syncope within the past couple of months.

Doctor Hassan: This could be an indication of a serious heart problem that causes loss of blood pressure.

Doctor Wang: I agree. We should run a full battery of tests to check the cardiac function.

Explanation: The term “syncope” means a loss of consciousness due to sudden drop in blood pressure. The common term is “to faint.” We could say “Yamada-san fainted in the elevator” or “Yamada-san suffered a syncope in the elevator.”

THIS WEEK’S BUSINESS/EMAIL PHRASE

intimidation

Dear Bradley:

Some of our new taxi drivers are facing threats and physical intimidation from the other taxi owners in the area. One of our drivers was pushed to the ground in an argument last week. The local taxi operators are protecting their businesses from new unlicensed taxi services.

Explanation: The term “intimidation” means to put pressure on someone. It could be physical pressure, psychological pressure, or other forms of pressure.