日批在线视频_内射毛片内射国产夫妻_亚洲三级小视频_在线观看亚洲大片短视频_女性向h片资源在线观看_亚洲最大网

Reader’s question:

According to the Energy Information Administration's weekly assessment, natural gas storage in the lower 48 states saw a net injection of 72 billion cubic feet last week.

Could you explain “l(fā)ower 48 states”? Why should we use “l(fā)ower” here?

My comments:

The lower 48 states refer to continental USA except Alaska…

The United States has 50 states. If you take a look at the map of this country, you’ll see that continental USA has 49 states. Among them, 48 states are connected, in a body, down the southern border of Canada. The 49th state, Alaska on the other hand is located, solitarily, further to the northwest of the lower 48 states.

“LOWER 48” because in the map Alaska is “up” in the north, while the 48 connected states are “down” in the south. In other words, according the people in the Northern Hemisphere, “north” is high, “south” is low.

Hence the expression.

The 50th state, of course, is Hawaii, located deep in the Pacific Ocean thousands of miles to the west of the North American continent.

Ah well.

Related stories:

Personal chemistry

Put it on the back burner

Butt-brush effect

Make the cut

Poker face

Win hands down

Out on the street

Fly-by-night

Apple polisher

Might-have-beens

Think the world of

Ante up

Sit on the fence

On top of the world

Button your lip

One for the books

Pass the buck

Raw deal

Fire sale

Spill the beans

Sacred cow

Cheek to jowl

Peaches and cream

Know-it-all

A long shot

Miss the boat

Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文僅代表作者本人觀點，與本網(wǎng)立場無關(guān)。歡迎大家討論學(xué)術(shù)問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發(fā)布一切違反國家現(xiàn)行法律法規(guī)的內(nèi)容。

Zhang Xin has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.