the diminishing queue

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Donald Trump HOMME D’AFFAIRES ET HOMME POLITIQUE AMÉRICAIN CONTROVERSÉ was walking through Manhattan ARRONDISSEMENT DE NEW YORK when he noticed a long queue FILE D’ATTENTE . Curious, he decided to join it.

People would glance over their shoulders JETÈRENT UN COUP D’ŒIL PAR-DESSUS L’ÉPAULE , realise it was Donald Trump HOMME D’AFFAIRES ET HOMME POLITIQUE AMÉRICAIN CONTROVERSÉ behind them, and then quietly leave the queue. As a result, he moved steadily closer to the front.

When he was almost at the head of the queue TÊTE DE LA FILE , he turned to one man — who also seemed ready to walk away — and asked, “What is this queue for, and why are you leaving?”

The man replied, “This is the queue FILE D’ATTENTE for Canadian immigration visas VISAS D’IMMIGRATION CANADIENS , but if you are getting one, I do not need one anymore.”

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Vocabulary

Queue: a line of people waiting for something.

Glance: to look quickly at something.

Immigration visa: official permission to enter and live in a country.

The queueFILE D’ATTENTE stretched around the corner.

He glancedJET A UN COUP D’ŒIL behind him nervously.

She applied for a visaVISA to move abroad.

Grammar

Past simple: used for completed actions in the past.

Direct speech: exact words spoken, shown in quotation marks.

Cause and result: “As a result” links actions and consequences.

Synonyms & Alternatives

Queue: line, waiting line

Glance: peek, quick look

Leave: depart, walk away

Mini Dialogue

Person 1: Why is everyone leaving this queueFILE D’ATTENTE?

Person 2: Haven’t you seen who just joined it?

Person 1: Oh! I think I’ll walk awayM’ÉLOIGNER too.