英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0310 - 该不该带孩子去旅行？

 Topic1 25 Provinces to Use Unified¹ Gaokao PaperNext year, 25 administrative² regions of the provincial³ level will use unified test paper for the college entrance exam, according to Minister of Education Yuan Guiren.

Will this make the all-important exam fairer?

Yuan said this year, 3 more administrative regions of the provincial level will use the unified test paper and in 2016, another 7 regions will join the group. However, he didn't mention which regions will be involved.

Why the change?

Topic2 Tesla cuts jobs after weak China salesTesla just can't catch a break in China, the world's biggest auto⁴ market.

The company has suffered through a trademark⁵ dispute, and still faces an uphill battle convincing Chinese consumers to switch to electric cars.

Now, after disappointing sales in China, the firm is scaling back its staff.

Is the Chinese electric car market to blame?

Topic3 Should parents take their kids on vacationThere are two types of parents when it comes to traveling: those who would like to take their kids wherever they travel and those who don't.

As Chinese parents have more disposable incomes, travel expenses spent on vacations with their children have been rising to be one of the most expensive educational expenditures⁶ in China.

But is it a good thing or not to take the kids on vacation?

1 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

2 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

3 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

4 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

5 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

6 expenditures   

n.花费( expenditure的名词复数 )；使用；（尤指金钱的）支出额；（精力、时间、材料等的）耗费

参考例句：

• We have overspent.We'll have to let up our expenditures next month. 我们已经超支了，下个月一定得节约开支。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pension includes an allowance of fifty pounds for traffic expenditures. 年金中包括50镑交通费补贴。 来自《简明英汉词典》