英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0422 - 高中加装防护栏防自杀

 Topic1 High School Installs Steel BarsA Hebei high school, once famous for churning out high scorers in Gaokao, is in the news again. The Hengshui No.2 Senior high school has built up bars across its open hall ways for security precautions. There have already been two recent cases of student suicide at the High school, one last October and another just last month in March.

What happened?

Topic2 China considers ban on infant formula adsChina is considering a ban on advertisements for infant milk formula in a bid to tackle low levels of breast feeding.

The draft would ban adverts¹ in mass media or public places for dairy products, drinks and other foods that "claim to partly or completely substitute mother's milk".

Are baby formula milk ads a problem in China? Breast feeding a problem?

Topic3 Beijing neuters trees to control catkin, againWhen it's the annual catkins season, the flying fluffy² white stuff can be beautiful to some and irritating to others.

To reduce trouble and health risks to residents, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry³ plans to inject medicine into poplar and willow⁴ trees from April to May so as they will produce less catkins.

Do you find it annoying or entertaining?

Topic4 University libraries witness lowest borrowing rate in a decadeA recent post by the official weibo account of People's Daily shows the Peking University Library has lent 620,000 books last year, the lowest number in 10 years.

Meanwhile, many universities say the most popular books their students like to borrow are narrative⁵ history and novels like"明朝那些事儿".

Is there a problem? Why the changes?

Topic5 Mastiff craze died downThere once was a time, during the frenzied⁶ heights of China's Tibetan mastiff craze, a droopy-eyed slobbering giant canine⁷ have fetched more than 1.2 million Yuan ($200,000). But the once prized dog is sold at a deflated⁸ price of 20,000 Yuan now.

What happened?

1 adverts   

advertisements 广告，做广告

参考例句：

• the adverts on television 电视广告
• The adverts are not very informative. 这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。

2 fluffy   

adj.有绒毛的，空洞的

参考例句：

• Newly hatched chicks are like fluffy balls.刚孵出的小鸡像绒毛球。
• The steamed bread is very fluffy.馒头很暄。

3 forestry   

n.森林学；林业

参考例句：

• At present, the Chinese forestry is being at a significant transforming period. 当前, 我国的林业正处于一个重大的转折时期。
• Anhua is one of the key forestry counties in Hunan province. 安化县是湖南省重点林区县之一。

4 willow   

n.柳树

参考例句：

• The river was sparsely lined with willow trees.河边疏疏落落有几棵柳树。
• The willow's shadow falls on the lake.垂柳的影子倒映在湖面上。

5 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

6 frenzied   

a.激怒的；疯狂的

参考例句：

• Will this push him too far and lead to a frenzied attack? 这会不会逼他太甚，导致他进行疯狂的进攻？
• Two teenagers carried out a frenzied attack on a local shopkeeper. 两名十几岁的少年对当地的一个店主进行了疯狂的袭击。

7 canine   

adj.犬的，犬科的

参考例句：

• The fox is a canine animal.狐狸是犬科动物。
• Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。

8 deflated   

adj. 灰心丧气的

参考例句：

• I was quite deflated by her lack of interest in my suggestions.他对我的建议兴趣不大，令我感到十分气馁。
• He was deflated by the news.这消息令他泄气。