英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0318 - 穿越的正确打开方式

Topic 1- Smog Promotes O2O & E-commerce Development

 

Beijing is once again seeing heavy smog these few days. Media reports have revealed that the heavy smog has led to a significant increase in the orders of O2O (online to offline) services as well as the sales of online shopping in the Chinese capital. So first of all, how big is the increase? Can we really say smog is helping¹ the O2O or e-commerce business?

 

Topic 2-Time-travel Course in University Goes Viral

 

Recently, a special course in a university in southeast China has gone viral. The course aims to give students some experiences if they happen to time-travel to the pre-Qin period (?-221 B.C.) (around 200 or 300 B.C.) What exactly is being taught in this course? Is this innovative² teaching or sheer nonsense?

 

Topic 3-Photos of 'A4 waist' renew weight controversy³ on social networks

 

Showing off an "A4 waist" — a waist that can be covered by a piece of A4 paper — has become the new trend on China's social media. It comes hot on the heels of the belly⁴ button challenge, which involves attempting to touch your belly button by reaching behind your back. Only the skinniest can achieve it. Why are people crazy about this fad⁵ and is it really scientific?

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

5 fad   

n.时尚；一时流行的狂热；一时的爱好

参考例句：

• His interest in photography is only a passing fad.他对摄影的兴趣只是一时的爱好罢了。
• A hot business opportunity is based on a long-term trend not a short-lived fad.一个热门的商机指的是长期的趋势而非一时的流行。