英文报刊热点词汇及阅读1

illegal sleepover 非法过夜非法过夜 Ikea the Swedish furniture giant is urging teenagers to stop creeping into its stores and having illegal sleepovers to ensure the safety and security of its workers and customers reported the BBC About 10 non sponsored sleepovers have been logged across the world by Ikea this year The trend likely started when teenagers spent the night in an Ikea store in Belgium in August then posted a video online of their exploits carbon dioxide monitoring satellite 碳监测卫星碳监测卫星 China launched its first carbon dioxide monitoring satellite from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Dec 22 The 620 kg satellite named TanSat will monitor the concentration distribution and flow of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere said Xinhua News Agency China is the third country after Japan and the US to monitor greenhouse gases through its own satellite notorious markets 恶名市场恶名市场 Chinese e commerce giant Alibaba is back on the blacklist of the US notorious markets platforms known for the sale of counterfeit goods or violations of intellectual property rights according to the BBC Alibaba was taken off the list four years ago but US authorities say the firm s online platform Taobao is used to sell high levels of fake goods The company has rejected the allegations insisting it polices its marketplace better than in the past semi guided tour 半自由行半自由行 Many travel agencies have introduced semi guided tours to attract travelers to the upcoming three day New Year s Day holiday which starts on Dec 31 according to Xinhua News Agency The travel packages usually include return air or train tickets and accommodation at the chosen destination Tourists spend time traveling with a guide but also enjoy the benefit of free time to do whatever interests them at their own pace surreal 超现实主义的超现实主义的 US dictionary company Merriam Webster has announced that its official word of the year for 2016 is surreal which is defined as marked by the intensity of a dream according to CBS The company said surreal is often looked up spontaneously in moments of both tragedy and surprise There were three distinct events this past year that led to the word s popularity in searches the Brussels terror attacks in March the failed coup in Turkey in July and the US presidential election in November data breach 数据泄露数据泄露 On Dec 13 Yahoo said that a cyber attack against it in 2013 compromised the data of more than 1 billion user accounts making it the largest data breach in history Yahoo said the stolen data may have included names email addresses telephone numbers and dates of birth This announcement has dealt a big blow to those who were fretting over the safety of their personal information surrogate country 替代国替代国 China has launched dispute settlement procedures at the World Trade Organization WTO by requesting consultations with the US and the European Union EU regarding the surrogate country approach when calculating anti dumping measures against Chinese exports Under China s WTO accession protocols the surrogate country approach expires by Dec 11 However the US and the EU have not fulfilled this obligation yet The practice could allow other countries to easily levy high tariffs on Chinese products entering their market river chief 河长河长 China will appoint local government heads as river chiefs across the nation to clean up and protect its water resources reported Xinhua News Agency Responsibilities of river chiefs include water resource protection pollution prevention and control and ecological restoration The central government expects to turn such practice into a nationwide mechanism by the end of 2018 face recognition ticket checking 刷脸检票刷脸检票 Face recognition ticket checking has come to Beijing West Railway Station reported China International Radio To pass through barriers passengers simply need to insert their ticket along with a second generation ID card into a checking machine and face the camera for a few seconds As long as all the information matches passengers are allowed to enter the station Text 1 Competing in London For most contestants the final rounds of the China Daily 21st Century Coca Cola Cup National English Speaking Competition in March were the end of a long struggle to master English oratory But for Wang Xiwen 17 a high school student at Shanghai Foreign Language School and Chen Mengzhu 19 a sophomore at New York University Shanghai there was one lat hurdle the 36th International Public Speaking Competition IPSC held in London from May 9 to 13 They were among 50 outstanding participants from 48 countries across the globe Hosted by the English Speaking Union ESU this year s competition focused on the theme The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don t have any In response to the theme Chen gave a speech about finding solutions for air pollution and Wang spoke about the benefits of thinking positively Both of their speeches were delivered with fluency confidence and impact But even so they did not make it into the final round Fortunately the outcome did not hamper the contestants ability to savor the delights of London I used to think that coming to a competition like this would mean I need to choose between either working hard towards winning or being able to enjoy the processed but this trip allowed me to realize I can do both said Chen She said she was glad that she got the chance to meet her fellow contestants and hear about their lives A champion s observations For Xia Peng IPSC s 2005 champion and leader of the Chinese contestants delegation this year the trip was an opportunity to reflect on the skills needed to master public speaking He listened to all the contestants speeches and he came away with several pointers for future competitions Doing well in a competition like this is not just about speech content Delivery in knowing when to slow down and when to push forward one s message strongly are key to making an impact which is the purpose of making a speech he said But it is not just about polish and poise Xia believes a winning speech is the product of a unique viewpoint To b successful takes personal depth and insight The speech is more about what each contestant thinks than how he or she speaks Xia wrote on his WeChat official account You can never expect someone on a diet to cook a good dish for you Nor can you expect a colorblind person to paint you a good painting In short through every lousy speech you will never fail to spot a boring soul Answer the questions 15 1 What is the theme of this year s competition 2 What did Chen and Wang talk about in the contest 3 Did they feel disappointed by the result 4 What does the trip to London mean to Xia Peng 5 What did Xia write on his WeChat account Text II Applying to study in the US is not an easy task Even once you are successfully enrolled the tedious process is not over yet You still need to persuade the US government to grant you an F1 visa to enter the country On top of all the paperwork anyone between the ages of 14 and 79 is required to interview at the local US Embassy or Consulate according to US Bureau of Consular Affairs Having a face to face English interview with a visa officer can be intimidating They will be constantly looking for subtle clues in your answers to figure out if you are a genuine student and if there is a reason not to gibe you a US visa It is best to be prepared for all the questions that may be thrown at you Most questions will be related to these five categories your study plans your university choice your academic capability your financial status and your post graduation plans 1 Study plans Sample questions why are you going to the US Why are you planning to continue your education Tips Be prepared to explain why you prefer to study in the US rather than in China To do so you need to know the program that you are enrolled in what its advantages are what it is able to provide that Chinese universities can not and how it suits you The more focused your answers are the more convincing they will be 2 University choice Sample questions How many colleges did you apply to How many schools did you get admitted to Tips Your choice of university says a lot about you as a person and student which is why these questions will shed light on your qualifications as a students and future professional Higher caliber university choices will be better regarded than little known colleges because to some extend a better university proves that your are going to the US to learn 3 Academic capability Sample questions How good is your English What was your previous GPA Tips Your previous study abroad experiences and your scores on the TOFEL test may be used to prove your English ability but you conversation with the officer is still the best demonstration of your spoken English So practice with a native speaker if possible Also if there is a big gap between your previous GPA and the academic caliber of the US university you are enrolled in you d better have a good explanation for that 4 Financial status Sample questions How do you plan to fund the entire duration of your education What is your sponsor s occupation Tips Proving that you can afford to study abroad is the most important part of your interview Be prepared to give detailed information about your sponsor s income and how much you are planning to spend on things like accommodation food and transportation as well as your tuition fees 5 Post graduation plans Sample questions Do you plan on returning back to your home country Do you have a job or career in mind after you graduate Tips The key words in the category are ties to your home country The US government needs to know that you have a plan to return to your home country instead of staying to work in the US which may lead to immigration It helps if you are able to show that you have obligations that require you to return to China after your studies like family or work commitments Answer the questions 15 6 What should you do next after you got enrolled in an American university 7 What are people who intend to go to the US required to do 8 Why talking to visa officer can be intimidating 9 What are most questions about 10 How can we prepare for the question why do you want to study in the US Text III The British people are famous for their politeness or to be more precise their penchant for over apologizing Sometimes they will even apologizes for the bad weather or when someone walks into them According to a BBC article a recent survey of more than 1 000 Brits found that the average person says sorry around eight times every day and that one in eight people apologized up to 20 times a day To write her book Watching the English The Hidden Rules of English Behavior British social anthropologist Kate Fox did a series of experiments She deliberately bumped into hundreds of people in towns and cities across the UK For comparison Fox asked her colleagues to do the same in other countries Although the collisions were clearly Fox s fault around 80 percent of those she bumped into said sorry Compared with foreign touris