英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0414 - 北京学区房每平米30万

 Topic1 Engineering is losing studentsHu Ruiwen, member of the State Education Consulting Committee, expressed worry over the lack of students choosing engineering majors. He says: 1.17 million students enrolled¹ in major of engineering in college in 2010; the figure is 4.4 times of that in 1998, however, during the same period, the total number of college recruitment has increased 6 times.

Why did students choose other subjects over engineering?

Topic2 Part of the school district housings are sold at 300 thousand yuan per square meterIn Beijing, compulsory² education enrollment³ is launched according to school districts. Students just go to the schools closest to their homes. Recently, one of the school district housings nearby Beijing NO.2 Experimental Primary School is sold at 280 thousand Yuan per square meter, which attracts a lot of attention.

How expensive? Is it ridiculous?

Topic3 Guangzhou plans to invest 7.7 million yuan on subway decorationMedia reports that Guangzhou is going to invest 7.7 million yuan to build "Cultural Walls" in six subway stations in the city.

According to the project bidding, decoration theme of each station should be based on local culture, history or natural scenery.

Although it is called Culture Wall, the decoration actually covers both walls and pillar in subway stations.

The estimated decoration investment on each station is about 1.3 million yuan.

Is subway art a good idea?

Topic4 Chinese families storing expired pillsA recent survey shows that most Chinese families do not regularly sort out their medical kits⁴, with out-of-date pills in many homes.

A survey released by Guangzhou Baiyunshan Pharmaceutical⁵ says each family on average has 215 expired pills and 30 to 40 percent of these tablets have been out-of-date for over three years.

How big is the problem?

Topic5 Vvip Service of Chinese AirlinesLast week, an anonymous⁶ web user said he or she missed the final call by two minutes and could not get on an Air China flight from Nanchang to Beijing.

However, Zhao Baige, vice-president of the state-backed Red Cross Society of China, was allowed to board the plane after being late for five minutes.

When the rebuffed passenger confronted ground staff, they explained Zhao was an elite⁷ member of the Phoenix⁸ Miles club.

So what happened? Is having a whole plane of people waiting for you one of the privileges of being an elite member?

Topic6 Getting beaten up for MoneyNever underestimate what some people would do to make a living…Or how much others want to beat someone up and for what reason.

Yunnan Information Daily reports that a 48-year-old man in China has been making a living by offering himself as a "punching bag" to people in bars and night clubs for 10 years.

How does it work?

1 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

3 enrollment   

n.注册或登记的人数；登记

参考例句：

• You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
• I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。

4 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

5 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

6 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

7 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

8 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。