英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0909 - 爱心帐篷，暖心还是多余？

Topic 1-Pregnant woman on Beijing subway

 

A pregnant woman has caused havoc¹ in the Beijing subway when nobody would give up their seat for her. Incidents of aggression² at Beijing’s busy subway line may be nothing new. But is it a proper way to block the subway just to ask for a seat?

 

Topic 2-Parent college campers

 

At the start of a new semester, more universities across China are setting up tented camps for parents who are seeing off their college freshman³ children. On Chinese social media, netizens discuss if these so-called ‘tents of love’ (爱心帐篷) are indeed a sign of love, or if they epitomize the non-independence of China’s post-1990s generation.

 

Topic 3-Peter Pan Syndrome⁴

 

All children, except one, grow up. That’s the opening in Scottish author James Matthew Barrie’s novel Peter Pan and Wendy. Peter Pan, the character he created, is a boy who can fly but refuses to grow up. The novel is a fairy tale, but there are some people living like a Peter Pan in the real world. We say they have the Peter Pan Syndrome. What is the Peter Pan Syndrome? Is it good or bad? 

1 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

2 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

3 freshman   

n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女)

参考例句：

• Jack decided to live in during his freshman year at college.杰克决定大一时住校。
• He is a freshman in the show business.他在演艺界是一名新手。

4 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。