▍原文 The “flash step” has gone viral on Chinese social media, inspiring countless people to imitate it, including German fitness star Pamela Reif. Originating from the Flower Drum Lantern folk dance, the rapid side-to-side dodging move reflects the humor of Chinese folk culture. Netizens joke that it helps them dodge unwanted tasks and squeeze onto metro trains during rush hour. Doctors, however, urge caution, warning that people without professional dance training risk tearing ligaments when attempting the move. ▍語言點 1. flash step 閃身步 ·flash n. 閃現，飛快的一下 ·step n. 步伐 2. countless /ˈkaʊntləs/ adj. 多到數不清的 ·countless比many更強調數量之多。 3. imitate /ˈɪmɪteɪt/ v. 模仿，跟著學，（社交媒體語境）跟風挑戰 4. fitness star 健身明星 5. originate from something 起源於某事，源自某事（是一個比較正式的表述，經常用來追溯事物的源頭） 6. the Flower Drum Lantern folk dance 花鼓燈 ·花鼓燈是安徽一帶流傳的民間舞蹈，2006 年被列為國家級非物質...
▍原文 The “flash step” has gone viral on Chinese social media, inspiring countless people to imitate it, including German fitness star Pamela Reif. Originating from the Flower Drum Lantern folk dance, the rapid side-to-side dodging move reflects the humor of Chinese folk culture. Netizens joke that it helps them dodge unwanted tasks and squeeze onto metro trains during rush hour. Doctors, however, urge caution, warning that people without professional dance training risk tearing ligaments when attempting the move. ▍語言點 1. flash step 閃身步 ·flash n. 閃現，飛快的一下 ·step n. 步伐 2. countless /ˈkaʊntləs/ adj. 多到數不清的 ·countless比many更強調數量之多。 3. imitate /ˈɪmɪteɪt/ v. 模仿，跟著學，（社交媒體語境）跟風挑戰 4. fitness star 健身明星 5. originate from something 起源於某事，源自某事（是一個比較正式的表述，經常用來追溯事物的源頭） 6. the Flower Drum Lantern folk dance 花鼓燈 ·花鼓燈是安徽一帶流傳的民間舞蹈，2006 年被列為國家級非物質...
▍原文 A California chemical engineer who pleaded no contest to poisoning a colleague was putting cadmium in her water bottle, new video shows. David Xu spiked his colleague Rong Yuan’s food and water with the toxic heavy metal for nearly 18 months between 2017 and 2019. Xu received two years of probation and just one day of credited jail time. Yuan said releasing the hidden-camera video was her "last resort" after feeling failed by the legal system. ▍語言點 1. plead no contest 不予抗辯（既不正式承認有罪，也不否認指控，同意接受法院的定罪和判決） plead v.（在法庭上）作抗辯、答辯、陳述案情 contest n.（本文）爭論、爭辯；比賽、競賽 2. poison /ˈpɔɪzn/（本文）v. 下毒，投毒；n. 毒藥 3. spike /spaɪk/ v.（本文）往飲品或食物里偷偷加料；刺穿、釘進；n. 釘子、尖刺 spike somebody's drink 往某人的杯子里下藥 4. toxic /ˈtɑːksɪk/ adj. 有毒的 5. heavy metal 重金屬 6. cadmium /ˈkædmiəm/ n. 鎘（一種有毒重金屬） 7. probation /prəˈbeɪʃn/ n. 緩刑；一段受監督、受考察的時期 此...
▍原文 A California chemical engineer who pleaded no contest to poisoning a colleague was putting cadmium in her water bottle, new video shows. David Xu spiked his colleague Rong Yuan’s food and water with the toxic heavy metal for nearly 18 months between 2017 and 2019. Xu received two years of probation and just one day of credited jail time. Yuan said releasing the hidden-camera video was her "last resort" after feeling failed by the legal system. ▍語言點 1. plead no contest 不予抗辯（既不正式承認有罪，也不否認指控，同意接受法院的定罪和判決） plead v.（在法庭上）作抗辯、答辯、陳述案情 contest n.（本文）爭論、爭辯；比賽、競賽 2. poison /ˈpɔɪzn/（本文）v. 下毒，投毒；n. 毒藥 3. spike /spaɪk/ v.（本文）往飲品或食物里偷偷加料；刺穿、釘進；n. 釘子、尖刺 spike somebody's drink 往某人的杯子里下藥 4. toxic /ˈtɑːksɪk/ adj. 有毒的 5. heavy metal 重金屬 6. cadmium /ˈkædmiəm/ n. 鎘（一種有毒重金屬） 7. probation /prəˈbeɪʃn/ n. 緩刑；一段受監督、受考察的時期 此...
▍原文 U.S. President Donald Trump has named Katie Zacharia as his new White House press secretary. The 41-year-old previously served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and worked as a communications advisor for Trump's social media company. Interestingly, Zacharia also has a connection to China. After graduating from law school, she moved to Beijing in 2011 and worked at Zhong Lun Law Firm. She returned to the United States in 2013 and later took a long career break to raise her four children. ▍語言點 1. name /neɪm/ v. 任命，指派 2. White House press secretary 白宮新聞秘書，主要負責向媒體傳遞政府立場與政策信息。日常會召開新聞簡報會，回應記者各類提問，是白宮和主流媒體之間最重要的溝通橋梁。由美國總統直接任命，他/她的公開發言，通常就代表白宮的官方態度。 · press n. 新聞媒體，報刊輿論 · secretary n. 秘書 3. previously /ˈpriːviəsli/ adv. 以前地，先前地 4. serve as ... 充當、擔任某一職位 · serve v. 擔任，供職；服務 5. Department of Homela...
▍原文 U.S. President Donald Trump has named Katie Zacharia as his new White House press secretary. The 41-year-old previously served as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security and worked as a communications advisor for Trump's social media company. Interestingly, Zacharia also has a connection to China. After graduating from law school, she moved to Beijing in 2011 and worked at Zhong Lun Law Firm. She returned to the United States in 2013 and later took a long career break to raise her four children. ▍語言點 1. name /neɪm/ v. 任命，指派 2. White House press secretary 白宮新聞秘書，主要負責向媒體傳遞政府立場與政策信息。日常會召開新聞簡報會，回應記者各類提問，是白宮和主流媒體之間最重要的溝通橋梁。由美國總統直接任命，他/她的公開發言，通常就代表白宮的官方態度。 · press n. 新聞媒體，報刊輿論 · secretary n. 秘書 3. previously /ˈpriːviəsli/ adv. 以前地，先前地 4. serve as ... 充當、擔任某一職位 · serve v. 擔任，供職；服務 5. Department of Homela...
▍原文 A restaurant boss in China has received widespread online admiration for gifting brand-new BMWs to her top-performing employees because she hated seeing them brave harsh weather on electric scooters during their commutes. “I have achieved success in my career. But my company’s prosperity is attributed to the collective efforts of all my employees. So I must let my workers also benefit from the success of my company,” Ma Yanli said. ▍語言點 1. receive admiration for doing something 因為做某事贏得了讚譽 ·admiration n. 欽佩，讚賞 ·admiration比praise多了一層發自內心的敬意。 2. gift /ɡɪft/ v. 贈送，贈予 ·gift比give更正式、更有儀式感，通常指把某樣東西作為禮物鄭重地送出去。 3. brand-new /ˌbrænd ˈnuː/ adj. 全新的，嶄新的，從未用過的 4. top-performing /ˌtɑːp pərˈfɔːrmɪŋ/ adj. 表現最好的，業績拔尖的 5. brave /breɪv/ v. 勇敢地面對，冒著……的風險 ·brave the cold 頂著嚴寒 ·brave the storm 冒著暴雨 6. electric scooter 電動車 7. commute /kə...
▍原文 A restaurant boss in China has received widespread online admiration for gifting brand-new BMWs to her top-performing employees because she hated seeing them brave harsh weather on electric scooters during their commutes. “I have achieved success in my career. But my company’s prosperity is attributed to the collective efforts of all my employees. So I must let my workers also benefit from the success of my company,” Ma Yanli said. ▍語言點 1. receive admiration for doing something 因為做某事贏得了讚譽 ·admiration n. 欽佩，讚賞 ·admiration比praise多了一層發自內心的敬意。 2. gift /ɡɪft/ v. 贈送，贈予 ·gift比give更正式、更有儀式感，通常指把某樣東西作為禮物鄭重地送出去。 3. brand-new /ˌbrænd ˈnuː/ adj. 全新的，嶄新的，從未用過的 4. top-performing /ˌtɑːp pərˈfɔːrmɪŋ/ adj. 表現最好的，業績拔尖的 5. brave /breɪv/ v. 勇敢地面對，冒著……的風險 ·brave the cold 頂著嚴寒 ·brave the storm 冒著暴雨 6. electric scooter 電動車 7. commute /kə...
▍原文 Cornell University is examining its fraternities and sororities after allegations of gang rape prompted concerns about accountability for sexual assault on college campuses. The message comes on the heels of a civil lawsuit filed last month against Cornell and seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The plaintiff, anonymized as “Jane Doe,” alleged she was sexually assaulted and pressured to take drugs and alcohol on the night of Oct. 19, 2024, and that the university failed to protect her and mishandled its response. ▍語言點 fraternity /frəˈtɜːrnəti/ n. 美國大學的男生兄弟會 sorority /səˈrɔːrəti/ n. 美國大學的女生姐妹會 這是美國校園獨有的一類組織，統稱Greek life，即“希臘式社團”。之所以叫這個名字，是因為幾乎所有社團都用希臘字母來命名，后面提到的兄弟會名稱Chi Phi，就是兩個希臘字母。 allegation /ˌæləˈɡeɪʃn/ n. 指控 allege v. 指控，宣稱 concern /kənˈsɜːn/ n. 擔心，憂慮 on the heels of 緊隨……之后 比普通的 after 更適合新聞報道場景 accou...
▍原文 Cornell University is examining its fraternities and sororities after allegations of gang rape prompted concerns about accountability for sexual assault on college campuses. The message comes on the heels of a civil lawsuit filed last month against Cornell and seven members of the Chi Phi fraternity. The plaintiff, anonymized as “Jane Doe,” alleged she was sexually assaulted and pressured to take drugs and alcohol on the night of Oct. 19, 2024, and that the university failed to protect her and mishandled its response. ▍語言點 fraternity /frəˈtɜːrnəti/ n. 美國大學的男生兄弟會 sorority /səˈrɔːrəti/ n. 美國大學的女生姐妹會 這是美國校園獨有的一類組織，統稱Greek life，即“希臘式社團”。之所以叫這個名字，是因為幾乎所有社團都用希臘字母來命名，后面提到的兄弟會名稱Chi Phi，就是兩個希臘字母。 allegation /ˌæləˈɡeɪʃn/ n. 指控 allege v. 指控，宣稱 concern /kənˈsɜːn/ n. 擔心，憂慮 on the heels of 緊隨……之后 比普通的 after 更適合新聞報道場景 accou...