英语角-圆桌会议 RoundTable0708 - 大理大学宿舍变青旅，你住吗？

 Topic1 Nearly 40% of Chinese adults suffer insomniaRecent studies findings show as many as 38.2 percent of Chinese adults suffer from insomnia¹. And psychological reason is said to be the main cause.

Do you sleep well?

Topic2 Chinese cartoon copies CarsCritics and disappointed movie goers say a newly-released Chinese animation² is a copy of Pixar's hit film franchise³, but the filmmaker and production company have denied the accusations⁴, insisting it is "independently produced" and an "original" film.

In the poster of Chinese cartoon "The Autobots," released in theaters on July 4, the race car protagonist⁵ closely resembles that in the 2006 and 2011 "Cars" movies. The Chinese title of the movie is similar too to that used by "Cars."Is the Chinese cartoon a rip-off of Pixar's Cars?

Topic3 Bans on paid extra classesChina's Ministry⁶ of Education has published a new rule that bans any paid cram⁷ classes organized by primary or middle schools.

Any school that violates the rule will be stripped of any honors or titles. At the same time, the Ministry of Education has also set up a public complaints hotline.

Are these extra courses or tutoring sessions a problem?

Topic4 Dali Uni. Dorm becomes Youth HostelRecently, Dali University announces that it will turn some of its dorms into a Youth Hostel⁸ during the summer holiday. This triggered heated debate online.

The university is located in picturesque⁹ Dali Town of Yunnan Province, and has already started receiving reservations for the upcoming summer break.

Some net users are worrying about the appropriateness of the move as well as campus safety.

What's going on?

1 insomnia   

n.失眠，失眠症

参考例句：

• Worries and tenseness can lead to insomnia.忧虑和紧张会导致失眠。
• He is suffering from insomnia.他患失眠症。

2 animation   

n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作

参考例句：

• They are full of animation as they talked about their childhood.当他们谈及童年的往事时都非常兴奋。
• The animation of China made a great progress.中国的卡通片制作取得很大发展。

3 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

4 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

5 protagonist   

n.(思想观念的)倡导者；主角，主人公

参考例句：

• The protagonist reforms in the end and avoids his proper punishment.戏剧主角最后改过自新并避免了他应受的惩罚。
• He is the model for the protagonist in the play.剧本中的主人公就是以他为模特儿创作的！

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 cram   

v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习

参考例句：

• There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
• The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的，再也挤不进去人了。

8 hostel   

n.（学生）宿舍，招待所

参考例句：

• I lived in a hostel while I was a student.我求学期间住在青年招待所里。
• He says he's staying at a Youth Hostel.他说他现住在一家青年招待所。

9 picturesque   

adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的

参考例句：

• You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
• That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。