你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 What do you think of the phenomenon of people queuing in restaurants for more than an hour? Personally, I find it a bit crazy to wait for such a long time just for a meal. The wait often outweighs the actual dining experience, and I don't think it's worth it. However, for those who are adventurous and enjoy trying new things, it might be an exciting opportunity to explore different culinary delights and be part of a unique dining experience. I understand, for example, if it’s like a grand opening of a restaurant and there has been all this hype about the food, the environment, you know, the buzz surrounding the opening, but personally I don’t think I would do it. Though sometimes the restaurant might have a celebrity that opens it, or that the excitement in the restaurant is so contagious that to eat there is more akin to an experience rather than simply eating out. * a bit crazy 有点疯狂 * opportunity 机会 * culinary delights 美食 * grand opening 盛大开业 * hype 炒作；宣传 * the buzz surrounding 喧嚣 * more akin to 与……类似 [图片] What are the disadvantages of living on a low floor? Actually, I live on a lower floor in an apartment building, and I can say that living on a low floor can have several drawbacks with the worst being traffic noise, especially if it’s the case that you live in an urban area or next to a busy road. Also related to noise is that the ground floor often attracts gatherings of elderly people who play cards and they can be quite loud. Their communication style, characterized by yelling, adds to the noise levels, especially in the afternoon when they get excited about their game. I’d say another drawback is the lack of adequate sunlight. Lower floors receive less direct sunlight compared to higher floors, so it results in a dimmer living environment. Moreover, low floors are more susceptible to dampness, which can lead to the growth of mold, and this can definitely be a health hazard and requires constant attention and maintenance. So, in summary, I’d say noise, lack of sunlight, and greater susceptibility to the damp are the major disadvantages. * traffic noise 交通噪音 * urban area 市区 * characterized by 以……为特征 * lack of adequate sunlight 阳光不足 * more susceptible to dampness 容易受潮 * health hazard 健康危害 * requires constant attention 需要持续关注 * susceptibility 敏感；易受影响 [图片] What are the advantages of living on a high floor? Well, sort of opposite to the disadvantages of living on a lower floor, meaning there is a greater abundance of sunlight, especially during the summer, and provides an ideal environment for sunbathing, enjoying natural light and if you have the room, to have dinner when the sun is setting. Living high-up also allows for gaining access to great views, so residents are able to appreciate the skyline and enjoy panoramic scenery. Additionally, as opposed to low-level floors, those higher up tend to be less noisy, providing a quieter living space. Lastly, increased air circulation on higher floors facilitates faster drying of laundry and general dampness within the walls. Overall, living on a high floor offers better sunlight, stunning views, tranquility, and improved airiness. * greater abundance of 大量的 * provides an ideal environment for 对……提供理想环境 * also allows for 还能 * the skyline 天际线 * panoramic 全景的 * air circulation 空气流通 * airiness 通风 [图片] Are people happy living in crowded apartments? No, I don’t think anybody is happy living in crowded apartments. Sharing limited space with others often leads to a lack of personal space and privacy, as well as constant exposure to other people's noise and activities. The noise can be disruptive, making it difficult to concentrate on tasks like reading or being productive. Ultimately, the absence of personal space and privacy will cause a person to be less happy than if they had ample space to do their own things without disruption. * a lack of personal space 缺乏个人空间 * privacy 隐私 * exposure 暴露 * disruptive 干扰的 * productive 有效率的 * ample space 充足的空间 * disruption 中断

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Do you usually spend your days off with your parents or with your friends? I usually spend my day off by myself and immerse myself in a book. For me, the best type of relaxation is reading a book I like. Once in a while, I call my family and chit-chat for about thirty minutes or so. And on rare occasions, I hang out with friends on a day off. * immerse 沉浸 * relaxation 放松 * chit-chat 闲聊 * on rare occasions 偶尔 [图片] What do you do on your days off? As I just said, reading is what I almost always do on a day off. In my apartment living room, I have a desk and a comfortable chair facing the exuberantly lush trees outside and that’s where I usually kill my time, feet on the desk, turning the pages while sipping coffee. And before I know it, the day’s flown by like an arrow! * exuberantly lush 繁茂的 * kill my time 消磨时间 * sipping 抿 * the day's flown by 一天飞逝而过 [图片] When was the last time you had a few days off? It was earlier this month when I took 20 days off, during which I visited my students, my friends, my teachers, and my family in Sichuan province. The first stretch of this trip was a bit rushed as I needed to see as many friends as possible while the second half was spent at home with my parents, teaching online and doing manual work on the farm. That’s how I spent my days off earlier this month. * province 省 * the first stretch 第一段 * manual work 体力活 [图片] What would you like to do if you had a day off tomorrow? Given a day off tomorrow, I think I would go for a bike ride along the paths near the river next to my community. There are places around there that I keep meaning to explore, especially up in the hills. I’d get up early in the morning, pack some water, a fan, snacks, and a book, and then just get on my bike and start the excursion. I’d spend the entire day outdoors and get some fresh air and catch some rays. * paths 小路 * keep meaning to 一直想 * up in the hills 在山上 * get some fresh air 呼吸新鲜空气 * catch some rays 晒太阳

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 What kinds of famous people are there in your country? Oh, there are many kinds. There are prominent actors and actresses who have gained international recognition for their roles in films and television series, such as Jackie Chan and Zhang Ziyi. Also, Chinese musicians like pianist Lang Lang and singer-songwriter Jay Chou have achieved global success with their talent and unique styles. Internationally, Chinese athletes like Yao Ming and Li Na have become famous because of their excellence in their respective sports, so, I’d say China has a diverse array of famous individuals, even in business. * prominent * international recognition * global success * internationally * a diverse array of [图片] What are the differences between famous people today and in the past? Oh, that’s a difficult question, let me see. Well, I think famous people today differ from those in the past by being more accessible today than in the past due to technology and social media platforms, as it allows direct interaction with fans. In conjunction with this technology, their influence is also wider and allows them a wider and expanded audience base than before, as a single post can reach millions worldwide almost instantaneously. Lastly, the financial rewards associated with fame have significantly increased, with endorsements, sponsorships, and social media monetization opportunities. These differences highlight the evolving nature of fame and its impact on society, I think. * more accessible 更容易接近 * social media platforms 社媒平台 * interaction with 与……互动 * audience base 受众 * financial rewards 经济回报 * associated with 与……相关 * significantly increased 大幅提升 * endorsements 宣传 * sponsorships 赞助 * monetization 盈利；变现 * highlight 突出 * the evolving nature of 不断演变的性质 [图片] Do you think famous people are necessarily good in their fields? No, I don’t think so. While many famous individuals have indeed achieved greatness in their respective domains, there are instances where fame does not necessarily correlate with skill or competence. The pursuit of fame often involves various factors such as charisma, marketability, and public appeal, which may overshadow or even compensate for a lack of genuine talent or expertise. Additionally, the entertainment industry, in particular, sometimes prioritizes popularity and marketability over sheer skill, for example, sex appeal can trump talent. However, it is important to recognize that there are numerous famous people who have earned recognition through hard work, dedication, and exceptional abilities in their fields. * correlate with 与……相关 * competence 能力 * the pursuit of 对……的追求 * charisma 个人魅力 * marketability 市场化 * overshadow 使逊色 * compensate for 弥补 * expertise 专长 * prioritize 优先考虑 * sex appeal 性感 * trump 胜过 * dedication 敬业 * exceptional 优秀的 [图片] Do you think the media is paying too much attention to famous people? I think so, yes. Some argue that the media pays an excessive amount of attention to celebrities, often prioritizing their personal lives and scandals over more important news. This focus on celebrity gossip can detract from significant issues and events. Personally, I believe the media, and by extension, the general public, pay far too much attention to celebrity news and gossip, and that actually is unhealthy for a society when most people, especially the young, are infatuated with the going-ons of the private lives of famous people. There are more important things to be concerned about than simply the soap operas of famous people and who is dating whom. * excessive amount of 海量的 * scandals 丑闻 * celebrity gossip 名人八卦 * detract from 转移（注意） * and by extension 乃至；进而 * the general public 普罗大众 * infatuated with 沉迷于 * the going-ons of 事件 * soap operas 肥皂剧

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Have you ever lost your keys? No, I don’t think so, I can’t remember ever losing any key. I don’t want to lock myself out so when I was a kid I always put them securely away in my schoolbag or handbag. So no, I’ve never lost my home keys, or for that matter, any key ever. * put them securely away 把它们放好 * lock myself out 把自己锁在门外 [图片] Do you always bring a lot of keys with you? No, I don’t. I have a key ring and there are only two keys on it, one for the front door and the other for my bike padlock, and I take these when I leave the house. Oh, I also carry a key card for the front door to the apartment building. * key ring 钥匙圈 * padlock 挂锁 * key card 门禁卡 [图片] Do you think it’s a good idea to leave your keys with a neighbor? If you know the neighbor well, then sure, it’s a good idea. But it should be with those that of course, you trust. I guess this is more common in smaller towns and villages where everyone kinda knows each other rather than in big cities, where people tend not to be as settled and where people don’t really talk to each other as they do in small towns. * settled 稳定的 [图片] Do you often forget the keys and lock yourself out? No, hardly ever. In fact, I can only remember one time when I didn’t remember to bring my apartment key and had to wait for about 40 minutes for my husband to ‘rescue’ me. So from that time onwards, I always ensure that my keys are with me whenever I step out of the front door. * onwards 从（某个时候）起 * ensure 确保 * step out of the front door 出门

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 What do you think will make you feel happy in the future? Hmm, well, I guess living the type of life that I really desire will make me happy in the future. A life that is relatively free from worldly matters such as being debt-ridden, having anxiety over kids, a stressful job, and the like. For me, such a life, free of these things, and one instead where I can accomplish and do what I want will make me happy, or at least content. * relatively 相对 * free from 没有……的约束 * worldly matters 世俗 * debt-ridden 债务缠身 * anxiety 焦虑 * stressful 压力巨大的 * content 满意的 [图片] What made you happy when you were little? When I was a kid, being lucky enough to own a book, but especially reading books would always make my day. I was really into reading back when I was little, yet I never really owned a book and neither did most of my classmates and so every storybook would be passed around in the classroom. Everybody was so eager to read because it gave us great pleasure. Anyway, that’s what made me happy when I was little. * make my day 让我开心 * eager 迫切的 [图片] Do you think people are happy when they buy new things? Yeah, I suppose so, and I guess that’s one of the reasons why so many people go shopping. Spending money on items that you desire, such as a watch, a trendy piece of clothing, new books, or a shiny new handbag…simply gives people great joy, or even a high, at least temporarily, though I suspect it’s like a sugar rush, but after that sugar fades, people return to a sort of humdrum state of existence. * trendy 时尚的 * shiny 锃亮的 * high 兴奋 * temporarily 暂时的 * a sugar rush 兴奋 * fade 褪去 * humdrum state 单调状态 * existence 存在 [图片] When do you feel happy at work? Work-wise, let me see, umm, I feel happy when my work is acknowledged or appreciated, especially after completing a challenging project. In such cases, verbal or written acknowledgment can work wonders as I’m more motivated to work harder. But I’m also happy when I’m busy and feel that I’ve accomplished something, it’s a type of contentment. * work-wise 工作方面 * acknowledge 承认 * appreciate 欣赏；领会；珍惜 * work wonders 创造奇迹 * accomplish 完成；实现 * contentment 满足

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Do parents in your country encourage children to play games? Well, some do, but I think for a majority of parents, they don’t because in their eyes, academic performance weighs more highly than anything else, and as a result, kids are usually encouraged and even pressured to just spend a lot of their spare time on doing homework instead of playing games, whether they be inside or outside games, though I do think things are changing, for example, in my neighborhood, I see many kids outside playing, after school and before dinner. But generally speaking, I don’t think it’s all that common for parents to actively encourage children to play games. * in their eyes 在他们眼里 * academic performance 学业 * weighs more highly than 比……更重要 * pressure 逼迫 * actively encourage 积极鼓励 [图片] What kinds of games do children play these days? I’m not sure because I don’t really interact with young kids all that much these days. But I often hear of, and even see, young children playing Lego. Seems to be a very common type of toy these days. But as far as ‘games’ go, I think traditional types of outdoor games are popular, such as hide-n-seek, playing tag, or for boys, they like to play ‘army’. I also know that for some kids, they enjoy board games, some types of which involve lots of planning and being able to see a few steps ahead, that type of thing. * interact with 与……交流/往来 * as far as... go 提到；说到 * board games 桌游；棋盘游戏 * be able to 能够 * see a few steps ahead 多看几步 [图片] Do adults and children have enough time for leisure activities nowadays? No, I don’t think so. Kids are always busy studying and preparing for exams and adults are occupied with making more money to pay bills, doing housework, and if there’s extra time, they might learn something or just relax and take a breather, so I think during the weekdays for an average type of city family, the weekdays are usually spent indoors just doing things that need to get done. On the weekends though, I think some parents take the kids out for a picnic, or just go somewhere to do some exercise together as a family. * occupied with 忙于 * take a breather 休息一下；喘口气 * during the weekways 在平时（工作日） [图片] Do you think winning is the most important goal for playing games? No, I don’t, because in order to win, you have to play, so I believe the most important thing about playing games is that we enjoy the process, not winning or beating somebody. If you play, then there seems to be no point if actually playing would make you miserable, so by its very nature, I would say ‘play’ means ‘enjoy’. Most people play games for relaxation or to have a good time and that’s probably why some adults turn to games after a busy day’s work. The winning part is the benefit of becoming good at something, and meanwhile, hopefully enjoying the process. * enjoy the process 享受过程 * miserable 痛苦 * by its very nature 就其本质而言 * becoming good at something 擅长

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Do you often listen to one type of music? Admittedly, I do. I tend to listen to a certain genre or a singer at different periods and for an extended period of time. For instance, recently I’ve been listening to the soundtrack of my favorite British TV series, Downton Abbey. Last year I was into Spanish pop songs, particularly a singer called Alvaro Soler because his music is generally passionate, typically Spanish, and they also cheer me up whenever I feel down. Not to say however, that I always need cheering up! Haha. * genre 类型；流派 * an extended period of time 很长一段时间 * TV series 电视剧 * pop songs 流行歌 * passionate 激情的 * cheer up 使振作起来 [图片] What music do you like? I kinda like everything as long as it agrees with my mood and taste. As mentioned, I love the soundtracks of classic TV series or movies such as Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, and Coco, and I also enjoy pop music from different eras and I also like to sing along with ‘em. Language-wise, I prefer to listen to Chinese and Cantonese, but, I of course, love a lot of English music, and other than that, I also listen to Japanese, Spanish, and recently, Tibetan songs. I can’t say I fully understand songs in those languages, but it's the music itself that is a universal language, as are emotions. Well, I have to say, I can listen to almost the whole gamut of music. * agree with my mood 符合我的心情 * eras 时期 * sing along with 和……一起唱 * -wise ……方面 * universal language 通用语言 * emotions 情绪 * the whole gamut of 全部的 [图片] What music do you dislike? I’m not into tacky music, you know, the kind heard on Tiktok. The lyrics are meaningless and the tunes are lacking any taste, dirty lyrics and the like. * tacky 俗气的 * lyrics 歌词 * meaningless 毫无意义的 * tunes 曲调 * lacking taste 缺乏品味 [图片] Which singer or musician would you like to see in person? I’d be overjoyed to meet Alvaro Soler one day. He’s a young Spanish pop singer living in Barcelona, sometimes in Germany because his father is German. Growing up in three cultures, namely Spanish, German, and Japanese, shaped his music into something exotic and his lyrics are quite inspirational. His most well-known song is El Mismo Sol, which means Under the Same Sun, and it has a very strong rhythm, you just can’t help but dance to it! Most of his songs take you to the sunny beaches of Barcelona or to old South American cities. It’s just so full of vigor, and passion and so full of life! * overjoyed 非常开心 * shaped 塑造了 * inspirational 鼓舞人心的 * exotic 异国情调的 * well-known 知名的 * rhythm 节奏 * take you to 把你带到

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Are there wild animals in your country? Yeah, sure, there’re a lot, I mean, there is quite a variety, for instance, tigers, elephants, foxes, snakes, antelopes, bears, giant pandas, and all types of monkeys, though unfortunately some have been driven almost to extinction, especially the tigers that predominately live in the forests of northeast China. Sichuan is home to giant pandas, and though their habitat has been shrinking, there are nature reserves dedicated to their protection. Bears are also found in the deep forests of Sichuan but also quite rare. There are elephants in Yunnan province as well, in fact, recently a wild herd of elephants made the news, as they were migrating from one point to another, and ended up walking through towns and over roads. So, though, as with everywhere, there has been a great reduction in the number of wild animals, China still has quite a diverse range of fauna. * quite a variety 多种多样 * driven almost to extinction 在灭绝的边缘 * predominately 主要 * habitat has been shrinking 栖息地在缩减 * nature reserves 自然保护区 * a wild herd of 一群野生的 * made the news 上新闻了 * migrating 迁徙 * quite a diverse range of 繁多的 * fauna 动物 [图片] Are there TV programs about wild animals in your country? Yes, absolutely. There’s a TV program called The Animal World and it’s been on since my childhood. Every episode of this show gives detailed introductions of a type of wild animal from not just in China but across the world. As a child, I found this show fascinating and the videos and explanations were extremely well done. It’s one of those shows that introduced the wild animal kingdom to me when I was a little kid. There are also dubbed foreign wildlife programs on TV as well, such as National Geographic. * episode （电视剧的）一集 * fascinating 很迷人 * explanations 解说 * wild animal kingdom 野生动物王国 * dubbed 配音 [图片] What is the animal you would like to see in the wild? Well, let me see, I think I would like to see monkeys and I know the perfect place to do that – Mount Emei in Sichuan. They look so cute and they are very intelligent. I’ve watched tons of videos where monkeys zip open the backpacks of tourists and rummage through them until they find food and they are so skillful in taking the food out of bags and peeling bananas! I think I’d bring a bagful of bananas when I go to Mount Emei and watch the monkeys eat. * rummage through 翻找 * skillful in 很有一套 * peeling 剥开 [图片] Have you ever been to a zoo or a safari park? I’ve been to a zoo in Guangzhou, which was about a decade ago. My parents took my entire family there and we spent hours strolling about and watching the animals. I saw beautiful birds, big black bears, elephants, tigers, giant pandas, and sea animals. But most of the animals were sleepy, probably because they were tired of being watched all day and didn’t have enough room to walk or swim about. To be honest, I’m not a big fan of seeing animals in captivity as I think they should be free to roam. * strolling about 到处逛 * sleepy 困的 * in captivity 困住；关押 * free to roam 漫步；游荡

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Does the development of technology affect the way we study? Sure, absolutely. In the past, both learning and teaching were conducted physically face-to-face; whereas these days, the Internet, communication and cloud technology make it possible for more people to study anytime and anywhere. It also offers access to more learning resources, and thus helping people to be more productive in their learning. In fact, there’re so many applications that can help people to study, such as language apps, and also different platforms where you can find any particular knowledge you’d like to learn, such as Knowledge Planet, a popular app in China, so all of this technology allows learners to study more independently, I think that’s one of the most significant changes that have occurred. * conduct 实施；执行 * cloud technology 云技术 * anytime and anywhere 随时随地 * productive 有收获的 * independently 独立地 [Image] What changes has the development of technology brought about in our lives? Well, as said, it can help those who want to learn to be more independent in their learning journey, and another major change is that technology can help reduce the amount of time and cost of ‘getting things done’. For instance, to put money in the bank or to transfer money, we used to plan at least 2 hours for doing such banking because we needed to physically be in the bank and fill out all types of forms. These days, we can have it done on our smartphone in just a few seconds using online banking, saving lots of time and trouble. The same goes for shopping, so overall, the biggest change is that it has made daily living more convenient. * getting things done 把事办完 * forms 表格 * online banking 网上银行 [Image] Why do technology companies keep upgrading their products? One of the prime reasons I think is that technology firms always want to be seen on the cutting edge, and that to promote or upgrade their product portfolio helps to gain more market share especially with those who are gadget or technology enthusiasts, but ultimately, it boils down to wanting to generate more revenue. Another reason is that they are trying to enhance the user experience of their products while reducing costs, and this can also impact the bottom line as it can help capture new markets. Apple, I think, is a very good example of product enhancement, especially in their early years. Each time they gave a product launch event, they presented smarter and more interconnected tech products. * cutting edge 前沿 * gadget 小工具 * boils down to 归根到底 * enhance 增强 * user experience 用户体验 * the bottom line 底线 * capture new markets 占有新市场 * product enhancement 产品改进 * product launch 产品发布 * interconnected 互联的 [Image] What technology do people currently use? These days, people use communication, entertainment, and banking-related technology the most…basically the type of technology that helps them stay in contact with others, entertain themselves, and do online banking. Oh, another one is e-commerce technology because almost every one of the younger generation uses it, I’d say, at least 50% of their grocery shopping, for example, is done using e-commerce technology. Oh, and of course, it’s been big in the news lately, is that app called ChatGPT. I haven’t experienced it yet, but I think it will become really popular, in fact, will revolutionize what it means to learn. Not sure if that’s good or bad, but anyway, all of these apps are the kind of tech most people use now. * e-commerce 电子商务 * the younger generation 年轻一代

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 What sports can help keep people healthy? I think all types of sports can help people maintain their health, but some of the best sports arethose that focus on cardio, such as jogging, playing squash, basketball, tennis,swimming, and the like. All sports in some way help us tomove our body so that’swhy a lot of people,after sitting in an office or a classroom for hours, go jogging or playa sport as it helps shake off the sedentary position many of us find ourselves in every dayworking in an office or sitting at a desk. Arethere health classes in your school? Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by ‘health classes’, but certainly all schools incorporatePE classes into their curriculum. For example, back in my school days, every week wehad one or two physical education classes where we were taught sports and knowledge abouthealth, for instance,what makes a healthy diet and how to protect our eyesight. They were fun, and for most of us, itwas the class we looked forward to every week. Whatis your favorite sport? I don’t really have a favorite sport because I’m the type of person who, unfortunately, have pooreye-hand coordination, not to mention two left feet, and as a result, I’mnot good at any type of sport. Hence, I’ve developed a dislike for most sports. I do enjoy longwalks though, as well asbicycling, and sometimes,I go for long walks and can walk for hours without losing my breath. Howdo you keep healthy? As I just mentioned, I’m not a sports person, rather long walks tendto be my cup of tea and that’s what I do to keep healthy. I sit for hours every day because of the natureof my work and alsobecause I like reading,so kind of a static sedentary lifestyle. I like to go bicyclingin the morning though,and sometimes inthe evening I go for a walk.

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Is music important in traditional festivals? Yes, absolutely. In fact, traditional festivals are always accompanied by a certain type of music, for instance, whenever I think of the Chinese New Year, what springs to mind is the ubiquitous happy songs about new beginnings and making more money. Walking anywhere in China during the Spring Festival, one is bound to hear such music. Hence, music is a paramount factor in traditional festivals. I think the same is true in Western culture with Christmas for example…they really get people into the spirit of things. [图片] Are traditional festivals disappearing? I don’t think so, no, in fact, I don’t think they will ever disappear, but they are changing, that’s for sure. People don’t celebrate them in the so-called ‘traditional’ ways as before is true, as these days, most festivals have adopted a commercial air and turned into vacations and shopping days. Every year, one or two months before one of the festivals, big shopping sites and supermarkets are busy promoting all types of products. But come the actual day, or as may be the case, the week of the festival, I think there are still traditions that are kept up and fulfilled, even if people don’t like to do it. Well, its traditional, haha, so there is some tolerance towards certain elements of the festival, for example, at Chinese New Year, it’s traditional to go and visit all the relatives and family friends, and I know that many people don’t like to do it, but they do out of a sense of obligation and duty. * that's for sure 那是肯定的 * have adopted a commercial air 有种商业气息 * but come the actual day 那天真的到来的时候 * kept up 保持；坚持 * out of a sense of obligation and duty 义务感和责任感 [图片] Do children like to learn about traditional festivals? From what I know, um, not so much. Kids are more concerned about where to travel to and what to eat during those festivals, instead of learning about them. I think it has to do with the societal atmosphere. Why would kids care when they’ve witnessed loads and loads of promotions before and during the festival? The candy, money, gifts, sweet foods, and the like are what kids ruminate about, I think. * societal atmosphere 社会气氛 * loads and loads of 大量的 * ruminate about 认真思考 [图片] Is it important for children to learn about traditional festivals at school? Yeah, I think so. I mean, youngsters spend half of their time at school and it’s vital that they learn something about the origins of their culture by knowing more about traditional festivals. Schools can hold themed events to teach kids all the little things about all types of traditional festivals, and it kind of helps drag them away from the materialistic element of cultural festivals that is so prevalent in today’s society. * themed events 主题活动 * drag...away from 让……远离…… * materialistic element 物质元素 * prevalent 盛行的；普遍存在的

你好呀，欢迎收听：英语考试Cat 🐱🐱🐱🐱 Do you think it's good to use chocolate as gifts to others? Hmm, well, I think it probably depends on whom we're giving gifts to. In general, the older generation is less likely to appreciate gifts like chocolate. But for young people I think it’s totally fine because who doesn’t like the taste of chocolate, especially good chocolate? In fact, I guess you could say it’s a universally accepted gift between friends, lovers, colleagues, and even acquaintances, kind of a safe bet. * the older generation 老一辈 * appreciate 欣赏；感激 * universally accepted 普遍接受的 * acquaintance 熟人 * kind of 有点 * a safe bet 安全的做法；万无一失 [Image] Why do you think chocolate is popular around the world? Well, probably because everyone, or at least most people in the world, loves the taste of chocolate, and because chocolate can have such a wide variety of tastes and flavors, and even for those who aren’t too fond of sweet chocolate, there’s always dark chocolate. I can’t stand it myself, but different folks, different strokes. Other than that, chocolates are often perceived as something sweet and nice, and when used as a gift, normally are not cheap, so a good quality box of chocolates is like giving, or you could say that it actually is, an edible luxury. There’s that Italian chocolate, I forget the name, but it’s really famous in China, and it has a milk chocolate shell sprinkled with crushed walnuts and a rich deep gooey chocolate inside. Ah, to die for! * a wide variety of 各种各样的 * dark chocolate 黑巧克力 * different folks, different strokes 萝卜青菜、各有所爱 * perceived as 被看作；视为 * edible 可实用的 * sprinkled with 撒上了 * rich 浓郁的 * gooey 软软黏黏的 * to die for 渴望 [Image] Do you like eating chocolates? Yeah, sure, especially those chocolates I just mentioned. Unlike all other types of candies, chocolate has a unique flavor, and its rich taste stays in your mouth for a while, even dark chocolate, which I mentioned before, that bitter taste can stay in your mouth for quite some time. Sometimes I might snatch a chocolate bar when I do my grocery shopping trips, but only once in a while. * rich taste 浓郁的味道 * bitter taste 苦涩的味道 * for quite some time 一段时间 * snatch 抓 [Image] Did you often eat chocolate when you were a kid? No, in fact, never. I can’t recall ever tasting chocolate in my childhood. Back then, chocolate was perceived as something ‘high-end’ in my neck of the woods and so we never even thought about it. I hardly ever saw them in grocery stores in my town and if I did, they were like those cheap foil-wrapped round chocolates which actually I never tried. I did spot proper boxed chocolates in bigger supermarkets in a nearby town but they were expensive and so I never bought one and so never ate it as a kid. * perceived 被看作 * high-end 高端 * in my neck of the woods 在我（家乡）那个地方 * spot 看到