英語角-圓桌會議 RoundTable - 如何保護四合院

Topic1 Banks urged to support first-home buyersChina's central bank has urged commercial lenders to give priority to first-home buyers, who are currently suffering a loan-supply shortage.

The People's Bank of China has called on 15 commercial banks, including the Big Five to offer first-home buyers more efficient mortgage services.

Is there a problem with loan supplies?

Topic2 C-section on the rise in ChinaJournalists interviewed some hospitals in Hebei Province and found C-section is being used unnecessarily. C-section rates of 6 cities in Hebei surpassed the national average of 46%; one of them is as high as 66%.

A WHO survey found that nearly one in two births in China are delivered by cesarean section, of which a quarter are not medically necessary.

Why?

Topic3 Yao Ming SuedFormer NBA star Yao Ming is being sued by Beijing resident Feng Changshun for endorsing a health food product that Feng said misleads consumers. This is one of the first consumer rights cases involving a celebritysince a new protection law was enacted in March.

Does Feng's claims hold up? Does he have a case?

Topic4 Anti-Terrorism Major in CollegeA new anti-terrorism major will be offered at a Chinese university to meet increasing demand for the expertise and strengthen the prevention of terror attacks.

The major, part of a new research area of the intelligence department of the People's Public Security University of China, will help train anti-terrorism police officers nationwide.

What exactly is this major about?

Topic5 Courtyard homes in Beijing need better preservationThe first ever official directory of siheyuan – the traditional courtyard homes of Beijing – is expected to be published by the end of this year.

Nearly 1,000 siheyuan have been logged in the directory. Half of them are found to have deteriorated over the years.

The question now is how to preserve these courtyard houses, which has become a controversial subject.

Should we care?

1 endorsing

v.贊同( endorse的現(xiàn)在分詞 );在(尤指支票的)背面簽字;在(文件的)背面寫評論;在廣告上說本人使用并贊同某產(chǎn)品

參考例句：

Yet Communist leaders are also publicly endorsing religion in an unprecedented way. 不過，共產(chǎn)黨領(lǐng)導(dǎo)層對宗教信仰的公開認(rèn)可也是以前不曾有過的。 來自互聯(lián)網(wǎng)

Connecticut Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is endorsing Republican Senator John McCain. 康涅狄格州獨立派參議員約瑟夫。列波曼將會票選共和議員約翰。麥凱恩。 來自互聯(lián)網(wǎng)

2 celebrity

n.名人，名流;著名，名聲，名望

參考例句：

Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 湯姆意識到自己已小有名氣了。

He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己獲得名氣。

3 enacted

制定(法律)，通過(法案)( enact的過去式和過去分詞 )

參考例句：

legislation enacted by parliament 由議會通過的法律

Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 來自英漢文學(xué) - 嘉莉妹妹

4 expertise

n.專門知識(或技能等)，專長

參考例句：

We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我們贊嘆不已。

You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.讓你真正在專業(yè)技術(shù)上有一個全新的突破。

5 deteriorated

惡化，變壞( deteriorate的過去式和過去分詞 )

參考例句：

Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康狀況急劇惡化，不久便去世了。

His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情惡化，日甚一日。