Rare Labubu sells for more than $150,000 at auction A rare, first-generation Labubu figure has sold for $150,000 in Beijing at an auction held exclusively for the toys that have taken the world by storm. The 131-centimeter (51-inch) mint green figurine with a gremlin-like appearance, sharp teeth and puckish grin went for 1.08 million yuan ($150,325) at the Yongle International Auction house that normally specializes in selling jewelry and modern art. “Congratulations to the online buyer on collecting the world's only such one,” said the auctioneer at an exhibition center in downtown Beijing on Tuesday afternoon. Labubus are currently the trendiest plush toys on the planet, created by Hong Kong-born illustrator Kasing Lung and retailed by the Chinese toy giant Pop Mart. In recent months, the bunny-bodied, elf-faced creatures — equal parts grotesque and adorable — have soared in popularity, sparking buying frenzies around the world, and in some cases, brawls among fans outside shops selling them. Even in China, where Pop Mart is based and most of its toys are made, people are struggling to get their hands on Labubus. A total of 48 Labubus were auctioned at the special event, billed as the “World's First” auction of first generation collectible Labubus. A brown, 160-centimeter (63-inch) Labubu figure, sold for $114,086, the second highest hammer price at the event. The company said only 15 such figures exist around the world. Other figures went for more than $1,000 each. “As a trendy toy in China, Labubu is now becoming a global artwork as it has truly sparked a craze around the world,” Zhao Xu, the founder of Yongle Auction, told state-owned outlet The Beijing News. Zhao said the company plans to hold monthly livestream auctions for Labubu and other trendy artworks. A pair of Minions-like Labubus sold at auction for 10,000 yuan ($1,391). Buyers at the auction also had to pay an additional 15% brokerage fee on top of the hammer prices. And it's not rare to see a price inflation of Labubus due to the crazy demand in China. For instance, a blind box from the latest Labubu 3.0 series, originally priced at around $81, has been selling for up to $278 on the second-hand market, state-owned outlet Cover News reported. Labubu's viral popularity has been a booster for Pop Mart. Annual results show that the Chinese company's global gross profit surged by over 125% last year, while its revenue in China reached more than $1.09 billion, 34% higher than 2023. auction /ˈɔːkʃn/ n. 拍卖 📚例句：Grandma's vintage vase sold quickly at the online auction. （奶奶的古董花瓶在线上拍卖中迅速售出） 🔍搭配：live auction 现场拍卖 mint /mɪnt/ adj. 崭新的；薄荷绿的 📚例句：She just bought a mint condition comic book from 1980. （她刚买到一本1980年崭新如初的漫画书） 🔍搭配：mint green 薄荷绿 plush /plʌʃ/ adj. 毛绒的 📚例句：Kids love hugging plush teddy bears to sleep. （孩子们喜欢抱着毛绒泰迪熊入睡） 🔍搭配：plush toy 毛绒玩具 frenzy /ˈfrenzi/ n. 狂热 📚例句：The concert ticket sale caused a frenzy among fans. （演唱会门票发售引发粉丝疯狂抢购） 🔍搭配：buying frenzy 抢购狂潮 brokerage /ˈbrəʊkərɪdʒ/ n. 佣金 📚例句：The stock trade required a 2% brokerage fee. （这笔股票交易需支付2%的佣金） 🔍搭配：brokerage fee 中介费 surge /sɜːdʒ/ v. 激增 📚例句：Electric car sales surged after the new policy. （新政策出台后电动车销量激增） 🔍搭配：profit surge 利润暴涨 grotesque /ɡrəʊˈtesk/ adj. 怪诞的 📚例句：The Halloween mask had a grotesque smile. （那个万圣节面具带着怪诞的笑容） 🔍搭配：grotesque design 怪异设计 hammer price /ˈhæmə praɪs/ n. 落槌价 📚例句：The painting's hammer price was higher than expected. （这幅画的落槌价超出预期） 🔍搭配：final hammer price 最终落槌价

How Does One Person Survive a Plane Crash? When Air India Flight 171 crash-landed shortly after take off, smashing into a residential building and bursting into flames, it seemed impossible that any of the 242 occupants could have survived. Miraculously, one did—but how? The passenger who survived the Boeing787 Dreamliner crash in India was seated in 11A, an emergency exit row at the front of the economy cabin. He is on a very short list among aviation's worst disasters. Over the past eight decades of commercial travel, there have been fewer than 20 crashes where planes carrying 80 or more occupants left a sole survivor or two, according to data collected by the Flight Safety Foundation, an international nonprofit that provides safety guidance. A previous example was in January when two flight attendants survived a Jeju Air plane crash in South Korea that killed 179 people. The attendants were seated in the rear when the Boeing 737 slammed into an embankment and burst into flames. Investigators assessing the survivability of a plane crash focus on five factors: integrity of the aircraft, effectiveness of safety restraints, G-forces experienced by passengers and crew, the environment inside the aircraft and postcrash factors such as fire or smoke. “There are a lot of reasons someone may survive in what appears to be a totally unsurvivable situation,” said Barbara Dunn, president of the International Society of Air Safety Investigators. “Depending on how the aircraft lands and where a passenger is seated has an impact,” she said. “If you have your seat belt tightened, it limits the amount of flailing the body goes through. It also depends on whether a passenger is able to assume a brace position.” The National Transportation Safety Board deems a crash “survivable” if the forces transmitted to occupants don't exceed the limits of human tolerance and the structure of the aircraft surrounding the occupants remains largely intact. A crash is deemed nonsurvivable when the G-forces are so great, the body can't withstand the punishment. The NTSB survivability definitions don't take into consideration the effect of hazards such as smoke or fire, nor do they hinge on whether there are, in fact, survivors in a crash. To understand occupant-survivability rates in serious accidents, the NTSB examined commercial flights between 1983 and 2017. Serious accidents were defined as having had a fire, at least one serious injury or fatality and a substantially damaged or destroyed aircraft. Thirty-five crashes met that criteria. Just over half of the 3,823 occupants in the accidents studied by the NTSB survived with minor or no injuries; 6.3% experienced serious injuries; 27% died from impact; 4.1% died from fire or smoke; and about 10% died from other or unknown causes. crash-land /ˈkræʃlænd/ v. 紧急迫降 📚例句：The pilot had to crash-land the small plane in a field. （飞行员被迫将小飞机紧急迫降在田地里） 🔍搭配：crash-land safely 安全迫降 occupant /ˈɒkjʊpənt/ n. 乘员 📚例句：All occupants of the car must wear seat belts. （车内所有乘员必须系安全带） 🔍搭配：vehicle occupants 车辆乘员 miraculously /mɪˈrækjʊləsli/ adv. 奇迹般地 📚例句：She miraculously recovered from the illness in three days. （她三天内奇迹般地从疾病中康复） 🔍搭配：miraculously escape 奇迹逃脱 integrity /ɪnˈteɡrəti/ n. 完整性 📚例句：The ancient castle retained its structural integrity. （这座古堡保持着完好的结构） 🔍搭配：data integrity 数据完整性 restraint /rɪˈstreɪnt/ n. 约束装置 📚例句：The roller coaster's restraints kept passengers secure. （过山车的约束装置保障乘客安全） 🔍搭配：safety restraints 安全束缚装置 withstand /wɪðˈstænd/ v. 承受 📚例句：This phone can withstand water submersion. （这款手机能承受水下浸泡） 🔍搭配：withstand pressure 抗压 hazard /ˈhæzəd/ n. 危险因素 📚例句：Construction sites have many potential hazards. （建筑工地存在多种潜在危险） 🔍搭配：chemical hazards 化学危害 fatality /fəˈtæləti/ n. 死亡事故 📚例句：The factory recorded zero fatalities this year. （该工厂今年实现了零死亡事故） 🔍搭配：traffic fatality 交通死亡事故

Maths Genius Solves Equation That Baffled Six PhDs For Months In One Night In what looks set to be a real-life Good Will Hunting story, a Chinese mathematical genius solved a problem in one night that baffled PhD students for months. Wei Dongyi, nicknamed 'God Wei', showed PhD students a thing or two about solving equations. Dongyi is an assistant professor at Peking University, in Beijing, and was sought out by the students who were stumped with the equation. Happy to help, the maths wiz sent over his workings out to help solve the problem. The students adjusted their experiment accordingly and hey-presto their new model had a 96 percent success rate. Dongyi was offered compensation for his work, but like an absolute baller refused, saying: "It's unnecessary to pay me for such an easy problem," South China Morning Post reports. Still, the students wanted to do something for the assistant professor, so they finally settled on paying for Dongyi's transport card. Naturally, the story caught the attention of the wider academic community, with Chen Dayue, the dean of Peking University's School of Mathematical Sciences, saying: "It is not rare or surprising to us that Wei can solve the puzzle that other people cannot because he is smart and is hyper-focused on maths problems." With a former classmate saying of Dongyi: "Among thousands of PKU students in the school, you can recognise God Wei with one look because no matter which season it is, he always carries a 1.5-litre plastic bottle and walks fast. "He is a disciplined person. We often saw him eat steamed buns accompanied with tofu in the canteen. "He studied well and he won scholarships of over 100,000 yuan (US$15,655) a year. But he still lives a plain life, being rustic in both clothing and food," as reported by The Star. This isn't the first time that Dongyi has captured headlines, because the math genius went viral in 2021 after an interview clip of him and the earlier mentioned giant plastic water bottle caught the attention of people online. The assistant professor was mistaken for a student in the clip and people started sending him replacements for his battered beverage holder, which made him a little uncomfortable. Speaking of the gifts, he said: "But I'm worried about the gift-giving issue and how it affects my teaching ethics." baffle /ˈbæfl/ v. 难倒 📚例句：The puzzle baffled even the smartest students. （这个谜题连最聪明的学生都被难倒了。） stump /stʌmp/ v. 难住 📚例句：The riddle stumped everyone at the party. （这个谜语难倒了派对上的所有人。） hey-presto /ˌheɪ ˈprestoʊ/ interj. 嘿，瞧！（表惊喜） 📚例句：I added salt, and hey-presto! The soup tasted perfect. （我加了盐，嘿，瞧！汤的味道完美了。） baller /ˈbɔːlər/ n. （俚语）厉害人物 📚例句：She aced the exam like a total baller. （她像大佬一样轻松考了满分。） hyper-focused /ˌhaɪpər ˈfoʊkəst/ adj. 极度专注的 📚例句：He's hyper-focused when playing chess. （他下棋时极度专注。） rustic /ˈrʌstɪk/ adj. 朴素的 📚例句：They enjoyed a rustic picnic in the countryside. （他们在乡间享受了朴素的野餐。） ethics /ˈeθɪks/ n. 道德准则 📚例句：Journalists must follow strict ethics. （记者必须遵守严格的道德准则。）

Trump v Musk: world’s two worst people are finally having a big, beautiful breakup If you paid attention during physics class you will remember the third law of ego-dynamics. Namely: when two egos of equal mass occupy the same orbit, the system will eventually become unstable, resulting in an explosive separation and some very nasty tweets. To see this theory in action please have a gander at the dramatic collapse of the Donald Trump and Elon Musk bromance. The news has been a nonstop horror show for what feels like forever. Watching two of the very worst people in the world direct their nastiness at each other is extremely cathartic. While I won’t contain my glee, I will collect myself long enough to go over the backstory. First, as you know, Musk spent $277m to help get Trump elected. If this happened somewhere else we would call it corruption and the US might invade the country to install democracy. But this is the US we’re talking about, so it was fine. After Musk donated all those quids, Trump provided the quo. Musk got his Doge gig, through which he weakened all the agencies that were regulating his businesses in the name of saving the US a load of money. This is the point where things started to go wrong and Musk’s reputation started to tank. Over the years the billionaire had managed to convince a depressingly large number of people that he was some sort of genius rocket man with anti-establishment views. Once he became part of the establishment, however, and started slashing federal jobs, a lot of people started to get annoyed with how much influence he had over their lives. Musk may be a space cadet but even he could see how much he was destroying his brand. It didn’t help, of course, that Tesla shares were dropping. So a week ago he did the sensible thing and announced that he was leaving his role with the Trump administration. Rather more interestingly, however, the “first buddy” publicly criticized Trump’s marquee tax bill. Whispers of a rift between Musk and Trump started circulating. At first when Musk parted ways with the Trump administration I thought the public divorce might be smoke and mirrors: a mutually beneficial PR exercise. Trump got rid of a creepy weirdo who nobody liked and kept causing him problems. Musk got to show his worried investors that he was putting all his energy back into the companies he’s supposed to be running. Rumours of a fallout, I thought, were greatly exaggerated. On Thursday, however, things escalated to the point where I don’t think this fallout can possibly be manufactured or exaggerated. catharsis /kəˈθɑːrsɪs/ n. 情绪释放 📚例句：After crying, she felt a sense of catharsis. （大哭一场后，她感到情绪宣泄的轻松。） 🔍搭配：emotional catharsis 情感宣泄 nastiness /ˈnæstinəs/ n. 卑劣行为 📚例句：Stop the nastiness—we should solve problems politely. （停止龌龊行径，我们该礼貌解决问题。） 🔍搭配：political nastiness 政治污糟 splurge /splɜːrdʒ/ v. 挥霍 📚例句：He splurged on a luxury car for his birthday. （他生日砸钱买了辆豪车。） 🔍搭配：splurge on gifts 豪掷礼物 reputation tank /ˌrepjuˈteɪʃn tæŋk/ 人设崩塌 📚例句：The scandal caused his reputation to tank overnight. （丑闻让他人设一夜崩塌。） 🔍搭配：academic reputation tank 学术名声崩盘 add insult to injury 雪上加霜 📚例句：His car broke down, and to add insult to injury, it started raining. （车坏了，雪上加霜的是天还下起雨。） 🔍搭配：delays add insult to injury 延误更添堵 thermonuclear /ˌθɜːrmoʊˈnuːkliər/ adj. 毁灭性的 📚例句：She dropped a thermonuclear truth bomb during the argument. （争吵中她抛出一句核弹级真相。） 🔍搭配：thermonuclear gossip 爆炸性八卦 burn bridges /bɜːrn ˈbrɪdʒɪz/ 撕破脸 📚例句：Quitting angrily made him burn bridges with his boss. （愤然离职导致他和老板彻底撕破脸。） 🔍搭配：risk burning bridges 冒险决裂 bromance collapse /ˈbroʊmæns kəˈlæps/ 塑料兄弟情 📚例句：Their bromance collapsed after a business dispute. （商业纠纷后，他们的塑料兄弟情碎了。） 🔍搭配：celebrity bromance collapse 明星兄弟情破裂

Why can't some people remember their dreams? For many of us, dreams are an almost intangible presence. If we're lucky, we can only remember the most fleeting glimpse in the cold light of day; even those of us who can recollect past dreams in astonishing detail can wake some days with almost no memory of what we had dreamed about. There is little ethereal about the reasons this might be happening, however. Why we have dreams – and whether we can remember them – are both rooted in the biology of our sleeping bodies and subconscious mind. Sleep is more complicated than we once thought. Rather than being a plateau of unconsciousness bookended by slipping in and out of sleep, our resting brains go through a rollercoaster of mental states, with some parts being full of mental activity. Dreaming is most closely associated with the sleep state known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM). REM is sometimes known as desynchronised sleep, because it can mimic some of the signs of being awake. In REM sleep, the eyes twitch rapidly, there are changes in breathing and circulation, and the body enters a paralysed state known as atonia. It happens in 90-minute-waves during sleep, and it's at this stage that our brains tend to dream. There is an extra flow of blood to crucial parts of our brain during the REM state: the cortex, which fills our dreams with their content, and the limbic system, which processes our emotional state. While we're in this dream-friendly state of sleep, they fire with furious electrical activity. The frontal lobes, however – which direct our critical faculties – are quiet. This means we often blindly accept what is happening in this often nonsensical narrative until the time comes to wake up. The problem is, the more jumbled the imagery, the harder it is for us to grasp hold of. Dreams that have a clearer structure are much easier for us to remember, psychology professor and author Deidre Barrett said in a recent story on Gizmodo. But there's a chemical component at work which is crucial for making sure those dream images are retained: noradrenaline. Noradrenaline is a hormone that primes the body and mind for action, and our levels of it are naturally lower in deep sleep. It is no accident that the dreams we remember the most come from certain periods in our sleep cycle, affected by the chemicals coursing through our sleeping bodies. “Normally we dream most vividly in REM sleep, which is when the levels of noradrenaline are low in the brain,” she says. atonia /əˈtoʊniə/ n. 肌肉失张力 📚例句：The body enters atonia in REM sleep to prevent acting out dreams. （身体在快速眼动期进入肌肉失张力状态，防止梦游） 🔍科普：睡眠瘫痪的科学术语 noradrenaline /ˌnɔːrəˈdrenəlɪn/ n. 去甲肾上腺素 📚例句：Low noradrenaline levels during REM make dreams hard to recall. （快速眼动期去甲肾上腺素水平低导致梦境难被记住） 🔍作用：记忆巩固的关键激素 jumbled /ˈdʒʌmbld/ adj. 混乱的 📚例句：Jumbled dream imagery slips from memory like sand. （混乱的梦境画面如流沙般从记忆中消逝） 🔍近义：disordered 无序的 cortex /ˈkɔːrteks/ n. 大脑皮层 📚例句：The visual cortex paints surreal scenes in dreams. （视觉皮层在梦中描绘超现实场景） 🔍功能：梦境内容生成核心区 limbic system /ˈlɪmbɪk ˈsɪstəm/ n. 边缘系统 📚例句：The limbic system fuels emotional rollercoasters in dreams. （边缘系统为梦境中的情绪过山车提供动力） 🔍关联：恐惧/快乐等梦境情绪来源

In Jiangsu, an Amateur Football League Scores Big With Tourists With an average attendance of nearly 10,000 spectators per match, a constant stream of viral banter online, and fans scrambling for tickets, the inaugural Jiangsu City Football League has recently become a sensational phenomenon, sparking heated discussions on why it has risen to instant popularity and its implications on grassroots football development. Using playful slogans such as "The match comes first, friendship fourteenth," and "No match-fixing, just long-standing rivalries," the amateur league features all 13 cities under direct jurisdiction of Jiangsu Province and is founded on the principle of mass participation and a shared sense of city pride. Veteran football fan Peng Dalian witnessed his hometown team, Yancheng, score a dramatic 1-0 winner against Huai'an in the 89th minute on Sunday. He said the league is far beyond just winning or losing. "It's about a sense of pride and emotional resonance that belongs to every city and every resident," Peng told the Radio Jiangsu News. The reason behind the league's rapid rise lies in its ability to capture the essence of local identity, grassroots traditions, and the spirit of friendly rivalry among cities. The overall level of competition in the league isn't very high. However, that's not where the public's attention lies. What has truly captured people's interest are the stories and values behind the game - the sense of community, city pride, cultural identity, and the shared emotional experience that football brings. The Lianyungang team has turned its home matches into a seafood festival, while the Yangzhou team transforms halftime breaks into an intangible cultural heritage showcase. The clash between Huai'an and Yangzhou was touted as a "battle of cuisine" as both cities are known for culinary traditions. Each participating city has used the pitch as a stage to present its own unique local culture. By tapping into the cultural essence of cities, the league has brought these values to life through football, a sport with broad popularity and high visibility. "The vitality of football lies in public participation and genuine passion. Only when more city-level leagues like this emerge can we truly foster a strong grassroots ecosystem for the development of football in China," Luo Le, a sports scholar at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, told the Global Times on Tuesday. If scaled across China, leagues like this could become the cornerstone of a truly bottom-up football ecosystem, just as local clubs have been the bedrock of English football's global success. The success of the league proves that grassroots football holds great potential in China just like the Village Super League (VSL), or known as Cunchao, hosted in Rongjiang, Southwest China's Guizhou Province. As Peng said, "I hope the league will continue for years to come and ultimately grow into a proud cultural symbol of Jiangsu." spectator /ˈspek.teɪ.tə/ n. 观众 * 英文例句：Nearly 10,000 spectators cheered wildly as the amateur team scored a last-minute goal. * 中文例句：当业余队在最后一分钟进球时，近万名观众疯狂欢呼。 * 搭配：attract spectators（吸引观众） inaugural /ɪˈnɔː.ɡjə.rəl/ adj. 首届的 * 英文例句：The inaugural Jiangsu City Football League quickly became a cultural phenomenon. * 中文例句：江苏首届（inaugural）城市足球联赛迅速成为文化现象。 * 搭配：inaugural season（首个赛季） grassroot /ˈɡrɑːs.ruːt/ adj. 草根的 * 英文例句：Grassroots football leagues are vital for nurturing local talent. * 中文例句：草根足球联赛对培养本地人才至关重要。 * 搭配：grassroots development（基层发展） veteran /ˈvet.ər.ən/ adj./n. 资深的；老手 * 英文例句：A veteran fan teared up when his hometown team won. * 中文例句：一位资深（veteran）球迷在家乡队获胜时激动落泪。 * 搭配：veteran player（资深球员） culinary /ˈkʌl.ɪ.nər.i/ adj. 烹饪的 * 英文例句：The Huai'an vs Yangzhou match was dubbed a "culinary clash". * 中文例句：淮安对阵扬州的比赛被戏称为"美食（culinary）大战"。 * 搭配：culinary traditions（饮食传统） scramble /ˈskræm.bəl/ v. 争夺 * 英文例句：Fans scrambled for tickets after match videos went viral. * 中文例句：比赛视频走红后，球迷们疯狂抢票（scrambled）。 * 搭配：scramble for resources（争夺资源）

Meituan Profit Soars as Revenue Beats Estimates Despite Rising Competition Chinese food-delivery giant Meituan reported a near doubling in profit on better-than-expected revenue growth in the first quarter, continuing a run of strong earnings despite fierce competition at home. The Beijing-based shopping-and-delivery platform said Monday that net profit was 10.06 billion yuan for the first three months of the year, equivalent to $1.40 billion. Revenue jumped 18% to 86.56 billion yuan, topping analysts' estimate of 85.4 billion yuan. The consensus-beating figures point to the resilience of Meituan, a dominant player in the Chinese food-delivery market, even as it faces stiff competition in its home market. Beijing-based JD.com recently announced plans to hire 100,000 full-time food-delivery riders. While the intense rivalry in the sector has yet to make a dent in Meituan's results, analysts at Citi said it will likely force China's leading food-delivery platform to step up subsidies for users, riders and merchants and accelerate the rollout of rider benefits, which may eventually weigh on the company's revenue growth. Another potential headwind for Meituan lies in China's regulation of platform fees. China's antitrust regulator released draft guidelines over the weekend asking online platform operators to charge reasonable, transparent fees to third-party merchants. The goal of the regulation seems to be to improve the operational environment for businesses that sell on delivery and e-commerce platforms and increase merchants' income. The news sent Meituan's Hong Kong-listed shares tumbling as much as 6.4% on Monday. The stock has declined about 15% so far this year, underperforming its peers and the broader market by a sizable margin. beat estimates 超出预期 Xiaomi's new processor beats estimates in benchmark tests, outperforming some flagship products from other companies.小米的新处理器在基准测试中超出了预期，超越了其他公司的一些旗舰产品。 outperform v. 超越 underperform v. 逊于 a near doubling in something 某物几乎翻倍 doubling n. 翻番 a near tripling in something 某物几乎翻三倍 a multiple-fold increase 翻了好几倍 The country's M2 figure has seen a multiple-fold increase over the past decade.这个国家的M2数字在过去十年里增长了多倍。 run 英 [rʌn] 美 [rʌn] n. 一波……，一连串的…… a winning run 一波连胜 a run of success 连续的成功 Xiaomi reported better-than-expected revenue in the first quarter, extending a run of strong earnings since last year.小米在今年第一季度实现了高于预期的营收，延续了自去年以来的强劲业绩表现。 quarterly earnings report 季度财务报告 consensus-beating （本文）超出市场预期的；打破了共识的 consensus n. （市场，如分析师、投资人的）普遍预期；共识，普遍看法 Let's go with hot pot — there seems to be a consensus.要不咱们就吃火锅吧，大家好像都同意。 During economic downturns, consensus-beating opportunities often arise where others only see gloom.经济低迷时期，总有些超出市场共识的新机会，会在别人只看到阴霾的时候悄然出现。 resilience 英 [rɪˈzɪljəns] 美 [rɪˈzɪljəns] n. 韧性 Some countries underestimated China's resilience in the trade war.有些国家低估了中国在贸易战中的韧性。 step up （商业语境）增加投入；加大 step up the efforts 加倍努力 headwind 英 [ˈhedwɪnd] 美 [ˈhedwɪnd] n. 明确的阻力、不利因素；（航海或者飞行中）迎头吹来的强风 roadblock n. 障碍，临时困难；路障 The industry is facing significant headwinds/roadblocks from rising raw material costs.该行业正面临原材料成本上升带来的不利因素。 tumble 英 [ˈtʌmbl] 美 [ˈtʌmbl] v. （股市或经济指标）急剧下滑；突然跌倒 The number of foreign enterprises tumbled by 40% last year due to regulatory uncertainties.由于监管不确定性，去年外资企业数量骤降了40%。

Scientists Reveal If Your Body Shape Puts You at Risk of Colorectal Cancer Your body shape could be putting you at a higher risk of colorectal cancer, scientists have warned. Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society, with roughly 150,000 new cases projected for 2024. Overall, the lifetime risk for developing this type of cancer is roughly 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 25 for women, although scientists have identified several factors that may increase our chances of developing the disease. Many lifestyle-related factors have been linked to colorectal cancer, including diets rich in red and processed meat, smoking, heavy drinking and obesity. But it turns out that the way our body tends to put on weight may also have an impact. You may have come across "apple" and "pear" shaped body types—widely used terms to describe the distribution of fat around the body. There are of course other body types too, such as the hourglass, inverted triangle and the ruler. Each of these is fairly self-explanatory, but which category you fit into depends on your genetics, lifestyle, sex and age. Unfortunately, numerous studies have found that the apple body shape in particular—that is, one with a larger waist and narrower hips—may increase our risk of various health issues, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. These associations persist even among those with a healthy BMI. Now, new research suggests that waist-heavy fat distribution may increase our risk of colorectal cancer, too. "Body shape is mainly determined by a combination of environmental and genetic factors," Heinz Freisling, an epidemiologist at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, told Newsweek. "Other determinants of body type can be hormonal, metabolic, or other yet unknown factors. Although our genetic predisposition to a specific body type cannot be changed, we can act on environmental factors," he said. "For example, we know that tobacco smoking favors fat accumulation around the waist. Being physically active, less sedentary, and eating a balanced diet help maintain a healthy weight." In a study published in the journal Science Advances, Freisling and colleagues found that individuals who were tall with a "centrally obese" body type—i.e. a tall apple shape—were more likely to develop colorectal cancers. General obesity was also associated with an increased risk. The study analyzed data from 329,828 participants form the U.K. Biobank—a biomedical database investigating the respective contributions of genetics and environment to the development of various diseases—to investigate this relationship between body type and cancer risk. Next, the team combed through genetic data from 460,198 participants to determine whether any specific genetic variants were associated with either of these body types. Overall, their findings suggest that generally obese and centrally obese, apple shaped individuals are at a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer, although the genetic mechanisms that underpin these body types and potential risk factors likely have different biochemical origins. "One of the intriguing findings of our study is that these body types seem to affect health of the digestive system, or specifically the colorectum, through systemic rather than local processes," Freisling said. "We found that more of a generally obese body shape was associated with genes that were overexpressed in certain brain regions, while more of a tall, centrally obese body shape was mainly associated with genes that were overexpressed in [fat] tissue. Plainly, this suggests that digestive health can at least partly originate in the brain and [fat] tissue." Of course, these results are still observational and human bodies come in all shapes and sizes. But the study is an important step towards recognizing the importance of genetic diversity and body type when considering cancer risk analysis. colorectal /ˌkoʊləˈrektəl/ adj. 结直肠的 📚 例句：Colorectal cancer screening is recommended for adults over 45.（建议45岁以上成人进行结直肠癌筛查） 🔍 搭配：colorectal surgery 结直肠外科 obesity /oʊˈbiːsəti/ n. 肥胖 📚 例句：Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years.（儿童肥胖率过去30年增长三倍） 🔍 搭配：combat obesity 对抗肥胖 sedentary /ˈsedənteri/ adj. 久坐的 📚 例句：Sedentary office workers face higher diabetes risks.（久坐的上班族糖尿病风险更高） 🔍 搭配：sedentary lifestyle 静态生活方式 observational /ˌɒbzərˈveɪʃənl/ adj. 观察性的 📚 例句：This observational study revealed a link between sleep and immunity.（这项观察性研究揭示了睡眠与免疫力的关联） 🔍 搭配：observational data 观察数据

Harvard Chinese grad speech draws praise and ire A Chinese Harvard graduate's speech calling for unity in a divided world, delivered days after the US vowed to "aggressively" revoke Chinese students' visas, has sparked mixed reactions in the US and her home country. "We don't rise by proving each other wrong. We rise by refusing to let one another go," Jiang Yurong said on Thursday, the same day a US federal judge blocked the Trump administration's ban on foreign students at Harvard. Her speech went viral on the Chinese internet, with some saying it moved them to tears. However, others said her elite background is not representative of Chinese students. Ms Jiang, who studied international development, was the first Chinese woman to speak at a Harvard graduation ceremony. In her address, Ms Jiang emphasised the value of Harvard's international classrooms, noting how that taught her and her classmates to "dance through each other's traditions" and "carry the weight of each other's worlds". "If we still believe in a shared future, let us not forget: those we label as enemies - they, too, are human. In seeing their humanity, we find our own," said Ms Jiang, who spent her final two years of school at Cardiff Sixth Form College in Wales before going to Duke University in the US for her undergraduate degree. Some Chinese social media users allege that the organisation Ms Jiang's father works for is backed by prominent American companies and foundations. The BBC has not independently verified these allegations. "This is why she could get a scholarship to go to the UK for high school, and later also to Harvard," wrote a user on China's X-like platform, Weibo. Others called for her to stay on in the US, with comments that reeked with sarcasm. "Such talent should be left to the United States," one wrote. "I hope she will continue to glow abroad and stay away from us!" read another. But Ms Jiang's vision of a "shared humanity" also struck a chord. "That she is able to stand on an international stage and speak the heart of Chinese students has moved me to tears," wrote a user on Red Note, another Chinese social media platform. Another user defended Jiang by hitting back at those who criticised her: "You may not have changed them, but they've heard you... As more and more people speak out like you, you will eventually move and change others." There are around 6,800 international students at Harvard, who make up more than 27% of its enrolments in the past academic year. About a third of these foreign students are from China, and more than 700 are Indian. revoke /rɪˈvoʊk/ v. 撤销 🔸例句：The bar revoked his license for serving minors.（酒吧因向未成年人售酒被吊销执照） 🔍搭配：revoke a visa 撤销签证 spark /spɑːrk/ v. 引发 🔸例句：The celebrity divorce sparked wild rumors online.（明星离婚引爆网络谣言） 🔍搭配：spark debate 引发争论 go viral /ɡoʊ ˈvaɪrəl/ v. 爆火 🔸例句：The grandma's hip-hop video went viral overnight.（奶奶的嘻哈视频一夜爆红） 🔍搭配：make sth go viral 助推走红 elite /eɪˈliːt/ adj. 精英的 🔸例句：She attended an elite prep school in Switzerland.（她就读瑞士精英预科学校） 🔍对比：elitist 精英主义的（含贬义） allege /əˈledʒ/ v. 指控（未证实） 🔸例句：Netizens alleged the influencer faked her poverty.（网友指控网红伪造贫困人设） 🔍法律用语：alleged offender 嫌疑犯 verify /ˈverɪfaɪ/ v. 核实 🔸例句：Always verify news before reposting!（转发前务必核实新闻！） 🔍近义：confirm 确认 reek /riːk/ v. 散发（气味） 🔸例句：His apology reeked of insincerity.（他的道歉透着虚伪） 🔍搭配：reek of hypocrisy 充满伪善 sarcasm /ˈsɑːrkæzəm/ n. 讽刺 🔸例句："Great job!" she said with heavy sarcasm.（"干得漂亮！"她讽刺道） 🔍表情符号版：🙃（代表阴阳怪气） strike a chord /straɪk ə kɔːrd/ v. 引起共鸣 🔸例句：The documentary struck a chord with working moms.（纪录片引发职场妈妈共鸣） 🔍类比：resonate 共振 → 共鸣

What is a ‘996’ work culture, and why are young professionals in China giving it the cold shoulder? In China’s hypercompetitive job market, a growing number of young professionals are opting out of the relentless “996” work culture — working from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week — that once epitomized ambition and success. Instead, they are embracing a lifestyle that prioritizes personal well-being over corporate expectations, signaling a significant shift in the country’s work ethos. This movement, known by the phrases tang ping (lying flat) and bai lan (let it rot), reflects a collective disillusionment among China’s youth. These terms encapsulate a passive resistance to societal pressures and an acknowledgment of the diminishing returns of overexertion in a saturated job market. The phenomenon gained traction as many young people found themselves overworked, underpaid and facing limited upward mobility. ‘Burning out for someone else’s vision’ “I used to think working late meant I was valuable,” said Liu Wen, 25, who left her job at a fintech startup in Hangzhou last year. “But after two years of nonstop pressure and no promotion, I realized I was just burning out for someone else’s vision.” The shift is not merely cultural — it’s tied to real economic pressures. Soaring housing costs, intense academic competition and stagnant wage growth have left many young Chinese skeptical of the traditional promise that hard work will yield social advancement. A more recent manifestation of this disengagement is the emergence of the “rat people” subculture. These individuals, often unemployed or underemployed, choose to live modestly, spending their days in small apartments, engaging in minimal economic activity. This lifestyle is not born out of laziness but rather a conscious decision to reject the traditional markers of success. These trends underscore a quiet rebellion: one not marked by protest but by retreat from participation in a system that many young Chinese see as rigged against them. “My parents worked hard their whole lives to give me a better future,” said Zhao Ming, a 23-year-old recent graduate in Chengdu. “But now they worry because I’m not chasing the same kind of success. I just want to live a life that feels balanced — not one that breaks me.” China’s youth unemployment rate has been a contributing factor to this cultural shift. As of April 2025, the urban youth unemployment rate for individuals aged 16 to 24 stood at 15.8%, a slight decrease from previous months but still indicative of a difficult job market. The scarcity of desirable employment opportunities has led many young people to reassess their career aspirations and life goals. This economic backdrop is not only pushing young people out of the labor market but reshaping their relationships with work itself. Quitting time for ‘996’? In response to these changing attitudes, some Chinese companies are re-evaluating their workplace cultures. There is a growing recognition that the “996” model is unsustainable and even counterproductive. The priorities of this youthful demographic cohort, known as Generation Z in the U.S., “primarily revolve around physical and mental health, followed closely by wealth accumulation,” said Zhang Xiaomeng, a professor at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, whose research surveyed 17,000 respondents. “They face obstacles in the workplace, including anxiety; low mental resilience; and dissatisfaction with pay, career prospects and work-life balance.” epitomize /ɪˈpɪtəmaɪz/ v. 象征，缩影 * 例句：High-rise buildings epitomize modern city development. * （摩天大楼是现代城市发展的象征。） disillusionment /ˌdɪsɪˈluːʒnmənt/ n. 幻灭感 * 例句：Many graduates face disillusionment when reality differs from campus dreams. * （当现实与校园梦想不符时，许多毕业生感到幻灭。） stagnant /ˈstæɡnənt/ adj. 停滞的 * 搭配：～ wages 工资停滞 * 例句：Rent rises while salaries remain stagnant, causing financial stress. * （房租上涨而工资停滞，引发经济压力。） upward mobility /ˈʌpwərd moʊˈbɪləti/ n. 晋升空间 * 例句：Limited upward mobility drives talent to resign. * （有限的晋升空间促使人才离职。） resilience /rɪˈzɪliəns/ n. 抗压能力 * 辨析：mental resilience（心理韧性） vs. physical endurance（身体耐力） * 例句：Meditation helps build mental resilience during work challenges. * （冥想能在工作挑战中增强心理韧性。） counterproductive /ˌkaʊntərprəˈdʌktɪv/ adj. 适得其反的 * 例句：Forcing overtime is counterproductive—it lowers efficiency. * （强制加班适得其反，会降低效率。） skeptical /ˈskeptɪkl/ adj. 怀疑的 * 搭配：be ～ of 对...持怀疑态度 * 例句：Young people grow skeptical of "hard work equals success" claims. * （年轻人对"努力等于成功"的说法日益怀疑。） subculture /ˈsʌbkʌltʃər/ n. 亚文化 * 例句：The "rat people" subculture reflects rebellion against consumerism. * （"鼠人"亚文化折射出对消费主义的反抗。） burn out /bɜːrn aʊt/ phr.v. 精疲力竭 * 辨析：burn out（因压力耗尽） vs. exhausted（暂时疲惫）

Temu Owner PDD's Profit Nearly Halves as Revenue Growth Slows to Three-Year Low The results come as PDD faces a major setback to its global ambitions to scale its popular shopping platform. The Chinese owner of bargain-shopping app Temu reported sharply lower profit and its slowest revenue growth in three years as tariff barriers threatened its business and increased merchant support weighed on its bottom line. PDD Holdings on Tuesday said its first-quarter revenue rose 10% from a year earlier to 95.67 billion yuan, equivalent to $13.31 billion. That undershot market expectations of 104.41 billion yuan and marked its slowest top-line growth since the first quarter of 2022. Net profit fell 47% to 14.74 billion yuan, widely missing a FactSet-compiled consensus estimate of 26.125 billion yuan. The weaker-than-expected results come as PDD faces a major setback to its global ambitions to scale its popular Temu shopping platform, which has been a hit with budget-conscious consumers in the U.S. An escalation in trade tensions between the U.S. and China forced PDD to raise prices on the platform in April. The Trump administration's scrapping of a duty exemption for low-value packages entering the country from China, which Chinese e-commerce companies lean on heavily, has cast a shadow over PDD's business in the U.S. setback /ˈsetbæk/ n. 挫折 例句：Trade tensions caused a setback to global supply chains. （贸易摩擦重创全球供应链） 🔍近义：reversal undership /ˌʌndərˈʃʊt/ v. 未达预期 例句：iPhone sales undershot market projections. （iPhone销量未达市场预期） 🔍反义：overshoot consensus estimate /kənˈsensəs ˈestɪmət/ n. 共识预期 例句：The inflation data missed the consensus estimate. （通胀数据低于共识预期） tariff barriers /ˈtærɪf ˈbæriərz/ n. 关税壁垒 例句：Tariff barriers sparked a trade war. （关税壁垒引发贸易战） 🔍关联：trade protectionism weigh on /weɪ ɒn/ v. 拖累 例句：Inflation weighs on consumer spending. （通胀拖累消费支出） 🔍近义：burden bottom line /ˌbɒtəm ˈlaɪn/ n. 净利润 例句：R&D investment hurt our bottom line. （研发投入影响净利润） 💡对比：top-line (营收) escalation /ˌeskəˈleɪʃn/ n. 升级 例句：The escalation of conflict alarmed investors. （冲突升级引发投资者恐慌） 🔍动词：escalate budget-conscious /ˈbʌdʒɪt ˈkɒnʃəs/ adj. 精打细算的 例句：Budget-conscious travelers choose hostels. （精打细算的旅行者选择青旅） 💡复合形容词考点 duty exemption /ˈdjuːti ɪgˈzempʃn/ n. 关税豁免 例句：Duty exemption boosted cross-border sales. （关税豁免刺激跨境销售） 🔍政策类高频词 cast a shadow over /kɑːst ə ˈʃædəʊ ˈəʊvə/ v. 蒙上阴影 例句：Defaults cast a shadow over the banking sector. （违约潮给银行业蒙上阴影） 🌰比喻用法

Compressed music might be harmful to the ears The fictional band Spinal Tap could make their instruments louder with the help of amplifiers that went up to 11. Lesser musicians must find other ways to pump up the volume. One well-established trick is compression, which makes music sound fuller by hushing the loudest parts of a track and making quiet parts noisier. Used since the 1930s, compression is now common in the music industry, streaming, radio and television. Long suspected to have links with hearing damage, there has been little experimental evidence to support concerns. Now research in guinea pigs has shown that compressed music can damage the ears in ways that regular music does not. The research, though preliminary, suggests that there may be cause to worry about the harmful effects of compression. The composer Claude Debussy called music the space between the notes. As well as offering structure and distinctive phrasing, these pauses give the listener’s brain vital rests that help auditory neurons recover. Compressed music interferes with this recovery because making the quiet parts louder can fill many millisecond-long gaps in the signal with noise. As a result many music aficionados find listening to compressed tunes exhausting. To test whether compression can negatively affect hearing, scientists turned to Adele’s 2015 single “I Miss You”, a song whose distinctive frequency spectrum results in all restorative pauses being eliminated after compression. They also turned to guinea pigs, animals that can hear similar sound frequencies to people while also being content to sit placidly for four hours while played the same song on a loop. The guinea pigs were split into two groups. One group listened to the regular track, while the others were played a compressed version. Importantly, the music was played to both groups at an average volume of 102 decibels—uncomfortably loud but just below Britain’s Health and Safety Executive’s recommended maximum average for live music. Tests of the cochlea, damage to which is the leading cause of hearing loss, showed some mild temporary impairment in both groups immediately after the tests, as would be expected. But compression caused more lasting damage to the middle ear’s stapedius muscle, which contracts to protect the inner ear from loud noises. At just 1mm long it is the smallest skeletal muscle in the body. Both normal and compressed music reduced the strength with which this muscle reflexively contracts to 40% of its pre-Adele state. Though the animals who heard the standard track recovered fully within a day or so, those that endured the compressed version did not. Their stapedius muscle reflexes were still at less than half their strength by the time the experiment ended a week later. Writing in the journal Hearing Research the scientists, led by Paul Avan, an audiologist at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, suggest the constant stimulus of the compressed music overwhelmed nerve cells in the animals’ auditory processing pathways, affecting their ability to use the muscle. Although the study does not address the level at which compression starts to be harmful, nor how long the effects could last (nor, for that matter, whether humans react as guinea pigs do), the results do suggest that average decibel level might not be the only harmful property of music. compression /kəmˈpreʃn/ n. 压缩 例句：Music compression fills quiet gaps but may harm your ears. 中文：音乐压缩会填补静音间隙，但可能损伤听力。 auditory /ˈɔːdɪt(ə)ri/ adj. 听觉的 例句：Loud concerts can damage auditory nerves permanently. 中文：喧闹的音乐会可能永久损伤听觉神经。 cochlea /ˈkɒkliə/ n. 耳蜗 辨析：内耳结构 vs. eardrum（鼓膜） 例句：Damage to the cochlea is the main cause of hearing loss. 中文：耳蜗损伤是听力丧失的主因。 decibel /ˈdesɪbel/ n. 分贝 例句：Headphones at 100 decibels risk hearing damage. 中文：耳机音量达100分贝有损伤听力风险。 reflex /ˈriːfleks/ n. 反射 例句：The ear’s protective reflex weakens under loud noise. 中文：巨大噪音下耳朵的防护反射会减弱。 preliminary /prɪˈlɪmɪn(ə)ri/ adj. 初步的 辨析：tentative（试探性的）vs. conclusive（结论性的） 例句：This is a preliminary study; more tests are needed. 中文：这是初步研究，仍需更多实验验证。 overwhelm /ˌəʊvəˈwelm/ v. 淹没；压垮 例句：Compressed music may overwhelm nerve cells in the brain. 中文：压缩音乐可能压垮大脑中的神经细胞。 impairment /ɪmˈpeəmənt/ n. 损伤 例句：Noise pollution causes hearing impairment in youth. 中文：噪音污染导致年轻人听力损伤。

Denmark to raise retirement age to highest in Europe Denmark is set to have the highest retirement age in Europe after its parliament adopted a law raising it to 70 by 2040. Since 2006, Denmark has tied the official retirement age to life expectancy and has revised it every five years. It is currently 67 but will rise to 68 in 2030 and to 69 in 2035. The retirement age at 70 will apply to all people born after 31 December 1970. The new law passed on Thursday with 81 votes for and 21 votes against. However, last year Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the sliding scale principle would eventually be renegotiated. "We no longer believe that the retirement age should be increased automatically," she said, adding that in her party's eyes "you can't just keep saying that people have to work a year longer". Tommas Jensen, a 47-year-old roofer, told Danish media that the change was "unreasonable". "We're working and working and working, but we can't keep going," he said. He added that the situation may be different for those with desk jobs but that blue-collar workers with physically demanding professions would find the changes difficult. "I've paid my taxes all my life. There should also be time to be with children and grandchildren," Mr Jensen told outlet DK. Ahead of Thursday's vote, Jesper Ettrup Rasmussen, the chairman of a Danish trade union confederation, said the proposal to increase the retirement age was "completely unfair". "Denmark has a healthy economy and yet the EU's highest retirement age," he said. "A higher retirement age means that [people will] lose the right to a dignified senior life." Retirement ages around Europe vary. Many governments have raised the retirement age in recent years to reflect longer life expectancy and to tackle budget deficits. In Sweden, the earliest age individuals can start to claim pension benefits is 63. The standard pension age in Italy is 67, although as in the case of Denmark, this is also subject to adjustments based on life expectancy estimates and may increase in 2026. In the UK, people born between 6 October, 1954 and 5 April, 1960 start receiving their pension at the age of 66. But for people born after this date, the state pension age will increase gradually. And in France, a law was passed in 2023 that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. The highly unpopular change sparked protests and riots and had to be pushed through parliament by President Emmanuel Macron without a vote. life expectancy * 音标：/laɪf ɪkˈspɛktənsi/ * 词性：n. * 释义：预期寿命 * 例句：With medical advances, life expectancy in China has increased to 78 years. * （随着医疗进步，中国人口预期寿命已提高至78岁。） * 辨析：区别于"lifespan"（生物最大寿命），专指人类统计预测值 sliding scale * 音标：/ˈslaɪdɪŋ skeɪl/ * 词性：n. * 释义：浮动计算标准 * 例句：Some universities use a sliding scale for tuition based on family income. * （部分大学按家庭收入浮动收取学费。） physically demanding * 音标：/ˈfɪzɪkli dɪˈmɑːndɪŋ/ * 词性：adj. * 释义：体力要求高的 * 例句：Delivery jobs are physically demanding but offer flexible hours. * （快递员工作体力消耗大，但时间灵活。） dignified * 音标：/ˈdɪɡnɪfaɪd/ * 词性：adj. * 释义：有尊严的 * 例句：Everyone deserves a dignified retirement with proper healthcare. * （每个人都应享有配备完善医疗的有尊严退休生活。）

‘Cheating means the end,’ and eight other relationship myths ruining your love life 1. You have to have chemistry or feel a spark For Toby Ingham, psychotherapist and author of How to Improve Emotional Stability, referring to that sought-after spark as “chemistry” is an interesting analogy. “In dating, it tends to describe an immediate reaction, whereas lots of chemical reactions take time,” he says. Still, many of us chase a spark. “It’s overrated,” says Lohani Noor, a psychotherapist and founding director of The Institute for Relational and Sexual Therapies. “That intoxicating, heart-racing feeling of early chemistry? Sometimes it’s anxiety.” Research shows the physiological symptoms of nervousness (sweaty palms, a racing heart) mirror those of attraction. “We can mistake intensity for intimacy and drama for depth. Other times, the spark is lust: a biological pull that fades as quickly as it flares.” Instead of seeking out the elusive spark, experts advise forgetting about chemistry and focusing on connections that grow slowly and last longer. Seek emotional safety (feeling at ease), shared values (wanting the same things in life), mutual effort (both showing up, even if it’s hard) and growing attraction (admiration that deepens over time). “These are the foundations of lasting love,” says Noor. “Not a fleeting feeling, but a choice to build something meaningful.” 2. It’s bad to argue “People think that always agreeing is a sign of compatibility,” says Mandy Saligari, a psychotherapist and author of Proactive Parenting. “It comes from a fear of conflict, a belief that anger is bad, or feeling ashamed of their own needs.” Anger is just a feeling and shouldn’t be demonised, she says. It shows what matters to you. Andrew G Marshall, marital therapist, author of I Love You But I’m Not in Love With You and host of The Meaningful Life podcast, agrees. “It’s an incredibly intimate thing to argue with somebody. Otherwise, when you disagree, you have to swallow your feelings. Underneath the surface, there’s a whole load of grumpiness, sarcasm and passive aggression. You become flatmates, not lovers,” he says. Research shows that couples who never argue are significantly unhappier than those who do. So stop avoiding conflict and get back in touch with your feelings. Accept that your partner is trying to tell you something and be curious about what that is. “Listen with an open mind. Try to have a healthy discussion that fosters deeper connection and personal insight,” Saligari says. When you discuss problems, don’t meet anger with anger. That will only lead to more arguing. “Treat your partner as if every word they’re saying is true,” adds Marshall. “Give them the dignity of listening and try to understand their position. Nobody has ever settled an argument by working out who’s right and wrong.” 3. Relationships should be easy If you believe relationships should be easy, when a challenge inevitably arises you’ll either think something’s wrong with the relationship or with you. “Once you accept that relationships are hard, you don’t feel that you’re a failure,” says Marshall. There is, however, a middle ground. “Relationships aren’t supposed to be a prison sentence either. They aren’t easy, but shouldn’t feel like breaking up rocks,” he adds. How do you know when a relationship has become too difficult? Psychotherapist Natasha Page points to a few telltale signs. “If a relationship makes us feel unfulfilled, and impacts on our mental health and wellbeing, this can lead to low self-esteem, depression and anxiety. If you don’t feel you’re living in alignment with your values and who you want to be; if you’re living in fear or being abused – these are not OK.” 4. Your partner should be your best friend and you should spend all your time together elusive /ɪˈluːsɪv/ adj. 难以捉摸的 * 例句：Many millennials find work-life balance as elusive as catching a butterfly. * 翻译：许多千禧一代觉得工作与生活的平衡像抓蝴蝶一样难以捉摸。 * 辨析：与 illusive（幻觉的）区别，如：Happiness isn’t illusive; it’s just elusive.（幸福不是幻觉，只是难以捉摸。） physiological /ˌfɪziəˈlɒdʒɪkəl/ adj. 生理的 * 例句：Binge-watching dramas causes physiological fatigue, like eye strain. * 翻译：熬夜追剧会导致眼睛酸涩等生理性疲劳。 compatibility /kəmˌpætəˈbɪləti/ n. 兼容性 * 例句：Phone chargers need compatibility; so do couples in values. * 翻译：手机充电器需要兼容，情侣的三观也要匹配。 repulsion /rɪˈpʌlʃn/ n. 排斥 * 例句：Her repulsion to durian mirrors his hatred of cilantro. * 翻译：她对榴莲的排斥，堪比他对香菜的厌恶。

Trump Administration Says It Is Halting Harvard's Ability to Enroll International Students The Trump administration on Thursday said it would halt Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, taking aim at a crucial funding source for the nation's oldest and wealthiest college in a major escalation of the administration's efforts to pressure the elite school to fall in line with the president's agenda. The latest move intensifies the administration's attempt to upend the culture of higher education by directly subverting the ability of one of the nation's premier universities to attract the best and brightest students from all over the world. That capability, across all of academia, has long been one of the greatest sources of academic, economic and scientific strength in America. It is also likely to prompt a second legal challenge from Harvard, according to a person familiar with the school's thinking who insisted on anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The university sued the Trump administration last month over the government's attempt to impose changes to its curriculum, admissions policies and hiring practices. “I am writing to inform you that effective immediately, Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification is revoked,” a letter to the university from Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said. A copy of the letter was obtained by The New York Times. The Department of Homeland Security said the action applied to current and future students. “Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students, and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status,” the department said in a news release after Ms. Noem posted the administration's letter on social media later on Thursday. About 6,800 international students attended Harvard in the 2024-25 school year, or roughly 27 percent of the student body, according to university enrollment data. That was up from 19.7 percent in 2010-11. The administration's decision is likely to have a significant effect on the university's bottom line. Tuition at Harvard is $59,320 for the 2025-26 school year, and costs can rise to nearly $87,000 when room and board are included. International students tend to pay larger shares of education costs compared with other students. (Harvard notes it is need-blind for all students, regardless of nationality.) A spokesman for Harvard called the administration's action “unlawful.” “We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the university — and this nation — immeasurably,” said Jason Newton, the university's director of media relations. “We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission.” halt /hɔːlt/ v. 停止 例句：The government halted funding for climate research.（政府叫停了气候研究资金） 🔍辨析：halt侧重突然终止，比stop更正式。 upend /ʌpˈend/ v. 颠覆 例句：Online learning upended traditional education during the pandemic.（网课在疫情期间颠覆了传统教育） 🔍搭配：upend the system 颠覆体系 premier /prɪˈmɪr/ adj. 首要的 例句：Tsinghua is China's premier engineering university.（清华是中国顶尖的工科院校） 🔍近义：leading, top-tier subvert /səbˈvɜːrt/ v. 暗中破坏 例句：Fake news subverts democratic processes.（假新闻破坏民主进程） 🔍词根：sub（下）+ vert（转）→ 颠覆 retaliatory /rɪˈtæliətɔːri/ adj. 报复性的 例句：The company took retaliatory action against whistleblowers.（公司对举报人采取报复行动） 🔍构词：retaliate（v.报复）+ tory escalate /ˈeskəleɪt/ v. 升级 例句：The debate escalated into a social media war.（辩论升级成网络骂战） 🔍反义：de-escalate 降级 need-blind /niːd blaɪnd/ adj. 无视经济需求的（招生政策） 例句：MIT practices need-blind admission for all applicants.（MIT对所有申请者实行经济需求无关录取） 🔍对比：need-aware 考虑经济状况