24 Hours With Nike's C.E.O. as He Races to Win Back the Sports World In recent years, Nike lost its iron grip on the sports world, which had driven the company's sales and defined its brand. Relationships became strained with some of the leagues, teams, athletes and retailers that Nike worked with, amid complaints the company was neglecting them. Major League Baseball players complained about the quality of its jerseys. Mr. Hill, 62, is trying to restore those connections through his own style of corporate diplomacy, racing around the globe to meet with some of the sports world's most influential executives and athletes. Mr. Hill arrived at F.C. Barcelona's facility. The manager of the women's soccer team, spoke with him on the practice pitch as the team finished training. Barcelona's team is one of Nike's critical deals, giving it a strong presence among the world's most prestigious squads. He walked to another field to meet Pablo Gavira, known as Gavi, a star on the Barcelona men's team, and used the bits of Spanish he had picked up over the years to quiz the 21-year-old midfielder about his custom blue Nike boots. Mr. Hill tried to glean technical insights straight from one of the best young players in the world. How is the toe room? Is there proper traction on the surface? Then there is Michael Jordan. "I texted him on his birthday," Mr. Hill said while scrolling through his phone for evidence. Mr. Jordan, 63, said in an email that Mr. Hill had been a longtime supporter of the brand and that he is what Nike needed. "What sets Elliott apart is his ability to build trust — with athletes, partners and people on the ground around the world." 生词好句 race 英 [reɪs] 美 [reɪs] （本文）v. 争分夺秒，全力冲刺；n. 赛跑，竞赛 Doctors raced against time to save the patient.医生们争分夺秒地抢救病人。 The team raced to finish the report before the deadline.团队争分夺秒地争取在截止日期前完成报告。 win back 重新赢得，收复 The company tried its best to win back customers' trust.这家公司试着尽全力赢回顾客的信任。 sports world 体育界 sports event 体育赛事 sports game 体育比赛 lose someone's iron grip on something 失去对某事物的绝对掌控，不再占据霸主地位 grip n. 紧握，掌控 iron adj. 铁一般的 With the rise of social media, traditional media lost their iron grip on public opinion.随着社交媒体的崛起，传统媒体失去了对公众舆论的绝对掌控。 loosen someone's iron grip 松动某人的铁腕掌控 The tech giant is trying to loosen its rival's iron grip on the market.这个科技巨头正试图松动对手对市场的铁腕掌控。 corporate diplomacy 商业外交（像外交官一样有策略、有技巧地处理商务关系） practice pitch足球训练场 pitch n.（英式英语）足球场 prestigious 英 [preˈstɪdʒəs] 美 [preˈstɪdʒəs] adj. 享有盛誉的 squad 英 [skwɒd] 美 [skwɑːd] n.（体育语境）运动队 glean 英 [ɡliːn] 美 [ɡliːn] v.（费力地）收集信息、知识等 The journalist interviewed various sources to glean information for her report. 记者采访各方人士，为她的报道收集信息。 We can glean useful experience from every failure. 我们可以从每一次失败中汲取有用的经验。 set somebody/something apart 使……与众不同，使脱颖而出 Her optimism is what sets her apart.她的乐观精神正是她的与众不同之处。 The phone's design sets it apart from its competitors.这款手机的设计让它在竞争对手中脱颖而出。

How Lego Became a Go-To Meme of the Propaganda Wars It began with a Lego-styled President Trump launching a missile strike. It was followed by a wave of Iranian counterstrikes taking out Dubai landmarks, Israel's parliament and the American embassy in Saudi Arabia. And all rendered in the same cutesy animation style that made "The Lego Movie" such a hit a decade or so ago. The AI-assisted clip had nothing to do with the Danish company that makes the popular bricks. The new front in the information wars: Lego-ganda. And it’s quickly gaining momentum at a time when viral images of war can shape public opinion. "Lego works because it is a universally recognized cultural cue, and cultural cues carry preloaded emotional associations that may bypass critical processing," says Lukasz Olejnik, a visiting fellow at the Department of War Studies, King's College London. "The familiar aesthetic lowers the audience's guard precisely when a political payload is delivered." Last year, Denmark's ambassador to Canada gave Prime Minister Mark Carney a Lego shipping port; the Canadian leader spent part of his weekend assembling it, according to a post he made to X, in a subtle display of solidarity as Denmark tried to ward off Trump's attempts to gain control of Greenland. America, on the other hand, isn’t trying to pull any heartstrings. The messaging from the Trump administration is directed more toward its domestic audience, conveying much of it through imagery taken from Wii videogames or gung-ho, shoot-’em-up games like “Call of Duty” and “Grand Theft Auto.” "The White House is operating with a different set of cultural cues. It is a narrative operation using a shared cultural vocabulary to reach a specific demographic. There's no going back," said Olejnik. "Trolling is now a standard tool of statecraft." 生词好句 Lego 英 [ˈleɡəʊ] 美 [ˈleɡoʊ] n. 乐高（拼装积木品牌） 1932年，在丹麦的比隆镇，一位因经济危机而失业的中年人克里斯蒂森，用边角料给孩子做木头玩具。他给作坊取名"LEGO"（乐高）——来自丹麦语"leg godt"，意为"play well"（好好玩）。 LEGO Masters 乐高创作大赛 go-to 英 [ˈɡəʊ tuː] 美 [ˈɡoʊ tuː] 首选的，第一时间想到的 go-to restaurant "御用"餐厅 When it comes to quick dinner ideas, pasta is my go-to. 说到"快手菜"晚餐，意面是我的首选。 counterstrike 英 [ˈkaʊntəstraɪk] 美 [ˈkaʊntərstraɪk] n. 反击；还击 counter作前缀表示"反......" strike n. 打击 Counter-Strike 游戏《反恐精英》 take out （本文）摧毁、消灭（目标）；打包，外卖 The airstrike took out the enemy's command center in a matter of seconds.空袭在几秒钟内摧毁了敌方指挥中心。 render 英 [ˈrendə] 美 [ˈrendər] v.（本文）动画渲染；使成为 render something useless 使某物变得无用 cutesy 英 [ˈkjuːtsi] 美 [ˈkjuːtsi] adj. 故作可爱的；刻意卖萌的 guard 英 [ɡɑːd] 美 [ɡɑːrd] n. 心防，戒备心 let your guard down 放松警惕 catch someone off guard 打对方一个措手不及 Never let your guard down during a negotiation, especially when the other side starts being overly friendly.谈判时永远不要放松警惕，尤其是对方开始过分友善的时候。 pull heartstrings 打动人心；拨动心弦 tug at one's emotions 牵动某人情绪 "strike a chord"（引发共鸣）比"pull heartstrings"更中性，可用于非煽情场合。 It struck a chord with me. 它引发了我的共鸣。 chord n.（音乐）和弦 The documentary about migrant workers struck a chord with millions of viewers across the country.这部关于农民工的纪录片在全国引发了数百万观众的共鸣。 gung-ho 英 [ɡʌŋˈhəʊ] 美 [ɡʌŋˈhoʊ] adj. 热血好战的，冲劲十足的；n. 工合（中国工业合作社） shoot-'em-up 英 [ˈʃuːt əm ʌp] 美 [ˈʃuːt əm ʌp] （本文）adj. 热血好战、暴力快感至上的 n. 无脑射爆类的射击游戏 'em是them的口语缩写；up是加强语气的副词 There's no going back. 没有回头路了。 Once you've experienced the freedom of working for yourself, there's no going back to a nine-to-five.一旦你体验过自己做老板的自由，就回不去朝九晚五的日子了。

Mandopop star Jay Chou to release new album on Mar 25 From: CNA Mandopop star Jay Chou will release his 16th studio album, Children Of The Sun, on Mar 25. The upcoming record marks Chou's first full-length album in more than three years. It will feature 12 new songs, along with a bonus track titled Christmas Star, bringing the total to 13 tracks. The title track comes with a nearly seven-minute cinematic music video that combines animation and large-scale visual elements. The video is set to premiere in theatres on Mar 24 where media and fans will be invited to experience the project ahead of the album's official release. The title Children Of The Sun comes from a personal anecdote involving fellow Mandopop legend Jacky Cheung. During Chou's 2023 concerts in Hong Kong, Cheung jokingly gave him the nickname after noticing that rainy weather before his shows would clear just in time for each performance. Cheung later sent Chou a handwritten note and mangoes with the phrase. Chou said that the gesture “brought sunshine to his heart”, and jokingly said he would “claim the title”. The name eventually became the inspiration for the album's title. Leading up to the release, Chou will drop a series of teasers from now until Mar 23, offering previews of the album's sound and visuals. Each song will explore different artistic styles, while capturing the idea of “sunlight” in various forms across the album. Chou shared that the album came together gradually as he "slowed down [his] pace of life", explaining that he preferred to write and record when inspiration struck rather than rushing the process. “Just because my last album was in 2022 doesn't mean I spent three or four years writing this one,” he shared with fans on social media. Children Of The Sun will be released worldwide across all digital platforms on Mar 25, with a global physical release set to follow on Apr 10 through Universal Music Group. feature /ˈfiːtʃər/ v. 以……为特色；n. 特征 This restaurant features a live jazz band every Friday. 这家餐厅每周五都有现场爵士乐队表演。 bonus /ˈboʊnəs/ n. 奖金；额外的好处 All employees received a year-end bonus for their hard work. 所有员工都因努力工作而拿到了年终奖。 cinematic /ˌsɪnəˈmætɪk/ adj. 电影的；像电影的 The video game has cinematic cutscenes that look like a real movie. 这款电子游戏有过场动画，看起来像真正的电影。 premiere /prɪˈmɪr/ 或 /prɪˈmjer/ v./n. 首次公演；首映 The new superhero movie will premiere in theaters next month. 这部新的超级英雄电影将于下月在影院首映。 anecdote /ˈænɪkdoʊt/ n. 轶事；趣闻 He told a funny anecdote about his first day at college. 他讲了一个关于他大学第一天的有趣轶事。 gesture /ˈdʒestʃər/ n. 姿态；手势；表示 Bringing flowers was a kind gesture after her surgery. 她手术后送花是一种善意的表示。 inspiration /ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃn/ n. 灵感；鼓舞人心的人/事 She found her inspiration for the poem during a morning walk. 她在一次早晨散步中找到了写这首诗的灵感。

Tech Has Never Caused a Job Apocalypse. Don't Bet on It Now. The AI doomers claim this time is different. AI is happening faster and does far more than past technological revolutions. It could one day exceed human intelligence. If such a revolution were upon us, we should see some sign of it. We don't, at least not yet. The number of computer programmers, who assist developers in ensuring code runs properly, was down slightly in the last year, in line with a secular decline in place for decades. Neither trend shifted much after ChatGPT's arrival in late 2022. Perhaps the advanced AI tools only now coming to market will change behavior in a way their predecessors didn't. The doomsday scenario envisions businesses ditching legacy systems and consumers turning over many of their tasks to AI "agents" almost overnight. In reality, businesses are risk-averse and consumers creatures of habit. Radiologists were supposed to lose their jobs to offshoring, and then to AI. They didn't, because patients and providers like having humans around to explain their medical images. Since Google Translate launched in 2006, the number of human translator and interpreter employees in the U.S. has risen 73%. Assume, though, that AI does destroy more jobs than it creates. Could the spillovers sink the entire economy? Almost certainly not. The money employers or consumers save as AI eliminates jobs doesn't disappear; it gets spent on something else. This is why a sector can be in recession while the overall economy grows. 生词好句 job apocalypse 就业末日 apocalypse：本义是《圣经》里的启示录，世界末日的那场终极大毁灭；引申为灾难性的、毁灭性的崩塌。 climate apocalypse 气候崩溃 economic apocalypse 经济大崩盘 bet on something 押注于某事；笃定某件事会发生 You can bet on it—she'll be late again.你放心吧——她又会迟到。 Many investors are betting on AI to transform the tech industry.很多投资者押注 AI 会彻底改变科技行业。 doomer 英 [ˈduːmə] 美 [ˈduːmər] n. 末日论者；悲观派 doom n. 厄运、毁灭 critics n. 批评人士 skeptics n. 怀疑论者 be upon us 降临到我们身上（暗示重大事件或者变化已发生或即将发生） The year-end deadline is upon us.年底的截止时间已近在眼前。 A great change was upon the country.一场巨变正降临在这个国家。 secular decline 长期下滑趋势 secular adj.（本文）长期的；非宗教的、世俗的 There has been a secular decline in the readership of traditional print media.传统纸质媒体的阅读量长期下滑。 predecessor 英 [ˈpriːdəsesə] 美 [ˈpredəsesər] n. 前任；前辈；先前的事物 a car and its predecessors 一款车和它之前的车型 doomsday 英 [ˈduːmzdeɪ] 美 [ˈduːmzdeɪ] n. 末日；大灾难 envision 英 [ɪnˈvɪʒən] 美 [ɪnˈvɪʒən] v. 设想；构想；预见 She envisions a future where work and life are more balanced. 她设想一个工作与家庭更平衡的未来。 ditch 英 [dɪtʃ] 美 [dɪtʃ] v. 丢弃；甩掉；不再使用 (比abandon更口语、随意一些) ditch an old phone 换掉旧手机 ditch a bad habit 改掉坏习惯 risk-averse 英 [rɪsk əˈvɜːs] 美 [rɪsk əˈvɜːrs] adj. 厌恶风险的；不愿意轻易冒险的 People are often risk-averse when changing jobs.人们在换工作时通常不愿冒风险。 spillover 英 [ˈspɪləʊvə] 美 [ˈspɪloʊvər] n.（本文）溢出效应；从原本范围溢出的、影响到其他部分的东西 spill over 溢出来、漫出来 Water spilled over the cup. 水从杯子里溢出来了。 商业中的"溢出效应"指某个行业、公司或政策的变化，带来的对其他行业、其他人、其他地区的间接影响。

Bombing Iran to Rubble Won't Give It Life Now, we're more than a week into the war with Iran launched by President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and the biggest question I have is this: What if the necessary is impossible? What if the transformation of Iran is so much more important than the war’s critics admit, but so much more difficult than the war’s designers understand? What if the Islamic regime in Tehran is also so embedded that, despite its unpopularity with a majority of Iranians, it can’t be removed without plunging the entire Iranian landmass, about a sixth the size of the United States and home to 90 million people, into chaos? What if the only quick alternative to Iran’s Islamic autocracy is not democracy but disorder on an epic scale? Trump has been all over the map when talking about the morning after in Iran — and saying truly ridiculous and often contradictory things that reveal a commander in chief who is just making it up as he goes along. That said, Trump and Netanyahu appear to have significantly knocked back Iran’s nuclear capabilities and its ability to project power through its navy, air force and missiles. The wise thing to do now is pause and see how this plays out on what I call "the morning after the morning after." My guess is that this regime will break only from the top, which will be a process that will start only after there is a cease-fire. The best that the Trump-Netanyahu bombs-away strategy can do is start that process. The worst the strategy can do is so devastate Iran with endless aerial bombardments that it becomes ungovernable for anyone. That would be a disaster of incalculable proportions. 生词好句 rubble 英 [ˈrʌbl] 美 [ˈrʌbl] n. （建筑物被毁后的）碎石瓦砾，（彻底毁灭后的）残骸 近义词辨析：rubble vs. ruins ruins指废墟，含有历史的沧桑美感；rubble指的是混凝土碎块和扭曲的钢筋，是彻底毁灭后的残骸。 Rescue workers searched through the rubble for survivors after the earthquake.地震后，救援人员在废墟中搜寻幸存者。 the necessary 必要的事情 the + 形容词构成一个抽象名词 the impossible 不可能的事 the unthinkable 不可想象的事 embedded 英 [ɪmˈbedɪd] 美 [ɪmˈbedɪd] adj. 根深蒂固的，深度嵌入的 embed v. 嵌入 embedded system 嵌入式系统 embedded journalist 战地记者 Corruption is so deeply embedded in the system that removing it requires far more than an optimisation of rules.腐败已深深嵌入体制，要清除它远不只是优化规则那么简单。 plunge 英 [plʌndʒ] 美 [plʌndʒ] v. 猛然坠入 The sudden bankruptcy of the company plunged thousands of employees into uncertainty.公司突然破产，让数千名员工猛然陷入了不确定的境地。 all over the map 毫无方向，立场飘忽 His feedback on my presentation was all over the map — one minute he praised the structure, the next he said it needed to be completely rethought.他对我演示文稿的反馈乱成一团——前一分钟夸结构好，后一分钟又说需要彻底重新思考。 morning after （本文）战争结束后的第二天；宿醉后醒来的早晨 ridiculous 英 [rɪˈdɪkjələs] 美 [rɪˈdɪkjələs] adj. 荒唐的 contradictory 英 [ˌkɒntrəˈdɪktəri] 美 [ˌkɑːntrəˈdɪktɔːri] adj. 自相矛盾的 make it up 编造；爵士乐手即兴演奏 He didn't have a business plan — he was just making it up as he went along.他根本没有商业计划——完全是摸着石头过河。 that said 话虽如此 近义词辨析：that said vs. however vs. but that said比however（然而）柔和，比but（但是）正式，语气是"我不否认你的观点，但还有另一个面向"。 The candidate performed poorly in the debates. That said, her grassroots support remains formidable. 这位候选人在辩论中表现不佳。话虽如此，她的基层支持仍然强大。 knock back 大幅削弱 近义词辨析：knock back vs. weaken vs. knockout knock back指的是"大幅削弱"，比weaken力度大很多，但比knockout（"K.O."，直接击倒）力度更小一些。

Labubu film is official with Paddington director at the helm From: BBC The hugely popular Labubu dolls will soon star in their own feature film, Chinese toy company Pop Mart and Sony Pictures have announced. A Labubu movie that will combine live action and computer-generated animation is in "early development", the two companies said in a statement. The film will be directed by Paul King, whose credits include Wonka, Paddington and BBC comedy series The Mighty Boosh. No release date has been set. Labubus have become a global sensation in recent years and sales have turned Pop Mart into a toy-making behemoth worth nearly $40bn (£29.9bn), surpassing established rivals like Barbie-maker Mattel. The Labubu craze has helped Pop Mart expand beyond toys to operating a theme park in Beijing. Now, the company is venturing into film. Labubus are Pop Mart's most popular toys. Part of their appeal is that they are sold in blind boxes - buyers don't know which Labubu they are getting until they open the package. Celebrities like Rihanna and Lisa from Blackpink have also been photgraphed wearing Labubu charms with their designer bags. Created over a decade ago by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, Labubu is a forest elf inspired by Nordic mythology and part of Lung's book series, The Monsters, which features a large number of fantasy characters. The Labubu movie was announced in Paris on Wednesday during a global exhibition tour for the Labubu toys' 10th year anniversary. Lung will serve as the film's executive producer. Aside from directing, King will also co-produce and develop the script with Steven Levenson, the writer behind the stage show Dear Evan Hansen and the musical film Tick, Tick... Boom! A 'good moment' for Pop Mart Pop Mart's plan to launch a Labubu media franchise is a logical next step after the toys' popularity, experts said. A Labubu movie could help Pop Mart evolve from a toy retailer to an entertainment brand, said Kim Dayoung a marketing lecturer at the National University of Singapore. "For Gen Z and Millennial consumers, content and commerce are closely intertwined - watching a story, connecting with a character, and then buying into that world is a seamless journey... The potential is very high," Kim told the BBC. It could also re-assure Pop Mart investors about the value of the company. "Labubu has a loyal and fanatic customer base, so a film could potentially be a significant growth opportunity for them, if the content is appealing," said Kapil Tuli from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University. A Labubu movie could also capitalise on the momentum of Chinese animation, following the blockbuster success of Ne Zha 2 and the video game Black Myth: Wukong, Tuli said. "It's a good moment to make that jump." behemoth /bɪˈhiːmɒθ/ n. 巨头，强大的企业 The small coffee shop struggled to compete with the corporate behemoth. 这家小咖啡店很难与那个企业巨头竞争。 surpass /səˈpɑːs/ v. 超过，优于 His final exam results surpassed all expectations. 他的期末考试成绩超出了所有人的预期。 venture /ˈventʃə/ v. 敢于去，冒险 n. 企业，风险项目 She decided to venture into the unknown world of online business. 她决定大胆涉足未知的电商世界。 appeal /əˈpiːl/ n. 吸引力，魅力 v. 有吸引力 The idea of working from home holds a strong appeal for many young people. 在家办公的想法对许多年轻人很有吸引力。 franchise /ˈfræntʃaɪz/ n. 特许经营权，系列品牌 The film franchise plans to release a new sequel every two years. 这个系列电影计划每两年推出一部新续集。 momentum /məˈmentəm/ n. 势头，动力 The local campaign to save the trees is gaining momentum. 当地拯救树木的抗议活动势头正盛。 blockbuster /ˈblɒkbʌstə/ n. 一鸣惊人的事物，大片 The shopping mall was packed as if a blockbuster movie had just premiered. 购物中心里人山人海，仿佛刚有一部大片首映。 executive /ɪɡˈzekjətɪv/ adj. 执行的，行政的 n. 主管，经理 As an executive producer, she focuses on the overall financing of the project. 作为执行制片人，她主要负责项目的整体融资事宜。

It's Oscars Snubbing Season Again It's an honor just to be nominated. Alas, one is not always granted the option for such graciousness. When actors are left out of the running for an Academy Award, they have to make do with being the subject of public uproar, of cries for justice. The Oscar snub has become its own conversational domain, a prominent outgrowth of the Oscars themselves. During snubbing season, there are endless posts, pieces, reels and threads, all arguing about which art and artists should have been recognized by the academy. One could go so far as to suggest that our fixation on Oscar snubs is healthy. In a culture that can't concentrate, that routinely forgets the names of films and actors, we have trained ourselves to notice what isn't there. For many fans, becoming agitated over the Oscars is a simple way of telegraphing sophistication and memory. It's an extension of fandom to be nonplused that one's favorite actor or film was left off a list. If people take these things personally, it's because a film has done its job. The moviegoing public will often use the word "overlooked" when discussing snubs. But it's not accurate. No one escaped anyone's attention. Choices were made. Some of them hurt. We all know what this is like. When you receive approval, your peers are a bunch of geniuses. When you don't, they are out to lunch. What's always been surreal is seeing this emotional parade televised. And yet, we at home continue to crave more of what snubbing season has offered, more moments of humanity, not just humility. 生词好句 snub 英 [snʌb] 美 [snʌb] v. 冷落，怠慢（语气比ignore更强） She felt snubbed when her colleagues ignored her suggestions.同事们忽视她的建议，让她觉得被冷落了。 nominate 英 [ˈnɒmɪneɪt] 美 [ˈnɑːmɪneɪt] v. 提名；举荐 The film was nominated for six Academy Awards.这部电影获得六项奥斯卡提名。 alas 英 [əˈlæs] 美 [əˈlæs] int. 唉；可惜 graciousness 英 [ˈɡreɪʃəsnəs] 美 [ˈɡreɪʃəsnəs] n. 优雅得体的态度，大度有礼的风度 gracious adj. 和蔼可亲的，有礼貌的 the running for... （奖项等的）竞争资格，角逐机会 Academy Award 奥斯卡奖（美国电影艺术与科学学院颁发的电影奖项） make do with 凑合着用；只好接受 You'll have to make do with leftovers for dinner.你的晚饭只能将就着吃点剩菜了。 public uproar 公众舆论的哗然 uproar n. 喧嚣，吵闹 piece 英 [piːs] 美 [piːs] n.（本文）文章 reel 英 [riːl] 美 [riːl] n. 短视频 thread 英 [θred] 美 [θred] n. 讨论串；论坛上的连续讨论 go so far as to 甚至可以……；甚至到了……的地步 He went so far as to break the law to get what he wanted.他甚至不惜违法来得到想要的东西。 fixation 英 [fɪkˈseɪʃən] 美 [fɪkˈseɪʃən] n. 执念，过度关注 His fixation on success ruined his happiness.他对成功的执念毁掉了他的幸福。 nonplused 英 [nɒnˈplʌst] 美 [nɑːnˈplʌst] adj. 困惑的；不知所措的 nonplused来自动词nonplus（表示"使惊讶、使困惑"）。nonplus源自拉丁语non plus，意为"no more"（不能再增加了、不能再往前了），这个表达最初指"走到尽头、不知道该怎么办"，后来引申为"使人困惑、使人不知所措"。 I was completely nonplussed by his reply.他的回答让我完全不知所措。 moviegoing public 影迷群体；看电影的公众 out to lunch 思路不在状态；判断不在线 If he thinks that plan will work, he's out to lunch. 他要认为那个计划行得通，那他脑子真是进水了。 crave 英 [kreɪv] 美 [kreɪv] v. 强烈渴望（比want程度更深）

How did Oscar winner Kpop Demon Hunters win hearts the world over? From: BBC Kpop Demon Hunters has won best animated film at the Oscars on Sunday evening - the latest in a growing list of accolades for the movie that has swept the world since it was released last summer. At Oona Herman's elementary school in San Francisco, stickers of bright-haired characters from Kpop Demon Hunters have become the hottest currency. Traded among students, these stickers, like so much else to do with the hit film -about a K-pop girl group using their golden voices to fight demons - are everywhere in eight-year-old Oona's life. At Kpop Demon Hunters-themed birthday parties she attends, children get goodie bags with movie merchandise and pose for photos with giant cut-outs. Of course, they also scream along to the film's chart-topping soundtrack. Oona cannot decide what she likes most about Kpop Demon Hunters, so she declares: "The characters, and all the dance moves and songs!" Since its release on Netflix last summer, Kpop Demon Hunters has earned recognition on the biggest stages. It won the Golden Globe for best animated feature and best original song; it became the first-ever K-pop song to win a Grammy; and it has now won both Oscars it was nominated for as well. The film's virality has taken the world by surprise - and its creators too. So much so that when the film blew up, fans lamented over the lack of merchandise. Netflix told Hollywood Reporter that its pitch for merch ahead of the release drew only "soft" interest from retailers. Now companies are racing to get those toys on the shelves. But Oona and her friends aren't the only ones under the spell of the demon-busting crooners. Her mother, Christine Kao, was surprised by how much she enjoyed it too. "When we're watching it, I really cry every time," she tells the BBC. "Oona's always like, 'Why are you crying?' I was like, 'Because it's so beautiful! I think that caught on to a lot of adults unexpectedly." In the film, the protagonist Rumi finds herself torn between her responsibility as a demon hunter and her secret identity as a half-demon. For Christine, this tension strikes a personal note. "Just seeing an Asian American, her struggle with her family and expectation, there's a lot of identifiers there that we take with us," Christine says. "We didn't have something like this when we were children." Of course, beyond the movie's fandom, this universal tale about self-acceptance comes in the form of a love letter to K-pop. For Oona, the Saja Boys - the supernatural boy band in Kpop Demon Hunters - remind her of her favourite K-pop band BTS, "because they all look a little bit different and they always change their looks". "It's really funny if you're a K-pop fan, there's a lot of inside jokes," says Dr Grace Kao, Oona's aunt and a sociology professor and K-pop researcher at Yale University. "But if you're not a K-pop fan, you don't really need to get those jokes to enjoy it." 1. accolade /ˈæk.ə.leɪd/ n. 荣誉，称赞，奖励 The scientist received many accolades for her discovery. 这位科学家因其发现获得了许多荣誉。 2. virality /vaɪˈræl.ə.ti/ n. 病毒式传播，流行 The video’s virality surprised even its creator. 这个视频的病毒式传播甚至让创作者本人都感到意外。 3. lament /ləˈment/ v. 哀叹，感到遗憾 Many residents lament the lack of green space in the city. 许多居民为城市缺乏绿地而感到遗憾。 4. merchandise /ˈmɜː.tʃən.daɪz/ n. 商品，周边产品 The store sells official merchandise from the band. 这家商店出售该乐队的官方周边商品。 5. protagonist /prəˈtæɡ.ən.ɪst/ n. 主角，主人公 The protagonist of the novel is a young teacher. 这部小说的主人公是一位年轻的老师。 6. torn /tɔːrn/ adj. 犹豫不决的，难以选择的（多用于 be torn between A and B） She was torn between staying home or traveling abroad. 她在待在家里和出国旅行之间犹豫不决。 7. identifier /aɪˈden.tɪ.faɪ.ər/ n. 标识物，认同因素 For many readers, the character’s struggle is a key identifier. 对许多读者来说，这个人物的挣扎是一个关键的认同点。 8. universal /ˌjuː.nɪˈvɜː.səl/ adj. 普遍的，全世界的 Music is often described as a universal language. 音乐常被形容为一种普遍通用的语言。

Is TikTok the new frontier for fashion reinvention? Are CVs out and TikTok pitches in? Designer and content creator Alexei Hamblin has put it to the test. The 23-year-old began a video series on the platform in 2025, where he suggested how he would revamp "dead" sports brands. It generated hundreds of thousands of views and also got the attention of the retailer's owner, Frasers Group, which invited Hamblin to come and meet with their team. He expected to receive a cease and desist letter from the retail giant after describing some of the clothes as "boring" and "tacky PE kit". Instead, he was brought on as a consultant after he pitched his vision of how they could reinvent legacy sports brand Slazenger. Hamblin, who hasn't been to fashion school, says he became interested in how fashion helps people find their "identity". He taught himself to use digital tools, such as Photoshop, to design clothes he would want to wear and shared the ideas on TikTok. He went on to freelance for clothing companies and start-ups before launching his own brand in 2021. Fashion journalist Renee Washington says fashion content creators are having a "big impact" on the industry and feels they are making it "more accessible". "You don't need to be sitting front row at Fashion Week anymore to shape taste, you can influence right from your bedroom and that shift has been very powerful", she says. 生词好句 revamp 英 [riːˈvæmp] 美 [riːˈvæmp] 改进 To revamp some means to improve it by changing its design, style or system. It suggests making it look newer or making it look more modern. They revamped the website to make it easier to use.他们对网站进行了改版，让它更容易使用。 The cafe decided to revamp its menu with healthier options.这家咖啡馆决定更新菜单，增加一些更健康的选择。 cease and desist 立刻停止 It means to stop doing something immediately and not continue. The publishing company told the website to cease and desist from using its content. 这家出版公司要求该网站停止并不得再使用其内容。 He received an official letter ordering him to cease and desist from using the brand name.他收到了一封正式信函，命令他停止并不得再使用该品牌名称。 tacky 英 [ˈtæki] 美 [ˈtæki] 俗气的 If something is tacky, it looks cheap, badly-made, not really tasteful, it can also describe behavior that feels embarrassing. The bright pink plastic chair looked quite tacky. 那把亮粉色的塑料椅子看起来相当俗气。 In the souvenir shop they sell really tacky gold plastic models of the Eiffel Tower. 在纪念品商店里，他们卖那种非常俗气的金色塑料埃菲尔铁塔模型。

Parents Are Going Broke From Their Kids' Sushi Obsession Grace Embury says her worst financial decision was introducing her kids to sushi. She's half joking, but Embury sighed when she listed the foods Elliott and Charlotte, 8 and 6, regularly request. "Salmon rolls, tuna rolls, tamago." Elliott and Charlotte would have sushi every day if they could, but Embury has limited their intake to weekly outings, where bills can reach $150. Gen Alpha has acquired a taste for shrimp tempura and salmon nigiri—and parents are paying a heavy price. Sushi restaurants came to the U.S. in the late 1960s. The food took off with celebrities in the '70s, but it was a few more decades before it went mass with regular Americans, thanks to super freezing technology that brought raw fish to grocery chains and mass restaurants. "It gives them a sense of maturity," said Isaac Bernstein, culinary director of kosher restaurant group Reserve Cut Hospitality, where $30 crispy rice tuna squares are frequently sold to young diners. "It's an adult food so maybe it makes them feel grown up." Laureano Escobar is convinced the aesthetics hooked his 6-year-old daughter, Mimi. "She saw the presentation and was fascinated," said Escobar, a 40-year-old chef in Dallas. He recalled gasping at the bill the first time they split a few rolls. "It was $120." So why not just cut them off? Parents say they are trying to strike a balance between financial considerations and the benefits of indulging their kids' sushi obsession. It might be expensive, but then again, it's more nutritious than other kid foods. 生词好句 go broke 濒临破产（to lose all your money or become bankrupt） obsession 英 [əbˈseʃn] 美 [əbˈseʃn] n. 痴迷，上瘾 I'm going broke from my son's LEGO obsession.我家儿子是乐高重度爱好者，我的钱包真的快扛不住了。 half joking 半开玩笑半认真 half + 动词ing 表示一种"不彻底而且很微妙的状态" I was half joking when I suggested we quit our jobs and open a homestay in Dali.我提议辞职去大理开民宿的时候，是半开玩笑说的。 I was half listening.我一半心思在听，心不在焉。 I was half believing him. 我当时将信将疑，差点就信了他。 a sense of + 抽象名词 描述人内心的某种 “感觉”、“意识”或“体验” a sense of maturity 成熟感 a sense of achievement 成就感 a sense of belonging 归属感 a sense of security 安全感 a sense of isolation 孤立感 a sense of powerlessness 无力感

The little town making nearly all of China's lanterns In China, red lanterns could guide a traveller to safety in cold winter alleyways, be symbols of power outside an imperial hall, or act as a call to religious devotion when hung in a temple. They are also absolutely synonymous with Chinese new year celebrations right across the vast country and link today's Chinese people with the culture of their ancestors. To imagine how many lanterns would be hung here, at any given time, is like trying to count how many trees would be in the Amazon. And yet it is claimed that a remarkable 80% of the country's lanterns are still made – by hand – in one small town in Hebei Province. Nobody seems to know just how many hundreds of years ago the craft started in this part of northern China but, if you're born in Tuntou, you are immersed in lantern making from a very young age. "When you see others in your family doing it every day, you get the hang of it quickly," one woman told the BBC, adding that "Kids here can pick it up at from around 10-years-old." It seems remarkable that, in an era of high-tech production lines, this town has been able to maintain a stranglehold on the lantern market, using production techniques from another era. In the future, modern production may find a way to match what this village can do by hand. However, for now, this is China's lantern town, and its residents are proud that it is known this way. 生词好句 synonymous with 同义于：表示两个词或短语在意义上相同或相似，可以互换使用 When we say something is "synonymous with" something else, we mean the two ideas are so closely connected that we think of one when we hear the other. One thing makes us think of the other thing. Pizza is synonymous with Italian food.披萨是意大利美食的代名词。 For many people, Hollywood is synonymous with the movie industry.对于很多人而言，好莱坞就等同于电影工业。 a remarkable percentage of something 显著很多 So we use this expression to highlight that a number or percentage is surprisingly large or impressive. A remarkable 70% of students passed the exam on their first try.高达70%的学生一次性通过了考试。 A remarkable 60% of the city now travels by public transport.如今这座城市有高达60%的人选择乘坐公共交通出行。 get the hang of it 掌握诀窍 If you "get the hang of something" you learn how to do it after some practice. At first it may feel a bit of difficult, but after a while it becomes easier, you get the hang of it. The game looks confusing at first, but you get the hang of it quickly.这个游戏刚开始看起来让人摸不到头脑，但你很快就能明白。 Once he got the hang of the software, he could use it easily.他一了解这个软件的用法，就能轻松地使用了。

What if the Valedictorians in America's Schools Were the Cool Kids? As America's democracy and society have struggled in recent years, caught in an authoritarian riptide and mired in inequality and discontent, I've wondered about the lessons that we Americans can learn from some of the successes of Asia. Every time I visit Asia, I feel a pang of envy for societies that seem to value education more than America does. The passion reflects a tradition in the Confucian belt of East Asia that the path to glory is to study. Even today in Chinese villages, you occasionally come across an ancient "paifang" monument to some local man who centuries ago earned a "jinshi" degree with top honors in the imperial exams. (When was the last time you saw an American village commemorating a local Ph.D.?) In a modern echo, in some East Asian schools I've visited, students and teachers alike have explained that the "hot" girls and boys are the valedictorians. It's nerd heaven, and this set of values leads many students to work extraordinarily hard. Can we build this kind of education-obsessed culture in America? In any case, many in East Asia complain that their systems work children too hard, robbing them of fun, and focus too much on memorization and not enough on creativity. Yes, that's all true. But couldn't we Americans edge a little in Asia's direction? We don't need to build a commemorative arch outside the home of each Ph.D., but maybe we could manage a bit less complacency about educational mediocrity? What if we respected human capital as much as financial capital? 内容拓展 Oh, the Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss 这本苏斯博士的人生成长绘本，是欧美极具代表性的毕业赠礼。全书以轻快押韵的语言，描绘一段充满未知的人生旅程：你将怀揣勇气启程，奔赴广阔世界，经历顺境与高光，也会遭遇迷茫、挫折与停滞。它不只歌颂成功，更教会我们接纳起伏、勇敢前行。语言简单治愈，寓意深刻，适合全年龄段阅读，是送给每一位前行者的温暖鼓励。 生词好句 valedictorian 英 [vælɪdɪkˈtɔːriən] 美 [vælɪdɪkˈtɔːriən] n. 毕业典礼上代表毕业生致辞的“优秀学生代表” prom king and prom queen 毕业舞会上选出的国王和王后 authoritarian 英 [ɔːθɒrɪˈteəriən] 美 [əθɔːrəˈteriən] adj. 专制统治的，威权统治的 riptide 英 [ˈrɪptaɪd] 美 [ˈrɪptaɪd] n. 激流 be mired in something 陷入困境，越挣扎越深 mire n. 泥潭，泥沼 a pang of envy 一阵嫉妒的刺痛 pang n. 一种突然的、尖锐的疼痛或情感冲动 a pang of hunger 突如其来的饥饿感 a pang of jealousy 突如其来的嫉妒感 a pang of guilt 突如其来的内疚感 a pang of nostalgia 突如其来的怀旧感 nerd 英 [nɜːd] 美 [nɜːrd] n.（本文）学霸；（传统英文语境下多为贬义）书呆子 近十余年来，"nerd"的形象发生了转变。如The Big Bang Theory（《生活大爆炸》）讲述的正是一群典型nerd的生活；与此同时，硅谷涌现出的众多昨日首富与今日首富，也多为nerd出身。

A 'Fight About Vibes' Drove the Pentagon's Breakup with Anthropic In his first face-to-face meeting with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Anthropic Chief Executive Dario Amodei made his case about the risks of AI-controlled autonomous weapons. Hegseth didn't want to hear it, even from a CEO whose company developed AI tools that have become instrumental for the military. "No CEO is going to tell our war fighters what they can and cannot do," Hegseth said after cutting off Amodei midsentence in the meeting on Feb. 24, according to people familiar with the matter. The rupture between the two men, with sharply contrasting personalities and worldviews, was never resolved. And now the Trump administration finds itself at loggerheads with a homegrown giant of the industry. "This is a fight about vibes and personalities masquerading as a policy dispute," said Michael Horowitz, a former Defense Department official who worked on AI policy. On Friday, President Trump directed all federal agencies to stop working with Anthropic and attacked the company's executives for being "leftwing nutjobs." In an ironic twist, minutes before his post, Trump authorized strikes on Iran—attacks that were planned with the involvement of Anthropic's Claude models, The Wall Street Journal reported. Amodei co-founded Anthropic in 2021 after leaving OpenAI because he felt the company was prioritizing business goals over AI safety. He is known to some of his employees as "Professor Panda." Amodei and Anthropic's co-founders committed to donating 80% of his founding stock to charity—a stake now worth billions of dollars. OpenAI has a different political profile than Anthropic: The company has praised Trump's tech strategy and promised investments to build data centers for training AI models. OpenAI President Greg Brockman and his wife donated $25 million to a Trump aligned super political-action committee last year. 生词好句 vibe 英 [vaɪb] 美 [vaɪb] n. （难以言喻的）氛围感，基调，（一种直觉上的）感受，气场 I'm not feeling the vibe here. 我感觉这里气场不对。 This place has a really chill vibe. 这里氛围/气场很松弛。 drive 英 [draɪv] 美 [draɪv] v. 驱使 The adversity of the career drove her to reinvent herself to stay relevant.职业生涯的逆境促使她重塑自己以保持竞争力/影响力。 Pentagon 英 [ˈpentəɡən] 美 [ˈpentəɡɑːn] n. 五角大楼，美国国防部；五边形 make one's case 把自己的立场/理由说清楚 During the summit, the climate activist stood up and made his case for immediate carbon‑neutral policies.在峰会期间，气候活动人士站了起来，提出了立即实施碳中和政策的理由。 instrumental 英 [ˌɪnstrəˈmentl] 美 [ˌɪnstrəˈmentl] adj. 举足轻重的，不可或缺的 The invention of the printing press was instrumental in dismantling the monopoly on knowledge.印刷机的发明，对于打破知识垄断起到了决定性的作用。 rupture 英 [ˈrʌptʃə(r)] 美 [ˈrʌptʃər] n. 破裂 The rupture between the superstar and the front office became irreparable after the trade demand was leaked.在转会要求被曝光之后，这位超级巨星和管理层之间的裂痕彻底无法修复。 contrasting adj. 截然不同的（very different in style color or attitude） at loggerheads with 与…… 针锋相对，僵持不下 loggerhead n. 长柄的铁棍 After the restructuring, the team manager found herself at loggerheads with the stream leader over the maintenance of projects.重组后，团队经理发现自己与下属团队的领导在项目维护问题上发生了争执。 masquerade 英 [ˌmæskəˈreɪd] 美 [ˌmæskəˈreɪd] v. 伪装，冒充；n. 化妆舞会 近义词辨析：disguise vs. masquerade disguise也表示伪装，但masquerade更有讽刺色彩，因为它强调主动欺骗，刻意掩盖。 The repeated micromanagement masquerades as mentorship, obscuring the team's struggles.反复的微观管理（对员工的不合理监控）伪装成了“指导”，去掩盖团队的挣扎。 nutjob 英 [ˈnʌtdʒɒb] 美 [ˈnʌtdʒɑːb] n. 疯子，神经病

You Say You’re a Knowledge Architect? Why Modern Careers Are So Hard to Explain A list of the world’s most misunderstood creatures includes sharks, bats and us—at least when we talk about our careers. Knowledge architects don’t draw blueprints, conversation designers don’t foster dialogue between people, and orchestration engineers don’t work with musical instruments. What do these people do? Their jobs all involve work with artificial-intelligence models. But mostly, they feel exasperated trying to explain their work, especially when sitting around the holiday dinner table with family. Some well-known fields have evolved to a point where certain roles within them are practically unrecognizable. Still other jobs are highly visible, but many of us remain fuzzy on how they qualify as, well, jobs. Jaeda Skye graduated from college last year and paused her plan to go on to physical-therapy school. She’d built an online following, initially by filming herself trying various coffee drinks, and had a budding business advising people and companies on social-media strategy. Her family is supportive, though not always sure how sampling espresso martini lattes enables her to make rent in New York. She has compared herself to a billboard, explaining that companies promote products in her reel much as they advertise along the highway. To illustrate the point, Skye brings freebies to family gatherings: drinks and snacks for her cousins, lotion and hair products for her grandmothers. “Then they’re like, ‘Someone just sent this to you for free? Why would anyone do that?’” she says. Sometimes the explanation of your job raises more questions than it answers. 【重点词汇】 feel exasperated trying to do something 尝试做……仍感到崩溃 exasperated adj. （本文）抓狂的，崩溃的；使烦恼（make someone very annoyed, usually when they can do nothing to solve a problem） I feel exasperated trying to get everyone on the same page.为了让大家达成一致，我真的很崩溃。 I feel exasperated trying to get my roommate to clean up after himself.我想尽办法让室友用完东西后收拾干净，真的特别心累。 practically 英 [ˈpræktɪkli] 美 [ˈpræktɪkli] adv. 几乎（almost） fuzzy 英 [ˈfʌzi] 美 [ˈfʌzi] adj. （本文）模糊的，搞不清的（confused，unclear）；不清晰的 build an online following 聚人气，在网上积累粉丝 She has built a massive online following.她在网络上很火。 budding 英 [ˈbʌdɪŋ] 美 [ˈbʌdɪŋ] adj. 刚萌芽的，初具规模的，有潜力的 bud n. 花蕾，嫩芽 a budding designer 一位崭露头角的设计师 a budding project 一个刚起步的项目 sample 英 [ˈsɑːmpl] 美 [ˈsæmpl] v. 品尝，试吃（to taste a small amount of food or drink to decide if you like it ）；n. 样本，小样 billboard 英 [ˈbɪlbɔːd] 美 [ˈbɪlbɔːrd] n.（公路）广告牌 reel 英 [riːl] 美 [riːl] n.（本文）短视频，竖屏小视频；卷轴，线轴 freebie 英 [ˈfriːbi] 美 [ˈfriːbi] n. 赠品，免费礼品

The Hardest Reservation in China Is a Factory Tour From: The Wall Street Journal When Yang Xingyue heard that tech company Xiaomi was offering free tours of its electric-vehicle plant, she dropped everything and applied for tickets. The odds weren't good. After Xiaomi launched an online lottery last January for public access to its highly-automated facility on the outskirts of Beijing, locals and tourists rushed to enter. Word spread on social media. Influencers looking for a perfect photo op competed against tiger moms hoping that a glimpse of the robot-powered assembly lines might inspire their kids to pursue tech careers. More than 100,000 people entered the lottery for about 200 tours in December and January, making the EV plant harder to get into than some competitive colleges. Yang, a car aficionado, wanted to give her 2-year-old son a close-up look at the factory. To her amazement, she was selected for a tour last March, allowing her to bring up to two guests. “I was very lucky,” said the 35-year-old content-creator in Beijing. But her son wouldn't be joining her; Xiaomi requires children to be at least 6 to attend. She brought a friend instead, and plans to go back when her son is old enough. It was Yang's first visit to a factory. During the one-hour tour, she saw hundreds of automated robotic arms and machines on the factory floor. According to Xiaomi, the plant churns out a new car every 76 seconds. She said she came away with a newfound appreciation for how fast China's technology has developed. “It was a very advanced industrial factory,” she said. “I thought, 'Oh, so this is how cars are made.'” That's one reason industrial tourism is taking over China. Beijing is drumming up national pride in its high-tech manufacturing, as the country known as the world's factory floor has also become a global leader in advanced technologies. The municipal government recently set a goal of attracting 20 million industrial tourism visits annually by 2027. Chinese companies, meanwhile, are looking for novel ways to connect with customers in the country's uber-competitive market. People are flocking to factory tours hosted by EV maker NIO, dairy manufacturer Mengniu, brewer Tsingtao and others. Xiaomi, a top phone maker that launched its first EV in 2024, began offering its public tours after receiving requests from customers. The company bumped up the number to 126 for January from 118 in December to accommodate increased demand from students on winter break. One mom who scored a slot last month said seeing her daughter's eyes light up in the factory made the trip from their home in neighboring Hebei province worth it. “The best education is letting children see the power of technology with their own eyes,” she wrote on social-media platform Xiaohongshu. “It's more effective than saying 'study hard' a hundred times.” 【重点词汇】 lottery /ˈlɑːtəri/ n. 抽签，抽奖 * I won a ticket in the lottery. 我抽中了一张票。 automated /ˈɔːtəmeɪtɪd/ adj. 自动化的 * The airport has an automated check-in system. 机场有一个自动化的值机系统。 assembly line /əˈsembli laɪn/ n. 装配线 * He works on an assembly line at the factory. 他在工厂的装配线上工作。 advanced /ədˈvænst/ adj. 先进的，高级的 * He is reading an advanced textbook. 他正在看一本高级教材。 flock /flɑːk/ v. 成群结队地涌去 * People flock to the beach in summer. 夏天人们成群结队地去海滩。