初中基础第3096期音频 The Power of Pop Culture AS A CHILD, I didn’t like Peking Opera. In my eyes, it was boring. The actors sang and spoke in strange ways and their clothes looked “ancient.” That was until last year, when I saw a video of an actress singing “Queencard” in a Peking Opera style. I started thinking the traditional art form was really cool.My story might help explain why the new C-drama Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (《永夜星河》) is so popular among young people, both at home and abroad. Although the show is set in ancient times, it develops in a game-like way. The female lead Ling Miaomiao (Yu Shuxin) finds herself inside a fantasy novel. To get back to the real world, she must finish many tasks. When I first saw her struck by lightning (被雷击中) — and the words “The End” appear on the screen — I laughed out loud. It felt like I was playing a game myself! The drama also uses modern language. Ling sometimes says things like “What? Did I break the law?” or “How much did these special effects cost?” These words fit the character and add fun to the show. This show is an example of pop culture’s role in spreading Chinese culture. The Global Times (《环球时报》)calls online novels, online dramas and online games the “three carriages (三驾马车)” of this effort. The key is to interest young people first. If they are curious, they will want to learn more. Now, people are talking about the traditional skills behind the props in Love Game in Eastern Fantasy. They are also learning more about Chinese folklore (民间传说), like Shanhaijing, and philosophy (哲学), like “harmony (和谐) with nature,” because of the show. This is the power of pop culture.Bingo’s Busy Day ON A SUNNY MORNING, Bingo the farm dog woke up. After Farmer Joe fed him, Bingo started his work. His first stop was the sheep pen. The sheep loved Bingo because he always helped Joe guide them across the fields (田野). Bingo barked happily and rounded the sheep up as they ate grass in the meadow (草地). When the sheep were done, Bingo led them back to the pen. Next, he went to the chicken coop. He watched the chickens peck (啄食) at their food. Sometimes, a few chickens would go too far from the coop. With a gentle nudge (推), Bingo led them back. After a busy morning, Bingo rested under a tree and watched the cows eat the green grass. But his rest didn’t last long. Suddenly, he heard Joe calling, “Bingo! I need your help!” Bingo jumped up and ran quickly to Joe. The farmer was trying to fix an old wooden fence. A section (段) of the fence had fallen, and the cows were getting too close to the road. Bingo knew what to do! He barked to alert (提醒) the cows and quickly herded them back to safety.Seeds for a Safer Future “ YOU are about to (即将) enter the largest wild seed bank in the world,” said Sharon Balding. She is the Seed Collections Manager at the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB). This seed bank is located in Sussex, U.K. “Inside there are over 39,000 different species of seeds from more than 100 countries,” Sharon said. She turned a key, and the heavy vault door slowly opened ... The MSB vaults are guarded 24 hours a day. Inside, rows (排) of glass jars (罐子) hold the seeds. The jars are labelled with numbers, not plant names. “This is for security,” Sharon said. “If the seeds were stolen, the thief wouldn’t know what they were!” So is the collection worth a lot of money? “It’s priceless (无价的),” said Sharon. “Our future survival depends on these seeds. Without them, we could lose important things, like food and medicines.” Some of the seeds here have already been used. In early 2020, for example, wildfires (野火) in Australia burned down the habitat of a rare plant. The MSB sent 250 seeds to help it grow back in the wild. Sadly, today, two out of five plant species are at risk of extinction. And as the world gets warmer because of climate change, it will be harder for some plants to survive. “We are looking for and studying trees from other parts of the world,” said Owen Blake. He is part of the U.K. Tree Seed Collecting Team. “Some of these trees will be able to grow in the warmer U.K. climate,” he said. These scientists are working hard to solve our planet’s problems!
