Bing Dwen Dwen, the cute mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, has been selling like hotcakes. Why is the ice—glazed panda so popular? What are the clever ideas behind its design? Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts professor Cao Xue, who is in charge of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics mascot design team, told the story.
The 14-member design team led by Cao Xue are all teachers and graduate students from the School of Visual Arts and Design of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. During that time, there were almost no holidays, and the whole team need to revise and discuss every day, and they ended up completing over 10,000 manuscripts. In the end, Bing Dwen Dwen, based on a panda, was selected from nearly 6,000 entries from 35 countries and regions.
Bing Dwen Dwen is a panda with a high sense of science and technology. It draws attention with its full-body “shell” made out of ice. Cao said the inspiration came from traditional. Chinese snack “ice-sugar gourd,” also known as tanghulu, which is candied hawthorns on a stick, while the shell also looks like a space suit — a nod to embracing new technologies for a future of infinite possibilities.
Although the tanghulu idea was widely praised, it wasn’t enough to represent the image of a big country. So the team tried again and again, changing the image in the ice shell into elk, tiger, rabbit…Various ideas have been put forward and overturned, but eventually it was decided that China’s national treasure panda is the most beloved by people all over the world.
As for Bing Dwen Dwen’s popularity, Cao said he expected it to be popular, but did not expect it to become so popular. “Its ice shell is cold, but the image looks warm and lovely, I believe this kind of warmth can be something everybody feels,” said Cao.
8. What can we learn about the team from paragraph 2?
A.They worked day and night to make the design. | B.They gained a lot of help from others. |
C.They called for creations from the country. | D.They initially focused on a panda to be the mascot. |
9. What does the underlined word “hawthorns” refer to in paragraph3?
A.A kind of fruit. | B.A type of toy. | C.A sort of tool. | D.A category of creature. |
10. Why did the team decide on the panda?
A.Because of its cute appearance. | B.Because of its significant role in the nation. |
C.Because of its popularity around the globe. | D.Because of its spreading warmth. |
11. Which can be the best title for the text?
A.The Cute Mascot of the 2022 Winter Olympics | B.The Team Spirit Contributing to the Success |
C.How Cute the National Treasure Panda Is | D.Why Is Bing Dwen Dwen So Popular |