The word mukbang is from the Korean words “muk-ja” (let’s eat) and “bang- song” (广播). Hosts eat amounts of food in front of a camera while interacting with their audience. The show appeared first in South Korea, where the videos became popular via live stream(直播)channels.
The show comes from South Korea but other countries follow in significantly different ways. Take America as an example, Koreans plan their streams around dinnertime hours so viewers can feel like they are sharing a meal with a friend. And yet Americans tend (倾向于) to be more conversational in their videos which are pre-recorded. Korean mukbangers tend to eat traditional Korean dishes while American mukbangers eat a wider variety of foods.
Why are millions of people so drawn to watching perfect strangers eat in the first place? It’s a combination of sensory, psychological, social, emotional, environmental even neurological factors, says Rachel Herz, a neuroscientist at Brown University Alpert Medical School. She specially explains how food attracts our senses and develops our behavior when it comes to what we like to eat. A big part of that neurological factor is the ASMR (autonomous sensory-motor response), described as a brain feeling which can help people relaxed from the familiar sounds of eating in the mukbang videos.
Earning the popularity and money, more and more mukbangers appear. However, the show has not come without its unfavorable comments. As our habits change, we spend more and more social engagement on social media. It’s only a matter of time before mukbang affects our behavior around food. Viewers could probably develop unhealthy eating habits from watching. Despite the negative comments, mukbang continues to do well on the Internet and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.
1. What do we know about Mukbang?| A．It is an eating live show. | B．It is a TV channel |
| C．It is an eating competition. | D．It is a video website. |
| A．Play them without a stop. | B．Show various dishes in them. |
| C．Record them after dinnertime. | D．Chat more with friends in them. |
| A．Strangers like to eat what is on show. |
| B．The viewers’ bad behaviors can get adjusted. |
| C．Weak-minded people are most likely to overeat. |
| D．The eating sounds can easily cause viewers’ interest. |
| A．The changes of our habits. | B．The comments of viewers. |
| C．The management of the show. | D．The development of the Internet. |
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【推荐1】According to findings of a survey by Citi and Seventeen Magazine, nearly four out of five (almost 80 percent) college students work while attending college, with the average work load of 19 hours per week. But should college students work while at college? Many factors should be considered.
One benefit of working while in college is that it can help build your resume, regardless of whether the job is in your field, according to an article at Scholarships.com. "If you're lucky enough to find a job that closely relates to your major, you could get a leg up on the rest of your class once you graduate, because you'll have more experience in your chosen field," according to the article.
Perhaps the most compelling reason for working while earning a degree is the money. While it's unlikely to entirely finance your education through a part-time or full-time job, you can still make quite a dent(削减) in the college bill by working.
But some students prefer not to work while earning a degree so they can focus on getting the best grades. It's true that you'll have more time to stay at school if you don't work, provided you use that time wisely. If you feel like even 10-15 hours a week of work will hurt your grades, then perhaps you should not consider working.
Working a part-time or full-time job can take away time from social activities, according to a You University TV article. "Trying to balance a job and your college studies, and taking a job can cut down your time to hang out with friends," according to writer Dave Potts.
In addition to missing out on hanging out with your friends, working during college could prevent you from attending a number of campus events, such as movies on the lawn or football games. While you may be able to land a job that's flexible, it seems unlikely they'll let you choose your own schedule.
So should students work at college? The decision should be made on a case-by-case basis. Some students can also thrive in school while working, whereas others can't.
1. The author mentions the findings of a survey in Paragraph 1 to show ________.| A．college students are under great financial pressure |
| B．it's very common for college students to work part-time |
| C．it's quite easy for college students to find part-time work |
| D．college students have much spare time for part-time work |
| A．be able to choose work from more fields |
| B．have some money left when they graduate |
| C．know better about their majors than others |
| D．be more competitive in job hunting after graduate |
| A．Missing a lot of fun at college. | B．Having no friends at college. |
| C．Having a very busy schedule. | D．Saving a lot of money. |
| A．Why do students work at college? | B．Is it wise to work while at college? |
| C．Is it wise to choose social life at college? | D．What should students do at college? |
【推荐2】Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world on Sunday and many governments rushed to close their borders even as scientists cautioned that it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus.
The variant was identified days ago by researchers in South Africa, and much is still not known about it, including whether it is more infectious, more likely to cause serious illness or more able to evade the protection of vaccines. But many countries rushed to act, reflecting anxiety about anything that could prolong the pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people.
Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday. Scientists in several places — from Hong Kong to Europe to North America — have confirmed its presence. The Netherlands reported 13 omicron cases on Sunday, and both Canada and Australia each found two.
Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, meanwhile, emphasized that there is no data yet that suggests the new variant causes more serious illness than previous COVID-19 variants. Collins, along with several experts, said that the news should make everyone redouble their efforts to use the tools the world already has, including vaccinations, booster shots and measures such as mask-wearing. “I know, America, you’re really tired about hearing those things, but the virus is not tired of us,” Collins said.
As more omicron cases have been found in more countries such as Dutch, Canada, Australia, many countries are introducing travel bans or closing borders, though they go against the advice of the WHO. It has warned against any overreaction before the variant is thoroughly studied, noting that travel restrictions may play “a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.”
Spain announced it won’t admit unvaccinated British visitors starting Dec. 1. David Hui, a respiratory medicine expert in Hong Kong, agreed with that strategy, saying the two people who tested positive for the omicron variant had received the Pfizer vaccine and exhibited very mild symptoms, such as a sore throat.
1. What does the underlined word “evade” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．escape from | B．help with |
| C．come down with | D．engage in |
| A．more and more countries will have to close their borders. |
| B．omicron has already made Americans tired of the disease. |
| C．the new variant has caused more serious illness than the previous one. |
| D．regular public health measures are effective against the variant. |
| A．World Health Organization is against omicron-related travel bans. |
| B．The new variant is thought to have originated in South Africa. |
| C．The previous vaccine is of little use in fighting against omicron. |
| D．Spain has its border closed to foreign travelers including British visitors. |
| A．More countries have begun to introduce travel bans |
| B．Great damage caused by a new variant called omicron |
| C．More omicron cases emerge as world rushes to learn more |
| D．Vaccinations and booster shots recommended to be pushed |
【推荐3】About three decades ago, China was known as the “Bicycle Kingdom”．But the twowheeled transport's popularity began to fade, with many bikes soon replaced by their fuelpowered competitors.
But recent months have seen a renaissance of the bike across China, with an increasing number of people choosing cycling instead of driving to schools, to workplaces or to do sightseeing.The introduction of bikesharing schemes, first developed by new companies like Ofo and Mobike, has brought the trend to a new level.According to data from iResearch Consulting Group, the first week of this year saw 5.85 million active users of Mobike while Ofo had 1.4 million active users.
People can unlock the shared bikes by simply using their smartphones.The bikes are equipped with GPS and can be left anywhere in public places for the next user.They're popular among many Chinese people as they provide an effective answer to the “last mile” problem, which refers to a person's final journey.“In places where the subway doesn't reach and where it's difficult to change from one kind of transport to another, it's so easy to get where you want to go with Mobike，” Hu Hong, 29, said.She rides a bike to work.
However, the schemes have also led to problems such as illegal parking, vandalism (故意破坏) and theft.“Bikesharing is a greener method of transportation and provides a userfriendly experience，” said Liu Xiaoming, ViceMinister of Transport.“But it's a combination of online and offline business.Operators are usually strong in online services, but lack offline business experience.”
In fact, these problems are also shared by bikesharing schemes abroad.Set up in 2007, Vélib is a largescale public bike sharing system in Paris.By October, 2009, a large number of Vélib's initial bikes had to be replaced due to vandalism or theft.Bikes were found hanging from lampposts (街灯柱) or thrown into the Seine River.
1. What can we learn about Ofo and Mobike from the text?| A．Their bikes are aimed at people who can't afford a car. |
| B．They are pioneers in the field of bike sharing in China. |
| C．There are 7.25 million people using their bikes this year. |
| D．No other bikesharing system in the world can match theirs. |
| A．They can be shared by a lot of different people. |
| B．They allow people to use various forms of transport. |
| C．They are a useful addition to other means of transport. |
| D．They are accessible as long as people have smartphones. |
| A．They are actually universal phenomena. |
| B．They are brought by bikesharing users. |
| C．They are mainly caused by the operators. |
| D．They are the results of illegal companies. |
| A．What problems does bike sharing face in China? |
| B．Bike sharing: a new battle begins in China |
| C．Why is bike sharing popular in China? |
| D．Bike sharing is booming in China. |
【推荐1】Global fast-food giant McDonald’s announced it would be phasing out (逐步淘汰) plastic straws (吸管) in China. The move is expected to reduce plastic waste by about 400 tons a year. According to the announcement, from June 30, nearly 1,000 stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen began to phase out plastic straws for both dine-in and take-out, expanding to all stores in China by the end of 2020. Diners would drink cold beverages directly through the new cup cover.
Zhang Jiayin, CEO of McDonald’s China, expressed that McDonald’s is devoted to building up an environmentally friendly “beautiful China”. “We believe that taking advantage of McDonald’s influence worldwide, reducing straws can be a huge step for sustainable development. In the past decade or so, we have continued to carry out the green packaging action.” Zhang said, “This movement is playing a positive role in the protection of the ecological environment.”
The move is in keeping with China’s national plan to phase out single-use plastics which came into effect in January of this year, in an effort to combat its growing trash problem.
Among other things, the government carries out a nationwide ban on plastic straws, disposable cutlery (一次性餐具), as well as plastic bags in major cities by the end of 2020, and nationwide by 2022.
Plastic has increasingly played a role in global solid waste, and has choked oceans and rivers as well as landfills. Both companies and volunteers in the past few years have taken it upon themselves to respond to this plastic problem in their own ways.
1. What happened to McDonald’s in 2020?| A．It banned using plastic package in all stores. |
| B．It successfully dealt with China’s trash problem. |
| C．It started to get rid of using plastic straws in China. |
| D．It became the first company to ban plastic straws in China. |
| A．Environment | B．Science | C．Education | D．Entertainment |
| A．It is a kind of poisonous material. | B．It should be banned in all fields. |
| C．It has been solved completely so far. | D．It results in a growing waste problem. |
| A．The growing trash problems in China. | B．The importance of eco-friendly straws. |
| C．The devotion to building a green China. | D．How to reduce environmental pollution in China. |
【推荐2】It was a snowy day during the spring break when I walked into a great restaurant. In this blizzard weather, it was the only restaurant that remained open.
The restaurant has a long history in Hong Kong. Its owners, the couple, Peter and Michelle, have been running the restaurant since 2007.
“Things have changed a lot in the past 30 years,” Peter said. “Chinese students 20 years ago thought that a 70-cent bowl of rice was too expensive, but now a $20 meal is acceptable”. He also said that the new generation of Chinese students engaged with other students, bringing all their non-Chinese friends to visit the restaurant.
Peter takes great pride in his own cooking. He was curious about how the food was made and why particular foods or sauces had specific tastes. He chose to serve mainly Guangdong and Sichuan food at the restaurant, featuring the family-style Chinese dim sum or hot pot.
When I asked whether he would modify the taste of the dishes to suit the taste of most Americans, Peter said, “We are not like those American Chinese restaurants. We provide the genuine Chinese taste to our customers, and they will love it because it is delicious, and their taste will suit the taste of our dishes, not the other way around.”
“If I hear complaints from my customers, I will be so upset that I can’t fall asleep at night”, he said. “Luckily most of my favorite dishes received wide acclaim from my customers and it takes more than one person’s effort.”
He compares himself with the craftsmen in China who are proud of preserving ancient Chinese art and whose motivation is only on people’s enjoyment of their work and thought.
Such a spirit of craftsmanship has been remarkable and greatly valued in the past. The craftsman’s spirit with perfection, precision, concentration, and patience remains in Peter and his cooking.
1. How long have the couple been running the restaurant?| A．16 years | B．20 years | C．30 years | D．70 years |
| A．Its customers are mainly Chinese. |
| B．It sticks to its original taste of the dishes. |
| C．It adjusts the taste according to the customers. |
| D．Its menu merely contains Guangdong and Sichuan food. |
| A．Generous and patient. | B．Ambitious and economical. |
| C．Thoughtful and humorous. | D．Precise and devoted. |
| A．He believes that cooking just needs one person’s effort. |
| B．He shows an interest in preserving ancient Chinese art. |
| C．He takes pride in cooking the best typical Chinese cuisine. |
| D．He cares about the taste of the dishes rather than customers’ complaints. |
【推荐3】Picture this: You’re searching the Internet and come across a website with interesting articles. Some are news stories. Their goal is to share information. Others only look like news stories. They’re actually advertisements, or ads. The goal of an ad is to get you to buy something. How do you, the reader, tell the difference between a news story and an ad?
Back when I was growing up, it was easier. We got most of our information from newspapers. Big news stories appeared on the front page, and ads were boxed off and clearly labeled. But on the Internet, the two are often presented together. It can be hard to tell which is which.
That’s why the research group I direct conducted a study. My research team showed kids like you the home page of a popular digital magazine. We asked them to tell us what was a news story and what was an ad.
Most were great at identifying certain types of ads. “It has a coupon (优惠券) code, a big company logo, and the words ‘limited time offer’,” one student wrote about an ad on the site. So where did kids get stumped (难倒)？
Some ads seem identical to real news stories. They have headlines and contain information. But they may also include the words “sponsored content”. Sponsored means “paid for,” and content refers to the information in the story. “Sponsored content” is a way of saying that something is an ad. Most kids in our study, even if they used the Internet often, didn’t know this.
Something sponsored doesn’t necessarily mean it’s false. It means someone paid money for it to appear. Companies pay so that readers will see their stories, buy their products, and like what the company stands for.
As a reader, you have a right to know who’s behind the information you’re consuming. So, look for the phrase sponsored content. (And look carefully. Sometimes, it will be written in tiny letters.) The Internet is a vast sea of information. To use it well, we not only have to know how to swim but also how to avoid the sharks.
1. Why was it easier for the author to distinguish ads from news stories?| A．Because news stories were clearly labeled. |
| B．Because ads had a very big company logo. |
| C．Because ads were printed on separate sections. |
| D．Because news stories appeared on the front page. |
| A．tricky advertisements | B．information consumers |
| C．underwater rocks. | D．content sponsors |
| A．Identify News Stories | B．Be digital smart. |
| C．Research into the Internet | D．Be a smart advertiser |
