The world is changing fast, but you can learn it at a slower pace.
Special English You're listening to Special English.
Here's the news. A palm -sized stuffed toy, modeled on the Chinese street food rōjiāmo has gone viral in Shi 'a in northwest China's Shanxi province, igniting a buying frenzy since its debut this summer.
This mouth -watering snack, which is quite common in Shanxi province, features a flatbread stuffed with braised meat.
It is often referred to as the Chinese hamburger.
Young locals and tourists sometimes wait in line for over an hour to snag their toys, which is dubbed as Romomo, drawn by the product's creative design and its link to the culinary experience.
A chef, dressed in traditional Han -Fu robes, uses a plastic knife to imitate the chopping of the toy's meat element and then inserts it into the bread, simulating the completion of the cooking process.
The chef would interact with customers to learn their preferences, asking questions like, Would you like lean meat or fatty meat?
Or Shall I add some more juice?
Such interactions transactions have been broadcast on livestream platforms, generating over 50 ,000 daily views recently.
According to its manufacturer, Daxiang Culture and Technology Company, after entering the Market in June, more than 200 ,000 rôme au mâu have been sold with orders from souvenir shops, online platforms, and even clients from New York and Sydney.
Stuffed toys inspired by local dishes, cultural relics and landmarks are gaining in popularity in China along with the creative consumption rituals and scenarios they create.
Data from the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association reveal that the post -2000s generation has become the largest consumer group for stuffed toys, accounting for 43 % of total buyers.
While people in the post 90's comprise 36%.
Zhang Yan, director of the Culture and Tourism Center at the Shanxi Academy of Social Sciences, said that the younger generation is increasingly seeking spiritual comfort amid the pressures of urban life, and cute plush toys provide a degree of emotional comfort, Jung pointed out that seeking instant gratification through experiential consumption with affordable valuable prices is a good choice for the youngsters, adding that young people prioritize cost -effectiveness for daily essentials but are willing to spend on their own interests." She noted that by sharing photos and videos online, they
build social connections with those who have similar hobbies.
You're Listening to Special English The Three Runway System at the Hong Kong International Airport will go into service on November 28, 8, boosting the city's aviation industry.
Michael Wong, Deputy Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said that the new system will enable the airport to handle 120 million passenger trips and 10 million tons of cargo annually.
The airport handled 45 million passenger trips and 4 .5 million tons of cargo during the previous financial year.
Wang expects the new system to generate considerable returns and make Hong Kong a stronger aviation hub.
Construction of the system began in August 2016.
It is complete with a 3 ,800 m runway, a new concourse, an automated people mover system, and a baggage handling system.
This is special English.
A Chinese scientific team has developed an innovative membrane system that can efficiently separate oil and water from complex fluids, a breakthrough with significant implications for environmental protection and resource recovery.
The new technology has the potential to effectively treat oily wastewater, which is a prevalent pollutant in both daily life and industry, and poses serious threats to ecosystems and water sources.
Existing membrane technology struggles with the challenges of concurrently recovering oil and water from mixtures where oil droplets are dispersed in water.
Now scientists Scientists from Zhejiang University have designed a novel membrane system, which consists of a narrow, confined channel, flanked by two membranes that are water -compatible and water -repellent, respectively.
As the emulsion flows through this channel, water molecules are passed through a water -compatible membrane under pressure, while oil droplets that collide into larger droplets can be captured and removed by the other membrane.
According to the study published in the journal Science, the system boasts remarkable separation efficiency, recovery, recovering around 97 % of oil and roughly 75 % of water, with a purity above 99%.
Xu Zhikang, a corresponding author of the paper, said that the membranes can be utilized for wastewater treatment in the petroleum sector as well as for separating emulsified products in the food and biomedical industries.
The research team has secured a patent for the technology and is now looking to launch a startup or partner with companies to further advance its development.
You're listening to Special English.
Armed with advanced diagnostic tools, a team of tree doctors navigate through the bustling crowds at a park to reach their latest patient, a gingko tree that has stood the test of time.
for over 1 ,700 years.
The team begins a meticulous examination of the tree, part of a citywide initiative aimed at assessing the health condition of of ancient and famous trees in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province.
With professional equipment, the team would conduct comprehensive diagnostics to identify issues such as pest infestations, soil compaction and nutrient deficiencies, providing a basis for precise interventions.
Known as the hometown of of iconic giant pandas, Chengdu also boasts over 9 ,400 ancient and famous trees scattered across diverse locations from residential areas and village courtyards to remote mountain fields.
Ancient trees are more susceptible to health issues, such as trunk decay, crown dieback, and infestations by pests and diseases, to enhance the protection of these natural treasures.
doctors. The Chengdu Botanical Garden formed the Ancient Tree Doctors team in 2014.
Since then, the team has conducted health assessments on more than 5 ,000 ancient trees throughout the city.
A 2022 survey recorded over 5 million ancient and famous trees across China.
In recent years, initiatives to safeguard these living relics have gained and momentum in line with the country's broader goals of sustainable development and environmental conservation.
Last year, a big data platform for the management of ancient and famous trees was launched in northwest China's Xianxi Province.
Meanwhile, in east China's Jiangsu province, authorities aim to achieve a protection rate of over 98 percent for ancient and famous trees with archive cards by 2025.
For a Chinese person, Sichuan cuisine is something that can truly ignite their appetite regardless of whether they They love spicy food or not.
How could the food coming from a province in southwest China become a knockout cuisine that has won most stomachs throughout the country, and its popularity even extended overseas?
Well, first of all, Sichuan cuisine is known for its bold flavors, particularly its spiciness and pungency, achieved through generous use of garlic, chili peppers, and the distinctive Sichuan pepper, whose slightly numbing sensation creates a memorable eating experience.
Variations of Sichuan cuisine can be found across the region and even in neighboring In 2011, UNESCO declared Chengdu Sichuan's Capital a city of gastronomy, recognizing its rich culinary heritage.
So to talk about Sichuan cuisine, we have to know about its history.
According to the historical records, Sichuan cuisine took its initial form during the spring and autumn period about 2200 years ago.
Ever since then, this culinary tradition has been passed down and refined through generations.
By the Song Dynasty, Sichuan cuisine had spread beyond its borders, gaining popularity in Kaifeng and Hangzhou, two distant capitals at the time.
Later in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, chili peppers were introduced to China, giving Sichuan cuisine, a new dimension of heat that enhanced its longstanding emphasis on layered aromatic flavors.
After the late Qing dynasty, it developed into one of China's most renowned regional cuisines, celebrated for its complexity and depth.
So you can see the popularity of Sichuan cuisine did not get accomplished just overnight, it had a long period of development and growth.
both, but what sets Sichuan cuisine apart from other regional cuisines in China?
One reason might be its distinct, complex flavors, particularly the taste of Sichuan pepper, which is rare in other regions.
The numbing sensation of Sichuan pepper balances the spiciness, making it accessible to those who might typically avoid very spicy food.
In Sichuan cuisine, different types of peppers and spicy ingredients are used in unique combinations, creating various taste experiences.
there's a whole spectrum of spicy, dry spice, crispy spice, oily spice, aromatic spice with onion, ginger, or garlic, sweet spicy, and more.
All together, Sichuan cuisine boasts more than 20 different flavors, with 13 directly involving spice.
In addition to its rich flavors, Sichuan cuisine is known for its diverse cooking methods.
There are over 30 methods in common use such as quick stir -frying, dry cooking, dry braising and the traditional home -cooked method.
This last method, for example, involves using a kind of local bean paste to stir -fry ingredients over medium heat, then slowly simmering until the flavors intensify.
A famous example of this method is ma po tofu, a dish beloved across China and even in other parts of Asia.
This brief introduction barely scratches the surface of Sichuan cuisine's magic.
With so many cooking techniques and flavor profiles, Sichuan cuisine can deliver an endless variety of memorable dishes.
The best way to experience it is to visit Sichuan and try these legendary flavors yourself.
You're listening to Special English.
That's the end of this edition of Special English.
To recap, I'm going to read one of the news items again at normal speed.
Please listen carefully.
The three -runway system at the Hong Kong National Airport will go into service on November 28, boosting the city's aviation industry.
Michael Wang, deputy financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said that the new system will enable the airport to handle 120 million passenger trips and 10 million tons of cargo annually.
The airport handled 45 million passenger trips and 4 .5 million tons of cargo during the previous financial year.
Wong expects the new system to generate considerable returns and make Hong Kong a stronger aviation hub.
Construction of the system began in August 2016.
It is complete with a 3800 meter runway, a new concourse, an automated people mover system, and a baggage handling system.
This is the end of today's program.
I hope you'll join us every day to learn English at a slower pace.
