EZCNN 易英网

Cursive Makes Comeback in California Classrooms; Evergrande, Symbol of China`s Property Crisis, Heads to Liquidation; Truffle Hunting in Italy.

 

COY WIRE, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hello, sunshine. I`m Coy Wire. This is CNN 10. Enjoying our time here in Detroit, Michigan. The statue you see behind me

is called the Spirit of Detroit. In 1955, Marshall Fredericks was commissioned to create this monument, a man holding a family and a golden orb.
 

orb[ɔrb] n. 球；球状物；天体，星球

The bronze was cast in Oslo, Norway, making it all the way here, where it represents hope and progress for Detroit to this day, currently wearing

Lions jersey honoring the football team`s inspiring run.

Now, for our lead story of the day, as LL Cool J would say, "Don`t call it a comeback, I been here for years." Cursive handwriting, it`s a style of
 

cursive [ˋkɝsɪv] n. 草写的字母；草写体的文件, adj. 草写的

writing. A lot of schools in the U.S. don`t teach anymore. In 2010, it was left out of the national common core education and standards, which are a
 

common core 共同核心

set of learning goals that help teachers prepare students for college and future careers.

Cursive appears to be making a comeback though, just this month, California requires students in grades one through six to learn the writing style. It

is the 23rd state to currently mandate that cursive handwriting be taught in schools. And it`s the 10th state to do so since 2016, according to the

website, mycursive.com. There are five additional states considering similar laws.

Now, in an age of computer programming and digital communication, why is this classic writing style making a return? Well, educators in favor of

teaching it say it helps reading comprehension, find motor skills and allow students to read historical documents in their original form.
 

motor skill 动作技能

We turn now to China where a crumbling companies empire saga is now complete. Real estate developer, Evergrande, has the biggest debt of any
 

saga [ˋsɑgə] n. 传说；英雄事迹；冒险故事

 

other competitor in the world. It became a symbol of China`s property crisis after it defaulted on its debt in 2021, that means the company

officially declared, it was unable to pay back the money it owed. Over $333 billion to be precise. And now a court in Hong Kong has ordered the company

to liquidate or sell everything it owns.
 

liquidate [ˋlɪkwɪ͵det] v. 偿付；清算

Over the past few years, what was happening with Evergrande had an impact on China`s domestic and international stock markets. For more, here`s our

very own KRISTIE Lu Stout.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTIE LU STOUT, ANCHOR & CNN CORRESPONDENT: Evergrande, the world`s most indebted developer is heading to liquidation. On Monday, a judge here in
 

indebted [ɪnˋdɛtɪd] adj. 负债的

Hong Kong ruled to liquidate the Chinese company after years of failed attempts to restructure it. A Hong Kong judge, Linda Chan, she said, quote,

"It is time for the court to say enough is enough." Before the hearing, Evergrande shares are trading down as much as 20%. Trading was halted in
 

enough is enough【谚】适可而止; 够了，行了

trade down 降价交易

China Evergrande and its list of subsidiaries.

For years now ever, Evergrande has been the poster child of China`s property debt crisis. It is the world`s most indebted property developer
 

poster child 模范人物，典型代表

with more than $328 billion of liabilities and $240 billion of assets. And last year in September, it`s Founder and Chairman, Xu Jiayin, was suspected
 

liability [͵laɪəˋbɪlətɪ] n.【会计】负债，债务

asset [ˋæsɛt] n. 资产

of crimes and detained by the police. Analysts say that the decision to liquidate this company is good news for China`s economy in the long run,

but it will be painful.

Now, according to Andrew Collier of Orient Capital Research, he says this, quote, "Evergrande`s liquidation is a sign that China is willing to go to extreme ends
 

go to extremes 采取极端措施

to quell the property bubble. This is good for the economy in the long term, but very difficult in the short term," unquote.
 

quell [kwɛl] v. 平息；压制；消除；减轻

Now Gary Ng, a Senior Economist of Natixis adds this, "It is not an end but the beginning of the prolonged process of liquidation, which will make

Evergrande`s daily operations even harder. Investors will be concerned about whether there will be a snowball effect on other developers as the queue
 

queue [kju] v. 排队等候

to liquidation is long," unquote.

In 2021, Evergrande triggered a market panic when it couldn`t make its debt payments. And China`s real estate market has yet to recover, it accounts

for as much as 30% of the country`s economic activity. And more than two- thirds of Chinese household wealth is tied up in real estate.
 

tie up 密切相关; 系住

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Pop quiz hot shot.

Which of these famous paintings became a household name after it was stolen from the Louvre in the early 1900S?

Van Gogh`s "The Starry Night," Vermeer`s "Girl with a Pearl Earring," Botticelli`s "The birth of Venus," or Da Vinci`s "Mona Lisa."

Mona Lisa, ding, ding, an Italian handyman stolen from the French Museum in 1911. Newspapers around the world published pictures of it and a two-year
 

handyman [ˋhændɪ͵mæn] n. 干杂活的人，杂务工

police hunt for the now famous painting ensued.
 

ensue [ɛnˋsu] v. 接着发生；接踵而来

Question for you, what`s more important art or the right to eat healthy, sustainable food? That`s a question environmental activists in Paris posed

after they threw pumpkin soup at the Mona Lisa, one of the most famous paintings in the world.

Here`s CNN`s Michael Holmes with more details on what happened at the Louvre Museum and the methods some folks used to bring attention to a

cause.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): The crowd gasps as two activists throw soup at one of the most famous works of art in the world. But it
 

gasp [gæsp] v.（因惊讶等）倒抽一口气

would be the Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th Century, who would have the last laugh.

Her mysterious smile untouched by the stunt --
 

untouched [ʌnˋtʌtʃt] adj. 未受影响的；未受损伤的

stunt [stʌnt] n. 惊险动作

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to close the room.

HOLMES (voice-over): -- safe behind a shield of protective armored glass as security ushered people out of the room, the vandals obscured behind barriers.
 

usher [ˋʌʃɚ] v. 引，领

vandal [ˋvænd!] n.（文化、艺术等的）破坏者；破坏他人（或公共）财产者

obscure [əbˋskjʊr] v. 遮掩

Their protest for healthy and sustainable food leaving a bad taste in the mouths of many visitors.
 

leave a bad taste in the mouth 留下不愉快的记忆

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s disgusting to treat art that`s really valuable for the history of humankind that way.

HOLMES (voice-over): Museums around the world are on guard after a series of similar attacks on famous works of art, whether it’s throwing soup at a
 

on guard 警戒着; 提防

Van Gogh; smearing paint on the casing of the Degas sculpture; or hurling oil at a painting by Gustav Klimt.
 

smear [smɪr] v.（用黏或腻的东西）涂抹；涂上（油、油漆等）[（+on/over/with）]；弄脏，弄污

hurl [hɝl] v. 猛力投掷

It`s all for shock value: a tactic used by climate or anti-oil groups to get attention. But to many people, it`s a baffling, if not infuriating disruption.
 

shock value 冲击值(震惊值)是指图像、文本、动作或其他形式的交流（例如公开处决）引起强烈厌恶、震惊、愤怒、恐惧或类似负面情绪反应的可能性

baffling [ˋbæf!ɪŋ] adj. 令人困惑的，难对付的；难解

infuriating [ɪnˋfjurɪ͵etɪŋ] adj. 使人十分生气的，令人大怒的

disruption [dɪsˋrʌpʃən] n. 中断; 扰乱

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): I really don`t see the link. I`m not shocked for the Mona Lisa. I`m not worried for her, because she`s

ultra-protected. But then I don`t see the link with food, other than the fact that the Mona Lisa is internationally recognized. So we`ll definitely

hear about this.

HOLMES (voice-over): The Mona Lisa has survived the centuries. It`s been stolen, attacked with acid, had objects thrown at it. So a dousing of soup
 

douse [daʊs] v. 泼湿; 向…泼液体

and a canned message by activists only puts the spotlight back on it.

A masterclass in capturing the public`s attention, something with which no gimmick or cheap trick can compare.
 

masterclass [ˋmæstɚklæs] n.（尤指音乐方面的）深造班，高级讲习班

gimmick [ˋgɪmɪk] n. 巧妙的小玩意儿；花招；窍门

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Today`s story getting a 10 out of 10, edible fungus, expensive fungus truffles the culinary delicacy that grows underground can cost thousands of
 

truffle [ˋtrʌf!] n.【植】块菌（一种食用菌）；松露

dollars per pound. They need perfect conditions to grow. And sleuthy detective like methods to procure them.
 

sleuth [sluθ] n. 大猎犬；大警犬；【美】【口】侦探

sleuthy [ˋsluθɪ] adj.  sleuthlike; of or in the manner of a sleuth

procure [proˋkjʊr] v.（努力）取得，获得

Let`s join CNN`s Richard Quest who`s on a quest to forage for truffles in Puglia, a region known as the Bread Basket of Italy.
 

quest [kwɛst] n. 寻找；追求；探索

forage [ˋfɔrɪdʒ] v. 搜索粮秣；搜寻

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: The hunt is on, and they`re off. The dogs have got the scent. There are truffles to be found.

We have dogs. We have wicked looking implement. They`re starting to find truffles.
 

wicked [ˋwɪkɪd] adj. 顽皮的，淘气的

implement [ˋɪmpləmənt] n. 工具；器具；用具; 装备

I`m in a forest in Southern Italy. The forest location is sort of a secret and it`s raining.

GIUSEPPE LOLLI, TRUFFLE EXPERT: (Speaking in foreign language).

QUEST: How`d you train them?

(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

QUEST: Giuseppe Lolli guards his secrets.
 

guard [gɑrd] v. 控制；使（言词等）谨慎

LOLLI: (Speaking in foreign language).

QUEST: But I thought truffle hunting used pigs.

LOLLI: No dogs. Pig is a (foreign language).

QUEST: Yes, you have -- the pigs eat them. They find them and eat them.

LOLLI: (Speaking in foreign language).

QUEST: Before I can even gather myself, the dogs have sniffed out a target.

Oh, stop it. Wow. Oh, oh, you just -- look at your pants. They`ll teach you to wear beige pants.
 

beige [beʒ] adj. 米色的；灰棕色的

You have to be prepared to get messy if you want to find these jewels. Truffles are essentially underground mushrooms.

LOLLI: (Speaking in foreign language).

QUEST: And look, you know he`s getting a prize and there he is. He`s got a truffle things.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He look so proud. It`s like, you almost dug it up yourself, but it definitely wasn`t you that did.

QUEST: That all happened so fast. Whoa, whoa, whoa, rough, again.

A ripen truffle gives off a distinct scent that the dogs can track.

Just see the excitement of the dogs and the whole businesses or something there.

Yeah, Look at that. I`m falling even more in love with truffles. Now I see what you have to do to find them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just search, here you

go. Two for me, one for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: All right. All my fun guy and fun gals. Tomorrow`s #YourWordWednesday. Follow me @coywire on Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok,

drop your unique vocabulary word in the comment section on my most recent post, along with your school and teacher`s name. Let`s see if your word

helps us write tomorrow`s show and boosts our vocabulary.

Shout out time now. This shout out goes to the roaring Tigers at Oregon Trial Middle School in the City of Olathe, Kansas, rise up.

And this shout out goes to, Lockport Township High School in Lockport, Illinois, keep shining lovely people, much love, many blessings to you. We

appreciate each and every one of you. We`re going to see you tomorrow right here on CNN 10.

END