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🤔️小作业：

1. What can be inferred about the job advertisement for shepherds?

A. It was posted by the Ministry of Education to attract university graduates.

B. It received applications mainly from rural workers in Mongolia.

C. It reflects the intense competition in the job market.

D. It offered a higher salary than typical white-collar jobs.

无注释原文：

Fewer Chinese teenagers register for tough university entry exam

From: Reuters

The number of Chinese students sitting the country's national university entrance exam, due to begin on Sunday, has dropped sharply by 450,000 to 12.9 million from a year earlier, as more teenagers opt out of pursuing academic degrees.

The figures, released by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, come amid a structural shrinkage in the cohort of college-age Chinese teenagers, compounded by a challenging job market with youth unemployment exceeding 16% for those aged ⁠16 to 24.

Analysts expect unemployment figures to worsen as a record 12.7 million university graduates are set to enter the labour market this summer.

It is the second consecutive year of decline in registrations for the national exam, known as the gaokao, following last year's drop of 70,000 from 2024.

The ministry did not comment on the declining numbers, while saying it would "resolutely crack down on illegal and irregular activities such as false publicity, high fees, organising fraud or cheating."

The widening decline comes as more students choose to pursue vocational programs, which typically ‌lead ⁠to full-time work. Hundreds of parents queued at a vocational school in Beijing in May to register their children for just 30 available spots, local media reported. In Shanghai, vocational colleges have seen a 15% increase in enrolments for courses compared with three years ago.

Meanwhile, more than 700 people applied for just two ⁠positions to work as shepherds in the remote and rugged grasslands south of Mongolia, after Chinese farm owner Zuo Xiaoyong posted an online job advertisement.

His ad drew 59 million views within hours on Weibo, China's equivalent ⁠of X, and garnered applications from white-collar employees in megacities like Shanghai and Chongqing, factory workers across China, and even university graduates.

The overwhelming response highlights the growing strains in the country's ⁠job market.

For the millions taking the exam this year, China's Ministry of Education said it has upgraded security measures, including "intelligent screening systems to prevent high-tech cheating involving devices such as mobile phones and smart glasses."

- ◆ -

注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为AI翻译，仅供参考

含注释全文：

Fewer Chinese teenagers register for tough university entry exam

From: Reuters

The number of Chinese students sitting the country's national university entrance exam, due to begin on Sunday, has dropped sharply by 450,000 to 12.9 million from a year earlier, as more teenagers opt out of pursuing academic degrees.

将于周日开考的中国高考，报名人数较去年大幅减少45万，降至1290万，原因是越来越多的青少年选择放弃攻读学位。

熟词僻义，表示“参加考试”，英文解释为“to do an exam”举个🌰：Candidates will sit the examinations in July. 考生将在七月参加考试。

🎬电影《阿里的婚礼》（Ali's Wedding）中的台词提到：My father makes me sit the exam.

The figures, released by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, come amid a structural shrinkage in the cohort of college-age Chinese teenagers, compounded by a challenging job market with youth unemployment exceeding 16% for those aged ⁠16 to 24.

教育部周三公布的数据显示，中国大学适龄青少年人口正面临结构性萎缩，而16至24岁青年失业率已超过16%，严峻的就业市场让这一局面雪上加霜。

shrinkage /ˈʃrɪŋkɪdʒ/ 表示“缩小；收缩；收缩量；收缩程度”，英文解释为“the process of becoming smaller in size; the amount by which sth becomes smaller”如：the shrinkage of heavy industry 重工业的萎缩。

cohort /ˈkoʊ.hɔːrt/ 表示“有共同特点（通常指年龄）的一群人”，英文解释为“a group of people who share a characteristic, usually age”举个🌰：This study followed up a cohort of 100 patients aged 65+ for six months after their discharge home. 这项研究对100位年龄在65岁以上、出院回家的患者进行了6个月的跟踪观察。

📍词根“co-”表示“共同”，“hort”来自拉丁语“cohors”，意味着“围栏，团体”，整体意思是一群共同被“围栏”起来的人，即共同经历某事的一组人。常用短语：Birth cohort（出生队列）：指在同一时间段出生的人群，常用于研究随时间变化的健康模式或疾病趋势。Cohort study（队列研究）：一种观察性研究，跟踪并分析特定特征的一组人随时间的变化。

compound /ˈkɒm.paʊnd/ 作名词，1）表示“化合物，复合物，混合物”，英文解释为“a chemical that combines two or more elements”举个🌰：Salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine. 盐是钠和氯的化合物。

2）表示“（围起来的）场地，楼群，院落”，英文解释为“an area surrounded by fences or walls that contains a group of buildings”举个🌰：They marched into the compound. 他们进入大院。

作动词，表示“使加重，使加剧，使恶化”，英文解释为“to make a problem or difficult situation worse”举个🌰：Her terror was compounded by the feeling that she was being watched. 她有种被人监视的感觉，这加剧了她的恐惧感。

🎬电影《盗梦空间》（Inception）中的台词提到：And when you enter a dream within that dream, the effect is compounded. 当你进入梦中梦，效果会更强。

作形容词，表示“复合的”，英文解释为“consisting of two or more parts”或者表示“（利息）以复利计算的”，英文解释为“used to refer to a system of paying interest in which interest is paid both on the original amount of money invested (= given to companies hoping to get more back) or borrowed and on the interest that has collected over a period of time”如：compound interest 复利。

exceed /ɪkˈsiːd/ 表示“超过，超出（数量）；超越（规定的范围）”，英文解释为“to be greater than a number or amount, or to go past an allowed limit”举个🌰：The final cost should not exceed ￥100. 最终的花费不应超出100元。

📍词根“-ceed”表示“走，去”，前缀“ex-”表示“出，超出”。近义词：surpass（超过），同根词：proceed（进行），succeed（成功）

Analysts expect unemployment figures to worsen as a record 12.7 million university graduates are set to enter the labour market this summer.

分析人士预计，今年夏天将有创纪录的1270万大学毕业生涌入就业市场，届时失业数据恐将进一步恶化。

It is the second consecutive year of decline in registrations for the national exam, known as the gaokao, following last year's drop of 70,000 from 2024.

高考报名人数已连续两年下滑，去年较2024年减少了7万人。

consecutive /kənˈsek.jə.tɪv/ 表示“连续的，连贯的，不间断的”，英文解释为“Consecutive events, numbers, etc. follow one after another without an interruption.”举个🌰：This is the fifth consecutive weekend that I've spent working. 这是我连续第五个周末加班。

📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述绿色风投的文章中提到：Last year taxpayer-funded green-energy R&D around the world rose for the third consecutive year, to a record $25.4bn, accroding to the IEA. 根据国际能源署的数据，去年全球受政府资助的绿色能源研发连续第三年增长，达到创纪录的254亿美元。

registration /ˌredʒ.ɪˈstreɪ.ʃən/ 表示“登记；注册；挂号”，英文解释为“the act of recording a name or information on an official list”如：voter registration 选民登记，举个🌰：They have campaigned strongly for compulsory registration of dogs. 他们大力开展了狗的强制性登记活动。

The ministry did not comment on the declining numbers, while saying it would "resolutely crack down on illegal and irregular activities such as false publicity, high fees, organising fraud or cheating."

教育部未就报名人数下降置评，但表示将“坚决打击虚假宣传、高价收费、组织诈骗或作弊等违法违规行为”。

resolutely /ˈrez.ə.luːt.li/ 表示“坚决地；坚定地”，英文解释为“in a determined way”举个🌰：She resolutely refused to learn about computers. 她坚决拒绝学电脑。

表示“制裁；处罚；打击”，英文解释为“to start dealing with bad or illegal behaviour in a more severe way”举个🌰：The library is cracking down on people who lose their books. 图书馆将严厉处罚丢书的人。

publicity /pʌbˈlɪs.ə.ti/ 表示“宣传活动；宣传，推广；关注”，英文解释为“the activity of making certain that someone or something attracts a lot of interest or attention from many people, or the attention received as a result of this activity”举个🌰：We have planned an exciting publicity campaign with our advertisers. 我们和广告人员一起策划了一场十分精彩的宣传活动。

fraud /frɔːd/ 1）表示“欺诈罪；欺骗罪”，英文解释为“the crime of cheating sb in order to get money or goods illegally”

2）表示“骗子；行骗的人”，英文解释为“a person who pretends to have qualities, abilities, etc. that they do not really have in order to cheat other people”

The widening decline comes as more students choose to pursue vocational programs, which typically ‌lead ⁠to full-time work. Hundreds of parents queued at a vocational school in Beijing in May to register their children for just 30 available spots, local media reported. In Shanghai, vocational colleges have seen a 15% increase in enrolments for courses compared with three years ago.

报名人数降幅扩大的同时，越来越多学生转向了通常能直接就业的职业课程。据当地媒体报道，今年5月，北京一所职业学校仅开放30个招生名额，却引来数百名家长排队报名。而在上海，职业院校的课程报名人数较三年前增长了15%。

vocational /vəʊˈkeɪ.ʃən.əl/ 表示“职业的；业务的”，英文解释为“(of an educational course or a qualification) providing knowledge and skills that prepare you for a particular job”举个🌰：The Swedes regard vocational training as a part of a young person's education. 瑞典人将职业培训视为年轻人应受教育的一部分。

英式 enrolment 美式 enrollment /ɪnˈroʊl.mənt/ 表示“登记，入学，注册，登记（人数）”，英文解释为“the act of officially joining a course, school, etc.; the number of people who do this”举个🌰：Enrolment during the school year is limited to about 40 students. 学年招生人数限制在40人左右。

Meanwhile, more than 700 people applied for just two ⁠positions to work as shepherds in the remote and rugged grasslands south of Mongolia, after Chinese farm owner Zuo Xiaoyong posted an online job advertisement.

与此同时，中国农场主左晓勇（音译）在网上发布了一则招聘广告，为蒙古南部偏远崎岖的草原招募两名牧羊人，结果竟有超过700人前来应聘。

shepherd /ˈʃɛpəd/ 表示“牧羊人，羊倌”，英文解释为“a person whose job is to take care of sheep and move them from one place to another”

作动词时，表示“带领（一群人），引导（人群）”，英文解释为“to lead or guide a group of people somewhere, making sure that they go where you want them to go”，用法：shepherd sb into/out/towards sth，举个🌰：The tour guides shepherded the rest of the group onto the bus. 导游把团中的其他人带上了巴士。

rugged /ˈrʌɡ.ɪd/ 1）表示“（土地）荒芜崎岖的；崎岖难行的”，英文解释为“(of land) wild and not even； not easy to travel over”如：rugged landscape/terrain/hills/cliffs 崎岖的地貌/高低不平的地形/陡峭的山丘/嶙峋突兀的悬崖。

2）表示“坚固的；耐用的；结实的；简单皮实的”，英文解释为“strong and simple；not delicate”举个🌰：Jeeps are rugged vehicles, designed for rough conditions. 吉普车是种很坚固耐用的车，专为崎岖难行的路况而设计的。

His ad drew 59 million views within hours on Weibo, China's equivalent ⁠of X, and garnered applications from white-collar employees in megacities like Shanghai and Chongqing, factory workers across China, and even university graduates.

这则广告在微博（中国版X）上发布仅数小时，浏览量就高达5900万次，申请者中既有上海、重庆等大城市的白领，也有全国各地的工厂工人，甚至不乏大学毕业生。

equivalent /ɪˈkwɪv.əl.ənt/ 1）作形容词，表示“（价值、数量、意义、重要性等）相等的，相同的”，英文解释为“equal in value, amount, meaning, importance, etc.”举个🌰：Eight kilometres is roughly equivalent to five miles. 八公里约等于五英里。

2）作名词，表示“相等的东西；等量；对应词”，英文解释为“a thing, amount, word, etc. that is equivalent to sth else”

garner /ˈɡɑːnə/ 表示“获得；收集”，英文解释为“If someone has garnered something useful or valuable, they have gained it or collected it.”举个🌰：He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他为他的提议赢得了广泛的支持。

📍这个词来自古法语的gernier，表示“谷仓”，象征“收集”。近义词：collect（收集），acquire（获得）；常用短语：garner support（获得支持），garner attention（引起关注）

🎬电影《斯隆女士》（Miss Sloane）中的台词提到：But I'll tell you, the reputation you have garnered for yourself, we were just looking for an excuse to engage you. 但实话讲你蜚声于世 我们想找到能打动你的理由。

collar /ˈkɒl.ər/ 表示“衣领，领口”，英文解释为“the part around the neck of a piece of clothing, usually sewn on and sometimes made of different material”如：a shirt collar 衬衫领子。

white-collar /ˌwaɪtˈkɒl.ər/ 表示“白领的，非体力劳动的，脑力劳动的”，英文解释为“relating to people who work in offices, doing work that needs mental rather than physical effort”如：white-collar workers/unions 白领工人/工会。

megacity /ˈmeɡ.ə.sɪt.i/ 表示“巨型城市（人口超过一千万的城市）”，英文解释为“a very large city, especially one with more than 10 million people living in it”

The overwhelming response highlights the growing strains in the country's ⁠job market.

如此火爆的应聘场面，凸显出就业市场正承受着日益沉重的压力。

overwhelming /ˌəʊ.vəˈwel.mɪŋ/ 1）表示“难以抵挡的；无法抗拒的；强悍而令人难以应对的”，英文解释为“difficult to fight against”举个🌰：She felt an overwhelming urge/desire/need to tell someone about what had happened. 她感到有一种抑制不住的冲动/欲望/需要想告诉别人所发生的事情。

2）表示“巨大的，极大的；（数量上）压倒性的”，英文解释为“You can use overwhelming to emphasize that an amount or quantity is much greater than other amounts or quantities.”举个🌰：An overwhelming majority has voted in favour of the proposal. 绝大多数的人投票赞成该提议。

📍词根“whelm”表示“淹没”，前缀“over-”表示“过度”。近义词：staggering（惊人的），同根词：whelm（淹没），常用短语：feel overwhelmed by something（被某事压垮）

strain /streɪn/ 1）表示“压力；重负；重压之下出现的问题（或担忧等）”，英文解释为“pressure on sb/sth because they have too much to do or manage, or sth very difficult to deal with; the problems, worry or anxiety that this produces”举个🌰：You will learn to cope with the stresses and strains of public life. 你要学会怎样应付公众人物生活的紧张和辛劳。

2）表示“（动植物的）品系，株系，品种”，英文解释为“an animal or plant from a particular group whose characteristics are different in some way from others of the same group”举个🌰：Scientists have discovered a new strain of the virus which is much more dangerous. 科学家们已经发现了一种危险得多的新病毒。

📍此前9000名乘客因鼻拭子重复使用受害文中出现的例句：The health ministry confirmed this week that it had recorded two cases of the more infectious strain that was first detected in India. 卫生部本周证实，已发现了两例在印度首次发现的更具传染性的病毒株。

3）表示“（肌肉等软组织的）损伤，拉伤，扭伤”，英文解释为“an injury to a muscle or similar soft part of the body caused by using that part too much”如：a groin/hamstring strain 腹股沟/腘旁腱拉伤。

4）strains 表示“旋律；曲调”，英文解释为“the sound of music being played or performed”举个🌰：I could hear the strains of Mozart in the background. 我听见背景音中有莫扎特的旋律。

For the millions taking the exam this year, China's Ministry of Education said it has upgraded security measures, including "intelligent screening systems to prevent high-tech cheating involving devices such as mobile phones and smart glasses."

针对今年参加高考的考生，中国教育部表示已升级安保措施，包括启用“智能筛查系统，以防止利用手机、智能眼镜等设备进行的高科技作弊”。

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