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I started listening CNBC short news while on shuttle to company at morning. I think it is good idea to note down new things.

Ether reclaims $1900, and Nasdaq halts crypto custody plans

  • reclaim/ei/: recover, obtain the return of sth previously lost, given.
  • custody/ˈkʌstədi/: protective care
  • second straight /stret/ day
  • money laundering
  • bipartisan: agreement or cooperation of two political parties, bipartisan approval
  • senator: a member of senate
  • don’t hear back right away: immediately
  • legislation: laws
  • coincide/ˌkoʊɪnˈsaɪd/: occur at or during the same time. publication is timed to coincide with a major exhibition. n.: by coincidence.
  • maxmium publicity: attention given by the media
  • extravagant/ɪkˈstrævəɡənt/: cost too much money
  • multi-million: millions
  • leaving … in the dust: outpaces others or leaves them far behind in terms of progress, quality, or success.
  • fraudster: a person who commits fraud, especially in business dealings.
  • self-policing: the process of keeping order or maintaining control within a community without accountability or reference to an external authority 自我监督

How EV range is determined and why the process is flawed

  • tailpipe
  • range anxiety
  • critic/ˈkrɪtɪk/: a person who expresses an unfavorable opinion of something.
  • steady-state: an unvarying condition in a physical process
  • prohibitive: forbidding or restricting something
  • EV regenerative braking/breɪk/

How Big Banks Like JPMorgan And Citi Want To Put Wall Street On A Blockchain

  • goldman sachs
  • 24x7x365: x does not pronounce
  • turbocharge the financial system
  • killer app: extremely positive impact and can essentially “kill off” the competition.
  • proponent says it …: person who advocate/ˈædvəkeɪt/ a proposal
  • tightens crackdown on …: severe measures to restrict

How China Is Threatening U.S. GPS Dominance

  • BeiDou: big dipper
  • drone: /droʊn/
  • GPS(global positioning system) constellation: /ˌkɑːnstəˈleɪʃn/
  • the tech also becomes indispensable to lives of civilians /səˈvɪliən/, with cases going far beyond…
  • over the course of the past decade, …
  • this is a rapid advancement: 发展
  • China’s BeiDou is the newest entrant among this system.
  • you the user are agnostic /æɡˈnɑːstɪk/ to the GPS selected by the phone.
  • Taiwan strait /streɪt/ crisis
  • Chinese state media
  • real wake up call
  • surveillance /sɜːrˈveɪləns/: close observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal.
  • subsidizing ground infrastructure investment for Beidou adoption in the area where is not well served by GPS.
  • system being used in a much more pervasive /pərˈveɪsɪv/ way.
  • self-driving or autonomous /ɔːˈtɑːnəməs/ car

How To Fix America’s Labor Shortage

  • technician/labor shortage.
  • the pandemic exacerbated /ɪɡˈzæsərbeɪt/ the problem.
  • apprentice /əˈprentɪs/, apprenticeship /əˈprentɪʃɪp/ program: an arrangement in which someone learns an ari, trade or job under a more experienced person.
  • concerted action: jointly arranged, planned, or carried out; coordinated.
  • the US economy is quickly approaching a make or break moment.

What’s Going On With Reddit?

  • news, memes /mi:m/
  • Y combinator
  • cracking down hate speech
  • purge of offensive content, bans racist communities
  • double down: double a bet

The End Of Free Money At The Federal Reserve

  • federal /ˈfedərəl/ reserve.
  • deflation: reduction of the general level of prices in an economy.
  • long-feared corporate debt woes/woʊ/ start to hit home击中要害: troubles.
  • monetary/ˈmɑːnɪteri/ tightening and U.S. bank fragility in 2023.

Where Thousands Of Tech Workers Went After Mass Layoffs

  • Tech sector: an area or portion that is distinct from others
  • new college grads
  • known for its boom and bust cycles
  • the industry has faced headwinds related to crypto crash and the failure of Silicon Valley Bank.
  • a sense of optimism
  • a handful of coastal /ˈkoʊstl/ areas
  • Google parent Alphabet
  • trim/trimmed the rosters: another way to express layoff
  • downturn: a decline in economic, business, or other activity: a downturn in the housing market.
  • companys overbuild during the pandemic
  • Holy crap(天哪): an informal and somewhat stronger way of expressing surprise, astonishment, or disbelief
  • I have longevity /lɔːnˈdʒevəti/ in this company.
  • the blow has been cushioned/ˈkʊʃn/ in many cases by generous severance/'sɛvərəns/ packages.
  • absurd /əbˈsɜːrd/ amounts of money is getting funneled into generative AI startups.

Where Did Americans’ Savings Go?

  • overspending
  • the top/bottom/lower half …
  • had about 5 days of liquid savings: 流动性储蓄
  • be pessimistic /ˌpesɪˈmɪstɪk/ about the current situation, that’s all time high
  • was supposed to: 本应该, the recession that we were supposed to have this year.
  • they will stop consuming(消费) and it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy /ˈprɑːfəsi/.
  • stockpile: a large accumulated stock of goods or materials.
  • these dynamics(n. 动态: 特定系统或一组元素的行为和相互作用所遵循的模式、力量或过程) are observable around the world.

Rent vs. Buy: Which Makes More Sense In The Current Real Estate Market?

  • it was always/others are out of picture: Not Included or Considered / Physically Absent.
  • I was living paycheck to paycheck: a person’s income is just enough to cover their immediate expenses.
  • ever changing housing market: constantly and continuously undergoing alterations.
  • extraordinary(very unusual) / ordinary(normal, commonplace)
  • it makes more sense to make this move.
  • a mortgage is a type of loan that is specifically used to purchase real estate, while a loan is a more general term referring to borrowed money that can be used for various purposes. Mortgages are often secured loans with the property as collateral, and they usually have longer repayment terms than other types of loans.
  • the numbers fluctuated /ˈflʌktʃueɪt/(rise and fall irregularly in number or amount) throughout (during) 2022
  • more cost effective to rent than buy.
  • metro: /ˈmetroʊ/: a major city.
  • Giving your money to someone else, building equity on their investment as opposed to your own.

How Americans Are Struggling With Car Loans

  • auto loan is at a record high.
  • outside of work: 工作之余
  • the average price is $724 up/down from $654 in 2023.
  • up 2% from the prior /ˈpraɪər/ year.
  • signing the bottom line: the final total of an account.
  • markup is the additional amount added to the cost price to determine the selling price, while profit is the positive difference between total revenue and total costs after all expenses have been accounted for.
  • shopping around and come back: 再看看
  • even if it’s been a long, exhausting and mentally draining day.

Why Low Economic Growth Is So Dangerous

company’s bottom line: net income or profit. improve people’s livelihood: a means of securing the necessities of life. the topic of AI is at fever pitch: a state of extreme excitement. derisk(take steps to make less risky) the portfolios(a range of investments).

How America Plans To Get Teens Back To Work

  • reinvigorate /ˌriɪnˈvɪɡəˌret/ the youth /juːθ/ labor force: give new energy or strength to.
  • In summary, youth is a more inclusive term that can cover a wider age range beyond just the teenage years, while teen(teenager) specifically refers to the age range between 13 and 19.
  • minor: a person under the age of full legal responsibility.
  • passed laws rolling back child laber.
  • keeping industries afloat /əˈfloʊt/ when there are work shortages: out of debt or difficulty; not sinking.
  • It’s extremely rough when people can’t recognize they’re being taken advantage of.
  • Companies will do anything but pay workers more.

How Amazon Is Making Custom Chips To Catch Up In Generative A.I. Race

  • $300M: 亿, $30M: 千万
  • that provides acceleration in terms of speed, cost efficiency and power for every general web-based workloads.
  • the open source ChatGPT rival /ˈraɪvl/.

Why Prosecuting Insider Trading Is So Problematic

  • insider trading: the illegal practice of trading on the stock exchange to one’s own advantage through having access to confidential information.
  • she was convicted(定罪) of the obstruction of justice.
  • they were prosecuted(起诉) for obstruction of highway.
  • market manipulation(操纵), manipluate stock: control or influence (a person or situation) cleverly, unfairly.
  • smoking gun: a piece of evidence or information that is indisputable proof of a certain fact or wrongdoing.
  • 2 types of insider trading: classical and misappropriation: dishonestly or unfairly take.
  • spokesperson: 发言人, 代言人
  • white collar crime: non-violent, financially motivated criminal activities that are typically carried out by individuals, professionals, or organizations in positions of trust, authority, or respectability.
  • pump and dump scheme/skiːm/: investment scam that involves artificially inflating the price of a stock or other financial asset through false or misleading statements. Once the price has been pumped up, the fraudsters then “dump” their own holdings of the asset at the inflated price, making a profit, while other investors who were deceived into buying suffer losses.
  • meme stock: gain sudden popularity on the internet and lead to sky-high price.

How Temu Makes Money From $10 Smartwatches From China

  • 100 thousand: 十万
  • 100 billion: 千亿
  • Temu is addictive /ə’dɪktɪv/
  • countdown clock/watch
  • team payment/group buy: team up, price down
  • they are paying big bounties /'baʊnti/ and referral fees to help bring people to the site.
  • go across the social sphere: collective interactions, relationships, and activities that occur within a specific social context or environment. 社会领域.
  • if you are an influencer you can earn up to 500$ a month
  • Temu is the retailer’s major push to overseas market, where its competitiors jd.com, etc already have footprint.
  • supply chain advantage
  • not pay for the brand name

How Modelo Dethroned Bud Light In The U.S.

  • Mexican beer brand: Modelo(now bestseller), Corona, Bud light.
  • Hispanic: people who have a connection to, or an origin from, Spanish-speaking countries, such as Spain, Mexico, Cuba, etc.
  • brewery /'bruəri/

How Did The Sriracha Shortage Happen?

  • condiment/'kɑndɪmənt/: used to add flavor to food.
  • sriracha hot sauce
  • chili pepper: 红辣椒
  • smooth paste: 糊状物, 膏, such as sriracha.
  • ranch: a large farm
  • 50 truck and trailer loads:
  • renege/rɪˈneɡ/ on that deal: go back on a promise.

Why Penny Stocks Are So Dangerous

  • trillion: a million million
  • OTC(Over-The-Counter): decentralized market where financial instruments such as stocks, bonds, derivatives, and other securities are traded directly between buyers and sellers.
  • penny stock: often under $1 or $5
  • penny stock schemer: a person who is involved in making secret or dishonest plans.
  • hgih-stakes gambler.
  • Low-priced securities tend to be volatile/ˈvɑːlətl/ and trade in low volume.
  • at a particular time: 特定时间
  • Don’t let fear of missing out control your investment decisions.
  • make the pitch: 推销

How Space Factories Are Becoming A Reality

  • in-space manufacturing sounds like science fiction, still a very nascent/ˈneɪsnt/ market: just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.
  • ISS: International Space Station.
  • there is huge queue and backlog of people waiting to use space station.
  • drug therapy: treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder
  • capsule/vehicle: spacecraft
  • drug delivery to the patients much easier
  • royalty/ˈrɔɪəlti/: a sum of money paid to a patentee for the use of a patent, not loyatly!

How to Invest in Real Estate Without Buying A Home

  • REITs: real estate investment trusts, such as data center REITs(DLR, EQIX), residential REITs: INVH(Invitation homes), AMH(american homes 4 rent)
  • sarcasm/ˈsɑːrkæzəm/: the use of irony/ˈaɪrəni/ to mock or convey contempt.
  • Philadelphia/ˌfilə’delfjə/.

Why Youth Unemployment Is Surging In China

  • soaring/surging
  • tertiary/ˈtɜːrʃieri/ industry, in China it is service industry, has tapered/'tepɚ/ off in the last 6 months compared to a year ago.
  • China’s National Bureau/ˈbjʊroʊ/ of Statistics
  • Imports and exports to and from the country are down in most sectors.
  • limited spending 消费
  • They do not wish to disclose too much of it, as a result, there are more speculation and more fear in the market.
  • Their parents lived through China’s big economic boom in the last couple of decades.
  • The housing market has skyrocketed in the last 10/15 years in China.
  • First, second tiers city.
  • sixfold, tenfold: To express an increase by a multiple of a certain number of times, you can use the “fold” suffix along with a specific number.
  • China’s overall urban unemployment rate has remained relatively steady all year, hovering around 5.2%.
  • Finanically affected.
  • lie/lying flat/flæt/: tang ping vs rat race: an exhausting, usually competitive routine.
  • Laber intensive manufacturing.

Qualcomm Turns To Auto And AI With Future Apple Business Uncertain

  • Qualcomm is a fabless chip company: designs microchips but contracts out their production rather than owning its own factory.
  • OEMs, such as Intel, Samsung: original equipment manufacturer, produce components, parts, or products that are used by other companies.

Why The U.S. Won’t Pay Down Its Debt

  • the national debt clock: https://www.usdebtclock.org/
  • owe/oʊ/ you 25 cents.
  • intragovernmental debt holdings: government owes itself that money.
  • the debt in some way is a contingency plan: a provision for an unforeseen event or circumstance
  • with no long term benefit, you are actually deteriorating/dɪˈtɪriəreɪt/ your financial or fiscal future over the long run.
  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • service the debt: pay back the debt and the interest on the amount to the lender.
  • windfall: a piece of unexpected good fortune
  • fiscal solvency crisis:ability to pay one’s debts.
  • Japan has been running fiscal deficits basically for the last 3 decades.
  • be supposed to: 本应该
  • sluggish/ˈslʌɡɪʃ/: slow-moving or inactive

Why You Should Buy Everything With Credit Cards

  • that’s a really big hole you are contining to dig and it’s going to be really hard to get out of.
  • credit card balance: In banking and accounting, the balance is the amount of money owed/oʊ/ (or due) on an account.
  • how do you build your credit history?
  • the higher your credit score, the more responsible you are deemed.
  • it depends on your personal circumstances: a fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action.

Why The NYC Subway Is Such A Mess

  • revenue in 2022 plummeted/ˈplʌmɪt/ 37% from its 2019 levels.
  • fare/fer/ evader/i’veidə/, fare revenue, fare gate
  • public transit/ˈtrænzɪt/: more commonly used in North America, particularly in the United States and Canada.
  • train/treɪn/, bridge, tunnel
  • subway bench
  • weekend vs weekday
  • the system is decaying/dɪˈkeɪ/ rapidly, I think of it as a heart attack.

President Biden’s Ambitious New Plan To Help Student Debt, Explained

  • student loan relief
  • one in four student loan borrowers are in delinquency/dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi/ or default: mainly US: a failure to pay an outstanding debt.
  • income-driven repayment plan
  • discretionary/dɪˈskreʃəneri/ plan: 自行决策计划
  • discretionary income: income remaining after deduction of taxes, other mandatory charges, and expenditure on necessary items
  • not all of its beneifts will go into effect right away.

How Consumers Can Manifest Inflation

  • manifest: reveal, indicate; consumers have a role or influence in the occurrence or increase of inflation through their actions or behaviors.
  • prices have slowly begun to descend.
  • people really do behave in accordance with their expectations and with their sentiments and attitudes/ˈætɪtuːd/ towards the economy.
  • price in: market has already taken into account and adjusted for that particular information or event, and it is now reflected in the asset’s current valuation.
  • inflation expectation.
  • consumers had some recognition over the last year that there were factors that were peculiar/pɪˈkjuːliər/ to the current situation, even if they might last for a while, they didn’t expect them to last forever.
  • inflation is here to stay: something has become a permanent or long-lasting part of a situation or context
  • preliminary/prɪˈlɪmɪneri/ results from the Sept survey…
  • Wage-price spiral/ˈspaɪrəl/: rising wages lead to higher prices for goods and services, which in turn lead to demands for even higher wages.

Could Deep-Sea Mining Fix The Global Minerals Shortage

  • Minerals/ˈmɪnərəl/ vital/ˈvaɪtl/ to electric vehicle batteries and clean energy transition as a whole are found in abundance/əˈbʌndəns/ …
  • fragile/ˈfrædʒl/
  • transfer, transmit(transmission), transit, transport

The Truth Behind ‘Unlimited’ Vacation Plans

  • offer this perk/pɜːrk/.
  • it is not a formal promise but just a catchphrase/'kætʃfreiz/: 醒目的广告用语
  • accrued/ə’krud/ benefits: received or accumulated in regular or increasing amounts over time
  • pension/ˈpenʃn/
  • liability: costs associated with running a business, such as rent, payroll and interest payments

Why Tesla May Be The Big Winner Of The UAW Strikes

  • automaker Detroit/di’trɔit/ three(D three): GM, Ford and Stellantis
  • worker union
  • intensity of the strike
  • audacious/ɔːˈdeɪʃəs/: showing an impudent lack of respect.
  • This time they caught the industry off guard: unprepared for a surprise or difficulty
  • foreign or homegrown company
  • has slashed prices considerably throughout 2023
  • speak out: express one’s feelings or opinions frankly and publicly
  • wishful thinking: 如意算盘；痴心妄想
  • stockholm/'stɔkhəum/ syndrome/ˈsɪndroʊm/: 斯德哥尔摩综合症(被劫持人质对劫持者产生好感 并同情、宽容他)

Why GlobalFoundries’ Chips Are So Important To The U.S.

  • wafer/'wefɚ/: 晶片
  • foundry: a workshop or factory for casting metal
  • Roughly we put out(create or produce) about a million chips a day.
  • isn’t the microchip company with most hype/haɪp/ right now: 夸张地宣传.
  • making chip at the bleeding edge: the very forefront of technological development
  • behind the scenes: out of sight of the public at a theater or organization
  • misnomer/ˌmɪsˈnoʊmər/: a wrong or inaccurate name or designation, 用词不当 that’s patently false: easily recognizable; obvious
  • technological tug of war/tʌɡ/: 拔河
  • older node: 老节点 In computer science and networking, the term “older node” typically refers to a node or device within a network that has been in operation for a longer period of time compared to other nodes or devices in the same network.
  • legacy node: 遗留节点 refers to a node or device within a network that uses older, often outdated, technology, protocols, or hardware.
  • back out: withdraw from a commitment
  • reshore: (of a company) transfer (a business operation that was moved overseas) back to the country from which it was originally relocated, eg: increasing numbers of US-based manufacturing businesses are planning to reshore production from China back to the US

Why Tornadoes Are More Destructive Than Ever

  • tornado alley/ˈæli/: a narrow passageway between or behind buildings.
  • the cost of disasters each year is just skyrocketing: (of a price, rate, or amount) increase very steeply or rapidly
  • We are seeing …happening more and more regularly
  • building code: a set of regulations and standards that specify the minimum requirements for the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings and structures.
  • including but not limited to: xxx
  • hailstorm/'helstɔrm/: 雹暴

Can The U.S. Compete With Chinese Drones?

  • warfare, combat, conflict
  • civilian/səˈvɪliən/ drone: non-military purposes, 民用无人机
  • trusted allies /ˈælaɪ/
  • fears of xx espionage /ˈespiənɑːʒ/: the practice of spying or of using spies
  • concerns are overblown: 过分渲染
  • the war in Ukraine has elevated the need for cheap, reliable drones
  • has a large lead on cost effective and capable/ˈkeɪpəbl/ 能干的 drones
  • some in the US think this dynamic(see again) is not permanent
  • they are known for being well-made and come with the great support in the form of DJI care.
  • ministry of commerce/ˈkɑːmɜːrs/ released export restrictions on certain drones: long flight times or certain(specific but not explicitly named or stated) sensors
  • don’t have all of the requisite supply chain …
  • putting that aside 抛开这个不谈
  • overreliance/'ovɚrɪ’faɪn/: excessive dependence on or trust in someone or something

Why The U.S. Is Now Obsessed With Soybeans

  • soybean is used as food/fuel/feed crop/krɑːp/
  • valuable commodity/kəˈmɑːdəti/: a raw material or primary agricultural product that can be bought and sold, such as copper or coffee
  • soybeans take nitrogen/ˈnaɪtrədʒən/ from the air and replenish/rɪˈplenɪʃ/ the soil: restore, fill up again
  • soybean crop yield 收益；产量
  • soybean’s primary use is protein for producing livestock, such pork, poultry/ˈpoʊltri/, aquaculture /'ækwəkʌltʃɚ/, even dairy/ˈderi/
  • global demand for animal protein is on the rise
  • the us-china relationship soured/ˈsaʊər/ as the trade dispute escalated in 2018
  • subsidies to offset farmer’s losses
  • renewable diesel/ˈdiːzl/柴油, biofuel, drop-in fuel

Why EVs Are Piling/paɪl/ Up At Dealerships In The U.S.

  • these efforts have hit unnerving/ˌʌn’nɝv/ speed bump: make (someone) lose courage or confidence
  • gas/fuel burning vehicle
  • ICE(internal combustion engine) car
  • the demand of EVs has leveled off: begin to fly horizontally after climbing or diving
  • that number has since fallen to 67% in 2023.
  • the market for EVs is upside down. 颠倒，混乱
  • sticker price(initial or advertised price of a product or service) or MSRP(manufacturer’s suggested retail price).
  • pain point = sore/sɔːr/ spot 痛处；伤心事
  • current, past or prospective: expected or expecting to be something particular in the future
  • there is a fair amount of feedback…: considerable though not outstanding in size or amount.
  • if perhaps we could hit the rewind button and do things differently than we have.

Quiet Cutting: How Power In U.S. Offices May Be Shifting Back To Bosses

  • quiet cutting: reorg, take or leave it
  • quiet quitting: doing the bare minimum of your job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than necessary, employee has the upper hand: advantage
  • buzzword term: 流行术语
  • companies are fearful what lies ahead.

Why It’s Becoming Harder To Get Into Airport Lounges

  • airport lounge/laʊndʒ/, loyalty or elite/eɪˈliːt/ status.
  • but as the popularity increases, so do the challenges of operating them, like overcrowding.
  • there is a lot of ways that you can qualify to get into them.
  • Status at an airline comes with a host of(a large number or multitude of something) benefits like free seat upgrade, free checked bags, premium customer service, lounge access.
  • modern lounge often includes amenities/ə’mɛnəti/…
  • taproom: a room in which alcoholic drinks, especially beer, are available on tap

How Walmart Is Beating Everyone In Groceries

  • supermarket checkout counter
  • price sensitive customer
  • along with its rivals/ˈraɪvl/, has also faced criticism that it does not compete fairly with small independent grocers/ˈɡroʊsər/
  • grocery chain
  • automation could make some jobs obsolete: no longer produced or used; out of date
  • move cutomers to high margin discretionary(the freedom to decide what should be done) spending categories like apparel/ə’pærəl/(clothes) and home furnishings
  • waterbed effect: used in economics and finance to describe a situation where a change or intervention in one area has ripple effects or unintended consequences in other related areas.

Should The U.S. Bury Its Power Lines?

  • bury/ˈberi/ power line underground (vs overhead line): put or hide under ground
  • utility-caused fire devastated towns throughout California: an organization supplying the community with electricity, gas, water, or sewerage/'suərɪdʒ/
  • the result blaze destoryed the town of…: a very large or fiercely burning fire
  • vegetation maintenance cost: plants considered collectively, especially those found in a particular area or habitat:

Why The U.S. Is Getting Serious About UFOs

  • UFO: unidentified flying objects
  • conspiracy/kənˈspɪrəsi/ theory around the U.S. concealing/kənˈsiːl/ alien life and technology in secret compounds like Area 51 have run rampant/ˈræmpənt/.
  • science fiction movies and novels/ˈnɑːvl/
  • the poll found that 68% of respondents believe …
  • UAP: unidentified anomalous/əˈnɑːmələs/ phenomane/fə’nɒmɪnə/
  • shift the converstaion about UAPs from sensationalism/sen’seɪʃ(ə)n(ə)lɪz(ə)m/ to science. <贬>(指行文或报道)耸人听闻,哗众取宠
  • this could be attributed to ordinary explanations like drones, balloons, etc: regard something as being caused by.
  • uncharacterized 未定性的
  • flying saucer: 飞碟
  • capitol/'kæpɪtl/ hill 美国国会
  • the possibility cannot be completely discounted: 不考虑；不全信

The Recession Has Finally Begun, But Only For America’s Rich

  • the recession fears fade
  • sticky inflation and a weakened stock market continue to disproportionately pressure wealthy Americans
  • fewer people buy fewer things can lead to a stagnant/ˈstæɡnənt/ economy
  • stock market was down very sharply
  • market has rebounded in 2023
  • the budgets are stretched: 预算捉襟见肘
  • credit card debt has swelled to more than $1 trillion
  • buy discretionary items: 购买非必需品
  • non-discretionary: essential

Why Americans Fell Out Of Love With Canned Tuna

  • canned/kænd/ tuna, tuna rich zone, tune migration pattern
  • learn to be more adaptable: able to adjust to new conditions
  • a decline mainly triggered by shifting consumer preference
  • price fixing scandal/ˈskændl/
  • illegal/illegitmate, unregulated, unreported fishing is a major concern
  • third party suppliers
  • vessel costs are rising, import tariffs/'tærɪf/ are pricey /'praɪsi/, oil prices are constantly fluctuating
  • not a high margin business with profit margin only 3%, tight margin industry

How Homeowners Associations Took Over American Neighborhoods

  • HOA: Homeowners associations: organizations that oversee properties in a community
  • cozy/ˈkoʊzi/: giving a feeling of comfort, warmth, and relaxation
  • board director
  • lien/'liən/: a right to keep possession of property belonging to another person until a debt owed by that person is discharged
  • foreclosing home 查封房屋
  • garnishing/ˈɡɑːrnɪʃ/ wage: take (money, especially part of a person’s salary) to settle a debt or claim
  • prior notice
  • handle landscaping 景观美化
  • trash pickup
  • milk the community: exploit or defraud (someone), typically by taking regular small amounts of money over a period of time

How Unprofitable Companies Stay In Business

  • taking on debts that they probably cannot repay
  • zombie firms: unviable/ʌn’vaiəbl/ companies
  • the share of zombie firmes has been increasing over time, this has detrimental/ˌdetrɪˈmentl/ effects to healthy firms that compete in the same sector
  • bailout/'belaʊt/ 紧急援助
  • the problems will go away quickyl as things normalize

Is The Golden Age Of Remote Work Over?

  • laptop classes
  • the corporate leaders have reversed their approach to remote work.
  • bureau /ˈbjʊroʊ/: department
  • 5 consecutive quarters of year over year declines in worker productivity.
  • employee can perform their duties.
  • rethink: think again

Who Makes Money From America’s Firetrucks

  • fire department, fire station, station garage, zero-emission firetruck
  • purposed build vehicle: news van, mail truck, garbage truck, construction lift
  • the company is electrifying
  • articulating boom: snorkel/'snɔrkl/, elevated platform for firefighting.
  • make the best use of…
  • dual sourcing
  • suffered some setbacks: a reversal or check in progress

What’s Wrong With U.S. Cash

  • paper notes: physical, paper-based representations of a country’s currency, issued by the central bank or government
  • denomination/dɪ,nɑmɪ’neʃən/: the face value of a banknote, coin, or postage stamp. 面额
  • banknote: a piece of paper money 纸币
  • bill: a banknote; a piece of paper money: a ten-dollar bill
  • Polymer/'pɑlɪmɚ/ banknote: 塑胶钞票
  • people are ditching/dɪtʃ/ cash for electronic payments: get rid of or give up
  • mint vs bureau of engraving and printing
  • move lower currency denominations to coins to help with longevity
  • counterfeit 仿制品, 伪造物
  • not quite there yet: 没准备好
  • nailed/neɪl/it: perform (an action or task) perfectly

How The U.S. Lost Thousands Of High-Skilled Workers To Canada

  • reform is needed
  • Canada has launched the new initiative to attact this talent: initiate things independently.
  • nomad/ˈnoʊmæd/: a person who does not stay long in the same place
  • bureaucratic/ˌbjʊrə’krætɪk/ visa process pushes workers north: inflexible, complicated
  • it is not straightforward, it is very convoluted
  • H1B lottery: a process or thing whose success or outcome is governed by chance.
  • it requires a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent
  • if things don’t work out, you have to leave the country
  • they cannot change jobs or work side gigs: a job, especially one that is temporary or freelance and performed on an informal or on-demand basis
  • spouse/spaʊs/
  • highly populated country: India, China
  • the company underwent major layoffs in the past year: experience or be subjected to (something, typically something unpleasant, painful)

Why The Pentagon Is Spending Billions To Bring Laser Weapons To The Battlefield

  • direct energy weapon: laser or microwave
  • most lasers have been used for targeting and illumination(such as for night vision).
  • curise missile
  • The US Army, Navy, Marines(海军陆战队) and Air Force
  • Move from testing to operation
  • unmanned air vehicle
  • interceptor 拦截

Why Oil Giants Shell And BP Are Investing In U.S. Farmland

  • area without extensive trees and vegetation: covering or affecting a large area
  • shepherding/ˈʃepərd/ sheep
  • herbicide/saɪd/, insecticide, pesticide
  • sorghum/'sɔrgəm/ 高粱
  • ranch: a large farm, especially in the western US and Canada
  • one after another
  • starlink’s importance to spaceX as a company is imperative/ɪmˈperətɪv/: of vital importance; crucial:
  • achieve breakeven cash flow: 盈亏平衡点
  • maritime and aviation industries: 航海的
  • satellite debris/dəˈbriː/: scattered pieces of waste or remains
  • flawed methodology/ˌmeθəˈdɑːlədʒi/: 有缺陷的
  • geopolitics/ˌdʒioˈpɑlɪtɪks/, geopolitical/ˌdʒiopə’litɪkl/
  • radio and optical astronomy/əˈstrɑːnəmi/
  • condemnation /ˌkɑːndemˈneɪʃn/: the expression of very strong disapproval

Why Divorce Is So Expensive In The U.S.

  • cost lots of dough: money [美俚]金钱
  • misery/ˈmɪzəri/: a state or feeling of great distress or discomfort of mind or body
  • appraiser/ə’prezɚ/: a person whose job is to assess the monetary value of something
  • contested vs uncontested: in context of divorce, A contested divorce occurs when the spouses are unable to agree on one or more significant issues related to the divorce, such as child custody, division of assets and debts
  • mediator/ˈmidiˌetɚ/: 调停者；调解人
  • aftermath: the consequences or aftereffects of a significant unpleasant event
  • every fee must be paid up front: in advance

What Happened To Wonder Bread?

  • loaf/loʊf/(loaves) of bread: a quantity of bread that is shaped and baked in one piece and usually sliced before being eaten, pre-sliced bread.
  • the brand has been around for a long time.
  • premiumization: the action or process of attempting to make a brand or product appeal to consumers by emphasizing its superior quality and exclusivity

Binance’s Changpeng Zhao to step down as part of $4.3 billion DOJ settlement: CNBC Crypto World

  • step down: withdraw or resign from an important position or office
  • He’s ready to tee/ti/ it up and start the project: getting ready or preparing for something
  • what I mean by that was …: to emphasize sth you have jus said
  • a huge catalyst/'kætəlɪst/ for the industry

How Taxpayers Grow The Private Sector

  • how companies are governed: manage pertains more to handling specific tasks, resources, or operations, while “govern” involves the broader aspect of ruling, directing, or controlling based on established rules or principles.
  • privatize the gains, socialize the losses
  • baby formula: 婴幼儿配方奶粉
  • venture capitalist would tell you that’s normal, for every success you need to bear with multiple failures.
  • digital feudalism/ˈfjuːdəlɪzəm/: 封建主义

How Nespresso Is Taking On Keurig In The U.S. Coffee Pod Market

  • Nestlé’s [nes lei] Nespresso. vs Keurig: coffee pod market players
  • single-serve coffee system: a pod coffee machine
  • purchased perpetual/pərˈpetʃuəl/ rights to sell and market Starbucks products at retail world
  • coffee shop, coffee style chart: espresso, macchiato/ˌmækɪ’ɑːtəʊ/, latte, cappuccino, mocha

How America Racked Up A $1 Trillion Credit Card Bill

  • consumers continuing to be resilient: able to withstand or recover quickly from difficult conditions
  • delinquency: see prior note about its meaning on finance.
  • their wages are not increasing at the same pace as the inflation.

How Safe Is Tap Water In The U.S.?

  • tap water, distilled water
  • there are contaminants/kən’tæmɪnənt/ present in just about everyone’s water to some degrees.
  • arsenic: 砒霜, lead/led/, PFAS
  • water treatment facility: 水处理设施, water is treated: purifying water to make it safe.
  • water main: 总水管
  • there are byproducts from water treatment process, such as disinfection stage: the process of cleaning something.

How The Escalating U.S.-China Tech War Could Hurt American Companies

  • the race for technological supremacy/su’prɛməsi/: the state or condition of being superior to all others in authority
  • high-end chip
  • China’s response has been sporadic: occurring at irregular intervals
  • the US govt was not excited about the previous status quo
  • biden govt aimed in part at closing that loophole: an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules
  • consequential breakthrough: important
  • we are going to see a bifurcation/baɪfɚ’keʃən/ into a chinese led tech and american lead tech: the division of something.

Why Cars Lose Their Value So Fast

  • drive off the lot, not brand-new anymore, start losing the value right away
  • keep spotless insdie and out, have dent/dent/, scratch on surface
  • that is unlikely to change for a while
  • car value depreciation
  • trade in car: wholesale price + costs + dealer margin (It represents the profit margin that the dealer earns on the sale of a vehicle.)
  • information asymmetries /ei’sɪmɪtri/

Why The Airbus A380 Is Making An Unlikely Comeback

  • Most airports cannot accommodate the size of it
  • wide-body passager plane

Why The Port Of Baltimore Is Getting A Makeover

  • The U.S. actually lags many ports around the world in terms of efficiency
  • ship to shore/land crane/kreɪn/, seaport
  • rolling cargo ship 滚装船, container ship

Why CEOs Are Quitting In Record Numbers In 2023

  • the huge exodus/ˈeksədəs/ of CEO even from big companies: a mass departure of people
  • none of that is clear at this moment

How LVMH Became A $500 Billion Luxury Powerhouse

  • powerhouse: a person or thing of great energy, strength, or power
  • LV is one of the most storied and iconic/aɪ’kɑnɪk/ luxury brands
  • Innovating new products that is captivating/ˈkæptɪveɪt/ to customers
  • you cannot create heritage/ˈherɪtɪdʒ/ overnight: denoting a traditional brand or product regarded as fine craftsmanship, 传统
  • Luxury isn’t about quality it’s about exclusivity/'ɛksklʊ’sɪvəti/. People are paying more so that they can have a product that less people can afford which makes them feel special
  • It’s an interesting business model. Selling things for significantly more than their actual value, just because you’ve managed to convince the customer that the social validation of having that logo on your product makes it worth paying that insane premium. It’s the perfect business model. Convince these suckers to pay 10x more than they should and they won’t even dislike you for it, they’ll admire you. That’s called “Brand” in the world of business. A brand demands a premium. A Toyota or a Honda will also take you from a point A to a point B, but people pay premium to buy a Mercedes or a BMW. Not to mention, a oyota and a Honda will last longer as well. That’s the power of brand building. It’s one thing to build a product and build a company, it’s a totally different thing to build a brand.
  • model vs module, see chatcpt

Why hertz’s bet on Tesla is not paying off in the U.S.

  • EV: pricing troubles, skyrocketing repair costs, low resale values
  • either kill or pause the EV initiative: the ability to assess and initiate things independently
  • suffered from underinvestment
  • so to speak: She’s the glue that holds the team together, so to speak, because she’s excellent at fostering teamwork and cooperation.
  • as inflation starts to subside/səbˈsaɪd/ some costs are coming down: become less intense, violent, or severe
  • leisure business: economic activities and industries that cater to providing recreational, entertainment, or relaxation-related products and services for individuals during their leisure time.

Why more Americans are going child free

  • DINKS: dual income, no kids
  • DIWKS: dual income, with kids
  • fewer expenses leave DINKS with more disposable income to play with: 税后 所得
  • we have even large nest egg that allowed us to buy a more expensive home: a sum of money saved for the future, 储备金

How Budget Airlines Like Ryanair Make Money

  • budget, low-cost, low-budget airlines: U.S. has Spirit, Allegiant, Frontier; in eur has: easyJet, Ryanair, Wizzair.
  • full-service airline: typically offers passengers in flight entertainment, checked baggage, meals, beverages and comforts such as blankets and pillows in the ticket price.
  • paper safty card, seatback entertainment
  • they tend to entice/ɪnˈtaɪs/ travelers with low base fares and then charge for add-ons(something that has been or can be added to an existing object or arrangement:) such as seat selection, food and luggage.: attract or tempt by offering pleasure or advantage
  • carry-on bag vs checked luggage
  • during onboarding, we hit another road bump.
  • they might weigh it
  • they are really efficient at boarding and deboarding, we got on/off quickly.
  • the biggest hang-up(not hang up) was that xxx: an emotional problem or inhibition. 烦恼,焦虑

How Americans Lose Billions To Fraud

  • credit card fraud / odometer fraud
  • money lost to scam calls / phone scams
  • recent surge in used car price that it’s becoming more enticing for scammers
  • anyone can be the victim
  • identity theft/θeft/
  • it can increase a prison sentence by years or eveb decades
  • fraudsters are rolling back or otherwise tampering with odometer and title info: or make unauthorized alterations.
  • I don’t trust most contractor or mechanics/məˈkænɪk/ here in the us: a person who repairs and maintains machinery

Credit card fraud

  • their operations are industralized.
  • data breach/briːtʃ/
  • chargeback/'tʃɑːdʒbæk/: a demand by a credit-card provider for a retailer to make good(compensate for or rectify a loss or damage that has occurred) the loss on a fraudulent or disputed transaction.
  • screw/skruː/ up: a situation that has been completely mismanaged or mishandled
  • sucks: express dissatisfaction, disappointment, or a negative opinion about something: the weather sucks.

Phone scam victim

  • phone/voice/txt scam, usuall they give some sense of urgency, ask you don’t hang up the phone
  • my whole body was shaking
  • The phone rang and I answered it
  • the person hysterically/hɪsˈt ɛrɪk lɪ/ crying on the phone: deriving from or affected by uncontrolled extreme emotion
  • broken wrist/rɪst/, waist/weɪst/
  • free trial: try out a product or service for a limited period without paying for it
  • phone scams come in many forms
  • you need to rationalize/ae/ your weird behavior: attempt to explain or justify with logical, plausible reasons, even if these are not true or appropriate
  • I feel sorry for these people 悲哀

Why Americans Can’t Keep Their Paychecks

  • this may be the result of a sneaky behavioral(lack of transparency) phenomenon called lifestyle creep/kriːp/: lifestyle inflation, refers to the gradual increase in spending or expenses as an individual’s income rises, it is hard to undo/rollback economically. 由俭入奢易，由奢入俭难, end up with living paycheck to paycheck.
  • eat out rather than cook at home
  • can have serious financial consequence: often carries a sense of importance, significance, or causality/kɔːˈzæləti/ 因果关系
  • the solution to make more money isn’t really realistic: having or showing a sensible and practical idea of what can be achieved
  • super money saver

Why Pharmaceuticals Are So Complicated In The U.S

  • Pharmaceutical/ˌfɑːrməˈsuːtɪkl/: relating to medicinal drugs, or their preparation, use, or sale
  • prescription drug: an instruction written by a medical practitioner从业者 that authorizes a patient to be provided a medicine or treatment
  • complicated relationship between insurance, pharmacy and coverage
  • 1 in 4 Americans have trouble affording their medication/ˌmedɪˈkeɪʃn/: treatment using drugs
  • buy a product in bulk/bʌlk/ in low price and then sell it at a higher price
  • COVID-19 global outbreak
  • I believe that mRNA as the technology will be transformative: 有改革能力的
  • it has dividend growth for nearly 60 years and has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 over past 25 years
  • it is really seen as a bellwether/'bɛl,wɛðɚ/ in the space: the leading sheep of a flock
  • focus on core competency/ˈkɑmpɪtən,see/ or diversity: a defining capability or advantage that distinguishes a person or enterprise from others
  • baby powder cancer case
  • it’s a topic of debate, and it’s not clear that over the longer term, if that might not be sth you could pursue.
  • pharma and medical devices still have a lot of synergies/'sɪnɚdʒi/: 1+1>2
  • consumer business(B2C), the opposite is B2B, Examples of consumer businesses include supermarkets, clothing stores, online retailers, restaurants, entertainment providers, etc.
  • the controversy/ˈkɑːntrəvɜːrsi/ behind the Alzheimers’s drug
  • in addition to that, you have to take into account the fact that …
  • covers the elderly/ˈeldərli/, a lot of patients will be influenced by the coverage decision, it could be extremely influential/ˌɪnfluˈenʃl/: having great influence on someone or something

How China’s BYD Overtook Tesla

  • BYD has overtaken Tesla as the world’s largest seller of EV
  • what set BYD apart: high tech, vertical integration, mobility solution
  • the supply chains were just in a state of chaos during the pandemic

How China Became KFC’s Most Important Market

  • KFC: one of world’s largest food chains
  • in the city of Hangzhou, about an hour outside of Shanghai
  • rice congee, steamed dumpling, egg tart/tɑːrt/

How Criminals Are Making Millions Counterfeiting Prescription Drugs

  • he was the mastermind of 230M dollars drug counterfeiting operation.
  • drug diversion: illegal or unauthorized distribution or trafficking (traffic’s ing state: deal or trade in something illegal:) of drugs
  • fake drug in recycled bottle
  • who agreed to an interview if we concealed/kənˈsiːl/ his identity: keep from sight; hide
  • what are the most lucrative/ˈluːkrətɪv/ drugs to resell: producing a great deal of profit
  • hidden/'hɪdn/ camera video

Will The U.S. Remain The World’s Leading Economy?

  • but one bigget factor they have playing against them is the various demographics dynamics: aging population, low birth rate, rising dependency ratio, which means fewer working age people
  • we will be prosperous/ˈprɑːspərəs/ if we are nice to each other
  • there is a lot of synergies between china and US

How Private Credit Became One of the Hottest Investments on Wall Street

  • what private credit is just in a simplest form, is xxx
  • the best way to explain what xx is is to first start with what it isn’t
  • why private credit is booming?

Are Timeshares Worth It?

  • close the loophole: an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules.
  • we have come here to take part in the major game.
  • justice department: 司法部门
  • he allegedly/əˈlɛdʒd/ received more than %30 million: 据称
  • it became common knowledge that the resale depreciation is almost 100%, the industry would’t collapse, but it would certainly fundamentally change overnight
  • he was incapable of leading a bowling team, let alone a country: far less likely, possible
  • This is a time when we need to either heavily regulate or outright ban this “timeshare” system: completely, immediately

Why United Airlines Invested $1 Billion In Denver Airport

  • passangers have returned in a record breaking number, much higher than our forecast
  • it becomes the U.S. biggest hub
  • explore how the airport and airline plan to keep up with demand: learn about or be aware of current events or developments
  • we are projecting a lot of growth: estimate, forecast
  • whoever pushed 30 years ago for an airport outside the city with no limits on size is the real visionary: thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom
  • I was just at the Denver Airport with an hour long layover. It’s a very nice airport, but needs more eateries/'itəri/: a restaurant or other place where people can be served food
  • copy room
  • employee cafeteria: a restaurant or dining room

Can Amazon And Hyundai Solve Online Car Sales?

  • 90% consumers are going online, at least some points in the process, even if only for research.
  • car dealers have been trying to catch up
  • we learned short time ago the company will be the debut seller of cars on amazon
  • there’s been a lot of speculation about amazon potentially launching its own EV products: the forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence
  • it’s not gonna happen

Why Cargo Theft Is Surging In The U.S.

  • cargo and freight/freɪt/ companies: goods transported in bulk by truck, train, ship, or aircraft
  • cargo truck, cargo theft/θeft/, cargo theif/θiːf/
  • there is how cargo thieves are infiltrating/ˈɪnfɪltreɪt/ america’s supply chain, but what most valuable follows economic trends: 渗透
  • if he opens the truck and there’s 1 milion of electronics, it’s probably not even sth the law enforcement officer is going to understand, so he’s probably going to let him go
  • overhaul command center: a thorough examination of machinery or a system
  • there is a lot of push-pull on solving the problem: conflicting perspectives, opinions

Is The U.S. Navy Ready For The Red Sea Threat?

  • it remains to be seen if airstrikes by the US and allies will put an end to these houthi attacks in red sea: 有待观察
  • precision weapon, once the province of major powers had become much cheaper and easier to produce: an area of special knowledge
  • houthi arsenal/'ɑrsənl/: cruise missile, ballistic/bə’lɪstɪk/ missile, explosive armed drone.
  • the US navy may be overworked
  • the red sea is a fairly choke pointed area: to quite a high degree
  • chinese rocket force
  • go to solution: people instinctively turn to because it is known to be effective, familiar, or convenient.
  • long range anti-ship missile
  • electronic warfare package: 电子战模块
  • energy weapon

Iphone history

  • the iphone was introduced/made its debut/deɪˈbjuː/ in 2007
  • the industry veterans/ˈvetərən/ and competitors remain skeptical/ˈskeptɪkl/

How Guyana’s Oil Boom Sparked A Border Dispute With Venezuela

  • Venezuela/ˌvɛnəˈzwelə/ wants to annex part of Guyana
  • this is why there’s been a rising tension escalation
  • 11 billion barrels/ˈbærəl/ of oil
  • Mexico Mexican/ˈmɛksɪkən/
  • border dispute: debate

India is moving beyond call centers and IT support

  • global value chain: design, raw materials, assembly/əˈsembli/, distribution
  • it has underwhelming response from business in some sectors: disappoint
  • I am in transit/ˈtrænzɪt/: the carrying of people
  • how the scheme/skiːm/ has translated into reality
  • overnight success should not be expected: it takes decades to real become really globally competitive in many of these value chains.
  • increase the domestic consumption

Why Getting A Job Feels Impossible Right Now

  • if you look at the job vacancies, they are down a little bit but not enormously
  • why does it feel so hard to get a job right now and is the US labor market as strong as it seems?
  • the job application they don’t even hear back and that can be very mentally and emotionally taxing: physically or mentally demanding
  • tight vs loose(adj+v)/luːs/ job market

Why Americans Are Suddenly Losing Their Home Insurance

  • too many buildings are destroyed by catastrophe/kəˈtæstrəfi/: diaster
  • one company step up and said that xxx: come forward for a particular purpose
  • non-renewal letter in CA results in 12% loss/lɔːs/ of property value
  • most mortgage lenders require home insurance as a prerequisite for the loan
  • insurance company says they have been trying to adequately price in the climate risk for years
  • sth was passed all the way back in the 80s

Are Landlords Colluding On Rent?

  • to keep pace with the demand
  • the housing supply does not keep up with the demand
  • housing cartel/kɑːrˈtel/: an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition

What happened to axe body spray?

  • gym class: 体育课
  • it is a sense of nostalgia/nəˈstældʒə/: 怀旧
  • its parent company unilever/u,ni,lever/ had sold about 500 million dollars of AXE product
  • they thought the brand of fragrance as a men deodorant/dɪ’odərənt/: 除臭剂
  • humor is a great way of overcoming all of that

Will Las Vegas’s big bet on sprots pay off?

  • the recycle of all indoor water on a community-wide scale is at a stagger/ˈstæɡər/ rate of 99%: astonish or deeply shock
  • the pandemic exposed the perils/ˈperəl/ of a one-sector economy
  • the hospitality/ˌhɑːspɪˈtæləti/ industry’s singularity leaves las vegas vulnerable to the next devastating event: 殷勤, 好客

Tucker interview with Putin

  • the kremlin
  • initially it was the coup/kuː/ in Ukraine that provoked the conflict
  • that is exactly what the miscalculation is: 误判
  • the wounds/wund/ would start to heal
  • with the help of U.S and its satellites/ˈsætəlaɪt/ in europe
  • we simply don’t have interest on that, it’s just threat mongering/ˈmʌŋɡɚ/
  • you personally may have alibi/'æləbaɪ/ but the xxx has no such alibi
  • in the war of propaganda it is very difficult to defeat/dɪˈfiːt/ the US
  • we are now in multi-polar/ˈpoʊlər/ world
  • the china’s foreign policy philosophy is not aggressive its idea is to always look for compromise and we can see that.
  • self-conceit: undue pride in oneself 自负

Why direct-to-consuomer companies are all struggling

  • D2C: direct to consumer, it is synonymous/sɪˈnɑːnɪməs/ with e-commerce/ˈkɑːmɜːrs/
  • maybe D2C is not dead, maybe it is evloving
  • new/young brand is competing with the legacy brands that already have a loyal customer base
  • flagship store
  • offer product directly to consumers, cut out all the middleman, all the unnecessary markups: 加价
  • they were the only one and there started to be copycats after a couple of years after the modle was proven and successful
  • a lot of brands did not last
  • pretty quickly we recognize that having a physical offering in addition to our online and digital tools was going to be really important
  • the founders/entrepreneurs founded the company in 2024, also the past of “find”: establish
  • the agency was funded by the govt: pay, finance
  • venture capital funding down 53% year-over-year by q1 2023
  • it is not all doom/duːm/(death) and gloom/ɡluːm/(darkness)

Has the U.S fallen out of love with instant coffee

  • instant coffee has long been known as the black sheep of the coffee world: a member of a family or group who is regarded as a disgrace to it
  • instant coffee accounts for 25% coffee consumed globally
  • find a solution to the country’s coffee surplus problem: more than what is needed or used
  • predominantly tea drinking countries have been fertile ground for instant coffee growth: here have been + n usage: continues tense
  • the overall innovation to the instant coffe space has been sluggish: slow-moving or inactive, have been + adj: state happens some time ago and now and may continue
  • strong and bitter taste, sweeter and softer taste: lighter
  • less resistant/rəˈzistənt/ to weather shocks, pests/ae/ and disease
  • the instant coffee consumption abroad is a very different story: oversea

Senate hearing

  • inspirational quote: a quotation from a text or speech
  • positive affirmation: encouragement
  • caretaker: a person employed to look after people or animals
  • are you going to support the legistation: laws, the adj: legitimate/illegitimate(illegal)

Why the education system is failing America?

  • it is as simple as following a series of familiar steps to get the answers
  • it is an ambitious initiative to revolutionize the education system
  • you might accept them down the road if you find them to meet your needs
  • a couple of years later, things took a turn as the efficacy/efəkəsē/ of the new standard came into question
  • dictate instruction to a teacher from kind of remote control is simpily unrealisitc: recommend, affect
  • studies have shown that…
  • in the meantime = at meanwhile
  • I have never been tempted enough to pull the trigger: entice/ai/, n: I resisted the temptation to call him
  • why teahers are paid so little
  • teachers only receive their pension if they stay in profession/prəˈfeSHən/ for 25 years or more
  • what does it mean when some students left behind?
  • it is way more than that, it is very holistic and it talks about lots of broader topics: 整体的，全面的
  • condom and contraception use 避孕
  • miscarriage and abortion: 流产 and 堕胎
  • 3 out of 5 children who are living in poverty live in families that are headed by unwed mother/wed/

Migrant detention camp

  • migrant/ai/(move to other places) vs immgrant/i/(move to foreign countries permanently) in search of work and better living conditions
  • applying for asylum/əˈsaɪləm/ requires the proof of persecution/ˌpɝsɪ’kjʊʃən/: protection, shelter; hostility and ill-treatment
  • political asylum
  • border/highway patrol/pəˈtrōl/

Why widespread tech layoffs keep happening despite the strong US economy

  • the layoff it is pretty eye opening
  • the US economy looks strong on paper
  • a lot of big companies decided to get lean and efficient: thin, slim
  • all this investment in creating AI jobs, but at the spend of others
  • AI is definitely playing a role in the layoffs we are seeing
  • Regrettably, it seems the layoff is going to be the new normal
  • never be loyal to a company or job, at the end day we are all number and disposable/dɪˈspoʊzəbl/, learned the hardway

Will the immigrantion crisis bankrupt the U.S. cities?

  • the present migrant crisis is quite unprecedented
  • private charter bus: hire, rent

San Francisco street

  • carjacking
  • arrest the individuals and send them to custody/ˈkʌstədi/: 拘留, imprisonment
  • news outlets: a subset of the media, such as CNN, BBC, etc
  • the shoplifiting is wild and high-profile: the criminal action of stealing goods from a store while pretending to be a customer: she had conviction/kənˈvɪkʃn/ of shoplifting
  • I was twice physically assaulted/əˈsɔːlt/ due to being trans
  • this is a fuck up place: 一塌糊涂

Why oil price is so expensive in CA?

  • CA has really restricted the ability for the refinery to expand and grow
  • it has been rather hostile/ˈhɑːstl/ to refinery expansion or oil industry investments
  • in comparison, xxx
  • texas is home to more than 30 petroleum/pəˈtroʊliəm/ refineries

Fires employee who protested the event

  • now we’re going to turn to Google the company firing an employee who protested at an Israel Tech event
  • part of growing dissension/dɪ’sɛnʃən/ inside the company: disagreement
  • first of all just sort of give us the rundown of what happened: to some extent; an analysis or summary
  • he was escorted/ˈeskɔːrt/ out of the building and it was captured on camera went viral online
  • we found that the company fired him yesterday reasoning that it was interfering with an official company sponsored event
  • but we also found this week that Google prematurely shuttered/'ʃʌtɚ/ an internal discussion forum in the company ahead of International women’s day after a swarm comments about the Middle East crisis and Palestinian /ˌpælis’tiniən/ women gain popularity in the forum

OpenAI fires back at Elon Musk

  • what he said is contradicting: conflict, inconsistent,paradox/ˈpærədɑːks/ 自相矛盾
  • bombshell: 爆炸性事件, for example: bombshell email
  • openai fires back at elon musk
  • generative ai potential issues: bias, misinformation and hostility /hɑːˈstɪləti/

Can Amtrak Finally Bring High-Speed Rail To Texas?

  • I would argue that the texas triangle is the lowest hanging/ˈhæŋɪŋ/ fruit in the nation for improving passanger service
  • we just need to reinvest in the effort
  • the backlash in texas has deep roots and no signs of fading soon: a strong negative reaction by a large number of people,
  • bullet trains
  • the race to bring high speed rail to texas triangle dates back to 1987
  • the cities are in that sweet spot

Recession will still happen as Covid savings have run out

  • what is your take on all that? asking for someone’s opinion or perspective on a certain situation, vs prospective(future events)
  • holding your breathe/ri/: expecting the unexpected
  • so I put it this way, xxx

Why The French Love American Fast Food

  • in a five year span, xxx
  • just given the cliche/kliːˈʃeɪ/ that France is the fancier place to eat: 陈词滥调
  • these brands also cater/ˈkeɪtər/ to french palate/ˈpælət/ by altering menu items or creating new products: provide someone with what is needed
  • but the restaurant industry is volatile/ˈvɑːlətl/ and highly susceptible/səˈseptəbl/ to domestic and global changes: easy to be influenced

Kopi Time E118: China’s NPC, trade/tech war, deflation, policy

  • NPC: National/ae/ People’s Congress of China
  • what do you make of them: asking someone for their opinion or interpretation of something or someone
  • fiscal/ˈfɪskl/ deficit/ˈdefɪsɪt/, vs defect/ˈdiːfekt/
  • a lot of local govt are not inclined to borrow because they actually have debt problem
  • it would actually imply that a lot more stimulus would have to take place
  • you talked a lot about move away from investment-driven to consumption driven growth model
  • we need to move to high quality growth by means of the market: through
  • balance sheet 资产负债表
  • I would hesitate to say … 毫不犹豫地说
  • green investiment in China
  • I find an opportunity that can be used to sort of substitute a good stimulus and it’s buy and large good investment that are going to be productive: 大体上，总的来说
  • if there is going to be a trump 2.0 but before that independent of who will be the president of US in early 2025

Kopi Time 107 - Kishore Asian century vs American century

  • unfortunately my nightmare might come true
  • democrat/ˈdeməkræt/ vs republican
  • carrying on ad-hoc action after ad-hoc action without have clear strategy
  • the idea to stop china from becoming a scientific power is absurd/əbˈsɜːrd/
  • the damage will be done no question but that may be just a manifestation /ˌmænɪfeˈsteɪʃn/ of slowing down as opposed to stopping them forever
  • the determination of chinese people, national determination
  • I’ve seen people draw parallels between US restrictions on Sovit and China: compare two different things, situations, or ideas and identify similarities between them.
  • sputnik/'spʌtnɪk/ moment, historical analogy
  • using the old playbook againt the soviet union on China, get dead wrong.
  • it is just a sideshow, not the real contest
  • at least on climate change Europe, U.S and China would sit on the same table and make tangible/ˈtændʒəbl/ progress
  • anti-china/'æntaɪ/ consensus is ferocious/fəˈroʊʃəs/, fierce/fɪrs/
  • Asean/'ɑ:si:ɔn/: Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
  • the idea to contain china is a mission impossible
  • promote/promotion vs prompt
  • Asean is a inherently weak organization but it keeps stumbling through /ˈstʌmblɪŋ/ and moving forward 磕磕绊绊
  • democracy vs autocracy/ɔːˈtɑːkrəsi/: dictator
  • 21 century it is a multi-civilizational, multi-polar/ˈpoʊlər/ world
  • Brics 金砖四国 + other members vs G7
  • singaporean/ˌsiŋɡə’pɔ:riən/ identity today is stronger than the ethnic/ˈeθnɪk/ identity
  • for information only and does not represent any trade recommendations

Kopi Time E108: Chris Miller on Chip war

  • are you overstating it? exaggerate/ɪɡˈzædʒəreɪt/ vs exacerbate/ɪɡˈzæsərbeɪt/ and deteriorate/dɪˈtɪriəreɪt/
  • every major military is thinking harder than ever about its access to semiconductors
  • I really like the way you portray/pɔːrˈtreɪ/ it: depict or describe
  • I take it that you don’t believe xxxx: understand or accept as valid, eg I take your point
  • self-sufficient / self-contained vs self-service: needing no outside help in satisfying one’s basic needs
  • so the implication of this could be rather(certain or significant extent or degree) dire for china’s medium term outlook but for the time being they can produce some chips: for the present
  • would the state of the sanctions remain where they are or the net is about to get tighter
  • the computing power is pretty decisive
  • cyber war, cyber offense/defense
  • just give me a sense, just give me a sense of how it works
  • pirate/ˈpaɪrət/ software

Kopi Time E114: US markets with Dr. Komal Sri-Kumar

  • I cannot say anything with respect to rate, with respect to credits: the same as with regard to(wrt), or word “per”
  • how do we reconcile say market structure, buy side interest as well as xx: cause to coexist in harmony
  • the question is very timely: done or occurring at a favorable or useful time
  • the recession is delayed but not denied
  • the regulators are telling the banks not to make so many quote-unquote risky loans: word or phrase following it is being used ironically, here the speaker has the skepticism on “risky”
  • if necessary the fed will step in: involved in difficuly case for help
  • very informative and insightful as always

Kopi Time E119 - Angela Mancini on Geopolitics and Business Risks

  • I think you are really hitting the nail/neɪl/ on the head 一针见血
  • lack of policy continuity/ˌkɑːntɪˈnuːəti/
  • as time goes by so maybe we need to pick up the conversation later
  • a heavy reliance on xxx
  • there’s been a derisking out of China for years for cost reason even before the tensions: vs adj intense: the job demands intense concentration
  • I think it’s going to be some twists and turns along the way
  • great to be here and looking forward to picking up the conversation again down the road: in the future, or literally: There’s a gas station down the road.
  • by all means: of course; certainly

Henny Sender on China, Hong Kong, and India

  • secondary city
  • i want to stay on this topic for a little longer
  • is the gap widening or narrowing?
  • india is capitcal short compared to china
  • what’s your sense from outside looking in that large companies are finding india an attractive place to put money
  • I’ve seen so many india companies who go from make in india to assemble in india instead of going the other way around becaus it lacks skill so that’s a challenge today
  • the govt is trying to build infra that it had lacked
  • india feared it would just be overrun by cheap products from places like china
  • the conversation is really superficial: not thorough, deep, superficial knowledge

100k salary cannot buy american dream

  • 100K household income can’t buy american dream
  • it does not take into account any thing extra

Why The U.S. Government Is Buying And Destroying Homes

  • buyout:the purchase of a controlling share in a company, vs bailout/'belaʊt/
  • they demolish/dɪˈmɑːlɪʃ/ the home and create open space
  • there are almost infinite variations at every single one of those stages i just described, but that’s really the general process.
  • we are nowhere near the scale that would be required: not in or to any place
  • the buyout offer is not going to match what it’s reasonably going to cost for the recipient/rɪˈsɪpiənt/ to move to a safe place.
  • this is a 1 in 1000 year type of flood
  • rich people freeload the most: 吃白食,不劳而获

How Working For Google, Amazon, And Microsoft Lost ‘Dream Job’ Status

  • google is the number one this year, last year and the year before.
  • gender affirmation surgery
  • the high pay prestige /preˈstiːʒ/:widespread respect and admiration
  • business making moves to really understand where their customers are and trying to fit their workforces to that demand
  • the stock market reacted quite favorable to this round of layoffs, lean year
  • keep your options open and be realistic, don’t hold back: hesitate to act or speak; prevent or restrict the progress or development of someone or something

Musk’s china visit is a watershed moment

  • DC hawk, China hawk; pigeon/ˈpɪdʒɪn/ vs penguin/ˈpeŋɡwɪn/
  • it is a watershed moment: turning point
  • let me jump in and ask, xxx
  • the competition is going to continue to be fierce/fɪrs/ in china
  • they have been storing data in shanghai, complying with china’s law/regulation
  • you start to see a resurgence/rɪˈsɜːrdʒəns/ in U.S, especially with the FSD golden goose
  • do you think the stock has bottomed? has peaked/reach its upper limit

china’s looming crises

  • people realized that the post-covid recovery is not as strong as many of them had hoped for.
  • one area of particular/peculiar weakness is the service sector: peculiar 2 meanings: odd,unusual; special
  • for chinese govt, it really wants to contain any of the market volatility( negative), especially during the economic downturn.
  • civil service exam: govt job
  • many couples therefore chose/tʃoz/ to only have a son when restricted to just a one child household, so consequently, after 30 years what you do have is a huge situation of missing women and surplus bachelors.
  • 30 million surplus men who cannot find brides/braɪd/.
  • it caused the population to become too male, too old and too few.
  • the aging population can make the govt spend a lot of money on the welfare /ˈwelfer/
  • working age population
  • India still has demographic so that it would continue to grow and add population in this subsequent decade: relating to structure of population.
  • just because you have plenty of young workers doesn’t mean you have roads, the factories or the financing or the logistics to take advantages of all these things and really make them come together.
  • this population decline in the process of aging is almost irreversible, we can try to slow it down a little bit through increasing fertility/fərˈtɪləti/ rates but that’s not really solution to anything.
  • suppose the labor supply reachs a criticall low point, the chinese govt might consider import cheaper labors from other countries.
  • from anecdotes/ˈænɪkdoʊt/ that i’ve heard, this policy was implemented pretty stingently/ˈstrɪndʒənt/ in that everyone is so scared of giving any financing to real estate developers they are almote cut off.
  • private sector developer vs state owns developer

Can Boeing’s Purchase Of Spirit AeroSystems Help Solve Its Problems?

  • boeing spent a year trying to get back on track after the fatal max8 crashes.
  • the company has continued to face problems with production flaws and setbacks
  • the pressure on boeing has led to a major leadership shake-up
  • the iconic company that once had a great reputation for safty is losing more and more marketshare to rival airbus
  • first and foremost, get aircrafts that are quality and safe.
  • so much of boeing’s manufacturing has become outsourced
  • now boeing is kind of backtracking and saying, OKAY, maybe that was a little bit too much: reverse one’s previous action and opinion.
  • the focus at boeing has shifted since this merge with douglas to profitability as opposed to the engineering excellence.
  • boeing spun/spʌn/ off its unit as spirit aerosystem to improve profitability, that puts financial squeeze on spirit aerosystem to build the fuselages/'fjʊsə’lɑʒ/ at the lowest possible cost, but clearly this has come with someb intangible cost in terms of quality control.
  • airline customers are desperate/ˈdespərət/ of new planes.
  • hire hitman to deal with/punish the whistleblower (conspiracy)

why copper demand is skyrocketing

  • demand for copper is surging/soaring, price has soared/climbed
  • wind turbines/'tɝbaɪn/ and the power grid
  • offshore wind requires about 3 times as much copper as does coal/koʊl/-fired power generation in terms of tons per gigawatt of capacity
  • mining company
  • copper is the backbone of the decarboniation goals
  • energy transition, electricity transfer
  • capital-intensive
  • the macro economic factors are causing companies to be hesitant/ˈhezɪtənt/ about investing new copper supply, which takes many years to result in production.
  • the smelter/'smɛltɚ/ and refinery where the ore is processed into pure copper
  • the company is struggle to get another project off the ground

Chang’e-6 mission landing

  • chang’e-6 mission lander landed on far side of the moon to collect invaluable lunar sample
  • soft landing, solid steps.
  • used a variable/ˈveriəbl/ 7’500 newton/'nutən/ engine to slow its velocity on lunar orbit and begin its descent/dɪˈsent/(de + scent) (not decent!)
  • Chang’e-6 is China’s fourth successful lunar landing from four attempts, and the second on the far side of the moon.
  • Following sampling, an ascent/əˈsent/(a + scent) vehicle will be expected to launch itself and the samples from atop the Chang’e-6 lander.
  • orbiter, reentry capsule
  • relay satellite/ˈsætəlaɪt/
  • international payloads
  • crewed lunar mission by 2030, permanent lunar base (or habitation/ˌhæbɪˈteʃən/)

China’s BYD New Hybrid Cars: Ultra-Long 2,000 km Range For Under $14,000

  • incredible, without re-charging and refueling, 2000 kilometers, groundbreaking
  • they really see value in pushing the boundaries of what hybrids can do, given the fact that they are competing on a quarter by quarter basis with tesla for pure battery electric vehicle leadership.
  • they are dominant in this space in China, IMO they are also viewing this as sort of the way forward for them in a lot of export markets where EV charging infra is not as solid as it is in China.
  • they have really big ambitions/æmˈbɪʃn/ to grow.

China’s AI development

  • AI infra, semiconductor -> efficiency
  • in terms of the application, china’s speed is second to none
  • I don’t want to steal your thunder/ˈθʌndər/
  • the performance has not been good enough
  • I am proud to say that the latest modle is performing comparablely /'kɔmpərəbli/ with chat GPT by third part’s evaluation.
  • bring the chat gpt moment
  • the model will rival chat GPT in china
  • we have to be extremely parsimonious/ˌpɑrsə’monɪəs/ and practical and really build the right modle with the right size that fit the user’s needs.
  • I want to just depature briefly, depart from this US-China framework for a little bit.
  • bigger is not necessarily better.
  • I am a huge proponent/prə’ponənt/(supporter) of open source

What To Do If You Think You’re Underpaid

  • one option if you suspect that you are underpaid is to request a salary adjustment from your employer.
  • a discrepancy in pay b/w two comparable employees may be due to market conditions
  • their skills are scarce/skers/ vs scare
  • or there is justification for them, xxx don’t justify that xx
  • but the caveat to that is that …
  • is there anything that would make me stay here?
  • will i ever get paid what i am worth?
  • are the margins/ˈmɑːrdʒɪn/ of my desired salary much higher than my current role?
  • could i make a career pviot/ˈpɪvət/: completely change the way in which one does something
  • unfair treatment, harassment/həˈræsmənt/, retaliation/rɪˌtæliˈeɪʃn/

Stephen Krashen no language acquisition

  • we acquire language in only one way: when we get comprehensible input in a low anxiety environment.

How close is china to become a dominant space power

  • lunar probe/proʊb/
  • it is the latest advance in china’s ambitious space explotation: a development or improvement
  • basin/ˈbeɪsn/
  • the effect is most pronounced on the crater edges in the polar/ˈpoʊlər/ regions: very noticeable
  • can you pls give us a sense of how important space exploration is to the china’s leadership.
  • china also aims at sending astronauts to the moon around the year of 2030 which would not only be scientifically important but also be a political prestige /preˈstiːʒ/

how presidential elections influence the fed reserve

  • fed chair
  • politics, political/pəˈlɪtɪkl/, politician/ˌpɑːləˈtɪʃn/
  • chief concerns: inflation, drug addiction/əˈdɪkʃn/, federal budget deficit, illegial immigration, gun violence, violent crime, the state of moral values
  • former company(or ex-ceo) executive/ɪɡˈzekjətɪv/ officer (CEO)
  • any future president might be tempted to influence the fed becuase the U.S fiscal/ˈfɪskl/ position.
  • 7 governors on the federal reserve interest rate committee are nominated by the president and confirmed by congress

Kopi time 126 Gen AI

  • it is so prohibitively costly to build and run these AI models.
  • we have this longstanding sort of comical/'kɑmɪkl/ observation that technology is everywhere except in productivity that from the 1970s onward we’ve had a bit of a downshift in productivity few times and there perhaps around the dawn/dɔːn/ of the internet age we saw some pick up in productivity but by and large in the industrial World productivity has been disappointing and one argument among many arguments is that we have sort of exhausted the low harvesting fruits and now any tangible Innovation is very costly, does it have to be like that?

First impression in chongqing

  • ultra modern mega city, over 30 million people believe or not
  • he is local
  • unfortunately the weather is not really on our side
  • chongqing is known as to be a very humid city
  • big river cruise ship
  • chao tian men square
  • busy public hoilday
  • I am excited to be seeing the view on the front: continous
  • a sort of: It can also imply uncertainty or that something is not clearly defined.
  • it is quite literally a wednesday: used for emphasis
  • I was literally blown away by the response I got: to be extremely impressed, astonished, or overwhelmed by something. It conveys a strong sense of amazement or admiration.
  • restaurant, retail
  • herbs: 香料
  • the meat soup(broth) has a lot of collagen/'kɑlədʒən/ from what I read, good for skin
  • pan-fried pork bun 生煎: juicy, tender
  • just a heads up, if you are someone that does not have a large appetite/ˈæpɪtaɪt/ one bun is more than enough: over sufficient
  • chongqing is laid out on different levels.
  • viewing points
  • the lower level of the bridge is for metro or some sorts of train, the upper level is for pedestrian/pəˈdestriən/ and cars
  • jelly 冰粉
  • hotpot seasoning/'sizənɪŋ/
  • jerky, beef/pork jerky 肉干
  • the dog is chilling: very relaxed or easygoing
  • skywalk 人行天桥

chongqing supermarket shocking prices

  • kilo/'kilo/
  • shocking prices, well priced, reasonably priced, shopping to be so affordable
  • we picked up the supermarket completely at random, we don’t know if it is upper scale, lower scale or medium.
  • I think this may be one of things that you won’t necessarily see in a european supermarket
  • here we have a whole bunch of different things like mushrooms, cucumbers, pickles chilies.
  • no weigh -> scale
  • I have never seen them before in my life
  • okra/'ou krə/
  • lotus/'lou təs/ root, root vegetable
  • donut/'dou,nʌt/, egg tart
  • mineral water, purified water
  • envious ~ jealous/ˈdʒeləs/
  • walnut/'wɔlnət/
  • loose goods 散装货物, tea flower
  • we can only eat them alive similar to crustations/krʌs’teiʃən/ where you have to kill them shortly before you eat them
  • we arrived our beautiful accommodation: temporary lodgings
  • readymade food, fast food

kishore mahbubani interview

  • paradoxical/ˌpærəˈdɑːksɪkl/ answer
  • he can go to either extreme
  • is the goal to overthrow/ˌoʊvərˈθroʊ/ the CCP
  • isolate or contain china, it cannot be done
  • president Joe biden in passing mention that china aims to become No.1 and he said it ain’t/ent/ gonna happen on my watch: briefly and casually 顺便提及
  • do chinese have ground strategy in dealing with the US? 大战略
  • I think out of necessity they have to have strategy
  • the manufacturing capacity of China is now indispensable to the rest of the world
  • so far ahead 遥遥领先
  • I provide lots of empirical/ɪmˈpɪrɪkl/ data 经验数据
  • he was an outsider 局外人

are we paid shills for china

  • CCP shill /ʃɪl/, propaganda
  • emotionally and spiritually very rewarding this travel
  • we film everything from start, from the moment we arrived at the airport all the way to the accommodation, we check in and go out and meet people
  • backwards country: having made less than normal progress
  • the capital city is falling apart there’s homeless people literally all over the street
  • we have been getting a lot of hilarious/hɪˈleriəs/ comments from mindless robots who think we have been somehow bought or told to do things.
  • ignore the trolls, uneducated comments

The Real Danger of Traveling in China

  • light/strong flavor squid
  • this is the perfect way I think to kickstart a night of trying some snacks
  • shaqima cube, it tastes a little bit yeasty/‘yi sti’/ (yeast smell, like fresh bread)
  • street snack
  • let’s make our way to a pedestrianized street/pəˈdestriən/ area
  • high-rise: tall building, skyscraper
  • downtown: city center
  • the street is a liitle bit old school
  • people seem to be very laidback, warm greeting from the people
  • very enjoyable and walkable place
  • some chinese official public holidays: new year day, spring festival, tomb/tum/-sweeping day, labor day, dragon boat festival, mooncake/mid-autumn festival, national day
  • electric scooter/'skutɚ/
  • it is just a weekday not weekend
  • Takoyaki: octopus ball (surrounded by pork floss); sashimi: sliced raw finish; shushi; row; miso/'miso/ soup; udon 乌冬 ramen; curry/ˈkɚri/ rice; mochi/'mou tʃi/: Japanese glutinous rice ball 糯米滋; rice triangle: triangle sushi, onigiri
  • I am kind of contemplating the big sausage
  • stinky/'stɪŋki/ tofu (super smelly)
  • she is coating/'kotɪŋ/ my skewer now in different seasonings
  • salad with mayo/'meɪəʊ/
  • 煎饼: chinese burrito /bə’rito/ or taco/'tɑko/
  • we are absolutely amateur/ˈæmətər/(vs professional) when it comes to speak mandarin
  • the weather is insanely hot
  • escargot/ˌɛskɑrˈɡo/, snail edible,
  • river snail rice noodle 螺蛳粉; river snail 田螺
  • eatable: pleasant to eat vs edible/ˈedəbl/: Safe to eat; not harmful or poisonous
  • spicy crayfish/'kre’fɪʃ/ 麻辣小龙虾; shellfish, crustation

Indian inside poor area if china

  • street hygiene/ˈhaɪdʒiːn/
  • yellow sign / banner 标语
  • urban villages (old part of the city) are not slum/slʌm/, though the buildings are old, dilapidated/dɪˈlæpɪdeɪtɪd/.

our first dim sum in GZ

  • cantonese /ˌkæntəˈniz/
  • it is during the rush hour, traffic hour

journey to GX province

  • we have a very excited journey ahead of us
  • bullet/bu/ train
  • the drop in temperature is going to be very welcome too
  • look around, you can see greenery/'ɡrinəri/ eveywhere in yunnan province
  • that’s a very good sign
  • solar panel, solar power, wind energy, nuclear energy
  • find our way to where the DD driver pickup point is.
  • fish mint 折耳根
  • auntie patrol/pəˈtroʊl/ 朝阳大妈
  • high five: gesture to express positive emotions like joy, excitement, or congratulations
  • the pace of life here is quite slow, people are laidback, relaxing

kunming china

  • the temple, dates back to 18th centry
  • you don’t have to reserve your spot, just show up and buy the tickets immediately
  • for everybody it is a flat fee of mere 6 yuan: not varying, same in all cases
  • kunming is the capital/ˈkæpɪtl/ city of yunnan province
  • look at all these details
  • pillar/ˈpɪlər/: a tall vertical structure of stone, wood, or metal, monument/ˈmɑːnjumənt/
  • entrance, gate 古代拱门
  • buddha/'budə/ 佛
  • donation 香火钱, pray for xxx, place to worship, worship place
  • power bank 充电宝
  • stone courtyard 石板院子
  • incense /ˈɪnsens/ 香, light your incense
  • smell a lot of secondhand smoke
  • high cholesterol/kəˈlestərɔːl/ organ meat, pork
  • no weird additive/ˈædətɪv/ to the crispy pork

longmen scenic area in kunming

  • it is on and off drizzle/'drɪzl/: intermittently
  • I have so many questions, I don’t know anything about it
  • cable car
  • scenic/ˈsiːnɪk/ area 风景胜地: great wall scenic area
  • have a photo shoot
  • view point/spot, picture taking spot
  • it looks like quite dated in terms of how it looks
  • mind you head
  • fence or railing/'relɪŋ/ installed on cliff walkway
  • we can hear the cicada/sɪ’kedɚ/ in such a high altitude/ˈæltɪtuːd/
  • some people do walk which is probably the thing that we would do if this was like a full day thing but we unfortunately only planned half a day because we didn’t know how expensive it actually is we thought it was just one viewing spot but it was few hours

farmers market

  • local farmers market
  • the bun is really sort of fluffy/ˈflʌfi/ or puffy/'pʌfi/
  • fluffy cake 蓬松蛋糕
  • the weather is like you are steamed, hot and humid
  • deep fried pork and fish
  • young bamboo sprout
  • The Chinese behave with tofu is like the western people behave with cheese
  • salted duck egg
  • century/'sɛntʃəri/ egg or preserved egg
  • jicama /ˈhikəmə/ 地瓜
  • so easy to gain weight in China

yunnan street food

  • everybod is off and nobody has to work
  • lotus pond
  • the old lady is very considerate
  • see what they are doing and we try to copy whatever that is.
  • the pavement/walkway is for pedestrian
  • enoki/yi,no,ki/ mushroom 金针菇
  • king oyster mushroom 杏鲍菇
  • ong choy/water spinach 空心菜
  • fermented/fərˈment/ bean curd/kɝd/
  • once you finish the meat and rice you have a “food baby” for sure
  • bakery/ˈbeɪkəri/
  • boba tea 珍珠奶茶
  • sauteed/'səutei/ spinach with garic and olive oil
  • In the hustle/ˈhʌsl/ and bustle /ˈbʌsl/ of modern-day life, people seldom stop to enjoy the beauty of nature. 喧嚣，熙熙攘攘

yunnan dali

  • one thing I love about these videos is the showcase of the abundance of food options and food culture there in different locations
  • we have the bathtub/bæθtʌb/ in the questionable place
  • villager
  • street food stalls/stɔːl/ 大排档
  • the general atmosphere is very nice: the pervading tone or mood of a place, situation, or work of art
  • incredible hospitality/ˌhɑːspɪˈtæləti/ 殷勤, 好客
  • It’s a preferential/ˌprɛfə’rɛnʃl/ policy for an ethnic/ˈeθnɪk/ minority family to have two children. 少数民族
  • the ancient town seems to be full of these narrow alleyways/'ælɪ,we/ and it is packed full of people.
  • lantern 灯笼
  • Porcini/por,qi’,ni/ mushrooms 牛肝菌
  • this is probably going to be way too much food
  • it is a little bit higher in the alcohol(liquor/ˈlɪkər/ 白酒) than wine
  • bay leaf 月桂叶
  • the doctors in yunnan are specialized in mushroom poisoning
  • we have taken probably around 20 selfies/ˈselfi/ with different people
  • a lot of souvenirs/ˌsuːvəˈnɪr/ are repetitive to other things we have seen.
  • grind/ɡraɪnd/ the coffee beans

Kopi Time E129: James Crabtree on the geopolitics of elections

  • 4 years has come a long way; 4年已经走过了很长的路; the software has come a long way: achievement
  • there is no shortage of political dramas
  • actions taken without deliberate thought: instinctive: natural responses or habitual behavior; spontaneous: Actions occur suddenly and without planning, driven by impulse or immediate emotion; intuitive: Thoughts or actions based on a deep, often subconscious understanding or insight, often without explicit reasoning.
  • Fingers crossed: is an expression and gesture used to wish for good luck or to hope that something will turn out well. When someone says, “Fingers crossed,” they are expressing a hope that a particular outcome will occur.

Attention seeker’s clickbait on black myth

  • this clickbait/ei/ video is not worth 60 seconds of my life
  • anient japanese fairytale/ˈfɛriˌtel/ or tale / myth
  • I doubt you are an attention seeker
  • ignorant/ˈɪɡnərənt/ review I have ever seen
  • it is a satire/ˈsætaɪər/ 讽刺

The rural china in dali

  • uncles and aunties/'ænti/: aunt的昵称
  • pagoda/pə’ɡodə/: a tiered tower with multiple eaves
  • the entry of the pagoda is prohibited: Used for formal, legal, or official restrictions, often involving policies or laws; ban: Used for official, often legal, restrictions that completely disallow something. (e.g., “ban smoking”); Forbid: Used for personal or informal restrictions, often by someone in a osition of authority. (e.g., “forbid talking in class”)

blockbuster chinese video game tried to police players

  • Chinese mythology/mɪ’θɑlədʒi/
  • Confucianism/kən’fjʊʃə,nɪzm/, Taoist/'tauist/ and Buddhist/'budist/ folklore/ˈfoʊklɔːr/
  • japanese anime/ˈænəˌme/
  • Chinese literature contains 4 masterpieces known as Four Great Classical Novels: Journey to the west, Outlaws of the marsh, Romance of the three kingdoms, dream of red chamber.
  • single player action game
  • the destined one 天命人
  • supernatural/ˌsupɚ’nætʃrəl/ power
  • proud (adj): be proud of, be proud to; pride/ei/ (n, v): I take pride in my work; national pride in the country
  • hot-blooded hype/haɪp/大肆宣传

postmortem at google

  • writing retrospective
  • I was relatively inexperienced
  • I got disillusioned with working in physics during the course of my degree: disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be:
  • what appealed to me xxx. 吸引 not just attract
  • dealing with chronic/ˈkrɑːnɪk/ stress
  • I have overstayed as SRE
  • fascination with Google tech waned /weɪn/
  • actual work not being that mind blowing
  • cognitive load is very high at google: relating to the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses
  • it is like swimming upstream:going against the prevailing trend, facing opposition, or making progress in a difficult situation
  • it’s easy to feel isolated, sidelined 边缘化
  • there is a cost of switching of course 变化的代价
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