山西 賴玉蓮

“擺爛”是時下最火的互聯(lián)網(wǎng)熱詞之一。這一原本出自美國職業(yè)籃球聯(lián)賽的詞語，如今正出現(xiàn)在各種各樣的場合?！皵[爛”，是不可取的生活態(tài)度；我們應該積極進取，像陽光一樣燦爛！

主題語境：社會 篇幅：341詞 建議用時：6分鐘

On China's Internet, some young people say their ambitions cannot be achieved and many of them have given up trying.Frustrated at the uncertainties and lack of economic opportunities, they are using a new buzzword—bai lan(let it rot in English)—to capture their attitudes towards life.

The phrase,bai lan, which has its origin in NBA games, means a voluntary retreat from pursuing certain goals because one team realises they are simply too difficult to achieve. In American basketball games, it often refers to a players' deliberate loss of a game in order to get a better draft pick.

On the Internet, thebai lanrelated topics have recently generated hundreds of millions of reads and discussions. Netizens also created different variations of thebai lanattitude.

This phrase with more previouslytang ping(lie flat in English), which means rejecting tiring competition for a low desire life—gains popularity as severe competition and high social expectations prompt many young people to give up hard work.

Butbai lanhas a more worrying layer in the way it is being used by young people: to actively embrace a worsening situation,rather than trying to turn it around.

State media have taken note of this trend.“Why do modern young people like tobai lan?”one recent article in official media outlet asked. In fact, this is as a result of negative automatic suggestion, repeatedly telling oneself“I cannot make it...”And this kind of mentality often leads people to adopt thebai lanattitude.

Professor Mary Gallagher, director of the Centre for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan,says,“Bai lanis not necessarily an attitude unique.It is a bit like the‘slacker’generation in America in the 1990s. And liketang ping, it is also a rejection of the ultracompetitiveness of today's society.”

In my opinion, I believe thatbai lanis an unacceptable attitude to life. Whether it is spring or winter,we should be as bright as the sun!

Reading Cheak

1.Why does the author mention NBA games in paragraph 2?

A.To say the games are the most competitive.

B.To explain where the phrasebai lancomes from.

C.To prove its players suffer from thebai lanattitude.

D.To compare differentbai lanattitudes at home and abroad.

2.Which of the following sayings is the closest in meaning tobai lan?

A.A dead mouse feels no cold.

B.He travels the fastest who travels alone.

C.God helps those who help themselves.

D.Behind the mountains,there are people to be found.

3.According to state media,what causes thebai lanattitude?

A.Negative situation.

B.Changing societies.

C.Bad self-suggestion.

D.Worsening environment.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentence in the text

Butbai lanhas a more worrying layer in the way it is being used by young people to actively embrace a worsening situation,rather than trying to turn it around.但是在年輕人使用它的方式中，“擺爛”有一個更令人擔憂的層面：那就是（他們往往）積極接受逐漸惡化的局面，而不是試圖扭轉這種局面。

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句，in the way 為介賓短語作方式狀語；it is being used 是省略關系詞的定語從句，way 是先行詞。注意，當way 在定語從句中表示“以某種方式”時，其關系詞可用in which、that或省略。

Ⅱ. Text-centered chunks

give up 放棄……

lack of 匱乏；缺乏

refer to 查閱；提到；參考

draft pick 選秀；獲選

take note of 注意到；將……銘記在心

as a result of 作為……的結果

make it 獲得成功；渡過難關；（尤指在困難情況下）準時到達