The phenomenon of milk tea packaging bags being collected and resold on second-hand platforms.

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刘娜: Yuko, did you see the news? Many people are now collecting milk tea bags, and they can even sell them for money.
优子: Huh? Aren’t bags thrown away after use? How can they be sold?
刘娜: Because some bags are collaborations or limited editions. People who like them buy them to collect, just like stamp collecting.
优子: I see! I used to collect anime merchandise too—feels kind of similar.
刘娜: Some people even buy three or four cups of milk tea at once just to get the new bags.
优子: Wow, drinking that much isn’t healthy, but collecting is really fun.
刘娜: Yes, but it should be done in moderation. Otherwise it becomes “over-consumption,” which isn’t good.
优子: I understand. It’s okay to like them, but don’t buy blindly just for the bags. That way it’s fun and not wasteful.

Exploring how Chinese uses animals to describe people's traits, from '牛人' (awesome person) to '菜鸟' (newbie).

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小潘: Teacher Liu, my Chinese classmates often say 'You're really 牛' to compliment someone, and also call themselves '菜鸟'. Why do they use animals to describe people?
刘娜: That's a big feature of Chinese! Using animals as metaphors makes expressions more vivid. In Chinese culture, '牛' (ox) represents hard work and strength, so '你真牛' means 'You're amazing!'
小潘: Then what about '菜鸟'? '菜' means vegetable, and '鸟' means bird—what does it mean together?
刘娜: '菜鸟' refers to a beginner or a newbie. Imagine a newly hatched little bird, soft-feathered and inexperienced—just like someone new to learning. It’s a vivid and cute expression.
小潘: Interesting! I’ve also heard of '纸老虎'—what does that mean?
刘娜: '纸老虎' describes something or someone that looks strong and scary on the outside but actually lacks real strength. Like a tiger made of paper—fierce-looking but fragile.
小潘: These metaphors are really expressive! It seems Chinese people are great at observing animals to describe human traits.
刘娜: Exactly! Animal metaphors are an essence of Chinese expression—they give the language strong imagery. Mastering them will make your Chinese more lively and help you understand the wisdom of Chinese culture better.

Xiaobao and Xiaomei meet in the morning and talk about the interesting dreams they had last night.

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小美: Xiaobao, did you have a dream last night?
小宝: Yes! I dreamed that I could fly.
小美: Really? How did you fly?
小宝: I flew into the sky like a bird.
小美: That sounds so fun! I want to fly too.
小宝: Did you have a dream last night?
小美: I dreamed of lots of candies, and they were all mine.
小宝: That’s great! Were the candies tasty in your dream?
小美: Yes, they were! But sadly, they were gone when I woke up.

Chengdu is piloting 12-year through-schools where students can enter high school without taking the Zhongkao, drawing both controversy and expectations from society.

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陈花: Honey, did you see that education news from Chengdu? Some schools have started piloting a 12-year through-school system. Students can skip the high school entrance exam and move straight from primary school to high school.
黄刚: I saw it. As long as a child gets into such a school in first grade—and is selected by lottery—then later on there’s no need to worry about the transition to junior high or the Zhongkao. It’s a seamless pathway. Parents will definitely scramble for spots.
陈花: Indeed, it reduces a lot of pressure. In the past, everyone was most afraid of being tracked by the Zhongkao, worried their kids wouldn’t get into a regular high school. Now with through-school classes, many people feel it’s an opportunity.
黄刚: But some are worried that this might create new educational inequality. Some parents say only a portion of students can benefit, the spots are limited, and it still depends on luck.
陈花: Actually, Beijing and Xi’an also have similar pilots, but they seem to mainly select top-performing students. This time Chengdu is putting more emphasis on equal opportunity.
黄刚: Right, it’s not about cherry-picking the best students, but random lottery. In theory, every child has a chance. It’s just that the college entrance exam in the end is still unavoidable.
陈花: Still, even so, it can greatly reduce anxiety for families and students. I hope more schools will join in the future so that everyone has one more path to choose.
黄刚: Yes, education reform can’t be one-size-fits-all, but someone has to be the first to ‘eat the crab’. When this first batch of through-school students graduates, people will naturally see the results.

Li Fang and Xiao Mei discuss the speed and features of different means of transportation, comparing buses, subways, and walking.

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李芳: Xiao Mei, shall we play a transportation race game?
小美: Sure! I guess the subway is the fastest.
李芳: Yes, the subway is fast and doesn’t get stuck in traffic.
小美: What about the bus?
李芳: The bus is slower than the subway, but you can enjoy the scenery along the way.
小美: Walking is the slowest, but it's good exercise.
李芳: Exactly, and you can stop anytime to rest or look around.
小美: Then if I want to arrive faster, I’ll take the subway; if I want to enjoy the scenery, I’ll take the bus.
李芳: Right, each type of transportation has its own advantages.
小美: Next time I want to try different transportation methods myself!

Explains why wild birds cannot be casually captured or traded.

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小宝: Brother, I saw a little bird and really want to catch it to play. Can I?
小刚: No. The news says many birds are nationally protected, and catching them is illegal.
小宝: Huh? Even such a small bird can’t be caught?
小刚: Yes. Birds like the huamei and lark, and even bird eggs, must not be touched casually.
小宝: Why? I just think they’re cute.
小刚: Because they’re important to nature. Taking one away messes up the bird’s home.
小宝: Then I’ll just look and not touch. That makes the bird happy, right?
小刚: Right! Not catching or harming them is how we protect them.

An in-depth analysis of the motives, strategic considerations, and future market impact behind Starbucks selling controlling stakes of its China business to the local investor Boyu Capital.

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赵强: Old Huang, have you followed Starbucks China's big deal? Handing over controlling stakes to Boyu Capital for 4 billion USD—this move is quite meaningful.
黄刚: I’ve been following it closely. On the surface it’s a financial deal, but fundamentally it’s driven by pressure from local brands. Its market share has been eroded heavily, forcing it to seek change.
赵强: Exactly. Local players like Luckin and Cotti have rewritten the rules with rapid expansion and digital strategies. Starbucks simply couldn’t keep pace.
黄刚: So bringing in Boyu this time has a very clear intention—to introduce a strategic partner who understands the Chinese consumer market and can operate more locally to rebuild competitiveness.
赵强: Some in the industry think the 4-billion-dollar valuation is low, but looking closely at the terms, Starbucks keeps 40% equity and can still collect considerable brand-licensing fees. The structure is cleverly designed.
黄刚: Right, this is a classic shift to a ‘light-asset’ strategy. It transfers part of the operational burden and market risk while locking in a more stable profit source—giving itself room to advance or retreat.
赵强: The coming battleground will only be tougher. Starbucks has set an ambitious goal of 9,000 stores, but its competitors have not slowed down their expansion at all.
黄刚: The key to victory lies in product innovation and flexible pricing. Today’s consumers, especially young people, are extremely price-sensitive. Starbucks must lower its stance and respond more proactively.
赵强: I actually think this partnership is a ‘strategic reboot’ for Starbucks in China. Whether it can find a second growth curve through local capital—we’ll see.
黄刚: Agreed. But for us consumers, fiercer brand competition means more choices and better prices, which isn’t a bad thing at all.

Xiaomei goes shopping, and Li Fang teaches her how to ask for prices in Chinese and correctly express currency units.

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小美: Teacher Li, how much is this apple?
李芳: This apple costs three yuan each.
小美: So two of them are six yuan, right?
李芳: Yes, you calculated that quickly.
小美: How much is this bottle of milk?
李芳: Five yuan fifty. You can also say 'five yuan and five jiao'.
小美: What if it’s one yuan eighty?
李芳: Then you say 'one yuan and eight jiao'.
小美: So when shopping, I need to know how to ask prices and understand numbers.
李芳: Yes, that way you can shop by yourself in stores!