英语PK台 第216期:2015热点新闻回顾(2)

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A sprout¹ hair clip was this year's must have in China.

In September, everything was coming up "sprouts³" in Beijing. Sprout hair clips were all the rage for both men and women. One sprout clip vendor⁴ told CNN he felt the price -- two clips for less than a dollar -- was a small price to pay for joy. This Chinese fad⁵ was short lived though. As winter arrived, all the sprouts seem to have wilted⁷.

Vocabulary:

Fad, wilt⁶

4.End of the one-child policy

Chinese parents will no longer limited to having just one child.

China announced the end of three decades of the one-child policy in October, encouraging all couples to have two children. The new policy -- in effect from January 1, 2016 -- will benefit 100 million couples. It comes as China battles emerging demographic issues including a rapidly aging population, shrinking labor⁸ force, and imbalanced gender⁹ ratio. However, experts say the two child policy alone can't solve all social problems; other public policies are needed to encourage Chinese—especially young urban couples —to have a second child.

Vocabulary:

demographic

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