F2F Class Notes (Nemo) [R]

Vocabulary

lingerie (n): 1-women’s underwear

headline (n): 1-a line of words printed in large letters as the title of a story in a newspaper, or the main points of the news that are broadcast on television or radio:
E.g.: The news of his death was splashed in headlines across all the newspapers.
E.g.: the eight o’clock headlines

garner (v): 1-to collect something, usually after much work or with difficulty:
E.g.: Coppola garnered several Oscar awards for “The Godfather”.

arm’s lenght (adj): 1-used to describe a situation in which two people, companies, etc. operate separately from each other:
E.g.: An arm’s-length relationship between buyers and suppliers is usually advisable.

myth (n): 1-an ancient story or set of stories, especially explaining the early history of a group of people or about natural events and facts: 2-DISAPPROVING- a commonly believed but false idea:
E.g.1: ancient myths
E.g.1: The children enjoyed the stories about the gods and goddesses of Greek and Roman myth.
E.g.2: Statistics disprove the myth that women are worse drivers than men.

down-to-earth (adj): 1-practical, reasonable, and friendly:
E.g.: She’s a down-to-earth woman with no pretensions.

plummet (v): 1-to fall very quickly and suddenly:
E.g.: House prices have plummeted in recent months.
E.g.: Several large rocks were sent plummeting down the mountain.
E.g.: She plummeted to the ground.

row (n): 1-a noisy argument or fight:
E.g.: My parents often have rows, but my dad does most of the shouting.
E.g.: What was a political row over government policy on Europe is fast becoming a diplomatic row between France and Britain.

two digits-any one of the numbers 10 to 99:
E.g.: We had a two-digit increase in output last year.

farce (n): 1-a humorous play or film where the characters become involved in unlikely situations. 2-DISAPPROVING- a situation that is very badly organized or unfair:
E.g.2: No one had prepared anything so the meeting was a bit of a farce.
troupe (n): 1-a group of performers such as singers or dancers who work and travel together:
E.g.: She joined a dance troupe and travelled all over the world.
E.g.: A troupe of dancers from Beijing is one of the leading attractions in the festival.
plum-梅子

eunuch (n): 1-宦官. 2-a man who has had his testicles removed

originate (v): 1-to come from a particular place, time, situation, etc.:
E.g.: Although the technology originated in the UK, it has been developed in the US
E.g.: The game is thought to have originated among the native peoples of Alaska.

monologue (n): 1-a short play for one actor:
E.g.: Alan Bennett wrote a series of monologues called “Talking Heads”.

improvisation (n): 1-a performance that an actor, musician, etc. has not practised or planned: 2-the act of making or doing something with whatever is available at the time:
E.g.1: a blues/jazz improvisation
E.g.1: There are classes in movement, dance, and improvisation.
E.g.2: I’m afraid we don’t have all the necessary equipment, so a little improvisation might be required.

mime (n): 1-the act of using movements of your hands and body, and expressions on your face, without speech, to communicate emotions and actions or to tell a story:
E.g.: The first scene was performed in mime.

intangible (adj): 1-An intangible feeling or quality exists but you cannot describe it exactly or prove it:≠tangible-e.g.-We need tangible evidence if we’re going to take legal action.
E.g.: She has that intangible quality which you might call charisma.

prop (n): 1- an object used by the actors performing in a play or film:
E.g.: The set is minimal and the only props used in the show are a table, a chair, and a glass of water.

Pronunciation

lingerie-ˌlɑːn.ʒəˈreɪ/

https://www.shine.cn/feature/entertainment/1711216716/

Five minutes after Chinese model Xi Mengyao, better known overseas as Ming Xi, slipped and fell on the Victoria’s Secret stage in Shanghai last night, pictures and videos of the fall went viral on the Chinese social media. The annual show, held in Asia for the first time, became an instant hit since then.

The handler “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show” garnered more than 1.7 billion page views on Weibo with half a million discussions — big considering it was a relatively low-profile event this year.

“I was so excited to learn that what used to look so high-end and far away is now at my doorstep,” said Lana Yu, an e-celebrity and online lingerie retailer.

“It was fantastic to see the show with my own eyes, to see all the supermodels at arm’s length, but also a little more down to the earth than I expected. It feels like the myth is gone.”

The show has always been a headliner wherever it was held. In China, it made news about the visa rows to Katy Perry and some models, as well as the invite-only tickets that were selling at 90,000 yuan up on e-commerce site Taobao. The show, which was held at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Pudong, had specifically shot a reality competition show “Road to the Runway” to select a young Chinese VS angel, broadcast weekly over three months on Tencent and iQiyi, two biggest Chinese streaming sites.  Average viewing of each episode was around 30 million, while the last one announcing the champion was less than 20 million, not high enough as hot Chinese shows often generate more than 100 million viewings.

Many e-celebrities and young actors and actresses with a lot of followers online were invited to the show last night. They went through security check, during which the machine was said to have broken down. The last few audiences were rushed into the venue without assigned seat numbers.

“It was chaotic,” said an anonymous guest who stood for the first half of the show. “Nobody knew what was going on.”

The lingerie brand has been popular in China, thanks to the previous VS shows that were viewed millions of times in China over the years. Some 20 concept stores were open in the country, selling only perfume and shampoo.

The first lingerie flagship store, occupying four floors at prime space in Shanghai, was open earlier this year, shortly after its parent company L Brands reported plummeting revenue from 2016.

Many suspect it may have come a bit late to the Chinese lingerie market that had been growing at two digits annually. The market is expected to be worth more than US$30 billion quickly, according to different market surveys.

Celebrations kick off to mark Shanghai farce’s 110th birthday

To commemorate the 110th anniversary of huajixi, or Shanghai farce, a series of performances and activities were launched at ET Stage yesterday.

The series, which will run until December 10, features seven representative works of China’s major farce troupes, as well as workshops, training classes and an exhibition.

“The Gu Family Nanny,” an award-winning play of Suzhou Farce Troupe, kicked off the celebrations yesterday. Set in the 1960s, it tells the story of a nanny who raises the twin babies of a missing mother. The play received many awards in China, including the national Wenhua Award and Plum Blossom Award.

Shanghai Farce Troupe will present “The Unhurried Emperor and the Impatient Eunuchs,” which was warmly received among audiences earlier this year. The hilarious play shows the attitudes of today’s young people toward relationship and marriage, which differ a lot from those of their parents.

Wuxi Farce Troupe will stage “The Blue Sky Under the Roof,” a heartwarming story about a closely bonded family whose members actually have no blood relationship. The play is based on a true story that happened in Liuhe Town, Jiangsu Province.

Shanghai farce, which originated from Shanghai in the early 20th century, is a vivid performing art form featuring monologue, dialogue, improvisation, mime and traditional opera. In 2011 it was included in the list of the nation’s intangible cultural heritage.

Popular in the 1940s-60s and 1980s, Shanghai farce has entertained generations of people in the Yangtze River Delta region. But today, like many other traditional theaters, it is struggling to attract the youngsters.

During the celebrations, artists, scholars and critics from all over the country will host workshops on preserving and innovating the ancient art. Lectures and training classes will be organized for young farce performers and amateurs.

Additionally, an exhibition on the history of Shanghai farce will be held. Photos, props and costumes of classic plays will be displayed. Comedies adapted from well-known farce plays such as “Sanmao Learns Business” and “The New Stories of Du Xiaoxi” will be shown to the public.