Online Class Notes (Mike)

We’ve all been there. One minute you’re searching for something serious, like a recipe for dinner, or something for work, and the next you’ve been sucked in by endless videos of cats doing funny things after seeing a catchy title in your suggested videos column. They’re compelling, engrossing and captivating, and you can end up spending hours watching kittens make funny noises or mistiming jumps. But why do these videos so often end up going viral? What makes them so enthralling? And why are they more popular than dog videos?

First, let’s talk about stereotypes. When many of us think about dogs, we imagine them rolling over onto their backs, tongues hanging out, or making a mess. They seem trusting and innocent – and they do silly things. Cats, on the other hand, seem somewhat more refined and independent. There’s a reason we have an expression ‘cool cat’. In short, cats seem more serious – and savvy. If we can get one over on a cat and make them do something like get in a box that slides down a hill, it’s comical. But with a dog, it’s not as funny because they trust you – and it’s easier. Tricking a cat, due to their wiliness, has more payoff.

The internet is filled with videos of cats making funny faces or reacting strangely. But why are they so funny? Well, simply – it’s unexpected. If you saw a cat walking down the street coolly or observing and preparing to attack a mouse, it wouldn’t be funny. But if that cat was walking sideways, wearing a silly costume, or becoming best friends with the mouse, suddenly we might start to laugh. Watching a cat that is normally majestic walk clunkily or pull a bizarre face is hilarious because it’s not something we would normally associate with that animal. It’s like watching someone who is normally very serious get the giggles. In some ways, we’re all laughing at their fall from grace.

So the next time you see one of those many memes of cats in awkward situations or videos that make you chuckle, try to remember why it’s so funny. And spare a thought for all those dogs that are trying to entertain us too.

生词：

suck in 陷入
compelling 引人入胜的
engrossing 非常有趣的
captivating 令人着迷的
viral （在网络上）迅速传播的
enthralling 吸引人的
stereotype 成见
refined 优雅的
cool cat 时尚的人
savvy 精明的
get one over on 捉弄
trick 戏弄
wiliness 狡猾
unexpected 意想不到的
majestic 高贵的，有威严的
clunkily 笨拙地
pull a face 做鬼脸
the giggles 咯咯傻笑，笑个不停
fall from grace 失态
meme （用当下流行文化素材配上文字的）自制表情包

Since I was a child, I like to read detective novels, ghost stories, criminal investigation stories and so on. So I’m a little more daring than the average person. When I was a student, I often went to the abandoned building with my friends to explore. now I look back that my childhood was very interesting. But now that I have a son and a busy schedule so I have no time to pick up a book and read slowly. About ten years ago, I started to listen to audiobooks so that I could do something else while listening to the story.
Back to the main topic. Recently, I heard a story about criminal investigation, and the protagonist of the story is an old policeman. He is a genius of the investigation，careful and have strong observation. He can tell people’s age by how they walk. So there is no case that he can’t solve.
It is because of this that he does not have many friends instead. He is too serious of his work and will not compromise with his leadership for some things, so he is still a small police officer in the police station until now. Even his former colleagues and disciples have become his leaders.
But I believe that readers often like such characters, they always call these characters “扫地僧”, because most readers are ordinary people, ordinary people’s stories will be more attractive.
The whole story is composed of different cases, with a total of 400 episodes. 2 episodes are updated every day, so I look forward to new cases happening every day.

Since I was a child, I liked to read detective novels, ghost stories, criminal investigation stories and so on. So I’m more into these stories than the average person. When I was a student, I often went to abandoned buildings with my friends to explore. Now I look back my childhood, I found it very interesting/I found my childhood to be interesting when I look back. But now that I have a son and a busy/full schedule so I have no time to read books intensively/in an intensive way. About ten years ago, I started to listen to audiobooks. This habit allows me to do something else while listening to the story.

Over ten years of listening gave me an unique taste for detective stories, and I want to share the story that impressed me the most. It’s a story about a criminal investigation, and the protagonist is a careful, talented policeman who is a genius/master of investigation. He can tell people’s age by how they walk. So there is no case that he can’t solve.
It is exactly because of this that he does not have many friends. He takes his work too seriously/He is too serious about his work and is unwilling to compromise with his leader, so he is still a low-ranking police officer in the police station until now. Even his former colleagues and subordinates have risen above him. 
But I believe that readers often like such characters, they always call these characters “扫地僧”,  which means a person whose is talented but not well known. Most readers are ordinary people, who can be easily attracted by stories about things that happen close to them.
The whole story is composed of different cases, with a total of 400 chapters. Two chapters are updated daily, so I look forward to new cases happening every day.

Vocabulary

take sth seriously: 看重，上心
People here take their privacy right seriously.

privacy (n) 隐私

gorgeous (adj.) very beautiful

crime novel (n) 犯罪小说

daring (adj.)

into sth/sb: 喜欢某事/某人
I am really into coffee recently.
I am very into crime novels

recall (v) 撤回，回想起

habit (n) 习惯
develop a habit 养成/培养习惯
I developed the habit of running at night last year.
hobby (n) 爱好

intensive reading course 精读课，细读课
I am taking an intensive reading course this semester.

taste (n) 品味
She has a good taste for movies.
I have no taste for music.

impress (v) 使…印象深刻
You really impressed me.
impression (n) leave/make a good/deep impression on
The new teacher left/made a deep impression on the students.

talented (adj.) 才华横溢的，有天赋的

genius (n)天才

willing (adj.) 愿意的
be willing to do sth
be unwilling to do sth

low-ranking (adj.) 职位低的

subordinate (n) 下属

chapter (n) 章，章节