英語角-圓桌會議 RoundTable1016 - 中學攀“諾獎女婿”是個事兒嗎？

Topic1 "Congratulations to the son-in law of our school!"A middle school in An'hui Province posted some brief words of congratulation in their campus to Eric Betzig, the American scientist who won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and called him "the son-in-law of our school" in the letter, just because Betzig's wife Gina was graduated from this middle school.

Should such a behavior be frowned upon?

Topic2 PKU Student Jailed for Stealing Recently, a postgraduate student in Peking University is sentenced 2 years and a half for burglary. From 2012 to 2013, he stole more than 100 items in the campus.

As a matter of fact, theft is very common in colleges, and most of these crimes are committed by students. Why is that?

Topic3 Villagers get fined for lavish banquets The government's frugality campaign is going grassroots.

Two villagers in a central Chinese village have been fined 2,000 yuan per person for hosting banquets that are considered to be "lavish".

They reportedly violated village rules that set ceilings on cigarettes and liquor consumption by offering guests with cigarettes worth of 18 yuan per packet and liquor of 36 yuan per bottle.

Interesting rules! What are they for?

Topic4 China tightens grip on health-related TV programs China's top broadcast watchdog has tightened control over production of health-related TV programs, a move it says will provide viewers with better, more scientific health information.

The State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television issued a circular on Tuesday saying such programs can only be produced by TV station personnel. The regulator also banned all advertisements during such programs.

Should we be concerned?

Topic5 Seat belt fines not enough to change bad habits, experts say The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau says it will impose fines of 50 yuan ($8) for drivers and 20 yuan for passengers who do not use their seat belts.

Drivers who don't buckle up on highways and freeways will also receive a two-point deduction on their annual 12-point driving record.

Transportation experts say softer but more persuasive measures, rather than harsh fines, will encourage drivers to use their seat belts.

Is the crackdown necessary?

Topic6 No Parking In Hospital Ground Recently, a hospital in Xiamen closes its parking lots to patients and visitors. The move aims to eliminate potential safety hazard for patients who have problems in walking.

Does this make sense?