Reading the News
Live-streaming Gets a Boost Amid Epidemic
[1] The traditional clamor coming from shopping malls and supermarkets has been decidedly subdued this winter as the novel coronavirus outbreak has confined many would-be shoppers to their homes.
[2] But businesses have been thriving in the digital sphere, with more brands embarking on a growing marketing trend—live-streaming.
[3] “Since the outbreak began, we’ve added a number of broadcasts each day and prolonged the duration of each show by 10 percent,” said Kang Li, who oversees the company’s livestreaming unit.
[4] On a month-on-month comparison, conspicuous growth has been seen in sales of soy milk makers, high-speed blenders, toaster ovens and dishwashers, Kang said.
[5] Kang added that responses to its live-streaming shows have been “well beyond expectations”,adding that fervid users snapped up “a sizable stock” of its steam-powered mops in just 30 minutes after the company invited online influencer Viya Huang to endorse and promote the product.
New Words and Expressions
amid /ə
mɪd/ prep. 在……中
clamor /'klæmə/ n. 扰嚷；(表示抗议,支持等的)叫喊
decidedly /dɪ
saɪdɪdli/ adv. 果断地；坚决地
subdue /səb
djuː/ v. 控制；压制
confine /kən
faɪn/ v. 限制；禁闭
thriving /
θraɪvɪŋ/ adj. 兴旺发达的；繁荣的
sphere /sfɪə(r)/ n. 范围；界
embark /ɪm
bɑːk/ v. 上船；装船
prolong /prə
lɒŋ/ v. 延长
duration /dju
reɪʃn/ n. 持续时间
conspicuous /kən
spɪkjuəs/ adj. 明显的；惹人注意的
fervid /
fɜːvɪd/ adj. 充满激情的；情感异常强烈的
endorse /ɪn
dɔːs/ v. 支持；代言；签名
live-streaming 现场直播
novel coronavirus 新型冠状病毒
snap up 抢购
steam-powered 蒸汽驱动的