5月18日午间英语新闻：中国若"躺平"代价有多大?

China's higher education enrollment rate reaches 57.8%
我国高等教育毛入学率达到57.8%

The enrollment rate of higher education in China hit 57.8 percent in 2021, compared with 30 percent in 2012, said the Ministry of Education on Tuesday. Over 44.3 million students are studying at higher education institutions across the country, the ministry said at a press conference, adding that China now has the world's largest higher education system. A total of 240 million people in China have received higher education so far, according to the ministry. The press conference highlighted the achievements of China's higher education reform and development since the 18th Communist Party of China National Congress in 2012.
教育部5月17日举行新闻发布会，回顾党的十八大以来我国高等教育改革发展成效。教育部表示，我国已建成世界最大规模高等教育体系，在学总人数超过4430万人，高等教育毛入学率从2012年的30%，提高至2021年的57.8%。目前，我国接受高等教育的人口达到2.4亿。

重点词汇
1、highlight
英 [ˈhaɪlaɪt]  美 [ˈhaɪlaɪt] 
v. 突出，强调；用亮色突出；挑染
n. 最好（或最精彩、最激动人心）的部分；挑染的头发；强光部分

highlighter
n. 荧光笔，高光色；轮廓色

New mortgage policies to benefit home buyers
首套房贷利率下限下调

In a joint statement on Sunday, the People's Bank of China, the central bank, and the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission said that based on the corresponding tenor of benchmark loan prime rates, or LPRs, first-time home buyers can receive home loan interest rates that are 20 basis points below the lower limit, from commercial banks. Interest rates for second-home purchases will remain unchanged. 
5月15日，人民银行、银保监会发布相关通知，调整差别化住房信贷政策。对于贷款购买普通自住房的居民家庭，首套住房商业性个人住房贷款利率下限调整为不低于相应期限贷款市场报价利率减20个基点，二套住房商业性个人住房贷款利率政策下限按现行规定执行。

The decision is aimed at supporting firm and rational demand for housing and promoting the stable and healthy development of the real estate market, the statement said. To uphold the principle of "housing is for living in, not speculation" and fully establish a long-term mechanism for the smooth functioning of the real estate sector, cities will adopt measures in accordance with their distinctive local property industry conditions, it said.
通知指出，此举旨在坚持房子是用来住的、不是用来炒的定位，全面落实房地产长效机制，支持各地从当地实际出发完善房地产政策，支持刚性和改善性住房需求，促进房地产市场平稳健康发展。

重点词汇
1、mortgage
英 [ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ]  美 [ˈmɔːrɡɪdʒ] 
n. 按揭，抵押贷款；抵押贷款额
v. 抵押；（为眼前好处）使承受（未来）风险

2、speculation
英 [ˌspekjuˈleɪʃ(ə)n]  美 [ˌspekjuˈleɪʃn] 
n. 投机，投机买卖；猜测，推测，推断

3、distinctive
英 [dɪˈstɪŋktɪv]  美 [dɪˈstɪŋktɪv]
adj. 独特的，与众不同的

Guangxi launches first white sugar China-Europe freight train
广西首趟白糖中欧班列发车

A China-Europe freight train loaded with 2,600 metric tons of white sugar left Nanning International Railway Port of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region for Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Sunday. It is expected to arrive at the destination via Alashankou Port in 11 days, after a journey of 4,462 kilometers. 
5月15日，搭载2600吨白糖的中欧班列从南宁国际铁路港驶出，途经阿拉山口出境前往哈萨克斯坦阿拉木图。预计全程运输距离4662公里，11天抵达终点站。

This is the first white sugar China-Europe freight train launched by Guangxi, where sugar production is a traditional industry. The region planted more than 11 million mu of sugarcane in 2021, and the year’s sugar output reached over 6 million metric tons. Both the growing area and sugar output accounted for 60 percent or so of the country’s total for 17 seasons in a row. 
这是广西发出的首趟整车白糖中欧班列。糖业是广西传统优势产业。2021年广西糖料蔗种植面积稳定在1100万亩以上，食糖产量稳定在600万吨以上，糖料蔗种植面积和食糖产量连续17个榨季占全国的60%左右。

重点词汇
1、China-Europe freight train
中欧班列

China may risk 1.55m deaths without 'dynamic zero-COVID' policy
中国若"躺平"代价有多大?

A study, led by China's Fudan University with scientists from China and the US, estimated that an Omicron wave would result in 112 million symptomatic infections, 2.7 million intensive care admissions (15.6 times the existing capacity) and almost 1.55 million fatalities between May and July in China without the country's dynamic zero-COVID policy. The related paper was published on the website of the international journal Nature Medicine on Tuesday.
一项由复旦大学主导、中美科学家联合开展的研究预测，如果中国不采取“动态清零”政策，在5月至7月期间，奥密克戎毒株将导致1.12亿症状感染、270万人需要重症监护（现有能力的15.6倍），以及155万人死亡。相关论文5月10日发表在国际期刊《自然医学》的网站上。

重点词汇
1、symptomatic 
英 [ˌsɪmptəˈmætɪk]  美 [ˌsɪmptəˈmætɪk]
adj. 有症状的；症候的