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Businesses cash in as millions of Chinese students sweat over crucial exam by Cody Abbey @CNNMoney For millions of teenagers, it's a big source of stress. For many businesses, it's a great chance to make money. More than 9 million high-school students across China are taking the biggest exam of their lives this week. Known as the gaokao, the grueling test determines where the students can go to university and what they'll study. With so much riding on the outcome, parents are willing to loosen the purse strings to try to ensure success, splashing out on private tutors, good luck charms and even luxury hotels. (The exam lasts two or three days, depending on where the students go to school.) "Gaokao economics has an extremely large influence," said Professor Ding Yanqing, an associate professor at Peking University's Graduate School of Education. "It affects the majority of families in China." Hotels raise rates Hotels near a test center in northwestern Beijing say they are fully booked for the days of the gaokao. The rooms are reserved for students who don't live near the center so they have somewhere to take refuge between the different phases of the demanding exam. Some hotels jack up their rates for the gaokao. Upmarket ones propose extra pampering to those students who can afford it.The Shangri-La in Beijing offers its "Way to Success Gaokao Package." For the auspicious amount of 888 yuan (about $130) a night, students can book a room on floors specially reserved for those taking the test. Customers also get a 20% discount on room service and spa treatment, while a limousine service to the test center comes with a 30% discount. Buying academic blessings Smaller businesses also benefit from the exam.Wang Jing makes her living by selling ornaments at the Imperial College, a heritage site that for centuries was China's highest seat of learning. She said she's recently seen a marked increase of parents buying wooden tablets inscribed with blessings for academic success. Hospital technician Meng Ning was one of many customers lining up to buy one last weekend. She said she wanted to improve her 17-year-old daughter's chances of landing a spot at her dream school."We definitely believe in it," Meng said. "And believing in something makes it become true." Stocking up at pharmacies Chinese students have also begun spending more on drugs and dietary supplements that they believe will improve their memory and attention. Huang Yangling, who works at LBX Pharmacy in Beijing, said that in the weeks leading up to the gaokao some parents enter her store hastily searching for medications that will boost exam scores."Just today, a student's father came in to purchase some Isatis root for gaokao-related reasons," Huang said Saturday. "In reality, it won't have any actual effect unless it's taken over a longer period of time. You can't just eat it for two days and expect a change."Isatis root is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. Students often take it ahead of exams in the hope of keeping colds and flu at bay. Bruce Chen, who's now a student at Peking University, took a U.S. brand of deep-sea fish oil daily for six months prior to his gaokao."I think it really had an effect," he said. "It improved my memory, I had more energy, and all of a sudden I felt like I could think more clearly."He admits it's hard to know for sure whether the fish oil definitely made a difference. But having made it into China's top-ranked university, he's not complaining. 1. CNN美国有线电视新闻网络（Cable News Network） 2. cash in从…中牟利 3. sweat over努力 4. crucial重要的；决定性的 5. stress压力 6. grueling['ɡruəliŋ]折磨人的 7. ride on sth--if one thing is riding on another, it depends on it依靠 8. outcome结果,结局 9. loosen the purse strings慷慨解囊 10. ensure确保 11. splash out on大笔花钱 12. private tutor一对一老师 13. good luck charm带来好运气的护身符 14. luxury奢侈的[ˈlʌkʃəri] 15. Gaokao economics高考经济学 16. associate professor副教授 17. Graduate School of Education教育研究生院 18. majority多数 19. reserve 预订 20. take refuge得到庇护 21. phase阶段，部分 22. demanding费力的，费神的 23. jack up增加(价钱、工资等) 24. ppmarket质优价高的；高级的 25. pampering溺爱; 细心照顾 26. Shangri-La香格里拉饭店 27. Package酒店包价服务，类似于购买的一条龙服务 28. auspicious吉利的 [ɔ'spɪʃəs] 29. room service〔酒店提供的〕客房送餐服务 30. spa treatment温泉理疗 31. limousine service接送旅客服务['lɪməziːn; 32. academic学业（成绩）优秀的 33. blessing祝福 34. make one's living谋生 35. ornament装饰 ['ɔrnəmənt] 36. Imperial College国子监,元、明、清三代国家设立的最高学府和教育行政管理机构，又称“太学”“国学”。 37. heritage site世界文化遗产地 38. seat of learning高等学府；学术中心 39. marked显著的[mɑrkt] 40. wooden tablet古代写字用的木板 41. inscribe雕刻 42. Hospital technician医院专业技术人员 43. line up排队 44. land a spot at one's dream school考入理想学校 45. Stock up大量储备 46. pharmacy ['fɑrməsi]药房 47. dietary supplement膳食补充品 48. LBX Pharmacy老百姓大药房 49. hastily匆忙地 50. medication药物治疗 51. boost促进；增加 52. come in to purchase进店购买 53. isatis root板蓝根[aɪ'zætɪs] 54. gaokao-related与高考有关的 55. in reality事实上 56. ahead of在…之前 57. in the hope of怀着……的希望 58. keep...at bay不让……接近，防范 59. colds and flu感冒和流感 60. brand品牌 61. deep-sea fish oil 深海鱼油 62. prior to在……之前 63. definitely清楚地 64. make a difference有(重要)作用；有影响 65. top-ranked最优秀的 66. make it into a top-ranked university考入顶尖大学 |
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