Chinese youth are losing themselves in “digital pickled vegetables”, a term for short videos that they can watch while eating during their precious lunch breaks.

Between unexpected lockdowns and busy work schedules, many young people in China don’t have the luxury of enjoying conversations with friends and family at the dinner table. Instead, they find themselves eating alone. Chinese youth are kept company during these 20- to 30-minute lunch time by TV shows or short videos, which they watch online on their phone, computer, or television.

Many find that it’s impossible to enjoy a good meal without watching something interesting, funny, or relaxing. Some popular picks include classic Chinese dramas and sitcoms like Empresses in the Palace(《后宫甄嬛传》) and My Own Swordsman(《武林外传》). American sitcoms such as Friends and How I Met Your Mother are also favored for their interesting jokes and simple storylines. You don’t need to know anything about either to get a good laugh from any episode(一集).

Popular digital pickled vegetables also include short videos and mini-series posted on the Internet. These include short videos with titles like, “Watch The Shawshank Redemption in 5 minutes” and “What happened in the book Little Women? Let me tell you in this 3-minute video.”

Low-budget(低成本), independently made mini-series began popular on the Internet about two years ago. Some have questioned the value of such videos, pointing out that such kinds of videos spoil good films and books. But others see nothing wrong with some harmless fun to accompany a meal after a long day of work.

“The true meaning of food is the happiness it brings after a long wait. A bowl of hot tofu rice cake, fried chicken fingers, and my digital pickled vegetables, ‘Empresses in the Palace’, after a tiring workday. Life couldn’t get any better,” shared a Weibo user.

1.What causes young people to eat alone?

A The pandemic and lack of time.

B Busy work and the love for living alone.

C The pandemic and the need for personal space.

D Lack of money and having no friends.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第二段第一句“Between unexpected lockdowns and busy work schedules, many young people in China don’t have the luxury of enjoying conversations with friends and family at the dinner table.”可知，由于疫情和繁忙的工作日程，中国的许多年轻人没有机会在餐桌上与朋友和家人聊天，他们更多的是独自吃饭。故选A。

2.What are the features of these digital pickled vegetables?

A Long, relaxing, and easy to find online.

B Funny, educational, and make you think.

C Short, interesting, and easy to understand.

D Short, romantic, and encourage you to change.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句的“during their precious lunch breaks.”和文章多次提到的“short videos”可知，这些“电子榨菜”很短；根据第三段第一句“Many find that it’s impossible to enjoy a good meal without watching something interesting, funny, or relaxing.”和最后一句的“get a good laugh”可知，这些电子榨菜很有趣；根据第三段倒数第二句的“simple storylines”和最后一句的“You don’t need to know anything about either”可知，这些“电子榨菜”故事情节简单。故选C。

3.What does the underlined word “spoil” mean?

A Alleviate.

B Appeal.

C Protect.

D Destroy.

解析：选D。D词义猜测题。根据划线部分前面的“Some have questioned the value of such videos”可知，一些人质疑这些短视频的价值，因此可推断他们指出一些解说员破坏（destroy）了好的电影和书籍。故选D。

4.What is the Weibo user’s attitude to digital pickled vegetables?

A Ambiguous.

B Favorable.

C Disapproving.

D Indifferent.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据这位微博网友所说的话可知，他/她认为在一个疲惫的工作日之后，就着视频吃着美味的饭菜，这样的生活再好不过了。由此可见他/她对“电子榨菜”持赞成态度。故选B。