Chapter 1600
My Opinion
The two most popular social English tests in China are TOEFL and IELTS.
These two exams have different focuses.
Generally speaking, TOEFL is more academic, while IELTS is more practical.
TOEFL is more business-oriented, while IELTS is more sports-oriented.
Lighthouse and studying in Canada mainly consider TOEFL scores.
Commonwealth countries, including Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, require IELTS scores.
托福采用30+30+30+30的120分制。
IELTS is scored in sub-scores, with a maximum score of nine.
Later, TOEFL also underwent a reform, moving closer to the sub-scoring system of IELTS.
In China, a TOEFL score of 100 or higher and an IELTS score of 7 or higher are generally considered to be of excellent or outstanding quality, meeting the language requirements for studying at most prestigious universities in the world.
In reality, if you grab an ordinary American or British person, they might not even get 50 points, let alone 100.
These two run-down places are disguised as civilized, and their basic education seems advanced, but in reality, they've been sitting here for a while.
Aside from rich kids and troublemakers, most good students who want to study in these two places want to attend top universities.
These schools still have very high requirements.
These two exams are also the reason why New Oriental and Yu Minhong were able to rise to become extremely wealthy!
Especially the TOEFL!
In the 8s and 90s, for those who had the means to study abroad or immigrate, Lighthouse was definitely the top choice.
Therefore, the demand for TOEFL exams and tutoring experienced explosive growth in China during the 8s and 90s.
Even TV dramas are depicting similar issues.
"A Native of Beijing in New York" tells the story of the clash between Chinese and American cultures.
This play was specially approved by the Beijing Propaganda Department and the Chinese Embassy in the United States. Its original purpose was to help Chinese audiences understand American society correctly and enhance their national self-confidence.
Let the people know that North America is not a paradise on earth, nor can going there instantly make you an immortal.
The play already depicts that even successful businessmen in China can only wash dishes and do cleaning work in North America.
Even 20 years after the TV series aired, a lot of people still didn't believe it and flocked to it.
In any case, New Oriental is known as the TOEFL Empire.
At its peak, 80% of Chinese students studying in North America learned English under Yu Minhong.
Back then, someone joked that New Oriental was going to plant its red flag all over America.
Therefore, Lao Yu can definitely play the accordion with both hands while saying...
"No one knows TOEFL better than me."
This is their livelihood.
Although I've already drunk several kilograms of baijiu, brandy, and red wine mixed together.
My vision is blurry.
But the moment his fingers touched the TOEFL score report, a sense of familiarity filled Lao Yu's entire body.
Upon closer inspection, the smell of ink became even more familiar.
He has seen and touched no fewer than 100,000 TOEFL score reports.
This is no exaggeration; in his early years, Lao Yu personally taught the courses and provided one-on-one guidance on visa simulations.
Perception, aided by alcohol, is transmitted through the eyes to this report card.
He glanced at the total score first.
First of all, it should be noted that the total TOEFL score is 120, and getting 80 is considered passing.
They ranked in the top 40% of all test takers.
The minimum application score for the top 100 schools in North America is 80.
The highest you can get into is a school ranked in the top 80.
Further down the list, the top 50 schools generally require a TOEFL score of 90 or higher.
The most advanced require a score of 100 as an entry-level requirement.
If your English is bad, you can't even understand the lectures, so what's the point of learning?
A score of 100 would likely place you in the top 20% of all test takers.
If you can get 110 out of a total of 120 points, that's the average language score required for admission to Ivy League schools, such as Harvard, Yale, or Stanford.
They make up roughly the top 5% of the test takers.
In China, your English proficiency can surpass that of 99.9% of the population.
If you can get a perfect score, that is, 120 points.
That means the exam limited you; you were able to get 120 because the total score was only 120.
This is at a high level for English majors.
After looking closely, Lao Yu discovered that the total score was 108.
Yu Minhong thought to himself, "This kid is a real hero for getting such good grades."
108 points...that means you've reached the admission standard for top universities.
hiss.
Are you trying to make fun of me?
Old Yu thought to himself, "How can an acting student like you be so good at English?"
Is he trying to fake it to deceive me?
But while the eyes can deceive, touch and taste cannot!
Paper transcripts were still used back then, unlike in later generations when they were abolished and only electronic transcripts were given.
The sensation in Lao Yu's fingertips and the breath in his nasal cavity reminded him that this report card was real.
Even if this kid has mastered acid-free paper and color-changing ink, he's still counterfeiting.
This report card feels more real than the real one.
The ETS code below is complete, and there are no issues with any of the standards.
Is 108 points a good score?
Old Yu thought that New Oriental produces a lot of perfect score geniuses every year.
However, very few of those famous lecturers are perfect scorers; most score around 100.
A score close to 110 would make one a representative of outstanding students, even in a highly competitive environment like New Oriental.
Oh dear... Old Yu slapped his forehead.
I knew it!
I treated him like an art student.
He had just said that he had been working on film sets since he was under twenty and had never taken the college entrance exam for arts.
It's better that they haven't been "tainted" by the art exam.
Old Yu glanced at the other person out of the corner of his eye, through the edge of the report card.
I became a little more sober and remembered that Xu Xiaoping had told people from China Film Group that he often went abroad to film movies, especially in North America.
Now let's turn our attention back to the report card and examine each sub-item carefully.
Read 30.
Listening comprehension 28.
Oral English 30.
Writing 20.
I lost a small point in listening and a large point in writing.
Generally, top students who have studied through the New Oriental intensive course will lose points mostly in spoken English.
He actually got full marks in this area.
His reading score was also perfect, which shows that he has a very high level of writing and speaking skills.
There are many traps in the listening comprehension questions, and it's possible to make a mistake occasionally.
In writing... without specialized training, incorrect formatting and word choice will indeed result in a significant deduction of points.
Lao Yu suddenly realized, what does this achievement resemble more?
The scores are like those of foreigners!
If you ask me to test your native language with a foreigner, they'll easily get bogged down in the listening section, and their writing won't meet the standard either.
Because exams and daily life are two different things.
"This... is a good result."
"Why did you take the TOEFL?" Old Yu handed the score report back to him, hiding the shock in his eyes and only showing curiosity.
"Just like when I learned Jiangyin dialect, because the role... that is, you, is a professional English teacher."
"If I can't even handle English, how can I portray this character?"
"Moreover, there will be a lot of English lines in the film. I personally don't like post-production dubbing. I try to use the original voice as much as possible on set, so that the emotions are more fully expressed."
Zhang Yuan started laughing as he spoke.
“I have watched your speech video. Your English has an accent, but it is very fluent.”
"So combining Jiangyin dialect with spoken English should be the closest to your actual situation."
Lao Yu's English is standard "Chinglish".
Several characteristics.
They have a Chinese accent, and their personal pronouns, grammar, and especially tenses, make them prone to unconscious mistakes when using spoken language.
Because the logic of English and Chinese languages is different.
But foreigners can definitely understand it, and they can understand it very fluently.
Ultimately, Lao Yu is a legendary test-taker from a small town who, through his teaching abilities, has increased the difficulty of the GRE test by more than 20%.
Because New Oriental's pass rate is so high, ETS in North America has no choice but to keep increasing the difficulty of the exam.
What's most admirable is Lao Yu's confidence.
He knows he's speaking Chinglish, but he dares to say it and isn't ashamed of it.
Xu Xiaoping and Wang Qiang have better spoken English than him, but they are not as representative as he is.
He said that English is spoken much faster than Chinese.
Furthermore, Lao Yu summarized and compiled the "root and affix memorization method." Although he did not invent it, he systematized and localized this English learning method, which was very successful.
"I've read your book and also done some practice problems from New Oriental."
"I took the exam to test my learning progress."
This is the source of the online rumors that he was going to study abroad.
Someone photographed him at the TOEFL test center!
"So, you've made significant progress in English by studying our New Oriental materials," Old Yu suddenly perked up.
Zhang Yuan: ...
What's wrong?
"Trying to use me for advertising?" "Sort of," he could only reply.
"In that case, I should thank Teacher Yu. Here, let me offer my respects to the teacher."
He raised his glass, and the two laughed heartily as they downed the liquor.
While drinking, Lao Yu glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
Putting everything else aside, just considering the entertainment industry, this person is probably one of the best Chinese people at speaking English...
Not all of the alcohol in that truck was consumed, but half of it was gone.
Zhang Yuan didn't know how many kilograms he drank in the end.
He only remembered putting his arm around Yu Minhong's shoulder and helping him into the car.
The other person had the car door open, grabbed his arm, and chatted with him for a long time in broken English.
After returning home, he fell asleep on the bed without changing his clothes.
I didn't wake up until noon the next day.
After getting up, I reviewed the day's events and realized I had done everything I was supposed to do.
Furthermore, it was discovered that Lao Yu's alcohol tolerance is indeed impressive!
The protracted nature of the battle is unclear, since I haven't had any drinks overnight.
Zhao Benshan and Huang Bo are his closest companions, known for their exceptional endurance; they can drink for hours on end without ever stopping.
Baoqiang is extremely strong in skirmishes; he can pick up a weapon and go for it, making the first battle the decisive one.
Xu Zheng, the bald guy, is good at attrition warfare. He'll keep you talking and drinking non-stop until you lose your sense of time and you get dizzy from talking.
Yesterday, he experienced Lao Yu's ability in skirmishes and attrition warfare, which was no less than that of Bao Qiang and Guang Tou.
Their ability to wage a protracted war must also be terrifying.
He sighed.
Old Yu vomited after he got home last night.
Holy crap!
"That son of a bitch can really drink!"
"At least at the bureau-level."
The other party gave him a higher evaluation.
I didn't wake up until the afternoon; after all, I'm getting on in years.
Are actors really this reckless these days?
Old Yu never expected that Zhang Yuan would surpass his imagination of the entertainment industry in just one night.
With that eloquence, drinking capacity, and English proficiency, if you quit acting and become a celebrity lecturer here, you could earn millions a year.
This is similar to what the netizen Zhu Jun'er said about earning millions a year.
It was well-intentioned, but it sounded somewhat like a curse.
And they offer a million-dollar annual salary... That's why New Oriental can't retain its employees.
Many well-known teachers, including Luo Yonghao, left because of income issues.
It's not to say that these teachers are all good people, without any problems whatsoever.
But it's true that Lao Yu is stingy.
Moreover, he wasn't the kind of demanding subordinate that Run Run Shaw had; he was generous himself.
He treats everyone this way and finds happiness in being stingy and saving money.
Two or three days later, China Film Group sent Zhang Yuan a notification, asking him to audition.
Chen Kexin also arrived, still sporting her long hair.
He styled his hair in a rather unfashionable side part and wore a pair of large brown-rimmed glasses.
At the same time, I asked the makeup artist to make my face look darker and more yellow.
"I'd like to say something before we begin."
When he approached the director and screenwriter, he was wearing a green sweater and long trousers, along with old-fashioned white sneakers from Warrior.
"If I am fortunate enough to be selected."
"Before filming begins, I will lose weight and give up my existing muscle definition."
"Because Yu Minhong is a country boy who came to the big city to study."
"His appearance should be dark and thin, and in the early stages, he should even be somewhat malnourished."
"We need to differentiate ourselves from the characters Xu Xiaoping and Wang Qiang, who come from well-off families."
"This way, if the character succeeds in the future, the audience will be more inspired to see that such a thin, weak, timid, and old-fashioned person can become a great person."
He first expressed his views and understanding before starting.
Chen Kexin nodded.
It took into account not only the characters, but also the dramatic structure and creative aspects.
It's not just the actors, as expected.
Zhang Qiang, the vice president of China Film Group, glanced at Chen Kexin and nodded.
Originally, he and Lao Han discussed making a film that showcased the stories of contemporary Chinese entrepreneurs, and inspiration was a must.
The other party astutely grasped this point.
No wonder Lao Han often mentions him; his words are truly remarkable.
He then looked at Zhou Zhiyong, the screenwriter who was accompanying him.
This person smiled warmly upon seeing Zhang Yuan.
Because he was the main screenwriter for "Crazy Stone" and "Crazy Racer," the two sides were very familiar with each other.
Chen Kexin has also worked with him; in fact, the entire crew is made up of his own people.
He performed a scene of teaching a class without any props.
The teaching attributes I borrowed from Yu Minhong a few days ago are now being put to good use.
Then she changed her makeup again.
Wear a suit and tie, and comb your hair like an adult.
This is the image of a successful person in the later stages of the story; this makeup is used in several important office and negotiation scenes.
This is even simpler.
Because at this point, the person is the boss, in charge of tens of thousands of students and hundreds of employees. They need to have the aura of a leader, be calmer, more mature, and more ruthless than when they were younger.
Does this even need acting?
I'm the boss!
Just like he told Lao Yu, I also worked my way up from the bottom step by step through hard work.
I am this character; I don't need to act.
This drama tells the story of contemporary Chinese entrepreneurs, and I am one of them!
After watching his audition, the director, screenwriter, vice president, and others whispered among themselves.
"Okay, that's enough for today."
"Thank you for coming. We will let you know later."
"Alright, I'll await good news." After shaking hands with everyone, Zhang Yuan strode away confidently.
He left, but the others remained still and continued talking.
"How is Mr. Zhang?"
Chen Kexin asked Zhang Qiang, the vice president of China Film Group.
"I've seen quite a few these past few days."
"I won't talk about the performance or the insights."
"I have a few other things to say."
As Zhang Qiang finished speaking, he glanced in the direction Zhang Yuan had left.
"Have you heard that someone objected to that person making this film?"
Chen Kexin remained calm and pretended not to know, while the others nodded or shook their heads.
“Huayi also recommended someone to come over.”
"But a few days ago, Huang Xiaoming called to apologize first."
"He said he felt he couldn't shoulder the responsibility of this role."
"You sound quite frustrated."
"Were you coerced?" someone asked.
"Hey!" someone shouted from the side.
You can't just say things like that!
"I don't know. My people asked Xiaoming, and he said it was his own decision. After research, he felt that he was not suitable."
"In other words, the biggest competitor withdrew on its own," Chen Kexin concluded.
"Correct."
"There's one more thing." Zhang Qiang took a deep breath.
"As everyone knows, the real-life inspiration for this film, Yu Minhong, had always disagreed with us filming his story."
"After several communications, the other party's attitude softened, but they also indicated that they would not participate in the creation."
"This time we are preparing for the formal casting, and we also called him to ask for his opinion."
"His attitude remains the same."
You can take pictures, I can't stop you, but I don't like it and I don't think the story is interesting.
The production team wasn't surprised to hear this.
Everyone has already concluded that Lao Yu is a person with an eccentric temper.
He wouldn't even listen to his old friend Xu Xiaoping.
It was extremely difficult for Chen Kexin to get an audience with him, as she kept making excuses that she was too busy.
"But this time, Boss Yu added another sentence!" Zhang Qiang glanced around and said something he himself was reluctant to believe.
"Mr. Yu said."
"If you insist on filming."
"He believes that Mr. Zhang Yuan is the most suitable actor to play himself."
"That's his opinion!" (End of Chapter)