Describe a popular person.
Notes
You should say:
Who he/she is
What he/she has done
Why he/she is popular
And explain how you feel about him/her
To me, Liu Yifei stands out because of her disciplined artistry—the way she builds a character through restraint, precision and, I suppose, methodical preparation. That’s the headline. The backstory is simple: I first knew about her in middle school, when her period dramas were basically everywhere; later, during uni train rides, I caught her major live-action film and noticed how consistent her craft had become.
Why the popularity? It isn’t only star power. It’s a blend of cultural resonance—that poised, almost classical elegance—and cross-border visibility from international projects. She maintains a relatively low-key public persona, which, to be honest, keeps the focus on the work itself and creates a sense of professional integrity.
What she actually does, beyond the headlines, is sustain emotional continuity across long narratives: measured diction, economical movement, and a careful control of intensity. Well—or rather—she has a coherent repertoire that feels curated rather than improvised.
Listening to interviews or rewatching key scenes, I feel quietly motivated. As a physics grad student, when I’m tweaking code or aligning an optics setup, her example reminds me that excellence is iterative—repetition, refinement, and attention to small errors. In other words, her career models perseverance without noise. At the end of the day, that work ethic is why I admire her—and why I try to bring a similar economy and focus to my research presentations and lab work.
To me, Liu Yifei stands out because of her disciplined artistry—the way she builds a character through restraint, precision and, I suppose, methodical preparation.
/tuː miː ˈljuː ˈiː.feɪ stændz aʊt bɪˈkɒz ɒv hɜː ˈdɪs.ə.plɪnd ˈɑː.tɪ.stri ðiː weɪ ʃiː bɪldz eɪ ˈkær.ɪk.tə θruː rɪˈstreɪnt prɪˈsɪʒ.ən ænd aɪ səˈpəʊz məˈθɒd.ɪ.kəl ˌprep.əˈreɪ.ʃən/
That’s the headline.
/ðæts ðiː ˈhed.laɪn/
The backstory is simple. I first knew about her in middle school, when her period dramas were basically everywhere; later, during uni train rides, I caught her major live-action film and noticed how consistent her craft had become.
/ðiː ˈbæk.stɔː.ri ɪz ˈsɪm.pəl aɪ fɜːst njuː əˈbaʊt hɜː ɪn ˈmɪd.əl skuːl wen hɜː ˈpɪə.ri.əd ˈdrɑː.məz wɜː ˈbeɪ.sɪ.kli ˈev.ri.weə ˈleɪ.tə ˈdjʊə.rɪŋ ˈjuː.ni treɪn raɪdz aɪ kɔːt hɜː ˈmeɪ.dʒə laɪv ˈæk.ʃən fɪlm ænd ˈnəʊ.tɪst haʊ kənˈsɪs.tənt hɜː krɑːft hæd bɪˈkʌm/
It isn’t only star power.
/ɪt ˈɪz.ənt ˈəʊn.li stɑː ˈpaʊ.ə/
It’s a blend of cultural resonance—that poised, almost classical elegance—and cross-border visibility from international projects.
/ɪts eɪ blend ɒv ˈkʌl.tʃər.əl ˈrez.ən.əns ðæt pɔɪzd ˈɔːl.məʊst ˈklæs.ɪ.kəl ˈel.ɪ.ɡəns ænd krɒs ˈbɔː.də ˌvɪz.ɪˈbɪl.ɪ.ti frɒm ˌɪn.təˈnæʃ.ən.əl ˈprɒdʒ.ekts/
She maintains a relatively low-key public persona, which, to be honest, keeps the focus on the work itself and creates a sense of professional integrity.
/ʃiː meɪnˈteɪnz eɪ ˈrel.ə.tɪv.li ˌləʊˈkiː ˈpʌb.lɪk pəˈsəʊ.nə wɪtʃ tuː biː ˈɒn.ɪst kiːps ðiː ˈfəʊ.kəs ɒn ðiː wɜːk ɪtˈself ænd kriˈeɪts eɪ sens ɒv prəˈfeʃ.ən.əl ɪnˈteɡ.rə.ti/
What she actually does, beyond the headlines, is sustain emotional continuity across long narratives: measured diction, economical movement, and a careful control of intensity.
/wɒt ʃiː ˈæk.tʃu.ə.li dʌz bɪˈjɒnd ðiː ˈhed.laɪnz ɪz səˈsteɪn ɪˈməʊ.ʃən.əl ˌkɒn.tɪˈnjuː.ə.ti əˈkrɒs lɒŋ ˈnær.ə.tɪvz ˈmeʒ.əd ˈdɪk.ʃən ˌiː.kəˈnɒm.ɪ.kəl ˈmuːv.mənt ænd eɪ ˈkeə.fəl kənˈtrəʊl ɒv ɪnˈten.sɪ.ti/
Well—or rather—she has a coherent repertoire that feels curated rather than improvised.
/wel ɔː ˈrɑː.ðə ʃiː hæz eɪ kəʊˈhɪə.rənt ˈrep.ə.twɑː ðæt fiːlz kjʊəˈreɪ.tɪd ˈrɑː.ðə ðæn ˈɪm.prə.vaɪzd/
Listening to interviews or rewatching key scenes, I feel quietly motivated.
/ˈlɪs.ən.ɪŋ tuː ˈɪn.tə.vjuːz ɔː ˌriːˈwɒtʃ.ɪŋ kiː siːnz aɪ fiːl ˈkwaɪət.li ˈməʊ.tɪ.veɪ.tɪd/
As a physics grad student, when I’m tweaking code or aligning an optics setup, her example reminds me that excellence is iterative—repetition, refinement, and attention to small errors.
/æz eɪ ˈfɪz.ɪks ɡræd ˈstjuː.dənt wen aɪm ˈtwiː.kɪŋ kəʊd ɔː əˈlaɪ.nɪŋ ən ˈɒp.tɪks ˈset.ʌp hɜː ɪɡˈzɑːm.pəl rɪˈmaɪndz miː ðæt ˈek.səl.əns ɪz ˈɪt.ər.ə.tɪv ˌrep.əˈtɪʃ.ən rɪˈfaɪn.mənt ænd əˈten.ʃən tuː smɔːl ˈer.əz/
In other words, her career models perseverance without noise.
/ɪn ˈʌð.ə wɜːdz hɜː kəˈrɪə ˈmɒd.əlz ˌpɜː.sɪˈvɪə.rəns wɪˈðaʊt nɔɪz/
At the end of the day, that work ethic is why I admire her—and why I try to bring a similar economy and focus to my research presentations and lab work.
/æt ðiː end ɒv ðiː deɪ ðæt wɜːk ˈeθ.ɪk ɪz waɪ aɪ ədˈmaɪə hɜː ænd waɪ aɪ traɪ tuː brɪŋ eɪ ˈsɪm.ɪ.lə ɪˈkɒn.ə.mi ænd ˈfəʊ.kəs tuː maɪ rɪˈsɜːtʃ ˌprez.ənˈteɪ.ʃənz ænd læb wɜːk/
part 3
Why do some students want to become popular?
To be honest, many students chase popularity because it buys belonging and a buffer against social exclusion. On a busy campus, visibility functions as reputational capital—you’re invited into study groups, lab teams, even informal mentoring networks. I suppose it’s also about identity formation: being recognised helps you decide who you are, especially when you’re still negotiating values and goals. In my programme, the students who MC events or organise journal clubs are seen, and opportunities tend to flow to them. At the end of the day, popularity is perceived—rightly or wrongly—as a shortcut to access and psychological safety.
To be honest, many students chase popularity because it buys belonging and a buffer against social exclusion.
/tuː biː ˈɒn.ɪst ˈmen.i ˈstjuː.dənts tʃeɪs ˌpɒp.jʊˈlær.ə.ti bɪˈkɒz ɪt baɪz bɪˈlɒŋ.ɪŋ ænd eɪ ˈbʌf.ə əˈɡenst ˈsəʊ.ʃəl ɪkˈskluː.ʒən/
On a busy campus, visibility functions as reputational capital—you’re invited into study groups, lab teams, even informal mentoring networks.
/ɒn eɪ ˈbɪz.i ˈkæm.pəs ˌvɪz.əˈbɪl.ɪ.ti ˈfʌŋk.ʃənz æz ˌrep.juːˈteɪ.ʃən.əl ˈkæp.ɪ.təl jɔː ɪnˈvaɪ.tɪd ˈɪn.tuː ˈstʌd.i ɡruːps læb tiːmz ˈiː.vən ɪnˈfɔː.məl ˈmen.tə.rɪŋ ˈnet.wɜːks/
I suppose it’s also about identity formation: being recognised helps you decide who you are, especially when you’re still negotiating values and goals.
/aɪ səˈpəʊz ɪts ˈɔːl.səʊ əˈbaʊt aɪˈden.tɪ.ti fɔːˈmeɪ.ʃən ˈbiː.ɪŋ ˈrek.əɡ.naɪzd helps juː dɪˈsaɪd huː juː ɑː ɪˈspeʃ.əl.i wen jɔː stɪl nɪˈɡəʊ.ʃi.eɪ.tɪŋ ˈvæl.juːz ænd ɡəʊlz/
In my programme, the students who MC events or organise journal clubs are seen, and opportunities tend to flow to them.
/ɪn maɪ ˈprəʊ.ɡræm ðiː ˈstjuː.dənts huː ˌemˈsiː ɪˈvents ɔː ˈɔː.ɡə.naɪz ˈdʒɜː.nəl klʌbz ɑː siːn ænd ˌɒp.əˈtʃuː.nɪ.tiz tend tuː fləʊ tuː ðem/
At the end of the day, popularity is perceived—rightly or wrongly—as a shortcut to access and psychological safety.
/æt ðiː end ɒv ðiː deɪ ˌpɒp.jʊˈlær.ə.ti ɪz pəˈsiːvd ˈraɪt.li ɔː ˈrɒŋ.li æz eɪ ˈʃɔːt.kʌt tuː ˈæk.ses ænd ˌsaɪ.kəˈlɒdʒ.ɪ.kəl ˈseɪf.ti/