Episodios
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Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites…
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I’m Brody Halverson.
Today’s stories…
A movie talks about the soil on Taiwan’s farms, and scientists find a plant that can survive on Mars.
Let’s check it out.
________________________________
新電影探索台灣土壤
New Film Explores Taiwan’s Soil
What is under our feet?
Uhh, our shoes?
And under that?
The floor?
And under that?
I don’t know, soil! It’s soil (土壤).
Yes. We live on soil.
It forms the ground beneath our feet and supports us every day.
What’s more, we grow all of our fruits and vegetables in the soil.
That’s why we need healthy soil.
The soil helps us, but do we help it back?
A new movie shows how two people have tried to improve the soil (改善土壤).
The film is called "Soul of Soil” (種土).
In this film, the director Yen Lan-chuan (顏蘭權) tells the true story of two farmers.
The first one is named A-ren (阿仁).
He gave up his job as an engineer to return to his hometown Kaohsiung and become a farmer.
A-ren tries to grow pineapples (鳳梨), but he has a problem.
A science park was built near his farm, which caused flooding and washed away the soil’s nutrients (土壤的養分).
That means the soil on his land is very poor.
A-ren tries to improve the land by using organic waste to make compost, but it is difficult to fix the poor soil. 阿仁試圖改善土地，但貧瘠的土壤很難修復。
That story really makes you feel sad.
But the second story is happier.
It is about a farmer named An-he (安和).
His first five years were full of failure, as harmful insects (害蟲) were eating his plants.
An-he kept at it, patiently working to improve the soil with organic farming methods (有機耕作方法).
Little by little An-he’s farm gets better, with earthworms and other helpful insects (益蟲) returning to his soil.
Finally in the sixth year he is able to grow honeydew melons (蜜瓜)… and now he has been farming for thirty years.
With these two stories, "Soul of Soil” wants to show people how tough it is for farmers to grow the food we all depend on.
The film also wants to inspire people (啟發人們) to take better care of Taiwan’s soil, because if the soil becomes poor, it is not easy to fix.
So the next time you eat a delicious pineapple or a melon… remember (記住) the soil it came from.
________________________________
科學家發現可以在火星上生存的植物
Scientists Find Plant That Can Survive On Mars
I wonder what plants grow on Mars (火星).
…what? Plants on Mars?
Yeah, plants on the planet Mars.
Perhaps they have Mars-trees. Or Mars-fruit.
I don’t think there are any plants on…
I know! They definitely have Mars-mallows!
Stop! You’re mad, there are no plants on Mars.你瘋了，火星上沒有植物。
Okay, there may be no plants on Mars yet.
But what about in the future?
Did you hear about the scientists who found a plant that could survive (生存) on Mars?
Actually I did. The scientists in China found it, right? It’s like a desert plant (沙漠植物).
That’s right. It is a kind of moss (苔蘚) that grows in the desert.
It’s called Syntrichia caninervis.
This moss grows in some of the harshest regions on Earth (地球上一些最惡劣的地區).
It has been found in America’s Mojave Desert, the high mountains of Tibet, and even in Antarctica.
It is very hardy, and it can live to be up to a hundred years old.
It can also survive in very dry (乾燥) places.
Scientists in China wanted to find a kind of plant that could survive on Mars, and they guessed this plant might be able to.
So, they made an experiment (實驗).
They tested the moss under conditions like those on the planet Mars (類似於火星的條件下).
They found it could survive for years at very cold temperatures.
It could also survive radiation (承受輻射).
That’s important, because Mars gets a lot of radiation from the Sun.
This desert moss could handle all of it.
But, there was one thing it could not do.
It could not keep growing in these conditions.
The scientists found they could make it grow again, but only when they brought it back to normal conditions like we have on Earth.
In other words, this plant can survive on Mars, but it cannot grow there.植物可以在火星上生存，但不能在那裡生長。
However, scientists still think this is an important discovery (重要的發現).
They think it might be the first step to finding a plant that could live on Mars.
And if plants could live there… maybe people could, too.
________________________________
So, in today’s News Bites…
A director from Taiwan made a new movie.
It follows the true story of two farmers, as they try to repair the soil on their farms.
________________________________
And,
Scientists have found a plant that can survive on Mars.
It’s a kind of desert moss.
Although it could survive on another planet, it could not grow there.
________________________________
Now it's time for the final Tasty Tidbit of the year!
You ready?
Do fish have summer vacation?
No, because they're always "in school"!
And that's our last News Bites episode for this semester!
We hope all you lovely listeners had fun tuning in and learning about the world with us. And thank you for sharing all those amazing facts and hilarious jokes too!
And as always, a big thank you to the K-12 Education Administration of the Ministry of Education for making News Lunchbox possible and supporting our programs.
Have a wonderful summer, and make sure to tune in again in the Fall, for all new episodes of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites…
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I’m Brody Halverson.
Today’s stories…
A movie talks about the soil on Taiwan’s farms, and scientists find a plant that can survive on Mars.
Let’s check it out.
________________________________
新電影探索台灣土壤
New Film Explores Taiwan’s Soil
What is under our feet?
Uhh, our shoes?
And under that?
The floor?
And under that?
I don’t know, soil! It’s soil (土壤).
Yes. We live on soil.
It forms the ground beneath our feet and supports us every day.
What’s more, we grow all of our fruits and vegetables in the soil.
That’s why we need healthy soil.
The soil helps us, but do we help it back?
A new movie shows how two people have tried to improve the soil (改善土壤).
The film is called "Soul of Soil” (種土).
In this film, the director Yen Lan-chuan (顏蘭權) tells the true story of two farmers.
The first one is named A-ren (阿仁).
He gave up his job as an engineer to return to his hometown Kaohsiung and become a farmer.
A-ren tries to grow pineapples (鳳梨), but he has a problem.
A science park was built near his farm, which caused flooding and washed away the soil’s nutrients (土壤的養分).
That means the soil on his land is very poor.
A-ren tries to improve the land by using organic waste to make compost, but it is difficult to fix the poor soil. 阿仁試圖改善土地，但貧瘠的土壤很難修復。
That story really makes you feel sad.
But the second story is happier.
It is about a farmer named An-he (安和).
His first five years were full of failure, as harmful insects (害蟲) were eating his plants.
An-he kept at it, patiently working to improve the soil with organic farming methods (有機耕作方法).
Little by little An-he’s farm gets better, with earthworms and other helpful insects (益蟲) returning to his soil.
Finally in the sixth year he is able to grow honeydew melons (蜜瓜)… and now he has been farming for thirty years.
With these two stories, "Soul of Soil” wants to show people how tough it is for farmers to grow the food we all depend on.
The film also wants to inspire people (啟發人們) to take better care of Taiwan’s soil, because if the soil becomes poor, it is not easy to fix.
So the next time you eat a delicious pineapple or a melon… remember (記住) the soil it came from.
________________________________
科學家發現可以在火星上生存的植物
Scientists Find Plant That Can Survive On Mars
I wonder what plants grow on Mars (火星).
…what? Plants on Mars?
Yeah, plants on the planet Mars.
Perhaps they have Mars-trees. Or Mars-fruit.
I don’t think there are any plants on…
I know! They definitely have Mars-mallows!
Stop! You’re mad, there are no plants on Mars.你瘋了，火星上沒有植物。
Okay, there may be no plants on Mars yet.
But what about in the future?
Did you hear about the scientists who found a plant that could survive (生存) on Mars?
Actually I did. The scientists in China found it, right? It’s like a desert plant (沙漠植物).
That’s right. It is a kind of moss (苔蘚) that grows in the desert.
It’s called Syntrichia caninervis.
This moss grows in some of the harshest regions on Earth (地球上一些最惡劣的地區).
It has been found in America’s Mojave Desert, the high mountains of Tibet, and even in Antarctica.
It is very hardy, and it can live to be up to a hundred years old.
It can also survive in very dry (乾燥) places.
Scientists in China wanted to find a kind of plant that could survive on Mars, and they guessed this plant might be able to.
So, they made an experiment (實驗).
They tested the moss under conditions like those on the planet Mars (類似於火星的條件下).
They found it could survive for years at very cold temperatures.
It could also survive radiation (承受輻射).
That’s important, because Mars gets a lot of radiation from the Sun.
This desert moss could handle all of it.
But, there was one thing it could not do.
It could not keep growing in these conditions.
The scientists found they could make it grow again, but only when they brought it back to normal conditions like we have on Earth.
In other words, this plant can survive on Mars, but it cannot grow there.植物可以在火星上生存，但不能在那裡生長。
However, scientists still think this is an important discovery (重要的發現).
They think it might be the first step to finding a plant that could live on Mars.
And if plants could live there… maybe people could, too.
________________________________
So, in today’s News Bites…
A director from Taiwan made a new movie.
It follows the true story of two farmers, as they try to repair the soil on their farms.
________________________________
And,
Scientists have found a plant that can survive on Mars.
It’s a kind of desert moss.
Although it could survive on another planet, it could not grow there.
________________________________
Now it's time for the final Tasty Tidbit of the year!
You ready?
Do fish have summer vacation?
No, because they're always "in school"!
And that's our last News Bites episode for this semester!
We hope all you lovely listeners had fun tuning in and learning about the world with us. And thank you for sharing all those amazing facts and hilarious jokes too!
And as always, a big thank you to the K-12 Education Administration of the Ministry of Education for making News Lunchbox possible and supporting our programs.
Have a wonderful summer, and make sure to tune in again in the Fall, for all new episodes of News Bites! -
¿Faltan episodios?
-
Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites…
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I’m Brody Halverson.
Today’s stories…
A movie talks about the soil on Taiwan’s farms, and scientists find a plant that can survive on Mars.
Let’s check it out.
________________________________
新電影探索台灣土壤
New Film Explores Taiwan’s Soil
What is under our feet?
Uhh, our shoes?
And under that?
The floor?
And under that?
I don’t know, soil! It’s soil (土壤).
Yes. We live on soil.
It forms the ground beneath our feet and supports us every day.
What’s more, we grow all of our fruits and vegetables in the soil.
That’s why we need healthy soil.
The soil helps us, but do we help it back?
A new movie shows how two people have tried to improve the soil (改善土壤).
The film is called "Soul of Soil” (種土).
In this film, the director Yen Lan-chuan (顏蘭權) tells the true story of two farmers.
The first one is named A-ren (阿仁).
He gave up his job as an engineer to return to his hometown Kaohsiung and become a farmer.
A-ren tries to grow pineapples (鳳梨), but he has a problem.
A science park was built near his farm, which caused flooding and washed away the soil’s nutrients (土壤的養分).
That means the soil on his land is very poor.
A-ren tries to improve the land by using organic waste to make compost, but it is difficult to fix the poor soil. 阿仁試圖改善土地，但貧瘠的土壤很難修復。
That story really makes you feel sad.
But the second story is happier.
It is about a farmer named An-he (安和).
His first five years were full of failure, as harmful insects (害蟲) were eating his plants.
An-he kept at it, patiently working to improve the soil with organic farming methods (有機耕作方法).
Little by little An-he’s farm gets better, with earthworms and other helpful insects (益蟲) returning to his soil.
Finally in the sixth year he is able to grow honeydew melons (蜜瓜)… and now he has been farming for thirty years.
With these two stories, "Soul of Soil” wants to show people how tough it is for farmers to grow the food we all depend on.
The film also wants to inspire people (啟發人們) to take better care of Taiwan’s soil, because if the soil becomes poor, it is not easy to fix.
So the next time you eat a delicious pineapple or a melon… remember (記住) the soil it came from.
________________________________
科學家發現可以在火星上生存的植物
Scientists Find Plant That Can Survive On Mars
I wonder what plants grow on Mars (火星).
…what? Plants on Mars?
Yeah, plants on the planet Mars.
Perhaps they have Mars-trees. Or Mars-fruit.
I don’t think there are any plants on…
I know! They definitely have Mars-mallows!
Stop! You’re mad, there are no plants on Mars.你瘋了，火星上沒有植物。
Okay, there may be no plants on Mars yet.
But what about in the future?
Did you hear about the scientists who found a plant that could survive (生存) on Mars?
Actually I did. The scientists in China found it, right? It’s like a desert plant (沙漠植物).
That’s right. It is a kind of moss (苔蘚) that grows in the desert.
It’s called Syntrichia caninervis.
This moss grows in some of the harshest regions on Earth (地球上一些最惡劣的地區).
It has been found in America’s Mojave Desert, the high mountains of Tibet, and even in Antarctica.
It is very hardy, and it can live to be up to a hundred years old.
It can also survive in very dry (乾燥) places.
Scientists in China wanted to find a kind of plant that could survive on Mars, and they guessed this plant might be able to.
So, they made an experiment (實驗).
They tested the moss under conditions like those on the planet Mars (類似於火星的條件下).
They found it could survive for years at very cold temperatures.
It could also survive radiation (承受輻射).
That’s important, because Mars gets a lot of radiation from the Sun.
This desert moss could handle all of it.
But, there was one thing it could not do.
It could not keep growing in these conditions.
The scientists found they could make it grow again, but only when they brought it back to normal conditions like we have on Earth.
In other words, this plant can survive on Mars, but it cannot grow there.植物可以在火星上生存，但不能在那裡生長。
However, scientists still think this is an important discovery (重要的發現).
They think it might be the first step to finding a plant that could live on Mars.
And if plants could live there… maybe people could, too.
________________________________
So, in today’s News Bites…
A director from Taiwan made a new movie.
It follows the true story of two farmers, as they try to repair the soil on their farms.
________________________________
And,
Scientists have found a plant that can survive on Mars.
It’s a kind of desert moss.
Although it could survive on another planet, it could not grow there.
________________________________
Now it's time for the final Tasty Tidbit of the year!
You ready?
Do fish have summer vacation?
No, because they're always "in school"!
And that's our last News Bites episode for this semester!
We hope all you lovely listeners had fun tuning in and learning about the world with us. And thank you for sharing all those amazing facts and hilarious jokes too!
And as always, a big thank you to the K-12 Education Administration of the Ministry of Education for making News Lunchbox possible and supporting our programs.
Have a wonderful summer, and make sure to tune in again in the Fall, for all new episodes of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites!
I'm Kelly Kimura…
And I'm Nancy Sun.
Coming up next in today's news: Taiwan’s has its own robot dogs, and a mother lets kitesurfing change her son’s life
And in today's Tasty Tidbit… a prizewinning chocolate maker couldn’t smell her chocolate!
Stay tuned for more on those stories!
___________________________________________________________
**台灣機器狗的美好未來 **
A Paws-itive Future for Taiwanese Robot Dogs
Taiwan’s robot dog industry (產業) is starting!
A national university (大學) and the National Science and Technology Council (國家科學及技術委員會) started a robot dog project (專案) two years ago.
They have now shown the first AI, or artificial intelligence, robot dogs developed (開發) in Taiwan.
The project developed two kinds of AI robot dogs.
Both kinds have sensors (感應器), so they can walk around by themselves (獨自的).
Since they are AI robots, they can be trained (接受訓練).
Both are being trained to use stairs and walk on different (不同的) kinds of terrain (地形).
But there are differences in how the two kinds of robot dogs are used.
Here, sweetie! Good boy! Yeahhhhh.
One is a pet.
It weighs 16 kilograms and is 53 centimeters long.
Come. Sit. Stay. Good boy!
It listens to commands (命令) and looks at facial expressions (臉部表情).
The other robot dog is a worker.
It weighs 40 kilograms and is about one meter long.
Its sensors can detect (探測) sound, temperature (溫度), gas, and other information (資訊).
It can report (報告) information immediately (馬上).
This robot dog can work in factories or other industrial settings (工業環境).
This is important for Taiwan, because some industries don’t have enough human workers.
This kind of robot dog can also help rescue workers (救援人員).
For example, in other countries, robot dogs take videos of the inside of burning buildings.
Then firefighters (消防員) know if it is safe to enter the buildings.
這些機器狗將改變我們的工作方式以及我們與科技互動的方式。
The university and the National Science and Technology Council believe Taiwan can have a robot dog industry that is successful around the world.
Why?
Taiwan can make robot dogs for about half the cost of other countries!
___________________________________________________________
**風箏衝浪改變男孩的生活 **
A Mother Lets Kitesurfing Change Her Son’s Life
In Colombia (哥倫比亞), there is a great place for kitesurfing (風箏衝浪).
It is far from cities.
It’s on the coast (海岸) of the land of the Indigenous (原住民) Wayuu people.
At first, kitesurfers only went to the beach.
They didn’t have contact (接觸) with the Wayuu.
Wayuu kids watched the kitesurfers’ colorful kites fly over the water.
They watched the kitesurfers jump high.
It looked so fun!
But the kids and their families had no money to kitesurf.
The kids didn’t think they could ever join the kitesurfers.
Then a kitesurfing teacher started a kitesurfing school on Wayuu land.
He wanted local people to help and learn.
Two young Wayuu brothers really wanted to learn.
After (後) their mother gave them permission (許可), they started training with the teacher.
After school and on weekends, after they finished their homework and chores (雜務), the boys used every minute to kitesurf.
The younger brother had to work hard to get better.
Wayuu people have to get permission from their leaders to go to the outside world (外面的世界).
When he was 13, he got permission to go to a competition (競賽).
For the first time, he saw escalators, elevators, and traffic lights (電扶梯、電梯和交通燈號).
For every competition, he had to get permission.
When he was 18, he went to a competition in Brazil (巴西).
He wanted to stay and work as a kitesurfing teacher.
He did not get permission, but he stayed.
As a punishment (懲罰), he could not go home for two years.
It was okay with his mother.
Making a good life at home was hard.
There were few jobs.
She wanted him to live in the outside world and follow his dream.
Now he’s the only Wayuu who is a professional (職業) kitesurfer.
在母親的鼓勵下，他發揮了自己的才能，實現了自己的夢想。
___________________________________________________________
So in today's News Bites:
A university has developed Taiwan’s first AI robot dogs, starting a new industry.
This industry can be successful around the world.
Taiwan can make robot dogs for about half the cost of other countries.
___________________________________________________________
And…
A young boy from the Wayuu Indigenous group learned how to kitesurf.
His mother wanted him to follow his dream.
Now he’s the only Wayuu who is a professional kitesurfer.
___________________________________________________________
趣味小點
** Tasty Tidbit**
A Taiwanese chocolate maker caught COVID-19 (新冠肺炎) last year and could not smell anything.
She decided not to enter an international (國際的) chocolate competition.
If she couldn’t smell, how could she make delicious chocolate?
But she kept thinking about Beethoven (貝多芬).
He couldn’t hear, but he wrote beautiful music.
So… she entered the competition.
She made a chocolate with a new taste.
The taste comes from a bean that can kill you… if you eat A LOT of beans.
But one chocolate uses just a little of one bean.
The bean tastes like vanilla, almonds, and cinnamon (香草、杏仁和肉桂). Mmmmmm…
The chocolate maker won one gold, two silver and two bronze medals (一枚金牌、兩枚銀牌和兩枚銅牌) and two special prizes!
Those chocolates sound like very tasty tidbits!
___________________________________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send your Tasty Tidbit to us at [email protected].
You might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi there. It’s time for an all-new episode of News Bites. I’m Jacob Ingram. And I’m Nancy Sun. In today’s episode we’ll be talking about peanuts and dumbphones. And for today’s Tasty Tidbit: Huskies and school rules. Stay tuned for those stories. ________________________________ 農試所智能乾燥機誕生 Smart Peanut Dryer Do you like peanuts (花生)? Have you ever wondered how they’re processed (處理)? After they are grown (種植) and harvested (收成), they have to be dried (曬乾). Traditional methods of drying peanuts (and other grains) requires good weather. It also needs lots of people to turn them often, otherwise they would be unevenly (不平均地) dried. So this hinders (阻礙) producers making lots of them. Some producers (生產者) use big box dryers (箱型烘乾機). But even these require a lot of physical labor. This is hard in places where there aren’t enough workers. So what can be done about it? Well, researchers invented a new special machine that can dry grains. It’s solar-powered, meaning it uses energy from the sun. ATRI, or the Agricultural Technology Research Institute, recently demonstrated (展示) the new machine in Yunlin County. The researchers say the machine helps dry peanuts and mixed grains more easily than traditional methods, like drying them in the sun or using big box dryers. It has a sensor (感測器) that checks how heavy the grains are in real time. This sensor makes sure the grains dry for just the right amount of time. It can reduce the work farmers need to do, making their lives easier. It also solves the problem of not having enough workers. It's also easy to move around with a big truck (大卡車就可以運送), which makes it good for groups of farmers to share. People in the farming industry will decide the price before it goes on sale. ________________________________ 換用傻瓜手機 獲得更平靜的生活 Switching to Dumbphones for a Calmer Life Smartphones are very convenient, aren’t they? They allow us to stay connected with friends, loved ones and access information instantly. They also allow us navigate new places so we don’t get lost. We can take pictures with them too. … And they keep us entertained! But there are downsides (壞處) to using them. It’s easy to get distracted (分心) by smartphones too. They can make people ignore real-life interactions and responsibilities. Some even say smartphones are addictive (讓人上癮). Smartphones also collect a lot of personal data, so some people are concerned about privacy (隱私權). Looking at screens for a long time can also cause physical problems, and make our eyesight (視力) worse. Some people are turning to dumbphones (傻瓜手機). Dumbphones, or feature phones, are basic phones for making calls and sending texts. They might even take pictures, but that's not always the case. Unlike smartphones, they don't have all the internet features and apps. Dumbphones are becoming very popular. Many say using a dumbphone makes them feel calmer and more present. 許多人表示使用傻瓜手機讓他們感到更平靜、更能專注於當下。 Caroline from California (加州) is one of them. She realized she spent an entire summer glued to her smartphone (一直盯著智慧型手機), and didn’t remember anything she did. She also couldn't even remember where she walked her dog, because she was always on her phone. So, she changed to a dumbphone. She found using a dumbphone inconvenient (不方便) at first, but later thought it was freeing (感覺很自由). Studies show that smartphones might be linked to rising rates of depression and anxiety. 研究顯示，智慧型手機可能與憂鬱和焦慮的增加有關。 So some groups are trying to promote reducing the use of smartphones, especially among children. Analysists (分析者) say around 2.8 million dumbphones were sold in the United States last year. Hopefully in the future smartphones can be used to enhance lives without the drawbacks (缺點). ________________________________ So in today’s News Bites, Peanuts need drying after harvest, but traditional methods rely on good weather and a lot of labor. Big box dryers exist, but they're still labor-intensive. To address these issues, researchers created a new solar-powered drying machine that's efficient, requires less work, and is easy to share among farmers. ________________________________ And, Smartphones are convenient, but they can be distracting and addictive. This can lead to neglecting real-life interactions and even health problems. A growing trend is people switching to dumbphones to regain control of their time and focus on what matters most. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Recently lots of huskies escaped from a pet cafe in Guangdong, China! Liang from Pan Tau Elementary School in Miaoli tells us more. … And Belle, who’s also from Pan Tau Elementary, has some suggestions for new school rules. … No homework for Grades 3 to 6? Good luck getting your teachers to agree! ________________________________ That’s it for today's episode of News Bites! *If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to *[email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode. We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites!
I'm Kelly Kimura…
And I'm Paz Bueno.
Coming up next in today's news: A barista is making coffee greener
And in a warming world, how do we keep ourselves safe from getting too hot?
And in today's Tasty Tidbit… Are there any shared birthdays in your class?
Stay tuned for more on those stories!
___________________________________________________________
**咖啡師正在讓咖啡更環保 **
Barista Is Making Coffee Greener
Coffee is very popular in Taiwan.
People bought almost 3 billion cups of coffee here in 2022.
All those cups of coffee mean there are a lot of used coffee grounds (咖啡渣).
Some of the coffee grounds are used to fertilize (當作肥料) plants or take away bad smells.
But most are thrown away.
A barista from Changhua is making his business, and coffee, greener (更環保).
His café was throwing away a lot of used coffee grounds.
That made him realize how wasteful (浪費的) the coffee industry (產業) was.
Coffee farmers harvest (採收) only the beans inside the coffee fruit.
The rest (其餘的) of the fruit is thrown away.
The barista is looking for products that use more of the coffee fruit.
Now he makes tea from the coffee fruit.
He’s also reusing coffee grounds in new products (產品).
He learned that coffee grounds can repel (驅除) insects.
There weren’t any coffee products that did this in Taiwan.
The barista and a former classmate who had an incense (線香) factory (工廠) worked together.
They made mosquito coils (蚊香) from used coffee grounds.
The mosquito coils were successful, so the barista looked for other products to make.
Now he makes coffee charcoal (咖啡炭) and soap (肥皂) from coffee grounds.
Making coffee charcoal instead of wood charcoal saves a lot of energy (能源).
Coffee charcoal takes one day to make, but wood charcoal takes a month!
With the coffee soap, the barista says people can wash their hands more quickly, so they use less water.
當地超市和連鎖便利商店都對他的產品有興趣。
The barista says that he will not stop here.
He is trying to make fuel sticks (燃料棒) from coffee grounds now.
If he can do this, he wants to build a factory to process coffee grounds.
Then he would use these fuel sticks to fuel the factory making coffee ground products!
___________________________________________________________
氣候暖化，我們要如何保護自己不要受到熱天氣的影響？
In a Warming World, How Do We Protect Ourselves from Getting Too Hot?
It is not news that our world is getting warmer.
Over the past few weeks, daily temperatures (每天溫度) of 35 degrees Celsius (攝氏) have become normal (正常).
Our bodies adjust (調整) to temperature changes.
Our brains tell our bodies to warm up or cool down when we are cooler or warmer than usual.
Our bodies have a few ways to cool down.
The most common way is sweating (流汗).
Our pores (毛孔) open, we sweat, and the sweat evaporates (蒸發).
This process (流程) cools our bodies.
Our bodies also dilate (擴張) our blood vessels (血管) and increase our heart rate (心率).
This process brings heat and blood (血液) to our skin and releases excessive (過多的) heat.
However, when temperatures are very high, our bodies might not be able to cool down fast enough.
What’s more, if we are in a hot and humid (潮濕) place, our sweat can’t evaporate.
This makes our body temperature go up.
Our brain and organs (器官) might be damaged (受損) by high body temperatures.
High body temperatures can also lead to heat-related illnesses (疾病).
They include heat cramps (熱痙攣), heat rash (汗疹) heat exhaustion (熱衰竭) and heat stroke (中暑).
How can you protect (保護) yourself from getting too hot?
Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink water - drink at least a glass of water every hour.
Avoid outdoor activities (戶外運動) from 11 am to 3 pm, when it’s hottest outside.
If you have to go out, wear light-colored clothes, drink lots of fluids (液體) and cover your head.
If you’re light-headed (頭暈), dizzy (暈眩的), sweating, or have a racing heartbeat (心跳加速), get out of the heat and cool down!
天氣炎熱時，老人、兒童、慢性病患者更要注意身體狀況。
We have to protect ourselves from the heat!
___________________________________________________________
So in today's News Bites:
A barista is making coffee greener.
He saw how wasteful the coffee industry is.
He now has made coffee-related products that reuse coffee beans or use more of the fruit.
___________________________________________________________
And…
Sometimes our bodies can’t adjust to higher temperatures.
Heat can damage our bodies.
Protect yourself and avoid outdoor activities when the sun is strongest.
___________________________________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
How many students are there in your class?
If there are 23, there’s a fifty percent chance that two people have the same birthday!
How do we figure out (弄清楚) the probability (可能性)?
First, what is the probability that everyone has a DIFFERENT birthday?
When there are two in the class, there’s only one day that could be the same.
The probability is 364 divided by 365.
We are not going to think about leap years (閏年) here!
For a class of three, the probability is 363 divided by 365.
So… for a class of twenty-three, it’s 343 divided by 365.
Phew! Then for the probability that all the students in the class have different birthdays, we’ve multiplied all the probabilities for you.
The answer is 0.493.
That means the probability of a shared birthday is 1 minus 0.493, or 50.7 percent!
So… do you share a birthday with a classmate?
___________________________________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send your Tasty Tidbit to us at [email protected].
You might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
I’m Nancy Sun.
And I’m Jacob Ingram.
Today’s stories…
Taiwan’s new AI, and the world’s largest solar power farm.
And in today’s Tasty Tidbit…how long is your DNA?
Let’s check it out.
________________________________
台灣新AI超越ChatGPT-4
Taiwan's New AI Beats ChatGPT-4 in Traditional Chinese
AI, or Artificial Intelligence (人工智慧), is a popular topic these days.
Many people are talking about it.
AI is a kind of smart computer.
It can learn and do things like a human.
For example, AI can help us find information, translate languages (翻譯語言), and even play games.
Many companies are making AI to help us in our daily lives.
Taiwan has a new large language model (大型語言模型) that is better than ChatGPT-4 for traditional Chinese!
It's called the Taiwan Mixture of Experts, or TAME.
TAME was trained using a supercomputer (超級電腦) in Kaohsiung called Taipei-1.
It learned from almost 500 billion (五千億) pieces of information from different fields.
On its first try, TAME scored better than 89% of people taking Taiwan's bar exam.
在第一次測驗時，TAME的成績比百分之八十九考取律師資格的人還要好。
This exam is very hard and is for becoming a lawyer (律師)!
It also passed exams for university, traditional Chinese medicine (中醫), tour guides (導遊), and drivers.
In 39 different tests with almost 3,000 questions, TAME was the best.
It was 9.3% better than ChatGPT-4!
Making TAME took 350,000 hours of GPU work and 1,285 hours of work by 31 engineers.
TAME的製造，花了35萬個GPU小時，外加31位工程師辛苦工作了1285個小時。
Andrew Hsiao from Pegatron (和碩) said TAME is special because it is made for Taiwan and can be used in different industries (產業).
Even though it was just released last week, companies can adjust it (調整它) to see if it fits their needs.
This is a big step for AI in Taiwan!
________________________________
中國新推出的 超級光電場
China's New Super Solar Farm
Solar energy (太陽能) is power that comes from the sun.
It is a clean and renewable (可再生的) source of energy.
Solar panels (太陽能板) catch sunlight and turn it into electricity.
Using solar energy helps reduce pollution and protects the environment.
使用太陽能可以減少污染，保護環境。
China has switched on the world's largest solar farm (太陽能電場)!
It's called the Midong PV farm and is located in Urumqi, Xinjiang.
它叫做米東光伏電場，位於新疆烏魯木齊。
This solar farm can produce 3.5 gigawatts (吉瓦) of power, making it the biggest in the world.
Before this, the largest solar park was a 2.2 gigawatt facility started in 2020.
The Midong project cost 15.45 billion Chinese Yuan (人民幣) to complete.
The solar farm has over 5.26 million special solar panels that can produce a lot of electricity.
To hold these panels, they installed 1.23 million supporting piles (支撐柱).
They also built five stations to boost the power and over 208 kilometers of transmission lines to connect the solar farm to the main power grid.
他們還建了五個增壓站和超過208公里的傳輸線來連接到主電網。
China Green Development Group (中國綠髮投資集團), which was established in December 2020, is behind this project.
CGDG is a big energy investment company (能源投資公司) under the Chinese government.
Their goal is to create more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy by the end of 2024.
________________________________
So, in today’s News Bites…
Taiwan has a new large language model that is better than ChatGPT-4 for traditional Chinese!
It's called the Taiwan Mixture of Experts, or TAME.
TAME was trained using a supercomputer in Kaohsiung called Taipei-1.
________________________________
And,
China has switched on the world's largest solar farm!
It's called the Midong PV farm and is located in Urumqi, Xinjiang.
This solar farm can produce 3.5 gigawatts of power, making it the biggest in the world.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
Did you know that if you took all the DNA from your body and stretched it out, it would reach the moon and back almost 150,000 times?
That's super long!
To fit inside our cells, DNA is tightly wrapped into tiny structures called chromosomes.
This is the same for all living things, from insects to elephants.
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi everyone, it’s time for a new episode of News Bites…
I’m Brody Halverson.
And I’m Paz Bueno.
Today’s stories…
A Taiwanese teenager goes to play baseball in America, and thirteen young Hawaiians demand action on climate change.
And in today’s Tasty Tidbit…ball lightning!
Let’s get into it.
________________________________
洛杉磯道奇隊簽約台灣青少年
Los Angeles Dodgers Sign Taiwan Teen
How would you like to play for the MLB (美國職棒大聯盟)?
Wow, the major leagues!
That would be incredible.
It would be a dream come true.
Which Major League Baseball team do you want to play for?
There are so many legendary teams in America…
I’d want to join the New York Yankees… or the Boston Red Sox!
But that’s just a dream (夢想).
Sometimes dreams really do come true.
有時夢想真的會成真。
Look at the teenager from Taiwan who has joined the Los Angeles Dodgers.
At only seventeen years old (十七歲), he’s going off to play for one of the greatest baseball teams in the world.
Oh, I’ve heard about him!
His name is Ko Ching-hsien (柯敬賢).
He’s just graduated from Pingjen (平鎮) Senior High School in Taoyuan.
Ko played a lot of baseball growing up.
He became an outfielder (外野手).
That means when his team is in the field, he goes to the outfield (外野), to catch any balls that are hit so far.
Ko is talented in the field, but he’s is also very good at batting (打擊).
When he played for Taiwan in the Under-18 World Baseball Cup, he batted five-fifty.
That means he hit the ball 55% of the time.
In baseball that is a highly successful number.
Ko’s performance was so good that he got noticed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
柯在U-18世界盃棒球賽的打擊率為 0.550，非常成功，讓他受到關注。
So, the Dodgers have signed Ko onto their team.
What’s more, they’ll give him a signing bonus (簽約獎金) worth more than 20 million NT.
Now Ko will get the chance to play for the Dodgers.
He will be teammates with some of the greatest players alive, including the world-famous Shohei Ohtani (大谷翔平).
Ko’s story is amazing, but there will be more to follow his path.
The Dodgers recruiter (棒球招募人員) who brought Ko onto the team says Taiwan’s new generation of players is the best he has ever seen.
He says Taiwan’s youth talent (青年才俊) is outstanding, and he expects many others to join the MLB in the future.
________________________________
夏威夷青年逼迫政府採取行動
Hawaii’s Youth Force Government to Climate Action
How can we act on climate change (對氣候變遷採取行動)?
Yes, we really need to do something.
It is getting serious, with the sea level (海平面) rising higher and higher.
Maybe we could ask everyone to use less energy, and we could ask the government to act too.
If we ask nicely, maybe they will decide to help out.
No! There is no more time to ask nicely.
We need to demand climate action.
已經沒有時間再客氣地請求了，必須堅持行動。
That’s what happened in Hawaii, and it was a success.
What happened in Hawaii?
It started with a group of thirteen young Hawaiians (夏威夷人).
Most of them are teenagers (青少年), but they were worried about their future.
After all, Hawaii is made of small islands.
If the sea level rises, it will be a big problem for the people there.
Hawaiians have been asking their government to stop using fossil fuels (化石燃料) for transportation.
That’s because fossil fuels cause climate change.
But, for many years there had been little action.
Their government was not listening.
That’s why these thirteen young people decided to join a lawsuit (官司).
They were done waiting, and they wanted to use the law to force the government to act.
They said the government was violating their rights (侵犯他們的權利), and they got help from a law firm (律師事務所) called “Our Children’s Trust.”
The lawyers took their lawsuit to court, and in June they finally won.
According to the result of the lawsuit, transportation in Hawaii must reach net-zero (淨零排放) by the year 2045.
That means they will need to make a big change in land, sea, and air transportation.
Hawaii will need to use more climate-friendly forms of transportation, like electric vehicles, trains, biking and walking.
And they’ll need to move away from harmful transportation, like traditional cars.
The young Hawaiians are happy about their win.
But they know it is just the beginning.
They think that young people in other parts of the world will also start using their laws to fight climate change.
________________________________
So, in today’s News Bites…
A teenager from Taiwan is going to play baseball for the MLB.
Ko Ching-hsien has been signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It must be a dream come true.
________________________________
And,
Young people have forced their government to act on climate change.
The thirteen young Hawaiians joined a lawsuit and won in court.
Now, Hawaii will need to make all transportation in the state net-zero by 2045.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
Ball lightning is a strange and fiery ball of light that moves through the air for a few seconds.
No one knows what causes it, and some scientists even doubt it is real.
But many people have seen it!
In 1994, ball lightning made a hole in a closed window that was 5 centimeters wide!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hi everyone! It's time for today's episode of New Bites!
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Kelly Kimura.
In today's stories…
Celebrating a panda's birthday, and exercising with a wombat.
And we've got a mix of amazing facts and giggles for you in today's Tasty Tidbit.
Let's check it out.
________________________________
大貓熊「圓仔」11歲生日會
Yuan Zai's 11th Birthday Bash
"Paws" and take a moment kids…
A "beary" special day is coming up at the Taipei Zoo.
This Saturday…
Giant Panda Yuan Zai is turning 11!
The Taipei Zoo is throwing Yuan Zai a big birthday party.
And it's inviting people to the zoo to help celebrate (慶祝).
台北動物園計劃在7月6日，為大貓熊「圓仔11歲」舉辦慶生。
There's going to be so much to do.
The party starts at 8:30 in the morning.
First, everyone will watch Yuan Zai enjoy her special birthday cake.
Last year, the zoo made her an "ice cake", with some of her favorite fruits and vegetables.
The ice was shaped like Taipei 101.
And it was decorated with carrots, grapes, kiwi, pineapples, and sugar cane.
Yuan Zai pushed the cake, and it fell onto the ground.
But she really enjoyed eating it!
I wonder what her cake will be like this year…
Next, the zoo will show everyone what pandas usually eat.
They'll show people the bamboo forest at the zoo.
This is where keepers get bamboo leaves for the pandas to eat.
And some people will even get to try making panda buns (窩窩頭).
The pandas at the zoo also eat these buns.
參加活動的民眾可以體驗製作大貓熊窩窩頭，和參觀竹林，更加瞭解大貓熊的飲食習慣。
Then the visitors get to eat too.
They'll have a special lunch at Panda Cafe in the Giant Panda House.
And the lunch comes with a panda cake too.
Finally, everyone who goes to the party gets to take home a special panda pillow.
Sounds like a time of fun, learning and panda-tastic adventures at the zoo!
________________________________
去澳洲遛袋熊
Wombat Walkers Wanted in Tasmania
They're roly-poly (圓滾滾的)…
They poop in cubes…
And many would say they're one of Australia's cutest animals.
They're wombats (袋熊)!
And these furry animals need new friends to help them exercise.
The island of Tasmania (塔斯馬尼亞州), in Australia, is looking for a "wombat walker".
Yes, you heard that right.
Wombats are a marsupial (有袋類動物).
They have brown fur, short legs, and a muscular body.
They eat plants.
And they live in forests and grassy parts of mountains in Australia.
Now, Tasmania wants someone to take wombats out for their morning walks.
工作人員要負責跟可愛的袋熊一起進行早晨散步。
The wombats live at a natural wildlife park.
And they need someone to get them out of bed.
The park says sometimes, the wombats like to sleep in (睡懶覺).
The walker needs to give the wombats lots of praise (誇獎).
And the walker needs to keep them on track.
The park also wants the walker to make sure the wombats behave (乖乖地，舉止端正).
The walker should also be ready with snacks.
Sometimes the wombats get hungry on their walk.
They need fuel to keep exercising.
The park says these walks help keep the wombats happy and healthy.
It's the wombats' favourite part of the day.
Unfortunately, this is not a paid job.
So you won't get any money for doing this work.
But, if you get chosen for the job…
You will get a free flight to Tasmania.
You can stay there for free for two nights.
And your meals (餐點) will be free too.
Sounds like a pretty good deal.
But if you're not much of an animal person, Tasmania has other interesting jobs to try out.
How would you like to be a star seeker?
You would stay up at night to help scientists watch the stars.
Or an oyster organizer?
You would harvest (採收) oysters from right out of the ocean, and get them clean and organized.
Looks like there's lots of fun and unique jobs out there!
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
Giant Panda Yuan Zai is turning 11!
The Taipei Zoo is throwing Yuan Zai a big birthday party.
And it's inviting people to the zoo to help celebrate.
________________________________
And,
The island of Tasmania, in Australia, is looking for a "wombat walker".
They need someone to take wombats out for their morning walks.
They say these walks help keep the wombats happy and healthy.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
In today's Tasty Tidbit…
What time is it when the clock strikes 13?
Time to get a new clock.
And now,
13-year-old Ryan Kuan from Da Cheng Junior High School in Nantou County has an amazingly sweet fact.
*****
And 14-year-old Kaie Lai from Yu Shan Public Junior High School in Chiayi City tells us about one of his embarrassing moments.
*****
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites.
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hey, you guys.
It’s time for another episode of New Bites.
I’m Jacob Ingram.
And I’m Nancy Sun.
In today's news: Penghu releases sea turtles, and outdoor clothing brands using harmful chemicals.
And for today’s Tasty Tidbit, is there a way to breathe without lungs?
Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next.
________________________________
澎湖野放13隻海龜
Penghu releases 13 sea turtles
June 16th is World Sea Turtle Day (世界海龜日).
This year, Penghu officials released 13 sea turtles into the sea to mark the special date.
Over the years, Taiwan has been striving (致力於) to protect sea turtles.
A tiny island called Xiaoliuqiu (小琉球) is well-known for being a protected sea turtle habitat (棲息地).
Millions of tourists and divers visit the tiny island every year to swim with these graceful (優雅的) creatures.
Penghu is also renowned (著名的) for the protection of sea turtles.
There are a total of seven species of sea turtles in the world, five of which can be found in Penghu.
So Penghu is vital (非常重要的) to the future survival of sea turtles.
Now, back to those 13 sea turtles which Penghu officials released: 12 of them were green sea turtles (綠蠵龜), the other an olive ridley sea turtle (欖蠵龜).
Some of the green sea turtles were rescued when they were just hatchlings (剛孵化的小動物).
Rescuers thought the hatchlings were too weak to survive on their own out in the ocean.
The others were rescued because they were injured.
The Penghu Sea Turtle Conservation and Rescue Center (澎湖海龜收容救護中心) nursed the rescued sea turtles back to health.
這個中心細心照料把救回來的海龜，讓牠們恢復健康。
Researchers (研究員) attached a transmitter (發射器) to one of the sea turtles.
This is the first time they did this in Taiwan.
They want to track and study it for a whole year.
Another important place for the protecting sea turtles is Wang-an island (望安島) in Penghu County.
The island has a Green Turtle Nesting Refuge.
這個島上有綠蠵龜棲息產卵保育區。
Scientists say this is the most stable (穩定的) area for sea turtles to lay their eggs.
There are five turtle egg laying locations around Taiwan.
These are Wang-an, Lanyu, Xiaoliuqiu, Dongsha and Nansha island.
This year, there have been reports of turtles laying eggs on the beach.
專家學者們會致力於打造更安全的海龜生態。
________________________________
戶外衣物品牌仍然在使用“永久化學品”
Outdoor Clothing Brand Still Using ‘Forever Chemicals’ Despite Health Risk
Do you like outdoor activities? Many people like to be close to nature.
They like to breathe the fresh air and enjoy the views of sunlight on clear water.
Some popular outdoor activities include hiking (遠足) and mountain climbing (爬山).
However, hikers and mountain climbers might be harming the environment.
A magazine called “Ethical Consumer” recently examined some companies which make outdoor clothing.
一本名叫《道德消費者》的雜誌最近審查了一些製造戶外服裝的公司。
What they found was shocking.
82% of the companies were still using chemicals called PFAS.
Companies use this type of chemical to make fabrics (布料) water resistant (防水).
The problem is PFAS are “forever chemicals (永久性的化學品).”
This means they can take hundreds of years to degrade (分解).
So they pollute soil and water.
The chemicals also cause health problems for people.
For example, high cholesterol (膽固醇), which lots of fat (脂肪) in blood and cells (細胞).
It also causes cancer (癌症), makes it harder for people to fight off colds (感冒) and infections (感染), and makes it harder for people to have children.
So hikers who wear clothes that have these chemicals might be risking their own health.
The magazine advises (建議) everyone to only buy clothes from companies that don’t use these nasty chemicals.
Experts (專家) said PFAS have been found in rivers, and even on the slopes (山坡) of Mount Everest (珠穆朗瑪峰)!
It’s also been found inside some wild animals.
In Europe alone, there are at least 23,000 sites polluted by PFAS.
2,000 of them have high concentrations (高濃度).
They are currently few outdoor clothing companies don’t use PFAS in their products (產品).
Some of these companies even persuaded (說服) their fabric factories (工廠) to not use the harmful chemicals.
European officials are trying to restrict (限制) PFAS chemicals in Europe.
They hope to achieve this in the year 2026.
Currently, lots of countries are discussing how to restrict these chemicals, not just those in Europe.
目前，許多國家都在討論對“永久化學品” 的使用限制。
To protect our planet, we must act now!
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites:
Penghu officials released 13 sea turtles back into the ocean.
Taiwan cares a lot about sea turtles.
Xiaoliuqiu Island is famous for protecting them.
Penghu is especially important because five out of the world's seven sea turtle species live there.
Scientists even put a special tracker on one of the turtles to study more about it!
________________________________
And,
Hiking and climbing mountains are fun, but they can hurt the environment.
A magazine found many outdoor clothing companies use harmful chemicals on their clothes to make them water resistant.
These chemicals take a long time to break down, pollute water and soil, and even harm people’s health.
________________________________
And for today’s Tasty Tidbit,
Did you know that insects don’t have lungs?
So how do they breathe?
They have holes on their bodies, which are called spiracles (氣孔).
These holes act like little straws, letting air come in!
________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hello and welcome back to another brand new episode of News Bites!
I'm Paz Bueno.
And I'm Nancy Sun.
Today's stories…
Underground treasures, underwater treasures, and new Japanese-English words!
Let's begin!
________________________________
台積電因為古蹟停工
TSMC Project Paused for Ruins
Great discoveries are often hidden underground (地下).
Many times, people find them when they dig for construction (挖掘建設).
When people build new things, they might find amazing old things.
For example, in 1974, farmers in China found the famous Terracotta Army (兵馬俑) while digging a well.
In Italy, workers found ancient Roman treasures (古羅馬的寶藏) while expanding their subway system (擴建地鐵).
And in Egypt, construction workers discovered an ancient tomb (古墓) when building a new building!
And recently in Chiayi, construction workers for a new TSMC plant (台積電工廠) made a new discovery.
They found pieces of pottery (陶器) and ceramic rings (陶環) that might be from 3,500 to 4,500 years ago.
These artifacts are from a cord-marked pottery culture.
這些文物來自繩紋陶文化。
The factory was going to use advanced Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate, or CoWoS, technology.
這個工廠本來打算使用先進封裝技術（CoWoS）。
When the old site was found, the government stepped in (介入) to protect it.
TSMC said they will follow the laws and work with the authorities (當局) on what to do next.
The Southern Taiwan Science Park Administration (南科管理局) said the artifacts (文物) found at Chiayi are fewer and more scattered (分散) compared to other sites.
They think this will not cause major delays (不會造成重大延誤).
To keep up (跟上) with their schedule, TSMC is now planning to start work on a second factory in Chiayi.
The Chiayi County Cultural and Tourism Bureau (嘉義縣文化觀光局) said that all future building projects will be watched closely (密切監視) to make sure old sites are protected.
________________________________
青銅時代時空膠囊
A Bronze Age Time Capsule
Besides being buried underground, many treasures are waiting to be discovered underwater (水下).
The ocean is filled with ancient ships (古代的船隻), valuable artifacts (珍貴的文物), and secrets from the past.
In the Mediterranean Sea, an ancient shipwreck (沉船) has been found!
This ship sank (沉沒) over 3,300 years ago during the Bronze Age (青銅時代).
That was a time when ancient Egypt was very powerful.
那時候古埃及非常強大。
The ship was found about 90 kilometers from land and about 1.6 kilometers underwater.
They found two old clay jars called Canaanite amphorae.
他們發現了兩個古老的陶罐，稱為迦南陶罐。
These jars were used to store (儲存) things like honey, olive oil, and wine.
The ship might have sunk due to a storm, strong winds, or pirates.
When it sank, it landed upright on the sea floor (垂直地落在海床上).
Many jars on the ship were still intact (完好無損), meaning they weren't broken.
This is very rare (非常罕見) for shipwrecks from this time.
A robot called a Remotely Operated Vehicle (R.O.V.) found the ship.
遙控的機器人找到了這艘船。
This robot is controlled from a ship and has cameras and lights to see in the dark deep sea.
The R.O.V. found the ship and took two jars from it to study.
The discovery team said the ship is like a "time capsule" (時空膠囊).
This means it is very well-preserved (保存得非常完好) and gives us a look into the past.
This discovery is very important because it shows that ancient traders (古代商人) traveled far from land.
This discovery will help us learn more about trade (貿易) and travel during the Bronze Age.
For now, the rest of the ship will stay underwater to keep it safe until better technology can be used to study it.
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
Recently in Chiayi, construction for a new TSMC plant had to stop.
They found pieces of pottery and ceramic rings that might be from 3,500 to 4,500 years ago.
TSMC said they will follow the laws and work with the authorities on what to do next. ________________________________
And,
In the Mediterranean Sea, an ancient shipwreck has been found by a robot.
This ship sank over 3,300 years ago during the Bronze Age.
The discovery team said the ship is like a "time capsule."
The ship will stay underwater to keep it safe until better technology can be used to study it.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
The Oxford English Dictionary has added 23 new Japanese words.
Most of these words are related to food.
For example, "katsu" means a piece of meat, seafood, or vegetable that is deep-fried and cut into strips.
"Donburi" is a bowl of rice topped with other ingredients.
Another word, "okonomiyaki," is a savory pancake that means "what you like" and "to fry."
Other new words include "kintsugi," the art of fixing broken pottery with gold…
…and "isekai," a type of fantasy story where characters enter a different world.
These new words show the influence of Japanese culture on the English language.
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites!
I'm Nancy Sun…
And I'm Jacob Ingram.
In today's stories, pet psychics and space travel.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
Counting just took a scary turn. Find out why at the end of the episode!
___________________________________________________________
農業部長談寵物溝通師行業
The Job of a Pet Psychic
Can humans communicate with animals?
Pet psychics (寵物靈媒) say they can.
A pet psychic is a person who claims to be able to communicate with animals, either living or dead.
Some pet owners worry that something is wrong with their pet.
And they ask a pet psychic for help.
Maybe the pet is not eating.
Or the pet is in low spirits (精神低落).
Sometimes the vet can't figure out why.
Some pet owners claim that seeing a pet psychic helped their pets a lot.
Others go to pet psychics because they wanted to communicate with their pets that have passed away.
This profession is growing fast in North America.
Some animal experts believe that this is happening due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the lockdown around the world, many people wanted deeper connections with their pets.
It is also a trending topic online.
The Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) commented on the topic.
During the meeting, a legislator (立法委員) pointed out that there are many pet psychics who claimed that they are professionally licensed (專業執照).
He then asked if the ministry plans to have laws for pet psychics.
Chen said there is no scientific evidence that proves pet psychics can communicate with pets.
He says the ministry does not recognize such a profession.
Chen says the ministry could offer guidelines for businesses working with pets.
許多獸醫建議，飼主能透過寵物的行為來了解寵物當下的需求。
___________________________________________________________
太空旅行如何影響人體
Space Travel and the Human Body
Over the last century, space travel went from a dream to reality (現實).
Now, more and more humans are traveling to space.
In 2021, several spacecraft took civilians (平民) on tourist flights.
Many countries hope that they can be the first to set foot on Mars.
Space technology is advancing quickly.
So scientists want to know more about the effects that space travel has on our bodies.
Researchers created a database called the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA).
SOMA is the largest collection of data on aerospace medicine (航太醫學) and space biology (太空生物學) ever put together.
It has a lot of information on how going to space affects the human body.
Experts say SOMA will help us prepare better for future space missions.
Going to space is no walk in the park.
There are actually quite a number of health risks.
On Earth, we are shielded (保護) from space radiation (輻射) by the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field (磁場).
But out in space, this radiation can increase the risk of cancer and other diseases.
That's why astronauts need to wear protective gear (裝備).
There is also no gravity (地心引力) in space.
This can cause problems with our vision, or give us headaches.
Our muscles may also get weak, and we may lose bone density.
This is why astronauts who spend a long time in space have to exercise regularly.
The data also suggests that women may recover faster than men from space travel.
When astronauts came back to Earth, the men's immune system (免疫系統) took longer to return to normal.
雖然會有風險，但科學家表示沒有資料明確顯示人類不應該探索太空。
With all this data and more to come in the future, researchers can work on avoiding the risk.
They can create better protection for the astronauts out there.
Who knows, the date of setting foot on Mars might be earlier than expected.
___________________________________________________________
So in today's News Bites:
A pet psychic is a person who claims to be able to communicate with animals, either living or dead.
Some pet owners worry that something is wrong with their pet.
And they ask a pet psychic for help.
Some pet owners claim that seeing a pet psychic helped their pets a lot.
The Minister of Agriculture Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季) says there is no scientific evidence that proves pet psychics can communicate with pets.
He says the ministry does not recognize such a profession.
Chen says the ministry could offer guidelines for businesses working with pets.
___________________________________________________________
And…
Researchers created a database called the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA).
SOMA is the largest collection of data on aerospace medicine and space biology ever put together.
It has a lot of information on how going to space affects the human body.
Experts say SOMA will help us prepare better for future space missions.
With all this data and more to come in the future, researchers can work on avoiding the risk.
They can create better protection for the astronauts out there.
___________________________________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
In today's Tasty Tidbit….
Why did the two fours skip a meal?
Because they already eight (ate)!
And now, 12-year-old Sandy Lin from Wang Liau Elementary School in Chiayi County has another one!
*****
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send your Tasty Tidbit to us at [email protected].
You might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites!
I'm Kelly Kimura…
And I'm Paz Bueno.
Coming up next in today's news: the most valuable public company in the world and how scientists are studying whale songs!
And in today's Tasty Tidbit… do you know how your tongue tastes food?
Stay tuned for more on those stories!
___________________________________________________________
全球最有價值的上市公司
The World's Most Valuable Public Company
Thirty-one years ago, a Taiwanese American electrical engineer (電機工程師) started a company with two other people.
He was 30 years old and younger than the other two.
But they wanted him to be the president and CEO (總裁和執行長).
The early days of the company were not easy.
Once, it only had enough money to pay its workers for one more month.
After that, the CEO often started meetings by saying, "Our company is thirty days from going out of business."
The company started doing better.
The CEO liked video games.
So his company made powerful (強大的) graphics cards (顯示卡).
They made the images (圖像) in games look more real.
To work very quickly, these cards do many calculations (計算) at the same time.
Other cards do one calculation at a time. They are much slower.
A graduate student (研究生) made a supercomputer (超級電腦) by connecting (連接) many of the company's graphics cards together!
The company began to make software (軟體) and chips (晶片) for supercomputing (超級計算).
But did many companies need supercomputing?
Maybe they did, but they didn't know this.
The company's business was slow.
A few years later, a researcher used the company's supercomputing software to train (訓練) software to recognize (認出) people's voices.
Then the researcher's student used the supercomputing software to train software to recognize images.
These were the beginning of AI systems (人工智慧系統).
These systems need to do many calculations at the same time.
The CEO changed the company's products to help other companies make AI systems.
Then the company's supercomputer trained an AI chatbot (聊天機器人).
This chatbot is very, very popular.
Anyone can use it.
And the AI boom started!
The company soon became the second most valuable public company (第二大最有價值上市公司) in the world.
Then last week, the company became the world's MOST valuable public company.
It's the third company with a value (價值) of $3 trillion (兆) US dollars or more.
Last week, it had a value of $3.3 trillion US dollars.
That's over 106 trillion Taiwan dollars!
The company does not make its products.
It has strong ties to Taiwan, with about 100 suppliers (供應商) here.
這位執行長表示，台灣「處於世界技術供應鏈的中心」。
Do you know the name of the company and its CEO?
___________________________________________________________
科學家如何研究鯨魚唱歌
How Scientists Are Studying Whale Songs
Marine biologists (海洋生物學家) and computer scientists (電腦科學家) are working together on whale songs.
They want to find out what sperm whale (抹香鯨) songs mean.
These whales have the biggest brain (腦) of all living animals.
They're also the loudest animal!
One of the marine biologists recorded sperm whale songs with underwater microphones (麥克風) for many years.
The group has thousands of hours of songs to study!
Sperm whale songs are clicks (點擊聲).
The whales make clicks when they're swimming together.
Sometimes the whales click more quickly.
Then other whales also click more quickly.
The clicks sound like a code (碼).
One pattern sounds like this: Click…, click…, click, click, click.
For a long time, the marine biologists thought there were about 30 patterns (模式).
They thought of the clicks as points on a line (一條線上的點).
But a computer science graduate student didn't like looking at the clicks this way.
She arranged (整理) the clicks differently.
The new arrangement let her see that there were many, many more click patterns.
The scientists think whales are saying something different when they change the speed or the rhythm (韻律) of their clicks.
Now the marine biologists are putting tags (標籤) on the sperm whales they're studying.
This lets the scientists know where a whale is when it sings.
They can also get video images that show how it is behaving (為人).
They want to find if there is a connection between what whales sing and how they behave.
The computer scientists are also training AI software with the whale songs.
Maybe AI can find out more about the clicks.
The scientists want AI to write whale songs one day.
Then they'll play the songs to the whales!
Hmmmm… what would these songs say?
___________________________________________________________
So in today's News Bites:
A Taiwanese American is the CEO of a US company that made very fast and powerful graphics cards for gaming.
They made AI systems possible.
The company changed its products to help other companies make AI systems.
___________________________________________________________
And…
Marine biologists and computer scientists are working to find what sperm whale songs mean.
A graduate student found many new patterns in the songs.
The computer scientists are training AI software with the whale songs to find out more about them.
___________________________________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
The tongue (舌頭) has taste receptors (味覺感受器) for sweet on the tip (舌尖), salty and then sour (酸的) on the sides, bitter (苦的) on the back, and umami (鮮味) on the center.
That's what kids in the U.S. learn.
But that's wrong!
There are no taste receptors for only sweet, salty, sour, bitter, OR umami.
For example, you can taste sweetness (甜味) more easily with the taste receptors on your tongue tip.
But you can also taste the other four tastes.
That means if you put something sour on your tongue tip, you can taste sourness (酸味).
Scientists are still learning about taste.
Some scientists think that there may be a taste receptor for fat (脂肪).
Now they're researching how this receptor finds fat, a really tasty tidbit!
___________________________________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send your Tasty Tidbit to us at [email protected].
You might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hi there.
It's time for an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Jacob Ingram.
And I'm Brody Halverson.
In today's episode we'll be talking about UFO clouds, and a woman roof ninja.
And for today's Tasty Tidbit: The longest novel ever written.
Stay tuned for those stories.
________________________________
莢狀雲
UFO Clouds
Have you ever seen a UFO before? UFO stands for unidentified flying object. ＵＦＯ是「不明飛行物」的縮寫。
What do UFOs look like?
Think of metal plates flying in the sky.
想像一下天空中飛行的金屬板。
That might give you a pretty good idea.
Recently, many places have seen clouds that look like UFOs, including in Taiwan.
But weather forecasters (氣象研究員) said there's no need to worry.
These clouds are called "lenticular clouds" (莢狀雲). But some people call them "UFO clouds" - that's a bit easier to remember.
These clouds are thick in the middle and thin at the edges, like lens in glasses (眼鏡的鏡片).
Sometimes they stack on top of each other like pea pods (豆莢).
But they can also look like flying saucers (飛碟) or even puddings (布丁).
How do these UFO clouds form?
它們怎麼形成的？
The Central Weather Administration (中央氣象署) explained when stable and moist air flows over hills, it moves up and down like waves.
當又穩定又潮濕的空氣越過山丘時，會像波浪一般上下移動。
When the air is forced to rise, it cools and forms clouds.
空氣被迫上升的時候，它會冷卻並形成雲。
When the air goes down, it warms up and the clouds disappear.
空氣下降之時，它會變暖，雲消失。
This process creates these special clouds.
這個過程會產生這些特殊的雲。
Can the clouds form anywhere?
Not exactly.
The ground underneath, or terrain (地形), needs to be a particular shape.
So the clouds tend to appear in fixed (固定的) places. 它們通常在同一些地方出現。
For example, the area east of Yangmingshan sometimes gets UFO clouds.
Have you seen them before?
________________________________
屋頂女忍者
Woman Roof Ninja
In the US state of Michigan, there's a big supermarket (超市)…
…and this supermarket has a big sign (招牌) on its roof.
It's so big, in fact, that someone actually lived inside it.
Who? … a 34 year-old woman.
The woman lived inside the rooftop sign for over a year.
The sign had a small door that could be reached from the roof.
She called it an "old safe spot" (安全空間), known only to her family.
She had a computer, bed, printer (印表機) and even a coffee maker (咖啡機) inside.
She got her power from an extension cord (延長線), which led up from the store.
The woman wore black clothes and ski goggles (雪鏡).
So the police gave her a nickname: "Roof Ninja" (屋頂忍者).
How did they find out she was hiding there?
A worker on the roof found an extension cord running into the door on the back of the sign.
The worker opened the door, and he was greeted by the woman.
Staff (店員) then phoned the police (打電話給警察).
When police arrived, they asked her to open the small door and she did.
She joked with them, asking how they got up there.
They said, "Ladder (梯子). We're not roof ninjas."
The woman didn't explain how she got up there.
She had a job and asked to call her boss and get a truck for her stuff.
But the staff helped carry her belongings.
The woman was polite.
She said sorry to everyone, then left without causing trouble.
Sometimes, surprising moments and the kindness (善意) of others can change someone's life.
有時候，讓人驚喜的時刻和他人的善意可以改變某個人的人生。
"Roof Ninja's" story shows how important it is to help others and be kind.
Remember to stay hopeful and keep going when things get tough.
當事情變得艱難時，記得保持希望並繼續前進。
________________________________
So in today's News Bites,
Recently, UFOs clouds have been seen in various places, including Taiwan.
They are called lenticular clouds.
They are thick in the middle and thin at the edges.
They form when stable, moist air flows over hills, creating wave-like movements.
They usually appear in specific areas with suitable terrain, such as east of Yangmingshan in the Taipei Basin.
________________________________
And,
In the US state of Michigan, a 34-year-old woman lived inside a large sign on top of a supermarket.
Police nicknamed her "Roof Ninja", because she wore black clothes and ski goggles.
She left the store without causing trouble.
The story shows it's important to be kind to others and lend a helping hand to those in need.
_______________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And for today's Tasty Tidbit,
Have you ever wondered what the world's longest novel (長篇小說) is?
According to Guinness World Records, it's the French novel "In Search of Lost Time".
It was written by Marcel Proust.
It's 1.5 million words long!
That's enough to fill about 4000 pages.
Ain't nobody got time for that!
________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hey there! Thanks for tuning in to today's New Bites!
I'm Paz Bueno.
And I'm Brody Halverson.
Today's stories…
A transgender man wins a landmark court case, dolphins are returning to India, and…if you could have a secret passage out of your room, where would it lead?
Let's check it out.
________________________________
無需手術更改性別證件
Nemo's Big Win: Changing ID Without Surgery!
Sex (生理性別) is the biological difference between males and females.
It's about our bodies and physical features.
它是關於我們的身體和外觀特徵。
Gender (社會學的性別), on the other hand, is about how we identify ourselves (如何辨識自己).
It's about how we feel inside and how we express ourselves.
它是關於我們內心的感受和表達方式。
Understanding the difference between sex and gender is very important for gender equity (性別平等).
Gender equity means that everyone, no matter if they are male, female, or transgender (跨性別者), has the same rights and opportunities.
Nemo, a transgender person, has won a landmark court case in Taiwan.
跨性別者Nemo在台灣贏得了一場重大的法律案件。
Nemo is the first person in Taiwan to change the gender on their ID card without having surgery.
Nemo是台灣第一個在沒有接受手術的情況下，成功更改身份證上性別的人。
Normally, transgender people must have surgery (手術) and get a doctor's approval (獲得醫生的批准) to change their gender on their ID cards.
But Nemo had some health problems and couldn't have the surgery.
When he asked to change his gender on his ID card without surgery, the household registration office (戶政事務所) said no.
So, Nemo took the case to court.
And the court agreed with Nemo!
They said making transgender people have surgery to change their gender is unfair (不公平).
It can hurt their health and rights.
The court said people should be able to decide their gender without having surgery.
This is a big win for Nemo and other transgender people in Taiwan.
Now, Nemo can proudly say he is a man without hiding anything.
The court told the household registration office to change Nemo's gender on his ID card to male.
The Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, a group that helps people like Nemo, is very happy about this decision.
They hope this will help more transgender people in the future.
They also hope the government will change the rules so that surgery is not needed to change gender on ID cards.
Nemo's case is important because it shows that everyone should have the right to choose their gender.
It also shows that the law can protect people's rights and dignity (法律可以保護人們的權利和尊嚴).
________________________________
河中更多的恒河豚！
More Gangetic Dolphins in the River!
A recent report by the Wildlife Institute of India says there are now more than 4,000 Gangetic dolphins in the Gangetic River basin.
根據印度野生動物研究所最近的一份報告，恒河流域現在有超過4000隻恒河豚。
Over 2,000 of these dolphins are found in Uttar Pradesh, mainly in the Chambal River (北方邦，在昌巴爾河).
This is good news because it means the river's pollution levels are going down (污染水平正在下降)…
…and the government's efforts to save these dolphins are working!
The Ganges river dolphin (恒河豚), also called the blind dolphin or Ganges susu, has the scientific name Platanista gangetica.
These dolphins live in rivers in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
這些豚生活在印度、尼泊爾和孟加拉的河流中。
They are blind (盲的) and live only in freshwater (淡水).
They hunt using sound waves (聲波) to find their prey.
Gangetic dolphins are usually alone or in small groups.
They need to come to the surface to breathe every 30 to 120 seconds, making a 'susu' sound when they exhale.
牠們每30到120秒需要浮出水面呼吸一次，呼氣時會發出"susu"的聲音。
The number of Gangetic dolphins has gone down because of several threats.
Sometimes, they get caught in fishing nets by accident.
Some people hunt them for oil used in traditional medicine.
Their homes are also being destroyed by development, pollution, and noise from boats.
The Indian government is doing many things to protect these dolphins.
They are listed under the Wildlife Protection Act, which gives them strong legal protection (法律保護).
They were also declared the National Aquatic Animal of India in 2010.
牠們還在2010年被宣佈為印度的國家水生動物。
The government has set up dolphin sanctuaries (保護區), like the Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary in Bihar and the Dolphin Sanctuary in the Chambal River.
They also started Project Dolphin in 2019 to help double the dolphin population by 2030.
The Wildlife Institute of India, established in 1982, plays a big role in training people, doing research, and giving advice on wildlife conservation (野生動物保護).
Let's hope the dolphin population in the Gangetic River basin continues to go up!
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
Nemo, a transgender person, has won a big court case.
Nemo is the first person in Taiwan to change the gender on their ID card without having surgery.
The court told the household registration office to change Nemo's gender on his ID card to male.
Now, Nemo can proudly say he is a man without hiding anything.
________________________________
And,
A recent report by the Wildlife Institute of India says there are now more than 4,000 Gangetic dolphins in the Gangetic River basin.
This is good news because it means the river's pollution levels are going down…
…and the government's efforts to save these dolphins are working!
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
So, Brody, if you could have a secret passage out of your room, where would it lead?
If I had a secret passage out of my house, it would lead to the moon!
Because it's a place I've never been before.
13-year-old Betty from Jiufenzi Junior High School in Tainan also has a fun idea!
….
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hi there.
It's time for an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Kelly Kimura.
In today's episode, a little love for unloved veggies, and tons of love for a K-pop star!
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
This sea animal gives new meaning to the phrase "all heart"!
Stay tuned for all that and more, coming up next.
________________________________
學生拯救「討人厭蔬菜」
Operation "Save the 'Bleh' Vegetables"
Hey there sprout!
We're on a rescue mission.
Some sad vegetables need saving!
Are there some vegetables that you just can't stand?
Seeing them makes you go "bleh"!
Everyone likes different things.
But there are definitely some vegetables that are a bit more…unpopular (不受歡迎).
Ahem…you know…like…eggplant, green peppers…shh.
But these veggies have a lot to give!
Many of them are packed with vitamins and minerals.
They're also full of fiber, which helps your gut (腸道) stay healthy.
These veggies are chock full of goodness!
But how do we get kids to give them a chance?
A school in Kaohsiung has a plan.
It's turning students into veggie farmers!
Kaohsiung Municipal Sinshang Primary School students are growing vegetables right on the school's balconies.
高雄新上國小的老師帶著學生在班級陽台上種了許多"討人厭蔬菜".
This year, some grade 3 students planted green peppers, bitter melon, eggplant, basil and more!
今年三年級學生種了青椒、苦瓜、茄子、九層塔等。
The students got the soil ready, and put in the seeds.
They got to see the small green sprouts (芽) grow.
They saw the green pepper and eggplant sprouts grow some beautiful flowers.
And they saw how the vegetables slowly formed from those flowers.
But…many of them still did not want to eat these vegetables.
So their teachers took the next step.
First, they helped the students learn about the nutritional value (營養成分) in each of these vegetables.
Then, they asked the students to become chefs (主廚) for a day!
The students washed, cut, and cooked the vegetables.
Some students thought the vegetables didn't taste that bad.
Some even asked for more!
And that's how these "bleh!" veggies became "yum!" veggies.
So next time you see an unpopular vegetable, remember, it might be hiding a delicious surprise!
Who knows, maybe you'll even become a veggie farmer yourself someday!
Happy eating, sprouts!
________________________________
BTS Jin辦「千人擁抱會」
BTS Jin Gives Away 1,000 Hugs
Brace yourselves BTS fans!
Get ready to sing and dance…
Because Jin is back!
BTS member Jin has just finished his service (服兵役) in the South Korean military.
The K-pop star spent 18 months in training.
The 31-year-old served as an assistant drill instructor at a training center.
Now he is returning to stardom.
And to celebrate (慶祝), Jin gave away 1,000 hugs!
BTS成員Jin正式退伍，在南韓舉辦粉絲擁抱會。
It was part of a big party for BTS fans, called "BTS Festa".
It was held in Seoul.
Before the party, 1,000 lucky fans were chosen in a raffle (抽籤).
Then that day, Jin stood onstage.
He wore a sign (吊牌) that said "Hug Me".
And the chosen fans walked up one by one to get a hug or a handshake (握手)!
Everyone was very happy.
There was a lot of happy screaming.
And there might have been some happy crying too.
Jin's bandmates couldn't be there.
RM, J-Hope, Suga, V, Jimin, and Jung Kook are still serving.
But they got to take a little bit of time off to meet with Jin at the military base (軍事基地).
They gave Jin flowers.
And RM even played their hit song "Dynamite" on a saxophone (薩克斯風).
And the band members all wrote letters to their fans.
The letters were read out loud days later, at BTS Festa.
Aside from hugging fans at the Festa, Jin also tried out some new TikTok trends.
And he sang some of his solo songs, like "Super Tuna".
He also sang the band's song "Moon".
Jin is the first BTS member to finish military service.
The band will probably get back together in June 2025.
________________________________
So in today's News Bites,
Kaohsiung Municipal Sinshang Primary School students are growing vegetables right on the school's balconies, and cooking them.
This helped the students learn about the veggies, including their nutritional value.
In the end, some students thought the vegetables didn't taste that bad, and some even asked for more!
So next time you see an unpopular vegetable, remember, it might be hiding a delicious surprise!
________________________________
And,
BTS member Jin has just finished his service in the South Korean military.
And to celebrate, Jin gave away 1,000 hugs!
Jin is the first BTS member to finish military service.
The band will probably get back together in June 2025.
_______________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And for today's Tasty Tidbit,
It's one of the coolest creatures in the ocean - the octopus! Did you know octopuses have three hearts? Yup, you heard that right, THREE hearts!
So, how does that work? Well, two of their hearts pump blood to their gills. The gills are where they get oxygen from the water. It's like the octopus's way of taking a big, deep breath.
The third heart pumps blood to the rest of their body, making sure every part of the octopus gets the oxygen it needs to swim, hunt, and do all its amazing octopus things!
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or an interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hi everybody, it's time for a new episode of News Bites.
I'm Jacob Ingram.
And I'm Nancy Sun.
In today's stories: A man from Hsinchu spends a week in the desert, and a photo of a bird surprises people.
Let's go!
________________________________
台灣人徒步穿越非洲沙漠
Taiwanese Man Walks Across African Desert
Could you walk across the desert (沙漠)?
I don't know.
If I tried to do that, I might just die.
The desert is so hot and dry (乾燥).
It sounds really difficult.
But it's not impossible.
Some people still do it.
In fact, a guy from Taiwan recently finished a race (比賽) across the desert.
It was a man from Hsinchu County named Gao Yu-jin (高玉金).
He travelled all the way to Africa, to the country of Namibia, to join a race across the Namib Desert.
The Namib Desert is not an easy place to survive. It is the oldest desert in the world, and one of the driest.
Gao went there to join a 7-day race across the desert. It was an ultramarathon, meaning Gao had to go on foot 250 kilometers to finish the race.
高玉金從台灣新竹前往非洲納米比亞參加超級馬拉松。
Gao knew it would be very hard. The desert was harsh, and temperatures sometimes got up to 50 degrees Celsius during the day.
What's more, Gao is already 60 years old.
Many of the other racers were younger and fitter.
But Gao was determined to do it (決心這麼做).
He carried a heavy backpack with lots of water to drink.
He also had protective clothing to ward off the sun, and walking poles (登山杖) to help him keep his balance as he trekked across the desert dunes.
It was really tough (辛苦).
Gao said he felt mixed emotions during the race, such as resentment, helplessness, and pain.
He said he often thought about giving up, but still he kept on going.
他說比賽時心情很複雜，有怨恨、茫然、痛苦等等。他說他途中多次想要放棄，但是他堅持了下來。
Finally, after a week in the desert, he finished the race, getting 74th place.
After the race, he got on social media to say he was proud of himself.
Gao thanked his family for supporting him.
He said the race made him believe that every person has unlimited potential (無限的潛力).
So how about it?
Do you want to try walking across the desert?
The race happens every year.
Maybe one day, it will be you out there, testing your strength and endurance.
________________________________
攝影師贏得人工智慧攝影比賽獎項
Photographer Wins AI Photo Contest
Have you ever seen picture made by AI?
Yes. Some of them are super weird (超奇怪).
If you ask AI to make a photo of an animal, it might show you an animal with two faces!
That's scary.
On the other hand, lots of AI photos are super cool.
Sometimes, you can't even tell (看不出來) the photo was made by AI.
You know, some people use AI photos to win photography contests (攝影比賽), even if that is against the rules.
When the judges find out the photos come from AI, the photos get disqualified (被取消了比賽資格).
That makes sense, as people worry about AI replacing human artists.
But now one human artist is fighting back.
In a recent contest, the photographer (攝影師) Miles Astray broke the rules, but in the opposite way.
He took a real photo, but made it look like an AI photo.
Then he entered it in a contest for AI photos, and he won!
What was the photo?
It was a photo of a pink bird - a flamingo (紅鶴) - standing on the beach.
The flamingo looks like it has no head, like a lot of creepy AI photos do.
But it was actually a real photo of a flamingo.
The bird was hiding its head in its feathers, which is what real flamingos do when they sleep.
照片看起來像一隻沒有頭的鳥，但實際上是一隻正在睡覺的紅鶴。
The judges thought it was a weird and cool AI photo, and they gave it a prize.
Imagine their surprise (驚訝) when the photographer told them it was a real photo he took with his camera.
Of course, the photographer was disqualified from the contest.
But he feels his project was a success, because he made people think.
他讓大家思考。
He says he wants people to question (質疑) the pictures they see.
People should always ask themselves: Could that be real, or was it created with AI?
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites:
A Taiwanese guy raced across the African desert.
Gao Yu-jin traveled from Hsinchu to Namibia to join the 7-day ultramarathon.
It wasn't easy, but after 250 kilometers, Gao finally walked across the finish line.
________________________________
And,
A photographer surprised people when he won an AI photo contest using a real photo.
His photo of a flamingo looks weird enough to be made by a computer, but it's totally real.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
For today's Tasty Tidbit,
Did you know the Earth isn't perfectly round?
While the Earth may appear round, it's actually slightly flat at the top and bottom, which are called the poles.
It's also a bit wider in the middle - the equator (赤道).
This is because the Earth spins (旋轉) very fast, which causes a bulge (凸出) at the equator.
________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode. We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hi there.
It's time for an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Hope Ngo.
In today's episode, more problems from plastic, and elephants know their names!
And today's Tasty Tidbit takes a dark turn…
Stay tuned for all that and more, coming up next.
________________________________
台灣人體內塑化劑濃度高美國人7倍
Plasticizers in our Bodies
The world is facing a serious problem with plastic pollution.
And it may affect us in more ways than we thought.
Recently, Taipei Medical University and National Health Research Institutes (國家衛生研究院) did a study together.
The study found that people in Taiwan had 2 to 7 times more plasticizer in their bodies than people in Europe and the U.S.
Plasticizer is added to materials to make them softer and more flexible (有彈性).
Plasticizer is often added to polymer (聚合物) and PVC.
It makes it easier to change the shape of these materials.
Plasticizer is also added to concrete (混凝土) to improve strength.
Plasticizer does get into our bodies.
But experts say it takes only a few days for us to metabolize (代謝) the plasticizer.
So why are the levels so high in Taiwanese people?
It may be that we come into contact with a lot of plasticizer, and often.
We are exposed to plasticizers on a daily basis.
Often when we buy food in Taiwan, they come in plastic bags…
Even when it's hot food or soup.
When people heat food in microwaves, the plastic wrap (保鮮膜) is often still wrapped on the food.
Plasticizers in our bodies can cause many different problems.
Experts say plasticizer can affect thyroid hormones (甲狀腺荷爾蒙), insulin (胰島素) and other hormonal functions (荷爾蒙功能).
It can also disrupt menstrual cycles (干擾月經週期).
Some plasticizers impair (影響) child development, heighten cancer risks and other effects.
The experts say cutting down exposure is very important.
They say we should use reusable tableware.
And they say we should learn about different materials.
Some single-use tableware is covered with a layer of waterproof plastic (防水塑膠膜).
If the food is very hot, or the tableware is heated, there is a risk.
The plastic may release harmful chemicals.
專家建議，購買外帶食物最好能夠自備環保容器或餐盒。
Looks like the reduction of plastic tableware is something that cannot be put off.
________________________________
大象會用"名字"呼叫彼此
Elephants Call Each Other by Name
Animals have their own ways to communicate with each other.
Dolphins mimic (模仿).
Studies have shown that some dolphins call one another by making the signature (特色) whistle of the dolphin they want to call.
Some parrots also do this.
But elephants do something different.
A new study shows that elephants call out to each other using something like names!
It's a bit like our human names.
But elephants use names that they made up for other elephants.
A team of international scientists looked at the calls of two herds of elephants in Kenya.
They listened closely to the sounds these elephants made.
They played a recording to an elephant of others calling out its name.
They found the elephant responded positively (正面的) and energetically.
But when the names of other elephants were played, they did not respond.
The scientists think this shows that elephants use different sounds for each of their friends and family members.
And they know when other elephants are calling them.
The scientists say this means that elephants and humans may be the only two animals that can make up names for each other.
The scientists say in some ways, this makes sense.
They say humans and elephants share many similarities (共同點).
Both live with families and relatives.
Both live social lives.
Elephants also have highly-developed brains.
There's a saying that goes, “an elephant never forgets.”
或許還有其他動物跟我們一樣，擁有進步的溝通機制，等著我們去發現。
________________________________
So in today's News Bites,
A new study finds that people in Taiwan had 2 to 7 times more plasticizer in their bodies than people in Europe and the U.S.
It may be that we come into contact with a lot of plasticizer, and often.
The experts say cutting down exposure is very important.
________________________________
And,
A new study shows that elephants call out to each other using something like names!
But elephants use names that they made up for other elephants.
The scientists say this means that elephants and humans may be the only two animals that can make up names for each other.
_______________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And for today's Tasty Tidbit,
What building has the most stories?
Taipei 101?
Nope, the library!
Now, are you afraid of the dark? 6th graders Lien Yu-en and Lin Zhi-hsuan from Yunlin County's Wen-chang Elementary School think maybe you just need to understand it better!
********
________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or an interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites! -
Hey there! Thanks for tuning in to today's New Bites!
I'm Paz Bueno.
And I'm Nancy Sun.
Today's stories…
Taiwan on the AI stage, Mexico's first woman president, and what animal would you want to be?
Let's check it out.
________________________________
人工智慧科技成為焦點！
COMPUTEX 2024: AI Tech Takes the Spotlight!
COMPUTEX 2024 ended on June 7th and was a big success.
Over four days, more than 85,000 tech buyers (科技買家) and professionals from countries like Japan, the USA, South Korea, and many others visited the event.
This year's theme was "Connecting AI," and it brought a lot of attention to Taiwan (讓台灣成為矚目的焦點).
Many companies showed off (展示) their newest AI products.
Acer and ASUS introduced new AI-powered laptops.
宏碁和華碩推出了新款 AI 驅動的筆記型電腦。
These laptops use AI to make them smarter (更聰明) and more efficient (更有效率).
There were also many new smart cars (智慧汽車) on display.
Companies showed off new car technology, including smart cockpit solutions (智慧駕駛艙解決方案).
In the communications area, Taiwan's role in advanced communications (先進通訊) was highlighted.
ASUS and ASKEY worked together to create 5G network solutions.
華碩和亞旭合作創建了 5G 網路解決方案。
Another exciting area was the Metaverse, where a company showed eye-tracking tech for augmented reality (擴增實境的眼球追蹤技術), and another demonstrated a 3D recording system (3D 錄影系統).
Many famous tech leaders (科技領袖) spoke at COMPUTEX.
Dr. Lisa Su from AMD started the event.
Other speakers included Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon, Intel's Pat Gelsinger, and NVIDIA's Jensen Huang.
They talked about how AI and other technologies are changing the world.
COMPUTEX also focused on sustainability.
Companies like BenQ won the gold award for sustainable design.
ASUS and Acer both won silver, and other companies received special awards for their eco-friendly designs.
COMPUTEX 2025 will be held from May 20 to 23, 2025.
________________________________
墨西哥史上第一位女總統！
Mexico's First Female President!
Claudia Sheinbaum has made history by becoming Mexico's first female president.
She won with a big lead, getting about 60% of the votes.
Her main opponent was a businesswoman who got around 30% of the votes.
Claudia will take over (接替) from President Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador on October 1st.
She promised to continue the good work of President L?pez Obrador.
She wants to keep helping people through welfare programs (福利計劃).
In her victory speech, she said this win is not just for her, but for all women.
Claudia also thanked her opponent, who admitted defeat (承認敗選).
Claudia Sheinbaum has a background (背景) in science.
She studied physics and energy engineering.
她學習物理和能源工程。
Before politics, she worked as a scientist and studied energy use in Mexico.
Her grandparents came from Bulgaria and Lithuania, fleeing from the Nazis.
她的祖父母為了躲避納粹的迫害，從保加利亞和立陶宛來到墨西哥。
Before running for president, Claudia was the mayor (市長) of Mexico City.
She was the first woman to hold this position.
An 87-year-old woman named Edelmira Montiel said she was happy to see a woman become president.
In the past, women in Mexico couldn't vote or had to vote as their husbands told them.
Claudia Sheinbaum will face many challenges as president.
She plans to tackle violence by addressing its causes and investing in welfare programs.
她打算從根本處理暴力事件，並且投資各種社會福利，來解決墨西哥的暴力問題。
She also wants to have a good relationship with the United States and protect Mexicans living there.
Claudia had strong support (支持) from the outgoing president, L?pez Obrador, who is very popular.
Many people voted for her because they wanted to continue his programs to reduce poverty (減貧計劃).
________________________________
So, in today's News Bites…
COMPUTEX 2024 ended on June 7th and was a big success.
Over four days, more than 85,000 tech buyers and professionals from countries like Japan, the USA, South Korea, and many others visited the event.
This year's theme was "Connecting AI," and it brought a lot of attention to Taiwan.
________________________________
And,
Claudia Sheinbaum has made history by becoming Mexico's first female president.
Claudia will take over from President Andr?s Manuel L?pez Obrador on October 1st.
She will face many challenges as president.
She plans to tackle violence by addressing its causes and investing in welfare programs.
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
What animal would you be?
Where would you live, and what would you look like?
I think if I were an animal, I would be a panda.
I could eat bamboo leaves all day, and sleep as much as I want in the bamboo forest.
I would have a round body, and black and white fur!
Lin Pin-yen (林*諺) from Jiufenzi Elementary and Junior High School in Tainan City shared what his life would be like…if he were a fish!
"If I were a fish, I'd swim in the sea with shiny scales and a wavy tail.
I'd find hidden caves underwater.
I'd feel the ocean's waves gently carrying me to new places.
In the sea, I'd see big whales and tiny seahorses.
And I'd learn the language of the sea.
As a fish, I would live peacefully in the sea, loving its beauty and secrets.
If I were a fish, it would be amazing."
If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
-
Hi everyone! It's time for an all-new episode of News Bites.
I'm Jacob Ingram.
And I'm Hope Ngo.
In today's episode, a machine that can get energy from seawater, and tourists destroying property in a Japanese town.
And for today's Tasty Tidbit: the world's best-selling video game.
Stay tuned for those stories.
________________________________
把海水變成能源的神奇機器
A Machine That Can Turn Seawater into Energy
Did you know you can make energy from seawater?
A research team at National Sun Yat-sen University says they've made a machine that can break down seawater to get hydrogen (氫).
They say it's the first of its kind in the world.
Why would anyone want hydrogen?
Hydrogen is a clean fuel that only makes water as a byproduct (副產品), making it good for the earth.
Hydrogen is important because it makes green electricity.
Green electricity is made from solar, wind, or hydro power.
It doesn't use fossil fuels.
Many industries (行業) need hydrogen to make important chemicals like rocket fuel (火箭燃料).
It's also important for making metals stronger.
So, how does the machine make hydrogen from seawater?
It does it by using electrolysis (電解), which causes a chemical reaction.
The machine passes an electric current (電流) through seawater, helping water molecules (水分子) split up.
It sounds like something we should be able to do easily.
But it's not easy.
The lack of technology is a problem.
It's difficult to show that making big amounts of hydrogen is possible.
目前最大的困難之一，在於還沒有 那樣的技術，來 證 明大量生產氫氣辦得到。
But the new machine is exciting because its inventors say it can produce plenty of hydrogen.
The machine will help Taiwan accomplish its dream of becoming a zero emissions (零排放) country by 2050.
Then Taiwan won't need to buy energy like oil from other countries anymore.
The researchers have been working with the government to make their special machine.
But it's not enough.
And they are hoping other government and industry partners will work with them develop this promising technology.
________________________________
富士山美景被遮擋 觀光客卻找辦法攝影
Holes in Screen Fail to Block Mount Fuji Photos
At the foot of Mount Fuji, there is a town that enjoys amazing views of this special mountain.
This town has a long name - Fujikawaguchiko - and it's got big problems.
Tourists who are trying to take pictures of Mount Fuji have been bothering the locals that live in the area.
They've been blocking pavements, walking into busy roads, and standing on private property to take photos.
因為當地人抱怨遊客堵住了人行道、占用繁忙的道路、並且還站在私人領地上拍照。
So to stop the tourists from taking photos of the mountain, officials there put up a big black screen.
The screen is outside the Lawson convenience store.
If you take a picture from there, it looks like Mount Fuji is sitting on the roof.
But the screen didn't stop some sneaky tourists from trying to take their pictures anyway.
Destroying public property is something we should never do, particularly when we are visitors in a new country.
But some tourists don't seem to remember this, because they have cut holes in the screen and in fences.
Officials found about ten holes at eye level the day after the screen was put up.
They think some tourists made holes in the screen just the right size for a camera lens.
This kind of behavior is one reason why many people around the world don't like tourists, and not just in Japan.
In fact, overtourism (過度旅遊) is a problem in many in many countries around the world.
So governments are coming up with ways to deal with this problem.
For example, Venice in Italy charges a €5 fee for tourists to enter the city on certain days to manage the crowds.
That's about 175 NT.
The Canary Islands (加那利群島) are considering stricter rules to control the number of visitors.
In Tenerife (特內里費島), locals protested to limit tourist arrivals.
And last September, some parts of a popular heritage site in Peru - Machu Picchu (馬丘比丘) - were closed to tourists because of erosion (侵蝕).
Let's remember to respect local customs and be considerate when travelling to other countries.
________________________________
So in today's News Bites,
A research team at National Sun Yat-sen University made the world's first prototype that can generate hydrogen from seawater.
It does this via electrolysis, which is using electricity to cause a reaction.
The team said their machine can make produce hydrogen on a large scale.
________________________________
And,
Officials in the Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko put up a black screen to stop tourists taking pictures of Mount Fuji.
But some tourists are suspected of making holes in the screen.
Despite this, officials say the screen has helped reduce some problems.
_______________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Did you know the best-selling video game of all time is Minecraft?
Minecraft has sold over 300 million copies.
Have you played Minecraft before?
________________________________
And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or an interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!
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