News Bites

Hello! And welcome back to another episode of News Bites. I’m Paz Bueno. And I’m Nancy Sun. We have some good news and bad news for you today: Taiwan’s wind farms are super-efficient, and breaking a 400-year heat record. And in today’s Tasty Tidbit…self-aware animals! Let’s check it out. ________________________________ 台灣離岸風電達新高 Taiwan’s Offshore Wind Farm Hits New High **Renewable energy (再生能源) is becoming more and more important around the world. ** **Instead of relying on fossil fuels (化石燃料) like oil and coal, many countries are now turning to cleaner, greener sources of energy. ** Renewable energy sources can help protect the environment (保護環境) and reduce pollution (減少污染). And Taiwan is working hard to use more renewable energy! **One of the biggest projects we have is building offshore wind farms (離岸風力發電場). ** **These wind farms create electricity by using the power of the wind. ** Taiwan Power Company (台灣電力公司) has made big improvements to its Phase 1 (第一階段的) offshore wind farm. After several months of work, the wind farm is now running at 90% efficiency! 經過幾個月的努力，這個離岸風力發電場現在的運行效率已經達到90%！ This is great news for Taiwan’s green energy plans. It wasn’t easy at first. The wind farm had to be shut down (停機) a few times to make sure everything was working well. And the team needed time to get used to the ocean environment (適應海洋環境). **But since April, things have gotten a lot better. ** Thanks to regular check-ups and repairs, the wind farm is running smoothly. 由於定期檢查和維修，風力發電場運行得很順利。 The building for the wind farm’s operations center has taken longer to finish, though. ** 然而，風力發電場營運中心的建設比預期花了更長的時間。** But the company is working hard to speed things up (加緊努力) and hopes to finish the center by June next year. ________________________________ 大堡礁面臨高溫威脅！ Heat Threatens Great Barrier Reef! **Global warming (全球暖化) is something we’ve been hearing about for a long time. ** ** We already know it’s changing the Earth. ** These changes affect (影響) not just the land, but also the oceans. **In fact, some of the most beautiful and important ecosystems (生態系統), like coral reefs (珊瑚礁), are in danger because of global warming. ** One famous reef facing serious trouble is the Great Barrier Reef (大堡礁). **Researchers in Australia recently found that ocean temperatures around the reef are now the highest they've been in 400 years! ** ** 大堡礁附近的海洋溫度已經達到400年來的最高點！** These high temperatures are causing coral bleaching (珊瑚白化), where the corals turn white and become weak. In the past nine years, there have been five major coral-bleaching events. 在過去的九年裡，已經發生了五次大規模的珊瑚白化事件。 **Coral bleaching happens when the water gets too warm, and the coral loses the special algae (藻類) that live inside it. ** Without the algae, the coral turns white, and if the water stays hot, the coral can die. Coral is very important because it provides a home for many sea animals. **The researchers hope that this new information will encourage people to act quickly to stop global warming. ** ** 研究人員希望，這些新發現能讓大家趕快採取行動，阻止全球暖化。** While the situation is serious, they believe there’s still hope (仍有希望). If the world can work together to lower temperatures, the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs might still survive (活下去). The Great Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage site (世界遺產). Scientists are pushing for it to be listed as “endangered” to help protect it. 科學家們正在推動將其列為“瀕危”遺產，以幫助保護它。 Saving the reef is important, not just for Australia, but for the world. ________________________________ So, in today’s News Bites… Taipower has made big improvements to its Phase 1 offshore wind farm. After several months of work, the wind farm is now running at 90% efficiency! This is great news for Taiwan’s green energy plans. ________________________________ And, **Researchers in Australia recently found that ocean temperatures around the Great Barrier Reef are now the highest they've been in 400 years! ** These high temperatures are causing coral bleaching, where the corals turn white and become weak. The researchers hope that this new information will encourage people to act quickly to stop global warming. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Do you know who you are? That’s a deep question… Well—I mean, you can recognize yourself in the mirror, right? **Of course! I know what I look like. I have self-awareness. Duh. ** Well, did you know humans are not the only self-aware creatures that live on Earth? Dolphins, elephants, and chimpanzees are self-aware, too! That’s amazing!  **It means they have a deeper understanding of the world around them and their place in it. ** It opens up a whole new level of thinking and feeling. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Kelly Kimura. In today's stories, top night markets for international visitors, and a big bird takes over the New York skyline. And in today's Tasty Tidbit, one student from New Taipei tells us all about a strange animal! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ______________________________________________________ 外國觀光客最愛台灣的那些夜市? Visiting Tourists Rank Favorite Night Markets We're used to visiting Taiwan's awesome night markets whenever we want. Looking to do some shopping? Feel like shooting some darts (飛鏢)? Or how about some delicious treats? Night markets are a super fun way to enjoy a night out (外出玩樂的夜晚). And visitors from other countries love night markets too. In fact, a government survey shows night markets are a favorite thing to try out for international tourists! But which ones do they like best? The survey shows the famous Shilin Night Market in Taipei was the top choice. Almost 38 percent of visitors made sure to stop by there on their trip to Taiwan. Government data shows that around 2.4 million international tourists visit Shilin Night Market every year! Then there's Raohe Street Night Market, with almost 29 percent. And rounding out the Taipei trio, is Ningxia Night Market at 17 percent. But hold up, there's lots of love for places outside of Taipei too. Down south in Kaohsiung, Liuhe Night Market takes the fourth spot. It's the most popular night market outside of Taipei, attracting almost 7 percent of international visitors. And Taichung's Fengjia Night Market takes fifth, with just over 6-percent. Overall, the survey shows that almost 6.5 million tourists visited Taiwan last year. And it seems like they had a great time. Over 97 percent said they really enjoyed their trip. And more than half said they would visit Taiwan again within five years. 去年來台的外國觀光客有將近650萬人，97%對台灣旅遊感到滿意，過一半說願意五年內再回來玩。 Many said they liked that Taiwan's people are so friendly. They also said it was very easy to get around, and the island felt very safe. ______________________________________________________ "鴿"吉拉? 巨型鴿子雕像佔領紐約高架公園 Giant Pigeon Sculpture Takes New York Something BIG is headed to New York City. What is that? It's as tall as a building. It's got sharp claws on its feet! It's not Godzilla… It's not aliens… Is that…is that a…pigeon? Pigeons are everywhere in New York City. They hang around on the streets. They look for food in parks. They sit and relax on buildings. They are a part of the city. In fact, scientists think there are more pigeons in New York City than people! They estimate (估計) that there are about 9 million pigeons in NYC, compared to 8 million people. A long, long time ago, there weren't any pigeons in the area. Scientists think European settlers (歐洲定居者) brought pigeons to the city in the 17th century. And pigeons are definitely a part of the city now. But guess what, these birds are about to get "SUPER-SIZED" The city is putting a realistic sculpture (真實的雕像) of a pigeon in High Line Park (高架公園). And this pigeon sculpture is about 5 meters tall. That's almost as tall as a giraffe! And what would you name this huge piece of art? "Giant Pigeon"? Or "Big Bird"? How about…"Dinosaur". "Dinosaur" is made by an artist named Ivan Argote. Ivan likes putting pigeons into his art. And he says he calls this sculpture "Dinosaur", because it's so big. Ivan also says dinosaurs are ancestors (祖先) of pigeons. 這隻巨型的"鴿子"名為 "Dinosaur", 是藝術家Ivan Argote 打造的雕塑。 City officials say Ivan's art is very interesting. They say he can take something familiar (熟悉)… And make people think about it in a new and different way. What do New Yorkers think about this giant pigeon statue? They'll have some time to think about it. "Dinosaur" will loom over New York City for 18 months. ______________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: A government survey says night markets are a favorite thing to try out for international tourists! The survey shows the famous Shilin Night Market in Taipei was the top choice. Down south in Kaohsiung, Liuhe Night Market takes the fourth spot. And Taichung's Fengjia Night Market takes fifth. ______________________________________________________ New York City is putting a realistic sculpture of a pigeon in High Line Park. This pigeon is almost as tall as a giraffe! The sculpture is called "Dinosaur". ______________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit In today's Tasty Tidbit…. How does a lion say "hello" to other animals? It says "Pleased to EAT you!" And now 10-year-old Ray from TYK Elementary and Junior High School in New Taipei tells us all about another fun animal. ****** 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 at newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 episode of News Bites! I'm Nancy Sun. And I'm Jacob Ingram. Today's stories… Taiwan takes top marks for invention, and fans keep quiet for these sports. And in today's Tasty Tidbit…. Water that's boiling AND freezing? All that and more, coming up next! ________________________________ 台東國小生獲達文西發明展金牌獎 Taiwan Takes Top Marks at Innovation Competition Ever had an idea that could make life a little easier or just more fun? Inventions (發明) start with simple ideas. And this year, some Taiwan inventors (發明者) took their simple ideas… And turned everyday problems into award-winning solutions! Some of Taiwan's brightest minds just took home a bunch of medals at the 5th AII American DAVINCI International Innovation and Invention Expo. There were 14 countries, including China, South Korea, Thailand and the US, that were competing (比賽) at the expo this year. All in all, Taiwan inventors won 20 gold medals, 8 silver, 3 bronze, and even 4 special awards. Taiwan scored the highest out of all the countries! One of these cool inventions came from three clever students from Fengli Elementary School in Taitung County (台東縣的豐里國小). Lin Hung-ming, Hsu Tsu-chieh, and Chang En-kai turned a simple tape dispenser (膠帶座) into something magical! How magical, you ask? Their teachers had to put posters (海報) up in the classroom. And these students saw their teachers twisting tape around their fingers to make single-sided tape double-sided. This took a lot of extra time. So, they made something that can be added to the tape dispenser. It is shaped a bit like a "C". And this "C" helps to turn single-sided tape into double-sided tape with a quick pull! 這3名學生的發明，讓單面膠帶撕下來就成雙面膠帶。 And this "C" can be easily put away if you just need regular tape. Talk about genius! Their invention won gold and a special award! 這個"單面膠台變雙面膠台的簡便結構"拿下一面金牌與一面特別獎。 So, whether it's making tape easier to use or finding new ways to fight disease (疾病)… We can all come up with something extraordinary (令人驚奇的). Keep those ideas flowing, and maybe you’ll be next! ________________________________ 看不見的比賽：巴黎帕運"盲人足球" Silent Soccer: Why These Fans Have to Keep Quiet Sports fans… They make a lot of noise! Clapping, cheering, shouting… It's their way to support their favorite players. And it's also fun! But… Fans of these sports have to keep quiet, if they want to support their team. Blind football and goalball are a lot like soccer. But these games are for visually-impaired players (盲人足球員). Fans have to stay silent during some parts of the game. Players are people who cannot see at all. Or they can only see a little bit of light. So these players need to LISTEN. They listen for the ball and other sounds. 盲人足球員需要用聽力來進行比賽，所以觀眾必須維持安靜。 There is a little bell (鈴鐺) in the ball. This helps the players hear where the ball is going. The players also yell out to each other. This helps them work together to get the ball into the other team's net. And fans have to stay silent. An announcer will say "shh" if there is noise. This means EVERYONE is focused (專注) on what's happening on the field. These games were played at the Paralympics in Paris this summer. A player on Brazil's national team says the team can feel the fans' focus. He says they can feel that energy on the field. And the announcer also let's everyone know when it's ok to cheer. Sometimes, a runner comes onto the field with a big sign (告示牌). The sign says "GET LOUD!!!!" And everyone cheers! Some fans go to regular soccer matches too. But they say blind football and goalball are very special. So whether you're cheering loud or staying quiet, one thing's for sure… These sports show us a whole new way to be a fan and have fun! ________________________________ So, in todays' News Bites…. Some of Taiwan's brightest minds just took home a bunch of medals at the 5th AII American DAVINCI International Innovation and Invention Expo. Three clever students from Fengli Elementary School in Taitung County made something that can be added to a tape dispenser. It turns single-sided tape into double-sided tape with a quick pull! Talk about genius! ________________________________ And, Blind football and goalball are a lot like soccer, but these games are for visually-impaired players. Fans have to stay silent during some parts of the game. Players are people who cannot see at all, or can only see a little bit of light. So these players need to listen for the ball and other sounds. These games were played at the Paralympics in Paris this summer. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And in today's Tasty Tidbit… Here's something that will tickle your brain… Did you know that water can freeze (結冰) and boil (沸騰) at the same time? You need just the right temperature and just the right level of pressure, and water can be solid, liquid, AND gas, all at once! And that does it for today's 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 another episode of News Bites! I'm Nancy Sun. And I'm Kelly Kimura. In today's stories, a delicious reason to travel, and new ways to build with dirt. Let's get started! ________________________________ 國內遊客重視美食 Domestic Tourists More Interested in Food When you travel, what is your reason for visiting a place? Is it the stunning scenery, the fun activities, or the delicious food? The Tourism Administration (觀光署) took a survey. They asked people aged 12 or older about traveling in Taiwan. Almost 29 percent said "convenient transportation" (交通方便) was the most important. 18 percent said "relaxation or promoting good health" was most important. And 12-percent felt "delicious food" was the most important. Even though food was third on the list, more and more people think it is important when traveling in Taiwan. Before the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情), only 8 percent thought food was most important. But there are still problems. Some people traveling in Taiwan say many places are not very unique (獨特). And delicious food may be able to help with that. Experts say local dishes and specialties (地方特產) can attract travelers. For example, have you visited Sheng-keng Old Street to try stinky tofu dishes? And experts say cafes are also becoming popular. Many people like to visit special cafes during their trip. After the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are traveling alone, or in small groups. Experts say these tourists like more local and personal (個人的) experiences. And there are now more cafes with local specialties. They sell local products (產品), like coffee beans, tea leaves or snacks made from local produce (農產品). Many cafes also open in old buildings. They renovate (整修) the buildings. It gives visitors a retro (復古) experience. Then there's also Taiwan's hot weather. When it's so hot outside, many people would rather relax in a cafe. 許多專家表示，國旅應該要結合當地美食才能更有效益。 And at the end of the day, everybody has to eat, right? ________________________________ 坦尚尼亞用泥土3D列印蓋村莊 Tanzania to Build 3D Printed Village Using Soil 3D printing has advanced rapidly over the years. Many countries now use the technology for building things. NASA is even planning to build a base (基地) on the moon using 3D printing. Many 3D printed buildings are made from concrete (混凝土) or some kind of cement (水泥). These materials are cheap. They are also durable (耐用).But, they are not really eco-friendly. Now experts have come up with a sustainable (永續) 3-D printing material. And it's made from soil (土)! In Tanzania, architects (建築師) want to build a new village. The project is called "Hope Village". There will be almost 50 buildings in the village. These buildings will be homes, schools, and daycare centers for almost 500 children! But why are these architects using soil? Humans have been building with soil since the beginning of history. But old ways of using soil make very thick walls. This means air can't get through the building very well. So the architects came up with a new kind of wall. They use 3D printing to build up layers of soil. The layers are made with curved columns (柱子). And these columns are interconnected (交錯). This leaves space for light and air to go through. And a thin wire mesh (鐵絲網) is between the layers. This makes the walls stronger. The soil for the walls can be collected close by. And the roof will be made from wood. This helps protect the walls from rain. The architects plan to make buildings for communities. And they want to train local people to use 3D printers. This will help the community build what they need themselves. 建築團隊希望透過這個方式讓當地居民能日後自己建造房屋。 ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: A survey finds that 12 percent of tourists in Taiwan felt "delicious food" was the most important. Experts say local dishes and specialties can attract travelers. And experts say cafes are also becoming popular. Experts say these tourists like more local experiences. And there are now more cafes with local specialties. ________________________________ And, In Tanzania, architects want to build a new village using 3D printing and soil. The project is called "Hope Village". There will be almost 50 buildings in the village. These buildings will be homes, schools, and daycare centers for almost 500 children! New ways of building leaves space for light and air to go through buildings. Architects also want to train local people to use 3D printers, so communities can build what they need themselves. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit For today's Tasty Tidbit…We've got a few laughs to go with your lunch. You ready? Why did the student eat his homework? The teacher told him it was a piece of cake! And…..Why do fish avoid the computer? So they don't get caught on the InterNET! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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: The world's most sustainable companies include Taiwanese companies and sea lions help scientists help them! And in today's Tasty Tidbit…a university student uses Rubik's Cubes to what? Stay tuned for more on those stories! ___________________________________________________________ 台灣企業 登上全球永續企業名單 Taiwanese Companies on the World's Most Sustainable Companies List Many companies do something to help the environment (環境). But some companies make protecting (保護) the environment a big part of their business. They think about the sustainability (永續性) of the products (產品) they make, the buildings (建築) they work in, and much more. A U.S. magazine (雜誌) worked with a data (數據) company to find the most sustainable (可持?性) companies in the world this year. They started with a list of five thousand of the biggest and most powerful (實力雄厚的) companies. Then they started cutting companies from the list. They looked at many things about the companies. Companies that cause (造成) forests to be cut down or are involved with fossil fuels (涉及化石燃料) were cut. Companies that produce a lot of carbon (產生大量碳) or have caused very bad things to happen to the environment were cut. Companies that have lied about being sustainable were cut too. The list got shorter and shorter. Finally, they had a list of the 500 most sustainable companies. Taiwan has 17 companies on the list! There are six banks, three telecommunications (電信) companies, five technology (科技) companies, and two manufacturers (製造商). And… there's one cement (水泥) company! A cement company?! Cement is everywhere. It is mixed with small stones and sand to make concrete (混凝土). There's concrete in roads, sidewalks (人行道), bridges, dams (壩), and buildings from houses to skyscrapers (摩天大樓). Concrete is the most used man-made (人造) product in the world. But the cement industry (工業) produces eight percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions (二氧化碳排放量) every year. How did this Taiwanese cement company become one of the most sustainable companies in the world? It changed how it did business. It set sustainability goals (永續發展目標). It tracks its progress (追蹤它的進展) on these goals and shares the information (資訊) with everyone. It has changed the energy (能源) it uses to renewable (再生) energy. It makes cement that produces less carbon dioxide. And it does many other things. 該公司所做的事跟名單上許多其他公司一樣，這顯示水泥這樣的行業可以實現永續發展。 Congratulations - and a big thank you! - to all of them! ___________________________________________________________ 海獅助科學家一臂之力 Sea Lions Help Scientists Help Them Scientists want to help endangered sea lions (瀕危海獅). They want to protect (保護) the places these animals go. Sea lions dive to the ocean floor (潛入海底). What is the ocean floor like? Ask the scientists. What? They don't know? It's not easy to find out. To see the ocean floor, scientists have used remote controlled vehicles (遙控探測器) with cameras. They've also used ships that drop cameras deep (深的) down. But both ways are very expensive. And the ocean floor is too deep for people to go to by diving. But how about using the sea lions to carry cameras? Sea lions are sometimes called the dog of the sea. They bark (吠). They like to play. And they like to look at everything! Diving up to 90 meters deep, they look for their next meal of shark, octopus (章魚), or lobster (龍蝦) on the ocean floor. Scientists in Australia put underwater video cameras on eight female (雌) sea lions. All these sea lions had babies, so they would return in a few days. The scientists gave these sea lions some medicine to make them sleep. Then they glued a small piece of wetsuit material (潛水衣布料) on the sea lions' backs and heads. They put small cameras and tracking devices (追蹤裝置) on the wetsuit material. The devices let the scientists know where the sea lions were and how fast they were swimming. After the sea lions woke up, they went to the ocean to find food. When the sea lions returned, the scientists took the cameras and devices off of them. Then the scientists watched the videos. They saw some parts of the ocean floor for the first time! They saw lots of seaweed (海藻) and coral (珊瑚). They saw a sea lion showing her baby how to look for food for the first time too! The scientists trained AI with the videos and tracking data (數據). It can predict (預測) what is on the ocean floor in the places the sea lions didn't go. With the help of sea lions, scientists are learning how to protect these animals and the places they go. 這些瀕臨滅絕的海獅需要保護，以免受到人類活動的影響。 ___________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: A Taiwanese cement company is on a list of the 500 most sustainable companies in the world this year. The cement industry produces a lot of carbon dioxide. The company made a lot of changes to become one of the most sustainable. It shows that companies in industries like cement can become sustainable too. ___________________________________________________________ And… Scientists want to help endangered sea lions, so they need to protect the ocean floor, where these animals find food. But they didn't know much about the ocean floor. They put cameras on sea lions to learn more. The sea lions are helping scientists help them! ___________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And in today's Tasty Tidbit… Some people are really good at solving the 3D puzzles called Rubik's Cubes (魔術方塊). One university student in Tainan is so good at this that he makes pictures of people with the cubes. After two Taiwanese badminton (羽毛球) players won gold medals at the Paris Olympics, the student made their pictures… with 786 cubes for each picture. Seven hundred and eighty-six cubes! That's a lot of work! The student posted videos of making the pictures on social media. Lots of people liked his pictures of the badminton players! ___________________________________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 Kelly Kimura. In today's episode, we'll be talking about probiotics and fossils! And for today's Tasty Tidbit: Imagine bringing your very own pet bear to school! Stay tuned for those stories. ________________________________ 雲林水稻田添加益生菌以減少溫室氣體 Yunlin Officials Add Probiotics to Rice Paddies to Cut Carbon Emissions Do you know what bacteria (細菌) is? Bacteria are tiny living things. They can be found almost everywhere: in the air, on animals, plants, deep in the ocean and even inside your body. There are good and bad types of bacteria (好的跟壞的細菌). Good bacteria are important for keeping us healthy. It helps us digest food (消化) and absorb nutrients (攝取營養). It also supports our immune system (免疫系統). Bad bacteria, on the other hand, can harm our health. It causes many illnesses and infections. Now that we're 'up to speed' with what bacteria is, we can head over to Yunlin County for today's story. Officials there have been trying to reduce greenhouse gases from rice fields. 他們在研究怎麼減少稻田的二氧化排放。 Rice fields produce a lot of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) and methane (甲烷). These gases are bad for the environment. The officials teamed up with a local university. Together, they came up with an ingenious idea (巧妙的主意). Researchers added probiotics (益生菌), or good bacteria, to rice paddies. They said probiotics help the rice grow better and reduce (減少) harmful gases, making farming better for the planet. The researchers measured the gas emissions (測量氣體排放) and checked the environment during the rice-growing season. They say the initial results look promising. 初步結果看起來很有希望。 They found that harmful gas emissions, like carbon dioxide and methane, dropped by 80 to 90 percent. They say these big reductions can help fight climate change. It can also help Taiwan achieve its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. 這個計畫也有助於臺灣實現2050年淨零排放的目標。 The county plans to expand this project to more areas and involve businesses. They hope farmers and companies can work together to protect the environment. ________________________________ 軟體動物的古老起源 The Ancient Origins of Mollusks Scientists have found a very old fossil (化石). How old is it? They say it is half-a-billion-years old! 五億年喔! Wow! Why do scientists study fossils? Well, fossils offer a glimpse into the past, revealing the history of life on Earth. They contain clues about how different plants and animals looked, where they lived, and how they changed over millions of years. Fossils allow scientists to piece together the story of Earth's evolution (地球的演化), like solving a puzzle, one piece at a time. Fossils can also help scientists understand more about extinct creatures, like dinosaurs (恐龍). It's like finding a really old family photo that shows how your grandparents looked when they were young! So anyway, back to this old fossil. The fossil is of a slug with spines. These creatures are known as mollusks (軟體動物). Today, mollusks come in many forms, such as snails, clams, squids, and octopuses! Scientists say the fossil shows that earliest mollusks were flat, slug-like creatures without shells. 科學家說化石顯示最早的軟體動物是扁平的、類似蛞蝓的無殼生物。 It also shows the creatures had spiny armor (帶刺的殼) for protection. This suggests it is from a very early stage in mollusk evolution. 這表明它來自軟體動物演化的早期階段。 The spines on its back likely helped it stay safe from predators (肉食動物). The mollusk fossil was found in China's Yunnan Province. Researchers said it was the size of a thumb (大小跟大拇指差不多) and looked like a rotting plastic bag (腐爛的塑膠袋). But later, they used a magnifying glass (放大鏡) to look at it more closely. Then they discovered the mollusk fossil was spiny (多刺的). The researchers described the fossil as strange, completely different from any other fossils they had ever seen. They published the findings in the journal Science (科學 (期刊)). ________________________________ So in today's News Bites: Rice fields release harmful gases that hurt the planet. So scientists added good bacteria to rice fields in Yunlin County to see what would happen. They found it helps the rice grow better and produce less harmful gas. Bacteria are tiny living things found everywhere, including inside our bodies. Some help us stay healthy, while others can make us sick. Using good bacteria in rice fields could be a big help in fighting climate change. ________________________________ And scientists found a very old fossil with spines in Yunnan, China. It's called a mollusk. Mollusks are animals with soft bodies, like snails, clams, squids and octopuses. This fossil shows that early mollusks were very different from the ones alive today. This discovery is exciting, because it helps scientists better understand the history of life on Earth. _______________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And in today's Tasty Tidbit: It was said that the famous British poet Lord Byron kept a pet bear when he was studying at Cambridge! Byron bought the bear when he was told that he could not keep a dog in his room. So instead, he decided to get himself a tame bear as a pet. Byron was even seen taking his pet bear on walks across campus. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 episode of News Bites! I'm Paz Bueno. And I'm Brody Halverson. Today's stories… Taiwan's gender income gap, and the European Union uses more renewable energy. And in today's Tasty Tidbit…a world record for counting. Let's find out! ________________________________ 男女平均所得差距1.6倍 創11年來新高 Gender Income Gap Reaches 1.6 Times, Highest in 11 Years Have you ever wondered if men and women earn the same amount of money? Well, in Taiwan, there is quite a big difference between what men and women earn. This difference is called the "gender income gap (性別收入差距)." Recently, the Ministry of Finance (財政部) shared some interesting numbers showing how much money men and women make in Taiwan. In 2022, men made an average of (平均賺到) NT$752,530 each, while women made NT$470,569 each. This means men made 1.6 times more money than women, which is the biggest gap in 11 years! Let's look at different kinds of income… In wages (工資), men earned NT$819,331 on average, while women earned NT$571,775. The gap here is 1.43 times. In profit income (利潤收入), men earned NT$72,036, and women earned NT$46,100, with a gap of 1.56 times. And in dividend income (股利收入), men earned NT$214,178, while women earned NT$131,063. The gap is 1.63 times. When it comes to retirement income (退休收入), women actually do better. Men made NT$525,159 on average, but women made NT$607,793. This is the only category where women earn more than men. ________________________________ 風能和太陽能在歐洲超越化石燃料 Wind and Sun Power Beat Fossil Fuels in Europe Renewable energy (再生能源) is energy that comes from sources that can be used again and again, like the sun, wind, and water. Unlike fossil fuels (化石燃料), which are limited and create pollution, renewable energy is clean and sustainable (永續的). A report by the climate group (氣候組織) Ember says that in the first half of this year (今年上半年), wind and solar energy produced 30% of the electricity in the European Union (歐盟). This is more than the electricity made from burning coal, oil, and gas. 這比燃燒煤、石油和天然氣產生的電力還要多。 In the EU, burning coal, oil, and gas dropped by 17% in the first six months of 2024 compared to the same time last year. 2024年前六個月，歐盟國家燃燒煤、石油和天然氣比去年同時期減少了17%。 This is good news because it means less pollution. Even though electricity demand went up a bit (電力需求上升), this change still happened. If EU countries keep building more wind turbines and solar panels (風力發電機和太陽能板), they can stop using fossil fuels. Solar power is growing fast, but the wind industry faces challenges like high costs and political opposition (高成本和政治反對). The report says 13 EU countries made more electricity from wind and solar than from fossil fuels in the first half of the year. For the first time, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands joined this group. 德國、比利時、匈牙利和荷蘭首次加入這個行列。 Scientists believes the EU can meet its renewable energy goals with the right policies (政策). ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… The Ministry of Finance recently shared numbers showing how much money men and women make in Taiwan in 2022. Men made 1.6 times more money than women, which is the biggest gap in 11 years! The only category where women earn more than men is retirement income. ________________________________ And, A report by the climate group Ember says that wind and solar energy produced 30% of the electricity in the European Union in the first half of this year. If EU countries keep building more wind turbines and solar panels, they can stop using fossil fuels. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit In our first story today, we mentioned a lot of numbers. It can take a long time to say big numbers out loud… So have you ever wondered how long it would take to count from 1 to 1,000,000? Well, a man named Jeremy Harper knows! Jeremy set a Guinness World Record by counting aloud to 1,000,000. He started on June 18, 2007, and finished 89 days later, on September 14. Every day, he spent 16 hours counting, and people could watch him live online. He stayed in his home the entire time and didn't shave. Jeremy's counting also helped raise over $10,000 US dollars for a charity! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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. A new home for strays, and a swap for a dangerous snack. Then in today's Tasty Tidbit, the surprising origin of ketchup! All that and more, coming up next. ________________________________ 台北市建造新動物之家 Taipei Building New Animal Shelter Stray animals (流浪動物) in Taipei will soon have a new place to call home. The city is building a new animal shelter (動物收容所). The city started working on the new building this summer. The Taipei city government actually started planning (計畫，策畫) back in 2016. But the project faced many challenges (挑戰). First, the city government had to find a company that would build the shelter. Then they had to find a good location (地點). Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened. And the cost of building materials (建材) went up. It wasn't easy! Overall, the project will cost $1.45 billion NT. And it will take 1,140 days to build. But when it is finished, the four-story shelter in Taipei's Neihu District will be the biggest shelter in Taiwan! And it will be more than just a temporary (暫時的) home for animals. The first floor will be a small medical center. Animals who come in can get checked by veterinarians. They might need some medical care, or medicine. On the second floor there will be space for people to visit animals. This way people hoping to adopt a pet can spend some time with an animal and see if they match. There will also be a coffee shop on this floor. The animals will live on the third floor. Cats and dogs would live in separate areas (不同的區域). And the Taipei City Animal Protection Office would be on the fourth floor. There will also be spaces for the animals to play. There will also be air-conditioning, and sound-proofing, to keep things quiet and comfortable. 台北市動物之家除了動物舍和公園之外，還會有咖啡廳、醫療中心、和互動空間。 This amazing place will open in 2028. The city hopes that the new shelter will help more animals find forever homes. ________________________________ 韓國航空公司經濟艙停供泡麵 Korean Airline Says Goodbye to Instant Noodles Have you ever spilled (灑，打翻) hot soup on yourself? Ouch! Hot food and spills can be a real danger in the kitchen. But what about in the sky? One Korean airline was also very worried about this problem. In fact, it was so worried, that it changed its inflight menu (機上餐點|). Last month, the airline stopped serving instant noodles (泡麵) to some of its passengers. If someone spills the steaming, soupy noodles… Someone could get hurt! Instant noodles have been a popular (受歡迎的) snack on the airline's flights. But the airline says turbulence (亂流) is becoming more of a problem. On flights, turbulence happens when there are changes in the air around the plane. This can make the plane shake. It can even make the plane drop down suddenly. The airline says compared with five years ago, the number of times turbulence happens on its flights have doubled. And hitting turbulence when you're holding a bowl of steaming hot soup…is definitely not good. 一家韓國的航空公司停止提供泡麵給經濟艙旅客，希望可以減少燙傷意外發生的機會。 The airline hopes the change will make its flights safer. Some people are happy about this. They said they always worry about getting burnt by the hot noodle soup. Some even said they don't like the smell. But other people aren't happy. They like the free snack. And they point out (指出) that the airline still serves other things that could cause burns. Ahem…hot coffee or tea, anyone? But the airline is making other changes too. It says it will start offering other snacks. There will be sandwiches, pizza, or "hot pockets". This is cheese, meat, and veggies wrapped in a crispy shell. Mmmm…. The airline says it will work hard to keep customers safe and happy. Turbulence can be very hard to predict (預測). And unfortunately, scientists say that with climate change, we might see turbulence happen more often than before. So if you're on a flight, remember to buckle up, no matter what snacks are on board. Safe travels everyone! ________________________________ So in today's News Bites, Taipei is building a new animal shelter. It will have a medical center, space for people to visit animals, and even a coffee shop. This amazing place will open in 2028. The city hopes that the new shelter will help more animals find forever homes. ________________________________ And, One Korean airline has stopped serving instant noodles to some of its passengers. But the airline says turbulence is becoming more common, and they hope the change will make its flights safer. It will start serving other snacks, like sandwiches and pizza. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Do you have a favorite condiment (調味品)? Ketchup is one of the most commonly used condiments. We eat all sorts of food with ketchup. We add it in burritos, dip our fries in it, drizzle it over omelets…the list just goes on! But did you know, over 100 years ago, ketchup was used as medicine? In the 1830s, a doctor claimed ketchup could cure diarrhea and indigestion. It was sold as "tomato pills". But by the 1850s, no one was buying them. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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!

Welcome back to another episode of News Bites! I'm Paz Bueno. And I'm Brody Halverson. In today's news: An HSR extension will be decided by year's end, and why Europe has become an epicenter for anti-tourism this summer. And in today's Tasty Tidbit… what's the shortest airplane trip you can take? Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next. ________________________________ 交通部年底前決定高鐵南延路線 HSR Extension to be Decided by Year's End The Taiwan High Speed Railway opened in 2007. Since then, traveling between Taipei and Kaohsiung has become more time efficient and affordable (負擔得起的). While the HSR runs along the west coast of Taiwan, there is one county that it doesn't reach (到達), Pingtung. If Pingtung residents (居民) want to go to Taipei, they have to drive or take public transportation to the Zuoying HSR station in Kaohsiung. Both transportations methods (交通方式) take between 40 minutes to an hour. Over the years, authorities (有關當局) have been discussing whether to extend the HSR into Pingtung. And there is finally some good news for the local residents! The Ministry of Transportation and Communications said that a decision to extend the HSR to Pingtung is expected to be finalized before the end of the year. 交通部表示，高鐵延伸到屏東預計在年底之前決定。 They also mentioned that the extension may include a stop in urban (市區) Kaohsiung. In the current proposal (提案), there will be two stops in Pingtung County. The extension might also extend to Taitung in the future. Building a railway network around Taiwan has always been the goal of THSRC. The Taiwan Railway (台鐵) has already completed the train tracks around Taiwan. However, traveling to the east by train still takes a few hours. The HSR would be able to cut the train trip in half! As for the northeastern extension of the HSR, it was already been approved in 2020. The northeastern extension will run from Nangang to Yilan. The line will be 56.4 kilometers long and the travel time will take only 18 minutes. This is great news for commuters (通勤者) between Taipei and Yilan. Construction of the northeastern extension is expected to be completed in 2036. ________________________________ 歐洲今年暑假為何成為"反旅遊"中心 Why Europe has Become an Epicenter for Anti-Tourism This Summer Over the last 30 years, traveling abroad (出國旅遊) has become more and more common. Then the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情) happened, and the world was almost still (停頓下來) for 3 years. People around the world could only stay in their countries and homes. When travel restrictions (限制) were lifted, millions flocked out of (湧出) their countries to travel. This phenomenon (現象) was called "revenge travel (報復性旅遊)," an act of taking a trip that wasn't able to happen due to the pandemic. This contributed to (導致) a situation that has been happening over the years, "overtourism (過度旅遊)." Anti-tourism protests (反旅遊抗議) have been sweeping across (橫掃) Europe this summer. These protests took place in the Netherlands, Greece, and Spain. Thousands of local residents took part in the protests. They are protesting about rising rents and house prices in popular travel destinations, which is also their home. The pattern is also happening in other European cities. Locals are blaming the increasing costs on mass (大量) tourism. However, there are experts that don't agree with this theory. Martins, an expert in sustainable tourism (永續旅遊), said that the locals are not happy because they do not benefit (獲益) from the tourism in their area. So, what can authorities do? Zenker, a professor in tourism at Copenhagen business school, offered a solution. He said that the money that is made by tourism should be invested locally (投資在當地). Wages should be raised and more jobs should be offered to local residents. It looks like this is happening around the world. The protests might not cease (停止) until the problem is solved. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: A decision to extend the HSR to Pingtung is expected to be finalized before the end of the year. The railway will be extended into Pingtung, and another station might be added in Kaohsiung. ________________________________ And, Europe has become an epicenter for anti-tourism this summer. Locals are protesting about overtourism all over Europe. They are protesting about rising rents and house prices in popular travel destinations, which is also their home. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Hey Brody, what's the longest flight you've ever been on? Probably Taipei to Los Angeles. What about you? The longest flight I've been on is from Taipei to New York. It takes around 15 hours! Have you heard about the shortest flight in the world? No, how short is it? It's only 2.8 kilometers long, between two tiny islands in Scotland. That's a short distance! How long does the flight take? The flight can take as little as 53 seconds! The whole trip, including taxiing, takes around two minutes. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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, welcome back! It's time for a brand new episode of News Bites! I'm Nancy Sun. And I'm Brody Halverson. In today's stories, social media causes anxiety among Taiwanese teens, and an emotional support alligator Wally brings joy to his community! Let's get started! ________________________________ 台灣青少年的身體形象焦慮 Body Image Anxiety Among Taiwanese Teens Do you use social media (社群媒體)? Do you scroll (滑) through Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok without thinking? Do you know what social media does to our minds? A survey from The Child Welfare League Foundation (兒福聯盟) found that social media causes body image anxiety (身體形象焦慮) for many Taiwanese teenagers. Over 70% of middle and high school students do not like how they look. This is almost 3 in every 4 kids! Many students try to change how they look by using filters (濾鏡) or editing (編輯) their photos. Sometimes, they edit their pictures so much that the pictures do not look real. Sometimes, they do not share their pictures because they worry about what other people will think of them. Seeing pretty pictures of other people causes teenagers to feel less confident (自信) about themselves. The foundation hopes people will pay attention to this problem and suggests (提議) some ways to reduce (減少) the anxiety. First, we can spend less time on the Internet and on social media. Parents can spend more family time with children away from their devices. Second, we can turn off social media notifications, so we do not check the apps as often. This will also help reduce anxiety. Third, we can practice positive affirmations. Look into the mirror and tell yourself, "I want to like you, and I want to learn how to truly love you!" Psychologists (心理學家) say that positive affirmations (正面肯定句) can help us build confidence and be happier. This means that the more positive thoughts we think and say about ourselves, the more we will believe in them! 我們對自己說越多正面肯定話，我們就會越相信自己！ It is important to know that everyone is beautiful in their own way. You are unique, and no one else is like you! ________________________________ 情感支持鱷魚沃利 Emotional support alligator Wally You might have seen therapy dogs (治療犬) around… But have you seen an emotional support alligator (情感支持鱷魚)? Wally was an emotional support alligator owned by Joie Henney from Philadelphia. When Wally was 1 year old, Joie rescued (拯救) him from Florida and brought him home. Joie built a 1100-liter pond in his living room for Wally. That's about the size of 5 bathtubs! Wally liked to eat cheese puffs, and he enjoyed watching "The Lion King". He grew to about 2 meters long! Wally became Joie's important friend. He took Wally out on walks on a leash (牽繩), and Wally even slept with him in the same bed! Joie was receiving treatment for cancer, and he said Wally brought him a lot of comfort. Joie noticed that Wally calmed people down. For some reason, Wally did not bite people. Joie started taking Wally to schools and senior living centers (養老院). The students and elders were very happy to see him. Wally是一隻很特別的鱷魚，牠不會咬人，而且很和善！牠的主人常帶著牠去探望學校和老人院。 At one school, Wally met a boy with Tourette's syndrome (妥瑞症). The boy's tics (抽動) stopped while he was petting Wally. One of Wally's teeth had been wiggling (搖晃), so Joie pulled it out and gifted it to the boy! The tooth is very special to the boy to this day. Wally also helped people with anxiety and depression feel happier! Wally became very famous, gaining 153,000 followers on TikTok. Unfortunately, one day Wally was taken without permission (許可). He was caught by a trapper who did not know he had an owner and released into a swamp (濕地) earlier this year. But there are also other unique emotional support animals around. There's "Cuddle Quack" the emotional support duck, and Pita Peppa the emotional support pig, and Travis the emotional support llama (大羊駝), just to name a few! ____________________________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: A survey from The Child Welfare League Foundation finds that social media causes anxiety among over 70% of Taiwanese teenagers. Many use filters or edit how they look. The foundation encourages people to spend less time on social media and practice positive affirmations. ____________________________________________________________________________ And… Emotional support alligator Wally became a special friend to cancer patient Joie. Wally visited many schools and nursing homes. Wally helped many people with anxiety and depression feel happier! ____________________________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit For today's Tasty Tidbit… Did you know alligators can go through up to 4,000 teeth in a lifetime? Alligators have 80 teeth, and each tooth can regrow up to 50 times! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Jacob Ingram. And I'm Nancy Sun. Coming up next in today's news: Lugang Dizangwang Temple is being restored, and Caesar salad turns 100 years old. And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Ice-cream cones were invented by accident! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ______________________________________________________ 鹿港地藏王廟修復 Lugang Dizangwang Temple in Restoration Have you heard about the Dizangwang Temple (地藏王廟) in Lugang? As the name suggests, it is dedicated to Dizangwang Pusa (地藏王菩薩). People go to pray for their deceased (去世) ancestors (祖先). The temple is an important religious center (宗教中心). It holds rituals for the deceased. 它為往生者舉行儀式。 It was originally built in the second year of the Kangxi reign (康熙年間) back in the Qing Dynasty (清朝). In other words, the temple was built back in 1663! In 1985, the government designated it as a historic site (將它列為古蹟). Lots of people visit the temple during Hungry Ghost Month (鬼月), also known as Zhongyuan Festival (中元節), every lunar July (農曆七月). Last year during Zhongyuan Festival, the temple had around 10,000 visitors. The temple is incredibly popular and historically important (很有歷史意義). But over time, many paintings, artifacts and architectural elements have faded and cracked. 然而，隨著時間，許多繪畫、文物和建築元素已經褪色和破裂。 Now, a restoration project has been started. 修復工程已經啟動. Earlier in July this year, the temple held an official ceremony, marking the start of the project. The temple teamed up with local officials (當地政府) and they managed to raise 12 million NT! They explained this project will focus on preservation (保存) and restoration (修復). They wish to display (展示) the beauty of traditional culture (傳統文化) and the craftsmanship (工匠精神) that was put into building these temples. But they say the deteriorating murals (壁畫) were both a cultural risk and a safety hazard for visitors to the temple. The project will be completed by a team of experts, including painters and artists. They expect it will be finished by November next year. ______________________________________________________ 凱撒沙拉誕生100週年 Caesar Salad turns 100 Have you heard of Julius Caesar? He's a famous Roman emperor (羅馬皇帝). Maybe you've also heard of Caesar salads (凱撒沙拉)? It sounds like Julius Caesar invented Caesar salads. They're named after him, right? Well, actually no! The salad was not invented (發明) by him. The first Caesar salad wasn't made until 1924 - that's almost 2,000 years after the famous Roman emperor died. It just so happens that this year marks the 100th anniversary of Caesar salads! The salad was created by an Italian chef named Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico. Cardini was an Italian immigrant (移民) who opened restaurants in Mexico (墨西哥) and the United States (美國). Being short on ingredients (食材) one day, Cardini put together the salad from leftover ingredients (剩下的食材) in the kitchen. He combined Romaine lettuce, garlic oil, eggs, croutons (麵包丁), and parmesan cheese (帕瑪森起司). He then mixed up all these ingredients with his special dressing (沙拉醬). People dining in Cardini's restaurant enjoyed this dish. So, it became more and more popular. Cardini initially intended this salad to be "finger food". This meant it was meant to be eaten with fingers! The original recipe of the Caesar salad used whole hearts of romaine lettuce. 凱撒沙拉最開始是用整顆羅馬生菜心。 Cardini designed it so that diners could pick up hearts of romaine lettuce and enjoy their crunchy texture. However, many customers complained about not wanting to get their hands covered in the creamy Caesar sauce. So, Cardini adjusted (調整) the recipe. He started using torn pieces of lettuce so guests could easily eat the salad with forks. Cardini would prepare the dish on the table, right in front of the guests. This was his way of showing how fresh his ingredients were. One century later, the dish is still prepared the same way at Cardini's restaurant in Tijuana. Every month, 2,500 Caesar salads are served in the restaurant. Earlier this year in July, Tijuana commemorated the centenary (100週年慶) with a three-day celebration. They held a food and wine festival, and unveiled (揭幕) a statue (雕像) of Cardini. ______________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: The Dizangwang Temple in Lugang was built in the Qing Dynasty, more than 300 years ago. The temple is popular and historically important, so a restoration project has been started. The restoration will be completed by a team of experts, including painters and restoration artists. They expect the project to be complete by November 2025. ______________________________________________________ And this year marks the 100th anniversary of the invention of Caesar salads. The salad was created by an Italian chef named Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico. Earlier this year in July, Tijuana marked the centenary, or 100th year anniversary, with a three-day celebration. They held a food and wine festival, and unveiled a statue of Cardini. ______________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Did you know that ice cream cones were invented by accident? During a fair in St. Louis, United States, an ice cream vendor ran out of paper cups to hold his ice cream. A waffle maker next to the vendor noticed this problem, then rolled waffles into cones to hold the ice cream. People at the fair loved this new combination of waffles and ice cream. Ice cream cones then became super popular. _________________________________________ 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 us at newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 Jacob Ingram. And I'm Kelly Kimura. In today's episode we'll be talking about healthy eating and Britain's King Charles giving a royal title to a goat. And for today's Tasty Tidbit: Pound Cakes! Stay tuned for those stories. ________________________________ 健康飲食和運動可降低感冒的機會 Healthy Eating and Exercise Reduces the Chance of Colds Fed up with catching colds? 受夠感冒了嗎？ 感冒真的很麻煩。 There might be a way to help you avoid them. A new survey suggests that eating healthy foods can reduce your chances (減少機率) of catching colds! The survey was done by the Formosa Cancer Foundation (癌症基金會). It wanted to look into the health of young children here in Taiwan. Some of the results were concerning (令人擔憂). For example, the survey found that half of all school children in Taiwan do not eat enough fruits and vegetables daily. Now, it's no secret that fruits and vegetables are healthy foods. They have lots of good things. They help our bodies grow strong, fight germs, and work well. Plus, they taste yummy and come in lots of different colors and flavors. So it's a good idea to eat them regularly. 經常吃蔬果有很大的好處。 The survey also showed that 60 percent of school children don't eat whole grains. You know what whole grains are? Brown rice and purple rice count as whole grains, and so does oatmeal (燕麥). These are also very good for you. 對身體很好。 It also found that as many as 80 percent of school children don't eat soy products (豆類製品) daily. Nutritionists (營養師) said it's not good that so many kids in Taiwan aren't eating enough healthy foods. They stressed (強調) the importance of a healthy diet, noting that it can reduce your chances of catching colds by up to 8 percent. They added that healthy eating and good exercise habits makes the chance of catching colds even lower! 飲食健康加上運動習慣可以有效降低感冒機率。 ________________________________ 珍稀山羊的皇家稱號 Royal Title for Rare Goats Have you heard of Britain's King Charles III? Yeah, he's basically Britain's grandpa. In other words, he runs the country, or rather, has a lot of people to run it for him. But did you know that he has a special ability? He can bestow royal titles (賜予皇家頭銜). He recently gave one to a rare breed of goats (少見的山羊種類)! This goat breed is known for living on a small island called Guernsey. Guernsey is in the English Channel. The breed is now known as the "Royal Golden Guernsey Goat". Rebecca Martin, a local, owns an eight-year-old goat of this breed. Her goat was the lucky one chosen to represent (代表) the breed during the British King's visit. Rebecca hopes this title will help people learn more about these special goats. The Royal Golden Guernsey Goat has a pale blonde coat, which the British King admired. 這種山羊有一層淺金色的毛皮，很得英國國王的歡心。 These goats are known to be friendly, gentle, and good at making milk. But they are also very rare and are on an "at risk" list. In other words, their numbers are very low, so they could disappear. 牠們的數量非常少，有可能絕種。 Christopher Price is the head of a charity (慈善機構) that aims to raise awareness (提高認識) about rare animals in Britain. Price said this royal title is important, because it recognizes the goat breed's value. He also said these goats are good for the environment, because they eat certain plants. Price thanked the British king for his support. ________________________________ So in today's News Bites, A recent survey showed that around half of children in Taiwan don't eat enough fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are very healthy, and help our bodies grow strong, fight germs, and work well. Nutritionists said that eating fruits and vegetables every day can help reduce the chance of catching a cold by 8%. They added that healthy eating and exercise reduces your chance of catching a cold even more. ________________________________ And, Britain's King Charles III is able to bestow royal titles. Recently he gave one to a breed of goats, so they are now known as the "Royal Golden Guernsey Goat". This breed lives on the small island of Guernsey, and is admired for its pale blonde coat and friendly nature. But it's also at risk of disappearing due to low numbers. The breed is good for the environment, as it eats certain plants. It is hoped the title will raise awareness about the breed. _______________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Do you know why Pound Cakes are called "Pound" Cakes? The answer is actually fairly simple! Pound cakes are made with four ingredients (成分): flour (麵粉), butter, eggs, and sugar. When you make pound cakes, you add a pound of each ingredient! Pound cake is a British creation that was first made in the early 1700s. Pound cakes have a rich, buttery flavor with a dense and moist texture (口感紮實且濕潤). They are the perfect dessert (完美甜點) to enjoy alongside a nice cup of tea. ________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Jacob Ingram. And I'm Nancy Sun. Coming up next in today's news: Internet usage increases among elderly in Taiwan and the National Gallery celebrates its 200th anniversary! And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Art was once a part of the Olympics! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ________________________________ 台灣老年人網路使用率增加 Increased Internet Usage Among Elderly in Taiwan Can you imagine life without the internet? Imagine not being able to message your friends, order food online, look up important information, or find your way around town. Before the internet, people had to go to libraries and read through books. They also had to carry around pocket maps (口袋地圖) so they wouldn't get lost. It's shocking (令人震驚的) to think that the internet has only been available to the public (對外開放) for 30 years. This means, a lot of the older population (老年人口) didn't have access to the internet when they were younger. But as time went on, the internet became more and more popular. Now, it connects us with people from all over the world and allows us to access information (資訊) quickly and easily. 現在，網路讓我們可以和世界各地的人交流，使我們能夠快速、輕鬆地獲取資訊。 The Ministry of Health ran a survey to analyze trends (分析趨勢) in the elderly between 2017 and 2022. It showed that internet usage among seniors in Taiwan has increased by 50 percent. For those aged 55 to 64, internet usage has risen from 65 percent to 87 percent. Why? Well, there are many factors (因素). The internet is a lot more accessible now thanks to technology. Smartphones and high-speed internet connections are more affordable. Wi-Fi and mobile networks (手機網路) have expanded (擴大), so people can connect to the internet more easily. In addition, Apps and websites are now more user-friendly (易於使用的), so they're easy to use for both the young and elderly. With the internet at our disposal, we're able to achieve (實現) so much. We're can self-study different subjects, FaceTime our friends, watch films at home, go online shopping, and much more. ________________________________ 英國國家美術館 The National Gallery Have you heard about Van Gogh's famous sunflower paintings? Well, you'll be able to find one of them at the National Gallery in London! The National Gallery opened in 1824. The museum was founded when the British government (英國政府) bought 38 paintings from an art collector (收藏家). Today, the National Gallery has over 2,300 paintings. It's like a giant treasure chest (百寶箱) of art! This year marks its 200th anniversary (200週年紀念日). The museum has a rich collection of Western European paintings ranging from the 13th to the 19th century. 博物館內藏有豐富的13世紀至 19 世紀西歐繪畫作品。 These paintings are like windows to the past. 這些畫就像通往過去的門戶。 They show us how people lived, how people dressed, and much more! 它們向我們展示了當時人們的生活方式、穿著等等。 Lots of people from all around the world visit the National Gallery every year. This year also commemorates (慶祝) the 100th anniversary of the museum acquiring (獲取) two famous paintings: "Van Gogh's Chair" and "Sunflowers." To celebrate, the National Gallery will hold a Van Gogh exhibition (展覽) titled "Poets and Lovers." (詩人與戀人) It's going to be the biggest Van Gogh exhibition in the UK since 2010! You'll be able to witness many of his famous paintings all in one place! The exhibition starts September 14th. Van Gogh's art is very popular today. You might have seen his swirly (旋渦狀的), colorful paintings in books, on TV, or even on t-shirts. Yet surprisingly, Van Gogh wasn't famous when he was alive. He produced more than 2,000 artworks (作品), but not many people noticed his talent (才華) back then. Today, his work is loved by millions. People travel far to get a glimpse of his paintings in real life. If you visit the National Gallery, you'll get to see Van Gogh's unique (別致) artworks! ________________________________ So in today's News Bites: Internet usage among seniors in Taiwan has increased by 50 percent. Over the last few years, the internet has become more accessible partially due to cheaper and faster technology. ________________________________ And this year marks the National Gallery's 200th anniversary. It is also the 100th anniversary of the museum acquiring "Van Gogh's Chair" and "Sunflowers," two of Van Gogh's famous paintings. To celebrate, the National Gallery will hold a Van Gogh exhibition titled "Poets and Lovers." ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Did you know that art used to be an Olympics event? Art competitions were a part of the modern Olympic Games from 1912 to 1948. During that time period, artists received medals for their architecture, music, paintings, sculptures and literature inspired by sports. Pierre Coubertin is the founder of the modern Olympics. He believed that a true Olympian had to be someone who not only demonstrates athletic strength, but also had artistic skills. ________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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, welcome back! It's time for a whole new year of News Bites! I'm Nancy Sun. And I'm Kelly Kimura. In today's stories, land crabs crossing, and snakes in pants. Let's get started! ________________________________ 墾丁封路保護陸蟹 Helping Kenting Crab Moms Why did the land crab cross the road? To get to the ocean to lay her eggs! It's a special time in Kenting (墾丁). It's the time when land crabs (陸蟹) have baby crabs. How does it all work? Many land crabs live in and around Kenting National Park in southern Taiwan. And every year, from around May to October, land crabs are very busy. Female land crabs hold many eggs on their bodies. And they need to get from land to the ocean, to lay their eggs. It's a very dangerous journey. They climb up and down over hills. They may cross rivers or streams. And most dangerous of all… They have to cross the road (過馬路). Every year, many land crabs are killed trying to get across the road. They get hit by cars and scooters. If they don't get help, the number of land crabs in the wild could fall even lower. So the park is running a special program. It's the "Stop 10, Go 10" program! It happens on Provincial Highway 26, at a section where many land crabs try to cross. There, the highway is 4 lanes wide. But during this time, cars may only use 2 of the lanes. 在台26線的這一段，路從原本的4線道縮減成2線道。 And the cars can use the road for 10 minutes. Then the road is closed for 10 minutes. It's "crab mode" on the highway! This is when the crabs can cross safely. Then, after 10 minutes, the road reopens again to let cars go. And when the cars are moving, there is a special lead car. This car drives in front, and makes sure all the cars go slow. This gives land crabs a good chance to get to the other side safely. But there's more! The park has also built special bridges (高架陸蟹廊道) for the crabs. These bridges go over the highway. It's another safe way for the crabs to get across the road. So if you're in Kenting, or know someone who is, spread the word!Let's keep the roads and beaches safe for our crab friends! ________________________________ 男子出奇招走私百條活蛇 Sneaky Snake Smuggler Caught Hey kids, if you had to hide a snake somewhere… Where would you put it? Definitely not IN YOUR PANTS right? Well, one man did just that. And he didn't just hide one snake in his pants… He hid over 100! This man is a smuggler (走私者). He wanted to sneak these snakes into China. He probably wanted to sell the snakes there to get a lot of money. The man was traveling from Hong Kong to the city of Shenzhen. He told customs officers (海關工作人員) that he had "nothing to declare" (沒有要申報的東西). But the officers stopped him. They checked him over. And they found 104 live snakes hidden in six bags inside his pants! Officers say each bag had snakes of all kinds of shapes, sizes, and colors. Most of the snakes were small. But that is still a lot of slithery squirmy snakes to hide inside your trousers! 海關人員發現這個男子穿的褲子裡塞滿了6個抽繩袋，裡面裝滿了各種形狀、大小和顏色的活蛇。 Most countries do not let people bring in non-native animals or plants (外來物種). That's because these animals and plants may be dangerous. They could be harmful to native animals or plants (原生物種). If you want to bring a non-native animal or plant into Taiwan, you have to get special permission. And wildlife trafficking is a serious problem worldwide. It's when people take animals from their natural homes, and sell them illegally. It's like stealing animals from the wild. This is bad because it hurts the animals, and can make some types of animals disappear forever. It's also bad for the environment, and can spread diseases. So let's all do our part and make sure animals stay safe in their natural homes! ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: Kenting is running a special program to help protect land crabs. It's the "Stop 10, Go 10" program! Cars can use the road for 10 minutes, then the road is closed for 10 minutes. This is when the crabs can cross safely to get to the beach. ________________________________ And, Customs officers in China stopped a man and checked him over. He had 104 snakes hidden in bags inside his pants! He probably wanted to sell the snakes to get a lot of money. Most countries do not let people bring in non-native animals or plants. That's because these animals and plants may be dangerous. They could be harmful to native animals or plants. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit For today's Tasty Tidbit… Okay, summer vacation is over, and that's no laughing matter. But we're here to help you start school with a smile! You ready? Why do math books always look so sad? They are full of problems! And one more for the road. Knock Knock. Who's there? Noah. Noah who? "Noah more summer", it's time for school! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 *newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Jacob Ingram. Coming up next in today's news: The education minister wants to slow down on the Bilingual 2030 policy, and scientists say climate change is making air turbulence worse and more common! And in today's Tasty Tidbit… two companies and a university are making a better chocolate! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ___________________________________________________________ 教育部長暫緩2030年雙語政策 Education Minister Wants to Slow Down on the Bilingual 2030 Policy Some time ago, Taiwan started the Bilingual 2030 policy. It wants to raise the competitiveness (競爭力) of Taiwan's young people. Young people would be able to get better jobs and higher pay. The policy is mostly about bilingual education (雙語教育) in Taiwanese schools. But the education minister wants to go more slowly on the policy. He is the former president (前校長) of a national university (國立大學). He helped to make a ten-year plan for English-only education. The plan is for its graduate school (研究所). The university hired (聘請) teachers with qualifications (資格). They made new English classes. These classes are not required (不是必修課) until 2030. The education minister said, "These things take time, we need to slow down." But local governments (地方政府) are trying to follow the policy in a hurry. So sometimes new teachers don't have the qualifications the school needs. This could make the policy fall short of expectations (達不到預期). The Ministry of Education plans to work with local schools. It wants to make sure new teachers have qualifications. The education minister also said students can learn English in their daily (經) lives. When he was the head (局長) of a city education office, it worked with a fast food chain and doctors. Children who ordered food in English got free fries! Children who spoke to doctors in English paid $50 Taiwan dollars less. The minister said that children in rural (鄉村) areas have fewer bilingual resources (資源) than children in cities. To help, the ministry will send university students to teach rural children. 教育部致力於為農村學生提供所需的英語教育。 It's great that the ministry is trying to raise the bilingual abilities (能力) of our country. ___________________________________________________________ 氣候變遷使空中亂流更常見，並且更嚴重 Climate Change is Making Air Turbulence Worse and More Common On May 21st, a Singapore Airlines plane began to shake very hard over the Indian Ocean. This was because of air turbulence (空中亂流). The plane was flying from London to Singapore. But it made an emergency landing (緊急降落) in Bangkok. The plane dropped 1,800 meters in a very short time. Many people were hurt. One person died. A scientist (科學家) who has studied air turbulence said, "It is not that we'll have to stop flying, or planes will fall out of the sky." "I'm just saying that air turbulence will be getting more common." There is a study about severe incidents (嚴重事件) of air turbulence. It shows these incidents have gone up since 1979. Wind shear (風切) is a fast change in wind strength or direction (方向). Wind shear has also gone up since 1979. Warmer air can make wind shear happen more often. Other studies have also shown that climate change has led to warmer air. And this will also cause more turbulence. There are different kinds of turbulence. Thunderstorms (暴風雨) cause one kind of turbulence. Scientists think thunderstorms will get worse with climate change. Weather centers, satellites, and radar (氣象局, 氣象衛星, 氣象雷達) help to forecast (預報) this kind of turbulence. Then plane pilots can avoid (避免) it. However, clear-air or invisible (晴空或看不見的) turbulence is very hard to forecast. Scientists think clear-air turbulence will also go up. But there is a technology (科技) that might help one day. Using Lidar (光學雷達), test flights (試飛) can see clear-air turbulence 32 kilometers ahead of the plane. But the technology costs too much and the equipment is too big to be used now. 隨著科技的進步，亂流的預測將會越來越準確。 For now, fasten your seatbelt (繫好安全帶) when you're on a plane, just to be safe. ___________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: The education minister wants to slow down on the Bilingual 2030 policy. He said bilingual education takes time and students can learn English in their daily lives. ___________________________________________________________ And… Climate change is making air turbulence more common and severe. Warmer air causes more turbulence. Scientists are using technology to help forecast turbulence. ___________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Two chocolate companies and a university are trying to make a better chocolate. This chocolate is healthier. It has less fat (脂肪) and more fiber (纖維). It's better for the Earth because all of the cocoa fruit (可可果) is used. And it makes more money for cocoa farmers! Chocolate makers usually only use cocoa beans and some cocoa pulp (漿). Then they put sugar in. Cocoa-fruit chocolate also uses cocoa beans and cocoa pulp. But it also uses the inside of the cocoa fruit shell (殼). The inside of the shell and cocoa pulp make cocoa gel (凝膠). Cocoa gel is very sweet. No sugar is needed! Only the shell is left at the end. But it can be used for other things. Doesn't this chocolate sound good? ___________________________________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. You might hear it at the end of an episode! We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!

Back to another episode of News Bites! I’m Paz Bueno. And I’m Brody Halverson. In today's news: The number of pet dogs and cats increases, nurses say ransomware is stressing hospital operations, and seeing double! Keep on listening to find out more! ________________________________ 寵物貓狗的數量 逐年增加 Number of Pet Dogs and Cats Increases Having a pet is a great way to keep you company. Over the past decades, the number of pets has constantly (持續) increased. The statistics are shown in a recent survey done by the Ministry of Agriculture (農業部). Last year, there were almost 1.5 million dogs and more than 1.3 million cats in Taiwan. Compared to 2021, the number of dogs increased by 19% and cats by 50%. As for other pets, there was also a 3.3% increase. This phenomenon (現象) is happening globally. Statistics show that there are over half a billion dogs and cats in the U.S., E.U., and China alone. Not to mention the other countries. The global COVID-19 pandemic (疫情) also contributed to the increase of pets. As people were under lockdown (封鎖) in their homes, millions of them adopted a pet to keep them company. In Australia alone, there was an increase of 1.2 million pet dogs after the pandemic. Another reason is that as raising children is challenging, many have turned to raising pets. As a result, the pet industry is rapidly growing. According to the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (台灣經濟研究院), the average amount that pet owners spend on a pet every year is NT$28,000. It is estimated around NT$50 billion (寵物經濟規模達到五百多 億) are spent on pets every year in Taiwan. Going to the vet, regular grooming at pet salons, pet food and treats, equipment and toys and so much more. 每年舉辦寵物展的場次幾乎快超越婦幼展了。 In a few years, the number of pets in Taiwan will surpass (超越) the number of children. This also poses a problem for pet control. Currently, the law requires pet dogs to be microchipped and registered. Whereas, only Taipei requires owners to register cats. The MOA is assessing the possibility of a mandatory (強制) cat registration throughout the country. So, don’t be surprised if you see more dogs than children in the park in the near future. ________________________________ 勒索軟體癱瘓醫院作業 Nurses Say Ransomware Is Stressing Hospital Operations When a computer is attacked by ransomware, all the files are locked. You can still turn your computer on and off, but that’s basically everything you can do. In other words, your computer is kidnapped (綁架) by hackers (駭客). You have to pay a ransom (贖金) of crypto currency (加密貨幣). After that, you might receive a password to regain control of your computer. If you don’t want to pay, you can always format (格式化) and reinstall the operating system on your computer. But you will lose all your files. Imagine the amount of damage ransomware can do to a company, or even a hospital. A recent attack on a major US hospital network is endangering patient’s health. All the nurses, doctor and staff have to shift to paper records. With the computers down, doctors have to write paper prescriptions (處方簽). The nurses then have to take it to a machine to enter manually (手動輸入) to obtain the medication. With the system offline, it’s almost impossible to cross-check it with the pharmacy. This might lead to an overdose (過量) of medication. Due to the hack, lab results that usually take 30 minutes to 1 hour to process are now taking hours. This will cause a delay in patient care and immediate (即時) treatment. All these are matters of life and death. The reason that cybercriminals (網路犯罪份子) target healthcare organizations is because they possess an enormous volume of sensitive data that can be sold for money. Healthcare organizations also can’t afford to be offline for too long and are more likely to pay the ransom. Experts say that many hospitals also lack sufficient cyber security measures (手段). 這些勒索軟體的攻擊，其實比大多數人認為的還要頻繁。 249 ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations were reported in America last year. Authorities should really assist with cyber security in the healthcare industry. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: The number of pet dogs and cats is increasing. As raising children is challenging, many have turned to raising pets. ________________________________ And, Nurses say ransomware is stressing hospital operations. Information have to be handwritten and could delay patient treatment. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Chameleons and seahorses can move their eyes separately. This allows them to see in two directions at the same time! Chameleons can move their eyes independently, giving them nearly 360° vision. And just like a chameleon, seahorses can look in different directions at once. It’s a handy skill for hunting, allowing them to keep an eye out for both prey and predators! --- 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Jacob Ingram. Coming up next in today's news: Taiwan wins awards at the Robofest World Championship and an eight-year-old is a fashion trendsetter at school! And in today's Tasty Tidbit, a man mails a postcard from one cool post office to another! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ___________________________________________________________ 台灣奪得世界機器人大賽冠軍 Taiwan Wins at the Robofest World Championship Taiwan is a leader in robotics (機器人技術). And smart students here are already becoming leaders in robotics! Last month, the Robofest World Championship (錦標賽) was held for three days at a university in Michigan, in the U.S. Students from 16 countries, from Grades 4 to 12, competed (競爭). Over 500 students competed in 100 teams. Taiwan had 50 students in 12 teams. They won eight awards (大獎)! In the two exhibition competitions (展覽競賽), Taiwan won first place awards. In the senior exhibition competition, a team named "SmartHome Hub" from National Pingtung Senior High School competed against 11 teams. The SmartHome Hub team won scholarships (獎學金) to the university for $80,000 US dollars, or over two and a half million Taiwan dollars. In the junior exhibition competition, a team named "Dreamer" competed against 13 teams. For this exhibition competition, teams thought of a problem that a robot could fix or something it could do. Then they designed, made, and programmed (寫程式) their robot. They made a video and wrote reports for the judges (裁判). Then they showed their robot, gave a 4-minute report in English, and answered the judges' questions. Taiwan also won in the game competitions. In the senior game competition, a team named "Just Right," from Cheng Yi Senior High School in Kaohsiung, won first place. It competed against 21 teams. This team also won $80,000 US dollar scholarships. In the junior game competition, a team named "Justice," also from Cheng Yi Senior High School, won sixth place. It competed against 29 teams! Whoa! The teams played a two-minute game called "Autonomous (自駕) Taxi." Their robots picked up small balls and delivered them to different boxes. In the game, the robots were taxis picking up and dropping off people and food orders! In the senior medical (醫療的) robot competition, a team named "FAME" won third place. They got scholarships for $56,000 US dollars, or $1,800,000 Taiwan dollars. This new wave of young leaders in robotics will help Taiwan make smarter and faster robots! 這些學生的創新想法，可以幫助台灣在機器人領域更成功. ___________________________________________________________ 八歲男孩成為時尚潮流領袖 An Eight-Year-Old Boy Is a Fashion Trendsetter It's Wednesday, a school day, and the kids are looking good. It's because of one classmate in a rural (鄉村的) school in a small rural town. One day he decided he wanted to wear a suit to school. That was okay. Kids in most public schools in the U.S. don't wear uniforms. They can choose the clothes they want to wear. So this 8-year-old boy chose a green three-piece suit: pants, vest, and jacket. He put on a nice white shirt and a necktie too. His classmates were surprised at first. They didn't know why he was dressed up (穿得那麼正式) They didn't know what to think! Was this strange or was this cool? Hmmmmm… The boy kept wearing suits to school. He knew he was dressed differently from everyone else. But he didn't care. He liked dressing up. He said, "I can be who I want to be." Kids got used to (習慣) seeing him dressed up. One by one, they started dressing up too. And… they thought they looked good! It made them feel good! Even if a dress or a jacket was itchy (發癢), they felt good. One boy said he felt like a president (總統)! So the boy in the three-piece suit became a fashion trendsetter (時尚潮流引領者). And students decided that Wednesdays are "Dapper (穿著考究的) Wednesday." Kids dress up… if they want to. The school has a "Dapper Closet (衣櫥)." People donate (捐贈) dressy (比較正式的) clothes there so that every child can dress up… if they want to. One teacher thinks dressing up is a great idea. He says the kids are different when they're dressed up. They seem to feel better about themselves all day. But the boy who wears suits doesn't think all kids need to dress up. He says they should wear what they want to wear. That's what he does! 這個小男孩有信心做自己，真是太好了. ___________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: Smart students in Taiwan are already becoming leaders in robotics. At the Robofest World Championship, eight teams from Taiwan won awards. Some teams also won scholarships. ___________________________________________________________ And… An eight-year-old boy became a fashion trendsetter when he wore a suit to school. Students didn't know what to think at first. Then they started to dress up and liked it. Now they dress up every Wednesday… if they want to! ___________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit For a little money, a stamp will send mail very far. An Italian man loves stamps. He sends postcards from interesting post offices. He sends them to other cool post offices. This year, he sent a postcard from the Penguin (企鵝) Post Office, the southernmost post office in Antarctica (南極洲). He sent it to the only cave (洞穴) post office in the world. The postcard left Antarctica on a cruise ship (遊輪). Then it went to the U.K. by plane. Thirty-two days after it was mailed, the postcard arrived at the cool cave post office in Slovenia (斯洛維尼亞)! Postojna Cave is a wonderful world with a train and… baby dragons! ___________________________________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. You might hear it at the end of an episode! We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!

B*News Bites 文字檔 (國中) ________________________________ 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 Malayan Tigers, and football-playing AI robots! And for today's Tasty Tidbit: The king of the jungle! Stay tuned for those stories. ________________________________ 臺北動物園新生報到兩瀕危馬來虎 Malayan Tigers Debut at Taipei Zoo Exciting news from Taipei Zoo: Two Malayan tigers have just made their first public appearance. Their names are Shima and Serikin. These tigers came all the way from France, arriving on March 1st from a special zoo dedicated to big cats (來自法國一家專門保育大型貓科動物的動物園). Shima and Serikin spent over two months in quarantine (檢疫) and spent some time getting used to their new home. After that, they were ready to meet visitors! Zookeepers say Shima and Serikin have very different personalities (個性大不同). Shima loves to play and explore her new surroundings, while Serikin is more shy and careful. This is a big deal for Taipei Zoo, because it's the zoo's first time participating in a global program to help save Malayan tigers. Malayan tigers live in the forests of southern Thailand and Malaysia. They are an endangered subspecies (亞種) of tiger. They're named after Peter Jackson! No, not that Peter Jackson - the director the Lord of the Rings trilogy. 不是魔戒電影的導演。 They're named after another Peter Jackson, who's a notable tiger conservationist (老虎保育人士). Jackson "earned his stripes" way back in 2005, when the Malayan tiger subspecies was discovered, and named after him. Sadly, Malayan tiger numbers are dropping because of habitat loss and poaching. Taipei Zoo Director Chen I-tsung (諶亦聰) says these tigers are critically endangered, which means they are at very high risk of extinction. Deforestation for palm oil plantations (棕櫚樹園區) and urban development (城市發展) has significantly reduced their natural habitat. This makes it harder for them to find sufficient prey and leads to increased encounters with poachers (盜獵者). Poaching remains a major threat, driven by the illegal wildlife trade, where tiger parts like their coats (皮毛) are highly valued. 盜獵依然是重大威脅，由於老虎的皮毛非常值錢，帶來許多非法的野生動物交易。 Thankfully, conservation efforts are underway to protect the remaining Malayan tigers. These efforts include anti-poaching measures, habitat preservation and community engagement programs. 保育措施包括反盜獵、棲息地保護和社區參與計畫。 Shima and Serikin are both very elegant and quiet, so the zookeepers ask visitors to be considerate when visiting them. They can be found in the Tropical Rainforest Area at Taipei Zoo. Let's help raise awareness about these beautiful animals and support efforts to protect them. ________________________________ 日內瓦人工智慧展 機器人踢足球 Robots Play Soccer at AI Showcase in Geneva Time to head over to Switzerland for this next story - the land of chocolate, mountain landscapes and luxury watches. Recently, an A-I for Good Global Summit took place in Geneva. 最近日內瓦舉行了一場人工智慧全球高峰會，探討怎樣讓AI做好事。 You remember what A-I is, right? It stands for Artificial Intelligence. Artificial Intelligence can do many things. It can look at a lot of data very fast and find important information. AI can do boring and repetitive tasks, so people can do more interesting work. It helps with decision-making by showing patterns and predictions. But it can do much more than that! At the Summit, AI-controlled robots played soccer, answered trivia questions, and even poked fun at human mistakes! Cool, huh? These robots were built by students from ETH Zurich - a public research university in Zurich, Switzerland. 這些機器人是由瑞士蘇黎世的公立研究型大學ETH Zurich的學生所打造的。 The robots kicked, passed, and tracked the ball using sensors. The project supervisor Jan-Nico Zaech said it helps students learn and test new algorithms (演算法) that can be used in the real world. Apart from robots playing soccer, the summit also showcased other amazing AI technologies. For example, prosthetic limbs (義肢) that learn from users and adapt to their movements, as well as devices to help visually impaired people avoid obstacles (幫助視障人士避開障礙物的設備), and bionic pets (跟真正寵物很像的機器寵物) to keep people company. ________________________________ So in today's News Bites, Two Malayan tigers made their debut at Taipei Zoo after arriving from France. Their names are Shima and Serikin. Zookeepers say they have different personalities. Shima is playful and adventurous, while Serikin is more reserved. Taipei Zoo is participating in a global program to save these critically endangered tigers, whose numbers are declining due to habitat loss and poaching. The Zoo urges visitors to be respectful. ________________________________ And, The AI for Good Global Summit recently took place in Geneva, Switzerland. AI, short for Artificial Intelligence, can process data quickly, perform repetitive tasks, and assist with decision-making. At the summit, AI-controlled robots built by students from ETH Zurich played soccer and showcased advanced technologies. These innovations demonstrate how AI is revolutionizing various fields and improving lives around the world. _______________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And for today's Tasty Tidbit, You might have heard that tigers are called "kings of the jungle". Well, it just so happens that stripe pattern on a tiger's head looks like the Chinese character for king (王). 有趣的是，老虎頭上的條紋圖案與中文「王」字相似。 In Chinese culture, the tiger holds a special significance as a symbol of power, strength, and bravery. ________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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… Taiwan's millet seeds are stored in the Artic, a gardener makes music, and stories of mermaids in the Caribbean! Let's begin! ________________________________ 臺灣珍貴種子 走進北極 Taiwan's Tiny Treasures Go to the Arctic Seeds (種子) are tiny but mighty treasures essential for our food and agriculture. They carry the genetic blueprint of plants (植物的基因藍圖). Protecting seeds means preserving the diversity of our crops (保護農作物的多樣性)… …which helps us adapt (適應) to changes like climate shifts and disease. Speaking of protecting seeds, did you know that a team from Taiwan traveled to the Arctic (北極) at the end of May? They took 170 seeds of a grain called millet (小米) to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway (挪威的斯瓦爾巴全球種子庫). Oh, the "Doomsday Seed Vault! (世界末日種子庫)! It's like a safe place for seeds from all over the world, right? Exactly! It helps keep seeds safe in case of big problems like climate change, wars, or other disasters. At the end of May, there was a ceremony in Svalbard to celebrate Taiwan's participation in this important project. Many important people from Taiwan were there, including scientists and representatives of Taiwan's indigenous Peoples (臺灣原住民). Millet is very important to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. It's a staple food and has special cultural rituals. 小米是一種主要的食物，並且有特殊的文化儀式。 These seeds will help ensure that future generations can continue to grow millet. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located in the northernmost town in the Arctic Circle (北極圈內最北邊的小鎮). It's a very secure place, protected by natural freezing conditions and strong underground tunnels. It can even withstand earthquakes and nuclear attacks! 它甚至能夠承受地震和核武攻擊！ By sending millet seeds to the Global Seed Vault, Taiwan is helping to protect global agriculture and preserve (保存) important parts of its culture. It's amazing how something so small can have such a big impact on our world. Every seed counts when it comes to protecting our planet's biodiversity (生物多樣性) and ensuring a healthy future. ________________________________ 園丁的新旋律 A Gardener's New Tune Humans have always been creative (有創意) with music, inventing countless instruments over the centuries. From simple drums and flutes to complex (複雜的) pianos and electric guitars… …each new instrument has brought unique sounds and styles. People have even used everyday objects (日常物品) to make music! Anything can become an instrument with a bit of imagination. And now, a gardener (園丁) in England has found a way to make music with…plants! He has introduced a whole new way to create and enjoy music. A gardener named Martin Noble-James discovered a unique way to make music using plants. Martin built a special machine called a synthesizer (合成器) to turn plants' electrical impulses into sounds (將植物的電脈衝轉化為聲音). This new music style is called bio-sonification (生物聲音化). Bio-sonification works by connecting electrodes (電極) to plants. These electrodes pick up the plants' natural electrical signals (自然的電訊). The signals are then transformed into music (轉化為音樂) through the synthesizer. Martin got interested in this during the COVID-19 lockdown (新冠疫情封鎖期) and has been experimenting ever since. He says he enjoys making music without controlling it. Instead, he collaborates (合作) with the plants. He finds it exciting to perform live, just plugging in a plant and seeing what happens. 他覺得現場表演很好玩，只需要插入一株植物，看看會發生什麼事。 Changes to the plants, like watering them or tearing off a leaf, can alter the sounds they produce. 假如改變植物，比如澆水或撕下一片葉子，都會改變它們產生的聲音。 Martin says that the plants produce voltage (電壓), and you can create different sounds with that voltage. It's a unique way to enjoy music and see how plants can create beautiful sounds. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… A team from Taiwan traveled to the Arctic at the end of May. They took 170 special millet seeds to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway. It's a place for seeds from all over the world, keeping them safe for food security and agriculture. ________________________________ And, A gardener named Martin Noble-James discovered a unique way to make music using plants. Martin built a special synthesizer to turn plants' natural electrical signals into sounds. The electrical signals are transformed into music through the synthesizer. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Famous Italian explorer Christopher Columbus is known for reaching the Americas in 1492. On January 9th, 1493, Columbus was sailing near the Dominican Republic. While sailing, he thought he saw three "mermaids" in the water. He said these "mermaids" were not as beautiful as the ones in legends. But these creatures were not mermaids at all. They were actually…manatees! *manatee sound* They are large, gentle sea animals. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Nancy Sun. Coming up in today's news: Hualien holds a racing event for snails and a new airline for dogs takes flight. And in today's Tasty Tidbit, an elementary school baseball team is going to the U.S. thanks to one woman! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ___________________________________________________________ **花蓮舉辦蝸牛競賽 ** Hualien Holds a Snail Competition We humans have been using animals for sports ever since we were able to train (訓練) them. We race horses and dogs. Some people make dogs and roosters (公雞) fight. Using animals for fights is cruel (殘忍的). It’s also illegal (違法的) in most places. Recently (最近), animal competitions (競賽) have become more creative (更有創意) and interesting. Nepal (尼泊爾) has elephant soccer. California has dog surfing (衝浪). Here in Taiwan, we have snail (蝸牛) racing. Yes, you heard that right: snail racing. A snail competition was recently held in Fenglin Township (鳳林鎮) in Hualien. Fenglin Township is well known for its slow-paced lifestyle (慢節奏的生活方式). Ten years ago, an international association (國際協會) that promotes (推廣) a slow-paced lifestyle named Fenglin Township a “slow” city. It’s the first “slow” city in Taiwan. Its mascot (吉祥物) is a snail. So snail racing and Fenglin Township are a good match (絕配)! The snail racing competition promotes a slow-paced lifestyle. It also brings visitors – and snails – from all over Taiwan to this beautiful town. This year, 81 people brought snails to race in the competition. The race is on a cloth with two concentric circles (同心圓) on it. The snails start at the inner circle (內圈) and go to the outer (外) circle. The first one to crawl across 33 centimeters wins. Four races were held with about 20 snails in each race. The winner was a Giant African Snail. Its name is 宇宙強強滾, or “The Universe Rolls On.” It reached the outer circle in 1 minute and 25 seconds. The top three snails got a medal and sweet potato leaves (地瓜葉). One woman said she had picked up ten snails a week ago. She trained them with sweet potato leaves. She chose the best of the ten for the competition. Her snail won second place! It finished in 2 minutes and 15 seconds. 鳳林人希望能藉由這個活動把慢活的哲學推廣出去。 ___________________________________________________________ **狗狗航空公司起飛 ** A New Airline for Dogs Takes Off Do you have a dog? If you do, maybe you understand how it feels to leave your dog when you go on a trip. Poor dog! Sure, you can take your dog with you. It’s easy when you’re going on a road trip. Many dogs love riding in cars. But… what if you’re flying? Most airlines (航空公司) only allow dogs that are less than 9 kilograms in the cabin (機艙). However, they must be kept under the seat in a pet carrier (寵物籠). Large dogs must fly in the cargo hold (貨艙) under the cabin. Even on smooth flights (順利飛行), dogs are anxious (焦慮的). They are also not comfortable. A new airline started, and it’s what some dog lovers have been waiting for. A pet company started it with a private jet charter company (私人飛機包機公司). Dogs are treated like people are. Maybe they’re treated even better! The airline says dogs are their top priority (最優先). Before flights, the airline serves (提供) them snacks and gives them noise-canceling earmuffs (降低噪音的耳罩). During flights, the airline serves them drinks to help their ears with changes in air pressure (空氣壓力). The dogs can meet other dogs or stay in their seats. 唯一的缺點是昂貴的票價. A one-way trip from New York to Los Angeles costs $6,000 US dollars for one dog and one person. That’s about 195,000 Taiwan dollars! From New York to London, the price is $8,000 US dollars. That’s about 260,000 Taiwan dollars! Wow! The airline says the price will go down as more dogs fly with them. It’s expensive, but this new airline is still great news for dog lovers who fly with their dogs. ___________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: Animal competitions around the world are becoming more interesting. In Taiwan, Hualien holds snail races. The competition promotes the slow-paced lifestyle of Fenglin. ___________________________________________________________ And… Dogs are the top priority for a new airline. They can sit with their owners in the cabin. The airline serves the dogs snacks and drinks. But the tickets are not cheap. ___________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit A baseball team from Pingtung is Taiwan's national champion in an international baseball league. Congratulations (恭喜)! The players are from Yu-Tian (玉田) Elementary School and Daping (大平) Elementary School. The next games are the international games in the U.S. in August. The trip will cost about $4,800,000 Taiwan dollars! The schools didn't know if they could get enough money to go. Then a woman called one school. She said she wanted to give the team all of the money! The school thought she was joking (開玩笑). That's a lot of money from one person! But that afternoon, she sent the money to the school's bank account (帳戶)! Wow! What a great thing to do! Good luck to the team! _________________________________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. You might hear it at the end of an episode! We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!

Wealth Gap and Climate Action Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites… I'm Paz Bueno. And I'm Nancy Sun. In today's episode… Taiwan has a big wealth gap, scientists have four big ideas to fight climate change, and built-in allergy relief! Let's get into it. ________________________________ 台灣貧富差距擴大 Taiwan's Wealth Gap Gets Bigger Do we live in a fair society (公平的社會)? Of course some people have more money than others. It would be great to hear that our society is improving and becoming fairer. But is that the way it's really going? Unfortunately, one measure shows that things are moving in the opposite direction. That means the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. 富人愈富，窮人愈窮。 The government has collected lots of data (數據) about this question. Now, they say the wealth gap is increasing. That means the difference between how much money the richest have, and how much the poorest have. The richest families in Taiwan have 67 times more wealth than the poorest 20% of families. 台灣最富有的家有的財富是最貧窮的家的67倍。 67 times as much money? That's a huge gap. That means for every one dollar a poor family has… …a rich family has 67 dollars. That's four times bigger than the wealth gap was 30 years ago. There is some good news, though. Taiwan has a smaller wealth gap than some other developed countries (已開發國家). Australia's wealth gap is 93 times, and France's wealth gap is 627 times! But why is it bad to have a big wealth gap? Actually, there are a few reasons. First of all, it's unfair (不公平). It can cause feelings of anger between the rich and the poor. This may lead to increased crime or other violence. However, there is a more important reason. That is, a big wealth gap hurts the economy. 巨大的貧富差距會損害經濟。 If the rich get more money, they tend to just save it (存錢). But if the poor get more money, they will spend it (用錢), to buy the things they need. That means shops will sell more, farmers will plant more, factories will build more, and the whole economy (經濟) will grow. In other words, if the people with less money have more of it to spend, this will help everyone. So, we should try to make Taiwan's wealth gap smaller. Not just because it's more fair, but also because it will make the economy stronger. ________________________________ 科學家講述最有力的氣候行動 Scientists Tell Strongest Climate Actions How can you help with climate change (全球暖化)? We all know the climate is changing, and the Earth's atmosphere is getting warmer. This is dangerous for everyone, so we need to take action (採取行動). But what can you really do? I have an idea. I'll make a big fridge and put the Earth inside, to cool it down. Don't joke around (不要開玩笑), this is serious. For real answers, we should listen to science. A recent survey asked 380 climate scientists this question. These are the top four answers they gave, for ways that one person can help with climate change. 調查問了 380 名氣候科學家，以下是他們最推薦的四種方法。 Let's count them down. Coming in at number four is… …using less energy for home heating and cooling (減少家庭供暖和冷氣的能源). That means we need to find better ways to warm and cool our houses. Traditional gas heaters and AC units use lots of power, which puts CO2 into the atmosphere. But new technologies like the heat pumps (熱泵) are much more efficient. The number three way is to eat less meat (少吃肉). The animals we use for meat take up so much of our planet's resources! For example, cows need a huge area of land. They eat tons of food and fart out (放屁) harmful emissions, all for a little beef. It's much better for the environment if we eat a vegetable-based diet. The number two way is to fly less (少坐飛機). That's because airplanes use so much fuel, making lots of emissions. If you care about the Earth, just take your holiday closer to home. And the number one way is to vote (投票). That's right, use your vote to choose leaders (領導人) who will act on climate change. And if you're too young to vote… …then at least you can talk about it with people who do vote, like parents and other family. Why is voting the best action you can take? One person can only do a little bit. We need to change the whole system (變整個系統). And we can only do that if our leaders really understand the problem. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… Taiwan's wealth gap is getting bigger. That means the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer. That's not just unfair, it also harms the economy. ________________________________ And, Scientists shared the top actions you can take to fight climate change. They say the best thing you can do is vote for leaders who will take strong action. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Did you know that laughing can help with allergies? If you have hay fever, try laughing about it! A study showed that people who watched funny videos had fewer allergy symptoms for a few hours. This means that laughing might help reduce allergies. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Nancy Sun. And I'm Brody Halverson! In today's news… Readers hit it out of the park, and buyers pay up for a rare feather. And in today's Tasty Tidbit… Students from Yunlin tell us about some of their favorite news stories. Let's check it out. ________________________________ 閱讀全壘打6月起跑 Read Books for Game Tickets "Now the batter steps up to the plate…" "…stands at the ready…" "The pitcher winds up the ball and…" "It's going, going, GONE! It's a home run! Get ready young sluggers and all-stars. This summer, you could hit your own "big fly" by hitting the books! It's the "2024 Home Run Readers" event. What does reading have to do with sports? Here's how it works… People can get points by borrowing books from public libraries. Once they have 10 points, they can fill out a form. They can exchange (兌換) the form for a ticket to a CTBC Brothers baseball game. This year, 7 cities and counties are taking part in the program. That means there's over 200 public libraries to choose books from! Readers have from June 11th to July 31st to do this. 可以透過合作縣市超過200個公共圖書館的線上閱讀存摺，或借閱實體書籍，累積點數。 And that's just the first inning. There's fun for other sports fans too. In October, "Home Run Readers" heads into overtime. If you love basketball, this second phase is for you. At that time, readers can also complete missions (任務). And then they can exchange points for tickets to T1 League CTBC DEA games. All in all, that's 16,000 baseball and basketball game tickets up for grabs! 今年預計會發放1萬6000張棒球和籃球門票。 So grab your library card, hit the books, and get ready to cheer loud! ________________________________ 世界上最貴的羽毛 World's Most Expensive Feather Some things that go on sale at auctions can be surprising. In fact, many of these things sell for a lot of money. There are diamonds, cars, artwork, even teeth from famous people. But what about a single feather? A feather was sold at auction in New Zealand, for $28,000 US dollars. That's over $900,000 NT (九十萬塊台幣)! It is the most expensive feather ever sold. 一根紐西蘭鐮嘴垂耳鴉羽毛，在拍賣會上以台幣約90萬元的價格售出，創下了新紀錄。 Why is it so valuable (有價值)? The shiny black feather has a bright white tip (尖端), and it's not just any feather. It's a feather from a huia. Huia lived in New Zealand. They were songbirds that made a sound like their name. But why would their feather be so expensive? Well, the huia is now extinct (滅絕). Huia birds use to be all over New Zealand. In fact, they were sacred (神聖) to the Maori people. Their feathers were worn by chiefs and their families. Then after Europeans arrived in New Zealand, everyone wanted huia feathers. There was too much hunting, and huia also lost their homes when people cut down forests. The last time a live huia was seen was in 1907. And that's why huia feathers are now so valuable. Experts hope the feather can be a reminder to people. They hope it will help everyone remember the importance of protecting nature and wildlife. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… The "2024 Home Run Readers" gives points for reading books. Then readers can get tickets to some sports games. This year, 7 cities and counties are taking part in the program. That means there's over 200 public libraries to choose books from! ________________________________ And, A feather was sold at auction in New Zealand, for $28,000 US dollars. It is the most expensive feather ever sold. The shiny black feather has a bright white tip, and is a feather from a huia. Huia lived in New Zealand, but they are now extinct. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Here's your daily dose of laughs in today's Tasty Tidbit… You ready? Why do tigers have stripes? Because they don't want to be SPOTTED! And now we have two students from Yunlin County's Chung Shan Elementary School, telling us about their favorite news stories and thoughts about the world. First up is 12-year-old Julia Chen! … And here's 10-year-old Roy Liao with his favorite. … 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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!

B*News Bites 文字檔 (國中) ________________________________ Hey you guys, it's time for an all-new episode of News Bites. I'm Jacob Ingram. And I'm Nancy Sun. In today's news: The Ministry of Environment is planning to start a trial ban on free plastic bags, and Vietnam's vintage 1960s steam locomotives are back on the rails! And for today's Tasty Tidbit: The origin of the plastic bag. Stay tuned for more on those stories. ________________________________ 環境部七月開始試辦 禁止提供免費塑膠袋 Ministry of Environment to Trial Ban on Free Plastic Bags Plastic pollution is so serious nowadays. Plastic waste can be found almost anywhere: High up in the mountains, deep in the forests, and even thousands of meters underwater in the ocean. 塑膠汙染很嚴重，到處都看得到：不管是在高山上，或是在森林深處，或是在海洋中都能看到塑膠垃圾。 Authorities around the world are working hard to solve the problem. Taiwan officials have also decided to take things up a notch (更進一步). Since 2002, the government began introducing policies (政策) to reduce the use of plastic bags. Then in 2018, the free plastic bag ban was extended to 14 types of businesses, including convenient stores and government agencies. Over the past two decades, the annual use of plastic bags has been reduced by about 50%. 過去二十年來，人們每年使用的塑膠袋已經減少了一半。 But the government isn't stopping there. The Ministry of Environment wants to introduce charges (收費) for plastic bags at night markets. That basically means vendors (攤販) at designated (指定的) night markets will no longer be allowed to offer free plastic bags. The ban doesn't include plastic bags containing food. That's good news for me! It means I won't have to pay extra for 鹽水雞！ If everything goes well, the trial (試辦的日期) will start in July and go on until the end of the year. Taipei's Ningxia Night Market (寧夏夜市) might be selected as the first night market for the trial. Over the years, the night market has been striving (致力於) to become more eco-friendly. Almost all the vendors have replaced disposable tableware (拋棄式餐具) with reusable ones (重複使用餐具). The Ministry said Ningxia Night Market's vendors and customers should be more accepting of the plastic bag ban. Let's wait and see how it goes! ________________________________ 越南六零年代的蒸汽火車回來了 Vietnam's Vintage 1960s Steam Locomotives Are Back on the Rails Have you ever gone on a train journey? Train rides can be luxurious (豪華) and enjoyable. Some trains even have sleeping bunks for long overnight trips. There are many train journeys that offer views so breathtaking that many people put them on their bucket list (願望清單). For example, the Glacier Express in Switzerland offers amazing views of the Alps (阿爾卑斯山). And the 40-hour Beijing-to-Lhasa Express transports its passengers from the neon lights of urban China to snow-capped mountains and endless blue skies of Tibet (西藏). A train journey in Vietnam might be catching the attention of train and history enthusiasts (喜愛歷史的人). The country has revamped (改造) a pair of vintage steam locomotives (古董蒸汽火車頭) from the 1960s. The two locomotives are the last working steam trains in Vietnam. They date back to when Vietnam was still a French colony (法國殖民地). During the last few years, the trains have been restored using original parts. The people working on them were also the last remaining steam engineers working for the national railway system. Each train will be fitted with two retro-styled (復古風格) passenger carriages, a kitchen car and a baggage carriage (行李車廂). The luxurious interiors are furnished to reflect the French Colonial era with mahogany (紅木) tables and chairs, gold accents (裝飾) and decorative tiles. The carriages are also equipped with large windows to allow views of passing landscapes. Train staff also dress in 1960s clothing, providing passengers with an immersive experience. 火車上的員工也會穿上六零年代的服裝，帶給乘客身歷其境的體驗。 The trains will travel between the central city of Da Nang and the former royal capital Hue. So if you're looking for a retro experience during your next trip to Vietnam, this might be something to check out! ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: The Ministry of Environment will start a trial ban on free plastic bags in July. This is because plastic pollution is a big problem, with plastic found everywhere, even in the ocean. Taiwan has been reducing plastic bag use since 2002, cutting it by 50% in twenty years. Officials are eyeing Taipei's Ningxia Night Market for a trial run banning free plastic bags. ________________________________ And… Vietnam has brought back vintage 1960s steam locomotives for a unique train journey. These are the last working steam trains in Vietnam, restored with original parts and operated by the last steam engineers. The trains feature luxurious, French Colonial-style interiors with mahogany furniture and large windows for scenic views. They will run between Da Nang and Hue, offering a retro experience for passengers. ________________________________ And for today's Tasty Tidbit, here's a fun fact about the origins of the plastic bag: Did you know it was actually invented to save the planet? Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin invented the plastic bag in 1959 as an alternative (替代) to paper bags. Plastic bags are more durable (耐用) than paper bags, and can be cleaned and re-used. The inventor's son said his dad always carried a folded plastic bag in his pocket whenever he went out, in case he needed to do some shopping. Isn't it ironic (諷刺) that something originally meant to be environmentally friendly turned out to cause a bigger problem? Next time you think of throwing away a plastic bag, consider reusing it instead. ________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 there! You're listening to an all-new episode of News Bites. I'm Paz Bueno. And I'm Nancy Sun. Today's stories… A study shows immigrant children have worse eating problems, and a kindergartner gets a special graduation ceremony. And in today's Tasty Tidbit…chickens could make cats less allergenic! Let's check it out. ________________________________ 新住民兒童的飲食問題 Worrying Eating Habits among Immigrant Kids Eating disorders (飲食失調) are serious health problems that affect how people eat and feel about their bodies. They can make people eat too much or too little… …and it can cause a lot of stress and health issues (引起壓力和健康問題). It's important to understand eating disorders so we can help those who are struggling (才能幫助受飲食問題困擾的人). A study shows that children of immigrants (新住民的孩子) in Taiwan have more eating problems than their classmates. This research was done by Professor Chen Duan-rung at National Taiwan University. 這項研究是由台灣大學陳端榮教授主持。 From March to June 2019, 729 middle school students, aged 13 to 16, from three schools in New Taipei City were surveyed. The study found that nearly 17% of children from immigrant families had eating problems, compared to 10% of other kids. This is a big difference. Professor Chen found three reasons for these eating problems. First, immigrant kids might feel different and face bullying (遭遇霸凌). Second, they might feel pressure to be thin (可能感受到變瘦的壓力). Third, their parents might not worry much about them becoming overweight (超重). Mental health researcher and NTU Professor Chang Shu-sen (張書森) said that one in 10 middle school students have eating problems. But for immigrant children, it's one in six. This might be due to stress or other mental health issues. Long-term (長期的) eating problems can lead to serious eating disorders, which are very dangerous. Another professor from National Chengchi University says that some immigrant kids feel like they don't belong, even though they are successful. 國立政治大學教授說，有些新住民兒童雖然很成功，但感覺自己不屬於這裡。 Also, not being allowed to speak their native language (母語) when they were young might cause stress, leading to eating problems. It's important to understand and support our classmates to help them stay healthy and happy. ________________________________ 高空上的幼稚園畢業典禮！ Sky-High Kindergarten Graduation! Making special memories (創造特別的回憶) when you are young is very important. These memories can be anything from a fun day with friends to special family events. They stay with you forever and make you happy when you think about them. A special moment like that happened on a Frontier Airlines flight in the US (美國邊疆航空公司). The flight attendants (空服員) celebrated a boy's kindergarten graduation (幼稚園畢業典禮). The boy, Xavier, was traveling with his family and had to miss (錯過了) his graduation ceremony. But the flight attendants didn't want him to miss out. So, they decided to give him a special graduation ceremony on the plane! A woman shared a video of the event on TikTok. In the video, you can see Xavier smiling and wearing a graduation cap (方帽子) made by the flight attendants. They even made a big announcement to everyone on the plane, and passengers cheered and celebrated with him (大家都為他歡呼慶祝). Many people online loved the video. One person, Amanda, said it was so cute when everyone got excited about the graduation. Another person, Kathy, said it's simple acts of kindness (簡單的善行) that keep us happy. Kay loved how everyone perked up (感到興奮) when they heard about the graduation. Danii said it was unforgettable (難忘) to graduate over 12,000 meters up in the air. And Anna was touched (覺得很感動) by the high fives Xavier got at the end. The video became very popular, with over 1.2 million views. People were moved by the kindness of the flight attendants and how they made Xavier's day special. This story shows how small acts of kindness can make a big difference. 小小的善行也能產生很大的影響。 ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… Eating disorders are serious health problems that affect how people eat and feel about their bodies. A study shows that children of immigrants in Taiwan have more eating problems than their classmates. The study found that nearly 17% of children from immigrant families had eating problems, compared to 10% of other kids. ________________________________ And, A special moment happened on a Frontier Airlines flight in the US recently. A boy named Xavier was traveling with his family and had to miss his graduation ceremony. But the flight attendants decided to give him a special graduation ceremony on the plane! Many people online loved the video. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Are you allergic to cats? Chickens might be able to help! Some people think farm-fresh eggs can help with cat allergies. Scientists say that could be because chickens that live near cats can develop special antibodies (抗體). These antibodies are against a protein found in cat saliva that causes allergies in humans. The chickens can pass these antibodies into their eggs. So if cats eat these eggs, they might cause fewer allergies. Scientists are still studying this idea, and there isn't much research yet. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Brody Halverson. In today's news… Taking the top prize by twisting balloons, or doing absolutely nothing. And in today's Tasty Tidbit The biggest animal in the world is all heart! Stay tuned for all that and more, coming up next! ________________________________ 台灣學生勇奪折氣球大賽冠軍 Taiwan Student Wins Qualatex Balloon Twisting Contest Taiwan is a country with a lot of skillful people. Many talented (有才華的) people have gone to international competitions. And many have done very well. Some Taiwan competitors (參賽者) have won awards for making chocolate, playing badminton, baking, and more. And now, a student from Taichung won first place at another international competition! 11th-grader Yen Jui-chun (顏睿軍) won a balloon twisting (折氣球) contest held by Qualatex. Qualatex is a company that makes balloons. They have been making balloons for over a hundred years. Every year, the company holds a balloon twisting competition. It encourages participants to show their creativity. This year, Yen won the competition with his masterpiece (傑作) "Alligator". The balloon alligator stands with a toothbrush in its hand. It has white teeth on each side of its mouth. The toothbrush even has pink toothpaste on it. Qualatex posted a picture of the Alligator on social media. It praised Yen's balloon twisting techniques (技巧). Yen says he got the idea after reading a Japanese children's book "Crocodile and Dentist." When Yen was 4 years old, he went to a speech therapist (語言治療師). The therapist used balloons as a tool. Balloons really helped him speak and say words. That sparked (激發) his interest in balloon twisting. Since then, he has been teaching himself how to twist balloons. Around 4 years ago, he got his first cellphone. He then started learning from balloon twisting masters through social media. Yen also thinks that balloon twisting brings happiness to people. During the summer and winter vacations, he visits orphanages (孤兒院) and schools for children with special needs. 他很喜歡看見孩子學習折氣球時臉上的笑容。 Yen wants to keep going to international competitions. He wants to let the world see Taiwan through balloon twisting. ________________________________ 南韓舉辦發呆大賽 Who's Best at Doing Absolutely Nothing? When was the last time you did NOTHING? Just sitting there… Spacing-out (發呆)… Staring at blank space. A while ago, a "space-out competition" was held in Seoul. People tried to space-out for 90 mins without falling asleep, checking their phone or talking. During the competition, participants' heart rates are monitored (被監測). Whoever had the most stable (穩定) heart rate wins. Over 4000 people applied to participate (參加). But only 117 participants were chosen. The youngest was a student in grade 2. And the oldest participants were in their sixties. The Space-out Competition was started by a visual artist Woopsyang 10 years ago. At that time, she was burnt out (過勞) by all the stress in her life. She felt really anxious (焦慮). She felt that way after comparing herself with people who led busy lives. And Woopsyang wondered why she felt so bad about doing nothing. She thought maybe those busy people would want to space out and do nothing too. So she created a competition where everyone could space out. They could pause (暫停) everything, together at the same time. Since then, the contest has expanded to cities around the world, including Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo and others. Woopsyang said that the contest can help people realize that spacing-out is not a waste of time. This year's winner was Kwon So-a. She works at several jobs. Kwon said that doing nothing is good for both mental and physical health. But our body can only relax when our brain relaxes. 他們覺得每天花一點時間發呆有益身心健康。 ________________________________ So in today's News Bites, 11th-grader Yen Jui-chun won an international balloon twisting contest. He won the competition with his masterpiece "Alligator". Yen wants to keep going to international competitions. He wants to let the world see Taiwan through balloon twisting. ________________________________ And A "space-out competition" was held in Seoul, and people tried to space-out for 90 mins without falling asleep, checking their phone or talking. Whoever had the most stable heart rate wins. This year's winner was Kwon So-a. She says our body can only relax when our brain relaxes. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit In today's Tasty Tidbit, They're the largest animal in the world…the blue whale. These marine giants can be as long as 3 buses. Then there's the heart of the blue whale. These are also the biggest hearts in the animal kingdom. Blue whale hearts are about the size of a car. And they weigh as much as a cow. And, if you put an enormous stethoscope up to a blue whale's chest underwater, you would only hear a heartbeat 2 times each minute! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Jacob Ingram. Coming up in today's news: A hiker in Hualien survives the earthquake and a one-room school is the heart of a community! And in today's Tasty Tidbit…one word in Japanese changes a woman's life! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ___________________________________________________________ 地震中的白楊步道 Baiyang Trail During the Earthquake Early in the morning on April 3rd, a young man from Germany (德國) chatted with the owner (老闆) of the hostel (青年旅館) where he was staying. He was going to go hiking in Hualien's Taroko Gorge. He was planning to take Shakadang Trail (砂卡噹步道), but the hostel owner thought Baiyang Trail (白楊步道) would be better. The young man rode his scooter (小型摩托車) to Taroko Gorge. He parked (停放) it at a store. Then he went hiking on Baiyang Trail. Three minutes later, his phone vibrated (震動). Then the earthquake (地震) happened. It was his first earthquake. He went down to the ground! Rocks and debris (碎片) fell onto the trail. Rocks hit his back (背部) and legs. A rock hit his head. His face was bleeding (正在流血) in several places. His right leg hurt. But he was afraid he would die slowly if he stayed on the trail, so he got up and ran. He stood against the side of a cliff (將身體壓在懸崖面上). He covered his head with his arms. And then he waited for the earthquake - or his life - to be over. Thick dust from the rocks (岩塵) blocked (遮蔽) the sun. He waited and waited in the dark. His phone didn't work. He screamed (尖叫) for help. Nobody came. He had a red jacket. He put it on. He hoped the red jacket would make it easier for rescuers (救援人員) to see him. Then he waited for help again. Four and a half hours passed. The earth stopped shaking as much. The young man started to worry about being on the trail at night. So he slowly limped (跛行) back to the store where his scooter was. Several other injured (受傷) people were there too. Rescuers came to the store that night. They took all the injured people to the hospital. The young man got back to the hostel at three in the morning. His friends and family were very, very happy! The man was very lucky he had listened to the hostel owner and taken Baiyang Trail. He survived (存活). Sadly, some hikers on the other trail did not survive. 不幸的是，有些去其他步道的登山者並沒有活下來 ___________________________________________________________ 社區中心的一所單室學校 The One-Room School at the Heart of a Community A small American town has a popular ski resort (滑雪勝地) The town is very high up in the mountains. The road to the town is narrow (狹窄的). But every year, half a million skiers visit! The snow is great. Last year, almost 23 meters of snow fell there! The town has about three hundred people. And it has a school. The town needs a school so that workers with kids don't leave. The students' parents work at the ski lodges (滑雪屋), restaurants, shops, and other businesses in the town. What's the school like? It's in an old storage room (舊儲藏室) in a ski lodge. The one-room school has students from kindergarten (幼稚園) to eighth grade! There are 14 students and one teacher. They start the day with a walk through the resort, making observations (進行觀察) and learning about weather science. They have a math quiz every morning. The students play in the snow at recess (課間休息). They enjoy being in nature (自然環境). They ski when they have P.E.! They're very good skiers. Parents help with P.E. classes. At this school, the teacher is very busy! For each subject, every student has a different lesson! So the students learn to work by themselves (獨立地) and find answers by themselves. They also work together. Every month, the students write a newspaper. They make newspaper ads (報紙廣告) for the town's businesses and then sell the ads to them! The students put the newspapers in ski lodges. Every year, the students also write and act in a play (表演戲劇). Their parents and many other people come to see it! This small one-room school and its students, teacher, and parents are the heart of the community (社群). ___________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: A young man went hiking on Baiyang Trail on April 3rd. Three minutes later, the earthquake happened. He was injured when the earthquake made rocks fall on the trail… and on him. He was very lucky that he survived. ___________________________________________________________ And… A popular ski resort town in America has a one-room school. It has 14 students from kindergarten to eighth grade and one very busy teacher! The students write monthly newsletters and every year, they act in a play. The school has become the heart of the town! ___________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit When you go to another country, try to speak the language there, even if it's just one or two words. One woman makes short videos of herself, using a selfie stick (自拍桿). She posts them on social media (社群媒體). She went to Japan. She liked the sound of the Japanese word "kudasai." That means "please." In one video, she is walking and saying, "sushi kudasai, ocha kudasai, mizu kudasai, gohan kudasai, kudasai, kudasai." "Sushi please, tea please, water please, rice please, please, please." She wrote that these are the only Japanese words she knows. Over 14 million people have seen the video. Now she's the famous "kudasai girl" that fans want to meet! One word in Japanese changed the woman's life - kudasai…. please… please. _________________________________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. You might hear it at the end of an episode! We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!

B*News Bites 文字檔(國中) ________________________________ 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 news: more no-smoking zones for Taipei, and an all-women rock band from Saudi Arabia! And if you could have any pet, what would it be? Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next. ________________________________ 台北信義區計畫六月起將禁菸場所擴大 Taipei’s Xinyi District Planning to Expand Smoking-free Zones We’ve got some bad news for smokers (抽菸者) but good news for everyone else: Taipei health officials are planning to expand (擴大) smoking-free zones (禁菸區) in the city. Way back in April of this year, the Department of Health announced that people were no longer allowed to smoke under covered walkways (騎樓) outside of some convenience store and coffee shop chains. 台北市衛生局公告，有些連鎖便利商店和咖啡店一樓門市前面的騎樓中不許抽煙。 So customers of these places won’t have to worry about passive smoke (二手菸) wafting in (飄進來) from outside. In fact, that’s why we need these smoking bans. Passive smoking, also known as secondhand smoke, can be harmful to non-smokers, causing respiratory issues and other health problems. 被動吸菸（也稱為二手煙）對非吸菸者可能有害，會引起呼吸問題和其他健康問題。 Smoking bans create a safer and healthier environment for non-smokers. Taipei health officials started clamping down (取締) on outdoor smoking as far back as 2016. They banned smoking in some parts of Xiangti Avenue Plaza (香堤廣場), including Songshou Square Park (松壽廣場) and under some covered walkways (騎樓). Now, they’re planning to ban smoking in other areas! Woohoo! Starting from June this year, it will also be illegal to smoke on No. 20, Songgao Road (松高路２０巷人行道). If you’re caught smoking in banned areas, you could face a fine of up to 10 thousand NT. The Health Bureau says they're listening to what citizens want. If more folks want smoke-free spots, they'll make it happen. ________________________________ 沙烏地阿拉伯的女子搖滾樂團 An All-Women Rock Band from Saudi Arabia JAKE! Excuse me! What’s up? What on Earth are you doing? Sorry about that. I was just practicing my singing. 我剛才只是練習一下唱歌而已。 Is that what you call singing? I genuinely thought you were dying for a moment. Say, have you heard of Seera? Who’s that? It’s an all-women rock band from Saudi Arabia! This is what they sound like: Sounds cool. 酷斃了！ Seera blends traditional Arabic melodies (阿拉伯式旋律) with dreamy-sounding rock guitar riffs (搖滾吉他節奏). Seera 將傳統的阿拉伯式旋律與迷幻般的搖滾吉他節奏融合在一起。 This would unthinkable just years earlier in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia is traditionally very conservative. For example, women weren't allowed to drive until 2018 … … and they had to abide by strict dress codes. They also weren’t allowed to work in certain professions, such as retail, hospitality and engineering. But Saudi Arabia has been liberalizing some aspects of its society. 沙烏地阿拉伯傳統上非常保守，但近期開始解放一些社會中的面向。 The rock band Seera is one example of the way women are finding their voice and expressing themselves through the arts. 搖滾樂團 Seera 是女性通過藝術找到自己的聲音並表達自我的一個例子。 The band’s name, Seera, can mean “life” or “biography” in Arabic. Seera’s music style revolves around the life experiences of the band members. They sing in Arabic. 她們以阿拉伯語演唱。 They all have stage names (舞台名字). The drummer’s stage name is “Thing”, the guitarist “Haya”, the bassist “Meesh” and her sister’s “Nora”, who sings and plays keyboard. At a recent concert, youths in leather jackets and black rock T-shirts swayed and danced to the band’s music. Meesh said they didn’t know how people would react to their music. Nora said she wanted the band to be “an inspiration for the younger generation” to express themselves. She added that it’s OK to be yourself! 她又說道：「可以好好地做自己！」 Seera plans to release their debut album (首張專輯) later this year. They’ve also booked a gig in Dubai, which will mark their first time performing outside of Saudi Arabia. ________________________________ So in today’s News Bites, Taipei is making more places smoke-free. They started by banning smoking in covered walkways near some stores and cafes, then expanded it to No. 20, Songgao Road. If you smoke in these areas, you might get fined up to 10,000 NT. Authorities say they will listen to what people want and might make even more places smoke-free in the future. ________________________________ And, Seera is a rock band from Saudi Arabia with only women members. They mix rock music with traditional Arabic melodies. This is unusual in Saudi Arabia because it's usually very strict. Seera wants to inspire people to be themselves. They're planning to release their first album and perform in Dubai soon. _______________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit If you could have any pet in the world, what would it be? Kai, from Puli Elementary School in Nantou, tells us his… A dinosaur, eh? You’d have to have a pretty big house 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 *newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Paz Bueno. And I'm Brody Halverson. Today's stories… Kaohsiung police find a man making fake money, and how young is too young to have a smartphone? And in today's Tasty Tidbit…the reason dogs spin in circles before pooping. Let's check it out. ________________________________ 高雄警方逮捕假鈔犯 Fake Money Maker Caught in Kaohsiung What can I do if I have no money? You could get a job. That will let you earn some money (賺錢) for yourself. That sounds boring. Okay… why don't you ask your family or friends for some money? They won't give it to me. I know… maybe I can create money. I'll use my printer (影印機) to print it out. Then I'll have unlimited cash. That's a bad idea. Making fake money is called counterfeiting (偽造), and it's against the law. Did you hear about the counterfeiter that showed up in the south of Taiwan recently? Yes! It started when the Kaohsiung police found some fake money. They found 30 fake bills (假鈔) in stores and night markets around the city. There were all kinds, 100 NT, 500 NT, even 1000 NT bills. Police didn't know where the counterfeit money was coming from. It could be one criminal, or it could be a whole gang of them. They decided to use security cameras (監視器) to find out. They found video of a man using the fake money, and they traced him back to an apartment. When cops went to check the place out, they found a 48-year-old man with no job. They also found lots of evidence (證據). There were a bunch of counterfeit bills, a paper cutter, five color printers… and 22 bottles of nail polish (指甲油). Nail polish? What did he need that for? He used it to make the money look more real. He would print it off the printer, cut it out, and then paint some parts with the nail polish. Oh! You mean the shiny (閃亮的) parts of the bill? Exactly. But even then, the money didn't look very real. Police were surprised (驚訝) that shop owners took the money from him, because it looked so bad. Now they are trying to find out if the man was alone, or part of a group. Wow. Actually, it sounds like a lot of work to counterfeit money. Yep. It's simpler to just get a normal job. 找一份正常的工作比較簡單。 ________________________________ 報告顯示兒童13歲之前 不應該使用智慧型手機 Report Shows Kids Shouldn't Use Smartphones Before 13 Are you too young to have a smartphone (智慧型手機)? Ummm… I don't think so. I'm 31 years old. Then how young is too young to have a smartphone? Some elementary school students have phones… …and I even saw a baby playing with one. A new report (報告) says kids shouldn't have a smartphone before they are 13 years old. The report comes from France. The President of France (法國總統) was worried about kids spending too much time using a screen. So, he asked a team of scientists to look into it. The result was pretty surprising. First, they said children younger than three years old should not look at any screens (螢幕). Not even a TV screen! For kids 11 to 13 years old, the report says they can have a "dumb" phone (傻瓜手機). It's a simple phone that can't connect to the internet. At 13 years old, they can get a web-connected phone. But they shouldn't use social media (社群媒體) until they are 18 years old. Does that make sense? Teenagers use social media all the time. Right. But the report says this is harming young people's emotional development. 這些科技會傷害年輕人的情感發展。 Young people get addicted (上癮), and then they find it hard to look away. Plus, it distracts them from other things they should be learning. Not just schoolwork, but also learning how to live in the real world (現實世界) and interact with real people. Is this fair? Parents are using phones all the time, even when they are with their kids! That's a good point. The report also says that adults should spend less time on their phones when they are with their kids. In the end, the report blames the tech industry (科技業). It says tech and social media companies try to capture children's attention, so it can control them. 科技和社群媒體公司要吸引兒童的注意力，好控制他們。 That's scary… and what does the President of France say? He is also worried about the report. He says there will be new bans and restrictions (限制) to help protect children. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… Police in Kaohsiung caught a man making fake money. He used a color printer and nail polish to counterfeit the money. ________________________________ And, Scientists in France say kids shouldn't have a smartphone before the age of 13. They say smartphones and social media can harm your emotional development. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit If you own a pet dog, you might have noticed that dogs spin in circles before they poop. Scientists have discovered that's because dogs use Earth's magnetic field when they poop! Researchers observed 70 dogs from 37 breeds over two years. They found that dogs like to poop in a north-south direction. This means they avoid facing east or west. The reason why dogs do this is still unknown. Scientists are not sure if dogs can sense the magnetic field or if they just feel more comfortable this way. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 news… Pet-friendly taxis, and coins you can't spend. And in today's Tasty Tidbit Boing boing boing…it's not a rubber ball, it's a raw egg! Stay tuned for all that and more, coming up next! ________________________________ 台中市推廣寵物友善計程車 Taichung Offers Pet-friendly Taxi Service Are you ready to hit the road with your furry best friend? Taichung City is now offering a new type of taxi service. Some taxis in the city are now "pet-friendly". This means owners can ride with their pets. And they do not pay extra charges for their furry friend. 搭乘寵物友善計程車時，收費模式以跳表計費，不額外加收費用。 So how does it work? There are 16 taxi companies that have pet-friendly taxis. The companies are listed on the city government's website (網站). Pet owners can choose which one they like. And many of these taxi drivers own pets too! But hold on… There are a few rules (規則) that you have to follow. Before you hop in… Make sure your pet is safe in a carrier. And remember to help keep the taxi clean on your ride… Or you may have to pay extra cleaning fees. So what about the fare (車費)? Don't worry, it's just like any other taxi ride. You pay the regular metered fare. Isn't that "paws-itively" amazing? Just make sure to double-check for some special taxi types, or ones that provide special services. Sounds like life in Taichung is very nice for pets and their owners. And it's great timing too. Because government data shows that Taichung ranks second in Taiwan for the number of registered dogs and cats! 政府資料顯示，台中市犬貓登記數量達超過33萬4000多隻，數量占全國第2，僅次於新北市。 That's a lot of tail-wagging and purring! So, the next time you need to go somewhere with your pet in Taichung, why not take a pet-friendly taxi? It's a win-win for you and your furry friend! ________________________________ 等了100年！丹麥拍賣富豪錢幣收藏估值逾23億 Rare Coin Collection Up for Auction Would you like to have a super valuable collection of coins that you can't spend? Over 100 years ago, there was a man in Denmark, named Lars Emil Bruun. When he was a boy, he really liked collecting coins. After he grew up, he earned a lot of money selling butter. And with his wealth (財富), he kept collecting rare and valuable coins. These came from Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the U.K. In total, he collected around 20,000 coins, medals, and banknotes. That's a lot of treasure! But here's the coolest part. Bruun didn't just keep his coins for fun. He had a special plan for his treasure. You see, Bruun lived through World War I (第一次世界大戰). He saw the devastation (毀滅) a war like that brings. He wanted to protect his country. So in his will (遺囑), Bruun said his coins could not be sold or used for 100 years after his death. During that time, the coins must be kept as a reserve (儲備金) for Denmark. That means if another war breaks out, Denmark could use the coins for money. And Bruun says if 100 years passed by without Denmark fighting a war, the coins could be sold. And the money would be given to his children and grandchildren. Lars Emil Bruun passed away in 1923. Now, more than 100 years have passed since his death. And his amazing coin collection is finally up for sale. An auction house in New York is helping Bruun's family sell the coins. The auction house says it's the most valuable collection of coins ever! They think some may sell for around $50 US dollars… And some may sell for over $1 million! Altogether, the auction house thinks the collection is worth over $72 million US dollars. Most people did not know about this amazing coin collection. Many history experts say it's like finding a hidden treasure! ________________________________ So in today's News Bites, Taichung City is now offering a new "pet-friendly" type of taxi service. This means owners can ride with their pets. And they do not pay extra charges for their furry friend. But hold on… There are a few rules that you have to follow. Before you hop in…Make sure your pet is safe in a carrier. And remember to help keep the taxi clean on your ride… Or you may have to pay extra cleaning fees. ________________________________ And A man in Denmark, named Lars Emil Bruun collected around 20,000 coins, medals, and banknotes. And in his will, Bruun said his coins could not be sold or used for 100 years after his death. Now, his amazing coin collection is up for sale. Altogether, experts think the collection is worth over $72 million US dollars. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit In today's Tasty Tidbit, Raw eggs seem pretty fragile…but did you know you can actually make a raw egg bounce? The trick is to soak a fresh egg in vinegar for around 2 days. The vinegar eats away at the eggshell. Then take out the egg and carefully wash it with water. Now you can gently bounce the egg! But not too hard! Or…SPLAT! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Jacob Ingram. And I'm Paz Bueno. In today's news: A research team from National Taiwan Ocean University discovered a bacteria that consumes plastic, and a tourist in Norway was fined for getting too near a walrus. And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Elevator music! Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next. ________________________________ 海大研究團隊發現能分解塑膠的新細菌 NTOU Research Team Discover Plastic-Consuming Bacteria A team from National Taiwan Ocean University recently discovered something incredible. What would that be? I'll give you a clue: It can do incredible things for the environment. Care to tell me? Oceanimonas pelagia. Never heard of it. It's a bacteria strain (細菌株) that can decompose plastic (分解塑膠) and partly remove diesel (去除柴油). Consider me interested. 讓我十分感興趣。 The researchers say the bacteria strain was isolated from marine sediments along Taiwan's northern coast. 這種細菌是從台灣北部海岸的海洋沉積物分離出來的。 Do you remember its name? Oceanimonas pelagia. Well done on remembering that. I just read it off the script. This special bacteria's full name is actually "Oceanimonas pelagia NTOU-MSR1". The researchers said not only can it degrade plastic, it can also produce plastics that are more environmentally friendly than traditional petroleum-based plastics. 研究人員說除了能分解塑膠外，這種細菌還可以製造比傳統塑膠產品更環保的替代品。 So why is this such a big deal? Well, plastic pollution is a big problem worldwide. Every year, millions of tons of plastic waste end up in our oceans, damaging marine life. So this new discovery might just be the solution to the problem. What's more is the bacteria can also survive in lots of different environments. For example, environments with high salinity (高鹽度), and even a wide range of temperatures and pH levels (酸鹼值). 它有很好的環境適應能力，能夠耐受高鹽度，在各種不同溫度和酸鹼值下也都能存活。 So, what's next? Well, the team plans to dive deeper into the potential of this bacteria. They want to explore how it can be used to protect our environment and recycle resources. ________________________________ 挪威觀光客因為太靠近海象而被罰錢 Tourist in Norway Fined for Approaching Walrus Time to head to Norway for this next story! Recently a tourist there was fined for approaching a walrus on the archipelago of Svalbard. 有一名觀光客因為太靠近海象而被懲罰。 He was fined 12,500 Norwegian Kroner, which is about 34,000 NT. Fined that much just for getting too near a walrus? Yeah! The tourist went out onto an ice floe (大浮冰) to try and take a photo of it. But many considered his actions disrespectful and dangerous. People nearby took photos of the man and reported him to the local governor (當地總督). Authorities said the man "disturbed a walrus that was lying on the ice", and that bystanders (旁觀者) saw him approach the mammal. They added, "The incident was also observed by the governor's employees". There is a law in Svalbard which states that people must not unnecessarily disturb wildlife. 斯瓦爾巴群島有一項法律規定，人們不可以無緣無故騷擾野生動物。 The tourist was brought to the governor's office, where he accepted the fine. According to the government's Norwegian Polar Institute, walruses were hunted in Svalbard and almost went extinct. That was until they were protected by law in 1952. 斯瓦爾巴群島居民曾經獵捕海象，讓牠一度瀕臨滅絕，直到1952年才受到法律保護。 Even though walruses in that area have been protected since then, their numbers are still low. To this day, they remain on a Norwegian endangered species list. Norwegian authorities are planning to introduce more rules to protect walruses, such as lowering speed limits. ________________________________ So in today's News Bites, Researchers from National Taiwan Ocean University discovered a new strain of bacteria that can consume plastic. Oceanimonas pelagia was isolated from marine sediments off the northern coast of Taiwan. It can survive in lots of different environments that have high temperature and pH ranges, and those that have high saline levels. Researchers hope it can help solve the problem of plastic waste in oceans. _______________________________ And, A tourist in Svalbard, Norway was fined around 34 thousand NT for getting too close to a walrus. He went out onto an ice floe to take pictures of it, and the authorities say he broke the law. Walruses there are protected by law, as their numbers are low. That means people there are not allowed to act in a way that disturbs wildlife unnecessarily. _______________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And in today's Tasty Tidbit, Do you know why elevator music was invented? It was to calm fearful passengers who were using an elevator for the first time. It was first introduced in the 1920's, when elevators were becoming more common. ________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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, get ready for another episode of News Bites. I'm Jacob Ingram. And I'm Nancy Sun. In today's news: Taiwan High Speed Rail Company debunks a video about the dangers of using umbrellas on train platforms, and the first 'extreme' solar storm in 20 years lights up the sky! … And today's Tasty Tidbit is about the size of the Sun! Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next. _______________________________ 網傳雨天月台撐傘會觸電 高鐵闢謠 THSRC Debunks Video about Dangers of Using Umbrellas on Train Platforms Recently a video has been circulating on the internet. The video claims that people who hold up umbrellas (撐雨傘) on rainy days while standing on train platforms could be electrocuted (觸電). 影片聲稱，雨天時站在火車月台上撐雨傘的人可能會觸電。 It even mentioned that people could be "sucked" into the overhead wires above the trains. 影片甚至提到，人們可能會被吸進火車上方的高壓電線中。 This is, of course, not true. Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corporation has officially refuted (反駁) the video. THSRC said it's an old video that first appeared on a Chinese social media platform in 2016. It was filmed at a high-speed railway station in China and has simplified Chinese (簡體字). Despite being debunked in the past, the video sometimes re-emerges online. 雖然這部影片以前已經被駁斥，但它有時候會又出現在網路上。 THSRC clarified that passengers are safe so long as they stand behind the yellow line on the platform, even if they are holding umbrellas. 只要是乘客站在黃線後面，就沒事了，不管有沒有撐雨傘。 However, the company acknowledges (承認) if objects are held too close to the wires over the platform, there is a risk of electric shock. Therefore, passengers are reminded not to bring long objects within a 2 meter-meter radius (半徑) of the wires. The overhead electric wires are usually 5 meters away from the platform. As long as passengers don't climb on top of trains, they should be safe. This applies to all train stations in Taiwan. Over the past twenty years, there were a few incidents of people getting electrocuted by overhead electric train wires. But these were all isolated incidents. 這些意外都是因為個人行為而發生的。 Last year, a man was electrocuted at a railroad crossing. He was carrying a fishing rod that was 5 meters long. The rod came in contact with the wires and he was electrocuted. In 2020, a man climbed onto a train at a station in Taichung. He touched the wires when he stood up and was electrocuted. Both men were hospitalized, and they both recovered. So long as people don't do anything foolish when taking the train, it's a safe way to travel. ________________________________ 二十年來最強太陽風暴 照亮夜空 First Extreme Solar Storm in 20 Years Lights up the Sky Have you seen aurorae (極光) before? They are beautiful dancing ribbons of green, red and purple light that appear in the sky. The lights are actually caused by solar storms (太陽風暴) from the sun. To understand how it works, we'll have to talk a bit about everyone's favorite subject: Physics! So, our planet Earth is like a giant magnet (磁鐵). It has a magnetic field (磁場). When a solar storm approaches Earth, some of the energy and small particles (粒子) goes along the magnetic field lines at the North and South Poles into the atmosphere (大氣層). These particles then interact with gases in the Earth's atmosphere, creating the beautiful lights. Aurorae are usually seen near the poles (極地). For example, parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Canada and Russia. But during this month, the lights appeared in unexpected places (出現在意想不到的地方). They were seen in the northern part of countries like the UK, Germany, China, America and even Japan. In the southern hemisphere (南半球), the lights were also visible in parts of New Zealand and Australia. Why were the lights seen in these places? This is because the solar storm that struck the Earth was the strongest in 20 years. Beautiful as it seems, it can be quite dangerous. Solar storms can cause changes to the Earth's magnetic field and induce currents (引發電流) in power lines. This might disrupt communications and GPS systems. 這可能會破壞通訊和全球定位系統。 Many farmers complained of problems in their tractors' GPS systems. 有些農夫說他們的聯結機全球定位系統變得怪怪的，不能使用。 The last time a storm like this happened was in October 2003. It caused blackouts (停電) in Sweden and damaged power infrastructure (電力設施) in South Africa. Nature truly is beautiful and dangerous at the same time. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: Taiwan High Speed Rail Company debunked a video which claimed using umbrellas on train platforms was dangerous. Overhead power lines above train tracks are too far away for normal umbrellas to reach. Therefore, so long as passengers use common sense, keeping a safe distance from platform edges, there's no need to worry. ________________________________ And, The first 'extreme' solar storm in 20 years lights up skies in many unusual places around the world. Aurorae are caused by solar storms from the Sun. They are usually seen near the poles. But because the storm was so intense, lots of countries saw them, including Japan and even Australia and New Zealand. Although beautiful, they can cause blackouts and damage power lines. ________________________________ And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Did you know the Sun is the largest object in our solar system? It's 100 times wider than the Earth. It's also 10 times larger than our solar system's largest planet: Jupiter. ________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 episode of News Bites! I’m Paz Bueno. And I’m Nancy Sun. In today's news: Hotter summers and wilder typhoons, saving coral reefs, and introducing our favorite singers! Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next. ________________________________ 台灣的氣候未來 Taiwan’s Climate Future Studying climate change is very important. Climate change means the weather is changing in ways that can be dangerous for our planet. By studying climate change, scientists can understand what is happening to our world. This helps us find ways to protect our environment (保護環境) and keep our planet safe for the future (讓地球未來更安全). Scientists in Taiwan are studying how our weather could change in the future if we don't do more to stop global warming. A new report says that if we don't control greenhouse gases (溫室氣體), Taiwan could have summers that last seven months by the end of the century. 一份新的報告指出，如果我們不控制溫室氣體，到本世紀末，台灣的夏天可能會長達七個月。 This means hotter days for much longer. In the worst case, temperatures in lowland areas (低窪地區) could reach 36 degrees Celsius for an extra 75 days a year. The report also talks about typhoons (颱風). There might be fewer typhoons hitting Taiwan in the future, but they could become stronger and more dangerous. Right now, we have about four to five typhoons each year. This could drop to (數字可能會降到) one or two by the end of the century. But there are more changes coming. We could see longer dry spells (更長的乾旱期), which means a higher risk of droughts (乾旱). At the same time, heavy rains could become more common, leading to more floods (洪水). If temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius, sea levels (海平面) could go up by 34.5 centimeters. Climate change will also impact (影響) our health. Diseases like dengue fever could become more common, and more people might suffer from respiratory diseases. 像登革熱這樣的疾病可能會變得更常見，患呼吸道疾病的人數可能也會增加。 The report was put together by 68 scientists and took 18 months to complete. It was a big job! They hope this report will help the government make good plans to deal with climate change. Let’s all think about how we can help protect our planet! ________________________________ 菲律賓的珊瑚英雄 The Philippines' Coral Heroes Coral reefs (珊瑚礁) are very important to our planet. They are like underwater cities where many fish and sea animals live. Coral reefs protect our coastlines (海岸線) from big waves and storms. Many people love to visit coral reefs to see the colorful fish and beautiful coral. But coral reefs are in danger from pollution, climate change, and other problems. It is also important to protect and help them so they can stay healthy and strong. In the coastal town of Bauan in the Philippines, scuba diving experts (潛水專家) are helping to save damaged coral reefs. They are setting up coral nurseries to help damaged corals grow and recover. 他們正在設立珊瑚苗圃，幫助受損的珊瑚生長和恢復。 Divers collect coral that has been damaged (受損) by natural disasters and human activities. In 2020, a mass coral bleaching event (一場大規模的珊瑚白化) affected about 72 kilometers of coastline in Bauan. Coral bleaching happens when high temperatures make corals lose their color and turn white. This event inspired (激發) Carmela Sevilla, a scuba diving instructor and resort owner (潛水教練和度假村老闆) in Bauan, to start coral nurseries. She invited other conservationists (保育人士) to join her in this important work. They save the living parts of these corals and place them in special nurseries. Coral nurseries not only provide a safe place for damaged corals to grow but also serve as a backup to replenish coral reefs in the future. 珊瑚苗圃不僅為受損的珊瑚提供了一個安全的生長環境，還可以在未來需要時補充珊瑚礁。 Sevilla believes that small efforts can make a big difference over time. So far, she and her volunteers (志願人員) have collected 64 pieces of damaged coral for their nurseries. These small actions help create a lasting impact on coral conservation. 這些小小的行動對於珊瑚保育都會有長遠的影響。 ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: Scientists in Taiwan are studying how our weather could change in the future if we don't do more to stop global warming. A new report says that if we don't control greenhouse gases, Taiwan could have summers that last seven months by the end of the century. ________________________________ And, In the coastal town of Bauan in the Philippines, scuba diving experts are helping to save damaged coral reefs. They are setting up coral nurseries to help damaged corals grow and recover. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Who is your favorite singer? My favorite band is Paramore. They are an American rock band. Zachary from Taiping Junior High School told us about his favorite musical group! […] ________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Nancy Sun. Coming up next in today's news: Taiwan's air is worse for you than a pack of cigarettes. And ice cream is saving Indian farmers! And in today's Tasty Tidbit, these fish have lungs! Stay tuned for more on these stories! ___________________________________________________________ 台灣空汙引起肺癌的風險高於每日一包菸 Taiwan's Air Pollution More Likely to Cause Lung Cancer Than a Pack of Cigarettes a Day Doctors always tell people not to smoke because they could get lung cancer (肺癌). But recent studies show that people may get lung cancer even if they don't smoke. This is more likely (可能) when they live in areas (區域) with air pollution (空氣污染). National Taiwan University (國立臺灣大學) did a study. Their researchers found that breathing in (吸入) air pollution increases the risk (風險) of lung cancer more than smoking a pack of cigarettes (香菸) every day! In Taiwan, liver (肝) cancer was the most common cause of cancer-related deaths (肝癌是所有癌症死亡原因中最常見的) twenty years ago. Lung cancer now causes the most cancer-related deaths, with over ten thousand deaths every year. Let's look at air pollution. PM, or particulate matter (懸浮微粒) means very, very small solid and liquid particles (固體和液體顆粒) in the air. How small? PM is measured in micrometers (以微米為單位). A micrometer is one millionth of a meter. PM 2.5 is particulate matter that is less than two and a half micrometers wide. In comparison (相比之下), spider silk (蜘蛛絲) is about 4 micrometers wide (寬). PM 2.5 increased in residential areas (住宅區) over 30 years. The researchers analyzed (分析) Taiwan's lung cancer statistics (統計數據) from 1997 to 2020. They compared statistics for lung cancer and air pollution. The research results show long-term exposure (暴露) to PM 2.5 increased the risk of adenocarcinoma lung cancer (AdLC 肺腺癌) by 1.044 times more than that of people who smoked over a pack of cigarettes a day. Reducing air pollution is very important to lower the risk of lung cancer. 政府必須致力於減少工業區及大眾運輸工具的空氣污染。 If air pollution gets worse, we'll need to wear a face mask every day in Taiwan! ___________________________________________________________ 從沙漠到甜點, 冰淇淋拯救了印度遭受乾旱的農民 From Desert to Dessert: Ice Cream Saves Drought-Hit Farmers in India As the climate crisis (氣候危機) gets worse every year, droughts (乾旱) are becoming more common (常見的). Rajasthan (拉賈斯坦邦) is a state in India known for its forts (堡壘), desert safaris (狩獵旅行), palaces (宮殿) and temples. But for the last 20 years, the drought in that state has been very bad. Farmers have given up on farming. They look for jobs in other states. Luckily, ice cream has given farmers a chance to earn money. Ice cream has changed their lives. No one knows when farmers began selling ice cream. But people told stories of the snack culture in richer states. Families and friends in those states buy ice cream, popsicles (冰棒), and sodas from roadside food carts (路邊小吃攤) until late at night. Farmers change their mini-trucks into ice cream trucks. Around 50,000 mini-trucks are changed into ice cream trucks every year! 50,000! Ice cream has also created new businesses and local jobs. There are now many service and repair (服務和維修) shops for ice cream trucks and ice cream equipment and supply (設備和用品) shops. From November to February, farmers get ready to sell ice cream. They get their mini-trucks changed into ice cream trucks. They get the trucks serviced. They buy ice cream equipment and supplies. They buy so many ice cream posters that the local printers need extra workers to make them! When March comes, the farmers drive to other states to sell ice cream during the hot season. They come back home in October. 他們在外地所賺的錢，讓他們能夠在家鄉建造水泥房屋。 Now the farmers can dig wells (水井) to get water for their homes and farms. The farmers are thankful they can sell ice cream, even though it means being far from their families for most of the year. ___________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: Taiwan's air pollution is more likely to cause lung cancer than smoking one pack of cigarettes a day. The concentration of PM 2.5 has risen in residential areas over the years. Reducing air pollution is very important to lower the risk of lung cancer. ___________________________________________________________ And… Selling ice cream has saved drought-hit farmers in India. The lack of rain made farmers give up farming. Selling ice-cream for many months a year in other states every year has changed their lives. ___________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And in today's Tasty Tidbit… In the last story, you heard "drought" (乾旱) When there's a drought, most fish can't survive when the water they live in dries up. But African lungfish aren't like most fish. Lung… hmmm… in the first story, you heard "lung" (肺) These fish have lungs! When there's a drought, these fish go into mud (污泥). They secrete mucus (分泌黏液) to make a pod (莢) around themselves. Only their mouths are not covered. This lets them breathe in air. They don't dry up in their pods. Everything in their bodies works very slowly. They can stay alive in these pods for four years! Hopefully rain falls before then! ___________________________________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 news… The new VP wants a better balance between men and women lawmakers, and countries around the world choose new leaders. And in today's Tasty Tidbit If you want to hear something more quickly, get in the water! Stay tuned for all that and more, coming up next! ________________________________ 副總統希望立委女性比例達到50% Vice President Hsiao Wants 50% Women in Legislature Who are the women leading Taiwan? There are lots of female (女性) mayors and lawmakers. And don’t forget, for the past eight years, the president (總統) has been a woman. Tsai Ing-wen was the first woman to lead the country. It was a big deal. After all, many countries have never elected a female leader… …even big countries like the United States and Japan. 甚至美國、日本等一些大國也從未選出女性領導人。 What about the new leader? Tsai’s former Vice President Lai Ching-te is becoming the new president. He’s a man, but his Vice President (副總統) Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) is a woman. That means Hsiao is now the top representative (代表) for women in Taiwan. What are her goals? Hsiao wants to increase the number of lawmakers who are women. 蕭美琴希望增加女性立法委員的數量。 She says her goal is to reach 50% female representation in the Legislative Yuan (立法院). That means she wants at least half of the lawmakers to be women. There are 113 seats in the Legislative Yuan . Let’s do the math… about half of 113 is 57… So, her goal is to get that many women lawmakers. Taiwan already has 47. That’s more than 40% of lawmakers, which is the highest proportion in all of Asia (全亞洲比例最高). Still, Vice President Hsiao thinks we can do better. Why is it important to have women in government? One reason is equality (平等). Men and women should have equal chances to be leaders and decision-makers. Another reason is different perspectives (視角不同). Women might have different ideas than men because of their unique experiences (獨特的經歷). So a government with more women will think about more viewpoints when it makes new laws. A third reason is to have role models (榜樣). When girls see women with power, it shows them that they can achieve anything. These are three big reasons, but I’m sure you can think of some more. Let’s hope the Vice President’s goal becomes a reality. ________________________________ 2024全球大選年 2024 Big Election Year Worldwide When is the big election (大選) this year? That depends on where in the world you go. Taiwan had elections in January, but other countries are voting (投票) throughout the year. Let’s check the calendar. 我們來檢查一下世界選舉年曆。 On January 13th, Taiwan elected (選了) President Lai and Vice President Hsiao. The same month, Taiwan’s ally (邦交國家) Tuvalu chose a new leader. The leader said he would keep a good relationship with Taiwan, which is great for us. In February, two of Asia’s most populous (人口最多) countries, Pakistan and Indonesia, both chose new leaders. Russia had elections in March, but people question if they were fair… …as the winner, Vladimir Putin, has already been leader for 25 years. There was also a vote in India. It’s the biggest election in the world, with nearly a billion voters joining in. 這是全世界最大的選舉，近十億選民參加。 Wow, it’s only spring and there have already been so many elections. What about later this year? Next month is the election in Mexico. The two main candidates (候選人) are both women. That’s Claudia Sheinbaum and Xochitl Galvez. That means Mexico will likely get its first female president this year. Then in November, there are big elections in the United States. It’s Donald Trump versus Joe Biden again. Some Americans are not happy with these two. Both men are around eighty years old, but some want a younger leader. 許多美國人認為川普和拜登都太老了。 Plus, they are also going to choose a new leader in the UK. When is that? The government has not announced the election date, but it should be this year. Wow. Is that all? Not even close. There are also elections through the year in many other countries, such as Iceland, South Africa, Mongolia, and… Okay, that’s enough, we get it! 好吧，夠了，我們明白了！ 2024 is an important year for voters around the world. No matter where you go, people hope to use their vote to make a change. ________________________________ So, in today’s News Bites… Taiwan’s new Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim wants more women in government. Her goal is to have 50% women lawmakers in the Legislative Yuan. ________________________________ And Countries around the world are holding elections in 2024. Taiwan voted in January, and India votes this month. The US will vote in November. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit In today's Tasty Tidbit… Did you know that sound travels much faster through water than air? In fact, it's about four times faster! But in water, it does take more energy to get that sound going. So, next time you're swimming, imagine a dolphin talking to its friend - the message would zip right by you! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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! Let's chow down on this all new episode of News Bites… I'm Paz Bueno. And I'm Nancy Sun. In today's news: Descendants of last Dutch governor of Taiwan pay respects, an orangutan uses a medicinal plant, and…how many atoms does it take to make a person? Stay tuned for more on these, coming up next. ________________________________ 荷蘭台灣末代總督後代來台向鄭成功致敬 Descendants of last Dutch Governor in Taiwan Pay Respects Our first story has to do with Taiwan's history. From 1624 to 1662, the Dutch East India Company occupied Taiwan, which was called Formosa back then. During the occupation, they built Fort Zeelandia (熱蘭遮堡) in Tainan, now known as Anping Fort (安平古堡). Then in 1662, Koxinga (國姓爺，鄭成功) came and drove the Dutch away. Fredrick Coyett was the Dutch governor who suffered defeat during the battle. He was also the last governor of the Dutch occupation. He led over a thousand soldiers and endured a siege (圍城) from Koxinga's forces for 9 months. After the battle, Koxinga allowed the governor and his family to return to their country unharmed, and with all their possessions (財產). For this, the governor praised Koxinga. He told his family and descendants to never forget Koxinga's leniency (寬容). 2024 marks the 400 years since the Dutch founded Tainan. The 14th and 15th generation descendants (後代) of the governor came to Taiwan to pay their respects at the Koxinga Shrine in Tainan. They acknowledge that Koxinga's generosity (延平郡王祠) led to their family's prosperity (繁榮). Cheng, a deputy secretary general (副秘書長) of the shrine and descendant of Koxinga, greeted them with a warm welcome. The two parties shared a "historical handshake," given their family histories. During the press conference, the 15th generation descendant shared some insights about his ancestor. He said, "He was a very stubborn man who wanted to stand his ground and did not want to be defeated. So, I can imagine that negotiation (談判) must have been quite difficult for him. He had to let go of his stubbornness and show humility towards his opponent." At that time, the Dutch East India Company never officially represented the Dutch Republic. Therefore, both sides are happy to leave the past alone and maintain a good relationship. 往日的敵人，在四百年之後，兩邊再次締造了歷史佳話。 It looks like the legacy (遺產) will be passed on to future generations. ________________________________ 科學家發現 紅毛猩猩會用自製草藥 Orangutan Discovered Using Medicinal Plant Did you know that animals can heal themselves when they are ill? For example, cats and dogs nibble (啃) on grass when they are sick. Many animals also ingest (攝取) plants that have medicinal abilities. They also rub insects or plants to relieve (舒緩) themselves of other symptoms. However, researchers have observed a behavior that has never been seen in the animal world. A Sumatran Orangutan (蘇門答臘紅毛猩猩) self-treated its injury using a medicinal plant! Why is this special? That's because the orangutan was doing the treatment (治療) like a human being! The plant was not part of the orangutan's diet. Usually, animals just eat or rub the plants on themselves. But Rakus, the orangutan, chewed the plant and applied the juice to a wound on its face. Scientist continued monitoring Rakus for a month and the wound showed no signs of infection (感染). It repeated this process and the wound was healed. Research on the plant shows that it has antibacterial (抗菌), anti-inflammatory (消炎) and pain-killing (止痛) properties. Locals use the plant to treat conditions such as diabetes (糖尿病) and malaria (瘧疾). It is still unclear how the orangutan learned to treat a wound. It may have touched its wound while feeding on the plant and felt the effects. Or it might have learned the behavior from other orangutans. Whatever the reason, scientists agreed that the discovery offers new insights (見解) into natural medicinal practices. It also shows that orangutans and humans share knowledge. Scientists will continue monitoring the primates (靈長類) to see if the behavior is repeated. 或許，我們的祖先就是透過觀察靈長類，而發現了某些植物的藥性。 ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites: Descendants of last Dutch governor in Taiwan visited Taiwan to pay respect to Koxinga. The descendants thanked Koxinga for letting their ancestors return home safely. ________________________________ And, In a first, an Orangutan healed his own wound using a known medicinal plant. It chewed the plant and applied its juice to the wound on its face. The wound healed after a month. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit A person who weighs about 70 kilograms has nearly 7 followed by 27 zeros atom. (7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) That's seven octillion atoms! To understand how big that number is, here are the large numbers leading up to it: million (10^6), billion (10^9), trillion (10^12), quadrillion (10^15), quintillion (10^18), sextillion (10^21), septillion (10^24), and then octillion (10^27). Most of these atoms are hydrogen, making up about two-thirds. One-fourth are oxygen, and one-tenth are carbon. That's a lot of tiny pieces making up every one of us! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Jacob Ingram. And I'm Brody Halverson. In today's news: The Nantou County Government is cracking down on noise from modified vehicle exhaust pipes, and Japan's first ever moon lander has survived a third freezing lunar night. And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Have you ever wondered how many books there are in the world? Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next. ________________________________ 改裝排氣管噪音免費檢測 南投規劃每月一天 Nantou County Government Cranking Down on Noise From Modified Exhaust Pipes Normally when cars zoom past, they don't make a lot noise. This is because manufacturers design them to be quiet. But there are those in society that for some reason or other like to make their cars super loud. They do this my modifying exhaust pipes (改裝排氣管). Why do they do this? Don't know. Modifying exhaust pipes doesn't actually make cars faster. All it does it make them a lot louder. In fact, it's illegal not just in Taiwan, but in many countries around the world. However, police often don't often go after exhaust pipe modifiers. 警方通常不會逮捕改裝排氣管的人。 So the problem of loud, annoying cars and motorcycles persists, like a buzzing fly that just doesn't go away. Thankfully, that might be about to change soon in Nantou. The county government there is looking to crack down (取締) on this problem. Nantou officials say residents complained about the noise from modified exhaust pipes, especially at nighttime. 當地居民抱怨汽機車改裝排氣管的噪音，晚上特別擾人。 They said they investigated around 800 cases of vehicles with modified exhausts and found 10 percent of them to be too loud. According to traffic regulations, all vehicles - cars, scooters and motorcycles -- that have modified exhausts have to meet noise level standards. That basically means they can't be overly loud. Nantou county officials announced that starting from the last Monday of each month, they're offering free checks for noisy exhausts. Now, why all this fuss about noise, you ask? Environment and transport officials want to make sure that when exhausts are modified, engine noise is still kept down to a reasonable level. So, they've brought in new rules. From 2025, it will be mandatory for modified exhausts to be checked. If it's too loud, car owners could be fined up to 5400 NT! Let's keep the streets peaceful and the nights quiet. ________________________________ 無人探測器ＳＬＩＭ成功登陸月球表面 Japan's first moon lander has survived a third freezing lunar night Japan recently send its first ever lander to the moon. It's called SLIM… No, not "Slim Shady"! Just SLIM. "S - L - I - M". It's an acronym (縮寫) for "Smart Lander for Investigating Moon". SLIM had a bit of a rough start. It landed on the Moon awkwardly back in January, with its solar panels (太陽能板) facing the wrong way. That meant it couldn't soak up any sunlight to power itself up. 這意味著它無法吸收任何陽光來為自己供電。 This little guy still managed to send back some pictures. But later on, it had to shut down, as a freezing cold lunar night was approaching. Surviving a night on the Moon is no easy feat. 在月球上過夜並沒那麼簡單。 Lunar nights last for 14 Earth days, and temperatures can drop to as low as -173 degrees Celsius! Just for comparison, the coldest natural temperature ever recorded on Earth was -89.2 degrees Celsius. Imagine enduring extremely cold temperatures and pitch darkness for 14 days! That's what SLIM had to do. In fact, it managed to do it twice. Poor thing. As you can imagine, there were probably some who were worried that SLIM wouldn't survive a third. But when J-A-X-A, Japan's space agency, sent a command … … SLIM responded! It woke up, emerging victorious! Dr. Simeon Barber from the UK's Open University says this is a big deal. 這個教授說這很了不起。 He says that surviving the lunar night is a major challenge for missions on the Moon, whether they're run by robots or humans. 不論是機器人還是人類，要在月球上執行任務，平安度過夜晚都是一大挑戰。 This is not only because the moon gets really cold, but also because during the daytime, it gets very hot - as hot as 130 degrees Celsius! That's hot enough to fry eggs on the lunar rocks. 白天的氣溫，足夠把月球岩石上的雞蛋煎熟！ And here's me thinking Taiwan was bad enough with its temperature changes. JAXA shared a picture taken by SLIM while it was up and running again. Let's hope SLIM keeps working smoothly! 加油！ ________________________________ So in today's News Bites, Some people like to make their cars loud by changing the exhaust pipes, even though it's against the law in many places. Nantou County in Taiwan is trying to stop this because residents complain about the noise, especially at night. They're offering free checks for loud exhausts, and starting in 2025, it will be mandatory for vehicles with modified exhausts to be checked. If they're too loud, owners could be fined, so it's important to follow the rules. _______________________________ And, Japan's SLIM lunar lander survived its third freezing lunar night! It successfully reactivates after shutting down. Lunar missions are difficult due to extreme temperature changes. Japan's space agency, J-A-X-A, shared pictures SLIM captured. _______________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And in today's Tasty Tidbit, Did you know there are almost 130,000,000 books in the world? That's according to Google. Google has been making digital copies of books for a while now. So it has a rough idea how many there are. ________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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: Two high school students have made earthquake apps, and a woman looks for the man who saved her son! And in today's Tasty Tidbit…a Japanese train conductor loves Taiwan! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ___________________________________________________________ 兩名台灣青少年 創造了兩款大受歡迎的地震預警應用程式 Two Taiwanese Teens Made Two Popular Earthquake Alert Apps Earthquakes have been on everyone's minds - and under everyone's feet - in Taiwan since April 3rd. But two high school students have been thinking about earthquakes longer than that. And they've done more than think. They have both made earthquake alert apps (地震警報應用程式). But wait - doesn't the Central Weather Administration (中央氣象署) - the CWA - send earthquake alerts? Yes, but it only sends alerts for earthquakes that are above magnitude (規模) five and reach level (震度) four on Taiwan's 7- level scale (測量). We can feel earthquakes that aren't as strong. Lin Ruei (林睿), a 17-year-old student at Fudan High School in Taoyuan, is co-founder of the DPIP Earthquake Alert System (DPIP地震速報系統). DPIP stands for "Disaster Prevention Information Platform." Lin Ruei and the rest of the team of about 15 people set up their own "Taiwan Real-time Earthquake Monitoring" system. They put 136 homemade earthquake monitors on the east coast! The app uses information from these monitors and the CWA. Another app, Taiwan Earthquake Quick Alert (臺灣地震速報), became the most popular free app in Taiwan after the earthquake. Eighteen-year-old Lin Tzu-yu (林子祐), a student at Kang Chiao International School's Xiugang (秀岡) Campus in New Taipei City, made it. His app gets earthquake information from the CWA. We can choose to get early warnings (預警) for Taipei, Hsinchu, Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hualien, or Yilan. We can also choose the earthquake level. Lin Tzu-yu had not made an app before. He found out how to make one from YouTube. He said he didn't realize that he could do something useful for society without being guided by teachers. 即使地震警報僅在地震發生前幾秒鐘發出，也夠讓您趕快去到更安全的地方。 ___________________________________________________________ 媽媽尋找救了她兒子的男人 Woman Looks for the Man Who Saved Her Son A woman and her four-year-old son went to an ice hockey game (冰上曲棍球比賽). Her son was tired and moved around a lot in his seat. A young man they didn't know was sitting next to the boy. The end of the game was near. It was exciting! Then an ice hockey puck (曲棍球餅) flew out of the ice rink (溜冰場) and over a glass barrier (玻璃屏障)! Oh! It flew fast toward (向) the little boy! Oh no! The man next to the boy jumped up. He leaned over (倚靠) the boy. He stopped the puck with his hand… just before the puck could hit the boy's head! Thank goodness! The little boy had little pieces of ice in his hair! The puck dropped to his seat. The woman was shocked (很震驚). She thanked the man and took a picture of him and her son. The little boy didn't know that he had almost been badly hurt. He was just very, very happy that he got to keep the puck! Later at home, the woman held the puck. It was very heavy… It was heavier than a baseball. She couldn't sleep that night. She kept thinking about how the man saved her young son's life. She didn't know his name, but she wanted to find him and thank him again. So she made a video and posted it online (把影片po上網). In the video, she talked about what had happened. She also said there had been an empty (空的) seat on the other side of the man. It was also the man's seat, but he hadn't moved away from her son. She said the man told her he was meant to be there (命中注定會在那裡). At the end of the video, the woman asked people to let her know if they knew the man. Eight hours later, the man sent her a message (訊息)! The ice hockey team saw the video too. They invited the woman, her son, and the man to drop the puck (放下曲棍球餅) at the start of the next game! 這個四歲的男孩很幸運，有一個好心人救了他，讓他沒有被曲棍球餅擊中。 ___________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: Two Taiwanese high school students made two earthquake alert apps. The apps let us know about earthquakes just before they happen. ___________________________________________________________ And… A man saved a woman's son from being hit by an ice hockey puck. She wanted to find him and thank him again, but she didn't know his name. So she made a video about what had happened and posted it online. And she found him! ___________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit And in today's Tasty Tidbit… If you take a train in Yamagata, Japan, you might meet a friendly train conductor. His name is Shunichi Inoue. He loves having visitors from Taiwan on his train. He said "Taiwan No. 1!" to a group of tourists. He has a big Taiwan flag (旗幟), and he held it up in the train. He made a little heart with two fingers and said "揪咪揪咪!" When he left the train, he said, "再見再見!" He didn't leave the station. He held up the flag outside of the train. He does these things because Taiwan helped Japan during the COVID pandemic and after a very bad earthquake in 2011! If you see him, say "hello" - oh, I mean "你好!" ___________________________________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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 Paz Bueno. And I'm Brody Halverson. Today's stories… New Taipei's Circular Line won't be fixed for a while, fishermen from Micronesia get creative, and brains get smaller and smaller. Stay tuned for these stories, coming up next! ________________________________ 新北環狀捷運線維修 需要一年 New Taipei Metro Line Needs a Year of Repairs Why were you late today? I was waiting for you at noon, to help me do News Bites! Sorry. The metro line (捷運線) is still broken, so I had to ride my bike. You mean the New Taipei Circular Line (環狀線)? The one that was damaged in the earthquake? Yes. Part of it is still closed for repairs (維修). And now they say it will take more than one year to fix. What's going on with that metro line? It all started on April 3rd. That's when we had the huge earthquake (地震). Hualien was the worst hit, but we still felt strong shaking in New Taipei. After that quake, people in Banqiao and Zhonghe Districts noticed something strange. They looked up at the elevated metro line, and saw parts of it had moved. 他們抬頭看到捷運高架橋，發現部分路段軌道已經移動。 The sections of the bridge weren't lined up anymore. Oh my goodness. So did the next train go flying off the rails? Thankfully it did not. 還好沒有火車出軌。 As soon as the earthquake started, all the trains in the area automatically stopped. It's one of the metro's safety features (安全功能). MRT staff helped people off the stopped trains, and walked with them to the nearest station. That's why nobody on the trains was seriously hurt. But the damage to the line is still serious. The rails (鐵軌) moved 20 to 92 centimeters in seven different places. Now the Mayor of New Taipei has met with engineers (工程師). He says the repair work will take at least a year. How come it takes so long? Not only do they need to fix the damaged structures… …they also need to find out why the damage happened. All railways should be able to withstand (承受) this kind of earthquake, but the Circular Line did not. Was there a mistake with the design, or with the construction? 倒底是設計還是施工錯誤？ The engineers will find out. And until they do… you'd better find another way to get around. ________________________________ 小島上的漁民獲救 Fishermen Saved From Tiny Island What if you got stuck on a desert island (荒島)? A little island in the ocean with nobody else living there. I think I would survive, no problem. 沒問題，我會活下去。 Yeah, right. You wouldn't last a day. 是嘛，你連一天都活不了。 Besides, even if you did survive, could you ever escape from that island? That's just what happened to three fishermen in the Pacific Ocean (太平洋). They found a creative way to ask for help, and they were rescued (獲救). How did they get stranded in the first place? It started when the three men went out fishing. They left their home island in Micronesia (密克羅尼西亞) on a motorboat. When the seas got rough, water got into the motor, and it broke. So the men had no choice but to paddle to a nearby island. The island was so tiny that nobody else lived there. Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard (美國海岸防?隊) had launched a search for the missing men. They used planes to search an area of 78,000 square nautical miles. They had searched for a week when one of the planes spotted a message on an island. There were four letters on the beach, spelling "H - E - L - P". The fishermen had used leaves from palm trees to spell out the word. Then, they had to survive by eating coconuts (椰子), while they waited for someone to see their message. Their creative thinking saved their lives. 他們很有創意的想法救了他們一命。 The US Coast Guard sent a boat to pick the men up. What's more, the fishermen found one of the Coast Guard members could speak their local language. It turned out the Coast Guard member was their cousin. It was an amazing coincidence (巧合), and added to the joy they felt at being rescued. You might say these fishermen had terrible luck (厄運), to get stranded like that. Or you might say they had great luck (幸運), to get saved. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… The big earthquake damaged a metro line in New Taipei. Part of the Circular Line is closed now. Engineers say it will take more than a year to fix. ________________________________ And, Three fishermen were saved from a desert island. The men survived for a week by eating coconuts. They used leaves to spell out the word "HELP", which led to their rescue. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit As you grow older, your brain starts to get lighter. Some scientists say, from the age of twenty, it loses about a gram each year. This happens because some brain cells die and are not replaced. 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 news… Taiwan's Alishan locomotive works in Wales, and France's big baguette bags a world record. And in today's Tasty Tidbit Sharing a sip with the dinosaurs. Stay tuned for all that and more, coming up next! ________________________________ 阿里山林鐵火車頭英國首航 Taiwan's Alishan Locomotive Hauls Passengers in the UK Some say life is a journey. But have you ever heard of a train taking its own journey across the world? Well, buckle up, because today we're meeting a very special locomotive with a story to tell! Imagine a train that's been around for 50 years! This cool old train isn't just sitting in a museum, though. It's on a big adventure across the world! This amazing train, called a DL-34 locomotive, used to travel through the beautiful mountains of Alishan in Taiwan. Now, it's chugging (發出突突聲行駛) through the hills and plains of the UK! That's right! The DL-34 is on loan for three years to a special railway in Wales called the Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway. It's like a train swap program. 車頭於2023年順利抵達英國威爾斯，經過1年的改裝後，這個月首度正式上路。 People in Wales and Taiwan have been talking about this train swap for a long time, and everyone's excited to see the DL-34 in action. The first ride even had local leaders and train fans from all over the world, including Malaysia! Before the DL-34 could start its journey, it had to take a long ship ride from Taiwan to Wales. It traveled over 9,000 kilometers! Then, the Welsh railway spent a year getting the train ready for its new home. This train swap is part of a special friendship between railways in Taiwan and the UK. 2017年阿里山林鐵與威爾普蘭菲爾鐵路締結姊妹鐵路，開始啟動柴油機關車出借合作計畫。 The DL-34 will show off its Taiwanese spirit in Wales, and Wales even sent a different train to Taiwan a few years ago! So next time you see a train, remember, it might just be a world traveler (旅人) with a story to tell! Who knows, maybe one day it will even visit your town! ________________________________ 巴黎法棍麵包 刷新世界紀錄 Giant French Baguette Breaks World Record Bonjour, bakers of all ages! Do you love bread? Especially the long, delicious kind called a baguette (法棍麵包)? Well, get ready to hear about a baguette so BIG, it would take you ages to eat the whole thing! In France, a bunch of amazing bakers just created a world record for the longest baguette ever made! This incredible bread stretched a whopping 140 meters. That's longer than a soccer field! And this big baguette is about 235 traditional baguettes (傳統的法棍麵包) lined up together! It took 18 bakers to make this baguette. They started working on it at 3am in the morning. They worked for 10 hours, kneading, shaping, and baking this enormous loaf. 18名法國麵包師傅揉捏麵團、塑型和烘烤，最終烤出這條巨大的法棍麵包。 The traditional French baguette must be made from wheat flour, water, salt and yeast only. The bakers used 90 kilograms of flour. And they needed a special oven on wheels! This giant baguette is now the new official Guinness World Record holder for longest baguette! 法國巴黎麵包師傅烤出一條140公尺長的法國長棍麵包，刷新世界紀錄。 Before this, the longest baguette was baked in Italy. That baguette was just over 132 meters long. It was baked in 2019. But now the title of "longest baguette" goes to the loaf in France! "Incroyable"! Why would they do all this work, you ask? Well, people in France are super proud of their baguettes. This is one way to show their baking skills to the whole world! Plus, bread is also an important part of French culture (法國文化). After they broke the record, the bakers even shared pieces of their giant baguette with everyone watching. What a delicious way to celebrate (慶祝)! ________________________________ So in today's News Bites, A DL-34 locomotive used to travel through the beautiful mountains of Alishan in Taiwan. Now, it's chugging through the hills and plains of the UK! The DL-34 is on loan for three years to a railway company in Wales. This train swap is part of a special friendship between railways in Taiwan and the UK. ________________________________ And In France, a bunch of amazing bakers just created a world record for the longest baguette ever made! This incredible bread stretched a whopping 140 meters. That's longer than a soccer field! After they broke the record, the bakers even shared pieces of their giant baguette with everyone watching. What a delicious way to celebrate! ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit In today's Tasty Tidbit, Hey, take a closer look at the water in your water bottle… Do you see it? There's a chance that the water you're drinking today is the same water that thirsty dinosaurs were drinking about 65 million years ago. Water moves in a cycle on Earth. It evaporates from rivers, lakes and oceans into the air, becomes clouds, and rains back down onto land, and seeps back into rivers, lakes and oceans again. This cycle has been happening for billions of years! 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw, 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 Jacob Ingram. Coming up next in today's news: Taiwanese researchers develop new methods to use less animal testing, and an overdue book is returned after 105 years! And in today's Tasty Tidbit, art is making people want to visit Taiwan! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ___________________________________________________________ 台灣研究人員開發新方法減少動物試驗 **Taiwanese Researchers Develop New Methods to Use Less Animal Testing ** When we get sick, we take medicine (藥物) to help us get better. When we find bugs in our houses, we use pesticides (殺蟲劑) to kill them. When we want our skin to look better, we use cosmetics (化妝品). Before these products (產品) are sold, they must be safe for people and the environment (環境). Therefore, they have to be tested. They are often tested on animals. However, this raises the problem of the ethics (倫理) of animal testing and cruelty (殘酷) to animals. According to an animal rights organization (動物權利組織), millions of animals are used to test products every year in the U.S. These animals include mice, monkeys, cats, and dogs. Until now, animal testing has been a crucial (關鍵的) step for the safety of products. Taiwan’s Minister of the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC國科會) announced that researchers have developed 102 alternative testing methods (替代測試方法). These alternative testing methods can reduce animal testing by about sixty percent. One of the methods uses biomimetic (仿生) skin cells for irritant (過敏原) testing. Traditionally (傳統上), irritant testing uses rabbits (兔子). But with biomimetic technology, researchers are able to mimic (模仿) different conditions (狀況) for human skin (人的皮膚). This technology can also mimic animal skin cells (細胞) for pet-related (與寵物有關的) products. Another method uses AI in various tests. AI can evaluate (評價) the level of toxicity (毒性) of pesticides on human skin. This method does not use animals. Alternative testing takes only four days, which is faster than animal testing. The minister said that the NSTC is “committed to achieving (致力於實現) the ‘three R’s’ of animal testing: replace, reduce, and refine” (替換、減少、改進). “Replace” means to test with something else instead of animals. “Reduce” means to lessen the number of animals used in a test. “Refine” means to avoid (防止) or lessen the pain or distress (疼痛或苦難) of animals used in testing at any time during their lives. He feels that Taiwan, as an advanced country (先進國家), should find other ways to test products. 目前，國內的許多政府機構以及研究單位都在朝這個方向努力。 Researchers will continue to develop more alternative methods. ___________________________________________________________ 逾期105年，書本終於歸還圖書館 Overdue Book Returned to Colorado Library After 105 Years Dr. Seuss wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.” Before the internet, reading books was the best way to learn and get information. And the best place to get books is a library. Many of us have borrowed books from our school library or a public library. And some of us have paid fines (罰款) when we forgot to return books before the due date (到期日)! Now imagine a book being returned many years after its due date… How about 105 years!? How much would that fine be? A few months ago, a book was returned to a library in Colorado, in the United States. It was checked out (查看) on February 13th, 1919. A worker at the library told the local TV station about the book. She said, “It came to us from a woman who got it from her brother, who found it in their mom’s belongings (媽媽的東西).” The worker said that the someone had written notes in the book. She said the book was well-loved. Maybe the book was passed down (傳下來) from parent to child in a family that loves reading. According to the library’s rules in 1919, there was a fine of 2 cents per day on overdue books. That adds up (總共) to $760 US dollars. But $760 US dollars in 1919 is worth (價值) about $14,000 US dollars now! That’s over $450,000 Taiwan dollars! Wow! It was lucky for the woman — and maybe unlucky for the library — that the library had stopped collecting overdue fines in 2020. 喜歡到圖書館借書的朋友，記得按時還書。 ___________________________________________________________ So in today's News Bites: Companies will need to use fewer animals for safety testing because of Taiwan’s researchers. The researchers’ alternative testing methods can reduce animal testing by sixty percent. ___________________________________________________________ And… In the United States, a book was returned to a library after 105 years. With today’s money, the fine would be $14,000 US dollars. ___________________________________________________________ 趣味小點 ** Tasty Tidbit** And in today's Tasty Tidbit… Art on two trains in Los Angeles, California, is making people want to visit Taiwan! People can see this colorful work of Taiwanese artist Hung Yi (洪易) on the A and E Lines until the end of October. On the “Show Me Taiwan” train, famous sights and popular events in red and white are shown in a paper-cut style. They include Taipei 101, Sun Moon Lake, the Big Buddha of Baguashan in Changhua, and the Matsu procession (媽祖遊行). On the “Gourmet Taiwan” train, people can see beef noodle soup, soup dumplings, boba tea, stinky tofu, fruit, and other tasty Taiwanese treats. Yum! Taiwan’s going to have lots of visitors from Los Angeles! ___________________________________________________________ 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 newsbites@icrt.com.tw. 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!