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Cows Keep Festival Eco-Friendly

India is a HUGE country. Many people there live in a state called Uttar
Pradesh, and lots of those people are Hindu.
印度很大，有很多人住在一個叫做「北方邦」的地方，裡面不少人都是印度教徒。

Today is the start of an ancient Hindu celebration, called "Holi". It's a
festival that's famous for having lots of color. People run around throwing
paint at each other, it's really fun!
今天是印度教侯麗節開始的日子，這是一個色彩繽紛的節日，大家會到處在別人身上潑顏料！

Today, lots of Hindus use special eco-friendly paint, so they won't harm the
planet.
現在很多人會用環保顏料，比較不會傷害地球。

The night before Holi people always light huge fires. They used to burn wood,
which meant they had to cut down lots of trees, but that was really bad for
the environment.
侯麗節的前一個晚上，大家還會升營火，人們以前會砍樹燒柴，但這樣對環境不好。

This year, in Uttar Pradesh, they're trying something new. They want to burn
"cow wood" instead. What is cow wood? Don't worry, it isn't made out of cows!
Actually, it's made from their poop!
今年，他們不燒木柴，改燒「牛柴」。你放心，牛柴不是用牛做的啦！它們其實是牛便便。

To make cow wood, farmers take some cow poop, shape it into a brick, and let
it dry.
農夫會把牛便便收集起來，弄成磚塊的形狀，然後晾乾。

The Uttar Pradesh government wants to have 300 tons of cow wood ready for the
huge fires… 300 tons?! That's as heavy as 3 blue whales! That's a lot of
poop…
政府說，他們想要準備三百噸的牛柴來慶祝侯麗節，有三頭鯨魚這麼重！

This great idea is helping Hindus in Uttar Pradesh be good to the planet and
enjoy their famous festival at the same time! Happy eco-friendly Holi,
everybody!
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Vocabulary
不再砍樹，改用牛柴，可以減少對環境的影響。

1. celebration 慶祝
Oh no, is Saturday School Day? 糟糕，星期六是學校日嗎？
Yeah, why? 是啊，為什麼？
Don't you like celebrations? 你不喜歡慶祝嗎？
No, I just don't like the same thing every year.
不是，我只是不喜歡每年都一樣。

2. color 顏色
I'm going to try something new this time. 這次我準備試一點新花樣。
Like what? 比如說什麼？
I'll prepare lots of color paper and cut it into small pieces.
我要準備很多彩色紙，剪成小塊。

3. throw 扔
And throw it at each other? 然後互相扔？
Yeah, we'll play a game first, and then throw it. 對，我們先玩遊戲，然後扔。
Sounds great ! Can I join your class? 聽起來真不錯。我可以加入你班上嗎？

你喜歡參加慶典嗎？來讀讀單字。
celebration 慶祝
color 顏色
throw 扔
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Quiz

1. What is Holi famous for?
A: Wood
B: Color
C: Farmers

2. What do people throw at each other during Holi?
A: Money
B: Paint
C: Paper

3. What is 300 tons of cow poop as heavy as?
A: 33 blue whales
B: 303 blue whales
C: 3 blue whales

Answers
1. B
2. B
3. C
 

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America's Oldest Parade Goes Online

Top o' the mornin'! It's St. Patrick's Day!

Today is a very special day for Ireland. Ireland is a small country in Europe.
今天是愛爾蘭的大日子，愛爾蘭是歐洲一個小國家。

Many Americans have Irish grandparents or great-grandparents. Every year, all
over America, Irish Americans like to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with big
parades and fun parties!
很多美國人的祖先來自愛爾蘭。他們每一年都會慶祝聖派翠克節，舉辦盛大的遊行和好玩的派對！

At some St. Patrick's Day parties, everything is dyed green! All the food is
green, all the drinks are green… and in the city of Chicago, even the river
is green!
在一些聖派翠克節的派對，所有東西都染成綠色。所有食物、飲料，甚至在芝加哥還有一整條河都會變成綠色！

New York City has America's biggest St. Patrick's Day parade. The parade has
big bands playing traditional folk music.
紐約有全美國最大型的聖派翠克節遊行。隊伍中有樂隊演奏傳統民間音樂。

The New York City St. Patrick's Day event is America's oldest parade. It
started 261 years ago, in 1762!
這是美國最古老的遊行，它在1762年就開始了，已經 261 歲了！

This year they're putting the whole parade online. For the first time, people
all over the world can watch the party and join in!
今年的遊行在線上直播，所以全世界可以一起看！
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Vocabulary
愛爾蘭的節慶，以聖派翠克節最著名，是大家都喜歡參加的節日。

1. celebrate 慶祝
Wow, you're all green today! 哇，你今天全身綠。
Green hat, green shirt, even green shoes. 綠色帽子，綠襯衫，綠鞋子。
Because I'm celebrating St. Patrick's Day! 因為我在慶祝聖派翠克節。

2. grandparents 祖父母
My grandparents lived in Ireland once. 我的阿公阿嬤住過愛爾蘭。
They did? 是嗎？
Yeah, my grandpa studied there. 對，我阿公在那裡讀書。

3. music 音樂
He was a student? 他在當學生？
Right, he studied music. 對，他學音樂。
He was a musician. 他是音樂家。

4. parade 遊行
So will you go to a party? 所以你要參加派對嗎？
No, I'll watch New York's parade on TV and dance.
不，我要看電視紐約遊行並且跳舞。

歡迎參加聖派翠克節！
celebrate 慶祝
grandparents 祖父母
music 音樂
parade 遊行
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Quiz

1. Where do Irish people come from?
A: America
B: Ireland
C: Iceland

2. Which American city dyes its river green for St. Patrick's Day?
A: Chicago
B: New York
C: Europe

3. In what year did America's oldest parade start?
A: 1772
B: 1762
C: 1672

Answers
1. B
2. A
3. B
 

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Thailand's Tuk-Tuks Go Green

Have you been to Thailand? It's a great place to visit. Thailand has spicy
food, hot weather, and beautiful beaches.
你有去過泰國嗎？泰國有辛辣的料理、炎熱天氣，還有美麗的海灘，很適合度假。

Everywhere in Thailand, there are lots of tuk-tuks. What's a tuk-tuk? It's a
little car with only three wheels.
泰國到處都有嘟嘟車。嘟嘟車是一種只有三個輪子的小車。

They're an easy way to go anywhere fast. It's easy to find a tuk-tuk, and the
driver will take you anywhere you want.
嘟嘟車讓旅客來去方便快速，它很好找，而且司機會帶你去任何你想去的地方。

Tuk-tuks are super useful. But they have two big problems...
嘟嘟車很有用，但它們有兩個大問題。

One, they're loud! They always make a loud noise, like "tuk tuk tuk tuk".
That's why they're called "tuk-tuks".
第一，他們很吵！它們會發出「嘟嘟嘟」的噪音，所以才叫嘟嘟車。

Two, they make a lot of pollution. The tuk-tuk's gas engines cause these two
problems. These engines are noisy and dirty.
它們會污染環境。 因為嘟嘟車的引擎又吵又髒，才會有這些問題。

But now, tuk-tuks are going green. These tuk-tuks use electricity, not gas.
但現在嘟嘟車變環保了，它們不再用汽油，而是電動的！

The green tuk-tuks are cleaner and quieter. Now people enjoy cleaner, fresher
air, and they can enjoy the quieter sounds of Thailand, too.
有了新的環保嘟嘟車，大家現在可以在泰國享受更新鮮的空氣，以及更安靜的環境了！

More and more tuk-tuks are going green. If you visit Thailand, give one of
their new green tuk-tuks a try!
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Vocabulary
泰國的嘟嘟車是當地特色，改換電動引擎之後更大幅減少汙染。

1. beach 海灘
Wow, sandy beaches, spicy food, parks everywhere…
哇，沙灘，辛辣的美食，到處都有公園...
Are you talking about Vietnam? 你在講越南嗎？

2. problem 問題
No, Thailand. I'm looking at this ad about Phuket.
不，泰國。我在看普吉島的廣告。
Just go! 你就去吧！
The problem is I'm too busy to take time off. 問題是我太忙了，沒時間休假。

3. air 空氣
You're not always busy. 你又不是一直忙。
That's true. 這是真的。
So go and enjoy the sea air. 所以去享受海風吧。

4. anywhere 任何地方
But I can go anywhere in Taiwan for that. 不過我在台灣可以去任何地方追海風。
Hey, you're right, I'll go with you! 說得對，我跟你一起去。

你想度假嗎？先來記住單字。
beach 海灘
problem 問題
air 空氣
anywhere 任何地方
________________________________

Quiz

1. How many wheels does a tuk-tuk have?
A: Two wheels
B: Three wheels
C: Four wheels

2. What are the new green tuk-tuks like?
A: Clean and quiet
B: Dirty and loud
C: Big and slow

3. What do the new green tuk-tuks use instead of gas?
A: Pollution
B: Spicy food
C: Electricity

Answers
1. B
2. A
3. C
 

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Ancient Bows and Arrows Found

Let's pretend… It is 50,000 years ago. You are in Europe. You are a hunter!

You are looking for food. You want to catch a deer. You need meat for your
family.
想像一下你是五萬年前的歐洲獵人，想要獵一頭鹿來餵飽家人。

But deer are fast! What can you do? Throw a rock? No, that wouldn't work.
但是鹿跑得飛快，丟石頭也沒用，怎麼辦呢？

Ah! How about a bow and arrow? That would work, right?
用弓箭怎麼樣？

Bows and arrows are amazing. They are strong!

You can shoot arrows super far! Bows and arrows are perfect for hunters.

Scientists think bows and arrows were used a long, long time ago. But how
long ago?
科學家認為人類很久以前就在用弓箭。到底是多久以前呢？

Well, some arrowheads in Europe are older than 50,000 years old!
歐洲找到有五萬年歷史的箭頭。

That was a long time ago! But wait! Scientists also think bows and arrows are
even older. People used them in Africa first!

Scientists think people from Africa took bows and arrows to Europe.
科學家認為弓箭在更早以前就有了，是非洲人先開始用，再帶到歐洲去的。

And yes, people used bows and arrows to fight too. All over the world, they
used bows and arrows for hundreds and hundreds of years… until there were
guns.

But the first use for bows and arrows was hunting food.
人類發明槍之前，打仗也是使用弓箭，但是弓箭最一開始是打獵用的。

And now we know bows and arrows are super old! Older than 50,000 years old!

Wow!
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Vocabulary
弓箭最早用於打獵，後來也用來格鬥或是打仗。

1 hunter 獵人
I think hunters today should use bows and arrows. 我覺得現在的獵人應該用弓箭。
To catch what? 抓什麼呢？
Fish, maybe. 也許去抓魚。

2. shoot 發射
Shooting an arrow at fish? 對著魚射箭？
That would be too hard. 那太難了。
If the hunter is strong and fast, it should work.
假如獵人很強壯又動作快，應該可以。

3. hundreds of 好幾百
Perhaps for big animals like a whale. 也許對付像鯨魚那樣的大動物可以。
People hunted whales for hundreds of years. 人類獵捕鯨魚好幾百年了。

4. want 想要
True. But why bows and arrows now? 確實是，但為什麼現在要弓箭呢？
Well, we want to protect the ocean, right? 我們不是要保護海洋？

你有見過獵人打獵嗎？
hunter 獵人
shoot 發射
hundreds of 好幾百
want 想要
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Quiz

1. What was perfect for deer hunters long ago?
A: Rocks
B: Cats
C: Bows and arrows

2. Why were bows and arrows perfect for hunters?
A: They were powerful
B: Deer liked them
C: They looked cool

3. Where were bows and arrows used first?
A: Asia
B: Africa
C: Europe

Answers
1. C
2. A
3. B
 

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Sports Tournament for Bald Men Returns to Japan

Japan is great for art, food, science… and sports too!

There's a town in Japan called Tsuruta. It's very small. Only about 10,000
people live there. That's not very many. About two and a half million people
live in Taipei City!
日本有一個小鎮叫做鶴田，居民很少，只有一萬人。台北市有兩百五十萬人喔！

Every year before the COVID pandemic, Tsuruta hosted a very special sports
tournament: the National Sucker Tug of War Tournament. It was only for men
who have no hair or not much hair: bald men!
在疫情之前，鶴田都會舉辦很特別的比賽，叫做全國吸盤拔河大賽。

Maybe you play Tug of War too. You need a rope. There are two teams. Each
team pulls on one end of the rope.

This tournament is the same. But it is also not the same. To play, you need a
string, two bald men… and two suction cups!
拔河需要一條繩子，兩支隊伍各拉一邊。吸盤拔河跟那種拔河有一點像，又有一點不像，它需要一條線，兩名光頭男子，跟兩個吸盤。

The suction cups are at the ends of the string. Each bald man sticks a
suction cup on his head. The men are face-to-face.

Then both men pull back as much as they can! They want to pull off the other
man's suction cup first!
參賽選手要把吸盤黏在頭上，面對面往後拉，誰先把對方的吸盤拉下來，誰就贏了！

This year, the tournament returned! People came from all over Japan for it.
Would you go to a sports tournament for bald men?
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Vocabulary
這個日本小鎮的光頭拔河活動，是不是很有趣呢？

1. team 隊伍
Come on! It's time for Tug-of-War! 快來，拔河時間到了！
Can we play? 我們可以玩嗎？
No, you have to join the team first. 不行，你得先加入一個隊。
It takes a lot of practice. 需要很多練習呢。

2. pull 拉
I thought you just need to pull the rope. 我以為你只要拉繩子就好了。
Of course, everyone has to pull hard. 每個人當然都要用力拉。

3. sport 運動
But it's also a special sport. 不過它也是很特別的運動。
Skills are important. 技巧很重要。

4. man 男人
Hey, it looks the women's team will win! 嘿，看起來女子隊會贏！
Woohoo! They did win! 她們真的贏了！
What's going on with the men's team? 男生隊是怎麼回事？

你有參加過拔河比賽嗎？
team 隊伍
pull 拉
sport 運動
man 男人
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Quiz

1. What do bald men have?
A: No hair
B: Lots of hair
C: Long hair

2. Where is the bald men's tournament held?
A: Tokyo
B: Tsuruta
C: Tsuruga

3. What do bald men need to play this sport?
A: Hair
B: Two teams and a rope
C: Two suction cups and string

Answers
1. A
2. B
3. C