________________________________

Moving Stairs for Mountain Views

Walking for thirty minutes every day is good for you. It can help you be
strong and healthy. It's cheap too. All you need are comfortable shoes. Then
you can walk anywhere!
每天走30分鐘有益身心健康。而且你只需要一雙舒適的鞋子，就可以到處走走!

Many people like walking a long way on mountains, in forests, and other
natural places. This is called "hiking". Taiwan has many beautiful hiking
trails. Many of them go up mountains.
很多人喜歡爬山，也會在森林或是其他自然景點走路。這叫做健行，台灣有很多健行步道，大多都通往山上。

But hiking is harder than walking. Some people can't hike. So they can't see
beautiful mountain views.
但是健行比走路困難，無法健行就看不到美麗的山景。

Tianyu Mountain in China is beautiful. But it's very hard to hike. Hikers
hike three mountains to get there!
中國的天嶼山很漂亮，但是它非常難爬。登山客需要翻越三座山才能到達。

A tour company put long escalators on Tianyu Mountain. These moving stairs
take people up the mountain. People stand on them and enjoy the view! These
escalators are great for older people, families, and people with
disabilities.
有一家旅遊公司在天嶼山蓋了一座電動手扶梯，可以直接載人到山上。人們可以搭手扶梯享受美景，對老人、兒童跟身障人士很有幫助。

But some people don't like them. They say the escalators are ugly. They say
enjoying the mountain is not only about the views. It's also about moving
your body and feeling healthy.
但是也有人不喜歡，他們覺得這個手扶梯很難看。還說爬山不只是享受美景，還包括運動，讓人身體健康。

Escalators on mountains are good for some visitors, but bad for others!
________________________________________

Vocabulary
到野外健行，除了賞景，也是讓身體強健。

1. feel 感覺
I can't sleep well these days.我這幾天都睡不好。
I feel tired all the time.我總是覺得累。

2. enjoy 喜歡
Maybe it's because you watch too much TV? 也許你看太多電視了?
But I enjoy watching TV! 可是我很喜歡看電視!
Well, come hiking with me in the mountains in Keelung Saturday.
好吧，星期六跟我去走基隆的山。

3. mountain 山
Is it a high mountain? 是高山嗎?
No, but it does take some climbing. 不是，但確實需要爬山。
I don't like climbing. 我不喜歡爬山。
It'll help you sleep better.會讓你睡得比較好。

4. view 景觀
And the view is beautiful! 而且景觀很棒!
Do we get to see the ocean? 看得到大海嗎?
The ocean and vast grasslands. 大海，還有大片綠草。

今天的單字你記住了幾個?
feel感覺
enjoy喜歡
mountain山
view景觀

________________________________________
Quiz

1. What is "hiking"?
a. Walking every day
b. Walking a long way
c. Walking in Taiwan

2. Where is Tianyu Mountain?
a. Chad
b. Chile
c. China

3. What are "escalators"?
a. Comfortable shoes
b. Mountains
c. Moving stairs

Answers:
1. b
2. c
3. c

________________________________

Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites...

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Hope Ngo.

In today's stories...

Searching for staff, and solving the Sphinx mystery.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…

Here's what happens when AI takes over! Stay tuned.
________________________________

旅宿業缺工
Hotels Facing Staff Shortage

More people are traveling nowadays.

That's because the COVID-19 pandemic has eased (減低、緩解)

This means now, there is more demand for accommodation (住宿), especially
during holidays.

But there is also a huge shortage (短缺) of workers.

During the pandemic, many hotel workers were laid off.

But now, many workers do not want to go back.

They have found new jobs, and do not want to return to the hospitality
industry (旅宿業).

Some data shows that many hotels are 30 percent short of workers.

Others are 70 percent short of workers in the housekeeping department (房務).

So many hotels have changed their check-in time, from 3pm to 5pm.

Some say that working in hotel housekeeping is very tiring.

And some say the pay is not high enough.

有些學者說低薪才是招不到員工的主因。

Other workers say there isn't a high chance of getting a promotion (升遷).

The government is thinking about turning to migrant workers (移工) to help
the shortage.

Officials also suggested that hotels can hire more middle-aged women and
elderly workers.

They say employers need to change their mindset and give these workers a
chance.

Other officials say the hotel industry does hire such workers.

But they say many are not interested in working in the industry.

Whatever the reason, everyone is hoping to find a solution to the problem.

Or customers may have to keep waiting a little longer to check in.
________________________________

人面獅身像不是埃及人蓋的？
Wind May Have Helped Sculpt Egypt's Famous Sphinx.

A Sphinx is a creature from myths (神話).

It is a being with the head of a human and the body of a lion.

A very famous statue of a sphinx, is the Great Sphinx of Giza.

The statue was made 4,500 years ago.

It is one of the largest sculptures (雕像) in the world.

Archeologists (考古學家) have wondered how it was made for a long time.

It was carved from one giant piece of limestone (石灰岩).

Experts now think a natural rock formation may be the sculpture's foundation
(底座).

These rock formations are known as "Yardang" (雅丹).

Yardangs are made from wind erosion (風化).

When the desert wind blows sand onto the rocks, the softer parts erode
(被侵蝕).

And the harder parts stay.

A team of researchers in New York tested this theory.

They took a mound of clay and stuck it inside harder materials.

Then they ran a stream of water over it.

Slowly, a sphinx-like shape appeared.

The harder material became the head.

And other "parts" also developed.

這項實驗結果指出，人面獅身像的形狀或許是大自然的傑作。

So the scientists think this may have been the first step for making the
Sphinx.

Then ancient highly-skilled craftsmen worked on the rock to create the
details.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...

The hospitality industry is facing a shortage of workers.

Many workers do not want to go back.

Some data shows that many hotels are 30 percent short of workers.

Others are 70 percent short of workers in the housekeeping department.
________________________________

And,

Experts have a new theory about how the Great Sphinx of Giza was made.

They believe a natural rock formation may be the sculpture's foundation.

Then ancient highly-skilled craftsmen worked on the rock to create the
details.

But the Sphinx is still a mystery in many ways.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

In today's Tasty Tidbit, artificial intelligence may be super smart, but does
it have our awesome sense of humor?

This is a good one...you ready?

A husband told his wife, "Did you know Old McDonald's farm has been taken
over by Artificial Intelligence?"

Wife: AI?

Husband: AI.

Wife: Oh.

And now, 14-year-old Kenny from Tucheng Junior High School has a few thoughts
on artificial intelligence.

(...)

Do you think AI is a tool or a danger?

If you have a fun fact or a joke 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!

Tune in again next time for an all new episode of News Bites!