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These Very Old, Strong, Healthy Fish May Die Out

Did you know some kinds of fish can live for more than 100 years? One is the
bigmouth buffalo. They're very big. Some are 120 centimeters long. Some weigh
36 kilograms!
你知道有一些魚可以活超過百歲嗎?小鯉牛胭脂魚很巨大，有的有 120
公分長，有的可以重達 36 公斤! 牠們非常長壽。

These fish live in lakes and rivers in North America. And as they get older,
they get stronger and healthier?!
這種魚住在北美洲的湖泊跟河流裡，牠們的身體越老越強壯，甚至還會更健康!

The ear bone of many kinds of fish shows how old they are. It grows a ring
every year. It's like a tree! One bigmouth buffalo was 127 years old!
很多魚的耳石能看出年紀，因為每老一歲，就會多長出一圈像年輪的紋路。而最老的胭脂魚有
127 歲!

Scientists looked at many bigmouth buffalo. But they didn't find the young
ones. Most were 80 years old or older! Every year, old fish lay eggs. Baby
fish come out. But they don't grow up. Other fish eat them!
科學家觀察胭脂魚，發現牠們幾乎都超過 80 歲!年輕的魚在哪裡呢?
雖然每年有很多小胭脂魚寶寶，但很多都被其他魚吃掉了。

Some people catch this fish as a sport. Then they throw the fish away.
也有一些人抓這種魚當作娛樂，抓到後再把牠們丟掉。

Scientists are worried. After the old fish die, maybe there won't be any
bigmouth buffalo!
科學家們擔心這些老魚死掉之後，就再也沒有新的胭脂魚了!我們需要幫助牠們。

But bigmouth buffalo are important! We need to save them! Maybe they can show
us how to grow old and stay strong and healthy!
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Vocabulary
這種胭脂魚很長壽，但是牠們的小魚卻常常被吃光。

1. live 過生活。
Do you sometimes envy fish? 你會不會有時候羨慕魚?
Because they just swim, eat, and live a good life ?
因為牠們只是游泳，吃東西，過很好的生活?
Exactly! 正是!

2. catch 抓到。
I want to catch this one…我要抓這一條。
Got it! 抓到了!
This fish was living his best life just five minutes
ago.五分鐘之前這條魚還在享受最佳生活。

3. healthy 健康的。
Yeah, he looks strong and healthy! 沒錯，牠看起來強壯又健康。
I can't wait to eat it. 我等不及要吃牠了。

4. grow up 長大。
Poor fish! He grew up to be this big, but now he'll become a
dish.可憐的魚，長這麼大，現在要變成一道菜了。
Hey, even if we don't eat it, other fish will.就算我們不吃牠，別的魚也會。

來跟我一起讀單字。
live過生活 catch抓到 healthy健康的 grow up長大
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Quiz

1. How long did one bigmouth buffalo live?
a. 27 years
b. 100 years
c. 127 years

2. Where do bigmouth buffalo live?
a. Oceans
b. Lakes and rivers
c. Trees

3. What shows the age of a bigmouth buffalo?
a. Its eyeball rings
b. Its mouth
c. Its ear bone rings

Answers
1. c
2. b
3. c

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Hey you guys. Time for another episode of News Bites.

I'm Jacob Ingram.

And I'm Allie Highsmith.

In today's news: New ferry to Green Island, and cool roofs for Indian homes.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit: The VOLCANIC moon!!!

Stay tuned for those stories.
________________________________

綠島海上交通再增生力軍
New Ferries for Green Island

Let's take a trip to Green Island (綠島).

It's a beautiful holiday destination near Taitung!

Green Island has crystal-clear waters (澄澈的海水), perfect for snorkeling
(浮潛) and diving (跳水)!

It's also one of the world's three saltwater hot springs!

And its amazing volcanic rock formations (火山岩層) make the scenery
unforgettable!

Tourists can reach Green Island by plane or ferry (渡輪).

But because there are only 3 flights per day, most visitors take the ferry.

Right now, many ferries to Green Island are old -- over 20 years old!

So, the government has given $300 million NT to upgrade (升級) the ships.

The first new ferry is called Uranus 21 (天王星21號).

It's special because it's the first ferry designed just for Green Island
trips!

The first trip (首航) is scheduled for March 28th -- just in time for travel
season!

Another ship, called Taiwu (太武號), used to work in Kinmen.

Now, it has been given to Green Island.

The ship will be upgraded to "yacht-level" (遊艇等級) comfort for a smoother
ride.

It will also be used for transporting medical supplies.

This is a smart choice, because renovating (翻新) a ship is much faster and
cheaper than buying a new one!

Besides water activities, Green Island is also rich in history (歷史很豐富).

The island was once home to a famous prison, where political prisoners and
serious criminals were held.
島上曾有一座著名的監獄，關押政治犯和重犯。

Nowadays, tourists visit to learn about Taiwan's past.

With new, modern ferries, visiting Green Island will be easier and more
enjoyable than ever!

如果想來一趟既可玩樂又可以學習歷史的旅程，那綠島絕對是個不錯的選擇。
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印度貧民窟「涼屋頂」對抗極端溫度
Indian Homes Get 'Cool Roofs' to Combat Extreme Heat

Now, it's time to talk about a simple but powerful way to fight extreme heat!

Climate change is making summers hotter than ever.

In some parts of the world, people's homes are trapping heat (捕獲熱量)
instead of protecting them.

India is one of those places.

In Ahmedabad, summer temperatures can reach 46°C!

That's hot enough to make life unbearable (難以忍受), especially in small,
airless (空氣不流通) homes.

To help, scientists have started a project.

And that is painting roofs with a special white coating!
那就是在屋頂塗上特殊的白色塗層！

This coating contains reflective pigments (反光顏料) that bounce the sun's
heat back into the sky instead of absorbing it.
這個塗層含有反光顏料，能將太陽的熱量反射回天空，而不是吸收。

Over the past two months, 400 homes in Ahmedabad have received these 'cool
roofs'.

And the results? ... Residents say it's working!

One resident said he sleeps better and his electricity bills (電費) are lower.

The white paint reflects the sun's radiation (輻射), keeping homes cooler
inside.

Less heat means less need for air conditioning, which saves electricity and
money (既省電又省錢)!

This is a one-year experiment (實驗).

Scientists will compare homes with and without the cool roof to see how much
it helps.

If successful, this simple solution could be used in more cities around the
world!

這項研究將有助於改善許多人的居住環境。
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

Green Island is a beautiful holiday destination near Taitung.

Most visitors take a ferry, but many of the boats are over 20 years old, so
the government is upgrading them.

The first new ferry is faster and more comfortable.

With new ferries, visiting Green Island will be easier and more enjoyable
than ever!
________________________________

And...

Climate change is making summers hotter than ever.

Many homes in India trap heat instead of keeping people cool.

To help, scientists are painting roofs with a special white coating to keep
homes cooler inside.

Less heat means less need for air conditioning, which saves electricity and
money!
________________________________
趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

And in today's Tasty Tidbit...

The Moon is not the only moon in the solar system (太陽系統).

In fact, there are 416 planetary moons (行星衛星) in the solar system.

These are moons that orbit (環繞運行) planets.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to walk on these moons?

Most of them are quiet and icy.

But some stand out.
有一些與眾不同。

For example, Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has a thick atmosphere (氣層很濃).

But it's super, super cold. We're talkin' -179°C cold!

One of Jupiter's moons Io is also very special.

Io is one of the most volcanic places in the solar system.
埃歐是太陽系中火山活動最活躍的地方之一。

Io has yellow, red, and orange colors from the sulfur (硫磺).

It's not a quiet, icy moon like most of the others.
________________________________

That's all for today's episode.

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!