________________________________

Leather from Mushrooms

Mushrooms are part of a group of amazing living things that are not really an
animal and not really a plant.
香菇不是動物也不是植物，它們是菇類！

You can eat some mushrooms, and they're super yummy. But you can also make
leather from them.
它們不只很好吃，還可以做成皮革！

We use leather for many things. I have a leather belt and leather shoes.
皮革可以做成很多東西，像是我自己有皮帶或跟皮鞋。

But some people say we should try to stop making things with leather.
有人說我們不應該再用皮革做東西。

Why? Well, two big reasons…

One, to make leather you need a lot of chemicals. Those chemicals can be bad
for people, and they are bad for the earth. They cause pollution.
第一個原因是，做皮革要用很多化學藥劑，對人跟地球都不好。

And number two: Leather comes from animals, mostly cows. Many people think we
need to stop eating so much meat and stop using things made from animals.
第二個原因是，很多皮革都是用牛做的。有人覺得我們不要再吃這麼多肉，也不要再用動物做東西！

That's why scientists are making leather from mushrooms! It looks almost
exactly like leather from animals, and it's strong too.
所以科學家要用菇類做皮革！它很像用動物做的皮革，也是很堅固！

Many companies are interested in this new mushroom leather.

Using mushroom leather means we can say goodbye to bad chemicals, and it
means we don't need to use animals.
這樣子我們可以遠離化學藥劑，也不用動物做東西。
________________________________

Vocabulary
生活中有哪些東西是皮革做的，你可知道？

1. leather 皮革
I don't wear leather shoes any more.我不再穿皮鞋了。
Why not? 為什麼不呢？
Because I'm wearing cotton shoes now. 因為我現在都穿棉布鞋。
They are light and comfortable. 它們很輕，又很舒服。

2. strong 堅固耐用
But they are not as strong as leather. 但是它們沒有皮革堅固。
That's true. So I don't wear them on rainy days. 這是真的，所以我雨天不穿。

3. use 使用
You use cotton for your bags too? 你也用棉布做包包嗎？
Yeah, look at my book bag. 對啊，你看我的書包。
Very cute! 很可愛呢！
Yeah, I use cotton for many things. 我用棉布做很多東西。

4. company 公司
A lot of companies are making these products. 很多公司也在做這些產品。
I know. But I prefer to do it myself. 我知道，不過我喜歡自己動手。

這些字簡單好用，來一起讀一遍。
leather 皮革
strong 堅固耐用
use 使用
company 公司
________________________________

Quiz

1. How does animal leather hurt the earth?
A: Making it uses bad chemicals
B: Making it takes 100 years
C: Making it means bigger typhoons

2. What are scientists using to make new leather?
A: Mushrooms
B: Fried rice
C: Frogs

3. Where does leather come from?
A: Mostly cows
B: Mostly clouds
C: Mostly clowns

Answers
1. A
2. A
3. A
 

________________________________

Electric Airplanes Tested in America

Hi students! Today we're talking about electric vehicles.
我們今天要講的是電動交通工具。

There are electric bicycles, electric cars, and even electric buses! The
world is changing: now, there is even an electric airplane!
現在有電動腳踏車、電動車、電動巴士，甚至還有電動飛機！

No way! That's amazing! A new electric airplane!

They are testing the electric airplane in America. This electric airplane is
small. It can carry just 11 people.
現在美國在測試電動飛機。這台飛機很小，只能載11個人。

And after testing, if everything is safe, some companies will start using
small electric airplanes for short trips with only a few people.
經過測試，如果一切安全，有一些公司就會用來進行短程旅行！

But in just a few years, electric airplanes will get bigger and stronger!

One day very soon, airplane companies are going to make big electric
airplanes.

Maybe one day you'll fly to Europe or America in an electric plane!
也許有一天，我們就可以搭電動飛機去歐洲或美國了！

Ahh, that would be so nice. It would be so quiet! And it would be much, much
better for the environment!
它們很安靜，而且對環境也很好！

I can hardly believe it, but electric airplanes are here!

Soon, maybe every kind of vehicle in the world will use electric power!
________________________________

Vocabulary
為了環保，現在很多交通工具都變成電動的。

1. plane 飛機
Hey, what's that? 嘿，那是什麼？
I can't believe it! It's a plane! 真不敢相信！是一架飛機！

2. electric 電動的
Why isn't it making any sounds? 為什麼它都沒有聲音？
I think it's an electric plane. 我想它是電動飛機。
Really? Even my electric bike makes more noise. 真的嗎?
我的電動腳踏車聲音比它還大。

3. safe 安全的
Do you think it's safe? 你覺得它安全嗎？
My bike is very safe. 我的腳踏車很安全。
No, I mean the plane. 不，我是說飛機。

4. company 公司
It should be. 應該安全。
The company making the plane would make sure it's safe.
製造那架飛機的公司會確保它是安全的。

Let's read today's vocabulary together.
plane 飛機
electric 電動的
safe 安全的
company 公司
________________________________

Quiz

1. What are they testing in America?
A: An electric garbage truck
B: An electric airplane
C: An electric monkey

2. How big is the airplane in the story?
A: Small. It can carry 11 people
B: Small. It can only carry 2 people
C: Super big! It can carry 500 people

3. Electric cars, buses, and airplanes are…
A: …quiet, and good for the environment
B: …noisy and ugly
C: …funny and stinky

Answers
1. B
2. A
3. A
 

________________________________

Bus Stops For Bees and Butterflies

Hi students! You guys know that bees are important, right?

They help plants grow. Butterflies also help plants grow. If we didn't have
bees and butterflies, we wouldn't grow as much food. The world would be in
big trouble then.
蝴蝶跟蜜蜂會幫忙授粉，沒有牠們，就種不出足夠的食物。這樣世界就糟糕了！

But there are fewer bees and butterflies now. One reason is that cities are
growing.
但蜜蜂跟蝴蝶越來越少了，其中一個原因是城市變大了。

When cities get bigger, there are fewer places for bees and butterflies to
visit flowers and other plants safely.
城市變大後，越來越少地方可以讓蜜蜂跟蝴蝶安全地授粉。

Now, people are helping these insects by building special bus shelters. They
have little gardens on top of them.
現在，有人蓋了特別的公車亭，上面有一個小花園。

The Netherlands was the first place to have these special bus stops. England
also has them. England wants to have more than 1,000 of them soon. There are
some in France and Belgium also.
荷蘭是第一個有這種公車亭的國家，另外，英國、法國、比利時也有。

These bus shelters need to be stronger than regular bus shelters because the
dirt and water on top of them is heavy.
這種公車亭必須要很堅固，因為上面的泥土跟水都很重。

This is a great idea! Taiwan should build bus stops for bees and butterflies
to visit. Or, maybe I should call them BUZZ-shelters.
________________________________

Vocabulary
在公車站的屋頂上種花種草，好吸引蜜蜂蝴蝶。

1. butterfly 蝴蝶
What a beautiful butterfly! 好漂亮的蝴蝶！
Yeah, and it's a big one. 對啊，而且好大一隻。
It's so nice to have butterflies waiting with me! 有蝴蝶跟我一起等車真棒！

2. grow 種植
People should grow more flowers everywhere. 大家應該到處多種一點花。
Right, the city would look so much better. 對啊，城市會好看很多。

3. plant 植物
What plant should I grow indoors? 我在室內應該種什麼植物？
I've heard that devil's vine is the best. 我聽說黃金葛最好了。
It's very eco-friendly. 它對環境很友善。

4. the Netherlands 荷蘭
People in the Netherlands built special bus stops for bees.
荷蘭人建了特別的公車站給蜜蜂。
So the bees there take buses? 所以那裏的蜜蜂會搭公車 ?
No, they fly. 不會，牠們用飛的。

今天學到哪些單字？
butterfly 蝴蝶
grow 種植
plant 植物
the Netherlands 荷蘭
________________________________

Quiz

1. Why did people build the bus shelters?
A:So people could see more bees and butterflies
B: So bees and butterflies wouldn't bother people
C: So bees and butterflies could visit more places

2. Why are there fewer bees and butterflies?
A: They have moved away from cities
B: They can't visit as many places
C: They are getting killed by buses

3. Which place first made the special bus shelters?
A: England
B: France
C: The Netherlands

Answers
1. C
2. B
3. C
 

________________________________

First Fully Biodegradable Shoe

Ahhh, the beach is so nice.

The sun, the ocean, the shoes….what?? Shoes?

Why are there shoes floating in the water?

海裡怎麼會有鞋子飄著呢？

How can they be floating in the ocean for so long, and still look almost
new??!

鞋子為甚麼能在海上漂這麼久，看起來還這麼新？

It's because they are not biodegradable!

"Biodegradable" means something that turns back into nature after time.

因為它不能被生物分解！生物分解就是東西會隨著時間回歸大自然。

So, wood is biodegradable, many clothes are biodegradable, and even some
kinds of metal are biodegradable.

木頭是會被分解的，有一些衣服也是，甚至有一些金屬也會被分解的。

Things that are not biodegradable can take hundreds and hundreds of years to
break down into tiny pieces, and that's bad for the earth!

過了好幾百年都不會被分解的東西，對環境不好！

But now you can buy a new kind of shoe that is 100% biodegradable!

When you throw them away, they become part of the earth again in just one
year!

但現在你能買得到百分百可以被生物分解的鞋子，他們被丟掉後，一年就會被分解！

We all need to think about what we buy and ask "Is this biodegradable?"

Ok, let me get those shoes out of the ocean.
________________________________

Vocabulary

可以生物分解的鞋子，能減少垃圾量。

1. shoes 鞋子。
I need a pair of sports shoes. 我需要一雙運動鞋。
There's this shoe store that sells biodegradable shoes.
有一家鞋店賣可以生物分解的鞋子.

2. break down 分解。
I've heard about them. 我有聽說過。
But they break down easily, right? 但是它們很容易分解，對嗎?
Yeah, they usually break down in a year. 對，通常一年之內就會分解

3. throw away 扔掉。
You can then just throw them away. 然後你就可以把它扔掉。
But I don't want that to happen when I'm climbing mountains.
但是我可不想在爬山時發生那種事。

4. earth 地球。
Well, look at the bright side. 要看好的一面。
Your shoes will become part of the earth again. 你的鞋子又變回地球的一部份了。

你今天學到哪些英文單字?

shoes鞋子
break down分解
throw away扔掉
earth地球
________________________________

Quiz

1. What is "biodegradable"?
A: Something that becomes part of nature
B: Something that lives for 400 years
C: Something for dogs

2. What can you buy now?
A: 100% biodegradable shoes!
B: Shoes for fish!
C: 100% plastic shoes!

3. When do biodegradable shoes go back to nature?
A: In one year
B: In 500 years
C: In ten years










Answers
1. A
2. A
3. A
 

________________________________

Lettuce Grown Right in Supermarket

I love fresh vegetables. Especially lettuce, it's so crunchy and green.
我喜歡新鮮蔬菜，尤其是萵苣。

Fresh lettuce is best. We all want newly picked lettuce.
新鮮的萵苣最棒了。

That means the lettuce farm should be close to the market. In fact, the
freshest lettuce is the kind you pick with your own hands.
所以萵苣農場最好要靠近超市。如果能親手摘就更新鮮了。

So what if the lettuce grew right inside the supermarket? That's what one
supermarket in Egypt is doing.

They plant lettuce in a fridge and use a special light to make it grow.
在埃及，有一家超市在店裡面種萵苣！萵苣在冰箱裡面，用特殊的燈照它們，讓它們成長。

When people go shopping, they can pick the lettuce themselves. "Ooo! So
fresh!"
客人可以買自己摘的菜。

But won't growing vegetables in the store be dirty? Actually, the supermarket
doesn't use any dirt to grow this lettuce. They plant it directly in the
water. That's called "hydroponics".
但是在超市種菜不會髒嗎？其實他們不用泥土，他們直接把萵苣種在水裡。這叫做水耕。

The water is very healthy, and the plants like it. What's more, this way can
save lots of water. Hydroponics uses 90% less water.
而且水耕用到的水減少了百分之九十。

Next time you go to the store, you might be able to pick fresh lettuce by
yourself.
________________________________

Vocabulary
在超市裡採摘蔬菜帶回家，沒有比這更新鮮的了。

1. sandwich 三明治
What would you like for lunch? 你中飯想吃什麼？
I'm not hungry. I'll just have a salad. 我不餓，就吃個沙拉。
Then I'll get a sandwich. 那我買個三明治。

2. vegetable 蔬菜
Let's buy our food here. 我們在這裡買食物吧。
They use very fresh vegetables in their salad. 他們的沙拉用很新鮮的蔬菜。
You're right. The veggies look so green and clean!
你說對了，這些菜看起來又綠又乾淨！

3. grow 種植
I think this store grows its lettuce in water. 我想這家店用水種生菜。
What a good idea! 真是個好主意！

4. dirt 泥土
I still grow my tomatoes in dirt. 我仍然在泥土裡種番茄。
It's okay. Your tomatoes taste wonderful! 那沒關係。你種的番茄很好吃。

來讀讀單字吧。
sandwich 三明治
vegetable 蔬菜
grow 種植
dirt 泥土
________________________________

Quiz

1. Where does this supermarket get their lettuce?
A: It grows in a garden.
B: It grows on a farm.
C: It grows inside the supermarket.

2. What is it called when plants grow with no soil, only water?
A: Hydroponics
B: Supersonic
C: Electronic

3. What is good about hydroponics?
A: It can make light.
B: It can save water.
C: It's more dirty.

Answers
1. C
2. A
3. B