________________________________

Hi there, it's time for another episode of News Bites!

I'm Nancy Sun…

And I'm Hope Ngo.

In today's news:

Delve into prehistory, take on nonstop cooking, and Taiwan's top music awards.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

台灣史前博物館重新開館
Taiwan Prehistory Museum Reopens

You can learn a lot about history in a museum.

But what's in a museum about "prehistory"?

Prehistory is the time before humans started to write things down.

Humans used simple tools (工具).

But they did not have the complex (複雜的) writing systems that we have now.

So how do we know what was Taiwan like during that time?

The National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung has reopened.

It shows visitors Taiwan's prehistory, natural history, and the culture of
Taiwan's indigenous peoples.

The museum was closed for almost three years for renovation (整修).

And it reopened just in time for International Museum Day.
國立台灣史前文化博物館閉館近3年進行整修，日前改造完成重新開幕。

The museum's director says the museum shows Taiwan's history from the
Paleolithic Period (舊石器時代) to the 21st century.

The director says there are stone tools that are around 30,000 years old.

And there are new things, like a Golden Melody Award trophy lent (借) by Amis
singer Suming Lupi.

The director says she hopes visitors can see the amazing contributions of
Taiwan's Indigenous peoples.

And the museum also shows Taiwan's links to the world.

The director says archeologists have found things that show Austronesian
settlers coming to Taiwan as early as 30,000 years ago.
________________________________

奈及利亞女廚師破世界紀錄
Nigerian Chef Breaks World Record for Nonstop Cooking

How would you show the world you are strong and hardworking?

How about by breaking a world record?

A Nigerian chef has set a new global record for nonstop cooking.

She has cooked for more than 100 hours!

The last record for nonstop cooking was 87 hours and 45 minutes.

That record was set by Indian chef Lata Tondon in 2019.

Hilda Baci started cooking on Thursday, May 11th in Lagos, Nigeria.

And she passed 100 hours on May 15th.

She took a five-minute break every hour.

Or she took a one-hour break every 12 hours.

During that one hour of rest, she would take a shower, get checked by a
doctor, and rest.
奈及利亞女廚師 Hilda Baci 挑戰連續烹飪的世界紀錄，製作出超過100道的佳餚。

Thousands of people have gathered to watch Hilda cook.

She has made dozens of Nigerian dishes, including rice and stew.

Many people are also watching online.

Why is she doing this?

Hilda says she wants to show how hardworking and determined (有決心) young
Nigerians are.

She also wants to help show how strong young African women are.

Hilda says they often have to go "an extra mile to be taken seriously".

And she is helping the world learn more about Nigerian cuisine.
________________________________

第34屆金曲獎
Golden Melody Awards Ceremony Coming Soon

The 34th Golden Melody Awards will take place next month.

The award ceremony will happen on July 1st, at the Taipei Arena.
第34屆金曲獎頒獎典禮將於7月1日於台北小巨蛋舉辦。

The nominees (被提名者) for this year's music awards was recently announced.

There are six nominees for "Best Male Vocalist", including MC Hot Dog, and Wu
Qing-feng.

And there are six nominees for "Best Female Vocalist", including A-Lin and
Penny Dai.

The ceremony will be hosted by singer and songwriter WeiBird.

Officials say the jury (評審團) got more than 24,000 submissions (入圍申請)
this year.

That's the highest in the history of the awards.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...

The National Museum of Prehistory in Taitung has reopened, after being closed
for renovations.

It shows visitors Taiwan's prehistory, natural history, and the culture of
Taiwan's indigenous peoples.

And it reopened just in time for International Museum Day.
________________________________

A Nigerian chef has set a new global record for nonstop cooking.

Hilda Baci started cooking on Thursday, May 11th in Lagos, Nigeria, and she
passed 100 hours on May 15th.

Hilda says she wants to show how hardworking and determined young Nigerians
are.
________________________________

And,

The 34th Golden Melody Awards will take place on July 1st, at the Taipei
Arena.

The ceremony will be hosted by singer and songwriter WeiBird.

Officials say the jury got more than 24,000 submissions this year.
________________________________

And that's today's episode of News Bites!
________________________________

主播每周一問
Have Your Say

This week, we want you to have your say about field trips.

Field trips can be a lot of fun. It's exciting to get out of the classroom
with your classmates, and see something new. And you can learn a lot and get
experience things you read about.

So, what would be your dream field trip?

Record your message and send it to newsbites@icrt.com.tw with your name and
age, and if you'd like, the name of your school.

Send us your recording by Thursday at noon, and you might hear your message
on our show on Friday!
 

________________________________

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

I'm Paz Bueno.

And I'm Brody Halverson.

In today's episode...

Taiwan's young baseball team makes a championship run, and scientists study
the benefits of a vegan diet.

And for today's Tasty Tidbit, let's talk about a popular vegetable garnish,
香菜, cilantro!
________________________________

台灣U12世界盃棒球賽亞軍
Taiwan Places 2nd in U12 Baseball World Cup

People all over the world love to play baseball (棒球).

Many players start when they are really young.

By the time they are 11 or 12 years old, some are good enough to compete
internationally.

That's what the Under-12 Baseball World Cup is all about.

In this tournament, every team represents (代表) a different country.

Each team is made of that country's best 11 and 12 year old ballplayers.

This year, the tournament was hosted by Tainan City.

How did Taiwan's team do?

It started earlier this summer, when the team arrived in Tainan for their
first game against Japan.

The game was dramatic (戲劇性).

After six innings, the score was tied 1-1.

六局後比分1-1平。

But in the seventh inning (第七局), Taiwan scored twice to win the game.

That was the start of a winning streak (連串勝利).

The boys also won their next three games against Mexico, Germany and
Venezuela (委內瑞拉).

Their fifth game was against Australia.

Taiwan put up an incredible score (了不起的成績), winning the match 18 to 0.

After winning their sixth game against the Dominican Republic (多明尼加),
Taiwan's team was undefeated (保持不敗).

They felt like they were on fire.

他們感覺自己旺到不行。

But now they would face their old rivals... South Korea (南韓).

Taiwan and South Korea have been baseball rivals (宿敵) for years.

The boys knew the other team would put up a real fight.

The game was tough (艱難).

Taiwan was only able to score one run.

However, Taiwan's defense (防守) was excellent.

South Korea could not score any points, and Taiwan was victorious.

南韓隊一分都沒有，台灣隊獲勝。

Finally, it was time for the championship game (冠軍賽).

This one was against the country that invented baseball... the United States
(美國).

It was their hardest match yet.

For most of the game, the two sides were neck and neck (勢均力敵).

Neither team could score as they both struggled to gain the advantage.

兩隊都想超前，卻都沒辦法得分。

But in the final innings, the other team turned up the heat (火力全開).

The US scored ten runs to win the game.

With that, the tournament was over.

The boys from Taiwan had to be content with second place.

台灣只能亞軍，差強人意。

But, they have not given up.

Taiwan will have another chance when the next Under-12 Baseball World Cup
happens in 2025.
________________________________

研究指出 吃素可減少環境破壞
Study Shows Vegan Diet Cuts Environmental Damage

Everybody knows that eating vegetables is good for your body (對身體有利).

But is it also good for our environment (環境)?

A new study (研究) has answered this question.

The study found that eating a vegetable-based diet (以蔬菜為主的飲食) causes
much less damage to the environment.

On the other hand, eating a meat-based diet (以肉類為主的飲食) leads to much
more environmental damage.

How does it work?

Well, scientists have known for a long time that eating meat and dairy (乳品)
is harmful for the environment.

Meat and dairy comes from animals like cows, pigs, sheep and poultry (家禽).

These animals use a lot of land (土地).

Think of a big field full of sheep...

How many trees or vegetables could we grow on such a large space?

What's more, animals need to eat lots of food, just to produce (產生) a
little meat.

Finally, animals produce a lot of... um... waste (排泄物).

In other words, animals poop.

This can damage the environment because it pollutes water and creates
emissions.

這可能會損害環境，因為會污染水源並產生廢氣排放。

So, when you eat meat, you become responsible (承擔責任) for these problems.

And nobody wants to be responsible for destroying the environment!

So what can you do?

One solution (解決辦法) is to just eat less meat.

That means eating a low-meat diet (低肉飲食), or less than 50 grams of meat
per day.

A better option is to completely stop eating animal products.

You could try a vegan diet (純素飲食).

If lots of people switch (轉向) to a vegan diet, there will be huge benefits
for the environment.

So, does this news make you want to eat less meat?

Every person will need to make that decision for themselves.

每一個人得自己做決定。
________________________________

So, in today's newsbites...

The Under-12 Baseball World Cup took place in Tainan earlier this summer.

The teams came from all over the world, and all the players were 11 and 12
years old.

Taiwan's team made a great run, but lost to the US team in the championship
game.
________________________________

And,

Scientists have found that a vegan diet causes less damage to the environment.

Vegans don't eat meat, eggs or dairy.

On the other hand, eating lots of meat damages the environment more.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

Do you like to eat 香菜?

In the US and Latin America, we call it "cilantro". And in many other parts
of the world, people call it "coriander". But no matter what you call it...
some people think it tastes like soap!

Why is that? Well, this plant has many natural chemicals, which make it taste
good. But around 10% of people, with different DNA, can taste an extra
chemical... one that tastes a lot like soap!

Researchers say this DNA is common in the US, around 14%, but much more rare
in Asia. So, you probably don't think 香菜 tastes like soap... or do you?

If you have a fun fact, joke, or 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!

Tune in again 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...
Taiwan offers counselling for young people, and New Zealand grows fruit in a
lab.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…let's talk about ASMR and misophonia.

Let's get into it!
________________________________

年輕人對免費心理諮商有興趣
Young People Interested in Taiwan's Free Counselling

Have you ever been to counselling?

Lots of people have.

It's a good way to take care of your mental health.
尋求諮商是維護心理健康的好方法。

In counselling, you can talk about your problems with an expert.

The expert will listen carefully, and help you find a way to deal with your
psychological issues (心理問題).

That sounds great!

But, it's not always easy to get counselling.

For one thing, it can be expensive.

Another reason is that many people don't know how to find counselling.
但諮詢服務可能會相當貴，而且很多人不知道怎麼找諮商人員。

Now, Taiwan has a new way to help young people get counselling.

In August, the government started a new program.

The goal is to offer free counselling for people between 15 and 30 years old.
台灣政府提供15至30歲青少年免費諮詢。

Each person of this age can apply for free counselling.

Then they can go to three counselling meetings.

The program is very popular (很受歡迎).

It's so popular that, in many places, appointments are full.

In big cities like Taipei and Taichung, spots fill up quickly.

Why are young people so interested?

Well, it's the first government program in Asia to offer free counselling.

So, people are curious about this new service.
年輕人對這個服務很好奇。

Another reason is that many young people are struggling with poor mental
health.

That's especially true after the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this time, people had to stay at home and miss important events.

This really affected the mental health of young people.
許多人的心理健康狀況不佳，尤其是在新冠肺炎大流行之後。

Plus, it seems like younger people are more open to counselling.

Compared to older generations, young people are more comfortable talking
about their problems.

So many young people have applied for free counselling.

Now, the government wants to expand the program.

They hope to improve this service and provide more funds to keep it going.

That way, young people in Taiwan can get the support they need.

________________________________

紐西蘭科學家在實驗室種植水果
New Zealand Scientists Grow Fruit in a Lab

Would you eat meat grown in a lab (人造肉)?

That means meat that does not come from an animal.

Instead, scientists grow this meat in a lab.

This kind of meat is popular now, but many people say they won't eat it.

Okay, okay, let me ask you a different question then.

Would you eat fruit grown in a lab (人造水果)?

That's right, fruit! Like apples and oranges.

That's what scientists in New Zealand are working on.

They work for a special government agency called Plant & Food Research.

And they want to produce fruit that tastes, smells and looks like real fruit.
這些科學家替紐西蘭一個特別的機關工作，希望製造出味道、氣味和外觀都像真正水果的水果。

Why are they doing this?

One reason is, they want to reduce waste.

When we eat fruit, there is often some part that we throw away.

Like the core of an apple, or the skin of an orange.

They want to grow fruit without these parts, so there will be less food waste.
他們希望種植沒有果核或果皮的水果，這樣就會減少食物浪費。

Another reason is, they want to prepare for the future.

They say in the future, many people will live in cities where there is not
enough space to grow fruit on trees.

What's more, climate change will damage traditional fruit production.

So, lab grown fruit can avoid these problems.

It doesn't need as much space, and it can be grown inside, where growers can
control the climate.

Plus, lab grown fruit has another advantage.

It's closer to markets, so fruit sellers don't need to transport it very far.

Excellent!

這些水果可以在更小的空間、更能控制氣候環境、更靠近市場的地方生長。

Can we go eat some lab-grown apples now?

Not yet.

This technology is still in a very early stage of development.
這項技術仍在非常早期的發展階段。

Scientists say it will be years or decades until we can try this kind of
fruit.

But in the future, you might enjoy banana, mangos or strawberries grown in a
lab.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...

Many people are interested in Taiwan's free counselling.

Under this program, young people can apply for counselling, to help them with
their problems.

The government wants to expand this program and improve everyone's mental
health.
________________________________

And,

Scientists in New Zealand are growing fruit in labs.

They want to reduce food waste and prepare for the future.

However, they say the technology won't be ready for many years.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

Have you heard of "ASMR"?

ASMR is when some people feel very comfortable when they hear certain sounds.
For example, some people feel really good when they hear the sound of
whispering, tearing paper, or even eating food!

But then... there's something called "misophonia".

Misophonia is when people feel really uncomfortable when they hear certain
sounds. For example, some people feel bad or even angry when they hear the
sounds of tapping, squeaking, or eating food!

Understanding things like ASMR and misophonia can tell us a lot about our
brains.

Either way, learning to be comfortable with different sounds is probably
going to make you much happier!

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 stories...

More meat, and a new breakthrough.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…

He's the man with the world's deepest voice, but how low can he go? Stay
tuned to find out!
________________________________

台灣人吃肉首度超過穀類
Taiwanese Eat More Meat than Grains


Many people like to eat meat...whether it's in hotpot, barbecue or a steak on
a sizzling iron plate.

And it seems tastes in Taiwan are changing.

Statistics (數據) from the Ministry of Agriculture show that the average
Taiwanese person ate more meat than grains last year.

In 2022, each person in Taiwan ate an average of 87.5 kilograms of meat.

And each ate an average of 87.4 kilograms of grain.

The difference is subtle (細微)...

But it may show that the way we eat is slowly changing.

What type of meat is your favorite?

Government data shows that the meat we eat the most is chicken.

Taiwanese each ate about 43 kilograms of chicken last year.

台灣人吃最多的肉類是雞肉，去年攝取量每人四十三公斤創歷史新高。

Some experts think this may be due to more people becoming interested in
sports and fitness (健康、體適能).

Many who want to keep fit or eat healthy may choose to eat chicken meat.

But beef consumption (食用) also hit a new high last year.

On average, each person in Taiwan ate just over 7 kilograms of beef.

Some people do not eat beef for religious or traditional reasons.

But that is slowly changing too.

On the other hand, pork consumption has decreased.

Each person ate an average of 36 kilograms last year.

Over the last few years, Taiwanese have also started eating less rice.

But they've started eating more potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other types of
tuber vegetables (根莖類).

台灣人吃米量這幾年來持續減少，不過馬鈴薯、地瓜等薯類的攝取量卻慢慢增加。

The Ministry of Agriculture says more convenience stores and fast food
restaurants are selling roasted sweet potatoes and French fries.

Sweet potatoes are also very popular in baking, tea drinks and local snacks.

All this means people eat more sweet potatoes.

Still, experts say a balanced diet is very important for good health.

As the old saying goes, "You are what you eat."
________________________________

移植豬腎猴子成功存活兩年
Monkeys with Transplanted Pig Kidneys Survive Two Years.


Kidneys are vital organs in the human body.

They filter blood and remove waste from your body.

But it is also an organ that is quite vulnerable (脆弱).

It can be damaged from injuries, diseases, drugs or too much medication.

As a result, there is a huge need for kidney transplants (腎臟移植) worldwide.

In the United States alone, 92,000 people are waiting for a kidney donations
(腎臟捐贈).

But there aren't enough donated kidneys for everyone who needs it.

Scientists are trying to find another way to solve the problem.

One idea is to use kidneys from pigs.

This is called "Xenotransplantation (異種移植)."

Pig kidneys and human kidneys are close to the same size.

成年豬的體重和器官大小，最符合成人腎移植的需求。

An experiment showed that monkeys that get a pig kidney transplant can
survive up to two years.

Experts say this is a groundbreaking achievement (突破性的成果).

But it's still a long way from clinical trials (臨床實驗).

A few transplants using pig organs have happened in recent years.

A human patient whose heart wasn't working well got a pig heart transplant.

That heart worked normally for 49 days.

The idea shows some promise.

But there are ethical (道德) issues to think about too.

Many are worried about how animals are treated in these experiments.

And others are worried about the danger from infectious diseases.

Scientists are still working on many other ideas for organ transplants.

With technology advancing every day, there is hope that a solution will come
soon!
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...

Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that the average Taiwanese
person ate more meat than grains last year.

In 2022, each person in Taiwan ate an average of 87.5 kilograms of meat.

And each ate an average of 87.4 kilograms of grain.

The difference is subtle...

But it may show that the way we eat is slowly changing.
________________________________

And,

Scientists are trying to find a solution for the huge need for kidney
transplants around the world.

One idea is to use kidneys from pigs.

An experiment showed that monkeys that get a pig kidney transplant can
survive up to two years.

Experts say this is a groundbreaking achievement.

But it's still a long way from clinical trials.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

In today's Tasty Tidbit, the man with the world's deepest voice can make
sounds that are so low, we can't even hear them.

Singer and voice artist Tim Storms holds the World Guinness Record for the
"lowest note produced by a human" and "widest vocal range". If you think of
the lowest note on a piano, Tim can make a sound that's seven octaves below
that. That sound is so low that it's "infrasonic", which means we can't hear
it. But elephants can.

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!
 

________________________________

Hi there, and welcome to today's episode of News Bites.

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Brody Halverson.

In today's news,

Some people say "money talks", and that's definitely what we're talking about
today, from Taiwan's riches, to a surprise left at a homeless shelter!

And in today's Tasty Tidbit:

These "out-of-this-world" numbers are right here on Earth. We'll tell you all
about it, at the end of the episode.
________________________________

全球最富國 台灣排第14名
Taiwan Ranks 14th Richest Country in the World


Cha-ching!

Is Taiwan one of the richest countries in the world?

A magazine called "Global Finance" made a list.

It looked at how much a country made in a year.

This is the country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Imagine it like your family income (家庭收入).

Every time you do homework, wash the dishes, or walk your dog, you are adding
to your family's income.

It's the same with a country.

When a baker bakes bread, or a scientist makes a new medicine, or a farmer
grows crops, they are adding to the country's GDP.

A higher GDP usually means the country is making more, and the economy is
strong.

Of course, GDP doesn't give us the whole picture of how well a country is
doing, it's just one part.

But it can tell us about how well the country is doing in the "business of
making stuff".

So how is Taiwan doing?

Well, Global Finance says Taiwan was the 14th richest country in the world
this year.

The magazine's list says Taiwan's GDP is the 14th highest, out of 193
countries and territories.

美國「全球金融」雜誌公布2023年世界最富裕的國家排名，台灣名列14。

To calculate each country's GDP, the magazine took information from the
International Monetary Fund (國際貨幣基金組織).

It also looked at things like inflation (通貨膨脹), and how many people live
in the country.

Based on all that, who was at the top of the list?

Global Finance says the richest country in the world in 2023 was Ireland.

Luxembourg was second.

And Singapore was third.

Some big countries were further down on the list.

The United States was 9th, Japan was 38th, and China was 77th.

But the magazine also says many things can change these numbers.

It says its list is just one way to look at finance (財政) around the world.
________________________________

遊民收容所收到金光閃閃喬丹鞋款
Shiny Shoe Surprise! Rare Air Jordans Donated to Shelter

It's a mystery, a miracle, and a whole lot of moolah!

A homeless shelter (遊民收容所) in the US got a special donation.

The shelter has a donation bin.

It's a box where people can leave things that they would like to donate (捐).

One day, a shelter worker was taking things out of the bin.

He saw something shiny at the bottom.

It was a pair of gold-colored sneakers.

The sneakers looked a lot like a pair worn by a famous film maker.

But the worker thought the sneakers couldn't be "the real thing".

The shelter asked an expert.

And the expert said yes, these sneakers are real, and very valuable (值錢).

They are a pair of gold Air Jordans.

The sneakers were especially designed for American director (導演) Spike Lee.

He wore a pair of these shoes to the 2019 Academy Awards.

And the director won an Oscar that night.

設計師於2019年為史派克李設計了這雙鞋，史派克李穿著它們出席同年的奧斯卡頒獎典禮，並獲得最佳改編劇本獎。

And in total, Mr. Lee has four pairs of these gold Air Jordans.

But he says he did not donate his sneakers.

He says his shoes are all size 9.

But the gold sneakers given to the shelter were a size 12.

So the identity of the donor remains a mystery.

But the shoes are also a miracle (奇蹟) for the shelter.

The gold sneakers were sold at an auction for $50,800 US dollars.

That's about $1.6 million NT (160萬台幣)!

Workers at the shelter were so happy that they cried.

The money will help them buy clothes and food for people at the shelter.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

A magazine called "Global FInance" says Taiwan was the 14th richest country
in the world this year.

The magazine's list says Taiwan's GDP is the 14th highest, out of 193
countries and territories.

The richest country in the world in 2023 was Ireland.

But the magazine also says its list is just one way to look at finance around
the world.

And,

A homeless shelter in the US got a special donation.

It was a pair of gold-colored Air Jordans.

The gold sneakers were sold at an auction for $50,800 US dollars.

The money will help them buy clothes and food for people at the shelter.
________________________________

趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

And in today's Tasty Tidbit...

We've got more numbers for you.

Did you know that there are about 8 billion people on Earth...

But there's around 20 quadrillion ants alive on Earth right now?

That's 20,000,000,000,000,000 ants!

Think about it this way...

That's about 2.5 million ants for every one person on Earth!

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!

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!