________________________________

Taiwan's Kids Get Free Milk

Ahhhh! Milk is good for you. Most of the milk people drink comes from cows.
This milk helps your bones and teeth become stronger.
牛奶對身體好，喝牛奶可以幫助骨頭跟牙齒強壯。

Last year, people in Taiwan drank 20 liters of milk each. But that's much
less than people in Europe and Australia. Europeans drank 53 liters each.
Australians drank 92 liters each!
台灣去年每人平均喝20公升的牛奶，比歐洲跟澳洲人少很多。歐洲每個人一年喝掉53公升，澳洲每人喝92公升。

Taiwan knows that milk is good for kids. So kids from three years old to
twelve years old are getting free milk! They're getting it at school. More
than one million kids in Taiwan are getting free milk. That's a lot of milk!
台灣知道牛奶對兒童的身體好，所以3到12歲，一共超過100萬個兒童可以在學校免費拿牛奶。

All that milk isn't cheap. Taiwan will pay more than one billion Taiwan
dollars every year!
這麼多的牛奶並不便宜，每年需要多花超過十億台幣。

Some kids can't drink milk. But that's okay! They don't have to drink it.
They are getting a kind of soy milk. It can also help their bones and teeth
become stronger.
有一些兒童沒辦法喝牛奶，他們可以得到豆漿，一樣可以強化骨頭跟牙齒。

Milk helps kids to be strong and healthy. Now kids in Taiwan can drink more
milk, for free! Kids here will be stronger and healthier. That's great! Let's
drink some milk together. Cheers!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vocabulary
全台灣的小學生，從這學期開始每星期可以喝兩次免費鮮奶。

1. have to 必需。
Wait, will you drink your milk? 等一下，你要喝牛奶吧?
Do I have to? I'm already full! 一定要喝嗎?我已經飽了。
2. drink 喝。
Then just drink half a glass. 那就喝半杯。It'll make you grow
taller.會讓你長更高。
I'm already tall. 我已經很高了。
That's true.那倒是真的。
3. bone 骨頭。
It'll give you healthy bones too. 牛奶也會給你健康的骨頭。
And healthy bones let me jump high and run fast. 健康骨頭讓我跳得高，跑得快。
Exactly! 完全正確!
4. soy milk 豆漿。
I'm happy you know that! 我真高興你知道。
How about soy milk? Is it good too? 那豆漿呢，也很好嗎?
Yeah, as good as milk.對，跟牛奶一樣好。
Let's all drink more milk and soy milk. 一起來讀單字。have to必需 drink喝
bone骨頭 soy milk豆漿

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quiz

1. What does milk help become stronger?
a. Bones and teeth
b. Eyes and nose
c. Hands and feet

2. Who will pay for the milk?
a. Parents
b. Kids
c. Taiwan

3. How many kids will get free milk?
a. About 1,000
b. More than one million
c. About one billion


Answers:
1. a
2. c
3. b

 

Hello everybody, and welcome to a new episode of News Bites!

I'm Trevor Tortomasi...

And I'm Ryan Drillsma.

In today's news:

Chinese classes for foreigners, Minecraft classes for the world, and Arthur
finishes 26 years on TV.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

桃園提供中文課幫移工學習中文
Taoyuan Offers Foreign Workers Mandarin Classes

Have you ever tried to learn a new language?

If you're listening to News Bites, then you probably have!

But many people in Taiwan have spent more time learning English...

So maybe you don't realize (沒發現) how difficult it is to learn to speak and
read Chinese.

Of course, radio, TV, and books can help a lot with learning a new language,
but there's nothing better than having a good teacher!

And right now, there are many people who need to work in Taiwan, but don't
speak Chinese as their first language, and might not have enough money for
classes.
現在有很多人要在台灣工作，但是他們也許還不會講中文，而上中文課的費用也是一個沉重的負擔。

So the city of Taoyuan is starting to offer free (免費的) Chinese classes to
migrant workers (移工).

The free classes are to help people who have moved to Taiwan from other
countries, like Indonesia (印尼), Vietnam (越南), the Philippines (菲律賓),
and Thailand (泰國).

The classes will focus (集中在、專注於) on Chinese that people can use in the
workplace, and to have a comfortable life in the city.

And the more Chinese they learn, the easier it will be for them to be a part
of Taiwanese society.
來台灣的外國人多學習中文，也可以越容易地融入台灣社會。

The classes start from March 6th, and will go until April 24th.

Remember, if you are learning a second or a third language other than
Chinese, you are already very lucky (幸運).

It's not easy now, but it will definitely make your life easier in the future
(未來).

Just remember to thank your teachers!
________________________________

老師說【麥塊】是個好的學習工具
Teachers Say Minecraft Can Be A Good Learning Tool

Almost 13 years ago, in 2009, one man made a video game (電動遊戲) by himself.

He used his programming skills (寫電腦程序的技能) to make an entire world in
his computer.

And two years later, with help from more people, the game quickly became very
famous (有名).

It's called Minecraft (當個創世神，也被稱為麥塊), and now millions of people
are playing it!

But many teachers are saying that it's not just a game... it could also be a
good learning tool (教學工具)!

There are many ways to make learning more interesting, but one of the best
ways is to make a lesson into a game.
讓學習的過程更有趣有很多方法，不過最好的方式之一就是把教學變成遊戲。

This is called "gamification" (遊戲化).

Gamification makes it easier for people, especially kids, to stay engaged
(互動、參與) in learning new things.

And because of this, some teachers are starting to see how Minecraft could be
helpful in classes about science (科學), technology (科技), engineering
(工程), and math (數學).

The company Microsoft (微軟) has even made an educational version (教學版本)
of the game, for use in schools.

Teachers say it's not just a class about the game... and it's not just a
gamification of reality.
老師說，這不只是關於遊戲的課程，也不只是現實的遊戲化。

It's a balance (平衡) between both, and can teach kids about the connections
between them.

We play games to have fun, but they can also teach us a lot about our world.

And the more we learn about our world, the more we're ready to create our own!
________________________________

電視卡通【亞瑟小子】將要結束了
TV Cartoon 'Arthur' Ends

The TV show "Arthur" (亞瑟小子) is finally ending, after 26 years.

That makes it the longest-running (播出、持續最久的) cartoon on U.S.
television!

It's a show about a young aardvark (土豚) named Arthur, and his family and
friends.

And it first aired in the year 1996!
亞瑟這個卡通第一次播出是1996年！

Many people say he taught a generation of children about kindness, empathy,
and inclusion.
很多人說，這個卡通教了一代的孩子們關於友善，同情，和包容。

The final episode looks at the future, and predicts (預測) what life will be
like for Arthur and his friends in 20 years.

The show won many awards (獎項), like four Daytime Emmys (艾美獎), and a
BAFTA Children's Award (英國電影金像獎).

But Arthur isn't disappearing for good!

Social media promise Arthur will be back in reruns, a new podcast (播客), and
short videos.

Which cartoon do you think will take Arthur's place, for the next generation
of children?
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

The city of Taoyuan is starting to offer free Chinese classes to migrant
workers.

The free classes are to help people who have moved to Taiwan from countries
like Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The classes will focus on Chinese that people can use in the workplace, and
to have a comfortable life in the city.
________________________________

And,

There are many ways to make learning more interesting, but one of the best
ways is to make a lesson into a game.

Gamification makes it easier for people, especially kids, to stay engaged in
learning new things.

And because of this, some teachers are starting to see how the game Minecraft
could be helpful in classes about science, technology, engineering, and math.
________________________________

And,

The TV show "Arthur" is finally ending.

The cartoon ran for 26 years, which makes it the longest-running cartoon on
U.S. television!

Many people say he taught a generation of children about kindness, empathy,
and inclusion.
________________________________

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

主播每周一問
Have Your Say

This week, we asked you to have your say about having any animal as a pet.

10-year-old Shining, from Dong Xing Elementary School in Hsinchu County,
talks about a very special kind of beetle.

***

And that does it for this week's "Have Your Say"!

Remember, if your answer was used in the show, we'll be sending you a gift in
the mail.

Make sure to tune in again next week for an all-new question!
 

Hi there, and welcome to a new episode of News Bites!

I'm Nancy Sun...

And I'm Trevor Tortomasi.

In today's news:

Good reasons to save your coffee grounds, crossing animals get help, and an
actor gets caught pretending to use The Force in real life.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

留下咖啡渣的好理由
Good Reasons to Save Your Coffee Grounds

If your parents like to grind (磨) and brew (泡) their own coffee, there is
something they can do with their leftover coffee grounds (咖啡渣).

Don't throw the coffee grounds away.

A recent study by the National Taiwan University shows that coffee grounds
can help make vegetables grow faster.

And they are extra helpful if they are added to compost (堆肥) or fertilizer
(肥料).

Experiments show coffee grounds are good for growing up to 30 to 40 different
kinds of popular green and leafy vegetables.

That's because coffee grounds have different important minerals (礦物) that
can help your plants grow.

This includes potassium (鉀), iron (鐵), and magnesium (鎂).

They can even help absorb (吸收) elements that can contaminate (污染) the
soil!

And that's not all.

Researchers say used coffee grounds can even be used as an insect repellent,
which protects citrus fruits (柑橘) like oranges, limes, and lemons.
研究人員說，咖啡渣也能當驅蟲劑， 保護橘子、萊姆、檸檬等水果。

All you need to do is to mix coffee grounds with water, and then leave it
alone for three days.

You can then use that liquid to spray (噴) citrus trees.

Here's one more thing you can do with coffee grounds… you can put a few
tablespoons in a bowl, to keep your room smelling fresh.

You can keep your refrigerator smelling good by doing this too!
________________________________

加州建造世界最大的動物陸橋
California Builds World's Largest Animal Crossing

Crossing the road can be a dangerous thing to do.

And it's especially dangerous if you don't know traffic rules (交通規則).

That's the reason why so many animals are killed in car accidents every year.

In the United States alone, over one million different animals die every day.

They are hit by cars, buses or trucks.

These road accidents are particularly bad when the animals that get hurt are
endangered (瀕危).

This is one of the reasons why the U.S. state of California is building a
special road that will help animals cross one of the biggest highways in the
country.

The road is called a "wildlife crossing" (野生動物專用陸橋), and it will give
big cats like cougars (美洲獅) , coyotes (郊狼), deer (鹿), lizards (蜥蜴),
and other animals a way to cross a huge freeway (高速公路).

There is a similar wildlife crossing in Canada, and it is used by bears (熊),
moose (駝鹿), and elk (麋鹿).

在加拿大也有一座類似的專門給動物們使用的陸橋。

While there are animal crossings in different parts of the world, the one in
California is different, because it is being built over one of the busiest
highways in the world.

The new animal crossing will be 61 meters above 10 highway lanes.

The company building the animal crossing says most of the work will be done
at night, so the highway doesn't have to be closed down.

The crossing is expected to be finished by 2025.

It will cost 90 million US dollars.

60 percent of that will be paid for by private donations (私人捐款).

40 percent will come from public money for conservation (保育).

The crossing is being built at the right time.

Scientists say many animals have been trapped in smaller living spaces
because of the highway.

After it has been built, it is hoped that the crossing will change that.
________________________________

歐比王上身 演員現實生活也用絕地秘技
An Actor Pretends to Use the Force

He played Obi-Wan Kenobi (歐比王．肯諾比) in Star Wars (星際大戰) more than
17 years ago.

But actor Ewan McGregor still likes to imagine he can open doors using The
Force (原力).

McGregor says he uses the same hand movement that he used in the movies to
open the automatic doors at supermarkets.

He says sometimes people even catch him doing it.
伊旺麥奎格透露，他有時候會用電影裡的那個手勢【打開】超市電動門，而且有時還會被旁人逮個正著。

McGregor says pretending to use The Force makes him laugh.

But his children don't think it's funny.

He says his children are immune (不受影響) to the Jedi mind trick and they
don't care.

Still, because it makes him feel good, McGregor isn't going to stop
pretending anytime soon.
________________________________

So in today's News Bites:

A new study shows that coffee grounds can help make vegetables grow faster.

Experiments show coffee grounds are good for growing up to 30 to 40 different
kinds of popular green and leafy vegetables.

That's because coffee grounds have different important minerals that can help
your plants grow.
________________________________

The U.S. state of California is building a special road that will help
animals cross one of the biggest highways in the country.

The new animal crossing will be 61 meters above 10 highway lanes.

The crossing is expected to be finished by 2025.
________________________________

And…

Actor Ewan McGregor says he uses a special way to open doors at supermarkets.

The Star Wars actor pretends to use The Force.

And while the trick makes him laugh, he says his children don't think it is
funny.
________________________________

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 acting in a movie.

Watching TV and movies can be fun and relaxing. But have you ever thought…
wow, this movie is so cool! I wish I was in it! Action, adventure, comedy and
horror…

There are lots of different movies out there, but if you could choose one
movie to be in, which would it be, and why?

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

Make sure to send us your recording by Thursday at noon, and you might hear
your message on our show on Friday!
 

Hello everybody, and welcome to a new episode of News Bites!

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Hope Ngo.

In today's news:

A last ride on a classic train, cherry blossoms bring spring to Washington
D.C., and a special shop for instant noodles.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

告別台灣經典火車復興號
Fans Say Farewell to Taiwan’s Classic Train

Fans are saying goodbye to an important part of Taiwan history.

A Fu-hsing train (復興號) took its last trip ever on March 29th.

The Fu-hsing trains were the first trains ever built in Taiwan.

They first entered service in 1981.

As you know, summers in Taiwan get very hot.

And the Fu-hsing trains were the first trains in Taiwan to have air
conditioning!

復興號1981年開台北－花蓮及台北－高雄段，而且是台灣第一個有冷氣的火車型號。

Now, after 41 years, they are being decommissioned (退役) from Taiwan’s
railroads.

Fans of the classic (經典) Taiwan train went to train stations in Hualien and
New Taipei City to see it.

They took photos and some people bought tickets to ride the train one last
time.

The train had special decorations on the outside for the event.

On March 29th, it left Hualien Station at 6:05am for its final trip to Shulin
Station.

復興號最後一班列車3月29日清晨6點5分從花蓮站開出，9時56分抵達樹林站。

The TRA sold 300 special tickets for this ride.

The tickets cost $150 NT each.

The TRA is trying to make its trains more modern(現代) so the Fu-Hsing trains
will be replaced by newer trains made in Japan and Korea.

Sadly, most of the Fu-Hsing trains will be scrapped (拆除).

But some cars will be used on different lines.
________________________________

華盛頓櫻花季就是春天的開始
Cherry Blossoms Mark Start of Spring in Washington D.C.

Cherry blossom trees are blooming in many parts of the world!

Around this time of the year, these beautiful trees turn all white and pink
with flowers.

And Washington D.C. in the US hosts a Cherry Blossom Festival every year in
late March.

美國首都華盛頓特區每年三月舉辦櫻花節。

Every year more than 1.5 million people come from all over the world to see
the beautiful flowers.

When these flowers bloom, people know it's the start of spring in the US
capital.

March 21st was the peak (高峰) of cherry blossom season this year.

This was 10 days earlier than most years.

For the festival this year, there was a parade, live music, kite flying
(放風箏) and fireworks (煙火).

The cherry blossom trees were a gift from the mayor of Tokyo to the wife of
the US president in 1912.

這些櫻花樹是1912 年當時的東京市長送給美國第一夫人的禮物。

That year 3,800 cherry blossom trees from Japan were planted (種) in the city.

Watching the cherry blossoms bloom is also popular in Japan, Taiwan, and many
other countries around the world.

________________________________

泡麵店很受泰國年輕人歡迎
Instant Noodle Store is Popular with Young Thais

Do you enjoy eating instant noodles?

If you do, then you might want to visit a new special store in Bangkok.

如果你喜歡吃泡麵的話，可以去看看這家在曼谷新開幕的泡麵專賣店。

The name of the store is ‘Good Noodle’ and it opened last October.

And it sells more than 70 kinds of instant noodles.

The noodles come from countries across Asia including Indonesia, South Korea,
China, Hong Kong and even Taiwan.

Shoppers can cook and eat the noodles in the shop.

The shop is very popular (受歡迎) with young Thai people.

There are so many choices in the shop, and it's not too expensive.

But health experts warn that people shouldn’t eat instant noodles too often.

They say instant noodles do not have nutrients that your body needs.

但健康專家建議不要太常吃泡麵，因為它缺乏我們身體需要的營養成分。
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

The Fu Hsing series of trains started service in Taiwan over 40 years ago.

In late March, the last one was decommissioned.

Fans of the train came out to say goodbye, take pictures and ride it for the
last time.
________________________________

Cherry blossom trees are blooming in Washington D.C.

Every year, Washington D.C. in the U.S. hosts a cherry blossom festival in
late March.

March 21st was the peak of cherry blossom season this year.
________________________________

And,

A new store opened in Bangkok called ‘Good Noodle’

It features 70 types of instant noodles from all over Asia.

The store is very popular with young Thai people.

There are so many choices in the shop, and it's not too expensive.
________________________________

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

This week, we asked you to have your say about smells.

For 13 year-old Terry Miao from Sha Lu Junior High School in Taichung City,
this smell brings back special memories.

***

Well that does it for this week's Have Your Say.

Remember, if your comment was chosen for the show this month, we'll be
sending you a gift in the mail.

Make sure to tune in again next week for an all new question.
 

Hello everybody, and welcome to a new episode of News Bites!

I'm Trevor Tortomasi...

And I'm Clifford Chu.

In today's news...

Pingtung sends pineapples to Singapore, robots learn to peel bananas in
Japan, and dogs get six-star service in South Africa.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

屏東外銷鳳梨至新加坡
Pingtung Sends Pineapples to Singapore

Did you know that there are more than 90 different kinds of pineapple in
Taiwan?

To most people, they may look almost identical.
對大部分人來說，不同種類的鳳梨外觀都一樣。

Pineapples first came to Taiwan from China, during the Qing Dynasty (清朝).

And different kinds of pineapple from Hawaii and Southeast Asia were also
introduced, during the Japanese colonial period (日本殖民地時代).

During that time, Taiwan became the third biggest exporter of pineapples in
the world.
那段時間台灣成為世界第三大鳳梨出口國。

Now, most of Taiwan's pineapples are grown in Pingtung, Kaohsiung, and Tainan.

But Pingtung's farmers like to say that the country's most famous pineapple
is the "golden diamond", also called the "Tainung 17", which can be canned
(裝成罐頭) or eaten fresh (新鮮地吃).

Pingtung farmers may be a little bit biased (有點偏心).

But they say their golden diamond pineapples are the best in the country,
because they are sweet, not too sour, and they have a thin rind (果皮), which
makes them easy to peel (剝開).

The Pingtung County government says the region harvests (收穫) more than 120
thousand tons of pineapples every year.

Most of the pineapples are harvested between February and June, and they are
sent to mainland China, and Japan.

In fact, nearly all of the pineapples harvested in Pingtung at the beginning
of this year went to Japan.

But farmers are now hoping that they'll find new fans outside of North Asia,
and they've sent their first pineapple shipment to Singapore.

And Pingtung pineapples will now be sold at one of Singapore's largest
supermarket chains (連鎖超市).

If the Singapore market picks up, Taiwan may have a new regular customer
(新的固定買家) for its golden fruit.
________________________________

日本機器人學習剝香蕉皮
Robots Learn to Peel Bananas in Japan

Robots can do plenty of things.

They can clean floors... and they can deliver food.

And during the last Olympics in Beijing, robots were even used to cook meals,
which looked impressive (令人印象深刻), even though we're not sure what robot
cooking tastes like.

Now, Japanese scientists say they have trained a robot to do something a bit
more challenging (更有挑戰性的).

They've taught a robot to peel bananas.

It doesn't take much for people like you and me to peel bananas.

But this action is much more difficult for a robot, since they need to peel
the delicate fruits without squashing them.
但是對機器人來說，這個動作困難多了。他們需要把這種細緻的水果去皮，並且不能把它?爛。

Pictures from the University of Tokyo, where the banana-peeling robot can be
found, showed mechanical (機械性的) hands reaching for a banana and then
peeling it.

Researchers who are training the robot to peel the banana say they had to
demonstrate (展現) the action hundreds of times, before they had enough data
(數據) to teach the robot how to do the simple action.

In the end, it took the robot more than 13 hours of training (訓練) before it
could peel a banana.

And even then, the robot was only successful 57 percent of the time.
就算機器人練習了13個鐘頭，成功率也只有57趴。

But researchers say they still hope to train robots to do other easy human
tasks.

And that the robots can help alleviate (減輕) Japan's ongoing labor shortage,
so they can do things like make lunch boxes or work with food processing
(食品加工).

Let's hope it takes researchers less time to teach their robots new actions...

Or it could take the robots a long time, to do things that humans can do in a
few seconds!
________________________________

六星級服務 給南非寵物狗
Dogs Get Six-Star Service in South Africa

Dog owners who live in the South African city of Cape Town (南非的開普敦市)
have a new way to make their pets comfortable.

That's because the "Superwoof Dog Hotel and Daycare" promises to give dogs
six-star service (六星級的服務).

That's even more luxurious (豪華的) than many of the five-star hotels for
people!

Dogs who stay at Superwoof can take long walks in the countryside.

They can also spend time at an outdoor deck (甲板) with a swimming pool.

Superwoof even has its own champagne (香檳) for dogs, called "cham-paws",
which is water with herbs, in a champagne bottle.
Superwoof 旅館甚至自製香檳給狗狗喝，就是用香檳酒瓶裝水和草藥。

But the owners of the special doggie hotel aren't just interested in giving
other people's pets six-star service...

Their website says Superwoof also helps homeless dogs find loving homes!
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

Pingtung's famous pineapples are heading to Southeast Asia.

They're now being sold in one of Singapore's biggest supermarkets.

Farmers hope they can sell more pineapples overseas.
________________________________

And…

Japanese researchers have taught a robot how to peel a banana.

The action is not easy, because bananas are very delicate.

It took them 13 hours to come up with enough data to teach the action.
________________________________

And...

Dog owners in South Africa's city of Cape Town can put their dogs in a
special hotel.

The hotel is called Superwoof, and it offers six-star service.

The dogs are treated to long walks and outdoor decks with a splash pool.
________________________________

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 what you learn in school.

You learn lots of things at school every day. Some things you might like, and
some things, maybe not so much. Sometimes these things are fun, or they might
be useful to you as you get older.

But if you could choose one more thing to learn about in school, what would
that be?

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

Make sure to send us your recording by Thursday at noon, and you might hear
your message on our show on Friday!