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

I'm Nancy Sun...

And I'm Paz Bueno.

In today's news:

Taiwan has a packaging problem, a boy finds a very old tooth, and Patron gets
a medal.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

台灣的包裝問題
Taiwan has a Packaging Problem

The next time your parents go to the supermarket, you might want to go with
them.

When you're there, take a look at the produce (農產品) section.

There should be lots of fruits and vegetables there.

But there's also lots of something else.

Greenpeace Taiwan (綠色和平組織) says most stores that sell fruits and
vegetables use too much plastic.

They say more than 90 percent of produce sold in Taiwan are wrapped (包裝)
with plastic.

And all this is plastic we cannot use again.

It's called single-use plastic (一次性塑膠包裝)

And that's not all.

One university says Taiwan produces (製造) about 15,000,000 kilograms of
plastic waste (塑膠垃圾) in total (總共) every year.

This is from all the packaging (包裝) used not just for fruits and
vegetables, but for eggs, bottled drinks (瓶裝飲料), shampoo (洗髮精), and
detergent (清潔劑) too.

Taiwan has tried to do many things to make less trash.

We now separate our waste, so that there is regular waste, food waste, and
recyclable waste.

我們現在會做垃圾分類，分成一般垃圾、廚餘，還有回收物。

But Greenpeace says we can cut our waste even more.

It says stores can help do this if they stops using so many plastic wrappers
and plastic boxes to start with (從這裡做起).

And we can do our part too!

We can bring our own bags to stores.

We can bring our own cups when we buy drinks like bubble tea.

And we can try to stop buying bottled water when we are outside.
________________________________

小男孩找到古老的牙齒
A Boy Finds a Very Old Tooth

Do you like dinosaurs (恐龍)?

If you do, then you probably know about the megalodon (巨齒鯊).

The megalodon is a giant shark which lived about 20 million years ago.

It could grow to between 16 to 18 meters long.

And it weighed around 60,000 kilograms.

Scientists say it probably enjoyed eating whales and seals.

They also say it was the biggest shark ever.

Scientists believe the megalodon was the king of all the oceans around the
world, except the seas near Antarctica (南極洲).

The megalodon became extinct (滅絕) about three million years ago.

It is very hard to find fossils (化石) of the megalodon.

So scientists don't know what they look like.

But one boy got very lucky.

He found a megalodon tooth on a beach in England.

Six-year-old Sammy was on vacation with his family.

He said he found the 10-centimeter tooth on the beach (海邊、沙灘).

Sammy's mother said he had found other pieces of shark teeth on the beach.

But he had never seen anything as big, and as heavy as this one.
但是他從來沒有看過這麼大又這麼重的牙齒。

Sammy's parents sent pictures of the tooth to an expert (專家).

He examined (檢查) the tooth, and said the tooth belonged to a megalodon.

Sammy's treasure (寶藏) is even more important because shark teeth are not
usually found on beaches in Britain.

Sammy was very, very excited when he found out how important his discovery
(發現) really was.

He says he is now sleeping with it near his bed.
________________________________

Patron獲勳章
Patron Gets a Medal

Patron is a small, very cute brown-and-white-colored terrier (梗犬).

Before the war in Ukraine (俄烏戰爭), he was probably just like any other dog.

But now Patron and his owner are both heroes.

Patron, whose name means "ammo" (彈藥), has found more than 200 hidden bombs
since the beginning of the war.

Patron在烏克蘭語意思是彈藥，牠在戰爭開始後已經找到200多枚埋藏的炸彈。

When he's not busy working, his owner says Patron loves to play with other
dogs.

And even though he is a very active dog, he also likes to sleep.

Because of his work, Patron was awarded a special medal from Ukraine's
president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (澤倫斯基) for helping his country.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

Greenpeace Taiwan says most stores that sell fruits and vegetables use too
much plastic.

They say more than 90 percent of produce sold in Taiwan are wrapped with
plastic.

We can all do more to make less plastic garbage.
________________________________

Six-year-old Sammy found a megalodon tooth on a beach in England.

An expert confirms the tooth is from a megalodon.

Sammy says he is now sleeping with it near his bed.
________________________________

And,

Patron is a small, very cute brown-and-white colored terrier.

Patron has found more than 200 hidden bombs since the beginning of the war.

Because of his work, Patron was awarded a special medal from Ukraine's
president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy for helping his country.
________________________________

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 your favorite game.

There are so many different ways to play games. There are video games, of
course, but there are also table games, word games, and games you play
outside. Most games can be played with friends, but some games are fun to
play alone, too.

Which is your favorite game to play, and what do you love about it?

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!
 

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

I'm Nancy Sun...

And I'm Trevor Tortomasi.

In today's news:

Taiwan through Street View, electricity through gravity, and Abba returns.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

台灣登Google街景熱搜國家第8名
Taiwan is the 8th Most Searched Country on Google Street View

Do you ever use Google's Street View (Google街景) to see what another city
looks like?

COVID-19 is still a problem in many parts of the world.

And using Street View to "visit" other places may help us feel like we are on
a fun trip.

Now, Google has a list of the places most searched on Street View for the
past 12 months.

And Taiwan was the 8th most searched country in the world!

Google公布了過去一年的街景服務使用數據，台灣是全球10大熱搜國家的第8名。

That means many people used Street View to "move" through the island.

Maybe they wanted to see what Taiwan looked like?

Taipei was the 8th most searched city.

Street View actually started in 2007 with just five cities.

And Google started taking pictures along (沿著) streets in Taiwan in 2008.

The most searched country in the world was Indonesia.

Others in the top five were the United States, Japan, Mexico, and Brazil.

And the most searched city in the world was Jakarta, followed by Tokyo,
Mexico City, Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires.

What about most searched spots?

Google也公布街景服務過去一年全台灣最多人瀏覽的25個地點。

Google says the most searched place in Taiwan is a convenience store in
Lukang Township, Changhua County.

Other places that many people looked at include Taipei 101, the Baishatun
Gongtian Temple in Miaoli County, and Hanshin Arena Shopping Plaza in
Kaohsiung.
________________________________

用地心引力來發電
Making Electricity with Gravity

We have all heard the story about how Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity
(地心引力).

The scientist was sitting under an apple tree.

An apple fell onto his head.

And that helped Newton to come up with his "law of universal gravitation".

Many people now say that is just a story.

But Newton's law of gravity could really help us with a big problem...

Clean energy!

We are getting better at making green energy (綠色能源).

We use the sun, the wind, water, and many other things in nature to make
electricity.

But what do we do, when the sky is dark, or the wind doesn't blow?

Right now, some countries will burn more coal.

But that makes more pollution (汙染).

So many scientists are trying to find ways to make and store (儲存) green
energy.

This way, if there's no sun or wind, we still have electricity to use.

And some scientists have come up with an idea, with help from Newton's law.

When there is green energy to use, they can use it to lift something big
really high up.

Then, when there isn't enough green energy, they drop the big thing.

The force of the falling thing can be used to make electricity.

It's making electricity with gravity!

Scientists are already trying out this idea.

One company in the UK made a gravity battery last year.

They used a big piece of iron (鐵塊) that weighs 50,000 kilograms.

They lifted it up about 5 floors high.

Then they let it fall down.

As the iron fell, the force helped generators (發電機) make electricity.

And they say one fall makes enough electricity to power 750 homes for a short
time.

這個重力電池原型目前發電過程已經能短時間供應750戶的家庭用電。

The scientists think they can make bigger gravity batteries for even more
electricity.

These ideas are still pretty new.

But they might help us find ways to live on Earth and protect it at the same
time.
________________________________

傳奇樂團Abba辦"數位合體演唱會"
Abba Reunites for Virtual Concert

Do you know Abba?

You've probably heard some of their songs.

They're a pop group from Sweden.

They started making music together in 1972.

And they are one of the most successful (成功的) music groups in pop music
history.

Recently, they held a virtual (虛擬的) concert.

The concert shows the four Abba singers, performing on a giant screen.

There are lots of lights and special effects (特效).

瑞典傳奇樂團Abba解散將近40年後，最近以"數位化身"在倫敦舉辦演唱會。

The four Abba members also went in-person to their concert.

The band says Abba is in their hearts, and the music is a part of them.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

Taiwan was the 8th most searched country in the world on Google's Street View.

That means many people used Street View to "move" through the island.

And Taipei was the 8th most searched city.
________________________________

Scientists are making electricity with gravity.

When there is green energy to use, they use it to lift something big really
high up.

Then, when there isn't enough green energy, they drop the big thing.

The force of the falling thing can be used to make electricity.
________________________________

And,

Swedish pop band Abba held a virtual concert.

The concert shows the four Abba singers, performing on a giant screen.

There are lots of lights and special effects.
________________________________

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 learning online.

Many of you have spent some time going to school online now. It's one way to
make sure that we stay as safe as possible, with COVID-19 still going around.
In some ways learning online can be a fun new way to go to school. But in
some ways, it can be challenging too.

How do you feel about learning online?

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!
 

Hey there, and welcome to News Bites!

I'm Trevor Tortomasi...

And I'm Nancy Sun.

In today's news:

A man gets rescued, a robot gets small, and a painting gets messy.

Stay tuned for more on those stories, coming up next.
________________________________

電動機車 高山上拋錨
E-Scooter Rider Becomes Stranded in the Mountains

Have you ever gotten lost (迷路了) in a city?

How about getting lost in the mountains?

It can be dangerous to get lost, or to be stranded (拋錨), if you don't have
enough food or water.

But now that we have roads (街路) to help us drive through, over, and around
mountains, we only need to worry (擔心) about having enough gas (汽油)...

...or enough electricity (電)!

One man riding an electric scooter (電動機車) had a lot of things to worry
about recently, when he became stranded in Taiwan's Wuling Pass (武陵隘口).

He was riding his electric scooter, also called an "e-scooter", through the
mountains, when he got to a closed road.

Since the road was closed, he had to ride a long way back...

But suddenly, his e-scooter ran out of batteries!
就在那個時刻，電動機車的電池突然沒電了！

And unfortunately (不幸), the nearest battery station (充電站) was 36
kilometers away.

Fortunately (幸好), a police officer was passing by, and happened to find
(碰到) the e-scooter rider.

The police officer helped him get home.

But police in Taiwan say this man was already the third person to become
stranded in the mountains this year, from running out of batteries.

So remember, before you go on a trip, make sure (確認) you have everything
you need...

Even electricity!
________________________________

世界上最小的遙控機器人
World's Smallest Remote-Controlled Robot

When you think of a robot, you might think about something with a human shape
(有人類的形狀).

But in reality (事實上), most robots don't look like that at all!

Robots are usually made in the shape (形狀) that makes them the most useful
(最有用).

If we need to lift heavy things, maybe we'll build a big robot arm (機器手臂).

Or if we need to see into outer space, we'll make a robot telescope (望遠鏡).

And when scientists needed to make one of the tiniest robots ever...

They gave it eight legs!

The robot works using a special kind of metal (金屬), which can "remember"
(記得) a shape.

Scientists can change the shape of the metal however they want (隨意的).

Then, when a battery puts electricity into the metal, it will quickly return
to its original shape.
電池把電輸送到這個金屬，它立刻就變回原本的形狀。

Scientists can do this many times to make the robot's eight legs move up and
down, so it can walk.

And they can use a remote-control (遙控器) to make it move around from far
away.

The whole robot is only half a millimeter wide (整個機器人的寬度只有半毫米).

Scientists hope the little robot spider can help them build other tiny
things, and help doctors explore (探索) small spaces in the human body.

Maybe someday you could have your own tiny robot, too!
________________________________

名畫蒙娜麗莎的微笑 遭蛋糕塗抹
Man Smears Cake over the Mona Lisa

Do you like art?

Well, some people have some pretty strong feelings about it!

One of the most famous paintings in the world, the "Mona Lisa"
(蒙娜麗莎的微笑), is often the center of attention (注意的焦點).

It hangs on a wall in France's Louvre Museum (法國的羅浮宮美術館).

And there is almost always a crowd of people around it, so it is protected by
strong glass.
大部分的時候都有一大堆人擠著看這幅畫，所以它有很厚的強化玻璃保護。

Recently, an old woman in a wheelchair (輪椅) was in that crowd of people,
looking at the Mona Lisa.

But she suddenly stood up (突然站起來), ran to the painting, and started to
smear (塗抹) cake all over the glass around it.

Then, people realized the old woman was actually a young man in disguise
(打扮得像阿嬤的年輕男子)!

Security guards (警衛) quickly came to take the man away.

As he was taken away, the man shouted, "Think of the earth! Artists think of
the earth."

We might not be quite sure what he means (我們可能不明白他的意思), but we
know that he has some pretty strong feelings about art.

But if you feel that strongly about something... then you can make it into
your own art, without throwing cake on others!
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

One man riding an electric scooter became stranded in Taiwan's Wuling Pass,
when his e-scooter ran out of batteries!

Unfortunately, the nearest battery station was 36 kilometers away.

Fortunately, a police officer was passing by, and helped the man get home.
________________________________

And,

Scientists have created the world's smallest remote-controlled robot.

When a battery puts electricity into its metal legs, they can quickly change
shape.

Scientists can do this many times, to make the robot's eight legs move up and
down, so it can walk.
________________________________

And,

A man disguised as an old woman recently attacked the Mona Lisa painting with
cake.

As security guards came to take the man away, he shouted, "Think of the
earth!"

We might not be quite sure what he means, but we know that he has some pretty
strong feelings about art.
________________________________

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 trends.

Things come and go in and out of fashion all the time. Every year, new trends
become popular and everyone talks about them. Some trends keep going for a
long time, and others might be forgotten just days later.

What popular trend are you following now?

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!
 

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

I'm Nancy Sun...

And I'm Paz Bueno.

In today's news:

Ghost month in New York, new paint on the Eiffel Tower, and taxis in the air.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

紐約的台灣節 慶祝中元節
TaiwanFest Brings Ghost Month to New York

Do you believe in ghosts?

Are you scared of ghost tales?

On August 7th, the TaiwanFest market was held in Washington Square Park in
New York City.

The market usually has lots of Taiwanese cuisine and culture for people to
enjoy.

紐約的華盛頓廣場在8月7日舉辦了紐約台灣節，讓遊客了解台灣傳統文化及美食。

But this year, the market also had a "Ghost Month flavor".

People set up a traditional altar.

There was no music and dance performances (表演), because it was in a
residential area (住宅區).

However, there were other types of entertainment.

There was also a sign in the shape of Taiwan at the entrance (入口) to the
event.

Many people held incense sticks and prayed at the altar.

Other people demonstrated Chinese calligraphy.

Hsu Puo-chen (許伯丞), one of the main organizers of the event, says
Washington Square Park use to be a cemetery (墓園).

That gave him the idea of setting up an altar at the market.

So, hungry souls at the market were able to enjoy Taiwanese staples such as
boba tea, steamed buns, and Hakka lei cha.

Many people also enjoyed shopping and buying jewelry, cosmetics, and other
cultural knick-knacks (小擺飾).
________________________________

有名的古蹟 艾菲鐵塔
The Famous Eiffel Tower

Did you know?

The Eiffel Tower is one of the world's most famous sights!

Do you know how old it is?
你知道世界上有名的艾菲鐵塔幾歲了嗎？

The 324-meter-tall iron (鐵) tower attracts millions of tourists to Paris
every year.

It is one of the most iconic (指標性的) buildings in the world.

And it is now 133 years old!

324公尺高的鐵塔每年為巴黎吸引了上百萬的遊客，它是世界上最有指標性的建築物之一喔!
而如今，它已經133歲了！

Engineers recently found that its metal is full of rust (銹).

Engineers say that there are many cracks (裂縫), and the tower needs many
repairs (修補).

Construction of the Eiffel Tower started in January 1887.

It opened to the public (公眾) on March 31st, 1889.

It was built to celebrate the 1889 World's Fair in Paris.

The tower was supposed to be taken down (被拆除) after 20 years.

However, the French government decided to keep the tower.

The tower is now being repainted (重新粉刷) for the 2024 Olympics.
________________________________

會飛的計程車要來了
Flying Taxis Could Be Here in the Next Three Years

Here's something you may not have imagined.

A new way of getting around could be with us in the next few years... flying
taxis!
一個新的交通工具即將登場...會飛的計程車!

Many of us grew up watching sci-fi movies (科幻電影) with airborne (空中的)
taxis.

Science fiction (科幻小說) is now becoming science fact (科學事實).

Japanese airline ANA is working with a U.S. tech start-up called "Joby
Aviation".

The two companies want to start operating air taxis at the 2025 World Expo
(世界博覽會) in Osaka.

Right now, they are trying to build the flying vehicle (交通工具).

They also need to work out what traffic rules (交通規則) the taxis will need
to follow, and what kind of training (訓練) flying taxi pilots (機師) will
need.

The five-seat, all-electric taxi will be able to take off and land vertically
(垂直地).

It will be able to fly 241 kilometers.

And it will have a top speed (最高速度) of 321 kilometers per hour.

Joby's CEO said the taxis would help people save time.

He says the taxis would also help people reduce their carbon footprint
(減少碳足跡).
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

The TaiwanFest market in Washington Square Park had a "Ghost Month flavor"
this year.

People set up a traditional altar.

Many people held incense sticks and prayed at the altar.

And there was also boba tea, steamed buns, and Hakka lei cha.
________________________________

The Eiffel Tower is now 133 years old!

Engineers recently found that its metal is full of rust.

The tower is now being repainted for the 2024 Olympics.
________________________________

And,

Japanese airline ANA and Joby Aviation want to start operating air taxis at
the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.

Right now, they are trying to build the flying vehicle.

They also need to work out what traffic rules the taxis will need to follow,
and what kind of training flying taxi pilots will need.
________________________________

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 your summer.

It's been a whole two months of fun in the summer! Some of you may have
traveled to different parts of Taiwan. Or maybe you took some interesting
classes and learned something new. We want to hear all about it!

So tell us something fun that you did over the summer!

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.

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

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

I'm Nancy Sun...

And I'm Trevor Tortomasi.

In today's news:

The importance of cybersecurity, the dangers of extreme climate, and clashes
between orcas and boats.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

網絡安全的重要性
Cybersecurity and the Future of Online Security

We all know that the internet is a useful tool (工具).

We can find almost anything we need online.

But can we trust everything on the world wide web?

Nowadays, information about anything can easily be found online at any time.

But this also comes with a level of risk (風險).

In the past few years, the government has reported more and more cyberattacks
(網路攻擊).

A cyberattack is when someone uses computers to get into other computer
systems, usually to do harm (造成傷害).

Cyberattacks can be very dangerous, because machines and computer systems are
a big part of our everyday lives.

So cybersecurity (網絡安全) is now very important.

The government has set a goal of training 350 cybersecurity experts by 2024.

And most companies have cybersecurity experts working for them.

This means there is a big demand for people who know about cybersecurity.

Is cybersecurity something you want to learn more about, or even build your
future career around?
________________________________

極端氣候助傳染病擴大蔓延
Climate Change Helps Infectious Diseases Spread

Do you think that extreme climate affects diseases?

你覺得極端氣候對疾病有影響嗎?

Floods, heat waves, and drought are becoming more and more common (普遍) in
recent years.

They are happening all over the world.

And they are also getting more severe (劇烈).

All this extreme weather makes the impact of diseases even worse (更糟糕).

Infectious diseases like malaria and cholera are already dangerous for people.

像瘧疾和霍亂這種感染性疾病對人們來說已經非常危險了。

And things are worse when they happen in places facing extreme weather.

Experts say more than half of infectious diseases have been made worse
because of extreme climate.

For example, heavy downpours (傾盆大雨) cause flooding.

That flooding leads to more disease-carrying mosquitoes and rats.

And these mosquitoes and rats spread diseases to more people.

But overall, scientists say a lot more research needs to be done, to
understand how extreme climate affects disease.
________________________________

西班牙虎鯨襲擊帆船
Orcas Clash with Boats in Spain

Spain is facing some problems caused by orcas (虎鯨).

Starting in the summer of 2020, orcas, also called killer whales, have been
bothering boats along the coasts of Spain and Portugal.

船隻被虎鯨襲擊的事件在西班牙和葡萄牙鄰近海邊越來越多。

Experts are still trying to understand why.

In mild (溫和的) cases, orcas simply get close to boats.

But in serious cases, orcas interfere (干擾) with the boats.

The most serious case involved an orca pod (一群虎鯨).

An orca pod is like an orca family.

They are usually mothers, daughters, sisters, cousins and their children.

The leader of a pod is usually an older female (母虎鯨).

And one orca pod attacked (攻擊) a sailboat.

There were 5 people onboard the boat.

The damaged boat started to sink (沈船).

Luckily, the navy (海軍) came and saved the 5 people on the boat.

But experts say some of these are not exactly attacks.

The experts say the orcas are just checking unfamiliar (陌生的) things around
their home.

And the experts point out that orcas are social creatures (群體動物).

For now, the scientists are asking people to stay as far away from orcas as
they can.

And they say more research is needed to understand how to protect both people
and the orcas.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

Nowadays, information about anything can easily be found online at any time.

But this also comes with a level of risk.

In the past few years, the government has reported more and more cyberattacks.

So cybersecurity is now very important.
________________________________

Extreme weather like floods, heat waves, and drought makes the impact of
diseases worse.

Experts say more than half of infectious diseases have been made worse
because of extreme climate.
________________________________

And,

Officials in Spain say there have been 230 reports of orcas interacting with
boats.

In serious cases, orcas interfere with the boats.

Scientists say more research is needed to understand how to protect both
people and the orcas.
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And that's today's episode of News Bites!
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主播每周一問
Have Your Say

This week, we asked you about your summer.

10-year-old Josh from HuaXing Elementary School in Taipei City was still at
school, but had a lot of fun.

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And 12-year-old Sofy from Hsinchu County Tzu Chiang Junior High School also
spent time outdoors.

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And that's our first Have Your Say of the new semester.

Remember, if your comment was chosen for the show, you'll be receiving a gift
in the mail soon.

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