Company Makes Masks from Plants

Oh, hi kids! I'm just eating some vegetables. Vegetables are plants. Fruits
are plants, too. We eat lots of plants. Do you know what other things we can
do with plants? Make things! We can make houses with trees, for example.
First, you cut the trees down. Then you can make a house.
蔬菜水果都是植物。植物可以吃也可以用來製造東西，很多房子就是木頭做的。

There is an American company that uses plants to make face masks.
一家美國的公司開始用植物來做口罩。

That is great! Do you know why? Well, because of COVID-19, there are a lot of
face masks these days. When people throw them away, it makes a lot of
garbage. 使用過的口罩被丟掉造成很大量的垃圾。

Have you ever seen face masks on a sidewalk? Yes, I really hate that, too!
Face masks are usually made from a type of plastic. Plastic takes a very long
time to disappear from the environment. So all those face masks are a big
problem. They take up space in landfills. "Take up" means "uses."
這些垃圾占用了很大的空間。

But one company named G95 makes masks from plants. These masks fully
disappear from the environment in 90 days after they are thrown away! When
people have used the masks, they can mail them back to the company. G95 then
recycles the old masks! That is so great!
這家公司用植物做成的口罩，丟掉90天之後就分解不見了。要是你把用過的口罩寄回去，這家公司還會把它回收利用。
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Vocabulary

用植物做成的口罩，可以自行分解。

1. Disappear 消失。
My pretty face masks have disappeared! 我的漂亮口罩不見了！
Face masks don't just disappear. 口罩不會就這樣消失。
Here, they are in the garbage can. 在這裡，在垃圾桶裡。

2. Throw away 扔掉。
But I didn't throw them away. 可是我沒有把它們扔掉啊。
I think they fell off from the desk. 我想是從桌上掉下去的。

3. Environment 環境。
This is a really nice environment. 這是個很好的環境。
There are so many trees around. 周圍有好多樹。
Yeah, I hope we can live here. 是啊，真希望我們可以住在這裡。

4. Company 公司。
The biggest company in the world is an American company.
世界最大的公司是一家美國公司。
Is it McDonald's? 是麥當勞嗎？
No. 不是。

今天學了哪些字，還記得嗎？
disappear 消失不見
throw away 扔掉
environment 環境
company 公司
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Quiz

Q1: What is this story about?
A: Making masks from plants
B: Using wood to make houses
C: Growing different kinds of plants

Q2: What are most face masks made from?
A: From plants
B: From wood
C: From plastic

Q3: What is G95?
A: A mask
B: A company
C: A plant

Answers
1. A
2. C
3. B
 

Airplane Uses Plants to Fly

When people take trips, they often go on airplanes. Planes are very fast and
convenient.
搭飛機旅行很快而且很方便。

But there is a big problem with them. They make a lot of pollution. This is
because of jet fuel. Jet fuel creates a lot of pollution.
但是飛機使用的燃料會製造很多污染。

But there is some good news! Companies are making a special jet fuel from
plants.
有公司用植物來做噴射機的燃料。

Last December, a plane used this special type of jet fuel. This jet fuel is
made from corn. Yes, corn... the yellow vegetable a lot of people like to
eat.
這些燃料是用玉米做的。

The plane flew from one city to another in America using this special jet
fuel. It was the first time a plane used jet fuel made from a plant.
這是第一次有飛機使用植物做的燃料。

So, the plane made history. If something "makes history," it is the first
time it is ever done.
這架飛機創造了歷史。

Jet fuel made from plants is very clean. This means it doesn't hurt the
environment.
植物做的噴射機燃料乾淨又環保。

Let's hope that more planes can use this special jet fuel. If more planes can
fly with this type of jet fuel, the world will be a cleaner place. That would
be great!
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Vocabulary
用玉米作為飛機的燃料，這可是聞所未聞。

1. Plane 飛機。
I'm going to Taitung by plane tonight. 我今天晚上搭飛機去台東。
By plane? Most people are taking trains now. 搭飛機？大部分人現在都坐火車了。

2. Fuel 燃料。
Is natural gas a clean fuel? 天然瓦斯是乾淨的燃料嗎？
Well, it's cleaner than gasoline. 這個嘛，它比汽油乾淨。

3. Plant 植物。
Fuels made from plants are even better. 用植物做的燃料更好。
What kind of plants? 哪種植物呢？
Like corn, sunflower and soybean. 例如玉米，向日葵和大豆。

4. Clean 乾淨的。
Clean fuels produce less greenhouse gases. 乾淨燃料產生的溫室氣體比較少。
Electricity is also a clean fuel, right? 電力也是乾淨燃料，對嗎？
Right! 對的。

我們一起來讀單字。
plane 飛機
fuel 燃料
plant 植物
clean 乾淨的
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Quiz

1. What was the special jet fuel made from?
A: A drink
B: A meat
C: A vegetable

2. What country did the plane fly in?
A: The United States
B: Canada
C: Mexico

3. What does "make history" mean?
A: Study the past
B: Do something for the first time
C: Help the environment

Answers
1. C
2. A
3. B
 

Made in Taiwan Electric Buses in Kaohsiung

I'm sure you have seen electric cars and electric scooters on the roads in
Taiwan, right?

There are now lots of different electric vehicles.
現在有各式各樣的電動交通工具。

In Kaohsiung, there are quite a few electric buses.

You can see them in other parts of Taiwan, too … but there are a lot in
Kaohsiung.
高雄的電動巴士有很多台。

The electric buses in Kaohsiung are so quiet… they only make a small humming
sound.

But, those electric buses are not made in Taiwan.
高雄的電動巴士很安靜，但是它們不是台灣製造的。

People at a very big company in Taiwan said, "Hey! We should make electric
buses here!"

And now they have!

Kaohsiung has already bought one… and the city is going to buy many, many
more!
現在，台灣有一家公司推出自製的電動巴士，而且高雄要買很多台！

Now, every time a bus gets too old, Kaohsiung will buy a new electric bus!

And now, these buses will be made in Taiwan!
每一次要汰換舊的公車，高雄就會買一台新的台製的電動巴士取代。

It's not easy to make an electric bus.

They need very big and strong batteries to power such a big vehicle.

But, the made in Taiwan electric bus is super strong!
這種車輛的製造不容易，因為它需要強又有力的電池。

It will take people back and forth from the High-Speed Rail Station in
Zuoying to the new E Sky Land department store.
這些巴士在左營高鐵站和百貨公司之間接送乘客。

Soon, Kaohsiung will buy more electric buses and one day - all the buses in
the city will be electric!!
______________________________________________________________

Vocabulary

高雄的電動巴士越來越多了。

1. Vehicle 交通工具。We now have many different electric vehicles.
我們現在有好多不同的電動交通工具。Let me see… scooters, bikes, cars and
buses. 我看看，有機車，腳踏車，汽車和巴士。

2. Made in Taiwan 台灣製造。Are they all made in Taiwan? 它們都是台灣製的嗎?
Probably not. 可能不是。I know some of them are made in Europe.
我知道有些是歐洲製。

3. Battery 電池。My cell phone doesn't work ! 我的手機都不動! I think your
battery is out. 我想是你的電池沒電了。

4. Department store 百貨公司。Can I buy the battery in a department store?
我可以在百貨公司買到電池嗎? Of course. Just go to a place that sells cell
phones. 當然。你只要去一家賣手機的地方就好。

你有坐過電動車嗎? 一起來讀單字。Vehicle交通工具 made in Taiwan台灣製造
battery電池 department store百貨公司
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Quiz

1. Where are there a lot of electric buses?
A: Hualien
B: Kenting
C: Kaohsiung


2. What is special about the new electric bus in the story?
A: It is made in Taiwan!
B: It can turn into a boat!
C: It's super tiny!


3. What is the plan in Kaohsiung City?
A: When a bus gets too old, they will buy a new, electric bus
B: When a bus gets too old, they will push it in the Love River
C: When a bus gets too old, they will buy an airplane











Answers

1: C
2: A
3: A
 

Portable Charger for Electric Vehicles

Hey, kids! Has your mom or dad ever run out of gas? I hate running out of gas!
車子沒油了很討厭！

This is also a problem for electric vehicles, or EVs. But electric vehicles
don't use gas. They use electricity. So, EVs don't run out of gas. They run
out of power.
電動車也會有沒電的問題。

This can be a big problem for electric cars and scooters because they must
often be recharged.
電動車常常會需要重新充電。

What happens when your EV runs out of power? One company called ZipCharge has
the answer. They made a charger. This charger can recharge EV batteries. They
call this charger the ZipCharge Go.
有一間叫做 ZipCharge 的公司做出了一個給電動車用的充電器。

The ZipCharge Go is heavy, about 22 kilograms. It looks like a small
suitcase, with wheels!
這個充電器很重，它看起來像一個有輪子的小行李箱。

So, the charger is portable. People can put it in their car's trunk. So, if
their car's battery runs out of power, they can charge it.
所以它可以帶著走，放在後車廂，當車子沒電的時候，它就會派上用場。

It takes just 30 minutes to one hour to charge the battery. Then, the car can
travel about 50 kilometers. So, drivers won't have to worry so much about
their car battery losing power.
用它來充電只要30分鐘，然後車子就可以跑50公里。

EVs are very quiet, and they are also better for the environment. They don't
pollute the air like regular cars or scooters do.
電動車安靜又環保，不會汙染空氣。

I think EVs are great!
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Vocabulary
電動車需要充電，最新款的電池非常輕便耐用。

1. run out of 用完
We're running out of toilet paper. 我們的衛生紙就快用光了。
Let's go to the supermarket. 我們去超市一趟。
I'll get the car. 我去開車。

2. gas 汽油
But we're running out of gas too. 但是我們的汽油也快沒了。
Luckily, we still have the scooter. 我們很幸運，還有摩托車。

3. scooter 摩托車
What's wrong? 怎麼了？
I can't seem to start this scooter. 我好像發動不了這台摩托車。
Did you charge it yesterday? 你昨天有充電嗎？
No, I forgot. 沒有，我忘了。

4. battery 電池
Now what should we do? 現在我們怎麼辦？
That's okay. It only takes an hour to charge the battery.
沒關係，充飽電池只要一小時。

These are useful words.
run out of 用完
gas 汽油
scooter 摩托車
battery 電池
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Quiz

1. What did the company called ZipCharge make?
A: A small electric vehicle
B: A battery that lasts a long time
C: A charger for EVs

2. What does "portable" mean?
A: Something is easy to carry.
B: Something is easy to use.
C: Something is very quick.

3. Which is NOT true about ZipCharge Go?
A: It is very light.
B: It is convenient.
C: It looks like a small suitcase.

Answers
1. C
2. A
3. A
 

Sailing in Space on Sunlight

Hey there! Today it is so easy to travel far away. We can go around the world
very fast, using airplanes! But that's not how people have always traveled…

A long time ago, people used wind power to cross the oceans. Those old ships
had sails to catch the wind and push the ship forward.
以前的人靠著風力，開著帆船橫越海洋。

Now they're doing the same thing with ships in outer space!
現在，科學家做了太空帆船！

But… there isn't any wind in outer space.
可是，太空沒有風，太空帆船要怎麼動呢？

Space sails use sunlight! Sun power pushes the sails…
答案是太陽的力量！

The sun is a star. A huge, burning ball of fire! And the sun is always
sending out waves of heat and light... sunlight!

It takes about 8 minutes for the waves of sunlight from the sun to reach the
earth.
太陽的光線傳到地球大約要八分鐘。

And… those waves of sunlight can push a space sail.
陽光可以推動太空帆船。

A spaceship from Japan used a small sun sail to go all the way to Venus in
2010!
日本的太空帆船在2010年到過金星。

Now, a French company wants to test a super big sun sail… it will sail
around the earth… high up in outer space!
現在，法國有一家公司準備讓太空帆船環繞地球。

This test is really cool because it will help scientists learn more about sun
sails.

Maybe one day super huge sun sails will push spaceships with people far into
space… then we could vacation on Mars!
未來有機會去火星度假囉！
________________________________

Vocabulary
太空帆船運用陽光當作動力，在太空中旅行。

1) push 推動
Sunlight can push spaceships forward. 陽光可以推動太空船前進。
I find it hard to understand. 我覺得有點難懂。
I think it's possible only in space. 我想只有在太空中才能吧。

2) spaceship 太空船
Look, a spaceship! 你看，太空船！
That's not a spaceship, Jane. 那不是太空船。
That's a kite. 那是風箏。

3) sail 帆，航行
Sailing around the world must be fun! 航行全世界一定很好玩！
Yeah, if you have 3 to 5 years. 是，要是你有三年到五年的時間。

4) wind 風
Is it because the wind is slow? 這是因為風很慢嗎？
Well, it's because the world is big. 這是因為世界很大。

Let's read today's vocabulary.
push 推動
spaceship 太空船
sail 帆，航行
wind 風
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Quiz

1. How can the sun push a spaceship's sun sails?
A: Waves of light and heat push the sun sails
B: Waves of ice and water push the sun sails
C: Waves of wind push the sun sails

2. What is the sun?
A: A planet
B: A star
C: A moon

3. In 2010, where did a spaceship go using sun sails?
A: Japan
B: Venus
C: Jupiter

Answers
1. A
2. B
3. B