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Cows Keep Festival Eco-Friendly

India is a HUGE country. Many people there live in a state called Uttar
Pradesh, and lots of those people are Hindu.
印度很大，有很多人住在一個叫做「北方邦」的地方，裡面不少人都是印度教徒。

Today is the start of an ancient Hindu celebration, called "Holi". It's a
festival that's famous for having lots of color. People run around throwing
paint at each other, it's really fun!
今天是印度教侯麗節開始的日子，這是一個色彩繽紛的節日，大家會到處在別人身上潑顏料！

Today, lots of Hindus use special eco-friendly paint, so they won't harm the
planet.
現在很多人會用環保顏料，比較不會傷害地球。

The night before Holi people always light huge fires. They used to burn wood,
which meant they had to cut down lots of trees, but that was really bad for
the environment.
侯麗節的前一個晚上，大家還會升營火，人們以前會砍樹燒柴，但這樣對環境不好。

This year, in Uttar Pradesh, they're trying something new. They want to burn
"cow wood" instead. What is cow wood? Don't worry, it isn't made out of cows!
Actually, it's made from their poop!
今年，他們不燒木柴，改燒「牛柴」。你放心，牛柴不是用牛做的啦！它們其實是牛便便。

To make cow wood, farmers take some cow poop, shape it into a brick, and let
it dry.
農夫會把牛便便收集起來，弄成磚塊的形狀，然後晾乾。

The Uttar Pradesh government wants to have 300 tons of cow wood ready for the
huge fires… 300 tons?! That's as heavy as 3 blue whales! That's a lot of
poop…
政府說，他們想要準備三百噸的牛柴來慶祝侯麗節，有三頭鯨魚這麼重！

This great idea is helping Hindus in Uttar Pradesh be good to the planet and
enjoy their famous festival at the same time! Happy eco-friendly Holi,
everybody!
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Vocabulary
不再砍樹，改用牛柴，可以減少對環境的影響。

1. celebration 慶祝
Oh no, is Saturday School Day? 糟糕，星期六是學校日嗎？
Yeah, why? 是啊，為什麼？
Don't you like celebrations? 你不喜歡慶祝嗎？
No, I just don't like the same thing every year.
不是，我只是不喜歡每年都一樣。

2. color 顏色
I'm going to try something new this time. 這次我準備試一點新花樣。
Like what? 比如說什麼？
I'll prepare lots of color paper and cut it into small pieces.
我要準備很多彩色紙，剪成小塊。

3. throw 扔
And throw it at each other? 然後互相扔？
Yeah, we'll play a game first, and then throw it. 對，我們先玩遊戲，然後扔。
Sounds great ! Can I join your class? 聽起來真不錯。我可以加入你班上嗎？

你喜歡參加慶典嗎？來讀讀單字。
celebration 慶祝
color 顏色
throw 扔
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Quiz

1. What is Holi famous for?
A: Wood
B: Color
C: Farmers

2. What do people throw at each other during Holi?
A: Money
B: Paint
C: Paper

3. What is 300 tons of cow poop as heavy as?
A: 33 blue whales
B: 303 blue whales
C: 3 blue whales

Answers
1. B
2. B
3. C
 

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Californians Collect Water From Storms

Today is World Water Day! What does that mean? Does it mean we should all go
take a bath and splash water everywhere?
今天是世界水資源日！這是甚麼意思？叫我們去泡澡、到處潑水嗎？

Not really! In fact, World Water Day is about taking care of our fresh water.
不是喔！世界水資源日要我們好好珍惜淡水資源。

Where does freshwater come from? It can come from the ground, or it can fall
from the sky.
淡水從哪裡來？它可以來自地下，也可以是從天上。

How can we take care of our fresh water? To answer that question, let's talk
about California. Recently, California has had two big problems with water.
我們如何保護我們的淡水？最近，加州碰到了兩個水資源的問題。

One problem is drought. That means it's too dry. For many years, there has
not been enough fresh water in California!
一個問題是乾旱。 加州好幾年以來，一直沒有足夠的淡水！

But this winter, California had the opposite problem. There were huge
rainstorms. The water came down too fast, and flooded many places.
但今年冬天，加州碰到了相反的問題。今年下了大豪雨，很多地方都淹水了。

Some Californians looked at these two problems, and had an idea. If they can
save the water from the rainstorms, they can use it again later when it gets
too dry.
加州有一些人想到，如果可以把豪雨的水存起來，以後就可以在乾旱時候用了。

So, they collected all the water they could. They keep it in barrels and in
cans. Later, when the weather is dry again, they can use it to water trees
and gardens.
他們盡可能把水蒐集起來，存在桶子裡面。當天氣又變乾時，那些水就可以用來澆花。

Taiwan sometimes has droughts too. Today, on World Water Day, let's remember
to use our water well!
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Vocabulary
水是珍貴資源，需要人類思考如何做最佳利用。

1. bath 洗澡
I'm going to take a bath. 我要洗個澡。
Two baths in one day? 一天洗兩次？
Why not? I'll sleep better. 為什麼不呢?我會睡得比較好。

2. drought 乾旱
We're going through a drought, you know. 你知道我們正在鬧旱災。
I do, and I've already stopped watering my trees.
我知道，我已經停止給樹澆水了。

3. save 儲存
You can save some of the bath water for that. 你可以存一些洗澡水去澆水。
That's too much trouble. 太麻煩了。
And the water may kill my trees. 那些水有可能弄死我的樹。

4. dry 乾掉
No, it won't. 不會的。
And it'll be better than just letting them dry up. 比讓那些樹乾枯好。

想想看，我們可以如何節省用水？來一起讀單字。
bath 洗澡
drought 乾旱
save 儲存
dry 乾掉
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Quiz

1. What day is today?
A: World Whale Day
B: World Wind Day
C: World Water Day

2. What happened in California this winter?
A: Rainstorms
B: Hurricanes
C: Tsunamis

3. What did Californians do with all the water that fell?
A: Take a bath
B: Save it for later
C: Splash it everywhere

Answers
1. C
2. A
3. B
 

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Thailand's Tuk-Tuks Go Green

Have you been to Thailand? It's a great place to visit. Thailand has spicy
food, hot weather, and beautiful beaches.
你有去過泰國嗎？泰國有辛辣的料理、炎熱天氣，還有美麗的海灘，很適合度假。

Everywhere in Thailand, there are lots of tuk-tuks. What's a tuk-tuk? It's a
little car with only three wheels.
泰國到處都有嘟嘟車。嘟嘟車是一種只有三個輪子的小車。

They're an easy way to go anywhere fast. It's easy to find a tuk-tuk, and the
driver will take you anywhere you want.
嘟嘟車讓旅客來去方便快速，它很好找，而且司機會帶你去任何你想去的地方。

Tuk-tuks are super useful. But they have two big problems...
嘟嘟車很有用，但它們有兩個大問題。

One, they're loud! They always make a loud noise, like "tuk tuk tuk tuk".
That's why they're called "tuk-tuks".
第一，他們很吵！它們會發出「嘟嘟嘟」的噪音，所以才叫嘟嘟車。

Two, they make a lot of pollution. The tuk-tuk's gas engines cause these two
problems. These engines are noisy and dirty.
它們會污染環境。 因為嘟嘟車的引擎又吵又髒，才會有這些問題。

But now, tuk-tuks are going green. These tuk-tuks use electricity, not gas.
但現在嘟嘟車變環保了，它們不再用汽油，而是電動的！

The green tuk-tuks are cleaner and quieter. Now people enjoy cleaner, fresher
air, and they can enjoy the quieter sounds of Thailand, too.
有了新的環保嘟嘟車，大家現在可以在泰國享受更新鮮的空氣，以及更安靜的環境了！

More and more tuk-tuks are going green. If you visit Thailand, give one of
their new green tuk-tuks a try!
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Vocabulary
泰國的嘟嘟車是當地特色，改換電動引擎之後更大幅減少汙染。

1. beach 海灘
Wow, sandy beaches, spicy food, parks everywhere…
哇，沙灘，辛辣的美食，到處都有公園...
Are you talking about Vietnam? 你在講越南嗎？

2. problem 問題
No, Thailand. I'm looking at this ad about Phuket.
不，泰國。我在看普吉島的廣告。
Just go! 你就去吧！
The problem is I'm too busy to take time off. 問題是我太忙了，沒時間休假。

3. air 空氣
You're not always busy. 你又不是一直忙。
That's true. 這是真的。
So go and enjoy the sea air. 所以去享受海風吧。

4. anywhere 任何地方
But I can go anywhere in Taiwan for that. 不過我在台灣可以去任何地方追海風。
Hey, you're right, I'll go with you! 說得對，我跟你一起去。

你想度假嗎？先來記住單字。
beach 海灘
problem 問題
air 空氣
anywhere 任何地方
________________________________

Quiz

1. How many wheels does a tuk-tuk have?
A: Two wheels
B: Three wheels
C: Four wheels

2. What are the new green tuk-tuks like?
A: Clean and quiet
B: Dirty and loud
C: Big and slow

3. What do the new green tuk-tuks use instead of gas?
A: Pollution
B: Spicy food
C: Electricity

Answers
1. B
2. A
3. C
 

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Ozone Layer Getting Better

Hi, students! I want to ask you a question. Do you know about pollution?
Pollution means things like air or water are dirty. We get air pollution from
many things, like cars.
Pollution 就是汙染。很多東西都會汙染空氣，像是汽車。

Pollution is bad. It causes a lot of problems. One problem is big: air
pollution hurts the ozone layer. The ozone layer is above the earth and the
clouds. You can't see it, but it helps us a lot.
空氣汙染會破壞臭氧層。臭氧層是在比雲還要高的地方，我們看不到它，但是它幫了我們很大的忙。

The ozone layer keeps us safe from the sun. We would be in big trouble
without the ozone layer! We would have more problems with our skin. We would
have more problems with our eyes too.
臭氧層幫我們抵擋太陽，沒有它，我們的皮膚跟眼睛都會受到傷害。

Air pollution made a hole in the ozone layer. That is very bad. But there is
some good news. The ozone layer is getting better!
空氣汙染讓臭氧層破了一個洞，不過好消息是，它的情況正在好轉！

Think of it like this. You fall down. You get a cut on your skin. Then your
skin gets better. It heals. The cut goes away.
有的時候你跌倒，皮膚會擦傷。然後它會慢慢地復原，傷口也就不見了。

Like your skin, the ozone layer is healing. The hole in the ozone layer is
getting smaller.
臭氧層的狀況就像人類的皮膚，它的洞也在慢慢地變小。

That is great news! It's healing because the air is cleaner. Maybe one day,
the hole in the ozone layer will go away.
會這樣是因為空氣變得更乾淨，也許有一天，臭氧層的破洞會完全消失。
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Vocabulary
大氣的臭氧層可以阻擋部分紫外線，保護地球上的生物。

1. heal 癒合
Your wound is healing. 你的傷口正在癒合。
It looks smaller now. 它現在看起來比較小了。
Yeah, it hurt like crazy yesterday. 是啊，昨天還痛得要命。
But now it's getting better. 現在就好些了。

2. fall 跌倒
I still can't believe you fell down the stairs. 我還是不相信你會從樓梯摔下來。
I know, and hit my head on the cabinet. 我知道，並且還撞到櫃子。

3. help 幫忙
I'm lucky to still have two eyes. 我很幸運還有兩隻眼睛。
You're lucky to have me help you with cooking. 你很幸運有我幫你做飯。

4. safe 安全的
How can I stay safe? 我怎樣才能保持安全？
By staying upstairs…? 就待在樓上嗎？

今天學到哪些單字？
heal 癒合
fall 跌倒
help 幫忙
safe 安全的
________________________________

Quiz

1. What does the ozone layer do?
A: It makes the air dirty
B: It makes problems with our skin
C: It keeps us safe from the sun

2. What made the hole in the ozone layer?
A: Pollution
B: The sun
C: Clouds

3. What is the great news about the ozone layer?
A: It is getting bigger
B: It is not changing
C: It is healing

Answers
1. C
2. A
3. C
 

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Taiwan Ranked Happiest Country in East Asia

Voice: 你好！

Narrator: Good morning! That woman is so happy! Hmmm... How happy is everyone
in Taiwan?

There is a big group of countries. It is called the United Nations. Some
people call the United Nations "the UN".
United Nations 聯合國，它是一個由很多國家組成的組織，英文縮寫是 "UN"。

The UN makes a list. It shows how happy countries are. This list is the
"World Happiness Report".

The UN makes the list every year. It takes a long time. The list is not easy
to make. The UN has to be fair.
聯合國每一年都會製作一份「世界幸福報告」，看看每個國家的人有多幸福。

The UN looks at many things. Do people feel good? Do they have a family? Do
they have friends? Do people have jobs? Do they have money? Do they feel
free? Can people get help? Do they think their country is good?
這份報告是看人們開不開心、有沒有家庭或是朋友、有沒有工作和金錢、是否覺得很自由、能夠獲得協助，還有是否認為自己的國家很棒。

This year's World Happiness Report lists 137 countries.

The report says Taiwan is the happiest country in East Asia! The three
happiest countries in East Asia are Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.
137個國家排名下來，東亞第一名是台灣！前三名是台灣、日本，還有南韓。

Finland is the happiest country in the world. Finland has been the happiest
country for six years!
芬蘭已經連續六年蟬聯全世界最幸福的國家！

The three happiest countries in the world are Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.
They are in Europe.
世界前三名就是芬蘭、丹麥，還有冰島，這三個國家都在北歐。

Which country will be the happiest next year? Good luck, Taiwan! We can do it!
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Vocabulary
聯合國的報告說，台灣是個幸福國家。

1. feel 感覺
This is something I really don't understand. 這我就真的不懂了。
What? 是什麼？
Why do people in Finland feel happy? 為什麼芬蘭人會覺得快樂？
Why not? 為什麼不？

2. country 國家
It's a northern country. 它是個北方國家。
It's so cold and dark there! 那兒又冷又陰暗！
Winter lasts five months in Finland. 芬蘭的冬季有五個月。

3. family 家人
Maybe it's because they have a loving family and many friends.
也許是因為他們有親愛的家人和很多朋友。
Family and friends are important, I know. 我知道家人朋友很重要。

4. look at 看著
But so is sunshine. 但是陽光也很重要。
I guess people can look at the sun online. 我想大家可以上網看太陽。

你的日子過得好不好呢？來讀單字。
feel 感覺
country 國家
family 家人
look at 看著
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Quiz

1. What is another name for "the UN"?
A: The Unity Nations
B: The Union Nations
C: The United Nations

2. How many countries are in this year's report?
A: 137
B: 37
C: 107

3. What is the happiest country in the world?
A: Iceland
B: Finland
C: Taiwan

Answers
1. C
2. A
3. B