Good afternoon, and welcome to today's episode of News Bites!

I'm Philip Brossard, and I'm Eric Gau

First up, we talk about how a sweet fruit brought a herd of customers to a
store in Taipei over the weekend.

Then we learn about Mexicans standing up to fight for the safety of women in
their country.

And finally, we hear of an idea here in Taiwan to make some train cars into
spaces where people can bring their pets along for the ride.

Stay tuned to hear all about it.

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

Customers Rush to Buy Imported Mangosteens 人潮湧向市場買山竹

Customers in Taipei lined up Sunday morning to buy the first mangosteens 山竹
imported into Taiwan in 16 years.

To import, 進口, means to buy products or materials from another country.

The government stopped imports of Thai mangosteens in 2003 because of fruit
fly 果蠅 problems.

But after meeting related quarantine 隔離檢疫 requirements, that import ban
was lifted in April this year.

Quarantine is when you keep something away from other things to protect them.

The first batch 第一批 of mangosteens was sold only at one store in Neihu
District.

Even before the store opened, a long line of over 100 customers had formed
outside.

People were given numbers and each one was limited 受限 to two boxes of
mangosteens.

"To be limited" means to have only a certain amount of power to do something.

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

Mexicans March to Demand Justice for Violence Against Women
墨西哥人為婦女伸張正義

Hundreds of women have taken to the streets 走上街頭 of Mexico City to demand
justice for themselves.

"To take to the streets" is an expression that means to gather in protest.

They are fighting for young girls and countless 無數 women who have been
attacked, murdered, or gone missing.

"Countless" means there are so many of something that it is hard to know the
exact number.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a female.

The coordinator of a Mexican group against femicide 殺害婦女 says Sunday's
march was to point out the government's inability 無能 to prevent, to attend
to or to punish this violence.

"Femicide" is a special word that means to kill women. "Fem" means women and
"-icide" means to kill.

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

Petition for Pet-Friendly Train Cars Takes Off 開放寵物友善車廂連署

A petition in support of pet-friendly train cars is taking off.

Thousands of people have signed on to the proposal on a government suggestion
website.

Friendly, 友善, means to be good to someone or something.

Pet friendly, 寵物友善, generally refers to stores or public spaces that
allow people to bring their pets, or that have special services for pets.

The proposal lays out several suggestions, including allowing small pets on
trains as long as they are in strollers, that pets be charged half-price or
have a special pet ticket, and that the owners must carry their pet's
registration and rabies vaccination information on them.

The cars should also be clearly marked as pet-friendly ones so that people
who don't like animals or are allergic to them will know not to enter.

The petition has gathered nearly 3 thousand signatures in ten days.

It requires 5 thousand within 60 days to get an official response.

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

Now to review what we've learned today.

Taiwan's first mangosteens 山竹 in over 10 years caused a massive line up at
a store this weekend.

The tropical fruit from Thailand were banned after it was found they had
problems with fruit flies 果蠅.

But they started importing 進口 mangosteens again after meeting requirements
for quarantine 隔離檢疫.

"To import" means to buy things from another country.

Quarantine is when you keep something away from other things to protect them.

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

Second, women in Mexico took to the streets 走上街頭 to protect women.

"To take to the streets" means to gather in a group to say an opinion on
something.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a women.

These women want the government to do more to protect women from femicide
殺害婦女.

"Femicide" is a special word that means to kill women.

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

Lastly, people in Taiwan are calling for pet-friendly train cars.

Friendly, 友善, means to be good to someone or something.

So here, "pet-friendly" means to make trains that are suitable for pets.

They want train cars where people can bring their pets with them if they meet
certain requirements.

If enough people sign up for this idea, the government will have to talk
about it and make a decision.

And that's it for today!

Catch you all again tomorrow for another episode of News Bites.

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

主播每周一問Have Your Say

This week, we want you to have your say about school uniforms.

School uniforms have been part of the Taiwan education system for a long
time.

Some believe they help students feel like a part of the school, but some say
they are more harmful than helpful.

Do you think schools should have uniforms for students?

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.

And you might hear your message on our show on Friday.


 

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

I'm Trevor Tortomasi...

And I'm Ryan Drillsma.

In today's news:

Gender equality in Taiwan, a volcano in the Pacific Ocean, and thoughts on
the internet.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

立院女性出頭天 42.5%立法委員是女性
Taiwan's 42.5% Female Legislature Sets Record

For a lot of human history, the leaders (領袖) of many countries have been
men.

But nowadays, many countries around the world are seeing a lot more gender
equality (男女平等)...

Especially Taiwan!
尤其是台灣！

Last month, a woman named Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀) won an election to join
Taiwan's Legislative Yuan (立法院).

With her joining, the Legislative Yuan is now 42.5% women.

That means Taiwan has broken its own record for gender equality in its
legislature!
這代表台灣破了它自己的男女平等紀錄。

We call people working in the Legislative Yuan "lawmakers", because they make
laws (法律) for everyone in the country.

And if all the people making laws are the same, it can make life harder for
people who are different.

So the proportion of men to women is very important in government!
所以，政府裡面的男女比例的確很重要！

Of course, there is still a lot of inequality (不平等) around the world.

We need to work together on making sure all kinds of people are represented
(代表) in governments and society.

The good news is, starting with Taiwan's Legislative Yuan is a great first
step!
________________________________

東加火山爆發
Tonga Volcano Erupts

Last month, our planet Earth saw its biggest volcanic eruption (火山爆發) in
more than 30 years.

The volcano is on a small island in the country of Tonga (東加), which is an
archipelago (群島).

Okay... here's the bad news first.

Because the volcano is surrounded (被包圍) by water, it caused a lot more
problems than just a loud noise.

The eruption caused an earthquake so big that it caused a giant tidal wave to
move out in all directions.
火山爆發造成地震，大到海嘯往四面八方推進。

The tidal wave moved for thousands of kilometers across the Pacific Ocean
(海嘯掃過太平洋).

And it hit the beaches of countries all around the Pacific, like Japan, New
Zealand, and Peru.

But most importantly, it hit the islands of Tonga, and destroyed (摧毀) many
people's houses.

It even washed mud (泥土) into Tonga's clean water, so many people didn't
have enough to drink.

After the tidal wave's waters were gone, the volcano's smoke came back down
and filled the air with ash (火山灰).

On top of all these problems... the volcanic earthquake broke a very
important internet cable (網路海底電纜), deep under the ocean.

That cable was one of the only things letting many people in Tonga connect to
the rest of the world!
那條電纜是讓東加跟外面世界聯繫的唯一方式！

Okay, finally... here's some good news!

Many countries moved quickly to help Tonga recover (恢復).

Planes flew and ships sailed to Tonga from all around the world, bringing
clean water, food, and medical supplies (醫療設備) to help as many people as
possible.

And this month, even more people are going to Tonga, to fix the cable and
connect its islands to the world again!

If we can learn anything from this story, it's that we can't control how
dangerous Earth can be...

But we can control how many people we help!
________________________________

癱瘓男子動動腦 推特留言傳心聲
Paralyzed Man Makes Post With His Thoughts

Have you ever wanted to talk to someone using only your mind?

It might be possible sooner than you think!

One man from Australia has recently made a "tweet" (推特網站上留言), using
only his brain!

This man is paralyzed (癱瘓), so he can't move very much of his body.

That's why scientists wanted to create something for people like him, to help
them communicate (溝通) more easily.

Thanks to science, this man can now use a "brain chip" to send signals to a
computer, and write words on the internet.
這個人現在可以經由裝在腦袋裡面的晶片，傳訊號給電腦來寫字。

The brain chip is only about the size of a paperclip (迴紋針), but took four
hours to carefully put into the man's head.

And we may see even more tests with brain chips later this year!

It may sound weird or scary, but this man can now communicate more easily
with his family, and even play some simple games.
這種作法聽起來也許有點恐怖，但是他現在能夠跟家人溝通，還能玩一些簡單的遊戲。

Let's be happy for him, and hope this is a step in the right direction for
the rest of us, too!
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

Taiwan's Legislative Yuan is now 42.5% women.

That means Taiwan has broken its own record for gender equality in its
legislature!

If all the people making laws are the same, it can make life harder for
people who are different, so the proportion of men to women is very important
in government!
________________________________

And,

Last month, an island in Tonga had Earth's biggest volcanic eruption in more
than 30 years.

The eruption created an earthquake, a giant tidal wave, and clouds of ash,
and even cut Tonga off from the internet.

Thankfully, countries all around the world have already started to help Tonga
recover.
________________________________

And,

One paralyzed man in Australia can now use a brain chip to send signals to a
computer, and write words on the internet.

The brain chip is only about the size of a paperclip, but took four hours to
carefully put into the man's head.

Scientists wanted to create something for people like him, to help them
communicate more easily.
________________________________

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

主播每周一問
Have Your Say

Welcome back!

We hope you've had a good Lunar New Year holiday...

Since this is everyone's first day back to school, we won't ask any Have Your
Say questions until next week.

Still, we'd like to thank the K-12 Education Administration 國民及學前教育署
of the Ministry of Education 教育部 for their incredible support.

If you have any comments or questions about the show, please send us an email
at newsbites@icrt.com.tw.

We hope to hear from you again next week!
 

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 Taipei Performing Arts Center uses food for promotion, Bangladesh
celebrates New Year's, and a female baseball coach takes to the field for the
first time ever.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

台北表演藝術中心以美食宣傳自己
Taipei Performing Arts Center Promotes Itself with Delicious Food

The Taipei Performing Arts Center is a new building, near the Shilin Night
Market.
台北表演藝術中心是士林夜市附近新蓋的建築。

The building has three theaters (劇院).

It will host concerts (音樂會), plays (戲劇), and other performances.

The modern-looking building was designed (設計) by a famous architecture
company (建設公司).

And many people have praised (稱讚) the design.

But about a month ago, some people on the internet noticed that the building
looked like some popular Taiwanese snacks.
但大約一個月前，有一些網友注意到這座建築看起來有點像台灣小吃！

They created a funny meme (迷因).

For parts of the building, they added pictures of a meatball (貢丸), a pork
blood cake (豬血糕), and tofu (百頁) .

The meme went viral (瘋傳).

Lots of people saw the picture on social media (社交媒體).

Many people thought it was especially funny (特別好笑), because the theater
is so close to the famous night market.

So the performing arts center decided to use this meme.

They worked with a famous braised food restaurant to design a dish which
looks just like the meme!
他們跟一家有名的滷味餐廳合作，設計了一道看起來像迷因的菜！

The restaurant is famous for their recipe (食譜) that includes caramel (焦糖).

The recipe is a family secret (祖傳秘方) and it is over 60 years old.

The caramel plus their special blend of spices (特殊混合香料) gives their
food a sweet and spicy (又甜又辣) flavor.

The dish was available for three days, from April 8th to 10th.

It was only sold at the performing arts center.
________________________________

孟加拉慶祝新年
Bangladesh Celebrates New Year's for the First Time in Two Years

Thursday April 14th was a holiday in Bangladesh.
4月14日星期四是孟加拉國的國定假日。

That's because it was New Year's Day according to (根據) their country's
calendar.

The Bengali calendar was invented (發明) in the 16th century (十六世紀).

It is the year 1492 according to the Bengali calendar (日壢).

To celebrate the New Year, people wore red clothing and they marched, sang
and danced.
人們穿上紅色的衣服，在街上遊行、唱歌、和跳舞來慶祝新年。

The night ends with a big feast (盛宴).

It was the first time in two years that the people of Bangladesh celebrated
the New Year.

The last two years of celebrations were suspended (暫停) due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
________________________________

MLB新歷史！首位女教練上場
MLB Sees First Woman to Coach on the Field

Alyssa Nakken is the first female coach in Major League Baseball.

She was hired in 2020.
Alyssa Nakken於2020年被聘為美國職棒大聯盟首位女教練。

Gabe Kapler, the manager (經理) of the San Francisco Giants (舊金山巨人)
chose her to be one of his assistants (助理).

And on April 12th, she made history again.
4月12日，她再次創造了歷史。

She became the first woman to ever coach on a Major League Baseball field.

The Giants' regular first base coach was ejected from the game after he got
into an argument.
巨人隊的一壘教練在發生爭執後被逐出比賽。

So, the manager asked Nakken to take over (接管) for him.

But first she had to find her uniform (制服)!

Then she put on her helmet (安全帽) and ran onto the field.

She received loud applause from the home team crowd.
她得到了觀眾的熱烈掌聲。

After the game was over, Alyssa said that it was a "big deal", and that it
was also an "honor".
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

Some people noticed that the Taipei Performing Arts Center looked like some
popular Taiwanese snacks.

They created a funny meme, using pictures of a meatball, a pork blood cake,
and tofu.

The performing arts center then worked with a famous braised food restaurant,
to design a dish which looks just like the meme!
________________________________

Thursday April 14th was New Year's Day according to the Bengali calendar.

The Bengali calendar was invented in the 16th century.

To celebrate the New Year people wore red clothing and they marched, sang,
and danced.
________________________________

And,

Alyssa Nakken is the first female coach in Major League Baseball.

On April 12th, she made history again by being the first woman to coach on
the field.

She said it was a "big deal" and an "honor".
________________________________

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

主播每周一問
Have Your Say

This week, we asked you where you would like to travel in time.

10-year-old Athena Chang from Guang-fu Elementary School in Taichung wants to
know more about her future career.

***

And 14-year-old Sunny from Chihshan Junior High School in Taichung City
wanted to go a lot further.

***

And 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!
 

Hey there, and welcome to News Bites!

I'm Trevor Tortomasi...

And I'm Paz Bueno.

In today's news:

Treasure becomes trash, a barefoot man makes money, and things to know in the
summer heat.

Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next!
________________________________

裝滿現金的紙袋 失而復得
Big Bag of Money Gets Thrown Away

What should you do if you accidentally throw a large amount of money into the
trash?
萬一不小心把大筆現款給扔了，該怎麼辦？

Imagine this… you have over 80,000 NT in cash (現金), and you want to
deposit it in the bank (存進銀行) in the morning.

You can't find anywhere to keep the money safe, so you put it in a paper bag
(紙袋).

But when the garbage truck (垃圾車) drives by your house, your family throws
the paper bag away!

This might seem like a scene from a movie (電影片段), but it's actually what
happened to a family in Hsinchu last month.

The Hsinchu Bureau of Environmental Protection (新竹環保局) received a phone
call one day, saying that an elderly member of the family (家裡的長輩)
accidentally threw away a paper bag with 80,000 NT inside.

They quickly called the garbage truck workers, who then told the family to go
to the landfill (掩埋場) as soon as possible.

Luckily, after one hour of searching (尋找), the family found their paper bag
with the money.

The garbage truck crew later explained (解釋) that if someone accidentally
throws away something important, they can most likely still recover it (尋獲)
in the first hour.

But after one hour has passed, the garbage truck may have already arrived at
the incinerator (焚化爐).

So remember, always keep your valuables in a safe place…

And if they ever get thrown away, you'd better hurry up!
________________________________

赤腳英國男子 獲得捐款
U.K. Man Makes Money Being Barefoot

Would you ever leave your house and go out into the public without any shoes
on?
你會赤著腳走到公共場所嗎?

Nowadays, shoes are not just a necessity (必需品).

Some people mix and match shoes with different outfits (服裝), and some
people even wear shoes to show off their wealth.

So can you imagine living without shoes for a month?

Well, believe it or not, this is exactly what one man in the U.K. did.

George, a 20-year-old man from Cambridge, England, got rid of his shoes in
October of 2021.

He was originally a "religious shoe-wearer" (鞋子狂熱分子), wearing shoes
both indoors and outdoors.

One day, he suddenly started to question why he needed shoes, and searched
online (網路上尋找) for an answer.

But instead, he found the many benefits (好處) of NOT wearing shoes.

And from that moment on, he decided he was never going to wear shoes again.

After that, many people on the streets looked at him with disdain
(厭惡的表情), and store workers wouldn't let him inside.

But George said he felt happier than he had ever been before, and shared his
experiences on social media.

Since then, millions of people have seen his videos, and his fans (粉絲) have
even sent him money to support his barefoot lifestyle.

Now, George is optimistic (樂觀) about the future, saying that it's only a
matter of time before he makes more money.

But if you're going to go somewhere without shoes, just remember to watch
where you walk!
________________________________

什麼會讓各國人民覺得幸福？
What Makes People Happy in Different Countries?

There's no doubt that this summer has been one of the hottest in history.
今年夏天的炎熱程度，應該是史上最熱的暑假之一。

There has been lots of research that strongly suggests the weather affects
our moods and emotions.

A lot of people think that hot and humid weather makes a person cranky
(暴躁易怒), and that cold, dark winters can easily make a person depressed
(憂鬱).

And results from one study show that people who live in places where the
average monthly temperature is around 18 degrees Celsius are usually the
happiest.

But does this mean people who live in countries near the equator (赤道), or
in very cold countries, are never happy?

Of course not!

So what makes people happy to live in a country?

According to research by the World Values Survey (世界價值觀調查), the level
of people's happiness in a country comes mainly from three things.

Those three things are strong economic development (蓬勃的經濟), democracy
(民主化), and inclusiveness (包容度).

Researchers say that together, these three things help people to feel "free".

So, the next time you are feeling moody or cranky about the weather, think
about these things, before you wish you lived in a different country!
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

One man in Hsinchu accidentally threw away a paper bag with 80,000 NT inside.

His family quickly called the garbage truck workers, who then told the family
to go to the landfill as soon as possible.

Workers say if you ever accidentally throw something important in the trash,
you may have about one hour before it's gone forever!
________________________________

And,

One man in England got rid of his shoes in October of 2021.

Now, he says he feels happier than ever before, and has shared his
experiences on social media.

Since then, millions of people have seen his videos, and his fans have even
sent him money to support his barefoot lifestyle.
________________________________

And,

Researchers say the level of people's happiness in a country comes mainly
from three things.

Those three things are strong economic development, democracy, and
inclusiveness.

They say that together, these three things help people to feel "free".
________________________________

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 coming back to school.

We're heading into a whole new year of school! Maybe it was a little bit hard
to get up early in the morning at first. But now that you've been back for a
while, you're getting used to the change in your daily routine again.

So, what have you enjoyed the most about coming back to school so far?

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!
 

Hey there, and welcome to News Bites!

I'm Trevor Tortomasi…

And I'm Clifford Chu.

In today's news:

A thirsty Taiwan, underground schools, and Vitamin B.

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

台灣與全球的乾旱
Taiwan and the Worldwide Drought

2022 has been a very challenging year for climates all over the world, Taiwan
included.
2022年以來，世界各地的氣候造成許多困境，台灣也包括在內。

News of country-wide droughts have been heard from all over the world,
including the U.S., China, and many countries in Europe.

And at first (最開始), Taiwan began this year with plentiful rainfall
(豐沛的降雨), in the rainy season between May and June.

But by late August, the water in many of Taiwan's reservoirs (水庫) was very
low.

That's because rainfall (降雨) from July to August this year has been 60%
less than average.

Some of the reservoirs even dropped under 50% of the water storage capacity
(蓄水量).

Many reservoirs in northern Taiwan had already decided to save water, too, by
providing less water pressure (水壓) to homes.

Luckily (幸好), Typhoon Hinnamnor (颱風軒嵐諾) came just in time!

Typhoon Hinnamnor brought lots of water to reservoirs all over the country.

And through the cooperation of Taiwan's homes and water providers (水公司),
the country's water levels were finally able to recover (恢復).

Who knows how much worse things would have gotten if Typhoon Hinnamnor had
decided to bypass Taiwan?
________________________________

秘密學校 協助阿富汗女性就學
Secret Schools for Afghan Women

Since the U.S. military left Afghanistan, the majority of Afghan girls
haven't been to school in over a year.
自從美軍撤離阿富汗，多數阿富汗女孩已經超過一年沒踏進任何一間教室。

The U.S. military (美軍) left Afghanistan on August 30th, 2021, after 20
years of war (戰爭).

But that also left the country to the Taliban (塔利班), who now rule
Afghanistan (在阿富汗執政).

And according to Taliban tradition, many women are not allowed to have an
education!

That means many women and girls in Afghanistan have been banned (禁止) from
going to school.

In light of so much oppression (壓制), many people started to look for their
own ways of educating young women.

One such person is Sodaba Nazhand, who started an informal school with her
friends in Kabul (喀布爾), Afghanistan's capital (首都).

Sodaba and her friends secretly teach English, math, and science to girls and
young women.

Sodaba says they want to use education as a way to protest (反抗) against the
Taliban.

She says they are teaching girls and young women to stand up for their rights
(權利).

Going to school can be a lot of hard work... but not everyone has the chance
to learn new things every day.

So try to remember how lucky you are, to be getting an education!
________________________________

維他命B到底有幾種？
How Many Kinds of 'Vitamin B' Are There?

"Vitamin B" can be an important vitamin to help people focus... but which
kind is best?
維他命B可以加強注意力，可是到底要選哪一種呢？

There are a total of 8 different kinds of vitamin B, and they can each help
with different bodily functions (生理機能).

To improve energy levels, many people take vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B7.

These can help with metabolism (代謝), and are also found in nuts, eggs, and
milk.

Meanwhile, vitamin B1, B3, B6, and B12 can help with protecting the nervous
system (神經系統).

These vitamins can be found in chicken, pig liver, and also most kinds of
fish.

There is also one more category of vitamin B, which helps keep red blood
cells healthy.

They are vitamins B6, B9, B12, and they are found in citrus fruits
(柑橘類水果), like oranges, grapefruit, and lemons, and also in spinach and
yogurt.

So vitamin B can be easily found in many of the foods we have for breakfast,
lunch, or dinner!

However, it's important to remember that it doesn't help to take more than
one vitamin B pill per day.

That's because our bodies can only digest and absorb (消化並吸收) a little
bit.

So before you take any vitamins, ask your parents and your doctor which ones
can help your body the most.

And remember, nothing is better than a well-balanced diet, so no matter which
vitamins you take, make sure to eat healthy food every day!
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So, in today's News Bites:

The water in many of Taiwan's reservoirs was very low this summer, after very
little rainfall from July to August.

Luckily, Typhoon Hinnamnor came just in time, and brought lots of water to
reservoirs all over the country.

And through the cooperation of Taiwan's homes and water providers, the
country's water levels were finally able to recover.
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Since the U.S. military left Afghanistan, many Afghan girls have been banned
from going to school.

So people like Sodaba Nazhand have started secret schools in Afghanistan to
teach English, math, and science to girls and young women.

She says this is a way to protest against the Taliban, and to teach young
women to stand up for their rights.
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There are a total of 8 different kinds of vitamin B, and they can each help
with different bodily functions.

They can help with energy levels, metabolism, protecting the nervous system,
and keeping red blood cells healthy.

But remember, no matter which vitamins you take, nothing is better than
eating healthy food every day!
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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 want you to have your say about coming back to school.

We're heading into a whole new year of school! Maybe it was a little bit hard
to get up early in the morning at first. But now that you've been back for a
while, you're getting used to the change in your daily routine again.

So, what have you enjoyed the most about coming back to school so far?

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!