________________________________

Letters of Love

It’s Valentine’s Day! Today, many people use dating apps to find love. But long ago, people met in other ways…

今天是情人節，你們會不會好奇四十年前沒有交友軟體，那時候的人怎麼談戀愛呢？

Let’s go back forty years…A woman lives in Singapore. She likes swimming and traveling. She sends letters all over the world.

四十年前，一個新加坡的女人很喜歡游泳跟旅行，還喜歡寄信給世界各地的人。

A man lives in England. He likes trains and animals. One day, he gets a letter. It's from Singapore. That’s over ten thousand kilometers away!

英國的一個男人喜歡火車跟動物，某一天，他收到了一封信，來自那位一萬多公里外的新加坡女人！

The letter is from the woman. He loves reading it. He wants to learn more about her. So he writes to her.

男人很喜歡這封信，想要更認識寄信的女子，所以他回信了。

They write to each other for seven years. They love to write. Then the woman goes to England. She wants to meet!

兩個人互相寫了7 年的信，最後女人終於到英國，想見這位男士！

They meet at the airport. They fall in love. One year later, the man flies to Singapore. He asks the woman to marry him.

雙方約在機場見面，他們墜入愛河，一年後，男人飛到新加坡跟女人求婚。

Now, thirty years later, they are married. They have three kids. They do everything together! They’re best friends.

如今，過了30 年，他們已經結婚並且有三個小孩，感情非常好。

The woman and man lived ten thousand kilometers from each other! But letters of love made them close.

這都是那一封封橫跨地球的情書的功勞。

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Vocabulary

情人不遠千里來相會，造就一段佳話。

1.letter 信件。

Tom broke up with his girlfriend over Line. 湯姆用Line跟他的女朋友分手了。

That’s so rude! 真沒禮貌!

He should at least write her a letter. 他至少應該寫封信給她。

2.write 寫作。

People don’t do that anymore. 大家已經不那樣了。

I know. Maybe they find writing on paper hard. 我知道，也許他們覺得在紙上寫字很難。

3.fall in love 墜入情網。

My parents fell in love via letters.我爸媽因為寫信而墜入愛河。

How romantic! 好浪漫!

4.meet 會面。

Today people fall in love with their computers. 現在人們跟電腦談戀愛。

Or cellphones. 或是手機。

They even meet on cell phones, not face-to-face. 他們甚至在手機上相見，而不是面對面。

Do you like writing letters?

letter信件    write寫作    fall in love墜入情網    meet會面

Quiz

1. What is today?

a. Valentine’s Day

b. Teacher’s Day

c. Children’s Day

2. How far is Singapore from England?

a. 10 kilometers

b. 10,000 kilometers

c. 10,000,000 kilometers

3. How long did the man and woman write to each other?

a. Seven years

b. Thirty years

c. Forty years

Answers

1. a
2. b
3. a

________________________________

Elementary School Kids Think About Jobs

What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you want to be a chef, a police
officer, or an artist? Or do you want to be a teacher, a musician, or a
doctor?
你長大想做什麼? 廚師、警察、藝術家嗎?或是老師、音樂家跟醫生呢?

This year, almost three thousand elementary school kids in Taiwan said what
job they want when they grow up. Number one is an athlete! Number two is an
eSports athlete. Number three is a pastry chef. Did you choose any of these
three jobs?
今年，快 3000 個小學生說他們的夢想工作是運動員! 再來是電競選手跟甜點烘焙師!

These kids also said what was important to them about a job. It has to be
about something they are interested in. What they do in the job has to be
interesting too. And they want the pay to be high!
這些小朋友說最重要的，就是工作要符合興趣，內容有趣，薪水也要高!

The kids said they don't want to be farmers, fishers, or forest workers. But
those jobs can be interesting too! Farmers and fishers help Taiwan's people
have healthy food. Forest workers keep Taiwan's land healthy for people to
enjoy.
他們不想當農夫、漁夫或在森林工作，不過這些工作對台灣很有貢獻，其實也很有趣!

It's fun to think about what you want to be. You can choose from many, many
jobs!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vocabulary
小學生覺得什麼工作最好? 很多人說想當運動員。

1. choose 選擇。
If you could be anything, 要是你能做任何事，
what job would you choose? 你會選哪一種工作?
Hm...tough one. 這有點難。
I think being a chef would be fun. 我想當大廚應該很好玩。

2. artist 藝術家。
I already do most of the cooking at home. 我現在大部分都在家裡做飯。
And I love it. 並且很喜歡。
What about you? 你呢?
I'd go for an artist. 我想當藝術家。

3. interested 有興趣。
I didn't know you're interested in art. 我不知道你對藝術有興趣。
I'm not. 我沒有。
But I heard they make big money. 但是我聽說他們賺大錢。

4. doctor 醫生。
For that, becoming a doctor maybe better. 想要那樣，當醫生可能比較好。
Hey, we could be anything, right? 我們可以做任何事的，對吧?

你會怎麼做選擇呢?
choose 選擇 artist 藝術家 interested 有興趣 doctor 醫生
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quiz

1. How many elementary school kids said what jobs they want?
a. 3,000
b. 9,000
c. 33,000

2. What is the number one job for elementary school kids?
a. Athlete
b. Pastry chef
c. Teacher

3. What do most elementary school kids think is important for a job?
a. Good food
b. High pay
c. Friendly workers

Answers:
1. a
2. a
3. b
 

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

I'm Ryan Drillsma...

And I'm Nancy Sun...

In today's news:

Taiwan's population falls, a dog saves a man after a fall, and are dogs
bilingual?

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

台灣人口連續兩年下降
Taiwan Population Falls Again

Every year, a branch of Taiwan's government called the Ministry of the
Interior publishes statistics about Taiwan's population.

內政部每年發布台灣人口的新統計。

The statistics (統計) include the size of Taiwan's population (人口).

This year, the statistics showed Taiwan's population got smaller again.

At the end of 2021, Taiwan's population was 23,375,314.

That's 185,222 people smaller than last year.

And it's the second year in a row the population fell.

One reason for this is that less babies are being born.

The number of babies being born has been falling for six years.

Over 210 thousand babies were born in 2015.

But just over 150 thousand were born last year.

Another reason is that more people are leaving Taiwan and less people are
coming in.

Almost 180 thousand people emigrated, or left Taiwan, in 2021, and just under
17 thousand immigrated, or entered Taiwan.

This could be because of the pandemic, or it could be a phenomenon (現象)
that is happening for other reasons.

The government did not make this clear.

Sometimes it does feel like there are too many people around… but the
government is worried if the populations continues to fall, it could cause
problems.

There may not be enough people of working age to support all the old people
that will live here.

政府擔心人口下降過多可能造成工作年齡人口無法負擔已退休人口的生活費。
________________________________

雪橇狗助受困主人保溫成英雄
Dog Saves Climber in Croatia Mountains

Dogs are said to be man's best friend.

And one dog recently proved this by keeping his owner warm until they could
be rescued (援救).

A man was hiking in a mountain range in Croatia (克羅地亞的山脈) along with
some other people and his 8-month-old best friend, North, who is an Alaskan
malamute - a very fluffy gray and white dog.

But while the man was walking, he slipped and injured his leg.

狗狗的主人健行時滑倒，無法站起來。

He couldn't get back up.

And his friends couldn't reach him either.

The man was in danger because it was very cold.

Luckily, his dog was there to save the day.

While the man's other friends called for help, North lay on top of him, and
he did this for 13 hours until the hikers could finally be rescued.

North used his body heat to keep his owner warm.

當主人的朋友去求救時，North趴在主人的身上幫他保暖，就這樣趴了13個鐘頭。

Finally the hikers were found by first responders - those are the people that
go to rescue people from the mountains.

They said North saved his owners life.

And his owner called North "a real miracle" (真正的奇蹟).

Wouldn't it be great to have this good of a friend!
________________________________

狗能聽得懂不一樣的語言
Dogs can understand different languages

Do you speak to your dog in more than language?

If you do, and you're afraid he or she may not understand, you have nothing
to worry about.

Researchers in the United States have recently found that dogs are in fact,
"bilingual" (雙語) and can tell different languages apart (分辨).

They even found that the older the dog is, the more adept the dog's brain was
at distinguishing between the familiar (熟悉的), and unfamiliar language.
Researchers (研究員) have also found that whales, songbirds, bats, and
dolphins can "communicate" in different accents… and the accent depends on
where they come from.

Dogs can understand different languages. Older dogs are more adept at telling
languages apart.
狗能聽得懂不一樣的語言，而年長的狗語言能力比較好.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

This year, Taiwan's population got smaller again.

And it's the second year in a row the population fell.

The government is worried if the populations continues to fall, it could
cause problems.
________________________________

And,

A man was hiking in a mountain range in Croatia, but he fell and injured his
leg.

His dog lay on him and kept him warm for 13 hours until they were rescued.

He called his dog "a real miracle".
________________________________

And,

Researchers in the United States have recently found that dogs are
"bilingual".

Dogs can understand different languages.

Older dogs are more adept at telling languages apart.
________________________________

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

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

12-year-old Sofia, from Shun-Tian Elementary School in Taichung, says she
loves the sound of pouring soda.

***

And 7-year-old Arsene, from Chiaoyong Primary School in Pingtung, says he
loves the sound of waterfalls.

***

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

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

There won't be a Have Your Say question next week, as we're getting ready for
the Lunar New Year...

But we've still got more episodes of News Bites coming up, so stay tuned!
 

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

I'm Nancy Sun...

And I'm Ryan Drillsma.

In today's news:

The longest bike path, the highest high tea, and a delicious change from
music.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

騎全台最長自行車道 體驗台灣之美
Taiwan's Longest Bike Path Opens

Many people enjoy bike riding in Taiwan.

It's a great way to spend time outdoors.

And it's good exercise too.

Now, there's a new place for everyone to enjoy riding their bikes.

It's the longest bike path in Taiwan!

The path opened just this month.

It connects (連結) Yunlin County, Chiayi County, and Tainan.

The bike path starts in Yunlin's Linnei Township (林內)

It goes through by the Chianan Irrigation Canal (嘉南大圳) and parts of the
Chianan Plain (嘉南平原).

And it ends close to the Wusanto Reservoir (烏山頭水庫) in Tainan's Guantian
District .

The lane is 87.5 kilometers long!

The government plans to plant 100,000 trees along the path.

This way, people can enjoy a beautiful view while they ride along the trail.

And the trees will help cut carbon emissions.

水圳綠道旁邊會栽種10萬棵台灣原生樹種，製造綠蔭美景，也為地球減碳。

People riding along the path can also learn more about agriculture.

They can see irrigation systems (灌溉系統).

And they can also see things built a long time ago during the Japanese
colonial era.

民眾可已沿著水圳綠道，從台南經嘉義騎車到雲林，多多了解農田水利建設，還可以欣賞農村和天然景觀。
________________________________

史上海拔最高的下午茶
World's Highest Tea Party

Have you heard of high tea (英式下午茶)?

It's a British tradition.

It usually happens around 6 PM.

Everyone sits at a table or in the kitchen after a day of work.

And they eat things like meat pies, baked beans, or potato cakes.

That's a traditional high tea.

But now one person has done it in an all new way.

It's high tea, but really, really high.

Andrew Hughes is an athlete from Seattle, Washington.

He likes climbing mountains.

When the COVID-19 pandemic happened, Andrew couldn't climb mountains for a
long time.

And he realized (發現) what he missed the most, was being with people while
climbing.

So he came up with a plan.

On May 5th, 2021, Andrew and a team of climbers climbed up Mount Everest in
Nepal...

And they held a high tea party!

Andrew和他的登山夥伴竟在聖母峰上舉辦了一場英式下午茶!

The group set up their tea at Mount Everest's Camp 2.

The camp is about 6,500 kilometers high.

And having a tea party that high is much harder than it looks.

Andrew said just carrying all the things they needed up Mount Everest was a
huge challenge (挑戰).

They had to fly all those cups, cookies, plates, and other things from the
U.S. to Nepal.

Then, the tea supplies were carried by a yak (犛牛) up part of the mountain.

Then the team had to carry the supplies in their backpacks for the rest of
the climb.

They passed through steep cliffs (陡峭的懸崖) and frozen waterfalls, all with
the supplies on their backs.

And there was also a big snow storm on the day of the party.

What an incredible (不可思議的) challenge!

But in the end, the team says it was worth it (值得).

They set a new Guinness World Record, for the highest tea party ever held.

Andrew says "the greatest things in life are often those shared".

He hopes the high tea party helps other people chase their own dreams.
________________________________

鋼琴家找到了新方法表現自己
A Pianist Finds A New Way To Express Herself

Navah Perlman Frost has always played the piano.

She is the daughter of violinist Itzhak Perlman, and she began playing the
piano when she was just six years old.

She played for 35 years but had to stop because of the COVID-19 pandemic
(疫情).

No public performances could be played in New York where she lives.

她住的紐約不能做公開表演。

To pass the time, Perlman Frost started making cakes for friends and family.

Her icing flowers (糖花) look like fresh flowers or mimic (模仿) works of art.

Her hobby (興趣) has turned into a business.

And she says she probably won't go back to playing the piano professionally
again.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

The longest bike path in Taiwan opened this month.

It connects Yunlin County, Chiayi County, and Tainan.

The lane is 87.5 kilometers long!
________________________________

Andrew Hughes and a team of climbers climbed up Mount Everest in Nepal and
held a high tea party.

Andrew said just carrying all the things they needed up Mount Everest was a
huge challenge.

They set a new Guinness World Record, for the highest tea party ever held.
________________________________

And,

Navah Perlman Frost has played the piano since she was just six years old.

But she had to stop because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now she has started a business making cakes.
________________________________

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 kindness.

From a very young age, we are taught to be kind. It can be easy to forget
this in our busy everyday lives, but we can all use a little more kindness to
warm our hearts! Tell us about a time that you saw someone do something kind.

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 Paz Bueno....

And I'm Trevor Tortomasi.

In today's news:

A snake on a train, a new multi-colored species of fish, and the largest
volcanic eruption in the 21st century.

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

火車上的一條蛇
A Snake Rides on a Train

What would you do if you saw a snake while riding on a train?

On April 18th, the morning train between Miaoli and Hualien was interrupted
(中?) when a snake was spotted onboard.

The conductor made an emergency announcement to inform the passengers.
列車長發布緊急通知通知乘客。

And the train made a temporary (暫時的) stop in Yilan station so that
firefighters could get on the train and catch the snake.

It was found on the luggage rack (行李架) in one of the train carriages.

The animal was identified as a 90-centimeter boa constrictor (蟒蛇).

Boa constrictors are non-venomous (無毒的), meaning that they don't produce
venom when they bite.

These animals are not native (本土的) to Taiwan, and they are mostly found in
South America.

The investigators believe that it could be a pet that escaped (逃脫) its
owner.

Many passengers took pictures and videos as the snake slithered (滑行) on the
handrails and between the seats.

The police say that pet owners should not bring animals into the station or
on the train without permission (允許).

People who break the rule will have to pay a fine (交罰款) between 1,500 and
7,500 NT.
________________________________

在馬爾代夫發現了一種新的五顏六色的魚
A New Species of Multi-Colored Fish in the Maldives

Scientists in the Maldives (馬爾代夫) have discovered a new kind of
multi-colored fish (多色的魚).

The rose-veiled fairy wrasse is a colorful sea creature that lives up to 300
feet deep in an area of the ocean called 'the twilight zone'
(海中的暮光地帶).

The rose-veiled fairy wrasse was mistaken (被誤認為) for its relative, the
rosy-scales fairy wrasse, for a long time.

That's because both fish live in the same habitat (棲息地), grow to three
inches long, and look alike.

But there are some small differences (區別).

Rose-veiled fairy wrasses have more rounded tail fins (尾鰭).

Because it's so dark underwater, it's hard to tell if the adults of the two
species are different colors.

In the end, scientists decided there were enough differences to call it a
separate species (物種).

They named it Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa, after the national flower (國花) of
the Maldives.

The word finifenmaa means "rose" in the local language (語言).
________________________________

21世紀最大的火山爆發
The Biggest Volcanic Eruption in the 21st Century

Tonga's volcanic explosion in 2022 may be the biggest eruption (爆發) of the
21st century (21世紀).

The eruption pushed out 10 cubic kilometers of material, created a shock wave
that went around the Earth several times, and emitted ash plumes (排放灰羽)
the size of France.

By using a newly developed algorithm (算法), scientists were able to figure
out the size of the eruption in Tonga.

It's called the Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), and it says eruptions of
this size happen every 50-100 years.

Such an algorithm could be useful in remote places (偏遠地區), where there
isn't a lot of equipment to measure eruptions.

This new approach uses seismic waves to estimate (估計) eruption size.

Today, scientists have thousands of seismic monitoring stations (地震監測站)
that can detect earthquakes even over long distances.

It can also estimate volcanic eruption size in as little as an hour if enough
data is available, helping to estimate the size of the resulting ash cloud,
and how that might impact the environment.
可以在短短一個小時內估計火山噴發的規模，產生的火山灰雲，以及可能對環境造成的影響。

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai erupted in January 2022 and destroyed 90 percent of
the uninhabited island (無人島) it was on.

The volcano exploded into seawater instead of open air, so it affected (影響)
the blast and tsunami that followed.

For now, the researchers say, their algorithm is easy to use and can be
tweaked (調整) in many ways in the future.

However, it already makes calculations (計算) very quickly.

And as data on more eruptions are collected, the algorithm can be improved
(改善).
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

A boa constrictor was found on a train going from Miaoli to Hualien.

Firefighters got on the train to catch it.

And they think it was a pet that ran away from its owner.
________________________________

And,

Scientists discovered a new type of multi-colored fish in the Maldives called
a rose-veiled fairy wrasse.

They live 300 feet deep in the ocean.

And they are named after Maldives' national flower.
________________________________

And,

Tonga's volcanic eruption might be the biggest one in the 21st century.

Scientists used an algorithm to calculate how big it was.

The algorithm can calculate the size of volcanic eruptions from far, far away.
________________________________

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 food.

There's a saying in English "It's raining cats and dogs". It means it's
raining really hard. But that idea of strange things raining down from the
sky really makes you think right?

If the sky could rain food, what food would you like to have rain down?

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!