________________________________

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

I'm Paz Bueno…

And I'm Nancy Sun.

In today's news:

Taitung offers hotel subsidies, pets in a Japanese office, and the danger of
processed foods.

Get ready to learn more about these news stories, coming up next!
________________________________

到台東旅遊每房享 500 元補助
Taitung Offers $500 NT Hotel Subsidy to Tourists

Taking a trip is a joy to many people.

Though many people have stopped traveling around since the pandemic happened.

Do you remember the last time you went on a trip?

It sure was a while ago, wasn't it?

Taiwan's tourism industry was facing a down time during the pandemic.
台灣的旅遊業在疫情時陷入了低潮。

But now, it seems to be changing.

Traveling around and road trips are making a comeback (捲土重來)!

The Taitung County Government has thought of a way to encourage people to
travel there.
於是台東政府想了一個吸引遊客的方法。

They want people to visit Taitung and enjoy the tasty food there.

Taitung is one of the most popular tourist destinations (觀光勝地).

It's located on the southeast coast of Taiwan.

The Pacific Ocean (太平洋) is on its right-hand side.

Taitung is famous for its natural scenery (自然景觀).

And it's also known for its indigenous culture.

The government has planned to give a subsidy (補貼) to people who want to
travel to Taitung.

They're offering to help people pay $500 NT per room per night for their
accommodation (住宿).

So, if you're planning on visiting Taitung, you can save (省下) $500 NT on
your hotel expenses (花費)!

Isn't that great?

The county government hopes the subsidy could attract more people to visit
after last month's earthquake.
他們希望藉此振興震後觀光，吸引旅客人潮。
________________________________

日本公司允許寵物進入辦公室
A Japanese Company Allows Pets in the Office

Do you want to work or study with your pet running around near you?
你想要跟你的寵物一起工作或唸書嗎？

If you answered, "Yes!" or if you're an animal lover (動物愛好者), then you
might be happy to hear this news.

Bringing pets to work is becoming more and more trendy (流行) these days.

Especially in Japan, where a lot of workers have changed their work style.

Many employees have gone from working in the office to working from home
during the pandemic.

And now, many people are still choosing to work from home.

This is why a company in Japan decided they want their workers to bring their
dogs to the office to keep them company at work!

In Kawasaki, near Japan's capital city Tokyo, a company called Fujitsu is
exploring a new way of doing things.
在日本首都東京附近的川崎，一家名為 Fujitsu 的公司正在嘗試一種新的工作模式。

They set up a dog office in the company building.

Their executives (高階主管) want to see if that can help their staff (員工)
want to come back to work in the office.
________________________________

超加工食品與癌症風險
Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to Cancer Risk

We have so many food choices these days.

How do you choose what to buy for a meal?

If you like frozen pizza, sausages, pickles, soda, or cookies…

You must pay attention!
要注意聽囉！

Evidently, there is some harmful food in our daily choices.
顯然，我們的日常選擇中存在一些有害的食物。

Those foods usually contain ingredients (成分) that are largely made in a
laboratory (實驗室).

We call them ultra-processed food (超加工食品).

Researchers have discovered most of those ultra-processed foods contain
things like preservatives, flavor enhancers, colorings, added sugar and fats.
研究發現大多數那種加工過的食品都含有防腐劑、增味劑、色素、添加糖和脂肪。

And those provide a lot of calories (卡路里) that our bodies don't need.

If we eat them too much or too often, it can lead to disease (致病).

People in the US have done a study on those who like to eat processed food.
在美國有個實驗專門研究那些喜歡吃加工食品的人。

They have tested over 200,000 people over 28 years.
他們花了28年，測試了超過20多萬人。

And the study tells us that the people who eat a lot of ultra-processed food
are more likely to get sick.

They get diseases like bowel cancer, obesity and cardiovascular diseases
(腸癌、肥胖和心血管疾病).

We can see a lot of ultra-processed food in the markets nowadays.

So, we really need to be careful when choosing what to eat.

We need to learn to keep a healthy diet (保持健康的飲食).

Eating stuff that's freshly made (新鮮出爐), and eating more natural fruit
and vegetables are ways of eating healthy.

So, what's in your lunchbox today?
________________________________

Let's review the stories in today's News Bites:

The Taitung County Government wants more people to travel there.

They planned a budget to attract tourists.

So they're offering $500 NT per room per night for their accommodation.
________________________________

And,

Many people don't want to work in an office after working from home during
the pandemic.

A company in Japan decided to let workers bring their dogs to the office to
keep them company at work!

They set up a dog office in the building to see if that can help their staff
to want to come back to work.
________________________________

And,

Ultra-processed foods contain many harmful ingredients.

They can cause diseases like bowel cancer, obesity and cardiovascular
diseases.

We really need to be careful when choosing what to eat to stay healthy.
________________________________

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 pizza toppings.

Some people like to eat pizza. There are savory and sweet pizzas. And pizzas
can come with many different things on top. If you could put anything on top
of a pizza, what would you pick?

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!
 

________________________________

Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening to you! This right here is
another episode of News Bites.

I'm Trevor Tortomasi...

And I'm Paz Bueno.

Let's look at today's news:

Computers translate Taiwanese, students make crazy hats, and the U.S. honors
an Asian-American.

Stay tuned for those stories, coming up next.
________________________________

人工智慧首次翻譯台語
AI Translates Taiwanese for the First Time

Can you speak Taiwanese?
你會曉講台語無？
Lí ē-hiáu kóngTâi-gí bô?

If you live in Taiwan, you have definitely heard people speaking Taiwanese.

It's part of a Chinese language family called "Hokkien", which is spoken by
people in many countries.
台語這個語言屬於福建話的語系，很多國家都有人會講。

But in today's modern world (現代的世界), the Hokkien language has a special
problem...

It's mostly oral (口語的), or spoken (用講的).

That means there aren't many people using Hokkien to write or type (打字),
and that makes it much harder to translate (翻譯).

Fortunately (幸好), one man is finally working on a very powerful translation
system (很強的翻譯系統) for Hokkien!

And the translator uses an artificial intelligence (人工智慧), or A.I., from
the Facebook company "Meta".

It's difficult work, but he is working with many engineers (工程師) and
native Hokkien speakers (以福建話為母語的人士).

He says his grandfather in Taiwan speaks Taiwanese, but has problems with
Mandarin (國語).

So he wants to help his grandfather and other Hokkien speakers to break the
language barrier (破壞語言障礙).

And an A.I. translator like this can also help keep records (紀錄) of how
languages like Hokkien are spoken, so the world can keep these languages
alive.

This is great news, right?
這是一個好消息，對無？

Che sī chi̍t ê hó siau-sit, tio̍h bô?

________________________________

學生戴上【防止作弊】的帽子
Students Use 'Anti-Cheating' Hats

Hey. Hey you!

You'd better not be cheating in school!
你上學時最好不要作弊！

Of course, we all know that no matter where you do it (不管你在哪裡),
cheating is bad.

It can seem like an easy way to win, or to get good grades (拿到好成績), but
it's not fair to other people (對別人不公平).

So teachers are always trying new ways to encourage honest behavior
(鼓勵誠實的行為).

That's why one teacher in the Philippines (菲律賓) came up with a crazy idea
(異想天開的主意), before a big test.

She told her students to wear "headgear" (頭飾) to stop them from cheating.

And many students took this idea very far.
很多學生更進一步發揮創意。

At least, much further than the teacher expected!
遠超過老師原先的預期。

They came to school with helmets (安全帽), goggles (護目鏡), Halloween masks
(萬聖節面具), and giant hats made of cardboard (紙板).

And when people saw pictures of these anti-cheating hats on the internet
(在網路上), everyone else started making their own!

It might be a great example (很好的例子) of how to encourage students to be
honest.

We all know cheating is bad... but good behavior should be fun!
________________________________

亞裔美國演員 變成硬幣上的人頭
U.S. Coins Feature Asian American Actress

All over the world, different countries (國家) have their own different kinds
of money.

Most countries have paper money, (鈔票), and coins (硬幣).

And on most of that money, what do you see?

There's almost always a person's face!

Usually it's one of that country's leaders (領導人).

But sometimes, it's an important person from that country's cultural history
(文化歷史).

And in the United States (美國), there are a lot of new faces on U.S. coins!

One of those faces is Anna May Wong (黃柳霜), who was a famous actor in
Hollywood (好萊塢).

Anna was a Chinese American, and one of the only Asian actors in Hollywood in
the early 1900s.
黃柳霜是華裔美國人，是二十世紀初極少數亞裔好萊塢演員中的一位。

That's because Asian Americans have faced a lot of racism (種族歧視) in the
U.S.

Now, seeing her face on U.S. money has made a lot of people happy.

They say it's a step forward (進步) in recognizing Asian Americans and their
contributions (貢獻) to American culture.

Do you think you'll ever see a foreign face on Taiwanese money?

If it ever happens, it'll be because they've helped Taiwan become a better
place.

Who knows? It could be you!
________________________________

So, let's hear those stories again:

One man is working on an artificial intelligence, or A.I., to translate
Hokkien.

Hokkien is more difficult to translate than other languages, because it is
mostly spoken, not written.

He hopes the translator can help his grandfather and other Hokkien speakers
to break the language barrier, and keep these languages alive.
________________________________

And,

One teacher in the Philippines told her students to wear "headgear" to stop
them from cheating.

And many students took this idea much further than the teacher expected!

They came to school with helmets, goggles, Halloween masks, and giant hats
made of cardboard.
________________________________

And,

The United States has put the face of an Asian American, named Anna May Wong,
on U.S. coins.

Anna was a Chinese American, and one of the only Asian actors in Hollywood in
the early 1900s.

People say it's a step forward in recognizing Asian Americans, and their
contributions to American culture.
________________________________

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

主播每周一問
Have Your Say

This week, we asked you to have your say about pizza toppings.

Candy, a student in Grade 4 at Wego Elementary School in Taipei, has an idea
that might be famous.

***

Thank you for the message, Candy! I have a feeling that pizza will be quite
popular, indeed...

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

Remember, if we used your answer in 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!
 

________________________________

Hello everyone! Welcome to another episode of News Bites.

I'm Paz Bueno…

And I'm Trevor Tortomasi.

In today's news:

The Taiwan Reading Festival, plants in the UK are behaving strangely, and
rats can bop to a beat.

Stay tuned and we'll tell you more about these stories, coming up next!
________________________________

台灣閱讀節首次展出外交盟友的英文書
Taiwan Reading Festival Features Books from Diplomatic Allies for the First
Time

The National Central Library (國家圖書館) is hosting a special event in
Taipei this weekend.

The Taiwan Reading Festival!

It's an annual event spreading (傳播) the joy of reading to every corner of
Taiwan.

The festival will include music performances, arts and crafts, and
storytelling.

And this year the library has also invited international guests!

For the first time, there will be English books from Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Saint Christopher and Nevis, and Belize.
閱讀節首次推出來自聖文森及格瑞那丁、聖克里斯多福及尼維斯以及貝里斯的英文書。

The three countries are Taiwan's diplomatic allies (外交盟友).

Each country will have a booth (攤位) to introduce the culture of the
Caribbean and Central American nations (加勒比海和中美洲國家).

The Saint Vincent and the Grenadines booth will feature three Vincentian
English teachers reading aloud (朗讀) books by Vincentian authors.

The Saint Kitts and Nevis booth will have English books written by leading
authors (主要作者) in the country to give Taiwanese a clearer understanding
of the country, and its culture and heritage
(讓台灣人更了解這個國家及其文化和遺產).

And when Taiwanese children visit Belize's booth, they will be taken on a
journey to the country through literature (文學).

The Taiwan Reading Festival is taking place at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial
Park on December 3rd, and at the National Central Library on December 4th.
________________________________

英國迎來第二個"春天"
UK Has 'Second Spring'

Plants in the United Kingdom are behaving a little differently this year
(有點不一樣).

Flowers and plants are flowering (開花) and show no signs of stopping.

That's because the weather is unusually (異常地) warm for November!

A botanist says the way the greenery is responding to the weather this year
is completely crazy and mixed.
一位植物學家說，今年綠色植物對天氣的反應很瘋狂。

For example, during the summer, the UK experienced a drought (乾旱).

Lots of plants became dormant (休眠) like they would in winter, because it
was too hot.

Some trees dropped their leaves, and others started growing right after it
rained.

And now, there are plants that are blooming (開花) for the first time this
year.

Horticulturists say the change could have a detrimental effect for next
spring.
園藝家說，這種變化可能會對明年春天產生不利影響。

If plants use a lot of resources to grow now, they might not grow well next
year.

That means the insects that eat plants will be thrown out of kilter (失衡)…

Which means the birds that eat insects will be thrown out of kilter…

Which means…well, so many life cycles (生命週期) will be affected!

Extreme weather events are becoming more and more common because of global
warming.

There is still a lot we don't know about how it will affect us.
________________________________

就像我們一樣，老鼠會隨著音樂作動
Rats Bop to Music Just as We Do

When you listen to your favorite song, do you nod your head or tap your feet
to the beat?
當你聽你最喜歡的歌曲時，你會點頭還是用腳敲打拍子？

People have always thought that rhythm was a skill unique to us humans
(節奏感是我們人類獨有的).

There are animals that can react (反應) to noise and be trained (受訓) to
dance along to music.

But it's not the same as humans' complex neural and motor processes that let
you hear the beat in a song.
但這與人類複雜的神經傳導不同，人類聽得到歌曲中的節拍。

That innate ability is called "beat synchronicity."
這種與生俱來的能力被稱為"節拍同步性"。

Well, new research shows that rats can also bop to a beat (隨著節拍跳動)!

A team from the University of Tokyo discovered that rats share our urge to
move to the groove (老鼠和我們一樣會受到音樂的鼓舞而動作).

They used miniature accelerometers on the rats and played music with
different BPMs, or beats per minute.
他們在老鼠身上使用微型加速器，播放不同節拍的音樂。

The devices allowed them to measure (測量) the slightest head movements.

The researchers found the rats jerked their heads (搖頭) to the beat of the
music!

This is the first report on innate beat synchronization (先天節拍同步) in
animals that was not the result of training.

Isn't it incredible?

Some animals are not so different from us, after all!
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

The National Central Library is hosting the Taiwan Reading Festival this
weekend.

And for the first time, there will be English books from Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Saint Christopher and Nevis, and Belize.
________________________________

Plants in the United Kingdom are behaving a little differently this year.

That's because the weather is unusually warm for November!

Horticulturists say the change could have a detrimental effect for next
spring.
________________________________

And,

People have always thought that rhythm was a skill unique to us humans.

But new research shows that rats can also bop to a beat!
________________________________

And that's all for 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 music.

There are so many different kinds of music, in all kinds of cultures all over
the world. Music can be fast or slow, or loud or quiet, and it can have all
kinds of different instruments in it.

So, what is your favorite kind of music?

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.
 

________________________________

Hello!

Let's chow down on another episode of News Bites!

I'm Paz Bueno…

And I'm Ron Stuart!

In today's news:

The 2023 Taipei Book Exhibition, 2022's Person of the Year, and more turtles
on Cyprus.

Stay tuned and we'll tell you more about these stories, coming up next!
________________________________

台北書展邀請波蘭嘉賓
Taipei Book Fair Features Polish Guests

The 31st Taipei International Book Exhibition is coming soon!

Last year, the annual event returned to its normal schedule (恢復正常) after
two years of COVID-19.

This year, the book fair's theme is The Multiverse of Reading
(閱讀的多元宇宙).

And Poland (波蘭) is the guest of honor.

The event has invited eight Polish authors, poets, picture book creators, and
illustrators.
本次活動邀請了八位波蘭作家、詩人、繪本創作者和插畫家。

That includes Andrzej Sapkowski, author of the best-selling Witcher series of
books (獵魔士).

The Polish Pavilion (波蘭館) will have three main sections, featuring
historical books, children's picture books, and historical collections.

There will also be a Poland Night on February the 4th.

There will be Polish cuisine (料理) and music performances from Polish
artists.

Other countries are also setting up pavilions (分館).

Including Italy, France, Germany and South Korea, among others.

The event is taking place from January 31st to February the 5th at the Taipei
World Trade Center.

People younger than 18 and foreigners can attend (參加) the fair free of
charge.

You can also enter for free if you present (提交) a Taiwan Railways
Administration or high-speed rail ticket purchased on the day of entry in
locations outside of Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung.
________________________________

烏克蘭總統獲選為2022年度風雲人物
Ukrainian President Honored as Person of the Year 2022

One of the names I'm sure you've heard of this year is Volodymyr Zelensky
(澤倫斯基).

Ukraine's President has been named 2022 Person of the Year by the US TIME
magazine (2022年度風雲人物).

He won the title, along with "The Spirit (精神) of Ukraine."

On February 24th, Russia launched a military occupation (軍事佔領) of Ukraine.

Zelensky stayed in the capital Kyiv in the face of Russia's invasion (侵略).

His response to the Russian invasion has made him a household name
(家喻戶曉的人).

He delivers daily speeches and his audience (觀眾) has grown around the
world.

TIME magazine's cover shows the ex-comedian wearing his iconic green fatigues
(迷彩服).

The article also shows pictures of Ukrainian people representing (扮演) the
Spirit of Ukraine.
________________________________

保育工作正在助長賽普勒斯的烏龜數量
Conservation work helping Turtle population in Cyprus

Turtle populations are making a comeback (再創高峰) in Cyprus.

That's all thanks to conservation efforts by volunteers (志工).

The Republic of Cyprus is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea (地中海).

Military and civilian volunteers there have been working hard to protect the
environment.

They supervise nesting beaches (棲地) and look out for turtle tracks
(烏龜行蹤) every day in the summer.

Volunteers also report about human activities along the beach.

Things like camping and lighting bonfires at the beach can be damaging (危害)
to turtles.

So far, their hard work has paid off (他們的付出有了回報).

The number of turtles on beaches on Cyprus has been increasing.

They say some 172 green and loggerhead turtle nests were identified.

The volunteers are making sure the turtles have a safe place to lay eggs.

That way they can continue to live and thrive.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

The 31st Taipei International Book Exhibition is coming soon!

This year, the book fair's theme is The Multiverse of Reading, and Poland is
the guest of honor.

The event is taking place from January 31st to February 5th at the Taipei
World Trade Center.

People younger than 18 and foreigners can attend the fair free of charge.

You can also enter for free if you present a Taiwan Railways Administration
or high-speed rail ticket purchased on the day of entry in locations outside
of Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung.
________________________________

Ukraine's President has been named 2022 Person of the Year by the US TIME
magazine.

Volodymyr Zelensky's response to the Russian invasion has made him a
household name.

TIME magazine's cover shows the ex-comedian wearing his iconic green
fatigues.

The article also shows pictures of Ukrainian people representing the Spirit
of Ukraine.
________________________________

And,

Turtle populations are making a comeback in Cyprus.

Military and civilian volunteers there have been working hard to protect the
environment.

So far, their hard work has paid off.

The number of turtles on beaches on Cyprus has been increasing.

They say some 172 green and loggerhead turtle nests were identified.

The volunteers are making sure the turtles have a safe place to lay eggs.

That way they can continue to live and thrive.
________________________________

And that's all for 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 expectations for 2023.

People often set new goals during the New Year holiday. This year, I am
looking forward to making new friends!

And you?

What are you looking forward to this year?

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, it's time for another episode of News Bites!

I'm Nancy Sun…

And I'm Paz Bueno.

In today's news:

Taiwan hotels need more workers, Italy tests Chinese travelers, and boredom
can be a good thing.

Stay tuned and we'll tell you more about these stories, coming up next!
________________________________

台灣飯店人力短缺
Taiwan Hotels Need Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has made life difficult for many.

The tourism industry (產業) has also been struggling.

Many people who work in tourism-related companies have lost their jobs.

But now, many countries are opening their borders again.

And more people are traveling again.

Now there is a new problem.

There is a major labor shortage (短缺).

This means there aren't enough workers to do all the work.

This shortage of manpower is so serious that even a manager of a luxury hotel
has said he has to help with housekeeping (整理飯店房間).

Another hotel had to reject reservations for thousands of tables because they
didn't have enough workers.

Industry analysts (產業分析師) believe that the job market has changed in big
way.

Many look for jobs in the tech sector, because of its stability despite the
pandemic.

A hotel manager even said young people are finding food delivery jobs or jobs
as internet influencers (網紅).

They are afraid that if another wave of the pandemic strikes, they would lose
their jobs.

Some hotels are raising pay, to try to attract workers.

This may not completely solve the problem.

但對於想找短期打工機會的人來說，這或許是個不錯的機會。
________________________________

義大利將篩檢大陸旅客
Italy Testing Travelers from China for COVID-19

China has changed its zero-COVID policy.

Since then, Chinese travelers have been taking trips to other countries.

Authorities in Milan, Italy said half of the passengers on two flights from
China tested positive (陽性).

As a result, Italy will begin testing all arrivals from China for COVID-19.

And they hope that other European countries will do the same.

However, not all EU countries are responding to Italy's request.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention Control (ECDC) considered the test
"unjustified" (不正當).

ECDC said that the BF.7 omicron variant (變種) that was hitting China hard
was already in Europe.

Therefore, it is not a significant (重大) threat to the EU.

According to the World Health Organization, over 80% of the people in Western
Europe have been vaccinated.

This might be one of the reasons that some European countries are not making
the test mandatory (強制).

No matter what policies other countries are implementing...

Wearing a mask still seems to be a good way to protect yourself from COVID-19.

戴口罩還是一個很重要的保護措施。
________________________________

覺得無聊也可以是好事
Boredom Can Be a Good Thing

What do you do when you feel bored?

Most would take out their phones to play a game, watch a video or surf their
social media.

This is an era when people hate to get bored.

But what if being bored is actually a good thing?

According to a new study, the distraction (分心) of social media could be
stopping our minds from getting to a deeper, more complete feeling of
boredom.

Researchers say that complete boredom can help us be more innovative (創新).

We sometimes get bored when we're waiting for something.

But this boredom is only superficial (淺層).

We stop being bored like this if we turn to our cell phone.

This means we never get into deep boredom.

Researchers studied the lives of people who were in lockdown during the
pandemic.

Some of those who experienced deep boredom had feelings of restlessness
(煩躁) and emptiness (空虛).

But many others discovered things they loved to do, like carpentry, baking,
and so on.

The researchers came to the conclusion that not being deeply bored might be
stopping us from finding more meaningful things.

Next time you feel bored, don't be so quick to pick up your phone.

下次無聊的時候，先不要馬上把手機拿出來。

Who knows? Maybe you can discover a new passion, or come up with a great idea.
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So, in today's News Bites:

There is a major labor shortage for hotels.

This means there aren't enough workers to do all the work.

Industry analysts believe COVID-19 has changed the job market in big way.
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Italy will begin testing all arrivals from China for COVID-19.

And they hope that other European countries will do the same.

But not all EU countries are responding to Italy's request.
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And,

Researchers say that complete boredom can help us be more innovative.

Not being deeply bored might be stopping us from finding more meaningful
things.

Next time you feel bored, don't be so quick to pick up your phone.
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And that's all for 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 your expectations for 2023.

People often set new goals during the New Year holiday. This year, I am
looking forward to making new friends!

And you? What are you looking forward to this year?

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!