________________________________

Hello everyone! It's time for another episode of News Bites!

I'm Paz Bueno…

And I'm Trevor Tortomasi.

In today's news:

Taipei First Girls' High School Marching Band dazzle at Rose Parade, France
sets new rules for fast food restaurants, and playing video games might be
good for your brain!

Stick around and we'll tell you more about these stories, coming up next.
_______________________________

北一女樂儀旗隊 玫瑰花車遊行讓人驚豔
Taipei First Girls High School Marching Band Dazzle at Rose Parade

How far can you walk, carrying a heavy instrument (樂器)?

One kilometer? Maybe three?

The Taipei First Girls High School marching band, honor guard, and color
guard dazzled the audiences at the Rose Parade in California.
北一女樂隊、儀隊和旗隊在加州玫瑰花車遊行中讓觀眾眼花繚亂。

The marching band (遊行樂隊) was one of six international groups taking part
in this year's parade.

The girls walked for nearly two hours in the cold weather.

It was only six degrees Celsius (攝氏六度)!

They marched for nine kilometers while playing music.

Local media praised (稱讚) the 135 students and teachers for their organized
formation.

The event's host addressed (稱呼) Taiwan both by its official name, the
Republic of China (ROC), as well as Taiwan.

This was the third time the Taipei First Girls High School Marching Band,
Honor Guards and Color Guards was invited to perform at the Rose Parade after
performances in 1996 and 2005.

When the parade was over, the students enjoyed burgers at popular fast food
chain (速食連鎖店), In N Out.

After marching for two hours… I'd be super hungry too!
________________________________

法國速食店新規定
France Sets New Rules for Fast Food Restaurants

The New Year brings many new changes.

In France, those changes include new rules about food packaging (包裝).

Starting January 1st, fast food chains in France cannot give dine-in
customers food in throwaway (一次性，用過就丟的) boxes.

That means if you eat at a restaurant like McDonald's, the food would not be
served in disposable (一次性) packaging.

Under the new law, restaurants have to provide reusable (可重複使用的)
plates, cups, and cutlery (刀叉), which will later be washed and used again.

The law was published (發布) in 2020.

The new system is trying to reduce (減少) plastic and other types of waste.

Environmental groups are calling on the government to properly enforce (執行)
the new law.

They hope the government can fine restaurants that don't follow the rule.
________________________________

打電動可能對大腦有益
Playing Video Games Might Be Good For Your Brain

Do you like playing video games (電動遊戲)?

Many adults, especially parents, worry that video games could be bad for us.

But a new study says video games might be good for our brains!

It's called the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (青少年大腦認知發展),
or ABCD Study.

It's one of many studies that looked at the effects (影響) of video games.

They're looking at over 2,000 people between the ages of 10 and 20 in the
United States.

The test group (測試組) reported playing at least three hours a day.

The researchers compare results with a control group (控制組) of kids who
said they never play video games.

All participants in the study answer questions every year.

The researchers also perform an MRT scan on each kid's brain every other year
(每隔一年).

They tested the kids in two ways.

The first task was to press an arrow key that matched the right or left arrow
on a computer screen.
第一項任務是按下跟電腦螢幕上的右箭頭或左箭頭相配的箭頭鍵。

The second task asked the kids to remember the faces in pictures on the
computer screen.
第二個任務要求孩子們記住電腦銀幕上圖片中的面孔。

The result?

The gamer group was better at both tasks!

A researcher says gamer's brains are better at working memory, attention, and
problem-solving.
研究人員說愛打電動的玩家，大腦更擅長記憶、更專注，更能解決問題。

Gamers also have better hand-eye coordination (手眼協調).

Researchers say we need to study the effects of gaming more before deciding
that video games are good for children.

The ABCD study is still ongoing.

But for now… video games might be better for us.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

The Taipei First Girls High School marching band was one of six international
groups taking part in this year's Rose Parade in California.

The girls walked for nearly two hours in the cold weather.

When the parade was over, the students enjoyed burgers at popular fast food
chain, In N Out.
________________________________

Starting January 1st, fast food chains in France cannot give dine-in
customers food in throwaway boxes.

Under the new law, restaurants have to provide reusable plates, cups, and
cutlery, which will later be washed and used again.

The new system is trying to reduce plastic and other types of waste.
________________________________

And,

A new study says video games might be good for our brains!

A researcher says gamer's brains are better at working memory, attention, and
problem-solving.

Gamers also have better hand-eye coordination.

Researchers say we need to study the effect of gaming more before deciding
that video games are good for children.
________________________________

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

主播每周一問
Have Your Say

This week, we asked you to tell us what your New Year's Resolution is...

While these answers might not be looking into the future,

11-year-old Ray from FengGang Elementary School in Hsinchu County tells us
what his plans were for New Year's Eve.

***

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

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

Make sure to tune in again tomorrow for an all-new question!
 

________________________________

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

I'm Nancy Sun…

And I'm Paz Bueno!

In today's news:

Helping Formosan black bears, saving the planet with hair, and plum blossoms
for Lunar New Year.

All that and more, coming up next!
________________________________

發現臺灣黑熊 通報有獎勵金
Cash Prize for Sighting Formosan Black Bear

The Formosan black bear is an important part of Taiwan.

They are black all over, except for a white "V" marking on their chest.

They are the biggest land animal native to the island.

And they are Taiwan's only native bear species.

台灣黑熊是台灣特有種的黑熊，也是台灣陸地上最大型的食肉動物。

But they are endangered.

They face danger from illegal traps, hunters, and loss of habitat.

Now the Forestry Bureau is awarding (獎勵) people who help protect Formosan
black bears.

It gave a man in Hualien $8,000 NT.

Manama is a member of the Bunun indigenous people.

He got the reward for seeing a Formosan black bear and reporting it to
officials without hurting the bear.

And he let the bureau set up cameras on his property to see what the bear was
doing.

Manama says his son told him last month that one of their chickens was eaten
by a wild animal.

Manama told forest officials.

The officials also found black bear fur and feces (糞便) close by.

They all took steps to encourage the bear not to come back to the village.

This is done to keep both the villagers and the bear safe.

Manama says it was the first time he had seen a Formosan black bear in the 50
years he's lived in the village.

He says he did not hurt the bear because the Bunun people deeply respect the
animal.
________________________________

回收頭髮助「吸油」
Recycled Hair Helps Protect the Environment

Hair is an important part of our body.

It helps us stay warm.

And it protects important parts of our body too.

But did you know it can also protect the environment?

A Belgium company is turning human hair into mats (墊子).

It collects hair from hairdressers (美髮師).

All the hair is put into a machine.

The machine weaves (編織) the hair into a mat.

These hair mats can soak up a lot of oil from water.

剪下來的頭髮可以回收製成吸取油汙的墊子。

The company says 1 kilogram of hair can absorb (吸收) around 8 liters of oil.

That's about 32 cups!

The mats can be used to clean up oil spills (石油洩漏).

Or they can be used to clean drain water (廢水) before the water is put back
into rivers and oceans.

The company says one strand of hair can hold up to 10 million times its own
weight.

Hair is also elastic (有彈性的).

And it absorbs fats and chemicals, like oil and pesticides (殺蟲劑).

The company says hair mats help the environment in many ways.

It cleans up pollution...

The hair that would have become garbage, is turned into something useful...

And it's easy to get more hair, because we keep growing more!
________________________________

春節有機會賞梅
Plum Blossoms to Bloom for Lunar New Year

What are you doing over the Lunar New Year holiday?

This year's Lunar New Year holiday will be 10 days long.

If you'd like to get out and enjoy nature, you might consider going to see
plum blossoms (梅花).

Farmers in Taitung say this year is the first time in 40 years that you may
be able to see plum blossoms over the Lunar New Year.

They say usually plum blossoms bloom a month before the Lunar New Year.

專家說梅花通常都是在農曆春節前1個月左右開花。

But this year the Lunar New Year comes a bit earlier, and plum blossom trees
are blooming a bit later than usual.

They say there are now flower buds (花苞) on plum blossom trees.

The farmers think the plum blossoms will probably start blooming this week.

And the blossoms will be in full bloom next week.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

The Forestry Bureau is awarding people who help protect Formosan black bears.

Manama, a member of the Bunun indigenous people, got the reward for seeing a
Formosan black bear and reporting it to officials without hurting the bear.

He says the Bunun people deeply respect the animal.
________________________________

A Belgium company is turning human hair into mats.

These hair mats can soak up a lot of oil from water.

The mats can be used to clean up oil spills, or clean drain water before the
water is put back into rivers and oceans.
________________________________

And.....

Farmers in Taitung say this year is the first time in 40 years that you may
be able to see plum blossoms over the Lunar New Year.

The farmers think the plum blossoms will probably start blooming this week.

And the blossoms will be in full bloom next week.
________________________________

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 trying something again.

Sometimes, we want to do something great… but maybe we can't do it right.
And later, we wish we could "re-do" it, or do it again, to see if we could
have done it better.

So, if you could redo anything in your life, what would you change?

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!
 

________________________________

Well howdy-doody, this right here's a mighty-fine episode of News Bites!

I'm... *ahem* I'm Trevor Tortomasi...

And I'm Paz Bueno.

In today's news:

Traveling with books, walking on the moon, and solving an art mystery.

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

台灣慶祝【世界閱讀日】
Taiwan Celebrates 'World Book Day'

This month, Taiwan has made some fun activities (活動) to celebrate "World
Book Day".

It's an event is called "Read Taiwan" (走讀台灣), that encourages people
(鼓勵人) to travel around Taiwan with books.

It's a list of places to go... and a list of books to read on the way!
走讀台灣會列出目的地，以及最適合在旅途中看的書！

There is no tour guide (沒有導遊)... you just go and read!

The tours have 105 books, in 12 categories (種類).

And there are categories like local food, culture, trains, nature, and
animals.

Read Taiwan wants to promote stronger reading habits (推廣更堅強的讀書習慣)

That's because... on average (平均), people in Taiwan only buy 2 or 3 books
each year...

But in Japan and South Korea, the average person buys around 10 books per
year.

台灣人每人每年平均只買兩本或三本書... 但在日本和南韓，他們每年平均買十本！

That's a lot of books!

But remember, we can buy books on our phones and computers, too!

It saves paper (節省用紙), and it's much lighter than paper
(也比紙做的書輕多了).

So, the next time you go on a trip around Taiwan, whether it's paper, or a
computer...

Bring a book!
________________________________

太空人演練 月球漫步
Astronauts Practice for Walking on the Moon

Nobody has been to the moon in a long, long time.
已經很久沒有人類踏上月球了。

The last time a human (人類) walked on the moon was in the year 1972
(一九七二年).

But we'll be going again soon!

Well, not "we", I mean... you know, astronauts (太空人)!

It takes a LOT of work, from a LOT of people, just to get a few astronauts to
the moon.

That's why NASA (美國太空總署) is working hard on its Artemis Program
(阿提米絲計畫).

The Artemis Program's third mission wants to get people on the moon by 2025.
阿提米絲計畫的第三項任務，要在 2025 年把太空人送上月球。

But because the moon is smaller than Earth, it has less gravity.

That means walking on the moon feels very different than walking on Earth.

月球的地心引力比地球小，所以在月球上走路，感覺完全不一樣。

Not only that... but astronauts have to wear spacesuits (要穿太空衣), and
that makes walking even harder!

So how do they practice walking on the moon?
所以到底要怎麼練習在月球漫步呢？

Well, NASA has made a special pool (游泳池) for astronauts.

But it's not for swimming!

When the astronauts put on their spacesuits, and walk underwater
(在水下走路)...

They can walk, work, and carry things in the pool, to practice moving in low
gravity (為了練習在低等級的地心引力移動).

This helps astronauts get ready to work on the moon.

And it helps scientists to make better spacesuits, and better technology
(科技).

If all goes well (如果都順利的話), we'll see people on the moon in 2025!
________________________________

蠟筆之謎被解決
Crayon Mystery Solved

Do you like drawing (畫畫)?

How about coloring (塗上顏色)?

Well, there are some places we shouldn't draw or color...
有的地方不應該畫畫或是塗上顏色...

Like on an ancient statue (古代的雕像)!

And one statue in England looked very different this month.

The statue was made of white marble (是用白色大理石做的).

But one morning, it had blue marks all over it!
有一天早上，這個雕像全身都有藍色的斑點。

People realized the marks were drawn by blue crayons (藍色的蠟筆).

But this statue was 230 years old (有兩百三十年歷史)!

Who would do something like this?

Well, it turns out (原來是)... it was kids (小孩畫的).

Some kids walking by the statue decided they wanted to make art with their
crayons.

And maybe they thought the white statue was like a piece of white paper...?
也許他們以為白色的雕像就像一張白紙...？

It's okay to like art... just be careful where you make it!
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

Taiwan is encouraging people to travel around Taiwan with books.

"Read Taiwan" is a list of places to go, and a list of books to read on the
way.

The event wants to encourage people in Taiwan to read more books.
________________________________

And,

NASA has made a special pool for astronauts.

Astronauts can walk, work, and carry things in the pool, to practice moving
in low gravity.

This helps astronauts get ready to work on the moon, and helps scientists to
make better technology.
________________________________

And,

People found blue marks all over a 230-year-old white marble statue.

It turns out that a group of kids had drawn on it with crayons.

Maybe they thought the white statue looked like a piece of white paper...?
________________________________

Anyway, that's today's episode of News Bites...

Yeehaw!
________________________________

主播每周一問
Have Your Say

This week, we want you to have your say about the weather.

The weather has been crazy this month. First it was hot and dry, and now it's
rainy and stormy!

Tell us about the weather near you! Do you like the recent weather?

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.

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 Hope Ngo.

In today's news:

The danger of an incoming report card, the danger of a coal mine, and the
danger of soap?

All that and more, coming up next.
________________________________

高中生雇用徵信社攔截成績單
The Case of a Runaway Report Card

What would you do if you did badly in your exams, and the school is mailing
your grades home?

Would you do everything you can to stop the report card from getting to your
house?

This is exactly what a high school student tried to do.

A private detective posted the story on Facebook.

He was talking about bizarre (不尋常的) cases he had come across.

He wrote that an 18-year-old student wanted to hire him for a job.

The girl asked him to intercept (攔截) a report card that would be mailed to
her home.

She said her grades were terrible.

The student said the mailman arrived at around 9 AM.

And she hoped the detective could take the report card out of the mailbox, so
her mom wouldn't see it.

The detective was surprised that she would think of this idea.

This is obviously not a good way to solve the problem.

The detective tried to talk some sense into her.

He encouraged her to be honest with her mother.

這位同學想的辦法真的是很奇特，不過還是勇敢面對，找出誠實的解決方法比較好喔。
________________________________

澳洲拒絕在大堡礁附近設立煤礦場
Australia Rejects Plans for Coal Mine Near Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system.

It's one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world.

The Australian government is trying to protect the reef.

Recently, they turned down a proposal for a coal mine (煤礦) near the reef.

The mining project would have been located less than 10 kilometers from the
reef.

Australia's Environment Minister rejected the plan because of potential
(潛在的) environmental dangers.

It's the first time a federal environment minister used her powers under
environment laws to reject a mine.

The minister said the risk of pollution and irreversible (不可逆的) damage to
the reef is very real.

She said the project was an "unacceptable risk".

Australia still uses a lot of fossil fuels for its energy.

Over the years, climate change has been a danger to the reef.

Rising temperatures have already caused mass coral bleaching (珊瑚白化) in
the reef.

If things don't improve, the corals will die.

Last year, a team of UNESCO scientists even proposed that the reef should be
added to the list of world heritage sites that are in danger.

聯合國教科文組織建議將澳洲大堡礁列為瀕危世界遺產，不過澳洲表明反對。
________________________________

研究指出肥皂可能會吸引蚊子
Is Your Soap Making You a Mosquito Magnet?

Are you the one that always gets bitten by a mosquito?

Some say it's the pH level (酸鹼值) of our bodies.

Others suggest it's the food that we eat.

Now, a new study suggests that soap might be why you're so attractive
(有吸引力) to those blood sucking creatures.

When female mosquitos are not feeding on blood, they drink plant nectar
(花蜜).

Nowadays, most soaps have fruity and flowery smells, just like nectar.

When we use these soaps, we're putting those smells on our bodies.

This means to the mosquitos, we would smell like humans and flowers together.

That's very attractive to mosquitos!

雌性蚊子不吸血時，也會攝取花蜜，而當我們把這些花和水果香味放在身上，就等於是同時發出人類與花朵的氣味，對蚊子非常具有吸引力。

But the study also says the effects of soap are different on different people.

So the scientists think that may be why even with the same soap, some people
attract mosquitos, while others do not.
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...

A private detective says an 18-year-old student asked him to intercept a
report card that would be mailed to her home.

She said her grades were terrible.

The detective encouraged her to be honest with her mother.
________________________________

The Australian government turned down a proposal for a coal mine near the
Great Barrier Reef.

Australia's Environment Minister rejected the plan because of potential
environmental dangers.

Rising temperatures have already caused mass coral bleaching in the reef.
________________________________

And,

A new study suggests that soap might be why you're so attractive to
mosquitos.

When female mosquitos are not feeding on blood, they drink plant nectar.

Many soaps have fruity and flowery smells, just like nectar, and that's very
attractive to mosquitos

But the study also says the effects of soap are different on different people.
________________________________

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 field trips.

Field trips can be a lot of fun. It's exciting to get out of the classroom
with your classmates, and see something new. And you can learn a lot and get
experience things you read about.

So, what would be your dream field trip?

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.

Send us your recording by Thursday at noon, and you might hear your message
on our show on Friday!
 

________________________________

-Lost Hawk, Test Trouble-

Good afternoon, it's time for a new episode of News Bites...

I'm Paz Bueno.

And I'm Brody Halverson.

Today's stories...
A bird of prey shows up in New Taipei City, and some Korean students are not
happy about their big test.

And in today's Tasty Tidbit…let's visit a magical place in Hawaii!

Stay tuned for more on these stories.
________________________________

一隻老鷹在新北市出現
Hawk Appears in New Taipei

Have you ever heard a hawk's call (老鷹的鳴叫聲)?

That's the sound of a bird of prey (猛禽).

Hawks usually live in the wild.

But recently, one of them appeared (出現) in New Taipei City.

And the government is trying to find out where it came from.

What happened?

People first noticed the hawk living near a bike path.

It made its home beneath a bridge, under the Xin-dian Shui-yuan Expressway.

人們注意到新店水源路下方棲息著一隻鷹。

It is strange for such a bird to show up in the city.

So, the Animal Protection Office (動物保護防疫處) came to check it out.

This government office makes sure animals are healthy and safe.

When they caught the hawk, they were surprised

The bird was actually a Harris's Hawk (栗翅鷹).

This is a big hawk from the Americas.

Harris's Hawks are smart and social (喜愛社交).

They get along well with humans.

What's more, this hawk was wearing an ankle ring.

這隻鷹的腳踝竟然戴著一個圈圈。

That's a ring it wears on its foot, to show that it is a pet.

But, the hawk's ring did not say who it belongs to.

So now the Animal Protection Office is looking for the hawk's owner (主人).

They say the hawk is in good health.

But they have no idea who its owner might be.

沒有人知道主人到底是誰。

It's tricky because a lot of people actually own hawks.

They train (訓練) the hawks to hunt small birds and rats.

And the Harris's Hawk is the most popular kind of hawk to train.

However, Harris's Hawks are still wild at heart (內心還有野性).

If they are not taken care of, they might attack people or harm the
environment.

That's why the government wants to return this hawk to its owner.

Because we can't have wild hawks flying around New Taipei City.
________________________________

學生因考試時間不公平提起訴訟
Students Sue over Unfair Test Time

Do you want to go to college (大學)?

Then you need to take the college entrance exam (大學入學考試)!

It's an important test, and many students find it stressful.

When the test day comes, you write as much as you can, and hope your time
doesn't run out...

So how would you feel if the teacher accidentally (不小心) ended the test
early?

That's what happened to some students in South Korea.

The students were so angry that they sued the government.

一些韓國學生控告政府，因為大考提前結束。

Do you think that's reasonable?

Well, in South Korea, the test is a big deal.

It's called the "Suneung" (修能), and it's one of the hardest tests in the
world.

The test is eight hours long, and covers several subjects.

Many students feel like their whole future depends on this one test score
(考試成績).

After all, the score determines (決定) which university a student can get
into.

And that determines what job they can get and what kind of life they can lead.

On the test day, the whole country stays quiet so students can focus
(集中注意力).

But recently, something bad happened to one group of students.

During the first part of the test, the bell rang early.

It was only 90 seconds early... but the students felt like it hurt their
score.

Many students were so upset they couldn't focus on the other parts of the
test.

很多學生非常沮喪，沒有辦法專心完成別的科目考試。

Some of them even gave up and went home.

Now, 39 students have joined a lawsuit (訴訟).

They are suing the government for 20 million won each.

That's about half a million NT (五十萬台幣).

They say that's the cost of studying for another year to take the test again.

Maybe it seems ridiculous (荒謬), but it's not the first time this has
happened.

Last year, another group of students sued the government when their test
ended 2 minutes early.

And they won.

In a way, it makes sense (有道理).

Everyone asks these students to study so hard.

At least they deserve a fair chance.

學生至少應該得到公平的機會。
________________________________

So, in today's News Bites...

A hawk was recently found in New Taipei City.

It's a Harris's hawk, and it used to be somebody's pet.

Now the city government is looking for the hawk's owner.
________________________________

And,

Some students in South Korea are suing their government.

That's because a teacher ended their college entrance exam 90 seconds early.

The students think it's unfair that they got less time.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit

Imagine a beach with sand that's not golden or white, but green!

Yes, you heard that right - green sand!

This special beach is called Papakolea Beach.

Now, you might wonder, how did the sand turn green?

It's all thanks to a special kind of rock called olivine.

This rock comes from deep inside volcanoes.

When a volcano erupts, it spews out this rock.

Over time, the waves and wind crush it into tiny, tiny pieces.

These pieces mix with the sand, giving it a beautiful green color.

Papak?lea Beach is one of the rarest beaches in the world.

If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with
us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to
newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode!

We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!