Staff Shortage and a Sphinx Mystery

Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites… I'm Nancy Sun. And I'm Hope Ngo. In today's stories… Searching for staff, and solving the Sphinx mystery. And in today's Tasty Tidbit… Here's what happens when AI takes over! Stay tuned. ________________________________ 旅宿業缺工 Hotels Facing Staff Shortage More people are traveling nowadays. That's because the COVID-19 pandemic has eased (減低、緩解) This means now, there is more demand for accommodation (住宿), especially during holidays. But there is also a huge shortage (短缺) of workers. During the pandemic, many hotel workers were laid off. But now, many workers do not want to go back. They have found new jobs, and do not want to return to the hospitality industry (旅宿業). Some data shows that many hotels are 30 percent short of workers. Others are 70 percent short of workers in the housekeeping department (房務). So many hotels have changed their check-in time, from 3pm to 5pm. Some say that working in hotel housekeeping is very tiring. And some say the pay is not high enough. 有些學者說低薪才是招不到員工的主因。 Other workers say there isn't a high chance of getting a promotion (升遷). The government is thinking about turning to migrant workers (移工) to help the shortage. Officials also suggested that hotels can hire more middle-aged women and elderly workers. They say employers need to change their mindset and give these workers a chance. Other officials say the hotel industry does hire such workers. But they say many are not interested in working in the industry. Whatever the reason, everyone is hoping to find a solution to the problem. Or customers may have to keep waiting a little longer to check in. ________________________________ 人面獅身像不是埃及人蓋的？ Wind May Have Helped Sculpt Egypt’s Famous Sphinx. A Sphinx is a creature from myths (神話). It is a being with the head of a human and the body of a lion. A very famous statue of a sphinx, is the Great Sphinx of Giza. The statue was made 4,500 years ago. It is one of the largest sculptures (雕像) in the world. Archeologists (考古學家) have wondered how it was made for a long time. It was carved from one giant piece of limestone (石灰岩). Experts now think a natural rock formation may be the sculpture’s foundation (底座). These rock formations are known as “Yardang” (雅丹). Yardangs are made from wind erosion (風化). When the desert wind blows sand onto the rocks, the softer parts erode (被侵蝕). And the harder parts stay. A team of researchers in New York tested this theory. They took a mound of clay and stuck it inside harder materials. Then they ran a stream of water over it. Slowly, a sphinx-like shape appeared. The harder material became the head. And other "parts" also developed. 這項實驗結果指出，人面獅身像的形狀或許是大自然的傑作。 So the scientists think this may have been the first step for making the Sphinx. Then ancient highly-skilled craftsmen worked on the rock to create the details. ________________________________ So, in today's News Bites… The hospitality industry is facing a shortage of workers. Many workers do not want to go back. Some data shows that many hotels are 30 percent short of workers. Others are 70 percent short of workers in the housekeeping department. ________________________________ And, Experts have a new theory about how the Great Sphinx of Giza was made. They believe a natural rock formation may be the sculpture’s foundation. Then ancient highly-skilled craftsmen worked on the rock to create the details. But the Sphinx is still a mystery in many ways. ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit In today's Tasty Tidbit, artificial intelligence may be super smart, but does it have our awesome sense of humor? This is a good one…you ready? A husband told his wife, “Did you know Old McDonald’s farm has been taken over by Artificial Intelligence?” Wife: AI? Husband: AI. Wife: Oh. And now, 14-year-old Kenny from Tucheng Junior High School has a few thoughts on artificial intelligence. < [CLIP] Slug: > Do you think AI is a tool or a danger? If you have a fun fact or a joke you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode! Tune in again next time for an all new episode of News Bites!