通勤學英語 15Mins Today

TOYOTA The 60th -COROLLA六十週年典藏版特仕登場這一次，換你來寫下，屬於你的 COROLLA 故事。 https://fstry.pse.is/93d4ek —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: Senator Kamala Harris was nominated as the as the vice-presidential candidate, running alongside ex-Vice President Joe Biden. Many people suddenly realized that she has a Chinese name. So where did she get her Chinese name? The story goes that Kamala has a Taiwanese-American friend Su Jung-Li who helped her come up with a Chinese name when she asked for advice on how to win over a Chinese-dominated population. According to reports, Kamala didn’t like the word “Li” meaning beauty initially, because she wanted people to associate with her intelligence and not her beauty. 原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-931-kamala-harris-unveils-meaning-story-behind   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences Ethnicity n. belonging to a social group that has a common cultural tradition Senator Kamala Harris was the first black woman with Asian ethnicity to be nominated as vice presidential candidate. Maria wanted to research the roots of her ethnicity.  Candidate n. a person who is applying for a job or is nominated for election We are going to interview two candidates for the design position that is open. Joe Biden nominated Kamala Harris as his vice-presidential candidate.  Nominate v. propose or enter as candidate in an election John Wick was nominated for best action movie. I never nominate any friends to be class captain. 

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你上一次去熱炒店是什麼時候？那個紅色塑膠椅、歡鬧的氣氛、還有空氣中飄著的九層塔和蒜香⋯⋯光是想像就讓人肚子餓了！本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Klim 老師要帶大家聊聊這個超有台灣味的飲食文化。 從怎麼辨認一間正宗熱炒店開始，到酒促小姐文化，再到兩位老師各自的必點菜單，當然，也少不了那些讓人又愛又怕的「挑戰級」料理：龍珠、九轉肥腸、蒸臭豆腐⋯⋯你敢吃這些菜嗎？ When was the last time you went to a re chao (Taiwanese stir-fry) restaurant? Those red plastic chairs, the lively atmosphere, and the smell of Thai basil and garlic wafting through the air... just imagining it makes you hungry! This week on English Cafe, John and Klim take everyone to discuss this quintessentially Taiwanese late night dining culture. Starting with how to identify an authentic re chao restaurant, to the beer promotion girl culture, to each teacher's must-order menu items, and of course, those "challenge-level" dishes that people both love and fear: dragon balls, braised intestine, steamed stinky tofu... Would you dare to eat these dishes?

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） --------------------------------------------

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L196: 麥可傳記電影破影史紀錄 Michael Jackson Biopic Moonwalks Into History Highlights 主題摘要Lionsgate's Michael Jackson biopic opened to $97M domestically and $219M globally, the biggest biopic debut of all time.Critics panned the film at 40% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences gave it a record-high 97% score.Jackson's U.S. music streams surged 95% over the opening weekend, with 31.7 million plays recorded. Lionsgate's Michael did not merely open — it moonwalked into box office history. Antoine Fuqua's big-budget biopic of the King of Pop grossed $97.2 million in North America and $218.8 million globally across its debut weekend, setting an all-time record for the genre. The domestic figure alone surpassed Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer, which had held the biopic crown with an $80 million opening, while the global haul eclipsed Bohemian Rhapsody to claim the top worldwide launch for any music biopic in history. 麥可傑克森的傳記電影《麥可》首映週末在全球颳起一陣旋風。這部由獅門影業製作的大卡司傳記片，北美票房達9,720萬美元，全球累計2.188億美元，成為影史上票房最高的傳記電影首映週末。北美成績超越克里斯多福．諾蘭的《奧本海默》（8,000萬美元），全球表現則超越《波希米亞狂想曲》，寫下音樂傳記電影的全球首映新紀錄。 The film's staggering performance caught even its own producers off guard. Lionsgate had projected a domestic opening of around $70 million heading into the weekend, with bullish tracking peaking at roughly that figure. That estimate was blown apart by nearly $30 million. The appeal cut across demographic lines — Latino and white audiences each accounted for 26% of ticket buyers, while Black moviegoers made up 38%. Crucially, the film drew both older fans who grew up with Jackson's music and younger audiences discovering it anew, with those aged 18–34 representing up to 50% of opening-weekend attendance. 這個數字連製片方都始料未及。獅門影業上映前預估北美票房約7,000萬美元，實際結果超出近3,000萬。觀影族群涵蓋各族裔與年齡層：拉丁裔與白人觀眾各佔26%，黑人觀眾佔38%。值得注意的是，電影同時吸引了從小聽麥可長大的老影迷，以及重新認識他音樂的年輕族群，18至34歲觀眾佔首映週末票房的50%。 The triumph arrived despite a profound critics-versus-audiences divide. Michael holds a 40% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes — reviewers largely objecting to its sanitised treatment of the abuse allegations that shadowed Jackson's later career — yet it earned a 97% audience score on the same platform, the best ever for the genre, alongside a CinemaScore grade of A-. The film's $200 million budget, partly inflated by a costly third-act overhaul to remove those depictions, looks increasingly justified. The commercial logic is already clear: Lionsgate is widely expected to greenlight at least one sequel covering the later chapters of Jackson's life. 這場勝利的背後，伴隨著罕見的評論與口碑落差。《麥可》在爛番茄的影評人評分只有40%，多數評論批評電影刻意迴避傑克森晚年的性醜聞指控；觀眾評分卻高達97%，創下音樂傳記電影紀錄，CinemaScore也拿到A-。電影製作費達2億美元，其中包括重寫第三幕、刪除相關情節的大筆開銷，如今看來物有所值。獅門影業預計將至少再推出一部續集，繼續講述傑克森的後半段人生。 Off-screen, the film's release set off a parallel surge in Jackson's music catalog. U.S. streams jumped 95% over the opening weekend, reaching 31.7 million plays on Friday and Saturday alone, according to industry analytics firm Luminate. The Jackson 5's catalog also benefited, climbing 85% over the same period. On Apple Music, Jackson placed eight songs on the Global Daily Top 100, with "Billie Jean" leading at No. 11 — a reminder that, even 17 years after his death, the King of Pop's reach remains without parallel. 電影帶動的效應也延伸到串流平台。根據音樂數據公司Luminate統計，首映週末美國境內麥可傑克森的串流量暴增95%，光週五、週六兩天就累計3,170萬次。傑克森五人組（英語：The Jackson 5，前名傑克森兄弟）的作品同樣跟著沾光，串流量成長85%。Apple Music上，他有八首歌進入全球每日百大，〈Billie Jean〉排名第11。距離他辭世已17年，流行音樂之王的號召力仍然無可比肩。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Eclipsed [verb, to surpass something previously dominant]: The newcomer eclipsed every rival within two seasons.Blown apart [verb phrase, to far exceed a prediction or expectation]: The results blew apart every forecast analysts had made.Demographic [adjective, relating to the statistical characteristics of a population]: The campaign was designed to cut across demographic lines.Sanitised [adjective, made less controversial by removing uncomfortable elements]: The report felt sanitised and avoided the hardest questions.Greenlight [verb, to give official approval for a project to proceed]: The studio plans to greenlight a sequel before year's end. Reference article: 1. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/music/music-news/michael-jackson-record-box-office-biopic-opening-1236577460/ 2. https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/michael-box-office-opening-weekend-record-1236730805/ 3. https://apnews.com/article/michael-jackson-michael-streaming-movie-biopic-92af09f94a1ca6c30a2061d4642bd995

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Hi there! 歡迎收聽 Look Back Sunday 回顧星期天，在這個節目 John 老師會彙整過去不同國家與主題的熱門跟讀文章，讓你可以在十五分鐘內吸收最精華的世界時事趣聞！我們這週聽聽汽車產業相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: California Is Trying to Jump-Start the Hydrogen Economy Since President George W. Bush fueled a minivan with hydrogen 15 years ago, the promise of cars and trucks powered by the fuel has come up mostly empty. 15 年前，時任美國總統的小布希為一輛廂型休旅車加上氫燃料，發展氫能小客車和貨車的美好期盼迄今卻大抵落空。 That hydrogen pump, in Washington, closed long ago. But in California, the beginnings of a hydrogen economy may finally be dawning after many fits and starts. 華府的那座加氫站早已停用，然而在加州，氫經濟在幾經周折之後，可能真的要起步了。 Dozens of hydrogen buses are lumbering down city streets, while more and larger fueling stations are appearing from San Diego to San Francisco, financed by the state and the federal government. With the costs of producing and shipping hydrogen coming down, California is setting ambitious goals to phase out vehicles that run on fossil fuels in favor of batteries and hydrogen. 在州政府和聯邦出資之下，從聖地牙哥到舊金山，數十輛氫動力公車緩緩行駛於城市街道，更多且更大的加氫站也一一出現。由於氫製造和運輸的成本下降，加州立定遠大目標，要逐步淘汰化石燃料車，轉向電動車和氫能車。 Some energy executives said they expect investment in hydrogen to accelerate under President-elect Joe Biden, who made climate change a big part of his campaign and proposed a $2 trillion plan to tackle the problem. 一些能源業高管預期，對氫能的投資會在總統當選人拜登上台後加速成長。拜登以遏制氣候變遷為重要政見，並提出一項 2 兆美元的因應計畫。 A recent McKinsey & Co. study estimated that the hydrogen economy could generate $140 billion in annual revenue by 2030 and support 700,000 jobs. The study projected that hydrogen could meet 14% of total American energy demand by 2050. 管理顧問公司麥肯錫最近在一份研究中估計，到 2030 年時，氫經濟每年能創造 1400 億美元營收，支撐 70 萬個工作機會。這份研究預測，到 2050 年，氫將能滿足全美 14% 的能源需求。 The use of hydrogen, the lightest and most abundant substance in the universe, is still in its infancy, and California is determined to be its cradle in the United States. The state now has roughly 40 fueling stations, with dozens more under construction. While those numbers are tiny compared with the 10,000 gasoline stations across the state, officials have high hopes. 氫是宇宙中最輕且最豐富的物質，人類利用氫能還在初始階段，而加州決心成為美國氫能利用的搖籃。加州目前約有 40 個加氫站，還有數十個在興建中。雖然加氫站數量與全加州一萬個加油站相比微不足道，但官員仍滿懷希望。 With about 7,500 hydrogen vehicles on the road, an aggressive state program of incentives and subsidies from cap-and-trade dollars envisions 50,000 hydrogen light-duty vehicles by mid-decade and a network of 1,000 hydrogen stations by 2030. 目前加州約有 7500 輛氫能車上路，州政府積極利用取自「總量管制與排放交易」的財源來進行補貼和獎勵，希望達到 2025 年左右有 5 萬輛輕型氫能車上路，2030 年有 1000 個加氫站的目標。 Hydrogen-powered vehicles are similar to electric cars. But unlike electric cars, which have large batteries, these cars have hydrogen tanks and fuel cells that turn the gas into electricity. The cars refuel and accelerate quickly, and they can go for several hundred miles on a full tank. They emit only water vapor, which makes them appealing to California cities that are trying to reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. 氫能車類似電動車，不同的是，電動車的電池很大，氫能車則有氫氣儲存槽和把氫氣轉換成電力的燃料電池。氫能車補充燃料和加速都很快，氫氣槽加滿後能跑幾百哩。氫能車只會釋出蒸氣，對於努力減少汙染和溫室氣體排放量的加州很有吸引力。 "Almost any objective analysis for getting to zero emissions includes hydrogen," said Jack Brouwer, director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. 爾灣加州大學國家燃料電池研究中心主任傑克‧布勞爾說：「幾乎所有關於如何達到零排放的客觀分析都會提到氫。」 Topic 2: Wheels falling off China's 'deep fake' car manufacturer Chinese automobile manufacturer Zotye Auto is a household name in China. The company is famous for manufacturing copies of car models by luxury international brands including Audi, Porsche and Lamborghini. After a long delay, on June 22, Zotye Auto finally released its 2019 year end financial results. The report revealed that last year, the automaker suffered losses of 11.2 billion yuan (approximately NT$46.6 billion), or an average of 30 million yuan per day. The company's market value also shrank from 30 billion yuan to a mere 3.6 billion yuan. Even worse, because the company is unable to guarantee the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of its financial report, Zotye Auto has been issued with a "risk of delisting warning" by Shenzhen Stock Exchange. 以模仿奧迪、保時捷、蘭寶堅尼等高級進口車，在中國家喻戶曉的車商眾泰汽車，六月二十二日終於發布二○一九年財報，顯示全年慘虧一百十二億元人民幣（以下同），約新台幣四百六十六億，相當於每天平均虧損三千萬，市值也由逾三百億縮水至僅剩三十六億元；更慘的是，該公司因為無法保證年報的真實性、準確性和完整性，已被深圳證券交易所實施「退市風險警示」。 Seemingly without a care for the outside world, Zotye Auto has been audaciously building slavish copies of imported luxury car models. The company became a household name in China after producing facsimile versions of the Audi Q3 (Zotye SR7), Porsche Macan (Zotye SR9) and Lamborghini Urus (Zotye Concept S). Due to Zotye Auto's uncanny ability to produce lookalike cars, there is a joke currently doing the rounds in China: "If you want to get behind the wheel of a Lamborghini, pay a visit to Zotye Auto." 眾泰汽車因為不顧外界觀瞻，大膽模仿進口名車，而在中國家喻戶曉，該公司推出的眾泰 SR7 模仿奧迪 Q3，眾泰 SR9 模仿保時捷 Macan，眾泰 Concept S 模仿蘭寶堅尼 Urus。由於模仿能力出眾，中國坊間甚至流傳著一句調侃話：「這輩子能不能開蘭寶堅尼，就看眾泰了！」 However, having relied on imitating the work of others, the company lacks home-grown innovation, while the quality of its vehicles has not kept pace with the sophistication of its copycat designs. Annual sales have been steadily falling too: in 2016, the company sold 330,000 vehicles. This fell to 310,000 in 2017 and only 230,000 in 2018. Zotye Auto initially set a sales target of 480,000 vehicles per year, yet in 2018 it failed to reach even half that figure. Last year, sales declined at an even steeper rate with the company only managing to shift 116,600 vehicles. 但靠著山寨別人，缺乏自主創新，且品質也未同步提升的營運模式畢竟無法持久。眾泰汽車二○一六年、二○一七年的年銷量還分別有三十三萬輛、三十一萬輛，但此後每況愈下，二○一八年僅剩二十三萬輛，為四十八萬輛的目標的一半不到，二○一九年進一步跌至十一點六六萬輛。 To make matters even worse, Zotye Auto chief executive Lou Guohai has stated that he cannot guarantee the authenticity, accuracy and completeness of his company's year end financial report, citing various reasons including uncertainty over the company's ability to continue operating, multiple lawsuits and outstanding obligations. 雪上加霜的是，眾泰汽車董事婁國海表示，無法保證該公司年報內容的真實性、準確性和完整性，理由包括：公司的持續經營能力存在較大不確定性，公司面臨眾多訴訟及擔保事項等。 Topic 3: Despite High Hopes, Self-Driving Cars Are 'Way in the Future' A year ago, Detroit and Silicon Valley had visions of putting thousands of self-driving taxis on the road in 2019, ushering in an age of driverless cars. 一年前，底特律和矽谷曾有 2019 年讓數千輛自動駕駛計程車上路的願景，要開啟無人駕駛車的時代。 Most of those cars have yet to arrive — and it is likely to be years before they do. Several carmakers and technology companies have concluded that making autonomous vehicles is going to be harder, slower and costlier than they thought. 這些車大多數還沒上路－而且很可能還要等好多年才會上路。數家汽車製造商和科技公司已作出如下結論：製造自動駕駛車將比他們以為的更困難、更緩慢且更花錢。 "We overestimated the arrival of autonomous vehicles," Ford's chief executive, Jim Hackett, said at the Detroit Economic Club in April. 「我們對自駕車問世的評估過於樂觀。」福特汽車執行長吉姆．哈克特今年 4 月在底特律經濟俱樂部這麼說。 In the most recent sign of the scramble to regroup, Ford and Volkswagen said Friday that they were teaming up to tackle the self-driving challenge. 福特和福斯周五宣布要合組團隊以迎接自駕車的挑戰。這也是業界忙著重新組合、再次出發的最新跡象。 The two automakers plan to use autonomous-vehicle technology from a Pittsburgh startup, Argo AI, in ride-sharing services in a few urban zones as early as 2021. But Argo's chief executive, Bryan Salesky, said the industry's bigger promise of creating driverless cars that could go anywhere was "way in the future." 這兩家汽車製造商計畫使用匹茲堡新創公司「亞果人工智慧」的自駕車技術，最快於 2021 年在一些都會區提供共乘服務。但是亞果的執行長布萊恩．薩勒斯基說，這個產業更大的承諾，也就是創造可去到任何地方的自駕車，「還在遙遠的未來」。 He and others attribute the delay to something as obvious as it is stubborn: human behavior. 他和另一些人將這個延誤歸咎於顯而易見且難以應付的一項因素：人類行為。 Researchers at Argo say the cars they are testing in Pittsburgh and Miami have to navigate unexpected situations every day. Recently, one of the company's cars encountered a bicyclist riding the wrong way down a busy street between other vehicles. 亞果研究人員說，他們在匹茲堡和邁阿密測試的車輛，每天都須經歷無法預期的狀況。最近，這家公司一輛車遇到一名自行車騎士，在一條車多的街道上逆向行駛在車輛間。 Another Argo test car came across a street sweeper that suddenly turned a giant circle in an intersection, touching all four corners and crossing lanes of traffic that had the green light. 另一輛亞果的測試車遇到一輛掃街車，在一個十字路口突如其來大轉彎，碰到四個街角，而且橫越已經轉為綠燈的車道。 "You see all kinds of crazy things on the road, and it turns out they're not all that infrequent, but you have to be able to handle all of them," Salesky said. "With radar and high-resolution cameras and all the computing power we have, we can detect and identify the objects on a street. The hard part is anticipating what they're going to do next." 「你在路上見到所有瘋狂的事，而且發現它們並非那麼不常見，但你必須有能力處理所有狀況。」薩勒斯基說。「我們擁有雷達、高解析度鏡頭和所有電算能力，可偵測並識別街道上的物體。困難的部分是預測它們下一步會做什麼。」 Salesky said Argo and many competitors had developed about 80% of the technology needed to put self-driving cars into routine use — the radar, cameras and other sensors that can identify objects far down roads and highways. 薩勒斯基說，自駕車進入日常使用所需技術，亞果和許多競爭對手約已開發成功 80%－雷達、攝影鏡頭及其他可在一般道路和高速公路識別遠方物體的感應器。 But the remaining 20%, including developing software that can reliably anticipate what other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists are going to do, will be much more difficult, he said. 但是剩下的 20%，包括開發能夠可靠預測其他駕駛人、行人和自行車騎士下一步行動的軟體，會難得多。 A year ago, many industry executives exuded much greater certainty. They thought that their engineers had solved the most vexing technical problems and promised that self-driving cars would be shuttling people around town in at least several cities by sometime this year. 一年前，許多業界高管還展現出遠比當下更有把握的態度。當時他們認為，他們的工程師已解決最困難的技術問題，且承諾自駕車今年之內，至少可在幾個城市輸運民眾。

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你有沒有遇過那種英文?字面上每個字都看得懂，合在一起卻完全不知道它在說什麼。Well oiled machine—上好油的機器？這跟機械廠有什麼關係？這集從一瓶南非進口橄欖油開始，聊到一個你明天就能在辦公室用上的英文慣用語。 從新竹到開普敦，橄欖油搭上了線 這集有個亮點。節目老鐵粉 Allen哥—新竹在地人，同時也是台灣百大青農——寄來了他們家自產的南非開普省橄欖油。沒錯，同一塊地，隔壁就是世界百大酒莊。 John老師說，其實開普省能種葡萄的地方就能種橄欖，地中海型氣候嘛。意大利、西班牙的橄欖油都快被我們喝光了，下一站就是南非了。那瓶 extra virgin 寄到錄音間，兩個老師討論了半天要不要拿來炒菜——不是不行，但拿 extra virgin 炒菜，有點像拿精品保養品擦腳底。 重點是：Allen哥不只是老鐵粉，他還在考慮把事業延伸到南非，先把小孩送去開普敦大學這樣。把小孩當先遣部隊，聽起來很熟悉，不就是我們台灣人最常見的那種家族事業佈局。 Wait What 系列：那些讓人慢半拍的英文慣用語 如果你在捷運上滑過我們的 IG，可能有看過 Wait What 系列。就是那種你一看到英文、腦袋當機兩秒才反應過來的 idiom，我們做成圖卡讓你一秒懂。 最近幾個做出來的——break the ice、cold turkey、butter someone up——你可能聽過，但你知道在辦公室情境裡怎麼用嗎？在台北的茶水間想跟外國主管拉近關係，光靠「天氣不錯」是不夠的。這些英文慣用語才是讓你顯得自然、不像在背課文的關鍵。 這週的新 idiom 是 Well Oiled Machine。 Well Oiled Machine，不是在說你是個零件 聽到「上好油的機器」別緊張，不是在說你可以被取代。這個說法是在誇一個系統、一個團隊、甚至一個家，所有事情順到像抹了油一樣，不卡、不拖、沒有摩擦。 My family is a well oiled machine. 就是說我們家大小事都協調得很好，小孩準時上學、長輩身體健康、週末不用搶遙控器。放到工作場景就更實用了——向上管理的時候跟老闆說 Our team runs like a well oiled machine，是在說分工明確、效率高、不需要你一直盯著。 更進階一點：My investment portfolio is a well oiled machine. 竹科的工程師聽到這句，大概秒懂什麼叫「錢自己在賺錢」。 這種英文慣用語學起來不難，難的是在對的時機自然地說出來。 一週一個，一年就累積快六十個，明天直接拿去茶水間用，比硬背單字有效多了。 John老師在節目裡說，其實每集 café 的 VIP 學習筆記裡，光是 idioms 就可能有二三十個，跟 Angel老師合作那集更是直接衝到三十個。看到這個數字很多人會想：我要怎麼全部背起來？ 不用全部背。真的不用。阿鍵老師說得很直接：常用的學起來，不常用的聽過知道意思就好。在捷運上通勤學英文，不是去準備英文考試，是讓這些字在你腦袋裡有個印象，哪天聽到或看到，你不會當機。 每週一兩個，扎實地用出去，比拿著單字本背了一整頁卻一個都想不起來有意義太多了。

單身租屋族有機會免繳稅？  幼兒、長照扣除額有感大升級 《十樂不設 💰進人生》邀請國稅局局長親自解密報稅大禮包   快點擊收聽連結： https://fstry.pse.is/8zyzjq  省錢出大招，不要白白跟錢說掰掰！💸  —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: The story of Ms. Beshara, the founder of Ninjavideo in 2010 was busted by the federal agents for illegally streaming and distributing pirated tv shows on her website. At the time, her site has 2.6m visits a day and 60,000 registered members. File-sharing online amounts to about a quarter of all consumer traffic. In 2012, Megaupload was seized and shutdown with Kim Dotcom arrested in New Zealand, but not extradited.  原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-927-in-culture-of-access-a-frustrating-pursuit-of-bootleggers   Vocabulary and Sample Sentence  Piracy n. the practice of robbing ships at sea. Many movies were pirated and made available online before its actual release. Online piracy hinders the development of the movie and music industries.  Indict v. accuse or charge with a serious crime Kim Dotcom was indicted by the US on charges related to copyright infringement. He was indicted by the prosecutor for theft.  Confiscate v. take or seize someone’s property with authority The FBI confiscated Ms. Beshara’s computer hardware. The school teacher confiscated the student’s smartphone when he was caught using it in class. 

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你有沒有覺得隨著年齡增長，自己的腦袋卻越來越不靈光？明明是日常小事，卻老是忘東忘西？這週《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Angel 老師要來聊聊，我們平常那些「理所當然」的習慣，到底是在保護大腦，還是在偷偷讓它退化？ 我們看到的報導說「深夜追劇讓你變笨」？但是John老師強烈反對這個說法，甚至說這會讓你更聰明？Angel老師則坦承自己過度依賴手機和 AI，已經開始影響自己獨立思考的能力。除此之外，我們還有講到一些新時代的網路習慣，像是五分鐘電影recap、doom scrolling無腦滑抖音、以及為什麼多喝水可能比你想的更重要。 Have you noticed that as you age, your brain seems less sharp? You keep forgetting things even though they're just everyday matters? This week on "English Cafe," John and Angel discuss whether those habits we take for granted are actually protecting our brains or secretly causing them to deteriorate. We've seen reports claiming "late-night binge-watching makes you dumb"? But John strongly disagrees with this claim, even saying it can make you smarter? Angel admits that her over-reliance on phones and AI has already started affecting her ability to think independently. Beyond that, we also discuss some new-age internet habits, like five-minute movie recaps, doom scrolling mindlessly through TikTok, and why drinking more water might be more important than you think.

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L192: Japan Ends Its Postwar Ban on Lethal Arms Exports Highlights 主題摘要Japan scrapped its postwar ban on lethal weapons exports Tuesday, clearing the way for overseas sales of fighter jets, missiles and warships.The new guidelines replace five narrow non-lethal categories with blanket approval for all defense equipment, subject to government screening.Defense partners including Australia welcomed the shift; China condemned it as reckless militarisation. Japan spent eight decades defined by restraint. The postwar constitution that followed Hiroshima and Nagasaki built pacifism into the country's legal and moral architecture, and strict arms export controls became one of its most visible expressions. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet voted to dismantle that framework, approving guidelines that will, in principle, allow Japan to export any category of defense equipment to approved partner nations. 日本在克制原則下走過了八十年。廣島與長崎之後誕生的戰後憲法，將和平主義深植於國家的法律與道德根基，嚴格的武器出口管制正是其中最鮮明的體現。週二，首相高市早苗的內閣投票通過廢除這套框架，批准新版指導方針，原則上允許日本向核准夥伴國出口任何類別的國防設備。 The rules being replaced dated to 1967 and were formally enacted in 1976, limiting permissible exports to five non-lethal categories: rescue, transport, surveillance, warning and minesweeping equipment. Decades of incremental adjustments had chipped away at the edges — a 2014 opening for non-lethal military supplies, a 2023 revision allowing licensed weapons to be sold back to originating countries such as the United States — but the core prohibition on lethal weapons remained intact. The new guidelines scrap those category restrictions entirely and allow exports of fighter jets, missiles and destroyers, subject to National Security Council approval and post-transfer monitoring. 被廢除的舊規範可追溯至1967年，於1976年正式施行，將許可出口項目限定於五類非致命性裝備：救援、運輸、偵察、預警與掃雷器材。數十年來歷經多次局部調整，逐步鬆動邊界，包括2014年開放非致命性軍事物資，以及2023年允許將授權生產的武器賣回原始授權國（如美國），但對致命性武器的核心禁令始終未鬆動。新版指導方針全面取消這些類別限制，允許出口戰鬥機、飛彈與驅逐艦，並須經國安會議核准，出口後亦受政府持續監管。 Takaichi has framed the overhaul in twin terms: security necessity and economic strategy. Her government lists defense as one of 17 strategic growth sectors, and manufacturers including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are already expanding their workforce in shipbuilding and missile production in anticipation of new contracts. At least 17 countries that have signed bilateral defense agreements with Japan are immediately eligible to purchase; that list may grow. Australia last week signed for three Mogami-class frigates with eight more to be jointly built in Australia, and New Zealand, the Philippines and Indonesia have also signaled interest. 高市早苗將這次改革定位為安全需求與經濟戰略的雙重考量。日本政府已將國防列為17項戰略成長產業之一，三菱重工等製造商也已擴編造船與飛彈生產部門，提前布局新訂單商機。目前至少17個與日本簽署雙邊國防協議的國家可立即採購，名單未來可能持續擴充。澳洲上週正式簽約，確認採購三艘最上級巡防艦，另外八艘將在澳洲境內合作建造；紐西蘭、菲律賓與印尼也相繼表達採購意願。 The reaction from Beijing was swift and sharply worded. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China would firmly resist what it called Japan's reckless new-style militarization, pledging that the international community would remain highly vigilant. Critics inside Japan echo those concerns, arguing the shift erodes the constitutional commitment to pacifism and risks drawing the country into conflicts beyond its borders. The government maintains that weapons will not be exported to countries currently at war, though exemptions are permitted under special circumstances where national security interests apply. 北京的反應迅速而強硬。外交部發言人郭嘉昆表示，中方將強力抵制所謂日本「輕率的新型軍事化」，並強調國際社會將保持高度警覺。日本國內批評者也有同樣的憂慮，認為此舉侵蝕了憲法確立的和平主義承諾，可能使日本捲入境外衝突。對此，日本政府重申不會向交戰國出口武器，但在涉及國家安全利益的「特殊情形」下可予以豁免。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Pacifism [noun, the belief that war and violence are never justified]: The constitution was rooted in pacifism after the war.Dismantle [verb, to completely abolish or take apart an existing system]: The new law will dismantle years of trade restrictions.Chipped away at [verb phrase, to gradually weaken or reduce something over time]: Budget cuts have chipped away at the programme.Bilateral [adjective, involving two countries or parties]: The two nations signed a bilateral defense agreement.Militarization [noun, the process of building up military power and capabilities]: Rapid militarization in the region has raised tensions. Reference article: 1. https://www.npr.org/2026/04/21/g-s1-118178/japan-ban-lethal-weapons-exports 2. https://www.dw.com/en/japan-loosens-long-standing-curbs-on-arms-exports/a-76874734 3. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/21/japan-lifts-ban-on-lethal-weapons-exports-in-major-shift-of-pacifist-policy

6／1前，使用手機掃描繳款書上QR Code輕鬆繳納房屋稅。5月跟著柯叔元，ｅ下就搞定。115年房屋稅開徵宣導廣告： https://fstry.pse.is/922lgf ------以上為財政部廣告------ —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Hi there! 歡迎收聽 Look Back Sunday 回顧星期天，在這個節目 John 老師會彙整過去不同國家與主題的熱門跟讀文章，讓你可以在十五分鐘內吸收最精華的世界時事趣聞！我們這週聽聽紐西蘭相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: Mittens the cat could become New Zealander of the Year Mittens, a famous feline from Wellington, is in the running to be voted New Zealander of the Year, going up against Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield. 來自威靈頓的知名母貓「米坦斯」，正在角逐紐西蘭年度人物票選，對上紐西蘭總理賈欣達．阿爾登與衛生部衛生事務首長艾希莉．布魯斐德博士。 The feline joins a host of nominees for the annual Kiwibank award, including figures from sectors such as politics, media, health, music and design. 這隻母貓獲得年度奇異鳥銀行獎的多項提名，該獎項包括政治界、媒體界、衛生界、音樂界與設計界的年度人物。 Other nominees for New Zealander of the Year include microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles and lawmaker Chloe Swarbrick. 其他紐西蘭年度人物的被提名人，還有微生物學家蘇西．威爾斯，與國會議員克羅伊．史瓦布里克。 The Wellington Museum has also dedicated a mini exhibition to Mittens and his adventures, named "Floofy and Famous." And in May the mayor of Wellington, Andy Foster, gave Mittens the key to the city, an honor previously granted to "The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson. 威靈頓博物館也已經為米坦斯與牠的冒險辦了一場迷你展覽，名為「蓬鬆而知名」。5 月時，威靈頓市市長安迪．佛斯特也給米坦斯這座城市的鑰匙，一項以前曾授予「魔戒」導演彼得．傑克森的榮譽。 Topic 2: New Zealand votes to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill patients｜紐西蘭表決通過絕症病患安樂死合法化 New Zealanders have voted in favor of legalizing euthanasia for people with a terminal illness — clearing the way for the controversial proposition to become law in 2021. 紐西蘭人已投票贊成絕症病患安樂死合法化——剷除讓此一具有爭議性的提案在 2021 年立法的障礙。 More than 65% of voters backed the proposed law, according to preliminary results of a referendum announced by the country's electoral commission Friday. 根據該國選舉委員會週五宣布的公投初步結果，超過 65% 的選民支持這項法律議案。 Lawmakers voted 69-51 to approve the End of Life Choice Act 2019 last year before sending the issue to a referendum. 該法案在（紐國）國會議員去年以 69 比 51 通過「2019 終結生命選擇法」後，送交公投。 More than 2.4 million people took part in the poll, which was conducted alongside New Zealand's general election on October 17. 超過 240 萬人參加與 10 月 17 日紐西蘭大選一同舉行的投票。 Topic 3: Sheep Farmers in New Zealand Adapt to Changing Tastes ST. ANDREWS, New Zealand — About three decades ago, when Andrew Fraser began raising sheep, wool was among the star exports of this nation. Its other sheep products — lamb and mutton — were supporting actors. 約 30 年前傅瑞澤開始養羊時，羊毛是紐西蘭的明星出口品，其他綿羊產品如羔羊肉和羊肉只是配角。 Today, the situation is reversed. New Zealand's sheep meat exports are up, while wool faces intensifying competition from synthetic fibers. Although sheep farming is still enmeshed in the fabric of New Zealand's cultural identity, it is another economic activity that this nation is retooling for a globalized world. 如今情勢逆轉，紐西蘭羊肉出口增加，羊毛卻面臨人造纖維日益激烈的競爭。雖然養羊這種經濟活動仍與紐西蘭的文化認同緊密交織，但紐西蘭正在調整它，以適應全球化的世界。 "Wool has traditionally been — and still is — a very good product," Mr. Fraser said. "The trouble is that now, a similar product can be manufactured out of used Coke bottles and all sorts of stuff." 傅瑞澤說：「羊毛一向是，也仍然是很棒的產品，問題是現在可用廢可樂罐和各種東西做出類似產品。」 From 1982 to 2011, New Zealand's sheep population declined to 31.1 million from 70.2 million, according to government data, as many sheep pastures were converted to dairy farms or other uses. The roughly 17,000 sheep farmers who remain still earn money from selling the fleece of their animals. But on many sheep farms, meat has replaced wool as the primary profit maker. 官方資料顯示 1982 到 2011 年紐西蘭綿羊從 7020 萬隻降到 3110 萬，許多牧羊場轉養乳牛或改作他途。現在大概還有 1.7 萬羊農，雖仍賣羊毛賺錢，許多養羊場羊肉卻已取代羊毛成為最大財源。 Since 1990, the value of New Zealand's annual exports of raw wool and manufactured wool products has declined to about $700 million from $1.2 billion, according to government data. By contrast, lamb and mutton exports have increased almost threefold to $2.3 billion. And dairy exports, worth $1.9 billion in 1992, have soared to $14.1 billion. 官方資料顯示，1990 年以來每年羊毛和羊毛製品的出口額，從 12 億美元減為 7 億美元；羔羊肉和羊肉年出口額卻增為 23 億美元，幾乎是原來的三倍，乳製品出口額也從 1992 年的 19 億美元大增為 141 億。 New Zealand, with 4.4 million people, is the world's third-largest wool producer behind Australia and China, according to Beef and Lamb New Zealand, a farmer-owned industry group. It supplies 45 percent of all carpet wool globally, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group said in a report last year. 紐西蘭牛羊肉協會（牛羊農同業組織）資料顯示，人口 440 萬的紐西蘭是全球第三大羊毛生產國，僅次於澳洲和中國大陸。去年澳盛銀行發布報告顯示，紐西蘭供應全球四成五的地毯用羊毛。 Yet more than 90 percent of New Zealand's wool is exported in raw form, rather than in finished products like carpets or upholstery, leaving it vulnerable to swings in commodity markets. 不過，紐西蘭羊毛逾九成以未加工形態出口，而非做成地毯、椅套等成品，易受原物料市場價格波動影響。 Farmers said the wool industry would benefit from having a unified voice to promote New Zealand wool abroad as a high-end fiber that, in their view, beats synthetic alternatives in several categories, including overall quality and environmental sustainability. Having a single voice could help the industry reach beyond China, its primary export market by far, into relatively untapped markets like the United States. 許多羊農希望羊毛業團結起來，向海外宣傳紐西蘭羊毛是高檔纖維，在整體品質與促進環境永續發展等好幾個方面，（他們認為）都勝過人造纖維，這樣一定有幫助。一旦有統一的聲音，羊毛業就能在目前最大出口市場中國大陸以外，打入美國等相對未開發的市場。 But New Zealand's wool industry is viewed as highly fragmented. There were 35 wool exporters operating across the country last year, "a huge level of decentralization" given the industry's relatively modest export earnings, the Banking Group reported. 外界卻認為紐西蘭羊毛業分散得厲害。澳盛銀行指出，去年紐西蘭全國有 35 個羊毛出口業者，由於出口獲利相當微薄，這個產業可說是「極度分散」。 "Everyone's sort of undercutting each other," said Ross Andrews, a South Island farmer who earns around $3 a kilogram for his carpet-grade wool. 南島羊農安德魯斯出售地毯級羊毛，每公斤約賺 3 美元，他說：「每個人多少都在削價競爭。」 Wool growers long assumed that their industry would somehow look after itself, but there is now a clear need to promote wool over synthetic fibers, said Sandra Faulkner, an industry advocate. According to an industry group, Beef and Lamb New Zealand, wool accounts for 1.3 percent of global fiber production and synthetics 61.4 percent. 行銷紐西蘭羊毛的桑德拉．福克納說，羊農一直以為羊毛業終究會挺過難關，不過現在真的有必要宣傳羊毛比人造纖維好。紐西蘭牛羊肉協會資料顯示，羊毛只占全球纖維產量 1.3%，人造纖維卻占 61.4%。 "It's about identifying ourselves in the luxury marketplace, which is where we've always belonged," Ms. Faulkner said. 福克納說：「我們要立足於精品市場，我們本來就屬於那裡。」 Peter Lyon, the supervisor of a South Island shearing team, said farmers' views on how the wool industry should evolve typically depend on factors like whether they have reliable export contractors, the quality of wool they produce and their level of debt. 南島剪羊毛團隊督導里昂說，羊農對於羊毛業何去何從的看法，常取決於某些因素，如他們有沒有可靠的出口貿易公司、生產羊毛的品質和債務的多寡。 In the mid-20th century, wool growers were often "asset-rich and cash-poor," Mr. Lyon said. "But you can't afford to be cash-poor today or you'll get thrown out." 里昂說，20 世紀中期羊農經常「資產多，現金少」，「但在這個時代，你不能沒現金，否則很難生存」。 Topic 4: Got a Hangover? New Zealand's 'morning maids' help clean up post-party mess｜宿醉纏身？紐西蘭「晨光女僕」幫你收拾派對殘局 A New Zealand maid service cleaning up the homes of hung-over party-hosts has been inundated with requests for their services, from home and abroad. 紐西蘭一家專門協助舉辦完派對卻宿醉纏身者打掃房子的女僕服務公司，接獲來自國內外源源不絕的訂單。 Flatmates Rebecca and Catherine launched their cleaning service in Auckland. The service picks up the pieces from parties — cleaning up revellers' debris (including vomit at NZ$10), cooking or buying breakfast for hung-over hosts — even doing coffee and painkiller runs. 住在同一間公寓的芮貝卡和凱瑟琳，是在奧克蘭市展開這項清潔事業。她們的服務是收拾派對結束後的殘局，包括清理尋歡作樂者留下的垃圾（有嘔吐物再加 10 紐幣），為宿醉的派對主人打理早餐，甚至還可以跑腿買咖啡或止痛藥。 Since launching on Facebook in early May, Rebecca and Catherine have been receiving requests from around the country, as well as calls from people in the US and Canada interested in franchising the startup. 芮貝卡和凱瑟琳 5 月初開始在「臉書」上接受預約，此後收到來自全國各地的訂單，也有美國和加拿大民眾表示，有興趣加盟這項新興事業。 Rebecca and Catherine are both in full-time employment, and squeeze their business into their nights and weekends. 芮貝卡和凱瑟琳都有全職工作，因此都是擠出夜晚和週末時間來做這項生意。 "When people answer the door they are usually really apologetic about the state of their house. But we've both been in our 20s and partied so it's nothing we haven't seen before," laughs Catherine. 凱瑟琳笑說：「當人們來開門時，通常都是一副對家裡的狀況感到十分抱歉的模樣。但我們倆都是廿來歲，也都參加過派對，還有什麼慘況沒見識過。」

「權民獲利王」即日起 - 5/31 限時開跑！註冊並完成交易登錄者，有機會獲得 LINE POINTS 1,000 每月最高可登記 20 筆，總活動獎金高達120 萬！👉 https://fstry.pse.is/92m2hk*權證為高槓桿投資商品，可能在短期間內獲得極高報酬或蒙受全部權利金損失。購買前請先了解相關風險並詳閱公開說明書。 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你聽過 Thermos 嗎？就是那個保溫瓶品牌。但你知道它現在其實是台灣公司嗎？這集幕後教師室，John老師跟阿鍵老師從英語咖啡館最新一集聊起，順手帶出幾個在台北辦公室、捷運上都能馬上用的英文慣用語。不是課本英文，是那種讓你聽起來很上道的那種。 從保溫瓶聊到品牌變動詞 Thermos 本來是個品牌名，現在英文裡直接拿來代替「保溫瓶」這個概念。就像以前大家說「搜尋」，現在說「Google 一下」。John老師說當你的品牌名變成一個動詞，那你就真的紅了。 這種品牌轉動詞的現象，英文裡還有不少。幾年前大家提到 AI，不說 AI，說的是 ChatGPT。那段時間，ChatGPT 差一點也要變動詞了，不過後來其他家追上來，沒有跑成。John老師說他希望以後大家提到 shadowing 跟讀練習，第一個想到的就是 15Mins。野心不小。 說回 Thermos，它的概念店幾年前在台北開過，賣咖啡。John老師說當時疫情前找不到低消的咖啡廳辦公，就跑去那邊用 MacBook 窩著，結果只有他一個人，最後跟店員聊起品牌故事，才知道現在大股東是台灣人。這種 brand trivia，跟 Patrick 老師聊起來就很難踩剎車。 辦公室八卦也能說得很有品 這集阿鍵老師從英語咖啡館 ep.318 抓了幾個他自己覺得很好用的 idioms，學英文不只是背單字，更重要的是知道什麼情境下用。 1. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen。 字面上是廚房的熱受不了就出去，實際上是在說，這份工作/這個壓力你扛不住，那就別待了。John老師說他做企業 one-on-one 顧問，客戶常抱怨 Gen Z 難搞。這時候他就用這句話來 summarize 一下——對方馬上點頭，That's it。 2. Give me the lowdown。 這個是美式口語，意思是「跟我說細節、說內幕」。比直接說 gossip 來得高級，意圖沒那麼明顯。你在台北辦公室茶水間問同事，Clem, give me the gossip，聽起來很瞎；換成 Hey, give me the lowdown，突然有種探員在問案的感覺。阿鍵老師說其實幕後教師室每集都在幫你 give you the lowdown of English Cafe，哈。 3. Get a whiff of something。 這個比較英式，字面是「聞到一點氣味」，引申為「嗅到什麼風聲」。竹科同事突然換辦公室了，Did you get a whiff of what happened to Peter? 比直接說「你知道 Peter 怎麼了嗎」含蓄，也比較不像在造謠。John老師說這句話讓你聽起來像是上個世紀的人，或是受過英式教育的那種。用對場合，有種老派的質感。 偷師才是真正的學英文 這集裡面阿鍵老師分享了他自己「偷師」的方式：聽到一個好用的 idiom，不只是記下來，而是馬上在腦袋裡演練——這週我在哪個情境可以用到？拜訪客戶、開捷運、碰到外國人，哪一個 context 可以插進這句話？ 他說這樣做，下次真的遇到的時候，不用想就說出來了。不是在背英文，是在準備一個工具，等時機到就拿出來用。 Speaking of which 也是這集出現的一個短語。阿鍵老師說他之前比較少注意到這個，但聽完之後馬上抓起來。它的意思有點像「說到這個」，用來岔題、換話題，比 By the way 正式一點，比 chime in 有一種英倫紳士的感覺。John老師說美式的就用 By the way，英式的就用 speaking of which，結果是你的英文讓人家猜你是哪個年代、哪種背景的人。 這集如果你想拿走學習筆記、完整逐字稿、idioms 整理加閱讀小測驗，訂閱 VIP 會員就可以下載。過去 300 多集的筆記也可以補回來，搜 Patrick 老師那集也找得到。

「權民獲利王」即日起 - 5/31 限時開跑！註冊並完成交易登錄者，有機會獲得 LINE POINTS 1,000 每月最高可登記 20 筆，總活動獎金高達120 萬！👉 https://fstry.pse.is/92m2hk*權證為高槓桿投資商品，可能在短期間內獲得極高報酬或蒙受全部權利金損失。購買前請先了解相關風險並詳閱公開說明書。 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: This article discusses how 2 Korean Airlines posted profit when all other airlines globally lost heavily. They did this by using their jets as cargo planes. A person put money in a washing machine to clean it and lost a lot. They were destroyed. She received $23 000 from the bank. That was less than half of the total! 原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-925-about-skorea-how-major-south-korean-airlines-made-profits   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:   Commendable adj.: deserving praise Were his heroic actions commendable? Is supporting charities commendable?   Skeptical adj.: doubting that something is true or will happen Are you skeptical about self-driving cars? Is being skeptical a good trait in politics?   Mutilate v.: to damage something/somebody very badly Was he mutilated in the accident? Did the shredder mutilate the document? 

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你聽過一句老話嗎？「人生不如意十之八九」但你有沒有想過，「that's life」這句話，在我們的不同人生階段，20 歲、30 歲、50 歲說出口，感覺是完全不同的喔。 本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Shimin 老師用 Lady Gaga 翻唱的經典名曲來聊聊人生這件事。這首《That's life》原本是 Frank Sinatra 的老歌，現在搖身一變成了 DC 宇宙 Harley Quinn 的主題曲，歌詞裡的 puppet、pauper、pawn and queen，每一個角色或許都是我們人生某個階段的縮影。 Have you heard the old saying? "Life is full of disappointments" or "Most things in life don't work out." But have you ever thought that "that's life"—when said at different stages of our lives, at 20, 30, or 50—feels completely different? This week on English Cafe, John and Shimin use Lady Gaga's cover of a classic song to discuss this thing called life. This song "That's Life" was originally Frank Sinatra's old tune, now transformed into the theme song for the DC universe's Harley Quinn. The lyrics' puppet, pauper, pawn and queen—each role is perhaps a reflection of some stage in our lives.

「牽起慢飛天使的手，用愛築起希望花園。」每個孩子都是獨特花朵。公益大使楊祐寧邀您響應伊甸「弱勢兒童服務計畫」，每月只要300元，就能讓慢飛天使在成長黃金期，獲得專業的協助，也能給予照顧者支持力量。 https://fstry.pse.is/8zs2wl —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L188: Humanity Returns to Lunar Space After 54 Years Highlights 主題摘要NASA's Artemis II launched on April 1, marking humanity's first journey beyond low Earth orbit since 1972.The crew flew 252,756 miles from Earth, breaking the Apollo 13 distance record by over 4,000 miles.After a 10-day mission covering 694,481 miles, Orion safely splashed down off San Diego's coast. More than half a century after the last Apollo moonwalkers returned home, humanity has ventured back into deep space. NASA's Space Launch System rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on April 1, 2026, carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft named "Integrity." The crew—Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—embarked on the first crewed test flight beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17. The massive rocket generated 8.8 million pounds of thrust, marking a flawless start to the 10-day journey that would take them farther from Earth than any humans before. 時隔半個多世紀，自最後一批阿波羅太空人返回地球後，人類再次踏入深太空。2026年4月1日，美國國家航空暨太空總署的太空發射系統火箭從甘迺迪太空中心升空，搭載四名太空人乘坐命名為「誠信號」的獵戶座太空船。機組人員包括指揮官里德·懷斯曼、駕駛維克多·格洛弗、任務專家克莉絲汀娜·柯克及加拿大太空人傑瑞米·漢森，展開自阿波羅17號以來首次飛離近地軌道的載人測試飛行。這枚巨型火箭產生880萬磅推力，完美開啟這趟將把他們送往比過去任何人類更遠之處的十天旅程。 The day after launch, Orion's main engine fired for six minutes in a translunar injection burn, breaking free from Earth orbit and accelerating the crew to over 24,000 miles per hour toward the Moon. During their lunar flyby, the spacecraft swooped to within 4,067 miles of the surface, offering unprecedented views of the far side. The astronauts observed ancient impact basins like Orientale and Hertzsprung, witnessed a solar eclipse lasting nearly an hour, and documented meteoroid strikes flashing across the darkened surface. At their farthest point, they reached 252,756 miles from Earth, shattering Apollo 13's distance record. Mission Specialist Hansen marked the moment by proposing to name two unnamed craters after their spacecraft and Commander Wiseman's late wife. 發射隔天，獵戶座主引擎點火六分鐘，執行奔月軌道注入，掙脫地球軌道後將機組人員加速至每小時超過2萬4000英里朝月球前進。在繞月飛行期間，太空船俯衝至距離月表僅4067英里處，呈現月球背面前所未見的景觀。太空人觀測到東方海和赫茨普龍等古老撞擊盆地，目睹持續近一小時的日食，並記錄隕石撞擊在黑暗月表閃現的光芒。在最遠點，他們抵達距地球25萬2756英里處，打破阿波羅13號的距離紀錄。任務專家漢森提議以他們的太空船和懷斯曼指揮官已故妻子的名字，為兩個未命名隕石坑命名，標記這一刻。 After completing their observations, Orion used lunar gravity to swing back on a free-return trajectory toward Earth. The crew prepared for reentry by conducting emergency drills and testing critical systems. Following their 694,481-mile journey, the capsule separated from its service module and plunged into the atmosphere at 25,000 miles per hour. Protected by a heat shield enduring temperatures of 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, Orion splashed down in the Pacific Ocean just 2.9 miles from its target. Navy teams recovered the astronauts and transported them to the USS John P. Murtha for medical checks. The successful mission validated vital systems for future lunar landings and confirmed that the path to sustained Moon exploration—and eventually Mars—now lies open. 完成觀測後，獵戶座利用月球重力以自由返回軌道擺盪回地球。機組人員進行緊急演習並測試關鍵系統，為重返大氣層做準備。經過69萬4481英里的旅程後，太空艙與服務艙分離，以每小時2萬5000英里衝入大氣層。在承受華氏3000度高溫的隔熱罩保護下，獵戶座號降落於太平洋，距離目標僅2.9英里。海軍團隊救出太空人，並將他們送往約翰·P·穆爾薩號軍艦接受醫療檢查。這次成功任務驗證了未來登月的重要系統，並確認通往持續探索月球，最終前往火星的道路已然敞開。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Break free [verb phrase, to escape from a force or constraint]: The spacecraft broke free from Earth's gravity.Translunar injection [noun phrase, a rocket burn sending a spacecraft toward the Moon]: The translunar injection burn lasted six minutes.Flyby [noun, a close pass by a celestial body without landing]: The lunar flyby lasted seven hours.Heat shield [noun, protective barrier against extreme reentry temperatures]: The heat shield endured 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit.Splashdown [noun, the landing of a spacecraft in water]: The crew's splashdown was right on target. Reference article: 1. https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasas-artemis-ii-mission-leaves-earth-orbit-for-flight-around-moon/ 2. https://www.fox35orlando.com/news/artemis-ii-live-tracker-day-5 3. https://gizmodo.com/artemis-2-live-updates-countdown-to-the-moon-%F0%9F%94%B4-2000740775 4. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/watch-live-nasa-shares-update-on-artemis-ii-mission-around-the-moon-2-days-after-launch 5. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly148lvyevo

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Hi there!歡迎收聽Look Back Sunday回顧星期天，在這個節目John老師會彙整過去不同國家與主題的熱門跟讀文章，讓你可以在十五分鐘內吸收最精華的世界時事趣聞！我們這週聽聽科學相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic: Eating a big breakfast could double the amount of calories you burn in the day, according to a new study Eating a big breakfast could help you burn double the amount of calories than if you eat a larger meal at dinner. 相較於一頓份量較大的晚餐，吃一頓豐盛的早餐可以幫助你燃燒2倍卡路里。 It could be the key to losing weight while also keeping blood sugar levels steady, researchers at Lübeck University in Germany said. 德國盧貝克大學的研究人員表示，這可能是幫你減肥，同時保持血糖水平穩定的關鍵。 Their study found filling up in the morning boosts a metabolism process known as diet-induced thermogenesis （DIT）. 研究人員發現，早上吃飽可以促進「飲食誘導產熱」（DIT）此一新陳代謝過程。 DIT refers to the number of calories the body expends to heat the body and digest food. It was shown to be twice as high for those who ate more at breakfast than at dinner. 飲食誘導產熱指的是身體為保暖和消化食物而消耗的熱量。研究表明，相較於晚餐吃得多的人，早餐吃得多的人的食物誘導產熱是其2倍。 The study also showed increases in blood sugar and insulin concentrations, caused by eating a meal, was diminished after breakfast, but not so much after dinner. 研究還表明，吃飯時升高的血糖和胰島素濃度在早餐後有所降低，晚餐後則下降沒有那麼明顯。 The results also showed eating a low-calorie breakfast caused sweet cravings with a higher appetite. 該研究結果也顯示，吃低卡路里的早餐會導致對甜食的食慾增加。 This suggests those saving all their calories for the end of the day may face consequences because they snack more. 這表明，把一天中高熱量的食物都留到晚上吃的人會得不償失，因為他們會吃更多零食。 Next Article Topic: Air pollution ’pandemic’ shortens lives by 3 years: study 研究：空污「大爆發」 人類減壽3年 A ’pandemic’ of air pollution shortens lives worldwide by nearly three years on average, and causes 8.8 million premature deaths annually, scientists said Tuesday. 科學家週二表示，空氣污染「大爆發」，使得全球人口的平均餘命縮短近3年，且每年有880萬人因空污問題提早死亡。 Eliminating the toxic cocktail of molecules and lung-clogging particles cast off by burning oil, gas and coal would restore a full year of life expectancy, they reported in the journal Cardiovascular Research. 根據他們在醫學期刊《心血管研究》發表的研究報告，排除因燃燒石油、天然氣和煤炭所釋出的有毒物質，以及會造成肺阻塞的微粒，將可使人類平均餘命增加整整1年。 Compared to other causes of premature death, air pollution kills 19 times more people each year than malaria, nine times more than HIV/AIDS, and three times more than alcohol, the study found. 該研究發現，相較於其他造成提早死亡的原因，空污每年奪走的人命是瘧疾的19倍、愛滋病的9倍，也是酗酒的3倍。 Coronary heart disease and stroke account for almost half of those deaths, with lung diseases and other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure accounting for most of the rest. Only six percent of mortality stemming from polluted air is due to lung cancer. 冠狀動脈心臟病和中風的人數，約佔全球提早死亡人數的一半，其餘死因則多半與肺病及糖尿病和高血壓等非傳染性疾病有關。而因空污致死的案例中， 死於肺癌者僅佔6%。 The worst-hit region is Asia, where average lifespan is cut 4.1 years in China, 3.9 years in India, and 3.8 years in Pakistan. 亞洲是受空污影響最嚴重的地區。空污使中國人平均餘命減少4.1年，印度人減少3.9年，巴基斯坦人減少3.8年。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1360772 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1358960 Next Article Topic: Chemical found in spinach has the same effect as steroids and should be banned for athletes, scientists say Maybe Popeye was onto something when he ripped open a can of spinach for beating up the bad guys. 當大力水手卜派為了痛毆壞人而打開一罐菠菜時，或許知其所以然。 Scientists in Germany say, ecdysterone, a chemical found in spinach is close to steroids and has a similar effect on humans. Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin ran a 10-week test on nearly 50 athletes and found athletes who took capsules of ecdysterone increased their strength by up to three times. 德國科學家表示，菠菜中發現的化學物質「蛻皮甾酮」（ecdysterone）與類固醇相近，對人體有類似作用。柏林自由大學研究人員對近50名運動員進行歷時10週的測試，發現服用蛻皮甾酮膠囊的運動員，體力最多增加3倍。 The capsules the athletes were given were the equivalent of about nine pounds of spinach but researchers say the capsules could be used as a performance enhancing drug. The study has called on the World Anti-Doping Authority to dig further into ecdysterone and wants the chemical added to the list of banned substances for athletes. 給那些運動員服用的膠囊，約等同於9磅重的蔬菜。但研究人員表示，這些膠囊可能會被用來做為提高成績的藥物。該研究呼籲「世界運動禁藥管制組織」近一步研究蛻皮甾酮，希望將這種化學物質加入運動員禁用物品清單裡。 Next Article: Topic: Genes, yes, but obesity pandemic mostly down to diet：study 研究：基因有影響，但肥胖流行病主因在飲食 A three-fold jump since 1975 in the percentage of adults worldwide who are obese has been driven mainly by a shift in diet and lack of exercise, but genes do play a role as well, according a large-scale study published Thursday. 根據週四發表的一份大型研究，1975年以來全球成年人口中，肥胖者所佔比例大增3倍，主要由飲食習慣改變和缺乏運動造成，但基因確實也有影響。 For people genetically predisposed to a wider girth, these unhealthy lifestyles compounded the problem, resulting in an even higher rate of weight gain, researchers reported in The BMJ, a peer-reviewed medical journal. 研究人員在同儕審查醫學期刊「英國醫學期刊」發表報告指出，對於基因上易胖的人而言，這些不健康的生活方式加重問題，導致體重更大幅度增加。 To tease out the relative impact of environment and genes on obesity, scientists led by Maria Brandkvist at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology combed through data on nearly 120,000 people in Norway whose height and weight were regularly measured between 1963 and 2008. 為了瞭解環境和基因對肥胖的相對影響，挪威科技大學的布朗克韋斯特領導的一群科學家，探究挪威從1963年到2008年間定期測量身高、體重的近12萬人資料。 Adults began tipping the scales at significantly higher weights in the 1980s and 1990s, they found. Those born after 1970 were far more likely to have a substantially higher BMI as young adults than earlier generations. 他們發現，1980和1990年代成年人的體重顯著增加。1970年以後出生的人，更有可能在年輕時就有比前幾世代人高得多的BMI值。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1312177 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1313703 Next Article Topic: Science proves that alcohol increases your ability to speak a second language 科學證實，酒精增進你的第二外語口說能力 A new study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology has found that a bit of Dutch courage might be the key to boosting your ability to speak a second language. 一項發表於《精神藥理學期刊》的最新研究發現，一點酒後之勇可能是促進你第二外語口說能力的關鍵。 Researchers tested 50 native German speakers who had just learned Dutch. Some were given a low dose of alcohol, and others a control beverage with no alcohol, and then were asked to have a conversation in Dutch. 研究人員測試50名以德語為母語的人士，他們剛學習荷蘭語。部分人士被給予低分量的酒精，其他人士則被給予沒有酒精的控制組飲料，之後他們被要求以荷蘭語對話。 The study showed that those who were slightly intoxicated had better pronunciation than their sober counterparts. Alcohol may impair your memory, making it harder to pay attention and recall facts, but on the other hand, it also boosts your self-confidence. 研究顯示，相較於對應他們的清醒受試者，那些微酣受試者的發音更佳。酒精可能損害你的記憶，使你更難專注及回想事情，但另一方面，酒精也會增進你的自信。 However, participants in this study consumed a low dose of alcohol, and that higher levels of alcohol consumption might not have beneficial effects on the pronunciation of a foreign language. The participants knew what they were drinking, so it’s not clear if their speech improved because of alcohol’s psychological or biological effects. 不過，研究中的受試者只飲用少量酒精，而更多的酒精攝取，可能對外語發音無益。受試者知道自己飲用何物，因此並不清楚他們的口說改善是因為酒精的心理還是生理作用。 Source article: http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1149846&day=2017-11-07 每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 「我老了,記憶力不行了,學不進去了。」聽起來很熟悉?這句話可能是你說服自己不用努力的最大謊言。這集John老師跟阿鍵老師聊的不是什麼英文技巧,是你腦袋裡那個一直在偷偷搞破壞的聲音。 你在騙誰? John老師一開口就說他老了、動力差、不想學了。聽起來很誠實,但阿鍵老師馬上戳破:這不是事實,這是lie,你在騙自己。 大腦不是手機,不會用久就變慢然後強制更新。神經科學告訴我們,大腦的可塑性強到什麼程度?有人車禍後腦袋壞掉一半,另一半還能慢慢補回功能。你只是因為下班塞在國道上滑了兩小時抖音就覺得自己「老化」?不一樣的事。 問題不是你老了。是你很久沒有認真學過任何新東西了。上班族的日子就是捷運、辦公室、茶水間、外送晚餐,然後週末睡到中午。你的大腦這塊肌肉,根本沒在練。 這本書的作者,腦袋真的壞過 今天聊的書叫《Limitless》,作者Jim Kwik。名字就叫Kwik,很可愛。他不是什麼沒受過挫折的天才,他小時候腦部受過嚴重外傷,連字母都認不得。後來跟對了老師,學會怎麼用腦,才變成到處幫Google、Nike、SpaceX、哈佛大學做培訓的學習教練。 酒病變良醫。他知道大腦壞掉是什麼感覺,所以他教的東西不是理論,是真的有用過的方法。 他提出一個3M框架——Mindset、Motivation、Method。聽起來很buzzword,但拆開來還蠻實在的。 先破掉腦袋裡的謊言 第一個M是Mindset。你告訴自己的那些話,有多少是真的,有多少只是你懶得動的藉口? 「我太老了」——lie。「我沒有語言天分」——可能也是lie。「我竹科上班這麼累,回家哪有力氣學英文」——這個是事實,但你從來沒試過在開車塞車的路上聽podcast吧? John老師說,你說出口的話是有力量的。你一直告訴自己我老了學不會,你的大腦就真的照辦了。不要說出來。就算真的很累,也把那句話換成「我還可以做什麼」。0.1%的可能也是可能。 找到讓你肚子餓的那根胡蘿蔔 第二個M是Motivation。很多人說想學英文,但說不出來學了要幹嘛。「想要進步」這個why太遠了,遠到你看不見,自然就沒動力。 Jim Kwik說要找強烈的why。不是那種高大上的「想要成為更好的自己」,是更接近本能的那種。想交外國男女朋友?想看懂巴菲特的股東信原文不用等中文翻譯?想進外商讓台北辦公室的主管刮目相看?這些才會讓你肚子餓。 而且目標太遠的話要切小。不是「我要英文流利」,是「這個月我要聽懂一集英文podcast不用倒帶」。可以達到的目標才會讓你踏出那一步。 FAST學習法,不是叫你衝 第三個M是Method, Jim Kwik給了一個FAST的縮寫。 F是Forget——先把腦袋裡「我學不會」的雜念歸零。A是Active——不要只是被動收聽,要動手做筆記、跟讀、輸出。S是State——管理自己的狀態,累到不行的時候硬逼自己學,學進去的機率是零。T是Teach——學了以後去教別人,才會真的變成你的東西。 這其實就是Feynman Technique的概念。你以為你懂, 直到你試著解釋給別人聽才知道自己哪裡有洞。把你學到的英文用法分享給朋友, 這也算teaching。

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: This article discusses the negative saving rate in Japan and how a lack of increases has led to this shift. People are not able to save and live from hand to mouth monthly. This is a huge shift in the culture and poses a huge problem for the government. They need spending, but also saving for when people retire. 原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-920-saving-is-out-of-style-in-japan  Vocabulary and Sample Sentences Budge v.: to move slightly, change an opinion Did the stock price budge after the scandal? Did his opinion of the movie budge after he read its review?   Hoard v.: to collect and keep large amounts of something Did she hoard lots of toilet paper? Would you like to hoard some cash?   Void n.: large empty space Do children fill a void in people’s lives? Is there a void of savings in Japan at present?  

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你有用保溫杯嗎？一個、兩個？還是多到數不清？在本集的英語時光機裡 John 和 Patrick 兩位老師從一個超級日常的問題聊起：「保溫瓶」的英文怎麼說？咦～沒想到這些大牌子的英文本身就包含了溫度的意思！ 另外 Patrick 老師也帶來了一段關於 Thermos 品牌的身世背景，而 John 老師也提到了現在的膳魔師，居然跟台灣的關係意外的緊密喔。 Do you use insulated water bottles? One, two? Or too many to count? In this episode of English Cafe, John and Patrick start with a super everyday question: "How do you say 'insulated bottle' in English?" Wow~ turns out these brand names themselves contain the meaning of temperature! Additionally, Patrick shares the background story of the Thermos brand, while John mentions that the current Thermos actually has an unexpectedly close relationship with Taiwan.

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptbVIP會員想許願哪些主題？ →https://forms.gle/xyHoPydBr6LLFL9q8 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） --------------------------------------------

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L182: China's OpenClaw "Lobster" Frenzy: Hype Meets Alarm Highlights 主題摘要OpenClaw, an open-source AI agent nicknamed the "lobster," has gone viral in China, captivating users from retirees to schoolchildren.Unlike passive chatbots, OpenClaw autonomously executes tasks, driving a 22% surge in Chinese tech shares and a rush of localised products.Authorities are banning the software over security risks, while malware attacks and rising token costs are already dampening the hype. At a recent seminar hosted by AI startup Zhipu, retirees, office workers, and curious parents gathered to learn how to train their own "lobster" — the affectionate nickname Chinese users have given to AI agents built on OpenClaw, an open-source platform whose red crustacean logo has swept Chinese tech circles. Far from being the preserve of early adopters, the technology has captivated an improbably broad audience, from primary school children pestering their parents for a digital pet to retirees hoping to monetise their industry knowledge. "OpenClaw can actually help you accomplish many practical things," one attendee said. 在AI新創公司智譜近期舉辦的研討會上，退休人士、上班族與好奇的家長紛紛湧入，學習如何訓練自己的「龍蝦」。這是中國用戶給OpenClaw AI代理取的暱稱，這款開源平台以紅色龍蝦為標誌，如今已在中國科技圈掀起熱潮。這項技術早已不再是科技達人的專利，從纏著父母討龍蝦養的小學生，到希望將專業知識變現的退休族，吸引的族群出乎意料地廣泛。「OpenClaw確實能幫你完成很多實際的事，」一名與會者說。 Released in November by Austrian developer Peter Steinberger, OpenClaw has since become one of the fastest-growing projects in GitHub's history. Unlike conventional chatbots, which respond passively to queries, OpenClaw operates more like a human assistant: it can browse the web, manage files, send emails, and execute complex multi-step tasks with minimal intervention. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has called it "the next ChatGPT," a comparison that sent Chinese technology shares surging by as much as 22% as Baidu, Tencent, and other giants rushed to release localised versions. OpenClaw由奧地利開發者彼得‧斯坦伯格於去年11月推出，迅速躋身GitHub史上成長最快的專案之列。與被動回覆問題的傳統聊天機器人不同，OpenClaw更像一位真正的人類助理，能瀏覽網頁、管理檔案、發送電子郵件，並在幾乎不需人工介入的情況下完成複雜的多步驟任務。輝達執行長黃仁勳將其稱為「下一個ChatGPT」，此言一出，中國科技股應聲大漲，漲幅最高達22%，百度、騰訊等業者也紛紛跟進，推出各自的本地化版本。 The frenzy has spilled well beyond tech circles. Local governments are offering subsidies of up to 20 million yuan — roughly $2.8 million — annually to qualifying one-person companies that deploy AI agents. At Baidu's "Lobster Market" events, engineers offer free cloud-based installation; Tencent drew queues of nearly a thousand people at a Shenzhen venue. Yet the enthusiasm has unsettled Chinese authorities: state-owned People's Daily urged officials to maintain the "safety bottom line," while government agencies, brokerages, and universities have banned staff from installing the software. 這股風潮早已遠遠超出科技圈的範疇。地方政府開始向符合資格的「一人公司」提供補貼，每年最高可達2,000萬人民幣（約新台幣1.28億元）。百度舉辦「龍蝦市集」，由工程師現場協助用戶免費安裝雲端版本；騰訊在深圳的活動則吸引近千人排隊等候。然而，這股熱潮也引起中國當局高度警戒，黨媒《人民日報》呼籲官員「守住安全底線」，各地政府機關、券商與高校也陸續禁止員工安裝OpenClaw。 Security risks have proved real. Malicious GitHub repositories distributed Vidar infostealer and GhostSocks proxy malware to users searching for OpenClaw installers, while Chinese cybersecurity authorities have documented cases of photos, payment credentials, and API keys being stolen. Token costs are also mounting: Zhipu raised prices on its OpenClaw-optimised model by 20%, and frustrated users have begun paying to have the software removed. With Steinberger announcing plans to join OpenAI and the project's long-term stewardship to be transferred to a foundation, OpenClaw's future remains as unsettled as the frenzy it ignited. 安全風險已不再是紙上談兵。有人在GitHub上架設偽造程式庫，針對搜尋OpenClaw安裝程式的用戶散播Vidar資訊竊取程式及GhostSocks代理惡意軟體；中國網路安全當局也記錄到多起照片、支付憑證與API金鑰遭竊的案例。代幣費用同樣持續上漲，智譜已將旗下OpenClaw最佳化模型的收費調漲20%，不少用戶更開始花錢請人「除蝦」。斯坦伯格宣布將加入OpenAI，並計畫將專案移交基金會管理，OpenClaw未來何去何從，至今仍充滿未知。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Affectionate [adjective, showing warmth or fondness toward someone or something]: Fans gave the app an affectionate nickname right away.Early adopter [noun phrase, someone who uses a new technology before most others do]: Early adopters often shape how a product evolves.Spill beyond [verb phrase, to spread past original or expected limits]: The story spilled beyond tech news into mainstream headlines.Infostealer [noun, malware that secretly collects and transmits sensitive personal data]: The infostealer grabbed passwords without the user noticing.Stewardship [noun, responsible management of something entrusted to one's care]: He handed over stewardship of the project to a foundation. Reference article: 1. https://www.openclaw.org.tw/ 2. https://www.reuters.com/technology/openclaw-enthusiasm-grips-china-schoolkids-retirees-alike-raise-lobsters-2026-03-19/ 3. https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/hackers-exploit-openclaw-to-spread-malware-via-github-and-a-little-help-from-bing 4. https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/articles/c93wvdn91kxo/simp

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— The 'Right to Repair' Movement Gains Ground If you buy a product — a car, a smartphone, or even a tractor — and it breaks, should it be easier for you to fix it yourself? 如果你買了一個產品，例如一輛汽車、一部智慧型手機，甚至是一台拖拉機，結果它壞了，是不是應該讓你自己修理起來更容易些呢？ Manufacturers of a wide range of products have made it increasingly difficult over the years to repair things, for instance by limiting availability of parts or by putting prohibitions on who gets to tinker with them. It affects not only game consoles or farm equipment, but cellphones, military gear, refrigerators, automobiles and even hospital ventilators, the lifesaving devices that have proved crucial this year in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 多年來，許多種產品的製造商都讓維修變得愈來愈困難，比如限制零件的取得，或對何人有權動手維修施加限制。受影響的產品不止於遊戲主機或農用機具，還有手機、軍用設備、冰箱、汽車，甚至包括今年對抗新冠病毒疫情發揮關鍵作用的救生設備—醫院裡的呼吸器。 Now, a movement known as "right to repair" is starting to make progress in pushing for laws that prohibit restrictions like these. 現在，一項名為「維修權」的運動在推動禁止此類限制的立法上，正取得進展。 In August, Democrats introduced a bill in Congress to block manufacturers' limits on medical devices, spurred by the pandemic. In Europe, the European Commission announced plans in March for new right-to-repair rules that would cover phones, tablets and laptops by 2021. 今年8月，美國民主黨因防疫需要而在國會提出一項法案，旨在阻止製造商對醫療裝置設下限制。在歐洲，歐盟執行委員會3月宣布了新的維修權規定計畫，在2021年以前實施，涵蓋手機、平板電腦和筆記型電腦。 And in more than 20 statehouses nationwide, right-to-repair legislation has been introduced in recent years by both Republicans and Democrats. 近年來，在全美國20多個州的議會裡，共和黨和民主黨都提出了維修權法案。 Over the summer, the House advanced a funding bill that includes a requirement that the Federal Trade Commission complete a report on anti-competitive practices in the repair market and present its findings to Congress and the public. 今年夏天，眾議院推動了一項資助法案，其中責成聯邦貿易委員會做成一份關於維修市場反競爭行為的報告，並向國會和民眾提交調查結果。 The goal of right-to-repair rules, advocates say, is to require companies to make their parts, tools and information available to consumers and repair shops in order to keep devices from ending up in the scrap heap. They argue that the rules restrict people's use of devices that they own and encourage a throwaway culture by making repairs too difficult. 倡議人士表示，維修權規定的目的是要求企業向消費者和維修商家提供零組件、工具及資訊，以免這些裝置最終被扔進垃圾堆。他們主張，目前的慣例對人們使用自己的裝置設下限制，並透過讓維修變得太過困難的方式，助長了一種用完即丟的文化。 They also argue that it's part of a culture of planned obsolescence — the idea that products are designed to be short-lived in order to encourage people to buy more stuff. That contributes to wasted natural resources and energy use at a time when climate change requires movement in the opposite direction to rein in planet-warming emissions. 他們還認為，這是一種計畫性淘汰文化的一部分，即為了鼓勵人們購買更多東西，產品被設計成短命的。在氣候變遷需要採取反向行動來控制溫室氣體排放的此際，這助長了自然資源的浪費以及能源的使用。 Manufacturing a new device or appliance is still largely reliant on polluting sources of energy — electricity generated from burning fossil fuels, for instance — and constitutes the largest environmental impact for most products. 製造一種新設備或裝置在很大程度上，仍仰賴會造成汙染的能源，例如燃燒化石燃料產生的電力，對大多數產品而言，這正是構成最大環境影響的因素。 Source: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5015841 UK Gamers and Politicians Take Aim at Console 'Scalpers' Furious British gamers and lawmakers are training their sights on "scalpers" who are buying up coveted PS5 and Xbox consoles and selling them online at vastly inflated prices. 氣沖沖的英國玩家和議員將焦點指向「黃牛」，這些黃牛買光搶手的PS5、Xbox電玩主機，然後在網路上以大幅灌水的價格出售。 The popular consoles have also been hard to come by in other parts of the world, but in Britain anger has boiled over to the point where some lawmakers want to ban the practice of reselling them online at higher prices. 這些熱門電玩主機在世界其他地方也一機難求，但是在英國掀起的怒火已沸騰，一些議員為此打算禁止網路高價轉售的作法。 While a PS5 normally costs between £360 and £450 depending on the model, its median resale price on sites like eBay is £650-£750, according to US researcher Michael Driscoll. 根據美國研究員麥可．德里斯考的說法，通常一部PS5依版本差異，售價在360英鎊到450英鎊之間，但在諸如「電子海灣」的網站上轉售價中位數為650到750英鎊不等。 Singaporean Student Plays Pokémon on Ingenious 'Melonboy' Imagine that you are on the MRT and a young man sitting next to you is playing video games on a watermelon-like console. 想像你搭捷運時突然有個年輕男子拿著一顆鑲有小螢幕的西瓜淡定的坐到你旁邊，開始認真的玩。 That's the unusual sight some people recently experienced in Singapore when a teenager was seen playing "Pokemon Go" on a self-built console made of a watermelon, a screen and some buttons. 近期，就有新加坡民眾在捷運上目睹這奇葩的一幕。一位星國少年自製了一台「西瓜Game Boy」，上面不僅有螢幕和實體的按鈕，裡面還裝載了近期最流行的寶可夢遊戲軟體。 Cedrick Tan, a student from the Singapore Management University, has been tinkering with the project on YouTube which has led to him building his own version of Pokemon Emerald inside a fruit. An avid creator, Tan's long list of projects include turning a map into a blank canvas for augmented reality, finding a way to send messages to Telegram using Microsoft Excel, and building a playable Game Boy Advance inside a melon. 就讀新加坡管理大學的Cedrick Tan，近日在YouTube上分享了自製的水果寶可夢GameBoy，揭露製作過程和最後實驗結果。一向天馬行空的他其實已經有無數的作品，包括將一個地圖放進虛擬實境和利用微軟Excel發送訊息至通訊軟體Telegram。如今他又再次突破自己，將遊戲機成功的裝進蔬果內。 When asked about his project, Tan said: "When it came down to actually making the Melonboy, it happened to be really convenient seeing as the melon was very spacious on the inside allowing me to wire everything up with ease." 當被問起做這個作品的過程時，Cedrick表示其實非常簡單，因為西瓜內部空間非常足夠，電路的連接也非常方便。 The Game Boy emulator can then be loaded and run with the same software as the original game. Inside the scooped-out melon, a power bank, buttons, a 1.8-inch screen and loudspeakers are assembled. 遊戲機目前可以成功的開啟，使用的軟體也和原版相符，而挖空的西瓜塞進了一個電池、數個實體按鍵、一個1.8寸的螢幕和小喇叭音響。 According to Tan, the construction took about a month; though he blamed the time-length on a faulty device integral to the game boy. Without the problem, the watermelon-based console could have been finished in less than a week, he said. Cedrick表示，因為買到瑕疵零件，導致製作過程延宕，西瓜GameBoy花了他將近一個月才完成。若沒有遇到這些問題的話，大概一週以內就能完成，他自信滿滿地說。 "As an information systems student, I have no background in electrical engineering, so learning that from scratch took some time," Tan recalled. The result is a working game console, complete with a Game Boy Advance emulator and a game controller. 「身為一個資管系的學生，我對於電機其實一知半解，所以一切從零開始學，花了一點時間。」Cedrick說。然而，他對於自己的成果表示滿意，成功的製作出一個有著完整介面的「攜帶式」遊戲機。 But the best thing about Tan's video is the public's reaction to the watermelon game boy. On a visit to the market, he played the game console surrounded by real watermelons, which provoked weird looks from passers-by. 吸睛的西瓜GameBoy影片獲得廣大民眾迴響，這大概也是Cedrick最大的收穫。Cedrick也實驗過將西瓜帶去賣場玩，捕捉到許多人好奇的眼光。 Tan also recalled being quizzed about the device when he brought it into a train station. A distressed SMRT staff asked him about the strange device, and after hearing his explanation, requested him to show it to her colleagues. Cedrick憶起他曾帶著西瓜進火車站，當時還被站務員攔截，詢問他手上的大西瓜是怎麼回事。一位緊張的員工甚至跑到他身邊詢問奇形怪狀的西瓜用途，聽完他的解釋後，員工還非常興奮地將他拉回辦公室要他將作品展現給其他同事看。 In addition, Tan said he also experienced another unforeseen problem where someone complained that he was carrying a watermelon bomb. 此外，Cedrick坦言他曾經被誤認為西瓜炸彈客，而他從沒想過帶著西瓜會碰上這樣的麻煩。 Tan also posted on Reddit about his clumsy contraption, where he received plenty of praise, inspiring him to build different versions in the future, including avocados and coconuts. Cedrick也將自己的作品分享到美版PTT Reddit上面，不僅獲得外國網友的讚賞，還有許多人鼓勵他之後利用酪梨和椰子製作遊戲機。 Unfortunately, Tan revealed that the watermelon had rotted just a few days after his YouTube video was uploaded. However, Tan vowed to continue making his creations and could take on the challenge of turning the durian into a game that could be called StinkyBoy's Pain Game. 不幸地，Cedrick透露，影片上傳YouTube後過了幾天，西瓜就爛掉了。然而，Cedrick表示將會繼續創作，未來也規劃以榴槤製作遊戲，將其命名為「臭Boy痛苦遊戲」。 Source: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200827-1697494

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 辦公室茶水間最尷尬的事：外國同事站在你旁邊，你腦袋空空，只剩「How are you」。這集 John老師跟阿鍵老師 recap 了最近幾則國際時事，重點不是叫你把新聞背起來，而是教你怎麼把這些話題變成你跟外國同事打成一片的工具。 1. 19歲就拿 F1 冠軍，我們那時候在幹嘛 最近 F1 出了一個 19 歲的新人 Antonelli，在開賽前兩站都拿下 pole position 又抱走冠軍。接的還是 Lewis Hamilton 在 Mercedes 留下來的位置。John老師說連他老婆看到都問「他哪個車隊的」，可見話題熱度。 重點是，F1 這種運動話題在外商公司超好用。你不需要每週跟盯，只要抓一個亮點就夠了。 茶水間版本的聊法：Did you see the 19-year-old that just made F1 history? That was seriously impressive. 對方如果有在追，馬上就接起來了；如果他沒有看，你反而可以問他 Which team do you support? 就變成你在帶話題的人。 体育話題的妙處就是這樣——不懂的人可以問，懂的人會講不停，兩邊都不尷尬。 2. 麥當勞 CEO 吃漢堡，吃出一個 PR 危機 這則是最近在 TikTok 和 Threads 上流傳的影片：McDonald's CEO 親自吃自家漢堡，結果表情看起來很嫌棄，被網友笑翻。John老師說人家可能是因為心血管問題只能小心咬，但畫面確實沒什麼說服力。 Burger King 看到機會，馬上推出自家經理人大口吃漢堡的影片，吃得津津有味。行銷教科書等級的反差。 茶水間版本的聊法：Do you think the video would have gone more viral if it was Ronald McDonald eating the burger instead of the CEO? 這樣問比直接評論 CEO 失誤安全多了，也比較有梗。阿鍵老師補了一句——如果你跟同事都有 PR 或 advertising 背景，你還可以問 Do you think having CEOs represent their own brand is ever a good idea? 這樣一杯咖啡可以聊很久。 3. 日圓又貶了，你還沒訂機票嗎 日圓對美元破 160，創近年新低。對台灣人來說這根本是強制出遊的訊號。John老師說這話題在外商辦公室好用的原因，是你可以從匯率聊到旅遊計畫，完全不沉重。 茶水間版本的聊法：Hey, the yen is getting really weak again. Are you planning a trip to Japan anytime soon? 這樣開場幾乎沒有人會不接。如果對方不常去日本，你就問他 Where would you go if you did? 如果他很常去，那就說 You basically have to go this year, right? 當然阿鍵老師也示範了一下怎麼當個「掃興同事」——人家在說要去玩，他說日本通膨其實也跟著漲，換多但花更多。John老師說這種 water cooler 話題千萬別聊太深，Don't take it too seriously，輕輕帶過就好。 4. Elon Musk 又在整合他的帝國了 這集還聊了 Musk 把 xAI 跟 SpaceX 合併，同步推出 X Money——一張金屬質感的白色信用卡，目前美國部分州已經在試用，Silicon Valley 已經有人拿到實體卡了。 John老師跟阿鍵老師順帶解釋了一下 merge 跟 converge 的差別：merge 是正式商業語境，兩家公司股權合一；converge 或 connect 比較口語，適合聊 Musk 自己幾家子公司整合在一起的感覺。 茶水間聊法分兩種。如果你同事是炒股型的，問他 Why do you think SpaceX needs to be in the mix? 他可以講半小時。如果對方比較一般，就問 Are you going to apply for X Money? 就算台灣還不能用，光是「你想申請嗎」這個問題就夠聊了。 John老師最後說，這些新聞不是要你記起來交報告，而是幫你跟同事建立「我們在同一個頻道」的感覺。你看同樣的新聞、聊同樣的話題，比 I like your shoes 有效太多了。通勤時間聽完，進辦公室馬上能用。

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary A study funded by NASA is putting people in a domeshaped building on a Hawaii volcano for eight months that mimicks a stay on the surface of Mars. This simulation is to examine how well people can work and live together, entirely separated from civilization. The 2030 Mars mission with astronauts will consist of a six-month journey to Mars, then 500 days of stay, and another six-month return trip. NASA does not intend to put people on this mission without understanding the psychological consequences. A mock Mars mission of 520 days showed the people developed sleep disorders and became less productive. The six crew members selected are able to email with a 20minute delay, check their bank accounts, and browse limited websites. Crew members will perform a variety of work that mimics astronauts, including excursions in spacesuits.  原文討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-918-living-in-hawaii-aiming-for-mars   Vocabulary and sample sentences:  Last-minute adj. – last possible time before the event The crew members picked up last-minute things before entering the dome. Please wait for me at the restaurant, I am busy with a last-minute customer at the moment.   Escalate v. – become more intense or increase rapidly Personal conflicts that can escalate over months could be bad for the Mars mission. BLM escalated after the death of George Floyd.   Worst-case adj. – the worst possible outcome NASA is creating a mock environment that simulates the worst-cast scenario. The worst-case scenario of a computer crash is the loss of data. 

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你喜歡傳統市場嗎？上一次去是什麼時候呢？是熟門熟路地跟老闆娘殺價，還是像個觀光客一樣站在攤位前完全不知道該買多少？本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Klim 老師要來聊聊一個台灣人再熟悉不過、但外國人卻有些頭痛的地方：傳統市場！ 這集從「超市派 vs. 市場派」的激辯開始，兩位老師各有喜好、聽起來難分軒輊互不相讓！再來是傳統市場的議價文化和計量單位等眉角，Klim 老師還透露了他在市場裡買過最「猛」的食材，而 John 老師每次逛市場一定要吃的那樣東西居然是這個？ Do you like traditional markets? When was the last time you went? Do you know your way around and haggle with the vendors, or do you stand in front of stalls like a tourist completely unsure how much to buy? This week on English Cafe, John and Klim talk about a place that's all too familiar to Taiwanese people but can give foreigners a headache: traditional markets! This episode starts with a heated debate of "Team Supermarket vs. Team Market," with each teacher having their own preferences—it's neck and neck with neither backing down! Then there's the haggling culture and measurement units of traditional markets and their intricacies. Klim even reveals the most "intense" ingredient he's ever bought at the market, and the thing John must eat every time he visits the market is actually this?!

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L178: 日圓重貶，日銀騎虎難下 Yen Slides to 160, BOJ Signals It Is Watching Highlights 主題摘要BOJ Governor Ueda told parliament on March 30 that yen movements have a "huge impact" on Japan's economy, signalling growing pressure for faster rate hikes.The BOJ held rates at 0.75% in March, but oil-driven inflation is pushing household costs up five to seven percent year-on-year, narrowing its room to wait.Japanese overseas travel in 2024 recovered to just 13 million departures — still a third below pre-pandemic levels — as the weak yen keeps foreign trips out of reach. For Japan, the currency market has become the fulcrum of economic debate. On March 30, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda told parliament that foreign exchange movements have a "huge impact" on the country's economy and prices — the clearest signal yet that yen weakness is no longer a peripheral concern but a primary driver of monetary policy. The yen briefly touched 160.27 to the dollar on March 28, its weakest since July 2024, when authorities had previously intervened to arrest the currency's slide. Tokyo's Vice Finance Minister Atsushi Mimura warned of growing speculative activity, while Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama stated the government stood ready to take "bold actions." 日圓匯率問題，已成為日本當前經濟辯論的核心議題。3月30日，日銀行長植田和男在國會表示，外匯市場的波動對日本的經濟與物價走勢有「巨大影響」，這是迄今最直接的信號，顯示日圓疲軟已不再是次要問題，而是貨幣政策的主要考量。日圓在3月28日一度觸及1美元兌160.27日圓，創下2024年7月以來新低，當年當局曾進場干預，壓制日圓跌勢。財務省副大臣三村淳表示對外匯市場投機交易升溫的憂慮，財務大臣片山皋月則聲明政府已準備好採取「大膽行動」。 The structural cause remains a stubbornly wide interest rate differential. After ending its negative interest rate regime in March 2024, the BOJ raised borrowing costs cautiously, taking a gradualist path to 0.75%. But with the US Federal Reserve keeping rates elevated, the gap remains vast. Investors routinely borrow cheaply in yen and deploy capital into higher-yielding assets elsewhere — the carry trade — putting the yen under persistent selling pressure. 日圓長期走軟的結構性根源，在於日本與其他主要經濟體之間長期懸殊的利差。日銀於2024年3月結束負利率政策後，已逐步將利率調升至0.75%，但美國聯準會為壓制通膨而維持高利率，兩者之間的利差依然顯著。投資人持續以低廉成本借入日圓，將資金配置到海外收益率更高的資產，形成所謂的套利交易，持續壓低市場對日圓的需求。 Urgency sharpened in 2026 as surging oil prices, driven by the Middle East conflict, compounded the inflationary effect on import costs. At the March meeting, at least one BOJ board member called for rate hikes "without hesitation." Ueda told parliament the bank would "guide policy appropriately" by scrutinising how currency moves affect its forecasts. Markets now price a two-in-three chance of a hike to 1% as soon as May — the first aggressive tightening cycle Japan has seen in decades. 進入2026年後，局勢明顯更加緊迫。中東衝突帶動油價飆升，進一步放大日圓貶值對進口成本的推升效應。在3月政策會議上，至少一位委員主張，只要經濟情勢未見明顯惡化，就應「毫不猶豫」升息。植田和男在國會答詢時表示，日銀將評估匯率波動對成長與物價預測的影響，「適當引導政策方向」。市場目前預估，日銀最快在5月升息至1%的機率約達三分之二，若成真，將是日本數十年來首次連續緊縮的升息週期。 For ordinary households, the toll is concrete. Overseas travel by Japanese citizens recovered to only 13 million departures in 2024 — still roughly a third below 2019's 20.1 million — as the weak currency renders foreign trips prohibitively expensive. Food and utility bills are climbing five to seven percent year-on-year. A depreciating yen, it turns out, is anything but abstract: it erodes purchasing power with every paycheck and every trip to the supermarket. 對一般家庭而言，日圓貶值的代價早已不是紙上數字。2024年日本出境旅遊人次僅回升至約1,300萬，較2019年的2,010萬仍少了約三分之一，疲軟的日圓讓海外旅行對許多人來說愈來愈難以負擔。食品與電費支出年增幅更達5至7%。日圓持續貶值，說到底就是每個月領薪水、每次去超市採購時，默默縮水的購買力。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Gradualist [adjective, describing a slow, step-by-step approach to policy change]: The BOJ's gradualist approach has drawn criticism from market watchers.Carry trade [noun phrase, borrowing in a low-interest currency to invest in higher-yielding assets elsewhere]: Low rates make the yen a popular carry trade funding currency.Selling pressure [noun phrase, sustained market demand to sell an asset, driving its price lower]: The yen has been under constant selling pressure for months.Inflationary [adjective, causing or related to a general rise in prices]: Surging oil costs have had a clear inflationary effect on household bills.Tightening cycle [noun phrase, a period in which a central bank raises interest rates consecutively to curb inflation]: Markets are bracing for Japan's first tightening cycle in decades. Reference article: 1. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/boj-watching-fx-movement-factor-affecting-economy-governor-ueda-says-2026-03-30/ 2. https://tw.stock.yahoo.com/share/5e3c1e6b-ddb1-3244-9979-1bc5f8c68e22 3. https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/03/economy/japan-declining-yen-shortcake-travel-intl-hnk

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Smart Crib' Aims to Help Rockabye Baby As every new parent knows, sleep can go out the window after the arrival of a newborn. 如每對剛生孩子的爸媽所知，新生兒到來後，再也沒有夜夜好眠。 That was certainly the case for parents Radhika and Bharath Patil, who seeking relief for their own disrupted sleep patterns, put their electronic engineering backgrounds together to create a "smart crib." 這確實就是拉德西卡和巴拉特‧帕蒂爾的狀況，這對父母正在補救自身混亂的睡眠模式，結合他們的電子工程背景，創造了一個「智慧嬰兒床」。 Their crib, powered by artificial intelligence, combines a baby monitor, rocker, bassinet and crib in one. 他們把一台嬰兒監視器、弧形搖桿、搖籃和嬰兒床合而為一，由人工智慧來驅動嬰兒床。 "It's not the amount of work around the baby that tires the parents, it's the lack of sleep," Radhika Patil, Cradlewise chief executive, told Reuters in an interview. 「智慧搖籃」執行長拉德西卡‧帕蒂爾在訪問中告訴路透，「並非圍繞著嬰兒的工作量累到父母，而是睡眠不足。」 Early detection is key, she said, adding that the sooner parents can detect the baby waking up, the easier it is to get the child to fall back asleep. 她說，早期偵測是關鍵，並補充指出，父母越早發現嬰兒醒來，就越容易讓他們的孩子再度入睡。 "Once you put the baby in, the crib takes care of everything. That's the aim," Bharath Patil said. 巴拉特‧帕蒂爾說，「只要把嬰兒放進去，嬰兒床就顧好每件事。這就是目的。」 New Thoughts on the Math of Effective Baby Talk It has been nearly 20 years since a landmark education study found that, by age 3, children from low-income families have heard 30 million fewer words than more affluent children, putting them at an educational disadvantage before they have begun school. 將近20年前，一項具有里程碑意義的教育研究發現，低收入戶兒童到了3歲時，已比家庭較富裕的兒童少聽到3000萬個字彙，以致就學前即已處於教育上的劣勢。 Now, a growing body of research is challenging the notion that merely exposing poor children to more language is enough to overcome the deficits they face. The quality of the communication between children and their parents and caregivers, the researchers say, is of much greater importance than the number of words a child hears. 如今，越來越多的研究向此一觀念提出挑戰，不認為光是讓貧窮兒童暴露於更多語言，就能克服他們所面對的不足。這些研究人員指出，兒童與父母及看顧者之間的溝通品質，遠比兒童聽到多少字彙來得重要。 A study presented last month at a White House conference on "bridging the word gap" found that among 2-year-olds from low-income families, quality interactions involving words — the use of shared symbols ("Look, a dog!"); rituals ("Want a bottle after your bath?"); and conversational fluency ("Yes, that is a bus!") — were a far better predictor of language skills at age 3 than any other factor. 上月在白宮「縮小字彙差距」會議中發表的一項研究結果發現，對2歲的低收入戶兒童而言，和字彙相關的優質互動，例如使用共通的符號（「看哪，一隻狗！」）；固定程序（「洗完澡想喝瓶奶？」）；流暢的對話（「是的，這是一輛公車！」），在預測3歲兒童語言技巧方面，是遠勝於其他因素的更好指標。 "It's not just about shoving words in," said Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia and lead author of the study. "It's about having these fluid conversations around shared rituals and objects, like pretending to have morning coffee together or using the banana as a phone." 費城天普大學心理學教授、該研究報告主要作者凱瑟琳．赫許─巴塞克說：「它不光是塞進字彙而已，它與圍繞著共有的固定程序和物件的流暢對話有關，例如佯裝一起喝晨間咖啡，或是拿香蕉當電話打。」 In a related finding, published in April, researchers who observed 11- and 14-month-old children in their homes found that the prevalence of one-on-one interactions and frequent use of parentese — the slow, high-pitched voice commonly used for talking to babies — were reliable predictors of language ability at age 2. The total number of words had no correlation with future ability. 四月發表的一項相關研究中，研究人員觀察11個月和14個月大孩子在家中的生活情形，發現經常一對一互動，以及頻繁使用「父母語」，也就是父母常用的，對嬰兒說話的那種緩慢、高音調聲音，是2歲兒童語言能力的可靠預測指標。字彙的總數量與兒童的未來能力無關。 Even the 1995 study that introduced the notion of the 30-million-word gap, conducted by the University of Kansas psychologists Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, found that parental tone, responsiveness and use of symbols affected a child's I.Q. and vocabulary. 引進3000萬字彙差距概念的那項研究發表於1995年，由堪薩斯大學心理學家貝蒂．哈特和陶德．Ｒ．里斯利所完成，即使那項研究也發現，父母的語氣、反應和符號的使用，對兒童的智商高低和詞彙多寡均有影響。 But this year's studies are the first time researchers have compared the impact of word quantity with quality of communication. 不過，今年的研究，是研究人員首次將字彙數量和溝通品質的影響作比較。 For the new study, Dr. Hirsh-Pasek and colleagues selected 60 low-income 3-year-olds with varying degrees of language proficiency from a long-term study of 1,300 children from birth to age 15. 在新研究中，赫許─巴塞克和同事，在參與一項從出生到15歲長期研究的1300名兒童中，挑選出60名3歲的低收入戶兒童，語言能力程度各不相同。 The quality of communication accounted for 27 percent of variation in expressive language skills one year later, Dr. Hirsh-Pasek said. 赫許─巴塞克說，1年後，優質溝通占表達語言技巧差異的27％。 But those who urge parents to talk to their children more say increased quantity of language inevitably leads to better quality. Anne Fernald, a developmental psychologist at Stanford University in California, said, "When you learn to talk more, you tend to speak in more diverse ways and elaborate more, and that helps the child's cognitive development." 但是，那些呼籲家長多跟自己孩子說話的專家表示，提高語言數量，定會帶來更高的品質。加州史丹福大學發展心理學家安妮．費納德說：「當你學會說得更多時，你會以更多樣、更複雜的方式說話，這有助兒童的認知發展。」 Still, Ann O'Leary, director of Too Small to Fail, a joint effort of the nonprofit Next Generation and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation that focuses on closing the word gap, acknowledged that messages to parents could do more to emphasize quality. "When we're doing these campaigns to close the word gap, they do capture the imagination, they do get people understanding that we do need to do a lot more talking," she said. "But we also need to be more mindful that part of what we need to do is model what that talking looks like." 「小到不能失敗」計畫負責人安．奧利里說，在提供給家長的訊息上，確實可多強調質。「小到不能失敗」由非營利組織「下一代」和「比爾、希拉蕊、雀兒喜．柯林頓基金會」共同設置，致力於縮小兒童字彙差距。她說：「當我們從事縮小兒童字彙差距努力時，它確實引起我們注意，它也讓人們理解，我們確實需要多說點話。但我們同時需要更注意的是，在我們必須從事的工作中，有一部分是提供那種談話的模範，那種談話中該有的東西。」 Source: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/269227/web/#2L-5280944L Scientists Identify Ancient Baby Bottles — and Some Are Really Cute Ceramic vessels, sometimes fashioned in whimsical animal forms, were used thousands of years ago as baby bottles to feed infants animal milk, according to scientists, offering an intriguing look at how and what infants were fed in prehistoric times. 科學家指出，數千年前的人類有時會把陶製容器塑造成異想天開的動物形狀，將它們作為奶瓶使用，餵嬰兒喝動物的乳汁。這項發現提供一個有趣的觀點，讓人一窺史前時代人類如何、又是用什麼來餵食嬰兒。 Archaeologists said on Sept. 25 they confirmed the function of these ceramic objects by finding chemical traces of milk belonging to animals such as cows, sheep and goats in three such items found buried in child graves in Germany. 考古學家在九月二十五日表示，他們在埋入德國兒童墳墓裡面的三個同類型物件中，發現殘留動物乳汁的化學痕跡──包括母牛、綿羊、山羊等──因此確認了這些陶製物品的用途。 The oldest of the three vessels described in the study was made between 2,800 and 3,200 years ago during the Bronze Age. Other similar objects dating back as far as about 7,000 years ago during Neolithic times have been found in various other locations, the researchers said. 在研究描述的三個容器中，年代最早的製造於兩千八百年前到三千兩百年前的青銅器時代。研究人員指出，其他許多地點都曾經發現類似的物件，最遠可追溯到大約七千年前的新石器時期。 "I think this has provided us the first direct evidence of what foods babies were eating or being weaned on in prehistory," said biomolecular archaeologist Julie Dunne of the University of Bristol in the UK and lead author of the study, published in the journal Nature. "I think this shows us the love and care these prehistoric people had for their babies." 該篇研究發表於期刊《自然》，主要作者為英國布里斯托大學的生物分子考古學家茱莉‧鄧恩，她表示：「我認為這項發現提供第一手直接證據，顯示史前時代的小寶寶吃什麼食物，或是用什麼食物斷奶。」她也指出：「我想，這項發現也向我們展現這些史前時代人類對小嬰兒的愛與關懷。」 These objects, little enough to fit into a baby's hands, served as vessels for milk, with a narrow spout for the baby to suckle liquid. While the three objects examined for the study were somewhat plain, others boasted lively shapes including animal heads with long ears or horns and human-looking feet. 這些物件小到能夠放進嬰兒的小手中，是用來盛裝奶水的容器，瓶身上附有一個狹長的壺嘴，讓小寶寶能夠從中吸吮液體。雖然研究檢驗用的三個物件外觀稍嫌平淡無奇，但其他同類陶器形狀卻相當生動，有著動物的頭，附著長長的耳朵或是犄角，以及像人類的腳。 "I find them incredibly cute. And prehistoric people may have thought so, too — they would certainly have a dual function of entertaining the children just like modern stuffed animals," said archaeologist Katharina Rebay-Salisbury of the Austrian Academy of Sciences' Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, and a co-author of the study. "They testify to the creativity and playfulness we often forget to attribute to our ancestors." 研究的共同作者、奧地利科學院東方與歐洲考古研究所的考古學家凱瑟琳娜‧雷貝─索爾斯伯里表示：「我覺得這些陶器難以置信地可愛。而且搞不好史前的人們也是這樣覺得──這些陶器很可能還具備另一項娛樂小孩的雙重功能，就像是現代的填充玩具。」她補充說：「這些陶器證實老祖先們具備的創意和愛開玩笑的個性，那都是我們經常忘記的。」 Life at the time was not easy, Rebay-Salisbury added, with many people living in unhygienic conditions, experiencing famine and disease and facing low life expectancy. During the Bronze Age and subsequent Iron Age in Europe, perhaps about a third of all newborns died before their first birthday and only about half of children reached adulthood, Rebay-Salisbury said. 雷貝─索爾斯伯里還指出，當時的生活並不容易，原因在於許多人都居住在不衛生的環境中、遭受饑荒與疾病，還要面臨很短的預期壽命。她表示，在青銅器時代以及接下來的鐵器時代，歐洲地區可能有大約三分之一的新生兒在一歲之前死亡，而且大概只有一半的小孩能夠順利長大成人。 These feeding vessels may have made life easier for mothers, as animal milk could substitute for breastfeeding, the researchers said. "Duties of mothering — amongst which feeding is an important one — can also be undertaken by other members of the community when children are fed with feeding vessels," Rebay-Salisbury said. 研究人員表示，這些餵食用的容器會讓母親們的生活輕鬆一些，因為動物的乳汁可以代替親餵母乳。雷貝─索爾斯伯里指出：「當小孩可以用器具餵食的時候，為人母的諸多責任──其中，最重要的一項是餵食嬰兒──也就可以由部落的其他成員接手幫忙。」 Source: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/10/06/2003723440

「牽起慢飛天使的手，用愛築起希望花園。」每個孩子都是獨特花朵。公益大使楊祐寧邀您響應伊甸「弱勢兒童服務計畫」，每月只要300元，就能讓慢飛天使在成長黃金期，獲得專業的協助，也能給予照顧者支持力量。 https://fstry.pse.is/8zs2wl —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 學英文一定要很痛苦才有效?小時候老師說「不努力就不會進步」,長大後變成「不加班老闆會覺得我不認真」。結果每天逼自己念英文念到舌頭打結,反而越學越抗拒。 這集要聊一本打破這個迷思的書:《Effortless》。作者是哈佛MBA的Greg McKeown,他說重點不是不努力,是用對力氣。就像在台北捷運上通勤學英文,不用坐在書桌前硬K兩小時,15分鐘聽podcast照樣有效。 John老師現在煮咖啡煮到不用想就自動完成,而且還很好喝。這就是effortless state。學英文也可以這樣。 你中了幾個? 在台灣職場待久了,這些想法是不是很熟悉? 加班到九點才敢離開辦公室,因為怕主管覺得你不認真。週末還在回工作訊息,不然好像沒盡責。學英文也一樣,逼自己每天念一小時,念到很煩還是硬撐,因為覺得「沒有痛苦就沒有收穫」。 阿鍵老師說他從小就被教:「有價值的事情要花很多力氣去完成,搞得自己很累才對。」長大後變成「我一定要加班,老闆才會覺得我認真。」 但活得這麼辛苦,真的有意思嗎? 問題出在哪? John老師點出盲點:「你覺得pain要到100分,gain才會100分。問題是你在處理pain就已經消耗掉很多能量,能量根本沒有放在gain上面。」 就像你在竹科上班已經很累了,晚上回家還逼自己念英文念到很痛苦。結果能量都在對抗「好煩不想念」這個情緒,根本沒力氣吸收東西。 John老師說:「你覺得學英語的時候像是在被處罰,這就很明顯不對了。」 這本書要說的不是不努力,是不要蠻幹。用對力氣。 Effortless的三個層次 怎麼做到輕鬆學英文?三個層次 先搞定你的狀態 運動員說的「進入zone」、藝術家說的「心流狀態」,其實學英文也需要。不是每天硬逼自己,是先把情緒垃圾清掉。 在台北捷運上通勤,擠得要死心情很煩,這時候硬要聽英文podcast效果不好。但如果你坐著剛好有位子,窗外風景不錯,這時候聽就很順。狀態對了,吸收就快。 跟讀不用硬撐 John老師建議:「如果我一開始只習慣念兩行,念了兩行就覺得有點吃力,那我就停了。不要硬撐說要念十行,把自己逼到嘴巴舌頭都累了。」 健身教練會說「肌肉痠痛再來一組」,但學英文不是這樣。舌頭已經快咬到了就停,何必呢? 關鍵是知道自己什麼時候累 有些上班族覺得「我沒壓力啊」,結果頭髮一直掉。壓力禿。你的身體還是感受到壓力的。 跟讀文章這麼多,今天這篇地緣政治你不喜歡,下次動物主題你比較喜歡,可能就可以多念一點。不用拼今天要全部念完。 真正進入狀態是什麼感覺? John老師和Angel老師錄Café的時候就尬聊,聊到忘記時間。「我一個小時了,本來只要錄30分鐘。」這就是進入effortless state,in the zone。 每次上場都in the zone,你就是Kobe Bryant! 別想太多,做就對了 有些事情你想了反而做不了。「等一下要安排時間,然後跟小孩坐下來,好好來聊這個idiom,然後要練習三遍...」光想就累了。 Just do it。 從最小的開始 早上起床真的太難?那就先坐起來,或先把被子拿開。先做一個簡單的動作,剩下的就會自然跟上來。 學英文也一樣。讀完Café拿到學習筆記,老師這週給了十幾個idioms,覺得很多怎麼辦? 一天一個就好。"I can do one a day, I cannot do ten a day。"把它拆開來,action有做到,但不會覺得很effort。 或者這週十幾個,挑兩個你最喜歡的記下來。這兩個就是你的了。 不要被自己卡住 John老師和阿鍵老師都常被自己的thinking卡住。腦筋一直在想:「我要安排什麼時間?要準備什麼?要練習幾遍?」OS就已經消耗一堆能量了。 不去想這個effort,反而更容易去做那個action。 通勤時打開手機聽podcast,不用想「我今天要學什麼」「我進度到哪了」。上車按play就對了。竹科工程師開車上班那段路,塞車剛好聽完一集。 建立自己的自動化系統 最高境界是什麼都不用想就完成了,而且成果還不錯。就像《原子習慣》講的,system越簡單,越容易一直做下去。 通勤學英文就是最好的例子 老通勤家族跟著15Mins三四年下來,已經變成習慣了。早上開車上班就打開podcast,聽完覺得有趣的就跟著念幾句,晚上回家有空就做個shadowing。 不用每天提醒自己「我今天要學英文」,就是自然而然在做。 很多人給feedback說:「現在跟外國人講話好順,自信心特別好。」不是文法多厲害或單字量多大,是溝通對方聽得懂。出去工作、出國旅遊就很夠用了。 John老師煮咖啡的境界 「早上做咖啡的時候,自動開機、自動燒開水、自動鋪濾杯。我煮完咖啡才發現,咦我剛煮完一杯咖啡?」 以前還會想這杯要準備什麼、溫度幾度,壓力很大。現在進入effortless state就是:怎麼咖啡煮好了?我好像不記得剛剛怎麼沖的。 然後阿鍵老師喝了說好喝。這就是effortless result。 學英文也可以到這個境界。五月報稅季很煩,但通勤時間還是照樣聽podcast,不用額外安排時間。捷運兩站剛好聽完一集,下車就開始一天工作。英文在不知不覺中進步。 跟其他學習方法有什麼不同? John老師發現很多哈佛、史丹佛的人都在講類似概念:《原子習慣》講系統、《心流》講狀態、《刻意練習》講方法。 阿鍵老師說:「很多learning tips都互通,同一個概念。要不然就是motivation,要不然就是讓你學得更輕鬆,要不然就是幫你做系統化。只是每一本切入的角度不太一樣。」 這本書特別的地方 John老師認為這本書比《原子習慣》更進一步:「我們很少去care那個state。我們太care那個system。這本書我蠻喜歡那個state的部分,就是care yourself跟love yourself。多注意自己的狀態,這個其實蠻重要的。」 不只學英文,工作、生活都適用。找到自己最順手的方式、最順的狀態,去做你想做的事。 不要在生氣七七的時候練英文 何必呢?力氣要用在對的地方。 那你的輕鬆時刻是什麼時候? 有些人做菜的時候很開心,進入心流。阿鍵老師就覺得「又要做一件事好累」。 歡迎留言分享: 你什麼時候會進入effortless state?有哪些事你已經做到不用想就自動完成?你怎麼把這個感覺帶到學英文上?分享給我們,下集給你shout out! 書籍推薦: 《Effortless: Make It Easy to Do What Matters》by Greg McKeown (哈佛MBA作者)

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: Once the king of film, Kodak has struggled over the years to find their footing in the digital era. In 2013, the company emerged from bankruptcy and till today is looking to find business model to sustain itself. What used to be 200 buildings of Eastman Kodak’s business park, is now left with a few buildings, with the rest either demolished or sold off. The article mentions the story of Mr. Taber, a Kodak employee of 34 years, together with 300 other scientists and engineers are working through their legacy innovations in optics and chemistry can be turned into new business ventures. In July this year, Trump administration made a $765 million loan to the Eastman Kodak Co. for its launch of a business making pharmaceutical ingredients in the US.  原文討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-912-kodak-struggles-to-envision-a-viable-future-after-film   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:  Capitalize v. – chance to gain advantage from / convert into capital. Kodak has packaging sensor technology that they did not capitalize. Entrepreneurs are constantly looking to capitalize on any market opportunities.   Complacent adj. – showing smug / self-satisfaction with one’s achievement The cash Kodak made from film made them complacent. Having too much luxuries in life would make you complacent.   IP – Intellectual Property (patent, copyright, trademark) CEO of Kodak believes that they will not be able to capitalize on their IP through Kodak-branded sales. Filing patents is a way to protect a company’s intellectual property. 

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你有沒有想過，你的英文名字在外國人耳裡是什麼感覺？在台灣，很多人的英文名字是國中老師取的、或是從喜歡的明星那裡借來的，甚至有人每換一個工作就用一個新名字。但你知道嗎？有些名字在西方文化裡，可以算是社交地雷喔！ 本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Angel 老師要來談談英文名字的 "faux pas"(如果你不認識這個字，趕快打開本集節目！)。命名的禁忌往往不是因為名字本身不好，而是像 COVID 時代崛起的 Karen 迷因，或是健身房的 Chad 文化，這些網路文化、迷因、甚至成人娛樂業讓名字和特定情境做了連結啦！ Have you ever wondered what your English name sounds like to foreigners? In Taiwan, many people's English names were given by their junior high school teachers, borrowed from favorite celebrities, or even changed with each new job. But did you know? Some names can be social landmines in Western culture! This week on English Cafe, John and Angel discuss English name "faux pas" (if you don't know this word, quickly tune into this episode!). Naming taboos often aren't because the names themselves are bad, but rather due to internet culture like the Karen meme that rose during the COVID era, or gym bro Chad culture. These internet trends, memes, and even the adult entertainment industry have created associations between names and specific contexts!

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） --------------------------------------------

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L176: No 2027 Taiwan Invasion, U.S. Intel Says Highlights 主題摘要The U.S. intelligence community says China has no fixed plan to invade Taiwan in 2027 and currently prefers peaceful unification if achievable.China's PLA is making steady but uneven capability gains, while anti-corruption purges have removed roughly 100 senior officers since 2022.A Taiwan Strait conflict would shatter global semiconductor supply chains and inflict unprecedented economic damage worldwide. For years, 2027 has loomed over strategic planning rooms from Washington to Tokyo — the unofficial deadline by which China's People's Liberation Army was expected to be capable of seizing Taiwan by force. On Wednesday, the U.S. intelligence community offered a carefully calibrated reassessment. According to the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Chinese leaders "do not currently plan to execute an invasion of Taiwan in 2027, nor do they have a fixed timeline for achieving unification." The finding does not erase the threat — it reframes it. 長年以來，「2027年」盤旋於華盛頓到東京各地的戰略研判室，被普遍視為中國人民解放軍具備武力奪台能力的非官方期限。週三，美國情報界就此提出了措辭審慎的重新評估。根據美國國家情報總監辦公室（ODNI）發布的《2026年美國情報界年度威脅評估》，中國領導人「目前不計畫在2027年對台灣發動入侵，亦無實現統一的固定時間表。」這份評估並未消弭威脅，而是重新定義了威脅的框架。 The PLA has been making what the report describes as "steady but uneven" progress on capabilities required for a potential Taiwan operation, including efforts to deter U.S. military intervention. Beijing has never renounced the use of force, and the report acknowledges that China continues to refine contingency plans for doing so. Yet it concludes that Chinese leadership — weighing PLA readiness, Taiwan's political posture, and the probability of U.S. intervention — currently prefers coercive pressure over outright conflict. Anti-corruption purges that have swept out roughly 100 senior officers since 2022 may have further constrained operational readiness. 解放軍在強化潛在台海行動所需能力方面，持續取得報告所稱「穩定但不均衡」的進展，其中包括嚇阻美軍介入的相關部署。北京從未放棄以武力達成統一，報告也承認中國持續精進各項應變計畫。然而報告指出，中國領導層在綜合評估解放軍戰備狀況、台灣的政治走向以及美國介入的可能性後，目前仍傾向以施壓手段取代全面武裝衝突。自2022年起的反腐整肅已拔除逾百名解放軍高階將領，此一動盪或已進一步削弱整體作戰準備度。 The assessment lands at a diplomatically charged moment. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit the White House the day after the report's release, and the document describes her statement that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan as a "significant shift" — framing likely to unsettle Tokyo. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly downplayed the threat of Chinese military action, citing Xi Jinping's personal assurances, even as his administration approved a record $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December. 這份報告的出爐時機外交意涵格外敏感。日本首相高市早苗預計於報告發布隔日赴白宮訪問，而報告將她去年所稱中國攻台將對日本構成「存亡威脅」的言論，定性為日本領導人立場的「重大轉變」，此一定性極可能令東京方面感到不滿。與此同時，川普多次援引習近平的個人保證，屢屢淡化北京的對台軍事威脅，但其政府卻在去年十二月批准了規模創紀錄、總值110億美元的對台軍售案。 The economic stakes make any conflict scenario deeply unappealing. Taiwan dominates global semiconductor production, and roughly one-fifth of world trade transits the Taiwan Strait annually. A protracted confrontation would shatter critical tech supply chains and inflict costs on the U.S., Chinese, and global economies alike — even without Washington's direct involvement. Some analysts now regard the 2030s as the more consequential window of risk, with military capability rather than political intent driving the calculus. China's 2049 deadline, the centenary of the People's Republic, remains the overarching horizon. 任何衝突情境背後，都潛藏著沉重的經濟代價。台灣是全球半導體生產的核心重鎮，全球約五分之一的貿易往來途經台灣海峽。一旦爆發曠日持久的對抗，關鍵科技供應鏈將面臨重創，美國、中國乃至全球經濟都難以倖免，即便華盛頓選擇不直接出兵亦然。部分分析人士已將2030後視為更值得警戒的風險時間，驅動這項判斷的是軍事能力的發展，而非政治意圖。中國所設定的2049年統一期限，也就是中華人民共和國建國百年，始終是更長遠的戰略目標。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Contingency plans [noun phrase, prepared strategies for dealing with possible future emergencies]: Every airline has contingency plans for bad weather.Downplayed [verb, to make something seem less serious or threatening than it is]: The manager downplayed the risk to keep the team calm.Unsettle [verb, to make someone feel anxious or off-balance]: The sudden announcement unsettled investors.Protracted [adjective, lasting far longer than expected or desired]: The protracted dispute cost both sides dearly.Overarching [adjective, covering everything; most important overall]: The overarching goal is long-term stability. Reference article: 1. https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202603190004 2. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-assesses-china-is-not-currently-planning-invade-taiwan-2027-2026-03-18/ 3. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/19/us-intelligence-agencies-not-expecting-china-to-invade-taiwan-in-2027 4. https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/us-assesses-china-not-planning-invade-taiwan-2027-rcna264239 5. https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-isnt-planning-to-invade-taiwan-in-2027-u-s-concludes-1fbedcbd

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Here are the three articles properly titled and paragraphed: Traditional Toys May Beat Gadgets in Language Development Baby laptops, baby cellphones, talking farms — these are the whirring, whiz-bang toys of the moment, many of them marketed as tools to encourage babies' language skills. 嬰兒筆電，嬰兒手機，交談農場，這些都是當前推出快速又先進的玩具，許多被當成激發嬰兒語言技能的工具行銷。 But a new study raises questions about whether such electronic playthings make it less likely that babies will engage in the verbal give-and-take with their parents that is so crucial to cognitive development. 不過，新研究報告質疑這類電子玩具是否會使嬰兒跟父母的口頭交流減少，這種交流對認知發展極其重要。 The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that when babies and parents played with electronic toys that are specifically advertised as language-promoters, parents spoke less and responded less to baby babbling than when they played with traditional toys like blocks or read board books. Babies also vocalized less when playing with electronic toys. 發表於「美國醫學會小兒科學期刊」的該研究報告發現，嬰兒與父母玩廣告中特別宣傳能促進語言發展的電子玩具時，父母說話及對嬰兒發聲的回應，要比玩傳統玩具如積木或閱讀硬頁書時來得少。嬰兒玩電子玩具時發聲也較少。 "My hunch is that they were letting the baby interact with the toy and they were on the sidelines," said Anna V. Sosa, an associate professor of communications science and disorders at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, who led the study. 帶領研究的弗拉格斯塔夫北亞利桑納大學傳播科學與溝通障礙副教授安娜．索沙說：「我的直覺是，他們讓嬰兒跟玩具互動，自己退居一邊。」 The study builds on a growing body of research suggesting that electronic toys and e-books can make parents less likely to have the most meaningful kinds of verbal exchanges with their children. "When you put the gadgets and gizmos in, the parents stop talking," said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University who was not involved in the new study, but who has found similar effects with e-books and electronic shape-sorters. "What you get is more behavioral regulation stuff, like 'don't touch that' or 'do this,' or nothing because the books and toys take it over for you." 這項研究建立在日漸增多的一些研究結果之上，既有結果顯示電子玩具和電子書可能使父母較少與小孩進行最有意義類型的口語交流。天普大學心理學教授凱西．赫許帕塞克說：「當使用這類工具與裝置時，父母們就會閉口。你做的是更多行為規範，像是『別碰那』或『做這個』，甚至啥也不做，因為電子書與玩具已代勞了。」赫許帕塞克未參加上述研究，但此前對電子書跟電子形狀分類盒的研究有類似發現。 She added, "A toy should be 10 percent toy and 90 percent child, and with a lot of these electronic toys the toy takes over 90 percent and the child just fills in the blank." 她並補充道：「玩玩具應是玩具只占10%，90％由小孩做主，許多這些電子玩具卻是玩具占了90%以上，小孩只能補白。」 Sosa said she was surprised by the results. She had expected some parent-baby pairs would talk more with one type of toy, while others would talk more with another. But the results were consistent almost across the board. When electronic toys were being used, parents said about 40 words per minute, on average, compared with 56 words per minute for traditional toys and 67 words per minute with books. 索沙說，她對結果感到驚訝。她原本預期一些父母嬰兒組玩某種玩具時說話較多，而其他組則是在玩另種玩具時說較多話。然而，結果卻幾乎一致。玩電子玩具時父母平均每分鐘說40字，少於玩傳統玩具的56字，及讀書時的67字。 The study was small — 26 families — and most were white and educated. So the researchers say the results might be different with a larger and more diverse group. But the study is notable because it sought to capture real world parent-child playtime in their homes without researchers watching. 這是個小型研究，共26個家庭參與，多為受過良好教育的白人家庭。因此研究人員說，若以更大、更多樣化的群體為研究對象，結果可能不同，但這個研究仍值得注意，因為它盡力捕捉現實世界中無研究人員觀看下的居家親子遊戲時間。 Source: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/292769/web/ "Boffin Barbie": Toy Creator Honors Vaccine Co-Creator Toy giant Mattel said Wednesday last week it hoped to "inspire the next generation" after creating a model of its iconic Barbie doll in honor of Sarah Gilbert, co-creator of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. 玩具大廠美泰兒公司上週三表示，為表彰牛津／阿斯捷利康冠狀病毒疫苗之共同發明人莎拉‧吉伯特，該公司為其著名產品芭比娃娃開發了新款，希望能「鼓舞下一代」。 Gilbert said she found the news "very strange" but hoped "children who see my Barbie will realize how vital careers in science are to help the world around us." "My wish is that my doll will show children careers they may not be aware of, like a vaccinologist." 吉伯特聽聞此消息，說她覺得「挺怪的」，但希望「看到我的芭比娃娃的孩子們會了解，科學職業對幫助我們周遭的世界是多麼重要」。「希望我的玩偶會向孩子們展示他們可能不知道的職業，比如說疫苗學家」。 The toy company created models in honor of five other women in the sciences: US healthcare workers Amy O'Sullivan and Audrey Cruz, Canadian campaigner Chika Stacy Oriuwa, Brazilian researcher Jaqueline Goes de Jesus and Australian medic Kirby White. 這家玩具公司也設計了其他款式，來表彰五位科學界的女性：美國醫護人員艾米‧奧沙利文及奧黛莉‧克魯茲、加拿大活動人士奇卡‧史岱西‧奧里瓦、巴西研究人員賈克琳‧戈耶思‧德‧杰索斯，以及澳洲醫師克兒比‧懷特。 "Barbie recognizes that all frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices when confronting the pandemic and the challenges it heightened," said Lisa McKnight, senior vice president of Barbie and dolls at Mattel. "To shine a light on their efforts, we are sharing their stories and leveraging Barbie's platform to inspire the next generation to take after these heroes and give back. Our hope is to nurture and ignite the imaginations of children playing out their own storyline as heroes." 美泰兒公司芭比娃娃及玩偶部門高級副總裁麗莎‧麥克奈特表示：「芭比肯定所有前線工作人員，在面對疫情大流行及加劇的挑戰時，都做出了巨大犧牲」。「為彰顯其努力，我們分享他們的故事，並利用芭比娃娃這平台，來激勵下一代追隨這些英雄並做出回饋」。「我們希望培養及點燃孩子的想像力，讓他們在遊戲扮演角色時，有自己的英雄故事」。 Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/08/09/2003762257 Giant Japanese Robot Spurs Hopes for Tourism After Virus Hit 受病毒衝擊後　巨大的日本機器人為觀光業燃起希望 An 18-metre "Gundam" robot that can walk and move its arms was unveiled in Japan on Monday amid hopes that it will help invigorate tourism hit by COVID-19. 一個18公尺、可以走動及移動手臂的「鋼彈」機器人週一在日本亮相，希望它能幫忙振興受到2019冠狀病毒疾病衝擊的觀光業。 The robot is modelled after a figure in "Mobile Suit Gundam", a Japanese cartoon first launched in the late 1970s about enormous battle robots piloted by humans. The series spawned multiple spin-offs and toys and gained a worldwide following. 這個機器人仿照「機動戰士鋼彈」其中一款打造，這部日本卡通於1970年代晚期首度發表，描述了由人類操控之大型戰鬥機器人。一系列漫畫催生出多項衍生產品與玩具，並獲得全球關注。 It will be the centrepiece of the Gundam Factory Yokohama, a tourist attraction that opens on Dec. 19 in the port city. 它將是12月19日於橫濱這個港市開張的觀光景點「橫濱鋼彈工廠」最引人入勝的核心。 "I hope this will lead to stimulating tourism demand and revitalising local areas," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference. 內閣官房長官加藤勝信在記者會說，「我希望這會帶動刺激觀光需求並振興當地。」 Source: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1417730

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 感謝推薦: ItschihaOK在Threads上推薦 15Mins四月壽星: 生日快樂!可以在IG留言或email給我們 聽過Wait What嗎?就是那種讓你聽完要慢半拍才懂的英文慣用語。15Mins在IG推出新系列,專門收集這些讓人黑人問號的idioms,配上視覺圖讓你印象更深刻。 這集還聊到蘋果三月發表會的MacBook Neo(沒錯,就是駭客任務那個Neo),教你用英文在辦公室茶水間聊科技產品。最讓John老師困惑的是Gen Z流行的Admin Night——約朋友來家裡一起報稅、對發票、整理帳單。這什麼新型社交方式? Wait What系列:英文慣用語學習新方法 阿鍵老師在15Mins IG推出新系列,專門收集那些「蛤?怎麼會這樣講?」的英文慣用語。這些idioms其實都在English Café出現過,但現在配上視覺圖,學英文變得更容易記住。 阿鍵老師說圖都改了兩三次才放上去:「不想被說是AI垃圾,所以還要送去Canva調整。」看到成品,真的會讓人Wait What一下。 如果你熟悉某個idiom或英文俚語,歡迎在IG分享你怎麼用、跟誰用過! MacBook Neo:辦公室英文會話實用技巧 三月初蘋果發表會推出M5系列處理器,新機叫Neo——沒錯,就是駭客任務那個救世主Neo。John老師和阿鍵老師都在等這波降價換新電腦。 為什麼?因為M系列晶片真的改變了一切。John老師說以前筆電做翻譯或回email,一小時就要找插座,現在一整天都不用充電。阿鍵老師被John老師「污染」後,現在也離不開Apple生態系——耳機自動切換、傳檔案點一下就飛過去。 兩個人已經自稱「Apple Citizen」,被養套殺逃不了了。 辦公室英文閒聊必學句型:"Did you see the new MacBook Neo?""Which color is your favorite?""Are you in the market for an upgrade?"(要換機嗎?)"Are you going to trade in your laptop?"這種話題在茶水間超好聊,不管對方是不是蘋果迷都能接上話。學這些英文對話句型,就能輕鬆開啟small talk。 Admin Night:Gen Z社交英文新詞彙 John老師看到這篇新聞時黑人問號:「我看了好幾次,真的不太懂!」 Admin Night就是約朋友來家裡一起做行政瑣事——對發票、報稅、整理醫院資料、規劃旅行、買保險。聽起來很無聊對吧?但Gen Z和Gen Alpha覺得這樣比單純吃飯聚餐更有togetherness。 概念有點像以前的study group。暑假作業最後一週找同學一起趕工,考試前臨時抱佛腳做筆記。現在成年了,換成一起處理大人的responsibility。這也是學習英文時事用語的好機會。 阿鍵老師找到優點:「我買機票訂旅館不在行,約的人可能常旅遊,我就能問他怎麼優化。我會寫帳單,他的帳單就能交給我。」 但也可能變成災難:一群拖延症患者約好做admin,結果拿出來後就跑去看電視,躺平躺得更平,回家時東西還是放在那邊。 重點是:做不娛樂的事,但一起做就沒那麼無聊。這種新型社交方式的英文表達方式,值得通勤族學起來。 不算Admin Night的: John老師和阿鍵老師的remote working不算,「那叫Overtime Night,聽起來好難過!」 試過Admin Night的人, 用comment link分享你們都做了什麼!

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: This article covers 2 topics. The storm in a teacup over how a lady made fried rice on the BBC. And the second talks about Dua Lipa’s love for bubble milk tea ice cream from Taiwan. 原文章討論：https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-909-about-uk-bbc-bbc-host   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Controversial adj.: causing public anger and disagreement Was the decision to close the water park controversial? Does social media cause lots of controversies?  Trigger v.: to cause people to get upset Are people triggered by animal cruelty? Do people get triggered by social media?  Troll v.: creating discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people by posting inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community Does getting trolled trigger people? Have you been trolled on Facebook?

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你上次使用 Google Maps 是什麼時候呢？本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Cariya 老師要來聊聊這個我們每天都在用、卻從來沒有好好了解過的 app——以及它剛推出的全新 AI 功能，保證讓你刮目相看，更加的認識它！ 原來 Google Maps 每秒都在更新資料、每天處理高達 2 億筆用戶資訊，甚至曾經把相機裝在綿羊身上去拍攝農村街景！？除了這些冷知識，本集最大亮點是全新的 AI「Ask Maps」功能——你可以直接用自然語言跟地圖「說話」，不管是找符合個人口味的餐廳、還是同時滿足多位外國訪客的用餐需求，通通交給它搞定。John 老師更大膽預測，Google Maps 正在往「超級 App」的方向進化，未來搞不好連 Google 搜尋都會被它取代！ When was the last time you used Google Maps? This week on English Cafe, John and Cariya talk about this app we use every day but have never really understood—along with its newly launched AI features that will definitely impress you and help you get to know it better! Turns out Google Maps updates data every second, processes up to 200 million user data points daily, and even once mounted cameras on sheep to photograph rural street views!? Beyond these fun facts, this episode's biggest highlight is the brand-new AI "Ask Maps" feature—you can directly "talk" to the map using natural language, whether finding restaurants that match your personal taste or simultaneously meeting the dining needs of multiple foreign visitors, it handles it all. John boldly predicts that Google Maps is evolving toward becoming a "super app," and in the future it might even replace Google Search!

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） --------------------------------------------

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L172: Iran War Sends Oil Past $100, ECB Holds Highlights 主題摘要The ECB held rates at 2% for the sixth straight meeting, warning that soaring energy prices will materially affect near-term inflation.European gas prices surged 35% and oil hit $119 a barrel as military strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure escalated the Iran conflict.Markets lurched wildly before stabilising after Trump announced productive talks with Iran and postponed threatened military strikes for five days. When the European Central Bank gathered in Frankfurt on Thursday, energy markets were already in turmoil. Oil had briefly touched $119 a barrel, European gas prices had surged 35 per cent in a single morning, and traders were scrambling to reprice a global economy suddenly exposed to the full force of a Middle Eastern conflict. Against that backdrop, Lagarde delivered a widely expected decision — but one whose implications are still unfolding. 歐洲中央銀行週四齊聚法蘭克福召開決策會議，此時能源市場早已陷入動盪。油價一度觸及每桶119美元，歐洲天然氣價格單日暴漲35%，交易員競相重新評估這場中東衝突對全球經濟的衝擊幅度。在此背景下，拉加德宣布了一項市場早有預期的決定，但其後續影響至今仍在持續發酵。 The ECB held its benchmark rate at 2 per cent for the sixth consecutive meeting — a stance unchanged since June 2025. Though the decision was unanimous, the accompanying forecasts were sharply revised: Eurozone inflation is now projected to reach 2.6 per cent this year, up from December's estimate of 1.9 per cent, the entire revision attributable to the energy shock. GDP growth was cut to 0.9 per cent from 1.2 per cent, as higher energy costs began registering across the bloc. ECB連續第六次將基準利率維持在2%，自2025年6月起未曾變動。決議雖獲一致通過，隨附的經濟預測卻大幅上修：歐元區今年通膨率預計攀升至2.6%，遠高於去年12月估算的1.9%，升幅完全肇因於此波能源衝擊。與此同時，GDP成長率預測從1.2%下修至0.9%，能源成本的攀升已開始在歐元區各地留下印記。 In its most extreme modelled scenario, a 60 per cent disruption of flows through the Strait of Hormuz could send oil to $150 a barrel and push inflation to 4.8 per cent in 2027. Lagarde acknowledged the situation differed from the 2022 shock — the Eurozone labour market is less overheated today — but warned that memories of that inflationary episode risk complicating the task of keeping longer-term expectations anchored. Before Thursday's decision, traders had already priced in two quarter-point rate increases by October, a complete reversal of earlier bets that borrowing costs would stay unchanged. 在ECB最極端的情境推演中，若荷姆茲海峽的石油與天然氣過境量遭受60%阻斷，油價恐將衝至每桶150美元，並推升2027年通膨率至4.8%。拉加德坦承，此次情況與2022年的能源衝擊有所不同，當前歐元區勞動市場並未像四年前那般過熱，但她也提醒，民眾對上一波通膨飆升記憶猶新，恐將增加穩定長期通膨預期的難度。週四決策公布前，交易員已預期ECB最快今夏將啟動升息，並在10月前累計升息兩碼，與年初認為全年利率將按兵不動的主流押注完全相反。 The volatility extended into Monday, when crude briefly topped $113 before dropping sharply after Trump announced "productive conversations" with Iran and postponed threatened strikes for five days. Wall Street surged, with the S&P 500 gaining nearly 2 per cent, while European bourses reversed their losses. Asia had already absorbed the blow: Japan's Nikkei fell 3.5 per cent, Taiwan's Taiex shed 2.5 per cent, and South Korea's Kospi tumbled 6.5 per cent. The International Energy Agency warned that the conflict posed a "major, major threat" to the global economy, with at least 40 energy assets across nine countries already damaged. For now, diplomacy has offered a brief reprieve — but the Gulf remains a live wire. 這股震盪延續至週一。布蘭特原油盤中一度突破每桶113美元，隨後在川普宣布美伊已進行「富有成效的對話」、並將軍事打擊威脅暫緩五天後 急速回落。美股聞訊反彈，標普500指數上漲近2%，歐洲各大指數也由跌翻漲。亞洲市場則已提前承受這波衝擊：日本日經225指數重跌3.5%、台灣加權指數下挫2.5%、南韓綜合股價指數大跌6.5%。國際能源總署警告，此次衝突對全球經濟構成「極為重大的威脅」，九個國家共計至少40座能源設施已遭破壞。外交斡旋暫為市場帶來喘息空間，但波斯灣情勢依舊暗潮洶湧。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字In turmoil [adjective phrase, in a state of chaos or severe disruption]: Financial markets were in turmoil after the surprise news.Overheated [adjective, describing an economy growing too fast, fuelling inflation]: The central bank raised rates to cool an overheated market.Anchored [adjective, kept stable and prevented from drifting, used especially of inflation expectations]: Long-term expectations remained anchored despite the shock.Absorbed the blow [verb phrase, to endure the negative impact of something]: Asian markets absorbed the blow before Wall Street even opened.Reprieve [noun, a temporary relief from a difficult or threatening situation]: The announcement offered nervous markets a brief reprieve. Reference article: 1. https://www.ft.com/content/5757febc-d888-4d34-af83-4a6b0f7a11dd 2. https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/03/23/markets-tumble-as-oil-prices-climb-over-100-on-middle-east-conflict-fears

TOYOTA The 60th -COROLLA六十週年典藏版特仕登場這一次，換你來寫下，屬於你的 COROLLA 故事。 https://fstry.pse.is/93d4ek —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Dark Hair Was Common Among Vikings, Genetic Study Confirms They may have had a reputation for trade, braids and fearsome raids, but the Vikings were far from a single group of flaxen-haired, sea-faring Scandinavians. A genetic study of Viking-age human remains has not only confirmed that Vikings from different parts of Scandinavia set sail for different parts of the world, but has revealed that dark hair was more common among Vikings than Danes today. 維京人或許以貿易、髮辮，以及讓人聞風喪膽的燒殺擄掠聞名，但是他們並非全部來自單一群體，不只是一群亞麻色頭髮、經年航海的斯堪地那維亞人。近日一項維京時代人類遺骸的基因研究，證實維京人從斯堪地那維亞半島的不同地區揚帆航向世界各地，更透露維京人頭髮多為深色，跟今日的丹麥人相比更為普遍。 What's more, while some were born Vikings, others adopted the culture — or perhaps had it thrust upon them. "Vikings were not restricted to blond Scandinavians," said Eske Willerslev, a co-author of the research from the University of Cambridge and the University of Copenhagen. 更重要的是，儘管有些北歐人天生就是維京人，其他族群也會吸收維京文化──或是可能被迫接受。該研究由英國劍橋大學和丹麥哥本哈根大學合作，共同作者之一艾斯克‧威勒斯列夫指出：「維京人並非僅限於金髮碧眼的斯堪地那維亞人。」 Writing in the journal Nature, Willerslev and colleagues report how they sequenced the genomes of 442 humans who lived across Europe between about 2,400BC and 1,600AD, with the majority from the Viking age — a period that stretched from around 750AD to 1050AD. The study also drew on existing data from more than 1,000 ancient individuals from non-Viking times, and 3,855 people living today. 在這篇刊登於《自然》期刊的研究中，威勒斯列夫和他的同事闡述他們如何定序四百四十二人的基因體。這些研究對象來自歐洲各地，大約生活在西元前兩千四百年到西元一千六百年間，其中大多數人屬於維京時代──也就是橫跨西元七百五十年到一千零五十年之間的時期。該研究也運用現有的基因資料，其中包括超過一千名並非生活在維京時代的古老人類，以及三千八百五十五名現代人。 Among their results the team found that from the iron age, southern European genes entered Denmark and then spread north, while — to a lesser extent — genes from Asia entered Sweden. "Vikings are, genetically, not purely Scandinavian," said Willerslev. However, the team found Viking age Scandinavians were not a uniform population, but clustered into three main groups — a finding that suggests Vikings from different parts of Scandinavia did not mix very much. 在他們的研究結果中，團隊發現南歐的基因在鐵器時代進入丹麥，而後往北傳播，也有少部分來自亞洲的基因進入瑞典。威勒斯列夫指出：「維京人，從基因上來說，並非純然是斯堪地那維亞人。」另外，團隊發現維京時代的斯堪地那維亞人並非種族齊一的人口，而是由三個主要族群組成──這項發現顯示：來自斯堪地那維亞不同地區的維京人並未充分融合。 The team found these groups roughly map on to present-day Scandinavian countries, although Vikings from south-west Sweden were genetically similar to their peers in Denmark. Genetic diversity was greatest in coastal regions. Further analysis confirmed the long-standing view that most Vikings in England came from Denmark, as reflected in place names and historical records, while the Baltic region was dominated by Swedish Vikings, and Vikings from Norway ventured to Ireland, Iceland, Greenland and the Isle of Man. 團隊表示，這些族群的分布範圍大約和今日的北歐三國疆界疊合，不過瑞典西南部的維京人在基因上和丹麥維京人較為相近。基因多樣性則在沿岸地區最為顯著。進一步的分析更證實一項存在已久的學界看法：英國大多數的維京人來自丹麥，正如同地名和歷史紀錄反映出的情況，而巴爾幹地區是由瑞典維京人統治，至於挪威的維京人則冒險前往愛爾蘭、冰島、格陵蘭以及今日的英屬曼島。 However, the team says remains from Russia revealed some Vikings from Denmark also travelled east. The study also revealed raids were likely a local affair: the team found four brothers and another relative died in Salme, Estonia, in about 750AD, in what is thought could have been a raid, with others in the party likely to have been from the same part of Sweden. 不過，團隊指出，來自俄國的遺骸顯示，丹麥的維京人也曾往東方旅行。研究也透露維京人的劫掠可能只是「地方事件」：團隊發現，有四名兄弟和一名親戚，大約在西元七百五十年死於愛沙尼亞的薩爾梅，看起來是一場劫掠的結果，其他參與者可能也來自瑞典的同一個地區。 In addition, the team found two individuals from Orkney, who were buried with Viking swords, had no Scandinavian genetic ancestry. "[Being a Viking] is not a pure ethnic phenomenon, it is a lifestyle that you can adopt whether you are non-Scandinavian or Scandinavian," said Willerslev, adding that genetic influences from abroad both before and during the Viking age might help explain why genetic variants for dark hair were relatively common among Vikings. 此外，團隊還發現兩名奧克尼群島的個體，遺骸旁有維京劍陪葬，但是這兩人沒有斯堪地那維亞的基因世系。「（身為維京人）並不是單純的人種學現象，無論你是不是斯堪地那維亞人，都可以採取這種生活方式，」威勒斯列夫補充表示，來自國外、在維京時代之前，以及該時代期間的基因影響，也許可以解釋為什麼深色頭髮的基因變異在維京人當中相對普遍。 Steve Ashby, an expert in Viking-age archaeology from the University of York, said the study confirmed what had been suspected about movement and trade in the Viking age, but also brought fresh detail. "The evidence for gene flow with southern Europe and Asia is striking, and sits well with recent research that argues for large-scale connectivity in this period," he said. "[The study] also provides new information about levels of contact and isolation within Scandinavia itself, and offers an interesting insight into the composition of raiding parties." 英國約克大學的維京時代考古學專家史蒂夫‧阿什比指出，這項研究證實了先前科學家對於維京時代遷徙和貿易活動的猜測，並且帶來新的細節。「（維京人與）南歐以及亞洲基因流動的證據相當驚人，也吻合近年研究主張這段時期大規模的人類交流情況。」阿什比表示：「（這項研究）傳達新的資訊，透露斯堪地那維亞半島內部交流和隔離的程度，並且提供有趣的見解，讓我們一窺強盜集團的組成。」 Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/09/27/2003744127 Finland Has Faith in the Euro Finland is, in many ways, the anti-Greece. 芬蘭，在許多方面，是希臘的反面。 Like Greece, it is geographically far from the core Western European powers of Britain, France and Germany. And like Greece, it uses the euro currency. But unlike Greece, it is a model of sound governance and responsible use of debt. 像希臘的是，芬蘭的地理位置遠離英國、法國、德國等西歐核心強權。不同於希臘的是，芬蘭是穩健治理與負責舉債的模範。 Yet Finland's economy is also not doing so great, with an 11.8 percent unemployment rate and with contracting gross domestic product in the last three years. 但是芬蘭的經濟不算挺好，失業率11.8%，而且過去三年國民生產毛額萎縮。 A number of American commentators have looked at Finland's current economic troubles as a clear sign that what ails the eurozone is far deeper than profligate spending by the Greeks. Paul Krugman has made that case at The New York Times, Tim Worstall at Forbes and Matt O'Brien at The Washington Post. 某些美國評論者檢視芬蘭當前的經濟困境，認為這顯示出歐元區的毛病遠比希臘的揮霍更嚴重。保羅．克魯曼，提姆．伍思道和麥特．歐布萊恩分別在《紐約時報》、《華盛頓郵報》和《富比世》雜誌上發表了此一主張。 Alexander Stubb, the Finnish finance minister, thinks they're wrong. I brought this up with him recently in Espoo, the Helsinki suburb where he lives. His vigorous defense of what the euro has done for Finland, and his comments help explain why elite opinion about the euro is so different on the two sides of the Atlantic. 芬蘭財政部長亞歷山大．斯圖布認為他們都錯了。筆者日前在斯圖布位於赫爾辛基郊區埃斯波的住所提出這個話題。他為歐元給芬蘭帶來的好處強力辯護，而他的評論有助於理解何以大西洋兩岸菁英對於歐元的看法如此南轅北轍。 There are three main causes of Finland's economic weakness. Nokia has gone from the world's largest mobile phone maker to an afterthought, costing thousands of Finnish jobs and many more when its supply network is counted. Demand for paper, another major export, has fallen. And the economy of neighboring Russia, with which Finland has deep trade ties, has collapsed because of plummeting oil prices and Western sanctions. 芬蘭的經濟疲弱有三個原因。諾基亞從全球最大手機製造商淪為配角，數以千計的芬蘭人因此失業；倘若把供應網一併算進來，失業人數會更多。芬蘭的另一項主要出口項目是紙，需求也下滑。芬蘭與毗鄰的俄羅斯有很密切的貿易往來，而俄國經濟也因為油價重挫和西方的制裁而大壞。 Because Finland has used the euro since its inception, the value of its currency cannot adjust in ways that would cushion the overall Finnish economy from those shocks. If Finland still had its old currency, the markka, it would have fallen in value on international markets. Suddenly other Finnish industries would have had a huge cost advantage over, say, German competitors, and they would have grown and created the jobs to help make up for those lost because of Nokia and the paper industry and Russian trade. 因為芬蘭從歐元一登場就開始使用，所以無法藉由自行調整匯率的方式來降低芬蘭經濟所遭受的衝擊。假如芬蘭現在用的是原本的貨幣芬蘭馬克，在國際市場將會貶值。其他芬蘭產業將突然享有重大的成本優勢，像是對上德國的競爭對手，產業將持續成長，創造職缺，協助彌補因為諾基亞、紙業和俄國經濟走軟而損失的工作機會。 "Rubbish," Mr. Stubb said. To evaluate the euro, you can't just look at what he calls a current "rough patch" for the Finnish economy. You have to look at a longer time horizon. In his telling, the integration with Western Europe — of which the euro currency is a crucial element — deepened trade and diplomatic relations, making Finland both more powerful on the world stage and its industries better connected to the rest of the global economy. That made its people richer. 「一派胡言，」斯圖布說。他說，要評價歐元不能光看他所謂芬蘭經濟當前的「黑暗期」。你得從較長的時間範圍著眼。照他的說法，芬蘭與西歐整合歐元是關鍵要素，而這整合深化了貿易與外交關係，讓芬蘭在世界舞台上更有力量，芬蘭的產業與全球經濟也有更好的連結；這使得人民更富裕。 "In the early 1990s in the middle of a Finnish banking crisis and economic depression, we were a top 30 country in the world in per capita G.D.P.," he said. "Then we opened up; we became members of the E.U. Now we're always up there in G.D.P. per capita or whatever other measure you look at with Sweden, Denmark, Australia and Canada." 「在1990年代初期，芬蘭銀行危機和經濟蕭條之際，我們的人均GDP（國內生產毛額）排在全球前30名，」他說。「然後我們開放了，變成歐盟的會員國。現在無論你是用人均GDP或其他衡量標準，芬蘭都和瑞典、丹麥、澳洲與加拿大位在同一個等級。」 As to whether the ability to devalue its currency would help deal with the current economic downturn, Mr. Stubb is similarly skeptical. "Devaluation is a little like doping in sports," he said. "It gives you perhaps a short-term boost, but in the long run, it's not beneficial. Just like anyone else, we need structural reform, structural adjustment; we need to increase our competitiveness, and a little bit of luck." 至於具備讓貨幣貶值的能力是否有助於處理當前的經濟衰退，他同樣存疑。「貶值有點像是運動賽事服用禁藥，」他說。「或許能在短期內增進你的表現，但長期而言並沒有好處。跟任何其他人一樣，我們需要結構性的改革，結構性的調整；我們需要增強競爭力，再加上一點點好運道。」 Source: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/283515/web/ In Sweden, Happiness from a Shorter Workday Can't Overcome the Cost A controversial experiment with a six-hour workday in one of Sweden's largest cities wrapped up this week with a cheerful conclusion: shorter working hours make for happier, healthier and more productive employees. There's just one catch. The practice is too expensive and unwieldy to become widespread in Sweden anytime soon. 把工時減為6小時的一項爭議性實驗，上個月在瑞典最大城市之一結束，得到了愉悅的結論：較短的工時使員工更快樂、更健康，也更有生產力。只有一個但書。這種作法太昂貴也太不方便，短時間內難以拓展到瑞典全國。 The two-year trial, which took place in the southern city of Gothenburg, centered on a municipal retirement home where workers were switched to a six-hour day, from eight hours, with no pay cut. Seventeen new nursing positions were created to make up for the loss of time, at a cost of around 700,000 euros, or $738,000, a year. Although it was small, the experiment stoked a widespread discussion about the future of work, namely whether investing in a better work-life balance for employees, and treating workers well rather than squeezing them, benefits the bottom line for companies and economies. 這項為期兩年的試驗在瑞典南部哥特堡市一處市立養老院進行，員工從每天上班8小時變成6小時，薪水不變。養老院增加了17個養護職缺以填補工時減少導致的人力缺口，每年支出約增加70萬歐元，合73.8萬美元。這項實驗雖然規模不大，卻引發對未來工作的廣泛討論，亦即是否投資於改善員工工作與生活的平衡，善待員工而非壓榨他們，會給企業和經濟帶來根本的好處。 "The trial showed that there are many benefits of a shorter working day," said Daniel Bernmar, the leader of the Left party on Gothenburg's City Council, which had pushed for the experiment. "They include healthier staff, a better work environment and lower unemployment." But the high price tag, and political skepticism about the practicality of a shorter workday, was likely to discourage widespread support for taking the concept nationwide. "The government is avoiding talking about the issue," Mr. Bernmar said. "They're not interested in looking at the bigger picture." 大力推動這項實驗的哥特堡市市議會左派黨領袖貝恩馬說：「這項試驗顯示較短工時有許多好處，包括更健康的員工、更好的工作環境、更低的失業率。」然而由於成本太高，政界又對短工時的實用性抱持懷疑態度，很可能使這項實驗推廣到全境遭受阻力。貝恩馬說：「政府避談這個議題。他們也無意放大眼界來看這件事。」 While a growing number of countries and companies are studying the concept of employee happiness, the idea of improving it through shorter work hours has by no means gained broad traction. In Gothenburg, the City Council's conservative opposition parties derided the experiment as a utopian folly and sought to kill it, citing high costs for taxpayers and arguments that the government should not intrude in the workplace. The current government is also not backing a shorter workweek. Even the handful of progressive political groups aligned with Mr. Bernmar's Left party have not made a six-hour workday in Sweden a priority in their platforms. Nor have large Swedish companies, including multinationals active around the world, embraced the idea. Other Swedish towns that previously conducted limited experiments with a shorter public-sector workweek eventually abandoned the concept, citing high costs and flawed implementation. 儘管研究員工幸福這個概念的國家和企業愈來愈多，透過縮減工時來加以改善的點子卻尚未獲得廣泛迴響。在哥特堡市，市議會保守派反對黨嘲笑這項實驗是烏托邦式的愚行並試圖扼殺它，理由是納稅人負擔太重，以及政府不應干預職場。瑞典政府也不支持縮短每周工作時數。就連與貝恩馬的左派黨結盟的數個進步政治團體，也未將6小時工時列為最重要黨綱。瑞典各大企業，包括活躍於全球的跨國公司，也不熱中於這個點子。另有一些瑞典城鎮曾在公部門實施縮短每周工時的實驗，但最後都放棄這種做法，因為成本太高且執行上也有問題。 Source: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/310747/web/

TOYOTA The 60th -COROLLA六十週年典藏版特仕登場這一次，換你來寫下，屬於你的 COROLLA 故事。 https://fstry.pse.is/93d4ek —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- ⏰ 一週168小時,你的時間都去哪了?Laura Vanderkam教你audit自己、找出馬賽克時間! 這集John老師和阿鍵老師分享《168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think》這本書的核心概念。為什麼很多人說「我好忙」卻講不出忙什麼?為什麼通勤、折衣服、刷牙時間都能拿來學英語?關鍵在於:審查自己的時間分配,找出混合時間(Mosaic Time)! 📚 《168 Hours》核心概念 作者: Laura Vanderkam (TED講者) 168小時 = 24小時 × 7天 = 一週的總時間 Level 1: Audit Yourself - 審查你的時間 記錄72小時(至少三天),以30分鐘為單位: 半小時通勤六個半小時睡覺吃飯、工作、追劇、打電動...通通記錄下來為什麼要記錄?阿鍵老師:「就像記帳一樣!我們常覺得花在吃東西比較多,但其實可能花在追星比較多!」 John老師:「我們對time和money有overconfidence(過分自信)!都覺得『我沒花什麼錢,我的錢應該要很多才對』『我努力上班,時間應該夠用』,但實際記錄下來就會發現盲點!」 時間盲點: 花在喜歡的事情上會覺得時間不夠,所以算少了快樂時間過得特別快,痛苦時間拉很長沒記錄就很容易出錯John老師的坦白:「我的Elden Ring打170個小時、Monster Hunter 350個小時...都很扎實地玩!這就是為什麼要audit自己——I feel ashamed(我很慚愧),但你不能等別人來audit你,那更痛苦!」 「自己audit自己只是有點尴尬、丟面子;別人來audit你——你媽媽來audit你的錢、你的另一半來audit你的時間——哇塞,會起衝突、會糾紛!」 📊 Level 2: 重新分配 - Fixed vs Variable Time 就像money有fixed cost和variable cost: Fixed Time(固定時間): 必須花的時間(睡覺、吃飯、照顧小孩...)先把它保留,就不會亂花了Variable Time(彈性時間):有彈性,但也不能太誇張如果太誇張,請看醫生(shopping-holic的問題!)Laura的建議:先把想做的事情記錄下來再把它排進去把這些事情當做「必須要用的時間」之後就不會亂花了🎨 關鍵突破:Mosaic Time(馬賽克時間/混合時間) 什麼是Mosaic Time? 可以同時做多件事的時間: 只需要用耳朵的事只需要用手的事身體在做某事,但可以思考別的事通勤學英語的真諦:John老師:「為什麼一邊通勤一邊學英語?以前通勤應該眼睛閉著好好睡覺,但當通勤時間變長,你會思考how do I better use my time,你就發現通勤其實是你生產力的一環!」 Mosaic Time實例: John老師的實踐: 拖地時聽podcast折衣服時聽podcast(15-30分鐘)通勤時聽(捷運站走出來都算通勤,耳機不離耳朵)走路時一直放,有時候路上有人打招呼都沒看到,像zombie通勤家族的分享:早上起床刷牙時放來聽吃飯時追劇阿鍵老師補充:「觀察哪些事情不占用你的整個人——可能只需要耳朵或只需要手,你還可以思考別的事!」** 🎯 核心訊息 不是你沒有時間,是你沒有在做分配! John老師:「不要說『我這輩子life就routine到這個程度,I have no time』!其實不是!是你沒有認真audit你所可以用的時間跟不可以用的時間,沒有在做分配!」 You are in control! 記住:你可以掌控時間! 📝 行動步驟 記錄72小時(至少三天),30分鐘為單位 Audit yourself - 審查時間花去哪裡 找出Fixed Time和Variable Time 1. 辨識Mosaic Time - 哪些時間可以混合利用 2. 重新分配 - 把想做的事排進去

TOYOTA The 60th -COROLLA六十週年典藏版特仕登場這一次，換你來寫下，屬於你的 COROLLA 故事。 https://fstry.pse.is/93d4ek —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: This article discusses the thorny issue of having a national airline named after another country. What to do and what will the cost be? 原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-907-rebranding-is-beneficial-to-china-airlines   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Prohibitive adj.: when a price is so high it causes people to not buy something Was the cost of renovating the building prohibitive? Is the La Ferrari prohibitively expensive?  Polarize v.: separate people into 2 camps with opposing opinions Did the new passport design polarize the public? Is politics very polarizing?  Rebrand v.: change the name of a product / company or how it is advertised Can rebranding be effective in changing people’s opinions? Is rebranding a guarantee for success?

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你在尾牙或春酒中過大獎嗎？或是你總是看著別人歡呼呢？本週《英語咖啡館—人生系列》John 老師和 Patrick 老師要來聊聊各自最難忘的尾牙故事——包括一頭烤全豬、猜歌遊戲連勝三關，還有13歲就被老爸推去跟廠商談判的「童工陰影」！ 台灣的尾牙文化和西方的年終派對有什麼不同呢？從砸重金請明星的大企業尾牙，到部門自辦的主題派對，原來「慶祝年終」在不同文化下的想像天差地遠。 Have you ever won a major prize at a year-end banquet or spring banquet? Or are you always watching others cheer? This week on English Cafe - The Life Series, John and Patrick share their most unforgettable year-end banquet stories—including a whole roasted pig, winning three consecutive rounds in a song-guessing game, and the "child labor trauma" of being pushed by dad to negotiate with vendors at age 13! What are the differences between Taiwan's year-end banquet culture and Western year-end parties? From big corporations spending heavily to invite celebrities for their banquets, to departments hosting their own themed parties—it turns out that "celebrating year-end" varies drastically in different cultures.

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） --------------------------------------------

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L168: AI Giant Rejects Pentagon Contract Highlights 主題摘要Anthropic officially declined a highly lucrative contract offer from the US military.CEO Dario Amodei warned about the catastrophic risks of using advanced AI in warfare.The Pentagon is actively seeking private tech partnerships to maintain global dominance. In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves throughout the technology industry, leading artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has officially rejected a major partnership offer from the United States Department of Defense. This highly lucrative contract, which was specifically designed to integrate cutting-edge machine learning models into national security infrastructure, was turned down due to profound ethical reservations. The decision highlights a growing and complex tension between private technological innovation and government military objectives. Anthropic, which has consistently branded itself as an organization deeply committed to the safe and responsible development of artificial general intelligence, stated that military applications fundamentally contradict its core corporate mission. 頂尖人工智慧新創公司 Anthropic 破天荒地正式拒絕了美國國防部一項重大的合作提案，此舉在整個科技界引發了震撼。這份利潤極為豐厚的合約原本專門為了將尖端機器學習模型整合至國家安全基礎設施之中，最終卻因深層的道德疑慮而遭到回絕。這項決定凸顯了私人科技創新與政府軍事目標之間，正日益加劇且更趨複雜的緊張關係。Anthropic 一向將自己定位為致力於安全且負責任地發展通用人工智慧的組織，其發出了聲明指出軍事應用從根本上牴觸了其核心企業使命。 The ambitious proposal was strongly championed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has recently accelerated the Pentagon's aggressive push to modernize its combat capabilities through advanced algorithmic systems. Hegseth has repeatedly emphasized that collaborating with top-tier Silicon Valley firms is absolutely crucial for the United States to maintain its strategic global dominance and effectively counter emerging digital threats from foreign adversaries. The military establishment believes that leveraging commercially available artificial intelligence can drastically improve battlefield logistics, intelligence gathering, and predictive threat analysis. However, this aggressive procurement strategy frequently clashes with the deeply rooted pacifist ideologies held by many prominent tech executives. 這項極具野心的提案由美國國防部長皮特赫格塞思強力主導。他近期正加速推進五角大廈的積極布局，期望透過先進的演算法系統來實現軍事作戰能力的現代化。赫格塞思一再強調，與矽谷頂尖企業結盟，是美國維持全球戰略主導地位，並有效反制外國敵對勢力新興數位威脅的絕對關鍵。軍方高層深信，導入商用人工智慧將能大幅提升戰場後勤、情報蒐集以及預測性威脅分析的效能。然而，這種激進的採購策略，卻時常與許多知名科技業高層根深蒂固的和平主義理念產生衝突。 Explaining the controversial refusal, Anthropic Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei issued a comprehensive statement outlining the terrifying risks associated with weaponizing next-generation neural networks. Amodei warned that deploying autonomous intelligence in active combat zones could rapidly escalate conflicts beyond human control, potentially leading to catastrophic global consequences. He emphasized that current AI models are prone to unpredictable hallucinations and operational errors, making them fundamentally unsuited for high-stakes military environments where a single miscalculation could trigger unprecedented collateral damage. The company's rigorous safety framework strictly prohibits its sophisticated technology from being utilized in scenarios that involve lethal force or automated weapons. 針對這項引發熱議的拒絕舉動，Anthropic 執行長達里歐．阿莫戴發布了一份詳盡的聲明，具體點出將次世代神經網路武器化所伴隨的駭人風險。阿莫戴警告，在交戰區部署具備自主能力的 AI，恐使衝突迅速升溫至人類無法預期及控制的局面，進而可能引發災難性的全球後果。他強調，目前的 AI 模型仍容易出現無法預測的幻覺與操作失誤，使得它們根本不適合投入高風險的軍事環境；在戰場上，哪怕只是一次運算錯誤，都可能引發史無前例的附帶損害。該公司嚴格的安全規範明文禁止將其精密技術應用於涉及致命武力或自動化武器的任何場景。 This landmark confrontation sets a critical precedent for the rapidly evolving tech sector, potentially inspiring other prominent artificial intelligence developers to carefully reevaluate their own lucrative government defense contracts in the near future. 這場具指標性意義的交鋒，為日新月異的科技產業立下了關鍵先例，未來極有可能促使其他知名的人工智慧開發商，去審慎重新評估他們自己手中那些利潤豐厚的政府國防合約。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Contradict [verb, to be in conflict with or state the opposite of]: Military applications fundamentally contradict the company's core corporate mission.Algorithmic [adjective, relating to a set of mathematical rules or processes used by a computer]: The Pentagon pushes to modernize combat capabilities through advanced algorithmic systems.Procurement [noun, the process of purchasing or obtaining supplies, especially for a government]: This aggressive procurement strategy frequently clashes with deeply rooted pacifist ideologies.Weaponizing [verb, adapting or using something as a weapon]: The CEO outlined the terrifying risks associated with weaponizing next-generation neural networks.Collateral [adjective, secondary or unintended, usually referring to damage or casualties in a military operation]: A single miscalculation could trigger unprecedented collateral damage. Reference article: 1. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/27/defense-anthropic-ai-war-risks-hegseth-amodei.html 2. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn5g3z3xe65o 3. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/26/tech/anthropic-rejects-pentagon-offer

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Fox-Style News Network Rides Wave of Discontent in France It's the news network that claims it tells viewers what the "woke" mainstream media won't. It says it fights for endangered freedom of expression, even as it has been fined by the government's broadcast regulator for inciting racial hatred. 這家新聞台聲稱，能告訴觀眾那些「警醒」的主流媒體不會說的事。它說它為瀕危的言論自由而戰，即便已因為煽動種族仇恨而遭政府廣播監管機構罰款。 It is CNews — which in four short years became France's No. 1 news network for the first time in May by giving a bullhorn to far-right politicians, opponents of fighting climate change and a high-profile proponent of the discredited idea of using the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19. 它就是CNews，短短四年，於今年5月首次成為法國第一名的新聞台。他們提供發聲管道給極右翼政治人物、反對應對氣候變遷人士，以及高調支持使用抗瘧疾藥物羥氯奎寧治療新冠的人，儘管這想法不被採信。 The model is Fox News — including the clashing talking heads and incendiary cultural topics — and it has worked. Owned by French billionaire Vincent Bolloré, former chairman of the media group Vivendi, CNews increasingly helps shape the national debate, especially on hot-button issues like crime, immigration and Islam's place in France that are expected to sway next year's presidential election. 福斯新聞是其榜樣，手法包括衝突性訪問內容與煽動性文化話題，且已收到成效。法國億萬富豪、媒體集團威望迪前董事長博洛黑擁有的CNews，愈來愈會塑造全國性辯論話題，尤其是犯罪、移民、伊斯蘭教在法國地位等料將影響明年總統選舉的熱門議題。 In a country where trust in the media is very low, CNews emerged at a time of particular discontent — in the aftermath of the Yellow Vest protests of 2018, which, like the U.S. election of Donald Trump, prompted much soul-searching among journalists. 在一個對媒體信任度非常低的國家，CNews的出現，正值2018年黃背心抗議後民眾特別不滿之時，就像川普當選美國總統一樣，這引起很多記者深刻反思。 "People were sick and tired of the politically correct, and, in France, for the past 30, 40 years, news was in the hands of newspapers, television and dailies that all said the same thing," said Serge Nedjar, the head of CNews, explaining how his channel positioned itself in a nation with four all-news networks. CNews負責人內德賈解釋自家頻道在一個擁有四家新聞台國家的定位時說：「人們對政治正確感到厭煩，在法國，過去30年、40年，掌握新聞的報紙、電視與日報說的都是同樣的事。」 Unlike its competitors, CNews focused on "analyses and debates" of topics that Nedjar said mattered most to the French but had been ignored or insufficiently covered by the media: "crime, lack of safety, immigration." 不同於對手，CNews專注於「分析和辯論」內德賈所說對法國人最重要卻被忽視或報導不足的事：「犯罪、缺乏安全、移民」。 He added: "We created this network by telling ourselves we talk about everything, including topics that are explosive." 他還說：「我們成立電視台時告訴自己，我們無話不談，包括爆炸性話題。」 Nedjar said that he was unfamiliar with Fox News when CNews was created and waved away comparisons. "There's the word 'news,' and all the better if it works like Fox News," he said, referring to his network's name. "Fox News works really well over there, I hear." 內德賈說，CNews成立時他對福斯新聞台不熟悉，也拒絕做比較。他提及他的電視台名字時說：「有『新聞』這個字，若它能像福斯新聞那樣運作就更好了。我聽說福斯新聞在那邊作得很不錯。」 But critics say the problem is not with CNews' choice of topics but with the way it treats them. They say it emphasizes on opinion, often backed up with little reporting or fact-checking, propagates popular biases and deepens cleavages in a polarized society. 但批評者說，問題不在於CNews的話題選擇，而是它對待話題的方式。他們說，它強調觀點，很少以報導或查核事實來支持，這助長了偏見，加深兩極分化社會的裂痕。 Source: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5769927 Why France Sparks Anger in the Muslim World: Secularism Explained Many countries, especially in the democratic West, champion freedom of expression and allow publications that lampoon Islam's prophet. So why is France singled out for protests and calls for boycotts across the Muslim world, and so often the target of deadly violence from the extremist margins? Its brutal colonial past, staunch secular policies and tough-talking president, who is seen as insensitive toward the Muslim faith, all play a role. 許多國家──尤其是民主的西方國家──擁護言論自由，並允許嘲弄伊斯蘭教先知的出版品。那麼，為什麼法國會特別被針對，讓整個穆斯林世界抗議和呼籲抵制，且往往成為極端主義死亡攻擊的目標呢？它殘酷的殖民史、堅定的世俗﹝去宗教化﹞政策，以及言詞強硬的總統（他被認為對穆斯林信仰不敏感）都是原因。 While French officials often say their country is targeted because of its reputation as the cradle of human rights and a rampart of global democracy, what distinguishes France most is its unusual attachment to secularism (or laïcité). 雖然法國官員常說，法國之所以成為攻擊的目標，是因為法國是人權的搖籃及全球民主的堡壘；但法國與他國不同的最獨特處，在其牢牢固守著世俗主義。 The often-misunderstood concept of French secularism is inscribed in the country's constitution. It was born in a 1905 law after anti-clerical struggles with the Catholic Church. Separating church and state, the law was meant to allow the peaceful coexistence of all religions under a neutral state, instead of a government answering to powerful Roman Catholic clerics. Crucifixes were at one point torn from classroom walls in France amid painful public debate. 世俗主義明訂於法國憲法中，其概念常被人誤解。一九○五年，經過與天主教會的反神職人員鬥爭後，世俗主義成為法律。該法律將教會和國家分開，旨在使所有宗教在中立的國家之下和平共處，而不是政府向手握強權的羅馬天主教神職人員稟報。公眾經歷艱難的辯論，教室牆上的耶穌受難像一度被拆除。 A century later, polls suggest France is among the least religious countries in the world, with a minority attending services regularly. Secularism is broadly supported by those on both left and right. State secularism is central to France's national identity and demands the separation of religion and public life. 一個世紀後，民意調查顯示法國是世界上最不宗教化的國家之一，固定參加宗教儀式的人只有少數。世俗主義得到左右兩派的廣泛支持。國家世俗主義是法國民族認同的核心，它要求宗教與公共生活必須區分開來。 Schools have historically instilled the Republic's values in its citizens — a task some teachers say becomes ever harder as a minority of French Muslims and adherents of other faiths seek to express their religious identity. 學校歷來向公民灌輸共和國的價值觀──一些教師表示，少數法國穆斯林及其他信仰的信徒試圖表達自己的宗教認同，使得這項教學任務變得愈發困難。 As the number of Muslims in France grew, the state imposed secular rules on their practices. A 2004 ban on Muslim headscarves and other ostentatious religious symbols in schools remains divisive, if not shocking to many outside France. A 2011 law banning face veils made Muslims feel stigmatized anew. In recent decades, the desire among some French Muslims to express their religious identity has dominated the debate around balancing religious and secular needs. 隨著法國穆斯林人數的增加，法國政府在施政也強加上世俗化、非宗教的規範。法國在二○○四年禁止在學校穿戴穆斯林頭巾及其他炫示的宗教符號──若法國以外的許多人不感到震驚的話，對此禁令的看法也仍然分歧。二○一一年所頒布的禁蒙面法，又再讓穆斯林覺得被污名化。一些法國穆斯林希望能夠表達自己的宗教認同，對於如何平衡宗教與世俗非宗教之需求，此議題已占據近數十年來相關辯論的主要部分。 Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/11/09/2003746587 France to Ban Mink Farms and Use of Wild Animals in Circuses and Marine Parks France's environment minister has announced a gradual ban on using wild animals in traveling circuses, on keeping dolphins and killer whales in captivity in marine parks and on raising mink on fur farms. 法國環境部長宣布，將逐步禁止巡迴馬戲團以野生動物進行表演、在海洋公園內圈養海豚和虎鯨，以及在皮草養殖場飼養水貂。 Barbara Pompili, France's minister of ecological transition, said in a news conference on Tuesday last week that bears, tigers, lions, elephants and other wild animals will no longer be allowed in traveling circuses "in the coming years." In addition, she said that starting immediately, France's three marine parks will no longer be able to bring in or breed dolphins and killer whales. 法國生態轉型部部長巴巴拉‧彭皮里上週二在記者會中表示，「未來數年後」馬戲團將不能再有熊、老虎、獅子、大象及其他野生動物。此外，自即日起，法國的三個海洋公園不能再引進或繁殖海豚及虎鯨。 "It is time to open a new era in our relationship with these (wild) animals," she said, arguing that animal welfare is a priority. 她說：「現在該是為我們與這些（野生）動物的關係開啟新時代的時候了」，她說，動物福利應優先考慮。 Pompili said the measures will also bring an end to mink farming, in which animals are raised for their fur, within the next five years. The ban does not apply to wild animals in other permanent shows and in zoos. 彭皮里說，這些措施還包括在未來五年內禁絕水貂養殖──這種養殖場的目的是取貂皮。該禁令並不適用其他常態演出及動物園中之野生動物。 The French government will provide an aid package of more than 8 million euros (US$9.36 million) to help animal shows transition to a new business model. 法國政府將提供逾八百萬歐元（合九百三十六萬美元）的支援計劃，以幫助動物表演轉型為新的商業模式。 Around 20 European countries have already banned or limited the presence of wild animals in circuses. In France, many cities already do not allow circuses with wild animal shows to pitch their tents. 歐洲約有二十個國家已禁止或限制野生動物在馬戲團出場。在法國，許多城市已不准有野生動物表演的馬戲團前來搭篷。 Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/10/05/2003744594

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 幕後揭秘!15Mins怎麼選新聞?從Epstein陰謀論到可愛小猴,從寶可夢狂潮到油價危機! John老師和阿鍵老師這集帶大家看幕後作業:為什麼最近世界局勢加速得有點快?為什麼新聞多到追不完?15Mins如何選題、製作、回應VIP許願?還有本週重點新聞速報,從陰暗面到療癒系通通有! 世界局勢加速中! 阿鍵老師:「從過年之後,世界局勢加速有點快!之前覺得AI進展快,最近覺得每天都有新的regional development(區域發展),但都在同一個region!」 「去年抱怨都沒新聞可以update,最近是新聞多到怎麼追都追不完!這禮拜寫了新聞,結果又有新的發展了!」 15Mins選題原則 John老師:「我們每週選題和挑story,主要不是搶快,而是要給大家更全面、更有完整性的報導!我們盡量從不同newsoutlet收集,做自己的稿子!」 「可能我們不是跟得那麼緊,但當我們做這件事情時,regional conflict速度都很快——一下子講核武、一下子講飛彈,但起始原因都有不同trigger!」 阿鍵老師:「前面有因果關係,所以後面才跟著來!我們比較希望告一段落後整理成一篇,但局勢變化真的太多了,所以不得不分成多幾則!」 除了時事,還有網路梗! 「會是網路議題,大家可能在辦公室watercooler(茶水間)可以聊的!非常可愛的事情也有、regionalconflict也有、大條事情也有、finance也有!」 💬 VIP會員可以許願選題! 許願表單在哪裡? 阿鍵老師:「VIPmember都可以看到!在我們每週寄出的email裡面有表格,可以寫想對我們說的話,或想要我們製作的主題!」 也在每個VIP單集底下的資訊欄! 點開後所有連結都在裡面:留言、許願連結通通都有! 本週ShoutOut: Wilson! 「恭喜Wilson!他非常關注體育,從自己練習柔道,到WBC也覺得要跟大家分享!」 John老師:「我們也在製作這一塊,思考要什麼angle講WBC!主要有一個跟我們算好朋友的國家——捷克,有相關資料想分享!」 「有時候選題做文章時會思考:大家想聽什麼?我們都不想聽最不喜歡的事情,都只喜歡想聽贏的事情!但很不幸,這個世界人外有人天外有天,還是有很多努力空間!」 「不過大家看起來蠻開心的!至少對韓國那一隊是開心的——不用夢想贏了他們,實際上就贏了他們!」 VIP會員優惠持續中! 月訂閱和年訂閱都非常優惠! John老師:「年訂閱優惠甚至近乎打對折!Ifyou haven't, go on ahead and subscribe right now!」 訂閱後你會發現: 非常廣大的選題 每天充斥著自然學習英語的環境 每週精心製作的國際時事選題連結在資訊欄裡面,歡迎大家趕快加入!

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: This article talks about recent developments in the USA. In particular the removal and defacing of statues of historical figures who did terrible things, in the minds of some people.  原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-906-reconsidering-the-past-one-statue-at-a-time   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:  Deface v.: damage the appearance of something Did the protesters deface the building? Are walls in Taipei defaced with graffiti?  Indigenous adj: belonging to a particular place Are the indigenous people of Taiwan represented in government? Does Taiwan have indigenous animals?  Inflection n.: turning, bending / change in the form of a word especially regarding grammar / change in the pitch of your voice Does the inflection of adding and “s” in English make it more difficult to learn?  Are lectures with no inflection boring?

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你有過這種經驗嗎？原本只是好朋友，某天卻突然萌生「好像可以約會看看」的念頭！結果赴約前一刻又緊張到想落跑，內心小劇場狂飆，懷疑自己是不是瘋了。今天我們要聊的，就是這種讓人又愛又怕、神魂顛倒的「暈船」時刻！ 本週的《英語咖啡館》，John 老師和 Shimin 老師要帶大家聽聽剛再度拿下葛萊美獎的爵士歌手 Laufey（林冰），這首將戀愛腦描寫得淋漓盡致的浪漫...或瘋狂歌曲《Clockwork》。我們除了解析歌詞裡那些生動的約會恐慌（像是想落跑的 fight or flight 反應），還聊到了東西方對於「純友誼」的觀點：英文裡的 "friend-zoned" 和我們台灣常說的「被發好人卡」，在心境上有什麼巧妙的不同？ Have you ever had this experience? You're just good friends, but one day you suddenly develop the thought "maybe we could try dating!" Then right before the date you get so nervous you want to run away, your internal monologue goes wild, and you wonder if you've lost your mind. Today we're talking about these moments of being "lovesick" that make you both excited and terrified, completely head over heels! This week on English Cafe, John and Shimin take everyone to listen to jazz singer Laufey (Lin Bing), who just won another Grammy Award, and her romantic...or crazy song "Clockwork" that vividly depicts the lovestruck brain. Besides analyzing the lyrics' vivid dating panic (like the fight-or-flight response of wanting to run away), we also discuss Eastern and Western perspectives on "pure friendship": What subtle differences exist in mindset between the English term "friend-zoned" and what we in Taiwan commonly call "being given a good person card"?

KUMON Podcast《從學會到會學》💙解鎖自學力：化被動為主動💛教養不煩惱：掌握教養關鍵💜超越滿分：榜樣啟發可能❤️教育未來式：AI時代能力趨勢5/18-5/30 免費體驗招生中，立即預約 https://fstry.pse.is/8ynb3z —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） --------------------------------------------

TOYOTA The 60th -COROLLA六十週年典藏版特仕登場這一次，換你來寫下，屬於你的 COROLLA 故事。 https://fstry.pse.is/93d4ek —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 → https://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected] 意見回覆 : [email protected] -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L164: Global Chokepoint Cut: Oil Prices Skyrocket Highlights 主題摘要Iran claims control over the Strait of Hormuz, posing a severe threat to global shipping.This vital waterway handles approximately one-fifth of the world's daily oil consumption.Experts warn a prolonged closure could trigger a severe global supply chain collapse. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared complete control over the Strait of Hormuz, issuing severe warnings to any vessels attempting to navigate this route. This dramatic escalation follows recent military clashes, effectively halting operations in one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. Currently, maritime traffic has plummeted by eighty percent, leaving hundreds of oil tankers dropping their anchors. The immediate suspension has sparked widespread anxiety across major financial markets worldwide. 伊朗伊斯蘭革命衛隊已宣布全面控制荷莫茲海峽，並對任何企圖航經該路線的船隻發出嚴厲警告。在近期的軍事衝突後，局勢急遽升溫，導致這個全球最關鍵的海上咽喉之一形同停擺。目前，當地海上交通量已暴跌八成，迫使數百艘油輪下錨滯留。這場突如其來的封鎖，已在全球各大金融市場引發廣泛恐慌。 To understand the gravity of this crisis, one must recognize the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly twenty million barrels of oil transit through this narrow waterway daily, representing approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption. Furthermore, the passage accommodates up to one-third of the world's supply of liquefied natural gas. Much of this energy is exported to major Asian markets, making them particularly vulnerable. Because most volumes have no alternative pipeline routes, energy dependency relies entirely on this corridor. 要了解這場危機的嚴重性，必須先認知荷莫茲海峽的戰略地位。每天約有兩千萬桶石油穿越這條狹窄的水道，約占全球每日石油消耗量的五分之一。此外，全球高達三分之一的液化天然氣供應也仰賴此航道。這些能源大多出口至亞洲主要市場，使其處境顯得格外脆弱。由於多數貨運量缺乏替代的管線，能源需求幾乎完全受制於這條走廊。 The situation has rapidly deteriorated into chaos, with maritime insurers withdrawing coverage and reports emerging of tankers being struck by explosions. Further complicating regional stability, United States military actions have reportedly expanded into international waters, significantly escalating the confrontation. Officials indicated that naval forces would be deployed to escort commercial oil tankers if absolutely necessary. As military presence intensifies on both sides, the entire shipping industry is desperately seeking safe alternatives while navigating an increasingly unpredictable and highly volatile geopolitical landscape. 隨著海運保險業者紛紛撤回承保，加上油輪遇襲爆炸的通報頻傳，局勢已迅速惡化至失控邊緣。更讓區域穩定雪上加霜的是，據報美軍的行動已擴大至國際水域，大幅激化了雙方的對峙局面。美方官員指出，若有絕對必要，將部署海軍艦隊為商用油輪護航。在雙方軍力持續集結下，整個航運業正拼命尋求安全的替代方案，在日益難以預測且動盪不安的地緣政治局勢中夾縫求生。 Industry experts are now sounding the alarm about the profound long-term consequences of this unprecedented disruption. Analysts warn that a full closure of the strait lasting a month or longer would push crude oil prices well into triple digits, severely impacting consumers worldwide. This would simultaneously drive European natural gas prices back toward extreme crisis levels. Ultimately, the ongoing standoff highlights the fragile nature of global energy security. International leaders must urgently pursue diplomatic solutions to restore commercial operations, or the global economy could face a crippling recession triggered by skyrocketing inflation and severe energy shortages. 業界專家現已對這場史無前例的動盪可能帶來的深遠影響發出強烈警告。分析師示警，若海峽全面封鎖長達一個月以上，原油價格恐將飆破三位數大關，重創全球消費者。這也將同時推升歐洲天然氣價格，使其重返極度危機時的高點。歸根究柢，這場持續的僵局凸顯了全球能源安全不堪一擊的脆弱本質。各國領袖必須緊急尋求外交解方以恢復商業運作，否則全球經濟恐將面臨由通膨狂飆及嚴重能源短缺所引發的毀滅性衰退。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Chokepoint [noun, a point of congestion or blockage]: Halting operations in a critical maritime chokepoint.Liquefied [adjective, turned into a liquid state]: The passage accommodates one-third of the world's liquefied natural gas.Deteriorated [verb, to become progressively worse]: The situation has rapidly deteriorated into chaos.Confrontation [noun, a hostile or argumentative situation between opposing parties]: Military actions have significantly escalated the confrontation.Crippling [adjective, causing a severe and almost insuperable problem]: The global economy could face a crippling recession. Reference article: 1. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-strait-of-hormuz-attacks-oil-gas-b2932373.html 2. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78n6p09pzno

「挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行」 2026/5/31前至中國信託LINE官方帳號輸入「母親節拿優惠」玩互動遊戲，免費領勝博殿、雞湯大叔…等多家餐廳優惠券，現省超過300元！首次綁定LINE個人化服務再送10點OPENPOINT。加入中國信託LINE官方帳號 https://fstry.pse.is/92lzf8 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Topic: About Christmas: Make your own Christmas tree with these money-saving hacks 相信大家都知道，節慶的裝飾品並不便宜，尤其是在亞洲地區。因此，也難怪有越來越多人決定自己DIY製作裝飾品打造出屬於自己的夢幻聖誕節。 Most people agree that decorating for the holidays isn’t cheap, especially in Asia. There is, therefore, little wonder that an increasing number of people have decided to make this Christmas season extra special by doing a lot of crafts on their own. 能夠把一樣東西化腐朽為神奇總是讓人著迷，而展示自己創意成品的最佳方式就是把它掛到聖誕樹上。 There’s something magical about turning something ordinary into something special, and there’s no better way to display your creations than on your Christmas tree. 許多人在網路上分享交流各自創意手作點子，在臉書上還能找到像是「低成本手作」等教你省錢做裝飾品的社團。裡面的成員不吝於分享用花串、燈泡和木框等簡易材料製作聖誕樹的秘訣。 Many ideas are shared online and through money-saving Facebook groups such as “On a Budget.” The members show people how to create a Christmas tree out of just garlands, lights and a wooden frame. 他們放上手作過程的圖片讓人一目瞭然，像是示範如何將常綠樹狀裝飾花串纏繞在三角木框上。 There are many photos that show some crafty methods of creating a tree by simply wrapping the green evergreen-like garland around the triangle-shaped wood frame. 最後，一棵固定在牆上、形狀完美的精美手作聖誕樹令網友驚艷，網友們紛紛留言讚嘆：「這個點子太棒了！看起來好美」、「很適合住在小房間的人用來佈置」。 The end result is a stunning, perfectly shaped wall-mounted Christmas tree. “What a great idea this looks fantastic,” one person wrote. Another said: “Great for anyone who has a small room.” 這些手作教學除了能吸引房間不夠擺不下一棵正規大小聖誕樹的人以外，對於那些不想花大錢買短期聖誕裝飾品的人而言，這些教學也相當實用。 In addition to appealing to people who may not have room for an actual tree, the hack is also useful for those who do not want to spend money on Christmas decor that is only good for a few weeks. 有網友留言稱讚：「手作DIY告訴我們只要善用創意與想像力，不用花大錢也能做很多事。」另外也有熱心的人分享自己的手作技巧，既簡單又能充滿節慶氣氛。 “Shows what you can do with imagination and a small budget,” one person wrote. Others shared their own versions of the hack, showing just how festive and easy it can be. Next Article Topic: Chimei Museum to hold pre-Christmas celebrations on weekends 超浪漫！奇美博物館超大聖誕樹成熱門打卡地 進入一年的尾聲也代表浪漫聖誕節即將來臨，各大百貨商場開始佈置聖誕裝飾並擺出超大聖誕樹吸引民眾目光。住在台南的你有福了！奇美博物館在繆思廣場擺放一棵13公尺高的「幸福耶誕樹」，每日下午五點半至十點半點燈，浪漫的燈光下搭配奇美博物館西洋建築外觀，絕對是聖誕節熱門打卡景點！ Christmas is around the corner and local department stores have already installed their Christmas decorations and set up large Christmas trees to attract the attention of shoppers. If you are living in Tainan, you should know that The Chimei Museum has also installed a 13-meter-high Christmas tree on its Muse Plaza. The tree lights up from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. every day. The installation is the perfect match to the western architecture of the museum which has become one of the top destinations for celebrating Christmas in southern Taiwan. 另外還有集結多達70攤的皇家聖誕市集於十二月十四、十五日、二十一日和二十二日兩個週末中午十二點至晚上十點展開，販賣各式美食飲料，還有皇家貴族最愛糕點。 In addition, the Royal Christmas Market boasts 70 specialty stalls on the weekends on Dec. 14-15 and 21-22nd from noon to 10 p.m., selling various delights, drinks and Royal family’s favorite pastry. 活動期間還有精緻音樂饗宴，邀請多位奇美藝術獎得主在館內大廳演奏弦樂、管樂、爵士樂等聖誕主題音樂。 What’s more? There will also be music feasts over the weekends. Some award-winning musicians are invited to play Christmas-themed jazz and orchestra music during the celebrations. Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191209-894509 ; https://chinapost.nownews.com/20191127-873777 Topic: Dihua Street’s Lunar New Year market Every year, in the two-week run up to the Lunar New Year break, businesses along Taipei’s Dihua Street hold a special Lunar New Year specialties market. 每年春節假期前兩週左右，台北迪化街的商家都會辦理年貨市集。 The store-lined roads, with outside stalls laden with New Year dried fruits, candies, spiced drinks and meat jerkies, are packed with people anxious to stock up for the holiday. 商店林立的年貨大街擠滿趕辦年貨的人，店鋪前擺出的攤子滿是蜜餞、糖果、薑茶和肉乾等年貨。 The weather was cold on Wednesday, but mercifully sunny to take the bite from the cold, and the air was full of anticipation and festive spirit. 週三天氣很冷，但幸好出了太陽，驅走了一些寒意，空氣中充滿著年節的味道與對過年的期盼。 The sellers themselves, wearing matching Lunar New Year jackets and tops in each individual stall, were all in a jovial mood, smiling and joking with the customers as they handed out free samples and took their money. 每攤的售貨員都穿著自家店統一的春節外套及上衣，喜氣洋洋，發試吃品和收錢的時候，都跟顧客有說有笑。 The shoppers were dressed up warm, some in casual clothes, some in their best suits for the occasion; there were monks and foreigners and photographers and mothers bringing their children, as well as pet owners, carrying their dogs on their shoulders or pushing them along in pet pushchairs. There was one guy walking his pet pig — he’d had it for five months, he said — which had its snout pressed to the ground, hoovering the tarmac for fallen sweets, treats or dried meats. 採買的顧客穿著保暖的衣服，有些只是居家服，也有人穿得很慎重。人群中有僧侶、外國人、攝影師、帶著孩子的母親，以及把狗扛在肩上或用寵物推車推著的飼主。還有一個人牽著寵物豬──他說他已經養了五個月──那隻豬把鼻子貼在地上，把掉在路面上的糖果、零食或肉乾吸起來吃。 Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/01/18/2003729416 Topic: EPA steps up checks for carcinogenic industrial dye in Mid-Autumn mooncakes With the Mid-Autumn Festival nearly upon us, bakery shelves are heaving with a vast array of appetizing mooncakes in a mind-boggling variety of shapes, sizes and flavors. For many Taiwanese gourmands, the venerable egg yolk pastry is a special favorite. However, in the past some unscrupulous businesses were discovered to have added the harmful industrial dye Sudan Red G to their egg yolk pastries to give the salty egg yolks a rosy-red luster. Sudan Red G was classified as a toxic chemical by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) in July 2018. The administration says it has been carrying out inspections since the ban but has not discovered any illegal use of Sudan Red G. However, with increased demand for egg yolk pastries during the festive season, the administration says it will intensify inspection work during the period. 中秋佳節即將到來，市面上開始出現各式各樣可口的月餅，尤其蛋黃酥最受歡迎。然而過去曾發生有不肖業者為了使鹹蛋黃色澤紅潤，而添加對人體有害的工業用染料「蘇丹紅」。環保署表示，蘇丹紅色素已於二○一八年六月公告為「毒性化學物質」，近年來稽查沒有再發現業者違法使用蘇丹紅，不過考量中秋節將近，鹹蛋黃需求增加，環保署將加強稽查。 In the past, some egg farms would add the carcinogenic substance to duck feed in order to give their salted duck eggs a deep color and luster. In 2017, the illegal use of Sudan Red G was detected in an online retailer’s salted egg yolk mooncakes. The poultry farm which supplied the egg yolks was required to cull its duck population and destroy its stock of duck eggs. Fraud charges were also brought against the farm. The following year, the EPA classified Sudan Red G as a category 4 toxic chemical. 過去有業者為了讓鹹鴨蛋看起來色澤飽滿，在鴨隻飼料中添加有致癌風險的蘇丹紅，二○一七年曾發生網購名店月餅原料鹹蛋黃被驗出違法添加蘇丹紅，供貨畜牧場鴨隻撲殺、鴨蛋銷毀，業者被依詐欺取財罪嫌起訴，環保署則在隔年將蘇丹紅色素列為第四類毒性化學物質。 Sudan Red G is in fact an umbrella term for a series of related chemical dyes that sound similar but have different molecular structures, chiefly Sudan Red I, II, III and IV, and Sudan Red 7B and G. Because the molecular structure of the Sudan Red G dye is easily soluble in oils, it is often used in industrial settings such as colorant in furniture paint, shoe polish, floor wax, car wax and oils to give products a rich color and luster. 蘇丹紅其實是幾種相似但不同的分子之統稱，這幾種化學物質常作為染料，主要包括：蘇丹紅I、蘇丹紅II、蘇丹紅III、蘇丹紅IV、蘇丹紅7B、蘇丹紅G，由於蘇丹紅色素的分子結構易溶於油脂，在工業上常用於家具漆、鞋油、地板蠟、汽車蠟和油脂著色，使色澤飽滿鮮豔。 Sudan Red G’s unique properties — inexpensive, easy-to-obtain, stable, and color-fade resistant — mean that it often crops up in food safety incidents. In addition to salted egg yolks, outside of Taiwan Sudan Red G has been found to have been added to chilli sauce and chilli powder; however, the group of dyes with which Sudan Red G shares a common molecular structure are listed as category 3 carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. 由於蘇丹紅便宜易取得、穩定又不易褪色的特性，因此常在食安事件中佔有「一席之地」，除了鹹蛋黃，國外也曾在辣椒醬、辣椒粉中發現添加蘇丹紅；不過這類色素的分子都被國際癌症研究機構列為第三類致癌物。 EPA Toxic and Chemical Substances Bureau Director-General Hsieh Yein-rui advises consumers not to choose food products that appear overly vivid and bright, or that look unnatural. Hsieh adds that the nutritional value of egg yolks is the same whether they are yellow or red in color, and warns that customers who select egg-containing products on the basis of their bright luster may well be consuming adulterated egg yolks. 環保署毒物及化學物質局長謝燕儒呼籲，消費者不要挑選顏色過於鮮豔、看起來不自然的食品，且蛋黃不論是黃色或紅色營養價值都一樣，過度在意色澤，反而可能吃進「加料」的蛋黃。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/09/19/2003764584