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暑假親子出遊首選🥳7/4-26桃園兒童藝術節熱鬧登場！亮點主題活動7/18-19在桃園陽光劇場、7/25-26在龍潭運動公園，精彩表演與特色市集一次玩，帶著孩子開心放電！更多資訊請見👉 https://fstry.pse.is/9a9rag —— 以上為播客煮與 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.todayYouTube：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. L228: Tiny Nation Stuns Mighty SpainHighlights 主題摘要Cape Verde, a nation of just 525,000, held mighty Spain to a goalless World Cup draw despite facing 27 shots.The hero was Vozinha, a 40-year-old journeyman goalkeeper whose seven saves won him man of the match.Days later, he and Uruguay's 40-year-old Muslera made history as the World Cup's first pair of veteran keepers.When Cape Verde walked out in Atlanta on June 15 for their first-ever World Cup match, almost no one gave the tiny Atlantic archipelago a chance against European champions Spain. A volcanic chain of ten islands with barely 525,000 people, Cape Verde ranks among the smallest nations ever to reach the tournament. Yet over ninety relentless minutes, the so-called Blue Sharks soaked up everything Spain threw at them—27 shots in all—and earned a goalless draw that instantly ranked among the competition's greatest upsets.6 月 15 日，維德角在亞特蘭大踏上隊史首場世界盃賽事，幾乎沒有人看好這個大西洋上的蕞爾島國能與歐洲冠軍西班牙抗衡。維德角由 10 座火山島組成，人口僅逾 52 萬，是史上晉級世界盃的最小國家之一。然而在 90 分鐘的猛攻中，這支綽號「藍鯊」的球隊，硬生生扛住西班牙多達 27 次射門，最終以 0 比 0 全身而退，這場逼和瞬間被列入世界盃史上最大冷門之一。At the heart of that defiance stood an unlikely hero: Vozinha, a 40-year-old goalkeeper whose career has been anything but glamorous. Born Josimar José Évora Dias in the port town of Mindelo, he turned professional late and spent nearly two decades drifting through clubs in Angola, Moldova, Cyprus, Slovakia and Portugal, where he now plays in the second division. Against Spain he was imperious, making seven saves to keep one of the oldest clean sheets in World Cup history.撐起這道防線的，是一位出人意料的英雄：40 歲門將 Vozinha，他的職業生涯談不上風光。本名 Josimar José Évora Dias 的他，出生於港口小鎮 Mindelo，轉職業的時間相當晚，近 20 年來輾轉效力於安哥拉、摩爾多瓦、賽普勒斯、斯洛伐克與葡萄牙的球隊間，如今在葡萄牙乙級聯賽鎮守球門。面對西班牙，他表現神勇，撲救 7 次，寫下世界盃史上數一數二高齡的零失球門神紀錄。Behind the fairy tale, however, lay a quieter heartbreak. Vozinha's mother could not travel to watch her son make history, because the family failed to raise the money for a U.S. visa in time. Cape Verde is among roughly fifty countries whose citizens have faced visa bonds of up to $15,000 under tightened American entry rules; the requirement was later waived for World Cup nations, but for many fans the reprieve came too late. Fighting back tears, Vozinha also remembered the grandparents who raised him but died years ago.然而在這則光鮮的童話背後，藏著一段令人心酸的插曲。Vozinha 的母親無法到場見證兒子寫下歷史，因為一家人沒能在期限內湊齊赴美的簽證費用。在美國收緊的入境規定下，維德角名列約 50 個須繳交最高 1.5 萬美元簽證保證金的國家之一；這項要求後來雖然對世界盃參賽國放寬，但對許多球迷而言，這份寬限來得太遲。Vozinha 強忍淚水，也想起了從小將他帶大、卻早已離世的祖父母。Six days later in Miami, his story took another historic turn. Against Uruguay's Fernando Muslera, who had just turned 40 himself, Vozinha featured in the first World Cup match ever to field two starting goalkeepers over forty. This time the veterans looked mortal: Vozinha was finally beaten, and Muslera was caught out of position as substitute Hélio Varela snatched a 2-2 draw—moments after Kevin Pina had curled in Cape Verde's first World Cup goal. Two points from two games leave the Blue Sharks improbably alive before their final match against Saudi Arabia.在對戰西班牙六天後的邁阿密，他的故事再度寫下歷史新頁。對手是同樣剛滿 40 歲的烏拉圭門將 Muslera，Vozinha 因此參與了世界盃史上首場有兩名 40 歲以上門將先發的賽事。這一次，老將也露出凡人的一面：Vozinha 終究失守，Muslera 則因站位失誤，被替補上場的 Varela 攻入追平球，將比數定格在 2 比 2；先前 Kevin Pina 已為維德角踢進隊史世界盃首球。兩戰累積 2 分，使藍鯊在對沙烏地阿拉伯的最後一戰前，仍保有晉級的一線生機。Keyword Drills 關鍵字Soak up [verb phrase, to absorb or withstand something continuous, especially sustained pressure]: The defenders soaked up pressure all night.Anything but [idiom, used to stress that something is the complete opposite of what follows]: His first season abroad was anything but easy.Glamorous [adjective, attractive or exciting in a way that suggests wealth or success]: His rookie season in the league was far from glamorous.Imperious [adjective, commanding and impressively powerful or dominant]: The goalkeeper was imperious, stopping everything that came his way.Fairy tale [noun phrase, a story or situation that is too good or magical to seem real]: It felt like a fairy tale when the underdogs won.Reference article:1. https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/6/16/who-is-vozinha-cape-verdes-viral-goalkeeper-at-the-world-cup2. https://www.npr.org/2026/06/16/nx-s1-5859915/cape-verde-goalkeeper3. https://www.foxsports.com/stories/soccer/cape-verde-records-first-ever-fifa-world-cup-goal-dramatic-draw-uruguay4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vozinha

暑假親子出遊首選🥳7/4-26桃園兒童藝術節熱鬧登場！亮點主題活動7/18-19在桃園陽光劇場、7/25-26在龍潭運動公園，精彩表演與特色市集一次玩，帶著孩子開心放電！更多資訊請見👉 https://fstry.pse.is/9a9rag —— 以上為播客煮與 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！我們這週聽聽咖啡相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: Enjoy your coffee, but know your limits Many people choose to drink coffee for refreshment when they feel weary, but it would be wrong to think that coffee is the only thing that contains caffeine. There is caffeine in tea, cocoa, cola drinks and so on. 許多民眾在精神不濟時，會選擇飲用咖啡來提神，但別以為咖啡因只有在咖啡、茶裡有，可可亞、可樂等都含有咖啡因。 Is caffeine good or bad for your health? Nutritionists say that getting an appropriate amount of caffeine can promote gastrointestinal peristalsis and perk you up, but remember not to take too much, otherwise it may put even more strain on your body. 究竟咖啡因對身體是好還是壞？營養師表示，攝取適量的咖啡因能夠有助腸胃蠕動及提振精神，但切記勿攝取過量，否則可能會造成身體更多的負擔。 On Aug. 24, nutritionist Yu Chu-ching wrote a post on her "Julie dietician" Facebook page, saying that the main benefits of caffeine are lifting one's spirits, promoting gastrointestinal peristalsis, reducing fluid retention and moderating one's appetite. Caffeine has its strongest effect about one hour after drinking, and it takes about 40 hours to fully metabolize 200 milligrams (mg) of caffeine. However, people's metabolic responses are not all exactly the same. In addition, people should beware of consuming too much, which can cause discomfort such as anxiety, palpitations and insomnia. Healthy adults can consume up to about 300mg in one day. The average commercially available large cup of coffee contains 200mg of caffeine, so drinking two cups will take you over the limit. 營養師余朱青八月二十四日在臉書粉專「余朱青 Julie 營養師」發文指出，咖啡因的優點，主要是提振精神、促進腸胃蠕動、消水腫、減緩食慾。而咖啡因最強的時候是喝完一小時後，大約四十個小時才會代謝完兩百毫克的咖啡因，不過每個人新陳代謝反應並不完全相同。此外，小心攝取過量引起身體不適，如焦慮、心悸、失眠等，對健康成人而言，一天可以攝取的咖啡因量大約於三百毫克內。一般市售大杯咖啡就含有兩百毫克咖啡因，喝兩杯就會超標！ Yu said that those who suffer from heart disease should reduce this amount to about one half and not take more than 150 to 200mg of caffeine a day. Children under 12 years old should not touch caffeine, while teenagers should not exceed 100mg a day. As for pregnant women, they should go easy on it and not consume more than 100 to 200mg in one day. 余朱青表示，如果有心臟疾病的人，份量大概是要減到一半，一天不要攝取超過一百五十到兩百毫克的咖啡因；小於十二歲不要碰咖啡因，青少年一天不要超過一百毫克；然而孕婦要比較節制，一天不要超過一百到兩百毫克。 Yu reminded her readers not to eat a load of excess sugar at the same time as consuming caffeine, otherwise it may cancel out many of the benefits. She also said that carbonated beverages and energy drinks contain sugar and other additives, so it is best not to drink them very often. 余朱青提醒，攝取咖啡因時記得不要同時吃進一堆多餘的糖，這可能會讓咖啡因的好處大打折扣，而碳酸飲料或能量飲料，因含有糖和其他添加物，不宜常喝。 Topic 2: Seattle startup rolling out new coffee product without coffee beans There's a new guilt-free product underway that is planning to perk up the coffee industry. 有個新的無罪惡感產品正在進行，計畫振興咖啡產業。 Seattle-based Atomo Coffee Inc. is grinding up what it dubs as coffeeless coffee — derived from sunflower seed husks and watermelon seeds, which undergo a patented chemical process. 位於西雅圖的「原子咖啡」正在研磨其所稱的無咖啡咖啡，源自葵花籽殼與西瓜籽，並經過專利的化學過程處理。 The processing of such ingredients results into molecules that set out to mimic the flavor and feel of real java. 將這些成分加工會產生一些分子，來模仿真實爪哇（咖啡）的味道與感覺。 The product's grounds are brewed just like a regular cup of coffee and will still contain caffeine. 這款產品的咖啡渣就像普通咖啡一樣沖泡，並且仍然含有咖啡因。 The company cites the devastating effects of climate change and the deforestation of approximately 250,000 acres of land per year as the catalyst behind its "naturally derived ingredients" delivering "the same great coffee experience without the negative environmental impacts." 該公司援引氣候變遷的破壞性影響，與每年約 25 萬畝森林被砍伐為其「天然衍生成分」背後的催化劑，提供「同樣優秀且沒有對環境造成負面影響的咖啡體驗」。 Topic 3: Saudi Society Is Changing — Just Take a Look at These Coffeehouses For insight into these head-spinning times in Saudi Arabia, where the ultraconservative social and religious codes that micromanage daily life seem to spring a new leak every month — women driving! movie theaters! Usher and Akon rapping to sold-out crowds! — it sometimes pays to read the Google Maps reviews of specialty coffee shops. 沙烏地阿拉伯極度保守的社會和宗教規範控制了日常生活每個細節，最近這些規範似乎每個月都出現新的破口：允許女性開車！准許電影院營運！美國節奏藍調歌手亞瑟小子和阿肯到沙國表演說唱樂的門票賣光！為了深刻了解沙國這些令人頭暈目眩的時刻，有時值得讀讀谷歌地圖中針對沙國精品咖啡店的網友評價。 "I visited this place and was in a total shock!" Tarak Alhamood, a customer at Nabt Fenjan, a Riyadh coffee shop, raged online recently. "YOU r VIOLATING the rules of this country. I hope this place get closed permanently." 首都利雅德「納特芬詹」咖啡店的顧客艾哈穆德，最近在網路上開罵：「我去過這個地方，非常震驚！你們這家店違反我國規定。希望這裡永遠關門。」 The issue was the decision that made Nabt Fenjan a daring outpost of the new Riyadh: Originally opened only for women, the coffee shop began allowing male and female customers to mix in late 2018. 問題出在一個決定，這決定使納特芬詹成了新風貌利雅德大無畏的前哨站：這家咖啡店原本只限女性入內，2018 年底開始允許男女顧客共聚一堂。 The move propelled the cafe ahead of the law in the kingdom, where most restaurants and coffee shops are divided, by law and custom, into all-male "singles" sections and "family" sections for women and mixed family groups. Men enter through separate doors and pay in separate lines; women sometimes eat behind partitions to ensure privacy from male strangers. 這個舉動使納特芬詹比沙國法律還先進。沙國多數餐廳和咖啡館都依照法律和習俗實行男女隔離制度，分成全是男性的「單身」區和女性及男女混合家庭團體的「家庭」區。男性從另外的門口進入，付帳時也在另外的動線上排隊。女性有時在隔板後方進餐，確保不被陌生男性看到。 In early December, however, the government announced that businesses would no longer be required to segregate customers — the latest expansion of the social reforms initiated by the de facto Saudi ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 但去年 12 月初，沙國政府宣布，商家無須再把男女顧客隔開。這是沙國實質領袖、王儲穆罕默德所發動社會改革的最新進展。 Yet Nabt Fenjan was far from the only Saudi establishment to discreetly drop separate sections over the last few years, after the crown prince defanged the religious police, which once enforced conservative social norms. Nor was it the only place to thrive partly as a result. 不過，在王儲限制宗教警察的權力之後，納特芬詹絕非沙國近年小心翼翼捨棄男女隔離體制的唯一機構，也不是或多或少因而生意興隆的唯一地方。沙國宗教警察曾嚴格執行保守的社會規範。 "I think the reason coffee shops became a trend is because people are more open to change," said Shaden Alkhalifah, 30, who was studying at Draft Café in Riyadh on a recent evening. 30 歲的雪登．阿爾哈利法最近一個晚上在利雅德「草圖咖啡廳」研讀資料，她說：「咖啡館流行起來，是因為人們更歡迎改變。」 Notwithstanding Alhamood's Google pan of Nabt Fenjan, even traditionalists have begun to unbend amid the general loosening-up, in larger cities if not yet in smaller ones or rural areas. 儘管艾哈穆德在谷歌上痛批納特芬詹，但就連恪守傳統的人也在這波社會風氣鬆綁的大潮中開始放鬆，或許尚未及於小城市和鄉間，卻已出現在大城市。 Some women whose families might previously have allowed them to work only in the privacy of offices, if at all, now hold barista jobs. Saudis can now mingle with the opposite sex not only at home but also at movie theaters, concerts and even wrestling matches. 一些沙國女性原本即使家人允許她們出來工作，也只能在具私密性的辦公室內工作，如今卻幹起了咖啡師。沙國人現在可以跟異性共處一堂，不只在家裡，在電影院、音樂會，甚至摔角比賽都行。 Topic 4: South Korea's coffee market to reach W6.8tr｜韓咖啡市場達 6.8 兆韓元 The size of the South Korean coffee market will reach 6.8 trillion won by the end of this year, according to a report released by the Hyundai Research Institute. 根據「現代經濟研究院」一份報告，今年底前，南韓咖啡市場的規模將達 6.8 兆韓元。 Koreans, aged over 20, drank a total of 353 cups of coffee per person on average last year, the report said. The average per capita coffee consumption in the world was 132 cups in the same year, which is one-third of domestic consumption. 該報告指稱，20 歲以上的南韓人，去年每人平均總計喝了 353 杯咖啡。同年全球人均咖啡消費量則為 132 杯，乃（南韓）國內消費量的 3 分之 1。 Shinhan Card said Thursday it has started running "Shinhan Face Pay," a facial recognition-based payment system. Its employees are able to make payments with the system at the cafeteria, coffee shop and CU convenience store inside the company's headquarters building. 「新韓信用卡」週四表示，該公司已開辦「新韓人臉支付」（服務），這是一種以臉部辨識為基礎的支付系統。其員工能在該公司總部大樓內的自助餐廳、咖啡廳和「CU」（南韓便利商店品牌）便利商店，藉由該系統進行付款。

☆現在下載中廣線上聽APP隨時收聽精彩節目還有經典好音樂！ https://fstry.pse.is/99xxae —— 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/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.todayYouTube：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）--------------------------------------------你有沒有遇過那種情境——外國同事走過來，隨口問一句「Did you hear about that thing in California?」你腦袋一片空白，只能笑著說「Oh yeah, crazy right?」然後趕快找藉口閃人？這集幕後教師室就是要幫你解決這個問題。John老師跟阿鍵老師整理了最近兩週的國際時事，還示範怎麼把新聞話題轉換成真正可以跟外國同事聊的英文會話。聊新聞不是要你當記者很多人以為 water cooler talk 就是要把新聞背得滾瓜爛熟，再用英文複誦一遍。不是這樣的。阿鍵老師說重點是找到每個議題裡「比較不敏感、比較有趣的亮點」，然後拿出來跟人家閒聊一下。這個邏輯跟你在台北辦公室茶水間跟同事哈啦是一樣的道理——你不會把整篇報導念給人家聽，你只是說「欸你有聽說那個法國麵包的事嗎？」然後話匣子就開了。這集覆蓋的話題橫跨非洲到加州、從太空到貓咪。換句話說，不管你的外國同事是財經控、科技宅還是貓奴，這裡都有你能用的話題。這週哪幾則最好用？法國法棍申請世界遺產之後…沒什麼用法棍（Baguette）前兩年申請到了 UNESCO 世界遺產，結果呢？推廣效果普普，年輕人還是跑去吃 sourdough 酸種麵包。John老師說這跟台灣的豆漿油條一樣——不是年輕人不愛，是需要一個夠強的 celebrity 來帶貨，「如果 BLACKPINK 的 Lisa 說她最愛豆漿油條，馬上排隊排到炸。」這個話題好聊的原因是它有文化共鳴。你可以問外國同事：Do you think traditional food culture is dying? 然後又可以延伸到各自國家的飲食傳統怎麼傳承。竹科辦公室裡的老外同事，十個有九個有意見。Sagrada Família 蓋了 142 年，終於封頂了這個是阿鍵老師力推的聊天話題。巴塞隆納的聖家堂，高第設計，本人沒有活著看到完工，142年後他的作品才正式封頂，還特別挑在高第逝世百週年的時間點。梵蒂岡也派人來做開幕儀式。阿鍵老師說他 15 年前去看過，那時候還在蓋，整個看起來「比較像都根」。如果你跟外國同事都有去過巴塞隆納，這個話題可以從 travel 聊到 architecture，再聊到 What's the longest project you've ever worked on? 不知不覺就講了二十分鐘。遇到天主教徒同事，那更是直接打開了另一個頻道——近幾年歐洲朝聖之旅（pilgrimage）在台灣 PTT 也有一群人在討論，意外地是個跨文化 common ground。SpaceX 終於 IPO，馬斯克從 billionaire 變 trillionaire第二名加第三名合起來，還不到馬斯克的一半。那個第二名跟第三名？Google 的兩位創辦人。這則新聞好在它可以往很多方向走——你可以聊股票（Do you think it's going to beat its listing price?），可以聊太空探索（Do you actually think humans will travel to Mars in our lifetime?），也可以丟一個很輕鬆的問題：If money is no object, would you go to space? John老師說這種話題可以聊三天三夜，是有一點誇張，但確實是打開英文會話的好入口。台灣無人機夜光秀 x Computex101 旁邊，台灣自行研發的無人機做了一個夜光秀。John老師說，這種話題最好的聊法是 show and tell——直接掏出手機，把 YouTube 影片給對方看，不用費力解釋，人家自然就說「Oh wow, this is cool。」詞彙不夠多沒關係，展示本身就是一種溝通。貓狗派永遠是萬用開場這集最後聊到泰國向國際認證機構申請了五個本土純種貓的新品類，包括大家熟悉的暹羅貓（Siamese cat）。John老師說他在南非時養過一隻 Chinchilla，灰銀色長毛，每天擺臭臉——「但我就很愛她。」這一段其實是在示範：Are you a cat person or a dog person? 這個問題看似簡單，但真的是萬用暖場句。不管對方養什麼，接下來話題自己就跑出來了。在台北辦公室或竹科跟外國同事開完會，走到電梯口，這句話甩出去，尷尬的沉默就不見了。

暑假親子出遊首選🥳7/4-26桃園兒童藝術節熱鬧登場！亮點主題活動7/18-19在桃園陽光劇場、7/25-26在龍潭運動公園，精彩表演與特色市集一次玩，帶著孩子開心放電！更多資訊請見👉 https://fstry.pse.is/9a9rag —— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: A pharmacist explains that white masks are the most popular in Japan. Since the inner and outer sides are both white, it can be difficult to tell which side should be worn where. Similarly, the green, blue, and pink masks that are common in Taiwan pharmacies can sometimes be just as confusing for users to wear. So, which side should be on the outside? The outside should be the side with the pleats facing down. There are two reasons for the downward facing pleats on the outside – first, it is easier for users to breathe, and people who wear glasses will not get their glasses misted up when they exhale. The other reason is that dust will not accumulate in downward-facing pleats. 原討論文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-964-which-side-of-a-plain-white-mask-faces-out     Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Distinguish v. recognize something as different Pharmacist Yu-pin Ko teaches people how to distinguish the inner and outer sides of white masks when they buy masks from him. It is important to distinguish the inner and outer sides of the masks before you put it on.     Straps n. a strip of material that is used to fasten, secure, or carry something, or hold on to something. Mask manufacturers do not always place the ear straps on the outside. If you want more comfort while wearing your mask, you should consider strap extensions.     Go with sth– ph.v to suit something I prefer blue masks because it goes well with my white shirts. You can try and buy colored masks that go well with your dress.    

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 本週的《英語咖啡館-爵士學英語》，John 老師和 Shimin 老師帶來了爵士樂壇實力派夫妻檔 Nicole Zuraitis 和 Dan Pugach 的現場錄音專輯。這對爵士夫妻曾在拉斯維加斯駐場演出，究竟為什麼頂尖藝人會選擇留在 Vegas，讓全世界的粉絲千里迢迢飛來找他們呢？ 再來今天要介紹的歌曲是這首充滿意象的《All Stars Lead to You》。從星系、彗星到引力，歌詞裡的每一個畫面都在描繪那種被某個人深深吸引、卻又不知所措的感受。有趣的是，原來外國人寫歌也會把「海市蜃樓」藏進歌詞裡！光學幻覺、沙漠之海，這些意象到底在說什麼？讓我們解析給你聽。 This week on "English Cafe - Learn English Through Jazz," John and Shimin bring you a live recording album from power couple jazz artists Nicole Zuraitis and Dan Pugach. This jazz couple once performed residencies in Las Vegas—so why do top-tier artists choose to stay in Vegas, making fans from all over the world fly thousands of miles to find them? Next, today's featured song is "All Stars Lead to You," filled with vivid imagery. From galaxies and comets to gravity, every image in the lyrics describes that feeling of being deeply drawn to someone while feeling utterly lost. Interestingly, it turns out foreign songwriters also hide "mirages" in their lyrics! Optical illusions, seas in the desert—what do these images really mean? Let us break it down for you.

暑假親子出遊首選🥳7/4-26桃園兒童藝術節熱鬧登場！亮點主題活動7/18-19在桃園陽光劇場、7/25-26在龍潭運動公園，精彩表演與特色市集一次玩，帶著孩子開心放電！更多資訊請見👉 https://fstry.pse.is/9a9rag —— 以上為播客煮與 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.todayYouTube：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. L224: Knicks End 53-Year Drought with Another Last-Gasp WinHighlights 主題摘要The New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA title, ending a 53-year drought with a hard-fought 94–90 Game 5 victory over the Spurs.Finals MVP Brunson scored a Knicks-record 45 points in Game 5, capping a series where New York came back in all four wins.The title validated a depth-first roster once dismissed as too soft — and a team that refused to go quietly in any game.Madison Square Garden erupted on the night of June 13 in scenes not witnessed in over half a century. The New York Knicks clinched the 2026 NBA Championship with a 94–90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5, capturing the franchise's first title since 1973 — ending a 53-year drought that had become one of professional basketball's most agonising narratives. Finals MVP Jalen Brunson delivered a series-high 45 points, the most ever scored by a Knick in a Finals game, sealing the win with a go-ahead floater with 65 seconds remaining.2026年6月13日夜晚，麥迪遜廣場花園爆發出半個多世紀來從未有過的景象。紐約尼克隊在第五場以94比90擊敗聖安東尼奧馬刺，奪下2026年NBA總冠軍，終結球隊自1973年以來長達53年的冠軍荒。這段漫長的等待，早已成為職業籃球史上最令人心酸的故事之一。總決賽MVP布朗森砍下全系列最高的45分，寫下尼克球員總決賽單場得分新紀錄，並在終場前65秒反超上籃，為勝利畫下句點。The road to the title was paved with improbable comebacks. Under first-year head coach Mike Brown — himself a five-time champion — the Knicks built the most statistically dominant playoff run in the play-by-play era, posting a +15.4 net rating and finishing 16–3 overall. Brown replaced Tom Thibodeau last spring after the team fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the transition was widely questioned. What followed was anything but a stumble.通往冠軍的路，是由一場場不可思議的逆轉所鋪就。在首季執教的總教練麥可·布朗帶領下，尼克交出了進攻回合紀錄以來最強勢的季後賽成績：淨效率值達到正15.4，總戰績16勝3負。布朗去年接替遭解雇的湯姆·希博杜，當時外界普遍不看好這項人事異動。然而後來的發展，讓那些質疑聲音顯得格外蒼白。The Finals against the Spurs proved to be a test of nerve as much as talent. San Antonio, led by 7-foot-4 phenom Victor Wembanyama and veteran guard De'Aaron Fox, dominated opening quarters in all five games, leading by double digits in each. In Game 4, the Spurs built a staggering 29-point advantage — the largest ever erased in Finals history — only for OG Anunoby's last-second putback to seal a 107–106 Knicks victory. The team finished the playoffs 6–2 in games they trailed by double digits, a record unmatched in three decades of data.與馬刺的總決賽，既是一場球技的對決，更是一場意志力的較量。由7呎4吋新星溫班亞瑪與老將福克斯領軍的馬刺，在五場比賽中每場首節都打出雙位數的領先優勢。第四戰，馬刺一度將分差拉開至29分，創下總決賽史上最大落後紀錄，最終卻被OG阿努諾比在終場前1.2秒的補籃奇蹟逆轉，尼克以107比106驚險取勝。尼克在整個季後賽於落後雙位數的情況下繳出6勝2負，是近三十年數據中最佳紀錄。Beyond Brunson, the title validated a carefully assembled roster. Karl-Anthony Towns, once dismissed as too soft to anchor a championship front line, posted the best single-postseason plus-minus on record — outscoring opponents by 258 points across his 578 playoff minutes. Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, alongside Brunson, became the first trio of teammates to win both an NCAA title and an NBA championship. After decades of false dawns, trade deadline gambles, and coaching carousels, New York had finally found its formula: a composed point guard, a deep and versatile supporting cast, and a team that simply refused to quit.布朗森以外，這座冠軍也印證了整支球隊精心構建的價值。卡爾-安東尼·唐斯過去長期被外界認為個性太軟、難以撐起冠軍陣容的禁區，卻在本屆季後賽的578分鐘上場時間內，為球隊貢獻了258分的得失分差，創下史上最佳的單季最佳紀錄。米卡爾·布里奇斯與賈許·哈特和布朗森並肩，成為史上首組同時奪得NCAA和NBA冠軍的三人組合。歷經數十年的希望幻滅、交易賭注與換帥風波，紐約終於找到了屬於自己的奪冠方程式：一位沉得住氣的控衛、一套兼具深度與彈性的陣容，以及一支在任何逆境下都不會放棄的球隊。Keyword Drills 關鍵字Agonising [adjective, causing intense mental distress or prolonged suffering]: Losing in the finals three years in a row was agonising for the fans.Improbable [adjective, unlikely to happen or be true; surprising against the odds]: They pulled off an improbable win against the top-ranked team.Phenom [noun, a remarkably talented person, especially a young one]: The teenage phenom broke three league records in his debut season.False dawn [noun phrase, something that seems like a promising start but fails to lead anywhere]: Fans had seen too many false dawns to celebrate before the final buzzer.Coaching carousel [noun phrase, the frequent cycle of coaches being hired and fired across a sport or team]: The franchise spun through five coaches in six years on the coaching carousel.Reference article:1. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/knicks-spurs-score-live-updates-nba-finals-game-5/live/2. https://www.nba.com/news/2026-nba-finals-prove-historically-clutch3. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49053284/new-york-knicks-win-2026-nba-finals-path-championship-outlast-east-brunson-towns-hart

暑假親子出遊首選🥳7/4-26桃園兒童藝術節熱鬧登場！亮點主題活動7/18-19在桃園陽光劇場、7/25-26在龍潭運動公園，精彩表演與特色市集一次玩，帶著孩子開心放電！更多資訊請見👉 https://fstry.pse.is/9a9rag —— 以上為播客煮與 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！我們這週聽聽航空相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: Airlines targeting post-pandemic 'revenge travel' The blow caused to the airline industry by the COVID-19 pandemic has been especially felt by budget airlines, which mostly operate narrow-bodied passenger jets and have therefore been unable to develop a sideline in air freight during the pandemic. According to one academic's analysis, when the outbreak stabilizes, businesses are targeting a trend in so-called "revenge travel." However, she also hopes that, rather than the pre-pandemic price wars between budget airlines, the consolidation that has taken place during the pandemic will restore healthy competition in the industry. 疫情衝擊航空界，其中廉航受限於機隊多為窄體客機，無法發展貨運，受疫情衝擊更大。學者分析，業者瞄準疫情穩定後的「報復性出遊」，但也希望疫情前廉航削價競爭的情況，能因疫情重整，回歸良性競爭。 According to associate professor Melody Dai of National Cheng Kung University's Department of Transportation and Communication Management Science, costs per flight have not changed during the pandemic, but if carriers are required to implement social-distancing seating plans, leaving empty seats between passengers, this would eat into airlines' profit margins, causing a fresh headache for the industry. Dai says she hopes that budget airlines will manage to survive, since they help stimulate Taiwan's domestic tourism sector as well as the wider economy. 成大交通管理學系副教授戴佐敏說，每航班成本不變、但座位未來若須採間隔座導致收入減少，確實是疫後的難題，希望廉航仍有生存空間，對促進觀光與經濟有正面幫助。 Dai says that choosing to operate flights during the pandemic is a test of airlines' ability to sustain losses, but the crisis may also prove to be a turnaround for the industry. Dai says there are many variables to the pandemic. She says that once the outbreak stabilizes, if the demand for "revenge travel" exceeds supply, this could resolve the pre-pandemic situation of supply exceeding demand, which led to price wars among budget airlines. The consolidation that the pandemic has triggered within the airline industry could bring about a return to healthy competition, says Dai. 戴佐敏認為，選擇在疫情期間開航，考驗航空公司「虧本」的能力，不過危機也有可能是轉機，疫情仍有變數，疫情穩定後的「報復性出遊」若需求大於供給，疫情前廉航供過於求、削價競爭的情況，這次可能因疫情重整，回歸良性競爭。 One industry insider stated that, despite the lockdowns and reduced number of travelers and flights during the pandemic, the industry is bullish about post-pandemic prospects for both freight and passenger travel in the flourishing Asian region. The insider added that a trend in "revenge travel" could cause short-haul routes to become particularly busy. 業者指出，雖然國境仍然封鎖，疫情期間每週班次不多，旅客也非常少，但看好疫情後亞洲旺盛的物流、人流，預估疫情趨緩後將出現「報復性出遊」，亞洲短程航線將會更繁忙。 Topic 2: Rebranding is beneficial to China Airlines. Here's why Taiwan's Legislative Yuan voted on Wednesday to work towards renaming China Airlines, one of the national air carriers. Such a proposal immediately prompted various questions: Would doing so be prohibitively expensive? Would the airline lose aviation rights as a result of the act? 台灣的立法院於 7 月 22 日表決通過建議將台灣最大的國際航空公司之一：「中華航空公司」（China Airlines）的英文名稱更名。這樣的提議，立即引發了各種疑問：這樣做的成本是否過高？中華航空公司是否會因此喪失航權？ The airline industry is unimaginably complex, so there is no definite answer to such a nuanced topic. While the issue of renaming Taiwan's national airline is inherently controversial, let us move away from political polarization and analyze what is best for China Airlines, from a business perspective. 航空業的複雜程度超乎想像，故難以提供此細微議題絕對明確的答案。雖然，把台灣的國籍航空「中華航空公司 China Airlines」更改英文名字，會有非常大的爭議，但讓我們暫時撇開政治上的兩極化角度，而從商業的角度分析，什麼才是對中華航空公司最有利的。 Firstly, if China Airlines were to rebrand itself to reflect a more Taiwanese identity, it is undeniable that the airline would incur costs. This is because airlines logos appear everywhere: from check-in counters, lounges, to even the napkins passengers use onboard. So yes, it would be a significant investment for China Airlines to repaint their planes to rebrand across their network. 首先，如果中華航空公司想重塑品牌形象，彰顯其隸屬於台灣國籍航空的品牌辨識度，一定會產生相對的成本。這是因為航空公司的標誌無所不在：從登機櫃檯到貴賓室，甚至是乘客在機上所使用的餐巾紙上都能看見。因此，對於中華航空公司來說，重新彩繪噴漆飛機機身並全面重塑品牌，勢必需要投入相當的資金支出。 However, an airline's profitability is as much determined by revenue than it is affected by costs. In the long term, if an airline is able to attract more customers than now, such rebranding efforts would pay off. 但是，考量一家航空公司的將來的利潤及是否賺錢，未來營業收入成長的重要性，和考量成本支出，是一樣重要的。從長遠來看，如果航空公司能夠在未來吸引到比現在更多的乘客，這項品牌重塑計畫就值得。 Rebranding China Airlines could address previous issues. For example, many people in English-speaking countries believe the word "China" has negative connotations, and they don't associate the airline with Taiwan when they hear about "China" Airlines. 更改中華航空公司的英文名稱「China」可解決過往的一些問題。例如，許多英語系國家的人認為「China」一詞帶有負面含義，且他們聽到「China Airlines」時，也無法將其與台灣連結在一起。 In addition, China Airlines is often confused with Air China, which is owned by the Chinese government. In recent years, safety and service incidents associated with Air China have damaged the Taiwanese airline's reputation, as the majority of the world simply cannot tell the two carriers apart, largely due to the confusing naming. 此外，中華航空（China Airlines）經常被與中國政府擁有的中國國際航空（Air China）混淆。近年來，因為名字上的混淆，全球大多數人無法區分這兩家航空公司。因此，與中國國際航空相關的飛安意外事故和客服事件，皆損害了台灣國籍航空公司的聲譽。 On the other hand, CAL's main competitor, EVA Air, is well known as a Taiwanese company offering high standards of flight safety and service. If China Airlines can change a name that has made marketing difficult in the past, the benefits of rebranding could outweigh the potential costs. 另一方面，中華航空的主要競爭對手「長榮航空」是一家提供高標準飛行安全和高品質服務的台灣國籍航空公司。如果中華航空的英文更名動作，能夠改善中華航空過去行銷上的困難，那麼英文更名所帶來的好處，可能遠超過潛在的成本。 The second area of concern from China Airlines' perspective would be aviation rights, which grants airlines the privilege to enter, fly over, or land in another country's airspace. Such rights, critical to any airline's operations, are as a result of decades of negotiations between airline companies and regulatory agencies. Some have indicated the possibility of China Airlines losing these rights because of a name change, but it is important to understand that rebranding does not have to include changing the legal name. 從中華航空的角度來看，另一個令人關注的領域是航權，意指賦予航空公司進入、飛越或降落在另一個國家領空的權利。航權對任何一家航空公司的運營都是極為重要的，是航空公司與監管機構經過數十年談判的結果。有些人表示，中華航空可能會因為英文名稱「China」的更名而失去這些權利，但其實非常重要的一點是，航空公司的形象更名並不需要包含更改其法定名稱。 For instance, the major European airline based in Amsterdam is branded as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, but the three letters KLM stand for its registered legal name, Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij. In a similar fashion, China Airlines could perhaps rebrand as "CAL Formosa Airlines," while retaining its formal name, to avoid compromising its aviation rights. 舉例而言，以阿姆斯特丹作為基地的歐洲大型航空公司是以 KLM Royal Dutch Airlines（荷蘭皇家航空）做為形象名稱，但此航空公司註冊的法定名稱則為 Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij。以類似的方式，中華航空也許可以在英文名稱上更名為「CAL Formosa Airlines」，並同時維持其法定名稱「中華航空」，以避免損及航權。 Finally, while airlines tend to stay out of politics, companies such as China Airlines also have to consider its ability to continue flying into existing markets, particularly China. Critics of the idea to rename China Airlines have voiced concerns about angering the Communist Party in Beijing, and have speculated that the Chinese government would ban CAL from flying into Chinese airspace. 最後，儘管航空公司傾向於不碰觸政治議題，但像中華航空這樣的公司也必須考慮維持其現有飛航市場，尤其是中國。對於更改中華航空的英文名稱中的「China」字眼一事，持批評意見者表達了對可能激怒北京共產黨的擔憂，並推測中國政府將禁止中華航空飛入中國領空。 While such a situation would indeed be unfavorable, and the possibility of occurrence cannot be ruled out, CAL could minimize risk by choosing a more politically neutral name. For example, by utilizing words such as "Formosa" or "Taipei", the airline could stay out of the Taiwan-China debate and continue serving its existing passengers with minimal controversy. 儘管這種情況確實是不利且不能被排除的，但中華航空可以選擇改成更具政治中立性的名稱來降低此風險。例如，通過使用「Formosa」或「Taipei」等字眼，航空公司可以避開中國與台灣的爭議，並在最不具爭議的情況下繼續為現有的乘客提供服務。 At the end of the day, even without changing China Airlines' name to "Taiwan Airlines", the company can respond to the voices of the people by removing "China" from its name and avoid confusion and controversy altogether. 總結來說，即使不將中華航空的英文名稱 China Airlines 更改為「Taiwan Airlines」，該公司也可以通過將「China」從其英文名稱中刪除，來回應人們建議改名的聲音，並同時避免名字所引起的混淆和爭議。 Topic 3: Eva Air is third safest airline globally: Airline Ratings EVA Air ranks third, right behind Qantas and Air New Zealand, in the list of the top 20 safest airlines for 2020, according to Airline Ratings, a website that reviews airline safety and products. 國際航空專業評鑑網站 AirlineRatings 近日公布 2020 年全球最安全航空公司名單，再度由澳洲航空奪冠、紐西蘭航空排名第二，長榮航空獲得第三名好成績。 The website selects the world's safest airlines out of 405 airlines each year, based on their safety innovation, operational excellence, government review, fatal accident records and their operating history. 國際航空專業評鑑網站 AirlineRatings 每年都會遴選出全球最安全航空公司，評選標準包括安全創新、營運績效、政府審查、航空公司死亡事故紀錄、航空公司營運史等標準，評選全球 405 家航空公司。 The other airlines among the aforesaid list include Etihad, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Alaska Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Virgin Australia, Hawaiian Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, TAP Portugal, SAS, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, Finnair, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, and KLM. 其他入選航空包括：阿提哈德航空、卡達航空、新加坡航空、阿聯酋航空、阿拉斯加航空、國泰航空、維珍澳洲航空、夏威夷航空、維珍航空、葡萄牙航空、北歐航空、皇家約旦航空、瑞士航空、芬蘭航空、漢莎航空、愛爾蘭航空、荷蘭皇家航空。 At the end of last year, Eva Air secured the eighth spot in the list of the world's best airlines for 2020, according to the Airline Ratings website. 根據網站公布結果，2020 年全球最安全航空公司，長榮航空獲得第三名好成績，這也是繼去年 11 月獲得「2020 全球最佳航空」第 8 名後，再度獲得國際肯定。

☆現在下載中廣線上聽APP隨時收聽精彩節目還有經典好音樂！ https://fstry.pse.is/99xxae —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: For British students, A-level exams are the most important exams before leaving school for University. Due to the pandemic, the exams in June were abandoned and students were given a grade by their Teachers based on past performance. However, once the A level grades were published, people realized that 39 percent of teachers’ assessments had been downgraded under an algorithm based on a school’s past performance. This meant that it was harder for smart students in disadvantaged areas to do well while rewarding the mediocre students in top private schools. Students were outraged and took to the street and started a petition to demand change. 原討論文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-949-angry-uk-students-force-government-u-turn-over-virus-hit-exams     Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Assessment n. evaluation of the nature, quality, ability, of someone or something The teachers had to make an assessment of the student’s math abilities with a test. Peter’s assessment of the accident helped prevent further conflict.     Mediocre adj. of moderate quality The new sushi dish at our favorite restaurant is mediocre. Students should not be rewarded for their mediocre performance in school.     Inflation n. the action of inflating something According to the exam regulator, the downgrade of assessments is to avoid grade inflation. If you want your balloon to float, you would have to inflate it with helium.  

-----------------------------------🎧 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.todayYouTube：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）--------------------------------------------你知道最近在台灣有間日系超市，因為一則投資新聞，讓許多消費者皺起眉頭嗎？本週《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Patrick 老師要來聊聊這個最近在台灣話題不斷的超市品牌：LOPIA。台灣，特別是台中，我們在這些外商眼中的消費力可是 No.1 的等級：Costco 在台中創下全球門市最高營收，而本集的主角 LOPIA，海外展店的第一站也選在台中。想知道台灣消費者為什麼會對最近這則新聞感到失落？這集絕對值得一聽。Did you know that a Japanese supermarket chain in Taiwan recently made headlines with an investment news story that left many consumers frowning? This week on English Cafe, John and Patrick discuss this supermarket brand that's been constantly in the news in Taiwan: LOPIA.Taiwan, especially Taichung, holds No. 1 status in terms of consumer spending power in the eyes of these foreign companies: Costco achieved the highest store revenue globally in Taichung, and this episode's subject, LOPIA, also chose Taichung as its first overseas location. Want to know why Taiwanese consumers felt disappointed by this recent news story? This episode is definitely worth listening to.

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----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L220: Taipei's Sky Was the Best Keynote at Computex 2026 Highlights 主題摘要Computex 2026 drew more than 1,500 exhibitors to Taipei, all united around a single theme: AI has stopped being a promise and started being a product.NVIDIA's RTX Spark chip lets laptops run powerful AI tasks without connecting to the cloud, signalling a shift in how and where AI gets used.A drone show powered by entirely Taiwanese technology opened the event, with 1,000 drones lighting up the night sky above Taipei 101.Every great trade show deserves a memorable opening act, and Computex 2026 delivered one. On the evening of June 2nd, one thousand drones rose above Taipei's skyline near Taipei 101, filling the night air with a glowing giant robot, a sports car, and a rotating Earth — all painted in light. The crowd reached for their phones. It was not just a spectacle. It was a statement. 每個大貿易展都值得舉辦令人難忘的開幕儀式，而 2026 年台北國際電腦展（Computex 2026）也確實做到了。六月二日夜晚，千架無人機在台北 101 旁升空，在夜空中拼出機器人、跑車與地球的光影輪廓。現場觀眾紛紛舉起手機拍攝，畫面隨即傳遍全球。整場演出採用百分之百台灣自主研發的技術，這不只是一場視覺饗宴，更是一句有力的宣示。 The drones set the tone for what followed. Over four days at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, more than 1,500 companies gathered under the theme "AI Together" to show what artificial intelligence looks like when it leaves the lab and enters everyday life. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, who called Taipei "home" from the stage, announced that the new RTX Spark chip could handle demanding AI tasks entirely on a laptop — no internet required. It combines a powerful graphics processor, a twenty-core brain, and enough memory to work as a personal AI assistant around the clock. "Useful has arrived," Huang declared. His company's stock jumped over ten percent the following day. 無人機秀為接下來四天定下了基調。超過一千五百家廠商在南港展覽館以「AI Together」為主題，展示人工智慧走出實驗室後的真實樣貌。口稱台灣是「家」的 Nvidia 執行長黃仁勳在台上宣布，全新 RTX Spark 晶片讓一般筆電也能在不連網的情況下，全天候處理高難度的 AI 運算，儼然成為隨身的個人 AI 助理。「實用的時代來了，」他說。隔天， Nvidia 股價隨即上漲逾一成。 Computex 2026 was not a one-company show. Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan confirmed that the company's newest manufacturing process was shipping and expanding, powering a new wave of AI-ready laptops. AMD announced its socket would stay compatible until 2029, reassuring enthusiasts who prefer upgrading over replacing. Samsung unveiled the world's first monitor panel combining 4K resolution with a 360Hz refresh rate. In a separate hall, nearly five hundred startups from nine countries competed at InnoVEX 2026, with robotics firm RLWRLD winning the pitch competition for its vision of a universal learning system that lets machines adapt across tasks the way AI language models learn from text. Computex 2026 並非 Nvidia 一家的主場。 Intel 執行長陳立武親自登台，確認公司最新晶片製程已正式量產並持續擴大規模，驅動新一批 AI 筆電陸續登場。 AMD 宣布現行處理器插槽將延續支援至二〇二九年，讓習慣自行升級零件的玩家大大鬆了口氣。三星展示了全球首款在 4K 解析度下仍可達每秒三百六十幀更新率的螢幕面板。在另一側展廳，來自九個國家的近五百家新創參加 InnoVEX 2026，機器人新創公司 RLWRLD 以打造「機器人通用學習系統」的構想奪下新創競賽冠軍。 Taken together, Computex 2026 told a story well beyond product launches. The drone display was the most honest summary: technology once confined to research labs, now choreographed and commercialised over a city that has quietly powered the world's devices for decades. Taiwan has long sat at the centre of the global technology supply chain, invisible to most consumers who depend on it. This year, it lit up the sky and made sure nobody could look away. 綜觀全場，2026年台北國際電腦展（Computex 2026）所呈現的，遠不止於產品發布。台北夜空中的無人機秀，或許是整場展覽最真實的縮影。那些曾被關在研究室裡的技術，如今在一個數十年來默默為全球裝置提供動力的城市上空，以精心編排的編舞形式展現，並成功商業化。台灣長期是全球科技供應鏈的核心，卻鮮少出現在消費者的視野裡。今年，它點亮了夜空，讓所有人的目光都無法移開。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Opening act [noun phrase, the first and most memorable part of an event]: The ceremony was a perfect opening act for the festival.Demanding [adjective, requiring a lot of effort or processing power]: Video editing is a demanding task for most laptops.Around the clock [adverb phrase, continuously, 24 hours a day]: The system runs around the clock without any downtime.Stay compatible [verb phrase, to remain able to work with existing systems]: The new update stays compatible with older devices.Choreograph [verb, to carefully plan and coordinate a series of actions]: They choreographed every detail of the launch event. Reference article: 1. https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/nvidia-become-infrastructure-company-jensen-003249580.html 2. https://www.computextaipei.com.tw/en/news/5745807A54416BE4/info.html 3. https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/6/2/drones-light-up-taipeis-night-sky-for-computex-trade-show 4. https://medium.com/@noahbean3396/highlights-from-computex-2026-the-hardware-industry-just-bet-everything-on-ai-agents-f1400d478538

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！我們這週聽聽印度相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: Indian Bride Shuts Down Wedding After Groom Fails Her Math Test An Indian bride canceled her wedding after her groom recited the multiplication table of two incorrectly. 一位印度新娘因為新郎背錯 2 的乘法表，當場取消婚禮。 A bride and groom who wish to remain unidentified were supposed to have the wedding for their arranged marriage on May 1 in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. 不願透露姓名的新娘和新郎本應於 5 月 1 日在印度北方邦舉行婚禮，這是一樁包辦婚姻。 Skeptical of her future husband's educational background, the bride decided to test his knowledge during the ceremony. 新娘懷疑未來丈夫的教育背景，因此決定在婚禮上測試他的知識。 When he failed to recite the multiplication table of two, the bride left, "saying that she could not marry someone who did not know basic math," reported INQUIRER.net. 據「菲律賓每日問訊者報」網站報導，當他背不出 2 的乘法表時，新娘轉身離開了，「說她不能嫁給一個連基礎數學都不懂的人。」 The bride's cousin stated that the groom's family did not inform them of his lack of education, adding that the bride was "brave" for leaving the wedding venue. 新娘的表妹說，男方家庭沒有告知新郎教育程度低的事實，並補充道，新娘離開婚禮現場的做法「很勇敢」。 The two families came to a compromise which included returning all gifts and jewelry to the appropriate parties. 這兩個家庭達成妥協，包括同意退還所有的禮物和珠寶給對方。 Topic 2: India's 'Angry Brides' game wages war on dowry｜印度「憤怒新娘」遊戲向嫁妝陋習宣戰 An online game in India called "Angry Brides" which seeks to highlight the problem of illegal dowry demands has attracted more than 270,000 fans. 印度一款名為「憤怒新娘」的線上遊戲，旨在凸顯非法索取嫁妝帶來的問題，吸引了逾 27 萬名粉絲。 The game by online matchmaker shaadi.com — inspired by the hugely popular "Angry Birds" game — sees players attack prospective grooms greedy for dowry with a variety of weapons, from a brick-red stiletto to a broomstick. 這款遊戲由婚友網站「Shaadi.com」推出，靈感來自廣受歡迎的「憤怒鳥」遊戲，玩家可使用從磚紅色細高跟鞋到帚柄等各式武器來攻擊貪求嫁妝的準新郎。 The three grooms — an engineer, a doctor and a pilot — dodge the attacks while demanding dowries starting at 1.5 million rupees. Each time a player hits a groom, he or she wins money towards a virtual anti-dowry fund. 遊戲中的 3 位新郎分別是工程師、醫生和飛行員。他們一邊索求 150 萬盧比起跳的嫁妝，一邊躲避著玩家的進攻。玩家每擊中新郎一次，他或她就會贏得一筆虛擬的反嫁妝資金。 The game, available as a free application on Facebook, has already attracted more than 272,000 "likes." 這款遊戲在臉書上是一款免費應用程式，已吸引了超過 27 萬 2000 人按「讚」。 Paying and accepting a dowry in India has been illegal since 1961, but the centuries-old tradition of the bride's parents presenting gifts of cash, clothes, jewellery, even appliances to the groom's family remains strong. 從 1961 年至今，收送嫁妝在印度都是違法的，但是新娘的父母向新郎家庭贈送現金、衣服、珠寶甚至器具等禮物的傳統已有幾世紀之久，至今依然盛行。 Demands for dowry often persist well past the wedding ceremonies, and in the worst cases, brides are tortured and even murdered if they or their parents do not comply. 索取嫁妝的情況就算在婚禮後也揮之不去，在最壞的情況下，如果新娘或她們的父母不給嫁妝，新娘就會受到折磨甚至被謀殺。 Topic 3: Toxic air in India linked to large number of miscarriages Toxic air in India and other South Asian countries could be causing large numbers of miscarriages and stillbirths, scientists said. 科學家說，印度和其他南亞國家的有毒性空氣，可能正造成大量的流產和死胎案例。 A study in The Lancet medical journal estimated nearly 350,000 pregnancy losses a year in South Asia were linked to high pollution levels. 「刺胳針」醫學期刊一份研究估計，南亞 1 年有將近 35 萬起流產案例與高污染值有關聯。 "Our findings ... (provide) further justification for urgent action to tackle dangerous levels of pollution," lead author Tao Xue of Peking University said in a statement. 報告第一作者北京大學的薛濤在聲明中說，「我們的發現…提供進一步理由，要緊急行動解決達危險程度的污染」。 They calculated that 7.1% of annual pregnancy losses were attributable to pollution above India's air quality standard of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre (μg/m3), and 29.7% to pollution above the World Health Organization guideline of 10 μg/m3. 他們計算，每年 7.1% 的流產案例，歸因於高於印度空氣品質標準每立方公尺 40 微克（μg/m3）的污染，29.7% 的案例歸因於高於世界衛生組織指南訂出 10 μg/m3 標準的污染。 Topic 4: Indian inventor revs up corona car to drive home lockdown message｜印度發明家設計冠狀病毒車宣導疫情訊息 A giant coronavirus is stalking the streets of southern India — propelled by a 100 cc engine and an inventor trying to drive home the message that Indians should stay indoors as the pandemic sweeps across the world. 一個巨大的冠狀病毒在印度南部街頭出沒—被一具排氣量 100 立方公分的引擎和一名發明家驅動著，試圖明確傳達在大流行病橫掃全球的此刻，印度人應該好好待在家裡的訊息。 Sudhakar Yadav's wacky small single-seater car — made of fluorescent-green fibre and complete with the red crown-like spikes of the virus — has been racking up the miles in the tech hub of Hyderabad to remind fellow citizens of the dangers of COVID-19. 雅達夫的古怪單人座小車，是以螢光綠色纖維製成，並加上紅色的病毒冠狀突刺造型，在科技大城海德拉巴行駛了一段時間，提醒市民同胞 2019 冠狀病毒肺炎的危險。 "People are not scared and are still... on the streets despite the clear danger," the 67-year-old Yadav, who runs a printing business, told AFP. 「儘管明顯有危險，大家還是不害怕，依舊…在街上趴趴走」，經營印刷生意的 67 歲雅達夫告訴法新社。 "My message through the car art is to make them understand that it is dangerous to be out on the streets and the safest place right now is the home." 「我透過這輛車要傳達的訊息是，希望這些人能夠了解，外出上街是危險的，現在最安全的地方就是家裡」。 Topic 5: 'Honk more, wait more': Mumbai tests traffic lights that reward the patient driver There is a truth universally acknowledged by drivers in India: honk your horn loud enough and the traffic lights will surely change to green. 印度駕駛人都曉得一個道理：只要喇叭按得夠響，交通號誌絕對會變綠燈。 But, fed up with impatient drivers inflicting a deafening roar every time they are forced to stop, police in Mumbai have come up with a new system to punish those who cannot wait at traffic lights in silence. 然而，孟買警方受夠駕駛人每次被迫停車，就會出現震耳欲聾的喇叭聲，因而設計出一套新系統，來懲罰不能安靜等待號誌轉換的駕駛人。 The new system was quite simple: "Honk more, wait more." 新系統相當簡單易懂：「你愈叭，等愈久。」 Mumbai police installed a rigged traffic light system to tackle the problem of "reckless honkers", which resets the red traffic signal every time the sound of car horns goes above 85 decibels. For particularly honk-happy drivers, it could mean a very long wait at the lights. 孟買警方安裝一套經過改造的交通號誌系統，來處理「莽撞喇叭狂」問題；只要偵測到 85 分貝以上的汽車喇叭聲，紅燈就會從頭開始。對於不按不爽的駕駛人，可能得在交通號誌下等到天荒地老。 Mumbai was ranked as the fourth most congested city in the world, according to the TomTom traffic index, with 65% congestion and drivers spending an average of eight days and 17 hours in traffic each year. TomTom 交通指數報告顯示，孟買被列為全球最壅塞城市第 4 名，壅塞比率達 65％，駕駛人平均每年花費 8 天 17 小時塞在路上。 Topic 6: India returns alleged bird spy to Pakistan｜印度把被指控的鳥間諜交還巴基斯坦 Indian police have released a pigeon belonging to a Pakistani fisherman after a probe found that the bird, which had flown across the contentious border between the nuclear-armed nations, was not a spy, two officials said on Friday. 兩名官員週五說，印度警方把一隻屬於巴基斯坦一名漁夫的鴿子放了，在調查發現這隻飛越兩個核武國爭議邊境的鳥並非間諜以後。 The Pakistani owner of the pigeon had urged India to return his bird, which Indian villagers turned over to police after discovering it. 這隻鴿子的巴基斯坦主人催促印度歸還他的鳥，印度村民先前發現了牠以後交給了警方。 "It's just an innocent bird," Habibullah, the owner of the bird, who goes by just one name, told Reuters on Friday. 單名的鴿主哈比布拉週五告訴路透，「牠只是一隻無辜的鳥。」 He rejected allegations that the numbers inscribed on a ring on the pigeon's leg were codes meant for militant groups operating in the disputed region of Kashmir. 對於鴿子腳環上所刻數字乃是在爭議的喀什米爾地區行動的好戰團體代號的指控，他予以駁斥。 Habibullah, who lives in a village near the Kashmir border, one of the most militarised zones in the world, said the bird had participated in a pigeon racing contest and the digits on the bird's leg were his mobile phone number. 住在全球最軍事化地區之一的喀什米爾邊境附近一處村莊的哈比布拉說，這隻鳥參加了一場賽鴿大賽，牠腳上的數字是他的行動電話號碼。 In 2016, a pigeon was taken into Indian custody after it was found with a note threatening Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 2016 年曾有一隻鴿子被印度扣押，在發現牠有一張威脅印度總理納倫德拉．莫迪的便條以後。 Topic 7: Violence in India Threatens Its Global Ambitions Until recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign to portray India as a rising power seemed to be ticking along despite troubles at home. 即便在國內遭遇了些問題，總理莫迪將印度描述成崛起大國的行動，直到不久前似乎還一路升溫。 Much of the world remained quiet, or cautious, in recent months as India began locking up hundreds of opposition politicians and activists without charge across the country. Business executives say they are too afraid to speak out about shortcomings in the government's economic strategy. The press complains of government intimidation. 近幾個月印度開始未經起訴即在全國各地拘禁數百名反對派政治人物與社運人士，世界上許多國家卻依然保持沉默，或審慎以對。企業執行高層表示，他們因為害怕而不敢說出政府經濟策略的缺失。新聞界也抱怨受到政府恫嚇。 Still, there was President Donald Trump last month, embracing Modi in New Delhi, where streets were dotted with posters declaring the "world's oldest democracy meets the world's largest democracy." 儘管如此，上個月還是有川普總統在新德里擁抱莫迪，當地街上到處可見寫著「世界最老牌民主國家，跟世界上最大民主國家相遇」的海報。 But as the leaders celebrated each other in India's capital, Hindu mobs began going after Muslim protesters in neighborhoods just a few miles away while the police looked on or joined in. 然而，就在兩位領導人在印度首都彼此恭維之際，印度教暴徒們卻開始在數英里外的社區，追打著穆斯林抗議者，警察則袖手旁觀，甚至加入追打者的行列。 Freedom House, a nonpartisan democracy advocacy organization, flagged India as a major concern. "The Indian government has taken its Hindu nationalist agenda to a new level with a succession of policies," the group said, "threatening the democratic future of a country long seen as a potential bulwark of freedom in Asia and the world." 跨黨派民主倡議組織「自由之家」，將印度列為令人高度關切的國家。該組織說：「印度通過一系列政策，將其印度教民族主義計畫推到一個新水平，威脅到長期被視為亞洲與世界潛在自由堡壘的國家的民主前途。」 In a rare move, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights filed a petition in India's Supreme Court to challenge a citizenship law that critics say discriminates against Muslims. Some of India's closest partners have begun criticizing its treatment of Muslims and migrants, with condemnations coming in from Iran, the United States, Bangladesh and elsewhere. 聯合國人權事務署則罕見地向印度最高法院提出請願，挑戰批評人士認為歧視穆斯林的新公民法。一些印度最親密的夥伴國已開始批評印度對待穆斯林與移民的方式，伊朗、美國、孟加拉及一些其他國家陸續發聲譴責。 "If India loses that secular, democratic identity, then it loses what makes it different than other countries in Asia. We are all watching the riots in Delhi and worry they are going down a dangerous road that makes it harder for us to be a strong advocate for India," said Rep. Ami Bera, a California Democrat who is the longest-serving Indian American in Congress. 美國加州民主黨籍聯邦眾議員貝拉說：「如果印度失去這種世俗的民主身份，就會失去有別於其他亞洲國家的特色。我們都在觀察德里的暴動，並擔心他們正走上危險的道路，這將使得我們很難成為印度的強力支持者。」貝拉是美國國會中最資深的印度裔議員。 One area where international officials believe that India may be particularly hurting itself is in its campaign to be granted a permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council along with other nuclear powers. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several diplomats, including some from countries that have publicly pushed for an Indian seat on the Security Council, say that their governments are now reluctant to push the issue after India's domestic unrest has laid bare the effects of Hindu nationalism there. 一些外國官員認為，印度使自身受傷最重的一個方面，就是追求與其他核武國家一樣獲得聯合國安理會常任理事國席次的行動。幾位不願透露姓名的外交官（部分來自公開呼籲給予印度安理會席次的國家）表示，在印度國內騷亂暴露出印度教民族主義對當地的影響後，他們的政府現在不願再推動印度入常案。

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 你是帶骨派還是去骨派？這個問題在台灣大概比藍綠之爭還難談出結論。這集幕後教師室，John老師和阿鍵老師從 English Cafe 鹹酥雞那集的幕後聊起，沒想到一路聊到 idioms、聊到黃仁勳、再聊到老派英文到底還能不能用。 鹹酥雞這件事，台灣人才懂 士林夜市、路邊攤、深夜便利商店門口——鹹酥雞是台灣人的DNA。可是你有沒有想過，外國朋友站在那個攤子前面，根本不知道要怎麼點？菜單全中文，老闆問你要加什麼，旁邊一堆人手起夾落，完全搞不清楚遊戲規則。 這就是為什麼 English Cafe 那集要幫大家做一份中英對照點餐表。不是說你要幫外國人翻譯，是說帶著黃仁勳去夜市的時候，你要接得住場面。 順帶一提，John老師說他小時候吃鹹酥鸡是带骨认了，長大之後發現大家都改吃去骨版，整個人傻眼——「我的鹹酥雞不見了。」然後又發現一包要破百，心情就更複雜了。這種通貨膨脹的椎心之痛，台北上班族應該最有感。 這些字，你可能說過但不確定對不對 聊完吃的，阿鍵老師還是把話題拉回正軌——我們有英文要學。 第一組是 craving 跟 yearn for。都是「很想要」，但語感差很多。Craving 就是那種嘴饞的欲望，直接、本能，I'm craving for 鹹酥雞，就是現在、馬上、肚子在叫的那種。Yearn for 就文青多了，帶點向往、有點惆悵，John老師說這是 Jane Eyre、Mark Twain 那個年代的字。寫情書可以用，I yearn for your attention，對方如果英文比你好可能還會被糾正。 All over the place 則是這集的好用擔當。到處都有的意思，We have food trucks all over the place。但它還有另一層：心情亂七八糟，My emotions are all over the place，你讓我七上八下、完全拿不定主意。同一個片語，完全不同場景，通勤路上聽個一次，下班就能用了。 陣營之爭，英文怎麼說 端午節快到了，粽子南北之爭又要開始。這時候最好用的字就是 camp，你是哪個陣營的？Which camp are you in？ 台灣人平常遇到這種「你比較喜歡哪個」的問題，英文可以說 camp、side、party，三個都是同樣意思，換著用會讓你的口說聽起來比較自然，考 IELTS 口說的人可以記一下。 不過阿鍵老師提醒，這種字平常口語聊天用 camp 很順，太正式的場合反而怪。在竹科開會的時候，可能還是說 different approaches 比較保險。 Galore——你爸媽那代人用的字 最後一個是 galore，John老師自己說這個字「有點阿伯感」。Galore 就是很多、大量的意思，但它不放在名詞前面，是放在後面的。There is food galore in the food court，就是食物超多那種。 為什麼還要教？因為你跟四五十歲的長輩開會、聊天，或者看老一點的美劇英劇，這個字會出現。聽到的時候你不會傻眼，這就夠了。語言本來就有時代感，我們台灣人說 LKK，年輕人不懂；他們說 6+7，我們也不懂。英文也一樣。 John老師說這個字從他嘴裡自然跑出來，他根本沒有 filter，然後被阿鍵老師做進筆記裡，才發現自己還在用上個世紀的字。這種老師的誠實，我覺得蠻可愛的。

台東，是一座沒有圍牆的展覽館。2026台東博覽會 7/3–8/20，山是展品、海是展間、部落與市集是這座島最動人的常設展。不必排隊，不必趕場，整座城市為你開展。這個夏天，走進台東這座大型展覽！連結： https://fstry.pse.is/98jfly —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary: This article discusses the world of phone addiction and the slew of products out there that aim to help people cut their use. Both software and hardware solutions are presented. 原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-939-help-for-curing-the-phone-addiction   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences Addiction n.: unable to stop a kind of behavior Are you addicted to gaming? Is drug addiction a big problem?     Crucial adj.: very important Is healthcare very crucial to people? Is it crucial to back up your data?     Potent adj.: powerful Is bleach a potent disinfectant? Has AMD proven to be a potent adversary to Intel?    

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 半夜肚子餓的時候，你第一個想到的是什麼？本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Klim 老師要來聊聊台灣人最熟悉的深夜美食：鹽酥雞！從巷口的餐車、排隊的人龍，到那個讓人魂牽夢縈的九層塔香氣，這集絕對會讓你邊聽邊流口水。 我們不只聊到鹽酥雞在台灣為什麼如此經典，還分享了各自的必點清單與點餐撇步。你知道光是「要不要切」這件事，就能分成兩個陣營引發戰爭嗎？ When you're hungry in the middle of the night, what's the first thing you think of? This week on English Cafe, John and Klim discuss Taiwan's most familiar late-night food: salt and pepper chicken! From the food carts on street corners, to the lines of people waiting, to that intoxicating basil aroma that haunts your dreams—this episode will definitely make you drool while listening. We not only discuss why salt and pepper chicken is so iconic in Taiwan, but also share our own must-order lists and ordering tips. Did you know that just the question of "should we cut it or not" can divide people into two camps and spark a war?

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） --------------------------------------------

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L216: Congo Ebola Kills 220, WHO Sounds Global Alarm Highlights 主題摘要WHO has declared the Congo Ebola outbreak a global health emergency, as cases spread across three provinces and into Uganda.The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists.Armed conflict, attacks on health facilities, and mass displacement have made contact tracing nearly impossible.When the World Health Organization invokes its highest emergency designation, the world is meant to take notice. On May 17, 2026, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern — the most serious alert the organisation can issue. The announcement came just two days after the DRC Ministry of Health confirmed the country's seventeenth Ebola outbreak, centred in Ituri Province in the volatile northeast. As of late May, authorities had recorded 125 confirmed cases and over 900 suspected cases, with deaths among suspected patients exceeding 220. 當世界衛生組織啟動最高級別緊急警報，全球必須嚴陣以待。2026 年 5 月 17 日，世衛總幹事譚德塞宣布，剛果民主共和國與烏干達的伊波拉疫情構成「國際公共衛生緊急事件（PHEIC）」，這是該組織所能發出的最高層級警示。就在宣告的兩天前，剛果衛生部才剛確認本國第 17 起伊波拉疫情，疫情中心位於東北部局勢動盪的伊圖里省。截至 5 月底，當局已登錄 125 例確診、逾 900 例疑似病例，疑似患者死亡數超過 220 人。 What makes this outbreak particularly alarming is the pathogen itself. Unlike previous Congolese epidemics driven by the well-documented Ebola Zaire strain, this one involves the Bundibugyo virus, a rarer species first identified in Uganda in 2007. No licensed vaccine exists against Bundibugyo, nor any approved antiviral treatment — a stark contrast to the tools that helped bring prior outbreaks under control. Case fatality rates in previous Bundibugyo outbreaks ranged from 30 to 50 percent. With medical countermeasures still in early development, healthcare workers must rely entirely on supportive care and rigorous infection prevention. 讓這波疫情特別棘手的，是病原體本身的性質。過去剛果歷次疫情多由研究較為透徹的薩伊伊波拉病毒株引起，這次則是邦迪布焦型病毒，一種較罕見的病毒株，2007 年首次在烏干達被確認。目前既無核准疫苗，也無經批准的抗病毒藥物可用，與過去數次成功遏制疫情所仰賴的防治工具相比，處境大相逕庭。過去兩次邦迪布焦型疫情的致死率介於 30% 至 50% 之間。在醫療對策仍處早期研發階段之際，醫護人員只能依靠支持性照護與嚴格的感染管控來因應。 Containing any Ebola outbreak demands rapid case isolation and meticulous contact tracing — and in eastern Congo, both have been rendered nearly impossible. Tedros warned bluntly that the region faces a "catastrophic collision of disease and conflict," where insecurity, attacks on health facilities, and mass population movement have gutted response capacity. Armed groups continue to restrict humanitarian access across Ituri and North Kivu, while cross-border trade keeps the virus in constant motion. Uganda, which confirmed nine cases — at least three linked to travel from DRC — illustrates how porous the epidemic boundary has already become. 想要遏制伊波拉疫情，仰賴於迅速隔離病例並精確追蹤接觸者，但在剛果東部，兩件事都幾乎無法做到。譚德塞措辭強硬地警告，該地區正陷入「疾病與衝突的災難性強碰」，治安惡化、醫療設施遭受攻擊、人口大規模流動，這些已嚴重瓦解防疫應變能量。武裝團體持續阻斷伊圖里省與北基伍省的人道救援管道，跨境貿易往來更讓病毒隨著人流四處流竄。烏干達已確認 9 例，其中至少 3 例與來自剛果的旅客有關，疫情邊界之脆弱，由此可見一斑。 The humanitarian backdrop amplifies every risk. Nearly ten million people across the affected provinces face acute hunger, leaving communities ill-equipped to absorb another crisis. WHO and international partners are scaling up surveillance, deploying rapid response teams, and fast-tracking candidate vaccines into evaluation. Yet without a reduction in hostilities, containment faces a ceiling that medicine alone cannot raise. 這場人道危機的背景，放大了每一個風險。疫情波及的省份裡，有近 1,000 萬人正面臨嚴峻糧食危機，社區根本難以承受另一波衝擊。世衛組織與國際夥伴正擴大監測規模、部署快速應變小組，並加速推進候選疫苗的評估程序。然而，若無法降低武裝衝突情勢，防控工作仍需要面臨一道醫療手段無法單獨突破的瓶頸。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Antiviral [adjective, describing a drug or treatment that works against viruses]: Doctors had no antiviral medication to treat the patients.Contact tracing [noun phrase, the process of identifying people who may have been exposed to an infectious disease]: Contact tracing is essential to stopping an outbreak early.Porous [adjective, easy to pass through; not effective at keeping things out]: The border between the two countries proved porous during the outbreak.Containment [noun, the action of keeping a disease under control and preventing it from spreading]: Containment efforts were hampered by the lack of road access.Fast-track [verb, to speed up a process, especially official approval or development]: Regulators agreed to fast-track the new vaccine for emergency use. Reference article: 1. https://www.who.int/emergencies/disease-outbreak-news/item/2026-DON602 2. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/05/1167592 3. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/ebola-disease-outbreak-2026-how-msf-responding

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！我們這週聽聽網路相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: First-ever tweet sold for around NT$82.3 million The first-ever tweet by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey was auctioned off on Tuesday as a "non-fungible token" (NFT), with the bid surpassing US$2.9 million (around NT$82.3 million). 由推特（Twitter）創辦人杜錫（Jack Dorsey）發出的史上第一條推文，今天被當作「不可替代代幣」（NFT）拍賣出去，得標價飆破 290 萬美元（約新台幣 8230 萬元）。 A tweet from the auction platform "Valuables by Cent" read that "Jack accepted the offer from sinaEstavi for $2915835.47." The auction account added that the tweet is now "minted on blockchain." 拍賣平台 Valuables by Cent 的一則推文說：「杜錫同意了 @sinaEstavi 這個帳號所喊出的 291 萬 5835.47 美元。」Valuables by Cent 表示：「現在這則推文已在區塊鏈（blockchain）上打造好了。」 The winner's account details show that Sina Estavi, CEO of Bridge Oracle, a blockchain technology start-up, owns the @sinaEstavi account. 得標者的帳號資料顯示，擁有 @sinaEstavi 帳號的是區塊鏈技術相關的新創公司 Bridge Oracle 執行長艾斯塔維（Sina Estavi）。 Dorsey explained that all proceeds from the auction will be donated to charities. 杜錫表示，他將把這次拍賣所得捐給慈善機構。 The sold-tweet was first tweeted on March 21, 2006, with Dorsey writing, "just setting up my twttr." Such a mundane statement became the first tweet ever sent and officially launched Twitter, a global platform that has since become a controversial and dominant force in civil society. 2006 年 3 月 21 日，杜錫在鍵盤打下：「剛剛設定好我的推特」（just setting up my twttr）這樣平凡無奇的話，發出後成了史上第一條推文，同時正式啟用推特這個全球通用的平台，後來在公民社會中，成為一股具爭議又占主導地位的力量。 "I think years later people will realize the true value of this tweet, like the Mona Lisa painting," Estavi tweeted regarding his new purchase. 艾斯塔維在推文中說：「我覺得再過幾年，人們會意識到那則推文的真正價值，正如同名畫『蒙娜麗莎』（Mona Lisa）一樣。」 The auction of Dorsey's tweet also highlights the surge of interest in non-fungible tokens (NFT). Non-fungible tokens uses the same blockchain technology, after cryptocurrencies, to transform objects into virtual collectors' items that cannot be replicated. 這次杜錫推文的拍賣，凸顯了人們對「不可替代代幣」（non-fungible token, NFT）的興趣激增。不可替代代幣是在加密貨幣（cryptocurrencies）之後，運用同樣的區塊鏈技術，把物件轉變為虛擬蒐藏家的東西，且無法複製。 Dorsey tweeted his thanks to Estavi on Tuesday and added that the proceeds from the auction were donated to GiveDirectly, a nonprofit organization that helps the poor in East Africa. 杜錫今天推文感謝 @sinaEstavi，並表示，這次拍賣的所得，已經捐給在東非幫助窮人的非營利組織 GiveDirectly。 Topic 2: Taiwan's 'salmon name-change' inspires U.S. social media users Sushi restaurant chain "Sushiro" launched a promotion on March 17 and March 18 by announcing it would give away free sushi to anyone who had "salmon" (鮭魚) in their names, leading to a name-changing frenzy in Taiwan. 知名連鎖壽司店「壽司郎」於 17、18 日推出優惠活動，只要名字有「鮭魚」兩字的人，可以免費享用整桌的餐點，意外掀起全台鮭魚改名之亂。 The phenomenon gradually attracted the attention of international media, with CNN reporting on Thursday that owing to the promotion, around 140 Taiwanese have officially changed their names to include the word "salmon." CNN added that the situation has led the Ministry of Interior to issue a statement cautioning Taiwanese that they only get three chances to change their names in a lifetime. 而此台灣人瘋鮭魚現象也吸引到外國媒體注意，其中 CNN 也在 19 日報導，台灣人為了享有優惠，已有近 140 位在正式改名，於身分證上大現「鮭魚」兩字。CNN 表示此風潮已引來內政部的不滿，提醒大眾台灣法律規定每人一生中有三次改名機會。 Following media outlets like CNN and BBC's reports, Taiwaneses' name-changing craze also reached the ears of U.S. social media users with some commenting they didn't expect the day Taiwanese would lose their minds. However, others wrote that as a broke millennial, if changing their names would mean getting free sushi, then they were all for it. 繼 CNN 和 BBC 等外媒陸續報導後，台人瘋鮭魚事件也引發外國網友的注意，其中有人表示沒想到台灣人也有失去理智的時候，但也有人寫道，身為一個月光族，如果改名可以讓他吃到免費壽司他也願意。 Some also called on American chain restaurants to try similar promotions, with one volunteering to change their name to "T-bone" while another wanted "Donut" so that they could get freebies from Krispy Kreme. 更有外國網友開始呼籲美國其他連鎖店開始推類似的活動，並問道自己如果把名字改成「T-Bone」（丁骨牛排）或是「Donut」（甜甜圈），能不能在牛排館和 Krispy Kreme 獲得免費的餐點。 Topic 3: Uber will ban passengers with low ratings Uber passengers who habitually leave their trash behind and disrespect their drivers may soon get the boot. 習慣性留下垃圾以及不尊重駕駛的 Uber 乘客，很快就會無法再使用 Uber。 The ride-hailing company announced Tuesday that riders with ratings that are "significantly below average" may lose access to the app, part of a rollout of the company's updated community guidelines, which riders must abide by to continue using the service. 這家叫車公司週二宣布，評分「大幅低於平均值」的乘客，可能會無法存取 Uber 的 app，為該公司的更新版社區守則的一環，乘客若要持續使用該公司的服務，就必須遵守這些守則。 Uber, however, said that bans for bad behavior won't come as a surprise to offending passengers. Riders will receive several notifications before they lose access to the app, the company said. 不過，Uber 也說，不會突然以行為不佳為由禁止叫車以致冒犯到乘客。該公司說，乘客會先接獲數次通知，然後才會無法存取 app。 And they also will have opportunities to improve their rating to remain in good standing. Tips to boost a user's rating include: "encouraging polite behavior, avoiding leaving trash in the vehicle and avoiding requests for drivers to exceed the speed limit," Uber said. 而且乘客也有機會改善其評分以維持好名聲。提升使用者評分的秘訣包括：「鼓勵禮貌行為，避免在車內留下垃圾，與避免要求司機超速，」Uber 說。 Topic 4: Kakao suspends online comments for entertainment articles｜Kakao 暫停網友對娛樂新聞發表網路留言 South Korea's internet company Kakao said Friday that it would prevent users from posting malicious comments on its online entertainment news articles next month, pledging also to overhaul its search engine functionalities to address cyberbullying. 南韓的網路公司 Kakao 週五表示，下個月將禁止使用者對其網路的娛樂新聞報導，張貼惡意留言。該公司也承諾大幅修改其搜尋引擎的功能，以解決網路霸凌。 The measure came after mounting calls for the internet portal website to address cyberbullying targeting celebrities and people in general. The calls intensified after singer-turned-actress Sulli passed away last week in an apparent suicide. While the cause of death was not made public, it was widely believed Sulli had been suffering from depression. 該措施係在要求入口網站解決鎖定名人和一般人的網路霸凌的呼聲愈來愈高後提出。在歌手轉型為演員的雪莉上週過世、死因顯然是自殺後，這樣的呼聲變得更大。儘管尚未公開死因，但外界咸認為雪莉死前受憂鬱症所苦。 Kakao, however, said the decision had not been made because of a single case and that there had been heated debate over the issue for a long time. The company also decided to suspend its "related search words" service for celebrities immediately for its messenger app, Kakao Talk. 然而，Kakao 指稱，長久以來就有關於該議題的熱烈論辯，並非因個案而做出實施新措施的決定。該公司亦決定立即暫停其通訊應用程式 Kakao Talk 針對名人的「相關搜尋字詞」服務。 Topic 5: United We Stan: How the Internet Merged Pop Culture and Politics Whatever persona Elizabeth Warren hopes to project in her presidential campaign, it is probably not that of a child witch. But that is the persona that some of her biggest fans have chosen for her. 雖不知華倫希望在競選總統時以何種形象出現，但大概不會是巫童，然而這正是她的一些鐵粉為她選擇的人物形象。 Images of Hermione Granger, played in the "Harry Potter" films by a young Emma Watson, materialize at Warren's every move. Warren steps onto the debate stage, and her fans craft tweets where Hermione stands in as her, rolling her eyes at the boys in wizarding class. Warren reads the whole Mueller report, and Hermione smugly wags her wand. In one extremely cursed tweet with zero likes, Warren's face is transplanted onto Hermione's frame, posed alongside Beto O'Rourke as Harry and Pete Buttigieg as Ron Weasley. 《哈利波特》電影中由年輕的艾瑪．華森所飾演的妙麗的人物形象，被落實在華倫的一舉一動中。華倫走上辯論會舞台時，她的粉絲們將妙麗對魔法課上男孩翻白眼的照片製作成一則推文，妙麗成了她的化身。華倫展讀穆勒的整份報告時，妙麗得意地搖著魔仗。在一則被罵到翻、沒人按讚的推文中，華倫的臉被安到妙麗的身體上，並跟歐洛克扮演的哈利，以及布塔朱吉扮演的榮恩一起擺姿勢。 What is this strange chimera of presidential campaigning: a candidate's head on pop culture's body? It is the product of a great convergence between politics and culture, citizenship and commerce, ideology and aesthetics. Civic participation has been converted seamlessly into consumer practice. It is democracy reimagined as fandom, and it is now a dominant mode of experiencing politics. 候選人的頭配上流行文化的身體，這是總統選戰中什麼樣的奇怪幻象？它是政治與文化、公民與商業、意識形態與美學的巨大融合的產物。公民參與已經無縫接軌轉化為消費行為。它是個被重新想像成粉絲圈的民主，且現在正是體驗政治的一種主流模式。 You can see it in the efforts to sort the candidates into "Harry Potter" houses, converting the election to a personality quiz in a children's book, and in the mashup video that distills the 2020 candidates into quotes from Michael Scott, the buffoonish boss of "The Office." 在試圖把候選人分類成《哈利波特》家族人物，將選舉轉化成童書中的人格測驗、以及把 2020 年候選人發言變成《我們的辦公室》影集滑稽老闆麥可．史考特名言的混搭影片等行動中，都能看出這一點。 A photograph of three congresswomen of color is published and instantly compared to a Whitney Houston GIF, as if women interrogating Michael Cohen are analogous to Houston confronting her cheating boyfriend. Politicos of all stripes are styled as saints and stamped onto novelty devotional prayer candles. 一張三名有色人種國會女議員的照片被公佈後，立即被跟惠妮．休斯頓的照片相提並論，彷彿審問柯恩的女性就如同質問不忠男友的休斯頓，各種政治人物都被描繪成聖徒，印在新奇的祈禱蠟燭上。 Here, political engagement slips easily into the habits of consumption. President Donald Trump's fans follow him around the country like groupies, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's boosters fetishize her funnel-neck coat as a symbol of the #resistance. 在這一點上，政治參與很容易不知不覺變成消費習慣。川普總統的粉絲們像追星族一樣跟著他走遍全國，眾議院議長波洛西的支持者們則把她的漏斗領外套當作 ＃抵抗運動的象徵。 Candidates' supporters now identify as stans — a term derived from the 2000 Eminem song about a fan who becomes so obsessed, he kills. 候選人的支持者現在以 stans 自居，而這個詞源自阿姆 2000 年的歌曲，講述一位變得太痴狂、他所害死的粉絲。 Political stanning has a way of remapping the landscape of mainstream politics — maybe even overwriting physical reality itself. Frantic online cultural production swarms around Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg whenever she experiences a health scare, as if memes alone could sustain the octogenarian's life. 政治上的瘋狂迷戀往往能重繪主流政治的樣貌，甚至可能掩蓋現實世界本身。每當大法官茹絲．貝德．金斯伯格經歷一場健康恐慌時，瘋狂的網路文化產物便群起圍繞著她，彷彿只有迷因才能維持這位八旬老人的生命。 Trump's fans imbue him with improbable prowess when they edit him into pro-wrestling videos showing him smacking down CNN. But perhaps the most explicit riff on the trend was the infamous Beto O'Rourke sex tweet, which translated his political positions into sexual ones. 當川普粉絲將他編輯進職業摔角影片，顯示他擊倒 CNN 時，給他注入了不可思議的力量。而歐洛克臭名昭彰的性推文，則可能是對此一趨勢最明顯的嘲諷，因它將他的政治立場轉變成了性別立場。

你有沒有那種感覺？明明睡了七八個小時，隔天還是昏昏沉沉。背了好幾遍的英文單字，過兩天又全忘光。問題不一定是你不夠努力——很可能是你的大腦，已經在默默過載了。這集幕後教師室，John老師跟阿鍵老師來聊一本由澳洲腦神經科學家寫的書：Future Brain（中文版叫《啟動未來大腦》），不是教你怎麼更拼，而是教你怎麼讓腦袋用得更久、更好。你的大腦不是機器，但它也會過熱現代人的腦其實承受著大量看不見的刺激。台股開盤、LINE群組通知、客戶email、下班前還要趕一份報告——你可能沒有特別焦慮，但這些東西全都在消耗你的認知資源，你根本不知道。這本書的作者 Dr. Jenny Brockis 就是活生生的例子。他本身是腦神經科學家，結果有一天因為用腦過度，直接昏倒了。昏過去才開始認真研究：到底要怎麼保養大腦？好消息是，你的大腦天生有「神經可塑性」。就算年紀到了，只要持續給它適當的刺激，神經迴路是可以維持、甚至繼續建立連結的。這跟上次講的 Jim Kwik 有點像，差別在於 Kwik 是腦部曾受傷後需要重建，而 Dr. Jenny 的重點是：不要讓它退化。Learning 就是一種 stimulation。阿鍵老師說，就算只是把英文 podcast 放著聽——像我們的 Daily Shadowing——光是讓耳朵接觸那個頻率，對大腦就已經是一種低強度的刺激。不一定要每個字都聽懂，維持這個習慣本身就有意義。在台北捷運上通勤學英文，不用強迫自己每天坐在書桌前硬K，效果也能慢慢累積。為什麼一邊寫報告一邊接電話，兩件事都做不好Dr. Jenny Brockis 第二個重點講的是「認知頻寬」。你的大腦在同一時間能認真處理的事情是有限的——這個上限，他叫做 Cognitive Bandwidth。想像一下竹科的工程師，上午要 code review，中午還沒吃完飯要回 Slack，下午開會前還要填一張請假單。這幾件事用到的腦的部位根本不一樣，一直切換，其實非常耗電。John老師說他自己早就有這個自我保護機制：打電話就把今天所有要打的電話一起打完，key 資料就把今天的表單一次處理完，雷同的事情集中做，這樣情緒才不會變得煩躁雜亂。Dr. Jenny 的建議很直接：single tasking。不要再幻想 multitasking 很厲害了，那只是在快速消耗你的頻寬。阿鍵老師說，番茄鐘就是一個很實際的做法——固定一段時間只做一件事，然後換。把手機螢幕朝下放，給自己半小時不被 TikTok 打斷，專注力才有機會找回來。這其實也和英文學習有關：你如果學習時一直在切換、分心，那個東西根本進不去腦袋。睡覺不是浪費時間，是你腦袋的 defrag最後一點，也是 John老師說他個人最喜歡的一點：睡眠。Dr. Jenny 說得很清楚，睡覺的時候你的大腦不是在休息，它在工作——在整理記憶、清除白天累積的毒素、把短期記憶轉存成長期記憶。阿鍵老師打了個比喻，就像以前電腦 HDD 時代要定期跑 defrag，睡眠就是這個過程。你白天塞進去的東西，要靠睡覺才能真的存進去。所以如果你常常覺得背單字背了又忘、怎麼樣就是記不住，很可能不是你記憶力差，而是你睡不夠，或是睡眠品質太差，短期記憶根本來不及轉檔。John老師還提到 Shohei Ohtani——一個連睡覺溫度都要管控到精準的人，homerun 打得比誰都多。反過來說，在台北加班到十一點、回家又滑手機看美股夜盤，然後說自己學英文學不進去？大腦沒睡飽，再努力也是白搭。這集最後，兩位老師給了一個睡前小挑戰：睡前從今天的 Café 或 Daily Shadowing 挑一句喜歡的 idiom 或 phrase，念個兩遍，然後蓋起來去睡覺。隔天看看還記不記得。有點像讓大腦自己去跑 defrag，看看早上開機有沒有把那個檔案存進來。試過的人歡迎分享！

---------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 你有經歷過入住飯店的負面體驗嗎？本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Angel 老師要來聊聊旅行中那些讓人當場腿軟、隔天還心有餘悸的飯店奇遇，更誇張的是：這些可都是掛著四星、五星招牌的飯店！ 出門在外，飯店就是你的家。但如果這個「家」讓你覺得毛骨悚然，甚至遇上了不想見到的東西，你知道該怎麼辦嗎？這集兩位老師不只分享親身經歷，更教你面對突發狀況時，如何用英文冷靜、有力地和飯店交涉，讓自己不吃虧。 Have you ever had a negative experience staying at a hotel? This week on English Cafe, John and Angel discuss those spine-chilling hotel encounters during travels that leave you shaken on the spot and haunted the next day—and the crazier part is: these are all supposedly four-star and five-star hotels! When you're away from home, the hotel becomes your temporary home. But what do you do if this "home" gives you the creeps or you encounter something you'd rather not see? In this episode, the two hosts not only share their personal experiences but also teach you how to calmly and assertively negotiate with hotel staff in English when facing unexpected situations, so you don't end up at a disadvantage.

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） --------------------------------------------

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L212: Taiwan's Literary Breakthrough on the World Stage Highlights 主題摘要Taiwan Travelogue won the 2026 International Booker Prize — the first Mandarin Chinese novel to claim the award in its ten-year history.The novel's form — a fictional translation layered with footnotes and multiple romanisation systems — pushed translator Lin King to break conventional translation rules.Two small independent publishers took a risk on an experimental work, showing that literary outsiders often champion the most groundbreaking voices.On the evening of May 19, in the Turbine Hall at London's Tate Modern, Taiwan's literary world claimed a milestone it had long been working toward. Yáng Shuāng-zǐ's Taiwan Travelogue, translated into English by Lin King, was awarded the 2026 International Booker Prize — the first Mandarin Chinese novel ever to win the honour, and the first victory for Taiwanese and Taiwanese-American writers in the award's ten-year history. Jury chair Natasha Brown described the book as "captivating, slyly sophisticated," praising its ability to succeed as both a romance and an incisive postcolonial novel. The £50,000 prize was split equally between author and translator. 5月19日夜晚，在倫敦泰特現代美術館渦輪大廳，臺灣文學迎來期盼已久的歷史時刻。由金翎翻譯的楊双子小說《臺灣漫遊錄》英譯本，榮獲2026年國際布克獎，成為首部獲此殊榮的華語小說，楊双子與金翎也成為該獎創立十年來首位獲獎的臺灣與臺裔美國人。評審團主席娜塔夏．布朗盛讚這部作品「迷人且暗藏機鋒」，直言它同時是一部動人的愛情故事，也是一部犀利的後殖民小說。五萬英鎊獎金由作者與譯者平分。 Taiwan Travelogue is structured as a fictional Mandarin translation of a rediscovered 1938 Japanese travel memoir, layering colonialism, language politics, and culinary desire into a single narrative. Set in Japanese-controlled Taiwan, the novel follows a Japanese writer and her Taiwanese interpreter as their relationship deepens over an island-wide food tour. This intricate metafictional conceit — a novel about translation, itself requiring translation — placed extraordinary demands on Lin King. Rather than adopting the conventional ideal of an "invisible" translator, King took a maximalist approach to visibility: the English edition includes translator footnotes, a preface, an afterword, and three distinct romanisation systems for the same written Chinese characters, deliberately refusing to simplify Taiwan's multilingual colonial reality. 《臺灣漫遊錄》以偽託1938年日文遊記的形式寫成，將殖民歷史、語言政治與飲食慾望交織於同一敘事之中。故事以日治時期的臺灣為背景，描繪一位日本女作家與她的臺灣女通譯在環島美食之旅中逐漸加深的情誼。這部後設小說本身即是一部關於翻譯的作品，卻同樣需要翻譯（才能推往國際），對英譯者金翎而言挑戰格外艱鉅。她一反「譯者隱形」的慣例，選擇以極繁主義的方式讓譯者現身：英譯本設有譯者注腳、序言與後記，並為相同的漢字保留三套不同的羅馬拼音系統，刻意拒絕將臺灣多語言、多族群的殖民現實簡化處理。 The path to publication was itself a story of calculated risk-taking by outsider institutions. The American edition was released in 2024 by Graywolf Press, a Minnesota-based non-profit literary publisher, edited by Japanese-American editor Yuka Igarashi, who worked closely with King on the English edition's complex footnote apparatus. The UK edition, released in March 2026 by Sheffield-based And Other Stories — a subscription-funded social enterprise — came after an earlier UK publisher refused to place the translator's name on the cover. Since winning the prize, the English edition has sold over 10,000 copies in the UK alone, while the original Mandarin edition has sold out across Taiwan and gone into emergency reprints. 出版之路本身也是一場以小博大的冒險。美國版由明尼蘇達州非營利文學出版社 Graywolf Press 於2024年出版，日裔美國編輯 Yuka Igarashi 與金翎密切合作，共同完善英譯本複雜的注腳體系。英國版由謝菲爾德的社會企業出版社 And Other Stories 於2026年3月出版，此前另一家英國出版社因拒絕將譯者姓名列於封面，金翎便轉而尋求他處合作。獲獎後，英國版銷量已突破一萬冊，臺灣原著則迅速售罄，出版社緊急加印。 The prize has reverberated well beyond Britain. The Japanese translation had already shattered records for Taiwanese literature in Japan, selling over 23,000 copies, and briefly topped Amazon Japan's literary rankings following the announcement. Rights enquiries have since arrived from Sweden, Hungary, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Telugu-speaking market in India, with German and Italian editions scheduled for 2027. In her acceptance speech, Lin King framed the win in explicitly political terms, pledging to translate only Taiwanese works until the island's sovereignty is no longer treated as "a provocation or a joke" in the English-speaking world. Yáng, in turn, declared that literature, however quiet and slow, never abandons its conviction — and never stops reaching across borders. 這座獎項的震盪遠不止於英國。日文版早已刷新臺灣文學在日本的銷售紀錄，發行量逾2.3萬冊，獲獎消息傳出後更一度登上日本亞馬遜文學類榜首。瑞典、匈牙利、印尼、越南及印度泰盧固語等版本的版權洽談相繼展開，德文版與義大利文版預定2027年出版。金翎在致詞中明確表態，她將持續只翻譯臺灣作品，直到臺灣主權在英語世界不再被當作「挑釁或笑話」。楊双子則說，文學看似緩慢，卻始終堅定前行，從未放棄信念，也從未停止跨越邊界。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Postcolonial [adjective, relating to the cultural, political, or social legacy of former colonial rule]: The author took a postcolonial view of her country's history.Metafictional [adjective, describing fiction that self-consciously draws attention to its own nature as a constructed narrative]: The metafictional novel reminded readers they were reading a story.Maximalist [adjective, using elaborate, complex, or layered detail as a deliberate artistic choice]: The maximalist design packed every inch with colour and texture.Reverberate [verb, to have a lasting or wide-reaching effect]: The election result reverberated across the entire region.Rights enquiries [noun phrase, formal expressions of interest from publishers seeking to acquire permission to publish a work in a new language or territory]: Rights enquiries flooded in after the award was announced.Reference article: 1. https://www.twreporter.org/a/taiwan-travelogue-from-taiwan-to-the-world 2. https://www.moc.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=105&s=255699

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！我們這週聽聽英國相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: Subway bread isn't bread, Irish court says Ireland's Supreme Court has ruled that bread sold by the fast food chain Subway contains so much sugar that it cannot be legally defined as bread. 愛爾蘭最高法院裁定，速食連鎖店「賽百味」的麵包含有太多糖，不符合法律上麵包的定義。 The ruling came in a tax dispute brought by Bookfinders Ltd., an Irish Subway franchisee, which argued that some of its takeaway products — including teas, coffees and heated sandwiches — were not liable for value-added tax. 愛爾蘭的賽百味加盟商 Bookfinders 因稅務爭端提出訴訟後，最高法院做出此一裁決。該公司主張，他們部分外帶產品—包含茶飲、咖啡和加熱三明治—不該被徵收加值型營業稅。 A panel of judges rejected the appeal, ruling that the bread sold by Subway contains too much sugar to be categorized as a "staple food," which is not taxed. 合議庭拒絕上訴主張，裁定賽百味販售的麵包含糖量太高，不得被歸類為不用課稅的「主食」。 "There is no dispute that the bread supplied by Subway in its heated sandwiches has a sugar content of 10% of the weight of the flour included in the dough, and thus exceeds the 2% specified," the judgement read. 判決書指出：「賽百味在加熱三明治中提供的麵包，含糖量是麵糰中麵粉重量的 10%，超過規定的 2%，這點沒有爭議。」 Topic 2: British inventor wins $1m prize for revolutionary wheelchair design｜英國發明家以創新的輪椅設計贏得 100 萬獎金 Andrew Slorance, 51, has won a $1m prize to help him continue to develop a revolutionary ultra-light, stable carbon fibre wheelchair. 51 歲的安德魯．斯洛蘭司贏得 100 萬美元的獎金，幫助他繼續研發一款創新、超輕、穩定的碳纖維輪椅。 He was aware of how tipping over backwards was the primary cause of accidents for wheelchair users. One way to deal with this is by having the axle to the back of the wheelchair and putting the user's weight to the front of it — but this brings new challenges. 他發現向後傾斜是輪椅使用者發生意外的主因。一種解決此問題的方法是，將輪軸放在輪椅後方，並將使用者的重量置於前方，但這種方法也帶來新的挑戰。 When the weight is carried by the small front wheels, this adds drag, making pushing and turning much more difficult, and introducing uncomfortable vibrations that can cause pain and muscle spasms. 當重量由小的前輪支撐時，會增加阻力，讓推動與轉動變得更困難，並且造成不舒服的震動，可能會引起疼痛與抽筋。 Wheelchair designs have previously had to make a trade-off between agility and stability, but Mr Slorance's new design allows the wheelchair to automatically change the weight distribution itself, keeping users balanced while also ensuring they're as agile as possible. 輪椅設計過去已在靈活與穩定性間做出妥協，但斯洛蘭司的新設計讓輪椅可以自動改變自身重量分配，讓使用者維持平衡，也確保他們盡可能地靈活。 Topic 3: UK company sells 'bottles of air' for homesick people The recent outbreak of new variants of the coronavirus in the U.K. has led to more than 40 countries imposing a travel ban on the nation, resulting in many British nationals being unable to return home. 英國國際行李搬家服務公司 My Baggage 近日推出「空氣罐」，讓英國人透過呼吸家鄉空氣，一解鄉愁。近期英國出現 2019 冠狀病毒疾病新變種病毒，超過 40 國對英國祭出交通禁令，導致目前許多英國人無法返回家鄉。 In light of this observation, My Baggage, a relocation company based in the U.K., has recently launched the "bottled air" which allows customers to relieve their nostalgia by breathing in the air of their home country. 根據 CNN 報導，My Baggage 推出新產品，販賣「真正」來自英國、蘇格蘭、威爾斯和北愛爾蘭的空氣，讓身在海外的英國人能聞到家鄉的味道。 According to CNN, My Baggage is currently selling "authentic" air from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, to provide Brits overseas to enjoy the scent of home. 空氣罐要價不斐，每瓶 500 毫升定價 25 英鎊（約新台幣 942 元）。購買空氣瓶的買家會收到附贈的軟木塞，方便隨時可開啟，慢慢享受家鄉的氣味。 Each 500 ml air bottle is priced at £25 (about NT$942). A bottle will come with a cork stopper so that people can enjoy the scent of home at any time. 除了英國之外，這家搬運公司還有提供客製化服務，顧客可提出地點，公司會前往指定地點裝滿空氣瓶再送到顧客手中。 What's more? The company also offers a customized service that people can request a location and the company will go to the specified location to fill the bottles and deliver them to you. My Baggage 表示，他們曾經遇到一位來自威爾斯的顧客，指定要位在北威爾斯史諾多尼亞山區的空氣。 Also, special limited edition bottles featuring air taken from the London Underground or a fish and chip shop in Norfolk are also available. 此外，這系列產品還有推出限量版空氣，包括裝有倫敦地鐵、以及一間位於諾福克炸魚薯條店的空氣罐。 Topic 4: Scotland is making tampons and pads free Scotland has become the first country to allow free and universal access to menstrual products, including tampons and pads, in public facilities, a landmark victory for the global movement against period poverty. 蘇格蘭成為世界首個在公共設施免費向所有人供應衛生棉條和衛生護墊等生理期用品的國家，這是全球對抗月經貧困運動的一次里程碑式勝利。 The Scottish Parliament voted unanimously in favor of the Period Products bill on Tuesday, months after lawmakers had initially signaled their support. 在國會議員初步表示支持之後數月，蘇格蘭議會週二一致投票通過月經用品法案。 It means period products will be available to access in public buildings including schools and universities across Scotland. According to the new rules, it will be up to local authorities and education providers to ensure the products are available free of charge. 這意味著蘇格蘭各地包括中小學和大學在內的公共場所將會免費提供月經用品。根據新法規，地方政府部門和教育機構將確保免費供應月經用品。 The bill's accompanying financial memorandum estimates it could cost around £8.7 million a year by 2022, depending on the number of women who will take advantage of the free products. 該法案附帶的財務備忘錄估計，到 2022 年，該免費項目每年將耗資約 870 萬英鎊（約 3.3 億台幣），具體數目取決於領用免費月經用品的女性數量。 Topic 5: BBC announces probe into 1995 Diana interview｜BBC 宣布調查 1995 年黛妃專訪 The BBC announced Wednesday the immediate start of an investigation into how it obtained an explosive 1995 interview with Princess Diana that lifted the lid on her troubled marriage to Prince Charles. 英國廣播公司（BBC）週三宣布，將立即就該公司如何在 1995 年讓黛安娜王妃同意接受驚世專訪、揭露她與王儲查爾斯的婚姻問題重重一事，展開調查。 The late princess' brother, Charles Spencer, has alleged that the flagship "Panorama" programme reporter who conducted the interview, Martin Bashir, showed him faked documents to persuade his sister to take part. 這位已故王妃的胞弟查爾斯．史賓塞宣稱，專訪黛妃的 BBC 招牌節目「萬象」的記者馬丁．巴席爾，曾向他展示造假檔案以說服他胞姊受訪。 New reports have surfaced alleging that Bashir used underhand methods to persuade Diana to talk, including by claiming her own staff members were being paid to spy on her. 新出現的報導指稱，巴席爾以不入流的手段說服黛妃受訪，包括宣稱她的幕僚收錢監視她。 In the November 1995 interview, which was watched by a record 22.8 million people, Diana detailed her collapsing marriage to the heir to the throne. 在 1995 年 11 月這段有破紀錄的 2280 萬人觀看的專訪中，黛妃詳述她與王儲之間瀕臨瓦解的婚姻。 Topic 6: How American Guns Are Fueling U.K. Crime Josh Bains was 28 when he was killed after an argument over a drug debt of about $50 just a few miles from the English village where he grew up — with a gun that had traveled thousands of miles from America. 貝恩斯因為欠下約 50 美元買毒債與人起爭執後遇害，年僅 28 歲，遇害處離他成長的英格蘭村落只有幾哩，奪命的槍枝卻遠從數千哩外的美國而來。 His was one of a rising number of gun deaths in recent years that have British authorities worried about an expanding smuggling pipeline from the United States. The gun used to kill Bains in October 2018 — a Taurus Model 85 — is banned outright in Britain. 英國近年來像貝恩斯這樣的槍擊案死者愈來愈多，令當局對英美之間走私網日漸擴大感到憂慮。2018 年 10 月用來殺害貝恩斯的這支金牛座 M85 左輪手槍，在英國完全禁用。 "I think Americans wouldn't believe that something that they produce could affect people like us," said Clare Bains, who was Bains' stepmother. "If there weren't all these guns, they wouldn't be seeping out of America all over the world." 貝恩斯的繼母克萊兒說：「美國人不會相信，他們製造的東西竟會影響到我們這樣的人。要是沒有這麼多槍，就不會流出美國，跑到世界各地。」 Gun deaths remain extremely rare in Britain, and very few people, even police officers, carry firearms. But the growing presence of U.S. weapons on the streets, which has not previously been widely reported, comes as serious violent crime, like murders and stabbings, has risen sharply. 英國死於槍擊案者極少，而且少有人攜帶槍械，包括警察，不過美國武器在英國街頭愈來愈常見，這種現象先前未獲廣泛報導，同時，謀殺和持刀傷人等嚴重暴力罪案亦遽增。 Most illegal firearms in Britain still come from Europe. But investigators seized hundreds of smuggled U.S. guns last year, a small figure by international standards, though experts say the number that police do not discover is likely to be far higher. 英國非法槍枝多數仍來自歐陸，不過去年調查人員查扣數以百計走私入境的美國槍枝，以國際標準而言算少，但專家指出未查獲的可能遠多於此。 British police have traced some of the smuggled U.S. guns back to loosely regulated gun fairs in states like Florida. Investigators have also seized U.S. weapons being smuggled on a container ship and hidden in car engines. 英國警方查出，走私的美國槍枝部分來自佛州等地管理鬆散的槍械展，調查人員還沒收了藉貨櫃船走私和藏在汽車引擎中的美國武器。 Now authorities fear that after Brexit, when borders with the European Union will be more tightly regulated, the illegal gun trade from the United States could accelerate, especially given the Trump administration's broad support for the gun industry. 現在英國當局擔心，英國脫離歐盟導致英歐邊界管制收緊之後，來自美國的私槍會大增，在川普政府力挺槍枝產業的背景下，尤其如此。 "A major Trump administration goal is to globalize the firearms trade and facilitate exports, and if you're facilitating legal exports, it's almost inevitable that there will be an illegal diversion of weapons into criminal markets in other countries," said Aaron Karp, a senior consultant for the Small Arms Survey in Geneva and a lecturer at Old Dominion University in Virginia. 瑞士日內瓦「小型武器調查」研究計畫高級顧問、美國維吉尼亞州老道明大學講師卡普說：「川普政府一大目標是，使槍枝貿易全球化並促進槍枝出口，而如果美國推動合法槍枝出口，難免會有部分非法武器流入他國的犯罪市場。」 The United States is one of the biggest legal exporters of firearms in the world, but hundreds of thousands of guns also illegally leak out of the country and fuel homicides, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean. 美國是最大合法槍枝出口國之一，卻有數以十萬計槍枝非法流出並助長殺人案，尤其在拉丁美洲和加勒比海地區。 In Britain, criminal groups primarily use knives for acts of violence. Knife crime reached a record high last year, accounting for around 2 out of every 5 killings. By comparison, only 33 people were killed with a gun. 在英國，犯罪團體主要持刀行凶，去年持刀所犯刑案創新高，約占殺人案五分之二，相較之下，只有 33 人死於槍擊。 But the number of illegal guns in circulation is growing. In the last year alone, gun seizures by Britain's national policing body, the National Crime Agency, more than doubled, and firearm offenses have soared by 38% since 2015. 然而，流通的非法槍枝不斷增加。單是這一年來，英國國家治安機關「國家刑事局」查扣的槍枝就比先前多出一倍以上，而且從 2015 年以來，槍枝犯罪激增了 38%。

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 你有沒有遇過那種尷尬——早上進公司，電梯裡剛好跟主管兩個人，沉默了三十秒，最後他先問「吃早餐了嗎？」然後你說「有」，然後就沒有然後了。這集 John老師跟阿鍵老師整理了五則國際新聞，每一則都可以直接拿去茶水間開話題，包括川習會、台灣在 WHO 場外辦展、台積電走勢、無人機改寫戰爭、日本牙齒再生藥、還有台灣人在 Britain's Got Talent 拿下 Golden Buzzer。 聊新聞不是要你變名嘴，是要你「有話說」 在辦公室待久了，你會發現那種什麼都懂、什麼都能聊兩句的同事，不一定是最認真看新聞的人。他們只是掌握了一個技巧：找一個切入點，然後讓對方說話。 John老師說，川習會這種大題目，一般人聊起來很容易陷入「然後呢、然後呢」的僵局。他的做法是反過來，不聊他們討論了什麼，而是聊他們沒說的。黃仁勳去了北京，出現在峰會現場，但整場會議裡，AI 這個字幾乎沒被正式提起。這件事本身就值得聊——一個大陸已經封鎖美國 AI 的時間點，偏偏帶著全球 AI 最重要的人去，然後什麼都不說。你把這個問題丟出去，對話就不會冷場了。 台灣人做事的方式，就是這樣 WHO 年度大會每年五月都讓台灣人很不爽。今年也是一樣，台灣又沒拿到入場資格。但台灣官方這次的反應很有意思——直接在日內瓦附近的飯店租場地，辦了一場醫療科技展，把台灣最新的東西全擺出來。 開大會開到一半的各國代表，散場之後剛好可以過來逛。阿鍵老師說，新聞報導那邊人氣蠻旺的，大家逛得很開心。這種事情用英文怎麼跟外國同事聊？很簡單，就說 Taiwan wasn't invited, so they set up their own show next door. 對方通常都會笑，然後話題就開了。 幾則新聞，各有各的切入點 無人機那篇，阿鍵老師說他在查資料的時候查到頭昏，論文一篇接一篇，結論就是無人機在烏俄戰爭裡的角色已經不只是輔助武器，而是整個改寫了作戰邏輯。這個話題如果有在注意台灣軍購新聞的人，聊起來特別有感。而且 John老師還補了一句「有在做投資的人可以自己查一下」，然後馬上說「這不是投資建議」，全場笑翻。 牙齒再生藥的那篇，日本已經進到第三期臨床試驗了。John老師說他牙齒很爛，非常需要這個藥。但他示範的 conversation opener 很好用：You know you can grow your tooth back now? 對方一定會說「真的假的」，話題就接上了。不用準備一大堆背景知識，一句話就夠。 然後是台灣之光的部分。一位台灣女生帶著 fire wheel 上了 Britain's Got Talent，用腳在耍火，評審直接按下 Golden Buzzer，直送決賽。這種 viral video，拿出手機播給同事看就好，什麼話都不用多說。 Water Cooler Talk 的精髓 這集其實有一個很核心的概念——Water Cooler Talk 不是在考你的知識量，是在練你「開頭」的能力。第一句話說出去，對方有反應，接下來就是對話，不是報告。 John老師說他平常都這樣：找一個奇怪的小細節，或一個讓人意外的事實，把它丟出去，然後問對方怎麼看。不需要有結論，不需要有立場，只要讓對話繼續就好。台北捷運通勤時間聽完這集，下車剛好夠你準備今天茶水間的開場白。

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 你有發現嗎？好像最近大家都在聊錢的話題？台股屢創新高，身邊的人要不是在談投資就是在說賺了多少，「賺大錢」好像變成了這個時代僅次於AI的熱門關鍵字。本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Shimin 老師要透過一首歌，跟你一起來思考「錢」這件事。 今天要介紹的這首歌是 Jon Batiste 的《Big Money》。歌詞裡有一句話讓人印象深刻：「你可以買一棟房子，但買不到一個家。」對你來說，要有什麼東西才算是個家呢？另外，Shimin 老師也分享了一個讓人哭笑不得的親身經歷，保證聽了會心有戚戚焉！ Have you noticed? It seems like everyone's been talking about money lately? Taiwan's stock market keeps hitting new highs, people around you are either discussing investments or talking about how much they've made. "Making big money" seems to have become this era's hot keyword, second only to AI. This week on English Cafe, John and Shimin use a song to help you reflect on the topic of "money." Today's featured song is "Big Money" by Jon Batiste. There's a memorable line in the lyrics: "You can buy a house, but you can't buy a home." What does it take for you to consider something a home? Additionally, Shimin shares a personal experience that's both funny and sad, guaranteed to resonate with listeners!

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） --------------------------------------------

----------------------------------- 🎧 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. L208: TSMC's Three-Front Strategy Highlights 主題摘要TSMC and Sony have signed an MOU to jointly build next-generation image sensors for automotive and robotics AI applications in Japan.At home, TSMC is spending over NT$100 billion to upgrade its Central Taiwan fab and accelerating its 1.4nm facility ahead of schedule.April revenue rose 17.5%, with analysts forecasting Q2 growth of around 35%, as hyperscalers commit US$725 billion to AI this year. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co is extending its reach beyond data centres into the physical world. The chipmaker has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Sony Semiconductor Solutions to establish a joint venture focused on next-generation image sensors, targeting physical AI applications in automotive systems and robotics. Sony will serve as majority and controlling shareholder, with development and production lines housed at its newly constructed fab in Koshi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Investments are structured in phases, contingent on market demand, and are expected to receive Japanese government support. 台積電正將觸角從資料中心延伸至實體世界。這家晶片巨頭與索尼半導體製造公司簽署非約束性合作備忘錄，計畫合組新公司開發次世代影像感測器，目標市場鎖定車用系統與機器人等實體 AI 應用。索尼將擔任合資公司的多數股東並握有控制權，研發與生產線設於其在日本熊本縣合志市的新廠。投資計畫將視市場需求分階段實施，並以取得日本政府支持為前提。 The arrangement reflects a deliberate strategic calculus: by anchoring the venture in Japan and ceding majority control to Sony, TSMC secures a foothold in the image sensor market while navigating the geopolitical pressures that increasingly dictate where advanced chips are made. Back in Taiwan, that same logic is driving an equally aggressive domestic push. Fab 15A in Central Taiwan Science Park, originally designed for 28nm and 22nm processes, is being overhauled to support 4nm production, with legacy equipment relocated to its Dresden facility in Germany for automotive and industrial use, at a total investment expected to exceed NT$100 billion. 這次的合作安排背後有清晰的戰略考量：將合資公司落腳日本、並將多數控制權讓予索尼，讓台積電得以在地緣政治日益主導先進晶片生產版圖的當下，悄然布局影像感測器市場。在台灣本土，同樣的邏輯也驅動著一場同等積極的擴產攻勢。位於中部科學園區的 Fab 15A 原以 28 奈米至 22 奈米成熟製程為主，目前正全面改建以支援 4 奈米生產，舊有設備移往德國德勒斯登廠，供應車用與工業市場，總投資預計超過新台幣千億元。 Separately, construction of a 1.4nm fab at the Phase 2 Central Taiwan site is running ahead of schedule, with trial production potentially beginning in the third quarter of 2027 and mass production targeted for the second half of 2028. Once all fabs at the complex are fully operational, the site is positioned to become the world's largest production base for AI and high-performance computing chips. 另一方面，台中二期園區 1.4 奈米新廠的建設進度超前，最快可望於 2027 年第三季展開試產，並以 2028 年下半年量產為目標。待園區各廠全數投入運作後，這座園區有望成為全球規模最大的 AI 與高效能運算晶片生產基地。 These moves come as TSMC reported April revenue of NT$410.7 billion, up 17.5 percent year-on-year — the company's slowest monthly gain since October. Analysts, however, expect second-quarter growth to accelerate to around 35 percent. The broader spending climate supports that optimism: Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have collectively committed US$725 billion to AI investment this year, well above earlier forecasts. TSMC has responded by raising its full-year sales guidance and signalling capital expenditure toward the upper end of a range reaching as high as US$56 billion. The message across all three fronts is consistent — the company is not letting up. 上述布局恰逢台積電公布四月份營收新台幣 4,107 億元，年增 17.5%，但增速為近六個月來最低。分析師預估第二季成長率將加速至約 35%。大環境同樣提供了樂觀的支撐：Alphabet、Amazon、Meta 與微軟今年合計承諾投入 7,250 億美元於 AI 建設，遠高於先前預期。台積電也隨之上調全年營收展望，並表示資本支出將趨向最高達 560 億美元預測區間的上緣。三條戰線傳遞的訊號一致，台積電並無放緩的打算。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Contingent on [adjective phrase, dependent on a specific condition being met]: The deal is contingent on regulatory approval.Strategic calculus [noun phrase, a careful weighing of risks and benefits behind a major decision]: Every expansion involves a strategic calculus about long-term gains.Overhauled [verb, past tense, to completely rebuild or restructure a facility or system]: The aging plant was overhauled to meet new standards.Ahead of schedule [adverb phrase, progressing faster than originally planned]: Construction is ahead of schedule and may finish early.Let up [verb phrase, to reduce effort or slow down]: Despite headwinds, the company refused to let up. Reference article: 1. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2026/05/09/2003857002 2. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-08/tsmc-sales-grow-17-5-on-extended-ai-buildout-boom 3. https://www.trendforce.com/news/2026/05/06/news-tsmc-reportedly-upgrades-central-taiwan-2822nm-fab-to-4nm-phase-2-1-4nm-trial-production-may-begin-in-3q27/

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！我們這週聽聽火車相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: Sightseeing train turns 'problem' Kyoto line into talk of the town A railway here in Miyazu, Kyoto Prefecture once on the verge of being defunct has a new lease on life with its slow-moving sightseeing train featuring a cafe-like interior. （日本）京都府宮津一條曾瀕臨廢線的鐵路，憑藉內部裝潢有如咖啡館的觀光慢車，得以續命綿延。 The Tango Aka-Matsu is operated by Kyoto Tango Railway (Tantetsu), whose lines were famously dubbed the symbol of unprofitable train routes in the Heisei Era, which started in 1989. 京都丹後鐵道（簡稱丹鐵）負責營運的「丹後赤松號」觀光列車所行駛的路線，被稱為是始於 1989 年平成時代的知名不賺錢路線的象徵。 The train, which connects Nishi-Maizuru and Amanohashidate stations, runs at reduced speeds offering scenic views. 這列連接西舞鶴站與天橋立站的觀光列車，以較慢速度行駛，好讓乘客能夠欣賞美景。 Passengers let out cries of delight on a weekend in December as the fully occupied 33-seat train approached Yuragawa Kyoryo bridge over the Yuragawa river. 去年 12 月的某個週末，當 33 個座位都坐滿的觀光列車駛向跨越由良川的由良川橋時，車上乘客一陣驚呼。 "It's amazing. It's like we are on the sea," one passenger said. 「太棒了。我們好像在海上，」一名乘客如是說。 The 550-meter-long bridge is only a few meters above the river, making passengers feel as if the train is traveling on the water. 這座 550 公尺長的鐵道橋，只比河面高幾公尺，讓乘客覺得火車彷彿行駛在水面上。 Topic 2: Emergency bathroom run lands Japanese "bullet train" driver in hot water The famed high-speed "bullet train" in Japan got some unwanted attention from regulators last month after the driver briefly abandoned his controls to take a bathroom break — leaving the train and its 160 passengers to hurtle along the tracks at 93 miles-per-hour. 日本知名的高速「子彈列車」上月因一名司機員暫離駕駛室去上廁所而被監管人員盯上——（他）讓列車與車上 160 名乘客以 93 英里的時速奔馳於鐵軌上。 The train departed Tokyo Station at 7:33 a.m., bound for Shin-Osaka station. At 8:14, outside the city of Odawara southwest of Tokyo, the driver suffered a bout of abdominal distress. 這班前往新大阪站的列車在早上 7 時 33 分從東京站出發。8 時 14 分來到東京西南方的小田原市外圍時，司機員感到一陣腹痛。 Instead of stopping the train to run to the bathroom, he called in the conductor to occupy the control room for three minutes, until he was able to scramble back to his post. 與其停車以便跑去上廁所，他反而找來車掌在駕駛室待 3 分鐘，直到他趕回與重返駕駛崗位。 "Many of our conductors are licensed to take the controls," Central Japan Railway public relations representative Ryumon Hashimoto said. "But this one wasn't." 「我們的許多車掌有（列車）駕駛執照，」JR 東海公關部的橋本龍門（譯音）說。「但這位沒有。」 Topic 3: Aesthetic makeover: TRA launches new tour train When the plans for the Taiwan Railway Administration's (TRA) NT$79 million (US$2.6 million) 29 "Formosa Express" passenger tour carriages were revealed earlier this year, the designs were met with an avalanche of criticism. In response, TRA director Chang Cheng-yuan announced in April that the company would hold consultations on the design, and that the most vehement detractors would be invited to contribute. 台鐵局今年耗資新台幣七千九百萬元，打造二十九輛環島之星觀光列車，曝光後設計卻遭批評。台鐵局長張政源在今年四月宣布，成立台鐵美學設計諮詢審議小組，「把罵台鐵最凶的統統找來」。由設計師吳漢中為代表，齊聚各界專家，把二十九輛當中尚未施作完工的十三輛列車，邀請在國內外得過許多設計大獎的台灣設計團隊「柏成設計」，導入美學概念重新改造。 Headed by designer Han Wu, the team of consultants brought together experts from various fields, and the award-winning Taiwanese design firm J. C. Architecture was invited to undertake an aesthetic makeover, designing the 13 cars yet to be converted. Unveiled on Friday, the newly designed TRA Tour Train sports a black and orange exterior, imparting an air of gravitas to its new look. Redundant signs distracting from the minimalist interior design were removed, and soft lighting was introduced to create a comfortable, relaxing ambience, to give passengers the impression of being in a hotel. 新設計的台鐵觀光列車上週五亮相，外觀改用尊榮感十足的黑、橘色，內裝採減法設計，去掉多餘的指標，燈光使用溫和的色溫，讓旅客有如進到飯店的舒適氛圍。 The curtains in the carriages are based on the works of Yuma Taru, an aboriginal craftswoman, employing geometric shapes suggestive of mountains, while the upholstery utilizes blues and grays, a reference to Taiwan's oceans, rocks and mountains. The overall effect goes beyond that of a simple means of transportation, and now has more of an emotional impact. 車廂中的窗簾，是參考原住民工藝家尤瑪．達陸的作品，以幾何圖形堆疊出山脈造型；座椅顏色為藍、灰色，象徵台灣的海洋、石頭與山，讓火車不再只是生硬的交通工具，同時也富有情感。 Commenting on why black and orange were chosen for the exterior, Nora Wang, co-founder of J. C. Architecture, says that black imparts a sense of mystery and sobriety, and that old photos of TRA train carriages show that black was widely used for train exteriors in the past. The orange, meanwhile, is a reference to the Chu Kuang Express train designs. The tour train's black and orange theme is therefore a link to railway history, reinvented from and recombining older design elements. 列車外觀使用黑、橘二色，柏成設計合夥創辦人王菱檥表示，黑色具有神秘的尊榮感，尤其觀察過往台鐵車體照片時，發現有一段時期大量採用黑色設計，因此激盪出新的想法。經典橘色則是延續莒光號原有的橘，保有車輛的歷史，將舊元素重新組合，迸出新的設計火花。 Wang's favorite design is the bar counter area, reminiscent of a hotel reception, featuring a small lamp on the dining table, giving boarding passengers the impression they are entering a hotel. Passengers get to experience the hotel-like service, too, reclining in the train's parlor car accompanied by friends and family, leisurely sipping coffee. The windows offer magnificent ocean views to the east and vistas of rice paddies and mountains to the west. 有如飯店接待大廳的吧台區是王菱檥最喜愛的設計，餐桌台上放了一盞小燈，當旅客踏上這輛觀光列車時，感覺就像是踏進飯店一樣。跟親朋好友坐在客廳車，悠閒喝著咖啡，從觀景窗往外望，東邊有海岸線壯闊海景，西邊則有稻穗、山脈，帶給大家有如旅館式的服務體驗。 Wang says, "The TRA train is not just a means of transportation, it is a starting point for a journey." She hopes that the TRA Tour Train will help promote rail travel in Taiwan. Tour trains in countries such as Japan and Italy attract visitors from all over the world every year, and Wang believes Taiwan has the potential to be like this. "Taiwan's landscape is so beautiful," she says, and "some scenery can only be seen from the train." 王菱檥說：「台鐵不只是交通工具，而是旅遊的起始點。」她希望未來可帶動民眾搭乘火車在島內旅遊的風氣，放眼各國的觀光列車如日本、義大利等，每年吸引全球民眾到訪，「相信台灣有這方面的潛力，台灣景觀太美了，有些景色只有坐火車才看得到」。 Topic 4: The hydrogen, or hydrail, train is set to run in Lower Saxony starting in December 2017. 氫動力火車，或稱「hydrail」，2017 年 12 月將在德國西北部的下薩克森邦上路。 The train — called the "Coradia iLint" — has been developed over the past two years by French company Alstom. 這種火車稱為「柯納狄亞」，由法國「阿斯頓」公司耗時 2 年開發。 The hydrogen train operates using a hydrogen fuel tank, stored on the roof of the train, that in turn powers a fuel cell to produce electrical energy. This technology provides a new environmentally friendly alternative to the diesel trains that are still used across much of Germany. 這種氫動力火車的動力來自位於車頂的氫氣箱，可驅動燃料電池產生電力。這項技術為德國許多地區仍在使用的柴油火車提供新的環保替代選擇。 Engineers have been developing 'hydrail' technology for the last 15 years, but mostly with freight trains. 工程師研發氫動力火車技術已有 15 年之久，但主要用途多限於貨運。 The new Alstom train will be the first hydrogen passenger train to regularly operate on long-distance journeys. 阿斯頓公司的新火車將是第一種固定長途行駛的氫動力客運火車。 With a full tank, the new locomotive will be able to travel 600 to 800 kilometers. 一旦氫氣箱滿載，這種新式火車頭將可行駛 600 至 800 公里。 Because of its much larger fuel capacity, the train does not have to confront the same problems that hydro-cars face with refueling. Another advantage is its quietness: even at its top speed of 140 km/h, the only noise is that produced by the motion of the wheels and air resistance. 由於具備更大燃料儲載，氫動力火車可免於以往氫氣車輛必須經常充電的老問題。另外一個優點則是安靜：即便是以每小時 140 公里的極速行駛，也只有車輪運動與空氣阻力產生的噪音。

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 讀了一堆自我成長的書，每本講的都不一樣，看完反而更迷茫？選A也對、選B也對，結果什麼都沒選，就這樣耗著。這集阿鍵老師帶來一本書——Michael Hyatt 的《Free to Focus》，裡面有個概念叫 Freedom Compass，一個羅盤，直接幫你搞清楚你的時間和精力到底該往哪個方向去。 四個方向，你現在站在哪一格？ 想像一下，你每天在竹科開車上班，路上塞著，ICRT 開著，但你根本不知道剛才播了什麼。聽是有聽，心思早就飄走了。這就是問題所在。 Freedom Compass 把你的所有活動分成四個象限，一個軸是你的熱情（有沒有興趣），另一個軸是你的能力（做不做得來）。 最理想的當然是兩個都高——叫做 Desire Zone。你有興趣、你做得到，你每天就會愈做愈想做。聽起來很廢話，可是大部分的人根本搞不清楚自己到底對什麼有感。John老師分享說他有一段時間突然迷上研究電動磨豆機，每晚睡前一定要看一段 YouTube，從完全看不懂零件名稱，到最後搞懂整台構造，那個過程其實就是 Desire Zone，學到爽為止。 那個讓你覺得很安全但其實沒在進步的區域 台北上班族最常待的地方，其實是 Distraction Zone。高能力、低熱情。你做起來很順手、很不費力，但沒什麼成就感，就是那種薪水小偷的 autopilot 狀態。 用學英文來說，就是你現在還在背單字。考試型英文背了二十年，很熟，但對你現在要用英文開會、做簡報、跟外國客戶 small talk，其實幫助有限。繼續做同樣的事，邊際效應越來越薄，你以為自己在學，其實只是讓自己感覺有在學。 然後還有一格最慘——Disinterest Zone。你沒有熱情，也沒有能力，完全不想碰、可是又被逼著要做。像是公司要你考一張根本不知道有什麼用的英文證照，或是老闆說年底前要用英文做一份報告，完全找不到動力那種感覺。John老師說，這一格就只有消耗，消耗你的時間、你的熱情、你對學習這件事的信心。能不待就不要待。 「成長」不一定要很痛，但要有點挑戰 最值得聊的是第四格——Disruption Zone。你有興趣，但能力還跟不上，有點challenge、有點吃力，但是那個成就感很真實。 阿鍵老師說他每週在準備 English Café 的筆記，必須先自己消化才能整理，那個過程對他來說就是 Disruption Zone。John老師也說，有時候看美劇看到一句長句子，翻譯翻得不好，他會倒帶、自己重新理解一遍，然後發現自己懂了——那個瞬間你就升到 Desire Zone 了，因為你喜歡這個解謎的過程。 重點不是你今天是哪一格，因為這個羅盤是動態的，你的狀態一直在變。但如果你每次通勤都把 podcast 當背景音樂在聽，嗯，可能要好好想一下，你是在學英文，還是在讓自己覺得有在學英文。

Summary  About 20 years ago, a landmark study found that toddlers before the age of 3 in low-income families would hear 30million less words than the more affluent families, putting them at disadvantage before they start school. Now, a growing number of researches has found that it’s the quality of communication between children, parents, and caregivers that is more important than the number of words children hear. According to research observations, the frequent use of parentese — the slow, high-pitched voice commonly used for talking to babies — were reliable predictors of language ability at age 2. Professor Anne Fernald of Stanford suggests that increased quantity of language inevitably leads to better quality. 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. 原討論文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-938-new-thoughts-on-math-of-effective-baby-talk   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Affluent adj. having a great deal of money The affluent families were previously thought to have an advantage in children’s development. Affluent communities tend to have more educational resources available for children    Correlation n. mutual relationship or connection to two or more things The total number of words heard by a child has no correlation to the child’s future ability. Research has found high correlation between oil prices and the American dollar.    Proficiency n. high degree of competence or skill Toastmasters club is a great place to improve your English proficiency. Language proficiency comes with practice and long-term use.   

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 台股衝破歷史新高 40,000 點！這個消息最近是不是也在你的 Line 群組裡炸鍋了？本週《英語咖啡館》John 老師和剛結束蜜月旅行回歸的 Patrick 老師，要來聊聊這波台股熱潮背後的市場心理、投資觀念，以及不可不學的財經英文（還是我們通勤家族早就都會了？） 兩位老師不僅討論了 TSMC 的市場狂熱(frenzy)、FOMO 錯失恐懼心理，還有 ETF、EPS、本益比等投資新手必知關鍵字。節目中也分享了各自的投資啟蒙故事，以及東西方在「談錢」這件事上很不一樣的文化態度，原來在西方，公開聊投資可能會被認為是在炫耀！？ Taiwan's stock market broke the historic high of 40,000 points! Has this news been blowing up your Line group chats recently too? This week on English Cafe, John and Patrick, who just returned from his honeymoon, discuss the market psychology behind this Taiwan stock market surge, investment concepts, and essential financial English vocabulary (or do our 15Mins family already know it all?) The two hosts not only discuss TSMC's market frenzy, FOMO (fear of missing out), but also key terms for investment beginners like ETF, EPS, and P/E ratio. The show also shares their own investment origin stories and the very different cultural attitudes between East and West when it comes to "talking about money"—turns out in the West, openly discussing investments might be seen as bragging!?

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） --------------------------------------------

----------------------------------- 🎧 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. L204: The Absent Party at the Trump-Xi Summit Highlights 主題摘要Xi called Taiwan the "most important issue" in US-China relations, warning that mishandling it could trigger conflict between the two powers.The White House made no mention of Taiwan in its post-summit statements, and Trump deflected reporters' questions on the subject while in Beijing.Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te responded firmly, stating the island will never be "sacrificed or traded away." When Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on May 14 for a two-day state visit, the pageantry was unmistakable: an honour guard, children waving flags, a state banquet in the Great Hall of the People, and a public invitation for Xi to visit the US in September. Yet beneath the ceremony, a stark divergence emerged. Washington framed the summit around trade — Boeing purchases, agricultural deals, and expanded market access. Beijing had other priorities. Xi Jinping placed Taiwan at the centre of the table, calling it "the most important issue in China-US relations" and warning that mishandling it could put the entire bilateral relationship "in great jeopardy." 2026年5月14日，川普抵達北京展開為期兩天的國是訪問，排場極為盛大：儀仗隊、揮舞旗幟的孩童、人民大會堂國宴，川普更公開邀請習近平9月訪美。然而在風光表象下，雙方的核心議題卻南轅北轍。白宮將峰會成果定位在貿易層面，包括波音採購、農產品及擴大市場開放；北京的算盤則截然不同。習近平將台灣直接攤上談判桌，稱其為「中美關係最重要的問題」，並警告若處理不當，將使雙邊關係整體陷入「高度危險」的境地。 The gap was most visible in what each side omitted. The White House readouts made no mention of Taiwan, and Trump chose to deflect when reporters pressed him on the island while he was still on Chinese soil. The equivocation continued on Air Force One: he acknowledged that Xi "feels very strongly" about opposing Taiwanese independence, yet maintained he had "made no commitment either way." He also revealed that a congressional-approved $11 billion arms package for Taiwan remained unsigned, offering only: "I may do it. I may not do it." 這道鴻溝，在雙方各自略去的內容中表露無遺。白宮峰會後聲明對台灣隻字未提；川普在北京期間被記者直接追問時，也刻意迴避。返回空軍一號後，他的態度依然含糊其辭：一方面承認習近平「對反對台灣獨立的立場非常堅定」，另一方面卻強調自己「沒有做出任何承諾」。他同時透露，一筆已獲國會通過的110億美元對台軍售案至今未予簽署，態度曖昧地說「我可能批，也可能不批」。 Beijing's post-summit statements, for their part, confirmed none of Trump's claimed trade wins. Boeing orders and other announced agreements remain publicly unverified by either China or the companies involved, underscoring how much of the summit's substance is still in dispute. 至於北京方面，峰會後的聲明對川普所稱的任何貿易成果隻字未提。無論是波音訂單或其他對外宣稱的協議，均未獲中方或相關企業公開確認，充分顯示這場峰會究竟談成多少，至今仍是羅生門。 Taiwan's government responded on multiple fronts. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed the island is "sovereign and independent," committed to preserving the cross-strait status quo, and defended arms sales as a legal obligation under the Taiwan Relations Act. President Lai Ching-te went further in a Sunday Facebook post, declaring Taiwan "will never be sacrificed or traded away." He outlined the people's core consensus — that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other, that sovereignty cannot be infringed, and that the island's future belongs to its people alone. Lai warned that destabilisation of the Taiwan Strait would reverberate through global supply chains and the world economy. Washington has not publicly responded. 台灣政府則從多條戰線同步回應。外交部重申台灣「主權獨立」，表明將維持兩岸現狀，並為軍售立場強力辯護，強調依據《台灣關係法》，對台軍售是美方的法定義務。賴清德總統則在週日的臉書貼文中態度更為強硬，宣示台灣「絕不會被犧牲，也不會被出賣」，並羅列他所稱的台灣人民最大共識：兩岸互不隸屬、主權不容侵犯、台灣前途由台灣人民自決。賴清德也警告，任何破壞台海穩定的行動，都將衝擊全球供應鏈與世界經濟。截至目前，華盛頓對台北方面的聲明尚未作出公開回應。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Pageantry [noun, an elaborate public ceremony, often implying style over substance]: The summit had great pageantry but few confirmed deals.Deflect [verb, to avoid answering a question directly]: He deflected every question about the new policy.Equivocation [noun, deliberately vague language used to avoid taking a clear position]: His equivocation on the issue left both sides uncertain.Status quo [noun phrase, the existing state of affairs in a political situation]: Both sides say they want to preserve the status quo.Reverberate [verb, to have lasting and wide-reaching effects]: The decision will reverberate through markets for months. Reference article: 1. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/15/trump-xi-summit-china-us-disagree-on-what-they-agreed-on 2. https://www.npr.org/2026/05/14/nx-s1-5822168/trump-xi-summit 3. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/16/in-response-to-trump-taiwan-says-it-is-sovereign-and-independent 4. https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202605170014

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！我們這週聽聽食物相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: Junk food habit affects sleep quality French fries and hamburgers are popular with teenagers. Everyone knows that these high-calorie foods can lead to chronic illnesses such as heart disease and high blood pressure, but, according to a report published by Medical Xpress, a study led by the University of Queensland in Australia has found that eating too much junk food can also have an impact on teenagers' sleep quality. 薯條、漢堡等速食及飲料很受青少年喜愛。眾所皆知這些高熱量食物會導致慢性疾病，如心臟病和高血壓等。不過，「醫療快訊」報導，澳洲昆士蘭大學帶領的一項研究發現，吃過多的垃圾食品還會影響青少年的睡眠品質。 According to the research results, teenagers who drink more than three soft drinks per day were 55 percent more likely to report sleep disturbance than those who only drink one cup per day. Males who ate fast foods on more than four days per week were 55 percent more likely to report sleep disturbance than those who ate them only once a week, while females were 49 percent more likely to do so. 根據研究結果，每天喝三杯以上飲料的青少年自稱有睡眠障礙的機率，比每天只喝一杯軟飲料的青少年高百分之五十五。每週吃四天以上速食的男性自稱有睡眠障礙的機率，比那些每週只吃一次速食的男性高百分之五十五，而女性的機率高出百分之四十九。 This global study examined unhealthy diets and stress-related sleep disturbance in high school students from 64 countries. The study found that 7.5 percent of adolescents reported having stress-related sleep disturbance, which was more common among females than males and increased with more frequent consumption of carbonated soft drinks, as did the occurrence of sleep problems. Because carbonated drinks often contain caffeine and large amounts of sugar, while fast foods are high in energy but poor in nutrients, long-term consumption can cause nutritional imbalances. 這是一項針對全球不健康飲食和與壓力有關的睡眠障礙研究，涉及來自六十四個國家的高中生。研究表明，百分之七點五的青少年自稱有壓力相關的睡眠障礙，其中女性比男性更常見，且隨著碳酸飲料的頻繁飲用而增加，睡眠障礙的比率也愈高。因為碳酸飲料通常含有咖啡因和高糖分，而快餐食品高熱量但較缺乏營養，長期攝取會營養不均衡。 These data were collected from global health surveys conducted by the WHO between 2009 and 2016, which included about 170,000 students aged 12 to 15 years from 64 low, middle and high-income countries in Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and the eastern Mediterranean. 這些數據收集自二○○九年至二○一六年世界衛生組織的全球健康調查，其中包括來自東南亞、非洲、南美部分地區和地中海東部地區的六十四個低、中、高收入國家的約十七萬名十二至十五歲的學生。 The research team said that frequent intake of soft drinks and eating of fast foods is closely associated with sleep problems in teenagers, and that this phenomenon is particularly clear in high-income countries. The research team said that these findings are worrying because poor-quality sleep has an adverse impact on adolescent health and cognitive development. They suggested that policies should be formulated that target these unhealthy behaviors. 研究團隊表示，青少年經常喝飲料、吃速食與睡眠障礙之間關聯密切，這現象尤其在高收入國家特別明顯。研究團隊指出，這些發現令人擔憂，因為睡眠品質差會對青少年的健康和認知發展產生不利影響。他們建議應針對這些不健康的行為制定相關政策，使青少年能健康成長。 Topic 2: KFC drops Finger Lickin' Good slogan Global fast food giant KFC says it is halting its "Finger Lickin' Good" slogan given the current hygiene advice because of the coronavirus pandemic. 國際速食巨擘肯德基表示，它正停用「吮指美味」標語，考量現在因為武漢肺炎大流行而制定的衛生建議。 "We find ourselves in a unique situation — having an iconic slogan that doesn't quite fit in the current environment," the company said. 「我們發現自己在一個獨特的狀況中，有個不太符合現在環境的標誌性標語」，該公司表示。 The company revealed its new look through a YouTube video, showing the slogan pixelated on posters and its food "buckets", saying: "That thing we always say? Ignore it. For now." 該公司透過 YouTube 影片公開它的新包裝，印製在海報與「食物桶」上的標語說，「我們總是說的話？忽略它。現在」。 Some people commented on social media the slogan was not a health hazard as you were already eating with your own hands. 有些人在社群媒體上評論，認為在你已經用自己的雙手進食的時候，這個標語不算是健康危害。 In March, the Advertising Standards Authority received 163 complaints about a KFC TV advert which featured people licking their fingers. 3 月間，廣告標準局就接到 163 封投訴，針對肯德基以人們吸吮他們的手指為特色的電視廣告。 Topic 3: McDonald's to debut plant-based meat alternatives from 2021｜麥當勞將於 2021 年首度推出植物性肉類替代品 McDonald's will debut its line of plant-based meat alternatives — the McPlant — in 2021. 麥當勞將於 2021 年首度推出它的植物性肉類替代品品牌「McPlant」。 "Beyond Meat and McDonald's co-created the plant-based patty which will be available as part of their McPlant platform," a Beyond Meat spokesperson said. 「超越肉類與麥當勞共同創造了植物性漢堡肉排，將以 McPlant 平台的一部分供應」，超越肉類的發言人表示。 "Plant-based products are an ongoing consumer trend. It's not a matter of if McDonald's will get into plant-based, it's a matter of when," McDonald's chief executive officer Chris Kempczinski said. 「植物性產品是目前的消費趨勢，問題不是麥當勞是否會進軍植物性產品，而是何時進軍」，麥當勞的執行長肯普欽斯基說。 McDonald's competition — other brands including Burger King, White Castle and Dunkin' Brands Group Inc — also offer vegan alternatives. 麥當勞的競爭對手，漢堡王、白城堡，與 Dunkin' 品牌集團等品牌都有提供素食替代品。 This move from McDonald's is expected to place the plant-based meat movement at the forefront in mainstream American society. 麥當勞此舉有望將植物性肉類運動，置於美國社會主流的最前線。 Topic 4: Do your bit for farmers and eat more fries, Belgians urged With potato farmers and processors struggling, Belgians are being urged to eat more fries to offset a slump in demand during the coronavirus pandemic. 隨著馬鈴薯農人和加工者努力求生存，比利時人正被敦促要多吃一點薯條，來彌補這波冠狀病毒全球大流行期間暴跌的需求。 Belgium is the world's largest exporter of fries and other frozen potato products, its processors converting 5.3 million tonnes of potatoes into fries, mash and crisps per year and sending them to customers in more than 160 countries. 比利時是薯條和其他馬鈴薯冷凍製品的世界最大出口國，加工人員每年把 530 萬公噸的馬鈴薯變成薯條、薯泥和洋芋片，送到逾 160 國顧客手中。 Restrictions to halt the spread of the coronavirus have forced the closure of cafes and restaurants, the industry's prime customers for fries, and processing firms have seen demand fall by as much as 80%. 制止冠狀病毒傳播的禁令，迫使身為該產業薯條主要顧客的咖啡廳和餐廳關閉，加工企業的需求量下降多達 8 成。 "We know Belgians like their fries, it's intangible heritage our frying culture, so we ask Belgians to consume an extra portion of fries to allow us to process more potatoes and to avoid food waste," Romain Cools, secretary-general of industry group Belgapom, told Reuters TV. 產業團體貝勒哈彭秘書長羅曼．庫斯告訴路透電視，「我們知道比利時人喜歡薯條，那是我們油炸文化的無形遺產，所以我們要求比利時人多吃一份薯條，讓我們得以加工更多馬鈴薯及避免食物浪費。」 Topic 5: A pastry chef in Germany offers edible sales receipts｜德國一名點心師傅提供可食用收據 Since 1 January 2020, German law demands from retailers that they print a receipt for every purchase. However, the regulation has triggered not only anger but also artistic action among some of the affected businesses. 自 2020 年 1 月 1 日起，德國法律要求零售業者印出每筆消費的收據。然而，這項規定不只點燃了憤怒，還激起了受影響業者的藝術行動。 A French pastry chef in Bavaria decided to protest in an original way against this new law, by adding an edible receipt made of sugar on some of his pastries. 一名巴伐利亞的法式點心師傅決定用一種原始的方式抗議新法，為他的部分糕點加上一張用糖做成的可食用收據。 "At the moment, many bakers are protesting against these receipts and we thought we could also protest — in our own way. In France, we usually go out into the street, but this time we preferred to make a receipt that can be eaten, people can take it with them and that is, I think, also a nice form of protest," Ludovic Gerboin, Master baker said. 「當時，許多烘焙師都為了收據抗議，而我們認為可以用我們自己的方式抗議。在法國，我們通常會走上街頭，但這次我們選擇製作一張可以吃的收據，人們可以攜帶它在身邊，我想這也是一種好的抗議方式」，專業烘焙師魯多維奇．格博因說。 The promotions are well received by customers, even though normal receipts are still required in addition to their edible counterparts. 這項活動大獲顧客好評，雖然他們還是得額外開出正常的收據。

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 你有沒有那種朋友，出國之後傳訊息回來說「我跟外國人聊天了！」然後你問他聊什麼，他說「對方叫我幫忙拍照，我就幫他拍了。」就這樣。這集靈感來自John老師的朋友們，一群被外派到捷克的台灣工程師，週末參加跑步團，遇到搭話機會，結果幫人拍完照就默默走掉。 John老師聽完當場崩潰。 你不是不會英文，你只是不知道怎麼開口 說穿了，很多台灣人的英文會話問題不在英文，是在「第一句話從哪裡來」。 我們從小被教的英文對話是：Hello! How are you? Fine, thanks, and you? 然後就卡死在那裡。出社會之後，那種教科書式的英文會話根本派不上用場。你站在跑步團旁邊，腦袋裡找不到一個自然的起點，所以乾脆什麼都不說。 台北捷運上大家滑手機，不說話很正常。但你今天在捷克的河邊跑步，旁邊就是活生生的外國人，這種機會在台灣哪裡找？John老師說，出都出去了，臉皮不放下來是要怎麼做國民外交。 三個地雷，先避掉 John老師跟阿鍵老師先講了什麼不能做，因為很多人以為自己在破冰，其實是在嚇人。 第一，不要變成面試官。一上來就問對方 What's your name? How old are you? Where are you from? 連續三個問句，對方會覺得在接受問卷調查，不是在聊天。 第二，不要第一句話就報公司名稱和職位。Hi, I'm from CTI Europe, we sell cables. 這在 networking 酒會可能還行，在跑步團就有點尷尬，對方只想跑完回家洗澡。 第三，就是那種過度熱情的 eager beaver。一直黏著對方，話接話，問完又問，人家戴著耳機你還在旁邊嗚嗚嗚。John老師說得很殘酷：耳機沒拿下來，就是暗示你該閃了。 真正能用的公式：Notice → Comment → Follow up 這才是重點。John老師說，觀察一下你媽去菜市場買菜，她怎麼跟完全不認識的攤販聊成朋友的？不是因為她外向，是因為她們都在同一個場景裡，有共同 notice 到的東西。 跑步也一樣。今天路面濕滑，就說 The ground is really slippery today。這一句話有什麼厲害的？你們兩個都在跑，都感受到同樣的狀況，對方很自然就會接 Yeah, I think it rained this morning，話題就開了。這叫 Notice。 然後你加上你的 Comment：Maybe we should shorten the jog today。對方可能同意，可能補充，可能分享他自己的想法。這時候你才 Follow up，問一句 Do you come here often? 然後順手說 By the way, I'm John。名字放在這裡介紹，比一開始就握手自我介紹自然很多。 阿鍵老師也提到，如果你真的是新手，直接說就好。I'm a beginner, do you mind if I jog with you guys? 承認自己不熟，反而讓對方更願意帶你、跟你聊。沒有人在跑步團裡 care 你是不是主管、你公司多大，他們只是想跑得開心。 Pick-up line 就算了吧 阿鍵老師還順帶示範了一個超級不推薦的開場白：Do you have a map? Because I keep getting lost in your eyes. John老師的反應是：你們都已經結婚了，不要去騙小妹妹，她男朋友很大隻。 說真的，那種在網路上查到的 conversational starters，很多其實是搭訕話術，硬用在跑步團只會讓人覺得怪。公式不完美，但至少不會讓人想逃跑。

Summary: Before Ms. Kim became a sensation on Youtube, she was an avid gamer. She would play online role playing games till 3 in the morning in 2003. Later her grown children steered her towards making cooking videos on Youtube in 2007 as a better form of expressing herself online. On Youtube, Ms. Kim continued using her online handle as Maangchi and is also now 5m subscriber channel. Now, based in New York, she practices the slow and ancient art of fermenting, making gochujang (chili paste) and doenjang (soybean paste), an umami-rich flavor element pervasive in Korean cooking. The recipe calls for an electric blanket, about four liters of salt and hay; it takes almost a year to complete. 原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-937-real-korean-flavor-for-a-youtube-table-youtube   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Avatar n. an icon or figure representing a person in video games My online avatar in World of Warcraft is an Orc with two horns. With all online Role-playing games, you start by creating your avatar first.   Lighthearted adj. amusing and entertaining Although Ms. Kim presents herself as lighthearted, she is actually a strict cooking teacher. From young, I have always been better at handling myself in lighthearted situations.   Recipe n. instructions for preparing a dish My grandmother’s secret recipe was her love. A cookbook contains many recipes.  

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- AI內容盛行，2026年的社群媒體世界變得比以前更複雜！本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Cariya 老師要來聊聊最新值得關注的社群媒體趨勢，從世代行為差異、AI 內容大爆發，到品牌如何重新找回真實感等最新趨勢。 你有聽過這個新詞嗎：「fastvertising」？品牌利用 AI 快速大量產出廣告，結果反而讓消費者感到疲乏和疏離，本來想要廣告，卻好心辦壞事造成了消費者反感。而且現在越來越多品牌捨棄大明星代言，改用員工或內部創作者來說口碑故事，其實都是基於相同的原因：真實感，而這也是在新時代趨勢中，能夠打動人心的關鍵點。 With AI content prevailing, the social media world of 2026 has become more complex than before! This week on English Cafe, John and Cariya discuss the latest social media trends worth watching, from generational behavioral differences, the explosion of AI content, to how brands are reclaiming authenticity. Have you heard this new term: "fastvertising"? Brands use AI to rapidly mass-produce ads, which instead causes consumer fatigue and alienation—what was meant to be advertising ends up backfiring and creating consumer resentment. Moreover, more and more brands are abandoning celebrity endorsements in favor of using employees or internal creators to tell word-of-mouth stories, all based on the same reason: authenticity. And this is the key to touching hearts in this new era.

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----------------------------------- 🎧 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. L200: Taiwan Blows Past Canada to Rank Sixth in Global Markets Highlights 主題摘要Taiwan's stock market overtook Canada's on April 28 to rank sixth globally, with total market cap reaching US$4.47 trillion.TSMC, making up 45% of Taiwan's benchmark index, posted record Q1 profits with net income surging 58% on robust AI chip demand.A regulatory change lifting fund concentration limits has opened the door to deeper institutional investment in TSMC shares. For much of this decade, Canada's oil sands, banks, and mining giants have defined the upper tier of global equity rankings. That era is now giving way to silicon and algorithms. On April 28, Taiwan's stock market surpassed Canada's to claim the title of the world's sixth-largest by market capitalisation — a milestone that underscores just how decisively the AI era is reshaping the geography of global capital. 過去十年，加拿大的油砂、銀行與礦業龍頭始終穩坐全球股市排名前段班。如今，這個時代正逐漸讓位給矽晶片與演算法。4月28日，台灣股市市值超越加拿大，正式躍居全球第六大市場，清楚說明AI時代正在如何深刻重塑全球資本版圖。 The numbers tell a sharp story. Bloomberg data show Taiwan-listed companies have surged more than 35% in value this year, lifting total market capitalisation to US$4.47 trillion. Canada, by contrast, managed a modest 5% gain to US$4.44 trillion — its resource-heavy, financials-weighted index ill-equipped to ride the wave sweeping through technology markets. The divergence reflects a broader structural shift: in an age of AI infrastructure build-out, market value gravitates toward firms that manufacture intelligence, not merely extract commodities from the ground. 數字說明了一切。彭博資訊數據顯示，台灣上市公司今年市值飆升逾35%，總市值達4.47兆美元；反觀加拿大，僅小幅增長約5%至4.44兆美元。以資源與金融股為重心的加拿大股市，本就難以搭上這波科技市場的浪潮。兩者之間的落差，反映出一個更深層的結構性轉變：在AI基礎建設大規模擴張的當下，資本正加速流向製造尖端晶片的企業，而非傳統的原物料開採者。 No single factor explains Taiwan's ascent more than Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSMC, which commands nearly 45% of Taiwan's benchmark index, has watched its market value swell to US$1.8 trillion as customers from Apple to Nvidia scramble for advanced chips that only it can reliably supply at scale. The company's first-quarter 2026 results — net income up 58% year-on-year to US$18 billion, revenue climbing 35% — beat analyst estimates and marked a fourth consecutive quarter of record profits. CEO Che-Chia Wei described AI demand as "extremely robust" and warned that supply, not desire, remains the binding constraint holding back further growth. 台灣此番崛起，台積電居功至偉。台積電佔台灣基準指數近45%，市值已膨脹至1.8兆美元，蘋果、輝達等客戶無不搶購其先進晶片，而目前能穩定大規模供應這類晶片的，也只有台積電。今年首季財報顯示，台積電淨利年增58%至180億美元，營收成長35%，雙雙超越市場預期，創下連續第四季獲利刷新紀錄的佳績。執行長魏哲家形容AI需求「極為強勁」，並指出制約成長的瓶頸在於供給，而非需求。 Taiwan's rise has also been aided by a timely domestic regulatory change. The island's financial watchdog recently eased concentration rules, allowing equity funds to allocate up to 25% of assets to any single stock weighted above 10% on the exchange — a move widely interpreted as clearing the path for greater institutional exposure to TSMC. Back in January, Taiwan Stock Exchange chairman Sherman Lin had already set sights on Canada, citing a gap of roughly NT$15 trillion. That gap has since closed. The question, for observers of global capital markets, is who comes next. 台灣的躍升，也得益於國內適時的法規鬆綁。金融主管機關近期放寬持股集中度規定，允許國內股票型基金與主動管理ETF，將最多25%的資產配置於單一權重逾10%的上市公司，市場普遍認為此舉為法人機構加碼台積電掃除了障礙。今年1月，台灣證交所董事長林修銘便已將超越加拿大列為目標，當時兩國市值差距約達新台幣15兆元。如今，這道差距已正式消弭。對全球資本市場的觀察者而言，真正的問題是：下一個被超越的，又將是誰？ Keyword Drills 關鍵字Ill-equipped [adjective, lacking the necessary tools, structure, or skills to handle something]: The legacy airline was ill-equipped to compete with low-cost rivals.Structural shift [noun phrase, a deep and lasting change in how a system or market operates]: Remote work has triggered a structural shift in commercial real estate.Gravitates toward [verb phrase, to be naturally drawn or attracted to something]: Capital gravitates toward markets with strong tech growth.At scale [adverb phrase, at a large and commercially viable level of volume]: Few firms can produce advanced semiconductors at scale.Clearing the path [idiom, removing obstacles so that progress becomes easier]: The policy change is clearing the path for more institutional investment. Reference article: 1. https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2026/01/09/2003850286 2. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/taiwan-overtakes-canada-to-become-6th-largest-stock-market-as-ai-demand-lifts-tsmc-m-cap-to-1-8-trillion/articleshow/130596363.cms 3. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/16/tsmc-q1-profit-58-percent-ai-chip-demand-record.html

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！我們這週聽聽墨西哥相關的文章，Let's get started! Topic 1: Oldest and largest ancient Maya structure found in Mexico Scientists using an aerial remote-sensing method have discovered the largest and oldest-known structure built by the ancient Maya civilization — a colossal rectangular elevated platform built between 1,000 and 800 BC in Mexico's Tabasco state. 科學家日前利用空中遙測技術，發現馬雅古文明迄今所知最大規模、最古老的建築結構。該遺址是一座巨大的長方形高台，位在墨西哥的塔巴斯戈州，建造於西元前一千年到前八百年間。 The structure, unlike the soaring Maya pyramids at cities like Tikal in Guatemala and Palenque in Mexico erected some 1,500 years later, was not built of stone but rather of clay and earth, and likely was used for mass rituals, researchers said on June 3. 研究人員六月三日表示，該遺址迥異於馬雅文明一千五百多年後於瓜地馬拉的提卡爾和墨西哥的帕倫克等城市建造的高聳金字塔，並非由巨石堆砌而成，而是用黏土和泥土建成，可能是用來舉行大型祭祀活動。 Located at a site called Aguada Fenix near the Guatemalan border, the structure measured nearly 400m wide and 1,400m long and stood 10m to 15m high. In total volume, it exceeded ancient Egypt's Great Pyramid of Giza built 1,500 years earlier. 此建築座落於一處稱為「阿瓜達芬尼克斯」的遺址，靠近瓜地馬拉的邊界，長一千四百公尺、寬幾乎達四百公尺，高度約為十到十五公尺。從總體積來看，此結構超過古埃及早一千五百年（即西元前兩千五百年）建造的吉薩大金字塔。 There were no signs of sculptures depicting high-status individuals, suggesting Maya culture at this early stage was more communal and only later developed social inequality and a hierarchical society led by royalty, the researchers said. "Because it is so large horizontally, if you walk on it, it just looks like natural landscape," said University of Arizona archaeologist Takeshi Inomata, who led the research published in the journal Nature. "But its form comes out nicely in lidar." 研究人員指出，這處遺址並未出現刻畫身居高位的個人雕塑，意味著馬雅文化在這個早期階段較為偏向「共治」，直到稍晚才發展出社會不平等的現象，以及由王室主導的階級制社會。美國亞利桑那大學的考古學家豬俁健是研究主持人，他表示：「因為這個結構和地面平行，規模又如此巨大，當人走在上面時，感覺就像是走在自然形成的地理景觀上。」豬俁健進一步補充說：「不過，透過光學雷達，遺址的結構就清楚地展現出來。」這份研究日前刊登於《自然》期刊。 Lidar, short for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote-sensing technique that employs a pulsed laser and other data obtained flying over a site to generate three-dimensional information about the shape of surface characteristics. Nine large causeways and a series of reservoirs were linked to the structure. Some parts of the rural Aguada Fenix site today are covered with cattle ranches. Other parts are wooded. 「光達」是「光線檢測與測距」的簡稱，是一種運用脈衝雷射的遙測技術，配合受測地點上空獲得的其它資料，產生地貌特徵的 3D 資訊。這次發現的大型結構，與九條大型堤道和一系列蓄水設施相連。地處鄉間的阿瓜達芬尼克斯遺址，今日部分地區被養牛的牧場覆蓋，其它部分則被繁茂的樹林遮蔽。 "It is probable that many people from surrounding areas gathered for special occasions, possibly tied to calendrical cycles," Inomata said. "The rituals probably involved processions along the causeways and within the rectangular plaza. The people also deposited symbolic objects such as jade axes in the center of the plateau." 豬俁健表示：「許多來自周圍地區的人，可能會在特殊場合在此聚會，或許和曆法的週期有關。」他進一步推測：「這些儀式可能包括沿著堤道、在矩形廣場內列隊遊行。這些人也會在高台中央放置玉斧這類具有象徵性的物品。」 Topic 2: Doggy ice cream has tails wagging in Mexico City Dogs with a sweet tooth can finally satisfy their ice cream cravings — at the Don Paletto parlor in Mexico City. 愛吃甜食的狗狗們，終於可以滿足牠們對冰淇淋的渴望了─在墨西哥市冰淇淋店「倍樂托先生」的接待廳。 Owners can satisfy their pets' sweet cravings at the shop in the Mexican capital, which offers a variety of frozen cone and lollipop treats especially made for the animals. 飼主可以滿足他們寵物的甜點魂，在這間位於墨西哥首都的商店裡，它提供各式各樣特別為動物製作的甜筒與棒棒糖點心。 Made of natural yogurt and lactobacilli bacteria, it can help digestion while normal ice cream can cause pain and diarrhea in dogs, according to shop owner Mauricio Montoya, who said the food is also safe for humans. 根據商店老闆毛里奇奧．蒙托亞的說法，這食物對人類也安全，由天然優格與乳酸菌製成，它能幫助消化，一般冰淇淋則可導致狗兒疼痛與腹瀉。 Flavors such as "Gentleman" and "Lucky Lucky" are advertised on the shop's board, where the pets lick the treats off a stick, a cone or out of a bowl. 諸如「紳士」和「幸運幸運」口味，被該店看板拿來打廣告，寵物們就在那裡把棍上、甜筒或碗裡點心舔掉。 "To eat the same food every day must be pretty boring for them," customer Liliana said, holding an ice cream lollipop for her dog. "I come (here) to pamper him a bit." 「每天吃一樣的食物，對牠們而言一定是相當無趣」，幫她的狗狗拿著一根冰淇淋棒棒糖的顧客莉莉安娜說。「我來（這裡）小小縱容牠。」 Topic 3: Near Mexico City, Cable Car Lets Commuters Glide Over Traffic Coasting above Mexico City's infernal congestion is normally a prerogative of the well-heeled, who take helicopters or pay to use the upper deck of two-tier highways to avoid the chaos below. In October, however, thousands of residents of this ragged industrial suburb began getting to work or school in brightly colored pods that glide along the city's first commuter cable-car route. 從墨西哥市地獄般壅塞交通的上方越過，通常是有錢人的特權，他們乘坐直升機或付費使用雙層高速公路的上層，避開下方的混亂世界。然而，去年 10 月，這破敗工業郊區的數千居民，開始可以坐在色彩亮麗的車廂內，沿該市一條通勤纜車線滑動，去上班上學。 The Mexicable, a seven-stop line that runs just over three miles through a furrow of poor hillside neighborhoods, is part of a growing constellation of cable cars around Latin America that links marginalized communities to their cities' metropolitan hearts. In Ecatepec, the largest and most dangerous municipality in the 21 million-strong expanse of greater Mexico City, the Mexicable has brought new visitors, shorter commutes, a burst of street art and a new sense of inclusion in city life, residents said. 「墨西哥纜車線」是條有 7 個站、穿越一片貧窮山坡社區的路線，全長僅略多於三哩，是拉丁美洲日益星羅棋布的纜車線之一，用以銜接邊緣社區與城市的都會心臟。整個大墨西哥市人口逾 2100 萬，埃卡堤佩是這廣大區域中最大最危險的市區，居民說，墨西哥纜車線帶來新遊客，縮短通勤時間，街頭藝術蓬勃發展，還予人一種融入城市生活的新歸屬感。 "It's great," said Marco Antonio Gonzalez, who used to spend an hour in a cramped bus to get from his home in San Andres de la Canada, the Mexicable's final stop, to his job at a warehouse in the center of Ecatepec. He now has a smooth, 17-minute cable ride over dun-colored rooftops, half-bald soccer pitches and narrow streets strung with glittery bunting. The new transport system has made him proud. "People never build something as impressive as this in a neighborhood like ours," he said. 馬可．安東尼奧．龔薩雷茲說：「這真的很棒。」以往，他必須花 1 小時擠公車從他在聖安德列斯德拉加拿達的家，也是墨西哥纜車線的終點站，前往埃卡堤佩市中心的一座倉庫工作。現在他可以搭纜車，順暢地花 17 分鐘，穿越過一個個暗褐色的屋頂、半禿的足球場，以及掛著閃亮彩旗的狹窄街道。新的運輸系統令他引以為傲。他說：「人們從沒有在我們這樣的社區，建造過這麼令人感動的東西。」 Ecatepec stretches north from the tip of the capital's subway network into steep hills where square cinder-block houses are stacked like Lego pieces. Many who use the cable car also catch a bus and then a subway to reach jobs — at restaurants, homes, offices or construction sites — in more affluent parts of town. Nancy Montoya, a housekeeper who lives in Esperanza, near the sixth Mexicable stop, said she saved about two hours per day using the new system — time she spends doing homework with her children or buying groceries. Over the past 12 years, gondola systems have been built in cities that include Cali and Medellin in Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; La Paz, Bolivia; and Rio de Janeiro. There are plans to build systems in half a dozen other Latin American cities, according to the Gondola Project, which tracks cable car programs worldwide. 埃卡堤佩從首都墨西哥市地鐵網的頂端向北延伸到陡峭的山丘地區，在那裡，正方形的煤渣塊房子如樂高積木般堆疊。許多纜車使用者得再搭一段公車並再換一次地鐵，才能抵達位在墨西哥市較富裕地區的工作地點，如餐館、住家、辦公室或建築工地。南西．蒙托亞是名管家，家住靠近墨西哥纜車線第六站的艾斯佩蘭沙。她說使用新系統每天約可節省 2 小時，她拿這些時間陪子女做功課或購買雜貨。過去 12 年，建造纜車系統的城市包括哥倫比亞的卡利和美德殷，委內瑞拉首都卡拉卡斯，玻利維亞首都拉巴斯，巴西里約熱內盧。據追蹤全球纜車計畫的「纜車計畫」，另有 6 個拉丁美洲城市欲興建纜車系統。

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） -------------------------------------------- 你是不是也有這種尷尬：茶水間遇到外國同事，腦袋一片空白，只能擠出一句 "How's your weekend?"——然後就沒了。這集 John老師跟阿鍵老師要帶你用最近的國際時事，學怎麼開話頭、怎麼讓對話繼續，不冷場、不變考試、不失禮。 時事這麼嚴肅，怎麼拿來small talk？ 國際新聞聽起來都是大事，癌症疫苗、太空任務、半導體股價——感覺在茶水間講這種東西，好像在開研討會。但問題不是話題本身，是你開口的方式。 阿鍵老師說，最容易翻車的是把 small talk 變成問答題。Did you see that? Did you read this? 問一問對方覺得自己在被考試，氣氛立刻尷尬。真正有效的商用英文會話是讓對方有空間回應——說個你的想法，留個缺口，邀請對方進來。 這集示範了幾個場景，聽完你會發現其實不難。 VIP文章大補帖：這週哪些時事值得聊 這集順便幫大家整理了最近幾篇VIP國際時事跟讀的重點，讓你即使沒時間每篇都看，也能抓到可以聊的方向。 Apple換執行長—Tim Cook正式交棒給 John Turnus。聊法是：Wow, I didn't expect Apple to change leadership so soon. Did you see the news? 不需要很懂苹果内部，光是 leadership change 這個話題，就可以帶出你們公司的八卦、你老闆的 leadership style，哈拉個十分鐘沒問題。 Michael Jackson傳記電影—上映第一週票房冠軍，Apple Music 同步六首歌衝上百大。這種 entertainment 話題是最安全的破冰，而且年齡跨度大，從阿公輩的 Jackson 5 時代到現在的年輕人都能接。聊法就更輕鬆了：It's interesting how people are still into Michael Jackson after all these years. 然後問對方最愛哪首，對話自己就走了。 Intel可能要回來了—股價、財報、跟Elon Musk的新合作，2026年第一季財報直接漲20%。這個話題對台灣的竹科工程師來說根本不是 small talk，是 must talk。開法是：Intel looks like it might actually be turning things around. What do you think? 點個話頭，讓對方發表意見，自己聽就好。 台裔太空人 Kjell Lindgren——Artemis II 登月任務，第一位有台灣血統的太空人。這個本來就是台灣人的驕傲，拿去跟外國同事聊也有梗：Did you know the first Taiwanese-American astronaut just went to the moon? Pretty cool, right? 聊天是有技術的，不是見人說人話 John老師最後講了一件很重要的事：台灣人聊股票是日常，你在辦公室問同事「最近有沒有買台積電」沒人覺得奇怪，但拿這句話問外國同事，對方可能直接愣住。 文化敏感度是真實存在的。聊股票可以，但不能直接問「你有沒有投資Intel」——太直接。可以換個說法：The market is going crazy over Intel right now. Feels like a comeback, right? 這樣是在分享觀點、邀請討論，不是在打探別人的財務狀況。 安全牌依序是：sports、天氣、電影、音樂。時事可以聊，但要看對象——對方是主管級或IT業的，可以深聊；對方是初階同事，就 keep it light。這種彈性，才是真正的辦公室英文會話能力。

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?

----------------------------------- 🎧 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） --------------------------------------------

----------------------------------- 🎧 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

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。

----------------------------------- 🎧 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。

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.

----------------------------------- 🎧 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