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

I'm Nancy Sun.

And I'm Kelly Kimura.

In today's stories, a delicious reason to travel, and new ways to build with dirt.

Let's get started!

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國內遊客重視美食

Domestic Tourists More Interested in Food

When you travel, what is your reason for visiting a place?

Is it the stunning scenery, the fun activities, or the delicious food?

The Tourism Administration (觀光署) took a survey.

They asked people aged 12 or older about traveling in Taiwan.

Almost 29 percent said "convenient transportation" (交通方便) was the most important.

18 percent said "relaxation or promoting good health" was most important.

And 12-percent felt "delicious food" was the most important.

Even though food was third on the list, more and more people think it is important when traveling in Taiwan.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情), only 8 percent thought food was most important.

But there are still problems.

Some people traveling in Taiwan say many places are not very unique (獨特).

And delicious food may be able to help with that.

Experts say local dishes and specialties (地方特產) can attract travelers.

For example, have you visited Sheng-keng Old Street to try stinky tofu dishes?

And experts say cafes are also becoming popular.

Many people like to visit special cafes during their trip.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are traveling alone, or in small groups.

Experts say these tourists like more local and personal (個人的) experiences.

And there are now more cafes with local specialties.

They sell local products (產品), like coffee beans, tea leaves or snacks made from local produce (農產品).

Many cafes also open in old buildings.

They renovate (整修) the buildings.

It gives visitors a retro (復古) experience.

Then there's also Taiwan's hot weather.

When it's so hot outside, many people would rather relax in a cafe.

許多專家表示，國旅應該要結合當地美食才能更有效益。

And at the end of the day, everybody has to eat, right?

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坦尚尼亞用泥土3D列印蓋村莊

Tanzania to Build 3D Printed Village Using Soil

3D printing has advanced rapidly over the years.

Many countries now use the technology for building things.

NASA is even planning to build a base (基地) on the moon using 3D printing.

Many 3D printed buildings are made from concrete (混凝土) or some kind of cement (水泥).

These materials are cheap.

They are also durable (耐用).But, they are not really eco-friendly.

Now experts have come up with a sustainable (永續) 3-D printing material.

And it's made from soil (土)!

In Tanzania, architects (建築師) want to build a new village.

The project is called "Hope Village".

There will be almost 50 buildings in the village.

These buildings will be homes, schools, and daycare centers for almost 500 children!

But why are these architects using soil?

Humans have been building with soil since the beginning of history.

But old ways of using soil make very thick walls.

This means air can't get through the building very well.

So the architects came up with a new kind of wall.

They use 3D printing to build up layers of soil.

The layers are made with curved columns (柱子).

And these columns are interconnected (交錯).

This leaves space for light and air to go through.

And a thin wire mesh (鐵絲網) is between the layers.

This makes the walls stronger.

The soil for the walls can be collected close by.

And the roof will be made from wood.

This helps protect the walls from rain.

The architects plan to make buildings for communities.

And they want to train local people to use 3D printers.

This will help the community build what they need themselves.

建築團隊希望透過這個方式讓當地居民能日後自己建造房屋。

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So, in today's News Bites:

A survey finds that 12 percent of tourists in Taiwan felt "delicious food" was the most important.

Experts say local dishes and specialties can attract travelers.

And experts say cafes are also becoming popular.

Experts say these tourists like more local experiences.

And there are now more cafes with local specialties.

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And,

In Tanzania, architects want to build a new village using 3D printing and soil.

The project is called "Hope Village".

There will be almost 50 buildings in the village.

These buildings will be homes, schools, and daycare centers for almost 500 children!

New ways of building leaves space for light and air to go through buildings.

Architects also want to train local people to use 3D printers, so communities can build what they need themselves.

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趣味小點

Tasty Tidbit

For today's Tasty Tidbit…We've got a few laughs to go with your lunch.

You ready?

Why did the student eat his homework?

The teacher told him it was a piece of cake!

And…..Why do fish avoid the computer?

So they don't get caught on the InterNET!

And that's it for today's episode of News Bites!

If you have a fun fact, a joke or an interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to [email protected], and you might hear it at the end of an episode.

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