通勤學英語 15Mins Today

Summary:

主題參考文章: https://www.bbc.com/reel/playlist/mind-control?vpid=p0br82qr

It is interesting why some people can't seem to be on time. We might have it in our natures to procratinate, but as you grow older, you realize it can be about how you view time. Different cultures share different perspectives of time. This episode, Angel and I share some stories about our friends and also the concept of "African Time". 

How do you view time and punctuality? Leave us a comment or email us!

Vocabulary:

1. Punctuality n. 守時

Angel's job as a flight attendant is all about punctuality. Angel的空服員工作的核心就是守時。

1. Procrastinate v. 拖延

When you procrastinate, you often rush and end up late for appointments or dates. 當你拖延，你常常必須匆匆了事導致約會遲到。

1. Stickler n. 固執瑣事的人

It is really difficult to be friends with people who are sticklers for punctuality. 很難跟龜毛在守時上的人做朋友。

更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K382: Truth never perishes Johnny Depp wins defamation case against Amber Heard

The trial of the century between 58-year-old Johnny Depp and 36-year-old Amber Heard has finally come to a close. The court has ruled in favor of Depp. Heard has been ordered to pay Depp US$10.35 million — about NT$ 300.2 million — in damages, while the jury also found in favor of Heard in her counter-suit against Depp and awarded her US$2 million. After winning the case, Depp issued a statement, saying that “the jury gave me my life back.”

五十八歲好萊塢巨星「強哥」強尼戴普和小他二十二歲的前妻安柏赫德互告的「世紀官司」，最後由強哥正式勝訴，安柏須賠償一千零三十五萬美金（約三點零二億台幣），安柏的反訴也獲得兩百萬美金（約台幣五千八百三十八萬元）賠償，強哥也在勝訴後發表聲明，直呼自己「重獲新生」。

The trial has attracted attention from fans worldwide. In the statement, Depp acknowledged the work of the judge, jurors, court staff and sheriffs, and closed his statement with “The best is yet to come and a new chapter has finally begun“ and “Veritas numquam perit. Truth never perishes.”

此次判決引發全世界粉絲關注，強哥不忘感謝法官、陪審團、法院工作人員和治安官的崇高工作，最後堅定表示：「最好的還沒有到來，新的篇章終於開始」，並說「真理永不滅」。

In contrast, Amber Heard, who kept breaking down in court, has been ordered to pay US$10.35 million to Depp. The lawsuit has dealt a huge blow to her acting career, with her roles and scenes having been cut from movies. Her statement on her Instagram account did not garner much attention either. While she has 4.82 million followers, her statement only received 400 thousand likes, in sharp contrast to the attention showered on her ex-husband.

反觀在法庭上屢屢失控的安柏赫德，她敗訴後須賠償一千零三十五萬美金，自己的演藝生涯更將大受打擊，不僅主演的電影被砍戲份，連在IG的聲明也無人問津，雖然她有四百八十二萬粉絲追蹤，該聲明文卻只有四十萬人按讚，對比前夫下場相當悽慘。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/06/07/2003779455

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K381: Superteams？ More Like Super Flops.

The game was over, and the crowd at Barclays Center in New York was chanting “M-V-P.” The fans wore NBA jerseys in all of the team’s colors, and their star raised his arms to acknowledge their praise.

比賽結束，紐約巴克萊中心的人群高呼“M-V-P”。球迷們穿著球隊所有顏色的 NBA 球衣，他們的球星舉起雙臂表示感謝。

But Kyrie Irving was already headed to the locker room. So, too, was Kevin Durant. Ben Simmons wasn’t even in the building. This was not a celebration for the Brooklyn Nets, who play their home games here. It was for the Boston Celtics, for their star Jayson Tatum and for the team that had just accomplished a once-unthinkable feat: a four-game sweep of the Nets in the first round of the playoffs. The Nets superteam the Celtics faced, built around Irving and Durant to win a championship in June, didn’t even make it to May.

但凱里歐文已經前往更衣室了。凱文杜蘭特也是如此。本西蒙斯甚至不在大樓裡。對於在這裡打主場比賽的布魯克林籃網來說，這不是一個慶祝活動。這是為了波士頓賽兒迪克隊，為了他們的球星傑森·塔圖姆，也為了這支剛剛完成了一次不可思議的壯舉的球隊：季后賽首輪四場橫掃籃網隊。 賽兒迪克面對的籃網隊超級球隊，圍繞歐文和杜蘭特打造，在 6 月贏得總冠軍，甚至沒有進入 5 月。

It was a dismal scene to end a season that started with outsize expectations in October. The Nets had three of the best players on the planet, a cast of characters that was the NBA’s version of “Ocean’s Eleven.” Team executives around the league feared them. In fact, in a preseason poll by NBA.com, 72% of the league’s general managers predicted that the Nets would win the title. The Los Angeles Lakers finished second, with 17% of the vote, proving that nobody knew much of anything: The Lakers did not make the playoffs at all.

結束一個在 10 月開始的充滿期望的賽季是一個令人沮喪的場景。籃網隊擁有這個星球上最好的三名球員，他們的角色是 NBA 版的“海洋十一人”。聯盟中的球隊高管都害怕他們。事實上，在 NBA.com 的一項季前賽民意調查中，72% 的聯盟總經理預測籃網隊將贏得總冠軍。洛杉磯湖人隊以 17% 的得票率位居第二，證明沒人知道很多事情：湖人隊不知道完全打進季后賽。

Yet when the season started, there was a big question: What could prevent those two teams from meeting in the NBA Finals? Who else but LeBron James could possibly stop Durant from delivering the Nets their first NBA title? And who besides Durant could impede James’ march to a fifth championship?

然而，當賽季開始時，有一個大問題：什麼會阻止這兩支球隊在總決賽相遇？除了勒布朗詹姆斯，還有誰能阻止杜蘭特送出籃網隊獲得他們的第一個NBA總冠軍？除了杜蘭特，還有誰能阻止詹姆斯向第五個總冠軍進軍？

It turned out, plenty would get in their way.

事實證明，有很多事情會阻礙他們。

The Nets and the Lakers failed — spectacularly — at creating successful superteams, although the failures had different roots. For the Nets, it was a mix of the absurd: a star who wouldn’t get vaccinated against the coronavirus; another star who wanted out after forcing his way to the Nets in the first place; a replacement star who didn’t even show up for the elimination game.

網隊和湖人隊在創建成功的超級球隊方面失敗了——儘管失敗的根源不同。對於籃網來說，這是一種荒謬的混合：一個不會接種冠狀病毒疫苗的球星；另一位一開始就被迫進入籃網後想要離開的球星；一個連淘汰賽都沒有出現的替補明星。

For the Lakers, it was pure Hollywood: an aging former All-Star who wanted the ball for himself when his coach wanted him to share; a crew of has-beens hoping for one last hurrah; the A-list star trying to carry the team, but unable to do it the way he had so many times before. Young opponents laughed at them, openly, and reveled in precipitating their demise.

對湖人來說，那是純粹的好萊塢：一位年邁的前全明星球員，當教練想讓他分享球時，他想要自己的球；一群老玩家希望最後一次歡呼； A-list 球星試圖帶隊，但無法像以前那樣做很多次。年輕的對手公開地嘲笑他們，並陶醉於加速他們的滅亡。

Topic: 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東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。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/01/05/2003749938

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Topic: Philippines store rolls out ingenious face masks for bubble tea lovers

珍珠奶茶在國際舞台上幾乎與台灣劃上等號，在台灣時常能看到人手一杯手搖飲。然而礙於疫情，戴著口罩要喝飲料變得麻煩許多，一間菲律賓飲料店為了解決這個問題，最近推出了一款讓人無需脫口罩就能吸到珍奶的超神口罩。

In recent years, bubble tea has become synonymous with Taiwan among members and friends of the foreign community, and many locals can often be seen drinking hand-shaken beverages wherever they go.

With the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent requirements of wearing face masks in crowded areas, however, drinking soft drinks has become a bit of a hassle.

To solve this problem, a beverage store in the Philippines recently released a new line of face masks that you won’t need to take off to enjoy a sip from your favorite drink.

此店Gallontea將口罩命名為「吸吸罩」(Sippy Mask) ，表面看起來與一般布口罩差不多，但是口罩的嘴巴邊卻有一個小開口，上面附著一個蓋子讓喜愛喝珍奶的人可以邊喝邊防疫。

The “Sippy Mask” released by Gallontea looks like an ordinary cloth face mask, but if you look closely, you’ll find that there is a small opening near the mouth, with a small-cap for bubble-tea lovers to enjoy a safe drink.

店家也特別在官網上表示，只要消費有達1,000披索（約新台幣605.56元）就會贈送此口罩。而雖然口罩預購期已於昨日截止，目前也只在菲律賓販售，然而因為銷量不賴，期望未來有機會進軍台灣；不過大家需特別注意，喝完飲料要再將開口關上，才不會白帶口罩。

On their official Instagram page, Gallontea announced that customers can receive a free face mask with a minimum purchase of 1,000 pesos (US$20.59).

Although the pre-order time was only till Aug. 18 and the masks are currently only being sold in the Philippines, with the way it’s selling out, many people have expressed hope that customers will see this ingenious invention on Taiwan racks very soon.

However, users of the face masks should be mindful of closing the opening once they’ve taken a sip from the drinks or else the act of wearing face masks would be rendered useless.

Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20200819-1696789

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Topic: South Korea bans coffee in schools to curb overconsumption

South Korea will introduce a new law tomorrow banning the sale of coffee in primary and secondary schools to prevent students from consuming too much caffeine. This means that nobody, including teachers, will be able to buy caffeinated drinks on campus. The South Korean government hopes the ban will help promote healthy dietary habits among children.南韓明日起將推出一項新法令，禁止中小學販售咖啡，以避免學生攝取過多的咖啡因。這意味著包括教師在內所有人，都無法在校園內購買含咖啡因的飲料，韓國政府希望該禁令能幫助學童培養健康的飲食習慣。

According to CNN, students under academic pressure consuming excessive caffeine during exam periods is a common problem in South Korea. Other beverages high in calories or caffeine, such as energy drinks and coffee milk, have already been banned in schools. However, critics say students can easily walk a few minutes from their schools to buy such drinks.根據有線電視新聞網報導，南韓的學生在面臨課業壓力下，於考試期間攝取過量咖啡因的消息時有所聞。而其它高熱量或咖啡因的飲品，例如能量飲料或咖啡牛奶，早已禁止在校園販售。批評者則指出，學生從學校走幾分鐘，即可輕易買到此類的飲品。

South Korea’s domestic coffee market surpassed 10 trillion won for the first time ever last year, standing at 11.7 trillion won, or almost US$11 billion. Over 26.5 billion cups of coffee were served to South Koreans last year, with an average of 512 cups consumed per person. The figure is much higher than the average of over 100 cups yearly for each Taiwanese. 南韓國內的咖啡市場去年首度突破十兆韓元，高達十一點七兆韓元，將近一百一十億美元。韓國人去年喝掉兩百六十五億杯咖啡，每人平均就喝掉五百一十二杯！該數字比台灣人的平均一百多杯要高出許多。

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2018/09/13/2003700293

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1. Weather the storm 渡過難關

This one can be a little confusing. When we say “weather” in English, we’re usually talking about how hot or cold it is outside, or whether it’s rainy, snowy, windy or sunny.

“Weather” can also be a verb (action word), though. This idiom means to survive a difficult challenge.

Example Sentence:

“Fred is going through a hard time right now, but he’ll weather the storm.”

This means that Fred will overcome whatever problems he has.

1. Take a rain check 下次吧，以後再說

Here, a “check” means a “ticket”—similar to a “hat check” or a “coat check” that you’d use to claim your hat or coat after it was hung up for you at a restaurant.

A “rain check” would let you claim another chance to do something at a later time.

Example Sentence: If you tell someone, “I’ll take a rain check,” It’s another way of saying, “I understand the delay. We’ll do this later.”

1. Chasing rainbows 追求不現實的幻想

Even though rainbows are real, they seem to disappear as you get close to them.

If you know someone who’s trying to reach an impossible goal, you can say that they’re “chasing rainbows.”

1. It’s a breeze 小菜一碟

A “breeze” is air that blows lightly and gently. It doesn’t move with force; it moves easily.

Example Sentence: “No! It’s a breeze.” In other words, it’s easy!

1. Snowball into (something) 滾雪球

If something in your life “snowballs,” it means that it keeps growing larger. This happens quickly, gaining momentum (energy that keeps increasing).

“Snowballing” can be good or bad.

Here’s a positive example:

“Her first few sales of the new product snowballed into a permanent sales job with the company.”

And a negative example:

“One late night snowballed into many more late nights, and soon he struggled to get out of bed.”

練習時間:

那個慣用語跟你生活經驗有關，請分享

Think about a situation where you would use the idiom in your life and share it with us.

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K379: About Finland - Finnish Baby Boxes: Scandinavian Tradition To Be Trialled In UK Hospital

The tradition is credited for decreasing Finland’s infant mortality rate.

芬蘭的嬰兒箱傳統以降低夭折率享譽國際。

A Scandinavian baby trend, that involves expectant mothers being given a ’starter kit’ baby box, is being piloted in the UK.

斯堪地那維亞的育嬰時尚，包括贈予待產母親「新手包」嬰兒箱，已在英國試行。

About 600 women who give birth at the London hospital will be given one of the boxes.

約600名選在倫敦醫院分娩的孕婦可獲贈嬰兒箱。

Since the 1930s, the Finnish government has given mums-to-be a box before they give birth, which contains clothes, sheets, handbooks and toys.

從1930年代開始，芬蘭政府贈予待產媽媽一個箱子，裡面裝有衣物、被單、育兒手冊及玩具。

The box also has a mattress at the bottom, so it can be used as a baby’s cot.

箱底還有鋪墊，可做為嬰兒床。

The tradition is credited with helping to decrease Finland’s infant mortality rate.

這項傳統因有助於降低芬蘭的嬰兒夭折率而馳名。

The country had 65 deaths per 1,000 children born in 1938. This reduced to three deaths per 1,000 births in 2013, according to the World Bank data.

世界銀行資料顯示，芬蘭1938年每1000名嬰兒中有65人夭折。這項數據在2013年降為千分之3。

Publicity in the UK surrounding the Finnish baby boxes spiralled when the government sent one of their boxes to the Duchess of Cambridge when she was pregnant with Prince George.

劍橋公爵夫人（凱特王子妃）身懷喬治王子時，芬蘭政府送給她這種嬰兒箱，因而在英國聲名大噪。

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Topic: 芬蘭釀酒廠推出有「安全感滋味」的北約啤酒 Finland brewery launches NATO beer with ’taste of security’

A small brewery in Finland has launched a NATO-themed beer to mark the Nordic country’s bid to join the Western military alliance.

芬蘭一家小釀酒廠推出北大西洋公約組織（NATO）主題的啤酒，做為這個北歐國家有意加入西方軍事聯盟的紀念。

Olaf Brewing’s OTAN lager features a blue label with a cartoon version of a beer-drinking medieval knight in metal armor emblazoned with NATO’s compass symbol.

奧雷夫釀酒廠的OTAN拉格啤酒的包裝除了有藍色商標外，還有一個穿戴金屬盔甲、喝著啤酒的卡通版中世紀騎士，其胸口處還有北約的指南針標誌。

The beer’s name is a play on the Finnish expression "Otan olutta," which means "I’ll have a beer," and the French abbreviation for NATO, which is "OTAN." The North Atlantic Treaty Organization has two official languages, English and French.

啤酒之名大玩雙關，不僅意味芬蘭語的「我要來杯啤酒」，也意味北約在法語中的縮寫。英語和法語為北約的兩個官方語言。

CEO Petteri Vanttinen described the new lager as having "a taste of security, with a hint of freedom."

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K379: About Taiwan- Taiwanese flag on Tom Cruise’s bomber jacket in Top Gun: Maverick

It has been 36 years since Tom Cruise’s high-flying blockbuster Top Gun graced our screens, and its long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick is now playing in theaters. However, when the trailer of the sequel was released three years ago, the Taiwanese flag patch stitched on the bomber jacket that Cruise’s character wore was removed, but has now been restored for the theatrical release of the film.

好萊塢男星湯姆克魯斯主演的電影「捍衛戰士」續集，睽違三十六年回歸，但三年前電影預告首次釋出時，湯姆克魯斯飛行外套上的中華民國國旗一度被消失，沒想到正片竟被保留。

Last Monday, a test screening of Top Gun: Maverick was held in Taiwan. There was loud cheer and applause from the moviegoers when they spotted the blue-sky-with-white-sun Taiwanese flag back on Cruise’s jacket.

「捍衛戰士：獨行俠」上週一舉辦台灣媒體試片，「阿湯哥」湯姆克魯斯穿著的飛行員夾克上出現青天白日滿地紅「中華民國國旗」時，引起滿堂喝采。

The iconic jacket made its first appearance in the 1986 original, Top Gun. It was made to commemorate the US navy cruiser USS Galveston’s operation in the Far East off Japan and Taiwan from 1963 to 1964. Therefore, on the back of the leather jacket, there were patches of Taiwanese, Japanese, and American flags, along with the United Nations’ emblem.

阿湯哥穿著的這件經典外套，在一九八六年電影「捍衛戰士」首集就曾出現，是紀念美軍巡洋艦加爾維斯敦號一九六三到一九六四年遠東巡弋任務，由於行經日本、台灣等國家，繡有中華民國、日本、美國國旗與聯合國旗幟。

Back in 2019, the sequel trailer stirred up a controversy when viewers noticed the Taiwanese flag scrubbed from Cruise’s jacket, while the American and the United Nations’ flags remained intact. This led former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo to urge Hollywood to stop bowing to Chinese censorship in exchange for its market.

不過三年前，續集「捍衛戰士：獨行俠」預告釋出時，阿湯哥外套上的中華民國國旗一度「被消失」，只剩下美國國旗與聯合國旗幟的圖案，引發熱議，前美國國務卿蓬佩奧當時更呼籲好萊塢應挺直腰桿，不要為了票房屈服於中國審查。

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Topic: 福隆沙雕藝術季開展Fulong sand sculpture festival starts tomorrow

The Fullon Hotel Fulong has announced that this year’s Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival will take place from tomorrow until Oct. 10 at the Fulong Beach Resort in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District.

福容大飯店宣布，今年的福隆國際沙雕藝術季將從名天開始到十月十日在新北市貢寮區的福隆海水浴場開展。

This year’s sand sculpture festival has joined hands with Taiwan’s classic Pili budaixi glove puppet theater to create 36 sand sculptures that depict more than 30 popular characters from the Pili puppet shows. The centerpiece is an 8 meter-high sculpture of one of the main characters, Su Huan-chen, displaying his martial skills. Transforming into three different styles on the beach, he will defeat his greatest foes.

今年沙雕展聯名本土經典霹靂布袋戲，打造三十六座沙雕作品，呈現超過三十名霹靂布袋戲人氣角色，其中主雕作品為高八公尺的「素還真」展現神技，在沙雕上化身三種不同造型，打敗最大反派。

In coordination with the Fulong sand sculpture festival, the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration will be holding the Fulong Beach Life Festival every weekend from June to October, including beach concerts, markets and delicious food, while also giving visitors an opportunity to try their hand at making sand sculptures.

配合福隆沙雕季，東北角暨宜蘭海岸國家風景區管理處將在六月至十月每週末舉辦福隆沙灘生活節，現場將有沙灘音樂會、市集、美食，還提供民眾親手體驗製作沙雕。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/25/2003778747; https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2022/05/31/2003779032

Summary:

主題參考文章: https://www.bbc.com/reel/playlist/female-innovators?vpid=p09v5xk8

As the professional gaming is growing in popularity, a new career path emerges. Casual gaming as a form of entertainment is now being built into a multi-billion dollar economy. Gone are the days where games are only for kids and leisure. In this episode, Angel and I talk about what it's like to be a gamer and why are there so few female gamers. Leave us a comment and tell us what games you play!

Vocabulary:

1. eSports n. 電子競技

eSports in the world, has become a multi-billion dollar industry. 電子競技現在是個全球總額億萬的產業。

1. Casual gamer n. 休閒玩家

Angel and I are casual gamers who occasionally play games to kill time. Angel與我都是偶而玩遊戲消磨時間的休閒玩家。

1. Trash talk n. 垃圾話

In competitive sports, players trash talk each other. 在競技性運動裡，運動員常常都互噴垃圾話。

更多Vocab Podcast節目: https://www.15mins.today/vocab

歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : [email protected]

商業合作/贊助來信：[email protected]

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K378: In Race for Tuition-Free College, New Mexico Stakes a Claim

As universities across the United States face steep enrollment declines, New Mexico’s government is embarking on a pioneering experiment to fight that trend: tuition-free higher education for all state residents.

隨著美國各地大學入學人數急劇下滑，新墨西哥州政府正著手進行一項開創性實驗來應對這一趨勢：為全州居民提供免學費高等教育。

After President Joe Biden’s plan for universal free community college failed to gain traction in Congress, New Mexico, one of the nation’s poorest states, has emerged with perhaps the most ambitious plans as states scramble to come up with their own initiatives.

在美國總統拜登的全民免費社區大學計畫未能獲得國會支持後，美國最窮的州之一新墨西哥州提出的計畫，可能是各州爭相提出行動倡議中最具雄心的一個。

A new state law approved in a rare show of bipartisanship allocates almost 1% of the state’s budget toward covering tuition and fees at public colleges and universities, community colleges and tribal colleges. All state residents from new high school graduates to adults enrolling part-time will be eligible regardless of family income. The program is also open to immigrants regardless of their immigration status.

一項新的州法在兩黨罕見合作下通過，將州預算的1%用於支付公立大學、社區大學與部落學院的學費。所有州民，從剛畢業的高中生到參加兼職教育的成人都有資格參加，無論家庭收入。該計畫也向移民開放，無論他們的移民身分如何。

Some legislators and other critics question whether there should have been income caps and whether the state, newly flush with oil and gas revenue, can secure long-term funding to support the program beyond its first year. The legislation, which seeks to treat college as a public resource similar to primary and secondary education, takes effect in July.

一些議員和其他批評人士質疑是否應設所得限制，以及剛獲大量石油與天然氣收入的該州是否能在計畫實施第一年後，獲得長期資金支持。這項立法將於7月生效，旨在將大學視為與中小學教育類似的公共資源。

Although nearly half the states have embraced similar initiatives that seek to cover at least some tuition expenses for some students, New Mexico’s law goes further by covering tuition and fees before other scholarships and sources of financial aid are applied, enabling students to use those other funds for expenses such as lodging, food or child care.

儘管近半的州已採取類似舉措，想幫一些學生支付至少部分學費和雜費，新墨西哥州法律更進一步，在申請其他獎學金和學費補助前，先支付學雜費，讓學生能使用其他資金，支付如住宿、食物或兒童照顧等費用。

“The New Mexico program is very close to ideal,” said Michael Dannenberg, vice president of strategic initiatives and higher education policy at the nonprofit advocacy group Education Reform Now. Considering the state’s income levels and available resources, he added that New Mexico’s program is among the most generous in the country.

非營利倡議組織Education Reform Now策略倡議暨高教政策副總裁丹能貝格說：「新墨西哥的計畫非常貼近理想。」他表示，考量收入水準與可用資源，新墨西哥州的計畫是全美最慷慨的。

Dannenberg emphasized that New Mexico is going beyond what larger, more prosperous states like Washington and Tennessee have already done. Programs in other states often limit tuition assistance to community colleges, exclude some residents because of family income or impose conditions requiring students to work part time.

丹能貝格強調，新墨西哥州正超越華盛頓和田納西這些更大、更繁榮的州所做的事。其他州通常限制對社區大學的學費補助，因家庭收入排除一些州民，或要求學生兼職。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6329103

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K377: Research Ties Aerosol Levels To Frequency Of Hurricanes

Global warming can affect hurricanes, in part because a warmer ocean provides more energy to fuel them. But it is not the only factor in play: A study confirms that, for the frequency of hurricanes, the

effects of particulate air pollution are even greater.

全球暖化能影響颶風，部分是因為更溫暖的海水提供更多能量促進颶風形成。不過這不是唯一起作用的因素：一份研究證實，就颶風頻率而言，微粒空氣汙染的效應甚至更大。

Over the past four decades, the new research shows, the decline in pollution in the form of tiny aerosol particles from transportation, energy production and industry in North America and Europe was responsible for the increased numbers of hurricanes and other tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic.

這份新研究顯示，過去四十年，北美和歐洲源自運輸、發電與工業並以迷你氣膠粒子形式呈現的汙染減少，是北大西洋颶風和其他熱帶氣旋數量增加的原因。

Over the same period, increasing pollution from the growing economies of India and China had the opposite effect, reducing hurricane activity in the western North Pacific, the study found.

研究顯示，同一期間，崛起經濟體印度和中國大陸日漸嚴重的汙染，起了相反作用，使北太平洋西部颶風活動減少。

A growing body of research has shown links between tropical cyclones and global warming.

愈來愈多研究顯示，熱帶氣旋與全球暖化有關。

The new study looked at the numbers, not the strength, of these kinds of storms. Its author, Hiroyuki Murakami, said it shows that reducing or increasing anthropogenic aerosols “is the most important component” affecting frequency.

這份新研究關注這幾種風暴的數量而非強度。作者村上裕之說，研究顯示，人類活動引起的氣膠減少或增加，是影響颶風頻率「最重要的部分」。

In recent decades, aerosol pollution has declined, perhaps by as much as 50%, in North America and Europe as a result of laws and regulations that reduce emissions from sources like vehicles and power plants. Hurricane seasons in the North Atlantic over roughly the same period have been more active, with a greater number of storms, than in previous decades.

最近幾十年，北美和歐洲氣膠汙染減少，可能少了一半之多，原因是法律及規範減少了車輛與電廠等來源的排放。大約同一時期的北大西洋颶風季比先前數十年更活躍，生成更多風暴。

In the North Atlantic, Murakami found, the decline in aerosols led to warming that had two effects on tropical cyclones. First, less pollution resulted in more ocean warming, which meant there was more energy for storms to form.

村上發現，在北大西洋，氣膠減少引起暖化，對熱帶氣旋產生兩個效應。其一，汙染變少致海水更暖，意味有更多能量可供風暴形成。

The pollution decline led to warming of the land as well, and the combined warming affected atmospheric circulation, weakening winds in the upper atmosphere. That in turn led to less wind shear, the changes in wind speed and direction that can affect how cyclonic storms develop. Less wind shear meant that storms formed more readily.

汙染減少也使陸地變暖，而兩種暖化結合影響了大氣環流，削弱高層大氣的風，因此使風切變弱。風切就是能影響氣旋風暴如何發展的風速和風向。風切減弱意味風暴形成更迅速。

Murakami’s simulations showed a different mechanism at work in the Pacific. There, he found, increasing aerosol pollution, largely from China and India, led to cooling of the land surface. This reduced the temperature difference between the land and ocean, weakening the monsoonal winds that develop there. That, in turn, led to fewer tropical cyclones, including typhoons, the Pacific equivalent of hurricanes.

村上的模擬顯示，在太平洋有一種不同的機制在運作。他發現，主要來自大陸和印度日漸增加的氣膠汙染，使地表降溫。這減少了陸地與海洋的溫差，削弱了在當地發展的季風，因此導致熱帶氣旋變少，包括在太平洋地區等同於颶風的颱風。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6329093