通勤學英語 15Mins Today

Hi 通勤家族們，

在做了15MINS Live Podcast直播測試與嘗試後，得到很大的迴響及鼓舞！有你的支持，我們決定將此節目作為我們固定的單元，未來的Live Podcast裡，我們熱烈歡迎Peddy 又名比爾熊 (Podcaster ) 來擔當我們副主持與直播導播這一個重要的職位。

這個單元內容目的是打造一個即時互動的雙語直播室，讓大家透過跟John老師的互動，進而學習、提升英語力以外，也可以讓雙語環境變成大家的日常。每次單元30分鐘到一小時左右，屆時會同步到通勤學英語YouTube頻道與Facebook粉專喔～

15MINS Live podcast直播的主題會有:

A. 英語學習相關單字、慣用語、實用例句，還有學習方法的分享

B. 當周時事趣聞分享與討論

目前主要的語音互動會在年初爆紅的語音平台 - Clubhouse App 上進行，此app現在在蘋果iOS與安卓Android手機的App Store裡都能免費下載！

點擊此連結下載Clubhouse App: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3kq23r

註冊好帳號後，只要在搜尋列中，點選“clubs"然後搜尋 "15MINS 通勤學英語直播室" 就可以加到我們在Clubhouse的社群，之後只要有開啟直播就會推播通知給你。

改版後直播哪時開始？我們預定下週二，8月三號，晚上九點鐘在Clubhouse上進行我們的直播！快下載Clubhouse App來跟老師一起提升英語力吧！

*無法參與直播的通勤家族也不用擔心，直播後，我們會將語音稍作剪輯，放在週末讓可以收聽重播。

更多通勤學英語Podcast單元:

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

精選詞彙 VOCAB Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab

語音直播 15mins Live Podcast, 就在https://www.15mins.today/15mins-live-podcast

文法練習 In-TENSE Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

歡迎到官網用email訂閱我們節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K170: About New York - Dumplings tempt New Yorkers with pizza, peanut butter flavors - and no human contact

New Yorkers can now get their dumpling fix from an automat with no human contact, and the adventurous can order flavors ranging from pepperoni pizza to peanut butter and jelly.

紐約客現在可由一套不需要與人接觸的自動販賣機為他們料理餃子，喜歡嘗試新鮮的人可從義式臘腸披薩到花生醬、果醬等口味中選購。

While the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop in the city’s East Village offers traditional pork and chicken bite-sized treats, chicken parm or Philly cheesesteak are also on the menu.

位於這座城市東村的布魯克林餃子店，提供一口大小的傳統豬肉、雞肉餡點心，菜單上也有焗烤雞肉，或是費城牛肉起司三明治。

Spurred by the pandemic and technology advances, the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is delivering food via automat 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

在這場疫情以及科技進步的帶動下，布魯克林餃子店正透過自動販賣機，全年無休24小時出餐。

"Embrace technology, because technology is something that has to be embraced by hospitality（business）to thrive," said the shop’s owner Stratis Morfogen. 

「擁抱科技，因為餐旅（業）要蒸蒸日上，就得擁抱科技」，店老闆史特拉狄斯．摩佛根說。

Next Article

New York lawmakers pass bill allowing gender-neutral "X" option in govt documents 紐約州議員通過法案 允許政府文件中可選擇中立性別「X」

The New York state assembly has passed a bill that would allow people who do not identify as either male or female to use "X" as a marker to designate their sex on drivers’ licenses.

紐約州議會通過一項法案，允許認為自己既不是男性也不是女性的民眾，在駕照上標記其性別為X。

The new marker would help transgender, nonbinary and intersex individuals’ identity be recognized in government documents, according to a statement from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell.

根據州眾議院議長希斯堤和州眾議員歐唐納發出的聲明，這項新註記會有助於跨性別、非二元性別和雙性人的性別認同，獲得政府文件承認。

"The provisions in this bill will make life safer, reduce the stigma and affirm the identities for so many of our friends and neighbors," O’Donnell said in the statement. 

歐唐納在聲明中說，「這項法案中的該項條文，將讓人生活更安全，減少污名，並且確認我們廣大鄉親朋友的身分認同。」

更多通勤學英語Podcast單元:

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

精選詞彙 VOCAB Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab

語音直播 15mins Live Podcast, 就在https://www.15mins.today/15mins-live-podcast

文法練習 In-TENSE Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

歡迎到官網用email訂閱我們節目更新通知。

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.K169: About Thailand - Parched fields force Thailand to look beyond rice

Thailand has long served as one of the globe’s main rice bowls, but chronic water shortages are pushing the country to move away from a grain that dominates its fields and has defined a way of life for generations.

泰國向來是全球稻米主要供應國之一，但長期缺水讓這個國家無法再固守單一作物，必須為往後的世代定義新的生存方式。

Laddawan has spent the past forty years coaxing rice from her plot in central Thailand, but she is tired of watching her farmland squeezed dry by increasingly severe droughts.

過去40年來，拉德旺一直在泰國中部的自家土地上細心照料水稻，但嚴重的旱災持續蹂躪這片土地，此情此景已讓她感到厭倦。

"I plan to replace some rice paddies with limes," she told AFP after attending a government-run workshop urging farmers to diversify their crops.

在參加完一場由政府舉辦、鼓勵農夫種植不同作物的農作坊後，她告訴法新社記者：「我打算不種稻米，改種萊姆了。」

At a workshop held in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok, Laddawan was sold the seeds fruit trees.

拉德旺在曼谷附近暖武里省的一場農作坊上買到果樹種籽。

These alternatives will drastically reduce water consumption but also break the monoculture that has deteriorated Thai soil for decades.

這些替代方案將大幅縮減用水量，也將打破數十年來造成泰國土質惡化的單一作物栽培模式。

"We have no choice, we need to adapt," Laddawan said, explaining that she used to plant three rice crops annually, but next year will only have enough water for one.

拉德旺表示，她過去每年種植3次水稻，但水資源只夠在明年種1次，「我們沒有選擇，只能改變。」

Next Article

Thai hotel brews up coffee from elephant dung 泰國酒店從象糞中煮出咖啡

For those who like their coffee with a strong nose Thailand could be the ideal destination, after a blend made from elephant dung was put on sale by an upmarket hotel chain.

泰國一家高檔連鎖酒店販售象糞製作的咖啡後，對喜愛濃咖啡的人來說，泰國可能是個理想去處。

The Black Ivory blend, made from coffee beans digested and excreted by Thai elephants, is billed as producing a particularly smooth cup.

這種「黑色象牙」咖啡，是由泰國大象消化並排泄出來的咖啡豆製成，號稱味道特別溫和。

But it is not cheap, with Anantara Hotels saying the "naturally refined" coffee costs a staggering $1,100 per kilogram -- making it one of the most expensive blends in the world.

但象糞咖啡所費不貲，安娜塔拉酒店表示，這種「天然精釀」的咖啡豆每公斤要價讓人咋舌的1100美元，是世界最貴的咖啡之一。

"Research indicates that during digestion, the enzymes of the elephant break down coffee protein," the Thai-based hotel group said in a statement.

這家泰國酒店集團在聲明中說：「研究指出，在消化過程中，大象體內的酵素會分解咖啡豆裡的蛋白質。」

你收聽的通勤學英語15mins.Today Podcast榮獲

• Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目

更多通勤學英語Podcast單元:

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

精選詞彙 VOCAB Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab

語音直播 15mins Live Podcast, 就在https://www.15mins.today/15mins-live-podcast

文法練習 In-TENSE Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

歡迎到官網用email訂閱我們節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K168: Lithuania declares emergency over undocumented migrants from Belarus

Lithuania declared an emergency after Belarus sent a flood of illegal migrants over the two countries’ border in protest at European Union sanctions against President Alexander Lukashenko’s regime.

白俄羅斯為抗議歐盟對亞歷山大‧盧卡申科總統政權的制裁，而將大量非法移民送往白俄羅斯與立陶宛之邊境，立陶宛隨之宣布進入緊急狀態。

The tensions are part of a standoff between Brussels and Minsk that escalated in May when the former Soviet republic forced a Ryanair jet to land there so the authorities could arrest an opposition journalist on board. The two sides were already at odds over Lukashenko’s victory in last year’s presidential election, which was widely deemed fraudulent and which triggered huge protests against his 27-year rule.

此緊張局勢之背景，為布魯塞爾與明斯克間之僵局，此僵局在五月間惡化，由於白俄羅斯這前蘇聯共和國，強迫瑞安航空一架噴射機在白俄羅斯境內降落，以便當局逮捕機上一名反對派記者。歐盟與白俄羅斯雙方對盧卡申科贏得去年白俄羅斯總統大選一事看法已經分歧，這場選舉廣被認為是舞弊，引發了反對盧卡申科二十七年統治的大規模抗議。

EU penalties over the vote — and the crackdown on demonstrators that ensued — were criticized as toothless, but the plane incident sparked measures targeting Belarus’ aviation sector and, more recently, its key industries. The tensions have left Lukashenko reliant on Russia’s Vladimir Putin for support.

對於該選舉，以及隨後當局對示威者的鎮壓，歐盟對白俄羅斯的懲罰被批評為沒有約束力。但飛機事件引發了針對白俄羅斯航空業，以及最近的對該國關鍵產業的制裁措施。緊張的局勢，讓盧卡申科向俄羅斯總統弗拉迪米爾‧普丁尋求依靠。

Lukashenko threatened in a speech in May to send drugs and illegal migrants into the EU unchecked, with Lithuania a prime target as it has become a temporary home for the president’s political rivals. The number of undocumented immigrants — mostly from Iraq — crossing from Belarus jumped to 822 through July 2 this year from 81 in the whole of 2020.

盧卡申科在五月一次演說中威脅，將不再約束毒品及非法移民，任其進入歐盟，尤其是立陶宛，因為立陶宛已成為盧卡申科政敵的臨時庇護所。由白俄羅斯入境的無證移民（主要來自伊拉克），從二?二?年全年的八十一人，已躍升至今年截至七月二日的八百二十二人。

A still image obtained by Reuters shows a flight path of Ryanair FR4978 on May 23 on its way from Athens, Greece to Lithuanian capital Vilnius and diverted to Minsk, Belarus when flying over the country. Citing a “bomb threat,” Belarusian flight controllers ordered the jet to land in Minsk, where authorities arrested Roman Protasevich, a dissident journalist who was on board. Sharing a 679-kilometer border, the Lithuania-Belarus tensions reflect the struggles between EU and Russia — the great powers behind them.

路透社取得之五月二十三日瑞安航空FR4978班機飛行路線，顯示該班機原訂由希臘雅典飛往立陶宛首都維爾紐斯，卻在飛越白俄羅斯國境上空時，轉往明斯克。此因白俄羅斯航管人員謊稱機上有炸彈，命飛機在明斯克降落，白俄羅斯當局遂藉此逮捕搭乘該機之異議記者羅曼?普羅塔塞維奇。立陶宛與白俄羅斯之邊界長六百七十九公里，兩國之衝突反應出其背後兩大勢力——歐盟及俄羅斯——之角力。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/07/12/2003760685

你現在收聽的通勤學英語Podcast榮獲

• Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K167: Wimbledon ditches traditional gender distinction over players’ towels

Wimbledon will no longer provide different colored towels to men and women players after officials decided to scrap one of the last bastions of genderism.

溫布頓網球賽發放給球員的毛巾，其顏色不再因男女而有所不同。溫布頓官方先前已決定廢除這性別歧視的最後固壘之一。

Traditionally men were given two “championship” green and purple towels, while women received two “seasonal” ones, which in 2019 were pink and turquoise. But this year, for the first time, players are receiving one of each when they step on court.

傳統上，男球員會收到兩條綠、紫相間的「錦標賽」毛巾，而女球員則會收到兩條「賽季」毛巾──在二O一九年的顏色是粉紅及藍綠色相間。但是在今年，球員們上場時都會收到這兩種毛巾各一條。這是破天荒頭一遭。

A Wimbledon source said that this was one of the last male/female distinctions to go, having committed to equal pay in 2007 and equal tweets about male and female players a few years ago, and said the move was down to “progress” and a sense that the players no longer had a preference for either color.

溫布頓一位消息人士指出，溫布頓二OO七年承諾男女獎金平等，且自數年前起，所發布的推文男女球員數量平等。關於毛巾的改變是捨棄男女差別對待的最後幾項任務之一，並表示此舉是為了「進步」，以及感覺到球員們不再偏好某種顏色。

However, they confirmed there were no plans to make a new cup for the women and a new plate for the men when it comes to handing out the singles trophies.

然而，至於單打獎項之頒發，他們證實並未計畫為女子組新製作獎盃，或為男子組製作獎盤。

Meanwhile, Wimbledon have revealed that they expect to run out of their popular 34 pound towels by the middle of this week after an unexpected run on them during the opening two days of the tournament.

與此同時，溫布頓透露，其廣受歡迎的售價三十四英鎊的毛巾，在開賽頭兩天便出乎意料地熱銷，預計將於本週中旬前售罄。

In 2019 Wimbledon sold 27,419 Championships’ towels across the fortnight but had ordered a “conservative” volume — believed to be closer to 15,000 — this time round.

二O一九年，溫布頓在兩週內售出了兩萬七千四百一十九條錦標賽毛巾，但今年所準備的數量則較「保守」——據信為近一萬五千條。

That was largely due to the uncertainty surrounding the number of fans that would be allowed into Wimbledon. However, officials have been surprised by how many supporters have wanted a memento of their visit after the tournament was canceled last year.

這主要是因為不確定會有多少球迷能被准許入場。然而，溫網繼去年比賽取消後，今年想買紀念品的球迷數量之眾，令溫網官方驚訝。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/07/05/2003760289

更多通勤學英語Podcast單元:

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

精選詞彙 VOCAB Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab

語音直播 15mins Live Podcast, 就在https://www.15mins.today/15mins-live-podcast

文法練習 In-TENSE Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

歡迎到官網用email訂閱我們節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K166: Housebound flower fanciers boost sales of potted plants

With so many people staying at home to beat the COVID-19 outbreak, dallying with plants and flowers has become the latest trend. Potted plants like Swiss cheese plants, succulents and yew plum pines are all very popular and are becoming a new favorite for people to spend time on at home, and they are selling briskly both online and in physical stores.

防疫宅在家，拈花惹草成了最近的流行趨勢，不管是龜背芋、多肉、羅漢松等盆栽植物都相當受歡迎，成了宅在家消磨時間的新寵，不管是網路或者實體店面都熱銷。

The level 3 epidemic prevention measures are causing people to go out less than usual, so many of us have no choice but to stay at home watching TV and following drama series. Potted plants have also become a fashionable trend that is boosting sales of all kinds of plants. Home deliveries are doing especially well, with business on the up and up.

三級防疫少出門，許多人只好待在家，看電視、追劇，而玩盆栽最近也成為流行的趨勢，使得各種盆栽植物的銷量大增，尤其是宅配更是夯的不得了，業務量大增。

A Pingtung County gardening business owner surnamed Liu says that in the past plant fanciers were mostly those who like to stay at home or are getting on in years, but recently, with the rise of the Internet, potted plants can also be delivered to your doorstep. With the serious outbreak preventing people from going out, some young people have also started mucking around with plants. Succulents, for example, are mostly grown in small pots, are quite cheap and do not require much care. One kind of houseplant that is currently popular is Swiss cheese plants. They are easy to care for, look pretty and are not particularly expensive, so they are very popular with consumers. Sales of Swiss cheese plants for home growing have grown by about three to four times since the current disease-control measure were imposed. As for yew plum pines, they are relatively expensive and a bit tricky for first-time growers, so you need to know a thing or two about plants to make them grow well and look beautiful. The stay-at-home economy during this epidemic-control period is as hard to predict as the outbreak itself.

屏東劉姓園藝業者表示，以往拈花惹草都是喜歡在家或有些年紀的人居多，但最近因為網路興起，盆栽也能宅配送達，在疫情嚴峻、無法出門的情況下，也有年輕人開始玩起了盆栽植物，像多肉盆栽是以小盆栽為主，價格便宜、不必管理；現在流行的觀葉植物龜背芋則是照顧容易，外型漂亮，價格不是特別高，所以相當受到消費者歡迎，在這段防疫期間龜背芋的宅配銷售量更增加了約三到四倍，而羅漢松則是價格較高，入門的技巧有難度，因此玩的人對植物要有一定的了解，才能讓植物長的好又漂亮。防疫期間的宅經濟就像疫情一樣，讓人難以預料。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/06/29/2003759957

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: 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。

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。」Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/06/21/2003738560

Topic: 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。」Source article: http://iservice.ltn.com.tw/Service/english/english.php?engno=1094368&day=2017-04-15

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。據追縱全球纜車計畫的「纜車計畫」，另有6個拉丁美洲城市欲興建纜車系統。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/309111/web/

15句職場加分慣用語

1. 慣用語特性

• 多數不是字面意思

Sports:

A ballpark figure – 粗估的數據an approximate number

E.g. My boss gave me a ballpark figure for marketing this year. It wasn’t much.

Get the ball rolling – 開始/啟動get started

E.g. Let’s not wait for everyone, let’s get the ball rolling.

Keep your eyes on the ball – 保持警覺to stay alert

E.g. This project is very important to the company, we need to keep our eyes on the ball.

To touch base with sb. – 與某人聯繫contact sb.

E.g. I will touch base with our supplier next week.

The ball is in sb. court – 某人需要做抉擇sb. is the decision maker

E.g. The ball is in your court now, you can decide what you want to do.

Get / Go

Get sb. up to speed – 更新最新狀況to update somebody on the current situation

E.g. Amy is new to the project, please get her up to speed.

Get sth. off the ground – 讓某事成功make sth. successful / start

E.g. To get the business off the ground, we need to hire an experienced manager.

Get down to business – 開始談正經事stop making small talk and start to talk business

E.g. Let’s stop the small talk and get down to business.

Go the extra mile – 多做一些to do more than what people expect

E.g. I recommend Peter to join your team because he always go the extra mile.

Go-to guy / girl – 領域專家the expert in a specific area

E.g. When it comes to computers, Jack is my go-to guy.

Common idioms

In the black vs. In the red – 獲利vs. 虧損to make profit vs. to make a loss

E.g. Our company performance was in the black for the 1st quarter.

(Do something) By the book – 做事守規矩to do things following the rules

E.g. Ariel is a good team member and she always work by the book.

(Sb.) Hit the nail on the head – 精準分析/解決be accurate about something

E.g. You hit the nail on the head by asking about the budget first.

To think outside the box – 跳脫框架思考to think creatively

E.g. To make this product sell in the market, we need to think outside the box.

On the same page – 有相同的了解to share the same understanding

E.g. Peter and I are on the same page when it comes to selling our product online.

更多通勤學英語Podcast單元:

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

精選詞彙 VOCAB Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab

語音直播 15mins Live Podcast, 就在https://www.15mins.today/15mins-live-podcast

文法練習 In-TENSE Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

歡迎到官網用email訂閱我們節目更新通知。

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更多通勤學英語Podcast單元:

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

精選詞彙 VOCAB Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab

語音直播 15mins Live Podcast, 就在https://www.15mins.today/15mins-live-podcast

文法練習 In-TENSE Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

歡迎到官網用email訂閱我們節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K165: About COVID - COVID ’vaccination persuasion’ teams reap rewards in Turkey

A coronavirus "vaccination persuasion" initiative is gearing up to be rolled out across Turkey after proving a resounding success in a district in the country’s south-east.

一項新冠病毒「接種疫苗勸說」倡議在土耳其東南部一個地區證明成效卓著後，正加緊在全國各地推出。

Since February, doctors and healthcare workers in the mainly Kurdish city of Adıyaman have been calling people in age groups already eligible for the vaccine to ask why they have not come to clinics for appointments.

醫師和醫護人員2月起在以庫德族為主的阿德亞曼市，打電話給符合接種年齡資格的族群，詢問他們為什麼沒有到診所預約接種。

Then, equipped with cooler boxes full of vaccine vials, they fan out across the rural area to visit patients who are still reluctant.

然後，他們帶著裝滿疫苗針劑的保冷箱，在這個鄉村地區四處拜訪仍不願去接種疫苗的患者。

It is working, boosting the vaccine take-up rate among the 250,000 strong population scattered across the province’s central district by nearly 30%.

此舉確實發揮作用，將散佈該省中心地區約25萬人口的疫苗接種率，提高了將近30%。

Next Article

Vax and scratch: NY offers $5M lottery for newly vaccinated 接種疫苗刮刮樂：紐約提供500萬美元彩券給最近接種者

Anyone who gets vaccinated at select state-run vaccination sites in New York next week will receive a lottery scratch ticket with prizes potentially worth millions, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo tries to boost slowing vaccination rates.

由於紐約州長古莫試圖提高趨緩的疫苗接種率，下週在該州選定的州設疫苗接種站施打疫苗者，將會拿到一張可能包含價值高達數百萬美元獎金的刮刮樂彩券。

The pilot program will offer prizes from $20 up to $5 million and run from Monday, May 24 to Friday, May 28 at 10 state-run sites.

這項試行計畫將提供從20美元到上看500萬美元的獎金，從5月24日週一到5月28日週五，在10個州設站點執行。

The governor said there’s a one in nine chance of winning a scratch ticket prize in New York, which is joining other states, including Ohio, with similar lottery incentives. Only residents 18 and older are eligible.

包括俄亥俄等其他州也提供類似的彩券誘因，這位州長說，紐約刮刮樂中獎機率為9分之1。僅18歲及以上居民有資格。

New York also plans to set up pop-up vaccination sites at seven airports across the state for U.S. residents, including airport workers.

紐約州也打算在該州境內7處機場為包含機場工作人員在內的美國居民設立臨時接種站。

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1452359;https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1451604

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• Apple Podcast 2020年十大熱門節目

每日英語跟讀 Ep.K164 : EU court says YouTube may be liable for copyright breaches

The EU’s top court on Tuesday last week said online platforms like YouTube can in some circumstances be held responsible for copyrighted material illegally uploaded by users.

歐盟最高法院上週二表示，YouTube等線上平台對於用戶非法上傳受版權保護之內容，在某些情況下可能要負起責任。

The preliminary ruling will likely be welcomed by German music producer Frank Peterson who has been locked in a long-running legal battle with YouTube over unauthorized uploads featuring British artist Sarah Brightman.

德國音樂製作人法蘭克‧彼得森應會對這項初步裁決感到歡迎，他與YouTube已纏訟多時，因為YouTube上有未經授權而上傳的英國藝人莎拉‧布萊曼之演出。

The Court of Justice of the European Union found that generally speaking, YouTube and the likes are not responsible for users posting protected content without permission.

歐盟法院裁定，一般而言，YouTube及類似之平台，對用戶未經許可發布受保護之內容毋須負責。

“Operators of online platforms do not, in principle, themselves make a communication to the public of copyright-protected content illegally posted online by users of those platforms,” judges said.

法官表示，「若用戶非法上傳受版權保護之內容，網路平台營運商原則上不會自行告知大眾」。

But the situation changes once operators of such sites are made aware of copyright breaches and fail to act “expeditiously” to remove or block the content and ensure that the infringements do not recur, they said.

但法官也表示，一旦此類網站的營運商得知有侵害版權之情事，且未能「迅速有效地」採取行動移除或屏蔽該內容並確保侵權不再發生，情況就不同了。

Operators can also be liable for copyright violations if they refrain from putting in place technological tools to “credibly and effectively” fight against illegal uploads.

若營運商不採用技術工具來「可靠且有效地」打擊非法上傳，他們也可能要負侵害版權的法律責任。

In a response to Tuesday’s ruling, YouTube said it “supports rights holders being paid their fair share.”

YouTube在回應上週二的裁決時，表示它「支持權利所有人獲得應得之報酬」。

“That’s why we’ve invested in state of the art copyright tools which have created an entirely new revenue stream for the industry,” it said in a statement.

「這就是我們投資最先進版權管理工具之原因，這些工具為這個產業創造了全新的收益來源」，YouTube在一份聲明中表示。Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/06/28/2003759901