通勤學英語 15Mins Today

Summary:

Over the past few months, South Korea has scrambled to put together a new system that has proven to be extremely effective with COVID-19 testing of citizens. It is 20 minutes faster than getting the test done at hospitals or public health centers. Other countries have followed the same method to achieve better testing results. 

Korean fashion designers want to embrace all generations in their fashion lineups and now senior fashion models are becoming popular. 

原討論文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-818-about-s-korea-drive-thru-clinics-korea-s-new

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

 

Checkup n. – a medical examination

Every year I would go to NTU hospital for a checkup.

I told my boss that I would be getting a health checkup next Friday. 

Drive-thru adj. n.- a facility that people can be served by just driving their cars through

When I was a young boy, I love going with my dad to drive-thru car wash to get the car washed.

When you are driving around with children, Mcdonalds drive-thru is the best place to get the children fed without having to get off the car.

Runway n. – ground for aircraft to take off or land / a aisle or stage for fashion. Shows

At Songshan airport, there are many cafes around where you can watch the airplanes take off or land on the runway.

Fashion models have to train hours on the runway before they can audition for a fashion show.

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.863: Silence is golden for whales as lockdown reduces ocean noise

In cities, human lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic have offered some respite to the natural world, with clear skies and the return of wildlife to waterways. Now evidence of a drop in underwater noise pollution has led experts to predict the crisis may also be good news for whales and other sea mammals.

在都市中，人類在武漢肺炎肆虐全球期間實施的封城措施，為自然世界提供了喘息的機會，天空澄澈，野生動植物也重返水路，現在更出現水下噪音汙染降低的確切證據。專家學者預測，這場危機對鯨豚和其他海洋哺乳類動物而言，或許是好事一樁。

Researchers examining real-time underwater sound signals from seabed observatories run by Ocean Networks Canada near the port of Vancouver found a significant drop in low-frequency sound associated with ships. David Barclay, assistant professor of oceanography at Dalhousie University, the co-author of a paper reviewing the phenomena, examined sound power — a way of measuring “loudness” — in the 100 Hz range from two sites, one inland and one farther offshore. He found a significant drop in noise from both.

研究人員近日檢驗溫哥華港附近、由「加拿大海洋網絡倡議」營運的海床觀測站所傳回的即時水下聲音訊號，發現和船舶相關的低頻聲響明顯降低。達爾豪斯大學的海洋學助理教授戴維．巴克萊是探討此現象的研究共同作者之一，他檢驗兩處地點所記錄到一百赫茲範圍內的「音功率」，也就是一種測量響度的方法。 一處記錄點位於內陸，另一處則是位於離岸甚遠的海中。巴克萊發現，兩處噪音的音量都大幅降低。

“Generally, we know underwater noise at this frequency has effects on marine mammals,” Barclay said. The findings of Barclay and his researchers were first published in the Narwhal. “There has been a consistent drop in noise since 1 January, which has amounted to a change of four or five decibels in the period up to 1 April,” he said. Economic data from the port showed a drop of around 20 percent in exports and imports over the same period, he said.

「一般而言，我們知道這個頻率的水下噪音會對海洋哺乳動物造成影響」，巴克萊說。他和其他研究人員的發現最初發表於新聞媒體《獨角鯨》。巴克萊指出：「水下噪音自從一月一日至今持續減少，到四月一日為止這段期間總共降低了四到五分貝。」他也提到，溫哥華港的經濟資料顯示，同一時期的進出口量大約減少了百分之二十。

The deep ocean site, around 60km from the shipping lanes and in 3,000m of water, also showed a drop in average weekly noise of 1.5 decibels, or around a 15 percent decrease in power, Barclay said. “This gives us an idea of the scale over which this reduction in noise can be observed.”

巴克萊表示，距離船舶航道約六十公里、水深三千米的深海測量點，平均每週記錄到的噪音也降低了一點五分貝，換算後功率減少百分之十五。「這提供我們一個像比例尺的概念，藉以觀察噪音的減少程度。」

The reduction in ship traffic in the ocean, which Barclay compares to a “giant human experiment,” has had scientists racing to find out the effect on marine life. “We are facing a moment of truth,” said Michelle Fournet, a marine acoustician at Cornell University, who studies humpback whales in south-east Alaska. “We have an opportunity to listen — and that opportunity to listen will not appear again in our lifetime.”

巴克萊將海洋中的船舶交通運量減少比喻為一次「超大型人類實驗」，此現象已促使許多科學家競相探索其對於海洋生物造成的影響。在阿拉斯加東南部研究座頭鯨的康乃爾大學海洋聲學家米歇爾．富內特指出：「我們眼下面對一個關鍵時刻。」她進一步解釋：「現在是傾聽海洋的大好良機，而這個機會這輩子不會再出現第二次。」

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when ship and air traffic fell in North America, US researchers were similarly able to study whales in a quieter ocean, with a landmark study concluding that ship noise was associated with chronic stress in baleen whales. “We have a generation of humpbacks that have never known a quiet ocean,” said Fournet, whose work has shown that the whales alter their calling behavior in response to a noisy ocean.

在九一一恐怖攻擊事件發生後，北美的船舶與空中交通運量一度大幅降低，美國科學家曾經利用這個類似的機會，在比較安靜的海中研究鯨豚，最終催生出一項具有指標意義的研究，指出船舶噪音與鬚鯨的慢性壓力相關。富內特表示：「有一整個世代的座頭鯨從來不曾看過安靜的海洋。」富內特的研究曾發現座頭鯨會因應吵雜的海洋環境，改變它們呼叫的行為。

Late April usually marks the beginning of the cruise ship season in south-east Alaska, with the boats docking at Vancouver before heading north. This year the health crisis has halted them. “What we know about whales in south-east Alaska is that when it gets noisy they call less, and when boats go by they call less,” said Fournet. “I expect what we might see is an opportunity for whales to have more conversation and to have more complex conversation.”

四月下旬通常代表阿拉斯加東南部的遊輪季節正式開始，船隻在向北行駛之前會先停泊在溫哥華。今年，武漢肺炎造成的健康危機使得郵輪全數停擺。富內特表示：「關於阿拉斯加東南部的鯨魚，我們所知道的是，它們在環境嘈雜時比較少呼喚彼此，船隻經過時也是如此。」她接著指出：「我期待能看到一個讓鯨魚進行更多、更複雜對話的機會。」

Ocean scientists worldwide, many of whom are unable to carry out practical work due to the pandemic, are desperate to collect data from this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to listen. Nathan Merchant, a bioacoustics expert at the UK government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) in Lowestoft, said: “We are on tenterhooks waiting to see what our records are saying.” Cefas has hydrophones to collect noise data on four sites: two in the North Sea, one in Plymouth and one near Bangor.

世界各地的海洋科學家迫切想要藉這個千載難逢的機會收集資料，但是其中許多人受疫情影響無法實際進行工作。英國政府機構「環境、漁業和水產養殖科學中心」的生物聲學專家納森‧墨爾強說：「我們現在如坐針氈，迫不及待想要看到紀錄顯示的結果。」科學中心目前在英國四個地點設有水中收音器，用以收集噪音資料，其中兩處位於北海，一處位於普利茅斯，另一處則靠近威爾斯的班戈市。

Merchant said there have been international efforts to coordinate the work of monitoring underwater noise. “We will be looking at how the coronavirus is affecting underwater noise throughout Europe, so this work out of Canada will be the first of many,” he said. He and his colleagues have long been discussing how they could ever conduct an experiment to make the ocean quieter, in order to find out what benefit it would have. “We have this natural experiment going on. Of course it is a terrible crisis, but we may as well get on and look at the data, to find out what effect it is having.”

墨爾強表示，目前國際間正在努力協調水下噪音的監測工作。他說：「我們將仔細觀察新冠病毒會如何影響歐洲各地的水面下噪音，因此這份加拿大研究會是眾多相關研究裡面的第一份。」長期以來，墨爾強和同事都在討論到底該如何進行實驗，才能讓海洋變得安靜一點，藉此找出可能的裨益。他表示：「現在有了這場自然界的實驗，而且仍在持續中。當然，這是一場慘烈的危機，但是我們倒不如繼續做事，觀察數據，找出它正在造成的影響。」

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/05/17/2003736527

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.862: Calgary Zoo returning pandas to China due to bamboo barriers

The Calgary Zoo will be returning two giant pandas on loan from China because a scarcity of flights due to COVID-19 has caused problems with getting enough bamboo to feed them. Er Shun and Da Mao arrived in Canada in 2014 as part of a 10-year agreement between Canada and China. After spending five years at the Toronto Zoo, the two adult giant pandas arrived at the Calgary Zoo in March 2018 with cubs Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue.

加拿大卡加利動物園將歸還從中國借來的兩隻貓熊，因為武漢肺炎所造成的航班稀缺，沒辦法運來足夠的竹子來餵養貓熊。加拿大和中國簽署了一份為期十年的協議，貓熊二順與大毛便在二?一四來到了加拿大。牠們在多倫多動物園待了五年，後來這兩隻貓熊和牠們所生的小貓熊加盼盼和加悅悅一起到了卡加利動物園。

The zoo’s president, Clement Lanthier, said last week the facility spent months trying to overcome transportation barriers in acquiring fresh bamboo and decided it’s best for the animals to be in China, where their main food source is abundant.

卡加利動物園園長克萊蒙‧蘭提耶上週表示，園方花了數月的時間嘗試解決新鮮竹子的運補問題，後來做出結論——對這些貓熊來說，待在中國是最好的，因為在中國，牠們有充裕的主食來源。

“It’s about the animals. At the end of the day, we cannot pretend that we care for animals if we don’t take those tough decisions,” Lanthier said. “We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access.” Lanthier said the zoo had contingency plans for a steady supply of fresh bamboo, but limits on flights from China was the first problem. Transporting more from California added even more frustrations. “Every week, every 10 days there is more and more problem moving bamboo to Calgary. This risk is unacceptable. We don’t feel comfortable at all that we can impose that risk on the health and the welfare of the pandas.” According to Lanthier, the animals didn’t like some kinds of bamboo and other supplies that arrived were past their expiry point.

「這是為了動物著想。畢竟，我們如果不做出這艱難的決定，就不能假裝我們是愛護動物的」，蘭提耶說。「我們相信，在這充滿挑戰及不可預見情況的時期，對二順和大毛來說最理想、最安全的地方，就是竹子充裕且容易取得的地方」。蘭提耶表示，卡加利動物園有確保新鮮竹子穩定供應的應變計畫，但第一個問題是，來自中國的航班受到限縮。從加州運多些竹子來，就更令人挫折。「每過一週、十天，運竹子到卡加利所要面臨的問題就越來越多。這種風險是無法接受的。我們一點都不願意給貓熊的健康與福祉帶來這種風險」。蘭提耶說，貓熊不喜歡吃某些品種的竹子，以及運達時已過期的其他補給品。

Giant pandas have unique nutritional requirements and 99 percent of their diet is made up of fresh bamboo. Each adult consumes about 40kg daily. Lanthier said the news came as a bit of a shock to the Chinese government. In other locations where pandas are exhibited — such as France, Spain and parts of Asia — bamboo can be grown locally.

貓熊有獨特的營養需求，新鮮竹子佔了貓熊飲食的百分之九十九。每隻成年貓熊每天要吃大約四十公斤的竹子。蘭提耶說，決定送還貓熊的消息令中國政府感到震驚。在其他展示貓熊的地方——例如法國、西班牙和一些亞洲地區——當地都可以種植竹子。

He said the pandas had been one of the biggest draws at the Calgary Zoo, but the decision wasn’t one about business. “It’s based on animal welfare. I cannot imagine if one day, two days, three days in a row I am unable to provide the bamboo. That would be catastrophic.” There’s no date for when the pandas will return home. Lanthier doesn’t want the Canadian and Chinese governments to delay things. “We need the federal government and the Chinese government to expedite the permit process, so we can move them back to where this risk of not getting their next meal will be managed differently,” he said.

他說，貓熊是卡加利動物園吸引遊客的最大賣點之一，但送還貓熊這個決定跟生意無關。

「這是基於動物的福利。我不能想像如果連續一天、兩天、三天無法提供竹子。那會很悲慘」。貓熊送回中國的日期尚未確定。蘭提耶不希望加拿大和中國政府拖延此事。他說：「我們需要聯邦政府和中國政府加快許可證辦理程序，以便我們將貓熊運送到不用擔心下一餐沒著落的地方」。

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/05/19/2003736635

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.861: About the US - Biden makes end run around Trump as the president dominates the national stage

For the local TV news viewers in Pittsburgh, Joe Biden offered a dash of dad humor, making a play on the state’s nickname："Pennsylvania is not only the Keystone State, it is the key" to winning the White House, he said.

對匹茲堡的地方電視台新聞節目的觀眾而言，（美國前副總統）拜登講了一個俏皮話，拿該州的暱稱來玩文字遊戲：「賓州不只是拱心石州」，也是拿下白宮的「關鍵」（譯註：keystone指拱心石，但有基礎、主旨之意，key除了意指鑰匙，也有關鍵之意）。

Speaking on a broadly aired Hispanic radio show based in Los Angeles, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee promised that on his first day in office he’d push for an overhaul to the country’s immigration rules, a topic he has rarely addressed.

在洛杉磯的一個廣為放送的西班牙語系廣播節目中，這位幾乎篤定被提名的民主黨總統候選人承諾，他上台第一天就會推動全面改革美國的移民規定——這是他向來鮮少提及的主題。

And early Wednesday morning on "The Late Late Show with James Corden," the 77-year-old provided some insight on whether he’d run for a second term if he won a first. The decision on a second term would be made "three years out," he said.

週三一早在「詹姆斯柯爾登深夜秀」中，這位77歲的政壇老將對於他倘若當選是否會尋求連任，提供見解：他說，他會在「3年後」就是否連任做出定奪。

Next Article:

South Texas ER doctor self-isolates in his kids’ treehouse 南德州急診室醫師在孩子的樹屋自我隔離

Dr. Jason Barnes, who’s treating patients with the novel coronavirus, made a temporary home of his children’s treehouse in the backyard of the family’s Corpus Christi home.

正在治療新型冠狀病毒患者的傑森．巴恩斯醫師，將科珀斯克里斯蒂市自家後院裡孩子們的樹屋，暫時當成居所。

The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.

這種新型冠狀病毒會讓大部分人產生輕中度症狀，但也可能導致老年或本身有健康問題的人，面臨重症或死亡。

Barnes said that he has spent nearly three weeks in the cabin treehouse and often shouts down to his kids if he needs something, or sometimes walks up to the back of their home to make his request.

巴恩斯說，他已住在小樹屋將近3週，需要什麼東西時就大聲呼喊孩子，有時也會走去住宅後方表達要求。

"They’re within yelling distance," he said. "I can call or go up to the glass. They know not to open the door and risk catching something." Of course, this self-isolation means his two sons, ages 6 and 9, lose their playhouse. "They love that thing, but they understand, so they’re not missing the treehouse."

他說：「家人都在喊得到的距離內，我可以叫他們或走到玻璃窗邊，他們知道不要冒著可能被傳染上什麼的風險開門。」當然，這種自我隔離方式意味著，他的兩名6歲和9歲兒子失去玩耍的天地，「他們喜愛樹屋，但他們了解現況，所以不會想念。」

Source article:https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1372660 ;https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1372899

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.860: About Thailand - Thailand’s pet groomer reopens as new coronavirus cases slow

Chewy and Miley, both two-year-old Schnauzer dogs, are getting their hair cut at a groomer in Bangkok for the first time since the new coronavirus outbreak began in Thailand in January.

都是2歲的雪納瑞楚伊和麥莉，從新型冠狀病毒1月開始在泰國爆發以來，第1次在曼谷讓美容師剪毛。

Pet grooming shops are among a handful of businesses that the Thai government allowed to reopen this week, following the decline in the number of new coronavirus cases.

冠狀病毒新增病例數下降後，寵物美容店成了泰國政府允許本週恢復營業的少數商業活動之一。

Extra precautionary measures that accompanied the reopening to prevent a new round of outbreak mean that the owners of Chewy and Miley are no longer allowed inside the shop.

用來防止新一波爆發的額外預防措施隨重新開業上路，意謂著楚伊和麥莉的主人不再獲准進入店裡。

Instead, they have to make an appointment and pick a hairstyle for their dogs in advance. They then drop off their pooches in a sterilised basket behind a plastic barrier in front of the shop. None of the dogs’ personal accessories are allowed into the shop.

取而代之，他們必須預約並先幫愛犬挑個髮型。然後，他們把狗狗放在店舖前方一道塑膠柵欄後面一個消毒過的籃子裡。狗狗自己的配件都不准進店裡。

“Instead of being able to groom more than 10 dogs during the whole day, we can only take about five in order for us to practise social distancing,” said Sukhum Nuangjanpat, the owner of Modern Dog Grooming and School shop.

「摩登狗狗美容與學校」商店老闆蘇坤．努恩姜峇說，「不再是一整天可幫超過10隻狗理毛，我們為了執行社交距離，大概只能接5隻。」

Next Article:

Clawing back normality: Bangkok cat cafe reopens after virus shutdown 回到常態：曼谷貓咖啡廳在因病毒歇業後重新開放

As Thailand’s capital cautiously reopens many restaurants shuttered over coronavirus fears, the feline “employees” of the Caturday Cafe are back at work.

隨著泰國首都謹慎恢復許多先前在冠狀病毒恐懼下關閉的餐廳營業，「貓週末咖啡廳」的貓「員工們」返回工作崗位了。

The few dozen friendly cats typically lounge around the cafe, breaking up naptime to saunter over to human customers for snuggles and belly rubs.

幾十隻親切貓咪通常在咖啡廳周圍閒晃，午睡時間結束就漫步走向人類顧客，討抱抱或摸肚肚。

The friendly furballs give some much-needed outside contact for Thais who have mostly been confined to home during weeks of semi-lockdown with most non-essential businesses closed.

這些友善的小毛球提供給好幾週以來大多關在家的泰國人，一些亟需的外在接觸，那段期間半封城，多數非必須商業活動不營業。

Like other businesses across Thailand, the cafe has new rules aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. Before entering, customers must have their temperature checked and wash their hands, and once inside must wear a mask at all times.

如同泰國其他商店，這間咖啡廳有新規則來遏制病毒擴散。入店之前，顧客必須檢查體溫和清洗雙手，一旦進門就必須一直戴著口罩。

As an extra precaution, the cats have dry baths, their fur brushed and eyes cleaned every day.

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1373101 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1371500

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.859: About SKorea - S.Korea beefing up equipment for second wave of COVID-19 

Korean health authorities said Thursday they were beefing up medical equipment against a potential massive coronavirus outbreak, saying the country could face another round worse than the initial outbreak in Daegu.

南韓衛生當局週四說，他們正充實對抗一波潛在大規模冠狀病毒爆發的醫療裝備，還表示該國恐面臨另一波比大邱最初爆發更嚴重的疫情。

"Right now we have no shortage of ecmo（extracorporeal membrane oxygenation）devices and quarantine beds," Yoon Tae-ho, a senior Health Ministry official, said. "But we’re preparing for the possibility of a bigger outbreak."

「現在我們沒有缺乏葉克膜（體外膜氧合）設備和隔離病床」，保健福祉部高級官員尹泰皓說。「但我們正為一波更大爆發的可能性做準備。」

Health authorities said they are aiming to begin clinical trials of plasma therapy using captured plasma from virus survivors in July, though the treatment has yet to demonstrate concrete effectiveness. They added there have been three domestic cases of the treatments.

衛生當局說，他們正打算於7月開始運用從感染病毒的倖存者體內取得之血漿進行血漿療法臨床試驗，儘管這種療法尚未展現出具體效果。他們補充說，國內已有3起這種治療案例。

Next Article:

From Itaewon to Hongdae, coronavirus spread through karaoke rooms 從梨泰院到弘大 冠狀病毒透過卡拉OK包廂擴散

Karaoke rooms emerged as a route of secondary and tertiary transmissions of COVID-19. Health authorities have identified a link between recent five infections at the university district of Hongdae, western Seoul, and cases linked to nightclubs and bars in Itaewon － the same karaoke room.

Karaoke包廂成為2019冠狀病毒病的第2種及第3種傳染途徑。衛生當局已發現最近在首爾西部的弘大（私立弘益大學）校區之5起感染，與梨泰院的夜店及酒吧相關病例之間的關聯，即同一個卡拉OK包廂。

Jeong Eun-kyeong, chief of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, dismissed the possibility of spreading the virus through the ventilation system, adding the virus could have spread through droplets in the air produced by singing.

不過，南韓疾病管理本部本部長鄭銀敬反駁了經由通風系統傳播病毒的可能性，並補充說病毒當時可能是透過唱歌時在空氣中產生的飛沫傳播。

"There is a possibility that the virus was transmitted through contacts in common areas, such as toilets and resting rooms," she said at a briefing Friday. "We see the chance of transmission as being higher through sharing the same space and time than through the ventilation system."

「有一種可能性是，病毒透過在公共區域的接觸傳播，像洗手間和廁所」，她在週五舉行的簡報會上說。「我們認為，透過共用與同時處於相同空間而感染的機會，比透過通風系統更高」。

Source article:https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1368543 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1373284

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host Gavin and this is InTense Episode 48. Well guys we are busy with pronouns, and we are actually going to be doing 2 today! And I'm doing these two together because, well they have a similar trait as I will explain shortly. Now these will be reflexive pronouns, which give information about pointing back to a personal pronoun near the beginning of a sentence and they always have self or selves in them.

So, “She bought herself a new car.” So, it refers back to her whoever she was. Ok, so, “Her friends enjoyed themselves at the party.” So, who enjoyed themselves? The friends, so it refers back to that other noun thefriends. Ok, and then we have intensive pronouns that also end with self or selves, but they just add emphasis to the noun or pronoun. So, “She herself picked out the car.” So it emphasizes who picked it out, so I will do these two together, because how do we recognize these two, reflexive and intensive pronouns, they end in either self or selves and they refer back to a previous pronoun or noun. Ok, so I think the easiest will be just to do some examples. Ok, so there's gonna be 2 in one we're going to be self selves. Great, let's get started!

Did Jane do it herself? Yes, she did it herself.

Did Jane do it herself? No, she did not do it herself.

 

Did Peter buy himself a new car? Yes, he bought himself a new car.

Did Peter buy himself a new car? No, he did not buy himself a new car.

 

Did you do the work yourself? Yes, I did the work myself.

Did you do the work yourself? No, I did not do the work myself.

 

Did John blame himself? Yes, he blamed himself.

Did John blame himself? No, he did not blame himself.

 

Did Peter and Andrew start the company themselves? Yes, they started the company themselves.

Did Peter and Andrew start the company themselves?

 

No, they did not start the company themselves.

 

Do you want to do it yourself? Yes, I want to do it myself.

Do you want to do it yourself? No, I do not want to do it myself.

 

Did they buy themselves a house? Yes, they bought themselves a house.

Did they buy themselves a house? No, they did not buy themselves a house.

 

Are you by yourself? Yes, I am by myself.

Are you by yourself? No, I am not by myself.

Well, there you go guys. Easy to recognize these two, they end with self or selves. And just on a side note, there’s that famous song All By Myself. Now you know it's either a reflexive pronoun or an intensive pronoun. Personally, I wouldn't bother about the difference as long as you know they are pronouns, that would be great. Ok, so keep practicing the questions and I'll catch you in the next one, bye!

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

Summary:

 

Burger King’s new advertising campaign is a big, moldy burger. The mold on the burger says that the burger is 100% natural and that no artificial preservatives are added in any of its ingredients. Following through on the no artificial preservatives campaign, Burger King plans to roll out its no-artificial coloring and flavors in its sandwiches, desserts, and sides.

 

On the competitor’s side, Mcdonalds is rolling out new merchandise that will reinforce the brand. New food scented candles are rolled out as fan club merchandises. The candles come with scents including, 100% fresh beef, ketchup, onions, cheese, pickles, and bread. The whole goal is to appeal to the Instagram generation that will display their fandom for Mcdonalds and ultimately become its brand ambassadors online.

 

原討論文章: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-813-about-fast-foods-burger-king-breaks-the

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

Artificial adj. – produced by humans rather than occurring naturally

Jelly is made from artificial flavors and gelatin.

 

In order to make the food colors brighter, food producers would add artificial colors to brighten the product.

 

Preservative n. – substance to preserve food, wood, or any material from decay

Food companies add preservatives to preserve processed food for longer periods.

 

Natural preservatives for food include salt, sugar, and vinegar.

 

Ingenious adj. – clever, original, inventive

Burger King’s ingenious marketing campaign pushed Mcdonalds to come up with a creative marketing campaign of their own.

 

Cybertruck by Tesla has an ingenious exterior design.

 

Merchandise n. – products to be bought or sold

Many brands will use merchandise as giveaways during conferences or fan meets.

 

Youtubers make their money from advertisers and by selling merchandise.

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.858: Nonprofits Struggling to Survive in a Time of Greatest Need

 

It took Stephanie Cartier nearly three years to open No Limits, a central New Jersey cafe operated by people with intellectual disabilities. That was early February. It took only a few days in March to close the 65-seat restaurant indefinitely.

史蒂芬妮．卡地爾花了近三年，才在美國新澤西州中部開設「無限」咖啡簡餐館，聘用智能障礙者服務。這家65個座位的餐廳二月初才開幕，到了三月卻在短短幾天之間就宣告不支，無限期歇業。

Customers dwindled as fears of the coronavirus increased. There was not enough cash coming in to pay the staff.

Nonprofits like No Limits are ubiquitous in the United States: built on a dream, dedicated to good works, thinly capitalized. Like so much in American life, they have been upended — perhaps temporarily, maybe forever.

社會日益害怕新冠肺炎，這家咖啡館的客人少了。現金進帳不足以支付員工薪資。無限咖啡館這類非營利組織在美國到處都有：以夢想為基礎，致力於慈善，資金有限。非營利組織就跟美國生活的諸多面向一樣被顛覆，也許是暫時，也可能是永遠。

Crucial spring fundraisers and conferences have been canceled or moved to less lucrative online venues. Donors are stretched in many directions, preoccupied with their own problems and much less flush than they were two months ago.

至關重要的春季募款活動和會議若非取消，就是改為募款所得沒那麼多的線上形式。捐款人在許多方面承受過大壓力，為他們自己的問題煩心，而且財富比兩個月前少得多。

Nonprofits that are paid by local governments said new rules against large gatherings were making their services impossible to deliver, placing their existence at risk.

接受地方政府資助的非營利組織說，禁止大型集會的新規定使它們不可能提供服務，導致生存陷入危機。

In an ordinary disaster, no matter how severe the impact, there is a border beyond which life is normal. said Tim Delaney, chief executive of the National Council of Nonprofits.“Here there is no border,” he said. “We see the first tidal wave coming in, but know there will be a second, a third and a fourth after it.”

美國非營利組織協會執行長德雷尼說，一般天災，不論衝擊多嚴重，總還有條邊界，邊界之外生活仍維持正常，「現在這裡沒有邊界，我們看到第一波海嘯進來，還知道會有第二、第三和第四波」。

Relief efforts are underway. Foundations, traditionally not among the spryest of organizations, learned from 9/11 and severe hurricanes that they could move fast. They are quickly retooling to disburse emergency money and relax reporting requirements that are suddenly impossible to meet.

救援工作已在進行。各基金會傳統上不是最活躍的組織，卻從911事件和超強颶風的經驗了解到自己可以快速行動。基金會迅速調整以撥出緊急資金，並將突然間變得不可能達到的通報規定放寬。

Bloomberg Philanthropies, Carnegie Corp. of New York, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and 23 other foundations as well as individual donors have created a $78 million COVID-19 rescue fund for New York City nonprofits.

彭博慈善事業、紐約卡內基基金會、桃莉杜克慈善基金會和其他23個基金會與個別捐款人，已設立總額7800萬美元的新冠肺炎急難基金，援助紐約市的非營利組織。

The committees deciding who gets what are making “Talmudic decisions — they are weighing equally compelling choices,” said Lorie Slutsky, president of the New York Community Trust, which is administering the new fund. “Human service agencies are on the front lines now, but the economic footprint of the arts in New York City is outsized, and we want to preserve as many of those as possible who live on fumes.”

管理這筆基金的紐約社區信託基金會的主席羅莉．史勒茨基說，決定哪個組織能得到多少的委員會，是在「計較細微末節，在必要性相當的選擇中做取捨。社會服務機構目前處在第一線，但紐約市藝文組織的經濟影響力太大了，我們想要盡可能多拯救些快要斷炊的組織」。

Nonprofits on the front lines have been forced to be nimble. Meals on Wheels People in Portland, Oregon, closed its 22 neighborhood dining locations March 13 and switched to a no-touch delivery system for its 15,000 clients. To reduce contact even more, deliveries are made only three days a week, although they include more than one meal.

處在前線的非營利組織不得不靈活應變。俄勒岡州波特蘭市「讓行動不便長者吃到飯」組織，3月13日關閉22個社區共餐點，轉而為其1萬5000名服務對象提供無接觸送餐。為了更進一步減少接觸，一周只送餐三天，不過一次不只送一餐。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/352704/web/

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。

每日英語跟讀 Ep.857: One billion people will live in insufferable heat within 50 years

 

The human cost of the climate crisis will hit harder, wider and sooner than previously believed, according to a new study that shows a billion people will either be displaced or forced to endure insufferable heat for every additional 1 degree Celsius rise in the global temperature.

研究指出，人類為氣候危機付出的代價將會比先前認為的更嚴重、更廣泛，而且更快發生。這份新研究顯示，每當全球溫度額外上升攝氏一度，就會有十億人口流離失所，或是被迫忍受難以承受的高溫。

In a worst-case scenario of accelerating emissions, areas currently home to a third of the world’s population will be as hot as the hottest parts of the Sahara within 50 years, the paper warns. Even in the most optimistic outlook, 1.2 billion people will fall outside the comfortable “climate niche” in which humans have thrived for at least 6,000 years.

該論文警告，在溫室氣體加速排放的最壞情況下，目前三分之一世界人口居住的地區，將會在五十年內變得跟撒哈拉沙漠最熱的區域一樣酷熱難耐。就算在最樂觀的觀點中，也會有十二億人口被排除在人類繁衍超過六千年的舒適「氣候棲位」範圍之外。

The authors of the study said they were “floored” and “blown away” by the findings because they had not expected our species to be so vulnerable. “The numbers are flabbergasting. I literally did a double take when I first saw them,” Tim Lenton, one of the study’s co-authors, said. “I’ve previously studied climate tipping points, which are usually considered apocalyptic. But this hit home harder. This puts the threat in very human terms.” Tim Lenton is the Director of Global Systems Institute of Exeter University.

作者群表示，他們對這份研究的發現感到大為震驚、目瞪口呆，因為他們並未預料到人類物種會是如此脆弱。研究共同執筆人提姆‧連頓表示：「這些數字讓人瞠目結舌。我第一次看到這些數字時，真的重新認真看了第二次。」連頓是英國艾克斯特大學全球系統研究所的主任，他指出：「我先前研究過氣候臨界點，這個門檻通常被認為是巨大災難性的。但是，這份結果擊中人類要害的力道更強，它把威脅用非常人類化的方式呈現出來。」

Instead of looking at climate change as a problem of physics or economics, the new paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, examines how it affects the human habitat. The vast majority of humanity has always lived in regions where the average annual temperatures are around 11 to 25 degrees Celsius, which is ideal for human health and food production. But this sweet spot is shifting and shrinking as a result of manmade global heating, which drops more people into what the authors describe as “near unlivable” extremes.

日前發表於《美國國家科學院院刊》的這份研究，並非以物理學或經濟學問題角度來看待氣候變遷，而是檢驗此變化會如何影響人類棲息地。長久以來，絕大多數人類都居住在年均溫介於攝氏十一度到二十五度之間的區域，這是維持人體健康和生產食物的理想範圍。然而，人造的全球熱化正在改變這個氣溫舒適帶，而且不斷縮小其範圍，使得更多人將生活在作者群描述為「幾乎無法居住」的極端氣溫中。

Humanity is particularly sensitive because we are concentrated on land — which is warming faster than the oceans — and because most future population growth will be in already hot regions of Africa and Asia. As a result of these demographic factors, the average human will experience a temperature increase of 7.5 degrees Celsius when global temperatures reach 3 degrees Celsius, which is forecast toward the end of this century.

人類對於氣溫特別敏感，是因為我們集中生活在陸地上，而陸地暖化速度又比海洋快。另一個原因在於，大部分的未來人口增長都位於非洲和亞洲等已經很熱的地區。由於這些人口學因素，當全球氣溫如專家預測在本世紀末上升攝氏三度時，人類平均感受到的氣溫會上升攝氏七點五度。

At that level, about 30 percent of the world’s population would live in extreme heat — defined as an average temperature of 29 degrees Celsius. These conditions are currently extremely rare outside the most scorched parts of the Sahara, but with global heating of 3 degrees Celsius, they are projected to envelop 1.2 billion people in India, 485 million in Nigeria and more than 100 million in each of Pakistan, Indonesia and Sudan.

到那個程度時，約有百分之三十的世界人口會生活在極端高溫中，此定義為均溫攝氏二十九度。目前，在撒哈拉沙漠最酷熱的區域之外，這種氣候條件極端少見。不過，當全球熱化達到攝氏三度時，極端高溫預期將壟罩印度十二億人口、奈及利亞四億八千五百萬人，以及巴基斯坦、印尼和蘇丹各地超過一億人口。

This would add enormously to migration pressures and pose challenges to food production systems. “I think it is fair to say that average temperatures over 29 degrees Celsius are unlivable. You’d have to move or adapt. But there are limits to adaptation. If you have enough money and energy, you can use air conditioning and fly in food and then you might be OK. But that is not the case for most people,” said one of the lead authors of the study, Marten Scheffer of Wageningen University.

極端高溫可能大幅增加移民壓力，並且對食物生產系統造成挑戰。該研究的主要作者之一、荷蘭瓦荷寧罕大學的馬汀‧斯海佛表示：「我認為，平均溫度超過攝氏二十九度是無法生活的，這個說法很合理。面對這樣的氣候，你必須移居或是去適應，但是適應有其限度。如果你有足夠的錢和能源，打開空調然後把食物用飛機運來，這樣也許還過得下去。但是對大部分的人來說，這並不可行。」

An ecologist by training, Scheffer said the study started as a thought-experiment. He had previously studied the climate distribution of rainforests and savanna and wondered what the result would be if he applied the same methodology to humans.

斯海佛是本科系出身的生態學家，他表示這份研究一開始是以「思想實驗」的形式出發。他先前曾經研究過氣候對雨林和莽原分布造成的影響，後來想到，如果把相同的研究方法套用在人類身上，結果會是什麼。

“We know that most creatures’ habitats are limited by temperature. For example, penguins are only found in cold water and corals only in warm water. But we did not expect humans to be so sensitive. We think of ourselves as very adaptable because we use clothes, heating and air conditioning. But, in fact, the vast majority of people live — and have always lived — inside a climate niche that is now moving as never before.” “We were blown away by the magnitude,” he said. “There will be more change in the next 50 years than in the past 6,000 years.”

斯海佛指出：「我們知道，大多數生物的棲地都受到溫度限制。比如說，企鵝只會出現在寒冷的海域，珊瑚只會生長在溫暖的海水中，但是卻沒想到人類會如此敏感。我們以為自己適應能力很強，因為人類會運用衣物、暖氣或空調。可是，事實上，絕大多數的人們、而且是一直以來，都居住在一個今日變化劇烈程度前所未見的氣候棲位中。」「這個巨大程度讓我們瞠目結舌。」他表示：「接下來五十年內發生的變化會比過去六千年來還要多。」

The authors said their findings should spur policymakers to accelerate emission cuts and work together to cope with migration because each degree of warming that can be avoided will save a billion people from falling out of humanity’s climate niche. “Clearly we will need a global approach to safeguard our children against the potentially enormous social tensions the projected change could invoke,” another of the authors, Xu Chi of Nanjing University, said.

作者群表示，這些發現應會鞭策決策者加快腳步訂立減少溫室氣體排放的相關政策，並且攜手合作處理移民問題。每一段暖化程度只要能夠避免發生，就可以拯救十億人，讓他們不會掉出人類的氣候棲位外。研究作者之一、中國南京大學的徐馳表示：「我們明顯需要採取全球性行動，來保衛我們的孩子，免於遭受預期氣候變化可能引發的潛在巨大社會緊張。」

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/05/10/2003736109

 

每日英語跟讀Podcast，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing每週Vocab精選詞彙Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/vocab每週In-TENSE文法練習Podcast，就在https://www.15mins.today/in-tense

 

 

用email訂閱就可以收到通勤學英語節目更新通知。