通勤學英語 15Mins Today

Summary:

 

Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa bought the first tickets to travel on Elon Musk’s SpaceX flight around the moon. He did not only buy tickets for himself but also for a group of artists and one female partner. So, what’s the catch? On this trip, Yusaku is also making a matchmaking documentary called full moon lovers that will cover how he went on this special trip with his “special someone”. Not surprisingly, over 20,000 people entered their details and took the compatibility test on the contest website.

 

Next article is about the lack of snow in Sapporo during December and January that got the organizers of the Sapporo Snow Festival scrambling to get snow for the ice sculpture displays. How serious was the lack of snowfall? In December, Sapporo only had 41% of average monthly snowfall.

 

原討論文: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-788-about-japan-2-japanese-billionaire-s

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:

 

Documentary n. - a film or television or radio programme that provides a factual report on a particular subject

 

Supersize me was a documentary about the impact of fast food in our lives.

 

Discovery Channel offers many documentary and programs about the earth, space, and wildlife.

 

Multiple-choice questions – a question in tests that offer multiple choice answers, often with only one correct answer

 

If you want to enter into the Full Moon Lovers documentary contest, you would have to answer a few multiple-choice questions.

 

I skipped all the multiple-choice questions in my History test because I didn’t understand the questions.

 

Fret v. – be constantly anxious or visibly anxious

 

Our presentation equipment broke down and my boss began fretting over the meeting.

 

People tend to fret about the things they cannot control.

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.833: A Japanese Politician Is Taking Paternity Leave. It’s a Big Deal.

 

In a move heavy with symbolism for Japan’s workaholic fathers, Shinjiro Koizumi, a politician seen as a possible future prime minister, said on Wednesday that he would step back from his duties to care for his newborn child after the birth later this month.

 

透過對日本的工作狂父親深具象徵意義的一項舉動，被視為可能是未來日本首相的政治人物小泉進次郎週三表示，他將在本月稍後孩子出生後暫離工作崗位，以便照顧小孩。

 

By the standards of other wealthy countries, Mr. Koizumi, Japan’s environment minister, will not be away from work for long.

 

以其他富裕國家的標準來看，日本環境大臣小泉暫別工作的時間並不長。

 

But in Japan, where fathers who take time off after a birth are rare, word of Mr. Koizumi’s intentions swept social media and drew praise from supporters as setting a powerful example.

 

但在為人父者鮮少請育嬰假的日本，小泉打算請育嬰假的發言席捲社群媒體，並被支持者讚揚為樹立強而有力的示範。

 

In Japan, men are generally expected to demonstrate total loyalty to their employers, often at their families’ expense. The announcement from Mr. Koizumi, whose father, Junichiro Koizumi, was one of Japan’s most popular modern prime ministers, raised hopes that those expectations could begin to change.

 

在日本，男性通常被期待要對雇主展現十足忠誠，此等忠誠通常得犧牲家人。身為日本近代最受歡迎首相之一小泉純一郎之子，小泉（進次郎）的這番（請育嬰假的）宣言，為此等（為公司犧牲奉獻的）期許可望有所改變帶來希望。

 

Next Article:

 

Cancel them! For Olympic opponents in Japan, a delay isn’t enough 全部取消！對反奧運日本人來說，延期還不夠

 

For many in Japan, the postponement of the Olympics is a heartbreaking necessity. But for a small and motley crew opposed to the Games altogether, it doesn’t go far enough.

 

對許多日本人而言，奧運延期雖令人心碎，卻有其必要。但對一小群來自各行各業、全然反對奧運的人來說，延期遠遠不夠。

 

"Damn it! We absolutely reject postponement. The Olympics should be abolished," anti-Games activists tweeted after the 2020 Olympics was delayed.

 

反奧運倡議人士在2020東京奧運宣布延期後推文說：「X的！我們堅絕反對延期，應該廢止奧運。」

 

"One of the things that most annoys me is the commercialism of the event," said 59-year-old Toshio Miyazaki. Miyazaki works for the Tokyo city government, but he is vocal about his opposition to the event.

 

59歲的宮崎俊夫（譯音）說：「最惹惱我的其中一件事，是奧運的商業化。」宮崎為東京都廳工作，但他直言不諱地反對這項盛事。

 

Kumiko Sudo said she was uncomfortable with the nationalist undertones she feels are associated with the Games. She was also angered by moves Tokyo made in the run-up to the Games, including clearing out makeshift camps occupied by homeless people.

 

須藤久美子（譯音）說，她覺得奧運隱含的國家主義讓她不舒服，而且她對東京當局在比賽籌備期間的舉動很氣憤，包括清除街友居住的臨時帳篷。

 

Even so, in domestic surveys, only around 10 percent of respondents think the Games should be cancelled.

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1346506; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1364706

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.832: Violence in India Threatens Its Global Ambitions

 

Until recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign to portray India as a rising power seemed to be ticking along despite troubles at home.

 

即便在國內遭遇了些問題，總理莫迪將印度描述成崛起大國的行動，直到不久前似乎還一路升溫。

 

Much of the world remained quiet, or cautious, in recent months as India began locking up hundreds of opposition politicians and activists without charge across the country. Business executives say they are too afraid to speak out about shortcomings in the government’s economic strategy. The press complains of government intimidation.

 

近幾個月印度開始未經起訴即在全國各地拘禁數百名反對派政治人物與社運人士，世界上許多國家卻依然保持沉默，或審慎以對。企業執行高層表示，他們因為害怕而不敢說出政府經濟策略的缺失。新聞界也抱怨受到政府恫嚇。

 

Still, there was President Donald Trump last month, embracing Modi in New Delhi, where streets were dotted with posters declaring the “world’s oldest democracy meets the world’s largest democracy.”

 

儘管如此，上個月還是有川普總統在新德里擁抱莫迪，當地街上到處可見寫著「世界最老牌民主國家，跟世界上最大民主國家相遇」的海報。

 

But as the leaders celebrated each other in India’s capital, Hindu mobs began going after Muslim protesters in neighborhoods just a few miles away while the police looked on or joined in.

 

然而，就在兩位領導人在印度首都彼此恭維之際，印度教暴徒們卻開始在數英里外的社區，追打著穆斯林抗議者，警察則袖手旁觀，甚至加入追打者的行列。

 

Freedom House, a nonpartisan democracy advocacy organization, flagged India as a major concern.

 

跨黨派民主倡議組織「自由之家」，將印度列為令人高度關切的國家。

 

“The Indian government has taken its Hindu nationalist agenda to a new level with a succession of policies,” the group said, “threatening the democratic future of a country long seen as a potential bulwark of freedom in Asia and the world.”

 

該組織說：「印度通過一系列政策，將其印度教民族主義計畫推到一個新水平，威脅到長期被視為亞洲與世界潛在自由堡壘的國家的民主前途。」

 

In a rare move, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights filed a petition in India’s Supreme Court to challenge a citizenship law that critics say discriminates against Muslims. Some of India’s closest partners have begun criticizing its treatment of Muslims and migrants, with condemnations coming in from Iran, the United States, Bangladesh and elsewhere.

 

聯合國人權事務署則罕見地向印度最高法院提出請願，挑戰批評人士認為歧視穆斯林的新公民法。一些印度最親密的夥伴國已開始批評印度對待穆斯林與移民的方式，伊朗、美國、孟加拉及一些其他國家陸續發聲譴責。

 

“If India loses that secular, democratic identity, then it loses what makes it different than other countries in Asia. We are all watching the riots in Delhi and worry they are going down a dangerous road that makes it harder for us to be a strong advocate for India,” said Rep. Ami Bera, a California Democrat who is the longest-serving Indian American in Congress.

 

美國加州民主黨籍聯邦眾議員貝拉說：「如果印度失去這種世俗的民主身份，就會失去有別於其他亞洲國家的特色。我們都在觀察德里的暴動，並擔心他們正走上危險的道路，這將使得我們很難成為印度的強力支持者。」貝拉是美國國會中最資深的印度裔議員。

 

One area where international officials believe that India may be particularly hurting itself is in its campaign to be granted a permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council along with other nuclear powers. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several diplomats, including some from countries that have publicly pushed for an Indian seat on the Security Council, say that their governments are now reluctant to push the issue after India’s domestic unrest has laid bare the effects of Hindu nationalism there.

 

一些外國官員認為，印度使自身受傷最重的一個方面，就是追求與其他核武國家一樣獲得聯合國安理會常任理事國席次的行動。幾位不願透露姓名的外交官（部分來自公開呼籲給予印度安理會席次的國家）表示，在印度國內騷亂暴露出印度教民族主義對當地的影響後，他們的政府現在不願再推動印度入常案。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/351636/web/

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.831: About Animals -Aquarium staff use disguise to raise, breed emperor penguin

 

At first glance, aquarium staff here in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, appeared to be engaged in a bizarre cosplay act involving an emperor penguin chick.

 

乍看之下，（日本）和歌山縣白濱町的一家水族館的工作人員，似乎在餵養一隻皇帝企鵝雛鳥時還玩奇特的變裝秀。

 

But the employees, wearing penguin costumes, were actually on a scientific mission.

 

但這些身穿企鵝裝的工作人員，其實是在從事一項科學任務。

 

As the Adventure World aquarium has learned, emperor penguin chicks raised by undisguised humans do not mate after being reunited with their real parents.

 

「冒險世界」水族館發現到，被未變裝的人類養大的皇帝企鵝雛鳥，重回企鵝親鳥身邊後也不交配。

 

So they hoped the chick would be duped into thinking that it was being raised by penguins, not humans, and would later breed.

 

所以他們（水族館工作人員）希望能（靠變裝來）欺騙雛鳥，讓牠們以為自己是被企鵝、而非人類養大，以及日後繁衍子嗣。

 

Adventure World hatched the first emperor penguin chick in Japan in 2004. And since 2012, the aquarium has been making efforts to return chicks to their parents after they grow to some extent.

 

「冒險世界」在2004年孵育出全日本第一隻皇帝企鵝，自2012年起便努力想辦法讓雛鳥長到某種程度後，回到親鳥身邊。

 

The recently hatched chick of the world’s largest penguin species is the 13th born at the aquarium.

 

最近孵化的這種全球體積最大企鵝皇帝企鵝的雛鳥，是在該水族館出生的第13隻皇帝企鵝。

 

Next Article:

 

Chinese cafe paints dogs to look like giant pandas 中國咖啡館將狗染色 使其宛如大貓熊

 

A Chinese cafe is under fire for painting dogs as pandas to stand out in the competitive pet cafe market.

 

中國一家咖啡館因為將狗塗染成好像大貓熊、俾便其在競爭激烈的寵物咖啡館市場脫穎而出而挨批。

 

The cafe － in the southwestern city of Chengdu, close to the native home of the giant panda － also offers a dyeing service for people who want to transform their own pets into pandas.

 

這家位於大貓熊故鄉附近、中國西南部城市成都的咖啡館，還對想將自家寵物變身成貓熊的飼主，提供染色服務。

 

The controversy started when the state-run People’s Daily posted a video of the fluffy Chow Chow dogs on social media.

 

當國營媒體「人民日報」在社群媒體上張貼一段毛茸茸的鬆獅犬影片後，爭議隨之而起。

 

"It costs 1,500 Chinese yuan （$212） to dye （a pet） each time," the owner, surnamed Huang, said in the video. He said the dye, which was imported from Japan, did not pose a threat to the pets’ well-being.

 

「染（一隻寵物）一次要價1500人民幣（212美元），」黃姓店主在影片中如是說。他說，從日本進口的染劑不會危及寵物健康。

 

In the video, the painted "pandas" can be seen roaming around in the cafe, where customers were encouraged to interact with them while they enjoyed their meals.

 

影片中可以看到，被塗染成「大貓熊」的狗兒在咖啡館內四處晃蕩，店內消費者在享用餐飲之餘，也被鼓勵與牠們互動。

 

However the gimmick provoked angry comments from pet lovers on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.

 

然而，這個噱頭在中國版推特「微博」上挑起喜愛毛小孩的網友怒火。

 

"While they look adorable, dyeing the pet this way can easy hurt them," one user commented. "Why did he have to treat the dogs like that?" Another questioned.

 

「雖然看起來很可愛，但這樣幫寵物染色很容易會害了牠們，」一名（微博）使用者評論。「他為什麼要這樣對待這些狗？」另一人也質疑。

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1350321 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1364772

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.830: UK ‘plague village’ offers lesson for a country under lockdown

 

In the 17th century, residents in the remote English village of Eyam quarantined themselves to prevent the spread of bubonic plague. Many paid with their lives. Now their descendants and locals are outraged that a steady stream of visitors has ignored government warnings to stay at home to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Last weekend, walkers were out in force in the spring sunshine in the Peak District National Park, and traipsed through the village, which is home to about 1,000 people.

 

十七世紀，在英國偏遠的伊姆村中，居民將自己隔離起來，以阻止淋巴腺鼠疫擴散。絕大多數的村民都為此賠上了他們的性命。今日，面對絡繹不絕的遊客不顧政府呼籲待在家中、對付新冠病毒疫情爆發的警告，倖存者的後代和當地居民都感到非常憤怒。上週末，大批健行遊客在煦煦春日中傾巢而出，造訪峰區國家公園，並跑到人口約一千人的伊姆村上遊蕩。

 

Local councilor Claire Raw said residents, a significant proportion of them elderly, were angry and urged people to leave. “We need to protect our residential areas that do have higher-than-average proportions of older people,” she told AFP. “We all need to behave responsibly.”

 

當地議員克蕾爾‧勞表示，村裡的居民──相當高的比例為老年人──都很生氣，紛紛要求遊客離開。「我們必須保護我們的住宅區，特別是這裡的年長者比例比平均高出許多。」她向法新社表示：「我們所有人都需要負責任地行事。」

 

Because of the pandemic, which has so far claimed 465 lives across Britain, the museum that tells the story of the “plague village” has decided not to re-open after the winter break. Normally, it receives about 30,000 visitors each year. But more than half of its volunteers are aged over 70 — one of the most at-risk groups for the virus.

 

武漢肺炎全球大流行至今已在英國各地奪走四百六十五條人命，由於疫情的關係，述說「黑死病村莊」故事的博物館已決定不會在寒假後重新開門。該博物館通常一年會接待三萬名左右的訪客。不過，超過半數的志工都已年逾七十──正是病毒感染風險最高的族群之一。

 

In 1665, the bubonic plague arrived in the Derbyshire village of Eyam from London, nearly 250km further south, carried by fleas in fabrics ordered by a tailor. As dozens died, the rector of Eyam church, William Mompesson, with the help of his predecessor Thomas Stanley, convinced parishioners the only way to fight it was to shut off the village completely.

 

一六六五年，淋巴腺鼠疫藉由一名裁縫師訂購布料裡面的跳蚤，從南方約兩百五十公里遠的倫敦抵達德比郡的伊姆村。眼見數十名村民相繼死亡，當時伊姆教堂的教區牧師威廉‧蒙佩森，在前任牧師湯瑪斯‧史丹利的協助下，說服當地教區居民，讓眾人知道唯一能對抗疫情的方法就是完全關閉村莊。

 

Neighboring communities helped out, leaving food on the edge of the village. Vinegar — the only known disinfectant at the time — was used to keep germs at bay. The current vicar of St Lawrence’s church, Reverend Mike Gilbert, is currently in self-isolation because his wife has shown symptoms of COVID-19.

 

附近的社區紛紛伸出援手，把食物放在村莊的邊界。當時的人們則用醋──當時人類唯一知道的消毒劑──讓細菌不要近身。聖勞倫斯教堂現任的教區牧師邁可‧吉爾伯特因為妻子已經出現了新冠肺炎症狀，目前正在自我隔離。

 

During the plague, worshippers gathered outside to pray, keeping their distance from one another. Now, the church is closed and services have moved online, while Gilbert has been posting videos on Facebook and speaking to parishioners via videoconferencing. What happened in the past — centuries before modern medicine and science — was driving the current response locally, he said. “It does inspire others because we know that even though the death toll was terrible, most people did survive,” he explained.

 

在鼠疫期間，信徒改在戶外聚會進行祈禱，並且互相保持距離。現在，教堂已經關門，禮拜儀式改到線上舉行，吉爾伯特也持續在臉書上發布影片，並經由視訊會議向教區信徒喊話。這位牧師表示，在現代醫學和科學數個世紀之前發生的事，驅使今日當地出現這種反應。吉爾伯特解釋說：「封村確實啟發了其他人，因為我們知道，儘管當時死亡人數高得驚人，大多數人還是活了下來。」

 

“All the things that they had decided to do were very efficient,” said Francine Clifford, a village historian. “It was successful. But they paid the price.” In 14 months, 260 villagers died of plague — perhaps at least one-third of the population, which was estimated at between 350 and 800. But by November 1666, the disease had disappeared and containment prevented it from spreading further north.

 

村裡的歷史學家法蘭馨‧克里福表示：「當年他們決定做的所有事情都是很有效的。」她說：「最後獲得成功，不過村民也付出了代價。」在十四個月期間，兩百六十位村民死於鼠疫，當時居民數量估計在三百五十人到八百人之間，死亡人數起碼是人口的三分之一。不過，到了一六六六年十一月，疫情完全消失，封村也成功阻止疾病繼續向北擴散。

 

Joan Plant, 73, is descended from one of the 83 families that survived the plague. It was astonishing that history was repeating itself, she said. But as the government in London imposes a three-week lockdown, with non-essential shops and services shut, and restrictions on crowds, people should look to the past for inspiration. “I think the lesson at this moment is to remember that they isolated themselves. Nobody went out. Nobody came in,” she said.

 

當年有八十三個家庭從鼠疫倖存下來，現年七十三歲的喬安‧普蘭特是其中之一的後代。她說，看到歷史重演真的很震驚。不過，隨著倫敦政府實施為期三週的封城措施，非必要的商店和服務停止營業，並且限制群眾聚集，普蘭特認為大家應該要回顧過去尋求啟發。她指出：「我想，眼下的課題是記住當時的人們進行自我隔離。沒有人出門，也沒有人進來。」

 

Current restrictions could be in place for weeks, if not months. Plant said people should be aware that it is for the greater good. “I know a lot of people died [in Eyam] and that’s really tragic and sad. But actually, it saved the communities around,” she added. “It didn’t go any further north in the country. One small village in the north of Derbyshire, 350 years ago, made a difference to everybody else so that it didn’t spread. I think that’s the lesson we need to learn. The technique worked 350 years ago. If we take on board what we’re up to do and do as we’re told, then it will work again in 2020.”

 

目前的限制就算不會維持好幾個月，也可能要持續數週。普蘭特表示，大眾應該要意識到限制是為了更大的利益。「我知道很多人在伊姆村死去，這確實是很悲慘也很傷感的事。不過，隔離村莊事實上卻拯救了附近的社區。」她補充說：「鼠疫並沒有在國內繼續向北蔓延。德比郡北方的一個小村莊改變了其他人的命運，疫情沒有繼續擴散。我想那就是我們需要學習的功課。這個方法在三百五十年前奏效。如果我們能夠理解、接受我們能做到的事，並且照指示行動，那麼這個方法在二○二○年還會再度奏效。」

 

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/03/29/2003733558

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.829: Are African Artifacts Safer in Europe?

 

非洲文物在歐洲更安全？

 

Is Africa’s cultural heritage better off in Europe or in Africa?

 

非洲的文化遺產存放在歐洲或非洲，何者比較好呢？

 

That is the question at the heart of a yearslong debate that has gripped museums in Europe, where many officials say they support the idea of repatriating artifacts, but worry that African museums cannot compare to state-of-the-art facilities in Britain, France or Germany.

 

這正是歐洲博物館界討論多年的問題的核心，許多歐洲博物館的管理階層表示，他們贊成應把文物送回非洲的想法，卻又擔心非洲各地博物館不具備英、法或德國那些先進博物館的的條件。

 

That debate has been given new life in recent months after an investigation by the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper found that many of the artifacts that will be on display in the Humboldt Forum, a huge new museum under construction in a rebuilt Berlin palace, had for years been stored in less-than-ideal conditions. The report featured searing depictions of flooded storage rooms and depots choked with toxic dust.

 

最近幾個月，這場討論再度熱絡起來，因為南德意志報調查後發現，預定在「洪堡論壇」展出的文物之中，許多已存放在不盡理想的環境下多年。洪堡論壇是興建中規模宏大的新博物館，將位在柏林一座重建的宮殿內。這篇報導對那些文物的存放室淹水，庫房覆滿有毒灰塵，作了特別尖刻地描述。

 

The Humboldt Forum will bring together the collections of several existing museums in the city under one roof, but reports in German news media have focused on the storage facilities of the Ethnological Museum of Berlin, which will be the Forum’s largest single contributor.

 

洪堡論壇將把柏林幾座現有博物館的藏品集中在一起，不過德國新聞媒體的報導著重在柏林民族學博物館的庫房。這座博物館將是洪堡論壇展品的最大提供者。

 

Officials at the museum, which closed to the public in 2017 to prepare for the move to its new home, have responded with what observers call an unusual degree of openness.

 

民族學博物館2017年起停止對外開放，好準備搬新家。館方回應外界質疑的態度十分開放透明，開放程度之高觀察家以異乎尋常形容。

 

They have denied some of the reports, in particular the claim of flooded storerooms, but said their depots were beset with problems common to museums across Germany. Those included outdated facilities, a lack of staff members, and a sense of disarray that dates to moments of crisis in German history.

 

館方否認報導中的某些部分，尤其是庫房淹水，不過他們說，倉庫發生的問題在德國各地博物館都很常見，包括設施陳舊、人手不足和擺放方式雜亂，這些問題從德國歷史上那些動盪時期以來就一直存在。

 

Despite all that, they steadfastly rejected that those conditions might call into question their stewardship of the artifacts, many of which were collected during the era of European imperialism.

 

雖然倉庫有這些問題，但館方堅決否認這些問題意味著管理不善。倉庫內許多文物是在歐洲帝國主義時期收集而來。

 

Sindika Dokolo, a Congolese art collector who runs a foundation that has organized the return of artifacts to Congo and Angola, said it was true that “a whole generation” of museum professionals, like curators and conservationists, needed to be trained “in most of the African countries.” But while that new generation was being trained, he said, it is European museums’ responsibility to make sure African audiences had access to the artifacts in their possession.

 

剛果藝品收藏家多克洛管理一個基金會，在這個基金會安排下已有一些文物送回剛果和安哥拉。多克洛說，「多數非洲國家」的確有必要訓練「一整個世代的」博物館專業人員，如策展人和文物修復師。不過他說，在非洲訓練這個新世代的同時，歐洲博物館有責任確保非洲的文物愛好者能看到歐洲握有的非洲文物。

 

It is up to them to create the conditions that would let African artifacts "play their role where they need to be right now, in Africa," he added.

 

多克洛說，歐洲博物館有責任創造條件，讓非洲文物「在非洲當下需要的地方發揮作用」。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/345221/web/

 

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Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I'm your host Gavin and this is InTense Episode 43. Well guys, we're on Episode 43, and we are busy with nouns.

 

We're going to be looking at the third kind of noun, so far we've looked at common nouns which are the most common, we've looked at proper nouns, easy to spot as they're capitalized meaning the first letter is a big letter, and now thirdly we will look at compound nouns, which sounds terrible. What it is, is basically when you have two words that make up one noun, now there are three ways it can be done, one it could be 2 separate words, it can be hyphenated meaning a little dash in between like a minus in between the two words, or two words could make one.

 

So, for example if you look at the word “time capsule” 2 words, but they make one thing, that is a compound noun. If you look at a hyphenated words, they have a little dash “great-uncle” ok, “great dash uncle.” There you go and the last one “basketball” so “basket and ball” makes basketball. So again, as previously we're just going to do the examples and I will underline them for you when I do the transcript. Ok, so go look at the transcript if you are unsure of which word the compound noun is. So, let's get going with our examples.

 

Drill Sentences:

 

Is the apple tree beautiful? Yes, the apple tree is beautiful.

Is the apple tree beautiful? No, the apple tree is not beautiful.

 

Is your father-in-law old? Yes, my father-in-law is old.

Is your father-in-law old? No, my father-in-law is not old.

 

Have you been using my toothbrush? Yes, I have been using your toothbrush.

Have you been using my toothbrush? No, I have not been using your toothbrush.

 

Is the bathroom nearby? Yes, the bathroom is nearby.

Is the bathroom nearby? No, the bathroom is not nearby.

 

Is he going to the bus stop? Yes, he is going to the bus stop.

Is he going to the bus stop? No, he is not going to the bus stop.

 

Do they enjoy seafood? Yes, they enjoy seafood.

Do they enjoy seafood? No, they do not enjoy seafood.

 

Are fire drills important? Yes, fire drills are important.

Are fire drills important? No, fire drills are not important.

 

Do you live upstairs? Yes, I live upstairs.

Do you live upstairs? No, I do not live upstairs.

 

Is your mother-in-law nice? Yes, my mother-in-law is nice.

Is your mother-in-law nice? No, my mother-in-law is not nice.

 

Do you have the textbook? Yes, I have the textbook.

Do you have the textbook? No, I do not have the textbook.

 

Are the fireflies beautiful? Yes, the fireflies are beautiful.

Are the fireflies beautiful? No, the fireflies are not beautiful.

 

Well there you go guys, some examples. If you want to get a bigger list it’s easy, just Google compound nouns or examples of compound nouns and you will find lists and lists of them, and you'll have a better idea, if you are interested. Ok, I’ll catch you in the next one, bye!

 

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Summary:

 

West Virginia in the past few years are saying no to property developers based on climate change and natural disasters. After taking the issue to court, the judge ruled that the residents have the right to stop the development. Although President Donald Trump is reversing the efforts to fight global warming, people on the ground are pressured with flooding, hurricane, wildfires and more. As the financial and emotional cost of disasters increase, people are changing their mindset about building properties.

 

原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-783-as-climate-risks-rise-more-cities-tell

 

Vocabulary and Sample Sentences

 

Scapegoat n.- a person/thing blamed for wrongdoing or fault

Property developers accuse government officials making the project a scapegoat when residents demand action against disasters.

It is not fair to make someone a scapegoat when the fault lies with yourself.

 

Vulnerable adj – in need of support or care

Residents are vulnerable to floods when the land is overdeveloped.

You will make yourself vulnerable to disease when you don’t wear a face mask.

 

Mindset n. – established attitude held by someone

The people’s mindset regarding building properties have shifted as the cost of disasters increased.

As opposed to a growth mindset, people are now holding a sustainability mindset.

 

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.828: Globalization confronts a doomsday virus prediction

 

For the prognosticators on the US National Intelligence Council who sat down in 2004 to consider what the world might look like in 2020, the answer hinged heavily on one big question: What did the future of globalization look like?

Their answer: Not great.

 

對美國國家情報委員會那些預言家來說，在二○○四年要預測世界在二○二○年之樣貌，答案很大程度上取決於一個大問題：全球化的前景會是如何？

他們的回答是：並不樂觀。

 

By 2020, they predicted, globalization would face a political backlash in a world increasingly plagued by identity politics. Yet if anything was going to really derail economic integration, it would likely be the mass spread of a virulent new disease.

 

他們在二○○四年所做的這份報告中預測，到了二○二○年，世界越來越受到身份認同政治的困擾，全球化將面臨政治反撲。但若說有什麼事真正會使經濟整合脫軌，那很可能會是一種致命新疾病的大規模傳播。

 

“Short of a major global conflict, which we regard as improbable, another large-scale development that we believe could stop globalization would be a pandemic,” the council warned in a report laying out the findings of its “Project 2020.” A death toll in the millions and a virus that “put a halt to global travel and trade during an extended period” would certainly leave globalization “endangered.” Nearly three months into 2020 and it’s not hard to make the case for why that rings true.

 

美國國家情報委員會在這份報告刊載了「Project 2020」（二○二○年計畫）的研究成果，並警告說：「會讓全球化停止的大規模事態發展，除了重大全球衝突（我們認為這不大可能會發生），另一種情況就是全球大流行的疾病」。數以百萬計的死亡人數，以及「讓全球旅行和貿易停擺很長一段時間」的病毒，必定會讓全球化「岌岌可危」。二○二○年才過了不到三個月，已不難解釋為何此話所言不虛。

 

There is an alternative view that holds globalization may actually be a lot more resilient today than it seemed in 2004, in the halcyon days before smartphones had taken over our lives.

 

另一種觀點則是認為，跟二○○四年相比（那是智慧型手機尚未佔據我們生活的太平日子），現今的全球化其實比當時更有彈性。

 

But what would it take in the months ahead to get to Doomsday for globalization? It all hinges on the reaction from policy makers to the coronavirus crisis. So here are three things to watch for. If these happen, we should be ready for the shape-shifting in globalization we’ve seen in recent years to morph into a deep freeze.

 

未來的幾個月要發生什麼事，才會讓全球化走向末日？這完全要看決策者對冠狀病毒危機是如何反應，而這可從以下三點進行觀察。如果這些狀況發生了，我們就要準備看到全球化在經過近年來的變型後，陷入深深的凍結。

 

1. New barriers to exports

White House trade hawk Peter Navarro, in a recent Financial Times interview, criticized the export controls some countries have placed on medicines and medical supplies like face masks. His motivation may be pure. But Navarro tends to like anything that makes his argument for a shift away from globalization. Navarro has said he wants to repatriate supply chains for national security reasons and advocated stricter controls on tech exports to China. What if he convinced US President Donald Trump to ban exports of not just face masks or medicines but shipments of an eventual vaccine? And other countries followed suit? What if the controls shifted to food stockpiles?

 

1. 新的出口壁壘

白宮的鷹派貿易顧問彼得‧納瓦羅最近接受《金融時報》採訪時，批評一些國家對藥品及口罩等醫療用品實施出口管制。他的批評或許是出於純粹的動機，但納瓦羅偏好任何能夠反全球化的論點。納瓦羅表示，基於國家安全因素，他想要將供應鏈撤回美國，並主張對中國的技術出口實施更嚴格的管制。若他所說服美國總統唐納‧川普禁止出口的不只是口罩或藥品，還包括最終製成的疫苗，那該怎麼辦？然後其他國家也有樣學樣嗎？如果進行出口管制的也包括儲備糧食呢？

 

2. New import restrictions

Chinese trade data for January and February pointed to the damage so far from China’s industrial shutdown last month. Exports were down 17.2 percent in dollar terms. But what if the US and other countries started limiting imports of goods coming by air and sea not just from China but from South Korea, Italy and other affected countries? And those countries retaliated and did the same?

 

2. 新的進口限制

中國一月及二月的貿易數據，顯示自上個月停工至今所造成的損失。以美元計算，中國的出口下降了百分之十七點二。但若美國與其他國家也開始對中國以外受疫情影響的國家，例如南韓、義大利等，實施海空運進口限制呢？如果這些被禁止進口的國家進行報復，也禁止美國貨物進口呢？

 

3. A collapse in global governance

The emergence of a battle between Saudi Arabia and Russia over oil production early this month caused crude prices to tumble dramatically. What if such discord spills to the G-7 or the G-20? What happens if, driven by fear of a virus, global economic policy makers can’t get on the same page? Or, worse, actively start working against each other in an area like, say, currencies?

Robert Hutchings, the former diplomat and Princeton academic who led the National Intelligence Council as it prepared its 2004 report, said in a recent email exchange that the point they were trying to make was “that globalization is a ubiquitous force that carries with it bad consequences as well as good.” Ominously, he added: “We particularly wanted to argue that globalization is not irreversible.”

 

3. 全球治理的崩潰

沙烏地阿拉伯與俄羅斯自三月初開始因石油生產展開鬥爭，使得原油價格暴跌。若這種不和也蔓延到G-7〔七大工業國組織〕或G-20〔二十國集團〕怎麼辦？如果對病毒的恐懼使得全球經濟決策者無法同心協力，會發生什麼事？更甚者，若這些決策者在諸如貨幣之類的領域開始刻意相互對抗呢？

美國國家情報委員會編寫這份二○○四年報告時，是由曾任外交官及普林斯頓大學學者的羅伯特‧哈欽斯擔任主管。哈欽斯在最近一封電子郵件中表示，他們在這份報告中所試圖提出的觀點為，「全球化是普遍存在的力量，同時帶來了好的與壞的後果」。

不幸的是，他補充道：「我們尤其想要論證，全球化並非不可逆轉的」。

 

Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/03/24/2003733233

 

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每日英語跟讀 Ep.827: About gender issues - 1 in 4 men think it’s OK to make sexual jokes at work, study finds

 

More than one in four men (28%) around the world think it’s acceptable to crack sexual jokes at work, a global survey, released ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, has found.

 

一項在三八婦女節前公開的全球調查發現，世界上有超過4分之1（28%）的男性認為，在職場中開性別玩笑是可以接受的。

 

In a survey of over 20,000 people in 27 countries, researchers from King’s College London said they found "significant differences" in what men and women perceived to be acceptable workplace behavior.

 

在一項27國、逾2萬人的調查結果中，英國倫敦國王學院的研究員表示，他們發現男女對職場行為的接受度有「顯著的差異」。

 

A key finding was that more than one in eight men (13%) think it is acceptable to display material of a sexual nature at work, compared with just 7% of women, the poll, carried out by Ipsos MORI and The Global institute for Women’s Leadership found.

 

一個關鍵的發現是，超過8分之1（13%）的男生認為，在職場上展現帶有性意味的元素是可以接受的；相較之下，女性只有7%可以接受，這項調查是由「益普索莫里」和「女性領導力全球機構」執行。

 

Some 16% of women thought it was acceptable to tell jokes or stories of a sexual nature at work, the study said.

 

這項研究也指出，約有16%的女性認為，在職場上講性別玩笑或帶有性意味故事是可以接受的。

 

Next article:

 

Stand in line, women: no ’potty parity’ in Hong Kong 女人，排隊吧！香港沒有「廁所平等」

 

Hong Kong said it had failed to meet its own pledge of "potty parity", a policy aimed at ending an imbalance witnessed the world over: the long queue for the women’s loo.

 

香港表示，未能做到港府自己承諾的「廁所平等」；這是一項政策，旨在終結全世界都有的失衡現象：女性公廁大排長龍。

 

Long lines routinely form outside female bathrooms while men nip in and out, igniting debates over gender equality, inclusive urban planning and the impact on work and health.

 

女性公廁外經常排了長長人龍，而男人如廁卻能迅速來去，也因此挑起有關性別平等、都市計畫周延性，以及對工作和健康的影響等爭論。

 

An official audit released on Wednesday found that Hong Kong authorities had failed to meet their own guidelines, in place since 2004, to provide two female toilets for every one for men.

 

週三發表的一份政府審計報告發現，香港政府未能達到當局自2004年訂出女性與男性公廁廁間比例2比1的方針。

 

More than half the city’s public toilet sites failed to meet the ratio, the Audit Commission said in its latest report. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, which oversees the facilities, said it would build more toilets.

 

審計署在報告中說，這座城市的公廁，超過一半不符合此比例。主管公廁設施的食品環境衛生署表示，將興建更多廁間。

 

Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1359401 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1362888

 

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