通勤學英語 15Mins Today

每日跟讀#570: Taiwan’s PChome and Japan’s Rakuten join forces

 

Direct delivery from Japan and cross-border trade between Taiwan and Japan has just become a whole lot easier. Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten Inc and Taiwanese e-commerce operator PChome Online Inc have signed a cooperation agreement to pool their respective membership bases and services. This will enable the establishment of a unified reward system, which will combine PChome’s “P-coin” and Rakuten’s “Super Points,” allowing customers to accumulate and redeem reward points using a single system. Under the agreement, cross-border trade will be expanded to promote a Taiwan-Japan strategic alliance.

 

日貨直送，台日跨境交易變簡單了。日本樂天集團已與PChome網路家庭簽訂合作協議，利用雙方會員數和服務，進一步建立P幣和樂天超級點數互相累積和兌換機制，衝點數經濟，也將同步擴展台日跨境線上交易，推動台日策略聯盟。

 

According to PChomestore chairman Jan Hung-tze, he established the e-commerce Web site pcstore.com.tw in 2004, several years before China’s Tmall, having observed the Rakuten model for a period of five years. Jan says the Web site has a 10 million-strong member base in Taiwan and has been looking to expand overseas. President of Rakuten’s Asia operations, Hiroshi Takasawa, says Taiwan is an extremely important market for the company.

 

網家董事長詹宏志強調，他在觀察樂天模式五年後，二○○四年成立商店街，幾年後中國的天貓才成立。網家在台有千萬會員，盼服務跨出台灣。日本樂天集團亞洲區總裁高澤廣志表示，台灣對樂天來說，是一個非常重要的市場。

 

Rakuten and PChomestore started collaborating six months ago by allowing PChome’s “P-coin” and Rakuten’s “Super Points” to be accumulated and used together, and expanding e-commerce trade between Taiwan and Japan. This means that Taiwanese customers can use the ruten.com Web site to get a taste of what is currently trending in Japan and, through a Chinese-language interface, purchase items using their local currency. The system also allows Taiwanese customers to enjoy direct shipping from Japan, in addition to other Rakuten e-commerce services.

 

樂天與網家是在六個月前開啟此次合作，PChome的P幣與樂天的樂天超級點數可相互累積使用，也將同步擴展台日之間的跨境線上交易，台灣消費者將可透過露天拍賣網站，體驗與日本同步流行、中文介面購買、在地金流、日本直送等跨境電商服務。

 

Benefits provided by Rakuten’s Taiwan credit card can be accumulated when making purchases on the PChome Web site, and PChome will make Rakuten’s Kobo e-Reader available on its PChome24h Web site and provide a nationwide, 24hr delivery service. Rakuten and PChome will also team up their logistics operations in Taiwan.

 

此外，台灣樂天信用卡優惠將同步在PChome的購物網站上使用，PChome也將在PChome24h購物銷售樂天的Kobo電子書閱讀器，並提供全台保證二十四小時送貨服務，樂天在台的物流也會跟網家合作。

PChome’s Jan says he feels an affinity toward Rakuten’s business model and opened negotiations with the company in 2009 to discuss possible areas for collaboration. Jan traveled to Japan to meet with Rakuten’s founder Hiroshi Mikitani, but at the time the overall terms of the agreement were not fully hammered out. However, in light of Rakuten’s ever-expanding range of services, both sides have now agreed to embark upon an initial phase of collaboration, combining their respective membership bases and reward schemes.

 

詹宏志表示，他對樂天模式情有獨鍾，二○○九年就跟樂天談過合作，也去日本見了樂天創辦人三木谷浩史，但當時整體條件沒有那麼完備；隨著樂天有越來越多服務，雙方第一階段先把會員跟點數串接起來。

 

Once the two companies formalize their collaboration, it will be possible for Japanese goods to be directly shipped to Taiwan by Rakuten shop owners in Japan, making cross-border trade much simpler.

 

網家與樂天合作後，未來日貨會從日本店家直送台灣，跨境交易將變得更簡單。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/04/02/2003712606

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每日跟讀#569: Now Hiring: Anyone

 

When Peter Enevoldsen won a lucrative order for the precision tractor parts that his company, Sjorring Maskinfabrik, makes in northern Denmark, his eyes lit up. The contract was worth more than half a million euros — a boon for his profits.

 

There was just one hitch: He did not have enough employees for the job.

 

Delivery was delayed, by one month, then two, then three, as he searched for skilled welders to speed the work at the sprawling factory. But in Denmark’s fast-recovering economy, they were hard to come by.

 

彼得．艾尼沃森經營的「史澤林工業」公司設在丹麥北部，當他為公司生產的精密曳引機零件拿到一紙高利潤訂單時，雙眼閃閃發亮。這可是張價逾50萬歐元的合約，是他公司獲利的大補帖。

 

只不過有一個問題：他沒有足夠的員工來應付這張訂單。

 

交貨因此延遲，先是一個月，然後變成兩個月，再變成三個月，期間他不停尋找有技術的焊工，以加快這龐大工廠裡的工作進度。然而在丹麥經濟快速復甦之際，這樣的焊工卻很難找到。

 

As Europe rebounds from its economic malaise, Denmark is one of a few countries that can boast of nearing a golden era of full employment, meaning almost everyone who is able and willing to work has a job. But instead of being cheered, it is posing new challenges to the country’s recovery.

 

More than a third of companies in this industrial and technically advanced nation can no longer recruit enough skilled workers to fill posts. Vacancies abound for IT specialists, computer scientists, engineers and mechanics, as well as for electricians and carpenters. The wages needed to lure them are creeping up. Affected firms are scaling back production, turning down contracts and postponing expansion plans.

 

歐洲經濟正從不景氣中反彈，丹麥是可以誇稱已接近完全就業黃金時代的幾個歐洲國家之一，這意味幾乎每個有能力和意願工作的人都有工作可做。不過，這不但不值得高興，還對丹麥的復甦構成新的挑戰。

 

在這個工業和技術先進的國家，超過三分之一的公司再也招不到足夠的技術工人。資訊科技專家、電腦科學家、工程師和技工都嚴重缺人，電工和木匠也是。需要用來吸引他們的薪資節節高升。受影響的公司正縮減生產，回絕合約，以及推遲擴張計劃。

 

“We need more skilled workers, but we can’t get them,” said Enevoldsen, who recently joined other companies in a nationwide advertising campaign to lure talent. “If the labor shortage continues, it could sharply impact our growth, and growth in general.”

 

Europe’s recovery is gaining traction fastest in the north, where Britain, Germany and Denmark’s Nordic neighbors also pushing toward full employment. The unemployment rate has fallen in the United States as well, and some economists have expressed optimism the country may be headed in that direction.

 

But the experience in Denmark shows what can happen with too much of a good thing.

 

艾尼沃森說：「我們需要更多的技術工人，但是找不到人。若是勞工短缺現象持續，它將嚴重衝擊我們的成長，以及整體的成長。」他最近加入了另一些公司的行列，共同展開一項全國性徵才廣告活動。

 

歐洲的復甦以北部增長最快，英國、德國和丹麥的北歐鄰國都正朝完全就業邁進。美國的失業率也有所下降，一些經濟學家樂觀表示，美國可能也正朝這個方向前進。

 

不過，丹麥的經驗說明，情況太好可能讓人受不了。

 

This country of just under 6 million people produces a diverse range of goods, from drugs to industrial machinery. To bolster its tech sector, the government recently named a “technology ambassador” to conduct relations with Google and other digital giants.

 

After a painful recession, unemployment is now at 4.3 percent, which is about as low as it can go without provoking inflation. During an economic boom a decade ago, joblessness fell as low as 2.4 percent, igniting an unsustainable spiral of higher wages and prices that the government desperately wants to avoid today.

 

這個人口略少於600萬的國家生產從藥品到工業機械的各式商品。為了加強其科技部門，政府最近任命了一位「科技大使」，以與谷歌等數位巨擘打好關係。

 

在經歷痛苦的衰退之後，丹麥目前的失業率為4.3％，大概已達不致引發通貨膨脹的最低水平。10年前丹麥經濟景氣時，失業率下降至2.4％，使得工資和物價出現難以支撐的持續飆漲，這是政府現今極力避免的情況。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/311586/web/#2L-9688602L

 

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每日跟讀#569: Now Hiring: Anyone

 

When Peter Enevoldsen won a lucrative order for the precision tractor parts that his company, Sjorring Maskinfabrik, makes in northern Denmark, his eyes lit up. The contract was worth more than half a million euros — a boon for his profits.

 

There was just one hitch: He did not have enough employees for the job.

 

Delivery was delayed, by one month, then two, then three, as he searched for skilled welders to speed the work at the sprawling factory. But in Denmark’s fast-recovering economy, they were hard to come by.

 

彼得．艾尼沃森經營的「史澤林工業」公司設在丹麥北部，當他為公司生產的精密曳引機零件拿到一紙高利潤訂單時，雙眼閃閃發亮。這可是張價逾50萬歐元的合約，是他公司獲利的大補帖。

 

只不過有一個問題：他沒有足夠的員工來應付這張訂單。

 

交貨因此延遲，先是一個月，然後變成兩個月，再變成三個月，期間他不停尋找有技術的焊工，以加快這龐大工廠裡的工作進度。然而在丹麥經濟快速復甦之際，這樣的焊工卻很難找到。

 

As Europe rebounds from its economic malaise, Denmark is one of a few countries that can boast of nearing a golden era of full employment, meaning almost everyone who is able and willing to work has a job. But instead of being cheered, it is posing new challenges to the country’s recovery.

 

More than a third of companies in this industrial and technically advanced nation can no longer recruit enough skilled workers to fill posts. Vacancies abound for IT specialists, computer scientists, engineers and mechanics, as well as for electricians and carpenters. The wages needed to lure them are creeping up. Affected firms are scaling back production, turning down contracts and postponing expansion plans.

 

歐洲經濟正從不景氣中反彈，丹麥是可以誇稱已接近完全就業黃金時代的幾個歐洲國家之一，這意味幾乎每個有能力和意願工作的人都有工作可做。不過，這不但不值得高興，還對丹麥的復甦構成新的挑戰。

 

在這個工業和技術先進的國家，超過三分之一的公司再也招不到足夠的技術工人。資訊科技專家、電腦科學家、工程師和技工都嚴重缺人，電工和木匠也是。需要用來吸引他們的薪資節節高升。受影響的公司正縮減生產，回絕合約，以及推遲擴張計劃。

 

“We need more skilled workers, but we can’t get them,” said Enevoldsen, who recently joined other companies in a nationwide advertising campaign to lure talent. “If the labor shortage continues, it could sharply impact our growth, and growth in general.”

 

Europe’s recovery is gaining traction fastest in the north, where Britain, Germany and Denmark’s Nordic neighbors also pushing toward full employment. The unemployment rate has fallen in the United States as well, and some economists have expressed optimism the country may be headed in that direction.

 

But the experience in Denmark shows what can happen with too much of a good thing.

 

艾尼沃森說：「我們需要更多的技術工人，但是找不到人。若是勞工短缺現象持續，它將嚴重衝擊我們的成長，以及整體的成長。」他最近加入了另一些公司的行列，共同展開一項全國性徵才廣告活動。

 

歐洲的復甦以北部增長最快，英國、德國和丹麥的北歐鄰國都正朝完全就業邁進。美國的失業率也有所下降，一些經濟學家樂觀表示，美國可能也正朝這個方向前進。

 

不過，丹麥的經驗說明，情況太好可能讓人受不了。

 

This country of just under 6 million people produces a diverse range of goods, from drugs to industrial machinery. To bolster its tech sector, the government recently named a “technology ambassador” to conduct relations with Google and other digital giants.

 

After a painful recession, unemployment is now at 4.3 percent, which is about as low as it can go without provoking inflation. During an economic boom a decade ago, joblessness fell as low as 2.4 percent, igniting an unsustainable spiral of higher wages and prices that the government desperately wants to avoid today.

 

這個人口略少於600萬的國家生產從藥品到工業機械的各式商品。為了加強其科技部門，政府最近任命了一位「科技大使」，以與谷歌等數位巨擘打好關係。

 

在經歷痛苦的衰退之後，丹麥目前的失業率為4.3％，大概已達不致引發通貨膨脹的最低水平。10年前丹麥經濟景氣時，失業率下降至2.4％，使得工資和物價出現難以支撐的持續飆漲，這是政府現今極力避免的情況。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/311586/web/#2L-9688602L

 

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每日跟讀#568: New York Seeks to Make Parks More Inviting Spaces

 

For years, chain-link fences a dozen feet high have been a fixture of some of New York's parks, a reflection of a time when the city was a more dangerous place, erected to protect the children playing inside.

 

But now, those fences have become barriers, city officials say, dividing a park from its neighbors, and so at some parks the high fences will be knocked down.

 

多年來，十幾英尺高的鐵網圍籬是一些紐約公園的固定裝置，反映出紐約市曾是個比較危險的地方，須豎圍籬來保護在公園裡遊玩的孩童。

 

但現在，市政府官員說，這些圍籬已成為障礙，把公園與附近的居民隔開，因此，將拆掉一些公園的高圍籬。

 

On Tuesday, the city announced that eight parks will undergo ambitious face-lifts that are about more than just rehabilitation — it is a plan that represents an evolution, officials said, in New York's approach to parks by making these public spaces blend better and be more welcoming to their neighborhoods.

 

Mitchell J. Silver, the city's parks commissioner, said that besides lowering or removing fences, the plan also involved installing new benches, greenery and distinctive walkways, as well as treating the sidewalks that border parks as part of the parks themselves.

 

市政府5月24日宣布，8座公園將進行極具企圖心的大翻修，不只是整修而已─官員說，這是一個代表紐約對待公園態度演進的計畫，要讓這些公共空間與附近地區更融為一體，更親民。

 

市政府公園管理處長米契爾．席佛說，除了把圍籬降低或拆除外，這項計畫還要設置新的長椅，加強綠化，闢建具特色的步道，並把公園旁邊的人行道當成公園的一部分。

 

While the high fences were once seen as a deterrent, Silver said that creating more sight lines along the edges of parks and breathing new life into deserted patches would make them safer.

 

As part of a citywide plan, $40 million will be spent on the eight parks. The parks were chosen in a nomination process that included commentary from neighborhood residents. Silver said about 690 of New York's more than 1,700 parks were recommended for an overhaul.

 

席佛說，雖然高圍籬曾被視為嚇阻力量，沿著公園邊緣創造更開闊的視線，並為廢棄的小區塊注入新生命，將使公園更安全。

 

這是一項全市計畫的一部分，將有4000萬美元用於8座公園。這些公園通過一項提名程序而中選，過程中納入附近居民的意見。席佛說，紐約市1700多座公園中約有690座上了應該整修的推薦名單。

 

"That's proof positive of how excited New Yorkers are to increase accessibility and openness in their favorite parks," he said in a statement.

 

A park's accessibility to neighborhoods was also a consideration. Overall, city officials have set a long-term goal of having 85 percent of New Yorkers living within walking distance of a park.

 

他在聲明中說：「這證明，紐約人對於讓他們最喜愛的公園更便於出入也更開放這件事，感到十分興奮。」

 

公園的近便性也納入考量。整體而言，市府官員已設定長期目標，要讓85%的紐約人住家附近有走路便可到達的公園。

 

In the Parkchester neighborhood in the Bronx, Hugh Grant Circle is not just uninviting, it is also largely off-limits, blocked by a gate that is often locked, said Nilka Martell, a community activist who pressed for the circle to be selected for the city program, called Parks Without Borders.

 

But as she sees it, the park has potential to be a neighborhood hub, used for art installations and community programs and as a complement to a farmer's market held nearby.

 

在布朗克斯區的帕克契斯特住宅區，葛蘭特公園（譯注：以紐約前市長Hugh Grant命名）不只不吸引人，而且大體而言不得進入，被一扇經常鎖著的門擋住，推動這座公園入選市政府「無邊界公園」計畫的社區活躍人士妮爾卡．馬泰爾這麼說。

 

不過，她認為這座公園有潛力成為附近居民的活動中心，供裝置藝術和社區活動計畫使用，並支援附近的一個農夫市集。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/299114/web/#2L-7596942L 

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每日跟讀#568: New York Seeks to Make Parks More Inviting Spaces

 

For years, chain-link fences a dozen feet high have been a fixture of some of New York's parks, a reflection of a time when the city was a more dangerous place, erected to protect the children playing inside.

 

But now, those fences have become barriers, city officials say, dividing a park from its neighbors, and so at some parks the high fences will be knocked down.

 

多年來，十幾英尺高的鐵網圍籬是一些紐約公園的固定裝置，反映出紐約市曾是個比較危險的地方，須豎圍籬來保護在公園裡遊玩的孩童。

 

但現在，市政府官員說，這些圍籬已成為障礙，把公園與附近的居民隔開，因此，將拆掉一些公園的高圍籬。

 

On Tuesday, the city announced that eight parks will undergo ambitious face-lifts that are about more than just rehabilitation — it is a plan that represents an evolution, officials said, in New York's approach to parks by making these public spaces blend better and be more welcoming to their neighborhoods.

 

Mitchell J. Silver, the city's parks commissioner, said that besides lowering or removing fences, the plan also involved installing new benches, greenery and distinctive walkways, as well as treating the sidewalks that border parks as part of the parks themselves.

 

市政府5月24日宣布，8座公園將進行極具企圖心的大翻修，不只是整修而已─官員說，這是一個代表紐約對待公園態度演進的計畫，要讓這些公共空間與附近地區更融為一體，更親民。

 

市政府公園管理處長米契爾．席佛說，除了把圍籬降低或拆除外，這項計畫還要設置新的長椅，加強綠化，闢建具特色的步道，並把公園旁邊的人行道當成公園的一部分。

 

While the high fences were once seen as a deterrent, Silver said that creating more sight lines along the edges of parks and breathing new life into deserted patches would make them safer.

 

As part of a citywide plan, $40 million will be spent on the eight parks. The parks were chosen in a nomination process that included commentary from neighborhood residents. Silver said about 690 of New York's more than 1,700 parks were recommended for an overhaul.

 

席佛說，雖然高圍籬曾被視為嚇阻力量，沿著公園邊緣創造更開闊的視線，並為廢棄的小區塊注入新生命，將使公園更安全。

 

這是一項全市計畫的一部分，將有4000萬美元用於8座公園。這些公園通過一項提名程序而中選，過程中納入附近居民的意見。席佛說，紐約市1700多座公園中約有690座上了應該整修的推薦名單。

 

"That's proof positive of how excited New Yorkers are to increase accessibility and openness in their favorite parks," he said in a statement.

 

A park's accessibility to neighborhoods was also a consideration. Overall, city officials have set a long-term goal of having 85 percent of New Yorkers living within walking distance of a park.

 

他在聲明中說：「這證明，紐約人對於讓他們最喜愛的公園更便於出入也更開放這件事，感到十分興奮。」

 

公園的近便性也納入考量。整體而言，市府官員已設定長期目標，要讓85%的紐約人住家附近有走路便可到達的公園。

 

In the Parkchester neighborhood in the Bronx, Hugh Grant Circle is not just uninviting, it is also largely off-limits, blocked by a gate that is often locked, said Nilka Martell, a community activist who pressed for the circle to be selected for the city program, called Parks Without Borders.

 

But as she sees it, the park has potential to be a neighborhood hub, used for art installations and community programs and as a complement to a farmer's market held nearby.

 

在布朗克斯區的帕克契斯特住宅區，葛蘭特公園（譯注：以紐約前市長Hugh Grant命名）不只不吸引人，而且大體而言不得進入，被一扇經常鎖著的門擋住，推動這座公園入選市政府「無邊界公園」計畫的社區活躍人士妮爾卡．馬泰爾這麼說。

 

不過，她認為這座公園有潛力成為附近居民的活動中心，供裝置藝術和社區活動計畫使用，並支援附近的一個農夫市集。

 

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/299114/web/#2L-7596942L 

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Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I’m your host Gavin and this is InTense Episode 3.

 

Today we're going to be talking about the present continuous tense and this is a tense that we use to describe things that are happening now. Now it's very easy to see when this tense is being used because there are the tell-tale signs of the “ing,” So basically what it is, is “ïs,am,are and ing” so, “I am working. He is singing.”

Just a word of caution, when I came to Taiwan, I came from South Africa, so we learned it as the present continuous tense. When I came to Taiwan I was confronted with the present progressive tense, so just to let you know that the progressive tense and the continuous tense are the same thing. So, we use the present continuous tense for things that are happening now. I think the the key word is “now” so things are happening now, “I am talking now.” We also use it for things that are happening around now, as in, “I am reading a book.” So, I'm not reading it right now, but I'm busy with it, this last week. We also use it for things that are happening at a certain time like this week, “This week I am trying to lose weight.”

And lastly. but not least, we will be using it for things that are changing, ”The climate is changing.” So those are the usages and without further ado let's go to our practices. So don't forget, we will do a “yes” question and a “no” question where applicable.

 

 

跟讀練習：

Is Mary brushing her teeth? Yes, she is brushing her teeth.

Is Mary brushing her teeth? No, Mary is not brushing her teeth. (Should have been “she.”)

 

Are you brushing your teeth every morning? Yes, I am brushing my teeth every morning.

Are you brushing your teeth every morning? No, I am not brushing my teeth every morning.

 

Are you eating lunch now? Yes, I am eating lunch now.

Are you eating lunch now? No, I am not eating lunch now.

 

Are you eating big lunches recently? Yes, I am eating big lunches recently.

Are you eating big lunches recently? No, I am not eating big lunches recently.

 

Is the population in Taiwan decreasing? Yes, the population in Taiwan is decreasing.

Is the population in Taiwan decreasing? No, the population in Taiwan is not decreasing.

 

Are sea temperatures rising? Yes, sea temperatures are rising.

Are sea temperatures rising? No, sea temperatures are not rising.

 

Are you working late more? Yes, I am working late more.

Are you working late more? No, I am not working late more.

 

Are you learning more English? Yes, I am learning more English.

Are you learning more English? No, I am not learning more English.

 

Is the dog wagging its tail? Yes, the dog is wagging its tail.

Is the dog wagging its tail? No, the dog is not wagging its tail.

 

Thank you very much guys, I hope that was helpful. Don't forget please repeat and repeat until you're happy with the results. Have a great day and see you again next time, bye!

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today

Welcome to 15mins.today the home of English Shadowing. I’m your host Gavin and this is InTense Episode 3.

 

Today we're going to be talking about the present continuous tense and this is a tense that we use to describe things that are happening now. Now it's very easy to see when this tense is being used because there are the tell-tale signs of the “ing,” So basically what it is, is “ïs,am,are and ing” so, “I am working. He is singing.”

Just a word of caution, when I came to Taiwan, I came from South Africa, so we learned it as the present continuous tense. When I came to Taiwan I was confronted with the present progressive tense, so just to let you know that the progressive tense and the continuous tense are the same thing. So, we use the present continuous tense for things that are happening now. I think the the key word is “now” so things are happening now, “I am talking now.” We also use it for things that are happening around now, as in, “I am reading a book.” So, I'm not reading it right now, but I'm busy with it, this last week. We also use it for things that are happening at a certain time like this week, “This week I am trying to lose weight.”

And lastly. but not least, we will be using it for things that are changing, ”The climate is changing.” So those are the usages and without further ado let's go to our practices. So don't forget, we will do a “yes” question and a “no” question where applicable.

 

 

跟讀練習：

Is Mary brushing her teeth? Yes, she is brushing her teeth.

Is Mary brushing her teeth? No, Mary is not brushing her teeth. (Should have been “she.”)

 

Are you brushing your teeth every morning? Yes, I am brushing my teeth every morning.

Are you brushing your teeth every morning? No, I am not brushing my teeth every morning.

 

Are you eating lunch now? Yes, I am eating lunch now.

Are you eating lunch now? No, I am not eating lunch now.

 

Are you eating big lunches recently? Yes, I am eating big lunches recently.

Are you eating big lunches recently? No, I am not eating big lunches recently.

 

Is the population in Taiwan decreasing? Yes, the population in Taiwan is decreasing.

Is the population in Taiwan decreasing? No, the population in Taiwan is not decreasing.

 

Are sea temperatures rising? Yes, sea temperatures are rising.

Are sea temperatures rising? No, sea temperatures are not rising.

 

Are you working late more? Yes, I am working late more.

Are you working late more? No, I am not working late more.

 

Are you learning more English? Yes, I am learning more English.

Are you learning more English? No, I am not learning more English.

 

Is the dog wagging its tail? Yes, the dog is wagging its tail.

Is the dog wagging its tail? No, the dog is not wagging its tail.

 

Thank you very much guys, I hope that was helpful. Don't forget please repeat and repeat until you're happy with the results. Have a great day and see you again next time, bye!

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today

Summary:

In this article it is discussed how Japan is trying “clean up” its image by removing porn magazines from convenience stores ahead of the upcoming Olympics.

 

Vocabulary and sample sentences:

 

Chain Stores - a shop/store that is one of a series of similar/same stores owned by the same company

Does Welcome operate a series of chain stores in Taiwan?

Yes, Welcome operates a series of chain stores in Taiwan.

Are chain stores very popular globally?

Yes, chain stores are very popular globally.

 

Impression- an idea of feeling or an opinion that you get about somebody/something or that somebody/something gives you

Do Apple products give us the impression that they use quality materials?

Yes, Apple products do give us the impression that they use quality materials.

Are your clothes important to make a good impression?

Yes, clothes are important to make a good impression.

 

Non-profit - without the aim of making a profit

Are non-profit organizations important to society?

Yes, non-profits are important to society.

Should we support non-profit organizations by giving them donations?

Yes, we should support non-profit organizations by giving them donations.

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today

用email訂閱就可以收到所有15mins.Today最新節目通知。

Summary:

In this article it is discussed how Japan is trying “clean up” its image by removing porn magazines from convenience stores ahead of the upcoming Olympics.

 

Vocabulary and sample sentences:

 

Chain Stores - a shop/store that is one of a series of similar/same stores owned by the same company

Does Welcome operate a series of chain stores in Taiwan?

Yes, Welcome operates a series of chain stores in Taiwan.

Are chain stores very popular globally?

Yes, chain stores are very popular globally.

 

Impression- an idea of feeling or an opinion that you get about somebody/something or that somebody/something gives you

Do Apple products give us the impression that they use quality materials?

Yes, Apple products do give us the impression that they use quality materials.

Are your clothes important to make a good impression?

Yes, clothes are important to make a good impression.

 

Non-profit - without the aim of making a profit

Are non-profit organizations important to society?

Yes, non-profits are important to society.

Should we support non-profit organizations by giving them donations?

Yes, we should support non-profit organizations by giving them donations.

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today

用email訂閱就可以收到所有15mins.Today最新節目通知。

每日跟讀#567: Meteor blast over Bering Sea was 10 times size of Hiroshima

 

A meteor explosion over the Bering Sea late last year unleashed 10 times as much energy as the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, scientists have revealed. The fireball tore across the sky off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula on Dec. 18 and released energy equivalent to 173 kilotonnes of TNT. It was the largest air blast since another meteor hurtled into the atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, in Russia’s south-west, six years ago, and the second largest in the past 30 years.

 

科學家透露，白令海上空去年底發生一起流星爆炸，釋放出相當於摧毀廣島原子彈的十倍能量。這顆火球在去年十二月十八日劃過俄羅斯的堪察加半島上空，釋放出的能量相當於十七萬三千噸的黃色炸藥。這起事件是繼六年前另一顆流星猛烈衝進俄國西南部車里雅賓斯克上空的大氣層以來，最大的一場空中爆炸，同時也是過去三十年來第二大的爆炸事件。

 

Unlike the Chelyabinsk meteor, which was captured on CCTV, mobile phones and car dashboard cameras, the December arrival from outer space went largely unnoticed at the time because it exploded in such a remote location. NASA received information about the blast from the US air force after military satellites detected visible and infrared light from the fireball.

 

不同於車里雅賓斯克那顆流星，被閉路電視、手機以及行車記錄器廣泛拍攝到，這位外太空訪客去年十二月抵達時幾乎無人察覺，原因在於爆炸地點實在是人跡罕至。後來因為軍用衛星在十二月偵測到這顆火球發出可見光和紅外線，美國國家航空暨太空總署（NASA）才從美國空軍方面獲得爆炸的相關資訊。

 

Lindley Johnson, planetary defense officer at NASA, told BBC News that blasts of this size were expected only two or three times a century. The space agency’s analysis shows that the meteor, probably a few meters wide, barreled into Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 32km per second and exploded at an altitude of around 26km. The blast released about 40 percent of the energy of the meteor explosion over Chelyabinsk, according to Kelly Fast, NASA’s near-Earth objects observations program manager, who spoke at the 50th Lunar and Planetary Science conference near Houston.

 

美國太空總署的行星防禦官員林德里‧約翰遜向英國廣播公司新聞網表示，這個規模的爆炸每一百年預期只會發生兩到三次。根據太空總署分析顯示，該顆流星約數公尺寬，以每秒約三十二公里的速度衝進地球的大氣層，並在大約二十六公里的高空中爆炸。美國太空總署的近地天體觀測計畫主管凱莉‧法斯特，近日於休士頓附近召開的第五十屆月球與行星科學研討會中表示，這次爆炸釋放的能量約為車里雅賓斯克上空流星爆炸的百分之四十。

 

Since the event came to light, meteor researchers have been asking airlines for any sightings of the fireball, which came in close to routes used by commercial carriers flying between North America and Asia. Peter Brown, a meteor specialist at Western University in Canada, spotted the blast independently in measurements made by global monitoring stations. The explosion left its mark in data recorded by a network of sensors that detect infrasound, which has a frequency too low for the human ear to pick up. The network was set up to detect covert nuclear bomb tests.

 

自從這起事件曝光後，流星學者紛紛向航空公司詢問是否有任何這顆火球的目擊記錄，畢竟火球相當接近商用客機往來於北美洲和亞洲使用的飛行路徑。加拿大西安大略大學的流星專家彼得‧布朗，在全球多個監測中心測量到的數值中，獨立發現這起爆炸。它留下的痕跡，可見於一組感應器網路記錄到的數據，這些感應器可偵測頻率太低而無法被人耳接收到的超低頻音，而該網路是被設置用來偵測暗中進行的核彈試爆。

 

The Bering Sea event is another reminder that, despite efforts to identify and track space rocks that could pose a threat to Earth, sizable meteors can still arrive without warning. NASA is working to identify 90 percent of near-Earth asteroids larger than 140m by 2020, but the task could take another 30 years to complete.

 

這起白令海爆炸事件再度提醒我們，儘管人類致力於找出並追蹤可能對地球造成威脅的太空巨石，大尺寸的流星仍然會毫無預警地來到地球。美國太空總署目前正努力在二○二○年之前，對大於一百四十公尺的近地小行星完成百分之九十的辨識，但這項任務可能需要再花三十年才能全部完成。

 

The 20m-wide meteor that detonated over Chelyabinsk lit up the morning sky on Feb. 15, 2013. At its most intense, the fireball burned 30 times brighter than the sun. The flash quickly gave way to a shockwave that knocked people off their feet and shattered windows in thousands of apartments. No one was killed but more than 1,200 people were injured, many by flying glass. Some sustained retinal burns from watching the spectacle.

 

二○一三年二月十五日，二十公尺寬的流星在車里雅賓斯克上空爆炸，點亮早晨的天空。在燃燒最劇烈的時候，整顆火球的亮度比太陽高出三十倍。眩目的閃光很快就被衝擊波所取代，直接震倒民眾，並震碎數千棟公寓窗戶。雖然無人身亡，這起事件仍造成超過一千兩百名民眾受傷，許多人遭到飛散的玻璃割傷。有些民眾則因為觀看這場奇觀過久而導致視網膜灼傷。

 

In 1908, the most powerful meteor blast in modern times shook the ground in Russia. The rock exploded over Tunguska, a sparsely populated region in Siberia, and flattened an estimated 80 million trees over an area of 2,000 square kilometers.

 

現代歷史上威力最強大的流星爆炸在一九○八年撼動俄國土地。那顆石頭在通古斯加──西伯利亞一處人煙稀少的區域──上空爆炸，夷平兩千平方公里土地上的八千萬棵樹。

 

Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/03/24/2003712045/2

 

更多跟讀練習單元，就在http://www.15mins.today/daily-shadowing

 

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