通勤學英語 15Mins Today

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- Full Article Here: https://www.15mins.today/blog/15mins-inspirations-ep-8-inspirations-quotes-from-jazz-singers

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀VIP Ep. L055: Wildfires Devastate Multiple European Nations as Heat Fuels Spreading Blazes Highlights 主題摘要Devastating wildfires swept across Spain, Portugal, Turkey and Greece, killing victims and forcing thousands to evacuate from homes and resorts.Nearly 1,000 soldiers joined firefighters battling blazes while emergency services reported 77 hospitalizations from smoke exposure in Turkey alone.European wildfire destruction has increased 87% above historical averages, with over 400,000 hectares already burned this year. Deadly wildfires raged across southern Europe this week as extreme heat created perfect conditions for devastating blazes. Spain witnessed its most tragic incident when flames claimed a victim who suffered burns across 98% of his body near Madrid, where firefighters had largely contained the blaze by Tuesday morning. Firefighters and nearly 1,000 soldiers battled multiple fires in regions including Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Andalusia, and Galicia, while thousands of tourists fled beach resorts at Spain's southern tip. Regional authorities later confirmed some evacuated beachgoers could return to their hotels. 本週致命野火席捲歐洲南部，極端高溫為毀滅性火災創造了完美條件。西班牙發生最慘烈事件，馬德里附近的火勢奪走一名全身98%燒傷的受害者生命，消防員到週二上午已大致控制該處火勢。消防員與近千名士兵在包括卡斯提亞-雷昂、卡斯提亞-拉曼查、安達魯西亞和加利西亞等地區對抗多處火災，同時數千名遊客逃離西班牙南端的海灘度假村。地方當局稍後證實部分撤離的海灘遊客可以返回飯店。 Portugal mobilized over 700 firefighters to combat a major blaze in Trancoso municipality, located approximately 350 kilometers northeast of Lisbon, while smaller fires burned throughout northern territories. The Portuguese emergency response demonstrated the massive scale of resources needed to tackle such widespread destruction across the country's forested regions. French authorities placed most southern regions under the highest heat warning, with some municipalities offering free access to public swimming pools as relief measures for residents struggling with the intense temperatures. 葡萄牙動員超過700名消防員對抗位於里斯本東北約350公里特蘭科蘇市的大火，較小火災則在北部各地燃燒。葡萄牙的緊急應變展現了處理全國森林地區如此大範圍破壞所需的龐大資源規模。法國當局將大部分南部地區列入最高熱浪警戒，部分市政當局為受強烈高溫所苦的居民提供免費游泳池使用作為緩解措施。 Turkey experienced perhaps the most dramatic evacuations when wildfires swept through Canakkale province, forcing 2,000 residents to flee by both land and sea routes. The blaze originated on agricultural land but rapidly spread to forested areas before reaching residential zones, fanned by strong winds that complicated firefighting efforts. Emergency services reported 77 hospitalizations due to smoke exposure, highlighting the serious health dangers beyond direct fire damage. Agriculture Minister Ibrahim Yumakli confirmed that while the major Canakkale fire was largely contained, firefighters continued battling active blazes in western provinces including Manisa and Izmir. 土耳其可能經歷了最戲劇性的撤離，野火席捲恰納卡萊省時，迫使2,000名居民透過海陸等不同路線逃生。火勢起源於農地但迅速蔓延至森林地區後到達住宅區，強風助長火勢使滅火工作複雜化。緊急服務部門通報77人因吸入煙霧住院，突顯了超越直接火災傷害的嚴重健康危險。農業部長易卜拉欣證實，雖然恰納卡萊的主要火勢已大致控制，但消防員仍在包括馬尼薩和伊茲密爾在內的西部各省對抗活躍火災。 Greece faced multiple emergency situations with seven major wildfires threatening cities and tourist destinations. The most serious blaze approached Patras, the country's third-largest city, where firefighters scrambled resources to protect industrial areas and residential neighborhoods. High winds severely hindered firefighting efforts on popular tourist islands Zakynthos and Kefalonia, where authorities remained on standby to evacuate resort complexes if conditions deteriorated further. Greek civil protection services issued over 20 mobile phone alerts with evacuation orders. European wildfire destruction has escalated 87% above historical averages this year, with over 400,000 hectares already consumed according to EU data published. 希臘面臨多重緊急狀況，七場大型野火威脅城市及觀光景點。最嚴重的火勢逼近該國第三大城市帕特雷，消防員緊急調動資源保護工業區和住宅區。強風嚴重阻礙熱門觀光島嶼札金索斯和凱法利尼亞的滅火工作，當局持續待命，若情況進一步惡化將撤離度假村建築群。希臘民防服務發出超過20次手機警報和撤離命令。根據歐盟公布的數據，今年歐洲野火破壞比歷史平均攀升87%，已有超過40萬公頃土地被吞噬。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Mobilized [verb, organized and deployed for action]: Portugal mobilized over 700 firefighters to combat a major blaze in Trancoso municipality.Scrambled [verb, moved quickly and urgently]: The most serious blaze approached Patras where firefighters scrambled resources to protect industrial areas.Consumed [verb, completely destroyed by fire]: European wildfire destruction has escalated with over 400,000 hectares already consumed according to EU data.Escalated [verb, increased rapidly in intensity]: European wildfire destruction has escalated 87% above historical averages this year.Deteriorated [verb, became progressively worse]: Authorities remained on standby to evacuate resort complexes if conditions deteriorated further. Reference: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/13/temperature-records-heatwave-europe-france-croatia-wildfires https://apnews.com/article/europe-spain-portugal-wildfires-climate-change-1533bd1d950306686cf433a3a75095d6

最貼近大眾的軍事節目《國防在線急》上線囉🎙️ 以為國軍只有飛彈跟演習？真正的戰場，比你想的更貼近生活！ 🪖直擊國際志願兵日常 🪖戰地記者第一線戰場 🪖軍事專家精闢分析 做好備戰，才有能力止戰！掌握不可忽視的國防現場📣 ➡️ https://fstry.pse.is/82arb2 —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Topic: Japan to fund AI matchmaking to boost birth rate Japan plans to boost its tumbling birth rate by funding artificial intelligence matchmaking schemes to help residents find love. 日本計畫透過資助人工智慧配對相親計畫，幫助國民尋找愛情，以提高該國不斷下降的出生率。 From next year it will subsidize local governments already running or starting projects that use AI to pair people up. 從明年開始，日本政府將提供補貼，資助地方政府已經在運行以及新啟動的人工智慧配對相親項目。 Last year the number of babies born in Japan fell below 865,000 - a record low. 去年，日本新生嬰兒數跌破86.5萬，創下歷史新低。 The fast-greying nation has long been searching for ways to reverse one of the world’s lowest fertility rates. 日本的生育率為全世界最低的國家之一，這個快速高齡化的國家長期以來一直在尋找扭轉局面的方法。 Boosting the use of AI tech is one of its latest efforts.加強人工智慧技術的運用，是其最新舉措之一。 Next year the government plans to allocate local authorities 2bn yen to boost the birth rate, reported AFP news agency. 據法新社報導，日本政府計畫明年撥款20億日圓給地方政府，以提高出生率。 Many already offer human-run matchmaking services and some have introduced AI systems in the hope they will perform a more sophisticated analysis of the standardised forms where people submit their details. 許多企業已經提供了人工婚介服務，一些已經引入AI系統，希望能夠對民眾提交的標準化表格進行更精密的分析。 Next Article Topic: The Age of Quantum AI The age of Quantum AI is upon us. AI needs processing power that current computers can’t provide but quantum computers could pick up the slack. 量子人工智慧的時代來臨。人工智慧（AI）需要當前計算機（電腦）無法提供的處理能力，而量子電腦可以彌補不足之處。 Google announced that it had built the world’s first real quantum processor, the 53-qubit Sycamore chip. It seems that IBM took it a little bit personally, maybe because Big Blue’s Summit is the world’s fastest calculating machine, for now. 谷歌（Google）已宣布研發出全球首座真正的量子處理器，即53量子位元的「Sycamore」晶片。但國際商業機器公司（IBM）對此頗有微詞，因為IBM的超級電腦「Summit」現在還是全球最快的計算機。 Quantum computing and AI aren’t just two parallel research fields that happen to meet somewhere. They’re more like a match made in heaven. 量子運算與人工智慧不僅是平行卻碰巧有交集的兩個研究領域。它們更像是天生一對。 Big Data is the nexus between AI and quantum computers. The former needs data and lots of it to learn and improve its intelligence. The latter are well-equipped to deal with huge swaths of data in a time-efficient manner. 大數據是人工智慧與量子電腦的連接點。前者（人工智慧）需要透過大數據學習及改進。後者（量子電腦）能夠高效處理大數據。 Financial modeling, weather forecasting, chemical simulations, and quantum cryptography are just a few examples of the areas that quantum AI would revolutionize. 財政模型化、天氣預報、化學模擬、量子密碼學都只是量子人工智慧即將革新的其中一些領域。 Next Article: Topic: Evolution of circuits for machine learning 機器學習電路的進化 Artificial intelligence （AI） has allowed computers to solve problems that were previously thought to be beyond their capabilities. There is therefore great interest in developing specialized circuits that can complete AI calculations faster and with lower energy consumption than current devices. 人工智慧（AI）讓電腦能夠解決此前被認為超出計算機能力範圍的問題。人們因此相當關注專門電路的開發，以實現比現有裝置更快速、能源消耗更低的人工智慧計算。 Writing in Nature, Tao Chen et al. demonstrate an unconventional electrical circuit in silicon that can be evolved in situ to carry out basic machine-learning operations. 陳滔（譯音）等人刊登在《自然》的研究，演示一種在矽材料上的非常規電路，它能直接執行基本的機器學習運算。 Previous work by some of the current authors produced isolated charge puddles from a collection of gold nanoparticles that were randomly deposited on a silicon surface, with insulating molecules between them. These puddles are at the heart of Chen and colleagues’ circuit design. 該研究的其中一些作者先前在矽材料的表面隨機堆積奈米黃金顆粒，並用絕緣分子隔開這些電荷坑。金奈米電荷坑是陳博士團隊的電路設計核心。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1354193 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1349153 Next Article Topic: Australia wins AI ’Eurovision Song Contest’ Dutch broadcaster VPRO decided to organise an AI Song Contest after the country won the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. The aim was to research the creative abilities of AI and the impact it has on us, as well as the influence it could have on the music industry, according to the official Eurovision website. 荷蘭廣播公司VPRO決定舉辦一場AI歌曲大賽，在這個國家贏得2019年歐洲歌唱大賽後。歐洲歌唱大賽官方網站指出，（比賽的）目標是研究AI的創意能力、對我們的衝擊，以及它對音樂產業的影響。 Thirteen teams entered the contest, with Australia beating out Sweden, Belgium, the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands to take home the title, giving fans a taste of Eurovision after 2020 contest was cancelled due to COVID-19. 共有13組人馬參賽，最後由澳洲擊敗瑞典、比利時、英國、法國、德國、瑞士與荷蘭等對手，將冠軍頭銜帶回家，在2020年歐洲歌唱大賽因為2019冠狀病毒流行病（COVID-19）疫情取消後，讓歌迷一嚐大賽的滋味。 The winning song, titled Beautiful the World, includes audio samples of koalas, kookaburras and Tasmanian devils, and was made by music-tech collective Uncanny Valley as a response to the Black Summer bushfires. 獲勝曲的題目為「Beautiful the World」，含有無尾熊、笑翠鳥與袋獾的聲音樣本，由音樂技術團體「恐怖谷」製作，回應黑暗夏日的叢林大火。 Next Article Topic: AI technology causing sensation in translation world Through artificial intelligence (AI), there may be another kind of imagination for translation, said Nicolas Bousquet, the scientific director of Quantmetry, a French consulting firm specializing in AI. The expert made the comment when attending a forum, titled “Translation in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” at the 2019 Taipei International Book Exhibition on Feb. 15. 法國「人工智慧」(AI)諮詢公司Quantmetry科學主任尼可拉布斯格說，透過AI翻譯也許有另一種想像！這位專家在參與二○一九年台北國際書展時，於二月十五日的「AI人工智慧時代的翻譯論壇」作此表示。 Earlier last year, Quantmetry and German start-up DeepL shocked the industry by completing the translation of an 800-page book in 12 hours using AI. It would take a translator about five to six months to translate a book that thick. However, translator Mu Zhuo-yun believes that since humans and machines comprehend sentences differently, only the former is able to truly capture the more artistic conception of literature that an author wants to convey. 在去年，Quantmetry和德國新創公司DeepL共同藉由AI技術，僅花了十二小時就翻譯完一本八百頁的書籍，翻譯界對此大感震驚，因為一位譯者要翻那麼厚的書，可能要花上五、六個月。不過譯者穆卓芸認為，人類與機器了解句子的方式是不同的，只有人類才能真正掌握作者想傳達的「文學性意境」。 In addition to the evolution of written translation, the demand for real-time language translation devices that translate speech, images and street signs is on the rise. Some AI-powered gadgets even boast that they are capable of interpreting 30 to 40 languages. 除了筆譯的進化之外，對於可以即時翻譯談話，圖像或街道標誌的語言翻譯機，需求也在成長。有些AI支援的翻譯機，甚至宣稱能口譯三十至四十多種外語。Source article: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/02/28/2003710519

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 從 Shadowing 練習到真實對話：突破語言學習的最後一哩路 你也有這樣的困擾嗎？明明每天都有在做 shadowing 練習，嘴巴也越來越順了，但一遇到真實對話情境就不知道該怎麼應用？這集 Teacher's Lounge 回應了聽眾Wei的提問，探討如何從練習階段跨越到實際應用，從「嘴巴順了」進化到「能夠對話」的關鍵策略。 一個值得鼓掌的好習慣 首先要給Wei一個大大的讚！能夠持續進行 shadowing 練習並感受到口說進步，這本身就「海放很多人了」。John 老師特別強調這個成就的重要性，因為大多數人都卡在「建立習慣」這一關，而Wei已經成功養成良好習慣並感受到明顯進步。 Wei的問題很典型：「在練習跟讀之後，不知道怎麼實際應用到對話層面的輸出。」這反映了許多學習者面臨的瓶頸—從個人練習跳躍到互動對話的鴻溝。 英語思維的培養核心 John 老師的建議核心是培養「英語思維」（thinking in English）。什麼是英語思維？就是擺脫大腦總是在翻譯的習慣。「看到英文先 translate 變中文，然後再回去到英文，所以一個 apple 就是 apple，不用想說 apple 是蘋果，然後蘋果是 apple。」 這種直接用英語思考的能力，需要在熟悉的領域中培養。魏是工程師，John 老師建議他專注在工程或 IT 相關領域的文章上深化練習，因為「熟悉的領域開始，你才容易在腦中處理更多的英語腦」。 5W1H 架構的實戰應用 具體的練習方法是運用新聞文章的基礎架構：5W1H（Who, What, When, Where, Why, How）。「看完這個文章了以後，去解釋這件文章，去 summarize 這個文章，用 who, what, when, why, how 這個架構去講出來，去解釋出來 in his own words。」 這個練習的對象可以是朋友、家人，甚至「to the mirror if you really have nobody」。重點是用自己的英語去詮釋文章內容，而不是背誦或翻譯。 環境創造的重要性 阿鍵老師強調環境在語言學習中的關鍵作用。雖然節目能提供的環境「每天大概 15 分鐘到一小時」，但更重要的是「是不是可以自己去製造環境」。 許多人其實已經身處英語環境中：「你的筆電打開就是英文的 Windows、英文的 MacBook，然後你手機打開是英文的 iOS、英文的 Google 的 System Android System。」關鍵是要有意識地善用這些環境。 對話技巧的實戰策略 阿鍵老師分享了從雅思口說考試學來的實用技巧：利用緩衝片語爭取思考時間。當聽到問題後，可以先說「Oh that's an interesting question」或「Oh it's a good point」，這些固定句型可以作為「connection 做橋接，讓你可以在中間製造一點點思考的空間」。 另一個技巧是重複對方的問題。當考官問「How is your day?」時，可以回答「Oh how is my day? My day is fine」，前面先重複問題就能爭取思考時間。 語感培養的沉浸體驗 語感（language intuition）是「很難去用學的，必須用 immerse 用沉浸在裡面，然後用身體去感覺的」。這包括了解固定搭配，比如「month 的話通常前面是 in month，但是 Friday Monday 是 on」這些慣用搭配。 阿鍵老師建議透過聽音樂、聽新聞、看劇來「習慣他們講話的步調還有他們的用詞選字」，特別是 idioms 的運用。English Cafe 中有「非常大量的 idioms，都會把固定的字配對在一起」，是很好的語感培養材料。 專業領域的深度練習 針對特定主題的刻意練習非常重要。「你今天看的 finance 跟明天看的 finance，你看了 10 篇 20 篇的 finance，其實那個詞彙大概就是那麼多。」 John 老師強調：「Deliberate practice on certain topics is very important。」如果你想在某個專業領域用英語對話，就必須在該領域累積足夠的詞彙和表達方式。 Reading Out Loud 的隱藏價值 許多學習者認為 reading out loud 沒有用，但 John 老師澄清：「Reading out loud 對你的 brain processing 是非常非常有用的。」如果覺得 shadowing 有壓力，至少要做 reading out loud。 重點是「沉浸在這個 reading out loud 的氛圍裡面，持續的去 focus on English，不用去太專注在阿鍵老師每周都幫大家還有 VIP members 翻譯好好的中文上面。」換句話說，不要依賴中文翻譯，要讓自己完全沉浸在英語環境中。 從練習者到新聞主播 最終的練習建議是把自己當成「news anchor 新聞主播」。看完文章後，用 5W1H 架構解釋出來，「這樣子的方式逼自己不用再去針對單字或片語去做翻譯，而是用你自己所理解的部分、所有的詞彙去應用出來。」 這個過程會讓你「越來越會去挑剔自己在 reading 的時候有沒有做一些理解，還是說我就是做 reading out loud 然後其實我沒有在 process any information」。真正的理解和機械式的朗讀之間有很大差別。 突破最後一哩路的關鍵 從 shadowing 練習到真實對話的跨越，核心在於： 建立在熟悉領域上的英語思維培養、運用結構化方法（5W1H）進行輸出練習、善用身邊的英語環境並主動創造對話機會、掌握實用的對話技巧和緩衝策略、透過大量接觸培養 自然語感，以及在特定專業領域進行深度練習。 魏的提問反映了許多中高級學習者的共同困擾：技能有了，但不知道如何實際應用。關鍵不是需要更多的練習量，而是需要正確的練習方法和心態轉換。當你開始用英語思考、用英語組織想法、用英語表達觀點時，就能真正從練習者轉變為使用者。 記住 John 老師的提醒：不要再依賴翻譯，不要再看字幕，讓自己完全沉浸在英語的世界裡。只有這樣，才能真正突破語言學習的最後一哩路。 面臨類似的學習瓶頸嗎？立即開始你的 5W1H 輸出練習，讓 shadowing 的成果真正轉化為對話能力！ 想要加入這個充滿學習熱忱的VIP社群嗎？ 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday

中國信託聯手統一集團推出uniopen聯名信用卡2025年12月31日前消費享最高11%回饋完成指定任務加碼每月免費跨行轉帳10次，ATM存領外幣各1次免手續費了解詳情> https://fstry.pse.is/83qhlf 謹慎理財 信用至上 —— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary:  On average, students who graduate from public university in the US is expected to have over USD35000 in student debt loan. Official government statistics also indicates that 71% of US students are burdened with student loans, with minorities – black women hit the hardest. For students, it’s the inability to repay the loans on time that is incurring additional interest, and over time the debt just keeps piling upwards.  Next article Singapore schoolchildren is struggling with stress from school. According to news reports, the number of schoolchildren seeking psychiatric help is increasing. To ease the pressure of students, the government removed some exams in primary and secondary schools and group the students according to ability in math and science classes.  Full article here: https://www.15mins.today/blog/724-about-education-student-debt-a-life-sentence-for-millions-of  Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:  Debt n. A sum of money that is owed or due / a feeling of gratitude for a service or favor You will be in debt if you borrow money from the bank that you cannot pay back. Thank you for the help, I am in your debt.  Burden v. n. A heavy load ; load heavily The student loans over time will become a huge burden for the graduates. Please don’t burden yourself with too much debt before you get a job.  Anxiety n. adj. A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about uncertain outcome Compared to student in other countries, Singaporean students suffer from greater anxiety. 

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 下個月就是中秋節，你準備要烤肉了嗎？本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Klim 老師要帶大家環遊世界，一起探索世界各國令人驚奇的獨特烤肉文化！ 從巴西的 churrasco 到南非的 braai，從祕魯神秘的地下土窯烤肉到韓國使用水果醃肉的技巧，每個國家的烤肉方式都讓人大開眼界。另外 Klim 老師也分享了經典台式烤肉醬的常見配方，有興趣的通勤家族不妨在今年中秋烤肉試試看我們的傳統好滋味。 The Mid-Autumn Festival is next month—are you getting ready for barbecuing? This week on English Cafe, Klim and I take everyone on a world tour to explore the amazing and unique barbecue cultures from around the globe! From Brazilian churrasco to South African braai, from Peru's mysterious underground earth oven barbecuing to Korea's fruit-marinating techniques, each country's barbecuing methods are truly eye-opening. Additionally, Klim shares the classic Taiwanese barbecue sauce recipe. Interested members of the commuter family might want to try our traditional flavors at this year's Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue.

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- Full article here: https://www.15mins.today/blog/15mins-inspirations-ep-7-inspirations-quotes-from-top-voice

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L052: Trump's Gold Tariff Confusion Rocks Global Markets Highlights 主題摘要US Customs ruled Swiss gold bars would face thirty-nine percent tariffs, surprising Wall Street traders completely.Gold prices surged to record highs before retreating when White House called reports misinformation.Trump clarified on Truth Social that gold would not face tariffs, ending market confusion. The global gold market experienced unprecedented turmoil when US Customs issued a surprising July thirty-first ruling targeting Swiss gold bars. The agency declared that one kilogram and hundred-ounce imports would face reciprocal tariffs, completely blindsiding Wall Street traders who expected precious metals to remain exempt from duties. This ruling specifically targeted Switzerland, which faces Trump's highest tariff rate of thirty-nine percent among trading partners. Gold bullion serves as crucial backing for financial contracts traded on New York's Comex exchange, making this unexpected ruling particularly significant for American precious metals markets. 全球黃金市場在美國海關於7月31日發布針對瑞士金條的意外裁定後，經歷了前所未有的動盪。該機構宣布一公斤和100盎司的進口將面臨對等關稅，這讓原本預期貴金屬將免於課稅的華爾街交易員完全措手不及。這項裁定特別針對瑞士，該國在所有貿易夥伴中面臨川普最高的39%關稅稅率。黃金作為在紐約商品交易所交易的金融合約的重要擔保，使得這項意外裁定對美國貴金屬市場格外重要。 Market reaction was immediate as gold futures surged more than one percent Thursday, reaching record highs above thirty-five hundred dollars per troy ounce. The precious metal had gained thirty-one percent this year as investors sought safe havens amid trade uncertainty. However, the potential tariff created serious supply chain concerns since Switzerland houses much of the world's gold refining capacity. A thirty-nine percent tariff would significantly increase costs for importing bullion into America. Traders worried about navigating complex new import duties on such a fundamental commodity, fearing operational disruptions. 當下市場立即反應，黃金期貨週四飆升超過1%，達到每金衡盎司3500美元以上的歷史新高。這個貴金屬今年已經上漲31%，因為投資人在貿易不確定性中尋求避險資產。然而，潛在的關稅引起了嚴重的供應鏈擔憂，因為瑞士擁有全世界大部分的黃金精煉產能。39%的關稅將大幅增加向美國進口金條的成本。交易員擔心在如此基礎的商品上處理複雜的新進口關稅，擔心會造成營運中斷。 Industry experts quickly recognized the potentially devastating impact on global precious metals markets. UBS strategists warned that tariffs would create significant costs for traders who rely on importing gold to settle financial contracts. The Swiss Precious Metals Association expressed concern about implications for the longstanding gold trade partnership between Switzerland and America. Friday afternoon, a White House official attempted damage control by calling the tariff reports "misinformation" and promising an executive order to clarify the situation. This announcement caused gold prices to retreat from earlier gains. 業界專家迅速認識到對全球貴金屬市場的潛在破壞性影響。瑞銀策略師警告，關稅將為依賴進口黃金來結算金融合約的交易員帶來巨大成本。瑞士貴金屬協會對瑞士和美國之間長期黃金貿易夥伴關係的影響表示擔憂。週五下午，白宮官員試圖進行危機處理，稱關稅報導為「假訊息」，並承諾發布行政命令澄清情況。這項聲明使金價從早先的漲幅回落。 President Trump finally ended the confusion Monday with a definitive Truth Social statement declaring "Gold will not be Tariffed!" His announcement immediately sent gold futures tumbling two-point-four-eight percent to close at thirty-four-oh-four-point-seven-oh dollars per ounce. The episode highlighted the significant market influence of Trump's trade policies and demonstrated the importance of clear government communication. While the immediate crisis was resolved, the incident raised serious questions about federal coordination and potential future miscommunications affecting commodity markets under the current administration. 美國總統川普最終在週一透過Truth Social發表明確聲明「黃金不會被課稅！」結束了混亂。他的宣布立即使黃金期貨下跌2.48%，收於每盎司3404.70美元。這個事件突顯了川普貿易政策的重大市場影響力，並展示了政府清晰溝通的重要性。雖然立即的危機得到解決，但這起事件對聯邦部門間的協調，以及未來在現任政府下可能影響商品市場的類似誤傳，提出了嚴重質疑。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Reciprocal [adjective, mutual or corresponding]: The agency declared that one kilogram and hundred-ounce imports would face reciprocal tariffs, completely blindsiding Wall Street traders.Bullion [noun, gold or silver in bulk]: A thirty-nine percent tariff would significantly increase costs for importing bullion into America.Devastating [adjective, highly destructive]: Industry experts quickly recognized the potentially devastating impact on global precious metals markets.Misinformation [noun, false or inaccurate information]: Friday afternoon, a White House official attempted damage control by calling the tariff reports "misinformation" and promising an executive order to clarify the situation.Episode [noun, an event or incident]: The episode highlighted the significant market influence of Trump's trade policies and demonstrated the importance of clear government communication. Reference article: 1. https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/08/business/us-gold-market-switzerland-tariff-trump 2. https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/11/trump-gold-tariffs-futures.html

中國信託聯手統一集團推出uniopen聯名信用卡2025年12月31日前消費享最高11%回饋完成指定任務加碼每月免費跨行轉帳10次，ATM存領外幣各1次免手續費了解詳情> https://fstry.pse.is/83qhlf 謹慎理財 信用至上 —— 以上為播客煮與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Topic: South Korean ’phone maniac’ won’t give up his LG smartphones South Korean Ryu Hyun-soo describes himself as an ’’LG phone maniac’’ and says he won’t give up his LG smartphones even though the company is getting out of the business. 南韓人柳賢秀形容自己是「LG手機狂人」，還說即使這家公司準備停止手機業務，他也不會棄用。 LG Electronics Inc. said in April it would wind down its smartphone division by the end of July because of a prolonged sales slump. LG電子4月宣布，由於長期銷售委靡，將在7月底前逐步關閉手機部門。 Ryu, 53, who has collected nearly 90 devices over 23 years, said the audio quality made him fall in love with them. At his house in Anyang, Ryu has a room dedicated to the devices and the parts and tools to fix them. 23年來蒐集近90支LG手機的53歲柳男說，音質使他鍾情於此。在他位於安養市的家中，有一個房間專門放LG手機和修理用的相關零件和工具。 He’ll use the LG phones "forever" as long as the parts are still being supplied. 只要零件仍持續供應，他將「永遠」使用LG手機。 "A Samsung phone is like a smart friend and an Apple phone is like a girlfriend to me. Then a LG phone is like a friend whom I’ve shared the ups and downs of life together with. It is sad to see the friend leaving. It is very sad," Ryu said. 柳男說：「對我來說，三星手機就像聰明的朋友，蘋果手機就像女朋友，而LG手機就像與我一起度過人生高低潮的朋友。看著這位朋友離開很難過，真的很難過。」 Next Article Topic: The ‘Right to Repair’ Movement Gains Ground If you buy a product — a car, a smartphone, or even a tractor — and it breaks, should it be easier for you to fix it yourself? 如果你買了一個產品，例如一輛汽車、一部智慧型手機，甚至是一台拖拉機，結果它壞了，是不是應該讓你自己修理起來更容易些呢？ Manufacturers of a wide range of products have made it increasingly difficult over the years to repair things, for instance by limiting availability of parts or by putting prohibitions on who gets to tinker with them. It affects not only game consoles or farm equipment, but cellphones, military gear, refrigerators, automobiles and even hospital ventilators, the lifesaving devices that have proved crucial this year in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. 多年來，許多種產品的製造商都讓維修變得愈來愈困難，比如限制零件的取得，或對何人有權動手維修施加限制。受影響的產品不止於遊戲主機或農用機具，還有手機、軍用設備、冰箱、汽車，甚至包括今年對抗新冠病毒疫情發揮關鍵作用的救生設備—醫院裡的呼吸器。 Now, a movement known as “right to repair” is starting to make progress in pushing for laws that prohibit restrictions like these. 現在，一項名為「維修權」的運動在推動禁止此類限制的立法上，正取得進展。 In August, Democrats introduced a bill in Congress to block manufacturers’ limits on medical devices, spurred by the pandemic. In Europe, the European Commission announced plans in March for new right-to-repair rules that would cover phones, tablets and laptops by 2021. 今年8月，美國民主黨因防疫需要而在國會提出一項法案，旨在阻止製造商對醫療裝置設下限制。在歐洲，歐盟執行委員會3月宣布了新的維修權規定計畫，在2021年以前實施，涵蓋手機、平板電腦和筆記型電腦。 And in more than 20 statehouses nationwide, right-to-repair legislation has been introduced in recent years by both Republicans and Democrats. 近年來，在全美國20多個州的議會裡，共和黨和民主黨都提出了維修權法案。 Over the summer, the House advanced a funding bill that includes a requirement that the Federal Trade Commission complete a report on anti-competitive practices in the repair market and present its findings to Congress and the public. 今年夏天，眾議院推動了一項資助法案，其中責成聯邦貿易委員會做成一份關於維修市場反競爭行為的報告，並向國會和民眾提交調查結果。 The goal of right-to-repair rules, advocates say, is to require companies to make their parts, tools and information available to consumers and repair shops in order to keep devices from ending up in the scrap heap. They argue that the rules restrict people’s use of devices that they own and encourage a throwaway culture by making repairs too difficult. 倡議人士表示，維修權規定的目的是要求企業向消費者和維修商家提供零組件、工具及資訊，以免這些裝置最終被扔進垃圾堆。他們主張，目前的慣例對人們使用自己的裝置設下限制，並透過讓維修變得太過困難的方式，助長了一種用完即丟的文化。 They also argue that it’s part of a culture of planned obsolescence — the idea that products are designed to be short-lived in order to encourage people to buy more stuff. That contributes to wasted natural resources and energy use at a time when climate change requires movement in the opposite direction to rein in planet-warming emissions. 他們還認為，這是一種計畫性淘汰文化的一部分，即為了鼓勵人們購買更多東西，產品被設計成短命的。在氣候變遷需要採取反向行動來控制溫室氣體排放的此際，這助長了自然資源的浪費以及能源的使用。 Manufacturing a new device or appliance is still largely reliant on polluting sources of energy — electricity generated from burning fossil fuels, for instance — and constitutes the largest environmental impact for most products. 製造一種新設備或裝置在很大程度上，仍仰賴會造成汙染的能源，例如燃燒化石燃料產生的電力，對大多數產品而言，這正是構成最大環境影響的因素。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5015841 Next Article Topic: Help for Curing The Phone Addiction Like pretty much everyone, Susan Butler stares at her smartphone too much. But unlike most everyone, she took action, buying a $195 ring from a company called Ringly, which promises to “let you put your phone away and your mind at ease.” 和大多數人一樣，蘇珊．巴特勒盯著智慧手機看的時間太長了。不一樣的是，她採取了行動，從Ringly公司買了一只195美元的戒指，保證可「讓你手機放一旁，腦袋放輕鬆」。 Ringly does this by connecting its rings to a smartphone filter so that users can silence Gmail or Facebook notifications while preserving crucial alerts, which cause the ring to light up or vibrate. Ringly透過將戒指連接一個篩選程式辦到這一點，因此使用者可以讓Gmail或Facebook通知改為靜音，同時保留重要提示，這時戒指會發光或震動。 “Hopefully it will keep some distance between my phone and my hand,” said Ms. Butler, 27, a technology consultant who lives in Austin, Texas. 住在德州奧斯汀、27歲的科技顧問巴特勒說：「希望它能讓我的手機和我的手之間保持些距離。」 Given how quickly cellphones have taken over, it’s easy to forget that they are still a relatively new technology. The first iPhone came out eight years ago. 手機快速地主導了人們的生活，很容易讓我們忘了它仍是相當新的科技。第一支iPhone問世不過是8年前的事。 Yet already people spend close to three hours a day looking at a mobile screen – and that excludes the time they spend actually talking on the phones. 然而已有人每天花近3小時看手機－這還不算實際用手機講電話的時間。 In a recent survey of smartphone use by Bank of America, about a third of respondents said they were “constantly” checking their smartphones, and a little more than two-thirds said that they went to bed with a smartphone by their side. New companies see a business opportunity in helping people cut back. 美國銀行最近一項智慧手機使用調查發現，約三分之一受訪者表示「不斷」查看手機；略多於三分之二的人說，睡覺時把手機放在身旁。一些新公司在幫助人們少用手機這件事上看到了商機。 “Technology has evolved so quickly that we have spiraled out of control and nobody has stopped to think about how this is going to impact our lives,” said Kate Unsworth, the founder of a British company, Kovert, that also makes high-tech jewelry to filter out everything but the most urgent stuff. 英國Kovert公司製造的高科技首飾能濾除最緊急資訊以外的所有訊息，創辦人凱特．安茲沃斯說：「科技發展飛快，讓我們失去掌控，沒有人停下來思考這一切會如何影響我們的生活。」 Smartwatches like the Apple Watch are designed to encourage more glancing and less phone checking. In June, Google and Levi’s announced plans for a line of high-tech clothes that will allow people to do things like turn off a ringing phone by swiping their jacket cuff. Apple Watch之類智慧手表設計宗旨在於讓人多簡單過目，少滑手機。谷歌和Levi’s六月宣布一項高科技服飾系列的合作計畫，讓人們能做拍打外套袖口就關掉手機響鈴之類的事。 Offtime limits customers’ access to apps they overuse and produce charts on how much time they spend on their phones. Moment encourages people to share their phone use with friends to compete in a game of who can look at their phone the least. And Light Phone, a credit-card-size phone that does nothing but make and receive phone calls. Offtime程式限制顧客開啟過度使用的應用程式，並製作圖表顯示他們花在手機上的時間。Moment鼓勵人們和朋友分享自己使用手機的狀況並互相比賽，看看誰能最少看手機。還有信用卡大小的手機Light Phone，只能撥打及接聽電話。 NoPhone is a $12 piece of plastic that looks like a smartphone but actually does nothing. “Most people don’t think about phone addiction as a real thing until you’re like, ‘O.K., they’re buying a piece of plastic because they are worried about their friend,’ ” said Van Gould, head of the nascent venture that had sold close to 3,200 NoPhones. NoPhone是塊12美元的塑膠，看來像支智慧手機，實際上啥也不能做。這家新興公司已售出近3200支NoPhone，老闆范恩．古德說：「多數人沒把手機成癮真當個問題，直到你覺得『是的，他們買了一件塑膠，因為他們擔心朋友。』」 Adam Gazzaley, a neurologist and neuroscience professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said, “You have a population that is starting to say, ‘Wait, we love all this technology but there seems to be a cost – whether it’s my relationship or my work or my safety because I’m driving and texting.’ ” 舊金山加州大學神經病學家暨神經科學教授亞當．加札利說：「有一群人開始說『等等，我們愛這些科技，但似乎要付代價－無論是我的感情、工作或安全，因為我邊開車邊打簡訊。」 Some products are trying to find a balance. Google Now uses data to bother you only when you need it. “If I’m about to forget my kid’s birthday I want the phone to scream at me until I do something about it,” said Sundar Pichai, Google’s senior vice president of products. 有些產品試著尋求平衡。Google Now只在你需要時用數據打擾你。Google產品資深副總裁桑達．皮柴說：「在我將要忘記孩子的生日時，我要手機對我尖叫，直到我讓它停止。」 Smartphones are a potent delivery mechanism for two fundamental human impulses, according to Paul Atchley, a psychology professor at the University of Kansas: our quest to find new and interesting distractions, and our desire to feel that we have checked off a task. 堪薩斯大學心理學教授保羅．艾區利表示，對於兩項基本的人類衝動而言，智慧手機是有力的傳遞機制：尋求新鮮有趣的娛樂，以及感覺自己檢查過一項工作的欲望。 “The brain gets literally rewired to switch – to constantly seek out novelty, which makes putting the phone down difficult,” he said. 他說：「大腦實際上會重新連接以轉變，持續尋求新奇事物，這使得放下手機很困難。」 Addiction or not, Ms. Butler still sought help from Ringly. 無論成癮與否，巴特勒仍持續自Ringly尋求幫助。 Mr. Atchley is skeptical. Successful treatment, he said, is about controlling our demons – not outsourcing them. 艾區利表示懷疑。他說，成功的治療在於控制自己的心魔－而非將此事外包。 In technology, as in life, a little willpower goes a long way. 面對科技，一如面對生活，一點點意志力就很有用。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/282793/web/#2L-6186766L

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 清單革命來了！從醫生到歐巴馬顧問都在用的學習秘技 你以為 checklist 只是簡單的待辦事項清單嗎？這集 Teacher's Lounge 要徹底顛覆你的想法！John 老師和阿鍵老師帶來了一本來自醫學界權威、曾經擔任歐巴馬醫改顧問的重磅著作《清單革命》，要告訴你為什麼連飛行員和外科醫生都離不開 checklist，以及如何運用進階清單技巧讓你的英語學習產生革命性的突破！ 從歐巴馬顧問學來的簡單智慧 《清單革命》的作者 Atul Gawande 可不是一般人。他是印度裔醫生，同時也是公共衛生研究的權威，更重要的是，他曾經是歐巴馬醫改（ObamaCare）的重要顧問。「當年的 ObamaCare 有一部分是他的 idea 跟他的架構、他的研究做出來的。」John 老師介紹時特別強調了這位作者的分量。 但這樣一位頂尖學者為什麼要寫一本關於 checklist 的書？John 老師的疑問很有意思：「就好像 Warren Buffett 來告訴你說你要存錢，這件事情會不會⋯⋯為什麼要出一本書呢？」答案就在於，真正的專家看到的是我們看不到的深度。 簡單工具背後的深刻洞察 Atul Gawande 的核心觀點是：我們現在面臨資訊過量和操作流程過度複雜的問題，因此需要用更簡單的工具來應對。「不是叫你把東西記下來，而是你可以用打勾就可以了事的。」但這個「簡單」有個重要前提：在速度要快、資訊量要大、工作流程很複雜的現代環境中，我們的工具也變得很複雜，結果搞不清楚「是工具在用你，還是你在用工具」。 這讓人想起子彈筆記（bullet journal）的概念。阿鍵老師觀察：「我們現在要記一個東西、要做筆記真的有太多方法，然後要記下來的東西就會長得都不一樣，那到底哪一個才是重點會有點混亂。」 人性的弱點：太簡單就覺得沒價值 有個有趣的人性現象：我們往往覺得太簡單的事情就是低價值。John 老師一針見血地指出：「有時候人很奇怪，太簡單的事情反而就覺得 low value，會覺得它很低價值，就覺得高大上的東西好像比較厲害。」 「我們不會有一個 to do list 或 check list 然後要 subscribe 19.99 吧，每個月要花錢弄這個東西就不會了嘛。」這種心理讓我們錯過了很多簡單但有效的工具。 從航空業和醫療業學來的精準執行 書中提到了一個關鍵例子：航空業的飛行員和醫療業的外科醫生都大量使用 checklist。這些都是「絕對不能出錯的部分，一出錯就是跟人命相關的」高風險行業。他們用 checklist 不是為了記住該做什麼，而是為了確保每一步都做對、做完整。 Checklist 的真正威力：發現愚蠢錯誤 Atul Gawande 指出，checklist 的核心功能不是幫你記住資訊，而是「幫助你出錯」——更精確地說，是幫你識別錯誤。特別是那些「stupid error」：「我知道我該做這個，可是這件事它的執行不完整。」 這種錯誤最常見也最危險。「不是說老板有沒有來 check，我沒有上班 check，我沒有在呼吸 check，並不是這樣。是到了工作流程裡面到了那個點，我打勾了，這件事情有沒有完全執行好？看起來他沒有達到他的 intended result，那我這個勾不能打。」 從任務導向升級到結果導向 傳統的 to do list 只關注「做了沒有」，但進階的 checklist 要關注「做好沒有」。「我們太 task oriented，其實我們這個 checklist 應該跟 result 有關，那就不一樣了，會整個把它的用法升級。」 這個概念可以完美應用到英語學習上。之前討論的 playlist 是一種分類過濾法，讓你能在有限的時間內選擇 casual listening 或 deliberate practice。但在分類之後，如何確保學習成效？這就需要結果導向的 checklist。 英語學習的進階 Checklist 應用 John 老師提出了一個革命性的想法：「當我在做 deliberate practice，我們怎麼樣用這個 result oriented checklist？我們要針對我們想要 improve 的點⋯⋯我今天聽力的部分，我想要聽連音，我想要聽到所有的名詞人事物，我想要聽到什麼東西，你就做一個 task based result oriented 這個 checklist。」 具體應用例子包括：對數字敏感的金融業人士：「今天的數字我要能夠把它都寫出來」想練習連音的學習者：「今天有沒有聽到幾個連音？」想擴充詞彙的學習者：「今天聽到幾個生字？哪個生字明天可以用？」 設定個人挑戰而非工作負擔 關鍵是要把 checklist 當作「個人挑戰」而不是工作或考試。「大家通常不會很主動，變成工作或者是挑戰或考試大家就會不想做了。所以反而我覺得應該是，你想要 achieve the result，我們可以想想說我達成什麼樣的樣子，然後會讓自己覺得很高興、很有成就、很 high，那你就從那個先開始。」 進步追蹤的可視化力量 很多學習者的困擾是「不知道自己有沒有進步」，但又不想參加考試。進階 checklist 完美解決了這個問題。「你看到你一個禮拜打了 10 個勾，一年下來打 120 個勾、200 個勾，這有沒有進步？你自己打勾，自己都是給自己加分，其實最明顯的。」 阿鍵老師分享了學習者最明顯的進步指標：「一開始在聽我們的節目的時候可能還需要稍微專注，然後稍微用心才聽得到，但後來就是你可以慢慢的同時做其他事情或放空，但也可以聽得到、聽得懂。有的人甚至就是聽熟了之後，現在去聽英文歌你也可以抓到歌詞在唱什麼。」 從輔助工具到自然能力的轉變 學習的最高境界是不再需要輔助工具。就像香港小朋友 Winston 透過多次聆聽就理解了 Castella Cake 和 Honey Cake 的差別，「他整個詞彙是幾乎是烙印在他心裡面的，那個根本連背都不用背。」 「一開始可能你還會用到我們的學習筆記或是 shadowing 的逐字稿，後來其實搞不好不見得需要了。」更進一步的期待是學習者能用英文分享心得，「學以自用」才是真正的成功。 療癒感與遊戲化的學習體驗 Checklist 還有一個意想不到的好處：療癒感。阿鍵老師觀察到：「在做這件事情的時候好像有一點點療癒感，就是 checklist 你把它打勾，然後或者是你把這個 tick 換成 star 星星，或者是換成愛心 heart，你可以一個一個畫下來的時候，好像也蠻有療癒感的。」 這就像是「自製的 bullet journal 子彈日記的概念，你就一點一點把它畫下來，把它填滿」，甚至可以適度犒賞自己：「這個半年回顧了，我集滿了 30 個勾勾，我要來換一個冰淇淋。」 自主學習的終極目標 最終，進階 checklist 要達成的是完全的自主學習。「我們自主學習的部分我們可以自我追蹤，我們就不用依賴老師的考試了。」同時也能「減少遺忘」，因為透過打勾的過程等於又做了 review。 這種方法讓學習變成一個正向循環：設定想要的結果 → 執行並追蹤 → 獲得成就感 → 更有動力繼續學習。「我們每天再去累積好習慣之外，就好像我們可以複利多餘的精力、多餘的時間複利到我們人生的這個小遊戲裡面，然後再讓這個遊戲滋潤給我們養分。」 簡單工具的深刻革命 誰能想到，一個簡單的 checklist 背後竟然有如此深刻的學習哲學？從醫學權威到歐巴馬顧問，從飛行員到外科醫生，這些頂尖專業人士都在使用的工具，原來可以成為我們英語學習路上的超能力。 重點不在於工具本身有多複雜，而在於如何運用簡單的工具達成複雜的目標。當你下次打開播客準備學習時，不妨試試看準備一張紙，設定幾個想要達成的小目標，然後享受一個一個打勾的療癒過程。也許你會發現，學習從來沒有這麼有趣過！ 想要體驗進階 checklist 的神奇力量嗎？立即開始你的結果導向學習之旅，讓每一次的學習都有看得見的成果！ 想要加入這個充滿學習熱忱的VIP社群嗎？ 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday

Summary: Thai mangosteens are selling like hot cakes after an absence of 15 years in the Taiwan market. The return is thanks to a new procedure that can eradicate pests without affecting the flavor of the fruit.  Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/719-thai-mangosteens-a-gigantic-hit-in-taiwan  Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:  Queued v.: to line up Do you enjoy queuing for food? Is it a cultural thing to queue in Taiwan?  Entrepreneurs n. : people who start a new business and take risks Does Taiwan have many entrepreneurs? Are you an entrepreneur?    Eradicate v. : destroy completely Can we eradicate corruption? Has polio been eradicated? 

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你還記得第一次拿到手機時的興奮心情嗎？本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Patrick 老師要和大家聊聊手機如何改變我們的生活，從笨重的功能型手機到現在生活中不可或缺的智慧型手機！ John 老師是在上世紀末，2000年以前的非洲拿到第一支手機！而且當時還有一個台灣沒有的特別功能，讓 John 老師覺得很頭痛？ Patrick 老師則分享了一個高中時期的爆笑惡作劇，差點促成一段良緣？兩位老師的第一支手機經歷截然不同，一位在南非，手機就是奢侈品，一位在台灣，從國中就開始用二手機。 另外你知道台灣的手機普及率在全世界排名如何嗎？台灣人平均一天花幾小時滑手機呢？本集節目最後也帶來三個實用的手機相關英語慣用語，讓你輕鬆學會道地英語！ Do you still remember the excitement of getting your first mobile phone? This week on English Cafe, John and Patrick chat with everyone about how mobile phones have changed our lives, from bulky feature phones to the smartphones that are now indispensable in our daily lives! John got his first mobile phone in Africa before the year 2000, at the end of the last century! And it even had a special feature that Taiwan didn't have at the time, which gave John quite a headache? Patrick shares a hilarious high school prank that almost led to a romantic connection? The two teachers had completely different first mobile phone experiences—one in South Africa where phones were luxury items, and one in Taiwan where he started using second-hand phones from junior high. Also, do you know how Taiwan's mobile phone penetration rate ranks globally? How many hours per day does the average Taiwanese person spend on their phone? The episode concludes with three practical mobile phone-related English idioms to help you learn authentic English effortlessly!

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- Full article here: https://www.15mins.today/blog/15mins-inspirations-ep-6-inspirations-quotes-from

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L048: 前所未有的晶片交易Unprecedented Chip Deal Between US and China Highlights 主題摘要Tech giants Nvidia and AMD agreed to pay US government 15% of Chinese chip revenues.The deal allows AI chip sales to China despite previous national security bans.Critics say this creates dangerous precedent of monetizing national security decisions. The United States recently announced an extraordinary trade arrangement involving two major technology companies. Nvidia and AMD, leading semiconductor manufacturers, have agreed to pay the American government fifteen percent of their revenues from selling advanced chips to China. This unprecedented deal emerged after intensive lobbying efforts, particularly from Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang, who reportedly met with President Trump at the White House. The agreement represents a dramatic shift from earlier policies that completely banned these chip exports to China due to national security concerns. 美國最近宣布一項涉及兩家主要科技公司的非凡貿易協議。輝達和超微這兩家領先的半導體製造商同意將向中國銷售先進晶片的營收15%上繳美國政府。這項前所未有的協議是在密集遊說下達成的，特別是輝達執行長黃仁勳據報在白宮與川普總統會面後促成。該協議代表政策的戲劇性轉變，此前基於國安考量完全禁止這些晶片出口到中國。 The deal centers around specialized chips designed for the Chinese market. Nvidia's H20 chip and AMD's MI308 chip are modified versions of their flagship products, created to comply with export restrictions while accessing China's massive artificial intelligence market. Industry analysts estimate China's AI investment will reach approximately one hundred billion dollars this year, representing nearly fifty percent growth compared to last year. This enormous market potential explains why both companies accepted the unusual revenue-sharing requirement imposed by the US government to resume their Chinese operations. 這項協議主要圍繞在為中國市場設計的特殊晶片。輝達的H20晶片和超微的MI308晶片是其旗艦產品的修改版本，目的是在遵守出口限制的同時進入中國龐大的人工智慧市場。產業分析師預估中國的AI投資今年將達到約一千億美元，相較去年成長近50%。這個龐大的市場潛力解釋了為何兩家公司都接受美國政府施加的不尋常營收分潤要求，以便重啟中國業務。 The announcement triggered widespread criticism from security experts, former government advisers, and lawmakers across the political spectrum. Critics described the arrangement as unprecedented, with some calling it a "shakedown" that establishes a dangerous precedent for handling national security concerns. Democratic congressman Jake Auchincloss expressed alarm, stating that having the US government financially motivated to sell AI technology to China made him deeply concerned. Security specialists warned that these chips remain powerful accelerators of China's AI capabilities, potentially benefiting military applications including autonomous weapons systems and intelligence platforms. 這項宣布引發安全專家、前政府顧問和跨黨派立法者的廣泛批評。批評者將這項協議形容為史無前例，有些人稱之為「敲詐」，為處理國安問題創下危險先例。民主黨國會議員傑克．奧金克洛斯表達憂慮，表示美國政府在向中國銷售AI技術方面有經濟動機讓他深感擔憂。安全專家警告，這些晶片仍是中國AI能力的強大加速器，可能有助於包括自主武器系統和情報平台等軍事應用。 This revenue-sharing model raises fundamental questions about America's technology export strategy and national security priorities. Trade experts worry about implications for other US companies operating in China, questioning whether this represents a new taxation model on Chinese business dealings. While the arrangement could generate substantial revenue for the US government, critics argue that financial incentives should never influence national security decisions. The deal reflects the complex balance between economic interests and security concerns, potentially reshaping how future export control policies are developed and implemented in an era of intense technological competition. 這種營收分潤模式對美國的科技出口策略和國安優先事項造成了根本性問題。貿易專家擔心對其他在中國營運的美國公司造成影響，質疑這是否代表對中國業務往來的新課稅模式。儘管這項協議可能為美國政府帶來可觀收入，批評者認為經濟誘因絕不應影響國安決策。這項協議反映了經濟利益與安全考量之間的複雜平衡，可能重塑未來出口管制政策在激烈科技競爭時代的制定與實施方式。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Announced [verb, made public or known]: The United States recently announced an extraordinary trade arrangement involving two major technology companies.Leading [adjective, most important or successful]: Nvidia and AMD, leading semiconductor manufacturers, have agreed to pay the American government fifteen percent of their revenues.Intensive [adjective, involving a lot of effort or activity]: This unprecedented deal emerged after intensive lobbying efforts, particularly from Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang.Massive [adjective, extremely large]: Both companies accepted the unusual requirement to access China's massive artificial intelligence market.Widespread [adjective, existing over a large area or among many people]: The announcement triggered widespread criticism from security experts, former government advisers, and lawmakers. Reference article: 1. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2ppgg0zvlo 2. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgvvnx8y19o

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- Topic: Alleviate dry eyes with massage and good nutrition If you are an office worker who sits in front of a computer screen all day, and after work swipes away on your mobile phone, plays on a Nintendo Switch or other electronic devices, you are at risk of “diseases of affluence,” including tired and sore eyes. To avoid dry eye syndrome, in addition to resting your eyes, you can use eye massage techniques and eat nutritious foods to alleviate the symptoms. 上班時常常看電腦螢幕工作，下班又滑手機、玩switch等3C用品，現代文明病「眼睛疲勞、痠痛」，就這樣無聲無息進入生活。如果想擺脫眼睛乾澀的症狀，除了讓眼睛多休息，跟著眼科醫生教學的眼部按摩法減緩不適，營養師也分享對眼睛乾澀有幫助的食物。 Smartphone addicts and office workers glued to screens all day often go for long periods without blinking; this can lead to tiredness, dry eye syndrome and sore eyes. According to ophthalmologist Wang Meng-chi, getting a good night’s sleep and using a steam eye mask can help. However, Wang also recommends massaging acupressure points around the eye area, including the eyebrows, between and at the tips of the eyebrows, the temples, below the eye sockets and the corners of the eyes near the bridge of the nose. Wang advises massaging each of these areas in turn to relieve discomfort. 低頭族、上班族久看螢幕，眼睛時常會忘記眨眼，造成疲勞、乾澀或痠痛的症狀，眼科醫師王孟祺說：「充足的睡眠、熱敷可以幫助減緩痠痛。」並教學如何按摩眼部穴道，包括眉頭、眉心、眉毛尾端、太陽穴、眼眶下緣中間，還有內眼角的位置，輪流按壓這些部位，可以減緩眼睛不適。 In addition to massaging the eye area, nutritionist Kao Min-min also recommends eating certain foods, such as seasonal watermelon, which contains 90 percent water, and vegetables such as gherkin, cucumber and winter melon to relieve dry eye syndrome. Kao also recommends eating deep-sea fish such as salmon, tuna, Pacific saury and mackerel, which are rich in fish oils and can reduce inflammation, one to three times a week. Vegetable oil-containing foods such as nuts are also beneficial to eye health, Kao adds. 除了眼部按摩方法能舒緩疲勞症狀，營養師高敏敏也分享幾個對眼睛乾澀有幫助的食物，像是現在夏天當季的西瓜有百分之九十的含水量，蔬菜的話像是小黃瓜、大黃瓜、冬瓜。油脂的部分，建議大家一周可以吃一至三次的深海魚，包含鮭魚、鮪魚、秋刀魚、鯖魚，裡面的魚油可以降發炎。植物性的油脂，如堅果，對眼睛也有益處。 Kao says a lack of vitamin A can increase the severity of dry eye syndrome so, in addition to taking in more oil-rich foods, she recommends supplementing the diet with starchy foods such as sweet potato or pumpkin, vegetables such as red and yellow peppers, fruits such as papaya, watermelon or cantaloupe melon and berry fruits such as blueberries. All of these foods contain anthocyanin, says Kao, which has antioxidant properties and is excellent at reducing inflammation. 除了油脂的攝取，高敏敏也補充：「維生素A的低下，有可能會讓眼睛的乾澀更加嚴重，所以可以補充像是澱粉類的地瓜、南瓜，蔬菜類的紅椒、黃椒，或者是木瓜、西瓜、哈密瓜以及藍莓等莓果類，這些含有花青素的食材，對於抗氧化能力、降低發炎的反應也很強。」 Source article: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/07/15/2003739918 Next Article Topic: Thai mangosteens a gigantic hit in Taiwan 泰國農業部主任Surmsuk Salakpetch表示，台灣自2003年禁止山竹進口，15年後終於在今年九月開放進口，泰國山竹一進口就在台灣造成轟動，對於泰國水國出口商無疑是一大福音。 It’s the sweet smell of success for Thai fruit exporters: Thai mangosteens have become an instant hit among Taiwanese consumers after the fruit went on sale there for the first time in 15 years, Department of Agriculture director-general Surmsuk Salakpetch said. Surmsuk說道：「台灣媒體報導，台灣人排隊搶購泰國山竹。而且第一批980公斤重的山竹30分鐘就被掃購一空。」 “The Taiwanese press reported that consumers queued up to buy mangosteen from Thailand,” she said. “The first lot of 980 kilogrammes was sold out in only 30 minutes. 另外，Surmsuk補充：「一箱裡面四個山竹賣200泰銖（約台幣203元）。」 ”Each box of four mangosteens was sold at Bt200 (NT$203),” Surmsuk added. 她說道：「市場出乎意料的熱烈反應顯示這是泰國出口商的大好機會。自從九月五日起，泰國公司已經出口價值2千萬泰銖（約台幣2034萬元），逾10萬公斤的山竹到台灣。」 “The unexpected positive response has proved a good opportunity for Thai exporters,” she said. “Since September 5, Thai entrepreneurs have exported 100,533kg of mangosteens to Taiwan, worth more than Bt20 million.” 她進一步指出，在過去十五年來台灣禁止進口山竹，是因為來自東南亞的山竹帶有害蟲果實蠅，因此，這次重新開放進口山竹，台灣要求所有來自泰國的山竹必須經過蒸汽消毒，以除去所有的果實蠅。 According to the director-general, Taiwan’s import standards require Thai mangosteens to undergo a steam treatment for decontamination and eradication of fruit flies – the latter being the reason why Taiwan had been rejecting fruits from Thailand for the past 15 years. Surmsuk表示：「我們已經發展了一套消毒山竹的技術，以攝氏46度高溫持續58分鐘蒸熟果實核心，這樣不僅能夠維持山竹最佳品質，也能夠符合台灣動植物防疫檢疫局的檢疫條件。」 “We have developed a technique to treat mangosteens at 46 degrees Celsius for 58 minutes, which is the optimal temperature and time so the taste of the fruits is not ruined, while meeting the requirements of the Taiwan Plant and Animal Disease Prevention and Quarantine Office,” said Surmsuk. 「我很開心雖然台灣人過去長達15年都沒辦法嚐到泰國山竹，但他們依然記得這個「果后」的甜美滋味。這讓我對於想要抓住台灣市場的泰國水果商感到非常有信心。」她說道。 “I am glad that although Taiwanese people haven’t been able to enjoy Thai mangosteens for 15 years, they still remember the exquisite taste of this ‘queen of fruit’,” she said. “This makes me confident that there’s a bright future ahead for Thai fruit exporters, who are aiming to capture the Taiwanese market.” Source article: https://chinapost.nownews.com/20190924-761271 Next Article A Race Against the Sun It was a long, hot summer, like most in the San Joaquin Valley. The pistachio trees planted in orderly rows — and the growers who nurture them — are accustomed to harsh conditions. With their deep roots and tough, gnarly branches, pistachio trees are hardy, tolerant of salty soils and brutal heat waves. Some can live for centuries. 美國加州聖華金谷這個夏天又熱又長，跟以往大多時候一樣。成排種植的開心果樹和果農都已習慣嚴苛的環境。開心果樹根札得深，枝幹粗壯扭曲，耐得住寒冷、含鹽土壤和逼人的熱浪。有的能活好幾個世紀。 But while sweltering summers are the norm in this part of central California, there’s a new, existential threat to these trees, one that scientists warn could spell the end of the pistachio harvest: warmer winters. Many crops are facing similar threats as agricultural regions across the world experience previously unseen extremes in heat, rain and drought. 雖然加州中部這塊地方夏天本就悶熱，這些果樹卻面臨一種新的生存威脅，科學家警告說，這種威脅可能意味再也沒有開心果可以收成，那就是冬天變暖。世界各地農業區正經歷前所未見的熱浪、暴雨及乾旱，許多其他作物面臨類似危機。 Chilly winters are critical to nut and fruit trees, particularly pistachios. To break their slumber and spread their pollen, pistachios need to spend about 850 hours, or five weeks, at temperatures below 45 degrees. 寒冷的冬天對堅果和水果樹十分重要，尤其是開心果。為了打破休眠狀態並散播花粉，開心果必須有850小時，亦即五周左右，處在華氏45度（攝氏7.2度）以下。 So as the San Joaquin Valley warms and its cooling fogs retreat, growers have found their orchards out of sync: Many male trees are no longer producing pollen when the females need it. 所以當聖華金谷逐步回暖，冷霧消退時，農民發現果園出了狀況：雌樹需要雄樹授粉時，許多雄樹卻不再產生花粉。 After suffering a billion-dollar loss from a recent warm winter, California pistachio growers don’t need much convincing that their livelihoods are endangered by climate change. Heeding warnings that the industry may not survive past the middle of the century, they are among the world’s earliest adapters. Scientists are wrangling and crossing genes to breed trees that can survive a warmer world, and growers are hedging their bets by planting experimental trees that need fewer chilly days. 加州開心果農因為最近一次暖冬而損失十億美元後，無需勸說也明白生計受到氣候變遷威脅。他們把這個產業可能撐不到本世紀下半的警告聽了進去，成為世上最早開始調整的群體之一。科學家把植物聚合在一起並使之雜交，以培育更能適應高溫的樹種，果農也同時種植需要寒冷天數較少的實驗樹種，藉以避險。 “There’s a lot to be said about traditional knowledge. But this is new territory,” said Rebecca Carter of the World Resources Institute, a nonprofit research group that is working with growers around the world to adapt to the threats of climate change, including warmer winters, dried-up aquifers and record-breaking heat waves. 非營利組織世界資源研究所的麗貝卡．卡特說：「傳統知識有很多好處，不過這是新領域。」這個研究所與世界各地農民合作，幫助他們應對氣候變遷的威脅，包括冬天變暖、地下蓄水層枯竭與熱浪空前。 Scientists in 2013 urged “immediate adaptation” by farmers to ensure that they can feed the 10 billion people expected to inhabit the planet by 2050. They warned in a study that world hunger would worsen as crop yields declined, pests and diseases increased, water demand skyrocketed and highly vulnerable crops vanished. “The whole food system needs to change,” according to the report published in the journal Science. 科學家2013年就呼籲農民「立刻調整作法」，以確保料將在2050年前達到100億的地球人口都有得吃。他們在「科學」期刊上發表一篇研究報告示警說，隨著作物產量減少、病蟲害增加、水資源需求高漲和高度脆弱的作物消失，全球飢餓問題將惡化，「整個食物系統都得改變」。 Coping, Carter said, would “require fundamental changes in how food is produced, how land is used, who lives where and what economic activities occur in specific areas.” 卡特說，處理這個問題「必須在食物生產、土地利用、居住範圍和特定區域的經濟活動等方面徹底改變」。 Those changes are already happening worldwide. After growing coffee for generations, farmers in parts of Costa Rica are switching to oranges. Kenyan herders, facing intense droughts, are raising camels instead of cattle. In China’s drought-prone Fujian province, farmers who grew wheat and corn have switched to apples. 這些改變已在全球各地發生。哥斯大黎加部分地區的農民在種植咖啡幾個世代後，改種柑橘。肯亞的牧人面對嚴重乾旱，從養牛改為養駱駝。在中國大陸容易發生乾旱的福建省，原本種小麥和玉米的農民改種蘋果。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/345636/web/#2L-15722568L

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 跨國友情大串聯！從香港月餅到捷克先鋒的溫暖故事 這集 Teacher's Lounge 是一個超級溫暖的特別集數！從香港來的小粉絲帶著道地月餅來台灣，到遠在捷克布拉格的台商先鋒偶然發現彼此都是 15Mins 的忠實聽眾，再到陪伴了整個高中時期的 Alex 成功考上心儀大學，這些跨越時空的連結讓人深深感受到語言學習的神奇力量。 香港小粉絲的台灣美食之旅 故事要從一個很可愛的 request 開始。六歲的 Winston 向 John 老師許願：「是不是可以做一個 20 minutes cafe，不要做 15 minutes cafe？」John 老師笑說：「其實我們每一集都超過 20 分鐘，小朋友還沒有時間的概念，所以是真的很小。」 這次香港來的通勤家族帶著兩位小朋友 Winston 和四歲的妹妹 Murphy 來台灣進行四天三夜的旅程，還特地帶來了香港道地月餅感謝節目製作團隊。這不是一般在台灣看到的美心或奇華月餅，而是「香港當地人在吃的百年老店月餅」，John 老師驚嘆：「好重！真材實料啊！我沒有摸過這麼重的餅，真的！你拿起來下面會有其他東西。」 從鐵路便當到雙排骨的生活智慧 這位香港朋友其實是老聽眾了，從去年開始就一直給節目很多回饋，特別喜歡 English Cafe 中提到的台灣美食內容。更有趣的是，他還曾經分享過「鐵路便當秘技」：「大家去買排骨便當的時候要秤一下重量，比較重的有可能會有兩片排骨。」 這個秘技後來真的在台北車站得到驗證！「他跟朋友講了，結果他朋友在台北車站買排骨便當，就手抓有去摸那個比較重的，結果真的是雙排骨！」阿鍵老師感嘆：「連台灣人都不懂的秘技啊！」John 老師開玩笑說：「要是我們現在還是學生時代的話，這個秘技，哇塞，每天每個學生都給你摸一下，會看到一堆人在那邊手蹭變大。」 多語言環境下成長的小朋友 六歲的 Winston 和四歲的 Murphy 展現了驚人的語言能力，能夠在廣東話、英文和國語之間自由切換。「他聽到什麼，他就講出來，那當然有些時候會聽不太懂，Winston what are you saying？然後他後面又會 reconstruct 那個 sentence，他會再說一遍。」 更有趣的是，這兩個小朋友每天早上去幼稚園的路上都會要求：「要聽 John 老師的那一集，要聽 Castella Cake。」而且 Winston 還會認真地糾正：「Castella Cake 不是 Honey Cake，Castella Cake 不見得 always 有 honey。」這次來台灣他們還真的去吃了豆花、剉冰和蜂蜜蛋糕，完全按照節目內容實地體驗。 小吉（孩子的爸爸）採用比較嚴格的教育方式：不給小朋友 iPad 或手機，主要的娛樂就是 reading 和 podcast listening。「對他們來說，我們的節目已經是他的 entertainment 裡面最頂了，最頂的娛樂了，那我們要盡量再做得有趣一點啊！」 意外的捷克連線 更神奇的故事發生在遙遠的捷克布拉格。John 老師有一群南非長大的朋友被公司外派到捷克工作，有一天他們在聊天時提到 John 老師的名字，結果同事的耳朵就豎起來了：「你們是在說通勤學英語那個 John 老師嗎？」 這位同事就是小郭 Antonio，目前在 CTI Europe 上班，based in Prague。他告訴朋友們：「我聽了好久，聽你的聲音的感覺，覺得你很活潑很 ABC，然後身高不高不胖。」朋友們在 LINE 裡狂笑，John 老師回應：「你們在笑不胖的這件事，對不對？」 這個巧合也讓 John 老師有機會更正一個地理觀念。當他在 Instagram 貼文寫「東歐來的祝福」時，朋友們立刻糾正：「我們是中歐，不是東歐。」John 老師解釋：「以前我們都叫他東歐，是因為 2000 年前的概念很簡單，就是柏林的另外一邊都是東歐。可是現在當然是，我們要正視一點，其實真的他們是 Central Europe。」 產業先鋒的全球佈局 小郭他們在捷克其實是公司的先鋒部隊，因為川普的關稅政策逼著很多企業將 manufacturing 移到 regional office，變成區域型而不是全球化的製造模式。「他們在那邊算是公司的先鋒，很辛苦，要去那邊從零開始，然後去那邊打造那邊替公司打造那邊的工廠跟業務。」 有趣的是，很多台灣企業現在都選擇在捷克設點。「以前我們很熟的時候是說他們都在荷蘭，但現在就是荷蘭要去東邊，真的有點遠，所以他們現在很多都選擇在捷克。」郭台銘據說也是最早一批去的台商，還在那邊買了一個城堡。 Alex 的成長軌跡 最溫馨的故事屬於 Alex，他從高二開始聽節目，現在已經考上台中教育大學的台灣語文系！「記得他是在疫情期間就開始了，在我們 VIP 之前，算是高一，近乎高一的時候，整個高中我們陪他長大。」 Alex 對語言學習很有熱情，在當時的 live podcast 中「幾乎每週他是第一個到，最後一個走」，積極練習口說。現在考上台灣語文系，算是走向他真正有興趣且願意鑽研的領域。 阿鍵老師也很好奇 Alex 未來的學習內容：「台灣語文除了台語之外，其實現在很大一部分是在做原住民語，然後南島語系這些，這其實也是很大的一個主題。」從語言的傳播可以了解「大概哪裡的人是怎麼來的」，這是很值得研究的領域。 跨越時空的溫暖連結 這些故事展現了一個有趣的現象：從 4 歲到 18 歲，從台灣到香港再到捷克，15Mins 的聽眾遍布各個年齡層和地區。「我們今天的留言有從 4 歲到 18 歲，到可能有 38，不知道還有沒有更之後。」 John 老師感慨地說：「有些時候在這個轉換期呢，沒有問題。我們這麼多年製作這些內容，你看我們從 Alex 他從高中到高中畢業到上大學，Winston 呢，可能有一天我們會做到說 Winston 跑來台灣自己來台灣玩的時候來找我們。」 語言學習的生活化體驗 這些真實故事完美詮釋了 John 老師一直強調的理念：「生活的周遭，點點滴滴，都是學習的 opportunity。Learning opportunity everywhere，you can learn English just from reading labels on boxes and packages，from food to cosmetics to anything that you really really like。把你的英文跟你的中文都把它當成你的 first language 來，這樣子很自然的，你就不會覺得說，哎呀我要轉換，或者是我要怎麼背單字等等的。」 小朋友透過吃台灣美食來做機會教育，學習多國文化；香港家庭利用通勤時間進行英語沉浸；遠在捷克的台商透過 podcast 維持與台灣文化的連結；高中生藉由參與 live podcast 練習口說並確立未來方向。 國際化媒體的影響力 「你看我們這個國內外有 podcast 呢，其實就是一個非常國際化的一種媒體，所以讓大家都可以收聽，然後收聽了以後呢，讓我們在台灣也可以好像接觸得到國外所發生的事情。」 這個觀察很重要。在全球化的時代，一個 podcast 節目可以成為連結不同國家、不同文化、不同年齡層聽眾的橋樑。無論是香港的小朋友學台灣美食文化，還是捷克的台商保持與家鄉的連結，或是高中生透過英語學習找到人生方向，都展現了語言學習超越學習本身的意義。 準備好成為下一個跨國連結的故事主角了嗎？也許下次在世界的某個角落，你也會遇到同樣在聽 15Mins 的朋友，然後發現原來我們早就被這些溫暖的聲音連結在一起了。 想要加入這個溫暖的國際學習社群嗎？立即訂閱 15Mins，讓英語學習成為你生活中最自然的一部分，也許下一個溫馨故事的主角就是你！ 想要加入這個充滿學習熱忱的VIP社群嗎？ 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday

最貼近大眾的軍事節目《國防在線急》上線囉🎙️ 以為國軍只有飛彈跟演習？真正的戰場，比你想的更貼近生活！ 🪖直擊國際志願兵日常 🪖戰地記者第一線戰場 🪖軍事專家精闢分析 做好備戰，才有能力止戰！掌握不可忽視的國防現場📣 ➡️ https://fstry.pse.is/82arb2 —— 以上為 FMTaiwan 與 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— Summary:  The first article is about the US actress being arrested for being part of s scam related to College admissions, which had a link to an episode of the comedy series where her character lied to get her twins admitted to a good kindergarten.  The second article covers how Google spent a ton of cash to create deepfake videos in the hope of helping in the detection of them. Similarly, FB is also spending money to increase detection of them.  Full article: https://www.15mins.today/blog/713-about-usa-lori-loughlin-s-full-house-character-took-part-in-a  Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:  Prestigious adj. : respected/admired or of great quality Is NTU the most prestigious school in Taiwan? Is Rolls Royce a prestigious car brand?  Scrutiny n.: careful and thorough examination Did what your application face thorough scrutiny? Do you scrutinize terms and conditions before you agree to them?     Algorithm n.: a set of rules that must be followed when solving a problem, like a formula Do you understand Youtube’s algorithm? Are algorithms vital in finance? 

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 你知道今年Google發布了幾項可能會改變我們未來工作和生活的AI工具嗎？本週的《英語咖啡館》Cariya老師和John老師要來聊聊Google I/O 2025大會的驚人新技術！從搜尋方式的革命性改變，到讓人驚艷的虛擬試穿購物體驗，這些AI真的讓人大開眼界。另外一項讓人興奮的是Google的影片生成AI，John老師分享了「某知名人物吃義大利麵」是現在用來測試AI影片技術的爆紅案例，他展現出了VEO3技術的長足進步。千萬別錯過讓你能用prompt變成萬能工作者的這集啦！ Do you know how many AI tools Google released this year that could potentially change our future work and lives? This week on English Cafe, Cariya and I discuss the amazing new technologies from the Google I/O 2025 conference! From revolutionary changes in search methods to stunning virtual try-on shopping experiences, these AI developments are truly eye-opening. Another exciting development is Google's video generation AI. I shared how "a certain famous person eating spaghetti" has become a viral test case for AI video technology, demonstrating the significant progress of VEO3 technology. Don't miss this episode that shows you how to become a versatile worker using prompts!

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- Full article here: https://www.15mins.today/blog/15mins-inspirations-ep-5-inspirations-quotes-about-learning

----------------------------------- 🎧 通勤學英語 VIP 專區 & 🚀 線上課程  ----------------------------------- 💡 想要更自然的提升英語力？加入VIP會員，獲得專屬內容與優惠！立即加入VIP方案 →https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstodayVIP訂閱常見問題 →https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 🔥 社會人核心英語有聲書課程→https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 🌎 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 💬 你的想法很重要！留言分享 → 留言連結 Web：www.15mins.today YouTube：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com -------------------------------------------- 📜 單集逐字稿 & 內容摘要（播放器字數有限，完整逐字稿請到官網查看） -------------------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep. L044: Microsoft Hits $4 Trillion Milestone Highlights 主題摘要Microsoft becomes second company ever to reach four trillion dollar market value.Massive AI investments drive explosive cloud revenue growth and stock surge.Company cuts thousands of jobs while doubling down on AI development. Microsoft achieved a remarkable milestone Thursday, becoming the second company in history to surpass four trillion dollars in market valuation. The technology giant's stock surged during midday trading in New York, propelling it past this unprecedented threshold. Nvidia previously claimed this distinction in July, establishing itself as the first company to reach such heights. Microsoft's journey represents years of strategic transformation and innovation. The Redmond-based corporation first crossed one trillion dollars in April, demonstrating consistent growth. This achievement places Microsoft among elite companies reshaping global technology landscapes. 微軟週四達成重要里程碑，成為史上第二家市值突破四兆美元的企業。這家科技巨頭股價在紐約中午交易時段大漲，推升市值越過這道史無前例的門檻。輝達先前在七月創下這項紀錄，成為首家達到如此高度的公司。微軟的成功之路代表多年來的策略轉型與創新。這家位於雷德蒙德的公司首次跨越一兆美元大關是在四月，展現穩定成長。這項成就讓微軟躋身重塑全球科技版圖的菁英企業行列。 The surge stems primarily from Microsoft's aggressive artificial intelligence investments and exceptional financial performance across key business segments. The company announced unprecedented capital spending for the current fiscal quarter, specifically targeting AI infrastructure expansion. Microsoft's Azure cloud computing division reported explosive growth, with cloud revenue reaching billions, representing substantial increases. This remarkable performance reflects the company's successful transformation into a cloud infrastructure powerhouse. Executive leadership emphasized their cloud-centric strategy during earnings announcements. The partnership with OpenAI continues proving transformative, integrating cutting-edge artificial intelligence capabilities throughout platforms. 這波漲勢主要來自微軟積極的人工智慧投資以及各關鍵業務部門的優異財務表現。公司宣布本會計季度將進行史無前例的資本支出，特別針對AI基礎建設擴張。微軟的Azure雲端運算部門報告爆發性成長，雲端營收達到數十億美元，年增率相當可觀。這項優異表現反映出公司成功轉型為雲端基礎建設強者。高階主管在財報發布時強調其雲端為核心的策略。與OpenAI的合作關係持續證明變革性影響，將尖端人工智慧技術整合至各平台中。 However, Microsoft's extraordinary market success contrasts sharply with significant workforce reductions implemented throughout the organization. Earlier this month, the company eliminated thousands of positions, representing approximately four percent of its global workforce, while simultaneously intensifying AI development initiatives. This strategic decision highlights the complex balance technology companies must navigate between maximizing shareholder value and maintaining employee stability. The layoffs occurred despite record-breaking revenue and robust growth across business divisions. Industry analysts suggest this reflects broader technological shifts requiring different skill sets. The juxtaposition illustrates modern corporations prioritizing artificial intelligence investments over traditional employment models. 然而，微軟卓越的市場表現與整個組織實施的大規模裁員形成鮮明對比。本月稍早，公司裁減了數千個職位，約占全球員工總數的4%，同時加強AI發展計畫。這項策略決定突顯出科技公司在追求股東價值最大化與維持員工穩定之間必須拿捏的複雜平衡。儘管營收創新高且各業務部門表現強勁，裁員仍然發生。產業分析師認為這反映更廣泛的技術轉變，需要不同的技能組合。股價飆升與裁員並存的現象說明現代企業優先考量投資在人工智慧勝過傳統就業模式。 Looking ahead, Microsoft's achievement signals transformative implications for the entire technology sector and global markets. The company's massive AI infrastructure investments position it strategically for sustained competitive advantage in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape. Analysts predict Microsoft's capital expenditure commitments may outpace rivals over the coming year, potentially consolidating its market leadership position. The success demonstrates how traditional software companies can successfully reinvent themselves as cloud infrastructure and AI service providers. Meta's parallel surge, adding billions in market value, suggests the AI revolution is creating unprecedented wealth concentration. Investors closely monitor whether this transformative pattern extends across major cloud computing providers worldwide. 展望未來，微軟的成就為整個科技業和全球市場帶來變革性影響。公司在AI基礎建設的大規模投資為其在快速演變的人工智慧領域取得持續競爭優勢提供策略定位。分析師預測微軟的資本支出承諾可能在未來一年超越競爭對手，有望鞏固市場領導地位。這樣的成功展現了傳統軟體公司如何成功轉型為雲端基礎建設和AI服務供應商。Meta的平行飆升，市值增加數十億美元，顯示AI革命正創造前所未有的財富集中。投資者正密切關注這種變革模式是否延伸至全球主要雲端運算供應商。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Milestone [noun, an important event or stage in development]: Microsoft achieved a remarkable milestone Thursday, becoming the second company in history to surpass four trillion dollars.Transformation [noun, a complete change in form or appearance]: This remarkable performance reflects the company's successful transformation into a cloud infrastructure powerhouse.Explosive [adjective, showing sudden rapid increase]: Microsoft's Azure division reported explosive growth, with cloud revenue reaching billions.Eliminated [verb, to remove or get rid of]: The company eliminated thousands of positions, representing four percent of its workforce.Consolidating [verb, to strengthen or secure]: Analysts predict commitments may outpace rivals, consolidating market leadership. Reference article: 1. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/microsoft-briefly-becomes-second-company-hit-4-trillion-market-value-rcna222357 2. https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/7/31/microsoft-becomes-second-company-to-surpass-4-trillion-in-market-value