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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） -------------------------------------------- 你喜歡傳統市場嗎？上一次去是什麼時候呢？是熟門熟路地跟老闆娘殺價，還是像個觀光客一樣站在攤位前完全不知道該買多少？本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Klim 老師要來聊聊一個台灣人再熟悉不過、但外國人卻有些頭痛的地方：傳統市場！ 這集從「超市派 vs. 市場派」的激辯開始，兩位老師各有喜好、聽起來難分軒輊互不相讓！再來是傳統市場的議價文化和計量單位等眉角，Klim 老師還透露了他在市場裡買過最「猛」的食材，而 John 老師每次逛市場一定要吃的那樣東西居然是這個？ Do you like traditional markets? When was the last time you went? Do you know your way around and haggle with the vendors, or do you stand in front of stalls like a tourist completely unsure how much to buy? This week on English Cafe, John and Klim talk about a place that's all too familiar to Taiwanese people but can give foreigners a headache: traditional markets! This episode starts with a heated debate of "Team Supermarket vs. Team Market," with each teacher having their own preferences—it's neck and neck with neither backing down! Then there's the haggling culture and measurement units of traditional markets and their intricacies. Klim even reveals the most "intense" ingredient he's ever bought at the market, and the thing John must eat every time he visits the market is actually this?!

挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行2026/6/30 前使用中信銀行ATM 完成指定交易就有機會抽中 10,000 點 OPENPOINT。了解更多> https://fstry.pse.is/8xhc3z  現在把「中信行動銀行 APP」設為桌面小工具 Widget， 出入帳金額不同會顯示不同的插畫圖示，超萌動作或搞怪迷因等你來蒐集！ —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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. L178: 日圓重貶，日銀騎虎難下 Yen Slides to 160, BOJ Signals It Is Watching Highlights 主題摘要BOJ Governor Ueda told parliament on March 30 that yen movements have a "huge impact" on Japan's economy, signalling growing pressure for faster rate hikes.The BOJ held rates at 0.75% in March, but oil-driven inflation is pushing household costs up five to seven percent year-on-year, narrowing its room to wait.Japanese overseas travel in 2024 recovered to just 13 million departures — still a third below pre-pandemic levels — as the weak yen keeps foreign trips out of reach. For Japan, the currency market has become the fulcrum of economic debate. On March 30, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda told parliament that foreign exchange movements have a "huge impact" on the country's economy and prices — the clearest signal yet that yen weakness is no longer a peripheral concern but a primary driver of monetary policy. The yen briefly touched 160.27 to the dollar on March 28, its weakest since July 2024, when authorities had previously intervened to arrest the currency's slide. Tokyo's Vice Finance Minister Atsushi Mimura warned of growing speculative activity, while Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama stated the government stood ready to take "bold actions." 日圓匯率問題，已成為日本當前經濟辯論的核心議題。3月30日，日銀行長植田和男在國會表示，外匯市場的波動對日本的經濟與物價走勢有「巨大影響」，這是迄今最直接的信號，顯示日圓疲軟已不再是次要問題，而是貨幣政策的主要考量。日圓在3月28日一度觸及1美元兌160.27日圓，創下2024年7月以來新低，當年當局曾進場干預，壓制日圓跌勢。財務省副大臣三村淳表示對外匯市場投機交易升溫的憂慮，財務大臣片山皋月則聲明政府已準備好採取「大膽行動」。 The structural cause remains a stubbornly wide interest rate differential. After ending its negative interest rate regime in March 2024, the BOJ raised borrowing costs cautiously, taking a gradualist path to 0.75%. But with the US Federal Reserve keeping rates elevated, the gap remains vast. Investors routinely borrow cheaply in yen and deploy capital into higher-yielding assets elsewhere — the carry trade — putting the yen under persistent selling pressure. 日圓長期走軟的結構性根源，在於日本與其他主要經濟體之間長期懸殊的利差。日銀於2024年3月結束負利率政策後，已逐步將利率調升至0.75%，但美國聯準會為壓制通膨而維持高利率，兩者之間的利差依然顯著。投資人持續以低廉成本借入日圓，將資金配置到海外收益率更高的資產，形成所謂的套利交易，持續壓低市場對日圓的需求。 Urgency sharpened in 2026 as surging oil prices, driven by the Middle East conflict, compounded the inflationary effect on import costs. At the March meeting, at least one BOJ board member called for rate hikes "without hesitation." Ueda told parliament the bank would "guide policy appropriately" by scrutinising how currency moves affect its forecasts. Markets now price a two-in-three chance of a hike to 1% as soon as May — the first aggressive tightening cycle Japan has seen in decades. 進入2026年後，局勢明顯更加緊迫。中東衝突帶動油價飆升，進一步放大日圓貶值對進口成本的推升效應。在3月政策會議上，至少一位委員主張，只要經濟情勢未見明顯惡化，就應「毫不猶豫」升息。植田和男在國會答詢時表示，日銀將評估匯率波動對成長與物價預測的影響，「適當引導政策方向」。市場目前預估，日銀最快在5月升息至1%的機率約達三分之二，若成真，將是日本數十年來首次連續緊縮的升息週期。 For ordinary households, the toll is concrete. Overseas travel by Japanese citizens recovered to only 13 million departures in 2024 — still roughly a third below 2019's 20.1 million — as the weak currency renders foreign trips prohibitively expensive. Food and utility bills are climbing five to seven percent year-on-year. A depreciating yen, it turns out, is anything but abstract: it erodes purchasing power with every paycheck and every trip to the supermarket. 對一般家庭而言，日圓貶值的代價早已不是紙上數字。2024年日本出境旅遊人次僅回升至約1,300萬，較2019年的2,010萬仍少了約三分之一，疲軟的日圓讓海外旅行對許多人來說愈來愈難以負擔。食品與電費支出年增幅更達5至7%。日圓持續貶值，說到底就是每個月領薪水、每次去超市採購時，默默縮水的購買力。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Gradualist [adjective, describing a slow, step-by-step approach to policy change]: The BOJ's gradualist approach has drawn criticism from market watchers.Carry trade [noun phrase, borrowing in a low-interest currency to invest in higher-yielding assets elsewhere]: Low rates make the yen a popular carry trade funding currency.Selling pressure [noun phrase, sustained market demand to sell an asset, driving its price lower]: The yen has been under constant selling pressure for months.Inflationary [adjective, causing or related to a general rise in prices]: Surging oil costs have had a clear inflationary effect on household bills.Tightening cycle [noun phrase, a period in which a central bank raises interest rates consecutively to curb inflation]: Markets are bracing for Japan's first tightening cycle in decades. Reference article: 1. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/boj-watching-fx-movement-factor-affecting-economy-governor-ueda-says-2026-03-30/ 2. https://tw.stock.yahoo.com/share/5e3c1e6b-ddb1-3244-9979-1bc5f8c68e22 3. https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/03/economy/japan-declining-yen-shortcake-travel-intl-hnk

只投資美債，足夠應對接下來的市場變化嗎？野村愛爾蘭多元債聚焦金融債、新興債、可轉債，透過動態調整與靈活配置，提供投資人更多元的債券配置思路。投資一定有風險，基金投資有賺有賠，申購前應詳閱開說明書。*債市先鋒看這裡： https://fstry.pse.is/8xapwl ——以上廣告由 Firstory 與【月城南廣告】共同執行—— Smart Crib' Aims to Help Rockabye Baby As every new parent knows, sleep can go out the window after the arrival of a newborn. 如每對剛生孩子的爸媽所知，新生兒到來後，再也沒有夜夜好眠。 That was certainly the case for parents Radhika and Bharath Patil, who seeking relief for their own disrupted sleep patterns, put their electronic engineering backgrounds together to create a "smart crib." 這確實就是拉德西卡和巴拉特‧帕蒂爾的狀況，這對父母正在補救自身混亂的睡眠模式，結合他們的電子工程背景，創造了一個「智慧嬰兒床」。 Their crib, powered by artificial intelligence, combines a baby monitor, rocker, bassinet and crib in one. 他們把一台嬰兒監視器、弧形搖桿、搖籃和嬰兒床合而為一，由人工智慧來驅動嬰兒床。 "It's not the amount of work around the baby that tires the parents, it's the lack of sleep," Radhika Patil, Cradlewise chief executive, told Reuters in an interview. 「智慧搖籃」執行長拉德西卡‧帕蒂爾在訪問中告訴路透，「並非圍繞著嬰兒的工作量累到父母，而是睡眠不足。」 Early detection is key, she said, adding that the sooner parents can detect the baby waking up, the easier it is to get the child to fall back asleep. 她說，早期偵測是關鍵，並補充指出，父母越早發現嬰兒醒來，就越容易讓他們的孩子再度入睡。 "Once you put the baby in, the crib takes care of everything. That's the aim," Bharath Patil said. 巴拉特‧帕蒂爾說，「只要把嬰兒放進去，嬰兒床就顧好每件事。這就是目的。」 New Thoughts on the Math of Effective Baby Talk It has been nearly 20 years since a landmark education study found that, by age 3, children from low-income families have heard 30 million fewer words than more affluent children, putting them at an educational disadvantage before they have begun school. 將近20年前，一項具有里程碑意義的教育研究發現，低收入戶兒童到了3歲時，已比家庭較富裕的兒童少聽到3000萬個字彙，以致就學前即已處於教育上的劣勢。 Now, a growing body of research is challenging the notion that merely exposing poor children to more language is enough to overcome the deficits they face. The quality of the communication between children and their parents and caregivers, the researchers say, is of much greater importance than the number of words a child hears. 如今，越來越多的研究向此一觀念提出挑戰，不認為光是讓貧窮兒童暴露於更多語言，就能克服他們所面對的不足。這些研究人員指出，兒童與父母及看顧者之間的溝通品質，遠比兒童聽到多少字彙來得重要。 A study presented last month at a White House conference on "bridging the word gap" found that among 2-year-olds from low-income families, quality interactions involving words — the use of shared symbols ("Look, a dog!"); rituals ("Want a bottle after your bath?"); and conversational fluency ("Yes, that is a bus!") — were a far better predictor of language skills at age 3 than any other factor. 上月在白宮「縮小字彙差距」會議中發表的一項研究結果發現，對2歲的低收入戶兒童而言，和字彙相關的優質互動，例如使用共通的符號（「看哪，一隻狗！」）；固定程序（「洗完澡想喝瓶奶？」）；流暢的對話（「是的，這是一輛公車！」），在預測3歲兒童語言技巧方面，是遠勝於其他因素的更好指標。 "It's not just about shoving words in," said Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia and lead author of the study. "It's about having these fluid conversations around shared rituals and objects, like pretending to have morning coffee together or using the banana as a phone." 費城天普大學心理學教授、該研究報告主要作者凱瑟琳．赫許─巴塞克說：「它不光是塞進字彙而已，它與圍繞著共有的固定程序和物件的流暢對話有關，例如佯裝一起喝晨間咖啡，或是拿香蕉當電話打。」 In a related finding, published in April, researchers who observed 11- and 14-month-old children in their homes found that the prevalence of one-on-one interactions and frequent use of parentese — the slow, high-pitched voice commonly used for talking to babies — were reliable predictors of language ability at age 2. The total number of words had no correlation with future ability. 四月發表的一項相關研究中，研究人員觀察11個月和14個月大孩子在家中的生活情形，發現經常一對一互動，以及頻繁使用「父母語」，也就是父母常用的，對嬰兒說話的那種緩慢、高音調聲音，是2歲兒童語言能力的可靠預測指標。字彙的總數量與兒童的未來能力無關。 Even the 1995 study that introduced the notion of the 30-million-word gap, conducted by the University of Kansas psychologists Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, found that parental tone, responsiveness and use of symbols affected a child's I.Q. and vocabulary. 引進3000萬字彙差距概念的那項研究發表於1995年，由堪薩斯大學心理學家貝蒂．哈特和陶德．Ｒ．里斯利所完成，即使那項研究也發現，父母的語氣、反應和符號的使用，對兒童的智商高低和詞彙多寡均有影響。 But this year's studies are the first time researchers have compared the impact of word quantity with quality of communication. 不過，今年的研究，是研究人員首次將字彙數量和溝通品質的影響作比較。 For the new study, Dr. Hirsh-Pasek and colleagues selected 60 low-income 3-year-olds with varying degrees of language proficiency from a long-term study of 1,300 children from birth to age 15. 在新研究中，赫許─巴塞克和同事，在參與一項從出生到15歲長期研究的1300名兒童中，挑選出60名3歲的低收入戶兒童，語言能力程度各不相同。 The quality of communication accounted for 27 percent of variation in expressive language skills one year later, Dr. Hirsh-Pasek said. 赫許─巴塞克說，1年後，優質溝通占表達語言技巧差異的27％。 But those who urge parents to talk to their children more say increased quantity of language inevitably leads to better quality. Anne Fernald, a developmental psychologist at Stanford University in California, said, "When you learn to talk more, you tend to speak in more diverse ways and elaborate more, and that helps the child's cognitive development." 但是，那些呼籲家長多跟自己孩子說話的專家表示，提高語言數量，定會帶來更高的品質。加州史丹福大學發展心理學家安妮．費納德說：「當你學會說得更多時，你會以更多樣、更複雜的方式說話，這有助兒童的認知發展。」 Still, Ann O'Leary, director of Too Small to Fail, a joint effort of the nonprofit Next Generation and the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation that focuses on closing the word gap, acknowledged that messages to parents could do more to emphasize quality. "When we're doing these campaigns to close the word gap, they do capture the imagination, they do get people understanding that we do need to do a lot more talking," she said. "But we also need to be more mindful that part of what we need to do is model what that talking looks like." 「小到不能失敗」計畫負責人安．奧利里說，在提供給家長的訊息上，確實可多強調質。「小到不能失敗」由非營利組織「下一代」和「比爾、希拉蕊、雀兒喜．柯林頓基金會」共同設置，致力於縮小兒童字彙差距。她說：「當我們從事縮小兒童字彙差距努力時，它確實引起我們注意，它也讓人們理解，我們確實需要多說點話。但我們同時需要更注意的是，在我們必須從事的工作中，有一部分是提供那種談話的模範，那種談話中該有的東西。」 Source: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/269227/web/#2L-5280944L Scientists Identify Ancient Baby Bottles — and Some Are Really Cute Ceramic vessels, sometimes fashioned in whimsical animal forms, were used thousands of years ago as baby bottles to feed infants animal milk, according to scientists, offering an intriguing look at how and what infants were fed in prehistoric times. 科學家指出，數千年前的人類有時會把陶製容器塑造成異想天開的動物形狀，將它們作為奶瓶使用，餵嬰兒喝動物的乳汁。這項發現提供一個有趣的觀點，讓人一窺史前時代人類如何、又是用什麼來餵食嬰兒。 Archaeologists said on Sept. 25 they confirmed the function of these ceramic objects by finding chemical traces of milk belonging to animals such as cows, sheep and goats in three such items found buried in child graves in Germany. 考古學家在九月二十五日表示，他們在埋入德國兒童墳墓裡面的三個同類型物件中，發現殘留動物乳汁的化學痕跡──包括母牛、綿羊、山羊等──因此確認了這些陶製物品的用途。 The oldest of the three vessels described in the study was made between 2,800 and 3,200 years ago during the Bronze Age. Other similar objects dating back as far as about 7,000 years ago during Neolithic times have been found in various other locations, the researchers said. 在研究描述的三個容器中，年代最早的製造於兩千八百年前到三千兩百年前的青銅器時代。研究人員指出，其他許多地點都曾經發現類似的物件，最遠可追溯到大約七千年前的新石器時期。 "I think this has provided us the first direct evidence of what foods babies were eating or being weaned on in prehistory," said biomolecular archaeologist Julie Dunne of the University of Bristol in the UK and lead author of the study, published in the journal Nature. "I think this shows us the love and care these prehistoric people had for their babies." 該篇研究發表於期刊《自然》，主要作者為英國布里斯托大學的生物分子考古學家茱莉‧鄧恩，她表示：「我認為這項發現提供第一手直接證據，顯示史前時代的小寶寶吃什麼食物，或是用什麼食物斷奶。」她也指出：「我想，這項發現也向我們展現這些史前時代人類對小嬰兒的愛與關懷。」 These objects, little enough to fit into a baby's hands, served as vessels for milk, with a narrow spout for the baby to suckle liquid. While the three objects examined for the study were somewhat plain, others boasted lively shapes including animal heads with long ears or horns and human-looking feet. 這些物件小到能夠放進嬰兒的小手中，是用來盛裝奶水的容器，瓶身上附有一個狹長的壺嘴，讓小寶寶能夠從中吸吮液體。雖然研究檢驗用的三個物件外觀稍嫌平淡無奇，但其他同類陶器形狀卻相當生動，有著動物的頭，附著長長的耳朵或是犄角，以及像人類的腳。 "I find them incredibly cute. And prehistoric people may have thought so, too — they would certainly have a dual function of entertaining the children just like modern stuffed animals," said archaeologist Katharina Rebay-Salisbury of the Austrian Academy of Sciences' Institute for Oriental and European Archaeology, and a co-author of the study. "They testify to the creativity and playfulness we often forget to attribute to our ancestors." 研究的共同作者、奧地利科學院東方與歐洲考古研究所的考古學家凱瑟琳娜‧雷貝─索爾斯伯里表示：「我覺得這些陶器難以置信地可愛。而且搞不好史前的人們也是這樣覺得──這些陶器很可能還具備另一項娛樂小孩的雙重功能，就像是現代的填充玩具。」她補充說：「這些陶器證實老祖先們具備的創意和愛開玩笑的個性，那都是我們經常忘記的。」 Life at the time was not easy, Rebay-Salisbury added, with many people living in unhygienic conditions, experiencing famine and disease and facing low life expectancy. During the Bronze Age and subsequent Iron Age in Europe, perhaps about a third of all newborns died before their first birthday and only about half of children reached adulthood, Rebay-Salisbury said. 雷貝─索爾斯伯里還指出，當時的生活並不容易，原因在於許多人都居住在不衛生的環境中、遭受饑荒與疾病，還要面臨很短的預期壽命。她表示，在青銅器時代以及接下來的鐵器時代，歐洲地區可能有大約三分之一的新生兒在一歲之前死亡，而且大概只有一半的小孩能夠順利長大成人。 These feeding vessels may have made life easier for mothers, as animal milk could substitute for breastfeeding, the researchers said. "Duties of mothering — amongst which feeding is an important one — can also be undertaken by other members of the community when children are fed with feeding vessels," Rebay-Salisbury said. 研究人員表示，這些餵食用的容器會讓母親們的生活輕鬆一些，因為動物的乳汁可以代替親餵母乳。雷貝─索爾斯伯里指出：「當小孩可以用器具餵食的時候，為人母的諸多責任──其中，最重要的一項是餵食嬰兒──也就可以由部落的其他成員接手幫忙。」 Source: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2019/10/06/2003723440

挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行2026/6/30 前使用中信銀行ATM 完成指定交易就有機會抽中 10,000 點 OPENPOINT。了解更多> https://fstry.pse.is/8xhc3z  現在把「中信行動銀行 APP」設為桌面小工具 Widget， 出入帳金額不同會顯示不同的插畫圖示，超萌動作或搞怪迷因等你來蒐集！ —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） -------------------------------------------- 學英文一定要很痛苦才有效?小時候老師說「不努力就不會進步」,長大後變成「不加班老闆會覺得我不認真」。結果每天逼自己念英文念到舌頭打結,反而越學越抗拒。 這集要聊一本打破這個迷思的書:《Effortless》。作者是哈佛MBA的Greg McKeown,他說重點不是不努力,是用對力氣。就像在台北捷運上通勤學英文,不用坐在書桌前硬K兩小時,15分鐘聽podcast照樣有效。 John老師現在煮咖啡煮到不用想就自動完成,而且還很好喝。這就是effortless state。學英文也可以這樣。 你中了幾個? 在台灣職場待久了,這些想法是不是很熟悉? 加班到九點才敢離開辦公室,因為怕主管覺得你不認真。週末還在回工作訊息,不然好像沒盡責。學英文也一樣,逼自己每天念一小時,念到很煩還是硬撐,因為覺得「沒有痛苦就沒有收穫」。 阿鍵老師說他從小就被教:「有價值的事情要花很多力氣去完成,搞得自己很累才對。」長大後變成「我一定要加班,老闆才會覺得我認真。」 但活得這麼辛苦,真的有意思嗎? 問題出在哪? John老師點出盲點:「你覺得pain要到100分,gain才會100分。問題是你在處理pain就已經消耗掉很多能量,能量根本沒有放在gain上面。」 就像你在竹科上班已經很累了,晚上回家還逼自己念英文念到很痛苦。結果能量都在對抗「好煩不想念」這個情緒,根本沒力氣吸收東西。 John老師說:「你覺得學英語的時候像是在被處罰,這就很明顯不對了。」 這本書要說的不是不努力,是不要蠻幹。用對力氣。 Effortless的三個層次 怎麼做到輕鬆學英文?三個層次 先搞定你的狀態 運動員說的「進入zone」、藝術家說的「心流狀態」,其實學英文也需要。不是每天硬逼自己,是先把情緒垃圾清掉。 在台北捷運上通勤,擠得要死心情很煩,這時候硬要聽英文podcast效果不好。但如果你坐著剛好有位子,窗外風景不錯,這時候聽就很順。狀態對了,吸收就快。 跟讀不用硬撐 John老師建議:「如果我一開始只習慣念兩行,念了兩行就覺得有點吃力,那我就停了。不要硬撐說要念十行,把自己逼到嘴巴舌頭都累了。」 健身教練會說「肌肉痠痛再來一組」,但學英文不是這樣。舌頭已經快咬到了就停,何必呢? 關鍵是知道自己什麼時候累 有些上班族覺得「我沒壓力啊」,結果頭髮一直掉。壓力禿。你的身體還是感受到壓力的。 跟讀文章這麼多,今天這篇地緣政治你不喜歡,下次動物主題你比較喜歡,可能就可以多念一點。不用拼今天要全部念完。 真正進入狀態是什麼感覺? John老師和Angel老師錄Café的時候就尬聊,聊到忘記時間。「我一個小時了,本來只要錄30分鐘。」這就是進入effortless state,in the zone。 每次上場都in the zone,你就是Kobe Bryant! 別想太多,做就對了 有些事情你想了反而做不了。「等一下要安排時間,然後跟小孩坐下來,好好來聊這個idiom,然後要練習三遍...」光想就累了。 Just do it。 從最小的開始 早上起床真的太難?那就先坐起來,或先把被子拿開。先做一個簡單的動作,剩下的就會自然跟上來。 學英文也一樣。讀完Café拿到學習筆記,老師這週給了十幾個idioms,覺得很多怎麼辦? 一天一個就好。"I can do one a day, I cannot do ten a day。"把它拆開來,action有做到,但不會覺得很effort。 或者這週十幾個,挑兩個你最喜歡的記下來。這兩個就是你的了。 不要被自己卡住 John老師和阿鍵老師都常被自己的thinking卡住。腦筋一直在想:「我要安排什麼時間?要準備什麼?要練習幾遍?」OS就已經消耗一堆能量了。 不去想這個effort,反而更容易去做那個action。 通勤時打開手機聽podcast,不用想「我今天要學什麼」「我進度到哪了」。上車按play就對了。竹科工程師開車上班那段路,塞車剛好聽完一集。 建立自己的自動化系統 最高境界是什麼都不用想就完成了,而且成果還不錯。就像《原子習慣》講的,system越簡單,越容易一直做下去。 通勤學英文就是最好的例子 老通勤家族跟著15Mins三四年下來,已經變成習慣了。早上開車上班就打開podcast,聽完覺得有趣的就跟著念幾句,晚上回家有空就做個shadowing。 不用每天提醒自己「我今天要學英文」,就是自然而然在做。 很多人給feedback說:「現在跟外國人講話好順,自信心特別好。」不是文法多厲害或單字量多大,是溝通對方聽得懂。出去工作、出國旅遊就很夠用了。 John老師煮咖啡的境界 「早上做咖啡的時候,自動開機、自動燒開水、自動鋪濾杯。我煮完咖啡才發現,咦我剛煮完一杯咖啡?」 以前還會想這杯要準備什麼、溫度幾度,壓力很大。現在進入effortless state就是:怎麼咖啡煮好了?我好像不記得剛剛怎麼沖的。 然後阿鍵老師喝了說好喝。這就是effortless result。 學英文也可以到這個境界。五月報稅季很煩,但通勤時間還是照樣聽podcast,不用額外安排時間。捷運兩站剛好聽完一集,下車就開始一天工作。英文在不知不覺中進步。 跟其他學習方法有什麼不同? John老師發現很多哈佛、史丹佛的人都在講類似概念:《原子習慣》講系統、《心流》講狀態、《刻意練習》講方法。 阿鍵老師說:「很多learning tips都互通,同一個概念。要不然就是motivation,要不然就是讓你學得更輕鬆,要不然就是幫你做系統化。只是每一本切入的角度不太一樣。」 這本書特別的地方 John老師認為這本書比《原子習慣》更進一步:「我們很少去care那個state。我們太care那個system。這本書我蠻喜歡那個state的部分,就是care yourself跟love yourself。多注意自己的狀態,這個其實蠻重要的。」 不只學英文,工作、生活都適用。找到自己最順手的方式、最順的狀態,去做你想做的事。 不要在生氣七七的時候練英文 何必呢?力氣要用在對的地方。 那你的輕鬆時刻是什麼時候? 有些人做菜的時候很開心,進入心流。阿鍵老師就覺得「又要做一件事好累」。 歡迎留言分享: 你什麼時候會進入effortless state?有哪些事你已經做到不用想就自動完成?你怎麼把這個感覺帶到學英文上?分享給我們,下集給你shout out! 書籍推薦: 《Effortless: Make It Easy to Do What Matters》by Greg McKeown (哈佛MBA作者)

只投資美債，足夠應對接下來的市場變化嗎？野村愛爾蘭多元債聚焦金融債、新興債、可轉債，透過動態調整與靈活配置，提供投資人更多元的債券配置思路。投資一定有風險，基金投資有賺有賠，申購前應詳閱開說明書。*債市先鋒看這裡： https://fstry.pse.is/8xapwl ——以上廣告由 Firstory 與【月城南廣告】共同執行—— Summary: Once the king of film, Kodak has struggled over the years to find their footing in the digital era. In 2013, the company emerged from bankruptcy and till today is looking to find business model to sustain itself. What used to be 200 buildings of Eastman Kodak’s business park, is now left with a few buildings, with the rest either demolished or sold off. The article mentions the story of Mr. Taber, a Kodak employee of 34 years, together with 300 other scientists and engineers are working through their legacy innovations in optics and chemistry can be turned into new business ventures. In July this year, Trump administration made a $765 million loan to the Eastman Kodak Co. for its launch of a business making pharmaceutical ingredients in the US.  原文討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-912-kodak-struggles-to-envision-a-viable-future-after-film   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences:  Capitalize v. – chance to gain advantage from / convert into capital. Kodak has packaging sensor technology that they did not capitalize. Entrepreneurs are constantly looking to capitalize on any market opportunities.   Complacent adj. – showing smug / self-satisfaction with one’s achievement The cash Kodak made from film made them complacent. Having too much luxuries in life would make you complacent.   IP – Intellectual Property (patent, copyright, trademark) CEO of Kodak believes that they will not be able to capitalize on their IP through Kodak-branded sales. Filing patents is a way to protect a company’s intellectual property. 

----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） -------------------------------------------- 你有沒有想過，你的英文名字在外國人耳裡是什麼感覺？在台灣，很多人的英文名字是國中老師取的、或是從喜歡的明星那裡借來的，甚至有人每換一個工作就用一個新名字。但你知道嗎？有些名字在西方文化裡，可以算是社交地雷喔！ 本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Angel 老師要來談談英文名字的 "faux pas"(如果你不認識這個字，趕快打開本集節目！)。命名的禁忌往往不是因為名字本身不好，而是像 COVID 時代崛起的 Karen 迷因，或是健身房的 Chad 文化，這些網路文化、迷因、甚至成人娛樂業讓名字和特定情境做了連結啦！ Have you ever wondered what your English name sounds like to foreigners? In Taiwan, many people's English names were given by their junior high school teachers, borrowed from favorite celebrities, or even changed with each new job. But did you know? Some names can be social landmines in Western culture! This week on English Cafe, John and Angel discuss English name "faux pas" (if you don't know this word, quickly tune into this episode!). Naming taboos often aren't because the names themselves are bad, but rather due to internet culture like the Karen meme that rose during the COVID era, or gym bro Chad culture. These internet trends, memes, and even the adult entertainment industry have created associations between names and specific contexts!

挺你所想！與你一起生活的銀行2026/6/30 前使用中信銀行ATM 完成指定交易就有機會抽中 10,000 點 OPENPOINT。了解更多> https://fstry.pse.is/8xhc3z  現在把「中信行動銀行 APP」設為桌面小工具 Widget， 出入帳金額不同會顯示不同的插畫圖示，超萌動作或搞怪迷因等你來蒐集！ —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） --------------------------------------------

----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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. L176: No 2027 Taiwan Invasion, U.S. Intel Says Highlights 主題摘要The U.S. intelligence community says China has no fixed plan to invade Taiwan in 2027 and currently prefers peaceful unification if achievable.China's PLA is making steady but uneven capability gains, while anti-corruption purges have removed roughly 100 senior officers since 2022.A Taiwan Strait conflict would shatter global semiconductor supply chains and inflict unprecedented economic damage worldwide. For years, 2027 has loomed over strategic planning rooms from Washington to Tokyo — the unofficial deadline by which China's People's Liberation Army was expected to be capable of seizing Taiwan by force. On Wednesday, the U.S. intelligence community offered a carefully calibrated reassessment. According to the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Chinese leaders "do not currently plan to execute an invasion of Taiwan in 2027, nor do they have a fixed timeline for achieving unification." The finding does not erase the threat — it reframes it. 長年以來，「2027年」盤旋於華盛頓到東京各地的戰略研判室，被普遍視為中國人民解放軍具備武力奪台能力的非官方期限。週三，美國情報界就此提出了措辭審慎的重新評估。根據美國國家情報總監辦公室（ODNI）發布的《2026年美國情報界年度威脅評估》，中國領導人「目前不計畫在2027年對台灣發動入侵，亦無實現統一的固定時間表。」這份評估並未消弭威脅，而是重新定義了威脅的框架。 The PLA has been making what the report describes as "steady but uneven" progress on capabilities required for a potential Taiwan operation, including efforts to deter U.S. military intervention. Beijing has never renounced the use of force, and the report acknowledges that China continues to refine contingency plans for doing so. Yet it concludes that Chinese leadership — weighing PLA readiness, Taiwan's political posture, and the probability of U.S. intervention — currently prefers coercive pressure over outright conflict. Anti-corruption purges that have swept out roughly 100 senior officers since 2022 may have further constrained operational readiness. 解放軍在強化潛在台海行動所需能力方面，持續取得報告所稱「穩定但不均衡」的進展，其中包括嚇阻美軍介入的相關部署。北京從未放棄以武力達成統一，報告也承認中國持續精進各項應變計畫。然而報告指出，中國領導層在綜合評估解放軍戰備狀況、台灣的政治走向以及美國介入的可能性後，目前仍傾向以施壓手段取代全面武裝衝突。自2022年起的反腐整肅已拔除逾百名解放軍高階將領，此一動盪或已進一步削弱整體作戰準備度。 The assessment lands at a diplomatically charged moment. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is scheduled to visit the White House the day after the report's release, and the document describes her statement that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan as a "significant shift" — framing likely to unsettle Tokyo. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has repeatedly downplayed the threat of Chinese military action, citing Xi Jinping's personal assurances, even as his administration approved a record $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December. 這份報告的出爐時機外交意涵格外敏感。日本首相高市早苗預計於報告發布隔日赴白宮訪問，而報告將她去年所稱中國攻台將對日本構成「存亡威脅」的言論，定性為日本領導人立場的「重大轉變」，此一定性極可能令東京方面感到不滿。與此同時，川普多次援引習近平的個人保證，屢屢淡化北京的對台軍事威脅，但其政府卻在去年十二月批准了規模創紀錄、總值110億美元的對台軍售案。 The economic stakes make any conflict scenario deeply unappealing. Taiwan dominates global semiconductor production, and roughly one-fifth of world trade transits the Taiwan Strait annually. A protracted confrontation would shatter critical tech supply chains and inflict costs on the U.S., Chinese, and global economies alike — even without Washington's direct involvement. Some analysts now regard the 2030s as the more consequential window of risk, with military capability rather than political intent driving the calculus. China's 2049 deadline, the centenary of the People's Republic, remains the overarching horizon. 任何衝突情境背後，都潛藏著沉重的經濟代價。台灣是全球半導體生產的核心重鎮，全球約五分之一的貿易往來途經台灣海峽。一旦爆發曠日持久的對抗，關鍵科技供應鏈將面臨重創，美國、中國乃至全球經濟都難以倖免，即便華盛頓選擇不直接出兵亦然。部分分析人士已將2030後視為更值得警戒的風險時間，驅動這項判斷的是軍事能力的發展，而非政治意圖。中國所設定的2049年統一期限，也就是中華人民共和國建國百年，始終是更長遠的戰略目標。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Contingency plans [noun phrase, prepared strategies for dealing with possible future emergencies]: Every airline has contingency plans for bad weather.Downplayed [verb, to make something seem less serious or threatening than it is]: The manager downplayed the risk to keep the team calm.Unsettle [verb, to make someone feel anxious or off-balance]: The sudden announcement unsettled investors.Protracted [adjective, lasting far longer than expected or desired]: The protracted dispute cost both sides dearly.Overarching [adjective, covering everything; most important overall]: The overarching goal is long-term stability. Reference article: 1. https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202603190004 2. https://www.reuters.com/world/china/us-assesses-china-is-not-currently-planning-invade-taiwan-2027-2026-03-18/ 3. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/19/us-intelligence-agencies-not-expecting-china-to-invade-taiwan-in-2027 4. https://www.nbcnews.com/world/asia/us-assesses-china-not-planning-invade-taiwan-2027-rcna264239 5. https://www.wsj.com/world/china/china-isnt-planning-to-invade-taiwan-in-2027-u-s-concludes-1fbedcbd

Here are the three articles properly titled and paragraphed: Traditional Toys May Beat Gadgets in Language Development Baby laptops, baby cellphones, talking farms — these are the whirring, whiz-bang toys of the moment, many of them marketed as tools to encourage babies' language skills. 嬰兒筆電，嬰兒手機，交談農場，這些都是當前推出快速又先進的玩具，許多被當成激發嬰兒語言技能的工具行銷。 But a new study raises questions about whether such electronic playthings make it less likely that babies will engage in the verbal give-and-take with their parents that is so crucial to cognitive development. 不過，新研究報告質疑這類電子玩具是否會使嬰兒跟父母的口頭交流減少，這種交流對認知發展極其重要。 The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that when babies and parents played with electronic toys that are specifically advertised as language-promoters, parents spoke less and responded less to baby babbling than when they played with traditional toys like blocks or read board books. Babies also vocalized less when playing with electronic toys. 發表於「美國醫學會小兒科學期刊」的該研究報告發現，嬰兒與父母玩廣告中特別宣傳能促進語言發展的電子玩具時，父母說話及對嬰兒發聲的回應，要比玩傳統玩具如積木或閱讀硬頁書時來得少。嬰兒玩電子玩具時發聲也較少。 "My hunch is that they were letting the baby interact with the toy and they were on the sidelines," said Anna V. Sosa, an associate professor of communications science and disorders at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, who led the study. 帶領研究的弗拉格斯塔夫北亞利桑納大學傳播科學與溝通障礙副教授安娜．索沙說：「我的直覺是，他們讓嬰兒跟玩具互動，自己退居一邊。」 The study builds on a growing body of research suggesting that electronic toys and e-books can make parents less likely to have the most meaningful kinds of verbal exchanges with their children. "When you put the gadgets and gizmos in, the parents stop talking," said Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University who was not involved in the new study, but who has found similar effects with e-books and electronic shape-sorters. "What you get is more behavioral regulation stuff, like 'don't touch that' or 'do this,' or nothing because the books and toys take it over for you." 這項研究建立在日漸增多的一些研究結果之上，既有結果顯示電子玩具和電子書可能使父母較少與小孩進行最有意義類型的口語交流。天普大學心理學教授凱西．赫許帕塞克說：「當使用這類工具與裝置時，父母們就會閉口。你做的是更多行為規範，像是『別碰那』或『做這個』，甚至啥也不做，因為電子書與玩具已代勞了。」赫許帕塞克未參加上述研究，但此前對電子書跟電子形狀分類盒的研究有類似發現。 She added, "A toy should be 10 percent toy and 90 percent child, and with a lot of these electronic toys the toy takes over 90 percent and the child just fills in the blank." 她並補充道：「玩玩具應是玩具只占10%，90％由小孩做主，許多這些電子玩具卻是玩具占了90%以上，小孩只能補白。」 Sosa said she was surprised by the results. She had expected some parent-baby pairs would talk more with one type of toy, while others would talk more with another. But the results were consistent almost across the board. When electronic toys were being used, parents said about 40 words per minute, on average, compared with 56 words per minute for traditional toys and 67 words per minute with books. 索沙說，她對結果感到驚訝。她原本預期一些父母嬰兒組玩某種玩具時說話較多，而其他組則是在玩另種玩具時說較多話。然而，結果卻幾乎一致。玩電子玩具時父母平均每分鐘說40字，少於玩傳統玩具的56字，及讀書時的67字。 The study was small — 26 families — and most were white and educated. So the researchers say the results might be different with a larger and more diverse group. But the study is notable because it sought to capture real world parent-child playtime in their homes without researchers watching. 這是個小型研究，共26個家庭參與，多為受過良好教育的白人家庭。因此研究人員說，若以更大、更多樣化的群體為研究對象，結果可能不同，但這個研究仍值得注意，因為它盡力捕捉現實世界中無研究人員觀看下的居家親子遊戲時間。 Source: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/292769/web/ "Boffin Barbie": Toy Creator Honors Vaccine Co-Creator Toy giant Mattel said Wednesday last week it hoped to "inspire the next generation" after creating a model of its iconic Barbie doll in honor of Sarah Gilbert, co-creator of the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. 玩具大廠美泰兒公司上週三表示，為表彰牛津／阿斯捷利康冠狀病毒疫苗之共同發明人莎拉‧吉伯特，該公司為其著名產品芭比娃娃開發了新款，希望能「鼓舞下一代」。 Gilbert said she found the news "very strange" but hoped "children who see my Barbie will realize how vital careers in science are to help the world around us." "My wish is that my doll will show children careers they may not be aware of, like a vaccinologist." 吉伯特聽聞此消息，說她覺得「挺怪的」，但希望「看到我的芭比娃娃的孩子們會了解，科學職業對幫助我們周遭的世界是多麼重要」。「希望我的玩偶會向孩子們展示他們可能不知道的職業，比如說疫苗學家」。 The toy company created models in honor of five other women in the sciences: US healthcare workers Amy O'Sullivan and Audrey Cruz, Canadian campaigner Chika Stacy Oriuwa, Brazilian researcher Jaqueline Goes de Jesus and Australian medic Kirby White. 這家玩具公司也設計了其他款式，來表彰五位科學界的女性：美國醫護人員艾米‧奧沙利文及奧黛莉‧克魯茲、加拿大活動人士奇卡‧史岱西‧奧里瓦、巴西研究人員賈克琳‧戈耶思‧德‧杰索斯，以及澳洲醫師克兒比‧懷特。 "Barbie recognizes that all frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices when confronting the pandemic and the challenges it heightened," said Lisa McKnight, senior vice president of Barbie and dolls at Mattel. "To shine a light on their efforts, we are sharing their stories and leveraging Barbie's platform to inspire the next generation to take after these heroes and give back. Our hope is to nurture and ignite the imaginations of children playing out their own storyline as heroes." 美泰兒公司芭比娃娃及玩偶部門高級副總裁麗莎‧麥克奈特表示：「芭比肯定所有前線工作人員，在面對疫情大流行及加劇的挑戰時，都做出了巨大犧牲」。「為彰顯其努力，我們分享他們的故事，並利用芭比娃娃這平台，來激勵下一代追隨這些英雄並做出回饋」。「我們希望培養及點燃孩子的想像力，讓他們在遊戲扮演角色時，有自己的英雄故事」。 Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2021/08/09/2003762257 Giant Japanese Robot Spurs Hopes for Tourism After Virus Hit 受病毒衝擊後　巨大的日本機器人為觀光業燃起希望 An 18-metre "Gundam" robot that can walk and move its arms was unveiled in Japan on Monday amid hopes that it will help invigorate tourism hit by COVID-19. 一個18公尺、可以走動及移動手臂的「鋼彈」機器人週一在日本亮相，希望它能幫忙振興受到2019冠狀病毒疾病衝擊的觀光業。 The robot is modelled after a figure in "Mobile Suit Gundam", a Japanese cartoon first launched in the late 1970s about enormous battle robots piloted by humans. The series spawned multiple spin-offs and toys and gained a worldwide following. 這個機器人仿照「機動戰士鋼彈」其中一款打造，這部日本卡通於1970年代晚期首度發表，描述了由人類操控之大型戰鬥機器人。一系列漫畫催生出多項衍生產品與玩具，並獲得全球關注。 It will be the centrepiece of the Gundam Factory Yokohama, a tourist attraction that opens on Dec. 19 in the port city. 它將是12月19日於橫濱這個港市開張的觀光景點「橫濱鋼彈工廠」最引人入勝的核心。 "I hope this will lead to stimulating tourism demand and revitalising local areas," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference. 內閣官房長官加藤勝信在記者會說，「我希望這會帶動刺激觀光需求並振興當地。」 Source: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1417730

台灣超經典的療癒零食—【新貴派】！首度聯名【白沙屯媽祖】推出限量版包裝！還是經過「白沙屯拱天宮媽祖」聖筊(台語) 同意的喔！即日起全台全聯、量販店、便利商店熱賣中，讓你吃新貴派有新貴人，一起有吃有保佑！了解更多： https://fstry.pse.is/8w2wvp ——以上廣告由 Firstory 與【月城南廣告】共同執行—— ----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） -------------------------------------------- 感謝推薦: ItschihaOK在Threads上推薦 15Mins四月壽星: 生日快樂!可以在IG留言或email給我們 聽過Wait What嗎?就是那種讓你聽完要慢半拍才懂的英文慣用語。15Mins在IG推出新系列,專門收集這些讓人黑人問號的idioms,配上視覺圖讓你印象更深刻。 這集還聊到蘋果三月發表會的MacBook Neo(沒錯,就是駭客任務那個Neo),教你用英文在辦公室茶水間聊科技產品。最讓John老師困惑的是Gen Z流行的Admin Night——約朋友來家裡一起報稅、對發票、整理帳單。這什麼新型社交方式? Wait What系列:英文慣用語學習新方法 阿鍵老師在15Mins IG推出新系列,專門收集那些「蛤?怎麼會這樣講?」的英文慣用語。這些idioms其實都在English Café出現過,但現在配上視覺圖,學英文變得更容易記住。 阿鍵老師說圖都改了兩三次才放上去:「不想被說是AI垃圾,所以還要送去Canva調整。」看到成品,真的會讓人Wait What一下。 如果你熟悉某個idiom或英文俚語,歡迎在IG分享你怎麼用、跟誰用過! MacBook Neo:辦公室英文會話實用技巧 三月初蘋果發表會推出M5系列處理器,新機叫Neo——沒錯,就是駭客任務那個救世主Neo。John老師和阿鍵老師都在等這波降價換新電腦。 為什麼?因為M系列晶片真的改變了一切。John老師說以前筆電做翻譯或回email,一小時就要找插座,現在一整天都不用充電。阿鍵老師被John老師「污染」後,現在也離不開Apple生態系——耳機自動切換、傳檔案點一下就飛過去。 兩個人已經自稱「Apple Citizen」,被養套殺逃不了了。 辦公室英文閒聊必學句型:"Did you see the new MacBook Neo?""Which color is your favorite?""Are you in the market for an upgrade?"(要換機嗎?)"Are you going to trade in your laptop?"這種話題在茶水間超好聊,不管對方是不是蘋果迷都能接上話。學這些英文對話句型,就能輕鬆開啟small talk。 Admin Night:Gen Z社交英文新詞彙 John老師看到這篇新聞時黑人問號:「我看了好幾次,真的不太懂!」 Admin Night就是約朋友來家裡一起做行政瑣事——對發票、報稅、整理醫院資料、規劃旅行、買保險。聽起來很無聊對吧?但Gen Z和Gen Alpha覺得這樣比單純吃飯聚餐更有togetherness。 概念有點像以前的study group。暑假作業最後一週找同學一起趕工,考試前臨時抱佛腳做筆記。現在成年了,換成一起處理大人的responsibility。這也是學習英文時事用語的好機會。 阿鍵老師找到優點:「我買機票訂旅館不在行,約的人可能常旅遊,我就能問他怎麼優化。我會寫帳單,他的帳單就能交給我。」 但也可能變成災難:一群拖延症患者約好做admin,結果拿出來後就跑去看電視,躺平躺得更平,回家時東西還是放在那邊。 重點是:做不娛樂的事,但一起做就沒那麼無聊。這種新型社交方式的英文表達方式,值得通勤族學起來。 不算Admin Night的: John老師和阿鍵老師的remote working不算,「那叫Overtime Night,聽起來好難過!」 試過Admin Night的人, 用comment link分享你們都做了什麼!

Summary: This article covers 2 topics. The storm in a teacup over how a lady made fried rice on the BBC. And the second talks about Dua Lipa’s love for bubble milk tea ice cream from Taiwan. 原文章討論：https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-909-about-uk-bbc-bbc-host   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Controversial adj.: causing public anger and disagreement Was the decision to close the water park controversial? Does social media cause lots of controversies?  Trigger v.: to cause people to get upset Are people triggered by animal cruelty? Do people get triggered by social media?  Troll v.: creating discord on the Internet by starting quarrels or upsetting people by posting inflammatory or off-topic messages in an online community Does getting trolled trigger people? Have you been trolled on Facebook?

----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） -------------------------------------------- 你上次使用 Google Maps 是什麼時候呢？本週的《英語咖啡館》John 老師和 Cariya 老師要來聊聊這個我們每天都在用、卻從來沒有好好了解過的 app——以及它剛推出的全新 AI 功能，保證讓你刮目相看，更加的認識它！ 原來 Google Maps 每秒都在更新資料、每天處理高達 2 億筆用戶資訊，甚至曾經把相機裝在綿羊身上去拍攝農村街景！？除了這些冷知識，本集最大亮點是全新的 AI「Ask Maps」功能——你可以直接用自然語言跟地圖「說話」，不管是找符合個人口味的餐廳、還是同時滿足多位外國訪客的用餐需求，通通交給它搞定。John 老師更大膽預測，Google Maps 正在往「超級 App」的方向進化，未來搞不好連 Google 搜尋都會被它取代！ When was the last time you used Google Maps? This week on English Cafe, John and Cariya talk about this app we use every day but have never really understood—along with its newly launched AI features that will definitely impress you and help you get to know it better! Turns out Google Maps updates data every second, processes up to 200 million user data points daily, and even once mounted cameras on sheep to photograph rural street views!? Beyond these fun facts, this episode's biggest highlight is the brand-new AI "Ask Maps" feature—you can directly "talk" to the map using natural language, whether finding restaurants that match your personal taste or simultaneously meeting the dining needs of multiple foreign visitors, it handles it all. John boldly predicts that Google Maps is evolving toward becoming a "super app," and in the future it might even replace Google Search!

台灣超經典的療癒零食—【新貴派】！首度聯名【白沙屯媽祖】推出限量版包裝！還是經過「白沙屯拱天宮媽祖」聖筊(台語) 同意的喔！即日起全台全聯、量販店、便利商店熱賣中，讓你吃新貴派有新貴人，一起有吃有保佑！了解更多： https://fstry.pse.is/8w2wvp ——以上廣告由 Firstory 與【月城南廣告】共同執行—— ----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） --------------------------------------------

----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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. L172: Iran War Sends Oil Past $100, ECB Holds Highlights 主題摘要The ECB held rates at 2% for the sixth straight meeting, warning that soaring energy prices will materially affect near-term inflation.European gas prices surged 35% and oil hit $119 a barrel as military strikes on Gulf energy infrastructure escalated the Iran conflict.Markets lurched wildly before stabilising after Trump announced productive talks with Iran and postponed threatened military strikes for five days. When the European Central Bank gathered in Frankfurt on Thursday, energy markets were already in turmoil. Oil had briefly touched $119 a barrel, European gas prices had surged 35 per cent in a single morning, and traders were scrambling to reprice a global economy suddenly exposed to the full force of a Middle Eastern conflict. Against that backdrop, Lagarde delivered a widely expected decision — but one whose implications are still unfolding. 歐洲中央銀行週四齊聚法蘭克福召開決策會議，此時能源市場早已陷入動盪。油價一度觸及每桶119美元，歐洲天然氣價格單日暴漲35%，交易員競相重新評估這場中東衝突對全球經濟的衝擊幅度。在此背景下，拉加德宣布了一項市場早有預期的決定，但其後續影響至今仍在持續發酵。 The ECB held its benchmark rate at 2 per cent for the sixth consecutive meeting — a stance unchanged since June 2025. Though the decision was unanimous, the accompanying forecasts were sharply revised: Eurozone inflation is now projected to reach 2.6 per cent this year, up from December's estimate of 1.9 per cent, the entire revision attributable to the energy shock. GDP growth was cut to 0.9 per cent from 1.2 per cent, as higher energy costs began registering across the bloc. ECB連續第六次將基準利率維持在2%，自2025年6月起未曾變動。決議雖獲一致通過，隨附的經濟預測卻大幅上修：歐元區今年通膨率預計攀升至2.6%，遠高於去年12月估算的1.9%，升幅完全肇因於此波能源衝擊。與此同時，GDP成長率預測從1.2%下修至0.9%，能源成本的攀升已開始在歐元區各地留下印記。 In its most extreme modelled scenario, a 60 per cent disruption of flows through the Strait of Hormuz could send oil to $150 a barrel and push inflation to 4.8 per cent in 2027. Lagarde acknowledged the situation differed from the 2022 shock — the Eurozone labour market is less overheated today — but warned that memories of that inflationary episode risk complicating the task of keeping longer-term expectations anchored. Before Thursday's decision, traders had already priced in two quarter-point rate increases by October, a complete reversal of earlier bets that borrowing costs would stay unchanged. 在ECB最極端的情境推演中，若荷姆茲海峽的石油與天然氣過境量遭受60%阻斷，油價恐將衝至每桶150美元，並推升2027年通膨率至4.8%。拉加德坦承，此次情況與2022年的能源衝擊有所不同，當前歐元區勞動市場並未像四年前那般過熱，但她也提醒，民眾對上一波通膨飆升記憶猶新，恐將增加穩定長期通膨預期的難度。週四決策公布前，交易員已預期ECB最快今夏將啟動升息，並在10月前累計升息兩碼，與年初認為全年利率將按兵不動的主流押注完全相反。 The volatility extended into Monday, when crude briefly topped $113 before dropping sharply after Trump announced "productive conversations" with Iran and postponed threatened strikes for five days. Wall Street surged, with the S&P 500 gaining nearly 2 per cent, while European bourses reversed their losses. Asia had already absorbed the blow: Japan's Nikkei fell 3.5 per cent, Taiwan's Taiex shed 2.5 per cent, and South Korea's Kospi tumbled 6.5 per cent. The International Energy Agency warned that the conflict posed a "major, major threat" to the global economy, with at least 40 energy assets across nine countries already damaged. For now, diplomacy has offered a brief reprieve — but the Gulf remains a live wire. 這股震盪延續至週一。布蘭特原油盤中一度突破每桶113美元，隨後在川普宣布美伊已進行「富有成效的對話」、並將軍事打擊威脅暫緩五天後 急速回落。美股聞訊反彈，標普500指數上漲近2%，歐洲各大指數也由跌翻漲。亞洲市場則已提前承受這波衝擊：日本日經225指數重跌3.5%、台灣加權指數下挫2.5%、南韓綜合股價指數大跌6.5%。國際能源總署警告，此次衝突對全球經濟構成「極為重大的威脅」，九個國家共計至少40座能源設施已遭破壞。外交斡旋暫為市場帶來喘息空間，但波斯灣情勢依舊暗潮洶湧。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字In turmoil [adjective phrase, in a state of chaos or severe disruption]: Financial markets were in turmoil after the surprise news.Overheated [adjective, describing an economy growing too fast, fuelling inflation]: The central bank raised rates to cool an overheated market.Anchored [adjective, kept stable and prevented from drifting, used especially of inflation expectations]: Long-term expectations remained anchored despite the shock.Absorbed the blow [verb phrase, to endure the negative impact of something]: Asian markets absorbed the blow before Wall Street even opened.Reprieve [noun, a temporary relief from a difficult or threatening situation]: The announcement offered nervous markets a brief reprieve. Reference article: 1. https://www.ft.com/content/5757febc-d888-4d34-af83-4a6b0f7a11dd 2. https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/03/23/markets-tumble-as-oil-prices-climb-over-100-on-middle-east-conflict-fears

Dark Hair Was Common Among Vikings, Genetic Study Confirms They may have had a reputation for trade, braids and fearsome raids, but the Vikings were far from a single group of flaxen-haired, sea-faring Scandinavians. A genetic study of Viking-age human remains has not only confirmed that Vikings from different parts of Scandinavia set sail for different parts of the world, but has revealed that dark hair was more common among Vikings than Danes today. 維京人或許以貿易、髮辮，以及讓人聞風喪膽的燒殺擄掠聞名，但是他們並非全部來自單一群體，不只是一群亞麻色頭髮、經年航海的斯堪地那維亞人。近日一項維京時代人類遺骸的基因研究，證實維京人從斯堪地那維亞半島的不同地區揚帆航向世界各地，更透露維京人頭髮多為深色，跟今日的丹麥人相比更為普遍。 What's more, while some were born Vikings, others adopted the culture — or perhaps had it thrust upon them. "Vikings were not restricted to blond Scandinavians," said Eske Willerslev, a co-author of the research from the University of Cambridge and the University of Copenhagen. 更重要的是，儘管有些北歐人天生就是維京人，其他族群也會吸收維京文化──或是可能被迫接受。該研究由英國劍橋大學和丹麥哥本哈根大學合作，共同作者之一艾斯克‧威勒斯列夫指出：「維京人並非僅限於金髮碧眼的斯堪地那維亞人。」 Writing in the journal Nature, Willerslev and colleagues report how they sequenced the genomes of 442 humans who lived across Europe between about 2,400BC and 1,600AD, with the majority from the Viking age — a period that stretched from around 750AD to 1050AD. The study also drew on existing data from more than 1,000 ancient individuals from non-Viking times, and 3,855 people living today. 在這篇刊登於《自然》期刊的研究中，威勒斯列夫和他的同事闡述他們如何定序四百四十二人的基因體。這些研究對象來自歐洲各地，大約生活在西元前兩千四百年到西元一千六百年間，其中大多數人屬於維京時代──也就是橫跨西元七百五十年到一千零五十年之間的時期。該研究也運用現有的基因資料，其中包括超過一千名並非生活在維京時代的古老人類，以及三千八百五十五名現代人。 Among their results the team found that from the iron age, southern European genes entered Denmark and then spread north, while — to a lesser extent — genes from Asia entered Sweden. "Vikings are, genetically, not purely Scandinavian," said Willerslev. However, the team found Viking age Scandinavians were not a uniform population, but clustered into three main groups — a finding that suggests Vikings from different parts of Scandinavia did not mix very much. 在他們的研究結果中，團隊發現南歐的基因在鐵器時代進入丹麥，而後往北傳播，也有少部分來自亞洲的基因進入瑞典。威勒斯列夫指出：「維京人，從基因上來說，並非純然是斯堪地那維亞人。」另外，團隊發現維京時代的斯堪地那維亞人並非種族齊一的人口，而是由三個主要族群組成──這項發現顯示：來自斯堪地那維亞不同地區的維京人並未充分融合。 The team found these groups roughly map on to present-day Scandinavian countries, although Vikings from south-west Sweden were genetically similar to their peers in Denmark. Genetic diversity was greatest in coastal regions. Further analysis confirmed the long-standing view that most Vikings in England came from Denmark, as reflected in place names and historical records, while the Baltic region was dominated by Swedish Vikings, and Vikings from Norway ventured to Ireland, Iceland, Greenland and the Isle of Man. 團隊表示，這些族群的分布範圍大約和今日的北歐三國疆界疊合，不過瑞典西南部的維京人在基因上和丹麥維京人較為相近。基因多樣性則在沿岸地區最為顯著。進一步的分析更證實一項存在已久的學界看法：英國大多數的維京人來自丹麥，正如同地名和歷史紀錄反映出的情況，而巴爾幹地區是由瑞典維京人統治，至於挪威的維京人則冒險前往愛爾蘭、冰島、格陵蘭以及今日的英屬曼島。 However, the team says remains from Russia revealed some Vikings from Denmark also travelled east. The study also revealed raids were likely a local affair: the team found four brothers and another relative died in Salme, Estonia, in about 750AD, in what is thought could have been a raid, with others in the party likely to have been from the same part of Sweden. 不過，團隊指出，來自俄國的遺骸顯示，丹麥的維京人也曾往東方旅行。研究也透露維京人的劫掠可能只是「地方事件」：團隊發現，有四名兄弟和一名親戚，大約在西元七百五十年死於愛沙尼亞的薩爾梅，看起來是一場劫掠的結果，其他參與者可能也來自瑞典的同一個地區。 In addition, the team found two individuals from Orkney, who were buried with Viking swords, had no Scandinavian genetic ancestry. "[Being a Viking] is not a pure ethnic phenomenon, it is a lifestyle that you can adopt whether you are non-Scandinavian or Scandinavian," said Willerslev, adding that genetic influences from abroad both before and during the Viking age might help explain why genetic variants for dark hair were relatively common among Vikings. 此外，團隊還發現兩名奧克尼群島的個體，遺骸旁有維京劍陪葬，但是這兩人沒有斯堪地那維亞的基因世系。「（身為維京人）並不是單純的人種學現象，無論你是不是斯堪地那維亞人，都可以採取這種生活方式，」威勒斯列夫補充表示，來自國外、在維京時代之前，以及該時代期間的基因影響，也許可以解釋為什麼深色頭髮的基因變異在維京人當中相對普遍。 Steve Ashby, an expert in Viking-age archaeology from the University of York, said the study confirmed what had been suspected about movement and trade in the Viking age, but also brought fresh detail. "The evidence for gene flow with southern Europe and Asia is striking, and sits well with recent research that argues for large-scale connectivity in this period," he said. "[The study] also provides new information about levels of contact and isolation within Scandinavia itself, and offers an interesting insight into the composition of raiding parties." 英國約克大學的維京時代考古學專家史蒂夫‧阿什比指出，這項研究證實了先前科學家對於維京時代遷徙和貿易活動的猜測，並且帶來新的細節。「（維京人與）南歐以及亞洲基因流動的證據相當驚人，也吻合近年研究主張這段時期大規模的人類交流情況。」阿什比表示：「（這項研究）傳達新的資訊，透露斯堪地那維亞半島內部交流和隔離的程度，並且提供有趣的見解，讓我們一窺強盜集團的組成。」 Source: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2020/09/27/2003744127 Finland Has Faith in the Euro Finland is, in many ways, the anti-Greece. 芬蘭，在許多方面，是希臘的反面。 Like Greece, it is geographically far from the core Western European powers of Britain, France and Germany. And like Greece, it uses the euro currency. But unlike Greece, it is a model of sound governance and responsible use of debt. 像希臘的是，芬蘭的地理位置遠離英國、法國、德國等西歐核心強權。不同於希臘的是，芬蘭是穩健治理與負責舉債的模範。 Yet Finland's economy is also not doing so great, with an 11.8 percent unemployment rate and with contracting gross domestic product in the last three years. 但是芬蘭的經濟不算挺好，失業率11.8%，而且過去三年國民生產毛額萎縮。 A number of American commentators have looked at Finland's current economic troubles as a clear sign that what ails the eurozone is far deeper than profligate spending by the Greeks. Paul Krugman has made that case at The New York Times, Tim Worstall at Forbes and Matt O'Brien at The Washington Post. 某些美國評論者檢視芬蘭當前的經濟困境，認為這顯示出歐元區的毛病遠比希臘的揮霍更嚴重。保羅．克魯曼，提姆．伍思道和麥特．歐布萊恩分別在《紐約時報》、《華盛頓郵報》和《富比世》雜誌上發表了此一主張。 Alexander Stubb, the Finnish finance minister, thinks they're wrong. I brought this up with him recently in Espoo, the Helsinki suburb where he lives. His vigorous defense of what the euro has done for Finland, and his comments help explain why elite opinion about the euro is so different on the two sides of the Atlantic. 芬蘭財政部長亞歷山大．斯圖布認為他們都錯了。筆者日前在斯圖布位於赫爾辛基郊區埃斯波的住所提出這個話題。他為歐元給芬蘭帶來的好處強力辯護，而他的評論有助於理解何以大西洋兩岸菁英對於歐元的看法如此南轅北轍。 There are three main causes of Finland's economic weakness. Nokia has gone from the world's largest mobile phone maker to an afterthought, costing thousands of Finnish jobs and many more when its supply network is counted. Demand for paper, another major export, has fallen. And the economy of neighboring Russia, with which Finland has deep trade ties, has collapsed because of plummeting oil prices and Western sanctions. 芬蘭的經濟疲弱有三個原因。諾基亞從全球最大手機製造商淪為配角，數以千計的芬蘭人因此失業；倘若把供應網一併算進來，失業人數會更多。芬蘭的另一項主要出口項目是紙，需求也下滑。芬蘭與毗鄰的俄羅斯有很密切的貿易往來，而俄國經濟也因為油價重挫和西方的制裁而大壞。 Because Finland has used the euro since its inception, the value of its currency cannot adjust in ways that would cushion the overall Finnish economy from those shocks. If Finland still had its old currency, the markka, it would have fallen in value on international markets. Suddenly other Finnish industries would have had a huge cost advantage over, say, German competitors, and they would have grown and created the jobs to help make up for those lost because of Nokia and the paper industry and Russian trade. 因為芬蘭從歐元一登場就開始使用，所以無法藉由自行調整匯率的方式來降低芬蘭經濟所遭受的衝擊。假如芬蘭現在用的是原本的貨幣芬蘭馬克，在國際市場將會貶值。其他芬蘭產業將突然享有重大的成本優勢，像是對上德國的競爭對手，產業將持續成長，創造職缺，協助彌補因為諾基亞、紙業和俄國經濟走軟而損失的工作機會。 "Rubbish," Mr. Stubb said. To evaluate the euro, you can't just look at what he calls a current "rough patch" for the Finnish economy. You have to look at a longer time horizon. In his telling, the integration with Western Europe — of which the euro currency is a crucial element — deepened trade and diplomatic relations, making Finland both more powerful on the world stage and its industries better connected to the rest of the global economy. That made its people richer. 「一派胡言，」斯圖布說。他說，要評價歐元不能光看他所謂芬蘭經濟當前的「黑暗期」。你得從較長的時間範圍著眼。照他的說法，芬蘭與西歐整合歐元是關鍵要素，而這整合深化了貿易與外交關係，讓芬蘭在世界舞台上更有力量，芬蘭的產業與全球經濟也有更好的連結；這使得人民更富裕。 "In the early 1990s in the middle of a Finnish banking crisis and economic depression, we were a top 30 country in the world in per capita G.D.P.," he said. "Then we opened up; we became members of the E.U. Now we're always up there in G.D.P. per capita or whatever other measure you look at with Sweden, Denmark, Australia and Canada." 「在1990年代初期，芬蘭銀行危機和經濟蕭條之際，我們的人均GDP（國內生產毛額）排在全球前30名，」他說。「然後我們開放了，變成歐盟的會員國。現在無論你是用人均GDP或其他衡量標準，芬蘭都和瑞典、丹麥、澳洲與加拿大位在同一個等級。」 As to whether the ability to devalue its currency would help deal with the current economic downturn, Mr. Stubb is similarly skeptical. "Devaluation is a little like doping in sports," he said. "It gives you perhaps a short-term boost, but in the long run, it's not beneficial. Just like anyone else, we need structural reform, structural adjustment; we need to increase our competitiveness, and a little bit of luck." 至於具備讓貨幣貶值的能力是否有助於處理當前的經濟衰退，他同樣存疑。「貶值有點像是運動賽事服用禁藥，」他說。「或許能在短期內增進你的表現，但長期而言並沒有好處。跟任何其他人一樣，我們需要結構性的改革，結構性的調整；我們需要增強競爭力，再加上一點點好運道。」 Source: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/283515/web/ In Sweden, Happiness from a Shorter Workday Can't Overcome the Cost A controversial experiment with a six-hour workday in one of Sweden's largest cities wrapped up this week with a cheerful conclusion: shorter working hours make for happier, healthier and more productive employees. There's just one catch. The practice is too expensive and unwieldy to become widespread in Sweden anytime soon. 把工時減為6小時的一項爭議性實驗，上個月在瑞典最大城市之一結束，得到了愉悅的結論：較短的工時使員工更快樂、更健康，也更有生產力。只有一個但書。這種作法太昂貴也太不方便，短時間內難以拓展到瑞典全國。 The two-year trial, which took place in the southern city of Gothenburg, centered on a municipal retirement home where workers were switched to a six-hour day, from eight hours, with no pay cut. Seventeen new nursing positions were created to make up for the loss of time, at a cost of around 700,000 euros, or $738,000, a year. Although it was small, the experiment stoked a widespread discussion about the futu

----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） -------------------------------------------- ⏰ 一週168小時,你的時間都去哪了?Laura Vanderkam教你audit自己、找出馬賽克時間! 這集John老師和阿鍵老師分享《168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think》這本書的核心概念。為什麼很多人說「我好忙」卻講不出忙什麼?為什麼通勤、折衣服、刷牙時間都能拿來學英語?關鍵在於:審查自己的時間分配,找出混合時間(Mosaic Time)! 📚 《168 Hours》核心概念 作者: Laura Vanderkam (TED講者) 168小時 = 24小時 × 7天 = 一週的總時間 Level 1: Audit Yourself - 審查你的時間 記錄72小時(至少三天),以30分鐘為單位: 半小時通勤六個半小時睡覺吃飯、工作、追劇、打電動...通通記錄下來為什麼要記錄?阿鍵老師:「就像記帳一樣!我們常覺得花在吃東西比較多,但其實可能花在追星比較多!」 John老師:「我們對time和money有overconfidence(過分自信)!都覺得『我沒花什麼錢,我的錢應該要很多才對』『我努力上班,時間應該夠用』,但實際記錄下來就會發現盲點!」 時間盲點: 花在喜歡的事情上會覺得時間不夠,所以算少了快樂時間過得特別快,痛苦時間拉很長沒記錄就很容易出錯John老師的坦白:「我的Elden Ring打170個小時、Monster Hunter 350個小時...都很扎實地玩!這就是為什麼要audit自己——I feel ashamed(我很慚愧),但你不能等別人來audit你,那更痛苦!」 「自己audit自己只是有點尴尬、丟面子;別人來audit你——你媽媽來audit你的錢、你的另一半來audit你的時間——哇塞,會起衝突、會糾紛!」 📊 Level 2: 重新分配 - Fixed vs Variable Time 就像money有fixed cost和variable cost: Fixed Time(固定時間): 必須花的時間(睡覺、吃飯、照顧小孩...)先把它保留,就不會亂花了Variable Time(彈性時間):有彈性,但也不能太誇張如果太誇張,請看醫生(shopping-holic的問題!)Laura的建議:先把想做的事情記錄下來再把它排進去把這些事情當做「必須要用的時間」之後就不會亂花了🎨 關鍵突破:Mosaic Time(馬賽克時間/混合時間) 什麼是Mosaic Time? 可以同時做多件事的時間: 只需要用耳朵的事只需要用手的事身體在做某事,但可以思考別的事通勤學英語的真諦:John老師:「為什麼一邊通勤一邊學英語?以前通勤應該眼睛閉著好好睡覺,但當通勤時間變長,你會思考how do I better use my time,你就發現通勤其實是你生產力的一環!」 Mosaic Time實例: John老師的實踐: 拖地時聽podcast折衣服時聽podcast(15-30分鐘)通勤時聽(捷運站走出來都算通勤,耳機不離耳朵)走路時一直放,有時候路上有人打招呼都沒看到,像zombie通勤家族的分享:早上起床刷牙時放來聽吃飯時追劇阿鍵老師補充:「觀察哪些事情不占用你的整個人——可能只需要耳朵或只需要手,你還可以思考別的事!」** 🎯 核心訊息 不是你沒有時間,是你沒有在做分配! John老師:「不要說『我這輩子life就routine到這個程度,I have no time』!其實不是!是你沒有認真audit你所可以用的時間跟不可以用的時間,沒有在做分配!」 You are in control! 記住:你可以掌控時間! 📝 行動步驟 記錄72小時(至少三天),30分鐘為單位 Audit yourself - 審查時間花去哪裡 找出Fixed Time和Variable Time 1. 辨識Mosaic Time - 哪些時間可以混合利用 2. 重新分配 - 把想做的事排進去

Summary: This article discusses the thorny issue of having a national airline named after another country. What to do and what will the cost be? 原文章討論: https://www.15mins.today/blog/ep-907-rebranding-is-beneficial-to-china-airlines   Vocabulary and Sample Sentences: Prohibitive adj.: when a price is so high it causes people to not buy something Was the cost of renovating the building prohibitive? Is the La Ferrari prohibitively expensive?  Polarize v.: separate people into 2 camps with opposing opinions Did the new passport design polarize the public? Is politics very polarizing?  Rebrand v.: change the name of a product / company or how it is advertised Can rebranding be effective in changing people’s opinions? Is rebranding a guarantee for success?

----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） -------------------------------------------- 你在尾牙或春酒中過大獎嗎？或是你總是看著別人歡呼呢？本週《英語咖啡館—人生系列》John 老師和 Patrick 老師要來聊聊各自最難忘的尾牙故事——包括一頭烤全豬、猜歌遊戲連勝三關，還有13歲就被老爸推去跟廠商談判的「童工陰影」！ 台灣的尾牙文化和西方的年終派對有什麼不同呢？從砸重金請明星的大企業尾牙，到部門自辦的主題派對，原來「慶祝年終」在不同文化下的想像天差地遠。 Have you ever won a major prize at a year-end banquet or spring banquet? Or are you always watching others cheer? This week on English Cafe - The Life Series, John and Patrick share their most unforgettable year-end banquet stories—including a whole roasted pig, winning three consecutive rounds in a song-guessing game, and the "child labor trauma" of being pushed by dad to negotiate with vendors at age 13! What are the differences between Taiwan's year-end banquet culture and Western year-end parties? From big corporations spending heavily to invite celebrities for their banquets, to departments hosting their own themed parties—it turns out that "celebrating year-end" varies drastically in different cultures.

【一家旅遊不卡卡，就找富邦旅平卡！】出國前還在為投保旅平險煩惱嗎？讓富邦產險快樂旅平卡幫您搞定所有問題！只要一次註冊就能存好資料，下次出門勾一勾就搞定!快速又方便!馬上了解更多： https://fstry.pse.is/8uptwn 本保險商品一切權利義務悉依保單條款辦理，富邦產險保留承保與否之權利。 ——以上廣告由 Firstory 與【月城南廣告】共同執行—— ----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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） --------------------------------------------

----------------------------------- 🎧 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://15minstoday.firstory.io/joinVIP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. L168: AI Giant Rejects Pentagon Contract Highlights 主題摘要Anthropic officially declined a highly lucrative contract offer from the US military.CEO Dario Amodei warned about the catastrophic risks of using advanced AI in warfare.The Pentagon is actively seeking private tech partnerships to maintain global dominance. In an unprecedented move that has sent shockwaves throughout the technology industry, leading artificial intelligence startup Anthropic has officially rejected a major partnership offer from the United States Department of Defense. This highly lucrative contract, which was specifically designed to integrate cutting-edge machine learning models into national security infrastructure, was turned down due to profound ethical reservations. The decision highlights a growing and complex tension between private technological innovation and government military objectives. Anthropic, which has consistently branded itself as an organization deeply committed to the safe and responsible development of artificial general intelligence, stated that military applications fundamentally contradict its core corporate mission. 頂尖人工智慧新創公司 Anthropic 破天荒地正式拒絕了美國國防部一項重大的合作提案，此舉在整個科技界引發了震撼。這份利潤極為豐厚的合約原本專門為了將尖端機器學習模型整合至國家安全基礎設施之中，最終卻因深層的道德疑慮而遭到回絕。這項決定凸顯了私人科技創新與政府軍事目標之間，正日益加劇且更趨複雜的緊張關係。Anthropic 一向將自己定位為致力於安全且負責任地發展通用人工智慧的組織，其發出了聲明指出軍事應用從根本上牴觸了其核心企業使命。 The ambitious proposal was strongly championed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has recently accelerated the Pentagon's aggressive push to modernize its combat capabilities through advanced algorithmic systems. Hegseth has repeatedly emphasized that collaborating with top-tier Silicon Valley firms is absolutely crucial for the United States to maintain its strategic global dominance and effectively counter emerging digital threats from foreign adversaries. The military establishment believes that leveraging commercially available artificial intelligence can drastically improve battlefield logistics, intelligence gathering, and predictive threat analysis. However, this aggressive procurement strategy frequently clashes with the deeply rooted pacifist ideologies held by many prominent tech executives. 這項極具野心的提案由美國國防部長皮特赫格塞思強力主導。他近期正加速推進五角大廈的積極布局，期望透過先進的演算法系統來實現軍事作戰能力的現代化。赫格塞思一再強調，與矽谷頂尖企業結盟，是美國維持全球戰略主導地位，並有效反制外國敵對勢力新興數位威脅的絕對關鍵。軍方高層深信，導入商用人工智慧將能大幅提升戰場後勤、情報蒐集以及預測性威脅分析的效能。然而，這種激進的採購策略，卻時常與許多知名科技業高層根深蒂固的和平主義理念產生衝突。 Explaining the controversial refusal, Anthropic Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei issued a comprehensive statement outlining the terrifying risks associated with weaponizing next-generation neural networks. Amodei warned that deploying autonomous intelligence in active combat zones could rapidly escalate conflicts beyond human control, potentially leading to catastrophic global consequences. He emphasized that current AI models are prone to unpredictable hallucinations and operational errors, making them fundamentally unsuited for high-stakes military environments where a single miscalculation could trigger unprecedented collateral damage. The company's rigorous safety framework strictly prohibits its sophisticated technology from being utilized in scenarios that involve lethal force or automated weapons. 針對這項引發熱議的拒絕舉動，Anthropic 執行長達里歐．阿莫戴發布了一份詳盡的聲明，具體點出將次世代神經網路武器化所伴隨的駭人風險。阿莫戴警告，在交戰區部署具備自主能力的 AI，恐使衝突迅速升溫至人類無法預期及控制的局面，進而可能引發災難性的全球後果。他強調，目前的 AI 模型仍容易出現無法預測的幻覺與操作失誤，使得它們根本不適合投入高風險的軍事環境；在戰場上，哪怕只是一次運算錯誤，都可能引發史無前例的附帶損害。該公司嚴格的安全規範明文禁止將其精密技術應用於涉及致命武力或自動化武器的任何場景。 This landmark confrontation sets a critical precedent for the rapidly evolving tech sector, potentially inspiring other prominent artificial intelligence developers to carefully reevaluate their own lucrative government defense contracts in the near future. 這場具指標性意義的交鋒，為日新月異的科技產業立下了關鍵先例，未來極有可能促使其他知名的人工智慧開發商，去審慎重新評估他們自己手中那些利潤豐厚的政府國防合約。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字Contradict [verb, to be in conflict with or state the opposite of]: Military applications fundamentally contradict the company's core corporate mission.Algorithmic [adjective, relating to a set of mathematical rules or processes used by a computer]: The Pentagon pushes to modernize combat capabilities through advanced algorithmic systems.Procurement [noun, the process of purchasing or obtaining supplies, especially for a government]: This aggressive procurement strategy frequently clashes with deeply rooted pacifist ideologies.Weaponizing [verb, adapting or using something as a weapon]: The CEO outlined the terrifying risks associated with weaponizing next-generation neural networks.Collateral [adjective, secondary or unintended, usually referring to damage or casualties in a military operation]: A single miscalculation could trigger unprecedented collateral damage. Reference article: 1. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/27/defense-anthropic-ai-war-risks-hegseth-amodei.html 2. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn5g3z3xe65o 3. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/02/26/tech/anthropic-rejects-pentagon-offer