通勤學英語 15Mins Today

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep.K891: China's Singles' Day Shopping Festival Faces Economic Headwinds Highlights 主題摘要：Consumer behavior in China has fundamentally shifted, with people becoming more skeptical of promotional tactics and moving away from luxury goods towards experience-based and health-related purchases.E-commerce platforms are adapting to domestic market challenges by expanding internationally, with significant success in markets like Singapore and Hong Kong through strategies like global free shipping.Despite Beijing's stimulus measures, consumer confidence remains low, reflecting broader economic concerns including deflationary pressures, leading to more conservative spending patterns during major shopping events. The world's largest shopping extravaganza, Singles' Day, is experiencing a significant transformation as China grapples with economic challenges. Originally launched by Alibaba in 2009, this annual shopping festival, celebrated on November 11 (11.11), has traditionally been a barometer of consumer confidence in the world's second-largest economy. However, this year's event reflects a marked shift in consumer behavior and retail strategies amid China's ongoing economic slowdown and deflationary pressures, prompting both businesses and consumers to reassess their participation in this once-celebrated shopping bonanza. 全球最大的購物盛會「光棍節」，隨著中國面臨經濟挑戰而經歷重大轉變。這個最初由阿里巴巴在 2009 年推出的年度購物節，在每年 11 月 11 日舉行，一直以來都是全球第二大經濟體消費者信心的測試器。然而，今年的活動反映出消費者行為和零售策略明顯轉變，在中國持續的經濟放緩和通貨緊縮壓力下，促使企業和消費者重新評估他們對這個曾經備受歡迎的購物盛會的參與度。 The festival's changing dynamics are evident in how both merchants and consumers approach the event. While previous years saw enthusiastic participation and record-breaking sales figures, recent editions have shown more reserved spending patterns. Many shoppers, like Beijing fitness center owner Wang Haihua, have become increasingly skeptical of promotional tactics, noting that the discounts aren't as attractive as they once were. Similarly, merchants are finding it harder to justify the high costs of participating in the festival, with some reporting that advertising expenses barely break even with sales revenue. This sentiment is echoed by business owners like Zhang Jiewei, a Xi'an barber shop owner, who has significantly reduced his Singles' Day spending due to lower income and growing distrust of promotional pricing strategies. 從商家和消費者對待這項活動的方式可以看出節慶氛圍的轉變。雖然往年都有熱烈參與和破紀錄的銷售數字，但近期的活動呈現出較為保守的消費模式。許多消費者，如北京健身中心老闆王海華，對促銷策略越來越持懷疑態度，指出折扣 已不如從前吸引人。同樣地，商家們發現參與節慶活動的高額成本越來越難以回收，有些商家表示廣告支出僅能勉強達到收支平衡。西安理髮店老闆張杰偉也表達了類似看法，由於收入降低和對促銷定價策略的不信任感增加，他大幅減少了光棍節的消費支出。 In response to the sluggish domestic market, e-commerce platforms are adopting new strategies to maintain growth. Companies like Alibaba have expanded their focus to international markets, offering global free shipping and enabling merchants to sell worldwide. This pivot has shown promising results, with some 70,000 merchants reportedly doubling their sales through global shipping initiatives. Markets in Singapore and Hong Kong have seen a significant increase in new customer acquisition, demonstrating the potential of cross-border e-commerce. While platforms previously published detailed transaction values, they have become more reserved in sharing specific figures since 2022, with industry estimates suggesting modest single-digit growth compared to the double-digit increases of previous years. 為應對疲軟的國內市場，電商平台正採取新策略以維持成長。像阿里巴巴這樣的公司已將重點擴展到國際市場，提供全球免運費並讓商家能夠在全球範圍內銷售。這個轉向策略已顯現出成效，據報導約有 7 萬家商家透過全球運送方案使銷售額翻倍。新加坡和香港等市場的新客戶數量大幅增加，展現出跨境電商的潛力。雖然平台過去會公布詳細的交易額，但自 2022 年以來，分享具體數據時變得更加謹慎，產業估計顯示僅有個位數的溫和成長，相較於往年的兩位數增長有所下降。 The transformation of Singles' Day reflects broader changes in Chinese consumer behavior and economic conditions. Experts note that Beijing's recent stimulus measures have had limited success in boosting consumer confidence, with many shoppers becoming more selective in their purchases. While traditional luxury items have seen decreased demand, categories such as sportswear, fitness equipment, and premium branded goods in personal care and outdoor activities have maintained stronger sales. This shift suggests a fundamental change in consumer priorities, moving away from conspicuous consumption toward experiences, hobbies, and health-related purchases. As the festival evolves, it serves as an important indicator of both the challenges and opportunities in China's changing retail landscape, with businesses and consumers alike adapting to new economic realities and shifting market dynamics. 光棍節的轉變反映出中國消費者行為和經濟狀況的廣泛變化。專家指出，北京最近的刺激措施在提振消費者信心方面成效有限，許多消費者在購物時變得更加謹慎。雖然傳統奢侈品的需求有所下降，但運動服飾、健身器材，以及個人護理和戶外活動類的精品商品銷售仍然強勁。這種轉變顯示消費者優先考慮的重點產生了根本性的改變，從炫耀性消費轉向追求體驗、興趣愛好和健康相關的消費。隨著節慶的演變，它成為中國不斷變化的零售市場中挑戰與機會的重要指標，企業和消費者都在適應新的經濟現況和不斷變化的市場動態。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字：Barometer (ba-rom-e-ter): This annual shopping festival, celebrated on November 11 (11.11), has traditionally been a barometer of consumer confidence in the world's second-largest economy.Bonanza (bo-nan-za): Both businesses and consumers are to reassess their participation in this once-celebrated shopping bonanza.Skeptical (skep-ti-cal): Many shoppers, like Beijing fitness center owner Wang Haihua, have become increasingly skeptical of promotional tactics, noting that the discounts aren't as attractive as they once were.Reportedly (re-port-ed-ly): This pivot has shown promising results, with some 70,000 merchants reportedly doubling their sales through global shipping initiatives.Indicator (in-di-ca-tor): As the festival evolves, it serves as an important indicator of both the challenges and opportunities in China's changing retail landscape. Reference article: 1. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/chinas-singles-day-shopping-spree-045509095.html 2. https://apnews.com/article/china-singles-day-shopping-festival-f2a2ef53af878b61ce2c43e9196d7da5 Powered by Firstory Hosting

三手菸殘留在衣服、沙發、等處物質，是隱藏的健康殺手！為了家人健康，請即刻遠離菸品設籍桃園40歲以上有重度吸菸史及其同住家人，桃園市衛生局提供免費低劑量電腦斷層檢查，歡迎預約 https://fstry.pse.is/6r23xb 本廣告由菸品健康福利捐支應 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 1. The Beatles 披頭四樂團 Quote: "Life is what happens to you while you're busymaking other plans." 名言：「人生就是當你忙著規劃時，意外發生的事。」 The Beatles, formed in Liverpool in1960, became the most influential band in popular music history. Initially, they performed in Hamburg, Germany, playing in clubs for up to eight hours a night. This period was crucial for their development - they had to learn German phrases to communicate with audiences, making them understand the importance of connecting with listeners across language barriers. The band's original lineup included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best (later replaced by Ringo Starr), and Stuart Sutcliffe. Their manager, Brian Epstein, discovered them at Liverpool's Cavern Club, where they had played nearly 300 times. The band holds multiple records: they have the most number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (20), have sold over 1.6 billion records worldwide, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Interestingly, despite their global success, none of the Beatles could read or write musical notation - they learned their music by ear, proving that formal training isn't always necessary for artistic achievement. Their journey from working-class Liverpool to international stardom demonstrates how music can transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries. 披頭四1960年在利物浦成立，成為流行音樂史上最具影響力的樂團。早期，他們在德國漢堡的夜店演出，一晚上要表演長達八小時。這段經歷對他們的發展極為關鍵－他們必須學習德語詞彙與觀眾溝通，讓他們了解到跨越語言障礙與聽眾連結的重要性。樂團最初的陣容包括約翰·藍儂、保羅·麥卡尼、喬治·哈里森、皮特·貝斯特（後來由林哥·史達取代）和史都華·薩特克里夫。他們的經紀人布萊恩·艾普斯坦在利物浦的Cavern俱樂部發掘他們，當時他們已在那裡演出近300場。樂團保持多項紀錄：在告示牌百大單曲榜擁有最多冠軍歌曲（20首），全球唱片銷量超過16億張，1988年入選搖滾名人堂。有趣的是，儘管他們在全球取得成功，披頭四成員都不會看樂譜或寫樂譜－他們全靠耳朵學習音樂，證明正式訓練並非藝術成就的必要條件。他們從利物浦工人階級躍上國際巨星的旅程，展現了音樂如何能超越文化和語言的界限。 2. Queen 皇后樂團 Quote: "I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend." 名言：「我不會只當個搖滾明星，我要成為傳奇。」 Queen formed in London in 1970 whenFreddie Mercury joined Brian May and Roger Taylor's band Smile. Their academic backgrounds are fascinating - Brian May has a PhD in astrophysics, Roger Taylor studied dentistry, and John Deacon has an electronics degree, while Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara) had a degree in art and graphic design. Mercury, who grew up in Zanzibar and India before moving to England, spoke multiple languages including English, Hindi, and Gujarati. The band's name "Queen" was chosen by Mercury, who said "It's very regal obviously, and it sounds splendid... It's a strong name, very universal and immediate." Their song "Bohemian Rhapsody" broke conventions by incorporating operatic passages and made-up words, showing how creative language use can enhance artistic expression. The band's Live Aid performance in 1985 is considered one of the greatest live performances in rock history. Queen's songs are particularly popular among English learners because of their clear diction, storytelling lyrics, and dramatic delivery. They have sold over 300 million records worldwide, making them one of the best-selling music artists of all time. 皇后樂團1970年在倫敦成立，當時佛萊迪·墨裘瑞加入布萊恩·梅和羅傑·泰勒的Smile樂團。他們的學術背景十分特別－布萊恩·梅擁有天體物理學博士學位，羅傑·泰勒曾讀牙醫，約翰·迪肯有電子工程學位，而佛萊迪·墨裘瑞（原名法魯克·布薩拉）則擁有藝術與平面設計學位。墨裘瑞在桑吉巴爾和印度長大後移居英國，能說多種語言，包括英語、印地語和古吉拉特語。樂團名稱「Queen」是墨裘瑞所取，他說：「很明顯這很高貴，聽起來很華麗...這是個很有力量的名字，具有普遍性和即時性。」他們的歌曲《波希米亞狂想曲》打破常規，融入歌劇段落和自創詞彙，展現創意用語如何能提升藝術表現。樂團1985年的Live Aid演出被認為是搖滾史上最偉大的現場表演之一。皇后樂團的歌曲特別受英語學習者歡迎，因為發音清晰、歌詞富有故事性，且表現戲劇化。他們全球唱片銷量超過3億張，是史上最暢銷的音樂團體之一。 3. Led Zeppelin 齊柏林飛船 Quote: "Good times, bad times, you know I've had my share." 名言：「好時光，壞時光，你知道我都經歷過。」 Led Zeppelin formed in London in 1968, after The Yardbirds dissolved and guitarist Jimmy Page recruited singer Robert Plant, drummer John Bonham, and bassist John Paul Jones. The band's name came from a joke by Keith Moon of The Who, who said their idea would go down like a "lead balloon." They changed the spelling to "Led" to prevent mispronunciation. Their first album was recorded in just 36 hours with a cost of £1,782. Led Zeppelin pioneered album-oriented rock and creative studio techniques - they were one of the first bands to use natural room acoustics for recording. The band refused to release singles in the UK, insisting their music should be heard as complete albums. Their most famous song, "Stairway to Heaven," was partly inspired by Plant's interest in Celtic mythology and literature. Plant wrote many of the band's lyrics while reading books about mythology, fantasy, and J.R.R. Tolkien's works, showing how literature can influence songwriting. When drummer John Bonham died in 1980, the band chose to dissolve rather than continue without him, stating "We wish it to be known that the loss of our dear friend has made it impossible to continue as we were." The band's influence on rock music continues today, with over 300 million records sold worldwide. 齊柏林飛船1968年在倫敦成立，起因是電影角樂團（TheYardbirds）解散後，吉他手吉米·佩吉招募了主唱羅伯特·普蘭特、鼓手約翰·邦納姆和貝斯手約翰·保羅·瓊斯。樂團名稱來自誰人樂團（TheWho）的基斯·穆恩開的玩笑，他說他們的想法會像「鉛氣球」一樣沉重。他們把拼字改成「Led」以避免發音錯誤。他們的首張專輯僅花36小時錄製，成本1,782英鎊。齊柏林飛船開創了專輯導向搖滾和創新錄音技術－他們是最早運用自然空間聲學錄音的樂團之一。樂團拒絕在英國發行單曲，堅持他們的音樂應該以完整專輯形式呈現。他們最著名的歌曲《Stairwayto Heaven》部分靈感來自普蘭特對凱爾特神話和文學的興趣。普蘭特在閱讀神話、奇幻和托爾金作品時寫下許多歌詞，展現文學如何影響歌詞創作。1980年鼓手約翰·邦納姆去世後，樂團選擇解散而不是繼續，表示「我們希望大家知道，失去摯友讓我們無法繼續下去」。樂團對搖滾樂的影響延續至今，全球銷量超過3億張。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Summary: As of last year, Norway is now the global leader in the promotion and sales of eco-friendly cars. About 52% of the cars sold last year are vehicles using an alternative type of fuel. Apart from Tesla, other carmakers such as Volkswagen, BMW, Volvo, and Ford are investing millions in the production of electric vehicles. Norway, by 2025 wants to phase out all diesel and gasoline cars. 完整文章 From article: http://www.15mins.today/blog/506-in-norway-electric-and-hybrid-cars-outsell-conventional-models Vocabulary and sample sentences: Incentive (attraction or something to encourage people to do something)The Norwegian government is offering incentives to people purchasing electric vehicles.Taoyuan government offers generous incentives to people purchasing a gogoro. (to) phase out – the process of discontinuing somethingMany European countries are planning to phase out diesel and gasoline cars.Apple will phase out smartphones with a physical home button. Ubiquitous – something that is present or found everywhereSmart devices are becoming increasingly ubiquitous in our daily livesMany car companies believe that electric cars will become as ubiquitous as diesel and gasoline cars. Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 在本集節目中，我們分析了麥可·布雷（Michael Bublé）翻唱的經典歌曲《Save the Last Dance for Me》。醬老師和詩敏老師一起探討這首歌的文化意義與其中的愛情主題，並挑戰其表面看似簡單的印象。我們深入了解這首歌的歷史背景及其情感深度，特別聚焦於創作者Doc Pomus的感人故事，以及最後一支舞所傳達的真諦。討論中還比較了現代約會文化與過去的差異，並強調音樂在情感連結中的重要角色。對這集有感嗎？歡迎來留言！ In this episode, we analyze the song "Save the Last Dance for Me," famously covered by Michael Bublé. John and Shimin discuss its cultural significance and relationship themes, challenging the notion of its simplicity. We explore the song’s history and emotional depth, focusing on Doc Pomus's inspiring backstory and the meaning behind the last dance. The conversation reflects on modern dating dynamics compared to the past, highlighting music's role in fostering emotional connections. Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep.K887: SpaceX Achieves Historic Milestone with Revolutionary Rocket Landing Highlights 主題摘要：SpaceX achieved a historic first by successfully catching its Super Heavy booster with mechanical arms during landing, demonstrating significant progress in developing reusable rocket technology for space exploration.The Starship test flight demonstrated dual success: the booster's precise capture and the upper stage's accurate ocean landing, despite post-landing explosion, fulfilling both major mission objectives.This achievement has significant implications for NASA's space program, with $2.8 billion invested in Starship development, bringing us closer to regular space travel and future lunar missions. In a groundbreaking achievement for space exploration, SpaceX successfully completed its fifth test flight of the Starship rocket system, marking a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology. The most remarkable aspect of this mission was the unprecedented capture of the Super Heavy booster, the rocket's lower section, by mechanical arms at the launch tower. This innovative landing method, attempted for the first time, demonstrates SpaceX's progress toward developing fully reusable spacecraft for future missions to the Moon and Mars. The successful capture was met with enthusiastic celebration from SpaceX engineers, who declared it "a day for the history books." 在太空探索領域中， SpaceX 成功完成了 Starship 火箭系統的第五次測試飛行，顯示出突破性成就：可重複使用火箭技術的重大進展。此次任務最引人注目的部分是首次以機械臂成功捕捉 SpaceX 超級重型推進器，也就是火箭的下半部分。這種創新的降落方式是首次嘗試，展現了 SpaceX 在開發可完全重複使用的太空船方面的進展，為未來登月及火星任務奠定基礎。SpaceX 的工程師們以熱烈的歡呼慶祝這次成功，並宣告這是「寫入歷史的一天」。 The test flight began at sunrise from SpaceX's Boca Chica facility in Texas, where the massive rocket system, consisting of two parts - the Super Heavy booster and the Starship upper stage - lifted off as planned. After reaching an altitude of approximately 40 miles, the two sections separated perfectly. The Super Heavy booster then performed an intricate maneuver, navigating back to the launch site where it was caught by the tower's mechanical arms, nicknamed "chopsticks." This achievement was particularly impressive given the complex nature of the operation and the numerous criteria that needed to be met for the landing attempt. 測試飛行在德克薩斯州博卡奇卡設施的日出時分展開並如期升空，這個龐大的火箭系統由兩個部分組成—— SpaceX 超級重型推進器和上層的 SpaceX 星艦。在到達約 40 英里的高度後，兩個部分完美分離。隨後，SpaceX 超級重型推進器執行了一串複雜的動作，導航返回發射場，被暱稱為「筷子」的發射塔機械臂成功捕捉。考慮到操作的複雜性和需要滿足的諸多降落條件，這項成就格外令人印象深刻。 Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage continued its journey, reaching an altitude of nearly 90 miles and achieving speeds of 17,000 miles per hour before making a precise landing in the Indian Ocean. The spacecraft's re-entry was notably successful, with improved heat-shielding tiles protecting it during the descent. Although the vehicle exploded after splashdown, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the ship had landed exactly as planned, marking the completion of both major mission objectives. 與此同時，上段的 SpaceX 星艦繼續其航程，到達近 90 英里的高度，速度達到每小時 17，000 英里，最後精確地降落在印度洋。太空船重返大氣層的過程相當成功，改良後的隔熱瓦在下降過程中提供了良好的保護。儘管載具在落海後爆炸，SpaceX 執行長伊隆．馬斯克確認太空船已如期精確著陸，顯現兩大主要目標任務已完成。 This successful test flight represents a crucial step forward for both SpaceX and NASA's space exploration goals. The U.S. space agency has invested $2.8 billion in SpaceX's Starship development, aiming to use the vehicle for future lunar missions. The ability to catch and rapidly redeploy the Super Heavy booster significantly reduces the need for complex ground hardware and brings us closer to the reality of regular space travel. Former astronaut Chris Hadfield praised the achievement on social media, describing it as "an enormous step forward in human capability" and expressing excitement for humanity's collective future in space exploration. 這次成功的試飛為 SpaceX 和美國太空總署（NASA）的太空探索目標邁出了關鍵的一步。NASA 已投資 28 億美元於 SpaceX 的星艦開發計畫，期望未來能應用於月球任務。能夠捕捉並快速重新部署SpaceX 超級重型推進器的能力，大幅減少了對複雜地面硬體設施的需求，使我們更加接近實現常態化的太空旅行。前太空人克里斯．哈德菲爾德在社群媒體上讚揚這項成就，稱其為「人類能力的重大進展」，並對人類在太空探索方面的共同未來表達期待。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字：Exploration (Ex-plo-ra-tion): In a groundbreaking achievement for space exploration, SpaceX successfully completed its fifth test flight of the Starship rocket system.Reusable (Re-us-a-ble): The most remarkable aspect of this mission was the unprecedented capture of the Super Heavy booster, marking a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology.Criteria (Cri-te-ri-a): This achievement was particularly impressive given the complex nature of the operation and the numerous criteria that needed to be met for the landing attempt.Precise (Pre-cise): Meanwhile, the Starship upper stage continued its journey before making a precise landing in the Indian Ocean.Astronaut (As-tro-naut): Former astronaut Chris Hadfield praised the achievement on social media, describing it as "an enormous step forward in human capability." Reference article: 1. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/13/spacex-elon-musk-launches-and-lands-starship-rocket-in-first-test-of-giant-robotic-arms 2. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8xe7exjy1go Powered by Firstory Hosting

三手菸殘留在衣服、沙發、等處物質，是隱藏的健康殺手！為了家人健康，請即刻遠離菸品設籍桃園40歲以上有重度吸菸史及其同住家人，桃園市衛生局提供免費低劑量電腦斷層檢查，歡迎預約 https://fstry.pse.is/6r23xb 本廣告由菸品健康福利捐支應 —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Topic: Sellout Culture Is a Problem for Pro Golf Even if you don’t play or follow golf — which I don’t — you’re probably aware of the controversy now engulfing the game. A number of the world’s top-ranked pro players, notably Phil Mickelson, made extremely lucrative deals to play in a new tour, the LIV Golf International Series, sponsored by Saudi Arabia. The PGA Tour, which has traditionally dominated the sport, responded by suspending 17 of these players. 即便不打或不追高球新聞—我也沒追—你也可能知道現在這項運動捲入爭議。一些世界頂級職業球員，尤其是米克森，達成極其有利可圖的交易參加沙烏地阿拉伯贊助的新巡迴賽，即LIV高球國際系列賽。傳統上主導這項運動的職業高球美巡賽（PGA Tour）對此做出回應，將其中17名球員禁賽。 The Saudis are obviously engaged in reputation-laundering — greenswashing? — in an attempt to make people forget about the atrocities their regime has perpetrated. It’s less clear what motivated the PGA. Did it consider the LIV series flawed, not a proper golf tour? Was it attempting to squash competition? Or was the problem with the LIV series’ sponsors? 沙國顯然在清洗名聲—是在「漂白」嗎？試圖讓人們忘記他們政權所犯下的暴行。目前還不太清楚什麼原因驅使PGA這樣做。它是否認為LIV系列賽有缺陷，不是個像樣的高球巡迴賽？它會不會是在試圖壓制競爭嗎？或是LIV系列賽贊助者的問題？ PGA attendees surveyed by ProGolf weekly were in no doubt: An overwhelming majority attributed Mickelson’s exclusion to “media/cancel culture.” And I hope they’re right. I mean, if getting paid big bucks to provide favorable PR to a regime that deals with critical journalists by killing them and dismembering them with a bone saw doesn’t warrant cancellation, what does? And yet Mickelson and others were willing to provide that PR. 接受《ProGolf》周刊調查的PGA與會者均無疑問，絕大多數將米克森遭剔除歸因於「媒體/取消文化」。我希望他們是對的。我的意思是，拿大錢幫一個政權提供公關服務，而這個政權把批評他們的記者殺掉還肢解，如果這不是一個取消的正當理由，那什麼才是？而米克森和其他人卻願意提供這種公關服務。 So if you ask me, the real story here isn’t that the PGA may (or may not) have found a line it won’t cross. It is that so many members of the American elite evidently have no such lines. 所以，若你問我，情況並非PGA可能（或可能沒有）找到一條不會跨越的線，而是這個美國菁英組織許多成員明顯沒有這樣的界線。 What explains the rise of sellout culture? Tax cuts may have played a role: Selling your soul becomes more attractive when you get to keep more of the proceeds. Soaring income inequality may inspire envy, a desire to keep up with the super-elite. And there is surely a process of normalization: Everyone else is selling out, so why shouldn’t I join the party? 如何解釋出賣文化興起？減稅可能起到一定作用：當你能保留更多收益時，出賣你的靈魂就變得更有吸引力。日益嚴重的收入不平等可能會引發嫉妒，讓人渴望跟超級菁英攀比。當然，這是一個正常過程：其他人都在出賣，那我為何不入群呢？ Kids used to look up to public figures, sports stars in particular, as role models. Do they still? Can they, given what public figures will do if the checks are big enough? 以前孩子們常把受人尊敬的公眾人物作為榜樣，尤其是體育明星。他們還會嗎？考慮到支票夠大時公眾人物竟然這樣做，他們還能嗎？Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6413966 Next Article Topic: Why Are There More Successful Older Golfers Today? From the 18th fairway in the final group of the British Open in 2009, Tom Watson, the five-time Open champion, hit a shot that flew right at the pin. For a moment, it looked like Watson, then age 59, would win the tournament for a record sixth time and become the oldest player to win a major championship. 2009年英國公開賽最後一組第18洞的球道上，五屆冠軍華森一揮直飛旗桿。一時間，當時59歲的華森似乎將贏得創紀錄的第六座英國公開賽冠軍，並成為最年長的四大賽冠軍。 A firm bounce sent the ball off the back of the green, and Watson needed three more shots to get the ball into the hole. That dropped him into a tie for first. In the four-hole playoff, he ran out of gas and lost by six shots. 小白球強力彈跳後滾出果嶺後方，華森又花了三桿才把球送進洞裡。這使他落到並列領先。四洞延長賽，他精力耗盡，最後輸六桿。 A decade ago, the idea of an older golfer contending in, let alone winning, a major championship was something few considered. That was still the time when most golfers petered out in their mid-40s and kicked around the golf world before having a brief resurgence on the Champions Tour when they turned 50. 10年前，很少人料想得到年長的高球選手會參加四大賽，遑論拿冠軍。當時，大多數高球選手在45歲左右開始淡出，到滿50歲參加「冠軍」（譯註：長春）巡迴賽散發短暫餘暉前，其間在高球界四處晃晃。 Leading these middle-age mavericks is Phil Mickelson, 51, won the PGA Championship in May. He beat Brooks Koepka, a four-time major winner, and Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, who are both in their 30s. 這些不服老的中年高球選手領導人物是剛滿51歲的米克森，他在今年5月贏得PGA錦標賽冠軍。擊敗了都是30多歲的四屆四大賽冠軍得主科普卡與2010年英國公開賽冠軍歐蘇森。 “All these guys have taken a new approach,” said Dave Phillips, co-founder of the Titleist Performance Institute, which focuses on golf and fitness. “There’s a lot of money out there. They realize they can still compete with the younger guys, but they need to spend more time on their body and what they fuel their body with.” 高球與健身專門機構「冠軍競技表現研究所」共同創辦人戴維．菲利普斯說：「這些人都採取一種新方法。比賽獎金很高。他們意識到自己仍可跟年輕人競爭，只是需要花更多時間在身體及強化身體的物質上面。」 Phillips said what Mickelson and the others were doing provided lessons for older golfers. “It’s not strength, but the recovery and the downtime that matter,” he said. “It’s letting your body recover. Everyone wants to get fitter, stronger, faster. They’re upset when they don’t see the results. But what they’re doing is fatiguing to the body more so than a round of golf.” 菲利普斯說，米克森和其他人的作為，幫年長高球選手上了一課。「重要的不是力量，而是恢復與休息，讓你的身體恢復。每個人都想變得更健康、更強壯、更快。他們沒看到成果時會沮喪，但他們所做的事會讓身體遠比打一輪高球還累。」 Crucial for older players? Maintain leg strength, Phillips said, and that means walk, don’t ride, when you play golf. 對年長球員重要的是什麼？菲利普斯說，保持腿部力量，這意味你打高球時，要走路，不要搭球車。 It is experience, for sure, but that is a double-edged sword: With age, players are more knowledgeable about the nuances of the game and have, in theory, a better psychological understanding of what to do. But they have also failed to do that in similar moments in the past. 當然，這需要經驗，且各有利弊：隨著年紀增長，球員更了解比賽的精妙之處，理論上，他們在心理上對該做什麼有更好的了解，過去遇到類似時刻，他們就做不到。 “The reason we’re going longer is we have the financial security to go longer,” he said “We also have the sports science to reinvent ourselves.” 他說：「我們走得更久是因為我們擁有能夠走得更久的經濟保障，我們還有運動科學來改造自己。」Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5656437 Next Article Topic: Night Golf Is Taking Over South Korea City lights shimmer in the distance. 城市燈光在遠處閃爍。 Shadows splay in every direction on glowing green grass. 陰影在閃閃發光的綠色草地上向四面八方伸展。 It’s close to midnight, the moon hangs high in the dark night sky, and South Koreans are still outside, golfing. 現時已接近午夜，月亮高懸在漆黑夜空中，南韓民眾仍在戶外打高爾夫球。 This is “white night” golf, a nocturnal sports phenomenon in South Korea that reflects the still surging popularity of the sport there, the persistent challenges many encounter in nabbing a tee time in the country’s dense cities and the lengths to which some will nevertheless go to get one. 這就是「白夜」高球，南韓一種夜間運動現象，反映高球在南韓人氣持續攀升，許多人在人口密集城市內要預約打球遇到挑戰，不過有些人還是想辦法要打到球。 South Korea is the third-largest market for golf in the world, behind only the United States and Japan. 南韓是世界第三大高球市場，僅次於美國和日本。 For golf fans worldwide, the game’s grip on the country is most easily observed in its surplus of elite professional players, particularly in the women’s game. As of last week, 32 of the top 100 players in the women’s world rankings, including four of the top 10, were from South Korea. 對世界各地球迷來說，高球對南韓的吸引力，從菁英職業球員充斥南韓人最容易看出，尤其女子高球界。截至上周，世界排名前100的女子高球選手有32人來自南韓，前10名就有4位。 But on the ground, golf is very much a participatory pastime, even if the popularity of the sport and the undersupply of courses in metropolitan areas make opportunities to actually play scarce and expensive. Seoul, a city of nearly 10 million people, has only one course, and it is open only to military personnel. 但在當地，高球主要是一種大家親自下場的消遣，即便這種運動太受歡迎加上都會區球場供應不足，使得打球機會很少又昂貴。擁有近1000萬人口的首爾只有一個球場，且只對軍人開放。 Some make do with screen golf, a virtual simulation game played indoors, which has become its own booming pastime in South Korea, with some facilities offering 24-hour service. 有些人只好改玩螢幕高爾夫，這是一種在室內玩的虛擬模擬遊戲，在南韓已成為蓬勃發展的娛樂，一些場所提供24小時服務。 But golfers understandably desire the real thing. So what do you do when the demand for tee times outstrips the sunlight in a given day? 但可以理解的是，打高球的人渴望真實的東西，因此當某天打球時間的需求量超過日照時間，你該怎麼辦？ According to Seo Chun-beom, president of the Korea Leisure Industry Institute, South Korea now boasts a whopping 117 golf courses of 18 holes or more that offer nighttime play for willing golfers, with tee times as late as 8 p.m. Seo said there are countless other 9-hole courses that also feature floodlights and do not close until midnight or later. 韓國休閒產業研究所所長徐千範說，南韓目前有117座18洞或以上的高球場，可讓想打球的人在夜間打球，打球時間到晚上8點。 徐俊範說，還有其他無數個9洞球場也設有探照燈，開到午夜或是更晚。 Many people from Seoul, for instance, make the trek to Sky 72 Golf & Resort in Incheon, close to the area’s main international airport, where 2,700 lights have been installed to illuminate 36 of the facility’s 72 holes. 例如，很多來自首爾的人，會長途跋涉到靠近當地主要國際機場的仁川Sky 72高球渡假村，該處設有2700盞探照燈，能照亮72個洞當中的36個。 The concept of golfing under lights exists outside South Korea, of course. 當然，在燈光下打高球的想法在南韓以外也存在。 A writer for the website GolfPass last year counted 65 courses in the United States that featured at least some amount of nighttime lighting — although all but one of them were short courses. And courses in the United States that offer late tee times still close far earlier than those in South Korea, which often remain open as late as 1 a.m. 去年，一位幫GolfPass寫文的作家統計，在美國，擁有一定數量夜間照明設備的球場至少65座，儘管除了一座以外都是球洞較少的球場。而且美國晚間打球的高球場，打烊時間仍比南韓球場早得多，後者通常營業到凌晨1點。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/5574918 Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 1.Sam Walton (Walmart Founder) Quote: "There is only one boss: the customer. And hecan fire everybody in the company from the Chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else." Samuel Moore Walton was born in 1918 inKingfisher, Oklahoma, during the Great Depression. Before creating the world's largest retail chain, he worked multiple jobs, including waiting tables and delivering newspapers. In 1945, he borrowed $20,000 from his father-in-law to buy his first retail store, a Ben Franklin franchise in Newport, Arkansas. Walton revolutionized retail by focusing on small rural towns that other retailers ignored. He would fly his own plane to visit stores and scout locations, accumulating over 230,000 flight hours. His first Walmart opened in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas, and he introduced innovative practices like computerized inventory systems and profit-sharing with employees. Despite becoming one of the richest people in America, Walton maintained his modest lifestyle, driving the same 1979 Ford F-150 pickup truck and living in the same small house. He even continued visiting stores until shortly before his death in 1992, showing his dedication to hands-on management. Walton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 for his contributions to American retail and job creation. 山姆·沃爾頓（沃爾瑪創辦人） 名言：「公司裡只有一個老闆：顧客。他可以用腳投票，只要把錢花在別處，就能讓從董事長以下的所有人都丟掉飯碗。」 山姆·摩爾·沃爾頓1918年生於奧克拉荷馬州金費舍，正值經濟大蕭條時期。在創立全球最大零售連鎖企業之前，他打過多份工，包括當服務生和送報員。1945年，他向岳父借了2萬美元，在阿肯色州紐波特買下第一間零售店，是一家班·富蘭克林加盟店。沃爾頓專注經營其他零售商忽視的小型鄉鎮，徹底改變了零售業。他開自己的飛機視察店面和勘查地點，累積超過23萬飛行小時。1962年，他在阿肯色州羅傑斯開設第一家沃爾瑪，並推出創新做法，如電腦化庫存系統和員工分紅制度。儘管成為美國首富之一，沃爾頓保持簡樸作風，開著同一輛1979年的福特F-150皮卡車，住在同一間小房子裡。直到1992年去世前不久，他仍堅持親自到店巡視，展現他對親力親為管理的堅持。沃爾頓因對美國零售業和就業市場的貢獻，於1992年獲頒總統自由勳章。 2. Jeff Bezos (Amazon Founder) Quote: "I knew that if I failed I wouldn't regret that,but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying." Trivia (90 seconds): Born in 1964 in Albuquerque, NewMexico, Jeff Bezos showed entrepreneurial spirit from an early age. He graduated as valedictorian of his high school and studied computer science at Princeton University. Before founding Amazon, he worked on Wall Street and became the youngest senior vice president at investment firm D.E. Shaw. In 1994, Bezos read that internet usage was growing by 2,300% annually, which inspired him to start an online bookstore. He wrote Amazon's business plan while driving cross-country from New York to Seattle with his wife MacKenzie. Initially operating from his garage, Amazon sold its first book in July 1995. Bezos chose Seattle because of its large tech talent pool and proximity to a major book distributor. He based early decisions on what he called the "regret minimization framework," asking himself what he would regret least when he was 80 years old. Despite early skepticism from investors and media (who called Amazon "Amazon.bomb" during the dot-com bust), Bezos maintained his long-term vision, famously saying Amazon would be "willing to be misunderstood for long periods of time." 傑夫·貝佐斯（亞馬遜創辦人） 名言：「我知道失敗不會讓我後悔，但不去嘗試可能會讓我後悔。」 出處：2001年接受成就學院訪談 傑夫·貝佐斯1964年生於新墨西哥州阿爾伯克基，從小就展現企業家精神。他以高中第一名的成績畢業，進入普林斯頓大學主修電腦科學。創立亞馬遜之前，他在華爾街工作，成為投資公司D.E.Shaw最年輕的資深副總裁。1994年，貝佐斯讀到網路使用率年增2300%的報導，因此萌生創辦線上書店的想法。他在和妻子麥肯齊開車從紐約橫越美國到西雅圖的途中，擬定了亞馬遜的營運計畫。亞馬遜最初在他的車庫營運，1995年7月賣出第一本書。他選擇西雅圖是因為當地有豐富的科技人才和主要書商。他的早期決策都基於「後悔最小化原則」，問自己80歲時最不會後悔的選擇是什麼。儘管早期投資人和媒體持懷疑態度（網路泡沫時期稱亞馬遜為「炸彈」），貝佐斯堅持長遠眼光，他有句名言：「我們願意被誤解很長一段時間。」 3. IngvarKamprad (IKEA Founder) Quote: "Making mistakes is the privilege of the active.It is always the mediocre people who are negative, who spend their time proving that they were not wrong." Trivia (90 seconds): Ingvar Kamprad was born in 1926 inSmåland, Sweden. He began his entrepreneurial journey at age five, buying matches in bulk and reselling them to neighbors. The name IKEA combines his initials (IK) with the first letters of Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd, the farm and village where he grew up. He founded IKEA in 1943 at age 17, initially selling small household items like picture frames and pencils. The company's breakthrough came in 1956 when an employee removed the legs of a table to fit it into a car, inspiring IKEA's flat-pack furniture concept. Despite his wealth, Kamprad was known for his frugal lifestyle – he flew economy class, drove an old Volvo, and encouraged a corporate culture of cost-consciousness. He had dyslexia, which influenced IKEA's product naming system – using names instead of numbers made it easier for him to remember products. This personal challenge led to a unique IKEA naming convention: bathroom items are named after Swedish lakes and rivers, while bedding products are named after plants and flowers. 英格瓦·坎普拉德（IKEA創辦人） 名言：「犯錯是行動者的特權。總是那些平庸的人才會持否定態度，花時間證明自己沒有錯。」 英格瓦·坎普拉德1926年生於瑞典斯莫蘭。他5歲就開始創業，大量購入火柴再轉賣給鄰居。IKEA這個名字結合了他的英文縮寫（IK）和他成長的農場Elmtaryd與村莊Agunnaryd的首字母。他17歲時於1943年創立IKEA，最初販售相框和鉛筆等小家居用品。1956年，一位員工為了把桌子裝進車子而拆下桌腳，啟發了IKEA的平面包裝家具概念。儘管身為富豪，坎普拉德以節儉著稱－搭經濟艙、開舊款富豪車，並提倡節約的企業文化。他有閱讀障礙，這影響了IKEA的產品命名系統－用名字代替數字讓他更容易記住產品。這個個人特質促成了IKEA獨特的命名慣例：浴室用品用瑞典湖泊和河流命名，床上用品則用植物和花卉命名。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- In this episode of 15Mins Cafe, we examine the cultural significance of driving experiences, comparing our journeys to obtaining driver's licenses in South Africa and Taiwan. We discuss the unique aspects of each country's learner's license system, our personal challenges, and our excitement for upcoming car models in 2024. Patrick and I reflect on manual versus automatic transmission, modern vehicle preferences, and the rise of electric cars. Through relatable anecdotes and driving-related idioms, we explore how navigating the roads mirrors our life journeys, making for a humorous and insightful discussion. 在這一集的15Mins 英語咖啡館中，我們探討駕駛經驗的文化意義，比較在南非和台灣考取駕照的不同歷程。我們討論了兩國考照制度的獨特之處、個人在考照過程中所面臨的挑戰，以及對2024年即將推出的新車款的期待。Patrick和我分享了對手排車和自排車的看法、現代汽車的偏好，以及電動車的崛起。透過生動的軼事分享和與開車相關的俗語，我們探索了如何在人生道路上駕駛前行，帶來一場既幽默又富有洞察力的對談。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep.K883: Hello Kitty at 50: The Global Icon That Transcends Cultures Highlights 主題摘要：Hello Kitty's success stems from her unique adaptability and the Japanese concept of "kawaii," allowing her to remain relevant across different cultures and generations while maintaining her core appeal.Despite her cat-like appearance, Hello Kitty is officially a British schoolgirl with a detailed backstory, including family members and pets, which helps create deeper emotional connections with fans worldwide.The character's 50-year journey from a simple decoration to an $80 billion global phenomenon demonstrates how a well-crafted brand can transcend cultural boundaries and become a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures. Hello Kitty, the beloved character created by Japanese company Sanrio, celebrates her remarkable 50th birthday this November, marking half a century of unprecedented cultural influence and commercial success. What began as a simple decoration on a coin purse in 1974 has evolved into a global phenomenon worth over $80 billion, captivating audiences across generations and continents. From humble beginnings to worldwide recognition, her journey represents one of the most successful character franchises in history. 深受喜愛的角色 Hello Kitty 由日本三麗鷗公司所創造，今年十一月迎來其意義非凡的五十歲生日，標誌著半世紀以來前所未有的文化影響力與商業成就。從 1974 年最初只是錢包上的簡單裝飾，發展至今已成為價值超過 800 億美元的全球現象，吸引著跨世代、不同大陸的觀眾。從最初簡單的開始到今天的世界知名，她的旅程代表了史上最成功的角色品牌之一。 Despite her feline appearance, Hello Kitty is officially not a cat but rather a British schoolgirl named Kitty White. Standing five apples tall and weighing three apples, she lives in London with her parents and twin sister Mimmy. Her character profile includes charming details like her love for baking cookies, playing piano, and her mother's homemade apple pie. This carefully crafted backstory has helped create a deeper connection with fans worldwide. She even has her own pets: a Persian cat named Charmmy Kitty and a white Djungarian hamster called Sugar, adding layers to her character that appeal to diverse audiences. 儘管外表像貓，Hello Kitty 官方設定其實不是貓，而是一位名叫 Kitty White 的英國女學生。她身高五個蘋果、體重三個蘋果，與父母和雙胞胎妹妹 Mimmy 一起住在倫敦。她的角色設定包含許多迷人的細節，例如喜歡烤餅乾、彈鋼琴，以及最愛媽媽做的蘋果派。這些精心設計的背景故事幫助她與全球粉絲建立更深層的連結。她還養了自己的寵物：一隻波斯貓 Charmmy Kitty 和一隻三線鼠 Sugar，為她的角色增添了更多層次，吸引不同群眾。 The secret to Hello Kitty's enduring success lies in her remarkable adaptability and the concept of "kawaii" - the Japanese word for "cute" that encompasses a broader cultural significance. Under the guidance of three successive female designers, most notably Yuko Yamaguchi since 1980, Hello Kitty has remained both timeless and contemporary. Her mouthless face allows people to project their own emotions onto her, making her relatable across different cultures and contexts. This versatility has led to countless collaborations, from luxury brands to everyday products, and even earned her roles as a UNICEF children's ambassador and Japan's tourism ambassador. The character's ability to evolve while maintaining her core appeal has been crucial to her longevity in the fast-paced world of popular culture. Hello Kitty 經久不衰的成功秘訣在於她非凡的適應力，以及「可愛」（kawaii）這個日文概念——它不僅僅是可愛，更包含更廣泛的文化意涵。在三位女性設計師的相繼帶領下，特別是自 1980 年起的山口裕子（Yuko Yamaguchi），Hello Kitty 既保持經典又與時俱進。她沒有嘴巴的臉孔讓人們可以投射自己的情緒，使她在不同文化和情境中都能引起共鳴。這種多變性使她獲得了無數合作機會，從奢侈品牌到日常用品，甚至擔任聯合國兒童基金會（UNICEF）兒童大使和日本觀光大使。這個角色在保持核心魅力的同時能夠不斷進化，是她在瞬息萬變的流行文化中長盛不衰的關鍵。 As Hello Kitty enters her sixth decade, her influence shows no signs of diminishing. The character has embraced modern platforms, attracting millions of followers on TikTok and appearing in various digital formats. Recent celebrations of her 50th anniversary have included museum exhibitions, theme park spectacles, and special merchandise collections worldwide. Even Britain's King Charles acknowledged her cultural significance during a state banquet with Japan's Emperor Naruhito, demonstrating how this kawaii icon has become a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures. Hello Kitty's journey from a simple character to a global phenomenon reflects not just successful marketing but also the power of creating a symbol that resonates with universal human emotions and experiences. Her story continues to inspire new generations, proving that some cultural icons truly are timeless. 隨著 Hello Kitty 邁入第六個十年，她的影響力絲毫未減。這個角色已經擁抱現代平台，在 TikTok 上吸引了數百萬追隨者，並以各種數位形式出現。近期為慶祝她五十週年所舉辦的活動包括博物館展覽、主題樂園表演，以及全球限定商品系列。就連英國查爾斯國王在與日本德仁天皇的國宴上都認可了她的文化重要性，展現這個可愛偶像如何成為東西方文化之間的橋樑。Hello Kitty 從單純角色到全球現象的旅程，不僅反映了成功的行銷策略，更展現了創造一個能引起普世情感共鳴符號的力量。她的故事持續啟發新一代，證明某些文化偶像確實能歷久彌新。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字：Unprecedented (Un-prec-e-dent-ed): Hello Kitty celebrates her remarkable 50th birthday this November, marking half a century of unprecedented cultural influence and commercial success.Adaptability (A-dapt-a-bil-i-ty): The secret to Hello Kitty's enduring success lies in her remarkable adaptability and the concept of "kawaii".Notably (No-ta-bly): Under the guidance of three successive female designers, most notably Yuko Yamaguchi since 1980, Hello Kitty has remained both timeless and contemporary.Versatility (Ver-sa-til-i-ty): This versatility has led to countless collaborations, from luxury brands to everyday products.Longevity (Lon-gev-i-ty): The character's ability to evolve while maintaining her core appeal has been crucial to her longevity in the fast-paced world of popular culture. Reference article: 1. https://apnews.com/article/hello-kitty-50-birthday-anniversary-sanrio-fb7569605d5e302ddbe92a877fd1768d 2. https://www.straitstimes.com/life/a-half-century-of-whiskers-wishes-and-worldwide-wonder-hello-kitty-turns-50 Powered by Firstory Hosting

孩子的肌膚交給理膚寶水B5+全面修復霜，內含專利成分複合益生精粹+維生素原B5，能平衡肌膚微生態，強化肌膚屏障，有效舒緩、修復不適；敏感泛紅、痘疤瑕疵、醫美術後使用也OK，大人小孩都適用！快去藥局買！ https://fstry.pse.is/6p3r3a —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Topic: Drinking any amount of alcohol causes damage to the brain There is no such thing as a "safe" level of drinking, with increased consumption of alcohol associated with poorer brain health, according to a new study. 根據一項新研究，沒有所謂的「安全」飲酒量，飲酒量增加與大腦健康狀況較差有關。 In an observational study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers from the University of Oxford studied the relationship between the self-reported alcohol intake of some 25,000 people in the UK, and their brain scans. 在一項尚未經過同行評審的觀察性研究中，牛津大學的研究人員，研究英國約2萬5000人報告的飲酒量，和與他們的大腦掃描圖像之間的關係。 The researchers noted that drinking had an effect on the brain’s gray matter － regions in the brain that make up "important bits where information is processed," according to lead author Anya Topiwala, a senior clinical researcher at Oxford. 研究人員指出，飲酒對大腦的灰質有影響，灰質是構成「重要資訊處理位元」的大腦部位，牛津大學高級臨床研究員托皮瓦拉說。 The team also investigated whether certain drinking patterns, beverage types and other health conditions made a difference to the impact of alcohol on brain health. 研究團隊還調查了特定的飲酒習慣、酒精飲料類型和其他健康狀況，是否會改變酒精對大腦健康的影響程度。 Next Article Topic: Scientists have taught bees to smell the coronavirus 科學家教導蜜蜂嗅出冠狀病毒 Scientists in the Netherlands have trained bees to identify COVID-19 through their sense of smell, according to a press release from Wageningen University. 瓦赫寧恩大學發布新聞稿聲稱，荷蘭科學家已訓練蜜蜂透過嗅覺，識別2019冠狀病毒病（COVID-19，武漢肺炎）。 The research was conducted on more than 150 bees in Wageningen University’s bio-veterinary research laboratory. 這項研究是在瓦赫寧恩大學生物獸醫研究實驗室對150多隻蜜蜂進行的。 The scientists trained the bees by giving them a treat — a sugar-water solution — every time they were exposed to the scent of a mink infected with COVID-19. Each time the bees were exposed to a non-infected sample, they wouldn’t get a reward. 科學家透過獎勵糖水溶液來訓練蜜蜂，每次蜜蜂在聞到感染COVID-19的貂身上氣味時，都會獲得獎勵。如果蜜蜂聞到的是沒被感染病毒的氣味樣本，則不會獲得獎勵。 Eventually, the bees could identify an infected sample within a few seconds — and would then stick out their tongues like clockwork to collect the sugar water. 最終，這些蜜蜂可以在幾秒鐘內識別出感染的樣本，而且牠們的舌頭會像發條一樣，伸出來吸取糖水。 Bees aren’t the first animals to detect COVID-19 by scent. Researchers have also trained dogs to distinguish between positive and negative COVID-19 samples from human saliva or sweat with fairly high levels of accuracy. 蜜蜂不是第一種透過氣味識別COVID-19的動物。研究人員也曾訓練狗區分來自人類唾液或汗液的陽性和陰性COVID-19樣本 ，準確率相當高。 Topic: Whale of a time: NYC offers walk-up vaccinations for all Appointments are no longer mandatory at any of the coronavirus vaccination sites run by New York City, including its newest and maybe coolest location： beneath the giant blue whale at the Museum of Natural History. 任何紐約市設立的新型冠狀病毒疫苗接種處，不再強制要求預約，包括最新設立、或許也是最酷的地點：位於自然歷史博物館巨大藍鯨下的接種處。 Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday that the city will now be accepting walk-ins at all its vaccination sites. "You can just walk up and get vaccinated," he said. 市長白思豪週五宣布，該市所有接種站現在接受隨到隨登記接種，「你可以直接進來接種疫苗」。 The expansion of walk-in service comes as supplies of the vaccine have increased. 擴大實施現場登記接種，是在疫苗供應量已經增加之際推出。 Just weeks ago, most people trying to get an appointment for a vaccination in the nation’s biggest city had to game online appointment systems in which scarce slots would be snapped up in moments. 僅在數週之前，在這個全美最大城市，大多數要預約接種時間的人還得在網路預約系統上賭運氣，稀少的名額一下子就會被搶光。 Next Article Topic: Serbian diner thanks those getting COVID shots with plates of roast meat （感謝客人打新冠疫苗 塞爾維亞餐館請吃烤肉） Get a COVID-19 vaccine and you will be served a plate of spit-roast ox or wild game goulash for free - in the Serbian city of Kragujevac. 塞爾維亞「米盧廷圖書館」餐廳招待接種疫苗的顧客吃牛肉大餐。（路透資料照） 在塞爾維亞克拉古耶瓦茨，只要接種新冠肺炎疫苗，就能免費獲得一盤烤牛肉串或野味燉牛肉。 Restaurateur Stavro Raskovic offered the popular local dishes as his way of promoting vaccination and campaigning for the full reopening of the country’s restaurants, cafes and bars. 餐館老闆斯塔夫羅．拉斯科維奇端出這2道受歡迎的本地菜餚，作為推廣疫苗及推動該國餐廳、咖啡廳、酒吧全面重新營業的方式。 Lockdowns in 2020 and partial restrictions this year have driven Biblioteka kod Milutina (Milutin’s Library) restaurant to the brink of closure, he said. 他說，2020年的封城及今年的局部封鎖措施，讓「米盧廷圖書館」餐廳瀕臨停業。 "Our trade, catering, has been particularly hit... and if this (vaccination) is the way out, then we wanted to contribute." 「我們的生意、外燴服務尤其受到影響…若這（疫苗）是解決方法，我們想要出一份力。」 Local health authorities turned the restaurant into a vaccination point to deliver shots made by Pfizer/BioNtech, and China’s Sinopharm. 當地衛生當局把餐廳變成疫苗接種點，提供輝瑞／BNT疫苗和中國國藥集團疫苗。 "Today we have vaccines from both East and West on the menu, to everybody’s taste," said Raskovic. 拉斯科維奇說：「今天我們的菜單上有來自東方和西方的疫苗，任君挑選。」 Next Article Topic: Dracula’s castle’ offers tourists Covid shots 「德古拉的城堡」提供觀光客武漢肺炎疫苗接種 Visitors to Romania’s forbidding Bran Castle are being jabbed with needles rather than vampiric fangs this weekend in a coronavirus vaccination drive. 造訪羅馬尼亞令人生畏的布蘭城堡的遊客，在本週末的冠狀病毒疫苗接種活動中，將會被針頭而不是吸血鬼的毒牙扎刺。 Those who take the jab are handed a certificate hailing their＂boldness and responsibility＂promising they will be welcome at the castle＂for the coming 100 years＂ － as well as offered a free tour of the＂torture chamber＂. 那些接受施打的人將拿到證書，為他們的「勇氣與責任」喝采，並承諾這座城堡在未來100年都歡迎他們，並提供一次「酷刑室」的免費導覽。 Nestled in a misty valley in the Carpathian mountains, Bran Castle is associated with the 15th-century Romanian prince Vlad Dracula. 布蘭城堡坐落於喀爾巴阡山迷霧籠罩的山谷，與15世紀羅馬尼亞王子弗拉德．德古拉有關。 Dracula author Bram Stoker is believed to have been inspired by Vlad and descriptions of Bran Castle when writing his 1897 novel that helped found the modern vampire genre. 德古拉的作者布拉姆．史托克在撰寫他的1897年的小說時，被認為受到弗拉德與布蘭城堡的描述的啟發，這本小說幫助他奠定現代吸血鬼體裁。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1449642;https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1449828;https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1450439 Topic: Spanking may affect brain development in children Spanking may affect a child’s brain development in similar ways to more severe forms of violence, according to a new study led by Harvard researchers. 哈佛大學研究人員領導的一項新研究表明，打屁股對兒童大腦發育的影響，可能與更嚴重的暴力虐待造成的後果類似。 The research, published recently in the journal Child Development, builds on existing studies that show heightened activity in certain regions of the brains of children who experience abuse in response to threat cues. 這篇最近發表在《兒童發育》期刊上的研究，以現有的一些研究為基礎，這些研究發現，遭受虐待的兒童在回應威脅提示時，大腦的特定區域活動會增強。 The group found that children who had been spanked had a greater neural response in multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). These areas of the brain respond to cues in the environment that tend to be consequential, such as a threat, and may affect decision-making and processing of situations. 研究團隊發現，打屁股會增強兒童大腦前額葉皮層（PFC）多個區域的神經反應。大腦的這些區域會根據環境中的威脅等重要線索做出反應，並可能影響兒童的決策，以及對局勢的分析能力。 According to the study’s authors, corporal punishment has been linked to the development of mental health issues, anxiety, depression, behavioral problems, and substance use disorders. 研究作者指出，體罰一直和心理健康問題、焦慮、憂鬱、行為問題及藥物濫用有關。 Next Article Topic: Coffee before exercise increases fat-burning/運動前喝咖啡增加燃脂 If you’re looking to maximize the amount of fat burned in your next workout, think about having a coffee half an hour before you get started – as a new study suggests it can make a significant difference to fat burning, especially later on in the day. 如果你希望在下次運動健身時最大程度地燃燒脂肪，不妨考慮在開始之前半小時喝咖啡—因為有新研究表明，它可以使脂肪燃燒量明顯變化，尤其是在下午。 Researchers found that 3 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight can boost the rate of fat burning during aerobic exercise, based on results gathered from 15 male volunteers. 研究人員發現，根據從15名男性志願者收集到的結果，按每公斤體重3毫克的量來攝取咖啡因，就可以提高有氧運動期間的脂肪燃燒率。 The coffee dose was shown to increase maximal fat oxidation rate（MFO, a measure of how efficiently the body burns off fat）by an average of 10.7 percent in the morning and 29 percent in the afternoon. 研究表明，這個咖啡攝取量可以增加最大脂肪氧化率（MFO，衡量人體燃燒脂肪效率的指標），上午平均增加10.7%，下午增加29%。 This is a study with a fairly small sample of participants, so it’s important not to jump to too broad a conclusion, but the results are clear enough to suggest that there is some kind of association there. 由於該研究的參與者樣本數很少，因此重要的是不要過於廣泛下結論，但結果足夠清楚，表明存在某種關聯。 Next Topic: Study Shows Baldness Can Be a Business Advantage 研究：光頭可成職場優勢 Men with shaved heads are perceived to be more masculine, dominant and, in some cases, to have greater leadership potential than those with longer locks or with thinning hair, according to a recent study out of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. 賓州大學華頓商學院最近的一項研究顯示，剃光頭的男人讓人覺得更有男人味和支配地位，在某些情況下，他們比頭髮較長或者頭髮稀疏的男人看起來更具領導潛力。 Some executives say the style makes them appear younger—or at least, makes their age less evident—and gives them more confidence than a comb-over or monk-like pate. 一些主管認為，光頭的髮型讓他們看起來更年輕，至少沒那麼顯老，而且相較於將頭髮梳向一邊或像修道士一樣的腦袋瓜，這種髮型能讓他們感到更自信。 The study found that men with thinning hair were viewed as the least attractive and powerful of the bunch, a finding that tracks with other studies showing that people perceive men with typical male-pattern baldness as older and less attractive. For those men, the solution could be as cheap and simple as a shave. 該研究發現，頭髮稀疏的男人被認為最沒有魅力、最沒有力量的一群人。這一結果也與其他研究相符，這些研究表明，人們認為典型的雄性禿頭讓男人看上去更老，更缺乏魅力。對於這些男人來說，既便宜又簡單的解決辦法就是剃個頭。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

【本集節目由NordVPN 贊助播出】 NordVPN 獨家優惠 ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fifteenminutes 使用專屬折扣碼 【 fifteenminutes 】購買優惠方案即加贈 4 個月 並享有 30 天試用期，可隨時取消，完全零風險！ ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb VIP會員文章主題許願表單：https://forms.gle/xyHoPydBr6LLFL9q8 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 歡迎回到《Teacher's Lounge 幕後教師室》！本週的值班老師是 John 老師和阿鍵老師。你有出差經驗嗎？或是你經常需要出差呢？今天讓我們來聊聊 Business Trip 這個主題！ 本集節目中，阿鍵老師分享了在中亞地區的出差經驗。從極度現代化的杜拜，到保有傳統文化的亞美尼亞，兩個截然不同的國家令人印象十分深刻。另外提到商務差旅，上網和資安需求也是不可或缺。阿鍵老師也說，要是當時能認識 NordVPN 這類工具就好了，它內建的加密功能和雲端空間能讓商務差旅過程更安心！ 聽完本集歡迎到FB/IG私訊或留言分享心得。別忘了，想要獲得更多精彩內容，歡迎訂閱我們的 VIP 會員，還能享有主題許願喔！ https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 台北嘿掰講Episode 15 - Luxury toilet paper a hit in Taiwan 每週更新的播客，來聽聽Gavin跟John這禮拜討論台灣高級衛生紙 #Taipeibanter＃台北嘿掰講 In Taiwan, which variety of toilet paper currently sells the best? The answer may not be the one you were expecting. Household sanitary paper manufacturers have this year discovered that 3-ply toilet tissue has emerged as a force to be reckoned with within the market, with sales volumes jumping 20 percent. Toilet tissue impregnated with balsam and forest-friendly, recycled alternatives have all exhibited strong sales performance. The industry is speculating that Taiwan is gradually moving toward becoming an M-shaped society, as consumer purchasing power becomes more polarized. 在台灣，現在哪一種衛生紙最好賣？答案可能跌破不少人眼鏡。家用紙業者發現，今年以來價格較高的三層衛生紙異軍突起，銷售量大增二成；添加乳霜的衛生紙、不砍樹的再生紙衛生紙，也都有不錯的銷售成績。業者推測，應與台灣走向Ｍ型社會，消費力逐漸兩極化有關。 Household sanitary paper manufacturers have discovered that 3-ply loo paper is selling like hot cakes. For example, for US wholesaler Costco, in addition to its own-brand Kirkland toilet paper, other 3-ply offerings from Kleenex and established brand May Flower, have all been selling well. According to papermaking conglomerate YFY, although 2-ply toilet paper still constitutes the bulk of the market, sales volumes of 3-ply have been gradually increasing, with some lines becoming best-sellers. Papermakers are now rushing to ramp up production and supply of 3-ply. 家紙業者發現，「三層衛生紙超好賣」，以美式賣場好市多為例，除了自有品牌Kirkland外，目前銷售的舒潔以及先前銷售的五月花都相當受歡迎，這些都是「三層衛生紙」。永豐餘控股指出，雖然目前二層衛生紙仍是市場主流，但三層衛生紙的銷售額逐年成長，部分通路甚至是「三層衛生紙最好賣」，因此紙廠會儘可能將產能供應三層衛生紙。 According to YFY, in 2016 sales revenue for 3-ply toilet paper totalled NT$870 million but broke the NT$1billion mark last year: a year-on-year increase of nearly 19 percent and 16 percent market share. 永豐餘指出，二○一六年台灣市場三層衛生紙銷售金額僅八．七億元，二○一七年已突破十億元，年增近百分之十九，且在衛生紙產品的占比提升至百分之十六。 This year, YFY launched a premium 3-ply version of its flagship May Flower toilet paper to appeal to consumers who demand a superior quality feel and softness. Cheng Loong Corp, which markets a top-of-the-range 3-ply extra-thick, 50-percent-more-absorbent toilet paper under the Andante brand, has seen a 20 percent increase in sales of the product since the beginning of this year. 永豐餘今年就主打旗下「五月花」三層衛生紙，訴求高質感、柔軟的特性。正隆的「春風」三層衛生紙，則主打「三層厚手、吸水力提升百分之五十」，今年以來銷售量大增二成。 As for the cause of mushrooming sales of 3-ply toilet paper, the industry believes Taiwan’s consumer market is becoming “M-shaped.” Although many Taiwanese consumers still count every penny, consumers on the right lobe of the “M” curve attach a greater degree of importance to quality, the environment and functionality, and are willing to fork out more cash to buy products perceived to be of a higher quality. 對於三層衛生紙銷售成長的主因，業者認為，台灣的消費市場出現Ｍ型化趨勢，雖然有不少消費者仍對價格錙銖必較，但在Ｍ型右方的消費者更重視品質、環保、功能等，願意花較多的錢買品質更好的產品。 Taipei Banter, where John and Gavin talk about the interesting things around the world. Article referred in the podcast:http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2018/09/04/2003699732 Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 最近的新聞充滿各種「演唱會」，從周杰倫、劉德華到十一月開搶的YOASOBI。這週的《英語咖啡館》John老師和 Angel 老師要來談各自參加演唱會的經驗，同時聊聊台灣的各個演出場地！ 從新落成的台北大巨蛋，到老字號的小巨蛋，還有在高雄的高雄國家體育場，你去過幾個呢？另外還有很多比較小規模的場地像是TICC, 比較新的北流或是Zepp New Taipei, 越來越多國際表演者前來台灣演出。你知道其中誰最讓我們難忘且回味嗎？ 來信跟我們分享你最難忘的演唱會與場地喔～ Powered by Firstory Hosting

想了解AI卻不知從何開始？《數創實驗室》Podcast頻道幫你解惑！我是Vincent，擁有十年以上AI與大數據經驗，將以淺顯方式分享AI應用、技術與社會影響。訂閱《數創實驗室》，一起在AI時代學習！ https://fstry.pse.is/6pa3zj —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀VIP Ep.K879: Microsoft Transforms Copilot into a Digital Companion Highlights 主題摘要：Microsoft has updated Copilot to be more than a productivity tool, transforming it into an AI companion with a warmer personality that offers encouragement and advice alongside information.The new Copilot features advanced capabilities like voice interactions, image interpretation, and integration with Microsoft Edge, all designed with user privacy in mind.While Copilot represents a shift towards more personalized and emotionally intelligent AI assistants, balancing AI assistance with genuine human connections remains a crucial consideration. Microsoft has unveiled a major update to its AI chatbot, Copilot, aiming to create a more personalized and user-friendly experience. This redesign marks a significant step towards developing an "AI companion" that goes beyond being just a productivity tool. The update comes at a time when many people still struggle to trust AI tools and haven't fully integrated them into their daily lives. 微軟最近公布了其 AI 聊天機器人 Copilot 的重大更新，旨在創造更個人化、更友善的使用體驗。這次的重新設計標誌著朝向開發「人工智慧伴侶」的重要一步，超越了單純的生產力工具。這項更新恰逢許多人仍在努力信任 AI 工具，尚未將其完全融入日常生活之際。 The new Copilot comes with enhanced capabilities, including real-time voice interactions and the ability to interpret images and text on users' screens. Microsoft claims it's one of the fastest AI models available. However, the most notable innovation is the chatbot's new personality. Copilot now interacts with users in a warmer tone, offering not only information but also encouragement, feedback, and advice for everyday challenges. This approach helps Copilot stand out in the growing field of general-purpose AI chatbots. 新版 Copilot 具備更強的功能，包括即時語音互動以及解讀使用者螢幕上圖像和文字的能力。微軟聲稱這是市面上最快速的人工智慧模型之一。然而，最引人注目的創新是聊天機器人的全新個性。Copilot 現在以更溫暖的語調與使用者互動，不僅提供資訊，還能在日常生活的挑戰中給予鼓勵、回饋和建議。這種方法幫助 Copilot 在日益增長的通用 AI 聊天機器人領域中脫穎而出。 These changes reflect Microsoft's vision for the future of AI in people's daily lives. Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI CEO, believes that AI will become more than just a tool; it will be a digital friend that users turn to for various tasks and support. The company has invested in developing Copilot's personality, employing a team of creative directors, language specialists, and psychologists to refine the AI's conversational abilities. This effort aims to create a balance between making Copilot feel familiar and friendly while still maintaining appropriate boundaries. 這些變化反映了微軟對 AI 在人們日常生活中的未來願景。微軟人工智慧執行長 Mustafa Suleyman 認為， AI 將不僅僅是一個工具，它將成為一個數位朋友，使用者可以向它尋求各種任務和支持。公司投入資源開發 Copilot 的個性，聘請了一個由創意總監、語言專家和心理學家組成的團隊來精進 AI 的對話能力。這項努力希望在讓 Copilot 感覺親切友好的同時，仍保持適當的界限之間取得平衡。 The updated Copilot introduces several new features. Users can now have voice conversations with the AI, choosing from four different voice options designed to sound natural without imitating specific individuals. A "daily" feature provides weather and news updates, sourced from partnerships with reputable news outlets. Integration with Microsoft Edge allows for quick access to Copilot's assistance directly from the browser's address bar. For more adventurous users, "Copilot Labs" offers experimental features like "Think Deeper" for complex reasoning and "Copilot Vision" for visual analysis. Microsoft emphasizes that these new capabilities, especially those involving screen viewing, are designed with user privacy in mind. All Copilot Vision sessions are opt-in, and the content it sees is not stored or used for training. 更新後的 Copilot 引入了幾項新功能。使用者現在可以與 AI 進行語音對話，從四種不同的語音選項中選擇，這些語音選項設計得自然，而不模仿特定個人。「每日」功能提供天氣和新聞更新，這些資訊來自與知名新聞媒體的合作。與微軟 Edge 瀏覽器的整合允許直接從瀏覽器的網址列快速存取 Copilot 的協助。對於更愛冒險的使用者，「Copilot Labs」提供實驗性功能，如用於複雜推理的「Think Deeper」和用於視覺分析的「Copilot Vision」。微軟強調，這些新功能，特別是那些涉及螢幕查看的功能，設計時考慮到了使用者隱私。所有 Copilot Vision 行程都是自訂加入，並且看到的內容不會被儲存或用於訓練。 As AI technology continues to evolve, Microsoft's approach with Copilot showcases a shift towards creating more personalized and emotionally intelligent AI assistants. The company's focus on developing an AI companion that can provide both practical help and emotional support signals a new direction in how we might interact with AI in the future. 隨著 AI 技術持續發展，微軟對 Copilot 的做法展示了朝向創造更個人化、情感智能 AI 助理的轉變。公司專注於開發能夠提供實際幫助和情感支援的人工智慧伴侶，這也預示著我們未來與 AI 互動方式的新方向。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字：Companion (Com-pan-ion): Microsoft Transforms Copilot into a Digital CompanionInterpret (In-ter-pret): The new Copilot comes with enhanced capabilities, including real-time voice interactions and the ability to interpret images and text on users' screens.Encouragement (En-cour-age-ment): Copilot now interacts with users in a warmer tone, offering not only information but also encouragement, feedback, and advice for everyday challenges.Conversational (Con-ver-sa-tion-al): The company has invested in developing Copilot's personality, employing a team of creative directors, language specialists, and psychologists to refine the AI's conversational abilities.Adventurous (Ad-ven-tur-ous): For more adventurous users, "Copilot Labs" offers experimental features like "Think Deeper" for complex reasoning and "Copilot Vision" for visual analysis. Reference article: 1. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/01/tech/microsoft-copilot-ai-chatbot-update-friendly/index.html 2. https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/1/24259187/microsoft-copilot-redesign-vision-voice-features-inflection-ai Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Topic: Newspapers in New York, Like Their Readers, Are Vanishing Kenny Hospot is in some ways a typical reader of The Daily News. He’s a construction worker from Queens who’s lived in the city most of his life. He always liked reading the comics and the horoscope in The News. 就某些方面而言，肯尼．霍斯帕堪稱每日新聞報的典型讀者。他是紐約市皇后區的一個建築工人，這一生大多數時間都住在這個城市。他一向愛看該報的漫畫和星座運勢。 How long since he last bought a copy of the paper? Hospot laughed. “I would say like 15 years.” 他上一次買這份報紙是多久之前？霍斯帕笑了，「我看大概有15年了吧。」 Kamel Brown is another archetypal customer for New York’s Hometown Newspaper, as The Daily News styles itself. He’s a maintenance worker for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He’s 55 years old. He grew up buying the paper for his grandmother in Brooklyn. “When she was finished reading it, I’d pick it up, flip back and start with the sports,” Brown said. 對於自我定位為紐約家鄉報紙的每日新聞報，凱默．布朗是另一種典型讀者。他是都市交通局的維修工人，55歲。他在布魯克林區的成長過程中，常幫祖母買這份報紙。布朗說：「她看完後，我會拿過來，翻回去，從運動版開始看。」 He doesn’t remember the last time he bought it. When he paged through a copy at a friend’s home this past week, he was unimpressed. 他不記得上次買這份報紙是何時。過去這一周的某日他在友人家翻閱一分報紙時，很無感。 Tristan Dominguez, on the other hand, is still a big Daily News fan. “It’s the only place you see anything local,” Dominguez said at a bodega in Washington Heights, where a stack of papers sat behind the counter. 另一方面，崔斯坦．多明奎茲仍是新聞報的大粉絲。「這是你唯一能看到在地新聞的地方。」多明奎茲在華盛頓高地的一家雜貨店內說，櫃檯後方有一大疊報紙。 He reads the paper mostly online and through Twitter. 他大多數是上網或透過推特看這份報紙。 All of this helps explain why there was an air of inevitability about the news Monday that the organization was laying off half its editorial staff. 這些例子亦可說明，當這家報社決定資遣編輯部一半員工的消息周一（7月23日）傳出時，為何外界會覺得此事似難避免。 Once upon a time, The Daily News sold more than 2 million papers a day. Now its circulation is only about a tenth of that, and the paper’s non-hometown owner, the Chicago-based media company Tronc, which bought the paper in 2017, does not have the patience for non-profitability that the prior owner, Mort Zuckerman, did. 每日新聞報曾經一天賣出200萬分以上，現在發行量大約只剩十分之一。這家報社的非在地老闆、芝加哥的媒體公司Tronc，2017年買下每日新聞報，對於它未能獲利，並沒有前任老闆莫特．札克曼那般的耐性。 At a cultural moment when the very idea of New York City as a hometown is quickly dissolving, and when most people get their news from some sort of glowing screen, the thirst for local ink is not what it used to be. 在當下這個文化時刻，將紐約市當作家鄉的想法正在快速瓦解，而且大多數人是從某種閃爍的螢幕獲得新聞，對於在地新聞文字報導的渴求已不如以往。 And those who do crave hard-hitting coverage that holds officials accountable for the state of the city were not pleased to hear about the layoffs. 對於那些渴望看到逼官員為城市現況負起責任的強烈抨擊報導的人，聽到前述資遣消息並非樂事。 “You need those old-school people because they know what they’re doing,” Rosanne Nunziata, a manager at the New Apollo Diner in downtown Brooklyn, said of The Daily News’ staff of veteran shoe-leather reporters, many of whom are now pounding the pavement in search of employment. “They know how to sneak in and get their stories, and know how to get witnesses to talk and do their thing.” 布魯克林鬧區「新阿波羅餐館」經理羅珊娜．努齊亞塔說：「你需要這些老派人士，因為他們知道自己在做什麼。」她指的是新聞報本分且資深的記者，這些人中有不少正在路上奔走著找工作。「他們知道如何潛入並取得新聞，也知道如何讓目擊者開口，做好他們的工作。」 The New York Post, The Daily News’ longtime rival for tabloid dominance, has seen its circulation plummet, too. Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. owns The Post, has long tolerated the paper’s unprofitability, but there may come a time when his successors have far less stomach for red ink. 每日新聞報的長期對手，爭奪八卦小報霸主地位的紐約郵報，發行量也持續大跌。擁有紐約郵報的新聞集團老闆魯柏．梅鐸，長期容忍這家報紙未能獲利。但是也許有一天，他的接班人對赤字的容忍度會小得多。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/330084/web/ Next Article Topic: Dumplings tempt New Yorkers with pizza, peanut butter flavors - and no human contact New Yorkers can now get their dumpling fix from an automat with no human contact, and the adventurous can order flavors ranging from pepperoni pizza to peanut butter and jelly. 紐約客現在可由一套不需要與人接觸的自動販賣機為他們料理餃子，喜歡嘗試新鮮的人可從義式臘腸披薩到花生醬、果醬等口味中選購。 While the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop in the city’s East Village offers traditional pork and chicken bite-sized treats, chicken parm or Philly cheesesteak are also on the menu. 位於這座城市東村的布魯克林餃子店，提供一口大小的傳統豬肉、雞肉餡點心，菜單上也有焗烤雞肉，或是費城牛肉起司三明治。 Spurred by the pandemic and technology advances, the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is delivering food via automat 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 在這場疫情以及科技進步的帶動下，布魯克林餃子店正透過自動販賣機，全年無休24小時出餐。 "Embrace technology, because technology is something that has to be embraced by hospitality（business）to thrive," said the shop’s owner Stratis Morfogen. 「擁抱科技，因為餐旅（業）要蒸蒸日上，就得擁抱科技」，店老闆史特拉狄斯．摩佛根說。 Next Article Topic: New York lawmakers pass bill allowing gender-neutral "X" option in govt documents 紐約州議員通過法案 允許政府文件中可選擇中立性別「X」 The New York state assembly has passed a bill that would allow people who do not identify as either male or female to use "X" as a marker to designate their sex on drivers’ licenses. 紐約州議會通過一項法案，允許認為自己既不是男性也不是女性的民眾，在駕照上標記其性別為X。 The new marker would help transgender, nonbinary and intersex individuals’ identity be recognized in government documents, according to a statement from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell. 根據州眾議院議長希斯堤和州眾議員歐唐納發出的聲明，這項新註記會有助於跨性別、非二元性別和雙性人的性別認同，獲得政府文件承認。 "The provisions in this bill will make life safer, reduce the stigma and affirm the identities for so many of our friends and neighbors," O’Donnell said in the statement. 歐唐納在聲明中說，「這項法案中的該項條文，將讓人生活更安全，減少污名，並且確認我們廣大鄉親朋友的身分認同。」 Next Article Topic: Looking Back on 100 Years of New York City Drinking Culture, From Gritty to Elegant The history of drinking in America goes straight through the heart of New York. As with so many aspects of the city, that history has run from gritty to stylish and back again. 美國的飲酒歷史直接穿越紐約的心臟，就像這座城市的許多方面一樣，這段歷史經歷了從粗獷到風雅，再回到當初的過程。 For generations, taverns and saloons were largely places for men to gather, drink, gamble and chew tobacco. Those places could be discerning, as with Fraunces Tavern, a still-existent bar patronized in the 18th century by the likes of George Washington and his soldiers, or more suited to the average Joe, like McSorley’s Old Ale House, which opened in the mid-19th century and, until 1970, admitted only men. 數世代以來，酒館和酒吧大多是男人聚集、喝酒、賭博與嚼菸草的地方。這些地方可能是比較有品味的，像是18世紀喬治華盛頓和他旗下軍人經常光顧、至今依然存在的弗朗西斯酒館，也可能是更適合一般人的，像是19世紀中葉開業，且在1970年前只接待男性的麥克索利酒吧。 By the time McSorley’s had opened, many American bartenders had made a a of inventing what we now think of as craft cocktails. The atmosphere at these locales was often hostile and crude.Prohibition changed all that. The idea of bars as hospitable, welcoming spaces gained traction when liquor sales became illegal. 當麥克索利開業時，許多美國酒保已具備發明現今所謂精調雞尾酒的專長。這些地方的氣氛常常是不友善而且粗魯的。 With the advent of speak-easies, owners and bartenders suddenly had a new clientele: women. The social appeal of speak-easies pulled them into new and vibrant communal spaces. Alongside the new customers came bar stools, live jazz and a new breed of cocktails. 禁酒令改變了這一切。當賣酒變成非法時，酒吧是個好客、歡迎人的場所的想法才流行起來。隨著地下酒吧的出現，業主和酒保突然有了一個新的客群：婦女。地下酒吧的社會吸引力將她們拉進新的、充滿活力的公共空間。除了新客群，還出現了酒吧高腳凳、現場爵士樂與新一代雞尾酒。 Despite the end of Prohibition in 1933, these changes to New York’s drinking culture endured, opening up the cocktail scene to a broader audience. 禁酒令雖於1933年廢止，紐約飲酒文化的這些變化卻持續了下來，將雞尾酒的舞台向更廣泛的觀眾開放。 By the 1960s and into the ‘80s and ‘90s, bar culture in New York had become as varied and textured as the city itself. Cocktail bars got yet another revival at the Rainbow Room, where Dale DeGroff took over the drinks program. In the Village, the Stonewall Inn and others became centers for gay culture, while uptown venues like the Shark Bar attracted a mostly African-American clientele. 到了1960年代並進入1980和1990年代，紐約的酒吧文化已變得跟城市本身一樣多采多姿。 雞尾酒酒吧在戴爾．第格洛夫接管酒單的彩虹廳又迎來一次流行。在紐約格林威治村，石牆酒吧等處所成了同性戀文化的中心，而鯊魚酒吧等曼哈頓上城場所則吸引了以非洲裔美國人為主的客群。 Today, despite an unfortunate turnover rate, modern New York cocktail bars are doing their best to foster a sense of community and hospitality. 現今，儘管翻桌率很低，但現代的紐約雞尾酒酒吧正盡最大努力營造一種社群意識和好客氣氛。 It’s this spirit that an editorial writer for The Brooklyn Eagle captured in an 1885 column (quoted by David Wondrich in his book “Imbibe”). “The modern American,” the paper observed, “looks for civility and he declines to go where rowdy instincts are rampant.” 這正是《布魯克林鷹報》一位主筆1885年在專欄中提到的精神（大衛·旺德里奇在所著《飲酒》一書中引用了這段文字）。該報評論道：「現代美國人追求文明有禮，他拒絕去那些粗暴本能猖獗的地方。」 But American bars are not by definition civil. Luckily, it’s as easy to find your watering hole fit today as it was a century ago. 但從定義上說，美國酒吧並非文明的。幸運的是，今天很容易找到適合你的酒吧，跟一個世紀前一樣。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/335069/web/ Powered by Firstory Hosting

【本集節目由Speak 贊助播出】  Speak AI 英文口說 App 新註冊會員還有七天免費試用 ：https://bit.ly/15MinsToday 你是不是常常想練英文口說，卻找不到人陪你聊天，或是不知道怎麼有效練習？ 跟大家分享一個能讓你練習開口說英文的APP， Speak AI 英文口說 App！ Speak從真人影音課程、口說練習功能到 AI 對話，主打 Speak Method (Speak 學習法)，從吸收、練習到應用，有效讓用戶從輸入到輸出練習英文口說，是真的有意識學習，而不只是聊天。就像有位私人家教在身邊指導。 Speak，助你更有自信開口說英文！ ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 歡迎回到《Teacher's Lounge 幕後教師室》這幾天受到強烈颱風影響，希望各位聽眾朋友都平安無事。我們也很感謝在風雨中依然陪伴著我們的你！ 本集節目中，John老師和阿鍵跟大家分享了一些令人驚喜的數據：如果你這一年來持續收聽我們的節目，相當於上了整整100小時的英語課程，或是讀完3-4本哈利波特囉 說到這裡，我們也想跟大家分享一個好消息：通勤學英語的訂閱制即將邁入第二年了！在新的一年裡，我們會持續為大家帶來更多有趣且實用的英語加值內容，繼續陪伴大家的英語學習之路。 聽完本集歡迎到FB/IG私訊或留言分享心得。別忘了，想要獲得更多精彩內容，歡迎訂閱我們的 VIP 會員，還能享有主題許願的特權喔： https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday Powered by Firstory Hosting

「照顧，是每個人必然會遇到的一段生命歷程」－作家 張曼娟你還在照顧困境中掙扎嗎？照顧者，記得提醒自己，這些都會過去，學會放下，留時間給自己。邀您來聽聽，照顧者PODCAST「先來一杯 我們再聊」立即點擊/療癒收聽： https://fstry.pse.is/6qm2mg —— 以上為 Firstory Podcast 廣告 —— ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 1. Netflix / Amazon Prime 網飛與雅馬遜串流服務 2. feeble adj. - 不驚艷 3. skeptical adj. -帶有疑慮 4. 7-day trial - 七天鑑賞 5. content n . - 內容 6. Chinese subtitles - 中文字幕 7. prime channel - 主要的頻道 8. The Grand Tour: 9. sth is/isn't worth it - sth值得/不值得 10. stream v. - 串流 11. device n. - 裝置 12. stand-up comedy - 單人脫口秀(單人相聲) 13. Louis C.K. 14. resonate v. - 共鳴 15. perspective n. - 觀點 16. subscribe v. - 訂閱 17. follow v. - 追蹤 18. cable TV - 第四台 Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 想要這集的VIP學習筆記 (內含主題討論逐字稿、常用慣用語片語及同義字、聽力小測驗)？ 更多的加值內容成為VIP會員：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday This week Lydia is going to fill us in on the latest trends in UI and UX in 2025. A lot is happening in the tech space lately, especially with AI. However, outside AI, the user-centric design space is also moving forward at a rapid pace. This year we've seen the latest in AR/VR as well as accessibility features. Out of the five trends that Lydia is going to share with us in this episode, what other trends are you seeing? Send in your observations and we will give you a shout out in the next episode! Hope you will enjoy this episode with us as much as we enjoyed producing it! 更多15Mins Cafe節目: www.15mins.today/15mins-cafe 歡迎主題投稿/意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com Powered by Firstory Hosting

------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- 國際時事跟讀 Ep.K875: South Korea Takes Bold Step to Revive Economy with Interest Rate Cut Highlights 主題摘要：The Bank of Korea has cut its key interest rate to 3.25%, marking the first reduction in over four years, in an effort to stimulate South Korea's sluggish economy.The decision was influenced by slow domestic demand recovery, stabilizing inflation, and a cooling housing market, but the BOK remains cautious about further rate cuts.While aiming to boost economic growth, the BOK is balancing stimulation with financial stability concerns, particularly regarding household debt, and will continue monitoring market conditions closely. South Korea's central bank, the Bank of Korea (BOK), has made a significant move to stimulate the country's sluggish economy. The BOK cut its key interest rate by 0.25 percentage points, bringing it down to 3.25%. This marks the first rate reduction in over four years, signaling a shift in the bank's monetary policy. The decision comes after a long period of rate increases, which began in August 2021 and saw the rate climb to a 15-year high of 3.5% in January 2023. 南韓中央銀行──韓國銀行（Bank of Korea，BOK）採取重大行動以刺激該國疲軟的經濟。韓國銀行將其關鍵利率下調 0.25 個百分點，降至 3.25％。這是四年多以來的首次降息，顯示著該行貨幣政策的轉變。此決定是在長期升息後做出的，升息始於 2021 年 8 月，並在 2023 年 1 月將利率推升至 15 年來的最高水平 3.5％。 The decision to lower interest rates comes as South Korea faces mounting economic challenges. The BOK cited a slow recovery in domestic demand and a sluggish pace of economic growth as primary reasons for the rate cut. Additionally, the bank noted that inflation has shown signs of stabilizing, with the consumer price inflation easing to 1.6% in September, below the policy target of 2%. This economic environment provided room for the central bank to take action without risking excessive inflation. The cooling housing market in the greater Seoul area also contributed to the decision, as it has led to a slower increase in household debt. 降息決定是在南韓面臨日益嚴峻的經濟挑戰之際做出的。韓國銀行援引國內需求復甦緩慢和經濟增長步伐遲緩作為降息的主要原因。此外，該行指出通貨膨脹已呈現穩定跡象，9 月份消費者物價通膨率降至 1.6％，低於 2％ 的政策目標。這種經濟環境為中央銀行採取行動提供了空間，而不會冒過度通膨的風險。首爾大都會區房地產市場降溫也促成了這一決定，因為它導致家庭債務增長放緩。 Despite the rate cut, the BOK remains cautious about further reductions. Governor Rhee Chang-yong described the move as a "hawkish cut," indicating that the bank still favors relatively tight monetary conditions. The central bank is keeping a close eye on various factors, including the recovery of domestic demand, economic conditions in major countries, and trends in information-technology exports. The ongoing crisis in the Middle East also poses potential risks to fuel prices, exchange rates, and public utility costs, which could impact the country's economic outlook. These uncertainties underscore the need for careful monitoring and potential adjustments to monetary policy in the future. 儘管降息，但韓國銀行對進一步降息仍持謹慎態度。行長李昌鏞（Rhee Chang-yong）將此舉描述為「鷹派式降息」，表明該行仍傾向於相對緊縮的貨幣條件。中央銀行正密切關注各種因素，包括國內需求的復甦、主要國家的經濟狀況以及資訊科技出口的趨勢。中東地區持續的危機也對燃料價格、匯率和公用事業價格構成潛在風險，可能影響該國的經濟前景。這些不確定因素凸顯了未來需要謹慎監測並可能調整貨幣政策的必要性。 The rate cut is expected to have far-reaching effects on South Korea's economy. It aims to encourage borrowing and spending, potentially boosting economic growth. However, the BOK remains vigilant about the potential risks associated with household debt, which has been a concern in recent years. The bank projects South Korea's economy to grow at 2.4% this year, down from 2.6% in 2023. As the country navigates these economic challenges, the central bank's decision reflects a delicate balance between stimulating growth and maintaining financial stability. The move has been welcomed by government officials, including Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who sees it as a positive step towards revitalizing the economy. However, the BOK has indicated that it will continue to monitor the situation closely and make decisions based on the stability of financial markets, suggesting a cautious approach to future rate adjustments. 預計降息將對南韓經濟產生深遠影響。它旨在鼓勵借貸和支出，可能會促進經濟增長。然而，韓國銀行對家庭債務相關的潛在風險保持警惕，這在近年來一直是一個令人擔憂的問題。該行預測南韓經濟今年將增長 2.4％，低於 2023 年的 2.6％。隨著該國應對這些經濟挑戰，中央銀行的決定反映了在刺激增長與維持金融穩定之間的微妙平衡。政府官員對此舉表示歡迎，包括財政部長崔尚穆（Choi Sang-mok），他認為這是振興經濟的積極一步。然而，韓國銀行表示將繼續密切監測局勢，並根據金融市場的穩定性做出決策，這暗示著未來利率調整將採取謹慎行動。 Keyword Drills 關鍵字：Sluggish (Slug-gish): The decision to lower interest rates comes as South Korea faces mounting economic challenges. The BOK cited a slow recovery in domestic demand and a sluggish pace of economic growth as primary reasons for the rate cut.Relatively (Rel-a-tive-ly): Governor Rhee Chang-yong described the move as a "hawkish cut," indicating that the bank still favors relatively tight monetary conditions.Uncertainties (Un-cer-tain-ties): These uncertainties underscore the need for careful monitoring and potential adjustments to monetary policy in the future.Associated (As-so-ci-at-ed): However, the BOK remains vigilant about the potential risks associated with household debt, which has been a concern in recent years.Revitalizing (Re-vi-tal-iz-ing): The move has been welcomed by government officials, including Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who sees it as a positive step towards revitalizing the economy. Reference article: 1. https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-rate-cut-central-bank-economy-66f3bdd72aae9910f072b08f901b711f 2. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/11/bank-of-korea-cuts-interest-rates-by-25-basis-points-after-holding-for-almost-two-years.html Powered by Firstory Hosting

【本集節目由Speak 贊助播出】  Speak AI 英文口說 App 新註冊會員還有七天免費試用 ：https://bit.ly/15MinsToday 你是不是常常想練英文口說，卻找不到人陪你聊天，或是不知道怎麼有效練習？ 跟大家分享一個能讓你練習開口說英文的APP， Speak AI 英文口說 App！ Speak從真人影音課程、口說練習功能到 AI 對話，主打 Speak Method (Speak 學習法)，從吸收、練習到應用，有效讓用戶從輸入到輸出練習英文口說，是真的有意識學習，而不只是聊天。就像有位私人家教在身邊指導。 Speak，助你更有自信開口說英文！ ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday VIP訂閱FAQ: https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/5cjptb 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎留言你對這集的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com 意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Topic: In Race for Tuition-Free College, New Mexico Stakes a Claim As universities across the United States face steep enrollment declines, New Mexico’s government is embarking on a pioneering experiment to fight that trend: tuition-free higher education for all state residents. 隨著美國各地大學入學人數急劇下滑，新墨西哥州政府正著手進行一項開創性實驗來應對這一趨勢：為全州居民提供免學費高等教育。 After President Joe Biden’s plan for universal free community college failed to gain traction in Congress, New Mexico, one of the nation’s poorest states, has emerged with perhaps the most ambitious plans as states scramble to come up with their own initiatives. 在美國總統拜登的全民免費社區大學計畫未能獲得國會支持後，美國最窮的州之一新墨西哥州提出的計畫，可能是各州爭相提出行動倡議中最具雄心的一個。 A new state law approved in a rare show of bipartisanship allocates almost 1% of the state’s budget toward covering tuition and fees at public colleges and universities, community colleges and tribal colleges. All state residents from new high school graduates to adults enrolling part-time will be eligible regardless of family income. The program is also open to immigrants regardless of their immigration status. 一項新的州法在兩黨罕見合作下通過，將州預算的1%用於支付公立大學、社區大學與部落學院的學費。所有州民，從剛畢業的高中生到參加兼職教育的成人都有資格參加，無論家庭收入。該計畫也向移民開放，無論他們的移民身分如何。 Some legislators and other critics question whether there should have been income caps and whether the state, newly flush with oil and gas revenue, can secure long-term funding to support the program beyond its first year. The legislation, which seeks to treat college as a public resource similar to primary and secondary education, takes effect in July. 一些議員和其他批評人士質疑是否應設所得限制，以及剛獲大量石油與天然氣收入的該州是否能在計畫實施第一年後，獲得長期資金支持。這項立法將於7月生效，旨在將大學視為與中小學教育類似的公共資源。 Although nearly half the states have embraced similar initiatives that seek to cover at least some tuition expenses for some students, New Mexico’s law goes further by covering tuition and fees before other scholarships and sources of financial aid are applied, enabling students to use those other funds for expenses such as lodging, food or child care. 儘管近半的州已採取類似舉措，想幫一些學生支付至少部分學費和雜費，新墨西哥州法律更進一步，在申請其他獎學金和學費補助前，先支付學雜費，讓學生能使用其他資金，支付如住宿、食物或兒童照顧等費用。 “The New Mexico program is very close to ideal,” said Michael Dannenberg, vice president of strategic initiatives and higher education policy at the nonprofit advocacy group Education Reform Now. Considering the state’s income levels and available resources, he added that New Mexico’s program is among the most generous in the country. 非營利倡議組織Education Reform Now策略倡議暨高教政策副總裁丹能貝格說：「新墨西哥的計畫非常貼近理想。」他表示，考量收入水準與可用資源，新墨西哥州的計畫是全美最慷慨的。 Dannenberg emphasized that New Mexico is going beyond what larger, more prosperous states like Washington and Tennessee have already done. Programs in other states often limit tuition assistance to community colleges, exclude some residents because of family income or impose conditions requiring students to work part time. 丹能貝格強調，新墨西哥州正超越華盛頓和田納西這些更大、更繁榮的州所做的事。其他州通常限制對社區大學的學費補助，因家庭收入排除一些州民，或要求學生兼職。Source article: https://udn.com/news/story/6904/6329103 Next Article Topic: Colleges Slash Budgets in the Pandemic,With ‘Nothing Off-Limits’ Ohio Wesleyan University is eliminating 18 majors. The University of Florida’s trustees last month took the first steps toward letting the school furlough faculty. The University of California, Berkeley, has paused admissions to its doctoral programs in anthropology, sociology and art history. 美國俄亥俄衛斯理大學取消了18個科系。佛州大學董事會9月採取初步措施，目標是讓校方有權放教師無薪假。柏克萊加州大學則暫停招收人類學、社會學和藝術史的博士班學生。 As it resurges across the country, the coronavirus is forcing universities large and small to make deep and possibly lasting cuts to close widening budget shortfalls. By one estimate, the pandemic has cost colleges at least $120 billion, with even Harvard University, despite its $41.9 billion endowment, reporting a $10 million deficit that has prompted belt tightening. 由於全美各地新冠肺炎疫情再度惡化，美國各大學不論規模大小，都被迫大砍支出，以彌補逐漸擴大的預算缺口，刪減的支出可能長期都不會恢復。有人估計，疫情至少使美國各大學合計損失1200億美元，就連坐擁419億美元辦學基金的哈佛大學也出現1000萬美元預算赤字，被迫勒緊褲帶。 The persistence of the economic downturn is taking a devastating financial toll, pushing many to lay off or furlough employees, delay graduate admissions and even cut or consolidate core programs like liberal arts departments. 經濟持續疲軟造成極其嚴重的財務災情，迫使許多大學裁員或放無薪假，推遲研究所學生入學，甚至取消或合併文科等核心學程。 The University of South Florida announced last month that its College of Education would become a graduate school only, phasing out undergraduate education degrees to help close a $6.8 million budget gap. In Ohio, the University of Akron, citing the coronavirus, successfully invoked a clause in its collective-bargaining agreement in September to supersede tenure rules and lay off 97 unionized faculty members. 南佛州大學上個月宣布，其教育學院將只留下研究所，分階段取消大學部，以彌補680萬美元的預算缺口。在俄亥俄州，艾克朗大學以疫情為由，在9月成功援用團體協約一項條款取代任期規則，裁掉97名加入工會的教師。 “We haven’t seen a budget crisis like this in a generation,” said Robert Kelchen, a Seton Hall University associate professor of higher education who has been tracking the administrative response to the pandemic. “There’s nothing off-limits at this point.” 西東大學高等教育副教授柯爾欽一直在關注校方對疫情的反應，他說：「這是一個世代以來從未見過的預算危機，在這種關頭，沒有什麼不能碰。」 Even before the pandemic, colleges and universities were grappling with a growing financial crisis, brought on by years of shrinking state support, declining enrollment, and student concerns with skyrocketing tuition and burdensome debt. Now the coronavirus has amplified the financial trouble systemwide, though elite, well-endowed colleges seem sure to weather it with far less pain. 早在疫情爆發前，美國大專院校就為日益嚴重的財務危機而掙扎，原因是州政府補助日漸減少，學生註冊數下滑而且介意學費高漲和學貸負擔沉重，如今，疫情擴大了整個高教體系財務問題，不過，辦學基金厚實的菁英大學似乎可度過難關，且承受的痛苦會少得多。 “We have been in aggressive recession management for 12 years — probably more than 12 years,” Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, told his board of governors as they voted to forge ahead with a proposal to merge a half-dozen small schools into two academic entities. 賓州高等教育體系董事會表決通過，大力推動將6個小規模學院併為兩個學術單位，當時總校長葛林斯坦對董事會說：「我們積極從事於衰退問題管理已有12年，應該還不止12年。」 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/359091/web/ Next Article Topic: Remember the MOOCs? After Near-Death, They’re Booming Sandeep Gupta, a technology manager in California, sees the economic storm caused by the coronavirus as a time “to try to future-proof your working life.” So he is taking an online course in artificial intelligence. 美國加州科技業經理古普塔認為，新冠肺炎引發的經濟風暴是「防止職業生涯被未來淘汰」的時機，所以修讀了一門關於人工智慧的線上課程。 Dr. Robert Davidson, an emergency-room physician in Michigan, says the pandemic has cast “a glaring light on the shortcomings of our public health infrastructure.” So he is pursuing an online master’s degree in public health. 密西根州急診室醫師戴維森說，疫情「使我們公衛基礎設施的弱點顯而易見」，所以他在修讀線上公衛碩士學位。 Children and college students aren’t the only ones turning to online education during the coronavirus pandemic. Millions of adults have signed up for online classes in the past two months, too — a jolt that could signal a renaissance for big online learning networks that had struggled for years. 在新冠肺炎大流行期間轉而接受線上教育者，不限於兒童和大學生。過去兩個月，數以百萬計的成人也註冊參加線上課程，這令人驚訝的事實可能意味苦撐多年的大型線上學習網路即將再起。 Coursera, in which Gupta and Davidson enrolled, added 10 million new users from mid-March to mid-May, seven times the pace of new sign-ups in the previous year. Enrollments at edX and Udacity, two smaller education sites, have jumped by similar multiples. 古普塔與戴維森註冊的Coursera，從3月中旬到5月中旬增加1000萬新用戶，是去年同期新增註冊人數的七倍。edX與Udacity這兩個規模較小的教育網站，新註冊人數也以類似倍數暴增。 “Crises lead to accelerations, and this is best chance ever for online learning,” said Sebastian Thrun, a co-founder and chairman of Udacity. Udacity共同創辦人兼董事長史朗說：「危機導致改變加速發生，這是線上學習業未曾遇過的最佳良機。」 Coursera, Udacity and edX sprang up nearly a decade ago as high-profile university experiments known as MOOCs, for massive open online courses. They were portrayed as tech-fueled insurgents destined to disrupt the antiquated ways of traditional higher education. But few people completed courses, grappling with the same challenges now facing students forced into distance learning because of the pandemic. Screen fatigue sets in, and attention strays. Coursera、Udacity和edX近十年前出現，嘗試與大學合作推出線上課程而備受矚目，這類課程名為 「大規模開放線上課程」，簡稱「磨課師」。這種課程被描述為獲得科技支持的反叛者，意在顛覆傳統高等教育過時的授課方式。不過，很少有人能修完課程，這些人窮於應付的挑戰，與目前因為疫情被迫遠距學習的學生一樣。長時間盯著螢幕造成疲勞，而且注意力難以集中。 But the online ventures adapted through trial and error, gathering lessons that could provide a road map for school districts and universities pushed online. The instructional ingredients of success, the sites found, include short videos of six minutes or less, interspersed with interactive drills and tests; online forums where students share problems and suggestions; and online mentoring and tutoring. 不過這些線上企業透過反覆試驗來調整，並且積聚了可供被迫線上授課的學區和大學參考的知識和經驗。這些網站發現，線上授課成功的要素包括：短片時間不超過6分鐘，穿插互動練習和測驗；設立線上論壇，讓學生提出問題和建議；並提供線上指導和輔導。 A few top-tier universities, such as the University of Michigan and the Georgia Institute of Technology, offer some full degree programs through the online platforms. 有幾所頂尖大學，如密西根大學和喬治亞理工學院，透過這些線上平台提供一些正式學位學程。 While those academic programs are available, the online schools have tilted toward skil