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機場海關、飯店入住、餐廳用餐…

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旅行英文了!

快跟著人氣名師Maggie  
一起學習吧!

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世界觀景窗

Mar.

8

4U活用英文-中級

4U 字彙程度:1500~3500字
主要對象:英檢中級;新多益550分

生錯時區的西班牙

到西班牙遊玩的觀光客可能會發現這裡的太陽落得稍晚。除此之外當地居民傾向晚點用餐,大約9點或10點才在吃晚餐。儘管大部分的人相信這樣的習慣和地中海的生活態度有關,但實際上是因為西班牙生處在錯的時區裡。

原來西班牙應和英國與葡萄牙在同一個時區裡,但在1940年,西班牙元首佛朗哥改變國家的時區,改採歐洲中部時區。他這麼做是想向納粹德國表示統一,並展現自己與其關係友好。

現今西班牙的政府考慮把國家回復到原本的時區。有些人贊成這樣的改變;然而有些人覺得生處在錯的時區已促成西班牙特別的文化,對觀光客來說到西班牙體驗其夏末傍晚和熱鬧喧嘩的夜生活已變成吸引人之處。

Why the Spanish Eat So Late

Visitors to Spain will likely notice that the sun sets rather late there. What's more, the locals tend to eat dinner late, around 9 or 10 p.m. While most of us believe the habit is related to the Mediterranean attitude, there's another reason that makes more sense. It's because Spain is actually in the wrong time zone.

According to world maps, Spain should be in the same time zone as the UK and Portugal. However, in 1940, Spanish leader General Franco changed the country's time zone, adopting Central European Time instead. He did this to show unity with Nazi Germany, with whom he was on good terms. As a result, Spain's work day doesn't really match the hours of daylight.

Spain's government is considering putting the country back in its original time zone. Some people are in favor of the change. Others, however, feel being in the wrong time zone has contributed to Spain's special culture. It's become an attraction for tourists, who go there for the late summer evenings and buzzing nightlife.

臺灣女生用布衛生棉翻轉尼泊爾

在尼泊爾鄉村地區,人們對女性健康問題嚴重缺乏教育。特別是對於女性月事的無知已經導致了不安全的行為,使婦女處於危險中。積極參與此事的林念慈試著透過一項具有影響力的計畫──棉樂悅事工坊,來幫助解決這些問題。藉此,林念慈往三個主要的方向改善。她去除月事的汙名、為當地女性提供就業機會,並且製造環保的衛生棉。

除了給尼泊爾婦女工作外,林念慈還希望能為她們發聲。為此,她在當地舉辦以衛生棉為主題的藝術展覽,讓當地人能夠學習並且討論女性議題。棉樂悅事工坊的布衛生棉現在已在國際上銷售,包含臺灣、英國及美國。很明顯地,林念慈的努力正在為尼泊爾的女性和未來的世代創造一個更美好的世界。

Lin Nien-Tzu Creates a Brighter Future for Nepalese Women

In rural Nepal, there is a shocking lack of education about women's health. In particular, ignorance about women's periods has led to unsafe practices that put women there in danger. One activist, Lin Nien-Tzu, is trying to help solve these problems through a powerful project: the Dharti Mata Sustainable Workshop. Through it, Lin is making a difference in three major ways. She's breaking the stigma of periods, giving local women job opportunities, and producing eco-friendly sanitary pads.

One belief Lin addresses in the workshop is that menstruating women are impure. For centuries, girls and women have been forced to sleep in cow barns or poorly built huts while menstruating because of this idea. Some of these women have frozen to death during cold winters. Others have been robbed or harmed by men who see them as easy targets. Though this practice was outlawed in 2005, it hasn't disappeared completely.

Another concern is that many women in Nepal's small villages can't afford disposable sanitary pads. Instead, they use pieces of old cloth. Unfortunately, this is very unhygienic and can result in major health problems.

品味台灣

Mar.

14

4U活用英文-中級

4U 字彙程度:1500~3500字
主要對象:英檢中級;新多益550分
Festival

Mar.

8

ED實用英文-高級

ED 字彙程度:4000~7000字
主要對象:英檢中級/中高級;新多益750分

國際婦女節:向全天下的女性致敬

三月八日是國際婦女節。這個全球性的節慶最早是在西元 1911 年實行的,而這些年來,它已經變成了感謝及表彰女性對社會、政經等方面貢獻的日子。

國際婦女節誕生於對決定女性較低社會地位的嚴格準則及政策的反抗。在西元二十世紀初,美國數千名成衣女工罷工抵制她們不佳且往往很危險的工作條件。在西元 1909 年,美國制定了全國婦女節以向那些罷工活動致敬。不久之後,德國激進分子提議了國際婦女節,該節日最早在西元 1911 年得到正式認可。

然而,西元 2017 和 2018 年發生了一些最大規模的示威遊行,各地的男男女女皆要求性別平等、結束性暴力和家暴,以及更佳的生育保健。今年三月,何不加入群眾並對你生命中的出色女性表示支持呢?

Celebrating the World's Wonderful Women

Today's date is March 8, and if you're wondering what's so special about that, I'm here to tell you. March 8 is International Women's Day. This global celebration was first observed in 1911, and over the years, it's become a day to acknowledge and honor women's contributions to society, politics, economics, and more.

International Women's Day was born of rebellion against the strict norms and policies that dictated women's lower societal position. In the early 20th century, thousands of female garment workers in the US went on strike to oppose their poor, and often dangerous, working conditions. In 1909, National Women's Day was established to pay tribute to those strikes. Not long after, German activists Luise Zietz and Clara Zetkin proposed an International Women's Day, which was first recognized in 1911.

Though the movement began in the US, some of its most consequential events took place in Russia in 1917. On March 8 that year, the International Women's Day demonstration drew tens of thousands of women to downtown Petrograd (now St. Petersburg). Calling for “bread and peace,” the women's protest attracted workers from all over the city. Over the next several days, protestors urging an end to food shortages and World War I filled the streets, sparking the February Revolution and the czar's abdication seven days later.

These days, International Women's Day is just as much about protest as it was in 1917. In fact, thanks to #MeToo, some of the largest demonstrations ever took place in 2017 and 2018, with women and men everywhere demanding gender equality, an end to sexual and domestic violence, and better reproductive health care. This March, why not join the masses and show support for the wonderful women in your life?

極地霸主─北極熊

你注意到北極熊的顏色,可能認為牠們是白色的,但事實並非如此。在厚厚的毛皮底下,牠們的皮膚是黑色的。牠們的毛皮實際上根本不含任何白色色素。令人驚訝的是,它是透明的。事實上,北極熊毛皮的最外層由衛毛組成,有助於防水並阻擋強烈的北極陽光。產生白色的效果是因為中空且透明的毛髮以和雪相同的方式反射光線。當陽光強烈地照在牠們身上時,這些毛髮閃閃發亮,且看上去是白色的。

關於北極熊一件多數人都知道的事是剩下的並不多。儘管因為牠們居住的地區偏遠而很難估計牠們的數量,但牠們被國際專家歸類為「易危物種」。氣候變遷是一個巨大的威脅,因為融冰使牠們更難以捕獲海豹和建築巢穴。如果你只記得一件關於北極熊的事,那就記住這點:這些美麗的生物必須受到保護。

Polar Bears: Mighty Marine Mammals

The snow-white polar bear can't be mistaken for any other animal. However, there are some facts about these unique creatures that you might not know.

For starters, consider the creatures' color. You might think they're white, but that's not really true. Underneath that thick fur, their skin is black. Their fur doesn't actually contain any white pigment at all—surprisingly, it's transparent. In fact, the top layer of polar bears' fur is comprised of guard hairs, which help resist water and block out the strong Arctic sunlight. The white effect is produced because the hollow, transparent hairs reflect light the same way snow does. When the sun shines strongly on them, the hairs shine brilliantly and look white.

Another tidbit about polar bears is that they spend much more time in the water than other bears. Because of this, they are incredibly strong swimmers. They sit at the top of the Arctic food chain and feed primarily on seals. They catch their food by waiting near holes in the ice. When seals emerge to breathe or rest, the bears attack. In summer, when the ice melts and the seals migrate, polar bears live on land and often don't eat for months. During this time, they live off their thick layers of fat.

One thing most people know about polar bears is that there aren't many left. Though it's hard to estimate their numbers because of the remote regions where they live, they're classified as “vulnerable” by international experts. Climate change is a big threat, as melting ice makes it harder for them to catch seals and build dens. If you only remember one thing about polar bears, make it this: these beautiful creatures must be protected.

Animal

Mar.

11

ED實用英文-高級

ED 字彙程度:4000~7000字
主要對象:英檢中級/中高級;新多益750分
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