Taiwan marks third-year anniversary of same-sex marriage (3/3) 台灣開放同婚三週年（三）
A: I often see people use the acronym “LGBT” — what does it mean? B: LGBT are the first letters for: lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender. A: Is the LGBT community in Taiwan very large? B: I’m not too sure. But in the US, for example, according to a recent poll by Gallup, the LGBT community accounts for 7 percent of the population. A: OK, so if you were to transpose this figure onto Taiwan, 7 percent of Taiwan’s population equates to over 1 million people. B: However, Taiwanese society is comparatively conservative, so many LGBT people may be unwilling to come out. A: 我常看別人寫LGBT，是什麼意思？ B: LGBT就是女同性戀、男同性戀、雙性戀與跨性別者的首字母縮略字。 A: 台灣的LGBT族群很大嗎？ B: 這我不太清楚，如果以美國為例的話，根據蓋洛普最新民調，LGBT族群約佔總人口的百分之七。 A: 那在台灣的話，百分之七就等於一百多萬人呢。 B: 不過台灣社會較保守，許多人還不願「出櫃」吧。 （Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩） Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
Taiwan marks third-year anniversary of same-sex marriage (2/3) 台灣開放同婚三週年（二）
A: When did Taiwan lift the restriction on same-sex marriage? B: On May 24, 2019 — so this week marks the third anniversary of same-sex marriage. A: How many same-sex marriages are there in Taiwan? B: According to the data, in the first year after legalization, there were over 4,000 registered same-sex couples. A: 台灣是在何時開放同性婚姻的？ B: 是在二○一九年五月二十四日，本週剛好滿三週年唷！ A: 那有很多同志結婚嗎？ B: 據統計在開放第一年，就有四千多對同志伴侶登記呢。 （Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩） Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
A: That’s a really beautiful outfit. Going somewhere special? B: I’m going to a gay friend’s wedding, I’m so happy for them. A: A gay wedding? I’ve never been to one before. B: More than 30 countries around the world have lifted restrictions on same-sex marriage. However, Taiwan is the only country in Asia to have legalized it. A: 你穿得這麼漂亮，要去哪裡嗎？ B: 我正要去參加一對同志朋友的婚禮唷，真為他們高興。 A: 同志婚禮？我都沒去過耶。 B: 全世界已經有三十幾個國家開放同婚，但台灣是亞洲唯一同婚合法化的國家。 （Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩） Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
The Fullon Hotel Fulong has announced that this year’s Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival will take place from tomorrow until Oct. 10 at the Fulong Beach Resort in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District. This year’s sand sculpture festival has joined hands with Taiwan’s classic Pili budaixi glove puppet theater to create 36 sand sculptures that depict more than 30 popular characters from the Pili puppet shows. The centerpiece is an 8 meter-high sculpture of one of the main characters, Su Huan-chen, displaying his martial skills. Transforming into three different styles on the beach, he will defeat his greatest foes. In coordination with the Fulong sand sculpture festival, the Northeast and Yilan Coast National Scenic Area Administration will be holding the Fulong Beach Life Festival every weekend from June to October, including beach concerts, markets and delicious food, while also giving visitors an opportunity to try their hand at making sand sculptures. (CNA, translated by Julian Clegg) 福容大飯店宣布，今年的福隆國際沙雕藝術季將從名天開始到十月十日在新北市貢寮區的福隆海水浴場開展。 今年沙雕展聯名本土經典霹靂布袋戲，打造三十六座沙雕作品，呈現超過三十名霹靂布袋戲人氣角色，其中主雕作品為高八公尺的「素還真」展現神技，在沙雕上化身三種不同造型，打敗最大反派。 配合福隆沙雕季，東北角暨宜蘭海岸國家風景區管理處將在六月至十月每週末舉辦福隆沙灘生活節，現場將有沙灘音樂會、市集、美食，還提供民眾親手體驗製作沙雕。 （中央社）
After causing a stir with his first appearance at the Cannes Film Festival in 30 years for his new film Top Gun: Maverick, Tom Cruise made another stunning appearance at the film’s London premiere in Leicester Square on the evening of May 19. Having been given the honor of walking the red carpet with Prince William and his wife the Duchess of Cambridge, Cruise, being the perfect gentleman, extended his hand to the Duchess as she navigated a set of stairs. The sweet moment was spotted by onlookers and greeted with a barrage of camera flashes from the assembled media, while Prince William was momentarily “demoted” to a supporting role. Cruise said that he and Prince William have a lot in common, such as they both love England, and they are both aviators and love flying. As an A-lister, the 59-year-old superstar still continues to dazzle the crowd with his chivalrous manner and charm wherever he goes. Cruise’s helpful gesture to the Duchess was praised and he was hailed “the perfect gentleman” by British fans. (Translated by Rita Wang, Taipei Times) 「阿湯哥」湯姆克魯斯日前才剛帶著新片《捍衛戰士：獨行俠》久違三十年現身坎城影展，引起轟動，十九日傍晚又馬不停蹄出席該片在英國倫敦萊斯特廣場舉辦的皇室首映會。 當晚，湯姆克魯斯與威廉王子、凱特王妃一同走上紅毯，當凱特王妃要步上戲院階梯時，阿湯哥相當有紳士風度地向凱特王妃身伸出了手，協助她走上樓梯，而這一幕兩人「牽手」的甜蜜時刻，也讓現場媒體的鎂光燈閃個不停，站在一旁的威廉王子更頓時成為配角。 湯姆克魯斯特別提到他和威廉王子之間有許多共通點，像是都熱愛英國，都是飛行員駕駛，熱愛飛行。而薑還是老的辣，湯姆克魯斯不愧為超級巨星，雖然已經五十九歲，依舊是風度翩翩，所到之處都是焦點，尤其是與凱特王妃「牽手」這一幕，為他贏來一片好評，更被英國網友譽為「完美紳士」。 （自由時報）
US Congress held its first hearing in half a century Tuesday last week on unidentified flying objects. And no, there is still no government confirmation of extraterrestrial life. Congress last held a hearing on reports of UFOs — unidentified flying objects synonymous with space aliens — in the 1960s, and even in the realm of fiction, Scully and Mulder of The X-Files seem to have retired. Testifying before a House Intelligence subcommittee, Pentagon officials did not disclose additional information from their ongoing investigation of hundreds of unexplained sightings in the sky. But they said they had picked a director for a new task force to coordinate data collection efforts on what the government has officially labeled “unidentified aerial phenomena” (UAP). Ronald Moultrie, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, said the Pentagon was also trying to destigmatize the issue and encourage pilots and other military personnel to report anything unusual they see. “We want to know what’s out there as much as you want to know what’s out there,” Moultrie told lawmakers, adding that he was a fan of science fiction himself. Lawmakers from both parties say UFOs are a national security concern. Sightings of what appear to be aircraft flying without discernible means of propulsion have been reported near military bases and coastlines, raising the prospect that witnesses have spotted undiscovered or secret Chinese or Russian technology. But the sightings are usually fleeting. Some appear for no more than an instant on camera — and then sometimes end up distorted by the camera lens. The US government is believed to hold additional technical information on the sightings that it has not disclosed publicly. An interim report released by intelligence officials last year counted 144 sightings of aircraft or other devices apparently flying at mysterious speeds or trajectories. In all but one of
There are few awards ceremonies that get more attention than the Grammys. This annual ceremony, first held more than six decades ago, recognizes outstanding achievements in the music industry. The trophy that is presented to winners is in the shape of an old-fashioned record player called a gramophone. The idea for the Grammys first came about in the 1950s. People in the recording industry were concerned that musicians, singers and songwriters were not getting the same recognition as people working in film and television. The movie industry, for example, had been awarding Oscars since 1929, and the television industry handed out the first Emmy in 1949. As the idea for an awards ceremony celebrating music became more popular, influential people in the industry began considering a catchy name to rival the Oscars and Emmys. An early favorite was the “Eddies” in honor of the inventor of the phonograph, Thomas Edison. However, the organizers eventually chose the “Grammys” after the invention of the “gramophone” by Emile Berliner. The inaugural Grammy Awards took place on May 4, 1959 in Los Angeles and New York City. The following year, the ceremony was broadcast on television around the nation. Since then, Los Angeles has hosted the most events, followed by New York City and other places like Nashville and Chicago. While the first ceremony handed out fewer than 30 awards, the number grew to well over 100 by the 2000s. In the past decade, however, an average of 83 trophies have been awarded each year. Similar to actors, directors, producers and screenwriters who are awarded Oscars, winning a Grammy is a huge honor for the recipient, ensuring a bright future in the music industry. 很少有頒獎典禮比葛萊美獎更受注目。這個一年一度的盛典於六十多年前首次舉行，表揚了音樂產業的傑出成就。頒發給獲獎者的獎杯是一個稱作唱盤式留聲機的老式錄音播放器。 葛萊美獎的想法最早出現於1950年代。唱片業人士擔心音樂家、歌手和詞曲創作者沒有像從事電影和電視工作的人那樣得到認可。例如，電影業從1929年就一直在頒發奧斯卡獎，而電視業在1949年頒發了第一座艾美獎。隨著慶祝音樂的一個頒獎典禮的想法變得越來越普遍，業內有影響力的人開始考慮一個動聽又好記的名字，可與奧斯卡獎和艾美獎相媲美。起初最受喜愛的名字是「愛迪」，為了紀念留聲機的發明者湯瑪斯．愛迪生。然而，在愛米爾．貝利納發明唱盤式留聲機之後，主辦方最終選擇了「葛萊美獎」。 首屆葛萊美獎於1959年五月四日在洛杉磯和紐約市舉行。次年，頒獎典禮在全國各地的電視上播出。從那時起，洛杉磯主辦最多次，其次是紐約市以及諸如納許維爾和芝加哥等其他地方。雖然第一次頒獎典禮頒發的獎項不到三十個，但到了2000年代，數目增加到一百多個。但是，在過去十年中，平均每年頒發八十三個獎杯。 與獲得奧斯卡獎的演員、導演、製片和編劇相同的是，獲得葛萊美獎對得獎者來說是一項巨大的榮耀，確保了在音樂界的光明未來。 What Did You Learn? 1. What does the trophy of the Grammys look like? 2. When did people start to watch the Grammys on TV? 參考答案 1. An
自疫情爆發至今已超過兩年，全球逐漸邁向與疫情共存的方式，日本政府也將陸續鬆綁邊境管制，最快有機會六月就開放外國觀光客以團體旅遊方式入境。加上日圓近期狂貶，來到二十年來新低點，專家預估，日本將迎來新一波的旅遊熱潮。今天我們就從國外報導的日圓貶值現象，提前為旅日做好準備吧！ yen weakness 日圓疲軟 Yet economists see building pressure for a shift if persistent yen weakness exacerbates inflation by raising import costs, particularly for energy, and reckon that 125 is a key level. （然而，若是日圓持續疲軟而提高進口成本，尤其在能源上，將加重通貨膨脹，經濟學家認為政策轉變的壓力很大，並預估貶破125是關鍵點。） yen weakness是「日圓疲軟，weak (a.)意思是「虛弱的、疲弱的，加上「-ness」名詞字尾，代表「疲軟的概念；加上「-en」動詞變化則有「弱化、削弱」的意思。 The bill would seriously weaken environmental protections. （這項法案將嚴重削弱對環境的保護。） exacerbate (v.)「惡化、加劇、加重，英文的定義為to make something that is already bad even worse（使某件已經很糟的事情更糟）。文章中提到通膨（inflation）加劇，將會對經濟造成負面的影響，因此可以看出作者的態度是不樂觀的。 This attack will exacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.（這次襲擊將令兩個原本已經處於緊張狀態的團體關係更加惡化。） 提高成本raise、rise怎麼用？ raise import cost是「提高進口成本，討論數據「上升、下降時，經常使用raise和rise這兩個動詞，但是特別注意兩者使用方式有所不同。raise是及物動詞(vt)，後方必須要接一個受詞（名詞），如raise your hand、raise the eyebrows；然而，rise是不及物動詞(vi)，不能直接加上受詞，而是要在中間穿插一個介系詞作為連結功能的用途，如常見的go (to) school、listen (to) music等，因此rise的用法就是inflation rises，常見的the sun rises in the east就是如此。 The government plans to raise taxes. （政府計畫增稅。） Inflation is rising by 2.1 percent a month. （通貨膨脹一個月增長百分之二‧一。） 升值、貶值怎麼說？ Japanese yen depreciation is a big problem for the Japanese economy, because the economy — especially households — is facing rising inflation and yen depreciation could accelerate that. (Reuters) （日圓貶值對於日本經濟是一大問題，因為經濟，尤其是家庭經濟，正面對高升的通膨，而日圓貶值可能加速這個現象。） yen depreciation是「日圓貶值的意思，depreciation (n)來自於動詞depreciate，英文解釋為to lose value「失去價值、貶值」，「-ate」是動詞字尾，「-ation則是名詞字尾。 Our car depreciated (by) US$1,500 in the first year we owned it. （我們買的車在第一年就貶值了一千五百美元。） depreciate的反義詞是appreciate，英文解釋to increase in value「增值、升值」。除此之外，appreciate在國際職場與多益測驗中，還有「欣賞、感恩」這兩個衍生字義。 The value of our house has appreciated by 50 percent in the last two years. （過去兩年內我們房子的價格上漲了百分之五十。） There’s no point buying him expensive wines - he doesn’t appreciate them. （給他買名貴的酒沒有意義——他不懂品酒。） rising inflation「通膨上升」，當rise作現在分詞rising時，可當作形容詞使用，因此字面上的意思就是「正在上升的，用來修飾名詞inflation。 accelerate (v.)「加快，字尾「-ate」是動詞用法，而「-ation則是作為名詞變化，「-ator也作為名詞，代表「加速器、油門」的意思。 Inflation is likely to accelerate this year, adding further upward pressure on interest rates. （今年通貨膨脹可能會加劇，迫使利率持續上升。） 【多益模擬試題】 1. Children who are two years old and younger are ________ free of charge to most concerts and films. (A) admit (B) admits (C) admitted (D) admitting 2. After discussing the terms of the new health-benefits contract, ________ management and employees were satisfied. (A) both (B) also (C) either (D) too 3. Although we have ________ not to offer you a position at this time , we will keep your resume on file for future openings. (A) decided (B) deciding (C) decision (D) decidedly 【解析】 1. 正解為(C)。語意為「任何兩歲及以下的孩童可以免費進入大部分的演唱會和電影。」本題要考的是被動態用法，在英語中，若要進場或是進入一個管控的場所，會用admit代表「允許…進入」的意思。本句主詞children為複數，要使用被動態be+p.p.「被允許進入」，故(C)為正確答案。 2. 正解為(A)。語意為「在討論過新的健保合約條款後，勞資雙方都很滿意。」本句要表達雙方都很滿意，both代表兩個立場，故(A)為正確答案。 3. 正解為(A)。語意為「儘管我們已經決定此時不向您提供職位，但是我們會將履歷入檔做為日後職缺參考。」因為完成式後面的動詞要變化成過去分詞，因此have後方只能接decided，故(A)為正確答案。 Source: https://www.englishok.com.tw/toeic/toeic-issue/yen-depreciation 文章由 English OK 授權使用: www.englishok.com.tw
This is an announcement about the English speech contest. 這是關於英語演講比賽的公告。 ABC School Announcement This year’s English speech contest is coming next month! All the topics are listed on the school’s website at: www.abcschool.edu/speech. The deadline for registration is May 31. Each class should register at least one student. 必備單字 1. list v. 列表、列舉（國中基本1200字） 2. speech n. 演講、言論（國中挑戰800字） 3. topic n. 題目、話題（國中挑戰800字） 實用字詞 1. deadline for registration 報名截止時間 2. at least 至少、最少 閱讀技巧： 將長句分成短字詞，以利閱讀 All the topics / are listed on / the school’s website. 所有的題目／都被列在／學校的網站上。 斷句練習： Each class should register at least one student. 解答： Each class / should register / at least / one student. 每個班級／應該報名／至少／一位學生。 考題練習： TOEIC Bridge測驗X國中會考題型 1. What is the announcement about? (A) An English contest (B) An English website (C) A website contest 2. When is the deadline for registration? (A) March 13 (B) March 31 (C) Next month 3. How many students from each class may register for this contest? (A) Only one (B)At least one (C) More than one 解答： 1. (A) 2. (B) 3. (B) 文章由 English OK 授權使用: www.englishok.com.tw
A: Are there any other organisms facing extinction? B: Reportedly, over 40 percent of amphibians, 25 percent of mammals and 13 percent of birds could face extinction. A: These are really frightening statistics. B: If humans do not look after the animal kingdom, one day we too might become extinct. A: 那其他生物會不會也面臨絕種危機啊？ B: 據說百分之四十的兩棲動物、百分之二十五的哺乳動物、百分之十三的鳥類都可能滅絕。 A: 這些數字看起來好驚人。 B: 如果人類再不保護動物，總有一天自己也會滅絕。 （Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩） Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
A: Why are reptiles under the threat of extinction? B: According to one expert, the cause is “over-exploitation and persecution.” A: In what sense? B: Crocodiles are killed for their meat or are driven out of human settlements. Turtles are poached for the pet trade and are used for traditional medicine. A: 為什麼爬蟲動物會瀕臨絕種啊？ B: 專家說是因為「過度開發和迫害」。 A: 怎麼說？ B: 鱷魚是因為人類捕食，或被趕出人類居住環境的原因。烏龜是因為寵物交易，或傳統藥材需求所致。 （Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩） Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
A: My goodness, I really love turtles: are they about to become extinct? B: According to the research, crocodiles and turtles are most at risk, with around 58 percent and 50 percent under threat, respectively. A: Are there any other reptile species facing extinction? B: The scary King cobra might also die out. A: 天啊，我最愛的烏龜該不會面臨絕種危機吧？ B: 根據這份研究，鱷魚、烏龜處境最危險，各有百分之五十八、百分之五十的物種可能滅絕。 A: 還有什麼爬蟲動物可能滅絕呢？ B: 可怕的眼鏡王蛇也可能滅絕耶。 （Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
In the early hours of Monday morning last week, the First Tank Company of the Second Combined Arms Battalion of the army’s 584 Armor Brigade set out from its barracks for a combat readiness patrol. As the unit was passing along the Bade Road section of Provincial Highway 1 in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township, a CM11 tank accidentally knocked over a set of traffic lights at an intersection and drove up onto the median divider island. Fortunately the accident did not cause any harm to personnel or equipment. The unit immediately contacted the relevant department of Hsinchu County Government to repair the damage and notified the police’s assessment office. The army suspects that the accident may have happened because the driver misjudged the width of the tracked vehicle. The Sixth Army Command apologized for any inconvenience caused to passersby. It said it would review the reasons behind the accident and provide better instruction on the concept of defensive driving, so as to maintain safety while performing army duties. (Liberty Times, translated by Julian Clegg) 陸軍裝甲第五八四旅聯兵二營戰一連上週一清晨自營區出發執行戰備偵巡任務，行經新竹縣湖口鄉台一線八德路段時，一輛CM11戰車不慎撞斷路口交通號誌桿後駛上中央分隔島，所幸人員和裝備皆無損傷，單位即聯繫新竹縣政府管理單位修復，並通報警方鑑處。 軍方初步研判，可能是履帶車寬距離未計算好，而釀成事故。第六軍團對於造成用路人交通不便，深感抱歉，後續將檢討事故發生原因，強化行車教育及防衛駕駛觀念，以維護執勤安全。 （自由時報廖雪茹）
A: Are so many of the world’s reptile species really at risk of extinction? B: Researchers have assessed over 10,000 reptile species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ (IUCN) Red List of threatened species. A: What did they find? B: They discovered that at least 1,829, or 21 percent, of reptile species were either “vulnerable,” “endangered” or “critically endangered.” A: 有這麼多爬蟲動物面臨絕種喔？ B: 依據國際自然保育聯盟《瀕危物種紅色名錄》，研究人員評估了一萬多種爬蟲動物的情況。 A: 研究結果如何？ B: 研究結果發現，至少有一千八百二十九種動物、或百分之二十一正處於「易危」、「瀕危」或「極危」狀態。 （Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei TimES／台北時報張聖恩）
Hu Tai-li, an anthropologist, documentary director, and researcher at the Academia Sinica’s Institute of Ethnology, passed away on May 7 at the age of 72 following an illness. She worked with both pen and camera, writing academic papers while making documentaries. The countless documentaries and writings she produced over decades have greatly inspired studies of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, new immigrants, the relationship between mainlanders and other ethnic communities in Taiwan, as well as gender issues. Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te said that as an anthropologist, Hu spent her life documenting Taiwan’s rural industrialization and social changes through ethnography and videos. She began to study mainland-born veteran soldiers who came with then-president Chiang Kai-Shek to Taiwan and made several ethnographic documentaries even before the lifting of martial law, when it was still a politically sensitive issue. Hu’s contribution in recording and preserving Taiwan’s multiculturalism is truly remarkable. Hu’s book Sex and Death, published in 1986, was a record of, and reflection on, her experience conducting field research in Papua New Guinea, an anthropologists’ “dream land,” after earning her doctorate from City University of New York, and before returning to Taiwan. “We often worry that the culture of indegenous tribes is on the verge of disappearing, but we don’t ask whether our own culture is about to disappear,” Hu wrote in the book. “If we are not willing to abandon our prejudices, and face our own and other ethnic cultures humbly, we will never escape the fate of being someone with a narrow view of the world, just like a frog in a well,” she wrote. It was also in the 1980s that Hu started to make documentaries, and insisted on filming in the ethnographic method of anthropology. The Return of Gods and Ancestors: Paiwan Five Year Ceremony released in 1984 was the first
A: Is this your new pet? B: Yep. This is my pet turtle “A-fu.” A: I’ve heard that turtles live for a really long time, with some species living for several decades. B: Although, new research indicates that one fifth of the world’s reptile species are at risk of extinction. A: 這是你的新寵物嗎？ B: 對啊，是我的寵物龜「阿富」。 A: 聽說龜類壽命很長，有的物種可以活到好幾十年。 B: 不過最近有研究指出，全球五分之一爬蟲動物都有滅絕危險。 （Translated by Edward Jones, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
If you take the Taipei Metro, you will know that instrumental music is broadcast at stations on different lines, with each line featuring a unique theme. However, passengers taking the Bannan Line (Blue Line) and the Songshan–Xindian Line (Green Line) last Tuesday would have heard the new jingle for Haolai toothpaste as trains neared the platform. Haolai, formerly known as “Heiren” — meaning “black person” in Chinese — is the most famous toothpaste brand in Taiwan. Its English name was originally “Darkie” but the owners dropped the racially-charged name and replaced it with “Darlie” in 1989. The skin tone of the mascot was also changed from black to white, but the Chinese name for “Darkie” remained unchanged until this March, when “Heiren” officially became “Haolai.” On May 10, instead of the standard melody, passengers taking the Blue Line heard a new theme song sung by singer William Wei, also known by his stage name WeiBird. The key refrain from the song is: “Heiren toothpaste of the past is now Haolai / fresh and confident / Call me Haolai.” Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation explained that the idea for a creative advertisement was proposed by Haolai toothpaste and is a first for Taipei Metro. Haolai toothpaste hopes that WeiBird’s song can convey a “fresh and appealing” brand image to the public, an image that Taipei Metro happens to share. (Translated by Rita Wang, Taipei Times) 台北捷運各線原設有不同列車進站音樂，不過上週二有民眾搭乘時發現，板南線、松山新店線的進站音樂變成好來牙膏主題曲。 好來牙膏前身是家喻戶曉的黑人牙膏，原本英文名稱為Darkie，但因該詞涉及種族歧視，一九八九年時改名為Darlie，並將黑人商標換為白人，中文部分則維持黑人牙膏，直到今年三月才正式更名為好來牙膏。 五月十日當天通勤的民眾發現，板南線列車進站響起的不是往常熟悉旋律，而是歌手韋禮安獻唱的好來牙膏主題曲，「以前的黑人牙膏，就是現在的好來，清新自信，叫我好來」。 台北捷運公司說明，這是由好來牙膏主動提出的創意廣告案，也是北捷前所未有的全新嘗試，希望藉由韋禮安的音樂，傳遞品牌「清新、美好」新氣象，與北捷的形象不謀而合。 （中央社）
最近兩部備受討論的電影《媽的多重宇宙》與《奇異博士2：失控多重宇宙》都以multiverse「多重宇宙」的概念為主軸。尤其由楊紫瓊主演的《媽的多重宇宙》更是受到極高評價，電影中主角Evelyn雙眉之間的玩具眼睛、熱狗手指都成為經典一幕。本次就讓我們從國外娛樂新聞網站Screen Rant對這部電影的介紹，來認識多益相關的重要字彙吧！ multiverse 多重宇宙 Everything Everywhere All at Once follows the story of Evelyn Wang, a laundromat owner who is in the midst of getting audited by the IRS. When she discovers that she has the ability to access parallel universes, she must connect with her multiverse selves in order to save them all from destruction. (screenrant.com) （《媽的多重宇宙》的故事是關於一位洗衣店老闆Evelyn被國稅局稽查稅務期間，發現她有能力遊走平行宇宙，而她必須連結多重宇宙中的分身來拯救他們免於崩壞毀滅。） multiverse 代表「多重宇宙」，字首「multi-」有many、much的意思，多益測驗中常見的單字有 multiple「多的，多種的」、multitask「多工」、multivitamin「綜合維他命」、multimedia「多媒體」。 According to a recent study, multitasking doesn’t lead to better work efficiency as we previously thought. （根據最近的研究，同時做多項事務並不如我們原先認為的那樣提高工作效率。） There are multiple solutions to the problem we are facing. （我們面臨的問題其實有多種解決方案。） 名詞verse通常指稱「詩、歌詞或聖經中的一節」。 I can’t really sing the song since I only remember the first verse of the song. （我真的無法唱這首歌，因為我只記得這首歌的第一節。） 字根「vers-」有 turning「轉」的意思，例如anniversary「周年」就是時間上又轉了一年， converse「對話」是兩方輪流講話，以及reverse「反轉」等。 Our company’s 25th anniversary celebration will be held next Saturday. （我們公司的二十五周年慶將在下周六舉行。） The damage caused by lead paint is irreversible. （含鉛油漆所造成的危害是無法恢復的。） 然而verse在這兩部電影裡指的是universe「宇宙」，MCU漫威電影宇宙甚至用Spider-verse來描述不同宇宙的蜘蛛人，因此multiverse「多重宇宙」就是字首「multi-」加上verse而組成的單字。 IRS 國稅局 在《媽的多重宇宙》中，我們看到楊紫瓊所飾演的Evelyn 面對著桌上滿滿的收據，焦頭爛額的樣子，尤其是在面對IRS「國稅局」稅務員時焦慮的模樣更是讓觀眾感同身受。 IRS是Internal Revenue Service 的縮寫，internal (adj)「內部的」、revenue (n)「收入」和audit (v, n)「查帳，審計」都是多益測驗中高頻出現的字彙。 Most countries do not want to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs. （大多數國家都不想干涉別國內政。） Our revenue has increased by 20% since we launched a new product last year. （自去年推出新產品以來，我們的收入增長了百分之二十。） Please let me know when the auditor is here. （當稽核員來的時候，請告知我一聲。） parallel universe 平行宇宙 在電影中，多重宇宙所包含的各個宇宙又被稱為parallel universe「平行宇宙」，parallel (adj, n)指的是「平行的」，在多益測驗中會以形容詞unparalleled「無比的」形式出現。 The skills and the work of Hong Kong tailors are unparalleled. （香港裁縫師的技術和作品品質是無可比擬的。） 這部電影中讓我們對多元宇宙的概念有極大想像，如同Evelyn的女兒在電影中說到The universe is so much bigger than you realize.，而或許我們面臨的是個infinite multiverse「無限的多元宇宙」。 infinite (adj) 「無限的」相反詞是finite (adj)，日常中更常見的單字為definite (adj)「肯定的」。 The possibilities seem infinite. （似乎有無限的可能。） We were so impressed by the services you provided. We will definitely recommend you to other companies. （您提供的服務給我們留下了深刻的印象。我們一定會向其他公司推薦您。） 【多益模擬試題】 1. Due to the recent surge of confirmed cases, the concerts ________ indefinitely. (A) postpone (B) are postponing (C) have been postponed (D) have postponed 2. These documents are for ________ use only, so it’s better to place them in the filing cabinet. (A) inferior (B) interior (C) integral (D) internal 【解析】 1. 正解(C)。語意為「因為最近確診案例暴增，演唱會將無限期延期」，由於concerts為主詞，演唱會被延期要選擇被動型態，故(C)為正確答案。 2. 正解(D)。語意為「這些文件僅供內部使用，所以最好放在檔案櫃裡。」本題為單字題，要選擇適合句意的單字。(A)自卑的，(B)內部的、國內的，(C)不可缺少的，(D)體內的、內部。故(D)為正確答案。 Source: https://www.englishok.com.tw/toeic/toeic-issue/multiverse-movie 文章由 English OK 授權使用: www.englishok.com.tw
Jack, Zoe and Irene are discussing whether to take the dog with them for a trip. 杰克、柔伊、艾琳正在討論是否要帶小狗去旅行。 Jack: I’m excited about the trip ! Can I take my dog with us? Zoe: Does your dog behave itself? Jack: Yes, but it gets a little nervous in the car. Irene: Let’s call the hotel to ask if it allows pets. ----------- 必備單字 1. pet n. 寵物、寵兒（國中基本1200字） 2. allow v. 允許、准許（國中挑戰800字） 實用字詞 1. excited 感到興奮的 exciting 令人興奮的 2. behave oneself 安分、守規矩 閱讀技巧： 將長句分成短字詞，以利閱讀 Yes,／but it gets／a little nervous／in the car. 是的，／不過牠會／有一點緊張／在車裡。 斷句練習： Let’s call the hotel to ask if it allows pets. 解答： Let’s call the hotel／to ask if／it allows pets. 來打電話給旅館／去問問看是否／允許帶寵物。 考題練習： TOEIC Bridge測驗X國中會考題型 1. What does Jack like to take? (A) A cat (B) A dog (C) A bird 2. How does the dog feel in the car? (A) Happy (B) Sad (C) Nervous 3. What will they do? (A) Call the hotel (B) Call the pet shop (C) Call the car rental company 解答： 1. (B) 2. (C) 3. (A) 文章由 English OK 授權使用: www.englishok.com.tw
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