Looking out over the Andes mountains in Peru, you think you see an airplane. But is that really what it is?
In that part of the world, you might have to take out your binoculars to get a closer look. The Andes mountains are home to Andean condor, one of the largest birds in the world. Its wings are up to 310cm from tip to tip, so it is no wonder that these huge birds are sometimes mistaken for small airplanes.
Condors are covered in black feathers, with a ring of white feathers around the bottom of their necks and patches of white feathers on their wings. They only eat animals which are already dead. Larger animals, such as deer and cows, are their food of choice.
PHOTO: AP
Often times, these condors will go for days without eating, and then they will eat a lot of food all at once. Sometimes they eat so much that they cannot lift themselves off the ground to fly!(Emily Shih, Staff Writer)
在祕魯安地斯山脈登高望遠,你以為自己看到了一架飛機。不過,那真的是飛機嗎?
在世界的那一端,你可能得拿出雙筒望遠鏡來看個仔細。安地斯山脈是世界上最大型的鳥類之一「安地斯禿鷹」的家鄉。安地斯禿鷹的翼幅寬達三百一十公分,難怪這些大鳥有時會被誤認為小型飛機。
安地斯禿鷹全身覆滿黑羽毛,脖子底端有一圈白羽毛,翅膀也有幾塊白羽毛。牠們只吃死的動物。如鹿、牛等較大型的動物是牠們食物的選擇。
這些禿鷹往往會有好幾天不吃東西,再一次吃下許多食物。有時候牠們吃太多了,甚至無法飛離地面! (翻譯︰賴美君)
Taiwan Travelogue, the novel by Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi and translated into English by Lin King, won the prestigious International Booker Prize in London on May 19. It marks the first time a Taiwanese literary work has received the International Booker Prize, setting a historic milestone both for Taiwanese literature and for the award itself. Prior to this achievement, Taiwan had only once appeared on the Booker radar, when Taiwanese author Wu Ming-yi was longlisted for the Booker Prize in 2018 with The Stolen Bicycle. The International Booker Prize honors works of fiction translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland.
A: Time magazine recently released its list of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2026.” It’s categorized into six groups: Artists, Pioneers, Titans, Icons, Leaders and Innovators. B: TSMC chairman C.C. Wei made the list this year. Which category is he in? A: Wei is actually among the Pioneers, with figures including Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro and MrBeast — the first YouTuber ever to surpass 400 million subscribers. B: Led by Wei, Taiwan’s “silicon shield” TSMC is the sixth-largest company in the world. A: As Nvidia founder Jensen Huang wrote in his introduction, “C.C. Wei is truly one of the
The animal kingdom is full of surprises that challenge our understanding of biology. From remarkable feeding mechanisms to extreme defense strategies, some creatures possess traits so unusual that they seem like pure fiction. Here are four fascinating examples that show nature’s endless creativity. The humble snail may appear simple, but its mouth tells a different story. Snails possess a ribbon-like tongue called a radula, densely covered with anywhere from 1,000 to 12,000 tiny teeth. This structure works like a cheese grater, allowing them to scrape and grind food with surprising efficiency. Far from being passive creatures, snails are actually
A: In the 2026 Time 100 list, besides TSMC chairman C.C. Wei in the Pioneers category, Blackpink’s Jennie also stands out in the Artists group. B: What about the Titans and Icons? A: The Titans include legendary fashion designer Ralph Lauren, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, and Intel CEO Tan Lip-bu. The Icons include actor Wagner Moura, Olympic gold figure skater Alysa Liu and singer Victoria Beckham. B: What about the Leaders and Innovators? I bet US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are on the list. A: You got it. Other Leaders include Japanese PM Sanae