☊ 碧瓏司の→ßeℒongŚ

MP3音檔 (按右鍵可下載聽)：
http://online1.tingclass.net/voas…/2015/20150302sa_earth.mp3

🎁  

🎁 中英文稿：
It's harder and harder to find peace and, especially, quiet. Just ask a field researcher deep in the wilderness. Even in the most remote parts of Alaskathe sound of a jet crossing overhead is all too common.
尋求安寧越來越難，想要安靜更難。不信你隨便去問一個某一領域深入荒野的專家，即使在阿拉斯加最偏遠的地區，頭上傳來飛機的聲音也是件很尋常的事。
So scientists with the National Park Service set off across the U.S. to study our audio ecology. They recorded more than a million hours of sound from the depths of the Great Basin's deserts to the hurly burley of the megalopolis that stretches from Boston, through New York City and on to Washington, D.C.
美國國家公園管理局的科學家們紛紛出發前往美國各地研究美國的“音訊生態”。從大盆地的沙漠深處到喧囂雜鬧的大都市，從波士頓、穿越紐約市再到華盛頓，他們記錄下了超過100萬小時的聲音。
They found that if you're craving quiet on the east coast head to the north woods of Maine or the Adirondacks in upstate New York. But for real quiet—defined as less than 20 decibels—the West is best.
他們發現，如果你在東海岸想尋求安靜，那就前往緬因州的北部森林或者去紐約州北部的阿迪朗達克山脈。但若你想要獲得真正的安靜——比如說低於20分貝的安靜——西部是最好的選擇。
The great swath of territory west of the Rockies but east of the western coast includes national parks, wilderness areas and even public lands that are probably as quiet as they were centuries ago. The researchers made that claim while presenting their findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on February 16th.
洛磯山脈以西的大片領土、西海岸東部廣大地區包括國家公園、自然保護區甚至公有土地可能都像幾百年前一樣安靜。研究人員于2月16日在美國科學促進協會的年度會議上發表了他們的研究結果。
Noise pollution is not good for people and it's even worse for animals with more sensitive ears, like bats. And the problem is not confined to land but echoes across the seas as well, where human-produced noise interferes with the lives of various ocean dwellers, including whales. These days on Earth it's rare to hear [silence].

MP3音檔 (按右鍵可下載聽)：
http://static.iyuba.com/sounds/minutes/28.mp3

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👯 中英文稿：
Hello and welcome to 6 minute English. My name is Neil and with me today is Rosie.
歡迎收聽BBC六分鐘英語欄目。我是尼爾，今天來到我們節目的還有羅西。
Hi there.
大家好。
Now Rosie, are you one of those people who walks down the road while trying to send a text message?
羅西，你屬於那種走馬路時還試圖發短信的人嗎？
Of course! I do it all the time.
當然是！我一直都這樣做。
And have you ever had an accident because you haven’t been looking where you are going?

MP3音檔 (按右鍵可下載聽)：
http://online1.tingclass.net/voaspe/…/20150924sa_science.mp3

🎁  

🎁 中英文稿：
Parts of the planet warm and cool during El Niño and La Niña. And infectious diseases also wax and wane in step with the climate cycle. Please visit www.chinavoa.com

 to get more information. Take malaria—shown to spike in northern Venezuela during cool, La Niña conditions. Or flu pandemics, which often follow months after La Niña sets in. Now researchers have linked another public health risk to El Niño climate cycling: poisonous viper bites.
在厄爾尼諾和拉尼娜現象期間，地球上一部分地區冷熱交替。同時一些傳染性的疾病也跟氣候迴圈交替興衰。以瘧疾為例，在寒冷的拉尼娜現象期間，委內瑞拉北部的瘧疾病例上升。抑或流感，通常在拉尼娜發生幾個月後出現疫情。現在研究者們已經把另外一種危害公共健康的危險因素和厄爾尼諾氣候迴圈聯繫到一起：那就是毒蛇咬傷事件。
Their study area was Costa Rica—where health centers keep rigorous records on snakebites. They compared nine years of those snakebite records—including some 6,500 bites—to climate data over the same period. And they found that snakebites were two to three times as prevalent in the hottest and coldest years of the El Niño climate cycle.
他們研究的區域在哥斯大黎加——當地健康中心對毒蛇咬傷事件做了詳細的記錄。研究者們將近9年的毒蛇咬傷的記錄和——其中包括6500起咬傷事件——同期的氣候資料進行比較。研究發現，在厄爾尼諾氣候迴圈期間最熱和最冷的時期，毒蛇傷人事件的概率要高出2至3倍。
Sounds counter intuitive—you might expect the climate extremes to have opposite effects. But the researchers say in hot, dry years, plant productivity peaks, driving an increase in the number of rodents—aka snake food, potentially increasing the number of snakes. And snakes tend to move around more in hot, dry weather—increasing chances they'll encounter—and attack—an unlucky farmer.
聽上去挺反常的——你也許會認為極端氣候條件下應該有與之相反的結果。但是研究人員稱，在炎熱乾燥的年份，植物的生長速度處於旺盛階段，使得齧齒類動物的數量增加——而齧齒類動物又是蛇的食物，潛在的，蛇的數量也就增加了。蛇又喜歡在炎熱乾燥的天氣四處遊蕩——這就增加了撞見它們的機率——以及攻擊——倒楣農夫的幾率。
In cold, wet years, on the other hand, prey numbers plummet—forcing snakes to travel beyond their usual slithering grounds to eat—again increasing chances of an unlucky meeting. The study is in the journal Science Advances.

♨ 托福閱讀必須理清三大關係 ♨

♨字彙與閱讀的關係
托福閱讀的基礎是字彙，某種程度上來說，單字量的多少是和托福閱讀的正確率成正比。加之托福字彙大部分都是比較常用的，背熟一點有益無害。在托福閱讀中還有一類題型專門用來測驗字彙，要想正確解答這類問題，考生首先需要明確，此類問題不僅僅是測驗一個單字的基本意思，而是測驗該字在文章上下文中的意思。不要僅僅因為某個選項符合該單字的某一個正確意思就將其作為正確選項，而要理解作者在文章上下文中使用了哪一個詞義。在選出答案之後，最好將所選擇的單字或短語放入原文當中進行檢驗，以確認這個句子在全文中仍是有意義的。

✿字神帝國多益每日溫習【多益必備片語】
多益要掌握片語熟悉挺好用的,沒事多溫習多熟悉是好事
according to +N 根據
as a matter of fact 事實上
at one’s convenience 依某人方便
be eligible for 有資格的
be engaged in 從事
be inferior to 低等的.下級的.
be involved in 牽涉
be married to 人 與某人結婚
be senior/junior to 年長的.年紀較大/資淺的.地位較低的.晚輩的
be superior to 較高的.上級的
be tied up 忙得不可開交的
be used to +Ving 習慣於
by oneself 獨自
by way of +N 經由

✿字神帝國多益每日溫習【多益必備片語】
put off 延期
qualify for 有資格的
run out of 用完
set off 出發.動身
so far 到目前為止
spill over 溢出
take risks 冒險
would rather +V 寧願
would sooner +V 寧願

✿字神帝國多益每日溫習【多益必備片語】
had better +V 最好
in charge of 主管.照料
in spite of +N 儘管
joint venture 合資
lean against 倚.靠
look forward to +Ving 期待
make do with 搓合一下

日本男士最不願聽妻子說的十句抱怨  😰 😰 😰
Japanese men rank the top 10 complaints they hope to never hear from their wives
　　
۩ Is it worse to be called lazy or smelly?
被抱怨懶或是臭，哪一樣更糟？
In personal interactions in Japan, it’s common for people to avoid confrontations rather than charge into them. On top of that, mainstream attitudes generally work out so that women are, on average, more accommodating and deferential than men.
在日本的人際交往中，人們通常會避免與他人發生衝突，以免讓自己陷入麻煩。加之，主流觀念的影響十分深遠，一般來說，相比於男性，女性整體更加隨和、順從。
That doesn’t mean that married life in Japan is all “I have prepared your supper, Honored Husband,” and “Shall I draw you a bath?” though. When their displeasure passes a certain threshold, Japanese women are as capable of spitting angry fire at their spouses as anyone else.
但這並不意味著日本人的婚後生活中每天都會上演“親愛的老公，晚飯已經準備好了”、“需要我為你搓澡嗎？”之類的橋段。當日本女性的不滿情緒超過自己的底線時，她們和別人一樣都會向自己的配偶發洩心中的憤怒。
　　
۩ But which particular brands of vitriol burn the worst? To find out, Internet portal R25 polled 200 Japanese men between the ages of 20 and 39, presenting them with a list of 23 commonly voiced complaints from frustrated wives, and asked them to pick the ones that would hurt the most to hear. Each respondent’s top selection received three points, with two points going to his second pick and one to his third.
那麼，究竟哪句刻薄話最傷人呢？為了找到答案，一家互聯網門戶網站R25在200名20至39歲的日本男性中展開了民意調查。該網站列出了一份清單，上面寫著情緒沮喪的妻子通常會說的23句抱怨話，然後發給每位受訪者，讓他們各自選出最為傷人的幾句話。每個人的第一選擇得三分、第二得兩分、第三選擇得一分。
　　
Let’s take a look at the top 10:
讓我們來看看排行前十位：
۩ 10 “Stop wasting so much money on things you don’t need!”(26 points)
第十名. “不要把這麼多錢浪費在你不需要的東西上！”（26分）
In many Japanese households, the husband turns his paycheck over to his wife, who manages the family finances. She in turn gives him an allowance to spend, but as with any limit, there’s sometimes going to be pressure to stay well under it.
在大多數日本家庭中，丈夫會把自己的薪水交給妻子，所以妻子掌握著家裡的財政大權。反過來，她也會給丈夫零用錢，但是零用錢也有上限，有時候妻子就會向丈夫施加壓力，讓他省著點花。
　　
۩ 9. “Stop being such a lazy fatso!”(28 points)
第九名. “不要再做懶胖子啦！”（28分）
It’s not unusual for people to put on a few pounds as they get older, and all the beers at those company drinking sessions aren’t exactly low-calorie beverages. Still, such a harsh indictment of weight-gain is going overboard in the eyes of some respondents, including one who called it “cold-hearted.”
隨著年齡的增加，加上公司酒水間提供的啤酒都不是真正的低卡飲料，體重增加是再平常不過的事情了。對於妻子關於“長胖”的刻薄控訴，一些受訪者認為是難以接受的，甚至有人說這話講得有些“無情”。
　　
۩ 8. “I don’t want to share a grave with you!”(33 points)
第八名. “我才不要跟你埋在一起！”（33分）
Rather than having individual final resting places, Japanese families share a monument where their ashes are entombed. The family distinction is done by marriage, not birth, and since the traditional attitude is that the wife marries into the husband’s family, her remains will be placed in the same grave as his when the time comes, to be together for all eternity. Finding out your wife isn’t interested in being along for that ride would, therefore, be a pretty big shock.
比起用一個單獨的安息地，日本家庭更傾向於共用一個掩埋骨灰的墓地。日本家庭是依據婚後家庭，而不是出生家庭來定義的。而且，按照日本傳統觀念，女方嫁入男方家庭後，她在去世之後骨灰將和丈夫的骨灰放入同一個墳墓中，這樣夫妻二人就能永遠在一起。因此，當你發現自己的妻子並不願意和你死後共埋一方，這可是個相當大的打擊。
　　
۩ 7. “At least take care of the dishes after we eat dinner!”(39 points)
第七名. “吃完飯你至少洗一下碗吧！”（39分）
Assuming that your wife made said dinner, then yeah, it would be pretty embarrassing to have her call you out for limiting your involvement in the meal to strictly the “eating” part. Can’t say she doesn’t have a point, though.
試想一下，你的妻子做好了飯菜，然後她赤裸裸地揭露了你想吃完就走的心態，這還是挺尷尬的。儘管她提出的要求不無道理。
　　
۩ 6. “Take care of the cooking once in a while!”(43 points)
第六名. “你好歹做一頓飯呀！”（43分）
“I wouldn’t be able to understand her thinking, since she knows I can’t cook,” offered one participant by way of excuse. Honestly though, dude, it’s not that hard to boil some pasta and open a jar of premade spaghetti sauce.
一位受訪者回應了這麼一個託辭：“她明明知道我不會做飯還這麼說，我真不能理解她到底是怎麼想的。”不過，說實話，夥計，煮一些義大利面，然後拌上一點現成的罐裝義大利麵醬，這不是很難吧？
　　
۩ 5. “Show more appreciation for the things I do!” (85 points)
第五名. “為我所做的事情你該表示一些感謝呀！”（85分）
At first this seems like a surprisingly high ranking for a situation that sounds like it should be more hurtful for the wife, but the men who selected this response predicated it on the fact that they do, in fact, feel a deep gratitude towards their better halves. “It would hurt to know those feelings aren’t coming across,” explained one man.
這句話排名如此靠前，一開始令人感到吃驚，因為這句話聽起來傷得更深的應該是妻子那一方。但選擇這句話的男士回應稱，實際上，他們確實對自己的妻子心存感激。一位男士解釋道：“當知道妻子並不能感受到自己的感激之情時，讓人很心碎。”
　　
۩ 4. “If we didn’t have kids, I’d totally have divorced you by now!”(97 points)
第四名,“要不是我們有了孩子，我現在早就和你離婚了！”（97分）
“That would have me thinking we should split up,” said one respondent. Another was slightly less calm, asserting “There are some things you’re just not supposed to say!”
一名男性回應稱：“這話真會讓我產生離婚的念頭”。另一位男性就沒有這麼淡定，宣稱“有些話你就不該說出口！”
　　
۩ 3. “I made a huge mistake marrying you!”(166 points)
第三名,“嫁給你我真是瞎了眼了！”（166分）
Yep, that would sting. “I don’t think I’d be able to say anything at all in response,” one participant imagined.
是的，這句話著實傷人。一名男士回應：“我都想不出我能回擊一句什麼話。”
　　
۩ 2. “You stink!”(201 points)
第二名. “你渾身臭烘烘的”（201分）
And no, this isn’t to say that the husband is poor at some task or skill set, but that he just plain smells bad. Thankfully, this complaint can usually be avoided by applying soap, shampoo, and deodorant before it becomes an issue. For those with a health issue-caused body odor, though, or who work in an industry or environment where they can’t avoid coming home with an unpleasant scent stuck to their hair and skin, this has to be tough to hear.
這不合理呀，這話並不是在抱怨你丈夫在某方面任務完成得不好或技能上很遜色，而僅僅只是他身上的氣味難聞。謝天謝地，通常只要多用點香皂、洗髮水、除臭劑，身上就不會發出難聞的氣味了，妻子們也就不會抱怨了的。但是，如果丈夫是因為身體狀態發出的體臭，或者，丈夫工作場所不可避免的難聞氣味滲入了髮膚，回家臭烘烘的，妻子說這話確實難聽。
　　
۩ 1. “Earn more money!”(230 points)
第一名 “多賺點錢” （230分）
Even though more Japanese women are working now than in previous generations, there’s still a societal expectation for a married man to be the breadwinner, and often once children enter the picture, the wife will quit her job to take care of them full-time. As such, it’s not entirely unreasonable for Japanese wives to be concerned about the income their husband brings into the household. But since Japan is already a notoriously hard-working society, being told that you’re still not doing enough to get ahead can hit a guy right where it hurts.
儘管現在日本工作的女性相較於之前大有增加，但社會上仍然存在一種觀念：已婚男性就應該賺錢養家，而且，一旦家裡有了小孩，妻子就要辭去工作當全職太太，照顧小孩。正因如此，對日本家庭主婦來說，她們如此關心自己丈夫給家庭帶來的收入並不是沒有道理的。但由於日本社會本來就以工作拼命而著稱，當被人說自己還不夠努力地往上爬，男性會覺得有損男子漢尊嚴。
　　
“It would damage my pride as a man,” one respondent succinctly explained, and we imagine that would go double if it were combined with complaint #10.
一位受訪者簡單地解釋道：“這話有損我作為男人的尊嚴。”試想一下，如果同時說這句話和排名第十的話，殺傷力肯定翻倍。
【Vocabulary】
♦ accommodating: 隨和的
♦ deferential: 恭敬的；慣於順從的
♦ vitriol: 尖刻的話
♦ fatso: 胖子
♦ indictment: 控訴；譴責
♦ predicate: 使基於
文章來源： http://goo.gl/AyYmwi

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