A: Excuse me, how long will this airmail parcel take to arrive?
B: It usually takes 10 to 15 days, but recently, due to the pandemic, many flights have been cancelled, so the shipping times will be considerably longer. It’s not possible to confirm when it will reach the destination.
A: Heavens, in two weeks’ time, my friend will be off on a business trip, so the parcel absolutely must arrive before then.
Photo: Chen Yi-chia, Liberty Times 照片：自由時報記者陳宜加
B: Alternatively, you could send it by express mail instead, this way it will be loaded onto the airplane quicker, and the arrival time is typically four to five days, although at the moment this is still subject to delays.
A: So how much will it cost to mail it by express?
B: It will be NT1,260. Sending it by the ordinary parcel service will be NT$1,105.
A: 請問這航空包裹大概多久會寄到呢？
B: 一般是十到十五天，但是最近因為疫情的關係，很多航班都取消了，所以郵遞時間會大幅延誤，實際到達日期沒辦法確定。
A: 天哪，可是再過兩個禮拜，我朋友就要出差了，包裹一定要在這之前寄到才行。
B: 不然你可以改寄國際快捷，這是能讓它最快搭上飛機的方法，寄達時間一般是四到五天，不過現在也是有延誤的情況。
A: 那寄快捷要多少錢啊？
B: 一千兩百六十元。寄普通包裹的話是一千一百零五元。
(Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱)
Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
A: Apart from the Taipei Music Center’s exhibit and concert, US pop rock band OneRepublic and rapper Doja Cat are touring Kaohsiung this weekend. B: OneRepublic is so popular that after tonight’s show at the K-Arena, they are set to return to Taiwan again in March next year. A: And Doja will also perform at the same venue on Sunday, right? B: Yup. Her collab with Blackpink’s Lisa and singer Raye for the song “Born Again” has been a huge worldwide success. A: Doja even made it on Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list in 2023. She’s so cool. A: 本週末除了北流的特展和演唱會外，美國男團共和世代和饒舌歌手蜜桃貓朵佳也將來台開唱。 B: 共和世代因太受歡迎，繼今晚高雄巨蛋的演唱會後，預計明年3月即將再度來台巡演唷。 A: 朵佳本週日將在同場地開唱，對不對？
In most cities, food waste is often regarded as one of the most troublesome types of waste: it has a high moisture content, spoils easily and produces strong odors. If not handled properly, it can cause serious sanitation and environmental problems. From the perspective of the circular economy, however, food waste is not “useless leftovers,” but rather an organic resource that has yet to be effectively utilized. The core principle of the circular economy is to break away from the linear model of “production–consumption–disposal,” allowing resources to circulate repeatedly within a system and extending their useful life. Food waste occupies a
Just like fingerprints, your breathing patterns may serve as a definitive identifier. In a recent study, scientists have demonstrated an astonishing 96.8% accuracy in identifying individuals based on their respiratory patterns. This revelation could open up new possibilities in biometrics and personalized health monitoring. The notion of using individual breathing patterns as a distinct biological signature has long been a topic of discussion within the respiratory science community, yet a practical method for measurement remained elusive. This changed with the invention of a tiny, wearable device capable of extended recording. Researchers deployed a lightweight tube designed to fit inside
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日) The study also uncovered a correlation between breathing patterns and mental well-being. Participants with higher scores on anxiety questionnaires exhibited shorter inhalation periods and more frequent breath pauses during sleep. “We intuitively assume that how depressed or anxious you are changes the way you breathe,” says one researcher involved in the study. “But it might be the other way around.” If this proves true, then training people to adjust their breathing may offer a novel approach to managing conditions like anxiety or depression. 該項研究也揭露了呼吸模式與心理健康之間的關聯。在焦慮問卷得分較高的受試者於睡眠期間表現出的吸氣時間較為短促、呼吸中止更為頻繁。一位參與研究的學者表示：「我們直覺地認為憂鬱或焦慮的程度會改變你的呼吸方式，但有可能是反過來的情況。」如果這一假設得到證實，那麼訓練人們調整呼吸的方式，可能會成為管理焦慮或憂鬱等疾病的新穎方法。 What Did You Learn? 1. What problem did scientists previously face when trying to measure breathing patterns? 2.
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