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打工度假:青年獨享好康
文‧林欣靜

澳洲昆士蘭旅遊局日前在全球廣召有志青年應徵大堡礁保育員的工作,每天只要賞鯨、餵海龜、探索大堡礁迷人勝景,再撰寫部落格記錄,半年就可以領到澳幣15 萬元的高薪(約新台幣360萬元),號稱是「全世界最棒的工作」。

我國入圍者王秀毓,雖然在決選時不幸敗給英國慈善募款員班邵索爾,但她在參選過程的傑出表現贏得許多國人讚賞,甚至傳出已有網路公司打算等她回國後聘請她經營旅遊部落格,薪水比照主管級,年收入達百萬以上。

事實上,像「大堡礁保育員」這種結合工作和度假的旅行方式,正是目前在青年旅遊市場最夯的「打工度假」。除澳洲、紐西蘭外,今年6月1日以後,台灣青年還可選擇到與我國關係密切的日本打工度假,已吸引不少哈日族躍躍欲試。

「打工度假」,顧名思義就是允許觀光客在旅遊地以「邊玩邊工作」的方式,賺取旅費來支付生活所需。這種特殊的旅遊制度,是在1975年由澳洲首先創設,主要目的是為了鼓勵預算有限的年輕人勇於出走看世界。

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Ancient Megastructures  遠古工程巡禮



Machu Picchu and Angkor Wat are two of the most amazing structures known to mankind.
馬丘比丘和吳哥窟都是最為人所知的奇特建築。

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「火星」撞地球:新世代網路密碼
文‧張瓊方

2006年大學學測試題中,意外出現了3Q、Orz等新世代網路慣用文字,將在青少年網路族群中傳播的「火星文」正式台面化,引發大眾的注意及討論。

火星文登陸,有人撻伐、有人憂心,也有人認為反正無傷大雅。儘管觀點不同,但不可否認的是──火星文流行已是事實。既難以阻止「火星撞地球」,何不期待它能碰撞出不同的、充滿創造力的火花?

一封流傳於網路上、號稱是小朋友寫給「台灣之光」王建民的加油信,信是這麼寫的:

for親id羊g大大ㄇ: QQ,安安ㄚㄍ位羊gㄉㄉ,挖i王j民,王投球好率好褲,挖ㄟ把拔馬麻也i看王j民,ㄅ託羊g球團ㄍ位ㄉㄉㄅ要ㄖ王j民肥ㄑ3A好ㄇ?

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Salvage Code Red海上救難



Have you ever wondered what the most dangerous job in the world is? Well, this month on National Geographic Channel, you will learn about salvors1, people who face heavy odds and constant dangers. Their job is to save ships and anything they can on board. They also must fight to prevent serious environmental pollution caused by shipwrecks2. NGC's five-part series, "Salvage Code Red3," takes viewers inside salvors' rescue missions to see how they use their skills to rid the oceans of damaged ships.

  In "Firestorm4," a ferry5 carrying trucks and fuel tanks burns for two days. Salvors go aboard to put an end to the raging fire. At the same time, their lives are on the line because one mistake in the darkness could be fatal.

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The Power of Color  顏色左右你的腦?



Scientists are coming up with new findings about brain-boosting colors.
科學家發現了有助腦力激盪的顏色。

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Destination: Kenya前進肯亞



A vacation to Kenya is the perfect way to have a wild time. This large country on the east side of Africa is full of adventure. One of its world-famous regions is the Masai Mara. Every year, millions of zebras and wildebeest travel to the Masai Mara from the Serengeti. You can observe this amazing natural event from July to October. While you are there, seize the opportunity to see the many prides1 of lions in the Masai Mara.

  Safari2 trips are popular in Kenya because it has all of the Big Five animals—lions, elephants, buffalo3, rhinos4, and leopards. Near Nairobi, Kenya's capital, you can experience rare on-foot safari walks. In Nairobi, the National Museum of Kenya stores large collections of artifacts5 and the remains of early mankind. Interestingly, this city also has Africa's largest ice rink6, which offers an escape from Kenya's hot weather.

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山寨語來襲──殺很大!
文‧張瓊方

「殺很大」一詞,最近隨「殺online」線上遊戲廣告席捲全台,被無限擴張地套用在任何事物上,「輸很大」、「拗很大」……。有人受不了大喊:「聽到殺很大,就會忍不住火很大」!也有人對這樣的流行詞彙表示激賞。

詩人陳黎就為文讚賞它很有新意,「打亂固有的語言模式,又能創造『陌生化』的效果,好比詩的口水,不斷向人群飛濺。」

現代流行語,因網路轉貼討論而加速傳播,雖然接受度不一,有的很「山寨」、有的很「雷人」,有的甚至「很黃很暴力」,但都真切反映出一個地方的時代感情、默契與社會整體氛圍。不可否認,它的確殺很大!

「語言是橋,也是歷史記憶的倉庫,我們的文化習慣和思惟邏輯都以一種不明言的方式沈澱在其中,因而也就保障了最低限度溝通理解的可能。」

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Time Is Money  時間貨幣



The time-based currency offers a fairer solution to work.
時間貨幣提供了一個更加平等的工作方式。

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Dream Improvement終結惱人惡夢



Although many people don't always remember them, everyone has dreams when they are sleeping. Needless to say, with so many dreams, there are bound to be some unpleasant or frightening ones. These scary or disturbing dreams are known as nightmares1. There is no way to guarantee that you won't have nightmares. However, there are some things you can do to lower your chances of waking up terrified.

  In general, the level of stress you feel before sleeping affects how enjoyable your dreams are. It is best to find ways to relax and avoid tension2. A cup of herbal3 tea or a little stretching could do the trick. Even a light snack can help get you into sleep mode4. But remember, don't eat too much and avoid spicy or fatty foods. Such foods are hard to digest. If your body is struggling during the night, you will be likely to end up with nightmares. Plus, don't do any intense exercise before bedtime. Finally, making the

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Fighting Hunger  對抗飢荒的食物銀行

by Sebastian Bitticks
Food banks can help feed those in need.
食物銀行能夠幫助真正有需要的人們。

  Despite its economic success, some 38 million Americans have a hard time getting enough to eat each day. Soup kitchens have provided free meals for many years, but these places can only help a small section of town, and a lot of the leftover food goes to waste. To _(1)_ the needs of a hungry nation and to fight famine, the first food bank opened in the 1960s.
  John van Hengel was a retired businessman who enjoyed spending his free time _(2)_ at his local soup kitchen. He started to use his former work experience to increase the donations for food at the soup kitchen. Van Hengel soon found that oftentimes, people's generosity was greater than the needs of his small community, and _(3)_ his soup kitchen had too much food. About the same time, someone mentioned to van Hengel that every day, supermarkets were _(4)_ food that was edible but couldn't be sold. Van Hengel decided to organize the different charities, supermarkets, and nearby farms together, _(5)_ all the food in the first food bank. This bank would then offer the food to soup kitchens and homeless _(6)_ all over the city.

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「將軍」出水骨未寒
──澎湖「將軍一號」沉船打撈恩仇錄
文‧朱立群

歷經前10年的規畫與打撈,以及後10年的出水古物保存,台灣首次發現的古代沉船「將軍一號」,迄今獨自承載著我國20年 來「水下考古」的歷史。令人遺憾的是,這艘古船的發現者──澎湖漁民黃加進,已於2006年罹癌病逝。撒手人寰之前,他念茲在茲的,除了沉船博物館尚未興 建之外,就是身上背負的「竊占國寶」污名。

是何等深重的誤解,讓黃加進在生前託囑家人日後務必「公諸於世」的手札裡,反覆書寫「我的潛水考古夢」以明其志?又是何等不白冤屈,讓他死不瞑目?

造化弄人!教育部身為當時主管「古物」文化資產的政府機關,事後全身而退,反倒是受託執行打撈工作的國立歷史博物館,遭黃加進指控瀆職。

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The Master of Terror—Edgar Allan Poe驚悚大師愛倫坡



Edgar Allan Poe was an American novelist1, poet, literary2 critic3, and playwright4. He also invented the modern detective story. Poe was born as Edgar Poe in Boston on January 19, 1809. Poe's parents passed away when he was very young. Therefore, he was taken in by a couple called the Allans, who gave him his middle name. Poe's relationship with the Allans became difficult while he was at university. Eventually, he left school and joined the military.

  Poe then went to live with his aunt and later married his 13-year-old cousin, Virginia Clemm. His first book of poetry was published in 1827, and in 1835, Poe became editor of the "Southern Literary Messenger." There, he began to write essays5 and literary criticism.

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The Pride of New Zealand紐西蘭國寶——奇異鳥



The bird with the long beak is the national symbol of New Zealand.
有著長長嘴喙的奇異鳥是紐西蘭的國家象徵。

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Waking the Baby Mammoth娃娃長毛象



Over 40,000 years ago, a healthy baby mammoth1 was born into a family group that took care of her. One month later, she died. This sad story does not end there, though. This tiny mammoth's body was found in May of 2007. She is the most perfectly preserved woolly2 mammoth ever discovered. Scientists hope she holds the answers to some of the biggest mysteries about mammoths and the world they lived in.

  This month on National Geographic Channel, watch Waking the Baby Mammoth. You will journey with researchers as they go back to where Lyuba, the baby mammoth, was found. She was discovered by a reindeer3 herder4 on a river bank5 in northwestern Siberia. Two mammoth experts study the place where she was dug up and explain more about the area.

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牛頭牌,台灣ㄟ鞋
文‧張瓊方 圖‧林格立

民國80年代、進口運動鞋尚未大舉「入侵」之前,台灣運動鞋市場呈現南北各領風騷局面。北部由「中國強」領軍,南部則是「牛頭牌」的天下。

牛頭牌,這個屹立南台灣超過半世紀的老字號台灣鞋,在老幹上長出新枝,逐漸由南向北擴展版圖,要從台灣向世界出發。

走進位於台南歸仁鄉的牛頭牌鞋業總部,第二代經營者魏百慶,腳踩鮮豔玫瑰紅色布希鞋出來迎客,令人莞爾。2007年9月,一場「台灣入聯/返聯遊行 大車拚」,意外捧紅了魏百慶腳上這雙牛頭牌布希鞋。民進黨以「穿布希、踏中國、愛台灣」為名,號召挺綠者腳踩布希鞋遊行;國民黨則「腳踩青天拚本土」,號 召挺藍者穿著「台味」十足的藍白拖鞋應戰。

一場藍白拖與布希鞋大戰,牛頭牌漁翁得利,因為,「不管是藍白拖或布希鞋,牛頭牌都有生產!」魏百慶笑著說。

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In the Womb  子宮內日記



National Geographic Channel reveals the latest findings in fetal development.
國家地理頻道揭露關於胎兒成長的最新發現。

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Strange and Unusual Competitions古怪競賽大搜奇



One thing that separates humans from animals is the desire to compete against others. Animals hunt and kill mostly for survival. Humans, on the other hand, since even before the first Ancient Olympic Games, have been racing, fighting, and trying to top each other in all different kinds of ways. Humans are competitive by nature, and sports are a big part of most people's lives. Recently, there have been more and more strange and unusual contests popping up around the globe.

  July 4 is celebrated in America as Independence Day, but another big event happens in New York City. Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is an annual event that is broadcast on TV. This is where contestants1 try to consume the most hot dogs in 10 minutes. This sounds simple, but there has been a big battle raging between two countries for the championship Mustard2 Yellow Belt. A rather small Japanese man came up with a new way to eat the hot dogs and won the title3 six years in a row. But since 2007, an American has taken back the title and become a hero to his countrymen4.

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失業男的網拍春天:速易購
文‧林欣靜 圖‧莊坤儒

根據行政院主計處的統計,我國失業率在今年2月份已達到5.75%的新高紀錄。當景氣急凍讓許多人被迫另謀出路時,投資成本不高、有著「第361行」之稱的網拍行業,也成為眾多失業白領族暫時糊口的首選之一。

PChome「露天拍賣」的人氣賣家「小蔡」就是一例。他失業後憑藉著過去10年在光華商場工作累積的經驗及人脈,在網路 上開設「速易購」3C賣場,以低於同業的進貨價和貼心服務,在短短一年內就身價翻紅,成為「露天拍賣」電腦館內的超人氣賣家,年營業額超過新台幣千萬元, 還開設了實體店面,自己升格當老闆。

提及電腦3C用品哪裡買最便宜?多數人會脫口而出的共同答案,通常是有「台灣秋葉原」之稱的光華商場,這裡從螢幕、硬碟、機殼、顯示卡、記憶體、線材、電容、印表機等一應俱全,品牌及店家眾多,比價方便,是民眾買零件組裝電腦的首選。

「光華商場的品項當然是很齊全,然而店家都有和原廠簽長期約的壓力,像華碩、技嘉的主機板價格如果低過牌告售價時,馬上會接到上游廠商的『關切』,」綽號「小蔡」的網路賣家蔡明諭,一語道破光華商家的訂價策略。

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The Clatter of Clogs  叩叩叩!荷蘭木鞋來也



These distinctive Dutch shoes were first worn for practicality.
獨特的荷蘭木鞋原是實用性極高的工具鞋。

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A New Dress Code打造專業形象



Dialogue A
Jenny is talking to one of her managers, Adam, about a new office policy that she has in mind.
Jenny: I've been thinking about the company's image recently. I want to put a dress code1 into effect for all employees.

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