In today's news, with Nancy and Paz…
New baby animals, the magic of snowflakes, and reusable cups at more stores.
All that and more, coming up next!
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北市動物園迎接樹獺新成員「珊萬」
Taipei Zoo Announces Baby Sloth Birth
There's a new baby at the Taipei Zoo!
The zoo announced that a two-toed sloth (二趾樹獺) was born in late October.
They are furry animals with long arms and legs.
Wild sloths live on the trees in forests in Central and Southern America.
They eat leaves, fruits, and even some flowers.
And they are famous for mooooving veeerrry slowwwwly…
The baby sloth's name is "Shan-wan" (珊萬).
Her mom is "Su-shan" and her dad is "Yeh-cheng".
When Shan-wan was just born, she was a little too small.
The zoo wanted to make sure she stayed strong and healthy.
So aside from her mother's milk, the zoo also gave Shan-wan some goat milk.
The zoo says she is now a healthy weight for her age.
園方說珊萬出生的時候體重過輕，而且幾天內持續往下降，保育員給珊萬補充羊奶後，她的體重才開始回穩。
Keepers also say that Shan-wan has a very even temper.
She is calm, and doesn't get angry often.
The zoo says once Shan-wan is old enough, she will be allowed out into the display area, where visitors can see her.
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美國農夫證明沒有兩片一模一樣的雪花
Farmer Proves No Two Snowflakes Are Alike
There is something magical about snow.
When we see snow, many of us think of winter, and Christmas.
And snow is especially magical, when you remember this…
No two snowflakes are alike.
Every single snow crystal has six points, or six sides.
But each one falls from the sky in a different way.
They go through different temperatures, different pressure, and different climate conditions on the way to the ground.
每片雪花在空中飄來飄去，會不斷與水蒸氣分子相撞，不斷吸引越來越多的晶體，長出分支，一層又一層地擴展，最後變成完全獨特的形狀。
They are all amazing and different.
But how do we know this?
An American farmer named Wilson Bentley was the first person to take a picture of a snow crystal.
He did this in 1885, and became so famous for his work, that he was nicknamed Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley.
When Wilson was 15 years old, his mother gave him an old microscope (顯微鏡).
He used it to look at everything, including leaves, insects, and rocks.
And the first time he used the microscope to look at a snowflake, he was amazed!
He called snow crystals "miracles of beauty" (美麗的奇蹟).
And he wanted to show others this beauty.
It took him 3 years to get a picture of a snow crystal.
He had to do it outside in the cold, or the snow crystal would melt.
He used a piece of dried grass to get the snowflake onto the microscope.
And he had to wear thick gloves, so the heat (熱度) from his hands wouldn't get close to the snowflake.
He kept records for every snow crystal.
He would take notes on the time, the temperature, the humidity (濕度), and more.
In all, "Snowflake" Bentley took more than 5,000 photos of snow crystals during his lifetime.
And he never found two that were the same.
Wilson Bentley died in 1931, but to this day, people still find his work and his photos amazing.
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循環杯新制今年上路
Reusable Cup System to Begin This Year
Just a friendly reminder…
You can now borrow reusable cups at some stores around Taiwan.
The Environmental Protection Administration's reusable cup service has officially started.
It is available at some convenience stores and fast food chains.
The EPA plans to have 5 percent of such stores this year.
今年開始，有5%連鎖超商及速食店須提供免費循環杯借用服務。
Then the system will expand to 10 percent of those stores by 2024.
And finally, 30 percent of convenience stores (便利商店) and fast food chains would have the reusable cup system by 2025.
You should remember to return your cup within three days or more at some stores.
And remember that around 500 drink shops, fast food stores, convenience stores and supermarkets give a $5 NT discount for customers who bring their own cup.
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So, in today's News Bites:
The zoo announced that a two-toed sloth was born in late October.
The baby sloth's name is "Shan-wan".
The zoo says she is now a healthy weight for her age.
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An American farmer named Wilson Bentley was the first person to take a picture of a snow crystal.
It took him three years.
In all, "Snowflake" Bentley took more than 5,000 photos of snow crystals during his lifetime.
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And…
The Environmental Protection Administration's reusable cup service has officially started today.
It is available at some convenience stores and fast food chains.
Remember to return your cup within 3 days or more at some stores.
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And that's today's episode of News Bites!