B*News Bites 文字檔 (國中)
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Hi everyone, it's time for a new episode of News Bites…
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Brody Halverson.
In today's stories…
More meat, and a new breakthrough.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
He’s the man with the world’s deepest voice, but how low can he go? Stay tuned to find out!
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台灣人吃肉首度超過穀類
Taiwanese Eat More Meat than Grains
Many people like to eat meat…whether it's in hotpot, barbecue or a steak on a sizzling iron plate.
And it seems tastes in Taiwan are changing.
Statistics (數據) from the Ministry of Agriculture show that the average Taiwanese person ate more meat than grains last year.
In 2022, each person in Taiwan ate an average of 87.5 kilograms of meat.
And each ate an average of 87.4 kilograms of grain.
The difference is subtle (細微)…
But it may show that the way we eat is slowly changing.
What type of meat is your favorite?
Government data shows that the meat we eat the most is chicken.
Taiwanese each ate about 43 kilograms of chicken last year.
台灣人吃最多的肉類是雞肉，去年攝取量每人四十三公斤創歷史新高。
Some experts think this may be due to more people becoming interested in sports and fitness (健康、體適能).
Many who want to keep fit or eat healthy may choose to eat chicken meat.
But beef consumption (食用) also hit a new high last year.
On average, each person in Taiwan ate just over 7 kilograms of beef.
Some people do not eat beef for religious or traditional reasons.
But that is slowly changing too.
On the other hand, pork consumption has decreased.
Each person ate an average of 36 kilograms last year.
Over the last few years, Taiwanese have also started eating less rice.
But they've started eating more potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other types of tuber vegetables (根莖類).
台灣人吃米量這幾年來持續減少，不過馬鈴薯、地瓜等薯類的攝取量卻慢慢增加。
The Ministry of Agriculture says more convenience stores and fast food restaurants are selling roasted sweet potatoes and French fries.
Sweet potatoes are also very popular in baking, tea drinks and local snacks.
All this means people eat more sweet potatoes.
Still, experts say a balanced diet is very important for good health.
As the old saying goes, “You are what you eat.”
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移植豬腎猴子成功存活兩年
Monkeys with Transplanted Pig Kidneys Survive Two Years.
Kidneys are vital organs in the human body.
They filter blood and remove waste from your body.
But it is also an organ that is quite vulnerable (脆弱).
It can be damaged from injuries, diseases, drugs or too much medication.
As a result, there is a huge need for kidney transplants (腎臟移植) worldwide.
In the United States alone, 92,000 people are waiting for a kidney donations (腎臟捐贈).
But there aren't enough donated kidneys for everyone who needs it.
Scientists are trying to find another way to solve the problem.
One idea is to use kidneys from pigs.
This is called “Xenotransplantation (異種移植).”
Pig kidneys and human kidneys are close to the same size.
成年豬的體重和器官大小，最符合成人腎移植的需求。
An experiment showed that monkeys that get a pig kidney transplant can survive up to two years.
Experts say this is a groundbreaking achievement (突破性的成果).
But it’s still a long way from clinical trials (臨床實驗).
A few transplants using pig organs have happened in recent years.
A human patient whose heart wasn't working well got a pig heart transplant.
That heart worked normally for 49 days.
The idea shows some promise.
But there are ethical (道德) issues to think about too.
Many are worried about how animals are treated in these experiments.
And others are worried about the danger from infectious diseases.
Scientists are still working on many other ideas for organ transplants.
With technology advancing every day, there is hope that a solution will come soon!
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So, in today's News Bites…
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture show that the average Taiwanese person ate more meat than grains last year.
In 2022, each person in Taiwan ate an average of 87.5 kilograms of meat.
And each ate an average of 87.4 kilograms of grain.
The difference is subtle…
But it may show that the way we eat is slowly changing.
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And,
Scientists are trying to find a solution for the huge need for kidney transplants around the world.
One idea is to use kidneys from pigs.
An experiment showed that monkeys that get a pig kidney transplant can survive up to two years.
Experts say this is a groundbreaking achievement.
But it’s still a long way from clinical trials.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
In today’s Tasty Tidbit, the man with the world’s deepest voice can make sounds that are so low, we can’t even hear them.
Singer and voice artist Tim Storms holds the World Guinness Record for the “lowest note produced by a human” and “widest vocal range”. If you think of the lowest note on a piano, Tim can make a sound that’s seven octaves below that. That sound is so low that it’s “infrasonic”, which means we can’t hear it. But elephants can.
If you have a fun fact or a joke you’d like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty Tidbit to newsbites@icrt.com.tw, and you might hear it at the end of an episode!
Tune in again next time for an all new episode of News Bites!