B*News Bites 文字檔 (國中)
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Hi there, we've got another episode of News Bites for you…
I'm Nancy Sun.
And I'm Paz Bueno.
In today's news…
What's in a horn, and a new look at ancient art.
And in today's Tasty Tidbit…
We're ready to help you learn AND get in a good laugh. Stay tuned to hear all about it!
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台中病患違法購買犀牛角粉。
Taichung Man Illegally Buys Rhino Horn Powder
For centuries, humans have believed that animal parts can be used as medicine.
Some people believe that tiger bones can cure bone problems in people.
Others believe snake gallbladders (蛇膽) can help their eyes.
There is no scientific evidence to prove this.
But many still believe it.
Buying and selling wild animal parts are mostly illegal around the world.
But it still happens often.
Recently, a Taichung man spent $4.8 million NT on rhino horn powder.
He was suffering from cancer and believed that the powder could help him.
From 2021 to 2023, he bought rhino horn powder six times.
He bought the powder from a traditional Chinese medicine shop in Taichung.
He says a friend introduced him to the shop.
It is illegal to buy or sell any wild animal parts.
So buyers have to be introduced by a regular (常客).
Police say they heard that the Chinese pharmacy was selling unknown powder which could be illegal.
The police investigated the pharmacy and seized the powder.
Tests showed that the powder was made from the horn of an endangered Indian rhino.
The Indian Rhino is a level 1 protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (瀕臨絕種野生動植物國際貿易公約).
The buyer and the pharmacy have been prosecuted for violation (違反) of the law.
Punishment for breaking this law could be up to 5 years in jail and a fine of up to $1.5 million NT.
Rhino horns are made up of keratin (角蛋白).
That's the same material found in our hair and fingernails.
Keratin is basically just dead cells from our bodies.
Scientists say it doesn't have any healing powers.
Experts say that even if animal parts can heal, they are no match for modern medicine.
If you don't feel well, it may be best just to see a doctor.
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神殿大理石雕像曾經色彩繽紛
2,500 year-old Parthenon Marbles Once Colorful
Ancient Greece and Rome are well known for their marble sculptures.
The sculptures of gods and heroes are very lifelike.
They have awed people for centuries.
Some of the most well-known sculptures are the Parthenon marbles.
Every year, millions of people visit the British Museum to admire their beauty.
For many years, many thought that they were pure white, but that’s not the case.
Centuries ago, they were once colorful sculptures.
A research team used a new technique to analyze the sculptures.
They looked at the sculptures on a microscopic (顯微鏡的) level.
And they found Egyptian blue.
It's a paint created by the Egyptians.
This type of paint was also popular in ancient Greece and Rome.
The team found Egyptian blue on many of the sculptures.
And there were other paint colors on the sculptures too.
The researchers say the artists put a lot of work into making the sculptures look real.
They tried to mimic (模擬) real skin, cloth, armor, and a lot more.
And then painters added paint to make the sculptures look even more real.
Other than the Parthenon marbles, many other ancient sculptures may be made this way too.
This means that the sculptures of ancient Greece and Rome were actually multicolored.
But researchers say it is hard to know exactly what colors were on the sculptures.
The main reason is that Egyptian blue was often mixed with other pigments (顏料) to make more colors.
It's also very hard to identify the different patterns painted on the sculptures.
Even so, the discovery helps us understand ancient art more fully.
Experts hope they can one day find out about all the colors on the statue.
This would give us a look into the colorful ancient world.
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So, in today's News Bites…
A Taichung man spent $4.8 million NT on rhino horn powder.
He bought the powder from a traditional Chinese medicine shop in Taichung.
Police investigated the pharmacy and seized the powder.
The buyer and the pharmacy have been prosecuted for violation of the law.
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And,
A research team used a new technique to analyze the Parthenon marbles.
And they found paints of many different colors, including Egyptian blue.
This means that the sculptures of ancient Greece and Rome were actually multicolored.
The discovery helps us understand ancient art more fully.
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趣味小點
Tasty Tidbit
In today's Tasty Tidbit,
Get your thinking caps on, it's all about education and learning today.
You ready?
Why are fish so smart?
Because they live in "schools"!
And here's 13-year-old Shawn from Yang Ming Junior High School in Kaohsiung on a student that may be a bit too smart…
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If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news 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!
We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!