Shownotes Transcript
What’s up everybody, get ready for a new episode of News Bites…
I'm Jacob Ingram.
And I’m Kelly Kimura.
In today’s stories: People race to climb trees quickly, and scientists play interesting sounds underwater.
And in today’s Tasty Tidbit: the shortest war in history.
Let’s check it out.
爬樹冠軍來到台中 Tree Climbing Champions Come to Taichung
Have you ever climbed a tree (爬樹)?
It can be a lot of fun.
First, you find a good climbing tree that has a sturdy trunk (樹幹), and strong limbs (樹枝) to grab on to.
Next, you pull yourself up, one limb at a time.
When you get high enough, you can enjoy an amazing view (美麗風景).
You’ll be able to see what the birds and squirrels see.
If you’re really good at climbing trees, you can even join a tree climbing contest.
That’s what happened in Taichung recently.
The 2024 Taiwan Tree Climbing International Championship brought together tree climbers from around the world. 2024年台灣攀樹國際錦標賽匯集了來自世界各地的爬樹高手。
They came from 9 different countries.
Many of them were professional climbers.
That means their job is to climb trees, to take care of them or to study them.
For example, if a tree’s limb breaks in a storm, a professional may need to climb up and saw the limb off (鋸掉樹枝).
They may need to prune trees (修剪樹木) to make room for power lines, or to protect other trees.
Plus, there are tree researchers that need to climb trees to learn more about them.
Many of Taiwan’s tallest trees were measured by tree-climbers.
All of these climbers wear safety equipment, and use special ropes.
專業爬樹者穿戴安全裝備，並使用專用繩索。
One climber’s gear can cost more than 100,000 NT.
Climbers need a lot of special skills.
Those were the skills tested for the contest in Taichung.
Climbers competed against each other in different categories.
One category was “ascent” (速度攀爬).
That tests how fast they can climb up and ring a bell.
The bell may be 12 to 25 meters up the tree.
Another category was “aerial rescue” (空中救援).
That tests their ability to rescue another climber who is injured.
There’s a third category, called “work climb” (工作攀爬).
It tests how well a climber can move around in a tree and do certain tasks, such as sawing a branch or balancing on a limb.
Does any of that sound like fun to you?
It’s a serious job, but many climbers love what they do.
If it’s something you’re interested in, maybe “tree climber” is the career (職業) for you.
科學家利用珊瑚礁的聲音來幫助珊瑚 Scientists Use Reef Sounds to Help Coral
In the place where you live, what can you usually hear?
The sounds of the street, your neighbors chatting, your family working or relaxing … pets playing, birds singing, or the wind in the trees.
These sounds (聲音) we hear every day are a part of our home.
They can let us know we are safe, and everything is as usual. 我們每天在家聽到的熟悉聲音，帶給我們安全感。
But people are not the only ones who get used to the sound of home.
Underwater (水下) communities have their own special sounds.
These are the sounds made by the fish, the plants, and the water in coral reefs (珊瑚礁).
Scientists have found that these coral reef sounds are important for the well-being of the coral (對珊瑚礁的健康很重要).
What’s more, they found that playing these sounds can help to heal damaged coral reefs.
How can this be?
Let’s start with what we know.
Coral reefs are an important part of the ocean ecosystem (海洋生態系統).
They are a hotspot for biodiversity (生物多樣性), providing homes for a huge number of species.
They are a source of food for many fish, and those fish are a source of food for many other animals, including people.
But coral reefs around the world are in danger.
世界各地的珊瑚礁正面臨危險。
Climate change is causing the ocean to heat up, which damages coral reefs.
Human activities like overfishing and pollution also harm the reefs.
Since the 1950s, the world has lost half of its coral reefs.
That’s why scientists now are looking for ways to protect and heal the reefs.
科學家現在尋找保護和修復珊瑚礁的方法。
In their research, they discovered something interesting.
Coral larvae, which are like baby coral, swing toward reef sounds.
They found that if they played reef sounds on underwater speakers (水下揚聲器), they could attract more coral to settle there.
Scientists think they can use this method to help rebuild coral reefs.
On top of that, this research shows that, for many species, the sound of home is important.
And ultimately, we all share the same home: Planet Earth.
So, in today’s News Bites…
There was a tree-climbing contest in Taichung.
It tested climber’s skills, and their climbing speed.
And,
Scientists are trying to rebuild coral reefs.
They play reef sounds on underwater speakers to attract coral.
And in today’s Tasty Tidbit,
Did you know that the shortest war in history lasted between 38 and 45 minutes?
It was between Britain and Zanzibar on August 27th, 1896.
And that's today's episode of News Bites!
If you have a fun fact, a joke or interesting news story you'd like to share with us, record your message and send us your Tasty tidbit to [email protected], 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!