108課綱龍騰技高英文B6 L1-6課文及補充資料

108課綱龍騰技高英文B6 L1-6課文及補充資料
(1) Google文件
(2) Google雲端硬碟 (含有課文PPT、課本及教室用書Word檔及PDF檔)
(3) Quizlet

(4) 課文相關補充影片

B6 Lesson 1- Vending Machines That Bring Us Closer

When it comes to vending machines, a familiar image often pops up in people’s minds: snacks or beverages1 dropping to the bottom of a machine. Contemporary2 vending machines contain such a variety of products that they may even offer baked pizzas or fresh producež such as vegetables and flowers. However, the creativity of vending machine developers does not stop there.

PepsiCož, a food and beverage company, uses vending machines in an innovative3 way. This company has introduced so-called social vending machines, which set out to tighten4 bonds5 between people who are already acquainted6. Each of these interactive7 machines has a touch screen, which you can tap to buy a drink for a friend. In addition, you can make the gift more thoughtful8 by recording a short video message to go with it. After you enter your friend’s name and phone number, the machine will send a text message with a code to that friend. Then the friend can seek out the nearest social vending machine to get the gift. Although the gift may seem small, it is a gesture of friendship that makes it special. People who receive gifts in this way surely can’t help smiling.

While the efforts of PepsiCo seek to bring friends closer, the Coca-Cola Companyž has taken the concept of social vending machines to an even higher level. This company has installed vending machines in India and Pakistan in an attempt to promote peace and friendship between the two nations. Each of these machines is equipped with a webcamž and linked9 to a machine in the other country. Through these cameras, users of the two linked machines can see each other on the screen in real time. They can draw patterns10 on the screen, wave, or dance to amuse11 each other and to display12 friendship. By doing so, each user gets a free Coke! When people are using the machines, they can’t help but cheer and laugh with each other. Hopefully, over time, the machines can help ease13 the tension14 that has existed between India and Pakistan for decades15.

In today’s society, many people are so preoccupied16 with their smartphones and tabletsž that they often forget about the importance of genuine17 human interaction. However, these new types of vending machines show us that it’s possible that technology can bridge gaps between people, and even between nations.

B6 Lesson 2- Breathing New Life into Abandoned Facilities

When you wander2 around your city, do you ever come across facilities that have been abandoned? Those deserted3 structures4 may result in some problems, such as environmental damage or injuries5 resulting from falling parts. Should we leave forgotten objects to decay6, or are there better ways we could use them?

In the Kruger National Parkž, South Africa, new life was given to abandoned transportation facilities. After the park was established in 1926, visitors could access it only through the Selati Railwayž line. The trains on this line would stop overnight on Selati Railway Bridge. The guests found it amazing to wake up and enjoy the stunning7 view. In 1973, the railway line was closed because the trains had been running into too many animals. Now, one of the original trains is parked permanently8 on the bridge and has been converted9 into a luxury hotel called Kruger Shalati. The hotel has 31 African-style rooms, and each one has floor-to-ceiling windows for admiring the view. The rooms were designed with a combination10 of old facilities and new decorations11. If the hotel owner had not made the unique accommodation12, people might have forgotten the trains forever.

In Sweden, an old silver mine was also brought back to life. For four centuries, the Sala Silver Minež was the country’s largest. During that time, miners extractedž over 400 tonsž of silver, and most of it was used for making coins. By 1908, however, the precious metal had run out. A network of empty tunnels and chambers was left behind until some creative people found a way to make use of it. If they had not done so, the Sala Silvermine Hotel would not have been born. Thanks to their efforts, guests can now descendž into the mine to depths13 of up to 155 meters and stay overnight in one of the old chambers. While parts of the mine are chilly14, the rooms are kept at a comfortable temperature. The only inconvenience is that cellphones don’t have any reception15 at such depths! Staying in one of these rooms is the perfect way to immersež oneself in Sweden’s mining past.

Nowadays16, by thinking outside the box, people are giving abandoned structures a second chance. It is not necessary to consider structures and facilities worthless when they lose their original function. While serving a new function like housingž guests, these places can preserve17 important pieces of local history at the same time.

B6 Lesson 3 - Food for Thought

Every single year, at least 1.3 billion tons of food goes to waste around the world. That’s one-third, more or less, of all the food produced on our planet. Meanwhile, roughly 800 million people worldwide suffer daily due to inadequate1 food supplies and malnutritionž. With so much waste and so much hunger, there should be a better way to manage our food.

When it comes to food waste, producers and consumers are equally to blame. For a start, many of the crops we grow should not be left to rot2 in fields just because they are the wrong size, shape, or color. In addition, crops which are actually harvested3 often spoil4 in transit5 due to bad timing or poor temperature control. Last but not least, consumers are responsible for around one-third of all food waste. All too often, we buy or cook more food than we can eat, thus wasting food that could have been used more wisely.

Reducing food waste has many advantages6. First, we could easily prevent millions of people from going hungry by distributing7 food more efficiently8. Second, since food waste nowadays accounts for seven percent of all greenhouse gasž emissions9, the planet itself would benefit. Third, hundreds of billions of dollars could be saved every year just by managing our food better and reducing waste. Imagine all the worthwhile10 things we could do with this money instead!

Fortunately, many creative people have already begun the battle against food waste. In Berlinž, for instance, locals have set up several handy11 “free food fridges” around the city. No matter what kind of excess12 food people have, they are free to put it in the fridges. Then people who need it can help themselves to the food before it spoils. Instockž, a “leftover food restaurant” in Amsterdamž, is also trying to do something about the issue13. Whenever they can, the diner’s staff14 members collect unwanted but perfectly good food from supermarkets and convert it into tasty meals. Two thousand kilograms of food are rescued in this way every week! Finally, the French chain Intermarchéž has been similarly resourceful. These fresh food shops purchase15 non-standard, or “ugly,” but great-tasting produce straight from farms. By selling it at highly discounted prices, they do their part to reduce the amount of edible16 food that ends up in the trash.

Though creative efforts like these do help, it’s up to everyone to save food, money, the planet, and lives. Let’s only buy and prepare as much food as we need. Let’s eat up, eat “ugly,” and put an end to food waste!

B6 Lesson 4- Sharing Makes Cents

In recent years, technological advances1 have led to dramatic2 changes in the way we share information, opinions3, and news. Even the way we acquire4 skills, resources, and other necessities5 has been impacted. In a sharing economy, services and products can be shared or rented. Sharing businesses are popular because many people would rather make use of others' goodsž than buy the products themselves. By using the Internet as a flexible6 platform, an individual or a company can thus lend or rent underusedž products to anyone who wishes to engage in "sharing."

Another benefit of sharing is that it eliminates7 waste. One company, Nature Innovation Group, launched8 an umbrella-sharing service called iKasa to deal with Japan's rainy weather. Before this handy service appeared, locals always rushed into convenience stores to buy cheap kasaž whenever rain started to fall. Unfortunately, these umbrellas usually ended up in the trash. Thanks to Nature Innovation Group, people who have registered9 with iKasa can now rent and return reusable umbrellas to "portsž," which are scattered10 around the country. To do so, they simply scan11 a QR code with LINE to unlockž an umbrella. They can then pay reasonable12 rates that are cheaper than buying an umbrella and return their rented umbrellas once the sky clears up. People stay dry, products get maximum13 use, and waste is reduced.

The sharing model doesn't only work for small, inexpensive goods. Several European cities have recently cut down on pollution and traffic by embracing car sharing. This has been accomplished14 mainly with the help of Daimler's car2go service. This service allows users to borrow and return cars anywhere and at any time. Users simply download the app, register, and track down an available nearby vehicle by using GPSž. They can pay by the minute, hour, or day. With the reasonable rates charged15, this very convenient service is significantly16 cheaper than maintaining, insuring17, and parking a private car. On average, every car2go vehicle decreases the number of cars on the city streets, leading to far fewer greenhouse gas emissions. The road ahead thus looks bright.

Supported by technology, the sharing economy seems to have a promising future. Who knows what new ideas or services operators18 will think of next? Whatever they may be, let's hope everyone gets their fair share!