你過敏嗎？科學說，這可能就是原因!
Do You Have Many Allergies? Science Says This Could be Why!

There are many different kinds of allergies (過敏).

Some people get itchy skin (皮膚發癢).

Others sneeze a lot, or get a runny nose (流鼻水)…and that's called hay
fever (花粉熱過敏).

Some people who have really bad allergies have a hard time breathing.

There are many reasons people have allergies...

Some people might react to pollen or mold (花粉或黴菌).

Others may not be able to eat certain kinds of food, like peanuts, milk, or
eggs.

There are some people who also react to insect bites (對昆蟲叮咬的反應).

And still others are allergic to certain medicines (藥物).

Now a group of Taiwan doctors and researchers say "birth order" could be one
reason why people have allergies.
有一群臺灣的醫師和研究人員表示，「出生順序」可能會影響人們會過敏的狀況。

Taiwan scientists say there is proof (證明) first born children have more
allergies than their younger brothers and sisters.

Second- or third- born children are less likely to have eczema (濕疹), asthma
(氣喘), and hay fever.

And the scientists say moms and dads with fewer children are likely to have
kids with more allergies.

They could not say why eldest- or first born children had more allergies than
their younger brothers and sisters...

But the scientists think this has to do with being less exposed to microbes
(微生物) when babies were younger.

Do you have allergies? And do you think birth order is the reason why you
have them?
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***BITE-SIZED BREAK***

Today we're getting to know another student from Tainan!
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美國表示，該是停止製造一分錢硬幣的時候了
U.S. says Its Time to Stop Making Pennies

People around the world have been using coins for thousands of years.

The people first started using coins during the 7th century BC (西元前7世紀).

These first coins were made of metal.

They were small, they all weighed the same, and had the same value.

The U.S. penny hasn't been around for THAT long, but it has been around for
about 230 years.

Pennies are made through a process called minting (鑄幣).

Pennies show the face of Abraham Lincoln (亞伯拉罕·林肯), who was president
more than a hundred years ago.

Pennies minted before 1982 are mostly made of copper, while pennies made
after that are made of a mix of copper and zinc.
1982 年之前鑄造的 1 分錢硬幣主要是由銅製成的，而之後鑄造的 1
分錢硬幣則是由銅和鋅的混合金屬製成。

Pennies may have a value of one U.S. cent, but they cost nearly four cents to
make.

That means, to make four-and-a half billion pennies in 2023, or about $45
million dollars-worth of pennies... the government had to spend more than
$179 million dollars.

The U-S government said that wasn't worth it!

So in February this year, the government said it was time to stop making
pennies.

The last penny was made on November 12th.

But this doesn't mean the pennies are going to disappear right away
(不會馬上消失).

There are still about 300 billion pennies being used today.

Many of them can be found in coin boxes or piggy banks.

But when pennies start to disappear, more people could start keeping them as
souvenirs (紀念品).

So if you got your hands on a U-S penny today -- would you spend it, or would
you keep it?

______________________________

So, in today's News Bites:

There are many reasons people have allergies...

A group of Taiwan doctors and researchers now say "birth order" could be one
reason why people have allergies.

Recent research by Taiwan scientists showed first born children have more
allergies than their younger brothers and sisters.
______________________________

And,

And…One U-S penny is worth one cent. Because they are more expensive to
make, the government said it was time to stop making pennies.

The last penny was made on November 12th.

But this doesn't mean the pennies are going to disappear right away.

There are still about 300 billion pennies being used today.
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In today's News Flash, our word of the day is "DRIVER!"

"Driver" has many meanings.

A driver could be a person that operates a car or a train…

It can be tool that is used to play golf with.

And "driver" can be a reason that something happens. For example - good study
habits are a driver for good grades.

And now you know!

 20251209NB.mp3