Show notes
1. Israel reportedly carried out an attack against Iran. Israeli defence officials told the New York Times that a missile had struck a site in the Islamic Republic. The strike appears to be retaliation for Iran’s attack on Israel on April 13th. Iran activated its air-defence systems and suspended flights over several big cities, including the capital Tehran. Iranian state media reported** explosions** near Isfahan, a city in central Iran which is home to a big army base, but said that the cause of the blasts were not clear. Oil prices jumped on the news.
據報導，以色列對伊朗進行了一次襲擊。以色列國防官員告訴《紐約時報》一枚導彈擊中了伊斯蘭共和國的一個地點。這次襲擊似乎是對伊朗4月13日對以色列的攻擊的報復。伊朗啟動了其防空系統並暫停了幾個大城市的航班，包括首都德黑蘭。伊朗官方媒體報導稱，在伊朗中部城市伊斯法罕附近發生了爆炸，該城市是一個大型軍事基地所在地，但爆炸的原因尚不清楚。消息一出，油價飆升。
2. America vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council to grant full UN membership to Palestine, which is a non-member observer. Palestine’s previous attempt to win membership, in 2011, was also blocked by America. That “needs to be the outcome of the negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians”, said America’s** deputy ambassador** to the UN.
美國在聯合國安全理事會否決了一項將巴勒斯坦（一個非會員觀察員）授予聯合國完整會員資格的決議。巴勒斯坦此前在2011年試圖獲得會員資格時，也被美國阻擋了。美國駐聯合國副大使表示，這應該是以色列和巴勒斯坦之間談判的結果。
3. Indians began voting in the country’s general election. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is expected to win comfortably and return Narendra Modi, the prime minister, for a third** consecutive** five-year term in office. Voting will take place in staggered phases over the next six weeks. The results will be announced on June 4th.
印度人開始投票參與國內的大選。預計執政的印度人民黨將輕鬆取勝，並使總理納倫德拉‧莫迪連任第三個連續的五年任期。接下來的六週將分階段進行投票。選舉結果將於6月4日宣布。
4. Twelve jurors were sworn in for Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York. The panel, which includes a retired wealth manager, a security engineer and a physical** therapist**, was selected from a pool of around 200 candidates after three days of *questioning*. Mr Trump is on trial for charges related to alleged hush-money payments made to Stormy Daniels, a porn actress. Opening arguments will begin on Monday.
在紐約，十二名陪審員宣誓參與唐納德·川普的刑事審判。這個陪審團由一名退休財富經理、一名安全工程師和一名物理治療師等組成，在三天的問詢後從約200名候選人中選出。川普先生因涉嫌支付給成人片演員斯特米·丹尼爾斯的封口費而受審。開庭辯詞將於週一開始。
5. Netflix added 9.3m subscribers in the first quarter of 2024, thanks in part to a crackdown on password sharing. The streaming firm reported revenues of almost $9.4bn, up around 15% year on year but short of analysts’ expectations. Netflix also said that it would stop disclosing quarterly subscriber numbers from 2025. The announcement did not please investors; the company’s shares fell by around 5% in after-hours trading.
Netflix在2024年第一季度新增了930萬訂閱者，部分歸功於對密碼共享的打擊。這家串流媒體公司報告的收入接近94億美元，年增約15%，但未達分析師的預期。Netflix還表示，從2025年起將停止披露季度訂閱者數字。這一宣布並未取悅投資者；公司股價在盤後交易中下跌了約5%。
6. Sales of previously owned homes in America fell by 4.3% from the previous month in March, the biggest decline in more than a year. Home sales, which declined for much of 2023, had risen in January and February. Higher **mortgage **rates have dented demand, as has uncertainty over forthcoming changes to rules that govern how real-estate agents get paid.
美國三月份二手房銷售量較上個月下降了4.3%，是一年多以來最大的下滑。2023年大部分時間內二手房銷售一直下降，但在一月和二月有所回升。較高的抵押貸款利率削弱了需求，同時房地產代理人收費規則的不確定性也影響了市場情緒。
7. Nearly half of China’s big cities are sinking, according to new research. In a study published in the journal Science, researchers used satellite data to estimate that 45% of the country’s urban land is subsiding by 3mm a year. That is largely because of water extraction and the weight of buildings. Together with rising sea levels, sinking cities put millions of people at risk of flooding.
根據最新研究，中國近一半的大城市正在下沉。在發表於《科學》期刊的一項研究中，研究人員利用衛星數據估計，該國45%的城市土地每年下沉3毫米。這主要是由於水資源提取和建築物的重量。加上海平面上升，下沉的城市使數百萬人面臨洪水風險。
-> 小撇步: 別浪費每一次的挫折!! 生命的阻礙是讓我覺察改變人生的動力!
1) 考雅思托福的挫折
2) Chloe’s Economist 議題很難, try my debate topics!!
- **In your opinion, is it wise for Iran to attack Israel? What’s its intention? **
- In your opinion, is the UN useful to maintain peace around the world?
- l In your opinion, is limited term in office necessary? Why or why not?
- l In your opinion, as an American president candidate, which one is more important, integrity or charisma?
- **l In your opinion, how should a streaming service add more subscribers? By giving a lower price, having longer free trials or adding more diverse selections? **
- **In your opinion, should young people buy their own property in Taiwan? **
- **In your opinion, do you believe that by 2050, more than 10% of residential homes will be at risk of climate change? Why or why not? **
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