每日口說挑戰【CNN10】密切關注美國國會｜2021年9月28日 (A Close Eye On The U.S. Congress | September 28, 2021)

主持人 : Leila

Welcome to CNN10 for September 28th.
Today's news:
1. Supply Chain Issues and Labor Shortages Causing Problems for UK Gas Stations and Supermarkets
2. Conservationists Partner With Norwegian Company to Set up New Whale Protection System in New York Waters

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【CNN10】密切關注美國國會｜2021年9月28日 (A Close Eye On The U.S. Congress | September 28, 2021)

The problem is, it's located at refineries and terminals, not gas stations, and a big part of the crisis is that there's a shortage of tanker truck drivers to get the fuel from A to B.

問題是，它位於煉油廠和碼頭，而不是加油站。而危機的很大一部分是缺少油罐車司機，無法將燃料從A地運到B地。

句子選自此影片：【CNN10】密切關注美國國會｜2021年9月28日 (A Close Eye On The U.S. Congress | September 28, 2021)

學習重點

1. refinery精製廠；提煉廠；精煉廠

refinery

[rɪˋfaɪnərɪ](n.)精製廠；提煉廠；精煉廠

2. terminal月臺；候機樓，航廈；碼頭

terminal

[ˋtɝmən!](n.)月臺；候機樓，航廈；碼頭

3. shortage缺乏，缺少

shortage

[ˋʃɔrtɪdʒ](n.)缺乏，缺少

4. from A to B從一地到另一地

from A to B

[frɑm e tu bi](phr.)從一地到另一地

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Leila4 年前

[TRANSCRIPT]

Welcome to the CNN10 news report. I'm Leila.

::Supply Chain Issues and Labor Shortages Causing Problems for UK Gas Stations and Supermarkets::

There are more than 8,000 gas stations in the UK, and according to the British Broadcasting Corporation, or the BBC for short, most of them are either out of gas or soon to run out. British fuel companies say there’s actually plenty of gasoline in the country, it’s just that the fuel is stuck at refineries and terminals.

Part of the fuel shortage problem comes from a lack of tanker truck drivers to move the gasoline. Another part of the problem is panic buying as consumers are quick to top off their gas tanks before they really need to. Suppliers think that once the panic settles down, the demand will return to normal. In the meantime, the lines at gas stations are long.
This local supply chain problem has been affecting supermarkets for weeks as well. That translates to fewer deliveries of fresh produce. Compounding the problem for both supermarkets and gas stations is the additional factor of a labor shortage. The UK government says this is largely linked to COVID, but of course, Brexit plays a part in this, too, because now that the UK has left the EU, visa rules for workers are more restrictive.

If the government could temporarily ease some of those restrictions, and classify delivery drivers as essential workers, things could get better. Whatever the government decides to do, industry experts say it had better do something soon.

::Conservationists Partner With Norwegian Company to Set up New Whale Protection System in New York Waters::

The coastal waters near New York State are a hotspot for activity, with shipping lanes, offshore wind farms, and productive fishing grounds. The problem is, it’s also a big migratory path for large whales. The humpback whale, fin whales, and the endangered North Atlantic right whale all move through these waters. According to local Wildlife Conservation Society scientist Howard Rosenbaum, the whales between Long Island and the New Jersey coast are already threatened by various aspects of commercial activity, such as ship strikes, ocean noise, and entanglement in fishing gear. Soon, the whales will face a new threat as that exact area is slated for extensive renewable energy development under the Biden administration.

To keep an eye on these whales, the WCS has partnered with a Norwegian company called Equinor, which has a major offshore wind project in New York, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, to set up two acoustic buoys which can listen for the whales in real time.

When a whale makes a sound in the New York Bight, conservationists receive a cell phone alert. If whale vocalizations reach a certain level, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration requests ships to slow down. The hope is that this alert system can be used in the future to warn developers and shippers of whale presence so they can pause or slow down harmful activities.

Acoustic research is only one tool in the conservationists’ toolbox. There’s also a new research technique called Environmental DNA in which scientists analyze water samples to detect whale presence and learn what they’re eating. With acoustic and genetic research methods combined, scientists aim to find practical solutions for these giant ocean mammals.

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And now, our Sentence of the Day:

The problem is, it's located at refineries and terminals, not gas stations, and a big part of the crisis is that there's a shortage of tanker truck drivers to get the fuel from A to B.

Let’s look at some vocabulary from the sentence:

refinery
KK [rɪˋfaɪnərɪ] IPA /rɪˈfaɪ.nɚ.i/
a factory where substances in their natural state, such as oil or sugar, are made pure
i.e. The house won’t sell because it sits next to three industrial sites and an oil refinery.
這棟房子不會出售，因為它毗鄰三個工業用地和一個煉油廠。

terminal
KK [ˋtɝmən!] IPA /ˈtɝː.mə.nəl/
the area or building at a station, airport, or port that is used by passengers leaving or arriving by train, aircraft, or ship
i.e. Taoyuan International Airport is in desperate need of a new terminal to handle all the international traffic it gets.
桃園國際機場迫切需要一個新航站來應對所有來到本國的國際航班。

shortage
KK [ˋʃɔrtɪdʒ] IPA /ˈʃɔːr.t̬ɪdʒ/
a situation in which there is not enough of something
i.e. Young people tend to love cities where there is no shortage of bars, clubs, shopping ,and entertainment.
年輕人往往喜歡不乏酒吧、俱樂部、購物和娛樂場所的城市。

from A to B
KK [frɑm e tu bi] IPA /frɑːm eɪ tuː biː/
from one place to another
i.e. I look for the most direct route from A to B whenever possible as I hate transfers.
我在找從 A 到 B 最直接的路線，因為我很討厭轉乘。

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Today's CNN10 video left me with some gray-area questions.

Will the UK government need to act in order alleviate growing tensions created by fuel and grocery shortages, or is waiting for an end to panic buying really all it will take?

Even knowing that our human activity over water jeopardizes whale life, will people really be content to accept a slow down in receiving their goods for the sake of preserving marine wildlife?

Citizens of first world countries have become very accustomed to having goods available whenever they want them. The way I see it, both stories today are connected via the central theme of a reduction in supplies. How will the public react if these reductions continue?

These are the questions that come to my mind as I consider the gray area. I’m Leila, and that’s the news for now.