Record Year for Tourist Visits to Taiwan

Record Year for Tourist Visits to Taiwan

Those of us who are fortunate enough to live in Taiwan already know what a special place it is. Now, it seems as if the rest of the world is discovering just how amazing Taiwan is. Last year, Taiwan welcomed 10.69 million tourists, setting a new record for tourist visits in one year.

For some, this record-year for tourism in Taiwan, which was announced by the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan, came as a surprise. In the past, Taiwan had seen a rapid increase in the number of tourists from mainland China. However, in 2016, this number fell steeply. Although 3.51 million tourists from mainland China did visit Taiwan in 2016, accounting for more than 32 percent of the total number of visitors, the amount of mainland Chinese tourists in 2016 dropped 16.1 percent from 2015. As a result, many had anticipated that the overall number of tourists to Taiwan in 2016 would drop as well.

        Industry experts, however, say that the record 10.69 million tourist visits to Taiwan in 2016, a 2.4 percent increase over 2015, can be attributed to several factors. To begin with, the decision to ease visa restrictions for visitors from several Southeast Asian countries, including India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, and Thailand, was very important. The number of visitors to Taiwan from Thailand, for instance, skyrocketed by 57 percent in 2016.

        Tourists from Northeast Asian countries were also significant. In 2016, for example, more than 1.9 million tourists from Japan visited Taiwan, which was 16.5 percent increase from 2015. In addition, 880,000 visitors from South Korea visited Taiwan in 2016, which was a 34.3 percent increase from the previous year. Tourists from these two countries alone accounted for 26 percent of the total visitors to Taiwan in 2016. 

        Will the number of mainland Chinese tourists to Taiwan increase in the future? Experts say it is too difficult to tell. Many say that the political relationship between Taiwan and mainland China can affect the tourist industry in Taiwan dramatically. In addition, many mainland Chinese tourists have been involved in accidents while traveling in Taiwan over the past few years, which may have caused some in mainland China to have second thoughts about traveling in Taiwan.

        Although many Taiwanese businesspeople who have built new hotels and tourist facilities in Taiwan may be hoping for an increase in the number of mainland Chinese tourists in 2017, others say that Taiwan would be wise to continue to attract tourists from other places, including Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia, and focus on promoting ecotourism.

Reading Comprehension

(   ) 1. What is the main idea of this article?

(A) The history of ecotourism in Taiwan.

(B) The future growth and development of tourism in Taiwan.

(C) The most popular destination for mainland Chinese tourists.

(D) A look back at tourism in Taiwan in 2016.

(   ) 2. The word “ease” in the third paragraph is closest in meaning to “________.”

(A) drop                       (B) tighten                       (C) limit                   (D) lift

(   ) 3. According to the passage, tourists from which two countries accounted for 26 percent of the total amount of tourist visits to Taiwan in 2016?

(A) Thailand and India.

(B) Mainland China and South Korea.

(C) Japan and South Korea.

(D) Japan and Thailand.   

(   ) 4. Why are some tourists from mainland China having doubts about visiting Taiwan?

(A) Taiwan has become too expensive for them to visit.

(B) There have been several accidents in Taiwan involving tourists from mainland China.

(C) There are not enough hotels and tourist facilities in Taiwan for all of these visitors.

(D) The government of the Republic of China imposed visa restrictions for visitors from mainland China.

(   ) 5. When it comes to the future of tourism in Taiwan, the author suggests that Taiwan should ________.

(A) build more five-star hotels                            (B) encourage ecotourism

(C) attend more tourism fairs                              (D) create cute mascot for Taiwan

Vocabulary and Phrases

1. amazing [1`mezI9] adj. 令人驚奇的

．The magic show was so amazing that the audience felt great awe while they were watching.

2. rapid [`r8pId] adj. 快速的，迅速的

．The big city faced the problem of housing shortage because of rapid population growth.

3. steeply [stiplI] adv. (數量變化)急遽地

．Oil prices soared steeply because a war between the oil-exporting countries broke out.

4. account for [1`ka5nt fOr] phr. (數量上、比例上)佔…

．Lipstick accounts for 70 percent of the cosmetic company’s products.

5. overall [`ov2&Ol] adj. 全面的，總體的

．We went to Spain on our honeymoon. The overall cost of the trip was NT200,000.

6. expert [`Eksp3t] n. [C] 專家

．As an expert in ornithology (鳥類學), Dr. Lin can name all of the birds in this forest.

7. attribute [1`trIbj5t] vt. 歸功於，歸因於

．The Oscar winner attributed her success to the support from her parents.

8. restriction [rI`strIkS1n] n. [C] 限制

．The totalitarian (極權主義的) government has placed restrictions on all political activities.

9. skyrocket [`skaI&rAkIt] vi. 飛漲，猛漲

．The land skyrocketed in value due to the development of the industrial area.

10. significant [sIG`nIf1k1nt] adj. 重大的，顯著的

．There has been a significant change in Mr. Wang’s attitude toward life since his wife passed away.

11. previous [`privI1s] adj. (時間上)稍前的

．It is sunny today, but it rained heavily the previous day.

12. dramatically [dr1`m8tIkLlI] adj. 戲劇性地，誇張地

．The couple’s life changes dramatically when they have a baby. They aren’t ready for it.

13. have second thoughts [`h8v `sEk1nd TOts] phr. (經考慮後)改變主意

．At first, Amber wanted to be a teacher as her parents wished. However, after she had second thoughts, she made up her mind to be a nurse.

14. facility [f1`sIl1tI] n. [C] 設施，設備

．The new hospital provides its patients with the best treatment facilities.

15. promote [pr1`mot] vt. 促銷，宣傳

．The green shopping campaign is designed to promote the purchase of local products.

Words for Recognition

1. the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan [D1 `t5rIz1m `bj5ro Ov taI`wan] n.

臺灣觀光局

臺灣觀光事務的最高執掌機關，隸屬於交通部之下。除了負責規劃、執行與管理觀光旅遊事務外，也負責對外推廣臺灣觀光的工作。

2. mainland China [`menl1nd `tSaIn1] n. 中國大陸

位於亞洲東部，東臨太平洋，鄰國多達十五個國家，北方與北韓、俄羅斯、蒙古相臨，西邊與巴基斯坦等國為鄰，南面與印度、泰國等國為鄰。首都為北京市。

3. visa [`viz1] n. (護照的)簽證

是一個國家或地區的行政機關在非本國或地區的公民所持的護照或其他旅行證件上的簽注或附文，以示允許其出入本國國境、或者經過其國境前往第三國的手續。

4. Thailand [`taIl1nd] n. 泰國

泰國國土東臨寮國和柬埔寨，南接馬來西亞，西靠緬甸，是東南亞國家協會成員國之一。為君主立憲制的國家，首都為曼谷。

5. ecotourism [&iko`t5rIz1m] n. 生態旅遊

生態旅遊是一種顧及環境保育，並同時維護地方住民福利的旅遊方式，具有生態觀念、增進生態保育的觀光行為。

Translation

來臺旅客創新高的一年

我們這些有幸住在臺灣的人，已經知道這是一個多麼特別的地方。如今，世界上其他地區的人們似乎也發現臺灣真是令人讚嘆。去年來臺的旅客人數多達1069萬人次，創下了歷年新紀錄。

    臺灣觀光局公布去年來臺旅客人數創新高，對某些人來說，是個意外的驚喜。過去，來臺旅遊的陸客人數持續快速增加。然而，2016年陸客人數銳減。去年雖然有351萬人次的陸客造訪臺灣，佔整體旅客數逾32%，但陸客人數卻比2015年減少16.1%。因此，許多人原以為來臺旅客的總人數也會減少。

    但產業專家表示，2016年來臺旅客創下1069萬人次的紀錄，比2015年增加2.4%，可歸因於幾項因素。首先，針對印度、印尼、越南、菲律賓和泰國等東南亞國家的旅客放寬簽證限制的決定，這是非常重要的。例如從泰國來臺的旅客在2016年就暴增了57%。

    同樣地，來自東北亞國家的旅客也很多。例如，2016年，訪臺的日本旅客就超過190萬人次，比起2015年增加16.5%。此外，來臺的南韓旅客達88萬人次，較前一年成長了34.3%。光是這兩個國家的旅客，就佔2016年來臺旅客總數的26%。

來臺陸客人數未來會不會增加呢？專家表示很難說。許多人認為臺灣和中國大陸之間的政治關係可能對臺灣觀光業造成嚴重衝擊。此外，過去幾年，許多陸客在臺旅遊時碰上意外，這可能導致部分陸客重新考慮來臺旅遊一事。

雖然許多已蓋好新旅館和觀光設施的臺灣業界人士可能希望，陸客人數在2017年能夠回升，但其他人主張，聰明的作法是臺灣應持續吸引來自其他地方的旅客，包括日本、韓國和東南亞，並且專注於提升生態旅遊。

閱讀測驗解答：1. D  2. D  3. C  4. B  5. B

New Study Claims Criminals can be Identified by Brain Scans

New Study Claims Criminals can be Identified by Brain Scans

Scientists have found evidence that different things are happening in the brains of people who break the law on purpose, compared to those who do so by accident. Consider two people. One cheated on his taxes by not declaring some income. The other intended to file his taxes honestly, but he forgot to report pay he received for a couple of days of part-time work. Both of them broke the law, yet only one did so intentionally.

A court of law would likely treat the two individuals in the above situation quite differently. One principle of justice is that a person having the intent to commit a crime makes it a more serious matter. Such individuals are usually punished more harshly than people who unknowingly break the law. New scientific evidence could be seen as providing support for this flexible approach to dealing with criminal behaviors.

Of course, scientists can’t study criminals at the actual moments they are committing real crimes. Instead, researchers asked forty people to participate in a laboratory study involving risks and rewards. Each participant was asked to carry an imaginary suitcase across a border in exchange for a reward. In some cases, the participants were told the suitcase would contain illegal drugs. In other cases, it was less clear to the participants exactly what would be in the suitcase. The experiment conditions also allowed the scientists to vary the likelihood that a participant’s bag would be checked at the border by a customs inspector. In other words, the level of risk could be adjusted so participants would be more or less likely to get caught transporting illegal drugs.

The experiment used medical technology to scan and compare participants’ brains. The

computer-enhanced images revealed that brain activity was different depending on the conditions in each situation. Most interesting to researchers was that whenever people meant to break the law, their brains showed similar patterns.

Even though the research finding is interesting, it must be interpreted with caution. The small sample size of only forty research subjects means the results can’t be applied to all criminals in all situations. Besides, it would be impossible to travel back in time to use brain scans to test exactly what a person was thinking at the moment he or she broke the law. This remains a matter for courts to decide.

Reading Comprehension

(   ) 1. What is the passage mainly concerned?

(A) All of the criminals will be brought to justice.

(B) Those who broke the law by accident would escape punishment.

(C) The experiment used medical technology to scan participants’ brains.

(D) Criminal behaviors can be identified by medical technology.

(   ) 2. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the research finding?

(A) It is possible to travel back in time to test a criminal’s mind.

           (B) It is based on small samples.

(C) It must be interpreted with carefulness.

(D) It cannot replace the role of the courts in judging a crime.

(   ) 3. The word “caution” in the fifth paragraph is closest in meaning to “_______.”

(A) challenge                     (B) warning                     (C) care                   (D) comfort

(   ) 4. What can be inferred from the passage?

(A) Scientists can’t study criminals at the actual moments they are committing crimes.

(B) Whenever people plan to break the law, their brains show different patterns.

(C) A person having the intent to commit a crime makes it a less serious matter.

(D) In this experiment, all participants were told the suitcase would contain drugs.

(   ) 5. What is the author’s attitude toward the research finding discussed in the passage?

(A) Positive.                     (B) Neutral.                     (C) Hostile.            (D) Promising.

Vocabulary and Phrases

1.      scan [sk8n] n. [C] (用儀器)掃瞄，檢查

．Mrs. Frank’s whole-body scan during her thorough checkup showed that she was in good health.

2.      on purpose [An `p3p1s] phr. 故意，有意地

   ．The boy didn’t break the window on purpose. It was an accident.

3.      intend [In`tEnd] vt. 計畫，想要

intentionally [In`tEnS1nLI] adv. 有意地

．The local government intended to shut down some schools due to the downsizing of
education budget.

．Iris said that she had accidentally revealed the secret, but I thought she did it intentionally.

4.      justice [`dZ^stIs] n. [U] 司法制度

．The serial killer escaped from prison. The public believe that he will be brought to justice   
     soon.

5.      harshly [hArSlI] adv. 苛刻地

   ．Claire was once harshly scolded by her father in public, and she regarded it as the most   
     shameful moment in her life.

6.      unknowingly [^n`noI9lI] adv. 無意地

．Mrs. Lin got lost in this new city after unknowingly driving in the wrong direction.

7.      flexible [`flEks1bL] adj. 可變通的

．My working hours are highly flexible, so I can go to the office whenever I want to.

8.      approach [1`protS] n. [C] 方式，方法

   ．The language teacher shared a new approach to mastering a foreign language.

9.      actual [`8ktS51l] adj. 實際的，確切的

   ．Susan wasn’t sure of her mother’s actual size, so she didn’t buy that skirt for her.

10.  reward [rI`wOrd] n. [C] 報酬，回報

．Mrs. Brown gave me some homemade cakes as a reward for driving her to the train station.

11.  illegal [I`liGL] adj. 不合法的，非法的

．The gangster had engaged in many illegal activities before he was caught by the police.

12.  likelihood [`laIklI&h5d] n. [U] 可能，可能性

．The mayor, who was found guilty of corruption, must face the likelihood that he will step
  down from his post.

13.  transport [tr8ns`pOrt] vt. 運輸，運送

   ．The oysters and lobsters are transported to different countries by plane in order to keep them      

fresh.

14. enhance [In`h8ns] vt. 提高，增強

   ．Good communication and mutual trust can enhance parents’ relationships with their children.

15. interpret [In`t3pr1t] vt. 解釋，詮釋

．Mr. Wang buried himself in his work. His work performance was interpreted as a high
  degree of commitment to the company.

16. caution [`kOS1n] n. [U] 小心，謹慎

．My doctor suggested that the headache tablet should be taken with extreme caution because it
 has some serious side effects.

17. subject [`s^bdZIkt] n. [C] 實驗對象

   ．The subjects of this scientific experiment are all women aged 18-30.

Words for Recognition

1.      customs inspector [`k^st1mz In`spEkt2] n. 海關人員

負責執行國家邊境進出口監管與關稅稅務事項，工作內容包括行李檢查、徵收關稅、查禁走私違禁品等。

Translation

新研究宣稱腦部掃瞄能辨認罪行

科學家發現，故意違法的人與意外觸法的人相比，大腦活動有所不同的證據。試想以下兩個人：一人為了逃稅而故意不申報部分收入；另一人想誠實報稅，但忘記申報幾天的兼職收入。兩個人都犯了法，但只有一人故意為之。

法院對上述兩人的處置可能大有不同。司法的原則之一是故意犯法的人情節較為重大。這種人通常比無意中犯法的人罰得更重。新發現的科學證據可被視為替這種處理犯行的彈性作法提供依據。

科學家當然無法在罪犯犯下真實罪行的當下進行研究。研究人員改請四十位民眾參加涉及風險和獎勵的實驗室研究。每位參加者被要求想像攜帶一只公事包穿越邊界以交換報酬。部分參加者被告知公事包裡有非法毒品。其他參加者則未被明確告知公事包裡的內容物。實驗條件允許科學家改變參加者公事包被海關人員檢查的可能性。換句話說，風險程度可被調整，讓參加者不確定被逮到運毒的機率。

這項實驗使用醫療科技來掃瞄和比較參加者的大腦。電腦加強處理過的影像顯示依每種情境的狀況不同，大腦的活動有異。研究人員覺得最有趣的是，當人們故意犯法時，他們的大腦呈現相似的模式。
　　雖然研究結論很有趣，但必須謹慎解讀。僅四十個研究對象的樣本太少，意味著實驗結果無法在所有狀況下適用於所有罪犯。此外，這並無法回到過去，利用大腦掃描來測試一個人在犯法的當下究竟在想些什麼。這仍有賴法院定奪。

閱讀測驗解答：1. D  2. A  3. C  4. A  5. B