Archaic words evolve different meanings as time passes. “Nice” used to mean “silly, foolish, and simple”, but now, it means “attractive, enjoyable, and pleasant”. Literature also works in a similar way, especially light novels which developed largely since the...
Lengthy tests and numerous exams can have a severe psychological impact on students. Surveys conducted by United Daily News show 4 out of 35 students in Taipei have depression or suicidal thoughts. Department of Health statistics indicate that suicide attempts caused by pressure in school are the second largest factor leading to teenage deaths. Tests […]
Going to school is a process that everyone will experience in their life. In each country, the starting time and ending time of school is different, so students around the world stay at school for different amounts of hours. Some countries have longer school days, some have shorter ones. Due to this difference, students from […]
Learning a new language requires a huge investment of time, but it doesn’t necessarily cost much money. Simply downloading an app on your smartphone can be your unlimited access pass to the world of languages. Woodpecker, which is an app invented by Woodpecker Learning allows language learners to acquire a foreign language naturally by watching […]
Death in novels often shows a writer’s relationship with death, and moreover, their life philosophy. Different countries’ cultures have greatly influenced writers’ interpretations of life and death, and makes them see the death as either something positive or passive. Death in Japanese literature Many Japanese novels use death to tell their story, like Akutagawa Ryūnosuke’s […]
Politicians often use the phrase “fake news” to oppose criticism from rivals. One false comment causes no harm, however, with the widespread social networks, anything online could easily go viral. Both media and audiences should learn to accept different ideas even if they conflict with their beliefs. On September 6, two days after Typhoon Jebi […]
Bubble tea is packed with sugar Sweetness of the tea can trigger an addiction Bubble tea is poisonous because of the plastic it generates People should stop drinking bubble milk tea. This sounds absurd, but it is the truth. Although bubble tea is affordable and delicious, it is like a drug; it is unhealthy, it’s […]
Pop music is akin to Mcdonald’s, and doesn’t provide real musical nourishment Jazz music makes demands of its audience Pop melodies are repetitive and brainwashes its audience Most people around the world listen to pop songs. Taiwanese people are no exception. They go to KTVs together and sing the same songs over and over; at […]
Examples of organic chemistry exist all around us Both fertilizers and pesticides, which are essential for agriculture, are produced using organic chemistry Organic chemicals are often used in pharmaceutical manufacturing Organic Chemistry has a reputation as a hard class and a difficult science to master. Being that it requires great memory and also firm understanding […]
Ba-wan is known as the Taiwanese meatball The two main kinds of ba-wan are the Northern style and Southern Style Sauces come in pink and white Ba-wan, also known as the Taiwanese meatball, is a specialty food found in most night markets. It includes meat and bamboo packed in gelatinous starch made with rice flour […]
Machines are often programmed to make winning nearly impossible Arcade stores are often open 24 hours and don’t require workers Low entry requirements have drawn rookies into the arcade business Claw machine stores have recently begun to dominate the streets in Taiwan, drawing passers-by in to try their luck. By spending a measly ten dollars, […]
For the same price you could get other top-of-the-line phones The same features can be found phones by other brands Apple’s decision to remove standard 3.5 mm jacks has limited customers’ choices in headphones Millions of people firmly believe that iPhones are the best in the phone world. But is that true? There are a […]
Sea levels have been constantly rising since the year 1000 Island countries are vanishing from the world map Increases in ocean temperatures give typhoons more chances to develop Over the past 200 years global warming has become one of the most serious threats to human society. Dramatic increases of average temperature have already started to harm […]
Love is one of the most common themes in anime Anime often features internal struggle and human dilemma It’s easy to understand and empathize with characters Life lessons often come from either personal experience or advice from adults. However, these lessons also exist in anime, and can sometimes be more profound and real. People ignore […]
Commonly used plots are easy to understand Viewers can comprehend what’s going on within minutes of watching Dramatic plots may be repetitive, but still get high TV ratings Taiwan dramas feature long episodes, ridiculous plots, and actors speaking in Taiwanese. It’s assumed that most viewers are 40 to 80 year old women. These viewers often […]
Arena of Valor has gotten over a million downloads since being introduced November 2016 Many popular video games played in Taiwan are multiplayer games Games are a tool to connect with others Since the introduction of the smartphone, video game playing has been integrated into our daily lives. Whether you are on the bus, the […]
More and more people are sending their kids westward English teachers in both private and public schools are sometimes not native speakers The “grammar formula” can be hard to understand English has played an important role in world history. Since the Qing dynasty, Chinese people have sent kids to study in the West. Even now, […]
Schools in Taiwan are required to conduct at least one earthquake drill every year Taiwan has stricter building regulations than most countries The government has set up an early warning system for emergencies With over 18,500 earthquakes occurring each year, Taiwan is used to them. On average, every two to three years there will be […]
Many students are incapable of having an actual English conversation Lessons are designed for tests rather than practical usage More time needs to be spent reading, writing, and speaking English is one of the major subjects that students in Taiwan often go to cram schools for. While public schools do have English classes, they’ve failed. […]
Online news is updated more frequently, but it’s difficult to tell whether it’s reliable Newspapers are a waste of paper Newspapers have fewer photos and no distracting videos People have invented more efficient ways to spread news after the industrial revolution, and in such a modern society and high-tech world, people prefer to read news […]
Both are actually fantastic consoles The PS4 costs a little less Most sports games are nicer on the Sony systems There are many different gaming devices out in the market. The two major ones right now are Xbox One and PS4. Both of them have advantages in various aspects and perform amazingly. Here are some […]
Japan’s open market forces private railroad companies to be competitive Cutting-edge technology keeps public transport incredibly safe Urban planning is based around public transportation Japan contains one of the world’s most developed public transportation networks. With over twenty thousand kilometers of railways spread across the land, and over 2000km of Shinkansen, known as high speed […]
The start of a relationship always begins with a crush The “I love you” period can be extreme for teenagers The Honeymoon phase is best and the worst period during a relationship People often hear the phrase, “a woman’s heart is like a needle in the sea”, but actually, there is another group of people […]
There are many positive cartoon characters that have educational value Many characters teach the importance of friendship and acceptance Cartoons can help a child’s speaking ability and vocabulary skills Children watch cartoons all the time and kids enjoy them very much. When children watch cartoons very often, they may be influenced by them. However, that […]
Apple has always been on the higher end of pricing iOS has a better quality app purchasing experience than Android Android comes out ahead as a system that can handle many mobile systems and doesn’t crash easily For years there have been two big systems competing in the mobile device market – Android and iOS. […]
Parents’ expectations heavily influence students’ choices Many Taiwan graduates still find themselves unprepared to enter the workforce Selecting learning tracks is an important event during Taiwanese students’ high school lives. For many teens, it’s the first time they’ve ever made a choice about their future on their own. Unlike elementary and secondary education, college provides […]
Kpop stars have to start training from an early age Taiwanese stars’ companies won’t spend as much money on their artists There are a lot of good-looking stars all over Asia, but the best ones are Kpop stars, and they’re definitely better than Taiwanese stars. People might say that they think they are the same, […]
Textbooks quickly become outdated iPads give teachers more control iPads are more convenient for projects As technology gets more and more important in our daily lives, schools are starting to buy iPads as educational tools. Teachers often use iPads to conduct their courses. Some believe that it’s easier to learn by using iPads, however, some […]
The NBA has more talented athletes than the SBL The NBA has more support and better marketing NBA events are overall more interesting Have you ever watched a basketball game on television? Probably. Have you ever heard of the SBL? Probably not. The SBL stands for the Super Basketball League in Taiwan. You probably know […]
Western authors often take a lot of time to describe characters’ feelings It is easy to understand the characters’ perceptions in western novels Plots in eastern novels often features characters working as a team Beginning in the Age of Discovery, western culture and eastern culture began to blend with each other. Western culture has seriously […]
If the Western Alliance were to crumble, peace would die out with it No member of the Western Alliance would like to see a closer bond between America and Russia Trump doesn’t recognize the importance of NATO Trump’s recent meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Helsinki has generated outrage in the US and around […]
Taiwan’s status is often confusing for tourists Better not ask a Taiwanese woman what her age is Insult people in Taiwan can result in a hefty fine When you travel to a new place you will meet and talk to people, but sometimes you will say the wrong things, and it will cause misunderstandings. Here […]
Without much free time, international students in Taiwan are often overly stressed Taiwan companies seldom offer internship opportunities Taiwanese parents believe more tests and homework are beneficial to students In order to have a strong educational background, studying abroad has become a trend among Taiwanese students. There were about 60,000 students who went abroad in […]
Solving a Rubik’s Cube can help improve your memory Rubik’s Cubes are fun and educational Solving a Rubik’s Cube is an impressive skill to learn Rubik’s Cubes are toys that can challenge everyone’s brain. Learning how to solve them can make a great impact in your life. There are a number of benefits from solving […]
Many landmarks in Taipei are easily accessible by public transportation The riverside is a great place to to take a break Taipei has no shortage of exhibitions Many tourists wonder where to visit and how to act in order to not look like a complete stranger when traveling. In order to avoid this in Taipei, […]
People are no longer shocked to hear about gunmen shooting up US schools US healthcare is comparatively bad and inefficient The US has some of the highest poverty rates in the world With all the political in-fighting, corruption, and disappointment in literally every politician that has been going on for quite a few years, it […]
Din Tai Fung is known for their popular soup dumplings This restaurant franchise has locations all over the world The service at Din Tai Fung is impeccable Taiwan has lots of delicious food, and one of the most famous places to get delicious food on the island is Din Tai Fung. Known for their popular […]
The are many overlooked Taiwanese music artists Indie bands in Taiwan are usually neglected by the public When looking at Taiwanese music, the first thing that comes to people’s mind are Pop songs. Jay Chou, Mayday, or any other well-known artists are the boundary of most people’s knowledge of Taiwanese music. However, if you look […]
Streamers get advertising fees, but they also earn an income through viewer donations Streaming is not as easy as it looks There is a lot of distrust around the idea of making donations to people who stream Streaming has become popular in Taiwan. Since YouTube has implemented the YouTube Partner Program, which is a program […]
The minimum wage in Taiwan is NT$22,000 Labor regulations have undergone two revisions since President Tsai Ing-wen took office Less than ideal working environments in Taiwan has forced some to look for employment overseas In Taiwan, NT$22,000 is the minimum wage a worker must be paid and also the starting line of salary for a […]
800 million tons of plastic has been thrown into the ocean Taiwan has banned stores from providing free plastic bags Keeping foldable bags with you during outings will make shopping more convenient Since 2002, Taiwan has stipulated stores like supermarkets, chained convenience stores, discount stores, etc. (a total of seven types of stores) must make […]
Only a few NBA teams really stand out All NBA teams are great because extreme talent is required to enter the league The National Basketball Association (NBA) was founded on June 6, 1946, in New York City. It is considered the best basketball league in the world. In it, there are tons of tremendous teams, […]
People have become more and more reliant on cell phones Using phones in class is disadvantageous to students’ learning process Since the invention of cell phones, people use them all the time. We have become more and more reliant on our phones. Also, they have caused a number of people to not be able to […]
EDM isn’t hard to produce You can make your own unique song by following a few simple steps EDM starts with a simple beat Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is one of the most popular types of music these days. EDM used to be heard exclusively at parties and nightclubs, but recently, people have been listening […]
With Single Payer Healthcare, those at a financial disadvantage won’t suffer high medical costs NHI helps prevent people from going into debt Taiwanese people spend nine times less than Americans on medical costs because of NHI Single Payer Healthcare is a system which insures a national population’s health care costs by legally compelling taxpayers to […]
228 has come and passed. On this particular day schools are closed and adults don’t have to go to work, with news about statues of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正) getting pulled down and portraits getting splashed with red paint being broadcast all day. Yet people are beginning to forget why we have the holiday in the […]
A few superstars have decided to retire after this final World Cup Iceland is the least populated country to have ever qualified for the World Cup Since it’s introduction to the world in 1930, FIFA has become the world’s most-watched sporting event Once every four years, the world comes together and holds its breath, celebrates, […]
In 2014, the number of convenience stores in Taipei reached over 10,000 One of the main reasons for the success of convenience stores is their management structure Convenience stores do a great job at being indispensable to people’s daily lives On the streets of Taipei City, the density of convenience stores is beyond imagination; there […]
K-pop songs are designed to be catchy Idols are usually trained for years before they produce their own music and albums Korean stars are known for their looks Korean Pop, or K-pop, is popular everywhere in the world, and you can often hear it on the streets and on the radio. For people that aren’t […]
A study shows over 80% of teenagers get online much more frequently than they need to Teens are more susceptible to depression when they worry about getting “likes” or “shares” Kids all around the world are impacted by cyberbullying every day This article is Part 2 of a debate over the merits and problems of […]
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