Culture & History
This traditional Taiwanese "open-air" banquet originated in the countryside and is often held in the street under a huge tent.
What is a "ban-doh"?
Cambridge Dictionary named this its Word of the Year 2025 to describe one-sided relationships with celebrities or AI.
What is "parasocial"?
To help digest food and dive faster, penguins have a strange habit of swallowing these.
What are "pebbles"?
To take up or use up space or time, like finding a dress that took up most of Joyce's time.
What is "occupy"?
The state of being extremely poor, a condition Vincent van Gogh lived in.
What is "poverty"?
This star of a German children's channel is actually a grumpy loaf of bread with short, awkward arms.
Who is "Bernd das Brot"?
Most TED Talks are about this many minutes long because human minds struggle to take in too much at once.
What is "eighteen"?
When bouldering, you should apply this powder to your hands when they are sweating.
What is "climbing chalk"?
To legally process or accuse someone in court to demand compensation, like after a car accident.
What is "sue"?
A strong feeling or love for something, like Stephen's love for basketball.
What is "passion"?
At a traditional ban-doh, the host often provides containers for guests to pack up these so food isn't wasted.
What are "leftovers"?
This image-editing software created by Adobe Inc. became so widely known that its name is now used as a verb.
What is "Photoshop"?
In Taipei, the controversial practice of "stand right, walk left" on these moving staircases is being heavily debated.
What are "escalators"?
To cut or break into tiny pieces, like a chef doing this to meat.
What is "chop"?
An obstacle or object that blocks someone, such as a language wall Annie had to overcome.
What is a "barrier"?
In the old days of ban-doh, the host would often hand these out to help light the guests' way home.
What are "torches"?
AI-generated videos often use this kind of tone to present information that lacks real proof.
What is an "authoritative" tone?
A common danger for penguins is mistaking this type of pollution for pebbles and swallowing it by accident.
What is "plastic trash"?
To cover up or hide something, such as wearing makeup to hide spots on your face.
What is "disguise"?
This adjective describes something containing or providing a lot of useful facts, like reading the newspaper.
What is "informative"?
The Main Building of the Chiang Kai-Shek Shilin Residence was painted this color to make it less visible from a distance.
What is "dark green"?
Algorithms can trap users in these, narrowing their understanding of the world by only showing confirming opinions.
What are "echo chambers"?
When you fall while bouldering, you should try to land on your feet first and keep these slightly bent to absorb the shock.
What are "knees"?
To explain using examples or pictures, like a picture showing how a coffee machine is operated.
What is "illustrate"?
An agreement or consent given to do something, such as asking to leave a room.
What is "permission"?