Seniors' Internet Usage and the National Gallery

News Bites

Hi everyone, welcome to a new episode of News Bites! I'm Jacob Ingram. And I'm Nancy Sun. Coming up next in today's news: Internet usage increases among elderly in Taiwan and the National Gallery celebrates its 200th anniversary! And in today's Tasty Tidbit: Art was once a part of the Olympics! Stay tuned for more on those stories! ________________________________ 台灣老年人網路使用率增加 Increased Internet Usage Among Elderly in Taiwan Can you imagine life without the internet? Imagine not being able to message your friends, order food online, look up important information, or find your way around town. Before the internet, people had to go to libraries and read through books. They also had to carry around pocket maps (口袋地圖) so they wouldn't get lost. It's shocking (令人震驚的) to think that the internet has only been available to the public (對外開放) for 30 years. This means, a lot of the older population (老年人口) didn't have access to the internet when they were younger. But as time went on, the internet became more and more popular. Now, it connects us with people from all over the world and allows us to access information (資訊) quickly and easily. 現在，網路讓我們可以和世界各地的人交流，使我們能夠快速、輕鬆地獲取資訊。 The Ministry of Health ran a survey to analyze trends (分析趨勢) in the elderly between 2017 and 2022. It showed that internet usage among seniors in Taiwan has increased by 50 percent. For those aged 55 to 64, internet usage has risen from 65 percent to 87 percent. Why? Well, there are many factors (因素). The internet is a lot more accessible now thanks to technology. Smartphones and high-speed internet connections are more affordable. Wi-Fi and mobile networks (手機網路) have expanded (擴大), so people can connect to the internet more easily. In addition, Apps and websites are now more user-friendly (易於使用的), so they're easy to use for both the young and elderly. With the internet at our disposal, we're able to achieve (實現) so much. We're can self-study different subjects, FaceTime our friends, watch films at home, go online shopping, and much more. ________________________________ 英國國家美術館 The National Gallery Have you heard about Van Gogh's famous sunflower paintings? Well, you'll be able to find one of them at the National Gallery in London! The National Gallery opened in 1824. The museum was founded when the British government (英國政府) bought 38 paintings from an art collector (收藏家). Today, the National Gallery has over 2,300 paintings. It's like a giant treasure chest (百寶箱) of art! This year marks its 200th anniversary (200週年紀念日). The museum has a rich collection of Western European paintings ranging from the 13th to the 19th century. 博物館內藏有豐富的13世紀至 19 世紀西歐繪畫作品。 These paintings are like windows to the past. 這些畫就像通往過去的門戶。 They show us how people lived, how people dressed, and much more! 它們向我們展示了當時人們的生活方式、穿著等等。 Lots of people from all around the world visit the National Gallery every year. This year also commemorates (慶祝) the 100th anniversary of the museum acquiring (獲取) two famous paintings: "Van Gogh's Chair" and "Sunflowers." To celebrate, the National Gallery will hold a Van Gogh exhibition (展覽) titled "Poets and Lovers." (詩人與戀人) It's going to be the biggest Van Gogh exhibition in the UK since 2010! You'll be able to witness many of his famous paintings all in one place! The exhibition starts September 14th. Van Gogh's art is very popular today. You might have seen his swirly (旋渦狀的), colorful paintings in books, on TV, or even on t-shirts. Yet surprisingly, Van Gogh wasn't famous when he was alive. He produced more than 2,000 artworks (作品), but not many people noticed his talent (才華) back then. Today, his work is loved by millions. People travel far to get a glimpse of his paintings in real life. If you visit the National Gallery, you'll get to see Van Gogh's unique (別致) artworks! ________________________________ So in today's News Bites: Internet usage among seniors in Taiwan has increased by 50 percent. Over the last few years, the internet has become more accessible partially due to cheaper and faster technology. ________________________________ And this year marks the National Gallery's 200th anniversary. It is also the 100th anniversary of the museum acquiring "Van Gogh's Chair" and "Sunflowers," two of Van Gogh's famous paintings. To celebrate, the National Gallery will hold a Van Gogh exhibition titled "Poets and Lovers." ________________________________ 趣味小點 Tasty Tidbit Did you know that art used to be an Olympics event? Art competitions were a part of the modern Olympic Games from 1912 to 1948. During that time period, artists received medals for their architecture, music, paintings, sculptures and literature inspired by sports. Pierre Coubertin is the founder of the modern Olympics. He believed that a true Olympian had to be someone who not only demonstrates athletic strength, but also had artistic skills. ________________________________ And that's it for today's episode of News Bites! If you have a fun fact, a joke, or interesting news you'd like to share with us, record your message and send your Tasty Tidbit to us at [e-mail]. You might hear it at the end of an episode! We'll see you next time for an exciting new episode of News Bites!