密室逃脫大驚奇！ 密室逃脫有多好玩
Have you ever tried an escape room? I first experienced one in Montana, U.S.A., with my wife, Pauline. We went to one to celebrate her father's birthday. Her entire family loves games and puzzles, so trying an escape room was a perfect activity for us. The room's theme was "the missing scientist." We played the role of investigating detectives. We entered the room and discovered we were "trapped." We then had only 60 minutes to escape before the room "exploded."
We had to search every corner of the room for clues in order to get out. As we did, we solved simple calculations, unscrambled codes and found keys to secret boxes. Getting one clue involved running balls through a maze. That took some skill! Together we solved every puzzle and escaped with just a few minutes to spare!
Pauline and I now live in Taipei. We tried our first escape room here over a year ago. It was such an amazing experience that we did two more almost immediately afterward. We have become completely hooked on Taipei's escape room.
Info Cloud
reality show 真人實鏡秀
Hello, friends. Welcome to Info Cloud. I know that Rex likes watching TV, so I want to ask him: Do you like reality shows?
I know that reality shows have become very popular, and we even have a reality show culture now. But I have to say that I don't really like it.
Well, let me first say that a reality show is a type of TV program that films what happens and how people react when they are placed in real situations. You don't like that?
It depends on what you mean by reality. When we watch the shows on TV, they are the final products of professional editing and special effects, which is necessary for TV production.
Oh. So you're saying that the word reality is misleading.
A little bit. I'm an actor myself, and I know that whenever a camera is on, people act differently. That's just human nature.
Good point, Rex. I guess we can look at reality shows more as a certain style and type of TV program than a show that reflects reality.
在電視上，我們經常看到 reality show 真人實鏡秀，這類的電視節目相當受歡迎，在網路上，我們也可以看到一種 reality show culture 真人實境秀的文化，很多人會在網路上自己製作這種影片，reality 代表現實的情境，電視製作單位會將一些人放入某種現實的情境，把他們中間所發生的事情拍攝下來，但是要經過剪接和特效的後製，然後才發表最後的成果。而 reality show 是不是真正的反映出現實生活中發生的情況呢? 還是只能說它是某種電視節目的類型，那就見仁見智了。
Language Lab
theme n. 主題、題目
the particular subject or idea on which the style of something (such as a party or room) is based
- The theme for Alice’s afternoon tea party is rose garden, so there are rose decorations everywhere.
Alice的下午茶會的主題是玫瑰園，所以到處都是玫瑰花裝飾。
- The theme for this year’s food and wine conference is South East Asian cuisine.
今年的飲食大會的主題是東南亞料理。
- The theme of today’s meeting was about good hygiene: the importance of washing our hands after we use the restroom.
今天的會議主題是關於好的衛生習慣: 如廁後洗手的重要性。
theme song n. 主題曲
a song that is played at the beginning and end of a television show, movie, etc.
- The musician has been asked to write a theme song for the movie.
這位音樂家受邀，來為這部電影寫一部主題曲。
investigate v. 調查
to try to find out the facts about (something, such as a crime or an accident) in order to learn how it happened, who did it, etc
- In the movie, a retired police officer was asked to help investigate a mysterious robbery.
在電影裡，一位退休的警員被請來幫忙調查一件離奇的搶劫案。
- The committee was sent to investigate the sanitation standards of all the senior centers in the county.
委員會被派去調查縣裡所有老人中心的衛生標準。
investigation n. 調查這個行為或動作
- The detective was in the middle of an important investigation, and was in no mood to receive any phone calls unrelated to the case.
警探正在做一項重要的調查，沒有心情接聽任何跟案子無關的電話。
- The mayor was against the investigation because he felt it would be a waste of time and taxpayers’ money.
市長不支持這件調查，因為他認為會浪費時間跟納稅人的錢。
maze n. 迷宮 非常複雜或是難搞懂的指示/規則/過程
a complicated and confusing system of connected passages
- The Hampton Court Palace Maze is a famous maze that attracts a lot of tourists everywhere.
漢普頓迷宮是一座很有名的迷宮，每年會吸引很多觀光客。
- During the fall, visitors can visit corn fields that have been converted into mazes.
每年秋天，遊客可以參觀被改造成迷宮的玉米田。
maze n. 街道穿梭的複雜又容易迷路的一個地方
- Unlike the new district with its grid-like street and boulevard, the historic district is a maze of winding alleys.
舊城區的巷道繞來繞去的，像一座迷宮，不像新城那邊的街道像格子一樣又直又正。
maze n. 非常複雜或是難搞懂的指示/規則/過程
a confusing collection or mixture of things (such as rules)
- I don’t understand why I need to go through this maze of instructions just to handing an application form.
我不瞭解只是交一份申請表，為什麼要經過這麼複雜的程序。
to spare v. 額外的、還有剩的
If you have money, time, energy, etc., to spare, you have more than enough money, time, energy, etc.
- Sara is very careful with her budget, and she is happy to see at the end of the month that she still has some money to spare.
Sara 很小心地控制預算，然後很開心地看到，月底還有剩一些錢。
- Jonathan’s meeting ended early, and since he had some time to spare, he decided to get a bite to eat.
Jonathan的會議提早結束，既然還有剩一點時間，就決定去吃一點東西。
spare adj. 備用的、多餘的
kept as something extra that can be used if it is needed
- Because Benjamin forgot his house key, he had to unlock the door with the spare key that he had hidden in his front yard.
Benjamin 忘了帶鑰匙，所以用他藏在院子裡的備用鑰匙來開門。
- The homeless man asked the pedestrians for spare change.
遊民向行人們乞討零錢。
