| 查看: 916 | 回复: 4 | |||
[交流]
Today‘s hearing training
|
|
I see a good website from a topic in our emuch forum. http://www.hxen.com/. Today I heared an article about coco/cholate. Valentine's Day, February fourteenth, is one of the biggest days of the year for lovers of chocolate. Americans are expected to spend more than one billion dollars on chocolates and other candies for their sweethearts this holiday. But the chocolate industry worries that prices for its sweets could rise in the years ahead. Susan Smith is a spokeswoman for the National Confectioners Association美国糖果协会, a trade group for the candy, chocolate and gum industries. SUSAN SMITH: "They're very aware that an everyday candy product needs to be an affordable treat." Americans buy more than eighteen billion dollars worth of chocolate each year. But keeping chocolate at prices that people can afford may be a challenge in the future. Demand is growing, especially in Asia. More people in Asia are developing a taste for chocolate and have more money to buy it. The chocolate industry worries that supply will not keep up with demand. Cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate. Millions of poor farmers in West Africa grow about seventy percent of the world's cocoa. Each farmer has just a few hectares of land. LYNDEL MEINHARDT: "And they don't have a lot of additional capital. They may not have the management skills that are required to actually do a better job." Lyndel Meinhardt supervises cocoa research at the United States Department of Agriculture. Mr. Meinhardt says these farmers often do not have the money to buy fertilizers肥料 that would increase their productivity. And Sona Ebai with the World Cocoa Foundation says when the land stops producing, farmers just clear more land. Deforestation in West Africa is largely the result of so-called slash-and-burn agriculture for cocoa and other crops. Mr. Ebai, a senior technical adviser, says economic forces are not the only problems facing cocoa farmers. Experts say pests and diseases destroy thirty to forty percent of the world's cocoa crop each year. The chocolate industry needs farmers to produce more cocoa to meet the growing demand. Small-scale farmers need help to increase their productivity and lift themselves out of poverty, without destroying more rainforest. And West African governments want to help an industry worth eight billion dollars a year. Sona Ebai says all sides are working together to seek solutions. SONA EBAI: "For the first time, farmers, processors, chocolate multinationals, civil society are working to make sure that the cocoa economy in the world is sustainable -- everybody chipping in to make it stay that way." Millions of dollars are being invested to increase the productivity of West African cocoa farmers. Chocolate makers like Mars and Nestle are putting money into the effort. So are organizations like the United States Agency for International Development and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I have barely used my English,I really feel there is too much work to do.Some words,phrase that were used freely,I forgot them. Try hard and encourage myself,I must improve my English,though it is not so easy for me. [ Last edited by jenny0113 on 2012-2-14 at 15:46 ] |
回复此楼» 猜你喜欢
欢迎采矿、地质、岩土、计算机、人工智能等专业的同学报考
已经有5人回复
-
279求调剂
已经有4人回复
-
284求调剂
已经有8人回复
-
材料复试调剂
已经有4人回复
-
本子写完了，给DS兄弟看了，得了92分
已经有7人回复
-
求调剂
已经有6人回复
-
材料学硕318求调剂
已经有13人回复
-
一志愿郑大材料学硕298分，求调剂
已经有5人回复
-
材料化工调剂
已经有13人回复
-
材料学硕318求调剂
已经有5人回复
★
小木虫(沙发+1，金币+0.5):恭喜抢个沙发，再给个红包
小木虫(沙发+1，金币+0.5):恭喜抢个沙发，再给个红包
 |
2楼2012-02-14 15:41:37
★
小木虫(金币+0.2):抢了个小板凳，给个红包
小木虫(金币+0.2):抢了个小板凳，给个红包
 |
3楼2012-02-14 15:42:04
curton
主管区长 (文坛精英)
Hello Kitty
-
专家经验: +151 - ESEPI: 24
- 应助: 195 (高中生)
- 贵宾: 49.033
- 金币: 81392.2
- 散金: 25181
- 红花: 225
- 沙发: 109
- 帖子: 20300
- 在线: 15504.3小时
- 虫号: 950839
- 注册: 2010-01-30
- 性别: GG
- 专业: 电力电子学
- 管辖: 科研生活区
4楼2012-02-15 00:09:28
linbaozhu
铜虫 (初入文坛)
- 应助: 0 (幼儿园)
- 金币: 157.5
- 帖子: 20
- 在线: 15.7小时
- 虫号: 1564458
- 注册: 2012-01-05
- 性别: MM
- 专业: 森林土壤学
5楼2012-02-22 08:52:43
10