Coffee under threat 咖啡种植业面临威胁

随身英语 Coffee under threat 咖啡种植业面临威胁 

如果你每天早上都要喝一杯拿铁、卡布奇诺或是浓缩咖啡才能振作精神，那么从现在起，你可能需要注意了。专家说，咖啡一族们每天花在咖啡上的消费很可能会开始上涨，而且咖啡的口味也有可能不比从前。这究竟是为什么呢？本集《随身英语》探讨咖啡种植业正面临的威胁以及人们可以怎样通过科技来改善这个不容乐观的局面。

课文内容 Vocabulary: coffee 词汇: 咖啡 Do you like drinking coffee? I certainly do. In fact you could say I'm an addict because I have to drink a cup every morning to kick-start my day and get my brain working! Latte, cappuccino, espresso – you name it, I'll drink it. And I'm not alone – it seems like everyone has a coffee cup glued to their hands as they rush to the office. So how would we survive if there was a coffee drought?

Well, experts are warning that our favourite caffeine shot could really be under threat. Our love for coffee could mean that demand outstrips supply. This, of course, could hit us in the pocket but there's even worse news – we could face poorer-tasting coffee. This is the view of scientists at London's Kew Gardens who are blaming global warming for this possible hot beverage crisis.

Demand for coffee has certainly increased as people have become more affluent. Consumption has doubled in the last 35 years. Last year 9.5 billion kilos were consumed. But as we drink more, the areas where coffee is grown is predicted to shrink. The International Coffee Organisation says that bean production in South East Asia, for example, will decrease by 70% by 2050. The BBC spoke to Dr Tim Schilling, director of the World Coffee Research institute, who says: "The supply of high-quality coffee is severely threatened by climate change, diseases and pests, land pressure, and labour shortages - and demand for these coffees is rising every year."

This is a sobering thought for those of us who rely on a caffeine fix everyday but more worrying for people who work in the industry. Coffee provides a livelihood for about 16% of Ethiopia's population. And across the globe, extreme weather events are proving a challenge to coffee growers in places such as Brazil and Vietnam. 

There is some hope. Technology is helping to protect the future of coffee such as 'breeding' the Arabica bean plants to increase its diversity and making it resistant to climatic changes. It's also possible to relocate the coffee-growing areas – although this sometimes leads to areas being deforested. Dr Aaron Davis, coffee researcher at Kew, says: “There is the potential to mitigate some of the negatives and actually increase the coffee-growing area by four and a half times compared with maintaining the status quo.” But will this come quick enough before our coffee turns bitter and we look for a cheaper alternative?

词汇表 addict 对…上瘾的人

kick-start 使…开始

coffee drought 咖啡“荒”，指咖啡供应缺乏的情况

outstrip （数量、程度）超过

hit someone in the pocket 使某人掏尽腰包

global warming 全球气候变暖

beverage 饮料（统称）

affluent 富裕的

consumption 消耗量

sobering 发人深省的

caffeine fix 一份含咖啡因的提神饮品

livelihood 生计来源

breeding （植物的）培植

diversity 多样性

resistant 耐…的，有能力抵抗…的

mitigate 减轻（危害）

status quo 现状

测验与练习  1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. According to experts, how will global warming affect how we experience coffee?

2. What has happened to the amount of coffee drunk over the last 35 years?

3. Which word did Dr Tim Schilling, director of the World Coffee Research Institute, use to mean insects or small animals that damage plants or supplies of food?

4.True or false: People who work in the coffee industry have to have a caffeine fix every day.

5. Some new areas for growing coffee have been developed but what has this caused in certain places?

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处 。

1. The government hopes to ______ the economy by dropping interest rates.

kick-off       kick-up       kick-start       kick-back

2. Poor diet, high alcohol ______, smoking and inactivity are also linked with high cholesterol.

beverage       consumption       sobering       breeding

3. Many factory workers could lose their ______ because of falling orders for cars.

lives       diversity       caffeine fix       livelihoods

4. The bank lost so many customers because it was ______ to change and they thought it was old-fashioned.

resisting       resistance       resistant       resisted

5. Tourism is so popular on the island now that something needs to be done to ______ the effects.

mitigate       kick-start       status quo       outstrip

答案 1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. According to experts, how will global warming affect how we experience coffee?

It will cost more money and not taste as good.

2. What has happened to the amount of coffee drunk over the last 35 years?

Coffee consumption has doubled in the last 35 years.

3. Which word did Dr Tim Schilling, director of the World Coffee Research Institute, use to mean insects or small animals that damage plants or supplies of food?

Pests. 

4.True or false: People who work in the coffee industry have to have a caffeine fix every day.

False. Coffee drinkers rely on a caffeine fix but people who produce coffee don't.

5. Some new areas for growing coffee have been developed but what has this caused in certain places?

Deforestation.

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处 。

1. The government hopes to kick-start the economy by dropping interest rates.

2. Poor diet, high alcohol consumption, smoking and inactivity are also linked with high cholesterol.

3. Many factory workers could lose their livelihoods because of falling orders for cars.

4. The bank lost so many customers because it was resistant to change and they thought it was old-fashioned.

5. Tourism is so popular on the island now that something needs to be done to mitigate the effects.