英语听力—环球英语 1383 Can Chocolate Save the World?

 　　Voice 1

 

　　Thank you for joining us for today’s Spotlight¹ program. I’m Liz Waid.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　And I’m Joshua Leo. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Do you ever eat chocolate? This sweet, rich tasting treat is very popular everywhere in the world. But experts now believe that chocolate is not just a sweet. It may help save the world!

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　How is this possible? First, it is important to understand where chocolate comes from.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Cacao trees grow deep in the forests of many southern countries. Throughout² the year, round fruit grows on the cacao trees. The fruit can grow up to thirty five and a half centimeters long. And it can be many different colours - yellow, green, red or purple.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Traditional farmers own most cacao tree farms. The trees have been a part of some families for many years. Growing cacao trees and harvesting the fruit is often a long time family tradition. When the fruit is ready, the farmers come and take the fruit from the tree, just as their ancestors³ did over a thousand years ago.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　The farmers open the fruit. They remove the soft pulp⁴ and seeds from the fruit, and let it dry in the sun. It must dry for several days. When everything is dry, they remove the cacao seeds. The cacao seeds continue to dry. Then seeds go to a factory. There, workers wash them, and then roast⁵ them - cook them over a fire. Finally, people use these roasted⁶ seeds from the cacao tree to make chocolate.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Now back to our question. How can chocolate help save the planet⁷? Well, it is not the chocolate that will help save the planet, but the cacao tree.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　As many people know, our world is very sick. People are poisoning⁸ the air with carbon⁹ dioxide¹⁰. When people burn fossil¹¹ fuels, they create carbon dioxide. Fossil fuels include gas and oil. People use these fuels for many activities - and they are necessary to many communities. But high levels of carbon dioxide are causing climate change - including rising temperatures around the world.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　So what does this have to do with the cacao tree? Cacao trees usually grow in rainforests. And rainforests can help protect the planet from climate change. This is because the trees in a rainforest store carbon dioxide. They take it out of the air. And they do not release¹² it until they die.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　But, there is a lot less rainforest than there once was. For example, there used to be 1,300,000 square kilometers of rainforest in eastern Brazil. But people have been cutting down the trees of this rainforest. They use the trees for wood and the land for farms. Big companies also cut down the trees so that they can mine for oil and precious¹³ jewels.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Many people in Brazil believe that the only way they can survive is to burn down trees and farm the land. But the soil of these farms goes bad very quickly. It does not have many of the nutrients¹⁴ necessary for growing food. The soil loses these important chemicals, and the food will not grow. So, the farmers must leave the land, and find new land. They continue to cut down more and more trees to get new farmland¹⁵. Only seven percent of the rainforest in Eastern Brazil remains¹⁶.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　That is why many people are interested in saving¹⁷ the rainforests around the world. But, saving the forests means¹⁸ helping¹⁹ the farmers first. They need to be able to make money and survive. That is why Dario Ahnert believes that chocolate is the answer.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Dario is a plant expert. He understands the concerns of the farmers. Many of their crops will not grow under the thick leaves of the rainforest. But he does know that cacao trees will!

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Dario’s friend Joao is a fourth generation cacao tree grower. Joao, his brother and his father own some rainforest land where they grow cacao trees. They use a method called “cabruca.” Cabruca involves cutting down just a few of the tall rainforest trees. They plant cacao trees under the remaining trees. The ground around the trees is covered with a thick layer of wet leaves. These wet leaves feed the soil. They return the nutrients taken by the cacao trees.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Joao’s cacao tree farm does not produce as much fruit as other people’s farms. People who farm on open land produce more fruit. But, as Joao explains, these people face other problems.

 

　　Voice 3

 

　　“You produce more but you have lots of problems. You have more plant disease²⁰ and more insects, so we decide to protect the rainforest.”

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　With the cabruca method, Joao is making money from his cacao trees. And he is also protecting the rainforest.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　Some farmers do not believe that growing cacao trees in the rainforest is the answer. They want to produce more fruit so they can make money faster. But, they do not understand that soon they may no longer have any good land to farm. The soil will continue to be bad as long as they continue to burn down rainforest trees.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Dario hopes that the farmers will soon make a better profit from growing cacao trees in the rainforest. There is a growing demand for environmentally²¹ friendly chocolate. This kind of chocolate comes from trees that help protect the rainforest.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　And many groups around the world have started giving “carbon credit²².” Carbon credit is a new idea. Carbon credit offers money to people and businesses who work to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. The groups measure the amount of carbon saved. Then, they give money in relation to the saved carbon.

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　Today, these groups are trying to find a way to measure how much carbon rainforest cacao tree farms save. The hope is that farmers who plant cacao trees in the rainforest would gain carbon credit. They would receive money for their cacao seeds and for protecting the rainforest. Cutting down the rainforest trees will no longer seem like a good idea.

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　So, will planting cacao trees in the rainforests of Brazil fix the Earth’s climate problem? No, it will not. But in this little part of the world it may help. It may even help other parts of the world save their rainforests too. Hopefully, farmers around the world will find ways to grow crops and save the rainforests. And, just think, more cacao trees also means more chocolate!

 

　　Voice 2

 

　　The writer of today’s program was Rebekah Schipper. The producer was Liz Waid. Computer users²³ can hear more Spotlight programs on our website at http://www.Radio.English.net This .program is called “Can Chocolate Save the World?”

 

　　Voice 1

 

　　You can send comments and questions to Spotlight at radio @ english . net. We hope you can join us again for the next Spotlight program. Goodbye!

 

　　Music in this program came from Podington Bear.

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 throughout   

adv.到处，自始至终；prep.遍及，贯穿

参考例句：

• These magazines are sold at bookstores throughout the country.这些杂志在全国各地书店均有发售。
• Guilin is known throughout the world for its scenery.桂林以山水著称于世。

3 ancestors   

n.祖先( ancestor的名词复数 )；祖宗；原型；（动物的）原种

参考例句：

• His ancestors had come to America from Ireland. 他的祖先从爱尔兰来到美国。
• The custom of worshipping ancestors is prevalent among these people. 崇拜祖先的风俗在这些人中是普遍的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 pulp   

n.果肉，纸浆；v.化成纸浆，除去...果肉，制成纸浆

参考例句：

• The pulp of this watermelon is too spongy.这西瓜瓤儿太肉了。
• The company manufactures pulp and paper products.这个公司制造纸浆和纸产品。

5 roast   

v.烤，炙，烘；n.烤肉；adj.烤(烘)过的

参考例句：

• There's a piece of roast beef.这儿有一块烤牛肉.
• Put the meat into the oven to roast.把肉放到炉子里去烤。

6 roasted   

a.烤好的

参考例句：

• I love the delightful odour of freshly roasted coffee beans. 我喜欢新烘咖啡豆的清香气味。
• They roasted his new book. 他们狠狠地挖苦他的新书。

7 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

8 poisoning   

n.中毒，毒害，投毒v.毒死( poison的现在分词 )；污染；放毒于；对…有不良影响

参考例句：

• a series of deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning 一氧化碳中毒引起的一连串死亡
• cases of salmonella poisoning 沙门菌中毒病例

9 carbon   

n.碳元素

参考例句：

• Diamonds are pure carbon.钻石是纯净的碳。
• Carbon is an element,while carbon dioxide is a compound.碳是一种(化学)元素，而二氧化碳则是一种化合物。

10 dioxide   

n.二氧化物

参考例句：

• The oxygen and the carbon combine to form carbon dioxide.氧和碳化合，形成二氧化碳。
• Carbon dioxide is the largest contributor to the greenhouse effect.二氧化碳太多是道致温室效应的最主要原因。

11 fossil   

n.化石，食古不化的人，老顽固

参考例句：

• At this distance of time it is difficult to date the fossil.时间隔得这么久了，很难确定这化石的年代。
• The man is a fossil.那人是个老顽固。

12 release   

vt.发布，发表，发行；释放，放开

参考例句：

• After my examination I had a feeling of release.考完试后我有如释重负之感。
• This medicine will give you release from pain.这药吃后会解除你的疼痛。

13 precious   

adj.宝贵的，珍贵的，过于精致的，珍爱的

参考例句：

• Each life is precious.生命都是宝贵的。
• Spring rain is as precious as oil.春雨贵如油。

14 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 farmland   

n.农田，乡间的土地

参考例句：

• They own 200 acres of farmland.他们拥有200英亩的农田。
• If this wet land was drained,it would be good farmland.如果把这块湿地的水排干，这块地就会成为良田。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

17 saving   

n.节省，节约；[pl.]储蓄金，存款

参考例句：

• Energy saving is term strategic policy of our country.节约能源是我国长期的战略国策。
• Old-fashioned housewives were usually very saving.旧时的家庭主妇通常都很节俭。

18 means   

n.方法，手段，折中点，物质财富

参考例句：

• That man used artful means to find out secrets.那人使用狡猾的手段获取机密。
• We must get it done by some means or other.我们总得想办法把它干完。

19 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

20 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

21 environmentally   

adv.有关环境方面

参考例句：

• an environmentally sustainable society 保持生态环境平衡的社会
• Building the proposed new road would be environmentally damaging. 修筑那条拟建的新公路会对环境造成破坏。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 credit   

n.信用，荣誉，贷款，学分；v.归功于，赞颂，信任

参考例句：

• I credit him with a certain amount of sense.我认为他有一定的见识。
• He got the credit,and we did the dirty work.他得荣誉，我们做不讨好的工作。

23 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。