英语听力精选进阶版 13664

Eating 64-year-old food

Summary6 February 2012

In these tough economic times many people are making their food go a little further than they perhaps used to. And for many that might mean ignoring the best before date, but one German man has taken it to the extreme by eating the contents of a 64-year-old tin.

Reporter

Jonathan Josephs

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Report

In the late 1940's the United Stateswas helping¹ Germany overcome the hardships of the second World War. Food parcels were a vital part of the rebuilding effort and Swift's bland² lard was one of the less exciting ingredients. But it was apparently³ durable⁴. The tin with its red, white and blue label still intact survived in Hans Feldmeier's cupboard. So the 87-year-old retired⁵ chemist decided⁶ to test its edibility⁷:

(CLIP OF HANS FELDMEIER WITH VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH) "I didn't open it because I thought the situation could get even worse. I hope that we are not running into tough times like we had after World War II, even despite the financial crisis we are facing."

And his gamble paid off. The tests run by scientists in his home town of Rostock showed it was indeed fit for consumption,saving Mr Feldmeier a precious few Euros. But he did fork out on a loaf of black bread on which it was spread before he and the scientists ate it. So what did it taste like?

(CLIP OF FEMALE EMPLOYEE OF OFFICE OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD SAFETY AND FISHERIES WITH VOICEOVER IN ENGLISH) "I thought it would taste rancid, but it doesn't. I'm totally surprised that it shows absolutely no sign of rancidity."

The tin bore no expiry date, so to adapt an old saying, it seems the proof of the lard, if not the pudding, really was in the eating.

1 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。

2 bland   

adj.淡而无味的，温和的，无刺激性的

参考例句：

• He eats bland food because of his stomach trouble.他因胃病而吃清淡的食物。
• This soup is too bland for me.这汤我喝起来偏淡。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 edibility   

适食性，可食性； 可食用性

参考例句：

• Objective: To analyze the edibility of Huaishan fresh Dioscorea opposita Tbunb. 目的：研究淮山鲜薯去皮生食的可食性。