英语课程计划-International Beer Day（在线收听）

International Beer Day is a celebration of one of the world’s best-loved drinks. People in almost every country drink beer. Many beer-drinking countries say their country’s beer is the best. The International Beer Day website says the day “was created so that all of humanity could be united every August 5th, in celebration of beer!” The site encourages people to have a “beertastic” holiday. It suggests several ways of doing this, including giving beer as a gift. The first International Beer Day was celebrated in 2007. It is a newcomer on the holiday calendar but looks set to stay. The day’s creators said they wanted something different from the Munich Beer Festival, or Oktoberfest, which was for Germans. They wanted a worldwide event.

Beer is the world's oldest alcoholic drink. It is actually the third most popular drink, after water and tea. It is brewed from cereals like barley and wheat. Most beers are made in the same way around the world. There are two main types —lager beer and the darker ale. Beer is an important part of socializing. People often say it is a “social lubricant”. Many young people are drinking beer today and this is leading to problems in society. There are health problems of drinking too much beer. Beer is also blamed for yobbish behavior. In Britain, youngsters who disturb the peace when drunk are called “lager louts”. For most of the world’s beer drinkers though, nothing can beat having a few beers with friends.