英语听力精选进阶版 7258（在线收听）

爱尔兰政府要求该国的餐厅要在六个月内主动把每道菜的卡路里指数在菜单上表明，以便让顾客能直接判断自己选择的菜是否健康。爱尔兰的卫生部长已表示，如果餐厅不遵守自愿参与的计划，那他会对此事提出立法。

Ireland has a proud tradition of producing good quality food, which is enjoyed at home and abroad. But like many developed countries, it's also battling obesity - nearly forty per cent of adults here are overweight.

On Wednesday the country's health minister backed a report calling for calorie labelling, which would mean that Irish restaurants, like this one, and fast food outlets would have to show exactly how many calories are in the dishes that they serve.

The health minister said the country's food businesses have six months to introduce calorie menu labelling, or else face the possible introduction of a compulsory scheme.

Some fast food chains here already label their menus, allowing customers to make healthier choices if they wish. But the country's restaurant association has claimed it will cost each outlet around seven thousand dollars to implement calorie labelling.

The move is supported, however, by the findings of the report, which show that most people here support calorie labelling in food outlets. This is a country with a track record of acting on public health - Ireland was one of the first places in the world to implement a blanket smoking ban in public places, for example.

Quiz 听力测试

How can we describe people who are fat or overweight?

Fat people are also known as obese people.

What do calories measure?

Calories are used to measure how much energy there is in food.

If restaurants don’t implement calories labelling voluntarily, what does the Irish government propose to do?

The Irish government could introduce compulsory labelling through legislation.

What other bans has the Irish government introduced to help the public staying healthy?

Ireland was one of the first places in the world to introduce smoking ban in all public places.

Glossary 词汇表

a proud tradition 自豪的传统

obesity 肥胖

backed 支持

dishes 菜肴

compulsory 义务的，强制规定的

outlet 销售点

implement 实现

the move 此举

a track record 良好的记录

blanket 总括，全体的