英语听力—环球英语 564 Kenya’s Clean Food Farms

　　Voice 1
Hello, and welcome to Spotlight¹. I'm Mike Procter.
Voice 2
And I'm Liz Waid. 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
Kibera slum², Nairobi. This part of Kenya's capital city is home to thousands of people. Experts estimate³ that around one million people will live there by the year 2010 - in an area only four kilometres wide and four kilometres long! Kibera is extremely poor. There are few public health resources such as clean water and toilets. But this does not mean that people in Kibera are hopeless. Many of them are working hard to improve the life of the Kibera community.
Voice 2
You may have heard about Kibera on a recent Spotlight programme. This programme talked about a local radio station in Kibera. People from the community manage the station for the community. The station is called, "Pamoja FM". "Pamoja" is the Swahili word for "together." Workers at Pamoja FM come from different ethnic⁴ and religious groups. But they all want what is best for the community.
Voice 1
Pamoja FM is just one group working in Kibera. The Kibera Youth Reform Self-Help Group is also bringing positive change. But they started in a surprising way.
In early 2008, conflict started in Kenya. Many people were not happy with the results of a national election⁵. The country had voted in December 2007. When the results were announced, many people were angry. They claimed that the government had fixed⁶ the situation so that it would win power once again. Ethnic groups fought one another. Many people lost all they possessed⁷ - even their homes. Some people saw family members killed. Others received terrible injuries. It was a dark time for Kenya.
Voice 2
Fighting was fierce around the Kibera area. But the conflict gave an opportunity to a group of young criminals. You might think that these people would have little to offer their community. But for the members of this group, the conflict increased their desire to leave their lives of crime - and to make a fresh start. They started the Kibera Youth Reform Self-Help group.
The members of the group made a plan to help improve the lives of people in their community. They wanted to start a farm in Kibera! The farm would have two goals: to produce food that the young people could eat. And to produce food that they could sell to local people.
Voice 1
Kibera did not seem to be a good place to grow food. There was no clean water supply. There was not much empty land. But the Kibera youth group did not lose courage. They found a place that no one was using. People had thrown unwanted things there - broken bottles, animal bones, plastic bags filled with human waste. They did not know very much about how to start a farm. But someone in the group had a friend who knew a lot about farming methods. Su Kahumbu is the manager of an organic⁸ farming company in Kenya. And the group believed that she would be the perfect person to work with the Kibera youth group!
Voice 2
Su Kahumbu saw some pictures of the proposed⁹ land. After seeing them she said:
Voice 3
"There was so much waste material there. I thought, ‘This must be a joke!'"
Voice 2
However, the Youth group managed to persuade Su that their idea was possible to achieve. And finally, she agreed to help!
Voice 1
The first step was to clear the ground of all the waste material. It took the young men and women three and a half months to do this. Then, Su Kahumbu sent away some of the soil from the land to a laboratory¹⁰. She wanted the scientists to test and see if there were any poisonous substances left from the waste material. If so, these substances would affect the growth of seeds placed in it. The news was not good. Results showed that the soil contained a high level of zinc¹¹ metal. Su was afraid that they would have to replace the soil with new earth.
Voice 2
However, another farmer told Su about a method to remove zinc from the soil - planting sunflowers! She learned¹² that these large bright yellow flowers are very good at ‘cleaning' soil. They can take up zinc in the soil through their roots. This makes the sunflower seeds bad for eating. But, it is a natural way of cleaning the soil - without using chemicals. This pleased Su Kahumbu. She wanted to show the youth group how to farm in an organic way - by not using chemicals in the soil. She said:
Voice 3
"The levels of poison in the soil in Kibera were already high. And I did not think it was fair to add to them."
Voice 1
The Kibera farmers needed substances to make the soil fertile¹³. So, they used organic material from old vegetables. And, they started an earthworm farm! They kept these long, thin creatures in a container of soil. From time to time, they added water. The water flowed through the soil, collecting waste matter from the earthworms. The farmers then spread this liquid on the soil - and this made the ground very fertile!
Voice 2
The farmers also had to deal with the problem of water supply. They put water pipes on top of the soil. Then they filled them with water. The pipes contained small holes that permitted drops of water to fall onto the soil from time to time. This system did not cost much to care for. And it avoided wasting water!
Voice 1
Six weeks after planting, the farmers harvested their first vegetables. There was enough food for thirty families - with some left over to sell. But what did the people of Kibera think of their local farm's organic produce? Joyce was one of the customers. She said:
Voice 4
"The vegetables are clean. They are pure and fresh. That is why we like them! We earn almost twelve dollars a week. And we are spending almost eleven dollars on food. We are willing to pay more for clean food."
Voice 1
The Kibera Youth group are sure that the farm will make enough money for them to continue - and maybe start other farms in the Kibera area! Their life of crime is in the past. They have learnt many new skills through this experience. And they are using them to improve their own lives - and the lives of the Kibera community!
 

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 slum   

n.贫民窟，贫民区；vi.（因好奇而）逛贫民区

参考例句：

• These children came from a slum area.这些孩子来自贫民窟区。
• What a wretched existence the people in the slum lead!这个贫民窟里的人们过着多么令人悲惨的生活啊！

3 estimate   

n.估计，估量；评价，看法；vt.估计，估量

参考例句：

• We estimate the cost to be five thousand dollars.我们估计费用为5000美元。
• The lowest estimate would put the worth of the jewel at ＄200.按最低的评估这块宝石也值200美元。

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 election   

n.选举，选择权；当选

参考例句：

• There is no doubt but that he will win the election.毫无疑问，他将在竞选中获胜。
• The government will probably fall at the coming election.在即将到来的大选中，该政府很可能要垮台。

6 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

7 possessed   

adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的

参考例句：

• He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。
• He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

8 organic   

adj.有机的，有机物的；有组织的

参考例句：

• Organic farming is expanding everywhere.有机农业正在各地迅速发展起来。
• The organic fertilizer shall keep the soil in good heart.这有机肥一定会使土壤保持肥沃。

9 proposed   

被提议的

参考例句：

• There is widespread discontent among the staff at the proposed changes to pay and conditions. 员工对改变工资和工作环境的建议普遍不满。
• an outcry over the proposed change 对拟议的改革所发出的强烈抗议

10 laboratory   

n.实验室，化验室

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a laboratory.她捐款成立了一个实验室。
• Our laboratory equipment isn't perfect,but we must make do.实验室设备是不够理想，但我们只好因陋就简。

11 zinc   

n.锌；vt.在...上镀锌

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• Zinc is used to protect other metals from corrosion.锌被用来保护其他金属不受腐蚀。

12 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

13 fertile   

adj.肥沃的，富饶的；多产的，丰产的

参考例句：

• The district is fertile of wheat.该地区盛产小麦。
• Plants grow well in fertile soil.植物在肥沃的土壤里长势良好。