在线英语听力室

雅思学习：U.N. calls emergency food prices meeting

时间：2010-09-13 07:05:07

（单词翻译:单击）

The U.N. fears rising prices will bring about food riots in many countries, similar to those that took place in 2008. There has already been unrest in Mozambique, where police opened fire and killed seven people demonstrating over a 30 per cent increase in bread prices. Rises will hurt the pockets more of those in developing countries, where most of a person’s income can go on food. FAO economist1 Abdolreza Abbassian told the BBC: "Food prices, and wheat in particular, are so important for food security and even the political stability of countries. Even a small increase in the price of food, which is so important to them, can spark a problem." Economists2 say food prices are expected to surge by at least 10 per cent in most countries.

The U.N. fears rising prices will bring about food riots in many countries, similar to those that took place in 2008. There has already been unrest in Mozambique, where police opened fire and killed seven people demonstrating over a 30 per cent increase in bread prices. Rises will hurt the pockets more of those in developing countries, where most of a person’s income can go on food. FAO economist Abdolreza Abbassian told the BBC: "Food prices, and wheat in particular, are so important for food security and even the political stability of countries. Even a small increase in the price of food, which is so important to them, can spark a problem." Economists say food prices are expected to surge by at least 10 per cent in most countries.
 

WARM-UPS

 
 
1. FOOD PRICES: Walk around the class and talk to other students about food prices. Change partners often. Sit with your first partner(s) and share your findings.

2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, decide which of these topics or words from the article are most interesting and which are most boring.


United Nations / food prices / wheat / exports / heatwave / production / harvest / fears / unrest / riots / hurting the pocket / developing countries / stability / surge


Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.

3. PRICES: How do they affect you? Complete this table and talk about it your partner(s). Change partners and share what you heard. Change and share again.


Affordable3 now ?
What would you do if prices doubled?

Food
  
  

Gas/Petrol
  
  

Internet/Phone
  
  

Clothes
  
  

Books/Magazines
  
  

Alcohol
  
  


4. RIOTS: Students A strongly believe food riots will never happen in rich countries; Students B strongly believe they will.  Change partners again and talk about your conversations.

5. SHOPPING: Which of these would you buy if you had very little money? Rank them and share your rankings with your partner. Put the most important at the top. Change partners and share your rankings again.

Bread
Potatoes
Chicken
Fish
Cake
Rice
Chocolate
Bananas


6. WHEAT: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word ‘wheat’. Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.

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1 economist AuhzVs     
n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人
参考例句：
  • He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
  • He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。
2 economists 2ba0a36f92d9c37ef31cc751bca1a748     
n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
  • Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
3 affordable kz6zfq     
adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的
参考例句：
  • The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
  • There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。