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随身英语Coffee under threat 咖啡种植业面临威胁 如果你每天早上都要喝一杯拿铁、卡布奇诺或是浓缩咖啡才能振作精神，那么从现在起，你可能需要注意了。专家说，咖啡一族们每天花在咖啡上的消费很可能会开始上涨，而且咖啡的口味也有可能不比从前。这究竟是为什么呢？本集《随身英语》探讨咖啡种植业正面临的威胁以及人们可以怎样通过科技来改善这个不容乐观的局面。 课文内容 Vocabulary: coffee 词汇: 咖啡 Do you like drinking coffee? I certainly do. In fact you could say I'm an addict because I have to drink a cup every morning to kick-start my day and get my brain working! Latte, cappuccino, espresso – you name it, I'll drink it. And I'm not alone – it seems like everyone has a coffee cup glued to their hands as they rush to the office. So how would we survive if there was a coffee drought? Well, experts are warning that our favourite caffeine shot could really be under threat. Our love for coffee could mean that demand outstrips supply. This, of course, could hit us in the pocket but there's even worse news – we could face poorer-tasting coffee. This is the view of scientists at London's Kew Gardens who are blaming global warming for this possible hot beverage crisis. Demand for coffee has certainly increased as people have become more affluent. Consumption has doubled in the last 35 years. Last year 9.5 billion kilos were consumed. But as we drink more, the areas where coffee is grown is predicted to shrink. The International Coffee Organisation says that bean production in South East Asia, for example, will decrease by 70% by 2050. The BBC spoke to Dr Tim Schilling, director of the World Coffee Research institute, who says: "The supply of high-quality coffee is severely threatened by climate change, diseases and pests, land pressure, and labour shortages - and demand for these coffees is rising every year." | 
