保卫你的巧克力 Safeguarding your chocolate

保卫你的巧克力Safeguarding your chocolateVocabulary: agriculture 词汇: 农业Can you imagine a world without chocolate? It's not something I'd like to do, so I was relieved to read that there's a university with a programme to safeguardthe future of chocolate!The University of Reading, in England, has just opened a new clearing house for all the world's new cocoa varieties. They must be quarantined before they can be grown. Why? Cocoa production hit a record high of 4.4 million tonnes last year but an estimated 30% of the precious crop is regularly lost to pests and diseases. Now we don't want that, do we?Demand for chocolate has been increasing faster than the supply of cocoaDemand for chocolate has been increasing faster than the global supply of cocoa and researchers think that new varieties are key to solving this problem.The University of Reading has been protecting the quality of the new crops since 1985, after it took over the task from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, London. And it has improved its facilities.The leader of the institution's cocoa project, Professor Paul Hadley, says: "One of the principal issues concerning cocoa improvement is the supply of reliably clean, healthy, interesting cocoa material. You need some mechanism to make sure that if you are transferring the stuff, you're not transferring pests and diseases."The cocoa centre has a collection of 400 plant varieties and their greenhouse uses a lot of energy to keep them in tropical conditions. After up to two years in quarantine, clean and safe seeds are sent to some 20 countries, including several in West Africa. That's where 75% of the cocoa used for chocolate worldwide comes from. The crop is crucial for the local economy: it employs about two million people.Professor Hadley says he works with a small team of green-fingered technicians who look after the collection. And more of us seem to count on them now. The scientist says: "There is some concern within the industry that demand is increasing relentlessly - particularly in countries like China, where the standard of living is increasing and people are getting a taste for some of these confectionaries."∙clearing house (for biosafety) 动植物检疫所（生物安全）∙cocoa variety 可可粉品种∙to quarantine 隔离检疫∙crop （庄稼、作物的）收成∙pest 害虫∙demand 需求∙supply （商品的）供应量∙botanical 植物学的∙reliably 可靠地，可信赖地∙greenhouse 温室，暖棚∙tropical conditions 热带环境∙in quarantine 被隔离检疫∙seed 种子∙green-fingered 植物技艺高超的人，种植好手∙confectionery 糖果工作单位里的竞争? Workplace competition?Vocabulary: bullying 词汇: 以强凌弱Competition in the workplace can be fierce but how far should people go to succeed? Bullying has become a common word in business in the 21st century. The aggressive boss, the intimidating colleague - do they just come with the territory? Do we have to suffer in silence? Is bullying just part of human nature?Bullying can make workers very depressedModern companies value cooperation. People's wellbeing can increase productivity and many countries have introduced laws against bullying, which have become part of the companies' human resources policy.And what sort of behaviour falls into this category? Even experts recognise it could be difficult to define exactly what constitutes bullying. Helene Guldberg has a PhD in developmental psychology from the University of Manchester in the UK. She says bullying is "something that is intentional and involves some kind of power imbalance, so it's not an argument between equals".The specialist adds that bullying behaviour is something that is repetitive. "It's not a one-off rage by one person against another", warns Guldberg.A 2014 survey conducted by the Workplace Bullying Institute in the US has suggested that 27% of Americans have suffered abusive conduct at work; another 21% have witnessed it.You could say that some individuals are just more confident and demanding than others. They might be seen as bullies but believe they didn't mean to cause any harm. There is even a new expression for them: "alpha males".But Darren Treadway, at State University of New York, has studied bullying in the workplace and come to believe that it's all about perception.He says that supervisors have a responsibility as communicators to make sure that subordinates are getting an accurate perception of their behaviour.∙aggressive 咄咄逼人的∙intimidating 令人生畏的∙to come with the territory 不可避免的，理应如此的∙cooperation 合作∙human resources 人力资源∙intentional 有意的∙ a one off 只有一次，下不为例∙abusive 虐待的，侮辱的∙harm 伤害∙alpha male 雄性领袖、群体领袖∙perception 感知、印象，看法∙supervisor 主管∙subordinate 下属出入方便吗？Easy access?Vocabulary: disability 词汇: 残疾The integration of disabled people in society has increased in the last few decades. The Paralympic movement celebrates extraordinary physical achievement. And businesses are starting to cater for the needs of disabledpeople.There are 12 million people in Britain withsome kind of disabilityBut is progress fast enough? A recent surveyby the British government has investigatedaccess for disabled people on the high street.More than 30,000 shops and restaurants were inspected in what has been described as the largest-ever audit of this kind in the UK. Many businesses didn't make the cut: 20% of shops had no ramps for wheelchairs, 85% of retailers had no hearing loops for customers with hearing impairments and 75% of restaurants didn't cater for those with visualimpairments. They should have menus with larger print available.The Minister for Disabled People, Mark Harper, who commissioned the survey, said: "Effectively these businesses are turning away potential customers. This isn't just about doing what's right. Businesses are missing a trick by not doing more to tap into this market."And the figures prove this point. There are 12 million people in Britain with disabilities, and they have family and friends. All of them have an estimated spending power of £200bn!Businesses which exclude disabled customers might not just be losing money but also be breaching the law. In Britain, the Equality Act of 2010 makes it mandatory for organisations to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people.Karl Nicholson, a Paralympic athlete and wheelchair user, says that things have got better. He's happily surprised when he goes to buy clothes and finds a changing room he has access to. He wishes it would be the norm for all retailers. "It would be fantastic!" he says.It might be good for some businesses to remember an old saying about how to succeed in a competitive market: "The customer is always right."∙disability 残疾∙integration 融合∙disabled (adjective) 残疾的∙Paralympic movement 残奥会运动∙to cater 为…提供服务，满足…的需要∙access 出入通道∙to make the cut达标∙ramp 斜坡，坡道∙wheelchair 轮椅∙retailer 零售商∙hearing loop 听力线圈（一种助听技术，用于公共场所帮助带助听器的人）∙hearing impairments 听力障碍∙visual impairments 视力障碍∙to miss a trick 错过机会∙to tap into 探寻，开发（市场）∙adjustment 调整，改善∙changing room 试衣室∙norm 标准，常规∙saying (noun) 老话，格言，警句分享型经济Sharing economyVocabulary: making money 词汇: 赚钱Do you have a spare room in your house? What about a driveway for your car? Both of these can help you make money. Many people who are feeling the pinch are taking advantage of what's been called the 'sharing economy'.Perhaps the best-known example of a company in this field is Airbnb - an American web business which allows you to rent out your spare room to holidaymakers. It says it operates in 34,000 cities and it has 800,000 listings of rooms and apartments. They seem to have cornered the market!A British company is doing something with parking spaces. JustPark's founder, Anthony Eskinazi, says: "When I had the original idea, I spotted a driveway close to a sports stadium. It would have been so convenient if I could have just parked in that driveway rather than in a commercial car park."And he has a big clientele: around 20,000 people have advertised their spaces on the site, and he says around half a million drivers use it. There are other sites doing very similar things, like Uber and Lyft - these let drivers share their cars with other passengers.Any driver knows how valuable a place to park is. A church near Kings Cross in central London has apparently made over £200,000 by renting out space in its yard to travellers!But the sharing economy has its critics: the competitors of these new companies. People who run things like traditional B and Bs, commercial car parks and taxi services are afraid of ending up out of pocket.And there is another issue: regulations for these new businesses are unclear. How will renting out your driveway affect your neighbour?Because this is a new business world, those rules aren't there yet and many people are happy to share... as long as it pays!∙spare room 家里的空房间∙to feel the pinch 感到手头拮据∙to rent out 出租，租给∙holidaymaker 度假者，游客∙to corner the market 垄断市场∙to spot 发现∙commercial 商业化的，商业收费的∙clientele 客户，顾客∙to advertise 刊登广告∙valuable 宝贵的∙competitors 竞争者∙out of pocket 经济受损失，赔钱regulations 规章，管理圣诞节休战The Christmas TruceVocabulary:Peace词汇: 和平It happened 100 years ago this week: tired young men jumped out of their muddy trenches on the Western Front of the First World War and fraternised with the enemy.Soldiers exchanged small gifts and some even played football togetherin no-man's-land.This extraordinary event, which came to be known as The Christmas Truce, took place between British and German troops. Michael Jurgs, the author of The Small Peace in the Great War, says there was much more to this spontaneous ceasefire than just the Christmas spirit. The historian believes soldiers of both sides were simply fed up with the war.Jurgs says the soldiers had been promised they would be home by Christmas, but after a few months of war, there were already a million dead and there was no sign the conflict would end any day soon. The bad weather made everybody even moremiserable. The first move towards the truce came from the German side. Jurgs is from Germany and he finds this surprising because his country "has started or joined many wars" - but the German soldiers began to sing the Christmas carol, 'Silent Night, Holy Night' and that's how it all began.The tune helped to break the ice, because it was recognised by the British and the news spread quickly along the trenches.Captain G.B. Jameson of the Northumberland Hussars Yeomanry was there when it happened. He remembered, during an interview in 1991, that a comrade told him that some German soldiers were walking outside the trenches. He thought his friend was joking but it turned out to be true. Jameson said that nobody was fighting and people were just wandering around the top talking, having a great time.The soldiers chatted, smoked, exchanged gifts and even played football together in no-man's-land. But the truce was never going to last. The high command placed a ban on this type of behaviour, and, in spite of some isolated outbreaks of goodwill the following year, it was not repeated.It sounds like a good Christmas story for a movie but... it's good to remember: it really did happen. Merry Christmas!∙to fraternise 交友，亲敌，友好往来∙to exchange 交换∙no-man's-land 无人管辖地，无人区域∙extraordinary 特别的，不平常的∙spontaneous 自发的，自然产生的∙Christmas spirit 圣诞气氛、圣诞精神∙fed up 受够了∙Christmas carol 圣诞颂歌∙to break the ice 打破僵局∙comrade 战友，同志∙to have a great time 玩得愉快∙goodwill 友善快乐离婚！Happy divorce!Vocabulary: relationships 词汇: 感情关系Nobody really likes divorce. When you decide to commit to someone, sign papers, swear eternal love, the last thing on your mind is that it will go pear shaped. But we're all human and it happens. Maybe it's a blessing that clever entrepreneurs have decided to take the sting out of the tail of divorce with creative ways to cheer us up.Glynda Rhodes is one of them. This Las Vegas businesswoman used to organise stag parties and hen parties. But in 2012, she opened a divorce party planning company and says that business is booming. What does she offer the new divorcee? Her packages start with a night club evening, but if you pay a bit more you can have a round of 'got out of the hole' golf thrown in for the men or a 'I'm still gorgeous' hair and make-up pre-night-out for the ladies.Those who feel bitter because their relationship went sour can try to bounce back with a celebratory cake. A bakery in Florida says they're getting three to four requests for divorce cakes every month. And what's a divorce cake? One on which you can have a picture of a bride dragging a groom by the leg saying 'take him to the trash' or one in which the groom is eaten by an alligator.Some might look with suspicion at divorce parties, but psychologist Robin Deutsch believes that they might be a good thing. As the director of the Centre of Excellence for Children, Families and the Law at the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, she must know a thing or two about relationships.Deutsch says: "Many people find release through it. I had one couple in my office who said their vows backwards. I think it gives them a sense of hope and closure."Everyone has their ritual. Some might even invent a new expression to deal with separation.Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has described hers from musician Chris Martin as a'conscious uncoupling'.The couple said they had come to the conclusion that while they love each other very much, they'll remain separate. In this case, it might be safe to assume that no alligator will be involved.∙to commit to 承诺，忠于（某人）∙to swear (= to promise) 发誓，承诺∙to go pear shaped 搞砸了，出问题了∙to take the sting out of the tail 减少由…引起的不快∙stag party 单身汉聚会（尤指结婚前的最后一次狂欢）∙hen party 女性派对（尤指结婚前庆祝活动）∙booming 生意蓬勃繁荣的∙divorcee 离了婚的人∙to throw in 附带奉送∙bitter 怀恨的，愤愤不平的∙to go sour 变得另人不愉快，另人失望∙to bounce back 重整其鼓，经历挫折后重新振作起来∙release (noun) 解脱，发泄∙vows 誓言，结婚誓言∙closure 解脱∙ritual 规矩，习惯∙conscious 有意的。