墨尔本PTE素材库——Milk Prices

墨尔本PTE素材库——Milk Prices

中文批注

在澳大利亚有个奇怪的现象，超市里的瓶装水有时候竟然比牛奶还贵？而这篇报道就讲述了为什么这样的情况会发生，因为乳制品制造商们压低向奶农收购牛奶的价格。这样损害了很多澳洲奶农的利益，使得他们很多人无法维持自己农场的正常收入，而一位奶农的女儿Chloe发起了一个网上情愿，号召政府关注此事。

这篇素材包含了原汁原味的澳洲口音，是非常好的听力练习材料。对澳洲口音表示听不懂的同学，赶紧练习起来吧。不然PTE考试遇到澳洲口音就跪了！同时，虽然报道很长，但是关键内容非常精炼，喜欢挑战的同学可以试试看能否一句话总结报道的内容哦！

【Key Vocabulary】

reveal v. 揭露，暴露

milk processor 牛奶加工商

at fault for 对…有责任，是…的错

suction n. 吸，抽吸

cooling system 冷却系统

vat n.大桶

the dairy supply chain 奶制品供应链

protein n. 蛋白质

fat n. 脂肪

milk solid 乳固形物

litre n. 升

petition n. 请愿，诉状

levy  n. 征税，征收

yarn n. 奇谈，故事

retailer n. 零售商

Full Transcript

Dairy has been the big subject of the week after some farmers revealed they’re in huge financial trouble. They say milk processors aren’t paying them enough to cover their costs anymore and blame cheap supermarket brand milk for driving prices so low. But processors say overseas markets are at fault for the drop in prices.

For Jack and Nathan, life on the farm is pretty sweet.

JACK: Oh it’s great, it’s just all open, natural, it’s relaxing out here.

They live here with their mum, dad, sister and about 200 dairy cows!

JACK: Did you know that cows have four stomachs?

Twice a day the cows are brought down here to be milked.

JACK: So these are the cups. The suction bits go onto the cows and the milk is then carried through this hose into the cooling system and then into the vat.

There’s around 6 thousand dairy farms like Jack and Nathan’s across Australia but they’re just the first step in the dairy supply chain! After milk’s collected from cows it’s bought by processing centres where it’s cleaned and packaged ready to be sold.

But cows’ milk isn’t just used for drinking. Most of it is actually turned into other dairy products like cheese, butter, milk powder, ice cream and yoghurt! And while a lot of these dairy products are sent to Aussie supermarkets, a fair bit travels overseas, for people in other countries to enjoy too. Dairy processing companies pay farmers based on how much protein and fat is in their milk. That’s called milk solids but recently some big companies announced a drop in how much they’re willing to pay.

Murray Goulburn used to pay farmers 5 dollars 60 per kilogram of milk solids. Now they’ll pay between four dollars 75 and 5 dollars a kilo. Meanwhile Fonterra has changed its price from 5 dollars 60 to 5 dollars. The companies say the demand for Aussie dairy products overseas has dropped and they aren’t making as much money as they were so they’ve had to cut their prices. But farmers say these changes will be devastating for many of them.

KEN LAWRENCE, DAIRY FARMER: I couldn’t sleep this morning because I was thinking about it.

They say that, in some cases, they’ll actually be losing money on each litre of milk they sell.

CLINT THEODORE, DAIRY FARMER: The way it is at the moment, it makes it hard to get out of bed in the morning when you know you’ve automatically lost money for the day, you’re going backwards.

Some are calling for the federal government to get involved, like 16 year old Chloe, who started an online campaign asking the government to look at the milk pricing system and set up rules to protect farmers, like her dad. So far she’s got more than 120 thousand signatures!

CHLOE: What I hope to get out of this petition is to see change in supermarkets and the way people perceive dairy farmers and the industry.

But in the meantime, some people have asked the government to put a levy on milk that would go straight to the farmers who made it.

Some say the big supermarkets haven’t helped dairy farmers by selling milk at such a cheap price.

BARNABY JOYCE, DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER: I think it’s incredibly wrong that water, basically in a bottle is priced more than milk and I think we have to have a strong yarn to the retailers about this.

Nathan and Jack’s family say they won’t be affected by the price changes for now but they reckon it’s really important for everyone to support Aussie farmers when they’re out shopping.

JACK: Check it’s Aussie dairy brands not made by the supermarkets I guess because that would support the dairy farmers most.

And they say that together everyone can make a difference to farmers’ right across the country.

（Source: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s4464750.htm）