Question

【题目】A

Chocoholics everywhere have a duty to help preserve the world’s dwindling supply of cocoa. Leading chocolatiers offer their advice.

We are running out of chocolate, by 2020 as predicted. Sure, some might say this is due to serious economic and geopolitical reasons – climate change, rising demand in Brazil and China, the spectre of Ebola spreading to west African cocoa-growing nations such as Ivory Coast and Ghana.

We know the real reason. It’s the fault of posh（考究的）choc. In the last 10 to 15 years, we have gone from buying a foil-wrapped bar from the newsagents to an unprecedented age of cocoa decadence – demanding a minimum of 70% cocoa solids.

With the shortage, is it time to dial back on this gourmet choc free-for-all, so when the bad times come, there’s enough cocoa left for Cadbury’s to eke out a few Dairy Milks?

We asked chocolatiers to help create a “code of conduct” for responsible chocolate eating in the event of a shortage …So how best should we use what’s left?

Switch to carob (even if it doesn’t taste very nice)

Carob is a chocolate substitute made from the pods of the carob tree – and it’s been languishing（低迷）in a health-food shop near you for years. “Is carob an alternative?” says Young. “If it was used as an ingredient, in a cupcake or chocolate bread, we could accept it”.

Ration（定量）chocolate in cakes and other dishes

Does that triple chocolate cake you’re making need the choc buttercream, the dark chocolate ganache and the white chocolate curls? Certainly when it comes to bought products, Young thinks “there’ll be a change to the amount of chocolate you get in things like cakes and flavoured milks”. “Revere chocolate more. Cut out all the other stuff,” says Coady.

Be prepared to pay more. A lot more

“A Dairy Milk will be a luxury item – we’ll have to save up!” speculates Young. That would be bad news for consumers, but there is an upside to the looming shortage – it could finally spell good news for cocoa growers, many of whom receive a “small amount” for their product, says Harcourt-Cooze: “If a shortage meant cocoa farmers got high prices, it would make me smile.”

Stop abusing chocolate

Yes, we’re looking at you, ChocoChicken – the restaurant that serves chocolate fried chicken with chocolate ketchup and white choc-fried potatoes. Other offenders we have spotted include white chocolate sauces for meat dishes and Scotch eggs with a cacao nib crust.

【1】Which of the following explains the underlined word dwindling?

A.extreme B. whole

C. increasing D. decreasing

【2】What is the root cause of chocolate shortage?

A. Increasing demand B. Climate change

C. Epidemic disease D. Excessive consumption

【3】Which option is NOT correct according to the passage?

A. “Young” is probably a chocolatier.

B. Cocoa farmers might benefit from the shortage.

C. Carob is much more delicious than cocoa products.

D. Carob can be accepted as an ingredient in a cupcake or chocolate bread.

【4】Choose the action recommended according to the code of conduct for responsible chocolate eating.

A. Mary tries to reduce the amount of cocoa when baking cookies.

B. Jack often treats himself with a chocolate feast after work.

C. Dan refuses to eat carob products as a substitute.

D. Rachel throws away chocolate bars which she has not finished.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】D

【3】C

【4】A

【解析】文章介绍现在巧克力的供应越来越少了，和怎么保护现在日益减少的巧克力。

【1】猜词题：根据文章的句子：We are running out of chocolate, by 2020 as predicted.可知巧克力的供应在下降，所以选D。

【2】细节题，根据第三段的句子We know the real reason. It’s the fault of posh（考究的）choc.可知巧克力短缺的根本原因是过度消费，所以选D。

【3】细节题：根据文章的句子：Switch to carob (even if it doesn’t taste very nice)可知carob没有巧克力好吃，所以选C。

【4】推理题：根据文章的句子：Young thinks “there’ll be a change to the amount of chocolate you get in things like cakes and flavoured milks”.可知在做巧克力曲奇的时候可以减少用量，所以选A。