Comprehension: Japan's Luxury Fruit Masters Grow Money on Trees

An industry of fruit boutiques has defied Japan's sluggish economy to consistently offer luscious and lavishly tended produce for hefty prices - and it is always in demand.

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. One peach and a bunch of grapes cost 95 dollars when bought together.

a. True

b. False

2. The boutique sells frozen fruit.

a. True

b. False

3. In the auction one cantaloupe melon sold for the same price as a car.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

In Japan, perfectly formed fruit can fetch a fortune. Despite the sluggish economy, luscious produce from luxury fruit boutiques has always been in demand.  This perfectly formed cantaloupe from Shizuoka costs the equivalent of 175 US dollars.

“Only the most promising young melons are selected before being placed in glass chambers where the temperature is adjusted 6 times in 24 hours.  This is a product that requires time and expertise.  It takes 100 work days to produce one of these melons.”

A fresh peach that’s 30 dollars, a bunch of grapes, 95, the bill can easily add up. This housewife is spending 30 dollars on some frozen fruits for her family dinner.

“It’s nice to eat luxury fruit sometimes.  It really is better and it boosts the moral.  It’s like eating a cake.”

High-end fruit is often given to relatives, business associates or bosses with the gift showing the importance of the relationship.

“It’s fun, I often get given them in the summer or at the end of the year.”

For even greater luxury, buyers might consider bidding at a yearly auction in Northern Japan where a pair of cantaloupe melons goes up for sale.  The hammer fell on this year’s pair at a cool 16,000 US dollars, the price of a car.

Answers:

1. b

2. a

3. b

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Comprehension: Turkey Alcohol Laws Threaten Winemaking Industry

The islanders of Turkey's Bozcaada worry that Prime Minister Erdogan's recent restrictive laws relating to the sale and advertising of alcohol will threaten their livelihood and their centuries-old culture of wine-making. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Alcohol can’t be sold between 10am and 6pm in Turkey.

a. True

b. False

2. Winemakers can’t advertise on television or in newspapers.

a. True

b. False

3. The Turkish Prime Minister has defended the law for religious reasons.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

 

Transcript and Answers:

The Turkish island of Bozcaada has been known for its grape varieties for centuries. But its long history of winemaking may now be under threat. A new law that forbids the sale of alcohol between 10pm and 6am in shops, and restricts advertising, has just come into force nationwide. And winemakers here feel business will suffer. 

"We can't have wine tastings, we can't organize events, we can't advertise in newspapers. We already couldn't advertise on TV but now newspaper adverstising is banned too. With these laws we can't communicate." 

Wine production is essential to the island's economy with two thirds of the population making a living out of the harvest; Mehmet's company alone employs around 150 people. But it's also a tradition ingrained in their culture. 

"People come to Bozcaada for the wine. When they order a drink, it's wine." 

"This kind of prohibition limits our freedom. Drinking alcohol is a personal choice, nobody should control it." 

"You can ban all you want but the people will always find a way around this law and that's what is much more dangerous and wrong.” 

Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, a pious Muslim who neither smokes nor drinks, has defended the law on health grounds. But Turkey's sizeable secular population has denounced the law as repressive and with religious, not social, motivations. 

Answers:

1. b
2. a
3. b

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Idioms: Dogs with answers

This week 'dogs' are the theme of our idioms. Do you know what they mean?

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Comprehension: Syria Drug Shortages Threaten Health Catastrophe

A shortage of vital medicines has been one of the effects of the war raging in Syria, and has been described by the World Health organization as "a very critical situation." While Syrian pharmaceutical manufacturers struggle to produce under difficult circumstances, Syrians are struggling to gain access to critical medicines.

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Before the crisis began, Syria was able to produce more medicine than it needed for the entire population.

a. True

b. False

2. There are 22 less pharmaceutical factories in Syria now than there were before the crisis.

a. True

b. False

3. Bansel Aljendi from the Avenzor factory says that they will continue to produce medicines even if they are losing money.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Katia is running a regular errand, trying to secure insulin from this pharmacy in Damascus for her diabetic mother. 

"My mother has diabetes, we were getting insulin from state Pharmacies for free, but for more than a month they haven't had any." 

Katia must now buy the medicine from private pharmacies who are either importing them at high cost or are getting them from smugglers that may not be able to ensure their quality. She now spends 35-40 USD every month on insulin, in a country where the average monthly income is around 300USD. And that's if she's lucky enough to get hold it. A shortage of vital medicines has been one of the effects of the war raging in Syria, and has been described by the World Health organization as "a very critical situation." Before the crisis began, Syria was able to produce enough medicine to almost cover the needs of the entire population. Many of those factories have had to close because of damage from fighting and the increased difficulty in transporting materials to them. Habib Abbud is the lab director of the Ministry of Health in Syria 

"The number of pharmaceutical factories in Syria before the crisis was 77, now there are 55 factories producing medicine." 

Western sanctions have also made it difficult for pharmacies to import the materials needed to manufacture medicine. Many Syrians have no choice but to buy smuggled medicines which may not have been transported properly for their safe use.   That's why some factories, like this one, are still desperately trying to produce medicine amid the crisis. 

"We are committed to this country and we are committed to the people and producing medicine at a reasonable price, we will keep producing medicine even if we are losing money, but we, like any other factory, have a limit as to how far we can go." 

And if that limit is reached, Syrians in need of vital medicines will be leaving pharmacies empty-handed. 

Answers:

1. b
2. a
3. a

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Comprehension: The Africans Making It Big in China

African entrepreneurs are increasingly enticed to southern China by riches made from trading low-cost goods back home via the financial hub of Hong Kong. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. Chungking Mansions is a very high quality area.

a. True

b. False

2. About 20% of mobile phones used in Africa come from China.

a. True

b. False

3. Lamine needs his wife to survive in China.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Across the harbour from Hong Kong's glittering financial district stands a lesser-known hub of global trade. A building famed for budget hotels and no-frills Indian restaurants. But venture deeper inside and Chungking Mansions is also home to deals worth millions of dollars. Ali is an entrepreneur thriving on the export of low-cost Chinese goods to Africa. 

"We felt Chungking is very important for us because it represents the other side of the bridge, linking Hong Kong and the rest of the world, mainly Africa." 

According to one estimate, up to a fifth of the mobile phones used in Africa in recent years have been traded through these corridors. But if Chungking Mansions is the global clearing house, the engines behind this trade are in south China. Ali's warehouse is only two hours away in the mainland city of Guangzhou. 

"In China there are opportunities for people who can start from scratch and build up their own business. Obviously not in one day but through hard work and networking you can do it." 

He's not the only one who's migrated in pursuit of the Chinese dream. At least 20,000 Africans have moved to Guangzhou as trade between their nations and China soars. Many live in this neighbourhood dubbed "Little Africa" or "Chocolate City" by local media. Being an African entrepreneur can be challenging in a country where prejudices sometimes run strong. But traders who bring their skills and capital are helping to dispel stereotypes. 

"You've got these African entrepreneurs who are ethical and who also are successful. And the role they play is of enormous importance. Your average Chinese still thinks that the typical African in Guangzhou is a thief or a heroin seller or something like that. That's not true. And looking at these guys they're definitely confirmation of it." 

Church brings this group of migrants together, but they’re also united in their goal to succeed. 

"We need finance to move this project forward. And our prayer is that you will prosper." 

Lamine moved to Guangzhou nine years ago in search of this prosperity. He struggled to trade without speaking any Chinese. But now with the help of his wife, he's opened his own factory hiring 43 local workers. 

"For communicate with the Chinese people, if you wanna do another things, she can do it. Okay for my, also I buy my car, she is there, I open my own factory, she is there. So if I no have wife it's not easy. Because only me I cannot do it." 

Back at Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong, Ali welcomes a new delivery from mainland China. With another product to be launched later this year, the future for traders like him lies firmly in the east. 

Answers:

1. b
2. a
3. a

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Phrasal Verbs with Answers: to grow

This week,'to grow' is the verb used to make our phrasal verbs. Do you know what they mean?

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Comprehension: Mexico Wants to Tax Surgary Drinks to Fight Obesity

The Mexican government wants to tax sugary drinks to curb Mexico's obesity epidemic. President Pena Nieto wants Mexicans to pay an extra peso (almost 8 US cents) for every litre of sweetened drink in a country that guzzles more soft drinks than any other and rivals the United States as one of the world's most obese nation. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. 30% of Mexico’s population is not overweight.

a. True

b. False

2. Water is more expensive than fizzy drinks in Mexico.

a. True

b. False

3. The Mexican government believe that sodas are one of the causes of obesity.

a. True

b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

Mexico’s waistline just keeps getting bigger. 70% of the population is now overweight or obese, rivaling the United States as one of the world’s most obese nations. And it’s all because of a love of sugary drinks. They gulp down an average of 163 litres per year and per person, making Mexico the biggest consumer of sodas in the world. The government is tackling the epidemic head-on and wants to tax sugary drinks. Mexicans would have to pay an extra 8 US cents for every litre of sweetened drink. Soda producers are up in arms. 

“It is impossible to point out one particular factor, a particular product as being the main cause of overweight and obesity. We therefore believe there’s no ground on which such a tax can be justified.” 

But some scientists disagree. They say the link between obesity and excessive consumption of soda is obvious. 

“It’s not hard to make the link in a country which not only has the biggest consumption of sugary drinks but also the highest levels of obesity.” 

In Mexico, 14% of the population is diabetic and half a million people have died of the disease since 2006. A time bomb for the country’s health system. 

“On one side the health system has neither the resources nor the infrastructure to face the complications linked to overweight and obesity. On the other side, the financial cost for families can be very worrisome.” 

Many point the finger at Coca-Cola. The brand’s biggest factory in the world is located in Mexico and you can buy the drink even in the most isolated places. And it’s accused of dubious commercial methods. 

“Coca Cola is sold at a lower price than water. They do that because they know that soda is addictive. You can drink water from different brands, you can filter water but if you are used to Coca Cola, you won’t want to drink Pepsi, only Coca-Cola.” 

The industry is using its huge lobbying power to fight the soda tax so the fizz doesn’t go out of their business. 

Answers:

1. a

2. a

3. a

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