巴西的研究人員們一直在試驗培育天然低咖啡因的咖啡豆。他們希望開發出一個具有商業潛力的咖啡豆品種，以替代目前市場上需人工處理才能得到的低因咖啡。
For the last few years, researchers at the Instituto Agronomico de Campinas in Brazil have been interbreeding different coffee plants that are naturally very low in caffeine in order to create trees where decaf beans are grown naturally.
在過去幾年裡，巴西坎皮納斯農業研究所的研究人員們一直在雜交培育不同的天然低因咖啡植物，以培育出自然生長低因咖啡豆的樹木。
And the results so far are looking promising. If they’re successful, they could tap into a new aspect of the global decaf market, which is estimated to be worth just under $2.7bn. So, for the researchers, these next stages are crucial. Their cloned trees are set to be planted in different regions in Brazil.
從目前的試驗結果來看，前景可期。如果他們成功培育出這類天然低因咖啡豆品種，就可以挖掘全球低因咖啡市場一個新領域的潛力，據估計，該市場的價值略低於27億美元。因此，對這些研究人員來說，接下來的這幾個階段至關重要。他們的克隆樹品種將被種植在巴西的不同地區。
However, we’ll have to wait and see if their genetic formula has worked, as it can take around two to three years for the first coffee cherries to appear. Only then will they be able to harvest, taste and see if the buzz, or rather lack of, around their experiment is real.
然而，我們要耐心等待，才能看到他們開發出的基因配方是否有效，仍需等待的原因是這些咖啡樹可能要大約兩到三年時間才能結出第一批咖啡果實。隻有到那時，他們才能收獲、品嘗這種新型低因咖啡豆，並對結果作出判斷，即該實驗究竟是否不負眾望，不論人們對實驗結果期待與否。
詞匯表
interbreeding （對植物）雜交培育
caffeine 咖啡因
promising 有希望的，前景很好的
tap into 利用，開發
cloned 克隆的
harvest 收獲
buzz （人們對流行趨勢的）興奮，期待
閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。
1. What type of plants have researchers been interbreeding?
2. Why are the next stages of the research project crucial?
3. When will researchers be able to harvest and taste these new coffee beans?
4. Where will researchers plant their cloned trees?
答案
1. What type of plants have researchers been interbreeding?
Researchers have been interbreeding different coffee plants that are naturally very low in caffeine.
2. Why are the next stages of the research project crucial?
The next stages are crucial because if they’re successful, they could tap into a new aspect of the global decaf market, which is estimated to be worth just under $2.7bn.
3. When will researchers be able to harvest and taste these new coffee beans?
They will not be able to harvest and taste the beans until the first coffee cherries appear, and it can take around two to three years for these to appear.
4. Where will researchers plant their cloned trees?
Their cloned trees are set to be planted in different regions in Brazil.
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