我們平時吃的大多數巧克力都是用在西非種植的可可豆制成的，但今年2月西非遭遇嚴重幹旱，破壞瞭可可樹的生長，減少瞭可可豆的產量。可可豆是生產巧克力的主要原料，可可豆短缺意味著巧克力的價格在未來幾個月將變得更貴。
West Africa was hit with a severe drought following a humid heat wave that drove temperatures to record levels in February.
西非遭受瞭嚴重的幹旱，此前潮濕的熱浪使2月份的氣溫達到瞭創紀錄的水平。
Scientists from the World Weather Attribution group say the unusually hot weather was made ten times more likely because of the greenhouse gases humanity has been pumping into the atmosphere.
世界天氣歸因組織的科學傢們表示，由於人類一直向大氣中排放溫室氣體，因此導致出現異常炎熱天氣的可能性增加瞭十倍。
Shortages of cocoa have helped drive prices to record highs, and since cocoa is the main ingredient in chocolate, you can expect the prices of people’s favourite chocolate treat to rise in the coming months.
因供應短缺，可可豆價格創歷史新高，由於可可豆是生產巧克力的主要原料，所以深受人們喜愛的巧克力的價格將在未來幾個月上漲。
Some big chocolate companies, including Cadbury and Lindt, have said they have already had to increase prices in response to the cocoa shortage.
包括吉百利和瑞士蓮在內的一些大型巧克力品牌公司表示，為瞭應對可可豆短缺的情況，他們已經不得不提高巧克力的價格。
詞匯表
severe 嚴重的
drought 幹旱
humid 潮濕的
heat wave 熱浪
drove 推動瞭
record levels 創紀錄的水平，歷史最高水平
greenhouse gases 溫室氣體
pumping 排放，向…註入
shortages 短缺
2. 閱讀理解：請在讀完上文後，回答下列問題。
1. What natural disaster happened following hot weather in West Africa in February?
2. What increased the likelihood of the unusually hot weather, according to scientists from the World Weather Attribution group?
3. Name one consequence of the drought in West Africa.
4. True or False? Big companies haven’t yet had to increase their prices.
3. 答案
1. What natural disaster happened following hot weather in West Africa in February?
A severe drought happened in West Africa in February following hot weather.
2. What increased the likelihood of the unusually hot weather, according to scientists from the World Weather Attribution group?
According to the World Weather Attribution group, greenhouse gases increased the likelihood of the unusually hot weather.
3. Name one consequence of the drought in West Africa.
Consequences of the drought in West Africa include rising prices of cocoa, and rising prices of chocolate.
4. True or False? Big companies haven’t yet had to increase their prices.
False. Some big companies have said they have already had to increase prices.
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