Posted by
Zakumi on November 7, 2014
Mini debate: Black goldThere is a movie called, "Black Gold". It is not about oil, but this time it is about another product that also bring in much foreign currency into some countries: coffee! You have to look at the worksheet before you can comment.13 - 10b - Mini debates - Black Gold.pdf
Replies
Cao Hualin, are you sure coffee is so bad for our health?! I started drinking coffee when I opened my eyes (I think!), and I still drink coffee (up to five cups per day!) and I think my health is still okay! It may be true that one can get addicted to coffee; I agree. But you know what?! I would rather be addicted to coffee than to alcohol and nicotine (cigarettes) because I have never seen coffee drinkers misbehave, but drinkers and smokers have a lifestyle of misbehaviour. I agree that the poor farmers should be protected against the rich coffee companies.
Zhou Ying, I never knew that the name of coffee originated from the Greek language! Thank you for teaching me something here (I know I am never too old to learn)! Oh, and now I also know why I have so much energy by the time I get to class, because, before I step into your class, I already have two cups of coffee in! Insomnia means one can't sleep, right? I heard that too, but you know, I can have a last cup of coffee late at night and I can still go to bed and sleep. So, maybe it doesn't have the same effect on all people. Are you sure about the blood pressure ...?!
Amy, I too haven't watched that documentary film yet. I hope one of you students will get it for us and then I will borrow it as I like documentary films myself! What feelings do coffee give people?! I am a coffee drinker and I don't even stay awake longer as usual after drinking a cup. So, I wonder what those feelings are you are referring to. Remember, coffee doesn't have alcohol in; so, no additional feelings like beer ...!
I am glad you are not very late, Wang Shuaitian. That means I can go to bed earlier tonight! BUT, you are wrong that we are going to watch a movie! Where does it say that? I am surprised! Who is going to show us the movie? It is not me, I promise (as I don't even have that movie)! Haha, you would be surprised about China's coffee industry that is developing rapidly! At first (a few years ago) I wasn't impressed with Chinese coffee, but not long ago I started buying coffee from my local supermarket, called "Blue Mountain Coffee" from the South of China (maybe Yunnan), and let me tell you, that is really nice coffee! So, watch China; it's going to become a great coffee producer one day! Interesting (and quite funny!) story you told about the sheep eating the coffee beans! Yeah, they say coffee can keep one awake due to the caffeine in it; so, I guess that's what gave the sheep so much energy! :)
Hello,teacher.This time i find an early time to give the comment.I asked for a leave to do the oral English work:) My work is to help sell lunch and dinner from 11:30a.m. to 1:00p.m. and from 5:00p.m. to 7:30p.m.I could not have done this job because my parents did not allowed me to do.They just worry about me as they think with this job i will not have meals regularly and tired. But i always feel my ability is weak.there are many things i culd not do at all.Especially i am lacking of social communicating abilities.I intended to improve this abilitiy by doing this work.So i chose to do it with my parents unknown.I am not willing them to worry about me.Oh,i think i told a lie again!It is truly that the salary is low.We only be paid 350yuan per month,but if we do not absent,we will get extra 50yuan.I got the 400yuan for the last month work.I think i had learned a lot through doing it.
I like drinking coffee,especially during the time of preparing the Gaokao.Everyday we must review a large amount of knowledge and master them.We faced mounting pressures.Drinking coffee could help us refreshed.But as time goes by,with some news said that people may addictive.So in order not to be much depend on it even addicted into drinking it,i try to find another drink to replace it--tea.Now i only pay for a cup of coffee when i think of drinking coffee suddenly.As far as i know,Brazil is the country which product the largest amount of coffee in the whole world.It is rich with coffee beans.The price of labor is low due to their backward economics.The farmers' benifit is at the bottom of production chains.Caused the richers are much richer and the poors are much poorer.It is a common problem for many developing countries ,so as for China.it is necessary to make many effective policies to deal with it.
Wow Kelly, are you so serious about your English ...?! I am impressed! Thank you for explaining your hours of work (as I was confused last time!). Yes, it is low pay (for 112 hours per month!), but for a student 400 Yuan is not bad (and I think they give you a meal every time, right?)! And as you said, you gain good experience. Oh, and I don't think parents have to know about everything we do! As you said, they worry unnecessarily!
Yes, they say coffee can become addictive (because of the caffeine), but you know what, Kelly?! I would rather become addictive to coffee than to alcohol and nicotine (cigarettes) as I have witnessed the worst behaviour from men who are addicted to the latter two. They say they aren't addicted, but truth is they can't live without that. I have never seen that drinking coffee causes a man to behave badly! But did you know that tea can also become addictive as it also contains caffeine?! Haha, I'm not sure about Chinese tea, but I know western tea has caffeine in it. But it is so nice ..! I agree, China's coffee industry is growing fast, and they should look at policies to protect the farmers before the same phenomenon happens here. ;-)
Cynthia, I know there is caffeine (a stimulant) in coffee (and western tea) which they say is not too healthy (and it keeps some people awake), but I don't know about that thing you mentioned ("melanin"?). I guess that is what makes coffee so dark, right? Yes, pure coffee is still expensive in China, but China is producing more and more coffee and soon (in a few years) I think the prices would fall. I have already tasted some nice coffee from the South of China (maybe Yunnan?) called "Blue Mountain coffee". So, China is catching up with the coffee culture!
I agree with you, Wang Jiajia, that it is a shame what the coffee companies are doing to the hard-working farmers. So, they are to blame that many of those farmers have changed to growing "chat" which is actually like drugs and addictive. When I was visiting Yemen many years ago, many of the men there were addicted to "chat" (they chew the green leaves of that plant). I agree that drinking a cup of coffee once in a while can't be expensive, but for the coffee lovers, China's coffee is still too expensive!
Hou Yan, I also like the instant coffee they sell in China (specially the Nescafé 1+2 is very nice). I haven't seen much freshly grounded coffee here, but on the other hand, I don't have a coffee machine for that. However, what I want to say, is that I drink much coffee (something like five cups per day!) and I think my health is still okay! I think drinking alcohol (in beer and other drinks) is much more harmful to the body. Yes, coffee is popular in western countries, but it is getting very popular nowadays in China too!
Wow Han Qing, you are also a coffee drinker?! But you are not a very serious one with one cup a day! I started drinking coffee since I opened my eyes (I think!) and I am still crazy about it (drink at average about five cups a day)! You are right that coffee at the restaurants are very expensive in China. It is cheaper in the western countries (maybe because they already have an established coffee drinking culture). At Xinglong there is a restaurant on the third floor called "Extreme Café" (I don't know the name in Chinese) and they have good coffee, but the cheapest cup sells at about RMB22. I sometimes go there to treat myself (but not too often as I think it is expensive!). However, I agree that it is a shame that the farmers get so little per cup while the coffee companies make a lot of money.
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