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
I enjoy watching documentary films, because I think that they are very real, and they will show us many things that we don't know before. I drink a cup of instant coffee once in a while, it is not expensive. And I hardly go to cafes. I think a coffee farmer can't earn much money from a cup of coffee while coffee companies can earn so much. It is not fair. The film exposed us the plight of world's poor coffee farmers. Ethiopia's farmers stopped growing coffee to growing chat, which is a narcotic. Coffee corporations should give more wages to farmers so that the coffee farmers continue growing coffee.
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!
Hi,teacher.Next class is about the movie "Black Gold".I heard a story about coffee.If you put the coffee beans in the water to a biol,they can send out a fragrant.So people should like the coffee beans, don't finch about difficults and try to demonstrate their value.I enjoy watching documentary films,especially about animals,such as lions,leopards,antelope and so on.Sometimes I go to surpermarket to buy instant coffee and I think that's delicious.But I heard that drinking too much coffee is bad for our health so I don't drink often.Now coffee is a commen drink especally in westen,so I always thought planting coffee can benfite a lot.While I don't be surprised to this result,most time farmer in the trade benifit little.And I really admire the protagonist's efforts.
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!
Hello,teacher.Next class we will talk about coffee,the Black Gold.According to the attachment,I have known that Black Gold is a British documentary film about the international coffee industry.To be honest,I like watching documentary films but I haven't heard of the film called Black Gold.However,I want to try it because is about coffee.I am a coffee drinker and I average have one cup of coffee every day.It not because I am crazy about coffee,but I afraid of being sleepy when I study.I drunk my first cup of coffee when I was at junior high school and until now,I still drink coffee.But I never go to a cafe because I think the price may be so high that I can't afford it.I guess that a speciality coffee may costs hundreds of yuan,and I know until I get a good job that I can have a try.As for the film,it focuses on the efforts of Ethiopia's Tadesse farmers in Ethiopia,who makes as little as three cents for each cup of coffee sold in the West.About the reading,we will have a small debate in the final.See you next class.
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.
Haha Maxine, that is true, but have you ever tried to add a little sugar to the coffee?! I do, and then it is very nice (and I add some extra milk too)! And I normally drink about five cups of coffee every day - and I think I am still healthy! Foreigners often drink coffee after a meal, and some (like me!) also have the habit of drinking a cup in the afternoon (as you mentioned). So, coffee is big business! I noticed it is also becoming more and more popular in China.
It's nice to have you back in class, Crystal! I hope you are okay? I agree with you about selling "fair trade" coffee to protect the farmers. They should introduce that principle in China too before it gets out of hand here as more and more coffee is produced in China these days.
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