我们平时吃的大多数巧克力都是用在西非种植的可可豆制成的，但今年 2 月西非遭遇严重干旱，破坏了可可树的生长，减少了可可豆的产量。可可豆是生产巧克力的主要原料，可可豆短缺意味着巧克力的价格在未来几个月将变得更贵。

West Africa was hit with a severe drought following a humid heat wave that drove temperatures to record levels in February.

西非遭受了严重的干旱，此前潮湿的热浪使2月份的气温达到了创纪录的水平。 

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. 

世界天气归因组织的科学家们表示，由于人类一直向大气中排放温室气体，因此导致出现异常炎热天气的可能性增加了十倍。

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. 

因供应短缺，可可豆价格创历史新高，由于可可豆是生产巧克力的主要原料，所以深受人们喜爱的巧克力的价格将在未来几个月上涨。

Some big chocolate companies, including Cadbury and Lindt, have said they have already had to increase prices in response to the cocoa shortage.

包括吉百利和瑞士莲在内的一些大型巧克力品牌公司表示，为了应对可可豆短缺的情况，他们已经不得不提高巧克力的价格。

词汇表

severe 严重的
drought 干旱
humid 潮湿的
heat wave 热浪
drove 推动了
record levels 创纪录的水平，历史最高水平
greenhouse gases 温室气体
pumping 排放，向…注入
shortages 短缺

2. 阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题。

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.