Call to abandon use of wooden chopsticks-英语点津_美文

Call to abandon use of wooden chopsticks-英语点津

To help restaurants become more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, the Ministry of Commerce recently issued a range of provisions relating to the catering industry, which discourage the use of wooden chopsticks.

Though not mandatory, the provisions, slated for implementation on December 1, are the first to include the strong suggestion to get rid of disposable chopsticks, Bian said.

Besides its domestic consumption, China is also a major exporter of chopsticks, with Japan its largest trading partner. Despite boasting the world's highest forest coverage at 69 percent, Japan imports all 25 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks it consumes every year.

(China Daily 08/10/2007 page 3)

Vocabulary:

disposable chopsticks：一次性筷子

Questions:

1. How many trees are used to produce 45 billion pairs of chopsticks every year?

2. Why do diners prefer to use disposable chopsticks?

3. Which country does China export the most chopsticks to?

Answers:

1. About 25 million.

2. Because of hygiene.

3.Japan.

About the broadcaster:

Bernice Chan is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Originally from Vancouver, Canada, Bernice has written for newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong and most recently worked as a broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, producing current affairs shows and documentaries.