[資訊] 食物都拿去提煉石油了 難怪價格越來越高
.一、 石油價格漲不停，人們就想到用植物提煉石油使用，不過，原本吃的東西被
作為提煉石油，竟反而產生了吃都不夠了的窘境。
二、 內文: Global food prices measured by the U.N.'s food agency may
have come off record highs in March after falls in grain prices, but supply
concerns and soaring oil prices mean such a move could just be a pause before
new peaks. Each year, an ever larger portion of the world’s crops — cassava
and corn, sugar and palm oil — is being diverted for biofuels as developed
countries pass laws mandating greater use of nonfossil fuels and as emerging
powerhouses like China seek new sources of energy to keep their cars and
industries running. Cassava is a relatively new entrant in the biofuel
stream. Corn and wheat prices, for instance, have nearly doubled in the last
year, while soybean prices are up 40% and sugar prices are 65% higher.
Consumer giants like PepsiCo (PEP, Fortune 500) are still squeezing their
profit margins to cope with higher input costs, but eventually they’ll pass
them along to consumers.
三、 多益英檢文法整理
1. global(adj):全球的，measure(V):測量，come off:成功、發生，
grain(N):穀物，pause(N):暫停，peak(N):高點，cassava(N):木薯，corn(N):玉米，
palm oil:棕櫚油，divert(V):改變，biofuel(N):生化燃料，mandate(V):要求、強制執
行，nonfossil:非石化燃料，emerging(adj):新興的，entrant(N):新成員，stream(N):
潮流，wheat(N):小麥，soybean(N):大豆，profit margin:邊際利潤，to cope with:對
付，pass along:過渡給。
2. 這裡提到了「食物價格」(food prices)，作者為了讓讀者知道何謂食物，
舉出了包括grain(穀物)、cassava(木薯)、corn(玉米)、palm oil(棕櫚油)、wheat(小麥
)與soybean(大豆)，讓大眾更清楚知道，一旦這些東西價格上漲，背後攸關人們的肚子溫
飽問題。
3. 另外，他提了一個現實的問題，就是各國將這些「食物」拿去做成（
diverted）燃料，一般這種燃料被冠上biofuels (生化燃料)的美名，與現行的石化
(fossil)有所區別。最慘的是，當企業首先吸收食物價格上漲的成本（higher input
costs）之後，最後，為了賺那一點小錢，只好犧牲買的消費者的荷包，因為they will
pass them along to consumers。
4. pass(V):通過，加上介系詞形成的片語到是很多，例如:
A. A family is a place to pass along values and shape character. (家
庭是傳遞價值與塑造品格的地方。) (pass along傳遞)
B. His mother passed away last year. (他母親去年去世了。) (pass away:
去世)
C. The parade passed right by my front door. (遊行隊伍正好從我家門前經
過。) (pass by:通、經過。)
D. She past out during the physical exercise. (她在運動時突然昏迷。)
(pass out:昏迷)
E. He passes for a rich man. (他被認為是個有錢的人。)(pass for:被認為)
更多見 http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/raymondchuang-toeic/
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