选择知识点

A

Farms are spreading to unused city lots and old properties across the United States.

Eco City Farms is an educational nonprofit organization. It seeks to empower the community by teaching economic development, job training and a healthier way of living. The group has set up farms near automobile repair businesses and fast food stores in urban neighborhoods.

Social activist Margaret Morgan-Hubbard founded Eco City Farms. She says the lack of fresh produce is a major health problem for children and their families who live in nearby Bladensburg, Maryland. “What’s critical is that 70 percent of the people in these towns are either overweight, obese, have diabetes or other kinds of diet-related ailments because they don’t have access to healthy food.”

Eco City Farms offer several programs, including educational activists on agriculture, food, and finding jobs with environmentally-friendly businesses. People can also learn how to cook healthier foods and teach others how to prepare meals. On a recent day, Philip Sidibe demonstrated his cooking skills. He prepared Aloco, a popular food in Cameroon where he grew up. He and other young people not only cook their food, they also grow it in a large garden.

Tameka Barbour-Gaskins lives in Autumn Woods. She says her whole family is eating healthier meals because of the local produce. “I like junk food. I like quick meals. Not easy to just go from eating a certain way all your life to switching over to being healthier... With the garden here, with my son learning, he can help me switch around my style of eating. I want a healthy family.”

Margaret says the urban garden is an agent for change and the young people are its newest supporters. “Our program is about planting seeds. It’s about planting seeds not just in the ground, but in other human beings so that the movement can grow and it’s really exciting because... these young people will be working with us throughout the year to help plan the actual farm and to ultimately own it.”

B

The highest beef prices in almost three decades have arrived just before the start of hot season, causing a great shock to both consumers and restaurant owners—and relief isn’t likely anytime soon. A decreasing number of cattle and growing export demand from countries such as China and Japan have caused the average price of fresh beef to climb to $ 5.28 a pound in February, up almost a quarter from January and the highest price since 1987.

“Everything that’s produced is being consumed,” said Kevin Good, an analyst at CattleFax, a Colorado-based information group. And prices likely will stay high for a couple of years as cattle producers start to rebuild their herds amid big questions about whether the Southwest and parts of the Midwest will see enough rain to water the grass.

“I quit buying steaks a while ago when the price went up,” said 59-year-old Lubbock resident Len Markham, who works at Texas Tech. She says she limits red meat purchases to hamburger, choosing chicken, pork and fish instead.

Restaurant owners, too, must deal with the high prices. Mark Hutchens, owner of the 50 Yard Line Steakhouse in Lubbock, raised his menu prices for beef items by about 5 percent in November. Since then, the owner of the small eating house has tried to make cuts elsewhere to avoid passing it on to customers. “It really squeezes the small guys more,” he said of non-chain restaurants. “I just think you have to stay competitive and keep your costs low.”

“White-tablecloth restaurants have adjusted the size of their steaks, making them thinner,” says Jim Robb, director of the Colorado-based Livestock Marketing Information Center. “And fast-food restaurants are cutting costs by reducing the number of menu items and are offering other meat options, including turkey burgers,” Robb said. “Chain restaurants also try to buy in volume as much as they can, which essentially gives them a discount,” Iowa State University assistant economics professor Lee Schulz said.

The high prices are welcome news for at least one group: ranchers (大农场经营者), especially those in Texas who for years have struggled because of drought and high feed prices. But even as ranchers breathe a sigh of relief, some worry lasting high prices will cause consumers to permanently change their buying habits—switching to chicken or pork. Pete Bonds, a 62-year-old Texas rancher and president of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, said that’s a big concern, especially as younger consumers start to establish themselves. “But such fears may be unfounded, Robb said. Three years ago, economists thought consumers would start finding substitutions for beef as the drought spread. “We’re surprised we haven’t seen more of that,” he said.

South Dakota rancher Chuck O’Connor is optimistic that consumers won’t abandon beef for good. “I’m sure some are maybe going to cut back some, but to say that people aren’t going to buy it anymore, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he said, adding, “I hope not.”

C

The heat of the moment is a powerful, dangerous thing. My friend Eduardo Andrade and I wondered if emotions could influence how people make decisions even after the heat or anxiety wears off. However, really, we worried about it. If we were right, and recklessly (鲁莽地) poor emotional decisions guide later rational (理性的) moments, well, then, we’re not terribly sophisticated (精明的) decision makers, are we? If emotional decisions guide later rational moments, well, then, we’re not terribly sophisticated decision makers, are we?