题型：阅读理解 题类：其他 难易度：较难
This Thursday is Thanksgiving, the holiday when many Americans eat turkey. However, people may have to pay a little more for their holiday bird this year although how much more will depend on competition between stores.
Production costs are going up. Turkeys are fed mainly by corn and soybean (大豆). Corn was an average of two dollars a bushel (容量单位) last year. This year it was three dollars, and, at times, it even topped four dollars. The Department of Agriculture says one-quarter of the record corn crop expected this year could be used to produce ethanol (乙醇). Also, higher oil prices mean higher transportation costs —another reason for costlier corn. Not only that, soybean production is down since last year.
Turkey producers in the United States are expected to raise two hundred and seventy-two million birds this year. That estimate is four percent higher than last year. The United States imported ten million dollars worth of live turkeys during the first half of the year and almost all of them came from Canada. During that period the United States had a five-million-dollar trade deficit (赤字) in live turkeys.
A turkey can be a little hard to cook. The breast meat cooks faster than the leg meat, so if you aren’t careful, it can dry out. There are many turkey cooking suggestions on the Internet. One we found called "The World’s Best Turkey" calls for butter, two apples, a tablespoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to prepare it.
