To some, a cow’s burp (打嗝) might seem like a small thing. But in New Zealand, there are more cows than people. There are only five million people in New Zealand, which is home to 10 million cows.
Cows do not easily digest the grass they eat-instead, they ferment (发酵) it in their stomachs. The process releases a lot of gas. So, every time someone eats beef or drinks milk, the process comes at a high cost to the environment. The cows produce methane (甲烷) gas, which has a much stronger effect on global warming.
The scientists in New Zealand are working on ways to reduce the amount of gas that comes out of the cows. They are considering changing the food the animals eat or putting a device on the cow to change the methane into something innocuous. There is also talk of feeding the cows a kind of special red seaweed or giving them a food addition that would help them digest the grass.
In addition, farmers want a solution. That is because New Zealand has announced plans to tax farmers whose animals produce too much methane gas. The farmers say they will be affected if the tax plan go into effect.
A farmer running a farm in the town of Featherston, in the Wellington Region, is trying to get more milk from each cow. The increased efficiency means he does not need as many cows, which in turn reduces the amount of methane coming from his farm. At a farmer level, he is doing his bit to help save the planet.
The fight against methane is serious in New Zealand. The county promised to reduce the gas produced by farm animals by up to 47 percent by the year 2050.
【小题1】Why does cows’ burping become a problem in New Zealand?| A．New Zealanders prefer milk. | B．The number of the cows is too large. |
| C．The cows consume much grass. | D．The cows have the digestive problem. |
| A．Rare. | B．Poisonous. | C．Harmless. | D．Inexpensive. |
| A．They will raise fewer cows. | B．They are affected by the warm climate. |
| C．They can’t increase milking efficiency. | D．They will face a heavier financial burden. |
| A．Climate Change: Cow Raising Is to Blame |
| B．Methane Gas: The Fight Against It Is Serious |
| C．Global Warming: New Zealand Targets Cow Burps |
| D．Cow Burping: Scientists Look for Some Ways to Stop It |
