新西兰英语 703 Milk in schools

 　　The milk processing company, Fonterra, is going to give free milk to all schools in New Zealand if they ask for it. There are about 350,000 primary school children, from Years 1 to 6, in New Zealand. The milk comes in a small box and is heat-treated (UHT) milk, so does not need to be in a refrigerator. Fonterra tried this free milk scheme¹ in Northland during the year and it was very popular. The sale of milk in supermarkets increased in Northland this year and perhaps this is because children enjoyed the free milk at school and wanted milk at home.

　　Fonterra said it is not charity². It is a business decision. Fonterra hopes that drinking milk will become a life-long habit with these young children. Fonterra is the biggest exporter of dairy³ products in the world but in NZ, milk sales have been declining⁴ about 2% or 3% each year recently. Milk has become more expensive and soft drinks have become cheaper. Fonterra said that milk is important for nutrition⁵ for children.

　　Free milk in schools was introduced into New Zealand in the 1950s but was stopped in 1967. In those days, milk came in small bottles which sat outside in the sun because schools did not have big refrigerators. It was the days before heat-treated milk. Many children hated that warm milk.

　　Vocabulary

　　Milk processing includes pasteurisation, milk powder, butter, cheese etc.

　　UHT milk – it is heated for 1–2 seconds, at 135°C. It keeps, unopened, for 6 to 9 months.

　　refrigerator – fridge

　　scheme – plan

　　charity – helping poor people

　　life-long habit – something people will do all their life

　　declining – decreasing, reducing

　　nutrition – good food for health

　　Note hyphenated adjectives before a noun – heat-treated milk (treated by heat), life-long habit (habit which lasts during their life)

1 scheme   

n.安排，配置，计划，阴谋，方案，图解，摘要；v.计划，设计，图谋，策划

参考例句：

• The scheme seems on the surface to be quite practical.这个方案表面上看来似乎很实际。
• The scheme was a bad egg.计划失败了。

2 charity   

n.慈悲，博爱，慈善团体，施舍

参考例句：

• He founded the charity in memory of his late wife.他兴办那个慈善机构以纪念他已故的妻子。
• He gave a handsome sum of money to charity.他向慈善团体捐了一笔相当可观的钱款。

3 dairy   

n.牛奶场，乳品店；adj.乳制品的

参考例句：

• The yogurt sold by this dairy is delicious.这家乳品店出售的酸奶非常好喝。
• He kept a few dairy cows.他养了几头奶牛。

4 declining   

adj.下降的，衰落的

参考例句：

• The nub of the matter is that business is declining. 事情的实质是工商业在萎缩。
• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining. 从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。

5 nutrition   

n.营养，营养学

参考例句：

• Plants get the nutrition from the soil in which they grow.植物从它们赖以生存的土壤中吸收养分。
• This food provides nutrition for you.这种食物为你提供营养。