Truffles are described as the diamonds of the kitchen

Background: 一種非常罕見的可食用的菌類也就是我們常說的意大利白松露或白松露前不久在東京的一個拍賣會上與大家見面。一個重為一公斤的松露以三萬美元的最高價被拍走，然而這個價格卻遠遠比不上去年競拍的價格，由此看來松露銷售市場也沒有能逃脫信貸危機的風波。

Questions:請在聽下面錄音的時候試著回答這些問題。這是一個用來幫助你提高聽力技能的練習。

1. True or False? Truffles are more expensive than diamonds.

2. Where are truffles found?

3. Where was the auction's highest bidder from?

4. Why has the price of truffles gone down recently?

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Giant Truffle Auction 大型松露拍賣會

White truffles 白松露 have been described by one famous chef as the diamond of the kitchen.

They are almost as expensive as precious stones because they are extremely hard to find, growing underground 地下 beneath certain trees.

Some of the rarest truffle specimens were auctioned 被拍賣 at a VIP dinner in Tokyo attended by sumo wrestlers 相撲運動員 and beauty queens 選美皇后.

The biggest one, found in Italy, was bought by a Japanese millionaire with a chain 連鎖 of fashion shops.

He paid $30,000 for it and intends to eat with a bowl of rice.

However, the prices were way down on 下降 a similar truffle auction last year, when an even bigger truffle was bought for $300,000 in China.

The economy of Japan is thought to be heading for recession 衰退 and the auctioneers say that's why prices have dropped.

Nevertheless, tickets for the auction cost hundreds of dollars apiece and the hotel was packed 擠滿了 with guests, who were of course served truffle sauce 松露汁 with their dinner.

GLOSSARY 詞匯表 (收聽發音, 請單擊英語單詞)

Answers

1. True or false? Truffles are more expensive than diamonds.

False

2. Where are truffles found?

They grow underground beneath certain types of tree.

3. Where was the auction’s highest bidder from?

The bidder who bought the most-expensive truffle was Japanese.

4. Why has the price of truffles gone down recently?

The global credit crunch and the threat of recession has made truffle prices fall.