地道美语听力练习:农业和农业综合企业

Brad:Is this your first visit to this area?

Irene:It is and I'm surprised to see so many farms.

I thought farming was a dying industry.

Brad:Family farms and small-scale farming are disappearing, but agribusiness is alive and well,

thanks to government subsidies.

Irene:Are they lucrative?

Brad:They can be, but the subsidies were originally given to protect the livelihood of farmers.

Irene:And that's not what's happening?

Brad:Well, agribusiness has edged out small-scale farms because output is the name of the game.

A lot of small-scale farmers have thrown in the towel.

Irene:That's a shame, but the subsidies are still used to protect domestic food production, right?

Brad:That may be, but we're losing a way of life. I come from a long line of farmers.

Irene:And you're not farming?

Brad:Nope.

Irene:What do you do?

Brad:I work for the government agency that gives out subsidies to the very farms that put us out of business.

Irene:That's quite a twist of fate.

Brad:You said it.