英語学習

英語ニュース教材：’Six eggs used to be £1′ – why everyday essentials cost so much more now（Intermediate レベル）

 

Contents

🎧 Audio

📖 Script

In 2022, you could buy six supermarket brand eggs for just £1. However, the price of these everyday essentials has increased significantly since then. So, what happened, and why are eggs now more expensive? One major reason is the rise in production costs. Farmers have been facing higher prices for feed, energy, and labor. Feed is the food given to hens, and its cost has gone up due to various factors, including the war in Ukraine. Ukraine is a major supplier of grains used in animal feed, and the conflict has disrupted supplies, causing prices to rise.

Energy costs have also soared. Farms use a lot of electricity for lighting and heating, especially in colder climates. The global increase in energy prices means farmers have to spend more to keep their operations running. Additionally, labor costs have increased. Finding workers willing to take up farming jobs is challenging, leading to higher wages to attract employees.

Apart from production costs, transportation costs have also risen. With fuel prices increasing, the cost of transporting eggs from farms to supermarkets has increased. All these factors contribute to the higher price of eggs in the supermarket.

Now, is anyone profiteering from the situation? Some consumers suspect that supermarkets might be raising prices more than necessary to increase their profits. However, supermarkets argue that their profit margins are quite small and that they are merely passing on the increased costs they face. The impact of rising egg prices is significant on consumers, especially those on tight budgets. Eggs are a staple food item, and any increase affects household expenses.

In response, some people are looking for alternatives, such as buying directly from local farms or reducing egg consumption. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop, but for now, higher egg prices are here to stay.

📝 Vocabulary

  • increase: to become larger or greater in size, amount, or number
    例文: “The price of eggs has increased over the past year.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • increase in
    • significant increase
    • price increase
    増加する
  • production: the process of making or growing something for sale or use
    例文: “The production of eggs has become more costly.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • production costs
    • mass production
    • production line
    生産
  • transportation: the act or process of moving people or things from one place to another
    例文: “Transportation costs have added to the price of eggs.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • transportation cost
    • public transportation
    • transportation system
    輸送
  • staple: a basic or necessary item that is used regularly
    例文: “Eggs are considered a staple in many households.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • staple food
    • staple item
    • staple diet
    必需品
  • supply: the amount of something that is available to be used
    例文: “The supply of grains has been disrupted.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • supply chain
    • supply and demand
    • electricity supply
    供給

✏️ Grammar Point

Present Perfect Tense – “The price of eggs has increased over the past year.”

文法の日本語補足を見る
日本語での簡単な補足説明：現在完了形は過去から現在までの期間の変化を示す

💡 使用場面

(会話／ビジネスでの使いどころを日本語で記載)

📝 使用例文

“例: In a business meeting, you might say: ‘If we cut costs now, we can increase our profit margin next quarter.’”

❓ Listening Questions

  1. True/False: The price of eggs has increased due to higher production costs.
  2. MCQ: What is one reason for the higher production cost of eggs?
    a) Lower demand for eggs
    b) Decreased feed prices
    c) Increased energy costs
    d) New farming techniques
  3. MCQ: What are some people doing in response to the rising egg prices?
    a) Buying more eggs
    b) Raising chickens at home
    c) Buying directly from local farms
    d) Switching to other supermarkets
🔑 Listening Answersを見る
  1. True
  2. c) Increased energy costs
  3. c) Buying directly from local farms

📚 Reading Questions

  1. What factors have led to the increase in egg prices?
  2. Why might some consumers suspect supermarkets of profiteering?
  3. What does the word “staple” mean in the context of eggs?
🔑 Reading Answersを見る
  1. Production costs, energy costs, and transportation costs.
  2. Because they think supermarkets are increasing prices more than necessary.
  3. A basic or necessary item that is used regularly.

🇯🇵 日本語での経済ニュース解説

最近の卵の価格上昇は、日本経済にも影響を与えています。特に、ウクライナからの穀物供給の不安定さが飼料価格を押し上げ、生産コストに影響を与えています。この状況は、日本の農業にも影響を及ぼしており、輸入依存度の高い分野ではさらなる価格高騰が懸念されています。日本では、消費者が日常的に購入する食品の価格が上昇することで、消費者心理や消費行動に影響を与え、他の消費にも影響を及ぼす可能性があります。今後、国内の生産体制の強化や輸入先の多様化が重要となるでしょう。

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd6pw4zg5p9o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

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