🎧 Audio
📖 Script
In recent times, mushroom foraging has become a popular activity. People enjoy going into forests to collect wild mushrooms, often with the help of guided tours. However, some businesses that offer these foraging tours are now facing difficulties. This is because the cost of insurance for these tours has increased significantly. Insurance is important for these businesses because it helps protect them in case of accidents or other problems during the tours.
The increase in insurance costs is partly due to a high-profile court case involving a woman named Erin Patterson. Her trial, which involves a serious crime related to mushrooms, has caught the public’s attention and has contributed to a rise in interest in mushroom foraging. As more people become interested in this activity, insurance companies have raised their prices, seeing it as a higher risk.
For many small businesses, these increased costs mean that it is becoming more difficult to continue offering foraging tours. Some business owners say that the tours are becoming unviable, meaning they cannot make enough money to cover their expenses. This is a significant problem because these tours not only provide income for the businesses but also promote awareness of nature and the environment.
Despite these challenges, some businesses are trying to find solutions. They are looking for ways to reduce costs or find alternative sources of income. For example, some may consider offering educational workshops or partnering with local restaurants to supply fresh mushrooms. However, it is clear that without a solution, the future of mushroom foraging tours is uncertain.
In conclusion, while mushroom foraging continues to be a beloved activity for many, the rising costs of insurance are making it challenging for businesses to offer these experiences. It remains to be seen how these businesses will adapt and whether they can find sustainable ways to continue their operations.
📝 Vocabulary
- foraging: searching for food or provisions
▼ 日本語の意味を見る
採集 - insurance: a contract to protect against loss or harm
▼ 日本語の意味を見る
保険 - unviable: not able to work or succeed
▼ 日本語の意味を見る
実行不可能な - trial: a legal process to determine guilt or innocence
▼ 日本語の意味を見る
裁判 - promote: to encourage or support something
▼ 日本語の意味を見る
促進する
✏️ Grammar Point
Present Continuous Tense – “People enjoy going into forests to collect wild mushrooms, often with the help of guided tours.”
▼ 文法の日本語補足を見る
💡 使用場面
(会話やビジネスで、現在進行中のアクティビティや慣習を説明する際に使用されます)
📝 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
- True/False: The cost of insurance for mushroom foraging tours has decreased.
- MCQ: What is one reason for the increase in insurance costs?
a) More people are interested in mushroom gardening.
b) There is a new law about mushroom foraging.
c) Erin Patterson’s trial has increased interest in mushrooms.
d) Insurance companies are making more profits. - MCQ: What are some businesses considering to cope with rising costs?
a) Stopping their operations entirely.
b) Offering educational workshops.
c) Increasing the number of tours.
d) Hiring more guides.
📚 Reading Questions
- What challenge are mushroom foraging businesses facing?
- Why have insurance costs increased for mushroom foraging tours?
- What does the word “unviable” mean in the context of the script?
🇯🇵 日本語での経済ニュース解説
キノコ採集ツアーは自然愛好者に人気がありますが、最近、保険料の高騰が問題となっています。エリン・パターソンの裁判が注目を集め、キノコへの関心が高まったため、保険会社はリスクが増したと判断し、保険料を引き上げました。これにより、小規模な事業者は運営が困難になり、ツアーの中止や新たな収入源の模索を余儀なくされています。国内外で自然体験の需要がある中、持続可能な運営方法を見つけることが求められます。
