Longer conversations
W: Mr. White, What changes have you seen in the champagne market in the last ten to fifteen years?
M: well , the biggest change has been the decrease in sales since the great boom years in 1980s when champagne production and sales reached record levels.
W: Which was the best year?
M: Well, the record was in 1989 when 249 million bottles of champagne was sold. The highest production level was reached in 1990 with a total of 293 million bottles. Of course since those boom years , sales have fallen.
W: Has the marker been badly hit by the recession?
M: Oh, certainly. The economic problems in champagne's export ? markets that's Europe , the United States ,Japan, and of course , the domestic market in France. The economic problems have certainly been one reason for the decrease in champagne sales.
W:And the other reasons?
M:Another important factor has been price. In the early 90s, champagne was very overpriced, so many people stopped buying it. Instead, they bought sparkling wines from other countries, in particular, from Australia, and Spain. And then, there was another problem for champagne in early 90s.
W: What was that?
M: There was a lot of rather bad champagne on the market. This meant the popularity of good sparkling wines increased even more. People were surprised by their quality, and of course they were a lot cheaper than champagne.
W: Do you think the champagne market will recover in the future?
M: Oh, I am sure it will. When the economic situation improves, I believe the market will recover.
Q19: What does the man say about champagne in 1990s?
Q20: Why sparkling wine more popular than champagne in early 1990s?
Q21: What dose the man think of the champagne market in the fut
W: Right, well, in the studio this morning, for our interview spot is Peter Wilson. Peter works for Green Peace. So, Peter, welcome.
M: Thanks a lot. It's good to be here.
W: Great! Now, Peter, perhaps you can tell us something about Green Peace and your job there.
M: Sure. Well, I'll start by telling you roughly what Green Peace is all about. I actually work in London for the Green Peace organization. We've been going for a few decades and we're a non-violent, non-political organization. We're involved in anti-nuclear activity, conservation and protection of animals and protection and support of our eco-system. I'm the action organizer and arrange any protests.
W: Right! A pretty important role, Peter. What sort of protest would you organize?
M: Well, recently we've been involved in anti-nuclear campaigns. I, personally arranged for the demonstration against radioactive waste dumping in the Atlantic Ocean. We've got a few small Green Peace boats that we harass the dumping ship with.
W: Say? Hold on, Peter. I thought you said your organization was non-violent. What do you mean by "harass"?
M: Well, we circle round and round the ships and get in the way when they try to dump the drums of nuclear waste in the sea. We talk to the men and try to change, you know, yell at them to stop. We generally make ourselves as much of a nuisance as possible.
M: Well, people may think differently of your methods, but there's no doubt you're doing a great job. Keep it up and good luck. And thanks for talking with us.
W: Thanks for having me.
Questions 22 to 25 are based on the conversation you have just heard.
22. What is the man's chief responsibility in the Green Peace organization?
23. What has Green Peace been involved in recently?
24. How does Green Peace try to stop people from dumping nuclear waste?
25. What is the woman's attitude towards the Green Peace's campaigns?
