1Second only to oil, coffee is the most valuable legally commodity in the world. 2We love it, we rely on it, and we drink it in large quantities. 3It is estimated that 2.25billion cups of coffee are consumed each day worldwide. 4New Yorkers are said to drink seven times more coffee than other US cities, which is why it may seem like there is a Starbucks on every corner of Manhattan. 5The famous French writer and philosopher Voltaire was rumored to have drunk 40 to 50 cups per day. 6Drinking coffee is a daily ritual for millions around the globe. 7In the 1960s, a taste for different types of coffee started to grow, inspiring the opening of the first Starbucks coffee shop in 1971. 8Today, the popularity of coffee continues to grow with more small, independently-owned cafes using locally–roasted beans. 9From a simple cup of black coffee to an order from Starbucks, each coffee drinker has a favorite way of enjoying this wonder drink.
1According to the dictionary, the word “diversity” means “variation” or “difference”. 2Today, the word is frequently used to describe variation in the kinds of people found in companies. 3Rather than see variation as a negative point, most companies consider diversity to be positive and will deliberatelyemploy people of different races, religions, and cultures. 4They do this because these employees may speak the same languages, share the same experiences, and hold the same opinions as people from similar background in societies where companies operate. 5Staff diversity may therefore suggest a company is trying to reflect the interests and values of its customers. 6Issues related to genderdiversity are among the most significant challenges that companies face. 7This is particularly so in Japan where the lack of women in the workplace in general, and in management positions in particular, has led successive governments to call for companies to correct the imbalance between men and women. 8To encourage greater gender diversity, in the past few years most large Japanese companies have begun to set targets to increase the number of women they employ at different levels within their organizations.
1Traditionally, school children are taught that there are two main types of elephants: the African and the Asian. 2However, African elephants can actually be classifiedinto bush elephants and forest elephants. 3African elephants prefer to be near water, but they can also live in forests, deserts, and savannahs. 4Male bush elephants are the world’s largest land animals, while the forest elephants are about half as big. 5Because of their size, other animals tendtokeeptheirdistancefrom elephants, while predators such as lions and hyenas usually target only the young. 6Even though they are generallysafe from being attacked by other animals, African elephants are increasingly being driven from their traditionalareas because people want to develop the land for farming. 7Perhaps the biggest threat to the survival of African elephants comes from illegal ivory traders who pay hunters to kill these magnificent animals for their tusks.
1Developments in computer technology presentopportunities for changing how teachers teach and students learn.2For example, the Internet provides students with access to far more information than any textbook could ever offer. 3New software applications can allow students to learn through playing games, making videos, and creating multimedia projects. 4Furthermore, the use of tablet computers or smartphones can encourage students to cooperate on such projects from the comfort of their own classroom. 5However, there is no guarantee that advances in technology will improve learning. 6For example, research done on introducing the Internet to public schools in California indicated there was no improvement in learning. 7Similarly, research conducted throughout North Carolina actually showed a slight decrease in students’ math and reading scores. 8Why has the full potential of computers in education not been realized? 9Education specialists say that computer technology can improve learning only if students already know the basics of a subject, and if teachers are trained in the use of computers and understand how to integrate them into lessons. 10If these two things can be done, then the use of computers in the classroom can achieve its full potential.