Listen&Learn: Missouri Cheese Caves

Posted by: Jaksyn Peacock

Learn about the cheese the US government stores underground.

Pre-listening vocabulary

mine: a tunnel where people dig for materials like coal or gold
accumulate: to gather more and more of something
dairy: containing milk
bulk: large amounts of something, usually bought for a cheaper price
stabilize: to keep something at a consistent level
reserve: a government supply of something

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

Comprehension questions

See answers below

The “cheese caves” are really
a. large warehouses
b. limestone mines
c. natural caves
In the 1970s, the government bought dairy products in bulk to
a. plan for food shortages
b. stabilize dairy prices
c. export them to other countries
Today, the government uses the cheese reserve to
a. support food assistance programs
b. collect money from tourism
c. save for an emergency

Discussion/essay questions

The cheese caves are controversial. Some people argue that the government’s support of dairy farms is actively harming the environment. Do you think people will need to change their eating habits to protect the Earth? How might diets be different in the future?

Transcript

In Springfield, Missouri, limestone mines deep in the ground store over one billion pounds of cheese. These are called the “cheese caves”, and they are owned by the US government. The government began accumulating cheese in the 1970s, when the Department of Agriculture bought dairy products in bulk to help stabilize the prices of milk. They had the milk made into cheese so they could store it for longer. When they found that they had too much cheese and nowhere to put it, they built cold storage facilities underground. Today, there is still a national cheese reserve, which the government now uses to provide cheese to food assistance programs.

Answers to comprehension questions

1b 2b 3a

Written and recorded by Jaksyn Peacock for EnglishClub

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8 comments

Manuel says:

Missouri sounds for me like misery, it was difficult to understand it.
Limestone is a new word for me. This is a very specialized word even in Spanish.
When its said “they built cold storage facilities underground” its meaning the limestone caves? or it is besides that?.
thanks.
Maricarmen Gutierrez novoa says:

Thank you for the help you give us in these classes and we also learn general culture and vocabulary.
Olivia says:

I left the cow milk because it made me sick, and i don’t eat much meat but also by my health not for environmet. I think that we have arrived to not respect the animals or the earth with pesticides, with the excuse that there are not for everybody. I think that it false. The health of the animals and the earth is the health of us. If we learn to respect of us, then we can continue to respect the others and the animals and the earth.
shamsy says:

thank you so much for another listening activity.
I personally use dairy and meat in my daily foods. But I try to decrease using meat and alternate it with veg to protect the earth and environment.
Renata says:

Thanks for the lessons, it helps me a lot.
Oscar says:

Tky for you usefull stories. This is a support for me.
Stefania says:

I am now confident. This practice is really helpful.
Joseph GLON says:

Very good idea. I think any government should do the same thing to solve the problem. Production/consumption. Have a good day. A wink from France 😉