程度较高的读者也可以选择使用完全以英文解释的这段对话。
原文录音：
http://share.digital2.getusinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/8.-Coffee-for-Your-Plants.mp3 

Lucas: Wait, don’t throw those coffee grounds into the trash.

Carlos: Because …?

Lucas: I compost them. They’re great for the soil in my garden.

Carlos: Coffee grounds are good for dirt?

Lucas: Yup! The coffee grounds can be turned into rich soil. Microorganisms help break down food and lawn waste to change it into compost. The compost can help plants grow.

Carlos: So the coffee grounds make your plants better?

Lucas: Exactly! It’s a win-win situation. The plants are better, and the coffee grounds don’t end up in a landfill.

词语解释

To compost 的意思是将有机物，如树叶、蔬果剩余部分、咖啡渣等混合沤成肥料，即制成堆肥，用来滋养花园草地的土壤。

Yup: 意思同 “yes”一样，是更随便的表达方式。

Break down 在这里的意思是分解，即化为极小的碎物。

Win-win: 双赢，即相关各方都得到理想的结果。

A landfill：垃圾填埋场。

American English 网站提供可供英语学生和教师免费使用的多种英语资源。American English Facebook网页提供每天更新的英语学习资料。

“日常对话”由国务院教育与文化事务局英语语言项目处（Office of English Language Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs）资深项目官员海蒂·豪兰（Heidi Howland）编写。 


Everyday conversations for English learners: Coffee for your plants? [audio]

Learning to speak English? Our Everyday Conversations help you practice. Click the audio link to hear a native speaker pronounce each word while you read. Key terms are explained at the end.

Today’s conversation is on coffee for your plants.

Audio: 
http://share.digital2.getusinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/8.-Coffee-for-Your-Plants.mp3 

 Lucas: Wait, don’t throw those coffee grounds into the trash.

Carlos: Because …?

Lucas: I compost them. They’re great for the soil in my garden.

Carlos: Coffee grounds are good for dirt?

Lucas: Yup! The coffee grounds can be turned into rich soil. Microorganisms help break down food and lawn waste to change it into compost. The compost can help plants grow.

Carlos: So the coffee grounds make your plants better?

Lucas: Exactly! It’s a win-win situation. The plants are better, and the coffee grounds don’t end up in a landfill.

Now let’s review the vocabulary

To compost means to change organic material, such as leaves, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee grounds, etc., into a decayed mixture that is used to improve the soil in a lawn or garden.

Yup: This is a very informal way to say “yes.”

Break down means to decompose. When something breaks down, it is reduced to its smallest parts.

Win-win: This means providing a good result for everyone or everything involved. A win-win situation means that everyone or everything has a good result.

A landfill is an area where garbage is dumped and covered with dirt. It is where garbage is buried.

The American English website offers a variety of free resources for learners and teachers of English. The American English Facebook page posts learning materials for English-language learners daily.

Everyday Conversations are developed by the State Department’s Heidi Howland, a senior program officer in the Office of English Language Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.