Leather from Mushrooms

Play Episode

---

Description

---

Mushrooms are part of a group of amazing living things that are not really an animal and not really a plant.
香菇不是動物也不是植物，它們是菇類！

You can eat some mushrooms, and they're super yummy. But you can also make leather from them.
它們不只很好吃，還可以做成皮革！

We use leather for many things. I have a leather belt and leather shoes.
皮革可以做成很多東西，像是我自己有皮帶或跟皮鞋。

But some people say we should try to stop making things with leather.
有人說我們不應該再用皮革做東西。

Why? Well, two big reasons…

One, to make leather you need a lot of chemicals. Those chemicals can be bad for people, and they are bad for the earth. They cause pollution.
第一個原因是，做皮革要用很多化學藥劑，對人跟地球都不好。

And number two: Leather comes from animals, mostly cows. Many people think we need to stop eating so much meat and stop using things made from animals.
第二個原因是，很多皮革都是用牛做的。有人覺得我們不要再吃這麼多肉，也不要再用動物做東西！

That's why scientists are making leather from mushrooms! It looks almost exactly like leather from animals, and it's strong too.
所以科學家要用菇類做皮革！它很像用動物做的皮革，也是很堅固！

Many companies are interested in this new mushroom leather.

Using mushroom leather means we can say goodbye to bad chemicals, and it means we don't need to use animals.
這樣子我們可以遠離化學藥劑，也不用動物做東西。

---

Vocabulary
生活中有哪些東西是皮革做的，你可知道？

1. leather 皮革
   I don't wear leather shoes any more.我不再穿皮鞋了。
   Why not? 為什麼不呢？
   Because I'm wearing cotton shoes now. 因為我現在都穿棉布鞋。
   They are light and comfortable. 它們很輕，又很舒服。

2. strong 堅固耐用
   But they are not as strong as leather. 但是它們沒有皮革堅固。
   That's true. So I don't wear them on rainy days. 這是真的，所以我雨天不穿。

3. use 使用
   You use cotton for your bags too? 你也用棉布做包包嗎？
   Yeah, look at my book bag. 對啊，你看我的書包。
   Very cute! 很可愛呢！
   Yeah, I use cotton for many things. 我用棉布做很多東西。

4. company 公司
   A lot of companies are making these products. 很多公司也在做這些產品。
   I know. But I prefer to do it myself. 我知道，不過我喜歡自己動手。

這些字簡單好用，來一起讀一遍。
leather 皮革
strong 堅固耐用
use 使用
company 公司

---

Quiz

1. How does animal leather hurt the earth?
   A: Making it uses bad chemicals
   B: Making it takes 100 years
   C: Making it means bigger typhoons

2. What are scientists using to make new leather?
   A: Mushrooms
   B: Fried rice
   C: Frogs

3. Where does leather come from?
   A: Mostly cows
   B: Mostly clouds
   C: Mostly clowns

Answers

1. A
2. A
3. A