Jennifer: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. My
name is Jennifer and I am joined in the studio today by Neil.
Neil: Hi there.
Jennifer: In this programme, we are going to talk about coffee and an interesting
new project which is going on in many European cafes. Do you like coffee?
Neil: Yes, I do like a cup of coffee.
Jennifer: What’s your favourite type of coffee?
Neil: Well, when I was younger, you could only get two types of coffee: black
(without milk), or white (with milk). Now there are so many to choose
from: latte, cappuccino, espresso… I think my favourite would be a latte,
with caramel syrup.
Jennifer: That sounds delicious. I prefer espresso.
Neil: An espresso is too small for me, Jen. I like value for money from my
coffee!
Jennifer: Well, that’s interesting, because our story is about paying for coffee which
you don’t drink yourself, but first, a quiz question for you.
Neil: OK I’m ready!
Jennifer: You said you like value for money – but this question is about a very
expensive coffee. It’s produced from coffee beans which are eaten by an
animal called a civet – but how much can it cost per kilogram?
a) $5
b) $50
c) $550
Neil: I think $5 is too cheap and $550 is too expensive, so I’ll say b) $50.
Jennifer We will find out whether you’re right or not at the end of the programme.
Back to our story, which is all about buying coffee. How much is a regular
cup of coffee, Neil?
Neil: Where I live, there are lots of coffee shops. The price is usually around £2
for a cup of coffee.
6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 2 of 4
bbclearningenglish.com
Jennifer: £2 for a coffee? How often do you buy one?
Neil: Hmm, I buy one every day before I catch the train for work.
Jennifer: So, a £2 cup of coffee, Monday to Friday – that’s £10 per week. That’s
quite a lot of money! But what would you do if you did not have enough
money to pay for a coffee though, if you couldn’t afford it?
Neil: I suppose I would have to go without. If you go without something, you
don’t have it.
Jennifer: Well, lots of people don’t have money to spare for a coffee, but now a new
scheme means that they can go to a café…
Neil: Are coffee shops giving away free coffee?
Jennifer: Not quite. A new trend, or pattern, has started around Europe, where
people can pay for a suspended coffee.
Neil: I know that train services can be suspended. But, what’s a suspended
coffee?
Jennifer: A suspended coffee is where you donate, or give, money for a coffee that
someone can drink later.
Neil: So, someone can come into a coffee shop and ask for a coffee that
someone else has paid for?
Jennifer: That’s correct. So, when you buy your morning coffee, you might hand
over £4 – that’s £2 for the coffee you want to drink and £2 for a
suspended coffee for someone else.
Neil: That’s an interesting idea. So who would drink a suspended coffee?
Jennifer: Let’s listen to a clip from Hettie Clark, who works in a café, to find out who
might ask for a suspended coffee.
Hettie Clark
A suspended coffee is where someone buys a coffee for somebody else who is in need of
it. So, they could be homeless, they could be hard on their luck or it could be
collaborative with the refugee centre down the road.
Jennifer: So, Hettie Clark mentioned three different types of people. Did you hear
who they were?
Neil: She said “They could be homeless”. If you’re homeless, you don’t have
anywhere to live.
Jennifer: Hettie also said “They could be hard on their luck”. If you are “hard on
your luck”, you are unlucky.
Neil: What was the third group of people?
6 Minute English ©British Broadcasting Corporation 2013
Page 3 of 4
bbclearningenglish.com
Jennifer: Hettie said “It could be collaborative with the refugee centre”. Refugees
are people who flee their home country because of danger or war. Let’s
listen to that clip from Hettie again:
Hettie Clark
A suspended coffee is where someone buys a coffee for somebody else who is in need of
it. So, they could be homeless, they could be hard on their luck or it could be
collaborative with the refugee centre down the road.
Jennifer: So, Neil, do you think you would buy a suspended coffee for someone in
need?
Neil: Yes, I think so. It’s a chance to do a good deed for someone who needs
it. What about you, Jen?
Jennifer: Yes, I think it’s a really interesting idea. I think it will be really good for
communities too, because it will bring people together.
Neil: I agree.
Jennifer: Well, all this talk of coffee is making me feel rather thirsty. Let’s go and
make a cup.
Neil: Hold on, you need to give the answer to the quiz question first…
Jennifer: That’s right. I asked how much civet coffee can cost, per kilo. Was it:
a) $5
b) $50
c) $550
Neil: And I said b) $50…
Jennifer: And you were wrong! It is c) $550. Coffee from beans passed through the
civet is the most expensive in the world. Do join us again for another
edition of 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. Bye for now!
Neil: Goodbye!
