進入英語學習論壇下載音頻 去聽寫專區一展身手

Three executives from the company that allegedly sold recycled melamine-tainted milk products last year went on trial yesterday, facing charges that could result in death sentences.

The executives from Shanghai Panda Dairy Co Ltd were charged by the Shanghai Fengxian district prosecutors' office with producing and selling toxic food, a charge that has a maximum penalty of death.

The milk products were left over from the 2008 tainted milk powder scandal, which killed at least six babies and sickened 300,000.

The three on trial are Wang Yuechao, the company's board chairman; Hong Qide, the general manager; and Chen Dehua, deputy general manager, according to procuratorate officials.

The indictment showed that from Feb 7 to April 21 last year, Shanghai Panda Dairy produced more than 6,520 cans of condensed milk - half of which were sold - by recycling previously produced milk products, some of which had been tainted with the industrial chemical melamine.

After the scandal broke, officials launched a nationwide crackdown on the contaminated products as well as raw materials. Officials ordered all the toxic products to be destroyed, but some were not.

Subsequent tests showed some of the reproduced milk products had up to 34.1 mg/kg of melamine, while the government's current allowable limit of melamine is 1 mg/kg in baby milk food and 2.5 mg/kg in liquid milk products. The levels were set after the scandal broke out on Sept 11, 2008.

In total, 21 people were tried and sentenced in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, last year for involvement in the scandal. Two received death sentences, one got a suspended death

sentence and the other 18 were jailed for between two years and life.

Questions:

1. What is the name of the dairy company?

2. How many people became sick in the scandal?

3. How many people were put on trial and sentenced?

Answers:

1. Shanghai Panda Dairy Co Ltd.

2. 300,000.

3. 21.

去聽寫專區一展身手

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.