A disease that threatens the world’s most popular fruit, the banana, has arrived in Latin America. As a result, officials in Colombia have declared a state of emergency. Bananas are among the most important food crops in the world, along with wheat, rice and corn. That information comes from the United Nations (UN). Five years ago, the UN warned that a disease called Tropical Race 4, or TR4, could destroy much of the world’s banana crop. The disease first appeared in Asia in the 1990s. It later spread to Africa and the Middle East. There are as many as 1,000 kinds of bananas grown in more than 150 countries. The TR4 disease only affects the most popular and common kind of banana: the Cavendish. It is easier and more cost-effective for growers to produce just one kind of banana.
Title: Disease Threatens Banana, the World’s Most Popular Fruit
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/ban.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Disease Threatens Banana, the Worlds Most Popular Fruit' data-article-id='4089'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='10313'>A disease that threatens the world’s most popular fruit, the banana, has arrived in Latin America.</span> <span data-start-time='10313' data-end-time='17958'>As a result, officials in Colombia have declared a state of emergency.</span> <span data-start-time='17958' data-end-time='26833'>Bananas are among the most important food crops in the world, along with wheat, rice and corn.</span> <span data-start-time='26833' data-end-time='32000'>That information comes from the United Nations (UN).</span> <span data-start-time='32000' data-end-time='46042'>Five years ago, the UN warned that a disease called Tropical Race 4, or TR4, could destroy much of the world’s banana crop.</span> <span data-start-time='46042' data-end-time='50854'>The disease first appeared in Asia in the 1990s.</span> <span data-start-time='50854' data-end-time='56021'>It later spread to Africa and the Middle East.</span> <span data-start-time='56021' data-end-time='65229'>There are as many as 1,000 kinds of bananas grown in more than 150 countries.</span> <span data-start-time='65229' data-end-time='71979'>The TR4 disease only affects the most popular and common kind of banana:</span> <span data-start-time='71979' data-end-time='74188'>the Cavendish.</span> <span data-start-time='74188' data-end-time='82521'>It is easier and more cost-effective for growers to produce just one kind of banana.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/ban.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=13542 data-hint-location='17958' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/bananas_are_an_important__blank_.wav'>Bananas are an important <span class='blank'>food crop</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='food crop'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/nutrient_source.wav'><span>nutrient source</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/disease_type.wav'><span>disease type</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/food_crop.wav'><span>food crop</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/wheat_and_rice.wav'><span>wheat and rice</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=13543 data-hint-location='10313' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/what_have_officials_declared.wav'>What have officials declared?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a state of emergency'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/bananas_have_a_disease.wav'><span>bananas have a disease</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/a_tropical_race.wav'><span>a tropical race</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/a_state_of_emergency.wav'><span>a state of emergency</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/as_a_result.wav'><span>as a result</span></div></div></div><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=13544 data-hint-location='50854' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/what_does_spread_mean.wav'>What does spread mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='expand'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/expand.wav'><span>expand</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/disease.wav'><span>disease</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/grow.wav'><span>grow</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/3610/crops.wav'><span>crops</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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