第 44 至 47 題為題組         Coffee experts are willing to pay large sums of money for high-quality coffee beans. The high-endbeans, such as Kona or Blue Mountain, are known to cost extraordinary sums of money. Then there isKopi Lowak (translated as “Civet Coffee”), the world’s most expensive coffee, which sells for as much asUS $50 per quarter-pound.        This isn’t particularly surprising, given that approximately 500 pounds a year of Kopi Lowakconstitute the entire world supply. What is surprising is why this particular coffee is so rare. In fact, it’snot the plants that are rare. It’s the civet droppings. That’s right, the civet droppings—the body waste ofthe palm civet. Coffee beans aren’t Kopi Lowak until they’ve been digested and come out in the bodywaste of the palm civet.        Palm civets are tree-dwelling, raccoon-like little animals, native to Southeast Asia and theIndonesian islands. They also have a love for coffee cherries. According to Kopi Lowak suppliers, palmcivets eat the fruit whole, but only digest the outer fruit, leaving the beans intact. While the beans are not  destroyed, they undergo a transformation in the animal’s body. A chemical substance in the digestivesystem of the palm civet causes some changes to the beans to give them a unique flavor. However, this isnot the only explanation why coffee beans retrieved from civet droppings have a special flavor all theirown. Another possible reason is that palm civets have an unfailing instinct for picking the coffee cherriesat the peak of their ripeness.       Kopi Lowak is reported to have a character in taste unlike any other coffee, complex with caramelundertones and an earthy or gamey flavor. Currently, most of the world’s supply of Kopi Lowak is sold inJapan, though a few US markets are also starting to stock up on Kopi Lowak.
【題組】44. What does “This” in the second paragraph refer to?
(A) Civet Coffee.
(B) Blue Mountain coffee.
(C) The high price of Kopi Lowak.
(D) The unique taste of Kona.