\generated from non-fossil sources by 2020,\Director Zhang said. At present, non-fossil energy accounts for only 7.8 percent.
China is making efforts to increase the proportion of clean energy in its total energy consumption. Statistitics show that China invested US$34.6 billion in clean energy last year, exceeding the United States which invested US $18.6 billion. Thus, China has become the world leader in generating clean energy. Five years earlier, China's investment in clean energy was only US$ 2.5 billion.
However, China's carbon emission reduction target cann't be achieved easily. The shift to a low-carcon economy might be met at a cost to society. For instance, more than 400,000 people were laid off as a result of the shutdown of small coal-fired power plants in the past four years. Many studies indicate that the effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions may delay China's development, affect people's income, and lead to unemployment. Questions and key
1. What is the pasage mainly about?
2. From four years ago unti August this year, how many kilowatts of coal-fired plant capacity will have been closed?
3. By 2020, what will be the prpportion of non-fossil energy in the total power in China?
4. Which of the following is true of the investment by China and the United States in clean energy last year?
5. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a problem arising from curbing greenhouse gas emissions? Kes: 1D 2.D3 . A 4.B 5.C
IV. Speaking Out
MODEL 1 Our globe is in danger
John: How is your Grandma getting along during this usually hot weather?
Nora: Over the last few years, Granny has been complaining that the hot, humid weather is killing her. She believes the weather has changed.
John: What she means is the climate‘s long-term conditions; weather refers only to
day-to-day conditions.
Nora: Yeah, she says summer is hotter, and winter wetter. But I tried to comfort her,
saying, ―It‘s all in your mind, Granny.‖
John: She‘s right, you know. The greenhouse effect does bring global warming and rain. Nora: How can I explain global warming and greenhouse gases to a 97-year-old Granny? John: Tell her the earth now is like a real greenhouse made of glass panels that let in
light and trap heat.
Nora: Think she‘ll want to know that carbon monoxide from earth makes greenhouse
gases?
John: Everybody should know what cause global warming; otherwise we won‘t stop it.
Nora: I‘ll tell Granny not to burn any more wood or coal, or to use spray on the hair. John: OK, joke about it, but it won‘t be so funny when the polar icecaps melt and oceans rise.
Now Your Turn SAMPLE DIALOG
A: How are you getting along during this usually hot weather?
B: Not well at all. Over the last few weeks the hot, humid weather is killing me. I believe the climate has changed.
A: Yeah, the summer is hotter, and winter wetter. B: Do you know why all this has happened?
A: The greenhouse effects bring global warming and rain. B: What do you mean by greenhouse effects?
A: The earth is now like a real greenhouse made of glass panels that let light in and trap heat. You know, carbon monoxide from earth is a greenhouse gas.
B: I see. Everybody should know what cause global warming; otherwise we won‘t stop it.
A: The important thing is that human beings should take steps to reduce global warming.
B: What can we do then? Perhaps we should not burn any more wood or coal. A: Right. Also we should try to produce less CFCs or Freon. B: How can we achieve that?
A: Don‘t use aerosol spray on your hair, and depend less on air-conditioners and refrigerators..
B: But it‘s hard to give up all this.
A: But we must take action before polar icecaps melt and oceans rise.
MODEL2 Rainforests will soon be only a memory. Script
Susan: Hey, Chris, there is an environmental group on campus asking for donations to save the rainforests. Chris: So what?
Susan: So what?! Don‘t you want to save the rainforests?
Chris: But there‘re no rainforests in our country. They need hot, tropical climates. Susan: Come on. A rain forest is any forest where heavy rainfall leads to dense vegetation. Tropical rainforests can be found in hoe, tropical areas, but there are also cool rainforests, including one in southeast Alaska. Chris: How did you know that?
Susan: Well, I‘ve just read a book on rainforests. You know, 140nillion people live in
the world‘s rainforests, and 35 percent of the world‘s plant and animal species exist only in rainforests. Chris: Wow, I‘m impressed. So what else have you learned?
Susan: Most of the world‘s rainforests are in danger of destruction by loggers, farmers and developers. They are disappearing at a rate of 1000 acres a minute!
Chris: It‘s terrible!
Susan: Yeah, we‘ve got to find a way to save them. Now would you like to give a
donation?
Chris: Sure.
Now Your Turn SAMPLE DIALOG
A: Most of the world‘s rainforests are in danger of destruction by loggers, farmers and developers. They are disappearing at a rate of 100 acres a minute!
B: What a tragedy! , Many of the world‘s plant and animal species exist only in rainforests.
A: We really need to save the beautiful forests. B: Yeah, we‘ve got to find a way to save them.
A: Do you know our mayor is making a call to plant trees?
B: Yeah, we do have to plant more trees. I hear China doesn‘t have a lot of forests compared with many countries.
A: That‘s true. I‘ve just read an article about afforestation. China‘s forest coverage rate was 18.21percent last yea, ranking only 130th in the world. B: No wonder we have to plat more trees.
A: Don‘t lose heart. Progress has been remarkable. In 2000 the rate was just 16.55 percent.
B: Any other good news?
A: China has stepped up its tree-planting efforts. Now it‘s the world‘s No.1 planter of trees.
B: Wow, I‘m impressed.
MODEL3 What a terrible sandstorm! Script
Susan: Hey, John. You‘re back. A few days ago, a big sandstorm hit our city John: Oh, that‘s bad.
Susan: The air was full of dirt and sand and dust. I had to wear a scarf around my
head.
John: The dust, as I know, comes from Mongolia. And from my reading in science,
I‘ve heard the dust often comes after a long period of drought. Susan: This is a serious problem in many parts of the world, and unfortunately our
city is one of them.
John: And if the drought continues, the soil is easily airborne. And then if the wind
comes, the soil can be lifted up on the cold are that rises up, and it can travel very long distances.
Susan: Normally, when there‘s a wind, it can clear the air, and you have beautiful
weather. But when the dust is brought in with the wind, then you can‘t breathe, you can‘t see well, and it‘s dangerous for driving, or for walking.
John: Yeah. You know, when the dust is lifted up it can go as high 3,000 meters. And
it‘s not just China that has problems, but many other countries. For example, the middle of Australia sometimes has dust storms, and some of the dust goes up very high, goes across the ocean, and falls down on New Zealand. Susan: Not a very nice neighbor.
John: Is there a solution to the problem? Susan: We need to plant more trees and grass so that the soil can stay where it is.
John: No wonder the government is launching a new afforestation program in a bid t address the environmental problem.
Now Your Turn
SAMPLE DIALOG
A: I‘m so glad to be back home, again. Oh, what a clear blue sky!
B: Yes, the wind has cleared the air. I hope you still remember the situation a couple of years age; that is, when you were here. Each spring a big sandstorm struck our city. A: Oh, that was bad. That air was filled with sand and dust. I had to wear a scarf around my head.
B: I had to cover my mouth and nose with a handkerchief. And facial makes sold well. The dust came from the north, and it often rose after a long dry spell.
A: If the drought continued, the soil was easily airborne. And when the wind came,
the soil was swept up on the cold air, and it could travel very long distances.
B: When the dust was brought in with the wind, we could hardly breathe, we couldn‘t see well, and it was dangerous for driving. A: How did your town solve the problem?
B: Not only our town. In fact, people in the whole province planted a lot of trees and grass so that the soil would stay where it is.
A: I see. The government launched an afforestation project to deal with the sandstorm. The green shelter belt is playing a role.
V. Let’s Talk
Diappointment over climate negotiations
Script
Man 1: Well, it's aspirational language which is nice and lovely and fluffy, but doesn't
really actually commit anyone to anything, and so it's really hard to take to the bank. I mean, people's lives are on the line in the developing world where we are seeing the impacts felt first and foremost. And obviously the atmophere simply can't take the kind of emissions we have been seeing in the business-as-usual scenario and there's no real commitment to change that. There's no real commitment to put serious money on the table and that's a big problem.
(On-screen text: Wind Farm)
This is a great photo op for all the world leaders, but if it's not backed by
action, it really doesn't mean much at the end of the day.
Man 2: What's in there is very disappointing. It does not consititutea ... a deal. It's a
hollow shell that will need to be filled in, and it has some numbers, it talks about trying to avoid two degrees. That's the same language that the G8 used last July. But it lacks anything on emissions cuts as yet that would guarantee that we 're actually on the, on track to get there. And the financing commitments... there is a mention of a 100-billion-dollar figure and the attempt to raise or mobilise that level of resources, but there's no guarantee that there will be new money, that the money willbe real, that there's actually a commitment to get there, or that it will be channeled in new ways, as yet.
1)b 2) a 3) h 4) d 5) g 6 ) e 7) c 8) f
Debate