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  3. A growing number of countries want to phase out coal entirely, a transition eased by cheap natural gas and the plunging cost of

A growing number of countries want to phase out coal entirely, a transition eased by cheap natural gas and the plunging cost of

admin2021-06-15  13
问题         A growing number of countries want to phase out coal entirely, a transition eased by cheap natural gas and the plunging cost of wind and solar power. That is good news. Coal has been the largest engine of climate change to date, accounting for nearly a third of the rise in average temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. Any pressure on it therefore counts as progress.
        Asia accounts for 75% of the world’s coal demand. The Chinese government has taken steps to limit pollution and support renewables. Yet coal consumption there rose in 2018, as it did the year before. In India coal demand grew by 9% last year. In Vietnam it swelled by almost a quarter To keep the rise in global temperatures to no more than 1.5℃ relative to pre-industrial times, climatologists insist that almost all coal plants must shut by 2050, which means starting to act now. Today’s trends would keep the last coal plant open until 2079, estimates UBS, a bank Asia’s coalfired power regiment has a sprightly average age of 15, compared with a creaky 40 years in America, close to retirement.
        There are several reasons for this, but one stands out: government support. In India stateowned companies invest more than $6bn in coal mining and coal-fired power each year; statebacked banks provide some $10.6bn in financing. Indonesia doles out more than $2bn annually for consumption of coal-fired power. China supports coal not just at home but abroad, supplying about 9.5bn a year in foreign funding. Japan and South Korea finance coal projects outside their borders, too.
        Government support is hardly surprising. State-backed coal firms make money and create jobs. Wind turbines and solar panels provide power only intermittently; for now, dirtier power plants are needed as back up. Gas is pummelling coal in America, but remains a bit-player in India and much of South-East Asia, since it has to be imported and is relatively expensive.
        Nevertheless, governments betting on coal face three big risks. One is environmental. Emissions from coal plants that are already built—let alone new ones—will ensure that the world exceeds the level of carbon-dioxide emissions likely to push global temperatures up by more than 1.5℃.
        There is an economic risk, too. Public-sector zeal for coal is matched only by private-sector distaste. Banks, including Asian ones, have increasingly said they will stop funding new coal plants. Wind and solar farms make coal look increasingly expensive. A study has found that private banks provided three-quarters of loans to Indian renewables projects last year; state-backed banks doled out two-thirds of those for coal.
        And then there is politics. Voters do not like breathing soot. More of them are concerned about climate change, too, as they face unpredictable growing seasons, floods and droughts.
The second paragraph tells us that_________.
选项 A、China has taken measures to curb carbon emissions
B、India is home to the largest increase of coal demand
C、all the coal plants will be closed in 2050
D、Asia’s coal-fired power plants are close to retirement
答案A
解析 推断题。题干：第二段告诉我们_______。本题实际考查对第二段内容的把握，可用排除法进行作答。A项“中国已经采取措施控制碳排放”，选项关键词为China，定位到第二段第二句“The Chinese government has taken steps to limit pollution and support renewables.(中国政府已经采取措施限制污染，支持可再生能源)”由此可知，中国已经采取措施控制碳排放，减少污染，A项正确。B项“印度是煤炭需求增长最快的国家”，选项关键词为India，定位到第二段第四、五句“In India coal demand grew by 9% last year. In Vietnam it swelled by almost a quarter.(去年印度的煤炭需求增长了9%。越南增长了近四分之一)”由此可知。越南的煤炭需求增长比印度更快，所以印度不是煤炭需求增长最快的国家。B项错误，故排除C项“所有的燃煤电厂将在2050年关闭”，选项关键词是2050，定位到第二段第六句“To keep the rise in global temperatures to no more than 1.5°C relative to pre -industrial times，climatologists insist that almost all coal plants must shut by 2050，which means starting to act now.(气候学家坚持说，为了将全球气温的上升幅度控制在相对于前工业时代的1.5摄氏度以内，到2050年，几乎所有的燃煤电厂都必须关闭，这意味着现在就要开始行动)”由此可知，所有燃煤电厂在2050年之前关闭是气候学家给出的建议，但是根据后一句可知，从如今的趋势来看，到2079年燃煤电厂都还会存在，C项错误。D项“亚洲的燃煤电厂即将退出”，根据选项关键词retirement，定位到第二段最后一句“Asia’s coal-fired power regiment has a sprightly average age of 15，compared with a creaky 40 years in America，close to retirement.(亚洲燃煤电厂的平均运转年数才刚15年，相比之下，美国的燃煤电厂的平均运转年数已达40年，接近退出)”由此可知，文中说的是美国的燃煤电厂即将退出，而不是亚洲。因此D项错误，可排除。故本题选A。
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