单选题 For Questions 11～20, you will hear two passages. Before listening to each one, read the questions related to it. While listening, answer each question by choosing A, B, C, or D. You will hear each piece ONLY ONCE.
单选题 The competition launched by Branson and Gore is aiming to ______.
  • A. remove carbon dioxide from Earth's atmosphere
  • B. capture carbon dioxide at power stations
  • C. remove carbon dioxide at industrial centers
  • D. reduce carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[听力原文] British businessman Richard Branson and former American vice president A1 Gore recently announced a competition. They are seeking a way to remove at least one billion tons of carbon dioxide each year from Earth's atmosphere. Mr. Branson is offering twenty-five million dollars to the developer of such a technology. Last year, he offered to invest three billion dollars to fight climate change. The money would come from profits from his companies, including Virgin Atlantic Airlines. The new competition is called the Virgin Earth Challenge. The winner of the contest must develop a plan to remove industrial gases from the atmosphere without causing harm. The first five million dollars would be paid to the winner immediately. The rest of the money would be paid only after the prize-winning technology had worked successfully for ten years. Mr. Branson and Mr. Gore announced the contest in London earlier this month. They said that some scientists are working on technologies to capture carbon dioxide at power stations and other industrial centers. But no one has developed a way to remove industrial gases already released into the atmosphere. Many scientists say those gases are causing an increase in temperatures around the world. They say continued warming will have serious results in the future. Mr. Branson said the warming caused by industrial gases is threatening the existence of human beings. He said he believes that people are able to find answers to problems that they have created. The former vice president said people are facing an emergency. Last year, Mr. Gore made a documentary film about climate change. The film has helped him become one of the world's leading experts on climate change issues. Mr. Gore and Mr. Branson noted a report released last month by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The group included hundreds of scientists from more than one hundred countries. The report said that human activity is warming the Earth at a dangerous rate. It said Earth's temperatures could increase by as much as six degrees centigrade by the end of this century. This could result in sea levels around the world rising by five meters.
单选题 Which is true about the Virgin Earth Challenge program?
  • A. It is cofunded by Richard Branson and A1 Gore.
  • B. The winner will win twenty-five million dollars once the technology is developed.
  • C. The winner will not get any money until the technology had worked successfully for ten years.
  • D. The winner must develop a plan to remove industrial gases from the atmosphere without causing harm.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】
单选题 What does the word "emergency" mean in Gore's words "people are facing an emergency"?
  • A. A situation which needs immediate action to deal with.
  • B. A threat.
  • C. A danger.
  • D. A serious problem.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】
单选题 What makes Mr. Gore become a world leading climate change expert?
  • A. A famous speech at a world climate conference.
  • B. A bestseller on climate change.
  • C. A documentary movie on climate change.
  • D. The Virgin Earth Challenge program.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】
单选题 Which of the following is not mentioned in the report released last month?
  • A. Human activity is warming the Earth at a dangerous rate.
  • B. Industrial gases will reduce drastically in the atmosphere.
  • C. The sea levels around the world would rise by five meters.
  • D. Earth's temperatures would rise drastically by the end of this century.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】