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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  15
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.
Which of the following statements is true?
选项 A、Government support is an important factor for rising coal demand in Asia.
B、Japanese government does not support coal.
C、Solar power is the most used energy in rich countries.
D、Gas is playing a bigger role in most Asian countries.
答案A
解析 细节题。题干：下列说法哪一项是正确的?A项“政府的支持是亚洲煤炭需求上升的一个重要因素”，选项关键词是government support，定位到第三段第一句“There are several reasons for this，but one stands out：government support.(原因有很多，但最突出的一个是政府的支持)”，第二段中已经提到亚洲的煤炭需求仍在上升，第三段给出了首要原因是政府的支持。换言之，政府的支持是亚洲煤炭需求上升的重要因素之一，因此A项正确。B项“日本政府不支持煤炭”，选项关键词是Japanese government，定位到第三段最后一句“Japan and South Korea finance coal projects outside their borders，too.(日本和韩国也为境外的煤炭项目提供资金)”由此可知，日本政府是支持使用煤炭的，故B项错误。C项“太阳能是发达国家使用最多的能源”，文中对太阳能的描述主要有两点：根据第一段第一句“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.”可知太阳能发电成本在大幅下降；根据第四段第三句“Wind turbines and solar panels provide power only intermittently；for now，dirtier power plants are needed as back up.”可知风力涡轮机和太阳能电池板只能间歇性供电，现在仍然需要煤炭发电厂做备用。因此并不能从文章中得出“发达国家使用最多的能源是太阳能”这一信息，故排除C。D项“天然气在大多数亚洲国家扮演着更重要的角色”，根据第四段最后一句“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.(在美国，天然气的地位超过煤炭，但在印度和东南亚大部分地区，由于天然气需要进口且价格相对昂贵，天然气在这些地区并不受重视)”可知天然气并未被大多数亚洲国家大量使用，D项“扮演更重要的角色”表述错误。综上，本题正确答案为A。
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