Question

    The conclusion of the Paris Agreement in 2015，in which almost every nation committed to reduce their carbon emissions(排放)，was supposed to be a turning point in the fight against climate change.But many countries have already fallen behind their goals.Meanwhile emissions worldwide continue to rise.

The only way to catch up is to aggressively pursue an approach that takes advantage of every possible strategy to reduce emissions.Wind and solar energy are usually part of this effort，but it must also include investing heavily in carbon capture(碳捕捉)，utilization(应用)and storage(CCUS)—a range of technologies that pull carbon dioxide from the air，and transform it into useful materials or store it underground.Although CCUS has been opposed as too expensive and unproved，recent gains have made it far more effective.Improvements such as chemical compounds could drive the cost down from $1 00 per ton of captured carbon in 20 16 to $ 20 per ton by 2025，according to a 2016 article in Science.

Three primary CCUS paths lead to the reduction of carbon emissions:retrofitting(改装)existing power plants；reducing emissions in industries that cannot run on renewable energy；and directly removing carbon from the air.Cutting emissions from existing electric power stations with CCUS could be made more appealing in a future with a circular carbon economy，in which captured carbon could be resold and recycled for other uses——for instance，serving as a raw material for making concrete or plastics.

The basic idea of carbon capture has faced a lot of opposition.Skepticism has come from climate change deniers，who see it as a waste of money，and from passionate supporters of climate action, who fear that it would be used to justify continued reliance on fossil fuels.Both groups are ignoring the recent advances and the opportunity they present.By limiting investment in decarbonization，the world will miss a major avenue for reducing emissions in a variety of industries.CCUS can also create jobs and profits from what was previously only a waste material by creating a larger economy around carbon.

The transition to clean energy has become necessary.But that transition’s ability to achieve deep decarbonization will become less effective without this wide range of solutions，which must include CCUS.

1.What can CCUS technologies do in reducing emissions?

A. Closing down existing power plants.

B. Limiting investment in heavy industry.

C. Processing raw materials underground.

D. Turning carbon dioxide into useful materials.

2.Why is it attractive to retrofit existing power plants with CCUS?

A. It can remove carbon directly from the air.

B. It can benefit the industry economically.

C. It is the most affordable way to capture carbon.

D. It helps power plants produce concrete or plastics.

3.What can be inferred from paragraph 4?

A. Fossil fuels will be no longer used in future.

B. Investing in decarbonization is a worthwhile project.

C. Climate change deniers believe in the necessity of decarbonization.

D. Little progress has been made in the fight against carbon emissions.

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Capture That Carbon B. Let Carbon Go

C. Stand Firm with Energy Protection D. Say Goodbye to Energy Crisis

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.B

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。短文中CCUS方案遭到一些人的反对，但是作者对CCUS方案表示支持，并说明了CCUS所带来的经济效益都是巨大的。作者认为向清洁能源过渡已成为必要，但如果没有包括CCUS在内的广泛解决方案，这种过渡实现深度脱碳的能力将变得不那么有效。

1.细节理解题。由第二段“...a range of technologies that pull carbon dioxide from the air，and transform it into useful materials or store it underground”可知，这是从空气中抽取二氧化碳，并将其转化为有用材料或将其储存于地下的技术。所以CCUS技术在减排方面能把二氧化碳变成有用的材料。故D选项正确。

2.推理判断题。由第三段“Cutting emissions from existing electric power stations with CCUS could be made more appealing in a future with a circular carbon economy，in which captured carbon could be resold and recycled for other uses——for instance，serving as a raw material for making concrete or plastics.”可知，利用CCUS技术减少现有发电站的排放,在未来的循环碳经济中可能会更具吸引力，在循环碳经济中，捕获的碳可以转售和回收用于其他用途，例如用作制造混凝土或塑料的原材料。所以通过以上的说明可以判断出为什么用CCUS改造现有的发电厂会很有吸引力是因为它很经济，可以使工业受益。故B选项正确。

3.推理判断题。由第四段“CCUS can also create jobs and profits from what was previously only a waste material by creating a larger economy around carbon.”可知，CCUS还可以通过围绕碳创造出更大的经济规模，从以前只是一种废料中创造就业机会和利润。所以从第4段可以推断出投资脱碳是一个有价值的项目。故B选项正确。

4.标题归纳题。通读全文可知，短文中作者对CCUS方案表示支持，并说明了CCUS所带来的经济效益是巨大的。作者认为向清洁能源过渡已成为必要，但如果没有包括CCUS在内的广泛解决方案，这种过渡实现深度脱碳的能力将变得不那么有效。所以短文主要是围绕着CCUS（碳捕捉，利用，储存）而展开的。对比选项，A选项“捕捉碳”是一个适合短文的标题。故A选项正确。