VOA慢速：中美承诺共同努力实现气候目标
US, China Promise to Work Together on Climate Goals
刘立军 供稿
TRANSCRIPT
United States climate diplomat John Kerry and Chinese climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua recently agreed to restart a suspended climate working group.
The agreement came at meetings from November 4th to the 7th held in Sunnylands, California, a joint statement released Wednesday said. The statement comes ahead of the COP28 meeting, the United Nations gathering on climate change, in Dubai starting on November 30th.
The officials said their countries would aim for new targets for renewable energy and limits on methane gas and plastic pollution. They said some differences remain, like how to stop using nonrenewable energy.
“The Sunnylands statement is a timely effort of aligning the United States and China ahead of COP28,” said Li Shuo. He is incoming director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society in Washington, D.C.
China and the U.S. are the world’s two biggest producers of pollution from gases that some scientists say are warming the atmosphere. Li described the relationship between the two countries as “a precondition for meaningful global progress.” He said the Sunnylands agreement will help “stabilize the politics” ahead of the yearly United Nations climate talks in Dubai.
The re-launch of the working group marks the normalization of the climate relationship between the two countries following a break in 2022.
The officials said the working group will deal with areas in which the two countries can work together. They include reducing methane, increasing efficiency and the economic system in which materials are reused, called the “circular economy.” Additionally, the group will exchange information on policies and technologies to reduce pollution. It will also aim to reduce forest loss and plastic pollution.
China continues to approve new power plants that burn coal to guarantee its energy security.
The United States and China said they support a declaration by the G20, a group of the world’s largest economies, to triple global renewable energy production ability by 2030. They also agreed to speed up the use of energy resources other than coal, oil and gas.
The joint statement said they expect “meaningful” reductions in pollution from the power industry before 2031. But China described the idea of ending nonrenewable energy as “unrealistic.”
The statement listed additional points of agreement. Both sides said they agreed to include methane in their 2035 climate goals. It is the first time China has made such a promise. They also promised to start “at least five” large projects in which they will work together to capture, use and store carbon by the end of 2030.
Li said COP28, the yearly UN climate meeting, still “has its work cut out,” especially with nonrenewable energy.
“China also needs to consider what further ambition can be brought to COP,” he added. “Stopping the approval of new coal power projects is a good next step.”
I’m Gregory Stachel.
VOCABULARY
1. methane n. 甲烷
2. align v. 与……联合；与……结盟
3. incoming adj. 即将到来的；新来的
4. hub n. 中心；枢纽
QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
1. What was the main purpose of the meetings held between John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua in Sunnylands, California?
A. To discuss the impacts of methane gas and plastic pollution.
B. To agree on new targets for nonrenewable energy usage.
C. To restart a suspended climate working group.
D. To plan the agenda for the upcoming COP28 meeting.
2. When is the COP28 meeting, mentioned in the joint statement, scheduled to begin?
A. November 30th.
B. November 7th.
C. November 4th.
D. Before 2031.
3. What are the two countries aiming to include in their 2035 climate goals according to the joint statement?
A. Renewable energy and forest loss reduction.
B. Methane and carbon capture projects.
C. Methane and plastic pollution limits.
D. Efficiency increase and coal power reduction.
4. According to Li Shuo, what is described as “a precondition for meaningful global progress” in the context of climate change?
A. The annual UN climate meetings.
B. The reduction of pollution from the power industry.
C. The relationship between China and the U.S. in climate policies.
D. The agreements made during the G20 summit.
5. What can be inferred about China’s stance on ending nonrenewable energy according to the joint statement?
A. China believes it is an achievable goal before 2031.
B. China considers this idea to be practical and realistic.
C. China supports this idea wholeheartedly as part of the G20 declaration.
D. China views the complete cessation of nonrenewable energy as unrealistic.
KEY
1. What was the main purpose of the meetings held between John Kerry and Xie Zhenhua in Sunnylands, California?
A. To discuss the impacts of methane gas and plastic pollution.
B. To agree on new targets for nonrenewable energy usage.
C. To restart a suspended climate working group.
D. To plan the agenda for the upcoming COP28 meeting.
【答案】C
【解析】细节题。命题出处是文章的首段：United States climate diplomat John Kerry and Chinese climate negotiator Xie Zhenhua recently agreed to restart a suspended climate working group. 根据这句话，可以明确知道会议的主要目的是重启一个已暂停的气候工作组，因此选项C正确。
2. When is the COP28 meeting, mentioned in the joint statement, scheduled to begin?
A. November 30th.
B. November 7th.
C. November 4th.
D. Before 2031.
【答案】A
【解析】细节题。命题出处是文章第二段中关于COP28会议时间的说明：The statement comes ahead of the COP28 meeting, the United Nations gathering on climate change, in Dubai starting on November 30th. 即COP28会议计划在11月30日开始，因此选项A正确。
3. What are the two countries aiming to include in their 2035 climate goals according to the joint statement?
A. Renewable energy and forest loss reduction.
B. Methane and carbon capture projects.
C. Methane and plastic pollution limits.
D. Efficiency increase and coal power reduction.
【答案】B
【解析】细节题。命题出处是文章最后一段的内容：Both sides said they agreed to include methane in their 2035 climate goals. They also promised to start ‘at least five’ large projects in which they will work together to capture, use and store carbon by the end of 2030. 这里提到了甲烷和碳捕集项目被包括在2035年的气候目标中，因此选项B正确。
4. According to Li Shuo, what is described as “a precondition for meaningful global progress” in the context of climate change?
A. The annual UN climate meetings.
B. The reduction of pollution from the power industry.
C. The relationship between China and the U.S. in climate policies.
D. The agreements made during the G20 summit.
【答案】C
【解析】细节题。命题出处是文章中Li Shuo的评论：Li described the relationship between the two countries as ‘a precondition for meaningful global progress.’ 据此，中美两国在气候政策上的关系是实现有意义的全球进步的先决条件，因此选项C正确。
5. What can be inferred about China’s stance on ending nonrenewable energy according to the joint statement?
A. China believes it is an achievable goal before 2031.
B. China considers this idea to be practical and realistic.
C. China supports this idea wholeheartedly as part of the G20 declaration.
D. China views the complete cessation of nonrenewable energy as unrealistic.
【答案】D
【解析】推理题。命题出处是文本中有关中国对非可再生能源立场的描述：But China described the idea of ending nonrenewable energy as ‘unrealistic.’ 这表明中国认为完全停止使用非可再生能源是不现实的，因此通过这个信息可以推断出选项D正确。
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