English Learning Blog

Download-Audio

Increased greenhouse gases in the air are causing global warming

Please tell me more about global warming.

Emma He, Chongqing
Most of us are worried about global warming. It’s a problem that will change the future of the world we live in and affect generations to come.

But do you know how to discuss global warming in English? In this programme you can find out some useful words and expressions.

Join Jo Hunter and Yang Li to learn more about this problem. What are the causes of global warming and what will it mean if temperatures do get hotter in the future?

To slow down the effects of the problem there are things we can do. Find out some of the solutions we can expect to be introduced into our lives in the future.

When you’ve listened to Jo’s report, try our quiz to see how much you understood.
Jo: Hello. This is Ask About Britain from BBC Learning English. I’m Jo
and with me today is Li.
Li: Hello there. 在本期的英国问答节目中我们会解答什么问题呢？ What’s
today’s question Jo?
Jo: Well, we’ve had an email from Emma He in Chongqing who wants us
to tell her more about global warming.
Li: 重庆的Emma 想知道全球气温变暖是怎么回事。Global warming 是什么原因
造成的呢？
Jo: Let’s have a listen to a BBC reporter from a programme called
Newsround.
Insert
Global warming is partly caused by greenhouse gases which trap heat close to the
earth. These are given out naturally but are also the result of humans burning
fossil fuels like coal and petroleum.
Jo: So global warming is partly caused by greenhouse gases. Partly.
Li: 部分原因就是有温室气体greenhouse gases. To be caused by 就是由什么
引起或导致的。 A greenhouse 就是我们说的玻璃暖房，也叫温室，很多人会
用温室来种菜养花，尤其是那些怕冷的植物。
Jo: And greenhouse gases are gases like carbon dioxide, methane and
ozone.
Li: 二氧化碳, 沼气 ，还有臭氧 这些都是自然产生的气体，来自地球本身。
Jo The Earth.
Li: 但是这些气体对气候都会有直接影响。人类活动会导致这类气体的大量增加，在
大气层消化不了这些过量的气体时，就会出现温室效应，导致全球气候变暖。
Jo: So global warming is partly caused by greenhouse gases which trap
heat close to the earth. To trap.
2
Li: 是圈套的意思，这里是只吸进不散发出去的，阻止的意思 to trap. 大量的温室
气体阻止了地球附近热量的散发heat close to the earth。
Jo: They trap heat close to the earth. These are given out naturally.
Li: Given out naturally 自然产生的。
Jo: Naturally. They are given out naturally but they are also the result of
humans burning fossil fuels like coal and petroleum. They are the
result of…
Li: 由什么造成的结果。这些气体也是由于人类humans 燃烧矿石燃料而产生的。
Jo: Fossil fuels like coal and petroleum.
Li: 所以煤炭，石油都属于矿石燃料fossil fuels.
Jo: Let’s listen to the BBC reporter again.
Insert
Global warming is partly caused by greenhouse gases which trap heat close to the
earth. These are given out naturally but are also the result of humans burning
fossil fuels like coal and petroleum.
Jo: On Ask About Britain today from BBC Learning English we’re having
a bit of a science lessonm, aren’t we Li?
Li: 没错我们就像是在上一堂自然科学课！ Emma wanted to know more about
global warming 全球气温变暖。
Jo: So we know what causes global warming and that it means the Earth
is getting warmer. People are worried about this here in the UK
because it could cause big problems.
Li: That’s right. 让我们来听听来自BBC 的另一则报道。
Insert
Imagine a very hot summer during which there’s a heatwave. Temperatures
average 27 degrees celsius for 9 days in a row in south-east England. If it happens
9000 people could die.
Jo: So the report asks us to imagine a very hot summer.
Li: 想象。 我很难想象英国会有很热很热的夏天，你说呢Jo？
Jo: It seems that way, doesn’t it? But this is how things could be in the
future with the problem of global warming. So imagine a very hot
summer during which there’s a heatwave.
Li: 一股热浪。
3
Jo: Imagine temperatures average 27C for nine days in a row.
Temperatures.
Li: 温度。 我们还听到了作为动词来使用的一个单词：平均。
Jo: To average. Temperatures average 27C for nine days in a row.
In a row.
Li: 连续不断的或一连串的。 如果在英国一连九天都是27 度的高温，那么9000
个英国人就可能会被热死。真恐怖！
Jo: Yes it is very frightening isn’t it?
Insert
Imagine a very hot summer during which there’s a heatwave. Temperatures
average 27 degrees celsius for 9 days in a row in south-east England. If it happens
9000 people could die.
Jo: So we now know what causes global warming and the problems it
can cause – so finally what can be done to help?
Li: 那让我们来听听气温变化协会David Kennedy有什么看法， 他提到要想减慢
全球温室效应的速度，我们可以做些什么。
Jo: He talks about using more efficient appliances.
Li: 他也提到了再生电力。再生
Jo: Renewable. Renewable electricity.
Li: David 说会有更有效的取暖方式。
Jo: Heating. Forms of heating.
Li: 取暖方式。还有更有效的汽车，包括电力车。
Jo: To include. That will include electric cars. Here’s David.
Insert
Using more efficient appliances. Renewable electricity. There will be more efficient
forms of heating, more efficient cars and that will include electric cars.
Jo: So lots of information and lots of vocabulary today and we hope that
helped to give you more information about global warming, Emma.
Li: 请大家随时有问题随时提问，我们的电子邮箱是chinaelt@bbc.co.uk, 你也可
以游览我们的网页www.bbcchina.com.cn
Jo: That’s all for today. We’ll leave you with a re-cap of some of today’s
words. Bye for now.
4
Li: 再见。
Insert
greenhouse gases 温室气体 carbon dioxide 二氧化碳the Earth 地球fossil fuels 矿石燃
料coal 煤炭 petroleum 石油humans 人类 heatwave 热浪 temperatures 温度efficient
有效的 appliances 家电产品 renewable 再生的
Glossary
to be caused by 有什么引起的 greenhouse gases 温室气体
carbon dioxide 二氧化碳 methane 沼气
ozone 臭氧 the Earth 地球
naturally 自然地 to be the result of 其结果为
fossil fuels 矿石燃料 coal 煤炭
petroleum 石油 heatwave 热浪
temperatures 温度 efficient 有效的
appliances 家用电器 renewable electricity 再生电