英语听力精选进阶版 14416（在线收听）

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

8 January 2014

Bull power

Transcript:

Meet the latest recruit in the war against global warming.

This Argentinian bull has a device attached to its back to prevent methane escaping when it belches.

The gas is collected from the bull's stomach through a small pipe and compressed in a canister. Every day one animal produces enough fuel to drive a car one kilometre.

According to the UN, 18% of greenhouse gas emissions are produced by livestock.

Vocabulary:

methane gas with no colour or odour which can be used as fuel

belches releases air from the stomach through the mouth noisily

canister metal container in the shape of a cylinder

greenhouse gas gases which trap heat in the earth's atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane

livestock farm animals raised for domestic use or for profit

Exercise:

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from news reports.

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.

methane / belches / canister / greenhouse gas / livestock

1. The majority of Brazil's __________ emissions, believed to be one of the main causes of global warming, stem from deforestation.

2. The scientists in New South Wales have been conducting experiments in specially designed pens where they measure how much gas sheep emit by burping. They have found, from tests on 200 sheep so far, that the more they eat, the more they __________.

3. Puntland is a semi-autonomous region within Somalia and a large part of its population relies on __________ herding and fishing.

4. The blast was one of the worst mining disasters to hit New Zealand. An official investigation last year found that the 19 November 2010 incident on the South Island was caused by a __________ gas explosion.

5. A police spokesman said it was not yet clear what caused the blast but it is believed to have been a boiler or gas __________. He said damage was confined to the interior of the house and no other premises were affected.

Answers:

1. The majority of Brazil's greenhouse gas emissions, believed to be one of the main causes of global warming, stem from deforestation.

Source: Brazil says Amazon deforestation rose 28% in a year

2. The scientists in New South Wales have been conducting experiments in specially designed pens where they measure how much gas sheep emit by burping. They have found, from tests on 200 sheep so far, that the more they eat, the more they belch.

Source: Australian aims to breed 'green' sheep that burp less

3. Puntland is a semi-autonomous region within Somalia and a large part of its population relies on livestock herding and fishing.

Source: Somalia cyclone: 140 confirmed dead in Puntland

4. The blast was one of the worst mining disasters to hit New Zealand. An official investigation last year found that the 19 November 2010 incident on the South Island was caused by a methane gas explosion.

Source: New Zealand drops Pike River mine boss charges

5. A police spokesman said it was not yet clear what caused the blast but it is believed to have been a boiler or gas canister. He said damage was confined to the interior of the house and no other premises were affected.

Source: Woman dies after Crawley house explosion