【听力原文】
The impact of climate change is so great that it could undermine the last 50 years of gains in global health, according to the Lancet Commission report.
Weather extremes made worse by climate change are potentially catastrophic and unacceptable, says Commission's project leader Nicolas Watts, who spoke to VOA.
"[23] In terms of drought, we often see corresponding decreases in agricultural productivity, which then in turn has a profound impact on malnutrition, particularly for children, and with floods we often see arise in the rates of infectious diseases and other diseases that happen as a result of a breakdown in sanitation."
And increasingly, it's just hotter, which can be deadly. An extreme heat wave in 2003 left 70,000 people dead across Europe. "And those sorts of events are expected to increase in intensity and severity as time goes on."
The World Health Organization warns that unless dramatic action is taken to reduce global warming emissions by 2030, approximately 250,000 people will die each year from the effects of climate change.
Outdoor air pollution is linked to some three million deaths worldwide. [24] Watts says a shift from coal-fired power plants to renewable energy can greatly reduce that danger.
"We see immediate declines in hospital admissions and in health care costs, which reduces the burden of already struggling health budgets. There are many other ways for us to do something to protect the environment.For example, you can decrease the reliance on cars and motor vehicles, and try to encourage active transport like cycling and walking. You can even decrease the rates of diabetes and obesity while protecting the environment."
In order to reduce the effects of climate change on global health, the Commission makes recommendations,including a phase-out of coal power plants, expansion of renewable energy, investment in health systems and a commitment to a strong global climate treaty. Watts says public health is at the core of a new global agreement.
"Most of what you want to do to respond to climate change is good for public health, and it is actually a much brighter future."
[ 25 ] Watts says health care professionals can be advocates in the battle against climate change. He also says what is good for the planet is good for patient care.
According to Nicolas Watts, what impact can drought have?
【解题思路】四项均以it开头，且表示某种事物导致的结果或产生的影响。听录音时先弄清it的指代对象，然后着重听清it造成的结果或影响。
【解析】在短文中尼古拉斯 ·沃特提到，就干旱来说，它通常会导致农业产量相应减少，进而使营养不良问题加剧，尤其是儿童的营养不良问题。可知正确答案为c项。A、B两项并不是干旱的所造成的结果或影响，可排除；讲话中间部分提到，从燃煤发电厂转变到可再生能源可以减少空气污染，使得入院人数随即降低，因此D项不符合文意，可排除。