Disaster Shelters (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) Responses to different types of natural disasters in the United States.
B) A way to solve the problem of slow governmental disaster response.
C) How to build disaster shelters.
D) The time it takes to recover for a natural disaster.


2) What can be inferred about the public's view of natural disasters.

A) They don't realize how many people are displaced in developed nations.
B) Most people assume that makeshift shelters are simple.
C) The public doesn't understand how many different types of disasters affect the United States.
D) They believe poorer nations need better disaster response strategies.


3) Why is the arrangement of his the lecturer's shelters important?

A) The organization of the temporary houses into rows creates a sense of order amid the chaos.
B) The ability to arrange the houses in circles makes people feel safer because they can look out in every direction.
C) It allows people to create small neighborhoods which makes disaster victims feel more comfortable.
D) The shelters can be organized in many different ways, allowing people the chance to design their own environment.


4) Which of the following is NOT true of the convenience of the shelters?

A) They can be connected together to form a larger unit.
B) They can be folded up and carried by a person.
C) Their versatility means they can be used as permanent shelters
D) The doors can be changed easily.


5) At 4:47 in the lecture, the speaker says, "Sounded like a great idea, but how do you make it real?" What does he mean by this?

A) He is expressing doubts about the possibility of completing his project.
B) He is asking the audience for suggestions.
C) He is introducing the next topic of his lecture.
D) He is showing that the problems he faced were quite challenging.


6) Which of the following were obstacles to implementing his ideas in the real world? (Choose 2 answers)

A) Companies believed that third world disaster areas were bad for their brand.
B) The government only designs their own disaster relief products.
C) Setting up a non-profit organization was too time consuming.
D) The government prefers to use products from private companies.

A Reality Check on Renewables (Listening)

1) What is the lecture mainly about?

A) How renewable energy made Britain a great empire.
B) The practicalities of using solely renewable energy.
C) The importance of coal to today's society.
D) The reasons that renewable energy is superior to coal.


2) According to the lecture, what are two motivations for extricating ourselves from fossil fuels? (Choose two answers)

A) Climate change
B) Cost
C) Limited supply
D) Health effects from pollution


3) At 01:27, the lecturer says, "And when people talk about life after fossil fuels and climate change action, I think there's a lot of fluff, a lot of greenwash, a lot of misleading advertising. . . And I feel a duty as a physicist to try to guide people around the claptrap and help people understand the actions that really make a difference and to focus on ideas that do add up."

What does he mean when he says, "I think there's a lot of fluff, a lot of greenwash, a lot of misleading advertising"?

A) He believes that not many of the promises made about renewable energy will be kept.
B) He believes that advertisers supporting climate change don't always tell the truth.
C) He believes that physicists often mislead people so that they can sell more products.
D) He believes that there is an abundance of essential information about fossil fuels and climate change that people too frequently ignore.


4) Which of the following is a fundamental problem with renewable energy as a replacement for fossil fuels?

A) There is not enough room beside roads to grow the crops.
B) Cars will not be able to drive faster than 60 miles per hour.
C) Most countries currently consume more energy than they produce.
D) The area of land required to match energy consumption is too large.


5) Arrange the following power sources in terms of energy produced per square meter from greatest to least: 

1) biofuels
2) solar panels
3) nuclear stations
4) wind farms

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6) Which of the following is NOT a solution that can reduce energy consumption?

A) Insulating houses better.
B) Using more alternative sources of fuel.
C) Monitoring your energy use at home.
D) Using more efficient transportation.


7) How does the speaker probably feel about renewable energy?

A) It is not a viable option for the future.
B) We need to be realistic but it will be essential in the future.
C) Renewable energy can meet most of our needs today.
D) It will only work for Britain if other countries help.