Listen to part of a lecture in an environmental science class. Professor: Today we're discussing the concept of 'carbon footprint' and its implications. A carbon footprint measures the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, or product. For example, when you drive a car, the gasoline burned emits carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. But it's not just about direct emissions. Indirect emissions include those from producing the goods you buy or the electricity you use. Many people mistakenly think that only large corporations contribute significantly to carbon footprints. However, individual actions, when multiplied across billions of people, have a huge impact. For instance, reducing meat consumption can lower your footprint because livestock farming produces methane, which is even more potent than carbon dioxide. Some argue that technological solutions, like carbon capture, will solve the problem, but these are not yet scalable. Therefore, personal behavioral changes remain critical, though they must be combined with policy changes to achieve meaningful reductions.
❓ 質問 What is the professor's main point about reducing carbon footprints?
A. Individuals should focus only on direct emissions like driving less.
B. Technological solutions are already sufficient to solve the problem.
C. Personal changes are necessary but not enough without policy support.
D. Only large corporations need to reduce their carbon footprints.
✅ 正解
Personal changes are necessary but not enough without policy support.
TOEFL Listening Tips
Skim the questions first to predict the content
Watch for signal words in lectures and conversations (however, actually, in fact)
For main idea questions, focus on the beginning; for detail questions, focus on examples and data
For attitude questions, pay attention to the speaker's tone and word choice
Take notes on keywords; don't try to write down every word