BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English: Is aircon the answer to a heating world?

Episode 261029 / 29 Oct 2026

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核心介绍

项目	内容
节目	6 Minute English
集数	Episode 261029
发布日期	29 Oct 2026
级别	Intermediate (中级)
主持人	Georgie, Neil
时长	约 6 分钟
主题	空调、气候变暖、环境、被动制冷

中文简介

本期节目探讨空调与气候变暖的关系。随着全球气温上升，越来越多人依赖空调降温，但空调耗能大、排放多，可能形成“恶性循环”。剑桥大学气候专家 Radhika Khosla 建议，在依赖空调前，应先尝试被动制冷（passive cooling）和遮阳（shading）等低能耗措施。本周问题：1902 年发明的现代空调最初用于什么？答案：晾干油墨（to dry ink）。

核心词汇：life-saving、inhabit、the grid、vicious cycle、passive cooling、shading。

本周问题

Modern air conditioning was invented in 1902, but what was it originally used for?

a) to protect people in hospitals b) to dry ink ✅ c) to clean air

答案：b) to dry ink。Georgie 指出，现代空调由 Willis Carrier 在纽约布鲁克林的一家印刷公司发明，最初用于晾干油墨。

重点词汇表

单词/短语	英文释义	中文释义	来源语境
life-saving	used to stop people from dying	救命的；挽救生命的	空调在极端高温下能救命
inhabit	live in	居住；栖息	没有空调就无法居住的地区
the grid	the system or network that distributes electricity across different locations	电网；电力网络	空调过度使用可能导致电网崩溃
vicious cycle	situation where one problem leads to another problem, which then makes the first problem worse	恶性循环	用空调降温 → 排放增多 → 变暖更严重 → 更需空调
passive cooling	making a building cooler without using a lot of power	被动制冷	不耗能或低耗能的降温方式
shading	blocking the sun’s light and heat	遮阳；遮蔽	用树、窗帘或百叶窗阻挡阳光

课文重点解析

1. 空调：既能救命也有代价

Georgie: Summer heat can be a real health issue as well. It’s thought that across Europe, over 30,000 people died as a result of this summer’s heat.

Georgie: 夏季高温也可能是一个严重的健康问题。据估计，今年夏天欧洲有超过 30,000 人死于高温。

Dr Radhika Khosla: Actually, air conditioning is life-saving.

Dr Radhika Khosla: 事实上，空调是救命的。

Dr Radhika Khosla: There are so many large parts of the world where we would not be able to inhabit if we did not have air conditioning.

Dr Radhika Khosla: 世界上有很多大片地区，如果没有空调，我们就无法居住。

空调在极端高温下能挽救生命，使人类能在炎热气候中居住。但它并非只有好处。

2. 空调的代价：电网压力与恶性循环

Dr Radhika Khosla: When air conditioning becomes the first, go-to solution… we’re going to see the grid collapse. We’re going to see emissions rise… And we reach a vicious cycle.

Dr Radhika Khosla: 当空调成为应对极端炎热的首选方案……电网可能会崩溃，排放会上升……我们将陷入恶性循环。

the grid 是分布电力的电网系统。当用电需求超过承载能力时，电网可能崩溃，导致停电。vicious cycle 是指一个解决方案反而让问题更糟：变暖 → 更多用空调 → 更多排放和能耗 → 更严重的变暖。

3. 解决方案：先用被动制冷

Dr Radhika Khosla: One of the most important things is to do passive cooling first… Some of the most important ones are first to cut solar gain, which is through things like shading.

Dr Radhika Khosla: 最重要的一件事是先采用被动制冷……最重要的是先减少太阳得热，这可以通过遮阳等方式实现。

passive cooling 是在不耗能或低耗能的前提下提供热舒适。shading 是通过树木、窗帘或百叶窗阻挡阳光的光和热，减少室内升温。

批判性思考题

空调的两面性：空调既能在高温中挽救生命，又加剧气候变暖。在气候危机背景下，我们该如何权衡“舒适/健康”与“环境代价”？life-saving, emissions, climate change
恶性循环的打破：vicious cycle 中，用空调降温反而让世界更暖。除了个人行为改变，政府和企业能做些什么来打破这个循环？the grid, sustainable energy, policy
被动制冷的可行性：passive cooling 和 shading 听起来简单，但在极端高温地区是否足够？何时仍必须依赖空调？passive cooling, shading, inhabit
电网压力：大规模使用空调可能导致 the grid 崩溃。城市如何升级电网以应对未来的高峰用电需求？electricity, power cuts, infrastructure
历史视角：现代空调最初用于 to dry ink（晾干油墨），而非降温。技术发明的最初用途与后来的实际应用往往不同，这告诉我们什么？innovation, unintended consequences

完整对话记录

Transcript

Georgie Hi Neil.

Neil Hi Georgie.

Georgie So, Neil, we’ve just had a really hot summer in the UK. Did you have air conditioning in your house?

Neil I didn’t have air conditioning in my house. I wish I had, because it was really hot and I couldn’t sleep.

Georgie No, I had one of those big fans, which didn’t always do its job. But there is a really serious side to this. Heat records continue to be broken around the world. You may be feeling that summers are getting too hot. Have you been using air conditioning more to cope? If so, you’re not alone. Experts are predicting that ten new air conditioning units will be installed every second for the next 30 years. Today on 6 Minute English, we’re talking about this and whether air conditioning really is the best way to cope with a warming world.

Georgie OK. As always, Neil, we’ll start with a quiz question. So, modern air conditioning was invented in 1902, but what was it originally used for? Is it: a) to protect people in hospitals, b) to dry ink, or c) to clean air?

Neil Well, I have absolutely no idea, Georgie. I’m going to guess and say c) clean air.

Georgie OK, Neil, we’ll find out the answer at the end of the programme.

Neil OK. Georgie, we’ve been talking about how uncomfortable the hot weather can make you feel in the summer. Is air conditioning all about comfort, though?

Georgie No, it’s not just about comfort. Summer heat can be a real health issue as well. It’s thought that across Europe, over 30,000 people died as a result of this summer’s heat. Dr Radhika Khosla, an expert in climatology, told BBC World Service’s The Climate Question how important air conditioning can be:

Dr Radhika Khosla Actually, air conditioning is life-saving. You know, in Singapore, when Lee Kuan Yew was asked what made civilisation possible in the tropics, he said it was air conditioning. And there are so many large parts of the world where we would not be able to inhabit if we did not have air conditioning.

Neil So, Radhika is saying that air conditioning is life-saving. It literally stops people from dying.

Georgie Yes, and she makes the point that there are many parts of the world that we would not be able to inhabit – that means live in – without this technology.

Neil OK Georgie. So, it sounds like air conditioning has a lot of good things about it. Is it all positive, though?

Georgie No. There are some serious downsides. So, one big problem with air conditioning is the amount of energy it uses. Let’s hear more from Radhika talking to The Climate Question:

Dr Radhika Khosla When air conditioning becomes the first, go-to solution for how we deal with the increased, prolonged and extreme heat that we’re going to face and are facing, it places stresses across the system that are not able to be met. So, you know, we’re going to see the grid collapse. We’re going to see emissions rise. We’re going to see all kinds of other impacts that actually are quite detrimental. And we reach a vicious cycle, because then you’re in a world where it’s getting warmer. We’re using air conditioning to be able to protect ourselves. That’s leading to more emissions and more energy use. That is then making the world warmer. And then we need more air conditioning.

Neil We heard about the grid. The grid is the network that distributes electricity across towns, cities and countries. If people are trying to use more electricity than it can cope with, then the grid can collapse – you get power cuts, which is when you can’t get any electricity.

Georgie We heard that air conditioning creates emissions, which can lead the world to warm up, which means we then need more air conditioning. This makes the world even warmer and so on. And Radhika calls this a vicious cycle. A vicious cycle, or a vicious circle, is where a solution to a problem actually makes it worse, which means you have to do more and that makes the problem even worse still.

Neil OK. Well, that sounds like a bit of a problem. What are the solutions?

Georgie Well, Radhika says that there are some things we should try first before using air conditioning, which will still be important. Here she is again talking to The Climate Question.

Dr Radhika Khosla So, one of the most important things is to do passive cooling first. Now, passive cooling is when we take steps to provide thermal comfort that are not energy intensive. Some of the most important ones are first to cut solar gain, which is through things like shading.

Neil Passive cooling is where you cool your house down without using a lot of energy.

Georgie Yes, heat from the sun can be blocked by shading, which could be with trees, curtains or blinds.

Neil OK Georgie. So, passive cooling and shading – that sounds really easy. Is it that simple?

Georgie No, that’s not all we have to do. Radhika also talks about the importance of using sustainable energy to power the air conditioning that we still will need.

Neil OK Georgie. It’s time, I think, for you to give the answer to the question you asked us.

Georgie Yes, Neil. I asked you what modern air conditioning was used for when it was first invented in 1902.

Neil And I had a wild guess. I said c) to clean air. But you know what? I’m feeling pretty confident now.

Georgie Sadly, you are incorrect. The correct answer was b) to dry ink. It was invented by Willis Carrier at a printing company in Brooklyn, New York.

Neil OK. Let’s recap the vocabulary we learned in this programme, starting with life-saving, which describes something that stops people from dying.

Georgie If it’s possible to inhabit somewhere, that means it’s possible to live there.

Neil The grid is the system or network that distributes electricity across towns, cities, and countries.

Georgie A vicious cycle is where a solution to a problem also makes it worse, meaning the problem just keeps getting even worse as you try to fix it.

Neil Passive cooling is where you make a building cooler without using a lot of power.

Georgie And shading is blocking the sun’s light and heat.

Neil Once again, our six minutes are up. Test what you’ve learned with the worksheet on our website, bbclearningenglish.com.

Georgie Thank you for joining us. Goodbye.

Neil Goodbye!

网页设计建议（如需制作学习卡片/页面）

组件	设计建议
音频播放器	顶部固定播放条，支持倍速、下载、进度条
本周问题卡片	Quiz 卡片：三选一，点击显示答案（to dry ink）+ Willis Carrier 印刷厂背景
词汇闪卡	6 个核心词汇：life-saving / inhabit / the grid / vicious cycle / passive cooling / shading — 正面英文释义，背面中文+例句+发音
恶性循环图解	流程图：变暖 → 更多空调 → 更多排放/能耗 → 更暖 → 更多空调
被动制冷对比卡	被动制冷 vs 主动制冷（空调）：能耗、成本、效果、适用场景对比
遮阳示意图	树木、窗帘、百叶窗如何阻挡太阳得热的示意图
Quiz 互动	场景匹配："极端高温地区无法居住 → ___"（inhabit）/ "电网崩溃 → ___"（the grid）
思考题区	可展开的 5 个批判性思考题，适合教学/自测/小组讨论
完整对话	双语对照模式，角色名高亮，支持逐句播放、生词点击查词
资源下载区	显眼按钮：📥 MP3 / 📄 Worksheet / 📄 Transcript / 🌐 BBC 原文页
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