Passage Two

　　Global energy demand is expected to triple by mid-century. The earth is unlikely to run out of fossil fuels by then, given its vast reserves of coal, but it seems unthinkable that we will continue to use them as we do now. It’s not just a question of supply and price, or even of the disease caused by filthy air. The terrorist assault on the World Trade Center raises other scary scenarios: how much easier would it be to bomb a nuclear plant than to attack a wind arm?

　　Skeptics may recall the burst of enthusiasm for conservation and renewable power when oil prices quadrupled in the 1970s. State-funded energy research and development surged, while tax incentives boosted solar, wind and other alternatives to petroleum and the atom. But when oil supplies loosened and prices dropped in the early 1990s, governments lost interest. In the state of California, subsidies evaporated, pushing wind companies into bankruptcy.

　　Clean energy has long way to go. Only 2.2% of the world’s energy comes from “new” renewable such as small hydroelectric dams, wind, solar and geothermal. How to boost that share-and at what pace-is debated in industrialized nations-from Japan, which imports 99.7% of its oil, to Germany, where the nearby Chernobyl accident turned the public against nuclear plants, to the U.S., where the Bush Administration has strong ties to the oil industry. But the momentum toward clean renewable is undeniable. How soon we reach an era of clean, inexhaustible energy depends on technology. Solar and wind energies are intermittent: When the sky is cloudy or the breeze dies down, fossil fuel or nuclear plants must kick into compensate. But scientists are working on better ways to store electricity from renewable sources.

　　While developed nations debate how to fuel their power plants, however, some 1.6 billion people-a quarter of the globe’s population-have no access to electricity or gasoline. Many spend their days collecting firewood and cow dung, burning it in primitive stoves that belch smoke into their lunge. To emerge from poverty, they need modern energy. And renewable can help. From village-scale hydropower to household photovoltaic systems to bio-gas stoves that convert dung into fuel.

　　Ultimately, the earth can meet its energy needs without fouling the environment. “But it won’t happen,” asserts Thomas Johansson, an energy adviser to the United Nations Development Program, “without political will.” To begin with, widespread government subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear energy must be dismantled to level the playing field for renewable. Moreover, government should pressure utility to meet targets for renewable sources of energy.

　　46. The author’s biggest worry about using unclear energy is that

　　A. it will do great harm to the inadequate reserves of coal.

　　B. it is deadly if terrorists attack a nuclear plant.

　　C. it will limit the development of many other alternatives.

　　D. there will be a wider gap between developed and developing countries.

　　47. The renewable energy research lost support from governments in the early 1990s because

　　A. skeptics were becoming doubtful about the efficiency of renewable.

　　B. renewable could not meet the increasing energy needs of the society.

　　C. it was much easier and cheaper to use oil than before.

　　D. the investment into the field was not worth its value.

　　48. Which one of the following applies to the use of renewable in developed nations?

　　A. The more developed a nation is, the higher the proportion of renewable being used.

　　B. Developed nations are experiencing a fierce energy revolution.

　　C. Developed nations’ ties with the oil industry are becoming tense.

　　D. Developed nations haven’t reached a consensus about using more renewable.

　　49. From the passage, we can conclude that

　　A. it will be impossible for wind and solar energy to completely replace fossil fuels.

　　B. high technology plays a vital role in the trend toward clean energy.

　　C. the development of a nation will inevitably pollute the environment.

　　D. poor areas are badly polluted and are in high need of renewable energy.

　　50. The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to

　　A. urges the governments to take effective measures

　　B. illustrate the urgent demand of clean energy

　　C. en courage developed nations to set up an example in the energy revolution.

　　D. elaborate the difficulties in the use of clean energy