The overriding challenges facing our global cibilization as the new century begins are to stabilise climate and population. Success on these two fronts would make other challenges, such as reversing the deforestation of earth, stabilising water tables, and protecting plant and animal diversity much more mangeable. If we cannot stabilise climat and population, there is not an ecosystem on earth that we can save. Everything will change. The exciting thing about the climate and population challenges is that we already have the technologies needed to succeed at both. Restructuring the energy economy to stabilise climate requires investment in climat-benigh energy sources. USA is the greatest investment opportunity in hystory. Stabilising population, though it requires additional investment in reproductive health services and in the education of young women in developing countries, is more a matter of behavioural change of couples having fewer children and investing more in hte health and eductaion of each. Stabilising climate means shifting from a fossil-fuel or carbon-based energy economy to alternative sources of energy. Nuclear power, once seen as an alternative to fossils fuels, has failed on several fronts. The issue is no longer whether it is economical to build nuclear power plants but, given the high operating costs, whether it even makes economic sense in many situations to continue using those already built.
Questions.
1. What do we need to restructure the energy economy?
a. Mild energy sources
b. Cheap energy sources.
c. Expensive energy sources.
d. Effective energy sources.
2. Climate changes and population growth make the earth.............
a. productive b. barren c. popular d. stale
3. Give the meaning of the word "overriding"
a. valuable b. Necessary c. unavoidable d. significant
4. We can sort out many challenges by..........
a. Regulating climate and population
b. Implementing afforestation
c. Shifting from carbon based energy to solar based energy.
d. Removing nuclear power plants.
5. The climate and population challenges don't bother technocrats because...........
a. they are experienced
b. they have some flawless techniques
c. they won't have any impact.
d. They'll affect the earth.
II. Say whether the following sentences are true or false.
Leadership and time are the mose available sources but we misuse them.
we use electricity generated from wind to produce hydrogen.
solar power is one of the cheapest sources of electricity.
Human demands and sustainable yeilds always go hand-in-hand.
Now we require a shift from hydrogen based energy to carbon based energy.
III. Give synonyms for the following words.
1. Humanely
a. kind and tender b. like the humans c. friendly d. unfriendly
2. Intervene
a. arbitrate b. interfere c. stabilise d. negotiate
3. Emission
a. process of stabilising b. process of worsening
c. process of continuing d. process of sending out
4. Feasible
a. alternative b. practicable c. valuable d. possible
5. Yardstick
a. slight stick b. standard c. stick in a yard d. heavy stick
IV. Pick out the opposites for the following words.
1. Reinforcement
a. additional support b. retrieve
c. recover d. inadequate support
2. Electrolyse
a. Split b. separate c. unite d. electrify
3. Enormous
a. huge b. dwarf c. medium d. gignatic
4. Unquestioned
a. beyond doubt b. doubtful c. not questioned d. sure
5. Tapped
a. utilized b. opened a tap c. knocked d. failed to use
V. Now, read the following statements carefully and fill in the blanks with suitable relative pronouns.
The horse, ___________ John brought, was beautiful.
I know the house, _______ he lives in.
This is the problem ________solution has baffled all the Mathematics mentors.
This is ________, I said.
His opinion is same ______ mine (is).
He is not such a good student _______ you are.
These are the dogs, _______ bit the children.
This is the boy, ______ was late.
The sun, ______ rays give life to the earth, is regarded by some people as god.
The children _____ work hard always pass.