Direction: You have two brief passages with 5 questions following each passage. Read the passages carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four alternatives.
PASSAGE
The world’s oil reserves are expected to run out by the middle of the next century unless oil consumption is reduced, according to a leading petroleum geologist from the U.S.. Dr. Craig Bond Hatfield, who is at the University of Toledo, Ohio, says the 1,000 billion barrels of known global oil reserves are expected to run out by 2036 unless the current 69-million barrels per day consumption of oil is brought down. Reserves may last for an extra 21 years if estimates of an additional 550 billion barrels of oil yet to be discovered are taken into account. But “a permanent decline in global oil production is virtually certain to begin within 20 years.” Hatfield believes. “Serious planning is needed to deal with the economic consequences.” Hatfield’s comments, which appear in an article in the latest issue of the weekly science journal-Nature, are likely to provoke controversy. The oil industry, while acknowledging that oil reserves are finite, says Hatfield’s comments are too alarmist. Mr. Julian Chisholm, a spokesman for the World Energy Council in London, a consortium of the world’s leading energy suppliers, says the oil industry is bullish. The general view of the industry and of energy experts is that there is plenty of oil, and real concern about the level of reserves, at least until 2050 is not beyond.
SOME IMPORTANT WORDS
run out : used up/finished
virtually : almost/very nearly
provoke :to cause a particular reaction/have a particular effect controversy: public discussion and argument about something that many people strongly disagree about, disapprove of, or are shocked by
consortium : a group of people, countries, companies, etc.
who are working to gether on a particular project
alarmist : causing unnecessary anxiety.
bullish :causing, or connected with, an increase in the price of shares.