RESOURCES
 (I.E.S. 1994)
Some prophets of doom assert that we shall soon exhaust the Earth’s resources or pollute ourselves to death. Optimists assert that Earth’s systems are robust and that improved technologies will ease all the pressures on the planet. Others see the main concerns as political, with environmental issues carrying the seeds of inequality and war.
Scientific understanding is too limited to say where the truth lies. If the care of the planet is a management task, our species is in the position of a child who has to fly a jet plane without knowing what all the switches and levers do.
 1. The blame for the environmental crisis facing the Earth lies with
(a) pressures of overpopulation
 (b) rapid technological growth
 (c) inadequate management of Earth’s resources
 (d) man’s greed and selfishness
 2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
(a) People will feel exhausted owing to the greenhouse effect.
 (b) Sometimes political motives influence people’s concern for the planet.
 (c) Men should feel responsible towards society.
(d)Wars will cause greater pollution on Earth.
3. According to the passage, nobody knows the truth because
(a) objective analyses are not thorough or exhaustive.
(b) there are very few scientists capable of research in this area.
(c) scientists often are used by politicians.
(d) people do not think of what the future holds for them.
 4. What does the comparison in the last sentence of the passage convey?
(a) We are as ignorant as infants.
(b) Our efforts to save the planet are childish.
 (c) Most of the people do not know how to fly an aeroplane.
(d) We, on Earth, are inexperienced in managing Earth’s resources.
ANSWERS:-
1. (d)
2. (b)
 3. (a)
 4. (d)
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