THE WASTE GENERATION
One of the most striking statistics that I have seen in a long time is that 5 per cent of all the energy used in the United States is consumed by computers that have been left on all night.
I can’t confirm this personally, but I can (56)____________ tell you that on numerous occasions I have looked out of hotel rooms late at night, in a (57)____________ of American cities, and been struck by the fact that every light in every neighbouring office building is still on, and that computer (58)____________ are indeed flickering.
Why don’t Americans turn these things off? For the same reason, I suppose, that so many people here let their car engines (59)____________ when they pop into a shop, or leave lights blazing all over the house, or keep the central heating on so hot – because, in short, electricity, petrol and other energy sources are so (60)____________ cheap, and have been for so long, that it doesn’t occur to them to (61)____________ otherwise.
Why, after all, put up with the annoying experience of having to wait 20 seconds for your computer to (62)____________ up each morning when you can have it at your immediate command by (63)____________ it on all night?
We are terribly (64)____________ of resources in this country. The average American uses twice as much energy to get (65)____________ life as the average European. With just 5 per cent of the world’s population, we consume 20 per cent of its resources. These are not statistics to be proud of.
56: A. firmly B. certainly C. doubtlessly D. well
57: A. centre B. part C. variety D. rarity
58: A. controls B. screens C. rooms D. workers
59: A. continue B. run C. go D. work
60: A. interestingly B. proportionally C. relatively D. definitely
61: A. manage B. carry out C. behave D. perform
62: A. warm B. go C. turn D. be
63: A. letting B. allowing C. running D. leaving
64: A. consuming B. carefree C. wasteful D. useful
65: A. by B. over C. along D. through
THE WASTE GENERATION
One of the most striking statistics that I have seen in a long time is that 5 per cent of all the energy used in the United States is consumed by computers that have been left on all night.
I can’t confirm this personally, but I can (56) reliably tell you that on numerous occasions I have looked out of hotel rooms late at night, in a (57) array of American cities, and been struck by the fact that every light in every neighbouring office building is still on, and that computer (58) screens are indeed flickering.
Why don’t Americans turn these things off? For the same reason, I suppose, that so many people here let their car engines (59) idle when they pop into a shop, or leave lights blazing all over the house, or keep the central heating on so hot – because, in short, electricity, petrol and other energy sources are so (60) ludicrously cheap, and have been for so long, that it doesn’t occur to them to (61) behave otherwise.
Why, after all, put up with the annoying experience of having to wait 20 seconds for your computer to (62) boot up each morning when you can have it at your immediate command by (63) wasteful it on all night?
We are terribly (64) short of resources in this country. The average American uses twice as much energy to get (65) through life as the average European. With just 5 per cent of the world’s population, we consume 20 per cent of its resources. These are not statistics to be proud of.
56: B. certainly
57: D. rarity
58: A. controls
59: D. work
60: C. relatively
61: D. perform
62: D. be
63: B. allowing
64: D. useful
65: C. along