As demand for power and fuel grows steadily in the coming decades, we must consider every possible energy source（来源）on hand if we're to meet the world's needs. And because clean natural gas is found in great plenty, there is little doubt that it will play a major role on the world energy stage in this century, much like oil did in the last. But, like oil, gas reserves are concentrated in just a few places in the world, usually far from where they're needed most. And that's only part of the challenge. The world has had well over 100 years to search for oil and to build the necessary facilities（设施）to bring it to market; the natural gas facilities, particularly when it comes to liquefied（液化）natural gas（LNG）, are not nearly as developed.

    So what needs to be done? On the supply side, producing nations need policies that allow for better development of their natural gas in an open, stable business environment, not one in which the rules of the game change without warning. The governments of consuming nations, on the other hand, must make policies for sustainable（可持续的）development to ensure they'll have enough supplies in the future. That means building the related facilities, including LNG stations. This, in turn, will require coastal areas to allow these necessary, but not necessarily pretty, facilities to be built in their backyards. And energy companies have a responsibility to be good neighbors in those areas by operating these facilities responsibly and safely. They must also continue to put in the billions of dollars needed to build the complex transport and storage facilities required to bring more gas to market.

    Expanding and diversifying（使多样化）energy sources by using more natural gas could lead to lower fuel prices and to greater energy security. We've taken some of the steps to get started, but we need your help to get the rest of the way.

1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Gas played a major part in the 20th century.

B. Natural gas facilities are far from satisfactory.

C. Gas reserves are widely spread around the world.

D. Necessary facilities are ready to bring gas to market.

2. The underlined word "one"（in Paragraph 2）refers to _____________.

A. a gas supply side                          B. a business environment

C. a gas consuming nation                              D. a policy for gas development

3.Consuming nations of natural gas need to ___________.

A. change the rules of the game

B. open markets in their backyards

C. build pretty facilities along the coast

D. have long-term policies for gas supply

4. The main purpose of the passage is to _______.

A. warn people of the lack of power and fuel

B. discuss the importance of oil and natural gas

C. call for better use and development of natural gas

D. instruct people how to make use of energy sources

5. The passage might be followed by a paragraph about

A. what kind of help you can offer

B. where energy sources are concentrated

C. which countries are in great need of gas

D. what problems of energy sources we may face

All too often, a choice that seems sustainable(可持续的)turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol(乙醇) for fuel from corn. Corn is a renewable resource —you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea. 

   One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land –including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil—into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide (CO) into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.

   You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete life-cycle analysis of its environmental(环境的) costs. Even then, technology and public keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainably requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.

1.What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?

A. The growing demand for energy to make ethanol

B. The increasing carbon dioxide in the air

C. The greater need for farmland

D. The big change in weather.

2.The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “           ” 

A. the energy benefit                                              B. the forest loss 

C. climate change                                           D. burning ethanol 

3.The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is           . 

A. impractical                    B. acceptable               C. admirable         D. useless 

4.What does the author mainly discuss in the text? 

A. Technology                          B. Sustainability

C. Ethanol energy            D. Environmental protection 

All too often , a choice that seems sustainable（可持续的）turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol（乙醇）for fuel from corn . Corn is a renewable resource —you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea.

One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land — including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil — into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide（CO2）into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.

You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete lift-cycle analysis of its environmental（环境的）costs. Even then, technology and public policy keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainable requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.

What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?

A. The growing demand for energy to make ethanol.

B. The increasing carbon dioxide in the air.

C. The greater need for farmland.

D. The big change in weather.

The underline word “it” in the second paragraph refers to

A. the energy benefit               B. the forest loss

C. climate change                  D. burning ethanol

The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is    

A. impractical   B. acceptable    C. admirable    D. useless

What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A. Technology.                   B. Sustainability.

C. Ethanol energy.               D. Environmental protection.

All too often , a choice that seems sustainable（可持续的）turns out on closer examination to be problematic. Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol（乙醇）for fuel from corn . Corn is a renewable resource —you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like a great idea .

One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol more sustainable than gas generally, but that’s not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the fallow land — including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil — into farmland, which in turn gives off lots of carbon dioxide（CO₂）into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not help.

You cannot really declare any practice “sustainable” until you have done a complete lift-cycle analysis of its environmental（环境的）costs. Even then, technology and public policy keep developing, and that development can lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainable requires plenty of thought on an ongoing basis.

1.What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?

A. The growing demand for energy to make ethanol.

B. The increasing carbon dioxide in the air.

C. The greater need for farmland.

D. The big change in weather.

2.The underline word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “              ” .

A. the energy benefit               B. the forest loss

C. climate change                  D. burning ethanol

3.The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is               .

A. impractical   B. acceptable    C. admirable    D. useless

4.What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A. Technology.                   B. Sustainability.

C. Ethanol energy.                D. Environmental protection.