التصنيف: الصف الحادي عشر

We are now dependent on fossil fuels to power our cars, aeroplanes, and other types
of transportation, to run our household appliances, to provide heating and cooling in
buildings, and to produce plastics, among other things. And, of course, they are still used
to power industry. Countries in Europe and North America continue to consume great
quantities of fossil fuels, while countries in the Middle East, Asia, and the rest of the world
have dramatically increased their consumption in more recent years.
Fossil fuels are a non-renewable energy source. That is, humans cannot replace fossil fuels,
because the processes that create them are complex and take millions of years. As such,
there is a limited supply of these fuels. No one is certain how long the supply will last, but it
is clear that fossil fuels will not last indefinitely.
Given the combination of increased consumption of fossil fuels and limited supply, some
people argue that countries must invest more resources to develop renewable energy
sources, such as solar and wind power. Others believe there is no urgency to develop
other energy sources, because they believe fossil fuel sources—both known and yet-to-bediscovered
sources—will not be depleted any time soon.
There is also disagreement about the impact of use of fossil fuels on the environment. The
burning of fossil fuels does cause air pollution. Many scientists believe that some of the
gases in fossil fuel pollution are contributing to global warming, which is a general increase
of the temperature on earth. Others argue that fossil fuel pollution has not been proven to
cause global warming.
We are currently dependent on fossil fuels for many of the comforts and luxuries in our lives.
This dependence will necessarily influence our discussions about investment in renewable
energy resources and the environmental impact of fossil fuel use.
I. Explain why the author titled this text ‘Fossil Fuels: To Use or Not To Use’.
Support your answer with one detail from the text.
II. Identify the purpose of the second paragraph of the text.
Support your answer with one detail from the text.
III. Explain how this text can contribute to a discussion about a healthy society.
Support your answer with one detail from the text.