THE NOVELIST SHIRLEY HAZZARD IS NOTED FOR THE INSIGHT, POETIC STYLE,...

34: The novelist Shirley Hazzard is noted for the insight, poetic style, and sensitive she

A B C

demonstrates in her works.

D

Choose the word or phrase (A, B, C or D)) that best fits the blank space in the following

passage:

Environmental Concerns

Earth is the only place we know of in the universe that can support human life. (35)

_____ human activities are making the planet less fit to live on. As the western world (36)

_____ on consuming two-thirds of the world's resources while half of the world's population

do so just to stay alive we are rapidly destroying the (37) _____ resource we have by which

all people can survive and prosper. Everywhere fertile soil is (38) _____ built on or washed

into the sea. Renewable resources are exploited so much that they will never be able to

recover (39) _____. We discharge pollutants into the atmosphere without any thought of the

consequences. As a (40) _____ the planet's ability to support people is being reduced at the

very time when rising human numbers and consumption are (41) _____ increasingly heavy

demands on it.

The Earth's (42) _____ resources are there for us to use. We need food, water, air, energy,

medicines, warmth, shelter and minerals to (43) _____ us fed, comfortable, healthy and

active. If we are sensible in how we use the resources, they will (44) _____ indefinitely. But

if we use them wastefully and excessively, they will soon run out and everyone will suffer.