ª¤ B) mother nature

ª¤ C) the sun

ª¤ D) our precious fuel

ª¤ 23. The sun is an endless source of energy, it will not run out of it

for ____.

ª¤ A) several million years

ª¤ B) several hundred years

ª¤ C) several billion years

ª¤ D) several thousand years

ª¤ 24. Which of the following statements is correct?

ª¤ A) Energy from coal would not pollute our living environment.

ª¤ B) Energy from natural gas would not pollute our living environment.

ª¤ C) Energy from the sun would not pollute our living environment.

ª¤ D) Energy from oil would not pollute our living environment.

ª¤ 25. Solar energy is now in its infancy, ____.

ª¤ A) but it will be considered as an important part of our nation ' s energy

supply

ª¤ B) yet we will build more power plants

ª¤ C) and the supply of electricity will be rationed

ª¤ D) but we don ' t need practice energy rationing now

ª¤

Questions 26 to 30 are based on the following passage:

ª¤

Nearly 54 million cars and trucks in the United States are equipped with driver side air bags located in the center of the steering wheel. 24 million also

have a passenger ª² side device located in the dashboard. Air bags are designed to protect against sudden, fierce frontal highway impacts.

ª¥

Five years ago evidence of serious air ª² bag injuries began to surface. Drivers

in minor fender benders suffered severe eye and ear injuries, broken bones and

third ª² degree burns from the force of the inflating bags. In December 1991 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advised parents to avoid putting rear ª² facing infant sets in front of air bags, acknowledging that the force

of the explosive bag could harm infants, whose heads were only inches away from the devices.

ª¥

Last October it was determined that all children 12 and under were more susceptible to injury and death than adults; their more fragile bodies were seated lower, increasing the impact of the air bag to the head area. In addition, more children were not properly restrained or were out of position when the air bag inflated. On November 22, 1996, after nearly 60 deaths and thousands of injuries were attributed to the devices, the NHTSA mandated improved labels for all new vehicles, warning of the risk to children under 13. Despite these problems, officials stress the overall effectiveness of these devices. ¡°All in all, air bags work well

and are responsible for an 11 percent reduction in driver fatalities,¡± says NHT

SA Administrator Dr. Ricardo Martinez.

¡° First and foremost, make sure you're properly buckled up before getting on

the road,¡± says Brain O'Neill, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Keep in mind how close you sit to an air bag. Push seats as far back as possible, remaining just close enough to control the pedals. Your face and torso should be at least ten to 12 inches from the steering column. ¡°It's not a bad idea actually to measure the distance with a ruler to be sure.¡± adds O'Neill.