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Line 1, 7-9 ‘The world’s environment is surprisingly healthy. Discuss.’…Yet the highest marks should be those who agreed with the statement. The surprise is how good things are, not how bad.

The writer proposes a mock examination question and students who offer a lot of evidence to show  the environment is healthy will get high marks.  

Tone/Inference

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Explanation

Skills Tested

Lines 20-21,

 That is why today’s environmental problems in poor countries ought, in principle, to be solvable.

‘Theoretically’ means hypothetically or in principle.

‘Solvable’ means can be overcome.

Reading for specific information

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Skills Tested

Lines 24-28,

 Each time a material seems to have been running short, the price has risen and, in response, people have sought new sources of supply,  found ways to use less of the materials, or looked for a substitute.

‘Sought new sources of supply, and found ways to use less of the materials, or looked for a substitute’ are alternatives that people find to solve the problem of running out of materials.

Reading for specific information

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 Skills tested

(Line 24) Each time a material seems to have been running short , the price has risen and , in response , people have sought new sources of supply , found ways to use less of the materials, or looked for a substitute .

People  change behavior responding  to price rises.

Reading for specific information

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(Lines 28-30) ‘Thus , prices for energy and minerals have fallen in real terms during the century .The same is true for food.’

(Line 33)  ‘But they always do ,assisted by new farming technology.’

  ‘The same’ refers the falling trend of real price which is true for food because of the improvement of farming technology.

Reference 

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(Lines 36-7)   ‘If no one owns a resources ,no one has interest in conserving it .The case of fish is the best example of this ‘

  “No one own a resources” means no one takes responsibility for it , then no  one has the interest of conserving it.

 Reading for specific information

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Lines 35 “Market cannot always keep the environment healthy. .

Line 40 "Pollution, whether of air, ground or water, is a good example of conflicting corporate and social interests.”

“ Pollution, whether of air, ground or water, is a good example of conflicting corporate and social interest” shows  that the environmental problems are caused by conflicts between commercial and public interests.

Inference

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Explanation

Skills Tested

Lines 47-49

“Once an issue has been identified, and voters and government have become convinced that something ought to be done, something has been done.”

This implies that voters and government think that they should do something to improve the quality of the environment. They will tale action.

Inference

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Skills Tested

Line 46, “Yet, the record in rich countries this century has been good.”

Line 58, “Governments have increasingly insisted on waste water being treated before release.”

These two sentences shows that the environment has improved in recent years. Line 46, “Yet, the record in rich countries this century has been good.” So, the state of the environment as a whole has improved in recent years is right.

Reading for specific information

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(Line 48) Emissions of some pollutants have stayed high, as petrol consumption has grown faster than the effect of tighter controls.

The fast growth in petrol demand can be reflected by the faster petrol consumption than the effect of tighter controls.

Reading for specific  information

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(Line 60) In rich country, where great economic growth has occurred, the environment has become healthier.

With strong or great economic growth, a country can have a healthier environment. It means that the great economic growth can allow the counties to clean up their environment

Reading  for specific information

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Skills tested

(Line 63) It is in poor counties, where economic growth has been slow, that air and water pollution is an increasing hazard to health.

A ‘growing danger’ refers to ‘increasing hazard’.

Reading for specific information

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Skills Tested

Lines 71-75, “In 1989, when Mexico tried to deal with air pollution by banning certain types of cars on particular days of the week, many people reacted by buying a second, older (and more polluting) car that could be used on those days.

“many people reacted by buying a second, older (and more polluting) car that could be used on those days” indicates the measure is NOT effective to reduce pollution.

Reading for a specific information

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Skills Tested

Paragraph 7, lines 71-75, “when Mexico tried to deal with air pollution by banning certain types of cars on particular days of the week, many people reacted by buying a second, older (and more polluting) car that could be used on those days.

It shows that people’s behaviour goes against the government’s expectation, so the government found it difficult to improve air quality.

Inference

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Skills Tested

Lines 75-80, “ The quickest way for a government to improve the environment is by reducing certain subsidies, including those on water and energy as well as by eliminating tax benefits for polluting industries such as mining. Subsidies and tax breaks are scourges of the environment worldwide.

“Scourge” means “ cause of great harm or suffering”. Subsidies and tax breaks are harm to the environment and should be stopped  to improve the environment.

Inference

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Explanation

Skills Tested

Lines 92-95 ‘ The improvement in rich countries’ environments has been closely correlated with the growth of democracy in those countries.  The first tough anti-pollution laws were passed in the 1950s, when democracy was blossoming world-wide.‘

The supporting line states that democracy foster the development of the first tough anti-pollution laws. Democracy was blossoming in some rich countries.  Thus, the biggest problem faced by poorer countries is the lack of democracy.  

Inference

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Lines 96-99 ‘Japan, for example, was hit by a series of pollution disasters such as mercury poisoning in the late 1950s, which gave rise to citizens’ protest movements, and then, to new laws to control toxic effluents and air pollution. ‘

‘ Citizens’ protest movement’ is an act of democracy.  The supporting line shows  that new laws were passed due to the development of democracy.  

Reading for specific information 

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Explanation

Skills tested

A. Even though the essay has mentioned about some dangers of pollution, in the later part of the essay, the discussing point is about how to solve the pollution problem. So A is not correct.

B. The passages are about the pollution problem of the rich and poorer countries.  So B is correct. 

C. The essay not only mentions  the pollution in poor countries, but also the rich countries.  So C is wrong.

D. The essay is not  about how the pollution problem is deteriorating in this century.  It is not the focus of this essay, so D is wrong. 

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