In this section there are four passages followed by
questions or unfinished statements, each with four suggested answers marked [A],
[B], [C], and [D]. Choose the one that you think is the best answer.
Mark your answers on your ANSWER SHEET. TEXT A One of the questions that
is coming into focus as we face growing scarcity of resources of many kinds in
the world is how to divide limited resources among countries. In the
international development community, the conventional wisdom has been that the 2
billion people living in poor countries could never expect to reach the standard
of living that most of us in North America enjoy, simply because the world does
not contain enough iron ore, protein, petroleum, and so on①. At the
same time, we in the United States have continued to pursue super affluence as
though there were no limits on how much we could consume. We make up 6 percent
of the world’s people; yet we consume one-third of the world’s
resources. As long as the resources we consumed each year came
primarily from within our own boundaries, this was largely an internal matter.
But as our resources come more and more from the outside world, "outsiders’’ are
going to have some stay over the rate at which and terms under which we consume.
We will no longer be able to think in terms of "our" resources and "their"
resources, but only of common resources.
As Americans consuming such a disproportionate share of the world’s
resources, we have to question whether or not we can continue our pursuit of
super affluence in a world of scarcity. We are now reaching the point where we
must carefully examine the presumed link between our level of well-being and the
level of material goods consumed. If you have only one crust of bread, then an
additional crust of bread doesn’t make that much different. In the eyes of most
of the world today, Americans have their loaf of bread and are asking for still
more. People elsewhere are beginning to ask why. This is the question we’re
going to have to answer, whether we’re trying to persuade countries to step up
their exports of oil to us or trying to convince them that we ought to be
permitted to maintain our share of the world fish catch②.
The prospect of a scarcity of, and competition for, the world’s resources
require that we reexamine the way in which we relate to the rest of the world.
It means we find ways of cutting back on resource consumption that is dependent
on the resources and cooperation of other countries. We cannot expect people in
these countries to concern themselves with our worsening energy and food
shortages unless we demonstrate some concern for the hunger, illiteracy and
disease that are diminishing life for them③. What is the conclusion of this passage
A.The United States will be isolated if it does not stop pursuing super affluence. B.The poor countries will no longer supply the United States with their goods. C.The United States should care about the well-being of other countries. D.It is time for the Americans to help the people in poor countries to improve their living standard.