In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources (资源), the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decades has seen more and more forests disappearing and globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable (可持续的) ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the earth healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a proper trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decades. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy revolution. It is now trying hard to make full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil (棕榈油), which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown by more than 50%.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers abundant new chances for sustainable product industries.
【小题1】The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that _____________.
| A．it consumes natural resources. |
| B．it makes the world warmer. |
| C．it brings severe damage to forests. |
| D．it makes growth hard to continue. |
【小题2】What can we infer from Paragraph 2?
| A．China lacks wind and solar energy. |
| B．China is the leader of the low-carbon market. |
| C．High-speed trains are a low-carbon development. |
| D．Palm oil is made at the cost of valuable forests. |
【小题3】We can learn from the last paragraph that businesses have many chances to _____________.
| A．make full use of natural resources. |
| B．explore new natural resources. |
| C．develop sustainable products. |
| D．deal with the major challenge. |
【小题4】What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To advocate sustainable development. |
| B．To compare two business models. |
| C．To predict a change of the global market. |
| D．To introduce a new business model. |
