Passage 6

A breakthrough in the provision of energy from the sun for the European Economic Community (EEC) could be brought forward by up to two decades, if a modest increase could be provided in the EEC's research effort in this field, according to the senior EEC scientists engaged in experiments in solar energy at EEC's scientific laboratories at Ispra, near Milan.

The senior West German scientist in charge of the Community's solar energy program, Mr. Joachim Gretz, told journalists that at present levels of research spending it was most unlikely that solar energy would provide as much as three percent of the Community's energy requirements even after the year 2,000.But he said that with a modest increase in the present sums, devoted by the EEC to this work it was possible that the breakthrough could be achieved by the end of the next decade.

Mr. Gretz calculates that if solar energy only provided three per cent of the EEC's needs, this could still produce a saving of about a billion pounds in the present bill for imported energy each year. And he believes that with the possibility of utilizing more advanced technology in this field it might be possible to satisfy a much bigger share of the Community's future energy needs.

At present the EEC spends about $2.6 millions a year on solar research at Ispra, one of the EEC's official joint research centres, and another $3 millions a year in indirect research with universities and other independent bodies.

  1. The phrase "be brought forward" in Line 2 most probably means

.

  1. be advanced B) be completed

C) be expected D) be introduced

  1. Some scientists believe that a breakthrough in the use of solar

    energy depends on .

    1. advanced technology C) sufficient funding

    2. further experiments D) well-equipped laboratories

  2. According to Mr. Gretz, the present sum of money will enable the

    scientists to provide .

    1. less than 3% of the EEC's needs before the year 2000

    2. 3% of the EEC's needs before the year 2000

    3. a little more than 3% of the EEC's needs after the year 2000

    4. less than 3% of the EEC's needs even after the year 2000

  3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

    1. the desired breakthrough could be obtained by the end of the

      next decade if investment were increased.

    2. At the present level of research spending, it is difficult to

      make any significant progress in the provision of energy from the sun.

    3. The EEC's spends one billion pounds on imported energy each

      year.

    4. The total yearly spending of the EEC on solar energy re-search

      amounted to almost 6 million dollars.

  4. The application of advanced technology to research in solar energy

.

  1. would lead to a big increase in research funding

  2. would make it unnecessary to import oil

  3. would make it possible to meet the future energy needs of the EEC

  4. would provide a much greater proportion of the Community's future

    energy needs