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Practice Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer ID: #2884 World Population
Instructions ›
Read the text and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.
About a billion people - one-sixth of the world's population - live in the developed countries of the market economy. Those affluent societies account for more than 75% of the world's energy and resource consumption and create the bulk of industrial, toxic, and consumer waste. The developed economies thus leave large ecological footprints. Despite such intense use of energy and materials, however, levels of pollution are relatively low in the developed economies. Why? Three factors account for this seeming paradox; stringent environmental regulations, the greening of industry, and the relocation of the most polluting activities to the emerging economies.

What main point is the author trying to make?

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Result:

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Option 1: "To some extent, the greening of the developed world has been at the expense of the environment in emerging economies."

Explanation: The text discusses how developed economies, despite their high consumption and waste production, have relatively low pollution levels due to stringent regulations and the greening of industry. However, it also implies that this greening may lead to negative environmental impacts being shifted to emerging economies, thus supporting the idea that the greening of the developed world comes at a cost to the environment elsewhere.

Option 2: "The rapid industrialisation of developed economies offsets the environmental gains in the emerging economies."

Explanation: This option incorrectly suggests that industrialisation in developed economies negates environmental improvements in emerging economies. The text does not mention rapid industrialisation as a factor affecting environmental gains; instead, it highlights the relocation of polluting activities to emerging economies.

Option 3: "Businesses in emerging economies are often oblivious to their negative impact on the environment."

Explanation: This option implies a lack of awareness among businesses in emerging economies regarding their environmental impact. However, the text does not address the awareness or attitudes of these businesses, making this statement unsupported by the provided information.

Option 4: "Developed world remains by far the biggest culprit for the spread of pollution."

Explanation: While the text acknowledges that developed economies have large ecological footprints, it also states that pollution levels are relatively low in these regions. This contradicts the assertion that they are the biggest culprits for pollution, as the text emphasizes the relocation of polluting activities to emerging economies.

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