Nuclear technology was developed for use in war and before its benefits of cheap and abundant power from invisible and seemingly magical forces could be realized, the United States treated the world to the spectacle of human disaster at the hands of this new technology, showing the dark side of a technology which hasn’t been able to beat the bad rap, even 60 years later. Had the United States not unleashed the horrible destructive power of the atom bomb on human populations in Japan, would we have learned to accept the inevitable dangers associated with the splitting of the atom as we have with countless other “dangerous” technologies, in exchange for the cheap and abundant power they can provide?

Every significant technology humans have ever developed for war or peace from the time the first Neanderthal rubbed two sticks together and set her cave blanket on fire has had its associated dangers. It is precisely the volatility of natural gas, gasoline, and heating oil that has made them the fuels of choice for everything from transportation to space heating. Yet, no one resisted the refining of crude oil into gasoline for fear of spreading a technology that could be dangerous and even used to make weapons. If we were to look at the number of combustion-related deaths throughout history, they would dwarf those related to nuclear radiation of any kind, including cancers from nuclear contamination; nevertheless, nobody claims we should abandon the internal combustion engine or the burning of coal, oil, or gas for power.

Not a single U.S. nuclear plant has been commissioned since the Three Mile Island incident in early 1979, despite the fact that, at that time, the U.S. had already suffered one drastic energy crisis a few years before and was spiraling headlong toward another when fuel supplies ran short, and oil and gasoline prices spiked during the Iran hostage crisis later that year. While the U.S. retooled its power plants to burn more coal and natural gas and made token investments in renewable energy and conservation, the French were busy constructing a network of nuclear power plants unrivaled by any in the world. Today France is the largest net exporter of electricity in Europe and has some of the cheapest rates in the world for electricity.

1. It can be inferred that the author believes the answer to the question in the last sentence of the first paragraph reveals

A. the tendency of Americans to be suspicious of new technologies.
B. a proclivity for violence embedded in a culture that romanticizes criminals like Bonnie and Clyde and Jesse James.
C. a willingness to acknowledge that progress is inevitably accompanied by risk.
D. a contempt for dark forces unleashed in humanity when armed with powerful weapons of mass destruction.
E. a rejection of any technology that is intrinsically hazardous.


2. The author’s attitude toward nuclear energy is best described as

A. supportive, yet aware of its inherent risks.
B. skeptical about its value in the 21st century.
C. unreservedly militant in his unbridled advocacy.
D. fearful of the danger that will preclude widespread development.
E. detached and ambivalent about its ultimate usefulness on a global scale.



3. The example of the Neanderthal serves chiefly to

A. illustrate an anthropological model of progress that is unhindered by threats of menace.
B. contrast the simplicity of unsophisticated tool use with the complexity of nuclear power.
C. show the transformation in humanity’s use of energy from non aggressive to destructive.
D. chronicle the inception of combustion related deaths.
E. draw a parallel to a current phenomenon.



4. What conclusion regarding nuclear energy can be drawn from this passage?

A. It is tremendously unpopular and universally condemned.
B. Concomitant mass devastation precludes its use.
C. Overwhelming public support has mandated its implementation in North America.
D. Any remaining objections to its use will definitely be eradicated, and proponents will galvanize support.
E. It has been a boon to the economy in those countries in which it has been utilized.



5. The author uses the example of France to

A. denounce the underselling of electricity, which has destabilized the world market.
B. debunk the idea that nuclear energy is an untenable course for the future.
C. decry the attitude that energy is a constantly renewable resource.
D. deprecate the pejorative outlook promulgated by American producers of oil and coal.
E. deny the possibility of nuclear energy becoming a viable alternative to fossil fuels.