1. When the author uses the word allowances, he is referring toA. the amount of pollution an entity is permitted to emit.
B. the funds a business must set aside to pay for pollution cleanup.
C. the total government penalty issued to those companies that pollute the air and water.
D. the economic impact of the reduction of emissions in a given year.
E. a system by which allowable pollution units are increased as pollution increases.
2. The author believes that it is important for a company to become carbon neutral becauseI. The company will benefit from a good public image.
II. The company will demonstrate its awareness of accountability.
III. The company will be complying with government regulations.
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and II
D. I and III
E. I, II, and III
3. The author of this passage most likely would agree thatA. government regulations that control allowable greenhouse-gas emissions are too stringent.
B. the U.S. has a history of refusing to address environmental problems, a position that will adversely affect the growth of business in this country.
C. renewable resources in the United States are so abundant as to make regulations that govern their use superfluous.
D. in the future, more value will be placed on any activities that lessen the impact of development on natural systems.
E. the realistic goal of the environmental movement should be to completely eliminate air and water pollution in the United States.
4. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the author’s argument?A. Even those companies that invest in pollution-reducing technologies will see a substantial increase in their demand for allowances.
B. Insufficient data exist, as of yet, to make conclusive claims about the efficacy of “green” programs in the corporate sector.
C. Researchers attempting to quantify the less-tangible benefits of green construction believe investment in water technologies and a renewed interest in solar-energy innovation will reward Wall Street investors.
D. A major U.S. bank recently announced that its new building will employ a heat exchange system that will gather heat from groundwater and use it to help heat the building in the winter.
E. The Climate Security Act of 2008 proposes a reduction in allowable carbon emissions but will allow a facility to use the allowances itself, sell them on a public carbon allowance exchange, or transfer them to another company for a negotiated price.
5. The author’s attitude toward the companies that “claim to be carbon neutral” can best be described asA. skeptical of the validity of their claim in light of continued noncompliance with government regulations.
B. indignant toward their refusal to change policy from abusive practices to voluntary compliance.
C. cautiously appreciative of their willingness to accept responsibility in the absence of government regulations.
D. totally detached and dismissive, as he rejects any arguments that run counter to his position.
E. resigned, as he accepts the postponement of the companies’ acquiescence to the government regulations currently in effect in the U.S.