Coal’s Rise and Fall
Changes in the use of coal over time are reflected in the environment. In the eighteenth century most peppered moths had black spots on white wings, but in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries dark wings became more common. Biologists assumed that the original coloring made the moths easy prey for birds when seen against surfaces coated with dark soot (tiny particles) from coal burning. More of the minority dark moths survived to have offspring, while many fewer with whiter wings did. Then, beginning around 1970 the traditional coloring rose in frequency again. This pattern tracks coal usage. All the places where peppered-moth populations evolved dark wings-England, the upper Midwest of the United States, and northern continental Europe-saw an increase in coal usage in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and then a decline late in the twentieth. More recent research has supported the idea that coal use darkened the landscape but suggests that sulfur dioxide (a gas produced by burning coal) bore more responsibility than soot. Sulfur dioxide contributed to acid rain, which killed plants, including the light- colored lichen that used to grow on tree trunks. The switch from coal to cleaner fuels dramatically lowered the amount of soot and sulfur dioxide in the air, which enabled trees and lichen to regrow in lighter colors and residents of urban areas to wash away the dirt that had hidden light-colored walls from view.
The rise and fall of coal as fuel tells us why the environment changed color, but it does not explain why coal rose and fell in popularity. For that, we have to turn to history. The usual, quick explanation is industrialization. The Industrial Revolution created an enormous appetite for energy, both in factories and in the homes of workers, and coal fed steam engines and fireplaces. But coal was not the inevitable fuel of the Industrial Revolution. Water powered the English Industrial Revolution at first, which explains why the leader of change-the textile (cloth-making) industry- grew up in the northwest part of the country. The mountainous region received steady rainfall that poured down from steep mountains and could be used to power water mills. Had the Industrial Revolution continued to rely on water, peppered-moth populations would have retained their traditional black-and-white colors.
As industry and cities expanded, though, demand for power exceeded water’s capacity. Before the invention of hydroelectric dams and power grids, water offered nothing to homeowners wanting to heat their homes. Factory owners found that water lacked reliability (when it froze or dried up) and constrained their choice of factory locations (next to rivers with steep drops in elevation). Firewood could have fueled homes and factories, but England would have had to rely on imports because it had already cut down its forests.
England happened to sit over large coal deposits near rivers and canals, making coal a cost-effective replacement for wood and water. And as it happened, the coal deposits also lay in northern England, enabling industry to continue to grow there. Factories and power plants in the blackened regions of the United States and Germany turned to coal because of the same price advantages growing out of location. In other regions, such as the northwest of the United States, hydroelectricity (electricity produced by water power) powered factories without emitting soot and sulfur dioxide. It was not industrialization per se that caused coal use to increase but rather a price advantage over other fuels in regions that happened to lie near deposits.
Similarly, industrial decline offers a too-quick explanation for plummeting coal use. It played an important role, especially in the past few decades, but the decline began before industry left these regions. Politics, more than economics, drove the initial drop. England saw bouts of horrendous urban air pollution in 1952, and Manchester (one of the centers of industry, coal burning, and dark moths) established smoke control zones the same year. Four years later, Britain’s Clean Air Acts required the use of smokeless fuels over more of the country and dispersed power plants to rural areas. The 1960s saw a big shift from coal to oil and electricity, which further reduced air pollution.
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Changes in the use of coal over time are reflected in the environment. In the eighteenth century most peppered moths had black spots on white wings, but in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries dark wings became more common. Biologists assumed that the original coloring made the moths easy prey for birds when seen against surfaces coated with dark soot (tiny particles) from coal burning. More of the minority dark moths survived to have offspring, while many fewer with whiter wings did. Then, beginning around 1970 the traditional coloring rose in frequency again. This pattern tracks coal usage. All the places where peppered-moth populations evolved dark wings-England, the upper Midwest of the United States, and northern continental Europe-saw an increase in coal usage in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and then a decline late in the twentieth. More recent research has supported the idea that coal use darkened the landscape but suggests that sulfur dioxide (a gas produced by burning coal) bore more responsibility than soot. Sulfur dioxide contributed to acid rain, which killed plants, including the light- colored lichen that used to grow on tree trunks. The switch from coal to cleaner fuels dramatically lowered the amount of soot and sulfur dioxide in the air, which enabled trees and lichen to regrow in lighter colors and residents of urban areas to wash away the dirt that had hidden light-colored walls from view.
The word “assumed” in the passage is closest in meaning to
Vocabulary Questions词汇题
ADetermined
BSupposed
CInsisted
DAnnounced
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Changes in the use of coal over time are reflected in the environment. In the eighteenth century most peppered moths had black spots on white wings, but in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries dark wings became more common. Biologists assumed that the original coloring made the moths easy prey for birds when seen against surfaces coated with dark soot (tiny particles) from coal burning. More of the minority dark moths survived to have offspring, while many fewer with whiter wings did. Then, beginning around 1970 the traditional coloring rose in frequency again. This pattern tracks coal usage. All the places where peppered-moth populations evolved dark wings-England, the upper Midwest of the United States, and northern continental Europe-saw an increase in coal usage in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and then a decline late in the twentieth. More recent research has supported the idea that coal use darkened the landscape but suggests that sulfur dioxide (a gas produced by burning coal) bore more responsibility than soot. Sulfur dioxide contributed to acid rain, which killed plants, including the light- colored lichen that used to grow on tree trunks. The switch from coal to cleaner fuels dramatically lowered the amount of soot and sulfur dioxide in the air, which enabled trees and lichen to regrow in lighter colors and residents of urban areas to wash away the dirt that had hidden light-colored walls from view.
Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.
Sentence Simplification Questions句子简化题
AThe switch to cleaner fuels resulted in the growth of plant life that was better adapted to the conditions found in urban areas.
BThe switch from coal to cleaner fuels resulted in lighter-colored plant life and cleaner building surfaces.
CCoal had been releasing a large amount of materials that affected the coloring of plant life and buildings.
DCleaner fuels improved urban living by reducing the harmful effects of coal.
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Changes in the use of coal over time are reflected in the environment. In the eighteenth century most peppered moths had black spots on white wings, but in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries dark wings became more common. Biologists assumed that the original coloring made the moths easy prey for birds when seen against surfaces coated with dark soot (tiny particles) from coal burning. More of the minority dark moths survived to have offspring, while many fewer with whiter wings did. Then, beginning around 1970 the traditional coloring rose in frequency again. This pattern tracks coal usage. All the places where peppered-moth populations evolved dark wings-England, the upper Midwest of the United States, and northern continental Europe-saw an increase in coal usage in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and then a decline late in the twentieth. More recent research has supported the idea that coal use darkened the landscape but suggests that sulfur dioxide (a gas produced by burning coal) bore more responsibility than soot. Sulfur dioxide contributed to acid rain, which killed plants, including the light- colored lichen that used to grow on tree trunks. The switch from coal to cleaner fuels dramatically lowered the amount of soot and sulfur dioxide in the air, which enabled trees and lichen to regrow in lighter colors and residents of urban areas to wash away the dirt that had hidden light-colored walls from view.
According to paragraph 1, which of the following effects on peppered moths resulted from the decrease in coal usage that began around 1970?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
APredator populations increased, resulting in a decrease in moth populations.
BWhite wings increased in frequency again.
CPeppered moths began having more offspring.
DPeppered moths began to inhabit new parts of Europe and the United States.
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The rise and fall of coal as fuel tells us why the environment changed color, but it does not explain why coal rose and fell in popularity. For that, we have to turn to history. The usual, quick explanation is industrialization. The Industrial Revolution created an enormous appetite for energy, both in factories and in the homes of workers, and coal fed steam engines and fireplaces. But coal was not the inevitable fuel of the Industrial Revolution. Water powered the English Industrial Revolution at first, which explains why the leader of change-the textile (cloth-making) industry- grew up in the northwest part of the country. The mountainous region received steady rainfall that poured down from steep mountains and could be used to power water mills. Had the Industrial Revolution continued to rely on water, peppered-moth populations would have retained their traditional black-and-white colors.
Paragraph 2 supports which of the following statements about the role of coal in enabling the Industrial Revolution?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AWithout coal as a source of energy, the Industrial Revolution would have begun much later than it did.
BBecause coal darkened the environment, early industrialists oreferred water power to operate their factories.
CWhile coal played a very important role in the Industrial Revolution, some areas of England industrialized successfully without relying on coal
DCoal was used mainly to heat water for steam engines early in the Industrial Revolution, but steam power was eventually eglaced by water mills.
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The rise and fall of coal as fuel tells us why the environment changed color, but it does not explain why coal rose and fell in popularity. For that, we have to turn to history. The usual, quick explanation is industrialization. The Industrial Revolution created an enormous appetite for energy, both in factories and in the homes of workers, and coal fed steam engines and fireplaces. But coal was not the inevitable fuel of the Industrial Revolution. Water powered the English Industrial Revolution at first, which explains why the leader of change-the textile (cloth-making) industry- grew up in the northwest part of the country. The mountainous region received steady rainfall that poured down from steep mountains and could be used to power water mills. Had the Industrial Revolution continued to rely on water, peppered-moth populations would have retained their traditional black-and-white colors.
According to paragraph 2, why was the northwest region of England favorable for factories in the early stages of the Industrial Revolution?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
AThat area had large deposits of coal
BThat area provided space near factories where homes for workers could be easily built
CThat area was rainy and mountainous.
DThat area already had large textile companies in place.
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England happened to sit over large coal deposits near rivers and canals, making coal a cost-effective replacement for wood and water. And as it happened, the coal deposits also lay in northern England, enabling industry to continue to grow there. Factories and power plants in the blackened regions of the United States and Germany turned to coal because of the same price advantages growing out of location. In other regions, such as the northwest of the United States, hydroelectricity (electricity produced by water power) powered factories without emitting soot and sulfur dioxide. It was not industrialization per se that caused coal use to increase but rather a price advantage over other fuels in regions that happened to lie near deposits.
In paragraph 4, why does the author discuss the power source used in the northwest of the United States?
Factual Information Questions事实信息题
ATo indicate that the northwest of the United States was lacking in large deposits of coal
BTo compare the effectiveness of power sources used in factories in the northwestern United States with those in northern England
CTo suggest that hydroelectric power was usually cheaper than coal
DTo support the argument that coal was not always necessary for a region to take part in the Industrial Revolution
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Similarly, industrial decline offers a too-quick explanation for plummeting coal use. It played an important role, especially in the past few decades, but the decline began before industry left these regions. Politics, more than economics, drove the initial drop. England saw bouts of horrendous urban air pollution in 1952, and Manchester (one of the centers of industry, coal burning, and dark moths) established smoke control zones the same year. Four years later, Britain’s Clean Air Acts required the use of smokeless fuels over more of the country and dispersed power plants to rural areas. The 1960s saw a big shift from coal to oil and electricity, which further reduced air pollution.
The author believes that industrial decline is a “a too-quick explanation” for the decline in coal use because this explanation
Rhetorical Purpose Questions修辞目的题
Adoes not consider other important factors
Bis contradicted by recent increases in coal use in some areas
Cwas based on findings about the experience in only one city
Dwas adopted by politicians who did not fully understand the economic situation
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Similarly, industrial decline offers a too-quick explanation for plummeting coal use. It played an important role, especially in the past few decades, but the decline began before industry left these regions. Politics, more than economics, drove the initial drop. England saw bouts of horrendous urban air pollution in 1952, and Manchester (one of the centers of industry, coal burning, and dark moths) established smoke control zones the same year. Four years later, Britain’s Clean Air Acts required the use of smokeless fuels over more of the country and dispersed power plants to rural areas. The 1960s saw a big shift from coal to oil and electricity, which further reduced air pollution.
According to paragraph 5, air pollution declined in England in the 1950s and 1960s for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
Negative Factual Information Questions否定事实信息题
ALegal restrictions were imposed on the use of harmful fuels.
BCoal deposits could no longer produce large amounts of coal.
CPower plants were moved to less populated areas.
DOil and electricity became the main sources of energy.
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The rise and fall of coal as fuel tells us why the environment changed color, but it does not explain why coal rose and fell in popularity. For that, we have to turn to history. The usual, quick explanation is industrialization. The Industrial Revolution created an enormous appetite for energy, both in factories and in the homes of workers, and coal fed steam engines and fireplaces. But coal was not the inevitable fuel of the Industrial Revolution. [■] Water powered the English Industrial Revolution at first, which explains why the leader of change-the textile (cloth-making) industry- grew up in the northwest part of the country. [■] The mountainous region received steady rainfall that poured down from steep mountains and could be used to power water mills. [■] Had the Industrial Revolution continued to rely on water, peppered-moth populations would have retained their traditional black-and-white colors. [■]
As industry and cities expanded, though, demand for power exceeded water’s capacity. Before the invention of hydroelectric dams and power grids, water offered nothing to homeowners wanting to heat their homes. Factory owners found that water lacked reliability (when it froze or dried up) and constrained their choice of factory locations (next to rivers with steep drops in elevation). Firewood could have fueled homes and factories, but England would have had to rely on imports because it had already cut down its forests.
Look at the four squares that [■] indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage
And this source of power did not darken the environment.Insert Text Questions句子插入题
Where would the sentence best fit？Click on a square sentence to the passage.
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Coal has played an important but changing role in powering industrial development over the last two centuries.
Prose Summary Questions概要小结题
Select 3 answers
AThe increased burning of coal during the Industrial Revolution had environmental impacts, as demonstrated by the changes that affect moths and plants.
BWhen coal deposits began to be used up in the late stages of the Industrial Revolution, industries in most parts of England turned to water as a more reliable source of power.
CAs coal was abundant and relatively inexpensive in England, it served as a good alternative to earlier sources of energy, such as water and wood.
DWhile the effect of coal burning on the darkening color of the environment is understood, it is harder to determine why coal usage rose and fell in popularity throughout the Industrial Revolution.
EWhile England relied heavily on coal to fuel its industries, both Germany and the United States relied more on hydroelectric power in an effort to avoid the pollution problems seen in England.
FIn the twentieth century coal became less important to economic growth as countries began switching to cleaner sources of power.
