It Is Hard To Find A Politician Who Doesn’t Have Some Sort Of Plan GMAT Reading Comprehension

Reading Passage Question

It is hard to find a politician who doesn’t have some sort of plan for energy independence, but we will never see true independence from foreign sources of energy without making the kind of sacrifices that elected officials are loath to mention. For example, virtually every politician campaigning for national office touts biofuels, especially ethanol, as a solution to our nation’s energy dependence. However, the actual energy that can be harvested from these sources is miniscule compared to our current level of consumption—about 20 million barrels of oil and gasoline per day.

We need to take serious, even drastic, steps now. Nuclear fuel, despite all its promise, is understandably controversial, and the problem of dealing with radioactive waste will not go away anytime soon. We might find an acceptable method of drilling for oil in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Alaskan wilderness, but this too will take some time, and will only take us so far down the road to energy independence.

Thus, it is the level of consumption, rather than our sources of energy, that needs to change; putting our resources into developing alternative energy sources will only obscure this unavoidable fact. One way policymakers might affect the level of energy consumption is by increasing taxes on gasoline. In accordance with the principles of a free-market economy, such as that of our own nation, if the price of gasoline were to double due to the addition of such taxes, oil consumption would drop by 3 to 5 million barrels per day.

We also need to overhaul the way in which we move goods around the country. Using gas-guzzling trucks for cross-country trips is extremely inefficient. Moving away from the use of trucks for long-haul trips will require significant governmental and private investment in new water transport and electric railway infrastructure. Once this infrastructure is in place, however, these methods of shipping will be much more energy efficient for all but local transportation of goods.

These and other real solutions to our energy dependence issues will be unpopular in many quarters. Car and truck manufacturers will use their considerable political muscle to fight not only significant gas tax hikes, but also stringent fuel efficiency requirements on vehicles. The move away from trucking will be resisted by both the “big-box” retail outlets, which depend on trucks for the delivery of goods, and by the trucking industry itself. The farming industry will do everything it can to push for the widespread use of ethanol and other plant-based fuels. But it is consumer resistance that most needs to be overcome. Too many of us believe that the guarantee of cheap fuel is an inalienable right, and balk at funding public transportation.

Recently, there has been a gradual change in attitude as people start to connect their daily habits with larger environmental concerns. Until enough of us make that connection and are willing to make a few lifestyle changes accordingly, we have no business complaining about our energy dependence on other countries.

“It is hard to find a politician who doesn’t have some sort of plan”- is a reading comprehension exercise for the GMAT. Candidates must be extremely skilled in GMAT reading comprehension. This GMAT reading comprehension section contains 4 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed to assess candidates' ability to comprehend, analyzation, and application skills. GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions can help candidates who are actively preparing.

Solutions and Explanation

1. What does the author of the passage believe is most important for lessening our need for foreign sources of energy?

1. The political courage of elected officials to make tough decisions.
2. Civic responsibility on the part of the automotive industry.
3. The willingness of consumers to change their habits.
4. A restructuring of the farming and trucking industries.
5. The development of safe alternatives to oil.

2. Which of the following best characterizes the author’s opinion of ethanol?

1. Despite its popularity with politicians, it will not have enough impact to substantially lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy.
2. The influence of the farming industry will prevent it from becoming available to most consumers.
3. It is the most practical of the various plant-based biofuels available.
4. Its use will play a small part in reducing our energy needs.
5. It is unlikely to be useful as a way of our gaining energy independence because of consumer resistance to its use

3. It can be inferred that the author believes that a tax increase on gasoline _______.

1. is not feasible because politicians do not understand the issue enough to call for such a raise
2. will limit the transporting of goods by “big-box” retail outlets
3. will reduce our annual consumption by approximately 4 million gallons
4. will only be possible after improvements have been made in automobile fuel efficiency
5. will use the fundamentals of free-market economics to address the problem of energy dependence

4. The primary purpose of the second paragraph of the passage is to _______.

1. dismiss some alternative forms of energy that are unpopular with big business
2. show that there are not enough new alternatives for becoming less dependent on foreign sources of energy
3. provide historical background for the problem of energy-dependence
4. show the problems inherent in two sources of energy that could help us be come more energy-independent
5. ridicule any attempt to solve the problem of energy-dependence that does not take into account consumption levels

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