Never Retreat Selection Test

The author wrote this selection most likely to —

• show people how some have adapted in the past

• tell people that the entire earth is reliant on fossil fuels  

• persuade people to move to farms and grow their own food

• help people see that they can do more than they think to help the earth

Read this sentence from paragraph 7.

People getting their first paved roads, safe water, electric lights, and refrigerators don’t want to march backward any more than the West does.

How does the author counter this opinion?

• He outlines specific steps for how to consume less.

• He includes statistics about water and electric usage.

• He quotes environmental experts from developing countries.

• He provides examples of how humans have adapted in the past.

Read this sentence from paragraph 3.
With fossil fuels, new uses multiplied madly until we wove them into every corner of our lives.
Which claim does this sentence support?

• People started finding fossil fuels around the world.

• People started using fossil fuels for too many products.

• People started adding fossil fuels to carpets and other textiles.

• People started thinking of fossil fuels as dangerous energy sources.

Which words in paragraph 6 help the reader understand the meaning of scarcity?

• effects, common

• decline, limited

• maintain, lifestyle

• resistance, path

Read the sentence about the selection.

We need to become more self-sufficient ____ our dependence on fossil fuels and our highly integrated systems destroy the planet.

Which subordinating conjunction correctly fills in the blank

• although

• before

• once

• unless

What are two ways the author supports the claim that people try to maintain their standard of living at any cost?

• By presenting facts about the overfishing of tuna

• By explaining what people do with freshwater aquifers

• By describing the way developing countries once lived

• By showing how rural societies have a decentralized system

• By reporting how many consumer products are made with fossil fuels

What is the most likely reason the author includes paragraph 9 in the selection?

• To tell how some people used to live in more traditional societies

• To convince people that society should have less reliance on fossil fuels

• To explain how some people suggest solving energy consumption problems

• To persuade people to change their lifestyles to better take care of the planet  

Which words from paragraph 13 help the reader understand what adaptability means?

• periods, times

• warmer, ice

• flexible, evolved

• hallmarks, difficult

Read the sentence about the selection.

The burning of fossil fuels is the primary cause of climate change _______ it sends carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Which subordinating conjunction correctly fills in the blank?

• because

• until

• though

• while

How do paragraphs 13–14 support the author’s position about adaptability?

• They show that adaptation is always gradual.

• They show that people can adapt if they need to.

• They show that those who adapt are concerned about the planet.

• They show that natural events can often be the cause of adaptations.