Passage Two: What happens when an unstoppable forcemeets an immovable object is a question that has perplexed many philosophersfor thousands of years. Today, this classic paradox makes a good metaphor forone of the world's most important issues. The "unstoppable force" is thecontinually increasing worldwide demand for energy. The "immovableobject" is the world's rapidly diminishing fossil-fuel reserves and thegrowing acceptance that burning these fuels is causing climate changes thatwill have profoundly negative effects on future generations. Worldwide demand for electrical energy isincreasing and all indications are that it will continue to increase for theforeseeable future. Even if we found enormous new reserves of fossil fuels, wewould not be able to continue burning them because of their contribution toglobal warming. Unstoppable force meets immovable object. In the early 20th century, oil was a cheapand apparently inexhaustible resource, and nobody imagined our consumptioncould affect something so seemingly out of our control as the climate. Today,we know differently. And our present scenario is both horrible and unsustainable. Given the scale and complexity of thechallenge, the key players necessarily must include governments and the majorenergy-producing and energy-consuming industries such as electricity providersand the automotive industry. However, one industry – semiconductors – will playa vital role in making the "unstoppable" force less unstoppable andmaking the "immovable" object more movable. As far as the unstoppable force isconcerned, two paths offer hope. The first is to reduce the amount of powereach electrical product and application consumes and to make the generation anddistribution of electrical energy more efficient, while the second is to changeconsumers' energy-consumption patterns. Semiconductor technology has a crucialrole to play in both. There are several ways in which the energyconsumption can be reduced. One is via technology evolution. Replacingprevious-generation transistors with state-of-the-art (技术最先进的) devices would save four to five terawatt-hours/year (TWh/yr) inpower-supply applications – the equivalent of two 500MW nuclear power plants. A second way is "smart systems",which combine multiple functions to reduce power use in individual devices andsystems. The effectiveness of this approach has already been proven in domesticappliances where the availability of powerful, low-cost microcontrollersreplaces the traditional universal motor with a more efficient brushless motor,which is typically 30 percent more energy efficient. If all universal motorswere replaced by brushless motors, we could save up to 50 TWh/yr of power by2020. The second path – helping consumers changetheir energy-consumption patterns – is more challenging because its successfulexecution largely depends on local combinations of legislation and infrastructure.But enabling technologies such as smart systems, smart metering and smart gridsare available and there is evidence that supplying consumers with detailedinformation about their energy usage patterns encourages them to conserve. What can we infer from the classicparadox mentioned in Paragraph 1? A.Philosophers have already successfully solved the paradox. B.It seems impossible for people today to solve the world's energy issue. C.An unstoppable force is not supposed to meet an immovable object. D.The classic paradox is nothing but a metaphor, and it makes no sense today. 2. The burning of new reserves of fossilfuels ____. A.might meet the worldwide demand for electrical energy for good B.will have profoundly negative effects on future generations C.has made climate changes go out of control D.should be totally banned considering their contribution to global warming 3. As to the expression "our present scenario isboth horrible and unsustainable" in Paragraph 4, which of the followingunderstandings is NOT true? A.The consumption of fossil fuels has greatly affected the climate. B.Fossil fuels are no longer considered inexhaustible resources. C.The future picture of the consumption of fossil fuels is not foreseeable. D.The consumption of fossil fuels cannot sustain our development. 4. The author's attitude toward the introduction ofsemiconductors to solve the modern paradox could be described as ____. A.indifferent B.dubious C.conservative D.supportive 5. Domestic appliances equipped with a"smart system" mentioned in Paragraph 8 ____. A.will help save a significant amount of energy B.have got traditional universal motors installed C.will help make the "immovable" object more movable D.are similar to traditional appliances in terms of functions