Przeczytaj tekst i odpowiedz na pytania.
WILL ENERGY SOURCES DRY UP?
Human society inevitably depends on the availability of energy. Mankind has been using energy for heat and light in dwellings and workplaces, for transportation, and for the manufacture of various goods, among other applications. The earliest sources of energy used by people were wood and animal power. Burning wood provided light, warmth and heat for cooking. Domesticated animals, in turn, carried their masters as well as the masters’ belongings. As civilisation progressed, wind power was harnessed to move ships and turn windmills, while rivers and streams were used to turn water wheels. Later history proves how closely the development of humanity is linked to the process of acquisition of new energy sources. The Industrial Revolution and the so called age of steam were in fact started with the invention of the steam engine, which converted the chemical energy of fuels into heat and the heat into mechanical energy. Having learnt to produce electric power, which can be easily transmitted over large distances and readily converted into any other form of energy, we stepped into the age of electricity. What we are currently experiencing is a gradual and sometimes controversial - as the Chernobyl accident has shown - transition into the atomic age. The demand for energy has been increasing steadily, due not only to the growing human population, but also to the greater number of technological goods available and a higher standard of living, which means that these goods are enjoyed by a larger fraction of the population. For example, despite the introduction of more fuel-efficient cars, the consumption of petrol has risen, and this is attributed to the increase in the number of miles the average person travels. Most of the energy consumed comes from fossil fuels, of which the world has only finite amounts. On the other hand, the population may grow infinitely, which leads analysts to fear that an energy crisis is imminent. The concern has led to the research for alternative sources of energy. Solar energy is one possibility; the earth receives it in huge amounts every day. The problem, which will not be overcome without considerable technological advances, lies in harnessing this energy in an efficient way. Similarly, geothermal and tidal power plants have achieved limited success so far. Perhaps, then, if our demands cannot be met, the most appropriate thing to do is to reduce those demands. Saving energy and promoting energy-efficient products are among the potential remedies, but they won’t suffice without strict population control.

1. What is the energy used for?
2. What is specific about the age of electricity?
3. Why has the demand for energy been growing?
4. What is the source of energy currently?
5. What are the solutions proposed in the text to avoid an energy crisis?