Skillful 4 R&W Unit 3 Reading 1

What is the main topic of the article?

• The history of solar energy

• The pros and cons of biomass energy

• How to build a biomass power plant

• The dangers of fossil fuels

What is biomass primarily made from?

• Fossilized plants

• Minerals and gases

• Recently living plants and animals

• Underground oil reserves

What are the four distinct categories of biomass mentioned?

• Oil, coal, gas, and garbage

• Wood products, solid waste, landfill gas, biofuels

• Solar panels, wind, geothermal, and hydro

• Organic waste, nuclear waste, chemical fuel, water

Which is not listed as a biofuel in the article?

• Ethanol

• Methane

• Gasoline

• Biodiesel

Why do proponents of biomass claim it is carbon-neutral?

• Because it produces no carbon dioxide

• Because the CO₂ released equals the CO₂ absorbed during growth

• Because it is burned at low temperatures

• Because it only uses industrial waste

What is one negative environmental impact of harvesting biomass?

• Increased wind erosion

• Airplane fuel shortages

• Deforestation and soil erosion

• Rising ocean temperatures

What is a drawback of growing energy crops instead of food crops?

• Energy crops are less profitable

• It leads to overpopulation

• It increases greenhouse gases

• It threatens food security

What does the combustion of biomass typically replace in traditional power stations?

• Wind turbines

• Natural gas

• Coal-fired boilers

• Hydroelectric generators

What happens during anaerobic digestion in biomass processing?

• Methane is burned directly

• Organic matter is converted into gas

• Biofuel is cooled

• CO₂ is extracted from the air

Why is the carbon-neutral claim of biomass debated?

• The process creates new greenhouse gases

• Crops grow too slowly to absorb CO₂

• It takes centuries to reabsorb emitted CO₂

• Biomass plants are not efficient