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职称英语考试理工类阅读理解练习 Thirst for Oil Werldwide every day，we devour the energyequivalent of about 200 million barrels of Oil.MoHt of the energy on Earth comes from the Sun.In fact enough energy from the Sun hits the planets surface each minute to cover our needs for an entire year，we just need to find an efficient way to use it.So far the energy in oil has been cheaper and easier to get at.But as supplies dwindle，this will change，and we will need to cure our addiction to oil. Burning wood satisfied most energy needs until the steam-driven industrial revolution，when energy-dense coal became the fuel of choice.Coal is still used，mostly in power stations，to cover orle quarter of our energy needs，but its use has been declining since wc Staned pumping up oil.Coal is the least efficient，unhealthiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel，but could make a comeback，as supplies are still plentiful;its reserves are five times larger than oils. Today petroleum，a mineral oil obtained from below the surface of the Earth and used to produce petrol，diesel oil and various other chemical substances，provides around 40% of the worlds energy needs，mostly fuelling automobiles.The US consumes a quarter of all oil，and generates a similar proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of oil Comes from the Middle East，which has half of known reserves.But other significant sources include Russia，North America，Norway，Venezuela and the North Sea.Alaskas Arctic National Wildlife Refuge1 could be a major new US source，to reduce reliance on foreign imports. | 
