Oil sands are most commonly found in Venezuela’s Orinoco Basin and Alberta, Canada. Modern technology has made the extraction of crude bitumen, or unconventional oil, from these oil sands much easier. The crude oil that is extracted from traditional oil wells is a free-flowing mixture of hydrocarbons, whereas oil sands yield a highly viscous form of petroleum. Increasing world demand for oil and higher petrol prices have made the economic viability of extracting oil sands approach that of conventional oil. Oil sands have been described as one of the dirtiest sources of fuel. Compared to conventional oil, four times the amount of greenhouse gases are generated from the extraction of bitumen from oil sands. Additionally there is an impact on the local environment. Tailing ponds of toxic waste are created whenever the tar sands are washed with water. Proponents of oil sands development point to the land that has already been reclaimed following oil sands development. Also, that there will be considerably less surface impact once technology innovations have allowed oil sand reserves to be drilled rather than mined.
Which of these statements must be true?
Bitumen is highly viscous
Bitumen must be heated to flow
Oil sands is safe for aquatic habitat
There is an increasing world demand for oil
(True) Bitumen is highly viscous Very true – as seen in the passage
(Cannot say) Bitumen must be heated to flow The passage states only that bitumen is highly viscous form of petroleum but nothing about the effects of heating
(False) Oil sands is safe for aquatic habitat The passage in the fourth line of the second paragraph states that tailing ponds of toxic waste are created whenever the tar sands are washed with water
(True) There is an increasing world demand for oil Very true – as seen in the fifth and sixth line
Oil sands offer a clean solution to energy needs
Oil sands are only found in Alberta and the Orinoco Basin
Crude oil is a free-flowing mixture
Oil sands cause a greater green house effect
(False) Oil sands offer a clean solution to energy needs The passage emphasises the environmental pollution caused by oil sands development
(False) Oil sands are only found in Alberta and the Orinoco Basin They are “most commonly” found in these two areas so must occur elsewhere too
(True) Crude oil is a free-flowing mixture Very true – as seen in line 4
(True) Oil sands cause a greater green house effect Very true as seen in the second line of the second paragraph
The debate over the British Museum’s Parthenon sculptures, also called the Elgin Marbles, has run for nearly two centuries. Marble statues were removed – with official permission – from the ruins of the Parthenon in 1801 by Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He sold these ancient Greek treasures to the British Museum in 1816, where they have been housed ever since. Today, five million visitors from around the world visit the sculptures, free of charge, at the British Museum. Since gaining independence in 1830, however, the Greek government has argued for their return to Athens. Historically, the Hellenic position centred on ownership, claiming that Lord Elgin bribed authorities to acquire the marbles illegally. The counterargument is that Lord Elgin saved these classical treasures from neglect. Greece no longer disputes the British Museum’s ownership, but states that the sculptures should be loaned to the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, where they would be reunited with other surviving sculptures and displayed in their proper geographic and cultural context. Despite public sympathy for the return of the Elgin marbles, the British Museum believes that the Parthenon marbles are part of shared world heritage and thus should be widely accessible. Furthermore, returning the Parthenon statues would set a precedent for returning other artefacts to their land of origin.
Which two of these statements must be true?
Parthenon surviving marble are divided between the British and the New Acropolis Museum.
Greeks believe that the Elgin Marbles technically do not belong to the British Museum
Greece did not give a time frame for the loan of the sculptures
Yielding to the Greece demands may set precedence for other artefacts return
(Cannot Say) Parthenon surviving marble are divided between the British and the New Acropolis Museum. Whilst we are told that there are Parthenon marbles in British Museum and “other surviving sculptures” in New Acropolis Museum, the passage does not specify that these are the only remaining Parthenon statues.
(False) Greeks believe that the Elgin Marbles technically do not belong to the British Museum The seventh sentence states “Greece no longer disputes the British Museum’s ownership”
(True) Greece did not give a time frame for the loan of the sculptures Very true – as seen in line 15 and 16 of the passage
(True) Yielding to the Greece demands may set precedence for other artefacts return Very true – as seen in the last line of the passage
The British public cannot understand why the Greek government want the marbles returned
Today, five million Greeks visit the sculptures, free of charge at British museum
Greece now wants the sculptures on loan
Greece no longer disputes the British Museum’s ownership
(False) The British public cannot understand why the Greek government want the marbles returned The ninth sentence states that the british public have sympathy for the return of the Elgin marbles, so it means that they understand why they might be wanted back
(False) Today, five million Greeks visit the sculptures, free of charge at British museum The passage says that five million visitors from around the world visit the sculptures
(True) Greece now wants the sculptures on loan Very true – as seen in line 14 of the passage
(True) Greece no longer disputes the British Museum’s ownership Very true – as seen in line 12
Lord Elgin bribed authorities to acquire the Parthenon sculptures
Elgin Marbles debate has lasted for closely twenty years.
Parthenon marbles were removed autocratically by Lord Elgin
The Creek gained independence in 1803
(Cannot say) Lord Elgin bribed authorities to acquire the Parthenon sculptures This is not a stated fact in the passage but claims
(True) Elgin Marbles debate has lasted for closely twenty years. Very true – as seen in line 2
(False) Parthenon marbles were removed autocratically by Lord Elgin Line 3 of the passage says it was removed with official permission
(True) The Creek gained independence in 1803 Very true – as seen in the passage