2) Brilliant advances

　　One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer-lived and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs—food, clothing, fuel and shelter—have grown a lot cheaper. Take one example. In 1800 a candle providing one hour’s light cost six hours’ work. In the 1880s the same light from an oil lamp took 15 minutes’ work to pay for. In 1950 it was eight seconds. Today it’s half second.

　　3) Let’s not kill ourselves for climate change

　　Mitigating(减轻) climate change could prove just as damaging to human welfare as climate change itself. A child that dies from indoor smoke in a village, where the use of fossil-fuel(化石燃烧) electricity is forbidden by well-meaning members of green political movements trying to save the world, is just as great a tragedy as a child that dies in a flood caused by climate change. If climate change proves to be mild, but cutting carbon causes real pain, we may well find that we have stopped a nose-bleed by putting a tourniquet(止血带) around our necks.

　　1. What is the theme of Ridley’s most recent book?

　　A. Weakness of human nature.

　　B. Concern about climate change.

　　C. Importance of practical thinking.

　　D. Optimism about human progress.

　　2. How does Ridley look at shopping?

　　A. It encourages the creation of things.

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