Part II – READING COMPREHENSION (B)

Read the following passage carefully and answer in ENGLISH. (25 points)

קראו את הקטע שלפניכם וענו על השאלות שאחריו באנגלית. اقرأ القطعة التي أمامك، وأجب عن الأسئلة التي تليها.

Wind: A Clean Source of Electricity

I Wind energy is a type of clean energy that comes from wind. In 2022, wind energy provided 10% of the electricity in the United States. Wind energy became popular in the 1990s, compared to solar energy, which became popular earlier, in the 1980s. However, today, wind energy produces more electricity than solar energy. In 2023, wind energy produced 7.5% of the world’s electricity, while 5 solar energy produced 5.5%. Wind energy is cheaper than many other power sources. Since 2009, its cost has gone down by 70%. Today the cost of wind energy is around $\text{textdollar}$30 for every megawatt-hour*, which is cheaper than coal or natural gas.

*megawatt-hour מגהוואט-שעה – יחידת מידה לאנרגיה ميغاواط ساعه

II Every year in the United States, wind energy reduces the amount of polluting CO2 in the atmosphere by 336 million metric tons. This is the same amount of CO2 that is produced by 73 million cars. Wind 10 energy is also good for employment. Today, around 150,000 people are employed in the wind energy industry in the United States. Experts predict that by 2050, the wind energy industry will create many additional jobs. For all these reasons, wind energy is a smart choice.

Adapted from: https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy

Answer the following questions in English. (25 points) ענו על השאלות הבאות באנגלית. أجب عن الأسئلة التالية بالإنجليزية .