Huge reserves of energy have been found in rocks far below the surface of the ground in Britain. It is estimated that the north and southwest regions could hold enough energy in the form of heat to provide power for millions of homes. In fact, up to a fifth of Britain’s energy could be provided by this geothermal source. Extracting the heat and converting it into electricity is difficult and expensive. Thousands of bore holes would be needed; but once they were in place, the heat would keep regenerating indefinitely.

What is the writer’s main purpose in this paragraph?

a) to show how common the use of geothermal power is in Britain

b) to describe the problems related to using geothermal power in Britain

c) to highlight the potential benefits of geothermal power for Britain

d) to give a detailed description of how geothermal energy is produced in Britain

People tend to think that any new technology or device is an act of genius; something that has required vision and insight to create and then develop into a marketable product. The fact is that innovations were often already ‘out there’ in the public domain in some form or another. They tend to evolve from notions that have been around for years but that had not, until that point, been suitably adapted. One expert calls this the ‘long nose’ approach to innovation, whereby new concepts come into the world slowly, gradually revealing all they have to offer.

What is the writer’s main point about innovation?

a) Many new products fail to interest consumers.

b) New products are not always based on new ideas.

c) Creators of new products require a unique set of skills.

d) New products are easy to distinguish from old ones.