第一篇： 　　World leaders need to take action on the energy crisis that is taking shape before our eyes. Oil prices are soaringand it looks less and less likely that this is a bubble. The price of coal has doubled. Countries far apart as South Africaare plagued by power cuts and there have been riots in several nations due to disruptions to electricity. Rich states, nolonger strangers to periodic blackouts, are worried about security of energy supply. In the developing world, 1.6billion people have no access to electricity. 　　Global demand for energy is rising fast as the population increases and developing countries such as China andIndia undergo dramatic economic growth. The International Energy Agency (IEA) says that the world’s energy needscould be 50% higher in 2030 than they are today. Yet the fossil fuels on which the world still depends are finite and farfrom environmentally friendly. Serious thought needs to be given now to creating viable alternatives. The need forcoordinated political action on energy issues has never been more acute. Yet there is no global energy institution inwhich the countries of the world can agree on joint solutions to the potentially enormous problems we see emerging. 　　We have a World Health Organization, two global food agencies to deal with everything from trade to civilaviation and maritime affairs. Energy, the motor of development and economic growth, is a glaring exception.Although, like food and health, it cries out for a holistic, global approach, it is actually dealt with in a fragmented,piecemeal way. A number of institutions focus on energy, but none with a mandate that is comprehensive and thatencompasses all energy forms. OPEC, for example, has just 13 members and deals exclusively with oil from theproducers’ perspective. The IEA represents the 27 OECD countries from the consumers’ viewpoint. The UNcoordinating mechanism, UN-Energy, has 20 member agencies, an indication of how fragmented the UN’s energyactivities are. UN-Energy has no budget or authority and serves as a modest forum for discussion and informationsharing.
41. What is the first paragraph mainly about?
(A) World leaders’ joint action.
(B) The ongoing energy crisis.
(C) Soaring oil and coal prices.
(D) The prevalent power cuts and riots.