[originaltext]Early in the age of richness that followed World War II, an Ameri

Early in the age of richness that followed World War II, an American retailing analyst proclaimed, "Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, and that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our own satisfaction, in consumption." Americans have responded to this call and much of the world has followed. Consumption has become a central task of life in industrial lands and is becoming one of the social values. Over-consumption by the world’s fortunate is an environmental problem unmatched in severity by anything but perhaps population growth. The exploitation of resources threatens to exhaust or inevitably spoil forests, soils, water, air and climate. Ironically, high consumption may be a mixed blessing in human terms, too. The time-honored values of integrity of character, good work, friendship, family and community have often been sacrificed in the rush to riches. Of course, the opposite of over-consumption—poverty, is no solution to either environmental or human problems. It is infinitely worse for people and bad for the natural world too. If environmental destruction results when people have either too little or too much, we are left to wonder how much is enough. What level of consumption can the earth support?
Questions 23 to 25 are based on the passage you have just heard.
23. What did the emergence of the rich society after World War II lead to?
24. Why does the speaker say high consumption is a mixed blessing?
25. What should people do according to the speaker?