Question

look at this sentence:

many scientists believe that human consumption of earths natural resources is dangerously outpacing the ability of those resources to be replenished.

select the definition of consumption that the sentence uses.

consumption \kuhn-suhmp-shuhn\\ noun 1. the act of eating or drinking: around the holidays, my consumption of sweets definitely increases, 2. the rate or amount at which something is used up: older vehicles generally have higher fuel consumption than newer ones. 3. the use of commercial goods or services: television consumption is higher today than in the 1960s. 4. tuberculosis; a bacterial infection that affects the lungs and other parts of the body: in 1865, jean-antoine villemin discovered that consumption could be passed from humans to cattle. — from latin (consumere)

Explanation:

In the sentence, "human consumption of Earth's natural resources" refers to how quickly humans are using up natural resources (outpacing their replenishment). Definition 2 is about the rate/amount of using something up, which matches the context of resource use. Definition 1 is about eating/drinking, 3 about commercial goods/services, and 4 about tuberculosis—none fit the resource - use context.

Answer:

1. the rate or amount at which something is used up: Older vehicles generally have higher fuel consumption than newer ones.