Cause–effect and prudent action: decide the best response to an acute power shortage Prompt: "Owing to the acute power shortage, the people of our locality have decided to …" Choose the most sensible conservation-focused completion.

Given data

• Cause: acute power shortage.
• Effect: community decision (should favor conservation).

Concept/ApproachIn a shortage, prudent action is to conserve electricity and use it only when essential.

Option analysisresort to use of electricity only when it is inevitable — expresses conservation under necessity. ✅(a) "Dispense with other non-conventional energy sources" removes alternatives; illogical.(b) "Abundant use" contradicts shortage.(c) Grammar is off; intent is similar to conservation but phrasing is incorrect.(d) Mentions "excess power", which contradicts "shortage".

Final Answerresort to use of electricity only when it is inevitable.