Based on the passage about energy and modern civilisation, answer the following question. According to the passage, biomass is an energy source used in which place or context?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your ability to pick out a specific factual detail from the passage. The passage explains how different energy sources are used. It notes that coal, nuclear, and hydro power mainly generate electricity, natural gas is used widely for heating, and biomass is used for heating and cooking. Heating and cooking are activities most closely associated with homes and domestic life, so the correct answer reflects that context.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The passage lists several energy sources and their typical uses.
• Coal, nuclear, and hydro power are used primarily for electricity generation.
• Natural gas is widely used for heating in many regions.
• Biomass is used both for heating and for cooking.
• Heating and cooking are daily household activities.

Concept / Approach:
The key is to interpret the phrase used both for heating and cooking in terms of location. Heating and cooking are essential domestic functions. While some industrial contexts also need heat, the pairing of heating and cooking together usually points to home use. Therefore, homes is the most accurate match among the options provided. Agriculture, industry, and offices are not mentioned in connection with biomass in the passage, and they do not naturally match the combination of heating and cooking.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the sentence from the passage that mentions biomass specifically, which states that biomass is used both for heating and cooking. Step 2: Consider the everyday context in which both heating and cooking are central, namely household life. Step 3: Look at the options agriculture, industry, homes, and offices and match them with the idea of heating and cooking. Step 4: Note that agriculture deals with crops and livestock, not primarily with cooking. Step 5: Observe that industry focuses on manufacturing and heavy processes; while it does use heat, it is not typically described in terms of cooking. Step 6: Offices are workplaces where heating may be needed but cooking is usually minimal or separate. Step 7: Conclude that homes is the correct answer because it fits both heating and cooking as domestic uses of biomass.

Verification / Alternative check:
In many countries, biomass in the form of wood, crop waste, or animal dung is burned in stoves for domestic cooking and space heating. This real world observation matches the description in the passage. The passage does not connect biomass with agriculture, industry, or offices as its primary context. This confirms that homes is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Agriculture is wrong because the passage does not say biomass is used as energy specifically in agriculture; rather, it focuses on end uses like heating and cooking. Industry is wrong because the passage assigns coal, nuclear, and hydro power mainly to electricity generation rather than linking biomass to industrial processes. Offices is wrong because offices usually rely on electricity and central heating, not biomass for cooking and heating.

Common Pitfalls:
A common error is to overthink and select industry because it sounds technical. Another mistake is not connecting heating and cooking with domestic life and instead treating them as separate ideas. To avoid such errors, always ask where these activities most naturally occur in everyday life when matching passage statements to options.

Final Answer:
According to the passage, biomass is an energy source used in homes, mainly for heating and cooking.