VI. Read the following passage and do the following exercises.
The three Rs: • Reduce: Use fewer products and create less waste; • Reuse: Find a new use for old products; • Recycle: Turn plastic waste into something new.
To make life convenient, many disposable products are made, such as plastic bags and containers. As a result, huge amounts of plastic are thrown away every day, creating a big environmental problem. To solve this problem, we recycle or reuse plastic waste. Here are some examples of amazing, creative ways of recycling and reusing plastic.
In Taiwan, there is a building called the EcoARK. Three hundred tons of plastic waste were made into 1.5 million bottle-shaped bricks to build it. The plastic bricks, despite their light weight, are designed to survive earthquakes and typhoons.
Another amazing example of recycled plastic is a bridge in Scotland. It’s the world’s longest plastic bridge. Fifty tons of plastic bottles and containers were used to make it. It is so strong that it can hold 44 tons of people and vehicles. In addition, it doesn’t rust or need regular painting.
There is also a sailboat named Plastiki. It was built from about 12,000 plastic bottles and weighs about 9 tons. It sailed all the way across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney! The purpose of the journey was to make people aware that millions of tons of plastic are floating in and polluting the ocean.
Next time, before you throw away something plastic, see if it can be recycled, or think of a creative way to reuse it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a big creation like the examples above. There are many simple, useful things you can do. For example, you can punch little holes in the bottom of a plastic bottle and use it to water plants. Or you can cut a bottle in half and use it as a hand shovel. Why don’t you try to come up with some creative ideas of your own?
1. What is this passage mainly about?
A. effective methods of cleaning up trash B. problems caused by disposable products
C. ways of reusing and recycling plastic waste D. new materials that are stronger than plastic
2. Which was made of 12,000 plastic bottles?
A. EcoARK B. Plastiki C. a hand shovel D. a bridge in Scotland
3. Which is true about EcoARK?
A. The bricks look like bottles. B. It can’t survive earthquakes.
C. The bricks are heavy and strong. D. It can hold 44 tons of people and vehicles.
4. What can be inferred about the plastic bridge in Scotland?
A. It was very expensive to build. B. It is only used by people and bicycles.
C. It will soon be replaced by a longer bridge. D. It is easier to maintain than metal bridges.
5. Which can replace the word “creative” in line 5?
A. productive B. manageable C. imaginative D. portable
