Many of us might not give a second thought to dropping a small piece of litter. After all, if it is so small, it cannot possibly be that harmful, can it? In today’s world, the answer is certainly “Yes, it can! “With the growing use of plastic bags and the rising number of smokers, there is more litter being produced than ever before.
Although cigarette butts are small, they are bad for the environment. Worldwide, about 4. 3 trillion cigarette butts are littered every year. As well as spoiling the beauty of the environment, they contain poisonous chemicals. These find their way into the water supply where they affect water quality and endanger plants and animals. Cigarette butts can take up to 25 years to break down, and the poisonous chemicals add up to a large amount with so many littered. So, if people want to smoke, they should dispose of the butts properly in a rubbish bin.
Plastic bags are another common form of litter that is dangerous to the environment. They are easily blown by wind and float in water, so they can travel long distances. They find their way to rivers, parks, beaches and oceans, killing many birds, mammals, fish, and sea animals each year worldwide. They can last for hundreds of years in the environment. We should not let plastic bags become litter. We should use fewer plastic bags, and reuse and recycle what we have already used.
One way to reduce the use of plastic bags is to charge for them. Shops used to give plastic bags for free. But in some countries, including China, customers are now charged for each bag. Some shops also have a “bag -for-life “ scheme. They sell strong bags that can be reused, and they replaced them for free if the bags ever break.
Waste is a big problem for the environment, so we need to do something. Not littering at all or cleaning up “small waste” saves money spent on coping with litter properly. However, it would be better not to smoke or use plastic bags at all.
8. Small pieces of litter can be harmful because_________
A.Litter from smokers and plastic bags have greatly increased. |
B.Plastic bags and litter are easily blown by wind and float in water. |
C.Plastic bags and cigarette butts spoil the beauty of the environment. |
D.Plastic bags and cigarette butts definitely contain poisonous chemicals. |
9. What does the underlined words “dispose of’’ mean ?
A.set off | B.deal with | C.figure out | D.bring about |
10. What may be the effective solution to the problems?
A.People recycle the used plastic bags and smoke less. |
B.Shops offer the customers plastic bags free of charge. |
C.Smokers leave cigarette butts regularly in a rubbish bin. |
D.We all save money spent on disposing of litter properly. |
11. Which can serve as the best title for the text?
A.More charge, less litter. |
B.Strict control, little litter |
C.Small waste, big problem |
D.Small butts, bad environment |