3 . Before you throw your trash into the nearest can, think for a moment. Not all your garbage can be dumped into one trashcan. It needs to be sorted out with different things going into different bins. Waste classification, a practice that has long been normal in developed countries like Japan, is the new challenge for many Chinese urban residents. However, though initially you might need to rack your brains to figure out which trash goes into which can, in the long run, the result is well worth the effort.

Landfills, sites where waste is buried and covered over with soil, are a major method of disposing of residential waste in China. However, considering the environmental disaster associated with burying waste, there is a pressing need to reduce the amount of waste that goes into a landfill. Classification, sorting waste into different categories such as harmful waste, recyclables and kitchen waste, is a key solution.

Currently, 46 cities across China, are carrying out a program that aims to put in place a classification-based garbage disposal system by the end of 2020. It is hoped that this will reduce the quantity of waste that ends up in landfills by a large degree. Shanghai came into the media focus in early July after it carried out compulsory garbage sorting rules that those who fail to dispose of garbage properly should be fined. Beijing is reviewing its regulations to follow in Shanghai’s footsteps. The new rules may cause short-term inconvenience but they are meant to help residents follow the concept of garbage classification for the common good.

As the programs show, residents can gradually develop this habit with their growing consciousness and the help of advanced technology. In future, this practice should be adopted across China, in urban cities and rural areas alike. With public involvement, China’s garbage sorting program will contribute not only to the nation’s sustainable (可持续的) development but also to making the planet a better place to live in.

4 . Wearing a protective suit, Jiang Aiqin waited for the arrival of the garbage trucks.

She was about to start her voluntary work: garbage classification. But once she’d been working for a while, the 17-year-old of Chongqing Nankai Middle School realized that sorting out garbage by hand is a torturous(折磨人的) and time-consuming process.

From the 2,000 replies to an online questionnaire she designed, Jiang found that only half of the residents were able to sort out their garbage and many blamed their difficulties on the poor classification system.

Jiang wondered what she could do to help out with the problem. It was her mother that gave her the hint: She suggested that Jiang introduce artificial intelligence(人工智能) into garbage classification.

Inspiration struck, leading her to design a new app.

When users come to the front of a bin, they describe the garbage on their smartphones and create a QR code sticker(二维码标签). Using a machine beside the dustbin, they scan the code, which then tells them the correct bin to use.

With the app, you can track(追踪) the progress of your trash. “It would save residents troubles and inform them about garbage classification,” said Jiang. “As the method spread from household to household, the efficient disposal of garbage in cities would be established.”

Although the teenager had a blueprint in mind, she didn’t know how to program an app. To this end, Jiang visited an environmental protection company for help. She told the company about her app idea, and as a result won recognition for her innovation(发明) from the company’s experts.

Finally, Jiang did a further duty as a citizen: She wrote to local government about her idea. Replying, the government told her that “The design is creative and workable” and that “a clean environment needs the help of citizens like you.”

Every day people throw away a lot of household garbage – paper, cans, kitchen waste, used batteries and glass     1     sorting it.   There are many problems     2    (cause) by unsorted garbage. On one hand, it's     3    great waste of resources. On the other hand, the disposal of unsorted garbage can cause serious environmental pollution,     4    does harm to people's health. Now our government has realized the importance of garbage sorting. So far many activities     5     (hold) to teach people how to sort garbage     6     (proper).

People in cities, like Beijing and Shanghai, are required to sort garbage into four categories - kitchen waste, dangerous waste,     7     (recycle) waste and other waste. Also, they can get certain points for sorting their garbage. When they accumulate enough points, they can go to the community     8     (exchange) them for some gifts of daily use. However, still a lot of people in China lack the     9     (aware) of garbage sorting. Changing people's mindsets and habits will take a long time. But once one person       10     (develop) the habit of garbage sorting, more may be influenced to do the same.