1 . Can plastic recycling reduce the import of oil? The United States Environmental Protection Agency says only seven percent of plastic waste in the United States is recycled each year. A new company in northern New York says it can increase that percentage. It also says it can help the United States reduce the amount of oil it imports.
The company has a machine called the “plastic-eating monster”. Every hour, thousands of kilograms of milk jugs, water bottles, and grocery bags are fed into the machine. The plastic waste comes from landfills across the United States.
John Bordynuik runs the company, called JBI Inc. Mr. Bordynuik has invented a new process of turning plastic into fuel. First, many different kinds of unwashed plastics are melted together. Mr. Bordynuik uses a special chemical to turn the fluid into a vapor. This reduces the plastic to its most basic elements. “Plastics are just long hydrocarbon chains. What we’re doing is re-forming them into links and chains that we want so they have a high fuel value.” Eight percent of the recycled plastic is used to run the system. Independent testers say eighty-six percent of what goes in comes out as fuel.
JBI produces several thousand liters of fuel a day. It creates different grades of fuel for different industries. It sells the fuel for up to one hundred dollars a barrel(桶). Each barrel costs about ten dollars to produce. John Bordynuik believes plastics will become an important source of fuel for the United States. He says this will reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil and reduce the amount of plastic waste in its landfills.
Scientists say plastic-to-oil technology is still new and developing. They say it is not yet known if the process is environmentally friendly. And some question whether turning plastic into oil can even be considered “recycling”. Carson Maxted says because there is a lot of plastic waste and a great demand for oil, JBI’s recycling technology may create great changes in both industries. “So they’re getting value from something that would otherwise go to the landfill, things that wouldn’t be accepted into a recycling plant.”
1. What are Paragraphs 2 and 3 mainly about?| A．The formation of JBI. |
| B．The way to melt plastic. |
| C．The process of turning plastic into fuel. |
| D．The process of inventing the plastic-eating monster. |
| A．Critical. | B．Positive. |
| C．Negative. | D．Indifferent. |
| A．Plastic-to-oil technology can reduce plastic waste. |
| B．Plastic-to-oil technology is getting value from the landfill. |
| C．Plastic-to-oil technology is considered to be recycling. |
| D．Plastic-to-oil technology is regarded as environmentally friendly. |
| A．By listing facts. | B．By analyzing causes. |
| C．By making comparison. | D．By providing an example. |
2 . When we buy something new, we get rid of what’s old. That cycle of consumption（消费）has made electronics waste the world’s fastest-growing solid-waste stream, which is expected to grow as the world upgrades to 5G. However, less than a quarter of U. S. electronic waste is recycled, the rest ending up as rubbish, posing environmental risks.
Part of the problem concerns rule. In states without laws banning (禁止) electronics from the regular trash, electronics often end up in garbage. Even when e-waste rules exist, it’s left to consumers to handle their old devices properly. But recycling them can be a pain. People have to take their electronics to a store, which may pay them for it or charge them to get rid of it. Many consumers simply throw their devices into the trash or throw them in a drawer.
One solution is to make electronics last as long as they once did. Yet, technology companies are speeding the pace of being deserted. “It’s a strategy by producers to force us into shorter upgrade cycles,” said Kyle Wiens, the founder of iFixit, which publishes do-it-yourself repair guides.
Some environmental groups say big companies like Apple and Samsung should pick up the cost of recycling the devices they sell. Lawmakers have passed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, which require producers to establish and fund systems to recycle or collect deserted products.
Some companies are increasing their recycling efforts on their own. For example, Apple in 2018 introduced Daisy, a smartphone-recycling robot that can take apart 200 iPhones every hour. But that's a drop in the bucket compared with the 50 million tons of e-waste produced globally last year.
1. Which of the following statements is true?| A．A large number of electronics end up as waste. |
| B．E-waste problems will be solved if laws are made. |
| C．Most people prefer to sell their old electronics to stores. |
| D．E-waste is the biggest threat to environment. |
| A．are trying to collect their deserted products |
| B．have a short life cycle because of the market |
| C．intend to shorten the life cycle of products |
| D．struggle to provide goods with good quality |
| A．Positive. | B．Unconcerned. | C．Confident. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．Choice for Recycled Electronics |
| B．Solutions to the Mountain of E-waste |
| C．Bad Effects of E-waste on the Environment |
| D．Companies on Duty for Nature Protection |
