D
Over 8,300 million tons of plastic produced up to the end of 2023,6,300 million tons have been
thrown away.Most of that plastic waste is still with us,buried in landfills or polluting the environment.
Microplastics have been found in Antarctic sea ice,in the guts of animals that live in the deepest ocean
and in drinking water around the world.
But what if we could wave a magic stick and remove all plastics from our lives It might seem like
a good idea for the planet,but we'd soon find out how far plastic has spread to every aspect of our
existence.
In hospitals,the loss of plastic would be devastating."Imagine trying to run a dialysis (unit
with no plastic,"says Sharon George,senior lecturer at Keele University in the UK.Plastic is used in
gloves,tubing,blood bags,sample tubes and more.Some everyday plastic items are also important for
protecting health.Face masks,including plastic-based surgical masks and respirators(人工呼吸器),as
well as reusable cloth masks,have helped slow the spread of virus.
Our food system would also quickly come apart.We use packaging to protect food from damage
in transit and preserve it long enough to reach supermarket shelves,as well as for communication and
marketing."I cannot imagine how plastic would be replaced completely in our system,"says Eleni,a
lecturer in environmental management at Brunel University London.
Swapping out plastic packaging would have a series of environmental effects.While glass has
some advantages over plastic,such as being endlessly recyclable,a one-liter glass bottle can weigh as
much as 800g compared to a 40g plastic one.When those heavier bottles and jars need to be
transported over long distances,carbon emissions grow even more.It's clear that replacing one material
with another won't solve all our plastic problems.
22.What happens to most of the plastic waste thrown away in paragraph 1
A.It is stored in certain facilities.
B.It is recycled into new products.
C.It is transformed into microplastics.
D.It is buried in landfills or pollutes the environment.
33.What can be interrd from psragraph 3
A.Plastic plays a significant role in hospital.
B.Hospitals prefer using cloth masks to plastic masks.
C.Hospitals can function well without plastic materials.
D.Plastic masks have little impact on slowing the spread of viruses.
34.What is Eleni's attitude towards completely removing plastic from the food system
A.Supportive.
B.Optimistic.
C.Doubtful.
D.Indifferent.
35.What makes the best title for the passage
A.What if we stopped using plastic
B.Swapping out plastic for sustainable living.
C.More recycling won't solve plastic pollution.
D.Is plastic packaging bad for the environment
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