Question

    “What kind of rubbish are you?” This question might normally provoke anger, but in Shanghai it has elicited weary groans over the past week. On July 1st the city introduced stringent trash-sorting regulations that are expected to be used as a model for the country.

Residents must divide their waste into four separate categories and toss it into specific public bins. They must do so at scheduled times, when monitors are present to ensure compliance (and to inquire into the nature of one’s rubbish.) Violators（违反者）face the prospect of fines and worse.

Shanghai authorities are responding to an obvious environmental problem. It generates 9m tonnes of garbage a year, more than London’s annual output and rising quickly. But like other cities in China, it lacks a recycling system. Instead, it has relied on trash pickers to sift through the waste, plucking out whatever can be reused. This has limits. As people get wealthier, fewer of them want to do such dirty work. The waste, meanwhile, just keeps piling up. China churns out 80bn pairs of disposable chopsticks a year.

The threat of punishment is integral to Shanghai’s drive. On the first day of enforcement, the government sent 3,600 city-management officers, a quasi-police force, to 4,216 rubbish-collection points. They began by making an example of wealthy foreigners: the first warning was issued to Swissôtel Grand, a five-star hotel, for improper sorting. Individuals who fail to recycle could be hit with fines of up to 200 yuan ($29). For repeat violators, the city can add black marks to their credit records, making it harder for them to obtain bank loans or even buy train tickets.

Some object to this. Peng Feng of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences warns that the use of the credit system is overkill, raising a risk that officials will abuse their power. But others say a tough campaign is necessary. “Slowly people will get used to it,” says Li Changjun of Fudan University. Many residents appear to support the idea of recycling in general but are frustrated by the details. Rubbish must be divided according to whether it is food, recyclable, dry orhazardous, the distinctions among which can be perplexing, though there are apps to help work it out.

Some have complained about the rules surrounding food waste. They must put it straight in the requisite public bin, forcing them to tear open plastic bags and toss it by hand. Most vexing are the short windows for dumping trash, typically a couple of hours, morning and evening. Along with the monitors at the bins, this means that people go at around the same time and can keep an eye on what is being thrown out; no one wants to look bad.

But it is inconvenient. “People have to get to work. We don’t have the time for this,” said Mr Wu as he threw out rubbish outside his apartment building. To your correspondent’s untrained eye, his sorting looked impeccable.

1.According to the passage, which of the following statement is NOT true?

A.Trash-sorting regulations in Shanghai will be a model for the whole country.

B.Residents in Shanghai must take out of trash at scheduled time.

C.Shanghai lacks a recycling system, like other cities in the world.

D.Fewer people want to do the work as trash pickers.

2.What if individuals break the trash-sorting regulations?

A.They will be warned for the first time.

B.They will be fined 200 yuan.

C.They will be added black marks to their credit records.

D.They will face the prospect of fines and more.

3.We can infer from the fifth paragraph that______.

A.Some people object to the trash-sorting regulations.

B.People in Shanghai have got used to sorting the trash.

C.Many residents are disappointed with the details of the regulations.

D.All residents support the idea of recycling generally.

4.Where do you think this passage comes from？

A.A magazine. B.A news comment.

C.A journal. D.A novel.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇新闻报道，介绍了垃圾分类在上海的实施情况。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段中的“But like other cities in China, it lacks a recycling system.”可知，但和中国（而不是世界上）其他城市一样，上海缺乏回收系统，由此可知，“像世界上其他城市一样，上海缺乏回收系统”这一说法是错误的，故C项正确。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段中的“Violators face the prospect of fines and worse.”可知，违反垃圾分类的规定的人将面临罚款甚至更严重的后果，故D项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据第五段中的“Many residents appear to support the idea of recycling in general but are frustrated by the details.”可知，许多居民似乎普遍支持垃圾分类的想法，但对细节感到失望，故C项正确。

4.推理判断题。通读全文，特别是根据第一段中的“On July 1st the city introduced stringent trash-sorting regulations that are expected to be used as a model for the country.”可知，本文主要介绍了垃圾分类在上海的实施情况，属于新闻范畴，因此文章是一篇新闻评论，故B项正确。