Question

    Steven Stein likes to follow garbage trucks. His strange habit makes sense when you consider that he’s an environmental scientist who studies how to reduce litter, including things that fall off garbage trucks as they drive down the road. What is even more interesting is that one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.

Americans use more than 100 billion thin film plastic bags every year. So many end up in tree branches or along highways that a growing number of cities do not allow them at checkouts(收银台). The bags are prohibited in some 90 cities in California, including Los Angeles. Eyeing these headwinds, plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.

Among the bag makers’ argument: many cities with bans still allow shoppers to purchase paper bags, which are easily recycled but require more energy to produce and transport. And while plastic bags may be ugly to look at, they represent a small percentage of all garbage on the ground today.

The industry has also taken aim at the product that has appeared as its replacement: reusable shopping bags. The stronger a reusable bag is, the longer its life and the more plastic-bag use it cancels out. However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make. One study found that a cotton bag must be used at least 131 times to be better for the planet than plastic.

Environmentalists don’t dispute(质疑) these points. They hope paper bags will be banned someday too and want shoppers to use the same reusable bags for years.

1.What has Steven Stein been hired to do?

A.Help increase grocery sales.

B.Recycle the waste material.

C.Stop things falling off trucks.

D.Argue for the use of plastic bags.

2.What does the word “headwinds” in paragraph 2 refer to?

A.Bans on plastic bags.

B.Effects of city development.

C.Headaches caused by garbage.

D.Plastic bags hung in trees.

3.What is a disadvantage of reusable bags according to plastic-bag makers?

A.They are quite expensive.

B.Replacing them can be difficult.

C.They are less strong than plastic bags.

D.Producing them requires more energy.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Plastic, Paper or Neither

B.Industry, Pollution and Environment

C.Recycle or Throw Away

D.Garbage Collection and Waste Control

Answer

1.D

2.A

3.D

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章分析了几种购物袋的使用情况，塑料袋会造成环境问题，纸袋尽管容易回收，但生产和运输需要更多的能源，环保主义者希望消费者使用耐用可重复使用的袋子。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中one of Stein’s jobs is defending an industry behind the plastic shopping bags.和第二段中plastic-bag makers are hiring scientists like Stein to make the case that their products are not as bad for the planet as most people assume.可知，塑料袋生产商雇用Steven Stein是为了证明他们的产品并不像大多数人想象的那样对地球有害，为使用塑料袋进行辩护。故选D。

2.词义猜测题。上文介绍在许多美国大城市塑料袋被禁用，看到这种现状，塑料袋生产商雇用Steven Stein等科学家是为了证明他们的产品并不像大多数人想象的那样对地球有害。headwinds意为“逆风”，此处指塑料袋被禁用的现状，即Bans on plastic bags，故选A。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段中However, longer-lasting reusable bags often require more energy to make.可知，生产耐用且能重复使用的袋子需要更多的能源，故选D。

4.主旨大意题。文章讲述了使用塑料袋会造成环境问题，纸袋容易回收，但生产和运输需要更多的能源，环保主义者希望消费者使用耐用可重复使用的袋子。对这三种方式进行了对比，Plastic, Paper or Neither既能概括全文，又能吸引读者，最适合作为标题。故选A。