Plastic Garbage Reading Answers

A Every year over 6.4 million tons of plastic debris end up in the sea. As the standard kinds of plastic are not degradable, they drift around the oceans for decades or indeed centuries and collect in enormous gyres of plastic debris. Today plastic is everywhere on the open sea, on the seafloor and on beaches. There is not only disfigures the beauty of nature and leads to economic losses but also has alarming effects on nature, animals, and ultimately also on. The real cause of the plastic pollution of the seas is our thoughtless way of using plastics. Making use of plastic where it may not be necessary, littering, and the lack of waste management all lead to increasing amounts entering our waters. And, even where one would hardly suspect it, we contribute daily to marine pollution: by washing clothes made of synthetic fibres.

B Estimates suggest that 80% of the waste from land reaches the sea through rivers. Therefore the problem of plastic waste in the sea does not affect only countries with a marine coastline but essentially all regions where plastic is used. Plastic also becomes a problem in lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands.

C Europe’s main water divides run right across the continent. This means that waste from regions in the interior of the continent can reach the sea along the big European rivers: for instance along the Po into the Adriatic, via the Rhine into the North Sea, down the Rhone into the Mediterranean and along the Danube into the Black Sea.

D Light pieces of plastic float around on the surface and are carried by the currents for long periods across great distances. Numbers of them are washed onto the coasts. Plastics with a density greater than that of water sink to the seafloor. So far little research has been conducted into the situation on the sea or ocean floor. It seems likely that especially large collections of heavy sorts of plastic, such as PET and HDPE, have formed there, mostly off densely populated areas of coastline and near river deltas. It is feared that the concentration of plastic restricts the exchange of gas between the seafloor and the water.

E Research work carried out by Kara Lavender Law, an oceanographer at the Sea Education Association(SEA), has shown that over the last 20 years the amount of plastic measured on the surface of the Atlantic has stagnated, even though the amount entering the sea is growing continuously. She evaluated more than 7500 samples collected on research expeditions made by SEA over a period of 25 years. What happens to the surplus?

F One of Law’s theories suggests that a considerable amount of the debris is consumed by plankton-eating animals. Another theory says that sea organisms colonize the pieces of plastic which thus become heavier and sink to the bottom. Plastic is consumed on the seafloor, too: Erin Graham and Joseph Thompson proved in 2009 that sea cucumbers ingest large amounts of plastic with their food.

G The problem of marine pollution became widely known as early as the 1970s. The first legislation and initiatives for the protection of the seas date from this time. Today there are many protagonists, initiatives and legal guidelines aimed at cleaning up and protecting the seas.

H The enormous amount of material used by our society is becoming a growing dilemma for the environment. Politicians, producers and consumers are all called upon to equal extents to take the necessary measures. While politicians and producers have their guidelines and agendas, consumers are left to find their own strategies. A well-known and meaningful approach is that known as the three Rs: «Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These strategies are especially applicable to the way we make use of plastic.

I The order in which the terms reduce, reuse and recycle are placed reflects their importance. First of all, we must reduce our use of plastic wherever this is possible. What must be bought should be used for as long as possible, and when this is no longer possible it should be sent off to be recycled. According to regional habits and the persons whom it is wished to address these three terms are augmented by a number of further suggestions. Producers and designers are urged to «rethink> and <redesign»>- this means that the products manufactured should result in less waste. At the end of the life cycle the options for those products that cannot be recycled are to: «recover) (use to provide energy) or<<dispose of» (properly).

Questions 1-7

1 Mammoth gyres of plastic debris are collected as the standard category of plastic is non-degradable, they hover around the oceans for decades and centuries.

2 Nowadays a large amount of land on earth is sheltered with plastic.

3 Plastic wreckage barely affects nature, creatures and even health.

4 Source of Marine pollution is synthetic fibres.

5 Hardly 20% squander creates trouble for countries with a coastline as the throwaway gets to the sea through rivers.

6 European rivers are to be blamed to take the waste from regions in the core of the continent to the sea.

7 It’s due to the weight of the plastic whether it drifts or is submerged.

Questions 8-13

It is terror; the 8…………………….of the plastic confines the exchange of gas between the sea floor and the water. Investigations have revealed the quantity of plastic on the surface of the Atlantic has 9…………….while the amount going into the sea is 10………………incessantly. The rising trouble for the environment is the 11……………amount of stuff used by the public. Three R’S: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle are the 12………to make use of plastic. To turn waste out of manufactured goods, producers and designers are 13……………..to juggle around with and redesign.

Questions 14

14 According to the article, which is the most excellent way to shrink plastic garbage?

A Rethink, Redesign

B Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

C Recover, Dispose

D Restrict, Limit, Manage

Reading Answers

1 Answer: TRUE

Question type: True/false/not given

Answer Location: Paragraph A, lines 1-3

Answer Explanation: The line states that “As the standard kinds of plastic are not degradable, they drift around the oceans for decades or indeed centuries and collect in enormous gyres of plastic debris.”. Thus we can conclude that the question statement is true because it agrees with the given information.

2 Answer: NOT GIVEN

Question type: True/false/not given

Answer Location: N/A

Answer Explanation: The article is focused on plastic garbage which mostly affects the sea, sea floor and the beach. Thus we cannot conclude if the question statement is true or false because the information is not given.

3 Answer: FALSE

Question type: True/false/not given

Answer Location: Paragraph A, lines 4-6

Answer Explanation: The line states that plastic waste “disfigures the beauty of nature and leads to economic losses but also has alarming effects on nature, animals, and ultimately also on.” As it is clear from the given statement that the plastic waste disfigures or negatively affects the environment, we can conclude that the question statement is false.

4 Answer: TRUE

Question type: True/false/not given

Answer Location: Paragraph A, lines 9-10

Answer Explanation: The given line states that “…we contribute daily to marine pollution: by washing clothes made of synthetic fibres.”. It is clearly pointed out that the main source of marine pollution is synthetic fibres which constitute the clothes we wear and wash. Thus we can conclude that the question statement is true because it agrees with the given information.

5 Answer: FALSE

Question type: True/false/not given

Answer Location: Paragraph B, line 1

Answer Explanation: The first sentence of the paragraph states that “Estimates suggest that 80% of the waste from land reaches the sea through rivers.”. It means that the waste from the land that enters through the river is four times more than is mentioned in the question statement. Hence, the answer is false.

6 Answer: TRUE

Question type: True/false/not given

Answer Location: Paragraph C, lines 1-2

Answer Explanation: The paragraph states that “…waste from regions in the interior of the continent can reach the sea along the big European rivers…”. Thus, we can conclude that the question statement is true because it agrees with the given information.

7 Answer: TRUE

Question type: True/false/not given

Answer Location: Paragraph D, lines 1-3

Answer Explanation: The given line states that “Light pieces of plastic float around on the surface and are carried by the currents for long periods across great distances. Numbers of them are washed onto the coasts. Plastics with a density greater than that of water sink to the seafloor.” As the question statement agrees with the given information, the answer is True.

8 Answer: Concentration

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph D, lines 7-8

Answer Explanation: The lines state “the concentration of plastic restricts the exchange of gas between the seafloor and the water”. It clearly points out that the exchange of gas between the seafloor and the water is confined (restricted) by the concentration of plastic. Hence, the answer is concentration.

9 Answer: Stagnated

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph E, lines 2-4

Answer Explanation: The lines mention that “the amount of plastic measured on the surface of the Atlantic has stagnated, even though the amount entering the sea is growing continuously”. Thus we can conclude that the quantity of plastic on the surface of the Atlantic has stagnated and the answer is ‘stagnated’.

10 Answer: Growing

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph E, lines 2-4

Answer Explanation: The lines specify that “the amount of plastic measured on the surface of the Atlantic has stagnated, even though the amount entering the sea is growing continuously”. Therefore, it can be said that the amount of plastic going into the sea is growing and the answer is ‘growing’.

11 Answer: Enormous

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph H, lines 1-2

Answer Explanation: The lines state “The enormous amount of material used by our society is becoming a growing dilemma for the environment.” Thus we can conclude that the rising trouble for the environment is the enormous amount of stuff used by the public. Hence, the answer is enormous.

12 Answer: Strategies

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph H, lines 4-6

Answer Explanation: The mentioned lines specifies that “A well-known and meaningful approach is that known as the three Rs: «Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These strategies are especially applicable to the way we make use of plastic.” As reduce, reuse, and recycle are the strategies to make use of plastic, the answer is strategies.

13 Answer: Urged

Question type: Summary Completion

Answer Location: Paragraph I, lines 6-7

Answer Explanation: The lines state “Producers and designers are urged to «rethink> and <redesign»>- this means that the products manufactured should result in less waste.” From the above lines, we can conclude that producers and designers are urged to juggle around with and redesign. Hence, the answer is urged.

14 Answer: B

Question type: Multiple choice question

Answer Location: Paragraph H, lines 4-6

Answer Explanation: The paragraph states “A well-known and meaningful approach is that known as the three Rs: «Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These strategies are especially applicable to the way we make use of plastic.” So, it can be summarized that that the most excellent way to shrink plastic garbage according to the passage is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (B).