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Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues, as rapidly increasing
production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them. Plastic
pollution is most visible in developing Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems are
often inefficient or nonexistent. But the developed world, especially in countries with low recycling
rates, also has trouble properly collecting discarded plastics.
Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Production and development of
thousands of new plastic products accelerated after World War II, so transforming the modern age that
life without plastics would be unrecognizable today. Plastics revolutionized medicine with life-saving
devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—saving fuel and pollution—and saved lives
with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water. The conveniences plastics offer,
however, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side: today, single-use plastics
account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags
and food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for
hundreds of years.
Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations.
That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the
world. Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into small particles, often
less than one-fifth of an inch across. These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the water
column and have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the
Mariana Trench, the deepest trough. Microplastics are breaking down further into smaller and smaller
pieces. Plastic microfibers, meanwhile, have been found in municipal drinking water systems and
drifting through the air. Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to other
marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by
plastics. Microplastics have been found in more than 100 aquatic species, including fish, shrimp, and
mussels destined for our dinner plates.
Once in the ocean, it is difficult to retrieve plastic waste. Mechanical systems, such as Mr. Trash
Wheel, a litter interceptor in Maryland’s Baltimore Harbor, can be effective at picking up large pieces of
plastic, such as foam cups and food containers, from inland waters. But once plastics break down into
microplastics and drift throughout the water column in the open ocean, they are virtually impossible to
recover. The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place. This
could be accomplished with improved waste management systems and recycling, better product design
that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging, and reduction in manufacturing of
unnecessary single-use plastics.
76 Which of the following is NOT considered to be making good use of plastics according to the passage?
Equipment for clean water Cars lightened for saving fuel
Helmets made for saving lives Food wrappers for conveniences
77 Which of the following is closest in meaning to “pressing”?
drifting urgent destined invisible
78 Which of the following statements is NOT true?
Developed countries with low recycling rates have problem collecting throwaway plastics.
Production of many different new plastic products sped up very fast after World War II.
The largest quantity of plastic goods that are produced every year is for single-use.
Microplastics can be found everywhere, from the highest mountain to the deepest trench.
79 What does the term “Mr. Trash Wheel” refer to?
A device in a river to collect litter and debris
A scientist studying how to remove microfibers
An endangered species affected by microplastics
An organization for waste management systems
80 Which of the following is similar in meaning to “aquatic species”?
nonexistent animals marine organisms litter interceptors disposal packaging