Plastics play animportant role in almost every aspect of our lives. Plastics are used tomanufacture everyday products such as beverage containers, toys, and furniture.The widespread use of plastics demands proper disposal of plastic waste.Plastics make up almost 13 percent of the urban solid waste stream, a dramaticincrease from 1960, when plastics were less than one percent of the wastestream. The largest category of plastics are found in containers and packaging(e.g. soft drink bottles, lids, shampoo bottles), but they are also found indurable (e.g. appliances, furniture) and nondurable goods (e.g. diapers, trashbags, utensils, and medical devices). The recycling rate for different types ofplastics varies greatly, resulting in an overall plastic recycling rate of only8 percent, or 2.7 million tons in 2011.
Currently, the UShas the capacity to recycle plastics at a greater rate as a latest technologyhas come into being that helps in converting plastic waste disposal intoa good source of green fuel. A new process for turning plastics into fuel wasinvented. First, many different kinds of unwashed plastics are melted together.Then a special chemical is used to turn the fluid into a vapor(蒸汽). Thisreduces the plastic to its most basic elements to make it have a high fuelvalue. It is tested that 86 percent of what goes in comes out as fuel. And 8percent of the recycled plastic is used to run the system. This technology willreduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil and theamount of plastic waste in its landfills(垃圾填埋场).
Scientists sayplastic-to-oil technology is still new and developing. They say it is not yetknown if the process is environmentally friendly. And some question whetherturning plastics into oil can even be considered “recycling”.Carson Max is with the publication Resource Recycling, a magazine that reportson the plastic recycling industry. He says because there is a lot of plasticwaste and a great demand for oil, the recycling technology may create greatchanges in both industries. “So they’re getting value from something that would otherwise go to thelandfill, things that wouldn’t be accepted into a recycler.”
26. According to the article, the great increase in use ofplastic goods requires_______.
A. richer source of green fuel
B. more categories of durable plastics
C. faster development of plastic products
D. more efficient disposal of plastic waste
27. The word “converting” inParagraph 2 most probably means “_______”.
A. coloring
B. inventing
C. consuming
D. transforming
28. What will the plastic-to-oil technology result in?
A. Less dependence on imported oil
B. Increase in plastic waste
C. Production of more plastic goods
D.Disappearance of landfills
29. What is Carson Max’s attitude towards the plastic-to-oiltechnology?
A. Positive
B. Negative
C. Critical
D. Indifferent
30. What is the passage mainly about?
A. The important function of plastics in everyday life
B. The new technology of plastic waste disposal
C. The development of plastics industry
D. The categories of plastics