Question

【题目】Toronto is reminding citizens this month what exactly can and can’t go into the blue bins an you may be surprised at what can’t be recycled. As it turns out the takeout coffee cups you’ve been throwing into the recycling actually have to go in the garbage.

The city’s “recycle right” web explains that food left after a meal, woven (编织的) cloth, old VHS tapes and other things have been turning up in blue bins, where they don’t belong.

According to the city, about 45,000 tunes of garbage was mistakenly put into recycling bins last year alone.

Among those things are the takeout coffee and tea cups we get while were on the go. The city says that because those paper cups are lined with plastic or wax they can’t be recycled. The black plastic coffee lids (盖子) also can’t go in the blue bin, although non-black plastic lids can be recycled.

Emily Alfred, senior campaigner with the Toronto Environmental Alliance, said, “Millions of cups are used in Toronto every year and people are taking these out and putting them in the wrong bin.”

When paper coffee cups are thrown in with the recycling. Alfred said, they produce a harmful effect on the system.

“They can’t separate the plastic and paper in a typical paper recycling center,” Alfred said, “so it just causes pollution of the recycling process, and it causes lower-quality paper if it does get recycled.”

“New regulations passed last month call for changes to be rolled out over the next few years regarding what products companies can sell,” Alfred said. Her organization will be pushing for more producer responsibility laws, which call on companies that design and make products to take on the responsibility of recycling them.

For now, consumers can consider carrying their own reusable coffee cups while they are on the go, ask for a ceramic mug (陶瓷杯) if they plan to consume their drink in the cafe, and support their local government officials if they have put efforts into changing recycling or producer responsibility laws.

Alfred said, “I think people can change their habits easily if they understand what to do.”

【1】Why is it difficult to recycle paper coffee cups?

A. It is expensive to recycle them.

B. There are other materials on them.

C. They have some coffee inside them.

D. All plastic coffee lids cannot be recycled.

【2】What is the purpose of producer responsibility laws?

A. To push producers to recycle products.

B. To help producers design and make products.

C. To protect companies exercising responsibilities.

D. To encourage companies to take on legal responsibilities.

【3】What does the author advise people to do?

A. Drink coffee in ceramic mugs at home.

B. Give support to products companies.

C. Try not to use takeout coffee cups.

D. Change their drinking habits.

【4】What issue does the text mainly discuss?

A. Producer responsibility laws should be passed.

B. There are too few blue bins in Toronto.

C. Toronto produced too much garbage last year.

D. Takeout coffee cups can’t be recycled.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】A

【3】C

【4】D

【解析】文章主要介绍了人们随意把咖啡纸杯投放到可回收箱，导致回收利用困难的社会现象。

【1】细节理解题。根据文章第四段The city says that because those paper cups are lined with plastic or wax they can’t be recycled.可知纸杯与塑料等混在一起，导致无法回收利用，所以B正确。

【2】细节理解题。根据文章第八段Her organization will be pushing for more producer responsibility laws, which call on companies that design and make products to take on the responsibility of recycling them.可知生产者责任法是为了呼吁生产公司设计生产产品承担起循环利用的责任。

【3】推理判断题。根据文章第九段For now, consumers can consider carrying their own reusable coffee cups while they are on the go, ask for a ceramic mug (陶瓷杯) if they plan to consume their drink in the cafe, and support their local government officials if they have put efforts into changing recycling or producer responsibility laws.可知 作者呼吁消费者带自己的杯子或要求使用陶瓷杯，因此C正确。

【4】主旨大意题。根据文章第一段可知人们把本该扔进垃圾箱的咖啡纸杯扔进了可循环利用箱，导致其他可回收物也不能使用，由此可知咖啡纸杯不可回收利用。