14．Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling．Recycling in the home is very important of course．However，being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need．We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible，but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place．
The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005．It now makes up a third of a typical household's waste in the UK．In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard．
Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment．The UK，for example，is running out of areas for burying this unnecessary waste．If such packaging is burnt，it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect．Recycling helps，but the process itself uses energy．The solution is not to produce such items in the first place．Food waste is a serious problem，too．Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need．However，a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue，encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags，for example．
But this is not just about supermarkets．It is about all of us．We have learned to associate packaging with quality．We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality．This is especially true of food．But it also applies to a wide range of consumer products，which often have far more packaging than necessary．
There arc signs of hope．As more of us recycle，we are beginning to realise just how much unnecessary material we are collecting．We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture，but we have a mountain to climb．
51．What does the underlined phrase"that over-consumption"refer to？D
A．Using too much packaging．
B．Recycling too many wastes．
C．Making more products than necessary．
D．Having more material than is needed．
52．The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to showD．
A．the tendency of cutting household waste
B．the increase of packaging recycling
C．the rapid growth of supermarkets
D．the fact of packaging overuse
53．According to the text，recyclingA．
A．helps control the greenhouse effect
B．means burning packaging for energy
C．is the solution to gas shortage
D．leads to a waste of land
54．What can be inferred from Paragraph 4？C
A．Unpackaged products are of bad quality．
B．Supermarkets care more about packaging．
C．It is improper to judge quality by packaging．
D．Other products are better packaged than food．
55．What can we learn from the last paragraph？A
A．Fighting wastefulness is difficult．
B．Needless material is mostly recycled．
C．People like collecting recyclable wastes．
D．The author is proud of their consumer culture．
分析 本文属于说明文阅读，作者通过这篇文章主要向我们描述了人们对于过度包装的危害的认识及人们应有的积极态度，让大家认识到形势的严峻和要想改变状况是艰巨的．
解答 51．D．词义猜测题．根据文中的We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible，but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place．可知划线部分意义应为"过度消费"．故D正确．
52．D．推理判断题．根据作者在文中使用的数字The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005可知，作者使用数字的目的是为了让读者清楚地理解过度包装的现实问题．故D正确．
53．A．细节理解题．根据If such packaging is burnt，it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect．Recycling helps，but the process itself uses energy．可知回收帮助控制温室效应．故A正确．
54．C．推理判断题．第四段We have learned to associate packaging with quality．We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality讲述了人们对于包装不好的物品的固有认识，即：人们普遍认为包装不好的物品质量肯定差．故C正确．
55．A．推理判断题．文章讲述了人们对于过度包装的危害的认识及人们应有的积极态度，所以最后一段给我们带来了希望，但是最后一句we have a mountain to climb．提示我们事情不会一蹴而就．故A正确．
点评 考察学生的细节理解和推理判断能力，做细节理解题时一定要找到文章中的原句，和题干进行比较，再做出正确的选择．在做推理判断题不要以个人的主观想象代替文章的事实，要根据文章事实进行合乎逻辑的推理判断．
