Read Text A, and then answer Questions 1(a)–(e) on the question
paper.
Text A: The problem with plastics
This article warns of the dangers of plastics.
Plastics are wonder materials: adaptable and durable. We produce and use more
plastics than we do almost any other man-made materials, apart from steel, cement
and brick. Scientists calculate the total plastic ever made as 8.3 billion tonnes – as
heavy as one billion elephants – an astonishing mass of material.
Mass-manufacturing of plastics began in the 1950s. Plastics are now all around us, in 5
everything from food wrapping to aeroplane parts and flame retardants. It is precisely
plastics’ amazing qualities that present a growing problem.
‘We’re rapidly heading towards “Planet Plastic”. If we don’t want to live in that kind of world we
have to rethink how we use materials, particularly plastic,’ explains environmental
scientist, Dr Ros Gaia. ‘None of the commonly used plastics are
10
biodegradable. You can permanently dispose of plastic waste by incinerating it – but
that’s complicated by concerns about health and emissions.’
Plastic items tend to be used for very short periods before being discarded. Waste
plastic is sent largely to landfill; much of it just litters the wider environment, including
the oceans.
15
Dr Gaia commented: ‘People need to realise that a plastic bottle could be recycled 20
times. Currently, poor design limits us. The whole point of recycling is keeping
material in use for ever if you can. Actually 90 per cent of the material that does get
recycled only gets recycled once.’
In the meantime, the waste mounts up. Recycling rates are increasing, and there are 20
new biodegradable alternatives, but manufacturing plastic is so cheap that there is
little incentive for change. Each year eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the
oceans, with clear evidence that some gets into the food chains because marine
creatures ingest small fragments of micro-plastics.
Dr Gaia explains: ‘We’re facing a tsunami of plastic waste. The global waste industry 25
needs to get its act together. We need a radical shift. On current trends, it will take
until
2060 before more plastic gets recycled than landfilled and lost to the environment.
We can’t wait that long.’
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Read Text A, The problem with plastics, in the insert and then answer Questions 1(a)–(e) on
this question paper.
Question 1
(a) Give three examples of man-made materials humans use more than plastic.
• ..steel........................................................................................................................... ......
......
• .brick...................................................................................................................................
.....cement
[1]
(b) Using your own words, explain what the text means by:
(i) ‘adaptable and durable’ (line 1):
Plastic is able to adjust to new conditions
............................................................................................................................. ...
..Plastic is able to withstand different conditions
.............................................................................................................................. [2]
(ii) ‘an astonishing mass’ (line 4):
Plastic has a shocking amount substance.
................................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................. ... [2]
(c) Re-read paragraph 3 ( ‘‘‘We’re rapidly emissions.’’’).
Give two reasons why disposing of plastics is difficult.
• None of the common used plastics are biodegradable
It can be disposed by incinerating but there are concerns about health and emissions
........................................................................................................................... ............ [2]
ENGLISH TURN OVER
DEPARTMENT
(d) Re-read paragraphs 4 and 5 (‘Plastic items recycled once.’’’).
(i) Identify two facts about how plastic items are dealt with, which lead to plastic waste
littering the environment.
• They tend to be used for short periods of time before being discarded
Waste plastic is sent largely to landfill
............................................................................................................................. ............
• .........................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................
• .............................................................................................................................. [2]
(ii) What changes are needed to improve the recycling of plastic?
The changes in design can improve the recycling of plastics
The materials making plastics should be biodegradable
............................................................................................................................. ...
We could use it over and over again if it could be [3]
.............................................................................................................................
(e)
Re-read paragraphs 6 and 7 (‘In the meantime that long.’’’).
Using your own words, explain the reasons why the problem of plastic waste is not being
dealt with quickly enough.
Manufacturing plastic is so cheap people are unwilling to switch to biodegradable options.
More plastics are thrown into landfills than being recycled.
............................................................................................................................. ..............
Global waste industries are not getting their act together.
............................................................................................................................. ..............
........................................................................................................................................... [3
ENGLISH TURN OVER
DEPARTMENT
