Unique ecological coffee cups

山东德州市第一中学 石发建

难词探意

1.sustainability/səˌsteınə΄bıləti/n.可持续性

2.disposable/dı΄spəʊzəbl/adj.用后即丢弃的；一次性的

3.barista/bə΄riːstə/n.咖啡馆服务员

4.ceramic/sə΄ræmık/n.陶瓷制品；陶瓷器

I decided to investigate the pros and cons of using paper cups.If you are like me and trying to avoid single-use plastics,moving to paper can seem like a greener alternative.The truth is more complex.In fact,paper cups are just as hard to recycle as plastic ones.Paper cups are lined with plastic,so they don't soak in the liquid you put them in.That means few recycling facilities can handle the process,which requires separating paper from plastic.

Furthermore,both paper and plastic cups are often thrown away after being used for only once.So for environmental sustainability,a reusable cup that is used multiple times is the best way to go.The key points for sustainability is to keep using your reusable cup for as long as pos-sible.For a reusable cup to be an improvement over a disposable one you need to use them at least 20 times.

A few weeks ago I was out with my family at the opening of a new playground in our community.The flyer had stated that there would be coffee available,which really convinced me it was a good idea for us to attend.So after we settled in,found a spot to park the baby carriage and then found a spot for the kids to play,I headed over to the coffee station.

I had recently broken my reusable coffee cup which I accidentally knocked off a bench onto a hard floor,so I didn't have anything with me.Feeling guilty that I might need to use a throwaway cup,I was delighted to see that the baristas were using good old ceramic coffee cups.It looked like they had searched the cupboards of council and grabbed every cup they could find.

After we were done the cups went into a big bucket in which they would later be washed.What a fantastic solution to the problem of reusable cups!Yes,there was washing to do after,however,without any plastic or paper waste being created,it is a small sacrifice.It is great to see a local council leading the way with waste reduction.

Reading

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1.Why did the author investigate the pros and cons of using paper cups?

A.To drink healthily.

B.To protect the environment.C.To persuade people to use paper cups.D.To improve the quality of the paper cups.

2.What can be inferred from the first paragraph?

A.It is easy to separate the paper from the plastic in a paper cup.

B.There is no recycling facility to soak paper cups in the solution.

C.Paper cups are mistakenly believed easier to recycle than plastic ones.

D.Paper cups are mistakenly believed harder to recycle than plastic ones.

3.What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A.Making paper waste.

B.Making plastic waste.

C.Washing reusable cups.

D.Throwing cups into a bucket.

4.What is the author's biggest gain from participating in this activity?

A.She got to know a lot of baristas.

B.She found a solution to reusable cups.

C.She tasted the best coffee that she had ever tasted.

D.She learned about the history of old ceramic cups.

Language

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Difficult sentence

Paper cups are lined with plastic,so they don't soak in the liquid you put them in.

【翻译】______________________________

【点石成金】句中you put them in是一个省略了that的定语从句，先行词为liquid。