Ban on environmental protection环保禁令

张菊

英国环境部门宣布，英格兰地区将从2023年10月起禁止贩卖一次性塑料餐具，如一次性杯子、盘子和碗，以避免塑料污染。

主题语境：环境保护 篇幅：330词 建议用时：6分钟

1 England is taking its single?use plastics ban even further by restricting the sale ofplastic cutlery （餐具）， plates， bowls， trays， balloon sticks， as well as certain kinds of cupsand food containers. According to an announcement on the English governments website，the new ban will be executed in October of this year.

2 Once the ban comes into force， people will no longer be able to buy or obtain thesesingle?use plastics from businesses.

3 The upcoming ban expands on the country s existing rules surrounding plasticproducts. In 2018， England introduced a ban on microbeads， the tiny pieces of plasticadded to personal care products that can get into wa?terways and harm marine life. It later restricted theavailability of single?use plastic straws， drink stirrers，and cotton swabs in 2020， and introduced a tax on im?ported plastic packaging that doesnt include at least30 percent recycled material last year. The countryalso charges for the use of plastic bags.

4“By introducing a ban later this year， we are doubling down on our commitment toremove all avoidable plastic waste，”Rebecca Pow， Englands environment minister， says ina statement. Englands ban follows Scotland and Wales move to restrict the sale of plasticcutlery and plates last year， and comes after the European Union did the same in 2021.

5 However， some critics argue that it still isnt enough to solve the problem of plasticpollution. As a journalist and former The Guardians environment editor， John Vidal，points out， Englands ban is too narrow in its scope （范圍）， as it doesnt cover single?use plastic water bottles， makes no mention of plastic bags and does not even try to con?trol the burning of plastic waste in incinerators （焚化炉）.

6 In addition to an extended ban on single?use plastics， the country is also“carefullyconsidering”restrictions on wet wipes， tobacco filters， and sachets. It may also require com?panies to add labeling to plastic products to inform customers how to properly deal withthem， and is working towards developing a bottle return program.

Reading Check

Vocabulary

1. What do the underlined words“be executed”mean in paragraph 1？

A. Make progress.

B. Take into effect.

C. Make ends meet.

D. Do a good deed.

Inference

2. What does Rebecca Pow think of the ban？

A. It is worrying. B. It is puzzling.

C. It is surprising. D. It is encouraging.

Detail

3. Why does John Vidal say the ban isnt enough to solve plastic pollution？

A. It is only put into practice in England.

B. It is not fully prepared for the upcoming challenges.

C. It doesnt cover single?use plastic water bottles and bags.

D. It doesnt awake peoples awareness of protecting the environ?ment.

Inference

4. In what tone does the author write the text？

A. Neutral. B. Admiring.

C. Cold. D. Doubtful.

Language Study

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

As a journalist and former The Guardians environment editor， John Vidal， points out，Englands ban is too narrow in its scope， as it doesnt cover single?use plastic water bottles，makes no mention of plastic bags and does not even try to control the burning of plasticwaste in incinerators. 正如记者、《卫报》前环境编辑约翰·维达尔指出的那样，英格兰的禁令范围太窄了，因为它没有涵盖一次性塑料水瓶，没有提到塑料袋，甚至没有试图控制塑料垃圾在焚化炉中的燃烧。

【点石成金】本句中有两个as，第一个as引导的是一个定语从句，意为“正如”；第二个as引导的是一个原因状语从句，意为“因为”。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

as well as 除……之外；此外

come into force 开始生效

no longer 不再……

at least 不少于；至少

come after 相继；跟在……后面

in addition to 除了……