Around the world, people are realizing the significant problems caused by plastic waste. In the last 65 years, we have become increasingly dependent on plastic. It’s easy to understand why: it’s cheap to produce, light—therefore easy and cheap to transport—and incredibly strong and durable. 【小题1】 The microplastics that result from these processes are harmful to the environment. It is also very difficult to recycle; in fact currently only 9% of all the plastic produced has been recycled.

One popular solution to the problem is to ban single-use plastic. In the UK, shoppers are encouraged to make more environmentally-friendly choices in packing and transporting their food. A tax has already been placed on plastic carrier bags, which has cut their use by 90%. 【小题2】 Some governments have even promised to ban the use of single-use plastic altogether in the not-too-distant future.

Such plans are well-intentioned, but may not be helpful in getting rid of the use of single-use plastic altogether. 【小题3】 This is not just because of its low cost. It’s also because, by using dishes, phials (小药瓶) and so on just once, infection and cross-contamination (交叉污染) are minimized. Plastic packaging is also important in the food industry, as it ensures that food is safe for consumers.

Another issue is that alternative(可供替代的) materials are often more environmentally harmful than plastic. Take paper bags, for example. 【小题4】 The process requires cutting trees, the emission of greenhouse gases and the production of poisonous chemical waste. Even more pollution is created when paper bags break down.

Clearly there is a need to reduce plastic waste and its impact on the environment. 【小题5】 Industries that rely on single-use plastic for people’s health and safety must be considered. Moreover, alternative materials must be evaluated strictly regarding their own environmental impact.

Recently, I had lunch with a young Chinese student who studies at a college in New York. He is very bright and ambitious and I enjoyed our conversation. Still, I felt upset and useless afterwards because I was not able to provide him with any good news. Graduating at the end of this year, he asked me how he could find a job in this country and fulfill his career dreams.

In recent years, students who found a job here after graduation have had to go through a cruel lottery system to obtain their H-1B working visa. And the success rates have been declining year after year because of the ever growing number of applicants. Last year, there were 233,000 applicants and only 30 percent of them were lucky, about half of the rate in 2013.

And it can only become worse. US former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies in this country have been tightening up and this trend will continue for at least the next few years. In this case, foreign students studying social sciences, a field in which starting salaries are rarely above the required amount, can kiss their visa hopes goodbye.

Compared to the older generation of Chinese students, today’s young people no longer consider the US as the only option. Many start to think China offers better opportunities in the longer term.

This is not to say that Chinese students in the US are not interested in job opportunities here any more. A few years of work experience in the US can give them advantages when they finally land back in their home country. But if the job opportunities are largely reduced by the tightening of immigration policy, I expect there will be a decline. And if that happens, it is the American economy that will suffer from the loss of those educated, hard-working and talented immigrants.

Money Survey

A recent survey has investigated the way American teenagers aged 16-18 relate to money — what they do with it, how they are affected by the recent financial problems in the world and what they expect in the future. The results make interesting reading.

Of those surveyed, almost all have a mobile phone and more than three-quarters have iPod or MP3 player. 66% own a computer, 46% own a TV and 27% own a car. 【小题1】 Three out of four teens reported that they have bought new clothes in the past three months, and for girls this figure was much higher (86%). If they were given the choice, 63% said they would choose a new pair of jeans rather than tickets to a concert, and 75% would choose a new pair of shoes rather than 50 new MP3 downloads.

Over two-thirds of these young people do some form of work in order to earn money. The average earnings are $1,630 per year, with boys earning more than girls. 【小题2】 Only 21% of teens are not saving at all. However, if they were given $500, over half of those surveyed said they would spend the money rather than saving it.

【小题3】 Most of them are finding that they have less to spend and therefore they are shopping more carefully. 55% wait for items to go on sale at reduced prices and 42% do research to compare prices and choose the best deals. Sales of tech gadgets to teens remain strong, but spending on expensive clothing has dropped. More teens are shopping in cheaper stores and looking for second-hand bargains, while some are starting to make their own clothes.

Many teenagers are worried about rising university costs and the difficulty of finding jobs. 【小题4】 At the same time, 65% expect that their choice of career will be based on their passion for the job, while only 15% think it will depend on how much money they can earn.