Growing Adoption of Green Cleaning

When we clean the bathroom, we’ve got all kinds of stuff to help us out: a cleaning solution that removes dirty marks from the shower walls and something in a squeeze bottle that makes the toilet sparkling clean. When all is done, the room is neat and clean,_____________dirt and bacteria. There’s just one problem—the_________ we used to clean can be harmful to people   and the environment. For this reason, many people say that traditional cleaners should be_______and replaced with less harmful “green” products.

The problem_________the fact that some cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that just aren’t healthy for humans, animals, or the planet. Think of the_______coming from a factory and getting into the air. The smoke creates air pollution, which harms the environment and makes us feel ill when we breathe it in.___________, the chemicals in cleaning products pollute the air and can hurt us when we breathe them in or when they get on our skin. However, not all cleaning products are harmful. Green products, which do not contain harsh chemicals, are said to be good_______ because they are effective at cleaning and are safe for people and for the planet.

___________about chemicals has led many states to require schools and government buildings to use environmentally friendly cleaning products instead of products containing   poisonous chemicals. Last year, 10 states required the use of green products and at least 5 other states were considering_________in support of these products. A proposed bill would apply to bathroom and floor cleaners, hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels, and etc.

Many green cleaning products are widely available at prices__________traditional products. In some cases, manufacturers receive green certifications for products they have long had on the market, and the prices of these products remain low. But not everyone shares the view about the

____________of green products. Toilet paper, trash bags and paper towel made from recycled materials can cost up to 20% more than traditional products, said Stephen, director of the Green Cleaning Network.

So,____________of the proposed legislation are concerned about the potentially higher costs for some green products. These critics say that states should not determine which products________ institutes and agencies must buy, especially if they increase costs, since many universities are already struggling financially. Some states have made compromises ( 妥 协 ) to help________ concerns about costs. In Wisconsin, a recent adjustment to the bill would give schools and agencies three years instead of one to begin using green products. It would also________them to quit if they could show that their costs would increase.

Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village was near some wetlands (湿地) which became his second_________. He learned the value and beauty of _________ there from a very young age.

When he was 16, Molai began to notice something _________ happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the _________ it caused had driven away a number of birds. _________, the number of snakes had declined (减少) as well. He _________ that it was because there weren’t enough trees to protect them from the _________. The solution, of course, was to plant trees, so the animals could seek _________ during the daytime. He turned to the _________ department for help but was told that nothing would grow there. However, Molai went looking on his own and __________ a nearby island where he began to plant trees.

__________ young plants in the dry season was __________ for a lone boy. Molai built at the __________ of each sapling (幼树) a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to__________ rainwater. The water would then drip (滴落) on the plants below.

Molai __________ to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1,360 acres of naturally grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.

Earlier in the year we decided to build a garden in the heart of the village. We _______ a perfect plan showing our ideas. _______, we wondered how we could make it _______. As we didn’t have enough _______, a lot would depend on fundraising. But as it _______ out, what happened next was beyond our furthest expectation!

While we were _______, Butterfly Conservation in Scotland offered us enough wildflower seeds to _______ the whole area on our plan. The _______ was that we would have to so w the seed within a week, which _______ that the turf (草皮) would have to be ________ before the sowing!

So, I looked around to ________ a machine, but no neighbor had one. Someone ________ we hire one. I ________ to find a good one online but it cost ￡300. Not having the money, I wondered how we could get around this.

Last weekend, before we set out to plant our sunflowers, we received an unexpected________ ! As I spoke to a man living nearby, a lady approached me and ________ me £40! What a timely help. Seeing that, the man reached his ________ and handed me a donation too! I couldn’t ________ getting moved to tears and saying to them,   “Thank you.”.

All problems were ________ . We hired the machine on Thursday and set to lift the turf. I sent out a call online for Sunday ________. Finally 10 turned up, including a lady ________ of voluntary work. The soil was soon prepared and the seed sown.

We were just about to leave for the day, when my friend came with some daisies (雏菊).What a surprise! These daisies aren’t on our plan, but if the garden says that they’ll go well there, then who am I to argue?