Plastic is used to make a large number of products we use every day， such as drink and food containers，trash bags and grocery bags，cups and children's toys，and bottles for everything from mouthwash and shampoo to glass cleaner and dishwashing liquid. And that's not even counting all the plastic that goes into furniture， appliances， computers， and automobiles.
As the use of plastic has increased over the years，it's become a large part of America's solid waste﹣growing from less than 1 percent in 1960 to more than 13 percent in 2017. As an example of how and why plastic waste is increasing， the International Bottled Water Association reports that the US consumed 9. 67 billion gallons of bottled water in 2017， compared to 9.1 billion gallons the year before. The United States is the world's leading consumer of bottled water. A good first step in reducing plastic waste is switching to a reusable water bottle.
Recycling plastic reduces the amount of energy and resources （资源） needed to create plastic. Research shows that a bottle of water requires about 2，000 times as much energy to produce as the same amount of tap water. Recycling plastic products also keeps them out of landfills（垃圾填埋）and allows the plastic to be reused in making new products. Recycling 1 ton of plastic saves 7. 4 cubic yards of landfill space. And let's face it，a lot of plastic ends up directly in the environment，breaking down into tiny pieces ， polluting our soil and water.
Today，80 percent of Americans have easy access to a plastic recycling program. A universal numbering system for plastic types makes it even easier. According to the American Plastics Council， more than 1，800 US businesses handle plastic waste. In addition， over 200，000 grocery stores now serve as recycling collection sites for plastic waste.
【小题1】What message does the first paragraph mainly intend to convey？| A．Plastic products are quite common. |
| B．Plastic is widely used in our daily life. |
| C．What functions plastic has. |
| D．Why humans make use of plastic. |
| A．plastic waste is on the rise in America |
| B．Americans prefer bottled water to tap water |
| C．plastic waste is the leading type of waste in America |
| D．using reusable water bottles doesn't help reduce plastic waste |
| A．It helps cut down on pollution. |
| B．It helps to make soil more rich. |
| C．It makes plastic easily broken down. |
| D．It produces new energy and resources. |
| A．Americans suffer a lot from plastic waste. |
| B．Americans are good at recycling plastic. |
| C．Recycling plastic is convenient in the US. |
| D．Recycling plastic brings great profits in the US. |
