The Reading / Listening - Single-use Plastics - Level 5

China has ambitious plans to greatly reduce single-use plastics by 2025. China's National Development and Reform Commission is fast-tracking measures to slash the production and use of plastics over the next five years. By the end of 2020, non-biodegradable plastic bags will be banned in supermarkets and malls in major cities. Food delivery and takeaway services, which use vast amounts of the plastics, will stop using single-use plastic straws and cutlery. These will be banned nationwide. China will encourage the use of alternative materials such as biodegradable shopping bags.

Single-use plastics are a major source of plastic pollution. They have become a part of daily life and of our throwaway culture. China set a goal of reducing overconsumption in order to reverse our reliance on single-use plastics. Previous regulations on plastic use, in 2008, led to an estimated cut in production of 67 billion bags. The United Nations said all countries needed policies similar to those China is introducing. It said: "We are already unable to cope with the amount of plastic waste we generate, unless we rethink the way we manufacture, use and manage plastics."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Single-use Plastics - Level 4 or  Single-use Plastics - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3046760/china-unveils-plan-reduce-single-use-plastic-2025
  • http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-01/19/c_138718276.htm
  • https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2020/01/china-plastics-ban-straws-bags/


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. China has ambitious
  2. greatly reduce
  3. fast-
  4. slash the
  5. banned
  6. Food delivery and
  7. single-use plastic straws
  8. encourage the use of
  1. and cutlery
  2. tracking measures
  3. in supermarkets
  4. takeaway services
  5. production
  6. plans
  7. alternative materials
  8. single-use plastics

Paragraph 2

  1. a major source of plastic
  2. They have become a
  3. throwaway
  4. reverse our reliance
  5. Previous regulations
  6. an estimated cut
  7. unable to cope
  8. we rethink the way
  1. part of daily life
  2. on plastic use
  3. we manufacture
  4. with the amount
  5. in production
  6. pollution
  7. culture
  8. on single-use plastics

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

China has ambitious (1) ___________________ reduce single-use plastics by 2025. China's National Development and Reform Commission is fast-tracking (2) ___________________ the production and use of plastics over the next five years. By the end of 2020, non-biodegradable plastic bags will be banned in supermarkets and (3) ___________________ cities. Food delivery and takeaway services, which (4) ___________________ of the plastics, will stop using single-use plastic (5) ___________________. These will be banned nationwide. China will encourage the (6) ___________________ materials such as biodegradable shopping bags.

Single-use plastics are a (7) ___________________ plastic pollution. They have become a part of daily life and of (8) ___________________. China set a goal of reducing overconsumption in order to (9) ___________________ on single-use plastics. Previous regulations on plastic use, in 2008, led to an (10) ___________________ production of 67 billion bags. The United Nations said all countries needed (11) ___________________ those China is introducing. It said: "We are already (12) ___________________ with the amount of plastic waste we generate, unless we rethink the way we manufacture, use and manage plastics."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Chinahasambitiousplanstogreatlyreducesingle-useplasticsby202
5.China'sNationalDevelopmentandReformCommissionisfast-trac
kingmeasurestoslashtheproductionanduseofplasticsoverthenextfiv
eyears.Bytheendof2020,non-biodegradableplasticbagswillbeban
nedinsupermarketsandmallsinmajorcities.Fooddeliveryandtakeawa
yservices,whichusevastamountsoftheplastics,willstopusingsingle-
useplasticstrawsandcutlery.Thesewillbebannednationwide.Chinawi
llencouragetheuseofalternativematerialssuchasbiodegradableshop
pingbags.Single-useplasticsareamajorsourceofplasticpollution.The
yhavebecomeapartofdailylifeandofourthrowawayculture.Chinaseta
goalofreducingoverconsumptioninordertoreverseourrelianceonsing
le-useplastics.Previousregulationsonplasticuse,in2008,ledtoanesti
matedcutinproductionof67billionbags.TheUnitedNationssaidallcoun
triesneededpoliciessimilartothoseChinaisintroducing.Itsaid:"Weare
alreadyunabletocopewiththeamountofplasticwastewegenerate,unl
esswerethinkthewaywemanufacture,useandmanageplastics."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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