China had decided to take action to stop the use of plastic bags. Supermarkets, shops and outlets （经销店） in China will not be allowed to hand out free plastic carriers and all plastic carriers must be clearly marketed with prices from June 1.
“People use too many plastic bags every year and fail to deal with them properly, wasting valuable oil and littering the country,” China’s government said in a statement.
While providing convenience for consumers （消费者），the plastic bags have also caused serious pollution and waste of energy and resources.
“We should encourage people to return to carrying cloth bags, and using baskets for their vegetables.” the statement said.
In addition, the production, sale and use of bags less than 0.025 mm thick is banned from the same date. The firms that break the rules will face fines or confiscation （没收） of goods and profits （利润）.
China also said it would consider increasing taxes （税） to discourage the production and sale of plastic bags and encourage the recycling industry.
Rubbish collectors have to separate plastic for reprocessing and cut the number of plastic bags that are burnt or buried （掩埋）.
The move brings China into line with a growing international trend （趋势） to cut back on the use of plastic bags. From Ireland to Uganda and South Africa, governments have experimented with heavy taxes, with the aim of getting rid of plastic bags.
1. China decided to take action to stop the use of plastic bags because _______.
A. they are not free any more
B. they can’t provide convenience for consumers
C. they have polluted the environment and wasted valuable oil
D. the firms have increased the cost
2. The underlined word “banned” in the fifth paragraph probably means ________.
A. 计划 B. 禁止 C. 打破 D. 消费
3. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. The company that won’t obey the rules will face fines.
B. Taxes will be increased to discourage the production and sale of plastic bags.
C. Rubbish collectors will burn or bury all plastic bags.
D. Plastic should be separated for reprocessing.
4. From the passage, we can infer （推断） that _______.
A. China will be among the strongest nations in the world
B. people all carry cloth bags or baskets for their vegetables
C. more energy and natural resources will be saved
D. supermarkets and shops will get more profits
5. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. Plastic Bags are Free B. Recycling industry
C. How to Protect the Environment D. Free Plastic Shopping Bags to be Banned