Question

【題目】 Need to buy something? Why go to a store? Buy it on the Internet! Need it now? Why wait? Ask for next-day delivery! Each day, more and more people try online shopping. In fact, online sales have doubled in the last ten years. But not everyone is excited. Some scientists now say that online shopping is bad for the environment.

People are surprised to hear this. “They think, ‘I don’t need to drive, and the business doesn’t need to build a store, so there will be less pollution,’” says Nuria Prost, an environmental scientist. “But it is not so simple. In fact, online shopping is wasteful. It also adds to air pollution.”

In truth, the Internet is not always as good a friend to the environment as it seems. For example, most people thought that the Internet would help offices use less paper and other materials. But paper use increased by 33 percent between 1986 and 1997. “Online shopping could have similarly negative effects,” says Nevil Cohen, a professor of environmental science.

Part of the problem is what people are buying these days. In the past, people bought things on the Internet that did not require much packing material, such as books and clothing. But now people also shop online for large, heavy products such as televisions, computers, and furniture. These products need to be packed in large amounts of plastic and paper. This creates a lot of waste.

Another problem caused by online shopping is air pollution. When customers buy products and ask for next-day delivery, companies often have to send them by air. Airplanes use much more fuel than cars and produce more carbon dioxide (CO2). When people buy a lot of different things from different online businesses, this creates even more travel by airplane.

Online product returns are also a problem. For example, an online shoe store may allow customers to return shoes without extra pay if they are the wrong size. This doubles the packing material and number of airplane trips required to sell one pair of shoes.

“If people want to protect the environment, they need to think before they shop,” says Prost. “People need to ask themselves: Is this exactly what I want? Do I really need it tomorrow, or can I wait?” Online stores can also charge（收費 ）customers for returns. This may make people shop more carefully. “Online shopping is fast and easy,” says Prost, “but we can’t forget the negative effects it has on the environment.”

【1】Why does online shopping create a lot of waste?

A.Because companies charge more for product returns.

B.Because paper use has increased by 33 percent from 1986 to 1997.

C.Because large, heavy products require much packing material.

D.Because people buy too many things they don’t need.

【2】Prost probably agrees that________.

A.people should drive to stores to buy things

B.online shopping saves more than shopping in a store

C.people can buy things online without careful consideration

D.online shopping adds pollution to the environment

【3】What is probably the best title of the passage?

A.A Good Deal to Make?B.A Cleaner Way to Shop?

C.A New Business to Start?D.A Different Lifestyle to Keep?

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】D

【3】B

【解析】

本文對于網(wǎng)購是一種更清潔的一種方式進行了質(zhì)疑。網(wǎng)購需要用大量的塑料和紙包裝，會造成資源浪費和增加環(huán)境污染。建議買家在購物前要考慮清楚，賣家也可要求顧客承擔(dān)退貨費用，通過降低網(wǎng)購的退貨率來減少環(huán)境污染和資源浪費。

【1】細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第4段第3句“But now people also shop online for large, heavy products such as televisions, computers, and furniture. These products need to be packed in large amounts of plastic and paper. This creates a lot of waste.（但現(xiàn)在人們也在網(wǎng)上購買大型、重型產(chǎn)品，如電視機、電腦和家具。這些產(chǎn)品需要用大量的塑料和紙包裝。這會造成很多浪費。）”可知“網(wǎng)上購物會造成大量浪費是因為大而重的產(chǎn)品需要大量的包裝材料�！惫蔬xC。

【2】細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第7段最后1句““Online shopping is fast and easy,” says Prost, “but we can’t forget the negative effects it has on the environment.”（ “網(wǎng)上購物既快捷又方便，”普羅斯特說，“但我們不能忘記它對環(huán)境的負(fù)面影響�！保�”可知“普羅斯特可能同意網(wǎng)上購物會增加環(huán)境污染”，故選D。

【3】最佳標(biāo)題。本文介紹了網(wǎng)購會造成資源浪費，環(huán)境污染，建議買家在購物前要考慮清楚，賣家也可要求顧客承擔(dān)退貨費用，通過降低網(wǎng)購的退貨率來減少環(huán)境污染和資源浪費。所以本文的標(biāo)題是“網(wǎng)購真的是一種清潔的購物方式嗎？”故選B。