It was your birthday, and you just opened your biggest gift — a smooth silver laptop. You can’t wait to instant-message your friends with the news, but first you have to get rid of your old desktop computer. Do you just throw away the monitor and keyboard in the trash? Not anymore!
Three states, that is, California, Maine, and Maryland, recently passed laws prohibiting people from throwing away electronic waste, or e-waste, includes televisions, computers, and cell phones. Although they don’t make you sick when you use them, they do when they are destroyed, for they contain heavy metals that can be harmful to human bodies. For example, cell phone batteries contain a kind of chemical causing damage to kidneys and deserted computer monitors can damage brains. And flat TV screens may cause injury to the nervous system. Those metals can leak into the ground or give off pollutants when burned.
It is required that e-waste be placed at special sites rather than usual landfills. Several other states are considering similar laws and California is also pushing for a law banning the application of such dangerous substances.
Government officials are not the only people taking aim at e-waste; environmentalists are also urging people to recycle their outdated equipment.
“It is just a waste … to not recycle,” Patrick, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health at university of Iowa, told The Daily Iowan, “Allowing dangerous chemicals to leak into the environment for decades seems irresponsible.”
What Can You Do?
Reduce. Be a responsible shopper, and take care of your electronics so they will last longer.
Re-use. Donate or sell your old high-tech equipment.
Recycle. To find a responsible recycler, contact a local or state environmental group.
小题1:What’s the best title of this passage?
A．E-waste is being made good use of.
B．E-waste, a big threat to us.
C．E-waste is dangerous to us all the while.
D．Goodbye, e-waste.小题2:Why is e-waste harmful and dangerous to human beings?
A．Because they can go off at times and threaten us.
B．Because they can make people sick, as long as people use them.
C．Because they contain poisonous chemical substances.
D．Because they take too much space when placed in trashes.小题3:What can we know from Patrick’s words?
A．Waste can’t be recycled.
B．Waste can be made use of by recycling
C．We have to recycle e-waste to protect the environment.
D．Protecting the environment is important.小题4:Which of the following is NOT given as a piece of advice to help with e-wastes?
A．Taking care of your electronics so they will last longer.
B．Donating or selling your old high-tech equipment.
C．Contacting a local or state environmental group.
D．Asking fewer people to use electric products.
小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:C
小题4:D
题目分析：本文主要讲述的是人们处理电子垃圾方面的具体的措施和建议。
小题1:B 主旨大意题。本文主要讲述的是人们处理电子垃圾的问题，而根据文章第二段Although they don’t make you sick when you use them, they do when they are destroyed, for they contain heavy metals that can be harmful to human bodies. For example, cell phone batteries contain a kind of chemical causing damage to kidneys and deserted computer monitors can damage brains. And flat TV screens may cause injury to the nervous system. Those metals can leak into the ground or give off pollutants when burned.很多的电子垃圾对人的身体都是有害的。故B正确。
小题2:C 细节题。根据文章第二段3,4行they do when they are destroyed, for they contain heavy metals that can be harmful to human bodies.可知这些电子垃圾里含有很多的有害的物质。故C正确。
小题3:C 推理题。根据文章第四段“It is just a waste … to not recycle,” Patrick, an associate professor of occupational and environmental health at university of Iowa, told The Daily Iowan,可知Patrick认为不回收利用就是浪费。说明他建议我们回收利用这些电子垃圾。故C正确。
小题4:D 细节题。根据文章最后3行Reduce. Be a responsible shopper, and take care of your electronics so they will last longer.
Re-use. Donate or sell your old high-tech equipment.
Recycle. To find a responsible recycler, contact a local or state environmental group.
可知ABC三项都是作者建议做的事情，只有D项不是文章的建议。
点评：本文主要讲述的是人们处理电子垃圾方面的具体的措施和建议。本文考查细节题为主，细节题可以在文章中直接找到与答案有关的信息或是其变体。搜查信息在阅读中非常重要它包括理解作者在叙述某事时使用的具体事实、数据、图表等细节信息。在一篇短文里大部分篇幅都属于这类围绕主体展开的细节。做这类题一般采用寻读法即先读题，然后带着问题快速阅读短文，找出与问题有关的词语或句子，再对相关部分进行分析对比，找出答案。