小练(8) Unit 2 阅读完形提分练2-【赢在微点】轻松课堂2023-2024学年新教材高中英语选择性必修第四册（人教版）

小练(八)　阅读完形提分练2 阅读理解　A　体裁:说明文　主题语境:技术与经历　难度:★★☆☆☆ 　　Many of the world􀆳s largest brewers (啤酒商) are using new technologies to replace single⁃use, plastic six⁃pack beer rings with more sustainable materials. Though mostly being used in small test trials, full adoption could have a positive environmental impact. Carlsberg, for example, is using glue to adhere cans in a production method that the Danish brewer says would avoid using 1,200 tons of plastic yearly, or the equal of 60 million plastic bags, once fully adopted. Brewers have zeroed in on plastic six⁃pack⁃ring packaging partly because most consumers can recall the miserable image of a seagull, turtle, or some other aquatic (水生的) creature trapped or killed by the plastic rings. The packaging is so deep⁃rooted in our culture that many children were taught to cut up the rings to lessen the chance that an animal might choke itself to death. The rings developed by E6PR (Edible Six Pack Ring) programme, which is led by another brewery called Saltwater, are now used by 35 brewers across the globe, including in Africa, Europe, and Australia. These rings are made of waste wheat in beer production. The final goal is to ensure that the rings can be eaten harmlessly by aquatic creatures or break down in nature within a matter of weeks rather than the years it would take for plastic. Giving up plastic straws and beer rings may help consumers feel better about their carbon footprint, but some experts say we should focus on other efforts. Recycling rates in the U.S. stand at just over 34%. Glass, in which many brewers bottle their beer, can be difficult to recycle and large to transport. If brewers were to focus on using thinner glass, some experts say, the improvement could prove even more beneficial to the environment than giving up plastic rings. There􀆳s also the risk that if consumers think their E6PR rings are less harmful, they􀆳ll be more likely to litter. “The idea of creating something that􀆳s litter⁃friendly is an