Name: _____________________________
Nonfiction Reading Test
Garbage
Directions: Read
the following passage and answer the questions that follow. Refer to the text
to check your answers when appropriate.
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Garbage cans are not
magical portals. Trash does not disappear when you toss it in a can. Yet, the
average American throws away an estimated 1,600 pounds of waste each year. If
there are no magic garbage fairies, where does all that trash go? There are
four methods to managing waste: recycling, landfilling, composting, and
incinerating. Each method has its strengths and weaknesses. Let's take
a quick look at each.
Recycling is the
process of turning waste into new materials. For example, used paper can be
turned into paperboard, which can be used to make book covers. Recycling can
reduce pollution, save materials, and lower energy use. Yet, some argue that
recycling wastes energy. They believe that collecting, processing, and
converting waste uses more energy than it saves. Still, most people agree
that recycling is better for the planet than landfilling.
Landfilling is the
oldest method of managing waste. In its simplest form, landfilling is when
people bury garbage in a hole. Over time the practice of landfilling has
advanced. Garbage is compacted before it is thrown into the hole. In
this way more garbage can fit in each landfill. Large liners are placed in
the bottom of landfills so that toxic garbage juice doesn't get into the
ground water. Sadly, these liners don't always work. Landfills may pollute
the local water supply. Not to mention that all of that garbage stinks.
Nobody wants to live next to a landfill. This makes it hard to find new
locations for landfills.
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As landfill space
increases, interest in composting grows. Compositing is when people pile up
organic matter, such as food waste, and allow it to decompose. The product of
this decomposition is compost. Compost can be added to the soil to make the
soil richer and better for growing crops. While composting is easy to do
onsite somewhere, like home or school, it's hard to do after the garbage gets
all mixed up. This is because plastic and other inorganic materials must be
removed from the compost pile or they will pollute the soil. There's a lot of
plastic in garbage, which makes it hard to compost on a large scale.
One thing that is
easier to do is burning garbage. There are two main ways to incinerate waste.
The first is to create or harvest a fuel from the waste, such as methane gas,
and burn the fuel. The second is to burn the waste directly. The heat from
the incineration process can boil water, which can power steam generators.
Unfortunately, burning garbage pollutes the air. Also, some critics worry
that incinerators destroy valuable resources that could be recycled.
Usually, the community in which you live manages waste. Once you put your garbage in that can, what happens to it is beyond your control. But you can make choices while it is still in your possession. You can choose to recycle, you can choose to compost, or you can choose to let someone else deal with it. The choice is yours. |
1. Which best explains
why the author begins the text by talking about magical garbage fairies?
a. He is putting a
common misconception to rest.
b. He is trying to get
the reader's attention.
c. He is addressing his
concern in a serious way.
d. He is supporting his
argument with evidence.
B
2. Which best defines
the meaning of incineration as it is used in the text?
a. To bury waste
materials in a large hole
b. To allow waste products
to decompose and become fertilizer
c. To burn waste
materials and harvest the energy
d. To turn waste
materials into products like book covers
C
3. Which was not cited
in the third paragraph as an issue with landfilling?
a. Landfills are smelly. b.
Usable materials are wasted in landfills.
c. Landfills may pollute
the water supply. d. It is
difficult to find locations for landfills.
B
4. Which conclusion
could best be supported with text from the passage?
a. Each method of waste
management has its drawbacks.
b. Recycling is without
a doubt the best way to handle waste.
c. Incineration is the
best way to process waste.
d. All large cities
should create massive compost piles.
A
5. Which best expresses
the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
a. Landfills take up a
lot of space.
b. Composting is good
for the soil but it can be hard to do.
c. The process of
composting is very complicated and scientific.
d. There is a lot of
plastic garbage in landfills.
B
6. Which best expresses
the meaning of the word compacted as it is used in the third paragraph?
a. Garbage is burned
before it is thrown in a hole.
b. Garbage is put in
trucks before it is thrown in a hole.
c. Garbage is crushed
smaller before it is thrown in a hole.
d. Garbage is put in a
can before it is thrown in a hole.
C
7. Which best expresses
the author's main purpose in writing this?
a. To convince readers
to recycle and compost
b. To persuade readers
that recycling is a waste of resources
c. To compare and
contrast recycling and landfilling
d. To inform readers of
methods of waste management
D
8. Which is not included
in this text?
a. A description of how
trash is collected
b. A description of the
uses of compost
c. A description of the
two methods of incinerating trash
d. A description of how
landfills have advanced over time
A
9. Which best explains
why composting is not feasible on a large scale?
a. People wouldn't want
to touch all of that gross rotting food.
b. It would smell too
bad in densely populated cities.
c. It would attract
rodents that would spread disease.
d. Plastic would get
into the compost and turn it into a pollutant.
D
10. Which title best
expresses the main idea of this text?
a. The Magic of
Recycling: Bringing Back What Was Once Lost
b. Methods of Waste
Management: Pros and Cons
c. Recycling,
Landfilling, or Composting: Which is Best For You?
d. Do Your Part: How
to Save the Earth by Recycling and Composting
B
