Question

More companies and recyclers are taking steps to ensure that old electronic devices such as TVs and computers aren’t sent to poor countries.

The Basel Action Network, a Seattle-based non-profit that largely exposed the overseas discarding (丢弃) of US electronic waste, on Thursday launched a programme to use third-party employees to certify (证实) recyclers who don’t export dangerous electronic waste.

The so-called e-Steward recyclers will also agree not to discard the waste in US landfills and agree to meet other criteria. The certification is intended to provide companies and consumers with some assurance that the waste, which can include toxins (毒素) such as lead and mercury, is disposed of safely.

The Government Accountability Office, in a 2008 report, declared that US electronic waste was often disposed of unsafely in such countries as India. There, workers recycle gold, silver and copper from the waste, often in open-air acid baths.

The Basel Network also says it won assurances from 13 organizations, including Samsung, Bank of America, Wells Far-go, that they’ll use e-Steward recyclers whenever possible. Wells Fargo had already been using recyclers who declared not to export. So far, Basel has certified three recyclers and seven sites.

Before e-stewards, even, companies that wanted to avoid export of electronic waste had to “hope for the best”, when, they handed their waste to recyclers, says Robert Houghton, president of Ohio-based recycler Redemtech. It is an e-Steward that counts major companies among its customers. “Now, they can get some proof,” Houghton says.

Basel’s standards compete with another set launched in January. It was made by industry and backed by the Environmental Protection Agency.

That standard, called R-2, doesn’t ban the export of dangerous electronic waste but requires that it be handled safely. Instead of a ban, the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries says, efforts should be made to help poor countries develop safe recycling.

1.How were most electronic wastes dealt with before?

A. They were thrown into US landfills.

B. They were buried in the desert m die US.

C. They were exported to poor countries.

D. They were reused by families in poor countries.

2.E-Steward recyclers, main job is probably to ________.

A. prevent old devices from open-air acid baths

B. dispose of electronic waste safely

C. collect more electronic waste for profits

D. assure America’s leading rule in the electronic market

3.People in India import electronic waste to ________.

A. get rid of toxins    B. learn how to make devices

C. recycle valuable metals    D. make cheaper products

4.The passage is mainly about ________.

A. how to deal with old electronic products

B. the development of recycling in the world

C. how to fight against electronic pollution

D. safer treatment of electronic waste

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.C

4.D

【解析】这是一篇说明文，文章主要讲述了现在有的公司开始着手科学安全地处理电子垃圾产品了，而不是像以前那样直接出口到贫穷国家，让电子垃圾暴露在酸雨下，变成有毒的矿泥而破坏自然环境。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段“More companies and recyclers are taking steps to ensure that old electronic devices such as TVs and computers aren’t sent to poor countries.”（越来越多的公司和再循环利用者正在采取措施来确保废旧的电子产品如电视机、电脑等不被扔到贫穷的国家。）可推知，以前大部分电子垃圾被出口到贫穷国家。故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段“The so-called e-Steward recyclers will also agree not to discard the waste in US landfills and agree to meet other criteria. The certification is intended to provide companies and consumers with some assurance that the waste, which can include toxins (毒素) such as lead and mercury, is disposed of safely.”(所谓e-Steward回收业者也将同意不向美国的垃圾填埋场丢弃废物和符合其他标准。这个认证是向公司和消费者保证这些垃圾包括含有的毒素如铅和汞，会被安全处理。)可知，e-Steward的主要工作是安全处理电子垃圾。故选B。

3.细节理解题。根据第四段“There, workers recycle gold, silver and copper from the waste, often in open-air acid baths.”（印度那样的贫穷国家的工人们从废旧电子产品中获取金、银、铜等金属。这些金属都是比较贵重的金属）可知，印度人进口电子垃圾是为了回收贵重金属，故选C。

4.主旨大意题。根据全文内容可知，文章主要讲的是对电子垃圾的安全处理。故选D。

【名师点睛】推理判断型

推理判断题属于高层次阅读理解题。做好该题型要从整体上把握语篇内容，在语篇的表面意义与隐含意义、已知信息与未知信息间架起桥梁，透过字里行间，去体会作者的“弦外之音”。推理判断题常常可以分为如下几类：(1)细节推断。如时间、地点、人物关系等；(2)逻辑推断。根据已知的结果推断导致结果产生的可能原因；(3)目的、意图、态度推断。根据文章的论述，推断作者的写作目的以及作者的情感态度；(4)预测想象推断。文章没有明确说明，要求根据语篇对文章可能涉及的内容进行预测判断。例如：本题中的第1小题。

【解题剖析】此题属于推理判断型中的(2)逻辑推断。根据已知的结果推断导致结果产生的可能原因。根据文章中提出越来越多的公司和再循环利用者正在采取措施来确保废旧的电子产品如电视机、电脑等不被扔到贫穷的国家。可推出以前人们处理电子垃圾的方式是被丢到贫穷国家。根据已知的内容推断出原因。