Test Yourself is where you can improve your reading skills. Whether it’s for tests like University Entrance Exams or IELTS and TOEFL, or even just for fun, these pages help you to read, understand and improve your English.
Read the following story by Apipar Norapoompipat from the Bangkok Post. Then, answer the questions that follow.
Three environmentally-conscious friends have set up a revolutionary new shop to help consumers avoid overuse of plastics.
SINCERELY, FUTURE POLLUTION
Single-use plastics are causing terrible damage to the planet. They’re polluting our waterways and poisoning our soil. They’re being ingested by the sea life that we consume. When burnt, they contaminate the air we breathe. There is no place on the planet that hasn’t been polluted by plastic.
Since the 1950s, human beings have been using plastics unchecked. The material’s versatility and inexpensive cost has encouraged overconsumption and one-time use. And it has turned the Earth into a giant landfill site.
Change, however, is slowly taking place. Many African countries, including Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia, have either completely banned or placed taxes on using plastic bags. The UK is now considering a depositing fee for buying bottled drinks and Taiwan just announced a ban on all single use plastic items by 2030.
Yet, in Thailand, very little is being done. We, along with China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Sri Lanka, create 60 percent of the world’s waste.
HEAL THE WORLD
With the government and private corporations doing little to nothing, civic-mindedindividuals like Supatchaya Techachoochert (Ann), Chanin Srisuman (Nammon) and Papawee Pongthanavaranon (Pear) are taking matters into their own hands.
Over the last four months the three friends have been in the media spotlight after opening Refill Station, Thailand’s first zero-waste refill store. Situated on On Nut Road, customers are encouraged to bring their own bottles and containers to fill, weigh and buy personal care or household products.
THE MOTHER OF INVENTION
The idea grew out of a simple problem - a lack of options. Wanting to reduce the amount of waste they produced, the three friends became frustrated by the lack of options available to them with regard to items like soap and shampoo.
“You don’t have any choice,” said Nammon, who works as a project manager in developing renewable energy. “There’s always be plastic packaging of one kind or another. So we decided to do something about it.”
Inspired by bulk and zero-waste stores in the West, they started out seven months ago by setting up a roadside stand selling Sunlite, Breeze, Lux and other mass brands which they bought by the gallon. The success of their experiment eventually led to them opening Refill Station.
“We choose local products, as the suppliers are easier to contact and they meet the demands of Thai daily life. And what’s good about Thailand is that we have a lot of local suppliers,” said Ann, a PhD candidate in biology at Mahidol University.
HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS
The shop sells soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, face wash, scrubs, detergents, softeners, floor cleaners and all-in-one cleaning products ranging from local herbal and organic products to established brands, all sold at a lower rate than market price.
“We have to define what organic is. People have lots of different ideas about it. Some customers don’t care if the products are organic or not. They just want to help reduce the amount of plastics used,” Ann said.
Section 1
Read through the story and answer the following multiple-choice questions.
1. What is the article about?
a. How to protect the environment from pollution.
b. A shop that promotes the reduction of plastic waste.
c. Global attempts to reduce the use of plastics.
2. Where is Refill Station situated?
a. On Bang Na Road.
b. On On Nut Road.
c. On Ladprao Road.
3. How many people founded the store?
a. Three.
b. Four.
c. Five.
4. Which country hopes to ban single-use plastic items by 2030?
a. Japan.
b. Taiwan.
c. Thailand.
5. Which of the following goods aren’t sold at the store?
a. Soaps and shampoos.
b. Detergents and softeners.
c. Herbicides and pesticides.
6. Which of the following definitions best describes the zero-waste philosophy?
a. A philosophy that encourages people to reuse plastic products.
b. A philosophy which is aimed at sending nothing to a landfill.
c. A philosophy that promotes the use of organic products.
7. Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the article?
a. Britain may introduce a deposit on purchases of bottled drinks.
b. People have been using plastics unchecked for nearly seventy years.
c. Refill Station has been open for seven months.
Section 2
Specify whether each of the following words is used in the story as verb, noun, adjective, adverb or conjunction.
8. either
…………..
9. all-in-one
…………..
10. ultimately
…………..
11. fee
…………..
12. contaminate
…………..
Section 3
Read the following passage. Then, fill in the blanks with the correct words from the choices given.
Many people, said Nammon, …..13….. to reduce single-use plastics. But …..14….. fear of being different stops them from …..15….. so. So Refill Station is helping to form a community, sharing tips and tricks …..16….. how to reduce waste, like bringing baskets and tote bags to shop for groceries, keeping reusable straws safe in a box and creating challenges for …..17….. other to accomplish. Ann, for example, …..18….. herself to bring her own glass for 21 days and asked …..19….. people to participate with her.
13.
a. wanting
b. wants
c. want
14.
a. they
b. their
c. them
15.
a. done
b. doing
c. do
16.
a. on
b. for
c. with
17.
a. one
b. each
c. all
18.
a. challenged
b. challenging
c. challenger
19.
a. others
b. other
c. one another
Section 4
Write down the simple past tense of the following verbs used in the story.
20. have
……………………
21. bring
……………………
22. sells
……………………
23. taking
……………………
24. buy
……………………
Answers
Section 1
1. b.
2. b.
3. a.
4. b.
5. c.
6. b.
7. c.
Section 2
8. Conjunction.
9. Adjective.
10. Adverb.
11. Noun.
12. Verb.
Section 3
13. c.
14. b.
15. b.
16. a.
17. b.
18. a.
19. b.
Section 4
20. Had.
21. Brought.
22. Sold.
23. Took.
24. Bought.
SCORE
21-24: Excellent!
17-20: Good.
13-16: Fair.
12 or fewer: You'll do better next time!
