Pre-reading questions:
- Do you use plastic bags every day?
- Have you seen a dirty sea?
Vocabulary:
- charge /chahrj/
- intend /in-TEND/
- seller /SEL-er/
- environmental /en-VAHY-ruhn-muhnt-uhl/
- waste /weyst/
[verb] to ask an amount of money for something
The cashier charged $10 on my card.
[verb] to have as a plan or purpose
She intends to stay longer in Korea.
[noun] a person who sells something
The flower seller lives in another country.
[adjective] relating to the environment
He is one of the environmental campaigners.
[noun] unwanted matter or material of any type
The nuclear waste is increasing.
Japan plans to charge plastic shopping bags at supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores, and department stores. Environment Minister Yoshiaki Harada said that his ministry intends to introduce a new law that would charge the use of plastic bags. Harada said that the charge is not big but it would be a good start to fight marine pollution. The ministry asks sellers to charge up to 10 yen for each plastic bag. The money collected will be used in environmental acts. A report added that Japan produces the largest amount of plastic waste after the United States. It is estimated that there are over 8 million tons of plastic waste that flow into the oceans every year.
True or False:
- Japan plans to ban plastic bags.
- Yoshiaki Harada is the health minister of Japan.
- The money collected from plastic bags will be used for charity.
- Japan is the number one producer of plastic waste.
- There are over 9 million tons of plastic waste that flow into the ocean.
Vocabulary Check:
Complete the sentences by using the words in the box.
| environmental | intend | seller | estimate | waste |
- I will meet the ______ of the book tomorrow.
- Finish all your food! Let’s avoid food ______.
- We should be more aware of ______ issues.
- Jannie ______ to study abroad.
- Could you please ______ the expenses of our trip?