Comprehension - Intermediate [ 12 ]

[ 12 ]Comprehension 

[  12  ] Intermediate 

Read the following , then answer the questions below :

               Around the world , billions of tires from trucks and cars are replaced every year . In the United States , about 260 million used truck and auto tires are thrown away every year . Where do the old tires go ? Quite often , they go into large dumps where they remain for many years .

               After a tire dump fire is put out , pieces of burned tires remain on the ground . When it rains , chemicals from the burned parts wash into the soil and into the ground water . This pollutes the soil and the drinking water in the area .

             Aside from these problems , the tire dumps represent a terrible waste of resources . So , in order to avoid the problems and the waste , people are looking for ways to reuse or recycle tires . Recycling is common for other materials , such as paper , glass and aluminum . Now tires are being recycles in a number of creative ways .

             One solution is to burn the tires to create energy . An energy company with plants in Connecticut and California burns tires to produce steam for generating electricity . When the tires are burned properly , the fire does not pollute the air . This produces enough electricity to supply about 42.000 houses as a total of about 15 million tires are burned every year  in the company’s new plants .

            Another solution is to find a new use for the tires . Tires are now being used to make various products from doormats to fishing supplies . Several shoe companies have started using tires to make the soles of tennis shoes . This is not a new idea , in fact . During the Great Depression , shoes with tire soles were very common in the United States .

           Up till now , only a small percentage of used tires are being recycled in the United States . But there are plans and new ideas about ways to reuse more of the tires that end up in tire dumps .

A-] Answer the following questions :

1-] How do tires pollute the environment ?

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2-] What do the energy companies do with tires ?

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3-] Why is the problem of used tires big ?

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4-] In what way are tires recycled ?

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B-] Choose the correct answer :

1-] When tires are burned at the energy plants

A-] air pollution is not a problem . B-] air pollution is not a problem . C-] only a few tires are burned . D-] workers are exposed to dangerous gases .

2-] Using recycled tires to make everyday products is

A-] a new idea . B-] a cause of pollution . C-] not a new idea . D-] not possible .

3-] This passage is mainly about the

A-] effects of burning tires . B-] dangers of tire dumps . C-] problem of what to do with old tires . D-] ways old tires can be recycled .