Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions fro...

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 33 to 40.

The world is producing plastic at an explosive rate. Since 1960, plastics production has surged almost 100- fold. By one measure, the weight of all plastic ever produced is now greater than all land and marine animals combined. On top of that, more than half of plastic products are designed to be used only once, according to the United Nations. Think hotel shampoo mini-bottles, single-use tooth-flossing picks, all those at-home Covid tests.

And once discarded, plastic hangs around for centuries, breaking into ever smaller particles that spread far and wide and can carry toxic substances. These microplastics have been found in drinking water, in table salt, in rainfall, and, recently, in human blood.

Underpinning the surge has been the abundant global supply of oil and gas, the raw materials for plastics. As the world tries to combat climate change by burning fewer fossil fuels, plastic is set to become an increasingly important business for oil and gas companies. Producing the plastic itself creates planet-warming greenhouse gases and other pollutants. In 2015, plastics created 4.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, one recent study estimated, or more than all the world’s airplanes combined.

Plastic makers have promoted recycling as a way to justify continued production, said Carroll Muffett, who heads the Center for International Environmental Law. “But in reality, only a tiny fraction of those plastics are economically recyclable,” he said. “You can’t recycle your way out of this problem."

Question 33. Which of the following is NOT MENTIONED in paragraph 1 as examples of plastic products?

A. hotel shampoo mini-bottles                        B. at-home Covid tests

C. shopping bags                                        D. tooth-flossing picks

Question 34. The word “discarded” in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ____________.

A. thrown away        B. set off                        C. taken up                        D. turned down

Question 35. Which of the following sentences best paraphrases the underlined sentence in paragraph 3?

A. The dwindling supply of oil and gas for plastic manufacturing has worried people worldwide.

B. The rapid growth in plastic production is greatly facilitated by the easy access to oil and gas.

C. The increasing use of raw materials to produce plastics is attributable to their attractive price.

D. Global plastic consumption has led to the large-scale exploitation of fossil fuel resources.

Question 36. The word “itself” in paragraph 4 refers to ____________.

A. gas                        B. business                        C. oil                                D. plastic

Question 37. The word “tiny” in paragraph 4 is OPPOSITE in meaning to ____________.

A. substantial                B. magnificent                        C. negligible                        D. ordinary

Question 38. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A. The total weight of all plastic produced until now is enormous.

B. In 2015, plastics emitted more greenhouse gases than all airplanes.

C. Plastic companies are trying to cut their production via recycling.

D. Harmful plastic particles can be found in various environments.

Question 39. Which paragraph emphasises the urgency of finding better solutions?

A. Paragraph 1        B. Paragraph 3                        C. Paragraph 2                        D. Paragraph 4

Question 40. Which paragraph contains a reference to the environmental persistence of plastic?

A. Paragraph 2        B. Paragraph 1                        C. Paragraph 4                        D. Paragraph 3