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WorksheetsZero Waste
Total questions: 10
Worksheet time: 31mins
Which two sentences from the article include CENTRAL ideas of the Zero Waste article?
Zero waste refers to any process that makes no waste or that recycles waste into a new product.
Companies like Honda, Subaru, General Motors and Ford started zero waste programs in the early and mid 2000s.
The Zero Waste Institute was founded by Paul Palmer, a chemist who pioneered the zero waste concept in the 1970s.
Putting in place zero waste programs is an important way to conserve resources so they are available in the future.
Read the following excerpt:
Many zero waste plans involve cradle-to-cradle design. This is different from traditional cradle-to-grave design, which tracks a product from birth (“cradle”) to death (“grave”). Cradle-to-cradle design tracks a product from its birth to the rebirth of its various parts.
WHY does the author mention "cradle-to-grave" design?
To contrast an existing idea with the process of zero waste.
To make the reader feel sympathy for items that are wasted
To develop a frightening tone about discarding used products
To show that most items reach a point where they are useless
Read the paragraph from the article:
The zero waste concept expands the traditional three Rs — reduce, reuse, recycle — into refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle and rot. Refuse means “do not accept what you do not need.” Rot means “compost whatever you can to replenish the soil.”
Which option is the BEST definition of "replenish" as it is used in the sentence above?
Refresh the look of
Restock lost amounts
Restore nutrients to
Replace used parts
The CENTRAL idea of the Zero Waste article is developed by:
Highlighting the dangers to the environment without zero waste programs
Following the process of specific items as they go through zero waste programs
Defining zero waste programs and explaining the benefits of their growth
Comparing zero waste programs that have been tried out by several companies
Which statement would be MOST important to include in an objective summary of the article?
Implementing zero waste programs can increase sustainability by conserving natural resources.
Some companies have proven their commitment to energy efficiency by adopting zero waste programs.
Reducing the amount of waste at the London Olympics was an admirable first step toward sustainability.
Composting can be an inconvenient but simple step toward trying to use ideas of zero waste at home.
Read the selection from the article:
There need to be rules in place that require businesses and households to recycle in order for zero waste programs to work. This is necessary because the consumer's actions at the end of a product's life cycle create the closed-loop cycle that mimics the natural world.
WHY does the author use the word "mimics" in the sentence above?
To explain that a zero waste process is easy for consumers
To emphasize that a zero waste process is based on nature
To show that people mock zero waste programs
To suggest that zero waste programs can be fun
Read the paragraph from the article:
The Zero Waste Institute was founded by Paul Palmer, a chemist who pioneered the zero waste concept in the 1970s. The organization considers recycling a last resort, and calls instead for industry and consumers to stop generating waste in the first place. Only then can zero waste truly be achieved.
The author uses the word "generating" to mean:
Creating
Reusing
Consuming
Recycling
Which sentence from the article explains a CENTRAL idea of the entire article?
Animals release carbon dioxide as waste.
One example of a zero waste product is a refillable glass bottle.
Composting is a way of letting food scraps break down into soil.
Zero waste programs can help save resources.
What is the CENTRAL idea of the section "Doing More With Less"?
Places need to encourage people and businesses to create zero waste.
Recycling glass bottles takes a lot of energy and equipment.
Refilling glass bottles is better for the environment than recycling.
People in California have been composting their food scraps for a long time.
Which TWO statements are CENTRAL ideas of the article?
Zero waste is the idea that everything gets reused and nothing is thrown away.
More zero waste programs for people and businesses can help conserve resources.
Plants and animals use each other's waste as part of nature's zero waste processes.
The Zero Waste Institute was founded by a chemist named Paul Palmer in the 1970s.
