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In today's throw-away society, dealing with the city's growing mountain of waste is an increasing
challenge for the city council (市议会).
Recently, Edinburgh is faced with the problem of disposing of (处理) about 250,000 million tons of
waste a year. Despite different ways to dispose of much of it in a green manner - largely through
encouraging recycling-its aging facilities such as the Powderhall landfill do not have the ability to deal
with it.
The European Union (EU) has issued a new policy, regulating how such mountains of waste are to be
disposed of. The five councils ( Edinburgh, East Lothian, West Lothian, Midlothian and Borders ) face
fines around ￡18 million a year from 2013 if they don't increase recycling levels and rely less on landfill. With this in mind, the councils got together with the idea of building a large incinerator plant (垃圾焚烧
厂) to burn half of the waste produced in their districts. But this plan fell apart after the change of target
levels by a new UK government waste policy which required that no more than 25% of the city's waste
should be disposed of in this way by 2025.
After the plan was abandoned, a private company which already transported millions of tons of the
city's waste by train to a landfill site near Dunbar, offered an alternative solution when it suggested
opening a huge waste site near Portobello.
Since Powderhall is supposed to close in 2015, it seemed necessary for the members of the Edinburgh
Council to accept the suggestion. But soon they turned it down - after 700 local objections reached
them - because it would have meant hundreds of lorries a day making loud noise through heavily
populated areas.
That still leaves the council with a problem. By 2013, only 50% of 1995 levels of waste will be
allowed to be sent to landfill. Even if recycling targets are met, there will still be a large amount of
rubbish to be burnt up. Due to this, Edinburgh and Midlothian councils have now decided to work
together to build an incinerator plant as time to find a solution is fast running out.
1. The main way of handling waste in a green manner in Edinburgh is ________.
A. recycling
B. restoring
C. burying
D. burning
2. The five councils worked out a plan to build an incinerator plant to ________.
A. reduce the cost of burying waste
B. meet the EU requirements
C. speed up waste recycling
D. replace landfill sites
3. The city council of Edinburgh rejected the suggestion to open a huge landfill site near
Portobello because ________.
A. it came from a private company
B. the council was not interested in it
C. it was not supported by EU
D. the local people were against it
4. What is the final decision of Edinburgh and Midlothian Councils?
A. To open a new landfill nearby.
B. To close the Powderhall landfill in 2015.
C. To set up a plan for burning waste.
D. To persuade people to deduce their waste.
