Chemicals used for industrial processes often create dangerous forms of waste. The amount of these chemicals has risen heavily in the past few years, as more areas of the world industrialize and new products are produced. Over 80,000 different chemicals are used in industries world wide. Around the world hundreds of millions of tons of harmful waste are produced each year. Often, it is difficult and expensive to get rid of these chemicals or to store them in a way that does not endanger human life and the environment.
Every year, major health problems result from harmful waste. Sadly, it is often when someone has died or, become seriously ill that governments will take action and reduce levels of dumped harmful waste. In 1989, a school in New Jersey had to be closed because students there had suffered too much exposure to chromium. It was later learned that large amounts of chromium had been dumped nearby and blown over to the school area.
Research has been done to provide information on the effects of every chemical. Because waste chemicals often mix together, it will also be necessary to learn how the combinations of these chemicals affect human health.
Some governments have realized how serious the problem is and are making laws to get rid of harmful waste. They are also trying to limit the amount of waste industries are allowed to produce.
Not only governments but the public as well must form part of the solution. They can choose not to buy those products which require the production of harmful waste, attempt to affect policymakers, and produce less harmful waste themselves. Many scientists think that waste production can be cut. The waste can be reduced by at least one-third using existing technologies and methods.
57.What is mainly discussed in the text?
A The effect of every chemical.
B.Problems of harmful waste.
C.Chemicals used for industrial processes.
D.Events related to waste chemicals.
58.From the text we know that ______.
A.chromium can poison people when there is a wind
B.chromium pollution makes the local government close the school
C.Some governments don’t realize how serious the problems are until people suffer a lot from harmful waste
D.about two-thirds of the waste can pollute the environment
59.Which of the following least matches the solution the writer refers to?
A.Chemicals used for industrial processes should be banned.
B.People can make use of the existing technologies and methods to reduce the waste
C.Policymakers make laws to limit the production of harmful waste.
D.People choose not to buy products which may produce harmful waste.
60.The writer of the text thinks that ______.
A.governments should have forbidden the production of waste chemicals
B.mixed waste chemicals can always be stored without endangering people
C.industries must not produce waste chemicals which harm people so much
D.everyone can do something to help solve the problem of waste chemicals