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 36 to 42.

Plastic bags are used by everybody. From a vegetable vendor to a designer store, everyone seems touse them. Even though they are one of the modern conveniences that we seem to be unable to do without,they are responsible for causing pollution, killing wildlife, and using up the precious resources of theEarth. But, most of us are blissfully unaware of the repercussions that are occurring and will take placein the future because of the plastic bags.

Every once in a while, the government passes out an order banning store owners from providing plasticbags to customers for carrying their purchases, with little lasting effect. Plastic bags are very popular withboth retailers as well as consumers because they are cheap, strong, lightweight, functional, as well as ahygienic means of carrying food as well as other goods. About a hundred billion plastic bags are usedevery year in the U.S. alone. And then, when one considers the huge economies and populations of India,China, Europe, and other parts of the world, the numbers can be staggering. The problem is furtherexacerbated by the developed countries shipping off their plastic waste to developing countries like India.

Once they are used, most bags go into landfills. Each year, more and more bags are ending up litteringthe environment. Once they become litter, plastic bags find their way into our waterways, parks, beaches,and streets. And, if they are burned, they infuse the air with toxic fumes. About 100,000 animals, such asdolphins, turtles, whales, penguins are killed every year due to these bags. Many animals ingest plastic bags, mistaking them for food, and therefore, die. And worse, the ingested plastic bag remains intacteven after the death and decomposition of the animal. Thus, it lies around in the landscape where anothervictim may ingest it. One of the worst environmental effects is that they are non-biodegradable. Thedecomposition takes about 400 years. No one will live so long to witness the decomposition of plastic!
Thus, save the environment for the future generations as well as animals.

Petroleum products are diminishing and getting more expensive by the day, since we have used thisnonrenewable resource increasingly. And to make plastic, about 60-100 million barrels of oil are neededevery year around the world. Surely, this precious resource should not be wasted on producing plasticbags, should it? Petroleum is vital for our modern way of life. It is necessary for our energy requirements- for our factories, transportation, heating, lighting, and so on. Without viable alternative sources ofenergy yet on the horizon, if the supply of petroleum were to be turned off, it would lead to practicallythe entire world grinding to a halt. So, what can be done? A tote bag can make a good substitute forcarrying groceries and the shopping. You can keep the big with the cashier, and then put your purchasesinto it instead of the usual plastic bag. Recycling the bags you already have is another good idea. Thesecan come into use for various purposes, like holding your garbage, instead of purchasing new ones. Whilegovernments may be working out ways to lessen the impact of plastic bags on the environment; however,each of us should shoulder some of the responsibility for this problem, which ultimately harms us. Plasticsare not only non-biodegradable, but are one of the major pollutants of the sea. For a clean and greenenvironment, try to use alternatives to plastic whenever and wherever possible. Cut down your use ofplastic, and do your bit to save our planet. (Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/)

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