Table of Contents
California says ExxonMobil lied about recycling plastic. ExxonMobil makes a lot of plastic that becomes trash. For 50 years, ExxonMobil said recycling can fix the plastic problem. But this is not true.
Recycling plastic is hard. Only a little bit of plastic is recycled. Experts say that when people think recycling is helpful, they use more plastic. This makes more plastic trash. California blames the oil industry for plastic pollution.
In 2022, California started to find out how the oil industry caused the plastic problem.
In 1989, ExxonMobil had an ad in Time magazine saying recycling is urgent. But by 2015, less than 10% of plastic was recycled. Most plastic went to landfills or into the environment.
ExxonMobil says bad recycling is California’s problem and they wanted to work with California to fix it.
Vocabulary
- Lie – To say something that is not true
- Recycle – to use again; to change trash into something useable; repurpose; ♻️
- Trash – garbage; waste; something you don’t want or need anymore and can’t be used
- Fix – repair; to make something work again or be better
- True – correct; real
- Hard – not easy; difficult
- Expert – a person with a lot of knowledge and experience in a trade, job or profession
- Helpful – makes things easier or better
- Blame – to feel, think or say that someone did something wrong;
- Oil – A thick black or brown liquid found underground used for fuel/energy and making things like plastic
- Industry – business field; area of work or business; type of business
- Find out – discover; learn; understand
- Pollution – damage caused to water, air, etc. by harmful substances like chemicals or waste
- Cause – make something (usually bad) happen; create
- Advertisement (ad)- marketing or sales material; a notice or sign to promote something
- Urgent – Very important and needs immediate attention; something you have to do now because it’s important
- Landfill – an area where garbage/trash is collected and put under the ground and/or piled up
- Environment – the natural world; the place we live; the area around us; nature; Earth
Discussion Questions
- How can we use less plastic?
- What do you know about recycling plastic? Has your opinion changed after reading this article?
- Who should make products safer for people and the environment, governments or companies?
- Do you think other oil companies lied to people like ExxonMobil did?
- English teachers looking for teaching ideas, check out my post on using easy news articles for lessons.
- English learners looking for study ideas, check out my post on using news stories for English practice.
Original Story
Fill-in-the-Blank Listening Practice
California says ExxonMobil lied _____ recycling plastic. ExxonMobil makes a lot of plastic that _____ trash. For 50 years, ExxonMobil said recycling can fix the plastic _____. But this is not true.
Recycling plastic is _____. Only a little bit of plastic is recycled. Experts say that when people think _____ is helpful, they use more plastic. This makes more _____ trash. California blames the oil industry for plastic _____.
In 2022, California started to _____ out how the oil industry caused the plastic problem.
In _____, ExxonMobil had an ad in Time magazine saying recycling is urgent. But by _____, less than 10% of plastic was recycled. Most plastic went to landfills or into the _____.
ExxonMobil says _____ recycling is California’s problem and they wanted to work with California to _____ it.
