Question 2.1.1 · Inglés PAU Galicia Extraordinaria (2ª lengua extranjera) 2023

TEXT B

According to a report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), nine coastlines have been identified as the places in the Mediterranean most polluted with plastic. They include top tourist spots such as Barcelona, Marseilles, Tel-Aviv and the Venice coast near the Po River. The report stated that all Mediterranean countries had not been good at managing plastic contamination, and that 570,000 tons of plastic went into the sea each year - the equivalent of 33,800 plastic bottles every minute. Italy, for example, is apparently the largest consumer of bottled water in the world, with about 178 litres sold in plastic bottles per person, per year, while Egypt is highlighted as the biggest source of plastic waste in the Mediterranean, followed by Turkey.

In 2015 Spanish researchers warned that in the Mediterranean area plastic was being found in the stomachs of fish, birds, turtles and whales and that tiny pieces of plastic - microplastics - had also been found in oysters and mussels. In the words of the WWF, "plastic production is far too cheap, while its waste management and pollution costs are largely discharged on societies and nature. All countries must improve their whole supply chain. This is the only way we can keep plastic out of the Mediterranean Sea." In its recommendations, the report said that all Mediterranean governments should set targets to reuse and recycle 100% of plastic items, thus creating zero waste. It also called for single-use plastic items to be eliminated gradually.

2.1. READ TEXT B AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW (2.5 points)

2.1.1. Indicate whether the following statements are true or false (T/F) according to the text. Copy that part (and ONLY that part) of the text which justifies your answer. (1.5 points)

a.

Barcelona, Marseilles, Tel-Aviv and Venice are among the most polluted cities in Europe.

b.

Mediterranean countries, in general, do not tackle plastic pollution very effectively.

c.

Egypt is the country that best combats plastic pollution in the Mediterranean.

d.

Luckily molluscs due to their small size cannot eat plastic.

e.

In order to avoid plastic pollution in the Mediterranean Sea, governments have to change and improve the ways in which they move products from manufacturers to customers.

f.

The WWF recommends forbidding the use of plastic in Mediterranean countries.