Beforethegrasshasthickenedontheroadsideverges(边缘)andleaveshavestartedgrowingonthetreesisaperfecttimetolookaroundandseejusthowdirtyBritainhasbecome.Thepavementsarestained（污染）withchewinggumthathasbeenspatoutandthegutters（排水沟）arefullofdiscardedfastfoodcartons（纸板箱）.YearsagoIremembertravellingabroadandbeingsaddenedbytheplasticbagsdiscardedbottlesandsoilednappiesattheedgeofeveryroad.NowadaysBritainseemstolookatleastasbad.Whathasgonewrong?

Theproblemisthattherubbishcreatedbyourincreasinglymobileliveslastsalotlongerthanbefore.Ifitisnotclearedupandproperlythrownawayitstaysintheundergrowthforyears;asemi-permanent（半永久性的）reminderofwhatatatty（不整洁的）littlecountrywehavenow.

Firstlyitisestimatedthat10billionplasticbagshavebeengiventoshoppers.Thesewilltakeanythingfrom100to1000yearstorot.Howeveritisnotasifthereisnosolutiontothis.AfewyearsagotheIrishgovernmentintroducedataxonnon-recyclablecarrierbagsandinthreemonthsreducedtheiruseby90%.WhenhewasaministerMichaelMeacherattemptedtointroduceasimilararrangementinBritain.Theplasticsindustryprotestedofcourse.Howevertheyneednothavebothered;theideawaskilledbeforeitcoulddrawbreathleavingsupermarketsfreetogiveawayplasticbags.

Whatisclearlynecessaryrightnowissomesortofcombinedinitiative（首创精神）bothindividualandcollective(集体)beforeitistoolate.Thealternativeistocontinueslidingdownhilluntilwehaveacountrythatlookslikeavastmunicipalrubbishtip.Wemaywellbeatthetippingpoint.Yetweknowthatpeoplerespondtotheirenvironment.Ifthingsaroundthemarecleanandtidypeoplebehavecleanlyandtidily.Iftheyaresurroundedbysqualor（肮脏的）theybehavesqualidly.NowmuchofBritainlooksprettysqualid（卑劣的）.Whatwillitlooklikeinfiveyears?

12.Accordingtothewriterthingsusedtobe .

A.badabroad.

B.goodabroad.

C.betterabroad.

D.worsebutnowthingsarebetterabroad.

13.WhenMichaelMeacherwasaministerhe .

A.followedtheIrishexamplewithataxonplasticbags.

B.triedtofollowtheIrishexamplewithataxon