Practice 4　 Directions:　 Read the text below. Write an essay in about 120 words, in which you should summarize the key points of the text and make comments on them. Try to use your own words.　 In our modern world, when something wears out, we throw it away and buy a new one. The problem is that countries around the world have growing mountains of rubbish because people are throwing out more rubbish than ever before.　 How did we become a throwaway society? First of all, it is now easier to replace an object than to spend time and money to repair it. Thanks to modern manufacturing (制造业) and technology, companies are able to produce products quickly and inexpensively. Products are plentiful and cheap.　 Another cause is our love of disposable (一次性的) products. As busy people, we are always looking for ways to save time and make our lives easier. Companies produce thousands of different kinds of disposable products: paper plates, plastic cups, and cameras, to name a few.　 Our appetite for new products also returns to the problem. We are addicted to buying new things. Advertisements persuade us that newer is better and that we will be happier with the latest products. The result is that we throw away useful possessions to make room for new ones.　 All around the world, we can see the consequences of this throwaway lifestyle. Mountains of rubbish just keep getting bigger. To decrease the amount of rubbish and to protect the environment, more governments are requiring people to recycle materials. However, this is not enough to solve (解决) our problem.