Reduce

Question

A. Gautam

A landfill in Hawaii

A thrift store
You’ve heard the three Rs in reduce, reuse, and recycle. The most important step for the environment is reduce. More specifically, consider reducing your purchase for the long-term goal of waste reduction.

According to the author Adam Minter, who has done an extensive research on waste, an average thrift store in America only sells about one-third of the items on its shelves. Most of the stuff makes its way to the dump, which in turn, ends up in the landfill.

Items both big and small create waste. These days, even electronics are made cheaper and lighter, and consequently, of a shorter shelf life. Rather than fixing a broken keyboard, people prefer buying a new keyboard on sale, which they can do with a click of a button from the comfort of their homes. Televisions today head quicker to the electronics recycler than they did ten years ago. Whatever can’t be recycled ends up in the dump.

Think before you buy a thing
Did you know that an average American teenager spends $104 weekly? A study done by Teenage Research Unlimited discovered that the total adds up to $5408 a year. How much of what teens buy do they really need?

Think about the items you buy the most. Did you (or your parents) purchase stuff just because it was on sale? Were you thinking about a jacket that was trendy just last spring but is now no longer cool?

Think before you really want something. Think about what possessions you’d take with you if your parents bought a smaller house, and you had to move next month. Think about the items you’ll soon be throwing to the dump. Build a habit of buying less by thinking of the future.

Buy Experience
You’ll save more than money if you reduce purchase. Buying fewer things means spending less time shopping, looking for deals, and comparing prices. You don’t have to have a boring life by never buying things. Buy less. Be like the 56 percent of American teens who have started saving money, according to Ameritrade.

Buy experiences because memories last forever, but shoes shred, and clothes fade. Go to exhibits, comedy or art shows, or even concerts (but don’t buy all the gear you see there!) Having a goal of saving for something big also helps curb your spending habits. Think about college or a car and not little things that take your cash to the dump.
Question
Read these sentences from the selection.

These days, even electronics are made cheaper and lighter and consequently, of a shorter shelf life. (paragraph 3)
Did you (or your parents) purchase stuff just because it was on sale? (paragraph 5)

These sentences help the reader understand that —
Responses
A clothes made years ago lasted a longer timeclothes made years ago lasted a longer time
B shopping can be a frustrating experienceshopping can be a frustrating experience
C a cheap price is a common reason many buy itemsa cheap price is a common reason many buy items
D people buy more electronics compared to other items

Answer 1

The correct response is:

C. a cheap price is a common reason many buy items.

The sentences provided highlight that electronics are made cheaper, leading to shorter lifespans, and that people often buy items simply because they are on sale, indicating that price significantly influences purchasing decisions.