Water Bottles：Handy or Harmful？
In recent years，more and more people have come to realize the bad influence plastic water bottles have on the environment.However，their use is still on the increase.
  Americans buy nearly 100 billion bottles of water every year.Stack （堆疊） those up，and you could build a tower that reaches all the way from the Earth to the Moon—60 times!Why do we love bottled water so much？It's easy—you just take it and go，and throw away the bottle when you're done.And it is healthy，compared with sugary sodas and sports drinks.But there's more to the story.
   The truth is，bottled water often isn't any better than the water many people can get from a tap.In fact，more than half of all bottled water is tap water.This includes popular brands like Aquafina and Dasani，which sell tap water that has been run through a filter （過(guò)濾器）.
   And chances are that the water from your tap has been tested more carefully than bottled water.Most cities check tap water for dangerous germs （細(xì)菌） and chemicals.The rules for bottled water are less strict.
  Perhaps the biggest problem with water bottles lies in the containers themselves.They create huge amounts of litter.Remember those 100 billion bottles we use every year？Less than one-third of them get recycled.The rest go into landfills （垃圾填埋場(chǎng)），where they can take hundreds of years to break down.Or they are left behind as litter on our streets and in our parks.Some end up in oceans，where sea animals can eat parts of them and get sick or die.
   But not everyone can just avoid bottled water.Around the world，more than 2 billion people only have access to water that contains harmful germs or chemicals.If they were to drink this water，they could get very sick.They could even die.They don't drink bottled water because it's easy.They drink it because they need it.
   Some bottled water has fluoride （氟化物），which protects your teeth.If your tap water doesn't have fluoride，bottled water could be a healthy choice for you.Also，if there were no bottled water，you might drink a soda or a sports drink.Sugary drinks like these are a big part of why so many Americans are overweight.

請(qǐng)將答案寫(xiě)在答題卡上
（1）How many bottles of water do Americans buy every year？

Nearly 100 billion bottles of water.

Nearly 100 billion bottles of water.

（2）According to the article，what kind of water do Aquafina and Dasani offer？

Tap water that has been run through a filter.

Tap water that has been run through a filter.

（3）Why is tap water sometimes even better than bottled water？

Because it has been tested more carefully than bottled water in most cities.或The rules for bottled water are less strict.

Because it has been tested more carefully than bottled water in most cities.或The rules for bottled water are less strict.

（4）What happens to the used water bottles that don't get recycled？

They go to landfills or are left behind as litter on our streets and in our parks，or they end up in oceans.

They go to landfills or are left behind as litter on our streets and in our parks，or they end up in oceans.

（5）Is it better for everyone to just stop drinking bottled water？Why or why not？

No，it isn't.Because people in some areas don't have access to clean and safe water.They really need battled water.

No，it isn't.Because people in some areas don't have access to clean and safe water.They really need battled water.