8th Grade English worksheets - Edform - Free Printable

Here's the solution to the reading comprehension task based on the provided text:

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Question 1: In 2011, a small part of the cost of the bin was paid in Wales. Shops were no longer allowed to give away free plastic bags to their customers. Instead, they had to charge a fee of 5p per bag, which was collected and given to charity. The results were amazing – within a year, the demand for supermarket bags fell by about ninety-six percent. The extra charge was enough to make Welsh shoppers change their habits and remember to take their own bags wherever they went shopping.

What was the result of a huge campaign, which was supported by a national newspaper, the Daily Mail, as well as various politicians and green campaigners? It is incredibly popular too. When it was introduced, it was supported by about three- nine percent of the Welsh population, but after only six months the figure was seventy percent. There is no doubt that plastic bags are bad news for the environment. Every year in the UK about eighteen billion (18,000,000,000) plastic bags are given away by supermarkets – that’s about 300 bags per person. Most of them end up in landfill sites, where they remain for hundreds of years and polluting the environment. Wildlife is affected too; for example, every year a million seabirds die when they mistake bags floating on the sea for food.

All this is bad enough, but plastic bags damage the environment in other ways too. Before they reach the shops, they have already travelled thousands of miles – most of them are made in China or India and then shipped to countries in Europe, including the UK. Then, when they have been used (for an average of twenty minutes each) and thrown away, they are often shipped back again because we are running out of space here. The solution to this problem is obvious – stop producing so many plastic bags, and stop giving them away – but shoppers in the UK have been very slow to change their ways. However, the success of the Welsh law shows that it is possible to change people’s shopping habits. According to researchers from Cardiff University, part of the reason for the popularity of the law is that the money goes to charity, and the government.

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## ✔ Answers & Explanations

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1. In 2011,

> A. Welsh shops stopped giving away free plastic bags.
> B. plastic bags were made illegal in Wales.
> C. Welsh shops stopped selling plastic bags.
> D. Welsh shoppers stopped using plastic bags.

✔ Correct Answer: A. Welsh shops stopped giving away free plastic bags.

Explanation:
The text says: *“In 2011, a small part of the cost of the bin was paid in Wales. Shops were no longer allowed to give away free plastic bags to their customers. Instead, they had to charge a fee of 5p per bag...”*
This clearly indicates that shops stopped giving them away for free — they still sold them, but at a cost. So option A is correct.
Options B, C, and D are too extreme — plastic bags weren’t made illegal, not all shops stopped selling them, and shoppers didn’t completely stop using them — just reduced usage drastically.

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2. Every year in the UK eighteen billion plastic supermarket bags

> A. are used.
> B. are eaten by birds.
> C. are bought by shoppers.
> D. go to landfill sites.

✔ Correct Answer: A. are used.

Explanation:
The text states: *“Every year in the UK about eighteen billion (18,000,000,000) plastic bags are given away by supermarkets…”*
“Given away” implies they are distributed to shoppers — meaning they are *used*. While many end up in landfills (option D), the question asks what happens to the 18 billion bags *every year*, and the passage says they are “given away” — i.e., used by consumers. Option A best captures the overall scale and action described.

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3. Most plastic bags in the UK

> A. are imported from the rest of Europe.
> B. come from outside Europe.
> C. are made locally.
> D. go to landfill sites.

✔ Correct Answer: B. come from outside Europe.

Explanation:
The text says: *“Before they reach the shops, they have already travelled thousands of miles – most of them are made in China or India and then shipped to countries in Europe, including the UK.”*
China and India are outside Europe → so option B is correct.
Option D is partially true (many end up in landfills), but the question asks where they *come from*, not where they end up.

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4. The tax is popular in Wales because the money

> A. goes to India and China.
> B. goes to good causes.
> C. changes people’s habits.
> D. helps the government.

✔ Correct Answer: B. goes to good causes.

Explanation:
The text says: *“According to researchers from Cardiff University, part of the reason for the popularity of the law is that the money goes to charity, and the government.”*
“Charity and the government” = good causes. So option B is the best summary.
While D (“helps the government”) is partially true, the text emphasizes charity *and* government — and “good causes” covers both. Also, the phrase “goes to good causes” matches the tone and intent of the passage better than just “helps the government.”

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5. In this article, the author shows

> A. support for supermarkets.
> B. no opinion.
> C. approval of the tax.
> D. sympathy to shoppers.

✔ Correct Answer: C. approval of the tax.

Explanation:
The author describes the tax as a “huge campaign,” calls the results “amazing,” notes its popularity grew from 39% to 70%, and highlights its environmental benefits. The tone is positive and supportive throughout. For example: *“The success of the Welsh law shows that it is possible to change people’s shopping habits.”*
This clearly shows approval of the tax, making C the correct answer.

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## 📝 Final Answers:
1. A
2. A
3. B
4. B
5. C

Let me know if you’d like a summary or vocabulary help from this text!