Prastic - A wonderful invention (2/2)

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Furthermore, a research company predicts that foods now packed in steel cans will also eventually be packed in plastic containers. These will weigh less than steel and will not use up precious natural resources. Business and consumers benefit from the many advantages of plastic.

Not only private industry but also the Army is testing the uses of plastic in the form of helmets, bulletproof vests, plastic car engines, jet planes with partly plastic wings, and plastic parts on submarines.

In the field of medical science, amazing progress has been made with plastic in recent years. Many defective organs of the body can now be replaced by artificial ones made mostly of plastic. The possibilities are really endless and exciting. Artificial hearts, as well as knees, hips, and other joints have already becomes a reality. Biomedical engineers are doing more and more research in this area.

One serious problem with plastic is the fact that it is not biodegradable - that is, it does not decompose. Even after years of being in a garbage dump, plastic remain plastic. Currently, however, researchers are working on biodegradable plastic, which will reduce the amount of garbage generated. Biodegradable plastic will also be recyclable into new plastic products. The amount of garbage will be further reduced when plastic can be used over and over again.

We can easily see that people will use plastic for a long, long time. Doctors, plumbers, and people everywhere benefit from using plastic in one form or another. The plastic industry continues to grow, because there are always new ways to use this material. Without a doubt, the Plastic Age is with us.

active plastic

Prastic - A wonderful invention (1/2)

Man has lived in the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and now we are in the Plastic Age. When plastic was a new material, it was cheap both in quality and in cost. Anything made of plastic was usually an inferior copy of a stronger, higher-quality item. Older adults can recall the poor-quality toys, handbags, shower curtains, shoes, etc., that were made in large numbers after World War II.

Today, however, the value of plastic has changed completely, because scientists have learned better ways to make a wide variety of quality plastics. It is currently possible to manufacture plastic so strong and so versatile that it can replace steel, aluminum, glass, and even paper. American automobile manufacturers are planning to make cars with plastic bumpers and fenders in the near future. Japanese auto makers are working on plastic car windows. These have the advantage of not only being lighter but also reflecting heat better than glass. Ultimately, any metal car parts will no doubt be replaced by plastic. With the use of plastic, rust problems will be eliminated, and repairs should be less expensive.

Food companies are also working with plastic for packaging their products. Many are putting precooked food into plastic bags that can be heated in either microwave or conventional ovens. One company now uses a squeezable plastic bottle for ketchup, making it easy to use up all the ketchup. In the conventional glass bottle, it was nearly impossible to get out all the ketchup. The plastic container is a little more expensive than the glass bottle, but shipping costs are lower because plastic weighs less. Another important point about plastic is that it does not break.

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Free Time - Why do we always lose it? (2/2)

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Where does the free time go? This question persists in spite of growing list of timesaving devices that come into our lives. We don't have leisure time: time to relax, to talk peacefully with family or friends. In fact, all kinds of "organizers" (an efficient system of recording appointments) are sold in large numbers. We are busy, busy, busy.

The answer to the free time question seem to be that people find new activities for their leisure time. They do things they always wanted to do but didn't have the time. That's how they get busy all over again. Colleges have more and more older adults as students. Going to class and doing homework keep them quite busy. People of all ages also do a lot of traveling. They travel across the United States and also visit foreign countries. In this way they get an education in the real world.

Some people learn how to play golf and other sports. These games give people a new interest in life and make it easy to meet new people. Other people like to use leisure time to do things with their hands - like gardening and painting pictures. These activities are very relaxing. Many Americans are very busy keeping their bodies in good condition. Every morning joggers run through the streets; in the evenings they go to gyms to do exercises; and sometimes they go to lectures to learn about eating properly.

It's easy to see that people always do something new and enjoyable with their free time. It's always hard to find more free time for that relaxing bath or unhurried walk without a destination.

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Free Time - Why do we always lose it? (1/2)

Americans use all kinds of wonderful things that make life easy and save lots of time - things like cars, computers, phones, and dishwashers. In spite of this, people lack free time in their lives; they keep wishing for it. We rarely have time for a long, relaxing bath or an unhurried walk without a destination. People seem to be always busy. The question is, with all the timesaving devices we use today, where does the free time go?

Today we shop in supermarkets. We can store a week's supply of meat and vegetables in spacious refrigerators. Dependable freezers enable us to store food for months. This save a great deal of time.

Food itself has become "fast". Famous fast-food shops seem to be everywhere. Even coffee comes in an instant form. For those who want other types of meals at home, there is a large variety of foods to choose from: fresh food, prepared food, canned food, and frozen food. Microwave ovens defrost frozen food in minutes. It is no longer necessary to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals; food companies do most of the work for us. This saves much time and works.

We even have a choice of how to serve food at home. We can use paper plates or dishes that can be cleaned in an automatic dishwasher. Either way we save a lot of time.

There are always new inventions that do things faster and easier. We can clean our teeth quickly with an electric toothbrush. We never have to touch a garage door to open or close it; an "electric eye" takes care of that. Television sets can be worked by remote control.

The timesaving tricks that modern telephones can do are really amazing. Dialing numbers has become old-fashioned; gently tapping them is much faster. Phones with a memory are now available. By tapping a preset code number, we can make a call. Phones in cars are becoming very popular, too. Being able to drive and talk saves a lot of time.
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(to be continued)

Popular Types of Student Housing

When U.S. students leave home and move to another city to attend a university, they have three popular types of housing to consider. One popular type is student dormitories. Dorms are especially good during the first year because they usually provide meals and offer opportunities for making friends. Another popular type of housing is apartments. They are especially good for people who like to cook or have special dietary or personal needs. Still another popular type of housing is student cooperative houses, sometimes called co-ops for short, which are available near many American universities. In these democratically-run houses, students do household tasks, such as cooking, shopping, or cleaning, to keep the operating costs low. Thus, before signing a contract, students should think carefully about the best type of housing for them.