本篇阅读材料 我们对垃圾的爱 垃圾成堆 选自《经济学人》(原文标题：OurloveofgarbageRubbishheaps 2012.4.14)。如果大家觉得比较简单，就当作英语四级泛读材料了解了解，认识几个新单词或新表达方式也不错。如果大家觉得这些材料理解上有难度，不妨当做挑战自己的拔高训练，希望大家都有进步。
ALTHOUGHitistheburiedtombsandthelostcitiesthatgetallthepress, oneofthemostvaluablethingsthatanarchaeologistcandigupisrubbish. Palacemuralsandheroicstatuesrecordthesanitised, officialversionofhistory, butasocietysgarbagetellsthetruestoryofhowitsmemberslived.
Withthatthoughtinmind, archaeologistsofthefutureareinforatreat. Theindustrialsocietiesoftheworldsdevelopedcountriesarethemostwastefulever, theirspoorturningupineverycorneroftheEarth. Almostbydefinition, wasteissomethingthatmostpeopleprefernottothinktoomuchabout. ButEdwardHumes, anAmericanjournalist, isfascinatedbythestuff. Garbologyishisattempttomakesenseofourhistoricallyunprecedentedreadinesstothrowthingsaway.
ThebookbeginsatthePuenteHillslandfill, anartificialmountainnearLosAngeles. ItisthebiggestdumpinAmerica, 30 yearsold, 150 metreshighandcontaining 130mtonnesofrubbishwithina 700-acrefootprint. Ifitwereabuilding, itwouldbeamongthe 20 tallestinthecity. Buildingarubbishpileis, itturnsout, surprisinglyhigh-tech. Themountainisagiant, putridlayer-cake, withdozensofstrataofrubbishseparatedbysoilandplasticlinersdesignedtocontainthebrewofnoxiouschemicalsthatwouldotherwiseleachintogroundwater. Therotproducesmethane, whichiscollectedviaanetworkofpipesthatpenetratethemountain, andburnedtoproduceelectricity.
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