比起扔掉舊的、不想要的或壞了的電子產品，修理它們，用它們升級再造新物，既環保又能讓人充滿成就感。本文討論如何避免產生電子垃圾，并在回收利用舊物的過程中賺點錢。

詞匯：repair and recycle 維修和回收再利用

Have you got any gadgets hanging around your home that you no longer want or use? Between us, we have millions of bits of tech stockpiled in drawers that could be given a new lease of life.

Part of the problem for our unloved gadgets is that many become obsolete quickly because their software doesn’t get updated. Other items are left unused because they’re broken or they’ve become superseded by a fancy new version. Many of these items are electronics, but despite them appearing to be past their sell-by date, they don’t need to end up in landfill.

There are several ways to make the most of our unwanted gadgets. Recycling is the obvious solution. Materials used to make them can be extracted and reused in other things. As an example, Elisabeth Ratcliffe from the Royal Society of Chemistry told the BBC: “There are about thirty different elements just in a smartphone, and many of them are very rare.” These can be used in touch screens and solar panels.

Probably the best antidote to our throwaway culture is to repair our broken tech. This takes patience and skill, which can be learnt at repair clubs and repair cafés –free meeting places where you’ll find tools and materials to help you make any repairs you need. In the UK, the interest in mending our stuff and giving it a new life is reflected by the popularity of a TV series called The Repair Shop, where craftspeople rescue and resurrect items their owners thought were beyond saving.

A final option for your discarded gadgets is to upcycle them. You can breathe new life into unwanted stuff by transforming it into valuable pieces or collectable retroitems. These could be sold on, meaning you can make some cash from your junk and create much needed space in your home!

詞匯表

stockpile 囤積
a new lease of life 使用壽命延長
obsolete 廢棄的，淘汰的
unused 閑置的
superseded 被取代
electronics 電子產品
past (their) sell-by date 不再為人所用（原意：過了保質期）
landfill 垃圾填埋場
recycling 回收利用
extracted 被提取
element 部件
antidote 緩解辦法，對抗手段
throwaway culture 一次性文化
repair 維修，修復
tool 工具，器具
repair（名詞） 修理，修補
mend 修理，修補
craftspeople 手藝人，工匠
resurrect 恢復，重新使用
discarded 廢棄的，丟棄的
upcycle 升級再造，改造
breathe new life into something 賦予生機，注入活力
transform 使…大變樣
junk 破爛，垃圾

測驗與練習

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。

1. What often happens to gadgets when their software is not updated?

2. Where can you get help with repairing your old gadgets?

3. True or false? Upcycling involves fixing your gadgets so you can use them again.

4. Which TV programme has proved popular in the UK?

5. What is one benefit of selling your unwanted stuff?

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. A hot cup of tea is the perfect _______ to sleepiness in the morning. 

breathe new life         fancy                            antidote                      resurrect

2. I was so angry when my _______ new smartphone was stolen.

fancy                          obsolete                       tech                            discarded

3. I gave my bike a _______ by just oiling the chain and pumping up the tyres!

new life lease             new lease of life          new leasing of life       life lease

4. After the rock concert, the field was filled with _______ bottles and bags – it was a real mess!

junk                            landfill                          discarded                    extracted

5. Setting up a website and selling its products online has _______ the business.

transforming               transform                     transforms                   transformed

答案

1.  閱讀課文并回答問題。  

1. What often happens to gadgets when their software is not updated?
They become obsolete.

2. Where can you get help with repairing your old gadgets?
You can join a repair club or visit a repair café.

3. True or false? Upcycling involves fixing your gadgets so you can use them again.
False. Upcycling involves turning items into something different.

4. Which TV programme has proved popular in the UK?
The Repair Shop has been a popular TV programme in the UK.

5. What is one benefit of selling your unwanted stuff?
Selling your unwanted stuff makes you money and creates space in your home.

2.  選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。

1. A hot cup of tea is the perfect antidote to sleepiness in the morning.

2. I was so angry when my fancy new smartphone was stolen.

3. I gave my bike a new lease of life by just oiling the chain and pumping up the tyres!

4. After the rock concert, the field was filled with discarded bottles and bags – it was a real mess!

5. Setting up a website and selling its products online has transformed the business.