IELTS Reading • Academic & General B1

🛍️ The Plastic Bag Charge

Focus: Skimming for main ideas, scanning for data points, and distinguishing False from Not Given.

For Teachers

Allocate approximately 15 minutes for this lesson and guide learners to skim before reading in detail.

Encourage students to verify exact textual evidence for every answer rather than relying on memory.

For Learners

Step 1: Read the questions first and underline key scanning words such as dates, names, or figures.

Step 2: Locate the target paragraph in the text and match the underlying meaning before answering.

Reading Passage

Does charging for plastic bags work?

Paragraph A

In 2015, England started a 5p charge for single-use plastic bags in large shops. Did it work?

Paragraph B

Government figures published in 2020 gave some answers. They said that the biggest supermarkets gave out more than 95% fewer single-use bags than in 2014. In 2019 to 2020, the average person in England bought 4 single-use bags from the main supermarkets, compared with 140 in 2014.

Paragraph C

Ireland also tried a bag charge. It started a charge of 15 cents in 2002. Use of plastic bags fell by about 90%.

Paragraph D

However, there is a warning. The environmental group Greenpeace said that sales of more expensive "bags for life" had gone up. It also said that these bags contain more plastic than single-use bags.

Questions 1–2: True / False / Not Given

Do the following statements agree with the information given in the reading passage?

TRUE if the statement agrees with the information • FALSE if the statement contradicts the information • NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

1. The biggest supermarkets gave out over 95% fewer single-use bags than in 2014, according to government figures.

____ TRUE ____ FALSE ____ NOT GIVEN

2. Shoppers in Ireland protested strongly against the introduction of the 15-cent bag levy in 2002.

____ TRUE ____ FALSE ____ NOT GIVEN

Questions 3–4: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

3. Why does the writer mention Ireland in Paragraph C?

____ A. To prove that a 15-cent charge is more effective than a 5p fee ____ B. To give an earlier example of a bag charge after which the use of plastic bags fell ____ C. To suggest that England copied Ireland's exact recycling rules ____ D. To argue that consumers in Ireland care more about litter than consumers in England

4. What is Greenpeace's main concern regarding "bags for life" in Paragraph D?

____ A. Supermarkets are making an unfair profit from charging high prices for them ____ B. Shoppers prefer ordinary carrier bags and refuse to buy reusable alternatives ____ C. They contain more plastic than single-use bags ____ D. English supermarkets do not have enough stock to meet customer demand

Questions 5–6: Information Matching

Which paragraph contains the following information? Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

5. A numerical comparison of individual plastic bag purchases across two different time periods.

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

6. A warning from an environmental group about a type of bag.

____ Paragraph A ____ Paragraph B ____ Paragraph C ____ Paragraph D

Questions 7–8: Sentence Completion

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.

7. In 2015, England started a charge for single-use plastic bags in large shops. The charge was

____ (Your answer) .

8. Greenpeace warned that more expensive "bags for life" contain more plastic than single-use bags, and that their

____ (Your answer) had gone up.

Reading: Does charging for plastic bags work?

🛍️ The Plastic Bag Charge

Does charging for plastic bags work?

Questions 1–2: True / False / Not Given

Questions 3–4: Multiple Choice

Questions 5–6: Information Matching

Questions 7–8: Sentence Completion

Related lessons

IELTS Speaking: Recycling and Waste

Vocabulary: Recycling and Waste

Writing: Recycling and Waste Statistics

Reading: Learning with Mobile Apps

Reading: Street Food Markets

Reading: A Company Newsletter