영동일고 2026 고1 1학기 중간 · 공통영어1

The boy waits for his dad and concentrates hard. When the ball comes flying across the net rapidly, he misses it completely. He puts his hands on his knees and sighs. “Never mind,” says his dad, “Try again. Practice makes perfect.” When the boy serves the ball, it returns with full force, hitting and bruising his elbow. The boy is not having much fun. He sets the paddle on the table, saying, “I have had enough,” and leaves for his room. His dad asks for another game the next week, but the boy still has some pain in his elbow and just does not feel like taking up the challenge. When his mom suggests playing against his older brother, he turns down her suggestion because his brother is very tough. “No, thanks,” sighs the boy. “He’s going to be better than me anyway.”

We first need to understand the short but hidden history behind the plastics industry and how it became deeply rooted in our daily lives. Before plastic, people lived more sustainably, with far fewer waste problems than we face today. However, after the invention of plastic, its rapid adoption during World War II, and its explosion into consumer goods, plastic was everywhere. The growing industry came to symbolize the convenience and prosperity of the American dream. This dream came with a price. Over time, people began to notice the environmental impact, and the early seeds of today’s environmental movement were planted. However, the plastics industry was quick to counter these concerns, launching campaigns that presented recycling as the solution to all our problems. They pushed the idea that pollution was the fault of consumers, not the corporations flooding the market with plastic.

Making two visits to one of our cold greenhouses — one at dawn after a below-zero night, and the other a few hours later — provides a striking introduction to the winter harvest. During the dawn visit all the crops are frozen solid. Raising the inner covers, which is difficult because they too are frozen, reveals a sight of hard, frost-coated leaves bleak enough to convince anyone that this idea is foolish. Yet a few hours later, after the sun has warmed the greenhouses above freezing, the second visit presents a miraculous contrast. Under the inner covers are closely spaced rows of vigorous, healthy leaves that stretch the length of the greenhouse. The leaf colors in different shades of greens, reds, maroons, and yellows stand bright against the dark soil. It looks like a never-ending spring.