very least, /children, teens and young adults avoid using cell phones except in emergencies.
36.Nongovernmental Organization in Denmark
①Danes pursue common interests in leisure, sports, and politics. / ②Associations are essentially nongovernmental, originating in the late nineteenth century, / when farmers and workers formed interest groups. /③Today Denmark has one of the highest proportions of association membership in the world. / ④More than 90 percent of the population belongs to an organization, / and more than 73 percent of the people have multiple
memberships in more than three hundred thousand organizations. / ⑤Organizations and associations play three important roles. / ⑥First, they have been able to develop common interests and identities among different groups of people. / ⑦Second, practical improvements in the form of production, increases in salary, / and membership discounts have been achieved. / ⑧Third, organizations participate in the political struggle for the distribution of values and goods in society. / ⑨For example, charities use sophisticated public relations campaigns to raise funds / and employ standard lobbying techniques with governments. / ⑩Interest groups may be of political importance /because of their ability to influence social and political outcomes. (160 words)
37.E-waste: Dark Side of Digital Age
①What happens to those old computers once they've been abandoned for newer
models? / ②The refuse from discarded electronics products, also known as e-waste, /often ends up in landfills instead of being recycled. / ③And that means toxic substances like lead and mercury that are commonly used in these products / can contaminate the land, water and air. / ④The United States generates more e-waste than any other nation. / ⑤Some of that waste is recycled. / ⑥For example, steel, aluminum and copper are often stripped from outdated machines and reused in newer models. /⑦But even recycled parts come at a price. /⑧ An estimated 50 to 80 percent of e-waste collected in the United States for recycling / is exported to areas such as China or India or Pakistan, / where workers taking apart the old machines are
handling toxic chemicals / that can pose serious health problems. / ⑨Luckily, some manufacturers are beginning to assume greater responsibility for / what happens to their products after they become out-of-date. (158 words)
38.Children's Health
①It seems we have developed such a fast paced society of convenience / that kids today don't play outside much anymore. / ②But they would rather stay inside and have things done for them. /③They spend too much time inside on the sofa / and neglect any kind of physical activity, / which causes a state of being inactive and unhealthy. /④Inactive kids have a higher risk of becoming obese, / having high blood pressure and a higher risk of heart disease. /
⑤Along with being inactive, / kids today don't get enough personal interaction with other kids, / causing them to have a lack of interpersonal skills. / ⑥Besides, their parents and grandparents allow children to have everything they want. / ⑦Parents' spoiling only makes for an attitude of selfishness. / ⑧To avoid this situation, parents should encourage their kids to spend more time out of the house, / such as playing basketball in a community basketball team. (147 words)
39.Information Age
①The Information Age means something different to everyone. / ②In 1956 in the United States, researchers noticed that / the number of people holding \collar\jobs had just exceeded the