【推荐1】While even the mention of a shark swimming close to shore is enough to make people hurry to ask for cover, the “WasteShark” is being welcomed with open arms. WasteShark is a tool designed to “eat” all_______trash along coastal waters.

Richard Hardiman_______the idea about four years ago, after_______two men using a fishing net to pick up plastic waste gathering along the Cape Town. “Their only_______to stop this trash going out was the guy in the front with a net,” Hardiman said in his speech. “I thought_______, ‘I could do that better.’” The inventor first made a model and tested it in his pool. It_______! Encouraged by the success, Hardiman worked with companies to_______his dream.

Coming on the market in 2016, WasteShark draws_______from the whale shark, which can take in large_______of small fish without much movement. WasteShark’s “mouth” can________plastic bottles and other waste from up to a foot________the water’ s surface.

WasteShark can work for up to eight hours on a single________and collect as much as 1,120 pounds of waste________returning to the collection point. WasteShark can also collect data, so officials can________the area’s water quality. It causes no noise or light pollution. ________, collecting the plastic before it gets to sea will help________the rare wildlife.

“WasteShark is cheaper,________and more successful than other methods of dealing with trash in water,” said Oliver Cunningham, officer at an environmental technology company. Thus far, WasteSharks have successfully helped________the harbor waters in five countries. On March 4, 2019, the UK’s Sky Ocean Rescue and the World Wildlife Fund________a WasteShark in the Ilfracombe Harbor, which is________to many different species.

【推荐3】On May 7, “eco-mermaid” Merle Liivand _________her own world record by swimming a full marathon’s distance with a single fin (鳍) in Biscayne Bay, Florida. When Merle Liivand was a child, she had health problems, and began swimming to help her lungs get _________ . In one training session, she nearly wound up swallowing some _________ that was floating in the sea.

That _________ made her think of all the sea animals who faced _________ pollution every day. She decided to work to make people more aware of plastic pollution. Inspired by sea creatures, she began swimming with a special single swimming fin _________ both of her feet. This single fin allows her to swim by _________both of her legs together. She believes swimming with it _________“a bigger message”.

Since 2019, she’s broken records, swimming vast distances—first in California, then in Florida, and this time swimming the _________ of a full marathon. Despite encountering challenges like jellyfish stings, she __________ , collecting trash along her route. Her dedication extends beyond records; it’s about community and global __________.

During her__________, a friend kayaked (划皮划艇) alongside, providing food and water and collecting the trash she __________ . By the end of her marathon, the kayak held three bags full of trash. Liivand’s actions aim to __________ a bigger goal: it’s not just about achievements, but about making a __________ impact on the world.

【推荐1】Every year, my high school’s Chinese club sponsors an event to celebrate Chinese New Year called “China Night.” During the evening, we show _________ Chinese culture with various booths (摊位) featuring activities like Chinese yoyo, calligraphy, and chess. There is also a finale with _________ that include dragon/ lion dances, songs, and classical Chinese instruments.

For this year’s event, I played cello (大提琴) in a string quartet (弦乐四重奏). We _________ famous scores (插曲) from Chinese cinema such as Raise the Red Lantern and To Live. Quartets remind me of Chinese dragon dances. Each player is _________ in the quartet just as each dancer contributes to the dance performance. The whole could not _________ without individual effort. Performing gave me a great sense of _________: not only was I playing music from my culture, but I was _________ it with others.

During one particular break, I told my friends to meet me at one of the _________ booths. My friends are quite _________, with ethnicities (种族渊源) from Germany, Russia and India. I was excited to see my friends __________ some traditional Chinese foods, although I __________ how they might react. As they tasted the mooncake, their facial expressions changed from caution to __________. They really enjoyed tasting Chinese foods. Perhaps more than any other __________ during the evening, this gave me a deep sense of pride in my culture.

Through attending China Night, I was surprised to see how enthusiastically my community __________ Chinese culture and how everyone was so __________ to trying new things.