Located at the western part of Hangzhou City, less than 5 kilometers from the West Lake, Xixi National Wetland Park is a unique spot considering its urban neighborhood. The park is the first and only wetland park     1     (combine) urban life with farming and culture.

The park     2     (consist) of three causeways and ten famous sights covers     3     total area of 11.5 square kilometers. River ports, ponds, small lakes and marshes occupy approximately 70%of the park, which explains its wetland environment. With many rivers, the whole wetland     4     (divide) into different sections: the east, the west and the central part. The latter is the very place    5     attracts the majority of tourists while the other parts are fairly quiet. Recently the government set up ecological protection zones. There is also a Wetland Science Exhibition Hall     6     (find) at the park's main entrance.

The park has a long history with profound cultural heritage and it has even been regarded     7     a pure land for hermits (隐士). With its wonderful landscape and natural environment Xixi is not only a paradise for plants.     8     also many birds too. With flocks of birds flying freely in the sky, Xixi is a     9     (harmony) window to a natural eco-system.

Xixi National Wetland Park is also the place where the annual “Xixi International Dragon BoatRace” is held.     10     (traditional), this festival was to mourn the patriotic poet Qu Yuan   (343 BC–278 BC) but now Xixi International Dragon Boat Race, with its strong charm and traditional customs, has become a carnival for all Hangzhou citizens.

It’s not a secret     1     spending time in nature is good for you. For years, scientists have been detailing how people who live near green spaces have     2    (good) physical and mental health. Practices which have a strong outdoor component     3    (be) popular here in the United States.

My     4    (curious) was aroused when a colleague recently recommended one of our patients to experiment with     5    (walk) barefoot in the grass for a short time each day. A few weeks later, I came across an article that gave a name to that practice—grounding. The idea behind grounding, also    6    (call) earthing, is that humans evolved in direct contact with the earth’s subtle(不易察觉的) electric charge. But we have lost that connection and     7     loss of connection is due to inventions such as buildings, furniture and shoes.

    8    (support) of grounding say this “disconnect” might be contributing to some diseases that are     9    (particular) common in industrialized societies. There is actually some science behind this. Barefoot contact with the earth can produce nearly instant changes     10     various ways, helping to improve sleep, reduce pain, decrease muscle tension and lower stress.

Antarctica is one of the hardest-to-reach     1    (place) on Earth. But a recent report    2    (reveal) that ships going to Antarctica have connections to ports around the world. That greatly raises the chance that plants or animals from outside could invade this     3    (protect) area.

Scientists tracked all the ships going to Antarctica between 2014 and 2018. Most ships came directly     4     one of five main ports that serve Antarctica. Still, there were 53 other ports that sent ships straight to the area.

The researchers also looked at     5    many different ports these ships stopped at. They found ships that visited Antarctica had connections to 1,581 ports all around the world.

The scientists worry that ships     6    (travel) to Antarctica from all around the world are much     7    (likely) to bring invasive species. This could bring serious damage to the area that has been fairly well protected so far.

Invasive species are animals or plants that arrive in a place    8    they don’t normally live. When invasive species     9    (bring) to a new location, they can often spread quite quickly, forcing out other plants and animals that live there     10    (nature).