Today, the temperature in London is expected to reach 30 plus degrees, which is     1    (usual) for London because the average high temperature in July is only 22 degrees. Going     2     the stairs and onto the platform is like jumping into a volcano that’s erupting. Each summer in London definitely seems     3     (hot) than the last. I suddenly feel a bit scared and perhaps I should start planning     4     the future. I imagine putting my flat on the market and buying a boat. That way, when the Thames     5    (rise) and there is a flood in London, I’ll still be able to get to work. Later, I’m shocked by photos     6     (show) that a hurricane in Asia has destroyed a town. Experts say this bad weather has occurred due to climate change. News like this makes me feel nervous. This inspires me     7     (start) thinking about moving to space... “    8     next station is Bank!” comes the announcement. That’s my destination. I feel a fresh wind on my face     9     (immediate) I step out of the station. Well, maybe I have been worrying too much. After all, it’s only 30     10     (degree) outside!

The climate crisis has reached new levels of destruction this year for millions of people in poor countries that didn’t cause the problem,     1    (lead) to losses so huge that it is hard for many in richer countries to even understand. For nearly three decades, the countries most affected have asked wealthy countries to help them pay for the damage, only    2    (pay) lip service.

At the annual United Nations climate conference this week, the issue is formally    3    the agenda, a breakthrough in itself.     4    (encouraging), a small number of wealthy countries have promised to give money despite small amounts.

These contributions are welcome, although they are not the kind of funding    5     (seek) — some countries reallocate the funds from other pots of climate finance, or put money toward    6    (insure), or early warning systems. What these countries    7    (call) for over the past decades, and urgently need, is a collective funding stream within the United Nations    8    helps them recover from devastating losses from disasters, rising seas and other climate impacts.

It’s not    9    matter of charity. Taking action is firmly in rich countries’ own interests. As climate change bears down,more factorries and ports around the world will close, devastating global supply chains. Food prices will rise. More people will be displaced, which will cause additional migration crises. Conflict will grow more likely as people fight over land and water. The consequences will destabilize even the    10    (strong) economies. Preventing that outcome now, by financing recovery from climate damage, will ensure a more stable future for everyone.

When we think of green buildings, we tend to think of new ones — the kind of modern, solar-paneled masterpieces. But the US     1     (have) more than 100 million existing homes, and it would be incredibly wasteful to tear them all down.

An enormous amount of energy and     2     (resource) went into the construction of those houses. And it would take     3     average of 65 years for the reduced carbon emissions from a new energy-efficient home to make up for the resources       4     (lose) by destroying an old one. So in the broadest sense, the     5     (green) home is the one that has already been built. But at the same time, nearly half of US carbon emissions come from heating, cooling     6     powering our buildings. They can’t deal with climate change without dealing     7     existing buildings.

The oldest homes tend to be the least energy-efficient, mainly due to the tiny cracks and gaps that expand over time and let in more outside air.

    8     (fortune), there are a vast number of relatively simple changes     9     can green older homes. And efficiency upgrades can save more than just the earth; they can help protect property owners from     10     (rise) power costs.

Illegal ivory (象牙) hunting once posed a significant threat to Kenya’s elephants. But now the giants of the animal kingdom     1    (face) an even bigger risk: climate change.

In the past years, Kenyan     2    (official) have cracked down on hunting,     3     has targeted giraffes for their meat, bones and hair and elephants for their ivory tusks. But as Kenya battles its worst drought in four decades, the crisis is killing 20 times more elephants     4     hunting. In Tsavo National Park much wildlife     5    (flee) in recent years in search of water. To survive, elephants require vast landscapes for food. Adults can consume 300 pounds of food and more than 50 gallons of water     6     day. But rivers, soil and grassland are drying up,     7    (result) in poor and deadly environment.

In the last year, at least 179 elephants have died of thirst, while hunting has claimed the lives of fewer than 10, Kenyan Tourism and Wildlife Secretary Najib Balala told the BBC. “It is a red alarm.” he said of the crisis. Balala suggested that     8     much time and effort has been spent tackling illegal hunting that     9    (environment) issues have been ignored. “We have forgotten to invest into biodiversity     10    (manage) and ecosystems,” he said. “Something must be done to deal with climate change.”