March 12th is China's annually National Tree-planting Day. On this day, millions of Chinese, from all walks of life, will put their works at hands aside for     1     moment, take shovels and buckets as well as saplings, and trek out to green up their hometowns.

First     2    (create) by the US agriculturist Sterling Morton in 1872, Tree-planting Day was set in order to inspire people's passions for planting and protecting trees, and     3    (protect) and improve the     4    (nature) environment on which people depend on for their living.

China's Tree-planting Day could date back     5     a proposal made by Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), a great China revolution leader, to Beiyang Government (1915-1927) in 1915 and then regulation was     6    (formal) publicized that Tomb-sweeping Festival (April 5th)     7    (adopt) as Tree-planting Day. However, April 5th was a late time for tree-planting in Southern China and so it was changed to March 12th by the Nanjing National Government (1927-1949) in order to memorize Sun Yat-sen,     8     passed away on March 12th.

In February 1979, the 5th National People's Congress of People Republic of China made a     9    (resolve) that March 12th would be taken as Chinese Tree-Planting Day, requiring the whole country to carry out tree-planting     10    (activity) on this day and support the construction of forestry.

These days, people are trying to live in a “green” way. Advocates of living in greener     1     (community) think it is not a good idea to delay     2     (solve) environmental problems. They say we can use ideas and technologies available     3     (create) the city of the future today.

For example, in the green city of the future, modern buildings     4     (design) to save water and energy. Outdated buildings of the past were not. Rooftops covered with grass and other living plants provide insulation (隔热材料)     5     keeps buildings cooler. These roofs can also collect and reuse rainwater that would otherwise be wasted.

Besides, citizens of the green city understand that protecting native species     6     (be) the key to protecting natural spaces. Because native plants are original to the ecosystem, they provide the best habitats     7     local insects, birds and other animals. Native plants can also     8     (well) adapt to the local climate and require less water.

Residents also recognize that a process called composting (堆肥) helps reduce     9     amount of solid waste and increase the richness of local soil. People first mix food waste with water and air in large bins. Then     10     (help) bacteria break down this pile of “garbage” into an eco-friendly and economical fertilizer.