【推荐1】The Vjosa River, one of the last wild rivers in Europe, has been declared a national park by the Albanian government, making it become the first wild river park on the continent.

Home to more than 1,000 animal and plant species, the river flows for 270 kilometers, from Greece, through Albania and into the Adriatic Sea. Giving the credit to no dams or other artificial barriers, it is rich in aquatic species and supports a large number of wildlife species, including otters, the endangered Egyptian vulture and the critically endangered Balkan lynx.

The wild river national park will include almost 13,000 acres of land, crossing most of the body of the country, with thousands of people living in its surroundings. The decision to establish the park is more important than people may realize. For years, the Vjosa’s fragile ecosystem has been under threat: at one point as many as 45 hydropower plants (水 电 站) were planned to build across the region. But thanks to the campaigning by environmental NGOs, the tiny Balkan nation was placed at the forefront of river protection.

Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, described the creation of the national park as a “truly historic moment” for nature as well as social and economic development. “Today we protect the only wild river in Europe once and for all,” he said. “This is about to change a mindset. Protecting an area does not mean that you make it in isolation from the economy.” He said national parks attract 20% more   tourists   compared with non-protected areas.

The park will cover the 118 miles of the Vjosa in Albania, three main tributaries (支流), and some land, including areas at risk of flooding. Phase II will add other tributaries. Unlike the IUCN's Wilderness Protected Areas, which limit the number of visitors, it will allow recreational tourism and some   other activities such as local fishing, particularly for 60,000 residents in the catchment.

“We hope it will inspire others to come together to protect the wild places we have left, in a meaningful way,” said Ryan Gellert, Patagonia’s CEO, adding that the park was proof that the “destruction of nature did not have to be the price of progress”.

【推荐2】Today’s children spend too much time online, which gives them an abnormal perception of reality. We adults are expected to fill their lives with wonder by taking them to a site featuring something natural.

Nature is actually the best environment for children to enjoy, explore, and absorb. When exposed to nature, children don’t just see the beauty as we adults do.     1     They automatically become hands-on in nature, climbing on rocks, swinging from trees and picking things up.

Children begin to wonder in nature. Natural materials such as leaves and sticks provide endless possibilities for play and imagination.     2     Children have to come up with ideas of how to use them.

Additionally, nature gives children ultimate freedom — they don’t necessarily have to follow the rules and tasks set for them when indoors. They become more confident by learning new skills. If they can catch a fish, they’ll have a cool story to share with their friends.     3    

Given so many benefits, we need to find ways to support children’s connection with nature.     4     Shovels (铁锹), cameras and related resources may unfold a more magical world. When exploring its components, children develop their own personal relationship with nature, which will carry meaning into their understanding of nature.

    5     Tree branches can be suspended from the ceiling, displaying children’s artworks. Loose materials, such as stones and leaves, can be exhibited in baskets for their imagination to provide an idea. All this strengthens nature’s beauty, purpose and gifts.

【推荐3】Animals are important living creatures on our planet. They play a significant role in maintaining the balance of nature. However, due to human activities like deforestation (采伐森林), poaching, pollution, and habitat destruction, many animal species have either become extinct or are on the verge of extinction.

Animals are the natural resources wasted by human beings in history. Animals were killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sports, just because they hindered the disappearance of thousands of animals from the earth. Today, hundreds of animals are on the danger list, which are considered to be in danger in the United States alone.

Why should people care? Because we need animals, and because once they’re gone, there won’t be any more animals. They’re not just beautiful or interesting food. They’re not just a source of food.

Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying an animal can cause a lot of problems. For example, when farmers kill a lot of eagles, farmers’ corn and grain stores are destroyed by rats.

Why? Because eagles eat rats and mice. When there are no eagles to control their numbers, rats and mice reproduce very quickly. Fortunately, some people are trying to help save animals. Some groups raise funds to let people know about this problem.They are trying to get the government to protect animals in danger through laws. Quite a number of countries have passed laws that prohibit killing any animal or plant on the dangerous list. The number of some animals in danger is increasing.

As responsible citizens, it is our duty to take necessary steps to protect animals and their habitats. One way to do this is by creating awareness about the importance of conservation. We should educate people on the significance of wildlife and the role we play in protecting it. We should also urge governments to take action in preserving animal habitats and to enforce (实施) laws to prevent poaching and illegal trade of wildlife.

Another way to protect animals is by supporting organizations that work towards animal conservation. These organizations rescue, rehabilitate, and release animals back into their natural habitat. They also conduct research and raise awareness about endangered species.

In conclusion, protecting animals is not just a responsibility, but a necessity. We should take necessary steps to conserve wildlife and their habitats to ensure a healthy and sustainable environment for all living creatures on earth.

【推荐2】LANZHOU-When an international olive oil competition announced its winners in Greece in late June, excitement spread across the village of Daoqi in Northwest China.

“The award-winning olive oil was made from our fruit,” said Ru Ciming, 50, an olive planter from the village under the city of Longnan, Gansu province. The variety of olive trees in Ru’s orchard (果园) was introduced from Spain. In the eyes of locals, the foreign trees have not only pulled the city, once among the least-developed regions in China, out of poverty, but they have also brought them international fame.

Olives originated in the Mediterranean (地中海地区) and their oil, often called liquid gold, is used widely in food, cosmetics and medicine. In the 1960s, the Albanian government gifted China more than 10,000 olive saplings (树苗), which were then planted in many parts of the country on nationwide trials. Longnan began to plant olive trees in the early 1970s and experts concluded that the region was ideal for the resettlement of the olive trees due to its climate and soil condition. After years of experiments and promotion, it is now the largest olive cultivation (栽培) base in China.

In recent years, the local olive oil industry has continued to expand as Longnan has improved cooperation with Mediterranean countries that have a long history of olive planting, including Italy, Greece and Spain. The improved cooperation aims to introduce better varieties and initiate technical exchanges.

Pedro J. Rodriguez Sanchez, a Spanish olive seedling expert, was one of the early contributors to olive exchanges. He arrived in Longnan in 2009, when only half of the local olive tree seedlings had survived. His technical guidance helped raise the survival rate to over 90 percent.

Zhao Haiyun, an official in charge of promoting the olive industry in Longnan’s Wudu District, said that many more European experts have arrived since Sanchez. They have visited orchards to offer guidance to farmers, and helped companies improve their processing and storage procedures.

They have helped the district, as well as the city of Longnan, to jump on the bandwagon of China’s rising demand for high-quality olive oil, especially among well-off urban families, said Zhao.

【推荐3】Because of the COVID-19, we have to study at home. But Lee taught us a lot of intriguing and useful things. What gave me the most unforgettable memory is a lesson about Li Ziqi. In class, we have learned relevant words, improved our reading level, expanded our knowledge, and further understood the importance of traditional culture to the nation. We also call on more people to protect, promote and carry forward our traditional culture.

That is one of the Chinese students commented after a somewhat special so-called Chinese-culture-related English class on Li Ziqi, a celebrity of contributing to the promotion of Chinese traditional culture.

Her life looks like one straight out of a fairy tale. Li Ziqi, without much exaggeration, starts with almost nothing all by herself. Soon she impresses millions with her videos, where she makes seemingly everything from scratch with her own two hands, from dying a dress with fresh grape juice to fashioning traditional lipstick from roses in her garden to searching on horseback in order to prepare one exquisite meal after another, after which she sometimes brings his neighbors her hand-made and scrumptious food and even helps them to do likewise by themselves.

She has some 50 million fans in China and another 8 million overseas, but she remains a mystery to many of them. In her videos, she doesn't speak, and she rarely gives interviews. Li grew up with her grandparents in rural Sichuan Province in southwestern China. She says she came to live with them as a little child after her stepmother mistreated her. But they were poor, so when she turned 14, Li went to work in the city. In 2012, she decided to return to the countryside to take care of her grandmother.

Four years later, she started filming her life there. The dishes she prepares range from a single condiment to elaborate multi-course meals. But whatever she makes, she leaves no stone unturned, going as far as raising baby ducklings just to make a sauce out of salted duck eggs. Some joke that she's brought a whole new meaning to the phrase “from scratch”.