【推荐2】Vast parts of Earth should be left wild

To avoid mass extinctions of plants and animals， governments should protect a third of the oceans and land by 2030 and half by 2050， with a focus on areas of high biodiversity． So say leading biologists in an editorial in the journal Science．

This isn't just about saving biodiverse areas， says Jonathan Baillie of the National Geographic Society，one of the authors． It is also about saving ourselves by protecting_____ natural systems， or ecosystems，and their benefits to us， known as ecosystem services． "We are learning that the large areas that remain are important for providing services for all life． The forests， for example， are_____ for absorbing and storing carbon，" says Baillie．

At present， just 3.6 per cent of the planet's oceans and 14.7 per cent of land is protected by law． At the 2010 Nagoya Conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity， governments agreed to protect 10 per cent of the oceans and 17 per cent of land by 2020．

But this isn't nearly enough， says Baillie． In the editorial， he and his coauthor， Ya﹣Ping Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences， want governments to set much bigger_____ at the next major conference on biodiversity in 2020．

"We have to enormously_____ our ambition if we want to avoid an extinction crisis and if we want to maintain the ecosystem services that we_____ benefit from，" says Baillie． "The trends are in a_____direction， it's just we have to move much faster．"

It is hard to work out how much space is needed to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem_____， the pair say， because there is so much we don't know about life on Earth ﹣ like how many species there are．

_____，   most estimates suggest that between 25 and 75 percent of high biodiversity regions or major ecosystems should be protected．Therefore，we， including governments，should be_____   when setting goals and strategies．

"There is no doubt that we need far more land and sea_____ for conserving and retaining nature，"says James Watson at the University of Queensland in Australia． "Targets like 50 per cent are in the right ball park when it comes to the minimal_____ of area needed to conserve biodiversity．"

But Watson and others stress that which areas get protected is even more important than the overall percentage． "The key thing is to protect the right areas，" says Jose Montoya of the Station for Theoretical and Experimental Ecology in Moulis， France． "If we_____ protect a proportion of the territory，governments will likely protect what's easy， and that's usually areas of_____ biodiversity and ecosystem service provision．"

In fact， a third of the 3.6 percent of land that is already meant to be protected is actually being_____，Watson's team reported last month． So only_____ areas to be protected isn't enough．

【推荐1】As an eldly man with dementia (痴呆), Gene MoGehee was finding his golden years to be his loneliest. That all ________ one day when he heard children’s ________ right outside his room.

When Gene ________ outside, he couldn’t believe it—a group of lively young kids were playing. The children were more than ________ to include Gene in their fun. They nicknamed (取绰号) him Big Gene, ad a special, long-lasting friendship was ________ between Gene, the kids and Megan, the daycare teacher.

Gene’s ________ disease means he now has only short-term memory. For the last three years, Gene has been ________ kids and Megan but he thinks it to be the first time. “I always tell the kid that his ________ is kind of sick, but his heart remembers us.” Megan said.

Gene’s daughter, Cathy, said he suffered from ________ until the kids came into his life and ________ his days. Every afternoon for an hour, Gene spends time ________ with the children. He sometimes even ________ their games. Even though the day’s good memories ________ as the sun sets, something remains in the depths of Gene’s mind. It is a ________ feeling that makes him go outside as son as he hears the children’s laughter once again.

What a beautiful way these children and Megan have been spreading ________ and light in Gene’s life!

【推荐2】I was born an albino (白化病人) in Pennsylvania in 1945. No one in my family had ______ known what an albino was and what it meant to be an albino.

Like most albinos, I had terrible eyesight, but the fact that I could hardly see didn’t ______ me that much. Kids would tease me, calling me “Whitey”. People ______ at me when I held reading material right at the tip (尖) of my ______ so that I could see it well enough. The ______ part for me was that because my ______ was so bad, I couldn’t play sports very well. I didn’t give up trying,______. I shot hoops (投篮) every day. And I studied harder.

____, I got belter at school and loved it. By the time I got to college, I was double ______, going to summer school and busying ______ with every activity I could find. I had learned to be proud of being an albino. I did my best to make “albino” a ______ word. And I decided to make my living with my eyes and in ______.

I couldn’t see very well to play sports, but with solid education and ______ to do it, I could make a living ______ in the area I loved. I’ve done it now for over thirty years in   ______ and in video, and now on the Internet. People make jokes about ______ I can be a “blind editor”, but the jokes are ______, and some of them show ______.

I was just a proud albino kid from the coal country of Pennsylvania. I now ______ that being born an albino helped me overcome difficulties, gain confidence and be proud of my personal ______.

【推荐3】Alice is a student who came to my class last year. Though she has already turned 60, Alice looks so fit and ________, with a bright smile and an enthusiastic attitude. I am Alice’s teacher in class, but I feel she is my teacher in life.

For my 2-hour class every Saturday morning, Alice has to take a 3-hour round-trip on the road. But she is never ________ for class. Alice is very passionate about learning English. She often says, “Don’t ________ me as a 60-year-old. I am just a new beginner who wants to learn anything ________. You know, I am very excited to come to the class! ” So I feel a strong sense of ________ to make sure what I teach makes sense to her.

Alice came to me with very ________ English skills, but she turns out to be a very fast learner because she always puts English ________ on a daily basis. I _______ her homework before every class. Her homework is usually not what I ________ for the class, rather it is something that she ________ to put together. She makes various sentences using the important words and phrases she learned from our ________ class. I am always ________ by the quality of her work.

I feel fortunate to have a student like Alice. She has ________ me so much. Our ________ is a great learning experience for both of us. Though I have no idea why she learns English, I hope I can help her ________ her dream, whatever it is.