Have you ever planted trees on Tree-planting Day? Each year, millions of people, both _______, plant a lot of trees. But this may not be the best way to make your home a _______ place.

Last week we visited a park in Hebei. We were _______ to find that most of the trees had been burned. The workers told us that the trees _______ soon after they were planted because they weren’t watered well. _______ workers burned them and cleaned the place for _______ trees to be planted this year. _______ a card found in one of the dead trees, a student wrote, “I hope this tree will grow up with me to _______ the backbone (栋梁) of our country.” The workers said that the survival (存活) of the trees was really more important than _______ trees were planted.

Some people in Beijing now have a new idea that they can donate some money and let professionals (专业人士) plant and ________ the trees. I hope the idea will work well and the trees can grow better.

Why do plants grow in some places and not in others? Why does some land have so much growing on it, while other land has almost no plants growing on it at all?

To grow, plants need several things. One is warmth. In very cold places almost nothing grows. Plants also need water. In very dry parts of the Earth only a few unusual plants can grow. That’s why dry deserts everywhere are almost not covered by trees or grass.

Plants must also have a place in which to put down their roots and grow. They find it difficult to grow on hard land. The town is built on hard land. The plants here have only the soil (土壤)found between thecracksof the stones to grow in.

Another thing plants must have before they can grow is food.

What will happen if we try to make things grow on the sandy beach? A few plants, such as beach grass, will grow in sand, but most plants won’t. Even if the weather is warm enough and we water the plants each day. Many of them will die because the sand on this beach has almost no food for plants.

Without plants people could not live. We need them for both food     31     oxygen that plants produce. And we also need them for their beauty. 

Imagine a world     32     plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet     33    (smell), their beautiful colours and their lovely shapes (形状). Imagine when the wind blows, not being able to     34     (hear) the leaves on the trees or watch the branches (树枝) swing from side to side. 

Everywhere people need the beauty of plants. That is why we have parks     35     of trees and flowers, and people always try to build houses with room for a garden. Do you talk to your     36     (plant)? Do you give them love and care? Two scientists said they once planted two     37     (seed) in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and     38     (hope) ideas. The other plant was given only hopeless ideas. After six months, the loved plant was     39     (big) than the other. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem and more     40     (leaf).