The Earth is in trouble!

I have three questions for you: Do you often _______ a blue sky above our city? Is the air in our city fresh? Is the water in our river clean? The answers to these questions are all “No!”

My grandfather often tells interesting stories about _______ childhood. At that time, the sky was blue, the air was fresh and the water was clean. When my grandfather and his friends played in the forest, they could hear the _______ sing. When they swam in the river, they could see many _______. It was a happy time. _______ today the air and water are much dirtier. Some animals and plants are now _______. The Earth is in trouble.

I want you to join us by helping protect our Earth, because it is our _______. We do not need to do _______ things. We can start out small. Do not throw _______ rubbish onto the ground. Do not waste water. Use both sides of the paper when you __________.

This is our Earth. Let’s do our best to protect it.

Once upon a time, there were three trees. One day they were talking about their ______. The first tree said, “I want to be a treasure box with lots of ______ in it.” Then the second tree said, “One day I will be a big ship. I will take the King across the waters and sail to all corners of the world.” Finally, the third tree said, “I want to be the ______ tree and make many people look up to me.”

However, things did not go as they ______. A woodcutter came to the three trees and cut them down. The first tree was made into a feed box for animals. The second was made into a small fishing boat. The third was cut into large pieces and left ______ in the dark. No one looked at it. The three trees were ______, but they could do nothing.

One day, a woman put her baby in the feed box to rest. At that time, the first tree thought its dream had come true, ______ It had the greatest treasure in the world. A group of people ______ the fishing boat. Suddenly, a big storm came. Surprisingly, when one of them stood up and said “Peace”, the storm stopped. The second tree realised that it carried the King of Kings. Someone built a wooden tower on the top of the highest mountain ______ the pieces of the third tree. The third tree finally stood taller than any other tree.

Each tree finally ______ what they wanted, just not in the way they imagined.

What goes into mind when you think of kung fu, also known as wushu? Maybe the image of Shaolin monks(和尚) fighting with a serious look in their eyes, or popular children’s movies like Kung Fu Panda.

Recently, Laurence J. Brahm, a documentary filmmaker from the United States. Brahm began a journey of a kung fu pilgrimage(朝圣), traveling to cities in China and the US to search for the origin(起源). Brahm himself is a kung fu lover who has been practicing for more than 40 years. For him, practicing this craft was more than fun.

Around 10 years ago, Brahm was unable to use one of his legs for about two years. But by practicing martial arts(武术), he was able to recover step by step. Now kung fu has become a daily activity for him. “Martial arts can help us connect our body, connect our blood flow, and also help connect us into our environment to increase our awareness.” Brahm said. Still others find other meanings in the practice.

“Chinese kung fu is full of Chinese philosophies(哲学) and core(核心) values”. Hong Kong actor Bruce Leung told Xinhua. Non-fight is one of these values, which is shown both in the name and the practice. Wu, is made up of two characters—dagger-ax, and zhi, meaning “to stop”. So Brahm’s sees Kung fu as “a mirror of Chinese culture”.

The traditional values of kung fu, actually, are in the minds of all Chinese people. “Why does China want to be in harmony with other nations?” It’s part of the psychology(心理). Brahm also believes that today’s world needs to restart equal exchanges between countries, and that culture and sports, such as kung fu.