1 . Afroz Shah, a lawyer in Mumbai, hasn’t had a weekend off in four years. But he hasn’t spent this time preparing for _________.

His mission? Saving the world’s oceans from _________ pollution.

It’s a calling he found in 2015 after moving to a community in Mumbai called Versova Beach. He had played there as a child and was_________to see how much it had _________. The sand was no longer _________ because it was covered by a layer of garbage more than five feet thick — most of it plastic waste.

“The whole beach was like a_________of plastic,” he said. “It hurt me. The _________ mess.” What Shah had seen is part of a global environmental crisis. More than 8 million tons of plastic _________in the world’s oceans each year. It’s predicted that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. “Plastic in the ocean is a _________. And the sea species have no choice at all, ” Shah said. “We are ______________ their habitats.”

In October 2015, Shah began ________________ up plastic waste from the beach every Sunday morning. At first, it was just him and a neighbor, and then he began calling on others to join in. Word ________________ and with the help from social media, more volunteers got ________________.

For Shah, the work has always been a ________________ journey, but it has earned global attention. After he was ________________ as a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations in 2016, Shah now devotes nearly all of his free time to this ________________.

He’s now spent 209 weekends on this mission, ________________ more than 200,000 volunteers, some of whom are young students, to join him in what’s been called the world’s biggest beach cleanup. By October 2018, Versova Beach was ________________ clean and Shah’s cleanups expanded to another beach as well as a stretch of the Mithi River and other regions of India.

“This world talks too much. I think we must talk ________________ and do action more, ” he said when interviewed by CNN in October 2019.“We are a smart species. Well adapt. We’ll learn. And with these youngsters rising up, I see ________________.”

3 . Does the lemon, the famous fruit of Limone, contain a secret ingredient that fights heart disease? Limone a small lemon-growing town on the shores of Lake Garda in nor hem Italy, holds a mystery which has made it popular with tourists in search of heath. About 30 years ago scientists discovered that many people from the town had a unique protein (蛋白质) in their blood. Thanks to it, the town’s people remained unaffected by heart disease even if they smoked, drank alcohol or ate large quantities of animal fat.

The discovery was wonderful for the people who lived in Limon; nowadays a million tourists visit their town between March and November each year. That makes 4,000 tourists per day—four times the actual population of the town. It is popularly believed that the protein must come from the lemons, which the town has grown for centuries. Until the discovery of the protein, the fruit was the only real source of income for the townspeople.

Lemons, which were brought to Europe from the Middle East in the 12th century, have many well-documented power. Over the years they have been used to treat all sorts of illnesses. At its peak in the 19th century , the lemon industry in Limone produced as many as 15 million of the fruit annually. The crop was so successful because of the situation of Lake Garda: although it is relatively far north, it is protected from the winner cold by the mountains which surround it.

Nowadays, sadly, competition from southern lemon producers has meant that Limone concentrates more on its tourist industry than on lemon growing. The few remaining growers still produce the best quality lemon, however. Signor Ezio Ceruti, a lemon producer, says, “To grow these lemons you need to love the trees and learn from the old people who still remember how it was once done. The trees respond by being healthy and producing beautiful fruit.” Although scientists do not yet know for certain whether this fruit contains the magic ingredient that protect the people of Limone against heart disease, a local lemon producer’s recommendation for health is simple: each day slice a whole lemon into a cup, fill with boiling water, cover, leave overnight, then strain and drink.

4 . Everyone tries their best in life, and sometimes a few kind words of encouragement can help people realize that their efforts are not in vain (徒劳).Ⅰ remember a time when I was in fifth grade, and I was a very shy girl.

There was a drawing competition at my school that day. As everyone started to use their creative ideas to draw, I was only trying to think of something creative that could express my thoughts and emotions. Lost in my own world, I was brought back to reality when my art teacher called my name from behind. She came to me and encouraged me, saying, “Don’t overthink it, just put whatever comes to your mind on the canvas (画布). Do your best, and you will do well.”

Taking her words of wisdom to heart, I started my painting. Time flew by, and soon the bell rang, signaling the end of the time limit. We all turned in our canvases for inspection (检查). The next day, the winners of the competition were announced in front of the whole school. To my surprise, I heard my name being called second prize. It was a bolt from the blue for me, as I had never dared to dream of winning any prize.

Later on, I expressed my gratitude to my art teacher for her words of encouragement and for believing in me. That day, I became aware of my talent and started painting more whenever I had free time. Sometimes, I think that if it weren’t for her words of encouragement, I may have never discovered the talent I have.

Overall, this experience taught me the importance of encouraging others and how a few kind words can make a significant impact on someone’s life.

5 . The African grey parrot’s ability to talk and mimic sounds makes it a charming companion. African grey owners often report that their greys oftentimes talk in context and can understand their people’s emotions. The African grey parrot is not just a top talker — this bird is also known for its extreme intelligence, which gives it the name “The Einstein s of the bird world”.

The bird is medium-sized, dusty-looking and almost pigeon-like. It has a bright red tail, intelligent orange eyes, and a stunning scalloped (扇形的) pattern to its feathers. Its diet in the wild consists mostly of nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter.

At home, African greys need plenty of toys that challenge their intelligence, such as food searching and puzzle toys. Nutri-Berries by Lafeber Company are a perfect choice, which, with a balance of grains, seeds and other nutrients in the shape of a berry, encourages African greys to hold, bite off, and even do other things, just as they do in the wild.

African greys seem especially affected by stress and disturbing noise in their environment and can be put more at ease by placing one corner of the cage against a wall compared to in the middle of a room.

African grey parrots are more likely to suffer from lack of vitamin A/beta-carotene, and therefore benefit from eating vegetables high in beta-carotene, such as cooked sweet potato and fresh kale. Lack of vitamin D is another concern, especially for greys on a poor diet. Offering a balanced, pill-shaped diet,such as Nutri-Berries, helps prevent vitamin and mineral shortage.

6 . When I was young I wanted to be a model, so when a national contest was staged, I convinced my parents to take me for an audition (试演). I was selected and told I had potential. They said that for only $900 I could attend a weekend event which dozens of the most prestigious (有声望的) modeling agencies from around the world would attend. At 13, my hopes of fame and fortune clouded all judgment and I begged my parents to let me go. We have never been rich, but they saw my enthusiasm and agreed.

I imagined being signed by some famous model companies. For months, any boredom or disappointment was pushed aside because I knew I would soon have the chance to be a real model. I thought I would grace the covers of famous magazines!

Of course, I wasn’t signed, but what hurt me most was being told that if I grew to 5’9” (about 1.75 metres) I could be a success. I prayed for a growth spurt (冲刺) because I could not imagine giving up my dream. I made an appointment with a local modeling agency and the agent demanded $ 500 for classes, $500 for a photo shoot, and $ 300 for other expenses. My parents only agreed after hours and hours of me begging.

The agency sent me out on a few auditions, but with every day I didn’t receive a call I grew more depressed. The final straw came in July after I had decided to focus on commercial (广告) modeling. There was an open call in New York City. We spent hours driving and another few hours waiting, only to be told that I was too short I was devastated (感到难以承受的).

Years later Ire zed that the trip to New York was good as it made me notice I didn’t actually love modeling, just the idea of it. I wanted to be special and I was innocently determined to reach an impossible goal. The experience has made me stronger and that will help me in the future.

7 . Everybody hates rats. But in the areas where there are many earthquakes, rats will soon be man’s friends.

What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue (营救) dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.

How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal (信号). This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. Christian Linster at Cornel University, New York says, “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark. They are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!

The “rat project” is not finished, but Julie Ryan of International Rescue Corps in Scotland says, “It would be fantastic. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).

8 . My 14-year-old son, John, and I found out the coat which was hanging at a secondhand clothing store in Northampton Mass. All the other coats drooped (低垂)________this one looked as if it were holding itself up (支撑起来). The coat had beautiful tailoring, a Fifth Avenue label and a (an)________price of $28, which was popular just then with________, but could cost several hundred dollars new. This coat was even better with that________of classic design. John tried it on and fit was perfect.

John wore the coat to school the next day and came home________a broad smile. “Did the kids like your coat?” I asked. “They loved it,” he said,________folding it over the back of a chair and smoothing it flat. Over the next few weeks, a________came over John. Agreement replaced contrariness (作对) and polite discussion replaced rude________. He became more mannerly and________, eager to please. He would generously lend his younger brother his bike, which he________wouldn’t.

When I mentioned this incident to his teacher and________what caused the changes, she said laughing, “It________be his coat!” Another teacher told him she was giving him a good mark not only because he had earned________but because she liked his coat. At the library, we________a friend. “Could this be John?” he asked surprisingly,________John’s new height, assessing (评估) the cut of his coat and extending his hand, one gentleman to another.

John and I both know we should never________a person’s clothes for the real person within them.________there is something to be said for wearing a standard of excellence for the world to see and for________what is on the inside to what is on the outside.

For John it is a time when it is as easy to try on different approaches to life as it is to try on a________. The whole world, the whole future is right ahead, a vast landscape where all the doors are open. And he could________himself walking through those doors wearing his wonderful, magical coat.

9 . It is generally assumed that one can’t have too many friends. But it seems that there is a natural limit to the number of people we stay in touch with. A study found that when we make new friends, by starting a new job or going to university, we downgrade or even drop old ones. And while the friends may change, the number stays almost the same.

Oxford University researcher Felix Reed-Tsochas asked 24 students in the final months of school to list all their friends and relatives and say how close to them they were. The pupils filled in the questionnaire (问卷) twice more after starting work or going to university. They were also given free mobile phones and agreed that researchers could use their bills to work out who they called, when and for how long.

Putting the two pieces of information together showed, unsurprisingly, that most people have a small circle of close friends, who they spend most of their time talking to. This inner circle is surrounded by group after group of ever more distant friends. As the volunteers’ lives changed, this overall pattern, including the number of best friends, remained almost the same, meaning that some close friends from childhood were dropped or downgraded as new friendships were built.

Dr Reed-Tsochas said, “Maybe my best friend is no longer the same person but the amount of time I allocate (分配) to my best friend is still the same.” He added that this finding suggests that even with the coming of modern technology we are only capable of forming a limited number of true friendships.

Chester University researcher Dr Sam Roberts said, “Our results are likely to reflect limitations in the ability of humans to keep emotionally close relationships both because of limited time and because the emotional capital (情绪资本) that individuals can allocate between family members and friends is limited.”