1 . Every year about 40,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro(乞力马扎罗山), the highest mountain in Africa. They _________with them lots of waste. The __________ might damage the beauty of the place. The glaciers (冰川) are disappearing, changing the face of Kilimanjaro.

Hearing these stories, I'm _________ about the place — other destinations are described as "purer" natural experiences.

However, I soon __________ that much has changed since the days of disturbing reports of __________ among tons of rubbish. I find a __________ mountain, with toilets at camps and along the paths. The environmental challenges are __________ but the efforts made by the Tanzania National Park Authority seem to be __________.

The best of a Kilimanjaro __________, in my opinion, isn’t reaching the top. Mountains are _______ as spiritual places by many cultures. This view is especially evident on Kilimanjaro as _________ go through five ecosystems (生态系统) within a few kilometers. At the base is a rainforest. It ends suddenly at 3, 000 meters, _________ lands of low growing plants. Further up, the weather __________ — low clouds envelope the mountainsides, which are covered with thick grass. I counted   twelve shades of green from where I stand. Above 4, 000 meters is the highland desert : gravel (砾石), stones and rocks.   _________ you climb into an arctic-like zone with permanent(永久的) snow and the glaciers that may soon disappear.

Does Kilimanjaro deserve(值得) its reputation as a crowded mountain with lines of tourists _______ the atmosphere of peace? I found the opposite to be true.

2 . Ask people to name the world's tallest peak and anybody with sound general knowledge will name Mount Qomolangma. But quiz them on its exact __and many will be not sure.

In 1975, Chinese surveyors __ that Mount Qomolangma （Mount Everest） was 8848. 13 meters high. As __ improved, satellites, photoelectricity, radars and gravity measurement technologies were __ to get more exact figures. Of course, someone still had to carry __ to what is the world's rooftop.

In 2005, a Chinese team scaled Qomolangma and found that it was not as high as that, as they __ the height to be 8844. 43 meters. Scaling Qomolangma is no __ task. The average air temperature there is -29 degrees Celsius, even four degrees_____ than in Antarctica. The snow there is 4 —5 meters thick and hurricane-like __ blow all the time. Team members were training to __the extreme conditions.

In a nutshell, measuring the Qomolangma's height is a tall order, __ huge amounts of money and human resources, But it is worth the_____. Qomolangma is the perfect __ for observing crustal （地壳的）movements. And changes to the peak's height could __ whether the two plates are heading toward or away from each other.

Besides, the condition of snow and other natural materials at the top is an indicator of upcoming climate change on the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau. That's __ measuring the Qomolangma's height is so significant. Put to good use, it can benefit mankind.