Many of us thought the world had four oceans— the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Arctic Oceans. That’s what we     1     (teach) in school. However, a search on the Internet will show that there is also     2     “Southern Ocean“ around the South Pole and Antarctica (南极洲) . The National Geographic Society has now     3     (official) accepted that this body of water around Antarctica is a real ocean. Alex Tait, a geographer, said, “We think it’s really important     4     an educational viewpoint, as well as from a map-labelling standpoint,       5     (bring) attention to the Southern Ocean as a fifth ocean.” Geography teachers will now have to teach their students that the world has five oceans.

National Geogra phic said its recognition of the world having a fifth ocean would have an impact on     6     children see the world. Mr Tait said, “Students learn information about the world through what     7     (ocean) they’re studying. If you don’t include the Southern Ocean, then they don’t learn how important it is.” He said that     8     (recognize) the Southern Ocean would help students understand more about climate change. He wrote, “Antarctica forms a distinct ecological region     9     (define) by ocean currents and temperatures.” National Geographic said, “The Southern Ocean has unique and fragile marine (海洋的) ecosystems that are home to     10     (wonder) marine life such as whales, penguins and seals. ”

China’s First National Park

China’s first national park in Northwest of China’s Sanjiangyuan area,     1     (cover)a total area of 123,100 square kilometers, was officially established in 2020     2     schedule. The national park is the country’s calling card, and unlike nature reserves,     3     protect unique species, national parks stress the protection of the entire ecosystem.

Under the national park management, herders and     4     (farmer) will be turned into the forces of     5     (environment) protection in the Sanjiangyuan area. The work     6     (expect) to provide jobs, boost incomes and give people an     7     (encourage) to protect the environment. The ecological environment of the Sanjiangyuan area has greatly improved in recent years. The grassland coverage of the area has risen sharply     8     (compare) with the last decade. The last decade also saw a significant increase in the number of wild animals, because the number of Tibetan antelopes     9     (be) over 70,000 from less than 20,000 in     10     1980s.

Today’s skiers are used to relying on ski lifts at resorts to take them to the top of a mountain before     1     (experience)the addictive thrill of skiing down the mountain.     2    , in some snow-covered villages in Altay prefecture (辖区) of Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, it’s common in winter to see local herdsmen, with boards     3     (attach) to their feet, climb the snowy slopes without any other forms of assistance.

The pair of boards are wrapped with horsehide(马革),     4     serves a double purpose. Remarkably, the horsehide not only can provide friction (摩擦) to prevent skiers from slipping while going up, but also helps them slide more     5     (smooth)down the slopes.

According to rock carvings uncovered in the area by archaeologists, such     6     (ski) have served for around 12,000 years     7     a means of transportation for the snowfield inhabitants of Altay. The fur skiing boards gradually lost     8     (they) popularity in recent decades after paved roads linked houses to the outside world.

However, Altay plans to protect and promote its skiing culture. The local government department     9     (want) to pass its skiing tradition to future generations. The prefecture is working     10     (develop)the area as a popular destination for skiers and snowboarders. As a result, the ancient fur skiing boards and the craft of making them have found a new lease of life in modern times.