Home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers, the Sanjiangyuan area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (青藏高原)     1    (know)as “China’s water tower.” It is    2    unique plateau wetland ecosystem and serves as an important ecological defense for the country.

Decades ago, serious     3     (environment) degradation (恶化) in Sanjiangyuan,     4    was caused by climate change and human activities, resulted in a large number of lakes drying out and wildlife numbers falling     5     (sharp). Great efforts have been made to turn the park     6    a symbol of the progress of China’s ecological civilization.Over the past years, the environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau     7     (experience) great changes. Water conservation in the area has risen by 11 percent this year,     8     (compare) with 10 years ago. Local people enjoy the gifts given by nature, and the establishment of the national park has enabled them to become its protectors and benefit from it. Some work as tour guides, assisting     9     (visitor) from home and abroad.

Today, as people walk on the vast land of Sanjiangyuan,     10     (look) at the mountains, glaciers, and lakes, and catching sight of wild animals and birds, they cannot help but be impressed by the vastness and beauty of nature.