The Amazon rainforest, the largest rainforest in the world, plays an     1     (importance) role in maintaining the balance of the Earth’s ecosystem. It     2     (cross) into eight countries, including Brazil and Peru. With an area of about 6 million square kilometers,     3     rainforest is more than half the size of China.

More than 40,000 species of plants can     4     (find) in the Amazon. The forest’s different levels provide food and shelter for an unbelievable     5     (vary) of wildlife. More than 1,300 species of     6     (bird) and over 400 species of mammals hide in the jungle.

The Amazon rainforest breathes life into the planet by     7     (fix) carbon and producing over 20 per cent of all the Earth’s oxygen. This is why it is known as the “lungs     8    the planet”. Moreover, the rainforest is a treasure house of species     9     can be used for food or medicine.     10    , over the past 50 years about 17 per cent of the rainforest has disappeared due to human activities such as agriculture and cattle farming.

Through travelling you can enjoy beautiful views and     1     (broad) your horizons. In summer, you’d better get on a cruise (乘船游览) ship in the city of Chongqing which will take you to the Three Gorges, for those ordinary ships are usually too     2     (crowd). Near Yunyang, at the steep edge of the hills     3     (stand) the famous Zhang Fei Temple     4     (surround) by trees. Because smoking     5     (forbid) in the cabins, you have to go to the deck to smoke,     6     you can enjoy the beautiful scenery. You can see some fishermen     7     the distance. First, you will go through the Qutang Gorge, which narrows to 350 feet. Then you will sail through the Wu Gorge and the Xiling Gorge. However,     8     impresses you most may be the Daning River in Wuxi County. There is immense     9     (mountain) land on both banks of Yangtze River with only small areas of flat     10     (plain).