The Chinese government recently finalized a plan to set up a Giant Panda National Park(GPNP).     1     (cover)an area about three times     2     size of Yellowstone National Park, the GPNP will be one of the first national parks in the country. The plan will extend protection to a significant number of areas that     3     (be)previously unprotected, bringing many of the existing protected areas for giant pandas under one authority     4     (increase)effectiveness and reduce inconsistencies in management.

After a three-year pilot period, the GPNP will be officially set up next year. The GPNP     5     (design)to reflect the guiding principle of “protecting the authenticity and integrity(完整性)of natural ecosystems, preserving biological diversity, protecting ecological buffer zones,     6     leaving behind precious natural assets(资产)for future generations”. The GPNP’s main goal is to improve connectivity between separate     7     (population)and homes of giant pandas, and     8     (eventual)achieve a desired level of population in the wild.

Giant pandas also serve     9     an umbrella species(物种), bringing protection to a host of plants and animals in the southwestern and northwestern parts of China. The GPNP is intended to provide stronger protection for all the species     10     live within the Giant Panda Range and significantly improve the health of the ecosystem in the area.

2 . Goffin’s cockatoos, a kind of small parrot native to Australasia, have been shown to have similar shape-recognition abilities to a human two-year-old. Though not known to use tools in the wild, the birds have proved skilful at tool use while kept in the cage. In a recent experiment, cockatoos were presented with a box with a nut inside it. The clear front of the box had a “keyhole” in a geometric shape, and the birds were given five differently shaped “keys” to choose from. Inserting the correct “key” would let out the nut.

In humans, babies can put a round shape in a round hole from around one year of age, but it will be another year before they are able to do the same with less symmetrical (对称的) shapes. This ability to recognize that a shape will need to be turned in a specific direction before it will fit is called an “allocentric frame of reference”. In the experiment, Goffin’s cockatoos were able to select the right tool for the job, in most cases, by visual recognition alone. Where trial-and-error was used, the cockatoos did better than monkeys in similar tests. This indicates that Goffin’s cockatoos do indeed possess an allocentric frame of reference when moving objects in space, similar to two-year-old babies.

The next step, according to the researchers, is to try and work out whether the cockatoos rely entirely on visual clues (线索), or also use a sense of touch in making their shape selections.

3 . When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn’t cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion (时装)enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria(海狸鼠).

Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. “It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur-unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year”, says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.

Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month.

Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. “The ecosystem down there can’t handle this non-native species(物种).It’s destroying the environment. It’s them or us.” says Michael Massimi, an expert in this field.

The fur trade kept nutria in check for decades，but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s，the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy.

Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it’s not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton’s job these days is trying to promote fur.

Then there’s Righteous Fur and its unusual fashion. Model Paige Morgan says，”To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them-I think that’s going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York.” Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She is trying to come up with a label to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly.

4 . With an abundance of sun and wind, Spain is positioning itself as Europe’s future leader in green hydrogen production to clean up heavy industries. But some energy experts express caution because this process relies on massive availability of zero-carbon electricity.

Green hydrogen is created when renewable energy sources power an electrical current that runs through water, separating its hydrogen and oxygen molecules (分子). The process doesn’t produce planet-warming carbon dioxide, but less than 0.1% of global hydrogen production is currently created in this way.

The separated hydrogen can be used in the production of steel, ammonia (氨) and chemical products, all of which require industrial processes that are harder to stop fossil fuels. Hydrogen also can be used as a transportation fuel, which could one day transform the highly polluting shipping and aviation sectors.

Spain’s large, windswept and thinly populated territory receives more than 2,500 hours of sunshine on average per year, providing ideal conditions for wind and solar energy, and therefore green hydrogen production.

“If you look at where hydrogen is going to be produced in Europe in the next million years, it’s in two countries, Spain and Portugal,” said Thierry Lepercq, the founder and president of HyDeal Ambition, an industry platform bringing together 30 companies. “Hydrogen is the new oil.”

Lepercq is working with companies like Spanish gas pipeline corporation Enagas and global steel giant ArcelorMittal to design an end-to-end model for hydrogen production, distribution and supply at a competitive price. Criticism has centered on green hydrogen’s higher cost compared with highly-polluting “gray hydrogen” drawn from natural gas. Lepercq argues that solar energy produced in Spain is priced low enough to compete.

Globally, Lepercq said, “Electricity is 20% of energy consumption. What about the 80% that is not electrified? ... You need to replace those fossil fuels. Not in 50 years’ time. You need to replace them now.”

As the world’s longest man-made canal, the Grand Canal is a vast waterway system in the north-eastern and central-eastern plains of China,     1     (run) from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang province in the south.

The Grand Canal is a magnificent hydraulic (水利) project in human history.     2     (construct) in sections from the 5th century BC onwards, it was completed in 611 AD due to the     3     (establish) of Sui Dynasty and it reached a new peak in the Yuan Dynasty, linking five of China’s main river basins.     4     (original), it was built to transport grain and later     5     (ship) other commodities.The regions along the canal gradually developed into the trade center of China     6     it was considered as the economic artery (动脉) in ancient China. It also helped the evolution of Chinese culture     7     enhancing communication between the south and the north.

The Grand Canal represents the     8     (great) masterpiece of hydraulic engineering in the history of mankind. It is     9    outstanding example of human creativity. Still a major means of internal communication today, it     10     (play) an important role in ensuring the economic prosperity and stability of China over the ages.

Chengdu has dozens of new millionaires, Asia’s biggest building, and fancy new hotels. But for tourists like me, pandas are its top     1    (attract).

So it was a great honour to be invited backstage at the not-for-profit Panda Base, where ticket money helps pay for research. I     2    (allow) to get up close to these cute animals at the 600-acre centre. From tomorrow, I will be their UK ambassador. The title will be     3    (official) given to me at a ceremony in London. But my connection with pandas goes back     4     my days on a TV show in the mid-1980s,     5     I was the first Western TV reporter     6    (permit) to film a special unit caring for pandas rescued from starvation in the wild. My ambassadorial duties will include     7    (introduce) British visitors to the 120-plus pandas at Chengdu and others at a research centre in the misty mountains of Bifengxia.

On my recent visit, I held a lively three-month-old twin that had been rejected by     8    (it) mother. The nursery team switches him every few     9    (day) with his sister so that while one is being bottle-fed,     10     other is with mum—she never suspects.

It’ s reported that China on Tuesday    1     (official) announced the first group of national parks—the Three-River-Source National Park, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, and the Wuyishan National Park. The national parks refer to special areas put under protection with     2     aim of conserving the ecosystem and natural resources. The     3     (announce) is a practical move related to the drive to continuously promote the building of an ecological civilization. 

Home to various key wildlife species in China, the Wuyishan National Park appeals    4     tourists both at home and abroad. It features rich diversity due to     5     (it) unique natural environment. Taking a bamboo raft tour is people’ s favourite. With trees,     6     (bush) and colourful flowers covering every corner of the park, it’ s a natural system for providing clean water and producing oxygen,     7    (make) it the green lungs of Fujian. There are many hiking routes for you to take. What’ s more, there are several viewing platforms     8     you can stop to admire the breathtaking beauty of mountains, waterfalls, and lakes around. Words fail     9     (describe) its impressive beauty. Therefore, you     10    (recommend) to pay a visit by yourself.