1 . The 2021 winners of a major international environmental award have just been announced, and the list includes a Vietnamese conservationist who’s known for his vital work helping protect the pangolin (穿山甲) — the world’s most trafficked animal.

Van Nguyen grew up near Cuc Phuong National Park and, as a child, watched poachers (偷猎者) removing pangolin from their holes. “I saw a mum (pangolin), rolling into a ball to protect her baby.” Nguyen decided to make pangolin conservation his life’s work.

Nguyen set out to stop poaching and educate the Vietnamese public on the importance of pangolin conservation in order to reverse the condition of the pangolins. His efforts began with an education campaign. Nguyen also opened the Carnivore and Pangolin Education Center, the first of its kind in Vietnam, in order to provide wildlife conservation courses for students and the general public. Nguyen didn’t stop there; he established Vietnam’s first Asian Pangolin Rehabilitation (康复) Center.

Nguyen even worked with poachers to ask them to take him into the forest and show him how they track and catch pangolins. He also visited markets, restaurants, and doctors of traditional medicine to learn more about the demand for pangolins. In 2018, Nguyen created Vietnam’s first-ever anti-poaching unit. Nguyen has also looked to global strategies and worked with the management authority of the CITES to ban international trade for animals most threatened with extinction.

As one of the few people in the world working on pangolin conservation and rehabilitation, Nguyen is filling a necessary and important space for understanding and protecting this critically endangered animal.

3 . The Chicago Fire of 1871 was the worst disaster of the 19th century.

The fire is said to have started one evening in Mrs. O’Leary’s barn (牲口棚) on the West Side of Chicago. Several hours after she milked her cow, it kicked over an oil lamp, and the cow started the fire. We do not know if the story is true, but we do know that the fire began in a barn on the West Side.

The fire spread quickly because of the wooden buildings, a strong wind, and a dry season. The fire lasted 27 hours and spread to all parts of the city. Other cities sent 25 fire companies to help put out the fire. Federal troops (联邦军队) were also used to help fight the fire and keep order, too. At last rain put out the fire.

There was a lot of damage. 90,000 people were homeless, and 18,000 buildings were destroyed. Property damage (财产损失) was almost 200 million dollars. In addition, about 300 people died.

People from all over the world helped Chicago by sending food and clothing. Within a month, 4,000 cottages (小屋) with two rooms had been built. In a few years, Chicago was completely rebuilt.

4 . Antarctic blue whales have been perceived again in the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. An international-team of researchers discovered the animals five decades after whaling (捕鲸业) nearly caused them to disappear forever. “The ocean resources at South Georgia were heavily developed during the early 20th-century industrial whaling,” says lead author Susannah Calderan, an ecologist with the Scottish Association for Marine Science.

Antarctic blue whales were plentiful in the area until whaling began there in 1904, kicking off the beginning of industrial whaling in the Southern Ocean. While hunters originally focused on species that could be easily caught, like the humpback whale, the focus quickly moved to the blue whale. Between 1904 and 1973, 345,775 Antarctic blue whales were killed in the Southern hemisphere (半球）and in the northern Indian Ocean. Around South Georgia, blue whale catches were reported year-round without stopping. Between 1904 and 1971, industrial whaling caused 42, 698 blue whales’ death, Blue whales almost disappeared in these areas.

Researchers studied all Antarctic blue whale data from the last three decades. They examined sightings (目睹)from scientific surveys collected by observers on ships, as well as opportunistic sightings reported by seamen and ship passengers to the South Georgia. They also examined acoustic(声音的）recordings of blue whale.

They found that whale surveys from ships off South Georgia resulted in just one blue whale sighting between 1998 and 2018. But more recent surveys suggest better news. A survey in February of 2020 found nearly 60 blue whale sightings, and several acoustic detections (探测).A total of 41 blue whales have been recognized through photos from South Georgia between 2011 and 2020.

“Their return is very meaningful, as it was widely thought that blue whales at South Georgia might have been hunted beyond a point where they could recover, and might never be seen again in great numbers at South Georgia,” Calderan says. “Our research shows that, populations can recover even from very low levels if they’re given enough protection.”

5 . China is one of the countries with the most serious natural disasters in the world. There are many kinds of disasters, with wide distribution, high frequency and heavy losses. In the background of global climate change, major natural disasters occur from time to time.     1     It makes China face even much severe and complex situation. In order to rase the awareness of disaster prevention and minimize the losses, warnings and instructions are give to the public.     2     Let’s have a look.

Fire

When a fire breaks out, smoke threatens mostly.     3     Roll on the ground if you find your clothes on fire. It is too dangerous to take the elevator in this situation, so it is better to use a bundle of rope and safely slide down from the balcony. Jumping off the building blindly will cause serious injuries.

Mud-rock flow

Rainstorm may cause mud-rock flow, an it’s really dangerous to stay downstream. When you try to escape from it, instead of going along the bottom of the ditch, it is much wiser to climb up the mountain horizontally quickly. Please escape from ditch when selecting camping field. It’s important to check the weather when going into the mountain

Flood

    4     We could use a wooden bed or table to make a raft and tie it to a big tree with a safety.   rope. We have to prepare food and warm clothes to get through it.

Lightning strike

On cloudy and rainy days, a lightning strike may happen.     5     Of course, you also should stay away from iron tower poles. We need to pay attention to it even when we stay at home. Close the doors, windows and cut off the power.

In southern China, there is a famous road     1    (build) across Poyang Lake, which lies in the north of Jiangxi Province, China and is known as China’s second     2     (large) lake. People in China also call it “the most beautiful road under the water.”

This road is sure     3     (attract) a lot of attention towards the end of May every year. A lot of people come out of     4     (curious). The water level of the lake is so close to the surface of the road,     5     makes the view ahead broad and bright when people drive along. It’s as though they were taking a boat across the lake. The feeling is     6     (simple) wonderful!

For the next few months, this road is not above the surface    7    under the water. When the water level of Poyang Lake starts to go up, the road surface becomes unseen. However, drivers can still drive across the lake safely     8     watching the guardrails(防撞护栏) fixed on either side of the road. For thrill-seeking motorists, it’s like     9     (drive) an amphibious(水陆两栖的) super car. Then in a few days, the entire road     10     (flood) with the continuously rising water. A few months later, the road will reappear.