2 . Animal and plant species are disappearing at frightening rates. The problem has led to efforts to “rewild” places where such life existed before human development, pollution and climate change forced it out. The American city of Detroit is an example of how human actions can increase rewilding, which generally means helping natural systems in damaged locations, removing dams or building tunnels to reconnect animal pathways cut by roads.

Detroit’s population reached a high of 1.8 million in the 1950s. Then the population began dropping. By 2000, there were fewer than one million people living in the city. Thousands of houses and other buildings were left empty over the years. Some structures were destroyed, leaving empty areas that plants and animals regained as habitats. Nonprofit groups have also planted trees and community gardens in these areas. Anti-pollution laws and government-supported cleanups made nearby rivers better for fish and native plants.

Now, Detroit is home to 300 bird species and is a busy visiting place for ducks and others during migration. Unlike most big cities, its population is decreasing but its streets and buildings remain in place. And there are many kinds of habitats, including large lakes, rivers and human neighborhoods. Detroit’s parklands are so quiet that people don’t even know they’re in the city.

“It used to be that you had to go to some remote location to get exposure to nature,” said JohnHartig, a professor of University of Windsor. “Now that’s not the case. Like it or not, rewilding will occur. The question is how we can prepare communities and environments to embrace the presence of more and more wildlife. After all, many city people have lost their tolerance to live with wildlife. To really make a difference in dealing with the biodiversity crisis, you’re going to have to have people on board.”

4 . It was 1:20 a. m. I had just gone to bed, a bit _________ after celebrating my 31st birthday. Before dinner, I’d placed _________ outside my garden door and prepared the cell phone just _________. After all, it had been _________ that week, resulting in flood warnings.

I was awakened by the _________ of rushing water. When I swung my legs off the bed, I was shocked to feel cold water already up to my knees and _________ fast.

Shaking in darkness, I _________ my phone and turned on its flashlight. Then by the light I could _________ water was from the garden door. It must have breached (在……上) the sandbags. The river, usually such a quiet, slow moving river in my region, had _________ burst its banks. And now I had to __________!

I took __________ action. Any effects of the alcohol before sleep were gone;__________ sobers (使清醒) one up. After I went outside, I learned the river had flooded the neighbourhood. Therefore, if I had woken up just a few minutes later, I would have drowned.

In the end, I think the experience made me __________ and determined to live each day to its fullest. I came very close to drowning that day. But rather than dwell on (沉湎于)what happened, I prefer to __________ what my mother told me afterwards, “Don’t remember the day when you lost everything. Remember the day you __________. That day marked the beginning of a new chapter in your life.”

6 . Sea turtles are considered a national treasure in Sri Lanka. However, in recent years, the sea turtles have faced great _________.

Growing up on the beach, Chamara Indika, 35, was _________ about it. In the beginning, he _________himself to the protection of sea turtles as a volunteer. He gave his spare time to raise _________ of caring for sea turtles and caried out sea turtle protection and rescue missions.

Later, he decided that this was not a long-term _________ . “One person’s abilities are very _________ and I wanted to make real changes,” said Indika._________, Jack Xiao, the founder of Chinese YIK International Volunteers (YIKIV), reached out to Indika and offered his help to protect sea turtles. With his assistance, Indika set up the Nil Manel Foundation in Sri Lanka.

The organization _________ professional training and guidance for the volunteers, spreads knowledge of turtle and carries out conservation activities. Volunteers can then work to spread their new knowledge to more people.

At first, the volunteers’ main job was to rescue and care for _________ turtles locally. Then they found people and animals eat turtle eggs on the beach. So volunteers started __________ eggs to a protection center with artificial cultivation. It __________ higher survival rates.

Thanks to their efforts, the survival rate of newborn turtles has reached new highs, and conservation awareness has also increased. Many volunteers now __________ to use straws and plastic bags which cause many turtles to die accidentally.

“It made me feel that all my work had __________. But it was not enough to rely on myself and the current volunteers. It would be important to __________ this knowledge down to future generations,” said Indika. With persistence and hard work, Indika firmly believes they will make a(n)__________ to the sea turtles.

Yuelu Academy is one of the “Four Best Academies in the whole country”. It     1     (be)well-known since Song Dynasty.

Located at Hunan University in Yuelu Region Changsha County, Yuelu Academy,     2     has a three-kilometer distance to the downtown, is listed as the national AAAA scenic area, national key Scenic Spot, national civilized tourism demonstration site and important heritage site under state     3     (protect). The floor space of the academy is more than 31,000 m² and the construction area     4     (reach) 11,000 m².

During     5     (it) thousand years, Yuelu Academy has been much popular for the famous people it has fostered (培养).     6     1916 and 1919, young Mao Zedong lived at the Banxue Room in Yuelu Academy several times to work on the revolutionary activities in seek of the truth of     7     (save) the Chinese people. From then on, a number of Yuelu     8     (teacher) and students set themselves to the revolutionary work in the new democracy and caused a profound and everlasting influence to Chinese history.

In addition, the academy is also     9     (real) famous for the elegance of the environment and beauty of the architecture. Nowadays, it serves as     10     ancient heritage museum for demonstrating the ancient academy education and architectural style.

Do you know the Silk Road? The Silk Road     1     is a network of trade routes connected the East and the West in ancient and Medieval times. In addition to silk, other various goods were traded along     2     Silk Road, and the network was also important for the spread of science, technology, and artistic ideals. The Silk Road had a great influence     3     the lands through which the routes passed, and the trade is also important for the     4     (develop) of towns and cities along the Silk Road routes.

Many businessmen along the Silk Road     5     (join) in relay (中转) trade, where an item would change owners many     6     (time) and travel a little bit with each one of them before reaching its final buyer. It seems to have been     7     (enormous) unusual for any individual businessman to travel all the way between China and Europe or Northern Africa. Instead, many businessmen focused on     8     (transport) goods through various sections of the Silk Road.

The Silk Road established the earliest connection between the East and the West. It was significant in the improvement of world civilization     9     the progress of human society. Research of the Silk Road today continue to have a     10     (power) influence.

10 . Are you attracted to faraway places? Do you prefer a vacation away from other tourists? Are you careful to take only memories and to leave only footprints? If you answered yes to more than one of these questions, you just might be an ecotourist (生态旅游者).

Ecotourists are people who want to experience the natural world without damage and leave it that way when they return home. This started in the 1990s and ecotourism is now growing three times faster than the tourism industry at large. The Ecuador’s remote Amazon Basin (盆地) is leading to that enlarging, and it gives tourists a snapshot of what ecotourism looks like.

At the Ecolodge, a small group of small houses sit Kapawi Ecolodge in the middle of the Achuar people’s reserve (保护区) and are only accessible by air. From here, visitors can explore parts of the Amazon rainforest seen by few outsiders. As they do, local Achuar guides explain how the forest is like their supermarket, where they find food, clothing, medicine and tools. As a result, tourists learn to enjoy the local culture as well as the natural environment.

The owners of Kapawi pay monthly rent to the Achuar people, but they also train the community to run and manage the lodge. They have agreed on a plan to turn the operation over to the Achuar completely by 2011. The owners are working to make ecotourism benefit and empower the local people.

You probably won’t start your own ecolodge (生态旅馆), but you can be an ecotourist if you follow these guidelines: Protect the environment; Support local businesses; Respect the local customs and traditions.

The world is full of fascinating places to visit. As an ecotourist, you can enjoy them yourself and make sure that they remain beautiful for future generations as well.