1 . As the world sees more and more extreme weather patterns, it's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the effects of climate change.     1     Because of this, a type called climate fiction, or cli-fi, has found new life.

The term "cli-fi" was first used in 2007 by US climate activist and writer Dan Bloom.    2     According to Bloom, the term really gained popularity when Canadian writer Margaret Atwood used it in a tweet, introducing it to her half-a-million followers.

    3    These kinds of books can help us imagine what the world might be like in the future because of major climate change events.

The genre is also gaining popularity with high school and college students because it looks at topics that are relevant to what's really happening today.    4    

Cli-fi has also helped to inspire students to pursue science majors, with some universities even offering courses specifically focusing on climate fiction.

“These books aren't going to save the world in any straight form or way: Johns-Putra commented.” “    5    ”

As Atwood wrote in her dystopian cli-fi novel MaddAddam, “People need such stories, because however dark, a darkness with voices in it is better than a silent void (空间)”.

I’m very glad to hear that you are going to pay a visit to myhometown.

Yours,

Li Hua

5 . Through an agreement signed today, the much-loved animals will continue to delight visitors for another three years, through December 7, 2023. “We’re all very excited,” says Steve Monfort, the director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. “It’s very good that we can continue our cooperation with our Chinese colleagues.”

The female giant panda Mei Xiang and male Tian Tian, will return to China at the end of 2023 at the relatively elder panda ages of 25 and 26 respectively （分别地). The probable lifetime for giant pandas is about 15 to 20 years in the wild, and about 30 years in captivity (圈养). Likely to travel with the two is Xiao Qi Ji （Little Miracle）, who was born on August 21, 2020. The 15-week-old male cub is the fourth of Mei Xiang’s four surviving cubs.

By long-standing agreement, cubs born in captivity at the zoo are sent to China before four. When Xiao Qi Ji was born, his mother Mei Xiang became the oldest giant panda to give birth in North America.

The public has yet to see Xiao Qi Ji in person. Normally, it would be at about this time, a little over 100 days, that a cub would be able to be shared with the public. Over 1.6 million people have watched the Zoo's Panda Cam since the August birth, with a total of 8.8 million page views. Just this week, his parents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian marked 20 years in Washington, D.C..

The extension agreement means that the National Zoo and China will reach a half century of conservation and cooperation between the U.S. and China. “It shouldn't be surprising to people that cooperation is the foundation of the way that one does the work.” Monfort says, “In protecting species, no one organization and often not even one government can theoretically save a species without partnership.”

6 . Ant Forest, a green initiative by the world’s leading payment and lifestyle platform Alipay, received the “U.N. Champions of the Earth” award, the UN’s highest environmental honor. It was given to Ant Forest for motivating half a billion people to adopt an eco-friendly and greener lifestyle, greatly contributing to ecological protection with the help of digital technology.

Alipay achieved this by inspiring its users to do environmentally-friendly things, such as walking, using public transportation, going paperless in the office and more to earn “green energy points”. These points can then be used to water and grow their own virtual young trees. After the virtual young trees have grown up on line, Ant Forest will plant real trees somewhere in China.

The number of Ant Forest users has reached 350 million, reducing 3 million tons of carbon dioxide. “Such programs are quite attractive to me. I feel satisfied to see a real tree planted just by doing some simple things such as riding bicycles and buying tickets online,” said an interviewee.

This initiative of Ant Forest is in line with the Chinese government’s strategy of a “Green Economy”. The country is taking aggressive actions in expanding its green coverage. Now, its efforts are paying off, with improved biodiversity and a healthier economic growth. Rare animal species have been spotted and forest parks are now popular attractions of tourism.

The planet is at a critical point which could result in natural disasters. It seems clear that unless governments, businesses and people form a focused team, it’s difficult to stop global warming. Fortunately, Ant Forest shows that it is possible to make joint efforts while relying on digital technology. And more initiatives are using technology to contribute to a sustainable future of the planet.

7 . The Chinese manned submersible(潜水器) Fendouzhe, over 96.5 percent of whose core components have been independently developed by China, reached one of the deepest spots on the planet, a dizzying and dark depth of 10,909 meters.

Extreme water pressure is the first challenge that requires dealing with during the exploration. At 10,000 meters down in the ocean, the submersible has to stand about 1,100 atmospheres of pressure, equal to 2,000 elephants stepping on a person’s back. As the solid “armour (盔甲)”，the manned cabin is a safety guarantee for humans to reach down to 10,000 meters deep in the ocean. To overcome the technical bottleneck, the Chinese researchers developed a new material-Ti62A, successfully solving problems of the strength and toughness of the manned cabin.

To avoid risks of crashes in the dark deep sea with complex terrain(地形)，Fendouzhe requires its control system, a smart “brain” to give the exact instructions. Researchers designed a neural network algorithm(神经网络算法), which enables Fendouzhe to travel automatically according to the seabed terrain and locate fixed points. Its control system has reached the international frontier level.

The submersible is equipped with two flexible and strong “arms”. Each 7-joint arm with 6 degrees - of - freedom control and a weight-carrying ability of more than 60 kilograms can cover the sampling basket and its front areas. With the arms, Fendouzhe collected samples of ocean rocks, deep-sea living things and seabed sediments(沉淀物).

The ocean, especially the deep sea, is widely regarded as Earth's final frontier. Deep down in the ocean are unusual creatures, strange environments and impressive geological wonders, yet humanity knows less about the ocean floor than about the far side of the moon. These samples and data collected from the deep ocean can be used for geological and biological research, as well as study the human impact on the planet.

8 . A 22-year-old aircraft maintenance engineer living in Dubai, Zachariah was visiting the southwest India state of Kerala for a family wedding when a lockdown was declared. Store shelves were emptying, and hence Zachariah and his father _______ vegetables on their family's plot of land.

Using YouTube videos and techniques Zachariah's grandfather had _______ to his father _______ a guide, they began a garden that finally helped _______20 neighboring households during the pandemic （流行病）.

The tropical （热带的）climate of Kerala, he said, _______ plenty of rain and sun, making farming hands-off _______ it's time to harvest. That free style of farming is in line with Zachariah's growing _______ in sustainable agriculture, a movement that promotes working with nature instead of forcing the land to obey man's _______

What he didn't realize was that a _______ had been planted, one that would eventually lead him to ________ his career in engineering and consider one in farming. Soon after returning to Dubai, he's decided to ________ careers, from serving the skies to ________ the soil. " It's a big change for me. But this is what makes me ________ —helping others and being in nature. "

The time they've spent together has also helped bring Zachariah and his father ________. “We started bonding and I think that's why I ________ gardening,"   Zachariah said.

Wild animals are returning to their natural homes in     1     (variety) areas, as human beings lock     2     (them) up due to the policies in light of COVID-19. For example, pink dolphins     3     (spot) in waters near Hong Kong in April.

Last week, two Persian leopards (豹) were released into Russia’s mountains     4     part of a World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature program.

The two leopards, a male and a female, were raised in a leopard training center,     5     they learned hunting skills so that they could survive in the wild. They were released in hopes of     6     (help) the species recover.

Dmitriy Gorshkov, director of WWF-Russia, said he is     7     (confidence) that the pair can adapt to the wild. “    8     (take) into account that two males are already living in the Caucasus Reserve, we hope this year a couple can be formed that will bring the first baby     9     (bear) in the wild,” Gorshkov said.

Gorshkov added the release of the pair brings back the symbol of the Caucasus and shows the world that people have recognized     10    they did and have decided to fix the mistakes.

10 . Every year, I circle the first day of spring on our calendar. In this way, it won't slip by_______. I'm not sure why _________ the calendar to announce spring's arrival, since it has so little bearing on the matter. Spring comes when it's good and ready; sometimes well before its _________day, sometime well after.

For years, spring in our town was _________ by Leon and Jo Martin, who owned the Dairy Queen. Every year, they would _________ the words “Now Hiring” on their sign. I would walk past to see Leon and Jo Martin _________ for their spring opening. It was as _________ an indication of spring as any calendar, and after the Dairy Queen was sold to an out-of-town outfit who kept it _________ all year round, it threw off our towns' circadian rhythms（昼夜节律）._________, when Johnston's grocery store __________ selling snowplows and starts selling lawn mowers（割草机） that's a pretty good __________ winter's grip（抓紧，把手，柄） has loosened.

But let us suppose Johnston's store ignores its duty and we are left __________ of spring's arrival. We would then have to look and see whether Bill Edd, our town's plumber（水暖工），was wearing coat.__________ the first leaf dries up and falls to the ground in autumn, Bill __________his brown Carhartt coat and doesn't remove it until next spring. I've known Bill since we were very young, so I am well acquainted with his __________.