1 . Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second___________. He learned the value and beauty of _________ there from a very young age.

When he was 16, Molai began to notice something _________ happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the _________ it caused had driven away a number of birds. _________, the number of snakes had declined as well. He _________ that it was because there weren’t enough trees to protect them from the _________. The solution, of course, was to plant trees so the animals could seek _________ during the daytime. He turned to the _________ department for help but was told that nothing would grow there. However, Molai went looking on his own and __________a nearby island where he began to plant trees.

________ young plants in the dry season was ____________for a lone boy. Molai built at the __________ of each sapling(幼树)a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to____________ rainwater. The water would then drip(滴落)on the plants below.

Molai __________ to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1,360 acres of naturally-grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.

2 . Every year about 40,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. They _______ with them lots of waste. The _______ might damage the beauty of the place. The glaciers(冰川) are disappearing, changing the _______ of Kilimanjaro.

Hearing these stories, I’m _______ about the place — other destinations are described as “purer” natural experiences.

However, I soon _______ that much has changed since the days of disturbing reports of _______ among tons of rubbish. I find a _______ mountain, with toilets at camps and along the paths. The environmental challenges are _______ but the efforts made by the Tanzania National Park Authority seem to be _______.

The best of a Kilimanjaro ________, in my opinion, isn’t reaching the top. Mountains are ________ as spiritual places by many cultures. This ________ is especially evident on Kilimanjaro as ________ go through five ecosystems(生态系统) in the space of a few kilometers. At the base is a rainforest. It ends abruptly at 3, 000 meters, ________ lands of low growing plants. Further up, the weather ________ — low clouds envelope the mountainsides, which are covered with thick grass. I ________ twelve shades of green from where I stand. Above 4, 000 meters is the highland ________: gravel(砾石), stones and rocks. ________ you climb into an arctic-like zone with ________ snow and the glaciers that may soon disappear.

Does Kilimanjaro ________ its reputation as a crowded mountain with lines of tourists ruining the atmosphere of peace? I found the opposite to be true.

3 . Since 1960, considerable scientific researches have been done on chimps in their natural habitats. Astonishingly, scientists have found out that the social _________ of Chimps are very similar to humans. Chimps will _________ in certain ways, like gathering together to protect their land. But beyond the minimum requirements as social beings, they have little instinct (本能) to _________ one another. Chimps in the wild seek food for themselves. Even chimp mothers regularly _________ to share food with their children. Who are able from a young age to gather their own food?

In the laboratory, chimps don’t _________ share food either. If a chimp is put in a cage where he can pull in one plate of food for himself or, with no greater effort, a plate that also provides food for a neighbor to the next cage, he will pull _________ -he just doesn’t care whether his neighbor gets fed or not. Chimps are truly selfish.

Human children, _________, are extremely cooperative. From the earliest ages, they desire to help others, to share information and to participate in achieving common goals. The psychologist Michael Tomasello has studied this _________ in a series of experiments with very young children. He finds that if babies aged 18 months see a worried adult with hands full trying to open a door, almost all will immediately try to help.

There are several reasons to believe that the urges to help, inform and share are not taught, but naturally _________ in young children. One is that these instincts appear at a very __________ age before most parents have started to train their children to behave __________. Another is that the helping behaviors are not improved if the children are rewarded. A third reason is that social intelligence __________ in children before their general cognitive(认知的) skills, at least when compared with chimps. In tests conducted by Tomasello, the human children did no better than the chimps on the __________ world tests but were considerably better at understanding the social world.

The core (核心) of what children’s minds have and chimps’ don’t is what Tomasello calls shared intentionality. Part of this ability is that they can __________ what others know or are thinking. But beyond that, even very young children want to be part of a shared purpose. They actively seek to be part of a “we”, a group that intends to work toward a(n) __________goal.

4 . Wildlife has been greatly threatened in the modern age. There are species(物种) that are _______ every day. The white-naped crane is a typical example. So scientists are trying their best to _______ the species from going out of existence.

Chris and Tim work at a zoo, helping endangered cranes with their _______. Emma, a female crane, has been in their _______ since she arrived in 2004.

Born at an international crane foundation, Emma was _______ by human caretakers. This led to an unexpected _______, though she had a wonderful time there. Emma had _______ taken herself as a crane and become deeply attached to humans. She _______ to live with male cranes, and even had a _______ for killing some of them, which made it ________ for her to become a mother.

________, the two zookeepers didn’t want to see the extinction(灭绝) of this precious species. With their patience and efforts, they successfully developed a ________ of artificial breeding(人工繁殖) and natural reproduction. This ________ Emma to give birth to five baby cranes.

The two keepers are proud of their productive work. But before they can be ________, more efforts must be made, because the population of the crane in the wild is on the ________, and many other species appear headed toward extinction. ________, not everyone has realized that wildlife has thoughts, feelings, and most importantly, equal rights to survive.

How can we ________ the ever-widening gap that separates us from other animals? Chris and Tim offered us the ________: human beings took it for granted that their ________ held all the solutions, but maybe their hearts can be a better ________.

9 . There's a black walnut (黑胡桃) tree in my backyard. I've been in an 18-year love-hate _______ with it. It's a _______ tree. In late September or early October, falling fruits as hard as baseballs _______ the heads of you. Patio (露台) umbrellas are a must while dining in the garden in early August, and because of the volume of fruit this season, I wear my bike _______ while working in the garden.

The black walnut also releases a chemical substance through its roots as a _______ strategy. It's harmful to several common plants. There have been many new plant varieties that I brought home with _______ that maybe the black walnut would _________ them, but they failed to _______.

Have I thought of getting rid of this giant pain in my _______ backyard? Yes, however, getting rid of this tree standing at 50 feet with an 87 -inch trunk is __________. It's also protected under the law. Rightfully so. Trees are important to the urban forest and for all of those that inhabit it. Trees are __________ to numerous birds and insect species and are essential for keeping our environment __________.

Sometimes I think about my __________ without the black walnut. I can't imagine a spring without the birds who arrive every year and loudly sing their songs before dawn. I'd miss falling asleep on __________ weekend afternoons as I ____________ into its leaves before the nuts threaten to fall.

Every spring, I wonder what the season __________ . What are the chances of being knocked ____________ while barbecuing? Like any good relationship, I'll never be pleased. I’m __________with this tree, __________ , my walnut offers a home to wildlife and a __________ that acceptance, instead of resistance, is the better way to be.