2 . 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.

3 . 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.

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 ________.

6 . 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.

7 . Standing on the shore of a lake, I can’t help but feel surprised at the thousands of small rocks that surround my boots. They were all created from _________ surfaces, their edges softening over time. I wonder, “Can we learn from a pile of rocks?”

Even the tallest mountains have _________; none are as tall as they were 1,000 years ago. And much like a rock, I’ve found my _________ has softened and my desire to better understand others has expanded with each trip around the sun.

_________, I was also a sharp rock covered in pointy edges. Today, after decades of the waters of life coursing over me, my edges are softer and I’m more _________. I’m less likely to judge and more interested in learning how we can _________ together.

But I’m not a _________. I’m a human filled with all the drama built into my DNA.

Two years ago, while traveling in the Pacific Northwest, I watched a restaurant owner ask several young men to _________ for not wearing masks. Not _________ and not rude. On the door read a sign, “Please wear a mask before entering our restaurant. We don’t like it either, but let’s all do what we can to __________ this together.”

The group of young men wanted to __________ about the note. I sat at the restaurant watching, understanding both sides. I’ve been one of them before, using my youthful edges to chip away at (削弱) the world. What I lost, __________, was the ability to grow from __________ by looking through the eyes of others. In learning to be more __________, I’ve also found more happiness and success.

You can fit more rounded rocks in a jar than those with sharp edges. The former look for ways to __________ and make room for others, while the latter never give an __________ to accommodate others.

__________, like the waters rolling against once sharp stones, changes us by washing away our resistance to __________ the world from someone else’s point of view.

I placed a __________ stone into my jacket pocket. Mother Nature is holding a __________ again.