2 . Joy is a Teacher Naturalist Assistant at the Audubon Center, a non-profit connecting people with nature. A big part of her _________ is giving urban youth the chance to spot wildlife, and gain a greater _________ of nature. ”If things go well, she says, “at the end of the tour, students who used to be _________ even by bees will no longer be afraid of insect bites, and will _________ handle mud, and whatever little moving _________ they can catch. ”

Joy values most the _________ that show how much this opportunity means to the students. She _________ one particularly long day. One boy had been misbehaving a lot, frightening away the wildlife. At the end of the tour, _________ he ran to her.

“Miss, ” he said, “It was _________ to pet the fur of those dead animals. “

It wasn’t how Joy would normally refer to the specimens (标本) of animal fur, but she knew what the boy meant. He looked over the river banks, __________ for a moment as if he was weighing something in his mind.

“This place is really amazing, he __________ said. “This has been the best field trip we’ve ever been on, ever.

Joy grew up in a little village in England. She fondly remembers __________ nature walks with Girl Scout volunteers. They helped her __________ her life-long passion for nature, which she wants to share with children today. Like all volunteers, Joy has a __________ for looking at the world through the eyes of her students. ”Maybe only five out of every hundred children will come back, but for many, the experiences will __________ their entire lives, she said.

3 . A sheep in Scotland, known as the “loneliest sheep”, was stuck at the bottom of a cliff for over two years. A group of farmers made it their _________ to rescue the sheep. The sheep was first _________ in 2021 by a kayaker (皮划艇运动员) and had been unable to move from that _________ since then. Local agencies were _________ but said the sheep was not in danger and could not be rescued. One of the farmers, Wilson, named the sheep Fiona and provided _________ about her on his social media account.

Wilson explained that it was too _________ to attempt a rescue earlier due to the dangerous location of the sheep. He expressed concerns about the safety of the rescuers and the difficulty of _________ the sheep by boat or with a dog. However, after careful _________, Wilson and four other men successfully rescued Fiona using heavy _________ and a winch (绞车). They __________ brought her to the slope of the cliff.

The Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was present to __________ the welfare of the sheep. They confirmed that Fiona was in good __________ but needed her wool to be sheared (剪).The ownership of the sheep was transferred to the __________ group of farmers.

Wilson __________ the risks involved in the rescue and expressed gratitude for the successful __________.

5 . I was first going into this final day, the Junior Sled Dog Championship. We’d trained two years and wanted to beat Blake. I knelt down to pat Kenai and my hands ______ from nerves and excitement. Kenai tipped up his face to lick my chin. “You are ______, aren’t you?”

Just before the count down started, Blake shot me a _____ grin, hands trembling too. Then I heard, “Go!”______ I could yell   “Hike!”, Kenai leaped forward. The rest of the dogs _____ after. We started last. We flew down the long hill. Then we ______ a corner. I leaned to keep the sled steady. Kenai saw Blake’s team before I did. His tail flew up, and he ______ . Seeing his tongue still flopping forward, I let him go all out. We closed the ______. A bridge later, we inched closer. On the next hill, Kenai drew even with Blake’s sled and then we passed it.

____ our sled hit a branch. The runners caught. I lost my ______ and fell off the sled. Witnessing the sled come to a stop, I struggled through the deep snow to Kenai. I ____. His shoulder was bleeding.

“Kenai! No!” My voice came out a howl. Kenai ______ to stand. He looked at me, his blue eyes______ to keep on. He would do it, too. For one frozen moment I saw myself on the winner’s stand with the trophy (奖杯). But no. I bent and gently ______ Kenai in a blanket.

The race vet examining Kenai, I watched Blake accept the trophy. Kenai squirming in my lap, I leaned over upon him. Just at that moment, I felt a warm tongue on my wet cheek. I smiled and realized that I had the ____ that really counted.

7 . Nuclear pollution is a serious global   ___________, brought to the forefront by major accidents at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. These events have demonstrated the significant health and environmental risks _________by nuclear disasters. Not only have they caused immediate health problems, such as radiation sickness and increased cancer rates, but they have also _________lasting environmental damage and genetic changes in affected communities. As a result, nuclear pollution remains a pressing concern for governments, scholars, and individuals worldwide.

When nuclear accidents occur in coastal areas, the _________environment becomes a critical concern due to the crucial role that oceans play in _________the climate, ensuring food security, and supporting the livelihoods of billions of people globally. In recent years, the increasing threats to marine ecosystems from ocean pollution have _________public awareness of the need to protect the marine environment. Studies have shown that human activities pose a _________threat to marine environments, emphasizing the importance of improving environmental management and taking measures to mitigate environmental risks.

Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, efforts to cool the reactors by pumping in seawater resulted in the _________of a significant amount of nuclear waste in the water storage tank at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. _________attempts to manage this waste, the Japanese government’s decision to release nearly 1.26 million tons of nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean over the next 40 years has faced opposition __________neighboring countries, local ____________, and international environmental organizations.

This __________poses serious risks to marine life, fisheries, and human health. Radioactive isotopes present in the wastewater, such as tritium, carbon-14, cobalt-60, and strontium-90, can accumulate in marine organisms and ultimately affect human populations through the food ____________. Therefore, there is an/a ____________need for further research and mitigation measures to __________the widespread impacts of nuclear pollution on the environment and human health.

8 . I wasn’t raised to be a fan of snails (蜗牛). I was always taught that if we see a snail on a plant, we should pick it off and_________on it. This brought us the kind of giggly (咯咯傻笑的) _________that only children experience. We loved it. However, my_________on snails has changed, as I’ve grown older. They bring me a different kind of happiness.

The first time I thought of snails as more than a_________was when I saw something that_________ me in my garden. A small snail, _________a hard shell, moved slowly toward one_________bud and explored it. The exploration lasted for quite a while and, _________enough, the bud turned into a full bloom. Watching the snail carefully touching the flower_________me of the lyric: “Snails see the beauty in every inch.” I realized that the snail is probably a best representation of__________and taking life slowly.

Then, I__________the snail in my palm. It was scared by the sudden move and immediately__________back into its shell. I thought it would__________inside for several minutes, but shortly after gutting used to the takeaway, the snail poked its head out again. It was not just hiding but__________.

Giving ourselves time to nourish (滋养) inside and out, and waiting for the right__________to reenter the exciting life, is extremely restorative and worthwhile.

9 . For Aravind Tharunsri and Thaaragai Aarathana, every day is Environment Day and every hour is Earth Hour. And they are on a mission to ______ oceans.

Thaaragai was never afraid of water. She started floating even when under one. Being a passionate diver, Aravind always wanted to make his daughter ______ diving. His vision came true when she became ______ to dive in shallow waters. She first started training in small tubs, then in swimming pools and ______ made a smooth transition to the ocean.

Now, Thaaragai can call attention to the issue of ______ marine species and draw our ______ to her ongoing battle against water pollution. She ______ a record in Assist World Records Attempt for swimming an 18-km stretch under the theme “Save the Ocean”. With help and encouragement from her father, Thaaragai also made a short documentary on marine ______ and presented it in various schools to spread awareness.

The eight-year-old girl ______ her birthday with a diving adventure. She spotted jellyfish, grouper and corals. The diving session didn’t end there as the young girl started spotting plastics. She didn’t have the heart to the ______ them. Both father and daughter ______ as much as they could. The young ______ has also been on a mission to clean up the beaches and the ocean as well as to ______ awareness of marine pollution.

Thaaragai hopes more kids can join. “Why wait for Ocean’s Day or Environment Day? Every day is important when we ______ against climate change. I’m ______ to do my duty as a citizen and I hope you too will join me,” the young diver said.