Haitian Earthquake shook the Caribbean in 2010. Many people may remember this from the “Hope for Haiti Now” programme    1    aired on television. Within the next day, the fundraising call had resulted in the    2    (collect) of $58 million US dollars. The earthquake    3    (strike) the island of Hispaniola on January 12, 2010. It started 16 miles west of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and killed anywhere between 100,000 to 316,000 people. The estimates of the death toll vary to this day. The magnitude (震级) was relatively low    4    7.0, but the fact that its epicentre (震中) was so close to     5    population centre made it     6     (high) deadly.

Aftershocks of magnitudes between 5.5 and 5.9 continued for almost two weeks. Haiti’s lack (缺少) of building     7    (rule)meant disaster for the country. The buildings floated like rainwater down the streets. Haiti had seen several major earthquakes before this one:1751, 1770, 1842, and 1946. Even though it is a seismically (地震的) active area, a lack of proper services made it even    8    (hard) for the country    9     (deal) with a situation like this. According to the Haitian government’s estimate, the earthquake caused heavy losses,    10    (leave) almost 250, 000 houses and 30,000 buildings in ruins(废墟).

In October 2021, China announced the opening of its Giant Panda National Park. Giant pandas are no longer classified as     1     endangered species but are still vulnerable (脆弱的), so conservationists are still working     2     (boost) their population numbers. By protecting pandas, the park also benefits another 8.000 animal and plant species living in the same ecosystem.

One creature     3     shares the same habit al with the giant panda is the red panda. While less famous than the giant panda, the red panda is just as cute—and     4     (unfortunate), endangered. Habitat loss caused by human activity     5     climate change is a major threat. While exact population numbers are unknown, researchers estimate that red pandas     6     (decline) by 50% in the last 18 years.

Another endangered animal living here is the clouded leopard (豹).     7     (large) than a house cat, clouded leopards are named for their irregular, cloud-like     8     (spot). The clouded leopard isn’t the only cat moving around the Giant Panda National Park. The snow leopard also shares the territory, although it’s rarely seen,     9     (make) it difficult for researchers to assess its population numbers. Snow leopards     10     (list) as vulnerable due to the increasing threats to their natural habitat.

Scientists exploring the ocean floor in Antarctica have found a larger group of fish nests than ever before. The discovery came     1     a surprise, and it will help scientists develop a more complete idea of the ocean food web in the area.

In the south Weddell Sea, not far from Antarctica’s Filchner Ice Shelf, scientists were    2     (amaze) to discover a group of about 60 million icefish nests on the ocean floor. Before this, the     3     (large) group of icefish nests that had ever been found includes less than 60 nests. Lilian Boehringer, a research student, was the first     4     (discover) the nests. “They were everywhere,” she told The New York Times.

The researchers used a special device called OFOBS to make two more four-hour “dives” ,    5     (try) to discover the limits of the nesting area. The nests scientists found were in the shape of     6     circle. Each nest held about 1,700 eggs. Usually, Weddell seals (海豹)    7     (spot) in the waters above the nesting site. Trackers     8     (fix) on some Weddell seals show that they dive all the way to the sea floor.

The team placed a camera on the sea floor before leaving,     9     will take a picture of the nests in the area     10     (two) a day for the next two years. They hope the pictures from this camera will help them learn more about the lives of the icefish.

Hua Weiguang,     1     retired teacher from Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is a photography enthusiast.

A decade ago, the arrival of tree planters     2     (catch) Hua’s attention and the photos of the tree planters     3     (take) by Hua are evidence of the     4     (remark) transformation of the land. In those photos, hats, scarves and goggles, for the workers fighting desertification, are basic necessities to protect them     5     the wind and sand. There was no way to avoid the brutal summer heat in the land so the workers had to lie down on the ground or curl up in the narrow shade of their cars to cool off. And they also had to eat their lunch amid the blowing sands, taking in the small pieces of sand with their food.

“    6     we don’t fool the tree, it won’t fool you. You take it     7     (serious), and then it behaves in the same way to you. You put efforts to make it live, and the tree lives up to your     8     (expect),” the planters say.

China’s forest resources have increased by over 70 million hectares in the past decade,     9     (rank) first in the world. One tree after another, a green Great Wall has been built. Brush by brush, a green field     10     (paint) over the yellow sandy land up to now.

Every year the world unites together on World Animal Day on Oct.4 for the improved treatment and well-being of animals everywhere.

It started in 1931     1     ecologists banded together in Italy to raise awareness (意识) of endangered species (濒危物种).

Since then, the yearly event has been used as a means of     2     (connect) “animal welfare organizations, youth clubs, businesses, community groups, and individuals... to raise awareness for their work and fundraise in support of     3     (cause) ranging from care of working animals to protection of endangered tigers and habitat loss”.

In the past decades, China     4     (do) much to improve the welfare of animals. The     5     (big) symbol of China’s official protection of animals can     6     (find) in the Wildlife Protection Law. First     7     (sign) in 1988 and revised several times over the years,     8     law enforces (执行) the protection of endangered species as well as ensuring a balance between the needs of wild animals and people.

The Chinese people have also made their voice     9     the treatment of animals clear as well. According to a survey done by Frontiers in Animal Science magazine in 2022, 86.3 percent believed that “it is important to have laws that protect the welfare of animals”.

In the spirit of World Animal Day, we all can think of more ways     10     (protect) both the animals around us and those in the wild.

In China, 2022 marks the Year of the Tiger. The animal     1     (regard) in Chinese culture as “the king of all beasts”.

Most children here, when     2     (ask) to draw a tiger, would write on its forehead the Chinese character wang, as the markings on tigers’ foreheads resemble the character for “king”, who conquers the kingdom of animal.

Since ancient times, tigers     3     (indicate) power, solemnity(庄严) and     4     (brave) in our ancestors’ mind, with objects bearing tiger-related image created to drive away the alarming evil spirits and invoke good fortune.

To celebrate this year’s Lunar New Year, it is therefore necessary to prepare     5     advance a few traditional tiger stuffed toys — the classic type is usually made of cloth and comes in colors such as red and yellow —     6     (decorate) one’s home or to give to children as a fascinate mascot(吉祥物).

The eve of Lunar New Year is a time to say goodbye to the past and ring in the new year, with the reunion dinner an indispensable feature of the night.

Although the     7     (food) prepared for the feast vary throughout the country, jiaozi (dumpling) is     8     must-have for most families in northern China. Dishes like fish and chicken, the words     9     sound like “surplus”(盈余) and “good luck” in Chinese, are usually the centerpieces on dining tables. These could make a     10    (wonder) feast and show the host’s generosity and hospitality.