The Chinese government recently finalized a plan to set up a Giant Panda National Park(GPNP).     1     (cover)an area about three times     2     size of Yellowstone National Park, the GPNP will be one of the first national parks in the country. The plan will extend protection to a significant number of areas that     3     (be)previously unprotected, bringing many of the existing protected areas for giant pandas under one authority     4     (increase)effectiveness and reduce inconsistencies in management.

After a three-year pilot period, the GPNP will be officially set up next year. The GPNP     5     (design)to reflect the guiding principle of “protecting the authenticity and integrity(完整性)of natural ecosystems, preserving biological diversity, protecting ecological buffer zones,     6     leaving behind precious natural assets(资产)for future generations”. The GPNP’s main goal is to improve connectivity between separate     7     (population)and homes of giant pandas, and     8     (eventual)achieve a desired level of population in the wild.

Giant pandas also serve     9     an umbrella species(物种), bringing protection to a host of plants and animals in the southwestern and northwestern parts of China. The GPNP is intended to provide stronger protection for all the species     10     live within the Giant Panda Range and significantly improve the health of the ecosystem in the area.

A visually-challenged man from Beijing recently hiked (徒步) 40 days to Xi’an, as a first step     1     (journey) the Belt and Road route (路线) by foot.

On the 1,100 kilometer journey, the man Cao Shengkang,     2     lost his eyesight at the age of eight in a car accident, crossed 40 cities and counties in three provinces. Inspired by the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation     3     (hold) in Beijing, Cao decided to cover the route by hiking as a tribute (致敬) to the ancient Silk Road.     4     friend of his, Wu Fan, volunteered to be his companion during the trip.

Cao and Wu also collected garbage along the road, in order to promote environmental     5     (protect). Cao believes this will make the hiking trip even more     6     (meaning). The two of them collected more than 1,000 plastic bottles along the 40-day journey.

In the last five years. Cao     7     (walk) through 34 countries in six continents, and in 2016, he reached the top of Kilimanjaro, Africa’s     8     (high) mountain.

Now, Cao has started the second part of his dream to walk along the Belt and Road route. He flew 4, 700 kilometers     9     Xi’an to Kashgar on Sept. 20,     10     (plan) to hike back to Xi’an in five months.

The polar bear is found in the Arctic Circle and some big land masses as far south as Newfoundland. While they are rare north of 88°, there is evidence     1     they range all the way across the Arctic, and as far south as James Bay in Canada. It is difficult to figure out a global population of polar bears as much of the range has been     2    (poor) studied; however, biologists calculate that there are about 20,000-25,000 polar bears worldwide.

Modern methods     3     tracking polar bear populations have been employed only since the mid-1980s, and are expensive     4    (perform) consistently over a large area. In recent years some Inuit people in Nunavut     5    (report) increases in bear sightings around human settlements, leading to a     6    (believe) that populations are increasing. Scientists have responded by     7    (note) that hungry bears may be congregating(聚集) around human settlements, leading to the illusion(错觉) that populations are     8    (high) than they actually are. Of     9     nineteen recognized polar bear subpopulations, three are declining, six     10    (be) stable, one is increasing, and nine lack enough data.

Diets have changed in China — and so too has its top crop. Since 2011, the country     1    （grow）more corn than rice. Corn production has jumped nearly 125 percent over     2     past 25 years, while rice has increased only 7 percent.

A taste for meat is     3     (actual) behind the change: An important part of its corn is used to feed chickens, pigs, and cattle. Another reason for corn's rise: The government encourages farmers to grow corn instead of rice     4     (improve) water quality. Corn uses less water     5     rice and creates less fertilizer(化肥) runoff. This switch has decreased     6     (pollute) in the country's major lakes and reservoirs and made drinking water safer for people.

According to the World Bank, China accounts for about 30 percent of total     7     (globe)fertilizer consumption. The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture finds that between 2005—when the government     8     (start) a soil-testing program     9     gives specific fertilizer recommendations to farmers - and 2011, fertilizer use dropped by 7.7 million tons. That prevented the emission(排放) of 51.8 million tons of carbon dioxide. China's approach to protecting its environment while     10     (feed) its citizens "offers useful lessons for agriculture and food policymakers worldwide." says the bank's Juergen Voegele.

I'm not sure     1     is more frightened, me or the female gorilla(大猩猩）that suddenly appears out of nowhere. I'm walking on a path in the forest in the Central African Republic. Unexpectedly, I'm face-to-face with the gorilla, who begins screaming at     2     top of her lungs. That makes her baby scream, and then a 400-pound male appears. He screams the

    3    (loud)of all. The noise shakes the trees as the male beats his chest and charges toward me. I quickly lower myself, ducking my head to avoid     4    (look) directly into his eyes so he doesn't feel    5    (challenge).

My name is Mireya Mayor. I'm a     6    (science)who studies animals such as apes and monkeys. I was searching     7     these three western lowland gorillas I'd been observing. No one had seen them for hours, and my colleagues and I were worried.

When the gorillas and I frightened each other, I was just glad to find     8    (they) alive. True to a gorilla's unaggressive nature, the huge animal     9    (mean)me no real harm. He was just saying: "I'm king of this forest, and here is your reminder!" Once his message was delivered, he allowed me     10     (stay)and watch.