Under the influence of the recent EL Nino,     1     is reported that the average global temperature in 2023 has set the record, making it the warmest year since 1850. The temperatures in most     2     (region) of China from this winter to next spring will be above the long-term average. This winter the     3     (combine) of EL Nino and global warming raised the chances of natural disasters     4     (cause) by extreme weather. The EL Nino is predicted to cause the sea surface temperature to reach its     5     (high) point between November 2023 and January 2024. EL Nino is     6     naturally occurring climate phenomenon that starts with unusually warm surface water in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, which then goes on to affect the weather worldwide. On average, it     7     (occur) every two to seven years, and one episode     8     (typical) lasts nine to twelve months. Since May, an EL Nino system has heated the atmosphere in the tropical Pacific,     9     (lead) to a rise in global temperatures. Research indicates that a mild EL Nino event can increase the global annual average surface temperature     10     about 0. 1℃, even 0. 22℃.

In ancient times, all roads     1     (lead) from the outside to Sichuan were referred to as the Shu Path, including those from Shaanxi and Gansu.

Surrounded by mountains, Sichuan, called Shu in ancient times, was known for its inaccessibility. That became widely known partly due to a line from Chinese poet Li Bai,     2     reads “Traveling on the Shu Path is as difficult as climbing to heaven”. The most famous section of the Shu Path is about 600 kilometers long. It starts at Chengdu, and then passes Deyang and Guangyuan in Sichuan before ending in Hanzhong in Shaanxi. The     3     (construct) of the section started around 316 BC. It was on such     4     (danger) mountains that Li Bai was inspired     5     (mention) it.

When builders approached the Mingyue Gorge in Guangyuan, they found     6     impossible to continue because of high cliffs (悬崖). So they dug three levels of holes in the rock, and put in wooden beams. The upper beams were     7     (complete) covered by planks (木板) to form a road for people to walk on. The plank road     8     (rebuild) many times during wars. Now part of it has been restored to allow visitors to admire the man-made wonder.

The Sword Gate Pass, a towering V-shaped mountain pass—the one that gave rise     9     a household idiom, “One man at the pass keeps 10,000 men at bay”—witnessed countless battles during the Three Kingdoms and     10     (be) a tourist attraction now in the Guangyuan section of the Shu Path.

Known as a ”living fossil“,the Chinese sturgeon(鲟)is a very precious species. It     1     (believe)to have lived alongside the dinosaurs more than 140 million years ago.

Although dinosaurs are long since gone, the Chinese sturgeon still exists to this day.     2    ,the species has been listed as ”Critically Endangered“ on the Red List of Threatened Species. According to CGTN, dams and overfishing affect     3     (it)reproduction.

On May 14,Shanghai legislators(立法委员)passed a new law protecting the Chinese sturgeon,    4    (stress)”regional cooperation“,according to China Daily.

”This is the first local legislation in the country     5    (protect)one endangered fish,“ said Ding Wei, director of the legislative affairs committee.

The protection of the Chinese sturgeon is     6     (urgently). China began the artificial propagation(繁殖)and release of the fish in 1984. However, very few of     7     farmed fish have survived in the wild.

    8     this species can be preserved depends on the natural population. If the natural population is not well protected, the Chinese sturgeon is in     9    (dangerous)of extinction.

Since January 1 of this year, a 10-year fishing ban on key     10    (area)of the Yangtze River basin has been issued, covering 332 nature reserves, which include Shanghai’s Chinese sturgeon nature reserve.

Yuncheng,     1    (know) as “Hedong”, is one of the birthplace of Chinese civilization. With its rich cultural heritage spanning thousands of years, Yuncheng has become a destination for those interested in     2    (explore) China’s roots. From the earliest hominid fossils(原始化石) to salt mining techniques, Yuncheng is home     3     some of the most significant artifacts(史前古器物) and sites in Chinese history.

The Hedong Salt Lake is one of the oldest salt fields in the world, with     4     history of over 4, 600 years. “The Five-Step Salt Production Method”, which     5    (origin) during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, became a vital technological     6    (contribute) to the salt industry in China and the world. This technique predates European salt production methods by nearly one thousand years and     7    (list) as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2021.

    8    (recent), Yuncheng has increased its     9    (ecology) restoration efforts of “returning salt to the lake”. The salt lake has changed from a mining area to a tourist hot spot,     10     offers visitors a new appearance.

Ancient Chinese thinkers regarded nature, with human beings included in it,     1     the world of life. All living things in the world have     2     (they) own lives and state of being. “Life and its state of being is most     3     (worth) of appreciation,” said Cheng Hao, a Confucian scholar in the Song Dynasty, “From such appreciation, people could draw     4     greatest spiritual delight.”

Confucian scholars in the Song and Ming Dynasties all enjoyed observing the state of being of living things. Zhou Dunyi, for example, allowed the grass     5     (grow) in front of his window without cutting it. When he     6     (ask) why, Zhou explained that the natural growth of grass was in line with his idea of living things. He observed the     7     (create) of life and the state of being of living things in the world through the grass. The state of being of the grass was similar to the state of being of people,     8     the experience of this resemblance gave him great pleasure. He felt great joy from     9     (observe) living things. He would often appreciate the fish he kept, and enjoyed watching newly hatched chicks. To him, the lively and lovely chicks     10     (well) represented the state of being.

A new study found that nearly half of bald eagles    1    (test) across the United States show signs of repeated lead (铅) exposure. Researchers examined the blood, bones, feathers and liver tissue (肝脏组织) of l,210 eagles between 2010 and 20l8.

Lead is a poisonous substance     2     affects the nervous system and interferes (妨碍) with the normal function of nerve cells. Even in low amounts, lead can reduce bald eagles’ ability     3     (fly), hunt and reproduce. In high amounts, lead causes     4    (breathe) difficulty and death.

Bald eagles are one of America’s most celebrated conservation success stories. The birds       5    (remove) from the U. S. Endangered Species List in 2007. But scientists say that high lead levels are still     6     concern. Lead exposure also reduces their ability to face future difficulties, such as climate change or infectious diseases.

“Lead is available to these birds more than we     7    ( previous) thought,” said VinceSlabe, a research wildlife biologist at the nonprofit group Conservation Science Global.

The blood samples from live eagles in the new study were taken from birds trapped andstudied     8    other reasons. The bone, feather and liver samples came from eagles killed by vehicles, power lines or other causes.

The researchers also found higher levels of lead exposure in fall     9    winter. During these months, eagles eat animal remains left by hunters. These remains often contain many    10    (piece) of lead ammunition (弹药).

Canada’s national parks are established     1     (protect) and present outstanding representative examples of natural landscapes. These wild places,     2     (locate) in every province and territory, range     3     mountains and plains to forests and lakes. National parks protect the habitats, wildlife and ecosystem     4     (diverse) representative of the natural regions.

Parks Canada is     5     (responsibility) for both protecting the ecosystems of these great natural areas and     6     (manage) them for visitors to understand, appreciate, and enjoy in a way     7     doesn’t compromise their integrity (完整). Parks Canada is working to maintain or restore the ecological integrity of national parks. Maintaining or restoring ecological integrity     8     (be) a challenging task that involves     9     good understanding of the nature of ecosystems and the stresses they face.     10     (addition), it requires cooperation among people whose actions influence the ecosystems.