2 . The world’s animal populations have decreased by more than two-thirds since 1970, according to a recent research from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The London group provided information on 32,000 wildlife populations which included more than 5,000 species. The researchers found that population sizes had reduced by 69 percent on average. They said the loss of forests, human exploitation (开发) of the environment, pollution, and climate change were great causes of the loss. Land-use change is still the biggest threat (威胁) to wildlife. However, the researchers added, “if we cannot limit warming to 1.5℃, climate change is likely to become the primary cause of biodiversity (生物多样性) loss in the coming years.”

Wildlife populations in Latin American and the Caribbean Sea area were greatly affected. The research showed a 94 percent drop in those areas in over 50 years. Wildlife populations in river and lake habitats decreased the most. Freshwater populations have reduced by an average of 83 percent since 1970. For example, one population of pink river dolphins in the Amazon River area of Brazil fell by 65 percent between 1994 and 2016.

These findings are a red flag that warns of a larger system failure on the horizon. Even one species’ population reduction can affect other species, eventually impacting the ecosystem’s (生态系统) ability to function. Humans depend on a stable climate, predictable weather patterns, and productive farmland and fisheries to thrive (蓬勃发展), but the current trends are severe enough to threaten many life-sustaining systems.

Our future depends on reversing (扭转) the loss of nature just as much as it depends on addressing climate change. And you can’t solve one without solving the other. Everyone has a role in reversing these trends, from individuals to companies to governments. If nothing changes, animal populations will undoubtedly continue to fall, driving wildlife to extinction and threatening the wholeness of the ecosystems on which we all depend.

Strange things were happening in the countryside of northeastern Hebei. For several days, the water in the village wells rose and fell, rose and fell. There were deep cracks     1     appeared in the well walls. At least one well had some smelly gas     2     (come) out of it. Chickens and even pigs were too nervous     3     ( eat), and dogs refused to go inside buildings. Mice ran out of the fields looking for places to hide, and fish jumped out of the water. At about 3:00 a.m., on 28 July 1976, bright lights were seen in the sky outside the city of Tangshan and loud noises     4     (hear). But the city’s one million people were asleep as usual that night.

At 3:42 a. m., everything began to shake. It seemed as     5     the world were coming to an end! Eleven kilometres directly below the city, one of the most deadly     6     (earthquake) of the 20th century had begun, a quake that even caused damage more than 150 kilometres away in Beijing. Nearly one third of the whole nation felt it! A huge crack, eight kilometres     7     (length) and 30 metres wide, cut across houses, roads, and waterways. Hard hills of rock became rivers of dirt. In less than one minute, a large city lay     8     ruins. Two thirds of the people who lived there were dead or     9     (injure). Thousands of children were left without parents. The number of people who were killed or     10     (bad) injured in the quake was more than 400,000.

5 . A heatwave has hit many countries in Europe, pushing temperatures over 40℃. A heatwave is a long period of unusually hot weather. The heat is expected to continue until the end of July.

The Italian Island of Sardinia reached 46℃ on 18 July. The Italy government has asked people to dress in linen(a thin, light material) and to stay indoors between 10 am and 6 pm. The government has asked people to drink plenty of water but avoid alcohol, fizzy drinks and coffee, which can make you feel thirstier. In Rome, the country’s capital, people aged over 70can go to swimming pools for free to help them keep cool.

Wildfires have broken out in many places. In Greece, which recorded 41℃ on 18 July, fires near the capital, Athens, have destroyed huge areas of forest and thousands of people have been moved to safety. Heatwaves can make fires worse because hot weather dries plants, which fuel the fires.

In the US, temperatures in Death Valley, California, hit 53℃ on 18 July, close to the hottest ever recorded on Earth. On 16 July, the US National Weather Service issued warnings in parts of the country, affecting more than 80 million people.

Despite the high temperatures in many European countries, the UK is not experiencing a heatwave. This is because a different weather pattern has brought rain and lower temperatures to the UK.

The heatwave in Europe is being caused by a weather pattern that has stopped the air from moving very much. That means the hot, dry weather has got stuck and temperatures have kept rising. Earth is also experiencing a natural climate pattern called El Nino(厄尔尼诺), which causes the water in the eastern Pacific Ocean to warm up more than usual. This can lead to hot weather around the world. Temperatures in some parts of Europe were expected to fall on 20 July.

7 . Be A Responsible Camper

Being a responsible camper is about more than just respecting your neighbors and observing the boundaries set by campsites.     1    . Please keep sustainable camping guidelines in mind while planning a trip into the great outdoors.

Leave no trace.     2     Follow the principles: “take only pictures, leave only footprints”. Most “leave no trace” principles focus on reducing our impact on the natural environment. Following the same rules for hiking and other outdoor activities is one of the best ways to show your respect for a natural destination.

    3     Harmful sunscreen chemicals can pollute bodies of water and may take many years to break down in the natural environment, so be mindful of what you put on your bodies before jumping into that lake.

Respect the wildlife. If you’re camping in e popular area with plenty of people around, it’s easy to forget that you’re actually sharing space with wild animal habitats. Sometimes, too much interaction with people can disturb the natural balance and make animals more aggressive or lead to more human-wildlife conflicts. Try to keep all of your food out of reach from wildlife.     4    

Practice fire safety. While this is especially relevant on the west coast of the United States, where wildfire season is most threatening, fire safety should always be a top priority while camping.     5     In areas known for having greater fire danger, it pays to have a shovel (铲子) or a bucket of water bandy to take care of any runaway flames.

8 . As an only child, Hazel often felt lonely in her youth. But that all _______ when she turned 10. For her birthday, Hazel’s grandmother surprised her with a lovely puppy, Chloe. From the very start, the two had been _______. But when Hazel was 14, her father got a new job so that he’d be working from home, along with a cruel _______: The house needed to be _______ of any disturbance (干扰) .

With no easier _______, the family sent Chloe to a humane society. Though they expected that the dog would be lucky enough to find a _______ new home, they couldn’t know for sure. She regularly _______ the humane society, trying to find out if Chloe had got used to her new life. However, there was no _______.

In time, Hazel grew up, got married, and had a child of her own. One day, she _______ to see a post online about a senior dog that was in need of a new home. She looked ________ like Chloe — she was even named Chloe. Hazel decided to ________ to adopt (领养) the dog at once.

When Hazel met Chloe in person, an unbelievable feeling ________ her. The dog seemed so familiar (熟悉的) to Hazel, and she appeared to feel the same way about Hazel. She ran up to Hazel and started licking (舔) her face. Seeing Chloe, Hazel remembered so much of her previous Chloe that she can’t ________ crying. Anyway, Hazel was ________ to have the new Chloe back. As for Chloe, Hazel said, “I know that I’ll keep her ________ for her rest life this time.”