Rachel had always been fascinated with the mysteries of the sea. She dreamed of exploring the     1    (deep)of it and discovering unknown creatures. Her obsession intensified when she discovered an old map in her grandfather’s attic(顶楼), which showed a place marked “hidden treasure”. Ignoring     2     her mother had warned, she started a small-boat adventure. After hours of searching with no luck, a friendly giant octopus appeared, guiding her to a secret cave     3     she found treasures beyond her wildest dreams. From this experience, Rachel     4    (know)that the bravest seekers often find the greatest treasures.

4 . Where does food waste go? In most countries around the world, it goes into landfills (垃圾填埋场). But not in South Korea. The country banned food waste in landfills nearly 20 years ago and today, it is turned into animal feed, fertilizers and fuel.

Around the globe, 1.4 billion tons of food is thrown away every year. The waste goes into landfills where it can pollute the land and water as well as releasing methane — a greenhouse gas — into the air. In fact, food waste is the third-largest source of methane in the US.

The system that is in place in South Korea keeps almost 100 percent of unused food out of landfills. While other cities and local governments have put similar plans in place, it is not done anywhere else on a country-wide basis.

There are two reasons why South Korea passed laws to carry out mandatory (强制性的) recycling of food waste. First, the country’s cooking tradition of numerous small dishes resulted in large amounts of uneaten food. This food waste went into landfills. But the country’s mountainous geography didn’t allow for enough landfills to be built. That’s why the government forced recycling of paper and plastic in 1995 but food waste continued to be buried in landfills. But it was the neighbors of these landfills that demanded that another solution be found due to the very unpleasant smell from rotting food. The government banned organic waste from landfills in 2005. Another law that was passed in 2013 banned dumping liquid food waste in the ocean.

The system is not free but most of the cost is absorbed by the country. People can buy yellow recycling bags that are picked up on the roadside and some local governments have placed autonomous food waste collectors that require residents to pay a weight-based fee by using cards.

The food waste is collected from the bins every day except Sunday. Some of it is used to make animal feed or fertilizers and some is used to make fuel.

5 . Abdullah was born in Terengganu, a state on the eastern coast of the Malaysian Peninsular, known for its beautiful tropical islands. Growing up on the coast, he felt a close bond with the ocean. After being adopted as a child, he would escape from his strict home to the seaside to free himself.

The local adults would consider him a strange diving instructor, “who spent his days in the water and spoke to corals (珊瑚) as if they were people”. For a long time, he worked unknown to the public and at times in poverty. But it was this closeness to the sea that led him to study the marine (海洋的) environment, and later, earn a scholarship in Oceanography at the Florida Institute of Technology. With the travels across the globe that this research involved, Abdullah learned about the extensive degradation (退化) in the marine ecosystem. He was enthusiastic about the need to take action to restore the damaged and dying coral reefs.

Abdullah set up Ocean Quest Global in Malaysia in 2010, an environmental organization focusing on coral reef protection. It was buoyed by volunteers working throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Its founder has spent most of his life on the coral reefs of Malaysia, observing their behavior and life cycles, and conducting his own research.

In less than a decade, Abdullah’s organization had expanded to several countries like Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines. It has over 800 trainers across the world, working on 180 islands, roost of them in Thailand. Most recently, the organization has been actively working on the restoration of Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Leh Island, Thailand. It is also building the first subtropical coral nursery in Egypt, reports the diving industry portal, ADEX Ocean Vision.

6 . I really enjoy autumn’s display of golden leaves, but as a bird lover in the UK, the real thrill at this time of year is the arrival of migratory birds(侯鸟) from Iceland, Siberia and Canada.

The UK is lucky—in winter, we get a wide variety of birds heading here to escape tough conditions further north. And in summer, we are visited by birds from Africa such as swallows and cuckoos(杜鹃) that make the most of our long, light days for having their young. While the long flights are undoubtedly impressive, there are some species that fly considerably further, spending much of their lives at the extreme ends of Earth.

The Arctic tern(北极燕鸥) has the world’s longest migration: a round-trip of 35,000 kilometers annually. Arctic terns break up their long journeys though, so if you are looking for, he world’s longest non-stop flyer, that record is held by the bar-tailed godwit(斑尾塍鹬).

So why do birds migrate? It makes sense to head somewhere warmer for winter, but it can be harder to explain why some African species then return to Europe for summer when food is still plentiful in their wintering grounds. It could be because there is less competition here, or because our longer, cooler days are useful. Some trips are even harder to explain. For example, the ancient murrelet(海雀) flies almost 8,000 kilometers from Canada to China , despite very similar conditions.

Although there is still much we don’t know, we do know that our changing climate is making birds lose the benefits of such long journeys. Arctic terns survive on sand eels(沙鳗) when they arrive in the Shetland Islands. In 2004, the UK saw a sudden drop in sand eels due to climate change. The islands usually host more than 20,000 pairs of Arctic terns, but didn’t see a single chick survive to adulthood that summer. I have so much admiration for the world’s furthest fliers, and I just hope they can cling on and that we can come to fully understand them.

7 . During the 20th century, an estimated 3 million great whales were hunted to provide humans with oil, meat and rose fertiliser. Roger Payne, a biologist and environmentalist, spurred (推动) a worldwide environmental conservation movement with his discovery that whales could sing.

This discovery was made in 1967 during his research trip to Bermuda (百慕大) when a navy engineer provided him with a recording of curious underwater sounds documented. Payne identified the tones as songs whales sing to one another and he was conscious from the start that whale song was to get the public interested in protecting an animal previously considered little more than a resource, curiosity or nuisance.

Payne saw the discovery of whale song as a chance to spur interest in saving the giant animals, who were disappearing from the planet. In 1970, Payne released the album Songs of the Humpback Whale. The record, a surprise hit, fueled a global movement to end the practice of commercial whale hunting and save the whales from extinction. It remains the bestselling environmental album in history.

The impact of the whale song discovery on the early environmental movement was immense. Many antiwar protesters of the day took on saving animals and the environment as a new cause. The humpback whale became the icon of a new environmental awareness. And the whales entered pop culture, no longer the fearsome beasts. In 1977, the whale calls were loaded on to the Voyager probes and sent into outer space.

Payne, graduating from Harvard University and Cornell University with a doctor’s degree, authored or co authored dozens of scientific papers, gave hundreds of lectures, made countless television programmes and films, and led 100 oceanic expeditions. Payne had started an ambitious new project: CETI, a combination of scientists using new technology to interpret what whales might be “saying”.

9 . There are many birds that visit our leafy garden. But it’s the pair of orange frogmouths (蟆口鸱) that have been returning for years to ________ their young that bring the most excitement. It’s been wonderful to ________ how both parents take on the serious duty of caring for their young.

Last summer the frogmouth family, parents and two babies, was ________ sitting in a tall tree close to our backyard enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. With little ________, a light rain began to fall.

At first the birds seemed to ________ the rain and moved out along the branch, loosing their ________ to take advantage of the wet weather. But within minutes, day turned to night. ________ clouds gathered. Crashing thunder and blinding lightning, wild winds and driving rain ________ the small garden into a(n) ________ place for the little family.

Through the flashes of lightning, we watched in ________ as the parents guided their little ones back along the branch to the tree trunk, both parents ________ their wings over the young to protect them from the powerful rain. When the ________ passed, the family moved back out along the ________, bathed in the sunshine.

When I look up at the pair of yellow frogmouths who continue to visit our ________, I know I’m not just looking at devoted parents, but very ________ ones.

10 . With a number of rivers globally in crisis due to pollution, damming, and reduced rainfall, there’s never been a better opportunity to appreciate everything that rivers give to the world.

Two thirds of the UK’s tap water is either from a river or from a river-fed body of water.     1    . For example, the Colorado River alone supports nearly 40 million Americans. That’s why it is vital to keep rivers clean and free of pollutants.

    2    

Ancient farming depended on these life-giving waters, so does modern agriculture. During the rainy season, many rivers overflow their banks, nourishing the soil with minerals and nutrients. Besides, rivers act as water sources for irrigation.

A fifth of the fish that are fished globally come from rivers and other freshwater sources. Another two thirds of fish that people eat rely on rivers for breeding, nutrients, or other reasons.     3    .

    4    . The names of the rivers in England including Thames, Leith, and Taff, disclose the island’s history. Other examples are the religious connections to the Ganges in India or the Jordan River in Israel.

Rivers provide leisure activities

    5    . River sports, boating, fishing, swimming, braving rapids, and visiting waterfalls are all ways that rivers add value and entertainment. It’s essential to work to conserve rivers for generations to come.