While there is growing consumer     1     (realize) of the environmental impact of fast fashion, can the same be said about fast furniture? The chairs and tables that fill many of our homes and everyday spaces are manufactured on a mass scale, and the cheaper items often end up     2     landfills.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2020 over 12 million tons of furniture     3     (throw) out in America and some into the forest illegally. Buying furniture can be     4     (incredible) expensive. Many of us switch over to cheaper, instant brands like IKEA,     5     manufacturers use materials harder to recycle, which is likely to damage the environment.

With growing calls for sustainability, many brands are announcing to change though it remains     6     (see) whether they will keep these promises. In     7     (it) current sustainability strategy, IKEA commits itself to using only recyclable materials in all its products in an effort to practice “circular” design and cut emissions to net-zero. The concept of circular design     8     (win) increasing concern up to now. In     9     circular system, furniture products would be designed to last longer and be fully recyclable, thus forming a     10    (close) loop (环).

2 . Scientists have reported that the sea ice in Antarctica (南极) is at a record low level. Antarctica is a great, icy land, surrounded (围绕) by the huge Southern Ocean. The ice in Antarctica doesn’t just cover the land. There’s also a large area of sea ice on the ocean’s surface.

Every year, the sea ice at the South Pole goes through a cycle. In the summer, the huge sea ice melts (融化) to its smallest point. Over the colder winter months, the sea ice grows and grows until it covers a wide area. Usually, the sea ice covers the greatest area around September 23, as winter ends at the South Pole.

Scientists have been measuring the area of the sea ice in Antarctica since 1979. For most of this time, Antarctica has seemed to be almost unaffected by the changing weather conditions experienced in other parts of the globe. That began to change around 2016. Now, for several years, the area of Antartica’s sea ice has been shrinking.

This year, the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre (NSIDC) reported that Antartica’s sea ice covered its greatest area on September 10 — almost two weeks earlier than normal. And the sea ice was at a new record low-not just by a little bit, but by a lot.

The last time Antartica’s low sea ice set a record at the end of winter was in 1986. And this year, there’s about 398, 000 square miles less sea ice than in 1986.

Scientists are still trying to understand what is driving the change in Antarctica. One likely direct cause for the change is the rising temperatures of the world’s oceans. Ted Scambos, a research scientist at the University of Colorado, says Antarctica’s ice levels have always changed some, but the sharp loss this year is “pointing towards warmer ocean conditions around the continent.”

The new low record has concerned the scientists. Scientists are working hard to better understand Antarctica. They don’t know yet if this is just a short-term problem, or part of a long-term shift (转变) towards less sea ice in Antarctica.

3 . Flash floods can strike without warning. They can hit when you’re hiking in a river valley, walking through a canyon, or even simply driving to a remote destination. You can minimize your risk by knowing how to prepare for the worst and how to escape when a flood begins.     1    

Before heading out, check the weather report, look at any flood warnings and take them seriously.     2     Dr Steven Kugath, an outdoor recreation professor, notes that when people plan to travel a long way for a hike or canyon exploration, they often feel that they must follow through with the activity even if the weather isn’t promising. The smart thing to do is cancel the activity or move it to a safer location.

Be careful of any visual signs of danger and your surroundings while walking or hiking in a tight space.     3     Besides, always know where you are and where the nearest escape routes can be found in the event of sudden flooding.

What if, despite your preparations, you find yourself stuck in a dangerous place when flooding begins? Move to higher ground immediately, away from rivers and streams. If the situation is urgent, leave behind your possessions.     4     If you find yourself being carried away by powerful flood waters, fight as hard as you can to get to a tall tree, a street light or anything sturdy (结实) that you can hold onto until help arrives.

    5     Currents can be deceptive (误导的), and shallow, fast moving water can knock you off your feet. Moreover, don’t swim through fast-flowing water — you may get swept away or struck by an object in the water.

Air pollution has largely gone under-reported by the media, yet despite     1     (it) silent nature, it’s a killer. According to the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Pediatrics and Child Health, air pollution leads to 40,000 early     2     (death) a year. The trouble is that it’s an indirect killer, which makes the issue hard to examine — meaning the actual figure could be much     3     (high).

Then how can we measure and end such a problem? The answer is     4     (surprising) simple. Diesel (柴油) is the largest contributor of nitrogen oxides (氮氧化合物) and around 40 million people in the UK live in areas     5     (pollute) by diesel. We need to stop the production of diesel vehicles as soon as possible, and replace older diesel models     6     eco-friendly alternatives, such as electric vehicles. Apart from ammonia (氨) farming, pollution is actually decreasing globally — except for cities     7     it’s on the rise. In London, nearly 10,000 people died due to the capital’s harmful air, so     8     (create) clean air zones where high-polluting vehicles     9     (ban) would decrease these harmful gases. By moving towards more greenery on rooftops, parks and city centers, big cities could easily remove     10     problem. The answers are there; we just have to start.

A new book for children     1     (call) Climate Change is co-written by Charles Ⅲ, Tony Juniper and Emily Shuckburgh. Charles Ⅲ, well-known as the king of the United Kingdom,     2     (be) also an environmentalist and has spoken about the environment for many years. In     3     (he) new book, he hopes children will learn more about the problems our planet is facing. Juniper, who is the chairperson of an organization, told reporters that he hoped     4     (write) a book for children aged 7 to 11 and bring the facts to those children who will benefit a lot by finding better     5     (solution) to the environmental problems.

Last Friday, Juniper went to     6     event at Buckingham Palace in London, which     7     (host) by King Charles. Many business leaders were also invited to the event. At the palace get-together, Juniper said he was excited to see so many children willing to help Earth and that he would try his best to put something into their hands     8     is about basic ideas of protecting the environment. King Charles said, “Ever since I was a young teenager, I have been     9     (deep) worried about the way we have shaped our world. I hope that more children across the world can take part     10     the activities of protecting our Earth.”

6 . In a world-record effort to help save a valuable sea creature, Australian scientists have released hundreds of baby seahorses into the wild. The tiny seahorses are endangered, and the scientists hope the new seahorses will help their numbers grow.

Seahorses get their name because they look a bit like horses. They aren’t great swimmers, even though they’re fish. They often use their tails to hold onto something in the water. They mostly live in warm, shallow waters around the world. They are often found in coral reefs, in beds of seagrass, and areas where rivers empty into the sea. Seahorses form an important part of the ocean’s food chain. They eat tiny sea creatures and are eaten by bigger sea animals.

Many kinds of seahorses are often threatened by the human actions. Sometimes they’re caught and sold as pets. They are also caught by accident when people are trying to catch other fish.

To begin the project, scientists collected three pregnant seahorses in January. Those seahorses were brought back to the aquarium (水族馆) in Sydney. After the babies were born, the scientists kept them there for five months, feeding the baby seahorses shrimps (小虾) to help them grow strong. Scientist Mitchell Brennan says, “They don’t have a stomach, so they have to eat constantly.”

About a month before the young seahorses were released, the scientists created eight underwater “hotels” for them. The hotels look like cages, providing a safe place for the seahorses to develop. Putting the hotels into the sea early allowed the cages to be covered with small sea life that can help provide food for the seahorses.

This is the fifth time the scientists have released seahorses into the area, and this time was a record. Around 380 seahorses were released. The researchers put tiny tags (标记) under the skin of many of the seahorses to help track them in the future.