2 . Different ways have been applied to dealing with waste paper, specifically used newspapers. Some people put them in the recycling area, while others keep them as wrappers (包装纸). While these are both good measures, a Japanese publishing company had a better idea for their end use.

The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd. invented the “Green Newspaper”, which allows people to grow plants with it. This unique newspaper was published on Greenery Day, which is focused on environmental news and made of green paper with seeds placed into it. What makes it even more special is the ink (油墨) used to print words and photos, which is made from plants. The publisher advises readers to tear the used newspaper into small pieces and plant them in a container with soil. They should water them, like they would do for any plant. Within a few weeks, the seeds will grow into plants.

This brilliant concept was invented by Dentsu Inc., one of Japan’s most famous advertising companies, which works with the publishing company on the initiative (倡议). The publisher’s belief is environmental sustainability (持续性). As its mission statement says, “The Mainichi doesn’t take action only through information, but also by solving global issues.” With joint efforts, this initiative has reached the corners of Japan and sold around millions of copies daily. Other such initiatives producing plantable paper are also seen in India and the US.

About 95 million trees are lost for producing newspapers every year. The Internet, the number of whose users stands for 62.5 percent of the population worldwide, has influenced how people read news and the print readership has dropped greatly. However, the reinvention and reimagination of this newspaper will bring about a change in the publishing industry as well as having an environmental influence.

There was a job vacancy for taking care of the Great Barrier Reef!

    1     (locate) off the coast of North-east Australia, it is the     2     (large) living thing on the planet. About     3     size of Japan, it even can be seen from outer space. More than 25 million years old, the Great Barrier Reef is made up of living coral     4     (grow) on dead coral. Now this unique and delicate place is under threat from pollution and climate change.

    5     (get) this job, the candidates needed to prove why they were the best person to do the job. Out of the thousands of applicants, eleven     6     (elect), including a young woman from China. Eventually, Ben Southall from the UK received the job offer.

Ben did a lot during his time     7     an island caretaker. Besides blogging, he made an umber of appearances on television to argue in favor of its     8     (defend). Whether it was a genuine job offer     9     an eye-catching marketing event isn’t really important. The most important thing was that people all over the world became aware of the beauty of the ocean in the area. What’s more, they came to understand the delicate balance     10     the environment exists in and what can, and must, be done to protect the reef. That way, it will remain a safe habitat for wildlife and a dream destination for tourists.

4 . After years of heated debate, gray wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park. Fourteen wolves were caught in Canada and transported to the park. By last year, the Yellowstone wolf population had grown to more than 170 wolves.

Gray wolves once were seen here and there in the Yellowstone area and much of the continental United States, but they were gradually displaced by human development. By the 1920s, wolves had practically disappeared from the Yellowstone area. They went farther north into the deep forests of Canada, where there were fewer humans around.

The disappearance of the wolves had many unexpected results. Deer and elk populations — major food sources (来源) for the wolf — grew rapidly. These animals consumed large amounts of vegetation (植被), which reduced plant diversity in the park. In the absence of wolves, coyote populations also grew quickly. The coyotes killed a large percentage of the park’s red foxes, and completely drove away the park’s beavers.

As early as 1966, biologists asked the government to consider reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone Park. They hoped that wolves would be able to control the elk and coyote problems. Many farmers opposed the plan because they feared that wolves would kill their farm animals or pets.

The government spent nearly 30 years coming up with a plan to reintroduce the wolvers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service carefully monitors and manages the wolf packs in Yellowstone. Today, the debate continues over how well the gray wolf is fitting in at Yellowstone. Elk, deer, and coyote populations are down, while beavers and red foxes have made a comeback. The Yellowstone wolf project has been a valuable experiment to help biologists decide whether to reintroduce wolves to other parts of the country as well.

5 . Scientists say a huge percentage of bird species are in danger because their habitats, or homelands, are disappearing.

Traditional migration paths take birds through countries that are not protecting the places for birds to stop, rest and feed. The scientists studied the migration or flight paths of almost 1,500 species. They decided that 91 percent of them passed through dangerous areas.

The major danger for migratory birds is development. Buildings and pavements have covered the places where birds stop and feed as they move from one part of the world to another. One of the scientists who worked on the study says “Many of these important places have been lost to land reclamation because of urban, industrial and agricultural land expansion”.

The problem, according to scientists, is that many of these small birds die along their migration paths because they don’t have a safe place to feed and rest. There is no place to restore their energy for the next part of their journey. Countries in North Africa, Central Asia and those along the coasts of East Asia are having the most difficult time in protecting land. The scientists say these countries do not have enough areas that are safe for birds. One species that doesn’t exist now is the Eskimo curlew. “Our world gets poorer every time we lose a species,” one of the scientists says.

The researchers say countries need to work together and come up with safe stopping areas for birds that pass through their boundaries. For example, one country might have preserved safe zones for migrating birds. But a neighbor country might not. A bird might die.

One scientist who is not connected with the report tells Los Angeles Times that while some habitats are changing, more work can be done to make urban areas safe for birds.

He says small changes, like planting more native plants or keeping cats out of the areas birds would be likely to use, could make a big difference.

China on October 12 officially announced the first group of national parks. Home to nearly 30 percent of the key wildlife species found in China, they cover    1    protected land area of 230,000 square kilometers.

The    2     (establish) of the first group of national parks is a practical move by China to strengthen its effort     3    (promote) natural ecological protection.

The Three-River-Source National Park    4     (locate) on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau—known as the world’s “third pole”. The Giant Panda National Park protects the major habitats of 70 percent of the country’s wild giant pandas.    5    (obvious), the Hainan Rainforest National Park is home to China’s largest rainforest and the Hainan gibbon. Mountain National Park experimental area is the only park in China     6    is listed as a UNESCO cultural and     7    (nature) heritage site. It emphasizes sustainable development between     8    (human) and nature,    9    (reflect) China’s environmental protection principle.

Commercial activities are banned in the national parks and are all put     10    the control of the national rules for ecological protection.

9 . There has been a dramatic increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years, and it is assumed that global warming and climate change could cause even more disasters in the future. Some of the world’s leading cities are facing disasters like floods and heat waves.

London

London’s flood defences are getting older. Since 1982, the Thames Barrier(水闸)has protected the city from the threat of flooding, but it was only designed to last until 2030 and close once every two or three years. About 26 years later, the barrier now closes five or six times a year and according to Environment Agency predictions, by 2050 the barrier will be closed on almost every tide if the problem is not addressed.

There are 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80 billion worth of property in London’s flood risk area, so large scale flooding would be disastrous.

Paris

Over a six­week period in July and August 2003, more than 11, 400—mainly elderly people—died in France from dehydration(脱水)and extremely high body temperature in a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of similar intensity(强度)are expected every seven years by 2050, so what can be done to make sure such a disaster does not happen again?

One solution is to have air­conditioners installed in elderly care homes. But this is considered a short­term solution, as the increase in demand for electricity also increases carbon emissions(排放)．

In Paris the local authorities are encouraging architects to design new types of buildings such as the building “Flower Tower”, which uses a covering of bamboo to act as a natural air­conditioner.

Shanghai

Shanghai is one of the fastest growing cities on Earth. It has a population of 18 million and is only 4 meters above sea level. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 20 cm within the next century.

An estimated 250，000 people move to Shanghai every year in search of work, placing extra demands on energy consumption. China relies heavily on coal­fired power stations, but these emissions increase temperatures and, in turn, warmer seas increase the risk of typhoons.