1 . More than one million single-use straws (吸管), most of them plastic, are used in the United States each day. They end up in waterways, harm sea animals, and break down into micro-plastics. Quantities of places have passed plastic-straw bans as a way to start handling the global plastic waste problem.

Straw materials: advantages and disadvantages

1. Metal

Made of stainless steel, aluminum, or even titanium, metal straws have become popular. They draw some criticism for having a metallic taste and conducting heat from a hot drink, but they’re strong and can be reused.

2. Paper

Paper drinking straws, which date from the late 1800s, often absorb liquid over time and can leave a taste or fibers in drinks. They’re the most popular throwaway choice in places with plastic-straw bans.

3. Glass

Though glass straws may be more breakable and thus less portable than reusable straws of other materials, they hold up well to washing and reuse. Some straws are made to look artistic, with colors and blown-glass designs.

4. Bamboo

This natural material can be sustainably produced and is a plant-based replacement of plastic straws. Bamboo straws are easily disposed of and turned into fertilizer. They are reusable but can be hard to clean completely and may absorb flavors.

Located in Erdos, North China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Kubuqi Desert is the     1     (close) desert to China’s capital Beijing.

It was once known     2     “the sea of death”. However, in the past 30 years, the government, social organizations and local farmers and herdsmen     3     (work) together to control the desertification in Kubuqi desert.

Historically. Kubuqi was a rich city filled with water and grass. But due to climate change and over-exploitation from humans, the farmlands     4     (final) turned to desert over 2.000 years.

Controlling desertification was the only way out for people still living in Kubuqi. With the first highway going through the desert     5     (build) in 1999. People started planting trees in the whole desert. It was common for planted trees to die. But the next year, people just continued to plant more trees. Their hard work inspired the term “ Kubuqi spirit ”,     6     （ encourage）local people to move forward with great efforts.

Over three decades, tree planting technology saw continuous     7     (develop) in Kubuqi. Now workers can plant a tree in just ten     8     （ second）, and their survival rate is over 80 percent.

The 102,000 residents in the desert have enjoyed the benefits of managing desertification. Meng Keda,     9     family has lived deep in the Kubuqi Desert for generations, began a tourism business in 2006. He had     10     income of 300.000 yuan last year.

4 . Dealing with water pollution is something that everyone needs to get involved with. Here are a few things you can do to help. You should never throw rubbish away.     1     . If there is none around, please take it home and put it in your trash can, especially at the beach and at the riverside.

Use water wisely. Do not keep the tap running when it is not in use.     2     . If we all do this, we can significantly prevent water shortages and reduce the amount of dirty water.

Do not throw chemicals, oils, paints or medicines down the toilet. In many cities, your local environment office can help with the disposal (清除) of medicines and chemicals. And you should buy more environmentally-safe cleaning liquids for use at home and other public places. They are less dangerous to the environment.    3     . If you live close to a water body, try to plant trees and flowers around your home, so that when it rains, chemicals from your home do not easily flow into the water.

    4     . These laws are directed at industries ,hospitals, schools and market areas on how to treat and manage sewage (污水). In many developed cities, waste treatment is very efficient, and designed to reduce pollution of water bodies.

There are also lots of organizations and groups that help educate people on the dangers of water pollution.     5     . They regularly encourage other members of their communities to have a better attitude to towards water.

World Oceans Day

8 . Everglades National Park is located in the state of Florida. It is the largest wilderness in the entire country and makes up 25% of the wetlands in the state. The Everglades is home to several rare and endangered species. It is also the third largest national park in the US, after Death Valley National Park and Yellowstone National Park. Each year, about 1 million tourists visit the park. On a global level, it has been announced as a World Heritage Site.

Unlike most other national parks, Everglades National Park was created to protect an ecosystem (生态系统) from being damaged. In 1947, President Harry Truman spoke at the official opening of Everglades National Park, saying the goal of creating the park was to protect forever a wild area that could never be replaced.

10,000 different islands make up Everglades National Park. There exists natural wildlife on each of these islands. The Everglades is home to about 30 species that are endangered. In addition, more than 350 bird species and 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish live within the park. The Everglades is also home to 40 species of mammals (哺乳动物).

There are many ways to explore the Everglades. Visitors can see alligators (短吻鳄) while hiking the Anhinga Trail. The Everglades is one of the few places on Earth where freshwater alligators and saltwater crocodiles live in the same area. Visitors using airboats are likely to see large groups of birds. Some visitors might enjoy riding bicycles through Shark Valley. Others may want to move slowly through the water where they can see insects and wildlife closely.

According to experts, changes to the Everglades are becoming a danger to several different kinds of wildlife. They say it is a result of actions the US government began more than 50 years ago, and settlers began even earlier.

10 . Denmark is only about half the size of South Carolina, but it produces more of its electricity from wind than any other country in the world. Denmark now gets 47%of its electricity from wind, and there will be more to come, thanks to a combination of history and policy.

Paul la Cour was a scientist and inventor who experimented with early wind power machines at the start of the 20th century. So it's not surprising that Denmark invested in building wind power the earliest. Since the 1970s,Denmark has been investing in wind energy all over the country. In the 1980s,due to a strong movement opposing nuclear power plants, Denmark increased its production of clean energy even before many other countries considered it.

Even back in 2002,Denmark took climate change warnings seriously. They drew up policies, aiming to cut fossil-fuel emissions by 20%,which they did via renewable energy investment. Some of the world's largest companies in the field—including Vestas, which builds turbines(涡轮机)，and Orsted, which specializes in offshore wind projects—are Danish, so the country has an impact beyond its borders.

The huge impact of Denmark’s wind industry is important. But Denmark is a small country, so while almost 50%of its electricity from wind is admirable, it's also minor in terms of entire global impact.

While Denmark gets half its electricity from 5,758 megawatts (MW) of capacity, Spain's 23,000 MW covers just 18 percent of its electricity supply as it’s a much bigger country. China is the leader in wind energy at 221,000 MW, and the U.S.is the second in the world at about 96,000 MW.

At the end of 2019,lawmakers in Denmark set a new goal: increasing the share of electricity coming from renewable power to 100%.