2 . Ah, earth’s oceans. They are beautiful, inspiring and life-sustaining. They are also, as you’re probably quite aware, more or less screwed. In the Seychelles, for example, human activities and climate change have left corals bleached. Over fishing has caused fish stocks to drop. Biodiversity is in danger. Some form of protection is needed, obviously. When marine areas are strategically protected, the entire ecosystems can bounce back.

What exactly does smart ocean conservation look like? I want to share with you a brilliant idea from The Nature Conservancy (TNC). They’ve realized debt held by island and coastal nations is the key to achieving their conservation goals. TNC’s idea is to restructure this debt to generate the funds and political will to protect corals and fisheries.

This is how the work gets done. Step one: negotiate the deal. A coastal nation commits to protect at least 30% of its ocean areas. In exchange, TNC brings investors, public funders and international development organizations to the table to restructure a portion of the nation’s debt, leading to lower interest rates and longer repayment periods. Step two: create a marine plan. TNC works with marine scientists, government leaders and local stakeholders to create a detailed conservation plan that integrates the needs of the ocean with the needs of the people. Step three: activate for longevity. TNC establishes an independently operated conservation trust fund. The savings from the debt restructure goes into it to support new marine protected areas. The trust guarantees the government is responsible.

Could this plan work? It already has. In 2016, TNC helped create a national conservation plan in the Seychelles by restructuring $22 million of the government’s debt. And in exchange, the government agreed to protect 30% of its marine areas. Today, the Seychelles is on track to protect 400,000 square kilometers of ocean. That’s an area roughly the size of Germany. This success is making other governments take note. Many want to be part of this. Undeniably, with this approach, everyone wins. Government, local citizens, funders and most importantly, our oceans. So in fact, we all win.

3 . Noise pollution isn't just annoying: it can cause deafness, tiredness, and even mental problems.     1     The following measures will help your community stay quiet:

Don't use your car horn (喇叭) unnecessarily. Don't be part of the problem by leaning on your horn every time someone looks at you wrong on the street. Use your horn only when absolutely necessary.     2    

Keep your car in good repair. The sound of a car chugging (发出嘎嘎声) down the street is never welcome.     3     Keeping your car in good, quiet working order will be appreciated by everyone who lives near you.

Keep your music down. It might sound beautiful to you, but others might not feel the same way.     4     If you know that the neighbors don't mind, feel free to keep your windows open and let them enjoy your musical taste, but don't just wish that everyone wants to hear your favorite music as much as you do.

    5    Whether the rule is unspoken or obviously published, make sure you don't make noise at night. Don't put your neighbors in the position of having to ask you to be quiet, since it makes for unfriendly relations. Do your best to be a good neighbor so you can expect the same from those around you.

4 . Diving below the waves can be like entering another world, but for Hong Kong-based National Geographic Explorer Jonathan, it is also like travelling back in time. Jonathan discovered the stories of how underwater ecosystems (生态) have changed through time, and what can be done to stop their decline (数量骤减).

“I look at coral reefs (珊瑚礁),” says Jonathan. “What were they like in the past? How have they changed? And what has caused that change? How can we look at that ecosystem today and use my data to better protect it for the future?”

As Jonathan explains, Hong Kong’s coral has declined in the past few decades due to factors such as pollution and human activities. Without greater protection measures, some coral species   (物种) could disappear from Hong Kong waters forever.

“Hong Kong gives us amazing underwater biodiversity (生物多样性),” says Shea — another National Geographic Explorer, “However, populations of many species have been killed in large numbers by decades of overfishing and other human activities.”

Faced with such great challenges, Jonathan and Shea insist that swift action is needed to protect Hong Kong’s ocean ecosystem, and that better education is a key. “The first step is to understand what we have,” says Jonathan. “Because once you understand, you’ll start to care. And once you care, you’ll start to protect it.”

Shea adds that, “Through becoming educated, each person can begin to see why it’s important to protect our ocean environment, and rebuild that sense of connection between our oceans and our culture, history, and identity. We need to make effort every day into putting ocean protection in the first place. It’s a long way to go.”

8 . Poaching and habitat loss have threatened Africa's two species of elephants, taking them closer toward the edge of disappearance, according to a new report released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN).

Before this update, Africa's elephants were grouped together and were evaluated as vulnerable by the IUCN. This is the first time the two species have been sorted separately. In the past, elephants were mostly considered as either Asian elephants or African elephants. Forest and savanna elephants were typically classified as subspecies of African elephants.

The African forest elephant is now listed as critically endangered and the African savanna elephant as endangered. The number of African forest elephants fell by more than 86% over a 31 -year assessment period. The population of African savanna elephants dropped by at least 60% over the last 50 years, according to the IUCN, which tracks the assessment risk of the world's animals. Africa currently has an estimated 415,000 elephants, counting the two species together.

Both elephant species experienced significant population decreases because of poaching. Although it peaked in 2011, illegal hunting still happens and continues to threaten elephant populations. African elephants also face continued habitat loss as their land is converted for agriculture or other uses.

There is some good conservation news, the IUCN points out. Anti-poaching measures, combined with better land use planning to support better human-wildlife relationships, have helped conservation efforts. Some forest elephant population figures have stabilized in well-managed areas in Gabon and the Republic of Congo and savanna population figures have remained stable or have been growing, particularly in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area in southern Africa.

But with constant demand for ivory and increasing human pressures on Africa's wild lands, concern for Africa's elephants is high, and the need to creatively conserve and wisely manage these animals and their habitats is more severe than ever.

Hebei Province's Saihanba is the planet's     1    (large) man-made forest. Before 1962, Saihanba   was a wasteland with only 12% forest cover. With a small-but-mighty crew of 369 able workers, the Saihanba reforestation (重新造林) project     2    (begin). Many of them left their previous homes, to move to Hebei and join in the work. Although     3     (challenge) with long periods of frost and drought (干旱）in the 1970s and 1980s     4     resulted in the death of large quantities of plants and animals in the Saihanba, they continued their work and the forest began to take on     5     new look.

At present, the Saihanba measures 185,000 square acres of     6     (heavy) forested land. The Saihanba's trees can absorb 747,000 tons of carbon dioxide and produce 545,000 tons of oxygen each day. The Saihanba has become a showpiece of three     7    (generation) of hard work and determination. The zone is studied and has been used as an example of     8     deserted land can be transformed into       9     (value) and vital forests. The northern China area's success has been so notable that the term "the Saihanba Spirit" has come to indicate     10     (brave) and commitment and brought Hebei praise and honour from around the world.

Monaco is a tiny country in Southern Europe. It is also the second     1    (small) country in the world after the Vatican. One third of the population in Monaco     2    (be) millionaires.

Due to its small size, the country     3    (make) use of land from the Mediterranean Sea since the 1880s. It was only in the 1960s and 1970s     4    broader land reclamation(开垦) took place. The entire district now known as Fontvielle was totally reclaimed from the sea.

Now Monaco plans to expand     5    (it) size even more. They develop a new neighborhood known as Portier Cove. The     6    (construct) already started in 2017 when marine sediment (海洋沉积物)was removed,     7    (expose) the rocky seafloor to lay the foundations.

The project aims to be finished by 2026. Portier Cove will house up to 1,000 people in luxury homes. The area will also include a marina(码头),a park and     8    awesome public place for walking.

Some experts, who show disapproval of the project, argue that there could be damage     9    the sea life and that the marine ecosystem may     10    (replace) by dry land. To reduce the risk of damage, an artificial reef will be constructed and rare shells and grasses have already been relocated.