2 . I fell in love with Yosemite National Park the first time I saw it. My parents took us there for camping. On the way out, I asked them to wait while I ran up to El Capitain, a_________rock of 3,300 feet straight up. I touched that giant rock and knew_________I wanted to climb it. That has been my life’s passion(热爱) ever since—_________the rocks and mountains of Yosemite. I’ve long made Yosemite my_________.

About 15 years ago I started seeing a lot of_________, like beer cans, empty boxes, around the area. It’s beyond me why visitors started respecting the place_________and treated such a beautiful home-like place this way.

I tried_________trash(垃圾) myself, but the job was too big. I would_________an hour or two on the job, only to find the area trashed all over again weeks later. Finally, I got so tired of it that I decided something had to change.

In 2004, together with some climbers, I set a date for a_________. On that day, more than 300 people__________. Over three days we collected about 6,000 pounds of trash. It was amazing how much we were able to__________. I couldn’t believe the__________we made—the park looked clean!

Each year volunteers come for the cleanup from everywhere. In 2007 alone, 2,945 people picked up 42,330 pounds of trash.

I often hear people__________about their surroundings. If you are one of them, I would say the only way to change things is by__________rather than complaining. We need to teach by__________.

4 . Australia is the only major honey-producing country that has so far managed to contain the spread of a mite which is harmful to bees. The first step is pouring gas into the beehive. Then it’s time to wait. The job is finished when the hive is burned the next day.

Since last week, this cycle has been on repeat near a port in eastern Australia, part of a government effort to protect the country’s multimillion dollar honey industry. Millions of bees have been destroyed to help contain the spread of the deadly mite, which reappeared in the country last week near the Port of Newcastle. If the mite became established in Australia, it could cost the nation’s honey industry more than $70 million a year, in addition to its effect on the crops that rely on bee pollination.

The mites, which are reddish-brown and about the size of a sesame seed, can spread from bee to bee and through beekeeping equipment. If left untreated, the mites could kill an entire colony of honey bees, the government has said.

It’s not easy to contain the mite. One of the biggest challenges in the current containment effort is figuring out the location of infected hives and mapping their spread in a vast region, according to Danny Le Feuvre, the acting head of the Australian Honey Bee Industrial Council. It’s necessary to contain the Port of Newcastle and the hives within a 31-mile radius(半径)of it. The port is a major shipping destination and one of the world’s busiest export centres for coal.

So far at least 600 hives have been destroyed in the area. “The beekeepers are very nervous at the moment,” Mr. Feuvre said. He said he was confident the country would be able to contain the spread, given its history of previous eradication efforts of honey bee mites and strict controls at all airports stopping passengers from bringing live plants, soil, fruits and vegetables into Australia.

5 . Sasha Olsen went on a trip last summer with her family to Vietnam and Japan. She was frightened at the ocean’s pollution levels and dying sea animals.

“We went on this trip and I was so excited,” said Sasha. She is 10 years old and lives in Bal Harbour, Florida. “But when I saw the way the oceans had become, I got anxious. I wanted to know why things were this way but couldn’t find an answer.”

When she returned home to Bal Harbour, she grew even more disturbed. She learned how some of the beaches in South Florida had been closed by The Health Department because the water had too much bacteria in it.

Sasha sought the help of her cousin, Narmina Aliyev. Aliyev is 23 years old and a recent graduate of Nova Southeastern University with a bachelor’s degree in business. Together, they started a nonprofit Iwantmyoceanback in October.

Originally, the group started small, with friends coming together on the weekends to clean the beaches in Bal Harbour. Recently, however, I want my ocean back has hosted events to raise funds for beach cleanups and to donate to conservation groups such as the Sea Turtle Conservancy, Oceana and World Wildlife Fund, Aliyev said.

In January, Sasha organized “Kids Heal the Oceans” at Bal Harbour beach. There, she spoke about the oceans’ problems and guests made art out of microplastics gathered from the beach cleanup. “At first, our guests were a little shy, but now they’ve felt inspired to speak up! Sasha has inspired many other kids to join Iwantmyoceanback and show people that we’re able to make a change if we come together,” Aliyev said.

On February 16, the group threw a Plastic-Free Party. The party involved a beach cleanup and guests creating art from the plastic trash they collect. “It’s important to bring awareness not just through doing cleanups and meetings, but to show people they can come together through their hobbies and working together to a common goal,” said Sasha.

8 . Engineers have launched a huge garbage collection device to gather plastic material floating in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii.

The plastic makes up what is called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is the world’s largest spread of garbage, at twice the size of the state of Texas.

The organization Ocean Cleanup created the collection device, whose founder is Boyan Slat, a 24-year-old inventor from the Netherlands.

Slat was just 16 years old when he was moved to clean up the oceans. Last Saturday, a ship pulling the pipe-shaped floating barrier left San Francisco for the Garbage Patch. The barrier, called the floater, is 600 meters across. Attached to it is a screening skirt that hangs three meters down in the water.

The screen is designed to collect the plastic as it moves through the water. Sea animals can safely swim under the barrier.

The cleanup system also comes with lights powered by the sun, cameras, and other special devices. So the system can communicate its position at all times. That way a support ship can find it every few months to remove the plastic it has collected.

“The free-floating barriers are made to survive extreme weather conditions and damage from continue use. They will stay in the water for twenty years and in that time collect 90 percent of the garbage in the patch,” Slat added.

George Leonard is the chief scientist. He expressed concern about the cleaning project. He said even if plastic garbage can be taken out of the oceans, more continues to enter the water each year. He also raised concern that animals might be captured by the net hung below the surface.

But, Boyan Slat said he did not think that would happen. The system will act as a “big boat that stands still in the water”, with nothing for sea creatures to get caught in.

10 . Farms are a crucial part of our world. However, the number of farmers are decreasing day by day. One of the best ways to help solve the problem is to visit a farm.     1    .

You can learn how your food is raised.

When you visit a farm, you get firsthand experience on how your food is raised.     2    , which will change the way you connect with your food and give you a deeper appreciation for all the hard work. Seeing this will make you waste fewer resources and be a more sensible consumer.

You can reconnect with nature.

Nowadays, all we have are big buildings, highways, and countless cars. We spend too much time in front of screens. However, when you visit a farm, you will be away from all of that and will actually be able to breathe in some fresh air.     3     This will likely improve your mental health, and decrease feelings of stress and anxiety.

    4    

We all read success stories about farmers in magazines and even TV shows, but the people in these stories are real people with real families. And quite often, people with a real love for what they’re doing. People that appreciate the people who purchase things from their farm. People with a real commitment to making their visitors feel like home.    5    , and we should support these families around the globe. Visiting a farm is one of the best ways to do this.