1 . Earth Day is April 22. Every year, people around the world observe the day by helping to care for the environment. They carry out all kinds of activities in an effort to better the planet’s heath.

One way to support this goal is to grow plants native to your area. This helps wildlife like birds and insects that evolved alongside native plants. For many of these animals, plant pollen (花粉) is their food. Native pollinators often cannot recognize non-native plants as food. This means they do not collect the pollen or spread plants’ seeds. Planting non-native species creates so-called “food deserts” for pollinators including bees, birds, bats, butterflies and more.

Doug Taamy is a professor of entomology at the University of Delaware. Entomology is the study of insects. He found that non-native plant species can harm the natural food chain, which can lead to a collapse of the environment. “Plant choice matters,” he said. “The plants we choose to landscape our properties should be determined by how much life can live there.”

Humans depend strongly on insects. Without them, we would have no flowering plants, which would harm the food web that supports important animals. Birds, for example, depend on plants for food and spread their seeds while keeping the populations of harmful insects down.

Insects support plants that provide oxygen, clean our water, capture carbon and add nutrients to the soil. That builds topsoil and prevents flooding. Without insects, the biosphere — the living parts of the Earth — would rot because of the loss of insect decomposers. Humans simply could not survive that, Tallamy said.

In addition to providing food and habitat for insects and other wildlife, native plants are able to grow easily and do not require much care. That means less watering and less fertilizing. The situation is a win-win for gardeners and pollinators.

3 . Leila Taheri used to go to the Welsh Harp wetland as a schoolgirl. At that time, the 160-hectare nature ______ was home to various birds, also Taheri’s perfect playground. She ______ played baseball there, forgetting to go home.

In August, 2020, 37-year-old Taheri ______ the wetland and the kind of dump-like (垃圾场般的) surroundings ______ Taheri. Because of pollution, birds populations had been ______. To make things worse, the nearby residents paid little attention to the wetland.

A strong ______ to do something controlled her. Taheri decided to begin with a litter pick. She ______ her neighbors to join in. In one month, they ______ 70 bags of rubbish. Then, Taheri expanded the work into more general environmental activism. ______ monthly litter picks, they also worked with some bird protection organizations. Currently, they are trying to ______ a planned bridge across the wetland, for it will destroy birds’ habitat despite the advantage of ______ the locals a few minutes’ walk.

Taheri’s efforts ______. More and more locals are now more environmentally ______, more involved, and have come to see the value of her work. She makes a real ______ not only to the Welsh Harp, and but for the wider community. Just as Taheri says,“Don’t stand______, do something about it.”

4 . A tsunami is a series of huge waves that can kill many people and destroy a whole country. A terrible tsunami disaster happened on December 26, 2004.     1     It is said that it might not be the worst and a future tsunami in the Indian Ocean could affect Singapore, Somalia, Western Australia, and many other places.

The word “tsunami” comes from Japanese words. A tsunami can be caused by natural phenomenon such as landslides, volcanic eruptions, large asteroid impacts (小行星撞击地球), and earthquakes occurring underwater or close to a body of water.     2    

A tsunami usually cannot be seen while it travels through deep water.     3     On December 26, 2004, some people saw the sea suddenly disappeared just before the waves came and knew that something was wrong. Some people managed to run fast from it and survived, but many people, who did not see any signs or did not run fast enough, died.

    4     If you are in a coastal area where the water suddenly draws back, the only chance of survival is to run for high ground or for the high floors of high-rise buildings. But because it moves too fast for people to run from it, only those who are lucky manage to survive.

Since the tsunami of 2004, many people know more about tsunami.     5    

6 . On 11 March, 2011, a terrible earthquake shook Japan at 14:46, which immediately generated waves high enough to flood towns along the coasts. Onagawa was one of them. The wave not only left the town flattened, but took the lives of 827 people out of a population of 10, 014.

Ten years on, more than 10,400 people now live in a town that has rebuilt itself with a bold approach. It decided to "adapt" to the tsunami that Mother Nature generates.

From any point in Onagawa, you can see the cove (海湾), the very point that brought waves into the town ten years ago. Instead of covering it with a concrete wall as a tide-preventive breakwater, which the neighboring town has adopted, in Onagawa the view to the ocean is wide open. The town decided that it wants to not only live with the beautiful view of the ocean, but also be able to see the wave with their own eyes when it transforms itself into a frightening tsunami, so that they know which way to run.

The town also moved its centre to the coast where the ground is raised with an embankment (筑堤). A comfortable outdoor shopping mall was built, and the school, city hall and work places are located just few metres higher. The structure allows the whole town to act as one, guiding them toward a newly secured path that will save their lives on higher ground, instead of scattering in all directions.

Strong leadership brought the town to what it is today. Onagawa's young mayor played a vital role in keeping the spirit of the people up. But it came down to other individuals, too, said Toshihiko Abe, former head of the recovery division of the city hall. "The town is small enough to make everyone play a role, leading in one way or the other. No one is left behind. We also make sure that those over 60 stand back and let the younger generation take the lead."

7 . Plastic is widely used and long-lasting, finding its way into every corner of our lives. But the very qualities that make plastic so useful also make it a huge problem. Cheap and disposable (一次性的), plastic has been a symbol of our throwaway culture. As a result, vast quantities of plastic pollute our world. A truckload of plastic enters the ocean every single minute and UK supermarkets produce 800, 000 tons every year. With production increasing, that’s set to rise.

The UK produces huge plastic waste per person, and a huge amount of it is sent to countries that aren’t equipped to deal with it. Greenpeace (绿色和平组织) investigators found British plastic waste being put and burned in Turkey — on the roadside, near waterways, and in the open air, and people nearby have reported serious health problems.

Bottles, pots, and food bowls are immediately obvious, but other types of plastic pollution can be harder to discern. When plastic breaks down, it doesn’t disappear. Instead, it gets smaller, creating tiny particles called microplastics. Even clothes made from man-made materials leave microplastic fibers when they’re washed.

Bits of plastic have been found in the oceans, on deserted islands, and even in Antarctica. Turtles, dolphins, and seabirds can be injured by large pieces of plastic. It can even be mistaken for food. Microplastics are just as damaging. Eaten by everything from microscopic zooplankton (浮游动物) to giant blue whales, they enter the food chain and carry harmful poisonous substances. Microplastics have even been found in human waste.

We’re just beginning to realize the scale of the problem. People around the world have come together to end plastic pollution, and it’s working. Greenpeace supporters have challenged Coca-Cola to use less plastic packaging, while countries like the UK have banned certain microplastics. Supermarkets are starting to talk about what they need to do. Most of them are trying hard to share their responsibility for reducing plastic waste.

8 . With greater climate catastrophe (气候突变) on Earth, it is natural for us to make every effort to stop the potential floods, snowstorms, and alarming reports from scientists. For many of us (myself included), part of that means running out to buy reusable straws, organic cleaners, and packaging-free products.

However, before you rejoice in “green” purchases, take a second to consider the results of a new study from Arizona University. By comparing the shopping habits, mental health and environmental impact of young people, the researchers reaffirmed a principle: Buying less beats buying “green” stuff without effort. And that is true whether you are looking at the impact that your purchases have on the Earth or on your own happiness.

It should not come as a shock that simply consuming less is better for the planet. After all, every new item a factory yields requires some resources to produce. Take plastic bag bans for instance. If your city is getting rid of single-use shopping bags, it can be tempting to pay for a fashionable organic cotton bag hanging in the check-out line of your local supermarket. However, experts insist that growing cotton is actually no better for the Earth than producing the conventional plastic bags. Your best bet for carrying your groceries if you care about sustainability? Any bag you already own. This is true of many kinds of “green” products.

It is not just the Earth that will be happier if you buy less. You will feel more contented too, according to the new study. “People believe that they might well be self-satisfied about becoming environmentally conscious through green buying patterns, but it doesn't seem to be that way”, said the lead researcher Sabrina Helm. “Reduced consumption has effects on increased well-being and decreased psychological distress, but we don't see that with green consumption.”

“Owning every new green product on the market might make you feel contented, but if you relieve yourself of that burden of ownership, most people report feeling a lot better,” said Helm.