1 . It was a perfect summer morning on the beach in Rio De Janeiro. A man set up his umbrella and chair near the water and was ready to read his book. Just then, when he looked toward the sea, he noticed a small shape that came out of the water. It slowly made its way out onto the sand and began to flap its wings. It was obviously weak and tired.

When the animal was just a few feet away, the man couldn’t believe his eyes. A penguin(企鹅)? Penguins don’t live in Rio. The man was amazed. He looked around to see if there was anyone else noticing this strange sight.

A jogger soon appeared, followed by another. They stopped and stared. It was clear that the penguin was having trouble breathing. The first jogger looked at the sea and said, “Poor thing, so far away from home.”

The penguin fell to its side. It had swum 2000 miles, trying to find the tiny fish that penguins like to eat. Why did the penguin need to travel so far? Perhaps it was confused (使糊涂) by moving ocean currents (水流) and temperatures—common effects of global (全球的) warming. The penguin needed help. It would not survive on the hot sand.

One of the joggers phoned for help, and soon some firemen arrived. The man was glad that the penguin would soon be safe, although he felt a little sad too.

The event on the beach at Rio happened some time ago. It was only the beginning of penguin migration (迁移) to Brazil. Since that time, hundreds of penguins have appeared on the coasts of Brazil. They come all the way from Patagonia and the Straits of Magellan, southern parts of South America. They land on the sands very tired and hungry, and many of them die. Some are shipped or flown back to colder waters farther south.

Perhaps the experience of the penguins will help us better understand the serious effects of human activities on climathte change and on the condition of our planet.

4 . Mountain regions are not just playgrounds for the richer citizens on the planet, however. The disappearing snows of Mount Kilimanjaro are a worrying sign that nowhere is safe from the adverse effects of human actions. The United Nations has identified three main areas that need to be addressed to ensure the future safety of the world’s mountains. These are: the protection of mountain ecosystems, the encouragement of peace and stability in mountain regions, and assistance for mountain people to maintain their ways of life.

From the busy cities of India to the farmlands of California, more than half the world’s population is dependent on mountains for their fresh water supply. Global warming, deforestation, mining and heavy farming seriously damage breakable mountain ecosystems and put vital fresh water sources at risk.

Mountain regions host a large proportion of the world’s wars. From Afghanistan to the Balkans and the Andes to many parts of Africa, territorial(领土的) and drug related conflicts have damaging effects on the local environment and the lives of the local people. Fighting makes essential tasks such as farming impossible. Land mines make large areas of potential farming ground unusable. Also schools, roads, bridges and other important infrastructure(基础设施) are left in ruins.

Mountain people are among the poorest, least represented groups on the earth. They face many hardships and each day can be, “a test of survival”. Damage to mountain ecosystems worsens their situation and leaves them even more unprotected to disease and ‘natural’ disasters such as floods and landslides. It’s been recommended that forest profit should be reinvested in mountain communities and the people living there should be given a stronger political voice. Their fate is in many ways directly connected with that of people living at sea level.

There is an old motto for visitors to the countryside which advises them to leave nothing but footprints. It is still as relevant today as it always was. Unfortunately, the size of our footprints seems to be getting larger.

5 . Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.

Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses （球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.

There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.

Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.

6 . Earthquakes are something that people fear. There are some places that have few or no earthquakes. Most places in the world, however, have them regularly. Countries that have a lot of earthquakes are usually quite mountainous.

The most talked about earthquake in the United States was in San Francisco in 1906. Over 700 people died in it. The strongest one in North America was in 1964. It happened in Alaska.

Strong earthquakes are not always the ones that kill the most people. In 1755, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded was felt in Portugal. Around 2,000 people died.

In 1923, a very strong earthquake hit Tokyo, Yokohama area of Japan. A hundred and forty thousand people died. Most of them died in fires which followed the earthquake.

One of the worst earthquakes ever was in China in 2008. It killed a large number of people. The worst earthquake ever reported was also in China, in which 400,000 people were killed or injured. This earthquake happened in 1556.

Earthquakes worry people a lot. The reason is that we often do not know when they are coming. People cannot prepare for earthquakes.