While there is growing consumer     1     (realize) of the environmental impact of fast fashion, can the same be said about fast furniture? The chairs and tables that fill many of our homes and everyday spaces are manufactured on a mass scale, and the cheaper items often end up     2     landfills.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2020 over 12 million tons of furniture     3     (throw) out in America and some into the forest illegally. Buying furniture can be     4     (incredible) expensive. Many of us switch over to cheaper, instant brands like IKEA,     5     manufacturers use materials harder to recycle, which is likely to damage the environment.

With growing calls for sustainability, many brands are announcing to change though it remains     6     (see) whether they will keep these promises. In     7     (it) current sustainability strategy, IKEA commits itself to using only recyclable materials in all its products in an effort to practice “circular” design and cut emissions to net-zero. The concept of circular design     8     (win) increasing concern up to now. In     9     circular system, furniture products would be designed to last longer and be fully recyclable, thus forming a     10    (close) loop (环).

Earthquakes are one of the most destructive natural disasters. They can happen just about anywhere. Earthquakes cannot be stopped,     1     your chances of survival are much better if you know what     2     (do) when an earthquake strikes.

If you are in     3     building, drop, cover, and hold on. This     4     (be) the national standard for earthquake safety in the United States. The advice is to get next     5     a strong piece of furniture (家具) so that if a wall falls, it will create something     6     (call) the “triangle of life” to help you survive. Use your     7     (hand) and arms to protect your vital areas like your head and neck. Do not move     8     (immediate) unless it is safe to do so.

Remember that aftershocks are possible at any time and are     9     (likely) after a bigger earthquake. Take good care of     10     (you) when you leave the building.

The color of the ocean has changed     1     (great) recently and human-caused climate change is responsible, according to     2     new study.

More than 56% of the world’s oceans have changed color,     3     cannot be explained, said a team of researchers, led by scientists from the National Oceanography Center in the UK.

Tropical (热带的) oceans close to the equator     4     (become) greener in the last 20 years, according to the study     5     (publish) in the journal Nature.

“    6     is not clear exactly how these ecosystems are changing”, said Stephanie from the Center for Global Change Science. “All changes are causing an imbalance in the natural organization of ecosystems. Such imbalance will only get     7     (bad) over time if our oceans keep heating,” she told CNN.

Though the researchers are still working to understand exactly     8     the changes mean, they said what is clear is that the changes are being driven     9     human behavior.

The researchers studied changes in ocean color from space by     10     (watch) how much green or blue light is reflected from the surface of the sea.

Air pollution has largely gone under-reported by the media, yet despite     1     (it) silent nature, it’s a killer. According to the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Pediatrics and Child Health, air pollution leads to 40,000 early     2     (death) a year. The trouble is that it’s an indirect killer, which makes the issue hard to examine — meaning the actual figure could be much     3     (high).

Then how can we measure and end such a problem? The answer is     4     (surprising) simple. Diesel (柴油) is the largest contributor of nitrogen oxides (氮氧化合物) and around 40 million people in the UK live in areas     5     (pollute) by diesel. We need to stop the production of diesel vehicles as soon as possible, and replace older diesel models     6     eco-friendly alternatives, such as electric vehicles. Apart from ammonia (氨) farming, pollution is actually decreasing globally — except for cities     7     it’s on the rise. In London, nearly 10,000 people died due to the capital’s harmful air, so     8     (create) clean air zones where high-polluting vehicles     9     (ban) would decrease these harmful gases. By moving towards more greenery on rooftops, parks and city centers, big cities could easily remove     10     problem. The answers are there; we just have to start.

A new book for children     1     (call) Climate Change is co-written by Charles Ⅲ, Tony Juniper and Emily Shuckburgh. Charles Ⅲ, well-known as the king of the United Kingdom,     2     (be) also an environmentalist and has spoken about the environment for many years. In     3     (he) new book, he hopes children will learn more about the problems our planet is facing. Juniper, who is the chairperson of an organization, told reporters that he hoped     4     (write) a book for children aged 7 to 11 and bring the facts to those children who will benefit a lot by finding better     5     (solution) to the environmental problems.

Last Friday, Juniper went to     6     event at Buckingham Palace in London, which     7     (host) by King Charles. Many business leaders were also invited to the event. At the palace get-together, Juniper said he was excited to see so many children willing to help Earth and that he would try his best to put something into their hands     8     is about basic ideas of protecting the environment. King Charles said, “Ever since I was a young teenager, I have been     9     (deep) worried about the way we have shaped our world. I hope that more children across the world can take part     10     the activities of protecting our Earth.”

Kilauea has been erupting almost without stopping since 1983. It is one of the world’s most     1     (close) observed volcanoes. Most of these observations took place at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Kilauea’s highest point, from     2     researchers now have to withdraw. But the     3     (late) eruption is one of the biggest and could provide scientists     4     a lot of new information.

Scientists from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and University of Hawaii are studying     5     the molten (熔化的) rock beneath the earth flows through a series of cracks (缝隙) under Kilauea before     6     (send) flying into the air. They want to learn what warning signs may exist for future eruptions to better protect Hawaii’s     7     (community).

Hundreds of small earthquakes caused by the eruptions have damaged the structure of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. So the scientists were forced     8     (take) the equipment and records out of the building and moved     9     (they) to the University of Hawaii. The records include     10     (science) information and photos that are more than 100 years old.

Wetlands are the link between the land and the water. They are transition zones where the flow of water, the cycling of nutrients and the energy of the sun meet to produce     1     unique and special ecosystem     2     (characterize) by hydrology, soils and vegetation—making these areas very important features of a watershed. The water is often groundwater,     3     (spill) up from an aquifer or spring. A wetland’s water can also come from a nearby river or lake. Seawater can also create wetlands, especially in coastal areas that experience strong tides. Here is one in China.

The National Nature Reserve of Guangdong Nanpeng Islands in Guangdong Province was established in 2003. It     4     (cover) a total area of 35,679 hectares. It became the fifth national-level marine nature reserve in Guangdong, as well as the first one in the eastern region of Guangdong, in 2012. In 2015, it     5     (recognize) and included in the International Important Wetlands Directory.

The main focus of the reserve is to protect the unique underwater natural landscapes, the ecosystems of the nearby     6     (coast) waters, the rare and endangered marine animals, the various fish species and their habitats, as well as the marine biodiversity.

Researchers have discovered 1,308 marine species in the area, including 772     7     (economic) significant fish, shrimp, crab, mollusk, and algae species. The reserve is home     8     more than 21 identified rare and endangered wildlife species in water, among     9     nine species such as the Chinese white dolphin and the nautilus are classified as first-class protected animals at the national level, while     10     (variety) of other 27 species, such as the common bottlenose dolphin is classified as second-class protected animals.

On August 24, Japan started releasing wastewater from its Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (福岛第一核电站) into the Pacific Ocean. This has caused anger and fear across the world.

In March 2011, Japan experienced the strongest earthquake in its     1     (record) history. The earthquake caused a tsunami (海啸),     2     greatly damaged the Fukushima nuclear plant. Ever since then, the plant has been producing a large amount of radioactive wastewater. So far, it     3     (collect) more than 1.3 million tons of it. The first round of release will last 17 days. The whole process will take about 30 years.

The plant was operated by TEPCO (东京电力公司). According to the company, the wastewater is diluted (稀释) before     4     (it) release. However, there’s still a problem. Some of the most dangerous substances are very likely     5     (remain) in it.

“They’ll pollute the ocean, the animals within it, and     6     (final), the earth,” said Tacko Fujimura, an official at Japan’s Zen-Noh (日本农业合作社联合会).

On the same day, China announced     7     immediate ban on all seafood products from Japan. This     8     (decide) was made to “protect the lives and health of the people.” In a statement, the country’s Foreign Ministry (外交部) called Japan’s move “    9     (self) and irresponsible.”

China was the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood. More than 255,000 users took a poll (民意调查) on Weibo. Up to 97% of them said that they would no longer eat seafood from Japan. “We’re on the same planet,” said one of them. “Nobody can be free from harm. It’s just a matter     10     time.”