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 conch (海螺) is       1     (wide) considered to be the national dish of the Bahamas. Queen conch is one of important food materials and can live for 30 years.

Conches can be very     2     (expense) in the U.S. and other places. But it is so common in the Bahamas     3     it can often be found in meals costing     4    (little) than two     5     (five) of the population in rural (农村的) parts of the Bahamas eats conches weekly. The country of about 400,000 is home     6     9,000 conch fishers-around two percent of the population. This number appears to be holding steady even as conches decrease (减少) in number. For many fishers here, fishing is both a family tradition     7     a path to middle class life. The meat of the conch     8     (be) worth millions of dollars per year, and it also helps increase tourism to     9     islands.

The conch is one example of the threat (威胁) overfishing presents to traditional foods around the world. Similar problems     10     (see) in Senegal now, where overfishing has taken away white grouper. The fish has long been the basis for the national dish of thieboudienne.

Imagine that you’re sleeping in the wild in a tent and are awakened by the sound of wolves howling(狼嚎叫). That’s     1    happened to me last summer when my family and I spent the night at the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) in South Salem, New York. The howling didn’t frighten me. Wolves howl to communicate     2    each other.

The WCC educates people about wolves,    3    (they) relationship to the environment, and how to ensure that they survive. Guests     4    (invite) to visit the wolves year­round. The center is home to twenty­five wolves and two    5    (serious) endangered species—the red wolf and the Mexican gray wolf. At one point, both species     6    (be) extinct in the wild. With help from the WCC, the wolves are making a comeback.

“Wolves help to keep all other animals in balance(平衡) and keep the environment really     7    (health) ,” said Mary Kate Kabbes, an educator at the WCC.

When wolves became extinct in Yellowstone National Park, the elk(麋鹿) population increased to five times its normal(正常的) size and destroyed areas where birds lived. As    8    result, several bird species were forced to leave the park.

Now that wolves are back at Yellowstone, the birds have returned. “Learning about wolves, reading books about them, and telling your family and friends is a simple way    9    (help) spread the word about the     10    (important) of wolves.” Kabbes said.

Thousands of people are still missing, and the number of deaths     1     (expect) to grow even     2     (high) over the next few days. Foreign aid is being organized for the tsunami-hit countries. However, dangerous conditions and damaged roads will make it difficult to deliver food and     3     (supply).

This is the year 2070. Today is my    1     (fifty) birthday, but I look like a person of eighty- five. I have serious kidney (肾脏) problems because I don’t have enough water     2     (drink). I’m afraid I don’t have much time left to live. I’m already one of the oldest people in this society.

I remember when I     3     (be) five years old, everything was very different. There were lots of trees in the parks. I could enjoy a shower for half     4     hour. At that time,     5    (woman) all had beautiful hair. Now, we have to shave (剃光) our heads to keep them clean without the use of water.

I remember there were “Saving Water” warnings in many public places, but nobody     6     (pay) attention. We believed water would last forever. Now, all the rivers and lakes are either dry or polluted. Water is much     7     (expensive) than gold and diamonds.

In the past, doctors suggested adults drink eight glasses of water a day. Nowadays, I am allowed half a glass only. Most people are weak and sick.

When my son asks me about my childhood, I tell him about how pleasant it was to fish in the rivers     8     how healthy people were. When he asks, “Why is there no clean water now?” I feel guilty (有罪的). I belong     9     those people who simply turned a blind eye to all the warnings.

I hope the people living in the 2020s     10     (true) understand the importance of saving water.