Home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, the Sanjiangyuan area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (青藏高原) is known as “China’s water tower.” It is a     1     (whole) unique plateau wetland ecosystem and serves as     2     important ecological defense for the country.

Decades ago, serious environmental degradation (恶化) in Sanjiangyuan,     3     was caused by climate change and human activities, resulted in a large number of lakes drying out and wildlife numbers falling sharply. In 2016, the pilot program for the Sanjiangyuan National Park management system     4     (launch). Through painstaking practice, development and innovation, efforts have been made     5     (turn) the park into a symbol of the progress of China’s ecological civilization.

Over the past years, the ecological environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau     6     (experience) comprehensive changes. Water conservation in the area has risen     7     11 percent every year, compared with 10 years ago.

Local residents enjoy the gifts given by nature, and the     8     (establish) of the national park has enabled them to transform from exploiting (开发) nature to becoming its protectors and benefiting from it. Some work as tour guides,     9     (assist) visitors from home and abroad.

Today, as people walk on the vast land of Sanjiangyuan, looking at the expansive mountains, glaciers, lakes and pastures,     10     catching sight of wild animals and birds, they cannot help be impressed by the vastness and beauty of nature.

Trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere, in the form of carbon dioxide. A living tree is thus     1     important storage site for carbon     2     might otherwise be added to the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. And a big, living tree matters even     3    (much)to the atmosphere.

However, when scientists try to understand the importance of the carbon storage     4    (current) provided by plants, and the effects of a number of human     5    (activity) on the carbon cycle, they are faced with the fact that there are no direct measurements of carbon cycling from the pre-industrial period.

A new study,     6    (publish) today in the journal Science, seeks     7    (fill) this knowledge gap using the assemblages of fossil pollen(花粉化石) in the soil as an indication of woody vegetation biomass in the past. An international team of scientists     8    (use) fossil pollen data to reconstruct the natural pace and pattern of carbon storage in the forests of the Midwestern U. S. over the past 10, 000 years. Their findings cast a new light on how landscapes can     9    (manage) to maximize carbon storage while also meeting conservation goals. Their work painted a vivid picture of     10    forests have changed over this time. The researchers found that, after an initial post-glacial decline, woody biomass nearly doubled during the last 8, 000 years.

It’s not a secret     1     spending time in nature is good for you. For years, scientists have been detailing how people who live near green spaces have     2    (good) physical and mental health. Practices which have a strong outdoor component     3    (be) popular here in the United States.

My     4    (curious) was aroused when a colleague recently recommended one of our patients to experiment with     5    (walk) barefoot in the grass for a short time each day. A few weeks later, I came across an article that gave a name to that practice—grounding. The idea behind grounding, also    6    (call) earthing, is that humans evolved in direct contact with the earth’s subtle(不易察觉的) electric charge. But we have lost that connection and     7     loss of connection is due to inventions such as buildings, furniture and shoes.

    8    (support) of grounding say this “disconnect” might be contributing to some diseases that are     9    (particular) common in industrialized societies. There is actually some science behind this. Barefoot contact with the earth can produce nearly instant changes     10     various ways, helping to improve sleep, reduce pain, decrease muscle tension and lower stress.

Global warming is a gradual increase in the earth’s temperature, generally due to the greenhouse effect    1    (cause) by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

Temperatures and sea levels are rising, possibly contributing    2    more storms. The rising has influenced a lot,     3    (result)in a lot of climate problems, and humans are at least partially    4    (blame). Global warming causes climate change,    5    places a serious threat to life on the earth in    6    (vary) forms like widespread flooding and extreme weather. Climate experts    7    (gather) detailed observations of different weather    8    (phenomenon) since the mid-20th and of related influences on climate. Scientists have high confidence    9     global temperatures will continue to rise for decades to come,    10    (large)due to greenhouse gases produced by human activities.