Most of us are aware that we must take care of the environment, and the majority of us     1     (take) steps to save energy and reduce waste and pollution. But recently, some “green truths” have been shown to be only half true, or even     2     (complete) false.

Making a paper bag uses four times as much energy     3     making a plastic bag and up to three times the amount of water. The process also produces more greenhouse gases.

In fact, paper bags and plastic ones are bad     4     the environment. So, take a reusable bag with you when you go shopping.

When we turn off a device, such as television, it goes into stand-by mode. Devices in this mode still use power, and older devices in stand-by mode can use even     5     (much). To make sure your appliance is in fact off, remove the plug from     6     (it) power supply.

It seems like common sense: eating local food should be better for the environment, because it does not need to be transported long distances and kept cold during transport.     7     (fortunately), it is not that simple. It is the production of food, not its transport,     8    uses most of the energy and produces most of the greenhouse gases.

If you spend more than eight     9     (minute) in a shower, you’ll use as much water as in a bath — about 50 litres of water. Therefore, the key is to keep your shower time as short as possible.

Environmental awareness is now part of daily life. But it’s worth     10     (check) common ideas and opinions to see what’s really green.

    1     (excite) News for Animal Lovers! 

Two people were arrested yesterday at a Paris airport for     2     (bring) animals into Europe from South America illegally. One customs officer saw a woman     3     (walk) in front of a group. Then he saw feathers     4     (fall) from under her coat.     5     (see) this, the customs officer asked the woman to come over to his desk. He was surprised to find ten birds inside her coat. There was a short, fat gentleman     6     (follow) her. Another customs officer called him over when it seemed that he had a     7     (move) stomach. On taking off his jacket, they found a tortoise. He had travelled on the plane like this,     8     (keep) the tortoise hidden in a blanket.

The Longji Rice Terraces     1    (build) by the local Zhuang and Yao people, to whom Guangxi is home. Starting in the Yuan Dynasty, work on the terraces took hundreds of years, until its     2    (complete) in the early Qing Dynasty.

There are few large, flat areas of land in the region. Building these terraces can increase the areas in     3     people grow rice. Besides, the flat terraces can catch the rainwater and prevent the soil from     4    (wash) away. But perhaps what is most significant is the way in which people    5    (work) in harmony with nature to make these terraces and grow rice. These terraces also provide a perfect environment     6     birds and fish.

    7     modern technology could help produce more crops, new generations continue to use ancient    8    (method) of agriculture to maintain the terraces. Today, the Longji Rice Terraces attract thousands of visitors who come     9    (admire) this great wonder     10    (create) by people and nature working together.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” the old saying goes. Unfortunately, as a teenager, that is often exactly what you do to     1    (you). Standards of beauty in the media can have a big influence     2     what you think of your physical appearance. These standards are simply     3    (possible) for most of the population to live up to. If you have friends     4     are good-looking or have a great fashion sense, it can feel like you are living in their shadow. The external influences are always present,     5     there are certainly ways to deal with them. First of all, be careful not to follow popular beauty standards     6    (blind). Another tip is to recognize that you are unique and talk about your feelings with someone you trust.     7    (hear) how much they value you can help you feel comfortable in your own skin. Finally,     8     is a good idea to try to direct your attention away from negative thoughts.     9    (achieve) this, you should do something you enjoy. You may often judge yourself by what is on the outside, not on the inside. However, like a book, your contents are much     10    (important) than your cover.

Jennifer Jones, a 15-year-old teenage girl, fainted in her PE class. Then she     1    (rush) to hospital. She was found to have dangerously low blood sugar     2    (level) for skipping meals. Fortunately, she was treated     3    (immediate) and soon recovered.

She thought skipping meals would be     4     simple way to reach her target weight. She hadn’t eaten breakfast for the last few months. She had trouble     5    (concentrate) in class. In addition, she didn’t follow her friend’s warning that skipping meals was unhealthy.

The unhealthy weight-loss habits have become common among teenagers. In a society     6     being thin is often seen as being beautiful, teenagers sometimes turn     7     extreme methods to slim down quickly. A health expert     8    (suggest) that they should have a healthy balanced diet. She also holds the view that they should keep regular hours and get plenty of exercise     9    (stay) energetic and fit. That’s because living well is the safest and     10    (effective) way to get into shape.

Nowadays, there is often a lack of understanding between parents and children. Children always complain that their parents are out of date, while parents can’t agree with all     1     their children say and do. Thus, a big generation gap is formed.

    2     gap remains wide for many reasons. Children want to be free    3     (choose) their own friends, select their own classes in school, plan their own future, and     4     (usual) run their own life in a more independent way than many parents allow. Also, young children wish to be understood by their parents, but most parents don’t quite understand their children. They regard it     5     their duty to teach their children traditional beliefs. They want them to be obedient (听话的) and do well in school. Therefore, misunderstandings often result from parents’ interfering (干预) in children’s daily    6     (activity).

We should not be     7     (amaze) at the generation gap, for it is quite natural in the    8     (develop) of society. The world is changing, in which everything    9     (keep) changing, generations of human beings included. And changes lead to progress. In    10     (I) opinion, most problems between parents and children can be solved by joint efforts of both sides as long as they enhance common understanding.

You’re walking in the street and a thought     1     (occur) to you: “I should check my phone.” Then your eyes remain glued to the screen, even when you walk across the street.

Most of us do this kind of distracted (注意力分散的) walking in our daily life,     2     has become a growing problem around the globe.  

In fact, walking is not as easy as we think. We must focus     3     many things at the same time     4     (walk) safely in a straight line. When we’re busy     5     (use) the phone, we will walk slower, make poor decisions, and won’t notice what is going on around us. As a result, we may walk into walls, fall down stairs or     6     (hit) by cars.  

Why do we take     7     risk? Scientists say it might be a form of addictive (使人上瘾的)     8     (behave). People are, by nature, information-seeking creatures. When we check our phones     9     (regular), we are actually looking for more information to make our brains feel satisfied.  

Then how can we control our use of phones? Experts recommend exercises in self-control. They say reducing access to the phone can be     10     (help). After all, safety comes first.

One of the biggest challenges     1     (face) students today is how to concentrate on studies. Almost all of them are struggling for their concentration power. In an age     2     mobile phones and the Internet are eating up most of our time and energy, one can understand how difficult it is to focus attention and energy on studies.

One of the most important     3     (factor) for developing concentration on a task, whether it is study or anything else,     4     (be) to develop an interest in that task. We are able to focus     5     (easy). If you ever want to concentrate on anything and studies are no     6     (except), you need     7     (ensure) that the environment around you is distraction (注意力分散) free. So the question is not how to concentrate on studies     8     how to avoid distractions that have swallowed up mankind today. The only way to guarantee a distraction-free environment is by     9     (get) rid of all the unnecessary things around you, including the electronic gadgets (小器具)     10     mobile phones.