China has scaled up policy to protect and restore the environment around the Yangtze River, putting     1     place measures to treat industrial and agricultural pollutants and protect grasslands and wetlands.

A policy document     2    (joint) released by 17 central government departments promises to prioritize effort and adopt a     3    (comprehension) way of conserving the Yangtze River Basin area. The policy document follows a 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze enacted by the government in 2020 in response to     4    (decline) biodiversity.

Despite improvements to the Yangtze’s water quality, the rise of non-point source pollution     5    (emerge) as a major problem in recent years. The document stresses the need for a systemic approach,     6     will require the establishment of long-term mechanisms to prevent the return of polluted water bodies.

The treatment of pollution is another priority, as the government looks to install tighter controls over pollutants discharged by chemical factories and promote     7    (high) efficiency in the use of fertilizers and pesticides.

    8    (restore) the diversity of aquatic life in the Yangtze, the document says that the country will establish a monitoring system for endangered animals and make     9     action plan to save them and that more work     10    (do) to enhance the connectivity of rivers.

The total floor area of Chain’s green buildings has been over 6. 6 billion square meters with the country’s efforts to promote high-quality development in urban and rural areas.

    1     (note)China’s achievements of green development in urban and rural areas, Zhang Xiaohong, vice minister of housing and urban-rural development,     2     (stress)the difficult task of saving energy and reducing carbon emissions in urban and rural construction at a press conference on Monday.

The ministry will make continuous efforts     3     (increase)the proportion of green buildings, raise building energy efficiency standards and popularize buildings with extra-low energy     4     (consume)in regions with suitable climate conditions. It will also promote green renovation of existing buildings to improve energy efficiency and make     5     (low)carbon emissions.

China issued a guideline     6     supports green development in urban and rural areas recently. Institutional mechanisms and policy systems for green development in urban and rural areas will be     7     (basic)established by 2025, while green development will cover urban and rural areas     8     a comprehensive way by 2035, with     9     increased cut in carbon emissions, said the guideline.

The ministry will state a 14th five-year plan on urban and rural living environment planning and take     10     (measure)to bring eco-environment, construction and social and cultural environment into line while promoting green development of regions and cities.

Scientists first discovered the two species in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in 2021. They later     1    (confirm) that they were new orchid and primrose species. And then, the tiny orchid, Gastrochilus heminii,     2    (list) as a data-deficient species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning more information to assess its risk of     3    (extinct).

The primrose species, another data-deficient flora, grows on cliffs at an altitude of 3,400 meters. So far, scientists have only found one patch of this flower in the wild,     4    (make )it exceptionally rare.

China boasts some of the     5    (rich) biodiversity in the world and has a relatively fine flora protection system, according to a white paper on China’s biodiversity protection.

The reasons for the wealth of     6    (discovery) are new transportation infrastructure and technology enabling scientists to go deep into uncharted regions. The second reason is that as scientists’ understanding of taxonomy deepens, some flora species     7     were found in the past were later reclassified as new species. The third reason is that China’s massive ecological restoration programs have helped     8     number of some endangered species to reappear.

As of 2021, China had around 200 conservation botanical gardens, safeguarding more than 23,000 species of flora. Rare native plants hold research value and can also serve     9    the poster child for conservation efforts and get the public     10    (interest) in science and nature.

The Middle East and North Africa region is home to 5% of the global population,     1     it owns only 1% of the world’s renewable water.

Over the past few years, some Arab states     2     (launch) relevant policies and plans to tackle drought, agricultural water scarcity, and other challenges, developing and introducing digital technologies and artificial     3     (intelligent) to develop water-saving agriculture.

China and Arab states have constantly deepened cooperation under the frameworks of the Belt and Road States Expo, conducting     4     series of water-conserving projects. China has offered many new solutions for Arab states to relieve the shortage of irrigation water.

“China has made     5     (surprise) achievements in agriculture and water resource management,     6     are worth learning for countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, ”said Sinan Bacha, director of CRTEAN, Tunisia. He said he was     7     (deep) impressed by China’s advanced technologies employed in water conservation during a field trip to the country.

“A path of modern agricultural development must     8     (follow)to achieve high-quality agricultural development. During my stay in China, I saw many modern technologies     9     (apply) in traditional agriculture, desert agriculture, and desertification prevention and control, ”said Jordanian Ambassador to China Hussam AI Husseini,     10     (add) that he expects Jordan and China to carry out more cooperation in agriculture.

China has seen great benefits since the launch of its carbon trading market a year ago.

The program has played     1     important role in raising low-carbon awareness. Although it only gets the power generation industry involved now, the initiative of pricing carbon emissions (排放) has boosted the     2     (develop) of carbon-related services in industries beyond. Right now more than 9,800 companies are providing such services, of which over 1,800     3     (establish) last year.

Carbon trading is the process of buying and selling permits to send out greenhouse gases. Opened     4     July 16, 2021, the market now includes     5     (national) 2,162 power-generating companies, covering about 4.5 billion tons of carbon emissions. That has made China the world’s     6     (large) market for carbon trading. The program puts carbon emission limits on every unit of electricity a power plant generates. After each cycle of trading, companies     7     have leftover carbon allowances (额度) can sell them to others. If     8     (fall) short, they’ll have to buy allowances.

The program has proven its value in motivating companies     9     (reduce) emissions at a lower cost. However, officials say China needs to make further efforts to improve the support systems, get the market to run smoothly     10     enhance the quality of carbon emission data.

Government officials from 196 countries gathered for the United Nations Conference of the Parties in Glasgow, Scotland, from October 31     1     November 12. The meeting brings world     2     (leader) together every year to solve climate change.

Officials had several goals. One was to figure out     3     to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5℃ above preindustrial (工业化前的) levels. Any     4     (high), scientists say, and the world will see a sharp increase in     5     (nature) disasters. (The Earth has already warmed 1.1℃.)

At the meeting, more than 100 countries     6     ( agree) to cut methane (甲烷) emissions (排放) by 30% this decade. Methane is a planet-warming gas. More than 130 promised     7     (stop) cutting down trees within that time.

But many young people say promises are not enough. They want a formal agreement. They say it     8     (need) to make sure countries keep their promises.

On November 6, some 100 ,000 people attended a meeting in Glasgow. “Leaders keep     9     (praise) young people for standing up and protesting,” Vanessa Nakate, a climate activist from Uganda, told TIME. “But saving     10     world needs decisions from the leaders.”