1 . The newly-elected president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro says that his country should withdraw (退出) from the 2015 Paris Agreement, and that Brazil’s rainforest protections are standing in the way of economic success. During the election campaign, he promised to ease protections for areas of the Brazilian Amazon set aside for native people and wildlife. Are Brazil’s rainforests in danger?

The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, is called “the lungs of the planet.” Each tree takes in and stores carbon dioxide from the air around it. Billions of trees pull up water through their roots and release water vapor into the air, forming tiny drops of water. The Amazon creates 30 to 50 percent of its own rainfall. Carlos Nobre, a climate scientist, says that it is almost impossible to say Just how important the rainforest is to the planet’s living systems.

Some of Bolsonaro’s support comes from business and farming groups. One supporter, Luiz Carlos, noted that farmers “are not invaders, they are producers.” He blamed the past government for supporting rainforest protections at the cost of farmers. “Brazil,” he said, “will be the biggest farming nation on Earth during Bolsonaro’s years.”

Paulo Artaxo, a professor of environmental physics at the University of Sao Paulo, says that if Bolsonaro keeps his campaign promises, then “deforestation of the Amazon will probably increase quickly — and the effects will be felt everywhere on the planet.”

Other scientists warn that if the Amazon and other tropical rainforests lose too many trees, this could affect rainfall in other areas. Without enough trees to support the rainfall, the longer and bigger dry season could turn more than half of the rainforest into a tropical grassland.

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Li Hua

Pollution's serious effects on the environment have become more obvious in recent years. Most scientists agree that efforts are necessary to protect our environment from further harm.

As we know, the construction industry consumes a large quantity of energy and resources and creates a huge amount of pollution. So green buildings are in great need.

The environmental benefits of green buildings includes the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity(生物多样性)，improved air and water quality, less waste flowing into streams and the protection of natural resources. Green buildings can also result in lower operating costs because they typically use less energy and fewer materials and improve indoor air quality, improving the health of people who live there.

The process of building green houses includes technical and artistic planning with nature protection in mind. Building designs often reflect the surrounding environment and natural resources and use renewable building materials such as bamboo and straw. In addition, recycled resources found locally are used for green buildings, reducing the cost and air pollution associated with transporting materials long distances.

Care site selection is important to minimize human effects on the surrounding environment. For example, placing a structure in an area that allows it to take advantage of cool breezes and sunlight can reduce energy use and expenses. More energy and expenses are needed for large buildings as well? so it is important to build the small ones.

Green roofs are another feature of green houses that reduce energy use and costs. These roofs are partially or completely covered with plants? which helps to keep heating and cooling costs low? prevent water running off and deal with pollutants.

Other features of green buildings often include energy and water protection, recycling and waste reduction. In addition, renewable energy sources such as solar power, water power and wind power are used for heat and electricity, which greatly reduces costs and decreases the influence on the environment.

The population of the milu around China’s Poyang Lake     1    (grow) from 47 to 55 since a group of the rare deer was released (释放) there about a year ago. Yang Qibo, who is in charge of Poyang County’s wildlife protection station, told the public that they had recorded     2     birth of 8 deer over the past year. Last April,     3    (improve) biodiversity in the local wetland ecosystem, China released 47 deer into the wild around Poyang Lake, the country's largest freshwater lake. The species’ sudden     4    (disappear) occurred around 1,000 years ago in this area. Local officials said the deer adapted well to the new environment and coexisted     5    (peaceful) with local villagers. Whenever a deer     6    (spot), villagers would always report it to wildlife authorities. There were some cases     7     the villagers’ crops were damaged by deer, but they usually chose to drive the deer away instead of hurting them. The milu, also known as Pere David’s deer, is native to China. In China it bears the     8    (humor) name “sibuxiang” or “like none of the four” for its unique features. The wetland deer species is put     9     A-level state protection after overhunting and habitat (栖息地) loss led to its nearly     10    (die) out in the early 20th century. Now about 6,700 deer live across the country, including 1,500 in the wild.

9 . The air is thin and we have to rest several times on the short trip from camp. On the plain (平原), we can just see many wild animals. This is why we're here to observe Tibetan antelopes.

Tibetan antelopes live on the plains of Tibet,Xinjiang and Qinghai.Watch them move slowly across the green grass. I'm attracted by the lovely animals.I'm also reminded of the danger they are in. They are being killed for their valuable fur.

My guide Zhaxi works at the Changtang National Nature Reserve. The reserve is a place for the animals and plants of northwestern Tibet. To Zhaxi, protesting the wildlife is a way of life."We're not tying to save the animals.” he says,"Actually, we're trying to save ourselves."

Between the 1980s and 1990s, the population of the Tibetan antelope dropped by over 50 percent. People were shooting antelopes to make profits. Their living places were becoming smaller as new roads and railways were built.

In order to save the animals, the Chinese government placed them under national protection. Zhaxi and other volunteers watched over the antelopes day and night to keep them safe from attacks. Bridges and gates were added to let the antelopes move easily and keep them safe from cars and trains.

The measures were effective. The antelope population has recovered and in June 2015.the Tibetan antelope was removed from the list of animals in danger. The government, however,does not intend to stop the protection programs, since the threats (威胁) to the Tibetan antelope have not yet disappeared.

Much is being done to protect wildlife but if we really want to save the planet, we must change our way of life. We can stop being a threat to wildlife and to our planet only when we learn to exist in peace with nature.

10 . More Plastic than Fish in the Oceans by 2050

30 years from now our seas will be containing more plastic than fish．According to a report released by the World Economic Forum, plastic production around the world is expected to double within the next 20 years．    1     By 2050 it will be four．

About 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into the sea every year．    2     Environmentalists estimate that there are about 160 million tons of plastic in the world's oceans today．By 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish．

    3     In addition it produces a huge garbage patch that floats on the surface, thus putting ships in danger and polluting beautiful beaches around the world．But the plastic that floats in the water is only a fraction of the whole amount．

Plastic is becoming more and more common in our world．    4     However, it is endangering our environment more than any other material．The World Economic Forum calls for more recycling and a better use of plastic．95% of all plastic that is produced is only used once, and then it is thrown away．Almost a third finds its way into our environment．

Oil is the raw material that plastic is made of．Currently, 5% of the world's oil production is turned into plastic．    5