4 . The largest living land animal in Asia, Asian elephants once roamed grasslands and rainforests across the continent. Prior to the 1700s, habitats for the now-endangered animals were relatively stable (稳定的). But a new study shows that more than 64% of historic suitable elephant habitat across Asia has been lost.

Researchers found there was a rapid growth in habitat loss of Asian elephants from the year 1700, which is related to the expansion of European colonization (殖民化) of the region. During that time, logging, road-building, resource extraction and deforestation (森林砍伐) increased, and farming need more land that might otherwise have been home to wildlife. The industrial revolution in the middle of the last century also drove greater habitat loss.

Habitat loss means elephants are migrating (迁徙) from their usual living area, creating challenges for human communities that have little experience with elephants. In 2021, millions of people were frightened by a herd of elephants that migrated out of a protected area in China’s southwest Yunnan Province and walked more than 500 kilometers, destroying crops, wandering through towns and causing more than a million dollars’ worth of damage.

With the elephants not having enough habitat, there is increased potential for human-elephant conflict (冲突) — a situation that shouldn’t be accepted as unavoidable and one that can be avoided with proper planning. “We are going to reach a tipping point in which cultures of no conflict toward one another get replaced by cultures of antagonism ( 敌 对) and violence — by both species. We have to relieve this situation,” said Shermin de Silva, a UCSD faculty member who led the research team.

If the elephants can’t find suitable habitats, they will become endangered and near extinction (灭绝), which has an effect on the whole ecosystem. This is because elephants help spread seeds and vegetation cover (植被). Their habitats also include several other species of animals and plants. In the wake of satisfying their need for large spaces, and enough water and food, plenty of other species can survive. When we protect the elephant, we also protect thousands of other species.

Beijing is the capital city of China. It     1     (cover) an area of around 17, 000 square kilometers, in which there are different kinds of bird habitats (栖息地),     2     (include) grassland, scrubland (灌木丛林地), wetland, and also agricultural land. Researchers call these areas “service stations,” where migrating (迁徙) birds stop     3     (rest) and feed. But the birds ‘“service stations” re     4     (rapid) closing in Beijing, as the city considers scrubland, grassland and old agricultural land to be “dirty” and “ugly”.

The loss of grassland and scrubland is already having a major influence     5     Beijing’s bird life. In the north of Beijing, the land around Miyun used to be visited by thousands of cranes (鹤). Now, much of that land is covered with man-made forest and     6     number of cranes there has greatly fallen.

“Cranes are rare and valuable animals in China. At Miyun, a festival     7     (hold) to celebrate the migration of cranes every year,” one researcher, Townshend, says. “Because it is Beijing, we can attract many people—both local people     8     visitors.”

“More cooperation (合作) between     9     (country) is needed,” Townshend adds. “Migratory birds are a shared natural heritage (遗产), and with this comes a common     10     (responsible) to protect them and the places they need,” he says.

Two Toronto entrepreneurs (企业家) are on a mission to change the way you get your coffee to go. Scott Morrison and Ryan Dyment,     1     are co-founders of Dream Zero, have been working to bring reusable food and beverage (饮料) containers to the Canadian market for the past four years.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Dream Zero supplied street festivals and corporate events with reusable cups to cut down on plastic waste. But when everything shut down and all of their 2020 events were canceled, they realized they had to come up with another idea.

That’s when they discovered Muuse, an app-based reusable cup program     2     originated in Singapore and was being used in Hong Kong and Jakarta. Morrison and Dyment realized this could be an ideal fit for Canadians     3     care about plastics, waste, and convenience. After making a deal with the app’s founders, Muuse was launched in Toronto in February 2021.

In a phone conversation, Morrison explained how Muuse works. After a free 30-day trial, users can purchase a monthly membership for $5 and ask for a Muuse cup when they enter participating cafes. Morrison said, “The barista (咖啡馆招待员) shows the bottom of the cup,     4     is where the QR code (二维码) is, and scans it. Then he fills the coffee order, puts it up on the bar, and the user takes it. Once they’re done, the user can return it to any participating cafes by scanning the bottom of the cup again, and then scanning the QR     5     is located on the return bin.”

When asked what appeal an in-house reusable cup program has for customers     6     could just bring their own at no extra cost, Morrison pointed out that cups are easy to forget and inconvenient to carry around. He mentioned a running group of people     7     visit a farmer’s market in Toronto every Saturday. They’re now faithful Muuse members.

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.

10 . Anna Devolld likes bees, butterflies, ladybugs, hummingbirds and even bats. The 17-year-old prize winner is now helping small things to make a difference. Many TV programs and newspapers have featured her about her efforts to introduce the vital role pollinators (授粉者) play. You might say she’s been busy as a bee. She has created and helped plant over 2,000 free Pollinator Packs, each containing six different pollinator-friendly seedlings (幼苗). She also regularly visits local classrooms to teach students about pollinators and to help them plant their own Pollinator Packs.

As a teenager, Anna worried about the little things that keep our world beautiful and our orchards (果园) producing food. Anna’s solution is to increase habitats that attract pollinators and to educate the next generation about the importance of creating pollinator-friendly spaces. Her first project was creating activities and coloring books for kids to help them understand how important pollinators are to our planet. Next, she created Pollinator Packs: plants that attract bees and other pollinators to your garden. It wasn’t long before she was part of community councils encouraging the planting of pollinators in communities and roadside hallways. She now serves on her local government’s environmental advisory commission.

“One out of every three bites of food we take is dependent on pollinators,” Anna tells us. “Sadly, every one of these creatures is declining at an alarming rate.” We all can make a difference. As Anna says, “Find something you are passionate about, no matter how small, and see how you can change the world.”

So, the next time you take a bite out of a delicious apple or peach, or even better, enjoy your favorite fruit in a home-baked pie, think about all the little creatures that made it happen. Then think about Anna and how one teenage girl is making sure millions of pollinators are happy and productive.