1 . Portugal’s white storks (鹳) were once a migratory bird (候鸟), known to leave the area each winter to travel to Africa’s warmer climate, but recently they have been staying put.

Surprisingly, though, the storks’ number has actually been on the rise. There are now thought to be more than 14,000 birds in Portugal in winter — a ten-time increase over the last 20 years. Any unusual change of an animal’s natural behavior often has negative influences.

It has been thought that their increase has a close relationship with a growing number of landfill sites (垃圾填埋场) in the area, providing the birds with a supply of fatty and dirty rubbish to eat, including junk food. Was it the junk food that stopped them migrating, or is Europe’s warming climate to criticize? Researchers sought to figure out exactly why their natural behavior had changed in this way. To understand, a team kept an eye on 48 white storks by equipping them with small GPS computers, which recorded their movements five times a day, checking how often they traveled to landfill sites as well as how fast they flew.

The conclusions were shocking. The birds also established more homes next to landfill sites — the team said that 80% of white storks were spending most of their time by the rubbish all year round, according to the results. The storks eat almost anything. “Every time after a truck with rubbish came, they collected what they could,” says Aldina Franco of the University of East Anglia in the UK. The storks have even been known to eat plastic, including old computer parts. “Really what they are trying to get at is rubbish that we throw away... like hamburgers, burnt meat and fish,” said Franco.

This rich and colorful supply of food will soon become hard to find, though, as new laws from European Union (EU) order that waste food be recycled. Open-air landfills will also be replaced by covered equipment, which birds will not be able to eat.

The white storks therefore face an uncertain future. Will they migrate to Africa as they had done for hundreds of years before, or will they stay put? No one knows. “I wonder what the Portuguese storks will do once the landfill sites are all closed, and we are going to continue to watch these storks and see how they will respond to the changes,” said Aldina Franco.

The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, bordering Russia and the North Korea,     1    (cover) an area of 14,100 square kilometers. It is the major habitat of the country’s Siberian tigers and Amur leopards and is    2    model for cross-border wildlife conservation.

Located in the central zone of the mixed coniferous (针叶的) and broad-leaved forest ecosystems in the temperate (温带的) zone of Asia, the park possesses splendid and attractive scenery in different    3    (season) In addition, there are plentiful plant species well    4    (preserve) in the park, including thousands   of medical plants, eatable wild herbs, honev plants, wild fruit trees and bushes. Some of them are endangered plant species and    5    state protection.

The park is a perfect place for the reproduction and survival of birds. Every spring, various forest birds start returning from the. south to prepare    6    (lay) eggs. The rich soil of the park also provides a    7    (favor) living environment for cold-blooded animals. At present, a community of flesh-eating animals and a community of plant-eating animals make up a complete food chain in the national park,     8    is extremely rare to see in China. The national park will    9    (effective) protect Siberian tigers and Amur   leopards,     10    (help) them continue to reproduce and live in harmony with nature.

3 . A 19-foot Burmese python-the longest snake ever recorded—was caught by local hunters in South Florida’s National Preserve this week. To put the catch into view, the snake is as long as an adult giraffe is tall.

It was caught on Monday by 22-year-old Jake Waleri, who brought the python to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in his hometown of Naples. Officials there measured the snake at 19 feet and 125 pounds, and said it set a new world record for length.

A video of Waleri’s record-breaking catch shows the python attacked Waleri as he pulls the snake by its tail. Waleri and the snake fought on the ground until others joined in to help. Burmese pythons are one of the largest snakes on the planet. They’re also a species running uncontrollably through much of southern Florida. They’re threatening (威胁) the state’s native animal populations because they have no natural enemy, which is why Waleri spends his nights hunting them. “It’s surprising to be able to have an effect on South Florida’s environment,” he said. “We love this ecosystem and try to protect it as much as possible.”

The earlier record was set in 2020 by a python caught in the Everglades, 18 feet 9 inches long and 104 pounds heavy. The record for the heaviest python ever caught was set by one caught in 2022, at 215 pounds.

According to the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission, these pythons have such a big threat that hunters and local people don’t need a permit to kill them. The animals are, however, protected by anti-cruelty (反残暴) laws, which ask hunters to humanely kill the snakes. Burmese pythons feed on Florida wildlife big and small, from rabbits to foxes and white-tailed deer. And one video from 2022 shows Florida scientists removing a 5-foot-long crocodile from an 18-foot python.

The state hosts a yearly competition to keep the populations at bay. The competition attracts hunters, competing for prize money from $1,000 to $10,000.

4 . Wetlands, making up about 6% of Earth’s land surface, are found on every continent except for Antarctica.     1    .

Protecting against floods. Wetlands play a crucial role in protecting against floods. The plants and soil in wetlands act as natural sponges (海绵), storing excess water during heavy rainfall or storms.     2    .

Purifying (净化) water. Wetlands have exceptional abilities to purify water. Acting as natural filters, the plants, soil and micro creatures in wetlands remove sediments, excess nutrients and pollutants from water sources.     3    . And the water can be suitable for various uses such as drinking, irrigation and supporting aquatic life. Wetlands are particularly effective in removing harmful chemicals, heavy metals and excessive nitrogen and phosphorus (磷), which can otherwise cause water pollution.

    4    . Wetlands are incredibly productive ecosystems, providing habitats for a diverse range of plant and animal species. The complex and dynamic wetland environments support a lot of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates. Many of these species are dependent on wetlands for survival, using them as breeding grounds, feeding areas and nurseries. Wetlands also serve as important stopover sites for migratory birds, offering them crucial resting and feeding areas during their long journeys.

Fighting climate change. Aside from these vital functions, wetlands also play a significant role in fighting climate change.     5    . They act as carbon (碳) sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus mitigating the greenhouse effect and reducing the impacts of climate change. Moreover, wetlands help regulate local and regional climates by influencing the temperature, humidity and rainfall patterns. 1hey act as natural cooling systems, reducing heat island effects and moderating the local temperature.

However, the world’s wetlands are being lost at an alarming rate. Restoration and conservation projects offer hope that these ecosystems can be saved.

6 . Diving made my world bigger.     1     It took me three years and three tries to get certified, but I’m glad I persisted.

Learning to dive is a lot like learning to drive a car: You study the theory, practice with an instructor, and become qualified. From there, proficiency (熟练) depends on how often you dive, further training, and your own self-reliance. Regardless of your goals, diving is more accessible and wondrous than I ever imagined.     2    

But not everyone wants to or can dive, and that’s fair enough. Whether you’re a snorkeler (潜水员), surfer, or sailor or you simply enjoy dipping your toes into the sea while on holiday, you can still be aware of the life unfolding under that glittering blue cover and help protect it.

    3     Experts urge that at least 30 percent be protected to safeguard marine ecosystems, which in turn will help protect our health and well-being. The ocean supplies more than half our oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide, regulates our climate, and supports much of the world’s economy. We need it a lot more than it needs us.

Take Florida, for example, it’s bordered by North America’s only living coral barrier reef (礁石) and the third largest in the world.     4     It is also essential to its economy, generating an estimated $1.1 billion annually in tourism. The reef protects the coastline, too, since healthy coral reefs absorb 97 percent of a wave’s energy.

A study has found that 70 percent of Florida’s coral reefs are experiencing a net loss of reef habitat. Exactly facing these concerns is what I mean by seeing the sea — the good, the bad, the important.     5     We can use it to inform our choices, from traveling more carefully, to examining how we run our businesses. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. The ocean is a remarkable teacher, and it’s never too late to start learning.

Care Needed for Great Wall’s Preservation

Although the Huanghuacheng section of the Great Wall in Huairou, Beijing, was     1    as a key heritage site under state protection as early as March 2013, for years, local villagers have     2    it to a cash cow to collect “entrance fees” and “guide fees” from sightseers without the permission of the cultural relics and tourism authorities.

As long as the fee is     3    , tourists are allowed to climb the mountains along whose ridges the Great Wall meanders. The damages inflicted by the villagers’ “business” upon the Great Wall, which was     4    in the 15th century during the Ming Dynasty (1368 —1644), are self-evident. It is not rare for tourists to bring     5    bricks from the already run — down wall as a souvenir or to carve their names on the wall.

How can the local watchdogs of the tourism industry and the cultural relics protection departments sit back with folded arms ignoring the practice for such a long time is a question that still awaits an answer.

Reportedly, some of the money the villagers     6    finds its way into the pockets of those who are legally bound to protect the Great Wall. That’s why the villagers have become so assured and bold that they claim as natives to the area at the foot of the Great Wall, they are naturally entitled to profit from it, as if the Great Wall is their private property.

Unlike the Badaling section of the Great Wall in Yanqing, Beijing, which is     7    good care of as a showpiece of the nation’s historical heritage, most parts of the Great Wall have been weather — worn over the years without repair since the Manchurians from the north put an end to the rule of the Ming Dynasty, making the once important national defense project nothing but a wall running through the middle of the large Qing Empire.

Nearly one-third of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty has     8    because of weathering and human causes over the past 300 years. Not to mention the parts that had been built before that.

With the Beidou satellite global navigation system in place and the advancement of technologies in other fields related to the protection of cultural heritage, the country is now better able to protect the Great Wall. But unless the malpractice of the grassroots authorities is addressed, no technology will be of practical assistance in     9    this historical legacy for future generations.

The Great Wall’s     10    length and magnificence are not reasons for its being left untended, but exactly why it should be well preserved.