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take action, die out, be at risk, do one's part, have a role, in short, due to, up to, depend on, wipe out |
In the last 500 million years, there have been five timeslife on Earth has almost ended. Many (scientist) say we are now entering the Earth's sixth mass extinction. There is long list of reasons why so many species (die) out. This time, human activity will be (blame) because human activity is causing species to die out 1, 000 times (fast) than normal and has (negative) affected all other species on Earth, including animals and plants. If a sixth mass extinction (occur), we would also be risk of dying out as our world and our lives depend on the balance in nature between animals and plants. In order to stop the sixth extinction, we need to take steps to stop (destroy) the planet that we live on and start to protect it.
Swimming in the water of Hawaii's Big Island is a fun experience. But it can be more exciting if there are dolphins swimming around and jumping out of the sea too. For many people, it would be a wonderful dream to swim with these lovely animals! However, this may not be good for dolphins. They may get hurt because of human interaction (互动).
Dolphins are active and usually look for food at night. In the day, they like to rest in shallow bays (浅湾). Many people think the dolphins are awake during the day as they swim. But when they sleep they rest half of their brain and keep the other half awake to breathe, so they may be sleeping even when they're swimming in the water.
From 2010 to 2013, spinner dolphins (飞旋海豚) of Hawaii's Big Island were exposed to human activities more than 82 percent of the time, according to Julian Tyne, a researcher at Australia's Murdoch University.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says disturbing the animals in their near-shore habitat could force them to swim to less favourable places, putting them at risk of being attacked by sharks and other animals.
Besides, when people are around, dolphins become more active. Thus, they can't get enough sleep. "Disturbing their resting behaviours can actually affect their long-term health and the health of the dolphin population," Ann Garrett of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service told the Associated Press.
As a result, the NOAA wants to make rules to help protect the dolphins. For example, the agency (机构) may ban swimming with the Hawaii spinner dolphins. Or they may stop people from swimming in shallow bays when the dolphins are resting. Tour operators must also be taught to watch for signs to know when the dolphins are in their resting state.
When you were trying to figure out what to buy for the environmentalist on your holiday list, fur probably didn't cross your mind. But some ecologists and fashion(时装)enthusiasts are trying to bring back the market for fur made from nutria(海狸鼠).
Unusual fashion shows in New Orleans and Brooklyn have showcased nutria fur made into clothes in different styles. "It sounds crazy to talk about guilt-free fur—unless you understand that the nutria are destroying vast wetlands every year," says Cree McCree, project director of Righteous Fur.
Scientists in Louisiana were so concerned that they decided to pay hunters $5 a tail. Some of the fur ends up in the fashion shows like the one in Brooklyn last month.
Nutria were brought there from Argentina by fur farmers and let go into the wild. "The ecosystem down there can't handle this non-native species(物种). It's destroying the environment. It's them or us," says Michael Massimi, an expert in this field.
The fur trade kept nutria in check for decades, but when the market for nutria collapsed in the late 1980s, the cat-sized animals multiplied like crazy.
Biologist Edmond Mouton runs the nutria control program for Louisiana. He says it's not easy to convince people that nutria fur is green, but he has no doubt about it. Hunters bring in more than 300,000 nutria tails a year, so part of Mouton's job these days is trying to promote fur.
Then there's Righteous Fur and its unusual fashions. Model Paige Morgan says, "To give people a guilt-free option that they can wear without someone throwing paint on them—I think that's going to be a massive thing, at least here in New York. "Designer Jennifer Anderson admits it took her a while to come around to the opinion that using nutria fur for her creations is morally acceptable. She's trying to come up with a label to attach to nutria fashions to show it is eco-friendly.
Environmental pollution kills 1.7 million children under the age of five every year worldwide. This is according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO warns that child deaths will increase greatly if pollution continues to worsen.
The most common causes of death among children aged one month to five years are diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia. This is according to the WHO. This means providing access to safe water and sanitation, limiting exposure to dangerous chemicals, and improving waste management.
The WHO estimates that air pollution is responsible for about 6. 5 million premature, or early deaths every year. That number includes nearly 600, 000 deaths of children under the age of five. Most of these deaths take place in developing countries.
Air pollution is a leveler between rich and poor, according to WHO environment and health chief Maria Neira. And one of the most important ways to reduce air pollution is to produce cleaner fuels for cooking and heating. "Almost half of the world population is using dirty fuels for cooking, heating, and lighting at home. And, this is affecting very much mothers who are staying and cooking at home, but the children who are around mothers are exposed as well." Early exposure to harmful pollutants can lead to increased risk of chronic respiratory disease, asthma, heart disease, stroke and cancer later in life.
Cleaning up how the world cooks, heats and lights homes and other buildings is a big-picture goal. The WHO is advising government departments and industries such as construction and the health sector to work together to clean up their environment.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has the following suggestions:
· Avoid walking where there is a high volume of vehicle traffic.
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· Limit your time outside if you live in an area that issues warnings about air quality.
· Wear high-grade, rated face masks tightly to the face when air quality is poor.
· Remove your clothes and wash immediately after entering your house if you live or commute in a very polluted area.
A. However, of all the environmental pollutants, air pollution is being called the most dangerous.
B. But what can individuals do to limit our family's exposure to air pollution?
C. Therefore, the WHO stresses that governments around the world need to take the lead on ensuring that children grow up in a clean environment.
D. The organisation also says reducing environmental risks can prevent such deaths.
E. A polluted environment is a deadly one—particularly for young children.
F. Everybody, she says, needs to breathe.
G. Equip homes with air filters and air conditioning units.
Molai grew up in a tiny village in India. The village lay near some wetlands which became his second 1. He learned the value and beauty of 2 there from a very young age.
When he was 16, Molai began to notice something 3 happening around his home. A flood had hit the area earlier that year and the 4 it caused had driven away a number of birds. 5, the number of snakes had declined as well. He 6 that it was because there weren't enough trees to protect them from the 7. The solution, of course, was to plant trees so the animals could seek 8 during the daytime. He turned to the 9 department for help but was told that nothing would grow there. However, Molai went looking on his own and 10 a nearby island where he began to plant trees.
11 young plants in the dry season was 12 for a lone boy. Molai built at the 13 of each sapling (幼树) a bamboo platform, where he placed earthen pots with small holes to 14 rainwater. The water would then drip (滴落) on the plants below.
Molai 15 to plant trees for the next 37 years. His efforts have resulted in 1, 360 acres of naturally-grown land that has become home to many plants and animals.
