Parental Instincts

Last year in early summer, I was walking up the hill to my house in suburban Brisbane when I saw two birds, each about 6 centimeters tall, standing in my driveway. They didn’t seem to notice me 【小题1】 I was right in front of them and then they immediately flew into the nearby bushes.

It was the first time that I 【小题2】 (see) two special birds make a nest in my front yard. I hadn’t really expected them to as wild birds don’t usually nest so close.

A few weeks later, the birds reappeared. I found them crouching beside a tree off to the side of my driveway. As I approached them, I imagined they would run away like they did last time, but instead, they 【小题3】 (stick) out their heads and made a threatening croaking sound 【小题4】 came from deep inside their throats.

I did some research and found that the birds are burhinus grallarius (长尾石鸡). I still didn’t know 【小题5】 they were croaking at me until a short time later I made an amazing discovery: they had laid two eggs which hatched into two small birds racing around now.

As I crept towards the birds, careful not to make any sudden movement, they started their croaking again, 【小题6】 (stretch) their necks forwards so they seemed longer and more threatening.

I was watching them in awe when I suddenly tripped and fell to the ground. The birds took this 【小题7】 a threat and the father raced towards me, spreading his wings to shield the mother and the chicks while making 【小题8】 (it) appear larger.

To them, my appearance was likely to be 【小题9】 (frighten), so I left quickly. I was amazed by their brave actions. It was their parental instincts that did 【小题10】 (wonder) and made them so courageous. It is hard not to be awed by nature.

Barcelona Embraces Its Wild Side

At the end of April last year, Barcelona’s inhabitants emerged from a six-week lockdown. To their amazement, they found that while the city【小题1】（lie）dormant（休眠的）, nature had been busy transforming the streets and parks into a lively and pastoral wilderness

“The parks were shut, so there was no pressure【小题2】 them from humans or dogs and no gardening was carried out,” says Margarita Pares. who heads the city’s biodiversity programme.

“It was spring and it rained a lot more than usual. The result was an explosion in plant growth, 【小题3】 there were more insects and more food for birds. And there were many more butterflies, as they are a species that reacts very quickly to changes in the environment.”

The city is now in the process of creating 783,300 square meters of green open space, including as area around the landmark Sagrada Familia basilica, and 49,000 square meters of “greened” streets. It is also encouraging bird and insect life with around 200 nesting towers for birds and bats, 40 beehives and around 80 plantings【小题4】（design）specifically as insect “hotels”. The council has also published a biodiversity atlas listing all the city’s flora and fauna.

When it comes to【小题5】（embrace）nature in its cities, Spain lags behind many countries. But it is hoped that Barcelona’s new policy will go some way to rectifying that.

“In a city like Barcelona, its a case of replacing【小题6】 exists with green infrastructure.” says Lorena Escuer, who runs Hydro-biology, a natural pest control company, and has worked in Barcelona on a pilot scheme【小题7】 aim is to plant wildflowers at the base of trees in the streets rather than surround them with pavement or grating.

“It’s not just having a park surrounded by asphalt（沥青）but introducing nature into the city,” says she. “People need re-educating. Their idea of a clean space is somewhere【小题8】 the ecosystem is dead. There has been the conventional wisdom that nature is something outside and that what’s natural for the city is for there to be【小题9】. Covid has forced us to look at nature in a different way. It’s made us look at how we live and how we want to live. The lockdown gave us a glimpse of nature in the city and we like it.”

Animals are our friends. However, it is reported that during the past several years thousands of stray animals have been dead 【小题1】 help didn’t arrive in time. The Catawba County Humane Society is an animal shelter that is trying to put 【小题2】 end to this，but they can’ t achieve it without volunteers. So I choose to be a volunteer of the shelter 【小题3】(excite)．

One of my jobs is to help with the cats.Keeping the animals happy and healthy is the number－one concern. I usually play with them，brush them，and clean 【小题4】(they) living areas. A cat that is around people every day is probably 【小题5】(comfortable) than a cat that lives alone every day.

My second responsibility is to work with dogs. I am given the task of 【小题6】(exercise) the dogs on the outdoor playgrounds. Only after you spend time getting along with them can you really get to know them. Each has a different 【小题7】(personal)，which makes them lovely and unique.

Walking dogs and petting cats may not seem like a big deal，but they are worth my efforts. They are the things I love doing，and now that I 【小题8】(start)，I don’t want to stop. I encourage any animal lover 【小题9】(volunteer) at a shelter. It will absolutely make you feel happy and 【小题10】(satisfy)．