Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. urgent     B. transformative     C. presents       D. grabbed     E. declaration F. collective G. capacity H. worsening I. determined J. foundation K. responsibility

Save the World

The United Nations issued a report last week warning that humans are destroying nature at such a rate that life on Earth is at risk. When the report came out, it naturally 【小题1】 headlines. But obviously it did not hijack the news agenda in the manner of a major terrorist attack or 【小题2】 of war.

The report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is clear on what’s at stake and what needs to change. IPBES chair Robert Watson says the “overwhelming evidence” 【小题3】 an “ ominous (凶兆的)picture”.   “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is 【小题4】 more rapidly than ever,” Robert Watson said. “We are biting the very 【小题5】 of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.” The report says it’s not too late if we make “【小题6】 changes” ----fundamental, system-wide reorganization ----- at every level from local to global, we need to focus on how to make that happen.

First, don’t immerse yourself in despair, because despair leads to inertia (惰性) and doing nothing means certain disaster. Every action to save nature will improve our 【小题7】 and personal futures and the only action to respond to a threat of this scale is with 【小题8】 action rooted in optimism. Second, we need focus, just like when rescue teams arrive on a scene and use the concept of “triage(伤员鉴别分类)” to ensure the most 【小题9】 cases get treated first. Saving the natural world needs that kind of thinking. We don’t have the 【小题10】 to do everything at once. We need to make hard choices.