When we think of green buildings, we tend to think of new ones — the kind of modern, solar-paneled masterpieces. But the US 【小题1】 (have) more than 100 million existing homes, and it would be incredibly wasteful to tear them all down.

An enormous amount of energy and 【小题2】 (resource) went into the construction of those houses. And it would take 【小题3】 average of 65 years for the reduced carbon emissions from a new energy-efficient home to make up for the resources   【小题4】 (lose) by destroying an old one. So in the broadest sense, the 【小题5】 (green) home is the one that has already been built. But at the same time, nearly half of US carbon emissions come from heating, cooling 【小题6】 powering our buildings. They can’t deal with climate change without dealing 【小题7】 existing buildings.

The oldest homes tend to be the least energy-efficient, mainly due to the tiny cracks and gaps that expand over time and let in more outside air.

【小题8】 (fortune), there are a vast number of relatively simple changes 【小题9】 can green older homes. And efficiency upgrades can save more than just the earth; they can help protect property owners from 【小题10】 (rise) power costs.

On March 4,2023, U. N. member countries agreed on a treaty (协定) that will protect marine life in the high seas. These are ocean waters outside of all national 【小题1】(boundary). The treaty will protect 30% of the oceans in the world — nearly half of the planet’s surface. More money will go toward conservation of 【小题2】(that) areas.

“The treaty is a ‘historic and overwhelming success for international marine protection’,” a German leader says, 【小题3】 is Federal Minister for the Environment. “【小题4】 the first time, we are getting a binding agreement for the high seas, which until now have hardly been protected.”

For years, the high seas 【小题5】(suffer) because of commercial fishing and mining. Chemicals and plastics pollute the water. All of these are 【小题6】(harm) to dolphins, whales, and the many fish species that migrate through the high seas. The treaty is intended 【小题7】(protect)   marine animals, as well 【小题8】 coastal biodiversity and the economies that depend on it.

Biologist Malin Pinsky supports the U.N. agreement, 【小题9】(praise) its potential to protect marine life. “The ocean is not a limitless resource,” he says, “and it requires global cooperation to use the ocean 【小题10】(sustainable).”

Diets have changed in China — and so too has its top crop. Since 2011, the country 【小题1】 (grow) more corn than rice.

An important part of its corn is now mainly used to feed chickens, pigs, and cattle. Another reason is 【小题2】 government encourages farmers to grow corn instead of rice 【小题3】 (improve) water quality. Corn uses less water than rice and creates less fertilizer runoff. This switch has decreased 【小题4】 (pollute) in the country’s major lakes and reservoirs (水库) and made 【小题5】 (drink) water comparatively 【小题6】 (safe) for people.

According to the World Bank, China accounts for about 30 percent of 【小题7】 (globe) fertilizer consumption (消耗). The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture finds that between 2005 — when the government 【小题8】 (start) a soil-testing program 【小题9】 gives specific fertilizer recommendations to farmers — and 2011, fertilizer use dropped by 7.7 million tons. China’s approach 【小题10】 protecting its environment feeding its citizens offers useful lessons for agriculture and food policymakers worldwide.