What Lies Beneath

“EARTH” has always been an odd choice of name for the third planet from the Sun. After all, an alien examining it 【小题1】 a telescope would note that two thirds of its surface is covered not by earth at all, but by oceans of water.

Marine biologists think the oceans might host more than 2m species of marine animals, of which they 【小题2】 (record) perhaps only a tenth so far. A new initiative hopes to change this. 【小题3】 (launch) in London on April 27th, Ocean Census aims to discover 100,000 new species of marine animal over the coming decade.

The initiative is happening now for two reasons. One is that, the longer scientists wait, the less there will be to catalogue. Climate change is heating the oceans, as well as making them more acidic. One of Ocean Census’s priorities will be cataloguing species thought to be in 【小题4】 (great) danger from climate change. Otherwise, the risk is of the forest burning down and not knowing 【小题5】 was there before it was lost.

The second reason is technological. Marine biologists find about 2,000 new species a year, a rate hardly changed since Darwin’s day. Ocean Census is betting that it 【小题6】 go faster. “Cyber taxonomy”, for instance, involves 【小题7】 (feed) DNA sequences from animals into computers, 【小题8】 can quickly decide whether it is a new species. The ability to describe new creatures, as well as simply cataloguing them, has also improved. Fancy cameras on remote-operated vehicles, for instance, 【小题9】 (allow) scientists to make laser scans of deep-sea creatures such as jellyfish without removing them from their habitat. Just as the immense pressures of the deep sea are fatal for humans, so taking such a jellyfish to the surface for examination is a dangerous move 【小题10】 it may be reduced to gooey slime (粘稠的黏液).

Chile cracks down on Easter Island tourism to protect the environment

Chile【小题1】(crack) down on tourists and non—local residents on its remote Easter Island in the following years, in a bid【小题2】(protect) the famed destination’s environment and heritage, and tackle rising crime.

New rules came into effect on Wednesday reducing the time that tourists—foreigners, but also Chileans not part of the Rapa Nui people—can stay on the island from 90 to 30 days.

Those wishing to visit Easter Island【小题3】 now fill out a special form, have a hotel reservation or present a letter of invitation from an islander, along with showing round trip tickets. Those who wish to live on the island are required to be a parent, partner or child of the Rapa Nui people.【小题4】 who will be allowed to stay are public servants, employees of organizations that provide services to the government, and those who develop an independent economic activity alongside their families.

The new rules will also establish a yet-to-be-decided maximum capacity.【小题5】 its isolated location some 3,500 kilometres from the coast of mainland Chile, the island is one of【小题6】(popular)tourist destinations across the globe, not least due to the around 900 giant human figures that line the island,【小题7】(stand) up to 10 metres tall.

The Moai monumental statues【小题8】(carve) by the Rapa Nui people, believed to have arrived on the Pacific island around the 12th century. But tourists and mainland migrants have become a threat to the island’s well—being. “It is a magical island【小题9】 we all want to visit, but it is also a sensitive island and therefore we have to take care of it,” Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera said Wednesday, speaking on the country’s 24-hour news channel. “Environmentally the island is very fragile, ”Ana Maria Gutierrez, the local government’s environmental adviser told AFP. For Mayor Edmunds, the legislation is a good start【小题10】 not enough. Like“ many other Rapa Nui”, he said he favours a “total” ban on the arrival of new residents.

Every year, approximately 1.6 million tons of soil flows into Yellow River, China’s second 【小题1】 (long) river. The soil contains materials to keep the natural balance of the area.Over time, a lot of soil 【小题2】 (remove), which has caused serious erosion of the land 【小题3】 the River. In some areas in Shanxi Province, this has destroyed almost all the land, and has forced many local farmers 【小题4】 (move) to other areas.

【小题5】 is a huge job to control Yellow River erosion. Many people believe this kind of work is best done by government or international 【小题6】 (organize). You may agree with this point of view. If 【小题7】, it is time for you to think again.

In fact, it is you 【小题8】 have the most important role to play in stopping Yellow River erosion. Did you know the importance of your 5 yuan? For a start, it can buy you a tree, 【小题9】 will help make soil stay on the land. On land with rich soil, local farmers can grow crops to make 【小题10】 living, with the money they earn from their crops, farmers buy goods or services. This helps to develop local economies.