Nature has provided us with many kinds of resources. It is like a great magician(魔术师), creating wonders on Earth. One of them is the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest and home to millions of plants and animals. Nicknamed”the lungs of our planet”, it produces about one-fifth of Earth’s oxygen. However, this wonderful natural wonder is now in danger.

Thousands of fires have broken out in Brazil, endangering much of the rainforest. These flames have lasted several weeks and are believed to be the”most intense”in almost ten years, according to BBC News.

The Amazon has seen a large number of fires in 2019. Between January and August, there were over 74,000 fires – the highest number since 2013, the BBC reported.

Forest fires are common during the dry season, which runs from July to October. They are usually caused by natural events like lightning. However, most of the fires this year are believed to be caused by farmers, who use fire as a traditional part of tropical agriculture(农业) to clean land, reported CNN.

“It’s the best time to burn because the plants are dry. Farmers wait for the dry season and they start burning and clearing the areas so that their cattle can have grass,”wrote CNN meteorologist Haley Brink.

The disaster has raised concern(关注) around the world. The Amazon rainforest is important for preventing climate change, said the BBC, absorbing millions of tons of carbon annually. When trees are cut down or burned, the rainforest’s ability to absorb carbon is reduced.

Brazilian climate expert Carlos Nobre told Reuters he’s worried. If more than 20 percent of the ecosystem is destroyed, the Amazon rainforest could reach a”tipping point (临界点)”, where the thick jungle will turn into a tropical savannah(大草原).

Nobre warned that it is not far off, with between 15 and 17 percent of the rainforest having already been destroyed.

The Brazilian government has sent soldiers to fight the fires. Many people have offered their support and called for recovery efforts. For example, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, said he wanted to donate money and US Actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental charity, Earth Alliance, created a donation fund to help deal with the disaster.

The public are also encouraged to donate to charities concerned with rainforest protection. “Every little bit helps in a bad situation like this,”commented Gizmodo.

Planting and growing things offer a lot more than fresh vegetables and flowers. Working in a nice outdoor space can benefit people in more than one way. 【小题1】.

It’s a fun workout. It’s wonderful to get out in the garden on a beautiful day to give it a tidy. 【小题2】. Planting seeds, pulling up weeds, moving pots, pushing a lawnmower, and other gardening tasks actually provide a whole-body, moderate-intensity workout for adults over 65 years old, suggested a 2014 paper from the American Society for Horticultural Science. Even better, whatever your age, it is an activity with a purpose-and one that might keep you in motion longer than traditional exercise.

【小题3】 More than just good exercise for your body, gardening provides a workout for your brain, according to a 2019 study that appeared in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Researchers measured brain nerve growth factors related to memory in study participants - all seniors - before and after they created a vegetable garden, and found that their levels of brain nerve growth had increased significantly.

It boosts your immune system. Having dirt under your fingernails may be a sign of poor hygiene, but scientists say it could also be a mark of good health. Thanks to beneficial bacteria found in soil, gardening may strengthen your immune system, 【小题4】, according to research that includes a 2015 study published in the international journal ImmunoTargets and Therapy.

It nourishes your spirit. 【小题5】 , suggests an experiment conducted by NASA in 2016. The scientists found that planting and nurturing seeds, even in small pots, lifted astronauts’ moods and eased their stress in the severe environment of outer space. And if gardening can do that for astronauts, it should be more than good enough for those of us who watch them on TV.

More than half of UK species have suffered declines in recent years and 15 percent are at risk of vanishing (消失), a report has warned. There is little evidence to suggest the rate of loss is slowing down.

Farming is key to what is happening,with more intensive agriculture affecting nearly half of the species studied and responsible for nearly a quarter of the total impact on wildlife. A loss of mixed farms, changes to sowing patterns,increased use of pesticides and fertilizers and a loss of habitat (栖息地）have taken their toll. The report said government farming policies had led to dramatic changes in farming practices,almost doubling wheat and milk yields since the 1970s, but often at the expense of nature by interrupting the food sources and habitats species rely on.

Climate change is also increasingly affecting UK nature although the impacts are mixed with some species spreading north or surviving better in warmer winters, but others are hit by the loss of coastal habitat, increased sea temperature and wilder weather. In the long term, global warming poses one of the greatest threats to nature around the world. Wildlife is also being hit by urban development, loss of town green areas, changes to the way land and forests are managed and over-abstraction (过度抽取)of water.

“The natural world needs our help as never before,” said naturalist and TV presenter David Attenborough. “We must work together, governments, conservationists, businesses and individuals to help it.”

The good news is that the creation of new wetland by conservation programs and the planting of new woodland, as well as wildlife-friendly farming programs, are providing habitats for struggling species. Reintroduction of species such as the pine marten (松貂)and large blue butterflies is also helping, but more needs to be done, the report said.