The China International Search and Rescue Team (CISAR) was formed in 2001. The team brings help and hope to those 【小题1】 lives are changed by a storm, flood, earthquake, or any other natural disaster.

After long and careful training, the team went on its first international rescue missions in 2003. That year, the Chinese team helped save 【小题2】(life) after earthquakes in Algeria and Iran. It was the first time that a Chinese team had worked outside China, and the team was 【小题3】 (high) praised for their bravery and skill.

Since then, the CISAR 【小题4】(complete) many missions. The list of people 【小题5】whom help has been given is long. The team treated more than 3,000 people who were injured in the 2006 earthquake in Indonesia, helped 2,5000 【小题6】(wound) people after the earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, and spent several months 【小题7】 (give) aid to over 25,000 victims of the 2010 floods in Pakistan.

Rescue workers are trained to find people, treat injuries, and hand out food, water, and other supplies. 【小题8】 they have to do is difficult under conditions which can be very dangerous. After a disaster, there is usually no electricity or water, and there may be diseases and accidents. Rescue workers get to save lives, 【小题9】 they must also bury 【小题10】 dead. That means they have to be strong in both body and mind.

Located in the north-east of Italy, Venice is 【小题1】 (know) as “The Floating City”. Water has always been a big part of life in Venice, and even today, they remain the most common way to travel around. Unfortunately, water is also putting Venice 【小题2】 great danger. Saltwater is slowly damaging the bases of Venice’s buildings. More problems are caused by floods,【小题3】 usually hit the city each winter. 【小题4】 these floods could now be a thing of the past thanks to a new flood prevention project.

Venice 【小题5】 (lie) in the middle of a lagoon (泻湖), with three 【小题6】 (nature) gaps open to the sea. Rain and strong winds cause seawater to travel through the gaps to Venice. Dozens of gates 【小题7】 (build) to hold back the sea in the past few years. Each of these gates is 20 metres wide, with the longest about 30 metres long. In the event of a big rise in the water level, the gates will be raised 【小题8】 (separate) the city from the sea.

But only time will tell if this project is the right 【小题9】 (solve). The important thing is that action is being taken to protect this unique city for future generations. And if it works, it means a longer and 【小题10】 (dry) future for Venice.

As Shanxi Province suffered a record - breaking rainfall and floods, thousands of ancient buildings were also 【小题1】 great risk.【小题2】 (fortunate), thanks to accurate weather forecasts and a timely response, most of the province ‘s ancient buildings were protected in advance 【小题3】(prevent) flooding and did not suffer too much damage. However, as a province with the 【小题4】(large) number of ancient architectural sites in the country, Shanxi【小题5】(know) as the “ treasure house of ancient Chinese architecture ”, but during the recent floods and landslides 【小题6】 (cause) by days of heavy rainfall , there are still many ancient buildings in danger.

According to Shanxi Evening News, at least 16 ancient buildings registered partial collapses, cracks, or serious leaking during the rare continuous rainfall, 【小题7】 also affected the safety of the surrounding houses. In Taiyuan, capital city of Shanxi, multiple major historical and cultural sites protected at the 【小题8】 (nation) level were damaged to various extent, including the Jin Temple, and the Tianlongshan Grottoes notable for the Buddhist temples located inside. In some temples, roofs leaked after days of rainstorm and the retaining walls collapsed 【小题9】cracked. Roads to scenic 【小题10】 (spot) were also damaged by landslides because of the saturated soil.