Every year about 40,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. They _______ with them lots of waste. The _______ might damage the beauty of the place. The glaciers(冰川) are disappearing, changing the _______ of Kilimanjaro.

Hearing these stories, I’m _______ about the place — other destinations are described as “purer” natural experiences.

However, I soon _______ that much has changed since the days of disturbing reports of _______ among tons of rubbish. I find a _______ mountain, with toilets at camps and along the paths. The environmental challenges are _______ but the efforts made by the Tanzania National Park Authority seem to be _______.

The best of a Kilimanjaro ________, in my opinion, isn’t reaching the top. Mountains are ________ as spiritual places by many cultures. This ________ is especially evident on Kilimanjaro as ________ go through five ecosystems(生态系统) in the space of a few kilometers. At the base is a rainforest. It ends abruptly at 3, 000 meters, ________ lands of low growing plants. Further up, the weather ________ — low clouds envelope the mountainsides, which are covered with thick grass. I ________ twelve shades of green from where I stand. Above 4, 000 meters is the highland ________: gravel(砾石), stones and rocks. ________ you climb into an arctic-like zone with ________ snow and the glaciers that may soon disappear.

Does Kilimanjaro ________ its reputation as a crowded mountain with lines of tourists ruining the atmosphere of peace? I found the opposite to be true.

Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players.” _________, now it is surprising that dogs are determined to get into that act as well—or at least that was the _________ for one homeless dog in the Turkish city of Izmit.

When the dog made his _________ during an outdoor performance being given by a local theatrical troupe (剧团), he wasn’t _________ applause. It seems that Numan Ertugrul Uzunsoy’s acting of an injured man was so _________ that the dog believed the actor was actually hurt and in need of _________.

As Uzunsoy lay on the ground feigning (假装) a _________ from a horse, the dog came up to him and _________ began to lick (舔) his face and neck. It took a few seconds for Uzunsoy to _________ what was happening. “I felt warmth on my face. At first, I thought my costar was __________ me,” Uzunsoy said. “I was very __________ when I felt the dog’s kisses... I was very glad. He wanted to __________ me. It was a very emotional and surprising moment for me. I was not __________ it.”

While the audience and cast members were obviously amused by the dog and didn’t mind the __________, the dog was led offstage later. Uzunsoy continued his character and the __________ went on. The dog did not __________ around to take his curtain call. However, since the good dog was known to frequent the area where the performance took place, Uzunsoy was __________ that he would see his unintentional costar again.

Dog-loving Uzunsoy is determined to __________ the sweet-natured dog, so he plans to __________ coming back until he meets his scene-stealing four-legged friend again. Once he does, Uzunsoy promises to make sure this good boy lands a(n) __________ on stage—to be his real costar.

For these four English boys, the hardest part about living on their own was their landlord’s (房东) NO-PETS policy. They had just moved into a shared apartment in Bristol, England and were _______ to learn that animals were not allowed.

When they saw an energetic young Labrador in the neighbor’s window, _______, they got an idea. The four friends quickly wrote a letter to the dog’s owner, expressing their _______ to let them play with the dog.

“If you ever need someone to _______ him/her, we will gladly do so,” they wrote. “If you ever get _______, we are more than happy to look after him/her. Our landlord won’t _______ pets, and we’ve all grown up with animals,” the letter read. “The adult life is a _______ without one.”

The roommates left the _______ in the neighbor’s mailbox. Surprisingly, they received a response directly from Stevie Ticks, the dog!

“What a pleasure it was to receive your letter,” wrote Stevie Ticks (as dictated by her owner). “It would be great if we could be friends. I must warn you that the _______ of my friendship is 5 ball throws a day.” To their delight, the neighbor was true to the word and the boys were ________ to play with the friendly 2-year-old dog.