During the late 1980s, the Hami River, the main waterway in the east of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, nearly dried up.

【小题1】, in recent years, wild birds such as egrets have been seen feeding and resting along the Hami, which is known as the Mother River of Hami prefecture. The birds have become a scenic【小题2】 (attract) in the area.

Since 1998, the authorities in the prefecture【小题3】 (supply) water to the river【小题4】 (improve) the environment. In 2019, 【小题5】 Hami River Ecological Restoration Project was launched by the authorities, who also established the Hami River National Wetland Park.

Song Zhangshi,   director of the management office at the wetland park, 【小题6】 (say) that by renovating more than 10,000 shantytowns near the river, preserving the original water system and【小题7】 (add) plants, the greening rate along the waterway has risen from 18 percent【小题8】 78 percent.

The park,【小题9】 stretches for about 42 kilometers   wide north to south, is some 400 meters wide. It features pavilions by the riverside against a backdrop of gently flowing water, flowers, grass【小题10】 old trees.

Abdu Kader, 84, who lives in Hami’s Yizhou district, said, “It is beautiful here, and I feel very happy walking in the area every day.”

In Tunisia, fresh groundwater supplies (储备) are decreasing quickly. A report says that the effects of climate change may slow Tunisia’s 【小题1】 (grow) in its tourism and agriculture.

Tunisian officials plan to limit 【小题2】 (it) energy consumption and cut the amount of carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) the country produces to 41 percent of levels measured in 2010 by the 2030s.

In one village, Samira Sghaier is trying to help change things, at 【小题3】 (little) in her region. She began planting trees 【小题4】 (prevent) soil loss.

The African Union is leading an effort called the “Great Green Wall” Project. The project aims to protect land across areas south of the Sahara, 【小题5】 (common) called the Sahel.

Gilles Boetsch is director of a French scientific team 【小题6】 (work) with other researchers in the area. He said, “The goal is to replant trees and return the Sahel to what it was about 60 years ago, when there was 【小题7】 lot more forest cover.” Boetsch added that many trees die and need to 【小题8】 (replace).

Local farmers in norther Algeria are seeking help from Mexican 【小题9】 (expert) to plant prickly pear cactus (多刺梨仙人掌). Algeria is also trying to renew efforts for a reforestation project, 【小题10】 did not have good results.

South Koreans consume 2.4 billion plastic straws (吸管) annually. And like in many other countries, the government is stepping up to reduce the amount of single-use plastics.

The idea of Rice Straws came to Kim Kwang-pil when he first saw 【小题1】 eatable cup. He thought to himself, “If they can make a cup you can eat, why not a straw?”

That was the beginning of Kim’s company, Yeonjigonji, 【小题2】 produces eco-friendly straws 【小题3】 (make) of rice. Kim settled on rice mainly 【小题4】 it is familiar to consumers in his country. The rice straws come in various shapes and sizes and can 【小题5】 (complete) break down within 100 days.

“I met people who wouldn’t believe I could eat the straws. So, when I did, they 【小题6】(convince),” said Kim.

So far the company 【小题7】 (sign) deals with companies in dozens of countries throughout Asia, North America and South America.

As they are eatable, the rice straws need to pass food safety laws in each country. But Kim believes that his straws are 【小题8】 (good) than paper or other straws. “After all, you still need to cut down trees 【小题9】 (produce) paper straws,” said Kim, whose next goal is to create environmentally-friendly, single-use cutlery (餐具), like forks, 【小题10】 (knife) and spoons.