Dolphins (海豚) are one of the cleverest animals in the world. We may hear of many stories about how dolphins save people out of water.

Dolphins often eat fish and some other sea animals. A dolphin with a weight (重量) of 200 kg to 250 kg will eat 10 kg to 25 kg of fish every day.

Dolphins have good hearing. They use it to find things under the water. Many scientists also believe dolphins can even talk to each other through a special whistle (哨声) . Just like people, dolphins’ whistles have many kinds.

Dolphins live in the sea, but they are not a kind of fish and they don’t lay eggs. They have babies in the same way as cows and cats do, and give their babies milk. A female (雌性) dolphin has a baby every two to three years.

Dolphins are very friendly. Sadly, there are not many kinds of dolphins left. People killed them for food and other things for many years. Now it’s time to stop this and perhaps there will be more of them in the years to come.

The world is in dangerous situation now. We must do something to protect the environment. But, what are the main problems we face?

The greenhouse effect

The atmosphere(大气层)around the Earth is necessary for all living things. It is like the glass of a green house, and it lets sunlight in and keeps heat from getting out. Without it, the Earth would bet he same as the Moon-cold and lifeless.

When we burn fuels such as petrol and coal, we produce a gas called carbon dioxide(CO₂). Too much of this gas pollutes the atmosphere, and causes it to keep in too much heat. As a result of the greenhouse effect, the Earth’s temperature is increasing. This causes sea level to rise, and in the future may cause cities to disappear.

Cutting down forests

Every year, we destroy nature by cutting down huge areas of forests. This makes the greenhouse effect worse because trees take in CO2 and produce oxygen. Cutting down trees also destroys the homes of the animals that live in our forests, and causes the surface of the soil to be easily destroyed by rain. This can cause floods and even more damage to the environment.

Bad habits

Many of our habits cause pollution. People often use things once and then throw them away, or leave them on the ground as litter. This creates mountains of rubbish and pollutes our land and seas.

In order to protect the environment, we need to take proper actions. We should be different from many consumers and become “green consumers”. This means that we should only but and use products friendly to the environment. We should also try to recycle as many things as we can. We can reuse things for the same purpose as before, or we can use them for new purposes. If we just learned to live in new and different ways, we can make a difference.

The world is in 【小题1】

Balloons have a bad effect on our waterways and the ocean, and one California city has decided to stop people from playing with them in order to protect the coastline.

Not long ago, the Laguna Beach City Council began to ban (禁止) the sale and use of balloons in public places or at city events. The ban will take effect in 2024. First-time violators (违法者) will face a $100 fine (罚款), with a $200 fine for a second violation. Each further violation within a year would cost someone $500. The ban does not apply to use in homes.

Balloons are a cause of plastic pollution, and they are often played with on coastlines, beaches, and waterways. This is harmful to the creatures in the sea, which may eat balloon pieces, believing them to be food. Eating these pieces can cause them to get sick. As the balloons get further broken down into smaller pieces, they also bring microplastic pollution.

It isn’t just beaches that can be destroyed. Whalen says the ban also aims to solve wildfire risk. The balloons can cause fires by bumping into power lines. They’re also a huge cause of power outages (停电).

Other Southern California cities have taken similar steps, with Manhattan Beach banning the sale of balloons and their presence at public outdoor spaces. Glendale and Hermosa Beach have also placed bans on balloons.