Why Live Near the River?

Imagine pioneers traveling west in the 1800s. In those days, it was hard to find running water and shops where to buy things. As time went by, most pioneers had to make their homes near a river so that they could get water easily.

How did rivers help people live in the past?

Back in the pioneer days, people grew their own food, caught their own fish, and collected their own water.【小题1】 People also used rivers as roads, traveling on boats. Traders shipped goods (货物) to people from other areas.

【小题2】

When building many factories right next to rivers for the water’s power to make machines work, some people choose to live near a river for working. They use the river to ship large goods, and some of them work at these factories where power factories provide electricity to homes and businesses.【小题3】

Who wouldn’t want to live near a river?

Some people are nervous about living near rivers because rivers can cause floods (洪水). Every once in a while, floodwaters rise higher than a house, ruining (泡坏) many things in the house.

【小题4】Such waste causes water to smell bad and pollutes the crops (庄稼) we eat. Water and crops in polluted areas can make people very sick.

How do people decide where to live?

【小题5】Rivers can provide jobs and fun activities in a beautiful place. However, those living by rivers should be willing to accept possible problems as well.

When Yang Fan was taking a walk around the Yuliang Island, she saw a black swan (天鹅) in the grass. Yang Fan knew that swans could be fierce (凶猛的). But as she got close to this one, it didn’t move.

She was sure that the swan needed help. Although she had an important meeting to have, she still decided to do something for the swan. So Yang called her workmate first to pull off the meeting. Then she covered the bird’s head with her jacket to keep its cool, picked it up carefully and held it in her arms. She decided to send it to the Animal Care Center, but the center was across the Han River, far from the park. She didn’t know how to carry the swan there. Luckily, some strangers driving by gave her and the swan a lift to a nearby bus stop.

On the bus, no one seemed surprised by “the unusual passenger”. Instead, they were worried. Someone helped Yang Fan call the center on the way. And Li Tao, an animal-care manager, picked her up at the bus stop and drove them to the center. There, the animal doctors found that the swan was poisoned (中毒), caused by eating something used to kill mice. The swan was well looked after at the center. She even made a friend—a little dog. Thanks to people’s love and care, luckily, she was cured (治愈) two months later and sent back to the nature.

“It’s a moving story. Yang Fan travelled about two hours and it was really a long way.” Says Li Tao. “And all the strangers wanted to give her and the swan a hand.” He adds, “I am happy to see that more and more people have realized the importance of protecting the wild life since we are trying to build a civilized (文明) city.”

Chu Wenwen, 27, is famous as the “Beaver Princess”. Four years ago, she finished college and went back home to Xinjiang. That’s when Mengxin beavers(蒙新河狸)became a part of her life.

Mengxin beavers are a first-class state-protected animal in China. They are only found along the Ulungur River in Xinjiang. When Chu went there, she was shocked by what she saw. “Many beavers die fighting for a habitat(栖息地). Willow shrubs(灌木柳)are their most important food source, but they were disappearing in the area,” she said. “I decided to do something.”

In 2018, Chu started the “beaver canteen” program and made a plan to plant shrubs for the beavers. It might cost more than 2 million yuan. To raise money, she posted videos on the Internet, showing how beavers build dams and how she saved wild animals. She also livestreamed(直播)to show the beavers eating the shrubs she planted. Through her work, about 400,000 willow shrubs were planted with money from Internet users.

Because of Chu’s efforts, the number of beaver nests(窝)has increased from 162 to 190 over the past four years. Chu said, “We will continue to encourage more people, especially the youth, to take part in nature conservation.”

Now, she is working on a new program called the “beaver ark”. It’s a hospital for injured wild animals. She also runs a “beaver guardian” program. It trains local people to patrol(巡护)along the river.