Save the world's trees

    "When it comes tothe Earth, there is no time to waste." says the Earth Day Network. And that isright. Protecting our environment is very important, and World Earth Day wascreated in 1970 to ask more people to protect our environment. On April 22, peoplearound the world celebrate Earth Day.

Every year thereis a special topic, and this year it is "Trees for the Earth", so Earth Daythis year will be all about planting trees. They are planning to plant 7.8billion trees within the next five years.

That's a biggoal, and you might wonder why trees are so important. Because they can take incarbon dioxide (CO₂) and protect the air quality(质量). CO₂ isa chemical in our atmosphere, but humans make too much of it. Each person makesabout 2.3 tons a year, which is bad for the environment.

Well guess what!Planting new trees is important because people cut down a huge number of trees.Last year, there were 3 trillion trees in the world, about 139 billion inChina. But according to China Daily, the world's total number has been almostcut in half since human civilization(文明) began. That's because 15billion trees are cut down every year.

So we need toplant more to make up for（弥补）the ones we lost. One treecan take in 21. 8 kilograms of CO₂ per year. And it's still one ofthe cheapest and best ways to get rid of CO₂.

    But don't forget that we can also help the environment by cutting down on how much energy(能源) or water we useevery day. Every little thing helps.

根据短文内容，回答问题（1-4），英译汉（5）。

An American in Beijing Lives His Chinese Dream

    Wearing his bright red armband (袖章) and speaking fluent Mandarin (普通话), 62-year-old Terry could be taken for any regular Chinese man from a distance.

    His Chinese name is Gao Tianrui. He became interested in Chinese culture as a teenager when he read the Tao Te Ching by Laozi. At 18, he took a ship to Taiwan to learn Chinese. On the ship the captain advised him to have a Chinese name." He named me Gao Tianrui, based on the pronunciation (发音) of my English name," he said. Then he first visited Beijng in 1987 on business.

    Gao Tianrui lives in a Siheyuan with other three families. His neighbors are very helpful and friendly. Gao Tianrui once didn't know much about Chinese living habits and his neighbors helped him to overcome difficulties. Gradually, he could speak Chinese fluently.

    Having lived in Beijing for more than 20 years, Gao Tianrui has also finally achieved his Chinese dream: becoming a public security (安全) volunteer. Life as a"Xicheng Dama" has even made him an' online celebrity. Xicheng Dama is a club for volunteers, usually women in late middle-age, who roam (漫步) the streets of downtown at Beijing's Xicheng district. And now Gao Tianrui has joined their club.

    "I like helping others", he said. "I live in the Siheyuan and my neighbors and I usually help each other…This is where I live, where my friends are and where I call home."

Information Card

    In some Western countries, many children do chores to get pocket money (零花钱).

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#}School students have to do homework and study for tests. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} They often do chores on weekends.

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} So they don't get much money. But that's enough. Many of them only want to buy candy(糖果). And candy is cheap! They often help do the dishes, sweep the floor, or feed the pet cat or dog.

    When they get older, they want to buy more and more things. They want things that are more expensive than candy. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} They often help their parents wash the family car, cut the grass, or cook meals.

    Some jobs are a good way for kids to learn new things. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Of course, their parents help them at first.

A. So they have to work harder!

B. They usually start to do this when they are ten years old.

C. They don't have much free time on weekdays.

D. For example, they can learn how to use a lawnmower (割草机) or how to cook.

E. Young Kids don't need to do chores.

F. Young kids only do easy chores.

    Two Chinese farmers sang "in the spring" in their small room after drinking in a late August evening in Beijing. A friend put their song on the Internet. And soon they became stars around China.

    Wang Xu, 44, is from Henan, and Liu Gang, 29, is from Heilongjiang. They are among the millions of farmers who have gone to the cities to work.

    "Although nobody pays attention to the music, I am singing happily, on streets, under bridges or in wild country, with no credit card, no girlfriend or a home with hot water, but only a guitar." They sing, "It is just like the life we live now." Wang said, "We are poor farmers, and you know people won't care about us."

    Their song is loved by millions of Chinese, including the people who are also from the countryside. Many people said they cried after listening to the song.

    Wang came to Beijing in 2000 and has tried many jobs. Each month after he paid 600 yuan for the house and bought food, there was little money left." I love music, and also want to make more money." Wang said." I never dreamed of standing on such a big stage."

    Liu came to Beijing in 2002. "I wanted to try my luck in the big city." He said. And now their dreams of music have come true. They are really the luckiest of all the farmers in China.