Part Ⅰ Reading Comprehension

It's unthinkable that more than 50 million people worldwide died from the 1918-1919 flu pandemic commonly known as the "Spanish Flu." It was the deadliest global pandemic since the Black Death, and rare among flu viruses for striking down the young and healthy, often within days of exhibiting the first symptoms. In the United States, the 1918 flu pandemic lowered the average life expectancy by 12 years. What's even more remarkable about the 1918 flu, say infectious disease experts, is that it never really went away. After infecting an estimated 500 million people worldwide (a third of the global population), the H1N1 strain that caused the Spanish flu receded into the background and ……此处隐藏28298个字…… atmosphere, more carbon than all our forests are sequestering in the U.K.

    So we need to restore them urgently. Firstly, along with managing forests and keeping soils healthy, keep peatlands intact and restore it where possible. Secondly, a public relations campaign is needed. Thirdly, there is a World Wetlands Day which is focused on action-committing financial, political, and human capital toward saving wetlands.

    The main challenge is the lack of knowledge and conscience of the community and governments about the value of peatlands. Because of this situation, private interests on peatlands as minerals for extractive use, usually prevails over conservation efforts.