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One cool April 22 morning, people started the day as usual. Yet it was not a normal day. What’s so special about April 22? The answer is simple. It is Earth Day. People all   the world celebrate this important day. The idea of having a special day to celebrate Earth began     the 1960s. Life was very different then. Few people talked or even thought about the environment. Most people had no idea    dirty our air and water were.

On April 22, 1970, twenty million Americans    part in the first Earth Day activities. They showed that people really did want to do something about the environment. Since then many countries have passed     to protect the air, water, land and animals.
The vehicles such as cars and buses must pass tests to make sure that they don’t cause too      pollution. Thanks to the laws, cars today release (排放) about half as many bad chemicals as cars did in 1970. As a   , the air is cleaner than it once was.
Rivers and lakes are also cleaner today than before. It’s a good thing. The Cuyahoga River in Ohio was so polluted    rubbish and oil on the river even caught    ! Today, the river is cleaner. It no longer burns. It’s healthy enough for birds, fish, and other animals.
Now the celebration has spread to other countries. More than 175 countries celebrate it each year. We should    our best to help keep our planet healthy.