Environment protection/ conservation Hi guys. I've seen both phrases in articles. But I can't distinguish the difference. What's the difference between protection and conservation? Thanks for your help

Seat/ seating Hello guys. Seats and seating are both nouns and both mean places to sit. But I don't see the difference and which one should I choose to use in certain contexts. For example, " with outdoor seating", " There is not enough seating" , " The theater has seating for 500 people". I guess " seating" can't be replaced with " seats" in those examples, right? Could you please tell me why? Any comments will be appreciated! :)

go wrong/astray Hello italki teachers, Do these two phrases mean the same? For example, "Children without proper discipline and love tend to go wrong/ astray". What's the difference between them in the sentence? Thank you very much.

Advance / improve/ develop " if you wanna ADVANCE your life personally or professionally, you should focus on positives" Hello, Italki teachers! I find the verbs advance, improve and develop have an overlap meaning. Can I replace "advance" with the other two in the above example? Are they equivalent? If not, what's the difference among them? Thanks for you help.

What does 'step up your game' mean in this sentence? "Do you play board or card games? Do you notice how you step up your games when you play with better competitors?" Could you give me the explanation of 'step up your game'? If possible, I hope you could also provide me some other makeups to help me understand the phrase. I really appreciate your help. Thanks :)

play sports/ exercise/ work out Could you please tell me what's the difference among those phrases? They seem to mean the exact same to me. Thank you very much!

followed by/ following There was a rise in the cafe's sales over the 3 years, followed by a sudden increase to $120,000. There was a rise in the cafe's sales over the 3 years, following a sudden increase to $120,000. Hello,guys. Can you tell me if both sentences mean the same? I'm trying to describe a graph but I failed to upload the picture to show you. I'm stuck with the sentences and can't continue. So please help me! Many thanks!!

Engage /attract Hello! The two words share the same meaning of attracting someone's attention or interest. But then what are their useful differences? Can they be used interchangeably in this meaning? Thanks for your help.

a table out of the way "If I'm meeting with clients at a restaurant, I select a table out of the way" Hello italki teachers, I don't quite understand a table out of the way. I assume it means to avoid aisle tables, right? Thanks for your comments