Polar bears are suffering in a much {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (warm) world.

    Polar bears live in environments too cold for most animals. During much of the year, they live and hunt on the frozen Arctic sea ice. Nature has {#blank#}2{#/blank#} （prepare）them for the cold conditions. But nothing has prepared the bears for the danger {#blank#}3{#/blank#} threatens the only home they know.

    The polar bears' world is melting. Studies show that the amount of the polar ice {#blank#}4{#/blank#}（have）decreased by 9.8% every 10 years since 1978. Now about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears rely {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the sea ice for their survival. “The sea ice is more {#blank#}6{#/blank#} just this platform that the bears walk over,” says Andrew Derocher, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} scientist who studies North American polar bear populations. “{#blank#}8{#/blank#} it, they can't exist.”

    Some melting and refreezing of the polar ice is natural. But in a warmer world, these cycles speed up, and bears have less time {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (hunt). Normally, they have three months in the spring when they gain more weight. The extra fat is used later, when the bears are not {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(active) hunting.

    Before the 17^th century, most of the native English speakers lived in England. After the 17^th century, British people began to move to other {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (country). Gradually, English was spoken there. At present {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (many) people speak English as their first, second or a foreign language than ever before. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (luck), native English speakers can understand each other even if they don't speak the same kind of English.

    English {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (change) and developed when cultures met and communicated with each other over the past centuries. The English {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (speak) in England between about AD450 and 1150 was very different {#blank#}6{#/blank#} the modern English we speak today. It was the new settlers that enriched the English language and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (especial) its vocabulary. The English language was settled by the 19^th century {#blank#}8{#/blank#} two big changes in English spelling happened. English now is also spoken as a foreign {#blank#}9{#/blank#} second language in South Asia. China may have the {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (large) number of English learners.

    One Saturday morning in September I {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (go) to a local music festival. I left it early{#blank#}2{#/blank#} I had an appointment later that day. My friends walked me to the bus stop and waited with {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (I) until the bus arrived. I got on the bus and found a seat near the back, and then I noticed a man {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (sit) at the front. He pretended that a tiger toy was real and giving it a voice. He must be {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (mental) disabled.

    Behind him {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (be) other people to whom he was trying to talk, but after some {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (minute) he walked away and sat near me, looking annoyed. I didn't want 3{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (laugh) at for talking to him but I didn't like leaving him on his own either. After a while I rose from my seat and walked to the front of the bus. I sat next {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the man and introduced myself. We had {#blank#}10{#/blank#} amazing conversation. He got off the bus before me and I felt very happy the rest of the way home.

    I'm glad I made the choice. It made both of us feel good.

    Gabi Rizea only discovered his talent for woodcarving three years ago, and has since put{#blank#}1{#/blank#} to good use, saving dozens of old tree stumps (树桩) from {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (remove) by turning them into impressive works of art.

    Rizea became a woodcarver{#blank#}3{#/blank#} (complete) by accident. Three years ago, after buying himself a new chainsaw (链锯), he{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (start) “playing” with it on a block of wood. He tried carving a human face into the wood, and to his surprise, it turned out pretty good. Today, he is so good at woodcarving that his home city allows him to work his magic on old tree stumps and so far about 40 works of art{#blank#}5{#/blank#}(create) in the local parks.

    “In 99% of the cases, the wood just doesn't match my ideas,” he said in an interview. “I first have to remove all the rotten parts, and sometimes{#blank#}6{#/blank#} is left isn't enough for my designs.”

    Following his recent rise to fame, Rizea has been asked by many{#blank#}7{#/blank#} (city), including the capital of Romania to transform their old tree trunks {#blank#}8{#/blank#} works of art. He promised to honor their requests, but he will never repeat any of the artworks{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (find) in his home city.

    In spite of his obvious talent, the Romanian {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (art) recently got into art school in order to fully master woodcarving.

    World Read Aloud Day is celebrated each year on the first Wednesday of March. It {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (start) by the LitWorld.org website in 2010 and has now reached 65 countries. The aim is to encourage people worldwide who cannot read to enjoy the benefits of a book. The website asks everyone {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (celebrate) the day by taking a book, finding an audience, and reading out aloud. It is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(belong) to all people.

    The website asks {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(visit) to join in the movement to reduce {#blank#}5{#/blank#}  number of illiterate（不识字的）people in the world. It is {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (absolute) necessary to help those who cannot read. The website says, “It's time to start by reading aloud to {#blank#}7{#/blank#} might like it. Share a book with a child who might need it, share a story with someone who would treasure it, listen patiently {#blank#}8{#/blank#} someone else's story as they share with you.” The United Nations says, “Literacy involves a variety of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} to participate fully in society.” In that way, World Read Aloud Day does help make a {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(different).