People realize that, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} animals may not have the same intelligence as human beings, they are smart enough to learn certain things.

    Dogs are {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (extreme) useful as companions for blind people. When a dog has been properly trained, he will always lead his master {#blank#}3{#/blank#} the right direction and keep him out of danger.

    Horses are also able to learn many things. Horses that are used for guard or police duty must learn never to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (frighten) of noises, traffic, and other disturbances. Racing horses are also quite strong. Therefore, it is necessary for those people {#blank#}5{#/blank#} train them to be very patient and understanding.

    The moving pictures and television can use {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (train) animals too. Some animals, such as monkeys and foxes, are easy to film. {#blank#}7{#/blank#} you have to do is make a trail in front of the camera by dragging something that smells good to {#blank#}8{#/blank#} animals over the ground. Big animals, such as lions and tigers, can be photographed as they bound happily back to {#blank#}9{#/blank#} families and dinner. If a movie actor is nearby, the well-trained animal will pay no attention to him. {#blank#}10{#/blank#}, the audience may imagine that the actor escaped a terrible death by the skin of his teeth.

English Around the World

    There are more than 3,000 languages {#blank#}1{#/blank#}（speak）in the world. Of all these languages, English is the most {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(wide) used. Recent {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(survey) show that more than 500 million people speak English as their mother tongue.

    From its roots in England, the language was spread around the world {#blank#}4{#/blank#}English traders and English governments in new lands. One of these new lands {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(become) the United States of America. The population of the United States is 309 million,{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (make) it the country with the {#blank#}7{#/blank#}large) number of native English speakers.

    About 300 million people speak English as their second language. There are even more people, like some in Europe as well as in China and Japan,{#blank#}8{#/blank#} study English as a foreign language.

    English has become the base language for international business, for the world's airlines and even for the Internet. Whatever language people speak, they need  {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(know) some English if they work in these fields.{#blank#}10{#/blank#} is clear that the English language is becoming more important.

    Think of carnival,{#blank#}1{#/blank#}you think of crowds,costumes and{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(confuse).The most famous carnival in Europe was in Venice.At the beginning,it lasted for just one day.People ate,drank and wore masks.As time passed,{#blank#}3{#/blank#},the carnival period{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(extend)so that it began just after Christmas.For weeks{#blank#}5{#/blank#}end people walked around the streets wearing masks,doing what they wanted without{#blank#}6{#/blank#}(recognize).Ordinary people could pretend{#blank#}7{#/blank#}(be) rich and important,{#blank#}8{#/blank#}famous people could have romantic adventures{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(secret).Many crimes went{#blank#}10{#/blank#}(punish).

    Today we talk about a word that is a feeling as well as a place. This word is “home.” Long ago in the 1700s, “home” was used as a verb,{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (mean) “to be guided to a destination.” So, when you home in on something, you get {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(close) to your target. For example, you could say, “Police are homing in on the suspects.” That is also where we get homing pigeons－pigeons that can find {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (they) way home after being released.

    But today, “home” is more often used as a noun. And it has a very emotional {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(connect) for American English speakers. You can remember the meaning of the word by the expression “home is {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the heart is.” That expression means home is anywhere you feel love and comfort. It is a place where you belong, and often a place you consider your origin. In other {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (word), “home” is not {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(simple) a building where you live—that's a house. There is a big difference {#blank#}8{#/blank#}a home and a house.

    The writer, Thomas Wolfe, had {#blank#}9{#/blank#} different idea about home. In 1940, his book “You Can't Go Home Again”{#blank#}10{#/blank#} (publish). Today we use this title to mean that the ideas and feelings that you had as a child often change when you are an adult. So, even if you return to the place where you grew up, time and distance have changed your perspective (观点).