Europeans are being dug out from heavy snow after a week of very cold weather. The snowstorm is the harshest to hit Europe. Airports were shut down. And schools have been closed for a week.
Until Wednesday, at least 400 people across Europe had died because of the cold temperature. Several countries have said a state of emergency. In Ukraine, temperatures dropped as low as -33℉.
Although the situation is bad, at least one country is hoping the weather will last a little longer. In the Netherlands, the government is preparing for the country's “11 Cities Tour”. The 125-mile ice-skating marathon will be held along a network which joins 11 towns and cities together in Friesland Province.
The ice along the way must be inches thick for the event. Up to 2 million people are thought to cheer on the race's 16,000 competitors.
On Wednesday, Dutch soldiers joined in the preparations. They cleaned snow along the way. This will be the 16^th time that the event has taken place since the first race in 1909. Dutch General Hans said his soldiers were happy to lend a hand. “We want to do our bit for this national party.” he said.

    Dogs are good friends of humans. Some dog lovers want to take their pets along with them wherever they go. However, many malls, bars and restaurants don't allow dogs inside. But in good news for dog owners, the world's first bus tour for dogs appeared on the streets of London last month.

    The tour is free. It takes owners and their dogs to some of London's best parks and hottest dog-walking spots(地点). For example, the buses stop at Hyde Park and Green Park. The tour guides on the buses explain the history of dogs in London and about the many corgis(柯基犬) owned by Queen Elizabeth II. They also give the owners a map of dog-friendly bars and restaurants in the city.

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