Friends play an important part in our {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (life). Though we may take friendship for granted, we often don't clearly understand {#blank#}2{#/blank#} we make friends. While we get on {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(good) with many people, we are usually friends with only a few—for example, per student usually {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (have) about 6 friends. In all the cases of friendly relationships, two people like one another and enjoy {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (be) together. {#blank#}6{#/blank#}fact, as we get to know people, we take into account things like age, race, economic condition, social position, and intelligence. Although these things are not of great {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (important), {#blank#}8{#/blank#} is more difficult to get on with people when there is an obvious difference in age and background. Compared with marriage, there are no friendship ceremonies to {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (strong) the connection between two people. But the mutual（彼此的）understanding that results from common experiences and emotions does seem to create a powerful bond, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} can overcome difference in background, and break down barriers（障碍）of age, class and race.

    Nowadays, English is widely spoken all over the world. Actually, English has changed and developed {#blank#}1{#/blank#} time. At first, the English {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(speak) in England between AD 450 and 1150 was quite different from the English spoken today, which was based more {#blank#}3{#/blank#} German than English we speak now. Then gradually between about AD 800 and 1150, English became less like German because those {#blank#}4{#/blank#} ruled England spoke first Danish and later French. These new {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(settle) enriched English and especially its vocabulary. So by the 1600's Shakespeare used a {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(wide) vocabulary than ever before. In 1620 some British settlers moved to America, later they moved to Australia too. English began {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(speak) in both countries. Finally, the language was settled by the 19th century. English now is spoken {#blank#}8{#/blank#} a foreign or second language in India, Singapore, Malaysia and so on. Today the number of people learning English in China {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(be) increasing rapidly. Will Chinese English develop {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(it) own identity? Only time will tell.

When the knife you're using cuts your finger instead of the tomato, you might think it is no big deal. A small cut will {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (usual) heal well without medical care but any time the skin gets broken, there is a risk of infection. Here's {#blank#}2{#/blank#} to care for cuts at home.

Stop bleeding by {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (press) a clean, soft cloth against the wound for a few minutes. If the wound is bleeding a lot, you'll need to keep up the pressure for a much {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (long) time (sometimes up to 15 minutes). If the wound is small, the bleeding should stop in a few minutes.

Clean the wound. Run warm water over the cut for 5 minutes. Then use soap {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(wash) the skin around the cut gently and thoroughly. If there's dirt in the wound, remove it if you can—a soft, damp cloth can be {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(help).Cleaning the wound helps get infection-causing bacteria out of the {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (injure) area. If you can't get all the dirt out, call your doctor's office.

Dry the area lightly and cover it with gauze (纱布) or some other type of bandage. A bandage helps prevent germs from getting into the wound, {#blank#}8{#/blank#}can help avoid infection. If the bandage gets wet or dirty, change it right away.

{#blank#}9{#/blank#} is also necessary to take off the bandage and gently wash the injury every day. Watch for {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(sign) of infection. If it appears to be worsening or becomes swollen or red, see a doctor right away to treat the infection.

The annual Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is Harbin's main tourist highlight. It is the world's biggest winter festival. The {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (bitter) cold winters are just right for this festival.

{#blank#}2{#/blank#} sets the Harbin festival apart is the scale and size of the sculptures and the {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(beauty) lighting. It is bigger than {#blank#}4{#/blank#}ones in Sapporo, Norway, and Quebec.

At first, mainly Chinese participated, but in the last decade, it {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(become) an international festival and {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(compete). As the festival grows in international participation, and as China's economy grows, the size of the snow sculptures and ice architecture exhibits keeps {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(grow). The work going into making those exhibits is astonishing, and their size and beauty is amazing.

The lightning {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(effect) on the huge ice sculptures in the Ice and Snow World are technologically complex.

Officially the festival {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(hold) from the end of December through February. Opening dates keep changing, and ending dates partly depends {#blank#}10{#/blank#}the weather.

The Sun Island Scenic Area will be opened from Dec. 21 to Feb. 28.