Every country shares things {#blank#}1{#/blank#} common: we value family and laughter, cherish food and health, and celebrate large {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(festival) and traditions. Yet within the similar things we share, there are unique parts of each country. One of characteristics that are famous of British people {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(be) their sense of humor, particularly self-mockery (自嘲). This is a type of humor that criticizes and undervalues oneself. For example, a fat person may joke: “I am on a new sea food diet. If I see food, I eat it.” This is {#blank#}4{#/blank#} well-known self-mockery joke. It's difficult why self-mockery {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(tie) to the British people. But every nation's sense of humor comes from its culture and history. It could come from another British characteristic, modesty, {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(mean) not talking openly about your skills. This seems to be something that is similar to people in China, {#blank#}7{#/blank#} modesty plays a big part in daily life. It also acts as a defense of our self-respect by playing down our skills, this can {#blank#}8{#/blank#}(less) the chance of people criticizing us. Another possible reason is {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the British people do not take themselves too {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(serious).

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

    Polar bears live in environments too cold for most animals. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} much of the year, they live and hunt on the frozen Arctic sea ice. Nature has prepared {#blank#}3{#/blank#} for the cold conditions. But nothing has prepared the bears for the danger that {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (threat)the only home they know.

    The polar bears' world is melting. Studies show that the polar ice has reduced by 9.8% every 10 years {#blank#}5{#/blank#} 1978. Now about 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears live in the Arctic. Polar bears depend on the sea ice for their {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (survive). “The sea ice is more than 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. {#blank#}9{#/blank#} in a warmer world, these cycles speed up, and bears have less time to hunt. Normally, they have three months in the spring when they gain more weight. The extra fat is used later, {#blank#}10{#/blank#} the bears are not actively hunting.

    Keeping in touch with our friends is an important part of friendship. This does not mean that {#blank#}1{#/blank#} have to write or call our friends every day. It does mean, however, that we {#blank#}2{#/blank#} care enough about our friends to find out how they are doing from time to time.

    People have different habits about keeping in touch with others. Some like to call their friends, sometimes many times {#blank#}3{#/blank#}day. Others prefer to e-mail their friends. Still {#blank#}4{#/blank#} prefer writing letters so that they can include photos or interesting articles {#blank#}5{#/blank#} the envelopes along with their letters. Some even write postcards while they are on vacation {#blank#}6{#/blank#}send them to friends.

    Every kind of communication is important. It is {#blank#}7{#/blank#}important what kind of call we make or letter we send.{#blank#}8{#/blank#}is important is that we let others know we care about them.

    A rainforest is an area{#blank#}1{#/blank#}(cover) by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year. Rainforests have a great effect{#blank#}2{#/blank#}the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover, these areas would reflect {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(much) heat into the atmosphere, warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns, potentially{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(cause) certain natural disasters all over the world.

    In the past hundred years,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} (human) have begun destroying rainforests in search of the three major resources: land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm animals,{#blank#}6{#/blank#}affects the environment as a whole. For example, a lot of carbon dioxide in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People   {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(obvious) have a need for the resources from cutting trees {#blank#}8{#/blank#}we will suffer much more than we will benefit.

    Rainforests are often called the world's drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (medicine) value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(lie)somewhere in the world's shrinking rainforests.

China's Tea Villages

    In most Chinese tea villages, March is the time of year in which locals start to pick and process tea. The{#blank#}1{#/blank#} (usual) quiet villages suddenly become busy centers of activity, as people take out special tools and prepare{#blank#}2{#/blank#}tea processing. In some villages, local residents hold traditional ceremonies,{#blank#}3{#/blank#}(thank) heaven for its blessing. The price of tea{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(pick) in March is extremely high because{#blank#}5{#/blank#}is fresh, tender and contains multiple trace elements.

    China{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (be) famous for tea production since ancient times. Of the goods transported and traded along {#blank#}7{#/blank#} Old Silk Road linking China to the Middle East and Europe, the importance of tea was matched only by silk. China produces Oolong, black, green, white, yellow{#blank#}8{#/blank#} dark (post-fermented) tea. The Oolong, green and black{#blank#}9{#/blank#} (vary) are most notable for their high quality.

Most of China s tea villages are found in remote mountainous areas in the country's south and southwest,{#blank#}10{#/blank#}the beautiful scenery is often hidden under clouds.