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.

    Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is often inaccurately {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (call) “Lunar New Year”, because—as part of the lunisolar Chinese calendar (农历)-the date is partially determined based on lunar phase (月相). The festival traditionally {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (begin) on the first day of the first month in the Chinese calendar and ends with Lantern Festival{#blank#}3{#/blank#} is on the 15th day. Chinese New Year's Eve, a day when Chinese families gather for their annual reunion dinner, is known as chú xī. It literally means “Year-pass Eve”.

    According to {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (tale) and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against {#blank#}5{#/blank#} mythical beast (神兽) called Nien (年). Nien would come on the first day of New Year to devour livestock (牲畜), crops, and even villagers,{#blank#}6{#/blank#} (especial) children. To protect {#blank#}7{#/blank#}the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nien{#blank#}8{#/blank#} (eat) the food they prepared, it wouldn't attack any more people. One time, people saw that the Nien was scared away by a little child wearing red. The villagers then understood that the Nien was afraid {#blank#}9{#/blank#} the colour red. Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. People also used fireworks {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (frighten) away the Nien. From then on, Nien never came to the village again.

    In much of Asia, especially the so-called"rice bowl" cultures of China, Japan, Korea{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Vietnam, food is usually eaten with chopsticks.

    Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also be made of plastic, animal bone or metal. Sometimes chopsticks are quite artistic. Truly elegant chopsticks might{#blank#}2{#/blank#}(make) of gold and silver with Chinese characters. Skilled workers also combine various hardwoods and metal{#blank#}3{#/blank#}create) special designs.

    The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked their food in large pots{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(use) twigs(树枝) to remove it. Over time,{#blank#}5{#/blank#} the population grew, people began cutting food into small pieces so it would cook more quickly. Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs which {#blank#}6{#/blank#}( gradual) turned into chopsticks.

    Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius{#blank#}7{#/blank#}lived from roughly 551 to 479 B.C. ,influenced the {#blank#}8{#/blank#}develop) of chopsticks. Confucius believed knives would remind people of killings and{#blank#}9{#/blank#}(be) too violent for use at the table.

    Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people traditionally eat{#blank#}10{#/blank#} their hands.

Dear Sir,

    I'm Li Hua, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} student from Class2, Grade 3. I'm writing to apply{#blank#}2{#/blank#} the position as a student volunteer.

    I really want to catch this precious opportunity because, by {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(offer) my service, I will be able to improve my organizational ability, communication skills as well as {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(confident) in speaking English in public.

    As an outgoing girl, I get along well with my classmates. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}, I have been elected as assistant to my English teacher because I have {#blank#}6{#/blank#}a good command of English. {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(successful), I {#blank#}8{#/blank#} （lend） a helping hand to her in several English activities of my class, {#blank#}9{#/blank#} have been appreciated by both teachers and classmates.

    I am sure that I can perfectly live up to your expectations. I will be grateful {#blank#}10{#/blank#} you could give me a kind consideration.

    Looking forward to your reply.

Yours truly,

Li Hua

    I always sit down comfortably in the barber's shop and listen patiently {#blank#}1{#/blank#} my barber(理发师). He either explains the current political situation and women's fashions or tells me jokes which I {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(hear) at least five times already. In twenty {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(minute), I get a great deal of information as well as a hair-cut.

    But last week our conversation was very short indeed. We heard loud cries of “fire!”{#blank#}4{#/blank#}(come) from upstairs. All of the customers and barbers made up their minds {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (escape) from the shop immediately.

    We were {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(certain) a funny sight to passers-by! I had a white sheet round my neck and my hair {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(be) half cut. My barber was close behind me with a comb and a pair of scissors in his hands. One of the customers {#blank#}8{#/blank#} had sat next to me was not so {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(luck). There were still soap bubbles on one side of his face and his barber ran after him holding a shaving-brush in one hand and a razor in the {#blank#}10{#/blank#}!

    Sneezing(打喷嚏) is one way the body protects itself from {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (sick). Your brain {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(signal) you to sneeze. Then your eyes close and-achoo!-germs (细菌) {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(shoot) out of your nose.

    One sneeze can put as many as 40,000 droplets of saliva (唾液) and mucus (黏液) into the air. And those droplets travel up to 100 miles per hour, {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(fast) than cars on the freeway.

    Here in the US, we say "bless you" when someone sneezes. The same goes for a number of other {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(country), including Wales and France. But {#blank#}6{#/blank#} general it's more common {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (connect) to health than to give blessings. In China, you say, "May you live 100 years!" In Germany, it's simply, "Health!"

    {#blank#}8{#/blank#} do we wish sneezers well? The custom may date back to {#blank#}9{#/blank#}ancient belief. It is said that evil (邪恶的) spirits went out of our bodies during a sneeze - and that these spirits then try to get back in.

    Your nose can produce up to 32 ounces of mucus every day. That's enough mucus to fill more than two soda cans.

    Mucus is {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (usual) clear. If it's green, yellow, or brown, then you might want to see a doctor.