they may have to swim further and this can (25)_________ fatal to the bears

Psychologists have long known that having a set of cherished companions is crucial to mental well-being. A recent study by Australian investigators concluded that our friends even help to (1) ______ our lives. The study concentrated (2) ______ the social environment, general health, and lifestyle of 1,477 persons older than 70 years. The participants were asked how much contact they had with friends, children, relatives and acquaintances. Researchers were surprised to learn that friendships increased life (3) ______ to a far greater extent than frequent contact with children and other relatives. This benefit held true even after these friends had moved away to another city and was independent of factors such as socioeconomic status, health, and way of life. According to scientists, the ability to have relationships with people to (4) ______ one is important has a positive effect on physical and mental health. Stress and tendency towards depression are reduced, and behaviours that are damaging to health, such as smoking and drinking, occur less frequently. (5)_______, our support networks, in times of calamity in particular, can raise our moods and feelings of self-worth and offer helpful strategies for dealing with difficult personal challenges.

(Source: Academic Vocabulary in Use by Michael McCarthy and Felicity O’Dell)

Polar bears are in danger of dying out. Unlike some other endangered animals, it's not hunters that are the problem, it's climate change. Since 1979, the ice cap at the Arctic Circle where the polar bears has reduced in size (21)_________ about 30 per cent. The temperature in the Arctic has slowly been rising and this is (22)_________ the sea ice to melt, endangering the polar bears' home. The polar bears' main sources of food are the different types of seals found in the Arctic. They catch them by waiting next to the air holes seals have made in the ice. (23)_________ the bears are very strong swimmers, they could never catch seals in water. This means that the bears really do rely on the ice to hunt.

Polar bears also need sea ice to travel. They can cover a huge territory and often swim from one part of the ice to another. They have been (24)_________ to swim up to 100 km, but when there is less ice, they may have to swim further and this can (25)_________ fatal to the bears. A number of bears have drown in the last few years and scientists believe that it is because they were not able to reach more ice before they became too tired and couldn't swim any further.

As teenagers approach university level, a decision has to be made on what course to pursue. In this world of diversity, (16)______ such a choice is not easy for both children and parents. In the old days, it was not much a problem to do the task because there were not so many diverse learning areas to choose from. Besides, there were only a few distinctive professional careers like doctor, engineer, accountant, nurse, teacher, etc. to think about. Most higher learning usually led to a financially successful life. (17) ______, the cost of education was not so high.

Today‟s world is entirely different from the things (18) ______ have just been described. The job market is constantly changing due to innovative technology and new (19) ______. Meanwhile, most teenagers have difficulty in identifying their own interests. There are a variety of well-organized career talks and student counseling workshops to guide and help teenagers (20) ______ what course to take. Furthermore, psychological tests are also used. Certain instruments such as surveys, interviews and computer software can help to find out preferences, interests, or learning styles of the students.