The earth's oceans, which cover 70 percent of the earth's surface, are a frontier that we are just beginning to explore. Scientists know that the undersea world is a storehouse of oil,    1    , and protein-rich foods. The oceans are also a storehouse of plants and animals. Some of these living things contain    2    that can be made into useful medicines.

Scientists have long known that seawater    3    the healing of certain kinds of wounds. Medical experts believe that certain fungi floating in seawater may have healing    4    . One new medicine, cephalothin is already being made from a fungus that    5    in the Mediterranean Sea. Cephalothin kills certain germs that penicillin will not kill.

The fungus used to make cephalothin is only one of about 300 kinds of fungi in the sea. Many of these fungi have not yet been studied. Some may produce even more valuable    6    than cephalothin.

Anyone who has ever stepped on the jellyfish called the Portuguese man-of-war knows that it contains a powerful, stinging poison. Medical researchers have studied this poison. They have also studied the    7    of sea snakes, octopuses, shell animals, and sponges. In very small quantities, some of these poisons have proved useful in the    8    of diabetes, heart disease, ulcers, and spastic paralysis.

So far, only about one percent of all the sea    9    have been studied. The time required to collect any one form of sea life in large quantities has held back research.

Before too many years, however, scientists will be able to work under the sea for a long period of time. They will live in    10    like the Sea-labs. Among these scientists will be doctors testing sea life for new and better kinds of medicines.

Is Deep-Sea Exploration Worth the Money?

People are generally more enthusiastic about space, but the oceans hold the solutions to some of the biggest problems of the twenty-first century. We must continue to     1     in exploration of the deep sea so that we can take advantage of its benefits.

The deep seas contain resources that could bring improvements in the field of medicine. Antibiotics(抗生素) are becoming less     2     in the treatment of illnesses, and scientists think that the plant life in the deep oceans may provide a solution. They hope to develop new medicines that will make it possible to fight disease for years to come. Some substances produced from deep-sea plants are already being used in     3     medical testing procedures. Recognizing the importance of this research, the 2008 Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry to scientists in this area.

At a time when existing forms of fuel are limited the deep oceans could provide new sources of fuel. For more than 50 years, oil companies have been     4     in areas like the North Sea. Realizing that these offshore resources will not last forever, oil companies are now considering other sources including the huge amounts of oil beneath the ocean bed. However,     5     it safely will require major advancements in technology. Another possible deep-sea fuel source on the ocean floor in the form of ice crystals, scientists believe, could be a fuel source for the future.

Finally, using the deep sea for the     6     of nuclear waste is a controversial issue that needs to be explored further. Some organizations have     7     dropping nuclear waste into the deepest parts of the ocean and sealing it into the ocean floor. Many scientists claim that this process would involve less danger to the environment than current     8     methods.

These are just three of the many ways in which leaning about the deep ocean may change our lives for the better. Such advances in our knowledge justify the expense of carrying out deep-sea research. The       9     for land is only continuing to grow. The time has come when 70% of our planet covered by water is just too big to     10    .

Last week, Special Olympic organizers made sure that all details were included to ensure that the athletes were properly welcomed and taken care of. Never before in the 39-year history of the Special Olympics has there been such a(n)     1     and wonderful opening ceremony. And everywhere in this city, billboards with the smiling faces of the     2     disabled promoted the Games.

Throughout Shanghai, messages of “    3    ”, “humanism,” and “love” were seen everywhere. These statements of hope and achievements were supporting more than 7,500 athletes that participated in this year’s events — with the most representation from China, over 1,200     4    ! Although these hopeful words were positive and encouraging, many mentally challenged     5     were not getting the rare they required.

In many countries, disabled people are neglected and not properly cared for. However, events such as the Special Olympics are raising the     6     of mistreatment and lack of care. In the United States, for example, special training centers and homes exist that help the mentally challenged find jobs in     7     communities. Last year, I volunteered a few hours each week at a facility that cared for mentally disabled people. It was a very     8     experience knowing that my time was making a difference in someone’s life. Although I only spent a short time there, the people were so     9     for the attention and most of all, to be included.

The Special Olympics are a(n)     10     to society that we must take care of those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Please don’t invite me!

Do you lose sleep when you are invited to parties? I do--and I wonder if I’m part of the     1     10% of the UK’s population who suffer from what is called “social anxiety”.

The first clinical     2     on the subject, published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence last year, says the disorder is the fear of, or anxiety about, social situations that is out of proportion.

The person who suffers from social anxiety blushes （脸红）, sweats a lot, is short of breath and is focused on what he thinks are his     3    . In my case, I woπy that people at a party might notice I’m shy and my family is from a small     4     town.

The     5     of having to socialise can be in the sufferer’s head for months beforehand. A woman interviewed by the BBC, Heather, begins to worry about the Christmas period as early as September. She pays her share of money to the office party even if she plans not to go. Heather says: “I buy it to make sure people don’t think I’m tight-fisted, or that I don’t like their     6    .”

Social anxiety can affect both men and women. And even people who appear confident and extroverted （外向的） can have the disorder. Social anxiety recently made     7     when the star of the hit movie “Hunger Games” Jennifer Lawrence spoke about her battle with it.

Some experts recommend cognitive behavioral therapy, which treats the symptoms rather than the causes of anxiety.

My grandmother told me to put an end to this fear of not living up to     8    . She claims to have a(n)     9     cure for social anxiety. She told me: “when you go to a party, imagine we have all to go to the toilet. We all wake up in the morning with bad breath and messy hair.”

Maybe my granny is right. I should be more     10     about things and stop thinking everybody is better than me. Who knows, maybe I will realise I am better than I think.