The awful night     1    , and the dawn greyly broke on THE LACT DAY OF POMPEII! The crowd looked upwards, and saw, with     2    , a huge cloud shooting from the top of the volcano. It took the form of a huge tree: the trunk, blackness, the branches, fire! This fire moved and changed in colour with every moment: now it was wildly bright, now of a     3    red, and now again it burnt with     4    .

The cries of women     5     ; the men looked at each other, but were silent. At that moment, they felt the earth shaking     6    ; beyond in the distance, they heard the crash of     7    . A moment later, the mountain-cloud seemed to roll towards them, cark and rapid, like a river; at the same time, it threw out a shower of ashes and huge pieces of burning stone! Over the empty streets—over the forum—far and wide—with many a noisy crash in     8    —fell that awful shower!

Each turned to fly—each running pressing pushing against the other. If, in the darkness, wife     9    husband, or parent room child, there was no hope of their meeting again. Each     10    and fearfully on. So came the earthquake...and so ended life in Pompeii.

Today, we have to use switches for our lights, knobs for our     1    , and remote controls for our TVs and air conditioners. In the future, we will be using advanced technology every day for     2     control of just about everything in our home. The future home will use     3     sensors to tell when you leave home each morning, and. then go into an energy-efficient     4     all by itself. You will Do longer have to think about     5     switches on and off yourself. Your home will also learn your     6     routine and preferences, so everything will be ready for you when you get home each evening...

Customs play a significant role in festivals, but sometimes they can change     1     time. With the development of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may     2     away and others may be established. One example is the     3     Chinese Spring Festival custom of lighting firecrackers to drive away the evil     4     and celebrate the new year.     5    , many big cities have given up this custom in order to     6     air pollution. Another example is Halloween, which slowly became an exciting festival for children, in spite of its     7     origins.

Festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with business     8     advantage of the celebrations. Online shopping websites and     9     media apps have made it much easier for the public to spend more on gifts for their     10     ones. Although some believe festivals should not be commercialized, others believe the increase in spending is good for the economy and public happiness.

Tibetan antelopes live on the plains of Tibet, Xinjiang and Qinghai. Watching them move slowly across the green grass, I’m struck by their beauty. I’m also reminded of the danger they are in. They are being     1    , illegally, for their valuable fur.

My guide is Zhaxi, a villager from Changtang. He works at the Changtang National Na- ture Reserve. The     2     is a shelter for the animals and plants of northwestern Tibet. To Zhaxi, the land is sacred and protecting the wildlife is a way of life, “We’re not trying to save the animals,” he says. “Actually, we’re trying to     3     ourselves.”

The 1980s and 1990s were bad times for the Tibetan antelope. The     4     dropped by more than 50 percent. Hunters were shooting antelopes to make     5    . Their habitats were becoming     6     as new roads and railways were built.

In order to save this species from extinction, the Chinese government placed it under national protection. Zhaxi and other volunteers watched over the antelopes day and night to keep them safe from     7    . Bridges and gates were added to let the antelopes move     8     and keep them safe from cars and trains.

The measures were effective. The antelope population has recovered and in June 2015, the Tibetan antelope was     9     from the endangered species list. The government, however, does not intend to stop the     10     programmes, since the threats to the Tibetan antelope have not yet disappeared.