§ 1. Cruising over the pack-ice with our heavy snowmobiles, my guide, Arne, and I looked out across the dazzling expanse of snow. We had come to the tiny, remote island of Svalbard northeast of Greenland, to photograph polar bears, but now we were exhausted with searching. The day had been particularly frustrating, as every bear we'd slowly approached had run away from us. Fed up and hungry, we decided to abandon our search for the afternoon and stop for a snack beside one of the many tall, blue icebergs.

§ 2. As always, a good meal was followed by an intense desire to sleep, and we decided to give in to it, even though the temperature was down to −30 °C. Sleeping at the same time would be unwise with our furry friends around, so we decided to take it in turns. As Arne slept, I scanned the Snow with my binoculars, looking for anything moving. An hour passed. I was just about to wake my companion, when I noticed a dot on the horizon. I wiped the lens, but it was still there. I began to make out the typical mayonnaise colour and the striding walk  — it was a polar bear and it was heading in our direction. I awoke Arne instantly. For the next thirty minutes, the bear continued on its direct course towards us, which was strange because the wind was blowing our scent straight towards him, so he must have been aware of our presence.

§ 3. When he was a couple of hundred metres away, I decided to lie down in the snow so as to get a better photograph. "You realise you look like seal like that, don't you?" warned Arne, for once sounding a bit worried. ave for dinner. Onwards the bear came, and by now I could hear the crunching Seals are what polar bears like to sound of his feet on the ice. It struck me that this was a big bear, travelling at some speed. I turned to speak to Arne, and saw him pulling a gun from his bag. Polar bears are incredibly unpredictable animals, and to be in their environment without protection is foolish. But Arne had strict instructions from me only to use the gun to frighten the bear away, and then only if necessary.

§ 4. By now the animal was only 25 metres away and the atmosphere had changed. Arne sat up on the snowmobile calmly awaiting the bear's next move, while struggled to change the film in my camera with my cold, shaking hands. Then, just as I was thinking that there was no escape, as I tensed myself for the inevitable attack, the bear veered off (из­ме­нил на­прав­ле­ние) to one side and then went straight past us. "Look!" whispered Arne. "Behind us!" I turned and saw a second creamy head with two black eyes peering around the corner of an iceberg a few hundred metres behind us. A female bear. Our friend's goal had clearly been in his sight the whole time, and we were the only thing between him and his beloved.

§ 1. I was struggling to get by. I had just moved to Gloucester from London and had taken the first job that I was offered. I was barely earning enough to do my weekly shopping and I wished I had the money I used to make back in London. As I couldn't afford my own place, I had settled for my best friend's sofa, but the hard cushions and backaches had made me realise that, above all else, I longed for my old flat  — my little peaceful place! I soon began to wonder if moving had been the right decision. That's when I heard a radio advert that changed my life...

§ 2. "Looking for your own place but worrying about the cost? Worry no more! You could live free for a year in the 'Enviro-House', one of Britain's first environmentally friendly homes. We're looking for a resident to live rent-free! For more details, visit www..." My friend had heard about this house and he thought that it would be very difficult to stick to an energy conserving routine. I should have considered this, or at least have been concerned about how many "guests' would actually pass through. But, as I sat on the painfully uncomfortable sofa, the only thing in my head were the words... "Live free, live free."

§ 3. I visited the website and entered the competition to become an 'eco-housemate'. I was one of three lucky finalists who had to battle it out for a place in the house live on local television. The other finalists were keen environmentalists with a passion for the issue, unlike me. I had never really given it much attention to be honest, as it was insignificant to me. I joked with the audience that the only way I was going to learn was if they sent me to the house! They agreed. As I walked through the front door of the house, I had worrying visions of living in a futuristic house, full of high-tech gadgets. I certainly wouldn't have been surprised to see a number of complex-looking machines. However, I was shocked to see the house was completely normal. In fact, it looked just like any other house. This eased my mind a bit, as I rarely find modern technology easy to understand, I prefer the simple life. The heating system, water supply and electricity all worked in exactly the same way as they would in any other house in the UK. The only difference was that the house used renewable sources of energy. Solar panels and small wind turbines were used to provide the hot water and electricity.

§ 4. My experiences in the house made me look at the way I had lived my life in the past and how I should live it in the future. For example, it's neither difficult nor time-consuming to recycle, as long as you make it part of your daily routine. I also changed my perspective on which energy sources to use. It's very simple to make those all-important changes we just need the motivation to make them.

§ 1. I crept to the door and listened; they were snoring, so I tiptoed along and got down the stairs safely. I couldn’t hear a sound. I looked through a crack in the dining room door and saw that the men who were watching the body were all asleep in their chairs. The door of the parlour, where the corpse was lying, was open, and there was a candle in each room. I went past, but the front door was locked and the key was missing.

§ 2. Just then I heard footsteps on the stairs behind me. I silently ran into the parlour and cast my eyes about the room. The only place I could see to hide the bag was in the coffin. The lid was pushed along, showing the dead man’s face with a wet cloth over it. 1 tucked the money-bag in under the lid, just below where his hands were crossed. That sent a shiver down my spine; his hands were so cold. Then I ran back across the room and hid behind the door.

§ 3. The person coming was Mary Jane. She went to the coffin, knelt down and looked in. Then she put her handkerchief to her face and I sensed that she had started crying, although I couldn’t hear her and her back was turned. I slipped out. Looking back into the dining room, I saw that the watchers were still all asleep and I hadn’t been seen.

§ 4. As I climbed back into bed, I was a little shaken after all the risks I had just taken. I thought to myself it would be alright if it stayed where it was because when we had gone another hundred miles or two down the river I could write to Mary Jane and she c6uld dig him up and get it. But that’s not going to happen because they’ll find the money when they screw the lid on. The king will get it back and nobody else will get their hands on it again. Of course, I wanted to sneak back down and get it, but 1 didn’t dare to try. Every minute it was getting later now. Soon some of the watchers would start waking up and I might get caught  — caught with six thousand dollars in my hands. How could I explain that?

1. Django

Coming second in the free running world championships has landed me roles in music videos, but it doesn't bring in quite enough to get by, so I'm a bike courier. That isn't ideal, but it won't make me quit, and I try to stop it getting me down. I'm always looking out for new opportunities. For instance, I'm currently working on a deal with a potential sponsor  — a sportswear company called Free Spirit. That's me! I don't run on a track, I go wherever I want. I don't let any obstacles or worries about danger hold me back. Not when I'm running, nor any other time! There are too many distractions when you play sports in groups. Alone, you can concentrate on each movement, completely in tune your body and your surroundings.

2. Monica

There's still this stereotype of relaxed, supercool surfer. If only it were true! You can't be relaxed if you want to succeed, and for me, second place is as bad as last place. If I see someone doing a new trick it obsesses me. I study all their moves and work out how to copy them. I don't care how many times I fall off the board or how many bruises I get as long as I can do it perfectly in the end. It can be a lonely sport. If you're getting up at dawn every day to catch the best waves, then you don't want to go out much in the evenings. But I figure, I'm young, and all that can wait  — I just want a few more trophies first!

3. Mario

My parents were initially against my taking up wheelchair rugby because it's often perceived to be dangerous. Some people even call it 'murderball'! So far I've managed to avoid any crashes on the court myself, although I've had a few near misses. I reckon if you're speedy enough you can avoid most collisions! Anyway, luckily, I managed to persuade my parents to change their minds and so I wasn't forced to give it up. Now I regularly hear them cheering in the stands  — they nearly deafen me each time I scorel Wheelchair rugby's so exciting it's becoming increasingly popular with spectators, which is great because that may mean more funding. Sadly, the modified chairs don't come cheap! It'd be a shame if that put anyone off the sport.

4. Gabriella

When I tell people what I do they often laugh, which drives me mad. If I hadn't trained really hard, I wouldn't be where I am today. Looks aren't enough; you've got to have talent, determination and strength. And I mean that in both ways. I work out a lot, often to the point of being completely worn out. As part of an acrobatic routine I sometimes have to carry other girls on my shoulders, and they're not as skinny as they look on TV You also need inner strength. Cheerleading is largely an amateur sport, so you don't get paid, but that doesn't stop it from being very competitive. I have seen instances of bullying among team mates, which is just terrible. I wish it wasn't an issue; I want to feel proud of my sport.

Hollywood is associated with fame, fortune and glamour. Every year, thousands of young people (1) ... up there, hoping that a producer will spot them and think they have that special something that audiences want to see. Unfortunately, most of them are (2) ... on a journey that leads to disappointment. Take a (3) ... round Los Angeles and ask any waiter or waitress and they will tell you that they are only working there for the time being, until they get their break in films. A combination of failure and economic problems usually means that they eventually (4) ... up their minds to leave and return to the small town they came from, without having made their fortune.

Before you come to the (5) ... that a life in film is for you, ask yourself carefully if you are ready for that change of direction. You'll have to travel and live for a long time at your own (6) ..., working in jobs that provide you with a low (7) ..., with only the occasional glimpse of a star to (8) ... you where you want to be.

Albert Einstein's work has enormously broadened our understanding of (1) ... universe and has had a considerable impact (2) ... all our lives. Thanks (3) ... his equation E = mc², we now know that energy and mass are directly related (4) ... each other. To (5) ... very great extent, it is Einstein who is responsible (6) ... our knowing that space and time are actually one thing. Additionally, without E = mc², we would not have nuclear power  — and nuclear weapons  — today. Einstein did not become famous because of E = mc², which was first published in 1905. At (7) ... time, his paper was largely ignored, even (8) ... most scientists. Indeed, it was 14 years later that Einstein first made headlines round the world, when scientific evidence began to show that his Theory of General Relativity was correct.

I (1) ... very well the first law conference l attended. It was in the 1990s. The conference had many outstanding speakers but only one of them (2) ... a lasting impression in my mind. That speaker, a law lecturer, (3) ... answering a number of questions on his paper that (4) ... when he (5) ... a question by an elderly gentleman in the audience: "If your father committed a murder and he confessed the crime to you, what would you do?" The speaker Smiled and said, "Sir, you (6) ... me a very difficult question. I need time to answer that, but I will, after the tea break."

When the session resumed, the speaker took his place on the stage. "I (7) ... to answer the gentleman's question now. As my father's son I would listen to him. I would even cry with him. As his lawyer, I would advise him to confess to the crime and I would go with him to the police station." His answer received what it (8) ... - thunderous applause.

The Olympic Games (1) ... place every four years and each time are organized by a different country or, to be more precise, by a different city. (2) ... is always a great deal of competition between different cities around the world to decide (3) ... one will be given the honour of hosting the next Games.

A (1) ... number of people feel that washing with antibacterial soaps is the (2) ... thing to do. (3) ..., their ignorance has led them to believe that these soaps are better than normal ones. However, research has shown that there is no real difference between washing with ordinary soap or soap containing antibacterial agents. It has also been proved that being too clean actually has (4) ... effects, as our bodies do not become resistant to germs (мик­ро­бы). This discovery has come as a surprise, especially to those who believe that bacteria have to be fought with every means known to man.

Young Composers is an online resource for anyone (1) ... in music composition. Amateur musicians can upload music to their network, where their review team helps young people to (2) ... their music abilities. Their composer forum is an active community of professionals, students, and amateurs who can (3) ... questions about the life and career of composing, or (4) ... chat in the 'shoutbox'. YC's main purpose is to (5) ... people to post their music, receive feedback on it and improve as composers. One way to (6) ... from the knowledge on the forum is to (7) ... a contributing member: review others' works and, of course, post your own pieces for feedback and analysis. The best way to (8) ... advantage of the forum is to participate. By reviewing the works of others other members will get to know you and they will see that you are making an (9) ... to give back to their community. It's a great website to learn and help others to (10) ... at the same time.

1.  Corinne Day: Photographer

I get my ideas for photographs anywhere, at any time; I don’t have to be specifically doing anything. I keep a diary at home and write down any t houghts I have, and then when a job comes up, I see if there is anything in it that applies. It’s almost impossible for me to switch off. When I was abroad recently, I wanted to get away from taking photographs, so I didn’t take my camera with me. But I could still see pictures all the time and wished I had brought it.

2.  Jan Kaplicky: Architect

Success in my job depends on the people you have around you and how good they are. There are engineers, model- makers, photographers  — architecture is not a one-man product. I come into the office every day. I like to arrive at 8 a.m., as this is a very peaceful period when I can think about things before the usual routine starts and other people arrive. The initial idea for a job comes to me just like that sometimes. Having lots of ideas for one problem is not a sign that you are creative; that’s just a waste of energy. But I do think a lot of creativity depends on your relationships with other people.

3.  J. B. Ballard: Novelist

I think the enemy of creativity in the world today is that so much thinking is done for you. The environment is so full of television, you hardly need to do anything. Children make you see what reality is all about. Mine were a huge inspiration for me. Watching them creating their separate worlds was a very enriching experience. As for learning to be creative, I think there are a lot of skills that you need to be born with. I wrote from a pretty early age, eight or nine, and I’ve always had a very vivid imagination.

4.  Peter Molyneux: Computer Game Creator

Perhaps the greatest difference between people who are creative and people who are not is that the former always think their idea will work. They never think, ‘That's not going to work, that’s a stupid idea’. But a lot of the time I don’t know where my ideas come from. I can remember incredibly clearly the time I saw my first computer game, in a shop window. From that moment on it was as if I’d found my aim in life. I find the computer game is very creative. It brings together many different disciplines: the logic of programming, mathematics, storytelling... The general idea for a game is easy, the real challenge always comes about six months later when you have to design all the parts of the game, and consider things like how many pieces of information players can take before they get confused.