In the past, summer fires were common in Australia. Now, because of climate change, there's an even higher number than there used to be. And they're larger, too. Recently, one fire grew so (26) ________ that it created a tornado nearly 500 metres wide. It destroyed (27) ________ homes in the capital city, Canberra. These unlucky houses were situated less than 100 metres from a large area of pine trees on the edge of the city.
Several individual fires started burning and, (28) ________ it was difficult for firefighters to reach them, they continued to burn. When the wind speed suddenly increased a few days later, the fires joined together. Scientists now (29) ________ this Australia's first 'fire tornado'. This was an extremely rare event in Australia's history and was produced by storms (30) ________ accompanied the fire.
(Adapted from Prepare)

RoboCup is a football competition that has taken place every year since 1997. But the players are not human; they are robots. The aim is to create, by the middle of the 21st century, a team of robot footballers that are able to play against and beat the winners of the real World Cup.
In order for robots to play football, robotics companies have had to develop special technologies. Each robot is fitted with a webcam which is connected to a computer inside the robot. The robot is able to see where the other players are, where the goal is and, most importantly, where the ball is.
They are programmed to make their own decisions and during the match the robots' creators are not allowed to tell them what to do. The robots are, however, able to communicate with other members of their team, via a wireless network.
The technologies that are being developed for scoring goals have other uses as well. It may be possible to develop robots that can be used in search and rescue, for example, finding people trapped in buildings after earthquakes. They may not be as fun to watch as real footballers, but at least they don't demand enormous salaries!
(Adapted from Solutions)

Scientist Dr Russell Carley is interested in finding out about friendship in the 21st century. He started by trying to answer the question: “Can online friends be as good as face-to-face friends?” Surprisingly, he found that the answer is a big yes! A friend is someone who gives you honest advice and support, and, of course, an online friend can do that. When you feel anxious in the middle of the night, there's always someone who can give you support through a text, a message or just a 'like'.
Having online friends is good for your memory, too. There's a lot of information to check every day. When you see an interesting holiday picture, you make a note in your mind to ask your pal about it next time they're online, or when you're together in person. Also, you can find friends who have the same interests as you more easily. For most of us, the online community provides support, it builds our confidence, and we feel loved.
So, if online friends are so good, do we need real friends? Interestingly, Dr Carley's research suggests that we do. As he points out, with your real friends, you are in the same physical space; you create memories together as you experience and enjoy doing things with each other. You have to be more responsible with your real friends, as you can't just 'unfriend' them if you disagree with them!
Dr Carley explains the science. “When you are with your friends, you get hugs and high fives. Hugging is good for us because our body produces a chemical called oxytocin that makes us feel good and we also feel trust and love. Chatting to your best pals, you copy their words and gestures. When they smile, you smile too! So, in conclusion, both real friends and online friends are great - they just help us in different ways.”
(Adapted from Prepare)