In the modern era of technology, we can barely imagine our day-to-day activities without electronic devices. Devices with Internet access have become the source of information, entertainment, and even work, making remote jobs more and more popular. The same trend of digitalization came to the book industry, leading to the rise of electronic books, or shortly e-books. Whereas many people predict the extinction of printed books, book shops are still open, and their owners do not seem to plan closing businesses anytime soon. This question is complex, and both material and electronic books have plenty of pros and cons.
Electronic books’ admirers prove that buying printed books is not an ecologically friendly option. One Kindle can contain thousands of books, saving millions of trees. Although an e-book needs electricity to be charged, it can last much longer without a charger compared to a smartphone, which, on average, needs to be recharged every day. In this way, the electricity consumption is not that large for e-books, and their contribution to the deforestation decrease is quite important.
A printed copy can last longer, even though ads tell us that electronic devices are timeless. While paper may seem fragile, electronic books are subject to the evolution of digital media. The software and formats used today can change dramatically or even disappear as technology advances. Indeed, what will happen if Amazon stops producing its Kindles? What will happen to your digital library? So many questions that do not arise with a paper book. In any way, we still have books brought to our homes by our grandparents; at the same time, it is highly doubtful that our grandchildren will still be using our e-books.
The arrival of the e-book readers has shaken the literary world, but the paper book is still far from saying its last word. These two reading instruments coexist rather well in the literary world. The digital book has not replaced the paper book. On the contrary, it complements the latter, giving us a more extensive choice.

According to the American Red Cross, there’s a 97% chance that someone you know will need a blood transfusion. Blood donors - especially donors with certain blood types - are always in demand.
To donate blood, the American Red Cross requires that people be at least 17 years old and weigh more than 110 pounds. (In some states, the age is 16 with a parent’s permission.) Donors must be in good health and will be screened for certain medical conditions. Donors who meet these requirements can give blood every 56 days.
Blood donation starts before you walk in the door of the blood bank. Before donating, you’ll need to answer some questions about your medical history, and have your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and blood count checked. The medical history includes questions that help blood bank staff decide if a person is healthy enough to donate blood. Donated blood gets tested for viruses, including HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and West Nile virus. If any of these things are found, the blood is destroyed.
Are there any risks? A person can’t get an infection or disease from giving blood. The needles and other equipment used are sterile and they’re used only on one person and then thrown away. Sometimes people who donate blood notice a few minor side effects like nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting, but these symptoms usually go away quickly. The donor’s body usually replaces the liquid part of blood (plasma) within 72 hours after giving blood. It generally takes about 4-8 weeks to regenerate the red blood cells lost during a blood donation. An iron-fortified diet plus daily iron tablets can help rebuild a donor’s red blood supply.

PUSHING THE FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE
Humans have been thinking about the universe and (25) ______ what is out there for centuries, and ever since the space race of the ‘50s and ‘60s and the boom in technological developments, the belief that we might actually be able to venture into outer space has grown.
One of the main fascinations has been with our neighbouring planet, Mars. Some see the red star as hope for the survival of the human race (26) ______ this planet is thought of as a possible site for a human colony. Since the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli first made map to document the surface of Mars in 1878, there have been (27) ______ speculations to whether the planet can support life. Schiaparelli believed that it already did. In fact, he put forward the idea that the channels (28) ______ he saw on the planet’s surface were not natural but created by an advanced race of Martians. It was not until scientists had access to more powerful telescopes that his theories were disproved. Today, man’s desire to (29) ______ the reaches of the galaxy doesn’t seem to be diminishing. One day, will we eventually be living among the stars?