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Reader's Bank_Level 4_Unit 09                                    Reading Text

How do you usually greet a stranger? You probably make eye contact and smile to show that you are friendly. This works fine for people, but not for dogs. If you stare at a strange dog or smile at it, the dog may think you want to fight. Dogs show their teeth when they are ready to attack. They may see eye contact as a threat. So, what is the right way to greet unfamiliar dogs? First, do not reach your hand toward them. Instead, let them come to you. Second, avoid touching their head or face because many dogs don’t like it. You can touch their side or shoulder if their owner says it’s okay. Finally, stay calm and move slowly around them. This way, the dog will feel safe and trust you.

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A glacier is a big piece of ice that moves very slowly. You can find glaciers on snowy mountains or near the North and South Poles. But now, many glaciers are melting. This is because the Earth is getting warmer. When glaciers melt, the water goes into the ocean. Then, the sea level gets higher. Some cities near the ocean might go underwater. Animals like polar bears are losing their homes. Sea animals swim far away to find cold water. People are sad about the melting ice. So, they hold a “glacier funeral.” This is a special event to say goodbye to a glacier. The first one was in 2019 in Iceland. Another happened in Switzerland. These funerals help us learn about global warming and remind us to take care of our planet.

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Many cities have traffic problems. But Bolivia, a country in South America, solved them in a fun way. The capital city of Bolivia is La Paz. It is the highest capital city in the world. Many people who work in La Paz live in nearby cities. One city is El Alto, which is higher than La Paz. Every day, many people travel from El Alto to La Paz for work. But the roads between the two cities are narrow and steep. This made traffic very slow. To fix this problem, La Paz had a great idea! They built a cable car to connect La Paz and El Alto. Thanks to the cable car, people can get to work faster. There are fewer cars on the road, so traffic is lighter. The air is cleaner, too. What a smart way to solve a big problem!