Про­чи­тай­те тек­сты и уста­но­ви­те со­от­вет­ствие между тек­ста­ми А–G и за­го­лов­ка­ми 1–8. В ответ за­пи­ши­те цифры, в по­ряд­ке, со­от­вет­ству­ю­щем бук­вам. Ис­поль­зуй­те каж­дую цифру толь­ко один раз. В за­да­нии есть один лиш­ний за­го­ло­вок.

1.  Residents of the North Pole

2.  Born to live in cold weather

3.  Life is getting harder

4.  Sometimes they are similar to us

5.  Hunting strategies

6.  Home upbringing for bears

7.  Changes in population

8.  Good food is important

A. Polar bears started to evolve from brown bears about 5 million years ago. Unlike bears living on land, they are white in colour and their fur is very thick. It helps them to survive on sea ice and swim in cold waters. Polar bears are really big  — adult males normally weigh from 350 to 550 kg. Females are smaller. The bears’ large paws distribute their weight when they move on thin ice, and their tails are short to conserve heat.

B. Polar bears occupy one of the planet's coldest environments, the Arctic. They prefer northern areas like Canada, Greenland, Alaska, Russia and Norway. Scientists have identified 19 populations of polar bears spread across four different regions of the Arctic. Although many children’s books show polar bears and penguins together, the two are found at different poles.

C. These Arctic giants have no natural enemies. Their diet is based on seals. Other sources of food for polar bears are Arctic plants, and also geese, bird eggs and fish. They can eat a wide range of foods but only marine mammals, like seals and beluga whales, are able to provide them with all the necessary proteins and vitamins to survive in the icy environment.

D. Bears catch seals from ice platforms. They usually wait for seals near their breathing holes  — the openings in the ice the seals use to breathe. In autumn, seals cut out breathing holes in the ice and keep them through the winter and polar bears locate the holes with their powerful sense of smell. Polar bears can also attack seals sleeping on the ice.

E. Polar bears spend lots of time hunting seals on sea ice or from large drifting blocks of ice. However, due to global warming sea ice is melting. As a result, bears have to hunt in the water, which is less successful and very risky. Polar bears are good swimmers but they cannot swim long distances and often drown. They don’t have enough food to gain enough fat and their newborn cubs are weaker than they used to be.

F. Normally, a female bear builds a den (a tunnel in the ice with two rooms) where she gives birth to two cubs. They are born very small, only about half a kilo, but they grow quickly on their mother’s rich milk. For about two years, cubs depend totally on their mothers for food and for survival skills  — the mothers teach them how to hunt and survive in the harsh realities of life.

G. Native people, who have lived side by side with polar bears for centuries, say that in many ways bears are like humans. When they are not busy hunting, they play, mock fight or chase each other. Their nose-to-nose greeting usually means some request, for example, a request for food. Some scientists claim they have watched polar bears sharing their food and even performing some eating rituals like greeting their host and saying thank you after a meal.