use，close，once，begin

Nobody knows when people（1）

began

began

controlling fire.We do know that people have been using fire for millions of years.Its many uses helped them to survive.
In the beginning，people probably used fire for three purposes：to stay warm，to keep wild animals away，and to have light in the darkness.People built fires and stayed（2）

close

close

to them because bears and wolves would stay away from the flames.They slept near the fire for warmth，as well.
   Eventually，people discovered that roasted meat tasted good.Soon they were cooking their meat and fish.Cooking kills germs.As a result，people became sick less often.
   Early people thought of more（3）

uses

uses

for fire.Using smoky torches，humans forced bees to leave their hive.This resulted in the people getting honey.They discovered that fire could be used for hunting，too.
   Over time，people figured out that they could grow seed-bearing grass such as wheat.They needed a way to clear a field quickly so that they could plant what they wanted.It was much easier to burn a field than to cut down every bush and tree.
   （4）

Once

Once

people had farms，they also built houses.Each home had a fireplace.Even 150 years ago a fire was always burning in most homes so that people could make soup and hot drinks at any time.
Today small fires burn in our homes in our gas furnaces，water heaters，stoves，dryers，and fireplaces.Thus，fire continues to help us thrive.