diff --git a/src/Faker/Provider/Base.php b/src/Faker/Provider/Base.php
index 7f0bcb59..3bbe1964 100644
--- a/src/Faker/Provider/Base.php
+++ b/src/Faker/Provider/Base.php
@@ -34,19 +34,41 @@ class Base
 	/**
 	 * Returns a random number with 0 to $nbDigits digits
 	 *
+	 * If $upTo is passed, it returns a number between $nbDigits (read as from) and $upTo
+	 *
 	 * @param integer $nbDigits
+	 * @param integer $upTo
 	 * @example 79907610
 	 *
 	 * @return integer
 	 */
-	public static function randomNumber($nbDigits = null)
+	public static function randomNumber($nbDigits = null, $upTo = null)
 	{
 		if (null === $nbDigits) {
 			$nbDigits = static::randomDigit();
 		}
+
+		if (null !== $upTo) {
+			return static::numberBetween($nbDigits, $upTo);
+		}
+
 		return mt_rand(0, pow(10, $nbDigits) - 1);
 	}
-	
+
+	/**
+	 * Returns a random number between $from and $to
+	 *
+	 * @param integer $from
+	 * @param integer $too
+	 * @example 79907610
+	 *
+	 * @return integer
+	 */
+	public static function numberBetween($from = null, $to = null)
+	{
+		return mt_rand($from ?: 0, $to ?: PHP_INT_MAX);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns a random letter from a to z
 	 *
diff --git a/src/Faker/Provider/DateTime.php b/src/Faker/Provider/DateTime.php
index 7c060ade..523c4f62 100644
--- a/src/Faker/Provider/DateTime.php
+++ b/src/Faker/Provider/DateTime.php
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ class DateTime extends \Faker\Provider\Base
 	 */
 	public static function dateTimeBetween($startDate = "-30 years", $endDate = "now")
 	{
-		$startTimestamp = strtotime($startDate);
-		$endTimestamp = strtotime($endDate);
+		$startTimestamp = $startDate instanceof \DateTime ? $startDate->getTimestamp() : strtotime($startDate);
+		$endTimestamp = $endDate instanceof \DateTime ? $endDate->getTimestamp() : strtotime($endDate);
 		$timestamp = mt_rand($startTimestamp, $endTimestamp);
 
 		return new \DateTime('@' . $timestamp);
diff --git a/src/Faker/Provider/Lorem.php b/src/Faker/Provider/Lorem.php
index 4fb115dc..99e25d89 100644
--- a/src/Faker/Provider/Lorem.php
+++ b/src/Faker/Provider/Lorem.php
@@ -57,15 +57,16 @@ class Lorem extends \Faker\Provider\Base
 	 *
 	 * @example array('Lorem', 'ipsum', 'dolor')
 	 * @param integer $nb how many words to return
-	 * @return array
+	 * @param bool $asText if true the sentences are returned as one string
+	 * @return array|string
 	 */
-	public static function words($nb = 3)
+	public static function words($nb = 3, $asText = false)
 	{
 		$words = array();
 		for ($i=0; $i < $nb; $i++) {
 			$words []= static::word();
 		}
-		return $words;
+		return $asText ? join(' ', $words) : $words;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -97,15 +98,16 @@ class Lorem extends \Faker\Provider\Base
 	 *
 	 * @example array('Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.', 'Consectetur adipisicing eli.')
 	 * @param integer $nb how many sentences to return
-	 * @return array
+	 * @param bool $asText if true the sentences are returned as one string
+	 * @return array|string
 	 */
-	public static function sentences($nb = 3)
+	public static function sentences($nb = 3, $asText = false)
 	{
 		$sentences = array();
 		for ($i=0; $i < $nb; $i++) {
 			$sentences []= static::sentence();
 		}
-		return $sentences;
+		return $asText ? join(' ', $sentences) : $sentences;
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -134,15 +136,16 @@ class Lorem extends \Faker\Provider\Base
 	 *
 	 * @example array($paragraph1, $paragraph2, $paragraph3)
 	 * @param integer $nb how many paragraphs to return
-	 * @return array
+	 * @param bool $asText if true the paragraphs are returned as one string, separated by two newlines
+	 * @return array|string
 	 */
-	public static function paragraphs($nb = 3)
+	public static function paragraphs($nb = 3, $asText = false)
 	{
 		$paragraphs = array();
 		for ($i=0; $i < $nb; $i++) {
 			$paragraphs []= static::paragraph();
 		}
-		return $paragraphs;
+		return $asText ? join("\n\n", $paragraphs) : $paragraphs;
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/test/Faker/Provider/BaseTest.php b/test/Faker/Provider/BaseTest.php
index 833dc6a7..221b7826 100644
--- a/test/Faker/Provider/BaseTest.php
+++ b/test/Faker/Provider/BaseTest.php
@@ -34,6 +34,24 @@ class BaseTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 		$this->assertTrue(BaseProvider::randomNumber(3) < 1000);
 	}
 
+	public function testRandomNumberAcceptsMinMax()
+	{
+		$min = 5;
+		$max = 6;
+
+		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual($min, BaseProvider::randomNumber($min, $max));
+		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(BaseProvider::randomNumber($min, $max), $max);
+	}
+
+	public function testNumberBetween()
+	{
+		$min = 5;
+		$max = 6;
+
+		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual($min, BaseProvider::numberBetween($min, $max));
+		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(BaseProvider::numberBetween($min, $max), $max);
+	}
+
 	public function testRandomLetterReturnsString()
 	{
 		$this->assertTrue(is_string(BaseProvider::randomLetter()));
diff --git a/test/Faker/Provider/LoremTest.php b/test/Faker/Provider/LoremTest.php
index c9a59dd6..e8b9a60e 100644
--- a/test/Faker/Provider/LoremTest.php
+++ b/test/Faker/Provider/LoremTest.php
@@ -65,6 +65,28 @@ class LoremTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
 		$this->assertGreaterThan(1, strlen($paragraph));
 		$this->assertGreaterThanOrEqual(1, count(explode(' ', $paragraph)));
 	}
+
+	public function testWordssAsText()
+	{
+		$words = TestableLorem::words(2, true);
+
+		$this->assertEquals('word word', $words);
+	}
+
+	public function testSentencesAsText()
+	{
+		$sentences = TestableLorem::sentences(2, true);
+
+		$this->assertEquals('This is a test sentence. This is a test sentence.', $sentences);
+	}
+
+	public function testParagraphsAsText()
+	{
+		$paragraphs = TestableLorem::paragraphs(2, true);
+
+		$expected = "This is a test paragraph. It has three sentences. Exactly three.\n\nThis is a test paragraph. It has three sentences. Exactly three.";
+		$this->assertEquals($expected, $paragraphs);
+	}
 }
 
 class TestableLorem extends Lorem