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bc11af47-83ff-4246-9113-170e5e03e9e9.txt
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en
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Bill Bryson
I was born in the United States but I have written several travel books about England. I lived there with my wife and four children for 20 years, but for the last three years we have lived in the United States. Our children are now learning about life in the United States. I'm sure they will be happier because they have lived in two countries. I like Britain and I want to return, but my daughter, Felicity, is going to start college here soon, so it won't be for another four years.
I have just been to England for six weeks to work on a radio programme about the English language and also to talk about the book I've just written. Most writers don't like doing this; they don't like travelling around the country, selling their book. I don't mind it. I like visiting new places and meeting lots of people. It's very different from the life I have in the United States when I'm writing. In England, people drove me around in big cars and I stayed in expensive hotels. It was good because I didn't have to pay any bills. Everyone was kind to me and it was fun.
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bcd7f3a3-d6a9-4b56-bef3-2ed4a5789b78.txt
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en
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A2
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Bollywood
'Bollywood', which is the name of the film industry in Mumbai, India, makes almost 1,000 films a year. Since making its first film in 1913, Bollywood has made over 29,000 films. This is a much higher number than the USA and means it is the biggest film industry in the world. Most Indians like watching films better than any other free-time activity and ten million of them go to the cinema every day. Bollywood films tell romantic love stories, and singing and dancing are an important part of every film. Indian films are also enjoyed outside India. Last year, Bollywood made over $500 million by selling its films to other countries.
Indian actors make more films each year than American actors in Hollywood, but they are not paid as much. This is why most Bollywood films only cost about $2 million to make. A Hollywood film is never made for under $5 million.
Most Bollywood actors are young. They work hard but only for a few years. Amitabh Bachchan, who some people say is India's greatest actor, is different. He has been the star of more than 140 films during an acting career of almost 40 years.
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bdd7c8cd-a59e-4321-aab4-ea32d566455e.txt
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The old man on the ground did not move again. He was dead. John Canty kicked the door of his family's room and it opened.
' There,' he said to his wife. ' There is your dear son. How much money do you think that he has got for us ? I will tell you. Not one penny ! And now he is mad, too. Listen to this.' Canty turned to Edward. 'Boy, who are you? '
Edward looked at him angrily. ' I give orders, not you. But I will answer you. My name is Edward, Prince of Wales.'
Nobody spoke for a minute. Then the old grandmother laughed loudly. Her son laughed too. But Tom's mother and sisters ran to him.
'Oh, my poor boy,' said Tom's mother. She looked at the cuts on his face and feet. She put her arms round him. 'You are always reading and learning. Why didn't you listen to your mother ? Your books are making you ill.'
'Please don't cry, Mrs Canty. Your son is well. He is at Westminster Palace. Take me there now and we will find him.'
'Oh, poor child ! I am your mother. I love you. Don't say these things.'
It was not funny but Tom's grandmother laughed again.
'Poor child ! Hah! I am poor, not him. He never thinks about his poor old grandmother. Here I am at the end of my life - a life of hard work. I only want a little drink sometimes. I am not asking for much. And then he comes home with no money.'
'No money - no food,' said John Canty to Edward, and he pushed him hard to the floor.
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beee6e4c-e702-4b96-8fbb-84ab5fe5ee5f.txt
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On this trip, Buck only liked one thing. He liked to sit by the fire at night, before he went to bed. He often thought about Curly and his fight with Spitz. Sometimes he remembered Mr. Miller's house in California. But he wasn't sad. He didn't want to go back to Mr. Miller's big house and the warm sun. He had a new home now, and a new life. This life was hard, but good. After many more days and nights, they arrived in Dawson. Now the dogs were very tired. They were very thin, and they wanted a long rest. But they only had two days' rest, and then they had to start again. The dogs couldn't run fast, and the men weren't happy. And it snowed every day, so the sledge got heavier and heavier. It was the dogs' third trip back to Skaguay. And day after day, they got weaker and weaker. Dave had the biggest problem. Sometimes the sledge stopped suddenly, and Dave cried with pain. The men looked at him carefully, but they couldn't find the problem. Something was wrong inside Dave, but they couldn't help him. After three days, Dave was very weak, and he fell to the ground in his harness many times. The Scottish man stopped the sledge and took him out of his harness. He wanted to give Dave a rest, but this made the dog angry. Dave was in a lot of pain, but he had a job.
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c0d4a644-0e6f-4194-ac8f-0f5249f6ecd1.txt
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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THE OSTRICH
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world, and an adult can be more than 90 kilos. Most wild ostriches live in southern Africa, but there are only a few of them left. Like all birds, ostriches have wings, but they cannot fly. They use their wings to help them turn when they are running. Ostriches can run very fast, from 65 to 90 kilometres an hour, so it is very difficult for other animals to catch them.
Baby ostriches are the same size as chickens and take about 3 years to become adults. Ostriches eat plants and can live for many days without water.
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c17f5c0d-23e0-4249-8b48-9fa19b6558b2.txt
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' My chain ? ' said Scrooge. ' What chain ? '
'You too are making a chain in your life,' said Marley's ghost. 'Your chain was as heavy and as long as this one when I died.'
'What? '
'And in the next seven years you made it heavier and longer.'
'Don't tell me more,' said Scrooge. ' I'm afraid. Make me happier. Talk about something different.'
' I can't,' the ghost answered. ' I can't stay here. I have to go to a new place, always a new place. In life I worked and worked. I was always in the office. I never stopped making money. But now I have to go to many sad places. Always a new place - every day, every minute.'
'Dead for seven years ! ' thought Scrooge. 'And never in one place ! '
'Yes, all the time,' said the ghost. ' I am always moving. Never happy. This time of the year is the worst. Why, in the past, did I turn my eyes away when I walked near people ? Why didn't I look at the poor homes? Why didn't I help poor people ? Listen to me ! '
' I will,' said Scrooge. ' I will ! But don't be angry with me ! '
' I sat next to you many times in the days after I died.'
This was not a nice thought for Scrooge. ' I am here tonight,'
the ghost said, 'because I have to tell you something. I can help you.'
'You were always a good friend to me,' said Scrooge. 'Thank you.'
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c5d4763e-abb3-46dc-bbf6-ad132da0b358.txt
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But suddenly, Magua jumped up and ran into the woods.
"He's only one man-he can go. We won't stop him now," said Hawkeye.
"You saved us," the two girls cried. "Thank you, thank you!"
Uncas and Heyward looked at the two sisters and they felt happy.
"How did you find us?" Heyward asked Hawkeye, a little later. "We didn't go a long way down the river. We couldn't leave you, so we watched from across the river."
"Did you see everything?" asked Heyward.
"No, but we heard," answered Hawkeye. "We have to go north now. We have to find Fort William Henry. Let's go! It's dangerous here and more Hurons will come."
Heyward, Alice, Cora, Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas went quickly through the woods. The sisters were very quiet and afraid. Everybody was tired, but they got to the top of the mountain and looked down. From there they saw Fort William Henry, and across the river were Montcalm's men-about 10,000 of them.
"There's your father's fort," said Hawkeye.
"Let's go to him!" said Cora.
"You aren't afraid to die?" asked Hawkeye. "The French and the Hurons will kill us."
They went slowly down the mountain. The weather was very bad and they couldn't see much.
At the bottom of the mountain, they stopped. Hawkeye and the Mohicans left the woods and looked around. They came back quickly.
"We can't walk through there," said Hawkeye.
"Can we walk around them?" asked Heyward.
"I think we can. Let's go," answered Hawkeye.
Suddenly, somebody shouted in French, "Who's there? Stop!" and guns fired at them.
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c7b9062b-fcd5-4a4f-b4cd-6c2b1d1df9df.txt
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en
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REBECCCA STEVENS
Rebecca Stevens was the first woman to climb Mount Everest. Before she went up the highest mountain in the world, she was a journalist and lived in a small flat in south London.
In 1993, Rebecca left her job and her family and travelled to Asia with some other climbers. She found that life on Everest is hard. 'You must carry everything on your back,' she explained, 'so you can only take things that you will need. You can't wash on the mountain, and in the end I didn't even take a toothbrush. I am usually a clean person but there is no water, only snow. Water is very heavy so you only take enough to drink!'
When Rebecca reached the top of Mount Everest on May 17 1993, it was the best moment of her life. Suddenly she became famous.
Now she has written a book about the trip and people often ask her to talk about it. She has a new job too, on a science programme on television.
Rebecca is well known today and she has more money, but she still lives in the little flat in south London among her pictures and books about mountains!
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cbe1daf2-c9e5-45e7-89c1-d7580807cd2c.txt
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I pulled my woolen hat down tighter and enjoyed the smell of wood and smoke from the small fire in front of me. I was back in Nepal after almost a year, and I felt good. The quietness of the Himalayan morning was very different from the noise and dirty air of Beijing.
I was now living in Beijing, and I was a business director for Microsoft in China. I was excited by my new job, but there were already problems with life in Beijing. The city was very cold and there was no space in the city for running or cycling, and I had a bad cough from the unclean air.
But this morning in Nepal I felt good. After breakfast, my father and I continued to climb up the narrow path to Bahundanda. We were followed by eight yaks, each one with a big box of books on its back, and their driver. The sun was hot as we climbed the steep path. The yaks were a long way behind us, so I stopped at a small river.
As I was washing my face, someone sat next to me. I looked up and saw a young Nepalese man. He was drinking from the icy water. "Namaste," he greeted me with a very friendly smile. "Kasto Cha," I replied. ("How are you?")
"Today, sir, I am very happy. Today is a very big day for our village. A man is coming today with books for our school. We do not know how many, and we do not know his nationality. I think he is from Holland. Our students are waiting. I am going there now to greet his arrival."
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d0c88908-cca7-48b6-acf5-8af567dae34e.txt
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ESTHER'S STORY
When Esther left school at the age of sixteen, her aunt Flory gave her £500 for her birthday. Most of Esther's friends decided to go to college, but Esther used her aunt's money to start her own business. She bought fruit, sugar and some glass jars and began making her own jam. She sold the jam for £1 a jar to her friends and she soon doubled her aunt's £500.
At first, her parents didn't want Esther to spend her time making jam and they thought that she should study instead. They hoped that one day she would be a teacher or a doctor. But Esther didn't listen to them. She just kept on making jam. After a few months, she started selling it to the local market. Then she started making orange juice. She sold this to a school where one of her friends worked.
After two years, her business was very large and her parents were very pleased with her. She made all kinds of food which she sold to shops and supermarkets. She was so busy that she had to get some people to work for her.
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d2ed7247-159a-428b-bce8-3e3e79c86b82.txt
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17 Green Street Camden London
29th August 2002
Dear John,
Thank you for helping me with my English. You are a very good teacher. I enjoyed my stay in Cambridge.
Now I am staying at my brother’s flat. He is studying to be a doctor. I will stay with him for two weeks and then go home to Greece.
I like London very much. We travelled to Regents Park by bus yesterday. It was very sunny and we had a good time.
Tonight, I am going to see a film with my brother and some of his friends.
I’ll write again from Greece.
Best wishes,
Kostas
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d498657a-2c53-4836-9ba0-e55649e8326f.txt
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Slowly, Gabriel went up the stairs to the Delgados' flat. The building
was dangerous, but he didn't think about that. He could hear the cries of
the child. He felt terrible. Then he felt something on the floor under his
foot. He looked down. It was his red rose. It was there, in the same place,
by the front door. A rose from another world, another life.
The door of the flat was open. Gabriel called, 'Mrs Delgado! Silvia! Are you there?'
There was no answer, but suddenly, two men ran out of the sitting-room.
The first man went down the stairs before Gabriel could stop him.
Then the other man ran past. Gabriel put out his foot and the man fell
over it. A box fell to the ground. The man didn't stop. He jumped up
and ran away.
Gabriel opened the box. There was jewellery inside it.
'Mrs. Delgado's jewellery!' he thought. 'So the thieves are busy now!'
He took the jewellery box into the flat. He looked round. The pictures
were on the walls. Silvia's camera was on the table.
'Good,' he thought. 'The thieves didn't have much time. They only took the jewellery, and I've got it now.'
Then, near one of the armchairs, he saw Silvia's dirty evening shoes. He thought for a minute. For the first time for hours, he smiled. 'She wore those shoes last night,' he thought. 'So she came back here after the earthquake. She isn't dead! She came home, and took her mother to a safe place. Oh Silvia, Silvia, you're all right!'
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d6746c25-2e5d-4f9a-9ace-8e093d7624c7.txt
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Dear Jeff,
I'm having a good holiday in Australia. When we arrived two weeks ago the weather was bad and it was cold. Now the weather is better and we go to the beach every day.
This week we are staying in Sydney but next week we went to the Great Barrier Reef. Because the water was so warm, I loved swimming there. The fish were all different here: red, yellow, purple! Australia is very beautiful. We don't want to come home!
See you at the end of September.
Sue
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Dear Mike,
I am sorry you could not come to my party yesterday. Jon told me you had a very bad cold and you decided to stay in bed. Are you feeling better now?
It was a very good party; the nicest I have ever had! Lots of my friends were there and they gave me some lovely presents. I will tell you more about the party when you come to school on Monday.
Love,
Lorenzo
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Visit the Edinburgh Festival!
Every year, thousands of people come to Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, to be part of the Edinburgh Festival. For three weeks every August and September the city is filled with actors and artists from all over the world. They come to Edinburgh for the biggest arts festival in Britain. During this time the streets of the city are alive with music and dance from early morning until late at night. You can even see artists painting pictures on the streets. One of the best parts of the Festival is the 'Fringe', where students do comedy shows in small halls and cafes.
Tens of thousands of tourists come to the Festival to see new films and plays and hear music played by famous musicians. This year, you can see over five hundred performances with actors from more than forty countries.
The tickets for these performances are quite cheap and it is usually easier to see your favourite star in Edinburgh than it is in London. So come to Edinburgh next summer, but remember it can be difficult to find a room, so why not book your hotel now!
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Plates were filled, and coffee and tea were poured. They talked about news from abroad and the world of sport. Nobody spoke about the island.
When breakfast ended, Dr Armstrong moved his chair back a little. 'I have a sad piece of news. Mrs Rogers is dead. She died in her sleep.' There were cries of surprise around the table.
'Oh no! That's terrible!' said Vera, 'Two deaths on the island!' 'What happened?' asked Mr Justice Wargrave. 'I'm not sure,' said Armstrong.
'She seemed very nervous,' Vera said. 'Perhaps her heart failed?'
Suddenly Emily Brent's voice filled the room.
'Fear! She died of fear! You all saw her yesterday. She was accused of murdering that old lady, with her husband. I think that accusation was true. She was judged - and then she died!' Everyone looked at Emily Brent in surprise. She looked back at them with shining eyes. 'It's what I believe,' she said.
'My dear lady,' said the judge quietly, 'a court of law is where we judge criminals. Your suggestion is impossible.'
Emily Brent turned away. Blore said, 'What did she eat and drink before bed last night? A cup of tea?
Water?' 'Rogers says that she had nothing,' answered Dr Armstrong.
'Ah!' said Blore 'Rogers says that, does he?'
The doctor looked at him and Philip Lombard said, 'So, that's your idea?'
'Why not?' said Blore. 'We all heard that accusation last night. Maybe it was a lie, but maybe not. Maybe it was true. Rogers and his wife killed the old lady and they've felt quite safe and happy about it.
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dad54ed4-4ead-4999-aba4-a1527307dc9d.txt
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Snowboarding
Victoria Jamieson from Britain started snowboarding at 20. She is now 23 and has won many competitions in this sport. We spoke to her when she was at a snowboarding competition last week in Switzerland and asked her why she started the sport.
'I've always liked all kinds of sports, especially skiing, and it seemed natural to start snowboarding. It doesn't take long to learn and you can become really good in a few months.'
We asked her if she had to do a lot of practice. 'Well, in winter I snowboard in the mountains every day from 8.30 a.m. until 4 p.m. I also run and go biking. But I just love doing it all! I like the competitions and being in the mountains. It's so beautiful. But free-riding, that's doing what you want when you're not in a competition, is the best thing in the world for me.'
We asked her what is important when you're learning. 'You can learn quickly but you need lessons. It's also important to have the right clothes so you don't get wet because, to begin with, you spend a lot of time falling down!'
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'That's a mistake, my friend,' said the innkeeper. 'Most knights go on
journeys with a squire. The squire carries the knight's money and clean clothes.
You have to get a squire. And always take money with you on your journeys.'
'Thank you. I'll remember that. And now I'll get ready for tomorrow.
It's a very important day for me.' Don Quixote put his suit of armour down in front of the inn. Then he walked up and down. Sometimes he stopped and looked at his suit of armour. Then he started to walk again. Visitors to the hotel watched out of their windows and laughed at him. After some time, a man arrived at the inn with his donkeys.
The animals were tired, hungry and thirsty after a long journey, so the man moved Don Quixote's suit of armour. 'Stop! Why are you moving a brother knight's armour? Don't you know that is wrong?' Don Quixote called angrily.
'What's happening here?' the man with the donkeys asked. 'Are you trying to be funny?' He kicked the armour away from the door. 'Help me, Dulcinea del Toboso!' Don Quixote shouted. Then he ran at the man with his lance and hit him on the head very hard. The man fell to the ground and didn't move. Don Quixote put his
suit of armour next to the door again and watched it carefully. But half an hour later, another man arrived with his donkeys.
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BICYCLES
The bicycle is a cheap and clean way to travel. The first bicycle was made about one hundred and fifty years ago.
At first bicycles were expensive. Only rich people could buy one. These early bicycles looked very different from the ones we have today. Later, when bicycles became cheaper, many people bought one. People started riding bicycles to work and in their free time.
Today, people use cars more than bicycles; cars are much faster and you don't get wet when it rains! But some people still prefer to cycle to work. They say that there are too many cars in town centres and you can't find anywhere to park!
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HOWARD BONNIER
Bray is a beautiful village about fifty kilometres west of London. A young Englishman named Howard Bonnier opened a restaurant called The Palace there about three and a half months ago. Not many people in Britain know Mr Bonnier's name yet, but he's already quite famous in France. This is because he has written in French magazines about almost all the best restaurants in that country. He's only 29 years old.
When Howard was a teenager, he often went to restaurants with his mother and father. He liked doing this so much that he decided not to buy lots of clothes and CDs; instead, he used his money to visit France and eat in good restaurants. He also bought a lot of French and English cookbooks - he says he has more than two hundred and fifty!
So why did he decide to open a restaurant? Simply because he loves cooking. Has it been an easy thing to do? He says it's expensive to start your own restaurant and it's much more difficult to cook for fifty people than to cook for your family, but he's sure he's done the right thing.
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Claire sat down in a chair. Then she saw something in the corner of the room. 'You've got a Christmas tree!' Aunt Min smiled. 'The day after tomorrow is Christmas Day, remember,' she said. 'I brought it in from the garden and put it up when you went for your walk. Do you like it?'
'Yes!' said Claire, laughing now.
'There are some lights to go on it,' said Aunt Min. 'I think they're in the little room at the top of the stairs. Perhaps you can look for them in the morning.'
'OK,' said Claire. The next morning Claire went up to the little room at the top of the stairs. There were a lot of boxes in the room, two old chairs, a desk with a broken leg and a big cupboard. The Christmas tree lights were in the cupboard. Claire found them easily. She saw some books at the back of the cupboard. Most of them were stories, but then Claire found a very old book. It was small and thin, and she read the words on the front of it: The Story of Genny Castle.
'Did you find the lights, Claire?' Aunt Min called from the bottom of the stairs.
'Yes,' Claire said.
She put the book inside her shirt. 'I don't want Aunt Min to know that I have it,' she thought. 'Why?' But she did not have an answer to her question.
Later that morning she went to her bedroom and began to look at the book. There were pictures of the castle and stories about people. These people lived at the castle many years ago. Some were famous, some were good, and some were bad.
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Gwendolen [taking out her glasses]: You are here on a short visit?
Cecily: Oh no! I live here.
Gwendolen [looking at Cecily carefully through her glasses]: Really? With your mother?
Cecily: Oh no! I have no family. I live here with my governess, Miss Prism, and my guardian, Mr Worthing.
Gwendolen [now shocked]: Mr Worthing is your guardian? He did not say anything to me about you. Every day he is more interesting. I liked you from the first minute, Cecily, but you are very pretty. And you are very young. Ernest is a strong, good man, of course, but pretty young girls always make men weak.
Cecily [also now surprised]: Excuse me, Gwendolen, but Mr Ernest Worthing isn't my guardian. His brother, Mr Jack Worthing, is my guardian.
Gwendolen: Ernest did not tell me about a brother.
Cecily [sadly]: They are not good friends.
Gwendolen: Ah! Now I understand. And now I feel better. We can stay good friends. Mr Ernest Worthing is not your guardian. Cecily: No, he isn't my guardian. We are engaged!
Gwendolen [standing up]: Dear Cecily, I think that you are making a mistake. Mr Ernest Worthing is engaged to me. It will be in the weekend newspapers.
Cecily [standing up]: Excuse me, Gwendolen, but you are making a mistake. Ernest asked me this morning. [She shows Gwendolen her notebook.]
Gwendolen [reading the notebook]: This is very strange. He asked me yesterday afternoon at five thirty. [She takes out her notebook.] I never leave home without my notebook. I always want to read something interesting on the train. Dear Cecily, I am sorry but my engagement comes before yours.
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23 Oak Avenue Manchester
Dear Sir or Madam,
I would like a room at your hotel for three nights from September 15th to 17th.
I’d like a single room with a shower. I also need a telephone in my room. Please can I have a quiet room on the ground floor?
I am going to drive to the hotel. Is there a hotel car park?
I will arrive at about 10.30 p.m. What time does the restaurant close in the evening? If possible, I would like a meal when I arrive.
Thank you for your help.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Jones
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TO ALL STUDENTS:
Would you like to come on a camping trip this weekend?
We are going to go to the forest in the school bus and we will stay at a camp-site from Friday to Sunday. It has hot showers and a small shop and you can rent bicycles there.
The trip costs £25. It is very cold there at night, so you should take warm clothes and you will need to wear strong shoes.
If you want yo come, tell me today.
Ahmed,
Student Secretary
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Lou took Nicky's bag and paid the taxi driver. The taxi drove away.
Nicky followed Lou to the shop and they went inside. There was a man in the shop. He looked up and saw Nicky and Lou. Then he smiled.
'How are you, Lou?' the man said.
'I'm OK,' Lou said, smiling. 'But Mrs Brady isn't happy with you, Sam.'
'Not happy?' said Sam. 'Why?'
'Last week's meat was bad,' Lou said. 'We couldn't use it. Mrs Brady had to throw it away. She was very angry.'
'But I don't understand,' Sam said. 'It was good meat-'
'Ha!' Lou laughed. 'Good? Mrs Brady didn't call it that! I want to see today's meat.'
'Of course! Of course!' Sam said. 'Come out to the back, Lou. Come and see it. We only send the best meat to Mrs Brady.'
Lou went with Sam. 'Wait there, Nicky,' he said. 'I won't be long.'
Lou and Sam went through a door at the back of the shop. Then Nicky was alone. The sun came in through a window. The room got hotter and hotter. Nicky got hotter and hotter. He began to feel ill.
'I've got to go outside,' he thought. 'I can wait for Lou there.' He went out into the street.
Three boys were at the other end of the street. They were older than Nicky. They kicked a ball and shouted. There were two motorbikes near them. One was yellow. The other was black and had an open sidecar.
Nicky watched the young men. Then an old woman came out of a building.
'Go away!' she shouted at them.
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WORKING FOR AN AIRLINE
Nicola Peet left school at eighteen, went to college and then worked at a local airport. After nine months, she went to work for Saudi Arabian Airlines and then she joined British Airways as an air hostess. Four years later, she got her present job as a manager.
This is what she told us about her job:
'My office is at Heathrow Airport, but I spend 60% of my time in the air. I teach air hostesses and help them with any problems. I also go to lots of meetings.
My hours are usually from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. but sometimes I work from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. At work, the first thing I do is check plane times on my computer and then I speak with some of the air hostesses.
Sometimes I go on long flights to check how the air hostesses are doing. That's my favourite part of the job, but I like office work, too. Travelling can be hard work. When I get back from a long journey, all I can do is eat something and then go to bed! I don't earn much money, but I'm happy with British Airways and want to stay there and continue to travel.'
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f46cefe7-d213-40ab-893b-99f9ee257f67.txt
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en
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Gandhi went to many different places in India and he met thousands of ordinary people. He went everywhere by train. He always sat in third class because he remembered South Africa.
A famous Indian writer and holy man, Tagore, had a school. Gandhi met him there in 1915 when he visited the school. The students played music and danced. They wore flowers and they didn't do much work. Life at the school was beautiful. Tagore gave his new friend a new name-"Mahatma Gandhi."
After a year, Gandhi talked to Indian leaders. "Wear Indian clothes-make jobs for Indians," he told them. "Meet ordinary people. Speak their languages, not English. They don't understand English. They live in the country and they are poor. They don't go to school. We want to change India. First we have to understand the country and know the people."
Gandhi started an ashram next to the Sabarmati River, near Ahmedabad. Money for the ashram came from rich families in Bombay and Ahmedabad. At the beginning, about thirty people lived there. Later, there were 230. Gandhi wanted to show India a simple way of life without machines.
There were many Hindus in India. But not all Hindus were the same. There were different classes. In the highest class were the holy men. Then there were the soldiers. Next came the farmers-this was Gandhi's class. And at the bottom, there were "Untouchables." They did the dirty jobs. They cleaned the streets. Other Hindus didn't want to talk to Untouchables.
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BEARS
The bear can be a dangerous animal. The adult bear is very strong and it can kill a person. Bears are good at climbing trees and they can run very fast. But they cannot see well and, like most animals, they find food by using their noses.
There are seven kinds of bear: The largest is the white polar bear, which is almost three metres tall. There are two kinds of black bear: One lives in the forests of North America, and the other lives in South-East Asia. But not all black bears are black. They may be dark brown or a reddish brown.
Everyone loves the black and white panda bear, which comes from China. Not many pandas live in the forest today because it is difficult to find food.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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John Pickering
In a park in a small town in central England, John Pickering cuts the grass and waters the flowers. But all last week he was in Tokyo and millions of Japanese people watched the thirty-five-year-old gardener on television because John is the number one singer in Japan at the moment. John visited Japan a few months ago to sing in dance clubs in Osaka and Nagoya. A disc jockey heard his songs and played them on his radio show. Hundreds of young people phoned the radio and asked the disc jockey to play the songs once more.
John, who uses the name Jon Otis when he sings in Japan, is not going to stop working in the park in England. He does not know yet how much he will earn from his music. 'I must keep my job in the park,' he says. 'I still have to pay my bills!' The other gardeners do not know that he is famous in Japan. They've never even heard him sing.
John's wife, Denise, a hospital worker, says, 'This will not change the way we live. I only know John Pickering, not Jon Otis!'
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Then one day, about a month after the fight between Marian and Robin, Will Scarlet told them an interesting story.
'People in the village of River Dale are talking about a fat friar,' he said. 'They say he came to the village last month. Now he lives near the river. For one penny, he will take people across the river in his boat. When poor people cannot pay, he carries them across on his back ! People say he loves good food and a good fight. He is a very strange friar, I think.'
' And I think that man is Friar Tuck,' laughed Marian. ' Robin, please go to River Dale and bring him back with you.'
Robin and Will Scarlet walked with Marian to her uncle's house and then went back through the forest to the village of River Dale.
'Wait here, Will,' said Robin. 'Marian says the friar is a strong man and very brave. I'd like to try him!'
Robin then walked to the river and looked across it. He saw the friar's little house, and his boat.
'Good friar,' he called, 'where are you? Will you take me in your boat ? I have some money and I can pay you well.'
Friar Tuck came out of the house and got into the boat. He came quickly across the river.
'Show me your money first,' said the friar. ' Then you can get in.'
He jumped from the boat to dry ground and held out his hand. Robin gave him a penny and walked to the boat. But he didn't get in. He pushed the boat and it moved slowly away, down the river.
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ff943fa9-dc9e-4802-b762-8ed9cbc4e688.txt
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Dear Jacqueline,
Would you like to come to the cinema with me after school today? We can go to see Pocahontas at the ABC cinema. The film starts at 6 o'clock. Shall we meet outside the cinema?
Love,
Isabella
Dear Isabella,
I am very sorry but I can't go to the cinema this evening. My mother has some work, and I am going to cook dinner. Why don't you invite Karen to go? I hope you like the film. You can tell me about it tomorrow.
Love,
Jacqueline
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text_1.txt
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Next day, Marilla didn't tell Anne about her conversation with Matthew. She gave Anne a lot of work in the kitchen.
"Marilla," said Anne excitedly, "I have to know about my future. Please tell me. Are you going to send me away?"
"No," said Marilla. "You can stay at Green Gables with Matthew and me. But you have to be good."
Anne started to cry.
"Why are you crying?" asked Marilla in surprise. "Don't you want to stay with us? Don't you like Green Gables?"
"Oh, yes, Marilla!" cried Anne. "I like it very much. I'm crying because I'm very happy. And I'll always be good."
Some days later, Mrs. Lynde came to tea with Marilla. When she arrived, Anne was outside. Marilla and Mrs. Lynde sat in the kitchen and talked.
"I think you're making a mistake," said Mrs. Lynde. "You don't know anything about children."
"No, but I can learn," said Marilla.
Anne ran into the kitchen. She saw Mrs. Lynde and stopped.
"The Cuthberts didn't take you for your pretty face!" Mrs. Lynde said. "She's very thin, Marilla. And her hair is as red as carrots! Come here, child. I want to see you."
Anne ran across the kitchen and stood in front of Mrs. Lynde. Her face was red and angry. "I hate you!" she cried. "I hate you- I hate you!"
"Anne!" cried Marilla.
"You're a very rude woman," Anne told Mrs. Lynde. "And you're fat!"
"Anne, go to your room!" said Marilla. "Wait for me there!"
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text_2.txt
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en
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Faisal was a rich young man of Baghdad. He lived in a large house with many servants. But he didn't have a wife. He wasn't interested in love.
One day Faisal went for a walk in the streets of the city. He saw a lot of young girls in front of him. He didn't want to meet them, so he turned into a small street. He looked up and saw a beautiful young girl at a window. From that minute, Faisal was in love.
Then a man on a horse came into the street. He had many servants with him. He stopped outside the girl's house and went inside.
'Is that her father?' Faisal thought.
He went home, but he couldn't eat or sleep. He thought about the girl. Who was she? He had to know.
An old woman worked in Faisal's house. She asked, 'What's wrong with you, sir? Are you ill?'
'No,' answered Faisal.' But I'm in love.' He told the old woman about the girl at the window.
'I know that girl,' said the old woman.' She's the daughter of a judge. Her father is a very important man.'
'How can I meet her?' asked Faisal.
'Listen,' said the old woman. 'I know the people in the girl's house. I'll speak to the girl about you. She'll listen to me.'
The old woman went to the house and spoke to the girl about Faisal. The girl listened. She was very interested.
'I would like to meet this young man,' she said.
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text_3.txt
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The picture on the right shows what the Earth looks like from space. Can you see the continent of Africa? About 70% of the surface is covered with water. Most of the water is in the oceans and seas. But there is also a lot of water in rivers and lakes, and even under the ground. The north and south poles are covered with ice, which is frozen water. The south pole is the white area at the bottom of the picture. The clouds in the sky are made of tiny drops of water. Water is the most important liquid in the world!
We could not survive without water. We need water to drink and to cook our food. We use it to wash and to keep ourselves clean and healthy. Many people eat fish, which are caught in the sea or in lakes or rivers. We need water to grow our crops. In fact, all the animals and plants, on which we depend for our food, clothing and shelter, need water to survive. Modern man also uses huge amounts of water in his many different industries.
Water is the most important liquid in the world. But water can also be a solid, or even a gas. (a) What different names do we give to water when it is a solid and when it is a gas? (b) Where would you expect to find water that is solid and water that is a gas?
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text_4.txt
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Britain ruled British North America. When more English people started arriving, the French people became afraid of losing their language and way of living. The Aboriginal peoples were also unhappy about living on special lands set aside for them. Their way of living also was in danger of being lost. Many people wanted change.
Before 1867, Canada was called British North America (BNA). It was not a country. It was divided into areas called colonies. A colony is an area under the control of another country. Britain was the mother country of these colonies. It defended its colonies in British North America and had a special trade relationship with them. In this unit, you will learn the story of how the colonies of British North America joined together to become the country of Canada. This joining together of colonies into a country is called Confederation.
Before Confederation, British North America had six different colonies. There were also other areas under the control of the British government but they were not colonies. We can study these colonies and areas better by dividing them into regions. A region is an area of land that has a similar geography, people and activities. Different colonies in the same region often had similar ideas and ways of living. These ideas and ways of living were different from people that lived in other regions. You will be reading about what life was like in the colonies in five different regions of Canada.
Who were the different groups of people living in the colonies of British North America? The three largest groups were the English, the French, and the Aboriginal peoples.
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Cherry Tree Lane is a nice London street. On one side there are houses, on the other there is a park. The cherry trees go dancing right in the middle. Number Seventeen is the smallest house in the street. The Banks live in this house. They are six - Mr. and Mrs. Banks and their four children - Jane, Michael and the twins - Barbara and John. Mrs. Banks has a lot of housework and she has a nurse to help with the children. But one day their nurse left them and Mrs. Bank didn't know what to do.
"Write to the newspaper," said Mr. Banks, "and the nurses will come. I'm sorry, but now I must go to work."
He kissed his wife on her nose and went away to the City. The City was a place where Mr. Banks went every day. There he sat at a large desk and made money. He was very busy with it. And he brought some money home in his little black bag. Sometimes he gave some to Jane and Michael, but sometimes he didn't and said: "The Bank is broken."
When Mr. Banks went to work, Mrs. Banks began to write letters to the newspapers.
Upstairs in the Nursery, Jane and Michael were waiting for their father. It was a windy evening and the East Wind was blowing through the cherry trees.
"Look! The trees are dancing!" cried Jane.
"That's Daddy there!" said Michael.
"That's not Daddy," she said. "It's somebody else."
It was a woman with a hat on and a bag in her right hand. Suddenly a strange thing happened. The wind lifted her up and brought her to the garden door. When the woman opened it, the wind lifted her again and carried her to the front door.
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text_11.txt
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Wendy, John and Michael Darling live in a lovely house in London. They have got a big, sunny nursery. There are colourful pictures and a big clock on the wall. There are toys here and there. The Darlings are a happy family. Mr Darling and Mrs Darling love their children very much. Wendy is the first child, John is the second and Michael is the third.
The children's nanny is called Nana and she is a big Newfoundland dog! Her kennel is in the nursery and she is a wonderful nanny. She loves the children and the children love her.
One evening Mr and Mrs Darling want to go to a dinner party. They have their best clothes on.
'Nana, it's time to put the children to bed,' says Mrs Darling.
Nana goes to the bathroom. She turns on the hot water for Michael's bath. She puts her paw in the water to check the temperature. It's perfect!
'I don't want to have a bath!' says little Michael.
But Nana is a firm nanny and Michael has his bath.
Then Nana gives the children their pyjamas. Now they are ready for bed.
Mrs Darling comes into the nursery and smiles. 'Good work, Nana! I see the children are ready for bed.' Nana wags her big tail.
Suddenly there is a noise. Mrs Darling sees a young boy outside the nursery window. She is very surprised. Nana barks and shuts the window quickly. The boy's shadow falls on the floor. The young boy flies away. 'Who's there?' asks Mrs Darling. She opens the window and looks outside, but she sees nothing. Then she sees the boy's shadow on the floor and says, 'Poor boy, this is his shadow. Let's put it in the drawer.'
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text_12.txt
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Otto Lidenbrock is the famous professor of geology at the University of Hamburg, in Germany. He is also my uncle. He is sixty-five years old, not very tall, with grey hair. He wears small round gold glasses that make him look very serious.
I'm Axel. I'm only nineteen and the professor's personal assistant. I watch my uncle very carefully when he works. That's why I know so much about our planet - Earth.
My uncle, the professor, is a hard worker. He spends most of his day in his laboratory at the University, so he never comes home before two o'clock for lunch. But yesterday, he came home very early. This surprised Martha, our cook. The poor old girl did not have the lunch ready and she was a little upset.
"Professor, you're early!"
"Never mind, Martha. I don't want lunch today."
"But, professor, you must eat!" The professor looked excited.
"Martha, food is not important." Then he turned to me. "Axel, come with me."
He took me into his library. It was a big room with lots of bookcases against the walls and heavy velvet curtains in front of the windows. In the middle of the room, there was a desk where my uncle spent most of his evenings.
He took an old book out of his coat pocket. He looked at me.
"Axel, look at this! Look at this!"
I took it from his hand. Its cover was hard and it looked very old.
"Why, what is it professor?"
"I found it today in an old bookshop. It's seven hundred years old."
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text_13.txt
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Sailors tell a story about a big, black pirate ship. They see it sometimes when the fog is thick. The ghostly pirates on the black ship can never leave it because the ship carries a curse.
But this is only a story. There aren't really any ghosts. Or are there?
***
The Dauntless sailed slowly through the thick fog. It was a big ship, and it carried fifty guns and a hundred strong men.
Twelve-year-old Elizabeth Swann stood at the front of the ship. She was on her way to Port Royal in Jamaica. Her father was the new governor there.
"I'd like to meet a pirate," she thought. She remembered an old song:
"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me, Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life..."
Suddenly, a sailor called to her.
"Quiet, Miss!" he said. "Pirates sail this ocean. You don't want to call them to us."
"Mr. Gibbs!" Captain Norrington shouted at the old sailor. "Don't be afraid," he said to Elizabeth. "There aren't any pirates here today."
"I'm not afraid," said Elizabeth.
But she knew the stories about pirates and fog.
They looked down at the dark water. There was something there. What was it? Wood? A box?
"Look!" Elizabeth shouted to the captain.
"It's a man!" said Captain Norrington.
"No, it's not," said Elizabeth. "It's a boy. Quickly, quickly, help him! Somebody help him!"
Captain Norrington called to his men.
"Get him out!"
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text_14.txt
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Thebes, Egypt, 1290 BC.
Thebes was the city of Imhotep, the High Priest of the Dead. It was also the city of Anck-su-namun. Anck-su-namun was the Pharaoh's lover. But she loved Imhotep.
Imhotep walked into her bedroom and took the beautiful woman in his arms.
"My love for you is more important than life," he said.
Outside the bedroom door, Imhotep’s priests watched. But when Pharaoh Seti the First of Egypt walked in, they couldn't stop him.
Imhotep quickly ran into the next room. Pharaoh Seti heard something, but he didn't see him.
"Who was here?" Seti asked Anck-su-namun. "I know somebody was here, in your bedroom."
And then, the Pharaoh looked into the next room.
"Imhotep!" he said. "My High Priest!"
Anck-su-namun looked at Imhotep. They had to kill the Pharaoh before the Pharaoh and his soldiers killed them. Anck-su-namun took her knife and pushed it hard into the Pharaoh's back. The Pharaoh's eyes opened wide. Then, Imhotep took the Pharaoh's sword and killed him.
They heard something outside. The Pharaoh's soldiers - the Med-Jai - were there. But Imhotep's priests came in first. They took the Pharaoh's sword from Imhotep's hand.
"Come with us," the priests said to him. "Quick." They pulled him away from his lover.
"No!" said Imhotep. "I will stay with Anck-su-namun."
"Please go," said Anck-su-namun. "Please live. They will kill me, but you can bring me back to life. Only you, the High Priest, can do it."
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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It was the year 1757. The place was the dangerous and wild land, west of the Hudson River. It was the third year of the war in North America. The war was between England and France. Each country wanted the land for itself.
Indian tribes had always lived in that land. In the war, some tribes were fighting for the French. Other tribes were fighting for the English.
Fort Edward was on the Hudson River. General Webb was the commander of the English army at Fort Edward. He was waiting for news of General Montcalm. Montcalm was the commander of the French army.
The news came one morning. An Indian called Magua arrived.
'Montcalm and the French army are coming towards Fort William Henry,' Magua told General Webb.
Fort William Henry was fifteen miles away. It was at the south end of Lake Horican.
'How many men has Montcalm got?' asked Webb.
'As many as the leaves on the trees,' said Magua. 'General Munro wants more soldiers at Fort William Henry.'
'I will send fifteen hundred men,' said General Webb.
General Munro was the commander of the English army at Fort William Henry. He had two daughters - Cora and Alice. Cora was about twenty-three years old and Alice was eighteen. Cora had dark hair and a beautiful face, Alice had fair hair and blue eyes.
These two young women were at Fort Edward. But they were going to travel to Fort William Henry. They were going to meet their father.
General Webb spoke to Cora and Alice.
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text_16.txt
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en
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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My name is Doctor Watson. I am writing this story about my friend, Mr Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective.
Sherlock Holmes lives at 221B Baker Street, in the middle of London. My story begins in Baker Street, one morning in 1889, when a man knocked on the door.
I heard the man say, 'Mr Holmes? My name is Dr Mortimer. I need your help.'
'Come in,' said Holmes. 'How can I help you?' 'I have a strange story to tell you, Mr Holmes,' said Dr Mortimer. 'My story is very strange. Perhaps you will not believe me.'
Dr Mortimer sat down. Sherlock Holmes and I listened to his story.
'I am a doctor and I work in the country,' said Dr Mortimer. 'I live and work on Dartmoor. And, as you know, Dartmoor is a large, wild place. There is only one big house on Dartmoor - Baskerville Hall. The owner of the house was Sir Charles Baskerville. I was his friend as well as his doctor.'
'I read of his death in The Times newspaper,' said Holmes.
'That was three months ago,' said Dr Mortimer. The newspaper reported his death, but it did not report all the facts.'
'Was there something strange about his death?' asked Sherlock Holmes.
'I am not certain,' said Dr Mortimer. 'There was a story about a curse on the Baskerville family. Sir Charles believed this old story.'
'A curse?' I asked. 'What do you mean?'
'Here is the story,' said Dr Mortimer. He took a large piece of paper out of his pocket. 'Please read this. It is the story of the Curse of the Baskervilles.'
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text_17.txt
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en
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Something very strange was happening to me. My head hurt, I didn't know where I was. I couldn't remember my name. I couldn't remember anything.
My eyes were closed. I tried to think. Where was I? Who was I? Someone spoke to me.
'Are you all right?' a voice asked.
I opened my eyes. It was evening and almost dark. I was sitting on a long, wooden bench in a park. A teenage boy was standing in front of me. The boy had a dog with him. I couldn't see any other people. Everywhere was quiet.
'Are you all right?' the boy repeated. 'You look strange.'
I felt strange. I sat up straight. My whole body hurt. 'What happened to me?' I asked. 'Did I have an accident?'
'I don't know,' the boy said. 'I saw you walk here and sit down.'
'I walked here!' I said, surprised.
'Yes, can't you remember? It was about five minutes ago.'
I couldn't remember anything. The boy pointed behind me. 'You came from over there,' he said.
I turned and looked where the boy was pointing. I could see some trees. Beyond the trees, a train passed by slowly.
'What's over there?' I asked.
'There's only the railway line,' the boy replied. 'But that's where you came from.'
'What place is this?' I asked.
The boy laughed. 'What do you mean?' he said. 'Don't you know?'
I didn't know.
'This is Nuneaton,' the boy said. He laughed again.
I repeated the name of the town to myself. The boy stood looking at me. My clothes were dirty. My jacket was torn.
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Dorlcote Mill was on the River Floss. The mill was a mile from the town of St Ogg's.
Edward Tulliver was the miller. He lived in the house next to the mill. The miller and his wife, Bessy Tulliver, had two children - a boy, Tom, and a girl, Maggie. Tom was eleven years old. Maggie was nine years old.
It was an afternoon in March 1828. Mrs Tulliver and Maggie were standing outside the house. They were waiting for Mr Tulliver and Tom. Tom had been away at school. He was coming back for the holidays.
'Here is the horse and cart!' Maggie shouted. 'Here is Father. Tom is with him. Tom is back from school!'
'Hello, Mother. Hello, Maggie,' said Tom.
'Oh, Tom, I'm happy to see you,' Maggie said.
'I'm happy to see you, Maggie,' Tom replied. 'I'm going to see my rabbits now.'
Maggie cried out. Her face was white. 'I've got some money, Tom,' she said. 'Buy some more rabbits.'
'More rabbits? I don't want any more rabbits.'
'Oh, Tom!' said Maggie. 'Your rabbits are all dead!'
Tom looked at Maggie. His blue eyes were angry.
'You didn't feed my rabbits, Maggie! You forgot?' Tom shouted. 'I hate you, Maggie! You are cruel!'
Maggie started to cry.
'I'm sorry, Tom,' she said. 'Don't be angry. I'm never angry with you.'
'I never do anything wrong,' said Tom. And he walked away into the garden.
Maggie ran into the house. Tom did not love her! She cried and cried.
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It was a beautiful summer evening. Paul was happy. No more exams. College was finished. Now he needed a job. He wanted to be a writer and work for a newspaper. But first he needed a rest.
It was hot in the house. There was no wind.
I'll go for a walk, said Paul to himself. I'll go down to the river.
Paul lived in a small town and he was soon outside in the country. He walked near the river and watched the water birds.
Suddenly he saw the girl. She was standing alone, looking into the water. She was young, and very beautiful. She had long dark hair, and she was wearing a pretty white dress.
Paul went up to her.
'Hello,' he said.
'What's your name?'
'I'm Maria,' she said, and she smiled at him. Paul and Maria talked for a long time. The sun went down. It was nearly dark.
'I must go home,' said Maria.
'Where do you live?' asked Paul. 'In the big white house on the hill,' said Maria. 'Where do you live?'
'In the little brown house near the market,' said Paul. They laughed. But Paul was sad. The house on the hill was big and important. Maria was rich, and he was poor. And Paul was in love.
After that, Paul and Maria often met near the river. Maria always wore beautiful clothes. She always looked lovely. Paul thought about Maria all day and every day.
One evening, Paul said, 'Listen, Maria, I've written a poem about you.'
He took a piece of paper from his pocket and read the poem.
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Suddenly he was awake. He could see the light through the curtains. Tina was still sleeping beside him. That was strange. They always woke up together. He looked at his watch. Six thirty. He tried to think. Yes, they always woke up at exactly eight o'clock. He couldn't remember waking up before eight . . . not ever. Why not? Everybody in the city woke up at exactly eight o'clock. Every day.
He got out of bed quietly. Tina didn't move. He walked to the window and opened the curtains. He looked out at the quiet city. Nothing was moving. Then he dressed quickly, and went to the chair and sat down. He had to think. He had to remember. He was still sitting there an hour and a half later when Tina opened her eyes.
'Dan,' she said, 'Dan, what are you doing?'
'I got up early,' he said. Early. It sounded strange. But why did it sound strange?
'Dan, is anything wrong?'
'Wrong? No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to get up, that's all.'
Tina dressed. She smiled brightly. 'It's time for breakfast,' she said. 'Come on, we mustn't be late.'
'Wh ...?' He was going to say, 'Why not?' But he didn't. He stood up. 'Yes, yes, it's time for breakfast. Look, you go down for breakfast. I'm not hungry today. I'll see you later.'
Tina looked at him. 'We have to go to breakfast. Are you feeling ill? I'll call the doctor.'
The doctor. Yes, he had to go to breakfast. He didn't want to see the doctor. Tina was standing by the door. She looked annoyed.
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The boat for Sifnos left very early in the morning. Because it was April there were not many people on the boat. The deck was very quiet. I sat in one chair and put my feet on another chair. The sea was very blue and it was warm in the sun. I fell asleep.
When I woke up we were passing Serifos. It's the island before Sifnos. Serifos is like Sifnos; the houses are all white and square like pieces of sugar. It's very pretty. As the boat got close to the land I could smell the plants and see the purple of the mountains.
I was very happy. I love the Greek islands, but I didn't know Sifnos. There are so many islands in Greece, you can only know a few of them. I took my guidebook out of my bag and began to read. I knew some of the history of the island already. 'Lots of places to visit,' I thought. I turned the page.
Sifnos was once very rich, the guidebook told me, because of its gold and mines. I knew that. I've seen the Treasury of Sifnos in Delphi. Many, many years ago, the Greeks thought that Delphi was the centre of the world.
'Like Stavros,' I thought. 'He often says that Greece is the centre of the world.'
Many years ago the Greeks built a great temple to the sun god Apollo in Delphi. Every year everyone in Greece had to give something to Apollo's temple in Delphi. They gave Apollo the best fruit and gold from the gold mines.
They always gave Apollo the best. The Treasury was where the people of Sifnos kept the gold which they gave to the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. They built it over two thousand years ago.
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Tony and his mother got on a bus in the middle of the town. At first they drove through streets of small, grey houses. Then the bus left the town and drove along a country road.
The bus stopped in every village. Tony saw green fields and small, quiet villages. Every house had a garden. The smell of the flowers came in through the open windows of the bus.
At last the bus stopped. Tony could see a river and an old bridge. A small road ran across the bridge, through the fields and over a hill. 'Come on, Tony,' said his mother. They got out of the bus and walked two kilometres in the hot sun. There were white and yellow flowers at the side of the road. Tony did not know their names. He wanted to know more about them. He wanted to know more about the trees too. There were no flowers or trees in his street.
He looked at the cows in the fields.
'I've never seen a real cow,' he said to himself. He watched them moving very slowly through the long, green grass. They looked big and quiet.
Tony and his mother arrived at the farmhouse and walked through the farmyard. Chickens were looking for food. A fat white cat sat on a wall and watched them with sleepy eyes.
Mr Wood came to the door and spoke to Tony's mother. 'Hullo, Betty. It's nice to see you again. Thank you for your letter. How are you?' They talked together like old friends.
Tony stood at the door. He felt lost and uncomfortable. But the farmer smiled at him.
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The next morning the four friends go to the Wizard’s room. The Scarecrow asks, "Is my brain ready?"
"Please sit down," says Oz, "First I must open your head. Then I can put your brain in the right place. Now don't move."
The little man opens a green box with the word "brain" on it. He slowly puts a brain into the Scarecrow's head.
"Now you have a brain you are a very clever Scarecrow," says Oz. "Oh, thank you!" says the Scarecrow, "I finally have a brain!"
The Tin Woodman is next. He is excited.
"Where is my heart?" he asks.
Oz goes to a big green box and takes out a beautiful red heart.
"Here is a special red heart. Wear it all the time," says Oz.
"Is it a kind heart?" asks the Tin Woodman.
"Yes, it's a very kind heart," says Oz.
'I'm very happy! Thank you!" says the Tin Woodman. "Now I can love someone."
"Now you must give me courage!'' says the Lion.
Oz gives him a green bottle with the word "courage" on it.
"Drink this!" he says to the Lion.
The Lion drinks it quickly and then smiles. "Now I feel courageous, very courageous!" says the Lion, "Thank you!"
"And what about Toto and me?" asks Dorothy quietly.
"I can take you to Kansas in my hot-air balloon," says Oz, "Come with me!"
They go into his garden and see the big hot-air balloon with a small box under it.
Oz gets into the box and says, "Come on, Dorothy! We're going to Kansas!"
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Paul wanted to see Maria. He wanted to talk to her.
'I'll go to the house on the hill,' he thought. 'Perhaps Maria will be there. '
But the house on the hill looked empty. There were no curtains at the windows. There was a big notice on the gate. It said "For Sale".
Paul looked over the gate. There was nobody in the garden. Everything was quiet.
'I'll get into the house and look round,' he thought. 'Perhaps I'll find Maria's address. Then I can write to her.'
Paul pushed open the gate, and went up the steps to the house. It was very quiet. He pushed at the front door. It was closed. He walked round the house. There was a window open.
Quickly, Paul climbed through the open window. He was excited and his heart was beating fast. He was in Maria's old home! He remembered her mother. He remembered that terrible evening. But the house was different now. There was no furniture in the room. There were no carpets and pictures. It was empty.
Paul felt a little afraid.
'Is anybody in the house?' he thought. No, he did not hear anything.
Quietly, Paul went to the door of the room and opened it. There was nobody there. He went from room to room. All the rooms were big, and they were all empty.
At last he came to a very big room. He stopped. He knew this room. He had met Maria's mother here! He remembered everything, the old woman, her hard face, the big rings on her hands...And now the old woman was dead.
Suddenly, Paul heard a noise. Somebody was inside the room! The door opened. Somebody was standing in the doorway. It was a woman.
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Most animals can move freely from place to place. They can also move different parts of their bodies. Plants do not move from place to place, but some of their parts can move slowly. The leaves and flowers of many plants turn to face the sun every day. Buds open and flowers open and close. Roots, stems and branches grow out in different directions.
Animals eat plants or other animals to stay alive. Plants also need food, but they make their own. To make food, the leaves take in carbon dioxide gas from the air, and the roots take in water and other materials from the soil.
All living things produce young ones of their own kind. This is called reproduction. Some animals reproduce by laying eggs but others produce live young. Many plants make seeds or spores from which young plants grow. In other cases, new plants may grow from the roots or stems of a parent plant.
All living things need oxygen from the air, as well as food, to obtain energy. This process is called respiration. We can see part of this process in many animals when they breathe. But in some animals, and all plants, it is much harder to observe. (We will study respiration in Chapter 6).
All living things have to get rid of waste products. This process is called excretion. Many animals excrete by urinating and in other ways. Excretion also takes place in plants but is more difficult to observe.
All living things react to the world around them. Reacting to things is called sensitivity. Animals react quickly to things they see, hear, smell or feel. Plants also respond to things around them, but only very slowly and in a more limited way.
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Therefore, the British government began to get rid of preferential tariffs. The British called wheat “corn”. In 1846, they took away the Corn Laws that gave special rates for wheat to the colonies. This was good for Britain but bad for the colonies. British North America could not compete with cheaper wheat and timber from Europe. Many wheat farmers left their farms and moved to the United States. Timber companies also lost most of their business. This caused an economic bust. Thousands of Irish were arriving on ships but no work was waiting for them. The people of British North America were suffering. They felt Britain had betrayed them. Some began talking about joining the United States.
Lord Elgin was the Governor General of the Province of Canada. In 1854, he persuaded the United States to sign a free trade agreement or Reciprocity Treaty with the Province of Canada. There would be no taxes on Canadian wheat, timber, coal, fish or potatoes going into the United States for the next ten years. In return, American fishers could fish in the British waters off the Atlantic coast.
After the treaty was signed, the United States became an important trading partner. Exports from the Province of Canada doubled from 1853 to 1855. Britain was getting wheat from Russia. However, in 1854, Britain began a war with Russia. Its supply of wheat was cut off so it began to import wheat from British North America again. This increased trade even more. The economy was booming once again!
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The United States was becoming a large and powerful country. It stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The people of the United States believed that one day, all of North America would be part of the United States. This belief was called “Manifest Destiny”. Many people in British North America were afraid they would not be able to defend themselves against such a powerful nation.
In 1865, a Civil War began in the United States between the northern states and the southern states. The North (called the Union) was trying to end slavery in the South (called the Confederacy). Britain was supposed to be neutral in the war. This means it would not help either side. However, certain events caused problems between Britain and the Union government in the northern United States.
The first event was the Trent incident. The South sent two agents to Britain to ask for help in their fight against the North. They traveled on a British ship, the Trent. A Union warship stopped the Trent and found out about the plan. The Union navy took the Southern agents off the Trent. This made the British very angry. The Union had no right to do this in international waters. Britain sent 10,000 soldiers to British North America to prepare for war. The British soldiers found traveling difficult because there was no railway between the Maritime colonies and the Provinces of Canada. Luckily, Union soldiers never came across the border.
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The South continued to try to get Britain into the war. Confederate agents living in Canada began to make raids or short attacks across the U. S. border. The most famous raid was in St. Albans, Vermont on October 19, 1864. The North was not happy with how Canada was dealing with the problem. The Civil War ended in 1865. The North won the war against the South. The people of BNA were afraid that a Union army would soon attack Canada.
Instead of an American army, the Fenians crossed the border in 1866 and began to attack towns in British North America. The Fenians were a group of Irish terrorists who wanted to free Ireland from British rule. Many of them had fought for the Union in the American Civil War. They had learned to use guns and plan attacks. They thought their attacks on British North America would make Britain take her soldiers out of Ireland to defend her colonies in British North America.
Also in 1866, the Reciprocity Treaty between BNA and the United States ended. The United States no longer wanted free trade with BNA. The colonies would have to trade more with one another. However, there was no railway linking the colonies. A railway should be built to increase trade and move soldiers to where they were needed.
These events made more people in British North America think that Confederation would be a good idea. Government representatives decided to meet to talk about a plan.
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In September, 1864, delegates or representatives from the maritime colonies (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island) and the United Province of Canada (Canada East and Canada West) met in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to talk about uniting under one central government. This meeting is called the Charlottetown Conference. John A. Macdonald, George Etienne Cartier, and George Brown tried to persuade the representatives of the maritime colonies that they should all join together in a federal union under one central government. After a lot of eating and drinking, the delegates agreed. They decided to meet again in Quebec to talk about how this federal union would work.
On October 9, 1864, delegates from the maritime colonies and the United Province of Canada had a second meeting in Quebec City. They talked about how Canada would be governed under a federal union. John A. Macdonald presented a list called the Seventy Two Resolutions. This list was a set of rules for governing the new country. Macdonald persuaded the majority of delegates to agree with these rules.
The delegates had to persuade the rest of the people to agree with the rules also. There were many debates or discussions to allow the people to say how they felt. Finally, there was a vote in the Legislative Assembly in each colony and province. The United Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick voted for Confederation. However, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland chose not to join the new union at this time.
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The people of Nova Scotia were angry. They thought their government had tricked them into joining Confederation. Joseph Howe was a newspaperman and popular politician. He tried to persuade Britain to let Nova Scotia leave Confederation. Britain refused. John A. Macdonald offered more money to Nova Scotia and made Howe a minister in his Cabinet. Howe accepted. Eventually, the people of Nova Scotia began to accept being part of Canada.
In 1869, Canada bought Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company for about 1.5 million dollars. This made Canada six times bigger! The large area was renamed the Northwest Territories. Now, people could move west and begin to settle there. Canada could begin to build railways between the new settlements.
Canada wanted to make Manitoba part of Confederation. Most of the 12,000 people living there were French Catholic Metis. There were also Aboriginal people and other settlers. Without asking permission, the Canadian government began to divide up the land for new settlers to move in. The Metis became angry and rebelled. Their leader, Louis Riel, was later put on trial and hanged for his part in the rebellions. The Canadian government tried to find a solution. It offered to make Manitoba a bi-lingual province so the language and culture of the Metis people would be protected. The government would also support Catholic schools. The Manitoba Act made the area part of Canada in 1870. The province was much smaller than it is today.
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In British Columbia, the population was very multicultural. Many Americans had come looking for gold. Now the gold rush was over and people were leaving. The government was deeply in debt. It had borrowed a lot of money to build roads. The Canadian government offered to make British Columbia a province and pay off its debts. It also promised to build a railway within the next ten years to link British Columbia to the rest of Canada. In 1871, British Columbia agreed and became the sixth province of Canada.
In the 1870s, the economy of Prince Edward Island was suffering. The Americans had ended the Reciprocity Treaty. Britain did not want them to make any more economic agreements with the United States. The government was also in debt because the railway across the island had cost a lot of money. There was another problem. All of the land on the island was owned by landowners who were never there. The farmers rented small areas of land from these absentee landlords. The farmers wanted to own the land but didn't have the money to buy it. The Canadian government made them an offer. It would buy all the land from the landlords, pay the Island’s debts, and give the Island a sum of money each year. It also promised to pay for a ferry and a telegraph cable to the mainland. On July 1, 1873, Prince Edward Island became the seventh –and smallest - province of Canada.
The Northwest Territories wanted to become one large province. The population there was growing quickly. In 1891, 100,000 people lived on the land between British Columbia and Manitoba. By 1914, the population was over one million people. They wanted to have the same rights as the other provinces of Canada.
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Instead of making it one large province, the Canadian government decided to divide the Northwest Territories. In 1905, it created two provinces, Alberta and Saskatchewan. These two provinces also became part of Canada.
Newfoundland and Labrador continued to be a British colony. The colony’s debts became so large that the British had to take over the government. During World War II, Newfoundland was used as an American and Canadian military base for ships crossing the Atlantic. This meant money for the colony. However, after the war, people lost these jobs. Britain did not want to continue ruling the colony. Canada wanted Newfoundland to enter Confederation. It offered to give each family a sum of money. It would also build new roads, ports, and railways. The people of Newfoundland had a special vote called a referendum. Only 52.3% of the people voted to become part of Canada. But, that was enough. Newfoundland became Canada’s tenth and last province. Finally, Canada stretched from sea to sea!
In 1999, the government of Canada created another political region of Canada by dividing the Northwest Territories. The new territory is called Nunavut. The population of Nunavut is eighty five percent Inuit. They control the land and have their own Aboriginal self-government.
In 1982, Canada got a new constitution that replaced the BNA Act. It was called the Constitution Act. It included a Charter of Rights and Freedoms for all Canadians. It recognized Canada as a multicultural country. It said the federal government would give the provinces money for education, health and welfare. However, the province of Quebec did not accept the new constitution. Quebec wanted the new constitution to recognize it as a special province in Confederation.
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For centuries, people have been playing kicking games with a ball. The game of soccer developed from some of these early games. The English probably gave soccer its name and its first set of rules. In European countries, soccer is called football or association football. Some people believe that the name "soccer" came from "assoc.," an abbreviation for the word association. Others believe that the name came from the high socks that the players wear.
Organized soccer games began in 1863. In soccer, two teams of eleven players try to kick or head the ball into their opponents’ goal. The goalie, who tries to keep the ball out of the goal, is the only player on the field who is allowed to touch the ball with his or her hands. The other players must use their feet, heads, and bodies to control the ball.
Every four years, soccer teams around the world compete for the World Cup. The World Cup competition started in 1930.
Brazil is the home of many great soccer players, including the most famous player of all, Pelé. With his fast footwork, dazzling speed, and great scoring ability, Pelé played for many years in Brazil and then later in New York. During his 22 years in soccer, he scored 1,281 goals and held every major record for the sport.
People in more than 140 countries around the world play soccer. It is the national sport of most European and Latin American countries. Soccer is definitely the world’s most popular sport!
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Next week I am on vacation. While I am on vacation, I will work on two projects. First, I will fix the washing machine. The washing machine has been broken for two weeks. To fix it, I will need three tools: a screwdriver, a wrench, and a clamp. It will take one day to fix the washing machine. Next, I will fix our back porch. This is a bigger project. It will probably take about two days to fix the back porch, and will require a screwdriver, a hammer, nails, and a saw. My vacation starts on Monday. I have a lot of work to do, but hopefully I can relax after I finish my work.
Most human beings are awake during the day and sleep all night. Owls live the opposite way. Owls are nocturnal. This means that they sleep all day and stay awake at night. Because owls are nocturnal, this means they must eat at night. But finding food in the dark is difficult. To help them, they have special eyes and ears. Owls have very large eyes. These eyes absorb more light than normal. Since there is little light during the night, it is helpful to be able to absorb more of it. Owls also have very good hearing. Even when owls are in the trees, they can hear small animals moving in the grass below. This helps owls catch their prey even when it is very dark. Like owls, mice are also nocturnal animals. Mice have an excellent sense of smell. This helps them find food in the dark. Being nocturnal helps mice to hide from the many different animals that want to eat them. Most of the birds, snakes, and lizards that like to eat mice sleep at night—except, of course, owls!
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Lilly loves her new town. She loves the mall. She loves the parks. She also loves her school. Most of all, though, Lilly loves the seasons. In her old town, it was hot all of the time. Sometimes it is cold in Lilly's new town. The cold season is in winter. Once in a while it snows. Lilly has never seen snow before. So for her, the snow is exciting as well as very beautiful. Lilly has to wear gloves to keep her hands warm. She also wears a scarf around her neck. In spring, flowers bloom and the trees turn green with new leaves. Pollen falls on the cars and windowsills and makes Lilly sneeze. People work in their yards and mow their grass. In summer, Lilly wears her old shorts and sandals— the same ones she used to wear in her old town. It’s hot outside, and dogs lie in the shade. Lilly and her friends go to a pool or play in the water sprinkler. Her father cooks hamburgers on the grill for dinner. Lilly’s favorite season is autumn. In autumn, the leaves on the trees turn yellow, gold, red, and orange. Halloween comes in autumn, and this is Lilly’s favorite holiday. Every Halloween, Lilly wears a costume. Last year she wore a mouse costume. This year she will wear a fish costume. One evening in autumn, Lilly and her mom are on sitting together on the porch. Mom tells Lilly that autumn is also called “fall”. This is a good idea, Lilly thinks, because in fall all of the leaves fall down from the trees.
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I don't usually pick up hitch-hikers, but this one was different. He wasn't young, like the others, and he didn't have a bag, or a girlfriend, or a sign with 'London' or 'Lancaster' on it. He just stood there, beside the road, with his hand out, waiting. He was a man about forty years old, in a grey suit and red tie. He was just watching the cars and waiting.
He was watching me while I slowed down. I remember his eyes. Very pale blue eyes, staring at me through thin gold glasses. They looked surprised. Perhaps I was something strange, something not quite real to him. Or perhaps he just had bad eyes. Perhaps he couldn't see very well.
I stopped the car and opened the window. 'Where are you going?' I asked.
'I'm going into town,' he said. 'Into Lancaster. Could you give me a lift, please?'
'Yes, OK,' I said. 'I'm going that way. Jump in.'
He got in and sat down beside me. 'Thank you very much,' he said. 'It's very kind of you.'
'That's all right,' I said. 'It's my pleasure.'
I started the car and thought about the words he had used. There was something strange about them. Hitch-hikers don't usually speak like that. They usually say something like 'Are you going to Lancaster? Oh good, thanks a lot'. He spoke politely, like an older man. But this man wasn't very old. 'Perhaps he's foreign,' I thought.
I looked at him, and noticed something else.
'Could you put your seat-belt on, please?' I said.
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My name is Carol Sanders.
I live in England now, but when I was younger, I lived in Hong Kong. My father was a businessman there and my mother worked as a secretary. We lived in Hong Kong for seven years.
I was happy at school, with lots of friends, and we had a good time. I liked pop music - the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Jake Rosso were my favorites.
Jake Rosso was my favourite singer. He died in a car accident the year I left school, but I listened to his pop records all the time. I had hundreds of pictures and photos of him on my bedroom wall.
Then one day in winter when I was seventeen, things began to go wrong for me.
My father went to Australia on business. I loved him very much and didn't like him going away.
'Come home quickly,' I always said to him.
He was in Australia for two weeks. Then, on the day of his journey home, an aeroplane from Sydney crashed into the sea just south of Hong Kong. Everybody on the plane died.
I heard about the plane crash on television. At first, I did not think about my father. Then I remembered he was flying back from Sydney on that day.
'Oh, no!' I cried.
I telephoned the airport but they did not know the names of all the passengers then.
'Perhaps my father didn't get that plane,' I thought. 'Oh, please! Please!'
My mother was at work and I called her on the telephone. She came home quickly and we went to the airport and waited for news.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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James Conway put away his business papers and sat back in his seat. He looked out of the aeroplane window down at the warm blue sea below. Far away, in the bright sun, there were the long white beaches of the island of Haiti. Behind them, he could just see the small wooden houses and the deep green leaves of the coconut trees, which were moving lazily in the soft afternoon wind.
'It looks beautiful, doesn't it?' Conway looked at the woman sitting next to him. 'Very nice,' he answered.
'Is this your first visit to Haiti?' the woman asked.
'Yes, but I'm not here as a visitor,' said Conway. 'I have a building company - it's called Conway Construction. My company has offices all over the world - America, Europe, Africa. We're very big in Australia too - everyone in Australia has heard the name Conway. I'm coming to get an office here, buy some land, build a few hotels, you know. The land is very cheap here - you can buy a piece of land to build a small town on, for a few thousand dollars. Sorry, I don't know your name. I'm Mr Conway, James Conway. Just call me Conway.'
'I'm Karen Jackson.'
'Nice to meet you, Karen. What do you do? Have you got a job, or are you married?'
'I'm at Harvard University.'
'From the University? Are you a secretary there?'
'No, I'm a doctor. I'm teaching medicine.'
'A doctor! That's interesting. What are you doing here in Haiti? Are you on holiday? I know you teachers get long holidays.'
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text_8.txt
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en
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elg-cefr-en
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A2+
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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It was a wonderful September day in Miami, Florida. On the wide white beach along the coast of Key Biscayne the sun was hot on the sand.
A slim young woman in her early twenties was lying alone down by the sea. She was beautiful, but her face was sad. Her long black hair fell over the book she was reading. From time to time she looked up from her book and along the beach. Then she put her book away in a bag and sat up. She looked unhappily along the beach again.
"I can't tell him! I just can't tell him!" she whispered to herself.
The sea was flat, calm, and clear. And the weather was hot. It was too hot to work, too hot to play, too hot to drive into Miami to meet up with friends, and it was too hot to stay at home. The wide green streets of Key Biscayne and the parking lots of the tall white buildings were almost empty in the burning sun.
Everybody was at the beach. Groups of friends lay on the sand, talking, laughing and listening to music. Some were playing ball games, others ran into the water to swim. Families with fat babies and sunburned children lay under the palm trees that grew along the beach. Mothers watched carefully as their children ran down to the sea to play in the warm shallow water. And at the far end of the beach, across the water, the tall white buildings of Miami stood out against the clear blue sky.
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text_9.txt
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en
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A2+
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Billy, a young man from London, had no job. He lived with his mother, Mrs Harris. One day he asked her, 'How can I get a job?'
'Look in the newspaper,' she answered. So he bought a paper and looked for jobs.
There were a lot of jobs in London. He read the paper from front to back but most of them were not right for him. Suddenly he saw a good job in an office so he wrote a letter to the boss of the office and sent it. A week later he got a letter from the boss, Mr Davidson. He showed the letter to his mother: 'Please come to my office next Monday. I want to meet you and we can talk about the job.' Mrs Harris was quite excited and Billy was happy - but he was also very nervous.
On the Monday morning Billy got up early and had breakfast. He left the house and went to Mr Davidson's office. There were seven people there for one job. Mr Davidson asked him to come into his office and the other six people waited outside. He asked Billy a lot of questions - he was nervous and he answered the questions badly. When Mr Davidson finished he smiled at Billy and said, 'Thank you, Mr Harris. Please wait outside.'
Billy thought, 'I didn't answer all those questions very well.'
He stood up and walked to the door... but he made a mistake. It wasn't the door out of the office - it was a cupboard!
'What can I do now? Do I stay in the cupboard and wait or do I go back into the office?' he thought. 'Perhaps I'll stay here and wait. When they're all gone I can come out again.'
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The Young Achiever of the Year
Kal Kaur Rai has always been interested in fashion and has just won the title of Young Achiever of the Year at the Asian Business Awards. Ever since she was a child, she has drawn clothes and designed patterns. She never told her hard-working parents, who own a supermarket, that she wanted to turn her hobby into a career. She thought they expected her to go into a more established business, so she went to university to do a management degree.
After university, she moved to London and worked in an advertising agency. She had to attend industry events but couldn't afford the designer clothes she liked. She started making skirts and tops for herself. When her friends saw her clothes, they asked her to make things for them. She then found a small shop in London willing to take her designs on a sale-or- return basis. They were very popular and nothing came back. This encouraged her to leave her advertising job, take out a £20,000 loan and begin her own womenswear label.
Kal's parents were not angry about her career change and said they would support her, which really pleased her. Her clothes are now on sale in over 70 stores and her business has an income of over £500,000. Her clothes appear in fashion magazines, she designs for pop stars and she has just gained public recognition by winning this award. Her business has come a long way and she knows she is extremely lucky. 'What I do is my hobby - and I get paid for it! But remember, I've worked hard for this.'
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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THE ICEHOTEL
For many years the Arctic was a popular destination in the summer season to see the land of the midnight sun but in winter the few inhabitants had the snow and ice to themselves. By the end of the 1980s it was decided that the dark and cold winter should be seen as an advantage. In the winter of 1990 the French artist Jannot Derit was invited to have the opening of an exhibition in a specially built igloo (a building made of snow) in the little town of Jukkasjärvi on the frozen Torne River. The building, named Arctic Hall, attracted many interested visitors to the area. One night a group of foreign guests decided it would be a good idea to sleep in the Arctic Hall. The following morning the brave group were very pleased with their experience and the idea of an ice hotel was born. Today it is world famous.
As soon as winter begins, a team of snow builders, architects and artists from all over the world come to Jukkasjärvi and they make the hotel for that year. As one part is completed, it opens to visitors and overnight guests, while the other parts are still being built. The first part is completed in December and each week after that a new part opens, until January 7th when the hotel is completed. As the ICEHOTEL is built under the open sky, using the natural materials of the winter season, the finishing date depends on nature and therefore there are sometimes changes to the plan. In the spring, as the weather gets warmer, the hotel melts.
Inside the hotel, the temperature is never colder than –5 °C to –8 °C, however cold it may be outside. Winter outer clothes such as warm overalls, hats and gloves are included in the cost of guests’ stay at the hotel. In addition to this, it is a good idea for guests to bring sweaters and a scarf as well as plenty of woollen socks and to choose footwear that is larger than normal to allow space for thick socks.
If you are planning to come to the hotel, you can buy warm sweaters, woollen socks and much more on the ICEHOTEL website. You can order these and the equipment you will need at the same time as you book your visit. The items will be delivered to your room when you check in.
The hotel is in the village of Jukkasjärvi, 200 km above the Arctic Circle but only 15 km from Kiruna airport and 17 km from Kiruna train station. Transport by bus can be arranged from the airport or train station to the ICEHOTEL.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Climbing to the top of Britain
Each year thousands of people climb Ben Nevis in Scotland, and because of its northerly location, the climate can be bitterly cold. Climber Keith Hewitt describes his first time on Ben Nevis.
It was February, my first big winter climb. Our route was up the north face of the mountain to Tower Ridge. It's six hundred metres up - probably the longest climb in Britain. We planned to camp for three days in the 'Carries', which are like big bowls cut into the walls of the mountain half-way up.
We were carrying tents, sleeping bags, and metal spikes for our boots -you'd have trouble on Ben Nevis without them because you get snow so hard it's like walking on ice. Even though some of the group were very experienced, we packed all kinds of safety equipment, including lights for attracting attention, hard hats and extra clothing. Although the weather forecast was perfect, with no strong winds, there was still a general feeling of nervousness when we set out. Ben Nevis in winter is always a challenge.
The track soon climbed and my legs felt heavy. Being the weakest member of the group, I had to rest more frequently. The others sometimes stopped for a break to let me catch up, but as soon as I reached them they set off again. I promised myself that in future I would always train properly before a climb.
After 200 metre<;,we reached the beginning of Tower Ridge, the route that would take us to the top of Ben Nevis. It's only a metre and a half wide and the mountain drops away hundreds of metres on each side. We knew we had to keep calm and concentrate on every step as we moved slowly along it.
After seven hours of climbing, we reached the top. On a clear day, you can see the sea and right across it to the island of Skye, 48 kilometres away. However, we weren't so lucky, as a mist had come down.
On Ben Nevis, getting back down to camp can be as much of a challenge as going up. You need to be able to read a map properly a wrong turn could lead to slopes too dangerous to go down in winter. I was glad we had decided to take it in turns to do that job. That first time, it was only when I was safe in the tent that I could say I really enjoyed the experience. But at least I made it to the top.
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Being an older student
At 32, I have just finished my first year at university. As well as attending lectures regularly, I have had to learn to read books quickly and write long essays.
I decided to go to university after fourteen years away from the classroom. As a secretary, although I was earning a reasonable amount of money, I was bored doing something where I hardly had to think. I became more and more depressed by the idea that I was stuck in the job. I was jealous of the students at the local university, who looked happy, carefree and full of hope, and part of something that I wanted to explore further.
However, now that I've actually become a student I find it hard to mix with younger colleagues. They are always mistaking me for a lecturer and asking me questions I can't answer. I also feel separated from the lecturers because, although we are the same age, I know so much less than them. But I am glad of this opportunity to study because I know you need a qualification to get a rewarding job, which is really important to me. Unlike most eighteen-year-olds, I much prefer a weekend with my books to one out partying. Then there are the normal student benefits of long holidays and theatre and cinema discounts. I often have doubts about what I'll do after university, but I hope that continuing my education at this late date has been a wise choice.
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No Title
When I injured my back I had to take a break from my running career. I decided to introduce more women to the sport, to show them how much fun it can be and to give them the confidence to get out and run.
I decided to start a running dub for women in my area because I was annoyed by the attitude of many race organisers. They complain about the lack of women in the sport but also use this as an excuse for not providing separate changing facilities.
I put up posters and 40 women, young and old, fit and unfit, joined. All of them were attracted by the idea of losing weight but I don't think they had really thought about running before. When or if they did, they had a picture of painful training. They didn't think of chatting and smiling while running in beautiful places, like by a river.
At first they ran for only a minute - now they can run for thirty minutes. They've also learned from other runners about diet and keeping fit in general.
I wanted to do something for women's running and I've had so much pleasure watching their progress - almost as much as they've had themselves.
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Grass
Grass is probably the most successful living plant in the world. There are over 9,000 different types of grasses and they are found in every region on the earth. They are the single flowering plants that can exist in the freezing environment of the Arctic and the Antarctic.
Grasslands support a wide range of animal life, from tiny insects and birds to huge animals like cows and lions. All of them depend on grass in one way or another.
Grass recovers very quickly after it is cut or damaged. Unlike other plants, the new leaves grow from below the soil, not from the top of the plant. That is why large families of animals are able to live together in one area. As soon as they have eaten all the grass there, a fresh meal is always available because the plants start to grow again.
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Maria Mutola
In 1988, Maria Mutola was playing football as the only girl in an all-boys team in a local competition in Mozambique. 'We won,' she said. 'At first no one thought it was a problem that I was a girl. But then the team we beat complained.'
The story appeared in a local newspaper and Jose Craveirinha, who had encouraged other African athletes, learnt about Maria. He went to meet her and found her kicking a ball around outside the football club. He realised immediately that she was fast. 'He talked to me about athletics. I had no idea what he meant. The only sport I knew about was football. Then he bought me running shoes and took me training. It was such hard work and my legs really ached.' But Jose visited her parents and persuaded them she could be successful and this would help end their poverty. They agreed to let him take her away to train.
In 1991, she finally accepted an invitation to train in the United States. She had refused previously because she knew she would miss her family. Her background was unlike those of the girls she met in the US. She explains, 'They were good athletes but, while I worried about my parents having enough to eat, they worried about dresses and make-up. They knew very little about me and even less about my problems. But I knew I was lucky to be there. The trainers were brilliant and I learnt a lot.'
Today, Maria still runs and for most of the year she lives happily in South Africa with her mother.
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The Albuquerque Balloon Festival
Every autumn, the sky above the desert city of Albuquerque in the south-western United States turns into a mass of bright colours. This is the Albuquerque Balloon festival, an annual nine-day event.
The first festival was held in 1972 to celebrate the 50th birthday of the local radio station. There were about a dozen hot-air balloons and they took off from the car park in the middle of Albuquerque. From these small beginnings, the festival has grown steadily. This year at least a thousand balloons from over one third of the countries of the world are expected at its current out-of-town site.
What to see
The pilots are in radio contact with each other and all light up the burners of their balloons at the same time. These are known as 'balloon glows' and are an opportunity to take fantastic photographs. However, you must arrive just after night has fallen or before 5.30 am to see these 'glows' as the balloons rise into the dark sky.
During the day, you can walk around among the balloons and chat to the pilots as they prepare for take-off. The balloons come in all sizes and colours, some in the shapes of animals or cartoon characters and, of course, well-known products such as varieties of soft drinks and fast food. Kids will love it.
In the afternoon, why not take to the sky yourself by arranging a balloon flight over the desert with one of the many companies offering balloon rides? Another possibility is to take the cable car from the desert floor to the top of the nearby mountains, the longest such ride anywhere, and enjoy a bird's-eye view of the festival. There are plenty of other attractions for visitors of all ages, including balloon races and firework displays on the opening evening and the last three evenings of the festival.
The Albuquerque Box
This is a local wind pattern that creates perfect conditions for balloonists. The Sandia Mountains protect the balloons from strong winds, and at the same time create gentler currents of wind at different heights. This means that by rising or descending, skilful pilots can control the direction of their balloons.
Practical advice
Buy your tickets in advance (they are available on line) and save yourself a long wait to get into the festival site. Wear several layers of thin clothing. At night and in the early morning it can be quite cool, but during the day sunglasses and suncream are essential. Bring a flashlight for night-time events and, of course, bring your camera. If you're not a digital photographer, you'll need high-speed film for evening and night-time pictures.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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A JOURNEY ALONG THE BEAUTIFUL DOURO RIVER
VOYAGES JULES VERNE operate a 'hotel ship' along the Douro river in Portugal. The MV Lady
Ivy May can take 160 guests in double cabins, all of which face outside and have a private shower and WC. On board the ship, which has air-conditioning, you will find a sun-deck, lounge, bar, dining room, shop and library facilities.
Itinerary
Day 1 Depart in the early evening from London Heathrow to Oporto. Your guide will meet you on arrival and take you to the Lady Ivy May, where you will spend the night.
Day 2 After a morning's sightseeing in Oporto, you will return to the ship and depart for Entre-os-Rios. This part of the journey up the river takes four hours.
Day 3 You will continue travelling up the river. In the early evening, the ship stops at Peso da Regua, where port wine is produced. At dinner you will be able to try the delicious food and drink from this area.
Day 4 After breakfast you will travel south by bus to the ancient town of Lamego and visit the cathedral, several churches and a museum. The museum was formerly a palace and now has an excellent collection of paintings, tapestries and sculptures. You will then return to the ship and sail on to Tua.
Day 5 At this point the Douro becomes very narrow. Depending on the depth of the river at the time, you may be able to continue by a smaller boat to the Spanish frontier at Barca d'Alva. The return journey to Tua is by coach and there is much to see along the way.
Day 6 In the morning you will drive to Sao Joao da Pesqueira for one of the most wonderful views in the whole of the Douro valley. You will return to the ship for lunch and then join the Douro river valley railway for a beautiful ride through the countryside to Regua, where the Lady Ivy May will be waiting for you.
Day 7 There will be a trip to Vila Real before returning to the ship for lunch and then setting off down the river to Oporto. You will sleep on board the Lady Ivy May.
Day 8 You will arrive in Oporto in plenty of time for independent sightseeing and last-minute shopping, before you catch the flight home to London
Heathrow.
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Eight‐eighteen News
Eight-eighteen News is a news agency for young people
The members of our agency are aged 8–18. We collect news and write news reports, stories and articles. We send these to leading national and local newspapers, magazines, television, radio and websites to be published. The news stories and articles by our members that are accepted by newspapers and TV and radio stations, can all be read or listened to on the Eight-eighteen website. We have three centres around the country where young people can meet other members and get involved in projects, and we intend to open new centres nationwide.
Since our news agency started in 1994, when we were called ‘Young News’, over 2,500 young people have been members. Sophie was one of them. She says:
‘I first heard of Eight-eighteen when they interviewed me for an article about young people’s opinions on hip hop music. I sat in a room with a team of young journalists and was amazed by the opportunities they had. Age wasn’t important, they were trusted to do the stories on their own.
I started going to the Eight-eighteen centre in my city, got some training, then was a member until I was 18. Eight-eighteen has helped me achieve more than I thought possible. With all the skills I learnt, I got a job at 19, and am currently the youngest employee on a major news website, checking articles written by the journalists before putting them onto the site.’
Get involved at every level
When you join Eight-eighteen, you’ll be trained and you’ll take part in monthly meetings to decide who is going to be responsible for writing each news story.
Eight-eighteen encourages skills-sharing between members. ‘Peer trainers’ are experienced Eight-eighteen members who are 12 years old and over. They train new members and teach them basic journalism skills. As they become more experienced as trainers, some members present sessions to audiences of young people and adults outside Eight-eighteen, often in youth clubs and summer camps. These young trainers are always supported by older staff who accompany them on these trips.
Eight-eighteen News holds training sessions for new members three times a year. Our next new-members’ training will be in February. If you, or someone you know, is interested in joining, call Director Den Ley at 01622 657874 for more information. The Eight-eighteen programme is suitable for children with reading and writing skills at all levels. Membership is free and there is no test to join.
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THE ROCKIES
The Rocky Mountains run almost the length of North America.
They start in the North-west, but lie only a few hundred miles from the
centre in more southern areas. Although the Rockies are smaller than the Alps, they are no less wonderful.
There are many roads across the Rockies, but the best way to see them is to travel by train. You start from Vancouver, the most attractive of Canada's big cities. Standing with its feet in the water and its head in the mountains, this city allows its residents to ski on slopes just 15 minutes by car from the city centre.
Thirty passenger trains a day used to set off from Vancouver on the cross- continent railway. Now there are just three a week, but the ride is still a great adventure. You sleep on board, which is fun, but travel through some of the best scenery at night.
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Little Chefs
For one group of children aged between ten and fifteen, Saturdays are spent learning the art of serious cooking. Their weekly lessons in small classes are so popular that there is a waiting list of 30 children who want to do the course. Parents pay £280 for the course where their children can have fun and learn how to make good food.
Class member Bill, aged ten, says, 'I love my mum's cooking and now I can do it better than her. The teachers make us laugh, especially when we sit down with them to share the food we've made.'
Flora is twelve, and she's having problems preparing onions. 'I love cooking. I did a meal for ten friends which they really enjoyed. Then my mum suggested I take up a hobby, instead of doing nothing at weekends. I was happy staying at home, so I wasn't too keen at first. I'm really glad I decided to come, though.'
Their teacher, Philippe, says, 'It's great fun. Children pay attention and remember things better than adults, although the kitchen isn't always as tidy when they're cooking! As adults, we're always learning more about food. If parents interest their children in cooking while they are young, they'll have enough skill to make food for themselves when they leave home.'
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Detective-Inspector Cornish and Chief-Inspector Craddock were discussing the murder at the local police station.
'Mrs Bantry said that Marina Gregg had a "frozen look"', said Cornish. 'Did she see someone on the stairs? There were two people from America - Ardwyck Fenn and Lola Brewster, a film star. There was a girl from London with a camera, but she had been there for half an hour already.'
'The strangers from the United States are our chief suspects,' said Craddock. 'Ardwyck Fenn was an old boyfriend of Marina's. Lola Brewster was married to Marina Gregg's third husband. He divorced her to marry Marina.'
'So perhaps Lola Brewster tried to kill Marina,' said Cornish. 'But the divorce was fifteen years ago. Miss Brewster has married twice again since then. I think I'll go to London and talk to Ardwyck Fenn, Lola Brewster and the photographer girl - what's her name? - Margot Bence. But perhaps it was the butler, Giuseppe. He was busy with the drinks and glasses.'
'Giuseppe?' asked Cornish. 'Do you think he's a suspect?'
'I don't think so,' said Craddock, 'but he might have a reason for killing Marina. And there are other people who were near the glasses. The secretary woman, Ella Zielinsky, for example. Nobody was interested in watching her.'
The phone rang. Cornish picked it up, listened for a moment, then put it down and looked at Craddock. 'Miss Marina Gregg,' he said, 'is feeling better. She's ready to be interviewed.'
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A few days after this, Virginia and her young admirer went out riding in the fields. But a tree tore her riding skirt very badly, and when they got home she went up the back stairs to mend it. She was running past the half-open door of one of the rooms when she saw someone inside. It was, she thought, her mother's servant, who sometimes took her needlework there. So she went to the door to ask the girl to mend her skirt.
But to her great surprise, it was the Canterville Ghost himself !
He was sitting by the window, watching the first leaves of autumn falling from the trees. His head was on his hand, and he looked terribly unhappy. Little Virginia's first idea was to run away and lock herself in her room, but then she began to feel sorry for him. He didn't know she was there until she spoke to him.
' I'm so sorry for you,' she said. ' But my brothers are going back to school tomorrow, and then, if you behave yourself, no one will annoy you.'
The ghost looked round in surprise at the pretty little girl who was daring to speak to him. ' It's silly to ask me to behave myself,' he answered. 'Very silly.'
'Why ? ' she said.
' Because I have to make noises with my chains, and cry through keyholes, and walk about at night,' said the Canterville Ghost. ' It's my only reason for being alive.'
' That's no reason for being alive, and you know you've been very bad,' said Virginia.
The ghost said nothing.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Winter Driving
Winter is dangerous because it's so difficult to know what is going to happen and accidents take place so easily. Fog can be waiting to meet you over the top of a hill. Ice might be hiding beneath the melting snow, waiting to send you off the road. The car coming towards you may suddenly slide across the road.
Rule Number One for driving on icy roads is to drive smoothly. Uneven movements can make a car suddenly very difficult to control. So every time you either turn the wheel, touch the brakes or increase your speed, you must be as gentle and slow as possible. Imagine you are driving with a full cup of hot coffee on the seat next to you. Drive so that you wouldn't spill it.
Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen. The more ice there is, the further down the road you have to look. Test how long it takes to stop by gently braking. Remember that you may be driving more quickly than you think. In general, allow double your normal stopping distance when the road is wet, three times this distance on snow, and even more on ice. Try to stay in control of your car at all times and you will avoid trouble.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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LITTLE CAT, LITTLE CAT, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?
When Bo the cat decided to explore a furniture van, she had a bigger adventure than she expected. She was discovered by the driver, after he had completed a trip of over 500 kilometres. It was the end of a long day. The driver and the cat were both hungry!He gave her some milk and started making enquiries. He telephoned his last customers, but they had not lost a cat. It was getting late, so he took Bo home for the night and next morning delivered her to an animal hospital.
The cat's owner had done some detective work too. After searching everywhere for the cat, he suddenly remembered the furniture van which had made a delivery to a neighbour. Fortunately, he remembered the name of the company. He called their office and in a short time Bo was returned safely.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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The next day, Emma was pleased to see a lot of snow outside. This was a good thing because it meant she could not go to church and see Mr Elton, or go to visit Harriet, and none of them could meet. The snow stayed for several days after Christmas and the only visitor to Hartfield was Mr Knightley.
As soon as the snow disappeared, Isabella, John and the children went back to London. The same evening, a letter arrived for Mr Woodhouse from Mr Elton. It said he was leaving Highbury the next day and going to Bath to spend a few weeks with friends. There was no message in the letter for Emma and she was a little angry about that, but also pleased he was going away. She knew the next thing she must do was to speak to Harriet and tell her everything.
Harriet cried, but she did not blame Emma at all for what had happened. They went back to Hartfield together and Emma tried very hard to make Harriet feel better, but she knew only time could help her to forget. Perhaps when Mr Elton returned they might all be able to meet without feeling embarrassed.
Mr Frank Churchill did not come. He wrote a letter of excuse and in it he said, I hope to come to Randall's quite soon.
Both Mr and Mrs Weston were very sorry but they decided perhaps the spring was a better time to visit and maybe he could stay for a longer time then. Emma gave Mr Knightley the news and blamed the Churchills, especially his aunt. Mr Knightley did not agree.
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Gallery News
Easter quiz for children
During the Easter holidays young visitors can take part in a quiz on the subject ofSurprises.The free quiz sheets can be picked up from the desk at the Orange Street entrance. Children will be directed to 14 surprising paintings and asked a variety of questions about them.
The quiz sheets will be available during normal gallery hours from 25 March until 9 April.
New picture
The Gallery now has a fine still life by the Dutch 18th century painter Jan van Os. This large picture (89.1 cm x 71 cm) of flowers and fruit is painted in light, bright colours on wood. It is one of the first pictures of this type in the Gallery. The picture is signed and dated 1777 and 1778. It is not unusual for a picture like this to be dated in two years: the artist waited for particular flowers to bloom in their different seasons in order to paint them. This picture was generously given to the Gallery by Miss Violet Churchman in memory of her sister Ida Nancy. It is now on display in Room 25.
Special exhibition
The exhibition 'Painting in Spain during the late 18th century' opened in the Sunley Room on 15 March. Recently the Gallery has bought works by three Spanish painters of this period. Paret, Melendez and Francisco Bayeu, who are the focus of the exhibition. These three artists are joined by Francisco's brother Ramon, by Antonio Gonzalez, and by two Italians who worked in Spain during these years - Corrado Giaquinto and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The exhibition runs until 31 May.
Lecture news
The series of lectures arranged to go with the special exhibition continues every Wednesday. On 5 April, LizzieBarker will discuss the work of Melendez, while on 12 April, Sarah Symmons will lecture on Luis Paret. On 19 and 26 April, Juliet Wilson will talk about Francisco Bayeu.
On Tuesdays in April, Erika Langmuir will explain how artists often 'tell a story' through their pictures.
Gallery restaurant improvements
The Gallery is delighted to announce that an improved and expanded service is now available in the Gallery restaurant. With its new kitchens the restaurant offers a wide choice of hot and cold dishes at reasonable prices.
Information for visitors
Free guided tours of the Gallery take place every day at 11.00 am and 3.00 pm (except Sundays). These tours introduce some of the Gallery's greatest pictures, and show the whole range of the Gallery's collection of some of the most important European paintings from the 13th to the early 20th centuries.
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Write a winning story!
You could win £1,000 in this year's Fiction Prize and have your story printed in Keep Writing magazine. Ten other lucky people will win a cheque for£100.
Once again, we need people who can write good stories. The judges, who include Mary Littlejohn, the novelist, Michael Brown, the television reporter, and Susan Hitchins, Keep Writing's editor, are looking for interesting and original stories. Detective fiction was extremely popular last year, although the competition winner produced a love story. You can write about whatever you want but here's some advice to start you thinking:
Write about what you know
This is the advice which every writer should pay attention to and, last year, nearly everyone who wrote for us did exactly that. Love, family, problems with friends - these were the main subjects of the stories. However, you need to turn ordinary situations into something interesting that people will want to read about. Make the reader want to continue reading by writing about ordinary things in a new and surprising way.
Get your facts right
It's no good giving a description of a town or explaining how a jet engine works if you get it wrong. So avoid writing anything unless you're certain about it.
Hold the reader's attention
Make the beginning interesting and the ending a surprise. There is nothing worse than a poor ending. Develop the story carefully and try to think of something unusual happening at the end.
Think about the characters
Try to bring the people in your story alive for the reader by using well-chosen words to make them seem real.
Your story must be your own work, between 2,000 and 2,500 words and typed, double-spaced, on one side only of each sheet of paper.
Even if you're in danger of missing the closing date, we are unable to accept stories by fax or email. You must include the application form with your story. Unfortunately your story cannot be returned, nor can we discuss our decisions.
You should not have had any fiction printed in any magazine or book in this country - a change in the rules by popular request- and the story must not have appeared in print or in recorded form, for example on radio or TV, anywhere in the world.
Your fee of £5 will go to the Writers' Association. Make your cheque payable to Keep Writing and send it with the application form and your story to:
The closing date is 30 July and we will inform the winner within one month of this date. Please note that if you win, you must agree to have your story printed in our magazine.
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54b9e80e-fa61-48d6-b7e7-007fcee20077.txt
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en
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Moonshine
The band Moonshine released their third CD last week. ‘Here again’ is a followup to ‘The Waves’. There have been a few changes since the last CD, with Tom Wilcott on bass guitar replacing Simon McVee who left the band last year, and the arrival of Tom Simpson on drums.
It is clear from the first song on the CD which is a dance tune that the band is no longer going to concentrate on slow songs. The second tune is also a dance tune and is even louder and heavier. Most later lacks are in the bands more usual slow style. These two tracks will certainly come as a surprise to many fans. Either of them could easily become a hit single though because they are excellent.
Singer Rob Letchford gets a chance to really show how good he is reaching each note perfectly. Fans should be grateful he recorded the songs for the album before he had trouble with his throat. This has rented in the band having to cancel their next tour. (Anyone who has bought tickets need not worry as dl the concerts will be rearranged as soon as Rob has recovered.)
On this CD Moonshine show they can produce perfect music in a variety of styles from the slow ones we are familiar with to the ones that will keep your feet tapping. I did feel though that they put their best songs at the beginning and the last few tracks were not of quite the same quality. Despite thisHere again is certain to be a big hit and bring more success to this band.
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5586c328-4900-4d98-8bed-cd2198c75f02.txt
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THE FIRST WOMAN SCIENTIST
Hypatia was born in Alexandria, in Egypt, in 370 A.D. For many centuries she was the only woman scientist to have a place in the history books.
Hypatia's father was director of Alexandria University, and he made sure his daughter had the best education available. This was unusual, as most women then had few opportunities to study.
After studying in Athens and Rome, Hypatia returned to Alexandria where she began teaching mathematics. She soon became famous for her knowledge of new ideas.
We have no copies of her books, but we know that she wrote several important mathematical works. Hypatia was also interested in technology and invented several scientific tools to help with her work.
At the time many rulers were afraid of science, and anyone connected with it was in danger. One day in March 415, Hypatia was attacked in the street and killed.
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Joining the Kirov Ballet
I’m Nathalie. Last year I was one of the youngest foreign students ever to join the Kirov’s ballet school in St Petersburg, Russia. At my first ballet class, I was nervous as I didn’t know anyone. Everyone gathered round, asking me questions, all in Russian. I tried to say something in Russian and they began talking in English so we managed to communicate. Now, six months later, everyone is really nice to me, my Russian has improved enormously and I understand my teachers.
For the first two weeks after I arrived, my mum stayed with me and when she left, I was a bit sad. In fact, I called home late at night once to speak to her because I felt a little lonely.
Compared with my ballet school in England, the classes in Russia are really hard, and I eat like an elephant to keep up my energy levels. That makes me confident I can perform to the school’s high standards. In the evenings, I watch my favourite films on my computer, but sometimes I fall asleep before the DVD has finished.
Now that I’ve settled down, I feel really at home here. I like walking around the city and going to the different shops – even during December when I couldn’t believe how cold it was. I decided to buy a fur hat because it was minus 10oC, but the Russians said it was mild for the time of year! At least it was warm and cosy in my room. At the moment we are preparing for a new production and there’s also a competition for young dancers which I’m going to enter. I feel so lucky to be here.
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Norwich
Norwich, the capital of the part of Britain known as East Anglia, has existed as a place to live for more than two thousand years. It began as a small village beside the River Wensum. At the time of the Norman invasion in 1066 it had grown to become one of the largest towns in England.
With two cathedrals and a mosque, Norwich has long been a popular centre for various religions. The first cathedral was built in 1095 and has recently celebrated its 900th anniversary, while Norwich itself had a year of celebration in 1994 to mark the 800th anniversary of the city receiving a Royal Charter. This allowed it to be called a city and to govern itself independently.
Today, in comparison with places like London or Manchester, Norwich is quite small, with a population of around 150,000, but in the 16th century Norwich was the second city of England. It continued to grow for the next 300 years and got richer and richer, becoming famous for having as many churches as there are weeks in the year and as many pubs as there are days in the year.
Nowadays, there are far fewer churches and pubs, but in 1964 the University of East Anglia was built in Norwich. With its fast-growing student population and its success as a modern commercial centre (Norwich is the biggest centre for insurance services outside London), the city new has a wide choice of entertainment: theatres, cinemas, nightclubs, busy cafes, excellent restaurants, and a number of arts and leisure centres. There is also a football team, whose colours are green and yellow. The team is known as 'The Canaries', though nobody can be sure why.
Now the city's attractions include another important development, a modern shopping centre called 'The Castle Mall'. The people of Norwich lived with a very large hole in the middle of their city for over two years, as builders dug up the main car park. Lorries moved nearly a million tons of earth so that the roof of the Mall could become a city centre park, with attractive water pools and hundreds of trees. But the local people are really pleased that the old open market remains, right in the heart of the city and next to the new development. Both areas continue to do good business, proving that Norwich has managed to mix the best of the old and the new.
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5cfca873-1252-4d60-97d2-0e31957dda00.txt
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Sharks
Sharks are some of the most frightening creatures in our oceans. They are well prepared for feeding under water because they can see very well, and they can also feel movement through special lines on the sides of their bodies. These make sharks very dangerous for smaller sea creatures that become their food.
Although sharks are similar to other fish in a number of ways, their bodies are different. For example, unlike other fish, most sharks ought to swim all the time in order to breathe and stay alive, so they hardly sleep at all. Also, if sharks are turned over on their backs, they can stop moving completely. This is a very useful technique for researchers who are often required to handle sharks. It allows them to find out more about these fascinating creatures.
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66c6eca4-ac40-4448-a924-2ce8f6d2139e.txt
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en
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Sweden's Ice Hotel
The village of Jukkasjarvi is in Swedish Lapland, and winter temperatures there can reach -40° C. But 6,000 holidaymakers still go there annually, to visit what is probably Europe's most unusual accommodation.
In this hotel you eat, drink, and sleep in rooms made of ice. If you want, you can even get married in one. The bar is ice too, and putting hot drinks on it is obviously not recommended! The bedrooms are around -4° C, but fortunately guests are provided with special sleeping bags that will keep them warm in the coldest of temperatures. Suitable outdoor clothes can be supplied too, if needed.
The hotel is never more than six months old because it melts in summer, and each winter it is rebuilt. Creating the hotel takes 10,000 tonnes of ice, plus 30,000 tonnes of snow.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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CARTOON FILMS
Cartoon films have very few limits. If you can draw something, you can make it move on the cinema screen. The use of new ideas and advanced computer programs means that cartoons are becoming exciting again for people of all ages.
By the end of the 1970s, the cinema world had decided that cartoons were only for children.
But soon afterwards, one or two directors had some original new ideas. They proved that it was possible to make films in which both adults and children could share the fun.
However, not every cartoon film was successful. The Black Cauldron, for example, failed, mainly because it was too frightening for children and too childish for adults. Directors learnt from this mistake, and the film companies began to make large amounts of money again.
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6b8b50b8-5ac9-4034-917d-596f76600a6a.txt
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No Title
The best age to start learning the violin is between three and six," says Margaret Porter, a violinist and music teacher. "It's the time when you are learning about the world." Margaret, who lives in London, prefers to take pupils at three and four, although she has made lots of exceptions for keen five-year-olds. When she started teaching the violin in 1972, her first class consisted of her children's five-year-old school friends.
Margaret's pupils have group lessons. Each group has about a dozen pupils and each lesson lasts an hour, once a fortnight. In addition, each pupil has one individual lesson a week with her. Parents also have to attend the classes. It is important that the parents take an active interest in the lessons.
From the earliest lessons pupils learn to play by ear. They do not even try to read music until they have been playing for several years, and for a long time there is a big difference between their playing and reading of music. Margaret says that her method is not supposed to produce great violinists, and always suggests that pupils who perform particularly well should leave and study the violin using more traditional methods.
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6b8f3a0a-b3a5-49f1-bd0a-828308d8c49d.txt
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en
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reference
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B1
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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The Outdoor Centre
Fees are for car with four people. Each extra person is 50p. Fees to be paid at main office.
The centre is not a private club; it is an organisation whose aim is to provide outdoor sport and recreation facilities for all members of the public.
Group visitors are requested to inform the centre in advance of their intended visit.
Windsurfing - One-day course
Beginner windsurfing courses are offered on Saturdays and Sundays when the weather is good enough. Learning to windsurf is a lot of fun. The excitement when you sail across the water for the first time is not easily forgotten. Boards with small sails are available for beginners.
Coursefee: £32.50 (this includes all equipment)
One-day adventure course
This is an opportunity you have been waiting for. Come and try sailing, climbing, surfing and archery. This course is intended to introduce outdoor activities to adults in a fun, leisurely manner. You do not need to be extremely fit or to have had previous experience of the activities. All you need is to be interested.
Coursefee: £22.50
Play Park
The Play Park is suitable for children from two to ten years of age. It is one of the best of its type in the country. It has sand and water play, slides, large ball pool, play castle and much, much more. Next year the centre will open a new Play Palace and Play Ship.
Group day and residential courses
We also offer day and long weekend courses for groups. We receive regular visits from schools, colleges and youth groups. There are three large rooms with twelve beds in each, which can be booked in advance for groups of up to 36 people (minimum 12).
Summer adventure holidays (for 8-14 years of age)
Sailing Climbing Windsurfing Fun Games
Safety is of primary importance at the Outdoor Centre. All staff are fully trained in First Aid, and qualified to teach the activities on offer. We also make certain that all children only take part in activities that are suitable for their age and physical abilities. For this programme children must be able to swim 25 metres and be in good physical health.
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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SAMUEL PEPYS
The most famous diary in English was written by Samuel Pepys. It gives a detailed and interesting description of everyday life in England between 1660 and 1669. Pepys writes about important news stories of the time, like disease, an enemy navy sailing up the River Thames and the Great Fire of London.
He also writes about himself, even about his faults - he often slept during church or looked at the pretty girls. He describes his home life - a quarrel with his wife and how they became friends again, his worry about her illness. As well as books, he liked music, the theatre, card games, and parties with good food and plenty of fun. Pepys was a busy man who had many important jobs
- he was a Member of Parliament and President of the Royal Society. He is also remembered for his work for the British Navy.
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7123a5f7-b345-4b02-9377-9d1d21a95b52.txt
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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The History of Shoes
In the past, importance was not given to shoes being comfortable or fashionable. These early foot coverings were probably animal skins, which people tied round their ankles during cold weather. We still use leather today, but other materials such as silk, plastic, or cotton are also popular, depending on what is in fashion.
It was only one hundred and fifty years ago that people began to wear a different shoe on each foot. Formerly, the two shoes had been straight instead of shaped and could be worn on the left or the right foot. All shoes used to be made by hand, but now, although there are shoemakers still using their traditional skills, most shoes are now machine-made in large factories. The introduction of sewing machines allowed the shoe industry to produce large quantities of cheaper shoes for a wider range of buyers.
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77499fbf-58f9-45df-a661-a8a8bf421e86.txt
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en
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B1
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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The Ghan Train
Mark Ottaway travelled by train from Darwin, in the north of Australia, to Adelaide, in the south.
The Ghan train crosses the Australian continent, from the warm northern coast through seemingly endless desert to the colder Southern Ocean. It is often called the ‘famous Ghan’, which is perhaps unfortunate since it is known, above all, for being late.
The dream of a rail link between Darwin and Adelaide was partly achieved in the 1920s with a line from Adelaide as far as Alice Springs, but there was often serious flooding on the line making it difficult for trains to pass. A new line was completed a few months before my journey.
The railway was built for speeds of up to 115 kph and the Ghan is certainly not a high- speed, inter-city train – there are few stops and almost all passengers are holidaymakers. Nor does the Ghan aim to provide luxury in the same way that a train like the Orient Express does, although the on-board food is excellent.
The railway was originally built to carry goods, not passengers. It was thought that sending goods from Europe to Australia’s densely populated south via Darwin and the train, rather than around the continent by ship, would save time and money.
It is not every day a transcontinental railway is completed, and the Ghan claims to be the world’s first north–south one. As I waited to board the Ghan, I could see that everyone was really looking forward to the journey. The Australian pensioners, who made up the majority of my fellow travellers, were particularly keen to board.
Our first stop, where the Ghan waited four hours, was at Katherine. Some passengers got off here and took a boat trip up the gorge. I didn’t leave the train until Alice Springs, where I went on a two-day trip to Uluru (Ayers Rock) with a small group of passengers and a guide. Climbing the rock is not encouraged nowadays and few people do. Our group just walked around the rock and stayed to watch the beautiful sunset.
From Alice Springs there are two trains a week heading south, so many passengers break their journey here. The view from the train after Alice Springs isn’t particularly interesting. There is a lot of flat land, with nothing to look at but cattle. But at dawn on the third day we reached the foothills of an area close to the Southern Ocean. My journey was over and, although the train might not have delivered on everything the advertisements promise, it had taken me to several of the most amazing sights that Australia has to offer.
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7c0656c1-870a-4d22-8759-bbbe1854e0ab.txt
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en
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reference
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Henry Ford
Henry Ford was born on a farm in Michigan in 1863 but he did not like farming. When he was fifteen he began work as a mechanic and in 1893 he built his first car. After he had driven it 1,500 kilometres, he sold it and built two bigger cars. Then, in 1903, he started the Ford Motor Company. By using strong but light steel, he built cheap cars for ordinary people to buy. In 1908, he built the first Ford Model 'T', which sold for $825. He was soon selling 100 cars a day. By 1927, the Ford Motor Company was worth $700 million. Early Ford cars were simple and cheap, but keeping things simple sometimes meant less choice. 'You can have any colour you like,' said Henry Ford of the Model T,'as long as it's black.'
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7cb20bca-6728-45a1-a838-a4b0d0f27cf3.txt
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en
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reference
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B1
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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Atlantic College
Last week I went to visit Atlantic College, an excellent private college in Wales. Unusually, it gives young people much needed experience of life outside the classroom, as well as the opportunity to study for their exams. The students, who are aged between 16 and 18 and come from all over the world, spend the morning studying. In the afternoon they go out and do a really useful activity, such as helping on the farm, looking after people with learning difficulties, or checking for pollution in rivers.
One of the great things about Atlantic College students is that they come from many different social backgrounds and countries. As few can afford the fees of £20,000 over two years, grants are available. A quarter of the students are British, and many of those can only attend because they receive government help.
"I really admire the college for trying to encourage international understanding among young people", as Barbara Molenkamp, a student from the Netherlands, said. "You learn to live with people and respect them, even the ones you don't like. During the summer holidays my mother couldn't believe how much less I argued with my sister."
To sum up, Atlantic College gives its students an excellent education, using methods which really seem to work.
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8148a2dd-a443-478b-ab3e-34e1f7fbc1f3.txt
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en
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CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
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No Title
A month ago I had no idea that on a Saturday afternoon in November I'd be hanging 30 metres above the ground and enjoying it. Now I looked down at the river far below me, and realised why people love rock-climbing.
My friend Matt and I had arrived at the Activity Centre on Friday evening. The accommodation wasn't wonderful, but we had everything we needed (beds, blankets, food), and we were pleased to be out of the city and in the fresh air.
On Saturday morning we met the other ten members of our group. Cameron had come along with two friends, Kevin and Simon, while sisters Carole and Lynn had come with Amanda. We had come from various places and none of us knew the area.
We knew we were going to spend the weekend outdoors, but none of us was sure exactly how. Half of us spent the morning caving while the others went rock- climbing and then we changed at lunchtime. Matt and I went to the caves first. Climbing out was harder than going in, but after a good deal of pushing, we were out at last - covered in mud but pleased and excited by what we'd done.
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