UNKNOWN ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
Like the great detective Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle also had many wonderful talents. Many people do not know that he wrote many other kinds of books: science fiction, historical adventures, horror stories and stories of the supernatural. He also wrote factual books on history and politics. In everything he did, he showed his incredible creative energy.
Conan Doyle came from an artistic family and he was a natural writer. His father was a talented artist and his mother was a very good story-teller. In his autobiography, Conan Doyle wrote: "The stories that my mother told me when I was a child stand out more powerfully than the real facts of my life."
Conan Doyle went to boarding school when he was nine years old. At school, he entertained his school friends with stories that he had invented. After graduation from Edinburgh University he had his own medical practice in London, but he did not have many patients, so he was not earning a lot of money as a doctor. That's why Conan Doyle made good use of his free time by writing stories. Soon, Conan Doyle began to have his stories published. He now began to understand that writing could provide a better income than medicine.
Conan Doyle was not satisfied with being just a writer of original and entertaining stories. He was also a great man of action. When he was a young man, he sailed as a ship's doctor on voyages to the Arctic and to West Africa. When the Boer War in Africa started, Conan Doyle volunteered to fight. He was not accepted because he was too old (he was 40). However, he still went to South Africa as a doctor to treat the wounded and the sick. He later wrote a history of the Boer War.
Conan Doyle was determined to do some good in society. He tried to enter Parliament, but he wasn't successful. Conan Doyle was more successful in his work to improve the law system. He worked very hard to help people who had been wrongfully sent to prison.
Conan Doyle did many things in his life, but he will naturally be remembered most as a writer, a creator of Sherlock Holmes.
2. Conan Doyle had many talents. Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. How did his writing talent develop?
4. Which facts prove that Conan Doyle took an active part in social life?
1. Read the magazine article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
Agatha Christie wrote some of the best detective stories in English. Her own life also contains a mystery that has only recently been solved.
The story began like this. At 9.45 pm on December 3rd 1926, Agatha Christie left her home in the south of England, saying that she was going out for a drive in her car. The next morning, her car was found quite far away crashed. The front end of the car was in some bushes, the headlights were still on. Inside, there were only some women's clothes and Agatha Christie's driving license. The detective in charge of the case, William Kenward immediately organized a big search of the area. Policemen came from different parts of the country to help in the search, even some famous detective writers were asked to help.
Archie Christie, Agatha's husband, told everyone that his wife was suffering from amnesia. However, soon the police discovered that the marriage between Archie and Agatha Christie was not a happy one, and that Archie and Agatha were having problems. But he could not admit that his marriage was in trouble because people might have thought that he had had something to do with her disappearance.
At this point, the police received a letter. In the letter, Agatha told Archie's brother that she was going away to rest in Yorkshire, Harrogate. The police now went there and looked for her at all the hotels. But they did not find Agatha Christie as she had not checked in using her real name. Instead, she had introduced herself as Neele, a visitor from South Africa.
The situation was very upsetting for the police as they didn't find her. Instead, the musicians in the dance band at the hotel recognized her.
It was not an easy story to believe and most people did not in fact believe it. But all what we know now is that she did not do it for publicity. She did it as she was going through an unhappy time with her husband. Later, in fact, their marriage broke up and they got divorced. However, her disappearance did make Agatha Christie the most popular crime writer in the country.
2. How did the story begin? Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. What are the details of the police investigation?
4. Why did Agatha Christie disappear according to the article?
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
Research by Dutch scientists has shown that optimistic people are 50 % less often suffer from heart disease than pessimistic people. Now scientists know that positive attitudes produce chemical changes in the brain and body which strengthen the immune system.
The connection between health and optimism is a complex one. There are many factors involved. In general, optimistic people are better able to cope with difficult situations. For example, they are usually sociable people with lots of friends. When they have to face a difficulty in life, they have people near them who can give help and emotional support. Optimistic people are also more likely to have a healthy lifestyle than pessimistic people. All these things affect a person's chances of coping with illness and of having success in life.
Optimists are open, sociable people with a sense of humour and a positive view of things. So it is a way of thinking, behaving and feeling. Some people may be natural optimists or pessimists. This raises the question of whether pessimistic people can learn to become more optimistic.
There is a lot of evidence to show that it is possible to learn how to be optimistic. Central to this idea is that we all have a choice about how we view life. Two people may have to face the same serious problems. A pessimist would feel negative and believe that the problem could not be solved. An optimist would examine the situation and try to find a solution. If it is true that we have a choice about which attitude to take, then experts say we can learn to become an optimist.
Max More, who describes himself as a dynamic optimist, writes: "Developing a strong, practical optimistic attitude is one of the best ways of creating personal power. A complete dynamic optimist cannot be stopped. He cannot be pushed aside. He will respond to all obstacles, all problems with calmness and will try to solve these problems creatively. Our way of life will be affected depending on whether we are optimists or pessimists."
2. Max More is a dynamic optimist. Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. What are the advantages of being an optimist?
4. Which facts prove that people can learn how to be optimistic?
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
PABLO PICASSO
Pablo Picasso was one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. He experimented in many different styles and changed the world of art during his time.
Pablo Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain in 1881. His father was a drawing teacher. At 10 Pablo became his father's pupil and at the age of 13 he held his first exhibition. His family moved to Barcelona in 1895 where Pablo joined an art academy. In his early period the young artist painted life as he saw it around him — in cafes and on the streets. Then they moved to Paris, the centre of art and literature.
In 1901 a close friend of Picasso shot himself. This had a great influence on , Pablo. He was very sad and began painting his pictures in grey and blue tones instead of bright, vivid colours. This part of his career is called his Blue Period (1901-1904).
Later on, he changed his painting style and started using more earth colours — rose, pink or brown. He liked to paint pictures of circus life with dancers and acrobats. This Rose Period lasted until 1907.
When Picasso started working with his friend and fellow painter Georges Braque in Paris they started experimenting with a new style that was called cubism.
Picasso and Braque didn't want to show nature as it really was. They thought that all objects in nature had geometric forms. In cubism, objects were cut into many flat shapes, which looked like a puzzle. All the sides of a person's face, for example, were shown at once, maybe even with three eyes instead of two.
In 1936 Civil War broke out in Spain. During this period he painted his masterpiece Guernica. It shows the terrified people of the ancient Spanish town which was bombed during the Civil War. Picasso was shocked by this inhuman act and in his painting he shows people running in the streets and screaming with their mouths wide open. To display his sadness and anger he used only black and white as well as shades of grey.
He continued his work up to his death in 1973. For his great imagination and skill he is called 'El Maestro' of modern art.
2.The most famous painting of Picasso is Guernica. Read aloud the extract about it.
3.Where did Picasso learn to paint?
4.Picasso worked in different styles. Which styles are mentioned in the article? What are their typical characteristics
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
FAMILY HISTORY
"Researching family history is a true passion rather than just a hobby for many people", says Julie Mason. "It is wonderfully exciting when you learn more about the ancestors."
Julie began researching her family's past in order to find out her roots. She says: "When you discover your roots, it gives you understanding who you are." John Paul Thompson, has a different reason for wanting to research his family's history. "After my father died I found myself with photo albums full of old photographs with no labels. I wanted to find out more about the others." Some of the things that people discover about their families can be very surprising. When Jean Sandwell researched her family history she had a very big shock. She found out that she had been adopted as a baby. After she had accepted this situation, Jean tried to find her real parents. "I discovered that my mother emigrated to Australia in 1966," says Jean. "In 1982 I went to Australia to meet her. It was a very emotional experience for both of us."
So what is the best way to start researching your family history? "Interview all your family members before it is too late," says Julie Mason. "Make a basic family tree of your close family and step by step make it bigger. Of course, it is not easy to have accurate information from relatives about things that happened in the distant past. It is quite normal for different family members give different versions of the same events. It is very important to check everything."
Public records in local libraries and in national archives are also important to the family historian. Old newspaper reports are often kept on in local libraries. Sometimes, researching your family history can be lonely work. Remember that you can find a lot of help on the internet.
Of course, it is not easy to trace your family history a long way back and you must be very patient. Believe me, in the future, your children, and their children may be very grateful to you for recording it.
2. Jean Sandwell made a shocking discovery. Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. Why do people start tracing their family histories?
4. What recommendations does the author give to discover your roots?
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
MUHAMMAD ALI
You must have heard about Muhammad Ali — probably the most famous athlete and one of the best-known people in the world. But what do you actually know about his life?
He was the first three-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world. He was known for his powerful hands as well as for his poetry. His ability to compose rhymes while boxing impressed many people. He could be called the first rapper. He won an Olympic gold medal and later threw it into a river in protest against racism in America.
Ali's interest in boxing began when he was 12. He was living in a poor black neighbourhood in Louisville, together with his parents and brother Rudy. One day, when his new bicycle got stolen, Ali reported the fact to a local policeman, Joe Martin. He was furious and said that he was going to beat up the thief. Martin was the boxing coach at the Louisville's Club and he also had a TV show called 'Tomorrow's Champions'. Seeing fire in Ali's eyes, he suggested that the boy learned to fight.
Ali passionately devoted himself to amateur boxing. He trained hard and soon became famous in his hometown. Within the next few years, he won 100 of his 108 matches. At 18, he became Olympic gold medalist and very soon he signed a good professional contract.
In the 1960s, Ali became one of the most disputable figures in his country. He refused to serve in the American army in Vietnam for religious reasons and, as a result, he lost his championship belt. He was also sentenced to five years in prison, but later the sentence was cancelled by the Supreme Court.
Muhammad Ali retired from boxing in 1981 and soon afterwards he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. However, he remained active in various fields and he has not been forgotten. In 1999, he was named Sportsman of the Century by one of the biggest sports magazines. In the same year, Ali's daughter Laila made her debut as a boxer despite her father's earlier comments against female boxing.
2. Muhammad Ali is a world-famous boxer. Read aloud the extract which says about it.
3. What encouraged Ali to take up boxing?
4. How did his sporting career develop?
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
MOBILE PHONE PROTEST
Students in a school in Canada walked out of lessons to protest about the action of their headteacher. They said the headteacher had broken the law and violated their rights.
The headteacher had installed a mobile phone jammer within the school. The jammer stops signals from reaching mobile phones, so it stopped all the students' mobile phones from working.
Teachers at the school claim that students using mobile phones in lessons — especially for texting — has become a major problem. In 2007 the school banned students from taking phones into the classroom.
But teachers say they were each still having to confiscate two or three phones a day because students were ignoring the rule and texting in class. The teachers say this was very annoying because it was disrupting lessons.
It took two days for pupils to work out that a jammer was the reason their phones weren't working. A group of the students used the internet to find out about the use of mobile phone jammers. They found a reference to a law called the Canada Radiocommunications Act. This law says it's illegal to use any device that blocks people's mobile phone signals.
The students then held a protest rally against the use of the jammer. As soon as the headteacher learnt it was illegal, he switched the jamming device off. He said he was impressed by the way the pupils had done their research into the Radiocommunications Act.
Mobile phones in school classrooms cause a lot of arguments. Many students say it is their right to have them wherever they want. Some parents say they want to be able to contact their children. But many teachers say they can't teach lessons when there are so many disruptions from using mobile phones.
Not all teachers think mobile phones should be banned, though. Many say the best action would be to educate students on when it's appropriate to use mobile phones.
2. The author says that mobile phones in classroom can lead to disturbance at the lesson. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What made the headteacher switch off the mobile phone jammer?
4. Why did the headteacher decide to install the jammer
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
UNIVERSITY CELEBRATES
One of the world's leading universities has just begun to celebrate its 800th anniversary.
Cambridge University, in the UK, was founded in 1209. On 17th January it held a special outdoor celebration to launch a year of events marking its 800th birthday.
The University was founded by scholars from another English university, Oxford. Nobody is exactly sure why they moved to Cambridge. One record shows it happened when two Oxford scholars were arrested and then convicted of murdering a local woman. Other students protested their arrest by leaving i the university and going to other towns. It was a group of these scholars that set up a university in Cambridge.
Originally only men were allowed to study at Cambridge. From 1869 women were permitted to study there, but they were not awarded degrees. Women at Cambridge were first awarded degrees in 1947.
Some of the most important discoveries in history have been made by people studying at Cambridge University. The jet engine was invented there. Scientists at Cambridge discovered the structure of human DNA. More than 80 winners of the Nobel Prize, and 15 of Britain's prime ministers, have been graduates of Cambridge University.
Many students from Cambridge University have become famous for becoming among the best in their fields of work. Authors C. S. Lewis, who wrote the Narnia books, and A. A. Milne, who wrote Winnie-the-Pooh, also studied at the university.
On 17th January about 7,000 people gathered in the centre of Cambridge to watch a light show celebrating the anniversary. Images and illustrations were projected onto one of the famous university buildings, the Senate House. A piece of music containing exactly 800 notes was played from the nearby Great St Mary's Church.
Cambridge is usually ranked among the top five universities in the world for its standard of research and teaching. Today, around 18,000 students study at Cambridge University.
2. The author says how the university was founded. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What important discoveries were made at Cambridge?
4. Why is Cambridge University considered one of the best in the world?
1. Read Helen's story and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
A TRUE FRIEND?
Leaving my revision until the last minute had never been my plan as I'd always done well at school. But last winter term it all went wrong.
Before I knew it, there were just a few weeks until the exams. I tried to revise one subject a night, Mum and Dad didn't help and made me feel guilty for going to my friend Emma's for a break. Emma was my only real friend. I'm quite shy and she was always doing my talking for me. She often asked me to help with homework in return, but I didn't mind because I found school work easy. One day, I spoke to Jamie, a boy from my history class. He had the history exam paper and would give it to me for 25 pounds. When I looked at it I realized I already knew most of the answers! I felt really silly and ashamed but relieved to know I wasn't as bad at history as I thought. That Friday, after school, I went to Emma's and told her everything.
A few days later Emma asked for my French revision notes and threatened to tell everybody that I had cheated. Soon her demands increased. She asked to 'borrow' some of my favourite CDs, but it was clear she was going to keep them. Then she made me buy her lunch or pay her bus fares. I didn't want to but she said she could ruin my whole future. I can't believe I put up with it but I didn't know what else to do.
Then, just before the exams were about to start, my worst nightmare came true. One morning at school I was called into the headmaster's office. I'd been found out. My parents were there too and they were upset. When we got home, I explained everything — how I'd been worried about the exams and Emma's demands.
Gradually, life improved, I started doing better at school and I made a new friend — a girl called Gina, who introduced me to her group of mates. They like me for who I am and are real friends — unlike Emma.
Now I'm waiting for my real exam results. I don't know how I'll do, but whatever happens, I've learnt my lesson — cheating is bad. You just have to do your best and ask for help if you need it.
2. The author describes different things that Emma demanded from Helen. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. Why did Helen decide to cheat?
4. How did Helen's life change in the end?
1. Read the story and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
HAVE YOU READ?
I have often dreamed of going to exotic faraway places that I have only read about before. One of those dreams has always been to visit the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa. In this excellent book the author, Catherine Guigon, describes the desert in such vivid detail that I almost feel as if I am refreshing my memories of a past expedition while looking at my photo album! Of course, I wake up when I realise I only wish I could take pictures that well!
This book takes the reader through a journey across the vast Sahara Desert. It took the photographer more than four years and 25 trips to Africa to collect all the photographs to show the beauty of the largest desert in the world. I found this book incredibly informative. As soon as you open up the first pages you not only read about the physical facts of the desert, but also the social and environmental aspects as well. For example, did you know only a quarter of the desert is covered in shifting sands? I spent a lot of time just enjoying the pictures in the book, before I would read a passage.
The journey begins in the middle of the desert in Chad. Every few pages I would look up and realise I had moved further into Algeria and then Libya — and the journey had just begun! There are so many countries in Africa that I had never even heard of and all of them have unique cultures, languages, art, and history. I've learned that the Sahara Desert is 40 times as large as the UK! The author also puts a lot of effort into describing the living aspects of the desert. She covers the plant and animal life. As well as describing the Sahara Desert of today, the book also goes deep into the history of Africa, which some refer to as the 'birthplace of mankind'. Ancient civilisations and their remains are spread throughout the desert, especially along the famous River Nile. Did you know the Sahara Desert was once a green land filled with greenery? Now that I have this book I cannot imagine not having it! Sahara is a very detailed and fascinating book.
2. The author says what this book is about. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. Why did the author find the book informative?
4. What new facts did the author manage to learn while reading Sahara?
1. Read the story and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
YOUNG BUSINESSMAN
Martin Halstead is a normal English teenager who lives in Oxford with his Mum and Dad. There is only one unusual thing about Martin — at the age of 18 he set up his own airline!
Martin got his passion for flying when he boarded a plane for the first time at the age of six. Ever since Martin has wanted to be a pilot.
Only a year ago Martin was just a student at an Oxford college and was preparing for his final exams in Business, History and English. However, his desire to become a pilot was so strong that he sent an application to Oxford Air Training School before taking his college exams. Martin wasn't very confident that he would get a place but much to his own surprise he was successful. Martin says: "To my surprise, I was given a chance to start at Oxford Air Training School almost immediately. Both my parents and the head of the college could see how much I wanted to become a pilot, so they supported my decision to leave college without taking my final exams."
Martin started his flying course last January. He says: "Last summer I was chatting to my friend and said, as a joke, that my only chance to get a job in that field was to have my own airline."
And that was how it all began. Martin's original plan was to fly between Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford and Cambridge are the two most famous and important university cities in the UK. Although the two cities are not too far from each other, they are not well connected by road or train. However, Martin has now changed his mind. His airline, Alpha One Airways, now plans to fly between Southampton and the Isle of Man.
Where did Martin get money to start his business? Well, he got some money from his Grandmother and also had some savings from doing part-time jobs. Although Martin refuses to say exactly how much money he needed to start the business, he says it wasn't very much.
So, what is next? Martin says: "I hope that this is just the beginning and in the future I will be able to fly to other places." Good luck, Martin!
2. The author mentions Martin's plan of starting the airline. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What made Martin leave college and start studying to become a pilot?
4. How did Martin manage to find money for starting his business?
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
MOBILE PHONES
From children to senior citizens, mobile phones have become a craze as a way of staying ahead with the technology. With our fast lifestyles, we have no time to meet our relatives or friends and are left with the only option of talking over the phone. Here comes the need of mobile phones, which allow us to stay connected wherever we are and whenever we need to.
Everybody today owns at least a basic mobile phone. What makes it easy to use is its user-friendly nature, small size and its numerous attractive features. However, people are always eager to replace their mobile phones with the latest models having more advanced features.
As the technology is scaling new heights, mobile phones are becoming cheaper and cheaper and the customer is getting more for less. A great way of amusing yourself is by playing games on your mobile phone. If you want to store your precious moments, you can use its video recording feature. Mobile phones can become expressions of who we are by getting mobile ringtones, wallpapers, which turn your phone into a unique device.
Whatever may be said against mobile phones their advantages have always scored over their disadvantages. They have proved useful for every purpose. Nothing is as comfortable as a mobile phone for communicating over a distance. You cannot be present at the same time at more than one place, but if required you can just make use of your mobile phone and get your work done.
Mobile phones have definitely become the most vital part of our lives. It is hard to imagine life without mobiles. Indeed, mobile phones keep you connected round the clock. They are now inexpensive, easy to use, comfortable and equipped with almost every latest feature you desire. Today, a technologically advanced mobile phone can perform as many tasks as well as that of a personal computer. Even remote countries have started having mobile phone services.
2. The author explains why people need mobile phones nowadays. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What features can be found in modern mobile phones?
4. Why are mobile phones a vital part of our life?
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
HALLOWEEN
Halloween is always celebrated on 31 October. On that night, many people will look like frightening creatures such as vampires or ghosts. They do this with the help of special clothing and face paint.
Halloween traditions developed from Celtic beliefs in ancient Britain. The Celts believed that spirits of the dead would return to their homes on October the thirty-first, the day of the autumn feast. They built huge fires to frighten away evil spirits that night.
People from Scotland and Ireland brought these ideas with them when they came to America. Some believed that spirits played tricks on people on the last night of October. Historians say many of the Halloween traditions of today developed from those of ancient times. They say that wearing a mask to hide a person's face is similar to the way ancient villagers covered their faces to make evil spirits go away.
On Halloween night, American children put on masks and other clothing. They go from home to home shouting "Trick or treat"! If the people in the homes do not give them a treat, the children may play a trick on them.
Some adults put on costumes and attend Halloween parties. They also decorate their homes. They might clean out the insides of pumpkins and cut funny faces on the surface. Then, they place a burning candle inside. Some hang fake bats, spider webs and other things around the home.
The National Retail Federation is predicting that Americans will spend more on Halloween treats and products this year. The group says about six point nine billion dollars will be spent in all. That is eighteen percent more than last year when Americans spent five point eight billion dollars to celebrate Halloween.
The National Retail Federation also has information about what Americans will be wearing for Halloween this year. It says zombie costumes are tops among women, men and children.
2. The author describes how the ideas of celebrating Halloween came to the USA.
Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What do adults and children do to get ready for Halloween?
4. Why do many people celebrate this holiday nowadays?
1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.
SURPRISE PARTY
Liz was just finishing the final details for the surprise party she was planning for her husband. She had been thoroughly preparing for this event, designing every aspect of the party from the invitations to the food, and she was very excited about it. Family members whom Andrew hadn't seen in years were flying in from Poland in a few days. Liz had tracked down several college friends, and they were coming from various places across the country. A band and dancers were invited.
The best part for Liz was that she knew Andrew did not have any idea about the party. She could not wait to see the look on his face when he walked into a big "Surprise!" in his own home.
The party was supposed to be on Saturday. As Liz was daydreaming about picking relatives up at the airport the next day and taking them to their hotel, Andrew walked into the kitchen and said, quite certainly, "Sweetheart, I don't want anything special done for my birthday.”
"What do you mean?" Liz responded calmly, though her heart began to beat.
"I mean that I don't want a surprise party.''
"Okay," Liz said. "Not a problem."
Liz's mind raced. There was nothing she could do about Andrew's request now. And, frankly, she didn't want to. Liz had been planning this for more than a year. The party would go off as she intended. She did not want all of her effort to fail.
When Andrew came home Saturday evening from playing soccer with friends, he was shocked. Tears filled his eyes. This response was something Liz had not predicted. Among the crowd he saw friends whom he had not seen in nearly 20 years and family members who had come from Poland just for this evening. But along with being deeply moved, he was also angry with his wife. He knew he could be emotional, and he did not like people to see him that way. That was why he did not like being surprised.
Salsa music filled the home of Liz and Andrew. Liz whispered "I love you" in Andrew's ear, they shared a kiss, and the two danced the whole night.
2. The author describes the preparations Liz made for the birthday party. Find this extract and read it aloud.
3. What did Andrew ask Liz for?
4. How did Andrew feel at the party?