Déjà vu is the feeling of having had exactly the same experience at some unknown time in the past. I (A1) ... in the same college for many years, but I remember one occasion in particular when I had this feeling.

A few years ago I (A2) ... a lesson of Physics to a student in an upstairs lecture room where I (A3) ... before. I reached the part of the lesson where we began discussing radioactivity when I (A4) ... (захлестнуть) by a feeling of déjavu. I knew I was about to refer to a book in my office. I also knew that on a previous occasion I (A5) ... to collect it from the office too. I (A6) ... to my student and asked him if we had discussed the topic already. He looked puzzled and replied that we (A7) ... anything like that before. However, my awareness of the experience didn't make the déjà vu feeling go away, even when I tried not to repeat the pre-set pattern.

As she rang the doorbell, Susan felt a mixture of fear and excitement. She (A1) ... for this moment for a longtime yet she doubted if it was the right decision to go there and to ring the doorbell. She hoped no one (A2) ... to open the door. Susan was only four when she (A3) ... her father for the last time. Her mother (A4)... about him and about the reason why he had left them. Susan had seen a few pictures of her father but she had never known what to feel towards him. Susan didn't know what to expect from this meeting. She (A5) ... her father for more than twenty years. She (A6) ... she should leave when the door opened. Susan couldn't say anything but there was no need. A few seconds later thcy (A7) ... in each other's arms and they stayed there for several long minutes.

Dear Peter,

Well, here we are at last! We had been looking forward to coming back for ages and we finally (A1) ... safe and sound last week. Since then we (A2) ... several times to organize the flat and find schools for the children. We've had to borrow some furniture from friends and relatives as the flat we (A3) ... turned out to be unfurnished Sally says that it is all our own fault. We should have checked the details more carefully! I thought it (A4) ... good value for money! It was difficult to make the decision to come home as we (A5 ... abroad for so long. I think we are going to find it strange to settle down here again. I haven't started looking for a job yet as I (A6) ... busy. I (A7) ... you a call to arrange a night when you can come to dinner and we can discuss old times! Looking forward to seeing you again.

Best wishes, Stephen

I (A1)... very well the first law conference l attended. It was in the 1990s. The conference had many outstanding speakers but only one of them (A2) ... a lasting impression in my mind. That speaker, a law lecturer, (A3) ... answering a number of questions on his paper that (A4) ... when he (A5) ... a question by an elderly gentleman in the audience: "If your father committed a murder and he confessed the crime to you, what would you do?" The speaker Smiled and said, "Sir, you (A6) ... me a very difficult question. I need time to answer that, but I will, after the tea break."

When the session resumed, the speaker took his place on the stage. "I (A7)... to answer the gentleman's question now. As my father's son I would listen to him. I would even cry with him. As his lawyer, I would advise him to confess to the crime and I would go with him to the police station." His answer received what it (A8) ... - thunderous applause.

Have you ever visited the doctor with an earache or a sore throat? Chances are, you (A1) ... antibiotics to treat the problem. Alexander Fleming (A2) ... across the first antibiotic, penicillin, by accident in 1928. The medicine was then developed and became widely available in the 1940s. It (A3) ... against anything from blood poisoning to tonsillitis. In fact, since then, antibiotics (A4) ... so easy to obtain that they are being overused. They are really for treating serious bacterial infections. Some people believe that antibiotics can be used to cure the common cold or flu but, as these are both viruses, antibiotics (A5) ... no effect on them whatsoever. The overuse of antibiotics (A6) ... infections known as superbugs to develop. These superbugs are too tough {устойчивый) for antibiotics to fight and may be a big problem for future generations. So what can we do? Well, only take antibiotics when necessary and, if your doctor (A7) ... them to you, be sure to follow the instructions and finish the course.

We (A1) ... along this mountain road, miles from anywhere, when we (A2) ... across a trail of tins of food and bottles of water along the road. I looked out of the car window and noticed this camper van about ten metres below us in a field, with its back door hanging off. It (A3) ... off the road. We stopped the car. A young man (A4) ... back up towards the road. He (A5) ... in blood, so we offered to take him to hospital. As we drove off, with him lying on the back seat, he (A6) ... asking about his girlfriend — was she all right? When we (A7) ... the hospital we found that she (A8) ... up and taken to casualty by someone else. Luckily, she was okay — and so was he, eventually.

Alex Morton is a talented writer who (A1) ... a very interesting life. He was born in 1945 in Manchester, and he was the youngest of six children. From the moment he could read, he was never without a book in his hands. He was a very keen reader throughout his schooldays, and he soon showed his talent for writing, too. After he left school he went to Manchester University. By the time he got his BA, he (A2) ... a number of short stories, and his first novel (A3) ... . Over the next few years he (A4) ... non-stop and each of his books was more successful than the last. Despite being so busy with his work, Alex still found time for romance. He met Fiona Jones while he was at university and they (A5) ... in 1971. They have two children. He has always been a devoted husband and father. Alex Morton (A6) ... over twenty books so far and his name has been on the best seller list more times than he can remember. However, the peak of his career was when he (A7) ... the Booker Prize for Fiction in 1995. Since then, Alex has continued to write and many of his books have been made into films.

An eco-tourism project (А8) ... a difference has just been launched in the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia. Tourists will be offered (А9)... chance to encounter a wide range of wildlife and (A10)... great deal more. This project was set (A11)... by the local villagers who were suffering (A12) ... a downturn in the national economy. They decided to raise money themselves to cover the cost of educational and welfare projects. Tourists will be invited to live the African Village Experience. The tours are led by English speaking villagers, and visitors can choose (A13) ... activities such as meeting the local healer to taking part in cooking or farming. Visitors are also offered (A14) ... option (A15) ... staying the night in the village.

Albert Einstein's work has enormously broadened our understanding of (A8) ... universe and has had a considerable impact (A9) ... all our lives. Thanks (A10) ... his equation E = mc², we now know that energy and mass are directly related (A11) ... each other. To (A12) ... very great extent, it is Einstein who is responsible (A13)... our knowing that space and time are actually one thing. Additionally, without E = mc², we would not have nuclear power — and nuclear weapons — today. Einstein did not become famous because of E = mc², which was first published in 1905. At (A14) ... time, his paper was largely ignored, even (A15) ... most scientists. Indeed, it was 14 years later that Einstein first made headlines round the world, when scientific evidence began to show that his Theory of General Relativity was correct.

Have you ever wondered why humans cry? Most mammals produce tears to clean (A9) ... eyes, but humans are unique — perhaps (A10) ... the exception (A11) ... gorillas and elephants that produce tears in response (A12) ... emotional stimuli. We might feel like crying when we hear (A13) ... sad news, or even cry (A14) ... happiness. Scientists are unsure (A15) ... any benefits of crying. Though some people say that (A16) ... good cry may help them get over difficult emotional situations.

Did Marco Polo tell the truth when he wrote about his journey to China? Or did (A9) ... 13th century Italian explorer just make up stories about places he would like to have visited?

According to some experts, when Marco was 17, he set (A10) ... with his father and uncle (A11) ... an adventure that lasted over 20 years. They passed through Turkey into (A12) ... northern Iran, along the Great Silk Road and across (A13) ... Gobi desert. Eventually, in 1275, they reached the summer capital where they met the emperor. The opportunity to return home only came 17 years later. Shortly after his return to Venice, Marco Polo was captured (A14) ... sea, possibly by pirates. They put him (A15) ... prison where he devoted his time (A16) ... composing his book.

In a month's time I'll be setting (A8) ... on the trip of (A9) ... lifetime. My plan is to cycle all the way round the world, starting and finishing in my home town of Plymouth. It's taken over two years to prepare for the adventure; planning it, training for it and organising the finance. I've saved up about a quarter of the money I need, and I've managed to raise (A10) ... rest by doing up my house and selling it for a lot more than it originally cost me. Understandably, my parents are not very keen on (A11) ... idea, and I don't blame them (A12) ... wanting to try to discourage me (A13) ... going. They still haven't forgiven me for the worry I caused them when I tried, unsuccessfully, to cycle from Norway to South Africa. They've finally accepted, however, that nothing will prevent me (A14) ... attempting it, and my mum has said she'll be the first to congratulate me (A15) ... my achievement when I get back in two years' time.

Mount Bulla is one of the most popular winter resorts in Australia. It is about a six or seven-hour drive from the city. The resort itself is on the side of the mountain about one thousand meters up. The drive up is breathtaking. As you go up the winding road, the pine trees surround you and you can smell how fresh and clear (A8) ... air is. Snow has fallen and the ground is covered (A9) ... a white blanket. The actual resort is made (A10) ... of three traditionally-built hotels. The largest of (A11) ... three has a disco.

Just above the hotels is the ski-lift which takes you (A12) ... the top of the slopes. There are also skiing instructors who teach beginners. Quite often there are special shows put (A13) ... by professional skiers, which are fascinating to watch. You must like skiing to enjoy your stay as the resort is (A14) ... real paradise (A15) ... ski-lovers.

Mount Bulla is one of the most popular winter resorts in Australia. It is about a six or seven-hour drive from the city. The resort itself is on the side of the mountain about one thousand meters up. The drive up is breathtaking. As you go up the winding road, the pine trees surround you and you can smell how fresh and clear (A8) ... air is. Snow has fallen and the ground is covered (A9) ... a white blanket. The actual resort is made (A10) ... of three traditionally-built hotels. The largest of (A11) ... three has a disco.

Just above the hotels is the ski-lift which takes you (A12) ... the top of the slopes. There are also skiing instructors who teach beginners. Quite often there are special shows put (A13) ... by professional skiers, which are fascinating to watch. You must like skiing to enjoy your stay as the resort is (A14) ... real paradise (A15) ... ski-lovers.

Every October I like to go to France (A8) ... my holidays. Last year I visited the Loire Valley and I had the best two weeks of my life. I had such (A9)... good fun I cried when it was time to leave. When I arrived (A10)... Calais, the sun was shining and I was glad I had decided to go (A11)... camping. There are lots of campsites in the Loire, and I found a small one near a beautiful castle. King Louis XIV had (A12) ... castle built in order to impress a princess he wanted to marry, but she rejected him for an English Duke. I fell in love with (A13) ... place at once. Although October is late (A14) ... camping, there were quite a lot of people staying there. It was highly recommended in my guidebook and a friend of mine had also suggested to go to that particular site. Most of the other campers were around (A15) ... my age and I made friends with several of them. Six of us have agreed to meet there again next year for another great holiday.

A soda drink with a turkey and gravy flavour that is (A22) ... as undrinkable by its manufacturers is selling extraordinarily well. Unexpectedly large quantities of bottles have been sold in the United States where they are preparing to (A23) ... Thanksgiving later this week. A company in Seattle which (A24) ... in unusual flavours put 6,000 bottles on (A25) ... last week at 99 cents each. They sold out within hours. Yesterday bidding (ставки) on the eBay online auction site (A26) ... more than 60 dollars a bottle. The nastiness of Turkey and Gravy Soda appears to be its biggest selling point. It (A27) ... the perfect joke gift to take home to Mum or a younger brother or sister. At Thanksgiving families traditionally (A28) ... a long weekend together. One newspaper reporter who (A29) ... the drink said that, at first sip, it tasted of sweet caramel and savoury butter and it got worse from there. Curiously, the drink is (A30) ... for vegetarians. Peter Van Stolk who (A31) ... the company which makes the drink called his product 'gross'.

Dancing can be a fun way to workout. Experts say that dancing improves blood circulation, boosts energy levels and helps you (A23) ... healthy bones. It's also a great way to (A24) ... weight. As well as the (A25) ... benefits, dancing is great for improving co-ordination and concentrating the mind. Dancing is a great stress reliever, a good dance will make you smile and laugh, leaving you in high (A26) ... and inspired. There should be a very (A27) ... risk of injury from dancing if you (A28)... instructions carefully, but make sure you always warm up properly or you could (A29) ... up with pulled muscles. So, (A30) ... on some comfortable clothes, like tracksuit bottoms and a T-shirt, and get to it. Some types of dancing may (A31) ... special clothes when you get more advanced; others (A32) ... you to dress more casually.

Whether you like it or not, celebrity gossip is hard to avoid. Newspapers, magazines and websites are (A22) ... with photos of the stars. Celebrities, (A23) ... the badly-behaved ones, regularly (A24) ... enormous publicity in the media. It seems we're (A25) ... by scandal, eager to know who is going out whom, and whose marriage has just fallen apart. Thanks to the public's (A26) ... for gossip, a paparazzo can be (A27) ... $500,000 for each 'exclusive' photo of stars like Britney Spears and Cristiano Ronaldol

Celebrities (A28) ... that money-hungry reporters and photographers follow them everywhere they go, often (A29) ... them serious troubles. In response, celebrity hunters argue that famous people shouldn't be so sensitive. They should accept their loss of privacy as the (A30) ... of wealth and success. But have things gone too far? Do we really have a 'right to read about stars having a mental breakdown, or to see pictures of them looking completely devastated after they've (A31) ... up with their husband or wife? There seems to be a fine line between curiosity and cruelty.

Don Strange, who works as a vet in northern England, (A22) ... a busy life. As well as having to (A23) ... pets which are unwell, he often visits farms where problems of various kinds await him. He has (A24) ... count of the number of times he has been called out at midnight to give (A25) ... to a farmer with sick sheep or cows. Recently, a television company chose Don as the subject of a documentary programme it was making about the life of a country vet. The programme showed the difficult situations Don (A26) ... every day. It also showed Don (A27) ... a meeting with villagers (A28) ... about the damage a new road might (A29) ... to their local environment. Viewers loved the documentary and, overnight, Don became a household name, known to millions of people. He continues to receive large numbers of letters which make a real impression on him, especially those from teenagers who have (A30) ... the important decision to become vets themselves as a (A31) ... of seeing the programme.

A coincidence is a surprising thing that (A22) ... to us. For example, two friends go shopping alone on the same day. When they (A23) ... up afterwards, they discover that they've each bought an identical T-shirt. Many people (A24) ... coincidences as significant or mysterious. But the simple (A25) ... could be that friends tend to have (A26) ... taste in clothes. In reality, life is (A27)... of coincidences, but normally we don't notice them. For example, in almost fifty percent of all football matches, two players (A28) ... the same birthday. This seems surprising, given that there are 365 possible birthdays in the year. But most of these matches will be played without anybody being (A29) ... that the coincidence exists. Unless your birthday is today or tomorrow, you don't generally go around telling people when it is. What's more, without realising it, you probably (A30) ... into contact with lots of people born on the same day as you. But when a coincidence is (A31) ... to your attention, it still seems amazing.

Napoleon III of France was (A23) ... for the invention of the butter substitute known as margarine. He was looking for a cheap (A24) ... to butter for the poorer people of society, and for his army and navy. So he (A25) ... up a prize competition to see who would (A26) ... up with the best solution.

There was only one entry into this competition, from a man called Meges-Mouries. He had (A27) ... over two years experimenting, and finally found an acceptable butter substitute made from milk and various animal fats. Meges-Mouries' invention was awarded the prize.

Margarine soon went into mass production and was exported all over the world. In Britain it was called 'Butterine', until protests from farmers (A28) ... to that name being made illegal. Farmers in America were not happy about the new arrival on the market either. They (A29) ... to the yellow colouring, saying that it made it resemble butter so closely that it could deceive consumers. In effect, Napoleon III's competition is still going on. The ultimate (A30) ... of every margarine manufacturer is to produce a product that is (A31) ... to distinguish from butter. And they keep trying.

It is difficult to imagine a world without tomatoes. These days, the bright red fruit plays an important role in the cooking of many cultures and is a key ingredient in many types of fast food, (A22) ... both taste and colour to dishes that otherwise would be rather ordinary. The tomato (A23) ... to the nightshade family of plants, many members of which are poisonous. When they were first (A24) ... into North America, therefore, tomatoes were viewed with (A25) ... and people tended to use them as table decorations rather than as food. In Europe, the tomato was first grown in Italy in 1555, although it wasn't (A26) ... with pasta until much later. The first (A27) ... for tomato ketchup dates from 1727 and in the 1800s, tomatoes began to be used more (A28) ... in sources and soups. These days, as well as tasting good, tomatoes are (A29) ... to contain substances which are good for our health. Nutritionists (A30) ... out, however, that many processed tomato products also contain additives such as salt and Sugar which can (A31) ... the beneficial effects of the fruit.

Medical Science has (A23) ... good progress in the twenty-first century. A (A24) ... for most of the great killer' diseases has been found, and almost every day a new drug appears on the market. But according to the survey (A25) ... by the British Medical Association, less than 40% of people really trust their family doctor. People are (A26) ... away from conventional medicine to look for alternative forms of treatment.

The main (A27) ... for this is that conventional medicine has (A28) ... to satisfy the needs of the majority of people, who are actually less healthy than their parents or grandparents.

Medical students are taught that diseases are (A29) ... by viruses. Therefore treatment must (A30) ... on attacking them. The mind and the emotions are not thought to play any part in the disease process. But people who practise "natural' medicine (A31) ... with this principle, and try to treat the whole person. They believe that personality and lifestyle are important when considering a patient's general health.

Years ago, back in the days when I was just a kid, my family used to have Sunday picnics together in a nearby part of the countryside. We would (A22) ... a suitably quiet and pleasant spot, then (A23) ... several hours chatting, eating and playing games in the (A24) ... air. Since then, though, my parents' life has become so busy that they never seem to have the time for outdoor family meals any more. In my (A25) ... this is a great pity, so I've recently started to organise picnics of my own. I get in (A26) ... with some of my closest friends and first we (A27) ... on a suitable place to go. Then we talk about who'll bring which food. This ensures that there will be a (A28) ... of tasty things to eat, particularly if everyone makes the meals they do best. It's important, though, to keep the food simple, as everything has to (A29) ... into a backpack and then be carried across fields and up river vall's. When we finally (A30) ... our destination, it's time to sit down, relax and (A31) ... each other's company. And I'm absolutely certain that food tastes better on a picnic than anywhere else!

§ 1. Cruising over the pack-ice with our heavy snowmobiles, my guide, Arne, and I looked out across the dazzling expanse of snow. We had come to the tiny, remote island of Svalbard northeast of Greenland, to photograph polar bears, but now we were exhausted with searching. The day had been particularly frustrating, as every bear we'd slowly approached had run away from us. Fed up and hungry, we decided to abandon our search for the afternoon and stop for a snack beside one of the many tall, blue icebergs.

§ 2. As always, a good meal was followed by an intense desire to sleep, and we decided to give in to it, even though the temperature was down to −30 °C. Sleeping at the same time would be unwise with our furry friends around, so we decided to take it in turns. As Arne slept, I scanned the Snow with my binoculars, looking for anything moving. An hour passed. I was just about to wake my companion, when I noticed a dot on the horizon. I wiped the lens, but it was still there. I began to make out the typical mayonnaise colour and the striding walk — it was a polar bear and it was heading in our direction. I awoke Arne instantly. For the next thirty minutes, the bear continued on its direct course towards us, which was strange because the wind was blowing our scent straight towards him, so he must have been aware of our presence.

§ 3. When he was a couple of hundred metres away, I decided to lie down in the snow so as to get a better photograph. "You realise you look like seal like that, don't you?" warned Arne, for once sounding a bit worried. ave for dinner. Onwards the bear came, and by now I could hear the crunching Seals are what polar bears like to sound of his feet on the ice. It struck me that this was a big bear, travelling at some speed. I turned to speak to Arne, and saw him pulling a gun from his bag. Polar bears are incredibly unpredictable animals, and to be in their environment without protection is foolish. But Arne had strict instructions from me only to use the gun to frighten the bear away, and then only if necessary.

§ 4. By now the animal was only 25 metres away and the atmosphere had changed. Arne sat up on the snowmobile calmly awaiting the bear's next move, while struggled to change the film in my camera with my cold, shaking hands. Then, just as I was thinking that there was no escape, as I tensed myself for the inevitable attack, the bear veered off (изменил направление) to one side and then went straight past us. "Look!" whispered Arne. "Behind us!" I turned and saw a second creamy head with two black eyes peering around the corner of an iceberg a few hundred metres behind us. A female bear. Our friend's goal had clearly been in his sight the whole time, and we were the only thing between him and his beloved.

§ 1. I want to tell you about my old friend Bobbie Cardew. If you're a recent acquaintance of Bobbie's, you'll probably be surprised to hear that there was a time when he was known for having a weak memory. In the days when first knew him Bobbie Cardew was the most unreliable person you could ever imagine. If I invited him to come and have dinner with me, I had to go to all sorts of trouble. I used to post him a letter at the beginning of the week, and then the day before send him a telegram, and a phone call on the day itself.

§ 2. One day Bobbie did something I would never have expected. He fell in love, got married — full of excitement, as if it were the greatest fun in the world — and then began to find out things.

§ 3. Her name was Mary Anthony. She was a hospital nurse. When Bobbie Smashed himself up playing polo she was there in the hospital taking care of him. No sooner was he up and about again than they were busy making wedding plans. A real case of love at first sight They took a flat and settled down. I was in and out of the place a good deal. Everything appeared to be running along as Smoothly as you could want. Mary seemed to think Bobbie the greatest thing on earth and Bobbie seemed to think the same about her.

§ 4. But now we come to the incident of the Quiet Dinner, which is when things began to happen. I met Bobbie in the street one day and he asked me to come back to dinner at his flat. When we got there I was amazed at how lovely Mary looked. She had her red-gold hair piled up on her head with a diamond tiara in it and was wearing a really beautiful dress. No wonder, I thought, that Bobbie liked married life. "Hello, dear," he said. "I've brought Reggie home for a bit of dinner." Mary stared at him as if she had never seen him before. Then she turned scarlet. Then she turned white as a sheet of paper. Then she gave a little laugh, before finally recovering herself. After that she was all right. She talked a lot at dinner, teased Bobbie and played tunes for us on the piano afterwards, as if she hadn't a care in the world. But I had seen her face at the beginning, and I knew that she was working hard to keep herself in hand and not scream. At the very earliest moment I made my excuses and got away.

§ 5. When I met Bobbie at the club next day he seemed glad to have someone to talk to."Do you know how long I've been married?" he said "About a year, isn't it?" "Not about a year," he said sadly. "Yesterday was the anniversary of the wedding. I'd arranged to take Mary to the theatre. She particularly wanted to hear Caruso sing. I had a ticket for the box in my pocket. You know, all through dinner I had some vague idea that there was something I'd forgotten, but I couldn't think what."

§ 1. Over the past four hundred years, 450 types of plants and trees around the world have become extinct as a result of the combined effects of global warming, population growth, flooding and the fact that deserts are advancing in some regions at a rate of nearly four miles a year. Scientists estimate a quarter of the world's remaining 270,000 plant species will be under threat of extinction by 2050.

§ 2. In 1997, in an attempt to try to prevent the loss of plants, volunteers all over Britain began collecting seeds (семена). The seeds collected are now housed in the Millennium Seed Bank, which is expected to become the world's biggest seed bank and, apart from preserving almost all the plant life in Britain, it also aims to have saved the seeds of almost a tenth of the world's flowering plants in the next twenty years. If they are successful, the Millennium Seed Bank Project will be one of the largest international conservation projects ever undertaken.

§ 3. In order to achieve this aim, the Millennium Seed Bank has a team of scientists who travel to distant corners of the world to find and collect seeds. They also help local botanists to set up their own seed banks. They Spend a great deal of time negotiating with governments to allow them to collect the seeds and bring them back to Britain for storage in the Millennium Seed Bank.

§ 4. When these seeds arrive at the seed bank, they are sorted, cleaned and dried and then X-rayed to make sure that they haven't been damaged in any way that might stop them from growing into healthy plants. Finally, they are placed in ordinary glass jars and stored in three underground vaults (хранилище) at temperatures of −20 °C. Most plant Species have seeds that can be dried, frozen and stored for years and still grow into healthy plants. However, the seeds of Some Species cannot be dried, so they can't be stored in seed banks in the usual way. Roger Smith, head of the Millennium Seed Bank, explains that Scientists at the bank are already working on finding new ways of storing those seeds that cannot survive the drying and freezing process, and also on how to regenerate the seeds when they become extinct in their natural habitats. "At the moment, all we're doing is preserving these plants for the future. We won't have managed to conserve any species until we find the way to successfully regenerate them and grow new plants from them," points out Smith. "But at least this way, when the technology becomes available, and it will, we won't have lost everything."

§ 5. Dr Hugh Pritchard, head of research at the Millennium Seed Bank, says: "While it's true that many of the plants we preserve at the bank aren't useful at the moment, that doesn't mean they won't become useful in the future. Something like thirty per cent of the medicines we use today are based on products or chemicals which have been extracted from plants. So it's easy to see why we need to preserve the diversity of the earth's plant life for the future."

§ 1. High up in the mountains of southeast Asia, you can find the Akha hill tribes living in their traditional villages and farming the land.

§ 2. The history of the Akha people goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. They originally came from Tibet and have maintained the physical characteristics of that region, being fairly short and dark in complexion. Today, they live in small villages in the mountainous parts of China, Laos and northern Thailand. The Akha people are rich in culture, history and tradition. But they are also among the world's poorest people. Akha women remain remarkably strong and cheerful in the face of such a hard life. Akha men are brave and strong.

§ 3. The Akha have their own way of measuring time where one week lasts 12 days. Each village has its own leader or headman, and under his guidance people follow a code of behaviour known as the Akha Way. Thanks to the Akha Way, each person in these small communities knows their role in society. The men provide for their families by farming crops. They are also talented craftsmen. The women do spinning and weaving and make their own clothes. They wear colourfully decorated black shirts and skirts, and thick black leggings. Their headdresses are especially distinctive. As for the children, even though many of them don't attend school, they all know the names of every plant and animal in the forest. There is no written Akha language but the oral tradition is very rich.

§ 4. Akha villages all look quite similar. The bamboo houses with their thatched roofs stand on stilts (сваи) on the hillsides. Every village has two wooden frames that look like a doorway at its entrance and exit. These structures have spiritual significance and are called the 'spirit gates'. Artists cover the frames with carvings of both evil and smiling faces. This is to invite good spirits to enter the village and keep bad spirits out. Each summer the men build a swing in a public open space. Here the young children gather to play, but not just as a playground game — it is part of the yearly ceremony to honour dead ancestors.

§ 5. Sadly, the Akha Way is slowly disappearing from many villages. A growing number of tourists are visiting them and introducing a taste of Western culture. The women and girls only dress traditionally when there are tourists around in the hope they will buy souvenirs. Some Akha have even decided to take things a step further: they are leaving their villages to seek their fortunes in the big cities.

This is what the famous musician Yehudi Menuhin writes about himself.

§ 1. Being a touring musician is a bit like being a sailor. It's constant motion, a continuous routine of settling into new hotels and meeting new people. So my ideal holiday is enjoying being alone with my wife.

§ 2. My earliest memory of a holiday was when I was five. We had just bought our first car, and drove joyously from San Francisco, exploring the most beautiful parts of California. It was a wonderful experience. I vividly remember the beautiful Yosemite valley, a place of waterfalls and beautiful mountains, a wilderness before we polluted it with cars and noisy stereo systems. As a child I collected photographs of those huge railway engines that pulled hundreds of goods wagons across America. These trains were like monsters, with groups of four wheels on each side. For Americans trains are hugely romantic. My first train journey across America was when I was eight years old. During the day I sat at the window watching the scenery fly past. At night I always had the top bunk bed in the sleeping compartment. I would scramble up to read in bed, feeling cosy and contented as the train rhythmically travelled over the rails through the night.

§ 3. Since then I've worked and studied for many hours on trains, enjoying the view and the sense of timelessness. I loved the smell of steel upon steel mixed up with the smell of the countryside. I loved the sound of the engine's horn, which used to remind me of the ferries which crept along in between the ships in San Francisco Bay on foggy nights. I have been lucky travelling all over the world and managing, just occasionally, to take a few days actually to see something more than just the airport, hotel and concert hall. When my wife and I were in Peru, we took three days off and flew in a small plane to the mountains where we spent a wonderful time walking and exploring in the jungle.

§ 4. Forty years ago we bought a small house on a Greek island and went there whenever we could. Initially there were just a few carts, and everything was transported on the back of a donkey or a man. We had a tiny cottage with a lovely garden of fruit trees where we used to pick grapes and oranges. We spent a lot of time on the beach — as I love swimming — and in the village getting to know people. After ten or fifteen years we were firmly involved in the community, able to share a totally different world, different language, different music.

§ 1. Over the past four hundred years, 450 types of plants and trees around the world have become extinct as a result of the combined effects of global warming, population growth, flooding and the fact that deserts are advancing in some regions at a rate of nearly four miles a year. Scientists estimate a quarter of the world's remaining 270,000 plant species will be under threat of extinction by 2050.

§ 2. In 1997, in an attempt to try to prevent the loss of plants, volunteers all over Britain began collecting seeds (семена). The seeds collected are now housed in the Millennium Seed Bank, which is expected to become the world's biggest seed bank and, apart from preserving almost all the plant life in Britain, it also aims to have saved the seeds of almost a tenth of the world's flowering plants in the next twenty years. If they are successful, the Millennium Seed Bank Project will be one of the largest international conservation projects ever undertaken.

§ 3. In order to achieve this aim, the Millennium Seed Bank has a team of scientists who travel to distant corners of the world to find and collect seeds. They also help local botanists to set up their own seed banks. They Spend a great deal of time negotiating with governments to allow them to collect the seeds and bring them back to Britain for storage in the Millennium Seed Bank.

§ 4. When these seeds arrive at the seed bank, they are sorted, cleaned and dried and then X-rayed to make sure that they haven't been damaged in any way that might stop them from growing into healthy plants. Finally, they are placed in ordinary glass jars and stored in three underground vaults (хранилище) at temperatures of −20 °C. Most plant Species have seeds that can be dried, frozen and stored for years and still grow into healthy plants. However, the seeds of Some Species cannot be dried, so they can't be stored in seed banks in the usual way. Roger Smith, head of the Millennium Seed Bank, explains that Scientists at the bank are already working on finding new ways of storing those seeds that cannot survive the drying and freezing process, and also on how to regenerate the seeds when they become extinct in their natural habitats. "At the moment, all we're doing is preserving these plants for the future. We won't have managed to conserve any species until we find the way to successfully regenerate them and grow new plants from them," points out Smith. "But at least this way, when the technology becomes available, and it will, we won't have lost everything."

§ 5. Dr Hugh Pritchard, head of research at the Millennium Seed Bank, says: "While it's true that many of the plants we preserve at the bank aren't useful at the moment, that doesn't mean they won't become useful in the future. Something like thirty per cent of the medicines we use today are based on products or chemicals which have been extracted from plants. So it's easy to see why we need to preserve the diversity of the earth's plant life for the future."

§ 1. Minutes before the start of a British Grand Prix in August, the drivers' faces are grave with concentration. Fans are screaming. Squeezed into his driving seat, Nelson Jones is pulling on a pair of tight black gloves. No question where he's expecting to finish: "First," he says. At the start signal, with a burst of engine noise, the drivers move quickly to the first turn.

§ 2. It all sounds a lot like a Formula One car race, but there's a difference — Nelson is thirteen years old, and he's racing in a go-kart. What could be seen as child's play is in fact the first step for young talent to move into professional race cars, because it introduces them to the essential basics such as finding the racing line, concentration and how to compete on the track. That track record makes karting a must for youngsters keen to make racing their life's ambition.

§ 3. Nelson Jones has actually been racing since he was eight years old. "When my son Nelson showed us how gifted he was with racing, even at an incredibly young age, I knew we had to do something," Nelson's father says. "Racing can be really dangerous and it gets expensive, but when I had the opportunity to buy him his first official kart, I rushed to do it."

§ 4. After taking part in three or four local races in Britain, in which he won first place, Nelson decided that he would go for it and have a crack at his first international Grand Prix in Germany, which he won as well. Nelson now travels all over Britain and Europe to take part in races. The interest he showed in racing was not via the usual exposure to video games. "We lived near a small karting racetrack and I became fascinated — I couldn't stop talking about it. One day, as we were driving past, I made my father stop the car so I could have a better look at the karts flying by. I saw so many people, including kids my own age, and I took a liking to it straight away.'

§ 5. Nelson eventually got his chance to try it out. The family hired an instructor for amateurs to teach Nelson, who took him as far as the age of twelve. The instructor then informed Nelson's father it was time to look for someone more qualified. Perhaps it is Nelson's good fortune in having always been expertly advised that has made him so relaxed about facing the pressures of an international racing circuit. But what is it like to be so young with a schedule fully booked with races, and all eyes watching him, expecting victory after victory? It's good for me, as I know what I need to be doing. The public's expectations help me focus and concentrate so I can race at my highest level.'

1. Paula West: Seville, Spain

For our first ever visit to Andalucia we based ourselves in the splendid Parador de Carmona, a former 14th century Arabic fortress, which has been converted into a hotel and restaurant. The small town of Carmona is just a half-hour bus ride from Seville, Spain's fourth largest city and the capital of Andalucia. We spent the morning climbing La Giralda tower before stopping for lunch. The temperatures at midday are very high in Seville, so we cooled down with gazpacho, the delicious cold soup made with tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

2. Jo Smith: Dubai

Dubai has clearly grown in popularity as a holiday destination since my first visit five years ago. The number of hotels has risen and there are now far more activities on offer to tourists. On my recent holiday there in April, I avoided the water-skiing, windsurfing and horse-riding, and chose instead to visit the oasis town of Dhaid. Being early spring, it was pleasantly warm with daytime temperatures in the low 30s, dropping to a cool 15 °C at night. Dubai has always been a marvellous place to shop, with a wide range of souvenirs on offer in the Bedouin markets. I resisted the temptation, however, promising myself I would buy something on my next visit.

3. Katie Smart: Marrakech, Morocco

I never tire of going to Marrakech, and the market, or 'souk', in the old town is always first on my itinerary. It has a wonderful selection of rugs, jewellery, pottery and leather bags, and I normally come home with enough items to fill a suitcase — and my last visit there was no exception. But I am particularly attracted by the tremendous warmth and good humour of the inhabitants of Marrakech, who are delighted to be able to offer their hospitality and welcome foreign visitors to their city.

4. Fiona Miller: Lake Garda, Italy

My husband and I chose Lake Garda as our honeymoon destination and fell in love with its magnificent mountain setting and pretty lakeside villages. Based in the medieval town of Garda, we took advantage of the numerous outings organised by our tour operator to the many other resorts on the shores of the lake: Desenzano, with its 16th century cathedral; Malcesine, with its impressive castle built on a huge rock; and Limone, with its distinctive lemon groves and charming beach. We were so taken with the beauty of the area that we barely noticed the light showers which accompanied us on all our trips.

The reporter Stuart Harris, the inventor Tom Granger and the broadcaster Paul Bridges tested four clock radios currently available to pick a good one.

1. The "dual alarm function' that is advertised with this model does not allow you, as Stuart Harris first supposed, to be woken by the buzzer (звонок), have a sleep and then finally be driven out of bed. The instruction booklet advises you to use this function to set two different wake-up times, one for work days and one for weekends, but whose life is programmed to this extent? Since this model is relatively cheap, the inclusion of a cassette player is quite a bargain — you can fall asleep to your own soothing tapes and wake up to a day without news. The men all thought the quality of the radio excellent, too - if only the whole thing was smaller. It's as big as a rugby ball. Paul Bridges said, "Any clock radio I buy has to leave enough space on the bedside table for my keys, wallet, glasses and telephone. Anyway, I'm completely paranoid and always book a wake-up call in case the alarm doesn't go off."

2. Tom Granger described this model with its extra built-in lamp as "incredibly tasteless' in the way it's made. He complained that he had to read the instruction booklet twice before he could get it to work; the clock kept jumping from 12.00 to 0200 so he had to go round again. The light was certainly hard to position; you would never be able to read by it — it only shines on the clock, which is illuminated anyway. Paul Bridges said he was 'very amused by the lamp idea but agreed that the radio was hard to tune (настроить). Interestingly, however, this model is the third most popular on the market.

3. Clearly aimed at young people, with its brightly coloured casing (корпус), this one appealed to the child in Tom Granger. "I would choose this one because it doesn't disappear into the background like the others," he said. In fact, the traditional design of the controls made it the only one the men managed to set up without reading the instruction booklet. Too bad the alarm is allowed a 20-minute margin for error; the manual (инструкция) notes, "the alarm may sound about 10 minutes earlier or later than the pre-set time". Paul Bridges made fun of such a notion, adding that this model was "terribly difficult" and, indeed, "completely useless".

4. The simplest and cheapest of all the models tested, this scored points with Tom Granger because it 'seemed very standard and took up little space', but also because it has old-fashioned dial tuning. "It's more intuitive to set up. With modern push-button tuning you're never really sure if you've pressed all the buttons in the right order so you can't have confidence that the thing will actually work. He accepted, however, that manufacturers had been obliged to improve the quality of radios because of the advent (введение) of button-tuning. Stuart Harris thought the tuning rather approximate, as did Paul Bridges, but they agreed that the radio quality was fine. The buzzer on this model certainly works; it succeeded in getting them out of bed in just two beeps!

1. I'm no good at mixed days — it's either work or play. If it's a work day, then I'll start with a huge mug of strong black coffee and then I'll go to my study at the top of the house. I've learned to start writing early and to have a scene hanging over from the day before. I'm obsessive about silence. I can't talk in the middle of work — if I talk, the morning is over. When I go out, I do all the things you're supposed to as a writer, like going out to London clubs. But when people see you at book launches (презентация) they forget that being a writer is also about that little thing in between — sittin on your own all day. But you've got to have contact with the outside world and real people or you can go completely mad.

2. I'm envious of people who write in the mornings and do what they like in the afternoon. I work through the day and treat writing like an office job. My office is in a flat about ten minutes from our house. It's good to have a geographical break between home and work. I arrive about 9 am, have a coffee and then I'll just get on with it and work through until lunchtime. There's a definite post-lunch dip — that's when I have another coffee. But in the end, the only way I get concentration back is by pushing it. My wife picks me up about 6.30 and we go home together. I've been doing this for ten years now. It's a routine that suits me and, to be honest, I'm always a little worried about breaking it.

3. My seven-month-old daughter, Matilda, gets me up around 6.30 and I'll play with her for a couple of hours, then go to my desk. I officially sit there for three hours but I'll do an hour's work. Like a lot of writers, I tend to get a great sense of achievement very easily. One good sentence entitles me to half an hour off — two or three lines means I can watch daytime TV. My study is at one end of the flat and my wife and daughter are at the other. In theory, no congress takes place until lunchtime, but actually we pop in and out all the time. I've never been one of those writers who likes being isolated — I want people around me R the time.

4. I have a really slow start to the day. I'll do anything to put off starting work. I have toast, read newspapers — I have to do the crossword every morning — and deal with my post. I write quite slowly and not in chronological order. I've structured the story before I start, so I can hop around which I think keeps my writing fresh. Sometimes I wake up and just know it's not going to work — because I'm just not in the right mood — but I know that it's only temporary. Once you've got the first draft down, you know that it's going to be OK. When I started writing and just stayed at home I felt incredibly guilty but now it feels normal. Lots of my friends are creative and don't go to offices, which helps. When we go out we don't talk about work — we gossip about the people we know instead. But if I want to use anything my friends have told me, I always ask.

1. Homes For All

Organisations that help the homeless are warning that people will face even greater problems this winter unless urgent action is taken to offer shelter to those without a home. This warning follows publication of figures showing an increase in the number of homeless people. Susan Evans of the organisation "Homes for All' said: "With not enough accommodation, more people than ever before — young and old — are having to sleep in the open. A cold winter is predicted this year which means that these people will have to put up with sub-zero temperatures. Action must be taken urgently to offer these people shelter." A nationwide demonstration to draw attention to the problem will take place this weekend. Supporters welcome.

2. Village Protest

Residents of local village, Shilden, are preparing for a night of protest to save their village from Government planners. Proposals for a new motorway to be built that will run within 2 kilometres of Shilden have caused protests among the population. They claim that they were given insufficient time to respond to the proposal. Tony Fellows, spokesperson for the 'Village Protest' campaign explains: "The planned route cuts across some of the most picturesque countryside in the region. Shilden welcomes thousands of tourists each year. Many of the shopkeepers depend on this trade and would almost certainly face ruin if tourists were put off coming by the damage this road is likely to cause." The all-night protest will take place in the fields where the building work is likely to begin.

3. New Youth Club

Youngsters in the city-centre will lose out on a much-loved project if sufficient funds are not found this year. The New Youth Club', which is open to young people from the ages of 10 to 17, is being threatened with closure by Health and Safety officials who claim the building is unsafe. The club, built 30 years ago, was badly damaged by heavy storms last year and city engineers estimate that one hundred thousand pounds is needed to repair structural damage. With only limited funds that they possess, managers fear the club will have to close. Youngsters from the club have organised an Open Day on Tuesday in an effort to raise some of the money needed to enable the repairs to be undertaken. "This alone won't be enough, however" warned Adam Ross, Youth Leader.

4. Save Lea Valley

A rare species of butterfly and many native plants face extinction if the "Lea Valley office complex' project goes ahead. This is the complaint made by local environmentalists involved in the 'Save Lea Valley' campaign. They argue that the proposed development, to be built on the site of woodland that has a history of hundreds of years, will rob the country of several rare species of wildlife. "Local people would be horrified if they knew of the consequences of this project," claimed environmentalist Ian Wilson yesterday. "We need to start a local campaign to warn everyone about the dangers. We are starting by writing letters to everyone in the area asking for their support. The office complex developers must not be allowed to do this."

Many people go away on holiday and discover as much about themselves as they do about the places they visit.

1. Hugo

When my eldest daughter, Alice, was ten, she asked for a holiday with me — just the two of us. I have four children So it can be difficult for Alice to get a word in, and I understood what she wanted. I decided to show her Venice and Alice was curious to see it. We arrived at night, which was completely magical. The water gives the city a sense of mystery. Even if you've been down a street before, the next time you find it you see something different and that stops you recognising it. So you constantly get lost. Alice loved Venice. We laughed a lot, and the best thing for me was seeing her excited face.

2. Danie

I went to Jamaica with a friend. We had so much fun — it was one of the best holidays I've ever had. Everyone and everything is very relaxed in Jamaica. The thing you hear most often is 'No problem, man'. At first I thought they were just saying it, but then you realise nothing is a problem because the whole place is so relaxed. And that attitude makes you relax and forget about all the things you usually worry about. We spent one day at a port watching a cruise ship come in. When that happens, all the shops double their prices and you have to bargain for anything you want to buy. You look at something and shake your head and they lower the price and you still shake your head, but you eventually find out at what stage you should agree on a price. I bought some really great wooden statues for half the original price!

3. Krystyna

I thought I would try an activity holiday last year as l reckoned an activity holiday would help me discover hidden talents. Perhaps I would turn out to be a brilliant canoeist, mountain climber or skydiver. The trouble with holidays like this is that you may not like what you discover. I had forgotten that I would be with a group of people each day. It had never occurred to me how competitive some people would be. Whatever we did, they had to be first. They will also have the loudest voices and make the most irritating remarks. Such daily companions can come as a shock if you are more used to quiet conversations with your best friend.

4. Robin

We arranged to go on safari. Part of the holiday included a canoe safari on the Zambezi river. In our canoe there was just my friend and myself and the guide. I'm not terribly athletic and when I got into the canoe I managed to tip it over and we all ended up in the water. I was quite frightened because of the crocodiles there. We couldn't turn the canoe upright but the guide was very calm. He pointed to a rock in the middle of the river and told us to swim to it as fast as we could, while he went to get help. Then he came back with another canoe, but after that I refused to go back on the water. I was quite surprised by my reaction. Not that I'd thought of myself as a particularly brave person, but the shock of what happened left me feeling very nervous.

1. Django

Coming second in the free running world championships has landed me roles in music videos, but it doesn't bring in quite enough to get by, so I'm a bike courier. That isn't ideal, but it won't make me quit, and I try to stop it getting me down. I'm always looking out for new opportunities. For instance, I'm currently working on a deal with a potential sponsor — a sportswear company called Free Spirit. That's me! I don't run on a track, I go wherever I want. I don't let any obstacles or worries about danger hold me back. Not when I'm running, nor any other time! There are too many distractions when you play sports in groups. Alone, you can concentrate on each movement, completely in tune your body and your surroundings.

2. Monica

There's still this stereotype of relaxed, supercool surfer. If only it were true! You can't be relaxed if you want to succeed, and for me, second place is as bad as last place. If I see someone doing a new trick it obsesses me. I study all their moves and work out how to copy them. I don't care how many times I fall off the board or how many bruises I get as long as I can do it perfectly in the end. It can be a lonely sport. If you're getting up at dawn every day to catch the best waves, then you don't want to go out much in the evenings. But I figure, I'm young, and all that can wait — I just want a few more trophies first!

3. Mario

My parents were initially against my taking up wheelchair rugby because it's often perceived to be dangerous. Some people even call it 'murderball'! So far I've managed to avoid any crashes on the court myself, although I've had a few near misses. I reckon if you're speedy enough you can avoid most collisions! Anyway, luckily, I managed to persuade my parents to change their minds and so I wasn't forced to give it up. Now I regularly hear them cheering in the stands — they nearly deafen me each time I scorel Wheelchair rugby's so exciting it's becoming increasingly popular with spectators, which is great because that may mean more funding. Sadly, the modified chairs don't come cheap! It'd be a shame if that put anyone off the sport.

4. Gabriella

When I tell people what I do they often laugh, which drives me mad. If I hadn't trained really hard, I wouldn't be where I am today. Looks aren't enough; you've got to have talent, determination and strength. And I mean that in both ways. I work out a lot, often to the point of being completely worn out. As part of an acrobatic routine I sometimes have to carry other girls on my shoulders, and they're not as skinny as they look on TV You also need inner strength. Cheerleading is largely an amateur sport, so you don't get paid, but that doesn't stop it from being very competitive. I have seen instances of bullying among team mates, which is just terrible. I wish it wasn't an issue; I want to feel proud of my sport.

Las Vegas is known as the marriage capital of the world. The process of obtaining a marriage licence can be completed within minutes in Las Vegas while it often takes several weeks and involves lots of paperwork in other parts of the world. It is also (B1) ... cheap at just $60. There are a lot of (B2) ... to choose from. The competition between different venues keeps the prices relatively low and (B3)... . This has made Las Vegas a popular destination among couples wanting to get married. The fact that it is (B4) ... to plan in advance means there are plenty of spontaneous weddings in Las Vegas each year of couples on holiday.

Chameleons, a (B1) ... of tree-living lizard, are found in Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Arabia and Southern Europe. They are unusual in their appearance with their bulging eyes, which move (B2) ..., and their long curled tail, which can be twisted around branches to increase their grip. The chameleon's eyesight is exceptional for a reptile; its 360-degree vision makes it highly (B3) ... at hunting prey and spotting predators (хищник). Today, many chameleon species are (B4) ... because of pollution and the destruction of their natural habitat.

Although doughnuts (пирожки) are sold in many countries across the globe, many people make the mistaken assumption that doughnuts originally came from America. Some people find it (B1) ... that doughnuts have a disputed history. According to one theory, they are a Dutch (B2) ... . Popular in Holland, they were brought to America by Dutch (B3) ... . In the traditional Dutch recipe, doughnuts were dipped in sugar. However, over time, several varieties have appeared. Today, doughnuts are served with toppings such as icing (глазурь) and chocolate, and often have a hole in the middle. Doughnuts not only taste far better with a hole in the middle, but this shape (B4) ... the doughnut is cooked right through and not still raw in the centre.

Many years ago, archaeology was about making discoveries and finding buried treasure. Now it has become a more scientific subject. Archaeologists are becoming (B1) ... interested in finding out more about the lives of ordinary people rather than the dramatic lives of kings and emperors. 99% of archaeology is concerned with reading, excavating, recording, and classifying, and it is neither thrilling nor dangerous. However, the real (B2) ... of archaeology comes through an (B3) ... stream of new discoveries. Even the smallest piece of pottery, however (B4) ... it may appear at first glance, can change our whole understanding of things that happened in the past.

Madame Tussaud's is London's (B5) ... visited tourist attraction, with over two and a half million visitors a year. There areas (B6) ... as 400 models on display. Each one is worth over £20,000, that's (B7) ... security is very strict there.

Many young people dream about a career in modelling. However, few of them realise exactly what it is like to be a professional model. It is (B5) ... all glamour and riches. Only a (B6) ... hopeful youngsters actually make it as professionals. (B7) ... can be very hurtful to be told that you don't have (B8) ... is needed.

Until recently, teenagers have been hooked on television. But no more today. (B5) ... to the latest statistics, teenagers have gone off television. Given the choice between TV and the Internet, (B6) ... becomes clear (B7) ... most teens prefer. The Internet meets their interactive, social needs that TV doesn't. As websites (B8) ... as MySpace have appeared, teenagers are too eager to spend hours a day online and are becoming "keyboard potatoes".

(B5) ... of the nicest ways to spend a summer afternoon is to have a picnic. (B6) ... is something about eating out of doors that is very special. Of (B7) ..., some things are essential if the picnic is going to be an enjoyable experience. The weather has to be sunny; (B8) ... many people enjoy eating sandwiches in the pouring rain! The site must be carefully chosen. Then, when the meal is finished, you can just relax in the sunshine, or go for a swim.