A very special breakfast




I opened my eyes on a warm Sunday morning in June to the sound of a crowd running in the direction of the hall and back to the kitchen. I opened the bedroom door and bumped into my sons dressed like Indians and holding up wooden arrows that nearly hurt me. “Good morning, Daddy!” they shouted and ran away.

I slowly went to the kitchen dreaming of a cup of hot coffee. “Daddy, Mummy said you can spend Father’s Day with us. She won’t be home from shopping until late”, said Ian. That was a very special present from my wife! I thought I should also plan something extraordinary for Mother’s Day.

The boys were dragging me by my arms to the kitchen table covered with all sorts of plates. “Daddy, we’ve made breakfast for you!” they cried. I decided to start with the chocolate dessert with honey syrup. When I had a small piece I forgot about chocolate and the syrup altogether as it was all sugar. “Tasty”, I murmured with a forced smile.

The boys smiled and moved a plate with pieces of toast closer to me. I tried the one with the stuff that looked like peanut butter. “Is it all right?” wondered Trevor, “We’ve used the peanut butter from the fridge but we’ve added some additional ingredients.” I could hardly manage to say the single word, “good” in return. The bread was really good, but the unidentified stuff stuck to my mouth like glue. To try another dish I had to clear out my mouth first.

The boys did not notice my inconvenience as they were busy getting the next dish ready. My first attempt to identify the dark brown object on the plate was not successful. “Carrot?” I tried, shyly. “No, Daddy, bacon!” said Ian proudly. “Mother did not let us use the gas stove, so we cooked it in the microwave. Five minutes only.” All I could do was to nod when the piece of coal fell down into my stomach.

“Did she say you can't use the coffee maker either?” I added enthusiastically. “Sure! We made you instant coffee!” they cried and produced a cup. It was filled with warm brown liquid with coffee granules on its surface. That was the only time in my life I'd had coffee made from hot water from the sink.

The meal came to an end. I said it was the best breakfast I had ever had. The boys smiled and promised to find new recipes next Father’s Day. I smiled in return and looked round the kitchen which was a complete mess. Trying to make the day even more special for me they wanted to clean it up. Luckily, at that moment, I mentioned the new cartoon and they rushed away into the living room immediately.

I made myself a cup of coffee in the coffee machine, cleaned the kitchen and sat peacefully for half an hour. The boys’ cheerful cries could clearly be heard from the living room. When I looked in, they were so absorbed with Tom and Jerry that they did not notice me. “Boys!” I cried, “We are going to McDonald’s for lunch”. “Cool!” came the answer.

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That Sunday morning the father woke up later than usual.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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When the father woke up, the mother was out.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The chocolate dessert was the father's favourite dish.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The father pretended that he liked the peanut toast.
  1) True
  2) False
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The third dish for the father was an overcooked carrot, heated in the microwave.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The coffee machine in the kitchen was broken.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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After breakfast, the father watched the cartoon together with his sons.
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  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The father and his sons decided to have lunch at the restaurant.
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  2) False
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# 56 (0FC777)

A trip of her life

The story happened in New York. Max, a taxi driver, was doing his last trip that day. He arrived at the place exactly on time and beeped the horn. Nobody came out of the house. Max waited a couple of minutes and beeped again. He was never late himself and he didn’t like the clients who kept him waiting. He was thinking of driving home, but something made him park the car and check the door.

He came up to the front door and knocked. “Just a minute”, an old weak voice answered. After a long pause a small lady of about ninety opened the door. She was wearing an expensive but old-fashioned dress and a veiled hat. Indeed, she looked like a film star of the forties. She asked Max to help her with the heavy suitcase that was inside. He agreed without hesitation.

He came in and noticed that the room looked like people had never lived there. All the furniture was covered with cloth. There were no statuettes and tea sets on the shelves or an old clock on the wall. In the corner of the room he noticed a large box filled with old photos and books. “A deserted room”, he thought.

They moved slowly to the car and the lady kept thanking Max for his help and being so patient. He said it was his job to treat every passenger like he would treat his mother. “Oh, you are such a good boy!” she said. She took the back seat and named the address. Max understood that she was going to hospital.

She asked Max to drive through the city centre though it involved extra time. She did not mind the distance and the time. She said she was not in a hurry. She told Max her family had left long before and the doctor said that her chances were not good. Her eyes filled with tears.

Max switched off the counter and asked the lady which route she preferred. The next two hours they were driving through the city. She showed Max the building she had worked in and the dance hall she had visited as a little girl. They went to the district she had lived in with her husband after their marriage.

Finally she said she was tired and they drove in silence, directly to the hospital. It was a low building that looked more like a small holiday centre. Two nurses came up quickly to them as if they were waiting. They carefully helped her out of the taxi into the wheelchair. “How much do I owe you?” she said looking at Max. “Nothing”, he answered.

“You need to earn your living”, she added, opening her bag. “There are other passengers”, answered Max. He bent down and embraced the old lady. She hugged in return. “Thank you for the little happiness you gave me”, she whispered. On his way home Max did not switch on the radio. He drove in silence. He had an impression that it was the most important trip of his life.

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Max was late to pick up his client.
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  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The old lady was a former actress from the forties.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The old lady had two pieces of luggage.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The old lady was grateful to Max for his help.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The lady chose the shortest way to the hospital.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Max drove the old lady to the places which were very special to her.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The hospital was in the countryside.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Max refused to take money for the trip from the old lady.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

 

# 57 (F5262A)

Doughnuts

Doughnuts, a delicious snack, need no special occasion to eat them; they are the side order to coffee, tea or milk and can easily make you popular around the office. They are consumed all over the world – the USA alone makes more than 10 billion doughnuts a year.

The origin of the doughnut is heavily debated. The idea of fried dough does not belong to one country or culture. The exact place, time and person responsible for creating the doughnut is also unknown. However, the two countries generally associated with this sweet snack are the United States and Holland.

Records show that the Dutch were making olykoeks, or ‘oil cakes’, as early as the mid-19th century. These early doughnuts were simply balls of cake fried in pork fat until golden brown. However, there was a problem with doughnuts. The centre of the doughnuts did not cook as fast as the outside and remained mostly uncooked. That was the reason why the cakes were stuffed with fruit, nuts, or other fillings that did not take long to cook.

The doughnuts got a hole inside only after their arrival in America. There is a very popular half-true story about a sea captain and his mother, which explains how it happened. As legend has it, Mrs. Gregory sent her son, Captain Hanson Gregory, on one of his sea voyages with several doughnuts and her recipe to make more. But Hanson didn't like nuts, so he took them out and ordered the ship's cook to prepare all doughnuts with holes in the centre.

We may never know if Captain Gregory really invented the first doughnut hole. However, we can be sure that this hole was a very positive change. Now it was much easier to get well-done and cooked-through doughnuts.

By the 1920s, doughnuts were being mass-produced in America. Their association with breakfast was only the beginning and the doughnut was very popular as a snack in theatres. To satisfy the growing need for doughnuts in one New York neighborhood, a Russian immigrant named Adolph Levitt created the first doughnut machine. In 1934 the doughnut was declared ‘the hit food of the Century Of Progress’. Levitt made twenty-five million dollars annually from the sale of his doughnut machines to bakeries.

The 1940s and 50s, saw the arrival of doughnut chains such as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and Dunkin' Donuts. They say it was the Dunkin Donuts chain that popularized the 'donut' spelling of the word ‘doughnut’ by making it part of its name! Today, most writers outside the USA still prefer ‘ doughnut’. ‘ Donut’ appears about a third of the time in published American writing. However, as ‘ donut’ is a simpler spelling it will certainly become more commonly used.

The Americans are so fond of doughnuts that they celebrate National Doughnut Day. It is on the first Friday in June and honours the ‘Doughnut Girls’. These were the female volunteers who made doughnuts and served them to American soldiers fighting in France during World War I. The French women wanted to bring comfort and optimism into soldiers’ life by giving them a taste of the food they had back home.

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The USA produces more doughnuts than all the other countries in the world.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The fillings in doughnuts were first added to make them well-cooked.
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  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Mrs. Gregory was the best doughnut cook in her town.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Mrs. Gregory invented doughnuts with a hole in the centre.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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At the beginning of the 20th century, doughnuts became very popular in the United States.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The doughnut machine brought its inventor lots of money.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The spelling ‘donut’ is more popular in the US than anywhere else.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The ‘Doughnut Girls’ was the name for women who served in the army during World War I.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

 

# 58 (4E23E2)

David Beckham

David Beckham – is there a more famous and lovable celebrity? The footballer who played for such famous teams as Manchester United and Real Madrid is also a fashion model and a successful businessman.

David Beckham was born on May 2, 1975, in London, England. His father Ted Beckham was a kitchen fitter and his mother Sandra, a hair stylist. David Beckham was the family's only son. A middle child between two sisters, David grew up with parents and relatives who were great fans of Manchester United, England's legendary football club. From childhood, David was a promising footballer. At 11 he won the prestigious Bobby Charlton Soccer Schools National Skills Competition. David was noticed by Manchester United team officials, who asked him to try out for the club's youth league. By the age of 16, Beckham had to drop out of school. He left home to play for his favourite team. Two years later he became a full-time player for Manchester United and one of its leading figures.

From 1992 to 2003, playing for Manchester United, David Beckham scored 85 goals. Every time he had a game, he wore different football boots – it was a sort of ritual for good luck. In 2003, David unexpectedly left his beloved team for Real Madrid. The reason was the growing conflict between David Beckham and Manchester's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Once Sir Alex Ferguson fined David for babysitting with his sick child, while his wife Victoria, a designer, was at a London Fashion Week Event. The fine was really large. The incident caused a serious personal tension between the two men and ended in Beckham moving to the other club.

In Real Madrid, David Beckham was not allowed to wear his favourite number seven, because the right to wear it was written into the contract of another player. Instead, David decided to wear a shirt with number 23, which was the number of his favourite basketball player Michael Jordan. Though David Beckham immediately became very popular with the Real Madrid fans and his shirt sales made a lot of money for the football club, the team didn’t win any serious tournaments. Perhaps, it was one of the reasons why in 2007 Beckham signed a five-year contract to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy and moved to America. However, his career in America was a rocky one – numerous injuries affected him. In May 2013, David Beckham announced his plans to retire.

It’s important to say that David Beckham has always been a devoted husband and a loving father. David and his wife Victoria have three sons and a daughter. They say the boys are being trained as ‘bodyguards’ for their little sister Harper. The youngest, Cruz, has been practicing Taekwondo, Brooklyn is interested in boxing, and the oldest, Romeo, does karate. They are preparing early so that when Harper is older, “they will all be ready to protect her from noisy fans,” David says.

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David Beckham's parents were professional sportsmen.
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  2) False
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David Beckham promised his sisters he would become a great footballer.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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David Beckham started his career in the club his parents supported.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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When he was with Manchester United, David Beckham played all the games in the same lucky boots.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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David Beckham left Manchester United because he had problems with the team manager.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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David Beckham wore the same number in Manchester United and Real Madrid.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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David Beckham left Real Madrid for an American football club.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The Beckhams’ sons want to become professional sportsmen.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

 

 

# 59 (E96066)

A coffee town

Adjuntas is a small coffee town in the Valley of the Sleeping Giant high in the mountains of Puerto Rico. It is about two hours by car westward from the capital of the country, San Juan.

A deep love of the land and its customs fills Adjuntas. Local people say their families have lived in this town ‘since forever’. Time flows slowly and peacefully. The citizens do not like changes, they value a simple and steady life and observe traditions.

To save their traditional lifestyle, several years ago, the local people had to fight their own government in order to prevent a destructive business initiative. The thing is that the mountains surrounding Adjuntas are rich with gold, silver and zinc and the Puerto Rican government wanted to start mining for these mineral resources. It meant that large areas of green woods and lots of freshwater lakes would disappear.

People fought to keep their land untouched despite the promise of new jobs and high salaries. The citizens of the town preferred making money from their traditional business – growing coffee and selling it all around Puerto Rico and even abroad. The government agreed to meet their demands and transformed the mining project into a national park, El Bosque del Pueblo. Opened in 1998, the park runs a special eco programme where the young and old people of Adjuntas plant trees and take care of them. ‘Learning to manage the forest has been a wonderful new experience for us,’ said Tinti Deya, a 67-year-old local resident. ‘It’s another world where we’re like children doing everything for the first time, we forget that we’re already grandmothers.’

Grandmothers are everywhere in Adjuntas and they’re all respectfully addressed as Dofia. Lala Echevarria, an 85-year-old great-great-grandmother, was born on the oldest street, where she still lives in a small, clean and tidy home. Dofia Lala grew up before there was electricity and running water, and remembers when the first car arrived in Adjuntas. ‘As a child, I used to spend all my time carrying water, looking for firewood, looking after the chickens and the cows,’ she said. ‘There were sixteen of us. We would wash our clothes in the river and we used to cook on an open fire. At meal times, we kids would sit on the floor to eat.’ Dofia Lala was working as a cleaning lady when she met and married the love of her life, Mariano, the mechanic. They had thirteen children and shared 44 years of happiness before he died in 1983. Such life stories are common in Adjuntas.

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It’s easier to reach Adjuntas by car than by train.
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  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The life in Adjuntas has always been intense and dynamic.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The people of Adjuntas supported the government’s project of mining for mineral resources.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The town of Adjuntas is a coffee producing area.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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El Bosque del Pueblo is the largest national park in Puerto Rico.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Dofia is a special name for granddaughters in Adjuntas.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Lala Echevarria is the oldest person in Adjuntas.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Lala Echevarria is now a widow.
  1) True
  2) False
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# 60 (E34689)

Fish and chips

Long before the Big Mac was invented, Britain had its own national form of fast food – fish and chips (or fish’n’chips for short). Fish'n'chips was a relatively balanced and healthy meal that people could eat in the street on the way home from work, or during their lunch-break. Wrapped in newspaper, it would keep warm even on the coldest days of the year. Besides, serving fish'n'chips in newspaper helped to keep prices low.

No British town is more than 150 km from a sea port, and most are much closer. So when railways were built in the 19th century, fresh sea fish could easily be bought in all British towns. Cheaper than meat, sea fish became a popular source of protein. By 1870, fish and chip shops were opening all over the country and soon every town in Britain had its fish’n’chip shops. For a hundred years, they were a popular British style restaurant.

In the last quarter of the 20th century, things changed. "Fish and chips are not so popular with young people these days," says Lizzie, a teenager."Most of the time, if young people want to eat out, they'll go to a Burger King or a Chinese take-away. Fish 'n' chips is a bit old-fashioned. But there are still cheap chip shops around. We sometimes have it at home, and we go and get it from the chip shop. It saves cooking!"

Thousands of chip shops have closed in the last twenty-five years. Some have been turned into Chinese or Indian take-aways, others have just closed. They have survived best in seaside towns, where the fish is really fresh, and people visit them more as a tradition than for any other reason.

Yet nothing, perhaps, can save the classic fish'n'chip shop from disappearance. Fish'n'chips wrapped in newspaper is already just a memory. European hygiene rules don’t allow food to be wrapped in old newspapers, so today's chip shops use cardboard boxes. Of course, you can still eat fish and chips with your fingers if you want, but there are now plastic throw-away forks for people who do not want to get greasy fingers!

In spite of these changes, the classic fish'n'chip shop could disappear in a few years' time for another reason – lack of fish. For over ten years European agriculture ministers have been trying to solve the fish problem but with little success. As a result of industrial fishing, some types of fish are disappearing. Overfishing in the North Sea has reached crisis levels. Limits on the number of fish that can be caught have been introduced, but fishermen in Britain and other countries protest against them because jobs are lost. At some point, thousands of European fishermen could lose their jobs anyway, as there will be few fish left to catch. Soon sea fish will become rarer and, as a result, more expensive.

The traditional fish’n’chips shops will certainly continue to reduce in number. Most probably cheap fish’n’chip shops will be gone completely. Fish and chips, however, will survive as a high-priced specialty in expensive restaurants. In the years to come, they may become the only place where you can try this traditional English dish.

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Fish’n’chips were sold earlier than Big Macs.
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Traditionally only fish with white meat were used to make fish’n’chips.
  1) True
  2) False
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In the 19th century, in Britain, fish was more expensive than meat.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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According to Lizzie, today’s young people prefer burgers to fish’n’chips.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The number of fish’n’chips shops in Britain is rising steadily.
  1) True
  2) False
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New packaging has made fish’n’chips more popular.
  1) True
  2) False
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European governments encourage fishermen to catch more fish.
  1) True
  2) False
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In the near future fewer people will be able to afford fish’n’chips.
  1) True
  2) False
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# 61 (8DF8D4)

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Miller Hemingway is seen as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He was born in 1899 into a doctor’s family, in the state of Illinois, USA. Young Ernest spent most of his summer holidays in Michigan, a north central state. It was there that the future writer learned to hunt, fish, and appreciate the outdoors. Later, some of his short stories were set in Michigan. Because of this, Ernest Hemingway is often, mistakenly, thought to be a native of Michigan.

In high school, Hemingway worked on his school newspaper, writing primarily about sports. Immediately after graduation, the young journalist went to work for the Kansas City Star, gaining experience that would later influence his prose style.

In 1918, Hemingway went overseas to serve in World War I as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army. For his service, he was awarded the Italian Silver Medal of Bravery. Later, he would describe his military experience in his famous novel A Farewell to Arms. After a serious wound, at the age of 20, Hemingway returned to the United States.

The beginning of his literary triumph was a book of stories that were based on his childhood memories. His objective manner and laconic, ironic style were highly praised by critics.

Hemingway’s traditional photo is that of a bearded man, dressed in a sweater with the famous pipe in his mouth. This man seems to be calm and steady. In fact, he was the greatest adventurer ever known. He adored travelling, hunting and fishing. His life was full of danger that he always overcame with courage.

When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Hemingway served as a correspondent and witnessed some of the war's key moments, which he wrote about in his articles. For his actions in the war, Hemingway was given a Bronze Star for bravery.

In 1951, Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea, which would become perhaps his most famous book, finally winning him the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. The plot was based on Hemingway's personal fishing experience. Once he watched how a hundred kilo shark was caught and decided to record the event on paper. The story became so popular with Cuban fishermen that some of them even pretended to be the ‘old men’ from the book.

Shortly after the publication of The Old Man and the Sea, in 1952, Hemingway went on safari to Africa, where he was almost killed in two plane crashes that left him in pain for much of the rest of his life. In 1954, Ernest Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Ernest Hemingway died in 1961. He published seven novels, six short story collections and two non-fiction works. Three novels, four collections of short stories and three non-fiction works were published after his death. Many of these are considered classics of American literature.

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Ernest Hemingway comes from Michigan.
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At school Ernest Hemingway went in for several sports.
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  2) False
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Ernest Hemingway served as a military correspondent during World War I.
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  2) False
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The book of stories about his childhood brought Ernest Hemingway fame as a writer.
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  2) False
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Ernest Hemingway was against hunting and fishing from his childhood.
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  2) False
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During World War II, Ernest Hemingway received an award for courage.
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  2) False
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Ernest Hemingway had close friends among Cuban fishermen.
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All Hemingway’s works were published during his lifetime.
  1) True
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# 62 (4908B7)

Thanksgiving dinner

The sisters lived in a little house with apple trees. After their parents’ death, Aunt Susanna looked after them. Their income was enough to keep them going but they couldn’t afford too much. Their aunt was a conservative woman who believed that the most important thing for any girl was to be a good housekeeper. Her nieces meanwhile had other interests. Laura and Agnes liked painting, Kate played the violin, and Maggie was keen on Latin and dreamt of further education.

The girls were good at housework as well, but definitely preferred their hobbies to their housekeeping chores. So, every time Aunt Susanna came to their house, they hid the paints, the musical instrument, and the books and started sewing or reading a thick cookery book. Aunt Susanna, in turn, never missed a chance to make a sarcastic remark about the dust on the violin or paint on Laura’s nose. She made it quite obvious that she would prefer her nieces to do something useful about the house instead of their silly hobbies.

One day, Aunt Susanna read a newspaper article that promoted the idea of higher education for women. The article impressed her and even made her consider the opportunity of college education for Maggie. During one of her visits to the girls, she announced she could send Maggie to college.

Then she mentioned that she had to leave the town for a while and she would not be home until Thanksgiving. The problem was that she expected some guests for Thanksgiving dinner. She asked the girls for help and the sisters enthusiastically agreed to help her cook dinner for the guests.

With a determined look Aunt Susanna gave them all the instructions. She had made a list of dishes and told the girls to stick to it. She left the girls the key to the kitchen door in her house where they would find the turkey and ready-made meat pies. The girls had to warm up the pies and cook the turkey by twelve sharp the day she arrived.

When aunt Susanna left, the girls sighed sadly. They had another plan for Thanksgiving day – they wanted to have their dinner at home. But they realized that if they upset their aunt, she could easily change her mind about the college for Margaret, and Maggie would never have a second chance.

It was Kate who saved the situation: “Let me and Agnes go to Aunt Susanna’s house and cook dinner there. Maggie and Laura stay here cooking dinner for us. This way we won’t miss our own Thanksgiving.”

So, in the morning on Thanksgiving Day Agnes and Kate got up early and headed to Aunt Susanna’s house to have enough time to cook.

They weighed the turkey to find out the cooking time, and put the pies in the oven in advance. When the dinner was done, they carefully set and decorated the dining-room table. Suddenly there was a loud cry from the yard. Tony, the neighbours’ little boy, had fallen into the well. The girls rushed to help him out and forgot to lock the door. When they were back, they found out that the dinner had been ruined by the neighbours’ dog.

‘What shall we do?” Agnes cried desperately. Unlike her sister, resourceful Kate never lost control. She decided to borrow the girls’ dinner from home. Agnes and Kate had to run all the way because they had only twenty minutes left before the aunt’s train arrived. They burst into the kitchen, where Maggie and Laura had just served the dinner, grabbed it and ran away.

Just as the train’s whistle blew, Thanksgiving dinner in Aunt Susanna’s house was arranged so that she would not notice any change. When she came in, the dinner was on the table. Aunt Susanna was satisfied that everything was cooked and served the way she wanted it to be.

Two days later, Maggie was sent to college.

 

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Aunt Susanna disapproved of her nieces’ hobbies.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The cookery book was a present from Aunt Susanna.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Right before Thanksgiving Day Margaret got a chance to go to college.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Aunt Susanna designed the menu for the Thanksgiving dinner herself.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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All the four sisters went to their aunt’s house to cook Thanksgiving dinner.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The neighbours, Tony’s parents, helped the girls to tidy up the rooms.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The Thanksgiving dinner for Aunt Susanna got burnt in the oven.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Aunt Susanna was pleased with her nieces.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

# 63 (9BFC5C)

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is one of the most popular writers today. She was born into the family of an engineer in 1965. Her childhood was happy, although she does remember getting teased in primary school because of her surname ‘Rowling’. She was often called ‘Rolling pin’ by her schoolmates. The writer says that she never really liked her own surname, she liked the surname of her friends Ian and Vikki Potter who lived nearby. Later she would give their surname to the hero of her popular books.

From an early age, Joanna Rowling had an ambition to become a writer. She often tried her hand at writing fantasy stories. Aged six, she wrote a book about a rabbit who got measles. After, she understood that her parents enjoyed her story, Joanna suggested with confidence ‘well, get it published then.’

After finishing school, her parents encouraged Joanna to study French. She slightly regretted choosing French, saying she would have preferred to focus on English and English literature. However, it was her parents’ wish that she should study something ‘more useful’ than just English. After graduating from university Joanna Rowling took various jobs in London.

It was in 1990, that she first got the idea for Harry Potter, a boy attending a school for wizards. As she recalls, it was on a long train journey from Manchester to London, when she began forming in her mind the characters for the book. On arriving at her flat, she started writing the book immediately, although, it would take her several years to finish it. In the meantime, she went to teach in Portugal, married a Portuguese journalist, had a daughter, Jessica, divorced her husband, and returned to Britain, to Edinburgh.

Eventually, she finished her first copy of The Philosopher’s Stone, but her agent spent over a year trying hard to get a publisher. It was rejected by 12 major publishing houses. But, finally, quite a small publisher, Bloomsbury, agreed to take the book on. The decision to take on the book was, in large part, due to the publisher’s daughters who read and liked the first chapter of the book.

When the first ‘Harry Potter’ novel was published, the publisher asked Joanna to use initials rather than her first name. The publisher was afraid that boys would be against a book written by a woman. Since Joanna had only one given name, she took ‘K.’ from her favorite grandmother, Kathleen.

Within a few weeks of publication, book sales started to take off. A number of other novels about Harry Potter followed. In 1998, Warner Bros secured the film rights for the books. The films have increased the success of the books, making Harry Potter into one of the most recognisable media products. Under the close guidance of J.K.Rowling, all the films were shot close to the original plot; also at J.K.Rowling’s request the filming took place in Britain.

The final book of the Harry Potter Series – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released in 2007. J.K.Rowling said that the book was her favorite and she would continue writing, but there was little chance of continuing the Harry Potter Series.

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‘Potter’ was Joanna’s nickname in primary school.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Joanna’s first book about a rabbit was published in a magazine for kids.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Taking the French course at university was the choice of Joanna’s parents.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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The decision to write a book about a young wizard came to Joanna in Portugal.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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It took Joanna a year to write the first book about Harry Potter.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Bloomsbury decided to publish The Philosopher’s Stone after a positive review from the publisher’s daughters.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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It was the publisher’s idea to put initials, not her first name, on the cover of Joanna’s book.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Joanna chose the leading actors for the Harry Potter films.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

 

 

# 64 (CF1F4B)

Hershey's chocolate

People from all over the world like the taste of chocolate. It’s the most popular dessert and snack. You may like dark or light chocolate, you may prefer it plain or with nuts, but whatever your tastes are, you will certainly enjoy the chocolate produced by the Hershey Company.

Hershey chocolate became famous all over the world thanks to a quiet but very hard-working and generous person – Milton Hershey, the founder of the company.

Milton Hershey grew up in Pennsylvania, USA. His mother wanted him to learn practical skills. She believed practice is more important than college education. So when Milton finished the fourth grade, she arranged for him to become a printer’s assistant. But Milton didn’t like the job and left it soon after. In a while he became an assistant in a candy factory. He helped to make candy and became very successful at it.

After a few years of training, Milton understood that he wanted to start his own business. He borrowed some money from his aunt and set up a small candy shop. For five long years Milton Hershey worked extremely hard but had no success. He invested in the business more money than he made from it. Finally, he closed the shop and found work with a candy maker again. It was there that he discovered caramel and how fresh milk could be used to make it.

In 1883 Milton Hershey got back to the idea of his own business. He bought the equipment and started the Lancaster Caramel Company. Success soon followed. Within a few years, Milton Hershey had a growing business and was selling his caramels all over the country. At that time he became focused on milk chocolate, which in those days was an expensive dessert imported from Switzerland. Milton Hershey was determined to find a new formula for the product that could allow him to manufacture milk chocolate in large amounts and sell it countrywide.

So, in 1900 Milton Hershey sold his caramel company for $1,000,000 dollars and started up a chocolate factory. In fact it was more than a factory. Milton Hershey built a whole town around the factory – with houses, schools, churches, and stores. He wanted the people who worked in his factory to live nearby and feel comfortable. The factory was focused on producing the Nickel Bar, a relatively cheap chocolate bar that everyone could afford. Later, Hershey Kisses were added. These delicious, bite-sized pieces of chocolate were named after Milton Hershey himself.

As success and profits rose, Milton Hershey invested more money in the infrastructure of his town and added a sports arena, a stadium, and a school for orphaned children.

Milton Hershey died in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in 1945, one year after his retirement as chairman of the board. He was 88 years old. By the end of his life Hershey had donated most of his money to his town and the school for orphans. His chocolate factory remains the largest in the world. The town of Hershey is still home to about 12,000 people and draws more than 30 million visitors each year. They come to see the famous Hershey Park, which boasts a roller coaster, Ferris wheel and other rides. The factory tours draw more visitors annually than the White House. Guests can take a tour through a mock chocolate factory that includes a ride through a simulated roasting oven, and eating samples of Hershey chocolate.

 

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The Hershey company was named after the man who had started it.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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Milton Hershey tried some other jobs before he started making chocolate.
  1) True
  2) False
  3) Not stated

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