Everyone knows that YouTube is a free video sharing site which (1) ... it easy to watch online videos. The site was created in 2005 by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, three young men who (2) ... at the same company. They (3) ... to think of a concept for a new website for several months when they came up with the idea of a video-sharing website. Once the new website had been set up, they uploaded their first video. This (4) ... Me at the Zoo and it showed Jawed Karim visiting San Diego Zoo. The short film attracted a lot of viewers and it (5) ... long for the site to become extremely popular. Today, YouTube is estimated to be one of the most popular websites on the Internet. Millions of users around the world (6) ... accounts on the site that (7) ... them to upload videos that anyone can watch.

As a child, Tom Briggs knew that he (1) ... rich. By the age of 22 he (2) ... up his own software company, and it soon took off in a big way. When the company (3) ... record profits last year, Tom celebrated the event in style, by arranging a huge party on board his magnificent yacht.

But recently things have started to go wrong. There (4) ... reports of a strange virus in some products. The virus causes a computer screen to go orange and then to flash up the message "Tom is sinking'. It seems that one particularly dissatisfied employee (5) ... to programme bankruptcy for Tom's company. Even if the company (6) ... , Tom (7) ... a clear warning, which he cannot afford to ignore.

Hi, Rob!

How are you doing? I'm OK. My day didn't start too well though. My alarm didn't go off and I (1) ... . (My mum (2) ... to work early today so she wasn't around in the morning to get me up.) Then I got held up on the way to school because the bus I was on (3) ... down. When I finally made it into class, I (4) ... off by the teacher and had to stay on after school for a detention (остав­ле­ние после урока)! Then on the way back home I bumped into Craig. He (5) ... a few family dramas to deal with recently. Apparently his dad has been laid off from the bank where he worked and his sister (6) ... out of the university so they're both at home feeling miserable.

What are you up to at the weekend? A few of us (7) ... together for a game of beach volleyball. Why don't you come along?

Archie

Three years ago a bolt of lightning almost (1) ... Lyn Miller's house with her two children inside. "There was a huge rainstorm," she says, recalling the terrifying experience. "My brother and I were outside desperately working to stop floodwater from coming in the house. Suddenly I (2) ... to the ground by an enormous bang. When I (3) ... myself up, the roof and the entire upper storey of the house (4) ... . The door (5) ... by rubble (бу­лыж­ник), but we forced our way in and found the children, thankfully unharmed. Later I was told that to be struck by lightning is a chance in a million." In fact, it is calculated at one chance in 600,000. And if you (6) ... lightning, you'll be glad to know that a company in America (7) ... a hand-held lightning detector which can detect lightning up to 70 kms away.

Many parents (1) ... that the Internet can be a useful source of information, but a lot of them (2) ... to their teenage children spending too much time online. They've been worrying lately that their children enjoy the Internet so much that thcy (3) ... their homework. Parents are even more concerned that children and teens (4) ... by the violent games they play online that they may become violent themselves. However, the Internet habits of approximately 800 teens have recently been studied by scientists, with some positive findings. It (5) ... that sites like Facebook, playing online games, and surfing the Internet may actually play an important role in a teenager's development. The study (6) ... that US teens who were particularly interested in Japanese cartoons, for example, (7) ... up the Japanese language through online discussion groups. In addition, some teens became interested in making videos.

Déjà vu is the feeling of having had exactly the same experience at some unknown time in the past. I (1) ... in the same college for many years, but I remember one occasion in particular when I had this feeling.

A few years ago I (2) ... a lesson of Physics to a student in an upstairs lecture room where I (3) ... before. I reached the part of the lesson where we began discussing radioactivity when I (4) ... (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 (5) ... to collect it from the office too. I (6) ... to my student and asked him if we had discussed the topic already. He looked puzzled and replied that we (7) ... 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.

Most people know something about dolphins. For example, almost all of us can say that dolphins (1) ... for being intelligent and friendly. But if we are asked what colour dolphins are, how many people (2) ... ‘pink’? Hardly anybody! It might sound like a joke, but a pink dolphin has recently been spotted in Lake Calcasieu in Louisiana, USA. The animal, whose eyes are red, is a bottlenose dolphin. His body is pink all over and this is how he must have looked from birth: he is an albino, which (3) ... he has a med cal condition that causes pale skin. The dolphin (4) ... several years ago, although it is only very recently that he (5) ... to appear almost every day. Walt Furneaux, a local sailor, says he (6) ... the animal on numerous occasions. ‘I remember the first time I spotted him. Before that day I (7) ... anything so extraordinary in my life. He looked unreal,’ explains Walt.

27-year-old Londoner Andrew Terrill began a 7,000-mile walk from the south of Italy to the northernmost tip of Norway. The aim was to raise money for (1) ... homeless in England's capital. Here he reports (2) ... his experiences at (3) ... start of his adventures. "When I stood on a deserted beach at the southern tip of Italy, I didn't know quite what to expect. If I had known, I might never have left that pleasant Mediterranean beach. As I walked north into the foothills of (4) ... Apennines, it seemed impossible that I would ever reach (5) ... my final destination, North Cape (6) ... the top of Norway. The mountains were certainly a challenge. They were covered in dense forest, and there were few footpaths. There were many evil-looking snakes, a million lizards, deer and wild boar. The wildlife kept me (7) ... my toes. It was great to be out in the hills with the freedom to travel and live life (8) ... my own slow pace."

Albert Einstein's work has enormously broadened our understanding of (1) ... universe and has had a considerable impact (2) ... all our lives. Thanks (3) ... his equation E = mc², we now know that energy and mass are directly related (4) ... each other. To (5) ... very great extent, it is Einstein who is responsible (6) ... 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 (7) ... time, his paper was largely ignored, even (8) ... 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.

Recently, more and more students have started to take up (1) ... full-time paid work while they are still studying. This means that some of them end up actually leaving their degree courses because they see the advantages of having (2) ... stable income and feel that this is more useful than getting a degree. Earning a reasonable wage means that they are able to begin to pay (3) ... the debts they have run (4) ... while they were at college or university. Why do they have these debts? Sometimes it is because they are not good (5) ... managing their money and overspend (6) ... entertainment and clothes. Sometimes it is not their fault. Banks are keen to offer students credit cards and it is very easy to build up a big overdraft. And it is almost impossible (7) ... students to cover all the costs of (8) ... accommodation and other necessary expenses.

I think the computer is such (1) ... useful invention. Take e-mail, for example. It is a very easy way to write letters. When I was younger, I rarely ever put pen to (2) ... paper, not even to say 'thank you' for presents sent by my relatives. Now, though, you can't keep me away (3) ... the keyboard. I can spend hours typing away (4) ... my computer, all types of messages to all types of people. One of (5) ... worst disadvantages for me of writing (6) ... hand was always the embarrassment of knowing that people would criticise my untidy handwriting and careless spelling. Now thanks (7) ... the spell-check, I can easily edit my letters. Teenagers nowadays take all this (8) ... granted, they don't realise how fortunate they are.

These days the media is full (1) ... stories of celebrities’ private lives: their relationships, problems with weight and so on. In fact, (2) ... public seems to have (3) ... never-ending appetite for this type of gossip. It could be argued that celebrities invite publicity, for instance (4) ... giving interviews or welcoming the media into their homes. However, there are several reasons why celebrities deserve a certain level of privacy. Firstly, while some people actively seek (5) ... fame, others do not. Secondly, reporters are more interested in selling a sensational story than in investigating something (6) ... genuine importance. Lastly, the unwelcome attentions of reporters and photographers can put celebrities under great stress. Just think of Michael Jackson or Princess Diana. (7) ... balance, I believe that celebrities have the right (8) ... the same kind of privacy as anyone else.

(1) ... young woman was taken to safety (2) ... a helicopter yesterday after getting stuck on a freezing Swiss mountain. She and her climbing partner spent two nights under a simple shelter on a rock 9,800 feet up one of Switzerland's most difficult mountains. The rescued woman, Rachel de Kelsey, admitted yesterday that they would have died if they had had to spend another night there. Their only chance of (3) ... survival was to dig themselves a hole (4) ... the snow behind the rock and hope that they would be found. Miss Kelsey said that she had sent messages (5) ... five friends who she thought might be able to get (6) ... touch with the mountain rescue team. The alarm was eventually raised by a friend in London after he received her text. He contacted (7) ... rescuers who found (8) ... pair but were unable to rescue them immediately because of the storm.

(1) ... young woman was taken to safety (2) ... a helicopter yesterday after getting stuck on a freezing Swiss mountain. She and her climbing partner spent two nights under a simple shelter on a rock 9,800 feet up one of Switzerland's most difficult mountains. The rescued woman, Rachel de Kelsey, admitted yesterday that they would have died if they had had to spend another night there. Their only chance of (3) ... survival was to dig themselves a hole (4) ... the snow behind the rock and hope that they would be found. Miss Kelsey said that she had sent messages (5) ... five friends who she thought might be able to get (6) ... touch with the mountain rescue team. The alarm was eventually raised by a friend in London after he received her text. He contacted (7) ... rescuers who found (8) ... pair but were unable to rescue them immediately because of the storm.

At (1) ... early age Robert Burns, Scotland's greatest poet, had to help his father on his farm. When he was twenty-two, he went to Irvine, where he began to learn about making cloth. Shortly after his arrival, the factory in which he was training was destroyed (2) ... fire so he started (3) ... farm with his younger brother. While he was living on the farm, he concentrated (4) ... writing poems and fell for a local girl, Jean Armour. Robert wanted to marry her but her father would not allow him to do so, probably because he thought Burns was not wealthy enough. Her father's refusal took Robert (5) ... surprise and he decided to leave (6) ... country. Robert had to obtain the fare for the voyage by selling some poems. Just as he was about to leave he was given some advice  — to publish a new edition of the poems he had written. He received a large sum of money for the poetry and was able to get married (7) ... Jean Armour. During his marriage he continued to write the expressive poetry he became famous (8) ... .

According to the United Nations' population figures, the world's population will be (1) ... for 8.9 billion by the year 2050, (2) ... to 6.7 billion in 2009. This figure (3) ... into account that each woman on the planet will give birth to two children. Eight billion, nine hundred million people may sound like an astronomical figure, yet statistics (4) ... that, throughout the world, the number of children being born is (5) ... . The explanation (6) ... for this is the fact that women have become better educated and would rather (7) ... a career than enjoy motherhood. Therefore, they (8) ... bringing up many children and being out of work for long periods of time. All the same, the world's population will continue to increase in spite of the ageing population. This will happen because of an overall rise in life expectancy, especially in the developed countries. The main (9) ... for this is that many diseases which were fatal in the past, can be (10) ... nowadays.

Don Strange, who works as a vet in northern England, (1) ... a busy life. As well as having to (2) ... pets which are unwell, he often visits farms where problems of various kinds await him. He has (3) ... count of the number of times he has been called out at midnight to give (4) ... 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 (5) ... every day. It also showed Don (6) ... a meeting with villagers (7) ... about the damage a new road might (8) ... 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 (9) ... the important decision to become vets themselves as a (10) ... of seeing the programme.

Even the earliest people, who (1) ... the world about four thousand years before Christ, loved art. They produced many (2) ... of art including paintings and sculptures. Pictures were typically (3) ... on the walls of the caves which (4) ... people with shelter. These caves could be described as people's first homes. It seems that people learnt to make dyes or paints from stone very early on in their history. White, for example, was produced from chalk and black from charcoal (уголь). The mineral was (5) ... with water to make the dye. Some communities even heated minerals to produce new colours. Among the most (6) ... cave paintings in Europe are those which were (7) ... in the Lascaux caves in south-west France. They were first (8) ... by schoolboys who were (9) ... the caves. The paintings show pictures of animals such as bulls, cows, deer and horses. The pictures are very lifelike, showing that the artists had studied their subjects very (10) ... .

A soda drink with a turkey and gravy flavour that is (1) ... 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 (2) ... Thanksgiving later this week. A company in Seattle which (3) ... in unusual flavours put 6,000 bottles on (4) ... last week at 99 cents each. They sold out within hours. Yesterday bidding (став­ки) on the eBay online auction site (5) ... more than 60 dollars a bottle. The nastiness of Turkey and Gravy Soda appears to be its biggest selling point. It (6) ... the perfect joke gift to take home to Mum or a younger brother or sister. At Thanksgiving families traditionally (7) ... a long weekend together. One newspaper reporter who (8) ... 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 (9) ... for vegetarians. Peter Van Stolk who (10) ... the company which makes the drink called his product 'gross'.

When the Moscow State Circus goes on its annual (1) ... of Europe, the younger members of the circus are still expected to (2) ... with their education. The circus usually stops for a few days in each town, so how do the young performers manage? One twelve-year-old gets up very early to practise her act before going to school. "It's exhausting (3) ... but I like the circus life," she says. "The worst part is when I (4) ... new friends and have to leave them, although I try to keep in (5) ... with them." The person who (6) ... the circus (7) ... sure that all the children get a proper education. When the circus arrives in Britain, he (8) ... the traveller education service and gives them the details of all the children and when they will be in certain towns and cities. "It's a fantastic system, he says. "I receive a (9) ... when we (10) ... the next town telling us where to meet. We are then accompanied to the school and introduced to the head teacher."

Until recently, vegetarianism was fairly uncommon in Britain, and it is still (1) ... strange by some. But since the 1960s its popularity has (2) ... greatly, to the extent that high street stores stock a huge (3) ... of products for vegetarians. The reasons people (4) ... for not eating meat are numerous. Perhaps most vegetarians do it for moral reasons, arguing that it is wrong to kill. The opposing point of (5) ... is that it is (6) ... for us to kill for food. Still, there are societies where eating meat is not allowed because it is against their religion. There are other good reasons to (7) ... up meat, one of which is the inefficiency of livestock farming. Although it is, in (8) ... cheaper to eat only vegetables, in practice vegetarianism is most popular in richer countries such as Germany and Britain, where many people exclude meat for health reasons. In these countries, at least, it (9) ... out to be a matter of (10) ... rather than necessity.

Hollywood is associated with fame, fortune and glamour. Every year, thousands of young people (1) ... up there, hoping that a producer will spot them and think they have that special something that audiences want to see. Unfortunately, most of them are (2) ... on a journey that leads to disappointment. Take a (3) ... round Los Angeles and ask any waiter or waitress and they will tell you that they are only working there for the time being, until they get their break in films. A combination of failure and economic problems usually means that they eventually (4) ... up their minds to leave and return to the small town they came from, without having made their fortune.

Before you come to the (5) ... that a life in film is for you, ask yourself carefully if you are ready for that change of direction. You'll have to travel and live for a long time at your own (6) ..., working in jobs that provide you with a low (7) ..., with only the occasional glimpse of a star to (8) ... you where you want to be.

Hollywood is associated with fame, fortune and glamour. Every year, thousands of young people (1) ... up there, hoping that a producer will spot them and think they have that special something that audiences want to see. Unfortunately, most of them are (2) ... on a journey that leads to disappointment. Take a (3) ... round Los Angeles and ask any waiter or waitress and they will tell you that they are only working there for the time being, until they get their break in films. A combination of failure and economic problems usually means that they eventually (4) ... up their minds to leave and return to the small town they came from, without having made their fortune.

Before you come to the (5) ... that a life in film is for you, ask yourself carefully if you are ready for that change of direction. You'll have to travel and live for a long time at your own (6) ..., working in jobs that provide you with a low (7) ..., with only the occasional glimpse of a star to (8) ... you where you want to be.

A soda drink with a turkey and gravy flavour that is (1) ... 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 (2) ... Thanksgiving later this week. A company in Seattle which (3) ... in unusual flavours put 6,000 bottles on (4) ... last week at 99 cents each. They sold out within hours. Yesterday bidding (став­ки) on the eBay online auction site (5) ... more than 60 dollars a bottle. The nastiness of Turkey and Gravy Soda appears to be its biggest selling point. It (6) ... the perfect joke gift to take home to Mum or a younger brother or sister. At Thanksgiving families traditionally (7) ... a long weekend together. One newspaper reporter who (8) ... 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 (9) ... for vegetarians. Peter Van Stolk who (10) ... the company which makes the drink called his product 'gross'.

A soda drink with a turkey and gravy flavour that is (1) ... 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 (2) ... Thanksgiving later this week. A company in Seattle which (3) ... in unusual flavours put 6,000 bottles on (4) ... last week at 99 cents each. They sold out within hours. Yesterday bidding (став­ки) on the eBay online auction site (5) ... more than 60 dollars a bottle. The nastiness of Turkey and Gravy Soda appears to be its biggest selling point. It (6) ... the perfect joke gift to take home to Mum or a younger brother or sister. At Thanksgiving families traditionally (7) ... a long weekend together. One newspaper reporter who (8) ... 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 (9) ... for vegetarians. Peter Van Stolk who (10) ... the company which makes the drink called his product 'gross'.

1.  Margherita Taylor is the only female presenter at Capital Radio, one of London's top music radio stations. She got into radio while she was a student in Birmingham. Along with hundreds of other hopefuls, she and a friend queued for hours in the rain to take part in a 'Search for a Star' competition held by a local radio station, BRMB. "I had to read a travel script and a weather script, talk about myself for a minute, then introduce a record." Within days the phone call came to say that her voice had earned her a regular show on BRMB. Truly the stuff dreams are made of. After working there for 18 months, she was offered a job with Capital.

2.  Margherita claims never to get nervous before a show. "You can't get nervous because then you make mistakes, she says. Of course, there has been the odd disaster. "For instance, when I did my first live concert show at BRMB, I'd only done one programme. In front of a crowd of 50,000, I went on stage to introduce a certain well-known singer. I said: "Please welcome our next performer. You know her best for hits like." Then I just went blank. There was this silence from the crowd, and for the life of me I couldn't think what she'd sung. That's one occasion that will stay with me for ever."

3.  Margherita says that her own musical tastes are varied. But she doesn't pick her own music for the show. The Capital computer selects the records in advance from a list approved by the station managers. "The station has a certain sound, and if we all picked our own music, it wouldn't sound like Capital," she says."But for someone who likes music, this is a dream job. I get to go to concerts and meet the bands you can hear on my show. It's great to hear the "behind the scenes"gossip."

4.  Most people would expect that a presenter's most important qualities are a nice voice and huge amounts of confidence, but Margherita says that basic maths is handy as well. "You have to make sure that you've got an eye on everything that's going on in the studio, but you've got to be able to add and subtract and think in minutes and seconds," she says. "You're dealing with timed records, and you have to be ready to switch to the news at exactly the right second. If you're going over to a live event, you need to be ready for that on time, not a second earlier or later."

5.  Margherita Taylor is very nice and very easy-going, but very much in control. She is so much a "Capital Radio girl" that you might think she is just doing a good job for the station's publicity department, although you know what she's saying really comes from the heart. She smiles a lot, laughs a lot and is generally a great advert for Capital.

§ 1. Imagine an entire town made up of spectacular buildings of multi-coloured ice. A town devoted to pleasure where you can ride in a horse-drawn carriage, go down ice slides (горки) and watch swimming events by an icy river. It sounds like a setting for a work of children's fiction, but this magical scene appears every January on an island just outside the Chinese city of Harbin.

§ 2. Winter in Harbin would be very boring indeed without its annual month-long Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Harbin has average temperatures of −16 °C at the time of the festival. So what better way to brighten up winter than with a colourful winter wonderland that recreates some of the world's most impressive architectural landmarks? It's possible to reproduce them using blocks of ice at Harbin because its winters, though freezing cold, are dry. There is a tradition of ice sculpture in the region that goes back hundreds of years and began with ice lantern (фо­нарь) artworks lit by candles.

§ 3. People who have been to the festival say the sculptures are most impressive at night, when they are lit by floodlights or from inside by clever use of LED (све­то­ди­од­ный) bulbs that change colour periodically. You can also appreciate the amazing detail of the snow sculptures better when there's no sunshine. If you want to see as many sculptures as possible, you should plan your trip for a few weeks into the festival. That's because by then the international snow-sculpting competition that is held during every festival is over and you can admire the creations in all their beauty.

§ 4. If you are more interested in physical activities than art, you'll still find plenty to amuse you at the festival. The event is well-known for the long snow slides that are incorporated into the designs of the ice buildings.

§ 5. Perhaps the most extreme event at the festival is the river swimming. Even setting up the event is a challenge. The organisers have to remove enough ice from the surface of the River Songhua to make a pool for the friendly competitions. The brave participants jump into the water wearing nothing but swimming costumes and caps, surrounded by spectators in winter hats, coats and gloves! Although the festival has become well-known enough to attract visitors from outside China, it's rare to see a non-local swimmer in the competitions. In northern China, however, there is a strong tradition of winter outdoor swimming, especially among the middle-aged and the elderly.

§ 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.

§ 1. 'Hollywood' is a household name. This small district is the centre of the American film industry and the source of over 2.6 billion yearly cinema ticket sales. Most of the films we watch come straight out of Hollywood. But have you ever heard of 'Bollywood'? It is the name given to the Hindi language film industry based in Mumbai, India. Contrary to popular belief, it far outperforms Hollywood. Last year alone, over 1000 films were produced and 4 billion cinema tickets were sold, showing that Indian cinema is far more powerful than people think.

§ 2. Many likely Bollywood fans are often concerned that they will not be able to understand the language used in the films. But there is no need to worry. Although the scripts have historically been written in Hindi, more and more films use the English language, showing India's respect for the languages that make up its culture. You will also find that most films come with English language subtitles.

§ 3. So what do you get out of a Bollywood film? It is difficult to define a film as belonging to a certain category, because there is no such thing as a typical Bollywood film. The plots can focus on the drama of a love triangle, but they can also be packed with laugh-out-loud comedy or edge-of-your-seat action. The only guarantee is that a Bollywood film won't end without several catchy song and dance routines.

§ 4. Many Bollywood films are over three hours long. Some people might think that this is too long, but there is a good explanation. The film companies say the aim is to give you, the audience, your 'money's worth'. If you are going to spend good money on a ticket, the film should be really exciting.

§ 5. There is no shortage of aspiring young actors and actresses hoping to get a role in the next blockbuster. Big shot movie producers and casting agents are always looking out for new talent. India has its own Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolies  — spectacular actors who ensure you have a truly enjoyable viewing experience!

§ 6. Shilpa Shetty is the perfect example of a Bollywood megastar. A picture of beauty and raw acting talent, she has achieved success beyond the borders of India, most notably in the UK following her appearance on the 'Celebrity Big Brother' TV series. Since then she has turned down roles in several British TV shows. Instead, she has returned to Mumbai and continues to shoot films in the land that made her a star.

§ 7. Once you get into Bollywood, you'll never want to stop watching.

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. Claudio Bonifacio is a modern day treasure hunter. For most people, the title 'treasure hunter' more than likely brings to mind images of brave explorers fighting pirates to find a chest (сун­дук) full of sparkling jewels. But contrary to this stereotype, Bonifacio finds most of his bullion (gold and silver) in libraries full of ancient shipping records rather than with the help of the ancient magical map you might expect. He has spent many years searching the naval archives in Seville, from which he has located the positions of more than 2,500 sunken galleons  — the ships the Spaniards used to sail the high seas from the 15th to the 18th centuries.

§ 2. Bonifacio has turned his activities into a very profitable career. Such is his fame as a marine archeologist that he can demand very large fees. He provides the information he gathers out from his research to companies with the resources to raise the bullion from the wrecks. Bonifacio has worked for several Latin American governments, the Spanish government and the Italian national council.

§ 3. However, Bonifacio is unwilling to reveal the names of his private clients, or say how much money they have made from the wrecks. The reason for this is that they wish to remain anonymous due to uncertainty about ownership of the ocean floor (дно). Countries such as Honduras, where Bonifacio has discovered many wrecks, insist on their right to take all the treasures found in their territorial waters.

§ 4. Bonifacio is unsure of exactly how much bullion has been found by others as a result of his years of hard work, but he is sure that it must be many millions of dollars worth. "I hear reports," he says, "but in this type of work there is a great amount of secrecy, not only because of governments claiming the entire treasure, but also for tax reasons."

§ 5. Bonifacio's passion has also stimulated the discovery of old Spanish and Portuguese gold mines in South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. "In the 1560s and 1570s, he explains, "most of the gold and silver transported to Europe was stolen from the Incas and the Aztecs; but later, mines provided the main source of bullion. Mining technology in those days, however, was naturally very basic and the mines were not worked very efficiently. Most were eventually abandoned because it was believed there was no more gold to be found. Now, though, with modern day techniques, the world's mining companies are of course only too happy to pay me to search the records and find them! They know only too well that there is more than likely still plenty of gold just waiting to be discovered."

§ 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.

A few years ago, a company called Space Marketing came up with a plan to send a mile-long advertisement into space. Using light reflected from the sun, it would beam out a message as large as the moon that could be seen by every single person on the planet as it orbited the Earth.

This would have been one advert that couldn't have been thrown out with the junk mail or switched off by remote control. (1)___ Advertising standards agencies eventually decided not to allow Space Marketing to go ahead with their plans and they were forced to abandon them, but not before several major companies had made serious enquiries about launching their logos into space.

Space may indeed be the final frontier for advertisers, because on Earth we are already surrounded by advertising wherever we are and whatever we are doing. (2)___ There are the promises of health and vitality on the cereal packet weate from this morning, for example, and the ad that we saw on the side of the bus we caught to work. Most of the time, we are probably not even aware of these less obvious advertising tactics, but that doesn't mean that they aren't effective. (3)___ You are in a packed cinema, watching the latest Hollywood blockbuster. There are adverts before the film or during a break in the film, but are there any during the film? Well, look carefully at the make of car your favourite actor is driving. And what about his watch? Can you see what brand it is? Chances are, you can, and the company that owns the brand is likely to have paid thousands for it to appear in the film.

Whilst products are most often placed' in this way in movies and TV series, they also sometimes appear in music videos, video games, plays and even books. (4)___ You may not realise you are being influenced by a technique that sounds so simple, but advertisers consider product placement to be a highly effective form of advertising. After all, they would not be willing to spend as much money as they do on it if they didn't truly believe it worked.

In fact, associating products with cool, exciting lives seems to be one of the most common forms of advertising. (5)___

And let's not forget the power of pure entertainment (6)___ If the consumers are looking forward to the next 'episode' of an ad, once again the product has become associated with something 'cool" and is therefore likely to See a considerable rise in popularity.

So, whether Space Marketing eventually succeeds in launching ads into space or not is perhaps a less important issue than it might seem.

When you first meet Beatrice Smythe, you are struck by her wonderful smile and her well-toned muscles.

'Performing on stage is one of the most exciting experiences possible. All the nerves and fright you feel in the wings just melt away when you face the audience. Although you are aware of a sea of faces watching you, this is not what you concentrate on. (1)___ If you focus on this, then your dancing will look natural and unforced.'

So how did Beatrice get started? 'I began taking ballet lessons in a local school when I was six. My teachers felt I had talent but after 11 years of ballet, I realised I wanted to do something different. (2)___ That was it! I had never seen dancing like this before and immediately decided it was for me. The following year I was offered a place at a London contemporary dance school where I completed a three-year course.'

Today Beatrice is a permanent member of the Charmed Circle Dance Company. But was it a difficult transition from studies to career? 'I was warned that the competition would be fierce. (3)___ Applying for even the smallest part meant auditioning with dozens of others. Finally, I was lucky enough to be offered a trial period of one year with Charmed Circle, even though it meant working without pay. It was an extremely difficult period, as you can imagine.'

'I could have been tempted to join other dance companies on a temporary basis doing one-off paid performances. But this would have meant missing out on the chance to become part of the regular line-up of what is now one of Britain's leading contemporary dance companies.' (4) ___ But Beatrice's ultimate ambition is to make it to America, where the ideas behind contemporary dance were first pioneered and developed.

When asked about what it takes to become a dancer, Beatrice didn't hesitate. 'You have to love what you're doing, you have to keep pushing yourself to the limit and you have to be slightly mad, tool (5) ___ Most dancers will tell you how physically painful daily training can be. You also have to be extremely self-motivated'

So what does Beatrice particularly enjoy about contemporary dance?"Well, for one thing, contemporary movements are so different from those in other types of dance. In ballet, for example, the movements are strictly structured and you have to stick to them. In contemporary dance, however, the movements are more expressive and each have individual meanings in themselves. (6) ___ This makes them very moving experiences both to perform and to watch.'

It was back in 1995, when my husband Eric was working as a rubbish collector for the local town council, that I first got the idea of recycling clothes. He would frequently find bags of perfectly good clothes just thrown into the rubbish. I wondered if I would be able to do something with them which would make money for me and perhaps even help the community at the same time. I decided to give it a try.

The first thing I did was to place an advertisement in the newspaper inviting people in the neighbourhood to bring me their second-hand clothing, shoes and bedding instead of throwing them away. Within a week, our garage was bursting with black plastic bags. (1)___ This kept me busy for weeks.

At the same time, I was also looking for a shop to rent where I could sell these items. (2)___ But it wasn't until I contacted Adventure, an organisation which helps people to set up their own businesses, that I finally got the assistance I needed. They helped me find the right shop and gave me advice about getting a business loan to get me started. That's how Second Best was born.

For my idea to work, I was going to need a steady supply of clothes. The town council already had recycling bins for paper, glass and the like. (3)___ I was able to make arrangements to have the clothes collected and brought to my shop, where I had installed laundry facilities to cope with all the washloads I needed to do!

It wasn't only making money in the shop that interested me, though. I was still eager for the community to benefit from my idea, too, so I started to find ways that the large quantities of very old or damaged clothing that I couldn't sell in the shop could be put to use. (4)___ Some of the old clothing is now turned into bandages for hospitals, for example, while one school in the area asks for old jeans to make into lunch bags.

Adventure believes in encouraging people by giving an annual Special Merit Award to the most successful new business they have helped. (5)___ Not only had I helped so many others, they said, but I had also had to overcome a difficulty. In 2000, my shop had been destroyed by fire and I had had to start the business all over again from Scratch.

Getting back on track wasn't easy. Not only did I have to search for another shop to rent, but I also had to spend time building up new stocks of clothes, as nearly all of the original stock had been destroyed. (6)___ Otherwise, I would have been forced to call it a day.

Today, twelve years after I first started up, Second Best is a very successful small business.

1. School student Carla Ruiz lives in a hot country and has become very aware of the need to save water. 'Spring and autumn used to be quite wet, but these days it hardly rains at all,' she says. 'Nearly all the rivers have dried up, destroying all the wildlife in and around them, and no matter what we do they'll never be the same again. At least, though, we can use water more sensibly. That's why at home I recently decided to do simple things like making sure there are no dripping taps, or taps left on while I'm brushing my teeth or washing food. Within a few days I was regularly doing these things without even thinking, I know they made a difference because the water bills went down quite a bit. My parents noticed that so they started doing the same.'

2. Trainee manager, Vincent Owen, is doing his bit to save the planet by using less electricity around the home. 'I was talking to this guy at work and he told me that we waste a huge amount of energy every year by leaving things like the TV, DVD and computer on standby all the time, so nowadays I try to remember  — not always successfullyto switch them off at night. Incidentally, I've now got solar panels on the roof so that all the hot water is powered by the sun. That was a big investment, and it ended up well over budget, but I'm sure it'll pay for itself in the end.'

3. While Lin Chen is on a gap year, she is travelling round Europe with friends. 'We had intended to fly everywhere, she says, 'but when we worked out just how much extra pollution that would cause, we decided to do it by train instead. It was cheaper, too.' They began their tour in Greece: 'We all felt the obvious place to start was where European civilization began, so our first rail journey began in Athens. We travelled to Patras on the west coast, taking the ferry across to Bari in southern Italy. From there we took the overnight train to Paris, and a few days later we went on the Eurostar to London. We saw far more of the countryside than we would have done by plane.'

4. Tanya Petrova works in a restaurant with an extensive menu, but at home she will only eat local or seasonal food: 'I strongly believe that transporting food thousands of kilometers, or storing it under refrigeration for months on end, ultimately has a highly negative impact on the environment. I always try to buy food that is produced locally, and I have a special calendar to show me which kinds of food are in season so that I know what I'm buying is really fresh. Apart from the environmental considerations, I'm convinced the food I eat, which has far fewer chemicals in it, helps me avoid the kind of illnesses that seem to be so common these days.'

If there’s one thing above all that students need to learn, it’s how to learn! More specifically, students need to know how to learn effectively. There are a number of techniques and skills you can employ to improve your learning. Read on to find out more.

First of all, you need to be in the right frame of mind. Studying should be seen as an enjoyable opportunity to learn rather than a necessary evil that prevents you from relaxing or having fun. (1)___In order to take that step, get rid of any distractions. If you have a computer, a TV or PlayStation in your room, turn it off or study somewhere else. Also, think positively when you study by reminding yourself that you have the skills and abilities to get ahead. Don’t let negative thoughts take over. If you haven’t allowed yourself enough time to prepare for an exam or to write an assignment, don’t give up! (2)___And never, ever compare yourself with others. We’re all different and we all have different abilities and talents.

Then there’s sçheduling. You have to develop a schedule in order to make the best use of your most valuable resource, time. Маке that schedule and stick to it because it will guide you in how to manage the available time most productively. Don’t! You must take your studying seriously  — it isn’t something to be done when you get around to it or have some spare time. (3)___Do you really think you can learn an entire term’s worth of course material in one night? Of course not. By spending just half an hour a day revising the material, you’ll stay on top of things. Study regularly throughout the term for as many subjects as you car Don’t wait until exam time to open your books!

So, you’re ready to study and you’ve got a schedule. W hat next? Read effectively. (4)___How often have you read to the bottom of a page and suddenly realised that you remember absolutely nothing? Probably more often than you care to admit. Unless you read ‘actively’, you won’t learn. How do you become an active reader? (5)___This makes sense as the important things to learn are usually answers to questions. If you ask and answer questions about what, why, how, when, who and where, you will begin to make sense of the material and remember it more easily. Another good technique to use is to break up chapters into sections and deal with each one separately. (6)___Make sure you understand everything before continuing to the next section. In this way, you steadily build up your understanding of the material in small, manageable steps.

See? It is possible to study and learn without stress if you study smart!

Four people talk about how they have cleared the clutter (не­нуж­ные вещи) from their lives and are now living in style with relatively few possessions.

1. Melanie Martin

Having a simple orderly wardrobe makes life less complicated. These days I am much more careful about clothes than I used to be. I buy one well-made piece of clothing that I'm going to love and cherish, rather than several inexpensive items which will soon wear out. I've limited my wardrobe to a couple of well-known labels and I take a lot of care whenever I buy something to make sure it's right for me. A few years ago, I would just take clothes off the rails (ве­шал­ка) without really thinking about whether they'd suit me. Inevitably, some of them would get thrown away unworn.

2. Annabella Bevan

My flat is uncluttered (не за­гро­мож­де­на), I have wooden floors and only a few pieces of furniture, but I have chosen what I own with care. But if I go off something, I won't hesitate to throw it out because, for me, things have to be right. I work from home and I am setting up my own company to sell things on the Internet, but I'd like to work in a soothing, relaxing environment. Having an orderly home and wardrobe helps me to cope with the frantic lifestyle people around me lead in London. It sounds strange, but when I switch on my computer here, I feel a lot calmer than I would in an office. Of course, the look of things does come into it too, but I think if you keep your clothes and possessions tidy, it can improve your mood.

3. Graham Knight

The design of my flat is not a fashion statement. It's meant to be modern and contemporary, but I did it because I like it, not because it's the current trend. It's very much my space because I designed the interior myself. It's very homely. It's also very functional. I love cooking and the focal point of the flat is the steel worktop in the kitchen area. There's no dining table, so I both cook and eat on the worktop. I am always having people round for dinner and they seem to like the informality of it. In the living room, there are two cream sofas and a black side table. I don't feel the need for anything else because I'm not a very materialistic person really.

4. Barbara Clayton

I don't have a wardrobe. My clothes hang behind a see-through curtain so that I can take in everything at a glance. Above the rail is a transparent plastic shelf on which I put my scarves and jumpers. I buy a lot cream-coloured things and I'm prepared to spend quite a lot of money on one item. But it lasts so much longer than cheaper clothes that I think the expenditure evens itself out over time, because I end up buying fewer things overall. I usually have a shopping spree (по­ку­па­тель­ный бум) at the start of each season and resist the temptation to buy things on impulse in between. I will only buy things in one or two quality fabrics and, as I get older, I think I know what suits me, so I don't make many mistakes.

York is (1) ... one of the most interesting cities in Britain. It is a very well-preserved walled city which has seen over 2,000 years of eventful history. However, York is also a modern city with an excellent shopping centre and plenty of clubs and other places of (2) ... for those who like to stay out late. Any visit to York would be (3) ... without going to the Minster, York's Cathedral, a wonderful example of Gothic architecture on the grand scale. The Minster supposedly took 250 years to finish. One of its most impressive sights is the stained glass Rose Window, which looks particulary magnificent on a fine, (4) ... day.

Chameleons, a (1) ... 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 (2) ..., 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 (3) ... at hunting prey and spotting predators (хищ­ник). Today, many chameleon species are (4) ... because of pollution and the destruction of their natural habitat.

Tea is an (1) ... popular drink with many people. It is estimated that the consumption of tea in England alone exceeds 165 million cups daily. Despite this, the drink was virtually (2) ... in England until about 400 years ago. The first reference to tea in England comes in a diary written in 1660. However, its (3) ... really took off after the marriage of King Charles II to Catherine of Braganza. It was her great love of tea that made it (4) ... .

The days when people would go to a zoo for (1) ... are long gone. Today's zoos play a role in the protection of threatened species. The way animals are treated in a zoo has changed, too. Many intelligent animals suffer from (2) ... in captivity and their keepers now try to improve the (3) ... state of animals in their care. They do this, for example, by providing the animals with a variety of different food or by changing the animals' daily routine. Although some critics of zoos remain (4) ..., there can be no doubt that animals in Zoos today enjoy a more comfortable existence than in the past.

Madame Tussaud's is London's (1) ... visited tourist attraction, with over two and a half million visitors a year. There are as (2) ... as 400 models on display. Each one is worth over £20,000, that's (3) ... security is very strict there.

It’s interesting that not many people talk about Vietnam (1) ... a holiday destination. Last year my girlfriend and I went there for the first time. We loved it  — the people were great and the food was superb. Hanoi is a busy city, but (2) ... are lots of more exotic places you can escape to in Vietnam. The place we loved the most was Ha Long Вау (3) ... everyone lives on a floating house! On top of that, all around the bay there are astonishing islands made of limestone. Some of them look (4) ... beautiful towers  — they’re really quite breathtaking.

Nowadays, just about everyone has a mobile phone. This wonderful invention helps people to stay in touch with others at any time of day and night and no (1) ... where they are. It has brought people closer and it must certainly have saved many lives by enabling immediate contact with the emergency services. It also, on the other (2) ..., has its disadvantages. Perhaps the (3) ... obvious of them is the sound of people talking loudly on their phone on public transport, unaware of (4) ... much they are disturbing other travellers.