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.

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.

No criminal ever believes that he (1) ... but it seems that some are trying to make crime detection as easy as possible for the police. In Japan, a country which (2) ... famous for its peaceful citizens, one robber burst into a shop and demanded money. But as he (3) ... himself in the CCTV camera (си­сте­ма ви­део­на­блю­де­ния), he changed his mind and asked the shop workers to call the police. Everything had been going fine, he said later, until he realised he (4) ... to put on his mask. And have you heard about the two British men who tried to rob a shop? Unfortunately, they hadn't cut eyeholes in the woollen masks they (5) ... . While they were trying to find the counter, they bumped into each other and knocked each other unconscious. "Don't worry," said the owner when the men came round, "I (6) ... the police and they'll be here in a few minutes. Would you like a cup of tea while you (7) ...?"

The American bald eagle (1) ... off the endangered register in the next two years. More than 1,130 animals and plants (2) ... by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered or threatened, making it illegal to kill or harm them. Until now, few species had been removed from the register and when they were it was usually because they (3) ... extinct. As America's national bird, the bald eagle has been protected in various ways since 1940. The eagle, that is not really bald but looks it because of the white feathers on its head, (4) ... only in North America. It (5) ... the centre of attention in the argument about the best way to protect endangered species. Most environmentalists agree that if the use of pesticides isn't reduced, it (6) ... the reproductive system of rare species. But fortunately, there are now more than 5,000 nesting pairs of the bald eagle in the continental US and the numbers (7) ... at 10 per cent a year.

Dear Peter,

Well, here we are at last! We had been looking forward to coming back for ages and we finally (1) ... safe and sound last week. Since then we (2) ... several times to organize the flat and find schools for the children. We've had to borrow some furniture from friends and relatives as the flat we (3) ... turned out to be unfurnished Sally says that it is all our own fault. We should have checked the details more carefully! I thought it (4) ... good value for money! It was difficult to make the decision to come home as we (5) ... abroad for so long. I think we are going to find it strange to settle down here again. I haven't started looking for a job yet as I (6) ... busy. I (7) ... you a call to arrange a night when you can come to dinner and we can discuss old times! Looking forward to seeing you again.

Best wishes, Stephen

A few weeks ago I was at a friend's front door when her father walked across the lawn carrying some fruit in a bag. While I (1) ... for my friend to answer the door, I decided to make polite conversation with her father and said that soon he (2) ... the fruit of his labours. Instead of smiling, as he usually did, he looked at me rather angrily and explained that it was his fruit and not his neighbour's. He obviously thought I (3) ... him for running off with his neighbour's fruit. He had heard the word neighbour's, not labours and had been offended. Fortunately, the misunderstanding (4) ... up and he began Smiling. When I told my friend what (5) ..., she laughed. No harm had been done but I nearly regretted speaking to her father. From now on, I (6) ... it safe (не рис­ко­вать) and talk only about the weather in case there (7) ... a misunderstanding.

Dear Peter,

Well, here we are at last! We had been looking forward to coming back for ages and we finally (1) ... safe and sound last week. Since then we (2) ... several times to organize the flat and find schools for the children. We've had to borrow some furniture from friends and relatives as the flat we (3) ... turned out to be unfurnished Sally says that it is all our own fault. We should have checked the details more carefully! I thought it (4) ... good value for money! It was difficult to make the decision to come home as we (5) ... abroad for so long. I think we are going to find it strange to settle down here again. I haven't started looking for a job yet as I (6) ... busy. I (7) ... you a call to arrange a night when you can come to dinner and we can discuss old times! Looking forward to seeing you again.

Best wishes, Stephen

How much sleep do we really need? This can vary quite a lot between individuals. However, it is widely believed that between
6—8 hours is healthy. What is particularly important is that this sleep happens (1) ... the right time; that it fits in with our body's natural rhythm. If you suffer (2) ... sleepiness during (3) ... day then you are probably not getting enough sleep when you most need it. Typical symptoms of a lack of sleep are (4) ... low concentration, poor memory and feeling irritable. Getting the right amount of sleep is not only important (5) ... terms of being able to function properly on a day to day basis but it also has (6) ... impact on your overall health. Research suggests that people who sleep between 6 to 7 hours per night are likely to live longer than those who sleep less than 6 or more than 8 hours per night. One reason (7) ... this is because of the effect sleep has (8) ... our immune system.

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.

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.

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) ... .

How much sleep do we really need? This can vary quite a lot between individuals. However, it is widely believed that between
6—8 hours is healthy. What is particularly important is that this sleep happens (1) ... the right time; that it fits in with our body's natural rhythm. If you suffer (2) ... sleepiness during (3) ... day then you are probably not getting enough sleep when you most need it. Typical symptoms of a lack of sleep are (4) ... low concentration, poor memory and feeling irritable. Getting the right amount of sleep is not only important (5) ... terms of being able to function properly on a day to day basis but it also has (6) ... impact on your overall health. Research suggests that people who sleep between 6 to 7 hours per night are likely to live longer than those who sleep less than 6 or more than 8 hours per night. One reason (7) ... this is because of the effect sleep has (8) ... our immune system.

The explosive growth of the Internet over the past decade has been accompanied by a rise (1) ... new ways of interacting and communicating in cyberspace. First came emails and then chat rooms. Now, growing in (2) ... popularity (3) ... an incredible rate, is something known as blogging. For those who have never heard of it, a blog, which is short (4) ... web log, is a kind of journal or diary that people write to "post' online. (5) ... beauty of blogging is that anyone can put a blog on (6) ... web and write about any topic under the sun. Some of the most interesting blogs can be found on Internet newspaper sites where readers post their comments (7) ... articles in the news. One surprising development of blogging is that they are now often used as a source of news themselves. It is not uncommon (8) ... journalists to use information that they have found on blog sites to write their articles.

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."

Humans have much (1) ... common with other life forms on Earth. Since the very first life forms appeared, all living things have been desperately struggling to survive the changing conditions of our planet. This has meant adapting (2) ... new situations and, in many cases, has led (3) ... either evolution or extinction. We are not alone (4) ... making (5) ... use of the world around us. Where we do differ (6) ... other life forms, however, is in our ability to record, and learn from, our collective history. In this, it appears that we are unique. We are increasingly becoming a species with detailed knowledge about our past. The more we learn, the better are our chances of (7) ... survival in the future. It must also be recognised, however, that we are (8) ... only species on Earth which has managed to create the means to destroy the planet we live on.

Years ago, back in the days when I was just a kid, my family used to have Sunday picnics together in a nearby part of the countryside. We would (1) ... a suitably quiet and pleasant spot, then (2) ... several hours chatting, eating and playing games in the (3) ... air. Since then, though, my parents' life has become so busy that they never seem to have the time for outdoor family meals any more. In my (4) ... this is a great pity, so I've recently started to organise picnics of my own. I get in (5) ... with some of my closest friends and first we (6) ... on a suitable place to go. Then we talk about who'll bring which food. This ensures that there will be a (7) ... of tasty things to eat, particularly if everyone makes the meals they do best. It's important, though, to keep the food simple, as everything has to (8) ... into a backpack and then be carried across fields and up river vall's. When we finally (9) ... our destination, it's time to sit down, relax and (10) ... each other's company. And I'm absolutely certain that food tastes better on a picnic than anywhere else!

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) ... .

Whether you like it or not, celebrity gossip is hard to avoid. Newspapers, magazines and websites are (1) ... with photos of the stars. Celebrities, (2) ... the badly-behaved ones, regularly (3) ... enormous publicity in the media. It seems we're (4) ... by scandal, eager to know who is going out whom, and whose marriage has just fallen apart. Thanks to the public's (5) ... for gossip, a paparazzo can be (6) ... $500,000 for each 'exclusive' photo of stars like Britney Spears and Cristiano Ronaldo

Celebrities (7) ... that money-hungry reporters and photographers follow them everywhere they go, often (8) ... them serious troubles. In response, celebrity hunters argue that famous people shouldn't be so sensitive. They should accept their loss of privacy as the (9) ... of wealth and success. But have things gone too far? Do we really have a 'right to read about stars having a mental breakdown, or to see pictures of them looking completely devastated after they've (10) ... up with their husband or wife? There seems to be a fine line between curiosity and cruelty.

Roger Press, 40, has (1) ... his career. After spending five years as a concert pianist he has gone into business, recently (2) ... up his own company. „I have always thought that it‟s important to be commercial, to participate and compete in the modern world. So although moving on was a difficult decision, having (3) ... it I felt relieved in many ways. When I(4) ... up my performing career, people around me were more sad and disappointed than I was. But I felt free and at last I knew I was getting serious about life. After getting a qualification in business administration I (5) ... the recording company EMI and started producing programmes about famous artists. A year ago I left EMI and formed a new company, New Media Systems, which (6) ... in multimedia programmes. Now that I run my own business I am in control of my life and I can feel (7) ... of my achievements. Although the stress is high and I work (8) … hours, the stress (9) ... in piano playing was much worse. It (10) ... physical, emotional and mental skills. I prefer the pressures I live with now.'

One of the most difficult but rewarding pastimes is mountain climbing. The modern climber must (1) ... many different skills. Rock climbing (2) ... a combination of gymnastic ability, imagination and observation, but perhaps the most necessary skill is being able to (3) ... out how much weight a particular rock will support. Mountaineers climb in groups of three or four, each climber at a distance of approximately six meters from the next. Usually one person climbs while the other climbers (4) ... hold of the rope. There is no (5) ... that the most experienced climber goes first. He shows the other climbers which (6) ... to go, making the rope secure so that it is (7) ... for the others to follow. With much mountain climbing, snow skills (8) ... a very important part. The number of dangers (9) ... by climbers is almost endless. And the (10) ... of oxygen at high altitudes makes life even more difficult fot mountaineers.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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. Ask a biologist what the most intelligent creatures are on Earth, and they'll probably come up with a fairly similar list: larger mammals such as horses, dogs, dolphins, pigs, the great apes as well as some birds like crows and ravens. But now some scientists believe that one of the most intelligent beings on Earth is in fact the octopus  — which doesn't belong to any of these groups.

§ 2. Every schoolchild knows that octopuses have eight legs and can shoot ink while trying to escape from enemies. But there are many other unusual things about octopuses. For example, if an octopus loses a leg, it can grow a new one. It also has three hearts and complex eyes, which seem to belong to a mammal rather than a Sea creature. Octopuses also seem to be experts at escaping  — they have extremely soft, flexible bodies and can escape through holes not much bigger than their eyes.

§ 3. However, even until quite recently, little was known about octopus intelligence. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, octopuses usually live at the bottom of river mouths and seas - areas which are not attractive to researchers. Secondly, they are not social animals so it can be difficult to study their interaction with others. Perhaps most importantly, octopus intelligence is not easy for humans to understand. Octopuses seem like strangers. Scientists need to have a lot of imagination to be able to understand what an octopus is thinking!

§ 4. In the 1950s, the US Air Force sponsored scientists to study the way octopuses use their brains. They hoped that they could use this knowledge to help them build better computers. However, their brains were so complex that the scientists quickly gave up. And even today the octopus brain is a mystery. Octopuses have a very complex nervous system and recent research suggests that they have some of their intelligence inside each arm, which means that each arm can 'think' for itself. It also appears that they have good memories, perhaps similar to a cat's. Some Octopuses in laboratories seem to play with objects as if they were toys  — a sure sign of intelligence. Others could pick up complicated skills like opening jars.

§ 5. Perhaps the most striking thing about octopuses is their ability to change their colour and body pattern. They do this to camouflage themselves and also to communicate with others. They can completely change their appearance in less than a second. A scientist once observed an octopus that changed its appearance nearly 1,000 times during seven hours of feeding!

§ 1. Ask a biologist what the most intelligent creatures are on Earth, and they'll probably come up with a fairly similar list: larger mammals such as horses, dogs, dolphins, pigs, the great apes as well as some birds like crows and ravens. But now some scientists believe that one of the most intelligent beings on Earth is in fact the octopus  — which doesn't belong to any of these groups.

§ 2. Every schoolchild knows that octopuses have eight legs and can shoot ink while trying to escape from enemies. But there are many other unusual things about octopuses. For example, if an octopus loses a leg, it can grow a new one. It also has three hearts and complex eyes, which seem to belong to a mammal rather than a Sea creature. Octopuses also seem to be experts at escaping  — they have extremely soft, flexible bodies and can escape through holes not much bigger than their eyes.

§ 3. However, even until quite recently, little was known about octopus intelligence. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, octopuses usually live at the bottom of river mouths and seas - areas which are not attractive to researchers. Secondly, they are not social animals so it can be difficult to study their interaction with others. Perhaps most importantly, octopus intelligence is not easy for humans to understand. Octopuses seem like strangers. Scientists need to have a lot of imagination to be able to understand what an octopus is thinking!

§ 4. In the 1950s, the US Air Force sponsored scientists to study the way octopuses use their brains. They hoped that they could use this knowledge to help them build better computers. However, their brains were so complex that the scientists quickly gave up. And even today the octopus brain is a mystery. Octopuses have a very complex nervous system and recent research suggests that they have some of their intelligence inside each arm, which means that each arm can 'think' for itself. It also appears that they have good memories, perhaps similar to a cat's. Some Octopuses in laboratories seem to play with objects as if they were toys  — a sure sign of intelligence. Others could pick up complicated skills like opening jars.

§ 5. Perhaps the most striking thing about octopuses is their ability to change their colour and body pattern. They do this to camouflage themselves and also to communicate with others. They can completely change their appearance in less than a second. A scientist once observed an octopus that changed its appearance nearly 1,000 times during seven hours of feeding!

§ 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.

§ 1. Though he is, in many ways, unremarkable and we have never met before, and he hasn't given me any particular clues to help me pick him out, it's not hard to spot Steve Sires in the lobby of his hotel, simply because he's the only man here who looks exactly like Bill Gates, the computer millionaire and head of Microsoft. "I figured you'd recognise me," he says, rising from his chair to shake my hand, in his Bill Gates glasses, with his Bill Gates hair, Smiling his Bill Gates smile. Steve Sires is a civil engineering consultant who runs his own business and, twice a month or so, gets paid to jet across the continent and look like Bill Gates. He's hired for business functions mostly - product launches, industry seminars and conferences. He isn't the only professional Bill Gates lookalike in the world, but he is, by most accounts, the best.

§ 2. We walk over to a business-district restaurant. I'd made a reservation for two, under 'Gates'. I'm worried this might annoy Sires, but he just laughs and admits that it's something he's never tried himself. The hostess doesn't even blink when I drop the name. As she leads us to our table I imagine a few glances sent our way, but they're likely just that, my imagination. Sires assures me that he causes much more talk back in Seattle, where the real Gates is occasionally known to walk among the masses. "People have reported spotting Bill at Burger King or eating popcorn at a movie, Sires says. "I wonder how many times people see me and think "Why in the world would Bill Gates be shopping in a cheap supermarket?"'

§ 3. When Sires moved to the Seattle area he had no idea why people kept stopping him on the street or asking him for stockmarket tips in the checkout line. "I didn't know who this Gates guy was," he says. "Turns out I lived 20 minutes from his house.' Sires initially ignored the much-remarked-on resemblance. Then, his wife cut out a newspaper ad placed by a local agent who handles lookalikes. She'd called the agent. He got me a job at the grand opening of a performing arts centre. I did it for free. But my picture was picked up by Associated Press." Soon, Sires was travelling to events, his appearance fee running to several thousand dollars.

§ 4. So Steve Sires is famous. Actually, what he has is better than fame  — it's celebrity, without any of the complications of actually being Bill Gates. "I've got a great deal," he admits. "I get a little attention. It's fun to get a little attention. But at the end of the day, I can always go home to my real life."

§ 1. While having lunch in an expensive restaurant, I tasted the wine I had ordered. I thought it might be spoiled, so I called the wine waiter. He was most unpleasant at the mere suggestion that something might be wrong. Unwillingly he tasted the wine  — and immediately apologized and brought another bottle. That's what I call power!' said my guest, but it helped that I knew I was right. As the customer, you have considerable rights.

§ 2. If a restaurant fails to provide a table you have booked, they will have broken their contract with you and you can politely threaten to take them to court for the cost of a spoiled evening. They will then usually find you a table. On the other hand, if you let them down, they can take you to court for lost business. In one case, a company booked a table for one o'clock for five people at a popular restaurant, then called to cancel at 1.35 p.m. on the day, saying their client did not want to eat. When the company refused to pay up, the restaurant owner took them to court and won: the judge decided that, since it was too late to re-book the table, the company should pay for the loss of profit on the meal.

§ 3. The menu is a vital legal document. The price should be included, together with the tax (налог), and the restaurant can be fined for not displaying it outside or immediately inside the door, so that customers know in advance what they are committing themselves to. It is illegal for any establishment to give a false description of their food. Everything must be what it claims to be: fresh fruit salad must consist only of fresh, not tinned, fruit; Welsh lamb must be an animal born or raised in Wales.

§ 4. You cannot rely on getting bread and butter free. A restaurant is allowed to make a cover charge  — which relates to linen, tableware, salt and pepper, Sauces and items like bread or olives  — provided it appears on the menu by the door.

§ 5. If the food is not cooked to your satisfaction, you can insist on the restaurant taking it back and supplying what you ordered. If it gives you food poisoning, the restaurant is obliged to pay for the suffering and inconvenience provided you have been to your doctor. If the food is not up to a reasonable standard for the money, you can either send it back or pay less than the bill demands. If you do not pay the full price, give your name, address and proof of identity so that you cannot be arrested for leaving without paying.

Nero, the handsome seven-year-old African lion, can obviously sense, early though it still is, that this is not going to be just another day. (1)_____

The courtyard outside is noisy with people carrying bottles, syringes, drugs, drips and bandages and in half an hour a mini operating theatre is set up right on Nero's doorstep. (2)_____

'The nerve in the tooth is now totally dead,' explains veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has worked on animals' teeth for 14 years. (3)_____

Peter and his assistant Samantha divide their time between working with humans (Mondays to Thursdays) and treating animals (Fridays). Under the name Zoodent International, Peter, 47, performs more dental work on animals than any other practice in the world

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.

Nero, the handsome seven-year-old African lion, can obviously sense, early though it still is, that this is not going to be just another day. (1)_____

The courtyard outside is noisy with people carrying bottles, syringes, drugs, drips and bandages and in half an hour a mini operating theatre is set up right on Nero's doorstep. (2)_____

'The nerve in the tooth is now totally dead,' explains veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has worked on animals' teeth for 14 years. (3)_____

Peter and his assistant Samantha divide their time between working with humans (Mondays to Thursdays) and treating animals (Fridays). Under the name Zoodent International, Peter, 47, performs more dental work on animals than any other practice in the world

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.

1. Stacey

I had lessons in Hindi at a local language school. Unfortunately the only class available at my level was late in the evening. So after a long day at school, and then all the written homework we have to do, I didn't have a lot of energy left for language learning. Also, some of my classmates were much older than me and I didn't really get to know them. But that didn't matter because whenever we did group activities, which I'd never done before, but took to straight away, I made sure I was with the younger ones. I was having lessons every evening and that was costing my parents quite a lot, but we'd booked to go to India later that year so there was no time to lose.

2. Chloe

I really want to learn Polish so I bought a course of language lessons as an MP3 to play on my iPod. That meant I could work on it anywhere I went, particularly at those times when you've got nothing to do, like standing at the bus stop. Once I was concentrating so hard on getting a grammar point right that I completely forgot I was on the bus and I started repeating restaurant phrases aloud. I felt a bit uncomfortable when I noticed everyone looking at me, so I didn't do that again. Actually, one problem with learning on my own was not knowing when I was saying words properly and when I wasn't. Overall, though, it was a useful course and I think it was good value for money.

3. Amy

I used the Internet to improve my Spanish. It cost nothing, of course, and although at first I didn't know quite where to look, in the end I came across some great websites where I could practise reading and listening and do grammar exercises. At the same time, I was joining social networking sites and getting in touch with Spanish-speaking teenagers from various parts of the world. I also tried online chat in Spanish, but I couldn't keep up with people. All the time I was thinking about my grammar and it was taking me so long to reply to each sentence after I'd read it that I didn't think it was fair on them, so I gave up. I'll try again sometime, though.

4. Laura

I was living with an English-speaking family and the idea was that I'd pick up a lot of language by being there with them, but it just wasn't happening. Everyone watched television all the time and rarely spoke to me. After a week I left and moved in with a couple who had young children, and that was better. They were all very friendly and I could chat with them anytime, really. When I got things wrong they would often correct me and I think that helped me improve my speaking a lot. I would also have liked to be nearer the city centre, because the house was so far out of town that I couldn't get to the kinds of places where other teenagers went in the evenings.

Like most tourists, I enjoy taking photographs on holiday and can't wait to show them to friends and family when I get back. But whilst for me they represent treasured memories, to others they are more often than not simply a collection of boring, badly composed, out of focus pictures. So this year I decided to do something about this by booking myself on a trip to Rome which included photography lessons.

The first time I went to Rome, I remember thinking that it was a photographer's paradise with a fantastic photo opportunity lying around every corner. (1)___ Added to this was the fact that there were crowds of tourists everywhere, blocking all the best views. But this second time things were different. Antonio, my photography tutor, was on hand to give expert advice every step of the way.

The first thing Antonio told our group was that the secret to creating a good photographic image rather than just a snapshot is to first take a long look at what you want to photograph. For example, he said, you should consider the background just as much as you do the subject. (2)___ You can get unwanted figures out of your image simply by getting down on your knees to take a picture, for instance, or changing the angle of the shot.

Our first port of call was Piazza Navona, where Antonio gave us advice about how to photograph the Fountain of Neptune. (3)___ Then, he added that we should take the photo with the fountain slightly off centre.

Next, we headed off to the Pantheon, which was originally an ancient Roman temple. Along the way, I took the opportunity to photograph anything that caught my eye. The Pantheon itself is so huge that it is impossible to take a good photograph of the whole thing. (4)___ I tried out this technique by lying down on the floor and taking a picture of just one section of the great domed ceiling. I was pretty pleased with the results.

For the next couple of hours, we wandered around the historic centre visiting many of Rome's architectural highlights. (5)___ And I felt that I was really able to appreciate the sights as I had to look at each one so carefully in order to get good pictures.

We finished off our first morning tour with a stop at a traditional Roman street café. After all the hard work and walking I'd done, a large Italian ice cream seemed like the perfect reward! (6)___ It felt like a whole new world had opened up to me. I learnt an incredible amount over the next two days, as well as having a thoroughly enjoyable time in one of the world's most beautiful cities.

Last year I won a (1) ... in a newspaper and the prize was a holiday for two in a well-known Mediterranean resort. It turned out to be an (2) ... unpleasant experience and one which my husband and I would not like to repeat. Our room overlooked the road, which was unfortunately being widened at that time, and the noise from the machinery was deafening. The road works went on 24 hours a day and as a result we suffered several (3) ... nights. So we decided to (4) ... our stay and catch the first available flight home.

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.

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.

The New Zealanders Dwayne van der Sluis and Andrew Akers must be the happiest people on Earth now that their (1) ... and latest craze, zorbing, has become a success. Zorbing involves standing in a ball  — or zorb  — which consists of specially hardened plastic. The zorb is rolled down a hill, speeding at about 50 kilometres an hour. It may sound like quite a (2) ... pastime, but the 70 centimetres of air between you and the ground make it (3) ... to get hurt. That's why zorbing didn't take long to gain in (4) ... .

Many young people nowadays are pessimistic about the future. The pessimists see that the world is getting (1) ... and more crowded. As a result, it is becoming more difficult to find work; even though people (2) ... their best to go to university, they are not sure they will be lucky (3) ... to find a job afterwards.

Language experts have found that children can learn two languages at the (1) ... time and that they can't really tell the (2) ... between them. They can easily switch from (3) ... language to the other once they have learnt when and with whom they should use each language.

Generally (1) ..., food and feeling good go together. Our mental and physical well-being is directly affected by what we eat. A healthy diet is the key. But what makes a 'good' diet? Firstly, it is important to eat something of each food group. There are four different food groups, (2) ... fit into a food pyramid. The pyramid indicates which food we are most in (3) ... of.

Honey was the main source of sugar in ancient times. It was highly prized not only as a foodstuff but (1) ... as a medicine. In those days, the art of bee keeping (2) ... known only to a select few members of secret societies, who were treated with great respect. Nowadays, of course, bee-keeping is not surrounded by such mystique. It is a popular hobby that can be (3) ... up by anyone with a (4) ... money to spend and some space in their garden.