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

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.

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.

Wayback in 1828, the world's first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as C.I.D) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain clothes detective in the C.I.D is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)___ Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there's no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2)___ An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective. Most of these "detectives-to-be' discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. (3)___ For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects though deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the C.I.D. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (4)___ Not exactly exciting, but essential duties all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (5)___ Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective's job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (6)___ Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective's goal achieved. Then there's always the next case to tackle, of course.

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.

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.'

When Usain Bolt was a young boy growing up in Jamaica, his parents took him to the doctor because he couldn’t keep still. He was gifted at cricket, his first love. ‘But I just happened to run fast. It was easy and I was winning. And my dad said I should concentrate on running because it’s an individual sport and, if you do good, you do good for yourself.’

Nobody can hold a light to Usain Bolt  — he is a one-off (уни­кум). There’s the size, for a start: 1.96 metres (ideal sprinters are thought to be no more than 1.85 metres). Then there’s the scoliosis, a curved spine which means one leg is shorter than the other. (1)__And the attitude  — at warm-up his rivals look as if they will explode with tension, but Bolt smiles, even dances. And, of course, Bolt is said to be the fastest man ever.

Bolt maintains that he isn’t quite as cool and laid-back as he appears to be. There are things that bother him. (2)__For example, he says he was so uptight before the junior World Championships final  — where he became the youngest gold medallist at the age of fifteen  — that he put his shoes on the wrong feet.

(3)__That’s when Jamaica turned on him. His own people said he was undisciplined, he partied too much.

And yes, he did; but the truth was he was suffering with his spine. People, he says, are quick to criticise.

Bolt arrived in athletics at a time when the profession had lost a lot of respect over drug-taking. Here was a man who looked and acted differently. In 2008, though, he had to beg his coach to let him run the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics. (4)__Despite that, not only did he win gold but he broke the 100 metre world record. He broke his own record at the 2009 World Championships and went on to win gold in the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 metre and 200 metre races and the relay.

‘The image on the track is that he just turns up and runs but it isn’t true,’ says his manager. ‘He’s very competitive.’ And the thing is, says Bolt, if he weren’t easy-going, he wouldn’t run so fast. He looks a little blank when I ask him what makes him such a good runner. Perhaps his height help., and those huge strides, he suggests. (5)__‘The way his feet move, the way the mechanics are so perfect. Everything is perfect for running.’

I’ve never met a sportsman quite like Bolt. He is opinionated, funny and grounded. I ask him about his ambitions. Eventually, he says, he’d like to make a go of playing football professionally. (6)__‘People say I’m a legend but I’m not until I’ve fulfilled my potential.’

«Body image» is the picture you have in your mind of your size, shape and general appearance  — and how you feel about it. Where does this image come from? Lifestyle adviser Anne Banks examines the issues.

Do you love what you see in the mirror? No? Then you are not alone. Almost everybody worries about what other people think, and we all get stressed out about the size of our feet or the shape of our nose.

It’s the images we see in the media that are mostly to blame. (1)__ Whether it’s a hunky actor in designer jeans and trendy jacket or a stunning model in an elegant dress, they’re sending the same message: «If you look like me, your life will be perfect».

But appearances can be deceptive. Compare today’s magazine covers with those of fifty years ago. (2)__ Not any more! Nowadays, blemishes are removed from photographs with the help of a technique called «airbrushing». A photographer or designer can straighten teeth, alter skin colour, and even change a hairstyle. That perfect face is just a trick of the camera after all!

The «perfect» body shapes aren’t natural, either. Go down to any gym and you’ll find young men «pumping iron» in an effort to live up to some masculine ideal that says that «real» men should be strong and muscular. Body builders, desperate to increase the size of their muscles, often eat food with far more calories and protein than is natural, which is a danger to their health. (3)__

It’s the same for the girls. We all know of celebrities who go on starvation diets so that they can wear «size zero» clothes. They end up ruining their health. The irony is, naturally curvy girls who diet until they’re stick-thin actually end up looking awful. Ask boys! (4)__ Unfortunately, some girls are so obsessed with their weight they just don’t realise!

(5)__ These include pop singers like Mis-Teeq, Jamelia, and Rachel Stevens. Rachel Stevens doesn’t want to be stick-thin. «There’s always been this pressure to be skinny, but you’ve got artists now like J-Lo and Beyoncé who are really curvy and look absolutely stunning», she says.

So come on boys and girls, take control of your life! We hr mans come in all shapes and sizes and there’s no «correct» to look. It’s what you say and do that really matters. (6)__ They’re not what they seem! Anyway, why waste your time trying to live up to somebody else’s ideal? Being fit and healthy is far more important. Just believe in yourself! After all, if you like yourself as you are, everyone else will probably end up liking you, too!

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!

Anne Carlisle explains the history and work of Britain’s police detectives.

Way back in 1828, the world’s first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as CID) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain-clothes detective in the CID is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)____Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there’s no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2) ____An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective.

Most of these ‘detectives-to-be’ discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. There, the officers receive intensive instruction in all areas related to solving major crime. For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects, though, deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the CID. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (3)____Not exactly fascinating work, but essential all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (4)____Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective’s job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (5)____Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective’s goal achieved. Then there’s always the next case to tackle, of course.

In many ways, the detectives of today are similar to the ones of the past. Much of the work has hardly changed at all. Detectives still have to ask questions and find answers. (6)____Whether it is using computers or looking through a microscope, it all helps to get the crime solved. In the end, just like the detectives we avidly watch on TV, they are heroes doing everything in their power to get the bad guys off our streets.

June and Malcolm Harding spent their life savings on their first home, and thought they were set for life. But just over a year later, June handed the keys back to the estate agent. Since then they’ve also sold most of their furniture. (1)____

What started as a way to stop Kelly being bored in the summer holiday has become the focus of all their lives. She won her first competition after only 10 weeks of skating lessons. Soon after, Kelly’s coach left Britain for Canada and her parting words changed the Harding’s lives for ever. “Find the money to keep Kelly on the ice,” she urged. “She’ll go all the way to the top.” From then on, there was no question  — whatever it cost to make Kelly a winner, they’d find a way.

(2)____“I started skating when I was 10,”  — June said. “I saved all the money I could for lessons by doing errands for neighbours. But Mum and Dad were poor and when Mum saved to buy me boots, Dad said that it was a mere waste. I never skated again. I wasn’t going to let that happen to Kelly.” They had to take Kelly out of school so she could practise more. As she was still only fourteen, they had to guarantee the local authorities she’d continue her studies until she was seventeen. (3)____

“I worked out we only got £ 500 for £ 5,000 worth of furniture  — but at least it paid for some more lessons,” said June. “The only things we kept were the TV and video because we can never afford to go out. Luckily, our new accommodation is furnished. We took our car off the road because we can’t afford to run it. We haven’t had a phone for four months, or a holiday in six years.” (4)____

Despite being permanently poor, June and Malcolm have no doubt they’re doing the right thing. “Just seeing Kelly on the ice, smiling and happy, makes it all worthwhile,” her father said. .“Even if she doesn’t make it she’ll have had the opportunity thousands of girls haven’t.”

Kelly, now seventeen, was placed 13th in last year’s junior championship and has won nearly thirty competitions so far. “I know I’m very lucky,” she admits. (5)____Her coach, a former British champion, is convinced she’ll go far. “I think she’ll make the Olympic squad,” she said. “Kelly is an exceptional girl  — gifted and very hardworking.”

(6)____It’s unlikely that her mum will ever see her win, though, because she gets too nervous to watch. “People think we’re mad giving up everything,” continues June, “but we believe in our daughter... I’d do it all over again tomorrow.”

I had been invited by Jack and his son John to participate in a film they were making about shark diving. I had been diving and writing about the ocean for a decade and had frequently found myself in the water with sharks. Never intentionally. They just appeared, unwanted. The idea of swimming with them seemed dangerous. Still, Jack McKen- ney had asked me to participate. 1)____

To attract the sharks, we laid out plastic boxes wired together and filled with frozen fish. Once dropped over the side, the boxes lay half in and half out of the water: As the bait thawed, a long line of blood and fish followed us. (2)____

The stars of the film promised to be blue sharks. Fast and slim-bodied with pointed snouts, they grow to 12 feet in length and are known to attack humans. (3)____I thought someone was welcoming our visitors by pounding rapidly on a large bass drum. Then I realised that the fierce pounding was the beating of my own heart.

The shark cage sat on the deck. It was mainly constructed from wire. The idea was to swim into the cage once under the water. The only hand-held weapon I was given was a broom handle.

By the time I got to the cage, five sharks were swimming around us. As they glided past, they seemed curious, and'I felt like something hung up in a meat market. (4)____Strangely, proximity seemed to calm my fear.

We began to hand-feed the sharks as they cruised by the cage. Several times, I offered a fish, then yanked it away at the crucial moment. Then I felt guilty about teasing the monsters and began to want more contact.

I decided to go outside the cage. (5)____“They tend to hit some part of your body that is not moving. Usually this means the head.”

Outside the cage and checking in all directions, I moved to where Jack was shooting one particular shark for the film. (6)____It put on a slight burst of speed and glided in my direction. I had ten seconds to get my own broom handle in position, and when the shark was a foot away, I hit it firmly, on the snout. The shark twisted away, and disappeared into the depths. Relieved, I realised the mildest show of aggression seemed to put these fellows off their feed.

1.  Corinne Day: Photographer

I get my ideas for photographs anywhere, at any time; I don’t have to be specifically doing anything. I keep a diary at home and write down any t houghts I have, and then when a job comes up, I see if there is anything in it that applies. It’s almost impossible for me to switch off. When I was abroad recently, I wanted to get away from taking photographs, so I didn’t take my camera with me. But I could still see pictures all the time and wished I had brought it.

2.  Jan Kaplicky: Architect

Success in my job depends on the people you have around you and how good they are. There are engineers, model- makers, photographers  — architecture is not a one-man product. I come into the office every day. I like to arrive at 8 a.m., as this is a very peaceful period when I can think about things before the usual routine starts and other people arrive. The initial idea for a job comes to me just like that sometimes. Having lots of ideas for one problem is not a sign that you are creative; that’s just a waste of energy. But I do think a lot of creativity depends on your relationships with other people.

3.  J. B. Ballard: Novelist

I think the enemy of creativity in the world today is that so much thinking is done for you. The environment is so full of television, you hardly need to do anything. Children make you see what reality is all about. Mine were a huge inspiration for me. Watching them creating their separate worlds was a very enriching experience. As for learning to be creative, I think there are a lot of skills that you need to be born with. I wrote from a pretty early age, eight or nine, and I’ve always had a very vivid imagination.

4.  Peter Molyneux: Computer Game Creator

Perhaps the greatest difference between people who are creative and people who are not is that the former always think their idea will work. They never think, ‘That's not going to work, that’s a stupid idea’. But a lot of the time I don’t know where my ideas come from. I can remember incredibly clearly the time I saw my first computer game, in a shop window. From that moment on it was as if I’d found my aim in life. I find the computer game is very creative. It brings together many different disciplines: the logic of programming, mathematics, storytelling... The general idea for a game is easy, the real challenge always comes about six months later when you have to design all the parts of the game, and consider things like how many pieces of information players can take before they get confused.

1.  Housewife and grandmother

I went down a cliff to raise money for charity. It was an enormous challenge as I’m actually quite afraid of heights. It was only really the moment of going over the edge that was difficult: after that it was very easy. You just have to get into the'rhythm and not go too fast. My son is really keen on climbing and some of his friends from his university

climbing club set everything up and organised the whole event. There were about twenty of us who did it and between us we raised well over the target amount.

2.  Lawyer

I ran a triathlon and managed to get over 50 people to sponsor me. I had to train for months and it was really hard work but well worth it. I actually enjoyed the training more than the final event because on the day the weather was terrible. In the months running up to the event I followed a very strict regime and it felt good to be working towards such a specific goal. Knowing that I was going to be able to give a large donation to charity made me even more determined to do it. It was such a positive experience I’m going to do it again next year.

3.  Environmental consultant

I cycled from L.A. to Quito last spring. All my family thought I was mad but I love cycling and I knew it would be an amazing way to see lots of really interesting places. I managed to raise quite a bit of money for charity through sponsorship although that wasn’t my main, objective. I turned 30 in March and I really wanted to be doing something totally different rather than just sitting at my desk in the office. I wanted it to be something I could look back on when I am older and feel proud of. The fact that I was able to do something to help those less well off than me at the same time, well that made it even better.

4.  Retired primary school head teacher

We used to make a big effort to get the children involved in charity events as I think it helps raise their awareness of world events and the fact that in many places there are people, particularly children like themselves, who live in very different circumstances to them. I think they get a great sense of satisfaction too from knowing that they are able to do something to help. Each year we had a special day; where all the children paid a small amount of money and then came to school for one day in their own clothes and not in school uniform. We also regularly held parties where the children were encouraged to donate old toys and books and things which we then sold. All the money we made went to our chosen charity.

Choosing the degree I should study for at university was quite difficult for me as there were two careers that I found equally attractive: the law and catering. After much soul searching, I realised that whilst I could be a lawyer during the day and then enjoy cookery as a form of relaxation, the reverse was not true. Thus, I opted for a law degree and made food my number one hobby.

I have never regretted this decision. Working as a lawyer provided a good living and allowed me enough spare time to please myself by enjoying some very fine food at many superb restaurants. (1)___A life in catering would have meant that I would always have been working when my friends were playing and vice versa. Chefs have to arrive at their restaurant by mid-morning to prepare for lunch. They work all afternoon developing new recipes. Then, they must prepare for evening service probably crawling into bed in the small hours of the next morning feeling absolutely shattered! (2)___

Sharing my love of fine food with good friends in the relaxed atmosphere of my home has more than compensated for not owning a restaurant. Planning a meal for people I love is a great pleasure. How do I choose what to cook? Well, that depends very much on my friends. An important factor has to be catering for their own likes and dislikes and trying to avoid serving them the same dishes as last time they visited. (3)___I don’t claim to be anything other than an enthusiastic amateur but quite a few friends appear to be scared by the prospect of cooking for me.

The friends I like cooking for most of all are those who share the love of food as much as I do and who are quite happy to do the same for me, in grand style, when I pay them a return visit. (4)___

Generally, my cooking has become less complex over the years and I tend to find that the best way of deciding what to cook is to see what is available when I do the shopping. What I cook is controlled by what I have been able to buy. (5)___I might have had one or two vague ideas but, more often than not, I am scrabbling through pages of recipes trying to find something new to do with some scallops, a leg of lamb and raspberries. My store cupboard is pretty good and I can usually find all the spices I need, and boring stuff like flour, butter and so on. (6)___I strongly believe that if you have good ingredients you will be able to turn out something worth eating.

At the end of a meal the finest compliment I can be paid is that my friends aren’t afraid of gently nodding off. It shows that they feel satisfied, relaxed and happy!

An interview with a couple who own a holiday home in the French Pyrenees

Why did you decide to buy a holiday home here?

We have always loved travelling and spending time in different countries on holidays. It made sense to us to have somewhere which was our own, where we could go back to again and again whenever we liked. (1)_________ It has everything we were looking for: mountains, beautiful scenery, good countryside for walking and there are towns and a major city nearby. We looked at some very remote places but decided we wanted to be in a town. We enjoy being able to walk down to the shops in the morning to get fresh bread and walk to a restaurant for dinner in the evening. It was important to us that it was easy to get to for short holidays too so the fact that there is an airport nearby was a key factor. (2)____________ We love both of our houses even though they are very different in style and in very different places.

How did you find this particular property?

We did some research into the area we liked and we looked at adverts on the Internet. Then we went to an agency which specialised in property in the area where we were looking. They were really helpful and in three days they took us to a number of different houses as well as some empty plots of land with potential for building a new property. (3)_________ We spent time talking to the couple who were selling it and looking around the garden в as well as the house. It’s not a big house; there are only two bedrooms, but it is exactly what we were looking for. It has a fantastic terrace with views of the mountains. It's very picturesque. In fact it is a beautiful place to have a holiday at any time of the year.

What do you like most about owning a second home?

(4)___________ We spend lots of holidays here ourselves and sometimes friends and family join us, but we also let friends and family stay in it by themselves if they want to. It means the house is occupied more, and the more it is used the better. We also like that we have met some good friends here. (5)_________ It means we don’t feel like strangers when we’re here. Another thing we like is that there is always somewhere new to visit and explore as well as favourite places to go back to.

Would you like to move and live here permanently?

No. We have too much that we would miss back home: good friends and family. (6)________We might come for a month or more at a time instead of a week or two as we do now. But we bought it as a holiday home or second home not somewhere to live all the time. We like having both our homes and don’t want to give up either of them.

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

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

'Working with animals is much more difficult than with humans,' he says, as Samantha lays out the rows of dental instruments. 'With an animal, I have to make an on-the-spot diagnosis and work very quickly.' (1)_____

Peter now moves close to the bars of Nero‟s cage and expertly directs a tiny, plastic blowpipe dart, containing a high dose of anaesthetic, into the lion‟s thigh (бедро). (2)_____

It takes six men to lift and move the 180 kilogram animal 2 metres from his cage door to the hay mattress that will serve as an operating table.

(3)_____ . Peter discovers a tooth that needs filling and he sets about doing that first. 'This is the same stuff as we use for human teeth,' he says, packing the medicine into the cavity. 'There‟s just more of it.' The dental work now over, Peter removes a gas canister from the lion‟s mouth. Without the supply of gas, Nero will start coming round fairly quickly, so the keepers move fast to pull him back to his cage. As Peter packs up, the lion stirs. The great yellow eyes are beginning to lose their drugged and sleepy look. 'Don't be fooled,' says Peter, 'He might appear sleepy but he could react very quickly now if he wanted to ...'

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wayback in 1828, the world's first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as C.I.D) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain clothes detective in the C.I.D is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)___ Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there's no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2)___ An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective. Most of these "detectives-to-be' discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. (3)___ For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects though deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the C.I.D. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (4)___ Not exactly exciting, but essential duties all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (5)___ Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective's job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (6)___ Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective's goal achieved. Then there's always the next case to tackle, of course.

Wayback in 1828, the world's first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as C.I.D) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain clothes detective in the C.I.D is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)___ Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there's no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2)___ An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective. Most of these "detectives-to-be' discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. (3)___ For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects though deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the C.I.D. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (4)___ Not exactly exciting, but essential duties all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (5)___ Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective's job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (6)___ Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective's goal achieved. Then there's always the next case to tackle, of course.

Wayback in 1828, the world's first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as C.I.D) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain clothes detective in the C.I.D is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)___ Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there's no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2)___ An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective. Most of these "detectives-to-be' discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. (3)___ For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects though deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the C.I.D. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (4)___ Not exactly exciting, but essential duties all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (5)___ Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective's job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (6)___ Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective's goal achieved. Then there's always the next case to tackle, of course.

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.

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.

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.

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.'

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.'

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.'

When Usain Bolt was a young boy growing up in Jamaica, his parents took him to the doctor because he couldn’t keep still. He was gifted at cricket, his first love. ‘But I just happened to run fast. It was easy and I was winning. And my dad said I should concentrate on running because it’s an individual sport and, if you do good, you do good for yourself.’

Nobody can hold a light to Usain Bolt  — he is a one-off (уни­кум). There’s the size, for a start: 1.96 metres (ideal sprinters are thought to be no more than 1.85 metres). Then there’s the scoliosis, a curved spine which means one leg is shorter than the other. (1)__And the attitude  — at warm-up his rivals look as if they will explode with tension, but Bolt smiles, even dances. And, of course, Bolt is said to be the fastest man ever.

Bolt maintains that he isn’t quite as cool and laid-back as he appears to be. There are things that bother him. (2)__For example, he says he was so uptight before the junior World Championships final  — where he became the youngest gold medallist at the age of fifteen  — that he put his shoes on the wrong feet.

(3)__That’s when Jamaica turned on him. His own people said he was undisciplined, he partied too much.

And yes, he did; but the truth was he was suffering with his spine. People, he says, are quick to criticise.

Bolt arrived in athletics at a time when the profession had lost a lot of respect over drug-taking. Here was a man who looked and acted differently. In 2008, though, he had to beg his coach to let him run the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics. (4)__Despite that, not only did he win gold but he broke the 100 metre world record. He broke his own record at the 2009 World Championships and went on to win gold in the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 metre and 200 metre races and the relay.

‘The image on the track is that he just turns up and runs but it isn’t true,’ says his manager. ‘He’s very competitive.’ And the thing is, says Bolt, if he weren’t easy-going, he wouldn’t run so fast. He looks a little blank when I ask him what makes him such a good runner. Perhaps his height help., and those huge strides, he suggests. (5)__‘The way his feet move, the way the mechanics are so perfect. Everything is perfect for running.’

I’ve never met a sportsman quite like Bolt. He is opinionated, funny and grounded. I ask him about his ambitions. Eventually, he says, he’d like to make a go of playing football professionally. (6)__‘People say I’m a legend but I’m not until I’ve fulfilled my potential.’

When Usain Bolt was a young boy growing up in Jamaica, his parents took him to the doctor because he couldn’t keep still. He was gifted at cricket, his first love. ‘But I just happened to run fast. It was easy and I was winning. And my dad said I should concentrate on running because it’s an individual sport and, if you do good, you do good for yourself.’

Nobody can hold a light to Usain Bolt  — he is a one-off (уни­кум). There’s the size, for a start: 1.96 metres (ideal sprinters are thought to be no more than 1.85 metres). Then there’s the scoliosis, a curved spine which means one leg is shorter than the other. (1)__And the attitude  — at warm-up his rivals look as if they will explode with tension, but Bolt smiles, even dances. And, of course, Bolt is said to be the fastest man ever.

Bolt maintains that he isn’t quite as cool and laid-back as he appears to be. There are things that bother him. (2)__For example, he says he was so uptight before the junior World Championships final  — where he became the youngest gold medallist at the age of fifteen  — that he put his shoes on the wrong feet.

(3)__That’s when Jamaica turned on him. His own people said he was undisciplined, he partied too much.

And yes, he did; but the truth was he was suffering with his spine. People, he says, are quick to criticise.

Bolt arrived in athletics at a time when the profession had lost a lot of respect over drug-taking. Here was a man who looked and acted differently. In 2008, though, he had to beg his coach to let him run the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics. (4)__Despite that, not only did he win gold but he broke the 100 metre world record. He broke his own record at the 2009 World Championships and went on to win gold in the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 metre and 200 metre races and the relay.

‘The image on the track is that he just turns up and runs but it isn’t true,’ says his manager. ‘He’s very competitive.’ And the thing is, says Bolt, if he weren’t easy-going, he wouldn’t run so fast. He looks a little blank when I ask him what makes him such a good runner. Perhaps his height help., and those huge strides, he suggests. (5)__‘The way his feet move, the way the mechanics are so perfect. Everything is perfect for running.’

I’ve never met a sportsman quite like Bolt. He is opinionated, funny and grounded. I ask him about his ambitions. Eventually, he says, he’d like to make a go of playing football professionally. (6)__‘People say I’m a legend but I’m not until I’ve fulfilled my potential.’

When Usain Bolt was a young boy growing up in Jamaica, his parents took him to the doctor because he couldn’t keep still. He was gifted at cricket, his first love. ‘But I just happened to run fast. It was easy and I was winning. And my dad said I should concentrate on running because it’s an individual sport and, if you do good, you do good for yourself.’

Nobody can hold a light to Usain Bolt  — he is a one-off (уни­кум). There’s the size, for a start: 1.96 metres (ideal sprinters are thought to be no more than 1.85 metres). Then there’s the scoliosis, a curved spine which means one leg is shorter than the other. (1)__And the attitude  — at warm-up his rivals look as if they will explode with tension, but Bolt smiles, even dances. And, of course, Bolt is said to be the fastest man ever.

Bolt maintains that he isn’t quite as cool and laid-back as he appears to be. There are things that bother him. (2)__For example, he says he was so uptight before the junior World Championships final  — where he became the youngest gold medallist at the age of fifteen  — that he put his shoes on the wrong feet.

(3)__That’s when Jamaica turned on him. His own people said he was undisciplined, he partied too much.

And yes, he did; but the truth was he was suffering with his spine. People, he says, are quick to criticise.

Bolt arrived in athletics at a time when the profession had lost a lot of respect over drug-taking. Here was a man who looked and acted differently. In 2008, though, he had to beg his coach to let him run the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics. (4)__Despite that, not only did he win gold but he broke the 100 metre world record. He broke his own record at the 2009 World Championships and went on to win gold in the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 metre and 200 metre races and the relay.

‘The image on the track is that he just turns up and runs but it isn’t true,’ says his manager. ‘He’s very competitive.’ And the thing is, says Bolt, if he weren’t easy-going, he wouldn’t run so fast. He looks a little blank when I ask him what makes him such a good runner. Perhaps his height help., and those huge strides, he suggests. (5)__‘The way his feet move, the way the mechanics are so perfect. Everything is perfect for running.’

I’ve never met a sportsman quite like Bolt. He is opinionated, funny and grounded. I ask him about his ambitions. Eventually, he says, he’d like to make a go of playing football professionally. (6)__‘People say I’m a legend but I’m not until I’ve fulfilled my potential.’

«Body image» is the picture you have in your mind of your size, shape and general appearance  — and how you feel about it. Where does this image come from? Lifestyle adviser Anne Banks examines the issues.

Do you love what you see in the mirror? No? Then you are not alone. Almost everybody worries about what other people think, and we all get stressed out about the size of our feet or the shape of our nose.

It’s the images we see in the media that are mostly to blame. (1)__ Whether it’s a hunky actor in designer jeans and trendy jacket or a stunning model in an elegant dress, they’re sending the same message: «If you look like me, your life will be perfect».

But appearances can be deceptive. Compare today’s magazine covers with those of fifty years ago. (2)__ Not any more! Nowadays, blemishes are removed from photographs with the help of a technique called «airbrushing». A photographer or designer can straighten teeth, alter skin colour, and even change a hairstyle. That perfect face is just a trick of the camera after all!

The «perfect» body shapes aren’t natural, either. Go down to any gym and you’ll find young men «pumping iron» in an effort to live up to some masculine ideal that says that «real» men should be strong and muscular. Body builders, desperate to increase the size of their muscles, often eat food with far more calories and protein than is natural, which is a danger to their health. (3)__

It’s the same for the girls. We all know of celebrities who go on starvation diets so that they can wear «size zero» clothes. They end up ruining their health. The irony is, naturally curvy girls who diet until they’re stick-thin actually end up looking awful. Ask boys! (4)__ Unfortunately, some girls are so obsessed with their weight they just don’t realise!

(5)__ These include pop singers like Mis-Teeq, Jamelia, and Rachel Stevens. Rachel Stevens doesn’t want to be stick-thin. «There’s always been this pressure to be skinny, but you’ve got artists now like J-Lo and Beyoncé who are really curvy and look absolutely stunning», she says.

So come on boys and girls, take control of your life! We hr mans come in all shapes and sizes and there’s no «correct» to look. It’s what you say and do that really matters. (6)__ They’re not what they seem! Anyway, why waste your time trying to live up to somebody else’s ideal? Being fit and healthy is far more important. Just believe in yourself! After all, if you like yourself as you are, everyone else will probably end up liking you, too!

«Body image» is the picture you have in your mind of your size, shape and general appearance  — and how you feel about it. Where does this image come from? Lifestyle adviser Anne Banks examines the issues.

Do you love what you see in the mirror? No? Then you are not alone. Almost everybody worries about what other people think, and we all get stressed out about the size of our feet or the shape of our nose.

It’s the images we see in the media that are mostly to blame. (1)__ Whether it’s a hunky actor in designer jeans and trendy jacket or a stunning model in an elegant dress, they’re sending the same message: «If you look like me, your life will be perfect».

But appearances can be deceptive. Compare today’s magazine covers with those of fifty years ago. (2)__ Not any more! Nowadays, blemishes are removed from photographs with the help of a technique called «airbrushing». A photographer or designer can straighten teeth, alter skin colour, and even change a hairstyle. That perfect face is just a trick of the camera after all!

The «perfect» body shapes aren’t natural, either. Go down to any gym and you’ll find young men «pumping iron» in an effort to live up to some masculine ideal that says that «real» men should be strong and muscular. Body builders, desperate to increase the size of their muscles, often eat food with far more calories and protein than is natural, which is a danger to their health. (3)__

It’s the same for the girls. We all know of celebrities who go on starvation diets so that they can wear «size zero» clothes. They end up ruining their health. The irony is, naturally curvy girls who diet until they’re stick-thin actually end up looking awful. Ask boys! (4)__ Unfortunately, some girls are so obsessed with their weight they just don’t realise!

(5)__ These include pop singers like Mis-Teeq, Jamelia, and Rachel Stevens. Rachel Stevens doesn’t want to be stick-thin. «There’s always been this pressure to be skinny, but you’ve got artists now like J-Lo and Beyoncé who are really curvy and look absolutely stunning», she says.

So come on boys and girls, take control of your life! We hr mans come in all shapes and sizes and there’s no «correct» to look. It’s what you say and do that really matters. (6)__ They’re not what they seem! Anyway, why waste your time trying to live up to somebody else’s ideal? Being fit and healthy is far more important. Just believe in yourself! After all, if you like yourself as you are, everyone else will probably end up liking you, too!

«Body image» is the picture you have in your mind of your size, shape and general appearance  — and how you feel about it. Where does this image come from? Lifestyle adviser Anne Banks examines the issues.

Do you love what you see in the mirror? No? Then you are not alone. Almost everybody worries about what other people think, and we all get stressed out about the size of our feet or the shape of our nose.

It’s the images we see in the media that are mostly to blame. (1)__ Whether it’s a hunky actor in designer jeans and trendy jacket or a stunning model in an elegant dress, they’re sending the same message: «If you look like me, your life will be perfect».

But appearances can be deceptive. Compare today’s magazine covers with those of fifty years ago. (2)__ Not any more! Nowadays, blemishes are removed from photographs with the help of a technique called «airbrushing». A photographer or designer can straighten teeth, alter skin colour, and even change a hairstyle. That perfect face is just a trick of the camera after all!

The «perfect» body shapes aren’t natural, either. Go down to any gym and you’ll find young men «pumping iron» in an effort to live up to some masculine ideal that says that «real» men should be strong and muscular. Body builders, desperate to increase the size of their muscles, often eat food with far more calories and protein than is natural, which is a danger to their health. (3)__

It’s the same for the girls. We all know of celebrities who go on starvation diets so that they can wear «size zero» clothes. They end up ruining their health. The irony is, naturally curvy girls who diet until they’re stick-thin actually end up looking awful. Ask boys! (4)__ Unfortunately, some girls are so obsessed with their weight they just don’t realise!

(5)__ These include pop singers like Mis-Teeq, Jamelia, and Rachel Stevens. Rachel Stevens doesn’t want to be stick-thin. «There’s always been this pressure to be skinny, but you’ve got artists now like J-Lo and Beyoncé who are really curvy and look absolutely stunning», she says.

So come on boys and girls, take control of your life! We hr mans come in all shapes and sizes and there’s no «correct» to look. It’s what you say and do that really matters. (6)__ They’re not what they seem! Anyway, why waste your time trying to live up to somebody else’s ideal? Being fit and healthy is far more important. Just believe in yourself! After all, if you like yourself as you are, everyone else will probably end up liking you, too!

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!

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!

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!

Anne Carlisle explains the history and work of Britain’s police detectives.

Way back in 1828, the world’s first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as CID) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain-clothes detective in the CID is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)____Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there’s no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2) ____An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective.

Most of these ‘detectives-to-be’ discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. There, the officers receive intensive instruction in all areas related to solving major crime. For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects, though, deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the CID. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (3)____Not exactly fascinating work, but essential all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (4)____Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective’s job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (5)____Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective’s goal achieved. Then there’s always the next case to tackle, of course.

In many ways, the detectives of today are similar to the ones of the past. Much of the work has hardly changed at all. Detectives still have to ask questions and find answers. (6)____Whether it is using computers or looking through a microscope, it all helps to get the crime solved. In the end, just like the detectives we avidly watch on TV, they are heroes doing everything in their power to get the bad guys off our streets.

Anne Carlisle explains the history and work of Britain’s police detectives.

Way back in 1828, the world’s first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as CID) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain-clothes detective in the CID is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)____Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there’s no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2) ____An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective.

Most of these ‘detectives-to-be’ discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. There, the officers receive intensive instruction in all areas related to solving major crime. For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects, though, deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the CID. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (3)____Not exactly fascinating work, but essential all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (4)____Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective’s job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (5)____Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective’s goal achieved. Then there’s always the next case to tackle, of course.

In many ways, the detectives of today are similar to the ones of the past. Much of the work has hardly changed at all. Detectives still have to ask questions and find answers. (6)____Whether it is using computers or looking through a microscope, it all helps to get the crime solved. In the end, just like the detectives we avidly watch on TV, they are heroes doing everything in their power to get the bad guys off our streets.

Anne Carlisle explains the history and work of Britain’s police detectives.

Way back in 1828, the world’s first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as CID) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain-clothes detective in the CID is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)____Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there’s no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2) ____An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective.

Most of these ‘detectives-to-be’ discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. There, the officers receive intensive instruction in all areas related to solving major crime. For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects, though, deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the CID. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (3)____Not exactly fascinating work, but essential all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (4)____Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective’s job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (5)____Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective’s goal achieved. Then there’s always the next case to tackle, of course.

In many ways, the detectives of today are similar to the ones of the past. Much of the work has hardly changed at all. Detectives still have to ask questions and find answers. (6)____Whether it is using computers or looking through a microscope, it all helps to get the crime solved. In the end, just like the detectives we avidly watch on TV, they are heroes doing everything in their power to get the bad guys off our streets.

June and Malcolm Harding spent their life savings on their first home, and thought they were set for life. But just over a year later, June handed the keys back to the estate agent. Since then they’ve also sold most of their furniture. (1)____

What started as a way to stop Kelly being bored in the summer holiday has become the focus of all their lives. She won her first competition after only 10 weeks of skating lessons. Soon after, Kelly’s coach left Britain for Canada and her parting words changed the Harding’s lives for ever. “Find the money to keep Kelly on the ice,” she urged. “She’ll go all the way to the top.” From then on, there was no question  — whatever it cost to make Kelly a winner, they’d find a way.

(2)____“I started skating when I was 10,”  — June said. “I saved all the money I could for lessons by doing errands for neighbours. But Mum and Dad were poor and when Mum saved to buy me boots, Dad said that it was a mere waste. I never skated again. I wasn’t going to let that happen to Kelly.” They had to take Kelly out of school so she could practise more. As she was still only fourteen, they had to guarantee the local authorities she’d continue her studies until she was seventeen. (3)____

“I worked out we only got £ 500 for £ 5,000 worth of furniture  — but at least it paid for some more lessons,” said June. “The only things we kept were the TV and video because we can never afford to go out. Luckily, our new accommodation is furnished. We took our car off the road because we can’t afford to run it. We haven’t had a phone for four months, or a holiday in six years.” (4)____

Despite being permanently poor, June and Malcolm have no doubt they’re doing the right thing. “Just seeing Kelly on the ice, smiling and happy, makes it all worthwhile,” her father said. .“Even if she doesn’t make it she’ll have had the opportunity thousands of girls haven’t.”

Kelly, now seventeen, was placed 13th in last year’s junior championship and has won nearly thirty competitions so far. “I know I’m very lucky,” she admits. (5)____Her coach, a former British champion, is convinced she’ll go far. “I think she’ll make the Olympic squad,” she said. “Kelly is an exceptional girl  — gifted and very hardworking.”

(6)____It’s unlikely that her mum will ever see her win, though, because she gets too nervous to watch. “People think we’re mad giving up everything,” continues June, “but we believe in our daughter... I’d do it all over again tomorrow.”

June and Malcolm Harding spent their life savings on their first home, and thought they were set for life. But just over a year later, June handed the keys back to the estate agent. Since then they’ve also sold most of their furniture. (1)____

What started as a way to stop Kelly being bored in the summer holiday has become the focus of all their lives. She won her first competition after only 10 weeks of skating lessons. Soon after, Kelly’s coach left Britain for Canada and her parting words changed the Harding’s lives for ever. “Find the money to keep Kelly on the ice,” she urged. “She’ll go all the way to the top.” From then on, there was no question  — whatever it cost to make Kelly a winner, they’d find a way.

(2)____“I started skating when I was 10,”  — June said. “I saved all the money I could for lessons by doing errands for neighbours. But Mum and Dad were poor and when Mum saved to buy me boots, Dad said that it was a mere waste. I never skated again. I wasn’t going to let that happen to Kelly.” They had to take Kelly out of school so she could practise more. As she was still only fourteen, they had to guarantee the local authorities she’d continue her studies until she was seventeen. (3)____

“I worked out we only got £ 500 for £ 5,000 worth of furniture  — but at least it paid for some more lessons,” said June. “The only things we kept were the TV and video because we can never afford to go out. Luckily, our new accommodation is furnished. We took our car off the road because we can’t afford to run it. We haven’t had a phone for four months, or a holiday in six years.” (4)____

Despite being permanently poor, June and Malcolm have no doubt they’re doing the right thing. “Just seeing Kelly on the ice, smiling and happy, makes it all worthwhile,” her father said. .“Even if she doesn’t make it she’ll have had the opportunity thousands of girls haven’t.”

Kelly, now seventeen, was placed 13th in last year’s junior championship and has won nearly thirty competitions so far. “I know I’m very lucky,” she admits. (5)____Her coach, a former British champion, is convinced she’ll go far. “I think she’ll make the Olympic squad,” she said. “Kelly is an exceptional girl  — gifted and very hardworking.”

(6)____It’s unlikely that her mum will ever see her win, though, because she gets too nervous to watch. “People think we’re mad giving up everything,” continues June, “but we believe in our daughter... I’d do it all over again tomorrow.”

June and Malcolm Harding spent their life savings on their first home, and thought they were set for life. But just over a year later, June handed the keys back to the estate agent. Since then they’ve also sold most of their furniture. (1)____

What started as a way to stop Kelly being bored in the summer holiday has become the focus of all their lives. She won her first competition after only 10 weeks of skating lessons. Soon after, Kelly’s coach left Britain for Canada and her parting words changed the Harding’s lives for ever. “Find the money to keep Kelly on the ice,” she urged. “She’ll go all the way to the top.” From then on, there was no question  — whatever it cost to make Kelly a winner, they’d find a way.

(2)____“I started skating when I was 10,”  — June said. “I saved all the money I could for lessons by doing errands for neighbours. But Mum and Dad were poor and when Mum saved to buy me boots, Dad said that it was a mere waste. I never skated again. I wasn’t going to let that happen to Kelly.” They had to take Kelly out of school so she could practise more. As she was still only fourteen, they had to guarantee the local authorities she’d continue her studies until she was seventeen. (3)____

“I worked out we only got £ 500 for £ 5,000 worth of furniture  — but at least it paid for some more lessons,” said June. “The only things we kept were the TV and video because we can never afford to go out. Luckily, our new accommodation is furnished. We took our car off the road because we can’t afford to run it. We haven’t had a phone for four months, or a holiday in six years.” (4)____

Despite being permanently poor, June and Malcolm have no doubt they’re doing the right thing. “Just seeing Kelly on the ice, smiling and happy, makes it all worthwhile,” her father said. .“Even if she doesn’t make it she’ll have had the opportunity thousands of girls haven’t.”

Kelly, now seventeen, was placed 13th in last year’s junior championship and has won nearly thirty competitions so far. “I know I’m very lucky,” she admits. (5)____Her coach, a former British champion, is convinced she’ll go far. “I think she’ll make the Olympic squad,” she said. “Kelly is an exceptional girl  — gifted and very hardworking.”

(6)____It’s unlikely that her mum will ever see her win, though, because she gets too nervous to watch. “People think we’re mad giving up everything,” continues June, “but we believe in our daughter... I’d do it all over again tomorrow.”

I had been invited by Jack and his son John to participate in a film they were making about shark diving. I had been diving and writing about the ocean for a decade and had frequently found myself in the water with sharks. Never intentionally. They just appeared, unwanted. The idea of swimming with them seemed dangerous. Still, Jack McKen- ney had asked me to participate. 1)____

To attract the sharks, we laid out plastic boxes wired together and filled with frozen fish. Once dropped over the side, the boxes lay half in and half out of the water: As the bait thawed, a long line of blood and fish followed us. (2)____

The stars of the film promised to be blue sharks. Fast and slim-bodied with pointed snouts, they grow to 12 feet in length and are known to attack humans. (3)____I thought someone was welcoming our visitors by pounding rapidly on a large bass drum. Then I realised that the fierce pounding was the beating of my own heart.

The shark cage sat on the deck. It was mainly constructed from wire. The idea was to swim into the cage once under the water. The only hand-held weapon I was given was a broom handle.

By the time I got to the cage, five sharks were swimming around us. As they glided past, they seemed curious, and'I felt like something hung up in a meat market. (4)____Strangely, proximity seemed to calm my fear.

We began to hand-feed the sharks as they cruised by the cage. Several times, I offered a fish, then yanked it away at the crucial moment. Then I felt guilty about teasing the monsters and began to want more contact.

I decided to go outside the cage. (5)____“They tend to hit some part of your body that is not moving. Usually this means the head.”

Outside the cage and checking in all directions, I moved to where Jack was shooting one particular shark for the film. (6)____It put on a slight burst of speed and glided in my direction. I had ten seconds to get my own broom handle in position, and when the shark was a foot away, I hit it firmly, on the snout. The shark twisted away, and disappeared into the depths. Relieved, I realised the mildest show of aggression seemed to put these fellows off their feed.

I had been invited by Jack and his son John to participate in a film they were making about shark diving. I had been diving and writing about the ocean for a decade and had frequently found myself in the water with sharks. Never intentionally. They just appeared, unwanted. The idea of swimming with them seemed dangerous. Still, Jack McKen- ney had asked me to participate. 1)____

To attract the sharks, we laid out plastic boxes wired together and filled with frozen fish. Once dropped over the side, the boxes lay half in and half out of the water: As the bait thawed, a long line of blood and fish followed us. (2)____

The stars of the film promised to be blue sharks. Fast and slim-bodied with pointed snouts, they grow to 12 feet in length and are known to attack humans. (3)____I thought someone was welcoming our visitors by pounding rapidly on a large bass drum. Then I realised that the fierce pounding was the beating of my own heart.

The shark cage sat on the deck. It was mainly constructed from wire. The idea was to swim into the cage once under the water. The only hand-held weapon I was given was a broom handle.

By the time I got to the cage, five sharks were swimming around us. As they glided past, they seemed curious, and'I felt like something hung up in a meat market. (4)____Strangely, proximity seemed to calm my fear.

We began to hand-feed the sharks as they cruised by the cage. Several times, I offered a fish, then yanked it away at the crucial moment. Then I felt guilty about teasing the monsters and began to want more contact.

I decided to go outside the cage. (5)____“They tend to hit some part of your body that is not moving. Usually this means the head.”

Outside the cage and checking in all directions, I moved to where Jack was shooting one particular shark for the film. (6)____It put on a slight burst of speed and glided in my direction. I had ten seconds to get my own broom handle in position, and when the shark was a foot away, I hit it firmly, on the snout. The shark twisted away, and disappeared into the depths. Relieved, I realised the mildest show of aggression seemed to put these fellows off their feed.

I had been invited by Jack and his son John to participate in a film they were making about shark diving. I had been diving and writing about the ocean for a decade and had frequently found myself in the water with sharks. Never intentionally. They just appeared, unwanted. The idea of swimming with them seemed dangerous. Still, Jack McKen- ney had asked me to participate. 1)____

To attract the sharks, we laid out plastic boxes wired together and filled with frozen fish. Once dropped over the side, the boxes lay half in and half out of the water: As the bait thawed, a long line of blood and fish followed us. (2)____

The stars of the film promised to be blue sharks. Fast and slim-bodied with pointed snouts, they grow to 12 feet in length and are known to attack humans. (3)____I thought someone was welcoming our visitors by pounding rapidly on a large bass drum. Then I realised that the fierce pounding was the beating of my own heart.

The shark cage sat on the deck. It was mainly constructed from wire. The idea was to swim into the cage once under the water. The only hand-held weapon I was given was a broom handle.

By the time I got to the cage, five sharks were swimming around us. As they glided past, they seemed curious, and'I felt like something hung up in a meat market. (4)____Strangely, proximity seemed to calm my fear.

We began to hand-feed the sharks as they cruised by the cage. Several times, I offered a fish, then yanked it away at the crucial moment. Then I felt guilty about teasing the monsters and began to want more contact.

I decided to go outside the cage. (5)____“They tend to hit some part of your body that is not moving. Usually this means the head.”

Outside the cage and checking in all directions, I moved to where Jack was shooting one particular shark for the film. (6)____It put on a slight burst of speed and glided in my direction. I had ten seconds to get my own broom handle in position, and when the shark was a foot away, I hit it firmly, on the snout. The shark twisted away, and disappeared into the depths. Relieved, I realised the mildest show of aggression seemed to put these fellows off their feed.

1.  Corinne Day: Photographer

I get my ideas for photographs anywhere, at any time; I don’t have to be specifically doing anything. I keep a diary at home and write down any t houghts I have, and then when a job comes up, I see if there is anything in it that applies. It’s almost impossible for me to switch off. When I was abroad recently, I wanted to get away from taking photographs, so I didn’t take my camera with me. But I could still see pictures all the time and wished I had brought it.

2.  Jan Kaplicky: Architect

Success in my job depends on the people you have around you and how good they are. There are engineers, model- makers, photographers  — architecture is not a one-man product. I come into the office every day. I like to arrive at 8 a.m., as this is a very peaceful period when I can think about things before the usual routine starts and other people arrive. The initial idea for a job comes to me just like that sometimes. Having lots of ideas for one problem is not a sign that you are creative; that’s just a waste of energy. But I do think a lot of creativity depends on your relationships with other people.

3.  J. B. Ballard: Novelist

I think the enemy of creativity in the world today is that so much thinking is done for you. The environment is so full of television, you hardly need to do anything. Children make you see what reality is all about. Mine were a huge inspiration for me. Watching them creating their separate worlds was a very enriching experience. As for learning to be creative, I think there are a lot of skills that you need to be born with. I wrote from a pretty early age, eight or nine, and I’ve always had a very vivid imagination.

4.  Peter Molyneux: Computer Game Creator

Perhaps the greatest difference between people who are creative and people who are not is that the former always think their idea will work. They never think, ‘That's not going to work, that’s a stupid idea’. But a lot of the time I don’t know where my ideas come from. I can remember incredibly clearly the time I saw my first computer game, in a shop window. From that moment on it was as if I’d found my aim in life. I find the computer game is very creative. It brings together many different disciplines: the logic of programming, mathematics, storytelling... The general idea for a game is easy, the real challenge always comes about six months later when you have to design all the parts of the game, and consider things like how many pieces of information players can take before they get confused.

1.  Corinne Day: Photographer

I get my ideas for photographs anywhere, at any time; I don’t have to be specifically doing anything. I keep a diary at home and write down any t houghts I have, and then when a job comes up, I see if there is anything in it that applies. It’s almost impossible for me to switch off. When I was abroad recently, I wanted to get away from taking photographs, so I didn’t take my camera with me. But I could still see pictures all the time and wished I had brought it.

2.  Jan Kaplicky: Architect

Success in my job depends on the people you have around you and how good they are. There are engineers, model- makers, photographers  — architecture is not a one-man product. I come into the office every day. I like to arrive at 8 a.m., as this is a very peaceful period when I can think about things before the usual routine starts and other people arrive. The initial idea for a job comes to me just like that sometimes. Having lots of ideas for one problem is not a sign that you are creative; that’s just a waste of energy. But I do think a lot of creativity depends on your relationships with other people.

3.  J. B. Ballard: Novelist

I think the enemy of creativity in the world today is that so much thinking is done for you. The environment is so full of television, you hardly need to do anything. Children make you see what reality is all about. Mine were a huge inspiration for me. Watching them creating their separate worlds was a very enriching experience. As for learning to be creative, I think there are a lot of skills that you need to be born with. I wrote from a pretty early age, eight or nine, and I’ve always had a very vivid imagination.

4.  Peter Molyneux: Computer Game Creator

Perhaps the greatest difference between people who are creative and people who are not is that the former always think their idea will work. They never think, ‘That's not going to work, that’s a stupid idea’. But a lot of the time I don’t know where my ideas come from. I can remember incredibly clearly the time I saw my first computer game, in a shop window. From that moment on it was as if I’d found my aim in life. I find the computer game is very creative. It brings together many different disciplines: the logic of programming, mathematics, storytelling... The general idea for a game is easy, the real challenge always comes about six months later when you have to design all the parts of the game, and consider things like how many pieces of information players can take before they get confused.

1.  Corinne Day: Photographer

I get my ideas for photographs anywhere, at any time; I don’t have to be specifically doing anything. I keep a diary at home and write down any t houghts I have, and then when a job comes up, I see if there is anything in it that applies. It’s almost impossible for me to switch off. When I was abroad recently, I wanted to get away from taking photographs, so I didn’t take my camera with me. But I could still see pictures all the time and wished I had brought it.

2.  Jan Kaplicky: Architect

Success in my job depends on the people you have around you and how good they are. There are engineers, model- makers, photographers  — architecture is not a one-man product. I come into the office every day. I like to arrive at 8 a.m., as this is a very peaceful period when I can think about things before the usual routine starts and other people arrive. The initial idea for a job comes to me just like that sometimes. Having lots of ideas for one problem is not a sign that you are creative; that’s just a waste of energy. But I do think a lot of creativity depends on your relationships with other people.

3.  J. B. Ballard: Novelist

I think the enemy of creativity in the world today is that so much thinking is done for you. The environment is so full of television, you hardly need to do anything. Children make you see what reality is all about. Mine were a huge inspiration for me. Watching them creating their separate worlds was a very enriching experience. As for learning to be creative, I think there are a lot of skills that you need to be born with. I wrote from a pretty early age, eight or nine, and I’ve always had a very vivid imagination.

4.  Peter Molyneux: Computer Game Creator

Perhaps the greatest difference between people who are creative and people who are not is that the former always think their idea will work. They never think, ‘That's not going to work, that’s a stupid idea’. But a lot of the time I don’t know where my ideas come from. I can remember incredibly clearly the time I saw my first computer game, in a shop window. From that moment on it was as if I’d found my aim in life. I find the computer game is very creative. It brings together many different disciplines: the logic of programming, mathematics, storytelling... The general idea for a game is easy, the real challenge always comes about six months later when you have to design all the parts of the game, and consider things like how many pieces of information players can take before they get confused.

1.  Housewife and grandmother

I went down a cliff to raise money for charity. It was an enormous challenge as I’m actually quite afraid of heights. It was only really the moment of going over the edge that was difficult: after that it was very easy. You just have to get into the'rhythm and not go too fast. My son is really keen on climbing and some of his friends from his university

climbing club set everything up and organised the whole event. There were about twenty of us who did it and between us we raised well over the target amount.

2.  Lawyer

I ran a triathlon and managed to get over 50 people to sponsor me. I had to train for months and it was really hard work but well worth it. I actually enjoyed the training more than the final event because on the day the weather was terrible. In the months running up to the event I followed a very strict regime and it felt good to be working towards such a specific goal. Knowing that I was going to be able to give a large donation to charity made me even more determined to do it. It was such a positive experience I’m going to do it again next year.

3.  Environmental consultant

I cycled from L.A. to Quito last spring. All my family thought I was mad but I love cycling and I knew it would be an amazing way to see lots of really interesting places. I managed to raise quite a bit of money for charity through sponsorship although that wasn’t my main, objective. I turned 30 in March and I really wanted to be doing something totally different rather than just sitting at my desk in the office. I wanted it to be something I could look back on when I am older and feel proud of. The fact that I was able to do something to help those less well off than me at the same time, well that made it even better.

4.  Retired primary school head teacher

We used to make a big effort to get the children involved in charity events as I think it helps raise their awareness of world events and the fact that in many places there are people, particularly children like themselves, who live in very different circumstances to them. I think they get a great sense of satisfaction too from knowing that they are able to do something to help. Each year we had a special day; where all the children paid a small amount of money and then came to school for one day in their own clothes and not in school uniform. We also regularly held parties where the children were encouraged to donate old toys and books and things which we then sold. All the money we made went to our chosen charity.

1.  Housewife and grandmother

I went down a cliff to raise money for charity. It was an enormous challenge as I’m actually quite afraid of heights. It was only really the moment of going over the edge that was difficult: after that it was very easy. You just have to get into the'rhythm and not go too fast. My son is really keen on climbing and some of his friends from his university

climbing club set everything up and organised the whole event. There were about twenty of us who did it and between us we raised well over the target amount.

2.  Lawyer

I ran a triathlon and managed to get over 50 people to sponsor me. I had to train for months and it was really hard work but well worth it. I actually enjoyed the training more than the final event because on the day the weather was terrible. In the months running up to the event I followed a very strict regime and it felt good to be working towards such a specific goal. Knowing that I was going to be able to give a large donation to charity made me even more determined to do it. It was such a positive experience I’m going to do it again next year.

3.  Environmental consultant

I cycled from L.A. to Quito last spring. All my family thought I was mad but I love cycling and I knew it would be an amazing way to see lots of really interesting places. I managed to raise quite a bit of money for charity through sponsorship although that wasn’t my main, objective. I turned 30 in March and I really wanted to be doing something totally different rather than just sitting at my desk in the office. I wanted it to be something I could look back on when I am older and feel proud of. The fact that I was able to do something to help those less well off than me at the same time, well that made it even better.

4.  Retired primary school head teacher

We used to make a big effort to get the children involved in charity events as I think it helps raise their awareness of world events and the fact that in many places there are people, particularly children like themselves, who live in very different circumstances to them. I think they get a great sense of satisfaction too from knowing that they are able to do something to help. Each year we had a special day; where all the children paid a small amount of money and then came to school for one day in their own clothes and not in school uniform. We also regularly held parties where the children were encouraged to donate old toys and books and things which we then sold. All the money we made went to our chosen charity.

1.  Housewife and grandmother

I went down a cliff to raise money for charity. It was an enormous challenge as I’m actually quite afraid of heights. It was only really the moment of going over the edge that was difficult: after that it was very easy. You just have to get into the'rhythm and not go too fast. My son is really keen on climbing and some of his friends from his university

climbing club set everything up and organised the whole event. There were about twenty of us who did it and between us we raised well over the target amount.

2.  Lawyer

I ran a triathlon and managed to get over 50 people to sponsor me. I had to train for months and it was really hard work but well worth it. I actually enjoyed the training more than the final event because on the day the weather was terrible. In the months running up to the event I followed a very strict regime and it felt good to be working towards such a specific goal. Knowing that I was going to be able to give a large donation to charity made me even more determined to do it. It was such a positive experience I’m going to do it again next year.

3.  Environmental consultant

I cycled from L.A. to Quito last spring. All my family thought I was mad but I love cycling and I knew it would be an amazing way to see lots of really interesting places. I managed to raise quite a bit of money for charity through sponsorship although that wasn’t my main, objective. I turned 30 in March and I really wanted to be doing something totally different rather than just sitting at my desk in the office. I wanted it to be something I could look back on when I am older and feel proud of. The fact that I was able to do something to help those less well off than me at the same time, well that made it even better.

4.  Retired primary school head teacher

We used to make a big effort to get the children involved in charity events as I think it helps raise their awareness of world events and the fact that in many places there are people, particularly children like themselves, who live in very different circumstances to them. I think they get a great sense of satisfaction too from knowing that they are able to do something to help. Each year we had a special day; where all the children paid a small amount of money and then came to school for one day in their own clothes and not in school uniform. We also regularly held parties where the children were encouraged to donate old toys and books and things which we then sold. All the money we made went to our chosen charity.

Choosing the degree I should study for at university was quite difficult for me as there were two careers that I found equally attractive: the law and catering. After much soul searching, I realised that whilst I could be a lawyer during the day and then enjoy cookery as a form of relaxation, the reverse was not true. Thus, I opted for a law degree and made food my number one hobby.

I have never regretted this decision. Working as a lawyer provided a good living and allowed me enough spare time to please myself by enjoying some very fine food at many superb restaurants. (1)___A life in catering would have meant that I would always have been working when my friends were playing and vice versa. Chefs have to arrive at their restaurant by mid-morning to prepare for lunch. They work all afternoon developing new recipes. Then, they must prepare for evening service probably crawling into bed in the small hours of the next morning feeling absolutely shattered! (2)___

Sharing my love of fine food with good friends in the relaxed atmosphere of my home has more than compensated for not owning a restaurant. Planning a meal for people I love is a great pleasure. How do I choose what to cook? Well, that depends very much on my friends. An important factor has to be catering for their own likes and dislikes and trying to avoid serving them the same dishes as last time they visited. (3)___I don’t claim to be anything other than an enthusiastic amateur but quite a few friends appear to be scared by the prospect of cooking for me.

The friends I like cooking for most of all are those who share the love of food as much as I do and who are quite happy to do the same for me, in grand style, when I pay them a return visit. (4)___

Generally, my cooking has become less complex over the years and I tend to find that the best way of deciding what to cook is to see what is available when I do the shopping. What I cook is controlled by what I have been able to buy. (5)___I might have had one or two vague ideas but, more often than not, I am scrabbling through pages of recipes trying to find something new to do with some scallops, a leg of lamb and raspberries. My store cupboard is pretty good and I can usually find all the spices I need, and boring stuff like flour, butter and so on. (6)___I strongly believe that if you have good ingredients you will be able to turn out something worth eating.

At the end of a meal the finest compliment I can be paid is that my friends aren’t afraid of gently nodding off. It shows that they feel satisfied, relaxed and happy!

Choosing the degree I should study for at university was quite difficult for me as there were two careers that I found equally attractive: the law and catering. After much soul searching, I realised that whilst I could be a lawyer during the day and then enjoy cookery as a form of relaxation, the reverse was not true. Thus, I opted for a law degree and made food my number one hobby.

I have never regretted this decision. Working as a lawyer provided a good living and allowed me enough spare time to please myself by enjoying some very fine food at many superb restaurants. (1)___A life in catering would have meant that I would always have been working when my friends were playing and vice versa. Chefs have to arrive at their restaurant by mid-morning to prepare for lunch. They work all afternoon developing new recipes. Then, they must prepare for evening service probably crawling into bed in the small hours of the next morning feeling absolutely shattered! (2)___

Sharing my love of fine food with good friends in the relaxed atmosphere of my home has more than compensated for not owning a restaurant. Planning a meal for people I love is a great pleasure. How do I choose what to cook? Well, that depends very much on my friends. An important factor has to be catering for their own likes and dislikes and trying to avoid serving them the same dishes as last time they visited. (3)___I don’t claim to be anything other than an enthusiastic amateur but quite a few friends appear to be scared by the prospect of cooking for me.

The friends I like cooking for most of all are those who share the love of food as much as I do and who are quite happy to do the same for me, in grand style, when I pay them a return visit. (4)___

Generally, my cooking has become less complex over the years and I tend to find that the best way of deciding what to cook is to see what is available when I do the shopping. What I cook is controlled by what I have been able to buy. (5)___I might have had one or two vague ideas but, more often than not, I am scrabbling through pages of recipes trying to find something new to do with some scallops, a leg of lamb and raspberries. My store cupboard is pretty good and I can usually find all the spices I need, and boring stuff like flour, butter and so on. (6)___I strongly believe that if you have good ingredients you will be able to turn out something worth eating.

At the end of a meal the finest compliment I can be paid is that my friends aren’t afraid of gently nodding off. It shows that they feel satisfied, relaxed and happy!

Choosing the degree I should study for at university was quite difficult for me as there were two careers that I found equally attractive: the law and catering. After much soul searching, I realised that whilst I could be a lawyer during the day and then enjoy cookery as a form of relaxation, the reverse was not true. Thus, I opted for a law degree and made food my number one hobby.

I have never regretted this decision. Working as a lawyer provided a good living and allowed me enough spare time to please myself by enjoying some very fine food at many superb restaurants. (1)___A life in catering would have meant that I would always have been working when my friends were playing and vice versa. Chefs have to arrive at their restaurant by mid-morning to prepare for lunch. They work all afternoon developing new recipes. Then, they must prepare for evening service probably crawling into bed in the small hours of the next morning feeling absolutely shattered! (2)___

Sharing my love of fine food with good friends in the relaxed atmosphere of my home has more than compensated for not owning a restaurant. Planning a meal for people I love is a great pleasure. How do I choose what to cook? Well, that depends very much on my friends. An important factor has to be catering for their own likes and dislikes and trying to avoid serving them the same dishes as last time they visited. (3)___I don’t claim to be anything other than an enthusiastic amateur but quite a few friends appear to be scared by the prospect of cooking for me.

The friends I like cooking for most of all are those who share the love of food as much as I do and who are quite happy to do the same for me, in grand style, when I pay them a return visit. (4)___

Generally, my cooking has become less complex over the years and I tend to find that the best way of deciding what to cook is to see what is available when I do the shopping. What I cook is controlled by what I have been able to buy. (5)___I might have had one or two vague ideas but, more often than not, I am scrabbling through pages of recipes trying to find something new to do with some scallops, a leg of lamb and raspberries. My store cupboard is pretty good and I can usually find all the spices I need, and boring stuff like flour, butter and so on. (6)___I strongly believe that if you have good ingredients you will be able to turn out something worth eating.

At the end of a meal the finest compliment I can be paid is that my friends aren’t afraid of gently nodding off. It shows that they feel satisfied, relaxed and happy!

An interview with a couple who own a holiday home in the French Pyrenees

Why did you decide to buy a holiday home here?

We have always loved travelling and spending time in different countries on holidays. It made sense to us to have somewhere which was our own, where we could go back to again and again whenever we liked. (1)_________ It has everything we were looking for: mountains, beautiful scenery, good countryside for walking and there are towns and a major city nearby. We looked at some very remote places but decided we wanted to be in a town. We enjoy being able to walk down to the shops in the morning to get fresh bread and walk to a restaurant for dinner in the evening. It was important to us that it was easy to get to for short holidays too so the fact that there is an airport nearby was a key factor. (2)____________ We love both of our houses even though they are very different in style and in very different places.

How did you find this particular property?

We did some research into the area we liked and we looked at adverts on the Internet. Then we went to an agency which specialised in property in the area where we were looking. They were really helpful and in three days they took us to a number of different houses as well as some empty plots of land with potential for building a new property. (3)_________ We spent time talking to the couple who were selling it and looking around the garden в as well as the house. It’s not a big house; there are only two bedrooms, but it is exactly what we were looking for. It has a fantastic terrace with views of the mountains. It's very picturesque. In fact it is a beautiful place to have a holiday at any time of the year.

What do you like most about owning a second home?

(4)___________ We spend lots of holidays here ourselves and sometimes friends and family join us, but we also let friends and family stay in it by themselves if they want to. It means the house is occupied more, and the more it is used the better. We also like that we have met some good friends here. (5)_________ It means we don’t feel like strangers when we’re here. Another thing we like is that there is always somewhere new to visit and explore as well as favourite places to go back to.

Would you like to move and live here permanently?

No. We have too much that we would miss back home: good friends and family. (6)________We might come for a month or more at a time instead of a week or two as we do now. But we bought it as a holiday home or second home not somewhere to live all the time. We like having both our homes and don’t want to give up either of them.

An interview with a couple who own a holiday home in the French Pyrenees

Why did you decide to buy a holiday home here?

We have always loved travelling and spending time in different countries on holidays. It made sense to us to have somewhere which was our own, where we could go back to again and again whenever we liked. (1)_________ It has everything we were looking for: mountains, beautiful scenery, good countryside for walking and there are towns and a major city nearby. We looked at some very remote places but decided we wanted to be in a town. We enjoy being able to walk down to the shops in the morning to get fresh bread and walk to a restaurant for dinner in the evening. It was important to us that it was easy to get to for short holidays too so the fact that there is an airport nearby was a key factor. (2)____________ We love both of our houses even though they are very different in style and in very different places.

How did you find this particular property?

We did some research into the area we liked and we looked at adverts on the Internet. Then we went to an agency which specialised in property in the area where we were looking. They were really helpful and in three days they took us to a number of different houses as well as some empty plots of land with potential for building a new property. (3)_________ We spent time talking to the couple who were selling it and looking around the garden в as well as the house. It’s not a big house; there are only two bedrooms, but it is exactly what we were looking for. It has a fantastic terrace with views of the mountains. It's very picturesque. In fact it is a beautiful place to have a holiday at any time of the year.

What do you like most about owning a second home?

(4)___________ We spend lots of holidays here ourselves and sometimes friends and family join us, but we also let friends and family stay in it by themselves if they want to. It means the house is occupied more, and the more it is used the better. We also like that we have met some good friends here. (5)_________ It means we don’t feel like strangers when we’re here. Another thing we like is that there is always somewhere new to visit and explore as well as favourite places to go back to.

Would you like to move and live here permanently?

No. We have too much that we would miss back home: good friends and family. (6)________We might come for a month or more at a time instead of a week or two as we do now. But we bought it as a holiday home or second home not somewhere to live all the time. We like having both our homes and don’t want to give up either of them.

An interview with a couple who own a holiday home in the French Pyrenees

Why did you decide to buy a holiday home here?

We have always loved travelling and spending time in different countries on holidays. It made sense to us to have somewhere which was our own, where we could go back to again and again whenever we liked. (1)_________ It has everything we were looking for: mountains, beautiful scenery, good countryside for walking and there are towns and a major city nearby. We looked at some very remote places but decided we wanted to be in a town. We enjoy being able to walk down to the shops in the morning to get fresh bread and walk to a restaurant for dinner in the evening. It was important to us that it was easy to get to for short holidays too so the fact that there is an airport nearby was a key factor. (2)____________ We love both of our houses even though they are very different in style and in very different places.

How did you find this particular property?

We did some research into the area we liked and we looked at adverts on the Internet. Then we went to an agency which specialised in property in the area where we were looking. They were really helpful and in three days they took us to a number of different houses as well as some empty plots of land with potential for building a new property. (3)_________ We spent time talking to the couple who were selling it and looking around the garden в as well as the house. It’s not a big house; there are only two bedrooms, but it is exactly what we were looking for. It has a fantastic terrace with views of the mountains. It's very picturesque. In fact it is a beautiful place to have a holiday at any time of the year.

What do you like most about owning a second home?

(4)___________ We spend lots of holidays here ourselves and sometimes friends and family join us, but we also let friends and family stay in it by themselves if they want to. It means the house is occupied more, and the more it is used the better. We also like that we have met some good friends here. (5)_________ It means we don’t feel like strangers when we’re here. Another thing we like is that there is always somewhere new to visit and explore as well as favourite places to go back to.

Would you like to move and live here permanently?

No. We have too much that we would miss back home: good friends and family. (6)________We might come for a month or more at a time instead of a week or two as we do now. But we bought it as a holiday home or second home not somewhere to live all the time. We like having both our homes and don’t want to give up either of them.

'Working with animals is much more difficult than with humans,' he says, as Samantha lays out the rows of dental instruments. 'With an animal, I have to make an on-the-spot diagnosis and work very quickly.' (1)_____

Peter now moves close to the bars of Nero‟s cage and expertly directs a tiny, plastic blowpipe dart, containing a high dose of anaesthetic, into the lion‟s thigh (бедро). (2)_____

It takes six men to lift and move the 180 kilogram animal 2 metres from his cage door to the hay mattress that will serve as an operating table.

(3)_____ . Peter discovers a tooth that needs filling and he sets about doing that first. 'This is the same stuff as we use for human teeth,' he says, packing the medicine into the cavity. 'There‟s just more of it.' The dental work now over, Peter removes a gas canister from the lion‟s mouth. Without the supply of gas, Nero will start coming round fairly quickly, so the keepers move fast to pull him back to his cage. As Peter packs up, the lion stirs. The great yellow eyes are beginning to lose their drugged and sleepy look. 'Don't be fooled,' says Peter, 'He might appear sleepy but he could react very quickly now if he wanted to ...'

'Working with animals is much more difficult than with humans,' he says, as Samantha lays out the rows of dental instruments. 'With an animal, I have to make an on-the-spot diagnosis and work very quickly.' (1)_____

Peter now moves close to the bars of Nero‟s cage and expertly directs a tiny, plastic blowpipe dart, containing a high dose of anaesthetic, into the lion‟s thigh (бедро). (2)_____

It takes six men to lift and move the 180 kilogram animal 2 metres from his cage door to the hay mattress that will serve as an operating table.

(3)_____ . Peter discovers a tooth that needs filling and he sets about doing that first. 'This is the same stuff as we use for human teeth,' he says, packing the medicine into the cavity. 'There‟s just more of it.' The dental work now over, Peter removes a gas canister from the lion‟s mouth. Without the supply of gas, Nero will start coming round fairly quickly, so the keepers move fast to pull him back to his cage. As Peter packs up, the lion stirs. The great yellow eyes are beginning to lose their drugged and sleepy look. 'Don't be fooled,' says Peter, 'He might appear sleepy but he could react very quickly now if he wanted to ...'

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.

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.

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.

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.

Wayback in 1828, the world's first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as C.I.D) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain clothes detective in the C.I.D is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)___ Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there's no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2)___ An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective. Most of these "detectives-to-be' discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. (3)___ For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects though deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the C.I.D. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (4)___ Not exactly exciting, but essential duties all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (5)___ Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective's job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (6)___ Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective's goal achieved. Then there's always the next case to tackle, of course.

Wayback in 1828, the world's first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as C.I.D) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain clothes detective in the C.I.D is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)___ Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there's no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2)___ An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective. Most of these "detectives-to-be' discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. (3)___ For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects though deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the C.I.D. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (4)___ Not exactly exciting, but essential duties all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (5)___ Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective's job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (6)___ Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective's goal achieved. Then there's always the next case to tackle, of course.

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.

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.

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.'

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.'

When Usain Bolt was a young boy growing up in Jamaica, his parents took him to the doctor because he couldn’t keep still. He was gifted at cricket, his first love. ‘But I just happened to run fast. It was easy and I was winning. And my dad said I should concentrate on running because it’s an individual sport and, if you do good, you do good for yourself.’

Nobody can hold a light to Usain Bolt  — he is a one-off (уни­кум). There’s the size, for a start: 1.96 metres (ideal sprinters are thought to be no more than 1.85 metres). Then there’s the scoliosis, a curved spine which means one leg is shorter than the other. (1)__And the attitude  — at warm-up his rivals look as if they will explode with tension, but Bolt smiles, even dances. And, of course, Bolt is said to be the fastest man ever.

Bolt maintains that he isn’t quite as cool and laid-back as he appears to be. There are things that bother him. (2)__For example, he says he was so uptight before the junior World Championships final  — where he became the youngest gold medallist at the age of fifteen  — that he put his shoes on the wrong feet.

(3)__That’s when Jamaica turned on him. His own people said he was undisciplined, he partied too much.

And yes, he did; but the truth was he was suffering with his spine. People, he says, are quick to criticise.

Bolt arrived in athletics at a time when the profession had lost a lot of respect over drug-taking. Here was a man who looked and acted differently. In 2008, though, he had to beg his coach to let him run the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics. (4)__Despite that, not only did he win gold but he broke the 100 metre world record. He broke his own record at the 2009 World Championships and went on to win gold in the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 metre and 200 metre races and the relay.

‘The image on the track is that he just turns up and runs but it isn’t true,’ says his manager. ‘He’s very competitive.’ And the thing is, says Bolt, if he weren’t easy-going, he wouldn’t run so fast. He looks a little blank when I ask him what makes him such a good runner. Perhaps his height help., and those huge strides, he suggests. (5)__‘The way his feet move, the way the mechanics are so perfect. Everything is perfect for running.’

I’ve never met a sportsman quite like Bolt. He is opinionated, funny and grounded. I ask him about his ambitions. Eventually, he says, he’d like to make a go of playing football professionally. (6)__‘People say I’m a legend but I’m not until I’ve fulfilled my potential.’

When Usain Bolt was a young boy growing up in Jamaica, his parents took him to the doctor because he couldn’t keep still. He was gifted at cricket, his first love. ‘But I just happened to run fast. It was easy and I was winning. And my dad said I should concentrate on running because it’s an individual sport and, if you do good, you do good for yourself.’

Nobody can hold a light to Usain Bolt  — he is a one-off (уни­кум). There’s the size, for a start: 1.96 metres (ideal sprinters are thought to be no more than 1.85 metres). Then there’s the scoliosis, a curved spine which means one leg is shorter than the other. (1)__And the attitude  — at warm-up his rivals look as if they will explode with tension, but Bolt smiles, even dances. And, of course, Bolt is said to be the fastest man ever.

Bolt maintains that he isn’t quite as cool and laid-back as he appears to be. There are things that bother him. (2)__For example, he says he was so uptight before the junior World Championships final  — where he became the youngest gold medallist at the age of fifteen  — that he put his shoes on the wrong feet.

(3)__That’s when Jamaica turned on him. His own people said he was undisciplined, he partied too much.

And yes, he did; but the truth was he was suffering with his spine. People, he says, are quick to criticise.

Bolt arrived in athletics at a time when the profession had lost a lot of respect over drug-taking. Here was a man who looked and acted differently. In 2008, though, he had to beg his coach to let him run the 100 metres at the Beijing Olympics. (4)__Despite that, not only did he win gold but he broke the 100 metre world record. He broke his own record at the 2009 World Championships and went on to win gold in the 2012 London Olympics in the 100 metre and 200 metre races and the relay.

‘The image on the track is that he just turns up and runs but it isn’t true,’ says his manager. ‘He’s very competitive.’ And the thing is, says Bolt, if he weren’t easy-going, he wouldn’t run so fast. He looks a little blank when I ask him what makes him such a good runner. Perhaps his height help., and those huge strides, he suggests. (5)__‘The way his feet move, the way the mechanics are so perfect. Everything is perfect for running.’

I’ve never met a sportsman quite like Bolt. He is opinionated, funny and grounded. I ask him about his ambitions. Eventually, he says, he’d like to make a go of playing football professionally. (6)__‘People say I’m a legend but I’m not until I’ve fulfilled my potential.’

«Body image» is the picture you have in your mind of your size, shape and general appearance  — and how you feel about it. Where does this image come from? Lifestyle adviser Anne Banks examines the issues.

Do you love what you see in the mirror? No? Then you are not alone. Almost everybody worries about what other people think, and we all get stressed out about the size of our feet or the shape of our nose.

It’s the images we see in the media that are mostly to blame. (1)__ Whether it’s a hunky actor in designer jeans and trendy jacket or a stunning model in an elegant dress, they’re sending the same message: «If you look like me, your life will be perfect».

But appearances can be deceptive. Compare today’s magazine covers with those of fifty years ago. (2)__ Not any more! Nowadays, blemishes are removed from photographs with the help of a technique called «airbrushing». A photographer or designer can straighten teeth, alter skin colour, and even change a hairstyle. That perfect face is just a trick of the camera after all!

The «perfect» body shapes aren’t natural, either. Go down to any gym and you’ll find young men «pumping iron» in an effort to live up to some masculine ideal that says that «real» men should be strong and muscular. Body builders, desperate to increase the size of their muscles, often eat food with far more calories and protein than is natural, which is a danger to their health. (3)__

It’s the same for the girls. We all know of celebrities who go on starvation diets so that they can wear «size zero» clothes. They end up ruining their health. The irony is, naturally curvy girls who diet until they’re stick-thin actually end up looking awful. Ask boys! (4)__ Unfortunately, some girls are so obsessed with their weight they just don’t realise!

(5)__ These include pop singers like Mis-Teeq, Jamelia, and Rachel Stevens. Rachel Stevens doesn’t want to be stick-thin. «There’s always been this pressure to be skinny, but you’ve got artists now like J-Lo and Beyoncé who are really curvy and look absolutely stunning», she says.

So come on boys and girls, take control of your life! We hr mans come in all shapes and sizes and there’s no «correct» to look. It’s what you say and do that really matters. (6)__ They’re not what they seem! Anyway, why waste your time trying to live up to somebody else’s ideal? Being fit and healthy is far more important. Just believe in yourself! After all, if you like yourself as you are, everyone else will probably end up liking you, too!

«Body image» is the picture you have in your mind of your size, shape and general appearance  — and how you feel about it. Where does this image come from? Lifestyle adviser Anne Banks examines the issues.

Do you love what you see in the mirror? No? Then you are not alone. Almost everybody worries about what other people think, and we all get stressed out about the size of our feet or the shape of our nose.

It’s the images we see in the media that are mostly to blame. (1)__ Whether it’s a hunky actor in designer jeans and trendy jacket or a stunning model in an elegant dress, they’re sending the same message: «If you look like me, your life will be perfect».

But appearances can be deceptive. Compare today’s magazine covers with those of fifty years ago. (2)__ Not any more! Nowadays, blemishes are removed from photographs with the help of a technique called «airbrushing». A photographer or designer can straighten teeth, alter skin colour, and even change a hairstyle. That perfect face is just a trick of the camera after all!

The «perfect» body shapes aren’t natural, either. Go down to any gym and you’ll find young men «pumping iron» in an effort to live up to some masculine ideal that says that «real» men should be strong and muscular. Body builders, desperate to increase the size of their muscles, often eat food with far more calories and protein than is natural, which is a danger to their health. (3)__

It’s the same for the girls. We all know of celebrities who go on starvation diets so that they can wear «size zero» clothes. They end up ruining their health. The irony is, naturally curvy girls who diet until they’re stick-thin actually end up looking awful. Ask boys! (4)__ Unfortunately, some girls are so obsessed with their weight they just don’t realise!

(5)__ These include pop singers like Mis-Teeq, Jamelia, and Rachel Stevens. Rachel Stevens doesn’t want to be stick-thin. «There’s always been this pressure to be skinny, but you’ve got artists now like J-Lo and Beyoncé who are really curvy and look absolutely stunning», she says.

So come on boys and girls, take control of your life! We hr mans come in all shapes and sizes and there’s no «correct» to look. It’s what you say and do that really matters. (6)__ They’re not what they seem! Anyway, why waste your time trying to live up to somebody else’s ideal? Being fit and healthy is far more important. Just believe in yourself! After all, if you like yourself as you are, everyone else will probably end up liking you, too!

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!

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!

Anne Carlisle explains the history and work of Britain’s police detectives.

Way back in 1828, the world’s first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as CID) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain-clothes detective in the CID is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)____Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there’s no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2) ____An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective.

Most of these ‘detectives-to-be’ discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. There, the officers receive intensive instruction in all areas related to solving major crime. For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects, though, deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the CID. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (3)____Not exactly fascinating work, but essential all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (4)____Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective’s job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (5)____Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective’s goal achieved. Then there’s always the next case to tackle, of course.

In many ways, the detectives of today are similar to the ones of the past. Much of the work has hardly changed at all. Detectives still have to ask questions and find answers. (6)____Whether it is using computers or looking through a microscope, it all helps to get the crime solved. In the end, just like the detectives we avidly watch on TV, they are heroes doing everything in their power to get the bad guys off our streets.

Anne Carlisle explains the history and work of Britain’s police detectives.

Way back in 1828, the world’s first modern police force was created by Sir Robert Peel. The Metropolitan Police Force of London made its home at the famous Scotland Yard and quickly became the model for police forces around the world. But it would be another decade before the Detective Branch of Scotland Yard was set up. This branch later became the Criminal Investigation Department (commonly known as CID) and to this day remains the main police department in Britain responsible for major crime investigation.

Becoming a plain-clothes detective in the CID is no easy task. Firstly, a police officer needs to have served for at least two years as a uniformed officer. (1)____Once this period has been completed the officer can then apply to go to a detective training school. However, there’s no guarantee they will be accepted.

In order to become a detective, an officer needs to possess a wide range of skills and qualities, the most obvious being complete honesty and good character. They also need to be highly observant and to have good judgement. (2) ____An officer with all these skills could more than likely find themselves being accepted to train as a detective.

Most of these ‘detectives-to-be’ discover that the really hard work begins once they get to the training school. There, the officers receive intensive instruction in all areas related to solving major crime. For instance, they will have to learn about psychology, which will come in handy when they are questioning suspects and witnesses. Perhaps the most difficult subjects, though, deal with learning all about the modem scientific methods now used in crime detection.

Once our future Sherlocks have completed their initial training, they begin life as detective constables and start working on unsolved crime cases in the CID. Most of the work they do is not nearly as glamorous as it seems on TV and in novels. (3)____Not exactly fascinating work, but essential all the same.

Apart from having to do painstaking investigative work, detectives also have a lot of paperwork to deal with. (4)____Every detail of a crime and its investigation must be recorded. Most detectives find the amount of clerical work they have to do the most frustrating part of their job.

Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding job; a detective gets great satisfaction knowing they have solved a major crime. However, a detective’s job is still not over after a suspect has been arrested and charged. (5)____Only when the offender is actually behind bars is the detective’s goal achieved. Then there’s always the next case to tackle, of course.

In many ways, the detectives of today are similar to the ones of the past. Much of the work has hardly changed at all. Detectives still have to ask questions and find answers. (6)____Whether it is using computers or looking through a microscope, it all helps to get the crime solved. In the end, just like the detectives we avidly watch on TV, they are heroes doing everything in their power to get the bad guys off our streets.

June and Malcolm Harding spent their life savings on their first home, and thought they were set for life. But just over a year later, June handed the keys back to the estate agent. Since then they’ve also sold most of their furniture. (1)____

What started as a way to stop Kelly being bored in the summer holiday has become the focus of all their lives. She won her first competition after only 10 weeks of skating lessons. Soon after, Kelly’s coach left Britain for Canada and her parting words changed the Harding’s lives for ever. “Find the money to keep Kelly on the ice,” she urged. “She’ll go all the way to the top.” From then on, there was no question  — whatever it cost to make Kelly a winner, they’d find a way.

(2)____“I started skating when I was 10,”  — June said. “I saved all the money I could for lessons by doing errands for neighbours. But Mum and Dad were poor and when Mum saved to buy me boots, Dad said that it was a mere waste. I never skated again. I wasn’t going to let that happen to Kelly.” They had to take Kelly out of school so she could practise more. As she was still only fourteen, they had to guarantee the local authorities she’d continue her studies until she was seventeen. (3)____

“I worked out we only got £ 500 for £ 5,000 worth of furniture  — but at least it paid for some more lessons,” said June. “The only things we kept were the TV and video because we can never afford to go out. Luckily, our new accommodation is furnished. We took our car off the road because we can’t afford to run it. We haven’t had a phone for four months, or a holiday in six years.” (4)____

Despite being permanently poor, June and Malcolm have no doubt they’re doing the right thing. “Just seeing Kelly on the ice, smiling and happy, makes it all worthwhile,” her father said. .“Even if she doesn’t make it she’ll have had the opportunity thousands of girls haven’t.”

Kelly, now seventeen, was placed 13th in last year’s junior championship and has won nearly thirty competitions so far. “I know I’m very lucky,” she admits. (5)____Her coach, a former British champion, is convinced she’ll go far. “I think she’ll make the Olympic squad,” she said. “Kelly is an exceptional girl  — gifted and very hardworking.”

(6)____It’s unlikely that her mum will ever see her win, though, because she gets too nervous to watch. “People think we’re mad giving up everything,” continues June, “but we believe in our daughter... I’d do it all over again tomorrow.”

June and Malcolm Harding spent their life savings on their first home, and thought they were set for life. But just over a year later, June handed the keys back to the estate agent. Since then they’ve also sold most of their furniture. (1)____

What started as a way to stop Kelly being bored in the summer holiday has become the focus of all their lives. She won her first competition after only 10 weeks of skating lessons. Soon after, Kelly’s coach left Britain for Canada and her parting words changed the Harding’s lives for ever. “Find the money to keep Kelly on the ice,” she urged. “She’ll go all the way to the top.” From then on, there was no question  — whatever it cost to make Kelly a winner, they’d find a way.

(2)____“I started skating when I was 10,”  — June said. “I saved all the money I could for lessons by doing errands for neighbours. But Mum and Dad were poor and when Mum saved to buy me boots, Dad said that it was a mere waste. I never skated again. I wasn’t going to let that happen to Kelly.” They had to take Kelly out of school so she could practise more. As she was still only fourteen, they had to guarantee the local authorities she’d continue her studies until she was seventeen. (3)____

“I worked out we only got £ 500 for £ 5,000 worth of furniture  — but at least it paid for some more lessons,” said June. “The only things we kept were the TV and video because we can never afford to go out. Luckily, our new accommodation is furnished. We took our car off the road because we can’t afford to run it. We haven’t had a phone for four months, or a holiday in six years.” (4)____

Despite being permanently poor, June and Malcolm have no doubt they’re doing the right thing. “Just seeing Kelly on the ice, smiling and happy, makes it all worthwhile,” her father said. .“Even if she doesn’t make it she’ll have had the opportunity thousands of girls haven’t.”

Kelly, now seventeen, was placed 13th in last year’s junior championship and has won nearly thirty competitions so far. “I know I’m very lucky,” she admits. (5)____Her coach, a former British champion, is convinced she’ll go far. “I think she’ll make the Olympic squad,” she said. “Kelly is an exceptional girl  — gifted and very hardworking.”

(6)____It’s unlikely that her mum will ever see her win, though, because she gets too nervous to watch. “People think we’re mad giving up everything,” continues June, “but we believe in our daughter... I’d do it all over again tomorrow.”

I had been invited by Jack and his son John to participate in a film they were making about shark diving. I had been diving and writing about the ocean for a decade and had frequently found myself in the water with sharks. Never intentionally. They just appeared, unwanted. The idea of swimming with them seemed dangerous. Still, Jack McKen- ney had asked me to participate. 1)____

To attract the sharks, we laid out plastic boxes wired together and filled with frozen fish. Once dropped over the side, the boxes lay half in and half out of the water: As the bait thawed, a long line of blood and fish followed us. (2)____

The stars of the film promised to be blue sharks. Fast and slim-bodied with pointed snouts, they grow to 12 feet in length and are known to attack humans. (3)____I thought someone was welcoming our visitors by pounding rapidly on a large bass drum. Then I realised that the fierce pounding was the beating of my own heart.

The shark cage sat on the deck. It was mainly constructed from wire. The idea was to swim into the cage once under the water. The only hand-held weapon I was given was a broom handle.

By the time I got to the cage, five sharks were swimming around us. As they glided past, they seemed curious, and'I felt like something hung up in a meat market. (4)____Strangely, proximity seemed to calm my fear.

We began to hand-feed the sharks as they cruised by the cage. Several times, I offered a fish, then yanked it away at the crucial moment. Then I felt guilty about teasing the monsters and began to want more contact.

I decided to go outside the cage. (5)____“They tend to hit some part of your body that is not moving. Usually this means the head.”

Outside the cage and checking in all directions, I moved to where Jack was shooting one particular shark for the film. (6)____It put on a slight burst of speed and glided in my direction. I had ten seconds to get my own broom handle in position, and when the shark was a foot away, I hit it firmly, on the snout. The shark twisted away, and disappeared into the depths. Relieved, I realised the mildest show of aggression seemed to put these fellows off their feed.

I had been invited by Jack and his son John to participate in a film they were making about shark diving. I had been diving and writing about the ocean for a decade and had frequently found myself in the water with sharks. Never intentionally. They just appeared, unwanted. The idea of swimming with them seemed dangerous. Still, Jack McKen- ney had asked me to participate. 1)____

To attract the sharks, we laid out plastic boxes wired together and filled with frozen fish. Once dropped over the side, the boxes lay half in and half out of the water: As the bait thawed, a long line of blood and fish followed us. (2)____

The stars of the film promised to be blue sharks. Fast and slim-bodied with pointed snouts, they grow to 12 feet in length and are known to attack humans. (3)____I thought someone was welcoming our visitors by pounding rapidly on a large bass drum. Then I realised that the fierce pounding was the beating of my own heart.

The shark cage sat on the deck. It was mainly constructed from wire. The idea was to swim into the cage once under the water. The only hand-held weapon I was given was a broom handle.

By the time I got to the cage, five sharks were swimming around us. As they glided past, they seemed curious, and'I felt like something hung up in a meat market. (4)____Strangely, proximity seemed to calm my fear.

We began to hand-feed the sharks as they cruised by the cage. Several times, I offered a fish, then yanked it away at the crucial moment. Then I felt guilty about teasing the monsters and began to want more contact.

I decided to go outside the cage. (5)____“They tend to hit some part of your body that is not moving. Usually this means the head.”

Outside the cage and checking in all directions, I moved to where Jack was shooting one particular shark for the film. (6)____It put on a slight burst of speed and glided in my direction. I had ten seconds to get my own broom handle in position, and when the shark was a foot away, I hit it firmly, on the snout. The shark twisted away, and disappeared into the depths. Relieved, I realised the mildest show of aggression seemed to put these fellows off their feed.

1.  Corinne Day: Photographer

I get my ideas for photographs anywhere, at any time; I don’t have to be specifically doing anything. I keep a diary at home and write down any t houghts I have, and then when a job comes up, I see if there is anything in it that applies. It’s almost impossible for me to switch off. When I was abroad recently, I wanted to get away from taking photographs, so I didn’t take my camera with me. But I could still see pictures all the time and wished I had brought it.

2.  Jan Kaplicky: Architect

Success in my job depends on the people you have around you and how good they are. There are engineers, model- makers, photographers  — architecture is not a one-man product. I come into the office every day. I like to arrive at 8 a.m., as this is a very peaceful period when I can think about things before the usual routine starts and other people arrive. The initial idea for a job comes to me just like that sometimes. Having lots of ideas for one problem is not a sign that you are creative; that’s just a waste of energy. But I do think a lot of creativity depends on your relationships with other people.

3.  J. B. Ballard: Novelist

I think the enemy of creativity in the world today is that so much thinking is done for you. The environment is so full of television, you hardly need to do anything. Children make you see what reality is all about. Mine were a huge inspiration for me. Watching them creating their separate worlds was a very enriching experience. As for learning to be creative, I think there are a lot of skills that you need to be born with. I wrote from a pretty early age, eight or nine, and I’ve always had a very vivid imagination.

4.  Peter Molyneux: Computer Game Creator

Perhaps the greatest difference between people who are creative and people who are not is that the former always think their idea will work. They never think, ‘That's not going to work, that’s a stupid idea’. But a lot of the time I don’t know where my ideas come from. I can remember incredibly clearly the time I saw my first computer game, in a shop window. From that moment on it was as if I’d found my aim in life. I find the computer game is very creative. It brings together many different disciplines: the logic of programming, mathematics, storytelling... The general idea for a game is easy, the real challenge always comes about six months later when you have to design all the parts of the game, and consider things like how many pieces of information players can take before they get confused.

1.  Corinne Day: Photographer

I get my ideas for photographs anywhere, at any time; I don’t have to be specifically doing anything. I keep a diary at home and write down any t houghts I have, and then when a job comes up, I see if there is anything in it that applies. It’s almost impossible for me to switch off. When I was abroad recently, I wanted to get away from taking photographs, so I didn’t take my camera with me. But I could still see pictures all the time and wished I had brought it.

2.  Jan Kaplicky: Architect

Success in my job depends on the people you have around you and how good they are. There are engineers, model- makers, photographers  — architecture is not a one-man product. I come into the office every day. I like to arrive at 8 a.m., as this is a very peaceful period when I can think about things before the usual routine starts and other people arrive. The initial idea for a job comes to me just like that sometimes. Having lots of ideas for one problem is not a sign that you are creative; that’s just a waste of energy. But I do think a lot of creativity depends on your relationships with other people.

3.  J. B. Ballard: Novelist

I think the enemy of creativity in the world today is that so much thinking is done for you. The environment is so full of television, you hardly need to do anything. Children make you see what reality is all about. Mine were a huge inspiration for me. Watching them creating their separate worlds was a very enriching experience. As for learning to be creative, I think there are a lot of skills that you need to be born with. I wrote from a pretty early age, eight or nine, and I’ve always had a very vivid imagination.

4.  Peter Molyneux: Computer Game Creator

Perhaps the greatest difference between people who are creative and people who are not is that the former always think their idea will work. They never think, ‘That's not going to work, that’s a stupid idea’. But a lot of the time I don’t know where my ideas come from. I can remember incredibly clearly the time I saw my first computer game, in a shop window. From that moment on it was as if I’d found my aim in life. I find the computer game is very creative. It brings together many different disciplines: the logic of programming, mathematics, storytelling... The general idea for a game is easy, the real challenge always comes about six months later when you have to design all the parts of the game, and consider things like how many pieces of information players can take before they get confused.

1.  Housewife and grandmother

I went down a cliff to raise money for charity. It was an enormous challenge as I’m actually quite afraid of heights. It was only really the moment of going over the edge that was difficult: after that it was very easy. You just have to get into the'rhythm and not go too fast. My son is really keen on climbing and some of his friends from his university

climbing club set everything up and organised the whole event. There were about twenty of us who did it and between us we raised well over the target amount.

2.  Lawyer

I ran a triathlon and managed to get over 50 people to sponsor me. I had to train for months and it was really hard work but well worth it. I actually enjoyed the training more than the final event because on the day the weather was terrible. In the months running up to the event I followed a very strict regime and it felt good to be working towards such a specific goal. Knowing that I was going to be able to give a large donation to charity made me even more determined to do it. It was such a positive experience I’m going to do it again next year.

3.  Environmental consultant

I cycled from L.A. to Quito last spring. All my family thought I was mad but I love cycling and I knew it would be an amazing way to see lots of really interesting places. I managed to raise quite a bit of money for charity through sponsorship although that wasn’t my main, objective. I turned 30 in March and I really wanted to be doing something totally different rather than just sitting at my desk in the office. I wanted it to be something I could look back on when I am older and feel proud of. The fact that I was able to do something to help those less well off than me at the same time, well that made it even better.

4.  Retired primary school head teacher

We used to make a big effort to get the children involved in charity events as I think it helps raise their awareness of world events and the fact that in many places there are people, particularly children like themselves, who live in very different circumstances to them. I think they get a great sense of satisfaction too from knowing that they are able to do something to help. Each year we had a special day; where all the children paid a small amount of money and then came to school for one day in their own clothes and not in school uniform. We also regularly held parties where the children were encouraged to donate old toys and books and things which we then sold. All the money we made went to our chosen charity.

1.  Housewife and grandmother

I went down a cliff to raise money for charity. It was an enormous challenge as I’m actually quite afraid of heights. It was only really the moment of going over the edge that was difficult: after that it was very easy. You just have to get into the'rhythm and not go too fast. My son is really keen on climbing and some of his friends from his university

climbing club set everything up and organised the whole event. There were about twenty of us who did it and between us we raised well over the target amount.

2.  Lawyer

I ran a triathlon and managed to get over 50 people to sponsor me. I had to train for months and it was really hard work but well worth it. I actually enjoyed the training more than the final event because on the day the weather was terrible. In the months running up to the event I followed a very strict regime and it felt good to be working towards such a specific goal. Knowing that I was going to be able to give a large donation to charity made me even more determined to do it. It was such a positive experience I’m going to do it again next year.

3.  Environmental consultant

I cycled from L.A. to Quito last spring. All my family thought I was mad but I love cycling and I knew it would be an amazing way to see lots of really interesting places. I managed to raise quite a bit of money for charity through sponsorship although that wasn’t my main, objective. I turned 30 in March and I really wanted to be doing something totally different rather than just sitting at my desk in the office. I wanted it to be something I could look back on when I am older and feel proud of. The fact that I was able to do something to help those less well off than me at the same time, well that made it even better.

4.  Retired primary school head teacher

We used to make a big effort to get the children involved in charity events as I think it helps raise their awareness of world events and the fact that in many places there are people, particularly children like themselves, who live in very different circumstances to them. I think they get a great sense of satisfaction too from knowing that they are able to do something to help. Each year we had a special day; where all the children paid a small amount of money and then came to school for one day in their own clothes and not in school uniform. We also regularly held parties where the children were encouraged to donate old toys and books and things which we then sold. All the money we made went to our chosen charity.

Choosing the degree I should study for at university was quite difficult for me as there were two careers that I found equally attractive: the law and catering. After much soul searching, I realised that whilst I could be a lawyer during the day and then enjoy cookery as a form of relaxation, the reverse was not true. Thus, I opted for a law degree and made food my number one hobby.

I have never regretted this decision. Working as a lawyer provided a good living and allowed me enough spare time to please myself by enjoying some very fine food at many superb restaurants. (1)___A life in catering would have meant that I would always have been working when my friends were playing and vice versa. Chefs have to arrive at their restaurant by mid-morning to prepare for lunch. They work all afternoon developing new recipes. Then, they must prepare for evening service probably crawling into bed in the small hours of the next morning feeling absolutely shattered! (2)___

Sharing my love of fine food with good friends in the relaxed atmosphere of my home has more than compensated for not owning a restaurant. Planning a meal for people I love is a great pleasure. How do I choose what to cook? Well, that depends very much on my friends. An important factor has to be catering for their own likes and dislikes and trying to avoid serving them the same dishes as last time they visited. (3)___I don’t claim to be anything other than an enthusiastic amateur but quite a few friends appear to be scared by the prospect of cooking for me.

The friends I like cooking for most of all are those who share the love of food as much as I do and who are quite happy to do the same for me, in grand style, when I pay them a return visit. (4)___

Generally, my cooking has become less complex over the years and I tend to find that the best way of deciding what to cook is to see what is available when I do the shopping. What I cook is controlled by what I have been able to buy. (5)___I might have had one or two vague ideas but, more often than not, I am scrabbling through pages of recipes trying to find something new to do with some scallops, a leg of lamb and raspberries. My store cupboard is pretty good and I can usually find all the spices I need, and boring stuff like flour, butter and so on. (6)___I strongly believe that if you have good ingredients you will be able to turn out something worth eating.

At the end of a meal the finest compliment I can be paid is that my friends aren’t afraid of gently nodding off. It shows that they feel satisfied, relaxed and happy!

Choosing the degree I should study for at university was quite difficult for me as there were two careers that I found equally attractive: the law and catering. After much soul searching, I realised that whilst I could be a lawyer during the day and then enjoy cookery as a form of relaxation, the reverse was not true. Thus, I opted for a law degree and made food my number one hobby.

I have never regretted this decision. Working as a lawyer provided a good living and allowed me enough spare time to please myself by enjoying some very fine food at many superb restaurants. (1)___A life in catering would have meant that I would always have been working when my friends were playing and vice versa. Chefs have to arrive at their restaurant by mid-morning to prepare for lunch. They work all afternoon developing new recipes. Then, they must prepare for evening service probably crawling into bed in the small hours of the next morning feeling absolutely shattered! (2)___

Sharing my love of fine food with good friends in the relaxed atmosphere of my home has more than compensated for not owning a restaurant. Planning a meal for people I love is a great pleasure. How do I choose what to cook? Well, that depends very much on my friends. An important factor has to be catering for their own likes and dislikes and trying to avoid serving them the same dishes as last time they visited. (3)___I don’t claim to be anything other than an enthusiastic amateur but quite a few friends appear to be scared by the prospect of cooking for me.

The friends I like cooking for most of all are those who share the love of food as much as I do and who are quite happy to do the same for me, in grand style, when I pay them a return visit. (4)___

Generally, my cooking has become less complex over the years and I tend to find that the best way of deciding what to cook is to see what is available when I do the shopping. What I cook is controlled by what I have been able to buy. (5)___I might have had one or two vague ideas but, more often than not, I am scrabbling through pages of recipes trying to find something new to do with some scallops, a leg of lamb and raspberries. My store cupboard is pretty good and I can usually find all the spices I need, and boring stuff like flour, butter and so on. (6)___I strongly believe that if you have good ingredients you will be able to turn out something worth eating.

At the end of a meal the finest compliment I can be paid is that my friends aren’t afraid of gently nodding off. It shows that they feel satisfied, relaxed and happy!

An interview with a couple who own a holiday home in the French Pyrenees

Why did you decide to buy a holiday home here?

We have always loved travelling and spending time in different countries on holidays. It made sense to us to have somewhere which was our own, where we could go back to again and again whenever we liked. (1)_________ It has everything we were looking for: mountains, beautiful scenery, good countryside for walking and there are towns and a major city nearby. We looked at some very remote places but decided we wanted to be in a town. We enjoy being able to walk down to the shops in the morning to get fresh bread and walk to a restaurant for dinner in the evening. It was important to us that it was easy to get to for short holidays too so the fact that there is an airport nearby was a key factor. (2)____________ We love both of our houses even though they are very different in style and in very different places.

How did you find this particular property?

We did some research into the area we liked and we looked at adverts on the Internet. Then we went to an agency which specialised in property in the area where we were looking. They were really helpful and in three days they took us to a number of different houses as well as some empty plots of land with potential for building a new property. (3)_________ We spent time talking to the couple who were selling it and looking around the garden в as well as the house. It’s not a big house; there are only two bedrooms, but it is exactly what we were looking for. It has a fantastic terrace with views of the mountains. It's very picturesque. In fact it is a beautiful place to have a holiday at any time of the year.

What do you like most about owning a second home?

(4)___________ We spend lots of holidays here ourselves and sometimes friends and family join us, but we also let friends and family stay in it by themselves if they want to. It means the house is occupied more, and the more it is used the better. We also like that we have met some good friends here. (5)_________ It means we don’t feel like strangers when we’re here. Another thing we like is that there is always somewhere new to visit and explore as well as favourite places to go back to.

Would you like to move and live here permanently?

No. We have too much that we would miss back home: good friends and family. (6)________We might come for a month or more at a time instead of a week or two as we do now. But we bought it as a holiday home or second home not somewhere to live all the time. We like having both our homes and don’t want to give up either of them.

An interview with a couple who own a holiday home in the French Pyrenees

Why did you decide to buy a holiday home here?

We have always loved travelling and spending time in different countries on holidays. It made sense to us to have somewhere which was our own, where we could go back to again and again whenever we liked. (1)_________ It has everything we were looking for: mountains, beautiful scenery, good countryside for walking and there are towns and a major city nearby. We looked at some very remote places but decided we wanted to be in a town. We enjoy being able to walk down to the shops in the morning to get fresh bread and walk to a restaurant for dinner in the evening. It was important to us that it was easy to get to for short holidays too so the fact that there is an airport nearby was a key factor. (2)____________ We love both of our houses even though they are very different in style and in very different places.

How did you find this particular property?

We did some research into the area we liked and we looked at adverts on the Internet. Then we went to an agency which specialised in property in the area where we were looking. They were really helpful and in three days they took us to a number of different houses as well as some empty plots of land with potential for building a new property. (3)_________ We spent time talking to the couple who were selling it and looking around the garden в as well as the house. It’s not a big house; there are only two bedrooms, but it is exactly what we were looking for. It has a fantastic terrace with views of the mountains. It's very picturesque. In fact it is a beautiful place to have a holiday at any time of the year.

What do you like most about owning a second home?

(4)___________ We spend lots of holidays here ourselves and sometimes friends and family join us, but we also let friends and family stay in it by themselves if they want to. It means the house is occupied more, and the more it is used the better. We also like that we have met some good friends here. (5)_________ It means we don’t feel like strangers when we’re here. Another thing we like is that there is always somewhere new to visit and explore as well as favourite places to go back to.

Would you like to move and live here permanently?

No. We have too much that we would miss back home: good friends and family. (6)________We might come for a month or more at a time instead of a week or two as we do now. But we bought it as a holiday home or second home not somewhere to live all the time. We like having both our homes and don’t want to give up either of them.