BEN CHAMBERLAIN Ben has had a successful year and has got good marks in most of his exams. He always does best in science subjects, but this year he has really improved in languages, and he has got much higher marks in French in particular. He still needs to work hard at history and geography. He should revise a bit more before the exams. Although he is quite reserved and is often quiet in class, Ben has made a lot of friends this year. He has also been very kind to other students. An older boy was bullying Ben’s friend and Ben confronted the bully and told the teacher. The bullying has now stopped and the school has written a polite letter to the bully’s parents. Ben has got a very good attitude. He helped another student who was cheating. The student wanted to copy Ben’s chemistry homework. Ben refused to give him his homework, but he spent two evenings with the boy and they revised the subject together. I think Ben should think about becoming a teacher! He’s very tolerant and sensitive to other people. Ben should visit a few universities next term to decide which he likes best.

 

The Big Wolf and the Little Bee

The little rabbit begins to cry. He runs and runs, and sees a little bee.

"Oh, Little Bee,” says the rabbit, ‘'I cannot come into my house. The big wolf is in it. He wants to eat me. The horse cannot help me, the dog cannot help me, you are very little.”

But the little bee says, “I am little, but I can help you. Let us go to your house.”

They go to the rabbit’s house. The big wolf lives in it. He says, ”Go away. 1 want to live in this house, and I can eat you.”

But the little bee begins to fly and fly. It flies into rabbit’s house and stings the big wolf. And the wolf runs out of the rabbit’s house. Now the house is free and the rabbit can live in it again.

Texts 11th Form

“DEAR MOM, YOU'RE RUINING ME" Jean Van Leeuwen

Dear mom,

I am working very hard on cleaning my room. But I want to go to Katy's this afternoon to work on our Halloween costumes. Can I finish tomorrow? I would get up early and do it before breakfast and I'll do a good job. Please? Write back.

Love, The Prisoner in Tower # 3

Dear Prisoner,

No.

Love, Mom.

    For days a time Sam's mother never came up to her room. And then one day Sam would come home from school and find the Condemned sign on her doorknob. Her mother had made the sign. It said: THIS ROOM IS CONDEMNED.

ITS OWNER MAY NOT GO ANYWHERE OR DO ANYTHING UNTIL THE PREMISES ARE RESTORED TO NEETNESS. In other words, Sam was grounded until she cleaned her room.

    It wasn't fair. She was always getting the Condemned sign. Bradley hardly ever did. And his room was really disgusting, with posters of rock stars and basketball stars and movie stars wearing tiny bikinis covering every inch of his walls, and even suspended from the ceiling. But, her mother pointed out, his floor was clean. And his desk. That was all she cared about.

Texts 10th Form

CANADA. ITS GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

    Canada covers all of the North American continent to the north of the USA except Alaska and the small French Islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. It is the second largest country in the world after Russia. But the population of Canada is not very big – only 27,4 million people who live mostly in the south of Canada, along the border of the USA. Canada is bordered by three oceans, the Atlantic, the Arctic, and the Pacific. The capital of the country is Ottawa.

    Canada is a nation in North America composed of two linguistic and cultural groups: French and English. To these major groups, and to the small native population of Indians and Eskimos, have been added many thousands immigrants representing the major European cultures. The two official languages of Canada are English and French. In the north of the country there are 330,000 Indians and 25,000 Eskimos who are the original peoples of the North , Central and South America. They have no equal rights with other citizens of the country and they have fought for their rights for many years.

Texts 9th Form

THE THREE WISHES (AN OLD ENGLISH FAIRY TALE)

    One winter evening a poor peasant sat near the fire talking with his wife about one of their neighbours who was a rich man.

"If only I had a little money myself", he said, "I should open my own shop".

"I", answered his wife, "should not be satisfied with that, I should be happy if I lived in a big house, and then, if I saw people like ourselves, I should help them and try to make everybody happy. But we are no longer in the time of fairies. If only I could meet one of them, it would not take me long to decide what to ask of her".

    Hardly had she said these words when a beautiful young lady appeared in their room and told them she was a fairy willing to grant their first three wishes. But she said they should choose carefully as she could allow them no more than three wishes. Then the beautiful lady disappeared.

Texts 8th Form

A GOOD FINDER

     One day two friends went for a walk. One of them had a dog. “See here, John,” one of the men said. “I am going to put this coin here in the ground. I know my dog will find it.” He put the coin in the ground on the road. Then the two friends went on.

     In half an hour the man took out the coins he had in his pocket and said to his dog: “I lost a coin, Rex. Go and look for it, quick!” The dog ran back along the road and the two friends went home.

     At that time a traveller drove along the road. His horse kicked the coin from the ground and the traveller picked it up. The dog scented out the coin in the pocket of the traveller’s trousers and ran after him. Soon they came to an inn.

     The traveller thought: “Poor dog. It lost its master.” As he liked the dog very much he took it to his room and gave it a good supper. Then the traveller took off his clothes. He put his pyjamas and his night cap on and was ready to go to bed.

     The dog stood at the door. The man thought: “The dog wants to go out,” and he opened the door. The dog snatched the man’s trousers and ran out of the room. The man ran after it with his night cap on.

     The dog ran to its master’s house. The man ran after it. He was very angry.

    “Sir,” said the dog’s master, “my dog is very clever and if it ran away with your trousers, it is because you have in them the money which is not yours.”

      The traveller became still more angry. “I’m sorry”, said the other, ”but I know there is the coin in your trousers’ pocket which you picked up on the road. It’s my coin. That’s why my dog brought me your trousers.”

     The traveller was amused. He laughed together with the dog’s master. Then he took out the coin and gave it to him. He took his trousers and went to his inn.

Texts 7th Form

Many years ago an elephant and a monkey had a quarrel. The elephant was proud because he was strong.

"Look how big and strong I am," he said. "I can pull a tree down. Can you?”

Now the monkey was proud because he was so quick.

"Look how quickly I can run and climb," he said. "Can you climb a tree?"  

At last they decided to go and speak to the Old Bird.

"We cannot agree," they told the Bird, "tell us what you think about it. Which is better - to be strong or to be quick?"

The Old Bird said to them: "Do as I tell you and then I’ll learn which is better. Do you see that great tree across the river? Go and get the fruit from it and bring it to me."

So they went to the river, but the monkey was afraid of the water.

"Get on my back," said the elephant proudly. "I will carry you. I am big and strong and I am not afraid to swim across the river."

There on the bank stood the tree. It was so high that the fruit was above them. The elephant tried to pull the tree down, but it was too strong.

"Wait a minute," said the monkey proudly. "I can climb."

He ran quickly up the tree and threw the fruit to the, ground. The elephant put it in his great mouth. Then they crossed the river again and gave the fruit to the Old Bird.

"Now," they said, "which is better — to be strong or to be quick?"

"Can anybody tell which is better?" asked the Old Bird. The elephant could not get the fruit alone. The monkey could not get the fruit alone. But you could get it together. One of you crossed the river, the other climbed up the tree."

Texts 6th Form

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

    Christmas season is the most festive time of the year in Britain and in the United States. Students at schools and colleges usually have a 2 week vacation, beginning before Christmas and ending soon after the New Year. There are a lot of parties to celebrate the birth of Christ and the arrival of the New Year. 

    Although no one knows exactly when Jesus was born. Christians everywhere in the world celebrate his birthday on December 25^th . This day was a festival long before Christianity because ancient people believed this was time when the son god started his journey back to the earth and it was a custom to give presents to each other.

    Now children are told that Santa Claus or Father Christmas in a red suit, red hat and with a long white beard puts presents for them into their stockings by the fireplace.

    The winter tradition of decorating homes with evergreens began in ancient times too.

Branches of fir were thought to bring good luck and guarantee the return of spring. The Germans were the first to use the Christmas tree in their celebrations.

    In the 19^th century the decorated fir tree became popular in Europe and in the USA. Carol singers began to go from house to house in groups singing traditional Christmas songs asking for charity.

    The greeting cards are sent on Christmas too. The most popular wishes on these holiday cards are: “Merry Christmas”, “Peace on Earth”. 

Texts 5th Form

    Parrots live in the forests of South America, where summer lasts all the year round, where leaves are always green. The parrots make their homes in the forest, because there they can find shade in the heat of the day.

    Parrots eat fruit and nuts. They like wild cherries best of all. They like them because of the stones. The beak of the parrot is very sharp and it cracks these stones easily.

    Parrots like to bathe very much. They fly about till they find water. They dip into the water and splash it over their feathers. Then they sit in the sun till they are dry. In the middle of the day the heat becomes very great. Then parrots fly in the deepest shade. They sit in the trees and sleep. But in the evening, when the sun is going down, they wake up. They eat fruit, go to the water and bathe again. Only after that they go to the rest for the night.

    People can tame parrots. The parrot is a very interesting pet, because it can talk.