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Textos b2 Ingles

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Textos b2 Ingles

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READING

LEVEL B2 (UK)

Teacher’s Pack Reading

READING
LEVEL B2 (UK)

Teacher’s Pack Reading

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Contents
 THE COLLEGE OF ECOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 07
 BIOTECHNOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08
 CLOUD SEEDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
 THE EARTHQUAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
 STUDENT'S REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
 COMPULSORY EDUCATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
 TECHNOLOGY AND LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
 HEALTHY EATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
 MISSIONARIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
 TRIP TO THE HAGIA SOPHIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
 DEAR DOCTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
 WORKING ABROAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
 RENOVATING YOUR HOME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
 HOLIDAY ADVERTISEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
 SIGHTSEEING IN IRELAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
 BUSY OFFICE REQUIRES SECRETARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
 PUBLIC RELATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
 MARKETING TECHNIQUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
 IN A MODERN HOSPITAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
 FUTURE HUMAN BODIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
 ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE MEDICINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
 HELPFUL HINTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
 STUDYING MUST BE LEARNED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
 WORLD MUSIC TOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
 GEORGE ORWELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
 DEFENCE OF THEATRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
 NOTES OF A TRAVELLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Copyright© CAE Computer Aided USA Corporation - Computer Aided Elearning, S.A. 5
 HEALTH DISORDERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
 OUR BRAIN'S POTENTIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
 POPULAR CHARACTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
 JAMBO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
 A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
 THE MULTANGULAR TOWER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
 SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
 THE MILDENHALL TREASURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
 THE MYSTERY OF ATLANTIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
 INFORMAL LETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
 FORMAL LETTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
 A LETTER FROM THE AGENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
 ALL ABOUT ESTHER LAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
 ESTHER'S ROUTINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
 THE COLOR PURPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
 CHOOSING A PRESENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
 CHRISTMAS STORIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
 CAKE DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
 THE PERFORMANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
 READING EXERCISES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

6 Copyright© CAE Computer Aided USA Corporation - Computer Aided Elearning, S.A.
READING LEVEL B2

THE COLLEGE OF ECOLOGY

Who are we?

The College of Ecology

What do we do?

We organise courses in ecological studies for professionals and for the general public.

Why do we do it?

For a cleaner and healthier planet.

Come to our open day and get to know us. Members of staff will be available to answer your
questions, either about our courses and activities or about general environmental issues.

Visit our alternative craft fair. You can buy or simply admire handmade pottery, picture frames,
candles and so on. Have a look at our alternative book stall or enjoy delicious vegetarian snacks.

BIOTECHNOLOGY

Although biotechnology has become popular for its many implications in the modern world, to be
precise it is new in name only - being that since Neolithic times farming in itself has been employed
as a way of: "using a biological system to make products" (This is part of the United Nations
definition of biotechnology). Since early farmers began to discern which crops grew best and where
the optimum planting location was, we can say that the process of biotechnology has played an
integral part in farming and food production.

Nowadays we have far more sophisticated applications for our discoveries and biotechnology itself
can be divided into different areas: food production and agriculture, medicine, non-food or
industrial use of crops in areas such as biofuels and biodegradable plastics as well as other
environmentally friendly uses.

As for what is referred to as 'green biotechnology', continuing with

the farming theme, the use of the colour green to conjure up images
of environmentally friendly techniques and products is now an
established link. Green biotechnology explores the ways in which
agriculture can be improved through the use of selective cross-
breeding and the development of transgenic plants to combat
problems of food scarcity in poorer regions as well as boost
production in general. It is hoped that through the use of
biotechnology improvements can be made with regard to a
decrease in pesticide use and an increased immunity of plants to the
common pests that can cause crop failure or low yields.

In a cross-over area of study between green and white biotechnology we find edible vaccines; in
other words, crops which are genetically modified to contain vaccines which would otherwise need
to be injected. This is hailed by some as a revolutionary discovery and, although at its very earliest
stages, could bring about drastic changes in some countries by eliminating transportation costs and
the complications involved in maintaining vaccines at set temperatures during transportation - as
well as eradicating the need for injections and so reducing risks involved with secondary infections.
There are arguments against these developments as it is very difficult to achieve the same effects
through ingestion as with injection but trials continue and scientists consider the option a viable one
for the future.

On a practical level those in favour of biotechnology in food production argue the case that food
can be given a longer shelf life, improved taste as well as a greater aesthetic appeal. The first
genetically modified food product was a variety of tomato in which scientists delayed ripening and
so made it easier to transport in good condition.

Following on from green biotechnology we have more colours. Blue biotechnology is primarily
concerned with the oceans and seas around the world and is a relatively new area still very much at
an experimental stage; red biotechnology is focused on medicine and applications in pharmaceutical
products such as the engineering of cures through genetic manipulation; and finally, white
biotechnology which is based on the needs of industrial processes. In this last section we see the
development of organisms which can ultimately produce a desired chemical or help to clean up
hazardous waste.

If we look at the case of red biotechnology and the field of pharmacogenomics, we see the study of
genetically inherited traits and the ability to provide made to measure medications. This new
generation of medicines promises to improve curative qualities of medicines as well as to minimize
the harmful side effects of some treatments. In addition to these benefits there have also been
advances in the production of traditional cures such as the synthetic production of insulin, and
thereby becoming free of animal by-products and the ability to mass produce this substance.

CLOUD SEEDING

Cloud seeding is defined as a form of intentional weather modification in an attempt to control the
level of precipitation by releasing substances over clouds. Hail and fog suppression are widely
practised in airports. Experts say that if you get this climate techno-fix right, the effect is dramatic,
but if you get it wrong, however, you can make the problem worse plunging the earth into an ice
age.

This new geo-engineering phenomenon proposes engineering clouds to counter the negative effects
of climate change and global warming. The idea is to launch these would-be mirrors into an orbit
around the sun in order to deflect sunlight from the earth.

Scientist Trude Storelvmo from Yale

University has investigated cirrus ice clouds
which extend their thin, whispy tendrils into
the upper troposphere at altitudes of about
five to fifteen kilometres. Scientists say with
certainty that these thin clouds are known to
have a net warming effect on our planet
because their ice crystals re-emit infrared
radiation absorbed from the sun-warmed
surface back down towards ground. The aim
of the study is to make cirrus ice clouds even
thinner in order to let out more heat and in
turn cool the globe.

How does this idea work? The ice crystals of cirrus clouds form spontaneously in moist, cold air. If
seed particles are added to the clouds they could grab all the water vapour and form a small number
of large ice crystals. This makes the clouds more transparent. Also, thinner clouds absorb less
radiation from the ground allowing more to escape into space and they last longer than clouds with
large ice particles.

Storelvmo and colleagues have used a climate model that incorporates a description of cirrus cloud
formation and they find that to get climate cooling, one has to use just the right concentration of
seed particles. Too few, and cirrus clouds form just as they do normally. But if there are too many
seeds, they generate more ice crystals than would have formed in their absence, and the clouds are
actually thicker, trapping even more heat.

In conclusion, if the seed concentration is right, we can effectively tackle global warming. However,
if we do not get this seed concentration right we could make global warming even worse. Scientists
say that we must wait until we know more before attempting such a risky project.

THE EARTHQUAKE

The whole area has been cleared, and the inhabitants, many suffering from shock, have been moved
to a temporary hospital where the social services are dealing with the situation. However, the army
and voluntary workers are still hoping to find survivors.

Donations of money, food and clothes are needed. The earthquake has been the worst in the area
since 1952 and has come soon after problems of drought and local conflict.

The country's President, Mr Shakti has travelled to the scene of the disaster. Although as many as
2000 people may have died, it is too soon to give an exact figure.

STUDENT'S REPORT

Report. Summer time.

Pupil's name: John Smith.

English literature 30%, 6, studied the wrong books for the exam.
English language 58%, 5, has ability but doesn't listen in class.
Mathematics 78%, 8, very good student, shows promise.
History 59%, 6, good essays, didn't finish his project in time.
Geography 43%, 4, no interest in the subject, makes no effort.
Spanish 61%, 6, satisfactory, he should have gone on the trip to Madrid.
Biology, 7, good years work, missed the exam due to illness.
Chemistry 27%, 6, he did not study for his final exam.
Physics 49%, 5, Doesn't pay attention in class.
Art 64%, 6, Lots of imagination, needs to study theory.

Headmaster's comment:

John Smith is clearly an intelligent boy but he needs to develop a more responsible attitude to make
the most of his abilitites.

COMPULSORY EDUCATION

Pupils must have a complete school uniform including sports kit. They will need at least two of each
article of clothing. Everything should have their names on.

The school provides all text books as well as art materials. However, pupils bring their own
notebooks, pencils, rubbers, rulers and so on.

The school does not take responsibility for anything that is lost. Pupils are allowed to use the school
library at any time, including Saturday mornings. However, they may not take books home, except
in special circumstances, with the headmaster's permission.

Pupils must never leave the school premises during class time. If a child is ill or has to leave early for
some reason, it is essential that he or she should bring a note, written by a parent.

TECHNOLOGY AND LEARNING

Nowadays students of all ages are experiencing the

benefits of technology with regard to learning. The use of
computers and printers instead of writing by hand has
changed the capabilities in terms of output and
presentation in all areas of study from high school to
university. We can use the example of the basic tools
offered in desktop publishing packages, such as spell check
and thesaurus, which can save time spent looking up words
or even avoid marks lost for incorrect spelling. This may be
regarded as a form of cheating by some and there are those
who believe that there has been a decline in basic skills in all academic areas as students become
ever more dependent on these tools which correct errors automatically and therefore bypass the
opportunity to learn by our mistakes.

The result of widespread access to technology as well as the internet means that many students are
able to work from home rather than spend time in libraries as well as save money on books and
materials. If anything, the internet itself has opened up many doors for research and study groups
to expand and become more involved in an international sense.

From the point of view of distance, learning technology is evidently an important tool as it allows
for greater accessibility for students in remote areas. Teachers can be anywhere in the world,
teaching in simultaneous locations through virtual classrooms. This has facilitated ease of learning
and provided a means not only to reduce costs but also to offer a more varied syllabus to students.
The use of video conferencing or electronic conferencing to hook people up means that, again,
location is not a problem and as both of these methods have advantages, depending on the aim of
the session, they can be applied in different areas of the course. The main drawback with video
conferencing is the need for appropriate technology to support the necessary facilities - although
we are seeing more and more solutions to this as time passes. With electronic conferencing we have
the benefit of asynchronicity - people in different time zones can participate when it is best for them,
rather than all having to be online at the same time. The possibility of passing documents from one
participant to another when using these applications also allows for assessment to take place either
by peers or a teacher and again makes distance less of an issue.

Other educational software includes specialised tutorials that can present a new topic and provide
examples and or demonstrations as well as the chance for the learner to test their understanding
through interactive tests and quizzes. This is arguably not the same as having a tutor 'on hand' to
answer any specific doubts but students have reported that they have found these programmes to

be useful, especially some of the newer formats which incorporate an 'intelligent' system which
adapts to the learner as the tutorial develops.

Simulation programmes have been a great help to many students who otherwise wouldn't have had
the means to carry out experiments or tests that require expensive equipment (although naturally
they need access to the programme). These programmes can enable a student to play out a given
hypothesis and see whether the results they predicted are accurate or desirable in the long run. As
more and more people use I.T. in their free time in the form of games and online communities, this
type of programme fits easily into their range of skills and therefore doesn't oblige them to spend
time acquiring new ones.

As an end note to teachers, lecturers, heads of departments and students, it is vital that you shop
around before making any commitments. There are many excellent products on the market but not
all of them are going to be suitable for you and sometimes word of mouth, blogs and forums are a
good way of sounding out the pros and cons of the products you are considering. Make a
comprehensive list of what you need and also what you expect in terms of quality or performance
as well as possibilities for future add-ons or updates.

HEALTHY EATING

A balanced diet is the surest way to good health. It is essential to include food from these groups
every day:

1. Protein rich foods: meat, fish, chicken, eggs, pulses.

2. Fruit and vegetables for vitamins.
3. Cereals, if possible wholemeal: bread, rice, pasta and so on.
4. Dairy products: milk, yoghurt, cheese for calcium.

We need a great deal of fibre in our diet, so it is important to eat a lot of fruit, vegetables and cereals.
On the other hand, we should be careful about how much animal fat we eat. We must also drink at
least 1 1/2 litres of water every day and try to avoid too much tea or coffee. It would be much better
to get used to herbal infusions. It is not a good idea to drink a lot of alcohol or fizzy drinks. If we
choose fruit juice instead, we will be doing ourselves a favour.

MISSIONARIES

Buddha, or Siddhartha Gautama, was an Indian prince who was born over 2,500 years ago.

He was brought up by his aunt as his mother died soon after his birth.

During his childhood, he was surrounded by beauty and wealth, and the suffering of the world was
hidden from him.

Siddhartha was not happy though.

He decided that, in order to find the truth, he would have to leave his palace and live a simple life.

While meditating he saw the light and he spent the following 45 years travelling and teaching.

According to the Buddhist religion, it is our desire that makes us suffer.

TRIP TO THE HAGIA SOPHIA

I had always wanted to visit the Hagia Sophia to see the

famous dome. I had been shown pictures of it, but I
couldn't actually believe the size of that emblematic
feature when I saw it with my own eyes. The Hagia
Sophia was the largest Christian church for a thousand
years before it was converted to a mosque when
Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Empire
in the 15th century. The huge mosque underwent
another transformation in the early 20th century when
it was converted into a museum by Atatürk. While
standing beneath the Christian and Muslim iconography,
in a building dedicated to secular education, it is
impossible not to feel surrounded by a spiritual essence that is intensified by the three great
traditions in search of the truth.

Looking up at the great vault and inspired by the Byzantine architecture, I had a desire to explore
every part of the building. I had a vision of having my life changed by a transcendental experience
that could only happen in such a monumental holy place, so I set off to explore the museum in order
to find myself.

I was walking through the courtyard and along one of the corridors when I saw an enormous wooden
door that had been left open. I touched the ancient timber and I reflected on the many hands that
had pushed open this door over the centuries. I checked my museum map to find out what was in
the room. It said that it was the Sealed Chapel, but this chapel was open. I stepped inside. There
was a painting of an angel talking to a saint that had been preserved much better than the peeling
frescoes in the main hall. There was also a Bible on an ornate altar. In this ancient chapel I thought
I might find the solitude to have my moment of inspiration, but I was not alone; in the corner of the
room a knight was talking to a monk. They must have been actors employed by the museum to
educate, inform and entertain the visitors. They hadn't noticed me so I got a little closer to them so
that I could hear what they were saying. I can understand a little bit of Turkish, but the actors were
speaking Latin. I couldn't believe the attention to detail. I looked for my mobile phone in my pocket
in order to take a video but I couldn't find it. "The phone must be on the table in the café," I thought
to myself, and I rushed out of the chapel and back to the café to see if I could find it.

The waiter had kept my phone safe. When he handed it to me, I remarked how amazing the actors
were in the chapel and he responded in a thick Turkish accent,

"Sir, the chapel is sealed."

"Yes, but the door was open." I replied.

"Sir, there is no door."

DEAR DOCTOR

Dear doctor,

To begin with, I want to say how interesting I find this section. In fact, I think it's the best part of the
whole magazine!

Nevertheless, this is not the reason why I am writing. I have a lot of problems because of my weak
heart as there are many activities I can't enjoy.

For this reason, I wanted your advice about what to do to live a full life. For example, I am keen on
sports, I don't want to damage my health.

On the other hand, I suppose I should play golf and not tennis, but I don't like golf!

Also, I would like you to advise me about a suitable diet.

Thank you.

Yours,

Barry Richards

WORKING ABROAD

A. Alexis. Luck and persistence got me my internship with an NGO in Spain. I worked for a medium-
sized international development, NGO, which works in various poverty-related areas in different
countries around the world and it was great to see how they work firsthand. I worked at their
headquarters in Soria, Castile y León, and they gave me a desk, a computer and a work email address
on my first day. I felt on top of the world as soon as I arrived, even though I wasn't sure what to
expect. I had this idea of everyone sitting on the floor discussing politics and poetry passing around
photos of their sponsored children. To be honest I hoped at some point they'd say, "Hey, we need
an English speaker to go to Rwanda for a couple weeks. What do you say?" That didn't happen and
the office wasn't quite as I expected. It was really... like an office in any company. I learned
something really valuable, 80% of international development is really similar to any other office job
and mostly consists of emails, paperwork and invoices. This was an important lesson for me in
considering what I want to do in the future.

B. Beth. I was pretty fortunate to find this internship, as the 'year-abroad' coordinator at my
university in Exeter had a list of employers in various countries who had previously accepted
students for internships. George Andani happened to be on that list! I sent over a CV and a cover
letter in Italian (of course I asked a native to check it!) and was offered the internship without even
having a phone interview - a stroke of luck. However, here comes the only disadvantage: in Italy
paid internships are very rare. The company didn't even cover my travel expenses... I lived in
Modena, one of the smallest cities in Emilia Romagna; that's why the cost of living wasn't as high as
it would be in Rome or Milan, for example. Luckily, I was able to take on a part-time job as an English
tutor so that I could earn something on the side to cover my expenses. Working abroad in Italy was
one of the highlights of my entire degree and I'd recommend it to anyone since you will instantly
become a sought-after graduate with international experience!

Nicola. I am Nicola and next January I am going to start an internship overseas working on an organic
farm which provides self-sustainability and a healthy, secure and peaceful quality lifestyle. Even
though I am studying to become an agronomist, no qualifications were required to apply for this
internship. According to their job advertisement, they needed someone ready to enjoy the African
outdoors, be a good team player, hard-working, enthusiastic and energetic. Apparently, after a
couple of interviews they decided that I fulfilled all these requirements and was the perfect
candidate. They have told me that every day of my internship can be different because I may be
involved in a wide range of activities from planning, planting and harvesting, through to packing
marketing materials and even dealing with staff and union issues. I can't wait to start!

Patricia. My primary motivation for becoming an au pair in England was to expose myself to as much
of the English language as possible. A requirement of the modern languages degree I am studying is
that you have to spend a minimum of eight or ten weeks in your target countries (countries where
the languages that you study are spoken) and, as I opted to spend the academic year as a Spanish
language assistant in France, I had to spend my summer either working or studying in an English-
speaking country to keep improving my English. I decided to work as an au pair because I believed

that I would be totally immersed in the language, but that didn't exactly work out. Aside from
supervising the children while the mother was working, the other key aspect of my role was to help
them practise and improve their Spanish; therefore I spoke to them solely in Spanish. So, although
I got on well with the kids, if I were being totally honest, I would never repeat an experience like
this. I think I should have looked for a different summer job.

Anthony. I am writing this from Rio de Janerio, Brazil, where I have been working as a volunteer in
a favela for the past three months. I am working for an organisation and living in a shared house in
the Santa Teresa neighbourhood with other volunteers. I study Spanish, Portuguese and Latin
American Studies at Dublin City University and here is a snippet of how my year abroad experience
is going so far: on a regular basis, my day begins with a bus journey. This is no ordinary bus journey
though, rather a 40 minute struggle to stay in my seat whilst travelling on the most aggressively
driven public transport vehicle I've come across in my 20 years of life! I work on a project in a favela
in a small community centre where many kids spend most of their days at the moment, due to the
teachers' strikes here. The morning session begins at around 10 am and I can do many activities with
the children, including teaching English, telling them about Ireland, different activities or games... In
the evenings, I try to help the lady in charge of the project with the cooking. My volunteer work is
helping my Portuguese in leaps and bounds and I feel really helpful here.

Nick. After graduating in French and Spanish from King's College, London, and spending some time
in Chile, I decided to find an internship abroad. Last year before Christmas, I was lucky enough to be
able to do an expenses-paid internship in Bordeaux thanks to a European program. I had always
been itching to go and spend some more time in France, so I jumped at the opportunity. The
essential purpose of this European programme is to promote mobility; basically, to encourage EU
citizens to broaden their horizons and discover study and work opportunities outside their own
country. Outside companies get the funds from the EU and, personally, I found out about it because
the company that hired me had put an advert online, which I got from a graduate jobs mailing list.
My interview with the company was quite easy. They were just trying to find out about me and if I
would be able to adjust to working abroad; so there were no tricky questions that prospective
employers sometimes ask. Even though there was no payment per se, I received part of the EU grant
for living costs (£270) for the two months that I was there. The rest of the funding goes towards
accommodation, flights and insurance. All in all, it was a really great experience all round.

RENOVATING YOUR HOME

There are three factors you should bear in mind when you are going to renovate your home; how
to be cost-effective, the importance of the quality and comfort of the works you do and being
environmentally friendly.

Financing the renovation is probably one of the most difficult parts of the project to organise.
Whether you plan to pay for it with money you have saved or you want to seek help from your bank,
it is very important that you have a clearly defined budget with some room for contingencies, at
least five to ten percent. You will undoubtedly have some expensive surprises along the way, so be
prepared!

Plan where you want windows, stairs, skylights, etc. so as to maximise the amount of natural light
that enters your house. Good insulation in your house will minimise the needs for excessive heating
in winter months.

Another important point when planning a renovation for your house is to think about the
environment. Think about materials that you could reuse like doors, windows, wooden furniture,
etc. Sometimes a simple coat of paint can completely transform what you originally planned to
throw out. Also, if your budget permits, look into purchasing eco-friendly building products.

Open-plan living may be very stylish but it is not very functional and certainly not environmentally
friendly. To reduce energy costs and consequently the release of carbon dioxide, try to have your
home designed in a way that you can close off parts that you do not need to heat in the winter.
Solar panels are a relatively modern technology used in construction which will not only decrease
your monthly energy bills but avoid unnecessary damage to our planet.

Energy-efficient lighting should also be considered. Installing too much down-lighting is not
necessary. Limit this type of lighting fixtures in your renovations and remember that lamps are a
good way to light up specific areas and hence avoid pointlessly lighting an entire room.

Before you attempt to begin a project like this you should have very clear ideas about what you
want and need and how much you are willing to spend. It would be a good idea to write a list of
objectives and expectations and keep it with you throughout the renovations so as to never lose
sight of your target.

HOLIDAY ADVERTISEMENTS

A. This summer we have a fantastic range of adventure

holidays like trekking or climbing in the nearby mountains. Our
unique all-inclusive formula and budget accommodation
ensures you that nowhere else will you be given a better taste
of adventure nor value for your money. Our holidays are
especially ideal for young people who are travelling by
themselves as there is no single supplement for rooms. All the
group lessons you take part in are also included in our prices
so you can meet new people easily and have fun with them. A
minimum age limit applies to all our activities.

B. The magnificent Norwegian Arctic scenery will never cease to amaze you as it is packed with
diverse scenery, abundant activities and attractions that include whale and seal watching and visits
along its long winding valleys and famous fjords. You will be visiting one of the last great wilderness
areas left anywhere on the planet, and though it may come as a surprise to you, this captivating ice-
covered landscape, inaccessible through the harsh winter, is easier to reach in the summer. We
recommend you don't bother renting a car, but take a ride in a ferry or raft down a wild river instead
so you don't miss a thing while you are here.

C. Are you looking for the widest choice of destinations, accommodation and activities in the
Scottish highlands? Our family-owned specialist company provides full activity holidays that include
flights and accommodation as well as accommodation only. We are proud to design any kind of
holiday to meet your exact needs and requirements so just let us know what you want to do when
you are here. Mountain biking, trekking, skiing and snowboarding are just a few of the activities we
provide, which you can choose with or without an expert guide. Any of the above activities are
provided with top-quality hotels and flat rentals and we can also pick you up and take you to your
choice of airport.

D. This is a perfect holiday destination which is just as you have always imagined. The unique
beaches are beautiful and the villages nestle along the miles of coastline and bays, where the
turquoise waters, eye-catching scenery and stunning mountains appear to rise straight from the sea.
Other natural attractions such as the lively cities, the multitude of festivals and brilliant weather
make your destination a paradise for sight-seeing 365 days a year. There is so much to see and do
in the area that many visitors come again and again. Families will be given such a warm welcome by
the locals that you will feel like you belong.

E. Discover the hidden beauty of a historical town that combines tradition with the latest, fully
modern experience. The surrounding countryside is famous throughout Europe and the world for
its fine food, local traditions and wonderful, picturesque landscape that provides everything you
could possibly want for your stay. Just a short train ride or thirty minutes drive away, what better
place could there be to enjoy the excellence and elegance of our five-star hotel, which offers
exclusive couples-only short stays and long weekends that will make you both feel like new at any
time of the year?

SIGHTSEEING IN IRELAND

There is an endless list of beautiful places worth visiting in Ireland but for those who plan to spend
just a short time; this is a compilation of the most popular destinations with tourists.

The incredible Cliffs of Moher have a drop of over two hundred metres from a relatively flat meadow
with amazing views of the North Atlantic Ocean. They are some of the highest cliffs in Europe and
undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking parts of Ireland.

The Giant's Causeway in County Antrim is a Unesco World Heritage Site with strange basalt rock
formations over fifty-five million years old. It is on the northeast coast of Ireland just a short, one
hour boat journey away from Scotland.

Within the city of Dublin there are endless options for sightseeing but to mention some of the most
typical; it would be a real shame to not pay a visit to Trinity College and Library which was founded
by Queen Elizabeth the First in fifteen ninety-two. Some of the most impressive buildings within the
college grounds were constructed in seventeen fifty-nine when it was under renovation. The famous
Trinity College Library has more than a million books and priceless manuscripts, the most famous
being the Book of Kells, which is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four
Gospels of the New Testament.

O'Connell Street is the city's and Europe's widest urban street. There are many statues and
monuments all over the city. The General Post Office is located on this street, which was rebuilt
after being destroyed in the nineteen sixteen rebellion.

BUSY OFFICE REQUIRES SECRETARY

Dear _____,

With reference to your advertisement in The Kent Herald of 14 March, 2015, I wish to apply for the
post of secretary.

I am currently working in Bolton Electrical as a secretary but as it is a cover for maternity leave, my
contract is due to expire and I am looking for a permanent position. My duties include answering
and transferring telephone calls, dealing with general enquiries and filing the company paperwork.

Please find attached a copy of my curriculum where you will see details of my past positions and my
qualifications. I believe I have all the relevant experience and skills in order to take on the post and
work to a very high standard. I take pride in my work and can provide excellent references from past
employers.

I am available for interview at any time. Please do not hesitate to contact me for further details.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

(First and last name)

PUBLIC RELATIONS

1) "The three main elements of public relations are practically as old as society: informing people,
persuading people and integrating people with people. Of course, the means and methods of
accomplishing these ends have changed as society has changed."
Edward Bernays

2) The above quote from Edward Bernays illustrates the fact that Public Relations or PR as we shall
refer to it is, as the saying goes, as old as the hills. Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, is
considered one of the forerunners in the field of PR. Working with others on aspects such as crowd
psychology and psychoanalysis, Bernays experimented with ways to alter or manipulate public
opinion through the subconscious. This seems like a very sinister plan when set out in black and
white, but has been the aim of a good PR person since the early days when large companies set up
press bureaus in order to give out a positive public image as well as to attract interest from investors
and form a positive atmosphere among employees.

3) Many people associate PR with marketing and this misperception is hard to battle as for many
people the line between soft and hard sell is difficult to distinguish. Whereas marketing can be seen
as an area whereby products are offered through advertising campaigns which are featured in
purchased advertising space, PR is more subtle. The idea is to offer information and a positive image
to the target audience or public; so rather than come up with a glitzy campaign, PR teams will look
for ways to stage events, place products or attend meetings in which they can put their product or
client forward in a positive light.

4) The 1990's saw a distinct evolution from internal

press bureaus to external firms set up as
consultants or advisors to a diverse clientele
including: the government, educational
institutions, non-profit organisations, industries,
businesses and large companies, athletic teams
and entertainment companies. The needs of each
client are taken on an individual basis although
there are set tactics which have evolved over the
years and now, with the rise of the internet, there
are more possibilities, such as using blogs and
social networking sites and search engine
optimisation.

5) Within the broad subject area of PR there are sub-categories dealing with finance, products and
crisis. The first two categories are probably self-explanatory. "Finance" is a specialist sector
concerned very much with business journalists and "product" is the application of PR tactics to sell
a product rather than a formal advertising campaign. The last, "crisis", is a way to counteract
negative publicity and has also been linked to the terms spin and spin doctor. Although the terms
have come to be used pejoratively, the PR world uses the technique in subtle ways in many
campaigns and there have been stories of the use of PR agencies even at times of war in order to
sway public opinion in favour of one side or another.

6) There have been ethical issues related to the area of PR and the 1950's Code of Professional
Standards was drawn up to avoid misinformation and breaches of conduct. Regrettably, although
there are very well respected courses which instruct students on the most ethically sound way of
working with PR techniques, ultimately it is a very difficult area to judge. In a country with the right
to freedom of speech and in which there is no license for the practice of the profession, it is very
hard to prosecute and it remains a grey area.

7) To conclude, what started as an internal operation for large companies in the 1900's has grown
to a tremendously influential level throughout the world. The competition within the industry -
especially in Media PR - is fierce and contacts are as important as qualifications, experience and
imagination.

MARKETING TECHNIQUES

Marketing is essentially a way to build and maintain a relationship with your customers, so logically
the most important thing for you to have information about is your customer base as well as
potential customers. Are you meeting your customers' needs? Is the relationship mutually
beneficial? How do you gather information? Are the figures you have up to date? Should you
consider carrying out new surveys? Analysing this type of data is the best way you have to hit the
target in terms of effective marketing. This applies to marketing in all areas: small businesses,
multinational corporations or even NGOs. Everybody needs to know who they are aiming for.

Many companies have been using loyalty schemes to encourage consumers to maintain the
relationship with their brands or shops. There are points systems, discount vouchers or even
competitions with generous prizes. These schemes are a wonderful way to track consumer
behaviour and spending at the same time as providing an incentive for repeat purchasing. Naturally,
these schemes work best for companies offering products, but with a little imagination they can be
adapted to almost anything, from museums to services. A charity needs to sustain its relationship
with its supporters too and so setting up a scheme that can benefit both parties as well as encourage
new members is invaluable.

If your company or organisation already has a

marketing plan, go through it very carefully. It
may be years out of date. For example, you may
not be making the most of the internet and
modern technologies. Mobile marketing has
become increasingly popular over the past few
years, and if we are to believe many marketing
gurus, it's a very effective way to reach certain
population groups. Many companies have started
using viral marketing as a way to draw attention
to themselves or a new product. These more
modern strategies are not appropriate for some,
but could turn out to be invaluable for others.

Whether you are working in a multinational company, a small family-run business or a charity you
will no doubt be asked to justify your budget, to prove that the money you spend on marketing is
not being wasted. This is one of the hardest areas for a marketing department to define as you are
working with the production department too. To make your company more profitable, you may
need to implement changes in production or distribution at the same time as bringing your product
to the market or maintaining its position. You may find that you have to make suggestions that are
not popular in order to streamline efficiency. The best way to deal with that is to make sure you
have a solid understanding of the capabilities and capacities that the other departments have and
to have excellent communication between teams.

IN A MODERN HOSPITAL

In modern hospitals around 80% of patients will receive an intravenous drip at some point during
their hospitalization. The drips can contain medication, nutrition or, in the case of a transfusion,
blood. The most common place for the needle of the drip to be inserted is in a vein in the arm or
hand and the most common motive for the drip is to provide essential fluids to the patient. However,
recent studies have shown that often a needle is inserted, with the aim of later attaching it to a drip,
where there is no real need for one, and this can lead to an unnecessary increase in the potential
for bacterial infection.

Childbirth, or labour, is accompanied by intense pain. The amount of pain that a woman experiences
depends on various factors including her experience of childbirth, the support she receives during
the birth and the use of analgesic drugs. Even factors such as the amount of control a woman has
on the decision-making process can influence her experience of giving birth.

Sometimes a natural birth is not possible and the baby has to be delivered through a surgical incision
in the abdomen; this is known as a Caesarean section or C-section.

A Caesarean section is normally only necessary if a natural birth will put the mother's or baby's life
at risk, but recently it has been more frequently performed upon request.

FUTURE HUMAN BODIES

Science fiction in cinema and novels has provided

varied descriptions about how humans will look in
the future. Some think we might look like half
robots, but most believe that surely humans will try
to be fitter and more beautiful. Among this ocean of
speculations, five medical researchers have given
their professional opinions according to their latest
discoveries.

Medical researcher Dr Susan Ellis reminds us that

every ten years people in some parts of the world
can hope to survive for an extra couple of years. This
means that in a century most humans in certain
places will get to the age of 100, or even survive for
around thirty more years if they keep a healthy
lifestyle. That makes long-lasting bodies the norm
for the near future, but will humans be in shape too?

Professor Samuel Martin, a lecturer in medical sciences, indicates how in the last years the number
of overweight people in the western world has increased in a pace that does not seem to slow down.
Even if it does, the majority of people living in developed countries will be obese in 100 years, being
the younger generations the worst affected. This will lead to weight-related diseases and premature
deaths too, therefore living under the general impact of fat people issues and expecting body ideals
which will be even more unattainable than the present ones.

As obesity seems to be an obstacle for the future of human well-being, some believe that miracle
cures will be found to solve the problem. However, Dr Michael Roberts, scientist in a research
company, is sceptical of this notion even in the long term, disregarding what some pharmaceutical
companies say; he argues that there will never be a drug that prevents gaining weight while eating
anything people like. And the same is true of a "fitness" cure: a drug can only reinforce what people
do by themselves. According to Dr Roberts, there are genes for body shape and fitness, but the
benefits of exercise on body and mind are so complex that drugs do not seem likely to replicate
these advantages.

Yet University professor Dr Ann Talbot explains how drugs will have a significant impact in other
areas. Baldness, for instance, will one day be a thing of the past as very promising research going on
into growth treatments, using hormones, will probably be a cure in the mid-term. With time, glasses
will be redundant too, as people will apply some substances in the eyes daily to prevent vision
problems.

Nevertheless, some experts fear that advances in science will mean more general obsessions in
relation with physical perfection and youth. That is the opinion of Allan Hall, professor of genetics,
who points out that globalisation is already changing our external appearance. For example, people
in Africa still look remarkably different, so it is easy to figure out where somebody comes from,
whereas that is becoming quite more difficult to do in Western countries. Everyone seems to be
merging together in a kind of common look that includes facial appearance or skin colour. Indeed,
photographic technology has given geneticists some insight of the "average" face of the future, even
if, according to Professor Hall, some characteristics seem to prove resistant to this - a "strong" nose
being one of them. In this regard, Professor Samuel Martin adds that people's complexion will look
quite wrinkle-free within a century. Not only as sun cream will be more effective and applied to the
skin, but also because new products will effectively repair the damage already caused.

So the science may be difficult to predict, but then, will people want to be perfect? In any case, in a
future world of almost perfect people, who knows if it will be those who are imperfect the ones
seen as the most attractive.

ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE

MEDICINE

When it comes to medicine there are two generally accepted approaches. Western medicine tends
to focus on the treatment of illnesses whereas Chinese medicine has more of a preventative
approach. To give you an idea of the history of these health systems, Chinese medicine dates back
to two thousand BC compared to that of the United States of America which is reported to have
begun around two thousand AD.

For those who do not understand traditional Chinese medicine, it is based on the belief that
everything in the universe is interconnected, meaning that every individual part of the body is
connected in some way or other and the mind and body are considered part of one larger system
of energy.

Many concepts in traditional Chinese medicine are not practised in Western medicine, for example
"qi" is said to be a force which controls the human mind and body, flowing through channels in the
body called meridians. When there are changes in the movement of qi, health complications arise.
It is believed that only by restoring the correct movement of qi will cure a medical illness or ailment.

There are many widely-known medical practices that come from Chinese medicine, for example
acupressure, moxibustion, manipulative and massage techniques like tuina and gua sha, herbal
medicine and meditation but undoubtedly one of the most popular is that of acupuncture.

Acupuncture is the stimulation of the core

points of the body using different
techniques. One of the most recognised
methods is that of penetrating the skin with
needles that are electrically manipulated. It
is said to correct the imbalance of qi in the
meridians which we talked about earlier.
Modern research has also suggested that
acupuncture may be a recommended
treatment for anxiety, sleep disorders and
depression.

Acupuncture has been supported by the United States National Institutes of Health, the National
Health Service of the United Kingdom, the World Health Organisation and the National Centre for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine with the general agreement that it is relatively safe when
administered by qualified practitioners using sterile needles.

However unusual traditional Chinese medicine may seem it is nevertheless scientifically proven to
have positive results. Some of the most remarkable results achieved with the use of Chinese
medicine were seen with the treatment of nausea and vomiting, skin disorders and muscular pains.

HELPFUL HINTS

- Start by preparing a quiet and comfortable study area which has everything you need.

- Develop a study habit; write yourself a timetable if necessary.

- You will learn and remember far more if you study a little every day.

- Question everything you read or hear, no matter how reliable the source, and remember that your
own opinion is as valid as anyone else's.

- Rephrase your notes in order to test your knowledge and understanding.

- Use diagrams and key words to aid memory; be creative when writing notes.

- Consult a variety of reference books and other sources, and speak to your fellow students to get
different points of view.

- Always plan your work before you begin to write.

STUDYING MUST BE LEARNED

It is a widespread belief that young people are taught how to study at school.

However, they are normally given little or no guidance in this respect.

On the contrary, they are fed information which they memorise without question.

They are encouraged neither to contribute their own ideas, nor to develop a critical sense.

The teachers' words are copied down and later reproduced in exams.

This leads to a society of automatons who are easy to manipulate as they are not used to thinking
for themselves.

Studying is a skill which must be learned.

WORLD MUSIC TOUR

This week's best album releases from round the world music.

A. Exploring Niger

This is probably the best collection of tracks by the stars of this undiscovered country. Afsound is a
French label specialised in innovative compilations, backed up by a choice of outstanding artists and
intelligent album notes. The result is an attractive variety of songs by musicians who have made sub-
Saharan music so popular around the world. As well as established stars, such as Keita, there are
some excellent tracks from singers less well known outside the Arab-speaking world. This is a must-
have compilation.

B. Revisiting Hindunotes

In the late eighties, two masters of Indian music

teamed up with a group of English and German
musicians to record Hindunotes, an album that
was praised by European critics and was also a big
hit in their home country. Following the renewed
interest in South Asian traditional music with
some notable recent releases, now is certainly
the right time to rediscover this hidden treasure.
The performers of Hindunotes sing and play a
mixture of traditional songs and their own
compositions, supported by an elegant musical
backing. The sound is primarily Hindustani, with
the unlikely but successful addition of accordion,
flute and electric guitar. What was an early
experiment in cross-cultural music deserves a
present second hearing.

C. Afro Salsa beats

Owner of a bookshop in his hometown San Juan, Alex Bernier found music to be his true vocation.
Rather unexpectedly, he moved to London in the late nineties and dedicated himself to Afro salsa,
forming a band with a crowd of Cuban musicians who were already familiar with mixing salsa and
appealing dance beats. With these ten self-composed tracks, the talented Puerto Rican proves
himself to possess a fast developing ability to innovate with his band fellows. Alex is surely someone
to keep a close eye on.

D. Bologna-Chiapas connection

Following up his million-selling album and record of the year in world music, Giò G., the former front
man of the unique Italian rock band Alban has now created an individual style. Reflecting his mixed
ethnic background and the sounds he has collected on his travels in Latin America, the new album
Bologna-Chiapas is very much a continuation of his previous success in style and themes. With the
songs gently flowing into each other, accompanied by a stream of everyday sounds, Giò's tunes are
sung in a mixture of languages, though the music has more of a Caribbean feel to it this time, with
plenty of reggae and ragga rhythms. This is definitely a satisfying part two for those Giò's fans
captivated by his precedent release.

E. Gypsy Fanfare live

Live performances by the Gypsy Fanfare have a renowned reputation, and this album of tracks
recorded over different concerts in their native Bulgaria can well show why. A lively first track is
followed by a non-stop festival of gypsy reels and rhythms, punctuated by some moments of gentle
recovery, before setting off again a free celebration of happy tunes. Ironically, after a decade of
international success, these concerts were the first in the city, but judging from these performances,
they should soon be making as much of a mark there as they have elsewhere. Some live albums
suffer from inferior recording, but the raw intensity of the music here makes up for the lack of studio
polish.

F. Arab dreams

The Egyptian musician Amenei has released his second collection of Arabic-influenced music.
Although we would expect it to sound like a disparate collection of tracks, it could not be any further
from reality. The grooves of Arab Dreams flow throughout the tracks, resulting into such a wonderful
union of songs and instruments that we could think they have been recorded as one. Amenei has
compiled songs from fairly well-known artists to offerings from not so familiar names. None of the
music lovers in the world should miss this one.

GEORGE ORWELL

George Orwell is without a doubt a major figure in twentieth century English literature.

His best known works are of course "Nineteen Eighty Four" and "Animal Farm". The former is a truly
horrifying vision of "the future" (written in 1949) and the latter is a satirical tale of a popular
revolution in the animal world which develops into a dictatorship. However, his autobiographical
writing is equally absorbing.

Homage to Catalonia describes his participation in the Spanish Civil War and Down and Out in Paris
and London is a vivid account of his experiences of living amongst the victims of society.

Orwell's real name was Eric Arthur Blair and he was born in 1903 in India as his father was working
in the civil service there.

His family returned to England when he was four years old. He came from a wealthy background
and received an excellent education, going on to join the Imperial Police in Burma.

He also worked as a private tutor and in a bookshop. As a journalist, he contributed to a variety of

newpapers.

George Orwell was a man of remarkable drive and enthusiasm.

Nevertheless, he suffered from poor health and died in 1950, aged only 46.

DEFENCE OF THEATRE

Dear Sirs,

I am writing to express my indignation over the content of a letter written by Mr Philip Moss and
printed in this section on April the 16th. "English theatre is dying a slow and painful death" states
Mr Moss.

One is tempted to ask him how long it is since he has seen a play. Without a doubt it must be quite
some time, judging by the ignorance reflected in his letter. Of course "Shakespeare is the greatest
playwright who has ever lived". Nobody is arguing with that. But, my dear Sir, times have changed
a great deal since 1616.

Nor is it true that "the only modern day contributions are the popular musical and farcical comedy."
There is plenty of high quality English drama around and I should know, as I've been working in the
theatre for a good many years and have a fair knowledge of dramatic arts.

So I can assure you, Philip Moss, that the English play is alive and well and, what is more, it cannot
be kept down, whether performed on street corners by travelling players or in the church hall by
enthusiasts.

And I suggest that next time you express an opinion publicly, you check your facts first.

Yours,

Deirdre Tittersfield

PS Ms Tittersfield is currently appearing at the Royal Theatre in Oxford.

NOTES OF A TRAVELLER

October 2nd. - Just arrived on island, rested after hard journey. No sign of life except strange parrots,
monkeys, etc. Ocean calm, weather perfect now. Plenty fish, also coconuts, fruit, e.g. pineapples.

October 3rd. - Exploring island. South: forest. North: mountains. Collecting plants, studying insects,
animal life. PM sounds like drums in West, i.e. island inhabited? Caution.

October 4th. - Woken in night, voices, fire in distance. Frances and Robert investigating, not
returned yet, someone approaching, perhaps natives not friendly.

Here the diary finishes.

HEALTH DISORDERS

A. Ever since he was a young boy, Bob French had felt convinced that he was destined to go to hell.
He would spend Sundays in church confessing his sins in order to prevent this fate. "I had persistent
fears about committing a sin, and I was afraid of God's punishment" said French, now a 50-year-old
psychiatric social worker at the Milton Centre in Cambridge.

As a teenager, his religious obsessions turned to an overwhelming attention to detail and a constant
feeling of doom. "I had images of something terrible happening, and it being my fault," he said. He
became housebound when his confidence levels fell to the extent that he felt he couldn't even drive
in case he had an accident and injured a child.

In his twenties he worked in a hospital and once spent an entire night walking through the hospital,
touching ashtrays to see if they were cool. He feared a fire from the smouldering ashes could destroy
the building. By his 30s, his life had degenerated into a series of these rituals, repeated over and
over. French is one of the estimated four million people who suffer from this obsessive compulsive
disorder.

B. At the age of 35, Mick realised that he was a

compulsive overeater. He hadn't recognised
the condition partly because, as an athlete, he
put the amount of food he ate down to the
physical exertion he was doing. One day, it
dawned on him as he was sitting at his usual
table in his usual lunch hour as he did every day.
He saw himself sitting at the table of
latecomers and realised that he was the only
student who had been there from the
beginning of dinner hour. He forced the last
bite of pasta down into his tight and aching
stomach and looked around. No, no one would
notice. He got up for dessert. Later that evening
he went to his room and pulled a large packet
of indigestion tablets from his desk drawer, he
chewed until he fell asleep.

Because of the gluttonous abuse he had been heaping on his body over the years, he was taking
about twenty tablets a day to alleviate the inevitable indigestion. Strange, he thought, that he
should display such a lack of will power, when he had been so strict during his high school years with
his incredible discipline, both in his diet and his athletic training for track and cross country.

C. By August first he had been in bed for three months. He was paralysed -- not physically, but with
a fear so great that every waking moment was spent dreading the next ...and waking moments were

all there seemed to be. If he slept at all, it was for maybe fifteen minutes a night. If he ate at all, it
was one can of soup a day, provided the nervousness he felt didn't cause him to reject all food
completely. He had lost 13.5 kg. He had not taken a shower in weeks. He cried constantly. He wanted
to die. He had never known such great pain in his life. Yet, he was told by every doctor who examined
him as he tried to get help that there was absolutely nothing wrong ... at least not physically. He was
convinced that he must have some type of sleep disorder that was causing all this. He thought that
if he could only get to a therapist who knew about sleep disorders, he could give him some
medication and he would be all right.

Of course, he couldn't get out of bed...it was, after all, August first -- and that date had a one in it.
One was a "bad" number and if he did anything on the first, he was convinced it would not only end
with disastrous consequences, but, most likely death...not only death, but an eternity in hell! Of
course, he couldn't get out of bed on August second, either. The second was only one number away
from one, so that wouldn't be acceptable. The third was just as bad! It was one week away from the
tenth and ten had a one in it.

D. Carol's main disorder is checking things and it regularly stops her getting to work on time. Every
day without fail, she makes sure the coffee pot is off a couple of thousand times, checks to make
sure the six knobs on the stove are off, the same amount of times right before she leaves the house;
checks the gear stick on the car is in neutral and that she has the keys in her right hand when she
gets out of the car, etc. When she tries to speed the process up, she can't do so, even after checking
everything is as it should be, she has to stare at the thing a couple of minutes to convince herself
that the process is actually done. Even having done this, she then has to return to the house and
start the process all over again.

She believes her obsessions started because she was always a conscientious girl and tried to do
things perfectly for her parents. According to her mother, only the best performance would do and
subsequently school and horse shows had to be done to the very best standard, everything in Carol's
life now has be to perfect.

OUR BRAIN'S POTENTIAL

Nowadays, it is common knowledge that we human beings only use a fraction of our brains' vast
potential.

But who knows what that potential really is? For we are told that the brain contains as many cells
as our galaxy contains stars and the possible connections between them are all but infinite.

By now, most of us are aware that we possess a left and a right brain. The former deals principally
with logic, sequence, words and numbers. While the latter specialises in rhythm, space, colour and
imagination.

However, by defining ourselves as left or right brain dominant, we are limiting our capabilities when
we should be aiming to balance all these skills as a genius like Leonardo da Vinci managed to do.

Some figures:

- About 95 percent of our knowledge about the brain has been acquired during the last ten years.

- The female brain weighs approximately 1 kilo 250 grams. And the male brain 1 kilo 390 grams.

- It's been estimated that there occur some one hundred trillion connections and only one brain
cell may connect with ten thousand others simultaneously.

- Information can travel at a speed of one hundred metres per second.

POPULAR CHARACTERS

A) This is a fairly elderly man, but he's extremely lively and

cheerful and he likes to wear bright colours. He is also very fond
of children and has travelled all over the world, dozens of times!
He is rather overweight, and white-haired with a long beard.

B) She is an attractive, young girl, but her family treats her very
badly and makes her do all the housework. Fortunately, she has a
godmother who loves her and with her help she manages to
gatecrash an important party. She has pretty, little feet which will
help her find a husband.

C) This character has won the hearts of millions, although it must be said that he is not very good-
looking. However, he has lovely, big, expressive eyes and he is very sensitive and intelligent for his
age. He is also completely bald and short legged.

D) He is a middle-aged man with a very unusual diet and sleeping habits. He prefers to dress in dark
colours and he isn't very sociable, although he has a weakness for beautiful young girls. His
complexion is extremely pale and he's got rather sharp teeth.

JAMBO

Jambo was a remarkable character, extremely well-built, dark-haired with expressive, intelligent
brown eyes... and good-looking, if you like gorillas!

His name means "How do you do?" in Swahili. However, he was born in a Swiss zoo on the 17th of
April, 1961.

By the time he was eleven, he had been moved to a zoo on the island of Jersey, founded by that
inspired naturalist, Gerald Durrell.

He lived there contentedly for twenty years, and died at the age of 31. His life was not very eventful,
except for an incident one Sunday in August 1986.

The crowd was horrified to witness how a small boy, Levan Merrit, fell into the gorilla pit. While they
were expecting a vicious attack, Jambo treated Levan with gentleness, and prevented the other
gorillas from approaching him.

His behaviour won the hearts of the entire United Kingdom; in fact he received cards and presents
from all over the world! He also gave us a better understanding of his species.

Due to the ignorance of human beings, gorillas were believed to be very aggressive. However, it
must be said that they are certainly not as pacific as some people now think.

A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

A - Harry

Having passed my A levels I began my workshop at the power station. I had planned to embark on
studying biology at university but realised, the month before I was due to start and my heart just
wasn't in it. I had always been interested in fashion and I realised at this point I would rather be at
a fashion show than examine lab rats and other guinea pigs. I used to design dresses and dress my
friends up at parties. They loved it, especially when I handed them the finished piece of art. One
day, I sent one of my designs to a top London shop and they placed a standing order for 500 of them
on the spot. Now they send me a list of colours for each season and I design and sew the handmade
dresses so that each one is unique and utterly breathtaking. It's time-consuming and incredibly
tedious. Besides, the materials I use are pricey, so the dresses are only found in very expensive, high-
end shops. Just recently, I had an invitation from a well-known magazine to design matching jackets
for my dresses. Thus, business is really flourishing.

B - Esmerelda

Two years ago I approached my bank manager for a loan to set up my own business. However,
although I spent days working and fine tuning my business plan, I was turned down as he said I
would take too long to make any money and pay back the loan. I bet he is regretting his words now,
though. My brother lent me the cash for the initial overheads and I moved into the basement of the
powerhouse. My business has done so well that I now rent four rooms upstairs. I manufacture
bodysuits for the stars, not because they are all too fat or too thin, but because their different roles
call for different shapes and sizes. Working every night on the stage leads to a considerable lack of
time to diet and work out, which is where I come in to play and provide a little extra help. Each
bodysuit costs a lot of money, anything from 5000 Pounds and up for just the basic model. I have to
take into account that the fabric and stuffing costs a lot and then each suit has to be moulded onto
the body; it's a lot of work. Bearing in mind all this, the owner has to care for the suit carefully. It
needs constant repair and dry-cleaning, and sometimes people even have two suits.

C - Ramond

My cousin told me about the powerhouse project when I was looking for premises for my business.
I had gone into the world excited about all the things I could do to make money but when I saw how
expensive it was to set up my business and I couldn't believe it. I make fans by hand; each one is
individually painted with oils. The handles match the main part of the fan and I often take orders for
special occasions from certain customers. Nevertheless, due to the time and skill involved, the fans
are not cheap and not being available mainstream makes them a lot more unique.

In the last year, my fans have been more and more in demand as word gets around. As a result, I
even employ another person now and I am thinking of setting up my own website. If I hadn't found
the powerhouse, I would never have got started.

D - Simon

Last year, when I was on the dole and bored, I turned my thoughts to becoming my own boss. I was
sick of applying for jobs that I wasn't even interested in and then not even being offered an
interview. One day I saw an advert in the shop window about renting space in the powerhouse and
the offer of a loan to buy the necessary equipment. The rent was really cheap and you didn't have
to start repayments until your business began to make a profit; I grabbed the lifeline! I borrowed
money from my friend, bought a laptop and some software and set about designing my very first
album cover. I had always loved art and design at school. Thus, hours went by and I didn't feel that
it was work, it was more pleasure. I sent the cover off to a local record producer and within a month,
I had my first order. Within 6 months, I had to employ two more members of staff in order to cope
with the workload. Now, five years later, we have also diversified into designing posters for concerts
and world tours. I have been really lucky.

THE MULTANGULAR TOWER

Built at the west corner of the Roman military fortress, this tower replaced an earlier, simpler design.
The argument remains to this day as to who undertook this work, although it would have been at
some point between two hundred to three hundred A.D. to reflect the latest developments in
military building techniques. Of more importance is what this tower tells us about York at the time.
As well as this example, a duplicate was added at the other end of the wall facing the river with six,
large three-storey interval towers added in between, of which the foundations of one can still be
seen just along the wall to the right of where you are now standing.

However, it's only the wall facing the river that received this opulent treatment, the other three
sides of the fortress were left untouched and this has led to the conclusion that the primary function
of these towers is not defence. All important visitors to York will have travelled from the south to
reach the city and as such would have entered the fortress from the river. Their first impression of
the legionary fortress would have been this wall and so therefore the purpose of these towers is to
impress: a political statement that York remained a source of Roman power in the region. Walk
through the gateway next to the Multangular to view the tower from within. At the base of the
tower are some Roman sarcophagi, found around York and placed here in the nineteenth century.

If you look very closely at the stonework of the tower, you might see some holes in among the
stonework. They were known as "putlock holes" and through them were placed wooden stakes,
used to support scaffolding used by the builders as the walls increased in height and were probably
used later for joists to support the wooden flooring on each level.

SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIPS

A cross-section of the local population was asked to list the three most important conditions for a
successful relationship whether between friends, workmates, family members, etc.

The majority, nearly two thirds, felt that respect is the key element. The remaining one third chose
either trust or sincerity.

In second and third places, quite a lot of the people added qualities such as understanding,
unselfishness and tolerance.

Many suggested that such things as affinity, i.e. shared tastes and interests, communication and
motivation are essential if the relationship is to survive.

Finally, a few people mentioned forgiveness and a similar social background.

THE MILDENHALL TREASURE

One bitterly cold afternoon, in January 1942, a man by the name of Gordon Butcher was ploughing
a field near Mildenhall in Suffolk when the plough struck an object buried in the earth. He
immediately stopped the tractor, got off and went to see what the object was. Kneeling down, he
dug the soil away with his hands until suddenly he caught sight of a piece of green-coloured metal.

Although he was not a particularly well-

educated man, Butcher knew that Romans
had lived in this part of Britain and that
Roman objects were sometimes found
here. He also knew that a man called Ford,
for whom he was working for, was
interested in such objects, so he set off
across the fields to tell him of his find.

Ford was mending a piece of farm

machinery. 'What's up?', he asked. 'The
plough hit a piece of metal,' said Butcher.
'What kind of metal?', he asked. 'I think it's
a big plate,' replied Butcher. 'Let's go and
take a look,' said Ford.

They returned to the tractor and Ford carefully dug round the object buried in the soil. After a little
while, he and Butcher managed to lift it out of the hole. It was a huge plate covered all over with a
green crust. Ford was tremendously excited, but he tried to hide his excitement. Meanwhile,
Butcher was still kneeling beside the hole. 'There's something else here,' he said and up came
another plate. Eventually, they found thirty-four separate pieces.

By now it had begun to snow and the two men were dreadfully cold. Butcher, who was totally
unaware of the value of their find, was keen to get home to a warm fire and a nice hot cup of tea;
but Ford was pretty certain that they had just dug up a hoard of Roman silver. If it was Roman silver,
it would be worth a fortune and he was wondering desperately how he could keep it all for himself.

There was a problem and he knew it. In England there is a law which states that any object made of
gold or silver that is found buried automatically becomes the property of the state. Provided that
the find is reported to the police immediately, the finder will receive the full value of the 'treasure'
from the government. Since Butcher had actually found the silver, it was he who would get the
reward if the find were reported. So what could he possibly do to keep this fortune to himself
without Butcher finding out?

Eventually, he was overcome by greed and decided to stage a burglary in which the Roman silver
would disappear. The only thing he was still missing was a scapegoat, someone to blame it all on.
He decided it should be this ignorant neighbour he had never got along with. He carefully planned
the entire scenario and collected evidence he could plant; a strand of hair here and some
fingerprints there and, of course, he didn't forget to leave a cardigan belonging to his neighbour
behind either.

The "big" night had finally come. He knew Butcher would be deeply asleep by now. Carefully and all
dressed in black, he sneaked in through the back door. It was so quiet you could've heard a pin drop.
He planted the evidence around the house and wrapped all the silver in a big blanket he had brought
with him. His heart started racing. "Almost there", he kept saying to himself trying to calm his nerves.
He tiptoed back out of the house and made his way back home.

Indeed, it took Butcher a couple of days to figure out the silver had gone missing and he thought
little more of the matter until a team of archaeologists visiting the area some four years later
informed him that, in fact, there was a lot more Roman silver hidden underground. They valued
each item up to 1,000 pounds.

It was then that Butcher told them about the stolen silver he had found back in the days. The
archaeologists persuaded him to report the burglary to the police and once an official investigation
had been launched, it didn't take long for the silver to be found, still wrapped up in the blanket and
stashed away under a trapdoor in the floor covered by an old torn rug. Ford was arrested on the
spot and taken into custody. Then, of course, the police came to see Butcher and both men were
ordered to appear at a special court hearing.

Eventually, Ford was sentenced and locked up for some time. Butcher received a token payment of
1,000 pounds and the silver known as "The Mildenhall Treasure" went to the British Museum.

THE MYSTERY OF ATLANTIS

The lost island of Atlantis is mentioned in the writings of Plato, who claimed that its existence was
a historical fact. However, many believe that he is more likely to have created a myth.

Atlantis is supposed to have been destroyed by a natural disaster, which may well have been an
earthquake. It has never been located, but could well have been situated between Europe and
America.

Plato died in the year 347 BC and he stated that the "history" had been transmitted orally over the
centuries, which means that the civilisation must have been very ancient indeed.

Even before it was physically destroyed, Atlantian society had been corrupted from within, the
inhabitants had become aggressive and hungry for power. In its Golden Age, hardship is unlikely to
have been experienced. Atlantis was a strong empire, rich in natural resources.

Magnificent temples are described and the people are supposed to have lived in harmony. May not
the account, historical or legendary, be a warning relevant to our own times, of the dangers of
ambition?

INFORMAL LETTER

24 High Street

Brentford

Middlesex

TW8 8QT

16th May

Dear Sarah,

Sorry to have taken so long to write, but I've been busy as usual with my social work and so on.
We're all well, except Jim who's in bed with a cold and feeling sorry for himself... Julia's going
through a difficult stage and is even more moody than usual. Roger's fine, though I don't see much
of him. I wonder if you could get away for a few days. Why don't you come here and we can fill each
other in on all the news? Let me know what you think.

Love, Molly.

P.S. Regards to all the family.

FORMAL LETTER

Careers Centre
P.O. Box 621
London
24 High Street
Brentford
Middlesex
TW8 8QT

16th May 2000

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have seen your advertisement in the current edition of "Young Future" and I am interested in your
correspondence courses.

I would be grateful if you could send me information about the courses, including prices and
duration.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

Molly Randall

A LETTER FROM THE AGENT

Dear Mr Holmes,

I am writing to you in regards to your recent film script, and to pass on confirmation of having
received the current draft.

Overall, I really like your script, especially the storyline

which involves the ghost in the flat. The moody tale of an
essentially phoney guy and his close friend as they come
to terms with their haunted flat, it is a story that I think
a lot of people will like. Your use of colloquial dialogue is
seamless, and it makes the characters and their speech
seem very natural. Also, your combination of drama,
horror and comedy works really well. During the
holidays, when John discovers the only thing his friend
Jane has brought on their trip is a rucksack full of jars of
honey, I laughed out loud and the timing of that comedy
scene in the middle of the scary film was perfect.

Despite everything I liked about the script, do you mind if I make some comments about your story?
Can I suggest you remove the chemist's scene in favour of a longer motorway scene? Also, do you
have any idea of the duration of this version of the film? You might want to make a note of these
things, and let me know. In fact, would you like to meet next week and we can discuss your script in
more detail? It would also be good to get your ideas on how faithfully you want to stick to your
original story. Shall we set up brunch for Wednesday? Afterwards, we can discuss particulars. And
if possible, do you think you could bring along all of your script notes as well?

I have sent some other material with this letter, including a standard contract, which you would
need to sign. Once you are happy with the contract and your signature is on the paperwork, an initial
payment can be made to you. Once you have that advance you should be able to begin work
presently on the next draft of the script. We are also happy to cover any previous expenses you may
have incurred while working on the script so far.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely,

Edgar Collins

P.S. Do you mind if I pass on your details to my associate? She was one of the other recipients of
your script. She mentioned she would be grateful if I updated her about your progress. She is keen
for me to arrange a meeting for you with an executive at the studio. I believe this new screenplay
of yours is only further proof of your unique voice, and I am confident it will be well received. The
studio executive will go over some details about funding and product placement. Please, let me
know before our meeting on Wednesday.

ALL ABOUT ESTHER LAKE

Name: Esther Lake.

Profession: top model.

Age: no longer a teenager and under 25!

Achievements: front cover of "Fashion" magazine.

Ambitions: to be a star on the big screen.

Regrets: not getting a university degree.

Magical moments: giving birth, visiting the Grand Canyon.

Pet hates: sexist men, artichokes, snakes.

Advice to aspiring models: it's no use comparing yourself to others; have faith in your own
uniqueness.

3 wishes for today's world:

1. For politicians to stop being dishonest.

2. Manage to clean up the environment.

3. To decide to share out our resources.

ESTHER'S ROUTINE

I always set my alarm clock for half past six so as to give me time to go jogging before breakfast. This
consists of fruit, black coffee, crispbread and low-fat cheese.

Afterwards, I tidy up before getting my toddler up and geting her washed, dressed and fed.

My husband drives her to playschool while I get ready for a photo session. This involves putting on
my make-up with great care and checking my notes about what I have to do.

I always arrange to meet my agent before starting, and he advises me...

THE COLOR PURPLE

A. Tracy

There was so much advance publicity about this film that I suppose I was expecting a masterpiece,
but to be honest I wasn't as impressed as I expected to be. I thought the acting was very good, and
the photography, but I wasn't so sure about the story or the characters. I mean, I think Spielberg
wants you to feel 'How bad the husband is! How bad all the whites are! How sweet Celie is! How
kind her husband's other woman is!' and so on. That is, everyone is so clearly bad or so clearly good
that you don't have to think much, because Spielberg has told you what to think. I prefer films that
are not so clear-cut.

B. Allan

I didn't like the film much at first, partly because I thought Celie was so ugly that I would never be
able to identify with her, but in the end I did sympathise with her because the actress, Whoopi
Goldberg, is so expressive that in the end you forget how ugly she looks at the beginning. She has
such a sweet smile, but at the beginning you don't see that because she's living in such horrible
conditions. So she's got nothing to smile about. What good music they have in the film, too! All that
old jazz... it made me realise how important it must have been for African Americans to hear their
own music on records in those times.

C. Terence

I simply hate sentimental films, I can't stand them! I have never seen so many people crying in a
cinema before, and I really got so tired of all those people sniffing and blowing their noses that in
the end I wanted to walk out. But my wife loved it. We all know how bad people can be, but in this
film the bad were so bad and the good were so good that I felt like shouting out, 'What nonsense!
What trivial rubbish!' I am amazed that nonsense like that can be so popular. Have you seen the
queues? Thousands of people, every day!

D. Heather

I really enjoyed it. I've never cried so much at a film, but it was so good, really. For a start, it was
really beautiful colour, and I've never seen such good photography... it made me feel like I was there.
It was such an interesting story, too. It really showed how difficult life was for African Americans
then. That poor woman, what was her name, Celie? What a husband! What a rotten husband! It
must be awful to think you're married to a man like that and you can't escape from him! One thing
I liked a lot in the story was the relationship that Celie had with her husband's other woman. I mean,
when the woman arrives you think, 'How terrible, how terrible for Celie to have to live in the same
house and serve the woman!' But they become such good friends that you can't help liking the other
woman, the singer...

E. Sarah

I can't help feeling a bit disappointed about the film, as I adore the original novel by Alice Walker.
Even if the adaptation is praiseworthy and full of lifelike situations, and the actors move the
audience to the characters' emotions, I feel that the scenes a reader can imagine through the novel
are far more attractive. However, I recommend the film to those who prefer enjoying a night out at
the cinema rather than explore the possibilities and interpretations from a writer's masterpiece.

F. Mike

This film is not the genre I usually watch, but my partner does, so I was persuaded to go to the
cinema. I must say I was enthralled from minute one by the story I was being told, and what a cast
of superb actors! I was pleased to spend more than two hours watching a film that moves
unpredictably from one side to the other of the original story and that wasn't over-sentimental or
stereotyped as I had wrongly predicted. A must-see for anyone just looking for a great film!

CHOOSING A PRESENT

Sunflower Paperweight
Delightful solid glass paperweight with sunflower design.
Ideal for art lovers. Oval, 8 cm across.
Price: 4 euros.

Silver and Glass Necklace

Elegant necklace made of silver and hand painted glass beads
(matching earrings available separately)
Necklace 40 cm long.
Price: 32 euros.

Writing Paper
Attractive writing set; includes 20 sheets, 22 cm x 15 cm and
15 matching envelopes in a square presentation box.
Gold and lilac design of spring flowers on recycled paper.
Price: 7 euros.

Wooden Photo Frame

Decorative rectangular frame for standard sized prints (10 cm
x 15 cm) in wood from sustainable forest. Comes complete
with stand and hook for hanging.
Price: 18 euros.

Scented Candles
Set of four miniature spherical candles, scented with natural
aromas of rose, jasmine, lavender and violet, each with a
different and delicate design.
5cm x 5cm x 5cm.
10 hours, burning time.
Price: 16 euros.

Driving Licence Holder

Practical leather wallet for keeping your licence clean and
safe. Available in black, dark brown and chestnut with gold
initials if requested.
Price: 12 euros (with initials: 13.50 euros).

CHRISTMAS STORIES

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens must surely be the best-known and best-loved of all
Christmas stories, with the exception of the Nativity itself.

It tells of Ebernezer Scrooge, a rich and selfish old man, who refuses to be cheerful at Christmas and
doesn't consider that mankind in general has any reason to celebrate.

He gives no thought to the poor and suffering, and treats his clerk, Bob Cratchit, and the rest of
humanity with cold indifference.

However, on the night of December 24th, he is to learn the consequences of his mean existence.

His dead business partner, Marley, appears and tells him to expect three spirits to follow.

The Ghost of Christmas Past reminds him of a solitary early life. The Ghost of Christmas Present
reveals his clerk's true situation: unless he can find more resources his tiny delicate son will die.

Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come shows him the funeral he is likely to have: as he was
close to no-one in life there are no tears over his death. Needless to say, afterwards Scrooge regrets
being unkind and is transformed into a generous, happier man.

CAKE DESIGN

Henry Walker is rapidly becoming known for his delicious cakes and wonderful works of art. Cakes
are some people's passion and were such for Henry growing up as a child "I used to peek in the cake
shops when I was younger", he says, "it was amazing to see the rich colours, different textures and
great variety that, unknown to the average cake buyer, could have taken hours to create. To me
each cake is a work of art in itself."

More recently, Henry has been in touch with three leading car manufacturers. "My other passion is
cars; I think about them all the time. My idea was to sketch as many cars as possible and create life
style models of the cars using cake ingredients. The models would then be used at both trade shows
and art galleries to then be enjoyed by the guests.

"I prefer to visit the car showrooms in person and make as many sketches as possible. (1) I trust my
eye much more!"

So far Henry has been commissioned to do three pieces; each one takes around 73 hours to
complete and involves a team of 8 people. "The cakes are made in my garage which, at only 5 square
meters, is rather a tight squeeze!" In here he fits his worktop and all his cake making machinery.
Before he started baking large-scale, he was content with his standard-size mixer. (2) Furthermore,
he invested in a marble slab to be able to temper the chocolate he uses to embellish his designs.
The oven and hobs he uses all feature integrated digital thermometers that alarm him immediately
in case of any unforeseen temperature spikes.

Henry uses his prized cake mix for the main tier of the cake and a mix of sugar and cocoa powder
on the surface. This makes the finished piece less expensive than it would be if he were to use pure
dark chocolate, which is reserved for individual decorations only. He then adds a layer of sugar icing
and dried fruits for the headlamps and other car parts.

"Most people wouldn't expect this, but the most difficult part concerns logistics", explains Henry.
"Once the cake is assembled and ready for transport, we have to wrap it ensuring it stays moist and
doesn't break. Especially the decorations can be pretty fragile at times. Moreover, there is the issue
of temperature: (3) Hence, we always have to make sure that the cakes are well chilled at all times.
They have to be loaded and cannot shift during transit." So far, he has been lucky and his creations
have always arrived in flawless condition.

Last year Henry also was asked to make a model of the Prince of Arabia's fleet of Ferraris. They
wanted life size models to hang from the roof of his palace in Dubai. It's not easy to imagine how
Henry did it, but he and his team got every detail correct and made eight life-size replicas in just one
week. He then travelled with them wrapped in cling film all the way to Dubai where they were
subsequently suspended from the ceiling. (4) "I used to feel upset when people ate the work I had
spent hours creating, but now I feel pleasure that they are both enjoying looking at it and then
eating it. I also used to charge ridiculously small amounts for my commissions just because I wanted
people to enjoy them, but now I have learnt not to do that; it doesn't do my wallet any good!"

Despite the fact that making these cakes is incredibly hard work, Henry wants to carry on creating
his designs and even try sculpting other things, such as planes and boats. He would like to get some
more variety in his work and be more adventurous for many years to come. "There is a world of
cakes to create and cars to be designed. I don't want to miss out on a single one!", he chuckles.

THE PERFORMANCE

I was grateful to be on my way to Ireland, with the opportunity to watch one of my favourite up and
coming theatre groups as they attempted to forge their way into a new country. I was, admittedly,
already a fan of the group, and I was sure they would do well on fresh soil.

The members of the group were hoping to build up their own little empire; their unique style
contributing to the small but devoted following they already had.

I had arranged to meet with the group before their first performance, in the lobby of their hotel.
When they came in and sat down on the comfy couches, Bob was a little moody. He went on to tell
me the damage which was done to his luggage during the flight. Lucy had also somehow managed
to lose her exceptionally expensive necklace while going through customs, which added to the
group's rather gloomy disposition. However, I decided to avoid asking anything else about their
initial troubles, and the atmosphere thankfully improved.

I asked the actors about how they came to form the theatre group.

'About two thirds of us knew each from school, we met the others while doing various plays in our
local community,' Bob told me, 'but we knew we wanted to try to perform internationally ... The
stage was too small on a local level. I was the first to suggest we might be able to form our own
group. We all put our heads together, and managed to organise our first performance fairly quickly.'

I wanted to know what they thought was the key to a successful touring theatre group.

'You should do as much as you can to show your own individual style,' said Lucy. 'We don't have to
copy what anyone else has done before. This performance in Ireland could be a really good
opportunity for us, and it might lead to more performances in other countries.'

'May I ask where you get your ideas from?' I asked them, having always been interested to know
how the group developed their inspiration.

Lucy replied quickly and enthusiastically, 'we can all act well, we needn't worry about that, but we
try to make our performances easy to relate to. We have been able to develop quite an open way
of writing plays; we all tap into our creative resources, and bounce ideas off each other. We never
tell somebody that we "must do this" or that we "mustn't do that". We just see where our writing
takes us. It works really well.'

After my interview with them, the group went off to prepare for their first show, and I went to the
venue, and waited in the crowd with the rest of the eager audience.

When the curtain was raised, Bob walked out on stage with a sunflower in his hand. He approached
the edge of the stage and offered the flower to a young lady in the front row, before turning back
to the centre of the stage to begin the performance.

The performance was very conceptual and the response was mixed, but I think it is likely the group
will return to Ireland one day.

EXERCISE

There has been a widespread increase in the number of youngsters now on the dole. It seems that
once in this position many get stuck in a rut, such as Roger, a skilled and reliable electrician who has
been out of work for 6 months. He told us he would have rather belonged to a Syndicate, then he
would have had the opportunity to re-train accordingly.

He also commented that if by next October he hadn't found another job, he would get out of his
current predicament and use his dole money to travel to Asia where he could live like a king for very
little money. He had already been to Thailand 3 years previously when he split up with his ex-wife
and would welcome the opportunity to hear, see, smell and perhaps taste those sensations again.
It had been such a fulfilling experience to live in another world that he decided to begin planning a
trip to take his mind off his current situation. He had let the lack of work get him down for too long.

He went to the shop and bought guide books and maps of his chosen destination. He wasn't quite
sure if he would begin his journey in the North but he knew he didn't want to miss Malaysia. As he
had never been to Singapore, he began to research a route with a starting point here. As he read,
he eagerly turned the pages hungrily to find as much information as possible and found himself
absorbed in his books for nearly a week.

One week later, having planned his route, he managed to book a ticket departing that very next
day. The woman in the travel agency looked hesitant when she sold him his ticket and informed him
of the hurricane making its way across the Indian Ocean towards Asia. The likelihood was that the
island would be battered by the storm during the next 24 hours. Aware of the risks and despite the
travel agent's warning, Roger decided to take the chance and catch his flight the next day. As he sat
looking out the window at the evening sunset, deep in thought, the hostess served him a drink. He
sat sipping it whilst enjoying the anticipation he felt at his upcoming adventure and a true sense of
the unknown, whether it was going to be good or bad. He would rather feel scared and stimulated
by adventure than stagnant and bored in his current position.

EXERCISE

Isaac Newton was left fatherless at the age of two. His mother soon remarried and Isaac went to
live with his grandmother. He had no real interest in the family farm and as a young man, was sent
to Cambridge University to concentrate on his studies. Shortly before Isaac's birth, one of the
greatest scientist of all time had died. Galileo was an individual who had proved that the planets
revolve around the sun as opposed to the earth which was the popular belief at that time. Fascinated
by Galileo's discoveries and his counterparts, Isaac spent many hours pondering the universe. He
believed it worked like a machine and was governed by a few simple laws. Like Galileo, he realized
that mathematics was the way to explain and prove those laws. In time, Isaac Newton became
known as one of the world's great scientists. He was famous for taking his ideas, and the ideas of
earlier scientists, and combining them to form a united picture of how the universe works.

Born into a poor Polish family in 1867, Marie Curie used to amaze her family members with her
immense memory. When she was only four years old she learnt to read. Her father was a professor
of science and the instruments which he used to keep in glass cases about the house used to
fascinate her. Her ultimate dream was to become a scientist but she knew that it would be a
challenge. Facing extreme poverty at the age of 18 she had no choice but to become a governess.
She helped pay for her sister to study in Paris and later, her sister helped Marie with her education
in return. In those days, Universities for girls didn’t exist in Poland so instead she went to the
prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris. She was so poor during her studies that she survived on a
diet of bread and butter with tea and used to wear the old fashioned clothes from her home town
of Warsaw.

Born in Germany, 1879 Albert Einstein was to become a scientific legend. As a young man, he
enjoyed classical music and played the violin. One of his greatest childhood memories was of the
amazing phenomenon he saw when he was four or five years old: a magnetic compass. The
movement of the needle guided by an invisible force, was enough to capture his attention forever.
From this moment, he was convinced that there had to be "something behind this, something
deeply hidden." Even as a small boy Einstein was self-sufficient and thoughtful and as a child, was
known to be a slow talker, pausing to consider what he would say. One family member used to recall
how he would build houses of cards with the utmost concentration and perseverance. In 1933, he
joined the staff of the newly created Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He
proudly took up his position and remained there for life, living there until his death. Einstein is
probably familiar to most people for his mathematical equation about the nature of energy E=mc2.

Benjamn Franklin was a man of many things - diplomat, politician, printer, and scientist. Franklin
was born in 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts. He showed his intelligence and interest early on in his
reading and writing. At the age of ten though, he was taken out of school to learn his father's trade
of candle making. Young Benjamin hated this work and two years later became an apprentice in his
brother's print shop. After five years Franklin left his brother's shop and went to New York. He
couldn’t find work in New York so he moved to Philadelphia and became a very successful printer.
At this time, electricity had recently been discovered in Europe and Franklin subsequently spent six
years trying to generate it himself. He focused on lightning and the idea that electricity was caused
by electrical charges. By tying an iron key to a kite string during a storm, he was able to identify the
electrical charge and proved that lightning was in fact electricity.

EXERCISE

I don't usually choose to socialise with my workmates but I decided to make an exception due to my
curiosity.

Ben, the host, had also invited his girlfriend, Alice and another work colleague called Alistair. We
were all, including Alice, a little surprised by the invitation. It's not that Ben is unsociable or a bad
cook but he is very frugal. He isn't mean, it's just that he never spends more than he has to and I
have never known him to be wasteful or bought anything on impulse. He believes that money has
been hard earned and so should be spent wisely.

I remember one time we got a pay rise. The money was backdated a few months and so we were
paid more money than normal one month. I went out and bought a microwave oven. Alistair
decided to splash out on a new coat. Ben didn't buy anything, not even for poor Alice. He is against
consumerism and so why buy something he already has, or doesn't really need? I don't know if Alice
would agree with his sentiments.

Last year Ben told us about Buy Nothing Day. The organizers of the event want everyone to try and
not buy anything at all for one whole Saturday before Christmas. They say that it is challenging to
last 24 hours without spending any money, especially at this time of year. The idea is that people
think more about why they buy the things they do. "20 percent of the world's population is
consuming more than 80 percent of the world's natural resources", Ben explained.

As the evening meal drew closer, I was quite intrigued as to why he was inviting us round for a meal?
Had he changed? Was this a new, extravagant Ben? Had he bought something special for his friends,
or were we going to eat beans on toast? He greeted us at the door with a grin and gave us a martini,
and as we entered the smells of cooking wafted in from the kitchen. "We thought we might get
baked beans" said Alistair, "but you have really cooked us something!"

Ben ushered us into his dining room where he laid a table for us. He was still smiling in a strange
way. "Nothing but the best for my friends!" said Ben. We all sat down and looked nervously at each
other – what was he up to? "I hope", said Alice, "that he turns out to be a good cook!"

As we finished the delicious meal, Ben decided it was time to open up. He told us that he had read
about how supermarkets throw away 10 % of their food every day. He had investigated the bins
outside his local supermarket and found a lot of discarded food, he had filled a bag and brought it
home. We were eating the contents of the rubbish bin subsequently cooked by Ben!

EXERCISE

This week a new scare has arisen linking the chemicals found in plastic containers such as baby's
bottles to an increased risk of disease. These chemicals are also present in food and drink packaging
and are part of our everyday lives as modern consumers. Humans are exposed to chemicals on a
daily basis, just how they affect our health is being constantly investigated.

BPA is used to make linings of food and drink cans, plastic bottles, CD cases and many more everyday
plastic items. BPA is a substance widely used in today's consumer market and the latest research
has set the alarm bells ringing. In the past, these studies on animals have raised some seriously
worrying results. The chemical BPA behaves in a very similar way to the female sex hormone
oestrogen. Previously, when research has been carried out on animals it has indicated a link to
breast cancer, liver damage, obesity, diabetes and fertility problems. The male of the species has
also been found to suffer from stunted development.

Some of the world's leading experts took part in the study including Professor David Morris. When
we spoke to him earlier this month he commented on the important conclusions which could be
drawn from the study. "It is clear to see from our study the link between these dangerous chemicals
and everyday diseases in our adult population. There is no concrete evidence to prove that BPA is
the main culprit behind the incidence of extra cases of heart disease and diabetes if it does turn out
to be the case, we could prevent an awful lot of illnesses by eliminating our exposure to this
dangerous chemical" The results have been compiled from a total of 2000 blood and urine samples,
the ages of the donors ranged from 20 – 70 years old.

Although official safety standards of BPA levels exist they don't seem to be enough. From the study,
the quarter of the people with the highest levels of BPA were told they were running double the risk
of suffering from one of the aforementioned diseases. In addition to this they could also suffer liver
damage and excessive enzyme levels. This 25% were all younger members of the study.

Despite these new findings, what is still not clear is how the chemical BPA actually manages to
increase our risk to these diseases. With regard to diabetes, perhaps the body's need and use of
insulin is affected by the extra amount of fat these chemicals cause to be laid into the arteries. The
body would be fighting extra fat levels and therefore its ability to process insulin would be altered.
The extra fat in the arteries would also cause the heart to have to work faster and harder and in turn
could bring about more heart disease.

As so many of us drink from cans we are exposed to the BPA levels directly. The high-sugar canned
drinks themselves of course increase our risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. The general
trend is for our younger generations to drink more of these canned drinks and the study indicated
some interesting findings when they reported that the younger age groups in this study came up
with the highest BPA levels in their blood stream. Although official safety standards of BPA levels
exist they don't seem to be enough.

EXERCISE

I woke up one morning to the sound of my brother howling with laughter. I went downstairs to find
him in the kitchen with tears running down his face, hyperventilating and pointing out of the
window. I looked out, couldn't see anything, so I went outside, my brother followed. Subsequently,
my neighbour then came through her garden gate and said:

"I've got something that belongs to you"

And from behind her legs, my little dog Patchie appeared with a big grin on his face that said:

"Guess where I've been?"

My brother, in his infinite wisdom, had tied Patchie's favorite toy to the washing line with an old
lead and frustrated by this, Patchie had decided to try and get it back by pulling at it. The washing
line was too strong, and the lead equally strong resulting in a rather spectacular catapult effect,
throwing the dog clear over a 6 foot fence.

I can only imagine what my neighbour thought when she saw a small ball of white fur travelling high
above her garden before getting up and digging in her herb garden.

Patchie isn't alive anymore, but he really was the funniest dog ever, and that story still has my
brother laughing every time we remind him of it. He often talks about Patch with fondness and a
smile on his face.

B. When I was a little child, we had a lovely Great Dane dog that was about twice my height. He was
a beautiful, lovely, friendly, soft and gentle creature. Unfortunately he had an inherited stomach
problem - basically it meant that things would pass through him quickly, and he had an absolutely
enormous appetite. This meant that he would eat whatever he could find. To this day, I sleep in late
- purely because as a child you never wanted to be the first one up because of the sheer mountains
of dog excrement that would confront you downstairs.

Some of the things he chose to consume – an entire 4 kg tub of margarine and my favourite pair of
yellow socks. When I couldn't find them, I confronted my mother, she swore she'd washed them
and they were in the clean laundry basket. Three days later I found a small yellow thread in the dog's
bed and hence, never left my socks on ground level again.

C. When I lived at home we had a cat called George who was always catching poor unsuspecting
rodents outside and presenting them to us in the kitchen. One night I was awoken to hear some sort
of commotion in the kitchen and went down to investigate. I opened the kitchen door quietly, lent
in to switch the light on and experienced what to this day is both the funniest and most surreal
moment of my life.

In the middle of the kitchen floor was George with his back to the door. In the left corner was a
mouse and to the right corner was a Duck! As I turned on the light all three stopped what they were
doing and looked up at me.

I grabbed George and put him into the store room next to the kitchen. I looked for the mouse and
threw him out the window which left the duck. It suddenly jumped onto the sink and I lent across it
and opened the kitchen window. The duck took this opportunity and dived through the opening and
tried to escape.

The next thing I saw was the duck running up the garden being chased by George like a cheetah, he
had been sitting under the window waiting for the duck. I've no idea how the cat got the duck into
the house or how he got out of the cupboard and knew the duck would leap from the window but I
knew that George was more intelligent than I gave him credit for.

D. When I was married to my evil first wife I needed some male company. As she hated most of my
friends and they couldn't visit the house, I decided to purchase Basil, a Long Haired Hamster.

Basil was great and he was really intelligent. I was running a pub at the time, and Basil had this
amazing trick. I would take him downstairs and bet the regular customers I could put him inside the
pool table and predict which pocket he would exit from, I won every time.

Eventually I decided I had to split up with my wife and seek a divorce and I subsequently had to
move out of the pub. So I went to live at a friend's house as my friend was allergic to pet hair I had
to leave Basil at the pub. I missed him a lot, he was my soul-mate.

One night a week later, the ex wife called me and told me that Basil had died. He had escaped from
his cage and dived head first into her tropical fish tank – he had committed suicide due to my
departure!

EXERCISE

Nigel Grainge made up his mind a long time ago, to prove to himself and others that the crutches
he's walked with since he was eight years old cannot stop him from doing anything he wants to do.
Even training and competing in bodybuilding.

Nigel takes centre stage at the 2004 National Bodybuilding tournament and whilst I watched him, I
knew that he would carry on for years to come. He was an inspiration to those present. He managed
to move an entire auditorium full of bodybuilding fans to the point of applause, tears and standing
ovation.

I felt inspired to watch as he accepted his trophies. I am sure that many other people in the audience
felt the same and perhaps asked themselves why they didn't get up out of the chair and follow his
example.

Nigel was born in Scotland, on June 28th, 1970. He was a normal healthy boy in a loving, close knit
Scottish family with a mother who loved to cook! When he was eight years old, Nigel's family
decided it would be wise to get corrective surgery for his legs, which were slightly turned in from
birth (Nigel was born prematurely). Unfortunately, that was the decision that changed the course
of Nigel's life forever.

The surgery turned his feet out too far and left him with limited use of his legs and dependence on
crutches to walk. At the time, Nigel's friends, family and those who loved him the most were very
over-protective. Their misconception was that because Nigel walked on crutches, he could not do
things by himself. He proved them all wrong.

Spiralling into depression, when Nigel got to the age of 13 his weight had rocketed to almost 240
pounds. He had sat around watching TV and comfort eating. One day he made the decision that this
type of lifestyle was not acceptable to him. Rather than wallowing in self pity or getting involved in
drinking or drugs as so many of his teenage peers did, he started working out and changing his eating
habits. Once he had set his mind to adopt a healthy way of life, he never looked back.

Nigel's interest in health and fitness began when he decided to lose this weight he had gained in his
teenage years. He got so interested in fitness that he even became a personal trainer. In 2002, he
decided to challenge himself by training for and competing in a bodybuilding competition: the
International Natural Bodybuilding Federation (INBF) in Munich, Germany.

At a body weight of 150 pounds, he still called himself a little “chubby,” but he said that his first
competition wasn't about the type of shape he was in; his first competition was simply about getting
up on stage and doing it just to prove that it could be done. He wanted to show through his actions
that just because someone has to walk with crutches, doesn't mean that they are unable to achieve
things. He did exactly that by coming third place.

EXERCISE

A. Ever since he was a young boy, Bob French had felt convinced that he was destined to go to hell.
He would spend Sundays in church confessing his sins in order to prevent this fate "I had persistent
fears about committing a sin, and I was afraid of God's punishment" said French, now a 50-year-old
psychiatric social worker at the Milton Centre in Cambridge.

In his twenties he worked in a hospital and once spent an entire night walking through the hospital,
touching ashtrays to see if they were cool. He feared a fire from the smoldering ashes could destroy
the building. By his 30s, his life had degenerated into a series of these rituals, repeated over and
over. French is one of the estimated four million people who suffer from this obsessive compulsive
disorder.

B. At the age of 35, Mick realised that he was a compulsive overeater. He hadn't recognised the
condition partly because, as an athlete, he put the amount of food he ate down to the physical
exertion he was doing. One day, it dawned on him as he was sitting at his usual table in his usual
lunch hour as he did every day. He saw himself sitting at the table of latecomers and realised that
he was the only student who had been there from the beginning of dinner hour. He forced the last
bite of pasta down into his tight and aching stomach and looked around. No, no one would notice.
He got up for dessert. Later that evening he went to his room and pulled a large packet of indigestion
tablets from his desk drawer, he chewed until he fell asleep.

C. By August first he had been in bed for three months. He was paralyzed -- not physically, but with
a fear so great that every waking moment was spent dreading the next ...and waking moments were
all there seemed to be. If he slept at all, it was for maybe fifteen minutes a night. If he ate at all, it
was one can of soup a day, provided the nervousness he felt didn't cause him to reject all food
completely. He had lost thirty pounds. He had not taken a shower in weeks. He cried constantly. He
wanted to die. He had never known such great pain in his life. Yet, he was told by every doctor who
examined him as he tried to get help that there was absolutely nothing wrong ... at least not
physically. He was convinced that he must have some type of sleep disorder that was causing all
this. He thought that if he could only get to a therapist who knew about sleep disorders, he could
give him some medication and he would be all right.

EXERCISE

In early 1990, a young, dynamic Londoner was travelling around India and found himself locked out
of his hotel after closing time, at only 8 o'clock in the evening. His options were limited, either bed
down on the hotel doorstep or traipse the streets, heavy backpack in tow. Whilst most people would
have seen the negative side of his dilemma, this young traveller realised he had stumbled across a
unique business opportunity. As he sat in a nearby café, he noticed many fellow backpackers looking
lost and milling around the street. Like him, the one thing they wanted to do was check into a place
where they could receive a warm welcome and comfy bed for the night. To remove a pair of smelly
socks and perhaps even make a cup of tea in front of a DVD would be worth a million dollars to
anyone of them right now. The penny dropped, he could clearly see the immense business
opportunity he was facing.

The following year, with his business

plan complete, Fernando set up his
own company, DREAM OF HOME. His
marketing strategy was to present a
hostel which provided comfortable
and affordable accommodation for
the back packing generation. The
profile of today's backpacker is usually
between 20-30 years old with a good
education and relatively high level I.Q.
They are normally taking time out
between college or university, about
to start their career and subsequently
have some cash to spend.

In recent years, Fernando's chain has grown rapidly, with over 50 hostels in 20 countries worldwide
– approximately 1000 beds throughout the world in total. Fernando wants his guests to feel as if
they were at home at grandma's where they will be looked after. Both the backpackers like this and
so do the parents, who are happy to know that their offspring are staying in a reputable, safe and
secure environment but at the same time having fun and meeting other likeminded people. Each
hostel has communal bathrooms and a 'lounging' area with sofas and drink machines available to
guests and a television and stereo at their disposal. There is also free internet –Fernando knew how
essential messenger and email would be to his guests.

Another secret to Fernando's success is that, as a former backpacker himself, he knows that his
guests still want to feel like adventurers. He is very specific about his marketing and realises he must
make his clients feel that they have chosen the hostel themselves and it's not part of some all-
inclusive trip, that they are still doing their own thing. Meanwhile, he hopes to carry on his hostel
expansion throughout the globe for the next few years at least! He is determined to keep giving his
customers what they want; he has found a product which his customers seem to want and doesn't
intend to change a thing.

EXERCISE

A few years ago a famous book was written which presented the idea of the house of the future.
The author's vision encompassed high technology and robotic household devices livening up the
mundane lives of its occupants. Breakfast was made; washing up done and robotic mice cleaned the
floor. The whole house was alive and automatic even when its inhabitants subsequently died.

However appealing the idea of this

modern living may be, the fact that
most of us are still struggling to figure
out our stereo systems means that
this idea may still be a long way off.
For many of us, the mere task of
listening to a CD is a challenge.

In past past, the 'computerised home'

vision focused a totally integrated
kind of technology, encompassing
audio/video devices and machines to
do the work for us. It seems that most
products now adhere to this image.

It is fair to say that most recent technological developments have featured appliances that seek to
change and improve the way we use and interact with the internet at home. The aim is to make the
internet as much a part of our every day lives as possible. Recently, for example, one iconic UK
publisher joined forces with a high profile technological company whose technology has grasped
onto one of the most powerful ideas in the quest for smarter homes. This company's innovation is
the NABBIT - "the internet-connected rabbit". It was developed as a means to get our information
without staring at a screen. The nabbit reads the much loved books out loud for its listener's
enjoyment.

In addition to reading us our favourite books, the nabbit is connected through the home network
and can access a wide variety of information such as news and traffic reports and read them out to
its users at specified times of the day. The user can in turn carry out their daily tasks whilst listening
to the rabbit - hands free. A home can have several rabbits which can be "married", connecting them
through the internet so that they can interact with each other.

Part of the Nabbit's success is the use of radio frequency identification or RFID tags. The cost and
size of these tags, which provide a digital identity and a little electronic beacon broadcasting system,
have fallen drastically since they were first developed. The idea is that all objects can be connected
and subsequently communicate by means of the tag. For instance, pass your tagged umbrella over
the scanner on your computer and up comes the weather forecast, letting you know whether to
take it with you or not.

EXERCISE

As he came to the top of the hill and saw his little pink cottage he felt weariness wash over him. It
had been a hard day at the coal mine where he worked and he was looking forward to a home
cooked meal and soak in the tub. His whole body ached from physical exertion.

As he closed the front gate he suddenly caught sight of a flash of light in the upstairs window. He
froze on the spot; he could sense something was wrong. He quietly tip toed around the back of the
house to see if he could see any evidence of forced entry. To his dismay, he noticed that the door
handle had been tampered with and the curtain had been ripped. As he bent down to put his bag
on the floor, he noticed a muddy footprint on the front step, twice as big as his own, he began to
shake.

Being a man who disliked any sort of

confrontation, Tom backtracked and
crept to the neighbours' house in
order to ring the police. Peering
around his neighbour's curtain he saw
a figure move towards the window of
his own living room opposite. Out slid
a black clad leg, followed by his very
own flat screen television cradled in
two large, hairy arms. At this point, his
blood boiled. He had very little money
or possessions and what he did have
he had saved carefully for all his life, why should some stranger reap the rewards of his hard work?

He slammed down the phone and charged out of the house. "Give me that back!" he shouted, "I
worked hard to pay for that!" The burglar stopped in his tracks, at first shocked at Tom's outburst
then picked up his momentum and began to run with the television as fast as he could. Tom took
off after him and managed to tackle him to the ground and wrestle the television from his grip. He
looked at the burglar straight in the eye and recognised a very familiar scar just above his right eye.
The burglar had been at his very school, two years ahead of Tom, his name was Arthur Murray.

The burglar got up and ran as fast as he could away form the scene just as the police drew up in
their car. "That was very silly of you to confront the burglar", one of the officers said, "he could have
had a weapon, you are lucky not to be hurt". "Yes, but at least he didn't get my television!", said
Tom with a big smile on his face.

Two days later Tom went to the police station and filed his report. He gave Arthur's name and full
description. The police went to Arthur's house and subsequently charged him with breaking and
entering. Later that evening, Tom sat back to watch his favourite TV progamme on his television set
cupping a large glass of whisky.

EXERCISE

One of the most popular adrenalin sports has to be bungee jumping. It has only recently become
well known even though it has been around for years. Jumping whilst attached to a rope comes
from the ancient ritual "Gkol" performed on the Pacific island of Vanuatu. The legend says that in
the village Bunlap a man called Tinker had a quarrel with his wife and she ran away. She climbed a
Banyan tree where she wrapped her ankles with liana vines. When he climbed the tree to get her,
the woman jumped from the tree. He was unaware that she had the vines around her ankles to stop
her from hitting the ground and as a result, he died and she survived. The men of Bunlap were very
impressed by his wife's cunning that they began to practise such jumps in case they got into a similar
situation and needed a swift exit. This practice transformed into a ritual each time there was a
successful harvest and subsequently became a part of local festivals. The jump also became an
obligatory part of the passage for young men from puberty to adulthood.

Always an adventurous nation, the British were the first to officially take up bungee jumping in the
West in 1979. Having watched a film on these "vine jumpers", they subsequently threw themselves
off a 245 foot Suspension Bridge in Bristol, England. Using nylon braided, rubber shock cord instead
of vines, and dressed in their customary top hat and tails, they performed a four man simultaneous
jump. Their daredevil stunt caused them to be arrested but not until the world press had caught
hold of the story. The new adrenaline mania had begun. The four club members then went on to
perform many other jumps, including one off the Golden Gate Bridge in the USA. In early 1988, the
first official jump site opened in Ohakune, New Zealand. Later that year, they also filmed a jump
from the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

This latest jump was part of the publicity for the site opening and it was extremely successful. It
brought bungee jumping to the main screen. Over the space of 5 years, the number of bungee
jumping sites in Australia and New Zealand increased tenfold. It took a few more years for the
popularity to spread further west to Europe.

EXERCISE

A. I was 15 years old, walking home one day after school, when my friend Mark called a guy over to
ask him for a cigarette. Always wanting to be as cool as Mark, I asked him for one too. At that point,
I had never touched a cigarette before and had only asked the stranger for one in order for Mark to
think that I was "grown up". I had to make him believe that I knew how to light it and inhale; I had
no idea how to smoke at that point. Mark and I went into his room where we smoked; I was so
scared that my mother would smell it on me so Mark gave me some of his aftershave. I knew that
my dad used to smoke secretly when he first married my mother and that my brother smoked
regularly and managed to hide it from her as well. I have finally given up at the age of 50 and my
mother still has no idea that I have ever smoked, I prefer that she remains in the dark.

B. I quit smoking in March this year but picked it up again just last month. Frustrated, I talked to a
doctor about some options. I got a prescription for a new drug and started the course two months
ago; I managed to go for the whole two months without a cigarette but then gave in at a party and
had three in a row! I felt so disappointed that I went back to the doctor, he recommended I try
hypnosis. At this stage I was keen to try anything, so I booked my first session. After just one, I lost
all urge to have a cigarette, I had a full packet in my handbag which I forgot about and found a week
later. It was then that I realised I was cured; I will never smoke again in my life!

C. I smoked for about 25 years since the age of 15. My family were all smokers and as a child I was
used to being surrounded by smoke. As I matured, smoking became just a natural step in growing
up. I never assumed that I wouldn't be a smoker. One day my mother called me out of the blue and
said she had had a test at the hospital. One week later they told her she had lung cancer and would
have to undergo chemotherapy. I saw her suffer six months of gruelling treatment only to die at the
end of the year at the age of 60. It stopped me smoking overnight; I threw my cigarettes into the
bin and have never even thought about having one since. For me it was one way to give up smoking
for life.

D. Back in 1986, I was smoking 4 packs a day and was trying to quit. I was spending approximately
600 pounds a month on cigarettes. One day whilst at the supermarket I was trying to decide whether
I could afford the jam or not when it dawned on me, if I could quit the nicotine I could afford so
many more things in life. I don't know why that particular day I had this realization but I did. I put
the 200 cigarettes back on the shelf and instead loaded a huge rump steak and bottle of red wine
into my trolley. I went home and was so distracted with cooking my delicious dinner that I didn't
have my usual 5 cigarettes before dinner. As I sat enjoying the succulent meat I was already
pondering what to cook next and the more time I spent thinking about cooking food, the less I
smoked. That day was 3 years ago, since then I have become head chef at a local restaurant which I
love, I have gradually stopped smoking all together.

EXERCISE

If we were to choose a top British food and drink combination, a good choice would be perhaps a
burger and coke, oysters and stout, or even better still, sausages and beer. A good 'banger' teamed
with a fine beer is up there in the premier league when it comes to satisfying the taste buds. What
more could a man want from a pub than a decent pint and a plate of plump, sizzling bangers?

It has to be said though that a good sausage should be enjoyed with a pot of freshly made English
mustard. A good sausage makes a great accompaniment to mashed potatoes and onions and should
be washed down with a sturdy glass of beer. The skin or casing should be natural and its filling made
up of at least 80 per cent free-range pork. There is far too much animal by-product making its way
into our food chain, the texture is most decidedly grisly.

One company has taken this fine traditional British combination and marketed it so successfully that
they are now holding tastings throughout Britain. The best part of these tastings are the moment
when members of the public can decide which sausage goes best with which beer. The selection of
sausages and beers are huge and the lucky winners who come up with the best match of beer to
sausage goes on to enjoy a lavish lunch at the local hotel.

"A lot of these pairings are experimental," explains a company spokesman, "finding a suitable match
in terms of beer for each sausage can be a challenge. I have been doing it for years and constantly
change my mind as I love them all too much! Because the sausages can be quite fatty, you need big-
tasting beers. The whole point of this tasting day is to find a good match. It is an acquired skill."

Among the sausages sampled and matched on this particular day was a hearty wild-boar-and-fresh-
thyme mixture, my particular favourite. One contestant matched it with a sip of a very strong
Hampshire ale, which was rounded with a slight sour kick. The beer should bring out and accentuate
the best part of the sausage but neither should obliterate each other's flavour. When they are mixed
together, a sort of beery alchemy occurs that allows you to revel in the rich meat, and the herbal
punch of the thyme, without losing any of the beer's soft perfection.

As the afternoon continues in a haze of pork and ale fumes and happy faces, it is astounding to think
that a particular beer can either make or break a sausage. It has to be said that anyone trying to pair
a cheap lager with a couple of poor quality meat economy bangers should not ever come here. This
is about fine quality products creating sweet music together, a crescendo on the taste buds.

EXERCISE

A. A rather unusual guide is that of Franz Waterman. It's in fact the third edition of their popular
guide which originally came about from a visit to the UK during which they recorded the opinions of
many guests. These went to make up the guide, a broad range of people from the ages of 20-70,
who stay in hotels at least 12.4 times a year, took part. The result is a fully comprehensive guide of
around 2000 hotels throughout the country. The author worked in insurance before compiling his
guide, the result is quite a lot of long winded words as well as statistics on the hotels that provide
various services. The guide is presented in a table where you can cross reference the hotel and the
facilities it provides and see whether it meets the customers' requirements. The author doesn't
mince his words and has some shocking things to say about a certain well known chain which doesn't
come up to scratch. Although the author is less well known than his contemporaries, it's still a good
choice and can be found in most bookshops.

B. When readers see this week's announcement that Jo Winter is taking a week's break, they will no
doubt be severely disappointed. If she ever permanently gave up this job, there would be an outcry.
We have come to rely on her weekly column and her round up of the best bed and breakfasts in the
UK. In her latest column she slates the less deserving hotels (even though it sometimes means she
can never go there again) and praises those that match her expectations sufficiently. This year, with
her team of investigators, she has reviewed some 300 hotels including some new comers and of
course her old favourites. She leaves no stone unturned. The guide has a unique 'winner award'
system in which she gives stars to hotels which 'achieve the right balance of warmth, hospitality and
value for money'.

C. City dwellers turn to the "London luxuries" guide when they want something special. Over 200
anonymous reviews of the top hotels are included and listed in alphabetical order. The book also
includes discount vouchers which offer its readers special rates. The editor firmly dispels any notion
that you get what you pay for and proves that luxury does not always have to cost the earth. He
points out that attention to detail is the most important factor when attracting guests who want to
spend money on treating themselves. His favourite hotel is one which offers guests free champagne
and chocolates on their pillows, according to him it's got the right formula.

D. The globetrotter guide has been, for many years, the traveller's bible. It covers the whole of the
UK's hotels, small, medium and large with more than 3000 reviews. It's quite a heavy read and this
year's addition even includes photos of the interiors and maps of their locations making it better
than ever. There is also a link to a regularly updated website with menu listings for the hotels and
special offers - essential for those wanting to make the most out of their stay and for hotels who
want to market themselves effectively. The website also offers a grading system of current chefs at
each hotel and their menus so guests can decide whether or not to book full board – very important
since so many factors can change as of the book going to press.

In the preface to the book the author outlines the recent changes in the hotel world and also the
pitfalls that many establishments fall into.

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