New York City: Nostalgia for the Old Neighbourhood

A strange girl

Stephen pulled up the collar of his coat as he walked along the platform. Overhead a dim fog clouded the station. He was A22 ______ trains move slowly, throwing off clouds of steam into the cold air. Everything was dirty and smoke-grimed.

Stephen thought with revulsion: “What a foul country – what a foul city!” He had to A23 ______ that his first excited reaction to London – its shops, its restaurants, its well-dressed attractive women – had faded. Supposing he were back in South Africa now… To A24 ______ the truth, he felt a quick pang of homesickness. Sunshine – blue skies – gardens of flowers. And here – dirt, grime and endless crowds – moving, hurrying, jostling.

He got on a train and passed along the corridor, looking for a place. The train was full. It was only three days before Christmas. He A25 ______ to go to his parents for Christmas… And then, suddenly, he caught his breath, looking into a carriage. This girl was different. Black hair, rich creamy pallor, the sad proud eyes of the South… It was all wrong that this girl should be sitting in this train A26 ______ these dull drab looking people. She should be somewhere splendid, not squeezed into the corner of a third class carriage.

He was an observant man. He did not fail to A27 ______ the shabbiness of her black coat and skirt, the cheap quality of her gloves. A28 ______ splendor was the quality he associated with her. He thought: “I’ve got to know who she is and what she’s doing here.”

Dinner

Amos Finnister was a private detective. In all his years as a policeman and a private investigator, he had learned about people. He gained a psychological insight into most as he A22 ______ them do foolish things. He was at ease with people from all walks of life, and in consequence they were at ease with him.

And this was most apparent on Friday evening, when Major Cedric Crawford dined with him at the Ritz restaurant. Amos A23 ______ to dine there when he lived in New York.

By the time they were halfway through dinner, Amos had the major laughing and sharing stories, some of which were funny. By the time they had eaten the main course, Amos felt comfortable enough to A24 ______ the answer to an important question. “I wonder if you have ever come across Tabitha James.”

Cedric A25 ______ knowing Tabitha with no sign of embarrassment or reluctance. “To A26 ______ the truth, I knew her quite well, actually. She was a close friend of a fellow guards officer, Sebastian Lawford. She fell in love with him at first sight. They were going to marry but unfortunately that did not come to pass.”

“And why was that, Major, do you know?”

“Oh, yes, I’m afraid I do. Tabitha had contracted pneumonia but A27 ______ no attention to her illness. Before I knew it, she was dead and gone. As for Sebastian, he rejoined the army when the war broke out and was killed. A sad story, isn’t it?” Amos nodded. So much depended A28 ______ this information.

Amos

It wasn’t unusual for Amos to go to Deravenels on Saturday, even though the offices were closed over the weekend. He A22 ______ to go to tidy up his paperwork and do other small jobs he couldn’t attend to during the week.

But on this Saturday morning he had a specific purpose when he arrived at the grand old building on the Strand. The uniformed doorman A23 ______ Amos close his umbrella and take off his raincoat. Then he touched his cap and said, “Good morning, Mr. Finnister”.

Amos had come to the office to A24 ______ a few telephone calls. His first call was to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, where he quickly discovered the records office was not open on weekends. He then dialed Ravenscar and was put through to Edward Deravenel.

“Good morning, Amos,” Edward said. “I’m assuming you have some news for me.” Amos then relayed all the information he had gathered the night before.

“Well done, Amos!” Edward exclaimed. “Thank you for going into all this A25 ______ . I knew I could depend A26 ______ you. My wife will be happy as I am to know everything; it’s been such a mystery all these years. To A27 ______ the truth, I think that Grace Rose should also know what happened to her mother. It will finally put her mind at rest.”

“I agree, sir. I will telephone you on Monday”. Amos walked home, A28 ______ no attention to the heavy rain. He felt happy.

Before Christmas

Vicky gave this party every year, just before Christmas. She A22 ______ to do it before the war and she was doing it now, when the war was over. It was always the same people who came. It struck her suddenly how clannish they all were, but then the Deravenels in particular were somewhat addicted to their family. Vicky knew that she could always depend A23 ______ her relatives in a crisis.

She was A24 ______ the guests greet each other and share the news. Vicky thought of her sister-in-law Kathleen, not present tonight. Vicky missed her presence. When Will had arrived tonight, he had A25 ______ that Kathleen was really sick. “But not Spanish flu,” he had added swiftly, observing the look of apprehension crossing her face, “just a heavy cold.”

Fenella’s voice brought her out of her reverie, and she looked across at her old friend, who was saying, "How is Charlie feeling?"

“He’s relieved he is safely home, but his wounds still hurt and he feels depressed ..." She looked at Fenella as if A26 ______ advice.

"Mr. Ridgely made a remark to me the other day that he wished there was somewhere wounded soldiers could go, to have some sort of recreation, talk to other soldiers," said Fenella.

“That’s an interesting idea” Vicky glanced at the others, A27 ______ a brow. “Don’t you agree?”

“To A28 ______ the truth, I do,” Stephen answered, always ready to back his wife in her project. “I think such a place would be quite marvelous for the wounded men who are now coming home.” Fenella nodded.

Music lessons

It was a hard winter for Mother. She sometimes pleaded with Father but no one could ever tell Father anything. He continued to stand like a rock against stopping my music lessons.

To A22 ______ the truth, Father had certain natural gifts for debate. In the first place his voice was powerful and stormy, and he A23 ______ to let it out at full strength. As a second gift, he was convinced at all times that his opponents were wrong. Hence, even if they won a point or two, it A24 ______ them no good, for he dragged the issue to some other ground then, where he and Truth could prevail. When Mother said it surely was plain enough that I had no ear for music, what was his reply? Why, he said that the violin was the noblest instrument A25 ______ by man. Having silenced her with this solid premise he declared no boy should expect to learn it immediately. It required persistence. Everything, he had found out, required persistence. His motto was, “Never give A26 ______ ”.

He said that Mother should be stricter with me, if necessary, and make me try harder. He also said that none of us realized what he had had to go A27 ______ . Mother started to cry and said, “But you’re downtown, you don’t have to hear it”.

Father was outraged. His final argument, I remember, was that my violin had cost twenty-five dollars, if I didn’t learn it, the money would be wasted, and he couldn’t afford it. But it was put to him that my younger brother Julian could learn it instead. Father was defeated, though he didn’t A28 ______ it, and I was set free.

Margaret

Old Margaret was just the kind of cook that we wanted. Lots of cooks can do rich dishes well. Margaret couldn’t. But she A22 ______ to cook simple, everyday dishes in a way that made our mouths water. Her apple-pies were the best pies I’ve ever tasted.

But to A23 ______ the truth, even Margaret sometimes miscalculated. A large, royal-looking steak would be set before Father, which, upon being cut into, would turn A24 ______ to be underdone. Father’s face would darken with disappointment. He would raise his foot and stamp slowly and heavily three times on the rug.

At this solemn A25 ______ , we would hear Margaret leave the kitchen below us and come up the stairs to the dining-room door.

“Margaret, look at the steak.”

Margaret would peer with a shocked look at the platter. She would then seize the platter and make off with it.

Father and Margaret were united by the intense interest they both took in cooking. Each understood the other instinctively. I have to A26 ______ that they had a complete fellow-feeling. Mother’s great interest was in babies. She loved her children and her happiness depended A27 ______ them. She wanted to keep Father pleased somehow, and if it was too difficult or impossible she didn’t always care about even that.

At table it was Father who carved the fowl, or sliced the roast lamb or beef. I liked to A28 ______ him take the knife and go at it. And usually the cooking had been as superb as the carving. Sometimes it was so perfect that Father would summon Margaret and say in a low voice, “You are a good cook”.

Pierre and Faniry

At the age of twenty-one, Pierre – that was the name of the winegrower – had been sent by his father to spend some time with his uncle in Madagascar. He A22 ______ at the island and within two weeks he fell for a local girl called Faniry, or "Desire" in Malagasy. You could not blame him. At seventeen she was ravishing. In the Malagasy sunlight her skin was golden. Her black, waist-length hair, which hung straight beside her cheeks, framed large, fathomless eyes. It was a genuine love at first A23 ______, for both of them. Within five months they were married. Faniry had no family, but Pierre's parents came out from France for the wedding, even though they did not strictly A24 ______of it, and for three years the young couple lived very happily on the island of Madagascar.

Then, one day, a telegram came from France. Pierre's parents and his only brother had been killed in a car crash. Pierre took the next flight home toA25 ______ the funeral and manage the vineyard left by his father. Faniry followed two weeks later. Pierre was grief-stricken, but with Faniry he A26 ______ down to running the vineyard. His family, and the lazy, idyllic days under a tropical sun, were gone forever. But he was very happily married, and he was very well-off. Perhaps, he reasoned, life in Bordeaux would not be so bad. Pierre thought he had married an angel, but soon he found A27 ______ that he was wrong. He had A28 ______ a fatal mistake in marrying Faniry.

Cathy

Cathy spent many hours during her lunch breaks poking around the dress shops before she bought the appropriate outfit for the Trumpers’ housewarming party. Her final A22 ______ was a sunflower yellow dress which the shop assistant described as suitable for a cocktail party. Cathy became fearful at the last minute that its lack of length might be too daring for such a grand A23 ______ . But when Simon came to pick her up his immediate comment was “You’ll be a sensation.” His assurance made her feel more confident.

A24 ______, she forgot all her doubts the moment the butler invited them inside. While others drank champagne and helped themselves from the trays of canapés, she A25 ______ her attention to pictures.

First came a Courbet, a still life of magnificent rich reds, oranges and greens; then a Picasso of two doves surrounded by pink blossoms. She A26 ______ looking at them but she gasped when she first saw the Sisley, a stretch of the Seine with every paint of pastel shading being made to count.

“That’s my favourite,” said a voice from behind her. Cathy turned to see a tall, dark-haired young man give her a grin that must have made many people return his smile.

“Quite beautiful,” she A27 ______. “When I was younger I used to try and paint a little myself, and it was Sisley who finally convinced me I shouldn’t bother.”

“Good heavens,” the young man said. “An expert in our presence.” Cathy smiled A28 ______ her new companion. “Let’s have a look at some more works in the upper corridor.”

William and Philippa

William and Philippa were students. Some people, it is said, fall in love at first A22 ______, but that was not what happened to them. They hated each other from the moment they met. This mutual hatred began at the first tutorial of their freshman term. Both had A23 ______ with major scholarships to read English language and literature. Each had been reliably assured by their schoolteachers that they would be the star pupil of their year. A24 ______ students had such prospects.

Their tutor, Simon Jakes of New College, was amused by the competition that so quickly developed between his two brightest pupils. He skillfully used their hatred to bring out the best in both of them. He never A25 ______ it. By the end of their first year, they were far ahead of other students.

In their second year, they became even more hostile. When they were both awarded A-plus for their essays on Shakespeare, it didn’t help. Simon Jakes told his colleagues that he had never had a brighter pair up in the same year. They taught each other most of the time and he A26 ______ acted as a referee. It A27 ______ as no surprise to anyone that, as the examiners felt unable on this occasion to award the prize to just one person, they A28 ______ decided that it should be shared by William and Philippa.

Alexander

Sir Alexander Heathcote was an exact man. A22 ______ people were like him. He was exactly six feet three-and-a-quarter inches tall, rose at seven o’clock every morning, joined his wife at breakfast to eat one boiled egg cooked for precisely four minutes, two pieces of toast with one spoonful of Cooper’s marmalade, and drink one cup of China tea. He used to take a carriage from his home in Cadogan Gardens at exactly 8:20 and A23 ______ at the Foreign Office at promptly 8:59, returning home again on the stroke of six o’clock.

Sir Alexander had been exact from an early age, as he was the only son of a general. But, unlike his father, he chose to serve his queen in the diplomatic service, another exacting calling. He A24 ______ in progressing from a shared desk at the Foreign Office in Whitehall to third secretary in Calcutta to minister in Peking. He was delighted when Mr. Gladstone A25 ______ the opportunity to represent the government in China. For some time he had been A26 ______ in the art of the Ming dynasty. This appointment would present him a perfect chance of A27 ______ in their natural habitat some of the great statues, paintings and drawings he had previously been able to admire only in books.

When he arrived in Beijing, Her Imperial Highness wished him a successful term of office in his appointment and then the audience A28 ______ to an end.

Philip and Michael

Philip Masters was a millionaire now. A22 ______, everyone in the club was aware that he had built up his own business from scratch after he had left his first job as a kitchen salesman. “Ready-Fit Kitchens” had started in a shed at the end of Philip’s garden. Later, he A23 ______ in building a factory on the other side of town that employed more than three hundred people.

Ten years later, the financial press speculated that Philip’s business was worth a couple of million. When five more years later the company was taken over by the John Lewis Partnership, Philip got seventeen million pounds. A24 ______ businessmen were as lucky as he was.

Philip was married for more than twenty years. He had fallen in love with Sally at first A25 ______. Now Sally was chairman of the regional branch of the Save the Children Fund. Their son had just won a place at St Anne’s College, Oxford. Michael was the boy’s godfather.

Michael Gilmour could A26 ______ be a greater contrast. On leaving school, where Philip had been his closest friend, he A27 ______ to find a permanent job. He started out as a trainee with Watneys, but lasted only a few months. Then he started to work as a reporter with a publishing company. He drifted from job to job. A28 ______ Philip, he married his childhood sweetheart, Carol West, the daughter of a local doctor. They had a daughter. Michael seemed to have settled down at last.

My company

In 1978 I was chairman of Cooper’s, a company which ran 127 vehicles of various weights and sizes. We A22 ______ in transporting goods by road.

My father had founded the firm in 1931, starting out with three vehicles – two of them driven by horses. By the time we became Cooper & Son in 1967, the company had A23 ______ in obtaining seventeen big trucks and delivered goods all over the north of England.

My father insisted that I leave school the moment I passed my O levels. “I’ll teach you more about the real world in a month than you’d learn from any of those university types in a lifetime,” he A24 ______ to say. I followed his advice and never A25 ______ it. I left school a few weeks after my sixteenth birthday. The next morning I joined Cooper’s as an apprentice, and spent my first three years at the depot under the watchful eye of Buster Jackson, the works manager. He taught me how to take the company’s trucks A26 ______ and, more important, how to put them back together again.

After graduating from the workshop, I spent five years in different departments. When my father retired in 1977 – at the age of seventy – I took over as chairman. Then I began to set in motion some ideas I’d been working on for the past decade, A27 ______ I knew my father didn’t approve of them. I never A28 ______ him, but Europe was only the beginning of my plans for the company’s expansion.

Daniel and Diana

Daniel and Diana were good friends. They had majored in economics at Bristol University in the early 1980s. Then Daniel met Rachel, who had arrived a year after them, and fell in love with her at first A22 ______. In Rachel he found everything he was looking A23 ______ in a wife. They married the day he graduated, and after they returned from their honeymoon, David took over the management of his father’s farm in Bedfordshire. Three children followed in quick succession, and Diana was proud when she was asked to be godmother to Sophie, the eldest. Daniel and Rachel had been married for twelve years; they A24 ______ ever quarelled. A25 ______ married couples were so happy.

A26 ______ Diane was regularly asked to spend the weekend with them in the country, she only accepted one invitation out of three. She would have liked to join them more often, but since her divorce she had no desire to take advantage of their hospitality.

Diane felt tired. She A27 ______ her work, but it had been an awful week. Two contracts had fallen through, her son had been dropped from the school soccer team, and her daughter had never stopped A28 ______ her that her father didn’t mind her watching television when she ought to be doing her homework. “I will survive.” Diana smiled and thought about Daniel’s birthday. She had forgotten to get him a present.

The prize

William and Philippa were rivals. They were considered the best students at New College. At the beginning of the third year they applied for the Charles Oldham Shakespeare prize for an essay. The chosen theme for the prize essay that year was “Satire in Shakespeare”. Troilus and Cressida clearly called for the most attention, but both students A22 ______ to find satirical nuances in almost every play by Shakespeare. As the year was coming to an end, A23 ______ anyone doubted that either William or Philippa would win the prize while the other would come in second. A24 ______, no one was willing to express an opinion as to who the victor would be.

Before the prize essay submission date, they both had to take their final degree examinations. A25 ______ students studied as hard as William and Philippa. It came as no surprise to anyone that they both achieved first-class degrees in the final honors school. Rumor spread around the university that the two rivals had been awarded As in every one of their nine papers.

“I would be willing to believe that is the case,” Philippa A26 ______ William. “But I feel I must point out to you that there is a considerable difference between an A-plus and an A-minus.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” said William. “But A27 ______, when you discover who has won the Charles Oldham, you will know who was awarded less.”

It turned A28 ______ that the examiners felt unable on this occasion to award the prize to one person and had therefore decided that it should be shared by William and Philippa.

Consuela

Victor Rosenheim, an American banker, was Consuela’s third husband. At first A22 ______ they looked happy. The gossip columns, however, were suggesting that the former Colombian model was already searching for the next husband. The Rosenheims flew into London from their home in New York. The purpose of their trip was twofold. There was always the chance that Mr. Rosenheim would take over a small merchant bank, while Mrs. Rosenheim intended to occupy her time looking A23 ______ a suitable birthday present – for herself. A24 ______ people have been able to discover exactly which birthday Consuela would officially be celebrating.

After a sleepless night, Victor Rosenheim A25 ______ to get up early for an important meeting in the City, while Consuela remained in bed toying with her breakfast. After breakfast Consuela A26 ______ a couple of phone calls and then she disappeared into the bathroom.

Fifty minutes later she emerged from her suite dressed in a pink Chanel suit. She stepped out of the hotel and into the morning sun to begin her search for the birthday present.

She spent some time in Asprey’s considering the latest slimline watches, a gold statue of a tiger with jade eyes and a Faberge egg. She A27 ______ that her close friend, Tina, was not with her, she needed her advice badly. From there she walked to a A28 ______ shop, which despite a determined salesman who showed her almost everything the shop had to offer, she still left empty-handed.

Diana

Diana had been hoping to get away by 5:00, so she could be at the farm in time for dinner. She tried not to show her true feelings when at 4:37 her deputy, Phil Haskings, presented her with a complex twelve-page document that A22 ______ the signature of a director before it could be sent out to the client. Haskins didn’t hesitate to A23 ______ her that they had lost two similar contracts that week.

To A24 ______ the truth, it was always the same on a Friday. The phones would go quiet in the middle of the afternoon and then, just as she thought she could leave, a new document would land on her desk. Diana looked at the document and knew there would be no chance of escaping before 6:00.

Diana adored her children. At first A25 ______ she looked happy. The demands of being a single parent as well as a director of a small but thriving City company meant there were A26 ______ moments left in any day to relax. When it came to the one weekend in four that James and Caroline spent with her ex-husband, Diana would try to leave the office a little earlier than usual to avoid the weekend traffic.

She read through the first page slowly, aware that any mistake A27 ______ hastily on a Friday evening could be A28 ______ in the weeks to come. She glanced at the clock on her desk as the signed the final page of the document. It was just showing 5:51.

Mexico City

Mexico City was hot and frantic with Olympic gamesmanship. The hotels were full but, fortunately, Kevin owned a country house just outside the city which we 32 ______ our headquarters. The Whites also had their home in Mexico City but they were more often than not at Kevin’s private palace.

I must 33 ______ that when Kevin decided to move he moved fast. Like a good general, he marshalled his army close to the point of impact; he spent a small fortune on telephone calls and 34 ______ in getting all we needed for the expedition in the shortest time possible. I had a fast decision to make, too. My job was a good one and I hated to give it 35 ______ unceremoniously, but Kevin was pushing hard. I 36 ______ my boss and he was good enough to give me six months’ leave of absence. I deceived him in a way, I gave him the right destination but not the real reason for going there. Yet I think that going to Yucatan could be understood as looking 37 ______ my father’s estate.

Kevin also used resources that only money can buy. The thought of it made me a bit dizzy. Kevin was able to lift a telephone and set a private police force in motion. It made me open my eyes and think again. There was something about Kevin that got at me. Whatever it was, I preferred to keep it bottled up. Will I 38 ______ it in the future?

Edward

Edward was finding it hard to sleep. He tossed and turned for some time, then finally got up, put on his dressing gown and slippers, and went downstairs.

Edward wanted to 32 ______ a call to his lawyer and ask him some questions. He switched on a small lamp in the library and looked at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was two thirty already. Too late.

Opening the French doors, he stepped out onto the terrace and stood for a moment 33 ______ the sky. It was a black velvet night with a handful of stars thrown up on the velvet. They glittered like diamond chips. He knew if he walked down the long garden path, he would come to the strip of land where he and his brother 34 ______ to play many years ago. He loved it on the marsh, but he was not in the mood to go there tonight.

He was troubled, and his mind kept focusing on his family. If only he could 35 ______ his friends’ advice… His marriage, his children, his business, all these things he held dear were in jeopardy. It was his own fault. There was no one else to blame. He 36 ______ no attention to what his friends had been telling him. In fact, his brother should have been taken in hand years ago. He had been too kind with his brother, too forgiving. His mother had begged Edward to be kind to George, to give George a job. And fool that he was, Edward had done as she asked. To 37 ______ the truth, he had made many mistakes with George. And now he would pay for that foolishness. He would lose everything. He had to 38 ______ making a fatal mistake.

Annie

Soon everything was back to normal. Annie and her father David were both ashamed of themselves, they went out of their 32 ______ to be kind to one another. David even told himself that he would try to like Sean O’Connell, if that could make his daughter happy. Since Sean’s visit Annie had bloomed, but it was three days now since she had 33 ______ the Irishman and David hoped he had not forgotten her.

As the days passed, Annie ceased looking out of the window every ten seconds in the hope of seeing Sean come to her door. Now Annie and David decided to reopen the club for their regular customers. She felt this would be the best thing for her dad, and he thought it would be the best thing for her. Both of them needed to be busy for their own 34 ______.

Annie was hurt, she had found Sean again only for him to leave her again. She went 35 ______ their evening together and tried to see what she could have done to make him ignore her like this. They had laughed, 36 ______ of their childhood, and their lives since. She thought that he was the only man she could ever love. He liked to 37 ______ his remarks as outrageous as possible. He liked to shock people, and 38 ______ he knew that Annie was one of the few people who saw through him. She knew that he was lonely, unhappy and unable to change his way of life.

A traditional family book

“The Polar Express”is a traditional holiday story. Awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal in 1986, “The Polar Express”has sold more than 7 million copies and has been translated into stage productions that take 32 ______ across the United States during the holiday season.

The book 33 ______ a story about a young boy, who is taking the Polar Express to test his beliefs in Santa. He is awakened from his Christmas Eve rest by a train that magically appears just outside his home. Ignoring the risk of the unknown, the boy climbs aboard, finding the car filled 34 ______ other youngsters. They are treated to goodies while on their way to the North Pole where Santa is to 35 ______ the first gift of Christmas to one of the passengers in a great festive ceremony. All the fairy tale characters as well as the youngsters from the train get 36 ______ in the town square to celebrate. Our hero is selected, and when asked what he would 37 ______, chooses a bell from Santa's sleigh.

This is one of the great magical stories, with wonderful illustrations. I read this to my kids every Christmas Eve for many years. While they have long outgrown that tradition, on the rare occasions when I pick it up again, it never 38 ______ to bring tears to my eyes.

“The Polar Express”

“The Polar Express” is a fantastic book by Chris Van Allsburg. The author has 32 ______ a terrific job at both writing and illustrating this book. He portrays the boy’s enthusiasm at going to the North Pole: this journey is 33 ______ a trip to an amusement park. Chris Van Allsburg’s writing is full of magic and wonder; the first person narration is realistic and heart-warming 34 ______ the same time. The boy 35 ______ the readers what a wonderful place the North Pole is, he describes in every detail the city’s lights and the factories that surround the city. The 36 ______ that the text is set up will make any child want to go to the North Pole. Van Allsburg’s illustrations are colourful and appealing, especially of the images of the North Pole with the beautiful picture of all the fairy tale characters gathering at the centre of the city. Also, the different landscapes that the Polar Express passes through are extremely beautiful.

“The Polar Express” is truly one of the greatest masterpieces in children’s literature ever created. The readers will share the experience of 37 ______ at the North Pole from a child’s perspective. They will also 38 ______ the wonderful illustrations of the North Pole itself. I would recommend this book to boys and girls aged five and up since there is nothing really inappropriate for small children.

A trip to Cherokee

Last May I was choosing an unusual holiday tour. It was a 32 ______ task because flights to Japan, Hong Kong and Australia were just too common. What I wanted was somewhere exciting and exotic, a place where I could be 33 ______ from the crowds of tourists. I was so happy when Joan called up, suggesting to take a trip to Cherokee, a county in the state of Oklahoma. I agreed immediately.

It didn’t 34 ______ us long to prepare for this trip and soon we took a flight to Cherokee and visited a village, which presents a brief image of the Indian past to the tourists. 35 ______ the language barrier, we managed to find our way to the souvenir shops with the help of the natives. The shops were filled with colorful traditional clothes, made of turkey feathers, and other bright souvenirs. “Welcome! Want to get anything?” We 36 ______ a middle-aged man smiling at us. We were very surprised by his fluent English. He introduced himself as George and we ended up chatting till lunch time when he invited us for lunch at a 37 ______ coffee shop. George told us that he used to cut firewood for a living. We 38 ______ from him that the Cherokees do not depend solely on trade for survival. This story was really interesting. Back at home, I often remember this amazing trip.

The dream bridge

This is a real life story of engineer John Roebling building the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, USA back in 1870. The bridge was completed in 1883, after 13 years. In 1869, a creative engineer named John Roebling was 32 ______ by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. 33 ______, bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible task. They 34 ______ Roebling to forget the idea, as it just could not be done and it was not practical. It had never been done before.

Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew 35 ______ in his heart that it could be done. He just had to 36 ______ the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he 37 ______ to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be constructed.

Roeblling had never had any projects with his son before. Working together 38 ______ the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and enthusiasm, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge.

Emily

Emily touched the button on the top of her bedside clock. It glowed
5.56 a.m. Another four minutes and it would have 32 ______ her with the early morning news. Her mind had been racing all through the night only allowing her sporadic patches of sleep. By the time it was 6.00 a.m, Emily had decided exactly what she had to do if the chairman was unwilling to go along with her recommendations. She switched 33 ______ the automatic alarm, avoiding any news that might distract her. Then she jumped out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom. Her mother thought it amusing that Emily always showered before going out for her morning run. Emily 34 ______ under the cold shower a little longer than usual, hoping it would help her get rid of her bad dreams.

35 ______ the sun had not yet risen, she didn’t need to open the bedroom curtains of her little room to know that it was going to be another clear, sunny day. A few minutes later Emily double-locked the front door of her four-room apartment, walked across the corridor and 36 ______ the elevator button. While she waited for the elevator to travel slowly up to the tenth floor, she began a series of stretching exercises that would be completed before the elevator returned to the ground floor. She 37 ______ out into the lobby and smiled at her favourite doorman, who quickly opened the front door so that she didn’t have to stop in her tracks.

“Morning, George,” she 38 ______, as she jogged out of Essex House onto West Street and headed towards Central Park.

Molly the Cactus

Lady Anna had a lovely garden with lots of flowers. All the flowers would talk, sing and play all day. Only Molly the Сactus could not join them. The mean flowers would only 32 ______ fun of her. “People stop to smell and touch me, but you neither smell nor look good!” the Rose flower would say and all the flowers would start laughing. Poor Molly was very sad and lonely.

Once, Lady Anna went to the neighboring town and stayed there for a 33 ______ time. The flowers began to worry. “It is so sunny! We need to be watered quickly; 34 ______ we will all dry up!” said the Lily flower in dismay. The Rose flower was crying. “What is the matter, Rose? We are all waiting 35 ______ water,” said the Tulip flower. “Oh, I’m worried about my new flower. It may dry out even before blooming!” sobbed Rose. The flowers started discussing what could be done to save little Rose, but no one could think 36 ______ a solution. Then Molly the Cactus said “I can give water to little Rose. I have water stored in me, which is more important for Rose now”. “Little Rose bud will survive!” cheered everybody. Then the Rose flower turned to Molly and said “Molly, we must 37 ______. Even though we were mean, you helped us. You have taught us an important lesson. It is not how one 38 ______, but how one behaves that makes one a good or a bad person”.

A trip to Thailand

I have always been interested in various cultures especially those completely alien to us. Thus, imagine my delight when my father 32 ______ me that he was taking us on a holiday to Bangkok and from there to visit a remote tribe that lives about 200 kilometers north of the capital city. As my father explained, the tribe lives an isolated life and the members are cut 33 ______ from the rest of the world in terms of their unique and even weird cultural practices.

During our trip I have noticed that the Thai people are very friendly and their greetings are very 34 ______ to the Indians’. For example, when they meet you they bring their palms together in a prayer-like position and bend their bodies a little as a way of welcoming and acknowledging you. It would definitely 35 ______ you feel as an honored guest. At first, I was rather 36 ______ by these greeting traditions which seemed so unusual and respectful to me. Surprisingly, soon I got used to doing that myself and 37 ______ this procedure during my entire trip to Thailand. We spent only two fantastic days in Bangkok before heading 38 ______ the remote village which was going to be the most exciting time of our lives, dad promised. We were excited and could not wait seeing everything with our own eyes!

The important things in life

At a philosophy class a professor picked up a large empty glass jar and filled it with big rocks. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They 32 ______ that it was. So the professor poured a box of pebbles into the jar and shook it lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students again considered the jar to be full. When the professor poured a box of sand into the jar it filled up the 33 ______ open areas of the jar, which was really full at last.

“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to understand that this jar 34 ______ your life. The rocks are the important things – your family, health, children – and if only they are present in your life, it will 35 ______ be full. The pebbles are the other things that 36 ______ – like your job, house, car. The sand is the small stuff.”

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for anything important. 37 ______ attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children, do sports, meet friends. There will always be time to work, clean the house, or fix the car. Take care 38 ______ the rocks first, set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

Brenda

Brenda Dowson looked up at the departure monitor on the wall above her desk. She was relieved to see that United’s flight 99 bound for JFK had finally taken 32 ______ at 1.40. Forty minutes behind schedule.

Brenda founded Art Locations nearly ten years ago. Brenda was really married to the job, despite its long hours, demanding customers and planes, trains and cargo vessels that never 33 ______ on time. Moving great works of art from one corner of the globe to the other 34 ______ her to combine a natural flair for organization with a love of beautiful objects.

Brenda travelled around the world 35 ______ commissions from governments who were planning national exhibitions. She also dealt with several private collectors, who often wanted nothing more than to move a favourite painting from home to another. Over the years many of her customers had become personal friends. But not Andrew Stratford. Brenda long ago 36 ______ that the words “please” and “thank you” were not in the man’s vocabulary, and she certainly wasn’t on his Christmas card list. Brenda tried to 37 ______ no attention to his impolite ways. Stratford’s latest demand had been to collect a Van Gogh from Victoria Hall and transport it, without 38 ______ to his office in Boston. Again, he didn’t say either “please” or “thank you”.

Mary

Mary wanted something to do, anything to do. Her reason was twofold: one, she wanted with good conscience to escape Glenda’s chore list; and two, she wanted to 32 ______ her mind busy and off last night and Max’s good-night kiss. She looked at the framed photo of her and Glenda on her desk. It made her smile; they didn’t even 33 ______ alike though they were twins. Leaving of musing, she shoved the paperwork on her desk aside and crossed her ankles comfortably on the space she’d cleared. Then she popped a cold can of Pepsi, and 34 ______ her situation.

The following day there was no 35 ______ for Mary to escape Glenda’s chore list; not if she still wanted Glenda to agree to throw a surprise birthday party for Max. After 36 ______ a phone call to Uncle Robert to ask him to check around and see what he could hear about a hockey fan named Perry, she reluctantly started in on the list of chores Glenda had handed her at breakfast.

It was a foggy windblown day outside just made for warm sweaters and socks, the comfort clothes she adored. Living in St. Louis, one could 37 ______ the weather to change at any moment. Mary almost didn’t hear the knock at the door when it came so close after the thunder. She saw a good-looking stranger who said, “I’m looking 38 ______ Glenda.” Looking down at a piece of paper in his hand he read, “Her name is Glenda Johnson. Look, maybe I have the wrong address. This is some sort of bed and breakfast, isn’t it?”. He looked confused.

Solo travelling

I like travelling alone. I have visited many places, such as Thailand, Europe, South America and the USA on my own, which was a great challenge. Every time I travel solo I 32 ______ myself of how strong I am. Travelling with others, you tend to rely on different people for different things. For example, Joe handles the map because he’s good 33 ______ navigation, while Jennifer deals with the arguments because she’s an excellent problem solver. When you’re travelling by yourself, only you’re 34 ______ for it all: reading the map, navigating local transportation, communicating through language barriers to order food or a bus ticket, and any other travel situation.

Solo travelling also developed my communication skills. I think I truly reached my full socializing potential when I was travelling alone in Europe. I can 35 ______ that European culture is extremely social in itself. Suddenly, people were coming up and starting conversations with me in money exchanges, train stations, parks, buses, piazzas, hostels. As I got used to the European culture, I began initiating conversations myself. I still 36 ______ in touch with most of the friends I made on that trip. They are very kind and helpful people. 37 ______, I realized how easy it was to make friends once you came out of your shell. These communication skills have helped me to 38 ______ in work, friendship and relationships.

A sign of weakness?

What should you do when you realise that you have to apologise? Is it better to swallow your pride and say you’re sorry when somebody is waiting 32 ______ your apology?

The psychologist Jack Black says that people worry that an apology will be 33 ______ as a sign of weakness, rather than as their effort to understand and make up with the opponent. But he adds that effective apologies address the person’s feelings – they don’t prove a point.

As for how to do it, Professor Black has the following advice, “The right way to apologise is the way your mother taught you. Say you threw a stone at your brother. She’d have you go and 34 ______ him in the eye and say: ‘I’m sorry I threw the stone at you and I won’t do it again.’ It’s important to name what you did wrong, to show yourself as being regretful in some way and to indicate what might be different in the future.”

You should 35 ______ that the number of times you’ll need to repeat the apology may vary depending on where you live. 36 ______ to preliminary data collected by Professor Black, for a minor offence, the optimal number is a single “I’m sorry”. “If the offence is large, then making two apologies seems to be the magic number for restoring trust and liking,” Jack Black says. 37 ______, if you’re British, you may need to double that. “A single ‘Sorry’ does not 38 ______ as an apology: we have to say it so many times with a lot of adjectives,” says Professor Black.

How to become a good leader

Being a good leader takes work. It is not hard at all to 32 ______ the difference between a good and a bad boss. Exceptional leaders – those who are respected and 33 ______ by their team – have a lot of secret skills that they put to use every day.

Firstly, building relationships – both with your team and your partners – is crucial in leading a team. That means your success depends greatly 34 ______ interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our emotions, as well as understand the emotions of others. It’s a part of how we navigate social situations and then make decisions to 35 ______ goals. Several studies have found that a strong emotional intelligence is a top factor for a leader’s success. 36 ______ to the research, managers with the strongest emotional intelligence were much more likely to succeed.

Exceptional leaders are ones who regularly 37 ______ employees of the main goal. A team needs to know what they’re marching toward. With a larger vision in mind, their day-to-day work has more purpose.

Great leaders 38 ______ sure their daily behavior is a model for their team. They’re reliable (meaning they always follow through on what they’ve promised), they respect people’s time (meaning they don’t make others wait unnecessarily), and they retain a thoughtful, objective approach to problems or issues.

A festival in Pepin

There are many interesting festivals in the USA. If you want to experience village life of the nineteenth century, you should go to the annual Laura Ingalls Wilder Days festival. It takes 32 ______ in the Village of Pepin. This event is devoted to an American writer Laura Ingalls Wilder known for the “Little House on the Prairie” series of children’s novels based on her childhood in a settler family. This is the perfect festival for those who have read the books and 33 ______ what life really was like for Laura and her family. Several thousand people come to see a beautiful parade and 34 ______ many other activities at the two-day event.

Come join us for this fun-filled weekend! The annual Laura Days celebration is 35 ______ on the second weekend in September. Saturday events include a parade, children’s pioneer games and activities in the park, craft demonstrations and a food tent. 36 ______ the same time, there are many other activities, such as Little Miss Laura contest, a greased pig contest, tours of the Masters Hotel, and more! 37 ______, you can visit an old church on Sunday morning or go to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, which features many items Laura and her family had and recalls the era in which they lived. And we 38 ______ recommend finishing your visit to Pepin with a picnic on the shore of Lake Pepin, picking up pretty pebbles as Laura did so many years ago.

An unforgettable trip

When I decided to go travelling, I wanted to get away from everything for a while. I could suddenly feel the freedom and the adventure, and I really wanted it for a 32 ______ time. So I sold all my furniture, gave notice on my flat, quit my job, and then bought a backpack and a ticket halfway around the world.

During my first stopover in Singapore, on my way to Australia, I felt nervous. I sat tired and hungry in my hotel room, 33 ______ with my wish to take a flight straight back home. Because if I felt lonely after 34 ______ 14 hours, could I honestly do this for another 12 months? Fortunately, something inside encouraged me not to 35 ______ up and to see the night through, and I carried on.

One of my worries setting out had been meeting rude people, but I didn’t come across a single unkind person on my travels. In fact, the people I met were everything I tried to be: kind, considerate, creative, down to earth, passionate, warm and friendly. 36 ______ I travelled on my own, I was never alone – all the people I met became my friends. For example, one Italian girl gave me her jumper when I was cold, a Japanese girl helped me cook a meal, and another girl helped me with my bags on a train. Once I met a group on a tour bus who persuaded me to 37 ______ them on a boat trip, which ended up being one of the best trips of my life. And the guy I met 38 ______ chance walking down a mountain on Christmas Day is now one of my closest friends.

The effect of the temperature

Many people believe that office conditions can influence our work. For a 32 ______ time achieving a comfortable room temperature in hot climates was a constant struggle. Research discovered an obvious fact: finding an office temperature to 33 ______ everyone all the time is basically impossible. “Part of the problem is trying to work out the “correct” temperature. It depends 34 _______ what you’re measuring,” said researcher David House.

One study 35 ______ at the impact of the room temperature on worker productivity, by tracking the activity of managers in an office. 36 ______ it measured the activity of just nine women, the results were impressive. At 25°C they were typing non-stop with an error rate of just 10%. When the temperature dropped to 20°C, they were half as productive, more than doubling the number of mistakes.

But it’s not quite that simple. When students in the other study were asked to solve a math problem in either a cool or a warm room, the group in the cooler room 37 ______ in this task twice as often. It means that complex decisions are more difficult when we’re warm. When the temperature is above 27°C,we’re not so good at mathematics.

In fact, the room temperature can do more than influence your productivity – it can change the way you think. Warm environments are better for creative thinking, while cooler workplaces are thought to 38 ______ people active during repetitive or monotonous tasks.

A night in the Eifel Tower

Seven million people visit the Eiffel Tower every year. But have you ever dreamed 32 ______ sleeping in this iconic structure?

Holiday rental company Viva constructed a temporary VIP apartment on the first level of the tower, open only for the duration of the Euro football tournament from 10 June to 10 July 2016. The two-bedroom apartment, with the best Paris views was furnished with a big screen television for 33 ______ the game. The space also included a seating area filled with hanging plants.

A lot of people were attracted by the 34 ______ to sleep in the apartment. To determine who got this chance, Viva 35 ______ a contest asking entrants to describe how they would spend their night in the tower.

“My two young sons are autistic and are both obsessed with lights and the tower itself so I’d spend the night 36 ______ their excitement!” was the winning response from Michelle, in the UK.

Scott, from the United States, 37 ______ to win a night’s stay with his response about reuniting five generations in Paris: his mother who first visited the city in 1953, his daughter and granddaughter who visited at 13 and 14 respectively, and a brand new granddaughter who joined the trip.

The four winners began their one-night stays from the 23^rd of June. 38 ______ there were no other nights to win, all the visitors to the Eiffel Tower had the chance to tour the apartment and join a match viewing party.

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