The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories 4 страница
G.
With tea, cakes and a beautiful garden to stroll in, garden parties are among the most relaxed and informal Royal events when over 30,000 people attend. Garden parties have been held at Buckingham Palace since the 1860s, when Queen Victoria introduced what were known as 'breakfasts'. Nowadays they are attended by people from different social groups.
1. Transport for Santa 33
2. A Christmas miracle made by insects
3. Remembering the dead
4. A Christmas exercise
5. A Christmas summer style
6. The first guest is important
7. Celebrating on another day
8. A female Santa
A.
For people who live in the northern hemisphere, the thought of celebrating Christmas with great heat and bright sun seems strange and exotic. But in Australia, where the holidays fall on summer, it’s completely normal. Though most of the traditions of celebrating Christmas in Australia are the same as in European countries, there is still a little variation. On Christmas Day, most Australians have the holiday midday dinner outside. The dinner is often followed by some backyard cricket or a swim in the pool.
B.
In Italy, children do not ask Santa Claus for presents. In their country an ugly, yet kind, old witch named Befana controls the present-giving duties instead of Santa. On the eve of the holiday parents leave out a plate of broccoli with some sausage and a glass of wine for Befana. Flying around the world on her broomstick and entering each house down the chimney, the witch delivers toys, clothing and candy to well-behaved children and puts coal — or dark candy — in bad kids’ socks.
C.
An ancient Ukrainian legend tells us about the children from a poor family, who spent months dreaming up ways to decorate their Christmas tree for the holiday. But their parents could not afford any Christmas decoration. However, on Christmas morning, when the children woke up, they saw that spiders had spun webs of shiny silk around the tree’s branches. The morning sun turned each thread into silver and gold. Even nowadays the Ukrainians dress up their trees with spider webs to welcome good luck into the coming year.
D.
Hogmanay celebrations take place over Christmas in Scotland. It is a cheerful holiday celebrating the birth of a new year. One of the most important traditions is called First-Footing. Once midnight strikes, all eyes await the arrival of the year’s first visitor. The person who crosses the home’s threshold first is said to bring good fortune for the year ahead. Top of the lucky list: a male, dark-haired visitor. Women or blonde men are believed to be unlucky.
E.
Going to the cemetery is something that we do not normally include in our Christmas programme. However, for many Finns, this time is dedicated to visiting graves. People light candles beside the gravestones, and when enough of them get together, the effect is spectacular! The warm glow of millions of lighted candles creates a breath-taking scene. Christmas cemeteries look so nice that people come there to enjoy the scenery and peaceful environment.
F.
In Russia, Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January, not on the 25th of December like in most other countries. The different date of the holiday is because the Orthodox Church uses the old ‘Julian’ calendar for religious celebration days. According to tradition, on Christmas Eve some Russian people don’t eat anything until the first star has appeared in the sky.
G.
Like in most countries which are predominantly Catholic, the locals of Venezuela, especially in their capital city, Caracas, attend the Misa de Aguinaldo. They go to church on Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, in Caracas, people, old and young, don’t just go to church, they usually roller skate to church. The streets of Caracas are closed to vehicles up to 8am on Christmas Day to make way for their citizens who travel by roller skates to and from church.
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1. Wait for your turn! 34
2. Visiting British friends
3. Give way to others!
4. Respecting the older generation
5. A thousand apologies
6. Presents are always appreciated!
7. Being polite at the first meeting
8. Modern technology creates new rules
A.
In most houses in Britain, the doors are usually kept closed. The common way to see people is at a pre-arranged time and day. Generally, people are not comfortable if you just drop in. Nevertheless, if someone says to drop in at anytime, feel free to do so as long as it is not in the middle of the night. When you go into someone’s house, do take your hat off (men only).
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B.
In Britain the handshake is a common form of greeting. When you meet people for the first time, it is normal to shake hands with men and women – there are no issues over gender in Britain. The usual formal greeting is ‘How do you do?’ Remember it is a greeting not a question, and to respond you need to repeat ‘How do you do?’ In Britain it is not usual to embrace or kiss the other person, unless they are family or a very close friend.
C.
Whether at the supermarket, train station, or a concert, people across the UK often form neat and tidy lines, awaiting their turn at the front. British people take waiting in line (called ‘queuing’) incredibly seriously. The worst mistake one can make is queue-jumping – pushing ahead in the line. This will always be met with disapproval from those who wait patiently. The British think that waiting with good humour is a sign of strong moral character.
D. No guide to etiquette would be complete without mentioning the British love of apologising. If you accidentally bump into someone, say ‘sorry’. They probably will say it too, even if it was your fault! Foreigners are often surprised when they find two British standing in front of each other and offering their apologies for being in the other’s way – no matter who is at fault.
E.
On all escalators but especially those in tube stations, you stand on the right side of the escalator and leave room for people to walk past you on the left. Commuters are far too impatient to wait for the escalator to make its way to the top or the bottom, and they need to be able to rush by you. If you are in their way, they will never forgive you.
F.
During birthday and Christmas celebrations, it is common for the British to exchange gifts between family members and close friends. The gift does not need to be expensive, but it should demonstrate an attempt to find something really special. When invited to someone’s home, it is normal to take along a box of good chocolates or flowers. Note that gifts are opened when received!
G.
As we tend to use our mobile phones everywhere, it is important to observe some unwritten etiquette about electronic devices. Avoid making and receiving calls when you are in a hospital or in the theatre. Using a mobile phone at the dinner table is considered impolite. Remember that speaking loudly when making a call, especially on public transport, is considered very improper too.
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1. Nobody lives there 35
2. A place to watch sports and purchase goods
3. Enjoy buying something from the past
4. Let big boats go under
5. A message to future generations
6. Getting a nickname after reconstruction
7. The most expensive construction project
8. Real-life help from a fairy tale
A.
Tower Bridge, which is over a hundred years old, has become a symbol of London. It is the only bridge on the Thames that can be raised and lowered to allow ships to pass. The Tower drawbridges have been raised more than half a million times since it was built. Nowadays it takes only 90 seconds for the heavy drawbridges to be raised with electric motors. It is considered that watching the Tower Bridge opening brings good luck.
B.
Portobello Market is among the most famous London street markets. It has been a market since the 1800s but became famous for its antiques in the 1950s. On Saturdays the place is crowded with Londoners and tourists. There are numerous stalls offering vintage and designer clothes, books, music and loads of antiques. It is a place where everyone can find something really unique.
C.
Waterloo Bridge is a foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London. It was opened in 1817, on the second anniversary of the famous battle. A century later, in the early 1940s, the famous Bridge needed to be rebuilt. It was during World War II, and most men were away fighting. So the bridge was rebuilt mainly by women. The new Waterloo Bridge was opened in 1945 and got a second name, the ‘Ladies Bridge’.
D.
Wembley Stadium is a football stadium located in Wembley Park, London. The stadium is the home not only to football. It also hosts concerts, rugby games and American football games. There is Wembley Market not far from the stadium. Unlike many London street markets this one is situated in an open space. A visit here is a good option for football fans to find club T-shirts, boots or accessories.
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E.
23 and 24 Leinster Gardens in Paddington (just opposite Hyde Park) are fake houses built to hide the Tube line running underneath. The windows are painted on, there are no letter boxes, and behind the facade there is a railway. The first London underground trains were steam trains so they needed ventilation. Underground lines were planned with tunnels and open air sections so the trains could let out their steam and smoke, and that is what the house facades are hiding.
F.
Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is situated at Russell Square, London, owns the copyright to Peter Pan, a story written by J.M. Barrie. The author had no children himself and gifted the rights to his famous literary pieces to the hospital in 1929. The hospital receives royalties from all films, cartoons and performances of Peter Pan. All the money is used to run the hospital.
G.
Cleopatra's Needle, the obelisk on the Thames Embankment, was brought to London in 1819 from Alexandria, the royal city of Cleopatra. Underneath Cleopatra’s Needle there’s a time capsule from 1778 that’s said to contain copies of the Bible in several languages, a portrait of Queen Victoria, a set of British coins, cigars, a razor, a map of London, copies of 10 daily newspapers, and pictures of 12 best looking English women of the day.
1. Forbidden to bring in 36
2. Environmentally friendly
3. Linguistically diverse
4. What animal was it?
5. Only for the lucky ones
6. For all tastes
7. Having much in common
8. A wet and hot place
A.
There are only three city-states in the world. One of them is Singapore, a small country in South East Asia. It can be named a modern equivalent to the Italian medieval Venice. Both cities are built on islands and became wealthy by trade. Like medieval Venice, Singapore is an independent city-state and is governed by a small group of powerful politicians and businessmen.
B.
The Malay word for the country, ‘Singapura’, means Lion City. Modern Singapore is full of numerous lion statues. According to legend, the founder of Singapore named his kingdom Lion City because he saw a lion on the island and decided that it was a sign of good luck. However, zoologists doubt that he could see a lion because there is no evidence that lions have ever lived there. More likely, he saw a tiger or another kind of big cat, native to the area.
C.
From an extremely humid but sunny morning to a gloomy and rainy afternoon, and then to a cloudy, starless night sky; Singapore is predictable in its unpredictable climate. A week of terrible heat follows a week of non-stop rainfall. In general, tourists think February is the best month to visit the country. The citizens of Singapore disagree. They think that any time is good – you just have to accept the hot and rainy weather.
D.
Singapore has three main communities. The largest group is the Chinese, then come the Malays and the smallest group is the Indians. But there are four official languages in the country – Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English. Although English is the language of government, television and universities, the national anthem Majulah Singapura is actually sung in Malay.
E.
Singapore is considered to be one of the healthiest places in the world. One of the reasons is the tasty and healthy national cuisine of the city-state. The citizens have a vast choice that includes Chinese shark fin soup, traditional Indian food, Indonesian fried noodles and English tea with a dessert. It is worth saying that regardless of the level of the restaurant and the price, the food is always fresh and of a high quality.
F.
Unlike in most countries, citizens of Singapore cannot just buy a car. The island is densely populated and the government tries to regulate the number of cars on the road. To own a car, a citizen must enter his or her name in a lottery that is drawn twice a month. If the citizen wins the lottery, he or she is granted a Certificate which allows them to own a car for 10 years. Then it is necessary to pay a registration fee, which is 140% of the value of the car.
G.
When you are in Singapore you can’t buy chewing gum anywhere. It is illegal to import or sell gum in the country. The sale of gum was prohibited in 1992 after gum was used to shut down the SMRT, the country's public transportation system. The gum was stuck on the sensor doors and the system was paralyzed. The punishment for importing gum into the country is a year in prison and a big fine.
1. Multilingual society 37
2. Useful from roots to leaves
3. The country’s weather extremes
4. Saving the endangered animals
5. Separating state power
6. The most essential thing for life
7. Secret plan
8. Colourful due to diversity
A.
The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of Africa and is washed by the Atlantic and the Indian oceans. It is sometimes called the ‘Rainbow Nation’, because there are so many different languages and various cultural traditions. The ‘Rainbow Nation’ includes 38 million black South Africans, 5 million whites, 3.5 million people of mixed race and 1.5 million people of Asian origin. The colours of the rainbow can now be seen in South Africa flag.
B.
Unlike most other countries around the world, South Africa has not one but three capital cities. More precisely, the government branches are divided among three major South African cities: Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein. When creating the state, it was decided that if the government was in one place, that place could have more influence and political control.
C.
In South Africa, there are 11 official languages. So, there are eleven official names for the country, one for each different language. It is interesting to know that most citizens know three or more languages. The majority of the population can speak and understand English which is the language of business, politics and the media in South Africa.
D.
Today South Africa maintains its position as a major diamond producer. The largest diamond, Cullinan, was found in 1905. The Government decided to present the diamond to King Edward VII as a birthday present. However, it was a problem to find a safe way to deliver such an expensive diamond to London. It was decided to place a fake diamond on a steamboat to attract those who would be interested in stealing it. The actual diamond was sent to England in a plain box via parcel post, though registered!
E.
It is a sad truth but the African rhinos are in danger. Though using rhino horns for medicine has been illegal since 1993, this hasn’t stopped people killing this rare animal simply for the horn. To prevent rhino extinction, their horns are covered with a special toxin that does not harm the animal. But it is designed in such a way that any product (powder, tea or cream) that is made from the poisoned horn will taste bitter or will cause burns. It will also show itself in airport scanners.
F.
Baobabs, the largest trees in the world, grow in South Africa. They live up to 5 thousand years and reach a trunk diameter of 25 meters! Baobab is called ‘The Tree of Life’. It provides food, water, and shelter to people, animals, and birds. All the parts of the baobab are used for different purposes. For example, its fruit, called ‘monkey bread’, is edible, and full of vitamin C.
G.
South Africa’s special water law was implemented in 1998. Through this law, around four million poor people in the country have been given easy access to clean water. Nowadays South Africa is among the 12 countries in the world that are able to supply its people with tap water that is fit to drink. The quality of its water actually ranks third best in the world.
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