The Irish celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

Last week people all over Ireland celebrated Saint Patrick’s Day in the traditional way. Dublin ___ DECORATE ____ with flags and bunting. Sprigs of shamrock ___ SELL __ everywhere. In many countries of the world, the Irish held parades, pageants, sports and drama festivals. Saint Patrick, who ___ BRING ___ Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, is the country’s patron saint. For centuries, his day ____ BE _____ a day of celebration in Ireland.

2.

Olympic-size wedding dress

A Chinese man ordered a 2008-metre long wedding dress for his future wife because of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It was important for ___ HE ____ to know that his future bride would wear a very special dress. The local factory which produced the dress says it was the ___ ONE ___ time that they had made such a dress. Unfortunately, during the ceremony the bridegroom ___ NOT LET ___anyone take pictures of the unusual garment.

The farewell symphony

What do you know about Franz Joseph Haydn? A German composer of the Classical period, he was one of the ___ FAMOUS ___ musicians of his time. Haydn ___ SPEND ___ much of his career as a court musician for the wealthy Esterhazy family at their mansion. The result of this was that Haydn __ ISOLATE ___ from other composers and trends in music of the 18th century. When it was time for him to leave the Esterhazy family, he wrote his “Farewell Symphony”. This musical piece ___ BE ___ popular for centuries ever since it was first presented to the public.

3.

The compass

What do you know about the invention of the compass? You might think that sailors ___ USE ___ the compass for centuries to navigate in the open sea. The truth is, there was no such thing as the compass in ancient times, and even after ___ IT ___ invention the compass wasn’t used all that much for marine navigation. No one knows where or when the first compass ___ INVENT __. It may have been in China or in the Near East or in Italy.

A kind man

A truck driver was driving 100 penguins to the New York Zoo when his truck broke down on the freeway. The driver got out of the cab. He ____ LOOK ____ at the engine when another truck stopped in front of him. The second truck driver asked if his colleague ___ NEED ____ any help. The penguins’ driver explained that he was taking the penguins to the zoo and asked if the other man ____ TAKE ____ the penguins there. He agreed. Some hours later, the second truck driver drove past the first one, who was still waiting on the freeway for help to come. The penguins, however, ____ BE ____ still on the truck! “I thought I asked you to take those penguins to the zoo,” shouted the first driver. The second replied, “I did, but I had some money left, so we’re going to the cinema now.”

4.

Strange but true

Everybody knows Walt Disney, a person who invented many cartoon characters such as Donald Duck and Pluto. But it’s Mickey Mouse which ___ LOVE ______ by children all over the world. Millions of kids worldwide ____ SEE ______ this cartoon since it was made. However, few people know about the following fact. The funny thing is that Walt Disney, its creator, had a strong phobia – he was very much afraid of ___ MOUSE ____!

Not quite a musician

Albert Einstein, the famous scientist, liked to play the violin very much. Once he found himself in the company with Hans Eisler, a composer and a pianist. They met for the ____ ONE _______ time. Everybody began asking _____ THEY _____ to play together, so they agreed. Einstein tuned in his violin but every time Eisler started a musical piece, Einstein ____ NOT CAN _______ get it right. After several attempts Eisler ___ STAND ____ up from the piano and said: “I don’t understand why the whole world thinks this is a great scientist! He isn’t able to count to three!”

5.

Blackpool

Blackpool is not on the list of top British places to go, but the northern seaside resort of Blackpool still draws tourists. About 6 million ____ VISIT ____ come to the town every year. Most of them are attracted by a great ___ SELECT ___ of arcades, shows and a quick few days sprawled on the sands. Speaking about the things which ___ SYMBOL ____ Blackpool, these are certainly the Blackpool Tower (an aging copy of The Eiffel Tower) and the Pleasure Beach. The Pleasure Beach has everything from donkey races to places of great ___ NATURE ____ beauty. Blackpool’s famous sea-front also boasts __ TRADITION ____ trams and horse-drawn carriages and a huge Sea-Life Centre where you can stare a shark straight in the eye. Blackpool is known for a ____ TRUE ___ hospitable attitude to tourists, so don’t miss a chance to come here at least for a couple of days.

6.

No man without a secret

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, enjoyed practical jokes. He is said to have once sent a telegram to twelve of ____ HE ____ friends, all people of great significance and power. The telegram said: “Flee at once, the secret ___ DISCOVER ___.” Within 24 hours all twelve ___ LEAVE __ the country.