Do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving?

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day, but on a different day. Their Thanksgiving is on the _________ TWO _________ Monday in October.
It happens so because harvest time comes ________ EARLY __________ in Canada.
Canadians enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but they _________ NOT ASSOCIATE _________ their holiday with Pilgrims and the landing of the Mayflower. Instead, they refer back to the landing of Martin Frobisher from England at Newfoundland in 1578, 43 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts.

2.

Russian inventions: holography

Do you know what holography is? It is a technique ________ BASE __________ on lasers, which enable 3-D (three-dimensional) images to be made.
In 1962, Soviet physicist Yuri Denisyuk ________ COME __________ up with the first reflection hologram also known as the “Denisyuk hologram”.
Now the technology ________ USE __________ in most holographic displays and it was the first to allow multi-color image reproduction in holograms.

3.

Who invented spaghetti, the Italians or the Chinese?

When you think of agriculture in China, you probably think of rice. However, China is the largest wheat producer in Asia, and the ________ THREE __________ largest producer overall, ________ ACCOUNT __________ for about 10 percent of the world’s wheat crop.
What do the Chinese make from their wheat? Among other things, they make spaghetti! The Chinese _________ MAKE _________ noodles from wheat and other grains for longer than the Italians.

4.

What is the longest river in Europe?

The Volga River, which flows entirely within Russia, is the longest river in Europe. From its source in the hills northwest of Moscow, the Volga travels almost 2,300 miles (3,700 km) to the Caspian Sea. Much of Russia’s freight _________ CARRY _________ on barges on this river.
The Danube River is Europe’s _________ TWO _________ longest, at almost 1,770 miles (2,860 km). The Danube passes through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, and Romania before it empties into the Black Sea.
The Danube River flows through _________ MANY _________ countries than any other river in the world.

5.

What is the oldest subway system in the world?

London’s Underground, which opened in 1863, is the oldest subway system in the world. Despite the name, about 55% of the subway network is above ground.

________ MANY __________ than one billion passenger journeys were recorded in 2007.
The ________ BUSY __________ station in the London Underground network is Victoria station, which serves about 78 million passengers a year.
The tube map, with its schematic and colour-coded layout, ________ CONSIDER __________ a design classic.

6.

Why do the Chinese call the Yellow River in China “China’s Sorrow”?

The Huang He, or Yellow River, in China is called “China’s Sorrow” by the Chinese themselves. Since long ago, flooding _________ BE _________ a serious problem.
The ________ BAD __________, most sorrowful flood on record happened in 1931.
The waters began to rise in July, and by November of that year, more than 40,000 square miles had been flooded, _________ LEAVE _________ 80 million people homeless.

7.

He didn’t need advice

Once Mozart was approached by a young man, who was interested in Mozart’s advice on how to compose a symphony. Since he was still very young, Mozart recommended that he should start by ________ WRITE __________ ballads.
_________ SURPRISE _________, the young man responded, “But you wrote symphonies when you were only ten years old.”
“But I _________ NOT HAVE _________ to ask,” countered Mozart.

8.

Who discovered radioactivity?

Marie Curie’s discovery of two naturally radioactive elements, polonium and radium, made headline news. However, her real discovery was that atoms _________ NOT BE _________ small solid balls and that there must be even _________ SMALL _________ particles inside them. This discovery opened the door to all atomic and subatomic research and even to the splitting of the atom.
Curie carried out her research with radioactive elements before the dangers of radioactivity ________ UNDERSTAND __________. She suffered from radiation sickness for most of her adult life. Indeed, for many years after her death, her notebooks were still highly radioactive.

9.

Star pilot

My four-year-old brother Kevin wanted to become a pilot. But one dark night he watched a plane ________ MOVE __________ across a clear sky.
As it disappeared, he heaved a relieved sigh and said, “Whew! I’m not going to be a pilot!” ________ SURPRISE __________, Mom asked, “Why not?
“Do you realize,” Kevin replied wisely, “how hard it would be to steer around all _________ THAT _________stars?”

10.

Does the plan work?

Brad was a student in my after-school tutoring session. He was working ________ LITTLE __________ than diligently.

“Brad,” I said, “I talked to your mom, and she wants you to stay for the full hour, so you may as well get something done.” “She wants you to keep me every day for an hour?” he complained. “She wants you to learn it’s ________ EASY __________ to work during regular class hours than to give up after-school time.” Brad seemed to agree.

“So,” I continued, “why not get your work done now so you can bring your marks up and get your mom off your back?” “No!” he replied in horror. “If I __________ GET ________ good marks now, she'll think this plan is working, and she'll keep me in here until June!”

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1.

Why a zigzag?

Have you ever noticed that when we climb hills we create zigzags? We don’t go straight ahead but go in zigzags. It can mean walking 20 times as far, and still a zigzag is ________ FAST __________ than the shortest distance between two points.
Researchers developed a mathematical model ________ SHOW __________ that a zigzag provides the most efficient way for humans to go up or down steep slopes.
They explain that zig-zagging ________ REQUIRE __________ less effort.

2.

Russian rivers

Do you know Russian rivers? Do you know what the ________ LONG __________ river in Russia is? It is the Volga River.
This river is a great source of hydroelectric power. The water from the river ________ USE __________ for irrigation.
Canals link the Volga River to the Baltic and White Seas. The Volga ________ FREEZE __________ for most of its length for three months each year.

3.

New Zealand: geography

New Zealand consists of two main islands and a number of smaller islands so scattered that they range from the tropical to the Antarctic. New Zealand ________ LOCATE __________ about 2,012 km southeast of Australia.
The two main islands are the North Island and the South Island, ________ SEPARATE __________ by Cook Strait. The North Island is 829 km long and volcanic in its south-central part.
South Island has the Southern Alps along its west coast, with Mount Cook being the ________ HIGH __________ point. Other inhabited islands include Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands, and Great Barrier Island.

4.

Global warming

In northern Québec and Labrador, temperatures ________ RISE __________ two degrees Celsius since the mid-1990s. That rise has helped more trees grow in the area which was previously too cold for trees.
And the more trees that grow, the ________ WARM __________ the region becomes.
“The cold landscape that we are accustomed to in northern Canada _________ BE _________ a thing of the past soon,” specialists predict.

5.

New Zealand: history

What do you know about the history of New Zealand? Maoris were the _________ ONE _________ inhabitants of New Zealand, arriving to the islands in about 1000. Maori oral history maintains that the Maoris came to the island in seven canoes from other parts of Polynesia.
In 1642, New Zealand ________ EXPLORE __________ by Abel Tasman, a Dutch navigator.
British captain James Cook made three voyages to the islands, ________ BEGIN __________ in 1769. Britain formally annexed the islands in 1840.

6.

Kite fighting

Have you ever heard of kite fighting? Kite fighting is a highly competitive sport traditionally ________ PLAY __________ in India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Thailand, and South America.
Each player hopes to get his or her kite to fly _________ HIGH _________. The players try to cut their opponents’ kite strings with sharp objects imbedded in their kites.
________ START __________ in the late 1990s, kite fighting gained popularity in the USA and is now practiced throughout the country, with an annual championship competition held in Washington state.

7.

In thick fog

It was a foggy night. In a very thick fog, a ship ________ SAIL __________ very slowly. Suddenly lights appeared forward on a collision course. The Captain shouted through the mouthpiece: “Get out of my way! I am the carrier ‘Manchester’! My displacement is 30,000 tons!”
A voice _______ COME ___________ through the fog in reply:
“You _________ WELL _________ turn away yourself. I’m the light house!”

8.

The purpose of education

A famous professor greeted the first year undergraduates at the beginning of the academic year. He _________ TELL _________ them in his opening remarks:
“Nothing you learn here at the university will be of slightest use to you _________ LATE _________, but one thing.
If you work hard, if you train your brain, you should be able to understand when a man ________ TALK __________ nonsense. And that, in my view, is the main, if not the sole, purpose of education.”

9.

Exotic pets

There is no exact definition for “exotic” pets. This term usually refers to any animal that ________ NOT BE __________ domesticated yet.
Many people keep bears as pets. For example, Ivan the Terrible kept two bears in his palace. They _________ GIVE _________ to him by the boyars.
Perhaps the ________ EARLY __________ ruler in history with a soft spot for bears was Ptolemy II, king of Egypt. He was fond of a “white bear” kept in his private collection.

10.

Education for everyone

Thomas Jefferson made a considerable contribution to the development of education. He hoped that one day all young people on our planet ________ HAVE __________ the right to education.
Today, his dream _________ COME _________ true. At the global level, the United Nations recognises the right of everyone to education.
Although education is compulsory in most places, school attendance is optional, therefore some parents choose home-schooling for their _______ CHILD ___________.