St. Lucy’s day

The 13^th of December celebrates the virgin St Lucia of Syracuse, who was martyred for her Christian faith in 304. Due to her purity she is associated with light, and her feast day is on the 13^th of December because in the old calendar this used to be the longest night of the year.

St. Lucy is a very popular saint in the Scandinavian countries, where people feel the lack of sunlight more intensely, and on this day every town and village in Sweden chooses its own Lucia, who is driven around town, preferably in a horse-drawn vehicle, to spread light and song in food stores, factories, old-age homes and medical centres. St Lucia wears a white gown and ‘light in her hair’, which in practice means a crown of electric candles in a wreath on her head. Each year, a national Lucia is proclaimed, with candidates presented in the newspapers a couple of weeks in advance. This is also the day of the Nobel awards closing ceremony and the laureates are greeted by St. Lucy.

In Hungary, Luca-day is remembered as the day when witches are abroad (probably because this used to be the longest night of the year), so people had to protect themselves from evil. They ate garlic and even smeared some on their animals to keep evil spirits away, drew crosses on gates and spread some ash to stop them from entering homes. Brooms were also locked away so witches couldn’t go for a ride. Many superstitions are connected to this day: girls tried to foretell the future by cooking 12 dumplings, hiding a note with male name in each, and the first one to come up to the surface of the boiling water held the name of their future husband. The most well-known superstition is that of the Luca stool, which has to be carved starting today and finished by Christmas. The person who stood on the Luca stool during the midnight Mass was able to recognize the witches in the community.

virgin – szűz
to be martyred – mártírhalált halni
faith – hit
purity – tisztaság
lack of something – valaminek a hiánya
intensely – intenzíven, erősen
preferably – lehetőleg
horse-drawn – ló által vontatott
in practice – gyakorlatilag
wreath – koszorú
to proclaim – kihirdetni
candidate – jelölt
in advance – előre
laureate – díjazott
witch – boszorkány
evil – gonosz
to smear – bekenni
ash – hamu
superstition – babona
to foretell – jósolni
dumpling – gombóc, nokedli
surface – felszín
to carve – faragni
midnight Mass – éjféli mise

Here’s why she has two birthdays, and you only get one

Happy birthday to the Queen! On 21^st of April Her Majesty celebrated her actual birthday (as opposed to her official birthday, which falls in June). Here’s a complete guide to why we celebrate her birthday twice each year.

So the Queen gets two birthdays? Yep. Her Majesty was born on April 21, 1926 and she turned 93 this year. She will celebrate her official birthday on June 14.

Why does she get two? It’s tradition – the sovereign is given two birthdays if their birth date is not in the summer. This is because there will be a better chance of good weather for the birthday parade, called Trooping the Colour, which is a ceremony performed by regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies.

Have other kings and queens done this? Yes. All British monarchs have been given the option of having two birthdays since 1748. Edward VII, whose birthday fell in November, did it too.

Does she get presents? And cake? Well, we don’t know. The Queen celebrates her actual birthday in private (although last year she spent the day at the races) but we like to think she tucks into a very regal slice of birthday cake on occasion. At midday on April 21, she gets a 41 gun salute in Hyde Park, a 21 gun salute in Windsor Great Park and a 62 gun salute at the Tower of London.

So surely this is a national holiday. Do we get a day off? No, but you’re welcome to toast her if you like. Some places in the Commonwealth (such as Australia and New Zealand) get a public holiday on her official birthday, but we’re not so lucky.

source: www.metro.co.uk

to celebrate – ünnepelni
as opposed to – valamivel ellentétben
official – hivatalos
Her Majesty – Őfelsége
sovereign – uralkodó
a chance of – esély valamire
parade – parádé, felvonulás
regiment – ezred
the Commonwealth – Brit Nemzetközösség
the option of – valaminek a lehetősége
although – habár
the races (horserace) – lóverseny
to tuck into – bekebelez, jó étvággyal eszik
gun salute – díszsortűz
to toast someone – valakinek az egészégére inni, pohárköszöntőt mondani 

True or false?

1. The Queen was born in the summer.

2. Her Majesty celebrates her birthday in private.

3. The Queen’s official birthday is held in June.

4. The Queen’s birthday is a national holiday in the United Kingdom.

5. She is the first British Queen to have two birthdays.

Answers: 1-F 2-T 3-T 4-F 5-F

Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber

Lyrics: Tim Rice

Jesus Christ Superstar (movie: 1973)

Fill in the gaps with the right words.

Gethsemane (Ted Neely)

I only want to say if there is a way
Take this cup away from me
For I don’t want to 1 ………………… its poison
Feel it burn me, I have changed
I’m not as 2 ………………… as when we started

Then I was 3 …………………, now I’m sad and tired
Listen, surely I’ve 4 ………………… expectations
Tried for three years, seems like thirty
Could you ask as much from any other man?

But if I die
See the saga 5 ………………… and do the things you ask of me
Let them hate me, hit me, hurt me, nail me to their tree

I’d want to know, I’d want to know my God
I’d want to know, I’d want to know my God
Want to see, I’d want to see my God
Want to see, I’d want to see my God

Why I 6 ………………… die?
Would I be more noticed than I ever was before?
Would the things I’ve said and done 7 ………………… any more?

I’d have to know, I’d have to know my Lord
Have to know, I’d have to know my Lord
Have to see, I’d have to see my Lord
Have to see, I’d have to see my Lord

If I die what will be my reward?
If I die what will be my reward?
Have to know, I’d have to know my Lord
Have to know, have to know my Lord

Why should I die?
Why should I die?

Can you show me now that I would not be killed 8 …………………?
Show me just a little of your omnipresent brain
Show me there’s a 9 ………………… for your wanting me to die
You’re far too keen on where and how and not so 10 ………………… on why

Alright I’ll die
Just, just watch me die
See how, see how I die
See how I die

Then I was inspired, now I’m sad and tired
After all I’ve tried for three years
Seems like ninety

Why then am I 11 ………………… to finish what I started?
What you started, I didn’t start it

God, Thy will is hard but You hold every card
I will drink Your cup of poison
12 ………………… me to Your cross and break me
Bleed me, beat me, kill me, take me now
Before I change my mind

Answers: 1-h 2-l 3-c 4-f 5-d 6-j 7-a 8-k 9-b 10-i 11-e 12-g

—————————————————————————————————-

Gethsemane

I only want to say if there is a way
Take this cup away from me
For I don’t want to taste its poison
Feel it burn me, I have changed
I’m not as sure as when we started

Then I was inspired, now I’m sad and tired
Listen, surely I’ve exceeded expectations
Tried for three years, seems like thirty
Could you ask as much from any other man?

But if I die
See the saga through and do the things you ask of me
Let them hate me, hit me, hurt me, nail me to their tree

I’d want to know, I’d want to know my God
I’d want to know, I’d want to know my God
Want to see, I’d want to see my God
Want to see, I’d want to see my God

Why I should die?
Would I be more noticed than I ever was before?
Would the things I’ve said and done matter any more?

I’d have to know, I’d have to know my Lord
Have to know, I’d have to know my Lord
Have to see, I’d have to see my Lord
Have to see, I’d have to see my Lord

If I die what will be my reward?
If I die what will be my reward?
Have to know, I’d have to know my Lord
Have to know, I’d have to know my Lord

Why should I die?
Why should I die?

Can you show me now that I would not be killed in vain?
Show me just a little of your omnipresent brain
Show me there’s a reason for your wanting me to die
You’re far too keen on where and how and not so hot on why

Alright I’ll die
Just, just watch me die
See how, see how I die
See how I die

Then I was inspired, now I’m sad and tired
After all I’ve tried for three years
Seems like ninety

Why then am I scared to finish what I started?
What you started, I didn’t start it

God, Thy will is hard but You hold every card
I will drink Your cup of poison
Nail me to Your cross and break me
Bleed me, beat me, kill me, take me now
Before I change my mind

if there is a way – ha van rá mód

poison – méreg

inspired – ihletett

to exceed expectations – felülmúlja a várakozást

to see something through – befejezni, végigcsinálni valamit

to nail – felszegelni

to be noticed – észreveszik

to matter – számítani

reward – jutalom

in vain – hiába

omnipresent – mindenütt jelenlevő

to be keen on – lelkes, buzgó

to be hot on – nagyon érdekli valami, lelkes

will – akarat

to hold every card – nála van az adu ász

to change one’s mind – meggondolja magát

Read the following text then read the ten statements A–J. Five of these statements are correct according to the text. Tick the boxes of the correct sentences. Do not tick more than five boxes. Leave the other five boxes blank.

New Year’s Day

People around the world celebrate the start of a year on New Year’s Day. It is one of the oldest holidays. In the Western cultures of Europe, North America, South America and Australia most people celebrate New Year’s Day on 1 January. People of other places and cultures observe the new year at other times depending on their different calendars. The Chinese New Year, for example, is celebrated for a month beginning in late January or early February. In Iran New Year’s Day is in March, on the first day of spring. Followers of the Jewish religion celebrate the new year in the autumn. According to the Islamic calendar, the new year starts with the month of Muharram. Because the calendar is based on the movement of the moon, Muharram can begin in autumn, summer, spring or winter.

Many traditions and customs surround New Year’s Day in the United Kingdom. On the night before, called New Year’s Eve, people have noisy parties and grand feasts. They stay up late and count down the seconds until midnight. Firework displays are often organised and people will go outside at midnight to watch them. At midnight it is traditional to kiss or shake hands and wish other people “Happy New Year”. Many people make New Year’s resolutions, or promises to themselves. They see New Year’s Day as a chance to make a fresh start.

Different cultures celebrate the new year in many ways. The Dutch eat doughnuts for good luck. People in the South of the United States cook black-eyed peas for luck as well. For the Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashana, people eat sweet honey so that they will have a sweet year ahead. The month-long Chinese New Year includes outdoor parades and fireworks. During the Hindu New Year festival called Diwali, people exchange gifts and light ceremonial lamps. Some Muslims send greeting cards for the Islamic New Year.

There have always been different dates for the start of the new year because different peoples used different calendars. Some peoples based their calendar on the movement of the moon. Other peoples based their calendar on the position of the sun. In ancient Babylonia the new year started when the crops started growing. Ancient Egyptians announced the new year each time the Nile River overflowed its banks. The Inca believed that the new year began on the shortest day of the year. In China the new year began when the midday shadow reached an exact length.

In 153 BC the Romans named 1 January as New Year’s Day. The Roman Catholic Church later changed New Year’s Day to 25 March. In 1582 a new Christian calendar moved the start of the year back to 1 January. Today most Western nations celebrate New Year’s Day on 1 January.

answers: TRUE – A, C, D, F, I

NEW YEAR’S EVE JOKES

Find the missing words to complete the jokes.

Q: What do you tell someone you didn’t see at New Year’s Eve?
A: I 1 ……………….. seen you for a year!

Q: What 2 ……………….. to the Irish man who thought about the evils of drinking in the New Year?
A: He gave up thinking.

Q: What’s the problem with 3 ……………….. on New Year’s Eve?
A: The ice falls out of your drinks!

New Year’s Eve

On New Year’s Eve, Marilyn stood up in the local 4 ……………….. and said that it was time to get ready.

At the stroke of midnight, she wanted every 5 ……………….. to be standing next to the one person who made his life worth living. Well, it was kind of 6 ………………… As the clock struck, the bartender was almost crushed to death.

New Year’s Eve party
The New Year’s Eve party had turned into a regular marathon with numerous 7 ……………….. coming and going. At one point, a man knocked on the door, was greeted heartily 8 ……………….. no one knew who he was, and was led to the bar in the basement.
He sat there 9 ……………….. for a couple of hours before a strange light dawned on his face. “You know,” he confided to his host: “I wasn’t even invited to this party. I just came over to tell you that some of your guests’ cars are 10 ……………….. my driveway.”
The guest continued: “My wife’s been sitting out in the car waiting for me to get them moved.”

New Year Resolution

A friend asks his friend for a cigarette. His friend says, “I think you made a New Year resolution to 11 ……………….. smoking.”

The man says, “I am in the process of quitting. Right now, I am in the middle of phase one.”

“What’s phase one? asked his friend.

“I’ve quit 12 ………………...”

answers:
1-c 2-h 3-d 4-l 5-e 6-k 7-a 8-f 9-I 10-b 11-g 12-j

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LOU BEGA: I GOT A GIRL 

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten
Lou Bega on a trip, would you all come in?
With a little bit of this and a little bit of that
You can get what you see, you can see what you get
And I bet that you all a little bit excited
If you need a autograph, honey, I can write it
I got girls ……………….. on the planet
Some called Whitney and some called Janet
 

I got a girl ……………….., I got a girl in Rome
I even got a girl in Vatican Dome
I got a girl right ……………….., I got a girl right there
And I got a girlfriend everywhere
I got a girl ……………….., I got a girl on Mars
I even got a girl that likes to dance in the stars
I got a girl right here and one right there
And I got a girlfriend ………………..

From Miami Beach to Beluga Bay
……………….. to East L.A.
From St. Tropez to my ……………….. cafe
That’s my way and I do it like ………………..,

In Africa, America, Europe and Australia
Asia, Canada, I take them all an’ marry her
India, Arabia to the girls of Germany,

………………..you can be my fantasy

I got a girl in Paris, I got a girl ………………..
I even got a girl in Vatican Dome
I got a girl right here, I got a girl right  ………………..
And I got a girlfriend everywhere
I got a girl on the Moon, I got a girl on Mars
I even got a girl that likes to dance  ………………..
I got a girl right here and one right there
And I got a girlfriend everywhere

You and me, no matter where you from baby
No matter where you from baby, baby only you and me
You and me, no matter where you from baby
No matter where you from baby, baby only you and me

 ——————————————————————————-

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten
Lou Bega on a trip, would you all come in?
With a little bit of this and a little bit of that
You can get what you see, you can see what you get
And I bet that you all a little bit excited
If you need a autograph, honey, I can write it
I got girls worldwide on the planet
Some called Whitney and some called Janet

I got a girl in Paris, I got a girl in Rome
I even got a girl in Vatican Dome
I got a girl right here, I got a girl right there
And I got a girlfriend everywhere
I got a girl on the Moon, I got a girl on Mars
I even got a girl that likes to dance in the stars
I got a girl right here and one right there
And I got a girlfriend everywhere

From Miami Beach to Beluga Bay
From the Milky Way to East L.A.
From St. Tropez to my home cafe
That’s my way and I do it like day by day
In Africa, America, Europe and Australia
Asia, Canada, I take them all an’ marry her
India, Arabia to the girls of Germany
All around the planet, you can be my fantasy

I got a girl in Paris, I got a girl in Rome
I even got a girl in Vatican Dome
I got a girl right here, I got a girl right there
And I got a girlfriend everywhere
I got a girl on the Moon, I got a girl on Mars
I even got a girl that likes to dance in the stars
I got a girl right here and one right there
And I got a girlfriend everywhere

You and me, no matter where you from baby
No matter where you from baby, baby only you and me
You and me, no matter where you from baby
No matter where you from baby, baby only you and me

——————————————-

to bet – fogadni
to be excited – izgatottnak lenni
autograph – autogram
worldwide – világszerte
that’s my way – én így szoktam
day by day – nap, mint nap
no matter – nem számít

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Snowmen jokes

Maine Temperature Conversion Chart

The state of Maine (USA) has quite a reputation for being very cold. To get a feel for it, complete the chart with the missing words. (Don’t forget that temperatures are given in Fahrenheit so zero degrees in the table are -17.7 Celsius. 1 Celsius = 1.8 Fahrenheit If you want to work out the rest of the temperatures, you can use an online converter.)

Maine Temperature Conversion Chart

answers

Snowmen 1-d 2-g 3-a 4-e 5-b 6-h 7-c 8-f
Maine 1-gardens 2-shiver 3- cars 4-distilled 5- sweatshirt 6-landlords 7-cease 8-winter coats 9-disintegrates 10-postpone 11-cows 12-atomic

Read the text and fill the gaps with the correct sentences A – H. Write the letter of the missing sentence in the box in the gap. There are two extra sentences you will not need.

Winter Tyres

Do you use winter tyres? After several cold snaps in recent years, Brits have slowly woken up to snow tyres which can keep going where normal rubber gives up. 1 ………………..

Should you bother buying winter tyres? How much do they cost and, crucially, do they actually work? 2 ……………….. More accurately, they’re cold-weather tyres, designed to work in lower temperatures, on wet and dry roads, as well as giving better performance on snow and ice.

The science bit is easily explained: winter/cold-weather tyres contain more natural rubber than regular tyres, and are constructed of a softer compound. 3 ……………….. If you see a winter tyre up close, you’ll spot that the tread is different to a more conventional summer tyre. The contact patch of a winter tyre is more rugged: they’re covered in thousands of ‘sipes’ – tiny channels cut into the rubber which help displace water at a faster rate. 4 ………………..

Cold-weather rubber is becoming more relevant to more drivers for two reasons. Firstly, because our winters are getting more and more unpredictable. 5 ……………….. Secondly, you can now get yourself winter rubber in a massive range of sizes, from supermini boots right up to gargantuan 20-inch wheel compatible items like you’d find on the back of a Porsche Boxster. It’s potentially a much simpler way to keep mobile without investing in a more expensive 4×4.

6 ……………….. Shoe a BMW 5-series for winter and you’re looking at an £800 bill, and the only way is up. A set of four winter tyres and 20-inch ‘RS Spyder’ alloys for CAR’s long-termer Porsche Panamera GTS comes in at a cool £4060, including fitting. Winter peace of mind doesn’t come cheap, and yes, you do have to get four tyres: settling for just a pair for the driven wheels will do more harm than good, as this unbalances the whole vehicle.

www.carmagazine.co.uk

A. On snow, it’s these little crevices that bite into the soft stuff, giving purchase and grip.

B. First things first: ‘winter tyres’, as we’re accustomed to calling them, is actually a misleading title.

C. Countries where winter tyres are obligatory have fewer accidents in winter.

D. Sometimes they’re mild, and sometimes the country grinds to a halt under a couple of inches of the white stuff.

E. This allows them to stay supple as temperatures drop below 7 degrees C, maintaining higher grips levels on the road, in conditions where a normal tyre becomes hard and less keyed-in to the asphalt.

F. There’s the obvious financial outlay to swallow: a set of four winter tyres for a Fiesta will set you back in the region of £350.

G. Having tested several types of winter tyres, we recommend getting a set, especially in the northern region of the country.

H. The UK still has very few winter tyres in use – just 3% of tyres sold in 2011 were designed for cold weather use – but trade bodies say the uptake is increasing. 

Answers: 1-H 2-B 3-E 4-A 5-D 6-F

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Complete the lyrics with the missing lines in the table below.

1. Sit and listen, sit and listen

2. Are the best I’ve ever had

3. I find it kinda sad

4. Worn out places, worn out faces

5. When people run in circles

6. Hello teacher tell me what’s my lesson

7. Hide my head, I wanna drown my sorrow

———————————————————————————————-

Gary Jules: Mad World

All around me are familiar faces

……………….
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
……………….
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kinda funny
……………….
The dreams in which I’m dying
Are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
……………….
It’s a very, very mad world, mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
……………….

Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
……………….
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I’m dying
……………….
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It’s a very, very mad world, mad world

Enlarging your world
Mad world

———————————————————————–

Gary Jules: Mad World

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head, I wanna drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I’m dying
Are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It’s a very, very mad world, mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen

Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what’s my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kinda funny
I find it kinda sad
The dreams in which I’m dying
Are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles
It’s a very, very mad world, mad world

Enlarging your world
Mad world

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Want to get hitched but don’t have a man? Head to Japan where a company sells ‘solo weddings’

Do you dream of having a white wedding, but despair at the lack of a man in your life to share the big day with? You’re not alone – a new trend is cropping up in the Far East for solo weddings. As women become financially independent, they are putting off settling down with partners until later on in life. But they still want the all-about-me no-expense-spared party that comes with getting hitched, without actually having to tie the knot.

Travel company Cera Travel in Kyoto, a city in southern Japan, has started a new service called ‘Solo Wedding.’ It lets single women enjoy all the fun and glamour of the day, including spending the honeymoon night in a fancy hotel. The two-day trip sees the clients get dress fittings, choose their own bouquets, get their hair and make-up done and even choose a man to accompany them for a photo shoot.

The service started in June and is aimed at single, working women who have decided to pursue careers instead of follow the traditional Japanese route of getting married. It is also being marketed at women who have been divorced but want to feel special again. So far ten women have taken up the offer, which costs around £1,700 ($2,750).

A spokesman for the company said: ‘It is a truly unique experience and one that we are very proud of. All the details are taken care of by wedding professionals and for those who don’t want a traditional white wedding dress we offer our Geisha service, which sees the brides going on an historical photo shoot dressed up as Geishas.’

Businesswoman Nagi Daisen, 43, said: ‘I’ve been in a relationship for years but we’ve never got round to actually getting married. So I decided to do this for myself and it was amazing fun. I always wanted to wear a wedding dress and to be pampered like this and now I have been. It was great.’

The honeymoon night does not include the model used for the photo shoot, although the company said the women mostly invited their boyfriends to join them in the honeymoon suite after the ‘wedding’ was over.

source: Daily Mail

True or false?

1. The new service is aimed at women whose boyfriend has refused to get married.

2. The brides get to pick the dress, the flowers and have their hair and make-up done.

3. The brides can choose between a white dress and a traditional Geisha outfit.

4. Japanese women traditionally pursue careers.

5. The trip includes a night at an elegant hotel with whoever the brides want to take along.

answers: 1-F 2-T 3-T 4-F 5-T

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It’s mob rule! Video of two kangaroos boxing in the street goes viral – alpha males control street corners 

Just over 100km north of Sydney’s central business district, the quiet township has a population of 500 people and 200 kangaroos, with the marsupials growing faster than the humans. But the residents of tiny Wyee Point did not think anything of their kangaroo mobs or regular evening encounters with the marsupials until a video of two 1.4m tall male kangaroos in a ‘boxing fight’ in one of their streets went viral this week.

Shot on his phone by local father of five, Rod Langham, the five minute video of a rogue buck and the resident Alpha male of Watanga Crescent, Wyee Point punching and kicking each other while balancing on their tails has attracted 1.5 million views on YouTube. ‘We’re so used to kangaroos around in the streets, but the fighting only happens once a year, in Spring, so I thought I’m going to get a video of this,’ he said. Mr Langham filmed the kangaroos for five minutes and 19 seconds until his phone ran out of memory. Then the punching and kickboxing continued for another fifteen minutes until the two kangaroos broke and the rogue male hopped away.

And now that images of Mr Langham’s neighbourhood have gone around the world, the 54-year-old sheet metal worker is becoming a media personality. Mr Langham, who a week ago didn’t really know what YouTube was, is being interviewed by foreign TV crews fascinated with the footage of the two buck roos boxing in a classic mating season fight for domination right outside his front door.

www.dailymail.co.uk

business district – üzleti negyed
marsupial – erszényes
kangaroo mob – kenguru csapat
encounter – találkozás
to go viral – vírusként terjed a neten
rogue buck – kóbor, nem falkában élő bak
Alpha male – alfa-hím
to balance – egyensúlyozni
tail – farok
to run out of – elfogy valami
to hop away – elugrálni
sheet metal worker – fémlemezmegmunkáló
to be fascinated with – lenyűgözi valami
mating season – párzási időszak

True or false?

1. People and kangaroos live side by side in the small town.

2. Kangaroos go to the town at springtime only.

3. The rogue buck kangaroo won the fight.

4. The video was made by Mr Langham, who is a sheet metal worker.

5. Mr Langham has become famous because of the video.

answers: 1-T 2-F 3-F 4-T 5-T

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Thomson Airways to launch child-free zones, family booths and pods for couples

If Thomson Airways get their way, the days of flying to the crying of an  infant could soon be over.

The world’s largest charter airline announced it is to launch family booths, pods for couples and child-free zones in an effort to rebrand itself as the ‘holiday airline’. The airline, which takes five million Brits abroad each year, have said the new ‘innovative’ measures will make the journey part of the holiday experience.

Children can be sent off to the on-board kids’ club, where a trained member of staff will entertain them with arts and craft activities and quizzes that relate to their destination.

And David Burling, boss of parent firm TUI UK & Ireland, said he wants the company to ‘define and lead’ a new category of flying. ‘Our overall goal is to make travel experiences special and, as the flight marks the start and end of the holiday, we see it as an integral part of the whole holiday experience,’ he said.

Thomson Airways’ customer service chief Carl Gissing added: ‘We’ve also asked our customers what they want from a holiday airline to ensure we’re really adding value to their overall experience. Their insight and feedback has helped us develop many of the innovative new concepts.’

Most of the changes are likely to be introduced as the airline’s new 47-strong fleet of Boeing 737 MAX jets is delivered from 2018, though family and child-free zones could come as soon as next summer.

source: www.metro.co.uk

Fill in the gaps with the right words. There is one extra word.

1. Our company got really good ……………….. from the first customers.

2. Hawaii is an exotic ……………….. popular with Americans.

3. The storm ……………….. in an hour and our flight took off.

4. I called the ……………….. because I was sent a much larger bill than I expected.

5. What type of ……………….. entertainment do you offer?

answers: 1-feedback 2-destination 3-was over 4-customer service 5-on-board

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