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The hardest language

People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer
because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the
differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how
hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language.
A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than
a native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while
Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the
differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for most people to
learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly influenced by
the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does
appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for J apanese speakers, who
already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than
for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet.
Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers
and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as
each learner's motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it
professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in
their day to day life.
Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest
language is J apanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that
they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian, which has 35 cases (forms of a nouns
according to whether it is subject, object, genitive, etc). This does not mean that Hungarian is the
hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are
generally used to learning languages, the most difficulty. However, Tabassaran, a Caucasian
language has 48 cases, so it might cause more difficulty if British diplomats had to learn it.
Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more
difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system,
which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related
languages may find it easier, while struggling with languages that the British find relatively easy.
No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are related to our first language are
easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does not
necessarily make a language more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to say that
there is one language that is the most difficult language in the world.

Questions
Q1 - The question of how hard a language is to learn is relevant to both first and second
language acquisition.

2
True False
Q2 - Portuguese is definitely easier than Chinese.
True False
Q3 - A Japanese speaker may well find the Chinese writing system easier than a speaker of
a European language.
True False
Q4 - The Hungarian alphabet causes problems for British speakers.
True False
Q5 - Hungarian is the hardest language in the world.
True False
Q6 - Hungarian has as many cases as Tabassaran.
True False
Q7 - Many British diplomats learn Tabassaran.
True False
Q8 - The writer thinks that learning new writing systems is easy.
True False

History of Halloween
Halloween falls on October 31st each year in North America and other parts of the world.
Like many other holidays, Halloween has evolved and changed throughout history. Over
2,000 years ago people called the Celts lived in what is now Ireland, the UK, and parts of
Northern France. November 1 was their New Year's Day. They believed that the night before the
New Year (October 31) was a time when the living and the dead came together.
More than a thousand years ago the Christian church named November 1 All Saints Day (also
called All Hallows.) This was a special holy day to honor the saints and other people who died

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for their religion. The night before All Hallows was called Hallows Eve. Later the name was
changed to Halloween.
Like the Celts, the Europeans of that time also believed that the spirits of the dead would
visit the earth on Halloween. They worried that evil spirits would cause problems or hurt them.
So on that night people wore costumes that looked like ghosts or other evil creatures. They
thought if they dressed like that, the spirits would think they were also dead and not harm them.
The tradition of Halloween was carried to America by the immigrating Europeans. Some
of the traditions changed a little, though. For example, on Halloween in Europe some people
would carry lanterns made from turnips. In America, pumpkins were more common. So people
began putting candles inside them and using them as lanterns. That is why you see J ack 'o
lanterns today.
These days Halloween is not usually considered a religious holiday. It is primarily a fun day for
children. Children dress up in costumes like people did a thousand years ago. But instead of
worrying about evil spirits, they go from house to house. They knock on doors and say "trick or
treat." The owner of each house gives candy or something special to each trick or treater.
True or False?
1. The Celts thought the spirits of dead people returned to the earth on October 31st.
True
False
2. The Celts created All Hallows.
True
False
3. All Hallows is on October 31st.
True
False
4. The word Halloween comes from the word Hallows eve.
True
False
5. A thousand years ago Europeans wore costumes to get candy.
True
False

4
6. Americans still carve turnips to use as lanterns.
True
False
7. Today Halloween is especially for children.
True
False
8. Children get candy by saying "trick or treat."
True
False

Catching a Cold

Many people catch a cold in the springtime and/ or fall. It makes us wonder... if scientists
can send a man to the moon, why can't they find a cure for the common cold. The answer is easy.
There are literally hundreds of kinds cold viruses out there. You never know which one you will
get, so there isn't a cure for each one.
When a virus attacks your body, your body works hard to get rid of it. Blood rushes to
your nose and brings congestion with it. You feel terrible because you can't breathe well, but
your body is actually "eating" the virus. Your temperature rises and you get a fever, but the heat
of your body is killing the virus. You also have a runny nose to stop the virus from getting to
your cells. You may feel miserable, but actually your wonderful body is doing everything it can
to kill the cold.
Different people have different remedies for colds. In the United States and some other
countries, for example, people might eat chicken soup to feel better. Some people take hot baths
and drink warm liquids. Other people take medicines to stop the fever, congestion, and runny
nose. There is one interesting thing to note- some scientists say taking medicines when you have
a cold is actually bad for you. The virus stays in you longer because your body doesn't have a
way to fight it and kill it. Bodies can do an amazing job on their own. There is a joke, however,
on taking medicine when you have a cold. It goes like this: If takes about 1 week to get over a
cold if you don't take medicine, but only 7 days to get over a cold if you take medicine.


True or False?
1. There is a cure for the common cold.

5
True
False

2. There are 22 different cold viruses in the world.
True
False
3. Heat in your body kills viruses.
True
False
4. Congestion means your head feels hot.
True
False
5. Some people eat chicken soup to feel better when they have a cold.
True
False
6. Scientists always think taking medicine is good when you have a cold.
True
False
7. Bodies work hard to try to get rid of viruses.
True
False

Levi's Blue Jeans
Levi Strauss was born in Germany in the mid 1800's and emigrated to the United States
as a young man. He lived in New York City and learned the dry-goods business for several
years. In 1853 he took his knowledge and his dreams to San Francisco (California., USA.) His
dream to succeed came true over the next 20 years as he became a very successful businessman.
Many of Levi Strauss' customers were cowboys and miners. They needed clothing that was
strong and durable. Strauss found a special fabric from France that was comfortable and lasted a
long time. It was called "serge de Nimes," which was later shortened to the worddenim.
Another man named J acob Davis bought large amounts of the denim fabric from Levi Strauss.
He was a tailor who made pants for hard-working men. One of his customers was
continually tearing the pockets off his pants. So J acob Davis decided to put rivets on certain parts

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of the pants to make them stronger. The customer loved the new pants so much that he told all
his friends, and soon J acob Davis was busy making lots of pants with rivets.
J acob Davis soon realized that using rivets was a great business idea, and he didn't want
anybody to steal that idea. He decided that he would need to get a patent. But being a poor tailor,
he didn't have enough money to pay for the patent. After thinking it over, he went to the
businessman Levi Strauss and told him his idea. He said, "If you agree to pay for the patent, we
will share the profits from the riveted pants." Levi Strauss did agree, and the new riveted pant
business was called Levi Strauss and Company. Today Levi's jeans are more popular than ever,
and Levi's name continues to live on.
True or False?
1. Levi Strauss was born in 1853.
True
False
2. Levi Strauss wanted to become a great businessman.
True
False
3. Levi Strauss sewed pants in his business.
True
False
4. J acob Davis sewed pants in his business.
True
False
5. J acob David used denim to make pants.
True
False
6. J acob Davis put rivets in pants because they looked good.
True
False
7. Levi Strauss didn't want to pay for J acob Davis' patent.
True
False
8. Levi Strauss and J acob Davis became business partners.
True
False

7
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is the archetypal English folk hero, an outlaw who, in modern versions of
the legend, stole from the rich to give to the poor.
This redistributionist form of philosophy-in-action anticipates the work of writers such as
Proudhon and Karl Marx by many hundreds of years. Although most noted for his material
egalitarianism, in the stories he also pursues other types of equality and justice. However, as
mentioned below, Robin Hood was not originally so generous.
The stories relating to Robin Hood are apocryphal, verging on the mythological. His first
appearance in a manuscript is in William Langland's Piers Plowman (1377) in which Sloth, the
lazy priest boasts "I ken (i.e. 'know') 'rimes of Robin Hood." Three years later the Scottish
chronicler J ohn Fordun wrote that, in ballads, "Robin Hood delights above all others".
Printed versions of Robin Hood ballads appear in the early 16th century shortly after
the advent of printing in England. In these ballads, Robin Hood is a yeoman which, by that time,
meant an independent tradesman or farmer. It is only in the late 16th century that he becomes a
nobleman, the Earl of Huntington, Robert of Locksley, or later still, Robert Fitz Ooth.
His romantic attachment to Maid Marian (or "Marion") (originally known as Mathilda) is
also a product of this later period and probably has something to do with the French pastoral play
of about 1280, the J eu de Robin et Marion. Aside from the names there is no recognizable Robin
Hood connection to the play.
The late 16th century is also the period when the Robin Hood story is moved back in time
to the 1190s, when King Richard is away at the crusades. One of the original Robin Hood ballads
refers to King Edward (Edward I, II, and III ruled England from 1272 to 1377). The idea of
Robin Hood as a high-minded Saxon fighting Norman Lords originates in the 19th century, most
notably in the part Robin Hood plays in Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe (1819), chapters 40 - 41,
where the familiar modern Robin Hood"King of Outlaws and prince of good fellows!"
Richard the Lionheart calls himmakes his debut.
The folkloric Robin Hood was deprived of his lands by the villainous Sheriff of
Nottingham and became an outlaw. The Sheriff does indeed appear in the early ballads (Robin
kills and beheads him), but there is nothing as specific as this allegation. Robin's other enemies
include the rich abbots of the Catholic Church and a bounty hunter named Guy of Gisbourne.

8
Robin kills and beheads him as well. The early ballads contain nothing about giving to
the poor, although Robin does make a large loan to an unfortunate knight.
In the ballads, the original "Merry Men" (though not called that) included: Friar Tuck,
Will Scarlet (or Scathlock), Much the Miller's Son, and Little J ohn who was called "little"
because he wasn't. Alan-a-Dale is a later invention in Robin Hood plays.
Questions about the text
1. Robin Hood appeared in print in the beginning of the 16th century.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. The stories relating to Robin Hood are of questionable authenticity.
True.
False.
We don't know.
3. The folkloric Robin Hood was considered a criminal.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. According to an early ballad, Robin Hood kills the Sheriff.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. The legend of Robin Hood was associated to King Richard and the crusades.
True.
False.
We don't know.



9
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeareborn April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616
(O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English.
His ability to capture and convey the most profound aspects of human nature is regarded by
many as unequalled and the English Renaissance has often been called "the age of Shakespeare".
He was among the few playwrights who have excelled in both tragedy and comedy and
several of his plays contain songs that are among the finest lyric poems in English.
He also wrote 154 sonnets, two narrative poems, and a handful of shorter poems.
Shakespeare wrote his works between 1588 and 1613, although the exact dates and chronology
of the plays attributed to him are often uncertain.
Shakespeare's influence on the English-speaking world shows in the widespread use of
quotations from Shakespearean plays, the titles of works based on Shakespearean phrases, and
the many adaptations of his plays.
Other signs of his continuing influence include his appearance in the top ten of the "100
Greatest Britons" poll sponsored by the BBC, the frequent productions based on his work, such
as the BBC Television Shakespeare, and the success of the fictional account of his life in the
1998 film Shakespeare in Love.
Some of his famous plays are "Romeo and Juliet", "Macbeth", "Hamlet", "Othello",
"Antony and Cleopatra", "The Comedy of Errors", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", among
others.
Questions about the text
1. William Shakespeare was a great writer of both tragedy and comedy.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. How many sonnets did he write?
2.
100.
154.

10
3. His books are full of quotations.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. The film "Shakespeare in Love" is based on his life.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. Many of his books contain songs.
True.
False.
We don't know.
6. He died in 1616.
True.
False.
We don't know.
7. "100 Greatest Britons" is one of his famous masterpieces.
True.
False.
We don't know
Red Telephone Box
The red telephone box, a public telephone kiosk designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, was
a once familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom. It has all but disappeared in recent
years, replaced by a number of different designs. The few kiosks that remain have not been
replaced because they are regarded as being of special architectural and historical interest.
The first standard public telephone kiosk introduced by the United Kingdom Post Office
was produced by Somerville & Company in 1920 and was designated K1 (Kiosk no. 1). This
design was not of the same family as the familiar red telephone boxes.
The red telephone box was the result of a competition in 1924 to design a new grander
kiosk. The competition attracted designs from a number of noted architects. The Fine Arts
Commission judged the competition and selected the design submitted by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott
as the winner. The Post Office made a request that the material used for the design be changed

11
from mild steel to cast iron, and that a slight modification be made to the door; after these
changes, the design was designated K2. The kiosks were painted red was so that they might be
easily recognised from a distance by a person in an emergency. In some rural areas the boxes
were painted green so as not to disrupt the natural beauty of the surroundings.
From 1927 K2 was mainly deployed in and around London. K3 designed in 1930, again
by Gilbert Scott was similar to K2 but was constructed from concrete and intended for rural
areas. K4 (designed by the Post Office Engineering Department and proposed in 1923)
incorporated a machine for buying postage stamps on the exterior. Only 50 kiosks of this design
were built. K5 was a plywood construction introduced in 1934 and designed to be assembled and
dismantled and used at exhibitions.
In 1935 K6 was designed to commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V K6 was
the first standard telephone kiosk to be used throughout the country. Many thousands of K6
boxes were deployed in virtually every town and city and it became a British icon. K6 telephone
boxes eventually began to be replaced in large numbers in the early 1990s Thousands of old K6
kiosks were sold off at public auction. Some kiosks have been converted to be to used as shower
cubicles in private homes. In Kingston upon Thames a number of old K6 boxes have been
utilised to form a work of art resembling a row of fallen dominoes.
In 1959 architect Neville Conder was commissioned to design a new box. The K7 design
went no further than the prototype stage. K8 introduced in 1968 was designed by Douglas Scott
and Bruce Martin. It was the first box to replace K6 in significant numbers, and the last design be
painted predominantly red.
Upon the privatisation of Post Office Telephone's successor, British Telecom (BT), the
KX100, a more utilitarian design, replaced almost all the red boxes; a few remain, mainly in
rural areas. The KX100 PLUS, introduced in 1996 featured a domed roof reminiscent of the
familiar K2 and K6. Subsequent designs have departed significantly from the old style red
telephone boxes.
In response to BT's plans to replace red boxes with more modern designs, several of the
former have been listed.
Questions about the text
1. The red telephone box was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. The first telephone box was known as
red.
Sommerville & Company.
K1.

12
3. The red telehone box was known as
K1.
K2.
Scott.
4. In rural areas the telephone boxes were painted green.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. Some kiosks had also postage stamps machines.
True.
False.
We don't know.
6. Many old K6 boxes were thrown to the Thames.
True.
False.
We don't know.
7. British Telecom telephone box design is known as
K10.
BT.
KX100.

House of Lords
The House of Lords is a component of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also
includes the Sovereign and the House of Commons. The House of Lords is an unelected body,
consisting of 26 senior clerics of the Church of England (the "Lords Spiritual"), as well as 669
members of the Peerage (the "Lords Temporal"). Lords Spiritual serve as long as they continue
to occupy their ecclesiastical positions, but Lords Temporal serve for life. Members of the House
of Lords are known as "Lords of Parliament".
The House of Lords originated in the 14th century and has been in almost continuous
existence since. It was abolished in 1649 by the revolutionary government that came to power
during the English Civil War, but was restored in 1660.

13
The House of Lords (the "Upper House") was once more powerful than the elected House
of Commons (the "Lower House"). Since the 19th century, however, the powers of the House of
Lords have been steadily declining; now, the Upper House is far weaker than its parliamentary
counterpart.
Under the Parliament Act 1911, most legislation passed by the House of Commons can
be delayed, but cannot be rejected, by the House of Lords. Reforms were enacted under the
House of Lords Act 1999, which removed the automatic hereditary right of many peers to sit in
the Upper House. Additional reforms are contemplated by the current Labour Government, but
have not been passed into law.
In addition to performing legislative functions, the House of Lords also holds judicial
powers: it constitutes the highest court of appeal for most cases in the United Kingdom. The
judicial functions of the House of Lords are not performed by the whole Chamber, but rather by
a group of members with legal experience, who are known as "Law Lords". The House of Lords
is not the only court of last resort in the United Kingdom; in some cases, that role is fulfilled by
the Privy Council.
The full, formal style of the House of Lords is: The Right Honourable The Lords
Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in
Parliament Assembled. The House of Lords, like the House of Commons, meets in the Palace of
Westminster.
Questions about the text
1. The members of the House of Lords are elected by the people.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. Members of the House of Lords are known as "Lords of Parliament".
True.
False.
We don't know.
3. The House of Lords has more power than the House of Commons nowadays.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. The House of Lords can reject legislation passed by the House of Commons.
True.

14
False.
We don't know.
5. The House of Lords has also judicial powers.
True.
False.
We don't know.
6. The House of Lords meets in the Palace of Westminster.
True.
False.
We don't know.
Charles, Prince of Wales
The Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-
Windsor) (born 14 November 1948), is the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh. He is heir apparent to the thrones of the United Kingdom and 15 other
Commonwealth Realms. He has held the title of Prince of Wales since 1958 and is styled HRH
The Prince of Wales, and in Scotland, HRH The Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay.
Constitutionally he is the second most senior member of the British Royal Family after the
Queen.
The Prince of Wales is well known for his extensive charity work, particularly for the
Prince's Trust. He also carries out a full schedule of royal duties, and increasingly is taking on
more royal roles from his ageing parents. The Prince is also well known for his high profile
marriages to the late Diana, Princess of Wales and subsequently to Camilla, Duchess of
Cornwall.
He was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester in 1958, though his actual investiture
did not take place until 1 J uly 1969. This was a major ceremony, held at Caernarfon Castle in
north Wales, a place traditionally associated with the creation of the title in the 13th century.
Previous investitures had taken place at various locations, including the Palace of Westminster,
the seat of Parliament. The Welsh borough of Swansea was granted city status to mark the
occasion.
The investiture also aroused considerable hostility among some Welsh nationalists, and
there were threats of violence. In the late 1970s, the Prince of Wales established another first
when he became the first member of the Royal Family since King George I to attend a British
cabinet meeting, being invited to attend by Labour Prime Minister J ames Callaghan so as to see
the workings of cabinet government at first hand.
Questions about the text

15
1. Prince Charles was born in...
1948.
1949.
1950.
2. He received the title of Prince of Wales in...
1958.
1959.
We don't know.
3. He married only once.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. He was the first member of the Royal Family to attend a cabinet meeting.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. Constitutionally he is the second most senior member of the British Royal Family after the
Queen.
True.
False.
We don't know.
The Beatles
The Beatles were one of the most influential music groups of the rock era, and many
consider them the best musical group on Earth. Initially they affected the post-war baby boom
generation of Britain and the U.S. during the 1960s, and later the rest of the world. Certainly they
were the most successful group, with global sales exceeding 1.1 billion records.
While they were originally famous for light-weight pop music (and the extreme hysterical
reaction they received from young women), their later works achieved a combination of popular
and critical acclaim perhaps unequaled in the 20th century.
Eventually, they became more than recording artists, branching out into film and
particularly in the case of J ohn Lennon political activism. They achieved an iconic status
beyond mere celebrity, with far reaching effects difficult to exaggerate.

16
The members of the group were John Lennon, (J ames) Paul McCartney, George Harrison
and Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey), all from Liverpool, Merseyside, England. Original drummer
Pete Best was asked to leave the group just before it started recording. Stuart Sutcliffe was with
them in Hamburg but also left.
Beatlemania began in the UK and exploded following the appearance of the Beatles on
The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States, on February 9, 1964. The pop-music band became a
worldwide phenomenon with worshipful fans, hysterical adulation, and denunciations by culture
commentators and others such as Frank Sinatra.
Some of this was confusion over the sources of their music (a similar confusion was
evinced in 1956 over Elvis Presley by commentators who were unaware of the tradition of blues,
R&B and gospel out of which Presley emerged), and some of it was simply an incredulous
reaction to the length of their hair. At any rate, it was regarded by the band members with both
awe and resentment.
Questions about the text
1. They were the best selling group in history.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. All the members were from Liverpool.
True.
False.
We don't know.
3. They appeared on TV on February 9, 1964.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. There was some confusion about the sources of their music.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. Their music was copied by Elvis Presley.
True.

17
False.
We don't know.
6. Frank Sinatra didn't like the Beatles too much.
True.
False.
We don't know.
Fish and chips
"Fish and chips" is deep-fried fish in batter with deep-fried potatoes, and a popular take-
away food. Fish and chips is originally from the United Kingdom, but also very popular in
Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and some coastal towns of the
Netherlands and Norway; and also increasingly so in the United States and elsewhere. For
decades it was the dominant (if not the only) take-away food in the United Kingdom.
The fried potatoes are called chips in British and international usage; and while American
English calls them french fries, the combination is still called "fish and chips". (Potato chips, an
American innovation, are a different potato-derived food, and are known as crisps in the United
Kingdom.)
Fish and chips have separately been eaten for many years though the potato was not
introduced to Europe until the 17th century. The originally Sephardi dish Pescado frito, or deep-
fried fish, came to Netherlands and England with the Spanish and Portuguese J ews in the 17th
and 18th centuries.
The dish became popular in more widespread circles in London and the south-east in the
middle of the 19th century (Charles Dickens mentions a "fried fish warehouse" in Oliver Twist)
whilst in the north of England a trade in deep-fried "chipped" potatoes developed.
It is unclear when and where these two trades were merged to become the fish and chip
shop industry we know today. The first combined fish and chip shop was probably the one
opened in London by J oseph Malin in 1860.
During World War II, fish and chips were one of the few foods that were not rationed in
the UK.
Questions about the text
1. Fish and chips are popular only in England.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. Americans call "French fries" what British call "chips".
True.

18
False.
We don't know.
3. Americans call "chips" what British call "crisps".
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. The potato was introduced to Europe in the 18th century.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. The dish became popular in the 19th century.
True.
False.
We don't know.
6. The first fish and chip shop was opened in the 19th century.
True.
False.
We don't know.
7. Fish and chips were not eaten during World War II.
True.
False.
We don't know.
Jane Austen
J ane Austen (December 16, 1775July 18, 1817) was a prominent English novelist whose
work is considered part of the Western canon. She stands as a model of the writer whose
apparently sheltered life did nothing to reduce the stature and drama of her fiction.
She was born at the rectory in Steventon, Hampshire, her father being a clergyman, and lived for
most of her life in the area. She had six brothers, and an elder sister, Cassandra, to whom she was
very close. The only undisputed portrait of J ane Austen is a coloured sketch done by Cassandra
which resides in the National Portrait Gallery in London. However, a full-length painting owned

19
by a family member, traditionally held to be of J ane as a teenager, is now increasingly
considered authentic by authorities.
Her brothers Frank and Charles went to sea, eventually becoming admirals. In 1801 the
family moved to Bath; after the death of her father in 1805, J ane, her sister and her mother lived
with Frank and his family for several years until they moved in 1809 to Chawton. Here her
wealthy brother Edward had an estate with a cottage, which he turned over to his mother and
sisters. (Their house today is open to the public.)
J ane never married; she was once engaged to a younger man, Harris Bigg-Wither, but
changed her mind. Having established herself as a novelist, she continued to live in relative
seclusion, and began to suffer ill-health. It is now thought she may have suffered from Addison's
Disease, the cause of which was then unknown. She travelled to Winchester to seek a cure, but
died there and was buried in the cathedral.
While her first novel, the posthumously published Northanger Abbey, pokes fun at the
Gothic novels of Ann Radcliffe, Austen is most famous for her later works, which took the form
of socially conscious comedies of errors. These, especially Emma, are often cited for their
perfection of form, while modern critics continue to unearth new perspectives on Austen's keen
commentary regarding the predicament of young, unmarried, upper-class English women in the
early 1800s.
The order in which she began and completed her novels is different from that of their
publication. Her novels were fairly well received when they were published, with Sir Walter
Scott in particular praising her work. Her reputation has only increased since, and she is now
considered one of the greatest English novelists. Austen's chief gift was to be a close observer of
human society and social interaction. It should be noted, however, that almost every scene in her
novels features women, purportedly because she did not know how men spoke when not in the
presence of women.
Some contemporary readers may find the world she describes, in which people's chief
concern is obtaining socially prominent marriages, to be unliberated and disquieting; however
one should bear in mind that a "good marriage" was then the only available form of social
security other than degrading work as governess, or living as hanger-on in a relative's household.
Her most famous novels are: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813),
Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815).
Questions about the text
1. Jane Austen's father was a clergyman.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. Cassandra was older than Jane.
True.
False.
We don't know.

20
3. Jane's house in Chawton may be visited by the public.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. Most of the characters in her novels are women.
True.
False.
We don't know.
5. In the world that she describes, marriage is not very important.
True.
False.
We don't know.
The Wild Life
Long before the arrival of Europeans on the Canadian prairie (the wide grasslands of
what is now called Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba), the First Nations people lived in a
harmonious relationship with their natural surroundings. Every item of their culture, from
sewing needles to homes was obtained from nature. Their homes were called teepees and
were like large tents made from the skins of deer. These people - tribes with names like
the Blackfoot, the Peigan and the Blood people - were nomadic, which means that they
travelled from place to place following the animals they hunted or the growth of the berries
and fruits on the bushes and trees.
They had horses, although horses came to North America after escaping from the
Spanish explorers who brought them here to explore the areas around Mexico and Texas.
Boys and girls were both expert riders. They did not use saddles or reins or stirrups; they
rode "bareback". Their clothes were made from deer skins and buffalo skins and decorated
with the parts of other animals - tails from squirrels and gophers, quills from porcupines
and the delicate bones of birds.
These children of nature did not ever have to go to school. They did not have to
study to get into a prestigious college, nor did they have to worry about finding a job after
graduation. This does not mean their life was easy. The winters were very long and very
cold and there were sometimes wars between tribes. There were also the very great
dangers involved in the buffalo hunt. Warriors rode at top speed (with no saddle) beside
the huge buffalo shooting arrows to bring them down. The chances of a buffalo turning

21
suddenly or of falling off the horse were very great. We must remember that there were
also no hospitals in those days.
Even so, the young people of the tribes must have enjoyed a very pleasant lifestyle:
fishing and gathering berries in summer, hunting in the forests in the early morning,
dancing around the fire at night and listening to the old people tell stories and legends
from long ago.
1. Riding "bareback" means riding without any equipment on the horse.
A. ? True
B. ? False
2. First Nations people never killed deer.
A. ? True
B. ? False
3. First Nations people had no enemies.
A. ? True
B. ? False
4. Mathematics was not a priority for the kind of life they led.
A. ? True
B. ? False
5. The First Nations people did not develop a written language.
A. ? True
B. ? False
6. People were rarely killed while hunting buffalo.
A. ? True
B. ? False
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking
world (after Oxford). It is situated in the town of Cambridge, England. According to legend,
the university was founded in 1209 by scholars escaping from Oxford after a fight with locals
there. Cambridge has produced more Nobel prize winners than any other university in the

22
world, having 80 associated with it, about 70 of whom were students there.
It regularly heads league tables ranking British universities, and a recent league table
by the Times Higher Education Supplement rated it sixth in the world overall and first for
science. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge, often referred to together as Oxbridge,
compete to be seen as the strongest overall university in the UK. Historically, they have
produced a significant proportion of Britain's prominent scientists, writers and politicians.
Questions about the text
1. The University of Cambridge is the oldest university in England.
True.
False.
We don't know.
2. The University of Cambridge was founded by scholars from Oxford.
True.
False.
We don't know.
3. Many Nobel Prize winners were students at the University of Cambridge.
True.
False.
We don't know.
4. Many scientists, writers and politicians were students at the University of Oxford and the University
of Cambridge.
True.
False.
We don't know.