IusedtotravelbyairagreatdealwhenIwasaboy.MyparentsusedtoliveinSouthAmericaandIusedtoflytherefromEuropeintheholidays.AnairhostesswouldtakechargeofmeandIneverhadanunpleasantexperience.IamusedtotravelingbyairandonlyononeoccasionhaveIeverfeltfrightened.Aftertakingoff,wewereflyinglowoverthecityandslowlygainingheight,whentheplanesuddenlyturnedroundandflewbacktotheairport.Whilewewerewaitingtoland,...[
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Afterreadinganarticleentitled'CigaretteSmokingandYourHealth'Ilitacigarettetocalmmynerves.IsmokedwithconcentrationandpleasureasIwassurethatthiswouldbemylastcigarette.ForawholeweekIdidnotsmokeatallandduringthistime,mywifesufferedterribly.Ihadalltheusualsymptomsofsomeonegivingupsmoking:abadtemperandanenormousappetite.Myfriendskeptonofferingmecigarettesandcigars.Theymadenoefforttohidetheira...[
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ThemummyofanEgyptianwomanwhodiedin800B.C.hasjusthadanoperation.ThemummyisthatofShepenmutwhowasonceasingerintheTempleofThebes.AstherewerestrangemarksontheX-rayplatestakenofthemummy,doctorshavebeentryingtofindoutwhetherthewomandiedofararedisease.Theonlywaytodothiswastooperate.Theoperation,whichlastedforoverfourhours,provedtobeverydifficultbecauseofthehardresinwhichcoveredtheskin.Thedoctorsremov...[
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'Toendourspecialnewsbulletin,'saidthevoiceofthetelevisionannouncer,''we'retakingyoutothemacaronifieldsofCalabria.Macaronihasbeengrowninthisareaforoversixhundredyears.Twooftheleadinggrowers,GiuseppeMoldovaandRiccardoBrabante,tellmethattheyhavebeenexpectingasplendidcropthisyearandharvestinghasbegunearlierthanusual.Hereyoucanseetwoworkerswho,betweenthem,havejustfinishedcuttingthreecartloadsofgol...[
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Whenalightpassengerplaneflewoffcoursesometimeago,itcrashedinthemountainsanditspilotwaskilled.Theonlypassengers,ayoungwomanandhertwobabydaughters,wereunhurt.Itwasthemiddleofwinter.Snowlaythickontheground.Thewomanknewthatthenearestvillagewasmilesaway.Whenitgrewdark,sheturnedasuitcaseintoabedandputthechildreninsideit,coveringthemwithalltheclothesshecouldfind.Duringthenight,itgotterriblycold.Thew...[
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Anancientbusstoppedbyadryriverbedandapartyoffamousactorsandactressesgotoff.Dressedindarkglassesandoldclothes,theyhadtakenspecialprecautionssothatnooneshouldrecognizethem.Butastheysoondiscovered,disguisescansometimesbetooperfect.
'Thisisawonderfulplaceforapicnic,'saidGloriaGleam.'Itcouldn'tbebetter,Gloria,'BrinksleyMeersagreed.'Nonewspapermen,nofilmfans!Whydon'twecomemoreoften?'
Meanwh...[
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Littleboyswhoplaytruantfromschoolareunimaginative.Aquietday'sfishing,oreighthoursinacinemaseeingthesamefilmoverandoveragain,isusuallyasfarastheyget.Theyhaveallbeenputtoshamebyaboywho,whileplayingtruant,travelled1,600miles.HehitchhikedtoDoverand,towardsevening,wentintoaboattofindsomewheretosleep.Whenhewokeupnextmorning,hediscoveredthattheboathad,inthemeantime,travelledtoCalais.Noonenoticedtheb...[
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Thegreatracingdriver,SirMalcolmCampbell,wasthefirstmantodriveatover300milesperhour.HesetupanewworldrecordinSeptember1935atBonnevilleSaltFlats,Utah.Bluebird,thecarhewasdriving,hadbeenspeciallybuiltforhim.Itwasover30feetinlengthandhada2,500-horsepowerengine.AlthoughCampbellreachedaspeedofover304milesperhour,hehadgreatdifficultyincontrollingthecarbecauseatyreburstduringthefirstrun.Afterhis...[
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WhenyouvisitLondon,oneofthefirstthingsyouwillseeisBigBen,thefamousclockwhichcanbeheardallovertheworldontheB.B.C.IftheHousesofParliamenthadnotbeenburneddownin1834,thegreatclockwouldneverhavebeenerected.BigBentakesitsnamefromSirBenjaminHallwhowasresponsibleforthemakingoftheclockwhenthenewHousesofParliamentwerebeingbuilt.Itisnotonlyofimmensesize,butisextremelyaccurateaswell.OfficialsfromGreenwic...[
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Duringabullfight,adrunksuddenlywanderedintothemiddleofthering.Thecrowdbegantoshout,butthedrunkwasunawareofthedanger.Thebullwasbusywiththematadoratthetime,butitsuddenlycaughtsightofthedrunkwhowasshoutingruderemarksandwavingaredcap.Apparentlysensitivetocriticism,thebullforgotallaboutthematadorandchargedatthedrunk.Thecrowdsuddenlygrewquiet.Thedrunk,however,seemedquitesureofhimself.Whentheb...[
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