Iwasbeingtestedforadrivinglicenceforthethirdtime.Ihadbeenaskedtodriveinheavytrafficandhaddonesosuccessfully.Afterhavingbeeninstructedtodriveoutoftown,Ibegantoacquireconfidence.SurethatIhadpassed,Iwasalmostbeginningtoenjoymytest.Theexaminermusthavebeenpleasedwithmyperformance,forhesmiledandsaid.'Justonemorething,Mr.Eames.Letussupposethatachildsuddenlycrossestheroadinfrontofyou.Assoonas...[
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Icrossedthestreettoavoidmeetinghim,buthesawmeandcamerunningtowardsme.ItwasnousepretendingthatIhadnotseenhim,soIwavedtohim.IneverenjoymeetingBertDykes.Heneverhasanythingtodo.Nomatterhowbusyyouare,healwaysinsistsoncomingwithyou.Ihadtothinkofawayofpreventinghimfromfollowingmearoundallmorning.
'Hello,Bert,'Isaid.'Fancymeetingyouhere!'
'Hi,Elizabeth,'Bertanswered.'Iwasjustwonderingho...[
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HarounTazieff,thePolishscientist,hasspenthislifetimestudyingactivevolcanoesanddeepcavesinallpartsoftheworld.In1948,hewenttoLakeKivuintheCongotoobserveanewvolcanowhichhelaternamedKituro.Tazieffwasabletosetuphiscampveryclosetothevolcanowhileitwaseruptingviolently.Thoughhemanagedtotakeanumberofbrilliantphotographs,hecouldnotstaynearthevolcanoforverylong.Henoticedthatariverofliquidrockwasco...[
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TheHatfieldPuffinisamodernaeroplane,butitsdesigner,Mr.JohnWimpenny,isfindingitdifficulttogetitofftheground.Thereasonforthisisthatthisplaneisalsoabicycle.Itspilothastopedalhardtogetitintotheair.AfterMr.Wimpennyhadtheplanebuilt,itwastestedthoroughly.In1961,itwasthefirstman-poweredaircrafttoflyhalfamile.Whilebeingflownbyachampionamateurcyclistin1963,theplanecrashedonanairfield.Sincethen,Mr.Wimpe...[
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LastChristmas,thecircusowner,JimmyGates,decidedtotakesomepresentstoachildren'shospital.DressedupasFatherChristmasandaccompaniedbya'guardofhonour'ofsixprettygirls,hesetoffdownthemainstreetofthecityridingababyelephantcalledJumbo.Heshouldhaveknownthatthepolicewouldneverallowthissortofthing.ApolicemanapproachedJimmyandtoldhimheoughttohavegonealongasidestreetasJumbowasholdingupthetraffic.ThoughJim...[
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In1858,aFrenchengineer,AimeThomedeGamond,arrivedinEnglandwithaplanforatwenty-one-miletunnelacrosstheEnglishChannel.HesaidthatitwouldbepossibletobuildaplatforminthecenteroftheChannel.Thisplatformwouldserveasaportandarailwaystation.Thetunnelwouldbewell-ventilatediftallchimneyswerebuiltabovesealevel.In1860,abetterplanwasputforwardbyanEnglishman,WilliamLow.Hesuggestedthatadoublerailway-tunnelshou...[
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GeoffreyHampdenhasalargecircleoffriendsandisverypopularatparties.Everybodyadmireshimforhisfinesenseofhumour--everybody,thatis,excepthissix-year-olddaughter,Jenny.Recently,oneofGeoffrey'sclosestfriendsaskedhimtomakeaspeechataweddingreception.ThisisthesortofthingthatGeoffreyloves.HepreparedthespeechcarefullyandwenttotheweddingwithJenny.Hehadincludedalargenumberoffunnystoriesinthespeechand,ofcou...[
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Firemenhadbeenfightingtheforestfirefornearlythreeweeksbeforetheycouldgetitundercontrol.Ashorttimebefore,greattreeshadcoveredthecountrysideformilesaround.Now,smokestillroseupfromthewarmgroundoverthedesolatehills.Winterwascomingonandthehillsthreatenedthesurroundingvillageswithdestruction,forheavyrainwouldnotonlywashawaythesoilbutwouldcauseseriousfloodsaswell.Whenthefirehadatlastbeenputout...[
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Infuture,astronautswillberequiredtodescendfromthespaceshipwhileitisstillinspaceandtoreturntoit.Theabilitytodothiswillbenecessaryinfutureflightstodistantplanets.Scientistsarenowtryingtodiscoverifthisispossible.ThespaceshipAstrowhichlefttheearthshorttimeagowillbetravelling300milesintospace.Atacertainpoint,theAstrowillstopforashorttimeandanastranautwillattempttoleavethestationaryspaceshi...[
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Atavillagefair,Idecidedtovisitafortune-tellercalledMadamBellinsky.Iwentintohertentandshetoldmetositdown.AfterIhadgivenhersomemoney,shelookedintoacrystalballandsaid:'Arelationofyoursiscomingtoseeyou.Shewillbearrivingthiseveningandintendstostayforafewdays.Themomentyouleavethistent,youwillgetabigsurprise.Awomanyouknowwellwillrushtowardsyou.Shewillspeaktoyouandthenshewillleadyouawayfromth...[
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