Around 400 million people speak English. Geographically, English is the most widespread language on earth, and it is second only to Chinese in the number of people who speak it. Only a few million people spoke English in Shakespeare’s time. Today, English is represented in every continent and in the three main oceans — the Atlantic, the Indian and the Pacific. English is probably the most insatiable borrower. Scientists say that the average vocabulary of a native speaker is 5,000 words. William Shakespeare, however, used 30,000 words!
People have long been interested in having one language that could be spoken throughout the world. Such a language would help to increase cultural and economic ties and simplify communication between people. Through the years, at least 600 universal languages have been proposed, including Esperanto. About 10 million people have learned Esperanto since its creation in 1887, but English, according to specialists, has better chances to become a global language.
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His is real name was Samuel Clemens, but he is better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. One of the important figures in American literary history, Twain holds a unique position in American literature. He was not only a great writer; he was also a famous humorist, a brilliant journalist, and a novelist who used laughter to fight against the tyrannies that seek to take away man’s freedom.
Его настоящее имя Сэмюэл Клеменс, но он более известен под псевдонимом Марк Твен. Одна из важных фигур в американской истории литературы, Марк Твен занимает уникальное положение в американской литературе. Он был не только великим писателем; он был также известным юмористом, блестящим журналистом, и писателем, который использовал смех в борьбе против тиранов, которые стремятся отнять свободу человека.
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“What sort of people live about here?” asked Alice.
“In that direction,” the Cat said, waving its right paw round, “lives a Hatter. And in that direction,” waving the other paw,” lives a March Hare. Visit either you like: they’re both mad” “But I don’t want to go among mad people, ” Alice remarked.
“Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat. “We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.”
“How do you know I’m mad?” asked Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

Have you ever ridden a pig or a bear? Do you walk backwards? Do you keep a leopard for a pet? If not, you are like millions and millions of other people on our planet. If so, you are an eccentric. Eccentrics don’t live like other people. They may seem mad, but they aren’t: they are just different.
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Would you like to know your strong and weak points in the classroom?
Find your sign of the zodiac below and read the text.

FIRE
Aries: March 21—April 20
Sagittarius: November 22 — December 21
Leo: July 22 — August 22
Fire signs usually make optimistic students. However, you are often impatient and want to make quick progress. It’s difficult for you to concentrate on one thing. You have lots of energy but sometimes you have your head in the clouds and don’t know or care what is going on around you. To make good progress you should try to concentrate on what you are doing today and not on what you want to do tomorrow.
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Who wrote the first novel in the world?
About 1,000 years ago, a young woman in Japan began to write a story of an imagined prince Genji, “the shining one”. The prince was not only handsome and charming, but also intelligent and talented.
Today, “The Tale of Genji”, written by Murasaki Shikibu in the early eleventh century, is considered to be the world’s first modern novel. It consists of 54 chapters describing Genji’s life and his numerous love adventures.
Little is known about Murasaki Shikibu. The name itself is a pen-name. She was probably born in 975 and died in 1025. After the death of her husband, she served in the imperial court during the reign of Empress Akiko.
She wrote the novel in her own hand and the empress was the first to read it. The novel was so good that ladies-in-waiting and courtiers stole unfinished copies from her room.
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Can you solve the mystery?!

It was a cold morning in October. Holmes and I were sitting by the fire when Mrs Hudson knocked at our door.
“There’s a telegram for you, Mr Holmes,” she said, and left.
“It’s from Lestrade,” Holmes said. “Come at once to 23 Hill Street. Woman murdered. Well, Watson, the game is afoot.”
We soon arrived on the scene. Inspector Lestrade greeted us at the front door of the victim’s house.
«A bad business, this,” he said. “Messy, too. The poor woman’s head has been shattered like an eggshell. Here’s the murder weapon.” He held out a revolver. Its handle was in blood.
“Any suspects?” Holmes asked.
“None at present, Mr Holmes,” answered the little inspector. “We talked to the servants. They’d been given the night off and were out the whole time. They’ve just come back and found the woman like this.”
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Murphy’s Law or Sod’s law is the natural tendency for things to go wrong if it is possible for them to go wrong.

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. — Все, что может пойти не так пойдет не так.
Nothing is as easy as it looks. — Все не так просто, как кажется.
Everything takes longer than you think. — Все занимает больше времени, чем вы думаете.
Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse. — Предоставленные самим себе, дела, как правило, идут от плохого к худшему.
Everything that goes up must come down. — Все, что поднимается вверх, должно опуститься вниз.
The bus that left the stop just before you got there is your bus. — Автобус, который отъехал от остановки прямо перед вами — это ваш автобус.
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