I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war. Albert Einstein — Я не только пацифист, но воинствующий пацифист. Я готов бороться за мир. Ничто не закончится войной, если люди сами откажутся идти на войну. Альберт Эйнштейн

If there is another war in Europe, it will come out of some damned silly thing in the Balkans. Otto von Bismarck — Если в Европе будет еще одна война, то она произойдет из-за какой-нибудь проклятой глупой вещи на Балканах. Отто фон Бисмарк

I think that people want peace so much that one of these days governments had better get out of the way and let them have it. Dwight D. Eisenhower — Я думаю, что люди так сильно хотят мира, что в один из этих дней правительству было бы лучше отступить и позволить им иметь его. Дуайт Д. Эйзенхауэр
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Have you seen Kevin Costner in the film The Bodyguard? His character in the film, Frank Farmer, is a professional bodyguard who got his training in the Secret Service. Before he hired himself to protect Rachel Marron (Whitney Huston) he had worked for President Reagan. He still blames himself for the fact that Ronald Reagan got shot.
Altogether, four American presidents have been assassinated and attempts have been made on the lives of others. The first president to be killed was Abraham Lincoln. He was shot while attending the theatre in Washington. James Garfield was shot a few months after his inauguration and died at the age of forty-nine. William McKinley was killed in Buffalo, New York in 1901. John Kennedy was killed in Dallas, Texas in 1963.
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Robert Burns (1759-1796) is regarded as Scotland’s national poet. Burns was born in a poor farming family. There were seven children in it. Robert was the eldest. He read a lot. Robert was fond of reading. His favourite writer was Shakespeare. At the age of 15 he began to write poems. He wrote hundreds of songs and poems, mainly on country life, love, and national pride. Burns wrote the words of the song “Auld Lang Syne”. Scottish people sing this song when they celebrate the 1st of January, New Year’s Day.
Robert died in 1796. People all over the world know and love his poems.
His birthday is celebrated in many countries of the world each year on 25 January.
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Halicarnassus was one of the most beautiful and richest cities of Asia Minor. It was the capital of the kingdom of Caria, a province of the Persian Empire in what is now south-west Turkey. Halicarnassus was the native city of Herodotus, «father of History». The magnificent temples of Halicarnassus, made of white marble, beautiful palaces, theatres, gardens and fountains attracted visitors from many countries. One of the fountains near the temple of Aphrodite was especially popular. People believed that its magic water could return love and bring happiness to lovers.
When the Persians made Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, Northern India, Syria and Egypt part of their kingdom, the King of Persia found it difficult to control his vast empire. He could do it only with the help of local rulers, the satraps.
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If I had been present at the creation, I’d have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe. (Alphonse the Learned — A. D. 1221-1284)

The Titanic was the biggest ship the world had ever seen. People said it was the fastest ship too. But on its very first trip the Titanic sank to the bottom of the sea! How did this terrible thing happen? And where is the wreck of the great ship now?

UNSINKABLE AND LUXURIOUS!
It’s spring of 1912. The whole world is talking about “The Wonder Ship” built by the British. The name of the ship is the ‘Titanic’, She is the biggest ship the world has ever seen. She is as tall as an eleven-story building and is almost four city blocks long! In April the ship is getting ready to leave on its maiden trip across the ocean. She is going all the way from England to America.
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It was August, 1925. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum was riding on horseback into the untamed Black Hills of South Dakota. Suddenly he stopped. In front of him was a beautiful rock towering over the hot wild land. It was Mount Rushmore. Borglum stood there for some time, deep in thought. If ever an artist had a chance to leave a memorial that would last for centuries, this would be his raw material.
Today, millions of visitors come to see the Mount Rushmore National memorial. They stand in awe, looking at the great faces of four American presidents — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosewelt. These faces are the largest carved figures in the world. They are twice as tall as the Great Sphinx in Egypt.
Borglum began his tremendous work in 1927. It was difficult and dangerous. The only way to get up the mountain was on foot or on horseback. And Borglum and his helpers had to make the trip hundreds of times just to bring up the necessary equipment.
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Moscow is one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Moscow is dear to millions of Russians. So why not listen to the ancient stones whispering their mysterious tales… ?
Moscow like Rome wasn’t built in a day. Its history begins with the Kremlin, an ancient fortified settlement built on Borovitsky Hill beside the Moskva river. It will always remain the historical centre of the capital, its heart and site of both living history and an ensemble of masterpieces of Russian architecture.
The first thing that meets the eye is the red-brick walls of the Kremlin reinforced by… My Goodness! How many towers are there?
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