SOCOTRA ISLAND

You have to see it to believe it!
If you wanted to get away from your normal everyday life and wake up in a place that's like nowhere you  have ever been before, where would you go? If I were  you, I'd vosit Socotra. If you go there, you can imagine that you are on another planet, or that you have travelled to another time in the Earth's history.

This would actually be closer to the truth. The island of Socotra lies in the Indian Ocean and has been isolated from the mainland of Africa for 6 or 7 million  years! It has hundreds of rare plants and many of these exist nowhere else  on Earth. 
For example, there is the Dragon's Blood tree. This strange species looks more like a flying saucer than anything natural! And what about the Desert Rose? If you saw some of these, you would thing they were an elephant's legs with pink flowers on top!

The architecture here is also unique. Even when you see the houses on the mountain tops, it is difficult to believe they are real. Visit  a village on this island and you might  imagine that you are asleep and dreaming, or perhaps that you are taking part in a science fiction film!

The name Socotra means " the island of happiness" Indeed, if you see its magical  landscapes, full of peace and quiet, its clear blue sea and amazing beaches, you will think that you are in paradise! If only there were more places like this in the world today!

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MOUNT EVEREST

In  1953, over 50 years ago, the first climbers successfully  climbed Mountain  Everest. It is the highest mountain in  the  world and so is also called  'the  roof  of  the  world'. This incredible mountain is still one of the most challenging to climb and mountaineers are still trying to do so. It stards 8,850 metres above sea level at the summit, and was probably formed about 30,000,000 years ago. The  whole  mountain is  covered by glaciers, or rivers of ice which sweep down  from the top to the  botton.

The climate on Mount Everest  is always  extreme. In January, which  is the coldest  month, temperatures can drop as low as  -60oc at  the summit,  and in July, which is the warmest month, temperatures only go as high as  -19oc. It is never above freezing. From June untill Septebmer, there are violent snowstorms and winds can blow athurricane force. Some times as strong as 285 kilometres per hour.

The  difficulties of climbing  Mount Everest  seem  insurmountable. Snow  and  ice  avalanches are a constant danger and the winds are  treacherous. However, lack of oxygen is probably the most problematical aspect. The air holds only a third as much oxygen at this altitude. This resultsin all  kinds of ill effects, such as hypothermia, extreme tiredness, lack of coordination, headaches,
nausea and double vision. Even so, Everest has been climbed by more than 2,200 mountaineers, Unfortunately, however, about 200 climbers have lost their lives during the climb and most of the bodies have never been recovered. They are still lying on the mountain.
Climbing groups never attempt the  climb without a Sherpa guide. Sherpas  are the people who live around the base of the mountain range. Their physical strength is well known and they are able to breathe much more easily.at high altitudes because their lungs are used to the thin air. They known all the routes and the dangers on the mountain, so their advice is invaluable. The most famous was in the group that first climbed the mountain in 1953 with Sir Edmund  Hillary.

According to the National  Geographic Magazine, Mount  Everest is still growing. It rises about 4 millimetres every year. This is because the  two tectonic plates of Asia and India are pushing against each other, so Everest is getting higher and higher. The Himalayas remain the highest mountain range in the world and because of the dangers, the most formidable.

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TSUNAMIS

Tsunamis  are a series  of large waves that strike a coastal  area. They are usually  extremely destructive and can travel very quickly. They can cause great devastation and can easily kill thousands of people. The word 'tsunami' is a Japanese  word. When translated,  it literally  means 'harbour  wave'. 'Tsu' means  'harbour'  and 'nami' means  'wave'. Very often they are called tidal waves, but this is an inaccurate term because tides do not cause  a tsunami to occur. Tidal waves are requlated by the gravitational pull of  the  moon, which means that the movement of tides is regular.

A tsunami is sometimes  created  when  there is an earthquake  under the  sea. After the earthquake, the floor of the  sea moves up and down and, and as  a result,  a huge wave is formed. A tsunami wave moves at a very high speed and is virtually unstoppable. Travelling at a speed of up to 1,ooo kilometres an hour, it can go across an entire ocean in only a few hours.When tsunami reaches the shore, it could be as high as a hundred  metres. Very often, first tsunami wave to hit the coast is followed by others, which  are sometimes  more destructive than the first.

How do we know when a tsunami is coming? Sometimes we can feel  the erthquake and this may be the first clue.However, if the earthquake is in the deep  sea, then very  often there  is no indication  that  it  has happened or that a tsunami will occur.
The most obvious sign of  tsunami when the  water on the shoreline goes out to sea very quickly. It could be as  soon as five minutes. In places where this might happen, there  are usally  warning systems such as sirens on the beach. Also, in some coastal regions, there are machines that detect seismic activity  in  the  water, which cause the sirens to go off.

What can you do if you know that a tsunami is coming? The first thing to do is abandon everything. Do not take anything with you because you might not have enough time. Go towards higher ground, a hill or a mountain and just keep  climbing. Never go down to the beach to watch  the spectacle. Yoy may not live to tell the tale. Most importantly , if you have managed to escape the wave, do not believe that you are save, because the second or third wave could be even more devastating. If you are fortunate enough to escape with your life, never return to your dwellings until the 'all  clear'  has  been  announced.

On the 26th  December   2004, the  most deadly tsunami ever to be recorded occurred in the  Indian Ocean. The earthquake, which started the tsunami measured  a  themendous  9.15  on  the Richter scale. All the countries  which surround the  Indian Ocean were affected, especially  Indonesia. In this particular case, there was a much longer delay before the tsunami hit  the coast and, therefore, most of  the inhabitants  were taken  by  surprise. On  that  day,  approximately  283,000  people lost their lives, and 168,000 of  them were in Indonesia alone. Apart  from the loss of human lives, it resulted  in resulted  in an  enormous enviromental  tragedy, which will affect this particular  area  for  years  to come.

AT THE AIRPORT!

The airport is your first stop before leaving on your dream vacation or trip. Generally speaking, you should arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Don't arrive 10 minutes before your plane departs. 

Heidi' s e-mail to her friend Jonathan!

Hi  Jonathan!

My  name' s  Heidi  and  I come  from  a  small   village  in  the  mountains  in  Switzerland. I' m 12  years  old  and  I  live  with  my mum  and  dad and  my  two  brothers  in  a  big  old  chalet outside my  village, Verzine.
Let  me  tell  you   a  little about  my  everyday  life  and  my  country.
Every  day,  I  go  to  school in Verzine  and  I have  a  lot of  friends. In spring, I walk  down  the  mountain. It' s wonderful  then. There  are lots  of  flowers and cows  and sheep. In  winter, I ski or take  my sleight! It' s great! I love skiing. It' s my favourite  hobby. The Summer is  beautiful too. Then, I often  walk in the  mountains around  my  home. The  scenery  is fantastic with  all  the  beautiful flowers  and  the little wild  animals  around!

My country, Seitzerland, is  a  small  country  in  the  centre  of  Europe. There  are  mountains  everywhere  and  a  lot of  lakes too. People come from all  the world to  wolk, climp and, of  course, to ski. It  snows a  lot in  winter,  but  Summer, the  Sun usually  shines  and  the  sky is  very  blue.
The Swiss  make  great chocolate  too! We  are  famous for  it!
Please  be  my  e - mail  friend  and  write  back  soon!

MARIA'S LETTER TO LISA ABOUT HER TRIP TO FINLAND!

Dear  Lisa,
I' m sending  you this  letter  from Finland. I'm  spending  a  week  here  with  my  friends  from Belgium. We' re  staying in  a  lovely wooden hut  by  a  big lake in  a  forest. Finland  has  hundreds  of  lakes  you  know. It's  amazing!
There  are  so many  interesting  and  exciting  things  to  do. It's a very special country. It's the home  of  Santa  Claus and  his reindeer, of course. Tomorrow, we  are visiting them in Lapland. There is a huge park and  Santa  has  his  own  post  office there  and lots  of reindeer.

ΓΝΩΡΙΖΕΤΕ ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ?

DO  YOU  SPEAK  ENGLISH?
ΜΙΛΑΤΕ  ΑΓΓΛΙΚΑ?

HAVE  YOU  EVER  VISITED  GREAT  BRITAIN?

ΕΧΕΤΕ  ΠΟΤΕ  ΕΠΙΣΚΕΥΤΕΙ  ΤΗ  ΜΕΓΑΛΗ  ΒΡΕΤΑΝΙΑ?