SHAKESPEARE

              Shakespeare (26 April 1564 (baptised) – 23 April 1616) was born and brought up in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18, he married Anne Hathaway, with whom he had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men. He appears to have retired to Stratford around 1613 at age 49, where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive, and there has been considerable speculation about such matters as his physical appearance, sexuality, religious beliefs, and whether the works attributed to him were written by others.
                                                       Early life
              William Shakespeare was the son of John Shakespeare, an alderman and a successful glover originally from Snitterfield, and Mary Arden, the daughter of an affluent landowning farmer. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon and baptised there on 26 April 1564. His actual date of birth remains unknown, but is traditionally observed on 23 April, Saint George's Day. This date, which can be traced back to an 18th-century scholar's mistake, has proved appealing to biographers, since Shakespeare died 23 April 1616. He was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son.
               At the age of 18, Shakespeare married the 26-year-old Anne Hathaway. Six months after the marriage Anne gave birth to a daughter, Susanna, baptised 26 May 1583. Twins, son Hamnet and daughter Judith, followed almost two years later and were baptised 2 February 1585. Hamnet died of unknown causes at the age of 11 and was buried 11 August 1596.
                   Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616 and was survived by his wife and two daughters.  Susanna had married a physician, John Hall, in 1607, and Judith had married Thomas Quiney, a vintner, two months before Shakespeare’s death.

            T E X T    C O M P R E H E N S I O N

01-Choose the correct sentence according to the text:
a)Susanna and Hamnet were twins
b)William Shakespeare died in london
c)Mary Arden was the mother of Anne Hathaway
d)Susanna had married a vintner
e)King's Men was a playing company
02-When William Shakespeare died he was ___________________years old.
a)fifty two        b)fifty three        c)fifty four       d)fifty five         e)fifty six
03-William Shakespeare's ________________was a wealthy farmer.
a)father            b)cousin                 c)brother         d)grandfather   e)great-grandfather
04-Check the correct alternative according to the text:
a)John Shakespeare was born in Snitterfield
b)William Shakespeare was a glover
c)Mary Arden was William Shakespeare's grandmother
d)Judith and Thomas Quiney got married in 1607
e)Susanna and John Hall got married two months before William Shakespeare's death
05-Mary Arden was Anne Hathaway's __________________.
a)mother-in-law     b)cousin       c)sister        d)niece       e)mother

     CROATIA

                        Nestled near Italy on the Adriatic Sea, the tiny country has been an unsung source of innovation, libation and historical intrigue for centuries.
Fashion trailblazers
                       Great Croatian inventions include the first tested parachute and the necktie. Originally worn by Croat soldiers, they were adopted by the French army in the 17th Century and soon became fashionable. Croatians mark Cravat Day on 18 October.
Seaside escapes
                     There are more than 1,000 islands and islets in Croatia, and only 50 are inhabited. The country has more than 3,500 miles of coastline – though it is broken north of Dubrovnik by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 15-mile stretch, the shortest coastline in the world.
Dionysian offerings
                    Wine has been made in Croatia since it was introduced by Greek settlers 2,500 years ago – original vineyards are still intact on Stari Grad Plain on Hvar island. Today, Croatia has more than 300 wine regions, 17,000 producers and 2,500 (mostly white) wines.
Roman influence
                   The country’s currency is the Kuna, which is Croatian for marten, a forest mammal whose highly prized skin was used to pay taxes in the Roman provinces of eastern Croatia. The marten appeared on medieval coins before giving its name to the new currency in 1994.
A sovereign port
                  From 1358 until its capture by Napoleon in 1808, the walled city of Dubrovnik was the centre of a city-state known as the Republic of Ragusa. Despite its small size, it was a trading power and became a centre of learning and culture during the Renaissance.

                                        T  E  X  T      C  O  M  P  R  E  H  E  N  S  I  O  N

01-Choose the correct sentence according to the text:
a)Croatia lies far from Italy
b)The necktie was invented by the French army
c)Croatia is a big country
d)There are 1,000 islands in Croatia
e)Bosnia and Herzegovina has the shortest coastline in the world

02-Croatia…
a)is a small wine producer
b)is nestled near the Adriatic Sea
c)has the shortest coastline in the world
d)has 50 islands
e)is a small country

03-Kuna stands for
a)Croatia     b)wine       c)necktie        d)parachute       e)marten

04-The necktie was invented in
a)Bosnia       b)France       c)England         d)Greece       e)Croatia

05-Dubrovnik…
a)is a big city
b)was captured by Napoleon in 1358
c)lies in Bosnia
d)is in Italy
e)lies in Croatia

    HIGH    SCHOOLS

             Cibola High School is located on the West Side of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The current enrollment stands at 2,197. Dustin Fitzsimons is a notable alumni. He is an actor who was born in Sterling, Colorado.
             Escondido High School is a public school which lies in Escondido, a city occupying a shallow valley ringed by rocky hills. The city had a population of143,911 at the 2010 census. Randy Vasquez is an actor who was born in Escondido and attended Escondido High School. His cousin James Vasquez who is an actor and director also grew up in Escondido.
             Tara High School lies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Its website is tara.ebrschools.org and its profile is:
Grades: 9-12
School type: public
Student enrollment: 1,068
Students per teacher: 15
              Rolla Senior High School in Rolla, Missouri has a population of about 1,050 students. The school’s mascot is the Bulldog. Robin Carnahan, the current Missouri Secretary of State was born in Rolla and studied at Rolla High School.
             Burris Laboratory School lies in Muncie, Indiana. It was established in 1929. Burris School is named after Dr. Benjamin Burris, Dean of Teachers College, ball State University at the time of the construction of the school. The actor Patrick Tovatt also studied there.
                                   T E X T   C O M P R E H E N S I O N
01-Choose the correct sentence according to the text:
a)Burris Laboratory School was founded in the twenties.
b)Dustin Fitzsimons was born in Albuquerque.
c)Escondido lies in a deep valley.
d)Rolla Senior High School’s mascot is a robin.
e)Dr. Benjamin Burris is the dean of Teachers College.

02-_________________________lies in Louisiana.
a)Rolla Senior High School                         b)Tara High School
c)Escondido High School                            d)Ball State University
e)Burris Laboratory School

03-Cibola High School lies in _____________________.
a)Indiana      b)California      c)Louisiana     d)Colorado      e)New Mexico

04-__________________was born in Escondido.
a)Robin Carnahan       b)Dustin Fitzsimons       c)Benjamin burris      d)Patrick Tovatt
e)Randy Vasquez

05-_________________________is an actor and director.
a)Robin Carnahan       b)Benjamin Burris          c)James Vasquez        d)Dustin Fitzsimons
e)Randy vasquez