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The Border Collie is a working and herding dog breed originally developed in Scotland, more specifically
on the border between Scotland and England, which is where the name comes from.
It is known for its obedience and intelligence in its personality, and because they are so intelligent, they
often compete in dog sports. In general, border collies are medium-sized dogs and black and white is the
most common colour pattern. Because of their demanding personality, they can be unhappy in homes
that do not give them a lot of stimulation, so they are sometimes not the ideal pet for your typical
family.
However, the use of border collies for managing sheep still makes good economic sense for many
farmers. Theyre cheaper and more reliable than hiring people or using machines. So this dog continues
to have an important function in modern society.
Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia, which is celebrated annually on 26 January.
This day marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships in Australia, the birth
of the modern nation.
It is a public holiday in all the states of Australia, and the biggest celebratory event in the country.
In contemporary Australia, the holiday is marked by the presentation of the Australian of the Year
Awards and the announcement of the Australia Day Honours list.
Some indigenous people have criticised Australia Day, which they call Invasion Day, because it
celebrates the European domination of the continent.
Taking place in January, summer in Australia, people normally have parties outside, especially with
barbecues. Some Australians like to eat kangaroo meat on the barbecue, because there is an abundant
supply available in the country.
The Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 were the 31st modern Olympics, and interesting for several
reasons. Unusually, they were the first ever to be held in a Portuguese-speaking country. It was also the
first time - since 1968 in Mexico City - that they took place in South America
In addition, these were the biggest games ever organised, as athletes from 206 countries took part.
In the selection process, Rio was chosen ahead of Madrid to host the 2016 Olympics.
As for the money, well, holding such an event isnt cheap - almost 30 billion Brazilian Reals was spent
organising the games. The USA won the most medals, but Great Britain were probably happier with the
result as they finished a surprising second in the medal table, ahead of China.
If you walk down the street today youre likely to see Nike, Adidas and many other famous brands, such
as New Balance - an American footwear manufacturer based in Boston, Massachusetts. The company
was founded in 1911 as the New Balance Shoe Company. They are most famous for their sports shoes,
such as trainers, but they also manufacture clothes, particularly T-shirts and sporting clothes.
New Balance manufactures their shoes in the United States and United Kingdom, instead of in China
which makes them more expensive.
However, they say their shoes are better quality and therefore good value for money. They have
promised to continue making shoes in the USA and the UK.
It seems like the business plan is working - the company has an annual profit of $2 billion.
New Balance entered the soccer market in 2015 and now sponsors teams such as Liverpool and Seville
FC.
ISE 1 listening 3 Part 1 The UK National Lottery
Many people dream of getting rich quickly, and a lottery ticket can be one easy way of doing this.
The National Lottery is the official government-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom.
Of all money spent on National Lottery games, 50% goes to the prize fund to the people who win the
lottery
The rest is taken by the government and the organisers of the lottery.
25% of the money is spent on good causes such as community centres, sporting activities or libraries.
You must be 16 years old to buy a lottery ticket.
The Lottery takes places every Wednesday and Saturdaywith a bigger prize on the Saturday. It is
televised on the BBC, the public television channel in the UK.
It now costs 2 to buy a ticket. According to a study, the most popular desire after winning the lottery is
to buy a new house.
You have probably seen articles in the newspapers or online ranking the happiness of people from
different countries. Have you ever noticed that people from the Scandinavian countries are normally the
happiest people in the world?
Some scientists believe this is actually because Scandinavian people have a genetic make-up that makes
them more likely to be happy. Studies have shown that people from Denmark, Norway and Sweden
have less of the short, dangerous kind of genetic pattern in their DNA, making them happier.
However, this is just one factor. We should also consider the lifestyle of Scandinavian people.
Firstly, the Scandinavian countries are among the richest in the world, a good reason to be happy.
Whats more, the people actually work less hours than in most other countries.
Finally, in their personal life, Scandinavians have a healthy diet and do lots of exercise, a big contributing
factor when it comes to happiness.
You might not know this, but after football, cricket is the most popular sport in the world.
This is because of the huge number of people who participate in Asia, especially India.
Cricket is the national sport of India, and it is no exaggeration to say that Indians are crazy about it.
In every school, park, sports centre and even on the street, you can see people playing cricket.
And not just men. Women and children also play a lot of cricket.
The Indian Premier League is one of the most important cricket tournaments in the world, and the top
players can earn millions of dollars participating.
The most popular games are international matches between India and Pakistan and England and
Australia. The Indian national team is one of the best in the world, and their captain, Virat Kohli, is
probably the best player in the world today. The next cricket World Cup will take place in India in 2019.
Located in the north-west of England, the city of Liverpool is rich in culture and history.
The modern population is about 500,000, making it one of the major UK cities.
Liverpool was an important industrial city in the past, because of its position on the River Mersey which
made it ideal for trade with America and Europe.
However, today, most people associate Liverpool as the birthplace of the Beatles.
The band that began in Liverpool achieved 17 number one hits during their time together,
and two of their songs Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields take their names from areas in their
hometown.
Natives of Liverpool are referred to as Scousers, and Scouse also describes the strong Liverpool accent.
The city has two Premier league football teams, Liverpool , in red, and Everton, in blue.
Liverpool was the European Capital of Culture in 2008, bringing many more visitors and economic
growth to the region.
Bicycles were introduced in the late 19th century in Europe, and by the early 21st century, more than 1
billion have been produced worldwide. Cycling is becoming a more popular way of travelling to work,
about 20% of people in London cycle to work for example. Indeed, many cities such as London have bike
share programmes which allow people to use a public bike for a small annual price.
Not only does this combat traffic and pollution, but it also helps people to keep fit as they do a little
exercise before and after work.
However, cycling is not just practical. For millions of people, cycling is a passion and a hobby.
Many cyclists use a GPS device or an app on their mobile phone to record their routes.
The GPS tracking company Garmin revealed that the average cyclist travels approximately 50 kilometres
on a weekend trip.
Drinking tea began in China. The legend says that emperor was sitting under a tree when some leaves
fell in his water, and tea was born. However, it wasnt until the 17th Century, when the British began
drinking tea, that it became very popular. At first, tea was so expensive that most normal people
couldnt drink it. However, as the popularity of tea grew, so the price went down.
Nowadays, doctors see tea as a very healthy drink. In comparison with coffee, sugary drinks and alcohol,
tea is very good for you. Tea contains anti-oxidants, which help fight disease and illness.
Some studies have shown that tea can also improve your concentration. And finally, it can help people
lose weight. So, the best advice is to sit down, relax and have a cup of tea.
Scientists estimate that there are 39 trillion bacteria in the human body.
Thats more bacteria than human cells, meaning, effectively, we are more bacteria than human.
Lots of television adverts talk about good bacteria, bacteria which help digestion in the stomach.
Recent research has also suggested bacteria can help reduce anxiety in studies, animals without
bacteria in their body were more stressed than animals with bacteria.
You can find this type of bacteria in yoghurt, as seen in the famous adverts for L. Casei Immunitas.
But scientists say the best source is homemade bread,
because the fermentation process is perfect for the good bacteria.
The message of these studies is that bacteria is essential for our health, so killing bacteria with cleaning
products and medicine can actually be dangerous. We depend on them.
Mermaids are the legendary aquatic creatures that are half-human, half-fish.
They are sometimes associated with disasters, such as storms and accidents, and sometimes associated
with benevolent actions, such as rescuing sailors or falling in love with them.
Perhaps the most famous interpretation is Hans Christian Andersens classic fairy-tale, The Little
Mermaid, originally written in 1836. The story was adapted for the cinema by Disney much later.
However, the legend started much earlier, originally appearing in Ancient Greek mythology when
mermaids were known as sirens. Many people claim to have seen mermaids, but the National Ocean
Service of the USA has stated clearly that no evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.