Mblbourne

Melbourne is one of the biggest cities in Australia. It has a population of 3.5 millions. It is the sports capital of Australia. Melbourne is a multicultural city. This means that people from different parts of the world live in it. Melbourne has some of the biggest universities in Australia. There are tens of thousands of overseas students who choose to study in Melbourne every year. Those students mainly come from China, India and the Middle East. They bring more than one billion dollars to the Australian economy every year. International students often come to do post graduate studies. Some of them study at TAFE colleges too. TAFE colleges provide technical courses. At the end of these courses students get a diploma. A diploma takes two years.

There are many things you can do when you are in Melbourne. You can go to visit different sites or you can spend your time on the beach. Melbourne has many sandy beaches. The most famous beach is the one in St. Kilda. It has many restaurants to choose from. It has a craft market every Sunday.

The Australian Open is held every year in Melbourne. It is one of the four grand slam tennis tournaments in the world. Famous tennis players come to Melbourne to play at the Australian Open.

Melbourne also has different big shopping centres. The biggest ones are located in Chadstone and Doncaster.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a good source of calcium, protein, folic acid and magnesium. It has been used by millions of people in many countries for hundreds of years. You need between 100 to 200 grams of yogurt daily to lead a healthy life. Nowadays yogurt comes in different flavours and sizes. You can buy light, low fat, no-fat, organic or drinkable yogurt at the supermarket. You can also buy yogurt that tastes like ice cream. Yogurt has millions of friendly bacteria that protect your body against some cancers and boost the immune system. It also helps your body digest food.

You can make your own yogurt at home by adding bacterial cultures to milk. Just make sure you pasteurize the milk first. Pasteurizing milk means that you freeze it first then heat it to a high temperature. This will make sure that all harmful bacteria in milk are killed. The one bad thing about pasteurizing milk is that it kills good bacteria that your body needs too. That is why modern factories sometimes don’t use pasteurization in the making of yogurt. They kill harmful bacteria using alternative methods.

Always check the use by date on the container before eating yogurt. Many companies in Australia that produce yogurt have web sites that give additional information you can read online or download to your computer. They can also send you booklets if you contact them.

The good news for people who watch their weights is that yogurt is low in calories and is available all year round. Many people who regularly eat yogurt add more years to their lives.

Fill in the Gaps:

good - system - flavours - Australia - eat - watch - between

Yogurt is a good source of calcium, protein, folic acid and magnesium. It has been used by millions of people in many countries for hundreds of years. You need ..................... 100 to 200 grams of yogurt daily to lead a healthy life. Nowadays yogurt comes in different ..................... and sizes. You can buy light, low fat, no-fat, organic or drinkable yogurt at the supermarket. You can also buy yogurt that tastes like ice cream. Yogurt has millions of friendly bacteria that protect your body against some cancers and boost the immune .................... It also helps your body digest food. You can make your own yogurt at home by adding bacterial cultures to milk. Just make sure you pasteurize the milk first. Pasteurizing milk means that you freeze it first then heat it to a high temperature. This will make sure that all harmful bacteria in milk are killed. The one bad thing about pasteurizing milk is that it kills ............... bacteria that your body needs too. That is why modern factories sometimes don’t use pasteurization in the making of yogurt. They kill harmful bacteria using alternative methods. Always check the use by date on the container before eating yogurt. Many companies in ........................ that produce yogurt have web sites that give additional information you can read online or download to your computer. They can also send you booklets if you contact them. The good news for people who .................. their weights is that yogurt is low in calories and is available all year round. Many people who regularly................ yogurt add more years to their lives.

Shoes for Bush

Have you seen these two pictures before? You can see three famous men in the first picture - the former American president Goege Bush, the Iraqi Prime Minister and another man who is very angry. The third man in the picture is an Iraqi journalist. His name is Montazer. He was very angry when he saw George Bush in his last press conference in Iraq. Bush was in Iraq to say goodbye for the last time. The journalists did not know that George Bush was coming. His visit was kept a secret.

Montazer threw a pair of shoes at George Bush and called him a dog. Montazer was angry because George Bush invaded Iraq and killed more than one million people. There is an Iraqi government there but it gets orders from Washington. In English we call such government a "Puppet Government". This means that they have no saying in what happens in the country. The Iraqi Prime Minister tried to defend George Bush and stop the second shoe.

In the past America sold Saddam Hussein airplanes and weapons to fight Iran. America gave Saddam all the help he needed because he was a good friend. In 2003 America needed to get more petrol and invaded Iraq. America destroyed the country and nobody was safe.

Montazer became very famous when millions of people watched what he did on TV. Some wealthy families offered him to choose one of their daughters to marry. He got awards from different countries and people called him a brave man.

After America invaded Iraq, many Iraqis started killing one another. People from the same religions and cities killed one another. Some Iraqis helped America destroy the country and got tens of thousands of dollars for their services. Most of those Iraqis live outside Iraq now. They live in America and Europe. Some of them live in Australia too. Many Iraqis call them traitors.

When Montazer threw the shoes at George Bush, he was arrested. The Iraqi police beat him up. They broke his arm and tooth. They didn't allow him to sleep and electrocuted him. His family were not allowed to visit him for more than one month.

Montazer spent one year in prison. Now he is a free man. He left Iraq the same day and went to Syria. He went to hospital to be seen by doctors. He said that the CIA would kill him because of what he did to George Bush.

The factory that made the shoes employed tens of new workers after hundreds of thousands of people worldwide wanted to buy the same shoes. In one city in north Iraq some people made a statue of a big shoe in the heart of the city. Now millions of Iraqis live outside Iraq. They don't feel safe in their country any more.

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Karate

Karate is an ancient Japanese sport. Many people play it in many countries around the world. The best players in the world come from Japan. Many players travel to Japan to learn the secrets of the game. It is played by people of all ages. It is played by females too.

Karate teaches self defense. It gives players a lot of confidence too. It teaches them to show respect for others and gives them physical fitness.

People can start learning to play karate any time but it is always good to start at an early age. It helps players develop their social skills too.

Experienced players who have high standards in the game wear a black belt.

Hands-on Study

Look at the people in the picture. They are in a kitchen. They are preparing food. They are working together and helping each other. This is part of a course they are doing now. They are doing a hospitality course in Melbourne, Australia.

An important part of their course is to do work placement for two weeks. During their work placement they stop coming to classes and work at different restaurants. They learn how to prepare food in a kitchen. They get to learn work skills. These work skills are not taught in a classroom. They are taught in real life.

Soon after starting work, students learn that it is important to work as a member in a team. They learn to come to work on time and leave on time too. They learn how to talk to workmates and supervisors. They also learn skills that help them get work after they finish their course. They also get to work with people who come from different countries. They talk to them in English. They get to improve their speaking and listening skills too.

Some of the students had different jobs overseas before coming to start a new life in Australia. Now they learn to do a different job.

Before they start their work placement, they learn about food safety in class. They learn how to keep food safe for people to eat. They learn about the dangers of bacteria and the things that can cause food poisoning.

They need to speak English very well to be able to get jobs here. Their work experience overseas helps them in their new jobs too.

Some of these students get jobs at the same place where they do their work placement sometimes. If their supervisors see them work hard, they may offer them work a few days a week.

Sometimes supervisors see a student work hard but they don't need to employ extra people to work in the kitchen. They offer to be referees for the student in his or her CV.

Best Job in the World

Ben Southall is a very lucky man. He's got a job that will see him get 150,000 dollars in 6 months for doing almost nothing. His new job is to work as a caretaker of Hamilton Island in Queensland in Australia. Ben Southall is not Australian. He is British.

All he has to do is to walk along the beach, feed the fish, go scuba-diving, keep a blog and post pictures and videos on the internet to let people know about the island.

Ben Southall was one of 34,000 people who applied for the job. Tourism Queensland asked anyone who wanted to apply for that job to post a video on the internet and say why he or she was the best person for the job.

People from different parts of the world applied for the job. Finally 16 people from 15 countries were selected including two from Australia. They were asked to travel to Hamilton Island in Queensland to have interviews. Applications for the job opened in January 2009. Ben was selected in May.

The applicants lived together for two weeks and became friends. It was a special moment for Ben when he was chosen for the job. His friends congratulated him.

He is only 34 years old and he became very famous after getting the best job in the world. He now lives in a three-bedroom beach home with his Canadian girlfriend. Before getting the job he worked as a tour guide in England.

Tourism Queensland said they were happy that millions of people around the world now know about Queensland and Australia. This would make more people want to visit Hamilton Island and help the economy.

Some Australians are not happy because the job was not given to an Australian. They say that Australian jobs should be kept for Australians.

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Fill in the gaps:

blog - Island - about - person - Canadian - should - weeks - work

Ben Southall is a very lucky man. He's got a job that will see him get 150,000 dollars in 6 months for doing almost nothing. His new job is to ............ as a caretaker of Hamilton Island in Queensland in Australia. Ben Southall is not Australian. He is British. All he has to do is to walk along the beach, feed the fish, go scuba-diving, keep a ............. and post pictures and videos on the internet to let people know about the island. Ben Southall was one of 34,000 people who applied for the job. Tourism Queensland asked anyone who wanted to apply for that job to post a video on the internet and say why he or she was the best ................... for the job. People from different parts of the world applied for the job. Finally 16 people from 15 countries were selected including two from Australia. They were asked to travel to Hamilton .................... in Queensland to have interviews. Applications for the job opened in January 2009. Ben was selected in May. The applicants lived together for two ............... and became friends. It was a special moment for Ben when he was chosen for the job. His friends congratulated him. He is only 34 years old and he became very famous after getting the best job in the world. He now lives in a three-bedroom beach home with his ...................... girlfriend. Before getting the job he worked as a tour guide in England. Tourism Queensland said they were happy that millions of people around the world now know .................. Queensland and Australia. This would make more people want to visit Hamilton Island and help the economy. Some Australians are not happy because the job was not given to an Australian. They say that Australian jobs .............. be kept for Australians.

Studying in Australia

When students come to study in Australia they find it very different from their countries. In their own countries students have the same nationality and speak the same language. In Australia students in one university sometimes come from more than 100 different countries. This is a very good chance for students to make friends with one another. It opens a whole world in front of them too. The language of teaching is of course English. That is why students need to have a very high level of English to be able to study in Australia.

International students are allowed to work 20 hours a week. They are not allowed to work more than that. The money they get from work helps them pay for their studies.

Students mainly work on the weekend. Work helps them know more about Australia and mix with people from different cultural backgrounds.

It normally takes about one year for a student to improve his or her English. Sometimes some students find it very hard to learn English and take much longer.

Some students pay for their education in Australia. They really need to get jobs to be able to support themselves and pay their rent. Other students come here on scholarships. This means that their governments pay for their education in Australia. Those students normally get a monthly allowance to help them concentrate on their studies and not work. Those students normally come from rich countries.

When students come to Australia they find that the way classes are taught are different from classes in their own countries. They work in pairs or in small groups. They find that they have to work harder to pass tests. They also need to read a lot and go to the library more.

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When you finish the test, click on the magnifying glass to learn all the correct answers.

Fill in the gaps:

good - get - support - level - find - library - same

When students come to study in Australia they find it very different from their countries. In their own countries students have the ........... nationality and speak the same language. In Australia students in one university sometimes come from more than 100 different countries. This is a very ..................chance for students to make friends with one another. It opens a whole world in front of them too. The language of teaching is of course English. That is why students need to have a very high ................ of English to be able to study in Australia. International students are allowed to work 20 hours a week. They are not allowed to work more than that. The money they ............. from work helps them pay for their studies. Students mainly work on the weekend. Work helps them know more about Australia and mix with people from different cultural backgrounds. It normally takes about one year for a student to improve his or her English. Sometimes some students find it very hard to learn English and take much longer. Some students pay for their education in Australia. They really need to get jobs to be able to .................. themselves and pay their rent. Other students come here on scholarships. This means that their governments pay for their education in Australia. Those students normally get a monthly allowance to help them concentrate on their studies and not work. Those students normally come from rich countries. When students come to Australia they ................. that the way classes are taught are different from classes in their own countries. They work in pairs or in small groups. They find that they have to work harder to pass tests. They also need to read a lot and go to the ................ more.

Education in Australia

Very young children can go to a childcare centre if their parents work. They stay there until they are 5 years old. When a child is 5 years old, he or she goes to a public or private primary school. Private schools cost a lot of money. They normally cost 16 thousand dollars or more per year. Public schools are government schools. They don't cost a lot of money for a student to study there. They cost only a few hundred dollars a year. Poor families can choose not to pay this money. They can also get financial help from the government. Students stay in primary school until they finish year 6.

After they finish year 6, they do no't get a certificate. They go directly to high school. They stay in high school for 6 years and stay there until they finish year 12. After year 12 they go to university if they get high marks in the year 12 exams. If they don't get high marks, they can go to TAFE. TAFE is a technical college.

TAFE colleges provide different programs for the students to choose from. Students can stay there for two years and get a diploma. There are also many certificates to choose from. These certificates can run for three months or more. After finishing their studies at TAFE, students start applying for work. Some of them work as mechanics. Others work as plumbers. Still many more work in different jobs.
Students at uni normally study for 3 years. They can study to become teachers, accountants or engineers. They get a degree after finishing their uni studies. They can start work straight away or do more study to get a master or a PhD.
Students can do a master by coursework or by research. They can do a PhD by research only. When students do masters and PhDs, they need to learn to write academic English. They need to improve their English language a lot before doing their postgraduate studies.

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Hurghada

Today I will tell you about an Egyptian city called Hurghada. Hurghada is a resort city on the Red Sea. In 1970 it was just a small fishing village. Now it has more than 200 hotels and 2 million tourists visit it every year.

It all started when the Sheraton Hotel company decided to build a hotel there in the early 70s. It wanted to attract people who loved beach life to come and visit that wonderful place. Soon after that many hotels were built and many jobs were created. Hurghada became a city and many people started moving there to look for work. Now there are about 180,000 people living there. Many of them work in the tourism industry.

Many of the hotels in Hurghada are 5 star hotels but it has many 2 star hotels too. Hurghada is the biggest resort on the Red Sea. Many people who visit Hurghada come from Europe, America and Russia. They enjoy tasting Egyptian food and spending time relaxing on the beach. It is a nice place to stay in if you want to run away from the freezing temperatures in winter.

Because Hurghada is easy to travel to by plane from Europe, it became the preferred place for a holiday for millions of Europeans. It has sandy beaches and moderate temperatures. Hurghada is a popular choice for a holiday because it is cheap. The official currency in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound. One Australian Dollar now is worth 4.7 Egyptian Pounds. The average income for an Egyptian is about 200 Egyptian Pounds a month.

After visiting Hurghada, tourists go to other famous cities in Egypt like Luxor and Aswan. They sometimes sail along the Nile on a boat and enjoy visiting more places.

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Fill in the gaps:

enjoy - build - work - resort - city - from - many - famous

Today I will tell you about an Egyptian ............. called Hurghada. Hurghada is a resort city on the Red Sea. In 1970 it was just a small fishing village. Now it has more than 200 hotels and 2 million tourists visit it every year. It all started when the Sheraton Hotel company decided to ................ a hotel there in the early 70s. It wanted to attract people who loved beach life to come and visit that wonderful place. Soon after that many hotels were built and .................. jobs were created. Hurghada became a city and many people started moving there to look for ............. . Now there are about 180,000 people living there. Many of them work in the tourism industry. Many of the hotels in Hurghada are 5 star hotels but it has many 2 star hotels too. Hurghada is the biggest ................. on the Red Sea. Many people who visit Hurghada come from Europe, America and Russia. They enjoy tasting Egyptian food and spending time relaxing on the beach. It is a nice place to stay in if you want to run away ................. the freezing temperatures in winter. Because Hurghada is easy to travel to by plane from Europe, it became the preferred place for a holiday for millions of Europeans. It has sandy beaches and moderate temperatures. Hurghada is a popular choice for a holiday because it is cheap. The official currency in Egypt is the Egyptian Pound. One Australian Dollar now is worth 4.7 Egyptian Pounds. The average income for an Egyptian is about 200 Egyptian Pounds a month. After visiting Hurghada, tourists go to other ................ cities in Egypt like Luxor and Aswan. They sometimes sail along the Nile on a boat and .......... visiting more places.

Questions and Answers:

What is the Egyptian city called?
The Egyptian city is called Hurghada.
Does it have cold weather?
No, it has moderate weather.
What sea is Hurghada on?
It is on the Red Sea.
Does Hurghada have many 5 stars hotels?
Yes, it does.
Where do people who visit Hurghada come from?
They come from Europe, America and Russia.
How many hotels are there in Hurghada?
There are about 200 hotels in Hurghada.
How many tourists visit Hurghada every year?
2 million tourists visit Hurghada every year.
What was Hurghada like in the 70s?
It was a small fishing village in the 70s.
What is the official currency in Egypt?
The Egyptian pound is the official currency in Egypt.
Is the Egyptian Pound more expensive than the Australian Dollar?
No, it is less expensive than the Australian Dollar.
Why do people visit Hurghada?
Because it has moderate weather and sandy beaches.
How many Egyptians live in Hurghada?
Nearly 180.000 Egyptians live in Hurghada.
Where do many people who live in Hurghada work?
They work in the tourism industry.
How much is the Egyptian Pound worth?
It is worth about 20 cents.
What was the first hotel that was built in Hurghada?
The Sheraton Hotel was the first hotel that was built in Hurghada.
How much does an Egyptian get a month?
An Egyptian gets about 200 Pounds per month.

Ripstik

My son had been asking me for a few weeks to buy him a Ripstik. A Ripstik is what you see in the picture in this lesson. It has two wheels only. He said that most of his friends at school had Ripstiks and he wanted to have one too. He promised to do some extra school work if I bought him one.

We went to the shop and had a look. The prices were very high. It cost 180 dollars to buy one. I decided not to buy it and wait for some time. I wanted to wait until prices came down.

My son went on the internet and kept searching for better prices. He went on online auction sites too. Finally he found that Ripstiks were sold for 125 dollars only at Big W. Big W is a big department store in Melbourne. We went there and bought one for him. He was happy. He just needed one thing. He needed to learn how to use it.

The Ripstik came with a DVD to show how it could be used. The DVD showed people using it. They had helmets on.

I thought that my son would take a few days to learn how to use it. I was wrong. He took only less than two hours to learn to use his new Ripstik. He became a professional in no time at all.

My son became so excited with his new Ripstik and took it to school every day. He asked to go to school early every day to be able to use his Ripstik.

One weekend I took him to a skating park near my home. Many young boys and girls were skating there. My son used his Ripstik and had a lot of fun there.

Now when I go to his school to pick him up, I see several boys and girls carrying their Ripstiks and walking home. Ripstiks seem to be the latest fashion nowadays.

Wallet Found

Read this text

My name is Martha and I am 40 years old. I come from South Africa. I came to Australia in 2006. I live in a small house in Box Hill. I have three children and my husband works at a factory in Richmond. My children go to a primary school in Box Hill. They study in different year levels. My daughter is in year 4. My son is in year 3 and my youngest daughter is in year 1. They are happy at their school.
Last Sunday my husband was working overtime. I had to do some shopping. I took my three children to the shopping centre in Box Hill to buy some vegetables and milk. We walked to the shopping centre. We don’t have a car.
We spent about one hour at the shopping centre. When we were going home, we walked along Victoria Street. My son found something on the ground. He picked it up and it was a wallet.
He gave it to me and I opened it. I found a driver’s licence and some money inside the wallet. I counted the money. There were 250 dollars inside the wallet. I read the address on the driver’s licence and it was in Victoria Street.
We walked to the address and knocked at the door. A man opened the door and we gave him the wallet. He was happy and he gave my children 60 dollars. The children were happy. I was happy too.
We took the money and went back to the shopping centre. We bought more fruit and vegetables. We also bought a T-shirt for my son to use at school. Everyone was happy.

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Fill in the gaps
were – bought - licence – opened – their - found - some - husband
My name is Martha and I am 40 years old. I come from South Africa. I came to Australia in 2006. I live in a small house in Box Hill. I have three children and my ………………….. works at a factory in Richmond. My children go to a primary school in Box Hill. They study in different year levels. My daughter is in year 4. My son is in year 3 and my youngest daughter is in year 1. They are happy at ………………… school. Last Sunday my husband was working overtime. I had to do ………………. shopping. I took my three children to the shopping centre in Box Hill to buy some vegetables and milk. We walked to the shopping centre. We don’t have a car. We spent about one hour at the shopping centre. When we ………………….. going home, we walked along Victoria Street. My son ………… something on the ground. He picked it up and it was a wallet. He gave it to me and I opened it. I found a driver’s ……………….. and some money inside the wallet. I counted the money. There were 250 dollars inside the wallet. I read the address on the driver’s licence and it was in Victoria Street. We walked to the address and knocked at the door. A man …………………… the door and we gave him the wallet. He was happy and he gave my children 60 dollars. The children were happy. I was happy too. We took the money and went back to the shopping centre. We ……………….. more fruit and vegetables. We also bought a T-shirt for my son to use at school. Everyone was happy.

Small Cars

To live in a big city like Melbourne, you need to have a car. Sometimes families have more than one car. They have two or more cars.

Many years ago petrol was cheap. Now petrol isn't cheap. It is expensive. One litre of petrol now costs about $1.30 at most petrol stations. That is why not many people buy big cars nowadays. They buy small ones.

Big car companies used to sell millions of big cars every year. Now they make smaller cars. These small cars don't use much petrol. They use less petrol and they cost less money to buy.

A small car can take 5 people. They don't have much space for shopping bags and other things. Big cars can take 5 or 7 people. They have big spaces for shopping bags at the back. They are safer to drive too.

Some people don't like small cars. They think that they are not safe enough. They say that small cars don't have enough spaces from the inside. Those people like to drive the big 4 wheel drive cars like Jeep and Toyota.

When you buy a new car in Australia and you want to sell it after a short time you lose a lot of money. You lose about %30 of the price you pay.

That is why there are many people who don't like buying new cars. They like to buy second hand cars. Second hand cars cost less money to buy than brand new ones.

Still other people don't like to spend a lot of money on cars. They buy motorcycles or scooters. They ride their motorcycles or scooters everywhere. They say that a motorcycle or a scooter is easy to park. Those people don't spend a lot of money on petrol.

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Obesity

An obese person is a very fat person. We sometimes say that a fat person is overweight. A person can weigh 200 kilograms or more. This person is obese. He or she is very fat. He or she is overweight.

Obesity is a big problem in many countries now. There are many people who are very fat. Fat people sometimes get sick. They get type 2 diabetes. There are millions of people now who have type 2 diabetes. This number will double in 20 years. In Australia 47% of women and 63% of men are overweight.

There are people in Africa who don't eat enough. They are not fat. They are thin. They are not overweight. They are not obese.

Not eating enough is a problem too. In many African countries there are many people who are poor. They don't have enough money and they normally have many children. They can't afford to buy food. Some of those people go hungry until they die. They starve to death.

If you eat more food than you need, you start to have fat around your body. You become fat. When you become fat, there is a big chance that you can become diabetic. A person who is diabetic has many health problems if he or she takes sugar in their tea or coffee. They must not eat cake or chocolate. If they do, they become sick.

Doctors tell us that being fat is not good for our health. We need to eat healthy food. We must not use too much sugar or salt in our food. We must not eat junk food like burgers and pizza.We must exercise every day and drive our cars less.

Of course not many people exercise every day. We drive our cars more. We sit down at work and don't move a lot. We only know about these health problems when it is too late.

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Can you find 5 mistakes here?

An obese person is a very small person. We sometimes say that a fat person is overweight. A person can weigh 200 kilograms or more. This person is obese. He or she is very fat. He or she is overweight.
Obesity is a big problem in many countries now. There are many people who are very fat. Fat people sometimes get well. They get type 2 diabetes. There are millions of people now who have type 2 diabetes. This number will double in 20 years. In Australia 47% of women and 63% of men are overweight.
There are people in Africa who don't eat enough. They are not fat. They are thin. They are not overweight. They are not obese.
Not eating enough is a problem too. In many African countries there are many people who are rich. They don't have enough money and they normally have many children. They can't afford to buy food. Some of those people go hungry until they die. They starve to death.
If you eat more food than you need, you start to have fat around your body. You become fat. When you become fat, there is a big chance that you can become diabetic. A person who is diabetic has few health problems if he or she takes sugar in their tea or coffee. They must not eat cake or chocolate. If they do, they become sick.
Doctors tell us that being fat is not good for our health. We need to eat healthy food. We must not use too much sugar or salt in our food. We must not eat junk food like burgers and pizza.We must exercise every day and drive our cars less.
Of course not many people exercise every year. We drive our cars more. We sit down at work and don't move a lot. We only know about these health problems when it is too late.

Possums

We moved to a new house a few months ago. It is a big one and it has a big garden. It is sunny and we love it very much.

At night we go to bed before 11 o'clock. On the first night in the house we heard some noise. We thought it was a cat. The noise continued for some time. It did not take us long to discover that we had possums in the house.

A possum is an Australian animal. It is a bigger than a cat and looks like a big rat. It is very active at night. The problem is that possums can cause a lot of damage to houses. They can cause fires too. They have sharp teeth and can damage the roof. They fight with each other and make a noise at night.

In Australia you are not allowed to kill possums because there is not a big number of them nowadays. You can not use poison to kill them or shoot them. You can get yourself into trouble if you do so.

We rang the local council to ask what we could do. A lady told us on the phone that we could hire a possum man. This man is trained on how to catch possums. A possum man normally charges a few hundred dollars. The lady also said we could buy a possum trap from a shop and do the job ourselves. A possum trap costs about 120 dollars at the shops. She told us we could hire the possum trap from a shop for one week if we wanted to.

We went to a shop in Eltham. Eltham is a suburb in Melbourne. We asked to hire a possum trap for one week. The man in the shop told us it would cost 15 dollars per week to hire it. He gave us some advice on what to do. He told us to put a rotten apple inside the trap. He said that possums like apples and they can smell very well. He told us that when the possum is caught, it normally makes a lot of noise. He told us it could take some days to catch a possum. He told us to be careful when a possum is trapped. Possums can attack you if you come near them. He told us to take any possum we catch in the car and drive a few kilometres and set it free.

We took the trap home in the car. We used an apple to catch the possum. We put the possum trap in the attic. After one day, a possum was caught. It was inside the possum trap. It was making a lot of noise. It wanted to go out. We took the possum trap down to the garden. I took some pictures of the possum. The kids were so excited. They gave the possum some fruit to eat. They were scared of the possum too.

I took the possum that was inside the trap to the car. I drove for about 20 minutes. I stopped the car near a park. I took the trap outside and set the possum free. It ran fast to a nearby tree and climbed up.

Now I am happy I got rid of one possum. I need to go back home to try to catch the other members of the possum family.

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Can you find 5 mistakes?

We moved to a new house a few months ago. It is a big one and it has a big garden. It is sunny and we love it very much.

At night we go to bed before 11 o'clock. On the first night in the house we heard some noise. We thought it was a cat. The noise continued for some years. It did not take us long to discover that we had possums in the house.

A possum is an Australian animal. It is a bigger than a cat and looks like a big rat. It is very active at night. The problem is that possums can cause a lot of damage to houses. They can cause fires too. They have sharp legs and can damage the roof. They fight with each other and make a noise at night.

In Australia you are not allowed to kill possums because there is not a big number of them nowadays. You can not use poison to kill them or shoot them. You can get yourself into trouble if you do so.

We rang the local council to ask what we could do. A lady told us on the phone that we could hire a possum man. This man is trained on how to catch possums. A possum man normally charges a few hundred dollars. The lady also said we could buy a possum trap from a shop and do the job ourselves. A possum trap costs about 120 dollars at the shops. She told us we could hire the possum trap from a shop for one year if we wanted to.

We went to a shop in Eltham. Eltham is a suburb in Melbourne. We asked to hire a possum trap for one week. The man in the shop told us it would cost 15 dollars per week to hire it. He gave us some advice on what to do. He told us to put a rotten apple inside the trap. He said that possums like apples and they can smell very well. He told us that when the possum is caught, it normally makes a lot of noise. He told us it could take some days to catch a possum. He told us to be careful when a possum is trapped. Possums can attack you if you come near them. He told us to take any possum we catch in the car and drive a few kilometres and set it free.

We took the trap home in the car. We used an apple to catch the possum. We put the possum trap in the attic. After one day, a possum was caught. It was inside the possum trap. It was making a lot of noise. It wanted to go out. We took the dog trap down to the garden. I took some pictures of the possum. The kids were so excited. They gave the possum some fruit to eat. They were scared of the possum too.

I took the possum that was inside the trap to the car. I drove for about 20 minutes. I stopped the car near a park. I took the trap outside and set the possum free. It ran fast to a nearby house and climbed up.

Now I am happy I got rid of one possum. I need to go back home to try to catch the other members of the possum family.

Fill in the gaps:

cat - dollars - car - buy - Melbourne - possum - catch - allowed - night - told

We moved to a new house a few months ago. It is a big one and it has a big garden. It is sunny and we love it very much. At night we go to bed before 11 o'clock. On the first ............... in the house we heard some noise. We thought it was a cat. The noise continued for some time. It did not take us long to discover that we had possums in the house. A possum is an Australian animal. It is a bigger than a ............ and looks like a big rat. It is very active at night. The problem is that possums can cause a lot of damage to houses. They can cause fires too. They have sharp teeth and can damage the roof. They fight with each other and make a noise at night. In Australia you are not .................... to kill possums because there is not a big number of them nowadays. You can not use poison to kill them or shoot them. You can get yourself into trouble if you do so. We rang the local council to ask what we could do. A lady told us on the phone that we could hire a possum man. This man is trained on how to catch possums. A possum man normally charges a few hundred dollars. The lady also said we could .............. a possum trap from a shop and do the job ourselves. A possum trap costs about 120 dollars at the shops. She told us we could hire the possum trap from a shop for one week if we wanted to. We went to a shop in Eltham. Eltham is a suburb in ................... We asked to hire a possum trap for one week. The man in the shop told us it would cost 15 ............... per week to hire it. He gave us some advice on what to do. He told us to put a rotten apple inside the trap. He said that possums like apples and they can smell very well. He ............... us that when the possum is caught, it normally makes a lot of noise. He told us it could take some days to catch a possum. He told us to be careful when a possum is trapped. Possums can attack you if you come near them. He told us to take any possum we catch in the ............... and drive a few kilometres and set it free. We took the trap home in the car. We used an apple to catch the possum. We put the possum trap in the attic. After one day, a possum was caught. It was inside the possum trap. It was making a lot of noise. It wanted to go out. We took the ................... trap down to the garden. I took some pictures of the possum. The kids were so excited. They gave the possum some fruit to eat. They were scared of the possum too. I took the possum that was inside the trap to the car. I drove for about 20 minutes. I stopped the car near a park. I took the trap outside and set the possum free. It ran fast to a nearby tree and climbed up. Now I am happy I got rid of one possum. I need to go back home to try to ............... the other members of the possum family.

Sally

Sally lives in Reservoir. She is married. She has two children. Her husband is a plumber. Sally works as a teacher. She works at a big school in Doncaster. In the morning she wakes up at 6:30 am. She makes breakfast for her family. She takes the children to the childcare center at 8 o’clock. She goes to school at 8:30. She has a lunch break at 12 o’clock. She finishes work at 4:30. She goes to her mother’s house after school. She cleans the house for her mum. She cooks dinner for her too. Sally’s father is not alive. He is dead. Sally’s mother lives alone. Her mother does not work. She is 65 years old. She used to be a nurse. She is too old to work now. Sally takes her children from the childcare center before 6 pm. She goes home and cooks dinner for her family. They all have dinner at 7 o’clock. After dinner, Sally prepares her lessons for the next day. She does not have time to watch TV. She feels very tired. She goes to bed at 11 pm. On the weekend Sally does not go to school. She goes out with her family. Sometimes she goes to the swimming pool. Sometimes she goes to the cinema. She does not stay at home on the weekend. She is a very busy woman.

Can you find some mistakes?

Sally lives in Reservoir. She is single. She has two children. Her husband is a plumber. Sally works as a teacher. She works at a big school in Doncaster. In the morning she wakes up at 6:30 am. She makes breakfast for her family. She takes the children to the childcare center at 8 o’clock. She goes to hospital at 8:30. She has a lunch break at 12 o’clock. She finishes work at 4:30. She goes to her mother’s house after school. She cleans the house for her mum. She cooks dinner for her too. Sally’s father is not alive. He is dead. Sally’s sister lives alone. Her mother does not work. She is 65 years old. She used to be a nurse. She is too old to work now. Sally takes her children from the childcare center before 6 pm. She goes home and cooks dinner for her family. They all have breakfast at 7 o’clock. After dinner, Sally prepares her lessons for the next day. She does not have time to watch TV. She feels very tired. She goes to bed at 11 pm. On the weekend Sally does not go to school. She goes out with her family. Sometimes she goes to the swimming pool. Sometimes she goes to the class. She does not stay at home on the weekend. She is a very tall woman.

Gardens

In Australia most houses have gardens. Many Australians like to look after their gardens and make them look nice. Rich people spend thousands of dollars in order to have nice gardens. Others enjoy spending many hours working there. There are also some people who only work in the garden during the weekend. You see many of those people planting flowers or cutting the grass. When they cut the grass they use a machine called a lawn mower. It is a very noisy machine but it makes work easy.

In Australia there isn’t much rain. When there is not much rain for a long time, most gardens don’t look beautiful. Nowadays there are certain times for people to water their gardens. People can’t water their gardens any time they like. They need to learn not to waste water.

Some people plant flowers in their gardens. Others like to plant vegetables. There are also many people who don’t look after their gardens. They only cut the grass when it becomes too long. Rich people who like to have nice gardens usually employ gardeners to look after them. Houses that have nice gardens are always very expensive to buy.

In Australia there are different TV programs about working in the garden. There are also books and magazines that people can buy to read about new garden ideas. People also go on the internet to see pictures of beautiful gardens and learn how others make them look so special.

Can you find 5 mistakes?

In Australia most houses have gardens. Many Australians like to look after my gardens and make them look nice. Rich people spend thousands of dollars in order to have nice gardens. Others enjoy spending many hours working there. There are also some people who only work in the garden during the weekend. You see many of those people planting food or cutting the grass. When they cut the grass they use a machine called a lawn mower. It is a very noisy machine but it makes work easy.

In Australia there isn’t much money. When there is not much rain for a long time, most gardens don’t look beautiful. Nowadays there are certain times for people to water their gardens. People can’t water their gardens any time they like. They need to learn not to waste water.

Some people plant flowers in their gardens. Others like to plant vegetables. There are also many people who don’t look after their gardens. They only cut the grass when it becomes too long. Rich people who like to have nice gardens usually employ gardeners to look at them. Houses that have nice gardens are always very expensive to buy.

In Australia there are different TV programs about working in the garden. There are also books and magazines that people can buy to read about new garden ideas. People also go on the internet to see pictures of beautiful gardens and learn how others make them look so ugly.

New Computer

I bought a computer 4 years ago. I spent about 2000 dollars when I bought it. It was the best computer you could buy at that time. I used my computer every day. I typed my lessons on it. I kept all my photos and music on it.

Nowadays computers are much faster. They are smaller in size too. They can do things better. They have bigger hard drives and they are cheaper.

I decided to buy a new computer. I took my car and went to a computer shop. I parked my car outside in the street. I went to have a look. I found one computer that was really good. It was an Apple lap top computer. I wanted to buy that computer very much. I asked about the price and the salesman told me it was 1500 dollars. I fell in love with that computer and decided to buy it. I paid the money by credit card and took the computer home.

Now I have two computers. My old one and my new one. The problem is that everyone in the family wants to use the new one. They don't want to turn on the old computer. They all want to use the new one. They go on the internet and visit famous web sites like Facebook and eBay. They check their email messages too. I have to fight with my kids to use it. I wait until they all go to bed and I start using it.

Take a Test Online

Can you find 5 mistakes?

I bought a computer 4 years ago. I spent about 5000 dollars when I bought it. It was the best computer you could buy at that time. I used my computer every day. I typed my lessons on it. I kept all my photos and music on it.

Nowadays computers are much faster. They are smaller in size too. They can do things better. They have bigger hard drives and they are expensive.

I decided to buy a new computer. I took my car and went to a computer shop. I parked my car outside in the street. I went to have a look. I found one computer that was really good. It was an Apple lap top computer. I wanted to buy that computer very much. I asked about the food and the salesman told me it was 1500 dollars. I fell in love with that computer and decided to buy it. I paid the money by credit card and took the car home.

Now I have two computers. My old one and my new one. The problem is that everyone in the family wants to use the new one. They don't want to turn on the old computer. They all want to use the new one. They go on the internet and visit famous web sites like Facebook and eBay. They check their email messages too. I have to fight with my kids to use it. I wait until they all go to school and I start using it.

Fill in the gaps:

computer - email - two -day -price -on -bed - best - hard

I bought a computer 4 years ago. I spent about 2000 dollars when I bought it. It was the .........computer you could buy at that time. I used my computer every .............. I typed my lessons on it. I kept all my photos and music on it. Nowadays computers are much faster. They are smaller in size too. They can do things better. They have bigger .............. drives and they are cheaper. I decided to buy a new computer. I took my car and went to a ..................... shop. I parked my car outside in the street. I went to have a look. I found one computer that was really good. It was an Apple lap top computer. I wanted to buy that computer very much. I asked about the ............... and the salesman told me it was 1500 dollars. I fell in love with that computer and decided to buy it. I paid the money by credit card and took the computer home. Now I have ............ computers. My old one and my new one. The problem is that everyone in the family wants to use the new one. They don't want to turn .......... the old computer. They all want to use the new one. They go on the internet and visit famous web sites like Facebook and eBay. They check their ................ messages too. I have to fight with my kids to use it. I wait until they all go to ............ and I start using it.

How to Learn English

English is a new language for all the students in class. Some of the students did English at school for many years in their countries. They normally find it not that difficult to learn in class. Other students find English not easy to learn. They find it too difficult sometimes.
Learning how to learn English is very important. If you do one hour of study inside class, it is a good idea to study for one hour at home. You can do a lot of study on the weekend too. Learning English is not only done inside class. It can be done when you watch TV at home. If you watch TV in English, this will help you with your listening skill.
Reading is very important. If you do a lot of reading, this will make it easy to learn. There are some books in the library that come with CDs or cassettes. If you borrow some of these books, you will learn faster.
The internet is a very good source of information for everyone to learn. If you go on the net very often, you will learn faster than anyone who doesn't use the internet at all.
In English we say that there is no gain without pain. This means that you have to work really hard to get what you want.
You can also speak to your teachers if you have any difficulty. They can suggest that you do something to learn in an easy way.
When students come to Australia they see that students learn in different ways. Students in Australia don't memorize things by heart and say them alone without looking in the book. They learn how to think. This is very important to understand. Teachers guide students to learn. They don't tell them how to learn. They suggest ways for the students to follow.
A good way to learn is to spend time reading class material at home. The worksheets that you finish in class are useful more if you go over them at home once more.
There are many ways students learn in. Some students like to translate new words into their own languages. They take a long time looking up words in a dictionary. Many students do this when they study.
Other students like to learn by listening to the teacher and taking notes every now and then.
Still other students like to learn by doing things using their hands. They use computers and try to make things with their hands while they learn.
At the end of the day, we all learn in different ways. There is no wrong and right way of learning.
In class students work together. They do activities together and help each other learn. This is a very good way of learning. Students learn faster from each other than from a teacher.

Buster Martin

We did a lesson in class today about someone whose name is Buster Martin. Buster Martin is a man who is very famous in England. He is famous because he is 100 years old and he is still working. He works in London. London is a very big city in England. It is the capital city of England. He washes cars and vans at a company there.

Buster Martin was born in France but moved to live in England when he was very young. He had a job selling fruits in the market. Now he works for a company in south London. He started working at this company three years ago. He felt bored at home and wanted to work. He wanted to see and talk to people. He didn't want to stay at home and do nothing.

His friends at work made a party for him. They bought a cake and got some candles to celebrate his birthday. The BBC came to film the birhday party. Buster Martin was on the news in England and around the world. He became very famous and many people know about him now.

Buster Martin has 17 children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His wife died many years ago. And he never married after that.

Buster Martin says he drinks a lot of beer and that is why he does not get sick. He is fit and active.

Now Buster Martin has a new job. He is a singer in a band. He sings on TV. Famous people can do any thing.

Can you find mistakes?

We did a lesson in class today about someone whose name is Buster Martin. Buster Martin is a man who is very famous in England. He is famous because he is 100 years old and he is still working. He works in Paris. London is a very big city in England. It is the capital city of England. He washes cars and vans at a company there. Buster Martin was born in France but moved to live in America when he was very young. He had a job selling fruits in the market. Now he works for a company in south London. He started working at this company three years ago. He felt bored at home and wanted to work. He wanted to see and talk to people. He didn't want to stay at home and do nothing. His friends at work made a house for him. They bought a cake and got some candles to celebrate his birthday. The BBC came to film the birhday party. Buster Martin was on the news in England and around the world. He became very famous and many people know about him now. Buster Martin has 70children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His wife died many years ago. And he never married after that. Buster Martin says he drinks a lot of beer and that is why he does not get sick. He is fit and active. Now Buster Martin has a new car. He is a singer in a band. He sings on TV. Famous people can do any thing.

Photographer

My name is Mohamed Ali. I come from Egypt. I work as a professional photographer. I studied photography at Cairo University and I have my own photography business. I started this business three years ago. When I was young, I had my first camera on my 10^th birthday given to me by my uncle. I took some pictures and fell in love with my new hobby from day one.

My camera was a basic one with nothing special but now I use professional cameras only. I also use a computer program called Photoshop to make my photos look better. I travel a lot and I take many photos every day. I send pictures to magazines and get them published. I also have my own photography web site on the internet. I have three people working for me. They help me run the business.

I love my work because I love taking pictures. I work long hours but I don’t mind it. I do what I love to do. I also get to meet so many people. I read a lot about photography because technology keeps changing. Some cameras now sell for more than 5000 dollars each. Some of the expensive brands include Nikon, Pentax, Sony and Cannon. They are the best brands money can buy. You can buy them in any country in the world. You can see them at big camera shops in Australia too.

My friends ask me to take their wedding photos. They always want their wedding photos to be special. I take so many photos and put them in albums. I always try to make customers happy. I don’t care about the money much. I like travelling a lot and trying out local food. I get to see new places and mix with other people. I also get to travel overseas and take shots of famous sights.

I also teach photography courses at a private institute. I teach classes twice a week. In my classes I teach people who are serious about photography and those who just want to learn the basics. I teach more than the basics of taking shots. I teach people how to take a shot and then enhance the image on a computer. There are millions of things to teach and I am always happy to see my students take beautiful shots after a few lessons. I have students who use cheap cameras and richer ones who buy the best cameras in the market. Taking a beautiful shot does not only require the photographer to have an expensive camera but it requires learning how to take it too.

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Can you find 5 mistakes here?

My name is Mohamed Ali. I come from Egypt. I work as a professional photographer. I studied photography at Cairo University and I have my own photography business. I started this business three years ago. When I was young, I had my first bus on my 10^th birthday given to me by my uncle. I took some pictures and fell in love with my new hobby from day one.

My camera was a basic one with nothing special but now I use professional cameras only. I also use a computer program called Photoshop to make my photos look better. I travel a lot and I take many photos every day. I send pictures to magazines and get them published. I also have my own photography web site on the internet. I have three people working for me. They help me run the business.

I love my work because I love taking pictures. I work long days but I don’t mind it. I do what I love to do. I also get to meet so many people. I read a lot about photography because technology keeps changing. Some cameras now sell for more than 5000 dollars each. Some of the expensive brands include Nikon, Pentax, Sony and Cannon. They are the best brands money can buy. You can buy them in any country in the world. You can see them at big camera shops in Australia too.

My friends ask me to take their wedding photos. They always want their wedding photos to be special. I take so many photos and put them in albums. I always try to make customers happy. I don’t care about the money much. I like travelling a lot and trying out local food. I get to see new places and mix with other people. I also get to travel overseas and buy shots of famous sights.

I also teach photography courses at a private restaurant. I teach classes twice a week. In my classes I teach people who are serious about photography and those who just want to learn the basics. I teach more than the basics of taking shots. I teach people how to take a shot and then enhance the image on a computer. There are millions of things to teach and I am always happy to see my students take beautiful shots after a few lessons. I have students who use cheap cameras and richer ones who buy the best cameras in the market. Taking a beautiful shot does not only require the photographer to have an expensive book but it requires learning how to take it too.

Fill in the gaps:

My name is Mohamed Ali. I come from ................... I work as a professional photographer. I studied photography at Cairo University and I have my own photography ........................ I started this business three years ago. When I was young, I had my first camera on my 10^th birthday given to me by my uncle. I took some pictures and fell in ................... with my new hobby from day one.

My camera was a basic one with nothing special but now I use professional cameras .................... I also use a computer program called Photoshop to make my photos look better. I travel a lot and I take many photos every day. I ..................... pictures to magazines and get them published. I also have my own photography web site on the internet. I have three .................. working for me. They help me run the business.

I love my work because I love taking pictures. I work long hours but I don’t mind it. I do what I love to do. I also get to ................... so many people. I read a lot about photography because technology keeps changing. Some cameras now sell for ....................... than 5000 dollars each. Some of the expensive brands include Nikon, Pentax, Sony and Cannon. They are the best brands money can buy. You can buy them in any ....................... in the world. You can see them at big camera shops in Australia too.

My friends ask me to take their wedding photos. They always want their ....................... photos to be special. I take so many photos and put them in albums. I always try to make customers happy. I don’t care about the ................... much. I like travelling a lot and trying out local ..................... I get to see new places and mix with other people. I also get to travel overseas and take shots of ....................... sights.

I also teach photography courses at a ......................... institute. I teach classes twice a week. In my classes I teach people who are serious about photography and ...................... who just want to learn the basics. I teach more than the basics of taking shots. I teach people how to take a shot and then enhance the image on a computer. There are ...................... of things to teach and I am always happy to see my students take beautiful shots after a few lessons. I have students who use cheap cameras and richer ones who buy the best ..................... in the market. Taking a beautiful shot does not only require the photographer to have an expensive camera but it requires learning ..................... to take it too.