Have you read?..

I have often dreamed of going to exotic faraway places that I have only read about before. One of those dreams has always been to visit the Sahara Desert in Northern Africa. In this excellent book the author, Catherine Guigon, describes the desert in such vivid detail that I almost feel as if I am refreshing my memories of a past expedition while looking at my photo album! Of course, I wake up when I realise I only wish I could take pictures that well!

This book takes the reader through a journey across the vast Sahara Desert. It took the photographer more than four years and 25 trips to Africa to collect all the photographs to show the beauty of the largest desert in the world. I found this book incredibly informative. As soon as you open up the first pages you not only read about the physical facts of the desert, but also the social and environmental aspects as well. For example, did you know only a quarter of the desert is covered in shifting sands? I spent a lot of time just enjoying the pictures in the book, before I would read a passage.

The journey begins in the middle of the desert in Chad. Every few pages I would look up and realise I had moved further into Algeria and then Libya — and the journey had just begun! There are so many countries in Africa that I had never even heard of and all of them have unique cultures, languages, art, and history. I've learned that the Sahara Desert is 40 times as large as the UK! The author also puts a lot of effort into describing the living aspects of the desert. She covers the plant and animal life. As well as describing the Sahara Desert of today, the book also goes deep into the history of Africa, which some refer to as the 'birthplace of mankind'. Ancient civilisations and their remains are spread throughout the desert, especially along the famous River Nile. Did you know the Sahara Desert was once a green land filled with greenery? Now that I have this book I cannot imagine not having it! Sahara is a very detailed and fascinating book.

2. The author says what this book is about. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. Why did the author find the book informative?

4. What new facts did the author manage to learn while reading Sahara?

№52

1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about

PRE-TEEN BEAUTY: GOOD OR BAD?

Everybody knows that looking good helps to feel good. But how much is too much? Find out how some British mums spend thousands of pounds on making their pre-teenage kids look really beautiful.

Elina Jacksome, spends £6,680 a year on her twin daughters Daniela and Karolina, aged 10.

Mum Elina says:

"My Mum was a hairdresser, so when I was 12, she started styling my hair and painting my nails. I enjoyed it so much that when my daughters were five I took them to a beauty salon. I wanted them to have the same experience as me. They loved it! Now we go there twice a month. They have their finger nails painted, sometimes they have a massage. Most weekends we go shopping for designer clothes. My husband thinks that they should study more but I want them to become models, so they need to learn how to look pretty. They have already been doing some modelling since the age of five, so maybe one day they will become famous."

Daniela says:

"I want to be a model, so I think it's good that I always try to look beautiful. I always wear make-up after school and at weekends."

Karolina says:

"Going to a beauty salon makes me feel special. I also wear make-up after school I like taking part in beauty competitions. One day I hope to become a model and become very famous."

Daniela Hodge spends £350 a month to make her son, Aaron, aged 11, 1ook beautiful.

Mum Daniela says:

"Aaron has always wanted to look good. So, last year he took part in a beauty competition. Now he does some work as a model, so it is very important that he looks his best. He only wears designer clothes."

"I take him to a beauty salon before each modelling job. He gets £250 a day for each job as a model, which is very good money for a teenager. I hope that one day he will be famous and make lots of money."

Aaron says:

"I like looking good. I've recently started going to a beauty salon and it's great. I want to exercise with weights to make my muscles bigger but my Mum thinks I'm too young for that. I also like making money, so modelling is great for me”.

2. One mum mentions the reason for taking her children to a beauty salon. Find this extract and read it aloud.

3. Why does Karolina like going to a beauty salon?

4. What is the main advantage of being a model according to Aaron?

№53

1. Read the article and say in 2—3 sentences what it is about.

hygiene

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