Future champions
　　Experiments have proved that children can be instructed in swimming at a very early age. At a special swimming pool in Los Angeles, children become expert at holding their breath under water even be-fore they can walk. Babies of two months old do not appear to be reluctant to enter the water, It is not long before they

A noble gift
　　One of the most famous monuments in the world, the Statue of Liberty, was presented to the United States of America in the nineteenth century by the people of France. The great statue, which was designed by the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, took ten years to complete. Theactual figure was made of copper sup-ported by a metal

Asking for trouble
　　It must have been about two in the morn-ing when I returned home. I tried to wake up my wife by ringing the door-bell, but she was fast asleep, so I got a ladder from the shed in the garden, put it against the wall, and began climbing towards the bedroom window. I was almost there when a sarcastic voice below said,'

Three men in a basket
　　A pilot noticed a balloon which seemed to be making for a Royal Air Force Station nearby. He informed the station at once, but no one there was able to explain the mystery. The officer in the control tower was very angry when he heard the news, because balloons can be a great danger to aircraft. He said that someo

What's for supper?
　　Fish and chips have always been a favourite dish in Britain, but as the oceans have been overfished, fish has become more and more expensive. So it comes as a surprise to learn that giant fish are terrifying the divers on North Sea oil rigs. Oil rigs have to be repaired frequently and divers, who often have to work i

A slip of the tongue
　　People will do anything to see a free show--even if it is a bad one. When the news got round that a variety show would be presented at our local cinema by the P. and U. Bird Seed Company, we all rushed to see it. We had to queue for hours to get in and there must have been several hundred people present just be-for

Trapped in a mine
　　Six men have been trapped in a mine for seventeen hours. If they are not brought to the surface soon they may lose their lives. However, rescue operations are proving difficult. If explosives are used, vibrations will cause the roof of the mine to collapse. Rescue workers are therefore drilling a hole on the north sid

A perfect alibi
　　'At the time the murder was committed, I was traveling on the 8.0 o'clock train to London,' said the man. 'Do you always catch such an early train?' asked the inspector. 'Of course I do,' answered the man.' I must be at work at 10.0 o'clock. My employer will confirm that I was there on time.' ' Would a later train get y

Out of control
　　As the man tried to swing the speedboat round, the steering wheel came away in his hands. He waved desperately to his companion, who had been water-skiing for the last fifteen minutes. Both men had hardly had time to realize what was happening when they were thrown violent1y into the sea. The speedboat had strucka buoy,

Never too old to learn
　　I have just received a letter from my old school informing me that my former headmaster, Mr. Regmald Page, will be retiring next week. Pupils of the school, old and new, will be sending him a present to mark the occasion. All those who have contributed towards the gift will sign their names in a large album which

On strike
　　Busmen have decided to go on strike next week. The strike is due to begin on Tuesday. No one knows how long it will last. The busmen have stated that the strike will continue until general agrement is reached about pay and working conditions. Most people believe that the strike will last for at least a week. Many owners of pr

After the elections
　　The former Prime Minister, Mr Went worth Lane, was defeated in the recent elections. He is now retiring from political life and has gone abroad. My friend, Crawley, has always been a fanatical opponent of Mr Lane's Radical Progressive Party. After the elections, Crawley went to the former Prime Minister's house.When

Monster of fish?
　　Fishermen and sailors sometimes claim to have seen monsters in the sea. Though people have often laughed at stories told by seamen, it is now known that many of these 'monsters' which have at times been sighted are simply strange fish. Occasionally, unusual creatures are washed to the shore, but they are rarely caught

Escape
　　When he had killed the guard, the prisoner of war quickly dragged him into the bushes. Working rapidly in the darkness, he soon changed into the dead man's clothes. Now, dressed in a blue uniform and with a rifle over his shoulder, the prisoner marched boldly up and down in front of the camp. He could hear shouting in the camp i

The Crystal Palace
　　Perhaps the most extraordinary building of the nineteenth century was the Crystal Palace, which was built in Hydd Park for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The Crystal Palace was different from all other buildings in the world, for it was made of iron and glass. It was one of the biggest buildings of all time and a lot