People have enjoyed sports for thousands of years. Children, men and women play sports both for pleasure and for challenge. Every sport involves physical skill. Every sport has a set of rules that the players of the sport follow. In some sports one person competes against other individuals. Examples of these sports include boxing, tennis and so on. In many games one team competes against the other team.

People can go in for winter and summer sports. Summer sports are typical for warmer countries. Those who live in regions that experience cold winters have long enjoyed ice skating, skiing, and sledding. These activities have grown immensely in popularity over the years. Today thousands of resorts cater to the winter tourist trade, and millions of people each year take winter sports vacations.

A tree is a woody plant of a big size, usually over 20 feet high. It grows with a single trunk with branches on the upper part. The parts of a tree are the leaves and needles, buds, cones and flowers, branches and twigs, a trunk or a stem and roots. The world’s tallest tree is situated in California, the USA. The world’s oldest tree is also in California. It is more than 4600 years old.

Trees have many important functions. For example, they help prevent erosion. They also provide building materials. Many trees are grown by people because of their edible fruits and nuts. Without trees it would be difficult for people to breathe. Trees keep our air supply fresh. They take in harmful gases and produce oxygen. In fact, this is the way trees and other plants make their food. One large tree can provide a day’s oxygen for up to four people.

When you look at a coffee bean, it’s really hard to believe that such a small thing is so important for so many people. Coffee is the world’s second most traded thing. It is by all means one of the most popular drinks ever. Statistics says that the major part of the planet population drink coffee. Some prefer black coffee, that is coffee served without milk. Others like white coffee  — coffee with milk.

However, few people know enough about coffee beans. First of all, coffee beans are actually not beans. They are the pits of a fruit. In fact, coffee comes from coffee cherries and they are only called beans because they look a bit like other beans. Secondly, most of the world’s coffee comes from one country. Brazil is by far the largest producer of coffee in the world selling nearly a third of all the coffee drunk in the world.

People all over the world love Christmas. In English-⁠speaking countries it is the 25^th of December. It is a time for buying and giving presents, having parties and being with family.

People start to get ready for Christmas in late October or early November. Shop keepers decorate their shops with lights. They do it because shoppers start to look for presents. Shops are very busy at this time and stay open late. People with family and friends in other countries often send them cards and presents. Everyone begins to make plans for the coming holiday. Most people buy Christmas trees and put them inside the house. They put colourful decorations on them. They also sing carols. Children enjoy Advent calendars with little doors for each day until Christmas. Every day they open a new door and see a picture or a chocolate inside..

People all over the world love Christmas. In English-⁠speaking countries it is the 25^th of December. It is a time for buying and giving presents, having parties and being with family.

People start to get ready for Christmas in late October or early November. Shop keepers decorate their shops with lights. They do it because shoppers start to look for presents. Shops are very busy at this time and stay open late. People with family and friends in other countries often send them cards and presents. Everyone begins to make plans for the coming holiday. Most people buy Christmas trees and put them inside the house. They put colourful decorations on them. They also sing carols. Children enjoy Advent calendars with little doors for each day until Christmas. Every day they open a new door and see a picture or a chocolate inside.

Thanks to their industries, British towns grew into cities in the late 1800s. Many people became much better off, and their standards of living improved greatly. Rich families even had houses with bathrooms.

At that time the British took advantage of new railway lines built to carry people and goods from one part of the country to another. For the first time people could travel long distances quickly and cheaply. Steam engines were used to power locomotives as well as boats. One more improvement was the setup of a cheap postal service. Streets were lit by gas lamps, so they became safe. Special men lit the lamps every evening. People could also travel around the city cheaply using the horse-⁠drawn buses. Some people, even women, started to ride bicycles. So, Great Britain and the British people were celebrating their wealth.