Martin Luther King Jr. - a person who changed the world

On January 18 this year many people around the world marked MARTIN LUTHER KING's DAY. He did not manage to live a long life and was assasinated when he was just 39, but the world has never been the same since then. Martin Luther King = civil rights. Even his death contributed to the issue. HELEN SKRYPKA of Group 24-H has prepared a report about this outstanding personality. It can be found in the Hyde Park and HERE .

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, dear visitors, and may the evil never even come close to you! May the coming year be really happy and ten times more successful than this one! Take care and Godspeed!

Ukrainian Armed Forces Day

As the Soviet Union dissolved in 1990 and 1991, 780,000 Soviet military personnel remained located in Ukraine’s three military districts. This mass was not an army but a force grouping, without a national Ministry of Defense, a General Staff or central organs of command and control. 'This grouping, its inventory of equipment and its officer corps were designed for one purpose: to wage combined arms, coalition, offensive warfare (also nuclear) against NATO on an external front.
On August 24, 1991, the Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, enacted a resolution to take jurisdiction over all formations of the armed forces of the former Soviet Union stationed on Ukrainian soil, and to establish one of the key agencies, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
On December 6, 1991 the Parliament adopted laws On Defense of Ukraine and On the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The military of the former Soviet units voluntarily began to pledge allegiance to the newly born state of Ukraine. That is why this date is marked as a birthday of the modern Ukrainian military.
This is the OPLOT quite modern Ukrainian MBT on the left. However, Ukraine has it just as a prototype.

And here are some pieces of military humor for you to enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

THANKSGIVING DAY is marked on the last Thursday in November making that weekend a really long one. All generations of every family sit together at the feast table on that day. The Thanksgiving weekend gives the start to the Christmas season.
This holiday has a long history, which started in 1620 when a Protestant religious group known today as ‘Pilgrims’ arrived in the New World on board of the ship called Mayflower, and settled in what is now known as the state of Massachusetts. Their first winter in America was full of hardship and drama. They arrived too late to farm the land, so they starved. Half of the colony died from disease. The following spring the local tribe of Native Americans taught them how to grow corn and other crops. They also helped them to hunt and fish. In the autumn of 1621 the Pilgrims got a rich harvest of corn, barley, beans, pumpkin and other vegetables. They prepared a feast and sat together with the Indian chief and ninety other natives at the abundant dinner tables. Of course, prior to dining they praised the Lord, and thanked Him for all the food and wealth He gave them. This is how the festivity got started.
In the years that followed colonists in many settlements celebrated the harvest with a feast of thanks. After the United States gained Independence the congress recommended a single day of thanksgiving for the entire country. George Washington, the first president of the USA, suggested November 26 as Thanksgiving Day. It was Abraham Lincoln who established the holiday on the last Thursday of November after the end of the Civil War.
A traditional Thanksgiving meal consists of roast turkey stuffed with herb-flavored bread, cranberry jelly, mashed potatoes, and a pumpkin pie. Other dishes may vary regionally: ham, sweet potatoes, creamed corn, maple syrup etc.
Vlad BUDCHENKO and Ann ATAMAS of Group 33-E have prepared more detailed information about all that HERE .

And here are some funny Thanksgiving Day cartoons for you to enjoy!




Do they celebrate THANKSGIVING in CANADA? No, they dont... or do they? Anna ATAMAS knows the answer. It is hidden right HERE .

"My Lords, pray, be seated."

With these words the queen let the members of the House of Lords sit down. Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland opened parliament a week ago, on Wednesday, November 18. It was one of the most spectacular traditional ceremonies in London.
The two part procession, guarded by the Royal Horse Guards, consisted of the Her Majesty’s Crown in the first part, followed by numerous sections of mounted Horse Guards forming a magnificent and colourful procession.
At around 11:10, HM the Queen passed down Whitehall heading towards Parliament for the official opening of Parliament for the year 2009 - 2010.
The 20 minute event, in the wind and rain, was watched by lots of people eager to catch a glimpse of the Queen and her impressive entourage as they made their way towards Westminster…
Queen's Speech lasted only about 7 minutes but it fired the starting gun of the general election. The monarch also mentioned the drafts that have to become laws through parliamentary procedure.For example, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) will be given powers over bankers' bonuses. NHS (National Health Service) patients will be given new rights, as will parents and their children. Local authorities could be given more authority to prevent floods. A bill will be introduced to bring forward the government's Digital Britain agenda for universal broadband by 2012.

Quarantine Assignment for Groups 32-E and 33-E

I am happy to inform you that in December you will have to show your excellent knowledge of the two following topics:

#1. The Political System of the USA (which you will be able to find by clicking HERE ).
#2. The Spanish-American War (which you will be able to find by clicking HERE ).



Juicy opportunity to get another excellent mark:
The Hyde Park needs a refreshed material about the Thanksgiving Day, its history and actual celebration. Contribute it and I guarantee a reward.

Quarantine Assignment for Groups 12-E and 14-E

Not to let you forget about the existence of such a subject as "English" I decided to remind you that some serious control papers on Spotlight on Britain are waiting for you to come and write them. So, I advise you to be ready to answer the following questions:

Task 1. Put the invaders into correct chronological order:
1. The Vikings
2. The Angles, Saxons and Jutes
3. The Celts
4. The Normans
5. The Romans

Task 2. Give the short answers to the following questions:
6. What is the highest mountain in Great Britain?
7. From which group of invaders did England get its name?
8. What is the longest river in Great Britain?
9. Can we call a person from Glasgow “an Englishman”?
10. Which part of the UK has a red dragon on its flag?
11. How many crosses are there on the flag of the United Kingdom?
12. Which part of the UK has St. David as its holy patron?
13. When did the Normans invade Britain?
14. Which part of the UK is NOT situated in Great Britain?
15. Which part of the UK is sometimes called Ulster?
16. What sort of monarchy is the UK?
17. How many chambers are there in the Parliament?
18. How many MPs are there?
19. Who becomes Prime Minister after the elections?
20. What is the ‘Shadow Cabinet’?
21. What are the main political parties in the UK?
22. What happens to a bill after it has been passed by the House of Commons?
23. Who is the head of the Church of England?
24. Where do we find a kirk?
25. At what age can you drive a car in Great Britain?
26. At what age can you get married without asking your parents in Great Britain?
27. When do they usually take family holidays in Britain?
28. Where does the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree come from?
29. When do they celebrate St. Valentine’s Day?
30. What comes after Pancake Tuesday?
31. What may happen if you don’t ‘treat’ masked children nicely on October 31?
32. When do they launch a lot of fireworks in Britain?
33. When do the British open their Christmas presents?

After making sure you are able to answer those questions, you have to study the material about London (Pages 16 - 30 of Spotlight on Britain). May this map and the pictures help you to feel in London.