2004

Students from Mielec and Turek were announced as the winners of the annual PupilPower competition at the Roma Theatre, Warsaw on June 1. The prizes were awarded by top British novelist, Terry Pratchett. The event was part of the British Council's Imagine This season, dedicated to the promotion of British Sci-Fi and Fantasy writing.

One of the keys to increasing labour mobility in the European Union is education. The EU has many programmes aimed at students who wish to study in EU countries. Peter Gentle takes a look at some of these initiatives and has some advice for Poles who are thinking about enrolling at a British university.

As we reported previously in the WoE (Not Just a Power Failure - 4/2003 No. 67) many heads of large companies in the U.S.A. (such as Martha Stewart and Dennis Kozlowski) are spending a huge amount of money on lawyers and legal costs at the moment, defending themselves against charges of financial dishonesty. This is bad news for the bosses, but very good news for the legal people. In fact, America is full of lawyers, it seems, all making a fast buck. Mike Majewski, who works in the legal profession in the U.S., explains how to get into this very lucrative business.

Win a year's free subscription to The World of English!

Well, here is your chance to find out by taking part in our Great European Union Accession Quiz. Answer all the questions below and send them in to us without delay. Details of how to enter are given at the end of the quiz.

1. How many stars appear on the European Union flag?
a. 9 b. 12 c. 15 d. 25

2. Who composed the EU anthem, Ode to Joy?
a. Mozart b. Beethoven c. Bach d. Jean Michele Jarre

After the film Notting Hill, starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, was released in 1999 house prices in that area of west London shot through the roof. Everyone suddenly wanted to live there. But was the film a realistic portrayal of that part of London - or was it simply the product of the imagination of Britain's most successful screenplay writer in recent years, Richard Curtis?

On March 7, a four-year-old whippet called Deedee won the 101st Crufts Dog Show in England. Over twenty thousand dogs (and their owners) from 22 countries fought for over four days for the top prize at the world's top dog show. Words and photos by Paweł Kubisztal.

Deedee's proud owner, Mrs Lynne Yacoby-Wright, said after receiving the prize, "I never thought when I left home this morning that I would end up winning." Deedee, whose special show name is Cobyco Call the Tune, is described as having a kind and loving temperament.

I would like to ask you a question on how to use a noun in the role of an adjective in front of another noun. The point at issue here is the number of the first noun. Let me give you an idea what I have on my mind. I have many a time come across the phrase "profit percentage" on one hand, and "profits percentage" on the other. Is there any significant difference between these two expressions? If so, what is it?

Nad lutym i marcem czuwają święci- Walenty(14 lutego), Patryk (17 marca),a także święta Brygida(1 marca), dziewczyna z Irlandii, co czarem swym umiała rzucić urok na najgorszego... Nie zimowego zapachu grochu z kapustą, lecz wiosny tylko patrzeć! Ptaszki jeszcze cicho kwilą, ale zakochani już się ku sobie mają, więc kroi się przekładaniec przebogaty jak ta wiosna. Kwitnący. Wiosną wszak, jak to wiosną, czasem i plucha, więc troszkę też się ubłocimy. Odrobinkę. Zacznijmy jednak od rzeczy przyjemnych.

Living off the Sea Islands, by the coasts of South Carolina, Georgia and northern Florida, is the Gullah Nation - a community of African descendants who were once enslaved. The area is relatively isolated, which has meant that the language and culture of the Gullah people has survived almost intact since slaves were brought to America from Africa hundreds of years ago. James Daniels, who grew up in South Carolina, reports.

See if you can understand these common expressions in Gullah.