SSD

abbreviation for solid-state drive:

a device for storing computer information that is often used
in computers instead of a traditional hard disk because it is much faster:
A hybrid drive combines the features of an HDD and an SSD in one unit.
SSD is getting more and more common for servers.
If your device includes a solid-state drive (SSD), you probably noticed that as it fills up the performance
slows down dramatically.
Many PC users wade into the solid-state drive (SSD) market without the knowledge needed to make an
informed buying choice.

► TOPICAL Who killed Martin Luther King?

It was sixty years ago, in August 1963, that Martin Luther King made one of the great
speeches that defined the United States of modern times. The I have a Dream
speech was made in August 1963; five years later, King had been assassinated by
someone who did not share that dream.....
► Who killed Martin Luther King? - with audio

NEW ► The Rosenberg affair and the legacy of McCarthyism

The Rosenbergs went to the electric chair in 1953, and although the McCarthyist fervour
that sent them to their deaths soon subsided, its legacy still marks political rhetoric in the
USA
► The Rosenberg affair -

NEW ► Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi has gone down in history as one of the most influential people of the
twentieth century.
► Gandhi - his life and legacy - with audio

NEW ► TOPICAL KIng Charles and the British Monarchy

What future is there for the British monarchy? Under Queen Elizabeth it had its ups and
downs, finishing on a high note. Can King Charles ensure its survival?
► The King, the Monarchy and their future - with audio

TOPICAL Time to talk of Energy shortages. A global problem.

One way of reducing CO² emissions is to move from petrol / gas powered cars to electric
vehicles. It's something that most countries want to achieve. But are the goals attainable?
That is by no means sure......
► The electric car revolution, realistic or optimistic? with interactive worksheet.

TOPICAL Time to talk of American Democracy...

President Biden has told Americans that they have to stand up for their democracy; it is not
a guaranteed right. Here is an article that looks at the origins of US democracy and its
roots in medieval England.
► From Magna Carta to American democracy with interactive worksheet.

NEW ► Los Angeles - city on the brink - with audio

Advanced English reading texts: while the majority of texts in this resource are at CEF levels C1,
a few are harder (level C2) and a few are easier (level B2). All the texts in this collection are written
in normal English; however in order to maximize their language teaching potential, most have
been specifically written for students of English as a foreign or second language, or else for high
school students. Texts are accompanied by advanced reading comprehension worksheets
designed to prepare students for the Cambridge Advanced English (C1) certification or for the
international TOEFL or TOEIC tests.
Printable reading texts: most pages are printer-friendly and will print directly as well as, or better
than, PDF versions.

► Teachers: Reading comprehension texts are accompanied by exercises and classroom

suggestions for use in class.

 For lots of ideas for using reading resources in the classroom see Reading
Comprehension

 To select articles by classroom activity, see ► Thematic exercise and classroom

activity index.

1. Reading comprehension - articles on life and issues in North

America

Life in America
 NEW ► The decline of WASP America - from Kennedy to Trump. The USA has changed
massively since the time of Kennedy
 NEW ► Los Angeles - city on the brink - with audio
 NEW (UK / USA) From Magna Carta to American democracy President Biden says that
US democracy is at risk; this text looks at the historic origins of the Anglo-Saxon democratic
tradition
 (Technical) NEW audio The electric car revolution, realistic or optimistic? With interactive
worksheet. Can the world really convert to electric vehicles by the middle of the century?
 Mark Twain and the frogs of Calaveras County. With audio and interactive worksheet. A
California festival is a tribute to Twain's famous short story.
 The American way of eating. With audio and interactive worksheet. A short look at the origins
of fast food.
 Steaming on the Mississippi. With audio and interactive worksheet. The Mississippi's famous
paddleboats.
 Aeroponics. Agriculture for tomorrow's world. (Technical English)
 Nevada and its Extraterrestrials. Have aliens from another planet really been seen near the
township of Rachel ?
 Log cabins and the White House. Now with audio Many US presidents have come from
humble roots.
  Gettysburg - the terrible battle. A dark page in US history - with four exercises and activities
 Awaiting the Big One. Another massive earthquake could hit California very soon
 The story of Ellis Island, With audio - The gateway to America through which millions once
passed.
 Skyscrapers Now found in cities worldwide, skyscrapers were once symbols of America.
 Wall Street Culture - One could call it America's most popular street culture.
 Thanksgiving With audio - a very American festival.
 Mardi gras in New Orleans - the most colorful festival in the USA, by John Robillard
 College sport USA - Sport is part of US campus life, but at what cost?
 Rodeo - the sport of the American West .
 The Yukon Quest - The 1000 mile race that is the toughest race in the world..
 And among new texts available only in the Linguapress paperback or hadcover
collection ► A Background to America
 Harriet Tubman and the Underground railroad - the lady whose face will soon be on the new
$20 bill - With audio
 The settling of the Cherokee Strip - how the West was opened - With audio
 American and Chinese - the story of Chinese America - With audio

America : people and society

 NEW The Rosenberg affair and the legacy of McCarthyism in the USA
 Thinking it over with baby. With audio and interactive worksheet. Being a teenager and a
mom at the same time is usually not a good idea.
 The Man who changed America. With audio Henry Ford did more than anyone else to shape
20th century life.
 Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
 Hillary Clinton - the early years . by Nicole Bernheim.
 Citizen Welles - a short biography of Orson Welles, the greatest unsuccessful Holywood
director.
 Who killed Martin Luther King? With audio Mystery still surrounds the assassination of
America's greatest civil rights leader.
 Rosa Parks - the young lady whose defiance helped start the Civil rights movement
 So just who is Angelyne ? - the Hollywood celebrity who's famous just for being famous
 America's Amish; model society? A look at some Americans with an unusual lifestyle
 America's teen courts - Where teenage offenders are judged by other teens..
 Crime-time Basketball - Midnight basketball aims to keep young people off the streets..
 America's Drive-in Movie theaters - how much longer will they last?
 Americans fat and thin - A third of Americans are seriously overweight.
 The Mormons, a curiously American phenomenon. One of America's biggest fringe
religions.

American music
 Woodie Guthrie. The Dustbowl baladeer.
 The Story of the Blues - with audio - by Robert Springer
 Interview with Leonard Cohen . A Linguapress exclusive.
 Jewel, the voice from Alaska - the singing sensation from America's far north.
 Mississippi music - Jazz, blues, soul and rock 'n' roll, they all originated in the Mississippi
valley.
 John Lennon- Remembering the death in New York of the Beatle who changed the world..

USA : places and environment

  NEW ► Los Angeles - city on the brink - with audio
 Highway 66 revisited -- with audio - A trip down America's legendary "Route 66"
 Mighty Mississippi - the river that links and divides the USA
 Bodie - where the West was once wildest - Visiting a ghost town in the mountains of
California.
 America's bald eagles - a story of success . How the emblematic bird of the USA has been
saved from extinction.
 Save the Everglades - Florida's unique wetlands are in serious danger.
 California's Water Wars - Larry Wood reports on a critical issue facing Californians.
 Deserts of America - with audio - A large part of the western USA is covered by desert, and it
is getting larger.
 A town called Sturgis - Mecca for Harley Davidson riders.

International themes, language

 NEW The electric car revolution, realistic or optimistic? With interactive worksheet.
(technical English)
 NEW A rose by any other name. - with audio - Words, meaning and political correctness
 Accents and dialects. - with audio - An introduction to varieties of spoken English
 Aeroponics. Agriculture for tomorrow's world. (Technical English)
 Globalization? What globalization? It's here to stay, but changes are needed

2. Reading comprehension - articles on life and issues in the

UK and Ireland
 NEW King Charles, the Monarchy and their future Is there a future for the British
monarchy?. with audio
 NEW Guy Fawkes and bonfire night The nearest thing that Britain has to a National day
celebration.
 NEW The Oxford and Cambridge boat race This great amateur sporting event is almost 200
years old.
 NEW Just who are the English ? Trying to define Englishness is not a very easy task.
 Britain - at any cost ? Human traffickers are waiting to exploit people who want to come to the
UK.
 English pub signs What lies behind the sometimes strange names of English pubs ?
 From smugglers to people trafficking: old activity, new phase - Smuggling has long been
an illicit activity on England's south coast
 Tea and the British - with audio - Tea has been Britain's favourite drink for more than two
centuries
 Life in Umbridge - Finding a place to live in rural Britain can be hard for ordinary folk.
 London's Notting Hill Carnival - Europe's biggest street carnival
 Britain's Chinese come out on top - they are the most successful group in modern Britain
 All you need is Love -With audio A true story from Ireland, by Leanne Meyer
 Nature / wildlife: the Bird Man of the Isles - an interview from the Scottish isle of Skye.

Britain : people
  Charles Darwin - a genius remembered with audio and interactive worksheet. A scientific text
for general readers.
 Topical Queen Elizabeth II - 1926 - 2022 The Queen who almost wasn't with audio and
interactive worksheet. Queen Elibath II was not born to be Queen...
 Agatha Christie - She died in 1976, but she's still a worldwide bestseller.
 Stephen Hawking - the world's greatest scientist - who died in 2018
 J.R.R. Tolkien - the Oxford professor who wrote the Lord of the Rings
 Shakespeare's enduring heritage With audio and interactive worksheet. Shakespeare died
over 400 years ago, so why is he still so important ?

Interview
 Drugs: Days in the death of Francis X - interview with a heroin addict