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Walt Disney World Resort Holidays

Staying within the Walt Disney World Resort area is more affordable than it's ever been.

It’s the most magical holiday destination in the world. The Walt Disney World Resort is the place where worries and cares disappear, fantasy and fun reign supreme and dreams coming true are the everyday.

Four Disney Theme Parks, two Disney Water Parks, over 20 themed Resort Hotels, two entertainment districts, and a state of-the-art sports complex immerse you in a world filled with exhilarating excitement, fantastic thrills and wonder. Add in countless opportunities for dining, shopping, relaxation and refreshing recreation, plus a huge range of activities from golf to relaxing spas, and it’s easy to see how this holiday of a lifetime has something for everyone.

You can also include the imaginative range of great value Disney Resort Hotels and you really will enjoy a holiday that’s unique. The choices are amazing; the fun enormous and the memories will last a lifetime. You can now access all that Walt Disney World Resort has to offer exactly how and when you please, with the fantastic Disney’s Ultimate Tickets. Do Disney your way with complete customised freedom for 14 or 21 days.

Whatever your holiday dreams, you can be sure they’ll come true at Walt Disney World Resort. There’s no other place on the planet that provides such a magical escape from everyday life. Here, everyone in the family can live the magic of Disney and share unbelievable experiences that only Disney could invent.

Staying at the Heart of the Magic

A Walt Disney World Resort Hotel offers the ultimate in rest and relaxation. You’ll just love the luxury of being able to pop back to the Hotel to enjoy a midday dip in the pool. Whatever you desire, there’s a Disney Resort Hotel to suit – all offering the legendary service, quality and attention to detail for which Disney is so famous.

Extra benefits

You can charge almost everything in the Disney Resort Hotels and Parks to your room so there’s no need to carry much cash. When you shop in the Disney Parks, as a Disney Resort Hotel guest don’t worry about having to carry it around - it can be delivered back to your hotel at no extra charge.

1.List four benefits of Walt Disney World Resort.

2.What impressions do you get of the type of holiday you would have? (3 PEEs)

Ant and Dec's success is all down to the fact they are basically friends with the entire nation

Polly Hudson says the fact the pair have made few if any enemies despite 25 years in the cut-throat world of TV is a tribute to their personalities as much as their talent

Celebrity life is fake and fickle. Household names and national sweethearts are generally very different in real life. But not Ant and Dec. The irreverent stars of all our favourite TV shows, the multi-award-winning double-act who conquered the pop charts (twice), they can seemingly do no wrong.

And after 25 years in the public eye, the two Geordies, both 38 and born a little over three weeks apart, were rewarded this week with a prestigious Landmark Award at the National Television Awards.

One TV insider who has worked with them explains: “Absolutely no one has a bad word to say about them, anywhere. After more than two decades in the business, this is unheard of. They take the time to speak to everyone, down to the lowliest crew member and they learn everyone’s names. Very few stars make that effort, especially at their level. They are unchanged by fame and it’s always a pleasure to deal with them.”

They offend no one and can’t go out of fashion because they’ve never been in it. They’re not edgy or cool. They’re not tall, dark and handsome. They’re just two pleasantly average blokes with GSOHs. In a world, and certainly a TV screen, full of people taking themselves far too seriously, Ant and Dec are just having a laugh. And we’re all in on the joke.

Sometimes they fluff their lines, sometimes they make each other crack up (genuinely, not in a forced telly way), and that’s all part of their charm. You never doubt that they’re authentic.

1.List 4 things you learn about Ant and Dec.

2.What does Polly Hudson think about Ant and Dec? (3 PEEs)

Ricky Gervais (comedian) talks to The Independent newspaper about his relationship with co-star Karl Pilkington.

Being friends with Karl has been a nice experiment; he's a cross between my best mate, a lab chimp and a pupil. Steve [Merchant] and I had left XFM to do The Office and returned in 2002 to this tiny little radio station – where Karl worked – as conquering heroes.

I liked him instantly, as he wasn't impressed by who I was. I think the first words I said to him were, "Why have you got a round head?" and he replied, "What shape's a head meant to be?"I laughed straight away, as he didn't go, "How insulting!" So I asked if I could hit it with my phone and he said, "OK," and afterwards he asked, "Did it make a normal noise?" As humans, we use humour to see if someone's on our wavelength and I felt Karl was the funniest man I'd ever met.

Karl will do anything for you. When I got stressed with moving out, he helped me move offices – though he moaned all the way. Now I call him every day; he's the first person I call in the morning.

I like the way he sees the world differently. We might be listening to the radio about the Nativity and the Three Wise Men bringing presents for the baby Jesus, and all Karl could say would be, "Were those presents for Christmas or his birthday?" He's not trying to be funny, he just thinks stuff and says it out loud. When I write, I'm consciously trying to be funny, constructing a punchline, but Karl does it in conversation.

1.How did Gervais and Pilkington meet?

2.What are Ricky Gervais’thoughts and feelings on Karl Pilkington? (3 PEEs)

Karl Pilkington claims girlfriend won't be upset at being described as "plump" in new show The Moaning of Life

Karl Pilkington has claimed he got a telling off from Sky for describing his long-term girlfriend as “plump” in new show The Moaning of Life - even though she may not mind.

Speaking after a screening of his new Sky 1 documentary last night, the 40-year-old revealed he didn’t discuss the first episode's events with Suzanne, his partner of 20 years. In the episode, Karl risks unsettling his girlfriend by planning his own arranged marriage and experiencing a night of bizarre 'pheromone dating'.

“I don't speak to her [about it] before I go, what's the point?” he said. “There are loads of channels, so the likes of An Idiot Abroad is on every night, all the time, so she is going to see it one day but I don't worry about it."

The spin-off star also insisted that Suzanne would not be offended by her body type being described in such a way. He said: “It depends how you use that word. It's just a word that came into my head. And she won't be offended by that.

Many people have criticised him for being insensitive and thoughtless; others argue that he is a fake.

1.What did Pilkington do to upset his girlfriend?

2.What kind of person is Karl Pilkington?

Compare this text with the text on page 3. Look at:

•What he says.

•What others say about him.

About US

Comic Relief is a major charity based in the UK, with a vision of a just world, free from poverty. We work tirelessly all year round to help make our vision a reality. And in the years since we started out in 1985, with the support of some remarkable people, we’ve achieved amazing things and raised over £900 million.

Comic Relief has been able to create real, lasting change to the lives of individuals, communities and the issues we strive to tackle.

None of this would have been possible without the amazing support of the public, our partners and so many of our celebrity friends who’ve helped us along the way.

There is, of course, still so much more to be done, but for an idea of just what we’ve managed to achieve together, watch this video and take in a few of the statistics that we’re particularly proud of.

EDUCATION

We will have helped over 1 million children in Africa and the world’s poorest countries to get an education. Between 1999-2008, the number of children attending school in sub-Saharan Africa increased by 46.5 million. Literacy for adults in Uganda increased to 73% by 2010.

HIV

We will have helped 3 million people affected by HIV in Africa.The number of new infections of HIV in Africa dropped by 21% between 1997 and 2010.

MALARIA

We will have helped to protect over 6 million people from Malaria in Africa. Since 2000, the number of people dying from malaria across Africa has fallen by a third. In 2009 we distributed 600,000 mosquito nets to 234,591 households in mid-western regions of Uganda

1.What areas have Comic Relief helped with in the past?

2.How does the writer make the charity sound successful? (3PEEs)

About the Poppy Appeal

Each year the nation expresses its unequivocal support for The Royal British Legion's work through the Poppy Appeal.

The Appeal is the Legion's biggest fundraising campaign and was launched nationally on Thursday 24 October with a concert for Service personnel and their families.

This year, the Legion is focusing on the range of work it does to support Armed Forces families, whether they are families of personnel on active service, of those currently in transition from military to civilian life, or of veterans.

Every poppy helps us to support the British Armed Forces past and present, and their families. Please give generously and wear your poppy with pride.

Lance Corporal Cassidy Little

Royal Marine Cassidy Little30-year old Royal Marine Cassidy was seriously injured by an IED while serving in Afghanistan in May 2011, losing his lower right limb in the incident.

Cassidy participated in the Bravo 22 Company theatre project run jointly by the Legion and The Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust. Cassidy played the lead role in the 'Two Worlds of Charlie F', an original play created through the project. It was shown on the West End stage and a subsequent UK tour to wide acclaim.

During his time at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), Headley Court, Cassidy benefited from a cinema and entertainment centre built by MediCinema and funded by The Royal British Legion. Cassidy features in the Poppy Appeal 2013 poster campaign.

Kaitlin

Kaitlin Brandon Kaitin's Dad, L/Cpl Richard Brandon of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), was killed in an IED blast in Afghanistan in September 2009.

In the months following Richard's death, the Legion provided support and financial advice Kaitlin's mum Emma. She said the help she received was invaluable.

“My mind was all over the place after losing Richard and the Legion helped me to cover all the bases. I have been given a lot of guidance through the Legion's services and it has helped me access the support I am entitled to.”

1. List 3 facts about The British Legion.

2. Compare this text and the text on page 5. You should look at:

Who the charities help.

How they make the reader want to help.

This is an extract from footballer Fernando Torres’autobiography.

Flying into Manchester airport for the signing was one of the most exciting days of my career. The limo transferring me took a while longer to reach the ground than I expected but once there I was greeted by a sea of red. The chanting and atmosphere were brilliant and it all passed by in a blur.

Once inside the ground I was greeted by the manager, the first time we had met face to face. He was a lot heavier than I expected but spoke to me in good Spanish which made me feel most welcome. We went straight into a conference room for the official signing.

After I had put pen to paper the manager turned to me and said “Welcome to the biggest club in the World”.

I said thank you and asked “When will I meet Wayne and Cristiano”?

There followed about ten minutes of confusion from which it transpired that there are two clubs in the North West of England known as the “Reds” and my idiot agent had got them mixed up.

However I had signed so had to get on with it. Benitez was known as the “Gaffer”. I asked Stevie G (the only other player at the club who could control the ball) why this was.

He explained that in English “gaffe” is an embarrassing mistake. Apparently even the owners called Rafa “gaffer”.

All I can do now is play really well and hope that Real, Barca or possibly Barnsley come and save me from my nightmare.

Some days after training I drive from Liverpool to Manchester and sit outside Old Trafford and dream of what might have been. I can sit there for hours.

Then Stevie will nudge me and say “Come on Nando, we have to go back”.

We drive silently back to the gaffer.

1.What is Torres doing in the extract?

2. What are his thoughts and feelings in this extract? (3 PEEs)

This is an extract from a travel writing blog.

After an hour's descent I reach the desert. Sweat pours from my body and evaporates in seconds. My water is half-finished, and the lake has sunk from view. I must rely on my compass from now on.

The sun is still overhead. As I breathe the hot air in and out, my mouth becomes as dry as dust. The compass in my hand burns like the gravel underfoot. The dry noodles have reached my stomach and seem to be sucking the moisture from my blood. I long to reach the shore of the lake and plunge my head in its cool water. For brief moments, refracted through the heat waves on the right, I see villages, moving trucks, or a sweep of marsh. If I didn't have a compass, I might be tempted to walk straight into the mirage.

Four or five hours go by. At last I see clumps of weed rise from the gravel. The land starts to dip. I check the compass. Sugan should be right in front of me now, but all I see is the wide stony plain.

Suddenly it dawns on me that distances can be deceptive in the transparent atmosphere of the desert. The lake that from the pass seemed so near could be a hundred kilometres away. After all, what looked like a tiny blue spot is in fact a huge lake. It is too late to turn back now though - my bottle is empty. I have no choice but to keep walking towards the water. Where there is water there are people, and where there are people there is life. There is no other path I can take.

As the sun sinks to the west, the lake reappears at last. It is not a lake exactly, just a line of grey slightly brighter than the desert stones, not wavering in the heat haze this time, but lying still at the edge of the sky. I am on course, but my legs can barely hold. There is camel-thorn underfoot now and the earth is covered with a thick saline crust. The sun sinks slowly below me, then reddens and disappears.

1. How do we know the writer is tired?

2. How does the writer make the desert sound tough? (3 PEEs)

Customer trapped INSIDE bank after staff forget her in side room and lock up branch

Locked in: The customer became trapped in a NatWest branch

A furious customer was locked inside a Natwest branch for an hour and a half tonight after being left in a side room while the bank closed.

Natwest has launched an investigation after the customer popped in just before 5pm to make an enquiry about her account.

The manager of the branch in Waterloo, central London, let the woman phone the bank’s central customer services department in a quiet side room. But after being kept on hold, the customer went to alert the manager that she hadn’t been able to get through, only to find she was all alone in a locked bank.

The woman, who has asked to remain anonymous, said: “I was calling out when I noticed the alarms were going off. I thought to myself, ‘What’s going on?’ It was then I realised that I’d been locked in. Every time I went towards the doors the alarms kept getting louder and louder.

“I rang the police and told them I was locked in a bank. They said they wouldn’t be able to send anybody round for 60 minutes.”