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in the 1860s, a two-wheeled bicycle with pedals was built by a frenchman called ernest michaux. other kinds of bicycle had been invented earlier in the century, but ernest michaux's invention, the velocipede, was easier to ride and thousands were sold throughout europe from 1869. over the next few decades, several improvements were made: tyres were fitted to the wheels and later, a chain was added to the pedals. more recently, bicycles have been invented with pedals at the front and a seat with a backrest. they're comfortable to ride, and they're fast too. bicycles are more popular today than ever before. about 80 million new bicycles are manufactured every year in china alone! in cities around the world, cycle lanes are being built and cycling is being encouraged by governments. it's possible that in ten or twenty years' time, cars will be banned from city centres and only cyclists and pedestrians will be allowed.

William Shakespeare,the greatest English playwright, 
was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon in England.  Stratford is a small country town in a farming district near the centre of England .the Avon, which is a 
pretty river with  grass and trees all along its banks, 
runs through Stratford. Not much is known of Shakespeare's father. He was a farmer who, at different times of his life, sold meat and bought and sold 
wool. He was poor and was often in money difficulties. 
Very little is known about the life of his only son William 
also the little house in which the great writer was born 
still stands. It is now a museum. William went to
school in Stratford. In 1586 he went to London. 
Probably the first work he did there was at one of the two 
theatres that there were in London at that time. Then 
he became an actor and soon began to write plays for the 
company of actors to which he belonged. Shakespeare 
bought the largest house in his home town in 1597, but 
he did not spend much time there till 1610. He spent the 
last years of his life in it.

Like all the best beginnings, this one starts with Pooh, who has woken up with a start in the middle of the night. He has been woken up by a noise, so he gets up just to check on his honey, and all is fine, so he goes back to bed again. But there's the noise again, so Pooh asks the noise if it is Piglet or Christopher Robin or Eeyore, but there is no answer, so Pooh tries to get back to sleep.But there it is again! It's a kind  noise, which doesn't sound like something Piglet or Christopher Robin or Eeyore would say, but Pooh is sleepy so that probably explains his confusion. And now he has heard the noise again he realises that it is not a usual noise, and in fact it is something he has never heard in the forest before, which must mean that there is a Strange Animal outside his house!So Pooh rather bravely gets up and opens his front door so that he can tell the Strange Animal to pipe down please. And the Strange Animal is sitting right there, so Pooh says "Hallo!", and the animal says "Hallo!" back. Pooh is so startled that all he can think of to say is "Hallo!" again, and then the animal says "Hallo!" again too, and then Pooh is still rather stunned, so he says "Hallo!" for a third time, and the animal says "Hallo!" back for a third time, while wondering how long they are going to "Hallo!" for.