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3. The power of Dukes, Earls and Bishops to sit at the apex of society is a thing of the past. The legitimate right of the wealthy middle classes to rule the less fortunate is gone. The lower classes have asserted themselves. The former class divisions marked out by the aristocracy have long since gone.
4. It was a cold and breezy morning when my mother entered our room and, with that serene and yet somehow bubbly confidence that mothers emanate through their knowledge of what glee will shine in the faces of her children at the disclosure of some congenial news, said quietly, ‘Come on my kiddiwinkles. It’s snowing!’
5. I had just transferred from Bewley Junior School to Bede Hall Grammar at the grown-up age of eleven years. I was full of trepidation. It was the same old story of those who had gone before worrying and making fun of those younger than themselves who were about to tread their former path. Many a rumor was heard.
6. Each person wishes for personal success and happiness, to feel alive and to reach their potential. To some, this looks like it comes easily, effortlessly, without trying. However, for most of us, happiness is achieved through conscious effort, self-awareness, the exercise of independent will and commitment.
7. The doctor shook her hand free. Her intention was directly obvious to all those present in the hangar. Taking a long-drawn-out breath, she raised her eyes toward the mandala on the north-facing wall. Her closest friend, and one-time teacher, Luke, felt overwhelmingly afraid. He knew where this was leading, and it was not good.
8. No competent biography of the Buddha can ignore the myths surrounding his birth. Legends abound but it is popularly believed that, at the time of his birth, wise men predicted that he had two potential life routes: to become either the benevolent ruler of a kingdom or a master philosopher.
9. This text is intended as the opening of a paragraph in an autobiography of the writer. It does not attempt to wrestle with sophisticated arguments, present logical deductions from theory, or control complex subject matter. Rather, it attempts to tell just a simple homespun story.
10. I have written down what I would like to say. First, so that I don’t miss anything important and, second, because I can get quite emotional at these sorts of occasions. Why, I even remember my own wedding. It was such a moving, gushing, highly emotional experience that even the cake was in tears!
11. Biology is the study of life. Life in all its wonderful and various forms is the subject matter of this science. That animals and plants are investigated is well known. But what may come as a surprise to many is that some living organisms are considered to be neither plants nor animals.
12. There are many Western musicians who may be considered suitable candidates for the accolade of greatest composer. But one must stand above all the rest. He is, of course, Johann Sebastian Bach. Living in Germany during the baroque era, this prolific composer and organist was unrivalled.
13. Burdon has cunning and guile. They are about the only things you can respect him for. Once, when he was stood up by a date, he phoned her the next day and told her he was sorry that he couldn’t keep their engagement the previous night and he hoped she hadn’t been standing around waiting for him too long. That’s the stuff he’s made of!
14. I had been taught that God had cursed the earth so that Man would have to work by the sweat of his brow all the days of his life – but for Man’s sake did He do this. Well, work eventually came to me and, when it did, I simply could not understand what God was thinking about when He instituted such a thing! I was flabbergasted!
15. And then there came that memorable time in my life when, after a myriad dates and courtships, I found the one for me, the lady of my dreams, my very own Helen of Troy, my beautiful Karen. ‘The next step’s simple,’ says Tony, ‘you ask her father’s consent to marry her.’ ‘No problem,’ says I…and fainted at the thought.
16. Fred Astaire was, perhaps, the most popular dancer of the twentieth century. His easy, relaxed style reached a mass audience through his many roles in films. While he performed with lots of leading ladies, he is best known for the partnership he forged with Ginger Rogers: their most enduring film together being Top Hat.
17. Loch Ness is a long, narrow lake, in northern Scotland. It forms part of the Caledonian Canal, running along the Great Glen. It is approximately thirty-nine kilometers long, extending from Fort Augustus in the south up to Inverness in the north. The lake is the home of the infamous Loch Ness monster.
18. The period in European history that saw a renewed attention to the arts was known as the Renaissance. The word means rebirth, and reflected a revival of learning and culture. The Renaissance began in the fourteenth century in Italy and spread extremely rapidly to the rest of Europe.
19. Suzanne Vega is an American singer-songwriter who made her debut in 1985. Her first album – imaginatively titled ‘Suzanne Vega’ – was a surprise hit. This was due in large part to the single, ‘Marlene on the Wall.’ She continues to compose, record and perform her music widely.
20. Clowns are comic performers. Traditionally they were circus actors, performing comic tricks in a large tent known as a Big Top. Today they are just as likely to be seen performing on stage, on television, or at a rodeo. They continue to amuse us by their ridiculous antics, manners and deeds.

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