December 8, 1980. John Lennon was assassinated when he was on his way back to his New York apartment from a recording session. He was shot four times by a fan(atic). By the time they got him to hospital there was nothing the seven-member medical team could do for him.
December 111919. The citizens of Enterprise, Alabama, erected a monument to the boll weevil, the pest that devastated their fields but forced residents to end their dependence on cotton and to pursue mixed farming and manufacturing. A beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters, the insect entered the United States via Mexico in the 1890s and reached southeastern Alabama in 1915. It remains the most destructive cotton pest in North America.
December 16, 1864. Union troops led by General George H. Thomas devastated Confederate forces at Nashville, Tennessee. The battle had begun the day before when Thomas initiated an attack after waiting some two weeks for troop reinforcements and favorable weather.
December 23, 1986. After nine days and four minutes in the sky, the experimental aircraft Voyager lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing the first nonstop flight around the globe on one load of fuel.
December 25. Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Christ. The origins of the holiday are uncertain. By the year 336, however, the Christian church in Rome observed the Feast of the Nativity on December 25. At that time, Christmas coincided with the winter solstice and the Roman Festival of Saturnalia. Today, observations of Christmas incorporate the secular and religious traditions of many cultures, from the ancient Roman practice of decorating homes with evergreens and exchanging gifts at the New Year to the Celtic Yule log.i

Prior to writing on the future of the English Monarchy I would like to give some insights into the Queen’s duties in Britain’s everyday life.The monarch’s main function is to sign the laws and Acts passed by the Parliament. This is an integral part of the legislative process. She also receives newly appointed ambassadors to the United Kingdom who are accredited to her court rather than to the state. At the same time she is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.The most of the monarchs’ powers have been transferred to the Head of Government and to the Prime Minister to use at his\her discretion. This suggests that the monarch has no direct influence on the decision-making process. However, this is not really the case in Britain. The Monarch is also the Head of the Church of England and Establishment. This, being the Head of state and the Head of the Church of England, might appear inappropriate and at least divisive. Also, the marital troubles of the sovereign’s four children, three of them are divorced single parents while the other one is cohabitating, has caused concern within the Church of England and Establishment.Groups have been discussing possible reforms of the Monarchy in an attempt to face up the challenges of the public’s opinion surfaced after Diana’s death.The plans involve skimming down of the Monarchy and the entitlement to rank of Royal Highness to be limited to the Monarch and her family. The plans are to bring about rapid and major changes tothe Monarchy.Imagining Britain without a Monarch depends on one’s personal bias towards Monarchy. The groups above-mentioned recommend to alleviate the problems caused by the changes at the palace. However, the argument that the Monarchy costs so much public money when the remainder of the state apparatus faces several financial problems is inappropriate. There is no doubt that the British people despite their recent difficulties regard the Monarchy with high esteem and they are fond of it. According to the popular view they consider the Queen and her heir do an excellent job amid difficult circumstances.It is therefore evident that the case for a Republic has not been argued effectively by the British Republicans. When the Republic occurs it will be due to the falling of the Windsor dynasty rather than enthusiasm by the public for such a revolutionary constitutional change.

In this column our purpose is to inform you on customs of English-speaking countries. Since it is December in this issue we will deal with Christmas customs

In the Anglo-Saxon world the day after Christmas is called Boxing Day. The tradition goes back to the Middle Ages when churches would open their "alms box" and distribute the contents too the poor in the neighborhood on the day after Xmas. Today small gifts are given to delivery workers (postal staff, children who deliver newspapers).

AustraliaMost families go to the beach, play in pools and go out for barbecue.Santa in the shopping centres is thought to be elves. They are the ones to tell Santa the children’s wishes.

CanadaPeople put up the tree two weeks before Christmas.Not only do children write to Santa but receive answers to their letters.In Vancouver Carol Ships can be seen. There is a procession of boats and ships with Christmas lights, playing Christmas music, that sail by various points around the city.

EnglandIt is considered bad luck if decorations are up longer than two weeks after Christmas Day.IrelandA candle or electric light is put in the window. To have no light means that the owner shares the guilt of the Innkeeper in Bethlehem who said "No Room"!Houses are whitewashed to purify them.

New ZealandChristmas tree is called Pohutokawa. The flowers on the tree are brilliant red.There are Santa parades. He comes on a fire engine and throws sweeties to children who go out on the street at the sound of sirens.They celebrate Christmas twice: on the 25^th of December and in July, mid-winter. Many hotels, restaurants and homes put on the full Christmas celebration: tree, gifts and the foods that were just too heavy to serve in the summer.Nowadays many eat traditional Maori hangi. This means that they dig a hole in the ground that is heated with hot rocks and then loaded up with baskets of foods, covered and allowed to cook underground.

ScotlandThe Christmas tree is put up twelve days before and taken down twelve days after Christmas.

United States of AmericaChristmas time starts after Thanksgiving Day.In New Orleans a huge ox is paraded around the streets decorated with holy and with ribbons tied to its horns.In California Santa sweeps a surfboard

The teaching profession has long overcome the image of a "gentleman’s profession". When the gender distribution of educators is considered the scale tips dramatically: there are three female teachers for every male teacher. Well, not to speak any further… just look at the proportion of girls and boys here at our department…
In your opinion is it good or bad? In other words do you prefer male or female teachers?
1. How does the fact that a certain teacher is male or female influence your opinion?
2. Does any (good or bad ) former experience influence preference? What was it?
3. Why do you think it is that while in primary schools female teachers outnumber the male ones at academic education the situation is the opposite?
4. Does physical appearance influence your opinion?
1. I prefer female teachers to male ones because they inspire confidence and seem to be more understanding, while male teachers, I think, are a bit too strict. But it isn't always the case, of course.
2. In primary school I had a male teacher. He was very tall, well-built, strong-voiced and a little bit rude. He almost looked like a gorilla! I was always afraid of him. In a way he influenced me... so it should be one of the reasons why I rather prefer female teachers.
3. Primary school and higher education are not the same, they differ from each other just as male and female teachers do. In primary school children need kindness and gentleness, they need a kind of "second mother" there and the best educators for them are females. In higher education it doesn't really matter to me whether my teacher is a male or a female, all that matters is that s/he provides me with the adequate knowledge.
4. Not really but I think, up to a certain point the basic rules of neatness must be kept. After all teachers are models for us, aren’t' they? But thanks to God I haven't had any bad experience of this nature. (B.K. 2^nd year)
1. Female teachers are more sensible, they can create a kind of bond between herself and the students she teaches and has more patience with them.
2. In high school I had a male teacher who taught us maths. To be honest, I was terrified of him. He expected a lot from us, but gave hardly anything in return. Since then I've preferred female teachers, with whom I never had this kind of problem.
3. Maybe because female teachers don't have so much time for preparing for further degrees. The reason for this could be that besides teaching at school they have their own children, their household to attend to, while a male teacher (or males of any other jobs) aren't supposed to do all these things.
4. Sometimes yes, because it is pleasant to see a well-dressed teacher and to be honest, though men dress in good taste, dressing fashionably is a characteristic which rather applies to women. (girl, 2^nd year)
1. In the case of male teachers the requirements are higher and that is good for the development of the students’ knowledge. This is (in most of the cases) the opposite with female teachers. I am not saying that they are not tough enough; they are tough but not always. The essence is not that if a teacher is tough then all the students become smart. No, because if a student wants to learn then s/he will do. But this has to be a pressure to secure all these. And this is not always the case with female teachers.
2. Yes, I had a pretty history teacher in the 7^th form. What could I say? The boys just failed to keep up with the subject. We did not care about history just about the beautiful legs of the teacher. It went well until the tests. We almost failed the class. At least I almost did.
3. Because at academic education female teachers cannot handle grown up students, as they should. But there are exceptions of course.
4. It does count in a way. When a female teacher has aa attractive appearance then she distracts the male students’ attention without meaning that. This could affect learning and the development of the students. This is only the case with a class where boys are in majority, or who knows? But let’s get serious, it is good to have good looking female teachers but not at the time when we want to study and learn. (K.B. 2^nd year)
1. Honestly it does not matter for me whether my teacher is male or female. I am interested in his/her knowledge. But if I have to choose I prefer male ones.
2. In high school a female teacher gossiped a lot during the classes and I hated that.
3. I think that teachers are responsible in primary schools for the pupils’ education, too. Female teachers have more talent to educate. At university level teachers are only responsible for "supplying" their students with knowledge.
4. Absolutely not. In the case of a teacher I am interested in his way of teaching, his knowledge. (E.K. 1^st year)