Bratislava ( or ; , or "" ) is the capital of Slovakia, and with a population of about 450,000, the country's largest city. The greater metropolitan area is home to more than 650,000 people. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia, occupying both banks of the River Danube and the left bank of the River Morava. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two sovereign states.

The history of the city has been strongly influenced by people of different nations and religions, namely by Austrians, Croats, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Jews, Serbs and Slovaks (in alphabetical order). The city served as the coronation site and legislative center of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1536 to 1783, and has been home to many Slovak, Hungarian and German historical figures.

Bratislava is the political, cultural and economic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak president, the parliament and the Slovak Executive. It is home to several universities, museums, theatres, galleries and other important cultural and educational institutions. Many of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions also have headquarters there.

The capital of Slovakia is the eighth best city for freelancers to live in, mostly because of fast internet and the low taxes. In 2017, Bratislava was ranked as the third richest region of the European Union by GDP (PPP) per capita (after Hamburg and Luxembourg City). GDP at purchasing power parity is about three times higher than in other Slovak regions. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. What is the name of this town?
2. What is that in?
3. How many people live there?
4. Does that make it the biggest town?
5. Which river is near it?
6. Are there any more?
7. Which one?
Answer: 1. Bratislava
2. in southwestern Slovakia
3. 450,000
4. Yes
5. River Danube
6. Yes
7. River Morava

Problem: Hunters and bears are often put in fairy tales and often provide a lot for us to think about life and human nature.

Two hunters, Ali and Hagan, went hunting for bears. For four days they saw nothing. Each night they slept in a nearby village, pledging to make part of the bear's skin against the cost of their lodging . On the fifth day a huge bear appeared, and Ali said nervously to his friend, "I don't mind admitting that I'm afraid to take this bear." Hagan laughed, "Just leave it to me, little coward."

So Ali _ like lightning up the nearest tree at once, and Hagan stood with his gun at the ready. The huge creature came, moving on in a slow and awkward way, and Hagan began to grow more and more scared. At last he raised his gun to his shoulder, but by now he was trembling so much that, before he could take proper aim, his gun went off and missed the target .

Hagan, remembering that bears never touch a dead body, threw himself flat on the ground and held his breath. The bear came up, sniffed all around him and moved off in the end.

Ali, who had been watching the whole thing from the tree, now came down and, congratulating Hagan on his escape, asked him, "What did the bear whisper in your ear just now?"

"Don't sell the bear's skin before you have caught the bear," Hagan announced.
1. What were Ali and Hagan doing in the story?
2. Where did they sleep each night?
3. How did they pay for their rooms?
4. What happened on the fifth day?
5. Did they shoot the bear?
6. What did Hagan do after the gun went off?
7. What did the bear do?
8. What did Hagan tell Ali the bear whispered to him?
9. What did Ali do when he saw the bear?
10. Who took a shot at the bear?
Answer: 1. hunting for bears
2. a nearby village
3. a part of the bear's skin
4. a huge bear appeared
5. no
6. threw himself the ground
7. he moved on
8. "Don't sell the bear's skin before you have caught the bear,"
9. climbed a tree
10. Hagan

question: Robert Burns, the son of a hard-working and intelligent farmer, was the oldest of seven children. Although always hard pressed financially, their father encouraged his sons with their education. As a result, Burns not only read the Scottish poetry of Ramsay and the collections by Hailes and Herd, but also the works of Pope, Locke, and Shakespeare.

By 1781, Burns had tried his hand at several agricultural jobs without success. Although he had begun writing, and his poems were spread widely in manuscript , none were published until 1786, when Burns published Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (1786), which was an immediate success. Later Burns brought out a second edition of his poems at Edinburgh in 1787, and for two winters he was socially active in the Scottish city. In 1788 he retired to a farm at Ellis land. By 1791 Burns had failed as a farmer, and he moved to Dumfries, where he held a position as a tax collector. He died of illness at 37.

Burns's art is at its best in songs such as My Heart's in the Highlands. Some of his songs, such as Auld Lang Syne and Comin' thro' the Rye, are among the most familiar and best-loved songs in the English language. But his talent was not limited to songs; two descriptive pieces, Tam o' Shanter and The Jolly Beggars, are among his masterpieces.

Burns had a fine sense of humor, which was reflected in his satirical , descriptive, and playful poems. His great popularity with the Scots lay in his ability to describe the life of his fellow rural Scots. His use of dialect brought an energetic, much-needed freshness into English poetry.
1. What did Burns fail at?
2. Is he still alive?
3. What age did he make it to?
4. What caused his demise?
5. Did he have any siblings?
6. How many?
7. Where was he birthed?
8. Was he funny?
9. How so?
10. Did he write any well known tunes?
11. Can you give an example?
12. Any other?
13. What else did he write?
14. What was his net worth at death?
15. Did he ever work for the government?
16. Doing what?
17. Where?
****
answer:
1. several agricultural jobs
2. no
3. 37.
4. illness
5. yes
6. Six
7. unknown
8. yes
9. it was reflected in his satirical , descriptive, and playful poems.
10. yes
11. Auld Lang Syne
12. Comin' thro' the Rye,
13. Tam o' Shanter and The Jolly Beggars
14. unknown
15. yes
16. he held a position as a tax collector.
17. Edinburgh