Two years have passed since Susan, Brian and Jim solved a baffling case in San Francisco, and now they have to solve a million dollar mystery : where has Mark Twain's diary gone ? They are determined to find it and start looking into a dark secret from the 1850s and the wild days of the California Gold Rush... This reader uses the EXPANSIVE READING approach, where the text becomes a springboard to improve language skills and to explore historical background, cultural connections and other topics suggested by the text. As well as the story, this reader contains : Easy adaptation in American English Wide range of activities practising the four skills Preliminary-style activities and Trinity-style activities (Grade 4) Dossiers : Mark Twain in the Go.ld Country, San Francisco and the Gold Rush, Alcatraz Island Filmography Text recorded in full Exit test, keys and WEBACTIVITIES at www.blackcat-cideb.com

An elementary text, designed for personal or classroom use, is comprised of dialogues and accompanying exercises in grammar and pronunciation

Why does everything sound better if it's said in French? That fascination is at the heart of The Story of French, the first history of one of the most beautiful languages in the world that was, at one time, the pre-eminent language of literature, science and diplomacy. In a captivating narrative that spans the ages, from Charlemagne to Cirque du Soleil, Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow unravel the mysteries of a language that has maintained its global influence despite the rise of English. As in any good story, The Story of French has spectacular failures, unexpected successes and bears traces of some of history's greatest figures: the tenacity of William the Conqueror, the staunchness of Cardinal Richelieu, and the endurance of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Through this colorful history, Nadeau and Barlow illustrate how French acquired its own peculiar culture, revealing how the culture of the language spread among francophones the world over and yet remains curiously centered in Paris. In fact, French is not only thriving—it still has a surprisingly strong influence on other languages. As lively as it is fascinating, The Story of French challenges long held assumptions about French and shows why it is still the world's other global language.