First of all let me introduce myself. My name is Taras. I'm seventeen years old. I'm at 11-th grade. There are two more kids in the family besides me my elder brother Oleg and my younger sister Marija

Robert Burns (2)
Robert Burns, a famous and popular Scottish poet, was
born in 1759.
Burns was born in a family of a poor farmer. Robert
was the eldest of seven children, so he had to help his father
on the farm. His father William Burns was a kind person
who loved and understood people. So Robert learned to love
and respect people from his father. His mother had a beautiful
voice and often sang songs and told many folk-tales to her
children. Robert remembered mother's songs and stories all
his life.
His father wanted Robert to be an educated person and
sent him to school at the age of 6. Robert liked reading
books. His favourite writer was Shakespeare.
At the age of 15 he started to write poems. He wrote about
people, about everyday life. The heroes of his mother's stories
became the heroes of his poems.
In 1777 Robert moved to another town where he organized
a society of young people. They discussed moral, social
and political problems of that, time. In 1784, his father died
and Robert had to work at the farm. In 1791 he had to sell
the farm because he wasn't successful at farming.
Feeling the injustice of the world, he protested against
landlords who owned the best land in his poetry. In 1786 he
published a book of his poems which soon made him popular.
Burns took part in creating a book of old Scottish folksongs,
writing words for many melodies. Burns is the author
of the words of the song "Auld Lang Syne", which
Scottish people sing on the New Year Day.
Robert Burns died in poverty at the age of 37.
Questions:
1. When was Robert Burns born?
2. Who taught him to love people?
3. When did he started writing poems?
4. What did he write about?
5. Was he a successful farmer?
6. What famous Scottish song did he write words to?

Robert Burns (3)
Robert Burns was born in 1759. He was a farmer but he
was always poor. He became famous because he wrote poetry.
He wrote many love poems and some of these are now songs.
Burns also wrote angry poems about rich people and poor
people. For Burns all men were the same. They were all brothers.
Rich people in Edinburgh liked Burns's love poems but
they did not like his other poems. They did not help him
much. Once they gave him a small job. So Burns left his farm
and went to work. There he died in 1796.
A popular Burn's poem is "Tarn O'Shanter". Here is the
short contents of it. Tarn went to a pub and stayed there till
midnight. Oh his way home he passed the church. He saw
lights in the church and looked inside. He saw witches and
devils there. They came out of the church and tried to catch
him. But Tarn and his horse were safe, because the witches
could not cross water. Though on the bridge over the river
one witch caught his horse's tail.
Burns took part in making a book of old Scottish folksongs,
writing words for many melodies. Robert Burns wrote
the words of the song "Auld Long Syne" (which means "They
days of long ago"). Scottish people sing this song, when they
celebrate the first of January, New Year's Day. Burns's poems
are known and loved by people all over the world because he
glorified a human being.
Questions:
1. What was Robert Burns?
2. When was he born?
3. Have you read any poems by Robert Burns?
4. Robert Burns wrote the words of "Auld Long Syne",
didn't he?
5. When do Scottish people sing this song?