Read the letter and answer the questions in Present Continuous. 1. Where are they staying?

2. What is Adrian doing?

3. What is his mum doing?

4. What is his dad cooking?

5. What is Karl playing?
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Christopher Columbus was born in Genoa between August and October 1451. His father was a weaver and small-time merchant. As a teenager, Christopher went to sea, travelled extensively and eventually made Portugal his base. It was here that he initially attempted to gain royal patronage for a westward voyage to the Orient - his 'enterprise of the Indies'.When this failed, and appeals to the French and English courts were also rejected, Columbus found himself in Spain, still struggling to win backing for his project. Finally, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella agreed to sponsor the expedition, and on 3 August 1492, Columbus and his fleet of three ships, the Santa Maria, the Pinta and the Niña, set sail across the Atlantic.Ten weeks later, land was sighted. On 12 October, Columbus and a group of his men set foot on an island in what later became known as the Bahamas. Believing that they had reached the Indies, the newcomers dubbed the natives 'Indians'. Initial encounters were friendly, but indigenous populations all over the New World were soon to be devastated by their contact with Europeans. Columbus landed on a number of other islands in the Caribbean, including Cuba and Hispaniola, and returned to Spain in triumph. He was made 'admiral of the Seven Seas' and viceroy of the Indies, and within a few months, set off on a second and larger voyage. More territory was covered, but the Asian lands that Columbus was aiming for remained elusive. Indeed, others began to dispute whether this was in fact the Orient or a completely 'new' world.Columbus made two further voyages to the newfound territories, but suffered defeat and humiliation along the way. A great navigator, Columbus was less successful as an administrator and was accused of mismanagement. He died on 20 May 1506 a wealthy but disappointed man.
Known as 'the man who discovered America', Columbus was in fact trying to find a westward sea passage to the Orient when he landed in the New World in 1492. This unintentional discovery was to change the course of world history.

Ecology of Kazakhstan is in a catastrophic situation and is one of the most painful topics in this country. Anthropogenic load that is experiencing this republic, takes away all the forces of nature and violates the natural capacity of the environment to regenerate itself. Extensive development of agriculture leads to land degradation and impoverishment of landscapes. Sixty per cent of the entire area of ​​the Republic of Kazakhstan is severely devastated that, in turn, reduces soil fertility and reduces the productivity of crops and livestock. Irrational use of natural resources and the development of irrigated agriculture has led to a shortage of water in the basins of small and large rivers of South Kazakhstan: in the rivers the Ily, the Syr Darya and others. Over a ten year period the Aral Sea area is almost twice reduced. Lake Balkhash awaiting the same fate, unless urgent actions are taken. Ecological problems of Kazakhstan are compounded by the fact that the surface of ponds is contaminated. About two hundred million cubic metres of dirty wastewater have been thrown into them. The environmental problem such as air pollution, caused mainly by the fact that a large number of enterprises, factories of the republic, especially of the processing and energy profiles are outdated and have imperfect cleaning and filtration technology. This increases the number of hazardous emissions.

Экология Казахстана находится в катастрофической ситуации и является одной из самых болезненных тем в этой стране. Антропогенная нагрузка, которую испытывает Республика, отнимает все силы природы и нарушает природную окружающей среды к самовосстановлению. Экстенсивное развитие сельского хозяйства ведет к деградации земель и оскудению пейзажи. Шестьдесят процентов всей территории Республики Казахстан сильно опустошены, что, в свою очередь, снижает плодородие почв и снижает урожайность сельскохозяйственных культур и поголовье скота. Нерациональное использование природных ресурсов и развитие орошаемого земледелия привело к дефициту воды в бассейнах малых и крупных рек Южного Казахстана: в реке Или, Сырдарье и других реках. За десятилетний период почти вдвое сократилась площадь Аральского моря. Озеро Балхаш ожидает та же участь, если не будут приняты меры. Экологические проблемы Казахстана усугубляются тем, что поверхности водоемов загрязнены. В них выбрасывается около двухсот миллионов кубометров грязных сточных вод ежегодно. Экологическая проблема, такая как загрязнение атмосферного воздуха, вызвана главным образом тем, что большое количество предприятий, фабрик Республики, особенно перерабатывающих и энергетических профилей, являются устаревшими и имеют несовершенные технологии очистки и фильтрации. Это увеличивает количество вредных выбросов.