9. Us Offers Fellowships to Scholars

The US government has launched a 14 million dollars scholarship program to send 160 citizens of the former Soviet Union to the United States for graduate studies. The students will then return to their countries to promote democratic market economies.

Announcing the Benjamin Franklin Fellowship Program at a press conference, US Ambassador Robert Strauss called it a "very important program" enabling students to study business, economics, law and public administration at American universities.

"I can say to you very sincerely that I think this is a magnificent opportunity for 160 people to spend one or two years studying in the US," Ambassador Strauss said. When their studies are completed, "it will be mandatory that they return and use those skills in their home countries."

Candidates must be under 40, fluent in English, have a diploma, a minimum of two years work experience, a professional aptitude and leadership potential in their field of specialization.

Application centers in all Commonwealth republics and the Baltic states have initiated the program. Each has detailed information and application forms as well as lectures on the application process.

Applications must be submitted by April. Teams of specialists in the United States will select 2,000 finalists who will be given standardized tests in their home countries. Results are to be announced in late June or early July, and some of the students are to begin studies in August.

Recruitment in Russia is being handled by the American Council of Teachers of Russia and the International Research and Exchange Board. They will arrange placement at American universities for scholarship recipients. A complete list of addresses and phone numbers may be obtained from the Library of Foreign Literature.

The scholarship program will pay tuition fees, transportation, and a stipend. The US Congress appropriated 7 million dollars for each of the next two years to fund the program as part of its technical aid and grants to the former Russian republics.

10. The Birth of Writing

In what is now Iraq, the ancient Sumerian people developed a writing system called cuneiform, which used a small edgeshaped instrument to make marks or impressions in soft clay.

Chinese writing began as early as 2000 ВС.

The first real alphabet, in which one written symbol stood for one sound of the language, was developed by the Phoenicians.

Several ancient civilizations developed writing systems. All alphabetic writing has its origin in this Phoenician improvement in writing of about 1100 ВС.

No matter what language one speaks today, the writing system probably began with one of these ancient systems for recording the events of its speakers' lives.

Egyptians used papyrus as far back as 2500 ВС. In the Far East, the Chinese invented a system of writing which used picto-grams, that is simplified representations of familiar objects, peoples and animals.

The earliest known records from the Sumerians date back to 3500 ВС. The Egypt writing called hieroglyphics was recorded on a paper-like material called papyrus.