Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 108 i The Week Junior

Last week it was announced that the Walt Disney Company was buying a large part of another company, called 21st Century Fox, for £39 billion. This means that most of 21st Century Fox’s TV and film studios, which make The Simpsons and X-Men among other things, will now be in Disney’s hands. What is 21st Century Fox? 21st Century Fox was formed from a bigger company, owned by businessman Rupert Murdoch, called News Corporation. This company owned magazines and newspapers such as The Sun and The Times, music companies, radio stations and the 20th Century Fox film and TV studios. However, in 2013, Murdoch decided to split the company in two. The newspapers and magazines were put together in a company called News Corp and the entertainment parts became 21st…

RECEIVING A SPECIAL BADGE The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, have been awarded a Gold Blue Peter badge for spreading awareness of mental-health issues. Gold badges are the rarest of all the Blue Peter badges and Kate said receiving one was a“huge honour”. RAISING MONEY FOR CHARITY On 10 December, around 300 festively dressed dogs descended on Battersea Park in London to break the world record for the most dogs wearing Christmas jumpers. The cute canines helped raise lots of money for the charity, Save the Children. A BRILLIANT GOAL Sixteen-year-old midfielder Harry Cochrane became Man of the Match on 17 December after his team, Hearts, beat Celtic 4-0. The young footballer was the first to score in the game, which ended Celtic’s Scottish record-setting run of…

A lot can happen in 12 months. Read on discover some of the good and bad news stories from the natural world that The Week Junior has reported on this year. Good year for… Solar energy In June we reported that the Chinese government had switched on the world’s largest floating solar farm, on a lake in Huainan, central China. Solar farms are places where lots of solar panels are used to soak up the Sun’s rays and generate electricity. Using this type of renewable energy reduces our reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil, which which cause cause pollution pollution and and will will one one day day run run out out.. Clever Clever cats cats Dogs are thought of as intelligent creatures, able to assist…

Chilling out Six-month-old Xiang Xiang relaxes in a tree before meeting the public at a zoo in Tokyo, Japan. Larger than life This fish forms part of an outdoor Water Theatre in Tongxiang, China. Giant helper A man clears snow from a rooftop in a miniature village in Cumbria. Knock it for six A little snow isn’t enough to put these men off their game in Kabul, Afghanistan. Tuck shop A snack bar in a garden in Staffordshire helps birds out during the icy winter months. Monkeying around A couple of squirrel monkeys unwrap their presents at London Zoo. Santa race Traditional ferrymen, called gondolieri, dress as Santa for an annual race in Venice, Italy.…

Almost 55 years ago, the Doctor strode onto our TV screens for the very first time. From his fiddling with sonic screwdrivers to travelling through time and space in the Tardis, the Doctor has become one of the nation’s best-loved characters. Doctor Who was thought up in 1962. The BBC needed a family television series for Saturday evenings and battles against aliens had proved popular in the past. The first episode – An UnEarthly Child – was broadcast at 5.15pm on 23 November 1963. The first Doctor was played by William Hartnell, and the original Time Lord was accompanied on his first adventure by a pair of schoolteachers and his granddaughter, Susan. The first series was a success and paved the way for many more. Over the years, although his…

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Nintendo Switch / Wii U Nearly nine months after its release, the latest Legend of Zelda is still the most captivating game of 2017, with lots of players, hours of gameplay and new secrets to discover. The open-world game sends you wandering across the land of Hyrule, fighting monsters and solving puzzles. The scenery is breathtaking – players travel through fields and forests, as well as climbing the odd mountain to savour the beautiful views. To complete the game you will have to rescue giant divine beasts before tackling a demon called Ganon.…

One of the most famous fictional Christmas characters is Ebenezer Scrooge, created by author Charles Dickens for his novel A Christmas Carol in 1843. The character has inspired many writers and artists, and this Christmas, illustrator Tony Ross added his drawings to a new telling of the story called Bah! Humbug!. Here he explains how you can draw your own version of schoolboy Harry Harry from from the the book book,, dressed dressed up up as as mean mean old old Scrooge Sc . CHRISTMAS CLASSIC! Bah! Humbug! , a magical retelling of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol , is on sale now. It’s written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Tony Ross. Fold Folld napkins nappkins into in fans What What yyou need Paper napkins…

“The Big Debate Workshop was one of the most amazing workshops I’ve ever been to! It was engaging, with fun activities and we learnt loads about debating. The day after the workshop, we asked the students who attended what they thought about it and all of the feedback was really positive. There were words like “engaging”, “fun”, “communicational” and even “really exciting”. I think it gave us a chance to learn to debate, which is a really important part of some jobs and it also helps open up our minds and use our voices to communicate and share our opinions. Overall, we all enjoyed it and would like to have more debates and workshops from The Week Junior and the English-Speaking Union. We loved debating and “arguing” with each other.…

Follow The Week Junior on Popjam @TheWeekJunior You can download the free Popjam app from the App Store or GooglePlay. Last week we wrote about the premiere for the new Star Wars film, The Last Jedi. You said... “I can’t wait to watch it. It sounds like a great movie!” @simple18 “Wow! I wonder how many stars were there?” @chatteringsheep437 “I love Star Wars!” @stanrocks100 Animal-rights groups are concerned for reindeer used at Christmas attractions. We asked how ow you you felt about it..... “It’s cruel –– no no animal should uld be held captive ptive”” @warmstrawberry ry “They have to have reindeers at Christmas because it is literally the only time we see them, speak about them or hear them” @xxDanceGalxx123 “I don’t think they should, it’s unfair. Why…

This Christmas, you might be lucky enough to be going to a pantomime. The dramatic storylines, bright scenery and costumes, along with lots of singing and dancing, mean that pantomimes are loved by people of all ages. There are well-known jokes and if you’ve been to a pantomime before, you’ll be expecting them. You will probably also get to join in with the rest of the audience, shouting, “It’s behind you!” or, “Oh no, it isn’t!” We now think of pantomime as a traditional part of Christmas, and going to the pantomime during the festive season is the first time many of us experience the pleasure and excitement of watching a live performance. However, did you know that pantomime actually originated in Europe, hundreds of years ago? Once upon a…

Adam Peaty The 22-year-old picked up golds in the 50-metre and 100-metre breaststroke at the World Aquatic Championships. He broke his own world record twice in the same day. England U-20 & U-17 teams The Under-20s and Under-17s football teams won their first ever World Cups in June and October. England women’s cricket team At the World Cup final at Lord’s in London, they beat India to win the trophy for the fourth time. England’s Tammy Beaumont was named player of the tournament. Hannah Cockroft At the World Para Athletics Championships, the 25-year-old won gold in the 100-metre, 400-metre and 800-metre wheelchair races in her category. Lewis Hamilton Hamilton won his fourth Formula One world title, making the Mercedes driver the most successful in British F1 history. Hamilton also set…

Ratburger 6pm on Christmas Eve, Sky One and Now TV Grandpa’s Great Escape 6.55pm on New Year’s Day, BBC One Ratburger tells the tale of Zoe and her new rat friend. She enters her dancing rat into the school talent contest but school burger van owner Burt has other ideas, which involve a mincer. Eek! Based on the bestselling book by David Walliams (who also stars in the show), the adaptation has been described as “hilarious, gruesome and warm-hearted”. If you want another Walliams fix, Grandpa’s Great Escape follows the adventures of Grandpa, a Second World War flying ace who moves into an old people’s home, only to discover that all is not as it seems. The Great Christmas Bake Off 7.40pm on Christmas Day, Channel 4 Watch as four…

So what are you going to be doing on Christmas Day? Unwrapping presents? Eating a big dinner? Watching the Doctor Who Christmas special? While you’re relaxing, spare a thought for all the people who don’’tt get a day off for Christmas – there are more than a million of them! These include members of the emergency services such as doctors, firefighters, lifeboat crew, nurses and police, as well as people who work in care homes looking after the elderly, chefs, cleaners, hotel staff, journalists, pilots and taxi drivers. Among them will be Patricia Aldridge, a care-home worker who recently won £1 million. She’ll be doing a 12-hour shift and told reporters that she has no intention of giving up her job, despite becoming a millionaire, saying…

Coram Voices 2018 For the third year running, Coram Voice has opened its national writing competition for children in care and young care leavers, called Voices. Coram Voice is a charity dedicated to providing a range of services to children and young people involved in the care system. This year, Coram Voice is encouraging all ages to write about “Who or what makes you proud”. It could be the way in which you’ve coped with moving to a new school or perhaps a foster carer or social worker who has helped you. It can be written as a rap, a poem or a short story – the choice is yours! Head to coramvoice.org.uk/voices-2018 to discover how to enter before the 8 February deadline. GET INVOLVED Email your news, viewsandpictures to…

Most people are perfectly satisfied with a tree, tinsel and twinkly lights, but one man in Bargoed, Wales, has taken his Christmas decorating one step further by covering the walls of his living room with tinfoil. Carl Jones, a 46-year-old ambulance driver, explained that it only takes him two hours to put up his Christmas decorations and it costs under £20. After pictures of his scenic silvery room went viral, he said, “I love it – it’s all a bit of fun... My daughter thinks I’m a superstar.” Tinfoil company Bacofoil has sent Jones a hamper filled with Bacofoil-branded goods, and, you’ve guessed it, lots of rolls of tinfoil. DID YOU KNOW? The same material used to make tinfoil is used in aircraft, drinks cans and smartphones.…

Do you know the Christmas carol The Twelve Days Days of of Christmas Christmas,, which which features features ““aa partridge partridge in in a a pear pear tree tree””?? The The history history of of the the word word partridge partridge may may make make you you smile smile.. It It comes comes from from a a Greek Greek term term meaning meaning to to fart fart.. It It seems seems that that the the whirring whirring sound sound made made by by the the wings wings of of a a partridge partridge when when it it is is startled startled into into flight flight reminded reminded the the ancient ancient Greeks Greeks of of someone someone breaking breaking wind wind..…

There are more than 20,000 firefighters working across the UK, staffing around 1,500 fire stations. At Christmas, each and every one of these fire stations stays open, ready to provide the same service as on every other day of the year. Jamie Pecks is a crew commander with the Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service. He’s stationed at Droitwich Spa, and for the last five years, he’s had to work through Christmas. “The worst thing is being away from family,” he says. It’s not as miserable as you might think, though. “In the fire service, it’s a bit of an extended family. Because you work quite closely together as a unit, teamwork is a big part of it.” For Pecks, this means that although he might be spending Christmas…

Have you been busy buying Christmas presents with your family? Perhaps your parents are tearing their hair out because they can’t decide what to buy for a relative who has everything? Help could now be at hand. Scientists from Carnegie Mellon University and Indiana University in the US have been busy reviewing decades of research on how people think when they give and receive presents. They have found that there’s a big difference in expectations between the person who is giving the present, and the person who’s receiving it. As givers, when we buy a present, we’re thinking about the moment when it is opened on Christmas Day. The reaction we hope for is an exclamation of “Wow! How did you know?” as the recipient jumps up and down with…

The Girl of Ink & Stars  by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Chicken House) Isabella is the daughter of a map maker, living on a island whose inhabitants are banned from venturing beyond the township where they live. When her best friend Lupe runs away into the forbidden forest, Isabella goes after her, armed with one of her father’s maps. Can she navigate her way through perilous, unknown lands and find Lupe? This is a magical tale of friendship and adventure. by by David Long. Illustrated by Kerry Hyndman Survivors ((Fabe Faber Children’s Books) Discover Dis some incredible true-life stories of ext extreme survival. The amazing tales in this illustrated illu book include famous exploits like Ernest Shackleton’s journey to Antarctica, and some less familiar tales – including the story of a…

Christmas Sweeper 3 Android / iOS (Free) Candy Crush Saga is still one ne of the most popular puzzle games for smartphones, but ut do you think it could be a bit more, well, Christmassy sy?? The developers of Christmass Sweeper 3 certainly think soo.. It’s a free puzzler that’s a lot like Candy Crush, except you’’re re swapping Christmas trees, baubles and bells instead of sweets (or candies, as they say ay in the US). You solve each level by making matches of three or more items of the same colourr by swapping ones that are next to each other. To help, there are power-ups like bombs, which you double-tap to blow up the surrounding items. Each level brings its own challenges, andd like other puzzlers it gets et…

FareShare Every year, around 270,000 tonnes of perfectly edible food goes to waste in the UK. It is thrown away because of labelling errors, because too much has been grown or it has a short shelf life. FareShare aims to tackle this food-waste problem by redistributing the fresh, in-date, edible food to charities and community groups who turn it into tasty meals for vulnerable people across the country. This includes homeless shelters, lunch clubs for older people and children’s breakfast clubs. To find out more, visit fareshare.org.uk…

Teacher: Miss Carlmark School: Queen’s College Preparatory School, London Miss Carlmark is the best form teacher I have ever met, and she teaches the most wonderful subjects. Even if you don’t like a subject, she makes it fun. I don’t like Mondays because she doesn’t teach our class that day. Our hearts are breaking as she is leaving to go back to Australia as her old school won’t wait any longer for her. I can see why! She is passionate, always smiling and cares a lot about each and every one of us. We will miss her so much. Lily, Year 5 If we pick your teacher as Teacher of the Week, we’ll send your school three free issues of The Week Junior. Send your nominations, along with a picture…

HowmuchdidtheWalt Disney Company agree to pay for 21st Century Fox? a) £13 billion b) £39 billion c) £93 billion WhichprizedidSirMo Farah receive on 17 December? Wheredidtheworlds first camel hospital recently open? a) Dubai b) Düsseldorf c) Dundee TrueorfalseOn average, Britain spends 55% more on Christmas presents than other European countries. WhatdoesfirefighterJamiePecks say is a common cause of fires at Christmas? Thekiwiisthenational bird of which country? a) The Netherlands b) Norway c) New Zealand Towhichcenturycanpantomimes be traced back? TrueorfalseChristmas crackers were invented by a man named Thomas Crackerman. Wheredidanannualrace, in which traditional ferryman known as gondolieri dress as Santa, recently take place? Howmanygoldmedalsdid Hannah Cockroft win in her category at the World Para Athletics Championships? a) One b) Three c) Five…