Innholdsfortegnelse for No. 120 i The Week Junior

On 18 March, Vladimir Putin was re-elected president of Russia for the fourth time. He will be in power for another six years. However, some people say the vote wasn’t fair. Who is Vladimir Putin? Putin is one of Russia’s longest-serving leaders. He was born in Leningrad (today called St Petersburg) and grew up wanting to be a spy. After university, he joined the Russian secret service, the KGB, but he moved into politics in 1996 and became president on New Year’ss Eve 1999. He remained in this role until 2008, when he stepped down and became prime minister (Russia has both a president and a prime minister). He became president again in the 2012 election. Last week’s win means he will be in power until 2024, when he is…

29 March 1981 London runners take off Every year, tens of thousands of athletes descend on the UK’s capital to take part in the 26.2 mile London Marathon. The race was first held on 29 March 1981. Organised by former British Olympian, Chris Brasher, the first marathon cost £100,000 to hold. On the day, 6,700 people turned out, with the youngest runner aged only 15, and the oldest in their 70s. The organisers knew it was a smash hit, and the next year more than 90,000 people applied to take part.…

Earlier this month, husband-and-wife songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez won their second award for Best Original Song at the Oscars ceremony. The first time they’d won this award was in 2014, for their world-famous hit Let It Go from Frozen; this year, the pair bagged it for Remember Me – a song that features in 2017’s acclaimed animated film, Coco. But these aren’t the only awards the couple have won for their catchy tunes. By the age of 39, Robert Lopez had already won two Emmys, a Grammy, an Oscar and three Tony awards for his work in television, film and stage. The Oscars are the biggest awards in films, Emmy awards are for TV shows, the Grammys are for music and songwriting and the Tony Awards are…

Janet Abreu Bird keeper, ZSL London Zoo Most healthy birds will stand on one leg when they are perched – this is called unipedal resting. The main reason is to conserve their energy and to keep warm, which is also why flamingos are seen swapping legs regularly. Some studies have also shown that flamingos are actually better balanced on one leg than two. Do you love animals? ZSL London Zoo’s Junior Zoo Academy is a great way to learn about creatures from all over the world. Find out more at zsl.org/experiences…

When he was 21 years old, Stephen Hawking was diagnosed with ALS, a type of motor neurone disease. Doctors gave him just two years to live, but he defied the odds and lived for a further 55. As far as doctors know, he has survived the condition for longer than anyone else. ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) is an extremely rare condition that affects the nerves that control body movement. More than 5,000 people in the UK live with the disease. It gets worse over time and causes weakness in the muscles. Eventually, people with ALS find it hard to swallow food, walk and even breathe. There is currently no cure, although some treatments have been developed to make life easier. Hawking relied on a…

Chickenpox can be oh so very itchy Luckily, most people only get it once because we become immune to it; our body’s defence system (the immune system) has learnt how to stop it. We’re usually made ill by germs (bacteria or viruses) invading our bodies. This is what happens the first time we get chickenpox – a virus invades our bodies, multiplies and makes us ill. At the same time, our immune system makes antibodies. These cling onto the viruses, highlighting them to our defence system, allowing it to find them, destroy them and stop us feeling ill. Our defence system remembers germs, so if the chickenpox virus invades again, our immune system can produce antibodies fast and the virus can be stopped before it makes us ill. Email questions…

Arsenal Women FC They beat Manchester City Women 1-0 to win the FA Women’s Super League Cup for the fifth time. Warwick School In the English Schools Cup Under-18 final at Twickenham, Warwick School beat Queen Elizabeth Grammar School 29-7 to win the trophy. Ireland rugby union team They beat England 24-15 at Twickenham in the Six Nations to secure the Grand Slam. This is the name given when a team wins all five of their matches in a tournament. Andrea Dovizioso The Italian motorbike rider finished first at the MotoGP event in Qatar. It was the opening race of the 2018 MotoGP season.…

What is your favourite food in the world? Chris: Cheese! And lamb. But not lamb cheese. That sounds weird. Greg: Pizza. No internet or no books? Why? Chris: No internet! Books smell so good. Imagine what the internet would smell like. Yikes. Greg: No internet. We’d survive without it but wouldn’t survive without books. Plus books don’t suffer with buffering problems. If you could only keep five possessions, what would they be? Chris: My laptop, ’cos it’s got Kid Normal 3 on it. Clothes. A sketch pad. A pencil. And some cheese. Greg: My trusty little red notebook, a ball, a bat, some Marmite and a radio.…

The Sims Mobile Android / iOS (Free) It’s 18 years since the first release of The Sims as a computer game. Since then, it’s had different versions for just about anything you can play games on, including smartphones and tablets. Now there is an all-new version, fit for 2018. You start by creating your first Sim character, changing their hair, face, body and name until you’re happy, and then moving them into a house. From then on, you’re in charge of their entire life, from decorating to getting a job and making friends. At first, you’ll be given tasks to show you how the game works, like buying new furniture and chatting to neighbours, but the more you play, the more freedom you get to explore – and even make…

Is beatboxing for me? It’s for anyone who loves music and has a good sense of rhythm. The only equipment you need is your mouth. How do I get started? YouTube is full of video tutorials – just search “how to beatbox”. There’s a good overview here at tinyurl.com/TWJ-beatboxing Where can I see professionals in action? The next UK Beatbox Championships is in November – look at ukbeatboxchampionships.com for info, and check out thebeatboxcollective.com for their upcoming live shows. Learn more… ● Take a look at this article for loads of background info, tips and inspiration for up-and-coming beatboxers tinyurl.com/TWJ-beatboxguide…

“I felt really excited to meet the Minister for School Standards, Nick Gibb, when he visited our school. He is someone in education that is influential and can effect change throughout the education system, especially in PSHE. I was really enthusiastic to talk to the minister about what we already do in school during our PSHE lessons and to ask him which topics and policies are important to him. He also got the chance to sit in during some of our lessons and see how students got involved and what we learn about. Through the minister visiting City of London Academy, I was able to gain insight into how MPs work together to get the best for us. It was also a chance for students to share their views and…

Teacher’s name: Miss Kelly School: Roger Ascham Primary School, London “Miss Kelly gives us interesting homework and not a list of calculations! English is really fun, especially when we write play scripts because we can act them out. She is the best Year 5 teacher we ever had and we are very lucky to have her. Miss Kelly is the best teacher in the world!” Sharifa, Georgina, Marli and Sakinah, 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 of your teacher and your school’s full name and address, to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

When police pulled over a car in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, and asked to see the driver’s licence, they didn’t expect to be handed one belonging to the cartoon character, Homer Simpson. It was in Homer’s name and showed a picture of the character with his signature and his address. When police shared a photo of the licence on social media, fans of The Simpsons were quick to point out that the address was incorrect. It said 28 Springfield Way, USA, but Springfield is in fact the name of the town where the fictional family live, not the road. Carrying a fake driving licence is illegal, and the driver is due to be sentenced in court. Doh! DOH! In one episode of The Simpsons , Homer designs his…

Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, has been giving people the creeps. A glitch in its Echo and Dot devices has led to Alexa letting out a “witch-like” cackle. One person tweeted: “Lying in bed about to fall asleep when Alexa on my Amazon Echo Dot lets out a very loud and creepy laugh.” “In rare circumstances, Alexa can mistakenly hear the phrase ’Alexa, laugh’,” said a spokesperson for the company. Amazon is working to fix the problem.…

On 20 March, 23 Russian officials working in London left the UK because of the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury. The spy, Sergei Skripal, and his daughter, Yulia, have been in hospital since being attacked on 4 March. Scientists suspect they were deliberately poisoned with a dangerous toxin called a nerve agent. The UK said it was “highly likely” that Russia was to blame and ordered the Russian officials to leave as punishment. The European Union said Russia should answer questions about the poisoning. However, Russia refused and said the accusation was “nonsense”. In return, Russia ordered 23 UK officials to leave Moscow.…

MARMALADE LOVERS On 17 March, hundreds of people gathered for the Marmalade Festival in Penrith, Cumbria, where around 2,700 homemade fruit preserves from more than 30 countries were tried and tested. The winning entry was a“zesty and fresh” marmalade made by Janice Miners from Cornwall. A WILD ELEPHANT Forest guards from the Indian state of Uttarakhand stopped a wild elephant from drowning, after it was spotted struggling against strong river currents. Guards diverted the water to drop the river level and allow the elephant to swim to safety. A JET-SETTING POOCH A dog, mistakenly flown to Japan by a US airline, has been reunited with his owners. Irgo, the 10-year-old German shepherd, was returned home after a 48-hour – and 11,000 mile – long trip. The family had been moving…

Free water refills A trial scheme offering free tap-water refills is set to launch in London. It is hoped that the scheme will encourage people to carry reusable bottles. The Refill scheme began in Bristol and aims to have free refills available all over the UK by 2021. Find out more at refill.org.uk Giant pandas Edinburgh Zoo’s giant-panda breeding programme has been put on hold. Female panda, Tian Tian, arrived at the zoo in 2011 but has so far failed to have a cub. A zoo spokesperson said that they want to “further assess the incredibly complex and unpredictable breeding process”.…

Easter is one of the most important Christian festivals. It also appeals to people with a sweet tooth. Last year, people in the UK ate more Easter treats and sweets per person than any other country, spending £374 million on them over the holiday period. Is chocolate addictive? Science suggests there really is such a thing as being a chocoholic. Chocolate has been found to contain chemicals that produce feelings of pleasure. Our brains have evolved to recognise and seek rewards, so our positive experience of eating chocolate – which is strengthened the more we have – can lead to cravings that urge us to take just one more piece... and another... and another. Many manufacturers add sugar to cocoa to make their chocolate taste sweeter. Sugar is widely considered…

Professor Hawking didn’t just want scientists or students to read his work, he wanted everyone to enjoy the wonders of the universe. When he first proposed the idea of A Brief History of Time – a science book that would appeal to everyone – he was told there was no chance people who weren’t scientists would buy it. The book went on to sell more than 10 million copies around the world. Hawking also wrote a series of children’s books along with his daughter, Lucy. The first, George’s Secret Key to the Universe, was published in 2007. It features Cosmos, the world’s most powerful computer. In 2015, Hawking used science to soothe the emotions of One Direction fans when Zayn Malik left the band. He said, “My advice to any…

River bank People throw money from a bridge for luck, at a folk festival in China. Standing to attention 103-year-old John Harrison on HMS Belfast, where he once worked. Leaf it to them Girls dressed up for St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Dublin, Ireland. Mucky racers Competitors take part in the Mud Run, a six-mile race in Tel Aviv, Israel. Virtual learning Pupils try out virtual reality at school in China. Alien invasion Not really – a laser show lit up London’s sky. Shake your tail feathers A peacock showed off his plumage at the perfect time for this snap taken in India. Game over The Winter Paralympic Games closing ceremony, in South Korea.…

Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts by Katie and Kevin Tsang. Illustrated by Nathan Reed (Egmont UK) After a trip to the Space Museum goes horribly wrong, Sam Wu is determined to prove to everyone that he’s NOT a scaredy-cat. He sets out to track down the ghost that seems to be haunting his house. This is the first book in a great new series starring Sam. Evie’s Ghost by Helen Peters (Nosy Crow) In this time-slip story, Evie isn’t pleased about going to stay in a creepy old house in the middle of nowhere. She’s far away from her friends and she doesn’t even have any phone signal. Things get worse when she sees a ghostly figure. She rushes out into the corridor – and is shocked to…

Travelling faster than the speed of light is something that scientists and science-fiction writers have dreamt about for a long time. In theory, if humans were able to do this, they could travel to far-flung planets in a matter of minutes. In Madeleine L’Engle’s novel, A Wrinkle in Time, the idea goes one step further: instead of travelling at great speeds, she proposes a theory that allows humans to travel through a fifth dimension. This means that you could get from Earth to another planet in a distant galaxy almost instantly. First published in 1962, L’Engle’s novel has captured the imaginations of young science-fiction fans all over the world for decades – and now it has been turned into a film. The story follows 13-year-old Meg Murry, played by Storm…

Mulan (1998) DVD, Disney Life, iTunes, Amazon, Sky People don’t think of the late 1990s as a classic period for Disney animation, but some of the films it released around that time prove this theory wrong. Chief among them is the excellent Mulan, in which Disney told the Chinese legend of the title character, a girl who disguises herself as a man to try to protect her father. It was groundbreaking for the studio, too, requiring lots of extra development software to weave in digital effects alongside the traditional hand-drawn animation. The film was a box-office success, although its straight-to-DVD sequel – Mulan II – wasn’t as popular. BACK AGAIN A live-action remake of Mulan is due to be released in 2020.…

Beast Quest PS4 / Xbox One / PC The Beast Quest books have sold more than 18 million copies since the first one came out in 2007. Now the monstrous series is coming to consoles and computers. Playing as Tom from the books, your job is to save the land of Avantia from some dark magic cast by evil wizard Malvel, while rescuing some of its giant beasts. The game is an adventure that has you exploring Avantia, fighting monsters, finding treasure and making Tom more powerful, ready for the tougher battles later on. It’s especially fun for anyone who enjoys the books. The bundle includes: ● 1 Beast Quest console game ● 5 Books – the latest series and a new special book ● 1 Beast Quest poster (A3)…

Some friends of mine are brilliant at beatboxing so I thought it would be cool to try it. I learned the different sounds from YouTube, then I started beatboxing to music videos online. Anyone can beatbox because you make your own sounds. You can beatbox to your favourite songs. I love it because you can do it any time – in private or with friends. You don’t need a specific instrument and it’s fun, and free – although after you’ve done it for a while your mouth feels weird and tired. CELEBRITY INSPIRATION Justin Bieber, Cara Delevingne, Liam Payne and Emma Watson have all tried their hand at beatboxing. Look them up online with the word beatboxing to see how they got on.…

It might not feel like it at the moment, but summer is officially on its way. British Summer Time begins on Sunday 25 March when, at 1am, the clocks are turned forward by an hour. This annual event began in 1916, during the First World War – it was introduced to give people more daylight and to help save fuel because the evenings would be lighter for longer. The clocks will stay at this time until 28 October at 2am, when they will be turned back again. An easy way to remember whether clocks should be turned forward or back is to remember that they spring forward in the spring and fall (like the leaves) back in the autumn. Make sure you’ve reset the time on your alarm clock –…

Have you ever made your own video game? Or have an idea for a game that you’re not sure how to build? British arts charity, Bafta, is here to help. Bafta’s Young Game Designers competition provides people aged between 10 and 18 with the chance to experience the world of game making. If you have an original idea for a brand new video game, then enter the Game Concept Award. The winner will meet top gaming experts to help turn the idea into reality. If you’ve already got a working prototype, the Game Making Award is the one for you. The winner will receive help to develop and improve their game. To enter before the 25 April deadline, head to ygd.bafta.org/competition GET INVOLVED Email your news, viewsandpictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

Follow The Week Junior on Popjam@TheWeekJunior. You can download the free Popjam app from the App Store or Google Play. Conservationists believe that jaguars in South America are being killed for their fangs and sold in China. You said… “That isn’t right. This world has gone mad!” @Orangutan_in_disguise “That’s awful” @panda123panda “What are they even going to do with fangs?” @treefairy “Why would people do that?” @bowlol11 Cornwall and Devon have very different views on the order in which clotted cream and jam should be smeared onto a scone. You said… “Sorry Devon... I’m jam first” @aquapenguin123 “I’m team Cornwall on this one” @impossiblenose2661 “It doesn’t matter. People like different things. If everyone was the same life would be boring” @WooWoo1 Tell us what you think of this week’s issue.…

The island of Hong Kong is a densely populated metropolis, crammed with skyscrapers – but this wasn’t always the case. Before it was built over, the island was covered with lush jungles and amazing wildlife, including the ferocious South China tiger. Now, it looks as if tigers could be back, after a visitor to a country park called the police in a panic, convinced that they had seen one. But have tigers really returned to Hong Kong, or is this rubbish?*…

1In total, how many medals did the UK win at this year’s Winter Paralympic Games? a) Two b) Four c) Seven 2True or false? Up to £26 million will be used to support school breakfast clubs across England. 3How many teddy bears did Berlin school children display in support of Syrian child refugees? 4What percentage of the world’s countries eat insects? a) 18% b) 60% c) 80% 5For which song from the film Cocodid Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez win an Oscar? 6What is the name of Edinburgh Zoo’s female panda? a) Yang Guang b) Tian Tian c) Chi Chi 7True or false? Chocolate is made from grains. 8In which of these TV shows has Stephen Hawking NOT starred? a) The Simpsons b) The Big Bang Theory c) Teenage Mutant…

Here are a few simple tips to help prevent the spread of disease among the birds that visit your feeder: Don’t overfill your feeder. This way the container will be emptied every few days by the birds, which means that the food won’t get stale. Regularly clean and disinfect bird feeders to remove any droppings that may have been left behind by your visitors. Offer a variety of foods and frequently change the spot where you keep the bird feeder. Moving it around will reduce the chance of waste food or droppings collecting in the same place.…

1 Growing the beans Chocolate actually comes from small beans, known as cocoa beans, which are found in oval-shaped fruits called pods. These pods grow on trees in countries near the equator – especially countries in Africa and Central and South America. 2 Harvesting the beans When the pods are ripe, they are hand-picked and cracked open. 3 Fermenting the beans The beans, which are covered in a white pulp, are scooped out and fermented (an eight-day process that drains the pulp away). 4 Drying the beans The beans are now laid out in the sun on mats to dry. Next, they are shipped to chocolate manufacturers, whose job it is to turn the beans into bars. 5 Roasting and crushing The beans are roasted for up to 35 minutes…

When Liv Cooke was younger she loved watching footballers on YouTube doing tricks. Fast forward a few years and the 18-year-old is now the football freestyle world champion. She also appears in a new Uefa video encouraging girls to get involved with the game. Uefa is the group that runs football in Europe. For its Play Anywhere campaign, Cooke was filmed performing tricks with a ball in unusual places. These included a ski lift in Switzerland and on top of a fishing boat in Norway. “It is an absolute honour to be involved,” Cooke told The Week Junior. “We filmed in 13 places in five countries. I really enjoyed doing tricks and meeting football fans and players.” Cooke, who comes from Lancashire in England, was joined by eight professional players…

Since he became Kid Normal, Murph Cooper and his friends the Super Zeroes have been catching baddies and fighting crime, but being in charge of a superhero team isn’t easy – especially when you still have to go to school, and keep your hero adventures secret from your mum. Somehow, Murph is managing to keep it all together... at least until the world’s most notorious supervillain breaks a 30-year silence. His first words? “Bring Kid Normal to me!” Full of hilarious high jinks, crazy capers and dastardly villains, the second book is just as fun-filled as the first. If you’re a fan of superheroes, then you’ll enjoy this adventure from DJs Greg James and Chris Smith, which is brought to life by illustrations from Erica Salcedo. WIN!  We’re giving away…

Lego DC Super Heroes: The Flash Available on DVD from 26 March In this animated adventure, The Flash gets caught up in a time loop that has him living the same day over and over – while the Justice League are trying to take down the evil Joker. Will The Flash be able to escape his time loop in time to help his fellow heroes? RAF at 100 with Ewan and Colin McGregor 8.30pm on 25 March, BBC One To mark 100 years of the Royal Air Force (RAF), actor Ewan McGregor has teamed up with his brother Colin, a former RAF pilot, to explore some of its most famous planes. The pair will also uncover stories of outstanding bravery. 2018 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 10.30am on 25 March, Nickelodeon…

Beatboxers mimic the beats of a drum machine using their mouth, lips, tongue and voice. When you hear them in full flow it sounds impressive, but it’s surprisingly easy to learn the basics. With roots in New York City’s hip-hop culture of the 1980s, beatbox became a global phenomenon and now it is growing faster than ever. Lots of people start beatboxing to hip-hop tracks, but you can have a go with any kind of music you like. As MC Zani from UK beatboxing champions The Beatbox Collective says, “It’s any sound, it’s any genre of music, it’s whatever you want to do because the voice is limitless so you can take it to wherever you want to take it.” The basic sounds replicate the kick drum (or bass drum),…

What you need ● The top of a disposable bottle ● Glue gun ● An old CD or DVD ● Balloon Instructions Wash out and dry the lid of a disposable bottle – the type that you push in and out to stop the water flow (these are sometimes called sports caps). Heat up the glue gun, then get your old CD or DVD and turn it so that the side with nothing printed on it is facing up. Cover the bottom edge of the lid with glue and stick it to the centre of the disc, covering the hole in the middle. Make sure the lid is stuck on securely and there are no air holes, then leave it to dry. Put the lid to the closed position, then…

Cat Action Trust Since 1975, Cat Action Trust has worked to help the UK’s feral cats – domestic cats living wild after getting lost or being abandoned. Feral cats multiply fast: females have as many as 120 kittens in a lifetime. They are often scared of humans and live wherever they can find food. This can lead to their being collected and killed by pest control. The charity helps control the population by catching and neutering (which means they can’t have kittens). Cats are then either returned to the wild, relocated or given new homes. Visit catactiontrust.org.uk to find out more.…