Innholdsfortegnelse for 190 i The Week Junior

On 25 July, temperatures in the UK and across Europe reached record highs when large parts of the continent were affected by a serious heatwave. What happened in Europe? Many European countries experienced their hottest days on record. In the French capital, Paris, temperatures soared to a sweltering 42.6° C, breaking the previous high of 40.7° C, which was set in 1947. The German town of Lingen set a national record with 42.6° C, and in the Netherlands temperatures climbed higher than 40° C for the first time. The continent experienced high temperatures because of hot air moving north from Africa, but it wasn’t just Europe that was affected by the sizzling heatwave. The hot air reached the Arctic Circle, sparking wildfires in parts of Greenland, Russia and the US…

On 26–28 July, the first ever Fortnite World Cup was held in New York, in the US, offering the best players in the world a chance to show off their skills on the world-famous video game. The winner of the solo competition, 16-year-old Kyle Giersdorf from the US, won £2.4 million. The winners of the duos competition, David Wang from Austria and Emil Bergquist Pedersen from Norway, also won £2.4 million. Jaden Ashman, a 15-year-old from London, came second in the duos event and will share £1.8 million with his teammate Dave Jong. Around £24 million of prize money was on offer, which is the largest amount in esports history. Esports is the competitive playing of video games. Fortnite is a video game in which 100 players are parachuted onto…

More than two million children in the UK have been living in poverty for at least two out of the past three years, according to a new study. Research shows that 14.3 million people live in poverty in the UK, meaning that once they have paid the costs of their housing, heating and childcare, they have less money left over compared to the amount the average UK family has. A group called the Social Metrics Commission (SMC), which measures poverty in the UK, has been looking at the issue for three years and uses information to track how the situation has changed. Of the 14.3 million people now living in poverty, a third of them are in deep poverty. This means they have less than 50% of the money the…

Anew study shows that apes, just like humans, enjoy watching films together. Scientists from Duke University in the US looked at how chimpanzees reacted after being shown a film, and found that they spent more time together afterwards. The results suggest apes get a similar positive feeling to the one we get when watching a TV programme or film together. “We thought that this kind of connecting through shared experiences was uniquely human,” researcher Wouter Wolf told The Guardian newspaper. Chimps at a reserve in Uganda were given fruit drinks to encourage them to stay in the same place, while eye-tracking technology made sure they were actually watching the screen. To keep their attention, researchers chose a film they knew was a hit with other apes – a minute-long clip…

SEAL SCIENTISTS AND EERIE EYES Just what is this Weddell seal up to in its high-tech headgear? Where on Earth can you find an eye that’s 25 miles wide? And just how tall can skyscrapers get? Find out the answers to all these questions and more in the latest issue of Science+Nature, on sale now. In this issue we also meet the urban animals who call our cities home, go behind the scenes at an amazing exhibition where science meets art, and learn how to make a square bubble. Grab your copy now! VISIT sciencenature.theweekjunior.cco.uk THE WEEK JUNIORSUBSCRIBERS GET AN EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT. CALL 0330 333 9494 TO CLAIM!…

On 3 August, the 2019 National Eisteddfod festival begins in Llanrwst, in north Wales. Eisteddfod is held in the first week of August every year and is a celebration of Welsh culture and language. Each year, it is hosted in a different part of the country. The festival is based around a series of art competitions, with prizes for dance, drama, music and poetry. The word Eisteddfod means a sitting in Welsh, and the first festival was held back in 1176. That was when Lord Rhys invited musicians and poets from across Wales to perform at his castle in Cardigan. The best musician and poet were awarded with a seat at his table. Eisteddfod festivals were then held throughout Wales by other noblemen. In 1880, the National Eisteddfod Association was…

Twenty-six story books have been written at Woodlands Pupil Referral Unit as part of a pop-up literature festival for schools. They are now on display for people to read, enjoy and use to get ideas for their own stories. It was in the summer term when pupils at Woodlands wrote adventure stories. They began by reading stories like Pigsticks and Harold and the Incredible Journey and Rastamouse and Da Bag-a Bling. Then pupils created their own stories, inventing new characters and sending them on adventures. “We learned about how to create suspense and use descriptive language to write our stories.” explained Daniyal, aged eight. The children also had the chance to meet some grown-up authors. “It was fantastic meeting Alex Milway because he showed me how to draw Pigsticks and…

We’d love to see your snaps. Send them to us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Don’t forget to tell us why you took them. “We raised £82 for Cancer Research selling toys, drinks and home-baked goods on one of the hottest days of summer.” Isobel, Rufus, Ffion, Isabella, Dexter and Max “I made fruit chocolate dip. You mix greek yoghurt and chocolate spread and serve it with fruit. Enjoy!” Josiah “Thank you! I love my watch and I love Charlie Noon. The best thing about my prize is that my brother and sister do not have a cool watch like mine!” Jeevan…

Dino goes on the run in Plymouth Police officers in Plymouth have released footage of a car chase involving an unusual suspect: a dinosaur. Or, as closer inspection shows, a person dressed in an inflatable costume. The police officers were driving through the city when they spotted the person, and can be heard laughing about it. Referring to the fast pace of the dinosaur, one officer joked, “It makes you wonder how they became extinct.” Tiger found napping in family’s house An exhausted tiger has been found napping inside a house in Assam, north-east India. The animal had escaped heavy flooding in Kaziranga National Park and decided the house was a good place to shelter. The alarmed family left as soon as they spotted the sleepy guest, and called the…

On 28 July, a cooling tower at Ferrybridge C power station in West Yorkshire was demolished. A cooling tower is a large, round building that is used to cool water from power stations. This was the first step in a planned demolition of the whole site; four other cooling towers will be knocked down in October. The power plant produced electricity for more than 50 years before it was closed in March. At its peak it supplied energy to almost two million people.…

France Huge dinosaur bone discovered Palaeontologists (scientists who study fossils) in France have found a huge dinosaur thigh bone. The bone is two metres long and is believed to have come from a sauropod – a type of plant-eating dinosaur with a long neck and tail. Sauropods lived during the Jurassic era around 140 million years ago. The bone was found at a dig site in Angeac-Charente, in south-west France. More than 7,500 fossils from 40 different species have been discovered there since 2010. US/Mexico border Children play on seesaws at border Young people living in Mexico and the US have been playing together on pink seesaws that were recently installed across the border. Designed by two university professors, the seesaws allow children to communicate through the steel fence. The…

If you live near the coast, are taking a seaside holiday or even just plan to take a beach trip this summer, then perhaps you could help the Wildlife Trusts with their Shoresearch 2019 project. The Wildlife Trusts are a collection of charities across the country that are dedicated to protecting the UK’s wildlife through practical schemes and citizen science projects – where members of the public help scientists gather information. Shoresearch is a national survey of wildlife along the seashore, and the Wildlife Trusts are looking for volunteers to help them record the animals and plants to be found around the country’s coastline. Through these surveys, they can see whether the population numbers and locations of different animals are changing. These results can then be used to keep track…

Ever since he appeared in Wendy Darling’s room searching for his lost shadow, Peter Pan has captivated bookworms and audiences around the world. The magical character was created by Scottish author J.M. Barrie, and this year marks an important anniversary in the history of the much-loved story. How did J.M. Barrie create the story? J.M. Barrie was born in Kirriemuir, in Scotland, but moved to London to become a writer in 1885. Twelve years later, he became friends with Sylvia Llewelyn Davies and her five sons: George, Jack, Michael, Nico and Peter. He enjoyed telling the boys stories and made up the character of Peter Pan to entertain them. He said Pan was based on all the boys, telling them, “That is all Peter is – the spark I got…

The Crowning Ceremony This ceremony awards a crown to the poet who has written the best free-verse poem. These are poems that don’t rhyme or follow any particular patterns. This popular ceremony usually takes place on the Monday afternoon. The Prose Medal Ceremony This medal is awarded to the best writer of prose, which is any form of writing other than poetry. The ceremony works like the Crowning Ceremony, and the winner’s identity is kept completely secret until it has been announced by the Archdruid. The Chairing Ceremony Taking place on Friday afternoon, this is the final ceremony of the week, when a poet is awarded the Eisteddfod Chair for writing the best poem that follows a strict pattern. This ceremony is seen by many as the highlight of the…

A survey asking young people which jobs they’d like when they’re older has sparked a debate, because the survey revealed that being a YouTuber was far more popular than being an astronaut. A thousand eight to 12-year-olds in the UK and US were given a choice of five jobs they would most like to have as their career. Being a vlogger or YouTuber was picked by 30% of young people in the UK and 29% in the US, which made it the most popular answer. In the UK, it was followed by teacher (25%), professional athlete (21%), musician (18%) and astronaut (11%). The order was the same in the US, but when 1,000 people in China were asked the same question, astronaut came top; 56% of those young people chose…

What you need ● Water ● Ice-cube tray ● Food colouring ● Freezer Instructions It’s important to drink lots of water in hot weather, but that doesn’t mean your drinks can’t be fun. Pour some water into the ice-cube tray and drip in some food colouring. The more you add, the darker the ice cubes will be. Leave the tray in the freezer for a few hours, until the cubes are solid. The ice can be used to brighten up drinks, but the cubes can help make arty creations too. Rubbing them over thick paper or cardboard will leave eye-catching trails of dye. Got an idea? Made something cool? Share it with us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

An increasing number of snails are being “milked” for their slime in Thailand by farmers. Over the past three years, the slime of African giant snails has become worth more than gold, because people believe that it has ingredients that can improve skin. Snail farmers buy the slippery molluscs from rice growers, who see them as a pest. The snails are fed vegetables and grains to get them healthy and then, once every three weeks, their slime is collected in a way that is seen as harmless. So is this slippy story real or is it rubbish?*…

1 True or false? The winner of the Fortnite World Cup won £2.4 million. 2 Which magazine has Meghan Markle guest edited? 3 Which country has broken a world record for the most trees planted in a single day? a) Indonesia b) Zimbabwe c) Ethiopia a □ b □ c □ 4 True or false? Activist Greta Thunberg refuses to travel by plane. 5 Which Welsh city is hosting this year’s Homeless World Cup? 6 Piglet squid can fill themselves up with water until they’re the size of which fruit? a) Avocado b) Watermelon c) Grape a □ b □ c □ 7 True or false? Wendy Darling in Peter Pan is named after author J.M. Barrie’s mother. 8 Which type of animal in Israel is being trained using a…

Emergency services in Mumbai, a city on India’s west coast, have rescued 1,050 passengers from a train that became trapped in flooding. The Mahalaxmi Express left Mumbai for Kolhapur on 26 July but was stranded shortly into its journey. The train ran into trouble in the town of Vangani, after the track flooded following heavy rain. After 12 hours, the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force launched an operation to rescue the trapped passengers. The company Indian Railways says all passengers were safely removed from the train within five hours. Boats, diving teams and helicopters were used to help get people safely off the train. A camp with food and medical supplies was set up for the passengers, who got on another train to finish their journey. Heavy…

In his first week as the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has put together his Cabinet and made a number of new spending promises. What is the Cabinet? The Cabinet is a group of senior politicians who are chosen by the Prime Minister to be in charge of specific issues, such as defence, education, foreign affairs and health. Once in the Cabinet, these politicians are known as ministers. When ministers are switched or replaced, it is called a reshuffle. Who’s in Johnson’s Cabinet? Johnson has replaced a number of ministers who worked for the former Prime Minister, Theresa May. Jeremy Hunt, who finished second to Johnson in the contest to find the next leader of the Conservative Party and new Prime Minister, left the Cabinet. He was replaced as Foreign…

What you need to know ● Flygskam is Swedish for flight shame. It is also the name of a new movement that is encouraging people to fly less because of the environmental impact of planes. Climate activist Greta Thunberg hasn’t been on a plane since 2015. ● Aeroplanes release large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the Earth’s atmosphere. CO2 emissions are linked to climate change, which is the long-term changes in the world’s weather patterns, such as rising global temperatures, caused by human activity. ● Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), farming and cutting down forests are all major causes of climate change. With schools finished for summer, some people are getting ready to fly off on their holidays. However, planes are not good for the environment. It…

Dartmoor National Park has many beautiful sites, but Meldon Reservoir is among the most special. Steep banks around the water offer fantastic views of the Okement Valley, and there’s plenty to do. Footpaths offer easy walks, and the adventurous can freely explore the open moorland. Keep a careful watch for adders (the UK’s only venomous snakes) in the grass, look for brown trout in the waters and pack some binoculars for birdwatching. Find out more at tinyurl.com/TWJ-Meldon…

This adorable see-through deep-water squid was spotted by scientists on board the underwater vehicle Nautilus during an expedition funded by the Ocean Exploration Trust. It gets its name from its habit of filling up with water, which makes it look like it has a tiny, pig-like snout. ● LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: Unknown. ● HABITAT: Usually found deeper than 450 metres beneath the surface of almost all oceans. ● DIET: Unknown, although it probably eats tiny fish and other marine animals. ● FUN FACT: Piglet squid can fill themselves up with water until they’re the size of an avocado.…

A perfectly preserved shipwreck has been found at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Estonia, where archaeologists (experts who study the remains of the past) believe it has been lying untouched for around 500 years. The ship – which has been named Okänt Skepp, which means unknown ship in Swedish – was discovered by the Swedish Maritime Administration using sonar in 2009. Sonar bounces sound waves off the sea floor to create images of objects lying there. In this case, it revealed a ship lying 140 metres down. When an international team of archaeologists sent an underwater robotic camera to take a proper look earlier this year, they were stunned by what they saw. The team, which included scientists from the University of Southampton, found that around…

Meet Tai – a six-year-old Labrador retriever/German shepherd crossbreed from Israel. He failed his training as a guide dog after being distracted by cats and other dogs, but now he’s blazing a new trail as he learns to follow commands issued via remote control. The system, developed by robotics scientists at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) in Israel, is a modified dog vest with four vibrating motors on the top and sides that can vibrate at different rates. Users trigger the motors with a wireless radio remote control, and Tai recognises each different vibration as an instruction. So far, he has learned several commands, such as “spin”, “down”, “to me” and “backpedal”. “Our research results showed that dogs responded to these vibro-tactile cues as well, or even better than, vocal commands,” said…

Musician YolanDa Brown has said more politicians need to understand how music classes can boost young people’s happiness. Speaking after a concert in London, Brown said that music education offered more than just musical skills, because through music students also learn about teamwork and culture. She added that music tuition helps people understand their own wellbeing (the state of feeling comfortable, healthy and happy). Brown was speaking several months after research showed there has been a 21% drop in the number of schools offering music classes in England over the last five years. She said, “We all listen to music, to relax, to enjoy, to communicate, to dance, to allow our emotions out. We need it to survive.” Brown, who plays the saxophone, had been performing at a Prom at…

From Minecraft and Terraria to Dragon’s Quest Builders, games that include a lot of crafting – creating items from different ingredients or materials – have become very popular. Growtopia is another game on that list. It was first released for mobile phones and computers back in 2012, but it’s only now coming to the PS4, Switch and Xbox One. It’s an always-online game set in a platform world where everything grows on trees: bricks, furniture, clothing and even jetpacks or X-ray spectacles. Your job is to create a home for yourself and explore the world, growing and crafting what you need. It’s also very much a multiplayer game, which means you can share your worlds with friends and friendly strangers alike. The fun of the game comes from discovering how…

Puzzle game Dr Mario World is the latest Nintendo game to be released for mobile phones rather than the company’s own games consoles. Like past games in the series, it turns Mario and some of his famous friends into white-coated doctors, matching colourful viruses to clear each level. The game is free to download and play for owners of iPhone and Android smartphones, but makes its money from in-game purchases of virtual diamonds. These can be spent when a player runs out of energy hearts, allowing them to play on rather than waiting to refresh. Mobile games are quite a new thing for Nintendo, which used to keep its games for its own devices. Miitomo was its first smartphone game in 2016, and has been followed by games like Super…

What you need ● 1 carrot, peeled ● ½ cucumber ● ¼ red cabbage ● 1 bell pepper ● 1 radish ● 1 small handful coriander ● 8 rice paper wraps ● 1 cooked chicken breast, thinly sliced (optional) ● Satay sauce, to serve ● Sharp knife ● Tea towel ● Bowl Instructions Slice the carrot and cucumber into thin matchsticks. Place the cabbage flat side down and chop it into small slices. Cut the stalk out of the pepper, removing the seeds, and slice the pepper into small pieces. Next, cut the top and bottom off the radish and slice it into discs, then chop the coriander. Dampen the wraps in a bowl of hot water until they are soft, then drain on a tea towel. On a clean…