Innholdsfortegnelse for 267 i The Week Junior

A WHEELCHAIR CLIMBER Climber Lai Chi-wai has become the first person in Hong Kong to climb more than 250 metres of a skyscraper in a wheelchair. It took more than 10 hours, and he raised around £500,000 for disabled people. He says climbing helps him forget that he is disabled. A SPECIAL WEDDING Megan Kennedy asked her two grandmothers to be her bridesmaids, after Covid-19 restrictions meant she could only have 15 guests at her wedding. Gillian Holloway, 80, and Mary Kennedy, 90, performed the role last October before restrictions were tightened. The picture above has since gone viral. PATCHES, THE MISSING CAT A cat called Patches, who disappeared more than three years ago, has been found alive. She went missing after a mudslide in California, US, in 2018, in…

When Pollyanna Hope was two years old, she lost a leg in a traffic accident. Two years later, she took up ballet. “It never fails to cheer me up,” she says. Hope, now 15, dances with a prosthetic leg, an artificial limb that mirrors the function of a real leg. However, to go “en pointe” – when ballerinas go up on the ends of their toes – she needs a new limb with a pointed toe. Her father Christopher posted a video on Twitter asking for help, and people who work with prosthetics got in touch. Her father says this shows that, despite social media’s reputation for unkindness, “there are actually really nice people out there who want to help”.…

A new study has shown that the brains of cuttlefish (a relative of squid) are more complex than first thought. Researchers found that they could remember past experiences while making a choice. When given the option of a box they had picked before (and received a reward for choosing) and a new box with food visible inside, the animals were more likely to stick with the box that they knew. Scientists say that this suggests they remember the experience of being rewarded and use it to make their decisions.…

Protecting the planet More than 50 countries, including the UK, have committed to protect at least 30% of Earth’s land and oceans. By 2030, they aim to stop destruction of the natural world and slow the rate at which species are going extinct. They made the promise at the One Planet Summit video conference. Climate crisis Last year saw the joint-highest temperatures on record, with wildfires in the Arctic and a record number of tropical storms in the Atlantic. Temperatures were boosted by a build-up in the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, a gas linked to human activity, which traps heat.…

One hundred years ago, in January 1921, a play premiered in Prague, the capital city of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), that changed the world. Rossum’s Un er l Robots (RUR) marked the first time the word “robot” was used to describe human-like machines. The playwright, Karel Čapek, was inspired by the Czech word robota, which means “hard work” or forced labour”. Here is how robots went from fiction to fact... Works of fiction A robot is any machine that can operate independently and perform tasks otherwise done by humans. obots as we know them started out as science fi ction. The author Isaac Asimov coined the term “robotics” and came up with the Three Laws of Robotics. The first of these was that robots may not harm a…

Earth is spinning so fast that timekeepers might have to take a second off the world’s most accurate clocks, in what would be the first-ever “negative leap second”. You may have heard of a leap year – a year with an extra day in it that happens every four years. The extra day makes up for the fact that Earth takes 365 and a quarter days to make a complete orbit around the Sun. The leap year keeps the Earth’s calendar in step with its position in space. In a similar way, leap seconds are added to take account of tiny variations in the rate that Earth spins on its own axis (one full turn is what we call a day). Scientists measure time using super-precise atomic clocks that tick…

Shake it off A kestrel shakes itself dry in West Yorkshire, England. Frozen in time A frozen waterfall at Bowlees in Teesdale, England. Catch some rays A girl in Bangladesh puts some puti fish out to dry in the sun. Winter wonderland Snow covers the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. Traffic jam An elephant blocks a road in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania, east Africa. Playing in the snow A zoo tiger seems fascinated by the weather in the Czech Republic.…

Yan Bingtao The 20-year-old snooker player from China won the Masters final by beating Scotland’s John Higgins 10–8. He is the youngest champion since 1995. Sophie Devine Devine scored the fastest century (100 runs) in women’s Twenty20, cricket playing for Wellington against Otago in New Zealand. Stéphane Peterhansel At the conclusion of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, the French driver was crowned the race’s winner for a record 14th time. The Dakar Rally is a long-distance race of 12 stages across rough terrain such as desert and hills. Racers compete in categories, driving either a car, motorbike, quad bike, truck or lightweight vehicle.…

What is your favourite book of all time? The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I admire a lot of authors: Jessica Townsend, Angie Thomas and Nic Stone in particular are immensely talented. I would recommend their books to everyone. What is the scariest thing you have ever done? I once tasted my own cooking! If you’ve ever seen how bad I am you’d totally understand. I’m determined to get better. What was your favourite subject in school? I really enjoyed English, especially when my teacher encouraged us to let our imaginations run wild during creative writing. I’ve always loved asking fun “what-if” questions: like what if the supernatural creatures in myths and legends were real? Asking “what-if” questions removes limits, you can create any adventure you want for your characters.…

One of the many ways we can help our planet and tackle the climate emergency is by caring for and preserving the ozone layer in our atmosphere. The ozone layer serves a very important purpose: it protects Earth from harmful rays from the Sun. It absorbs these rays so they are less powerful when they reach us. A new film and mobile game created for the United Nations (a group made up of most of the world’s countries that work together on the challenges that face humanity) are aiming to help young people understand the challenge of protecting the ozone layer. They are both called Reset Earth and are set in the year 2084, where three teenagers are trying to find the cause of a deadly disease called “The Grow”.…

This delicious Moroccan recipe is by Sally Brown and Kate Morris, who are members of the Guild of Food Writers and the chefs behind the TV series My World Kitchen. This dish is from their book The World In My Kitchen (on sale now from Nourish Books) which has recipes from around the globe. What you need • 400g can of white beans, such as cannellini, rinsed and drained • 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained • 80g green lentils • 2tbsp lemon juice • 1tsp crushed garlic • 1tsp grated ginger • 2tsp ras el hanout spice mix • 1 litre of water • 8 cherry tomatoes • 70g spaghetti • 6 spring onions • 30g fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves • Casserole dish with a lid •…

Name: Esther “Fashion is the second most polluting industry, according to the UN Conference on Trade and Development, but people just keep on buying new clothes and throwing them away, or sending them to charity shops after very little use. I think people are just unaware about how much it is destroying our planet. I know that I can’t force people to think in the same way I do, but it is important that people know the facts. I decided to write in to The Week Junior as I know many people around my age receive the magazine and together we could potentially have an impact. The Citarum River in Indonesia is the water supply for millions of people. Lots of people use it for everything, including drinking water, as…

Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full name and address so that we can send you a Roving Reporter badge if your contribution makes it onto the page. We will only use the details you provide to arrange delivery of badges, and we will not share them with anyone else. By submitting your reports and pictures, you give consent to The Week Junior to print them in the magazine and digital editions. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, accuracy and suitability. Ensure you have your parent/guardian’s permission before sending anything to us.…

Teacher’s name: Mr Lee School: Sarum Hall School, London “I have nominated Mr Lee because he is so funny, and he always comes to school wearing jazzy socks. He lets us solve riddles in form time and plays with us at break. This year has been a bit different because of Covid-19, but Mr Lee has made all of our lessons fun and creative. In a very worrying time he has been kind and supportive and helped us to feel safe and normal when the world has been turned upside down.” Hope If we pick your teacher as Teacher of the Week, we’ll sendyourschoolthreefreeissuesof 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…

1 On which mountain did a group of 10 Nepalese Sherpas make history? a) Mount Everest b) Nanga Parbat c) K2 a □ b □ c □ 2 True or false? Salisbury Cathedral is in Scotland. 3 Who has made their way onto a Swedish postage stamp? 4 Where were the 2016 Olympic Games held? a) China b) Brazil c) UK a □ b □ c □ 5 True or false? Pollyanna Hope dances on a prosthetic limb. 6 What colour is a hyacinth macaw? 7 What was the world’s first mobile intelligent robot? a) Unimate b) Shakey c) Spot a □ b □ c □ 8 True or false? The Earth actually takes 23 hours and 56 minutes to spin on its axis. 9 In which country is the…

• Sean Dyche, the manager of Premier League football club Burnley, has said Covid-19 vaccinations for footballers should be “fast-tracked”. Dyche said footballers should be first, after key workers, the elderly and the vulnerable have had their vaccines. • The International Olympic Committee wants athletes to be vaccinated so that the Olympic and Paralympic Games can take place in Japan this summer. • Covid-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus. A vaccine is a medicine that helps your body use its own defences to fight a disease.…

One of the fastest-growing areas of waste comes from people throwing out old electrical items. Rather than recycling or reusing them, people in the UK throw out 155,000 tonnes every year, leading to all kinds of environmental problems. The items contain valuable materials, such as aluminium and copper, that can be reused. The Recycle your Electricals campaign encourages people in the UK to put their old tech to good use. You can use its Tech Treasure Hunt pack (available at tinyurl.com/TWJ-treasurehunt) to work out whether unused electrical items – which may be lurking in cupboards at home – can be recycled in a useful way. There are links to recycling points all around the country, and the campaign also suggests giving them to charity when the lockdown is lifted. DID…

Scientists have discovered that identical twins aren’t as identical as previously thought. New research proves that twins are actually born with slight differences in their genetic information – the list of instructions that tells their bodies how to grow. It had long been assumed that any differences between identical twins were caused by what happened to their bodies after they were born. Identical twins come from a single fertilised egg that splits in two during early development. The split egg then grows into two babies with very similar sets of genetic information, known as genes. This means they look the same and share many of the same characteristics. A team of scientists from Iceland decided to look into the differences between identical twins’ genes. They discovered that after the egg…

The Element in the Room by Mike Barfield. Illustrated by Lauren Humphrey (Laurence King) Shortlisted for lots of awards, this entertaining book invites you to join detective Sherlock Ohms as he tries to solve the mystery of how absolutely everything came to exist. This is a fun way to learn about the chemical elements, from aluminium to zinc. A Beginner’s Guide to the Periodic Table by Gill Arbuthnott (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) There are lots of wacky stories, fascinating facts and intriguing explanations packed into this book, which aims to provide a good introduction to the periodic table. As well as plenty of information, there are lots of eye-catching diagrams and illustrations. Exploring the Elements by Isabel Thomas. Illustrated by Sara Gillingham (Phaidon Press) This beautifully designed book provides a fascinating…

Terran Terran is the shyest of the three but is very important to their efforts to save the planet. He’s a bookworm who has lots of knowledge about the Earth and history gained from reading. Now his task is to put that to use. Sagan Sagan is the science lover of Reset Earth’s trio of heroes, who is used to spending lots of time in his bedroom using his scientific equipment. His skills are essential as the teenagers search for a cure for The Grow. Knox Described as a character with a “thick skin and cheeky disposition”, Knox has grown up as a scavenger, rummaging through junkyards in 2080s Earth to find bits of gadgets that she can use for new inventions.…

Libraries and bookshops are closed because of coronavirus restrictions, and many pupils can’t go to school at the moment. However, there are other ways to keep your book collection updated. Swapping books you have read with nearby friends and relatives in exchange for others they have finished is a great idea. Being able to read interesting, funny or exciting books can help keep you happy and entertained if you get bored under the current lockdown rules. Perhaps you got books for Christmas that you would like to swap now? Is there a book that you know a local friend has read that you are keen to get your hands on? The books can be given back after you and your friends have read them, if you don’t want to swap…

24 January 1965 Former PM Winston Churchill dies On 24 January 1965, Winston Churchill died at his home in London. Churchill was prime minister twice, from 1940 to 1945, and from 1951 to 1955. Churchill is credited with playing an important role in securing victory in the Second World War (1939–1945) for Great Britain and the Allies, which included France, the US and the Soviet Union (a former group of eastern European countries led by Russia). His funeral on 30 January at St Paul’s Cathedral in London was broadcast live on the BBC.…

In 1966, the TV show HOW started on ITV. Through stunts and experiments, its presenters would answer questions about how the world works. It ran until 1981, before returning as HOW 2 in 1990. Now, more than 50 years after the first series, HOW is back with new presenters, including Sam Homewood. Speaking to The Week Junior, Homewood says that he watched HOW 2 while he was growing up. It was one of his favourite programmes and he finds it bizarre that he’s now hosting it. Homewood didn’t plan to become a TV presenter. “It’s just one of those mad things that seems to have happened with my life, and now it’s like a joke that’s got out of hand,” he says. “I just always tried to do things I…

Yellow mealworms are the first insects to be approved for human consumption in the European Union (EU) – the group of 27 countries that covers much of mainland Europe. Now that scientists at the EU’s food safety agency have declared they are safe to eat, the insects can be sold in supermarkets all over Europe. However, people with prawn allergies might also be allergic to the worms. The maggot-like insects are a young or larval stage of a species of darkling beetle called Tenebrio molitor. The edible larvae are rinsed thoroughly before being dropped in boiling water, then dried in an oven. When dried, the insects are said to taste like peanuts. They can also be made into powder, dipped in chocolate or shaped into a burger. Insect-based food has…

Zoe Sweetman Team manager of parrots and penguins, Chester Zoo. Male and female hyacinth macaws look very similar (at least to human eyes), so their bright colour is probably not about attracting a mate. A more likely reason is protection. Hyacinth macaws live in flocks that take to the sky when startled. Their uniform colour may make it more difficult for predators, such as harpy eagles, to pick out individuals. Do you have a question about an animal you would like answered? We’d love to include it in the magazine. Send your question in an email to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

Scientists have long been fascinated by a handful of towns and villages that have a much higher number of twins than anywhere else. These “twin towns” are found across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Kodinhi in India, for example, made headlines in 2008 when it was discovered that among its 2,000 families there were more than 500 pairs of twins. People who used to live in the town but moved away are also more likely to have twins. This weird phenomenon has baffled researchers, who have yet to come up with an explanation of what could be causing so many twin births.…

A high-tech glove could give gamers an edge by detecting mouse clicks before they happen. Brink Bionics’ Impulse Neuro-Controller uses sensors that detect the electrical signals produced by finger muscles just before they contract. As a result, the glove can send commands to a computer 80 milliseconds faster than waiting for the actual mouse click. Although this might not sound like much, in the high-stakes world of competitive gaming, 80 milliseconds can be the difference between winning and losing. Enjoy these stories? Find more in this month’s The Week Junior Science+Naturemagazinesciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk…

Serena Williams, from the US, is one of the most famous tennis players ever. She has won 23 grand slam singles titles (the four biggest competitions in tennis). Since 2017 she has been chasing the all-time record of 24, held by Australia’s Margaret Court, who stopped playing in 1977. Williams has lost four grand slam singles finals since 2017, but in 2021 she hopes finally to match the record and maybe even break it. She is due to compete at the Australian Open in February.…

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston (Egmont) Very strange things are happening to 13-year-old Amari. Her big brother Quinton has mysteriously gone missing – but no one will talk about it. Then a strange man show p with an invitation. All of a sudden, Amari is plunged into a peculiar new world in which mermaids, aliens and magicians are real. At a magical train g camp she finds herself competing agaa nst kids who’ve known about the supernatural world their whole lives. With an evil magician t eatening the supernatural world, and her own classmates treating her like the enemy, can Amari pass the three tryouts – and find Quinton? This thrilling new fantasy adventure is already set to be made into a film…

Are there top tips for local book swapping? If you would like your books returned in the future, keep a written list of which friends have which books. If you have books that are part of a series, gather these together and offer them all as a swap. Try setting a challenge for yourself, such as reading a new book each week. What else could I swap? During lockdown, swapping other items such as board games, computer games, DVDs and toys can help keep you entertained. You could write a list of all the things you have to swap, and exchange lists with local friends to arrange some fun swaps.…

First Indoguration for presidential pet On 20 January, Joe Biden will be inaugurated (sworn in) as the next president of the US. Before that, on 17 January, his dog Major will get an “Indoguration” ceremony on Zoom for charity. Major, a German shepherd, will be the first dog from a rescue shelter to live in the White House (the building in which US presidents live). He is one of two German shepherds owned by Biden. The event will raise money for animal rescue shelters. Crooks call the cops “I think we have just arrested the world’s unluckiest burglars,” said Chief Inspector John Owen. The two thieves in question had called the police on themselves while burgling a house in Stoke-on-Trent, England. Having broken in, one of the burglars sat on…

As someone who’s lucky enough to have a season ticket at Tottenham Hotspur, one of the things I’ve missed most during lockdown is going to the football. Watching all the games at home does have its advantages. I don’t have to get up off my sofa, for one, but turning on the TV isn’t quite as exciting as walking to the stadium alongside thousands of fellow fans. Strolling down Tottenham High Road, the club’s magnificent new stadium goes from a golden speck in the distance to a giant spaceship looming over you. Taking our seats, my dad and I would greet the supporters sitting around us like old friends. While I still don’t know most of these people’s names, I do miss hearing their commentary on the matches. However, the…

Keep yourself entertained during lockdown with a collection of activities taken from The Week Junior’s How To pages. There are fantastic things to make and do, including delicious and simple dishes to create, and interesting crafts, experiments and games to try. Head to theweekjunior.co.uk/activity-hub and don’t forget to let us know how you get on by emailing us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk or tagging us on social media. We love hearing what you’re up to.…

“We made the veggie sausage rolls from page 49 of the Christmas issue – and they’re delicious. We are mostly vegetarian anyway, but in January we are eating plant-based foods for the majority of our meals.” Emily and Joe “On Christmas Eve, we performed a street concert for our neighbours. We loved playing for them as it brought a smile to their faces.” Arkansh and Drishaan “I recently moved to South Africa. Here I am reading The Week Junior on my phone!” Amber…

Follow The Week Junior on PopJam@TheWeekJunior. You can download the PopJam app from the App Store or Google Play. Last week’s Big Debate question was on whether people should be able to walk where they want... “Yes, people can decide where they want to walk but they do need to be careful.” “Yes because you are free to explore wherever you want as long as you are not trespassing.” “Yes and no, because you might trespass and destroy animals’ habitats, but humans do need to explore and they need to exercise.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…