The Express Tribune hi five - July 20

e n u b i tr THE

EXPR

ESS

UN T R IB

E , JU

,2 LY 2 0

014

witches ards and iz w s u o Fam PAGE 2-3 rooftops Climbing PAGE 4 baby Lightning 5 PAGE bottle rnado in a Create a to PAGE 8

Your Proofness: Sarah Munir Master Storyteller: Nudrat Kamal Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Samra Aamir, Talha Ahmed Khan, Munira Abbas, Omer Asim and Umar Waqas

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 20, 2014

Hi light

2

w

Merlin is one of the oldest wizards ever. He first appeared in medieval al folklore, and in the hundred years since then, there have been manyy versions of Merlin and his magical adventures. Some say he was a n devil, some say he was a madman, but most people agree that Merlin was a sage wizard who played a big role in Arthurian legends. It is e said that it was Merlin’s idea to form the Round Table and he was the at one who came up with the Sword in the Stone test to make sure that Arthur became king. To find out more about Merlin and his adventures, watch the animated film The Sword in the Stone (1963).

Harry Potter is a wizard who certainly needs no introduction. The main character of the cause of one thing — he famous Harry Potter series, Harry is a wizard we can all relate to because ears old. Harry is tasked is just a boy. He didn’t even know he was a wizard until he was 11 years with defeating Lord Voldemort, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the land. Along nake, riding a dragon the way, he has many more adventures, such as fighting a giant snake, nds Ron and Hermoine, and rescuing a hippogriff. Helping him on his quest are his best friends Dumbledore, the headmaster at Harry’s school Hogwarts, Lupin, hiss teacher who is also a g. If you haven’t read the werewolf and Sirius, his godfather who can magically turn into a dog.

Harry Potter series, written by J. K. Rowling, you should gett a copy now!

Technically, Umro Ayyar is a trickster, not a wizard (the word ayyarr means trickster in one and trick them Arabic), but he certainly has an almost magical ability to fool everyone into doing what he wants. A colourful and fun sidekick to the more serious adventurer, mir Hamza, a centuAmir Hamza, Umro Ayyar and his tricks are detailed in Daastan-e-Amir is disposal, including ries old Islamic epic story. Umro Ayyar has many magical things at his e wishes. He also has his zambeel, a magical bag from which one can take out anything one a sulaimani chaddar, a cloak that can make him invisible (much like Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak). Umro Ayyar’s pranks are hilarious, and while he thinks nothing of deceiving za. Read more about and lying to get his way, he is extremely loyal to his friend Amir Hamza. wist on the character, Umro Ayyar in the Dastaan-e-Amir Hamza stories or for a modern twist read the comic book Umro Ayar.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 20, 2014

Hi lightt

Sabrina, the main character of the comic book series Sabrina the Teenage Witch, is actually a half-witch. Her er mother was an ordinary human while her father was a witch. Sabrina lives with her two witch aunts, Hilda and Zelda, and with her pet cat Salem (who can talk, because he is magical too). Because witches are not allowed to tell efeat mortals about their magical abilities, Sabrina has to use her awesome magical powers in secret in order to defeat menevil and help others. While she lives in the normal world, she regularly goes to the Magic Realm (a magical dimension full of strange magical creatures) for adventures. Read more about Sabrina in the Sabrina the Teenage Witch comics or watch the TV show of the same name.

While people who first come to the magical land of Oz might think that the Wizard of Oz is the biggest magician, it is in fact Glinda who is the most powerful sorceress of Oz. She is the ruler of the Quadling Country, south of the Emerald City. Unlike the Wizard, who only pretends to have magical powers, Glinda not only has strong magical powers, but also uses them for good. When a little girl Dorothy and her dog Toto mistakenly come to Oz, it is Glinda who protects them from the Wicked Witch of the West and eventually sends them back home. She makes sure that the evil forces do not harm any innocent people in her land. To find out more about Glinda, read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Being Harry Potter’s best friend can’t be easy. There’s the constant limelight and scrutiny, and d worst of all, Harry and their other friend Ron can’t seem to keep out of trouble. Thankfully at Hermoine is more than capable of handling the job. Whoever meets Hermoine has to admit that n she is the cleverest witch of her age. At school she is able to perform spells that nobody else in wher class can, she is really studious and she reads lots of books. While she is a stickler for following rules, she always uses her brilliant mind and magical abilities to help her friends. Her greatt g feats include putting a spell on a small purse so that it becomes huge from the inside, storing n, everything the three friends might need. She also figured out how to make the Polyjuice Potion, an extremely complicated potion which makes you turn into somebody else. More than anything, Hermoine knows that in order to be a truly brilliant witch, you cannot ignore the power of books. Read more about her in the Harry Potter series.

What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

3

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 20, 2014

Activity

4

Riddle Me This 1

What has one head, one foot and four legs?

6

What has two hands, a round face, always runs, but stays in place?

2

How can you spell cold with two letters?

7

What is as big as an elephant, but weighs nothing at all?

3

What goes up, but never comes down?

8

What do you get if you milk a cow after an earthquake?

4

What gets bigger and bigger as you take more away from it?

9

What is black when it is clean and white when it is dirty?

5

What is full of holes but can still hold water?

They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?

7. An elephant’s shadow 8. A milkshake

6. A clock

2. IC (icy)

1. A Bed

3. Your age

10. Stars

9. A blackboard

5. A sponge

4. A hole

Answers

10

Books and Movies When she was a one-year-old baby, Sophie was found floating on the sea inside a cello case.

The only known survivor of a shipwreck, Sophie was taken in by a kind man who raised her as his own daughter. But Sophie yearns to find out more about her mother who she is sure is still alive and out there somewhere. So Sophie and her father pack their bags and go to Paris to find the address etched on the cello case, the only clue to her mother’s whereabouts.

In Paris Sophie befriends Matteo, a boy who lives on rooftoppers.

Together with Matteo, Sophie learns how to become a rooftopper and scours the city in search of her mother.

Sophie’s adventures on the rooftops of Paris are exciting and magical. You will love Sophie, a brave character who knows never to lose hope and to fight for the things she knows to be true.

Matteo is another fun character.

His hands and feet are strong and dirty from climbing the rooftops but his heart is full of loyalty and love. Matteo has no home, which is why he lives ves entirely on the different rooftops ooftops off the city, along with a band of other rooftoppers. Read Rooftopperss by Katherine Rundell to find out more about Sophie and Matteo’s race against time as they ey desperately look for Sophie’s mother before the authorities catch tch up.

Do you have a favourite book or movie you would like us to review?

Write to us at hifive@tribune.com.pk and tell us all about it.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 20, 2014

Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny news from across the globe!

Long live the tortoise!

Meet Tommy the tortoise, one of Britain’s oldest pets. Tommy, who is 116 years old, has been alive through the reign of six monarchs in England, survived two world wars, and has witnessed mankind go from horse and cart to astronauts in outer space. Even more surprising than her age (yes, Tommy is a girl tortoise) is the fact that she has never once been to the vet, making her the healthiest pet ever.

Tommy was bought at a market in 1909 and was believed to be 10 years old at the time, making her year of birth 1898. She is currently the pet of 57-year-old Sheila Floris — the granddaughter of her first owner — in Croydon, south London.

This means that she has passed through three generations of the family. For years, Tommy was believed to be a boy until she laid eggs about 20 years ago, but by then it was too late to change her name. “The name had stuck for so long, we couldn’t change it,” said Mrs Floris. Tommy was a teenager when the Titanic sank and she has been a witness to mankind’s greatest advances, including the aircraft, the television and the internet. METRO.CO.UK

Lightning baby Miracle baby Kimberly Gordon has been nicknamed ‘Flash’ after she came into the world in a bolt of lightning. When she was still in her mother’s tummy, her parents were struck by lightning while they were sheltering under a tree.

The thunderbolt passed through Kimberly’s father’s ear and hit her mother, exiting through her thumb. Both parents were taken to the hospital but the doctors were mostly worried about the baby. Fortunately, baby Kimberly arrived in the world alive, just with her hair standing on end. Shocked dad Gordon immediately dubbed his daughter ‘Flash’ after the 1930’s comic book hero and says he hopes she “will run fast, or save the universe.” He added: “Somebody’s definitely watching out for us. Everybody we’ve seen says it’s a miracle she’s alive.” MIRROR.CO.UK

World wide weird

5

Cow parade

Residents of a village in England were given a rude awakening early one morning when a herd of cows escaped from the fields and marched down the main street. The cows’ impromptu parade caused chaos among the community members.

Community matron Cathy Ryan said that she felt the road shake and there was “loud bellowing” coming from the outside of her bedroom window. “I looked out of the window and a herd of about 30 cows including Long Horn Highland cattle were running down the road.” She quickly went outside and tried to round up the cows, leading them in a marsh area behind the cottages near the area where they usually graze. Two police officers also arrived on the scene to help block the cows’ escape from the marsh area. The question of how the cows escaped remains a mystery as all the gates of the fields were shut. MIRROR.CO.UK

Magical wedding A Harry Potter-obsessed couple recently had a wedding dedicated to the popular books. When Alex, 26, and Zoe Pitas, 25, celebrated their marriage in March at the Wroxeter Hotel near Shrewsbury they wanted to make sure everyone knew how much they loved J.K Rowling’s famous books. The Harry Potter-themed wedding included potions, waving wands, having make believe duels and a special Harry Potter book cake. In addition to all the Harry Potter trappings, the couple also incorporated the values and ethics from the Harry Potter books’ in their wedding vows. “We didn’t use exact quotes but a lot of the values in the books were the sort of things we had included in the service,” said Zoe. “Things like keeping friendships and being there to help each other prosper as well as being a husband and wife.” METRO.CO.UK

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 20, 2014

6 Did you know?

Why do we laugh when we get tickled?

Imagine someone coming towards you, their fingers wiggling towards your ribcage just where it meets your underarms. They have a mischievous look on their face because they know that soon you will be an uncontrollable mess of laughter and giggles. You draw your arms tightly together to stop this sensitive area from being tickled but already you have a smile on your face. Have you ever wondered why getting tickled and laughing seem to go hand in hand? According to science, when a person is being tickled, they can’t help but laugh. It is an involuntary response, something they can’t control. But why is laughter the response? To understand that, first we have to look at the physiology of tickling. Underneath your skin there are millions of tiny nerve endings that inform your brain about all kinds of touch. When these nerve endings are lightly stimulated — by another person’s fingers or by a feather — they send a message to your brain, and this message alerts the part of the brain which governs pleasant feelings, causing laughter. But that is not the only reason why we laugh when we get tickled. Evolutionary scientists have also said that laughing while getting tickled is a way for the body to show the tickler that it does not mind getting tickled, so that the situation does not become too serious. After all, the places where we are the most ticklish are also the places which are most sensitive to injury. By bringing about an involuntary laughter response, the tickle attack remains fun and playful, and doesn’t turn into an attack where someone might actually gets hurt. It is also fascinating that we don’t laugh when we tickle ourselves. This is because a predictable light touch from your own fingers apparently is not be worth your mind’s attention, so your brain discards the information before it has a chance to reach the pleasure sensors.

How to say ‘happy’ in different languages Afrikaans Albanian Basque Croatian Danish Filipino Finnish French Italian Latin Malay Spanish Yoruba

: : : : : : : : : : : : :

Gelukkig I lumtur Zoriontsu Sretan Lykkelig Masaya Onnellinen Heureux Felice Beati Gembira Feliz Dun

Cool facts Rabbits and parrots can see behind themselves without even moving their heads.

Butterflies taste food by standing on top of it. Their taste receptors are in their feet unlike humans who have most on their tongue.

Most of the dust in your home is actually dead skin.

Although the Stegosaurus dinosaur was over nine metres long, its brain was only the size of a walnut.

Humans get a little taller in space because there is no gravity pulling down on them.

Because of the unusual shape of their legs, kangaroos and emus struggle to walk backwards.

A hippopotamus may seem huge but it can still run faster than a man.

Even if a clock is broken, it still shows the correct time twice a day.

Sneezing with your eyes open is impossible.

The trickiest tongue twister in the English language is apparently “Sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick”. Give it a try and see for yourself.

Elephants are the only mammals physically unable to jump. This is because of their enormous weight.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 20, 2014

7

Fun & games

Notable Entries for the Liberty Books Card Competition

Ayza Aamir

Marium Javaid

This card was published under an incorrect name in the June 22 2014 issue. We regret the error.

Ayesha Asim Siddiqui Winner

Ameera Asad Winner

Musa Arif Cheema

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 20, 2014

Instructions: You will need:

1. Fill the plastic bottle with water until it is three quarters full.

• Water

2. Add a few drops of dish washing liquid.

• A clear plastic bottle with a cap (that won’t leak)

3. Sprinkle in a few pinches of glitter (this will make your tornado easier to see).

4. Put the cap on tightly.

• Glitter 5. Turn the bottle upside down and hold it by the neck. Quickly spin the bottle in a circular motion for a few seconds, stop and look inside to see if you can see a mini tornado forming in the water. You might need to try it a few times before you get it working properly. You may experiment with more or less water, or change the amount of dishwashing liquid, or the brand of dishwashing liquid.

• Dishwashing liquid

What’s happening?

1

Spinning the bottle in a circular motion creates a water vortex that looks like a mini tornado. A vortex is the part in fluids (liquids or gases) where the fluid flows in a spinning mortion. When you spin the bottle, the water rapidly spins around the centre of the vortex due to an inward force which forces the water towards the centre of its circular path. Vortexes found in nature include tornadoes, hurricanes and whirlpools.

SOURCE: SCIENCEKIDS.CO.NZ

2

3

4

5