Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS Summer English Homework

ASSIGNMENT: You will need to read at least 5 news articles from the websites provided. These sites are tailored to student newsreaders, and you will fin appropriate and accessible news articles! Due September 6, 2013

You will find a lot of information in this current affairs magazine. These articles would help be you be informed about what has recently happened all around the world and the importance of each event. Furthermore, each entrie has two new vocabulary words defined and questions answered about each news article which would help you understand it better. Hope you enjoy it!

Author: Macarena Ramos Arias. 8th Grade “C�

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Volunteers Form Human Wall To Guide Baby Loggerhead Sea Turtles to Sea Summary: This article is about the volunteers of Sea Turtle Conservation Bonaire which helped turtles to make their way to the sea. The turtles used to be guide by the moon in order to get to the sea, however the airport was very closet o the sea and they got confused with the lights emanating from the terminal.

The volunteers created a human wall

around the turtles and blocked the artificial lights. That way they could make sure that 112 turtles make their way to the sea safely.

Vocabulary Words: 1. Emanating: Shining brightly 2. Hatchlings: A type of turtles, baby turtles Questions: 1.

What was the most interesting thing thet you learned from reading this article and why?

The most interesting thing that I learned was that the turtles follow the moonlig ht in order to get to the sea, and that sometimes they get confused with the lights that shine from the airport’s terminal and so they follow the wrong path.

2.

If aplicable: What caused this event, and/or what are the effects of this event? Explain What caused this event was that turtles had to get to the sea and volunteers of the Sea Turtle Conservation Donaire helped the turtles get there by making a human wall that blocked the lights of the airport’s terminal so that the turtles World not confuse the moon with those lights. If they followed them they will instead get to the airport and most probably die.

Works Cited: Dolasia, Meera. "Volunteers Form Human Wall To Guide Baby Loggerhead Sea Turtles To Sea." DOGOnews. DOGO Media Inc., 13 July 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. <http://www.dogonews.com/2013/7/13/volunteers-form-human-wall-to-guide-babyloggerhead-sea-turtles-to-sea>.

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A New Royal Baby Summary: On Monday, July 22nd Catherine, Duchess gave birth to a baby boy at 4:24 pm and weighed 8 lbs. 6 oz. Early that morning royal official’s announced that Kate was already in labor so she went to St. Mary’s hospital before 6am. She gave birth in a private Lindo Wing of the hospital in which Princess Diana gave birth too. The baby’s name is George and he is the third in the succession to the throne.

Vocabulary Words: 1.

Peers: Mother and father, family

2.

Nudged: Tarred apart, not being able to do something

Quesitons: 1.

Who was involved? What was their role? (Who or what is the article about, and what is it that he/she/it did that is news worthy). Explain.

In this event Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, were involved the most since they are the royal baby parents. Also there was other people involved Dutch as the doctor that helped Kate while living birth, the lady who posted a formal announcement of the birth in the Buckingham Palace, etc. All of these people had their important role, mostly Kate.

2.

What was the most interesting thing that you learned from reading this article , and why? Explain.

The most interesting thing that I learned while I read the article was that if this baby would’ve been a girl it World have been the first time in which he World have inherited the throne with no need of being nudged aside in favor of a younger brother.

Works Cited: Abrams, Abby. "A New Royal Baby." Time For Kids. Time Inc., 22 July 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. <http://www.timeforkids.com/news/new-royal-baby/98066>.

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The Crisis in Egypt Summary: Recently there had been a lot of protests in Egypt since the president, Mohamed Morsi, was removed from his power on July. He was the first president who was democratically elected but the military removed him of his power because there were a lot of protests against him. Morsi`s opponents didn´t like the way he was ruling and they hoped that another president could make Egypt better. However Morsi´s supporters when out to the streets to ask for Morsi to be in power again. As a result of this protests, more than 600 people were killed on Wednesday, August 14.

Vocabulary Words: 1. Backed: Made or planned 2. Sustain: Maintain something or some situation Questions: 1.

What caused this event, and/or what are the effects of this event? Explain.

This event was caused when Egypt`s ex president Mohamed Morsi was removed from his power on July. This caused Morsi´s supporters to be mad and protested. This event caused a lot of damage and also more than 600 people killed on Wednesday, August 14.

2.

Who was involved? What was their role? (Who or what was the article about, and what is it that he/she/it did that is news worthy). Explain.

In this problem the people involved was the military, Morsi´s supporters and his opponents. The military were in charge of removing Morsi from his job. On the other hand Morsi´s supporters protested because he was removed from his job.

Finally Morsi`s opponents resulted affected after all the protests since they were also against them.

Works Cited: Jones, Zach. "The Crisis in Egypt." Scholastic. Scholastic Inc., 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. <http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3758220>.

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Twins in Space!

Summary: Mark and Scott Kelly which are the only identical twins NASA has, are set in order to test subjects that would help studying the effects of traveling during long periods of time in space. One of the twin brothers, Scott, will be send to the International Space Station (ISS) for a year which would be the longest mission that any other NASA astronaut has done before in outer space. While Scott is in space his brother Mark, retired from NASA in 2011, is going to stay on Earth. In the past he had already taken part in four space shuttle missions and has spent 54 days in outer space.

Vocabulary Words: 1. Weightlessness: Not weighting anythi ng, zero gravity.

2. Heart Rate: The speed of the beating of the heart which is affected at outer space.

Questions: 1.

Who was involved? What was their role? (Who or what is the article about, and what is it that he/she /it did that is news worthy). Explain.

In this article the people who were involved were the twin brothers Mark and Scott Kelly. Mark´s role is to stay in Earth while his brother´s role is to stay in the International Space Station (ISS) for a year. That way the NASA can study the effects of traveling during long periods of time in space.

2.

What was the most interesting thing that you learned from this article and why?

The most interesting thing that I learned was that both brothers are not going to be at the same time in outer space. This was interesting for me because I thought that, in order for the NASA to study, both twins had to be in space.

Works Cited: Goudarzi, Sara. "Twins in Space!" Scholastic. Scholastic Inc., 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. <http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3758222>.

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Wildfires Blaze Across the West Summary: On the weekend an extremely destructive fire started close to Yosemite National Park.

It has spread to over 15 square miles, its the flames caused the

evacuation of a lot of camps located outside Yosemite and also caused a shutdown of the main highway into Yosemite National Park. Until Tuesday two houses had been destroyed by the fire, however it threatened around 2,500 houses, camps near Yosemite and hotels.

Vocabulary Words: 1. Blazing: Destroying, attacking 2. Preparedness: Being prepared for something, how well prepared is someone or an organization for an event.

Questions:

1.

Can you connect this event to something similar that has happened around you? (Has something like this happened to you, your family, your community, or your country?) Explain.

Last year during summer, in Quito there were a lot of fires in the forest because of the dry climate and missing of rains. For a contribution of this climate there was mean people which started these fires. These fires destroyed a lot of nature, fortunately this summer came with rains so there have not been any fires.

2.

What was the most interesting thing that you learned from reading this article, and why?

The most interesting thing that I learned was that the fires had threatened around 2,500 houses, camps near Yosemite National Park, and hotels too. These is very interesting for me since it shows how destructive and big these fires are.

Works Cited: Plasket, Kelli. "Wildfires Blaze Across the West." Time For Kids. Time Inc., 21 Aug. 2013. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. <http://www.timeforkids.com/news/wildfires-blaze-across-west/99576>.

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