Joca

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Como funciona

Important dates

November 20, 2003: Black Awareness Day was created to honor Zumbi dos Palmares, the slave leader who died in 1695 while fighting for the freedom of black people in Brazil. The date reminds us of the slaves’ suffering and fights racial prejudice.

Um software irá controlar quase todas as funções do carro: distância do solo, de obstáculos e outros veículos, inclinação, além de monitorar velocidade de ventos e quantidade de combustível.

Collectible

November 27, 1985: This was the day the Halley comet travelled across the Earth’s orbit. A rare phenomenon occurring only once every 75 years could be seen in the sky. This event will take place again in 2061.

Future

Capacidade

Zonas sem voo

Nas proximidades de aeroportos, heliportos e bases militares será proibido voar. O software que controla o carro se encarregará de mantê-lo distantes dessas zonas.

Modelo leva duas pessoas.

ZONAS SEM VOO

Nº51

O único jornal para quem tem de 7 a 12 anos

11/18/2014

PHOTO: ARTIST’S IMPRESSION ON LANDING OF PHILAE: ESA/ATG MEDIALAB

Comet may reveal origins of Earth >> and space

Attention! This is the last Joca for this year. p. 5

2nd fortnight

Há vagas November/2014 Do tamanho de um automóvel, o veículo poderá ser guardado em garagens ou estacionamentos comuns.

13-year-old astronaut prepares for Mars >>p. 4

China and US sign historic agreement >>p. 4

56%

of the children on the National Adoption Registry are boys. This means that girls represent 44%. There is a small number of indigenous people and Asians on the registry, but 47% are mulatto (of mixed race), 33% are white and 19% are black. More than 44,000 children are waiting to be adopted into a family. Approximately 68% of these children will leave shelters and be taken in by homes in Brazil and abroad. SOURCE: SENADO.GOV.BR


BRAZIL

Find out which source of energy is most used in Brazil by filling out the slots below with the right letters.

> 2nd letter

y > 5th letter

ATHLETES’ ENERGY BRINGS LIGHT TO SOCCER FIELD A soccer field in Morro da Mineira (Rio de Janeiro state) got grass, painting, railings and new goal posts as well as very special lighting, which is generated by the players’ energy. It’s the Pavegen technology which, through plates installed underneath the grass, is able to absorb the players’ steps and convert them into light. This means that the more players run, the more energy they transfer to the plates. The idea came from an oil company that plans to install this system in soccer fields of impoverished communities throughout Brazil. Remodeled field in use

BRAZIL HAS FEW LIBRARIES AND MANY INHABITANTS

> 3rd letter

> 2nd letter

Brazil has only one library for every 33,000 residents. Overall, there are 6,148 libraries in Brazil. The government has been able to achieve its target of having one library per city. Currently, there are 115

> 4th letter

> 10th letter

> 8th letter

cities without a single library. Tocantins is the state that has the most libraries: there are 141, or one for every 10,000 residents. Rio de Janeiro has the worst ratio: one library for every 111,000 residents.

> 6th letter

y Brazilian National Library in Rio de Janeiro

A.: Hydroenergy.

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“There are a lot of people who don’t like or don’t know how to read, and people who don’t return books. That is why the government thinks people don’t want libraries. To encourage reading, the government could set up screens or signs on the streets with a summary of the books and information about how libraries have really cool books. Those who don’t have computer access really need books. If you don’t read, you don’t learn. Those who read, do well in Portuguese, history, geography, know more words, and improve their language skills. We had a book drive at school to collect books for the poor; one girl alone donated 32 books.”

Recycled batteries help agriculture One billion batteries are thrown out very year in Brazil. If the batteries were recycled, one thousand tons of zinc and 1,500 tons of manganese would be recovered. Zinc and manganese are used to restore soil for agriculture.

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IMAGES: SHELL - DIVULGAÇÃO, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The views of fifth grade students from Colégio Renascença

> 4th letter


25-YEAR-OLD BRAZILIAN IS PAID TO TRAVEL AND POST PHOTOS Paulo de Valle, a 25-year-old born in Rio de Janeiro, has a dream job: he is a professional Instagrammer. Hired by governments and companies to promote cities and tourist sites, he is paid to travel, visit the coolest places in the world and post photos on Instagram. It all started back in

2011 when Paulo was a design student and created his Instagram profile to post photos of Rio de Janeiro, where he was living. His pictures attracted the attention of the Instagram team. They listed him as a “suggested user”. Since then, he has studied photography online and has gained 252,000 followers as well as many fans.

To Australia: Yet another Brazilian, Roberto Seba, has been chosen for the “Best Jobs in the World” contest which offers the six best jobs in the world. Roberto will receive R$200,000 to live in Australia and work as a lifestyle photographer. His job will be to photograph what Melbourne residents do to enjoy their city.

Paulo’s picture of Prainha in Rio de Janeiro

E MAIS... TIPS

Do: Newspaper dolls Cia Trucks teaches parents and children how to make newspaper dolls and make up stories for them. This would be an excellent way to recycle your Leitura e Companhia! Sesc Santana - Av. Luiz Dumont Villares, 579 Tel. (11) 2971-8700 Through November 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cost: free

IMAGES: PAULO DEL VALLE, LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICE OF SP - DIVULGAÇÃO

Tips for taking good travel pict ures with the cell phone

1 Clean the camera lens. 2 Hold the cell phone with both hands to avoid blurry pictures. 3 Never use the cell phone’s zoom function; it only makes the picture worse. 4 Avoid taking pictures against the sun. 5 When taking selfies, use the phone’s back camera which provides a better picture. Use the timer or the earphone button. 6 Keep an external battery and cell phone tripod. 7 Take photos during the day and edit them afterwards, adjusting the brightness, contrast and saturation. 8 Cool Apps: Cmera+ (which takes several pictures in one second); Average Cam Pro (professional-looking photos). To edit: VSCOcam (amazing filters); TouchRetouch (deletes unwanted images from pictures)

UNDERWATER TUNNEL WILL CONNECT SANTOS TO GUARUJÁ A 1.7 km underwater tunnel will be built by 2018 to connect Santos to Guarujá (in São Paulo state). Approximately 40,000 people per day will transit through this tunnel. The initial plans were to build a drawbridge over the channel, but due to the large number of boats, an underwater tunnel was chosen. The tunnel which has been named Submerso (Submersed) will be 21 meters deep. Its construction will cost

R$2.8 billion and will employ the modern technology that has already been used in 150 tunnels like it throughout the world. It will be erected on land and divided into six concrete parts that can accomodate two roads with three lanes each. Later on, the parts will be connected underwater and covered with rocks to protect it from ship collisions. This will be the first of many tunnels; the next one may be built in Guanabara Bay (Rio de Janeiro state).

A representation of how the tunnel will be set up

Organize: Toy exchange fair The website feiradetrocas.com.br has tips on how to organize fairs in parks, schools, or among friends. The site also provides the dates and locations of the fairs. You can trade any toy at these fairs, from a remote control car to a rag doll. Read: Dots on the head Digital books often use technology to make stories more fun. It’s the case of Pontinhos na Cabeça (Dots on the Head) by Tartaruga Feliz (Happy Turtle). The book includes jokes as well as cheerful and colorful pictures. Free for use on the iPhone or iPad.

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WORLD

SPACESHIP CRASHES IN THE DESERT

Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo on a test flight

Shortly after it detached from WhiteKnightTwo, the mothership that helped it take off, SpaceShipTwo exploded and crashed in the Mojave Desert (USA). SpaceShipTwo was designed to take tourists to space and was on a test flight using a new type of fuel made from plastic. The co-pilot died, and the pilot was ejected from the spaceship. The ship be-

longed to business tycoon Richard Branson’s company, Virgin Galactic. The company has already sold US$250,000 in ticket reservations for flights to the space frontier at 100 kilometers of altitude. Several celebrities including actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, physicist Stephen Hawking, and Brazilian racecar driver Rubens Barrichello have already reserved their seats.

35th test flight

Capacity

2 pilots were aboard

6 passengers 2 pilots

Mojave desert

500 people have reserved their seats

Source: Virgin Galactic

Ticket price: US$200,000

WhiteKnightTwo: the mother ship 8m

42.7m

13-YEAR-OLD ASTRONAUT PREPARES FOR MARS

GOOGLE EXECUTIVE JUMPS FROM SPACE AND BEATS FREE FALL RECORD The record that Austrian Felix Baumgartner set in 2012 when he jumped from the stratosphere at a height of 39,000 meters has been beaten. Alan Eustace, an American businessman at Google, dropped from a height of over 41.4 kilometers reaching a speed of 1,290 km/hour. This means that he broke the sound barrier. A 57-year-old millionaire, Eustace

wanted to create an outfit to jump from that height without a space capsule. He financed the project that took three years to be completed. He took off from the United States in a balloon that floated up for two hours. He stayed in a horizontal position facing downward, and then released himself from the balloon. It took 15 minutes to land on the ground with a parachute.

SOUND BARRIER is the maximum speed that an object can reach without moving past its own sound waves. It occurs, for example, when jets travel at a speed that is faster than the sounds they emit.

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CHINA AND US SIGN A HISTORIC AGREEMENT TO FIGHT GLOBAL WARMING China and the United States, the two most polluting countries in the world, have signed a historic agreement to reduce polluting gas emissions by 28%. The American president, Barack Obama, and the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, met in Beijing, China. It’s the first time that China has signed an agreement to reduce global warming. In October, 28 countries of the European Union also signed an agreement to reduce toxic gas by at least 40%.

Xi Jinping and Barack Obama

IMAGES: AFP, ALYSSA CARSON, U.S. EMBASSY THE HAGUE, THINKSTOCK

Alyssa Carson

Alyssa Carson, a 13-year-old American, has been preparing herself for nine years to be the first person to set foot on Mars in the special mission scheduled for 2033. She is the first person to complete the NASA program by becoming familiar with the American space agency’s 14 training centers and conducting several landing simulations. The girl’s father, Bert, has talked about the risk involved in space missions with her, but Alyssa wants to fulfill her dream. Alyssa has been fascinated with the idea of traveling to the Red Planet ever since she was three and saw a children’s program where the characters went on a mission to Mars.


CRAZY MALUQUICES STUFF Kusa Grass Thongs

England uses feces to generate energy

In Didcot, England, 200 families are heating their homes with gas made from feces. This will help preserve the environment and save water and money. In the United Kingdom, 70% of sewage water is treated and then re-used in agriculture. One ton of human feces contains up to six kilos of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium combined, which means it could be good fertilizer for crops. However, eating vegetables that have been fertilized with human feces is very dangerous. One gram of human feces contains 10 million viruses and one million bacteria. Therefore, before using sewage water or feces as fertilizer, it is important to ensure they have been treated.

Grass flip flops

Even though it is becoming less common, people say that stepping on grass barefoot is good for you. Kusa Shoes, a small family business in Australia, created the Kusa Grass Thongs in 2011 to bring back the small pleasurable contact with nature. The Grass Thongs are flip flops made with synthetic grass; they take on the shape of the wearer’s feet and are very comfortable. The flip flops are sold for US$30 through the company’s website, which also ships to Brazil.

PHILAE ROBOT LANDS ON COMET Scientists have sent a robot to a comet for the first time. Robot Philae landed on the nucleus of the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko Comet, more than 510 million kilometers from Earth. The Rosseta probe circled the

sun five times, covering more than six billion kilometers to take the robot that detached itself from the probe and embarked on a seven-hour free fall before landing. Philae has solar panels that retain energy to send information about the

solar system. The robot is the size of a refrigerator, weighs 100 kilos, and is part of a project that has been going on for 10 years. Comets are the most ancient celestial bodies in the Universe. It is believed that they brought water to Earth.

European robot lab Philae landed on a comet 510 million km away from Earth

Rosetta 9:35 a.m.

Sources: ESA, CNES

Detachment

Descending speed: between 2 km/h and 3.5 km/h

9:45 a.m.

Detachment of landing gear

IMAGES: THINKSTOCK, KUSA SHOES, DLR GERMAN AEROSPACE CENTER, SKEINZ, AFP

Philae’s landing

4:34 p.m.

Distance RosettaComet: 20 km

Landing

5:03 p.m.

Ground confirmation signal

Philae

PENGUIN WEARING CLOTHES In New Zealand, a huge oil spill polluted the shoreline. Over 100 penguins had to wear wool sweaters to survive. The idea came from New Zealand biologists who gathered the animals and put coats on them so they would not poke at themselves with their beaks

and thus swallow petroleum while waiting to “rinse off”. Skeinz, a store specializing in wool coats, helped people make the sweaters. There were so many left over that the extras will be put on stuffed penguins and sold. Sales will help maintain the animals through the Penguin Rescue Fund.

Legs enabled the Philae to anchor

Weight: 100kg on the ground, 1 gram on the comet (due to low gravity)

10 scientific instruments

67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko comet

Landing location: Agilkia

Size: 4.1km x 5.4km Weight: 10 billion tons Surface temperature: -70ºC Composition: 80% ice Speed: 18km/second

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What are schools doing to educate students regarding the lack of water problem? Class A, 5th grade students from Colégio Gracinha My school is educating us with texts, images and stories that show how important it is to save water. We can’t be selfish on this issue because we need it as much as everyone else. Many students are taking quicker showers and closing the tap while brushing their teeth, among other things. Some kids already do this, others just started now, but the important thing is for everyone to do their part so that water does not become scarce. - Lígia M.

To educate us about the lack of water issue, my school distributed texts talking about the Cantareira water level and what they are doing to save water. We discuss this issue in all classes. In my home, I do my best to save water because I know how important it is for humans and animals. I wish everyone would become aware of this, so the world would be much better and we might not be in this situation. - Sofia Maria D. P.

THE HISTORY OF... Wheat 6700 B.C. Wheat started being planted in a region known as the Fertile Crescent, an area that currently stretches from Egypt to Iraq. It was during this time that agriculture came about. People in the ancient world ate wheat grain in the form of a porridge mixed with fish, nuts, fruits and water.

SOURCE: BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION OF WHEAT INDUSTRIES (ABITRIGO)

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In science classes, we learn to value water because we can’t survive without it. With this awareness, each student is saving water. - Rodrigo S. M. F.

In 5th grade, we are working on the issue of lack of water, giving tips to friends and relatives on how to save water. We formed a stream of consciousness. - João Paulo B. V. C.

The school has taken steps to make us aware of the lack of water issue and has been quite concerned with its use. Students know the severity of the problem. They are committed to working with this cause, each doing their part, eg, not throwing toilet paper into the toilet bowl because once you flush, many liters of water will be wasted. - Ligia M.

Wheat is the second most planted cereal grain in the world after rice, with corn coming behind as the third. It is the basic ingredient in flour, pasta, cakes, cookies and bread. Wheat has been around for approximately 10,000 years.

4000 B.C. For the first time, Egyptians observed the fermentation process that transforms dough made of wheat flour. After the dough rose, it was baked and that is how bread came about. Egyptians began to eat a lot of bread at that time. People ate bread and offered it to the dead and to the gods. The first cookies also appeared in Egypt around this time; they were made of wheat, water and honey. Bakers made human and animal figures to offer to the divinities.

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Class B, 5th grade students from Colégio Gracinha

9th Century (900-1000) Pasta, which was invented in China three thousand years earlier, was introduced to Italy by the Arabs. Sheets of pasta that had been made from flour and water and dried in the sun were cut up into strips.

11th Century In Naples, Italy, cooks began to put vegetables and cheese on a round disc of dough. That is where the term picea, the origin of the word pizza, comes from.

15th Century Cookies were extremely useful in long sea voyages. In addition to ensuring that sailors ate their dose of carbohydrate, cookies did not spoil easily. Baking started when Europeans began to use sugar to ice cakes.

1534 The grain was brought to Brazil by Martim Afonso da Sousa, an army officer and representative of the Portuguese crown. 1958 Instant noodles, also known as ramen, were invented in Japan by Momofuku Ando (1910-2007). The businessman got the idea for the product after he saw hungry people standing in line for soup.

IMAGES: THINCKSTOCK

EVERYDAY LIFE


... S A N A N A B T A TH DID YOU KNOW ...were first planted in Asia about 4,000 years ago?

“My parents are separating and are not speaking to each other. All they do is fight and talk badly about each other. I love them both equally, and I’m very sad. ” - Fabiana M., 11. ...are rich in vitamin C and B6 and help avoid infections and maintain a healthy skin?

...fruit grows 10 months after it is planted and that a banana tree can bear bananas for up to 20 years?

...there are over one thousand types of bananas; from banana-ouro (a Brazilian species of about 10cm) to Musa ingens (from New Guinea of up to 50 cm)? …skin can unpollute water contaminated by pesticides?

What would you do if...

,

… you found a R$100 bill in the school’s hallway? The views of second grade students from Colégio Renascença

IMAGES: THINKSTOCK

I would give it to the teacher. I would give it to a poor kid, because it’s not mine.

I would keep it for myself.

ANSWERS of fourth grade students from Colégio Renascença “Try to get them back together by reminding them that they shouldn’t think about the things that separate them, but about things that bring them together.” - Mariana “I know how it is; I am going through this. Ask them to apologize and stop fighting.” - Victor “You have to insist on them staying together, but sometimes that will be unavoidable.” - Ricardo “The solution is to tell them not to fight, and warn them that they will miss each other.” - Daniel “Blindfold them and make them sit at a candlelit table by themselves. Take the blindfold off and cook a delicious meal, such as spaghetti. Play soft music like violin music, and maybe all will be well.” - Ilam “Try to remind them why they love each other. If they split up, remember that they will always be your parents and that you will get over it.” - Rodrigo “Put both of them in a large cage and tell them they’ll have to figure it out.” - Anonymous reader

ANSWER by therapist Luciana Jensen

What would you do if...

...you were in a place of war?

I would look for the owner.

I would give it to my parents.

OPEN CHANNEL

Send your answers to joca@magiadeler.com.br. The best ones will be published in the next edition.

“I can understand why you are sad, but I think you’ll be able to resolve this easily. Maybe your parents don’t realize that what is upsetting you is not the separation itself, but the fact that they are speaking badly of each other. I think you can tell them that you love both of them, but that hearing them criticize each other makes you feel like an accomplice, as if you were agreeing with the criticism, and that later you feel very guilty. Also, it is likely that they have issues that need to be worked out between them that you will not be able to give your view on or figure out for them. They will have to work them out themselves, like adults, without your involvement… I am sure that if you tell them all this, they will realize quickly that it is better not to involve you. This way, you will be less upset and a little relieved. Be brave!”

“I am not really sure of myself when I play soccer in school because I am a girl. What should I do? - Anonymous reader.

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TECHNOLOGY TECNOLOGIA

AIRPLANE WITH TOUCH SCREEN WINDOWS

ONE MORE FLYING CAR IS SHOWN IN AUSTRIA AeroMobil 3.0 prototype

In a short period of time, flying cars will no longer be a dream of the future. Models have been made and tested already. One example is the AeroMobil 3.0 that was created by a company in Slovakia. The car was shown in Austria; it has room for two people, retractable wings, and a tank capacity for a 700km flight (the distance from Rio de

Janeiro to Curitiba). It can reach a speed of up to 160 km/hour as a car and up to 200 km/hour as a plane. It requires a speed of 130 km/hour and 200 meters of runway to take off. An American company, Terrafugia, has started selling Transition, a car with wings. Terrafugia has also announced the release of a vehicle that takes off vertically like a helicopter.

FINANCE

“The idea is good, but only if you create a flying traffic light and other things such as a camera to drive in the fog or a parachute so that when gas runs out, the car will not crash to the ground. We would have to invent high and low roads so cars do not crash in the air or an App like Waze to guide it.”

SPEND MONEY SMARTLY Let us imagine that money is to you what food is to a shark: a matter of survival. Sharks often spend weeks without being able to feed themselves, and to survive, they need to manage their energy (money) intelligently. If a shark can save energy when natural conditions

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The views of third grade students from Colégio Renascença

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dows to request drinks or to see objects and places outside the plane with information about them. Replacing the current windows means that planes would be lighter, which would decrease flying costs for airlines and passengers.

GOOGLE GIVES AWARD TO INVENTOR

Traditional solar panels

Google is offering an award worth US$1 million for anyone who invents something that can make sun or wind energy more useful. The project is called Littlebox Challenge and has promised to award

a prize to the creator of the best sun or wind force energy-generating device. Solar panels and wind generators are currently very complex and large. The challenge is to make them more efficient and as small as a laptop.

BY ADRIANA GATTI

are favorable, by riding the currents for example, it will swim farther without tiring itself. By doing so, it will have enough energy for when it needs to find prey and eat. Even though it has plenty of energy (money) after eating, the shark continues to save its energy, because it does not know when it will have its

next meal. It is the same with money: if you save a portion of what you receive, spending only what you need to and not buying everything you want, you will accumulate wealth. With that wealth, you will be able to make your biggest dreams come true. Before buying anything, ask

yourself FOUR questions: Do I want it? Can I buy it? Do I need it? Does it have to be now? If the answer to any of these is ‘NO’, then wait to buy it on another day.

IMAGES: CENTRE FOR PROCESS INNOVATION, AEROMOBIL, THINKSTOCK

Three-dimensional images show the interior of the plane with touch screen windows

The British company Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) wants to replace all airplane windows in the next ten years. The idea is to replace them with multi-function screens. By tapping the screen, passengers could use the new win-


TO BUILD A BETTER WORLD, KIDS DO THEIR PART With the help of Beit Yaacov school, 10-year-old children have been organizing programs in São Paulo to raise awareness about how our attitudes and behaviors affect group living.

Good ideas should be shared. The project is part of a special moment that fifth grade students share when they finish elementary school. They do research on topics chosen by the class in groups, hold

discussions and write about them. At the end, they choose initiatives to put into practice and present the results to the school and their relatives.

involved le p o e p t e g t a th itiatives Check out the in

IMAGES: PROVIDED BY BEIT YAACOV

Laura, Marcella, Sarah, and Sophia: “We did this to show how hard it is to clean water, especially now that we are running out. At Parque do Povo (People’s Park) we showed our experiment and after our presentation, people were aware that we cannot waste nor pollute water.”

Alexandre, Michel, and Thor: “Can you imagine us mixing the fans of rivals teams in a classic soccer match? This was what we did to decrease violent clashes in matches. We used famous São Paulo soccer team t-shirts and discovered in interview that very few people would use them. We hope that society will promote peace more often in sports.”

Ariel, Rafael, Ricardo, and Tommy: “We sold lemonade to raise funds to protect animals that will be used in testing. They should not be used in experiments and 95% of animals have no protection. Without animals, there’s no nature…” “.

Alexia, Becky, Fernanda, and Rafaela: “ On a Sunday, we picked up trash at Villa Lobos Park to raise awareness about the importance of throwing garbage in the right place. A man got emotional and clapped saying we were right to do this early on, because that is how one learns.”

Fabiana, Gabriela, Moysés, and Rafael: “On a Sunday on Avenida Paulista, we took advantage of a red traffic light to warn drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians that driving while talking on cell phones is dangerous. It was nice to notice that people understood and supported our efforts.”

Carolina, Mark, Naomi, Ricardo, and Yael: “Do you know how to fight prejudice? Pay attention to the social media that point out this matter and follow our blog: “umportodos-todosporum. blogspot.com.br.” Respecting differences helps fight prejudice and this should start in school.”

Adely, Camila, Deborah, and Marina: “At the school entrance, we asked employees to turn in their cell phones to see if they would miss it. Most of them accepted, but many refused, and others came back for their phones earlier. Could you do without electronic devices? Be careful! Technology can be good and bad….”

Bia, Ilana, Isabella, Katherine, and Michelle: “There are foods that prevent diseases and help us have a healthier life. We organized a mini Masterchef at school, and the teachers chose the ingredients to be used in making a tasty salad. They were surprised to find out that one of the teachers was chosen for putting together the healthiest salad of the day. We really enjoyed ourselves.”

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Photos: 1. Lucas Mendes and his team 2. Lucas Mendes 3. Antônio Braga and his colleagues in class 4. Antônio Braga

BRAZIL WINS 10 MEDALS IN THE KUNG-FU WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN CHINA Athletes of the Brazilian National Wushu Kung Fu and of the Shaolin Kung Fu teams from Mogi Guaçu (in the state of São Paulo) participated in the Sixth World Tradicional Wushu Festival in China. Over a period of two weeks, Brazilians competed

with another 2,134 athletes from 45 countries. The competitions were in Chizhou, a mystical city with strong traditional Chinese cultural influence. For the first time, the competitions took place outdoors. Brazil was represented by 58 athletes

2

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“When I began to train, I thought I would only learn to kick, punch, and defend myself. With time, I noticed that sports teach more than just fighting. I learned to be a better person, to respect instructors, parents, brothers, friends, and everyone else. I also like to train with my Ssahn Jeol Bong (two small sticks connected by a chain)” - Antônio Braga, a 12-year-old reader, has an orange belt in tae-kwon-do

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around for many years. There are few records about its origins, but one of the theories is that, in the 6th century, the Indian monk Bodhidharma went to a monastery in China. There he taught yoga and fighting, which would later turn into shaolin and spread throughout the country. Archeologists however have records that prove that kung

trained six days a week, and participated in a rigorous fitness training programs with physical therapist Andrea Ceregatti. To get to China, they asked family, friends, and companies to help by hosting fund raising dinners, lunches and raffles.

“I’ve been practicing Kung fu since I was 8. I won the São Paulo state and the Brazilian championship, and now I won 2 medals in China. China is Kung fu’s birthplace. Kung fu is not meant for fighting, it’s a way to defend yourself. It’s good for your health and helps improve your concentration and discipline. I practice often, three to six times a week, but this doesn’t interfere with schoolwork. My grades are high, and even though I love math, I’m going to have a Kung fu school and teach.” - Lucas Mendes, 10 - silver and bronze

1

Boston Dynamics, a company bought by Google in 2013, has launched a robot that can perform martial arts. The android can stand on one leg and make moves like those of Daniel San from the Karate Kid movie. Martial arts are individual fighting techniques that have been

who brought home 60 medals: 5 gold, 20 silver, and 35 bronze. For the town of Mogi Guaçu (SP state), the results were unexpected: six of its athletes brought home 10 medals. To participate in the championship, athletes qualified through several competitions,

BY ANDRÉA ANDRADE CEREGATTI

fun has existed in China for over 5,000 years. It is believed that the name appeared with the Greek and Roman people, who honored Mars, the God of War, during their battles. Martial arts train the body, the mind and spirit, and balance the body, helping correct back posture, breathing, providing flexibility, re-

laxation, and muscle strengthening. They also help one be courageous, honorable, loyal, modest, and kind. Some of the more well-known martial arts include: Aikido (Japan) / Karate (Japan) / Jiu-Jitsu (India) / Judo (Japan) / Tae-Kwon-Do (Korea) / Tai-Chi-Chuan (China). Robot that practices martial arts

COLORS & PROGRESSION

Did you know that

The color of the belt that is tied around athletes’ waist indicates their technical level, their progress, and knowledge. The standard color system is white, yellow, green, brown, and black. A student’s qualification goes in decreasing order from 10 (white belt) to 1 (black belt).

... some of the most well-known Brazilian martial arts are Brazilian jiu-jitsu, capoeira, and combat?

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IMAGES: PROVIDED, YOUTUBE/IMHC, THINKSTOCK

SPORTS


COLLECTIBLE

TRAFFIC IN THE SKY Humans believe it is possible to have flying cars and have been working towards building them for some time. It seems that we are close to that becoming a reality now. Imagine mini-helicopters that

are easy to fly, that could take off from our homes, and fly over traffic. That is what MyCopter is aiming for: creating personal helicopters and establishing regulations for the sky. The European Union’s government has giv-

en the project US$4.7 million so it can be developed by scientists at Max Planck Cybernetic Biology in Germany and at the School of Engineering of the University of Liverpool. The project does not have a completion deadline,

but it also plans to establish traffic laws, and provide driver’s education and an accident prevention system. Scientists are studying how to prevent accidents by watching groups of birds in flight.

Photos: Divulgação Evandro Bertol

How it works

A software will control all of the car’s functions: distance from the ground, from obstacles and from other vehicles, and inclination. It will also monitor wind speed and amount of fuel.

Accident prevention

Low roof

The maximum altitude of 610 meters is so as not to invade the space used by planes.

No-fly zones

Light and sound sensors will provide warning about other vehicles and helicopters, trees, and buildings and will re-route the car. Cars will behave like a flock of birds on a group basis, flying at a close, but safe distance.

Seating capacity

Flying near airports, heliports, and military bases will be forbidden. The software controls the car and is in charge of keeping it far from these areas.

The model can carry two passengers.

Parking space

The vehicle which is the size of a car can be parked in garages or public parking lots.

Take-off

This is strictly vertical, lifting off from a common parking spot, with no need for a runaway

Urban

A planned flight will have the autonomy to fly 100km - enough to go from the outskirts of a city to its center and back. The speed limit is yet to be determined.

License

Some will hire a pilot, but the owner can take the wheel after training on flight simulators.

November 2014 | Issue51 | Joca |

11


REPÓRTER JUNIOR REPORTER MIRIM

PLAYFUL WORK

Marcos Bessa, a 25-year-old Portuguese, does what a lot of kids would love to do: he creates LEGOs. Marcos came to Brazil for the 4th ExpoLUG Brasil and met with Joca.

Did you play with LEGOs when you were a kid?

Yes, I did. It was my favorite activity in my childhood. I used to spend the whole afternoon building, taking things apart and rebuilding.

What did you study to become a LEGO designer?

Unlike most of my colleagues who studied Product Design or Graphic Design, I studied Computer Science Engineering. My passion for design and the knowledge I acquired as a LEGO Adult Fan (AFOL in the Portuguese acronym) in Portugal were enough to ensure my spot in the company.

What did you do before that?

JOCA’S ADVENTURES

Ghostbusters LEGO set designed by Marcos

What does it mean to be a LEGO designer? Do you create the toys? I design and create the models that kids and adults can build at home. I have worked in product lines that target mostly five to sevenyear-old boys, but I have also created some that are more geared towards LEGO’s adult fans.

Which toys did you create?

Among the many that I have created, some of the most recent are: The Simpsons’ House (71006), The Milano Spaceship Rescue from the Guardians of the Galaxy movie (76021), the Ecto-1 car from the Ghostbusters’ movie (21108), and Santa’s Workshop (10245).

This is my first job. I did small graphic design jobs on a freelance basis while I was studying, but nothing else.

Where do you get the inspiration to invent these toys?

I watch movies and animated series, and read comic books. For sets like Santa’s Workshop, I researched images on Google, watched movies, and used my imagination.

Do you play with LEGO pieces at home and at work?

At home, I don’t. I use my free time for other activities. But at work, yes, I play while I am working. :)

What is your office like? Does it have a table full of LEGO pieces? Our work area is sizable. The furniture is all white, and it is full of LEGOs. I sit with designers of different nationalities. We have drawers full of LEGO pieces that are organized by color and shape. Of course, my desk is always covered with LEGO pieces.

Do you do the drawings on the computer?

I start by building models with real pieces, but at some point in the creative process, we have to transfer the model to the computer. To do so, we use software especially designed for this.

Which LEGO sets do you plan to create next?

Well…. :) I can only tell you that they will be just as, or even more exciting and interesting than the ones I have designed up to now. I can hardly wait for all of you to get your hands on them.

EXECUTIVE-DIRECTOR STÉPHANIE HABRICH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MARINA LIMA PASSERINI (MTB 28088) ART DIRECTORS UMCOMUM SAMUEL CRUZ MAGIA DE LER ANDREA D’ELIA, BRUNNA SOUZA, ELISABETE AUGUSTA, JAQUELINE PRATES IMAGES THINKSTOCK, AFP ILLUSTRATION AND LOGO LAURENT CARDON TRANSLATION MARINA SIEH EDITING NATHALIE STAHELIN SAC MAGIA DE LER TEL.: (11) 2129-6455, E-MAIL: CONTATO@MAGIADELER.COM.BR BLOG LEITURA E COMPANHIA JORNALLEITURA E COMPANHIA.COM.BR SITE WWW.LOJAMAGIADELER.COM.BR EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE AND ASSESSMENT: PEARSON DO BRASIL EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS: ANE BEATRIZ PROHMANN VIGIANO, ADRIANE MENEZES, CARMEN CASTELLANI E MARIA CLÁUDIA SONDAHL REBELLATO. ENGLISH ASSESSMENTS: ADRIANE MENEZES PORTUGUESE ASSESSMENTS: JOSEANE SOUZA PROJECT MANAGER: JULIANA SENA

12 | Joca | Issue 51 | November 2014

www.lojamagiadeler.com.br


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