Powered By The Sun

The Sun sends huge amounts of energy to Earth.This solar energy
can be used to heat things,or to make electricity-without making
pollution.The Sun will still be shining long after the last coal
and oil have been mined.
The rows of solar panels on the roof of the house in the picture
turn the Sun's energy into electricity.This energy can be stored in
batteries.It can also travel along power lines into the electricity
system.
Solar water heaters absorb the Sun's energy to heat water.
This hot water is stored in a tank,which can be seen above the
two heating panels.

1.What does the sun send to Earth?
2.What can this solar energy be used for?
3.Does solar energy make pollution.
4.How long will the Sun be shining?
5.What is on the roof of the house in the picture?
6.What do the solar panels do?
7.How can the energy be stored?
8.What do solar water heaters do?
9.Where is the hot water stored?
10.Does your mansion/house have any solar panels?

Earthquake Rescuers

When the ground stops shaking after an earthquake,rescue workers
are quick to arrive.Sirens sound and helicopters hover overhead.
Rescuers search buildings and dig through the rubble.They listen
everywhere for sounds of life.They must work quickly to find
trapped survivors on or buried under the ground.
Earthquakes often destroy roads.Helicopters provide the only
means of carrying injured survivors to hospital.
Rescuers have a difficult and dangerous job.Cut power lines can
cause fires and broken gas pipes can release deadly fumes.The
mixture of gas and fires often causes sudden explosions.

Venezuela

Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others being Ecuador and New Granada, which became Colombia). For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social reforms. Democratically elected governments have held sway since 1959. Hugo CHAVEZ, president since 1999, has promoted a controversial policy of "democratic socialism," which purports to alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking globalization and undermining regional stability. Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Colombian border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples.

Location
Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, between Colombia and Guyana
Geographic coordinates
8 00 N, 66 00 W
Map references
South America
Area

total
912,050 sq km
land
882,050 sq km
water
30,000 sq km

Area - comparative
slightly more than twice the size of California
Land boundaries

total
4,993 km
border countries
Brazil 2,200 km, Colombia 2,050 km, Guyana 743 km

Coastline
2,800 km
Maritime claims

territorial sea
12 nm
contiguous zone
15 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate
tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands
Terrain
Andes Mountains and Maracaibo Lowlands in northwest; central plains (llanos); Guiana Highlands in southeast
Elevation extremes

lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
Pico Bolivar (La Columna) 5,007 m

Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds

Sailing West

In 1492,Christopher Columbus set said from Spain.He commanded
a fleet of three ships.They sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean.
After two months at sea,there was great excitement when a sailor
saw land.The fleet of ships had reached islands in the Caribbean
Sea.Columbus thought they were in Asia and named these islands
the West Indies.
The Santa Maria was the ship in which Columbus sailed from Spain.
It was wrecked among the islands of the Caribbean.
In 1498,Columbus reached mainland South America on his third
voyage west.His ships explored the Orinoco River in the country
that is now called Venezuela.

1. When did Christopher Columbus set sail from Spain?
2. How many ships did he command?
3. Which direction did they sail?
4. What caused great excitement on the ship?
5. What islands had they reached?
6. Where did Columbus think he was? Was he correct?
7. What was the name of Columbus's ship?
8. What happened to the Santa Maria?
9. What does wrecked mean?
10. When did Columbus reach mainland South America?
11. Did Columbus find South America of his first voyage west?
12. Where did his ships explore?

The Saxons

* The Saxons were named after a type of sword they used called a 'Sax'.
* The Saxons originally lived in Europe. Some of them came to live in Britain during the Dark Ages.
* The word 'Saxon' refers to several groups of people from Northern Germany and Southern Denmark. They were a type of Germanic people.
* They are sometimes called 'Anglo-Saxons'. This refers to two groups: the Angles and the Saxons. It can also mean the 'English Saxons'.
* The part of Britain which the Anglo-Saxons took over was named 'England' after them. It means 'Land of the Angles'.
* They all spoke a language similar to English. It is usually called 'Old English'. They used a type of writing called Runes for name tags and gravestones.
* Strictly speaking, the Saxons came from North-West Germany. Some of them moved south to set up Upper Saxony. The Angles came from Angeln in South-West Denmark. A third group, called the Jutes, came from Jutland in Central Denmark.
* Tradition says that the Saxons settled in Southern England; the Angles settled in East Anglia, the Midlands and Northern England; the Jutes settled in Kent, Hampshire & on the Isle of Wight.
* Other groups who settled in Britain can also be called 'Saxons'. These include the Frisians, the Franks and the Swabians.

Giants of the Ocean

Read this story about blue whales. If you find a new word, look at the words around it to help work out the meaning.

The biggest animal in the world lives in the sea. It is the blue whale. This largest of all creatures feeds on some of the very smallest of sea animals. They are called krill, and they look like tiny shrimps. When it is born, a blue whale calf is about 23 feet (7m) long.
Blue whales can grow up to about 98 feet(30m) long. Female blue whales always grow larger than males. An adult female blue whale weighs 26 times as much as an elephant. Its huge heart is the same size as a small car.

Answer the questions

1) Where does the biggest animal in the world live?

2) Is the elephant the biggest animal in the world?

3) What is the biggest animal in the world?

4) What does the blue whale eat?What do they look like?

5) How long is a blue whale calf when it is born?

6) How big can a blue whale grow?

7) which grows larger, a female or a male blue whale?

8) Which is heavier, a blue whale or an elephant?

9) Is a blue whales heart big or small? how big is it?

10) Would you like to swim with a blue whale? why?why not?

Castles

Castles:
Since the power and security of a lord depended upon his ability to defend himself, fief owners began to build sturdy castles. Castles were designed to withstand a siege and to mount a defense.

At first castles were made of wood. But they were too easy to burn down. By 1100 CE, castles were built of stone. Thick walls surrounded a castle. Inside these thick walls, there were many buildings.

At the first sign of trouble, the commoners rushed to get inside the castle walls before the gates closed and shut them out.

Questions
1)Who built castles?

2)What were castles designed to do?

3)What were the first castles of?

4)Why did they stop making castles from this material?

5)What did they start to build castles from by 1100 CE?

6)What surrounded the castles?

7)What was inside the thick walls?

8)What did the common people do if there where signs of trouble?


Location:
Castles were usually built on top of a hill, if one was handy. That way, the lookout guards could more easily spot attackers approaching.

Question 1 Where was the best spot to build a castle? Why?

The Moat:
A moat was built around many of the castles. This was a deep ditch surrounding the castle walls, filled with water. A bridge was built to cross the moat. The bridge was raised during an attack. The moat was loaded with traps and sharp spikes in case someone tried to swim across.

Question 2 What is a moat?
Question 3 where was it built?
Question 4 What was the moat loaded with? Why?

The Drawbridge:
The drawbridge was the bridge built across the moat. This bridge could be raised and lowered for added protection from intruders.

Question 5 What is a drawbridge? Why did a castle need one?

The Keep:
One of the largest spaces behind the thick walls was the keep. The keep was a storage area topped by a huge square tower with slotted windows for castle archers to use. The keep stored food, wine, and grain in case of siege.

Question 6 What was the keep used for? What did it look like?

The Barracks:
Other buildings made up the barracks. the barracks were the homes of the knights and their families.

Question 7 Who lived in the barracks?

The Great Hall:
The Great Hall was a passageway that connected the lord's home to the keep.

Question 8 what two places did the great hallway connect?

The Chapel:
The chapel was build either inside the lord's home or as a separate building. The chapel was a place to hold religious services.

Question 9 what was the chapel built for? where was it usually built?

The gatehouse
was a building used by the guards at the gates. The portcullis was the grating of iron bars at the gateway.

Question 10 who was stationed in the gatehouse?

Question 11 What do you think was the most important building in the castle?

Rock Climbing

People of all ages enjoy the challemge of climbing on large rocks and up steep cliff faces. Rock climbers wear specially designed shoes and light clothing. Climbers also wear harnesses, which are devices that are strapped around the body. Ropes attached to the harness are anchored to rocks. The harnesses and ropes keep climbers safe if they fall. Rock climbers often work in pairs. As one person climbs,another on the ground pulls on the rope to make sure it is not too loose. People who climb on icy cliffs or glaciers use ice axes to cut holes in the ice where their feet can go.
Finish the sentence

1a) The harnesses that climbers wear are.....................................................
* worn strapped around their body.
*made of rope woven with steel thread.

b) When two climbers work together, one climbs while the other................................. *goes above to pull on the ropes.
*remains below and pulls on the rope.

c) People who climb in icy places use ice axes to .......................................... *chop the ice from around their frozen ropes.
*to cut holes in the ice where they can put their feet

d) Who enjoys the challenge of rock climbing?

e) Where do rock climbers like to climb?

f) What do rock climbers wear?

g) What are harnesses?

h) What are the ropes attached and anchored to?

i) What keeps the climbers safe?

j) Do rock climbers usually work alone or in pairs?

k) How does the partnership work?

l) Do some climbers climb on icy cliffs?

m) What special piece of equipment do they use?

n) Would you like to try rock climbing? Why? Why not?