Dare to Shine

The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is being held in France between 7 June and 7 July 2019. Alex Scott. is an English former footballer and has played for the English national team 140 times. She has a message for the World Cup players.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• national team - team that represents a country
• football cage - a space surrounded by wire on all sides where you can play football
• escape - something that helps you to forget about your usual life or problems
• to doubt someone - to have a feeling that someone cannot do something well or succeed at something
• to prove someone wrong - to show by your actions that someone's judgment of you was not correct
• determination - the ability to continue trying to do something that is very difficult
• on the cusp of something - at the point when something is about to change to something else
• to shine - to be very good or successful at an activity
• to take the spotlight - to do things that make people pay more attention to you

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Where did Alex start playing football?


2. Did everyone always believe that Alex could be great at football?


3. What was Alex’ determination to keep going and not give up?


4. According to Alex, what is happening with women’s football now?


5. What is Alex’ advice to the girls playing in the World Cup?

Really Ticked

Now that the warmer weather is here, we’re a lot more active outside. We are not the only animals enjoying the outdoors. Meet the tick:


Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• prime time - a good time for doing something or being somewhere
• undergrowth - plants, bushes, and small trees growing under larger trees in a forest
• nasty diseases - bad sicknesses
• insect repellent - something like a lotion or spray that is used to keep insects away
• DEET - a chemical that is used to keep insects away from people and animals
• flu-like symptoms - symptoms that are similar to when you have the flu (like fever, weakness, body aches, and breathing problems)
• rash - a group of red spots on the skin that is caused by an illness or a reaction to something
• GP - family docter (GP is short for general practitioner)

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Where in nature are most ticks found?


2. What do ticks eat?


3. Name three things you can do to fight ticks.


4. What should you do when a tick bites you?

Cruising Away?

Last week, Venice saw an incident with a cruise ship.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• a Hollywood production - a typical Hollywood film
• residents - people who live in a particular place
• storey - a floor level of a building
• quayside - the edge of a quay (kade), near the water
• oblivious to the potential danger - not aware of the possible danger
• dockside - the area along a shore next to a dock (dok)
• tugboat- a small, powerful boat that is used for pulling and pushing ships into harbors or up rivers
• turning point - the time when a situation starts changing in an important way

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What exactly happened with the cruise ship?
   Tell in your own words. Or write a short report about the incident.


2. How many passengers were there aboard the cruise ship?


3. Did all the people on land immediately realize what was happening?


4. Were any buildings in Venice damaged during the incident?


5. Name two or more reasons why people in Venice are protesting against cruise ships.

Extra speaking assignment
Is a ban on cruise ships in cities like Venice a good idea?
1. Split the class in two.
2. One side thinks of arguments for a ban, the other against a ban.
3. Have a class discussion.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest has been in the news a lot recently.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to hit headlines - to appear as a big news story
• fierce - very powerful
• lack - the state or condition of not having any or enough of something
• oxygen - zuurstof
• a record number of people - the highest number of people ever
• summit - the top of a mountain
• crowded - filled with too many people or things
• delays - situations in which you have to wait longer than normally or expected
• experience - skill or knowledge that you get by doing something
• requirements - things that are needed or necessary

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Why is Mount Everest in the news?


2. Is Mount Everest the tallest mountain in the world?


3. Name three things that make climbing Mount Everest dangerous.


4. Why is it getting crowded on Mount Everest?


5. What could be done to make climbing Mount Everest safer?

Up in the Air

Summer vacation is coming up. Good times for airline companies.
Travelling by plane has never been more popular. But flying contributes to climate change.
Now what?

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• a significant number - very many; so many that it really makes a difference
• carbon footprint - a measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide that your activities produce
• fuel - a material (such as coal, oil, or gas) that is burned to produce heat or power
• via another airport - by departing from another airport
• to offset - to cancel or reduce the effect of something
• online calculators - websites that do the math for you
• to tackle a problem - to deal with a problem
• to reduce the impact of flying - to make the (negative) effect of flying smaller

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. When you think of flying, what is the best thing you can do to help our climate?


2. Laura Foster explains what you can do to reduce the carbon footprint of your flight.
   How many things does she name?


3. Name three or more of these things you could do yourself.


4. How does “Offset your flight” work?


5. Do all these things really reduce the impact of flying on climate change?

Buzz Buzz Buzz!

It is an early, warm spring. You may have already spotted some bees. Bees can be found in many different countries.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• massive - very large in number or size
• (bee) combs - a group of wax cells with six sides that are built by bees; the bees keep young bees or honey in these cells
• hornet - a very large wasp
• to be under attack - to be attacked
• predator - an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals
• to intercept - to stop and take something that is going from one place to another place before that thing gets there
• foraging - searching for food
• to strike - to attack suddenly

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Fill in the missing number:
   Each of these massive combs can contain ........... wild bees.


2. Can hornets catch the bees easily?


3. How many bees are on the cliff in the video clip?

Watch an extra video about these bees here.

The Blue Bandit

Wiebe Wakker went for a ride in his car. His car is called the Blue Bandit. It is a special car and it was a special ride.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• epic journey - very impressive trip
• a bandit - a gangster
• online donations - money people give through a website
• to plot your course - to plan your route or journey in detail
• to prove someone wrong - to do something in order to show that someone had an incorrect idea or opinion
• prejudices - unfair or unreasonable opinion about something or someone
• reliable - good, to be trusted
• insane - very foolish, sort of crazy
• inspire - to make someone want to do something

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.



(B1) Answer the questions.

1. Where did Wiebe’s journey begin and end? 
2. Is Wiebe's Blue Bandit a regular car? Explain your answer. 
3. Where did Wiebe get the money to make his trip?
4. What was Wiebe’s goal with his trip?

(A2) Fill in the numbers:

1. Wiebe Wakker and his Blue Bandit drove ................. days.
2. Wiebe Wakker drove through ................. countries.
3. Wiebe Wakker drove nearly ................. kilometers.
4. Wiebe Wakker’s journey started in March .................
5. The Blue Bandit is one of only ................. of such electric cars ever made.

Dumbo

Have you seen the new Dumbo movie yet? Disney has just released a remake. In the film, Danny DeVito plays Max Medici, the owner of a circus.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• in captivity - not free; kept in a cage or something similar
• to run away - to leave your home suddenly without permission and go somewhere else to live
• doing voice-overs - speaking words in a movie or television programme without being seen
• gruff - rough or rather unfriendly or very serious
• to survive - to continue to exist
• similar to - almost the same as someone or something else
• he has a big heart - he is very generous and kind
• emotions - feelings
• xenophobia - fear of strangers or foreigners
• to embrace - to accept and support someone and believe in them
• confidence - the feeling that you can do something well or succeed at something

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. According to Danny DeVito, where do animals belong?


2. Danny says: “In Dumbo, we have people from all over the world.”
   Name three or more countries where these people come from.


3. In what way is Max Medici different from the characters DeVito usually plays?


4. When people look at Dumbo, what do they feel or do?


5. One of the messages that you get out of the movie is that you have to embrace people for who they are.
   Explain what this means.

Brexit, Again...

What is going on in London?

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to reject - to refuse to accept
• in deadlock - in a situation in which nothing happens because all sides cannot come to an agreement
• to stick to your guns - to continue to have a particular opinion, plan, etc., even when other people criticize you and say that you are wrong
• perilously close - dangerously close
• extension - extra time allowed for doing something
• to extend - to make something longer or greater

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Fill in the missing words:
   Brexit means ..... and we’re going to make a ..... of it.
   We will leave the EU on the ....


2. Did things go exactly as planned?


3. What did Theresa May write in her letter to Donald Tusk?

Super Bloom

Spring is a time when we can see nature’s amazing powers with our own eyes.
Just check out these recent sights in California.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• drought - a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain
• to celebrate - to do something special or enjoyable for an important event
• consumed by drought - destroyed by a long period of no rain
• to prove - to show that something is true
• awash with wildflowers - covered with many, many flowers
• poppies - plants with bright red or orange flowers
• to appreciate - to understand the worth or importance of something
• pathetic - very bad, almost stupid
• vast desert - large area of very dry land
• scorching - very hot

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. What is a “super bloom”? Also explain what makes it happen.


2. What does this super bloom prove according to park ranger Dennis Stephen?


3. Some people like to get very close to the flowers. Is this okay? Explain your answer.


4. Is this year's super bloom in California popular?


5. How long does the super bloom last?

Wolves

Wolves were gone from the Netherlands. But they are back. Between November last year and January this year at least four wolves were spotted.
In the United States wolves also almost became extinct (uitgestorven). This has changed.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• predator - an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals
• a howl - a long, sad sound
• northern hemisphere - northern half of the earth
• canines - dogs
• wolf pack - a group of wolves, that live and hunt together
• cohesive units - closely united groups
• hierarchy - system in which all elements (people, animals, or things) are arranged according to their importance
• to show your affection - to show that you like someone or something
• exterminated - killed

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How many species of wolves are there?


2. Which species of wolves can be found in both the U.S. and the Netherlands?


3. How many wolves generally form a wolf pack?


4. “Each wolves howl is unique.” Explain what this means. Use examples from the video.


5. Name at least 2 reasons why wolves almost became extinct in the U.S.

Out in the Cold

Yup, it’s still winter and really cold in some parts of the world. Northern USA and Canada are in the grip of the polar vortex. How did it all happen?

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• in a freeze frenzy - influenced and controlled by the effects of the freezing weather
• to undergo changes - to go through changes
• weather officials - people who work at organisations where the weather is studied
• frostbite - injury to someone caused by severe cold, usually to their toes, fingers, ears, or nose
• windchills - temperatures that shows how cold the air feels because of the wind

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Where is the polar vortex actually?


2. How high up is the polar vortex?


3. Name two or more effects of the extreme cold.


4. Which two warnings have weather officials given?


5. How cold can the windchills get?

An Icy Sight

Did aliens create this beauty?

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• frigid - very cold
• disc - a flat, thin, round object
• the far side of the moon - the side of the moon away from the earth
• to spin - to turn around in circles
• rotation - the act or process of moving or turning around a central point
• unheard-of - very unusual, not heard of before

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. When was the ice disc first spotted?


2. How cold is it in Westbrook, Maine?


3. How wide is the ice disc?


4. Is this the first time people have seen such an ice disc?


5. Is the ice disc still spinning?

Standoff

Heavy snowfall has caused chaos in Germany and Austria. Snow belongs to winter as sun belongs to summer. It’s not snowing here now, but there's lots of the stuff where the little ones in the video live.

Before you watch the video, meet the main characters:

• a group of penguin chicks (groepje jonge pinguïns)
• a giant petrel (een grote stormvogel)
• a feisty Adelie (een stoere adeliepinguïn)
• several penguin cams (nep-pinguïns met een verborgen camera)

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• a challenge - a difficult task or problem; something that is hard to do
• stopped in their tracks - If you stop or are stopped in your tracks, you stop doing something suddenly or immediately.
• defensive - defending or protecting someone or something from an attack
• a standoff - a situation, argument, contest, etc., in which there is no winner
• to mess with - to get in a fight with

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Where are the penguin chicks going?


2. What do the penguin chicks do to defend themselves? Name two things.


3. How tall are the penguin chicks?


4. What does the Adelie penguin do after chasing away the petrel?


5. What is the Adelie penguin waiting for when it is standing at the waterside?

Ultima Thule

For space lovers, 2019 started with a bang: NASA’s New Horizons mission arrived at Ultima Thule on 1 January 2019. Ultima Thule is the oldest rock in space ever explored by humans. It is more than 4 billion miles away from earth.

Brian May is best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen. He is also an astrophysicist. He spent some time with the science team of the New Horizons mission. Brian released a single to celebrate the New Horizons’ success.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• horizon - the limit of what is possible in a particular field or activity
• limitless - very great or large; without limit
• never-ending - endless; having or seeming to have no end
• it takes your breath away - it is extremely beautiful or exciting
• man - the human race
• to throw light on something - to help to explain something
• point of view - a way of looking at or thinking about something

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.



1. With which number does the countdown begin?

2. While you watch the video again, fill in the missing words of the lyrics:
New horizons ........... ...........
New horizons no one's ever seen before
Limitless wonders in a never-ending sky
We may never, never reach them
That's why we have ........... ...........

New horizons to take our breath away
New horizons getting ........... every day
Somewhere in the distance, ........... ........... will appear
One day New Horizons will be very, very near
That's why we're here

Tonight the hand of man reaches out
To throw light on how ........... came about
Computer is reckoning an all-time high
The future is beckoning onward and onward we ...........

New horizons a dream coming ...........
New horizons that will change our point of view
The fruits of wishful thinking we taste them for real
We're off to new horizons so hold on to the wheel
That's how we ...........

New horizons every day
New horizons
New horizons every day

3. For the more advanced: Explain or discuss the meaning of the underlined phrases.

Real or Fake?

In December, many people put up their Christmas trees.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• artificial - not natural or real
• the real deal - something that is real, not fake
• price-wise - with regard to the price; as far as the price is concerned
• reusable - able to be used again
• assembly - the act of putting the parts of something together
• to chop down - to cut (a tree, bush, etc.) at the bottom so that it falls to the ground
• memorable - very good or special and worth remembering
• environment - the natural world (the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live)
• mulch - straw, leaves, or small pieces of wood that are spread over the ground in a garden to protect the plants
• downside - the aspect of something which is not so positive, pleasant, or useful

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. Are there more artificial or real Christmas trees in American homes?


2. Which Christmas trees are more expensive: the real ones or the artificial ones?


3. Which Christmas tree is easier to set up?


4. Is cutting down a tree at a farm bad for the planet? Explain your answer.


5. After how many years is using an artifical tree less bad for the environment?

School Strike

It’s in the news more and more: Kids all over the world going on strike from school.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to go on strike - to stop work or anything else you should do in order to force a change
• carbon footprint - the amount of greenhouse gases (broeikasgas) someone or something leaves behind
• to head (somewhere) - to go in a specific direction
• obvious - easy to see or understand
• to make a difference - to help change a situation
• to recognize - to accept or be aware that something is true
• to take action - to do something
• bush fire - a fire burning in the bush (= a wild area of land) that is difficult to control and sometimes spreads quickly
• drought - a long period of time when there is very little or no rain
• to have a say - to have the power to help decide something

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How old are the girls?


2. Why are the girls planning to go on strike?


3. On what date are the girls planning to go on strike?


4. Where will they be going on strike?

Watch the video once more. Answer these more advanced questions:

1. What do the girls want to happen with the carbon footprint?


2. Harriet says that ‘that everyone can make a difference but particularly our politicians’.
   Why particularly the politicians?


3. Milou says that she’s ‘concerned about climate change because ...’.
   Name the reasons she gives.

Monkey Business

Iceland is a British supermarket chain. Many supermarkets make special Christmas TV ads. This year, Iceland wanted to show a special animation for Christmas. But they are not allowed to show their animation on TV. The reason given: it is “too political”.
Now the animation is becoming a big hit anyway, thanks to social media. Watch it and judge for yourself.
The animation is about a girl and a young orangutan. The orangutan is called Rang-tan.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to ban - to forbid something
• orangutan - a large ape that has very long arms and reddish-brown hair
• teddy - short for: teddy bear; a soft toy bear
• to borrow - to take and use something that belongs to someone else
• to howl - to make a long, loud cry that sounds sad
• naughty - behaving badly
• forest - a large area of land covered with trees and plants
• palmoil - an oil from the nuts of some types of palm tree, used in some foods and to make soap
• to feel blue - to feel sad or unhappy

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. The orangutan is doing all sorts of things in the girl’s house. Name at least two things.


2. Is the girl happy with her uninvited guest?


3. Why is the orangutan in the girl’s house?


4. What is the girl going to do with the orangutan’s story?


5. Finish the last sentence the girl says: “The future’s not yet written but .....”
   Explain in your own words what this means.

Gone for the Ultimate Spin

Stan Lee was an American comic book writer. He created many beloved comics characters. One of them is Spider-Man. Stan Lee died 12 November 2018. He was 95 years old.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• fly - a small insect that has two wings
• to crawl - to move on your hands and knees
• dramatic - attracting attention
• impressive - making you admire something or someone
• sidekick - a person who works with someone who is usually more important, powerful, etc.
• relatable - possible to understand because of being like something you have known, experienced, etc.

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. How did Stan Lee get the idea to create Spider-Man?


2. Did he think of Spider-Man as a name straight away?


3. What does he like about the name Spider-Man?


4. Name three or more aspects of Spider-Man which Stan Lee added to the character.


5. Why did Stan Lee give Spider-Man these extra, not very heroic aspects?

A Show of Hands

Scientists have recently found the oldest known example of an animal drawing. Seth Borenstein describes a similar discovery.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• drawings - pictures that are made by making lines on a surface
• hand print - the mark that is made by pressing your hand on a surface
• at a minimum - at least
• ancestors - people in your family who lived before you several generations ago
• a dozen - a group of 12 people or things
• pig -
  
• deer -
  

First read the assignment. Next watch the video. Take notes to help you do the assignment.

1. In which country were the cave paintings in the video discovered?


2. How old are the paintings?


3. What does the discovery tell us about humans making paintings and other art?