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.

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?

March News

What’s up in the world this month?

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to propose - to suggest something like a plan or an idea to others
• planes grounded - Airplanes that are “grounded” are prevented from flying.
• to smash records - to break existing records with far better performances or achievements
• pristine - not changed by people; left in its natural state
• samples - small amounts of something that give information about the thing it was taken from
• to accumulate - to become more gradually as time passes
• soil - the top layer of earth in which plants grow
• species - a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

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



For A2 listeners
Watch the video until 1:28.
Answer the first three questions.

1. How old is the World Wide Web this month?
2. When did the first website in the world go online?
3. How many websites are there today?

For B1 listeners
Watch the video until 3:45.
Answer all six questions.

4. Which information can be found on a black box?
5. How many million dollars has the Captain Marvel film made already? 
6. Which materials does Phoebe, the penguin researcher, analyse for her research?

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?

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.

Why Ticks Stick

It’s tick season. Watch out for those little monsters.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to transmit - to cause a virus, disease, etc. to be given to others
• Lyme disease - a serious illness that is spread by the bite of a small insect
• menacing - dangerous and threatening
• host - an animal or plant in which another animal or plant lives and gets its food or protection
• to latch onto something - to become connected to something
• freckle - a small, brownish spot on someone's skin
• to wriggle - to twist from side to side with small quick movements like a worm
• for the long haul - for a long period of time
• straw - a thin tube used for sucking up a drink
• to nab - to catch and stop
• tenacious - not letting go, clinging on

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

1. Why can ticks be a problem for people?


2. What is “questing”?


3. How long does a tick live?


4. How many days does a tick nymph stick to a person?


5. How should you remove a tick from your skin?

Kilauea

Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island has been very active lately.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• causing chaos - making chaos happen
• a slow-moving flow - a large area of lava or mud that is moving slowly
• molten rock - rock that is melted by heat and moves like water
• magma - hot liquid rock below the surface of the earth
• to solidify - to become solid, compact, or hard
• continuously - all the time without a stop
• to drain out - to flow or move out of something
• Hawaii locals - people who live on Hawaii
• footage - scenes or action recorded on film or video

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

1. How hot is the lava?


2. The lava is moving slowly. What is the positive side of that?


3. What type of volcano is Kilauea?


4. Since which year has Kilauea almost continuously been erupting?


5. Why could the situation get more dangerous when all the lava flows out of the volcano?

453 x 356

Mohammad al-Mir is a Lebanese teenager. The 13-year-old has won three world titles for his super fast maths skills.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to calculate - rekenen
• calculator - rekenmachine
• to memorize - to learn something so well that you can remember it perfectly
• abacus - telraam
• to recommend - to tell someone that something is a good idea, to advise something

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

1. How do people call Mohammed?


2. What did Mohammed do when he was a young boy?


3. What is Mohammed’s advice to all people?

Extra speaking assignment
1. Read the names of the mathematical symbols:
   +  plus
   -  minus
   x   times
   :   divided by
   =   equals
2. Now say Mohammed’s sum out loud in English: 453 x 356 = 161,268
3. Watch the video once more to check if you said it right.
4. Try saying other sums as well.

Guinness World Records Day

Thursday 9 November was Guinness World Records Day. Thousands of incredible titles were broken all over the globe.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to witness - to see something happen
• attempt - act of trying something
• sense the energy - feel the energy
• pushing boundaries - trying to do things that go further than people think is possible
• frontier - limit of how far people have gone in a particular field

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

1. What record did Richard Browning try to set?


2. How heavy is Richard Browning’s equipment?


3. What did Richard have to do to set a record?
   Name two criteria.


4. This year, Richard Browning set a record. Now he wants to smash a record.
   Explain the difference between the two underlined expressions.


5. What are Richard Browning's plans for “the next big frontier”?

Extra words assignment
For the following words, write down a word in the video with (almost) the same meaning.
- observe
- thrilling
- pleasure
- boundary

Catalonia

What’s going on in Spain?

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• seriously considering - thinking about really doing something
• soccer - British/European football (with 2 teams of 11 players)
• ultimate control - final power to make decisions about how things are managed and done
• independence - freedom from control or support of others
• determined - very firm, not prepared to give in
• stalemate - a situation in a game, fight or discussion in which neither side can win
• to back down - to stop fighting for something

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

1. Explain in your own words what the following question means:
   "What if the map of Spain were to change?"


2. Where is Catalonia located?


3. Catalonia used to be a country. In what year did that change?


4. Is this the first time that Catalonia tries to become independent again?


5. What does the Spanish government want?

The Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge

Gitanjali Rao won the 2017 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• contaminated - dangerously dirty
• lead - a heavy and soft metal that has a gray color; chemical element: Pb
• to detect - to discover or notice something that is hidden
• detection - when you discover or identify something that is hidden
• to dip - to put something into water (or another liquid) and pull it out again quickly
• the whole manual part - the part that you do with your hands
• elevated levels of lead in his blood - more lead in his blood than is normal and healthy

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

1. How old is Gitanjali Rao?


2. Gitanjali’s invention is called Tethys. What does Tethys do?


3. What gave Gitanjali the idea to make Tethys?


4. How long did it take Gitanjali to make Tethys?


5. What good advice does Gitanjali give at the end of the video (1:58)?

Extra speaking assignment
Watch the video once more.
1. Listen carefully to Gitanjali’s explanation of Tethys. (0:19 to 0:35)
2. Take notes of the main steps.
3. Explain in your own words how to use Tethys.

Mount Agung

There have been a lot of natural disasters all over the world in the past month. Now another one seems to be in the make. Find out more in the video.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• to lift a warning - to stop warning people about something
• eruption - the event when rocks, ash, lava, etc. suddenly stream out of a volcano
• to scare away - to make someone so afraid that they go away and stay away
• residents - the people who live in a particular place

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

1. Why are tourists staying away from Bali?


2. How many villages are there on Bali?


3. How many touristst visit Bali normally each week?

Extra writing and reading/listening assignment
1. Find out what the situation is on Bali now.
2. Write a short news report about this.
3. Write 75-100 words.
4. Also name the source (video or text) you used.

International Museum Day

May 18 is International Museum Day. Elliot checked out The British Museum in London. He wanted to see if it’s fun for kids to visit.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• epic - very impressive
• sword - a weapon with a long metal blade that has a sharp point and edge
• pocket money - money that kids get from their parents regularly
• very crammed - full of people

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

1. What is Elliot’s general impression of the British Museum?


2. How old is Elliot?


3. Elliot loves Samurai swords. What does he like even better?


4. How much does the water cost?


5. Why is the museum better than school?


6. Elliot sees all kinds of stuff in the museum. What would you like to see there?

Do Not Try This At Home

Kerim Ahmetsapahic from Bosnia has a good head on his shoulders. And he knows how to use it.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• crush - hit or press something so hard that it breaks
• incredible - difficult to believe
• feat - act that shows courage, strength, or skill

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

1. How old is Kerim?


2. How many building blocks does he crush in how many seconds?


3. At the end, the reporter says: “This really takes the biscuit.” What do you think she means?
   a) Kerim is so good that he wins a biscuit.
   b) This is really extreme.
   c) Crushing building blocks beats crushing biscuits.

Never Too Old to Learn

87-year-old Ursula Shepherd is just learning to read. Watch the video to find out more about her story.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• pensioner - a person who is old or sick and no longer works for his or her money
• carer - a person who takes special care of people who need help and protection
• miss out - lose a chance to do something, be unable to have or enjoy something
• pretend - to behave as if something is true when you know it is not
• poorly - not well, ill
• inspire - make others want to do something

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

1. In what year did Ursula Shepherd leave school?


2. How did she trick her school teachers?


3. Why didn’t she have time to learn to read?


4. How does she feel about this?


5. What effect does she hope her story will have on others?

The Eagle Huntress

Each year in February the BAFTA Film Awards are announced. BAFTA is the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
This year, The Eagle Huntress is nominated for a BAFTA award. It is a film about Aisholpan. She is a girl who lives in the Altai mountains.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• nomad - a member of a group of people who move from place to place instead of living in one place all the time
• a precious skill - een kostbare vaardigheid
• a master eagle hunter - een van de allerbeste arendjagers
• competition - an event in which people try to win by being better, faster, etc., than others
• soar - fly high, high in the sky

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

1. For how long have the nomads of the Altai mountains hunted with golden eagles?


2. Write down three things about Aisholpan.


3. It’s a “true story”. What does that mean?

Freezing Fun

It’s freezing cold and many people in our country can’t wait to put their ice skates on. But there’s more fun to have in ice-cold weather. Just watch what Lottie does when temperatures drop below zero.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• task - a piece of work that has been given to someone; a job for someone to do
• hole - an opening into something
• gloves - a covering for the hand with separate parts for each finger
• saw - a tool with a sharp blade that is used to cut through hard material
• pass away - die
• in a row - following one after another

1. Lottie will heat up the sauna. What other two tasks have to be done?


2. How thick is the ice in the lake?


3. How many years in a row did Lottie’s grandmother go ice swimming?


4. How many winters has Lottie herself gone ice swimming?


5. What happens every time they go to the sauna?

Emojis

The Museum of Modern Art is in New York. This museum now has the original set of emojis.
Watch the video to find out more.

Read the following words and phrases and their definitions.

• acquire - buy
• original - made or produced first
• cell phone - mobile phone
• self-explanatory - easy to understand without explanation
• confined to Japan - only in Japan
• jack-o'-lantern - a carved pumpkin lantern, typical for the holiday of Halloween

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

1. How many original emojis are there?


2. The national phone company introduced the first emojis in what year?


3. “Emoji” is a combination of two Japanese words.
   What do these two Japanese words mean?


4. In what year did people outside Japan start to use emojis?


5. How many emojis are there today?