This week we’ve been recovering from our Easter celebrations, and trying not to eat too much leftover chocolate…

OK, let’s take a look at some of the more interesting things that have been happening in the news this week:


GOOD WEEK FOR:

• Old age, with the news that an 80-year-old Japanese mountain climber who has had heart surgery four times is heading to Mount Everest to try to become the oldest person to reach the summit.
  
  
• Sports fans who need to go to the toilet, with the news that a US stadium has installed video games in the men’s urinals. The "hands-free" video game is played by directing your pee to the right or left in the urinals.
  See a photo here

BAD WEEK FOR:

• Heavy people, with the news that a Samoan airline is the first to charge passengers according to their weight. Samoa Air, asks passengers to declare their personal weight during booking, which is then charged per kilogram at a rate dependent on flight length. The customers will also be weighed at the check-in counter. According to the World Health Organisation, 59% of the population of Samoa is considered obese.
  See a photo here
  
  
• CCTV, which broadcast an announcement from Richard Branson of Virgin Airlines about starting a glass-bottomed plane service. China’s State TV broadcaster did not realise that the story was an April Fool’s joke. CCTV reported that Branson's Virgin Atlantic airline would start flying the first-ever glass-bottomed planes between London and Scotland.

 
VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

A funny answer to the question every parent fears: 'Where do babies come from?'


FACTS OF THE WEEK:

• More than 90% of all the blackcurrants grown in the UK go into the juice drink ‘Ribena’.
• Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo all translate as ‘capital’ in their respective languages.
• More than 80% of the world’s population takes caffeine in tea, coffee, or cola every day.
• The average British woman spends £100,000 on makeup in her lifetime.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” - Winston Churchill


HOMEWORK:

OK, those were the highlights of this week's news. So, how did you find last week's homework about "War and Peace". Here are the answers:

PART A - War

For years there were border CLASHES between troops of country X and those of country Z. Then FORCES from X attacked a village in Z. Z accused X of AGGRESSION and began to MOBILISE in readiness for possible war. X warned Z: "If you carry out HOSTILE ACTS against us, we will RETALIATE". But there was more fighting on the border. The situation had begun to DETERIORATE. X delivered an ULTIMATUM to Z. "If you do not promise to respect our borders, we will DECLARE WAR". Finally came the OUTBREAK of war.

PART B - Peace

After months of fighting, during which CIVILIAN as well as military TARGETS were bombed, country X asked country Y, which had remained NEUTRAL during the hostilities, to act as an INTERMEDIARY, but Y decided not to GET INVOLVED. X then asked the United Nations to INTERVENE. The U.N. managed to arrange a CEASEFIRE and stationed a multi-national PEACE-KEEPING FORCE between the two opposing armies. After weeks of talks, the two countries finally signed a PEACE TREATY and the U.N. troops were able to WITHDRAW.

PART C

1. X declared war ON Z
2. Troops were moving IN readiness FOR an attack
3. Y didn't want to get involved IN the fighting.
4. The Second World War broke OUT in 1939.
5. Canada acted AS an intermediary IN the argument.
6. War planes carried OUT an attack.
7. The peace-keeping force remained BETWEEN the two enemy armies during peace talks, then withdrew.


This week's homework is called "Nouns Made from adjectives".

Complete the following sentences by making a noun from the adjective in brackets.

For example:
South Africa has great mineral ????? (WEALTHY)

The answer is:
South Africa has great mineral wealth.

1. ????? is one of the world's great problems (POOR)
2. Olga, always tell the ????? (TRUE)
3. I must drink something. I'm dying of ????? (THIRSTY)
4. I must eat something. I'm dying of ????? (HUNGRY)
5. He's very bright. He passed the exam with ????? (EASY)
6. In his ????? John travelled a lot. Now he is too old (YOUNG)
7. Olga, I don't know how to express my ????? for your help (GRATEFUL)
8. It's very late. There's not much ????? of his coming now (LIKELY)
9. To be a soldier you need to be strong and in good ????? (HEALTHY)
10. There was no doubt about his ?????. He was sent to prison for 5 years (GUILTY)
11. He escaped to ????? by climbing over the prison wall (FREE)
12. The ???? of the president was announced on the radio (DEAD)
13. He was a very thoughtful, philosophical person. A man of great ????? (WISE)
14. She felt great ????? at being treated so badly. (ANGRY)
15. He left his small town to find ???? in the big city (FAMOUS)
16. It was a long, slow film. I nearly died of ????? (BORING)
17. The ice quickly melted in the ???? of the sun (HOT)
18. His ???? was hurt when a younger man was given the job ahead of him (PROUD)
19. I think it shows ???? of character to admit when you are wrong (STRONG)

And finally, a riddle for you:

Farmers in the country,
Must do this before things grow.
Ladies in their armchairs,
With a needle make a row.

Have a great weekend and week and until next Friday when we will write with more news and the answers to your homework.
Paul & Jill


Paul Stevens - Director (based in San Diego, USA)
Jill Tyler - General Manager (based in Plymouth, UK)


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