Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication back issues from February 2008:
Show of strength.(MOVE)(wrestling)(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you think wrestling is all about crazy costumes and cheesy dialogue, check out the next wrestling meet at your school. There you'll find wrestlers trained in the art of ...
Blame it on the brain.(PULSE)(writer's cramp)(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Imagine this: You're taking an algebra exam when suddenly, in the middle of an equation, your hand seizes up, and you can't seem to write down your answer. For some people, this is no bad dream but a very inconvenient reality. A recent study has shown that "writer's cramp" is not just a ...
Safe roads.(PULSE)(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Are care crashes rare in your hometown, or is your burg an accident-prone zone? Allstate Insurance Company crunched the collision numbers to find out which U.S. cities racked up the fewest auto accidents. Want to reduce your chances of a crash? Flip to "Heading Out for a Ride" on page 16. ...
From 2000 to 2005, U.S. emergency rooms saw about 89,000 trampoline-related.(PULSE)(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... From 2000 to 2005, U.S. emergency rooms saw about 89,000 trampoline-related visits per day, more ...
Cross-country crusade.(PULSE)(Interview)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Ally Touhy, a 14-year-old from Connecticut, spent last summer on the road. She and her family traveled the country in a recreational vehicle (RV) to educate people about multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. That disease attacks the plasma cells in bone marrow, which produce antibodies ...
Sit tight.(SAFETY ZONE)
Feb 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Car crashes sometimes happen, even if you get an A+ in driver's ed and faithfully follow all the rules of the road. Their results can be devastating--in 2002, nearly 2,000 people ages 16 to 20 died after being thrown from vehicles. You can greatly reduce ...
Dead-end street: teens who leave home may not know what they're running to.(YOUR CHOICES)(Cover story)
Feb 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The first time Maria * ran away, she didn't bring anything with her. "I wanted to be free and independent," says 15-year-old Maria, who admits she was "hanging out with the wrong people." Maria's mother didn't want her daughter going to parties and had ...
Resources on the run.(YOUR CHOICES)(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) can set up conference calls with parents. It can also relay messages if a teen isn't ready to talk with his or her family directly. In partnership with the Greyhound bus company, the NRS runs the Home Free program: ...
The menu maze: how to decode restaurant menus.(YOUR ENERGY)
Feb 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whether you're treating your sweetheart to a special Valentine's Day dinner or sharing some late-night diner chow with a bunch of friends, you'll probably visit a restaurant sometime this month. In doing so, you may think you're eating healthier than you ...
Heading out for a ride: behind the wheel, you need the right mind set.(YOUR MIND)
Feb 01, 2008; ... The Department of Motor Vehicles said she was good to go. But after passing the written and road tests and getting her driver's license, Emily Wensberg, 18, still wasn't sure about driving. "I was a very nervous driver," the Boston University freshman says. "Even after I got my license, I ...
Breakout! Welcome to the not-so-wonderful world of pimples.(YOUR BODY)
Feb 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Acne, blackheads, blemishs, cysts, pimples, whiteheads, zits. Call them whatever you like, but the name still doesn't change the fact that these unsightly, embarrassing (and sometimes painful) bumps on the skin are a problem that affects more than 80 ...
Lost in love? The importance of staying true to you.(YOUR RELATIONSHIPS)
Feb 01, 2008; ... When Kamala Kirk, then 18, first started dating her boyfriend, it was all good. "I thought he was so cute and charming, and we hit it off right away," the 22-year-old Hermosa Beach, Calif., resident says. What really drew Kirk in was that her boyfriend was attentive and focused on her from ...
War child: armed conflicts have devastating effects on civilians' health.(YOUR WORLD)
Feb 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The face of war isn't always a soldier's--sometimes it belongs to an innocent bystander. In January 2007, 14-year-old Mahmud * and his father were sitting in traffic in Baghdad, behind a U.S. military patrol. Suddenly, a car parked by the road ...
What's up, doc?
Feb 01, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q Why do we sweat? --Kaitlin B., Pennsylvania Sweat happens from the inside out. When the body gets too hot, it uses sweat to regulate its temperature. "Sweat is produced by specialized glands in the skin called eccrine glands," ...
Crunch time.(GET UP AND GO!)(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008; ... Many abdominal exercises work only the large muscles in the front, the rectus abdominis. In any exercise program, it's important to maintain balance by working front, back, and sides. This one works the side muscles, the oblique abdominis. 1. Lie on your back with your knees ...
Epidemiologists: detectives of the medical world.(Health Works: Exploring Careers in Health)(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Whether studying obesity rates or working to contain malaria outbreaks, epidemiologists are always searching for clues. Through research and good old-fashioned detective work, they learn the true story behind diseases and epidemics, from the exotic (Ebola ...
National health standards.(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Students will: comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention. "Breakout!"; "War Child" demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health. "Dead-End Street"; "The Menu Maze" demonstrate the ability to ...
Running the risk.(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Directions: Read the article "Dead-End Street" (page 8). Then answer the questions below. 1. When teens run away, where do they go?-- 2. What problems do Midwestern runaways face, according to the article?-- 3. What are some reasons teens run away?-- ...
Salad days.(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Directions: In "The Menu Maze" (page 12), nutrition expert Jana Kicklighter shares her suggestions for deciphering a menu's hidden meanings and offers tips on healthy eating when you're at a restaurant. She offers below suggestions for making good choices at the salad bar. ...
Driving forces.(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Directions: The article "Heading Out for a Ride" (page 16) mentions some risks that teen drivers may face from a still-developing brain. But there are others. Read the list of facts below, and then complete the challenge. Facts About Teens and Driving * One-third of ...
No fair fights.(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2008 ... Directions: Read the article "War Child" (page 26). Then decide whether the following statements are true or false; circle your answers. Finally, answer the question below. <Pre> Part 1 1. The "golden hour" refers to a sunny morningwhen many war casualties occur. ...
First rock from the sun.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(image of Mercury)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [1] WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Mercury isn't the most colorful planet. Its surface is gray like the moon's. But underneath, it might have volcanoes. That's what NASA scientists are discovering from photos that the Messenger spacecraft beamed back to Earth. ...
Desperation at the border.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Palestinians wandered in the Egyptian border for food)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] [2] RAFAH, Egypt -- Thousands of Palestinians streamed into Egypt for food and supplies after a group of masked men tore down a wall along the Egypt-Gaza border. Gaza is a small Palestinian territory. Militants there often fire rockets into neighboring ...
Finally, peace.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(peace in Democratic Republic of the Congo )(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] [3] GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo -- Ten years of civil war left more than 5 million people dead across the savannas and rain forests of this Central African nation. Now, finally, there is hope for peace. On January 23, the government of Congo ...
Respect the big man.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(insult of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... [4] ANKARA, Turkey -- Don't insult the founding father of this country, or you could wind up in court. In January, a Turkish court blocked access to the video-sharing Web site YouTube after someone posted a video insulting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Ataturk founded Turkey in 1923 after the ...
Talk back.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Dear Current Events, No, I do not believe spanking should be banned ["Mom Says 'Don't Spank,'" issue 13]. Yes, I do hate it when my mom spanks me and my sisters, but also I watch other kids who never get disciplined who act like they are kings in a land of peasants. ...
Living in America.(CARTOON OF THE WEEK)(Cartoon)
Feb 04, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The U.S. economy is struggling, and housing prices have dropped (see issue 15) ....
On the attack: Taliban spread terror in Afghanistan.(Cover story)
Feb 04, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Taliban are relentless and brutal fighters. They know the dusty plains and cave-pocked mountains of Afghanistan as well as they know the cold steel of their rifles. In the 1990s, these men ruled Afghanistan and imposed their strict ...
Bringing Hugo to life.(BOOKS)(Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret)(Interview)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Author Brian Selznick doesnt want you to just read his book The Invention of Hugo Cabret. He wants you experience it as if you were watching an old silent movie. It's not hard to do--nearly half the mystery's 500-plus pages are Selznick's illustrations. Selznick won the 2008 Caldecott ...
"Can someone help me with my socks?!".(CONTEST)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Current Events asked readers to come up with creative captions for this poor little hedgehog in issue 13. We received a lot of fun and witty responses from students, The editors' ...
I [love] rats!(STRANGE BUT TRUE)(research on rat's heart)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Lub-DUB, Lub-DUB, Lub-DUB ... Scientists are pumped about some new research on hearts. They recently built a rat heart in a university laboratory and got it to beat just like a real heart. They did it by removing all the cells from a dead rat's heart, Leaving only the heart's outer frame ...
A moment of silence, please: should the school day start with a moment of silence?(DEBATE)
Feb 04, 2008; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For one minute every morning, public school classrooms across Illinois go silent. The teachers don't have a choice--the state's lawmakers recently mandated, or required, a moment of silence at the start of every school day. A dozen states have similar ...
On the attack.(MAIN NEWS)(lesson plan on Afghanistan)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Get Talking Ask students: Where are U.S. troops involved in fighting right now? Most students will say Iraq. Point out that thousands of soldiers are serving in Afghanistan too. Ask students to find Afghanistan on a world map. ...
Words in the news.(Brief article)(Glossary)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Below are some key terms used in this issue of Current Events Al Qaeda (page 4) 0sama bin Laden formed Al Qaeda in the late 1980s to recruit and train fighters to help the Afghans battle the Soviet army. The group eventually became an international terrorist organization. It now ...
Moment of silence.(NEWS DEBATE)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Get Talking Ask students: How would you use a moment of silence before class? Would you feel pressured to pray? Background * Prayer was once common in U.S. schools. It wasn't until the 1960s that the Supreme Court began restricting school prayer, basing ...
Mapping Afghanistan.(SKILLS PAGE)(Brief article)
Feb 04, 2008 ... Study the map of Afghanistan and its terrain. Then answer the questions. <Pre> 1. Which country does not share a border with Afghanistan? A. Pakistan B. India C. Iran 2. Which of the following major cities in Afghanistan has the lowest elevation? A. Jalalabad ...
News quiz #3.(NEWS QUIZ)
Feb 04, 2008 ... This quiz is based on major news events that recently made headlines in issues 11 through 15 of Current Events. Put your "knows" for news to the test by answering the questions below. <Pre> People in the News Identify each person below by writing the letter of the correct ...
Incoming!(satellite's power failure leads to potential crashing of the satellite on Earth)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED [1] WASHINGTON, D.C. -- It sounds like a science fiction movie. A U.S. spy satellite flies out of control and could crash to Earth at any time. No one knows where it will hit. Think it couldn't happen? Think again. U.S. government officials say an old spy ...
Sun God's city no paradise.(Tell el-Amarna, Egypt)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [2] LUXOR, Egypt -- Building a city for King Tut's dad might sound like a cool, summer job. But the bones of the young builders tell a painful, story. Archaeologists have been studying what little remains of Amarna, a city that Pharaoh Akhenaton built more than 3,300 years ago to honor the ...
Snow dragons.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(snowstorm during Chinese New Year)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [3] GUANGZHOU, China -- A massive snowstorm threatened to keep the dancing dragons inside during China's biggest celebration of the year. China cerebrates the New Year starting February 7. Millions of people attend festivals across the country and travel ...
Scarf law: is it a wrap?(Turkey's law on wearing scarf)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [4] ANKARA, Turkey -- Are they in, or are they out? Islamic head scarves, banned in Turkish universities for over a decade, could be making a comeback. Turkey's two main political parties reached an agreement in late January to allow women to wear loosely ...
Talk back.(Letter to the editor)
Feb 11, 2008; ... Dear Current Events, It's amazing how people cause predicaments and animals get blamed ["Are Zoos Bad News?" issue 14]. Animals usually don't attack in captivity unless they're provoked. As far as monkeys, parrots, and other animals grooming themselves until they are bare, that ...
How much is too much?(CARTOON OF THE WEEK)(Cartoon)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Uncle Sam is really struggling under all that weight. U.S. President George W. Bush ...
The State of the Union: money and war top President Bush's 2008 concerns.(George W. Bush )(Cover story)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] President George W. Bush was clearly enjoying himself. He grinned as the sergeant at arms stepped into the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on January 28 and announced to a room filled with the nation's most powerful people: "The president of the United ...
Record setters.(TIME TRIP)(records about presidents' State of the Union address)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... THE RULES: The U.S. Constitution states that the president "shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." It doesn't say the information has to be spoken ....
Preteen advice queen.(Libby Rees )(Interview)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Libby Rees was 6 when her parents divorced. To cope with her pain and confusion, she started writing down her thoughts. Those ideas became a self-help book for kids called Help, Hope & Happiness. Libby is 12 now, and her second advice book, At ...
Cold feat!(STRANGE BUT TRUE)(Wim Hof's world record)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Talk about breaking the ice! Wim Hof of the Netherlands recently broke the world's record for the longest time submerged in ice--72 frosty minutes. Hof spent the icy hour-plus up to his shoulders in an ice-cube-filled container on a New York City street ....
Baby bear.(polar bear)(Photograph)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Guten tag, Flocke! This cute polar bear cub just joined Germany's Nuremberg Zoo. Her name means "flake," as in snowftake. The 6 1/2-pound ball of ...
Math class gamble: should poker be taught in school?(DEBATE)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Like it or not, poker players are whizzes at math. They add and subtract as quick as lightning and calculate probabilities in their heads. That's what it takes to win. Harvard University professor Charles Nesson says poker's excitement makes it a perfect game for teaching math ....
Word power.(TEST YOURSELF)(word test)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Circle the best definition for the emphasized word in each sentence. Use the page number to Locate the word. <Pre> 1. "We are Looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage." (p. 2) lessen negotiate foresee 2. They toiled through 100-degree summers, ...
Analyze the chart.(TEST YOURSELF)(George W. Bush's State of the Union speeches)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Study the chart of key words that Bush used in his State of the Union speeches. Then fill in the circle next to the correct answer. <Pre> 1. Which word and its related words or phrases did Bush use most frequently over the years? (A) freedom (B) education (C) terrorism ...
Comprehension.(TEST YOURSELF)(reading comprehension on current events)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Read the stories in this issue to answer the following questions. Fill in the circle next to the correct answer. 1. What threatened to ruin China's 2008 New Year celebrations? (A) a strike (B) a new law (C) a snowstorm 2. What do ...
Words in the news.(Brief article)(Glossary)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Below are some key terms used in this issue of Current Events. War on terrorism (page 5) President George W. Bush declared a war on terrorism after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. Congress approved the war one week tater ...
Popular president?(SKILLS PAGE)(George W. Bush's approval rating test)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Study the graph of U.S. President George W. Bush's approval rating in Gallup polls over the years. Then answer the questions. 1. In which year did the highest percentage of people approve of Bush's leadership? A. 2002 B. 2004 C. 2006 2. What was Bush's ...
Comprehension.(Skills Page)(reading comprehension about the State of the Union)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... Read this issue's cover story, "The State of the Union." Then answer the following questions. 1. What does President George W. Bush want to do to help the struggling U.S. economy? A. give a new car to every family B. give citizens tax rebates of $300 or ...
African American all-stars.(HISTORY QUIZ)(Brief article)
Feb 11, 2008 ... In honor of Black History Month, test your knowledge of famous African Americans. On the tines below, write the name of the person listed in the box who matches the description. Stuck? You can use the Internet or an encyclopedia for help. Marian Anderson Louis ...
Deadly twisters.(tornado in Tennessee)(Brief article)
Feb 25, 2008 ... [1] CASTALIAN SPRINGS, Tenn. -- The country's deadliest swarm of tornadoes in 20 years swept across the southern United States in early February. The tornadoes shredded homes from Arkansas to Kentucky and killed more than 50 people. Dozens of other people barely survived. Little ...
Australia says: we're sorry.(government's apology for the Aborigine children)(Brief article)
Feb 25, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [2] CANBERRA, Australia -- The government of Australia formally apologized to the country's "stolen generations," the thousands of Aborigine children who were taken from their families during the past century to be raised by white people. The goat had been ...
Great chocolate caper!(accusations of german officials on chocolate industry's pricing)(Brief article)
Feb 25, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [3] BERLIN -- How could they?! German officials say the Leaders of the world's top chocolate companies conspired Like evil geniuses to raise prices right before Valentine's Day. In early February, agents from the German Cartel Office raided seven major ...
Charges in 9/11 attacks.(World Trade Center and Pentagon Attacks, terrorist's prosecution)(Brief article)
Feb 25, 2008 ... [4] GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba -- The man suspected of masterminding the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks will face murder charges, and the U.S. government is seeking the death penalty. Government officials announced the charges on February 11 against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and five other men ....
Eyewitness to history.(CONTEST)
Feb 25, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What were earthquake survivors thinking as the ground shook in San Francisco (above) during the 1989 World Series? What went through people's minds as Hurricane Katrina filled their homes with water in 2005? We're looking for eyewitnesses to history! ...
Dear current events.(TALK BACK)(Letter to the editor)
Feb 25, 2008; ... Dear Current Events, If I were president, I would revive the nation's economy in many ways ["Bubble Trouble?" issue 15]. First, I would lower gas prices. Because people do not need to pay a fortune to get one tank of gas, they can easily use the gas money for something else. I would also ...
It's showtime! ... or is it? Writers' strike ends, but don't expect a speedy recovery.
Feb 25, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Before Claire can save the world on Heroes, a writer has to imagine all the twists and turns of the story, then type up a script of what the characters will do and say. Clark Kent is equally powerless without the writers of Smallville. So what ...
Strikes and brawls.(labor relations)(Brief article)
Feb 25, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] U.S. factory workers used to spend 14 hours a day toiling in miserable conditions and earning barely enough to survive. Circumstances have changed in the past two centuries, in part because of labor unions. The unions fought for workers' rights, but they ...
Hayden 'jumps' into a new role.(MOVIES)(Hayden Christensen's new movie)(Interview)(Brief article)
Feb 25, 2008 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When actor Hayden Christensen starts a new movie, he tries to get into the mind of his character. He looks for music--rock, rap, or even classical--that his character might listen to. Then he learns from the music. The Canadian-born actor played Anakin ...