Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication back issues from March 2009:
Get the message.(PULSE)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] About 20 seconds after the commuter train engineer sent a text message on his cell phone, his train ran a red light and smashed into a freight train. That September 2008 crash in Southern California killed 25 people and highlighted the dangers of reckless ...
What's clear skin worth to you?(PULSE)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2009 ... That's what researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, wanted to know, so they asked 266 local teens. The median amount teens said they'd pay to avoid acne in the first place was $275. (Just think how many over-the-counter cleansers or bottles of celebrity-endorsed zit ...
Crawl for a cure.(PULSE)(Interview)
Mar 01, 2009 ... Who knew that there was a world record in crawling a mile? Seattle-area teen Laura D'Asaro found it in a record book while hanging out in a bookstore and set her mind to breaking it. In June 2008, she did just that, beating the previous record holder by more than 90 seconds. But D'Asaro, ...
Fast-food slowdown.(PULSE)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2009 ... The half-million people who live in South Los Angeles, Calif., may get some new and healthier food options soon. Last year, the city council passed a moratorium--or temporary halt--on new fastfood restaurants in the 32-square-mile area. Moratorium ...
Get up and go play! You're never too old to play, especially if playing helps you stay fit.(GET UP AND GO!)
Mar 01, 2009 ... What do the NFL, all the YMCAs in the United States, and the TV network Nickelodeon have in common? All sponsor programs to get kids and teens exercising in fun ways. The idea of "exercising in a fun way" probably sounds familiar to you. In fact, it's something little kids do all the time, ...
The sweet life: many nutritionists believe low-calorie sweeteners can play a role in helping teens live a healthy lifestyle.(YOUR ENERGY)
Mar 01, 2009; ... My daughter, Rebecca, 16, wouldn't dream of getting through the day without low-calorie sweeteners and sugar-free products. She stirs Splenda into her morning tea, snacks on Dannon Light & Fit yogurt at lunch, chews Orbit gum when she's studying, and usually has Diet Coke at the movies ....
Risky business: for most teens, making risky decisions comes naturally.(YOUR MIND)
Mar 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One day while working as a cashier at the Dairy Queen in LaGrange, Ga., straight-A high school student Demetrice Tuttle decided to take $20 out of the cash register. It was a and it didn't pay off. Tuttle's first time would also be his last: He was caught ...
Scoring big: it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play.(YOUR RELATIONSHIPS)
Mar 01, 2009; ... No matter the score, you'll always win big by being a good sport. Just ask Mallory Holtman. Last year, her Central Washington University softball team played Western Oregon University. Sara Tucholsky, a Western Oregon senior, hit her first-ever collegiate home run. Watching the ball sail ...
It's no party: the club drug ketamine will bring a good time to a crashing halt.(YOUR CHOICES)
Mar 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tina * didn't think twice about taking ketamine on a winter day in suburban Michigan four years ago. At 14, she was ready to try anything and snorted the drug while hanging out at a friend's house. Within minutes, she felt as if she was drunk and had to ...
Juvenile arthritis: beyond growing pains: the body treats its own cells as if they are foreign invaders, setting off inflammation that can damage the tissue lining in joints, such as shoulder, ankle, and hip joints, and ultimately the joins themselves.(YOUR BODY)
Mar 01, 2009; ... Three-year-old Morgan Thompson's aches and pains seemingly emerged from nowhere. "She had just woken up from a nap and said she couldn't walk," says her mother, Donna, recalling that day 15 years ago. "She couldn't get out of bed." By the next day, Thompson was spiking alarming ...
Gang grief: violence wounds teens and communities.(YOUR WORLD)
Mar 01, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Members of the Bloods gang engaging in turf battles with rival gang the Crips--might that might sound like something out of a movie, but it was real life for Seattle teen Jon Amosa. The Bloods, founded in Los Angeles in the one the biggest gangs in the ...
Get rid of germs: the flu season may be coming to a close, but that doesn't mean germs are gone. In fact, bacteria, viruses, and other not-so-friendly bugs are around us all the time. With a little prevention, though, you can keep those germs at bay.(SAFETY ZONE)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Be Handy Washing with soap and water is the easiest and best way of banishing germs that can make you sick. To get your hands good and clean, mix soap and warm water, lather up, and scrub all over your hands for 20 seconds. No soap? No ...
What's up, doc?
Mar 01, 2009 ... Q Why does smoking give you wrinkles?--Rex L., Oklahoma A Scientists note various reasons why the skin of longtime smokers often looks like it needs to be ironed. Some research suggests that chemicals in cigarette smoke make blood vessels tighten; that can shrink the skin's ...
Substance-abuse counselor: a guide on the path to sobriety.(HealthWorks: Exploring Careers in Health)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2009; ... People who are struggling with dependence on alcohol or drugs often need a helping hand to beat those problems, That's where substance-abuse counselors come in. These trained professionals, some of whom draw on their own experiences battling addictions, teach their clients how to stay ...
National Health Standards.(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2009 ... Students will: * comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health ("The Sweet Life"; "Juvenile Arthritis") * demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health ("The Sweet Life"; ...
Cash flow.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Barack Obama's stimulus package )(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [1] DENVER -- Show him the money! U.S. President Barack Obama signed his $787 billion stimulus package into law on February 17 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Obama picked the location to underscore the law's focus on generating "green" jobs that will help improve the ...
Not polar opposites.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(North and South poles )(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The North and South poles are nearly 12,080 mites apart, but they have a lot in common. A newly released marine census reveals that the icy seas at the top and the bottom of the world share hundreds of identical, species, including many that may be new to ...
Quote of the week.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Darrell Steinberg quotation)(Quotation)
Mar 02, 2009 ... "Bring a toothbrush." --California's Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg ordering ...
Let's get ready to rumble.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(elephants' communication means)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [2] OSHAKATI, Namibia -- Calling all elephants! Zoologists in Namibia may have found a way to use seismic vibrations to lure elephants in danger to safety. One of the ways elephants communicate is with infrasound--a type of sound so tow in pitch that humans can't hear it. Elephants, ...
Will peace come?(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Sudan and Darfur agreement )(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [3] DOHA, Qatar -- Will six years of violence finally come to an end? On February 17, the government of Sudan and a main rebel group from the region of Darfur signed an agreement in Qatar, which had been mediating a week of talks between the two sides. The ...
Talk back.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 02, 2009; ... Dear Current Events, I think it is perfectly reasonable to request a pat down at an event as enormous as the Super Bowl ["Frisky Business," issue 15]. If something were to happen--such as a terrorist attack--the impact would be enormous not only for the NFL but also for the ...
Green machines?(CARTOON OF THE WEEK)(Cartoon)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GREEN MACHINES? NASCAR is revved up about its new "green initiatives," designed to help lessen ...
Space junk: satellite collision adds to garbage circling earth.(Cover story)
Mar 02, 2009 ... On February 10, the world found out about a space "first" that it would like to forget. High above Russia's frozen wasteland of Siberia, in the blackness of space, two satellites sped toward each other at 18,000 miles per hour. Around noon Eastern time, they smashed together in a titanic ...
Sputnik 1.(TIME TRIP)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The age of space junk began when the space age did. On Oct. 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial, satellite, Sputnik 1. (The word sputnik means "traveling companion" in Russian.) A part of the satellite designed to detach after ...
Speaking volumes.(BOOKS)(M. T. Anderson interview)(Interview)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] M. T. Anderson started writing stories when he was a teenager. Now he is publishing award-winning tales for teens. His most recent book is volume 2 of the best-selling epic adventure The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation. He spoke ...
Mind readers.(STRANGE BUT TRUE)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Do you prefer milk or orange juice? Scientists can now guess which one you prefer with surprising accuracy. In a new study, researchers programmed a computer to recognize each participant's pattern of brain activity associated with preference. (Some ...
Milking it.(ANIMALS)(getting more milk from cows)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How do some farmers get their cows to make more milk? By calling them names--such as Elsa, Rose, or Lady Moo. According to a new study by cattle experts Catherine Douglas and Peter Rowlinson of Newcastle University in England, cows with names produce more ...
Strike out? Should steroid users be banned from the baseball Hall of Fame?(DEBATE)
Mar 02, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] After admitting to using banned substances while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001 to 2003, New York Yankees third baseman Alex "A-Rod" Rodriguez faced a mob of reporters and several pin-striped peers at a recent press conference. "I'm sorry .... I ...
Space debris.(TEST YOURSELF)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Scientists have become increasingly worried about the buildup of orbital, debris--any human-made, nonfunctional, object orbiting Earth. Breakdown of Debris 17% Rocket bodies 19% Mission-related debris 22% Nonfunctional spacecraft 42% ...
Which word works.(TEST YOURSELF)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Fill in the circle next to the best definition for the emphasized word in each sentence. The page number shows you where the word can be found in this issue. 1. It also invests $140 billion in health care, $100 billion in education, and $48 billion in transportation projects, ...
Analyze the chart.(TEST YOURSELF)(space debris)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Fill in the circle next to the correct answer. 1. What percent of orbital debris is made up of rocket bodies? (A) 17 (B) 19 (C) 22 2. The most concentrated area of orbital debris is within how many miles of Earth's surface? ...
Know the news.(TEST YOURSELF)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Fill in the circle next to the correct answer. 1. How much money is allocated for the recently passed economic stimulus package? (A) $356 million (B) $787 billion (C) $120 trillion 2. About how many operational, satellites are in ...
Words in the news.(Soviet Union )(International Space Station )(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Below are some key words used in this issue of Current Events. Soviet Union (page 4) The Soviet Union, formally known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), controlled much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991, when it broke up into Russia and 14 other independent ...
Space race scramble!(RESEARCH SKILLS)(Brief article)
Mar 02, 2009 ... The 10 headlines at right describe events related to the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Sort the headlines in the order in which they happened by writing the letters in the blanks. Lost in space? Use the Internet or an encyclopedia to get back in orbit. ...
Numbers game.(CHART SKILLS)(Alex Rodriguez's statistics )
Mar 02, 2009 ... Below are some of Yankees all-star Alex Rodriguez's statistics for the years before, during, and after the seasons he admitted to using steroids. Examine the charts below, and answer the questions that follow. <Pre> A-Rod by the Numbers Alex Rodriguez said he used steroids ...
Women in science fair.(List)
Mar 02, 2009 ... Marie Curie Talk about a growing success! I discovered potonium and radium and proved that those radioactive elements release energy as they break down. I also used X-rays to help treat soldiers during World War I. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jane Goodall ...
Eye on Asia.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Hillary Clinton on Asian diplomacy)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... [1] WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently returned from her first overseas trip as the nation's top diplomat. She had a jam-packed itinerary. She met with leaders in Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and China. The top issues on her agenda were the world ...
Wheely, wheely small.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Peel P50)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... [2] LONDON -- This car may look like a toy, but it's actually a real., working vehicle. The world's smallest street legal, car, the Peel P50, recently scooted into the spotlight at the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum in the British capital. The tiny car is 53 inches long, 39 inches ...
Quote of the week.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Barack Obama quotation)(Quotation)
Mar 09, 2009 ... "We are not quitters." --U.S. President Barack Obama, reading from eighth grader Ty'Sheoma ...
Bomb blasts bazaar.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Khan el-Khalili market )(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... [MATHEMATICAL EXPRESSION NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] [3] CAIRO, Egypt -- The Khan el-Khalili market is usually bustling with tourists, shoppers, and visitors to the famed Hussein mosque. On February 22, the age-old bazaar was the scene of a terrorist attack that killed a French ...
Touring a treasure trove.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Iraq's National Museum )(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [4] BAGHDAD -- Iraq's National Museum is back in business. The famed institution had been closed since hordes of looters ransacked the museum in 2003, after the fall of Baghdad in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Many objects were damaged or destroyed, and ...
Talk back.(Letter to the editor)
Mar 09, 2009; ... Dear Current Events, I support shutting down "Gitmo" ["Get Out of 'Gitmo,'" issue 16]. Even if the detainees are terrorists, they still deserve to be treated like humans. I think the detainees should be sent to other, better-regulated prisons. They deserve the right to a fair ...
Ready for takeoff?(CARTOON OF THE WEEK)(Cartoon)
Mar 09, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] U.S. President Barack Obama will. send an additional 17,000 U.S. ...
Taliban rising: militant group makes gains in Afghanistan and Pakistan.(Cover story)
Mar 09, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] They see themselves as soldiers of God, as martyrs who will go directly to heaven, as an army that cannot be beaten. They are the Taliban, fundamentalist Muslims that ruled all of Afghanistan until they were driven out by the United States and ...
Take one ... rolling!(MOVIES)(on the set of Disney's Race to Witch Mountain)(Personal account)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009; ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CE student reporter Kaylynn Parks went behind the scenes to watch the filming of Disney's Race to Witch Mountain, due out March 15. Here's her sneak peek. Everyone thinks movie sets are glamorous. That's partly true, but making movies also ...
Wall crawler.(STRANGE BUT TRUE)(skyscraper climber Alain Robert )(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A real-life Spicier-Man recently scaled a 62-story skyscraper in Hong Kong with his bare hands. Frenchman Alain Robert was not armed with spider senses--just a good pair of climbing shoes and a small bag of chalk powder to absorb sweat. Using window ledges ...
Icebreakers.(ANIMALS)(rescuing dolphins)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... Sixteen-year-old Brandon Banks from the eastern Canadian island of Newfoundland was kept awake for a few nights in February by the waiting of dolphins. Three dolphins were trapped by ice in the town's cove. They were circling, and the circle was getting smaller as the ice spread. Brandon ...
Teaching or preaching: battle over the Bible in public schools.(DEBATE)
Mar 09, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Starting this fall, Texas high school students will hit the books--and not just the regular math or social studies textbooks, either. They'll also have a chance to study the Bible. A new law soon will require all Texas public school districts to offer a ...
NATO in Afghanistan.(TEST YOURSELF)(North Atlantic Treaty Organization)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... This map shows the location of the NATO-ISAF (International Security Assistance Force] troops and their Provincial Reconstruction ...
Which word works?(TEST YOURSELF)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... Fill in the circle next to the best definition for the emphasized word in each sentence. The page number shows you where the word can be found in this issue. 1. The famed institution had been closed since ... looters ransacked the museum in 2003 ... (page 3) (A) ...
Analyze the map.(TEST YOURSELF)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... Fill in the circle next to the correct answer. 1. Which country does not border Afghanistan? (A) Turkmenistan (B) Uzbekistan (C) Iraq 2. In which section of Afghanistan is NATO headquarters located? (A) northern (B) eastern (C) southern ...
Know the news.(TEST YOURSELF)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... Fill in the circle next to the correct answer. 1. Which of these countries did Hillary Clinton visit on her first trip as U.S. secretary of state? (A) Canada (B) Cuba (C) China 2. Who is the leader of the Taliban? (A) Osama bin Laden ...
Words in the news.(North Atlantic Treaty Organization )(Sharia )(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... Below are some key words used in this issue of Current Events. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (page 4) NATO is an association of European and North American countries formed in 1949 to defend Europe and the North Atlantic against possible attacks by the Soviet Union. ...
Mystery women.(INTERNET SKILLS)
Mar 09, 2009 ... March is National Women's History Month. The 10 women described below have all. made history. Do you know who they are? Read the clues, and then use the Internet to identify each one. 1. During the Civil. War, I was called the "Angel of the Battlefield" for my work helping ...
Books of faith.(COMPREHENSION SKILLS)(Brief article)
Mar 09, 2009 ... Below are descriptions of the five major world religions and five collections of scripture, or religious texts. Match the religions with the main texts they use, and write the letter in the blank provided. 1.-- The Bible: The Old Testament (the original Hebrew Bible; 39 books ...
Cell division.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(embryonic stem cell research law by Barack Obama)(Brief article)
Mar 23, 2009 ... [1] WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. President Barack Obama lifted a ban on federally funded research on new embryonic stem cell lines on March 9, fulfilling one of his most controversial campaign promises. Stem cells from human embryos are cells with the ability to turn into any other type of ...
Quote of the week.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Jeff Eldridge quotation)(Quotation)
Mar 23, 2009; ... "I just hate the image that we give to our kids that if you're beautiful ... you don't have to be smart." --Jeff Eldridge, a West ...
Walk like me.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(oldest humanlike footprints)(Brief article)
Mar 23, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [2] Northern Kenya--These feet were made for walking. Scientists in Africa discovered what may be the s oldest humanlike footprints. The prints were most likely made by Homo early human ancestor, about 1.5 million years ago. "Homo erectus was the precursor ...
Charged and defiant.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Omar Hassan al-Bashir war crimes case)(Brief article)
Mar 23, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [3] KHARTOUM, Sudan -- When the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands, issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the African leader scoffed that the warrant was "'not worth the ink" with which it was written ....
Heading home.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(American troop withdrawal from Iraq)(Brief article)
Mar 23, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [4] BAGHDAD -- U.S. officials announced that 12,000 U.S. troops will Leave Iraq by September. That will lower U.S. troop levels to about 120,000. The withdrawal is the first step in President Barack Obama's plan to pull out all U.S. combat troops by August ...
Talk back.(WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP)(Letter to the editor)
Mar 23, 2009; ... Dear Current Events, I think that the use of a cell phone while driving should be prohibited ["Cell Phone Hang-Up," issue 17]. It would ensure the safety of the other drivers on the road. The possibility of getting in an accident while talking on your cell phone is too high of a risk, ...
Tsunami alert!(CARTOON OF THE WEEK)(Cartoon)
Mar 23, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TSUNAMI ALERT! Surf's up, but the economy is down. What point might ...
Drug wars: U.S. and Mexico fight off Mexico's drug cartels.(Cover story)
Mar 23, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "He is the silent shadow across Mexico. He is everywhere," a top Mexican military officer told the Reuters news agency. The officer, in fear for his life, did not want to be named. The "silent shadow" is Joaquin Guzman, also known as "Shorty" ...
Rumble on the border.(TIME TRIP)(Francisco Villa's rebellion against Victoriano Huerta)(Brief article)
Mar 23, 2009 ... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mexico's troubles have spilled across the border before. In the early 1900s, Mexico was split between rival political and military leaders. The leader of northern Mexico was Francisco "Pancho" Villa. He was a bandit and a revolutionary who sported a tong ...
She's got game.(SPORTS)(Pat Summitt interview)(Interview)(Brief article)
Mar 23, 2009 ... University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers head coach Pat Summitt makes hoop dreams a reality. On February 5, the Lady Vols pummeled the University of Georgia Lady Bulldogs 73-43, making Summitt the first Division 1 college basketball coach male or female--to reach 1,000 career wins. She ...