309 B Newsademic

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The informative easy to read introduction to world news
™
31st August 2017

British English edition
Issue Number 309
In this issue
‘Missing’ monkey filmed
Big Ben falls silent
Lenin statues in Ukraine
Submarine deaths explained
Snowball Earth’s algae
New president in Angola
Jackson Hole symposium
Russia’s icebreaking LNG
tanker
German capital’s red swamp
crayfish
China’s Terracotta Army
study
Babylonian trigonometry?
Sixteen-year war in
Computer generated image of the solar eclipse (NASA) and map showing the path of totality Afghanistan
The story of apples
‘G R E A T A M E R I C A N E C L I P S E ’ Samsung’s boss sentenced

Snow leopard meeting
A total solar eclipse happens somewhere passes between the Earth and the Sun. Transformating Farc
on the face of the Earth every 18 months. For it to be a total solar eclipse, these Bird navigation experiment
The oceans and seas cover 70% of the three bodies have to line up exactly. A lu- Pirate sunken town surveyed
planet. There are large areas of land that nar eclipse occurs when the Earth is be- Glossary Crossword and
are uninhabited or where few people live. tween the Sun and the Moon. The dark- Wordsearch Puzzle
This means that a total solar eclipse is not ness of a solar eclipse is caused by the
often seen. If it is, the eclipse may be only shadow of the Moon passing across the
experienced by a small number of people. Earth’s surface. A lunar eclipse is when Learning
The total solar eclipse on 21st Au- the Earth’s shadow falls on the surface of English as a
gust was unusual. Nicknamed the ‘Great the Moon.
American Eclipse’, its shadow trav- The dark shadow of a total eclipse is
foreign
elled from the USA’s west coast to its not very wide. It traces a narrow band language?
eastern seaboard. The last time a total across the Earth’s surface. This band is
solar eclipse could be seen right across known as the ‘path of totality’. During the
America was almost 100 years ago. As Great American Eclipse, the path of total-
Newsademic.com
this eclipse’s shadow crossed such a ity was about 113 kilometres (70 miles)
large populated landmass, it was seen by across. The shadow first appeared far Recommended
many millions of people. They watched out in the Pacific Ocean. After travelling
as, for around two minutes, daylight eastwards, it ended in the Atlantic Ocean reading
turned to darkness. about three and a half hours later. Fortu- for
Solar and lunar eclipses are different. nately, on the day of the eclipse, the skies
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon over much of the USA were cloudless.
EFL and ESL
31st August 2017 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition page 2
As the Moon moves between the are very small. Therefore, in Mars’
Sun and the Earth, it creates two sky, they do not cover the face of
types of shadow: the umbra and the Sun. Saturn and Jupiter do have
the penumbra. The umbra, or dark large moons. Yet both of these plan-
shadow, creates the path of totality. ets are made of gas. It would not be
The penumbra is lighter. It occurs possible to stand on their surfaces to
on either side of the totality path. watch a solar eclipse.
People in parts of the USA on which It is often said that animals be-
the penumbra fell could see a par- have strangely before and during a
tial eclipse. This is when the Moon total solar eclipse. A zoo in South
Total solar eclipse, 21st August 2017
blocks a part of the Sun’s surface. Carolina was on the path of totality.
As people on the path of totality Its keepers decided to record how
watched the total solar eclipse, those their animals reacted. The zoo has
in the rest of the country witnessed a a large number of monkeys called
partial one. siamangs. Normally, they are very
During a total eclipse, the Moon noisy. In the wild, these monkeys
appears to fit exactly over the Sun’s live in the forests of Malaysia and
disc. This is due to a strange coinci- Indonesia. About 15 minutes before
dence. The Earth’s distance from the the Moon’s shadow appeared, the
Sun is about 400 times the distance monkeys began screeching. The
from the Earth to the Moon. Amaz- noise was far louder than usual. The Shadow of a previous solar eclipse, picture
taken from the Russian Mir space station
ingly, the Sun’s diameter is approxi- monkeys kept making these sounds
mately 400 times the size of the until the exact moment of totality. predicted an eclipse. It happened in
diameter of the Moon. Therefore, Then, at the same time, they all fell 585 BCE, or about 2,600 years ago.
during a total eclipse, the Sun and silent. The zookeepers said that they Thales was a Greek philosopher,
the Moon look as if they are exactly had never seen the monkeys behave mathematician and astronomer. At
the same size in the sky. This has not like this. that time, there was a long-standing
always been true. On average a total solar eclipse war between the Lydians and the
Very slowly, the Moon is mov- happens where you live every 375 Medes. The eclipse happened dur-
ing farther and farther away from years. The next one will take place ing a battle that was fought in pre-
the Earth. Each year, this distance on 2nd July 2019. Then, for most sent-day Turkey. When the shadow
increases by about four centimetres of the time, the path of totality arrived, both sides put down their
(1.6 inches). Therefore, long ago will be over the southern Pacific weapons. Their rulers then ar-
the Moon did not exactly fit the face Ocean. People living in parts of ranged a peace treaty. The battle is
of the Sun. Nor will it do so in the Chile and Argentina will be able known as the Battle of the Eclipse.
future. In about 600 million years’ to see it. The following two will Herodotus was a well-known An-
time the Earth will experience its be over South America and then cient Greek historian. He recorded
last total solar eclipse. After this, Antarctica. Unusually, the solar these events.
the size of the Moon in the Earth’s eclipse after that will cross the It is not known how Thales
sky will be too small to cover the USA once again. This event will worked out when the eclipse would
Sun completely. take place on 8th April 2024, or occur. To do this, a person needs to
The Earth is the only planet in the in seven years’ time. It has already know exact details about the Moon’s
Solar System where a person can see been nicknamed the ‘Great North orbit. Calculating where its shadow
a total solar eclipse. Mercury and American Eclipse’. Then, the path will fall on the Earth’s curved sur-
Venus are both rocky planets. They of totality will cross Mexico and face is very difficult. What’s more,
are closer to the Sun than the Earth. travel towards New York City, in it’s likely that Thales believed the
Yet neither have any moons. Mars, the country’s north east. Earth was flat. There are no records
another rocky planet, is farther Thales of Miletus is thought to of other Greeks predicting eclipses
away from the Sun. But its moons be the first person who accurately around this time.
‘MISSING’ MONKEY FOUND Researchers believe that monkeys 1930s. Naturalists are people who
arrived in South America from Afri- study plants and animals. They main-
Sakis, or saki monkeys, live in ca between 40 and 30 million years ly do this by watching, or observing.
the rainforests of South America. ago. This date comes from monkey The Ecuadoran naturalist col-
There are several species. One is fossils found in South America. By lected several live specimens. He
called Vanzolini’s bald-faced saki. this time, South America and Africa described the monkeys as having
Recently, a team of primatolo- had ‘drifted’ apart. Scientists think golden coloured fur on their arms
gists organised an expedition to that some monkeys (accidentally) and long bushy tails. Two dead spec-
north west Brazil. They managed crossed the ocean on rafts, or mats, imens were found about 25 years
to film these saki monkeys. This formed by floating vegetation. This later. Earlier this year, research-
was the first time that they had is how plants are known to reach ers found another dead Vanzolini’s
been seen in the wild for more isolated islands. Within ten million bald-faced saki. Local people had
than 80 years. years, monkeys had spread to all killed the animal for its meat.
Primatologists are scientists who parts of South America. The primatologists’ expedi-
study primates. These are mammals tion lasted for four months. They
that have hands, hand-like feet, and planned to photograph the ‘missing’
forward facing eyes. They include: monkey and study other wildlife.
monkeys, apes, lemurs, bush babies, The team travelled on a houseboat
tarsiers, and marmosets. There are along the River Juruá. This remote
about 190 primate species. Nearly watercourse is one of many that
all live in trees. Monkeys and apes flow into the River Amazon. To
are different. Orang-utans, gorillas, their surprise, the primatologists
chimpanzees, and humans are apes. found large numbers of Vanzolini’s
They are bigger than monkeys and bald-faced saki monkeys. The mon-
do not have tails. keys live on both sides of the river
Monkeys are divided into two and along its tributaries.
types: Old World Monkeys and New The team was pleased with the
World Monkeys. Old World Mon- results of the expedition. Yet, near-
keys are found in Asia and Africa. by, forest-clearing work is under
New World Monkeys live in South way. The trees are being cut down,
and Central America. There are or felled, to create extra farmland
about 95 Old World monkey species Vanzolini’s bald-faced saki for cattle. The primatologists say
(Houseboat Amazon expedition)
and 80 New World species. New that the area where Vanzolini’s bald-
World monkeys tend to be smaller Saki monkeys are about 40 centi- faced sakis live, or their habitat,
than Old World ones. metres (16 inches) long. If their tails needs to be protected.
The Earth’s crust is like a huge are included, the animals are double
jigsaw with giant pieces. The ‘piec- this size. Saki monkeys are frugi-
es’ are called tectonic plates, or vores. This means that at least 90% BIG BEN SILENCED
‘plates’. The plates move, or float, of what they eat is fruit. The mon-
on very hot liquid rock deep below keys also feed on flowers, leaves, Just before midday, on 21st August,
the surface. They move very slow- and small insects. hundreds of people gathered in Par-
ly, or about two centimetres (0.8 The Vanzolini’s bald-faced saki liament Square. This open area is in
inches) each year. Africa and South was given its name in 1987. The London, the UK’s capital city. The
America used to be joined together. monkey was named after a zoologist crowd came to hear the large bell
They began to move apart around from Brazil. As well as a scientist at the top of a nearby clock tower
650 million years ago. Even today, who studied animals, Paulo Vanzo- strike 12. The famous clock then
the outline of South America’s east lini (1924 – 2013) was a music com- fell silent. Its chimes, or ‘bongs’,
coast and the west coast of Africa poser. A naturalist from Ecuador first may not be heard for another
look as if they ‘fit together’. recorded these saki monkeys in the four years. The ‘switch off’ was
The clock’s mechanism will be

inspected and repaired. An electric
motor will be set up while the work
is carried out. This will power the
clock. The four faces, or dials, are to
be cleaned, repaired and repainted.
The faces will need to be covered.
Yet one face is to be visible at all
Palace of Westminster with Elizabeth Tower on the right (David Iliff) times. Big Ben has had to be si-
ordered because the clock’s faces lived. A fire damaged many parts lenced. Its loud sound could damage
and mechanism need to be restored of this building in 1512. After it the restoration workers’ hearing.
and repaired. was rebuilt, the palace became the Currently, there are 399 steps up to
The clock tower is part of the home of England’s parliament. It the clock. As part of the renovation,
Palace of Westminster. Most people was also where the country’s most a lift is to be installed.
call it ‘Big Ben’. The clock has four senior court met. In 1834, most of Some MPs are unhappy about
faces. Nowadays, the clock tower this palace was destroyed in a more Big Ben being silenced for such
and its sound are a symbol of the serious fire. Yet one part, called a long time. They want the Great
UK. Yet the name Big Ben is incor- Westminster Hall, was saved from Bell to chime at important times on
rect. Big Ben is the nickname of the the flames. This large hall was part certain dates. These include mid-
Great Bell (or largest bell) inside of the original royal palace. It was night on New Year’s Eve and at 11
the tower. The sound of this bell is built in 1097. o’clock during the Remembrance
heard when a large hammer strikes Day ceremony. This event is held on
it every hour. The number of strikes, a Sunday on or around 11th Novem-
or chimes, is equal to the hour of ber. On this day, people in the UK
day. The clock tower’s official name remember those who died in the two
is the Elizabeth Tower. world wars and other more recent
The UK has a parliamentary sys- conflicts.
tem of government. Elected mem-
bers of parliament (MPs) meet at the
Palace of Westminster. This building LENIN STATUES REMOVED
is often called the Houses of Parlia-
ment. It is also known as ‘Westmin- Big Ben, or the Great Bell, at the top of the Recently, a senior official in Ukraine
Palace of Westminster’s Elizabeth Tower
ster’. The UK’s parliament has two spoke about Soviet-era symbols in
‘houses’: the House of Commons After the 1834 fire, the UK gov- his country. He declared that work-
(or the Commons) and the House ernment organised a competition. ers had now removed, or taken down
of Lords (usually called the Lords). Architects were invited to submit 1,320 Lenin statues in Ukraine. In
Both houses meet in the Palace of their designs for a new parliament addition, more than 1,000 Soviet
Westminster. The Commons is the building. Charles Barry (1795 – Union monuments have been dis-
lower house and the Lords the upper. 1860) won. His design is in a style mantled. Many places and streets
Members are elected to the Com- known as ‘Neo-Gothic’. Barry asked in the country had Russian names.
mons. Most people in the Lords are another architect called Augustus These have all been changed.
appointed and not elected. Their job Pugin (1812 – 1852) to help him. Pu- The Soviet Union was also
is to check all the laws that are voted gin was responsible for the interior known as the USSR. This acro-
on by the Commons. of the Palace of Westminster. He also nym stands for the Union of Soviet
The Palace of Westminster is designed the clock tower. By 1860, Socialist Republics. (In Russia’s
next to the River Thames. About most of the work had been complet- Cyrillic alphabet, USSR is written
1,000 years ago, this was the site ed. At that time, the clock was said to СССР.) The Soviet Union was a
of a royal residence. The palace be the world’s biggest and most ac- one-party communist state, centred
was where the English royal family curate chiming timepiece. on Russia. It stretched from the
Baltic and Black Seas in the west to cheering crowds met Lenin. Six Not everyone in Ukraine was
the Pacific Ocean in the east. The months later, he and his supporters happy about what had happened.
USSR existed from 1922 to 1991. took control of the country. Russia People who live in a region called
It was made up of ‘Soviet states’. then became a communist state. Lenin Crimea were angry. Most people
These included many present-day agreed to a peace treaty with Germany in Crimea are of Russian descent.
independent countries such as and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Their ancestors moved to this part
Ukraine, Lithuania, Georgia, Lat- As part of this agreement, Russia lost of the world many years ago. A vote
via, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. large areas of land that Germany had was held. Nearly everyone voted for
Vladimir Lenin (1870 – 1924) captured. The following year, com- Crimea to become a part of Russia.
was Russia’s first communist leader. munist leaders arranged for the mur- Russia then annexed it. This an-
He took over soon after the Russian der of the tsar and his family. noyed many world leaders. They
Revolution in October 1917. Before BELARUS claim that by taking over Crimea,
POLAND
the revolution, tsars, or kings, had RUSSIA Russia broke international law.
Kiev
ruled Russia for hundreds of years. Several regions in the eastern
During the First World War (1914 UKRAINE
Rebel
part of the country began fight-
– 1918), Russia fought alongside controlled ing against Ukrainian government
MO
area
France and the UK against Ger- forces. These regions are close
LD
OV
many and the Austro-Hungarian to Ukraine’s border with Russia.

A
ROMANIA
Empire. In the first few years of the Black Crimea A ceasefire was agreed several
war, the Russian army lost several Sea years ago. Russia has supported
important battles. In 1922, as Russia’s ruler, Lenin the rebels, or those opposed to the
Support for the tsar declined. also became the leader of the So- Ukrainian government forces.
Factory and farm workers were un- viet Union. After his death, Lenin’s
happy. Many did not have much to body was embalmed, or preserved.
eat. Large street protests, or demon- It was put on display. Lenin’s body
strations, were organised. In 1917, can still be seen. It is in a mauso-
the protest leaders imprisoned the leum in Red Square, in the centre
tsar, his wife and their five children. of Moscow, Russia’s capital city.
Soon afterwards the tsar agreed to After his death, thousands of Lenin
stand down, or abdicate. statues were set up throughout the
Before the war started, Lenin had USSR, including Ukraine.
been complaining about how Russia The Soviet Union began to break
was ruled. He was arrested and sent up in 1991. Then, many Soviet
to live in the far eastern part of Rus- states, such as Ukraine, declared
sia for several years. Afterwards, themselves to be independent coun-
Lenin lived for short periods in Ger- tries. As self-governing nations,
many, France, the UK, and Switzer- they elected their own leaders. After Lenin statue been
in a city in Ukraine, which has now
taken down (Ferran Cornellà)
land. In these places, he wrote many independence, many people in west-
political articles and texts. Most said ern Ukraine wanted their country to Petro Poroshenko was elected as
that Russia must have a new form work more closely with the Europe- Ukraine’s president in 2014. The
of government called communism. an Union (EU). At the end of 2013, following year, the country’s parlia-
Soon after the war began, Lenin the country’s president made an im- ment voted to take down the Lenin
moved to Switzerland. portant announcement. He decided statues and Soviet-era monuments.
After the tsar abdicated, Lenin that Ukraine should strengthen its Mr Poroshenko then approved the
returned to Russia. German officials ties with Russia. This led to huge new law. It includes a ban on all
helped him. Russia was Germany’s street protests in Kiev, the country’s Soviet symbols. However, in rebel-
enemy. Its leaders wanted Lenin to capital city. The president fled the controlled areas, the statues and
cause political problems in the coun- country. Later, a vote was organised monuments still stand and the Rus-
try. On his arrival in Russia, large and new leaders elected. sian place names remain.
SUBMARINE MYSTERY EXPLAINED

In 1995, an unusual craft, or vessel,
was discovered on the seabed. It was
not far from Charleston. This is the
largest city in the state of South Car-
olina, on the USA’s east coast. The
vessel was the wreck of an early sub-
marine. It sank over 150 years ago. Diagram of the Hunley showing the positions of the crew (Friends of the Hunley)
The submarine was called H. L. 750,000 soldiers died in the war.
Hunley (or just the Hunley). It was Eventually, after many battles, the
named after its inventor, Horace commander of the southern army
Lawson Hunley (1823 – 1863). agreed to surrender.
The wreck of the Hunley was When it sank, there were eight
raised from the sea floor five years men on board the Hunley. Seven sat
after it was found. Inside were eight in a line. The craft had no engine. The
skeletons. When the men died, they crew rotated a crankshaft by hand. Artist’s impression of the Hunley with its spar
were sitting in their correct posi- This turned the submarine’s pro- and bomb (Friends of the Hunley)
tions. This was a surprise. If the sub- peller. The commander, or captain,
marine were sinking, the men would steered the vessel. There were two
have tried to escape. They had not hatches, or entrances. These were
used the pump. This was designed where the men climbed in or out when
to remove water if it entered the the submarine was on the surface.
submarine. How the men died was a Nowadays, submarines carry
mystery. Now, scientists believe that many motorised torpedoes. These
they know the answer. can travel long distances. The Hun-
The Confederate States Army ley had one large bomb. Filled with Raised wreck of the Hunley (Friends of the Hunley)
used the Hunley. The submarine gunpowder, it was fixed to a spar,
sank in 1864, during the American or pole. The spar, which was 6.7 After the explosion, the Housa-
Civil War (1861 – 1865). It dis- metres (22 feet) long, had a spike tonic sank quickly. Yet, the Hunley
appeared after successfully sink- at the end. When under water, the never returned to its base. Another
ing a United States Navy ship submarine approached its target. Union ship arrived to pick up sur-
called the USS Housatonic. The The spike stuck in the ship’s side, or vivors from the Housatonic. At that
Hunley was the first submarine hull. As the submarine moved back- time, it was thought that this ship
to sink a warship. Therefore, its wards, the spike held the bomb next hit the Hunley. The submarine sank
attack marked the beginning of to the hull. The submarine’s leader and the crew all drowned. However,
undersea warfare. then detonated, or exploded, the after the Hunley was raised from
The American Civil War began bomb. He did this by pulling a rope the seabed, it had no ‘collision’
after the southern states of America attached to it. damage. Therefore, the ship did not
declared that they had withdrawn, During the war, Charleston was hit the submarine.
or seceded, from the ‘United held by the Confederacy. Union The scientists made a model of the
States’. They formed the Confeder- navy ships set up a naval blockade. Hunley. They did some experiments
ate States of America (CSA). These This stopped any supplies leaving with underwater gunpowder explo-
states were then called the ‘Con- or arriving at Charleston by sea. sions. The scientists discovered that
federacy’ or the ‘South’. The other Confederacy commanders wanted the shock, or blast, waves from these
American states became known as to break the blockade. They decided explosions were dangerous. The de-
the ‘Union’ or the ‘North’. Then, to send the Hunley to sink one of the signers of the spar torpedo thought
the USA was made up of 34 states. bigger Union ships. The attack took the sides, or outer hull, of the subma-
(Today there are 50.) Around place at night. rine would protect the men.
The scientists’ experiments show Dickinsonia were small, flat, jelly- Then, the whole planet was almost
that the shock wave from the ex- fish-like organisms. completely frozen.
plosion travelled through the water The name Cambrian explosion is The first, and longest, ‘deep
very quickly. It then slowed after misleading. It was not instant. The freeze’ is known as the Sturtian
it entered the air inside the subma- ‘explosion’ took place over a period glaciation. The second is called the
rine. It’s likely, the scientists say, of between ten and 20 million years. Marinoan glaciation. Why the Earth
that the Hunley was still close to In the history of evolution, this is froze at this time is not understood.
the Housatonic when the bomb ex- very quick. Nobody knows what The Sturtian glaciation ended when
ploded. The blast wave affected the caused it. Some scientists think that the Earth quickly warmed 660 mil-
brains and lungs of the crew. They a rapid increase in oxygen might be lion years ago. Scientists suspect
died instantly. the reason. It was not until 370 mil- that huge volcanic eruptions filled
The bones of the Hunley’s eight- lion years ago, that creatures first the atmosphere with greenhouse
man crew were buried in 2004. They moved from the sea to the land. gases. These helped to trap the
were placed in a single grave in one Sun’s heat.
of Charleston’s cemeteries. Tens of This warm period lasted for
thousands of people attended the about 15 million years. Then, the
event. Marinoan glaciation began. This
time, freezing temperatures contin-
ued for a further 15 million years. In
SNOWBALL EARTH’S ALGAE between the two glaciations, ocean
temperatures were as high as 55ºC
Researchers in Australia claim to (131ºF). The Australian researchers
have made an important discovery. believe that the increase in algae
It might help explain how complex occurred during this ‘in between’
animals first appeared on the Earth. warm period.
The researchers found rocks in What ‘Snowball Earth’ may have looked like
(Harvard University)
central Australia that contain fossil-
like traces of algae. The 650 mil- If this timeline is accurate, some
lion-year-old rocks were brought single-celled organisms became the
to the surface after they had been small, multi-celled ones that existed
drilled into. just before the Cambrian explosion.
The Earth is believed to be How, why and when this happened
around 4.6 billion years old. After is not known. These are the ques-
one billion years, tiny, single-celled tions that the Australian researchers
bacteria appeared in the oceans. claim to have answered. The an-
Some algae had developed after cient rocks, they say, show that by
another 1.2 billion years. The algae 660 to 645 million years ago, mi- Dickinsonia fossils
were also single-celled, but more croscopic algae were the dominant The Sturtian glaciation lasted
complex than bacteria. life form. This date coincides with a for roughly 50 million years. Dur-
Something unusual happened period in the planet’s history called ing it, ice eroded huge amounts of
on the Earth roughly 545 million ‘Snowball Earth’. rock. When the ice melted, rivers
years ago. Fossils show that there Snowball Earth is also known washed minerals and phosphates
was a sudden ‘burst’ of evolution. as the Cryogenian period. This from the ground up rock into
Simple small, multi-celled crea- name comes from the Ancient the sea. The ‘inflow’ of nutrients
tures such as Dickinsonia began Greek words for ‘cold’ and ‘birth’. ‘fed’ the algae. Now, for the first
to change. They had lived in the The Cryogenian period was rough- time, there was a good food sup-
sea for many millions of years. ly between 710 million and 630 ply. Tiny organisms, feeding on
This ‘evolutionary acceleration’ is million years ago. During it, there the abundant algae, grew bigger.
known as the ‘Cambrian explosion’. were two worldwide glaciations. Eventually, they became the small,
multi-celled creatures that existed Nowadays, elections in Angola and become political rivals. Yet the
before the Cambrian explosion. take place every five years. The first proper elections were not held
If the researchers are correct, to- country’s National Assembly (or until 2008.
day’s complex life forms exist only parliament) has 220 seats, or elected Famously, the Soviet Union’s
because of an increase in algae 660 members. The leader of the party flag displayed a hammer and sickle.
million years ago. What’s more, the with most seats becomes the presi- The hammer represented the fac-
algae appeared during Snowball dent. There are two main political tory workers and the sickle people
Earth, or one of the planet’s most groups in Angola: the MPLA (the who worked on farms. A sickle is a
inhospitable periods. People’s Movement for the Lib- curved blade used for cutting crops.
eration of Angola) and UNITA (Na- Angola’s flag is similar. In the cen-
tional Union for the Total Independ- tre, there is half a gear wheel (for
ANGOLA’S NEW PRESIDENT ence of Angola). Both were set up to factory workers) and a machete (for
fight for independence. farmers). A machete is a long, broad,
An election for Angola’s parliament heavy blade, or knife.
was held on 23rd August. Some At the last election, the MPLA got
polling stations, or places where 72% of the votes and 175 seats. Many
people go to vote, stayed open for people thought that Mr dos Santos
a further few days. This was due to wanted to be president for another
bad weather. The election marked five years. He is now 75 years old.
the end of José Eduardo dos San- He declared that he would step down
tos’s presidency. He has led the a few months ago. Some reports said
country for 38 years. that Mr dos Santos had made this de-
Angola is Africa’s seventh largest cision because of ill health.
country. In the southern part of the
continent, it has an Atlantic Ocean Angola’s new and former presidents, João
coastline. Angola is home to about Lourenço (L) and José Eduardo dos Santos (R)
26 million people. Around three In 1974 and 1975 the MPLA and
million live in Luanda, the capital UNITA fought alongside each other
city. Angola was a colony of Portu- against the ruling Portuguese. After
gal for about 400 years. The country Portugal agreed that Angola could
eventually became an independent, become an independent country, a
or self-governing, nation in 1975. civil war started. The MPLA and
Angola’s economy has been UNITA became rivals and fought
growing in recent years. Its main against each other. The civil war Angola’s flag and National Assembly building, in
Luanda, the country’s capital city (David Stanley)
exports are oil, diamonds, coffee, lasted for 27 years.
fish, timber (or wood), and cotton. At first, the MPLA was a commu- Mr dos Santos chose João
Most of the country’s oil is sold to nist organisation. In the 1970s and Lourenço to succeed him. Mr
China. Even though Angola makes 1980s, the USA and the Russian-led Lourenço has been Angola’s de-
large amounts of money from its Soviet Union were enemies. Then, it fence minister. The MPLA got 61%
oil and diamonds, about 40% of was not unusual for them to get in- of the votes and 150 seats. There-
the population are very poor. Every volved in proxy wars. This is when fore, Mr Lourenço will be the coun-
year, an organisation based in Ger- neither side directly fights against try’s new president. However, Mr
many produces a ‘corruption in- the other. The Angolan conflict was dos Santos will continue to be the
dex’. It includes 176 countries. The an American-Soviet proxy war. The head of the MPLA. His daughter is
organisation’s latest index, or re- Soviet Union supported the MPLA. the boss of Angola’s oil company.
port, ranks Angola at number 146. The USA backed UNITA. Mr dos Mr dos Santos’s son runs the coun-
This means that many officials in Santos became the MPLA’s leader try’s sovereign wealth fund. Many
the country are believed to be cor- in 1979. Eventually, the MPLA and countries have these funds. Money
rupt, or dishonest. UNITA agreed to end the fighting in them is invested in other parts
of the world. These investments City. In 1978, this bank organised slopes to get to the valley. This was
should make extra money. an economic policy symposium, or like entering a large hole. One of the
Mr Lourenço says that he plans to meeting. The two-day symposium men who caught beavers in the val-
end all the corruption and dishonesty became an annual event. Then, dis- ley was called Jackson.
in the country. He also wants to create cussions at these meetings were Today, the symposium is often
more jobs. Even though Mr Louren- about the economics of agriculture, called ‘Jackson Hole’. It has be-
ço is the president, many people ex- or farming. come an important international
pect Mr dos Santos and his family to meeting for central bankers. The
continue to run the country. bosses, or senior people, from many
countries’ central banks and large
financial companies attend. Nowa-
JACKSON HOLE days, the Jackson Hole meeting is a
forum for worldwide economic and
Most countries have a central bank. financial ideas.
These banks work with the coun-
try’s government. They are not like
the banks that people and compa-
nies keep their money in. The USA’s View at dusk from the Jackson Lake Lodge
central bank is called the Federal The boss of the Federal Reserve
Reserve (or the ‘Fed’). is called the chairman. In 1982, the
Central banks control the amount organisers of the symposium hoped
of money in use. They also set the to persuade Paul Volcker to attend
interest rate. This is the minimum their annual meeting. At that time,
amount of interest companies or Mr Volcker was the Fed’s chairman.
people may need to pay when they The organisers knew that he liked
borrow money from banks. If a fly-fishing. They decided to hold
country’s economy is doing well, its their symposium at the Jackson Lake
central bank usually increases the Lodge, in the state of Wyoming.
interest rate. When it is doing badly, The lodge, or hotel, is in a place
it does the opposite. called Jackson Hole. The nearby
Central banks also keep a check lake is known for fly-fishing. Even
on all the country’s other banks in though Jackson Hole is about 3,220
which people keep their money. kilometres (2,000 miles) from Wash- Janet Yellen, chair of the Federal Reserve
They do this by regulating the banks, ington DC, Mr Volcker accepted the This year’s Jackson Hole sym-
or making sure that they follow invitation. As the Fed’s chairman at- posium was held on 25th and 26th
agreed banking rules. Central banks tended the meeting, other important August. Janet Yellen spoke. She is
arrange for replacement banknotes people asked for invitations. the chair of the Federal Reserve.
to be printed and new coins made, or Since 1982, the symposium has Ms Yellen became the Fed’s boss
minted. Also, in times of economic been held at the Jackson Lake Lodge in 2014. She is the first woman to
difficulties, central banks may de- around the end of August every year. hold this position. Other important
cide to increase the money supply. Jackson Hole is a valley between central bankers who attended the
One way of doing this is by printing two mountain ranges. Some peo- meeting included Haruhiko Kuroda
extra banknotes. ple say that this is one of the USA’s and Mario Draghi. Mr Kuroda is
The Federal Reserve’s headquar- most beautiful landscapes. The the boss of the Bank of Japan, the
ters is in Washington DC, America’s name ‘hole’ comes from the first Japanese central bank. Mr Draghi is
capital city. It divides the country Americans who stayed in this area the president of the European Cen-
into 12 districts, or areas. Each has a about 200 years ago. They trapped tral Bank. This is the central bank
Federal Reserve Bank. One is called local animals for their pelts, or fur. for the eurozone, or the 19 countries
the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas The trappers had to walk down steep that use the euro currency.
RUSSIA’S ICEBREAKING TANKER Margerie died in an air crash while natural gas fields, or reserves, are
visiting Russia three years ago. on the Yamal Peninsula. This large
On 22nd August, a new, large The new LNG tanker is 300 me- headland is on the country’s north-
Russian ship arrived at a port in tres (984 feet) long. It was built for ern coast. A large terminal, or load-
South Korea. It completed a re- the NSR. The front, or bow, ing facility, is being built on the
cord-breaking voyage along what’s of the ship has been spe- peninsula’s coast. Here,
known as the Northern Sea Route cially strengthened. a R oute ships like the Chris-
Se
ern SR)
(NSR). This follows Russia’s north- This means that it No r th
(N tophe de Margerie
ern coastline. The ship was the first can break through Yamal
peninsula
will be able to load
NORWAY
large, commercial vessel to make sea ice up to 2.1 RUSSIA up with LNG.
the journey without an accompany- metres (6.8 feet) SOUTH The gas can then
KOREA
ing icebreaker. These vessels are thick. Until re- be taken to Eu-
designed to clear, or break, a path cently, due to the SuezCanal
rope or Asia.
through thick sea ice. sea ice, it was not Strait of Sovcomflot has
Sue
The Russian ship is called the possible to use the zC
an
Malacca ordered 15 more
(SC al Rou
Christophe de Margerie. Sovcom- NSR for most of R) te LNG tankers. Each
flot, a Russian shipping company, the time. costs about US$300
owns it. This company is a state- In recent years, some million (£232 million).
run, or government owned, busi- ships have sailed along the The same South Korean ship-
ness. Sovcomflot transports oil (or NSR in warmer months, or be- building company will build them.
petroleum) and liquefied natural gas tween July and November. Yet, Not everyone is happy about
(LNG) by sea. The Christophe de they needed an icebreaker to travel more ships using the NSR. Some
Margerie is an LNG tanker. with them. This made the voyages are worried about the environment.
expensive. Warming temperatures These people fear that these unspoilt
mean that there is now less sea ice Arctic waters might now become
in this part of the world. Officials at polluted.
Sovcomflot believe that their new
LNG tanker can now use the NSR
throughout the year. BERLIN’S RED SWAMP CRAYFISH
Nowadays, many large ships
travel between ports in Asia and The Tiergarten is a large park in the
northern Europe. They use the Suez centre of Berlin, Germany’s capital
Canal Route (SCR). This is named city. People who live in Berlin go to
after the canal that connects the Red the park to walk and relax. Recently,
Christophe de Margerie Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The many who visit the Tiergarten have
In the past, the only way to Suez Canal is a very busy waterway. been surprised to see small lobster-
transport natural gas, over long It was completed in 1869. Ships us- like creatures. They cross the park’s
distances, was through pipelines. ing the SCR also have to sail through paths and swim in its ponds. The
Today, the gas can be chilled to the Strait of Malacca. This narrow creatures are red swamp crayfish:
a very low temperature. This turns seaway connects the Pacific Ocean an invasive alien species.
it into a liquid. Importantly, LNG to the east with the Indian Ocean to Animals living in places where
takes up 600 times less space than the west. The NSR is shorter than the they are not normally found are
gas. This means that it can be SCR. Ships using the NSR can re- known as alien species. If they have
transported by ship. duce the journey time between Asia no, or few, predators their numbers
A shipbuilding company from and northern Europe by 12 to 14 days. keep increasing. If this happens, they
South Korea built the Christophe de The Christophe de Margerie took can become an invasive species.
Margerie. It was named after a for- a shipment of LNG from Hammer- Different crayfish species are
mer boss of Total. This is a French fest, in northern Norway, to Boryeo- found in many parts of the world.
oil and gas, or energy, company. De ng, in South Korea. Russia’s biggest In some places, they are called
crayfish, in others crawfish. These are known as Louisiana crawfish. The officials worry that the cray-
creatures live in freshwater streams, There, the crayfish are usually fish will exterminate some smaller
rivers and lakes. Crayfish are crus- boiled with pepper, lemon, garlic, native species. Frogs and their eggs,
taceans. This ‘family’ also includes and other seasonings. or spawn, may be in danger. Ef-
crabs, lobsters, shrimp, krill, and Years ago, red swamp crayfish forts are now being made to catch
woodlice. Crayfish have two large were introduced to some other parts as many of the crayfish as possible.
claws, or pincers. They have a hard of the USA. This was so they could It’s hoped that wild animals such as
outer cover, or exoskeleton. This be harvested and eaten. Yet they foxes and raccoons will help by eat-
protects them from predators. As soon proved to be invasive ‘pests’. ing them. Germany is a member of
they get older and bigger, crayfish These crayfish breed quickly. They the European Union (EU). The red
moult, or shed their exoskeletons. out compete other crayfish and dis- swamp crayfish is on the EU’s list
New ones then grow. rupt local ecosystems. What’s more of banned alien species.
Crayfish are omnivores. They eat their burrows can make riverbanks
many things. Crayfish are known to weak, or unstable.
feed on shrimp, fish, worms, water CHINA’S TERRACOTTA ARMY
plants, insects, and snails. They will
also eat dead animals and plants. China’s Terracotta Army is world
Crayfish use their claws to cut up famous. It includes thousands of
their food. Different crayfish spe- life-size figures, or models. All are
cies are different colours. Red, or made from terracotta. This is a type
shades of red, is most common. Yet of brownish-red clay. Since the
some types of crayfish are yellow, army was discovered, researchers
pink or a sandy brown. have been trying to work out how
the figures were created. Research-
Boiled Louisiana crawfish (Justin Watt)
ers from China and the UK have
Red swamp crayfish will walk recently been studying the clay
across many kilometres of dry from which they were made. Their
ground. This means that they can col- work suggests that the ‘production
onise, or spread to, other streams, riv- system’ was more centralised than
ers, ponds and lakes. These crayfish previously thought.
can carry a fungal disease known as Local farmers discovered a few
‘crawfish plague’. This will kill other figures by accident in 1974. They
Red swamp crayfish
crayfish species. Yet the disease does were digging a well. So far, about
Red swamp crayfish (or craw- not affect red swamp crayfish. 1,000 have been uncovered. Most
fish) are native to Northern Mexico Some people keep red swamp are warriors, or soldiers. Others are
and the southern and south eastern crayfish in tanks as pets. In the officials, acrobats, musicians, and
parts of the USA. Adults are about USA, it is now illegal to introduce horses. Many of the horses were
12 centimetres (4.7 inches) long. these creatures into the wild. This is pulling wooden chariots. Experts
These crayfish are dark red with probably what happened in Berlin. believe that the Terracotta Army’s
bright red bumps on the front of Somebody released their pet cray- total number of clay figures could
their bodies and claws. Red swamp fish in the park or in a nearby river. be as many as 8,000.
crayfish live in burrows, or tunnels. Recently, there have been heavy The Terracotta Army was bur-
The creatures make their homes in rains in and around Berlin. Water ied close to the tomb of China’s
the banks, or sides, of rivers. levels in streams, rivers and ponds first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (259
In some places, these crayfish are higher. Officials think that this – 210 BCE). At 13 years of age,
are a popular food, or dish. Loui- rising water has flooded the crea- he became the ruler of a kingdom
siana, one of America’s southern tures’ burrows. This, they say, may called Qin. Then, groups living in
states, is well known for its crayfish explain why so many crayfish are different parts of what is now called
recipes. There, red swamp crayfish ‘walking’ in the park. China were fighting each other.
The researchers think that the

sand made the clay more malleable,
or easy to shape. As the figures were
all made from the same mix of clay,
it must have been made in one place.
The mixture was then distributed to
the different workshops. Therefore,
each workshop did not mix its own
Part of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Terracotta Army (Jean-Marie Hullot) clay. This suggests that the produc-
Since they were found, people tion process was controlled from a
have wondered how all the terra- single central location.
cotta figures were made. The clay The emperor’s tomb is believed
was probably put in moulds, or to be under a very big mound. It is
casts. Parts of the figures, such as yet to be excavated. Due to the size
heads, arms, legs, and bodies, or of the Terracotta Army, many people
torsos, were made separately. They suspect that the emperor was buried
were then assembled, or fitted to- with a large amount of treasure.
gether. The complete figures were
fired in kilns. The heat hardened
Close up picture of some of the Terracotta the clay. After they were paint- TRIGONOMETRY TABLET?
Army’s clay figures (Peter Morgan) ed, the warriors were given real
The Qin emperor managed to unite weapons. These included spears, A triangle can be many shapes. Each
them. He founded the Qin Dynasty. swords and crossbows. Over time, has different angles. Trigonometry
The name ‘China’ comes from his the wooden parts of the weapons is a branch of mathematics. It is the
kingdom. In China, dynasties were rotted away. study of a triangle’s angles and their
like royal families. The warriors’ heads do not all relationships to the lengths of its
Qin Shi Huang was 50 years old look the same. Some think that each sides. Often, trigonometry involves
when he died. His dynasty ended figure is a portrait, or copy, of a real triangles with one right angle, or an
soon afterwards. The clay warriors person. The shape of a human ear angle of 90 degrees.
may have been made to guard him is like a fingerprint. No two people Hipparchus was an Ancient
in his tomb. Another possibility is have exactly the same ears or finger- Greek astronomer and mathemati-
that the emperor wanted to have an prints. A few years ago, 3-D (three- cian. He lived about 2,150 years
army in the afterlife, or in the ‘next dimensional) images of the ears of ago. Many say that Hipparchus was
world’. The burial site is close to around 30 warriors were made. No the ‘father’, or founder, of trigo-
Xi’an. This is China’s ancient capi- two were the same. nometry. He studied the movement
tal city. Experts think that hundreds The researchers took clay sam- of the planets and stars. Hipparchus
of thousands of workers were need- ples from different items. These worked out a way to measure this
ed to construct the emperor’s tomb included 12 warriors, two acrobats, by using imaginary right angles.
and make the Terracotta Army. some paving and wall bricks, plus These connected the Earth to the
When first buried, each terra- the cores, or inner parts, of three celestial objects. Hipparchus cre-
cotta figure was brightly coloured. large birds made from bronze. ated a table of cords. Drawn from
However, soon after the soldiers The researchers worked out what the centre of a circle, these cords, or
were uncovered their colours faded was in the clay. The bricks were lines, produce angles. From these,
quickly. This was because they were made of a mixture of dark and Hipparchus created mathematical,
exposed to the air for the first time light clay. The inner core clay was or trigonometric, formulas.
in 2,000 years. Scientists have been mixed with sand and bits, or frag- For the last two years, two Aus-
trying to work out how to preserve ments, of plants. Clay from the tralian mathematicians have been
the colours. This is why many of the warriors and acrobats contained studying an ancient clay tablet. The
figures are yet to be dug up. much more sand. tablet displays numbers written in a
script called cuneiform. The Baby- believe that the ancient story of
lonians used this written language. Noah and the great flood was copied
It is made up of wedge-like shapes from this poem.
and lines. Cuneiform was written The clay tablet that the Aus-
on soft, wet clay tablets. These were tralian mathematicians studied is
then left to dry and harden. The known as Plimpton 322. An Ameri-
Sumerians used cuneiform before can archaeologist found it in Iraq
the Babylonians. The Sumerians, 117 years ago. Later, a man called
or Sumer, is thought to have been George Arthur Plimpton (1855 –
the world’s first urban civilisation. 1936) bought the tablet. He was a Plimpton 322 clay tablet (UNSW / Andrew Kelly)
It ended about 4,000 years ago. wealthy American who collected a different counting system. Nowa-
Both Sumer and Babylon were in old text and manuscripts. Today, the days, we use the decimal system, or
modern-day Iraq. Scholars finally tablet is owned by Columbia Uni- base ten. The Babylonian system
worked out how to read cuneiform versity, in the USA. A Babylonian was base 60. They did not use frac-
about 150 years ago. is believed to have written Plimpton tions. This is because 60 is divisible
Many thousands of cuneiform 322. The tablet is about 3,800 years by 12 numbers (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10,
tablets have been dug up in Iraq. old. It is 13 centimetres (five inch- 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60). Only four
Most are lists of items that were es) wide and nine centimetres (3.5 numbers divide into ten (1, 2, 5, and
bought or sold. Some people de- inches) tall. 10). Today, we still use ‘base 60’ for
scribe them as the world’s earliest The Australian mathematicians time (60 seconds in one minute and
business contracts. A few tablets now claim that Plimpton 322 is a 60 minutes in one hour) and angles
recount stories or legends. The most trigonometry table. They believe (360 degrees in a circle).
famous is a long poem called the that each line represents a right an- If the mathematicians are correct,
Epic of Gilgamesh. Many historians gle triangle. The Babylonians used the Babylonians may have invented
NORWAY
RUSSIA
Y
AN
M
UK
ER
G
UKRAINE
KAZAKHSTAN
USA SPAIN
ITALY IRAQ CHINA
Balearic SOUTH
Islands AFGHANISTAN KOREA
JAMAICA
MALAYSIA
COLOMBIA
BRAZIL INDONESIA
ANGOLA
AUSTRALIA
CHILE
ARGENTINA
This map shows countries to which news stories refer in this issue. Visit www.newsademic.com for more detailed world maps.
trigonometry at least 1,000 years erate training camps in the country. until the American and NATO
before the Greeks. What’s more, The USA demanded that the Taliban forces had left. It would then attack
they did it a different way. The hand over the al-Qaeda leaders who the Afghan army. This is what hap-
Babylonians did not use angles were in Afghanistan. When the Tali- pened. Because of these attacks at
to calculate the lengths of a tri- ban’s leaders refused, an American least 8,000 American troops have
angle’s sides. They worked them force invaded. stayed in Afghanistan.
out with ratios. The mathemati- However, the Taliban was not de-
cians say that the tablet would feated. Many of its fighters moved KAZAKHSTAN
have been very useful. It could to the southern mountainous areas
be used for surveying fields, or close to the border with Pakistan. UZBEKISTAN
KYRGYZSTAN
lands, and constructing palaces, The USA is a member of NATO
temples and canals. (North Atlantic Treaty Organiza- TURKMENISTAN TAJIKISTAN
CHINA
Not all mathematicians agree tion). This is a military alliance. If TA
N
IS
with their conclusions. They argue one member is attacked, the others N
A Kabul
GH
that no other ancient texts show that agree to supply military support. IRAN AF
AN
the Babylonians understood trigo- Most NATO member countries sent IST
K
nometry and right angle triangles. troops to Afghanistan. The largest PA
contingents, or numbers, came from
the UK, France, Italy, the Nether- INDIA
AFGHAN WAR CONTINUES lands, and Germany. INDIAN
After its invasion, the USA OCEAN
American forces arrived in Af- helped to organise elections for an

ghanistan in 2001. After 16 years Afghan president and parliament. The Taliban presence in Afghani-
of fighting, the conflict in Afghani- American soldiers and troops from stan is now growing. Other Islamist
stan is now America’s longest ever NATO countries helped to train a militant groups, such as the Islamic
war. On 21st August, Donald J new Afghan army and police force. State (IS) have arrived. It’s thought
Trump, the president of the USA, This security force is about 350,000 that the Afghan government con-
spoke about the war. He declared strong. It is equipped with American trols about 64% of the population.
that an additional 3,900 soldiers weapons and military vehicles. The Taliban has control over 12%
are to be sent to Afghanistan. By this time, Barack Obama had and the remainder is ‘contested’. In
When they arrive, the total number become America’s president. Then, recent months, bombings and shoot-
of American troops in the country around 100,000 American troops ings in Kabul, the capital city, have
will be around 15,000. were in Afghanistan. Mr Obama become more frequent.
Afghanistan is a large moun- made an important announcement. Some people were surprised by
tainous country. It is home to sev- He said that all American troops Mr Trump’s announcement. Before
eral warlike tribes, or groups. Over in Afghanistan would leave by the he became president, Mr Trump
100 years ago, the British fought end of 2015. NATO member coun- often spoke about Afghanistan. He
an unsuccessful war in Afghani- tries declared that they would do said that if he were elected, the
stan. Russian soldiers invaded the same. During 2015, they began USA would not become involved
the country in 1979. After ten to hand their bases over to the Af- in wars in other countries. Others
years of fighting, they too chose ghan army. This meant that Afghan welcomed Mr Trump’s announce-
to withdraw. America’s invasion soldiers would now do all the fight- ment. They feared that without
took place after a militant Islam- ing against the Taliban. If requested, American help, the Taliban would
ist group called al-Qaeda attacked American warplanes and helicopters make more gains. Unlike Mr Oba-
it. Then, George W Bush was the could help them. ma, Mr Trump did not give any
country’s president. Many military commanders deadlines about troop withdrawals.
At that time, the Taliban ruled thought that Mr Obama’s decision So far, the 16-year war is thought
Afghanistan under very strict Islam- was a mistake. The Taliban, they to have cost the USA US$850 bil-
ic laws. It allowed al-Qaeda to op- said, would hide in the mountains lion (£662 billion).
APPLE STORY the world. They were also able to apple trees began to grow along
work out that the ‘first’ eating ap- longer and longer parts of the Silk
Apples are one of the most widely ples came from an area of Kazakh- Road. Some of these apple trees may
grown fruit trees. Now, apple trees stan. At that time, wild crabapples have been deliberately planted. The
grow in many countries. Millions grew in Europe and North America. trees then cross-pollinated with wild
of tonnes of apples are picked, or These apples have a sour taste and crabapples that grew in places such
harvested, every year. Yet apple are small and hard. as Turkey and southern Europe.
trees are not native to most of these Later, humans cross-bred differ-
places. Scientists from China and ent apple trees. This was done to try
the USA have recently completed a to get larger and better-tasting apples.
study. They traced the apple’s gene- Settlers from the UK and other parts
alogy, or history, from thousands of of Europe first took eating apples to
years ago to the present day North America about 500 years ago.
Today, there are around 7,500 The scientists say that 46% of the
apple types, or varieties. It’s known DNA of modern-day, eating apples
that eating apples originally came matches those that originally grew
from Central Asia. The scientists in Kazakhstan. About 21% comes
Crabapples
sequenced, or mapped, the genomes from the European crabapple. To-
of 117 different varieties of apples. The scientists say that the spread day, more apples are grown in China
These come from 24 apple tree spe- of apples began with what’s known than any other country.
cies. These ranged from wild apples as the Silk Road. This was an im- Apples are a healthy food. They
(or crabapples) from North America portant route between the eastern contain potassium, vitamin C, and
to eating apples in China. They in- coast of the Mediterranean Sea and carbohydrates. Apples are also a
cluded very old, or ancient, varieties China. The Silk Road went through good source of fibre. This may be
as well as modern-day apples sold Persia (or modern-day Iran) and Ka- the reason for the well-known say-
in grocery stores and supermarkets. zakhstan in Central Asia. A German ing ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor
writer called this long route the Silk away’.
Road in 1870. The name comes from
the traders who used it when taking
silk from China to Europe. Large SAMSUNG’S BOSS
numbers of camels (known as cara-
vans) carried silk, spices and other Samsung is one of the world’s most
items along the road. The Silk Road successful companies. Its headquar-
was used for about 2,500 years. It ters is in Seoul, the capital of South
was not a single road or track, but Korea. In Korean, Samsung means
a route between cities, towns and ‘three stars’. Lee Kun-hee is the
places to stop and rest. company’s boss. Three years ago he
The scientists tracked how apples had a heart attack. Since then, Lee’s
spread along the Silk Road. From eldest son, Lee Jae-yong, has led
Variety of eating apples Kazakhstan, apple trees went west- Samsung. On 25th August, a court
Each living thing has its own ge- ward to Europe and east towards in South Korea declared that he was
nome, or genetic code. A genome is China. People who travelled on the guilty of corruption.
a complete set of DNA. It includes Silk Road, ate the apples they found Samsung, or the Samsung
all of a living organism’s genes. The in Kazakhstan. The cores, with the Group, is what’s known as a mul-
genome contains the information the seeds, were then thrown away, or tinational conglomerate. It is in-
organism needs to make and main- discarded. Some apples were col- volved in many businesses in South
tain itself. By comparing the DNA lected and then eaten later. This Korea and other countries. Elec-
from all the apples, the scientists meant that their seeds were dropped tronics, shipbuilding, construction,
could map how they spread around farther from Kazakhstan. Over time, engineering, insurance, tourism,
and advertising are all examples. the country’s economy. One of In recent years, several chaebol
Samsung has about 500,000 work- these leaders was Park Chung-hee. bosses have been found guilty of
ers. Nowadays, the group’s total President Park was a former army corruption, or dishonesty. In 2008,
annual sales can exceed US$300 general. He seized control of South it was discovered that Samsung
billion (£233 billion). Korea in 1961. had a special fund, or ‘hidden’
President Park encouraged some sum of money. It was used to
small companies to set up large bribe politicians, judges and other
factories. They would then make important people. The bribes were
things that could be exported, or paid to make sure that Samsung
sold, to people in other parts of was not disadvantaged in any way.
the world. President Park and his Lee Jae-yong’s father was accused
advisers helped these companies of dishonesty. He was ordered
in several ways. One was to pro- to pay a large fine and given a
vide large, inexpensive loans. Over suspended prison sentence. A few
time, these companies became big- months later, the country’s presi-
Logos of South Korea’s four biggest chaebol
ger and more powerful. This was dent pardoned him.
There are several similar, but how South Korea’s chaebol began. Lee Jae-yong was also accused
smaller, conglomerates in South Samsung was one of them. Lee Jae- of bribery and corruption. The court
Korea. There, these businesses (in- yong’s grandfather founded Sam- claimed that Samsung paid a large
cluding Samsung) are known as sung in 1938. At first, the company amount of money to the then presi-
‘chaebol’ (pronounced chay-bol). sold fruit and vegetables. dent, Park Geun-hye, and a friend
Other larger chaebol include: LG, of hers. In return, the president al-
Hyundai, SK Group, Kumho Asi- lowed two Samsung companies to
ana, and Lotte. Most chaebol are merge, or join together. The judges
public companies. This means that gave Lee Jae-yong a five-year pris-
people can buy and sell the compa- on sentence. Due to the scandal, Ms
nies’ shares, or stock. However, un- Park was forced to stand down. She
like public companies in most other will also be charged with bribery.
countries, many chaebol are still Her trial is expected to start later
controlled by members of the fami- this year.
lies who founded them. Some people in South Korea dis-
For many years, the whole of the like the chaebol. They believe that
Korean Peninsula was occupied by these businesses are too powerful
Japan. After Japan’s defeat in 1945, and should be broken up. Others ad-
or at the end of the Second World mire the chaebol’s success and the
War, Korea became a separate coun- jobs that they create. Today, Sam-
Samsung’s vice chairman, Lee Jae-yong
try. Yet, within a few years, it split sung makes up about 14% of South
into North and South Korea. In South Korea’s economy grew Korea’s total economy.
1950, the North invaded the South. quickly. Many of the items made
This was the start of the Korean by the chaebol were sold in the
War. It lasted for three years. Dur- USA. Imports were blocked. Now, SNOW LEOPARD FORUM
ing the fighting, China assisted the South Korea has one of the world’s
North. The United Nations (UN), most successful economies. Eco- Representatives from 12 coun-
with mainly American soldiers, sup- nomic growth during the 40 years tries met in Bishkek, the capital
ported the South. after the end of the Korean War of Kyrgyzstan, on 24th and 25th
After the war ended, much of was very quick. Sometimes, this August. Their meeting was called
South Korea was in ruins. Over the period is described as ‘the Miracle the Global Snow Leopard Con-
next 30 years, South Korea’s lead- on the Han River’. This river flows servation Forum. This group first
ers worked to build and improve through Seoul. met four years ago. Then, the
representatives agreed to set up the of Central Asia have increased animals are difficult to count. Yet
Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem the size of their goatherds. Hair an estimate last year put their
Recovery Program (GSLEP). This from these goats is used to make numbers at 8,000. This figure is
agreement has become known as cashmere wool. These goats eat partly based on numbers collected
the Bishkek Declaration. large amounts of grass. by the 12 countries in which the
Snow leopards are found in the animals are found.
12 countries that attended the fo- The population numbers are im-
rum. All are in Central and South portant. Currently, snow leopards
Asia. They are: Afghanistan, Bhu- are listed as an ‘endangered’ spe-
tan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyr- cies. Animals on this list are given
gyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, special protection. For example,
Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. killing snow leopards in any of the
Snow leopards are smaller than GSLEP 12-member countries is
other types of leopard such as those now illegal. If snow leopard num-
found in Africa. They have pale- bers increase, the animals may be
coloured fur with dark grey and taken off the endangered list. Some
black spots. Snow leopards are rare- wildlife officials argue that this
ly seen. This explains why they are would be wrong. They claim that
known as the ‘ghost of the moun- the recent population estimates are
tains’. The animals live in remote likely to be incorrect.
snowy areas. Here, because of the At the end of their meeting, the
colour of their fur, they are difficult 12 countries confirmed their com-
to see. mitment to the Bishkek Declara-
Snow leopards have evolved tion. Part of their conservation plan
to survive in the cold. They have is known as ‘20 by 20’. This is the
short ears, which reduces heat set up of 20 snow leopard protected
loss. Their paws are very wide. areas, or landscapes, by the year
This means that they can walk on 2020.
top of deep snow without sinking.
Snow leopards’ fur can be over 12
centimetres (five inches) long. It FARC’S TRANSFORMATION
helps to keep the animals warm in
the freezing temperatures. Bogota is the capital city of Co-
Snow leopards are solitary ani- Snow leopard (Bernard Landgraf) lombia. On 27th August many peo-
mals. Except when a female is look- Warming temperatures are melt- ple living in the city saw an unu-
ing after its cubs, the animals live on ing the snow and ice in this part of sual sight. Delegates from a group
their own. The leopards are normal- the world. As it melts, grass and called Farc arrived by bus at a
ly found at high elevations, or be- other plants grow higher and higher building in the city’s centre. There,
tween 3,000 to 4,500 metres (9,800 up the mountainsides. These are the they began a six-day meeting, or
to 14,800 feet). They are hunters places where snow leopards live. If conference. Police motorcycles
and feed on types of wild goat and a snow leopard attacks one of their escorted the buses. Until recently,
sheep as well as smaller mammals goats, the farmers shoot at them. seeing members of Farc in Bogota
and birds. There have been disagreements would be unthinkable.
Several years ago many people about the snow leopard popula- In Spanish, Farc’s name stands
were worried about the number tion. A few years ago, there were for the Revolutionary Armed Forc-
of snow leopards. Their popula- thought to be between 4,000 and es of Colombia. For many years,
tion seemed to be declining. This 6,000 snow leopards in the wild. supporters of this group fought
was because of greater contact As they live in remote places against the Colombian army. The
with humans. Farmers in parts over a wide mountainous area, the conflict, or civil war, in the country
began in 1964. At first, Farc was of money from illegally selling co- the margin was less than 1%. Those
a Marxist group. Marxism is a po- caine in other countries. Colombia who voted to reject the peace agree-
litical belief. It is named after Karl is still the world’s biggest exporter ment thought it too forgiving. After
Marx (1818 – 1883). He was born of this drug. Over 220,000 people the ‘no’ vote, the agreement was
in Prussia, but spent much of his died during the war. Seven million modified, or changed. Politicians
life in the UK. Prussia was a for- were displaced, or forced to move to then voted for it to proceed.
mer German kingdom. other parts of the country. When it Colombia’s congress, or parlia-
was most powerful, Farc had 20,000 ment, has two houses. Both meet
armed men and women. in the Capitolio Nacional, or par-
Juan Manuel Santos was elected liament building, in Bogota. The
as Colombia’s president in 2010. next elections will take place in
Soon afterwards, Colombian sol- 2018. As part of the peace agree-
diers tracked down and killed the ment, Farc will get ten seats in
Farc leader. A man known as Ti- both houses. This will happen even
mochenko took over. Mr Santos if the group gets only a small num-
arranged to send secret messages ber of votes.
to him. The Colombian leader sug- The Farc meeting in Bogota was
FARC leaders at their conference in Bogota
gested that peace talks be held. In part of the peace process. It now
Marx believed in a ‘classless 2012, the first meeting was set up. has to change from a rebel group
society’. He wrote several books It took place in Havana, the capital to a political party. At the meet-
about it. The most famous is Das of Cuba. ing, Farc’s leaders talked about
Kapital. This is on what communist their transformation and the po-
ideology is based. In a communist litical policies they should adopt.
country, the state, or government, They also had a discussion about
owns most of the land, businesses the group’s name. The delegates
and buildings. No alternative po- decided that it should be changed.
litical parties are allowed. Farc’s The group will still be called Farc.
leaders and followers wanted Co- Yet this will now stand for the Al-
lombia to be a Marxist state, or ternative Revolutionary Force for
communist country. the Common People.
In the past, Farc controlled large
areas of Colombia. The group op-
erated from secret jungle bases. It Colombia’s Capitolio Nacional, or parliament BIRD NAVIGATION AND SMELL
building, in Bogota
carried out many bombings and
shootings. One of Farc’s favourite The talks in Havana continued for Many birds migrate. Some travel
tactics was to kidnap, or take peo- four years. Eventually, the two sides for thousands of kilometres each
ple hostage. Many of these hostages came to an agreement. Farc would year. Often, they return to the
were government officials and Co- hand over all its weapons. The or- same places. How these birds
lombian army soldiers. Farc then ganisation would then become a po- navigate, or find their way, is not
demanded a ransom, or payment, litical party. No more illegal drugs understood. Some people think
for their release. Alternatively, it were to be produced. Farc members that they work out their position
tried to swop the hostages for its would have to admit their crimes, from the Sun, stars and landmarks
own members, who had been caught but would not be imprisoned. on the ground. Others suspect that
and imprisoned. Mr Santos arranged a referen- migratory birds are ‘guided’ by the
To get money to buy supplies and dum on the peace agreement. This Earth’s magnetic field.
weapons, Farc set up jungle cocaine is a vote in which all adults can take Researchers from Italy, Spain
factories. This drug is made from the part. People could vote ‘yes’ to ac- and the UK have recently complet-
coca plant. It grows in the Colom- cept the peace agreement, or ‘no’ to ed some experiments. They tracked
bian jungle. The group made a lot reject it. Most people voted ‘no’. Yet some seabirds that breed on an island
in the Mediterranean Sea. After rais- example, some record the times of Linnaeus devised the formal (sci-
ing their chicks, these birds spend sunrise and sunset. From this, sci- entific) naming, or classification,
much of the year far away over the entists can work out exactly where system used to record all living and
Atlantic Ocean. The researchers’ ex- the bird has been. Some tags detect extinct organisms. This is known
periments seem to show that these seawater. It is therefore possible to as taxonomy. Scopoli sent descrip-
birds use ‘smell’ to work out which know when, and for how long, a tions of his findings and research
way to fly. seabird floats on the water. to Linnaeus.
The Italian, Spanish and Brit- The 32 Scopoli’s shearwaters the
ish researchers set up an experi- researchers selected nest on Men-
ment with 32 Scopoli’s shearwa- orca. This is one of the Balearic Is-
ters. There are about 30 shearwater lands. These islands are in the Medi-
species. Thedse seabirds are found terranean Sea. Owned by Spain,
in many parts of the world. Out they are off the country’s north east
at sea, shearwaters fly with ‘stiff’ coast. The birds were all tagged
outstretched wings. They move with small GPS trackers. They were
quickly, near the sea’s surface, just divided into three groups. Small
above the wave tops. Many are magnets were attached to one group.
Scopolis shearwater on its rock crevice nest long-distance migrants. Shearwa- Another group just had the trackers.
(George Karris CoCoNet) ters feed on squid and small fish, The third group had their sense of
About 4,000 types of bird mi- which they catch near the surface. smell temporarily ‘switched off’.
grate. This is around 40% of all the The birds make their nests in bur- The researchers did this by placing
world’s bird species. Many travel to rows or crevices and cracks in a small amount of zinc sulphate in
northern parts of the northern hemi- cliffs on remote islands. Each year their nasal passages.
sphere in spring. There, during the the female lays a single white egg. When out at sea, the shearwaters
summer months, they make nests, with just the trackers and magnets
lay eggs and raise their chicks. behaved normally. The ones who
Then, when the weather gets cold- were unable to smell had difficul-
er, they fly south. Many migra- ties. These birds seemed to lose
tory birds go to parts of Africa and their way over open sea. When
South America. they eventually neared land, their
Arctic terns are believed to have sense of direction improved. The
one of the world’s longest migra- experiment showed that these birds
tions. They breed on islands to the use a ‘smell map’ when they can-
north of the UK. When the weather not see land. Yet when land is in
gets colder, they fly all the way view, they can find their way by
to Antarctica. After about three using landmarks.
months, the birds return. They do
not fly in a straight line. Amazingly,
one Arctic tern that was tracked flew PIRATE TOWN SURVEY
96,000 kilometres (59,650 miles) in
a 12-month period. Underwater archaeologists from
Scopolis shearwater
Nowadays, scientists are able a university in the UK have been
to accurately track birds of all siz- Scopoli’s shearwaters are named working near Kingston. This is Ja-
es. They do this with lightweight after Giovanni Scopoli (1723 – maica’s capital and largest city. The
tracking devices, or tags. Often, 1788). From Italy, he was a medi- archaeologists have surveyed and
these electronic devices are ring- cal doctor and naturalist. Scopoli mapped the underwater ruins of a
shaped. They fit around one of the exchanged letters and ideas with town called Port Royal.
bird’s legs. The tags can store or Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778). Over 300 years ago, Port Royal
transmit a lot of information. For He was a scientist from Sweden. was described as the ‘wickedest
city on Earth’. On 7th June 1692, a America. They found gold, silver Port Royal was infamous for
powerful earthquake struck this part and other riches in the Aztec and drunkenness and the unruly and
of Jamaica. It created, or triggered, Inca cities. These were sent back to lawless behaviour of the people who
a tsunami, or giant wave. After the Spain on large wooden ships known lived there. The town was built on a
earthquake and giant wave, nearly as Spanish galleons. sandy strip of land that stuck out into
all of Port Royal disappeared be- The Spanish used Jamaica as the sea. Earthquakes are not uncom-
neath the sea. a military base. Supplies were mon in this part of the world. The
sent from the island to the Span- violent shaking of an earthquake
ish forces in Central and South can cause soil to turn to a liquid.
America. The Spanish brought It’s called liquefaction. This is what
many black African slaves to Ja- happened to the land on which Port
maica. By this time, England and Royal was built. Most of its build-
Spain had become enemies. In ings, streets and forts disappeared
1655, an English invasion force beneath the waves.
landed on Jamaica. After a short Several thousand people died in
battle, the Spanish troops on the the earthquake. The exact time that
island surrendered. it struck is known. About 50 years
Spain made repeated attempts ago a pocket watch was found on
to recapture Jamaica. All failed. the sea floor. It had stopped at
Due to these attacks, the English 11:43am. After the disaster, the
commander on Jamaica invited town could not be rebuilt. The
Underwater archaeologist surveying Port Royal’s privateers to use Port Royal as a survivors set up a new settlement
sunken ruins (Texas A&M University)
base. Privateers were people who nearby. This eventually became the
Christopher Columbus (1451 – owned their ships. They were giv- city of Kingston.
1506) landed on Jamaica in 1495. en permission to attack Spanish The underwater archaeologists
This was during his second voyage galleons. If successful, privateers used the latest scanning technol-
across the Atlantic Ocean. Colum- could keep most of any treasure ogy to survey the sunken town.
bus was an explorer from Genoa. that they captured. Much of it is buried under mud
Today, this city is in Italy. He is fa- and sand. The archaeologists say
mous for being ‘the person who dis- that this is fortunate. It means
covered America’. This is incorrect. that the town and all the everyday
Columbus crossed the Atlantic four items within it have probably been
times. He landed on several Carib- preserved. In future, it may be
bean islands and the coast of South possible to excavate them. The ar-
America. Yet, he never reached the chaeologists now plan to use their
coast of what’s now called North scans to make a digital model of
America. During these voyages, Port Royal.
Columbus was working for the king Old map of Port Royal
of Spain.
After landing on Jamaica, Co- The Spanish opened silver and Newsademic.com
lumbus declared that the island gold mines in South America. Span- Editor: Rebecca Watson
belonged to Spain. Later, several ish shipments of these metals at- Newsademic is published
Spanish settlements were set up in tracted other English privateers and every other week, or fortnightly,
Jamaica. The Spanish treated the na- pirates. All used Port Royal as their throughout the year.
tive people who lived on the island base. Privateers had permission to For further details and
very badly. Within the next 40 years, attack the Spanish ships, pirates subscription prices visit
Spanish soldiers had discovered didn’t. If a privateer’s permission www.newsademic.com
and destroyed the Aztec and Inca was withdrawn for any reason, they © 2017 Newsademic
civilisations in Central and South often became pirates.
ISSUE 309 INSTRUCTIONS: 1 Complete the crossword. The answers are

highlighted in orange in the news stories. There are 25
GLOSSARY PUZZLE
words highlighted and you need 20 of them to complete the
crossword. 2 Once you have solved the crossword go to
the word search on the next page F
1
2 3
4 5 6
8 9 10 11 12 13
14
15 16
17
18
19
20
ACROSS DOWN
2 Noun The ideas and beliefs that determine the 1 Noun A long poem of that tells a legendary story of what a hero
actions of a group of people, political party, or country has done
4 Adjective Describes an object that is in heaven or 3 Verb Killed or destroyed completely
outer space 5 Verb To be brought into contact with something, often
7 Noun When a palace or country is surrounded by something harmful
military forces to stop people or goods from going in or out 6 Noun Plural Buildings or places that are well-known, especially
9 Noun A large or elaborate tomb ones you can use to work out where you are
11 Verb Happens at or near the same time 8 Noun Plural Narrow openings, especially in rock or a wall
15 Verb Travelled alongside a vehicle, ship, plane or 10 Noun An amazing or wonderful event that is very unlikely to
person to make certain it, or he or she, arrived safely happen
17 Noun Formal public statement 12 Noun Plural Opinions that have been reached after thinking
18 Noun When two or more similar things happen at the about different possibilities or arguments
same time or place, for unconnected reasons 13 Noun A disgraceful and shocking event
19 Noun A major or complete change in something from 14 Noun Plural Rivers or streams flowing into larger rivers or lakes
one state to another 16 Noun Plural People chosen to represent others, especially ones
20 Adjective Describes a place that is difficult to live in selected to attend a conference or important meeting
INSTRUCTIONS:
ISSUE 309 1 Find 19 of the 20 crossword answers in the word
search. Words can go vertically, horizontally, diagonally
GLOSSARY PUZZLE CONTINUED

and back to front. 2 After finding the 19 words write
down the 20th (or missing) word under the puzzle.
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31st August 2017

‘G R E A T A M E R I C A N E C L I P S E ’ Samsung’s boss sentenced

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The clock’s mechanism will be

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many and the Austro-Hungarian to Ukraine’s border with Russia.

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SUBMARINE MYSTERY EXPLAINED

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The researchers think that the

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American forces arrived in Af- helped to organise elections for an

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ISSUE 309 INSTRUCTIONS: 1 Complete the crossword. The answers are

31st August 2017 Newsademic.com™ – British English edition page 22

GLOSSARY PUZZLE CONTINUED

MISSING WORD ANSWER =

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