Happy New Year 2013!

Amazing Christmas trees

Nr. 10, Downing Street 2012 Christmas Tree came 

from a farm in Scotland and was truned on by this

year's X.Factor finalists

Christmas Tree outside Rockefeller Centre New York

Every year thousands of tourists come to see it and ice skate in front of it.

Click to watch a beautiful slideshow

Saturn's stunning backlit image from Nasa spacecraft

A stunning new backlit image of the planet Saturn and its rings has been released by Nasa.

The view of Saturn being lit up from behind by the Sun was taken by the Cassini spacecraft in October.

Carolyn Porco from Cassini's imaging team said: "Of all the many glorious images we have received from Saturn, none are more strikingly unusual than those taken from Saturn's shadow."

Cassini has been orbiting gas giant Saturn for more than eight years.

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and has beautiful rings made of ice particles.

It's the second largest planet in the Solar System but is the least dense - it would float in water if there was a bathtub big enough to hold it!

From CBBC News

Saltwater crocs have the strongest bite

Saltwater crocodiles have the strongest bite of any living animal - and that's a fact - scientists say.

The huge reptiles, which can be more than 6m long, have jaws that snap shut with a force of around 1,700kg - almost twice as strong as a great white shark!

The bite of all 23 living species in the crocodile family were measured, including alligators and caimans.

Scientists say it's been important for crocs to develop strong bites for them to survive.

But even the saltwater crocodile doesn't chomp as strongly as the largest of its extinct ancestors, some of which had bites double the strength of Tyrannosaurus rex.

From CBBC

Vodka 'saved' elephants in Siberian freeze

Alcohol can lower an elephant's core body temperature

Two elephants have been saved from the deadly Siberian cold by drinking vodka, Russian officials say.

They say the animals had to be taken out into the bitter cold after the wooden trailer they were travelling in caught fire in the Novosibirsk region.

The elephants, aged 45 and 48, suffered frostbite to the tips of their ears amid temperatures of -40C (-40F)

But they were warmed up by two cases of vodka mixed with warm water, one official was quoted as saying.

"They started roaring like if they were in the jungle! Perhaps, they were happy," the official told Russia's Ria Novosti news agency.

The animals continued their recovery in a heated garage of a local college where they were brought by a truck under police escort.

The elephants belong to a Polish circus, which has been touring the region, reports say.

Like with humans, alcohol can make animals feel warmer but it actually lowers their core body temperature, scientists say.

But Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper quoted Novosibirsk zoo director Rostislav Shilo as saying that the elephants were not harmed or intoxicated by the vodka, and that without it they would have died of hypothermia or pneumonia.

From BBC News

Christmas cake for dogs invented in Japan

A cake for dogs has been invented in Japan for people who want to treat their pooches to a special treat at Christmas.

It's not made of meat though, owners can share the sponge and cream cake with their dog.

The cake does not have any chocolate or alcohol in it because those ingredients are dangerous for dogs.

Naohiko Nagatani, the chef behind the idea, first came up with it six years ago and says it has really caught on.

He already has 70 Christmas orders for the doggy dessert.

Nagatani explained why he thinks it's popular:

"The birth rate's declining here in Japan, so dogs have pretty much become like children and people want to share Christmas with them."

He said: "If it's just the humans eating cake, the dogs put on a really sad face. They want to have some themselves and get upset if you don't give them cake too."

From CBBCNews

Vienna bus driver returns life savings to passenger

An Austrian bus driver has been praised for his honesty, after handing in a bag he found on his bus containing 390,000 euros (£315,000; $506,000) in cash.

The sum represented the entire life savings of an elderly lady whom the police managed to track down.

The 77-year-old had withdrawn the funds from the bank earlier the same day before forgetting them on the bus.

The driver, named as Wolfgang R, said he initially thought the bag behind the driver's seat might contain medicines.

"I always do my rounds, and see if someone has forgotten something," he told a local newspaper of the incident, which happened in late November.

"I took the bag, looked into it and saw some of the money. There were many notes - something you never see."

Police were able to trace the owner through a passport and bank deposit slips which had also been left in the bag.

The man's employers, public transport authority Wiener-line, said they were very proud to have such an honest employee.

It is not known whether he was given a reward for returning the cash to its rightful owner.

From BBC News

Questions with question words ( Wh- questions)

                                     

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William and Catherine expecting a baby

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Catherine, have announced that they are expecting a baby.

Members of the Royal family and the duchess's family, the Middletons, are said to be delighted at the news.

Since they were married in 2011, lots of people have been wondering when the Royal couple would start a family.

It's been confirmed that whether it's a boy or a girl, the Royal baby will be third in line to the throne.

The duchess is currently in hospital in London with severe sickness, which some women get when they are pregnant.

She is expected to stay in hospital for several days so doctors can make sure all is well.

Baked, flushed, inside a cow? Weirdest ways to lose a phone

Baked in a cake, flushed down the toilet and lost inside a cow - a new report shows the weird ways that people have lost their mobile phones.

A mobile phone insurance company, mobileinsurance, found out the most bizarre ways that people have managed to break their mobiles.

They found that 60 phone owners smashed their handsets by walking into something while texting.

One lady baked her mobile into her daughter's birthday cake, and one man flushed his down the toilet.

The weirdest loss was reported by a farmer, whose mobile ended up INSIDE one of his cows!

From CBBCNews

Giant remote-controlled robot is built in Japan

Kogoro Kurata grew up watching futuristic robots in movies and animation, wishing he could bring them to life.

Now, his childhood dream has become a reality as he's built a massive robot that he can control.

His 4-tonne, 4-metre tall Kuratas robot has a built-in pilot's seat and hand-held controller.

It lets him move the robot's massive arms, and make it walk at speeds of up to six miles per hour.

"The robots we saw in our generation were always big and always had people riding them," said Kurata, who's a 39-year-old artist from Japan.

His robot also comes with an operating system that allows people to control it using a mobile phone.

It's not cheap though. One of Kurata's robots would set you back 110 million yen (well over £800,000).

The robot can be controlled by a pilot or remotely with a smartphone

Royal python snake found on toilet seat in Scotland!

This snake caused a big shock when a couple found it wrapped around their toilet seat at home in Scotland!

They contacted the Scottish SPCA, who rescued the wriggly reptile and nicknamed her Lulu.

The charity reckons the snake escaped from a neighbour and slithered in through a gap in the wall by the toilet pipe.

Lulu is now being cared for while she waits to be reunited with her owner.

Scottish SPCA Chief Inspector Fiona Henderson said: "She's in good body condition and well fed, so we're sure someone is missing her.

"Pythons are generally known for their placid nature and relatively small size, so although they can look a bit scary, they aren't dangerous."

From CBBC News-Animals

Parrot chicks rescued from poachers in Brazil

Poor creatures, so cute!

So far this year police in Brazil have rescued almost 14,000 illegally captured wild animals.

Poaching, which means illegally taking animals from the wild, is a big problem in the country.

The parrot chicks in this video were stolen from their nests.

Had they not been found by police they could have ended up in cages to be sold on as pets.

The period from September to December is the busiest time for officers, as it's breeding season for macaws and parrots who leave their eggs and young offspring vulnerable to poachers.

The parrot chicks are now being fed and cared for at a wildlife centre in Sao Paulo, before hopefully being returned to the wild.

From CBBC News

Superman tops 'greatest' sci-fi character poll

Superman has been named the greatest science-fiction character of all time.

The Man of Steel, played by Christopher Reeve, topped a survey of 2,000 British people by a game company.

Star Wars' Yoda came third

Second and third places went to two Stars Wars characters - Han Solo and Jedi master Yoda.

Eight Doctor Who characters made the list, with Daleks most popular at number 13. Matt Smith's Doctor came 31st - beaten by David Tennant's Doctor at number 20.

There have been five Superman films. Christopher Reeve played the hero in first four and Brandon Routh starred in the fifth.

The next one, Man of Steel, is due out next year. British actor Henry Cavill will take the lead role.

The survey was done to mark the launch of new game Stratego Sci-Fi.

From CBBC News- Entertainment

Obama wins second term

CONGRATULATIONS MR OBAMA!

Barack Hussein Obama was re-elected president of the United States on Tuesday, overcoming powerful economic headwinds, a lock-step resistance to his agenda by Republicans in Congress and an unprecedented torrent of advertising as a divided nation voted to give him more time.

In defeating Mitt Romney, the president carried Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Virginia and Wisconsin, a near sweep of the battleground states, and was holding a narrow advantage in Florida. The path to victory for Mr. Romney narrowed as the night wore along, with Mr. Obama winning at least 303 electoral votes.

From The New York Times

Cockatoo Figaro, the first parrot to make and use tools

Just amazing!

Birds might have a reputation for having small brains, but this is one cockatoo who is cleverer than the rest!

Figaro, the goffin cockatoo, has learnt to make and use tools all on his own.

He's really impressed animal behaviour experts in Austria, who say it's the first time they've seen a parrot do anything like it.

Figaro breaks off splinters from a wooden beam with his beak and uses them to reach nuts on the other side of his cage.

Other types of birds such as crows and jays are already known to make and use stick tools.

According to scientists, though, Figaro is the only one of his kind to show the skill.

He's not just a pretty boy then!

From CBBC News

One Direction get puppy love for magazine cover shoot

The One Direction boys could be kept Pup All Night with this lot!

It's a close call, but who do you think is cuter - boy band One Direction or this bunch of adorable labrador pups?

Well, now you can have both.

The 1D boys have been getting cosy with trainee guide dogs for the cover of Wonderland magazine, in one of the cutest photo shoots ever.

The puppies were brought in by Guide Dogs, a charity that breeds and trains puppies to become guide dogs for blind and partially sighted people.

'Stupid, immature and quirky'

In an interview for the magazine, the band were asked what they think about their global success.

Harry Styles would to take this little fella home if he could

"The main thing is that we've just kind of been ourselves," says Liam Payne, "that's what people like."

His bandmate Louis Tomlinson agreed: "With previous boy bands, I think they felt they had to meet a stereotype."

"We're just ourselves: stupid, immature and quirky."

From CBBC Newsround 

Mercury City beats Shard to Europe's tallest building

The Mercury City in Moscow

London's Shard skyscraper has lost its title as Europe's tallest building - to a tower in Moscow, Russia.

Developers of Mercury City said on Thursday their creation had topped a height of 338 metres - beating the Shard's 310 metres

The Shard was officialy opened in July

The copper-coloured high-rise will be a mix of offices and homes when it's completed early next year.But it looks set to be overtaken by the Federation Tower, also in Moscow.That should hit 506 metres when it's finished sometime next year.

The view from the Shard's 69th floor

Details of a 360-degree viewing platform on level 69 of the Shard were revealed last week. It's due to open in February.

From CBBC News

Eastern US gets back on its feet

Businesses and services in the north-eastern US are starting to reopen on Wednesday after two days of closure forced by storm Sandy.

Flights have resumed to airports in New York. Some federal offices, schools and Wall Street has reopened.

But many homes still have no power and the New York subway remains shut. More than 40 people are dead.

President Barack Obama, who has put campaigning on hold, is due to visit affected areas in New Jersey.

The cost of clearing up after the storm has been estimated at $30-40bn (£18-24bn).

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "We have not seen damage like this in a generation."

Happy Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, KIDS!

Try these links for some games on Halloween

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Rare Sumatran tiger arrives at London Zoo

Jae Jae the Sumatran tiger has travelled nearly 4,000 miles from Ohio in the US to meet his new mate, Melati, at London Zoo.

Sumatran tigers are among the most endangered species in the world with around 300 left in the wild.

Keepers at the zoo hope Jae Jae will breed with Melati, a female from Australia, to help save the critically endangered species.

Both tigers are around four years old and both have been bred in captivity.

From CBBC 

Shark falls from the sky on to a golf course in America

Golfers in California were shocked when a shark fell from the sky in front of them.

The half-metre long leopard shark was apparently pulled from the ocean by a bird then dropped on San Juan Hills Golf Club.

Someone at the golf course rescued the fish which was still alive and took it in his golf buggy back to the sea.

At first the wounded shark did not move - but then it flipped over and swam away.

From CBBC News

Frankenweenie Trailer HD (2012)

Frankenweenie is a black and white stop-motion animation about a kid who invents a machine that can bring his dead dog back to life.

It's been made by famous director Tim Burton, who's known for making movies about crazy characters who invent things.

So to celebrate the film coming out we asked Newsround viewers to send in ideas for wacky inventions for Joe to show to Tim and the cast.

You can see what they thought of your ideas here. BUT FIRST - find out what Joe thought of the film.

When's it out?

It's out now! IN 3D and 2D.

What's it about?

Schoolboy Victor Frankenstien is a scientific genius. When he's not playing with his beloved dog Sparky, he's busy making machines and filming little movies about monsters. One day Sparky runs into the street and is hit by a car and dies.

Victor is devastated but at school he learns from his weird science teacher that you can bring animals back to life with magic lightning so he invents a machine and tries to bring his dog back from the dead…

The stars

The main character, Victor, is played by an up and coming child actor called Charlie Tahan. His most recent big film was Charlie St Cloud which he was in alongside Zac Efron. None of the other voice actors are that famous but Victor's Mum and Weird Girl (yep, that's an actual character!) are played by a big favourite of mine called Catherine O'Hara who is in my best Christmas film ever - Home Alone!

Hit or Miss?

Hit! Don't let the black and white style put you off, because it looks so good that after about 5mins you don't even miss the colour. Like all of Tim Burton's movies, it's full of really weird and interesting characters like Weird Girl who has a pet cat called Mr Whiskers which predicts things with his poo! Some of the characters are a bit pointless though like Victor's next door neighbour who is around throughout the film but doesn't really do much at all.

I reckon the film can be split into two with the first half being much better than the second. The first half is really funny as we get to know all the characters and there are some really funny jokes in it - especially if you like old horror movies. The second half is still good but not as much fun as it is mainly a lot of action without many jokes. However there is a really funny one involving a giant turtle and a hamster which had me in stitches!

Overall I would say it's definitely worth a watch with lots of unforgettable characters and some silly comedy.

NR Rating: 4/5

Beyonce confirms Super Bowl 2013 performance

Super star Beyonce has confirmed she'll be singing at next year's Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl is the one of the top sporting events in the world and is the final of the two top teams in the American National Football League.

The half-time act is the most watched musical act in the US, last year a whopping 112.5 million people tuned in.

In the past mega stars like Madonna and rock legends, The Rolling Stones, have performed.

From CBBC

One Direction fastest-selling US hit by non-US act

The Americans just can't get enough of One Direction - the boys have scored the fastest-selling song ever by a non-US act!

Live While We're Young sold a whopping 341,000 downloads in its first week.

Niall said: "We're so happy with the success of the single in the USA. We can't wait for everyone to hear our new album."

It's gone straight to number one in the digital charts there, and number three in the main Billboard Hot 100 chart.

That also gives them the highest ever first week debut on the Hot 100 chart by a British group!

The Hot 100 chart combines sales, radio play and streaming. Singles generally enter low and climb, instead of going straight in near the top!

Giant eyeball washes up on beach

Take a look at this giant eyeball that was found on a Florida beach.

It was discovered by a man having a walk and is the same size as a grapefruit.

Scientists are baffled by the eye and have sent it to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute to be examined.

No one knows what species it has come from but possible candidates include a giant squid, a whale or some type of large fish.

From CBBC News

Kitten and puppy become best friends

So cute!

An abandoned puppy and kitten have struck up an unlikely friendship and become best friends.

Buttons the pup and Kitty the cat met at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home when they were both just a few days old.

The pair have become so inseparable that they sleep, play and even feed together.

It's unusual for a cat and dog to bond but staff at the home decided to try and raise them together because they were both so young.

Buttons is a Jack Russell terrier and is now four weeks old. She was brought to the Dogs and Cats Home with her mum and dad after their owners couldn't look after them.

Her mum gave birth to eight puppies but Buttons was the smallest and weakest of the litter and needed to be fed by hand.

Not long afterwards, Kitty arrived, just one week old. She was left behind by her mum and was found by someone walking past, who brought her to the home.

Staff say they're not sure if they'll be rehomed together but they hope it'll be possible to do so.

From CBBCNews

Aurora Borealis ( Northern Lights) seen over the UK

A very rare event in the UK!

The Northern Lights, or aurora borealis, have been glimpsed in Scotland and England in recent years but astronomers say unusually strong solar storms have produced its best appearance for more than a decade – with purples, yellows, oranges and even neon green filling the sky.

The display was captured on Sunday but should have been visible last night and again tonight and tomorrow. Robin Scagell, of the Society for Popular Astronomy, said: 'It looks like we could be treated to another cosmic light show and so it is well worth watching the northern part of the heavens.

These lights are really beautiful, aren't they?

Lady Gaga sets Twitter record with 30m followers

Pop superstar Lady Gaga has set a new record by becoming the first person to get more than 30 million followers on Twitter.

Gaga is adding a average of 30,000 followers every day.

Her nearest rival is Justin Bieber, with 28.5 million followers, Katy Perry has 27.2 million.

Rihanna is more popular than Gaga on YouTube and Facebook, but only has 26 million Twitter followers.

From CBBC

Countries and nationalities

Click on the links and play some games


http://www.esolcourses.com/content/exercises/wordmatch/8/wordmatch.html


http://www.esolcourses.com/content/topics/countriesandnationalities/european-languages/european-countries-and-languages-matching-quiz.html

Police search for little April Jones missing in Wales

Police and volunteers are searching for a five-year-old girl who went missing on Monday night.

April Jones was playing with friends near her house in a village near Powys in Wales when she disappeared.
Around 200 volunteers have spent the night searching streets and nearby woodlands looking for her.
She was reportedly last seen getting into a grey van. Police are speaking to the children she was playing with to find out exactly what happened.
Police have arrested a 46-year-old man who they hope will be able to help in their investigation.

It's really rare for things like this to happen but if you are ever worried by something you see in the news, you can take a look at our Newsround guide.

   She's just a kid. If you see her ,please contact the police!

Cat burglar on the loose in Luton

Dennis the cat burglar

There's a cat burglar on the loose in Luton, and he's been caught on camera.

Denis the cat has been stealing all sorts of things like flip flops and pants from people's gardens and bringing them back to his owner.

Some of the things are so big he struggles to get them through the catflap.

Now his theft has been discovered he has become a bit of a hit on the internet.

36 giant African land snails seized at airport

Really huge!

A man's been stopped from smuggling 36 giant snails into Scotland.

The live giant African land snails were seized by border control officers at Glasgow Airport.

The were found in the suitcase of a Nigerian man who said he was bringing them into the country to eat.

The snails were found in his luggage after he took a flight from Amsterdam earlier this month.

The snails are about 15cm in length, with shells the size of a small human fist.

You need a special license to bring live animals into the country, which the man did not have.

The snails were seized and passed on to a rescue organisation.

Murdo MacMillan, from Border Force in Scotland, said:

"Our officers at Glasgow airport stopped these snails from entering Scotland, and possibly posing a risk to our native plants and wildlife."

The world's first liliger cub, a cross between a lion and a liger, has been born

A new kind of animal, called a Liliger, has been born in Russia.

Her dad is an African lion but her mum is a liger - a cross between a lion and a tiger, making her the world's first known "liliger."

The baby big cat has been named Kiara and was born in a zoo.

Zoo worker Rostislav Shilo said: "I think she has more tiger traits than lion traits."

To make things even more confusing, Kiara is being raised by an ordinary domestic cat because her mother couldn't provide enough milk to feed her hungry cub.

Kiara is fed milk every three hours by her keepers and receives motherly love from the domestic cat.

From CBBC

Deadly funnel-web spiders wanted in Australian appeal

Ever fancied collecting deadly spiders? People in Australia are being asked to catch them to help doctors!

The venom of funnel-web spiders - the world's deadliest - is needed for turning into medicine called antivenom.

The medicine can then save the lives of people who've been bitten by poisonous insects.

The Australian Reptile Park in Sydney needs more antivenom after bad weather left them with a shortage of funnel-web spiders.

Julie Mendezona from the Reptile Park said usually, they tell people to leave dangerous animals alone.

She added: "But, it is really important we turn to the community to actually obtain our funnel-webs. It's the most productive way for us to get these animals."

Spiders like this tarantula have venom which can be used to treat diseases

The experts get the venom by stroking the spider's sharp fangs and sucking it out through a tiny pipe.

They have to do it 70 times to make enough for just one dose of the antivenom.

For the last few years, the venom from creatures including tarantulas, snakes, scorpions and centipedes has been used by scientists in Australia to search for cures to diseases like cancer.

From CBBC- animals

New York City bans the sale of supersize fizzy drinks

Fizzy drinks are UNHEALTHY!

They must be consumed moderatly because they contain too much sugar

New York City has become the first place in the United States to ban the sale of supersize sugary drinks.

The new law will make it illegal to sell fizzy drinks in cups bigger than half a litre (0,5l)

The city's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, wanted to bring in the ban to tackle obesity but lots of people aren't happy about it.

One New York business owner said: "We are smart enough to make our own decisions about what to eat and drink."

Groups who are against the new law say they'll continue to fight against it being introduced.

Diet drinks and fruit juices aren't included in the ban so can still be sold in bigger sizes.

Restaurants who break the rules could be fined up to £12.

Well done!

From CBBC

It´s time to go back to school

Hi kids!

It´s time you get ready to go back to school.

I wish you all a successful school year!
Never forget I will always be there to help you.
Kisses from your teacher,
Mª Dulce Branquinho

British Wildlife Photography Award winners 2012 - National News - News - Videos & Pics

These were the winners in some of the categories. Click on the link to see the complete slideshow

British Wildlife Photography Award winners 2012 - National News - News - Videos & Pics

One Direction win three MTV VMAs for Beautiful video

One Direction stole the show at the MTV Music Video Awards, taking away THREE prizes!

What Makes You Beautiful won the boys Best Pop Video and Most Share-worthy Video, as well as Best New Artist.

Niall said: "We've grown up watching this show and to even be here is an honour, and to collect one of these on behalf of our fans is absolutely incredible."

1D performed One Thing to screaming fans at the event in Los Angeles, USA.

One Direction are big news in America. Their debut album went straight to number one there in March - the first ever British group to do so.

Rihanna grabbed the big prize of the night - Video of the Year for her hit with Calvin Harris, We Found Love.

From CBBC Newsround