Violin from the Titanic
A violin from the Titanic was sold for £900,000.
This violin belonged to a brave violinist. He played the violin while the Titanic went down. When he was finished with his music, he knew that there was no place in the lifeboat. He put his life jacket on, put the violin in a bag and got in the water. He was a good swimmer and maybe he thought he could survive.
The violin represents history and the man’s bravery.
Difficult words: lifeboat (small boat for saving people), life jacket (clothing filled with air to keep you above water), bravery (being brave).
Explosion on a bus - level 2
A bus exploded in Russia while it was going on a road. A dashboard camera caught the moment of the explosion.
Six people died and 32 more were injured. Officials say that it was a 30-year-old female suicide bomber who did this. She was probably a wife of an Islamic militant.
The bombing is the deadliest one in three years. People are scared that there will be more attacks like this, especially because of the coming Winter Olympics.
Difficult words: dashboard (part of the car in front of the driver), suicide (dying in the attack too), militant (person who uses violence to change political situation).
No talking in a restaurant
If you like eating without talking, there is a restaurant just for you. You can visit it in New York.
The idea of a restaurant where people can’t talk came to the owner’s mind thanks to his stay in India. There, he could eat in silence and he realised that eating like that let him enjoy the food better. He thinks you can truly focus on what you’re eating.
However, it is a bit strange for restaurants because there people usually talk. Some people agree with the owner. Others miss the conversation.
Difficult words: stay (limited time when you live somewhere), silence (situation when it’s quiet), focus (when you focus on something, you don’t think about other things).
Men carry women
Eighteen couples participated in an unusual competition in China. Men had to run 150 metres with their wives on their backs.
There are a lot of carrying styles to choose from. The couple who won used the “Estonian Carry,” in which the wife hangs upside down. She has her legs over the husband’s shoulders and her arms around his waist. This sport is not very safe. Couples can fall and get injured easily.
The best couple, who won a house in the competition, started training in 2011. They practiced one hour every day.
Difficult words: participate (do an activity), upside down (when your head’s down and your legs are up), waist (belly).
President Obama helps a woman
Obama talked about healthcare in the White House last Monday.
There were some officials were standing behind him. One of them, a woman, started to have problems standing upright. People, as well as the President, noticed this. He turned around and ordered somebody to take the woman inside to be checked by a doctor. The woman has diabetes.
The President said that this happens when he talks too long and he received applause.
Difficult words: upright (straight), diabetes (serious disease where you have the wrong amount of sugar in your blood), applause (when people clap their hands because they like something).
Roma people and a little girl
A blonde 4-year-old girl was found after police raided a village in Greece. An investigation was started and the couple with the blonde girl is accused of stealing the child.
The couple says that they didn’t steal the girl, but only took her under their care when her mother gave her to them.
DNA tests prove she is not the couple’s child. Officials are trying to find the girl’s real parents.
Difficult words: raid (visit by police), accuse (say that somebody did something wrong), officials (people with power).
Most expensive horse
A one year old female horse was sold at auction for 5.25 million pounds. It is a new record.
What makes this filly so special? She is the daughter of the world's most desired stallion and sister to a famous horse. She was bought by an agency which is the Qatari royal family owns. The new owners didn't expect to pay so much money for the filly, but she is such a great horse.
The special horse will start her training in France.
Difficult words: filly (young female horse), desired (a lot of people want him), stallion (male horse older than 4 years).
Bus in a house
A school bus, which was returning children home, had an accident in Texas, USA. Its brakes failed and the bus crashed into a house.
There were 25 children on the bus. Two of them and one child from the house were taken to the hospital. They were not injured seriously.
A substitute teacher and the bus driver were also hurt. The driver had to be hospitalised.
Difficult words: brakes (thing in a car which makes the car slow down or stop), substitute teacher (teacher who teaches when the regular teacher is gone), hospitalise (take to hospital for some time).
Etna is active again
Europe’s tallest and most active volcano, Mount Etna, has erupted. It sent a huge cloud of smoke and lava into the sky.
Airspace had to be shortly closed in the area, but the local population was not in danger. The only problem was the ash.
This was the 14th time that Etna has erupted in 2013. The volcano is very often active, but the last big eruption was in 1992.
Difficult words: huge (very big), lava (hot liquid rock which gets from a volcano), ash (very soft grey “sand” which appears when something burns).
Town with no sun
A Norwegian town gets sunlight only 6 months a year because of very high mountains around it.
Residents can take a cable car to the top of one mountain and see the sun there, but they now have another option as well. They can simply go to the town centre, thanks to mirrors which beam the light from top of the mountain.
The mirrors are controlled by a computer which adjusts the mirrors to reflect as much light as possible. This new invention is so popular that other towns may build similar projects.
Difficult words: beam (send), adjust (move), invention (project).