Football legend Eusebio
The legendary Portuguese footballer Eusebio has died at the age of 71.
He was born in Mozambique in 1942. He played 64 times for Portugal and scored 41 goals. He also scored nine goals during the 1966 World Cup in England. That is more than any other player. He helped Portugal to finish third.
He is considered to be one of the best players of all-time. He scored 733 times in 745 professional matches.
After his playing career ended, Eusebio was an ambassador for a sport club and Portuguese football.
Eusebio’s body will be brought to a stadium so fans will have the chance to pay their final respects.
Difficult words: consider (have the opinion), ambassador (somebody who represents a particular sport).
Car can fly
A man from Slovakia made his childhood dream a reality. He produced a real life flying car.
The car is made out of simple materials and has an original look. It’s already been tested downtown and on the highway, where it reaches up to 130 kilometres per hour (80 miles per hour).
The transformation from a car to a plane takes only a few seconds. Its wings open and you’re ready to take off.
The car could help cut down on the time which people spend at airports, or even be used in places with no airports. The latest model of the car will be produced next year and will be hopefully available to customers, too.
Difficult words: downtown (in the city centre), cut down (reduce).
Building is a disc
An unusual building in southern China has been completed. It looks like a big disc. The architect got inspired by an ancient jade coin.
According to an architecture firm, the building is not just beautiful but also represents power and wealth. It is also situated close to a river. The reflection of the building and the building itself form the number eight in the water. Number eight is a lucky number in China.
Not everyone likes the new construction, though. It’s been criticised for being a symbol of wealth. One local resident thinks that the building is only for rich people.
Difficult words: disc (round and flat object), jade (hard, typically green stone), wealth (large amount of money).
Elephants play football
Elephants and their riders played football during a festival in Nepal. Adult as well as baby elephants kicked the ball and scored goals.
The event, which is held annually, has become popular with locals and tourists.
Nepal has around 300 elephants. One hundred of them are domesticated and used by hotels and national parks. They take tourists on jungle rides to watch wild animals. Elephants are protected by law. A person who kills an elephant faces up to 15 years in jail.
Difficult words: annual (happening once a year), domesticated (able to live and work with people).
Meteor in Iowa
Hundreds of Americans noticed a fireball on the 26th of December. It flew over the border of Iowa and Minnesota. The moment was captured by a security camera.
There were over 700 witnesses. Some reported an object as bright as the sun which fragmented into many parts. Others could actually hear the meteor.
Although many people think it was a meteor, there is no official confirmation. Feel free to imagine that Santa Claus was flying home after a busy day.
Difficult words: meteor (a rock from space), witness (person who sees something), fragment (break into a lot of small parts), confirmation (document which says that something is true).
Old skeletons in Peru
Peruvian workers were laying pipes when they discovered over 35 tombs and skeletons. The tombs are believed to be 1,000 years old.
The skeletons were found in poor condition. Experts worked on their conservation before they were transferred to Peru’s Culture Ministry, where they will be further studied. Some pieces of pots and ceramic were also found at the excavation site.
Experts say that the site could have been a cemetery for the Sican culture. The Sican culture inhabited the north coast of Peru before the Incan Empire between 750 AD and 1375 AD.
Difficult words: tomb (place where a dead person is buried), excavation site (area where experts dig to find something), inhabit (live somewhere), AD (time within the last 2000 years).
Woman jumps off a bridge
Here is some news from Oregon, USA. A 26-year-old woman was chased by police in a stolen car. The chase lasted several miles and reached speeds of up to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).
When they were crossing a bridge, the woman stopped and leapt off the bridge. The water was freezing cold, but she was pulled out and taken to hospital just moments after jumping. She only had minor injuries.
Difficult words: chase (follow somebody quickly to catch them), leap (jump), minor (small).
Scary baby
A horror movie is coming out this week. It is being promoted very unusually.
The filmmakers of the movie have a remote-controlled pram with a robotic baby inside. When the pram stops, the baby, which cannot be seen, starts screaming and attracts people. As somebody gets close enough, the baby suddenly sits up in the pram. The person gets scared because he has never seen a baby like this one before.
The video with people’s reaction to the scary baby has been viewed by millions. Most people were scared, but one man was unmoved.
Difficult words: pram (baby’s bed which can move), attract (make interested), unmoved (feeling nothing).
Little polar bear in Toronto
A cute little polar bear at Toronto Zoo has taken his first shaky steps. He is just two months old and weighs only ten pounds (4.5 kilograms).
The little bear is the only one from a litter of three to survive after being born, so the zookeepers are very happy to see him walk.
Polar bears are endangered. Their numbers have fallen in recent years. There are said to be fewer than 25,000 polar bears left.
Everybody hopes that the little polar bear will grow up and be a healthy ambassador for all polar bears.
Difficult words: litter (group of baby animals which a mother gives birth to at the same time), endangered (there are not many of them and they may soon no longer exist), ambassador (someone who represents something).
Women are hit in Peru
A shocking video from Peru emerged. It shows an attack on a nightclub which was carried out by a vigilante group.
Nearly 50 women who work at the night club were lashed by masked vigilantes. The women were confused and scared. Some of them hid in corners, and others ran away. Male employees were forced to do push-ups outside.
The group said that it organises this kind of operation to eradicate prostitution and crime.
Difficult words: vigilante (someone who illegally punishes criminals), lash (strike with a whip), operation (activity), eradicate (destroy completely).