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Monthly News

© 2013 Classroom Ready. All rights reserved.

Monthly NewssAskAtChewAn

FeBRuARy 2013www.classroomready.comFOR GRADes 5, 6 & 7

FEATURE 6Valentine’s Day

ENviRoNMENT 5The Big Cat Came Back

iNTERNATioNAl 4A New Egypt

iNTERNATioNAl 3Venezuelan President Ailing

NATioNAl 2Canada Mulls Military Help For Mali

SASkATchEwAN 1Saskatchewan Communities Get Funding


saskatchewaneDItIOn•LeveL1 cLassROOMReaDYMOnthLYnews•febRuaRY2013

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woRd powER

iNFRASTRUcTURE: Basic physical structures that help a community function, including things like roads, sewers,

electricity grids, and public buildings like schools, hospitals, and recreation centres.

ENTREpRENEUR: someone who takes a risk to start a new business.

Nine communities in cen-tral saskatchewan are about to receive funding

from the federal government to do some upgrades to local public buildings, such as curling rinks, recreation cen-tres, gymnasiums, and com-munity centres. the funding comes from the government’s Community infrastructure improvement Fund (CiiF).

Morethan$160,000will be spent on upgrades that will improve energy efficiency and increase safety, as well as general improvements and renovations to existing facilities.

thetownofLaniganwillmake lighting and roof im-provementstoitsLaniganRecreation Complex. the sun west school Division will use its funding to put in a new gymnasium floor. the watrous and Area Arts Council will make upgrades to improve the energy efficiency of the

watrous Arts Council Gallery. the towns of Allan and hanley will use their money to im-prove their curling rinks.

the largest grant received was $31,375, and the small-est was $5,150. in many cases, the federal funding will pay for half the total cost of the project. the rest of the funding will be raised from local and provincial sources.

LaniganMayorandrewce-bryk expressed the importance of community facilities like theLaniganRecreationcom-plex as “a place to meet and participate in sport, culture, and recreation.” such centres often are a vital social centre for small towns and villages in rural saskatchewan.

the CiiF is a fund that is designed to help communities across the country modernize their infrastructure. in 2012, the federal government com-mitted to handing out $150 million over the next two years

through the fund.the government hopes the

money will help create jobs and support innovative small and medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs in the province.

did yoU kNow?

Although the game of curling was invented in scotland, it has a long history in Canada, dating as far back as 1807. it is a popular past-time in both urban centres and in small communities throughout the country.

Saskatchewan communities

get Funding



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woRd powER

oFFShooT: Anything that branches off from a main source.coUp: short form of coup d’état. the

sudden overthrow of a ruler or government, especially by a group that already has considerable political or military power.

EcoNoMic coMMUNiTy oF wEST AFRicAN STATES (EcowAS): A group of 15 west Afri-can countries who agreed to work together to achieve collective self-sufficiency.

The west African nation of Malineedsmilitaryaid,and Canada is consid-

ering answering the call. Canada’s defence minister, PeterMackay,suggestedthatCanada might be willing to send in military trainers.

Maliislookingforhelpbecause a large region of the country’s north has been oc-cupied by a group of islamist extremists called islamic Maghreb,whichisanoff-shoot of al-Qaeda.

Malihashadalotoftroubles protecting its borders from islamists. islamist fight-ers have used the little-popu-lated, mostly desert areas of the north for secret training bases.

thingsgotworseinMarch2012 when some junior of-ficersinMali’smilitaryledacoup that toppled the elected government. their actions created so much chaos that islamist fighters have been

able to take control of the en-tire northern half of Mali—anarea about the size of Alberta. Mali’snewmilitary-controlledgovernment has been forced to retreat to the southern half of the country.

Overthepast40years,Canada has provided hun-dreds of millions of dollars ofaidtoMali.Inrecentyears, Canadian troops have helpedtrainMaliansoldiers.since the coup, Canada has withdrawn some of its help. canadawantsMali’smilitaryleaders to give up power and allow free elections to be held.

the Canadian government is also troubled by a possible reappearance of al-Qaeda in Mali’snorth.theEconomic community of west African States (EcowAS) recently proposed putting together an army of 3,300 African troops to get rid of the islamist fight-ers. the united nations has approved this mission. west-

ern nations like France and Canada are considering how they can help.

MackaypointedoutthatCanada has experience and expertise in training missions. Currently there are 700 Cana-dian troops helping to train in Afghanistan.

did yoU kNow?

islamist extremists are people who believe the religion of islam should control all parts of society and government, and who are willing to use violence to accomplish their goals. Al-Qaeda is an international ter-rorist group that is responsible for numerous violent attacks, including the 9/11 attacks against the u.s.


canada Mulls Military help For Mali



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woRd powER

coMplicATioN: something that happens that makes a situation more complicated or involved.

NATioNAlizATioN: A government taking over certain businesses or an entire industry that was previously

privately owned.

coMMUNE: A group of people living together who share possessions and responsibilities for the land.

iNAUgURATioN: A special ceremony held to swear in a new president after an election, marking the beginning of his or her term.

Thepresidentofvenezu-ela, hugo Chávez, is in “delicate” condition after

undergoing his fourth surgery for cancer.

President Chávez is be-ing treated in Cuba. since his surgery on December 11, there has been little news and growing concern regarding his health. Government officials say that he is in stable condi-tion, although the vice presi-dent admitted that there were complications.

After becoming president in 1999, hugo Chávez intro-duced many changes to the south American country. he nationalized key industries, including the oil industry. he increased government funding for health care and educa-tion and introduced social programs to reduce poverty. he supported the creation of communes throughout the country.

Chávez’s support for social

programs has earned him admiration among many poor venezuelans.Othershavecriticized him for control-ling the media and changing venezuela’spoliticalsystemtogive himself more power.

in October, Chávez won his fourth straight presidential election. he was supposed to be inaugurated as presi-dent for another six years on January 10 but it had to be postponed.

Chávez’s uncertain health has raised questions about the inauguration, and the futureofvenezuela.Ifheisnot able to attend his inau-guration, then who will be venezuela’snextleader?

Before leaving for Cuba, Chávez named his succes-sor,sayingthatvenezuelansshouldfollowvicePresidentnicolasMaduro.

if Chávez is unable to take office, a new election must be held within 30 days. the

national assembly would run the country until the elec-tion is held. the inauguration can also be delayed for up to 90 days, in the hopes that chávezwillgetbetter.Madurowould take over during this time.

did yoU kNow?

in 1992, hugo Chávez led a failedmilitarytakeoverofven-ezuela’s government. he was jailed for two years, after which he started his own political party.

venezuelan president Ailing



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woRd powER

iSlAMiST: Generally believe that the values ofIslam,theMuslimreligiousfaith,shouldbe followed in all parts of society.

coNSTiTUTioN: the set of laws that deter-mine how a country is to be governed.JUdiciAl REviEw: the review of new laws

by judges to make sure the laws are legal according to the country’s constitution.

in 2011, a wave of protests helped topple egypt’s hosniMubarak.Mubarak

had controlled the country for 30 years. since then egypt has seen many changes and challenges.

afterMubarak’sresigna-tion, egypt’s military took over.then,inMay2012,thecountry’s first truly democratic electionswereheld.MohamedMorsiwontheelectionandisnow egypt’s president.

Morsi’svictorycreatedsome anxiety. he is a member oftheMuslimbrotherhood,anislamist group that had been bannedduringMubarak’sregime.withMorsi’selection,people are afraid that egypt might move towards a more religious form of govern-ment—onewhereIslamicmoral laws might be enforced.

so far these fears have not beenrealized.PresidentMorsihas been more concerned with trying to handle egypt’s

divided political system and struggling economy.

Morsihashadtofendoff challenges from egypt’s powerful military establish-ment. he also steered egypt through the creation of a new constitution that was signed into law in late December. to help pass the constitution, the president gave himself the power to pass laws without judicial review. his opponents fear that it is a step to him becoming a new dictator. they also believe that vague word-ing in the new constitution could open the door to greater islamic religious control. this led to a new wave of protests in egypt through December.

egypt’s economy has suf-fered. the country’s currency has fallen sharply in value, and unemployment has risen. the unrest has also caused a big drop in one of the coun-try’s most important indus-tries:tourism.Manywestern

travellers have avoided egypt, although it is normally a popular destination due to the pyramids and the nile River.

did yoU kNow?

egypt’s Pyramid of khufu is the only one of the seven wonders of the Ancient world still in existence.

A New Egypt



5

woRd powER

SUBSpEciES: A subdivision of a species that usually occurs because of geographi-cal isolation or separation of the particular species population.

MANgRovE: A tropical tree with branches that spread and send down roots, which then form new trunks.

dEFoRESTATioN: the removal of trees or forests from a piece of land.

less than 100 years ago, tigers roamed most of Asia. now there are less

than 3,500, but the govern-ments of india, Russia, and thailand are helping the big cat come back.

each tiger has a unique pattern of stripes that acts like a fingerprint to identify each individual. the orange, black, and white stripes also help them to blend into the environment in which they live and hunt. there are nine subspecies of tigers. three are extinct while the remain-ing six are endangered. each subspecies has adapted to very different environments, from the high, snowy moun-tains of Bhutan to the tropical mangroves of Bangladesh. All have one thing in common; they need a lot of space.

Maletigersclaimover60square kilometres of terri-tory each. Females need only 20 square kilometres. with

the loss of habitat to human activity, tigers have to travel into new territories to find enough food. they also are often hunted illegally for their skins and body parts.

deforestation and the rise of sea level from global warming also threaten their homes. the last of the tigers are found in Asia and parts of Russia, where some gov-ernments are coming to the rescue.

thailand almost eliminated its poaching problem when it busted a gang of poachers and slapped them with a five-year jail term. the bust was made possible by hiring 60 additional rangers and step-ping up patrols.

india also has increased patrols, and has a voluntary relocation program to move people away from tiger habi-tat. As a result, their national parks are full of tigers and are unable to support many more.

Along with stricter laws, Russia is creating new cor-ridors so tigers can move from one isolated habitat to another.

the hope is that other countries will take notice of india, thailand, and Rus-sia and implement their own programs.

did yoU kNow?

white tigers are not a sepa-rate subspecies but occur once in 10,000 Bengal tiger births. Both parents carry a rare gene only found in white tigers. unlike other tiger breeds, white tigers have a nocturnal nature and are known to hunt at night.

The Big cat came Back



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woRd powER

MURky: heavy and dim with smoke, fog, or mist; unclear or foggy.pAgAN: A person holding religious beliefs

other than those of the main world religions.MiddlE AgES: the period of history in europe between ancient and modern times, from

about500aDtoabout1450aD.coMMERciAlizEd:Madeintoabusinessmatter, especially in order to make a profit.

valentine’s Day is a day for romance, flowers, gifts,andvalentine

cards.heldonfebruary14,itis not an actual holiday, but it is recognized as a day for couples and lovers in many countries around the world.

valentine’sDaystartedoutas a Christian religious feast dayhonouringst.valentine.the historical origins are murky, but legend has it that st.valentinewasapriestdur-ing the third century in Rome. emperor Claudius ii outlawed marriage for young men be-cause he thought single men madebettersoldiers.valen-tine defied Claudius, perform-ing marriages for young lovers in secret, until he was discov-ered and executed.

Another legend says that valentinehelpedchristiansescape Roman persecution. he was captured and sen-tenced to die. while in prison, he fell in love with his jailer’s

daughter. it is said that he sent her a letter signed, “From yourvalentine,”thusstartingthe romantic tradition.

the choice of February 14mayhonourthedateofst.valentine’sdeath.Ithasalso been suggested that the Christian church chose this day to replace the pagan celebrationofLupercalia,heldon February 15.

By the Middle Ages, valentine’sDayhadtrans-formed into a day celebrating romance and love. By the fifteenthcentury,valentine’sDay had evolved into an occasion when couples also expressed their love for each other with cards, poetry, gifts, and sweets. in Canada, in addition to cards, the day has grown into a time for a romantic night out, usually including dinner and gifts of chocolate or jewellery.

Recently there has been a riseinanti-valentine’sevents

among those who aren’t in re-lationships or who dislike how commercialized the day has become. examples include toronto’ssickofLovesoireeand the Jo hater Annual hat-ersballantivalentinePartyinvancouver.

did yoU kNow?

the religious aspect of valentine’sDayhasmostlydisappeared. in 1969, the Roman Catholic Church removedthefebruary14 feastdayofsaintvalentinefrom the General Roman Calendar of saints.

valentine’s day



7

Monthly News Q & A

SASkATchEwAN

Saskatchewan communities get Funding1. whatareninecommunitiesincentralsaskatchewanabouttoreceive?

2. howwillsomeofthecommunitiesbespendingtheirmoney?

3. Define infrastructure.

4. whatdidMayorandrewcebrykhavetosayaboutcommunityfacilities?

5. whatisthecIIf?

CritiCal thinking:

1. whyaretherecreationcentresoftownsimportant?Offersomeexamplesfromyourownexperience. Peoplegatherforwhatkindsofevents?



8

Monthly News Q & A

NATioNAl

canada Mulls Military help For Mali1. whyisMalilookingforhelp?

2. howdidthingsgetworseinMarch2012?

3. Define coup.

4. whathelphascanadaprovidedtoMalioverthepast40years?

5. whathasecOwasrecentlyproposed?

CritiCal thinking:

1. whywouldothercountriesbewillingtosendtroopstoadangerousmissioninMali?whatisinit forthem?



9

Monthly News Q & A

iNTERNATioNAl

venezuelan president Ailing1. whatconcernisthereforPresidentchávez’shealth?

2. whatchangesdidchávezintroduceinvenezuela?

3. Define commune.

4. whatwassupposedtohappenonJanuary10?

5. whatwillhappenifchávezisunabletotakeoffice?

CritiCal thinking:

1. whydoesitsoundabitstrangethatchávez“namedhissuccessor”beforeheleftforcuba?



10

Monthly News Q & A

iNTERNATioNAl

A New Egypt1. howdidMohamedMorsibecomeegypt’spresident?

2. whydidMorsi’svictorycreatesomeanxiety?

3. Define constitution.

4. whatdidMorsidotohelppassthenewconstitution?

5. howhasegypt’seconomysuffered?

CritiCal thinking:

1. Do you think Canada has ever had a situation where the prime minister “gave himself the power” to do something?whatpreventsthatfromhappening?



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Monthly News Q & A

ENviRoNMENT

The Big cat came Back1. howdoesthenumberoftigersinasiacompareto100yearsago?

2. howcanyoutelltigersapart?

3. whyhasthenumberoftigersbeendeclining?

4. whathasthailanddonetoeliminateitspoachingproblem?

5. howhasIndiahelpedthetigerpopulation?

CritiCal thinking:

1. the article says there are nine subspecies of tigers, of which three are extinct. should it say there were ninespecies?Doesthespeciesstillexistinanywayifitisextinct?



12

Monthly News Q & A

FEATURE

valentine’s day1. whatisvalentine’sDay?

2. howdidvalentine’sDaystartout?

3. whatisonelegendaboutwhost.valentinewas?

4. whywasfebruary14chosen?

5. whathashappenedrecently?

CritiCal thinking:

1. whatisthepurposeofvalentine’sDay?Describeanywaysthatyouthinkvalentine’sDayhasapositiveeffect.whatarethenegatives?



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Endangered Speciesthe international union for Conservation of nature has put together a list of species that they have evalu-

atedbytheirriskofextinction.ItiscalledtheIucnRedListofthreatenedspecies.speciesareclassified

into nine groups, based on criteria such as rate of decline, population size, and area of geographic distri-

bution. these groups are listed below.

extinct (ew) no known individuals remaining.

extinct in the wild (ew) known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.

Critically endangered (CR) extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

endangered (en) high risk of extinction in the wild.

vulnerable(vu) high risk of endangerment in the wild.

near threatened (nt) Likelytobecomeendangeredinthenearfuture.

Leastconcern(Lc) Lowestrisk.Doesnotqualifyforamoreatriskcategory.widespreadandabundantspeciesareincludedinthiscategory.

Data Deficient (DD) not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.

not evaluated (ne) has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

whendiscussingtheIucnRedList,theofficialterm“threatened”isagroupingofthreecategories:critically

endangered,endangered,andvulnerable.currently,ofthe1,728,830knownspeciesofplantsandanimalsin

the world, 65,518 have been evaluated and 20,219 of these are considered threatened.

1. which group is likely tobecomeendangeredinthenearfuture? ____________________________

2. whatdoescRstandfor? _______________________________________________________

3. whichspeciesarelistedundernotevaluated? ________________________________________

4. whichcategoriesarepartofthegroupingtermed“threatened”? ____________________________

5. what does it mean that a speciesisextinctinthewild? _________________________________



14

crossword puzzleSolve the crossword puzzle using the following clues. Note that the answers are words that have been used in the articles in this issue.

createdwithDiscoverychannelschool’sPuzzleMaker.

aCross3. Madeintoabusinessmatter,especiallyinorder

to make a profit.7. A tropical tree with branches that spread and

send down roots, which then form new trunks.Down1. the removal of trees or forests from a piece

of land.2. A person holding religious beliefs other than

those of the main world religions.3. A group of people living together who share

possessions and responsibilities for the land.4. shortformofcoupd’état.thesuddenoverthrow

of a ruler or government, especially by a group that already has considerable political or military power.

5. A subdivision of a species that usually occurs because of geographical isolation or separation of the particular species population.

6. heavy and dim with smoke, fog, or mist; unclear or foggy.



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political cartoonA political cartoon uses symbols to exaggerate an opinion in a humorous way. The main purpose of the cartoon is to show you the artist’s point of view on a situation.

For each element in the image above, write a point or two about the element or how it relates to the rest of the image.the image on the left

the image on the right

Put all of the elements together and explain in your own words what the cartoon is saying.



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1. locate and label the following countries:veneZueLa ecuaDOR PanaMabRaZIL fRenchGuIana PueRtORIcOcOLOMbIa GuYana suRInaMeCOstA RiCA hAiti tRiniDAD AnD tOBAGODOMInIcanRePubLIc JaMaIca

2. locate and label the following cities:Caracas Panama City san Juan Bogota Paramaribo san JoseCayenne Port-au-Prince santo DomingoGeorgetown Port-of-spain kingston Quito

3. locate and label the following bodies of salt water:Atlantic Ocean Caribbean sea Pacific Ocean

4. create a colour legend for your map with the following:venezuela Othercountriessalt water

5. draw and label the compass bearing.

6. label your map:Venezuela and Neighbouring Countries

Map Activity: venezuela



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hEMiSphERESshadethehemispherestowhichvenezuelabelongs.

NW E

S

FlAgColour the flag as follows: three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), blue, and red with the coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band and an arc of eight white five-pointed stars centered in the blue band.

SizEDraw an object representing the size of Canada andanotherrepresentingthesizeofvenezuela.

canada venezuela

AT A glANcEFill in the following information from the para-graph above.

Area:

Population:

Currency:

Flag Colour:

NEighBoURSuse the map to help you fill in the countries bor-deringvenezuela.

looking at venezuelavenezuelaispartofthecontinentofsouthamerica,borderingthecaribbeanseaandtheatlanticOcean.Itislocatedbetweencolombiaonthewest,Guyanaontheeast,andbrazilonthesouth.venezuelaisslightlysmaller than British Columbia at 912,050 square kilometres. it is located 8 degrees north of the equator, givingitaclimatethatistropical.venezuelahasapopulationof28,047,938(July2012est.)andacurrencycalledthevenezuelanbolivar(veb)thattakesover4343toequalacanadiandollar.


www.classroomready.com 19

Monthly News TriviaStudents can work individually or in a group.

1. on what continent is Egypt located?

A. AsiaB. south AmericaC. AfricaD. europe

2. what is the official language of Egypt?

A. englishB. ArabicC. spanishD.Mandarin

3. what is the main religion in Egypt?

A. islamB. ChristianityC. sikhismD. Buddhism

4. what is the population of Egypt?

A. 26 millionb.43millionC. 68 millionD. 83 million

5. what is the capital of Egypt?

A. sohagB. CairoC. tantaD. siwa

6. what is the life expectancy at birth in Egypt?

A. 62 yearsB. 67 yearsC. 72 yearsD. 77 years

7. what is the population of cairo?

A. 5 millionB. 10 millionC. 15 millionD. 20 million

8. what is the literacy rate in Egypt?

A. 65 percentB. 72 percentC. 79 percentD. 86 percent

9. what is Egypt’s unemployment rate?

A. 6 percentB. 8 percentC. 10 percent D. 12 percent

10. who ruled Egypt from 1981 to 2011?

A. Omar suleimanB. sufi Aby talebc.MohamedMarsD.hosniMubarak



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Monthly News QuizMatch the word on the left to the correct definition on the right. (5 marks)

_____ offshoot A. the removal of trees or forests from a piece of land.

_____ commune B. A person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions.

_____ constitution C. Anything that branches off from a main source.

_____ deforestation D. the set of laws that determine how a country is to be governed.

_____ pagan e. A group of people living together who share possessions and responsibilities for the land.

Answer the following true or false questions. (5 marks)

1. over the past 40 years, canada has provided hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to Mali.

true False

2. The president of venezuela, Fidel castro, is in “delicate” condition after undergoing his fourth surgery for cancer.

true False

3. in 2011, a wave of protests helped topple Egypt’s hosni Mubarak. Mubarak had controlled the country for 50 years.

true False

4. Male tigers claim over 60 square kilometres of territory each. Females need only 20 square kilometres.

true False

5. Emperor claudius ii outlawed marriage for young men because he thought single men made better soldiers.

true False



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Monthly News Answer keySASkATchEwAN 1

Saskatchewan communities get Funding1. what are nine communities in central

Saskatchewan about to receive?nine communities in central saskatchewan are about to receive funding from the federal govern-ment to do some upgrades to local public build-ings, such as curling rinks, recreation centres, gymnasiums, and community centres.

2. how will some of the communities be spending their money?thetownofLaniganwillmakelightingandroofimprovementstoitsLaniganRecreationcomplex.the sun west school Division will use its funding to put in a new gymnasium floor. the watrous and Area Arts Council will make upgrades to improve the energy efficiency of the watrous Arts Council Gallery. the towns of Allan and hanley will use their money to improve their curling rinks.

3. define infrastructure.Basic physical structures that help a community function, including things like roads, sewers, electricity grids, and public buildings like schools, hospitals, and recreation centres.

4. what did Mayor Andrew cebryk have to say about community facilities?LaniganMayorandrewcebrykexpressedtheimportanceofcommunityfacilitiesliketheLani-gan Recreation Complex as “a place to meet and participate in sport, culture, and recreation.” such centres often are a vital social centre for small towns and villages in rural saskatchewan.

5. what is the ciiF?the CiiF is a fund that is designed to help commu-nities across the country modernize their infra-structure. in 2012, the federal government commit-ted to handing out $150 million over the next two years through the fund.

NATioNAl 2canada Mulls Military help For Mali1. why is Mali looking for help?

Maliislookingforhelpbecausealargeregionofthe country’s north has been occupied by a group of IslamistextremistscalledIslamicMaghreb,whichis an offshoot of al-Qaeda. islamist fighters have used the little-populated, mostly desert areas of the north for secret training bases.

2. how did things get worse in March 2012?thingsgotworseinMarch2012whensomejuniorofficersinMali’smilitaryledacoupthattoppledthe elected government. their actions created so much chaos that islamist fighters have been able totakecontrol oftheentirenorthernhalfofMali—an area about the size of Alberta.

3. define coup.short form of coup d’état. the sudden overthrow of a ruler or government, especially by a group that already has considerable political or military power.

4. what help has canada provided to Mali over the past 40 years?Overthepast40years,canadahasprovidedhun-dredsofmillionsofdollarsofaidtoMali.Inrecentyears,canadiantroopshavehelpedtrainMaliansoldiers.

5. what has EcowAS recently proposed?the economic Community of west African states (eCOwAs) recently proposed putting together an army of 3,300 African troops to get rid of the islamist fighters.



22

Monthly News Answer key

iNTERNATioNAl 3venezuelan president Ailing1. what concern is there for president chávez’s

health?since his surgery on December 11, there has been little news and growing concern regarding his health. Government officials say that he is in stable condition, although the vice president admitted that there were complications.

2. what changes did chávez introduce in venezuela?he nationalized key industries, including the oil in-dustry. he increased government funding for health care and education and introduced social pro-grams to reduce poverty. he supported the creation of communes throughout the country.

3. define commune.A group of people living together who share pos-sessions and responsibilities for the land.

4. what was supposed to happen on January 10?Chávez was supposed to be inaugurated as presi-dent for another six years on January 10 but it had to be postponed.

5. what will happen if chávez is unable to take office?if Chávez is unable to take office, a new election must be held within 30 days. the national assem-bly would run the country until the election is held.

iNTERNATioNAl 4A New Egypt1. how did Mohamed Morsi become Egypt’s

president?InMay2012,thecountry’sfirsttrulydemocraticelectionswereheld.MohamedMorsiwontheelec-tion and is now egypt’s president.

2. why did Morsi’s victory create some anxiety?heisamemberoftheMuslimbrotherhood,anislamist group that had been banned during Mubarak’sregime.withMorsi’selection,peopleare afraid that egypt might move towards a more

religiousformofgovernment—onewhereIslamicmoral laws might be enforced.

3. define constitution.the set of laws that determine how a country is to be governed.

4. what did Morsi do to help pass the new constitution?to help pass the constitution, the president gave himself the power to pass laws without judicial review.

5. how has Egypt’s economy suffered?the country’s currency has fallen sharply in value, and unemployment has risen. the unrest has also caused a big drop in one of the country’s most important industries: tourism.

ENviRoNMENT 5The Big cat came Back1. how does the number of tigers in Asia compare

to 100 years ago?Lessthan100yearsago,tigersroamedmostofAsia. now there are less than 3,500.

2. how can you tell tigers apart?each tiger has a unique pattern of stripes that acts like a fingerprint to identify each individual.

3. why has the number of tigers been declining?with the loss of habitat to human activity, tigers have to travel into new territories to find enough food. they also are often hunted illegally for their skins and body parts. Deforestation and the rise of sea level from global warming also threaten their homes.

4. what has Thailand done to eliminate its poaching problem?thailand almost eliminated its poaching problem when it busted a gang of poachers and slapped them with a five-year jail term. the bust was made possible by hiring 60 additional rangers and step-ping up patrols.

5. how has india helped the tiger population?india also has increased patrols, and has a volun-tary relocation program to move people away from



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tiger habitat. As a result, their national parks are full of tigers and are unable to support many more.

FEATURE 6valentine’s day1. what is valentine’s day?

valentine’sDayisadayforromance,flowers,gifts,andvalentinecards.heldonfebruary14,itisnotan actual holiday, but it is recognized as a day for couples and lovers in many countries around the world.

2. how did valentine’s day start out?valentine’sDaystartedoutasachristianreligiousfeastdayhonouringst.valentine.

3. what is one legend about who St. valentine was?Legendhasitthatst.valentinewasapriestduringthe third century in Rome. emperor Claudius ii out-lawed marriage for young men because he thought singlemenmadebettersoldiers.valentinedefiedClaudius, performing marriages for young lovers in secret, until he was discovered and executed.

4. why was February 14 chosen?thechoiceoffebruary14mayhonourthedateofst.valentine’sdeath.IthasalsobeensuggestedthattheChristian church chose this day to replace the pagan celebrationofLupercalia,heldonfebruary15.

5. what has happened recently?Recentlytherehasbeenariseinanti-valentine’sevents among those who aren’t in relationships or who dislike how commercialized the day has become.examplesincludetoronto’ssickofLovesoiree and the Jo hater Annual haters Ball Anti valentinePartyinvancouver.

Endangered Species (page 13)

1. which group is likely to become endangered in the near future? near threatened

2. what does cR stand for? Critically endangered

3. which species are listed under Not Evaluated? those that have not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

4. which categories are part of the grouping termed “threatened”? criticallyendangered,endangered,andvulnerable

5. what does it mean that a species is Extinct in the wild? it is known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside of its historic range.

crossword puzzle (page 14)

political cartoon (page 15)

The image on the leftthe image on the left is the feet of a statue that has been torn down. All that is left is the feet and the pillar onwhichitstands.ItislabelledMubarak,sothestatuewas of the former leader of egypt.

The image on the rightthe image on the right looks like the same remnants of the other statue, but they have had a pair of glasses and a suit put on them. they also have a name tag that saysMorsi.

put all of the elements together and explain in your own words what the cartoon is saying.egypt has undergone a lot of change in the last two years. But if you look closely, not that much change actually seems to have taken place. while the person in charge has changed, his way of leading the country does not seem to be that much different.



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Monthly News Trivia (page 19)

1. on what continent is Egypt located?C. Africa

2. what is the official language of Egypt?B. Arabic

3. what is the main religion in Egypt?A. islam

4. what is the population of Egypt?D. 83 million

5. what is the capital of Egypt?B. Cairo

6. what is the life expectancy at birth in Egypt?C. 72 years

7. what is the population of cairo?B. 10 million

8. what is the literacy rate in Egypt?B. 72 percent

9. what is Egypt’s unemployment rate?D. 12 percent

10. who ruled Egypt from 1981 to 2011?D.hosniMubarak

Monthly News Quiz (page 20)

MatCh worDsoffshoot

C. Anything that branches off from a main source.

commune

e. A group of people living together who share posses-sions and responsibilities for the land.

constitutionD. the set of laws that determine how a country is to be

governed.

deforestation A. the removal of trees or forests from a piece of land.

pagan

B. A person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions.

true or False1. over the past 40 years, canada has provided

hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to Mali.true

2. The president of venezuela, Fidel castro, is in “delicate” condition after undergoing his fourth surgery for cancer. False. hugo Chavez

3. in 2011, a wave of protests helped topple Egypt’s hosni Mubarak. Mubarak had controlled the country for 50 years.

False. 30 years

4. Male tigers claim over 60 square kilometres of territory each. Females need only 20 square kilometres.true

5. Emperor claudius ii outlawed marriage for young men because he thought single men made better soldiers.true

tRueORfaLse



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