Simple English News

The Getting to Know Our Neighbors Project

Sam — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:07:50 +0000

Students from Hungary

With help from the Open Society Institute, we were able to start a project to combat xenophobia in Central and Eastern Europe.

(Xenophobia means the dislike or fear of foreigners.)

The project is called Getting to Know Our Neighbors, and more information can be found on the TalkConnect.org website.

Students from Slovakia

On May 2, students in Slovakia and Hungary spoke to each other in English during a videoconference held on the Internet.

Before the meeting, students on both sides made presentations about their schools and towns to show to the other side.

The first schools to participate in the project were based in Zvolenska Slatina, Slovakia and Bekescsaba, Hungary.

Our belief is that if young people from different countries, religions and cultures can speak to each other, then they are less likely to hate or distrust each other in later life.

Lasting friendship

This turned out to be case with the young people in our videoconference who were aged 13 to 15.

The meeting was filled with conversations about their school life, their towns, sports and other hobbies.

The young people had lots to talk about and got along very well.

If you or your school would like more information about videoconferences with classes in other countries, then please contact us by following this link.

A Movie About the Problem of Bullying

Sam — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:45:53 +0000

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Over 13 million American children will be bullied this year, according to a new film entitled Bully.

Bullying is the most common form of violence experienced by young people in the United States. It can lead to low self-esteem, depression and, in some cases, suicide.

There is a growing movement among parents in the United States to stop bullying.

Director Morgan Spurlock Speaks to Simple English News

Sam — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 06:10:04 +0000

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Morgan Spurlock

Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me, a film about the health effects of eating too much fast food, was an international success in 2004.

His most recent film, Comic Con IV: A Fan’s Hope, looks at the people who attend the annual Comic Con festival in San Diego.

We asked him if he plans to release the film outside of North America.

“Absolutely, we’re going to be announcing international plans for this very soon. Right now, it’s just a domestic release. But the film is going to go international very, very soon,” Spurlock told Simple English News.

Comic Con is the largest comic book convention in the United States.

Words

annual: taking place every year.

domestic: in one’s home country, not foreign, not international.

World Autism Awareness Day

Sam — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:28:34 +0000

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April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day.

Events will be held around the world to increase awareness of and raise money for research into the causes, prevention and treatment of autism.

Several well-known landmarks, such as the Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House, will turn blue in an effort to bring more awareness of autism.

Words

landmark: an historic or culturally important building or place.

Leave Your Car at Home

Sam — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:17:52 +0000

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There are very good reasons not to drive your car every day.

For example, you will be helping the environment if you walk, ride your bike or take public transportation.

Also, you will be helping your wallet — an automobile can be a very expensive means of transportation.

Furthermore, you will be helping yourself by improving your mental and physical health through the benefits of exercise.

Cities of the Future

Sam — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:05:46 +0000

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What will urban life be like in the future?

Sustainable cities, or eco-cities, are one possibility.

An eco-city is a city that focuses on reducing damage to the environment. These cities often feature the use of renewable energies, advanced public transportation and the conservation of water.

A Chinese eco-city has recently opened outside the city of Tianjin.

Words

urban: related to cities.

Save the Seals

Sam — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 13:17:57 +0000

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In a few weeks, sealers in Canada are planning to kill hundreds of thousands of baby seals to make fur coats.

You can stop this from happening.

The Humane Society, an organization that helps animals around the world, is asking people to send a message to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end the seal slaughter.

You too can send a message to Prime Minister Harper by following this link.

Words

sealer: someone who hunts seals.

slaughter: killing

From Children’s Game to Film

Sam — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:05:29 +0000

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Generations of youngsters grew up playing Battleship, a strategic board game.

On May 18, Universal Pictures will release a science fiction film based on the well-known children’s game.

In the film, our planet fights for its survival against a superior force.

Rihanna and Brooklyn Decker will star in the movie.

The Vegetarian Butcher

Sam — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:36:03 +0000

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In the Netherlands, there is a chain of restaurants where you will not find a single dish that contains meat.

Fake chicken and fake sausages are among the items on the menu at the Vegetarian Butcher, the first restaurant chain of its kind, according to Radio Netherlands.

On Sunday, Mark Bittman, a food columnist for The New York Times, wrote that the quality of fake meat products has improved significantly in recent years.

Publishing a Book Has Never Been Easier

Sam — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:50:48 +0000

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Have you ever dreamed of publishing your own book?

It used to be very difficult to get a book published; one needed to know the right people.

These days, with companies like Lulu and Smashwords, anyone can publish a book and then sell it in stores or online.

So if you have written a book, what are you waiting for? Get it published today.