Tag: grade 8

Sports

The Loss That Felt Like A Win

One sports writer called it, “a loss that felt like a win,” and indeed it was.

The Canadian women’s soccer team lost its first game 2-1 to Germany in the Women’s World Cup in Berlin on Sunday.

But during that game, one player in particular showed what she was made of–courage, skill and determination.

Going into the match, Germany was heavily favoured to win.

They had already won the World Cup twice before. In 2007 they won the Cup without giving up a single goal.

In fact, they haven’t given up a single goal in competition since October.

But something happened around half-time.

News

Betty Fox Kept The Marathon Of Hope Alive

Betty Fox, mother of Canadian icon Terry Fox, has died.

Her son, Terry, became a national hero in Canada when he ran across the country to raise money for cancer research.

Terry Fox ran his Marathon of Hope in April 1980 after he had lost a leg to bone cancer.

He had to end his run half-way across Canada—after more than 5,300 kilometres—when the cancer spread to his lungs.

It claimed his life in 1981, when he was just 22.

Like her famous son, Betty Fox was also a Canadian icon.

After her son died she kept his Marathon of Hope alive by publicizing it in the media, doing interviews and helping with the many Marathons of Hope that still spring up across the country each year in Terry’s honour.

Arts Entertainment Kids Technology

Pottermore Revealed… Sort Of

Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling has finally revealed some of what Pottermore.com will have on it.

But it will be a bit difficult to understand exactly what will be on the new website until it’s fully up and running and that won’t be until October for most people.

One million lucky Harry Potter fans will be able to test the Pottermore site in a sneak preview starting on July 31, Harry’s birthday.

In a YouTube announcement and during a media conference in London, England, Rowling revealed that Pottermore will:

•Include more information and “back story” on some of the Harry Potter characters including Professor McGonagall (her childhood, ministry career, early heartbreak and her long friendship with Dumbledore), and how Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon met (at work, apparently).

•Include more than 18,000 words about Harry Potter and the characters, written by Rowling.

•Include a Pottermore shop where you can buy Harry Potter ebooks (digital books).

Arts Lighter

Toronto Flash Mob Hugging, High-Fiving

A “flash mob” happens when a group of seemingly random strangers suddenly start dancing, singing or moving in exactly the same way.

For instance, a group of people in a mall may suddenly all start dancing to a Lady Gaga song, doing all the same moves.

The rest of the people in the mall, who are not part of the flash mob, get treated to a surprise show.

When the show is over, the people who were in the flash mob just walk away, as though nothing had happened.

There was a flash mob in Toronto on Sunday.

Breaking News News

Heroes Emerge From Vancouver Riot

After Vancouver’s crushing hockey defeat last week, when Boston took home the Stanley Cup by winning over the Canucks, things took a terrible turn.

Crowds ran into the streets of Vancouver and people began smashing store windows, stealing things from stores and even overturning cars and setting things on fire.

The evening, which had started out with such high hopes for a Canadian Stanley Cup victory, turned into a horrible embarrassment for Vancouver and Canada.

Many people took photos and videos that night.

The police are looking through the footage so they can identify the people who did the rioting, and charge them.

Lighter News

Will And Kate To Tour Canada

Britain’s newest royal couple is coming to Canada this summer.

Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – also known as Will and Kate – recently got married in a very high-profile ceremony in England.

Now they are taking their first official royal tour as newlyweds, and they’ve chosen Canada as their destination.

While Will has been here twice before (in 1991 and 1998) it will be Kate’s first time visiting Canada.

News Science

Scientists Discover Water On The Moon

Scientists recently found out there is 100 times more water on the moon than they thought there was.

Scientists discovered the water when they looked at some pieces of moon rock.

They found water in tiny samples of magma, which was trapped in crystal. Magma is a rock made from cooled lava.

Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield told Teaching Kids the News that the water is a very valuable discovery.

“It’s like finding diamonds or gold in a remote frontier,” Hadfield said.

Sports

The Stanley Cup Drops Out Of Vancouver’s Clutches

It was one game, winner-take-all.

And in the end, Boston took home the Stanley Cup.

There wasn’t an empty seat in the Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The hometown crowd waved “rally towels” as their Vancouver Canucks skated out for their warm-up. The thunderous cheering of the crowd never let up. Canuck Goaltender Roberto Luongo shifted from side to side in front of his net.

The crowd took up the singing of O Canada.

If Vancouver could bring the Cup back home, the game would go down in Canadian history.

But it wasn’t to be.

News

Canada Post, Air Canada On Strike

Two major strikes are affecting services in Canadian cities including Toronto and Montreal.

A “strike” happens when workers, who are banded together in a “union,” decide to stop working until they get something they think is fair, such as raises, health coverage or money for their retirement.

A strike puts pressure on a company to talk to the union and possibly give the workers what they want.

Usually there is a “compromise,” in other words, the workers and the company get some things they want but perhaps not everything.

The company and the union try to find a solution that pleases both sides.

News

Conrad Black: Lording It Over The Other Prisoners?

Conrad Black is a very famous, wealthy and powerful Canadian businessman.

Five years ago, Conrad Black was sent to jail because he broke several laws having to do with the money he made and owed.

He was convicted of obstruction of justice and mail fraud because he lied about how much money he really had, to pay off his debts.

He also tried to hide information from the authorities about the amount of money he made from selling his newspapers and real estate.

The judge sent him to jail for six-and-a-half years.

Late this month, Black is going to ask the judge to let him have some time taken off his prison sentence.