Tag Archives: world events

Birthers and Deathers

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Rae

It’s been an busy week for conspiracy theories. This week the birther conspiracy (almost) died, and the deather conspiracy was born. A conspiracy is a secret plan by a powerful group. When someone believes that there is a conspiracy, they … Continue reading →

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Under Control

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Rae

These recent headlines all have something in common: Fire at Natural Gas Drilling Rig Under Control Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak in South Korea Under Control Japan’s Edano: Can’t Say When Nuclear Plant Will Be Under Control France Declares Libyan Airspace Under … Continue reading →

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Hindsight is 20/20 [Past Unreal Conditional]

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Rae

Hindsight Hindsight is the understanding that comes after an event. It’s easy to look back at a past event and understand clearly what happened, why it was important, and what we might have done differently. Everyone has good hindsight! If … Continue reading →

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Not Alone

Posted on March 21, 2011 by Rae

Ten days ago, Japan was hit with a trio of disasters – a 9.0 earthquake, a giant tsunami, and a partial nuclear meltdown. The worst is over, but even now, the danger continues as aftershocks rock the country and workers … Continue reading →

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Speechless

Posted on March 12, 2011 by Rae

I felt like it was time for a new post yesterday, but I couldn’t write. Throughout the day, I spent every free moment checking the news, following the situation in Japan. Friends in Japan were posting messages, photos, and videos … Continue reading →

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The Domino Effect

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Rae

When one event causes a series of other events, we call that the domino effect. A domino is a small rectangular block that is marked with dots. A set of dominoes can be used to play various games. Another thing … Continue reading →

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A Chocolate Crisis

Posted on December 11, 2010 by Rae

The whole world loves chocolate. Every year, the average American eats 10 to 12 pounds (4.5 kg.) of chocolate. That’s a lot, but Norwegians, Germans, Irishmen, and Austrians eat even more. At the top of the list of chocolate lovers are … Continue reading →

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Five Years Ago

Posted on August 28, 2010 by Rae

On August 29, 2005,  Hurricane Katrina made landfall in southeast Louisiana. That was five years ago, but the memories of that day are still painful. As these statistics show, Katrina was one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history: … Continue reading →

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Language Barrier Intensifies Oil Spill Troubles

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Rae

Along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the  fishing industry has been shut down by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Thousands of people are out of work, and have no idea when they will be able to start working again. … Continue reading →

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Toot My Own Vuvuzela

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Rae

Americans have learned a new word recently:  vuvuzela. The vuvuzela (English pronunciation: /vuːvuːˈzeɪlə/, also known as lepatata (its Tswana name) is a typical 65 cm (2.13 ft) plastic blowing horn that produces a loud, distinctive monotone  note. Traditionally made and inspired from a kudu horn, the vuvuzela was … Continue reading →

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