Tag: grade 4

News Science

Cave On The Moon Could Be Base For Astronauts

Scientists from JAXA, the Japanese space agency, say they have discovered an enormous underground cave on the moon.

The discovery is exciting because the cave could provide a safe place for astronauts to live and work on future missions to the moon.

In 2009, a lunar probe launched by JAXA sent back images of the cave’s entrance. The probe used radar to determine the underground structures below the entrance and sent the information back to JAXA to be analyzed.

In October, JAXA announced that there appears to be a cavern about 50 kilometres (31 miles) long and 100 metres (328 feet) wide leading from the opening.

Scientists say the cave could make an ideal base for astronauts. It would protect the astronauts and their equipment from the extreme heat and cold on the moon’s surface. It would also help keep them safe from micrometeorites (tiny particles of space dust) that land on the moon, and from the harmful rays of the sun.

News Politics

Quebec’s Bill 62 Bans Face Coverings For Public Workers

People in Quebec are worried that Muslim women could be denied certain public services, after the government passed a “religious neutrality” bill.
The province’s Bill 62 was passed by the Quebec provincial government on Oct. 18. It says that people who work for the government in certain jobs must have their face uncovered. It also requires people who are using government services — for instance, riding a bus or using a library — must do so with their face uncovered.
It also bans public workers, like doctors and teachers, from covering their face while they are working.

Breaking News Environment News

Large Storms Affecting Caribbean, US

Everyone is talking about Harvey, Irma, Jose and Katia.

They are the names of very large storms, affecting the area around the Caribbean*, Mexico and the southern United States.

Hurricanes are given names, like “Irma” to make it easier to refer to them.

People in these areas are used to dealing with storms. But these storms are much larger than normal. They have very high winds—up to 120 kilometres an hour—with lots of rain that can flood people’s houses and force them to leave the area. (In this case, leaving your home is known as “evacuating.”) In Florida, more than 6.4 million people have been told to evacuate before Irma gets there, according to a report from CBC News.

Roberta Osuna on the pitcher's mound, about to throw. He's wearing a Blue Jays uniform.
News

Blue Jays Pitcher Back On The Mound

Roberto Osuna is a professional pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. But on Friday, June 23, when the Jays needed a pitcher to come in and help them win the game, Osuna didn’t pitch.
Osuna was the logical choice to come into the game; he is known as a closer, someone who comes in to pitch near the end of the game, to save it. The 22-year-old has saved games before–in fact, 18 of them this year.

News Politics

Canada Passes Bill C-16 To Give Transgender People Equal Rights

In Canada, it will soon be a law that transgender people cannot be treated differently than other people are treated.

What is transgender? It refers to a person who doesn’t feel like they are the gender (male and female are two genders, for instance) that they were assumed to be when they were born. For instance, a person who was originally thought to be male and who is known as male, but doesn’t feel like they are male. (And the same for female.)*

Last week, Bill C-16 was approved by the Canadian Senate. It says no one can discriminate against transgender people. (In this case discriminate means treat them differently than they would be treated if they were not transgender.)

News Politics

Theresa May’s Majority Becomes A Minority

The British Prime Minister may be regretting her decision to call an early election.
Theresa May and her political party, the Conservative Party, were the leaders in the UK (United Kingdom). They had a “majority” government. (In other words, they had more “seats”—or representatives—in the House of Commons than all of the other political parties, combined.) That’s important, because having a majority means that you can really get things done—you won’t be voted down by the other parties. May hoped that by holding an election, she could expand her majority even more.
However, things didn’t go as she planned.

News Sports

Basketball: It’s Down To Two Teams

In a couple of weeks, we’ll know who the best basketball team in the National Basketball Association is.
It will be either the Cleveland Cavaliers or the Golden State Warriors.
Those two teams are now battling it out in the finals of the playoffs. This is the third straight year the NBA playoffs have come down to these two teams. Last year, Cleveland won and the year before, Golden State won.