RBIS MEGAzine #2 Spring 2011

The Rainbow Bridge International School MEGAzine is organized, created, and published by RBIS’s 5th and 6th grade students with contributions from other elementary classrooms. The contributors of this MEGAzine hope that you learn stuff and that your life becomes a little more awesome after reading it!

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CONTENTS SPRING 2011Editors: Avani, Ryan, Vidushi

Writers: Avani, Bella, Charlie, Paul, Ryan, Shun, Victor, Vidushi,

Zach, Zeno

Art Directors: Avani, Bella

Art Design: Avani, Bella, Victor

Marketing & Advertising: Zach

Comics: Shun, Victor

Fun Zone: Charlie, Ryan, Zach, Paul

Earth Day Essay Contributors:

Evan, Geoffrey, Irena, Ji Won

General Inquiry: (86 21) 62684081 21

[email protected]

RBIS Office of Admission:(86 21) 62689773, 62683121

[email protected]

Editor’s Note 2Reviews 3Sports 7Feature 9Travel 15Current Events 17Culture 20Earth Day Essays 21Fun Zone 23

Publish Date: April 12, 2011

Shanghai Earh Day

Celebration 9

Exclusive interview with Earth Day Man14

Enjoying the sights of Rome, Italy15

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We are back with another

MEAGAzine that is better than the

first one! You should read this one

because it is awesome, fun, and

cool! WHY? It is about the

env i ronment and you shou ld

definitely find ways to help the

environment. You should also read

the spor ts stuf f, ar ticles, and

interviews. If you like books there

are book reviews for you. There are

interviews with a zoo keeper, a

teacher in Cairo, Egypt, a director

from Roots and Shoots, and Earth

Day Man the superhero!

Our 5th/6th Grade Staff

Editor’s

Note

Reader’s Comments

MEGAzine is so cool!! Great work!!!

-Mr. Franco

Thanks! This seems super cool! I posted it on our blog!http://kidblog.org/MsJennifers3rdGradeClass/msjennifersclass/write-for-the-megazine/ -Ms. Jennifer

OK! Tell your class to make comments. -MEGA.

Hi! Here are some suggestions from the library:A review of all the most fun parts of Book Week, more book reviews, a cool word search or crossword puzzle that involves clues from favorite books, original poetry, student council update. -Ms. Adrienne

Maybe our next MEGAzine will be all about books. -MEGA

This is such an incredible undertaking...even for adults. Good work everyone! I love the stories, pictures, and games at the end. -Ms. Quinne

Pictured left to right: Shun, Zach, Charlie, Zeno, Avani, Victor, Vidushi, Paul, Ryan. Inset: Bella

Check out the MEGAzine online at Rainbow Bridge International School’s website: www.rbischina.org

Despicable Me is about a man named Gru who want's to be a super villain. Steve Carell provides Gru's voice.

The Movie begins when a little boy went to

Egypt with his mother to see the ancient pyramid.

The little boy tried to jump down to the pyramid. When he landed he bounced up into the sky and the little boy landed on a person. The pyramid was fake! Who stole the pyramid?

Gru was always acting like a villain. He had a car that was really cool, and in the store he froze people with his ice gun.

But, he never can be bad enough, and he always disappoints his mom.

Back home with his cool car, Gru tries to get a loan from the Bank of Evil and meets a young super-villain named Vector. Gru meets the bank president Mr. Perkins who grants him the loan to obtain a shrink ray necessary for the plan. Gru wants the shrink ray because he is going to shrink the moon.

Later Gru gets the shrinking ray, but suddenly it is taken by Vector! When Vector took the shrink ray Gru was trying to get him, but Vector's ship was too fas! Gru used all of his missiles but they all missed Vectors ship. Suddenly, Vector jumped out and stood on

the ship; he used the shrinking ray and blasted Gru's ship. The ship shrank and exploded as Gru rode his tiny vehicle back home.

At the end Gru tries to get the orphan girls that Vector had captured. There's a big fight , and Gru finally wins. He saves the girls, who have come to love him even though he has been a bit of a villain.

Despicable Me is a funny movie for kids and I think adults like it too. The animation is great and the actor voices are perfect.

Bouncy pyramids, ice guns, cool cars, shrinking the moon----Awesome!

REVIEWSDESPICABLE ME By: Victor

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Megamind is a evil super villain. His fish, named Minion, who is in a robot suit, is his assist-ant at making weapons and setting up his evil plans.

The plans almost never work because he is constantly being sent back to jail by his enemy Metro Man, the super hero of Metro City. They both have powers: Megamind is extremely smart when making his plans and Metro man is super strong, has laser vision and can even fly.

The reason they can do this is because they are both from planets that were sucked into a black hole. Their families sent them to earth, but instead of going to a life of luxury that Metro

Man gets, Megamind is sent flying and landing against all odds in the complete

opposite of Metro Man. Megamind lands in the state prison and, after a couple of years, he goes to school only to find Metro Man there. That’s when their glorious

rivalry began.

Many, many years later Megamind falls in love with Roxanne Richie. He

becomes her hero in the end but you will have to watch the movie to

see how he does that.

He also defeats an artificial hero called Titan

that he makes when he is bored after he thinks he destroyed Metro Man.

Watch this movie to see how he saves Metro City...

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MEGAMIND By: Zach

Megamind is a evil super villain. His fish, named Minion, who is in a robot suit, is his assist-

setting up

The plans almost never work because he is constantly being sent back to jail by his enemy Metro Man, the super hero of Metro City.



rivalry began.

Many, many years later Megamind falls in love with Roxanne Richie. He




that he

Megamind is a evil super villain. His fish, named Minion, who is in a robot suit, is his assist-

The plans almost never work because he is constantly being sent back to jail by his enemy Metro Man, the



rivalry began.




Magyk Author: Angie SageBy: Paul

In the Magyk world, Silas Heap was walking from the forest from getting his new born son some things when he found a small violet eyed girl. He picked her up and brought her home. While walking

home Marcia Overstand the recently appointed extraordinary wizard appeared and quickly said “She is yours, if asked, she was born to you.” When he got home a housemaid ran threw the door shouting “Septimus Heap is dead!”( Septimus Heap was the new born son).

In a few months Sally Mulin (Sarah Heaps friend(Sarah Heap is Silas Heaps wife)) came over and told Sarah that the Queen was dead! She said it had happened over six months ago! And it had been all hushed up. Now the Supreme Custodian has taken over and is advised by the most evil wizard ever, (but he has a funny name) Dom Daniel. What has been happening, who really is this violet eyed girl, and what really happened to their dear Septimus?

Dear Dumb Diary Series: My Pants are Haunted #2Author: Jim Benton By: Avani It is an interest-ing and a funny book. It is about a girl name Jamie who goes to middle school. She loves her jeans. One day she took out her pair of jeans and they had a hole in it. She thought that her dog bit it, but no!

Her best friend Isabella came for a sleep over at her house. Isabella told scary stories to Jamie about that her pants were haunted. Jamie started to be believe that her pants were haunted.

Are her pants haunted? To find out that her pants are really haunted read the Dear Dumb Diary Series.

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BOOK REVIEWS

Come check out these books at the RBIS Library. Don’t worry, the library isn’t haunted... At least I don’t think it is...

Ms. Adrienne, RBIS Librarian

Author: Jim Benton

book. It is about a

jeans. One day she took out her pair

In the Magyk world, Silas Heap was walking from the forest from getting his new born son some things when he found a small violet eyed girl. He picked her up and brought her

home Marcia Overstand

Harry Potter is a series that millions have loved, It is my favorite series. I think that the books are better than the movies, but some think differently.

I don't like how they sometimes add stuff in the movies that aren't in the books. Like in number six when Harry goes to the Weasly's for Winter. In the books nothing big happens, but in the movies a bunch of evil bad guys attack and there’s a “ring of fire”. I just don't like it when the movies have such different things than the books. The Harry Potter Movies made £2.1 billion and thats only doing 5 of the eight movies. J.K. Rowling has made $1.5 BILLION herself even before the release of the seventh book, and counting! That’s more than the next ten richest authors put together!

The fifth book was my least favorite, it just has nothing good in it. I like how

there are quidditch matches in the movies. I think it is really cool. In the books it doesn't

really matter that there are so many spells and stuff but in the movies I feel

that there are way too many special effects.

All of Harry Potter together has made over 8 billion dollars! The first Harry Potter book came out in 1997. For Harry Potter seven the movie, they split it into two movies so they can make more money.

I like how in the books they are always the right age, but in the movies in number 7 they are like 21 years old and like in 4 they are like 15. I didn't like how in the movies you never meet Bill and Charlie (Ron's oldest brothers).

But I think the movies are okay but not as good as the books but you may think differently, Bye!

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Harry Potter is a

have loved, It is my

think that the books

movies that aren't in

there are quidditch matches in the

books it doesn't really matter that

there are so many spells and stuff but in the movies I feel

that there are way too many special effects.

VS.By: Paul

National Rugby League (NRL)By: Charlie

INSTRUCTIONS OF PLAYINGThere are many rules but these are the some of the main ones:

The kick off is a place kick from the centre of the halfway line. The captains of the two teams shall toss a coin in the presence of the referee. The game is played with an oval air-inflated ball, the outer casing of which shall be of leather or other approved material.

• The game is played by two teams each consisting of not more than thirteen players on the field at any one time.

• The object of the game is to ground

the ball in the opponents’ in-goal to score tries and to kick the ball over the opponents’ cross bar to score goals. To score 6 points you have to

TRY and then you would have to convert the ball through the two goal posts.

• If you drop the ball it's called a fumble and then you have to gather together and the captain puts the ball between the other teams legs.

HISTORYNational rugby league started NRL in 1998 with about 12 teams. The last team that won the Grand Final was the Sea Eagles who had a really good win over the Storm last year. The NRL teams include the Warriors, Broncos, Raiders, Tigers, Sharks, Panthers, Roosters, Bulldogs, Storm, Knights, Cowboys, Sea-Eagles.

I think there is a large chance that either the Titans or the Storm will win the Grand Final this year because the Titans are getting better every year and also the Storm have been in the most Grand Finals!

SP RTSSP RTS

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NFL Season By: Paul

NFL Playoffs By: Paul

NFCThe NFC seeds were as following: 1. Atlanta Falcons 2. Chicago Bears 3. Philadelphia Eagles 4. Seattle Seahawks5. New Orleans Saints 6. Green Bay Packers.

Round 1Packers vs. Eagles: The Packers beat the Eagles with a last second interception

in the end zone t ha t s topped the Eagles from g e t t i n g t h e t o u c h - d o w n .

The end score was 21-16.

Saints vs. Sea -hawks: The Seahawks beat the Saints which surprised me because the Seahawks had a losing record and still won.

AFCThe AFC seeds were as following :1. New England Patriots 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 3. Indianapolis Colts 4. Kansas City Chiefs 5. Baltimore Ravens6. New York Jets.

Round 1Jets vs. Colts: The Jets beat the Colts in a exciting game with a last minute field goal that gave them the Game.

Chiefs vs. Ravens: The Ravens beat the Chiefs.

NFC Round 2Packers vs. Falcons: The Packers crushed the falcons 48-21 and ended it with a last second pick.

Bears vs. Sea-hawks:T h e B e a r s defeated the Seahawks un-surprisingly and got them-selves a place in the NFC Champ -ionship.

AFC Round 2Steelers vs. Ravens: The Steelers kicked the Ravens Butt! And got themselves a place in the AFCchampionship.

Jets vs. Patriots: The Jets surpris-ingly beat the Patriots and the Jets will go to the AFC Championship with the Steelers!

NFC Round 3Packers vs. Bears: The Packers narrowly Beat the Bears by about seven points and saved it from going to

overtime by getting a game sealing interception.

AFC Round 3Steelers vs. Jets: T he S t ee l e r s beat the Jets by stopping them in a last second drive.

Super Bowl 45Packers vs. Steelers: The Packers early score--its 7-0. Then they get another-- 14-0. The Steelers get a field goal-- 14-3. The Packers throw another touchdown to make it 21-3. The Steelers score making it 21- 10 to end the quarter. But then the Packers do HORRIBLE in the 3rd and it now is 21-17. The Steelers then and the Packers both scored again so its now 28-24. Then the Packers have a great drive but settle for a field goal. The Steelers drive, throw & miss r u n i t f o r 5 yards. There is another try to throw it again. The last thing they do is throw i t a n d i t bounces off a Steelers’ hands.

T h e P a c k e r s A r e CHAMPIONS!!!!!!

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FEAT

URE

Earth Day, celebrated on the 22nd of April world-wide, is a holiday when people try to save power, plant trees, and be green! Usually people go to the park and plant a few trees, and have fun, but these are how other countries cele-brate it around the world:

America: Americans have a half marathon “Earth Day challenge” in both St. Cloud, MN and Gambier, OH.

Japan: Japanese group together to do an “Earth Jump” where you jump as a group every year to the right and try to move the earth farther away from the sun, so that the earth may be able to live longer before it explodes in millions of years.

Europe: In Spain, they are holding a fair, in which 100,000 people

came in 2009. They will sell homemade lemonade and have games for the kids, and music performances. In Italy, a Scout group is calling for anybody willing to turn all electrical appliances off for an hour at night on Earth Day.

Australia: In Brisbane from 8:30-9:30 P.M., everyone in their houses will turn their lights out at the same time, to save energy.

China: Most important of all, Shanghai is having a celebration in the zoo with games, snacks, tents with activities, and much more!

Africa: Everyday is Earth Day in Africa! Because most Africans are poor, they are always trying to save energy and water, so this is just another normal day there!

At the zoo on Earth Day, we have a big celebration for Earth Day. We play games, get prizes, go to cultural tents, and play fun activities. You will probably be wondering what a ‘cultural tent’ is.

Cultural tents are these tents where teachers, parents, and other volunteers at Rainbow Bridge International School make tents that display the country's heritage, and also fun activities from different nations. Here are a few of the tents that there have been in the past four years at the Earth Day Celebration: China, Australia, India, Japan, U.S.A., Korea, Germany, France, Philippines, Canada, Netherlands.

We also have delicious snacks from different countries and nations around the world including sushi, popcorn, rose tea, sweets, and more!!!

There are also lots of stage performances, including dances, kung fu, essay readings, singing, and more. Everyone enjoys Earth Day. Meeting friends, seeing performances, going to tents, doing Cultural activities, and having fun is all part of Earth Day Shanghai, so we hope you can come and celebrate Earth Day with us at the zoo!

RBIS’s Earth Day celebration in the Shanghai Zoo, RBIS’s Earth Day celebration in the Shanghai Zoo, has games, activities, and cultural tents that are fun has games, activities, and cultural tents that are fun and help us learn about the environment.

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By: Bella

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Roots creep underground everywhere and make a firm foundation. Shoots seem very weak, but to reach the light, they can break open brick walls. Imagine that the brick walls are all the problems we have inflicted on our planet. Hundreds of thousands of roots & shoots, hundreds of thousands of young people around the world, can break through these walls. We CAN change the world. - Dr. Jane Goodall

By: Zach, Ryan, and Shun

Roots and Shoots projects are held in lots of countries and cities like U.S., U.K., Hong Kong, Canada, and China. There are over one hundred countries that are doing Roots and Shoots projects. And there are over 100,000 young age members. The Roots and Shoots mission is to make a positive change for the environment and to care for animals.

History of roots and Shoots As stated on the Roots and Shoots website, www.rootsandshoots.org, Roots and Shoots was created by Jane Goodall, the famous woman who lived with chimpanzees, to help the environment with projects like the Million Tree Project. The first Roots and Shoots project was small, telling people about the inhumane treatment of chickens, at home or in the local markets in Tanzania. It was small but had all the things that make roots and shoots special today: youth driven projects fueled by knowledge, compassion and action. One of roots and shoots projects is the Million Tree Project. The Million Tree Project helps to plant trees in the desert land in Inner Mongolia. So buy a tree and help Mongolia!

Roots and Shoots at RBISRBIS does a lot with Roots and Shoots like the Million Tree Project. RBIS raised over 2000 trees this year. Normally RBIS only raises 1000 trees. RBIS also helps plant the trees by sending 2 teachers to go plant trees. RBIS also did a thing called Jiao Jar project to help animals. It isn't a Roots and Shoots thing but it helps animals so thats like helping Roots and Shoots. RBIS student council sells hot chocolate to raise money for trees and for Roots and Shoots. RBIS also has an organic garden and that is important part of helping the environment. They use rainwater to water the plants instead of tap water. RBIS also has a compost pile with vegetables. I talked to Ms. Amy and one of the big projects coming up is

Ms. Amy and Ms. Shannon are going to help plant trees in Mongolia. Also the Roots and Shoots committee is working on the Earth Day place

and you can paint reusable bags. RBIS got an award for the million tree project and another one for community service and helping people.

For more information about Rainbow Bridge International School’s Roots and Shoots events, visit: http://www.rbischina.org

Dr. Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall gives awards to RBIS in 2010

RBIS students give Jane Goodall a MTP tree-shirt

10: Poison Dart Frog is very poisonous and if you just touch it you die.

9: Cape Buffalo can kill you with his razor-sharp horns and do a charge attack on you.

8: Polar Bear can kill you so simply and he is very strong to kill seals and they can swim for a long time.

7: African Elephant is very powerful and he often accidentally steps on humans.

6: Saltwater Crocodiles are very good at camouflage and many fish can get eaten.

5: African Lions are very fast and strong so you wouldn't want to fight one.

4: Great White Shark can grow over 6 meters long and can weigh up to five tons but can still jump very high.

3: Box Jellyfish are huge and they have tentacles up to fifteen feet long each with enough poison to kill fifty humans.

2: Asian Cobra is very deadly and he kills lots of people a year.

1: Mosquito may not look deadly but he can transfer many diseases from animals and they will most likelykill you if you get a disease.

INTERVIEW: Catharine Gong Director at Roots and Shoots

By: Ryan and Victor

Q: What are some things that Roots and Shoots does to help the environment?A: We encourage young people to protect the environment through various programs. For example, we have Million Tree Project which started in 2007. Our aim is to plant 1 million trees in Inner Mongolia by 2014. So far, we have planted 400,000 trees and will plant another 200,000 this April. This program is addressing the issues of desertification and climate change. Many Roots&Shoots groups in Shanghai ' s schools inc luding international and national raise funds for this program. We also take some students to plant trees in Inner Mongolia. We have many other such tangible programs as Organic Garden Program, Eco-audit program. On Organic Garden program, we teach students to plant organic vegetables on campus, so students know how to take care of t he env i ronmen t a s we l l a s themselves through gardening. On the Eco-audit program, we train students do audits for company offices and schools and encourage them to take action on reducing carbon footprint. Q: How and when did Roots and Shoots start in China?A: Shanghai Roots&Shoots started from 1999 by Ms. Tori Zwisler and got legally registered in 2004. At the very beginning, only Tori herself works in her home of f ice. It currently has 14 full-time staff. The number o f R&S g roups ha s dramatically increased from 3 in 1999 to more than 200 including local and international in 2011. Q : W h a t i s t h e b i g g e s t environmental issue in China?A: From my perspective, the biggest environmental issue is climate change, not only in China but also the whole world. Because the influence to all creation is huge. A n d t h e c o n s e q u e n c e s a r e irreversible.

Q: What did you do in New Zealand?

A : I s t u d i e d env i ronmen ta l education and earned master's d e g r e e f r o m V i c t o r i a U n i v e r s i t y o f We l l i ng t on i n New Zealand. I a l s o wo r ke d /volunteered for

NGOs focusing on environment and humanity programs there. Q: How is the condition of the environment in New Zealand compared to China?A: New Zealand is a coastal coun t r y w i t h ve r y beau t i f u l landscape. The most amazing thing about New Zealand's environment is that i t has ver y di f ferent landforms in less than 30,000 km2, like lake, mountain, plain, volcano, glacier.

Q: What do you think is Roots a n d S h o o t s ' b i g g e s t achievement?A: The biggest achievement of R&S is to get young people more care about people, animal and the environment. Through participating in R&S programs, young people get empowered and become more confident about themselves.

Q : W h a t i s i t ' s b i g g e s t challenge?A: I wou ld say the b igges t challenge is organizing ourselves. We have so many students to work with, so many events to organize, so many presentations to deliver. The only way that we do it well is to efficiently manage our time and get different things well sorted out as quickly as possible. Q: How did the million tree project start?A: In 2006, when Jane Goodall was in Chongming Island, Shanghai, she emphasized the benefits of planting trees to the environment. After Jane's visit, we were introduced to Inner Mongolia government. We found desertification was a serious issue there. Se we decide to plant one million trees in Inner Mongolia. Q: What do you do when you are not working in Roots and Shoots? A: Watch movies, read, listen to music, play with my dog.

By: Ryan

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10: Hawaiian Monk seal is dying rapidly but scientists can't say why their population is going down.

9: Chinese Giant Salamander People think they are tasty. They get eaten everyday like hundreds are dying a day.

8: Siberian Tiger is being hunted for the pelt because people like to use them for coats and rugs.

7: Leather-back Sea Turtle accidentally eats plastic bags thinking it is jellyfish.

6: Mountain Gorilla is losing its habitat so that less than 700 remain alive.

5: Northern Right Whale is being hunted to near extinction with there being only 350 remaining.

4: Greater Bamboo Lemur is losing habitat and food is running low for it.

3: Javan Rhino is running so low on population it has only about 60 left.

2: Amur Leopard is so rare only about 40 are still in existence.

1: Ivory-billed Woodpecker hasn't been seen since 2004 so it may be extinct.

INTERVIEW: Shanghai Zoo Keeper By: Avani and Zeno

Q : W h a t i s your name?A: Mr. Wu Wei Chun.

Q: Wha t do you do in the zoo everyday?A: I am in the c h a r g e o f k e e p i n g t h e animals, feeding the animals and in the charge of zoo facilities.

Q: Why did you choose this job to be a zoo keeper?A: In 1978, I graduated from Shangha i Garden Techn ique University and my major is in about the animals, after graduating I was in the zoo.

Q: What animals do you take care of?A: I take care of fishes, amphibians, crocodiles and snakes.

Q: Do you like to come to the zoo?A: i like the zoo and has fun seeing and taking care of animals.

Q: How long have you been a zoo keeper?A: I have worked in the zoo for 31 years.

Q: Is this your first job?A: It is my first job.

Q: How many hours do you work in a day?A: I work 8-9 hours a day.

Q: How do you get here from home to school?A: I take a bicycle and it takes 25 min.

Q: Did you always wanted to be a zoo keeper?A: Yes, I always wanted to be a zoo keeper.

Q: When you were a little kid what did you wanted to be when you grow up?A: I wanted to be a soldier because in his town to be a soldier is a model for the children.

Q: What is your favorite animal in the zoo?A: I love all the animals.

Q: Have you ever caught a snake?A: Yes I have, I caught a snake in R.B.I.S.

This is a strange animal's list and their information, not top 3 or something. Dumbo Octopus

Their size is about 20cm (about 7.8in.). They are really

rare and they live 7,000 miles below the sea levels. Their name's Dumbo Octo-pus, because their ears

look like the flying elephant from Disney.

Angora RabbitThey can be found in Ankara, Turkey. The heavy ones weighs about 3.5kg (7.7lb). Their hairs are really soft. They eat hay, pellets, and fruits, but they need at least 18% of protein in each food to grow a good fiber.

Emperor TamarinThe average size is about 35cm (13.75in.). It is a monkey that has a long mustache.

They are named Emperor Tamarin because their mus-tache looks like a German Emperor. Also they are mixed-species associations with the Brown-Mantled Tamarin. They live in the higher level of the jungle or in the Amazon.

Aye AyeMostly Aye Aye can be found in East coast of Madagascar. They are mostly 40cm long (16in.). They eats nuts, grubs, fruit, nectar, seeds, and fungi.

By: Ryan

By: Shun

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These are the top three disgusting and ugliest creatures on Earth. Thats my opinion that they look disgusting. Be careful, it's disgusting...

3. Naked Mole RatNaked Mole Rat lives under ground like normal moles. Typically they are 8 to 10 cm (3 to 4 in) long and weigh 30 to 35 grams (1.1 to 1.2 oz). Their eyes are small and their eye sight is poor. They use their teeth to dig holes. They have very little hair and they have pink or yellow-ish skin. Their skin with no hair makes them disgusting.

2. Hag Fish Hag Fish aver-age about half a meter (18in.) and the largest one was about 127cm. It weights about 4.5kg (10lb). They have black and white spots. They are the only animals that have a skull, but not vertebral column. People are not sure if it is a fish or not. Their curvy body and ugly face makes them more ugly and disgusting.

1. Blob FishBlob Fish aver-ages about 1ft (36cm). It also weighs about 20lb(9kg). They live in the deep sea about 900 to 2,000 ft under water. Their ugly face and fat body make it more disgusting than normal fish.

All About Organic Gardening By: Vidushi

By using only organic gardening supplies your gardening tasks will be easier and MORE ENJOYABLE!!!

I am going to tell you some ways to keep your new organic garden growing. Plus, it will also have you spending less money on your organic garden. Gardening tasks will be fun, easy, and environ-mentally friendly!!!

Compost all natural soil amendment is made through the use of composters. Composters break down organic materials such as leaves, grass clippings, and food scraps to make 100% organic. Composters come in different shapes, sizes, and designs. Research composters and choose one that meets your needs. Making your own natural compost is a great example for others. Organic gardening supplies you ordinarily have to buy but spending less money and it is organic, environmental friendly.

Rain barrels collect water from roofs and store it until needed. Rain water is softer and chemical free. Rain barrels are great for keeping your plants healthy and they save water. In some of the states in India we use rain barrels. For example, Rajasthan uses a lot of rain barrels because there is less rain in Rajasthan.

How to Make Home-made Pesticides

Mix homemade garden sprays using water and plants (or dried powders) from the garden such as hot peppers, onions, and garlic. Add a drop of dish detergent to help the solution stick and store in a spray bottle to apply to infested vegetables or flowers.

A Bugs Away From Houseplants Mix:To keep bugs away from houseplants, mix 1 clove garlic, 1 small hot pepper and 1 quart water in a blender. Pour into a spray bottle and apply to plants. Putting hot sauce on a cotton ball in a house plant pot will also repel pests.

Natural Pesticide for Aphids and Whiteflies: Mix a few drops of dishwashing detergent with water and spray on plants leaves. This is extremely effective in controlling many soft-bodied insects such as aphids and whiteflies.

Homemade Pesticide For Roses: In your blender make a solution of leaves from a tomato plant, 4 pints of water, and a tablespoon of cornstarch. Strain the mix and spray on roses as a natural pesticide. Keep any unused spray refrigerated.

These are the best gardening tips in Shanghai!! HAPPY GARDENING!!!

RBIS students planting flowers in one of the organic gardens

located on the school grounds.

By: Shun

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INTERVIEW:Earth Day Man,Super heroBy: Zach

Hello Earth Day Man, the following are some questions I would like to ask you.

Q: What are your super powers?A: I have many super-powers, they include being able to reduce, reuse and recycle anything put before me. I can fly too which helps me greatly as I have a lot of reducing, reusing and recycling to do!

Q: Why do you wear a tight suit?In a word, aerodynamics. It also feels good on my skin, helps me fly faster and smoother and protects me against the evil Trash Man and his trash.

Q: Who is the villain you fight?A: I fight the evil villain Trash Man, we have had many battles over the years and you will see me fight him on Earth Day.

Q: How did you get your super powers?A: Good question. My superpowers come from the Earth's energy, if the earth stays healthy and pollution stays down and together we can help protect the earth, I get more powerful and I can do a better job. My superpowers increase when people save the earth and reduce, reuse and recycle.

Q: Do you like the MEGAzine?A: I love the MEGAzine, its MEGA, I am a big fan, I have Issue #1

and hope to get Issue #2 very soon! I especially like the comics and articles.

Q: Do you like trees better or do you like animals better?A: Interesting question. I love them both, I work hard to protect both from Trash Man and other problems. We all must care for our trees and animals and protect them from being destroyed or becoming extinct. Q: Why do you save the earth?A: I save the Earth because it is our home planet and will be our children's home planet and their children's home planet and so on. It's the only planet we can call our true home and I will do everything in my power to save her from evil. Our Earth has so much beauty and it has so many amazing things happening on it everyday. I work my hardest to do what I can to protect our planet.

Q: Why do you only come to RBIS on Earth Day?A: I come to RBIS to celebrate Earth Day. Earth Day is a celebration of the planet, its a time to think about how we can better protect Earth and celebrate how incredible she is. I want to be at RBIS on Earth Day to celebrate with you guys. After Earth Day at

RBIS I go back to work, trying to save the planet and fighting the evil Trash Man.

Q:Do you hate water pollution or air pollution more?

A: Both. All pollution is bad and I will fight it with all my superpowers but I need everyone's help. I can't do it alone. Q: How do you save the Earth?A: By reducing, reusing and recycling. I also try to teach people other ways to save the planet and help me protect the Earth. I try to get everyone's help and everyone to think about the choices they make and how to make better choices to save the Earth.

Q: How can we save the Earth?A: Lots of ways. Helping spread the message of reduce, reuse, recycle is a good way. Also teaching others how to make better choices, helping people understand we only have one planet for everyone to share. Simple steps such as not using plastic bags, turning the lights off when you leave the room, riding a bicycle instead of driving a car, there are many ways to do it and you can find out more on Earth Day 2011.

Q: Who are you?A: I am Earth Day Man!!!

Those are the questions I would like to ask you for now. Until we meet again Earth Day Man...

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ITALIA

GO TO ITALY! IT'S GREAT AND THERE

ARE LOTS OF EXCELLENT CITIES

TO VISIT.By: Charlie

You can get the very best of Italy in Venice. Riding around in Gondolas in the canals is really cool. Venice has everything from pizza shops to shoes and clothes shops. After shopping the best thing to do would be to visit Murano the “Islands of glass” where people make different and familiar shapes out of glass. The artists first get a thick or thin bar of coloured glass and heats the tip over a flame until the top starts melting. Once it starts to melt, he puts it on his desk. He shapes it to the shape he wants and lets it cool until you can take it home. To travel to Venice you can take a train, plane or boat. Overall this is a great place to visit although you had better start saving as it is quite expensive.

The next great place you have to visit is Rome which has stacks and stacks of history and old buildings. One of the main buildings is the Colosseum which is where all the gladiators fought the fiercest animals a person could find. In this amazing place there were originally a whole series of different ropes to pull so that the animals could get into the arena. Visitors to the Colosseum can also see a museum that has models of the structure as it was centuries ago. There are many

old pavilions in Rome like the Pantheon. The Pantheon is a dome like structure that lets water get through from the top but it then drains out through the gaps on the floor. The building is very old (126AD). Near this monument there is a 101 flavour gelato shop which has everything from lychee to mars bar gelato. There are thirty chocolate flavours! Rome is really good to visit because wherever you walk there is usually national monument under your feet.The best ancient city in Italy is Pompeii which was destroyed by Mt. Vesuvius, a large volcano that erupted in 79AD. When I went there it was possible to go through the houses and see how advanced they where before the volcano erupted. The Romans had created a flushing system that was like a normal street now but just on a tilt so that when they put water down from the top it flushes the whole street. You know where the shops were back in AD 79 because there were all different types of shelves and bowls. There was also big amphitheaters that were used for acting and fighting one another. Italy is great if you like historic monuments, ancient ruins, and gelato! Ciao!

TRAVELTRAVEL

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Shanghai Skateparks Skate parks in ShanghaiBy: Zeno

1.] SMP Skatepark – SMP skate park is the biggest skate park in the world and they got the Guinness world record because the size of the skate park is 13,700m2 of skateable space. They use local Chinese granite pool coping, they have two vert ramps,and the bowl areas total over 4,500m2. The plaza and viewing area covers over 4100m2. The competitionarea is over 2000m2.

2.] Top Toys – Top Toys is a skate park which used to be owned by SMP skate park. But then Top Toys did new stuff with the skate park like built a skate shop, added new objects to grind and rail slide, and got lot's of professional skateboarders like Alex, Johnny Tang, and other Pros who live in Shanghai.

3.] Jin Qiao Skatepark -- It's a small place and it's fun, great, and amazing.Sometimes you can make some friends and it's a good place to skate for beginners. They also have plenty of places where you can relax by sitting

on the wood or go to the restaurant to drink and eat.

4.] Iconx's Rooftop Skatepark – It's in a mall with a new Iconx's shop and the mall.. Well, I don’t really know where it is but I will tell you the shop: Icon X...If you don’t know where the skatepark is, you can tell the cashier all about it. But they only open it on Saturday and Sunday. It is not open on holidays, Mondays to Fridays, and Summer holidays.

5.] Shanghai Bright Longhua Port Street Plaza -- This Skatepark looks perfect and cool because there is a long edge to grind on, you can see the cargo or the riverside and the ocean. There’s lots of ramps and grass areas to have a picnic. It looks pretty ‘sick’ to skate on.

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SMP Skatepark

ts Current Events CU

The Droughts in Australia By: Bella

A drought is when a city or a place doesn't have ENOUGH water. It can get really bad and last for even a few years! In North Australia, Queens-land, and New South Wales, they had a HUGE drought! It lasted for three years and then STRAIGHT after that there was a big flood, so they just had too much water! In the Australian drought, Australians had to take 2- minute showers, only one shower a day, keep the bath water for the next time you had a bath, and keep a bucket in the shower to fill up while taking a shower so that you could give the plants some water, but without wasting any water. It got really annoying, and by then everyone had tanks next to their house (Tanks are huge bucket things that hold water that go in your yard to save water.) to save the water. At last the drought ended, but then the flood came along! So, Australia has it bad no matter if its a drought or a flood!

The Floods in AustraliaFloods are when lots of water overflows from water sources, and suddenly you are knee-deep in dirty water, trying to get into the department store. That is what was happening 3-4 months ago in North-West and South-West Australia. In Ipswich, a town just outside Brisbane, they had the worst of the flood. The water level rose to 20 m, and lots of people were drowned and killed, and many houses damaged forever. The Brisbane river raised to 4.46 m (14.6 feet), which crashed down the river walkway! Many people are renting out houses so that they can temporarily live there, and there are lots of sofas, chairs, beds, and other stuff damaged by the flood.

Many people that weren't affected by the floods are donating money, toys, and other things to make life better, even though there was a big flood. Many people are moving to higher grounds so that next time there is a flood they won't get affected as much.

There have even been a few fundraisers in Shanghai to help save money for the floods. Many Australian expats that are living in Shanghai are hosting fundraisers, so keep an eye on the notice boards to see if you can help save money for preventing further floods and helping people who have been affected by the floods.

VS.

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ts Current Events CUTsunami in Japanby Shun

A big tsunami hit Japan at Sendai on March 12, 2011. It didn't effect western Japan mostly. It was caused by an earthquake that is magnitude 8.9 which killed around 5 thousand and 8 thousand missing.

According to the news, people found and rescued a 16 year old boy and an 80 year old woman stuck in rubble for 9 days. People in Japan are in panic because a nuclear reactor in Fukushima exploded because of the earthquake and tsunami.

There were six of them, but 3 exploded and 1 has fire damage. Radiation higher than normal, but harmless, was found in Tokyo which is 140 miles (220km) away. There are not enough food and water in Japan, because of radiation on them. And people thinks it's dangerous. It's the latest news for now.

In Shanghai, China, at RBIS, we're doing fund raising activities like selling hot chocolate, having basketball tournament and we had a baked sale. So far we have raised RMB 13,000 for Japan.

Haiti: One Year after Earthquake By Shun

Haiti's earthquake happened in 2010 in January. People said this was the worst earthquake in the region in over two hundred years. Also the earthquake killed about two hundred thousand people and made more than one million homeless.

Electricity is out and still now they are out in some places one year later. Haiti was one of the poorest countries, but the earthquake made Haiti a poorer country. There are still many pieces of broken and destroyed buildings on the ground. Also people only removed about 5 percent of rubble. There are still 800,000 people living in tents including homeless. They received billions of dollars from U.S and other countries for aid, but that didn't help. Because there were too many people that are unhealthy.

In the result of earthquake there was a cholera outbreak. Cholera is the disease that makes you diarrhea so that you can't drink too much water. And at least 300 people died by that disease in Haiti. Some scientists are predicting that Haiti in future is that they are like this for a long time.

In Haiti, many destroyed buildings and home have not been rebuilt.

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ts Current Events CU

An image taken from video of the trapped miners.

Cairo By: Paul

As most know there was a protest in Egypt. All of Egypt demanded that their leader Hosni Mubarak step down. He eventually forfeited his position, but first more than a hundred protesters lost their lives and more than a thousand were injured. To learn more about the protests I emailed Phyllis Ali, an American teacher who has lived in Cairo for over twenty years. Here is the interview:

How did you feel during the protests? Was there any tension around the neighborhood? In the beginning I was scared and felt uneasy because I was not sure what was happening. In our neighborhood, we had many men out in the streets protecting our homes. They put up road blocks so that no one could pass by the streets during the curfew hours. The road blocks were made up of big rocks and tree branches and any junk that they could collect around the area. Men with big sticks guarded the area because there was no police anywhere in sight.

Did you ever go near the protests? No I did not go down to Tahir square. My son and his cousins did go down one day for a few hours and felt that it was very peaceful and had a

kind of carnival feel. But it was very crowded.

What were the protests like? They were mostly very peaceful. The people that participated in them were friendly to each other and all had the same goal in mind. To get Mubarak to step down. People of all religions and all ages were there together and enjoyed the time there except for the day that the camels and horses came storming through to causing damage and fear.

Were you ever scared during the protests? Some night in the beginning I felt nervous when I would hear gun shots but later I found out it was mostly just the army shooting to show its presence in the area. When ever we would hear a gun shot we would run to the balcony and see if we could figure out why or what was happening.

How long has there been a curfew in Egypt? Curfew started at the beginning of the protest and the first day it was from 3 in the afternoon until 8 in the morning. The hours were extended as time went on.

Is there still one now? Yes.

What are the curfew hours?

Curfew now is from 12 midnight to 6 AM.

Do you think the change in government was necessary? Yes definitely.

Had the Egyptians wanted Mubarak and the government to step down before the Tunisian revolt? Yes but the process was sped up because of seeing their neighbor country doing something they had wanted to do for a long time.

Is there any information you would like to tell me that wasn’t on the news? Returning to school after we finally opened up our school was kind of weird since all the students were not there. And they are still not all back. It is sad for the kids not to have all their friends and some of them their teachers back. People have many different ways of expressing their frustrations and fears now. As a teacher I have to take in account the feelings of the kids that have been changed because of the whole revolution. Many have been in different countries and are now back. They had to attend classes in Europe or do the virtual school that was offered by our school. It was a crazy time but we all learned to be flexible because every day was something new to adjust to.

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Day in the Life of Zeno Gravina

I'm Zeno and I come from Italy. I lived in Shanghai for 11 years. And I am not Chinese because I came here when I was 0 years old, so that means it was the time I was a baby. I like to skateboard and I made my own skate-board company called Blue Tongue.

9:45 – WAKE UP LATE, BECAUSE IT'S SUNDAY.

10:00 – 11:00 – READ A BOOK FOR THE LAST DAY OF THE READ-A-THON. 12:00 – BASKETBALL GAME AT THE SCIS SCHOOL'S GYM CLASS WITH THE AKS.

13:00 – 14:00 – AT LUNCH, WE WENT TO A THAI RESTAURANT CALLED SIMPLY THAI EATING CHICKEN AND NOODLE.

14:50 – 17:00 – WENT TO THE JINQIAO SKATE-PARK CLOSE TO GREEN CITY AND BLUE MARLIN IN PUDONG.

19:00 – EATING ITALIAN THAT WE DELIVERED FROM SHERPAS AND ORDERED PASTA FRESCA 20:00 – WATCHING AN ITALIAN MOVIE ABOUT DAILY LIFE IN ROME, ITALY

21:00 – BATH TIME

23:00 – LATER, SLEEP

P.S. THE JINQIAO SKATEPARK -- BE CARE-FUL OF KIDS WHO PLAY SOCCER IN THE BIG BOWL.

Saint Patrick's DaySaint Patrick

Not much is known about St. Patrick's early life but people do know that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century. He was from a rich Roman-British family. His father and

grandfather were deacons in their local church. When he was 16 he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave. People think he was held somewhere on the west coast of Ireland possibly Mayo but no-one knows exactly where he was held. According to his confession his god told him in a dream to flee from captivity to the sea and board a ship and return to Britain. When he returned he joined the church in Auxerre and studied to become a priest.

In 432 he said he had to go back to Ireland, but this time as a bishop to Christianize the Irish from their native polytheism. Irish folklore says that one of Patrick's teaching methods was to use a shamrock to explain the Christian trinity to Irish people. After 30 years of evangelism he died on March 17th, 461 and according to tradition was buried at Downpatrick. Although there were more successful missions to Ireland from Rome, Patrick endured as the principle champion of Irish Christianity and is held in esteem in the Irish church.

Why people wear green on St. Patrick's Day

Originally blue was St. Patrick's color, but over the years it changed

to green because to the color of shamrocks that he used to teach people about Christianity. Green ribbons and shamrocks were worn in celebration of St. Patrick's day even in the 17th century! He used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity to the pagan Irish, and wearing shamrocks has become a feature of St. Patrick's day. In the 1798 rebellion the Irish soldiers trying to make a political statement wore uniforms that were all green. The phrase “The wearing of the green” meaning to wear a shamrock on ones clothing comes from a song that is also called “The Wearing Of The Green”.

Where else its celebratedSt. Patrick's day is also

celebrated in the following places: Ireland, USA, Canada, Japan, China, Great Britain, South Korea, New Zealand, Montserrat, and Argentina.

Cool facts about St. Patrick's Day• Every year people dye the Chicago River green!

• People say that a four leaf clover is lucky!

• In legend Saint Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland with his holy stick!

CULT uRECUCUC LTLTL uREthat he used to teach people

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Earth Day Essays

Ji Won 3rd Grade

Irena 3rd Grade

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Geoffrey 3rd Grade

Evan3rd Grade

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WeirdfactsOff the coast of Florida there is an underwater hotel. Guests have to dive to the entrance.

About 20 to 30 volcanoes erupt each year, mostly under the sea.

There are over 500 active volcanoes in the world.

About 20% of all volcanoes are underwater.

The USA uses 29% of the world's petrol and 33% of the world's electricity.

Tibet is the highest country in the world. Its average height above sea level is 4500m.

A huge underground river runs underneath the Nile, with six times more water than the river above.

Elephants spend 23 hours a day eating.

It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

The world's windiest place is Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica.

Fresh water from the River Amazon can be found up to 180km out to sea.

The Antarctic ice sheet is 3-4km thick, covers 13 million sq km and has temperatures as low as -70 degrees centigrade.

The Antarctic Notothenia Fish has a protein in its blood that acts like antifreeze and stops the fish freezing in icy

sea.

From http://www.thatsweird.net/

The Earth Day Search

Q P T P R O S O S E B N S Q T G O Q R M Q S I T G F A X H I O L T Q E B G L P E V C N V W Q L B C S E H U A E Z O Y F H Y U F M M A S R T M M E V Y X E T P K I D T H R J I X K L P C I W T G H E S I A U N R D G X O I A D E Z U C P F P A N Z V N B A A J X J K A U J R E C Q X Y R N B J W S N H V L I H C T T E S I B R D W A T E R T H H E A R T H D A Y M A N F R U R R E T T O P Y R R A H O A G Z E N I Z A G E M I C B C E D F I G O N P L B M A W B E T

ANIMALSEARTHEARTH DAYEARTH DAY MANECO FRIENDLYGREENHAITIHARRY POTTERJAPAN

Fresh water from the River Amazon can be found up to 180km out to sea.

The Antarctic ice sheet is 3-4km thick, covers 13 million sq km and has temperatures as low as -70 degrees centigrade.

The Antarctic Notothenia Fish has a protein in its blood that acts like antifreeze and stops the fish freezing in icy

sea.

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RBIS MEGAzine #2 Spring 2011

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Transcript of RBIS MEGAzine #2 Spring 2011