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STUDENT EDITION ➤ Goldfish can’t remember ➤ The familair feel-good ➤ Everything you need anything for longer than a movies you must watch to know about the TODAY’S ➤ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020 Get started on the ancient sport of archery Newspaper in second and many more Education EDITION such interesting facts spy fiction genre PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4

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Try these easy-to-do How to teach your kids craft ideas to make your home warm and THE JOY OF GIVING 1. LEAD BY EXAMPLE welcoming Make sure you model your own joy when giving to others. Give gifts (even if it’s just your time and energy) to family [email protected] members and friends — in front of your child and make sure The it’s genuine. Because if you complain and give, the child will pick up on this. CONSCIOUS hile there is so much you can order online for 2. MAKE GIFTING A DAILY ACTIVITY HOLIDAY guideGIFT your Christmas Create a gifting jar in your home and get your kids to deco- party, there is rate it. Brainstorm with them on the ideas of daily gifts that somethingW comely and cute about can be written and rolled up in the jar like a fortune cookie. It Ten ideas to bring in the making some decor pieces could be: hugs, kisses, jokes, small acts of kindness and Christmas cheer…and yourself. Get going and be at your drawings. Everyday pick one chit and surprise your family creative best with these DIY ideas. member or friend with it! they don’t cost much CORNERS FULL OF 3. INVOLVE THEM IN IT MAKE YOUR OWN: A card, a photo CHRISTMAS CHEER Take your child’s inputs in all the gifts book, cake are all good ideas for a DIY Decor to welcome that you are planning to give. By includ- 1gift. And if you are nifty with your Highlight corners of your home ing their help you are already sharing fingers attempt to make your own gift with fairy lights thrown inside the joy of giving with them. using leftover fabric, an embroidery empty bottles and outside them. hoop or maybe upcycle an old Clean old bottles, dry completely cardboard for a dollhouse. 4. GIFT YOUR NEIGHBOURS and place them on the table As we get more insular, it’s a good time GO VIRTUAL: Whether it’s planting overlooking your windows and use to spread the joy in your a tree in your mother’s name or small fairy lights (leftovers from floor. Get your child to 2signing up your brother on an Diwali) to decorate them – it gives take a plate of treats to virtual class like soap making, etc – a fairytale effect and illuminates Christmasstaircase with these bows. your neighbour. Also virtual experiences are the way to go. the corners of your home. You can also add some teach them to appreciate There are many virtual courses available memorable greenery around the bows local community helpers and it’s a great thoughtful gift. holidays, etc. (on the staircase) to make like firemen, police and Hang pictures the bright red stand out. sanitation workers. SEND A FAMILY CARD: Wish a using pegs. In the happy 2021 by making your year when TREES IN JARS 3personalised cards. Get ready for a meeting family Glass jars or mason jars 5. DECLUTTER TOGETHER family photo and click one of those and having can be put to good use by Help your child choose old clothes or other studio style shots. Print and stick on celebrations putting small Christmas items to take to local organisations that accept card paper and send to family with a became a dream, trees inside them along donations or even kids who can benefit. personalised note and handprints. The devoting a with shiny decorative year has been tough for everyone and a canopy (or more) balls, cones, cotton balls 6. HELP THEM DECODE THE JOY heartfelt note is a good reminder. to such pictures and glitter. Keep these festive When your child gives gifts or cards out, help SHOP LOCAL: If you have to send will bring warm hang as wreath on doors and jars next to pretty lanterns or even him/her to recognise the warm, fuzzy feeling gifts, make sure you buy from a memories. Cut your windows. By the end of the aromatic candles to emulate they feel inside. Help them connect the joy 4local business that is handmade, Christmas cake with this Christmas weekend, the candies snowy Christmas in your home. and happiness that comes from giving. locally sourced and they are a small FESTIVITY PICS ON background and invite your family can be distributed to all the family Merry Christmas! business. There’s no better service this PRETTY CANOPIES for a digital get together. members and to the 7. ESSENTIAL READING year than to support home-grown neighbours. Some titles are classics like ‘The Giving Tree’ by Shel businesses. Also always tag them on Use old sheer curtains or chiffon CANDY WREATHS Silverstein, the entertaining ‘The Spiffiest Giant in social media and spread the word to dupattas to make translucent Get some candy canes in a circle STAIRCASE BOWS Town’ by Julia Donaldson where George, the giant, help them grow. canopies and string together with the hooks all facing the same Use red ribbons (from gives away his new clothes to animals in need, pictures of family festivities, direction. Fix together with glue. birthday parties and school ‘Thank You, Stinky Face’ by Lisa McCourt to help SHOP PRE-LOVED: Again if you do Decorate the centre with your functions) to upgrade your have to buy, how about getting young readers learn the importance of showing favourite candies, overlapping Christmas décor; tie the appreciation of others and their unique gifts and R.J. 5something that you know needs a EVERYONE IS A them slightly and holding in place ribbons as big bows and stick new home. A swap among friends as Palaccio’s ‘We’re All Wonders’ invites kids to discuss with hot-glue. Thread ribbon some shiny ornaments in the the importance of being open to spreading kindness Secret Santa is a good idea. Shopping SANTA IN 2020! through two candy canes at top to centre. Decorate your vintage or pre-loved is no longer taboo. to everyone – to name a few. SPEND TIME: With all of us busy t goes without saying that this year is unlike any other year. and raisins are also typically with our phones or computers, how present. This cake was original- about gifting your precious time. I Everyone worked extra hard, SZALONCUKOR 6 ly brought to Chile by German from managing WFH and SFH Make it more fun and turn it into a During the Christmas season, (school from home), along with immigrants and has since found coupon. Ask your family to redeem it as CHRISTMAS’ it is impossible to miss szalon- itself a staple of Christmastime home chores and so on. So, and when – and honour it. Make sure cukor in Hungary. This choco- make this Christmas special for in Chile. you spend it meaningfully. late covered, fondant candy your family by adding an has become associated with DANISH RISALAMANDE GET A PLANT: A plant is a appreciation idea in your BEST-KEPT the holidays. Traditionally, the In Denmark, families traditional- gift that keeps on décor scheme. Wrap brightly wrapped candies are ly attended afternoon church 7giving. Make sure old shoes or boxes hung as a decoration on services on December you also tend to them. in shiny, Christmas trees. This tradition 24. After that comes DO YOUR CHORES: colourful SWEET the Christmas din- dates back to the 19th century paper and Remember how Zayed and it is generally accepted ner, when the make a 8Khan’s character custom that the children goose is put on the hole in makes his mum happy by should eat all candies on the table, followed by cutting his hair? Sometimes them (like SECRETS tree before the season is over. the traditional rice parents are just that easy to old world piggy Supriya.Sharma2 ated with the holiday season pudding called risala- please. If they have been after you banks); put names GERMAN STOLLEN loaf has to pass inspection by @timesgroup.com until the 1700s. Often times Dresden is famous for its mande. Leftover rice to get some things done – like organising of family members in other bakers before it receives referred to as plum stollen – long loaves of sweet- pudding is mixed with your study table or closet – gift them a each box and have each one of its stamp of approval. pudding, it may be ened bread with raisins and whipped cream, sugar, vanilla, promise to get this you put notes about how he/she CHRISTMAS surprising to discov- and chopped almonds, and then played Santa in the pandemic. almonds galore. This rich yet PAN DE PASCUA done. And do it er that this dessert Despite its name meaning topped with a cherry sauce and After all, everyone turned Santa flaky sweet bread comprises of regularly to keep PUDDING does not actually ‘Easter Bread’ in Spanish, Pan served cold. A whole blanched for each other this year – when Christmas pudding wheat flour, yeast, dried fruits, them happy. contain plums. In de Pascua is a traditional almond may be hidden among your sister baked banana bread dates all the way candied citrus, and a lot of but- the pre-Victorian Christmas treat in Chile. This several servings of the pudding, on a gloomy day or when your back to medieval ter – about a 1:2 butter-to-flour England, the sponge cake is made like the baby in a King Cake, and father drove in England. It was, ratio for a “heavy stollen.” Just world ‘plum’ using honey and gin- whoever lockdown to however, initially like Champagne, the label was often used ger, giving it a finds it buy a gift for created as a way to Dresdner Stollen is legally pro- as a term for delightfully sweet wins a you! preserve meat and did not tected and can be applied only raisins, which are commonly taste. Almonds, wal- small become a tasty dessert associ- to stollen made in Dresden found in this pudding. according to strict rules; each nuts, candied fruits prize.

in kindness and grace to one another. And I know for sure that there is no them – there’s only us.” THE SEASON OF GIVING Taylor Swift There’s something about the holiday season that moves many of us to give back to TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER those less fortunate. Research has also proven that happiness is related to how “No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to much gratitude you show. A Chinese proverb says: “If you always give, you will Beyoncé Oprah Winfrey always have.” Here are some celebrity quotes to inspire you to give… leave behind.” DOLLY PARTON, JAY LENO, TV HOST educated. Becoming a part of UNICEF BILL GATES, LEGEND “If you think of life as like a big pie, has meant making contact with the HUMANITARIAN other side of the world, and they are “Is the rich world aware of how “I am from a poor family in you can try to hold the whole pie and Bill Gates now part of my heart and my family. four billion of the six billion live? the country, where people — kill yourself trying to keep it, or you It’s never just a memory. Even if If we were aware, we’d want to including my dad — had to can slice it up and give some to the people just contribute 10 cents, it all help out, we’d want to get work to help feed the family people around you, and you still have adds up.” involved.” instead of continuing with school. It plenty left for yourself.” was embarrassing for him not to be able to read and write. I wanted to LUCY LIU, ACTOR OPRAH WINFREY, BEYONCÉ, make sure that all kids got the “A few years ago, I visited the African MEDIA MOGUL SINGER chance to read, so I developed nation of Lesotho. I met a little girl “I choose to rise up out of that storm “We’re all in this Imagination Library, which sends who opened her hand and there was and see that in moments of together. Each and Dolly Parton new books to children under age 5 in a nub of a pencil that she was desperation, fear and helplessness, every one of us can communities in the United States, holding on to for dear life. It's each of us can be a rainbow of hope, make a difference by Jay Leno doing what we can to extend ourselves Canada, and Britain. amazing how much they want to be giving back.” Lucy Liu “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else.” KNOWLEDGEPEDIA Judy Garland, actor 02 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020

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HEY FOLKS! I AM EXPLORIA. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OLD WIVES’ TALES, MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS THAT WERE REFUTED YEARS AGO, BUT THEY STILL PERSIST IN THIS AGE OF REASON. TIME TO PUT AN END TO THEM ONCE AND FOR ALL Albert Einstein failed math in school

t's an attractive excuse for students. Perhaps, you find ILLUSTRATION: ARYA PRAHARAJ maths tough right now, but all it requires is practice. Why pin I the blame on the genius? While examples of late-bloomers are everywhere, Einstein certainly wasn’t one. Right from the early years, he was excellent in math — as in all other subjects. The myth that he flunked in math may have originated from the fact that he took the entrance exam to the Zurich Polytechnic, and didn’t qualify. But he was a couple of years away from grad- NUKE AN ASTEROID uating high school at that time, and wasn’t fluent in French, the TO SAVE EARTH language the exam was conducted in. Also, he did pass the math Nuking an asteroid would not vaporise the section, but failed in language, botany and zoology sections rock. Most asteroids are heaps of rubble to apparently. begin with, so a powerful blast would probably just break everything apart fur- ther. That’s like turning a single bullet into NEANDERTHALS WERE ‘DUMB a shotgun blast — not a good idea if you’re BRUTES’ WHO DIDN'T MINGLE trying to save the planet. WITH HOMO SAPIENS Evidence of Neanderthal cave art in Europe sig- nificantly predates similar paintings by Homo Sapiens. Our extinct cousins also crafted tools THERE ARE ONLY 3 PHASES OF and ornaments out of stone and bone, made tar glue from birch bark that allowed them to attach MATTER: SOLID, LIQUID AND GAS wooden handles to stone tools, and cooked with You forgot a big one: Plasma. It’s easy to assume fire (though they may have relied on lightning solids are the most abundant form of matter in the strikes to start the flames). Perhaps, this intelli- cosmos, since we all live on a giant rock. But plasma is gence is what inspired early humans to mate actually far more abundant; stars, including the Sun, with the Neanderthals and Denisovans, are gigantic orbs of glowing plasma. There are other another early hominin species. sub-phases of matter, but solid, liquid, gas and plasma are the main ones. GOLDFISH CAN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING HOMO SAPIENS FIRST EMERGED 200,000 FOR LONGER YEARS AGO IN EAST AFRICA SUMMER IS WARM BECAUSE THE EARTH IS CLOSER TO THE SUN THAN A SECOND Groups of Homo Sapiens may have evolved at the same time all over The goldfish have been wrongly Africa, instead of one primary location, a 2018 paper had suggested. When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the maligned for years. They actually have A skull discovered in 2017 by archaeologists also indicated the theory Earth is not closer to the Sun. In fact, it’s a sharp memory. They can remember of evolution timespan as 300,000 years ago — further back from quite the opposite. The planet is at its farthest things for months, not seconds like what is previously thought. Not all of these groups would have looked point from the Sun during the summer. It is warmer many people assume. identical, but they may have been close enough to be considered during the summer because the Earth is tilted. Homo Sapiens. The groups would have interacted with one another While orbiting, our home planet’s tilt allows the Sun’s and migrated across the continent. So instead of first emerging in energy to hit us directly. one area in east or South Africa, and then spreading from there, dis- tantly-related groups of humans may have emerged across the conti- nent and could have become more similar over time. THE ASTEROID BELT IS DANGEROUS Movie scenes of spaceships flying through a dense field of THE TYRANNOSAURUS REX WAS A RUNNING, ROARING tumbling, colliding rocks are not realistic. The Asteroid Belt — a zone 200 to 300 million miles from the sun — is LIZARD LIKE THE ONE YOU SAW IN “JURASSIC PARK” an incredibly lonely and desolate void. In fact, if you Though a terrifying predator, the “king of the dinosaurs” probably did not roar or pulled all the asteroids in that belt together, they’d only sprint. The dinosaur's long stride could carry it as fast as 25 mph, but it never weigh about 4% of the mass of Earth’s moon. That’s why reached a suspended gait, since it always had at least one leg on the ground. A 2016 NASA gets really excited when it catches even one aster- study suggested that instead of roaring, the T. rex probably cooed, hooted, and made oid colliding with another. deep-throated booming sounds like the modern-day emu.

NOTHING MOVES FASTER THAN LIGHT Light moves at 299,792,458 metres per second in a vacuum, ENRICO FERMI CREATED but it slows down when it travels through various substances. For example, light moves 25% slower through water and THE ‘FERMI PARADOX’ 59% slower through diamond. Electrons, neutrons or neu- ABOUT THE EXISTENCE trinos can outpace photons of light in such media — though OF ALIENS they have to release energy as radiation when they do. The expanding fabric of space also once exceeded lightspeed Physicist Enrico Fermi once famously asked during the Big Bang, and physicists think wormholes and quan- “where is everybody?” after seeing a car- tum entanglement might defy the rule as well. toon featuring a flying saucer in 1950. Many people believe Fermi’s question — now known as the ‘Fermi Paradox’ — referred to the exis- tence of aliens. If other intelligent life inevitably arises, the logic goes, why haven’t we found any proof of it? DIAMONDS COME FROM COAL SHARKS CAN SMELL A DROP OF But Fermi was actually questioning the feasibility of Over the years it has been said that diamonds BLOOD FROM MILES AWAY travel between stars — not the outright existence of formed from the metamorphism of coal. But, this aliens, which is something he reportedly never doubted. Sharks have a highly-enlarged brain to smell odours, is untrue. Diamonds and coal are both made from The ‘Fermi Paradox’ as we know it today does question allowing them to detect as little as 1 part blood per 10 carbon, but most of Earth’s diamonds are much alien existence, but it’s not named after the people who billion parts water — roughly a drop in an Olympic-size older than its coal. Diamonds also form much actually advanced this concept. Those honours belong to swimming pool. On a very good day when the currents deeper in the Earth's high-pressure mantle, via a astronomer Michael Hart and physicist Frank Tipler, who are favourable, a shark can smell its prey from a few process that has nothing to do with coal. Coal, refined the idea in the 1970s and 1980s. football fields away. meanwhile, is found in the Earth’s crust. CLICK HERE: PAGE 3 AND 4 “I made mistakes in drama. I thought drama was when actors cried. FILMS.BOOKS.MUSIC But drama is when the audience cries.” FRANK CAPRA, director SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020 03

Pics: Istock Those familiar feel-good films… December is the month to re-watch movies that engulf us in a warm cocoon of cozy comfort. Start with these, then move on to your personal favourites wind blows, who doesn’t like a cuppa NEW YEAR’S EVE under the blankets and watch a few HONORARY MENTION: LOVE ACTUALLY movies that make us feel everything is (2011) going to be alright... This 2003 Christmas movie, directed Grant, Liam Neeson, Martin Freeman, For this week, we’ll talk about three Intertwining by British filmmaker Richard Curtis, Keira Knigtley, Laura Linney, Alan films directed by Garry Marshall, with stories is a cult classic. More so around Rickman, Emma Thompson, an ensemble cast, that are easy to re- promise love, Christmas. ‘Love Actually’ Andrew Lincoln, Colin Firth, Bill watch and gets us all into the mood for hope, too has an ensemble cast Nighy, Rowan Atkinson, Thomas some hygge (Nordic concept of cozy forgiveness, with nine intertwined Brodie-Sangster, comfort), and makes us smile long after second stories, where people Chiwetel Ejiofor, the film’s over. chances and examine the Martine McCutcheon, more for a complexities of love. Lucia Moniz, January number of The Jones, Claudia VALENTINE’S DAY New Yorkers ensemble Schiffer, Denise on New Year’s cast: Hugh Richards… (2010) eve. A rock In a series of star and his interconnected ex-lover clash stories, various at an exclusive party; a singer becomes Los Angeles stranded with a killjoy on the way to a New residents go Year’s gig; a nurse stays with a dying patient through the highs as he tries to hang on long enough to see and lows of love the ball drop in Times Square one last time. during a single The ensemble cast: Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert day. As the de Niro, Halle Berry, Ashton Kutcher, Zack Haimanti.Mukherjee mood of re-watching films that holiday unfolds, Effron, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Biel, told her parents that she has a family. A engulf us in a cocoon of familiar they experience Hillary Swank, Katherine Heigl, Jon Bon Jovi, widower is trying to raise two daughters on @timesgroup.com Ensemble happiness. first dates, Seth Meyers, Abigail Breslin, Alyssa Milano, his own. And a TV celebrity is too busy with cast: definition Perhaps, this year, we longtime commitments, youthful crushes Hector Elizondo, Ludacris, Sofia Vergara, her career to worry about having children. An ensemble is a group t’s that time of the have gone back to “that and connections to old flames. Carla Gugino… When their respective problems start of musicians, actors, or year when we go familiar feeling” with The ensemble cast: Julia Roberts, Bradley coming to a head, the Mother’s Day holiday dancers who regularly back to feel-good books and movies far Cooper, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Swift, Anne takes on a special meaning. perform together. In a movies. No matter more as everything else in Hathaway, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel, MOTHER’S DAY (2016) The ensemble cast: Julia Roberts, Jennifer movie, it comprises how many times and around our lives have Jamie Foxx, Emma Roberts, Shirley A stressed-out, single mom learns her ex- Aniston, Kate Hudson, Jason Sudeikis, celebrated stars coming Iwe’ve watched them, been uncertain. But in MacLaine, Patrcik Dempsey, Kathy Bates, husband is marrying a younger woman. Her Timothy Olyphant, Hector Elizondo, Shay together for one December gets us into the December, when the North Eric Dane, Hector Elizondo… friend, Jesse, is a fitness freak who hasn’t Mitchell, Jennifer Garner… movie MUSIC QUIZ: Why everyone must watch THREE REASONS WE’LL JOHN LENNON ‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’ MISS JOHN LE CARRÉ his black and white Hollywood John le Carré, who died aged 89, penned 25 novels over a Forty years after his classic will always be a gem be- cause of a simple message: We literary career dating back to 1961, selling some 60 million assassination, music legend don’t really understand the true and Beatles front man John Tmeaning of hope unless we’ve copies worldwide. Here’s why he was one of the world’s seen despair, up, close and personal. Leg- endary film critic, the late Roger Ebert, most favourite authors Lennon’s popularity has only had written about the film: “What is re- markable about ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is He showed us that not all spies were Bond: grown exponentially. Let’s get how well it holds up over the years; it’s one Before Le Carré came along, the portrayal of those ageless movies… that improves of the modern British spy in fiction was to know him a bit better with age. Some movies, even good ones, modelled after author Ian Fleming’s James John Lennon was born on 9 October 1940, during an should only be seen once. When we know Bond – suave, urbane, devoted to country. air raid on Liverpool. His parents gave him the middle how they turn out, they’ve surrendered But Le Carré’s protagonists – most notably, 1name Winston as a patriotic move. their mystery and appeal. Other movies George Smiley — were lonely, disillusioned Lennon has also recorded under the name Dr can be viewed an indefinite number of men whose work is driven by budget Winston O’Boogie, the Reverend Fred Ghurkin, Fred times. Like great music, they improve with Still from ‘The Spy Who Came In From The Cold’ troubles and bureaucratic power plays. 2Zimmerman, Johnny Rhythm and Mel Torment. familiarity.‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ falls in Though brilliant, Carré’s characters were John first published his writing in a home made the second category." e changed the way Cold War plump, ill-dressed and unafraid to use magazine called ‘The Daily Howl’. Lennon wrote two The story: Frank Capra’s 1946 Christmas thrillers were written: By cunning or manipulation get the work done. 3books of poetry and stories: ‘In His Own Write’ and ‘A classic is the story of a man named George showing treachery at the heart A brilliant wordsmith: The ‘Oxford English Spaniard In The Works’. Bailey,who has so many problems that he of MI6 Secret Intelligence Dictionary’ has credited the His first band was The Quarrymen, who started life is thinking about ending it all – and it’s Service, aka, British author with introducing as a skiffle (influenced by Blues, jazz) group at Christmas. As the angels discuss George, Hintelligence, Carré’s spy novels highlighted espionage terms such as 4Quarry Bank School in Liverpool. He’s also been in we see his life in flashback. As George is the moral ambiguities that played a big ‘mole’, ‘honey pot’ and The Silver Beetles, Johnny And The Moondogs, The Plastic about to jump from a bridge, somehow,he part in the battle between the Soviet Union ‘pavement artist’ to Ono Band and The Dirty Mac (with Keith Richards). ends up rescuing his guardian angel, and the West. For example, his 1965 novel popular English usage. Lennon didn’t pass his driving test until he was 25. Clarence. He then shows George what his ‘A Looking Glass War’ was a hit because His fans include US He didn’t drive much even after that, most famously town would have looked like if it hadn’t there were no heroes in the book. In President George H W 5crashing his white Mini on a trip to Scotland in 1969. been for all his good deeds over the years. another bestseller ‘The Spy Who Came in Bush and former British John met Paul McCartney at a church fete in from the Cold’ a British spy was sacrificed Prime Minister Margaret Woolton on 6 July 1957. Following the Beatles’ for an ex-Nazi turned-Communist, who was Thatcher. 6split, he referred to Paul as “an old estranged a British mole. fiance of mine”. X-MAS TERMS YOU DIDN’T KNOW EXISTED Lennon was very short sighted, but HOGAMADOG: A huge ball of snow built OBLATION: A gift presented or offered to “Intelligence work has one moral 7embarrassed to wear up by rolling a small ball of snow around God. law — it is justified by results.” his glasses. He wore contact a snowfield. NINGUID: Derived from Latin, it means —‘The Spy Who Came in from the Cold’ (1963) lenses during most of his BELLY-CHEER: To indulge in belly- a snow-covered landscape. time in The Beatles. cheer; feast; revel. YULESHARD: If you’ve left a lot of “The more identities a man has, Following his arrival YULE-HOLE: The loosest notch on work to be on Christmas night, you are in New York in 1971, your belt, reserved for Christmas feast- a Yuleshard. the more they express the person 8the FBI opened a file ing and belly-cheer. XENIUM: A gift given to the house- they conceal.” on Lennon, suspecting him KEDGE-GUTTED: Made to feel sick guest or host on Christmas. of trying to influence the through overeating. SCURRYFUNGE: To hastily tidy a —‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ (1974) nation’s youth with radical MOBLE: To wrap or muffle the head house before company arrives. politics. The extent of their of (as in a hood) LUCKY-BIRD: The first person “A desk is a dangerous place from surveillance wasn’t ICE-LEGS: The ability to keep across the threshold of your which to watch the world.” discovered until the one's balance while walking or home on New Year’s morning 1990s. skating on ice is the lucky-bird. –‘The Honourable Schoolboy’ (1977) — Source: radiox.co.uk

IVE BOOKS TO GET YOU ALEX RIDER STARTED SERIES by 3Anthony THE SPY Horowitz: A fantastic I SPY WITH MY SCHOOL series featuring a teen 1SERIES by James Bond type of Stuart Gibbs is spy. In the debut novel, about Ben ‘Stormbreaker’, Alex is Ripley, who recruited to find his really wants to uncle’s killers, and the LITTLE EYE be a CIA agent, adventure begins. then finds out HARRIET THE [email protected] intriguing story lines and stellar sleuthing. capitalists. A good spy fiction that his school SPY by Louise Over the years the genre has evolved with work is not only about being is actually a 4Fitzhugh: This ll bookworms are unique. While authors penning sleuthing adventures for a cool or being a rule secret CIA classic spy novel is some prefer wands, wizards and younger audience. For example English breaker… rather it training academy. about a girl who magic schools, there are others author Robert Muchamore’s ‘CHERUB’ series forces the reader to THE DOUBLECROSS: AND OTHER goes on a mission who relate to spies, secret about a (fictional) division of the British ask “What would I SKILLS I LEARNED AS A when she finds out intelligence agencies, and Security Service that employs children as do?” and to 2SUPERSPY by Jackson Pearce: her journal is Asolving real-world problems. Spy fiction is a intelligence agents, was a huge hit. respond Born to super stolen and her genre that can easily appeal to the intrigue- personally to spy parents, 12- peers learn the loving bookworm at your home. questions year-old Hale is unflattering things ETHICAL EXPLORATION with no right having difficulty she wrote about them! Another reason spy fiction is a great genre is or wrong passing the THE REAL SPY’S GUIDE TO WHY SPY FICTION? because it explores the grey areas of issues; answers. physical portion BECOMING A According to the Wikipedia page on the packs a strong moral message and presents of the test to 5SPY by Peter genre, espionage is an “important context realistic dilemmas. For example, in Anthony DID YOU KNOW? become a Earnest and or plot device” in spy fiction. Having Horowitz’s ‘Alex Rider’ series, the protagonist Roald Dahl Was a WW II secret agent as Suzanne Harper: emerged in the early twentieth century, spy Alex, would rather be a normal kid who does spy and fighter pilot before compared to This manual was fiction was a natural consequence of the homework instead of being an exhausted becoming a beloved children’s his super agile written by a real life rivalries and intrigues between the major teen super-spy tasked with saving the world. book author. Prior to writing ‘James sister. Together former CIA operative powers, and the establishment of modern One of the books in the ‘CHERUB’ series and the Giant Peach’, ‘Charlie and they find out and is full of goodies intelligence agencies. As a result the genre explores the rights, wrongs and grey areas of the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Matilda’, that their agency may not as for aspiring spies. is anchored in elements of adventure, violent environmental campaigners versus and more, Dahl was a member of “good” as it pretends to be. the air force and involved in a covert spy operation “Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength.” PHIL JACKSON, FORMER BASKETBALL PLAYER SIMPLY SPORTS 04 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2020 BBUULLLL’’SS EEYYEE From Hawkeye to Katniss Everdeen to Green Arrow, archery has landed PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES in the bull’s-eye of pop culture. Though it may seem easy, archery South Korea’s archers have won 39 Olympic requires precision, control, focus and determination. If you are curious medals, 23 of which are gold, and they've won about this exciting sport, keep reading every women’s (recurve) event since women’s archery joined the Olympics in 1988 at Seoul. The countries having at least one Olympics medal in archery are: South Korea, United States, Belgium, HISTORY RECURVE BOWS France, Great Britain, Italy, Archery is an ancient sport that has evolved China, former Soviet Union, Finland, a number of variations in format. It was first Recurve bows are the only kind of bow al- Ukraine, Australia, Netherlands, Spain, included in the Olympic Games in 1900. It was lowed in the Olympics. The recurve bow is Japan, Sweden, Chinese Taipei, Germany, also featured on the programme in 1904, 1908 the modern evolution of traditional bows and 1920, before a hiatus until 1972 when it that have been used around the world for Mexico, Poland, Indonesia and Russia. returned. It has remained on the Olympic Pro- thousands of years. The limbs curve away gramme ever since, with competition in men’s from the archer at the top, giving the “re- and women’s individual and team recurve curve” its name. Recurve bows consist of a archery. riser and two limbs that curve back away from the archer, linked by a bowstring that TOP RANKED PLAYERS- WOMEN Target archery is drawn with the fingers. Target archery is the most popular and recog- 1. Kang Chae-young (South Korea) nisable modern archery discipline thanks to its inclusion in the Olympic Games. It takes place There have been pushes to allow compound both indoors and outdoors, at distances of up bows in the Olympics, but none have been 2. Tan Ya-ting (Chinese Taipei) to 90 metres, using the well-known gold, red, successful. The compound bow is probably blue, black and white target faces. The sport of archery’s greatest technological advance- 3. Zheng Yichai (China) target archery combines skills of strength, pre- ments. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the com- cision. Target archery is practised in clubs in pound bow was born. A compound bow uses 4. Sugimoto Tomomi (Japan) over 150 countries around the world and is a a levering system — usually of cables and fast growing sport. pulleys — to bend the limbs. 5. An San (South Korea) India’s Deepika Kumari is ranked No. 9 in the recurve women’s category by the TOP RANKED PLAYERS- MEN TARGET World Archery Federation The object of archery is simple: to 1. Brady Ellison (USA) shoot arrows as close to the centre of a target as possible. Olympic archery 2. Lee Woo Seok (South Korea) targets are 122cm in diameter with a series of ten concentric scoring rings, 3. Kim Woojin (South Korea) separated into five colours. The inner colour, the gold, scores ten or nine 4. Mauro Nespoli (Italy) points. (The ‘ten’ measures just 12.2cm in diameter — about the size of an ap- 5. Mete Gazoz (Turkey) ple). Archers shoot at the target from a distance of 70m — which is the

wingspan of two medium-range Source: World Archery Federation planes sat side-by-side. The highest score for a single arrow is 10 for hit- ting the inner gold ring, while the least (for hitting the outer white ring) is one point.

ARCHERY - EQUIPMENT

The basic equipment required for archery in Olympic Shooting glove or finger tab: Leather cloth for pro- Games are as follows - tecting finger while releasing the arrow.

Armguard: A guard for protecting the arm from Fletching: To fly straight, a feather type material is bowstring when the arrow is being released. put at the end of each arrow.

Arrow: Arrows have maximum diameter of 9.3mm, Handle or hand grip: The bow handle. although most arrows around 5.5mm were used for a faster flight and a lower wind drift. Quiver: A container worn around the waist for holding the arrows. Bow: The draw weight of the bow for men should be around 22kg. For women, it’s around 17kg. Nock: The rear end of an arrow is attached with a plastic holder that keeps the bowstring in its posi- Bowstring: It is used for the bow. Mostly,the string tion. is made of high-tech polythene which is generally stronger than steel. Sight: A machine placed on the bow that aids the archer’s aim. Other name is bow sight. Chest guard: Plastic or leather is preferred, to put clothes away from the bowstring while releasing it. Stabiliser: Weight on the bow mounted to stabilise it during and after the shot.

Brady Ellison

INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION TEAM COMPETITION Athletes shoot 72 arrows, in ends of six, in a ranking round. Each team consists of three athletes of the same The athletes’ total scores are used to rank the athletes from one gender and from the same nation. to 64 and give each a seeding for the knock-out brackets. The combined ranking round score of the three Individual elimination matches see two athletes shoot against athletes in a team is used to rank the teams from one another.The loser leaves the competition and the winner ad- one to 12 and give a seeding for the knock-out vances to the next phase. The phases progress until two athletes brackets, which progress like the individual remain to contest the gold medal final. The two semifinal losers competition. compete for the bronze medal. Team matches are also decided using the set sys- Individual matches are decided using the set system. Each set tem, but each set consists of six arrows, rather than consists of three arrows. The athlete with the highest score in three. The team with the highest score in the set — the set – the total of their three arrows – receives two set points. the total of the six arrows — receives two set points. If the athletes are tied, each receives one set point. If the teams are tied, each receives one set point.

The first athlete to six set points wins the match. The first team to five set points wins the match.

ARCHERY TERMS

End– A round of arrows shot during an archery event before constantly nocked. the competition round. Competitors are not allowed to shoot more than six arrows. Release: To shoot the arrow from the bow at full draw.

Anchor point: A stable spot of the bowstring arm (on jaw/cheek) Drawing: To pull the cord that is fastened to the bow. while taking aim. Drawing fingers: The fingers that are used while dragging a Home: An arrow is said to be home when it is completely drawn bow. Most typically,the first three fingers. and all set to be shot. Draw length: The distance between the front of riser and the Holding: To maintain the bow and arrow in a constant position bowstring in the shooter’s fingers while at full draw. after the arrow has been drawn fully,just before releasing it. Hand shock: The tremor that is felt in the drawing hand while Nocking: The procedure of setting up the arrow on bowstrings releasing an arrow from the bow. while preparing to shoot. Kang Chae-young Bull’s eye: The nucleus of the target or the point which carries Nocking Point: A point on the bowstring where the arrows are the highest score points. Source: worldarchery.org, agencies Photos: GETTY IMAGES