Category - Issue 180: May 2021

There are so many cases that hospitals cannot cope.

COVID-19 has been going out of control in some parts of India, causing terrible suffering.

One mother with breathing problems was brought to a hospital in East Delhi. However, the hospital was full so she had to wait on a stretcher outside. “Her husband and daughter pleaded with the guards to allow her to be taken to the emergency ward so she could be given oxygen,” reported the Indian Express.

The 44-year-old woman was wheeled in only an hour later. It was too late. She died soon after.

Such scenes were repeated thousands and thousands of times over the past few weeks. In early May, the country had more new cases of the disease than the rest of the world combined. On some days, there were so many people dying that they could not be given proper funerals.

Why it got so bad

Most patients who catch COVID-19 can stay at home and take ordinary medicines. Those who are very sick or weak need to be treated in hospital.

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 attacks the lungs. Our lungs do amazing work: when we breathe, they draw oxygen from the air and absorb it into our blood.

Oxygen is needed to fuel all the work our bodies do, like the thinking in our brains and beating of our hearts.

Air contains 21 percent oxygen but this may not be enough when patients have a respiratory illness like COVID-19, making them struggle to breathe. Doctors can then give patients extra oxygen from a tank to make it easier for the lungs to do their work.

With this oxygen plus special medicines, even patients with bad symptoms can recover.

So, doctors and nurses know how to handle COVID-19 cases. Only around 2 percent die from the disease. However, because the virus spreads so easily, the disease can spin out of control, overwhelming hospitals. If there are too many cases at the same time, there will not be enough hospital beds, doctors, nurses, medicines and oxygen for all of them. This is what happened in India.

Experts say the government made a big mistake after the country got over the first wave of the epidemic last year. It relaxed rules and allowed big crowds to gather for religious and political events. It also did not prepare enough beds and supplies in case of a second wave. The country, with help from other goverments, is desperately trying to control the disease. Until that happens, things will be very difficult.

VOCAB BUILDER

overwhelming (say “oh-ver–well– ming”; adjective) = too powerful to handle.

respiratory (say “res-pi–ray–tri”; adjective) = to do with breathing.

symptoms (say “sim–tums”; noun) = the signs of an illness.

ZACHARY JOHN tells us about this historic event.

Last month, the US space agency NASA scored a big first. It controlled the flight of a robotic helicopter, called Ingenuity, on another planet — Mars.

“117 years after the Wright brothers succeeded in making the first flight on our planet, NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter has succeeded in performing this feat on another world,” said NASA Associate Administrator for Science, Thomas Zurbuchen.

Standing at 49cm and weighing 1.8kg, the pint-sized rotorcraft’s sole purpose is to test flight in the thin air of Mars. The solar-powered helicopter climbed to three metres, hovered for 30 seconds, and descended. While this might not seem like much on Earth, it was a huge step for space technology.

Designing for Mars

Gravity on Mars is only one third that of Earth’s, which should make flying three times easier. But, the atmosphere on Mars is very thin, with as little as 1% of the pressure experienced on Earth. This creates a major obstacle. Helicopters take flight using “lift” — they are carried by the air under their spinning blades. For a helicopter to take off in Mars’s thin atmosphere, it has to work very hard to generate enough lift.

To achieve this, Ingenuity had to be extra light. NASA engineers even used some handphone parts, which are also designed to be powerful but light. The helicopter also needed extra large rotor blades that spin very fast.

Another challenge was the remote control. On Earth, it is easy to operate a remote control vehicle because you can watch where it is and react immediately. Ingenuity’s engineers depend on videos that take some time to reach Earth. They cannot control the helicopter in real time. Instead, Ingenuity has to make its own decisions using its many sensors.

If Ingenuity’s mission is a success, scientists will be able to design other aerial robots to go and study the Red Planet. Scientists and space enthusiasts around the world eagerly await more information from the Perseverance and Ingenuity missions, as humans continue exploring the new frontier.

VOCAB BUILDER

pint-sized (say “pa-int saiz’d”; adjective) = very small.

aerial (say “ay-riel”; adjective) = operating in the air.

The pantun has been around for hundreds of years. NURUDIN SADALI introduces us to this traditional form of Malay poetry.

In traditional Malay culture, it was considered rude or uncouth to be too direct when talking to someone. For example, if a guest asked his host directly for water, it might embarrass his host because he did not offer his guest water before being asked for it. A polite guest would instead talk about how hot the day was, as a hint that he was thirsty. This indirect approach to communication is an important part of Malay culture. In the past, one way to politely and indirectly say something was to use pantun — a form of poetry.

Pantun allows speakers to politely communicate through figurative language and rhyme. It allows them to elegantly navigate social situations. This is especially useful when trying to express feelings or give advice. Pantun is often used in music and rituals, as well as to tell stories.

This traditional way of communicating is so special that UNESCO recently added pantun to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is the same recognition that has been given to Singapore’s hawker culture. The UNESCO programme aims to safeguard important elements of cultural heritage around the world.

The list includes traditional ceremonies, foods, music, and art from all over the world.

In a world that is becoming increasingly globalised, it is important that we preserve and celebrate these intangible cultural practices so that they are not lost.

History of the pantun

The oldest written pantun dates back to the 15th century. However, experts believe pantun to be even older than that. Pantun was traditionally shared orally, not written down, so it is nearly impossible to trace where and when it was first used.

What is certain, however, is that as the Malay language spread throughout Southeast Asia, so too did the pantun. While we in Singapore and Malaysia are most familiar with pantun written in Bahasa Melayu, pantun can also be found in the many other Malay dialects. For example, the Javanese, Minangkabau, and Batak ethnic groups in Indonesia all speak different dialects of Malay. In fact, pantun was introduced to Western poetry in the 19th century and has evolved into what we know today as the pantoum.

Pantun in Singapore

If Malay is your second language at school, you learn a little about pantun. Thankfully, there are organisations here working hard to preserve this and other aspects of Malay culture. Events organised by the Malay Language Council (MLC) such as Bulan Bahasa (Malay Language Month) and Rakan Bahasa (Friend of the Language) are held yearly.

These events showcase the many rich facets of Malay heritage and art such as pantun, calligraphy, and batik.

Some years ago, the MLC and the Ministry of Education (MOE) organised a pantun writing competition for primary school students to commemorate SG50. The best submissions were published in a book titled Pantun Anak Singapura (Pantun from the children of Singapore). You can probably find this collection in your school library. Check with your librarian to see if your school library carries it!

VOCAB BUILDER

elegantly (say “e-li-gent-lee”; adverb) = in a stylish and graceful manner.

globalised (say “glo-be-laiz’d”; adjective) = worldwide exchange of trade, culture, and ideas.

facets (say “fa-setz”; noun) = different aspects of something.

What is pantun?

Pantun can come in many different forms. They can be as short as 2 lines or as long as 16. The most common form consists of 4 lines.

A typical 4-line pantun follows an ABAB rhyme scheme. What this means is that the last syllable of the first line rhymes with the last syllable of the third line, and the second line rhymes with the fourth. Here are some examples:

A pantun by Munshi Abdullah, written in the 19th century:

Malay pantun
Singapura negeri baharu,
Tuan Raffles menjadi raja,
Bunga melur, cempaka biru,
Kembang sekuntum di mulut naga.

English translation
Singapore is a new country,
Sir Raffles has become ruler,
Jasmine flower, frangipani tree,
A blossoming flower in the dragon’s mouth

This pantun tells us of the founding of Singapore in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles. Scholars believe that the blossoming flower Mr Abdullah referred to in the pantun is Sir Stamford’s wife, Olivia.

This next two pantun (whose authors are unknown) showcase a unique trait of the pantun: the first and second halves have no apparent connection. In pantun like these, the punchline comes in the last two lines. This first pantun is a playful one which would have been used during romantic courtship.

Malay pantun
Dari mana punai melayang,
Dari paya turun ke padi,
Dari mana datangnya sayang,
Dari mata turun ke hati.

English translation
From where do pigeons fly?
From the swamps to the paddy fields;
From where do you come, my love?
From my eyes straight to my heart.

This next one is an example of how pantun can also be used as a way of giving advice.

Malay pantun
Anak dara menumbuk pandan,
Membuat kuih hidangan kenduri;
Ilmu yang baik jadikan teladan,
Segala yang buruk letak ke tepi.

English translation
Young ladies pounding pandan leaves,
Making kueh for a feast;
Good deeds and thoughts are exemplary,
Bad habits, set them aside.

The Olympic Games have had many uplifting moments, reports OMAR CHAUDHURI.

We remember the Olympic Games for the champions it produces. We recall the winners on the podium, with their national anthem playing loud and clear. However, many of the most inspiring stories from the Olympics come from the friendships it creates. The mixture of various nationalities and cultures has resulted in many significant moments throughout past Olympics.

Berlin 1936

The 1936 Berlin Olympics were a chance for German dictator Adolf Hitler to prove that his Aryan race was better than any other race. He hoped that those of African descent and Jewish athletes would prove his point by not doing well at the Olympics. Black American Jesse Owens, however, won four gold medals and made history.

What is less well-known is the connection that Owens had with one of his competitors, a white German named Luz Long. In the long jump competition, the biased German judges kept crying “foul” when Owen jumped. They claimed he was taking off too late. Luz Long saw what was happening and knew the judges were not being fair to Owen. He advised Owens to jump a few inches before the take-off spot so that even the biased German judges could not foul him. Owen took Long’s advice and went on to win the competition.

Owen later said, “You can melt down all the medals and cups I have and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long at that moment.”

Munich 1972

Unfortunately, there have been examples where different cultures have clashed at the Olympics, leading to terrible tragedies.

In Munich 1972, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September took members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage. The terrorists demanded that certain jailed Palestinians be released from Israeli prison. The hostage crisis ended in tragedy, with 11 Israeli athletes and coaches and one German police officer being killed. Incidents like these remind us that the Olympic spirit is always under threat. We need more people to display friendship across boundaries to make sure that this spirit is protected at all times during, before, and after the Games.

Seoul 1988

Singapore athletes do not have a great history at the Olympics, but they have been at the receiving end of an outstanding piece of sportsmanship, at Seoul 1988. Canadian Lawrence Lemieux was on course to win a medal in the sailing competition when he saw that two Singaporean sailors had been injured and thrown overboard because of the rough weather. He decided to stop racing and save the two sailors, pulling Joseph Chan and Shaw Her Siew onto his boat.

Having spotted that they were in trouble, Lemieux did not care that they were from another team. Saving the two men took a lot of time, and the Canadian could only finish in 22nd place. He had been in second place when he reached the accident. After the race, Lemieux was given second place and the Pierre de Coubertin Medal for Sportsmanship because of his heroics. “By your sportsmanship, self-sacrifice and courage, you embody all that is right with the Olympic ideal,” said International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

There was a more unusual act in the water in 1928. Australian rower Henry Pearce was midway through his quarterfinal race when he saw a family of ducks swimming single file across his path. He stopped to let them pass! Pearce went on to win the gold.

Barcelona 1992

One of the most inspiring moments of any Olympic Games came in Barcelona 1992, in the women’s 10,000m race.

White South African Elana Meyer and black Ethiopian Derartu Tulu broke away from the rest of the runners around the 6,100m mark. After a tight struggle, Tulu managed to break clear of Meyer just before the final lap and won the race by 30 metres. Tulu’s victory made her the first black woman to win an Olympic gold for an African country.

She waited at the finish line for Meyer and the two set off hand in hand for a victory lap. At the time, South Africa was ruled by a white government that had treated black people badly for decades. There had been much violence and bloodshed as a result. The country was changing for the better, but the people of South Africa needed hope that white people and black people could live together peacefully. The two runners showed the world that their friendship could overcome politics and racial tensions.

Atlanta 1996

There has perhaps never been a single Olympic team with more people from different cultures working together than the “Magnificent Seven” United States women’s gymnastics team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

The team featured Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Amanda Borden, and Jaycie Phelps. What was remarkable about this team was where they originally came from; there were four Caucasians, one European American, one Asian American, and one African America. All these women from various cultures could still work together. They won the first ever gold medal for the United States in the Women’s Team Competition when they were not even considered as a favourite to win.

Sydney 2000

Indigenous Australians, known as Aborigines, have had a difficult history with colonists. The colonists treated the Aborigines as inferior. As time passed, Australians realised that Aborigines should be treated as equals.

When the Olympics came to the country’s biggest city, Sydney, it was a chance to show off the new Australia in a grand way. Aboriginal athlete Cathy Freeman was given the honour to light the Olympic flame inside the stadium. This important tradition signalled the end of the torch relay and the start of the Games. It was an emotional moment for her, and for the whole country. Freeman would go on to win gold in the 400m during the Games.

Athens 2004

Britain’s Olympic team for the 2004 Games in Athens was incredibly diverse. Whilst some Britons do not entirely like seeing athletes of other races represent their country, all of them love a winner.

In 2004, they had many winners from all sorts of backgrounds. Boxer Amir Khan, whose family came from Pakistan, won Britain a silver medal in the lightweight class. Middle-distance runner Kelly Holmes, whose father was born in Jamaica and whose mother is English, went on to win gold in both the 800m and the 1,500m. Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish, Jason Gardener, and Mark Lewis-Francis were the four members of the winning men’s 4 x 100m team — and all came from immigrant families.

In celebrating all these successes, Britain showed the world that it is a multicultural nation that understands the Olympic spirit. This may have helped its capital city, London, win the right to host the 2012 Olympics.

Beijing 2008

The men’s 200m final in the Beijing Olympics is mostly remembered for Usain Bolt’s astonishing world record time win, the second of what would be eight gold medals for the Jamaican. He originally won by over half a second ahead of Churandy Martina and Wallace Spearmon, but both were disqualified for running slightly outside their lanes. American Shawn Crawford, who came fourth, was given the silver medal instead.

Crawford, however, felt that the punishment to the other athletes was unfair, and sent a package to Martina. When Martina opened it, he found Crawford’s silver medal, with a note: “I know this won’t replace the moment, but I want you to have this, because I believe it’s rightfully yours!”

Medals mean a lot to Olympians; Crawford showed sportsmanship to accept that he may not have deserved his.

Rio 2016

Although fighting in the Korean War ended in 1953, no peace treaty was ever signed, meaning North and South Korea are still technically at war. A famous photo at the 2016 Olympics, however, showed that friendship could exist between the two countries, with athletes connecting in one of the most modern ways possible.

In training before the start of the gymnastics competition, Lee Eun-ju of South Korea and Hong Un-jong of North Korea took a selfie together. Both athletes were getting ready to compete in the biggest competition of their lives but came together to capture a smiling memory of their time in Rio. While the politics between the two countries was tense, the universal joy of taking a selfie was too hard for the gymnasts to resist.

VOCAB BUILDER

24-carat (say “twen-ti for ka-ret”; noun) = a measure of pure gold.

indigenous (say “in-de-ge-nus”; adjective) = the first people living there.

colonists (say “ko-lo-nists”; noun) = people who colonise or settle in a new country.

ZACHARY JOHN tells us why electric vehicles are getting more popular.

German car manufacturer Volkswagen’s attempt at an April Fool’s joke backfired recently. The company announced on its website that it would change its name to “Voltswagen” as part of their push to go electric. Volt, as you may know, is a measure of electric force: you will see “1.5 volts” or “1.5V” stamped on standard batteries, for example.

Many people believed the announcement, so the company was forced to issue a statement saying it was just a joke. Environmentalists were annoyed because they feel that the push for electric vehicles is no laughing matter.

To make matters worse, Volkswagen had a bad record in protecting the environment. In 2014, Volkswagen was caught cheating on its emissions tests: it claimed that its cars were less polluting than they actually were.

Although environmentalists have not forgotten the company’s past misbehaviour, Volkswagen has been very serious about investing in electric vehicles. It says it wants to overtake Tesla as the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer.

It is not just Volkswagen that is taking the electric route. Experts say it will not be long before electric vehicles are more widely used around the world than diesel or petrol cars. This is because electric battery prices are falling and the technology is improving very quickly.

In 2020, global sales of electric cars grew by more than 40 percent, while the rest of the vehicle market slumped. In Norway last year, more electric cars were sold than those with petrol, diesel, and hybrid engines combined. This was largely because the government rewarded those buying electric vehicles by giving them hefty subsidies.

Cheaper and better

“There’s been a tipping point in Norway. Consumers voted with their wallets,” Tim Lenton, a professor who specialises in climate change, told The Guardian.

A recent survey in Britain showed that three in four drivers said electric vehicles were still too expensive. Professor Lenton’s research shows that people will turn to electric vehicles in large numbers as soon as prices dip close to regular vehicle prices. Recharging an electric car is much cheaper than filling the tank of a petrol vehicle. The problem is that it usually costs more to buy an electric car.

Experts say electric vehicles are only going to get cheaper, and not just in Norway. Bloomberg analysts predict electric cars will be able to match the price of petrol or diesel cars by 2023. The reason? The falling price of lithium-ion batteries. While a 30kWh battery for a small car cost US$30,000 (S$39,800) about 10 years ago, such a battery pack costs just US$4,100 (S$5,400) today. The price is expected to keep falling.

Despite the initial challenges, governments, car manufacturers, and consumers around the world are quickly shifting lanes towards the silent, rapid, and green alternative to the cars we know.

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The improvements in electric vehicles’ technology not only make them greener, but also more powerful machines. Today’s electric cars can pick up speed much faster than conventional cars. A Tesla Model 3, the most basic Tesla, can go from 0 to 100kmh in 3.1 seconds, like a Porsche 911 Turbo — at just a third of the price.

Electric vehicles are not only extremely quick but also silent. There are many videos on YouTube showing people shocked by the electric vehicles’ silent approach!

No wonder then that electric cars are here to stay. In a recent poll, more than 90 percent of electric car users said they would never go back to using conventional vehicles.

VOCAB BUILDER

backfired (say “bak fa-yerd”; verb) = had an unintended bad effect.

conventional (say “kon-ven-she-nel”; adjective) = traditional or ordinary.

subsidies (say “sub-si-dees”; noun) = money given by the government to reduce how much buyers have to pay for something. The verb is subsidise (say “sub-si-dyz”).

slumped (say “slamp’d”; verb) = had a big drop.

Activity

Funny or not?

1. Why did some people find Volkswagon’s “Voltswagen” joke not funny at all?

2. How funny is the joke to you? On this scale of one to five, circle your rating in red.

3. Ask four friends how funny they found the Voltswagen joke. Circle their individual ratings on the scale.

4. Looking at the five ratings, speculate about what makes jokes funnier to some people than to others.

5. The emissions test incident was no joke. In your view, will Volkswagen’s electric cars repair its bad image for having cheated on emissions tests?

What’s Up teams up with TIMES READS to bring you an interesting book each month. Every story reflects a value that is part of your Character and Citizenship Education (CCE).

Jake is the guy who is friends with everybody in school. He fist-bumps every kid he meets. He has a friendly word for everyone, from Mr Lyons the vice-principal to Mr Schroeder the janitor. He even charms the school bully into being his friend. Jake is the coolest kid in Riverview Middle School.

Jake is not the smartest kid, though. He is just not into “learning stuff”. He goes to school to hang out with friends and have a good time. If he needs to know anything, he just looks it up on his smart phone.

“Jake McQuade, you are the laziest kid in the world,” his best buddy Kojo tells him. Kojo is super brainy and always gets top marks for all his assignments.

“Slothfulness? That’s my superpower,” Jake says, grinning. It is time for Math class, but Jake prefers to play the new game he has on his phone. “You wanna go hang out in the cafeteria?” he asks Kojo.

The cafeteria, like the rest of Riverview Middle School, is somewhat shabby. The broken-down chillers hold a few sad cartons of chocolate milk. The rows of school lockers just beyond are too dented to be locked. And, the dirty walls can definitely do with a fresh coat of paint. If only the school had more money.

Jake’s mother has to work one evening. She is coordinating a big event at the hotel Imperial Marquis. She texts Jake with instructions to fix dinner for himself and his little sister, Emma. But, Jake gets an idea that will require less work.

“If Mom has a big event at the hotel, that means there’s a ton of food. Come on, Emma, we’re taking the bus downtown!”

Jake is friends with the hotel kitchen staff, who are happy to give him and Emma a free meal. As they wait for their food at the little room behind the banquet hall, Jake spies a jar of colourful jellybeans on the table. Jake takes a fistful and gobbles them up. Unknown to him, these are not ordinary sweets. These are the world’s first Ingestible Knowledge Pills.

On the bus home, Jake starts to spout facts about everything he sees. Pointing to the chocolate mousse cake that Emma has packed to bring home, he tells Emma all about the origins of chocolate and how it reached France. He then goes on to talk expertly about French cuisine.

Emma stares at Jake. “How do you know all this stuff?”

With his new-found brilliance, Jake is roped in to help the two top brains in his school, Kojo and Grace, solve an old pirate’s riddle. Legend has it that there is treasure buried under the school building. Whoever solves the riddle will get to the treasure. Surely Riverview Middle School can use the money!

There is just one problem. The complex riddle is written in Spanish. And, when it comes to understanding Spanish, the jellybeans are of no help. How will Jake help his friends crack the code? Read The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein to find out.

– Reviewed by NG SOCK LING

Activity

Contest: If I were Jake

Jake is the coolest guy in school, but not the smartest. Jake is just too lazy to learn anything. One day, Jake gobbles up some jellybeans left on a table. They were not ordinary sweets — they were Ingestible Knowledge Pills! They turn Jake into the smartest kid in the universe. With his new-found brilliance, Jake is roped in to help his friends Grace and Kojo solve an old pirate’s riddle that could save his school. The problem is that the riddle is written in Spanish. And, the jelly beans are of no help with Spanish. If you were Jake, what would you do?

1. Email your note to ourcontest@whatsup.sg.

2. Include your full name, class, and school in your email.

3. Contest deadline: 16 June 2021.

You could win a copy of The Smartest Kid in the Universe!

OMAR CHAUDHURI explains some of the traditions you can expect to see at the next Olympics.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. Over the last 120 years, the Games have created and developed many traditions and symbols. People like these traditions because many of them are unique to the Olympics, and make the event feel special.

Opening ceremony

This has become a spectacular occasion. The opening ceremony also celebrates the wonders of the host nation. Organisers spend millions of dollars on the ceremony because it is a chance to show off the history and traditions of that country.

After this, every competing country enters the stadium in the “parade of nations”. Greece always leads the parade because the Olympics originated in Greece. The host nation is always last. For each country, one athlete gets to hold that country’s flag; this is a big honour.

If we get to see the opening ceremony in Tokyo this year, we can be hopeful that the games will not be too affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rings

The most famous symbol of the Olympics is the Olympic rings. They represent the five continents of Europe, Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. The rings also interlock; some people say this symbolises the world coming together. The rings symbol was first created in 1912 for the Stockholm Olympics.

The flame

The idea of a flame came from the ancient Olympics nearly 3,000 years ago — a fire burned during the entire event.

The modern-day flame is lit in Greece just as it was in ancient time, using the sun’s rays. The flame is then carried by a torch on a relay across the host country. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, very few spectators are seeing it in Japan this time.

The relay ends at the opening ceremony, where the Olympic cauldron is lit. Lighting the cauldron is a big honour. Sometimes, famous athletes like Muhammad Ali have done it, but not always. In 2012, it was seven young athletes who got the London Olympics started.

Medals

The biggest honour is, of course, winning a medal for one’s country. In the very first Olympics, the winner would receive a silver medal and an olive wreath. However, that tradition changed in 1904 when gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to the people or teams who came first, second or third in their events.

We are also used to seeing medals being placed around winners’ necks. However, this tradition did not start until 1960. Before then, the medal was attached with a pin and ribbon to the athlete’s chest. At the medal ceremony, the national anthem of the winning country is played. You will often see the athlete crying with joy at this point — hearing your anthem at the Olympics is an incredible feeling after many years of hard work.

Mascots

Away from the sport, the host city celebrates the Olympics in many ways. The official poster has become a big part of the Games and is often the image people remember in years to come. The summer games have also had mascots since 1972. In Tokyo, the mascots are called Miraitowa and Someity. Miraitowa combines the Japanese words for “future” and “eternity”, while Someity is named after the cherry blossom, a tree that is famous in Japan.

Motto

One thing that stays the same across all the Olympics is the Latin motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius. In English, this means Faster, Higher, Stronger. It was created by Pierre de Coubertin, who was also very influential in creating the modern Olympics 120 years ago. What is interesting is that the motto mentions nothing about winning; it is all about trying to do better. Unsurprisingly, Coubertin supported this attitude. He felt the most important thing was not to win, but to take part.

Indeed, very few athletes will experience the joy of winning at the Olympics. In Tokyo, there could be as many as 11,000 athletes, but there will only be around 1,000 medals to be won. However, all the athletes will get a chance to enjoy the traditions of the Games. This is something very few people get to experience. The Olympics is not all about glory and success; it is also about taking part to add to 120 years of remarkable history.

VOCAB BUILDER

spectacular (say “spek-tek-kiu-ler”; adjective) = dramatic and eye-catching.

cauldron (say “kol-dren”; noun) = a big metal pot.

ZACHARY JOHN shares some unusual news from around the world.

Serious Lego

When I was a child, Lego meant hours of building fun for me — and many plastic pieces to be put away after that. Now, a man in Vietnam, Hoang Dang, has created a studio that looks like many children’s dream. With what looks like millions of Lego pieces crammed into drawers stacked floor to ceiling on all four walls of his workshop, Mr Hoang recreates Vietnamese scenes in intricate detail. One scene made up of 5,000 pieces can take Mr Hoang up to five months to complete. “I often spend a whole evening to look for just that one brick,” Mr Hoang told Reuters. While Mr Hoang hopes to contribute to the growth of the serious-Lego community in Vietnam, he mainly uses Lego as a means to rest and relax. “Building Lego helps us to recharge our creative energy after working on long and tiring projects,” he said.

A water-tight case

Taiwan is in the midst of its worst drought in over 50 years. With no seasonal typhoons and unusually little rain, more than one million households and businesses are on water rationing programmes. For one Taiwanese man, however, the drought has brought fantastic news. More than a year ago, the man — identified by Taiwan News only as Mr Chen — was paddle boarding in the famous Sun Moon Lake. He accidentally dropped his then brand-new iPhone 11 into the water. The phone was in a water-tight case. However, the lake was too deep for Mr Chen to recover the phone. With the drought, the Sun Moon Lake has now dried into an arid mud puddle. Mr Chen’s iPhone 11 was found! Though the case was encrusted in mud, the phone survived. Mr Chen posted on Facebook that after charging it, his phone was as good as new.

No classmates, just tombstones

As a place with both tests and bullies, school can be a very scary place for some kids. Imagine, though, if you had to go to a cemetery instead. For Neydi Alanoca, a primary school student in Bolivia, going to school does mean going to a cemetery. With classes still online, Neydi has no choice but to follow her mother to work at a local cemetery. There, Neydi can use the free wifi and her mother’s handphone to take part in virtual classes. “Because of the situation we are in, I have to bring her to work,” Neydi’s mother, Jeanete Alanoca, told Reuters. On the bright side, at least her new “classmates” are very quiet and do not disturb her.

Singing low

For many musicians, life is a series of highs and lows. However, for Canadian singer Joy Chapman, it is all about getting lower and lower. Last month, Ms Chapman was awarded the Guinness World Record for performing the lowest note recorded by a female singer. She tried many times but ran into technical difficulties. Ms Chapman finally managed to perform a C1 note, at 33.57Hz, while singing into a microphone connected to specialised sound technology. C1 is the first “C” note on a piano — the one on the extreme left-hand side of a keyboard. The lowest audible frequency is 20Hz, and the experience of that would be more like a vibration than a sound. Ms Chapman’s world record performance, which is on YouTube, sounded like thunder rumbling. As a sound enthusiast, I found Ms Chapman’s “singing” interesting, if not pleasant.

Intruder cleans up

It was past midnight when Yana Syndor was woken up by a sound in her house. “I heard it over my meditation music, ‘Boom, boom, boom’,” Ms Syndor told KOVR-TV. She frantically texted her friends that someone was in her house, and they told her to call the police. Quietly, Ms Syndor dialled 911 before hiding in her closet with her daughter. The police arrived and broke Ms Syndor’s door down, only to find the “intruder” rolling around her living room. It was the Syndor family’s robot vacuum cleaner. An embarrassed Ms Syndor told KOVR-TV her son had put it on without her knowing. “We hadn’t used this vacuum in almost two years,” she said. At least this intruder cleans up after itself.

VOCAB BUILDER

audible (say “o-di-bel”; adjective) = able to be heard.

drought (say “draut”; noun) = a long time with very little or no rain.

Singing low

Watch Joy Chapman set the world record for singing the lowest note.

Serious Lego

Take a tour of Hoang Dang’s Lego workshop.

Brazil has one of the world’s highest numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths, no thanks to their president. ANNABELLE LIANG reports.

When the number of COVID-19 cases started rising last year, many countries including Singapore went into lockdown. Their leaders took the virus seriously. They wore face masks and asked the public to do the same.

In most countries, schools conducted lessons online so that students could stay safe at home. People did not go to their workplaces unless it was necessary. Places where large groups gathered, such as cinemas, were closed. These countries have mostly had fewer cases since. They are now vaccinating their populations, and opening their borders to more visitors.

However, things are getting worse in Brazil. The country has over 14 million infections and around 400,000 deaths. One reason why the numbers are so large is that Brazil is a huge country. With more than 200 million people living there, its population is almost 40 times the size of Singapore.

However, experts say that Brazil should not have been so badly hit. They blame the president, Jair Bolsonaro, for letting things get out of control.

Mr Bolsonaro has refused to put Brazil under lockdown. He said the virus was “just a little flu” and told businesses to stay open. He has also broken official guidelines asking people to stay a distance away from others in public.

Mr Bolsonaro has attended anti-lockdown rallies. At one rally, he grasped the hands of people next to him and raised them up to the cheering crowd. Later on, he posed for pictures with the crowd and lifted children in the air. Such stunts went against the health authorities’ instructions that people should keep a safe distance from one another. At another event, Mr Bolsonaro did push-ups with men in military outfits. “Above all, (people) want freedom. They want democracy, they want respect,” he said in a video that was posted online.

Leaders like Mr Bolsonaro are known as “populists” — more interested in being popular by being entertaining and telling supporters things that make them happy in the short term, instead of actually solving problems.

Unwise leadership

Mr Bolsonaro’s actions were unwise. People need leaders like him for guidance on how to respond to the virus. Because of the way he was acting, many went on with life as usual. It appeared as though the virus was not dangerous. This was far from the truth.

The virus spread. Hospitals were packed with the sick and dying who needed help. “It’s not a flu. It’s the worst thing we have ever faced in our professional lives,” Jacques Sztajnbok said in an interview with CNN. Dr Sztajnbok works at the intensive care unit at the Emilio Ribas Infectious Disease Institute in Sao Paulo. Even as he treats patients, he worries about his own health.

Many hospitals have had to turn patients away. They are running out of beds, oxygen supplies, and medication. This has taken a toll on staff.

“It creates a great sense of guilt among healthcare workers,” said Rita Prieb, a psychologist at the Clinical Hospital of Porto Alegre. “They think, ‘I chose one and left behind the other.’”

“Only people who have seen it know,” Diego Vieira told The Washington Post newspaper. “The patient dies… begging for air, looking at you with desperation in search of help. But, if I don’t have oxygen, how can I help?” Dr Vieira’s clinic in the state of Ceara had run out of resources. He had to choose between sending a young man or an elderly woman for treatment at the hospital.

“And then, imagine spending 24 hours on a shift, only to leave the hospital and see people on the streets — drinking, talking, getting together in big groups, as if nothing is happening,” Dr Vieira added.

The road ahead

It is a difficult road ahead for Brazil. President Bolsonaro is still against a lockdown. He fears that it would affect the economy. But, not having one has arguably made things worse. More people are lining up in the slums, or favelas, for food handouts every day.

In the Heliopolis favela, households receive a bowl of pasta with meat, a portion of rice, two packets of biscuits and a carton of milk. This is usually their only meal.

“The vast majority of people who live in the favelas work in the informal economy, as cleaners in homes or helping to bake cakes,” said Marcivan Barreto, who manages handouts in the favela and other areas. “So, when businesses close or houses stop using them, they feel the impact.”

There are small glimmers of hope. Some Brazilian states have imposed lockdowns of their own without Mr Bolsonaro’s support. The country has also begun to vaccinate the elderly. However, Brazil is now dealing with a new variant of the virus as well. Vaccines may be less effective against this new variant.

“The new P1 variant is much more transmissible, and very probably it is also much more aggressive. And, it is contaminating a lot of young people,” said Margareth Dalcolmo, a pneumologist and researcher at the Fiocruz Institute.

VOCAB BUILDER

psychologist (say “sai-ko-lo-jist”; noun) = someone who studies the human mind, emotions, and behaviour.

pneumologist (say “new-mo-lo-gist”; noun) = a specialist in diseases affecting our breathing.

Japan hopes to beat the COVID-19 pandemic and go ahead with the Tokyo Olympics in July. OMAR CHAUDHURI looks back at the history of this global event.

The modern Olympic Games started in 1896, but it was the Greeks in ancient times who came up with the idea of a competition across multiple sports. There are two competing myths of how the ancient games began.

One is about King Oeomaus who challenged any man to ride away with his daughter, Hippodamia, on a chariot without getting killed by King Oeomaus himself. Many failed, but a man named Pelops managed to sabotage the axle on the king’s chariot. He rode away with the daughter whilst the king’s chariot collapsed. Pelops hosted a wedding celebration that included athletic games. Some regard this occasion to be the first Olympics.

The other story concerns Heracles, son of Zeus. A Greek goddess named Hera forced Heracles into killing his children. To redeem his honour, he served King Eurystheus, who ordered him to do twelve tasks for him. After completing the tasks, Heracles supposedly organised the Olympic games to celebrate his fifth labour, in which he had to clean horse stalls. In holding this event, he was thanking Zeus for helping him to complete the task. Both these stories are set in Olympia.

Although the exact date is disputed, it is set around 776 BC. There were only men at the games. The athletes competed in the nude; the beauty of their nakedness reflected the inner harmony and balance of their body and mind. These events brought together athletes from Africa, Spain, and Greece. 

Modern Olympics

The modern Olympics began in 1896. The whole idea of reviving the Greek tradition was sparked by the discovery of Olympia, the ancient Olympic home.

Many people became interested in the ancient city, and the games that went on there. One of them was Pierre de Coubertin, a French educator. On 23 June 1894, he proposed a radical idea to start the modern Olympics. Soon an official organisation, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was formed, leading to the staging of the first modern Olympics in Athens two years later. Over 300 athletes from 14 nations competed in this grand event.

The summer Olympics has continued every four years — except for breaks for world wars — ever since.

Olympic symbols

The Olympics is not just a sporting event but signifies a deeper and broader meaning to the world. Three things symbolise the Olympics: the five rings, the motto, and the torch. The five interlacing rings represent the five continents — Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. They show the universality and unity of the Olympics and the meeting of athletes from across the world.

The motto in Latin is Citius, Altius, Fortius, which means swifter, higher, stronger. It encourages all athletes to give their best and strive for personal excellence.

The torch is lit in the ancient city of Olympia, in front of the ruins of the Temple of Hera. The only way the torch can be lit is by the sun’s rays. It is then passed in a relay fashion to Athens, and then to its destination, the host city. The flame is only extinguished at the end of the games. 

Traditions

There are common traditions and events that the modern Olympics have with the ancient Olympics. The marathon is inspired by the long journey of a Greek soldier in 490 BC and was introduced in the modern Olympics. However, running was a common tradition across both eras. In the first ancient Olympics, there was a foot race lasting about 200 yards, and now we have all kinds of running events.

The pentathlon existed in both the modern and ancient games, but is very different in its structure today. In ancient times, the events were discus, jumping, javelin, running, and wrestling. In the modern games, the events are pistol shooting, epee fencing, swimming, riding, and cross-country running.

The similarities are not just in the sport. The modern Olympics has elaborate opening and closing ceremonies. The ancient Olympics had many ceremonies throughout the competition. Since the ancient Olympics was done in honour of Zeus, one of the main ceremonies in the ancient games was to swear in front of Zeus’ statue that the athletes would compete in the games fairly.

There is no money at stake in the Olympics, just pride for representing one’s nation. The games are not about beating your opponent, it is about competing together. One hundred and twenty-five years on from when the Olympics was born — and one year later than planned — it arrives in Tokyo for the second time, making it only the third city to host the Olympics multiple times. From a mere 14 countries in 1896, to over 200 nations in 2021, the Olympics is the jewel in the crown of all sporting events. 

VOCAB BUILDER

sabotage (say “se-bo-taj”; verb) = destroy or damage something to gain an advantage over one’s competitor.

pentathlon (say “pen-teth-lon”; noun) = an athletic event with five different sports for each competitor.