Culture
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‘It’s MY car now and I live here!’
Do we love humans more than animals? Every year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year award shows us the very best pictures of the animal kingdom, from chasing cheetahs to curious raccoons.
- Culture
- Reading Band 5
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The woman who can see into the future
Is Margaret Atwood a prophet? She seems to have predicted recent attacks on women’s rights, President Trump, and the climate crisis. Yet she insists she sees only the present, not the future.
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Top writer imagines going back 500 years
Does life always get better? In a new thriller out this week, Robert Harris imagines that modern civilisation has collapsed and history has to start again. Our luxuries are just dim memories.
- Culture
- Reading Band 11
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Have your say in Earth’s message to the stars
If aliens call, what should we say? Scientists are asking the public how — and if — we should reply to a message from intelligent life. The decision could change the course of human history.
- Culture
- Reading Band 11
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Teen heroes amaze, delight and spark hope
Do teenagers deserve more respect? From Coco to Greta, the news is suddenly full of amazing young people. Yet, grown ups often think teenagers are lazy and selfish.
- Culture
- Reading Band 5
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Toy Story 4 explores what it means to be alive
Why are we alive? This is the surprisingly serious question posed by a new character in Toy Story 4, which is released today. The film tells the story of a spork that comes to life.
- Culture
- Reading Band 14+
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Jay-Z is the world’s first hip-hop billionaire
Is hip-hop the most exciting style of music? Rap legend Jay-Z has been named the world’s first hip-hop billionaire. He started life in one of New York’s roughest neighbourhoods…
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Meet the woman who might be Shakespeare
Was Shakespeare a woman? For centuries, scholars have puzzled over Shakespeare’s true identity. Now, there is a new contender: Emilia Bassano, England’s first-published female poet.
- Culture
- Reading Band 11
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Eurovision: the ultimate battle of the bands
Is Eurovision silly or serious? Tomorrow, around 200 million people will tune in to watch the grand final of the world’s most outrageous singing competition: the Eurovision Song Contest.
- Culture
- Reading Band 14+
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‘Carry your heart like an egg on a spoon’
Those are the beautiful words of Simon Armitage, the UK’s new poet laureate, announced this week. Poetry will never be mainstream, he says, but today it is more relevant than ever.
- Culture
- Reading Band 11
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Scottish museum to stop calling ships ‘she’
Is this a good idea? For hundreds of years, sailors have called their ships “she”. Now, the Scottish Maritime Museum has decided to “move with the times” and call them “it” instead.
- Culture
- Reading Band 8
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Secrets and wisdom of The Avengers
Avengers: Endgame has finally hit cinemas, a year after the devastating losses caused by the villain Thanos. The film ends over a decade of epic superhero films. What have they...
- Culture
- Reading Band 14+
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Emojis have a history going back 5,000 years
Will we all write in emojis soon? A new British Library exhibition looks at the history of writing, starting with hieroglyphs and ending with emojis. They have more in common than you might...
- Technology
- Culture
- Reading Band 8
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Hope rises from the ashes of Notre Dame
Can France recover? For 855 years, Notre Dame Cathedral has watched over the city of Paris. The worst fire in its history has triggered an outpouring of shock and grief.
- Culture
- Reading Band 14+
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An amazing new Van Gogh exhibition just opened
Is Vincent Van Gogh the greatest artist in history? A major new exhibition of his work has opened at the Tate Britain in London. Who is Van Gogh and why is he so popular?
- Culture
- Reading Band 11