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Name____________________________________________________________Date_________________#___Homework (P)Week of January 7thRemember your homework is due January 14th. A great way to keep organized is to check off the assignments you finish. This will help you remember what you have completed and what you still have to do. Please staple your packet together before you turn it in. Monday, January 7Read for 20 minutes. Fill out your reading log.Write for 20 minutes. Fill out your writing log.Tuesday, January 8Read for 20 minutes. Fill out your reading log.Math Vocabulary Review CrosswordWednesday, January 9Read for 20 minutes. Fill out your reading log.Write for 20 minutes. Fill out your writing log.Math Page (do only ?)Thursday, January 10Read for 20 minutes. Fill out your reading log.Write for 20 minutes. Fill out your writing log.Math Page (do the other ?)Friday, January 11Read for 20 minutes. Fill out your reading log.Current Event – Read one of the current events provided (“Incredible Journey” or “Stopping an Invasion”). Write a summary about the article. I expect to see text marking on the article and a summary that includes correct punctuation and capitalization.Incredible JourneyAmelia, 17, made it all the way to the South Pole—on skis!By Sarah Jane Brian | 2010-2011Amelia Hempleman- Adams huddled in her tent, trying to sleep. The temperature was -35 degrees?Celsius. Wind whipped across the frozen land, making it feel even colder. The icy gusts made the tent flap and even move a little at times.It was November 2011. Amelia had bravely joined a group of adventurers on the trip of a lifetime. The group?trekked?97 miles on skis and on foot across one of the coldest places on Earth. On December 9, Amelia, then 16, became the youngest person ever to ski to the South Pole.A FAMILY ADVENTUREThe trip was very dangerous. At extremely cold temperatures, it takes only a few minutes for?frostbite?to set in when skin is bare. That can cause someone to lose a finger or a toe.The team had to bring all the gear and food they would need. The nearest people were miles away.Luckily for Amelia, she was traveling with an expert: her father, David. He is an adventurer who has gone on dozens of trips to places like Antarctica and the North Pole.Before the trip, Amelia’s dad helped her gather all the gear she would need. Special clothing included layers of socks and gloves, scarves, hats, a snowsuit, and giant snow boots. “I walk a bit like an astronaut in them,” says Amelia.COLD TRAININGJust gathering gear wasn’t enough to prepare, though. Amelia had to learn how to survive in an icy wilderness. She had to practice setting up a tent, cooking, and even going to the bathroom!So before Amelia and her dad left, they practiced. How? By camping out in the coldest place they could find close to their home in England. They went to the deep-freeze room in a supermarket called Iceland.“It was funny because all around us were boxes of frozen fish fingers and turkeys,” says Amelia. “We were there with our tent, sleeping bags, stove, and other equipment.”OFF TO ANTARCTICAWhen they were ready to begin their trip, Amelia and her dad flew from England to Chile, a country in South America. From there, they flew to Union?Glacier?in Antarctica.“It was so bright and so cold, I knew I was in Antarctica,” says Amelia.The group had one more flight on a tiny plane. Then they began their trek on skis, sometimes walking. They started from a spot where an early explorer, Ernest Shackleton, had to turn back during a trip across Antarctica in 1909.It was 97 miles to their goal, the South Pole. All around them was empty sky and icy land. “You can’t imagine being in such a lonely place until you’re actually there,” says Amelia. “It’s just you and the team and the elements for as far as you can see.”17 NIGHTS ON THE ICEThere were many things to get used to. The sun never sets at that time of year in Antarctica. That meant that sunlight streamed into the tents all night long. Plus, Amelia’s dad snores. That made it even harder for her to sleep.Each team member had to pull a heavy?sledge?full of gear. By the end of the day, Amelia’s shoulders ached. One day, it was so cold, the sunglasses she was wearing caused a “cold burn” on her nose.Another day, the group hit a whiteout. Snow was blowing so thickly that they could barely see. “That was scary,” recalls Amelia. “You have to put your head down and follow the sledge in front of you.” But the hardest thing for her was missing her friends back home.After 17 nights, the group reached the South Pole. “It was simply amazing,” says Amelia, who is now 17. “It’s something I will remember for the rest of my life.”This article originally appeared in the December 10, 2012 issue of?Action. For more fromAction, click here.Stopping an InvasionHunters are working to protect Florida’s wetlands from an invasion of Burmese pythonsBy?Zach Jones?| January 3 , 2013TOP: Officials estimate tens of thousands of Burmese pythons have invaded the wetlands of Florida. (Jim Tuten / Animals Animals - Earth Scenes)BOTTOM: The pythons originally came to Florida as pets or zoo animals. (Robert Gallagher / Aurora Photos / Alamy)Burmese pythons are some of the biggest snakes in the world. They are also one of the biggest problems in Florida’s wetlands. So state officials have asked hunters to help.The pythons are originally from Asia. Brought to the U.S. as pets or zoo animals, some were released or broke free into the wild and have found Florida’s warm weather to be perfect for a new home. Experts estimate that tens of thousands now live in the Everglades and the state’s other marshy wetlands.What’s so dangerous about a few pets on the loose? These supersize snakes are an?invasive species. An invasive species is an animal or a plant that moves into an area and harms native wildlife.“The problem is with animals,” says Carli Segelson, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “The pythons eat native birds, reptiles, and small mammals, many of which are threatened species.”Since the pythons moved in, several native species—such as bobcats and rabbits—have largely disappeared from Florida’s wetlands.So the Florida government has invited hunters to assist in addressing this serious environmental problem. People will be allowed to hunt the pythons around the snakes’ breeding grounds for one month, starting January 12.Officials are even offering cash prizes to the person who kills the most pythons and to the person who kills the longest Burmese python. They are hoping the contest will significantly reduce the population of this dangerous invader.“Our goal is to help get rid of the python from the wild, educate the public about the snake’s impact on the Florida ecosystem, and inform them of what impacts non-native pets can have if allowed into the wild,” Segelson says.PROBLEM PETSLast January, the U.S. government banned Burmese pythons and other big snakes from being brought into the country as pets.For pet owners who love snakes, species like the Burmese python can seem manageable when they are small. But they can grow into big trouble. Over time, these sizable snakes can disrupt food chains in fragile ecosystems.Experts say it’s unlikely the snakes will ever be removed from the wild in Florida. But they hope to bring the python problem under control and prevent the snakes from doing more harm. ................
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