Alejandra, the Young Mayor

Alejandra is a 12-year-old girl who lives in Valencia, Spain. She loves her city. She loves her school, her friends, and riding her bike. One day, something amazing happens. Alejandra becomes the mayor of Valencia. Her best friend is her assistant.

Alejandra wants to change things in the city. She listens to children and families. She has many good ideas. She works very hard, day and night, to make the changes in the city.

First, Alejandra says Christmas vacations should be one week longer. Students are very happy. Classes will begin one week after January 6. Now children can rest more and enjoy time with their families.

Second, Alejandra wants better food in school cafeterias. She says school food should be healthy and delicious. She decides that all school kitchens should have chefs. Soon, students eat better meals every day. The food is good and very healthy with lots of vegetables, fruits, rice, pasta, and no junk food. For dessert, the chefs make broccoli ice cream. Broccoli ice cream isn't very popular with the students for some strange reason.

Third, Alejandra wants Fallas to be ten days instead of five. She loves the festival and the fireworks. But people say no. They tell her, “There is too much tradition in the way Fallas is celebrated, and ten days would be too much for old people like your teachers because they can’t sleep during the festival.” So Fallas stays (remains) five days.

Fourth, Alejandra builds better bike lanes. Now kids can ride their bikes to school safely. Parents feel happy, and the streets are safer. The kids love it because they get a lot of exercise riding to school and back home at the end of the day.

Finally, Alejandra creates more parks in the city. She also builds three public swimming pools in Turia Park. During the hot days of summer, families swim, play, and relax together. Kids can take swimming classes in the morning. It is very important to be a good swimmer!

Valencia changes for the better. People are very happy with their young mayor. Alejandra smiles. She knows that even small changes can make a big difference.

The Cooking Show

    Suzan is eleven years old. She lives in Valencia, Spain. Valencia is a beautiful city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Suzan lives with her parents. She goes to school and has many friends.

Suzan loves to cook. She likes to help in the kitchen at home. She cuts vegetables, stirs soup, and bakes cakes. Cooking makes her happy.

Once a month, Suzan visits her grandmother. Her grandmother lives in a small village near Valencia. The village is quiet and peaceful. When Suzan visits, she spends a lot of time in the kitchen.

Suzan’s grandmother is a great cook. She knows many traditional Valencian recipes. She teaches Suzan how to cook rice, vegetables, and seafood. She shows her how to use olive oil and fresh ingredients. Suzan listens carefully and learns new things every day. She loves cooking with her grandmother.

One day, Suzan’s friends talk to her after school.
“You should enter The Cooking Show,” they say. “You are a great cook!”

The Cooking Show is a popular TV program. It is a cooking competition. Many people watch it on television. Young cooks cook in front of two judges. The judges taste the food and choose the best cook.

Suzan feels nervous, but she is also excited. She writes to The Cooking Show and asks to enter the competition. Soon, she gets good news. The show accepts her.

Suzan goes on TV. She wears a chef’s hat and an apron. She cooks her favorite Valencian dishes. The judges watch her carefully. They taste her food and smile. They like her cooking very much.

At the end of the competition, Suzan wins. The judges give her a big prize: one million euros. Suzan feels very happy and proud.

Suzan thinks about her grandmother. She knows she learns everything from her. Her grandmother is a great cook and a great teacher. Suzan wants to share her happiness.

Suzan gives her grandmother one euro. She smiles.

“Thank you for teaching me.”
Her grandmother smiles back and gives her a hug.

“What a cheapskate,” her grandmother says.

***

El Concurso de Cocina

Suzan tiene once años. Vive en Valencia, España. Valencia es una ciudad bonita en la costa del mar Mediterráneo. Suzan vive con sus padres. Va al colegio y tiene muchos amigos.

A Suzan le encanta cocinar. Le gusta ayudar en la cocina de casa. Corta verduras, remueve la sopa y hace pasteles. Cocinar la hace feliz.

Una vez al mes, Suzan visita a su abuela. Su abuela vive en un pueblo pequeño cerca de Valencia. El pueblo es tranquilo y silencioso. Cuando Suzan la visita, pasa mucho tiempo en la cocina.

La abuela de Suzan es una gran cocinera. Conoce muchas recetas tradicionales valencianas. Enseña a Suzan a cocinar arroz, verduras y marisco. Le muestra cómo usar el aceite de oliva y los ingredientes frescos. Suzan escucha con atención y aprende cosas nuevas todos los días. Le encanta cocinar con su abuela.

Un día, los amigos de Suzan hablan con ella después del colegio.
—Deberías participar en El Concurso de Cocina —dicen—. ¡Eres una gran cocinera!

El Concurso de Cocina es un programa de televisión muy popular. Es una competición de cocina. Muchas personas lo ven en la televisión. Jóvenes cocineros cocinan delante de dos jueces. Los jueces prueban la comida y eligen al mejor cocinero.

Suzan se siente nerviosa, pero también emocionada. Escribe a El Concurso de Cocina y pide participar en la competición. Pronto recibe una buena noticia. El programa la acepta.

Suzan sale en la televisión. Lleva un gorro de chef y un delantal. Cocina sus platos valencianos favoritos. Los jueces la observan con atención. Prueban su comida y sonríen. Les gusta mucho su cocina.

Al final de la competición, Suzan gana. Los jueces le dan un gran premio: un millón de euros. Suzan se siente muy feliz y orgullosa.

Suzan piensa en su abuela. Sabe que aprende todo de ella. Su abuela es una gran cocinera y una gran profesora. Suzan quiere compartir su felicidad.

Suzan le da un euro a su abuela. Sonríe y dice:
—Gracias por enseñarme.

Su abuela sonríe y le da un abrazo.
—Qué tacaña —dice su abuela.

 

 

USSR - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

 

The Soviet Union was led by Mikhail Gorbachev at the time of its collapse in 1991. He was the last General Secretary of the Communist Party and the last President of the Soviet Union.

 The Soviet Union fell because of a combination of political, economic, and social problems, not just one single cause. The main reasons were:

1.    Economic problems – The centrally planned economy was inefficient, leading to shortages of food, consumer goods, and technology, while living standards lagged behind Western countries.

2.    Reforms under Mikhail Gorbachev – His policies of perestroika (economic restructuring) and glasnost (openness) weakened government control and exposed corruption and failures, without fixing the economy fast enough.

3.    Loss of political control – Glasnost allowed more freedom of speech, criticism of the government, and political opposition, reducing the Communist Party’s authority.

4.    Nationalism in the republics – Many Soviet republics wanted independence, and by the late 1980s and early 1990s, several declared they wanted to leave the USSR.

5.    Costly Cold War pressures – Heavy military spending and competition with the United States strained the economy for decades.

6.    Failed August 1991 coup – An attempt by hardline communists to take back control failed, making the central government look weak and accelerating the breakup.

Together, these factors led to the Soviet Union officially dissolving in December 1991.

 The Republics 

  Armenia

  Azerbaijan

  Belarus

  Estonia

  Georgia

  Kazakhstan

  Kyrgyzstan

  Latvia

  Lithuania

  Moldova

  Russia

  Tajikistan

  Turkmenistan

  Ukraine

  Uzbekistan