2.

report
Coming of age

SONG PAGE
Jack Johnson

My Favourite Place
Hobbiton, New Zealand

Traditions
Thanksgiving

My country
Australia
Pelckmans
 AUTHORS
• Vaughn Bayley
• Harald Berings
• Griet Bogaert
• Véronique Fricot
• Jessica Morseau
• Joost Swaenepoel
• Hilde Vanachter

©2020, Pelckmans Omslag: Studio Pelckmans uitgevers

Pelckmans maakt deel uit van Pelckmans uitgevers nv Lay-out: Thais Van Dorst (Dynamic Designs)
www.pelckmansuitgevers.be Tekeningen: Stefaan Provijn
Brasschaatsteenweg 308, 2920 Kalmthout, België Foto’s: AV-image (p. 4-5, p. 8-9), corbisimages.com,
Ellie Van den Brande - www.ellievdb.com (p. 32),
Alle rechten voorbehouden. Niets uit deze istockphoto.com
uitgave mag worden verveelvoudigd, opgeslagen
in een geautomatiseerd gegevensbestand of D/2020/0055/28
openbaar gemaakt, op welke wijze ook, zonder ISBN 978 90 289 9909 1
de uitdrukkelijke voorafgaande en schriftelijke NUR 116-118
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced, stored or made public by any means
whatsoever, whether electronic or mechanical,
without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Contents
3 Editor’s letter

4-5 About you – Think outside the (lunch) box

6 In numbers – Plastics: in your face!

8-9 Report – Coming of age

10 Games

11 Opinion – Are you vegetarian?

12-13 My favourite place – Hobbiton, New Zealand

2
 Welcome back!
cool stu ff for you.
e out we have some
In this edition of Ac
e, you’l l find
do an d if you like to be creativ
There is an experim
en t to tion to give that
di ce . Ar e you loo king for some inspira
g your ow n oblem.
some tips for mak in u lik e your da ily ch eese sandwich? No pr
yo
ur lunch box? Or do
persona l touch to yo ty pe are you?
ake a world. W hi ch
It ta kes al l sorts to m A normal brain
wh ich yo u do n’t need to be Einstein.
zzles for
We also have some pu
wi ll do! plastic and
fa ct s ab ou t we ird animals, Australia,
y of interesting ant World of Tom Gates
.
There are also plent bo ok ? We review The Brilli
ready for an En gl ish
money. And are you

Have a nice Ace out!

Miss Ace

14-15 Fashion – Kings and Queens of fashion

16-17 Spotlight – Five odd ways of getting around

18 Traditions – Thanksgiving

19 Beauty and the beast – Hamster and mole rat

20-21 Book tip – The Brilliant World of Tom Gates

22-23 Song page – Jack Johnson

24-26 Interview – Touchdown!

27 Mystery solved – An (almost) perfect plan

28-29 My country – Australia

30-31 History – Money, money, money …

32 Silly science –Make your own dice

3
 About you

Think outside the

Everybody has to eat. But do you enjoy your lunch?
Or is it just interrupting your fun? Perhaps you’re
a foodie. And maybe food is so unimportant to you
that you forget to eat. Exactly what does
your lunch box say about you?

The commuter The early bird

Your train arrives You’re a happy, cheerful and energetic
twenty minutes person. When your alarm
before school starts. goes off, you jump out
What’s the point of of bed. You make your
making lunch at own lunch. To have some
home if you can buy variety, you try different
something at the station? At least then types of bread and drinks.
you can sleep in a bit longer. And it gives You make your sandwich
you something to do in the wait before more tasty with lettuce,
school starts. A lot of teenagers like tomatoes or cucumber.
Danish pastries for lunch. Do you have a Lunch time is a social
sweet tooth? event, but you want something
nice to eat as well.

The traditional one

Your father or mother has made your lunch
ever since you started primary school. You don’t
use a lunch box with superheroes or princesses
anymore, but the food hasn’t changed:
slices of bread with ham or cheese,
and sometimes a piece of fruit.
A bit boring, but you don’t mind.
You like things the way they are.

4
(lunch) box
The fruit-hater The foodie
You really don’t like fruit, Your dream is to have
but your parents make you your own restaurant.
eat it anyway. They know You bake your own
you might throw or give birthday cake and love
away your apple, so they to experiment in the
try to make you feel guilty kitchen. Cleaning up
by adding little notes to your is not your strongest
lunch. It doesn’t work. Well, you do feel guilty, point. But you have
but you still trade the apple for a waffle or some plenty of enthusiasm
crisps. Or chocolate. and curiosity. You
Or chewing gum. enjoy putting new stuff in
Anything your lunch box, and exotic foods
that isn’t fruit. like couscous, wraps or sushi.

The active one

The forgetful one
You forget everything, so you
need a lot of back-up plans.
Putting a reminder in your
phone is not enough because
you might forget your phone!
You might even forget where
you forgot it! That is why your
mother puts a note in your
lunch box. Great! Unless you
forget to bring your lunch to
school. Luckily, your friends
forgive this forgetfulness.
They are happy to share their
lunches with you.
You’re always full
of energy and have
difficulty sitting still.
During your lunch break you
have to run around. You don’t
have a lot of time to eat, so you
just grab a roll or two from the
cafeteria. But only if it comes
fully prepared. You simply
cannot waste time by making it
yourself.
It’s already bad
enough that you
can’t do sports and
eat at the same
time!

The organised one

You spend your evening getting ready for the
next day. Any leftovers from dinner? You just
put them in your lunch box and add some
extra raw veggies. Doing this doesn’t take
up a lot of time and it gives you a delicious
lunch. People always want a taste of your
lunch and are a little bit jealous. You also like
the fact that it’s good for the environment:
you don’t like to waste food.
5
 In numbers
UV
radiation
Plastics: in your face !
Everybody knows plastic doesn’t belong in the ocean. And
everybody knows that big pieces of plastic, from shopping bags to
fishing nets, cause big problems. But does anybody know that small
pieces of plastic are an even bigger problem? 1% of the plastic that
causes trouble is so small we can’t even see it.
92.5 % of
seabirds found
dead had consumed
54 % of the 120 5
plastic. % of
endangered 92.5 % their body weight is
marine mammal plastic.
species have been
caught in plastic or
have swallowed it.
Americans use roughly
100 billion plastic bags
per year. Plastic bags
take 400 to 1,000
How big is the problem? years to decompose,
30,000,000,000 kg but their chemicals
of plastic is spread around the stay in the water even
world by ocean currents. longer.
Currents carry the
When circular currents collect plastic in plastic everywhere.
oceans around the world, they create plastic Rubber ducks lost from
islands. There are 5 big garbage islands. a shipping container in
the North Pacific were
found in the North
Atlantic Ocean near
Scotland. Tsunami
debris from Japan
arrived in North
America after
crossing the largest
ocean on Earth in just
10 months.
the world currents
6
Some plastics are
designed to be
microscopically
small. We call them
microbeads. You can
find them in toothpaste
and cosmetics like
scrubs. A tube of face
wash can contain over
330,000 microbeads
From face to fish
called ‘polyethylene’.
Other plastics, like car
tyres, are big at first,
but they lose particles
when you use them.
These microplastics
are washed to sea by
the rain. Microplastic
concentrations in
the North Pacific have
multiplied by 100 in
the past 40 years.
Fish eat microplastics
by accident. Because
one plastic particle
can absorb up to
1,000,000 times
more chemicals than
the water around it,
the fish itself becomes
toxic. So, who wants fish
for dinner?
 YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE.
A TURTLE DOES NO T.

© 2016, ΜEDASSET

The plastic in our seas is killing hundreds of thousands of sea

turtles and other marine life each year, as they often mistake it for
food.
Help protect marine biodiversity by adopting habits that minimise the use of
plastic. Consider using a reusable bag when shopping, avoid single-use plastic
items, look for products and packaging made from renewable resources, choose
products with the least plastic packaging and recycle what you can’t refuse!

JOIN
© 2016, MEDASSET

ive
inheritance surv
& help our wildlife

www.medasset.org

7
 Coming of age
Report
Starting secondary school? It’s a big step. Turning sixteen? Maybe you’ll
celebrate with a sweet sixteen party. Becoming a youth movement
leader? Another sign of maturity. But how do other cultures mark the
transition from child to adult, the ‘coming of age’?
Bullet ant initiation
Are you ready to be a
warrior? The Sateré-Mawé
people in the Amazon
like to know you’re up to
the job. They make gloves
of leaves and fill them
with biting bullet ants.
Boys prove themselves by
keeping their hands in
the gloves for ten minutes
- without crying. The
ant venom will probably
make their arms useless
for hours or days. But that
will pass. That is the good
news. There’s also bad
news. They need to wear
the ant gloves twenty
times over a period of
months or years.
The Sateré-Mawé
people
8
Bar and Bat Mitzvah
At the age of 12, girls
celebrate their Bat
Mitzvah. Boys have
a Bar Mitzvah at the
age of 13. They are now
allowed to participate
in all areas of life in the
Jewish community, from
buying a house to getting
married. The celebration
includes reading from the
Torah, wearing religious
symbols, sharing a big
meal with family and
friends, and throwing
a fantastic party. It is a
party for the parents too,
because from now on they
are no longer responsible
for the wrongdoings of
their children, sorry,
adults.
Jewish people
Rumspringa
Imagine living a life
without electricity, with
no running water and
not even a telephone.
A life where you wear
the same simple clothes
day after day. This is
how the Amish live. You
learn everything you
need to know about life,
farming and religion in
your community. Until
Rumspringa: this is the
time between the ages
of 14 and 16 when you
go away to experience
and learn about the
modern world. You are
suddenly allowed to
wear jeans, drive a car,
drink alcohol, go on
dates, use a computer
and take a selfie. After
Rumspringa you decide
whether you will go back
to your community or
leave forever. But ninety
per cent decide to wave
goodbye to modern
life and stay with their
families.
Amish people in
the USA
 of p a s sa g e
Ri t e s
t he w or l
ar ou n d
Land diving
Children in Vanuatu, a
group of volcanic islands
in the middle of the
Pacific Ocean, have to
face their fears and jump
from a 30-metre-high
tower. Their legs are tied
to vines: it’s like bungee
jumping with a rope
made of plants.
You can do this from the
age of eight – and your
parents have to watch.
They will bring a favourite
childhood toy and throw
it away after the jump.
This symbolises that their
brave little offspring is no
longer a child.
Naghol people in
Hamar people in Ethiopia
Vanuatu
d
Cow jumping
This is exactly what it
sounds like. When the
men of the Hamar tribe
in Ethiopia are between
the ages of 17 and 22,
they need to jump over
cows. Up to thirty bulls
are lined up, side by side.
The men then have to run
across their backs four
times, without falling.
And they do it naked,
of course. If the men
succeed, they are allowed
to marry, have children
and … own cattle.
9
 Games

Boggle Silly stuff

Play this game with two people. Set a 1 I start with ‘P’ and end with ‘E’, but I
timer for two minutes. Who can find have thousands of letters. Who am I?
the most words? You can choose how
Answer: Post office

you make the word as long as the letters

touch. We give you one example. 2 What is the word that is spelled
incorrectly in all dictionaries?
Answer: Incorrectly
2 or 3 letters: 1 point
B I S H
4 letters: 3 points
Y G W L 5 letters: 5 points 3 What has to be broken before you can
Z L G S 6 or more letters: 10 points
use it?
T E N N WISH = 3 points Answer: An egg.

Boggle 4x4 Boggle 5x5 4 What has a neck but no head?

Answer: A bottle.
M A P O T U R N E
E T E R E A S T F 5 What kind of room has no doors or
windows?
D E N I A C K E O Answer: A mushroom.

L D C H S L Y P U
L O R S E

Crossword
Across 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 Used with every infinitive
1
2 Cars, bikes, buses and others on the road
3 Looks like an ugly mouse 2
4 [(365-95) x 43 x 0] + (7-6)
5 Cocaine is a type of … / big Australian bird 3
that cannot fly 4
6 To make something go from one place to
another / Anno Domini 5
8 Water from the sky
9 Table to work on / You hear it again 6

Down
1 Day of the week 8
3 Type of clothing
9
4 A colour and a fruit
5 Past simple of ‘to eat’
6 Completed
7 Not locked up
8 3.14159265359/ Month
9 White or grey thing in the sky

10

Are you vegetarian?
No
‘Beco m i n g a vegetarian is
d-steak’
a bi g m i s se
My favourite food is steak
and hamburgers. Don’t
take that away from me!
And I really don’t like jam
on my sandwiches. I prefer
savoury things such as ham
or curry. Or those little
sausages with garlic and
Billy peppers … Yummy!
In meat there are lots of
minerals and other healthy
things. I don’t think it’s
good for you if you only
eat vegetables. I eat a
bit of everything. A bit of
chocolate and ice cream
too!
Anna-Joy
Have you seen the food in
the school restaurant? I love
veggies and fruit, but the
stuff they’re giving us …
Brrr! The meat is the only
edible thing. Well, the meat
and the bread rolls.
Alexander
Did you know?
• Vegans don’t eat or
use anything from an
• Vegetarians don’t ea
t meat or fish.
• Pescetarians don’t
eat meat, but do eat
• Flexitarians try to ea fish.
t as little meat as possi
• Most Eastern religi
ons encourage a vege
• There are 375,000,00 ta ria n diet.
0 vegetarians worldwi
Opinion
Ye s ‘Give p e a s a ch ance’
Are you nuts? Eating blood
and muscles? Yucky! They
even put animal bones in
gummy bears! Why?
Lisa
When I was eight my
father, a doctor, showed me
how they did laser surgery
… on a chicken. I have been
a vegetarian ever since.
And after reading the book
‘Eating animals’ by J.S.
Foer, I turned vegan. That
Natalie means I don’t eat anything
that comes from animals,
such as eggs. I don’t wear
fur or leather either.
Well, most of the time I
am a vegetarian. We eat so
much meat it isn’t healthy
anymore. Not for our
bodies, and definitely not
for the planet. This is my
way of doing something for
the environment.
Mehmed
animal.
ble.
11
de.
 My favourite place

Hobbiton, New In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty,
dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and
an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with
nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a
hobbit hole, and that means comfort.
(J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit)

Hi there! My name is Bilbo Baggins. With my fellow

hobbits I live in Hobbiton in the Shire. You might
think that it’s not a real place because it’s just from
a film. But … you’d be wrong. You can actually come
to New Zealand and visit the film set. It was built on
beautiful, green Alexander Farm in a small town called
Matamata.

So if you ever visit, this is what you can

expect. On the drive towards Matamata,
you will be impressed by the beautiful
countryside: rolling green hills dotted with
sheep and patterned with winding roads.

Watch out for the Hobbiton

street sign. It shows you where
to find our houses. They’re
difficult to spot!

12
Zealand

Our houses have all been built into the

hills. We do this for a number of reasons.
Being ‘underground’ is a good way of
making sure your house is warm in winter,
but not too hot in summer. It also helps to
keep the landscape looking natural. We
hobbits care very much about nature. Just
have a look at our beautiful gardens.

You might ask yourself why our doors

are round. Well, our forefathers used to
dig tunnels in the ground to live in. They
closed these holes with round pieces of
wood. Our houses are more sophisticated
today. But we have kept the round doors
and windows. We also use a lot of wood
inside our houses. This is environmentally
friendly and very cosy.

As a matter of fact, all this talking has

made me thirsty. I think I will go to
the Green Dragon Inn for a bottle of
Southfarthing Ale. I hope you enjoyed my
little tour through Hobbiton. Please come
back any time you like! Bye for now!

13
 Fashion

Kings and Queens

Millions of teenagers want to look like their idol. We have selected four
kings and queens of fashion. Four celebrities who have millions of followers
on social media. How to dress like your favourite singer?

s
Billie Eillish Harry Style

Actor and singer Harry Styles isn’t just

Billie Eilish is one of the most talked about
music stars on the planet. She is best
known for writing electro/indie pop music
with her brother Finneas.
But her music isn’t the only thing that
people talk about. She is a true fashion
hype on Instagram. In this picture she
is wearing a bluish suit with a white
shirt. The mixed prints are remarkable.
Her wardrobe also consists of shapeless,
baggy shorts. So, you can throw away your
skinny jeans. If you want to look like her,
choose a loud colour palette of green, blue,
orange and red. Wear a colourful hat and
buy your own oversized sunglasses. And
last but not least, change your hair colour
every month.
stealing girls’ hearts. His fashion style
inspires millions of men.
He wears a wide variety of outfits. This
makes it pretty easy if you want to dress
like him.
You can wear ripped jeans and look like
him. But he sometimes also dresses up in
a floral two-piece with cowboy boots. So
even your grandfather’s wardrobe can help
you to dress like Harry.
In this picture he is wearing a Hawaiian
shirt with black, white and reddish
colours. So you no longer have to be
ashamed of your Hawaiian outfit. He is
also wearing his favourite pair of skinny
jeans and sunglasses. He also loves
wearing jewellery. So save some money to
buy your own ring or necklace.

14
of fashion
de
Ariana Gran
American singer and actress Ariana
Grande influences and inspires millions
of young people every year. If you want
to dress like the former Nickelodeon
and YouTube star, you could just get an
oversized sweatshirt and knee-high boots.
In the picture, she is wearing a baggy
sweatshirt and over-the-knee boots.
If you want to steal her style, go to
the shop and buy some great platform
sneakers, ripped jeans and pleated skirts.
You can also throw away your shapeless,
baggy trousers.
Drake
Drake is one of the most famous and
popular rappers on our planet. He
performs for thousands of fans around the
world every night.
He is often spotted in trendy brands like
Stone Island and Moncler, but he also loves
wearing pieces from Champion, showing
that he is still a man of the world.
Drake is often spotted in an oversized
or baggy hoodie or jumper. He also likes
wearing leather jackets. You can start
saving money to buy your own leather
jacket.
The most important thing to remember
about Drake, and almost all rappers, is
that they do not wear skinny jeans. So,
bye, bye, skinny jeans.
When it comes to colour, Drake usually
goes for dark when on stage, as you can see
in the picture, and bluish. Keep it simple
and wear plain T-shirts. So, no giant logos
or prints for you.
15
5
Spotlight

Five odd ways of

So you’re tired of your everyday ways of moving around?
You want to go places without taking dull buses or walking
all the way? Then you might consider these five odd ways of
transportation that people across the world have come up with.

#1 The hoverboard
The hoverboard originally became famous
through the popular Back To The Future
movies in the 1980s. On screen, the main
character Marty McFly rides a skateboard
without wheels. Fans of the movies had
been waiting a long time when their
fantasy finally became a reality in 2015.
Car manufacturer Lexus has built a real
hoverboard, which floats just above the
ground or water. It works the same way as
a skateboard and can reach speeds up to
30 km/h.

#2 The duck boat

These amphibious trucks were designed by
the American military during World War II
to transport equipment and troops over
both land and water. Nowadays, you can
take a trip in these Ducks in central London.
On a tour you’ll drive past the famous
London landmarks before dramatically
launching into the River Thames to get a
view from the water. This is the only way
to experience the sights of central London
by land and water – without leaving the
comfort of your seat!

16
getting around
#3 The dog sled
Imagine drifting across a
white canvas of snow as
a troop of husky dogs pull
your sledge – it sounds like
something from a Christmas
movie. In reality, dog sledding
isn’t quite so graceful. It can
be a very bumpy ride, filled
with the dogs’ loud barking.
Nonetheless, it’s certainly
a unique journey. For some
Alaskan locals this is a day-to-
day way of getting around, but
for tourists it’s a special way
to travel, and something you
can’t do in many parts of the
world.

#4 The Maglev #5 The Jeepney

When the American troops pulled out of the
Philippines at the end of World War II, many
of their army jeeps were left on the islands.
Local people stripped them down, added
roofs for shade and started to decorate them
in colourful ways. The name comes from the
words ‘jeep’ and ‘jitney’, which was a name
for a ‘shared taxi’. Today, the Jeepney is used
as a popular form of public transportation in
The people of Shanghai (China) cities.
get to the airport a little faster
than we do. They ride aboard
the Maglev, which stands for
Magnetic Levitiation. It glides over a
magnetic field, reaching speeds
of up to 431 km/h. Don’t worry: it
won’t pull off your watch or swipe
the coins out of your pockets,
but it will certainly send shivers
down your spine! The speed is
shown in each car, on the most
photographed speedometers in
the world.
17
 Traditions

T a
hn ksg iv in g
My great-gre at-great-gre at-grandfathe
Grandpa Cheese, greeted the first British
r,
pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Harbour
in
America in December 1620. They left their n, women
home country, Britain, because there was The 102 colonists - me hard to
from rk ed ve ry
I’m Cheese and I come ys! and children - wo .
s tur ke no religious freedom. ke a ne w ho me
a long line of famou ma

When all hope seemed lost, the

erica was not
But the climate in Am itain. The Wampanoag Indians came and helped the
rves t was
good for plants fro m Br colonists. They showed them how to plan
t In the autumn, the ha
people didn’t ptain
harves ts fai led an d the American fruit and vegetables and how to successful and the ca
ople died. ge fea st.
have food. A lot of pe fish and hunt. organised a lar

And to give thanks for all the food,

people in the
That is why today the ever y year the president chooses
ica celebrate
United States of Am
Thanksgiving Da y wi
er
th their families
one turkey that is saved from being
eaten. He liked me best and that is
Happy
and friends on the fou
in November.
rth Thursday
how I ended up here! T hanksgiving!

18
 Beauty and the beast

Hamster and
mole rat
The hamster
The hamster is a cu
te and very popu lar
to have as a pet. It’s animal
an easy animal to
care for if you keep it
away from other
hamsters. If you don’t
, they’ll fight. Or
have babies. You don’t
want that: they
have babies up to six
times a year. And
the pups start havin
g babies of their ow
when they are on ly n
four weeks old. Befor
you know it, your ho e
use wi ll be ta ken ov
by fighting hamsters. er
Because we don’t lik
e smelly houses, a
hamster’s cage need
s to be cleaned. Don’t
it too often, because do
the hamster likes to
ow n … poo! eat its
W hen you ta lk to a
hamster, use a high
mouse-li ke voice. Yo -pitched,
u wi ll never know if
hamster answers. It the
uses ultrasonic soun
cannot hear. ds we

The naked mole rat

rts of
lives in the dr y dese
The hamster’s cousin digs
mysterious mole rat
Eastern Africa. The co lon y of one
enough for a
complex tunnels, big st lik e honey
ey live together ju
hundred animals. Th Th large
e
a specific function.
bees: they each have th to al l
s, the queen gives bir
mole rats are soldier them.
pu ps an d th e sm al l workers ta ke care of
the can find
e pups poo until they
The workers feed th und parts
rats eat the undergro
their ow n food. Mole plant.
refu l not to ki ll the
of plants, but are ca di gg ing
e in handy when
8 9 Their big teeth com th e mole
6 7 els are too smal l for
3 4 5 tunnels. These tunn move
1 2 in. Luck ily, they can
0 rats to turn around for wards.
ly as they can move
backwards as qu ick animals
in te rested in these little
30 g
Scien tis ts ar e ve ry
can live up to
The na ked mole rat
for severa l reasons. other smal l
than hamsters and
31 years, a lot longer na ked sk in
reason is that their
animals. The second al l is that
es n’t fee l pa in . An d most interesting of
do aybe this
doesn’t get cancer. M
the na ked mole rat that cure
help find medicines
specia l animal can
make us live longer?
human diseases? Or
19
 Book tip

The brilliant world of

There’s a reason why this
book is so wonderful.
It’s about you. The main
character, Tom Gates,
he is you. At least if you
have these problems:

• a teacher who gives you too much homework;

• a sister who annoys you;
• parents who are programmed to embarrass you;
• a girl at school who you have a crush on, but who
Does it sound familiar? You thinks you’re an idiot;
might find the solutions to • a very big talent for getting into trouble, even when
your problems in The Brilliant
you have the best of intentions.
World of Tom Gates. Or you
might discover how trying to
solve the problems results in a
lot of extra trouble. But it will
definitely make you laugh.

Don’t expect a difficult plot

and pages and pages of text.
The Brilliant World of Tom Gates
is written as a diary. We read
about ‘Dogzombies’, the band
Tom’s trying to start; about
his crush on Amy; and the
different tricks he plays on his
sister.
ha ir
f y c
com
snacks
© Li z Pichon

20
Tom Gates
by Liz Pichon

With a little bit of text here and there, and

plenty of pictures in between, it’s a cross
between a comic and a novel. It’s funny,
it’s full of imagination and most of all,
it’s entertaining. Don’t believe me? Start
reading and find out.

Dad

Mum

ic hon
© L iz P

21
 Song page

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson grew up on the Hawaiian

island of Oahu. Like most people on the
island, he loved the waves of the Pacific
Ocean. His father — the famous surf
champion Jeff Johnson — inspired him to
start surfing too. Jack had his father’s talent
and was doing well. But when he was just
seventeen, a serious accident ended his
professional career.

While he was recovering from the accident,

Johnson started focusing on music. He
learnt to play the guitar and the ukulele.
He began to write his own songs. After the
success of his first two albums, he travelled
the world with his music, but his heart
stayed in Hawaii. A lot of his songs are about
surfing, love and nostalgia for Hawaii.

22
 Do You Remember
Do you remember when we first met? I sure do
It was some time in early September
You were lazy about it, you made me wait around
I was so crazy about you I didn’t mind

I was late for class, I locked my bike to yours

It wasn’t hard to find ‒ you painted flowers on it
I guess that I was afraid that if you rolled away
You might not roll back my direction real soon

Lyrics
I was crazy about you then and now
The craziest thing of all,
Over ten years have gone by
And you’re still mine,
We’re locked in time
Let’s rewind

Do you remember when we first moved in together?

The piano took up the living room
You’d play me boogie woogie, I played you love songs
You’d say we’re playing house, now you still say we are

We built our get away up in a tree we found

We felt so far away but we were still in town
Now I remember watching that old tree burn down
I took a picture that I don’t like to look at

Well, all these times they come and go

And alone don’t seem so long
Over ten years have gone by
We can’t rewind,
We’re locked in time
But you’re still mine

Do you remember?

© Jack John son Music

23
 Interview

TOUCHDOWN!
American football is – as the name suggests – mostly played in the
USA. But did you know that it is becoming more and more popular
in Europe as well? Ace Out went to see the Ghent Gators play the
Brussels Black Angels. Afterwards, we had a chat with two
Gator players. Meet Andreas and Simon, two brothers who play
in the same team.

You’ve just played your first game of the

season. How did it go?
A: We are a little disappointed because we lost the
game 33 to 16. But since we played against last year’s
champions, it’s not too bad.

There are only nine Flemish teams so far.

Why is it so hard to form a new team?
S: Well … first of all, you need thirty
to forty players in each team! So you’ll
need a dressing room that’s big enough!
(laughs) This makes it more difficult than
starting, say, a volleyball team. And most
boys and girls don’t know the sport.

You say ‘boys and girls’. Can girls also

play this sport?
S: Officially, girls can also participate in
the men’s games. Especially in the youth
ranks there are some girls who are just
as strong and fast as the boys.

24
 THE RULES OF THE GAME

The goal of the game is to get the ball to the

opposition’s end zone. Each time, you get four
attempts to win at least ten yards. That’s why
there are numbers painted on the field. If you
move forward ten yards, you get another four
tries.

There are different ways to reach the end zone.

Most often, the quarterback will throw the ball
to a teammate who will then try to run as far
as he can. But kicking the ball is also allowed.
Sometimes the quarterback will even try to run
the whole distance himself without passing the
ball.

If you reach the opposition’s end zone you get

Of course, as you get older, it gets tougher to a touchdown, which is worth six points. You
tackle the big guys. But they can always sign can also earn points for kicking the ball through
up as cheerleaders, because right now we the tall goal posts (field goal) or by tackling an
don’t have any … (laughs a lot) opponent in his own end zone (safety).

Let’s go back to the team. How do you Each game is divided in four quarters of 15
get two teams of forty players on one minutes. But every time the play stops, the clock
field? is paused as well. Most American football games
take about two or three hours in total.
S: There are only eleven players of each
team who are on the field at the same time.
The rest are on the bench. Each team is
divided into three groups: offensive players,
defensive players and a special team for S: There is one store in Belgium which
kicking the ball. The offensive team has to sells all the equipment you need to play
get the ball to the other end of the field. The American sports such as baseball, basketball
most important player is the quarterback. or American football. Or you can just buy it
He has to throw the ball to a teammate or online, of course.
choose another smart move to get the ball
forward. It looks like all American football players
are big tough guys. Or is that just the
A: Simon and I are both in the defensive illusion caused by the outfit?
team, which means we need to stop the
S: Most players are indeed pretty strong. We
other team from going forward.
train our muscles at the gym because power
So that means a lot of tackling. Luckily
you are protected by that impressive
outfit! What do you need to play?
A: First of all, you need a helmet. This is
important for protecting your head from
concussion. You can never take off your
helmet as long as you are on the field. Then
there are shoulder pads – those are the
things that make us look so big. The pants
also have padding to protect your knees
and thighs. You can wear normal soccer
boots, but you can also buy special American
football shoes.

25
 is important in this game. But each team
also needs smaller and faster players who
can quickly slip through enemy lines and
catch the ball.
A: Our team is very diverse. There are players
with a weight of 130 kg, but also guys who
weigh only half that.

What about injuries? It looks like this

sport can be tough on you sometimes.
A: We have been lucky so far; we have never
had any serious injuries ourselves. But last
year, one of our teammates was tackled
so hard, his spleen ruptured. Another one
dislocated his shoulder for the fourth time,
so he had to quit playing, unfortunately. But
I guess injuries are part of any sport, not just
American football.

In Belgium, American football is just

beginning to grow. But in the United
States people have been nuts about it
for years.
S: It gets really crazy on Super Bowl Sunday.
That’s the big final of the football season,
where the two best teams face off against
each other.
A: It’s like a national holiday. The whole of
America takes a break. People invite friends
to Super Bowl parties where they serve
special snacks.
S: Hundreds of millions watch the game
on television. During the half-time show,
celebrities like Coldplay or Beyoncé perform
live on stage. And commercials during the
game cost about $160,000 per second!

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN AN AMERICAN

FOOTBALL TEAM?
There are nine teams in Flanders, ranging from
Ostend to Limburg. There are competitions for all
ages from 10 upwards. Look for a team near you
on the official website of the Flemish American
Football League: www.fafl.be.
26
 Mystery solved

An (almost)
perfect plan
Stuart Hall was a desperate man. He ‘I can’t really tell you much. I was woken
was bankrupt! He needed to come up with by a dull thump. Then I heard noises on
a plan … the ground floor. I took my gun and crept
downstairs. I shouted, ‘Stop, or I’ll shoot!’
His wife and daughter had left for a family and then all hell broke loose. He shot at
visit in the country. That was the moment! me three times and I shot back twice. The
With the help of some ‘silent’ dynamite, shadow disappeared through the kitchen.
he blew open the safe in his office. Then he I wanted to phone you, but my phone was
messed up the desk drawers and smashed broken. 15,000 pounds in cash and 10,000
his mobile phone. pounds in valuable papers are missing
from my safe.’
As it became dark outside, he pulled on a
pair of oversized boots he had bought in The forensic team arrived. They took
advance. He turned off all of the lights and plaster models of the footprints, dusted for
walked up and down the garden before fingerprints and dug out the bullets.
kicking in a window. He trampled through
the house in his dirty boots, leaving a trail
leading into the office. fi ngerprints
Then he went back the way he came, pulled
the boots off outside and entered the house
just wearing socks. He cut the boots into
little pieces and flushed them down the
toilet. At 11 pm he went upstairs, put on
his pyjamas and got into bed. Five minutes
later he got up again, took his gun and

hurried quietly into the hallway. He fired
upwards three times. Then he raced up and
shot downwards twice. It was now 11.08
pm. Stuart knew that his neighbours had
good ears.
In the bathroom he splashed some water
on his face and on his pyjamas. At 11.17 pm
he heard the sirens. Three officers stormed
through the kitchen door. Detective
Sergeant Bayley found a shaking Stuart,
bathing in ‘sweat’, making a statement:
footprints
On Monday morning, Hall received
another visit from the same Sergeant
Bayley. ‘Please get dressed, sir. You
are coming with me to discuss the
consequences of faking a crime!’
After thinking long and hard, Stuart
finally realised the mistake he made. What
did he do wrong?

Solution
In the police laboratory, they found out very quickly that all five shots came from the very same weapon.

27
 Australia
My country

y a ’ g oin ’
‘ ow
mat e?

We’re the Hemsworth brothers from Down Under.

All three of us are actors. Work has taken us all over the
world, but Oz will always be home.

150 years ago one of the
colonists brought 24 rabbits into
the country. He thought the
introduction of a few rabbits
could do little harm. But he
was wrong. Now there are 300
million rabbits. They eat all the
grass, so there is not enough left
for the native animals.
In the centre of
Australia there is a
giant, red rock: Uluru
or, in English, Ayres
Rock. It plays an
important part in the
stories of Aboriginals
because they believe it is
the home of spirits. They
also have ‘Dreamtime’
stories about animals,
where to find water in
the desert and how to
live together.

Factfile

Country name: Australia

Capital city: Canberra
Total area: 7,692,024 km² (250x Belgium)
Population: 24,000,000
• Native Aboriginals
(now only 2%)
The outback is not a specific area,
• Descendants of Irish/
but refers to locations that are far
English colonists
away from big cities. If you live in
• Large Asian, Greek and
the outback you may be hundreds of
Dutch groups
kilometres from the nearest town. The colonists thoug
Flag: the Southern Cross Going to school – or a hospital – is to become ‘better’ p
stars and the British not very easy. Luckily there are the thousands of Abori
flag Flying Doctors and the School of the from their parents
History: 1606 – Discovery by Dutch ships Air. Knowing how to Skype is a life These children – no
1770 – English colony for criminals skill around here! Stolen Generation.
1901 – Australian independence
’strayan lingo = Australian language
’ow ya’ goin’ mate? = Hello!
28 Good onya, mate! = Well done!
She’s a top sheila = She’s a nice girl.

28
 There are so many interesting the platypus. It’s a mammal but it
animals in Australia! Four out of five has a beak, it feeds its babies milk
animals that live there are unique. but it lays eggs.  
You can’t find them anywhere else The rainbow lorikeet is one of the
in the world.  most beautiful birds in Australia.
The koala and the kangaroo are They often travel in pairs and love
special because they carry their fruit and nectar. 
babies in their pouch. They are both Dingos are the biggest carnivorous
herbivores, which means they eat mammals, so they only eat meat.
grass, flowers, leaves, ferns, moss They look like a pet or domestic
and sometimes insects.  dog but they live in the wild. They
Bandicoots look like a mixture usually live alone. 
of a big rat and a rabbit. They are There is also a wide variety of
omnivores, so they feed on plants snakes, spiders and other deadly
and meat.  creatures in Australia. 
One of the most bizarre animals is

The Great Barrier Reef is filled with the

most beautiful coral and fish you could
possibly imagine. But the water around
Australia is also filled with sharks,
crocodiles, jellyfish, octopuses and
snakes that can kill each other. Or you!
Official reports say  that climate change
causes huge damage to the reef. The
corals lose their colour and die. Many
species that live on and around the
reef are in danger. The Australian
government has already spent millions
of Australian dollars to rescue the reef. 

Cigarette butts, glass bottles

ght Aboriginals needed help and lightnings can easily start a
people. From 1905 to 1970, bushfire. Because the Australian
ginal children were taken eucalyptus trees are filled with oil,
to be raised by Europeans. the fire can become uncontrollable.
ow adults – are known as the Every year, people, houses and
animals suffer from bushfires. On
the other hand, the fire makes a lot
of plant seeds open up so they can
start growing.

29
 History

Money, money,

Next came classical antiquity.

In prehistory people With such a big empire the
exchanged goods: Romans needed something that
sheep for fish, apples could be easily used as currency.
for eggs. They were They used coins with the
hunter-gatherers picture of the emperor at
who could find their the time it was made;
‘money’ in nature. Vespasian for example.
He taxed the urine
that was used to make
leather. After all, money
doesn’t stink …

ca. 3500 BC

prehistory

7000 BC 6000 BC 5000 BC 4000 BC 3000 BC

In the Middle Ages, religion was

very important in most people’s lives.
Lots of Christian people believed that
working with money was not good, so
Jewish people became the first bankers
and diamond traders. In this period
banknotes were introduced into Europe.

In Near Eastern civilisations gold was very

special. Egyptian pharaohs didn’t use it as money
because it was the ‘flesh of the gods’. Normal
people had to use grain as money. Luckily they
were farmers. They could grow their own money!

30
money …
In early modern history,
European kings spent so
much money on wars, they
needed extra money. After
the discovery of the Americas,
the hunt for the legendary
golden city of El Dorado was
open. In their search, the Europeans
found lots of Inca treasures that they
melted down into coins.
ca. 800 BC
Near Eastern classical
Civilizations antiquity
2000 BC 1000 BC -1/1
In late modern history, paper
money was used. One banknote was
worth one gold coin. But politicians
needed more money; they just
printed extra. Then you had two,
three, twenty or even a hundred
banknotes, but still only one gold
coin. Paper money was worthless:
in Germany in November 1923, a
loaf of bread cost 200,000,000,000
marks! There was more and more
industrialisation. People worked
harder and harder but… the
money they earned was not worth
anything. Children played with it.
NON SEQUITOR © 2011 Wiley Ink, Inc. Dist.
By UNIVERSAL UCLICK. Reprinted with
permission. All rights reserved.
The most popular ‘money
face’ you can find in
current history: portraits
of Queen Elizabeth II have
appeared on the money
of more than 30 different
countries for more than 60 years. And
with increasing numbers of electronic
payments going through, nobody will
ever beat her record.
ca. 500 ca. 1450 ca. 1750 ca. 1945
early modern
late modern
Middle
current
history
history
history
Ages
1000 2000
 
31
 Silly science

y our
make ice
o w n d
The word plastic comes from the Greek word for shape,
Supplies form. You can form bioplastic in any shape you like and –
■ 250 ml of milk unlike other plastics – it doesn’t damage the environment.
■ 60 ml of vinegar In this experiment, we will show you how to make dice, but
■ Strainer
you can choose another shape if you like.
■ Kitchen paper
Method

1 • Microwave the milk in the bowl for two minutes, but

without boiling it. It just has to be really hot.
2 • Use the strainer to drain.

• Add the vinegar. Stir gently.

3 • If needed, use a spoon to

press the milk mixture
through the strainer.
4 • Put it on a piece of paper
towel. Press the water out.
Repeat if necessary.
5 • Bend a piece of strong
paper into the shape of a
dice. Put the mixture in.

6
it
The science behind
e made of very
Vinegar and milk ar
n you mix the • Let it dry on the heater. This
smal l particles. W he
, the particles may take a couple of days.
vinegar and the milk
ains. The chains • Paint the eyes on the dice.
make real ly long ch
m a strong
get mixed up and for
.
substance: bioplastic

I S B N 978-90-289-9909-1

32
Pelckmans pelckmans.be/newace
9 789028 999091