California

San Diego — Spanish for Saint Didacus — is a seaside city with something for everyone! Near the border with Mexico, this sunny metropolis in Southern California is on the Pacific Ocean and is known for its wonderful, long, sandy beaches. In fact, it has over 100 kilometers of coastline, making it a fantastic place to surf, suntan or just relax and soak* up the chill* atmosphere. However, fun in the sun isn’t all this metropolis has to offer.

Its History

The city has a rich, multicultural history. Its first settlers were Native American tribes such as the Kumeyaay, who scattered* villages across the region, most later explored by the Spanish, in particular Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo--the first European to visit the region in 1542, with others to follow. In 1821, the Mexicans invaded and settled the area until the Mexican-American War, when the Americans took control of the city and it was made part of the United States. Present-day San Diego is a colorful mosaic of beaches, cultures, nature and art, with lots to see and do!

Art in the Park

Balboa Park is home to 17 museums as well as a lot of performing arts venues and galleries. This is why it is also called the “Smithsonian* of the West” and is San Diego’s cultural heart, with something for everyone. Comic-Con Museum has everything a comic book lover could dream of, with exhibits devoted to superheroes and science fiction franchises. The San Diego Air and Space Museum displays a collection of aircraft and spacecraft illustrating the history of flight, with a replica of

The San Diego Natural History Museum, which has five different floors of inventive and interactive exhibits, teaches visitors about the nature — from the past to the present — of Southern California. Traditional art lovers will enjoy the Timken Museum of Art, which houses collections of 19th century American art, Russian icons and European masters.

Into the Wild Balboa Park is not only about art — it also houses the San Diego Zoo. Animal lovers can spend hours touring this 100-acre wildlife park. The Zoo is home to more than 12,000 rare and endangered animals There are koalas, elephants, snakes, leopards, camels, cheetas and bonobos, as well as a large variety of birds and other species. There is also a botanical garden with more than 700,000 different plants!’

Splish Splash

This seaside city is also home to the largest water park in the world. Mission Bay Aquatic Park has something for every type of water sports enthusiast. Visitors can do everything from surfing to stand up paddle, kayaking and sailing. For those who are interested in life under the sea, Mission Bay is home to SeaWorld San Diego, one of the world’s most popular marine life parks. On land there are parks where families can have picnics, barbeques or enjoy a bike ride or walk.

Glossary

chill: relax scattered: found in various locations, not together Smithsonian: a national museum in Washington, D.C. soak up: to absorb stemmed: came from

Secret Code

California is a huge state in the USA which covers most of the west coast — and is where you can find another very famous city — Los Angeles. Home to Hollywood, for many it is the place where dreams come true. Its name is also Spanish… but do you know what its nickname is? Do the secret code and find out! The answer is on page 14

Games Galore

A video game of logic and reasoning, from the 80s to today, Tetris has always been in fashion. In fact, it is one of the ten most important video games of all time!

A brief history

In 1984, Mr. Aleksei of other blocks that have already dropped. The player has to turn them and move them while they

The classic version of Tetris almost always has typical Russian music in the background: a popular song like Kalinka or a classical song like The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky or a minuet* in B minor by Bach.

Glossary

accumulate: put together, one next to the other blocks: elements that are held together with flat surfaces flat figures: type of geometrical figures closed by straight lines indefinitely: without end, always minuet: type of music born from a French dance portable: able to be carried or moved