Who Were the Maya?The ancient Maya were a powerful civilization that lived in Central America. They built great cities and had an advanced culture. The Maya lived in what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. The Maya civilization began more than 3,000 years ago and reached its peak between AD 250 and 900. Mayan Cities and PyramidsThe Maya built amazing cities with large stone pyramids, palaces, and temples. Some famous cities include Tikal, Copán, and Chichén Itzá. In the center of each city was a great plaza for ceremonies. The Maya used huge stone
Artificial Intelligence — or AI — is one of the most exciting and powerful technologies of our time. Once just an idea from science fiction, AI is now part of our daily lives, from smart assistants on our phones to self-driving cars. But what exactly is AI, and how is it changing the world? At its core, AI is about creating machines that can think, learn, and solve problems. Traditional computers follow fixed instructions, but AI systems can adapt. They use data to learn and make decisions. For example, when you stream music or shop online, AI recommends songs or products you might like, based
What Is an Earthquake?An earthquake happens when the ground suddenly shakes. This shaking is caused by movements inside the Earth. The Earth’s surface is made of large pieces of rock called tectonic plates. These plates are always moving, but very slowly. Sometimes, the plates push against each other and get stuck. Over time, a lot of energy builds up. When the plates finally move, the energy is released as an earthquake. The ground can shake a little or a lot — depending on how much energy is released. How Do We Measure Earthquakes?Scientists use a tool called a seismograph to measure earthqu
What Is an Earthquake?An earthquake happens when the ground suddenly shakes. This shaking is caused by movements inside the Earth. The Earth’s surface is made of large pieces of rock called tectonic plates. These plates are always moving, but very slowly. Sometimes, the plates push against each other and get stuck. Over time, a lot of energy builds up. When the plates finally move, the energy is released as an earthquake. The ground can shake a little or a lot — depending on how much energy is released. How Do We Measure Earthquakes?Scientists use a tool called a seismograph to measure earthqu
What Is the Solar System?The Solar System is made up of the Sun and everything that moves around it. The Sun is a giant ball of hot gas that gives us light and heat. Without it, life on Earth would not exist. Eight planets, many moons, asteroids, comets, and space dust all orbit the Sun. These objects are held in place by the Sun’s gravity. The Eight PlanetsThe planets are divided into two groups: Inner planets:Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars→ They are rocky and smaller. Outer planets:Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune→ They are gas giants (except Uranus and Neptune, which are called ice giants) and
[ Reading passage ] Photosynthesis is a chemical process that allows plants to create their own food. It mainly takes place in the chloroplasts of plant cells. Chloroplasts contain chlorophyll, the green pigment that absorbs sunlight. The basic equation of photosynthesis is:Carbon dioxide (CO₂) + Water (H₂O) + Sunlight → Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) + Oxygen (O₂) Let’s break it down:1️⃣ Water is absorbed from the soil through the plant’s roots.2️⃣ Carbon dioxide enters the plant through small openings in the leaves called stomata.3️⃣ Sunlight is captured by chlorophyll. Using energy from sunlight, the pl
Rethinking the Way We Handle the High School Credit System (고교학점제) School should not be a place where every student is forced into the same mold, but a space where different talents and dreams are nurtured. The High School Credit System (고교학점제), scheduled to be fully implemented in Korea by 2025, is a bold step toward personalized learning. Its goal is to give students more choice in what they study — allowing them to take courses that match their interests, abilities, and future goals, much like in a university setting. But as the system moves from theory to practice, important challenges are
[Today's Dialogue | 오늘의 대화] A: きょうは なんにちですか?Kyō wa nan-nichi desu ka?오늘은 며칠이에요? B: きょうは 7がつ 9か です。Kyō wa shichi-gatsu kokonoka desu.오늘은 7월 9일이에요. A: ありがとうございます。メモします!Arigatō gozaimasu. Memo shimasu!감사합니다. 메모할게요! [Keywords | 키워드] 일본어 의미 きょう 오늘 なんにち 며칠 がつ ~월 にち/か ~일 メモします 메모합니다 (적습니다) [Key Phrase Breakdown | 핵심 표현 해설] 1️⃣ きょうは なんにちですか?→ "오늘은 며칠인가요?"질문형 표현으로, 학교나 사무실에서 자주 쓰이는 문장이에요. 2️⃣ 7がつ 9か→ "7월 9일"을 뜻해요.주의할 점: 일본어 날짜 읽기는 예외가 많아요.예: 9일 = ここのか, 1일 = ついたち 3️⃣ メモします→ "메모합니다 / 적을게요"로 회화에서 자주 쓰이는 실용 표현이에요. [TIP! 활용 팁] ✅ 일본어 날짜 표현에는 예외 발음이 많으므로 아래
[Today's Dialogue | 오늘의 대화] A: じゃあ、またね!Jaa, mata ne!그럼, 또 봐요! B: はい、また あした!Hai, mata ashita!네, 내일 또 봐요! A: はい、きをつけて!Hai, ki o tsukete!네, 조심히 가요! [Keywords | 키워드] 일본어 의미 じゃあ 그럼 (대화 마무리 표현) またね 또 봐요 (친한 사이에서 사용) またあした 내일 또 봐요 きをつけて 조심히 가요 / 몸 조심해요 [Key Phrase Breakdown | 핵심 표현 해설] 1️⃣ じゃあ、またね!→ “그럼, 또 봐요!” 라는 의미로, 친구나 동료와 헤어질 때 쓰는 자연스러운 인사예요.じゃあ”는 전환 표현으로 “그럼”의 뜻이고,“またね”는 다음에 또 보자는 친근한 표현입니다. 2️⃣ また あした!→ “내일 또 봐요!”“また”는 "다시/또"를 뜻하며, 뒤에 요일이나 시간을 붙이면 다양한 응용이 가능해요. 3️⃣ きをつけて!→ "조심히 가요" 또는 "몸 조심해요"의 의미로, 상대방의 안전을 바라는 표현이에요. [TIP! 활용 팁] ✅ 친구와 헤어질 때는 “じゃ
[Today's Dialogue | 오늘의 대화] A: 今天天气真好!(Jīntiān tiānqì zhēn hǎo!)오늘 날씨 진짜 좋다! B: 是啊,要不要去散步?(Shì a, yào bu yào qù sànbù?)그러게. 산책하러 갈래? A: 好主意!我们一起去吧!(Hǎo zhǔyì! Wǒmen yìqǐ qù ba!)좋은 생각이야! 같이 가자! [Keywords | 핵심 단어] 단어 병음 (Pinyin) 뜻 今天 jīntiān 오늘 天气 tiānqì 날씨 真 zhēn 정말, 매우 要不要 yào bu yào ~할래? (~하겠니?) 散步 sànbù 산책하다 主意 zhǔyì 아이디어, 생각 一起 yìqǐ 같이 吧 ba ~하자 (제안) [Key Phrase Breakdown | 핵심 문장 분석] 1️⃣ 今天天气真好!The weather is really nice today! 真은 감탄 표현으로 “정말”, “진짜”라는 의미예요. 2️⃣ 要不要去散步?Wanna go for a walk? “要不要
[Today's Dialogue | 오늘의 대화] A: 你去哪儿?(Nǐ qù nǎr?)어디 가? B: 我去图书馆。你呢?(Wǒ qù túshūguǎn. Nǐ ne?)나 도서관 가. 너는? A: 我也去那儿,一起走吧!(Wǒ yě qù nàr, yìqǐ zǒu ba!)나도 거기 가. 같이 가자! [Keywords | 핵심 단어] 단어 병음 (Pinyin) 뜻 去 qù 가다 哪儿 nǎr 어디 图书馆 túshūguǎn 도서관 你呢 nǐ ne 너는? 也 yě ~도 那儿 nàr 거기 一起 yìqǐ 같이 走 zǒu 걷다, 가다 吧 ba ~하자 (권유) [Key Phrase Breakdown | 핵심 문장 분석] 1️⃣ 你去哪儿?Where are you going? “去哪儿”는 일상 회화에서 장소를 물을 때 자주 쓰여요. 2️⃣ 我去图书馆。你呢?I’m going to the library. How about you? **你呢?**는 상대에게 자연스럽게 질문을 이어주는 표현. 3️⃣
Should We Use Auto-Driving Cars? These days, technology is changing our lives very quickly. One new topic people are talking about is auto-driving cars. These are cars that can drive themselves without a person controlling them. In my opinion, we should support the use of auto-driving cars because they can help make our lives safer and more convenient. Here are my reasons. First, auto-driving cars can reduce traffic accidents. Most car accidents happen because of human mistakes, like driving too fast, using a phone while driving, or not paying attention. Auto-driving cars use sensors and compu
Sophia Lee – Grade 7, Cedar Hills Middle School Hello, I’m Sophia Lee from Cedar Hills Middle School. I love reading mystery novels and listening to podcasts about true stories. I joined the Junior English Journalists because I want to write articles that are thoughtful and help people see things differently. I want to write about nature, the environment, and young people’s ideas for change. My dream is to become an environmental journalist who works for National Geographic.
Jayden Lee – Grade 6, Riverfield Elementary School Hi! I’m Jayden Lee, and I go to Riverfield Elementary. I like building robots with LEGO and learning about machines. I joined the Junior English Journalists because I want to write about science and technology in simple, fun ways. I’m excited to write about cool inventions and maybe even do some science experiments to report on. My dream is to become an inventor or engineer who helps make the future better.