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from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick2014 Winter Olympics

Russia Takes the Stage Athletes, coaches and spectators from around the world are making their way to Sochi, Russia, to take part in the 2014 Winter Olympics. The games will take place from Feb. 6 to 23. To celebrate this exciting international sporting event, The Mini Page offers readers a look at the host nation of Russia, the city of Sochi, and preparations for the Winter Olympics.Welcome to Russia Russia is a country of more than 140 million people and is also the world’s largest nation in size. Stretching from the Baltic Sea east to the Pacific Ocean, and from the Black Sea north to the Arctic Ocean, Russia is considered to be a part of both Europe and Asia, with the Ural Mountains dividing the two continents. For more than 70 years, Russia was the largest member of the Soviet Union.

From the late 1940s until 1991, the U.S. and the Soviet Union were rivals for world power and influence in the Cold War. The Soviet Union broke up in 1991, and 15 nations became independent.

Second Russian Olympics The Soviet Union was the host of the 1980 Summer Olympics in its capital, Moscow. But 65 nations boycotted, or refused to take part, in those games because the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan, a neighboring country, in 1979. Since the Winter Olympics began in 1924, 11 nations have taken a turn as host.

St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow is one of Russia’s most famous landmarks. Located in Red Square, the church was constructed over seven years and completed in 1561.

This is the first time that the Winter Olympics have been hosted in Russia, which is using the event to celebrate its history and culture. The nation has 160 different ethnic groups and nearly 100 spoken languages.

The Russian flag

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The Olympic Torch

Words that remind us of Sochi, Russia, are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: BLACK, CAUCASUS, CITY, CROSSROADS, CUP, GAMES, ICE, KHUTOR, KRASNAYA, MOUNTAINS, OLYMPICS, POLYANA, RESORT, ROSA, RUSSIA, SEA, SKI, SNOW, SOCHI, SPA, SPORTS, VENUE, WINTER, WORLD.

Sochi, Russia try ’n’find

Will you Watch the olympics?

C D E U N E V W I J S E M A G A R O S A I H C O S L O V K P U I B A P S E T C S U R R H Q C K L N J U R I P N E A Y U R A N A Y L O P O T T S S T T D S C C Z S M R A N N K E I O L U U K E Y T I I A I W A C R R S P R L S N W Y A I S S U R O S N O W S D A O R S S O R C W

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ready resourcesfrom The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

The Mini Page provides ideas for websites, books or other resources that will help you learn more about this week’s topics.On the Web:• sochi2014.com/en• olympic.org/sochi-2014-winter-olympics• bit.ly/18MuibDAt the library: • “The Treasures of the Olympic Winter Games” by the Olympic Museum

The Olympic Games have many traditions, including the awarding of medals and the parade of participating nations in the opening ceremonies. One of the most popular traditions for the host nation is the Olympic torch relay. Each Olympics includes the Olympic flame, which is lighted from a fire in ancient Olympia, Greece, where the first Olympic Games were held by the Greeks more than 2,000 years ago. This begins the Olympic torch relay.

Lighting the cauldron The end of the torch relay occurs during the opening cermonies in Sochi, where the flame will be used to light the Olympic cauldron, or kettle, signaling the beginning of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Carrying the torch The torch relay for the 2014 games has included 14,000 torchbearers traveling more than 40,000 miles in 123 days. The flame will have visited more than 2,900 communities and locations in Russia and elsewhere. Among the destinations are Mount Elbrus, the tallest mountain on the continent of Europe, the North Pole and even the International Space Station!

Divers in Russia’s Lake Baikal passed the Olympic flame underwater on Nov. 23, 2013. These special torches were designed to stay lighted underwater, at nearly 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit.

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The Olympic torch relay began in September in Greece. Here, Russian NHL player Alexander Ovechkin receives the flame, along with an olive branch symbolizing peace.

Sochi 2014 ambassador Tatiana Navka holds the 2014 torch.

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Rookie Cookie’s RecipeSpicy Turkey Corn Soup

You’ll need:• 1 tablespoon olive oil• 1 cup chopped onion• 1 cup chopped celery• 1 cup chopped carrot• 2 teaspoons ground cumin• 2 teaspoons dried thyme• 1 teaspoon saltWhat to do:1. Heat oil in a large soup pot.2. Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes until softened.3. Add spices. Stir and cook for 1 minute.4. Add broth, turkey, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers.5. Bring to a boil, then add corn.6. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.You will need an adult’s help with this recipe. from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

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from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

Meet Piper Curda Piper Curda stars as Jasmine in the new Disney Channel TV series “I Didn’t Do It.” She has acted in several TV and Internet shows, including the Disney.com series “Rule the Mix” and the TV series “A.N.T. Farm.” She was the voice of Debby in the Disney XD series “Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja.” Piper was born in Tallahassee, Fla., and grew up in Chicago. She started acting when she was 9 years old and appeared with her older sister Riley in the musical play “The King and I.” She

also had a role in the touring Broadway musical “The 101 Dalmatians.” She competed in gymnastics until she was 11, and now enjoys tap dancing, yoga and boxing. She also likes to write poetry and songs, sing, and play the drums and guitar. She and her four siblings support several charities that serve veterans and their families.

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Wesley: Where do polar bears keep their money? Winton: In a snow bank!

Wendy: What happens when a snowman enters a haunted house?

Wade: Ice screams!

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All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category?

Waldo: What did they call the heavy snowstorm that hit the Emerald City?

Wallace: The blizzard of Oz!

Mini Spy . . .Mini Spy and her friends are taking a ski lift up the mountain in Sochi. See if you can find:• caterpillar • lion • ruler • bell• bird • ladder • dragon • word MINI• paintbrush • hamburger • cat • pencil• fish • sock • owl • heart

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• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper• 1 (32-ounce) can chicken broth• 4 cups cubed leftover turkey• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained• 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers• 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained

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from The Mini Page © 2014 Universal Uclick

Supersport: Ted LigetyHeight: 5-11 Birthdate: 8-31-84 Residence: Park City, Utah Roaring down the snowy slopes, swerving around the sharp turns and speeding on the straightaways, Ted Ligety has the look of a skiing champion. And that’s what he is: a 2006 Olympic champion who hopes to add to his medal collection at the 2014 Winter Games.

The American star won three gold medals in the 2013 World Championships and owns seven U.S. titles in his career. Other highlights include four World Cup slalom crowns and three top-10 finishes in two Olympics. Years of hard work have paid off for Ligety, who first put on skis soon after he learned to walk. Besides competing, he owns Shred, a company that sells skiing equipment. Other interests include badminton, tennis and water skiing. But it’s on snowy hills that Ligety gets his biggest thrills.

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Welcome to Sochi!

The Mini Page StaffBetty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist

The city of Sochi was established in the late 1800s, but the region has been a crossroads for humans since prehistoric times. Along the eastern shore of the Black Sea, researchers have found cave dwellings and tools dating back tens of thousands of years. Sochi’s climate is very mild compared to much of Russia. While many areas of the country, including Siberia, are known for long, bitterly cold winters and short summers, Sochi has hot summers, mild winters and little snow. As a result, the city has become a resort destination.

The ski resort of Rosa Khutor will host all alpine, or mountain, skiing events in both the Winter Olympics and the Winter Paralympics.

A warm retreat As Sochi grew in the early 20th century, many sanatoriums (san-uh-TOR-ee-ums) were built to care for sick people, most of whom wanted to escape the colder parts of Russia. They hoped medical and spa treatments and warmer air would help to improve their health and allow them to live longer.Olympics in Sochi The Sochi Olympics will be held in two areas. The opening and closing ceremonies, figure skating, curling, speedskating and hockey will take place in the city itself. All of the outdoor competitions, including all skiing, sledding and jumping events, will take place near Krasnaya Polyana, a village located in the Caucasus Mountains about 30 minutes from Sochi.

Sochi stretches more than 90 miles along the Black Sea coast. The Black Sea itself is about the size of California, and is bordered by Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine.

The Iceberg Skating Palace will host all figure skating events and short-track speedskating. Following the Olympics, this 12,000-seat arena will be taken apart, moved to another city and rebuilt. It may be used for many different sports.

The Dendrarium is a botanical garden in the middle of Sochi. It was created in 1892 and

has more than 1,700 species of trees, plants and bushes from all over the world.

Next week, The Mini Page shares more about the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Sochi and Russia Fact-a-roonies    • Russia has nine time zones — more than any other nation in the world. Canada and the United States each use six time zones.    • Lake Baikal in south-central Russia is more than a mile deep. It is estimated to hold about one-fifth of all the fresh water on Earth.    • Fisht Olympic Stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sochi Games, will also host matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia.

photos courtesy Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee