4-1 (06)
release dates: January 21-27
TM
TM
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
© 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
By BETTY DEBNAM
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Turin (Torino) Winter Olympics Feb. 10 to 25
Ciao, Italia (Hello, Italy)
What do you know about the
host country of the Winter
Olympics? Here’s a sampling of
Italy from A to Z.
Ancient Rome was one of the
Italy is shaped like a boot. It is a
peninsula jutting out into the
Mediterranean Sea. At the north it is
bounded by France, Switzerland,
Austria and Slovenia.
Italy is 170
miles wide at
its widest
point. It is 708
miles long.
photo courtesy Fototeca ENIT
world’s most powerful empires more
than 2,000 years ago. The Romans’
ideas about roads, laws, government
and buildings still influence us today.
Neve and Gliz are the mascots of the 2006
Winter Olympics that will be held in Turin
(Torino), Italy, Feb. 10-25.
Today, the economy of Italy is
stronger than
in the past.
The country
used to depend
on agriculture.
Today, manufacturing and tourism are
the main sources of income. There are
some big companies, but Italy has
many smaller companies, too.
The northern part of the country is
the main manufacturing center. The
southern part does not offer as many
manufacturing jobs, so it is not as
prosperous.
Italy is a member of the European
Union, a group of countries that
join together for better trade. The
currency, or money, they use is called
the “euro.”
Food and eating good
The Colosseum in Rome was built
during the time of the Roman Empire,
in the first century A.D. It could seat
about 50,000 people, who went to see
fights between animals and people. It
is a popular tourist attraction today.
Italy is well-known for its
designers, who create cars,
handbags, clothes, shoes and
other items that are in
demand for their style and
fine workmanship.
meals are important to
Italians. While there
are some supermarkets,
many people shop at
small, neighborhood markets.
Popular foods include pasta, risotto,
minestrone and pizza. McDonald’s is
also popular there.
Many families still eat their main
meal in the middle of the day. The
family is very important to the Italian
way of life. Families
spend a lot of time
together.
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4-2 (06); release dates: January 21-27
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
More About Italy
The Vatican
photo courtesy Fototeca ENIT
Can you speak Italian?
The Basilica of St. Peter is the largest
church in the world. It was built over the
tomb where St. Peter is thought to be
buried. It contains hundreds of works of
art. The dome was designed by the
famous artist and architect
Michelangelo. It is in the Vatican.
Vatican City, the center of the
Roman Catholic Church, is the
smallest country in the world. It is
about the size of Central Park, a big
park in New York City. The Vatican
is ruled by Pope Benedict XVI. The
Vatican has its own post office,
newspaper, museums, and a huge
library of more than 2 million books.
It has a population of about
1,000 people. Vatican City is located
in the heart of Rome.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Mini Spy . . .
ball
palla
(PAHL-lah)
yes
si
(SEE)
no
no
(NAW)
car
macchina
(MAH-kee-nah)
family
famiglia
(fah-MEAL-yah)
TM
Mini Spy and her friends are enjoying an Italian dinner.
See if you can find: • question mark • word MINI
• lima bean
• letter E
• pig
• acorn
• number 2
• ladder
• letter D
• carrot
• two birds
• fish • bell
• lips
• letter A
How are you?
Como sta?
(koh-meh STAH)
One
uno
(OO-noh)
Very well
Molto bene
(MOLL-toh BEHneh)
Two
due
(DOO-eh)
Three
tre
(TREH)
Please
per favore
(PEAR fah-VOHreh)
father
padre
(PAH-dreh)
Four
quattro
(KWAHT-troh)
Excuse me
Mi scusi
(Mee SKOO-zee)
mother
madre
(MAH-dreh)
five
cinque
(CHEENG-kweh)
Good evening
Buona sera
(boo-OH-na
SEH-rah)
Six
sei
(SEH-ee)
Goodbye
Arrivederci
(ah-ree-vehDAIR-chee)
dog
cane
(KAH-neh)
Seven
sette
(SET-teh)
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Brown
Basset ws
The Ned’s
Houn
TM
TRY ’N
FIND
ITALY
Words and names that remind us of Italy are hidden in the block
below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some
letters are used twice. See if you can find: WINTER, OLYMPICS,
VICTOR, EMMANUEL, OPERA, SOCCER, SICILY, VENICE, ROME,
PASTA, WINE, MOUNTAINS, POPE, VATICAN, CITY, CIAO.
WILL YOU
WATCH THE
OLYMPICS?
N
O
M
C
K
W
X
V
Y
X
A
Q
W
I
D
E
M
Q
E
A
C
N
F
N
R
L
O
M
R
T
I
I
W
E
L
E
O
E
Y
C
T
U
V
P
S
R
P
E
I
N
A
O
J
C
M
O
G
A
B
P
V
C
I
G
O
M
B
Z
K
I
O
P
W
M
U
Q
D
T
N
A
M
E
I
V
N
Y
C
S
I
Y
H
L
N
L
T
T
Y
C
L
B
R
J
E
A
A
H
U
O
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S
O
C
C
E
R
I
O
F
V
R
O
T
C
I
V
N
Z
A
F
Y
L
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I
S
S
®
4-3 (06); release dates: January 21-27
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
TM
Go dot to dot and color this famous
attraction in Rome.
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Marvelous Manicotti
• 1/2 pound manicotti noodles • 1/2 pound cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese,
• 1/4 cup butter
shredded
• 1 egg, beaten
1
•
3 cups tomato or spaghetti sauce
• /3 cup chives
• 1 pound ricotta cheese
What to do:
1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and let cool.
Set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the butter, egg, chives, ricotta cheese and
cream cheese. Stir well.
3. Using a spoon, fill manicotti noodles with the cheese mixture.
4. Place noodles side by side in a greased casserole dish.
5. Cover with the mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce.
6. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 minutes.
Makes 7 servings.
Note: You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
You’ll need:
Meet John Travolta
Actor John Travolta is Italian from his father’s
side and Irish from his mother’s.
It was John’s mother who got him interested in
acting. She sent him to a drama school in New
York where he trained in dance, voice and acting.
When he was 16, he played his first role in a
summer production of the musical “Bye Bye Birdie.”
As a teenager he moved to New York and took summer jobs
doing TV commercials. He would travel between New York and
Hollywood for acting parts. Then, at 18, John played a part in his
first Broadway show, “Grease.” He later played the character of
Vinnie in the popular TV series “Welcome Back, Kotter.”
John, 51, grew up in Englewood, N.J., with his five brothers and
sisters. His father, Salvatore, was a tire repair shop owner. John
enjoys music and as a child played the violin. He has released
several albums and also has written two books. He is married to
actress Kelly Preston. They have two children.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
The Mini Page®
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Flags of Our States Poster
L
K
R IGH T
M IN
ES
IL
To
TO
C
GRA
IN
1869
O
To
From
ES
S
EQUA
L IV
Do you know any Italian jokes? We have given you two jokes,
first in English and then in Italian. Now you do!
1890
Donna: Why did the chicken cross the
Alabama
• Full-color flags from all
50 states
• Date each state entered
the union
Missouri
Wyoming
• Display size is 221/2 inches by
281/2 inches
• Ideal for the classroom
or home
To order, send $4.95 plus $2.75 postage and handling (folded and mailed flat) or $4.95 plus $4.25
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road?
Dilbert: To get to the other side.
Donna: Perché il pollo attraversò la
strada?
Dilbert: Per arrivare dall’altra parte.
Daisy: Where do you take a noisy dog?
Duncan: To the dog park.
Daisy: Dove porti un cane rumoroso?
Duncan: Al parco dei cani.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
®
4-4 (06); release dates: January 21-27
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
More About Italy
Many holidays
and festivals are
observed in Italy.
For example, there
are religious, food
and opera festivals.
Italian workers
usually get six weeks of vacation.
Italy has several
islands off the
coast. The largest
ones are mountainous
Sicily and Sardinia. Mount Etna, an
active volcano, is in Sicily, and ancient
ruins such as Greek theaters are on
Sardinia.
Mountains
Northern Italy
includes the cities of
Venice; Genoa, a big
seaport; and Milan, the fashion
capital and also the country’s richest
city. The Po Valley has good farmland
and is also a manufacturing center.
Soccer (calcio; KAL-
Julius Caesar (100 to
44 B.C.) was a powerful
military leader and
ruler of ancient Rome.
King Victor
Emmanuel became the
first king of a united
Italy in 1861. Before
then, the country had
been divided into
separate states or countries.
Leonardo da Vinci was
an important artist of the
Italian Renaissance. He
was a sculptor, architect
and engineer as well
as a great painter. Michelangelo was
another famous artist.
Sites to see:
• Embassy of Italy in Washington:
http://www.ambwashingtondc.esteri.it/
• Italian Government Tourist Board:
http://www.italiantourism.com/
• Kids Village – Torino 2006
http://www.kidsvillage.torino2006.org/
Southern Italy
includes the central
and southern parts of
the country and these
important cities.
Rome is the capital of
the country. The biggest attraction
there is Vatican City, the home of the
pope and the center of the Roman
Catholic Church. It is an
independent state with its own
government. Florence was the center
of the Renaissance. Naples is a big
shipping port. As compared with
northern Italy, southern Italy does
not have as much manufacturing.
cover about
three-fourths of
the country. The
Alps in the north separate Italy from
the rest of Europe. The Apennines
range runs down the length of the
peninsula.
© Turisimo Turin photo by Giusseppe Bressi
Gelato (jeh-LAHtoh) is Italian ice
cream that is made
in many flavors.
Turin, or Torino, is in the foothills of the Alps.
It is the capital of the Piedmont region.
The 2006 Winter
Olympics will be held in
Turin. It is an important
commercial center at the
foot of the Alps. It is also the home
base of the car manufacturer Fiat.
Italians love the opera.
Verdi was among the great
Italian composers (1813-1901).
The population
of Italy is around 58
million. That’s a lot of
people in an area the size of Arizona.
The Italian Renaissance
(REHN-uh-zahnce) was a
period of 300 years from 1300
to 1600. This was a time of
great thought, architecture and art.
see-oh) is by far the most
popular sport in the country.
Italy is divided into twenty
regions. Like our states, each region
has its own capital and government.
Unique is one
way to describe
Venice. It
attracts many
tourists. The city was a wealthy and
powerful center of trade in the 1300s
and 1400s. It was built on mud
banks. Some of the streets are
flooded with water from the nearby
sea. Tourists often ride in boats
called gondolas to see the city.
Italy is one of the largest
wine producers in the world.
There are many vineyards.
Italians also raise olives, rice,
sugar beets and wheat.
Italians are known for
putting a lot of zip into
their conversations. They
often express themselves with their
hands when talking.
The Mini Page thanks the Embassy of Italy
for help with this issue.
Please include all of the appropriate registered trademark symbols and copyright lines in any publication of The Mini Page®.
© Turisimo Turin photo by Giusseppe Bressi
Discover Italy
From A to Z
in
®
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
by Betty Debnam
Appearing in your
newspaper on ____________.
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam
© 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
(Note to Editor: Above is cameraready, one column-by-41/4-inch ad
promoting Issue 4.)
release dates: January 21-27
4-5 (06)
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The MIni Page Publishing Company Inc.
Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate
TM
Standards Spotlight:
Ciao, Italia (Hello, Italy)
Mini Page activities meet many state and national educational standards. Each
week we identify standards that relate to The Mini Page’s content and offer
activities that will help your students reach them.
This week’s standards:
• Students understand the physical and human characteristics of places. (Geography: People
and Places)
• Students understand how culture and experience influence people’s perceptions of places and
regions. (Geography: People and Places)
Activities:
1. Make an Italy collage with newspaper words and pictures about Italian foods, products,
people and places.
2. Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper to make two columns. Label one column
“People” and the other “Places.” Now list important Italian people under the first column and
interesting Italian places under the second column.
3. What can you identify to show that Italy (a) has a long cultural tradition, (b) manufactures
many different products, (c) is popular with tourists, and (d) has many good foods?
4. Collect several newspaper stories about events in modern Italy. Paste each story on a piece of
paper. Then write a paragraph for each story explaining how Italy’s history or geography has
influenced the current news.
5. Use resource books and the Internet to learn more about one of Italy’s famous cities. Select a
city to research. Use these questions to guide your research: Where is the city located? When
was it founded? What are some important historical events that have taken place there?
What are some of the cultural contributions made by the city? What famous Italians were
born there? What is the role of the city in modern Italy?
(standards by Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi)
(Note to Editor: Above is the Standards for Issue 4.)
photo courtesy NYY/Mark Mandrake
®
from The Mini Page by Betty Debnam © 2006 The Mini Page Publishing Company Inc.
Supersport: Joe Torre
Birthdate: 7-18-40 Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
Whether it’s an exhibition game or the World
Series, New York Yankees manager Joe Torre is a
picture of poise.
In 10 seasons as the Yankees’ skipper, he has
guided his players to four World Series titles. His
teams have made the playoffs 10 times.
Before becoming one of the game’s most successful
managers, Torre succeeded as a player and compiled a .297
career batting average.
Baseball was a family affair. Joe’s brother, Frank, played in
the big leagues, too.
Joe and his wife, Ali, are involved with his Safe at Home
Foundation, which promotes awareness of domestic violence.
They have four children.
(Note to Editor: Above is copy block for Page 3, Issue 4, to be used
in place of ad if desired.)
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