2021 Year in Review

Movie fans slowly started to return to theaters this summer. No film brought them back like Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings! The movie broke box office records on Labor Day weekend, earning more than $90 million. The film, starring Simu Liu, made history for another reason. It’s the first Marvel movie centered on an Asian superhero.

But will Shang-Chi be the biggest movie of the year in the U.S.? Some experts predict that distinction will go to another Marvel movie. Spider-Man: No Way Home will be released on December 17.

In mid-February, a winter storm swept through several states. Texas, which is used to mild winters, was unprepared.

In Dallas, temperatures dipped to -2 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s more than 40 degrees below average. Millions of homes and businesses lost power and heat, many for days. And nearly 13 million people—about half of the state’s population—were left without clean running water as pipes burst. More than 200 people were killed in Texas.

Another record-breaking storm, Hurricane Ida, slammed into Louisiana on August 29, with winds of 150 miles per hour. For three days, the remnants of Ida raged toward the Northeast. On September 1, the storm dumped a record 3.2 inches of rain in just one hour in New York City. In total, more than 90 people died.

How do you spell champion? This year, it was Z-A-I-L-A! In July, 14-year-old Zaila Avant-garde made history. She became the first Black American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in its nearly 100-year history.

Spelling isn’t Zaila’s only talent. She holds three Guinness World Records for her basketball skills, including dribbling six balls at once!

On January 20, Joe Biden was inaugurated, or sworn in, as the 46th president of the United States. Kamala Harris officially became our first female vice president that day.

1. What’s another good heading for the section “Best at the Bee”? Explain.

2. What does the expression “in the spotlight” mean? How was gymnast Suni Lee in the spotlight this year?

3. Compare and contrast the two storms discussed in the article.