9th February 2016
Venus is only 40 million kilometres closer to the sun than we are. Its size is very much like the earth. But this small distance of 40 million kilometres has made all the difference. Venus and Earth are often called twins because of their similar size, mass, density, composition and gravity. However, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system with its surface temperature reaching about 465 degrees celsius.
9th February 2016
The word ‘aglet’ is derived from old French word aguillette, which in turn originates from the Latin word acus meaning a needle. Aglets are plastic or metal sheaths that tightly cover the tips of shoelaces and cords to enable them to easily pass through the eyelet holes or other such lacing guides. In addition, aglets keep the threads of a lace together and prevent them from fraying.
9th February 2016
Honey is made by the honey bees from the nectar of flowers. Honey is composed mainly of sugar. It gets its sweetness from glucose and fructose. It also contains granulated sugar. Honey is viscous and contains very little water (about 16 per cent). This prevents the micro organisms such as bacteria and fungal spores from growing in honey. Honey, therefore, does not spoil easily.
9th February 2016
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States of America. At 43 he became one of the youngest Presidents of the USA. He is the only US President to have won the prestigious Pulitzer Prize. The notable events during his tenure were the Cuban missile crisis, building of Berlin War and the beginning of the Vietnam War. Aldous Leonard Huxley was an eminent English writer who was also a humanist, pacifist and a satirist. He moved to Los Angeles and settled there. Some of his works are Point Counter Point, Do What You Will, The Devils of Loudun and Island. He also wrote an essay in a very poignant style on the ‘Bose Institute’, the research institution created by Sir J.C. Bose. Both Kennedy and Huxley died on the same day, i.e. November 22, 1963.
8th February 2016
Whales are the world’s largest animals and are found in the oceans. Whales are mammals which feed milk to their young ones and breathe air. Since they do not have gills they cannot breathe under water but have to come up to the surface of water to breathe. The air is breathed in and out through their ‘blowhole,’ which is on their back. There are two types of whales: baleen and toothed. The baleen whales do not have teeth, eat a plankton called krill and have two nostrils. The toothed whale eats plants and fishes and has only one nostril.
8th February 2016
‘Waka Waka’ gained its popularity during the 2010 World Cup Football when Shakira sang the famous song. The lyrics of song contain words from the Fang language, which run as Za mina mina eh eh Waka waka eh eh, Tsa mina mina zangalewa, this time for Africa. Za mina mina means come, Waka waka means do it, Tsa mina mina zangalewa means where do you come from? Originally sung by a Makossa group from Cameroon called Golden Sounds, the band members comprised African soldiers. The song pays tribute to African infantry during World War II. During the Nigerian war (1967-70), the Nigerian army used this song extensively. The song is still used today almost everywhere in Africa.
