title: Taurus (astrology)

paragraphs: Taurus is an astrological sign, which is with the constellation (a group of stars that make the shape of an animal or person) of the same name. Under the tropical zodiac, Taurus is occupied by the Sun from April 20 to May 20, and under the sidereal zodiac, it is currently from May 14 to June 19.

paragraphs: In mythology, Taurus is often with the Greek myth of the bull-form taken by Zeus in order to win Europa. Taurus is also associated with the Greco-Roman goddess Aphrodite/Venus and sometimes also the goddesses Hera/Juno, Ishtar, Isis, Freyja, and Frigg and the gods Pan, Dionysus/Bacchus, Xolotl, and Quetzalcoatl.

paragraphs: Taurus is the second sign of the Zodiac and Taurus is to do with desire for material things, and emotions. People born in Taurus are calm, patient, reliable, loyal, affectionate, and ambitious. There is also something about their appearance, which makes people excited, which makes them comfortable to be with. They are also strong, secure and stable. But they can sometimes want to have everything, or be stubborn, insecure, rigid, and be lazy and slow.

paragraphs: Taurus is ruled by Venus. Taurus is said to have the woman side of Venus, and are very attractive. It is also the most woman-like sign in the zodiac.

paragraphs: The Indian version of Taurus is Vrishabha, the Chinese version is the Snake

paragraphs: The Taurus person is very affectionate in love, sensual, and instinctively aware of the power of their body sexually. However, they are also very possessive and stubborn, and tend to get extremely jealous when they do find a mate, who can please their sensual side, and they feel threatened by an outsider.

paragraphs: People born in Taurus are able to do jobs where people with perseverance, practicality and responsibility are given rewards, for example; builders, farmers, bankers, civil servants, accountants and artistic jobs, especially singing and sculpture, because they are good at works to do with hand.

paragraphs: In medical astrology and anatomy, Taurus is said to rule the vocal chords, tonsils, palate, throat, neck, ears, and lower jaw.It is said that they have larger reproductive organs.


title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

paragraphs: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (some people call it T2) is a 1991 American action-science fiction movie set in Los Angeles. It was directed, co-produced, and co-written by James Cameron, and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and Robert Patrick. It is the second movie of the series, the 1984 movie "The Terminator" was the first, and picks up ten years after the events of the first movie. It follows Sarah Connor, her 10-year-old son John, and a helper from the future (as in the first movie), as they try to stop Judgment Day, a day in the future when machines will start to kill all humans.

paragraphs: "T2" was a good movie as audience and critics say. It had an impact on people, and is known by many to have had power in the genres of action and science fiction. The movie's visual effects include many discoveries in computer made special effects, marking the first use of natural human movement for a CG character and the first computer made main character.

paragraphs: In 1995, eleven years after Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) killed the original Terminator that was sent to kill her with the help of kyle reese, two men arrive in Los Angeles from the year 2029. The first is a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) identical to the one that Sarah first met, while the second is an unknown man (Robert Patrick).

paragraphs: John Connor (Edward Furlong) is now living with foster parents. He has grown up being told by his mother that he would someday lead the human race to beat the machines. Sarah has changed a lot because since the first movie - being stronger in mind and body - making people think she is crazy, and so she is sent to a mental hospital - Pescadero State Hospital.

paragraphs: Meanwhile, the Terminator and the unknown man both find John Connor in a shopping mall. Then, there is a twist: the unknown man is not the one who is ment to stop John getting killed, as the people watching thought so based on the first movie. The killing machine from the first movie is now the one ment to stop John getting killed, and the other man is another Terminator trying to kill John. When the good Terminator rescues John, he tells him what is happening. He is a Model 101, made by the future John Connor to act as the one to keep him from harm. The other Terminator is a T-1000, sent to kill him. It is made of mimetic polyalloy, or liquid metal, making it able to morph anyone or anything of equal size, except "complex machines" like "guns and explosives" because they "have chemicals, moving parts." It can however form "knives and stabbing weapons."

paragraphs: When John learns that the T-1000 will copy Sarah and then kill her, he and the Terminator go to rescue her. Sarah is very afraid by it, but after seeing it fight off the T-1000, she accepts that they need its help. As they escape the city, the Terminator tells her about the future of Skynet, the supercomputer that will get rid of humans. He tells her about its maker, Miles Bennet Dyson (Joe Morton), who makes a learning computer that suddenly becomes self-aware on August 4, 1997. It begins learning very quickly, and on August 29, 1997, it launches nuclear missiles that kills most humans.

paragraphs: Sarah, John, and the Terminator arrive in the desert at her friend Enrique Salceda’s camp, who has kept an underground weapons stash in the event that the war does happen. Sarah plans to take John and flee over the line that is between the US and Mexico. While at the camp, she finds out that by killing Dyson, she can stop Skynet from being made, stopping the war with the machines. After she leaves, John and the Terminator figure out what she is going to do and take off after her. At Dyson's home, Sarah tries to shoot him with sniper rifle, but when she misses, she finds that she can not kill him up close in front of his family. When John and the Terminator arrive, they tell Dyson of the bad things that will happen of his research. They make sure he knows why they must break all the things to do with his chip idea, including the CPU and arm from the first Terminator.

paragraphs: Sarah, John, the Terminator, and Dyson break into the Cyberdyne building and find the parts from the first Terminator. While make bombs to blow up the rest, security tells the police who show up in force. When the SWAT team enters the building, they shoot Dyson quite a few times which really hurts him, he stays behind to press the button to blow the place up.

paragraphs: They leave in a SWAT van, with the T-1000 chasing them, first in a helicopter, then a liquid nitrogen truck. The truck crashes into a steel mill, this makes the tank to open and liquid nitrogen to spill all over the place, freezing the T-1000. Even though the Terminator breaks him into many small pieces by shooting him, they thaw and come back together. The T-1000 and Model 101 begin to fight hand to hand, with the T-1000 stabbing him through the power cell with a metal pole, switching him off. The T-1000 then goes to hunt John, he turns himself into a Sarah copy. As John finds the two Sarah's, the Terminator, who had turned itself back on using a different power source, shoots the T-1000 with a grenade launcher, throwing it back into a pit of molten metal, melting it.

paragraphs: After John throws the parts from the first Terminator into the molten metal, the Terminator tells him that he too must die to stop his technology from being used to create Skynet. He tells Sarah that he cannot kill himself, and she must lower him into the steel. As he goes down, he reaches up with a thumbs up, the last thing to go under. The movie ends with a dark highway at night, and Sarah's repetition of the phrase that Reese told her in the first movie. "The future is not set."


title: Christy Turlington

paragraphs: Christy Nicole Turlington (born January 2, 1969) is an American supermodel. She grew up in Danville, California. Her father was British commercial pilot. Her mother was a Salvadoran flight attendant.

paragraphs: Turlington is best known for representing Calvin Klein perfumes. She has done this since 1987. She has also worked on various campaigns for Maybelline and Giorgio Armani. She has appeared in several movies about the fashion industry.


title: Premier

paragraphs: Premier is sometimes used instead of Prime Minister. But it is also the title of the leader of the government in some territories.

paragraphs: When a colony is first allowed to elect its own government the head of the government is called the "Chief Minister". As the colony gets more able to rule itself it is given more powers and the title of the Chief Minister is changed to "Premier". When the colony becomes independent the Premier becomes a Prime Minister, and British government ministers lose any authority to rule the new country.

paragraphs: The leader of the federal governments in Australia and Canada is called the prime minister, but the leader of the governments in Australian States and Canadian Provinces is called the Premier. This is because the states and provinces are not independent.


title: Hispanidad

paragraphs: Hispanidad (literally Hispanicness) is the community formed by all the people and nations that share Spanish language and culture. The 23 nations included are all Spanish-speaking except the Philippines, and can be classified in four geographic areas: Spain, Hispanoamerica, Hispanoafrica and the Hispanopacific. Every October 12 Hispanic Day is celebrated. Hispanidad or Spanish linguistic and cultural diffusion began when the 12 October 1492 Christopher Columbus sighted America and initiated the European colonization in the name of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain. The kingdom of Castile (Castilla) built a global empire, spreading their culture and language in the Americas and biologically and culturally mixing with the indigenous peoples, altering the composition of the hemisphere. The penetration and reach of Spain at this time also extended into other European nations.

paragraphs: The Spanish is the mother tongue that spoken by more than 333 million people (in second place after Chinese). The total number of Spanish-speakers is more than 395 million people.

paragraphs: In Europe, Hispanics are mainly confined to Spain. There are more than 30 million of them.

paragraphs: Most Hispanics are in Hispanic America . There are more than 300 million. Countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay and Venezuela .

paragraphs: Hispanics in the African continent are mostly in overseas territories of Spain (Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla and Plazas de Soberanía) and in the nation of Equatorial Guinea. In Morocco and Western Sahara some people maintain Hispanic characteristics. Altogether in Africa two million speak Spanish.

paragraphs: The Philippines is the only Asian country that conserves some identifiably Hispanic influences in its culture and Spanish loanwords in the native languages.

paragraphs: Other countries in the Asia-Pacific region that maintain a similar degree of Hispanic influence as the Philippines are:


title: Aviation

paragraphs: Aviation refers to flying using an aircraft, like an aeroplane. It also includes the activities and industries related to flight, such as air traffic control. The biggest of the many uses of aviation are in air travel and military aircraft.

paragraphs: Humans first built devices to fly in the air a long time ago. In the sixth century, Yuan Huangtou from China created a kite. Some primitive types of parachutes and gliders were also created in North Africa.

paragraphs: The modern age of aviation started on November 21, 1783, when the Montgolfier brothers flew in their hot air balloon. Airships followed. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers flew the first flight in an aeroplane which was heavier than air; their invention is known as the first aeroplane.


title: Cyberpunk

paragraphs: Cyberpunk is a kind of Science Fiction. The Cyberpunk genre began in the early 1980s. Bruce Bethke made this word for his 1980 short story "Cyberpunk" by putting together two words: "cybernetics" and "punk rock".

paragraphs: Soon, people used this word to describe William Gibson's book, "Neuromancer".

paragraphs: Cyberpunk authors put their stories in different settings. The time is usually set in the near-future and the settings are often dystopian (characterized by misery). These are often societies with very advanced technology. Often, only a few huge corporations control the society. These corporations control the technology. Instead of being beneficial to all, technology is used by the few corporations for their own interests only. Many cyberpunk novels are about individual computer users. One hero fights a computer/Internet controlled society. These stories are often in the near future.

paragraphs: Common themes in cyberpunk include advances in information technology and especially the Internet, artificial intelligence and prosthetics and post-democratic societal control where corporations have more influence than governments. Nihilism, post-modernism, and film noir techniques are common elements, and the protagonists may be disaffected or reluctant anti-heroes.


title: Igbo language

paragraphs: Igbo is a language spoken in Nigeria. It is spoken by more than 18 million people. Igbo is a tonal language. The language is written in the Roman script.


title: Wind shear

paragraphs: Wind shear is a difference in either wind speed or direction over a fairly short distance in the atmosphere. Wind shear can be divided into two different types: "horizontal" and "vertical wind shear".

paragraphs: Weather situations when the Wind shear is observed happen:


title: Polar cyclone

paragraphs: Polar cyclones (also known as Arctic Cyclones) are large areas of low pressure. They should not be confused with polar lows since people happen to use the same term for polar cyclones. Polar cyclones are usually 1,000 to 2,000 kilometers wide in which the air is moving in a spiral counterclockwise fashion in the northern hemisphere. The reason for the rotation is the same as tropical cyclones, the Coriolis effect. They also exist in places such as Greenland, the Eurasian Arctic area, and northern Canada, with about 15 cyclones per winter. Polar cyclones can form in any time of the year, although summer polar cyclones are usually weaker than the ones that form in the winter. Also, they are not closely studied and are rarely destructive since they happen in areas with little or no population.

paragraphs: One center is near Baffin Island and the other over northeast Siberia. In the southern hemisphere, it is usually near the edge of the Ross ice shelf near 160 west longitude.

paragraphs: The Antarctic vortex of the Southern Hemisphere is a single low-pressure zone that is found near the edge of the Ross ice shelf, near 160 west longitude. When the polar vortex is strong, the mid-latitude Westerlies (winds at the surface level between 30° and 60° latitude from the west) increase in strength and are persistent. When the polar vortex is weak, high-pressure zones of the mid-latitudes may push poleward, moving the polar vortex, jet stream, and polar front equatorward. The jet stream is seen to "buckle" and deviate south. This rapidly brings cold dry air into contact with the warm, moist air of the mid-latitudes, resulting in a rapid and dramatic change of weather known as a "cold snap".

paragraphs: Ozone depletion occurs within the polar vortices – particularly over the Southern Hemisphere – reaching a maximum depletion in the spring.

paragraphs: The polar vortex was first described as early as 1853. The phenomenon's sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) develops during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere and was discovered in 1952 with radiosonde observations at altitudes higher than 20 km.

paragraphs: The phenomenon was mentioned frequently in the news and weather media in the cold North American winter of 2013–2014, popularizing the term as an explanation of very cold temperatures.

paragraphs: A deep freeze that gripped much of the United States and Canada in late January 2019 has been blamed on a polar vortex. The US National Weather Service warned that frostbite is possible within just 10 minutes of being outside in such extreme temperatures, and hundreds of schools, colleges and universities in the affected areas were closed. Around 21 people died in US due to severe frostbite. States within the midwest region of the United States had windchills just above -50°F (-45°C), which is colder than the frozen tundra and Antarctica.

paragraphs: The Polar vortex has also thought to have had effects in Europe. For example, the 2013–14 United Kingdom winter floods were blamed on the Polar vortex bringing severe cold in the United States and Canada. Similarly, the severe, brutal cold in the United Kingdom in the winters of 2009/10 and 2010/11 were also blamed on the Polar vortex.

paragraphs: Polar cyclones are low-pressure zones embedded within the polar air masses, and exist year-round. The stratospheric polar vortex develops at latitudes above the subtropical jet stream. Horizontally, most polar vortices have a radius of less than . Since polar vortices exist from the stratosphere downward into the mid-troposphere, a variety of heights/pressure levels are used to mark its position. The 50 mb pressure surface is most often used to identify its stratospheric location. At the level of the tropopause, the extent of closed contours of potential temperature can be used to determine its strength. Others have used levels down to the 500 hPa pressure level (about above sea level during the winter) to identify the polar vortex.

paragraphs: Polar vortices are weakest during summer and strongest during winter. Extratropical cyclones that migrate into higher latitudes when the polar vortex is weak can disrupt the single vortex creating smaller vortices (cold-core lows) within the polar air mass. Those individual vortices can persist for more than a month.

paragraphs: Volcanic eruptions in the tropics can lead to a stronger polar vortex during winter for as long as two years afterwards. The strength and position of the polar vortex shapes the flow pattern in a broad area about it. An index which is used in the northern hemisphere to gauge its magnitude is the Arctic oscillation.


title: Geisha

paragraphs: Another term for a geisha is geiko (). This word is mainly used in Kyoto. Kyoto is the city where the geisha tradition is older and stronger. Becoming a professional geisha (geiko) in Kyoto usually takes five years of training.

paragraphs: Apprentice geisha are called ""maiko"" (). This name is made of the Japanese words ("mai") meaning ""dancing"" and ("ko") meaning ""child"". Maiko wear white make-up and kimono of many bright colors. Full geisha wear simpler kimonos, and only use white make-up at special times.

paragraphs: There are also geisha in other cities, but they are different. In Tokyo, becoming a full geisha takes from six months to a year. The Tokyo geisha apprentice is called ""han'gyoku"" () ""half-jewel"", or ""o-shaku"" (), ""one who serves (alcohol)"". Tokyo geisha are normally older than Kyoto geiko.

paragraphs: Modern geisha still live in traditional geisha houses called ""okiya"" (置屋) in neighborhoods named ""hanamachi"" ( ""flower towns""). However, most older geisha who are successful have their own home. The elegant world that geisha are a part of is called ""karyūkai"" ( ""the flower and willow world""). A famous geisha, Mineko Iwasaki, said this is because "geisha is like a flower, beautiful in her own way, and like a willow tree, gracious, flexible, and strong".

paragraphs: The geisha are considered cultural icons of Japan.

paragraphs: Geisha are more modern than many people think. There were some women who worked as artists before geisha appeared, since the Heian Period (794-1185); but the true geishas appeared much later. In 1589, Toyotomi Hideyoshi authorized the building of a neighborhood in Kyoto, closed from the outside with walls. It was called "Shimabara", and it was dedicated to pleasure. This included enjoying arts, drinking, and luxury prostitution. Courtesans (called "oiran" ) worked as expensive prostitutes, and attracted rich clients. Many artists also worked at the same houses, to entertain the clients with music, dancing and poetry. For a long time, these artists were men, and they called themselves ""geisha"" ("artists"), ""hōkan"" ("jesters") or ""taikomochi"" ("drummers", because they played the "taiko", a Japanese drum).

paragraphs: Every man who wished to be with an oiran had to follow difficult rituals and etiquette, and only the very rich and noble could. For this reason, many tea houses ("ochaya") appeared outside Shimabara. At some of them, some women practiced cheaper prostitution, the ""sancha-joro"". However other women, who were called ""odoroki"" ("dancing girls"), acted as dancers and musicians. These women soon became very popular. They started calling themselves ""geisha"", like the male artists who worked at Shimabara. By about the year 1700, the female geisha became much more popular than the male ones. A few years later, almost all geisha were women.

paragraphs: The government made laws that prohibited geisha to work as prostitutes, and only gave them permission to act as entertainers. One of these laws said that they had to tie their "obi" ( sash) in the back, to make it harder for them to take their kimono off. Their hairstyle, make-up and kimono also had to be simpler than the oirans', because their beauty had to be in their art, not their bodies. Soon, the geisha became so much more popular than the oiran, that by the year 1750 all oiran had disappeared. Other new geisha neighborhoods ("hanamachi") were created in Kyoto and other cities.

paragraphs: In the 19th century, the geisha were in better position than common women, but they also had problems in Japanese society. Sometimes, poor people sold their daughters to the hanamachi tea houses. Some rich men became patrons of geisha and paid a lot of money to get personal attention from them. Geisha could not marry anymore, but they could have a patron to pay for their expenses. Other men paid a lot of money to take the new girls' virginity ("mizuage"). But the reputation and respect for the geisha grew again in the Meiji Restoration, and even more after World War II. Important laws that protect them were created. Young girls could not be sold to the tea houses anymore, and the virginity of young geisha could not be bought. Since then, women only become geisha by their free will.

paragraphs: Most geisha today are in the hanamachis of Kyoto (especially the Gion hanamachi) and Tokyo. In modern Japan, they are almost never seen outside of them. In the 1920s there were over 80,000 geisha in Japan, but today there are far fewer. The exact number of geisha today is not known, but is estimated to be from 1,000 to 2,000. Most women who appear as geisha for tourists are in fact actresses dressed as maikos.

paragraphs: Young women who wish to become geisha now usually begin their training after finishing junior high school, or even high school or college. Many women begin their careers as adults. Geisha still study traditional musical instruments like the shamisen, shakuhachi (bamboo flute), and drums, as well as traditional songs, Japanese traditional dance, tea ceremony, literature and poetry. By watching other geisha, apprentices also become skilled in the difficult traditions of dressing, make-up, and in dealing with clients.

paragraphs: Geisha are often hired to go to parties and gatherings, at tea houses or at traditional Japanese restaurants ("ryōtei"). Their time is measured by the time it takes an incense stick to burn, and is called ""senkōdai"" (線香代, ""incense stick fee"") or ""gyokudai"" (玉代 ""jewel fee""). In Kyoto the terms ""ohana"" (お花）) and ""hanadai"" (花代), meaning ""flower fees"", are used instead. The clients hire the service of geisha through the Geisha Union Office (検番 "kenban"), which takes care of the geisha's schedule and makes her appointments both for entertaining and for training.

paragraphs: Traditionally, geisha began their training at a very young age. Although some girls were sold to become geisha as children, this was not normal practice in hanamachi with good reputation. Daughters of geisha were often educated as geisha themselves.

paragraphs: The first part of training is called ""shikomi"". In the past, when girls first arrived at the okiya ("tea house"), they were put to work as maids, or do everything they were told. The work was difficult, to "make" and "break" the new girls. The most junior shikomi of the house had to wait late into the night for the senior geisha to return from work, sometimes as late as two or three in the morning. During this stage of training, the shikomi went to classes at the hanamachi's geisha school. In modern times, this stage still exists, but it is not as hard as it was in the past. Now, shikomis become used to the traditions and dress of the ""karyūkai"" (""flower and willow world"").

paragraphs: When the apprentice became skilled in the geisha arts, and passed a final and difficult dance test, she was promoted to the second stage of training: ""minarai"". Minarai did not do the housework anymore. This stage also exists today, but is much shorter than in the past (only a month). The minarai learn in the field. They go to banquets and dance with the geishas, but they do not participate: they just sit, watch and learn from their "onee-san" ("older sisters"). Their kimono are more elaborate than even a maiko's, to do the talking for them.

paragraphs: After a short time, the third (and most famous) stage of training begins, called ""maiko"". Maiko are apprentice geisha, and this stage can last for years. Maiko learn from their senior geisha and follow them around to every presentation she does. The ""onee-san/imoto-san"" (""older sister/younger sister"") relationship is very important. The onee-san teaches her maiko everything about "working" in the hanamachi. She will teach her the right ways of serving tea, playing the shamisen, and dancing, and everything about the art of "Iki" (see below). Maikos have to wear heavy white make-up, elaborate hairstyle, and have her lips painted almost all the time. Their kimonos and obi have more vibrant colors and richer embroidery than those of full geisha. Like the minarai, maikos do not charge as much money to go to parties or gatherings as a full geisha.

paragraphs: After a period of only six months (in Tokyo) or five years (in Kyoto), the maiko is promoted to a full geisha and charges full price for her time. Geisha use kimono of fewer colors and only use make-up for work or dance, because she is more mature than a maiko, and the simpler style shows her own natural beauty. Geisha remain as such until they retire.

paragraphs: Geisha must be very skilled at traditional Japanese music, dance, and poetry, because they use all these arts when they work. The art of make-up, hairstyles, and clothing are very important too.

paragraphs: However, the most important principle of a geisha is called Iki. Iki started in the 18th century as a reply to the extravagant ways of the courtesans ("oirans") and those who liked their style. Oirans wore very elaborate clothes, make-up, and jewelry. Geisha preferred to be discreet, and more intelligent. They created iki as a style that gave more importance to conversation and wit. Instead of working with sex, like oirans did and simple prostitutes do today, geisha try to be sexy. A geisha will flirt, tease, and joke with men, but always with art and elegance. Japanese clients know that nothing more can be expected. Men enjoy the illusion of that which is never to be. Geisha do not have sex with clients for money.

paragraphs: Geisha give more importance to their reputation than prostitutes do, and they almost never enter a relationship with a client. Those that do generally act with care usually get married. Normally, when a geisha marries, she retires from the profession. The most important quality of a geisha is her trustworthiness, especially to Japanese clients. Anything that her clients do, or tell her, must remain a secret. Anything said or done at a tea house will remain anonymous.

paragraphs: Becoming a geisha needs much discipline. A geisha believes she must be a work of art in herself. They work every day to improve, in everything they do. A geisha's movements, her way of walking, sitting and talking are very important. Geisha are geisha all the time, even when they are at home or not working. An example of this dedication is the old custom of "kangeiko" (""lessons in the cold""). Until the early 1920s, apprentice geisha used to put their hands in icy water, and then go outside in cold weather to practice playing the shamisen until their fingers bled.


title: Thomas Midgley

paragraphs: Thomas Midgley (born 18 May 1889; died 2 November 1944), was an American inventor. His two most famous inventions are both now banned because they are dangerous for the world environment: the use of lead in petrol (gasoline) and the use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in refrigerators. Midgley was accidentally killed by something he was inventing.

paragraphs: Midgley was born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. His father was also an inventor. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from Cornell University in 1911 with a degree in mechanical engineering. His name was Thomas Midgley Jr because his father's name was also Thomas Midgley.

paragraphs: Midgley began working at General Motors in 1916. In December 1921 Midgley discovered that the addition of Tetraethyllead to gasoline prevented "knocking" in internal combustion engines.

paragraphs: In the 1930s Midgley developed a non-poisonous substance called CFC (chlorinated fluorocarbon) for use in refrigerators, inhalers and aerosol spray cans. He was given many high awards for his work and in 1944 he became president and chairman of the American Chemical Society.

paragraphs: In 1940, at the age of 51, Midgley became ill with polio which left him disabled. It was to the point where it was hard to do every day tasks; like getting out of bed. He decided to invent a complicated system of strings and pulleys to lift him from his bed. However, this plan backfired, and he got caught up in the ropes and died of strangulation.

paragraphs: Midgley died before the days when people realized that CFCs were destroying the ozone layer which prevents harmful rays from the sun reaching the earth. They are now banned in refrigerators, but are still used in some countries.

paragraphs: In the United States it was not until 1973 that people started to produce gasoline without lead and, in 1996, the Clean Air Act banned the sale of leaded fuel for use in on-road vehicles. However it was still legal in the U.S. for aircraft, racing cars, farm equipment, and marine engines until 2008. Leaded gasoline is still common in South America, Africa, and some parts of Asia and the Middle East.


title: Hovhannes Shiraz

paragraphs: Hovhannes Shiraz (Armenian: Հովհաննես Շիրազ) (April 27, 1915 - April 14, 1984) was a notable Armenian poet.

paragraphs: He was born Hovhannes (Onig) Garabedyan in the city of Alexandropol, then part of the Russian Empire (now Gyumri, Armenia). His first work called Beginning of Spring was published in 1935. Novelist Atrpet gave the talented poet the epithet "Shiraz", because "this youth's poems have the fragrance of roses, fresh and covered with dew, like the roses of Shiraz." Shiraz being one of Iran's major cities, famous for its roses and poets. Most of Shiraz's publications were poetry.

paragraphs: He married famous Armenian poetess Silva Kaputikyan. His son with Kaputikyan, Ara Shiraz, is a sculptor. A street in Julfa of Isfahan is named after him. In 2005 Levon Mkrtchyan released a documentary film titled "Hovhannes Shiraz". Hayk Studio 43min.


title: Polar low

paragraphs: A polar low is a small sized and short-lived atmospheric low pressure system that is found over the ocean areas pole ward of the main polar front in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The systems usually have a horizontal length scale of less than 1,000 km and live for less than a couple of days. They are part of the larger class of mesoscale weather systems. Polar lows can be difficult to detect using standard weather reports and are a problem to high-latitude operations, such as shipping and gas and oil platforms.

paragraphs: Polar lows have been also known as by using many other terms, such as "comma cloud", "mesocyclone", "polar mesoscale vortex", "Arctic hurricane", "Arctic low", and "cold air depression". Today the term is usually set aside for the more-energetic systems that have near-surface winds of at least gale force (17 m/s).

paragraphs: Rasmussen,E.A. and Turner,J.(2003). Polar Lows: Mesoscale Weather Systems in the Polar Regions, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 612.


title: Pericles

paragraphs: Pericles or Perikles (ca. 495–429 BC, , meaning ""surrounded by glory"") was a prominent and influential statesman. He also was an orator, and general of Athens. He lived between the Persian and Peloponnesian wars. He was descended, through his mother, from the Alcmaeonid family.

paragraphs: Pericles had great influence on Athenian society. Thucydides, a contemporary historian, described him as "the first citizen of Athens". Pericles turned the Delian League into an Athenian empire and led his countrymen during the first two years of the Peloponnesian War. The period during which he led Athens, roughly from 461 to 429 BC, is sometimes known as the "Age of Pericles,". This period though can include times as early as the Persian Wars, or as late as the next century.

paragraphs: In Pericles late 20’s he sponsored a major dramatic production for the festival of Dionysus, and he also entertained the whole city. Pericles also got married and had 2 sons. His wife's name is unknown. He associated with a courtesan named Aspasia. A decade later the people started to like him more and more. He got involved with the politics called Ephialtes. Pericles and Ephialtes took away the noble's powers. Ephialtes was later assassinated.

paragraphs: Pericles promoted the arts and literature. This was a chief reason Athens holds the reputation of being the educational and cultural centre of the ancient Greek world. He started an ambitious project that built most of the surviving structures on the Acropolis (including the Parthenon). This project made the city more beautiful., It also showed its glory, and gave work to the people. Furthermore, Pericles fostered Athenian democracy to such an extent that critics call him a populist.


title: Wind speed

paragraphs: Wind speed is the speed of the weather related air movement from one place to the next.

paragraphs: Wind speeds usually mean the movement of air in an outside environment, but the speed of movement of air inside is also important in many cases, including weather forecasting, aircraft and maritime operations, construction and civil engineering. High wind speeds can cause unpleasant side effects, and strong winds often have special names, including gales, hurricanes, and typhoons. The highest wind speed ever measured on earth, 253 miles per hour, was recorded on Barrow Island, Australia.

paragraphs: The most simple method of measuring wind speed is to estimate the speed from the observed event against the Beaufort Scale. Obviously, this method is not the most accurate available, so each value on the scale represents a range of values, three on the scale, for example, covers the wind speeds between seven and ten knots.


title: Thebes, Greece

paragraphs: Thebes is a city in Central Greece in Boeotia. Today, about 23,000 people live there. It lies on the border of Boeotia and Attica. Archaeologists have found a Mycenaean settlement. They have also found clay tablets written in Linear B script. Thebes was once a super-power in Greece until the rise of Macedonia. It became a dominant power after their victory over the Spartans at the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BC.

paragraphs: Thebes sided with Persians the Persian wars. It’s refrnced in multiple myths and in the setting off Antigone and Oedipus


title: Minoan civilization

paragraphs: The Minoan civilization was a civilization on Crete called after Minos. It began in the Bronze Age between 3000 and 2700 BC. It lasted until about 1450 BC. The Minoan civilization is famous for its sea trading and well-planned cities. The Minoans had an agricultural system which relied mainly on olives and grapes. Their religion worshipped mostly goddesses. The Minoan civilization was later replaced by the Mycenaean culture.

paragraphs: Cretans built palaces during their architecture era. In a non-royal palace there were many small rooms with cooler places to sit, because Crete got very hot in the summer. Palaces were used for many things. They were used as government centers, storerooms, stores, and administrative offices. Most palaces were very big. The Cretans might have gotten the money to create these palaces from working for the Egyptians. The royal palace was very different. Everyone had toilets, baths, and running water. The ones for the king and queen were very fancy. Their palace was fancy also. The architecture era was ended by a great fire. This era went from 2000 B.C. to 1450 B.C.


title: Alliance

paragraphs: An alliance is an agreement between two or more parties. It is made to benefit both parties.

paragraphs: The word "alliance" is used mainly in war. When two or more countries make an alliance, that means they promise to help each other

paragraphs: during war. Countries that have an alliance are called "allies". When talking about countries that have an alliance, people say they are "allied".

paragraphs: There can be only two countries in an alliance, or there can be more than two countries in an alliance. An example of an alliance with more than two countries is the Central Powers in World War I. This alliance was made up of Germany, Austria-Hungary, The Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria.


title: Epic poetry

paragraphs: Epic poetry tells a dramatic story in a poem. There are characters in the story. It is usually long, and takes place in different settings. Epic poems started in prehistoric times as part of oral tradition.

paragraphs: "Beowulf" is a typical example, written in Old English. Well-known people who wrote epics were Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Dante, Edmund Spenser and Milton. William Wordsworth's Prelude plays with epic ideas though the poem is autobiography.

paragraphs: Empire of Dreams (1988), Giannina Braschi


Water lillies


title: Kousuke Atari

paragraphs: Kousuke Atari (, "Atari Kōsuke"; born July 13, 1980 in Amami island, Kagoshima) is a Japanese singer and Shimauta utasha.


title: The Apostles (Elgar)

paragraphs: The Apostles, op. 49, is an oratorio for soloists, chorus and orchestra composed by Edward Elgar. It was first performed on October 14, 1903.

paragraphs: Elgar had been thinking for many years about writing a musical work about Jesus's Twelve Apostles. He was already 42 when his orchestral work "Enigma Variations" was first performed in 1899. He was then asked by the Birmingham Triennial Music Festival to compose a big work for the following year. At first he thought of writing "The Apostles", but then he realized he would need more than a year to write it, so he composed an oratorio called "The Dream of Gerontius". When it was first performed it was not a success. This was because the orchestra and choir had only had two weeks to learn it and also because the conductor did not like Elgar's music anyway. Then it was performed in Düsseldorf in Germany and shortly afterwards in Westminster Cathedral, London. Both these performances were greeted with lots of applause. Elgar was given a doctorate (title of Dr) by the University of Cambridge and he was becoming famous. He started to work on "The Apostles", and it was performed in Birmingham in 1903.

paragraphs: Originally Elgar wanted to write three oratorios which would belong together. "The Apostles" is the first one, the second one became "The Kingdom" but the third one, which would have been about the Last Judgement, was never written.

paragraphs: The oratorio is about the disciples of Jesus and the way they react to the amazing things that Jesus does. There are six soloists: the narrator (who tells the story)- he has a tenor voice and also does the part of St John, St Peter (bass), Jesus (bass) and Judas (bass) and the two female singers: the soprano who is both the Blessed Virgin and the angel Gabriel, and the mezzo-soprano who is Mary Magdalene.

paragraphs: Sometimes "The Apostles" is criticized for not being a carefully thought out dramatic story. Elgar was more interested in what makes people behave in the way they do. He was particularly interested in the two sinners Mary Magdalene and Judas Iscariot.

paragraphs: The orchestra is very big. The music includes the call of the shofar. Often this is played on a brass instrument. There is a double choir and a small choir (semichorus).

paragraphs: The work is in two parts and seven sections, each played without a break. Elgar chose the words himself. He spent a lot of time looking at different translations of the Bible and combining sentences from several of the versions.

paragraphs: Unlike "The Dream of Gerontius" which people did not like the first time they heard it, "The Apostles" was an immediate success with audience and critics. People were getting used to the kind of big oratorio that Elgar was writing. However, today "The Dream of Gerontius" is the most popular of Elgar's oratorios. "The Apostles" is a strange mixture of words from different parts of the bible, but it has some very beautiful music. Elgar often wrote the music first and then added the words afterwards.

paragraphs: Elgar uses leitmotifs in this work: melodies that are associated with particular people or ideas. He got this idea from Wagner. Some of the leitmotifs heard in "The Apostles" can also be heard in "The Kingdom".


title: Knot (speed)

paragraphs: A knot is a unit of speed. It is abbreviated kt or kn. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with the SI. It is used around the world in meteorology and for maritime and aviation purposes.

paragraphs: 1 international knot = 1 nautical mile per hour = 1.852 kilometres per hour exactly. This is based on the internationally agreed length of the nautical mile, as adopted by the US in 1954 (which previously used the US nautical mile of 1853.248 m), the UK in 1970 (which previously used the UK or Admiralty nautical mile of 1853.184 m) and other countries. This is the definition used in most, if not all, modern circumstances. Knot is sometimes used for the nautical mile itself, but this is incorrect.

paragraphs: The speed of a vessel relative to the fluid in which it travels is usually measured in knots. This may be referred to as 'boat speed', 'vessel speed' and, for aircraft, 'air speed'. The speeds of relevant fluids, such as tidal streams, river currents and wind speeds, are also usually specified in knots. Knots are then also used to describe the actual speed of a vessel over the ground (SOG) and for its rate of progress toward a distant point ('velocity made good' or VMG).

paragraphs: One (international) knot is the same as 1.852 kilometres per hour (km·h), and is approximately equal to the following:

paragraphs: Although knots do not fit within the primary SI system, they are used for nautical and aviation use for navigational reasons, because the length of a nautical mile is almost identical to a minute of latitude. As a result, distance in nautical miles on a navigational chart can easily be measured by using dividers and the latitude indicators on the side of the chart.


title: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

paragraphs: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British orchestra based in London. It travels around to give concerts in many places.

paragraphs: The RPO was started just after World War II, in 1946, by the conductor Sir Thomas Beecham. Beecham did not start to get his players together until three weeks before the first concert which took place in Croydon on September 15, 1946. Beecham was principal conductor until his death in 1961.

paragraphs: When the orchestra toured the United States in 1950 they were the first British orchestra to visit America since the London Symphony Orchestra in 1912.

paragraphs: Beecham controlled all the organization of the orchestra. After Beecham’s death, the orchestra was made into a self-governing group, like the other London orchestras. They went through some difficult years. In 1963 the Royal Philharmonic Society decided they would stop asking the RPO to play for their concerts, and in Glyndebourne, where the RPO had played for the opera since 1948, the London Philharmonic Orchestra became the resident orchestra instead. Sir Malcolm Sargent helped the orchestra to put on its own concerts at a cinema in north London.

paragraphs: The orchestra had made an agreement with the Royal Philharmonic Society about the concerts it would play. This meant it could call itself “Royal”. In the 1960s the work they were doing no longer allowed them to call themselves “Royal”, so in 1966 the Queen officially gave them the title “Royal”.

paragraphs: In 1992 the orchestra appointed Peter Maxwell Davies as associate conductor and composer of the RPO.

paragraphs: On April 7, 1994, the Royal Philharmonic had the honour of performing at the Vatican in the historic "Papal Concert to Commemorate the Holocaust" with Sir Gilbert Levine.

paragraphs: The RPO give a series of concerts in the Cadogan Hall, London, and in the Royal Albert Hall. They tour all over Britain and also abroad. In the period 2002-2007 they played in 30 different countries.

paragraphs: The orchestra made many recordings with Sir Thomas Beecham. In 1964 Igor Stravinsky recorded his opera "The Rake's Progress" with the RPO. From 1964 to 1979 they recorded many Gilbert and Sullivan operas with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.

paragraphs: The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra is part of the same organization. They spend their time playing lighter classical music. The RPO have also worked with pop music groups and has given its own series of children’s concerts. In 2007 they announced a series of free educational workshops for the local community.


title: Adrian Boult

paragraphs: Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH (8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was an English conductor.

paragraphs: Boult was born in Chester. He went to school in Westminster School and studied at Christ Church, Oxford. He then went to the Leipzig Conservatory where he learnt to conduct by watching the great Hungarian conductor Arthur Nikisch. He sang in choral festivals and at the Leeds Festival of 1913, where he went to watch Nikisch conduct.

paragraphs: During World War I he worked for the War Office, and while he was there in 1918 he planned a series of concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra, which included several important new British works including Gustav Holst's "The Planets", "A London Symphony" by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and Elgar's "Symphony No. 2". When Boult was a boy he had already met Elgar. Elgar now wrote to him and said he felt sure the future of his music was safe in Boult's hands. Boult was at the start of a great career in which he conducted a lot of 20th century British music.

paragraphs: In 1924 Boult became conductor of the City of Birmingham Orchestra—now the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra — and in 1930 he was made Director of Music at the BBC. When the BBC formed the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boult also became its chief conductor, combining both jobs.

paragraphs: Boult became famous for conducting a wide repertoire, including the very modern-sounding music of Arnold Schoenberg. In 1933 he married Ann Wilson, the ex-wife of the singer and administrator Steuart Wilson. The marriage lasted until Boult's death. Boult was knighted in 1937.

paragraphs: During World War II the BBC Symphony Orchestra was evacuated to Bristol. Even there it was not safe from the bombing and they moved again to Bedford.

paragraphs: After the war the BBC started the BBC Third Programme and Boult was involved in many new plans for concerts and recordings.

paragraphs: In 1948, Steuart Wilson became Director of Music at the BBC. Some people were saying that the music on the BBC was not so good and that Boult ought to retire when he became 60 in 1949. He then became conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra with whom he made many recordings.

paragraphs: Boult continued to conduct until he was very old. His many recordings, including music he had heard Nikisch conduct many years before. His last public performance was conducting Elgar's ballet "The Sanguine Fan" for London Festival Ballet at the Coliseum, in London on 24 June 1978.

paragraphs: Boult was made a Companion of Honour in 1969.

paragraphs: Boult wrote two books about conducting, "Thoughts on Conducting" and "A handbook on the technique of conducting." He also wrote an autobiography: "My Own Trumpet" (the expression “to blow one’s own trumpet” means: “to boast about oneself). He also gave talks on the radio. He spoke in a very polite, formal style.

paragraphs: Boult always conducted with a baton (conductor’s stick). His conducting was very graceful, his movements were very simple and clear.


title: Franz Lehár

paragraphs: Franz Lehár (born 30 April 1870; died 24 October 1948) was an Austrian composer of Hungarian descent. He was the leading composer of operettas in the 20th century. He is still one of the most popular composers of light music.

paragraphs: Lehár was born in Komáron in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Today the town is called Komárno and it is in Slovakia. He was the eldest son of a bandmaster in the Austro-Hungarian army. He studied violin and composition at the Prague Conservatory. Antonín Dvořák told him he should be a composer. After graduation in 1899 he joined his father's band in Vienna, as assistant bandmaster. In 1902 he became conductor at the historic Vienna Theater an der Wien, where his first opera "Wiener Frauen" was performed in November of that year.

paragraphs: He is most famous for his operettas. The best known one is "The Merry Widow" (in German: "Die lustige Witwe") which is probably the most popular of all operettas. He also wrote sonatas, symphonic poems, marches, and a number of waltzes, some of which come from his famous operettas. Some of the songs from his operettas have become very well-known, especially "Vilja" from "The Merry Widow" and "You Are My Heart's Delight" ("Dein ist mein ganzes Herz") from "The Land of Smiles".

paragraphs: The tenor Richard Tauber sang in many of his operettas. Six of them had parts especially written for him.

paragraphs: Lehár died in 1948 in Bad Ischl, near Salzburg where he was also buried. His villa in Bad Ischl is now a museum in his memory.


title: Rings of Neptune

paragraphs: The planet Neptune has a dim planetary ring system which is made up of several separate rings and some "ring arcs". The "rings arcs" are part of the outer ring called the Adams ring and are not to be seen anywhere else. The ring "particles" (small parts) are unusually dark colored, and have large amounts of microscopic dust. Neptune has thirteen known moons. Four of them orbit the planet inside the outermost rings.

paragraphs: The rings around Neptune could not be seen from Earth with strong telescopes. The evidence that they were there was first seen when scientists were watching the planet as it passed between the Earth and a star. (When this happens, the light of the star is blocked. This is called "stellar occulation".) Scientists watched this happen 50 times, and on five of those times in the early 1980s they saw the star give a little "blink" just before or after the planet covered it. This meant that rings around the planet were blocking the light, but the rings were not complete.

paragraphs: In 1989 the unmanned spacecraft "Voyager 2" flew by Neptune. "Voyager 2" sent back pictures that gave most of the information that scientists now have about the rings of Neptune. The pictures also help scientists to know why the rings looked incomplete. Not only did the pictures give a closer view, but they also showed the rings in a way that cannot ever be seen from earth. From earth the rings are always seen with the light of the sun shining "towards" them. When the spacecraft went past the planet, it took pictures with the sun shining "behind" the rings, as well. Big "particles" in the rings looked dark against the sunlight, but all tiny dust "particles" (microscopic dust) shone brightly when the sun was behind it. This allowed the scientists to work out what the rings were made of, and how all the particles were arranged.

paragraphs: As better types of telescopes have been developed, scientists can now see some of the rings from earth. The brightness of Neptune makes it hard to see the rings, which are much dimmer and the faintest rings still cannot be seen, even with vey powerful telescopes.

paragraphs: The most famous of Neptune's rings is the thin outer Adams ring, although by comparison with the rings of the planets Saturn or Uranus, it is very hard to see. It was originally named as "1989 N1R". The reason that the Adams ring is famous is that it has a feature that has not been seen on any other planetary rings. These are three long narrow ""arcs"" which are much brighter and look more solid than the rest of the ring system. Each one spans from 4-10° of the whole ring. All the arcs are close to each other, spanning under 40° of longitude, only about 1/8th of the edge of the ring. It has been a puzzle to understand why the stuff in these arcs does not spread out evenly through the whole ring.

paragraphs: The three arcs have been named with French names "Liberté", "Égalité", and "Fraternité". These names came from the famous saying of the French Revolution, which translates into English as "Liberty, Equality and Brotherhood!". These names were suggested by the scientists who discovered them during "stellar occultations" in 1984 and 1985.

paragraphs: Four of Neptune's 13 moons are inside the ring system. The one that is nearest to the Adam's ring is called Galatea. It is a lumpy mass of rock that orbits around the planet at about the same speed as the planet is rotating. It is about 1000 kilometers inside the ring.

paragraphs: Many scientists now think that it is the effect of the moon Galatea that is causing the three arcs in the Adam's ring. The ring also has 42 wiggles, which are like waves 30 kilometers high. Scientists are able to use this information to work out the mass of the moon Galatea. .

paragraphs: The best photos that came back from Voyager 2 showed that there are clumps of particles in the rings, but no-one can tell whether they are made of fine dust, or if there may be bigger particles in the clumps as well. All of Neptune's rings have a lot of "microscopic dust" but particularly the arcs of the Adam's ring. Scientists know this because they looked very bright in the photos that Voyager 2 took with the sun shining behind them.

paragraphs: The Adams ring is very red. The background particles that make up the ring look twice as bright near the three arcs as they do on the side of the ring that is opposite the arcs.

paragraphs: With the arrival of the Hubble Space Telescope and adaptive optics ground-based telescopes the ring arcs have been re-examined several times, starting in July 1998.

paragraphs: In addition to the outer Adams Ring, the other ring arrangements in the direction of Neptune's surface are:

paragraphs: Voyager pictures appear to also suggest a wide disc of scattered material extending inside of the 50,000 km radius which surrounds the Galle ring, but is difficult to tell apart from Neptune's brightness, and for this reason its existence is uncertain.

paragraphs: The rings are named after astronomers who made important discoveries to the study of Neptune.

paragraphs: Four of Neptune's moons: Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, and Galatea orbit inside the ring system.


title: Igor Diakonov

paragraphs: Igor Mikhailovich Diakonov (December 30, 1914 (January 12, 1915), Petrograd – May 2, 1999, St Petersburg) was a Russian historian, linguist, and translator who should be ranked among the greatest authorities on Ancient Near East and its languages.


title: Baudouin I of Belgium

paragraphs: Baudouin I (French: "Baudouin Albert Charles Léopold Axel Marie Gustave" or Dutch: "Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Marie Gustaaf") (7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) was the King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993.

paragraphs: The king was the oldest son of King Leopold III (1901-1983) and his first wife, Princess Astrid of Sweden (1905-1935).

paragraphs: On 15 December 1960, Baudouin was married in Brussels to Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón. The King and Queen had no children. All of the Queen's five pregnancies ended in miscarriage. Badouin died of heart failure. Having had no children, the crown passed on to his brother, Albert II of Belgium, following his death.

paragraphs: During Baudouin's reign the colony of Belgian Congo became independent.


title: Core

paragraphs: Core generally is the heart or inner part of a thing, as of a column, wall, rope, of a boil, etc.; especially, the central part of fruit, containing the kernels or seeds; as, the core of an apple or quince.


title: Mesocyclone

paragraphs: A mesocyclone is a vortex of air, about 2 to 10 km in diameter (the mesoscale of meteorology), inside a convective storm.

paragraphs: That is, it is air that rises and rotates around a vertical axis, usually in the same direction as low pressure systems in a given hemisphere. They are most often cyclonic, that is, related with a localized low pressure area inside a severe thunderstorm. Such storms can create strong surface winds and a lot of hail. Mesocyclones often happen together with updrafts in supercells, where tornadoes may form.

paragraphs: Mesocyclones are normally relatively very small in size; they lie between the synoptic scale (hundreds of kilometers) and small scale (hundreds of meters).


title: Florida International University

paragraphs: Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university in Miami, Florida in the United States. the University is the largest university in South Florida and also the fifth-largest university in Florida, and the thirteenth-largest university in the country. FIU's programs in law, architecture and business are amongst its most well-ranked and most known programs. The mascot of FIU is a panther, named Roary, and students and fans of the university's athletic teams are often called "Panthers".

paragraphs: On March 15, 2018, a pedestrian bridge at the university collapsed and killed six people.


title: Sash

paragraphs: A sash is of a cloth belt used to hold a robe together, and usually tied about the waist. The Japanese equivalent of a sash, called an "obi", serves to hold a kimono together. Decorative sashes may pass from the shoulder to the hip rather than around the waist. Sashes traditionally form part of formal military uniform and the royal attire.

paragraphs: The meaning "strip of cloth worn about the waist or over the shoulder" was first recorded in 1681.


title: Willow

paragraphs: Willows are a family of trees and shrubs which may be called sallows or osiers. Their latin name is "Salix".

paragraphs: Willows have many differences in size and type of growth, but are very much alike in other respects. There are about 350 species of this plant, usually found on moist soils in cooler zones in the Northern Hemisphere. Many hybrids are known, both naturally occurring and in cultivation, because willows are very fertile between their own species.

paragraphs: Willows have watery bark sap, charged with salicylic acid (defence against herbivory). They have soft, usually pliant (bendy), tough wood, slender branches, and large, fibrous, often stoloniferous roots. The roots are remarkable for their toughness, size, and are hard to kill. Roots readily sprout from aerial parts of the plant.

paragraphs: Willows are dioecious, with male and female flowers appearing as catkins on separate plants. The catkins are produced early in the spring, often before the leaves.


title: Elegance

paragraphs: Elegance is the attribute of being unusually effective and simple. It is frequently used as a standard of {tastefulness, particularly in the areas of fashion and decoration.

paragraphs: Some associate elegance with simplicity of design. Others understand the word in an opulent light as in tasteful richness of design or ornamentation, like in "the "elegance" of clothings."

paragraphs: Visual stimuli are considered elegant if a small number of colors and stimuli are used. The color white is often associated with elegance, usually along with blue or black.


title: Courtesan

paragraphs: A courtesan was often a high-class prostitute or mistress, especially one associated with rich, powerful, or noble men who gave

paragraphs: luxuries and status in exchange for her services. In Renaissance Europe, courtesans had an important role in high class society, sometimes taking the place of wives at social roles requiring diplomacy. Courtesans usually enjoyed more freedom than was typical of women at the time. For example, they did not have money problems, and were more independent. Madame de Pompadour (1721–1764), the famous mistress and favorite of King Louis XV of France, was a courtesan. Courtesans also existed in many countries outside Europe, such as India and Japan.


title: Jester

paragraphs: A jester, joker, fool, or buffoon, is a type of entertainer mostly (but not always) associated with the Middle Ages. Jesters typically wore brightly colored clothing. Their hats, sometimes called the "cap ’n bells" or "cockscomb", were special; made of cloth, they were floppy with three points (liliripes) each of which had a jingle bell at the end.

paragraphs: The three points of the hat represent the asses' ears and tail worn by jesters when they first appeared. Other typical things about the jester were his constant laughter and his mock scepter, known as a "bauble" or "maharoof."


Fool


title: Etiquette

paragraphs: Etiquette, one aspect of decorum, is a code that rules how everyone is expected to behave, according to the social conventions and norms, in society, in a social class, or group. It is usually unwritten, but it may be put in written form. Because they are a product of the society's culture and history, the rules of etiquette are very different from time to time, and from one place and social group to another.


title: Hairstyle

paragraphs: A hairstyle is the way hair is cut and styled. A haircut may be just practical, but a hairdo suggests professional styling. The fashioning of hair is an aspect of fashion, and cosmetics, especially for females. Practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence hairstyles.

paragraphs: People in many cultures cut their hair, rather than letting it grow naturally. Hair styles are often used to signal cultural, social, and ethnic identity and can be used to show social status or get attention. Generally, hairstyles are influenced by gender. Women's styles are different from men's. Fashion trends may have a great influence depending on the person.

paragraphs: There is a great variety of hairstyles. This can best be explained by examples:


title: Patronage

paragraphs: Generally, patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege and often financial aid given by a person or an organization. It can also refer to the business given by a regular customer, and the guardianship of saints.

paragraphs: In some countries the term is often used to describe the corrupt use of state money and goods to benefit groups, families, ethnicities or races in exchange for votes. These patronage systems are different depending on the area in which they are practiced.

paragraphs: The term comes from the Latin "patronatus".


title: Reputation

paragraphs: Reputation is the opinion of the public towards a person, a group of people, or an organization. It is an important factor in many fields, such as business, online communities or social status.


Appointment


title: Lagunaria

paragraphs: Lagunaria is a garden plant famous for its colour.


title: Warwick Estevam Kerr

paragraphs: Warwick Estevam Kerr (born September 9, 1922, Santana do Parnaíba, São Paulo, Brazil- 15 September 2018) is a Brazilian engineer, geneticist, entomologist, and professor. He made many discoveries in the genetics and sex determination of bees. He is also responsible for the spread of africanized bees across the world.


title: Indian national calendar

paragraphs: The Indian national calendar (sometimes called Saka calendar) is the official civil calendar in India. It is used by the Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, and in calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.

paragraphs: The months in the first half of the year all have 31 days. This was done to take in account for the slower movement of the sun across the sky during that time.

paragraphs: In leap years, Chaitra has 31 days and starts on March 21.


title: Crane (bird)

paragraphs: A crane is a type of tall wading birds from the family Gruidae (order Gruiformes). There are 15 species in 4 genera. The tallest is the sarus crane, "Grus antigone", which can grow to a height of up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft),

paragraphs: Cranes look a lot like herons but they are usually larger, and have a partly naked head, and a more heavy bill. When they are flying, their long neck is stretched out in front, and the legs trail out behind.

paragraphs: The earliest fossils of cranes were discovered in North America. Living forms are living everywhere all over the world except in Antarctica and South America. Many populations are endangered by hunting and habitat destruction.

paragraphs: Cranes are tall birds with long legs. They are usually brown, white, or gray in their color. There are over 15 kinds of species of cranes. They look rather like herons. The whooping crane ("Grus americana") is the tallest American bird. Adults stand 5 feet tall and have a wingspan of up to 7 feet.

paragraphs: Cranes are omnivores. They eat many kinds of plants, reptiles, small mammals, and other birds. The average life time of a crane is from 20 to 25 years. Cranes are highly social birds that live in large flocks. Some species of cranes are thought as holy in Asia, especially in Japan.

paragraphs: Cranes usually build their nests in marshy areas and lay two eggs at a time. Cranes can make sounds that are heard from far away. Cranes dance special dances when they mate, and they include stepping quickly, high leaps, stretching, and bowing. Crane chicks grow very quickly and at two to four months, they develop their flight feathers. Cranes are very vocal. They use several different types of calls. They also communicate with their bodies.

paragraphs: All cranes are able to defend themselves quite well. They are mostly quite large, and peck, kick and batter opponents with their wings. They are territorial, and males will fight even more vigorously than usual at mating seasons. Zookeepers use acrylic riot shields to protect themselves against crane attacks.

paragraphs: Cranes are an ancient type of wading bird. Their first definite fossils are in the Eocene epoch, The rails (family Rallidae) are their nearest relatives in the order Gruiformes. Most of the other groups in the Gruiformes are flightless birds. These lived in forests, and left little or no fossil record.

paragraphs: The biggest threats to cranes are hunting and habitat destruction. Cranes need large habitats. All cranes are protected by international agreement.


title: Estimation

paragraphs: Estimation is the approximation of a result that one can use even if they are using information that is not clear or is incomplete. It is like making an educated, reasonable guess based on the information given.

paragraphs: If an estimate is more than the actual amount, then it is called an overestimate. If the estimate was less than the actual result, then it is called an underestimate. This is different from a prediction.


title: Fee

paragraphs: A fee is the price one gives as payment for services, especially the honorarium paid to a doctor, lawyer, consultant or member of a learned profession. Traditionally, a fee is different to a "payment", salary, or wage, because the fee usually is paid only once for the professional's services.


title: Maid

paragraphs: A housemaid or, formerly, maidservant, or in current use maid is a female employed in domestic worker. Maids perform typical domestic chores such as cooking, ironing, washing, cleaning the house, grocery shopping, caring for pets, and taking care of children like a nanny. In many places in some poor countries, maids often take on the role of a nurse in taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities. Many maids are required by their employers to wear a uniform.

paragraphs: In June 2011, International Labour Organization has made its Convention No.189 for domestic workers including maids.


title: Embroidery

paragraphs: Embroidery is the art of decorating fabric or other materials with designs stitched in strands of thread or yarn using a needle. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. Sewing machines can be used to create machine embroidery.

paragraphs: City and Guilds qualification in Embroidery allows embroiderers to become recognized for their skill. This qualification also gives them the credibility to teach. For example the notable textiles artist, Kathleen Laurel Sage, began her teaching career by getting the City and Guilds Embroidery 1 and 2 qualifications. She has now gone on to write a book on the subject.


title: Banquet

paragraphs: A banquet is a large public meal or feast, complete with main dishes and desserts. It usually serves a purpose, such as a ceremony, or a celebration. Sometimes a banquet is made only of desserts.


title: Eccentricity

paragraphs: Eccentricity or extravagance is a word used to describe unusual behaviour in a person. People who have habits which many people think are very strange may be called eccentric. Eccentric behaviour is not necessarily good or bad in itself.

paragraphs: Some clever people (geniuses) have behaviour which might be described as eccentric. It is not always clear whether behaviour is just eccentric or whether it is madness.

paragraphs: Famous people who were eccentric in their different ways include Albert Einstein, Nero, Alan Turing, Howard Hughes, Ludwig II of Bavaria and Lord Berners.


title: Květinov

paragraphs: Květinov is a small village in the Havlíčkův Brod District, Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. 243 people live there. It covers 7,08 km². It was first documented in 1436.


title: Úsobí

paragraphs: Úsobí is a village in the Havlíčkův Brod District, Vysočina Region of the Czech Republic. 707 people live in Úsobí. It covers 12.97 km². It was first documented in 1307.


title: Conversation

paragraphs: A conversation is two or more people talking about something. It is spontaneous, usually unplanned, though the people may have interests in common.

paragraphs: Conversations are one of the basic types of human communication. They can be about any subject, and do not necessarily have any fixed purpose. They allow people with different views of a topic to learn from each other. A conversation may be contrasted with formal presentations. A talk or speech, for example is an oral presentation by one person directed at a group. It is basically a one-way communication.

paragraphs: Conversations do not have to happen in person, they can happen over the telephone or on the Internet.

paragraphs: Banter is short witty sentences that bounce back and forth between individuals. Often banter uses clever put-downs and witty insults. It can contain misunderstandings (often intentional), zippy wisecracks, zingers, flirtation, and puns. The idea is each line of banter should "top" the one before it. It is a verbal war of wit without any physical contact.


title: FK Viktoria Žižkov

paragraphs: FK Viktoria Žižkov is a football club in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1903 in the city of Prague. Viktoria Žižkov won Czechoslovak championship in 1928 and won the National cup in 1994 and 2001.


title: Wit

paragraphs: Wit is a form of intellectual humour. A wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. A witty remark is a smart observation, put with humor and said in the perfect moment. Forms of wit include: the quip and the repartee.

paragraphs: Witty remarks may be intentionally cruel, and perhaps more ingenious than funny.

paragraphs: A quip is an observation or saying that has some wit but perhaps descends into sarcasm, or otherwise is short of point; a witticism also suggests the diminutive. Repartee is the wit of the quick answer. (Wilde: "I wish I'd said that." Whistler: "You will, Oscar, you will".)


title: Joss stick

paragraphs: Joss sticks are a type of incense. They are traditionally burned before an Asian religious image, idol, buddha statue, or shrine. But some joss stick burning rituals (and the prayers that come with it) do not need to be done in front of religious images. They can be burned before anything without limits; like in front of a door, or open window as an offering. In modern days, the burning of joss sticks can be used for any reason, like making the smell of a room better or lighting fireworks up.


title: AFK Union Žižkov

paragraphs: AFK Union Žižkov is a football club in the Czech Republic. It was founded in 1907 in the city of Prague.


title: 2004 Atlantic hurricane season

paragraphs: The 2004 Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1, 2004. It lasted until November 30. These dates usually mark the beginning an the end of the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the Atlantic basin. However, the 2004 season went past these actual limits slightly. For example, Tropical Storm Otto formed on the last day of the season and lasted two days into December. The season was above average in activity. It had fifteen named storms and one of the highest Accumulated Cyclone Energy totals ever recorded. The most season included storms called: Hurricane Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne.

paragraphs: Hurricane Alex formed on July 31 off the coast of South Carolina. Alex quickly strengthened into a category 2. On August 3, Hurricane Alex came within 10 miles of North Carolina. Hurricane Alex turned northeast and dissipated in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Because Hurricane Alex did not make landfall it only caused $2.4 million in damage and only 1 person was killed as a result of the hurricane.

paragraphs: Bonnie started as Tropical Depression Two while east of Barbados. Tropical Depression Two crossed the Windward Islands and died out shortly after. It became Tropical Depression Two again while it was south of Cuba. Tropical Storm Bonnie made landfall in the Florida Panhandle. Bonnie died out again after that. Bonnie left only about $1 million in damage and 4 deaths.

paragraphs: Hurricane Charley was a strong hurricane that strengthened very fast. Charley also made landfall further south then he was supposed to. Charley left $16.5 billion in damage and 35 deaths. The damage caused by Charley made it the second costliest storm in U.S. history, only to Hurricane Andrew. This beaten by four other storms within 4 years, it was beaten by Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Wilma, then Hurricane Ike. That makes Charley the fifth costliest storm in U.S. history.

paragraphs: For the official forecasts, see the NHC's archive on Hurricane Charley.

paragraphs: Danielle was a category 2 hurricane of 2004. It started on August 13 in the far east Atlantic Ocean. The path took it over cooler waters, which caused Danielle to die on August 21.

paragraphs: For the official forecasts, see the NHC's archive on Hurricane Danielle.

paragraphs: On August 13 Tropical Depression Five formed. On August 14 it became Tropical Storm Earl. Tropical Storm Earl passed south of Grenada and became a tropical wave. It was no longer a tropical storm. Later on the remains became Hurricane Frank in the Pacific Ocean. See also 2004 Pacific hurricane season for information on Earl after it crossed oceans.

paragraphs: Frances was one of the four hurricanes to have a major impact of the U.S. state of Florida. Frances made landfall near the same location Hurricane Jeanne would make landfall in about two weeks later. Frances caused about 101 tornadoes from Florida to Virginia. Frances killed 49 people and $12 billion in damage.

paragraphs: Gaston started as Tropical Depression Seven on August 27. It strengthened into a tropical storm. Later on it strengthened into a hurricane very shortly before landfall in South Carolina on August 29. On August 30 it moved back into the Atlantic Ocean. Gaston died on September 1, after killing 9 people and causing $120 million in damage.

paragraphs: Hermine started about 360 miles south of Bermuda. It moved west and became a tropical storm. Hermine moved quickly north and on August 31 made landfall in New Bedford, Massachusetts as a weak tropical storm. Hermine died on the same day after killing no one and causing little damage.

paragraphs: Hurricane Ivan was the strongest hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm formed as a Cape Verde-type hurricane in early September, and became the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane, and the fourth major hurricane of the year. Ivan reached Category 5 strength on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, the highest possible category and the only one of the season. At the time it was sixth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record.

paragraphs: Tropical Depression Ten was the only depression of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Ten formed in the northeast Atlantic on September 7 and dissipated two days later, Tropical Depression Ten caused no affects to land.

paragraphs: For official forecasts, see the NHC's advisory archive on Tropical Depression Ten

paragraphs: Hurricane Jeanne was a deadly storm, especially to Haiti. The storm cause 3,035 deaths, about 3,006 were in Haiti alone. Hurricane Jeanne was also a costly hurricane. With $7 billion in damage makes it the 13th costliest hurricane in U.S. History. In Florida the hurricane made landfall in the same area as Hurricane Frances only two weeks before.

paragraphs: Hurricane Karl was a strong category 4 that only affected the Faroe Islands. Karl formed in the middle of the Atlantic on September 16 as Tropical Depression Twelve. It became a tropical storm that same day. Two days later it became a hurricane and by September 21 it became a category 4 and soon reached it highest winds of 145 mph. It continued north weakening and then becoming extratropical on September 24.

paragraphs: For official forecasts see the NHC's public advisory archive on Hurricane Karl.

paragraphs: Lisa was a category 1 hurricane, it remained weak for much of its early life. After almost 14 days it finally became a hurricane. Hurricane Lisa started on September 19 and died on October 3.

paragraphs: For official forecasts see the NHC's public advisory archive on Hurricane Lisa.

paragraphs: Matthew was a weak tropical storm. It started in the Gulf of Mexico on October 8. Tropical Storm Matthew made landfall in Louisiana on October 10, and died on the same day. The storm caused $300,000 in damage.

paragraphs: Subtropical Storm Nicole was the only subtropical storm in 2004. Nicole formed on October 10 southwest of Bermuda. Subtropical Storm Nicole dissipated the next day. Nicole caused swells to the East Coast of The United States and almost 6 inches of rain in Bermuda.

paragraphs: For official forecasts, see the NHC's public advisory archive on Subtropical Storm Nicole.

paragraphs: Tropical Storm Otto form late in the season of November 29 and on the same day, Tropical Storm Otto reached it's highest winds of 50 mph. Otto then dissipated on December 3.

paragraphs: For official forecasts, see the NHC's public advisory archive on Tropical Storm Otto.

paragraphs: The list is the names that were set aside for the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. Name that were not used are marked in .

paragraphs: In the spring of 2005 four names were retired. They are Charley, Frances, Jeanne and Ivan. In 2010 they were replaced with Colin, Fiona, Igor, Julia.


title: Flirting

paragraphs: Flirting is a form of human behavior from one person toward another person, or between two people, usually showing a sexual or romantic interest in the other person. It can include conversation, body language (such as winking), or short physical contact.


title: Trustworthiness

paragraphs: Trustworthiness is mainly a moral value. A trustworthy person is someone in whom we can place our trust and be sure that the trust will not be betrayed. Examples could be

paragraphs: The first example is moral. It depends on what we know about the person, their family and upbringing.

paragraphs: The second example is technical. We would need to know what kind of jobs the person had done before and, perhaps, what kind of training he had.

paragraphs: In order for one to trust another,their worth and integrity must be proven over time. That applies especially to the first (moral) case.

paragraphs: Trustworthiness in technical matters may be identified by attributes such as reliability, dependability and qualifications.


title: Shamisen

paragraphs: The shamisen or samisen (Japanese: , literally "three taste strings"), also called sangen (literally "three strings") is a Japanese musical instrument with three strings, that is played with a big plectrum called a "bachi". The pronunciation in Japanese is usually "shamisen".


title: Obi

paragraphs: Obi (帯, おび) is a Japanese word meaning "belt" or "band". Mostly, it is used to describe the types of sash worn with kimono and keikogi.

paragraphs: Obi are worn by both men and women. They can be very simple, made of one layer of lightweight fabric, or decorated heavily, made of stiff, woven material, embroidered and dyed with different designs.

paragraphs: Obi for men are less wide and shorter than obi for women. Men mostly wear "kaku" obi, but sometimes wear "heko" obi, which are made of much softer material. "Heko" obi are worn casually, but "kaku" obi can be worn casually and formally.

paragraphs: Obi for women are much wider and longer. Most women usually wear a "nagoya" obi, which is wider at one end. In summer, women wear "hanhaba" obi with "yukata". Formal obi for women can be woven from metallic yarns, covered in embroidery, or dyed in an elegant design.

paragraphs: Obi for women are usually the most expensive part of a kimono outfit. However, obi for men can be expensive as well. Expensive obi are usually made by very skilled artists. Some of these people are called National Living Treasures because they are so skilled.

paragraphs: Obi worn for practicing martial arts are a lot thinner and shorter than other kinds of obi. They come in different colours, and the colours show how skilled someone is in practicing martial arts. When someone becomes skilled enough, they wear a new colour of obi. Both men and women wear the same size and length of obi in martial arts, and they are not decorated with embroidery or dyes designs.


title: Nitrogen fixation

paragraphs: Nitrogen fixation is the process by which nitrogen in the air (N) is changed (converted) into ammonia () or other nitrogenous compounds in the soil.

paragraphs: Nitrogen fixation is essential to life because nitrogen compounds are needed for making all nitrogen-containing organic compounds, such as amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids.

paragraphs: Atmospheric nitrogen is a relatively unreactive molecule. It is useless to all except a few bacteria and archaea. Biological nitrogen fixation converts into ammonia, which is used (metabolized) by most organisms.

paragraphs: Nitrogen is fixed in biological and non-biological ways:

paragraphs: Cyanobacteria are in most environments on Earth. They play key roles in the carbon and nitrogen cycle of the biosphere. Cyanobacteria use many sources of combined nitrogen, like nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, urea, or some amino acids.

paragraphs: Several cyanobacteria are also diazotrophs which can fix nitrogen from the air. This is an ability which may have been present in their last common ancestor in the Archaean.

paragraphs: Cyanobacteria in coral reefs can fix twice the amount of nitrogen than on land—around 1.8 kg of nitrogen is fixed per hectare per day. The colonial marine cyanobacterium "Trichodesmium" may fix nitrogen on such a scale that it accounts for almost half of the nitrogen-fixation in marine systems on a global scale.

paragraphs: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae – with taxa such as kudzu, clovers, soybeans, alfalfa, lupines, peanuts, and rooibos. They have symbiotic bacteria called "Rhizobia" in nodules in their root systems, producing nitrogen compounds that help the plant to grow and compete with other plants. When the plant dies, the fixed

paragraphs: nitrogen is released, making it available to other plants and this helps to fertilize the soil. Most legumes have this association, but a few genera (e.g., "Styphnolobium") do not. In traditional farming practice, fields are rotated through various types of crops, which usually includes one consisting mainly or entirely of clover or buckwheat (non-legume family "Polygonaceae"), which are often referred to as "green manure".

paragraphs: Although most plants able to form nitrogen-fixing root nodules are in the legume family Fabaceae, there are a few exceptions:

paragraphs: All these families belong to the orders Cucurbitales, Fagales, and Rosales, which together with the Fabales form a clade. In this clade, Fabales were the first lineage to branch off; thus, the ability to fix nitrogen was lost in most descendants of the original nitrogen-fixing plant.

paragraphs: Biological nitrogen fixation was discovered by Hermann Hellnegel (18311895) and Martinus Beijerinck (18511931).


title: Britské listy

paragraphs: Britské listy is an Internet cultural and political daily published in the Czech Republic. It specialises in critical analysis of Czech politics; some Czech commentators consider this as "left-wing views". It is editorially open and will publish stimulating pieces by authors from any part of the political spectrum


title: Nitrogen cycle

paragraphs: The nitrogen cycle is the way that nitrogen in nature is changed into many different forms that are used by living organism[s].

paragraphs: Air is about 78% nitrogen. Nitrogen chemicals are needed for life. Nitrogen is a necessary part of proteins, DNA, and RNA. In plants, nitrogen is needed for photosynthesis and growth. However, living things cannot use the elemental nitrogen in the air for these things. Nitrogen fixation is needed to change the nitrogen in air (N) into forms that can be used by life. Most nitrogen fixation is done by microorganisms called bacteria. These bacteria have an enzyme that combines N with hydrogen gas (H) to make ammonia (NH).

paragraphs: Some of these bacteria live in the roots of plants (mostly legumes). In these roots, they make ammonia for the plant and the plant gives them carbohydrates. Other plants take nitrogen compounds out of the soil through their roots. All nitrogen in animals comes from eating plants.

paragraphs: Ammonium (NH) in soil is made by nitrogen-fixing bacteria and decomposers, bacteria and fungi that break down dead life into its parts. This process is called "ammonification". Ammonium has a positive charge. It easily joins to clay and humus in the soil. Ammonia and ammonium are poisonous to fish and other animals. Sewage and other waste-water is regularly measured because of this. If ammonia levels are too high, "nitrification" must happen.

paragraphs: Nitrification is the oxidation of ammonia and ammonium to nitrite (NO) and then to nitrate ( NO) by bacteria. Because nitrite and nitrate have a negative charge they do not easily join to soil and will wash out of the soil during rain and irrigation. High nitrate levels in drinking water is harmful for babies and can cause blue-baby syndrome. High nitrate levels can also cause too much algae growth in lakes and pools. This eutrophication can be harmful to fish and other water animals. The use of fertilizers is controlled because of this.

paragraphs: Where there is no oxygen, some bacteria will make nitrate into nitrogen gas (N) to extract energy. This starts the nitrogen cycle over again. This process is called "denitrification".


title: Moscow State University

paragraphs: Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU; ) is the largest and oldest university in Russia. It was made in 1755 and is in Moscow. It was made by Ivan Shuvalov and Mikhail Lomonosov. It is named after Lomonosov.

paragraphs: The university building which can be seen in the picture, is an example of Stalinist architecture. In total, there are seven such towers around Moscow. The tower at the university is the largest one. The tower was designed by architect Lev Vladimirovich Rudnev. It was built after the war. He was awarded the Stalin Prize for its construction, in 1949. The building was the largest skyscraper outside New York for a long time. It was the tallest buildimg in Europe, until 1988. The central tower is 240m high. It has 36-stories. It is flanked by four huge wings of student and faculty accommodations. It is said to contain a total of 33 kilometers of corridors and 5,000 rooms. Facilities that are inside the building include a concert hall, a theatre, a museum, various administration services, a library, a swimming pool, a police station, a post office, a laundry, a hairdresser's salon, a canteen, bank offices, shops, cafeterias, and a bomb shelter. Along with the university administration, four of the main faculties - Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, the Faculty of Geology, the Faculty of Geography, and the Faculty of Fine and Performing Arts - now are in the Main building. The star on the top of the tower is large enough so that it has a small room and a viewing platform; it weighs 12 tons. The building's facades are decorated with giant clocks, barometers, and thermometers, statues, carved wheat sheaves, and Soviet crests (recently renovated). It stands before a terrace featuring statues of male and female students gazing optimistically and confidently into the future.


title: Boarding school

paragraphs: A boarding school is a school where students live and sleep. Some boarding schools have day students who go home at the end of the school day. If the school costs money, they don't have to pay as much money. A person who stays at a boarding school is called a "boarder". In the UK 1% of children go to boarding schools and 13% of private school pupils are boarders. Most boarding schools are private. This means that as well as having to pay to sleep there, students have to pay for their education.

paragraphs: In Ghana most secondary schools are boarding.

paragraphs: Famous private boarding schools include Eton College, Rugby School and Harrow School in the United Kingdom, Phillips Exeter Academy in the United States and Cornway College in Zimbabwe.

paragraphs: There are therapeutic boarding schools which offer treatment for psychological difficulties. Special needs education for children are catered for in some boarding schools. Some boarding schools offer 'democratic education', such as Summerhill School (where pupils make many of the decisions). Others are determinedly international, such as the United World Colleges. Military schools or academies provide discipline and may offer a way into military service. Gordonstoun in Scotland is a co-educational school for both day and boarding pupils.

paragraphs: Some famous novels use boarding schools as their setting. Examples include the" Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling;" A Little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett; "The Catcher in the Rye "by J.D. Salinger;" the Malory Towers, St. Clare's "and "The Naughtiest Girl "series" "by Enid Blyton; and "Nicholas Nickleby "by Charles Dickens.


title: Sacha Baron Cohen

paragraphs: Sacha Noam Baron Cohen (born 13 October 1971) is an English comedian, writer and actor. He was born in Hammersmith in London.

paragraphs: He made a television series called Da Ali G Show, in the series he had three characters:

paragraphs: He also made a movie about the character Borat called "". This movie made Cohen an international celebrity.

paragraphs: In 2009 he made a movie about Bruno called "Brüno". The movie about Borat made about $26.4 million in its debut.

paragraphs: In 2012 Cohen played Thénardier in "Les Misérables".

paragraphs: In 2012, Cohen made a movie called "The Dictator" in which he played Admiral General Aladeen.

paragraphs: Cohen became engaged to Isla Fisher in 2004. The couple married in 2010. They have two daughters and a son. Cohen is Jewish.


title: Utrecht (province)

paragraphs: Utrecht is a province in the Netherlands. It is found near the centre of the country. Utrecht is the smallest province by size in the Netherlands. Over 1 million people live in the Utrecht province.


title: George II of Great Britain

paragraphs: George II (George Augustus, 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was a British king. He was born in Germany. He was the last British monarch born outside of Great Britain.

paragraphs: He became King of Great Britain and King of Ireland. He was also Elector of Hanover. His son, Frederick, Prince of Wales died before he did, so Frederick’s son became George III of Great Britain.


title: Mandy Moore

paragraphs: Amanda Leigh Moore, known as Mandy Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American pop singer-songwriter and actress. She was born in Nashua, New Hampshire and grew up in Longwood, Florida, outside of Orlando. She has been active since the late 1990's. She is known for singles like "I Wanna Be with You" and "Candy".

paragraphs: Moore is also a cast member of the 2016 American dramedy series "This Is Us".


title: Oiran

paragraphs: Geisha replaced oiran. Geisha practiced common types of entertainment enjoyed by the people of that time. They became more popular than oiran. The last known oiran was in 1761. A few women still practice the arts of the oiran today (without sex) to continue the cultural heritage.


title: Ryōtei

paragraphs: A is a type of very expensive and elegant Japanese restaurant. Traditionally they only accept new customers who are recommended by known and trusted clients. They usually include entertainment by geisha, but not always in modern times. Ryōtei are usually a place where very important business or political meetings can take place in private.


title: Philharmonia

paragraphs: The Philharmonia is an orchestra from London.

paragraphs: The orchestra was formed in 1945 by Walter Legge. Legge was not a conductor, but he was a man who organized a lot of music, especially recordings. The orchestra spent most of their time making gramophone recordings, but sometimes they also gave concerts. The conductor Thomas Beecham led their first concert in 1946, but Beecham had always organized his own orchestras and he wanted to organize this one. He even wanted to change the orchestra’s name. The players decided that they did not want Beecham as their conductor. Beecham went on to form another orchestra which he called the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

paragraphs: In the first years of the Philharmonia they were conducted by several world-famous conductors, including Arturo Toscanini, Wilhelm Furtwängler and, especially, Herbert von Karajan. Karajan helped the orchestra to become one of the finest in the world, and he made many recordings with them, including all the Beethoven symphonies.

paragraphs: In 1954 Karajan left to conduct the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Legge found another world-famous conductor, Otto Klemperer. Although he was already quite old, Klemperer made many excellent recordings with the orchestra. In 1959 the orchestra gave Klemperer the title of Music Director for the rest of his life.

paragraphs: In 1964 Legge thought the orchestra had done enough recordings and he was going to bring it to an end. Both the orchestra and Klemperer wanted it to continue, so the orchestra made their own organizing body (like other London orchestras) and they continued, calling themselves by a new name: the "New Philharmonia Orchestra". They gave their first concert under their new name on 27 October 1964. It was a performance of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9", conducted by Klemperer.

paragraphs: The orchestra gave many more concerts after it became self-governing than it had when Legge had been organizing them. Continuing as the New Philharmonia Orchestra, it got its old name “Philharmonia Orchestra” back again in 1977, and has been known by that name ever since.

paragraphs: Klemperer retired from conducting in 1971, but was officially still its principal conductor until his death in 1973. Since then the orchestra has been conducted by Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Christoph von Dohnányi and Esa-Pekka Salonen who has conducted them since 2008.

paragraphs: Today, the orchestra continues to give many concerts, travelling around Britain as well as abroad. Since 1995 they have been based in the Royal Festival Hall in London. They also give regular concerts at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford. Abroad they often play in the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

paragraphs: The Philharmonia has made more than one thousand recordings. It has also been heard on the soundtracks of many films, including such classics as Laurence Olivier's 1944 film version of Shakespeare's "Henry V", and David Lean's film version of "Oliver Twist" (1948).


title: Taiko

paragraphs: In a traditional Japanese village the "odaiko" (big drum) defined the extent of the village land. In modern Japan, wadaiko has become more of a performance art, seen only during festivals or in concert. The most famous Wadaiko performance group are 'Kodo' (meaning heart-beat). They are not only the worlds most respected Japanese drumming group, they also maintain many traditional art forms. They group lives on the island 'Sado Higashima' and live together as a community in a traditional way. Many other cultures have adopted this style of drumming, from Germany and the United States to Australia.