title: Robert II of Scotland

paragraphs: Robert II (early 1316 - 19 April 1390) was King of Scotland from 1371 through 1390. He was the first king of the House of Stewart. He is known as Robert the Steward and succeeded the popular David II to the throne. He was crowned in 1371 and had 1 child, Robert III or "Robert the Lame" with Elizabeth Mure, he was mentally unstable and was born as John Stewart, he changed his name to Robert as he would be crowned John II recognizing John Balliol's claim as legitimate which would spark war.

paragraphs: He was born on 2 March 1316 in Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire. He was the son of Walter Stewart and Marjorie Bruce. His mother died in childbith on 2 March and his father died 1326 and was buried in Paisley Abbey, where Robert II was born.

paragraphs: His reign began on 22 February 1371 upon his uncle's death (David II), he descended through Robert the Bruce and was crowned on March 26th of 1371. He wasn't a very popular king and died on 19 April 1390, he was succeeded by his son Robert III.

paragraphs: He had 2 wives during his lifetime, his first wife Elizabeth Mure and his second wife Euphemia de Ross.King Robert II had more children than any other King of Scotland, in all 15 by his two marriages.

paragraphs: (1) John, Earl of Carrick (later ROBERT III) c.1337-1406

paragraphs: (4) Margaret Stewart m. John Macdonald, Lord of the Isles

paragraphs: (5) Alexander, Earl of Buchan 'The Wolf of Badenoch' c.1343-1405

paragraphs: (6) Marjorie Stewart m. (i) John Dunbar, Earl of Moray (ii) Alexander Keith

paragraphs: (7) Jean Stewart m. (i) Sir John Keith (ii) Sir John Lyon (iii) Sir James Sandilands

paragraphs: (8) Isabel Stewart m. (i) James Douglas, Earl of Douglas (ii) David Edmondstone

paragraphs: (10) Elizabeth Stewart m. sir Thomas Hay, Lord High Constable of Scotland

paragraphs: (11) David, Earl of Caithness d. before 1389

paragraphs: (12) Walter Stewart, Earl of Atholl d. 1437

paragraphs: (14) Elizabeth Stewart m. David Lindsay, Earl of Crawford

paragraphs: (15) Egidia Stewart m. Sir William Douglas of Nithsdale

paragraphs: Robert II also had 8 illegitimate children by various mothers

paragraphs: 4. www.englishmonarchs.co.uk All rights reserved ® Scottish Monarchs


title: Robert III of Scotland

paragraphs: Robert III (c. 1337 - 4 April 1406) was the second King of Scotland from the House of Stuart, ruling from 1390 following the death of his father Robert II of Scotland till his own death in 1406 after 16 years as king.


title: Magic Tour

paragraphs: The Magic Tour was the biggest and last tour by the English rock band Queen with their lead singer Freddie Mercury. The tour started in Sweden on 7 June 1986. It ended in England on 9 August 1987. The next band's tour Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour began about 19 years later, after the death of Freddie Mercury and the retirement of John Deacon. The tour included performances on 26 dates at Europe's stadiums. It was in support of their album "A Kind of Magic".

paragraphs: In 1987, Mercury was diagnosed with HIV. The band together made the decision to stop touring. This made the concert at Knebworth on 9 August the last time the four members of Queen would perform onstage together.


title: James II of Scotland

paragraphs: James II (16 October 1430– 3 August 1460) was King of Scotland from 1437 through 1460. He was born at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh. He inherited the Scottish throne after the assassination of his father James I on February 21st 1437, only aged 6 and was crowned king of Scotland on March 25th 1437 at Holyrood Palace where he was born.


title: James III of Scotland

paragraphs: James III (c. 1451/1452 - 1488) was King of Scotland from 1460 through 1488.


title: James IV of Scotland

paragraphs: James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 1488 through 1513.


title: James V of Scotland

paragraphs: James V (1512-1542) was King of Scotland from 1513 through 1542. He was the father of Mary Queen of Scots.


title: George Butterworth

paragraphs: George Butterworth (born London, 12 July 1885; died Pozières, France, 5 August 1916) was an English composer. He showed great talent as a young man and might have become one of England’s greatest composers if he had lived longer. He was killed while fighting in World War I. He is best known for a group of songs which are settings of poems by A. E. Housman.

paragraphs: Butterworth was born in London. His father was a solicitor who later became the general manager of the North Eastern Railway. The family moved to Yorkshire soon after George’s birth. He had his first music lessons from his mother, who was a singer, He soon started to compose music. His father wanted him to be a solicitor and so he sent his son to Eton College. From there he went to Trinity College, Oxford. At Oxford he became more and more involved with music, especially after he met the folk song collector Cecil Sharp and composer and folk song enthusiast Ralph Vaughan Williams. Butterworth and Vaughan Williams made several trips into the English countryside to collect folk songs. Both of them were influenced by English folk songs when they were composing. Butterworth was also a very good folk dancer. He was particularly fond of Morris dancing.

paragraphs: Vaughan Williams and Butterworth became close friends. It was Butterworth who said to Vaughan Williams that it would be a good idea to turn the symphonic poem he was working on into his "London Symphony". When the manuscript for that piece was lost in the post Butterworth and two other musicians helped Vaughan Williams to write it out again. Vaughan Williams dedicated the piece to Butterworth's memory after his death. When he left Oxford, Butterworth became a music critic for "The Times" as well as composing and teaching at Radley College, Oxfordshire. He also studied at the Royal College of Music for a short time, working with people such as Hubert Parry and Charles Villiers Stanford.

paragraphs: Although Butterworth had lots of work he often felt that his life had no purpose. When World War I broke out, Butterworth felt that he could be useful so he joined the British Army. He was killed by a sniper in 1916 at Pozières leading a raid during the Battle of the Somme. His body was not found, and his name appears on the Thiepval memorial, near the site of the Somme. He was awarded the Military Cross, and a trench was named after him.

paragraphs: Butterworth did not write a great deal of music, and during the war he destroyed many of his compositions that he thought were not good enough. Of those that survive, his works based on A. E. Housman's collection of poems "A Shropshire Lad" are the best known. Many English composers of Butterworth's time set Housman's poetry, including Ralph Vaughan Williams.

paragraphs: Butterworth wrote two song cycles on Housman's poems. They include some of the best-loved English songs of the 20th century, especially "Is My Team Ploughing?" and "Loveliest of Trees". He used this last song as the basis for his 1912 orchestral rhapsody, also called "A Shropshire Lad". It is full of soft, tender music as well as passion.

paragraphs: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 1980, .


title: Charles Villiers Stanford

paragraphs: Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (born Dublin, 30 September 1852; died London, 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer who lived in England for most of his life.

paragraphs: Stanford was born in Dublin. His father was a very successful lawyer who was also interested in music. He played the cello and sang. Stanford’s mother played the piano. The young boy heard a lot of music at his home as there were often visitors who came to make music. Charles studied the piano, organ and composition and was composing and performing at concerts when he was still very young.

paragraphs: His parents had wanted their son to be a lawyer, but it was obvious that music was to be his profession. He won a scholarship to Queens' College, Cambridge in 1870 where he was a choral scholar. He learned very quickly and in 1873, while he was still a student, he was made organist of Trinity College and conductor of two choirs. While he had these jobs he was given time to make visits to Germany where he studied with Carl Reinecke and Friedrich Kiel. He met several famous composers including Brahms and Offenbach. He went to the opening of the Bayreuth Festival Theatre where the music of Richard Wagner was performed.

paragraphs: Stanford took his BA degree in 1874 and MA in 1878, and was given the honorary degree of D.Mus. at Oxford in 1883 and at Cambridge in 1888. He had a lot of energy and was known for working very hard. When the Royal College of Music opened in London in 1883 Stanford was made professor there. He became conductor of the Bach Choir and then he was made professor of music at Cambridge. He was still only 35 years old. He kept these two professorships until his death. Although he gave up his job as organist at Trinity he became conductor of the Leeds Triennial Festival and appeared with nearly every important British music festival. In 1902 he was knighted.

paragraphs: Stanford married in 1878 and the couple had two children.

paragraphs: Stanford died in London and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

paragraphs: Stanford is best known today for the choral music he wrote for the Anglican church. These includes some very fine anthems and motets as well as service settings. His music was much better than most of the church music that had been composed during the 19th century, so he helped to make British music better. He composed many pieces for music festivals: these include oratorios and cantatas as well as partsongs and solo songs. He also wrote a lot of orchestral and instrumental works. These often show the influence of Brahms and Schumann.

paragraphs: As a teacher of composition Stanford had a great deal of influence on many British composers. He sometimes had a bad temper, but he was also very good at showing students how they could improve their music. Composers such as Charles Wood, Constant Lambert, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Rutland Boughton, John Ireland, Frank Bridge, George Butterworth, Arthur Bliss, Herbert Howells, Arthur Benjamin and Ernest J. Moeran all learned a great deal from him, and continued to admire him.

paragraphs: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, 1980.


title: Thaksin Shinawatra

paragraphs: Thaksin Shinawatra (born July 26, 1949) is a former Prime Minister of Thailand, and he is in exile (as of 2017). He is also a businessman, politician, . He is a former leader of the Thai Rak Thai Party.

paragraphs: "[H]is young sister, former prime minister Yingluck, went into hiding [in 2017]. She failed to appear at the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions Positions ... to hear the ruling in her rice-pledging scheme trial".


title: Phitsanulok

paragraphs: Phitsanulok is an important province in history north of Thailand.

paragraphs: In the Sukhothai Period, Somdej Phra Maha Dhammaraja Lithai was order to called Song Khwai. He order his son, Phra Sai Lue Thai to govern this city.

paragraphs: In the Ayuahya Period, Song Khwai renamed to Muang Phitsanulok. And in Somdej Phra Borom Trai Lokkanat period, Muang Phitsanulok became the capital city for 25 years. Muang Phitsanulok became more importance.

paragraphs: In the early Rattankosin Period, Phitsanulok still importance city of Thailand.

paragraphs: Phra Buddha Chinnaraj is the one of most beautiful Buddha image in Thailand. Phra Buddha Chinnaraj was build in 1900 B.E. Now Phra Buddha Chinnaraj is housed in

paragraphs: สองฝั่งน่านล้วนเรือนแพ

paragraphs: ถ้ำและน้ำตกหลากตระการตา


title: Chatuchak Weekend Market

paragraphs: Chatuchak Weekend Market (also spelled Jatujak) is a market in Bangkok. In the past, it was in Sanamluang. In Buddhist Era 2521, the government wanted this place to be the park for relaxing and exercising. Thailand’s government authorities train gave Pahonyothin area connected to southern of Chatuchak Weekend Market to make a new market so the Sanamluang market had moved there and changed the named after the area named “Pahonyothin area market”. In Buddhist Era 2530, it had been changed the named to “Chatuchak Weekend Market” until now.

paragraphs: Nowadays Chatuchak Weekend Market has been made buying and selling culture and be famous around the world as the center of selling products. It has more than 112,000 square meters. Foreign tourists know Jatujak market as JJ market or Chatuchak Weekend Market.


title: Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park

paragraphs: Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is a national park of Australia. It is in the Northern Territory, south-west of Alice Springs. The park surrounds the two huge rock formations after which it is named: Uluṟu (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuṯa (The Olgas).

paragraphs: Archaeological work near Uluṟu has shown that people have been in the area for at least 22,000 years. They probably moved in and out of the area depending on how much food and water there was. People started to live in the area year-round about 10,000 years ago. The native Aṉangu people were hunter-gatherers. They lived in small nomadic groups. Groupings were based on water and food supply in their area ("ngura").

paragraphs: The Aṉangu believe that Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa were created by ancestral spirits ("tjukuritja" or "waparitja"). This is part of their creation story, known as "tjukurpa" (the "Dreamtime"). According to the legend, the world was once blank and featureless, until there came creator beings. They travelled across the land and created rocks, rivers, trees–all living things and the landscape as it is seen today.

paragraphs: The Aṉangu believe that these spirits still live within the land. Each set of rocks represents a different ancestral spirit. The Aṉangu communicate (listen and feel) with the spirits by touching the rock. They do this for blessings or guidance with something. It is said that many spirits, like "kaḻaya" (emu), "liru" (poisonous snake), "lungkaṯa" (lizard) and "luuṉpa" (kingfisher), travel around the park. Other spirits only stay in one area, like "kuniya", a python who lives in the rocks at Uluṟu. The great snake king called "wanambi" is said to live at the top of Kata Tjuṯa.

paragraphs: There are different stories about the origin of Uluṟu. One says that it came after a great battle between ancestral spirits. The story tells that after many spirits were killed, the earth rose up in sadness, becoming Uluṟu. Another legend tells that the two serpent spirits "kuniya" and "liru" fought many wars there, putting the cracks and scars in the rock. Kata Tjuṯa is said to give knowledge that is considered very powerful and dangerous. It is only allowed to be known by men who have gone through initiation. So stories about the creation of this rock are a secret. The common idea behind all these creation stories is that places like Uluṟu are physical evidence of the activities of ancestral beings.

paragraphs: Aṉangu believe they are directly descended from these ancestral beings. They believe that their ancestors live within the land. Many places around the park are sacred because of this. They are bonded to the land in a kind of kinship, because the main principle of "tjukurpa" is that people and the land are connected. "Tjukurpa" is an oral tradition (not written down). It makes up the Aṉangu belief system, moral code and legal code. It is passed on through story, song, dance and art.

paragraphs: Europeans came to the Western Desert of Australia in the 1870s. They came in expeditions while the Overland Telegraph Line was being made. The first European explorer to the area was Ernest Giles. In 1872, Giles spotted Kata Tjuṯa from Kings Canyon and called it "Mount Olga", in honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg. He was not able to reach it, though, because his path was blocked by Lake Amadeus. The next year, another explorer named William Gosse reached Uluṟu and named it "Ayers Rock" after Sir Henry Ayers. More people explored the area over the next few years, to look for land they could use for raising livestock. They eventually left because the land was too dry. The native Aṉangu people had not had much contact with these explorers, and very few white people visited the area after this.

paragraphs: In March 1920, the area was made an aboriginal reserve, called the Petermann Reserve. It was meant to be a temporary refuge (safe place) for the Aṉangu. The government said they could continue their nomadic lifestyle there until they could be assimilated into white society. During the 1930s, there became more and more encounters between the natives and white people. Trading with dingo hunters (called "doggers") brought the natives food, tools and clothes they had not seen before. Many became curious about white people and their world.

paragraphs: During this time, more and more land around the reserve was being used for livestock. Long droughts during this time caused conflicts between the Aṉangu and farmers over things like food and water. Encounters with stockmen on nearby cattle stations were often violent. In 1934, a man was shot dead at Uluṟu by police. Aṉangu people became frightened of police and many left the area for safety. Later, some groups started to work on the stations in exchange for food. Others moved to towns because they wanted the things white people had. As a result, many people in the government believed that the reserve had failed to protect the Aṉangu lifestyle.

paragraphs: In the late 1930s, prospectors thought there might be gold in the area. There was a famous story of a lost gold deposit called Lasseter's Reef. The man who said he had found it had died near the Petermann Ranges in 1931, and it was said to be located somewhere in the area. In 1940, the Petermann Reserve was made smaller, so that people could look for the gold. At the same time, an interest in tourism at Uluṟu began to grow. A track for vehicles to reach Uluṟu was built from Curtin Springs in 1948. Tour groups from Alice Springs began arriving a few years later. At first, the government only allowed a few tour companies to go to the rock, because it was still part of the reserve. But demand for tourist income was growing fast. In 1951, Connellan Airways asked for an airstrip to be built next to Uluṟu, even though planes were already landing there.

paragraphs: In 1958, the government cut the area around Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa from the Aṉangu reserve, creating the Ayers Rock–Mt Olga National Park. It claimed that the rocks were no longer important to the natives. The new park was managed by the Territory government, which leased the land out to tour companies. Connellan built their airstrip close to the northern side of Uluṟu in 1959. Campsites and motels were built in 1967.

paragraphs: The Aṉangu were told not to come into the park, but they did anyway. Uluṟu was an important stopping point on travels because of the water usually located there. At first they were tolerated by the park rangers. But as the number of tourists at Uluṟu rose, there were conflicts between tourists and Aṉangu. The government then tried to move them away from the area by building the Docker River village, to the west, in 1968. Because their homeland and lifestyle had changed, the Aṉangu had to find new ways to make a living. They began selling handicrafts and artworks to tourists. Those still living at Uluṟu even opened a store, called the Ininti Store, which they leased from the government in 1972.

paragraphs: In 1971, Aṉangu groups met with the Office of Aboriginal Affairs, a part of the government that were in charge of looking after aboriginal people. Aṉangu people told the Office that they were worried about the effects mining and tourism were having on their land. They also said that their sacred sites were being desecrated (not being looked after properly). They asked for the government's help in protecting them.

paragraphs: In 1973, people from the government visited to make a report on the park. This report said that Aṉangu should be involved in the park's management. It said they could be hired as rangers, and that their sacred sites should be protected. It also advised that all the tourist facilities be moved out of the park. This was because they were having a bad effect on the environment. In 1975, the area called Yulara, to the north, was set aside for this. The airstrip was removed and rebuilt in Yulara in 1982. The resort at Yulara opened in 1983. After that, the campground and motels inside the park were closed, and everything was removed from the park by the end of 1984.

paragraphs: In 1976, the Aboriginal Land Rights Act was passed for the Northern Territory. It allowed native people to claim rights to own land if they lived on it before Europeans arrived, but only if the land is not already owned. The Aṉangu asked for ownership of the park's land under this law in 1979. But because it had already been made a national park, the claim was not allowed. Even so, the court decided that the Aṉangu were the "traditional" owners ("nguraṟitja") of the land.

paragraphs: There was then a long legal case over the freehold title (actual ownership) of the lands. The case continued until November 1983, when Prime Minister Bob Hawke acknowledged that the Aṉangu had the rights to Uluṟu. On 26 October 1985, they were given the title deeds for the park as the traditional and legal owners of the land. The Territory government protested this decision. It had made a big and expensive campaign to get support and stop it happening. In exchange for ownership, the Aṉangu had to lease the land back to the federal government so that it could stay as a national park. They started managing the park together in April 1986.

paragraphs: Uluru National Park was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, as a natural property. It had already been made a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1977. This means it was an important natural environment. The name of the park changed to Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park in 1993. The next year, it was added to the list again, this time as a cultural landscape. This means that it is one of the few sites in the world that is chosen for both its natural and cultural importance. The listing recognised "tjukurpa" as being the best tool for looking after the park. In 1995, Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park won the highest UNESCO award for setting new standards for the management of a World Heritage site.

paragraphs: Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park is in the southwestern corner of the Northern Territory, in the centre of Australia. It is southwest of Alice Springs. The park covers of flat, red-sand plains. The huge rock formations of Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are the only major landmarks.

paragraphs: Uluṟu is an sandstone inselberg, rising above the plains around it. Most of its bulk is below the ground. Kata Tjuṯa, west of Uluṟu, is a group of 36 rock domes (or bornhardts), divided by steep-sided valleys. It covers an area of . The tallest dome, Mount Olga, is above the surrounding plain. It is the highest point in the park, at above sea level.

paragraphs: The only permanent settlement in the park is the Aṉangu village of Muṯitjulu. It is on the eastern side of Uluṟu, and about 350 people live there.

paragraphs: Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are made of different types of sedimentary rock. Uluṟu is mostly made of arkose, a hard type of sandstone that contains a lot of the mineral feldspar. The sediment originally comes mostly from granite. Kata Tjuṯa is made of conglomerate, which consists of bits of rock that has been cemented together by sand and mud. The sediment in this rock is a mixture of granite, gneiss and basic rocks.

paragraphs: Even though the rock types are different, Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are thought to be about the same age. They have both been exposed because of folding, faulting and the erosion of surrounding rock.

paragraphs: The park is in a geological area called the Amadeus sedimentary basin. The basin was formed about 900 million years ago. Over hundreds of millions of years, it was covered by layer after layer of sediment, until about 300 million years ago. About 550 million years ago, the mountain ranges to the south and west were pushed up out of the ground in a mountain-building event. These mountains quickly crumbled and huge chunks of sediment were pushed northward by rivers. The rivers flattened out into at least two alluvial fans. It is the remains of these alluvial fans that are seen today as Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa.

paragraphs: By about 500 million years ago, a shallow inland sea formed in the basin. Over many hundreds of years, sand and mud fell to the bottom of the sea, covering the alluvial deposit. This layer cemented everything together, forming the arkose over Uluṟu and the conglomerate over Kata Tjuṯa. The sea dried up between 400 and 300 million years ago. A long period of folding tilted the horizontal rock layers. The layers of Uluṟu arkose were folded to the near vertical position they are in today. The conglomerate of Kata Tjuṯa was tilted about 15 to 20 degrees from the horizontal. This means that Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are the exposed tips of huge rock slabs that run far below the ground.

paragraphs: A valley was formed between the two rocks about 65 million years ago. Newer layers of sediment were added to the old ones. These were covered by the red sand that can be seen today, which was brought in by wind.

paragraphs: The big canyons of Kata Tjuṯa are thought to be evidence of faults that formed while the rock was being folded millions of years ago. Many years of weathering has made the faults bigger and water has eroded the rock into the valleys and domes seen today. Uluṟu has deep parallel fractures that run down its sides. These are caused by erosion, mostly from rainwater running off the domed top. The caves around the base of Uluṟu were formed by water weathering, though the exact process is still not known. Erosion of the rock is very slow, because the surface is very hard, and because there is no major jointing or parting at its base.

paragraphs: The bright orange-red colour of the rock surfaces comes from the oxidation (or rusting) of the iron in the arkose. When fresh (not exposed to the air), the arkose has a grey colour. Uluṟu appears to change colour at different times of the day and year. It glows a deep red colour during sunrise and sunset. The red light that comes across the sky at these times reflects off the rock, sand and clouds to make a bright glowing effect.

paragraphs: Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa is normally arid (dry). Most of the water in the park is under the ground. It can stay under the park for thousands of years. In the end, it all drains through the ground to Lake Amadeus in the north. Knowing where to find this underground water has always been important for human survival in the area. It is the only supply of water in the area that people can rely on. Both Muṯitjulu and Yulara get their water from ancient aquifers under the park. The water contains salt, which is removed before it is used. The aquifers being refilled depends on rare major rains, normally happening every ten years or so.

paragraphs: There are no proper watercourses in the park. Creek beds and gullies are mostly found in the valleys around Kata Tjuṯa. These are usually dry, except after heavy rains, but water can stay under the sand for months. The soils in the park contain high levels of clay, which stops water from soaking into the ground too quickly. The only lasting surface water in the park is Muṯitjulu Waterhole (""), at the base of Uluṟu. It has many waterholes (pockets of water) that have formed by rain running off the rock down its fracture lines. They are the only lasting spots of water above the ground for hundreds of kilometres in any direction. They normally have some water in them for the whole year.

paragraphs: Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa has a mostly dry climate. Rainfall is usually low, very hard to predict. The park gets an average of of rain per year, but each year can be very different. Rain is most common between November and March. Droughts are common and can be very long. The most rain recorded in one year was in 1974. The least amount was in 1965. The year 1965 was also the end of the longest drought that has been recorded here, which lasted six and a half years. Major rainfalls (periods with lots of rain) are rare, happening about every ten years. They are very important for refilling the groundwater supply and can put a lot of life into the ecosystems. The last major rainfall was in 2009, which got of rain.

paragraphs: The average relative humidity is a lot lower than in coastal areas. It normally lowers as the temperature rises. The average rate of evaporation per year is high at about . The levels of UV on most summer days reach between 11 and 15.

paragraphs: As in most arid inland areas, the days are very hot and the nights are very cold. The months between October and March have an average of 43 days where the temperature is above 40°C. The highest temperature recorded in the park was 47°C in December 1993. In winter, the temperature overnight often falls below freezing (0°C). The average temperature range for winter months is 14–30°C. The lowest temperature recorded in the park was –5°C in July 1976.

paragraphs: The Aṉangu say the park has five seasons:

paragraphs: The park is ranked as one of the most important arid land ecosystems in the world. It is one of 15 biosphere reserves in Australia under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere system. The landscape looks quite barren, but is actually a complex ecosystem with many forms of life. Plants and animals have adapted to the area's extreme conditions. As a result, it supports some of the most unusual flora and fauna on the planet.

paragraphs: Much of the park land is made up of flat plains dotted with many kinds of spinifex grasses. There are also large areas of sand dunes, rocky scrubland and open woodland. The gullies and creek lines that fan out from the rock formations form their own unique habitats, because of the concentration of water in the ground there.

paragraphs: The park is managed jointly (together) by the Aṉangu and Parks Australia. Parks Australia is the government body that looks after national parks in Australia. It is a part of the Department of the Environment. The Aṉangu own the land, and lease it to the government. The lease began in 1985 and lasts for 99 years. Decisions are made by the Board of Management, a group of people. Under the lease terms, the Aṉangu always hold a majority on the management board. There are 12 people on the board.

paragraphs: The Director of National Parks is the only permanent seat. All the others sit for five years, and then new people are chosen. All choices have to be approved by the Aṉangu. The staff that work in the park every day are from Parks Australia. This team is overseen by a general park manager, who reports to the Director.

paragraphs: "Tjukurpa", the Aṉangu legal code, makes up the basis for the park's management. It says how to deal with problems, and sets penalties for people who break the rules. The Aṉangu have used the Australian legal system to enforce "tjukurpa" and protect their sacred values. Sacred sites are registered under Territory law; it is against the law for visitors to enter them. Laws also protect traditional designs from being copied. Aṉangu have the right to forage and hunt in the park.


title: George Willis

paragraphs: George Willis, MD JP (1828-1898) was a British medical doctor and politician.

paragraphs: Willis was born in County Cavan, Ireland. He earned his medical degree at the University of Glasgow in 1850.

paragraphs: He was the elder brother of Dr. William Willis who taught medicine at the University of Tokyo and founded the medical school at the University of Kagoshima.

paragraphs: He was one of the founders of the Monmouth Hospital and Dispensary at Monmouth in Wales.

paragraphs: He was three times elected mayor of Monmouth.


title: Death row

paragraphs: Death row is a place where people convicted of bad things go to be executed using different methods. Some are lethal injection or a gas chamber.


title: Animation Domination

paragraphs: Animation Domination is a group of television shows that is shown on Fox. It began on May 1, 2005 and airs on Sunday nights. In Canada, it is known as "Animation Rules". Fox plans on airing it on Saturday nights. It airs from 7 to 10 PM when "The OT" is not on, when "The OT" is airing, "Animation Domination" is broadcast from 8 to 10 PM, unless the NFL game runs for longer, which might cause the block not to air until the following week.

paragraphs: Animation Domination started on May 1, 2005 with back-to-back episodes of "The Simpsons", "Family Guy" then "American Dad!" (created with the block).

paragraphs: It airs in Australia on Fox8, and on other Fox channels in Italy, Portugal and Spain, putting it in their own languages.

paragraphs: Fox announced plans to air a late Saturday night block of adult animation (11pm-12:30am ET/PT), which would compete with "Saturday Night Live" on NBC and replace reruns of their programming. It is by Nick Weidenfeld, who used to be at Adult Swim. It launched in January 2013.


title: William Willis

paragraphs: William Willis (1837–1894) was a British medical doctor and professor at the University of Tokyo.

paragraphs: Willis was born in Ireland in 1837. He was awarded his medical degree at the University of Edinburgh in 1859.

paragraphs: He was the younger brother of Dr. George Willis of Monmouth in Wales.

paragraphs: In 1861, Willis became the doctor of the British legation in Edo, Japan in 1861.

paragraphs: In 1869, Willis was named professor and head of the medical school at the Tokyo Imperial University.

paragraphs: In 1870, Willis became head of the hospital at Kagoshima. He founded the medical school at the University of Kagoshima.

paragraphs: Willis returned to the United Kingdom in 1881. He practiced in Wales with his brother until 1885.


title: Ernani

paragraphs: Ernani is an Italian opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on Victor Hugo's play "Hernani". It was first performed in Venice, on March 9, 1844.


title: La forza del destino

paragraphs: La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny) is an Italian opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with a libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and later Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on Angel de Saavedra Ramirez de Baquedano's "Don Alvaro o la Fuerza del Sino". It was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on November 10, 1862, A revised version was performed in Milan, on February 27, 1869. One of Verdi's richest "middle-period" works, with one of the finest of all operatic overtures.


title: Mirella Freni

paragraphs: Mirella Freni (February 27, 1935 – 9 February 2020) was an Italian soprano, one of the leading lyric sopranos of her era. She had a beautiful and well-schooled voice and a charming stage presence.

paragraphs: Born Mirella Fregni, in Modena, Italy, she studied at the Bologna Music Conservatory with Ettore Campogalliani. She made her debut in her hometown in 1955, as Micaela in "Carmen". That same year, she married pianist Leone Magiera, with whom she had a daughter, whom she called Micaela.

paragraphs: After winning the Viotto vocal competition in 1957, she sang with the Netherlands Opera, then was invited at the Glyndebourne Festival, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1961. She made her debut at La Scala in Milan in 1962. Her New York Metropolitan Opera debut came in 1965, as Mimi in "La bohème", a role she will remain closely associated with throughout her career. She then sang at most of the great operatic centers ot the world, such as Paris, Chicago, Salzburg, etc.

paragraphs: She began her career by singing soubrette roles, such as Susanna, Zerlina, Adina, Nanetta, etc., and then moved to more lyric roles such as Mimi, Marguerite, Juliet, etc., and eventually more dramatic roles such as Violetta, Amelia, Desdemona, Cio-Cio-San, Tosca, Medea, Wally, Maddalena, Giulia etc., with equal success.

paragraphs: After her divorce from Magiera, she married Bulgarian bass Nicolai Ghiaurov in 1981.

paragraphs: Freni died on 9 February 2020 in Modena after suffering multiple strokes and a degenerative disease, aged 84.


title: Rachel Crow

paragraphs: Rachel Crow (born January 21, 1998) is an American singer, actress, and comedienne. She has been on many television programs, including "Brain Surge", "Inside Edition", and "The Wendy Williams Show". Right now, she has a role in "" as Starr.


title: Rachel McAdams

paragraphs: Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She was born in London, Ontario and grew up in St. Thomas, Ontario.

paragraphs: She had major roles in "The Hot Chick", "Mean Girls", "The Notebook", "Wedding Crashers", "Red Eye", "The Family Stone", "State of Play", "The Time Traveler's Wife", "Sherlock Holmes", "Morning Glory", "Midnight in Paris", "The Vow" and "About Time".

paragraphs: She was nominated for the Orange Rising Star Award in 2006.


title: Big Momma's House

paragraphs: Big Momma's House is an American crime comedy movie, made in 2000. It was directed by Raja Gosnell. It stars Martin Lawrence as the main character, "Malcolm Turner", and Nia Long as "Sherry Pierce".

paragraphs: The storyline is about an FBI named Malcom Turner going undercover as an elderly woman called Hattie Mae "Big Momma" Pierce (Sherry's grandmother). Sherry decided to stay her grandmother's house while her grandmother is out of town. His job is to protect Sherry after her violent ex-boyfriend is released from prison.

paragraphs: It had two sequels: Big Momma's House 2 (2006) and (2011).


title: Cape Henry Light

paragraphs: The Cape Henry Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Virginia. It is near Virginia Beach, Virginia. For a long time, it has been important for the large amount of shipping entering the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The first building was the first lighthouse authorized by the U.S. government. It was built in 1792. The lighthouse was also the first federal construction project under the Constitution. It was expected to cost $15,200 to build. Another $2,500 was needed to finish the lighthouse. A second lighthouse was built in 1881 a short distance away. It was built because people were worried the first building was not stable.

paragraphs: The Cape Henry Lighthouse was the first work of the new U.S. Federal government. It was built of stone by John McComb, Jr.. The building was finished in October, 1792. McComb was one of the architects that helped build New York City Hall. He also designed other lighthouses. The lighthouse's design was based on the 1767 Cape Henlopen Light. The lighthouse was damaged by Confederate forces during the American Civil War. It was repaired by Union forces in 1863. Union forces needed the light for navigation. In the 1870s, people worried about the condition and safety of the old lighthouse at Cape Henry. Because of this, the New Cape Henry Lighthouse was built in 1881. The new lighthouse is southeast of the old lighthouse. The old tower was not destroyed. It is still standing. The old lighthouse is still a daymark used for triangulation. The lighthouse was fully automated in 1983.

paragraphs: In 1798, Benjamin Latrobe visited Cape Henry Lighthouse and described it as "an octangular truncated pyramid of eight sides, rising 90 feet to the light..." The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse is 26 feet in diameter at its base and 16 feet at its top. It was built with Aquia Creek sandstone. The sandstone came from the same source as the White House.

paragraphs: The new lighthouse is tall. It was built of cast iron and wrought iron. It also has a more powerful light.

paragraphs: Preservation Virginia took control of the older lighthouse in 1930. Preservation Virginia was known as the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities at the time. A brick lining and an iron stairway have been added to the lighthouse. The lighthouse is open to the public. It was made a National Historic Landmark on January 29, 1964. In 2002 the American Society of Civil Engineers listed the lighthouse a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

paragraphs: The lighthouses are located in the city of Virginia Beach. They are inside of the boundaries of Fort Story. It is an Army base. The Cape Henry Memorial is next to the lighthouses.


title: Washington Irving

paragraphs: Washington Irving was an American writer. He was born in New York City on April 3, 1783. He began his literary career writing humorous newspaper sketches. He edited magazines. He went to Europe on family matters as a young man. He remained there for 17 years. He served as the United States ambassador to Spain from 1842 to 1846. He wrote biographies. He regarded his 5-volume life of George Washington as his masterpiece. He died in his home, Sunnyside, at Tarrytown, New York on November 28, 1859.

paragraphs: Irving and his contemporary James Fenimore Cooper were America's first internationally acclaimed authors. Irving encouraged American authors and supported stronger copyright laws. He is best known today for two short stories: "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow". They have been adapted to the stage, to television, and to animated and live-action movies.

paragraphs: The Chicago community area Irving Park is named after him.


title: Sunnyside (Tarrytown, New York)

paragraphs: Sunnyside is a house in Tarrytown, New York. It was once the home of American writer Washington Irving. He wrote many books, but he is best known for the short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle". Irving bought the property on June 7, 1835 for $1,800. He described it to his brother as "a beautiful spot, capable of being made a little paradise ... I have had an architect up there, and shall build upon the old mansion this summer. My idea is to make a little nookery somewhat in the Dutch style, quaint, but unpretending. It will be of stone." In its day, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. said that Sunnyside stood "next to Mount Vernon, the best known and most cherished of all the dwellings in our land." The public interest in the home drew several gawkers hoping to catch a glimpse of Irving working. Irving died of a heart attack in his bedroom at Sunnyside on November 28, 1859. Irving's descendants lived in the house until 1945. In that year, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. bought it. He opened the house to tourists in 1947. Sunnyside is now a museum. An admission fee is charged. The house contains furniture that once belonged to Irving. Sunnyside became a National Historic Landmark in 1962.


title: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

paragraphs: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving. The story was published in 1820 in a collection of Irving's literary pieces called "The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent." The story was one of the first fictional works by an American author to become popular outside the United States. Adaptations include Walt Disney's animated movie "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad" of 1949 and, more recently, Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow" of 1999 starring Johnny Depp.

paragraphs: A lanky school teacher named Ichabod Crane arrives in the village of Tarry Town. He is very superstitious. He falls in love with pretty Katrina Van Tassel (and her father's large farm).

paragraphs: Katrina has a suitor though. His name is Brom Bones. Brom is a rowdy and boisterous young man. He does not like Ichabod. He does not like Ichabod hovering about Katrina.

paragraphs: One autumn night after a party at the Van Tassel's, Ichabod sets off for home alone. He thinks he sees the Headless Horseman, a dead soldier of the Revolution whose head was blown off by a cannon ball. His ghost haunts the countryside in search of his head.

paragraphs: He chases Ichabod. Ichabod is terrified and runs away. He is never seen again. Villagers find only a smashed Jack-o'-lantern. Whenever the story is told, Brom gives a knowing wink. It is implied that he frightened away his rival by posing as the Headless Horseman.


title: George Li

paragraphs: George Li (Chinese: 黎卓宇, Pinyin: Lí zhuōyǔ), born August 24, 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts, is a Chinese-American pianist.

paragraphs: Li has been performing since he was nine years old, and is known as a recitalist, a chamber musician, and a soloist with orchestra. At the age of eleven, he played at New York's Carnegie Hall. The performance was featured in the new TV series by NPR, "From the Top".

paragraphs: Li won first prizes in the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association state competitions at the age of 6 and 7. In 2005, Li won second prizes in both the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition and the Cincinnati World Piano Competition at the age of nine.

paragraphs: In 2008, Li won the second prize in the Gina Bachauer International Piano Junior Artist Competition. In 2010, Li won the first prize in the Cooper International Piano Competition Li has also won the first prize in the Young Concert Artists International Auditions.

paragraphs: On June 7, 2011, Li played for Barack Obama and his wife Michelle Obama, and German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and her husband Dr. Joachim Sauer at a state dinner in the White House Rose Garden. On June 23, 2011, Li was one of the two recipients of the 2012 Gilmore Young Artist Award. He is currently the youngest person who got the award.

paragraphs: Li lives in Lexington, Massachusetts. He is a student of Walnut Hill School and the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, where he learns with Wha Kyung Byun. Li's previous piano teachers include Dorothy Shi (杨镜钏) and Yin Chengzong (殷承宗).


title: Yin Chengzong

paragraphs: Yin Chengzong (Chinese: 殷承宗, Pinyin: Yīn Chéngzōng) (born 1941 in Gulangyu Island, Xiamen, Fujian, China) is a Chinese pianist and composer. He is famous for composing the Yellow River Piano Concerto he arranged based on the Yellow River Cantata.


title: Fou Ts'ong

paragraphs: Fou Ts'ong (), born 10 March 1934, is a Chinese pianist. He is perhaps best known for winning third prize and the Special Mazurka prize at the International Chopin Competition at Warsaw.


title: Philipp Kohlschreiber

paragraphs: Philipp Eberhard Hermann Kohlschreiber (born 16 October 1983 in Augsburg) is a German tennis player. He turned professional in 2001. , his highest ranking has been number 16 in the world.


title: Murray Perahia

paragraphs: Murray Perahia KBE (born April 19, 1947) is an American pianist and conductor.

paragraphs: Murray Perahia was born in New York City to a family of Sephardi Jewish origin. According to the biography on his Mozart piano sonatas CD, his first language was Judaeo-Spanish. The family was from Thessaloniki, Greece. His father moved to the United States in 1935.

paragraphs: In 1965, Perahia won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions. In 1972, he was the first North American to win first prize at the Leeds Piano Competition.

paragraphs: Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance

paragraphs: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra)


title: The General Strike

paragraphs: The General Strike is a 2012 album by American punk rock band Anti-Flag. It is their 9th album.


title: Études (Chopin)

paragraphs: The Études by Polish composer Frédéric Chopin are three sets of études for piano.

paragraphs: Chopin's "Études" are some of the hardest pieces of all the works in concert piano repertoire. Because of this, the music remain famous and are often played at concerts. Some of them have been given nicknames (but not by Chopin himself) - for example, the last "Étude" from Op. 10 has been called the "Revolutionary" because it was inspired by the November 1830 Uprising, when the Poles were defeated by the Russian Empire.

paragraphs: All twenty-seven "Études" were published during Chopin's lifetime; Opus 10, the first group of twelve were written between 1829 and 1832, and were published in 1833, in France, Germany, and England. The twelve "Études" of Opus 25 were composed at various times between 1832 and 1836, and were published in the same countries in 1837. The final three, part of a series called "Méthode des méthodes de piano" compiled by Moscheles and Fétis, were composed in 1839 but with no opus number.

paragraphs: The first "Études" of the Opus 10 set were written when Chopin was still in his teens. Chopin's "Études" elevated the musical form from purely utilitarian exercises to great artistic masterpieces. At a concert in which Chopin performed his opus 25, Robert Schumann said ""À la Chopin"".


title: Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve

paragraphs: The Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve is a nature reserve near Yosemite National Park within "Mono County", California. This reserve was founded in 1981 by the California State Legislature, to protect the formations of the natural limestone "Tufa" at Mono Lake.


title: Lev Ivanov

paragraphs: Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (1834-1901) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. He became Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet. Ivanov is credited with choreographing "The Nutcracker" in 1892 due to the ill health of Ballet Master Marius Petipa. The extent of his work is disputed. Only Pepita's name appeared on posters for the first production. Ivanov also worked with Petipa on a restaging of "Swan Lake"in 1895. He choreographed Acts 2 and 4, and the Italian and Hungarian dances in Act 3. Other ballets choreographed by Ivanov as the Second Balletmaster to Petipa include "The Enchanted Forest" (1887), and "The Tulip of Haarlem" (1887). Ivanov is credited with the choreography for the "Polovetsian Dances" in the first production of Borodin's "Prince Igor" in 1890. Late in life, Ivanov petitioned the Imperial Theatres for financial assistance on the strength of his 50 years of service. He died in poverty.


title: Arthur Ashe

paragraphs: Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was an American tennis player. He started playing tennis professionally in 1969. He won three singles Grand Slam titles: the US Open in 1968, the Australian Open in 1970 and Wimbledon in 1975. He won two Grand Slam doubles titles: the French Open in 1971 and the Australian Open in 1977. Arthur Ashe was ranked no 1. for being the best tennis player, the first African American to be number one. He retired in 1980. Arthur Ashe raised awareness about HIV and AIDs. He also was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993.

paragraphs: Ashe was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He died of AIDS in New York City.


title: Italian Concerto

paragraphs: The "Italian" Concerto (or, Concerto in the Italian style) is a piece of music for harpsichord composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. It was published in 1735 with the "French Overture" in the second volume of Bach's "Keyboard Practice". Both pieces are Bach's interpretations of popular musical forms of the day. The "Italian Concerto" is a three-movement composition written specifically for a two-manual harpsichord (see image).

paragraphs: The first movement is written in F major. It has a time signature of 2/4, but lacks a tempo marking. It is always played Allegro (fast). The second movement is written in D minor. Its time signature is 3/4, and its tempo marking is Andante (slow). The third movement is written in F major. Its time signature is cut-time (2/2), and its tempo is marked Presto (very fast). The first and third movements are composed in "ritornello" style. This means a theme particular to the movement returns time and again. The second movement is a very florid arioso-like piece.

paragraphs: An orchestral Italian concerto relies upon contrasts between the full orchestra and a small group of instruments which act as soloists. Bach achieves this effect by using the lower manual on the harpsichord as the "full orchestra" and the upper manual as the "small group of instruments".


title: Steps (group)

paragraphs: Steps are a British vocal pop group who formed in 1997. The members of the quintet are Lee Latchford-Evans, Claire Richards, Lisa Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer and Ian "H" Watkins. Steps have released four albums. They released their first single "5,6,7,8" in 1997.


title: Falstaff

paragraphs: Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare. In two of the "Henry IV" plays, he is a friend of Prince Hal, the man who becomes King Henry V.

paragraphs: Falstaff is very fat. He thinks he is very important and is always boasting. He is also a coward. Falstaff makes Prince Hal get into trouble. When Hal becomes king Falstaff is rejected.

paragraphs: Falstaff is a comic figure, but Shakespeare makes him say some things which tell us a lot about human nature. For example: before a battle in "Henry IV" he explains that his cowardice is actually common sense, because honour in battle is not really worth anything. Honour would not stop other people saying he was a coward and it would not help him if he got injured.

paragraphs: Falstaff also appears in "The Merry Wives of Windsor".

paragraphs: Shakespeare’s character inspired several musicians to compose music about him. Carl Otto Nicolai wrote an opera called "Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor" (1849). Verdi’s wrote an opera Falstaff based on the same play. It is often thought to be Verdi’s greatest opera. Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote an opera called "Sir John in Love", (1924–1928). Elgar wrote a brilliant piece for orchestra called “Falstaff” which he called: “a symphonic study”.

paragraphs: It is likely that Shakespeare based the character of Falstaff on a real person. Many ideas have been discussed but no one can be sure who Shakespeare may have had in mind.


title: Laura Linney

paragraphs: Laura Leggett Linney (born February 5, 1964) is an American actress. She has acted in movies, on television and theater. She won a Golden Globe Award for playing Abigail Adams in "John Adams". She is best known for playing the central role of Cathy Jamison in "The Big C", for which she won a Golden Globe Award.

paragraphs: She was born in Manhattan, New York City. She is the elder daughter of Romulus Linney (1930-2011).


title: Lang Lang

paragraphs: Lang Lang (Chinese: 郎朗, Pinyin: Láng Lǎng), born June 14, 1982, in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, is a Chinese pianist. He has played with the best orchestras in Europe, the United States and his native China. He is very famous around the world for his concert performances, television appearances, albums and soundtracks. Lang has done much to encourage children and young musicians to like classical music, especially through the international foundation he created in New York in 2008.

paragraphs: Lang Lang, which means "brilliance of the sky", was born in Shenyang, China, and is of Manchu ethnicity. His father Lang Guoren (郎国任) is also a musician, who plays the erhu. At the age of two, Lang watched the "Tom and Jerry" episode "The Cat Concerto" which features the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 by Franz Liszt. According to Lang, this first contact with Western music is what wanted him to learn piano. He began lessons with Professor Zhu Ya-Fen at age three. At the age of five, he won first place at the Shenyang Piano Competition and played his first public recital.

paragraphs: Lang was later admitted into Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music where he studied under Professor Zhao Ping-Guo. In 1993, he won the Xing Hai Cup Piano Competition in Beijing and, in 1994, got first prize at the fourth International Competition for Young Pianists in Ettlingen, Germany. In 1995, at 13 years old, he played the Op. 10 and Op. 25 études by Chopin at the Beijing Concert Hall and, the same year, got first place at the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Japan, playing Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert broadcast by NHK Television. When 14, he was a featured soloist at the China National Symphony's inaugural concert, which was broadcast by China Central Television and attended by President Jiang Zemin. The following year he began studies with Gary Graffman and Dick Doran at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.

paragraphs: Lang has won lots of Awards and has been seen by millions of television viewers throughout the world. He appeared in Time Magazine's 2009 list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2008, the Recording Academy named him their Cultural Ambassador to China. More recently, Lang Lang has been chosen as an official worldwide ambassador to the 2010 Shanghai Expo. The United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF) chose Lang Lang as an International Goodwill Ambassador in 2004. The Chinese government also recognized his achievement by selecting him as a vice-president of the All-China Youth Federation.

paragraphs: Lang said that his mission is to share classical music around the world, and to train children and young musicians through education. The Financial Times noted that he is "evangelical in his efforts to spread the popularity of classical music." In October 2008, he launched the Lang Lang International Music Foundation in New York with the support of the Grammys and UNICEF. In May 2009, Lang Lang and his three chosen scholars from the foundation, aged between 8 and 10 years old, performed together on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in connection with her search for the world's "smartest and most talented kids."

paragraphs: In June 2011, Lang Lang became a global ambassador for Telefónica.


title: Erhu

paragraphs: The erhu (二胡; pinyin: èrhú) is a two-stringed bowed musical instrument which may also be called a "southern fiddle", and sometimes known in the Western world as the "Chinese violin" or a "Chinese two-stringed fiddle". It is used as a solo instrument as well as in small ensembles and big orchestras. It is the most popular of the huqin family of bowed string instruments used by various ethnic groups of China. The erhu is used in both traditional and contemporary music arrangements, such as in pop, rock, jazz, etc.


title: Billie Jean

paragraphs: "Billie Jean" is a song released from the late pop singer Michael Jackson's 1982 album "Thriller". The song was released in borderline 1983/1984. "Billie Jean" was one of many hits by the singer and established itself at number one in the Billboard Hot 100. At the 1984 Grammy Awards Jackson was awarded Best R&B Song and Best R&B Male Vocal Performance for the song. In 2008 Kanye West remixed the song for "Thriller 25". According to Quincy Jones, the song is based off a fan that would always sneak into Michael's backyard and claim her little brother was his son.


title: Evgeny Kissin

paragraphs: Evgeny Igorevitch Kissin ( "Yevgeniy Igorevich Kisin"; born in Moscow, 10 October 1971) is a Israeli-Russian-British pianist. He has been an Israeli citizen since 2013. He is famous for his playing of the works of the Romantic repertoire, such as Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt.


title: Camryn Manheim

paragraphs: Camryn Manheim (born March 8, 1961) is an American actress. She is best known for her role in the television show "The Practice". She also acted in movies, mostly independent movies. She was in the 1997 movie Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. She also acted in "Ghost Whisperer".


title: Inflow

paragraphs: An inflow is a river that leads to a lake or some other body of water. The inflow gives the lake a supply of water. If lakes have no way of getting water added to them, they will eventually dry up through evaporation.

paragraphs: Some lakes are big enough that they can stay full through rain instead of inflows. An example of such a lake is the Great Salt Lake in Utah.


title: Fox Entertainment Group

paragraphs: Fox Entertainment Group was an American entertainment company. It owns places that movies are produced, television networks and others. It is named after William Fox.


title: Sexy Bitch

paragraphs: "Sexy Bitch" (renamed "Sexy Chick" whenever censored) is a hit song by David Guetta. Akon sings in it. The single was released during 2009. There are several music videos for this song. It was written by Giorgio Tuinfort, Aliaune Thiam, David Guetta, Jean-Claude Sindres and Sandy Vee.


title: Steinway & Sons

paragraphs: Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway, () is an American-German piano company. It was founded in 1853 in Manhattan, New York City, the United States, by German piano builder Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg (later known as Henry E. Steinway). The employees at Steinway were mostly German immigrants. The company's growth led to the opening of a factory in Queens, New York City, the United States, and a factory in Hamburg, Germany. The factory in Queens supplies the Americas and the factory in Hamburg supplies the rest of the world.

paragraphs: Steinway is a prominent piano company making pianos of high quality. Many inventions within piano development have been made at the Steinway factories. Steinway has been granted 126 patents in piano making – the first patent was granted in 1857. The company's share of the high-end grand piano market is over 80 percent.

paragraphs: Steinway pianos have got many awards. One of the first is a gold medal in 1855 at the American Institute Fair at the New York Crystal Palace. From 1855 to 1862, Steinway pianos got 35 gold medals. Many awards and recognitions followed, for example three medals at the world's fair of 1867 in Paris. The European part of the company holds a royal warrant of appointment to Queen Elizabeth II.

paragraphs: Steinway pianos are made at the factories in Hamburg and Queens. In addition to the flagship Steinway piano line, Steinway markets two cheaper brands of piano. They are sold under the secondary brand names "Boston" and "Essex". The Boston brand is for the mid-level market and the Essex brand is for the entry-level market. Boston and Essex pianos are designed by Steinway engineers. To take advantage of lower costs of part production and labor, they are made in Asia by other piano makers under the supervision of Steinway employees.


title: Lamian

paragraphs: Lamian () is a type of Chinese noodle. It is made by stretching and folding the dough into strands. The twisting and later stretching of the strips of dough happens because of the weight of the dough. The strands can be made in many lengths and thicknesses depending on how many times it is stretched and folded. The "Songshi yangsheng bu" (宋氏養生部), which was written by Song Xu around 1504, has the earliest description of how to make lamian.

paragraphs: Literally, lamian means "pulled noodles" (the Chinese word "la" (拉) means to pull, which is how the dough is made into long thin noodles, mian (面)). Lamian dishes are usually served in beef or mutton soup. Sometimes the noodles can be stir-fried (chaomian (炒面)) and served with a tomato-like sauce.


title: Gullah Gullah Island

paragraphs: Gullah Gullah Island was an American children's television series that features Gullah culture. It was on Nick Jr. from July 6, 1994 to January 9, 1998, with reruns from January 10, 1998 to their 9th birthday. It starred Ron Daise and his wife Natalie Daise. It was the first show designed for preschoolers to feature a black family. It was created by Larry David, Maria Perez-Brown, Kathleen Minton Capano, and Kit Laybourne. It had 3 seasons and 78 episodes.


title: Inventions and Sinfonias (Bach)

paragraphs: The Inventions and Sinfonias (1720; revised 1723) are 30 pieces of keyboard music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are sometimes known as the Two and Three Part Inventions. Bach arranged the two groups of pieces in order of ascending key. Each group covers the eight major and seven minor keys. Bach wrote them as exercises and study pieces for his 12 year old son, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach. The 1720 versions are found in the boy's "Little Keyboard Book" of 1722. The invention and sinfonias are often used as preparation for two volumes of Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier".

paragraphs: Bach wrote in the preface to the printed edition of the "Inventions and Sinfonias": "Honest method, by which the amateurs of the keyboard – especially, however, those desirous of learning – are shown a clear way not only (1) to learn to play cleanly in two parts, but also, after further progress, (2) to handle three obligate parts correctly and well; and along with this not only to obtain good inventions (ideas) but to develop the same well; above all, however, to achieve a cantabile style in playing and at the same time acquire a strong foretaste of composition."


title: Piano Sonata No. 1 (Mozart)

paragraphs: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Sonata No. 1 in C major, K 279 (189d) (1774) is a sonata in three movements:

paragraphs: It takes about 14 minutes to play the entire sonata.


title: The Nightingale (Andersen)

paragraphs: "The Nightingale" is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It was published in 1844 in Andersen's "New Fairy Tales" "(Nye Eventyr)" with "The Angel", "The Sweethearts", and "The Ugly Duckling". The critics liked these stories. Andersen's inspiration for "The Nightingale" was Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park with Chinese decorations in Copenhagen which opened in the summer of 1843. Another inspiration was Jenny Lind, a Swedish opera singer. Andersen was infatuated with her. She was known as the "Swedish Nightingale". Andersen began writing the tale on 11 October 1843 and completed it within 24 hours.

paragraphs: The nightingale is the best thing of all in the lands of the Emperor of China. The Emperor orders one brought to him. The bird charms him with her song. One day the Emperor of Japan sends the Emperor of China a mechanical bird decorated with jewels. The toy is wound up. Its song delights the Emperor. He neglects the real nightingale. She flies away to the forest. The toy bird breaks down. The Emperor becomes deathly ill. The nightingale returns to the palace. She sings and Death departs. The Emperor recovers.


title: Larry Johnson (running back)

paragraphs: Larry Johnson (born November 19, 1979) is a former American Football runningback in the National Football League. He played college football for Penn State.

paragraphs: Johnson spent most of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. After replacing the often-injured veteran Priest Holmes, Johnson excelled. He played very well in 2005 and 2006 and far passed the 1,000 yard mark that notable backs and receivers aim for. However, after an argument with head coach Todd Haley in 2009, he was released. He finished the season with the Cincinnati Bengals, but was not resigned.

paragraphs: Johnson spent portions of offseasons with the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins, but was cut both times.


title: Little Britain

paragraphs: Little Britain is a British television sketch comedy show. It was shown on the BBC from 2003–2006. It was created by and stars Matt Lucas and David Walliams. It is narrated by Tom Baker. It has been taken off streaming services due to racist humor as a result of the George Floyd protests.


title: Tyrod Taylor

paragraphs: Tyrod Taylor (b. August 3, 1989) is an American football player. He plays as a quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies. He played relatively well with Virginia Tech, where he wore number 5, but was not drafted until the 6th round by the Baltimore Ravens in 2011.

paragraphs: With the Ravens, Taylor moved on from a preseason injury and played in three games as the backup to starter Joe Flacco. He rushed for two yards in one game, lined up as a wide receiver in another, and completed an 18-yard pass to Anquan Boldin as well. He was on the roster when the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII and defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31.

paragraphs: Taylor left Baltimore after four years for the Buffalo Bills, becoming the starter for three years. He was named to a Pro Bowl after a strong first season as the starting quarterback, then in 2017, helped the team make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. Following that season, the Bills traded him to the Cleveland Browns, where he played one year before joining the Chargers in 2019.


title: Yuja Wang

paragraphs: Yuja Wang (Chinese: 王羽佳, pinyin: Wáng Yǔjiā), born 10 February 1987, is a Chinese pianist.

paragraphs: Wang started to play the piano at the age of six; her earliest public concerts were at China, Germany and Australia. At the age of seven, Wang began to study at Beijing's Central Conservatory of Music before moving to the US to study at the Curtis Institute of Music at the age of fifteen.

paragraphs: In 1998, Wang was awarded third prize at the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in Ettlingen, Germany. In 2001, she won the third prize and the "Special Jury Prize" at the First Sendai International Music Competition in Sendai, Japan in the piano section.

paragraphs: In January 2009, Wang signed an exclusive recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. She has already released four CD's: "Sonatas & Etudes" in 2009; "Transformation" in 2010; "Rachmaninov in 2011"; and "Fantasia" in March 2012.

paragraphs: There has been a possibility that Wang released a debut CD in 1995.


title: French Suites

paragraphs: The French Suites are six suites composed by Johann Sebastian Bach between 1722 and 1725. They were written to be played on the harpsichord or clavichord. A suite is a group of dances. Bach did not call them "French Suites". That title was given to the group by someone else. They were called the "French Suites" to distinguish them from another group of suites by Bach called the "English Suites".

paragraphs: The "French Suites" are largely based on Italian models, and are written in the keys of D minor, C minor, B minor, E-flat major, G major, and E major. All six suites open with an Allemagne and are followed by a Courante and a Sarabande. All six suites end with a Gigue (jig). Between the Sarabande and the Gigue are found a variety of dances that include Minuets, Bourrées, Gavottes, and others.

paragraphs: There is no definitive manuscript. The ornamentation varies from one manuscript to another. Two other suites one in A minor and the other in E-flat major sometimes appear in the manuscripts. Bach's "French Overture" is also a suite but is not connected to the "French Suites".


title: Baltimore Colts

paragraphs: The Baltimore Colts were an American football franchise in the National Football League. The team was based in Baltimore. The logo was a white horseshoe (blue uniforms). The team had success since 1953 when it began, winning four NFL championships, including Super Bowl V. The most famous player was quarterback Johnny Unitas . However, in 1984, Bob Irsay secretly (meaning in the middle of a March night without an announcement) moved the team to Indianapolis to begin play as the Indianapolis Colts.


title: Cultigen

paragraphs: A cultigen is a plant that is the result of artificial selection by humans. Liberty Hyde Bailey, an American botanist was the first to use the term, in 1918. Bailey noticed that the classification Linné introduced for plants was not useful for classifying plants which came from human cultivation and selection. He called the plants which grow in the wild without human selection indigens. A cultigen was: " ... a domesticated group of which the origin may be unknown... [It has] such characters as to separate it from known indigens, and is probably not represented by any type specimen or exact description". The point is that a cultigen cannot always be placed in the traditional Linnean system of botanical classification.

paragraphs: Bailey later changed his definition to "Plant or group known only in cultivation; presumably originating under domestication; contrast with indigen", which is the definition used above. Examples of cultigens are maize and cabbage.

paragraphs: Cultigen and cultivar may be confused with one-another. Cultigen is a general-purpose term encompassing not only plants with cultivar names but others as well (see introductory text above). Cultivar is a formal classification category in the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP).

paragraphs: Although in his 1923 paper Bailey used only the rank of species for the cultigen, it was clear to him that many domesticated plants were more like botanical varieties than species and so he established a new classification category for these, the cultivar, generally assumed to be a contraction of the words “cultivated” and “variety”. He defined cultivar in his 1923 paper as:

paragraphs: This definition and understanding of cultivar has changed over time.


title: Oil spill

paragraphs: Oil from ships and oil tankers can spill onto the sea water and pollute the water. Oil poisons and harms the aquatic organisms and sea birds. The fur of sea mammals and the feathers of sea birds can be damaged by the oil. The animals may suffer, and the effect may be fatal for them. When birds get soaked in oil they can't fly and they can't go in water.

paragraphs: The pollution of the environment with crude or mineral oil or their by-products is called an oil spill. Most often the term is used for marine environments, where coasts, lakes, rivers and oceans are polluted. There are three main ways to combat such pollution once it has occurred:

paragraphs: An oil spill can not only affect the coasts, lakes, rivers and oceans but also the environment and the ecosystems. Many animals could get injured and later die without help. Also all the vegetation could be affected by the oil.


title: Lenticular galaxy

paragraphs: A lenticular galaxy is a type of irregular galaxy. These galaxies have an elliptical shape and ill-defined spiral arms. Basically, they are a combinations of spiral and elliptical galaxies. Examples include the Cartwheel galaxy and NGC 4479.


title: Fishing industry

paragraphs: All activities that are concerned with growing, catching, processing or transporting fish either as a hobby or as an economic activity is called Fishing industry.

paragraphs: According to the FAO definition it includes recreational, subsistence and commercial fishing, and the harvesting, processing, and marketing sectors. The commercial activity is aimed at the delivery of fish and other seafood products for human consumption or as input factors in other industrial processes. Directly or indirectly, the livelihood of over 500 million people in developing countries depends on fisheries and aquaculture.


title: John Wesley Hillman

paragraphs: John Wesley Hillman (March 29, 1832 – March 19, 1915) was an American prospector during the California Gold Rush. He was also an explorer who was among the first European Americans to see Crater Lake in the U.S. state of Oregon. He is credited with discovering the lake.


title: Stability

paragraphs: Stability is a property of many systems. It means being at rest, not liable to change. In mechanics and dynamics, a system is stable (has stability) if it will not change motion of its own accord, and will resist small efforts to change its direction or position.

paragraphs: Thus an airliner in flight is dynamically stable, and will keep going in the same direction even when buffeted by uneven air pressure (wind). To change its direction, its control system must be altered. On the other hand, a fighter plane is unstable, and must be controlled at all times by a combination of the pilot and a computer.

paragraphs: Most nuclear isotopes are unstable, but the world is mostly made of stable ones.

paragraphs: In a boat stability means that it is less likely to capsize.


title: Type specimen

paragraphs: In biology, a type specimen is a particular specimen to which a scientific name is formally attached. For this purpose a specimen is something that can be kept, unchanging, for a long time (for centuries). A specimen may be an organism, a part of an organism, or many small organisms together.

paragraphs: Preferably a type specimen should be kept where researchers may have a chance to study it. Often, type specimens are kept in museums and the like. A type specimen need not be typical, that is, it need not be representative.

paragraphs: A type specimen can be assigned when a name is first published, or it can be assigned later. Besides type specimens there are other form of types.

paragraphs: One particular type specimen may have any number of scientific names attached to it. For example the names "Fabaceae" (family), "Faboideae" (subfamily), and "Faba" (genus) all have the same specimen as the type. For any one circumscription, position, and rank of a taxon only one name can be correct (for a genus that includes the type specimens of the names "Vicia" and "Faba", both, the correct name will be "Vicia").

paragraphs: A type specimen is only one of several possible kinds of type. For example, the type of the name of a genus of animals is a type species. But the type specimen is the most famous kind of type.


title: Gene flow

paragraphs: Gene flow or gene migration is the name for the transfer of alleles or genes from one population to another. The most usual cause is the movement of animals or (with plants) the movement of seeds or fruits.

paragraphs: Various barriers to gene flow can occur. The most usual is a geographical barrier of some kind. The beginnings of speciation often depends on the separation of populations which were once interbreeding (panmictic).


title: Fusion power

paragraphs: Nuclear fusion is when two atoms merge to form a new one. This reaction generates energy. The idea behind a fusion reactor is to build a nuclear power plant that uses this process to produce electricity. Nowadays, nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to produce energy. Nuclear fission is not the same as nuclear fusion.

paragraphs: Nuclear fusion is the same type of process the Sun uses to generate heat. The most powerful nuclear weapons also use fusion.

paragraphs: As of 2012, there are no commercial power plants that use this technology; there are a few academic ones; these include the Joint European Torus, in England. This reactor uses a principle called Tokamak. A tokamak uses magnets that are shaped like a doughnut to squish the atoms.


title: First Coast

paragraphs: The First Coast is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is in the northern part of the state. The First Coast includes five counties around Jacksonville: Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns. Its name comes from a marketing campaign in the 1980s. It is also called Florida's First Coast.


Gainare Tottori


title: Matukituki River

paragraphs: The Matukituki River is found in the Southern Alps of New Zealand's South Island. It flows for 30 kilometres from Mount Aspiring National Park into the southwestern edge of Lake Wanaka.


title: Buddhist crisis

paragraphs: The Buddhist Crisis was a period of political and religious tension in South Vietnam. The crisis was characterized by a series of discriminating acts by the South Vietnamese government and a campaign of civil resistance mainly led by Buddhist monks.

paragraphs: The crisis was started when the President Ngô Đình Diệm banned the flying of the Buddhist flag. That led to the shooting of nine unarmed civilians who were protesting a ban of the Buddhist flag on May 8 and suicide by burning of Thích Quảng Đức on June 11. The crisis ended when Ngô Đình Diệm was assassinated on November 2, 1963.

paragraphs: A survey said that about 70-90 percent of South Vietnamese people were Buddhist. The President called it biased. A member of the Catholic minority, his government was biased towards Catholics in public service and military promotions, as well as in the allocation of land, business favors and tax concessions etc. Diem once told a high-ranking officer, forgetting that he was a Buddhist, "Put your Catholic officers in sensitive places. They can be trusted." Many officers in the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) converted to Catholicism believing that their career prospects depended on it. Many were also refused promotion if they did not convert. Also, the distribution of firearms to village self-defense militias intended to repel Viet Cong guerrillas was done so that weapons were only given to Catholics. Some Catholic priests ran private armies, and in some areas forced conversion and looting, shelling and demolition of pagodas. Some Buddhist villages converted to receive aid or avoid being forcibly resettled by Diem's regime. The Catholic Church enjoyed special exemptions. In 1959, Ngô Đình Diệm dedicated the country to the Virgin Mary. The Vatican flag was usually flown in public services and events while the Buddhist flag was not allowed to be flown in public services and/or events.


title: News Corporation

paragraphs: The News Corporation (or 'News Corp.') was an Australian, and later American, mass media corporation. It was based in New York City, New York. It was the world's second biggest media company in revenue in 2011, and the world's third largest company in entertainment in 2009.

paragraphs: News Corporation was founded in Adelaide in 1979, by Rupert Murdoch. It was incorporated under South Australian commercial law until 2004 when the company moved to the United States. It was re-incorporated under Delaware law after its shareholders approved the move on 12 November 2004. It was a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ. Murdoch remained the chairman and chief executive officer of the company until its end in 2013.

paragraphs: Among its major holdings were News Limited, News International (whose properties include "The Times", "The Sun", and the now-closed "News of the World"), Dow Jones & Company (which owned "The Wall Street Journal"), the book publisher HarperCollins, and the Fox Entertainment Group (owners of the 20th Century Fox film studio and the Fox Broadcasting Company).

paragraphs: News Corporation was split into two different companies on 28 June 2013. Both are publicly traded companies: 21st Century Fox consists mainly of television and media assets, while a new News Corp focuses on publishing.

paragraphs: All titles sourced from News Limited - NewsSource: Magazines on 15 October 2010.

paragraphs: The following companies are subsidiaries of News Corporation that either are no longer active or have been absorbed into another part of the company.


title: Concorde

paragraphs: Concorde was a passenger airplane that flew faster than the speed of sound. It was made by the French company Aérospatiale and the British company British Aircraft Corporation. Concorde carried passengers from 1976 to 2003.

paragraphs: Concorde flew across the Atlantic Ocean in a little less than 3.5 hours. Other airplanes take about eight hours.

paragraphs: The first scheduled flights were on 21 January 1976. Concorde flew between several different cities in Europe, North America, South America, and Asia. Some people did not like the sonic booms caused by Concorde flying faster than the speed of sound. At different times, Concorde was not allowed to fly over certain countries because of this.


title: Date, Fukushima

paragraphs: There were nine towns in Date District, Fukushima. On January 1, 2006, five towns in Date District joined together and became the city of Date. These five towns were Hobara, Yanagawa, Date, Ryōzen, and Tsukidate. Hobara was in the center.

paragraphs: The Date clan was a powerful group during the Edo period. They controlled Miyagi and southern Iwate. After the Edo period, in the Meiji period, many samurai lost their land during the Meiji Restoration. The Date clan also lost their land. Part of the family went to Hokkaidõ. They started another city, Date, Hokkaidõ. The family name of Date clan came from Fukushima.

paragraphs: Date is about 60 km north-west of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Date is outside the area people are not allowed to live. However, radiation in the city made people, especially schoolchildren, stay indoors more.


title: Canyoneering

paragraphs: Canyoneering or canyoning is a dangerous sport. A person who goes canyoneering is a canyoneer. A canyoneer is a person who walks, swims, or rappels (climbs down ropes) into canyons. Sometimes these canyons are very deep and very narrow. Canyons that are very narrow are called "slot canyons".

paragraphs: Canyoneering can be dangerous. Sometimes canyons flood (fill with water) when it rains. Accidents can also happen when a canyoneer is climbing down ropes. The rope can break or the canyoneer can slip. Sometimes canyons are too narrow to walk through, so you have to go back. Also, sometimes the water in canyons is so cold you can get sick. Many people have died in canyons.


title: Logan Lerman

paragraphs: Logan Wade Lerman (born January 19, 1992) is an American actor. He played Percy Jackson in the 2010 film "", directed by Chris Columbus. He also played "Charlie" in a movie of the book "Perks of Being a Wallflower". Lerman's other movie roles include "Hoot" (2006), "", a western (2007), "Gamer" (2009), and "The Three Musketeers" (2011), as d'Artagnan. He starred on the series "Jack & Bobby" (2004 to 2005).

paragraphs: Lerman was born in Beverly Hills, California. His parents are both Jewish. He has two siblings, both older, and is a self-described "film geek". He would like to direct and write films in the future.


title: Ernest Giles

paragraphs: William Ernest Powell Giles (7 July 1835 – 13 November 1897), best known as Ernest Giles, was an Australian explorer. He led three long expeditions in central Australia.

paragraphs: Giles was born in Bristol, England. He moved to Adelaide, South Australia when he was 15. He was one of the first Europeans to explore the empty desert of central Australia during the 1870s. Giles was the first European to explore Lake Amadeus and The Olgas. He named them after Amadeus, King of Spain Olga, Queen of Wurttemberg.

paragraphs: He has written works about his journeys. In 1880, he published "The Journal of a Forgotten Expedition", an account of his third expedition. In 1889, he wrote "Australia Twice Traversed: The Romance of Exploration", the story of his five main expeditions. Giles died of pneumonia on 13 November 1897. Mount Giles, the third highest mountain in the Northern Territory was named after him.


title: William Gosse

paragraphs: William Christie Gosse (1842–12 August 1881) was an explorer. He was born in Hertfordshire, England. He moved to Adelaide, Australia with his father in 1850. Gosse was one of the first Europeans to explore central Australia. He spotted Uluru on 19 July 1873 and named it "Ayers Rock" after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia. Gosse was not the only explorer in the region at the time. Due to the construction of the Overland telegraph Line, the area was opened up to exploring, and Ernest Giles was also looking for a path to the West. Giles failed on his first attempt and Gosse succeeded by following Giles original track.

paragraphs: Gosse died of a heart attack on 12 August 1881, aged 38, after being sick for a long time.


title: German wine

paragraphs: German wines are those produced in Germany, one of the oldest wine producing region, and are considered to be among the best wines in the world. Wine is a popular beverage in Germany. Depending on the vintage, Germany is the world's eight largest producer of wine. Grapes are grown only in the sout-western parts of Germany in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse an Baden-Württemberg, with more than 102,000 hectares vineyards under cultivation.


title: Adolphe Adam

paragraphs: Adolphe Charles Adam (24 July 1803 – 3 May 1856) was a French composer and music critic. He composed many operas and ballets. He is best known today for his ballets "Giselle" (1841) and "Le corsaire" (1856, his last work), and his operas "Le postillon de Lonjumeau" (1836), "Le toréador" (1849), and "Si j'étais roi" (1852, often regarded as his finest work). He also composed the popular Christmas carol "Minuit, chrétiens!" ("O Holy Night") (1847). Adam was also a teacher. Léo Delibes was among his pupils.


title: Henry Ayers

paragraphs: Sir Henry Ayers GCMG (1 May 1821 – 11 June 1897) was the Premier of South Australia five times between 1863 and 1873.

paragraphs: Ayers was born at Portsea, Hampshire, England. He moved to Australia in 1840 with his wife, Elizabeth. He worked in the mining industry. His copper mine became very important to the economy of South Australia. Ayers later went into politics. He was elected to the South Australian parliament on 9 March 1857. He stayed a member for more than 36 years. Ayers first became premier on 15 July 1863.

paragraphs: Ernest Giles, an explorer, named Ayers Rock after him in 1872. In the same year, Ayers was knighted KCMG and raised to GCMG in 1894. He died in Adelaide on 11 June 1897.


title: Bushfood

paragraphs: Bushfood (also called bush tucker in Australia) is any food native to Australia eaten by the original inhabitants, the Australian Aborigines. Most bushfoods are very nutritious. Examples of native animal foods (meats) are kangaroo, emu and crocodile. These are quite common and can be found in many supermarkets and restaurants. Other animals, like lizards and grubs, were eaten by aboriginal (native) Australians, long before white people came to the area. It also includes fruits and berries. The most famous native bushfood plant is the macadamia nut. This is farmed and sold in large numbers.

paragraphs: By the end of the 19th century, there were only less than 100.000 Aboriginal people. Since the arrival of the settlers, the native population died from new diseases, alcohol and poverty, as their native land was taken away from them. They had to move to places where they could not live in their traditional way. Most of their languages died out. Until the 1960s, children were taken away from their families and forced to live in children's homes („Stolen Generation“). The idea was to make them „good“ Australians by educating them „properly“.


title: Station (agriculture)

paragraphs: Station is the term for a big agricultural property (owned land) that is used for raising livestock. The word is used in Australian and New Zealand English. The owner of a station is called a "grazier". They are also sometimes called "pastoralists". Its workers are called "stockmen". The stations may be called "sheep stations" or "cattle stations", depending on what type of animal it raises.


title: Mikhail Fokine

paragraphs: Mikhail Fokine ( – 22 August 1942) was a Russian choreographer and dancer. He was born in St Petersburg, the son of a prosperous middle-class merchant. At the age of nine, he was accepted into the St Petersburg Imperial Ballet School. In 1898, on his 18th birthday, he debuted on the stage of the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in "Paquita", with the Imperial Russian Ballet. In 1902, he became a teacher with the ballet school.

paragraphs: Fokine hoped to go beyond the older ballet traditions. To him virtuoso ballet techniques were not an end in themselves, but a means of expression. He believed that many of the ballets of his time used costuming and mime which did not reflect the themes of the ballets. Therefore, he tried to strip ballets of their artificial miming and outdated costumes. In addition, as a choreographer, he started a reform that took ballerinas out of their pointe shoes. Also, he experimented with a freer use of the arms and torso. He presented his reformist ideas to the management of the Imperial theatre, but did not get their support. Some of his early works include the ballet "Acis and Galatea" (1905) and "The Dying Swan" (1907), which was a solo dance for Anna Pavlova, choreographed to the music of Saint-Saëns' "Le Cygne".

paragraphs: In 1909, Sergei Diaghilev invited Fokine to become the choreographer of his Ballets Russes in Paris. Fokine broke off the collaboration in 1912, jealous of Diaghilev's close relationship with Vaslav Nijinsky. He moved to Sweden in 1918 and later established his home in New York City, where he founded a ballet school and continued to appear with his wife, Vera Fokina. He became a United States citizen in 1932. Fokine died in New York on 22 August 1942.

paragraphs: Fokine staged more than 70 ballets in Europe and the United States. His best known works were "Chopiniana" (later revised as "Les Sylphides"), "Le Carnaval" and "Le Pavillon d'Armide". Among his works for the Ballets Russes were "The Firebird", "Petrushka", "Le Spectre de la Rose" and "Daphnis et Chloé". Also, for the Ballets Russes, he created a ballet out of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade". His pieces are still performed by the leading ballet troupes of the world.


title: Lasseter's Reef

paragraphs: Lasseter's Reef was a legendary rich gold deposit that was said to be in remote central Australia. A prospector, Harold Bell Lasseter, claimed to have discovered the site in 1897. But Lasseter forgot the exact location of it. He died when he went back into the desert to look for it again. The gold's location remains a mystery—nobody even knows whether it really exists.

paragraphs: Lasseter told the story in 1929. He said that he had found the gold near the border of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. This area at the time was uncharted (no maps had been made of it). When he came out of the desert, he spent the next thirty years trying to get people to fund an expedition to go back and look for it. But people ignored him because people were already making fortune from the gold rush at Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Nobody wanted to risk going into unchartered desert.

paragraphs: But during the Great Depression, people became interested. Lasseter got enough money for an expedition to relocate the gold. But the expedition was hard—there were long distances involved, no maps to guide them, and it was very hard to find water. When the expedition party became lost, the people who went with Lasseter called him a liar. They left him, but Lasseter continued, with one other man. The man later said that Lasseter became crazy in the desert, and he too left him.

paragraphs: Now alone, Lasseter continued in the desert, but eventually became exhausted and dehydrated. He died from exhaustion and malnutrition in early 1931. He was on his way to Uluru or Kata Tjuta. His body was found in March 1931 by a bushman. The story of Lasseter's expedition is known from the stories of his travelling group. The later part of the story is known from Lasseter's diary, which was found on his body. No maps showing the location of the fabled gold reef were ever found. The tale of the reef has become legend. It is probably the most famous "lost mine" legend in Australia.


title: Altar lamp

paragraphs: An altar lamp, or sanctuary lamp, is the flame kept near the altar in a church or synagogue. The flame is always kept alive, so is commonly called an "eternal flame". It represents that God is always there with the people.