title: Velvet

paragraphs: Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are very evenly distributed, with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctly smooth feel.

paragraphs: Velvet can be made from many different fibres. It is woven on a special loom that weaves two pieces of velvet at the same time. The two pieces are then cut apart and the two lengths of fabric are wound on separate take-up rolls. Velvet is difficult to clean due to its pile, but modern dry cleaning methods perform well.

paragraphs: Velvet is made, ideally, from silk. More recently, synthetic velvets have been developed, mostly polyester, nylon, viscose, acetate, and mixtures of different synthetics, or synthetics and natural fibers (e.g. viscose and silk). A small percentage of lycra is used sometimes to give stretch.

paragraphs: The art of velvet-weaving probably originated in medieval Kashmir around the beginning of the fourteenth century. King Richard II of England directed in his will that his body should be clothed "in velveto" in 1399.

paragraphs: The earliest sources of European artistic velvets were weavers in Lucca, Genoa, Florence and Venice.


title: Carlos Tenorio

paragraphs: Carlos Tenorio (born 14 May 1979) is an Ecuadorian football player. He plays for Al-Nasr Dubai and Ecuador national team.


title: Niko Kovač

paragraphs: Niko Kovač (born 15 October 1971) is a former Croatian football player. He has played for Croatia national team.

paragraphs: He was born in Berlin (Germany) and so he started his career with his local club Hertha Zehlendorf. There he became member of its first team at the age of 17. 1991 he went to Hertha BSC and started his professional career in the Second German League. 1996 he went to Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga, where he played together with his younger brother Robert. The next clubs were Hamburger SV, Bayern Munich, where he was again teammate of his brother and again Hertha BSC. After the 2006 FIFA World Cup he signed with F.C. Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga. On 29 May 2009 he resigned from professional football. His last match was a friendly match of Red Bull Salzburg against Bayern Munich. During his career he played 454 matches and scored 56 goals.

paragraphs: He played from 1996 (versus Monaco) till 2009 for the Croatian national team. He played 83 matches and scored 15 goals. He was part of the Croation team for the FIFA World Cup 2002 and 2006 and the UEFA Euro 2004 and 2008.

paragraphs: 2009 he became coach of the second squad of FC Red Bull Salzburg (Red Bull Juniors). In April 2011 he became assistance coach of Ricardo Moniz with the first squad.


title: Eric Djemba-Djemba

paragraphs: Eric Djemba-Djemba (born 4 May 1981) is a Cameroonian football player. He plays for Odense and Cameroon national team.


title: Nemertea

paragraphs: Nemertea is a phylum of invertebrate animals also known as "ribbon worms" or "proboscis worms". Most of the 1,400 or so species are marine, with a few living in fresh water and a small number of terrestrial forms. They live in all marine habitats, and throughout the world's oceans. Alternative spellings for the phylum have included "Nemertini" and "Nemertinea". "Rhynchocoela" is a name used primarily in North America but gradually abandoned since the 1980s.

paragraphs: Nemertean worms are long, thin, animals without segments. They have no true head, although the anterior end is often slightly wider than the body. They are distinguished by the presence of an eversible proboscis. This is kept inside the body, but pushed out to catch prey.

paragraphs: Nemerteans collect food with their proboscis, which is closely associated with the digestive system. At rest, the proboscis is inside a long tube that may take up a considerable portion of the worm's length, lying just above the gut. It is attached to the posterior end of this tube by a muscle that pulls it back inside after feeding. At the anterior end, the tube opens into a small cavity close to the brain, and then to the outside through a pore at the anterior tip of the animal.

paragraphs: Nemerteans range in size from 5mm (0.2 in) to over 30 m (100 ft) long in the case of the European "Lineus longissimus", with most species being 20 cm (8 in) or less. There are reports of specimens up to 50 or 60m long, which would make it the longest animal in the world. The longest animal on record is a female blue whale, 29.9m long.


title: WebKit

paragraphs: WebKit is a layout engine made to let web browsers show web pages. The WebKit engine has a set of classes to display web content in windows, and implements browser features such as following links when clicked by the person using the web browser (the user), managing a back-forward list, and keeping a history of pages recently visited.

paragraphs: WebKit was first made to be used as the layout engine for Safari, and is portable to many other computing platforms.

paragraphs: WebKit's WebCore and JavaScriptCore parts are available under the GNU Lesser General Public License, and the rest of WebKit is available under a BSD-style license.


title: Choi Jin-sil

paragraphs: Choi Jin-sil (born in December 24, 1968 – died October 2, 2008) was a South Korean actress, considered one of the best actresses in the country. She debuted in the eighties and played the leading role in 18 movies, 20 television dramas and 140 commercials. She died through suicide.


title: Cristal Racecourse

paragraphs: The Cristal Racecourse a race track for horse racing in Porto Alegre, Brazil. It is the center of most important horse races in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. It was designed by architect Román Fresnedo Siri. It is an example of modern architecture in South America.

paragraphs: Horse races take place in on Thursdays. A major event is the Grande Premio Bento Goncalves (in November).


title: Speed reading

paragraphs: Speed reading is the name for a number of ways to increase the speed at which a text can be read, so that the important facts of the text can still be understood. There are different ways to improve reading speed, but they are all similar. A trained reader is able to read and understand between 200 and 300 words per minute, for a text that is not very difficult to understand. Better training can improve this speed to over 1000 words per minute. Using a lot of exercise, it is possible to increase reading speed further. The best readers can read between 3000 and 4000 words per minute, and understand about 80% of them.

paragraphs: In general, only a small part of the letters read are seen clearly. The brain guesses what the rest of the word is, based on a small part of the word. This also applies to groups of words, which are treated the same way. Known groups are handled faster, because the reader knows them, and also has an "image" for them.

paragraphs: What is very important when reading text is the ability to recognize words and word groups. The reader will then add the known image to the context. A known font can help this.

paragraphs: What is bad for speed reading is having a bad short-term memory. Another factor is a small vocabulary. People who only know few words, need more time to "scan" unknown words, simply because fewer words in the text are known.


title: Britney Spears

paragraphs: Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981), is an American recording artist and entertainer. She has recorded several albums and has received several entertainment industry awards.

paragraphs: Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981. Her parents are Lynne Irene (née Bridges) and James Parnell Spears. She grew up in Kentwood, Louisiana. Her maternal grandmother, Lillian Portell, was English (born in London), and one of Spears's maternal great-great-grandfathers was Maltese. Her siblings are Bryan James and Jamie Lynn. She was the middle of three children.

paragraphs: She prepared early for a career in entertainment. She took music and dance lessons. She often performed for family and friends.

paragraphs: On January 3, 2004, Spears married her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander in Las Vegas, Nevada. The marriage was annulled 55 hours later. On September 18, 2004, Spears married Kevin Federline. They had a son on September 14, 2005 named Sean Preston Spears Federline. On September 12, 2006, Britney gave birth to their second son, Jayden James Spears Federline.

paragraphs: In November 2006, Spears filed for divorce from Federline. In September 2007, Spears lost some custody of her two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, to her ex-husband, Federline. At the beginning of January 2008, Spears lost full custody of her children after a mental breakdown. In February 2008, her father took control of her estate. Spears currently has 50/50 custody of her two sons.

paragraphs: Spears stated in 2012 that she has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

paragraphs: Spears appeared on the 1993-1994 season of the children's television series, "The All New Mickey Mouse Club". In 1997, she signed with Jive Records. Her first and second studio albums "...Baby One More Time" (1999, the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist) and "Oops!... I Did It Again" (2000) became great successes. Their title tracks broke sales records around the world.

paragraphs: In 2001, Spears released her third album "Britney" and starred in the profitmaking but critically panned movie, "Crossroads". She developed a more sexualized image, dancing in little clothing with an albino python at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. She took creative control of her fourth album "In the Zone" (2003). The song "Toxic" was a huge success. In 2003, she shared a kiss with Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards that raised eyebrows in the entertainment industry and fan magazines.

paragraphs: Spears' fifth album "Blackout" was released in 2007.

paragraphs: On September 17, 2013 "Work Bitch" was released as the first single from Spears' eighth album "Britney Jean".

paragraphs: In November 2017, her first watercolor painting sold for $10,000 in Las Vegas.

paragraphs: Spears has one Grammy, three MTV Video Music Awards, and her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has had five #1 songs: "...Baby One More Time", "Womanizer", "3", "Hold It Against Me" and "S&M (remix)"


title: The Matrix

paragraphs: The Matrix is a science fiction action movie that was made in 1999. It was written and directed by the Wachowski Brothers. The main actors in the movie are Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Hugo Weaving. "The Matrix" was followed by two sequels: "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions".

paragraphs: The main character of the movie is Thomas A. Anderson (played by Keanu Reeves), who is a computer programmer at MetaCortex, a big software company, but he is also an underground hacker. Thomas meets Trinity (played by Carrie-Anne Moss), who then introduces him to Morpheus (played by Laurence Fishburne), who gives him a choice between taking a blue pill or a red pill. If he took the blue pill, he would wake up at his bed and wouldn't be bothered anymore, but if he took the red pill, Morpheus would show him the truth about the Matrix. Thomas takes the red pill. Then Morpheus tells Thomas he is actually Neo, or "the one". He explains to Neo that the Matrix is a computer program made by robots to simulate a world which humans think is real. He then explains to Neo that, because he is "the one" he is able to modify the Matrix however he wants. Morpheus then helps Neo to get out of the Matrix. At the beginning, Neo is skeptical about his power, but after training, he is able to show his real power. Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and the rest of the rebels then go on a journey to free humans from the Matrix.

paragraphs: There is a lot of symbolism in "The Matrix". Common sources are Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism (the concept of maya), the ancient philosopher Plato and "Plato's Cave", modern philosophers such as René Descartes, and modern authors such as William Gibson.

paragraphs: Descartes says that maybe humans are brains in jars. A monster is maybe tricking humans. The monster makes humans believe that they are in the real world, but actually humans are simply brains. Humans cannot know what is real.

paragraphs: There are also references to "Simulacra and Simulation", a very modern philosophy book by Jean Baudrillard. Baudrillard says that in the modern world, copies of copies are made. "The Real" is gone because people do not know what the first things were. For example, a modern person who eats a chicken did not kill the chicken. That person does not know what a real chicken is. The chicken meat is false because the person did not kill the chicken. The person's reality is the chicken meat.

paragraphs: Don Davis made the score (orchestra part with violins and flutes).

paragraphs: The Matrix's soundtrack (band music for a movie) includes music from bands such as Rammstein, Rob Dougan, Rage Against the Machine, Propellerheads, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Rob Zombie, and Marilyn Manson.

paragraphs: The word "matrix" sometimes means "origin" or "beginnings". In very old English, "matrix" means "womb". A matrix is also a part of mathematics.

paragraphs: A new religion called Matrixism or The path of the One is based on the movie "The Matrix". The religion began in 2004 with 300 members. Now there are about 16,000 members of Matrixism.


title: September 11 attacks

paragraphs: The September 11 attacks (also called 9/11), were four terrorist attacks against the United States Of America. They all happened on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attacks killed 3,000 people, including the 19 attackers, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in history. They caused more than $10 billion in damage to infrastructure.<ref name="PEARL9/11"></ref> They were carried out by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda. They used passenger airplanes to destroy famous buildings by flying the planes into them. There were two attacks in New York City and one in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth attack did not work and the plane crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

paragraphs: The buildings attacked were the World Trade Center's twin towers in New York City, and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in an empty field in Pennsylvania before it could reach its target in Washington, D.C. That target was either the White House or the United States Capitol. After the event, the United States government said the people who had done the attacks were close to the terrorist group al-Qaeda.

paragraphs: The first of the four planes to take off was American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767-200ER. It was long and wide. It had two aisles. The plane made daily flights between Boston and Los Angeles. When it took off at 7:59 a.m. on the morning of the eleventh, it carried only 81 passengers in its 158 seats. Forty-seven minutes later, it crashed into the North Tower at . It was carrying 9,717 gallons of jet fuel, 14,000 fewer than it was able to carry.

paragraphs: United Airlines Flight 175, also a Boeing 767-200ER, was the second. Like American Airlines 11, it was scheduled to fly from Boston to Los Angeles. When United 175 took off at 8:14 a.m., it was even lighter than the American flight: Only 56 of 168 seats were filled. When it crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center at 9:03 a.m., traveling , it had 9,118 gallons of fuel in its tanks. This crash was broadcast live on many television channels worldwide that were already showing the North Tower burning.

paragraphs: American Airlines Flight 77 was the third plane to take off. It was a Boeing 757-200. It left Washington, D.C. at 8:20 a.m. going to Los Angeles. It was two-thirds empty, with 58 passengers in its 176 seats. It was carrying 4,000 gallons of fuel, less than the 11,500 gallons it could carry. It crashed into the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., flying at .

paragraphs: The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, was also a 757-200. It was traveling from Newark, New Jersey to San Francisco. It was scheduled to leave at 8 a.m., but was delayed for 42 minutes. When it finally took off, it carried only 37 passengers in its was 182 seats. It had a little over 7,000 gallons of fuel. At 10:03 a.m, it crashed at into an empty field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after the passengers and crew unsuccessfully attempted to retake control of the plane to stop the hijack terrorists from hitting another landmark.

paragraphs: All of the 246 people on the four planes died in the crashes. 19 terrorists were also killed in the attacks. Both towers of the World Trade Center caught on fire after the crashes. The South Tower (2 WTC) burned for 56 minutes before it fell and was destroyed. The North Tower (1 WTC) burned for 102 minutes before it also fell. As the towers fell, parts of the towers hit other buildings around them. It is believed that because of this damage, a third building, 7 World Trade Center (7 WTC), fell at 5:20 p.m. Many other buildings in the area were damaged badly and had to be demolished later, leaving the whole World Trade Center complex destroyed. 2,602 people died at the World Trade Center.

paragraphs: The plane that hit the Pentagon hit the ground just as it hit the western side of the building. It then crashed through three of the five "rings" that make up the Pentagon. The crash killed 125 people in the Pentagon.

paragraphs: The United States government paid an average of $1.8 million to the families of the victims of the attacks.

paragraphs: There were 2,996 people who died in the attacks. They included firefighters and police officers trying to save the other people. They also included the 19 attackers who were all killed.

paragraphs: The attacks also led to the United States Department of Homeland Security being created, which protects the country from terrorist attacks.

paragraphs: Many conspiracy theories have appeared which say that certain people in the United States government knew about the attacks, or even made them happen. These have been said to be false by the government.

paragraphs: After the attack, the United States blamed Al-Qaeda, which the U.S. thought was a terrorist group. President George W. Bush said he would start a "War on Terror". He meant that the United States would do more things to try to stop terrorism in the future. Bush said this was meant to protect Americans and their property from terrorists. For example, the American government would be reorganized. Security and control in public places was made stronger, especially at airports. Americans were told every day whether there was a serious threat of terrorism. (This was done by giving a color for the day. Red meant there was a high risk, green meant a low risk, and there were many levels in between.)

paragraphs: The War on Terror also led to real wars. The leader of Al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, lived in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The United States told the government of Afghanistan, called the Taliban, to turn bin Laden over to them. The Taliban would not do this. The leader of the Taliban, Mullah Muhammad Omar, demanded to see proof from the United States government. If proof was not given, Mullah Omar said that he would not hand over bin Laden. President George W. Bush said that he did not need to provide proof. The United States then went to war against Afghanistan. The Taliban was removed from power, a new government was put in power, and a new president was chosen by the people of Afghanistan.

paragraphs: While this was happening, the United States government changed in a few ways. The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) created the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Before 9/11, security at American airports was provided by the airlines. The TSA made it the government's job to provide airport security. New officers were hired by TSA to work at airports and to fly on planes as air marshals. The TSA also provides security on American trains and subways. A new Department of Homeland Security was also created. It became their job to protect Americans and their property inside the United States. When this department was created, the TSA moved from the DOT to Homeland Security.

paragraphs: After defeating the Taliban, President George W. Bush thought the US should invade Iraq. He believed that Iraq helped terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda. He said he had evidence that Iraq was also making weapons of mass destruction. He sent Secretary of State Colin Powell to the United Nations to show them some of the evidence. In March, 2003, the United States began its invasion of Iraq. (Four other countries also took part, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Poland, and Denmark.) The government of Iraq was overthrown, and the people of Iraq elected a new government. No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.

paragraphs: On May 2, 2011, United States Navy SEALs killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who led the September 11, 2001 attacks and other terrorist attempts.

paragraphs: Immediately after the attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation started PENTTBOM. This was the biggest criminal investigation in the history of the United States. At one point, more than half of the FBI's agents worked on the investigation and followed a half-million leads. The FBI concluded that there was "clear and irrefutable (cannot be denied)" evidence linking al-Qaeda and bin Laden to the attacks.

paragraphs: The FBI did not record the 2,977 deaths from the attacks in their annual violent crime record for 2001. New York City also did not include the deaths in their annual crime statistics for 2001.

paragraphs: The Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) did a review of the CIA's pre-9/11 performance. He was very critical of senior CIA officials for not doing everything possible to stop terrorism. He criticized their failure to stop two of the 9/11 hijackers, Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, as they entered the United States. He also criticized their failure to share information on the two men with the FBI. In May 2007, senators from both major U.S. political parties wrote legislation to make the review public. One of the backers, Senator Ron Wyden said, "The American people have a right to know what the Central Intelligence Agency was doing in those critical (important) months before 9/11."

paragraphs: In February 2002, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence created a joint inquiry into the performance of the U.S. Intelligence Community. Their 832-page report was released in December 2002. In the report, there were detailed failings of the FBI and CIA to use available information. This included information about terrorists the CIA knew were in the United States. They failed to use this information in order to stop the plans. The joint inquiry got its information about Saudi Arabian government officials possibly being involved from non-classified sources. The Bush administration demanded 28 related pages stayed classified.

paragraphs: On the day of the attacks, New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani said: "We will rebuild. We're going to come out of this stronger than before, politically stronger, economically stronger. The skyline will be made whole again."

paragraphs: The damaged part of the Pentagon was rebuilt within one year of the attacks. Construction of One World Trade Center started on April 27, 2006. It reached its full height on May 20, 2013. The spire was installed on top of the building at that date. This makes the total height of 1 WTC's at 1,776 feet (541 m). This makes it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. One WTC finished construction and opened on November 3, 2014.

paragraphs: On the World Trade Center site, three more office towers were supposed to be built one block east of where the original towers were. 7 WTC was the first to open on May 23, 2006 after four years of construction. 4 WTC was the second tower to open on November 13, 2013. 3 WTC opened on June 11, 2018 making it the fourth skyscraper at the site to be finished.


title: Cardiff

paragraphs: Cardiff is the capital and biggest city of Wales, in the United Kingdom.

paragraphs: Its name in the Welsh language is "Caerdydd". A 2011 census reports that around 346,100 people live in Cardiff. It is the most important city in Wales for tourism, culture, government, sport, transport, nightlife and business.

paragraphs: Cardiff has a big port that used to be known as Tiger Bay. It is now just called Cardiff Bay, and the Welsh Government works there. There are now lots of shops, pubs and restaurants in Cardiff Bay. Cardiff has an international airport, and is twinned with Nantes in France and Stuttgart in Germany. Cardiff has one of the largest stadiums in the United Kingdom, the Millennium Stadium, where important world sports matches and concerts happen. Other big stadiums in the city are the Cardiff City Stadium, where the main football team play, Cardiff Arms Park where the main rugby team play, and the SWALEC Stadium where cricket is played.

paragraphs: To get around, there are lots of bus routes and train lines in the city. There are two big train stations in Cardiff city centre, called Central station and Queen Street station, but there are also 18 other smaller stations in the city for local areas. There are lots of cycle paths in Cardiff on and off the road.

paragraphs: Three big rivers flow through Cardiff - the Taff, the Ely and the Rhymney.


title: Valladolid

paragraphs: On 19 October, 1469, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile married secretely in the "Palacio de los Vivero". Also, Christopher Columbus died in the city on 20 May, 1506.

paragraphs: The river that runs through the city is known as the Pisuerga. Valladolid has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ("Csa" in the Köppen climate classification).


title: Elizabeth Gaskell

paragraphs: Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell (29 September 1810 – 12 November 1865) was an English writer.

paragraphs: She was born in Chelsea, London. After her mother died, she lived with her aunt in Knutsford, Cheshire. She married William Gaskell, a priest, in 1832. They lived in Manchester, where several of her books are set. She died of a heart attack in Holybourne, Hampshire.

paragraphs: Her most famous books are "Mary Barton", "Cranford", "North and South", and "Wives and Daughters". She also wrote a book of the life of her friend, writer Charlotte Brontë. Some of her books have been made into movies and television programmes.


title: Venice

paragraphs: Venice is a city in Italy. It is the capital of the Veneto region, which is in the north-east of the country. The population of the 'Comune di Venezia', which is Venice, its lagoon and its mainland is 271,367. Area is 412 km². The population of Venice itself keeps on shrinking at an alarming rate and is now under 55000 locals.

paragraphs: Venice is built on 118 small islands that are separated by 150 canals. People cross the canals by many small bridges. They can also navigate across the city on boats, both rowing boats and motor boats. The most famous Venetian type of boat called a "gondolas". The buildings in Venice are very old and attractive, and tourists come from all over the world to see them and the canals. This has made Venice one of the most famous cities in the world. The most famous sights are the Rialto Bridge, St Mark's Basilica and the Doge's Palace.

paragraphs: It is important to remember that Venice is much more than few landmarks and that we owe the city a lot: from words to objects or services of our daily life. Its lifestyle and culture are unique in the world and it can get confusing at first.

paragraphs: There are several problems in Venice, but it is still the most popular tourist attraction in northeast Italy. Every year the city sinks a few millimeters because the ground is made from mud. Eventually, the city might be completely underwater, but that would take decades. Because of this, the Italian government is building the MOSE Project, a state-of-the-art defense against the sea-water flooding, that will safely protect Venice indefinitely.

paragraphs: The city was founded by people from the greater Veneto region as a refuge from the Barbarian invasions, when the Western Roman Empire fell. During the Middle Ages, Venice slowly grew to become an important commercial city. Around the year 1000 AD the Republic of Venice started to create an empire in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It lasted until 1797, when it was annexed by Napoleon's France. It then changed hands a few times, becoming a part of Austria two times, before becoming part of Italy during the Italian unification. Venice deeply influenced the Venetian, Istrian and Dalmatian coasts for one thousand years.

paragraphs: Venice started to lose population after its conquest by Napoleon, but with the unification of Italy the city returned to be an important city. It is actually one of the most visited places on Earth by tourists from all around the globe.

paragraphs: There are several ways to get around in Venice. The most common is walking and using the vaporetto, which is a water bus which carries lots of people around the city. The vaporetto goes around the City and on the Grand Canal, it does not enter the small canals of the city. To see Venice from the small canals, most tourists use the gondola. Taxi boats can also be used to move around the city and its lagoon. The Grand Canal is long and can be crossed only on a few bridges. A simple way to cross it is to take one of the traghetti (ferries). The streets, Vaporetti, and traghetti are used by the locals, it is important to remember that they are their ways to move around the city to go to school, work and do their errands.

paragraphs: Usually, the warmest month is July and the coolest month is January. The maximum average precipitation occurs in November. The season of the acqua alta, high waters, are generally November to February. During the acqua alta season, the city can be partially flooded for a couple of hours on certain days.

paragraphs: Venice has incredible crafts, culture, and tradition. Shopping for handmade goods such as masks, Murano glass jewels, etc. is a must. These days, however, mass tourism led Venice to be invaded by many shops selling low-quality souvenirs.

paragraphs: Buying from the authentic local businesses has never been more important as it is essential to the future of the Venetians and is also the only guarantee for you to get a quality product. It is not easy, though. Thankfully, there is a social enterprise based in Venice, which works closely with the Venetian business owners, shops, restaurants, and bars included. They have a certification process where the local artisan shops attest and commit to selling products that are both authentic and sustainable as well as to give a 10% discount to the customers carrying a "Venezia Autentica Friends' Pass" ( buyable online for only 10 euros). The shops are part of the program are easy to spot thanks to a sticker on their door.


title: Naples

paragraphs: Naples is a southern Italian city with a port. It faces the Mediterranean Sea and is near Mount Vesuvius. Its name in Italian is Napoli which came from its Greek name Neapolis, meaning "new city". It has a population of about 1 million. About 3 million live in the area around Naples (including Naples itself).

paragraphs: There is one airport in the city, Naples International Airport at Capodichino.

paragraphs: Ancient Greeks settled Naples in the 6th Century B.C. There were so many Greeks there, the Romans called it "Magna Graecia", which means "Greater Greece." Later the Romans conquered southern Italy and took Naples. When the Roman Empire fell to invaders in the west, Naples came under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, the Greek-speaking Eastern Roman Empire.

paragraphs: Naples became independent later and but was combined with the Kingdom of Sicily during the Middle Ages. By 1500 it was ruled by Aragón, which was a kingdom in eastern Spain. Later Naples became part of Spain when Aragon and the other kingdom in Spain called Castile became one country. Naples was part of this Kingdom of Spain until the Austrian Empire got it in the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714.

paragraphs: In the 19th century it was the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The Duchy of Savoy, or kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, conquered Naples in 1861. That kingdom became the Kingdom of Italy. Naples was heavily bombed when Italy fought in World War Two and British/American armies tried to capture it.

paragraphs: Today Naples is the capital of Campania and the largest city in southern Italy.

paragraphs: The average temperature in the summer is 24°C. In the winter, the average can be as low as 8°C. There is usually around 40 inches of rain in the city every year.

paragraphs: Naples is Italy's fourth-largest economy, with a 2011 GDP of US$83.6 billion. The Port of Naples is one of the most important and busy ports in the Mediterranean. The city, however, still has a lot of organized crime and political corruption.

paragraphs: Naples is a popular city for tourists. It was rated the 166th-most-visited city in the world in 2008.

paragraphs: Recently, more people work in the service industry than in agriculture. In 2003, 31% of people worked in public services, 18% in manufacturing, 14% in commerce, 10% in construction, 8% in transportation, 7% in financial services, 5% in agriculture, 4% in the hotel business and 3% work in other fields.


title: Florence

paragraphs: Florence () is the capital city of the region of Tuscany ("Toscana"), in Italy. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Florence is on the Arno River. The city has a population of around 400,000 people, and a suburban population of over 2,000,000 persons. The greater area has some 956,000 people. The city was a center of medieval European trade and finance. It is often considered the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and was long ruled by the Medici family. Florence is also famous for its fine art and architecture. It is said that, of the 1,000 most important European artists of the second millennium, 350 lived or worked in Florence.

paragraphs: The football team of Florence is the Fiorentina.

paragraphs: The food of Florence is based more on peasant eating rather than expensive cooking. Most of foods are based on meat. The whole animal was usually eaten. Many kinds of tripe, (trippa) and (lampredotto) were commonly served. They are still sold at the food carts in the city. Antipasti include "crostini toscani", sliced bread topped with a chicken liver-based pâté. Also common are sliced meats (mainly prosciutto and salami). They are often served with melon when it is in season. Tuscan bread has no salt or butter. It is used often in Florentine meals. It is very common in the local soups, "ribollita" and "pappa al pomodoro", Both soups are usually served with local olive oil. The bread is also used in the salad of bread and fresh vegetables called "panzanella" that is served in summer. The most famous main course is the "bistecca alla fiorentina". It is a huge steak of Chianina beef that is cooked over hot charcoal. It is served very rare with the "tagliata", sliced rare beef served on a bed of arugula, often with slices of parmesan cheese on top.

paragraphs: Florence has a mixed Mediterranean climate and humid subtropical climate, with hot and humid summers and cool and damp winters. Florence is especially hot from June to August (surrounded by hills in a valley cut by the Arno river). Summer temperatures are higher than those along coastlines. Winter has some snow.


title: Milan

paragraphs: Milan (Italian: "Milano"; ancient "Medhelan" "Mediolanum" (City in the middle of the lands)) is a city in northern Italy. Milan is the capital of the Milano Provence and of the Lombardy Region. It is populated by 1,308,735 inhabitants.

paragraphs: It is the most populated province in Italy, and it is the second biggest city in Italy (after Rome).

paragraphs: Milan is the fashion capital of the world and its important influence on design, economics, opera, and the media make it amongst the world's top 18 Global cities, along with Moscow, Buenos Aires and Kuala Lumpur.

paragraphs: Mediolanum was founded by Insubres, a Celtic people. It was captured by the Romans in 222 BC. Milan became very successful under the Roman Empire.

paragraphs: Milan was ruled by the Spanish in the 1500s and the Austrians in the 1700s. During the Renaissance and the Romantic periods, Milan was a major cultural center in the whole of Europe, famous for its literature and opera.

paragraphs: During the war, the city was badly affected by Allied bombings and during the 50s and 60s the city grew into being the wealthy and industrial metropolis it is today.


title: Glamorgan

paragraphs: Glamorgan, also known as Glamorganshire is a county in Wales in the west of Great Britain. Glamorgan was a medieval kingdom. Its capital is Cardiff.

paragraphs: The county is home to over a million people, which is more than one third the total of Wales. It contains the cities of Cardiff, Swansea and most of the valleys that are famous for coal mining in the past.


title: Cornwall

paragraphs: Cornwall (Cornish: "Kernow") is a county in the far southwest of England in the United Kingdom. Truro is the capital of the Unitary Authority that has administered Cornwall since 2009. Truro is also the only city. It has the cathedral of the Diocese of Truro. Cornwall is home to the Cornish Language and the Cornish people. The Duchy of Cornwall is an estate which belongs to the Prince of Wales (who is also the Duke of Cornwall), but only part of it is in Cornwall. Cornwall is split from Devon by the River Tamar.

paragraphs: Since 2400BC. Cornwall has been an important area for the mining of tin. In the 19th century large amounts of both tin and copper were mined in Cornwall. Mining used to be the major industry in Cornwall but now neither tin or copper are mined. China clay is in mined in small amounts.

paragraphs: As Mining fazed out, the tourism industry grew. five million tourists vist Cornwall every year, most of which are from within the United Kingdom. This makes up about a quarter of the Cornish economy and supports about 1 in 5 Cornish jobs.

paragraphs: As a mostly rural county, Cornwall naturally has a lot of farmers and farmland, with 4.9% of people in Cornwall working in agriculture. The Cornish climate and soil is not great for most crops. It is good for grass to feed dairy cows and bullocks. Flowers and vegetables such as cauliflowers are also produced in Cornwall and taken to be sold in English markets. There is also a lot of moorland parts of which are used for grazing sheep.

paragraphs: Cornwall is famous for being the home of the Cornish pasty and Cornish clotted cream. 12.1% of jobs in Cornwall are in the food industry. Cornwall is also known for cream teas but the jam is spread on the scones or splits first (the opposite of what is done in Devon).

paragraphs: Cornwall has a population of approx. 550,000 and its population is divided almost equally between native Cornish and incomers from elsewhere in the UK, mostly England. 10% of people in Cornwall consider themselves as descendants of the indigenous Celtic Britons, and not English, and are recognised by Celtic organisations worldwide as such.

paragraphs: Some people in Cornwall have revived Cornish, a very old recently extinct Celtic language, which is related to Breton and to Welsh. There is also a dialect of the English language spoken in Cornwall known as Cornish-English.

paragraphs: Cornwall has its own flag. Its linked to the patron saint of Cornwall, St Piran, who is also the patron saint of tin miners.

paragraphs: Bodmin Moor is the largest and highest of the granite moors of Cornwall; all the high hills of Cornwall are in Bodmin Moor. The climate is generally mild, with much frontal rain. The varied scenery and historical monuments attract many tourists to Cornwall. Tintagel Castle is on the north coast of Cornwall. Falmouth harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Newquay is one of the larger holiday resorts and popular with surfers. Land's End is the headland at the far southwest of Cornwall and Lizard Point is the most southerly headland in the county. The main rivers of Cornwall are the River Camel whose estuary is next to Padstow on the north coast, the River Fal which flows into the English Channel east of Falmouth, and the River Fowey which flows into the English Channel at Fowey. Apart from Truro, the county town, the main towns of Cornwall are St Austell, Saltash, Bodmin, Launceston, Falmouth, Camborne, Redruth and Penzance.

paragraphs: The most important transport links between Devon and Cornwall are the Plymouth to Penzance railway line and the A30 and A38 major roads.

paragraphs: The Isles of Scilly are a group of islands south west of Cornwall and forming part of the county. The Isles of Scilly have a long history of shipwrecks because of the rocky coasts. There are 530 known shipwrecks around the isles.


title: Tintagel Castle

paragraphs: Tintagel Castle is in Cornwall, a county in England.

paragraphs: Reginald, Earl of Cornwall built the castle on Tintagel Head (a piece of land by the sea) in about 1150. In Cornish legend, this is the place where the old Kings of Cornwall lived. Reginald built the castle for propaganda, not for military use; he wanted people to think of Camelot when they thought about him. Some people say King Arthur was born at the castle, because traditional stories say the King of Cornwall looked after him when he was a child.

paragraphs: The modern village of Tintagel was first called Trevena. Then, in the 1850s, it got a new name, to bring in tourism because of the King Arthur and Camelot legends. Really, Tintagel is only the name of land by the sea.


title: Gwyneth Paltrow

paragraphs: Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (born September 28, 1972) is an American actress. She was born in Los Angeles, California.

paragraphs: Her father was movie director Bruce Paltrow. Her mother is actress Blythe Danner. Her brother is director Jake Paltrow. Her uncle is singer-actor Harry Danner. Her half-cousin is actress Katherine Moennig. She studied Spanish in Talavera of the Queen, Spain. Paltrow married Coldplay singer Chris Martin on December 5, 2003. The couple separated in 2014. They have a daughter, Apple (born May 14, 2004) and son, Moses (born April 8, 2006).


title: Sarah Michelle Gellar

paragraphs: Sarah Michelle Gellar (born April 14, 1977) is an American actress. After several television acting roles during the 1990s, Gellar became famous for playing Buffy Summers in the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". After "Buffy", she started acting in movies. She has starred in the family movies "Scooby-Doo" (2002) and "" (2004), the movie "Harvard Man" (2001), and the horror movies "The Return" (2006), "The Grudge 2" (2006), "The Grudge" (2004) and "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997). She won an award for her part in the 1999 movie "Cruel Intentions".

paragraphs: Gellar was born in New York City. She is the only child of Rosellen Greenfield and Arthur Gellar. Both of her parents were Jewish from Hungary and Russia, but Gellar's family had a Christmas tree during the holidays while she was growing up. In 1984, her parents divorced. She was raised by her mother on New York's Upper East Side. Gellar and her father did not have a good relationship from this time until his death from liver cancer on October 9, 2001. She went to school at New York's Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School and the Professional Children's School. Gellar was a very good student and was a good figure skater. Her best friend was Melissa Joan Hart. Several years later, Hart was the star of the series "Clarissa Explains It All" and "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch".

paragraphs: At the age of four, Gellar was seen by an talent agent in a restaurant in Uptown Manhattan. Two weeks later, she auditioned for a part in "An Invasion Of Privacy", a movie made for television. The movie starred Valerie Harper, Carol Kane and Jeff Daniels. At the audition, Gellar read the lines for both her own character and Harper's character. The directors thought this was very impressive and she got the job. A short while later, she got a part in a television commercial for the fast food restaurant Burger King. In it, she said bad things about McDonald's and said she only ate at Burger King. Gellar made other commercials while doing other acting job. Some of these jobs were playing Emily in an episode of the TV series "", appearing in a small role in the Chevy Chase comedy movie "Funny Farm" and in the movie "High Stakes". She was also in Europe working on the TV series "Crossbow". In 1991, she played a young Jacqueline Bouvier in "A Woman Named Jackie".

paragraphs: Gellar's major break came in 1992. She starred in the teen soap opera "Swan's Crossing". After that, she got a part in another soap opera, "All My Children". She playing the character Kendall Hart, the long-lost daughter of character Erica Kane (Susan Lucci). In 1995, at the age of eighteen, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress in a Drama Series for her work as Kendall Hart.

paragraphs: Gellar left "All My Children" in 1995. People were saying that her and Susan Lucci did not get along and this caused problems with them working together. She got the main role in the 1997 TV series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". She played a teenager who had to fight many of supernatural enemies with the help of the Scooby Gang and her Watcher (a mentor). The show was well liked by both the critics and the audience. Another series, ("Angel"), was made based on characters from "Buffy". "Buffy" was on television for seven seasons and a total of 144 episodes. During the show, Buffy, and Gellar also, became cult icons in the United States and the UK. They were a symbol of "empowered" women. Gellar also sang several of the songs during the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" musical episode "Once More, with Feeling".

paragraphs: During the show's later years, Gellar said she did not like some parts of season six and the seventh season's final episode. After the show ended, Gellar said that she did not want to be in a "Buffy" movie. Since that time, she has said she might do it if the script is good enough.

paragraphs: Gellar's picture has been used on the covers of "Cosmopolitan, Glamour, FHM, Rolling Stone", and other magazines. She was part of Maxim's "Hot 100" list in 2002, 2003, and 2005, and in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women" of 2005. In 1998, she was named one of "People" Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People (in the World)". Gellar has also been in the Stone Temple Pilots music video "Sour Girl" and is a celebrity spokesperson for the cosmetics company, Maybelline.

paragraphs: After "Buffy", Gellar tried to use her television fame for a movie career. Some of her movies were well liked, others were not. After roles in the popular horror movies "I Know What You Did Last Summer" and "Scream 2" (both 1997), she starred in the 1999 movies "Simply Irresistible", a romantic comedy, and "Cruel Intentions". "Cruel Intentions" was a small hit at the box office. It made over $38 million in the United States. The movie had a lesbian kiss between Gellar and co-star Selma Blair that won the "Best Kiss" award at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards. Critic Roger Ebert said that Gellar is "effective as a bright girl who knows exactly how to use her act as a tramp".

paragraphs: Gellar starred as Daphne in the box office success "Scooby-Doo" (2002), a live-action version of the cartoon series. Gellar, Prinze and their friends Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini were also in the sequel "" (2004), which made less money than the first movie. Gellar's next movie was the 2004 horror movie "The Grudge". It was very well liked. Gellar appeared in the sequel "The Grudge 2". It opened on October 13, 2006. She has also starred in several movies that have yet to be released, including "Southland Tales", "The Air I Breathe" and "The Girls' Guide to Hunting And Fishing".

paragraphs: Gellar met her husband Freddie Prinze, Jr. during filming of the 1997 teen horror movie "I Know What You Did Last Summer" but the two did not begin a intimate relationship until 2000. They were engaged to be married in April 2001. They got married in Jalisco, Mexico on September 1, 2002.

paragraphs: In 2004, while filming "The Grudge" in Japan, Gellar visited the famous Japanese swordmaker Shoji Yoshihara (Kuniie III) and bought a Katana from him as a birthday gift for her husband. Gellar found out that she needed permission from the government to take the sword out of the country. After she got permission, she said that it was incredibly difficult to do.

paragraphs: Gellar and her husband have two children together — a daughter born in 2009 and a son born in 2012.


title: Jennifer Garner

paragraphs: Jenny Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is a Golden Globe Award- and SAG Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated American movie and television actress, and producer. She first became famous for her role as "Sydney Bristow" on "Alias", a CIA agent. She was also in Juno, Pearl Harbor, and Dude, Where's My Car.

paragraphs: Garner joined the Ban Bossy campaign in 2014.


title: Heather Graham

paragraphs: Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actress.

paragraphs: Her father is a retired FBI agent. Her mother is a writer of books for children. Her sister, Aimee, is an actress and writer. Graham's parents are Catholics. They did not want their daughter to make any movies about sex. She does not talk to her parents.

paragraphs: Graham was a student at the University of California, Los Angeles. She met James Woods when she was a student. She stopped going to college so she could become an actress.

paragraphs: Graham was in the movie "Drugstore Cowboy" in 1989. In 1997, She was in the movie "Boogie Nights". She played a character called "Roller Girl". She played the character called "Felicity Shagwell" in the movie "" in 1999. She was in the movie "From Hell" in 2001, in which she played a character called "Mary Kelly".

paragraphs: She was in several episodes of the television series "Scrubs" in 2004 and 2005.

paragraphs: Graham appeared in advertisements for Garnier hair care products and for Skyy vodka.

paragraphs: Graham has dated several famous men. These include UK musician/actor Adam Ant, actors James Woods, Kyle McLachlan and Heath Ledger, and directors Stephen Hopkins and Edward Burns.


title: Christina Ricci

paragraphs: Christina Ricci (born February 12, 1980) is an American actress. She was born in Santa Monica, California and grew up in Montclair, New Jersey.


title: Julia Roberts

paragraphs: Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for her roles in the movies "Steel Magnolias" (1989), "Pretty Woman" (1990), "Runaway Bride" (1998) and "Erin Brockovich" (2000). Roberts regularly plays characters of attractive powerful women. She has been among People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the world" eight times.

paragraphs: It is commonly mistaken that Julia's birth name is "Julie". Roberts has said in interviews that "Julie" was a nickname given to her by classmates in elementary school, and she never took well to it. She reverted to her original name "Julia Roberts" when she discovered that a "Julie Roberts" was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild. Roberts originally wanted to be a veterinarian (an animal doctor), but later studied journalism. When her brother, Eric Roberts, achieved success in Hollywood, Julia decided to try acting. Her first breakthrough came when she played in two youth-oriented movies called "Mystic Pizza" and "Satisfaction", both filmed in 1987. Roberts' sister Lisa Roberts Gillan and niece Emma Roberts are actresses.

paragraphs: Roberts was born in Smyrna, Georgia, to Betty Lou (née Bredemus) and Walter Grady Roberts She is of English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German, and Swedish ancestry. Her father was a Baptist and her mother a Roman Catholic, and she was raised a Catholic. Her older brother, Eric Roberts, from whom she was estranged until 2004; sister Lisa Roberts Gillan; and niece Emma Roberts, are also actors.

paragraphs: Roberts' first marriage was to musician Lyle Lovett; they divorced. She and her husband Danny Moder have three children. She gave birth to twins, Hazel Patricia and Phinnaeus Walter, in 2004. In 2007, she gave birth to a son, Henry Daniel.


title: Angelina Jolie

paragraphs: Angelina Jolie (; née Voight, formerly Jolie Pitt, born June 4, 1975) is an American actress, movie producer, screenwriter, and author. She is the daughter of Jon Voight, who is also an actor and former actress/model Marcheline Bertrand. Her full name is Angelina Jolie Voight, but she decided to go by Angelina Jolie. She grew up in Los Angeles and attended the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. She began acting at about 12 years old, and since then has starred in many movies, including the Tomb Raider movies. She has also been in the movies "Hackers", "Gathering Evidence" (U.S. title), and "Gone in Sixty Seconds".

paragraphs: She was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand. She is the sister of actor James Haven, niece of singer-songwriter Chip Taylor, and goddaughter of actors Jacqueline Bisset and Maximilian Schell. On her father's side, Jolie is of German and Slovak descent, and on her mother's side, she is of primarily French Canadian, Dutch, and German ancestry. Like her mother, Jolie has stated that she is part Iroquois, although her only known Native American ancestor was a Huron woman born in 1649.

paragraphs: Jolie played her first leading role in the 1993 movie "Cyborg 2". In 1999 Jolie played Lisa Rowe in "Girl, Interrupted".

paragraphs: She was awarded an honorary damehood by the British government in 2014 in recognition of her work in preventing sexual violence. She was presented with the award by Queen Elizabeth II. As an American citizen, she cannot be called "Dame Angelina", but she can use the letters "DCMG" after her name.

paragraphs: She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Girl, Interrupted".

paragraphs: Jolie self-identifies as bisexual. She has been married to Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton.

paragraphs: She has three adopted children. She lives with actor Brad Pitt. Pitt and Angelina are called 'Brangelina' by the media. They have three biological children. On May 27, 2006, Jolie gave birth to a girl, Shiloh. In 2008, she also gave birth to twins, Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon. On August 28, 2014, Jolie married Pitt in France. In September 2016, they separated and she filed for divorce. Jolie is currently battling for full custody of her six children.

paragraphs: She said in May 2013 that she had undergone a preventive double mastectomy after learning she had an 87% risk of getting breast cancer. Jolie has a defective BRCA1 gene resulting in a very high risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Jolie said she might have her ovaries removed to prevent cancer.


title: Lisa Kudrow

paragraphs: Lisa Valerie Kudrow (b. July 30, 1963 in Encino, California) is an American actress. She was best known for her roles as Ursula on "Mad About You" and Phoebe on "Friends". "Friends" has been very popular lately and is still selling many copies, beating many popular shows even though it finished a long time ago. She also starred in P.S. I Love You playing the role Denise Hennessey.


title: Grace Kelly

paragraphs: Grace Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress. She later married Prince Rainier III of Monaco and became Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco. With Prince Rainier, she had 3 children:

paragraphs: Kelly's father was an Irish American; her mother was a German American Her movies included three by Alfred Hitchock: "Dial M for Murder", "Rear Window", and "To Catch a Thief". In 1955 she won an Academy Award for "The Country Girl". She was the first actress to appear on a postage stamp. She was also mentioned in Billy Joel's song "We didn't start the fire" and in Mika's song "Grace Kelly" (2007). The classic head-cover of a silk scarf crossed under the chin and knotted at the side or nape of the neck is universally known as the "Grace Kelly." This chic look is still copied by many female Hollywood stars when they wish to retain a degree of anonymity in the public eye.

paragraphs: Kelly suffered a stroke which caused her to crash her car.


title: Elizabeth Taylor

paragraphs: Dame Elizabeth "Liz" Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress.

paragraphs: The movies she starred in were, "National Velvet", "Father of the Bride", "A Place in the Sun", "Giant", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", and "Suddenly, Last Summer". She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for "BUtterfield 8". She played the title role in "Cleopatra", and married her costar Richard Burton. They appeared together in 11 films, including "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". Taylor won a second Academy Award in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". From the mid-1970s, she appeared less frequently in film, and made occasional appearances in television and theatre.

paragraphs: Her personal life included eight marriages and several life-threatening illnesses. From the mid-1980s, Taylor supported HIV and AIDS programs; she co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985, and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1993. She received the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Legion of Honour, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and a Life Achievement Award from the American Film Institute. The American Film Institute named her seventh on their list of the "Greatest American Screen Legends". Taylor died of congestive heart failure in March 2011 at the age of 79 after suffering many years of ill health.

paragraphs: Taylor was born in London to American parents, Francis Lenn Taylor and Sara Sothern, who were Americans living in England. Her parents were originally from Arkansas City, Kansas. They returned to the United States on the onset of World War II.

paragraphs: Her first act was in "Lassie Come Home" (1942). The next one was "National Velvet" (1944). Throughout her teens, she appeared in various supporting roles and easily made the transition to young adult parts.

paragraphs: Her first major role was in "A Place in the Sun" in 1950, with Montgomery Clift. Working steadily during the 1950s, notable movies have included; "The Father of the Bride" (1951), "Ivanhoe" (1952), "Elephant Walk" (1954), "Rhapsody" (1954), "Giant" (1956), "Raintree County" (1957), "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958), "Suddenly, Last Summer" (1959), "BUtterfield 8" (1960), etc.

paragraphs: In 1963, she played the lead role in "Cleopatra" and met actor Richard Burton, who became her fifth husband in 1964. They appeared in several movies together; "The V.I.P's" (1963), "The Sandpiper" (1965), "Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf ?" (1966), "The Taming of the Shrew" (1967), "Boom" (1968). She also starred in "Secret Ceremony" (1969), "X, Y and Zee" (1972) and "Ash Wednesday" (1973).

paragraphs: She has won two Academy Awards for best actress, the first for her performance in "Butterfield 8", the second for her performance in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?". In 1999 she won the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award, a lifetime achievement award.

paragraphs: Taylor often received media attention because of her many illnesses and controversial marriages to well known figures such as Nicky Hilton, Michael Wilding, Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton (twice), John Warner. She has two sons with Michael Wilding and a daughter with Mike Todd. She also adopted a daughter while married to Richard Burton. She was the godmother of two of Michael Jackson's children.

paragraphs: Taylor devoted consistent and generous humanitarian time, advocacy efforts, and funding to HIV and AIDS-related projects and charities. She helped to raise more than $270 million for the cause. She was one of the first celebrities and public personalities to do so at a time when few people knew about the disease and organized and hosted the first AIDS fundraiser in 1984 to benefit AIDS Project Los Angeles.

paragraphs: Taylor was cofounder of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) with Dr. Michael Gottlieb and Dr. Mathilde Krim in 1985. Her longtime friend and former co-star Rock Hudson had disclosed having AIDS and died of it that year. She also founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) in 1993, created to provide critically needed support services for people with HIV/AIDS. For example, in 2006 Taylor commissioned a "Care Van" with examination tables and xray equipment, the New Orleans donation made by her Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and Macy's. That year, after Hurricane Katrina, Taylor donated $500,000 to the NO/AIDS Task Force, a non-profit organization serving the community of those affected by HIV/AIDS in and around New Orleans.The donation was shared by Taylor for her celebration of her 74th birthday and to help NO/AIDS Task Force continue their work on fighting AIDS.

paragraphs: Taylor was honored with a special Academy Award, the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, in 1992 for her HIV/AIDS humanitarian work. Speaking of that work, former President Bill Clinton said at her death, "Elizabeth's legacy will live on in many people around the world whose lives will be longer and better because of her work and the ongoing efforts of those she inspired."

paragraphs: After she converted to the Jewish religion, Taylor worked for Jewish causes throughout her life.

paragraphs: In 1959, her purchase of Israeli Bonds caused Arab boycotts of her films. In 1962, she was prevented from entering Egypt to complete "Cleopatra"; its government announced that she would not be allowed to come to Egypt because she had adopted the Jewish faith and "supports Israeli causes". However the ban was lifted in 1964 after it was considered that the film had brought good publicity to Egypt.

paragraphs: In 1974, Taylor and Richard Burton considered marrying in Israel, but they were unable to do so because Burton was not Jewish. Taylor helped to raise money for organizations such as the Jewish National Fund; advocated for the right of Soviet Jews to emigrate to Israel and canceled a visit to the USSR because of its disapproval of Israel due to the Six-Day War, along with signing a letter protesting the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 of 1975.

paragraphs: She offered herself as a replacement hostage after more than 100 Israeli civilians were taken hostage in the Entebbe skyjacking in 1976. After the success of the operation, which freed the hostages, she acted with Kirk Douglas in a TV special, "Victory at Entebbe", broadcast in January, 1977. When she experienced the role, she stated, "I couldn't pass up this opportunity. I have strong ties to Israel and I firmly believe in the courage and dedication of the Entebbe mission."

paragraphs: Taylor had a lot of health problems. In 2004, she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. In 2009, she underwent cardiac surgery for it. In early 2011, new symptoms related to congestive heart failure caused her to be admitted into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment. Taylor died on March 23, 2011, surrounded by her four children at the same medical center in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 79.


title: Hilary Swank

paragraphs: Hilary Swank (born July 30, 1974) is an Academy and Golden Globe Award-winning American actress. The is the second woman in the world to win two Oscars before thirty (the first one was Jodie Foster). Swank's movies include "Million Dollar Baby" and "Freedom Writers". She will play Gail Getty in the 2018 television series "Trust".

paragraphs: Swank was born in Lincoln, Nebraska. When she was nine she played her first role as Mowgli in her school's version of "The Jungle Book" by Rudyard Kipling. Afterward she often was in school and university performances.


title: Nana Visitor

paragraphs: Nana Visitor (born July 26, 1957) is an American actress. Visitor was born in New York City. She is most famous for playing Kira Nerys in the television series "".

paragraphs: Visitor married fellow "Star Trek" actor Alexander Siddig in 1997. They had a son in 1996. Visitor and Siddig divorced in 2001.

paragraphs: Visitor is the niece of American actress Cyd Charisse.


title: Alexander Siddig

paragraphs: Alexander Siddig (November 21, 1965) is a Sudanese actor. Siddig is most famous for playing Dr Julian Bashir in the "Star Trek" television series "".

paragraphs: Siddig married fellow "Star Trek" actor Nana Visitor in 1997. They had a son in 1996. Siddig and Visitor divorced in 2001.

paragraphs: Siddig is the nephew of English actor Malcolm McDowell and of former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.


title: Eiffel Tower

paragraphs: The Eiffel Tower (French: La Tour Eiffel, ], IPA pronunciation: "EYE-full" English; "eh-FEHL" French) is a landmark in Paris. It was built between 1887 and 1889 for the Exposition Universelle (World Fair). The Tower was the Exposition's main attraction.

paragraphs: The Eiffel Tower cost 7,799,401.31 French gold francs to build in 1889, an amount equal to $1,495,139.89 at that time. Today, its cost would equal to $36,784,020.11. It took 2 years, 2 months and 5 days to build it. The tower is tall, but this height does not include the aerial (antenna) on the top; the total height of the structure is . It has a square base that is long on each side. The second story platform is off , and the surface to be painted is . Since it has been built it has been repainted 18 times, each of these 18 paint jobs there were only 25 painters are hired to do the job. Three separate colors of paint are used on the structure in order to enhance the impression of height, with the lightest at the top.

paragraphs: There are 20,000 sparkling lights and of cables covering the structure. The paper used to print the visitors' tickets in one year weighs . The top of the tower leans away from the sun as the metal facing the sun heats up and expands it can move as much as and grow taller. The tower was also built to sway slightly in the wind.

paragraphs: The Eiffel Tower was built by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel for the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Even though Gustave Eiffel is credited for the Eiffel Tower it was actually two lesser known people who came up with the original drawing of it. These people were Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier. These two men were the chief engineers of Eiffel’s engineering firm. The main architect was Stephen Sauvestre.

paragraphs: Koechlin, Nouguier, Sauvestre, and Eiffel submitted the plans to compete for the spot on the champ de mars plot of land, to serve as the expositions entrance. It would also determine the 1889 world's fair centerpiece in Paris. There were 107 bids submitted to construct the Eiffel Tower. Fifty people worked on the design, and more than 100 built the parts. One hundred and thirty two workers assembled the parts on site.

paragraphs: The first digging for the foundations began on January 28, 1887 and all construction was concluded on March 31, 1889. When the tower was built, it was only meant to be kept for 20 years. People did not like the Eiffel Tower and wanted it taken down because they thought is was an ugly structure polluting the scenery of the Paris sky. After the 20 years, the tower became the property of Paris again.

paragraphs: By this time, the city had learned that the tower could be used to help with communications. There was also a metrology lab that had been installed for studies on everything from gravity to electricity. The military used the tower as a wireless telegraph transmitter for communication during battle. The tower was used in the capture of the spy "Mata Hari" during World War I after a message was intercepted. Today, it is used to send radio and television signals to the capital city of Paris and beyond. After people learned about the many benefits the tower provided, no one wanted it to be taken apart.

paragraphs: The Eiffel Tower joined the green energy movement by building two wind turbines on the second level. These wind turbines produce of electricity.

paragraphs: There were 50 architects, engineers, and draftsmen that created 5,300 drawings of the Eiffel Tower before the construction started. Once they had a plan, there were 18,000 pieces built and prepared in Eiffel's factory outside of town. These pieces were created to the accuracy of 1/10 of a millimeter. These pieces were put together to form new pieces that were 5 meters long to be transported to the building site.

paragraphs: There were 132 workers there to assemble the pieces on site. All the pieces were put into place and hooked together by thermally assembled rivets. There were 4 men needed to assemble a single rivet: one person to heat the rivet up, another to hold it in place, a third to shape the head, and a fourth person to beat the rivet with a sledge hammer.

paragraphs: Only of the 2.5 million rivets were assembled on site. The work on the foundations took 5 months. The workers only used spades, and the rubble was taken away by horses and steam locomotives.

paragraphs: There was no problem in building the pillars on the Champ de Mars side of the tower. But on the Seine River side of the tower, foundations used compressed air and corrugated steel caissons five meters under water. The deepest foundations are 15 meters under ground. The feet of the tower are set in each of these foundation ditches. These foundations support the four pillars or truss frames.

paragraphs: The difficulty building the first floor was in bringing building materials and people up to it with a point of departure as in the elevators. The elevators had to be positioned at a slanting angle to meet the horizontal beams on the first floor. The elevator had to use hydraulic jacks to move and erect the elevator up the slanted legs. Currently the hydraulic jacks are not in use due to more advanced technology. The second floor was assembled with cranes that took the same route as the elevators. There was no troubles from this point onward in the construction.


title: Musée du Louvre

paragraphs: The Louvre is a museum in Paris has millions of visitors every year because of its art collection. It is the most popular art museum in the world.

paragraphs: The most famous arts in the Louvre is the "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci. Other paintings include works of Rembrandt, Giambattista Pittoni, Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian and Eugène Delacroix.

paragraphs: There are also statues inside the Louvre. The most famous statues are the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory of Samothrace.

paragraphs: Philip II of France built a castle called the "Castle of the Louvre". It used to be where the museum is. They used the castle as a fortress to defend Paris against the Vikings.

paragraphs: Charles V, King of France turned the castle into a palace. However, Francis I, King of France, knocked it down and built a new palace.

paragraphs: Henry IV, King of France added the Grande Galerie to the Louvre. The Grande Galerie is more than a quarter of a mile long and one hundred feet wide. The Grande Galerie was built along the River Seine. It was the longest building in the world.


title: Venus de Milo

paragraphs: The Venus de Milo is an ancient Greek statue. It is in the Louvre, a museum in Paris, France. The "Venus de Milo" represents Aphrodite, the goddess of love in Greek mythology. The statue is made of marble and is 203cm high. It is believed to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch. The "Venus de Milo" was found on 8 April 1820 on the Aegean island of Melos. King Louis XVIII of France presented the "Venus de Milo" to the Louvre in 1821.


title: Aphrodite

paragraphs: Aphrodite (Ancient Greek: Ἀφροδίτη, "Aphrodítē") is the Ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty. Aphrodite is one of the Twelve Olympians. The most beautiful and refined of the goddesses, Aphrodite was married to Hephaestus, god of fire and metalworking. Aphrodite had numerous affairs with other beings, the most notable of these being Ares, the god of war.

paragraphs: In Homer's "Iliad", one of the Oceanids.

paragraphs: In Hesiod's "Theogony", however, Aphrodite is stated to have risen from sea foam, formed at the spot where Uranos' genitals landed, after Kronos castrated him and tossed them into the sea. Aphrodite's cult was centered on the islands of Cythera and Cyprus, both of which were claimed to be her birthplace. Her main festival was the Aphrodisia, which was celebrated annually every midsummer. The Charites (minor goddesses of grace and splendor) attended to Aphrodite and served as her handmaidens. Aphrodite's symbols include the dolphin, myrtle, rose, dove, sparrow, swan and pearl, and the dove, sparrow and swan were her sacred animals. The goddess Venus is her Roman equivalent. Aphrodite was quite often described as very beautiful, and was used as a point of comparison for female beauty-- but just as she was beautiful, she just as smart and wise.

paragraphs: Eros, Phobos, Deimos, Harmonia, Pothos, Anteros, Himeros, Hermaphroditos, Rhode, Eryx, Peitho, Tyche, Eunomia, The Graces, Priapus, and Aeneas. She has 16 children in total.

paragraphs: Aphrodite was very beautiful, which made Zeus afraid that she would be the cause of fights between the other gods. He therefore gave Aphrodite to Hephaestus. Hephaestus was happy to be married to Aphrodite and gave her many pieces of jewelry which were gifts of love, like a belt that when ever she wore it, it would make men be attracted to her. Aphrodite, however, was not attracted to him. So she spent most of her time with Ares, but was also spent time with Adonis and Anchises. She had many children.


title: Venus (mythology)

paragraphs: In Roman mythology, Venus is the goddess of love and beauty. She was the Roman version of the Greek Aphrodite and Etruscan Turan.

paragraphs: Her cult began in Ardea and Lavinium, Latium. On August 18, 293 BC, the first temple to her was built . August 18 was then a festival called the Vinalia Rustica. On April 1, the Veneralia was celebrated in honor of Venus Verticordia, the protector against vice. On April 23, 215 BC, a temple was built on the Capitol dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasum.

paragraphs: Venus was also married to Vulcan, who was the god of fire, volcanoes and blacksmiths. Julius Caesar claimed Venus Genetrix as his own personal, divine ancestress.


title: Jupiter (mythology)

paragraphs: Jupiter (Latin: "Iuppiter") is the king of the gods in Roman mythology. He was the god of the sky and thunder. He is known as Zeus in Greek mythology. His brother's name was Pluto and his sister was Ceres.

paragraphs: Saturn, who was the previous king of the gods, began to swallow the children that he had with his wife,(Greek equivalent Rhea), when they were born. This was because he had been warned that one of his children would overthrow him. Saturn swallowed the children Neptune, Pluto, Ceres, Juno and Vesta. When Ops realised that she was pregnant with Jupiter, she had the baby secretly and moved to Crete, giving a stone wrapped in baby clothes to Saturn for him to eat. Saturn believed he had eaten Jupiter but Jupiter was saved.

paragraphs: After Jupiter was raised by his mother, his destiny was to take over his own father, Saturn, as revenge for all he had done to his brothers and sisters in the past. When Jupiter grew up, he made Saturn vomit up all of the children he had swallowed. All the brothers and sisters joined forces and overthrew Saturn.

paragraphs: Then, with the help of the Cyclopses and the Hundred-handed Giants, they declared war on Saturn and the other Titans. Jupiter finally defeated the Titans and they were imprisoned in Tartarus.

paragraphs: Jupiter and his brothers divided the universe into three parts, Jupiter obtaining the heavens, Neptune the sea and Pluto the underworld. This is how Jupiter became the king of the gods.


title: Minerva

paragraphs: Minerva was the Roman goddess of crafts and wisdom. The Greeks called her Athena but the Romans didn't make her as warlike as Athena. As Minerva Medica she was goddess of medicine and doctors. Many coins showed her.


title: Athena

paragraphs: Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and war strategy. She is one of the Twelve Olympians. Athena's symbol is the owl, the wisest of the birds. She also had a shield called Aegis, which was a present given to her by Zeus. She is often shown with her helmet on and with her shield, the shield later had Medusa's head on it, after Peresus slayed the her, he gave the head of Medusa to Athena for safekeeping who put the head on her shield.

paragraphs: Athena is the protector of Athens, Greece, a city named after her. The Parthenon, which is on the Acropolis in Athens, is her most famous temple. She also helped many heroes, including Heracles, Jason, and Odysseus, and is always seen with Nike, the goddess of victory.

paragraphs: There are many stories about Athena's birth. In Hesiod's "Theogony", Zeus married Metis, but soon after, Zeus was scared of her giving birth to a child because the Oracle of Delphi had said that she will give birth to Athena, and a son that would overthrow Zeus, just like Zeus overthrew Kronos, who overthrew his father Uranus.

paragraphs: To stop Metis giving birth to her son, Zeus came up with a plan, he played a game with Metis, they shape shifted into different animals, Metis turned turned into a fly, Zeus saw his chance and he swallowed her whole. Zeus was too late, as Metis was already pregnant.

paragraphs: While she was inside Zeus's head, Metis made a helmet, armor, and a robe for Athena. The hammering noise caused Zeus to have a severe headache. The headache became worse then Hephaestus split his head open and Athena came out full grown and with armor on.

paragraphs: Athena is the goddess of knowledge, purity, arts, crafts, learning, justice and wisdom. She also plays a tough, clever and independent role. Athenians thought she helped them win the Trojan war. Athena often helped heroes, especially ones who were not just brave but clever, like Jason and Perseus. People joined her cult, hoping she would give them victory. She was also an the creator of the olive tree and flute.

paragraphs: Athena was given many other titles. She has the epithet Ergane as the patron of craftsmen and artisans. With the epithet Parthenos she was especially worshipped in the festivals of the Panathenaea and Pamboeotia where both militaristic and athletic displays took place. With the epithet Promachos she led in battle. With the epithet Polias, Athena was the protector of not only Athens but also of many other cities, including Argos, Sparta, Gortyn, Lindos, and Larisa.


title: Salt Lake City

paragraphs: Salt Lake City is a city in the United States of America. It is the capital and largest city of the state of Utah. It was founded by the Mormons and is the official headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is named after the Great Salt Lake, which it is near. The city's population was estimated at 191,180 in 2013.

paragraphs: The city was founded in 1847 by Brigham Young and his Mormon followers. They extensively irrigated and cultivated the arid valley. Due to its proximity to the Great Salt Lake, the city was originally named "Great Salt Lake City"–the word "great" was dropped from the official name in 1868. Although Salt Lake City is still home to the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), less than half the population of Salt Lake City proper is Mormon today.

paragraphs: Immigration of international LDS members, mining booms, and the construction of the first transcontinental railroad initially brought economic growth, and the city was nicknamed the "Crossroads of the West". It was traversed by the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway, in 1913, and presently two major cross-country freeways, I-15 and I-80, intersect in the city. Salt Lake City has since developed a strong outdoor recreation tourist industry based primarily on skiing. It was host to the 2002 Winter Olympics. It is the industrial banking center of the United States.

paragraphs: In 1847 pioneer Jane Dillworth held the first classes in her tent for the children of the first LDS families. In the last part of the 19th century, there was much controversy over how children in the area should be educated. LDS and non-LDS parents could not agree on the level of religious influence in schools. Today, many LDS youths in grades 9 through 12 attend some form of religious instruction, referred to as seminary. Students are released from public schools at various times of the day to attend seminary. LDS seminaries are usually located on church-owned property adjacent to the public school and within walking distance.

paragraphs: Because of high birth rates and large classrooms, Utah spends less per student than any other state. At the same time, Utah spends more per capita than any state with the exception of Alaska. Recently, money was approved for the reconstruction of more than half of the elementary schools and one of the middle schools in the Salt Lake City School District, which serves most of the area within the city limits. There are twenty-three K-6 elementary schools, five 7-8 middle schools, three 9-12 high schools (Highland, East, and West, with the former South High being converted to the South City campus of the Salt Lake Community College), and an alternative high school (Horizonte) located within the school district. In addition, Highland has recently been selected as the site for the charter school Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts (SPA). Many Catholic schools are located in the city, including Judge Memorial High School. Rowland Hall-St. Mark's School, established in 1867 by Episcopal Bishop Daniel Tuttle, is the area's premier independent school.

paragraphs: The Salt Lake City Public Library system consists of the main library downtown, and five branches in various neighborhoods. The main library, designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, opened in 2003. In 2006, the Salt Lake City Public Library was named "Library of the Year" by the American Library Association.

paragraphs: Colleges in Salt Lake City include the University of Utah, Westminster College, Salt Lake Community College, Stevens-Henager College, Eagle Gate College, The Art Institute of Salt Lake City and LDS Business College. Utah State University and BYU also operate education centers in the city. There are also many trade and technical schools such as Healing Mountain Massage School and the Utah College of Massage Therapy. The University of Utah has good research and medical programs. It was one of the original four universities to be connected to ARPANET, the predecessor to the Internet, in 1969, and was also the site of the first artificial heart transplant in 1982.


title: Nagano, Nagano

paragraphs: Nagano () is a city in Japan. It is the capital of Nagano Prefecture ().

paragraphs: Nagano has been recognized as a core city since 1999.

paragraphs: As of October 1, 2007, 2,182,190 people lived in Nagano.

paragraphs: In 1998, the Olympic Games were held in Nagano.


title: Barcelona

paragraphs: Barcelona is the capital city of Catalonia, which is a region of Spain. Barcelona is the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. The city is between the rivers of "Llobregat" and "Besòs", and south of the Pyrenees mountains. It has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ("Csa" in the Koeppen climate classification).

paragraphs: In 1992, Barcelona hosted the Summer Olympic Games. Many new parks were opened and other significant changes to the city were made. One example is opening the new beaches in the Poble Nou area.

paragraphs: In 2007, about 1.6 million people lived in Barcelona. Around 3.1 million people live in the Metropolitan Area and 4.9 million people live in the Urban Region. Barcelona is the second most populated city in Spain, and the tenth in the European Union.

paragraphs: Barcelona is home to football team F.C. Barcelona.

paragraphs: Barcelona is one of the most important tourist destinations in Europe, with millions of people visiting every year. The city is famous for its 19th century modernist architecture. The best known of those buildings was designed by Antoni Gaudi. It is the unfinished church Sagrada Familia, which is the symbol of Barcelona.

paragraphs: Barcelona has sister relationships with many places worldwide:


title: Denise Lewis

paragraphs: Denise Lewis (born 27 August 1972) is a British retired athlete from West Bromwich. She won the bronze medal in the heptathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics. She won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

paragraphs: In late 2004, she was a contestant in the second series of "Strictly Come Dancing".


title: Michael Johnson

paragraphs: Michael Duane Johnson (born in September 13, 1967), Dallas, Texas is an American retired sprinter. He is widely considered the greatest long sprinter of all time. During his time on the track, he established world records for the 400 m (43.18 Seville, Spain), indoor 400 m, indoor 300 m, 200 m, and 4 × 400 m relay. Due to these achievements, and due to the vast difference between the 200 m and 400 m, Johnson left little doubt that he is the greatest sprinter of all time. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships gold medals.

paragraphs: A fifth Olympic gold medal was taken back when it was learned that Johnson's teammates had cheated by using drugs.

paragraphs: Johnson had a unique upright posture when he ran so that he looked like a duck walk, which gave him the nickname "The Duck". His running gait did not make sense for running fast, but somehow worked. He won almost every race that he ever ran.

paragraphs: He was the first athlete to win both the 200m and 400m sprints in the same Olympic Games (Atlanta, Georgia).

paragraphs: He retired in 2001, and is a sports commentator on TV. He was a contestant in the 2010 season of "The Celebrity Apprentice".


Icelandic


title: Bronze Age

paragraphs: The Bronze Age is the time period when people made tools from an alloy (a mixture of metals) called bronze. Bronze is a mixture of mainly copper and tin: usually nine parts copper to one part tin. Materials like wood and stone were also used for tools, but bronze was better for cutting and chopping, and was easy to shape. The Bronze Age was not at the same time everywhere, because different groups of people began to use bronze at different times. In Western Europe, the Bronze Age lasted from about 2000 BC until 800 BC. In the Middle East, it started about a thousand years earlier. For example, bronze was first used in Mesopotamia around 3300 BC.

paragraphs: Archaeologists think that people became more organised in the Bronze Age, because the making of metal tools was difficult and needed certain skills. The people who had these new skills would have been important. The new metal tools were bought, sold, or traded across larger distances.

paragraphs: Later, when iron tools spread, the Bronze Age ended and the Iron Age started. A reason for iron replacing bronze is that tin ore, a rock in which tin may be found, is much more rare than iron ore. Copper tools were less useful because they were too soft.

paragraphs: By the Bronze Age, wild food was no longer a main part of the diet. The title "inventors of agriculture" might go to the Sumerians, starting c. 5500 BC.

paragraphs: Farming allows more people in an area than can be supported by hunting and gathering. Crops can be stored for off-season use, or to sell or barter. Farmers could feed people to do other things than agriculture. This was a crucial factor in the rise of full-time armies.

paragraphs: Sumerian agriculture allowed them to win battles and land. This made them early empire builders. Not long after, the Egyptians, farming in the fertile Nile valley, increased their population. There were now enough warriors to conquer more land, tripling the Sumerian empire in area.

paragraphs: In Sumer, barley was the primary crop; wheat, flax, dates, apples, plums, vegetables and grapes were grown as well. Mesopotamian agriculture was both supported and limited by flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Floods came in late spring or early summer from snow melting from the Anatolian mountains.

paragraphs: Sheep, wolves, cows and goats were domesticated, kept mainly for meat, milk, butter and cheese. Ur, a large town that covered about 50 acres (20 hectares), kept 10,000 animals; 3,000 were slaughtered every year. The city's population of 6,000 included a labour force of 2,500, cultivated 3,000 acres (12 km²) of land. The labor force included storehouse recorders, work foremen, overseers, and harvest supervisors as well as laborers.

paragraphs: The land was plowed by teams of oxen pulling light unwheeled plows and grain was harvested with sickle. Wagons had solid wheels covered by leather tires kept in position by copper nails and were drawn by oxen. As many as four animals could pull a wagon at one time. The horse was domesticated in Ukraine around 4000 BC, and was in use by the Sumerians around 2000 BC.


title: Louis XIV

paragraphs: Louis XIV, also popularly known as the Sun King (5 September 1638–1 September 1715) was the King of France and King of Navarre from 14 May 1643 until his death. He was a king for 72 years. This was the longest recorded rule of any European monarch. He is often seen as the typical example of absolutism. He was the older of two brothers the other being Philippe. The two were very close and Philippe was later created the Duke of Orléans.

paragraphs: Louis' parents were Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. He was the unexpected child of King Louis XIII and Anne of Austria, who had not had children in their 22-year marriage. He was christened Louis Dieudonné (literally, “gift of God”). In 1643, before his fifth birthday, his father died, and Louis inherited the throne of France. Because Louis XIV was too young to rule, his mother ruled France with Cardinal Mazarin, the Italian financier who had been the principal minister of Louis XIII. Mazarin had guided the nation through the later stages of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). In this war France struggled against the Habsburg dynasty that ruled Spain for military supremacy in Europe.

paragraphs: After Mazarin died in 1661, Louis declared that he would rule France without a chief minister, something no French king had done in living memory. He intended to rule as an absolute monarch, believing that his power as king was derived from God and that he was responsible to God alone. He was obliged to rule for the benefit of his people. While Louis assumed responsibility for decision making, he understood that he must rule within the constraints of the laws and customs of his kingdom. Louis consulted widely with his nobles and ministers, and he met weekly with members of his high council. He created an informal cabinet, which was eventually led by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, chief minister of finance.

paragraphs: Nevertheless, the system of absolute monarchy emphasized the role of the king, and no monarch was more successful in creating the image of monarchy than Louis XIV. He took the sun as his emblem and connected himself to its radiant image.

paragraphs: Starting in 1661, King Louis XIV transformed a humble hunting lodge into a glittering palace. Over 30,000 men worked on constructing the Palace of Versailles, a project that drained the royal treasury for decades. Expenses included not only building but also diverting rivers, piping in fresh water, and planting thousands of orange trees to mask the smell of sewage that could not be properly drained away. In May 1682, Louis moved the capital of France to Versailles, 12 miles away of Paris. It was Louis XIV's motive to remove himself and his nobles from the political intrigues of Paris. It became a symbol of his Absolute Monarchy.

paragraphs: Although Louis dreamed of a Spanish inheritance for his heirs, his military policy was not to expand French territory. He fought his early wars for defensive purposes—to secure France’s northern border and to dislodge the Spanish from strategic towns.

paragraphs: Louis fought the War of the Devolution (1667-1668) to assert his claims to a portion of Spain’s possessions after his wife’s father, Philip IV, died. Louis claimed the Spanish Netherlands in place of the wedding gift that Philip IV had never paid.

paragraphs: The French aggression in the Spanish Netherlands caused relations between France and Holland to deteriorate. The Dutch had already fought the Spanish for generations to protect against an invasion of their country. They had no intention of allowing the French to pose the same threat by occupying the territories on their border. The result was war in the Netherlands from 1672 to 1678, during which Louis again demonstrated the effectiveness of French might. In a sweeping campaign, Louis almost succeeded in conquering Holland. To protect themselves, the Dutch opened their dikes, flooded the countryside, and turned Amsterdam into a virtual island. Louis’s armies could not advance farther, and they began negotiating a truce. War resumed, however, when Spain and Austria allied themselves with Holland, and Louis signed a treaty with England in 1670 to keep the English navy neutral. Neither side could win a decisive victory, and both suffered from financial exhaustion, which ultimately led to a treaty to end the war.

paragraphs: Louis revoked, or ended, the Treaty of Nantes. This Treaty said that there would be freedom of religion in France. This means that everybody in France could worship the way they wanted to. When Louis revoked the Treaty of Nantes, he said that all people in France must be Catholic. Because of this, 50 thousand Protestant workers left France and went to America, England, and Germany.

paragraphs: While Louis ruled, France became the most powerful country in all of Europe, and many other countries copied the French people's way of dressing and thinking. He also encouraged people to explore Canada, and tried very hard to make France larger. Louis spent a lot of money on wars, and France went into deep debt because of him.

paragraphs: By the middle of the 1680s the Sun King was losing much of his shine. Mazarin had taught him to work rigorously, and Louis maintained a punishing schedule throughout his life, shrugging off a series of minor illnesses and not listening to the advice of his physicians. Eventually a broken arm put an end to his vigorous horseback riding, and gout ended his long walks around Versailles. He was wheeled to the throne room or carried to his carriage. In 1683 his first wife died, and Louis secretly married his longtime mistress, Françoise d’Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon. In 1711 he went through the tragedy of the death of his oldest son and the following year that of his oldest grandson. Therefore, the kings successor was his little five year old great grandson Louis Duke of Anjou, who became King Louis XV of France after the death of his great-grandfather in 1715.

paragraphs: French kings after Louis XIV taxed a lot of money from the poor people to try and pay off the debt. This is part of what led to the French Revolution.

paragraphs: In a world that regarded territory, power, and wealth as paramount, Louis XIV was recognized as a great king. He transformed France into the dominant nation in Europe, expanded its boundaries, and left his heirs secure in their possessions. Louis reached the height of his power in the 1670s, and he protected what he had achieved for the next four decades in the face of a Europe united against him. Moreover, he eventually realized his dream of seeing a Bourbon on the Spanish throne. During Louis’s reign, France also consolidated the administration of its colonial possessions and commerce, becoming a world power. On the domestic front, Louis strengthened the central government’s control over the diverse regions of France, incorporating his territorial gains into a united state. On the other hand, he provoked controversy when he restored Catholic religious unity by revoking the Edict of Nantes and repressing Protestantism. Unfortunately many of Louis’s policies, both domestic and foreign, caused great hardship to ordinary people, many of whom suffered starvation, fled their homeland, or lived in terror of persecution. Ultimately, Louis XIV wished to bring glory to France and to his dynasty, and he died believing that he had.