title: Viktor Yanukovych

paragraphs: Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych () (born 9 July 1950) is a Ukrainian politician who was the 4th President of Ukraine from 2010 to 2014; he was Prime Minister of Ukraine from November 2002 until December 2004 (he was forced to resign (leave office early) on 31 December 2004). He again was Prime Minister of Ukraine from 4 August 2006 until 18 December 2007. He is the former leader of the Party of Regions the biggest political party of Ukraine. The party was formerly part of the Ukrainian government.

paragraphs: In November 2004, he won the presidential election. Viktor Yushchenko, his opponent, said the result was false. Large daily demonstrations supporting Viktor Yushchenko followed. They were named "The Orange Revolution". Ukrainian Judges decided that there would be new elections in December 2004. Victor Yuschenko won those elections and became president of Ukraine.

paragraphs: Yanukovych was supported by Vladimir Putin of Russia and by the former Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma.

paragraphs: Yushchenko claimed to have been poisoned in a bid to silence his "orange power" base. Certainly, he was hospitalized and his appearance showed signs of a grave illness.

paragraphs: In February 2010, he won the presidential election; Yulia Tymoshenko, who lost the election with a 3.48% difference, said he won because of fraud.

paragraphs: Yanukovych was a victim of poverty in his childhood and was twice put in prison for violent crimes in his youth.

paragraphs: After mass protest in Ukraine during February 2014, Yanukovych was forced-out of office on 22 February 2014. Oleksandr Turchynov became acting president.


title: Salt

paragraphs: In chemistry, a salt is any neutral chemical compound made of cations (positive ions) attached to anions (negative ions). The main kind of salt is sodium chloride.

paragraphs: Mixtures of salts in water are called electrolytes. Electricity is able to pass through electrolytes, as well as molten salts.

paragraphs: Salts can melt ice, because salts lower the temperature needed for liquid to freeze. Because of that, streets are sometimes treated with salt in winter, if the temperature is only a little below freezing.

paragraphs: A salt can also be explained as an ionic compound which dissociates, forming a positive ion other than hydrogen ion, and a negative ion other than hydroxyl ion.

paragraphs: The word "Salt" in English often means 'table salt' or 'edible salt' (which is salt that can be eaten). This kind of salt is made up mostly of "sodium chloride" (NaCl). It is one of the few minerals that are eaten a lot by humans, but it can be used for other things besides giving food its flavor.

paragraphs: There are different kinds of edible salt: unrefined salt (for example sea salt), refined salt (table salt), and iodized salt. It is a crystalline solid that has the color white, pale pink, or light gray. It is usually taken from sea water or rock deposits. Natural sea salt has little parts and pieces of other minerals besides sodium chloride. Rock salts that can be eaten are sometimes a little grayish in color because of these other minerals.

paragraphs: Sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) are the two elements that make up sodium chloride. Both of these are needed for all living creatures, including humans, but they are not always eaten in the form of salt, where they are found together in large amounts. Some peoples, like the Yanomami tribe in South America, eat very little salt. Salt is used to control the amount of water in the body. Salty flavor is also one of the basic tastes. Salt cravings may be caused by not having enough minerals, such as sodium chloride, in the body.

paragraphs: Eating too much salt can make health problems more likely to happen, for example high blood pressure. When food is made, salt is used as a preservative, to make the food last longer, and as a seasoning, for flavor.

paragraphs: There are different ways to get table salt:

paragraphs: Because many germs cannot live in salt, it has been used to preserve food since the earliest times. Its use as a food preservative helped large amounts of food to be stored, sent a long way, and eaten all through the year. This helped populations to grow, cities to develop, and soldiers in wars to be fed.

paragraphs: Salt was probably used in Egypt as long ago as 4000 BC. In ancient times, salt was more valuable than it is now, because it was hard to get in many places, and could be used not only to give foods flavor, but also to make them last longer. It allowed food to be kept past its season, and taken on long trips.

paragraphs: People often traded salt for other things. It was of high value in China, Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa. In the Mediterranean area, including Ancient Rome, salt was even used for money. The word "salary" comes from the Latin word for salt, because they paid people in salt. After people learned how to get salt from the ocean, salt became cheaper. The Phoenicians were some of the first to figure out how to do this, by pouring seawater on dry land. Then when it dried, they collected the salt and sold it.

paragraphs: Another use of salt was in war, as a way to punish a city by ruining its crops. This is called "salting the Earth". The Assyrians are said to have been one of the first to have done this to their neighbours.

paragraphs: Salts can be found in all different colours, such as: yellow (sodium chromate), orange (potassium dichromate), red (mercury sulphide), mauve (cobalt chloride hexahydrate), blue (copper sulfate pentahydrate, ferric hexacyanoferrate), green (nickel oxide), colorless (magnesium sulphate), white (titanium dioxide), and black (manganese dioxide). Most minerals and inorganic pigments, as well as many synthetic organic dyes, are salts.


title: Business

paragraphs: A business is an organization where people work together. In a business, people work to make and sell products or services. Other people buy the products and services. The business owner is the person who hires people for work. A business can earn a profit for the products and services it offers. The word "business" comes from the word "busy", and means doing things.It works on regular basis.

paragraphs: Originally, individual trades people were qualified, and they hired assistants. The invention of the joint-stock company meant a new era in business. By this means, some people put up the money as capital, and others used it to run the business. There is a law which says this kind of company is a "legal entity": it has a legal life separate from its owners or shareholders. In this way, a company can outlive the people who started it. This idea was invented in medieval times, but really flowered in the 19th century. It has spread around the world since then.

paragraphs: Most businesses are created for commerce. There are big and small businesses. For example, one person can open a small barber-shop. A big business, like Microsoft, employs thousands of people all over the world.

paragraphs: Some businesses need fixed locations. Examples are an office, store, or farm. For some businesses the worker goes to different locations. Examples are carpenters or electricians. They usually bring everything they need for work in their truck.

paragraphs: "Business" can also mean the work or current state of a business. A business owner might say: "I am doing a lot of business" or "My business is good" or "Business is bad".

paragraphs: The term can also be used in a more general way. As a noun, it can be used, for example, to speak about a broad area of activity.


title: Winter

paragraphs: Winter is one of the four seasons and the coldest time of the year. The days are shorter and the nights are longer. Winter comes after autumn and before spring.

paragraphs: Winter begins at the winter solstice. In the Northern Hemisphere the winter solstice is usually December 21 or December 22. In the Southern Hemisphere the winter solstice is usually June 21 or June 22.

paragraphs: Some animals hibernate during this season. In temperate climates there are no leaves on deciduous trees. People wear warm clothing and eat food that was grown earlier. Many places have snow in winter, and some people use sleds or skis. Holidays in winter for many countries include Christmas and New Year's Day.

paragraphs: The name comes from an old Germanic word that means "time of water" and refers to the rain and snow of winter in middle and high latitudes.


title: Junta

paragraphs: A junta is a Spanish word that is used for military dictatorships.

paragraphs: Often juntas got their power because of a coup d'état.

paragraphs: Greece, Chile, Mauritania, Guatemala, Brazil, South Vietnam, and El Salvador are examples of countries that were once ruled by juntas.

paragraphs: The most famous junta nowadays is that of Myanmar, but Myanmar is not the only country that is ruled by a junta now, Thailand is another example.

paragraphs: Some autonomous regional governments in Spain are also called junta.


title: Nezahualcoyotl

paragraphs: Nezahualcoyotl (1402 - 1472) was king of Texcoco, a part of the Aztec empire. He was also a famous poet.

paragraphs: The name Nezahualcoyotl is Nahuatl, it means "hungry coyote".


title: Miguel Hidalgo

paragraphs: Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (8 May, 1753 – 30 July, 1811) was a Mexican priest. He started Mexico's war of independence against Spain.

paragraphs: Hidalgo made a speech in 1810 now called the Grito de Dolores. He called on the people to support the King of Spain against the rebellious Viceroy of Mexico. After a few months he was taken prisoner and executed by firing squad. After he died, several other people, such as Vicente Guerrero, kept fighting against the Spanish until 1821, when Mexico became an independent country. Hidalgo is remembered today as a great liberator in Mexico.

paragraphs: The Mexican state of Hidalgo is named after him.


title: Death penalty

paragraphs: Death penalty, also called capital punishment, is when a government or state executes (kills) someone, usually but not always because they have committed a serious crime. A crime that can be punished with the death penalty is called a capital crime or a capital offense.

paragraphs: Executions in most countries have become rarer in recent centuries. The death penalty is a disputed and controversial topic.

paragraphs: About one third of the countries in the world have laws that allow the death penalty. The United States, the People's Republic of China, Japan and Iran are examples of countries that have a death penalty. Canada, Australia, Mexico and all members of Council of Europe are examples of countries that have abolished the death penalty. 75 countries have gotten rid of the capital punishment for all crimes. Another 20 can be considered abolitionist in practice. If they retain the death penalty in law but have not carried out any executions for the past 10 years or more.

paragraphs: Most of the countries that have a death penalty use it on murderers, and for other serious crimes such as rape or terrorism. Other countries especially ones with Authoritarian or Totalitarian governments, however, also use it for smaller crimes like theft, drugs, or for saying bad things about the government.

paragraphs: A study by Amnesty International found that the following countries did the most executions in 2012:

paragraphs: A total of 557 people were executed in the United States between 1977, when the death penalty was reintroduced after a 10-year break, and 2000. During this period, 20 states did not carry out any executions. Here are the states with the most executions during this time:

paragraphs: <nowiki>*</nowiki>The Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, as part of the Soviet Union, reinstated capital punishment during the time of the Soviet Union.

paragraphs: It is common to have people executed for crimes including murder, manslaughter and attempted murder, but there are also other crimes that carry the death penalty. Some of these are:

paragraphs: During war time, the following crimes are punished by death:

paragraphs: According to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that became valid in 1976, people that were not at least eighteen years old at the time they committed the crime may not be executed. According to the European Convention on Human Rights, specifically its 13th amendment (2002), no one must be executed.

paragraphs: There is a lot of different opinions on the topic of capital punishment. As it is an important topic, each country has very strong feelings. Many people say the death penalty is reasonable because it scares people away from doing things that are illegal, however many others say there is a potential of executing an innocent man; one says justice, retribution, and punishment; the other side says that execution is murder. Most people know the threat of crime to their lives, but the question lies in the methods and action that should be used to deal with it.

paragraphs: Throughout human history, governments and rulers have used many death penalty methods to execute people, such as crucifixion, flaying, and hanging. Some methods like crucifixion and flaying are no longer used by governments, because people think that these methods of killing are too cruel. The gas chamber was found unconstitutional in the United States (that is: against the United States constitution not allowing "cruel and unusual punishments") and is no longer used.

paragraphs: The Council of Europe has abolished all death penalty by 13th amendment of the European Convention on Human Rights. Amnesty International oppose all death penalty on ground of the right to life and prohibition of all tortures or any cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment insisted by Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

paragraphs: The following forms of execution are in use today:


title: Kofi Annan

paragraphs: Kofi Atta Annan (8 April 1938 – 18 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat. He served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations. He did this from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006. Annan and the United Nations were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. They were awarded the prize "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world".

paragraphs: Annan was born in Kumasi, Ghana, to an elite family. His parents, Henry Reginald and Madam Rose Eshun are from the two major ethnic groups that make up the Akan – one of the groups of indigenous people of Ghana.

paragraphs: His father was half Asante and half Fante; his mother was Fante. The Asante were gold merchants while the Fante tribe were the middlemen in the gold trade between the Asante and the British.

paragraphs: Annan, whose first name means "born on a Friday", also had a twin sister, who died in 1991 from a still yet unknown disease. In Ghanaian culture, twins are considered special and are adored.

paragraphs: Annan probably got his first lessons in politics and diplomacy early on from his family. Both of Annan's grandfathers and his uncle were tribal chiefs. Upon his retirement, Annan's father, who worked as an export manager for the cocoa exporter Lever Brothers, was elected governor of Ghana's Asante province.

paragraphs: In 1954, Annan attended Mfantsipim School, an Methodist boarding school in central Ghana. The Secretary-General says that the school taught him "that suffering anywhere concerns people everywhere".

paragraphs: Annan went to Macalaster College in St. Paul, Minnesota and graduating in 1961. He was a Sloan Fellow at MIT in 1971–72, getting a master's degree in management.

paragraphs: Annan became Secretary-General of the United Nations in January 1997, succeeding Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt. Annan was a U.N. veteran who took his first job with the organization in 1962 and worked his way up through various posts including Deputy Director to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (1980–83) and head of the U.N.'s peacekeeping efforts (1995–96). Annan was the first Secretary-General chosen from the ranks of the U.N.'s staff. He is also the first black man to hold the post and the second African (after Boutros-Ghali). His second term began in 2002 and ran through the end of 2006.

paragraphs: In 2001 he and the United Nations were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their work for a better organized and more peaceful world".

paragraphs: Annan was married to Nane Annan, a lawyer and artist from Sweden.

paragraphs: Annan died on 18 August 2018 in Bern, Switzerland after a short-illness, aged 80.


title: United Nations General Assembly

paragraphs: The United Nations General Assembly is made up of all United Nations member states. The Assembly meets once a year, which usually begins on the third Tuesday in September and ends in mid-December. The first meeting was held on 10 January 1946.

paragraphs: Voting in the General Assembly on important questions, for example suggestions on world peace, human rights and security, is by two-thirds of those present and voting. Other questions are decided by popular vote. Each member country has one vote.

paragraphs: At present, the Holy See (Vatican City) and Palestine are the only two observer states at the United Nations. Switzerland also had that status until it became a member state.

paragraphs: The current President of the United Nations General Assembly is Volkan Bozkır since 15 September 2020.

paragraphs: United nations general assembly observers have the right to speak in the assembly. The observers have no rights to vote in the assembly.


title: Mining

paragraphs: Mining is the process of digging things out of the ground. Any material that cannot be grown must be mined. Mining things from the ground is called "extraction". Mining can include extraction of metals and minerals, like coal, diamond, gold, silver, platinum, copper, tin and iron. Mining can also include other things like oil and natural gas.

paragraphs: Some mining is done by scraping away the soil (dirt) from the top of the ground. This is called "surface mining". Some mining is done by going deep underground into a "mine shaft". This is called "underground mining". Some mining, such as gold mining, is done in other ways. Gold can be mined by searching in the bed of a river or other stream of water to remove the flakes of gold. This is called "panning" or "placer mining".

paragraphs: A worker in a mine is called a miner. Underground mining is a dangerous job. Many mines have accidents. Hundreds of miners die every year from accidents, mostly in poor countries. Safety rules and special safety equipment is used to try and protect miners from accidents. Underground coal mining is especially dangerous because coal can give off poisonous and explosive gases.

paragraphs: Some towns are mining towns. People live there because they can make money as miners or by doing things for miners. When mining stops the town may become a ghost town.


title: Bomber

paragraphs: A bomber is a type of airplane that is used to attack ground targets, mainly by dropping bombs. The first bombers were made at the start of World War I.

paragraphs: Bombers often fly low to the ground to confuse enemy radar. Most cannot fly very fast. Because of this, bombers are not outfitted to fight other airplanes. To make up for this, bombers in the past had many machine guns for defense.

paragraphs: Dive bombers were numerous in World War II. They attacked surface targets including tanks and ships.

paragraphs: Strategic bombing became important. Bombers had large crews, sometimes as many as 12 people. Usually a bomber had a pilot, a bombadier, a co-pilot/navigator, and many machine gunners all around to shoot at enemy fighter aircraft defending the target. Friendly fighters often came along to help fight the defenders.

paragraphs: Bombers now have one or two people in them. The other positions have been replaced by computers. Bombers have very few guns on them partly because they are much faster. In bombing missions now, the pilot drops a bomb and leaves as quickly as possible. During the Cold War, a few bombers were made that could travel supersonic, so a nuclear bomb could be dropped without killing the people in the airplane. They were never used that way, however.


title: Bull

paragraphs: A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species "Bos taurus". They are more muscular and aggressive than the female of the species, the cow. The bull has long been an important symbol in many cultures, and plays a large role in beef ranching, dairy farming. They are also important in other cultural activities, including bull fighting and bull riding. The management of livestock animals in hot climates is a challenge.The physiological and behavioral changes induced in these animals compromise their welfare, breeding, health, and zootechnical performance, resulting in final products (eggs, milk, and meat) with unsatisfactory characteristics.

paragraphs: As with other animals, some bulls have been regarded as pets.


title: Huntingdon Life Sciences

paragraphs: Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) are the largest animal testing company in Europe. They were founded in 1951 and are based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. They also have a laboratory in New Jersey, United States. Huntingdon Life Sciences is an international contract research organisation offering a comprehensive range of non-clinical development services. The UK lab carries out medical and product research for many organisations.

paragraphs: Many people feel strongly against HLS. The Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) campaign group are the main opposition group. SHAC were set up in 1999. The opposition to HLS has had many forms. While most animal rights people have used legal means of protest, some people have become extremists and done very bad things. Thus the opposition to HLS has become an example to many people of a good cause gone wrong.


title: Huntingdon

paragraphs: Huntingdon is a town in Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom. It stands on the River Ouse near the A1, a major road in England.

paragraphs: The town was chartered in 1205 and founded by Anglo-Saxons.

paragraphs: Huntingdon also has the largest meadow in England; Portholme Meadow. There are many small villages in Huntingdon, it has a high street and a main supermarket. The A14 runs through it.


title: Condom

paragraphs: A condom is a thin cover that is put on a man's penis and used during sexual intercourse. It is normally made of latex. Condoms are a form of birth control, they can prevent a pregnancy. They can also prevent the spread of certain sexually transmitted infections, such as gonorrhea, syphilis, or HIV. Another name for a condom is prophylactic sheath.

paragraphs: In 2009, most condoms were made of latex. For people with latex allergy, plastic condoms are available.

paragraphs: The first condoms were made of tissue paper. Later models were made of the intestines of animals, such as sheep. Such condoms can still be found sometimes. Certain people prefer sheepskin condoms over latex ones, because sheepskin condoms can transfer body warmth better. However they do not prevent diseases as effectively as latex condoms.

paragraphs: Condoms are popular for several reasons. They are inexpensive and can be bought without a prescription by either a man or a woman. They can be bought at many locations, and they are easy to use (once the couple learns how.) They have no health-related side effects for either the man or the woman, and they are one of the few types of birth control that also reduce the spread of infections. If the couple decides to have a baby, they can stop using condoms at any time and begin trying to get pregnant with no delay.

paragraphs: But condoms have some disadvantages. During sex, the couple must stop to put on the condom just before beginning intercourse, which interrupts and distracts them at an exciting time. Condoms reduce the physical feelings of intercourse, especially for the man, who cannot feel the heat and sensation of the woman's vagina as much. Condoms can also reduce the emotional closeness the man and woman feel during intercourse because there is something between them. Condoms are less effective than many other types of birth control, and if a couple is in a steady relationship and are having sex very often, condoms can become more expensive to use. For these reasons, once a man and woman are in a steady relationship and are sure they are free of infection, the woman often begins to use birth control pills or some other highly effective contraceptive, after which the couple stops using condoms.

paragraphs: Condoms are rolled up when they are packaged, and are meant to be rolled over an erect penis. They are most commonly made of latex, but are available in other materials. Condoms normally have an expiration date on them. Condoms weaken after this date, and may not work properly. Condoms are also not designed to be used more than once.

paragraphs: It is important to know how to use a condom before using one. If a mistake is made, the condom may not work. This happens a lot. When using a condom for the first time, it could help to try using it alone to get familiar with condoms without any danger.

paragraphs: Nowadays women also can use condoms. Like male condoms, they increase protection for partners from pregnancy and STD's. Female condoms look like a sheath with a flexible ring on both sides of this sheath. With these rings the condom is attached to the vagina. It covers the vagina and cervix to prevent sperm from getting inside the woman's uterus. It is necessary to know that female and male condoms should not be used at the same time. In this case, both condoms may rub against each other, and this will result in failure.

paragraphs: The oldest condoms ever found were from the 1640s. They were made from animal and fish intestines.

paragraphs: There are two ways to see how effective condoms are. They are method effectiveness, where how many couples that use the condom every time they have sex properly do not get pregnant are looked at; and actual effectiveness, where the number of people that use condoms either correctly or incorrectly and do not get pregnant are looked at. Most studies show results of effectiveness over a year.

paragraphs: The method failure rate of condoms is 2% per year. The actual failure rate is different in different places, and the rates can be anywhere between 10 and 18% per year.

paragraphs: According to a 2001 study by the National Institutes of Health, correct and consistent condom use:

paragraphs: Other sexually-transmitted infections may be affected as well, but they could not draw definite conclusions from the research they were working with. In particular, these include STIs associated with ulcerative lesions that may be present on body surfaces where the condom does not cover, such as human papillomavirus (HPV), genital herpes simplex (HSV), chancroid, and syphilis. If contact is made with uncovered lesions, transmission of these STIs may still occur despite appropriate condom use. Additionally, the absence of visible lesions or symptoms cannot be used to decide whether caution is needed.

paragraphs: An article in "The American Journal of Gynecologic Health" showed that "all women who correctly and consistently used Reality® were protected from trichomonas vaginalis" (referring to a particular brand of female condom).

paragraphs: The most common reason for a condom failing is that the user has not put it on properly. A condom can also fail because it has been damaged, because the latex has weakened, or because it has come off the penis during sexual intercourse. Something else that can cause a condom to not work, as it should, is sabotage. This can be when one of the partners wants a baby, but the other one does not. Usually they pierce a condom with a sharp object, making the condom useless. Some people see it as not ethical, because one of the two sex partners does it without the other one's knowledge. There are websites that show how to do it, if the woman wants a baby, but the man does not.

paragraphs: One method of testing condoms for microscopic holes involves placing the condom being tested over one conducting form with another on the other side of the condom. If the condom does not prevent an electric current from flowing between the two conducting forms, it fails the test. Holes in condoms are unlikely if proper handling conditions (see below) are followed.

paragraphs: Several religious communities (like Catholic Christians, Muslims, and some Protestant Christians) see problems if condoms are used:


title: Osaka

paragraphs: Osaka is in the Kansai region. It is the economic and cultural center of the Kansai region.

paragraphs: Since 1980 it had been the second largest city in Japan.

paragraphs: It is a city designated by government ordinance in Japan.

paragraphs: Osaka is surrounded by Hyōgo Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Nara Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture.

paragraphs: Sometimes it is called by its historical name "Naniwa".

paragraphs: Because it is by the sea, it is good for transportation. That is why an ancient emperor made Osaka the capital city. In the early part of the 8th century Naniwa was one of capitals of Japan. In the middle of the 16th century Toyotomi Hideyoshi founded Osaka castle and governed Japan in Osaka. The basis of development of Osaka was prepared in those times. Osaka castle was destroyed once by Tokugawa Ieyasu but Ieyasu choose Osaka as one of the political centers in the Western Japan. He made Osaka a direct dominion of the shogun. During the Edo period Osaka was a center of commerce, finance, pharmacy and other products. It was a center for literature and theater. Kabuki in Osaka is as famous as Kabuki in Edo and Kyoto. It is also known for bunraku (a traditional puppet theater) and manzai (a kind of stand-up comedy).

paragraphs: Traditional Osaka food dishes include "okonomiyaki" (pan-fried batter cake) and "takoyaki" (octopus dumplings).

paragraphs: In this region, many people speak a dialect called Osaka-Ben (e.g. "ookini"="thank you").

paragraphs: After the Meiji restoration Osaka was modernized and industrialized. It was a center of Japanese industry. After the World War II its economical importance was relatively less because Tokyo grew as an international city and many companies moved their headquarters to Tokyo. But Osaka is still a large, important city.


title: Piano

paragraphs: A piano (also called a pianoforte) is a musical instrument classified as a percussion instrument that is played by pressing keys on a keyboard. A person who plays the piano is called a pianist.

paragraphs: The piano has been an extremely popular instrument in Western classical music since the late 18th century. The piano was invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori of Padua, Italy. He made his first piano in 1709. It developed from the clavichord which looks like a piano but the strings of a clavichord are hit by a small blade of metal called a “tangent”. In the piano the strings are hit by a block of wood called a hammer. The early keyboarded instruments, such as the clavichords, harpsichords and organs that were used at that time, had a much shorter keyboard than they do today. Gradually the keyboard became longer until it had the 88 notes (7 octaves plus three notes) of the modern piano.

paragraphs: At first the instrument was called the “fortepiano”. This means “loud-soft” in Italian. It was given this name because it could be played either loudly or softly, depending on how hard the note was hit (the harpsichord could not do this, and the clavichord could only make a tiny difference between louder and softer). Later this name changed to “pianoforte”. This is normally shortened to “piano”. The word “fortepiano” is sometimes used to describe the pianos of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In some languages, such as Russian, “fortepiano” is the normal word for a piano.

paragraphs: Although the piano was invented at the beginning of the 18th century, it was not until 50 years later that it started to become popular. The first time the piano was played in a public concert in London was in 1768 when it was played by Johann Christian Bach. The upright piano was invented in 1800 by John Isaac Hawkings. Seven years later T. Southwell invented “over-stringing”. This means that the strings for the low notes go diagonally across the soundboard so that they can be longer and make a much bigger sound.

paragraphs: The early pianos had strings that were fastened to a frame made of wood. They were not very heavy, but they were not very strong or loud, so they could not be heard very well in a big concert hall. In 1825 the cast-iron frame was invented in America. This made the piano much stronger so that it could make a bigger sound and the strings were not likely to break.

paragraphs: A piano has a keyboard with white keys and black keys. When a key is pressed down, the damper comes off the string and a hammer hits the string. It hits it very quickly and bounces off so that the string is free to vibrate and make a sound. Each key is a level that makes a hammer inside the piano hit a string inside, producing a sound. Each string has a different length and so produces-a different note. When the player takes their finger off the key the damper falls back onto the string and the sound stops. The strings are stretched very tightly across the frame, passing over a bridge on the way. The bridge touches the soundboard. This means that the vibrations are sent to the soundboard. The soundboard is a very important part of the piano. If it is damaged the piano will not make a sound.

paragraphs: The mechanism which makes the hammer bounce off the string very quickly is called the “escapement”. In 1821 Sebastian Erard invented a kind of double escapement. This made it possible to repeat the note very quickly. The hammer only touches the string for about one thousandth of a second. The hammers are covered with felt which is a mixture of wool, silk and hair.

paragraphs: At the bottom of every modern piano, there are at least two pedals, which are levers that the pianist presses down with his or her feet to change the sound. Many pianos have three pedals, but a few have even more. Each pedal changes the sound in a different way.

paragraphs: The damper pedal is the most important pedal, and so many composers often write down in a piece of music when the pianist should press and when he or she should let go of the damper pedal. In most classical music, there is a sign that says "Ped." where the pedal should be pressed, and one that looks like an asterisk where the pedal should be let go. Pedal marks can also appear as a straight line under the staff. Often, the pianist will let go of the pedal and press it again right away; this is called "changing pedal". Sometimes, the music will simply say "con pedale", which in Italian means "with pedal". It means that the damper pedal should be used, but the pianist should know when to change the pedal.

paragraphs: Another sign, which tells a pianist to press the soft pedal is "una corda," (Italian for "one string"). It is held down until another sign, "tre corde" (meaning "three strings"), appears, telling the pianist to let go of the soft pedal. In early pianos, it was possible to press the pedal a little way so that the hammers hit two strings, then press it further so that they hit only one string.

paragraphs: There is no sign for the sostenuto pedal, so it is up to the pianist on whether to use it in a specific piece of music.

paragraphs: Once the piano became popular in the late 18th century many composers wrote music for the piano. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart started to learn on harpsichords when he was very small, but the piano was becoming popular when he was a young man and he wrote many sonatas and concertos for the piano. Franz Joseph Haydn also wrote a lot of piano music. Ludwig van Beethoven was a very famous pianist before he became very famous as a composer. His piano compositions include 5 concertos and 32 sonatas. In the Romantic period many composers wrote for the piano. They include Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt and Frederic Chopin. Later composers include Sergei Rachmaninoff, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitri Shostakovich and Bela Bartok.

paragraphs: Some famous piano players from the early days of the piano include Dussek, Mozart, Muzio Clementi, John Field and Chopin. In the 19th century Franz Liszt was a very great influence on the piano by composing and performing very difficult music. Other great pianists include Clara Schumann and Anton Rubinstein. 20th century pianists include Artur Schnabel, Vladimir Horowitz, Josef Hofmann, Wilhelm Kempff, Dinu Lipati, Claudio Arrau, Artur Rubinstein, Sviatoslav Richter and Alfred Brendel. Among the greatest pianists today are Vladimir Ashkenazy, Daniel Barenboim, Leif Ove Andsnes, Boris Berezovsky and Evgeny Kissin.Connor Farrow

paragraphs: Pianists who play popular music include Liberace, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Elton John, Billy Joel, Thelonious Monk, Tori Amos and Ray Charles. Perhaps the greatest jazz pianist was Fats Waller.

paragraphs: The piano has been a very popular instrument ever since the mid 18th century when it soon replaced the clavichord and the harpsichord. By the early 19th century the sound that the piano made was big enough to fill large concert halls. Smaller pianos were made for use in people’s homes. At first these included square pianos and giraffe pianos, later on the upright pianos became popular for home use. Pianos are not often used in orchestras (if they are, they are part of the percussion section). They may, however, be used for piano concertos (pieces for solo pianist accompanied by orchestra). There is a vast amount of music written for piano solo. The piano can also be used together with other instruments, in jazz groups, and for accompanying singing.


title: Channel Islands

paragraphs: The Channel Islands are a group of islands near the coast of France. The five largest islands are:

paragraphs: The main industries are tourism, horticulture (growing plants for food) and financial services (businesses to do with money). Most people speak English, although some people in Guernsey, Jersey and Sark still speak the traditional language of their island.

paragraphs: Constitutionally, the islands are part of the British crown, but are not part of the United Kingdom. Being part of the mediaeval duchy of Normandy, allegiance is owed to the Queen but not to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which cannot pass laws for the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey except for defence and diplomatic matters, except if the bailiwicks ask it to. In general, the bailiwicks are self-governing, but they often pass laws which are like United Kingdom laws. However some of their laws are still based on Norman law.


title: Hedonism

paragraphs: Hedonism is a type of philosophy. Hedonism can be generally summed up as a belief that "pleasure is the highest good" or that "whatever causes pleasure is right."

paragraphs: In Hedonism, people think that what makes them happy is good. Things that avoid pain are also good. Hedonism is focused around pleasure. There are different beliefs in hedonism. Some people believe it is important to get as many pleasurable experiences as possible, others believe that the quality of the pleasure matters. They think there are higher and lower pleasures.

paragraphs: Many people also believe Hedonism is related to sex. This is not true. Sex can be a very pleasurable experience, but when philosophers talk about Hedonism, they think more about the pleasure of reading a good book, listening to classical music, or discussing with other philosophers.

paragraphs: Two types of Hedonism are Cyrenaicism and Epicureanism. Cyrenaicism is where people make themselves happy in the fastest amount of time. Epicureanism is where people like to be happy but they do so slowly so that they cause less pain to themselves. They also look more into the future and go for the higher pleasures in life.


title: Shinkansen

paragraphs: The is a group of High-speed rail lines in Japan, upon which the famous "Bullet Trains" run.

paragraphs: The Shinkansen are run by the many JR companies. In the past, Japan Railway was called "Japanese National Railways." It is now one group of private companies. JR also run commuter trains and inter city trains around Tokyo.

paragraphs: The name "Bullet Train" is the English translation of the Japanese word "dangan ressha" (弾丸列車), which was the name given to the project while it was being studied in the 1940s. Nowadays, the trains are called Shinkansen trains. The name Shinkansen means "New Trunk Line". The trains are called "Super Expresses".

paragraphs: Japan was the first country to build railway lines for high speed travel. Because Japan has many mountains, the network that already existed was made of 3'6" gauge (1067 mm) narrow gauge lines, which tended to take non-direct routes and could not be adapted to higher speeds. Because of this, Japan had a greater need for new high speed lines than countries where the existing standard gauge or broad gauge rail system could be upgraded easily. Unlike the older lines, Shinkansen lines are standard gauge, and use tunnels and viaducts to go through and over obstacles, rather than around them.

paragraphs: Construction of the first section of the Tokaido Shinkansen between Tokyo and Osaka started in 1959. The line opened on October 1, 1964, just in time for the Tokyo Olympics. The line was an immediate success, reaching the 100 million passenger mark in less than three years on July 13, 1967 and one billion passengers in 1976.

paragraphs: The first Shinkansen trains ran at speeds of up to 200 km/h (125 mph), later increased to 220 km/h (135 mph). Some of these trains, with their classic bullet-nosed appearance, are still in use for stopping services between Hakata and Osaka. A driving car from one of the original trains is now in the British National Railway Museum in York.

paragraphs: Many more advanced models of train followed the first type, generally each with its own distinctive appearance. Shinkansen trains now run regularly at speeds of up to 300 km/h (185 mph), putting them among the fastest trains running in the world, along with the French TGV and German ICE trains.

paragraphs: Originally meant to carry passenger and freight trains by day and night, the Shinkansen lines carry only passenger trains. The system shuts down

paragraphs: between midnight and 6:00 every day to allow maintenance to take place, including the running of Doctor Yellow test trains. The few overnight trains that still run in Japan run on the old narrow gauge network which the Shinkansen runs parallel to.

paragraphs: In 2003, JR Tokai reported that the Shinkansen's average arrival time was within 6 seconds of the scheduled time. This includes all natural and human accidents and errors and is calculated from about 160,000 trips Shinkansen made. The previous record was from 1997 and was 18 seconds.

paragraphs: The first derailment of a Shinkansen train in passenger service occurred during the Chuetsu Earthquake on October 23, 2004. 6 of the total of 8 cars of the train on the Joetsu Shinkansen derailed near Nagaoka Station in Nagaoka, Niigata.

paragraphs: In recent years, due to noise pollution, increasing speed is getting harder. Thus, the current research is aimed to reduce the amount of noise, mainly when trains exit a tunnel.

paragraphs: Three extensions are under construction for opening by 2014-2018: Nagano-Kanazawa, Aomori-Hakodate and Takeo-Onsen-Isahaya.

paragraphs: The first ever Shinkansen line (built in 1964) travelled at 125mph and was called the Tōkaido Shinkansen. In 1972 a second one was developed and the improvements on infrastructure allowed it to travel at around 137mph. In 2003 the Japanese built the world's fastest ever Shinkansen, with a top speed of 361mph.

paragraphs: Two further lines, known as Mini-Shinkansen (ミニ新幹線), have also been constructed by upgrading existing sections of line:

paragraphs: Another standard gauge line using Shinkansen trains is not considered to be a Shinkansen line:

paragraphs: The following lines are under development:

paragraphs: Most Shinkansen lines that were proposed during the boom of the early 1970s have been postponed indefinitely. These include a link to Shikoku by the Honshu-Shikoku bridge system, a link from Tokyo to New Tokyo International Airport, and a route covering the entire Sea of Japan coast of Honshu.


title: Copper

paragraphs: Copper is a chemical element. It is the 29th element in the periodic table. Its mass number is 63.55. It is a transition metal in the middle of the periodic table. The symbol for copper is "Cu", which comes from the Latin word "cuprum", which, in turn, came from the Latin word for the island of Cyprus, where copper was found.

paragraphs: Copper is a reddish-orange color when it is pure, but soon gets a reddish tarnish after it is exposed to air.

paragraphs: Copper is one of the few coloured metals. Most metals are gray or silver. Gold, copper, caesium and osmium are the only four coloured metals. Copper is green as copper(II) carbonate and copper(II) hydroxide. It turns green because it oxidises. After a time in the air, copper forms green copper carbonate at the surface, called verdigris. That is why the copper roof of a building looks green.

paragraphs: Copper is very flexible and ductile. It can be stretched into wires easily. Copper is also very soft, it has a Mohs hardness of 2.5 to 3. That means that it is harder than a fingernail but softer than a steel pocketknife.

paragraphs: It reacts with solutions of hydrochloric acid or ammonia containing oxygen. It can also dissolve in a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid. This makes copper(II) chloride. It does not dissolve in weak acids. It can dissolve in nitric acid to make copper(II) nitrate and nitrogen dioxide or nitric oxide.

paragraphs: Copper forms chemical compounds. In these compounds, it has two normal oxidation states: +1 and +2. +2 is more common. Most +2 copper compounds are blue. +1 copper compounds can be white. Copper compounds are weak oxidizing agents. They corrode many metals. This corrosion takes the metal and puts it in the chemical compound, leaving the copper behind. An example would be iron and copper(II) sulfate reacting to make copper and iron(II) sulfate. +1 copper compounds are reducing agents when in air. They are normally made by reduction of +2 compounds.

paragraphs: Copper compounds can be black, green, reddish, white, blue, or yellow.

paragraphs: Copper(I) compounds have copper in +1 oxidation state. They are weak reducing agents. They react with air to make copper(II) compounds. They also disproportionate to copper and copper(II) compounds. Most of them do not dissolve in water.

paragraphs: Copper(II) compounds have copper in +2 oxidation state. They are weak oxidizing agents. They are greenish when hydrous (water molecules added). They are more stable in air than copper(I) compounds.

paragraphs: Copper can be found as a metal in the ground. Normally, it is green on the outside. Most copper is not as a metal but in chemical compounds. Chalcopyrite is the most common copper ore. It is a mixture of pyrite and copper sulfide. Copper is found in small amounts in living things. Some mollusks and arthropods have blue blood because they have copper in their blood. Animals such as humans and other mammals have red blood because it contains iron.

paragraphs: Copper can be used in many ways but one example is wires. Copper is used in making wires as it is easy to stretch and it is not expensive. So that’s why large wire companies will use copper as it is cheaper and takes less time to get

paragraphs: Copper may be the oldest metal in use, as very old copper tools have been found. Copper is used in electrical wiring. It can also be shaped into various parts. It can be used in a heat sink. The Statue of Liberty is made of copper. It is also used in pipes carrying water, because it does not corrode.

paragraphs: When people mix copper with tin, bronze is made. Bronze is much harder, and created the Bronze Age. It became less important when people learned to use iron better. When zinc is mixed with copper, brass is made, which is even harder than bronze. Copper with nickel makes cupronickel.

paragraphs: Copper is important in the human body. If a person does not get enough copper, the molecules in the body might not work. Having too much copper, though, can be a problem. Humans get most of the copper they need from food, and vitamins also contain copper to make sure we get enough. Copper compounds are also used to kill fungi and algae.

paragraphs: Copper is not as toxic as a metal. Copper compounds are toxic though, although small amounts are needed to live. Copper is expelled from the body easily, so it does not build up in toxic effects.

paragraphs: Copper is sometimes just taken out of the ground and shaped into objects. But most copper is not in a metal form in the ground. Chalcopyrite is the main copper ore. It is heated with air to separate the iron as iron(II) oxide. Some copper(I) oxide is made. Sulfur dioxide is also made. Then silicon dioxide is added, which reacts with the iron(II) oxide to make a liquid which is drained. Now only copper and sulfide are left. The copper sulfide reacts with air to make copper metal and sulfur dioxide. Some copper sulfide reacts with the copper(I) oxide to make copper and sulfur dioxide. This makes impure copper.

paragraphs: Copper is made pure by electrolyzing it. A thin sheet of pure copper is put on the cathode and a thick sheet of impure copper is put on the anode. The electrolyte is copper sulfate. The impure copper gets dissolved in the solution. It then coats the thin sheet of pure copper. This makes the copper pure.

paragraphs: Large amounts of copper are recycled because of its high value and the increasing depletion of worldwide copper reserves.


title: Prince

paragraphs: A prince is a male member of a royal family. A female prince is called a princess.

paragraphs: Each royal family has its own rules saying who is called a prince. In most of these families, the son of a king or a queen is a prince. In some families, the son of a prince is also a prince. In Monaco and Lichtenstein, the ruler of the country is called the prince.


title: Princess

paragraphs: A princess is a female member of a royal family. A son of a monarch is called a prince. A princess may become a ruler by heredity or by marriage. Sometimes the expression "princess" is used when a female has noble qualities such as kindness, charity, and virtue.

paragraphs: Princess is mostly known for a given title to a daughter of a reigning Monarch, and for a son its Prince, But other Countries have different titles for the same meaning. In the former Kingdom of the Holy Roman Empire, They had the title Archduchess of Austria, which is the same thing as Princess.

paragraphs: In the former kingdom of France its Dauphine of France, the title was first given in the 1300's.

paragraphs: In History most children who got the titles of the children of the king with power were men. Mostly cause of the Salic law which says woman could not be named heir to the throne. But there has been times were woman who became Princess's with power, Like Berengaria the Great, Queen of Castile, whom later became Queen of Castile. But in most cases another son takes the woman down from the line of succession, in England Queen Elizabeth II has changed it so men could bump woman down.


title: Ore

paragraphs: An ore is a mineral which has a valuable metal inside it. Ores are usually extracted by being mined. They can sometimes be found on the Earth's surface. Most ores are chemical compounds such as oxides or sulfides. There are different ways to get the metal out of the ore. Iron ore, for example, is smelted in a blast furnace.


title: Gainesville, Florida

paragraphs: Gainesville is a city in north-central Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Alachua County.

paragraphs: It is home to the University of Florida, the largest public university in the state. An alligator (Gator) named Albert is the mascot of the University of Florida. (A mascot is a symbol of qualities the school admires).

paragraphs: People think that growth of the city comes from building the university in the city. People of the city show their strong good feelings for the university by going to football games there, and by showing "Gator" symbols in businesses and homes.

paragraphs: The city is also famous as the birthplace of singer Tom Petty.


title: University of Florida

paragraphs: The University of Florida (UF) is a public university that is in Gainesville, Florida in the United States. The campus is 2,000 acres and has more than 900 structures, as well as other locations in the state of Florida. Important research activities at the university are in medicine, at Shands Hospital, and in agriculture. The mascot of UF is an alligator, and students and fans of the university's athletic teams are often called "Gators."


title: X-Men

paragraphs: The fictional characters, the X-Men, are a team of superheroes who were born with special mutant powers, making them different from regular humans. The X-Men characters are owned by Marvel Comics, which publishes comic books featuring them as well as many other superheroes. The comic book was one of the first to combine social issues and social commentary into a superhero story, set in a world where people with mutant abilities are hated by those born without them. This is similar to acts of ableism seen throughout history. Unlike "some" mutants, the X-Men try to be good and show tolerance toward humans and other mutants. The idea behind the superheroes were inspired by the African-American equality supporters like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.

paragraphs: The original X-Men, as created by writer Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, were

paragraphs: and all first appeared in "X-Men #1" (Sept 1963).

paragraphs: The leader and mentor of the X-Men is Professor Charles Xavier, who is more commonly known as "Professor X" and has mental powers. He wants to gain civil rights for mutants in the way that Martin Luther King did for African Americans; through peace.

paragraphs: Some of the X-Men's enemies include Magneto, Mystique, Sabretooth, Toad, Juggernaut, Mister Sinister and Apocalypse. The leader of X-Men's enemies is Magneto. He wants to gain civil rights for mutants in the forceful style of Malcolm X.

paragraphs: The X-Men characters have since been featured in various comic book series, motion pictures, toys, animated series, and much more.


title: Iron Man

paragraphs: Iron Man is a fictional superhero who wears a suit of armor. His alter ego is Tony Stark. He was created by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Larry Lieber for Marvel Comics in Tales of Suspense #39 in the year 1963 and appears in their comic books and the tritagonist in the Marvel Universe. He is also one of the main protagonists in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iron Man is played by Robert Downey Jr in the movies Iron Man, Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, , Captain America: Civil War, , and Avengers: Endgame and he will reprise his role in Black Widow and in the Disney+ series Iron Heart.

paragraphs: In the movies and the earlier comic books, Tony Stark is a human. Outside the suit, he does not have any superpowers, however he is very intelligent. He made the suit himself. Iron Man can fly and shoot beams from his hands using special technology called "repulsors" in his boots and gloves. He is not hurt by most weapons like guns and cannons. There are many versions of the Iron Man suit, because Stark keeps making improvements.

paragraphs: In the later comic books, Stark took an experimental virus called "Extremis" which allowed him to control his suit with his mind and summon it wherever he was. Stark would eventually develop an armor that he could store in his body. This armor was known as the "Bleeding Edge Model 37".

paragraphs: Stark inherited a large American company called "Stark Industries" when his father died. He was badly injured by a bomb in an attack planned by people who did not like him running his company. Shrapnel from the explosion was moving towards his heart. This would have killed him, but a scientist called Yinsen who was with him made a magnet for his chest which would keep the shrapnel away. In the movies, he makes an "arc reactor" which is put into his chest to stop the shrapnel.

paragraphs: Yinsen and Stark secretly build a heavy suit of armor which they plan to use to escape. However, during the escape, Yinsen dies so that the kidnappers will be distracted from Stark escaping. Stark escapes safely and goes back to America. He makes a better suit and uses it to fight evil.

paragraphs: Tony Stark is charismatic and eccentric, he is also very proud, but also very altruist and heroic. He did not have a good childhood, and this affects how he acts.

paragraphs: Stark is very smart, and a very talented inventor. His technology is always very advanced, and Iron Man is his greatest piece of work. In both the comics and the movies, he uses the arc reactor (or "repulsor technology") as a form of sustainable energy to help the world.

paragraphs: Stark has very few close friends. Two of them are Pepper Potts, his personal assistant who becomes his girlfriend, and James Rhodes, an American soldier who operates the War Machine armor.


title: Andris Piebalgs

paragraphs: Andris Piebalgs (born September 17, 1957, in Valmiera) is a Latvian politician. Since 22 November 2004 he has been the European Commissioner for Energy.

paragraphs: He was born in Valmiera and was educated at the University of Latvia in Riga. He worked as a teacher in Valmiera in the 1980s. After Latvia became independent from the USSR he was education minister (in charge of schools) from 1990 to 1993, and finance minister (in charge of money) from 1994 to 1995. He was Latvia's ambassador to Estonia from 1995 to 1997, and to the European Union from 1998 to 2003, when he helped Latvia join the EU. He also helped to start a political party called the Latvian Way.

paragraphs: He speaks Latvian, English, German, French, and Russian, and some Estonian.

paragraphs: Before he was made a European Commissioner Piebalgs worked for Sandra Kalniete, a member of the last Commission.


title: Augusto Pinochet

paragraphs: General Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (November 25, 1915 – December 10, 2006) was a Chilean army general who led Chile from 1973 to 1990, who came to power after he overthrew Salvador Allende, a socialist president.

paragraphs: Pinochet was a high ranking general in the Chilean Army in the early 1970s. In 1970, Allende was narrowly elected in a close three way race. Western countries like the United States were concerned about Allende. There was discontent in Chile in 1973, with some groups trying to destabilize the government of Allende.

paragraphs: On September 11th, 1973, the Chilean military led a coup d'état against Allende in which they attacked the Presidential Palace in Santiago. Allende committed suicide, and Pinochet took power as the leader of a military council known as a junta. The junta began cracking down on Allende supporters.

paragraphs: About 3,000 Chilean people died because of Pinochet's rule and many other people were tortured. Most of the people that died during Pinochet's rule were communists. The first days of his rule saw the most deaths, and in the weeks after the coup, Allende supporters were arrested and locked in a football stadium in Santiago. Many were released a few months later, but some were imprisoned for years.

paragraphs: Pinochet introduced many neoliberal free market policies bringing growth and great economic progress to Chile." In economic affairs, Pinochet's rule was influenced by the ideas of Milton Friedman. In 1980, a plebiscite (without electoral registries) was held and Pinochet was kept in power.

paragraphs: The coup d'état that was launched to overthrow Allende and put Pinochet in power was supported by the United States, as was Pinochet's regime. The US government has never admitted being involved, but they did support Pinochet while he was in power. The government of the United Kingdom was also pro-Pinochet.

paragraphs: In 1988, there was a plebiscite in Chile. The people were asked whether Pinochet should rule for another eight and a half years. About 56% of the people did not want that. Pinochet, under pressure from other countries was forced to accept the results, and stepped down from power in 1990. Patricio Aylwin became the next president. Pinochet kept his responsibilities as head of the military until 1998. After this, he became a senator for life, but had to leave senate in 2002. He was not arrested because the Supreme Court of Chile said he suffered from dementia. In May 2004, judges said that was not true. On December 13 he was placed under house arrest. Judges in Spain tried to put him on trial for the many crimes against the human rights he committed while leader of Chile.

paragraphs: Pinochet died from congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema on December 10, 2006 in Santiago, Chile, a week after a heart attack, aged 91. His remains were later cremated (Pinochet's request) to avoid vandalism on his tomb.


title: Plasma (physics)

paragraphs: Plasma is created by adding energy to a gas so that some of its electrons leave its atoms. This is called ionization. It results in negatively charged electrons, and positively charged ions. Unlike the other states of matter, the charged particles in a plasma will react strongly to electric and magnetic fields (i.e. electromagnetic fields). If a plasma loses heat, the ions will re-form into a gas, emitting the energy which had caused them to ionize.

paragraphs: Over 99% of the matter in the visible universe is believed to be plasma. When the atoms in a gas are broken up, the pieces are called electrons and ions. Because they have an electric charge, they are pulled together or pushed apart by electric fields and magnetic fields. This makes a plasma act differently than a gas. For example, magnetic fields can be used to hold a plasma, but not to hold a gas. Plasma is a better conductor of electricity than copper.

paragraphs: Plasma is usually very hot, because it takes very high temperatures to break the bonds between electrons and the nuclei of the atoms. Sometimes plasmas can have very high pressure, like in stars. Stars (including the Sun) are mostly made of plasma. Plasmas can also have very low pressure, like in outer space.

paragraphs: On Earth, lightning makes plasma. Artificial (man-made) uses of plasma include fluorescent lightbulbs, neon signs, and plasma displays used for television or computer screens, as well as plasma lamps and globes which are a popular children's toy and room decoration. Scientists are experimenting with plasma to make a new kind of nuclear power, called fusion, which would be much better and safer than ordinary nuclear power, and would produce much less radioactive waste.


title: Puebla (state)

paragraphs: Puebla is a state of Mexico. The capital of Puebla is also called Puebla. The volcanos Malinche, Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl are in the state of Puebla.


title: Dan Aykroyd

paragraphs: Daniel Edward Aykroyd (born in Ottawa on July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor in theater and motion pictures. He also is a script writer, director and producer

paragraphs: Aykroyd was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. His parents were Peter and Lorraine Aykroyd. He studied criminology and social science at Carleton University. He dropped out to join a Toronto acting company. Later he went to the United States to pursue his acting career in movies.

paragraphs: Dan Aykroyd is a dedicated Blues fan. For some time he hosted a radio program. He used the alias Elwood Blues. This alias he would later use in the motion pictures The Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000. The first of these movies was co-starred by John Belushi, the second one by John Goodman.

paragraphs: Aykroyd is married to Donna Dixon. They are parents of 3 daughters. Dan's brother Peter Ayrkroyd is a researcher.


title: John Belushi

paragraphs: John Belushi (January 24, 1949 - March 5, 1982) was an American actor in movies and television shows.

paragraphs: Belushi was born in Chicago, Illinois. His mother was the daughter of Albanian immigrants; his father was an immigrant from Albania. His brother is James Belushi, who is also an actor.

paragraphs: John was co-captain of the football team in high school as well as homecoming king in his senior year. In school he was already active in acting, but wanted to become a baseball-coach. His drama-teacher persuaded him to pursue becoming a professional actor.

paragraphs: He appeared mainly in TV shows, and was one of the founders of "Saturday Night Live". His "Blues Brothers" act with Dan Aykroyd was famous, long before "The Blues Brothers" movie (1980).

paragraphs: Unfortunately Belushi became a drug addict. He used both heroin and cocaine, and a lot of both. When "The Blues Brothers" was made, he spent about US$40,000 to $75,000 a month on drugs.

paragraphs: John Belushi died in 1982 from a drug overdose injected by Cathy Smith. She was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.


title: The Blues Brothers

paragraphs: The Blues Brothers (Elwood Blues and Joliet "Jake" Blues) are fictional characters which became well known from the TV show "Saturday Night Live".

paragraphs: Elwood Blues was first played by Dan Aykroyd, in his radio program on Blues music. Jake Blues was played by John Belushi.

paragraphs: In 1980, Aykroyd and Belushi starred in the movie called "The Blues Brothers", playing again the same characters from TV. Unfortunately, Belushi died only two years later, due to a drug overdose. A sequel called "Blues Brothers 2000" (1998) starred John Goodman as new partner to Dan Aykroyd but it was not as successful as the first movie.

paragraphs: Both movies were made by Universal Pictures.

paragraphs: The movie version of the popular characters was directed by John Landis.

paragraphs: Jake and Elwood are sent off by Sister Mary Stigmata of the orphanage to raise money. The money is needed to pay taxes, otherwise the orphanage will be shut down. They try to do this by getting their band back together again.

paragraphs: "Joliet" Jake Blues is released from jail. His brother, Elwood, picks him up in a former police car. They go to the orphanage they grew up in, since Jake promised the orphanage "Mother Superior" (nicknamed "The Penguin"). There they find out that the orphanage is in need of money, for taxes. Jake and Elwood are sent off to earn it, but in a legal manner. From the start they are under continuous attention of the police. But Elwood does not mind; they wreck a complete shopping mall (Dixie Square Mall in Harvey, Illinois) in a police chase. They arrive at Elwood's apartment, which is located directly next to an elevated railway. After a night's sleep the apartment is blown up by a mystery woman, right at the moment of a police raid.

paragraphs: The brothers have to find their former band members. They find "Bones" Malone and some others playing Latin music in a nightclub, as "Murph and the Magic Tones". Mr. Fabulous is maitre d' at a chic restaurant "Chez Paul". They convince him to join by ordering expensive bottles of champagne, and by acting like pigs, offending the other guests. They find Matt 'Guitar' Murphy and Blue Lou working in a diner. The place is run by Matt's wife, and she does not want them to join the band. Aretha Franklin, playing Matt's wife makes this clear in the song "Think!", but they go anyway. The next stop is Ray's Music Exchange, run by Ray Charles. Ray nearly shoots a boy who wants to steal a guitar (considering Ray is blind, that's amazing!). They sign an IOU for the equipment.

paragraphs: On the way to find the other members, they spoil a march of the Neo Nazi "American Socialist White People Party". The marching members are forced to jump off a bridge into a pond to save themselves. When the brothers try to call their booking agent, the payphone is torched by the mystery woman. Fortunately they survive, and find a couple of dollars change. The Neo Nazis in the meantime find out Elwood's address (which is faked: 1060 West Addison in Chicago is Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs).

paragraphs: The Blues Brothers end up in a Country & Western club, "Bob's Country Bunker". They steal the gig of the "Good Ole Boys". When Elwood asks "What kinds of music do you usually play here?", the answer is: "Why we have both kinds-Country "and" Western!". They are protected from beer bottles by wire as they try their first song, but the audience go crazy. So they decide to do "Rawhide", and "Stand By Your Man", along with some other songs. At the end of the performance they owe the owner $100 (the beertab). They run from him and from the real Good Ole Boys. On the run, the Good Ole Boys' camper is wrecked by a police car in pursuit.

paragraphs: They blackmail Maury (their agent) into booking the "Palace Hotel Ballroom" with 5,000 seats. All kids in the neighborhood help in selling the tickets. Elwood and Jake end up in a gas-station that is out of gas, and the gig starts without them. Cab Calloway sings the opening song "Minnie the Moocher". Both the police and the Good Ole Boys find out where the gig is. When the brothers finally arrive, they sabotage the Good Ole Boys' car. They do two songs, "Sweet Home, Chicago", and "Come On". They are offered a record contract, and are paid $10,000 in advance.

paragraphs: They flee through a tunnel, being shot at by the mystery woman. She turns out to be Jake's ex-bride, whom he stood up at their wedding. Jake begs for their lives, and even takes off his sunglasses! They seem to fall in love all over again, but Jake leaves her behind.

paragraphs: In a crazy car chase the Good Ole Boys end up in a lake, hundreds of police cars are wrecked and the Neo Nazis cannot brake on an unfinished bridge. The Brothers succeed in getting to the tax office, pursued by police, special units, choppers and the army. They are arrested right after paying the taxes. Back in jail, the band plays their final song, "Jailhouse Rock".

paragraphs: Despite the name, this sequel (second story following on from the first) came out in 1998.

paragraphs: A twenty-fifth anniversary edition DVD came out on August 30, 2005.


title: Arnhem

paragraphs: Arnhem is a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the eastern province Guelders (Gelderland). Arnhem has 159,265 citizens (as of 1 January 2019), the agglomeration 722,181 (Arnhem-Nijmegen conurbation). It is in the top-15 of largest cities in the Netherlands.

paragraphs: The history of Arnhem goes back to the Middle Ages. Arnhem got city-rights in 1233 from the Count of Zutphen. The exact text is still kept in the "Duivelshuis" (Devil's house) which is now part of Arnhem's City Hall.

paragraphs: In 1850 Arnhem had 9,000 citizens. The city became popular with rich people from the western part of the Netherlands.

paragraphs: During the World War II Arnhem was severely damaged. The Battle of Arnhem in 1944 is the sad story of UK and Polish paratroopers who fought to get control of the Rhine-bridge. According to the plan of Field Marshal Montgomery, Arnhem was the last in a series of bridges which would be taken by paratroopers. At the same time a ground-army would advance from the Belgium-Dutch border across all these bridges. This operation was called Operation Market Garden. Market for the Airborne-element and Garden to represent the Ground-forces. Arnhem would be the responsibility of the British paratroopers, and would be the last bridge to be crossed by the ground forces. General John Frost succeeded in taking the Arnhem bridge from the Germans. Due to several reasons Frost had to retreat, and the bridge was again in German control. The movie A Bridge Too Far is about this battle. After the Battle of Arnhem the Germans forced Arnhem's citizens to evacuate the city. This was because they were afraid another battle would have to be fought. When Arnhem's citizens came back, they found their city destroyed.

paragraphs: After the war Arnhem was rebuilt, including the Eusebiuskerk (Eusebius Church). The bridge crossing the Rhine is now called John Frost Bridge after the famous UK general, since 1978.


title: KNIL

paragraphs: KNIL is the abbreviation for a Dutch army. This army was in what is now called Indonesia. The official name is "Koninklijk Nederlandsch-Indisch Leger" ("Royal Dutch-East Indies Army")

paragraphs: Indonesia was a Dutch colony from 1800 to 1949. It was then called "Nederlandsch Indië" (Dutch East Indies). The KNIL taskforce was sent there to maintain order.

paragraphs: When Indonesia declared itself independent in 1945 the Dutch fought a war to keep the colony. This war was won by the Indonesians. The Dutch government accepted Indonesia's independence in 1949, and the KNIL ceased to exist.


title: Bronbeek

paragraphs: Bronbeek is a former Royal palace in Arnhem, the Netherlands. It is now a museum and a home for elderly soldiers.

paragraphs: Bronbeek was built early 19th century. In 1845 the Dutch King William III bought Bronbeek. He donated it to the Dutch state in 1859. William wanted it to be a home for disabled KNIL soldiers. The inhabitants took their collections of 'souvenirs' with them. This turned into a museum about the Dutch East Indies.

paragraphs: In 2004 50 former soldiers have their home in Bronbeek.


title: David Bowie

paragraphs: David Robert Jones OAL (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), known professionally by his stage name David Bowie, was an English rock musician and actor.

paragraphs: Bowie was born in 40 Stansfield Road, Brixton, London.He grew up in Bromley, Kent. He played the saxophone. He was a singer in London blues bands. He used the alias "David Bowie" because "David Jones" sounded too much like Davy Jones (of The Monkees). He took the name "Bowie" from Jim Bowie, who invented the Bowie knife.

paragraphs: Bowie became known to the public with the 1969 song "Space Oddity". This single was released when man first landed on the moon. The song's title is based on the movie "" by Stanley Kubrick. In 1970, Bowie won an Ivor Novello Award for "Space Oddity".

paragraphs: Bowie's album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" was released in 1972. It is one of his best-known albums. As a result of his performance, Bowie became a leader of glam rock.

paragraphs: Ziggy Stardust became Bowie's second personality (alter ego). For a press conference, he would show up as Ziggy. Bowie let Ziggy Stardust come to an end during a live concert in the Hammersmith Odeon theatre on 3 July 1973. In 1983, this show was released as movie and soundtrack ("Ziggy Stardust – The Motion Picture"). Bowie also produced Lou Reed's "Transformer". He released "Aladdin Sane" (his first number one album in the United Kingdom).

paragraphs: In 1974, after releasing the album "Diamond Dogs", Bowie settled in Los Angeles. He experimented with drugs, especially cocaine. In 1975, "Fame" (from the "Young Americans" album) a song co-written with John Lennon, was number 1 on the United States charts. Bowie played an alien in the movie "The Man Who Fell To Earth". A new second personality was "The Thin White Duke". This was introduced on the "Station to Station" album in 1976. The song "Golden Years" scored high in the pop charts. In 2003, the album was ranked number 323 on "Rolling Stone" magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

paragraphs: After releasing "Station to Station", Bowie moved to Berlin. He was interested in German music. He wanted to end his drug abuse. In Berlin, he started to work with producer Tony Visconti and with Brian Eno, the "king of oblique strategies". Bowie was a producer for Iggy Pop too. The "Berlin Trilogy Albums" are "Low" (1977), "Heroes" (1977) and "Lodger" (1979) although only Heroes was recorded entirely in Berlin.

paragraphs: Bowie left Berlin in 1980. In 1980 he recorded and released the album "Scary Monsters And Super Creeps", featuring the United Kingdom number 1 single "Ashes To Ashes". In 1981, he had a big hit with "Under Pressure", together with Queen: it peaked at number 1 on United Kingdom charts. In 1983, Bowie released "Let's Dance", his biggest selling album. The title track peaked at number 1 in the United Kingdom and The United States Of America.

paragraphs: In 1984, Bowie won a Brit Award as Best Male Artist. In 1985, he won a Grammy Award for Best Video (Short Form). Yet in 1985, David Bowie and Mick Jagger released the charity single "Dancing In The Street". In 1986, Bowie released the hit-single "Absolute Beginners".

paragraphs: In 1989, Bowie formed the band Tin Machine. This was his first real band since the 1970s. With this band, Bowie recorded three albums: "Tin Machine" (1989), "Tin Machine II" (1991) and "Oy Vey, Baby" (1992).

paragraphs: By the 1990s, Bowie had become more interested in soul, jazz and hip hop. This was first noticed on the album "Black Tie, White Noise".

paragraphs: Bowie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 17 January 1996.

paragraphs: In 2013, after a ten years hiatus, Bowie released his twenty-fourth album, "The Next Day". In 2014, he was nominated for Best Rock Album at the Grammy Awards and won a Brit Award for Best Male Artist.

paragraphs: His last album, "Blackstar", was released on 8 January 2016. That was his 69th birthday and two days before his death. After Bowie's death, "Blackstar" reached number one in the United Kingdom and in the United States: it was the only Bowie album to peak at number one in the United States. In 2017 "Blackstar" won 5 Grammy Awards. "Blackstar" also won a Brit Award for the Best Album and David Bowie also won a Brit Award for Best Male Artist.

paragraphs: Bowie married Mary Angela Barnett in 1970. Their son, Duncan Jones was born in 1971. The couple divorced in 1980. Bowie married Iman in 1992. The couple's daughter, Alexandria Jones, was born in 2000.

paragraphs: On 10 January 2016, Bowie died after an 18-month battle with liver cancer in Manhattan, New York City. He was 69 years old. His remains were later cremated on 14 January in a private ceremony in New York.

paragraphs: Bowie covered many genres including art rock, hard rock, glam rock, alternative rock, krautrock, protopunk, post-punk, electronica, Blue-eyed soul, New Wave, Industrial, Techno, Jazz, Dance music, Funk, Disco, Experimental rock, Folk, Instrumental, Ambient and house.


title: Benito Mussolini

paragraphs: Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini KSMOM GCTE (29 July 1883 – 28 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist. He was also the Prime Minister of Italy from 1922 until 1943. He was the leader of the National Fascist Party.

paragraphs: Benito Mussolini was named after Benito Juarez, a Mexican opponent of the political power of the Roman Catholic Church, by his anticlerical (a person who opposes the political interference of the Roman Catholic Church in secular affairs) father. Mussolini's father was a blacksmith. Before being involved in politics, Mussolini was a newspaper editor (where he learned all his propaganda skills) and elementary school teacher.

paragraphs: At first Mussolini was a socialist, but when he wanted Italy to join the First World War he was thrown out of the socialist party. He 'invented' a new ideology, Fascism, much out of Nationalist and Socialist views.

paragraphs: In 1922, he took power by having a large group of men, "Black Shirts," march on Rome and threaten to take over the government. King Vittorio Emanuele III gave in, allowed him to form a government, and made him prime minister. In the following five years, he gained power, and in 1927 created the OVRA, his personal secret police force. Using the agency to arrest, scare, or murder people against his regime, Mussolini was dictator of Italy by the end of 1927. Only the King and his own Fascist party could challenge his power.

paragraphs: Mussolini's form of Fascism, "Italian Fascism"- unlike Nazism, the racist ideology that Adolf Hitler followed- was different and less destructive than Hitler's. Although a believer in the superiority of the Italian nation and national unity, Mussolini, unlike Hitler, is quoted "Race? It is a feeling, not a reality. Nothing will ever make me believe that biologically pure races can be shown to exist today".

paragraphs: Mussolini wanted Italy to become a new Roman Empire. In 1923, he attacked the island of Corfu, and in 1924, he occupied the city state of Fiume. In 1935, he attacked the African country Abyssinia (now called Ethiopia). His forces occupied it in 1936. Italy was thrown out of the League of Nations because of this aggression. In 1939, he occupied the country Albania. In 1936, Mussolini signed an alliance with Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Germany.

paragraphs: In 1940, he sent Italy into the Second World War on the side of the Axis countries. Mussolini attacked Greece, but he failed to conquer it. In 1943, the Allies landed in Southern Italy. The Fascist party and King Vittorio Emanuel III deposed Mussolini and put him in jail, but he was set free by the Germans, who made him ruler of the Italian Social Republic puppet state which was in a small part of Central Italy. When the war was almost over, Mussolini tried to escape to Switzerland with his mistress, Clara Petacci, but they were both captured and shot by partisans. Mussolini's dead body was hanged upside-down, together with his mistress and some of Mussolini's helpers, on a pole at a gas station in the village of Mezzegra, which is near the border between Italy and Switzerland.

paragraphs: After the war, several Neo-Fascist movements have had success in Italy, the most important being the Movimento Sociale Italiano. His granddaughter Alessandra Mussolini has outspoken views similar to Fascism.


title: Puppet state

paragraphs: A puppet state is a country that is officially independent, but not in practice. Puppet governments are usually kept in power by military force provided by an occupying country. Puppet state is a biased term. It is used to criticize the government of the alleged puppet state.

paragraphs: Examples of puppet states before World War II are:

paragraphs: In World War II the Axis countries created some puppet states, like:

paragraphs: After Italy surrendered in World War II the Italian Social Republic was a puppet state created by Germany.

paragraphs: During the Cold War (1945-1989) these Eastern European countries were puppet states of the Soviet Union:

paragraphs: In some of these countries the people overthrew the government, but each time they did that (before 1989) the Soviet Union and some of its other puppet states invaded and put the old government back in power. The Soviet Union had also some puppet states outside Europe, such as Mongolia. Some of these countries had more independence from the Soviet Union. For example, the Romanian government sided against the Soviets when they went into Czechoslovakia.

paragraphs: The United States also had some puppet states during the Cold War:

paragraphs: There are these countries that can be called puppet states now:


title: Banana republic

paragraphs: A banana republic is a politically unstable country whose economy depends on the export of one product in limited supply, such as bananas or minerals. A banana republic has social classes that are divided by wealth. These include a large, poor working class and a small ruling class made up of the businessmen, politicians, and the military. The ruling class controls and exploits the country's economy.


title: Banana Republic

paragraphs: Banana Republic is a clothing and accessories retailer. The retailer is owned by Gap Inc.. The restaurant was created by both Mel and Patricia Ziegler in 1978. The first store they opened was a two-store safari and travel themed clothing company. Banana Republic was acquired by The Gap, Inc. in 1983 and was rebranded as a mainstream luxury clothing retailer.

paragraphs: Since the end of Q1 2011, there are 642 stores in operation in 32 countries, shipped to 20 countries through company owned websites, and they had the ability to ship to more than 50 countries through a 3rd party.


title: Kingdom of Holland

paragraphs: The Kingdom of Holland was a country that existed from 1806 to 1810. It was in Central and North Netherlands and East Friesland in Germany. It was a puppet state created by France. The king of Holland was Louis Bonaparte.


title: Victor Emmanuel III of Italy

paragraphs: Victor Emmanuel III (11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was king of Italy from 29 July 1900 to 9 May 1946. He was the son and successor of King Umberto I. He was a member of the House of Savoy.

paragraphs: Victor was born in Naples. His mother was Queen Margherita of Savoy. He became king in 1900, at age 31, after his father was killed by Gaetano Bresci.

paragraphs: After World War I, Benito Mussolini started the March on Rome and Victor Emmanuel III supported him. Mussolini became the Prime Minister and dictator. Because people said Victor Emmanuel III had worked together with Mussolini too much, Italy became a republic in 1946.


title: Alter ego

paragraphs: An alter ego (from Latin, "other I") is another self — a second personality within a person. It is also called leading a double life. The term "alter ego" was first used in the 19th century. It was inventory by psychologists in talking about dissociative identity disorder.

paragraphs: For example, in "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde", Mr. Hyde was Dr. Jekyll's evil alter ego (same person, different personalities).

paragraphs: The term is also used in popular fiction, like comic books, for the secret identity of a superhero, vigilante, or crimefighter. The character would do this so people won't know that he or she is fighting crime. Examples of characters using alter egos include:

paragraphs: Sometimes an artist uses an alter ego, like:


title: Ziggy Stardust

paragraphs: Ziggy Stardust is a fictional character. Ziggy was created and used by David Bowie, from 1970 to 1973.

paragraphs: Bowie used Ziggy Stardust as a second personality (alter ego). Ziggy appeared to be neither male nor female.

paragraphs: Ziggy's band was The Spiders From Mars. They recorded a couple of albums:

paragraphs: Ziggy's 'life' came to an end in a live concert at Hammersmith Odeon, on July 3, 1973. This show was in 1983 released in a movie: "Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture". A 30th anniversary edition was released in 2003.


title: The Spiders from Mars

paragraphs: The Spiders from Mars was a Rock band from 1970 to 1973. It was a project from David Bowie. Bowie himself was the lead-singer. He created a secondary personality (alter ego) for this purpose: Ziggy Stardust. Ziggy's 'life' came to an end in a live concert at Hammersmith Odeon, on July 3, 1973. This show was in 1983 released in a movie: Ziggy Stardust - The Motion Picture. A re-release of this movie was in 2003: 30th Anniversary Edition.

paragraphs: Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars recorded a couple of albums:


title: Michael Schumacher

paragraphs: Michael Schumacher (born 3 January 1969 in Hürth, near Cologne) is a German Formula 1 driver. He has won seven world championship titles and has the most Grand Prix victories in the world. This champion, nicknamed "campionissimo" by Italian fans of Ferrari, is considered the most popular German personality in the world. Michael's younger brother Ralf is also a Formula 1 driver. When he was small, his father gave him a little kart. It had a small motor bike engine in it. He started getting interest from that time.

paragraphs: In 1984 Michael won the German Kart Championship and went on to win many more. In 1987 he won the German and European Kart Championship. Schumacher signed up with Will Weber's Formula 3 race team and won the 1990 championship.

paragraphs: He made his debut in the Belgian Grand Prix on 25 August. He impressed many fans as he qualified 7th on a track where he had never previously(before) driven with an inferior car. At the start he burnt the clutch and retired.

paragraphs: He was quickly snapped up by Benetton and finished in 5th place at the Italian Grand Prix.

paragraphs: He followed it up with 6th in both Portugal and at the then new Circuit de Catalunya in Spain. He then crashed out in Japan and spun in the torrential rain at the season finale in Australia. In the 6 races he entered, he scored 4 points and 14th in the championship.

paragraphs: He started the season off well with 4th in South Africa followed by his maiden podium finish in 3rd at the Mexican Grand Prix. He followed it up with another 3rd place in Brazil and 2nd in Spain. In San Marino he crashed out, then came 4th in Monaco and 2nd in Canada. He spun off in the rain at the French Grand Prix and finished 4th in Britain and 3rd in Germany. He retired again in Hungary but at Spa Francorchamps, where he made his debut, he won a rain-affected race. He came 3rd in Italy, 7th in Portugal, retired in Japan and came 2nd in Australia. He finished the season in 3rd place overall (in front of Senna) with a total of 53 points.

paragraphs: Williams dominated the season with it's active suspension, and Benetton quickly made a similar one to match Williams. Schumacher won the Portuguese Grand Prix, and finished 9 times on the podium. However, with 7 retirements, he failed to finish 3rd in the championship.

paragraphs: In 2010 Schumacher returned to F1 with the Mercedes team. In total he spent 3 years with the team in which he scored 1 pole(he was stripped of it due to a penalty), 1 fastest lap, and 1 podium. He was replaced by Lewis Hamilton for 2013 so he retired again.

paragraphs: As of the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher holds the following Formula One records:

paragraphs: On December 2013, Schumacher sustained a head injury after a skiing accident in France.


title: Yokohama

paragraphs: Yokohama is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture in the Kantō region. Yokohama is a neighbor city of Tokyo. It has been the second largest city of Japan since the 1980s.

paragraphs: Yokohama has an international trade seaport. It is the largest port in Japan. Many cars and machinery are exported from the port. The downtown area is around the port. Today, the area of Yokohama city includes its former suburb areas like Hodogaya or Totsuka.

paragraphs: In Minato Mirai, there are a lot of places for sightseeing. For example, there are amusement parks and shopping malls.

paragraphs: Yokohama was an entrance for foreign cultures for a long time. Still today Yokohama has the largest Chinatown in Japan.

paragraphs: The airports nearest to Yokohama are Tokyo International Airport and Narita International Airport.

paragraphs: Many educational institutes are located in Yokohama, including Yokohama National University and Yokohama City University.

paragraphs: The Yokohama port was created in the middle of the 19th century for foreigners. It was five ports opened to foreign countries who demanded Japan to open ports. And Yokohama was the nearest port to Tokyo, which was then called "Edo".

paragraphs: In the Edo period, "Hodogaya-juku" was one of the fifty-three shogunate-maintained waystations ("shuku-eki") along the Tōkaidō road which connected Edo and Kyoto. Two other Tōkaidō rest stops are within the boundaries of modern Yokohama—in Kanagawa ward and Totsuka ward.


title: Axis countries

paragraphs: Axis countries and Axis Powers are the names for some countries that fought together against the Allies during World War II. The war ended in 1945 with the Axis powers losing and their alliances broken.

paragraphs: The most important Axis countries formed an alliance called the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis Powers (1922 to 1945). They included:

paragraphs: All three countries had authoritarian governments.

paragraphs: In addition to the main three countries, the less important Axis countries were:

paragraphs: Other countries that helped the Axis without being a part of them were:

paragraphs: Several new or rebel governments that were created by the Axis during the war are:


Axis


title: Icelandic language

paragraphs: Icelandic is the language spoken by the people of Iceland.

paragraphs: It is a Germanic language. It comes from the Old Norse language, the language spoken by the Vikings. Because Iceland is far away from other countries, the language has not changed much. Icelandic people can still read words from hundreds of years ago.

paragraphs: Icelandic uses four characters that are not used in English: þ (thorn), (like 'th' in thin), ð (edh), (like 'th' in this), æ (pronounced like I) and ö (pronounced like the French U). It can also be said that ð is a "softer" version of þ.

paragraphs: Some linguists say there are only two Nordic languages, Eastern-Nordic and Western-Nordic, which includes Icelandic and Faroese because of their similarity.

paragraphs: Icelandic is also one of the most difficult languages to learn.


title: Passu

paragraphs: Passu is a small village by the Khunjerab River in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It lies at an altitude of 2500m. The Batura and Passu glaciers and the Karakoram Highway are close to the village. The people speak the Wakhi language and follow the Ismaili sect of Islam.


title: Equator

paragraphs: The equator is a line which is not real drawn around a sphere or planet, such as the Earth. It is one of the lines known as a line of latitude, or circle of latitude. The name "equator" is Latin for "even-maker"; at equator the day and night are exactly the same length around the year.

paragraphs: The equator is halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole. There, the surface of the planet is parallel to the axis of rotation. The equator divides the surface into the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.

paragraphs: Unlike the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere, countries around the equator do not experience the four seasons, and the climate is usually very humid.


title: Rocket

paragraphs: A rocket may be a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which is pushed by a rocket engine. Some big rockets are launch vehicles and some are manned (e.g. Saturn V). Other rockets, for example missiles, are unmanned. ("Manned" means that a person is in it; "unmanned" means that the machine goes without a person.)

paragraphs: Most rockets can be launched from the ground because exhaust thrust from the engine is bigger than the weight of the vehicle on Earth. Some are used to bring satellites into orbit. Some rockets such as ion thrusters are too weak and heavy to lift themselves. They work after other rockets bring them to outer space.

paragraphs: The rocket was invented by the Chinese while using gunpowder. The first rockets were shaped like arrows and were not very fast. Most rockets still work by fire. The fire makes hot exhaust gases that expand and shoot out the back. This makes the rocket go forward.

paragraphs: Most rockets still use solid fuel to make the fire. The biggest ones use liquid fuel because it makes a hotter fire so the rocket is more powerful. However, handling the liquid fuel safely is difficult and expensive. Some satellite launch vehicles use both.

paragraphs: Rockets are also used for fireworks and weapons and to control moves in outer space.

paragraphs: Manned rockets, similar to other manned flying machines, are designed to limit their acceleration and vibration to protect the crew. Unmanned rockets however are not bound by the limits of humans.

paragraphs: Some rockets go faster than the speed of sound (). Those that go into Low Earth orbit go .

paragraphs: Yuri Gagarin was a Soviet cosmonaut who, on 12 April 1961, became the first human to fly into outer space. He was in the R-7 rocket launched by the Soviet Union.


title: Advisor

paragraphs: Advisors are people who give advice. The job of an advisor is to give good advice that helps the person that he or she is advising. Usually, only certain people, like businessmen or politicians, have advisors. This is because these kinds of people are usually very busy, and they do not have the time to make decisions alone.

paragraphs: In the United States, the President's advisors are called his "Cabinet." Some well-known cabinet members, current and former, from the Bush Administration are: