4to40.com

What was Mothering Sunday?

Mothering Sunday is a Christian festival celebrated throughout Europe that falls on the 4th Sunday in Lent. Secularly it became a celebration of motherhood. It is increasingly being called Mother’s Day, although in countries other than the UK and Ireland that holiday has other origins. In the UK it is considered synonymous with Mother’s Day as celebrated in other countries. …

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What was Alfred Nobel’s achievement?

You’ve probably heard of the six famous Noble prizes, awarded every year to the people who have made outstanding contributions to medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, economics and peace. Alfred Noble was made famous because he invented dynamite in 1867. It seems a little odd, doesn’t it? A peace prize bearing the name of the inventor of dynamite!

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What should one do if a snake bites him (or a friend)?

Try to identify the snake and seek medical attention. Even if you are not bitten by a venomous snake the bite may become infected. You should never suck on the wound! By the time you start sucking, the venom has entered the bloodstream, so your effect on the situation will be minimal. If you can, wrap from the wound toward …

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What makes jumping beans jump?

Jumping beans are made to jump by the action of little insects inside them. The beans are the long seed of certain Maxican shrubs and contain the larvae or caterpillars of a small species of moth with the large scientific name of Bats. The second of these two Latin words means jumping. The larvae are stirred into movement by warmth, …

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What makes a glow-worm glow?

The female glow-worm is equipped with one of the most marvelous lighting systems in the world. A wingless beetle, she crawls about a night eating small insects. But on the lower side of her abdomen she possesses a “lantern” which she uses to signal to her winged mate flying above. This “lantern” has a transparent layer of skin, like the …

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What language is spoken in Minsk?

Minsk has been a city of many languages over time. Initially it was Ruthenian (later developed into modern Belarusian). After 1569, Polish became the official language. Belarusian national revival increased the use of Belarusian language but after World War II (by mid 1980s), Minsk was almost exclusively Russian-speaking. Most residents now use Russian in day-to-day life. Belarusian is understood as …

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