Kids Questions & Answers

Kids Questions & Answers

What’s unique about the Art Cologne Fair?

Art Cologne is an art fair held annually in Cologne, Germany. It is Germany’s leading art fair and was established in 1967. It bills itself as the ‘world’s oldest art fair’ although the 57th Street Art Fair was founded in 1948, almost two decades earlier. For six days each year, the fair brings together a large number of leading dealers …

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What’s unique about Gothenburg?

Located on the west coast of Sweden, Gothenburg is Sweden’s second largest city. Known primarily as a university city housing two famous universities — University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology — Gothenburg is also an important trade centre, having one of the largest ports in the Scandinavian countries. Further, the city happens to be an important cultural and …

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What’s the Green Gold project?

The Green Gold or Oro Verde project seeks to ensure the safety of miners and also protect them from exploitation. A jewellery shop in Chi Chester, England along with miners in a cooperative in Choco in North-East Colombia and the Fair Trade Foundation embarked on this project which promotes the purchase of green gold or jewellery which isn’t created by …

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What’s the origin of the term ‘top dog’?

‘Top dog’ means one who is dominant or victorious. When wooden planks were sawn by hand, two men did the job using a two-handed saw. The senior man took the top handle, standing on the wood, and the junior took the bottom, in the saw-pit below. The irons that were used to hold the wood were called dogs and that …

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What’s distinctive about Davos?

Situated at an altitude of 1,560 metres, in the heart of the Alps in Switzerland, the town of Davos has the distinction of being the largest mountain resort in the Alps and the highest town of Europe. Its major tourist attraction are skiing and winter sports. It is also a preferred place for holding international conferences. It hosts almost every …

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What’s the Royal Ascot parade?

Ascot is a town in southern England where horse races are held and Royal Ascot is the most famous and popular race meeting. The Queen and the royal family normally attend every day. The royal procession in a horse-drawn carriage, scheduled before racing on each day, is the Royal Ascot parade. It was started in 1711 by Queen Anne. The …

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What’s the origin of the word ‘karaoke’?

The word karaoke is derived from two Japanese words — ‘kara’ comes from the word ‘karappo’ meaning empty or void and ‘oke’ comes from the word ‘okesutura’ or orchestra. Karaoke songs are typically music reproductions without the voice of the singer. It is said to have originated at a snack bar in Japan where a scheduled person was unable to …

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What’s the origin of ‘touch wood’?

There are several theories. According to one, it originates from the pagan belief that good spirits reside in trees such as oak, and hence, touching wood or knocking on wood would help ward off evil spirits. According to an ancient Celtic belief, trees can conduct evil spirits, much like a conductor absorbing heat. Some would knock on wood to thank …

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What’s the mascot of the Beijing Olympic Games?

The mascots of the Beijing Olympic Games are Fuwa (five children). Fuwa, designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, embody the natural characteristics of four of China’s most popular animals — Beibe (the Fish), Jingjing (the Panda), Huanhuan (the Tibetan Antelope), Nini (the Swallow) and the Olympic Flame. When you …

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