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. …
Read More »What was Austria’s currency before the euro was introduced?
From 1924 to 1938 and between 1945 to 1999, Austria’s currency was the schilling, which was divided into 100 groschen. Thereafter, the euro replaced the schilling.
Read More »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!
Read More »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 …
Read More »What makes Skunk smell?
The grisly spray is the skunk’s best defense. No Creature, human or animal, can stand being near a skunk with that odour. It comes from a fluid called musk which is produced and stored in a pair of glands under the animal’s tail. A skunk can propel the spray about 10 feet.
Read More »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, …
Read More »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 …
Read More »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 …
Read More »What kind of snake killed Cleopatra?
Most likely it was an Egyptian cobra, although the asp has been implicated. An asp is a type of viper and would mean a pretty painful death.
Read More »What kind of farming is the most productive?
When land is scare, farms must be as productive as possible. For example less than 15 percent of Japan is suitable for farming. But through intensive farming, using fertilizers, irrigation, machinery and improved plant varieties yields are high, and Japan produces 70 percent of the food it needs.Another example of intensive agriculture is market gardening the production of flowers, fruit …
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