一问到底 Odd Question(页 1) - 英语问题区 - 英语论坛-英语麦当劳 English learners' Forum

2006-3-23 09:38 graduate

一问到底 Odd Question

How much does Sahara Desert cost?
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Mention the Sahara Desert and many people think of sand dunes stretching from horizon to horizon. While enormous fields of sand cover some parts of the Sahara, that sand only covers about 20% of the world's largest desert. The rest consists of rocky plateaus, open plains of gravel, and barren rocks.
From space, the Sahara is a mottled patchwork of browns and yellows. The bright yellow-white sand fields are especially prominent in the eastern and western regions, while the wrinkled, brown Ahaggar and Tibesti mountain ranges dominate the central area. #D:Y tF2q
In the west, the great El Djouf basin ("The Belly") holds one of the largest expanses of sand in the world. This almost completely lifeless "empty quarter" of Mauritania is more than 1000 kilometers (600 miles) across. In the east there is even more sand, mostly concentrated in windblown trails running southwest across Egypt and Libya.

2006-3-23 09:39 graduate

What causes the beautiful colors of auroras?
With the sun near its maximum activity this year, many people have been able to witness the beautiful light show called aurora borealis (northern auroras) or aurora australis (southern auroras). These curtains, streamers, and flickering patterns of light are caused when charged particles from the sun (mostly electrons and protons) hit atoms in the upper atmosphere. 
The most common color is pale yellow-green emitted by oxygen atoms below 250 miles altitude (400 km). The classic curtain-shaped auroras are almost always oxygen-green. Sometimes the green curtains show a tinge of red near the tops, also from oxygen atoms. Nitrogen atoms can also emit red light, and rarely it is possible to see a deep blue-violet light from charged molecules of nitrogen. &HD#J$U0wXY~/UG
When an electron or proton from the sun hits an atom, it can knock one of the electrons into a high-energy orbit. When the electron falls back to its normal orbit, it releases a burst of light.

2006-3-23 09:39 graduate

How did the custom of kissing start?
 Over time, the custom of kissing developed as a way for adults to express their love and affection for one another. The roots of this form of affection can be traced back to primitive times, when mothers fondled their children, much as mothers do today. 
Much later, in the sixth century, society apparently accepted the custom of kissing between adults as an expression of their affection. Not surprisingly, France first accepted kissing in courtship, and in amore. There, figure dancing was the rage, and each dance was sealed with a kiss.qr)i ]#K9W[
The custom of kissing swept from France through Europe to Russia, where Russian nobility loved to ape the French. Eventually, the kiss was incorporated into marriage ceremonies, and today lip-locks couples into sweet matrimony.by{~n"a
<IMG src="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/2006-03/20/20011227_1355_24_1.gif" align=right>The custom of kissing today, as well as in ancient times, serves to show respect, and to pay homage to another. For example, early Romans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another in a manner they deemed to be a dignified. One Roman emperor even ranked a person's importance by the body part he was allowed to kiss. He allowed important nobles to kiss his lips, less important ones to kiss his hands, and the least important ones to kiss his feet.B:fuj0t[Nd6B5k
In Russia, the highest sign of recognition from the Crown meant a kiss from the Tsar himself. Today, natives of many African tribes pay homage to their Chief by kissing the ground over which he has walked.

2006-3-23 09:40 graduate

Why do Hippopotamus kill more people?
 The hippo's yawn is not a sign of sleepiness or boredom but is actually a threat gesture, displaying long, thick, razor-sharp canine teeth, or tusks, with which it is capable of biting a small boat in half. Being fearlessly protective of their turf and young, hippos have killed more than 400 people in Africa - more than any other wild animal. ;c%z%^^3Ud:u
Hippopotamus amphibious means "river horse." The hippo, weighing 1 800 kg (4,000 pounds) and more, lives in Africa, south of the Sahara and along the length of the Nile river, although its range once included Asia and large parts of Europe. Hippos prefer rivers with deep water and nearby reed beds and grasslands, but are also found in salt-water areas near river mouths, and in lakes in Central Africa. They are hoofed vegetarians, feeding on grass, fallen fruit, and occasionally on cultivated crops such as sugar cane or corn during the night. They spend most of the day in the water.6`"EFO9al'm
The hippo is the third biggest land animals, slightly smaller but heavier than a white rhino (the elephant is the biggest). In spite of its huge size - 3 metres (12 feet) in length, 1,5 metres (five feet) tall, with a mouth measuring a half metre (two feet) across - the hippopotamus can outrun a human. The bellowing of a bull hippo measures an ear-splitting 115 decibels, sounding like the roar of a lion._{lR@msN
Nearly all of the famous African explorers and hunters - Livingstone, Stanley, Burton, Selous, Speke, DuChaillu - had boating mishaps with hippos. All considered the hippo to be a wantonlymalicious beast. Spencer Tyron, a hunter, was killed while hunting near the shores of Lake Rukwa, Tanzania. A bull hippo turned over the dugout canoe from which Tyron was shooting, and bit off his head and shoulders.
Recent DNA evidence suggests that the hippopotamus is more closely related to cetaceans (whales and dolphins) than it is to any other artiodactyl (even-toed hoofed mammal).

2006-3-23 09:41 graduate

Why do women's blouses have the buttons on the left?
 Men's shirts have the buttons on the right, but women's blouses have the buttons on the left. This is more than just a way to tell whether a shirt is for men or women. There is a historical reason for it. 
During the Victorian period, buttons were quite expensive, and were mostly worn by rich people. Since proper, well-to-do ladies were dressed by their servants, and most people are right-handed, their buttons were placed on the servant's right, which is the wearer's left side. However, most gentlemen dressed themselves, so their buttons were placed on the wearer's right side. 
Those who could not afford servants copied the style of the wealthy, and women's buttons thereafter remained on the left.

2006-3-23 09:42 graduate

What insect is capable of precision flying?
 True flies (order Diptera (1)) can do amazing aerobatic stunts (2) because they use a special sensor to detect tiny shifts and turns (3). They can hover (4) precisely, and even fly sideways or backwards. 
Most flying insects have four wings, but flies have only two. The rear pair of wings appears to have evolved into (5) special movement sensors called halteres. Each haltere is a rod with a weight at the end and hundreds of sensory organs at the base. AgorcsOnI
During flight, the halteres vibrate (6) up and down. If the fly turns left or right, up or down, or tilts either way (7), the halteres immediately sense the change and complex nerve circuits (8) adjust many tiny wing muscles.

2006-3-23 09:42 graduate

What creatures have four kinds of legs?
 Decapod crustaceans (1) (shrimps, crayfish (2), and lobsters (3)) have 14 pairs of "legs", divided into four different groups. 5vS'kJ(U1vj3|
The first three pairs, just behind the animal's mouthparts (4), are "eating legs" (maxillipeds (5)), used to manipulate food before passing it forward to the mouthparts. They are usually hidden beneath the head/thorax shield (6) (carapace). #zgI)A{tAP;F
Next are five pairs of "walking legs" (pereopods (7)). In some crustaceans, the first pereopod is equipped with a large claw (8). Some pereopods have gills (9) attached near their bases. 
Behind these are five pairs of "swimming legs" (pleopods (10)), used for swimming slowly forward. Some crustaceans carry their eggs among their pleopods. ,^2I9i&^ z~7|'^r
Finally, there is one pair of "tail legs" (uropods (11)) that are part of the tail fan, which is used for sudden backwards flight from predators (12) and other potential threats.

2006-3-23 09:43 graduate

What airplane can land using a parachute?ytr.e"hL ld9Mt
The SR20 light aircraft from Cirrus Designs can land safely, even from a full spin, by popping out a built-in emergency parachute. It's the f irst airplane designed to make a parachute landing that has been licensed by the US Federal Aviation Administration. ;o|0Z0c`cAB$zk9r$i
 When the pilot pulls a lever in the cockpit, a rocket shoots out of the rear of the plane, trailing the parachute. To prevent the chute from ripping to shreds if the plane is moving at a high speed, a cloth slider moves down the cables, opening the parachute slowly. 2X\"GB+zK'WAV
Once the parachute is open, the plane settles to the ground at about 17 miles per hour (27 kph). When it touches down, the landing gear is destroyed, punching up through the wing, but the people in the plane will not be injured.

2006-3-23 09:44 graduate

Why is milk white?
 Those chalky-white mustaches that color our lips after chugging <IMG src="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/2006-03/10/20021114_1917_milk_0.jpg" align=right>down a refreshing ice-cold glass of creamy milk is caused by the protein called Casein. -ub9cqX/N9q\
Rich in calcium, Casein helps contribute to milk's white color.p+O$w,M ],C
In addition, the cream that is found in milk contains white colored fat. The more cream in milk the more white it is.
Low and non-fat milk appear more grayish rather than white because they contain less cream.Wo+`9_3X3Z(xRY9k
Another reason milk looks white to our naked eyes is because some objects do not absorb very much light. Rather than absorb light, these objects reflect light. For instance, red colored objects reflect only red light and absorb the other colors of light in the rainbow spectrum. The molecules that make up Casein and cream reflect light. That's why milk is white.

2006-3-23 09:45 graduate

Who makes traditional sculptures out of butter?
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The Tibetan culture is known for traditional sand paintings, in which multicolored sand is delicately arranged in intricate mandalas, displayed for a time, and then ceremoniously swept away. The short-lived sand paintings are said to reflect the temporary nature of all material forms. 
A less well-known form of traditional art from the Tibetans is their butter sculpture. The largest and most elaborate of these are usually made around the time of the Tibetan New Year (Losar), when giant monuments are built of yak butter or ghee (clarified butter) mixed with fat and wax. Illuminated with colored lamps and decorated with colorful dyes, the intricate sculptures commemorate various traditional stories and fables. Q XPs5yg(D_
Like the sand paintings, the butter sculptures are temporary. After days, weeks, months, or years, they are ceremonially destroyed.

2006-3-23 09:45 graduate

What makes people dizzy when they spin?
Rolling down a hill or spinning around in endless circles causes dizziness or vertigo because hair-like sensory nerve cells in our ears send wrong messages to our brain. 
The motions of our bodies are detected by the vestibular system found in the upper part of our inner ear. The vestibular system senses whether we are standing up or lying down.Q5Q q%_?e&@gY,\
When we spin in circles or get up too fast from the couch, we feel dizzy and lightheaded due to the vestibular system's nerve reactions to these unusual motions. g4~foZt!S z
Here's how our vestibular system reacts to a slight change in direction when we bend our heads: The vestibular system senses motion through three semicircular canals that are at right angles to one another. Not only do these canals have hair-like sensory nerve cells, but they also contain a fluid called endolymph.
Following the principle of inertia, endolymph resists changes in motion. As a result of this resistance, the endolymph lags behind and stimulates hair cells to send nerve signals to the brain. Our brain interprets the nerve messages and knows which direction the head moved.t }l4}$kw*H;n
However, when we spin, our brain receives mixed messages. The endolymph slowly begins to move in the same direction we are spinning. As time goes by, the endolymph catches up to the rate of speed we are spinning and no longer stimulates the hair-like nerve cells. This causes our brain to quickly adapt to the nerve signals. However, when we stop spinning, the endolymph continues to move and stimulates hair cells in the opposite direction.
These hair cells send wrong messages to the brain making it think that the head is still spinning although it actually has stopped. As a result of this inaccurate signal, we experience dizziness. Eventually, the endolymph stops moving and no more signals are sent to the brain. The brain interprets that the spinning motion has ceased and the dizziness disappears.

2006-3-23 09:46 graduate

How does a helium balloon float?!Iqw aE9J
Helium is lighter than air and just as the heaviest things will tend to fall to the bottom, the lightest things will rise to the top. 8x[^Sy5}$v
Helium weighs 0.1785 grams per liter. Nitrogen, which makes up 80% of the air we breathe, weighs 1.2506 grams per liter.
Basically, if you were to fill a soda bottle with helium and another with air, the one filled with helium would weigh a gram less than the bottle with air. It doesn't sound like a lot, but that's usually why balloons are usually really big, the one-gram difference really adds up in large volumes. Helium balloons follow the same principle as you do when you float in the water; the law of buoyancy. If the water you displace weighs more than you do, you will float. u&g z6i0qB%[
Helium isn't the lightest element, hydrogen, weighing a mere 0.08988 grams per liter, is.O*S1Kb^JQ
Wondering why we don't use that instead of helium?
Well, hydrogen balloons used to be really popular, but it is extremely flammable. The slightest spark will set off a huge explosion. hl!So9l:^S
Did you know? 
Helium is a colorless, odorless, tasteless inert gas at room temperature and makes up about 0.0005% of the air we breathe. Helium's principal source is natural gas wells where it is extracted from the crude natural gas stream and purified and that it can be stored and shipped either as a gas or a cryogenic liquid.

2006-3-23 09:47 graduate

Why are Blue Jeans traditionally sewn with Orange thread?
 The orange thread traditionally used to sew Levi Strauss blue jeans was intentionally selected to match the copper rivets that doubled the durability of the jeans. 
Levi Strauss, however, neither envisioned this particular use for copper riveting, which the orange thread complemented, nor the unique stitching on the rear pockets of the jeans. ?{[2Iqg*n+U
Jacob Davis, a Russian immigrant, and a tailor, who plied his trade in Reno, Nevada, formulated the idea for the riveted seam, an idea that would vastly extend the life of the jeans, and would revolutionize the garment industry. Alas, due to financial constraints, Jacob could neither afford to obtain a patent for his invention, nor to produce the new garment.
Out of necessity, Jacob approached the wholesaler he purchased his denim from with a proposal that he sell him the West Coast rights to the riveted blue jeans, in exchange for the required to obtain a patent for them. The wholesaler whom accepted Jacob's proposition was none other than Levi Strauss.M/q] I@-S
Levi gave Jacob a position with his Company in 1873 and, during his tenure, Jacob ensured that the orange thread be used in all stitching on the jeans, and that the curved, formally named "arcuate," stitches adorn the rear pockets of the jeans.
Initially the fancy, unique stitching on the rear pockets of the jeans served a purpose. The rear pockets of the first Levis the Company produced were lined with cotton, and the orange stitching prevented the padding from buckling. The Company dropped the cotton lining early on, but the stitching remained, and was registered as a trademark in 1942.[/LF(Ve Z~yP
Only once did it appear as if the orange stitching on the rear pockets would become a thing of the past. The material shortage during World War II prompted Levi to contribute to the war effort by temporarily ceasing production of jeans with the trademark stitching on the rear pockets, as this was considered frivolous and wasteful. To avoid a break in continuity of the Levi tradition, the Company had the design hand painted on the rear pockets of each pair of jeans produced.KBh%^4R}E8y/LT
To this day, the copper rivets, matching orange thread, and ornate stitching on the rear pockets still adorn all Levis produced. The legend of Levi Strauss lives on, while Jacob Davis has been lost in the annals of history.

2006-3-23 09:47 graduate

What is a Busker?(u3xEgg1T2ig0E3o
A Busker is a street perfomer. 
They owe their origins to the jesters and traveling minstrels who entertained Egyptian Pharohs, and Middle Age Lords in years gone by.Bas;a#`&~c
To define what a Busker actually does, or is, takes some explaining.)s*zF.Lu!KW1w-o
Literally defined as a person who entertains in public places for money, a Busker has no set skills they must have. They can juggle, eat fire, play music, or ride a unicycle; among many other things. As appreciation for a Busker's performance, spectators are supposed to put coins in the performer- provided hat. fcE*o7hu7|.X+LN
You can find Buskers performing around the world in places like England; Canada; Italy; Denver, Colorado; and New Zealand, but not all areas welcome these street performers. Laws tend to lump Buskers together as either panhandlers or venders. Panhandlers cannot be taxed, and are illegal, so Buskers face prosecution if caught. Vendors sell goods, which is what a Busker's performance is termed, and need a permit for tax purposes. This method has its drawbacks as Buskers seldom make large profits in the first place. Often times they must be invited to perform at a location to aviod legal hassles.%v:v*Ss;S
Whether making balloon art or using slapstick comedy to draw a crowd, the Busker is a unique performer that has been part of human culture for centuries.$z9y%Xo3zA9wF

2006-3-23 09:48 graduate

Do the humps on camels hold water?
 The humps on a camel's back are actually huge heaps of fat and flesh that can weigh as much as 80 pounds in a healthy camel. These humps help camels survive for weeks without food and water. 
When water and food become scarce on the deserts where camels roam, the fatty humps serve as stored food and are used for nourishment. As the camel's body metabolizes or uses up the humps' stored fat, the hump becomes smaller and flabbier. So the longer the camel goes without eating, the smaller its hump gets. The size of a camel's hump helps determine a camel's health, food sources, and overall well-being.4YDv|&Sv/K
These humps, or reserves of fat, are the reason why camels can go for days without water and food. While humans are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day, camels can go without water for up to 2 weeks!fo9YZM
Camel characteristics:
Camels are the only animals with humps. Camels can produce up to 600 liters of milk a year. Camels can close their nostrils. Camels eat just about anything. When camels are really hungry and there is no food around, they won't think twice about gobbling up people's tents, sandals, or blankets.

2006-3-23 09:49 graduate

Why doesn't an igloo melt inside?
The igloo, a temporary winter hunting shelter to the Alaskan Eskimo does, in fact, melt inside, but not to a great extent. \E+R6Z9f
The snowflakes falling outside of the igloo, in the harsh Alaskan winter, quickly melt when they land on its roof, and provide a replacement layer of insulation for the igloo. The ongoing freezing and re-freezing of the igloo, hardens it, and transforms the blocks of snow the Eskimos used in the construction process into a solid, icy, domed refuge. The igloo can now withstand the weight of a massive polar bear, should one happen along and have the urge to play "king of the mountain."
The initial freezing and re-freezing of the igloo takes place at end of the igloo's construction. First, the men must dig a trench into a fresh snow- drift, and, using their knives, cut blocks of snow from it that are specifically shaped to face inward when fully laid out. They then lay the blocks on their edges to form a circle, cutting them to size as they go, so that the end result will be a narrowing spiral. They cap the igloo by dropping a keystone, or block with edges cut wider above than below, into the remaining gap in the roof, and "grout" the gaps between blocks of snow with additional snow.s~UXoQsn
The men then call in the resident expert, the Eskimo woman, to put the finishing touches on the igloo. Armed with her whale blubber lamp, she enters the structure, lights her lamp to the highest possible setting, beats a hasty retreat, and seals the entrance with a block of ice. Inside the igloo, the snow on the roof begins to melt but, because of its domed design, the water melts down the sides of the igloo, and soaks the blocks of snow. When the blocks are almost completely saturated with water, the Eskimo woman returns, douses her blubber lamp, and allows the frigid outside air to rush in, transforming the fragile snow structure into one of hard, solid ice.
The igloo is now prepared for its temporary tenants, whose body heat, combined with the warmth of one to two blubber lamps, maintain its interior at approximately 55°F. Not until the winter ends, and the exterior temperature rises, does the igloo begin to melt.

2006-3-23 09:50 graduate

Why do deer shed their antlers?
Deer shed their antlers annually as a prelude to the regeneration, or re-growth, of new ones. 
The entire shedding process takes a mere two to three weeks to complete, and the re-growth phase takes place over the summer. The docile male deer that, with the exception of the male and the female reindeer, solely sports antlers, sheds them between January and April, after the autumn mating season draws to a close. He can do without antlers at this time, because his need for them in prior months, to attract and to impress females for his harem of mates, and to fight with his competitors for the females' affections, no longer exists.X.vdnM+XQ i
The antlers themselves differ from the hollow horns of cattle, in that they comprise solid bone tissue with a honey combed structure. Pedicles, or knobby, skin-covered nubs protruding from the skull, support the deer's antlers, or points, which range in number from one shaft to eleven branches. The pedicles are a permanent fixture on the deer's forehead, and are the point from which the antlers annually break off.
During the first year the pedicles appear on the young deer's forehead. The following year, the youngster sprouts straight, spike-like shafts, and in the third year, the first branch appears. In successive years, as the deer matures, his antlers lengthen and, in most species, he acquires additional branches. One can actually determine the age of the deer from the number of branches on his antlers, as their number increases with age.^f4{[`x
During the growth phase of the bony antlers, they are covered with a sensitive skin referred to as "velvet“, which is filled with blood vessels that feed the antlers the vitamins and the minerals necessary to build up the bone, and to promote normal antler growth. Antler growth spans two to four months, after which time the velvet is no longer needed, and a ring, which effectively serves as a shutoff valve, forms at the base of the antlers and cuts off the blood supply to the velvet. As a result, the velvet withers, dries up, and falls off, often assisted by the deer, which rubs his antlers against tree bark. The antler regeneration is complete, and the shedding cycle will resume once mating season in the fall concludes.

2006-3-23 09:50 graduate

Why do some animals hibernate in the winter?d*}9`6?&`xF^,P#\
Black bears, hummingbirds and squirrels hibernate in the winter because a long, chilly season of little food and warmth is no picnic for these animals.
Unlike the warm seasons of spring and summer that provide an unlimited amount of food for these critters, the winter season only provides a cold, frozen ground where food is extremely scarce.
In addition, the wintery days are frigid and short while the hours in the dark night seem to drag on for a chilly eternity. Searching for grub often leaves the stomachs of these animals empty because by the end of their search their bodies end up burning more calories than the animals get back from the food when and if any is found. So instead of starving or freezing to death, these animals decide to pack in all in for the long haul and hibernate during the winter months. 
Hibernation helps these animals survive in the roughest and toughest conditions. By hibernating, an animal decreases its body‘s energy needs to a bare minimum. Hibernation is a process of lowering an animals body temperature and slowing down its heartbeat into order to conserve energy during times of scarcity and stress. 
Every animal hibernates in different ways. While squirrels can wake up every four days to grab a bite to eat and take a trip to the bathroom, black bears can stay dormant, or inactive, for up to seven months with no food, water, or visits to the bathroom. bJ!q'KM U a/}

2006-3-23 09:52 graduate

Why do we wear a Cap and Gown for graduation?l3^5[ ~ErLR
In the often unheated buildings of the middle ages, long gowns were necessary for scholars to ward off the cold. 
Academic dress for graduations started in the 12th and 13th centuries when universities first began forming. Whether a student or a teacher, standard dress for scholars was clerical garb. Most medieval scholars had made certain vows, and had at least taken minor orders with the church so clerical robes were their main form of dress to begin with.g3{\8~Gf9f$W0ZP'D
In 1321, the University of Coimbra mandated that all Doctors, Bachelors, and Licentiates must wear gowns. In the latter half of the 14th century, excess in apparel was forbidden in some colleges and prescribed wearing a long gown. By the time of England's Henry VIII, Oxford and Cambridge began using a standard form of academic dress, which was controlled to the tiniest detail by the university.
Not until the late 1800s were colors assigned to signify certain areas of study, but they were only standardized in the United States. European institutions have always had diversity in their academic dress, but American institutions employ a definite system of dress thanks to Gardner Cotrell Leonard from Albany, New York. After designing gowns for his 1887 class at Williams College, he took an interest in the subject and published an article on academic dress in 1893. Soon after he was asked to work with an Intercollegiate Commission to form a system of academic apparel./jH~!F L+t;AM%E
The system Gardner Cotrell Leonard helped form was based on gown cut, style and fabric; as well as designated colors to represent fields of study. For example green was the color of medieval herbs, and was assigned to medical studies. Because olive is close to green, was designated for pharmaceutical studies.
In 1959, the American Council on Education had a Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies review the costume code and make changes. In 1986, the committee changed the code to clarify the use of dark blue for a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
The shape and size of the hood and the sleeve design of the gown show the degree a student pursued: a Bachelor's Degree gown has pointed sleeves and no hood, a Master's Degree gown had long, closed sleeves with arm slits and a narrow hood, and a Doctor's Degree had bell-shaped sleeves and a draped, wide hood.
The color of the hood's lining tells which college or university the degree was given by. For example: Harvard is crimson, Temple is cherry and white, and Cornell is purple and white. However, other than the lining, the hood must be black.
The field of study is designated by the color of the hood's facing. For example: Theology is scarlet, Arts Letters and Humanities are white, and Music is pink.
Caps should only be made of black cotton poplin, broadcloth, rayon, or silk, to match gown they are to be used with. Velvet may only be used for a doctor's degree.
Tassels should be fastened to the middle of the cap's top and allowed to lie where it will. It should be black, or the color of field of study, unless it is for a doctor's degree in which case is may be gold.

2006-3-23 09:53 graduate

How did Valentine's Day cards begin?
Believing that birds began to mate on February 14, people in the Middle Ages started the card tradition by sending love letters on that day. 
In the 15th century, singing and spoken valentines were slowly replaced by written letters in Europe. The first written valentine is credited to Charles, the Duke of Orleans, who wrote love poems to his wife while he was in prison in 1415. By the beginning of the 16th century, valentines were almost always written.1S4}H%NB#x\%G
Early valentines were hand made on colored paper. Often they were tinted with water colors and inks. Other types of valentines found during this era were:
Acrostic - the first line of the verses spelled out the recipient's name
Cutout - the paper was folded and cut into a lace-like design using small, pointed scissors.;vmJPk;f {w
Pinprick - using a pin or needle, tiny holes were punched in the paper to make it look like lace.
Theorem or Poonah - a stencil was used to help paint on designs that stood for words. For example, the word foot would be replaced by a picture of a foot. \3h#]9ZUzz_p
Puzzle Purse - the paper was a folded puzzle with verses written in the folds. Each verse must be read in a specific order and the puzzle refolded correctly. W;mX*UPP }@
Fraktur - the letters were written in a decorative style to imitate the illuminated manuscripts used in the Middle Ages.,XRFE}i~0s.H
The 1800s saw valentines made by factory workers. Black and white pictures were painted by the workers in the early part of the century. By the end of the 1800s, the cards were made by machines. These cards were elaborately decorated with gold leaf, satin, lace and flowers.
In 1840, the first mass produced valentine's cards where made in America. Esther Howland, who sold ,000 worth of the cards in her first year, created them.

2006-3-23 09:54 graduate

The smallest country? M&QvY|
 Size is not a criterion in our definition of what constitutes a country. A country need only be an independent state, with distinct territorial boundaries, and its own government. This is a true blessing for Vatican City, as, weighing in at a mere 0.17 miles, it holds the title of being the smallest country in the world.
Prior to 1870, however, political control by papal governments in central Italy spanned approximately 16.000 square miles. In 1870, the Kingdom of Italy, in a shift of political power, established Rome as the national capital of Italy, wrested political power from the papal governments, and absorbed the so-called "Papal States" into its territory. 
A 1929 Agreement hammered out by the Italian government and the Pope, established Vatican City as a country... all 0.17 square miles of it! Gradually the country has gained recognition as such, by establishing diplomatic ties with other countries, and by receiving dignitaries from other nations.c}Y~~%r3J3jb
Vatican City is the official seat of the Catholic Church, and its head, the Pope, rules through a civil governor. As with any other country, this miniature country sports its own flag, coins its own coins, runs its own postal, transportation, telephone systems, and radio broadcasting station. Vatican City is all grown up.
This pint-size powerhouse of a country primarily supports itself through contributions from Catholics around the world, and through tourism. Safely ensconced within Vatican City lie some of the worlds' most precious of treasures; the Gardens, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Vatican Palace, which houses the Vatican Library, and...the Pope himself.

2006-3-23 09:54 graduate

Why do we have eyebrows?8t2{_W6{5Q(|
Those tiny, little hairs above our eyes that many women either pluck, paint, pierce or tattoo play a very important role in keeping moisture out of our eyes. 
Just like an umbrella keeps our bodies dry from the rain, our hairy eyebrows keep our eyes dry from rain or sweat.
When it's pouring rain outside or when sweat drips down from our foreheads, our eyebrows divert the flow of water or sweat away from our eyes.
Our arch-shaped eyebrows angle the rain or sweat around to the side of our faces--leaving our eyes fairly dry. By catching the water or sweat, our eyebrows not only allow us to see more clearly, but also keep salty sweat from burning or irritating our eyes.&U8Zy;D6ui y [&X
<IMG src="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/2006-02/14/20020829_1796_eyebrow_1.jpg" align=right>Eyebrows have other roles also. As one of our most expressive facial features, eyebrows help us determine how people are feeling without ever really asking them.
If a person's eyebrows are frowning, chances are they are mad or upset. In addition, eyebrows have an increasing impact on our beauty or fashion culture over the years.
Thick, hairy and big eyebrows tend to be characterized as unattractive while thin and plucked eyebrows are said to be more attractive.

2006-3-23 09:56 graduate

Why do we blink our eyes?8m-F8U$l hPH

Blinking, as opposed to batting, our eyes automatically supplies two forms of moisture to our eyes, to keep them from drying out, and to keep foreign matter from entering and irritating our eyes. Eyelids themselves, our built-in "wind-shield wipers," are merely folds of skin, controlled by muscles capable of expanding and contracting so rapidly, that blinking does not impair our vision. Mother Nature lined the rims of our eyelids with 20-30 sebaceous, oil-producing glands, which are located between our eyelashes, and are invisible to the naked eye. Blinking automatically coats the eyelid and eyelashes with the lubricant it secretes, to prevent them from drying out.
Blinking also protects the eye from dryness by irrigating, not by irritating, the eye, The eyelid, through suction, automatically draws the fluid we cry with from the well we refer to as the tear duct over the eyeball, to irrigate, and to moisturize the eye. The process is similar to the manner in which the farmer uses water to irrigate his crops during a dry spell. ^2U C0fgM%S$b
Yet another benefit of blinking, is to shield the eye from foreign bodies. Our eyelashes, short, curved, hairs, attached to the eyelids, serve as dust-catchers, as the blinking reflex causes them automatically to lower, when exposed to harsh elements. Nature endowed the camel with extraordinarily long, curly, eyelashes, to protect his eyes from sudden sandstorms in the desert. Incidentally, the "camel eyelash" look is one many women attempt to duplicate by using an eyelash curler! Eyebrows, by the way, also serve their purpose, as they catch the run-off perspiration produces.

2006-3-23 09:56 graduate

Can dogs see colors? ogl]5@5TeG
 Man's best friend is colorblind, but, fortunately, his survival does not depend upon the ability to see colors. His keen sense of smell compensates for his inability to see colors, and enables him to differentiate between things.
Extensive scientific testing on dogs supports the conclusion that they live in a colorless world. The testing done primarily focussed on the dogs' responses to colors for food. Dogs could not tell the difference between one color, a signal for food, and other colors, that were not for food. Similar tests conducted on cats produced similar results, which led scientists to conclude that they, too, are colorblind and live in a gray world.
The inability of most animals to see colors, from an evolutionary standpoint, is quite simple to understand. Many colorblind animals have dull-colored coats, hunt for food in the dark of night, or graze in the dim twilight hours. Their other senses have developed to the point where the lack of color vision in no way impairs them. For them, life in a colorless world is neither a handicap, nor a threat to their survival.7Nn T1We6s
The only animals, other than man, scientists can conclusively say have color vision are monkeys and apes. Both can be trained to open a colored door, behind which is food, and man can be trained to open a refrigerator door of any color!

2006-3-23 09:57 graduate

Which is correct:12 Midnight A.M.or 12 Midnight P.M.?
 Neither!z"dh(w|d?V1G j
Twelve midnight A.M. and twelve midnight P.M., or 00:00 A.M. and 00:00 P.M., mean nothing at all. They are simply the midpoints that divide the day into two equal halves. FTT$g2^
Each and every day begins exactly at midnight, and each A.M. begins precisely thereafter. Similarly, each P.M. begins immediately after noon. No meaning can be assigned to 12:00 A.M. (00:00 A.M.), or to 12:00 P.M. (00:00 P.M.). They are merely reference points meant to simplify timetables for us.
Along the same line, the Universal Day, established by the International Convention in 1884 in Washington, D.C., U.S.A., operates according to World Time, or Universal Time at Greenwich, England. The logic regarding Midnight and Noon also applies to Greenwich Mean Time, commonly referred to as GMT or Zulu time; Midnight and Noon represent markers, or "page breaks" in the day and in the night, and may be represented by 00:00 o抍lock.vW,UB%EzZ[
Greenwich, England also holds the distinction of being at the point of zero longitude, where East meets West. The 1884 international agreement also recognized this line of zero degrees longitude as the prime meridian, a point from which all points on the earth抯 surface are measured.

2006-3-23 09:58 graduate

Why are there 5,280 feet to a mile?
The measurement known as a mile is a vestige of the Roman Empire's rule over Britain. At this time, the Romans had a measurement known as mille pasuum (ME-lay PA-soo-em), or a thousand paces. A pace comprised five, possibly sandal shod, Roman feet. Using a simple mathematical calculation, we arrive at 5,000 feet per mile. &r({q3L^
The demise of the Roman Empire left the Britons in a quandary. They now had a mile, consisting of 5,000 feet, and their own agricultural measurement, the furlong, used to measure the farmers' fields for the purpose of property deeds, etc. Instead of using the Roman foot in calculating the measure of a furlong, they used the distance a horse could pull a plow, in a linear fashion, before the nag needed a nap. They agreed that this measurement consisted 660 feet.~Y"I6W8Nj1o-f7Xz$is
<IMG src="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/2006-02/08/20020404_1485_mile_1.jpg" align=right>Now came the dilemma. The British wished to marry the furlong to the mile, but, as they wanted a mile to comprise eight furlongs, totaling 5,280 feet, instead of the Roman 5,000 feet per mile, they had no choice but to select one of the two. Not surprisingly, they chose their measurement over the Roman measurement because, as property deeds at the time were measured in furlongs, or 660 feet, a change to the Roman measurement would short the farmer or landowner.

2006-3-23 09:59 graduate

Why does the moon shine?
The moon, a satellite, or small body, rotates on its axis around the earth, and "shines" when the sun's light beams onto its surface, and is reflected back to earth. Unfortunately, only one side of the moon is visible to us on the earth, as it takes the moon the same length of time to orbit on its axis, as it takes for it to orbit the earth. 
The lunar month is divided into halves. During the first half, lasting approximately 14 days, the sun's light unrelentingly strikes the moon, which has no atmosphere or air to protect it from these rays, and brings the temperature of the moon to above that of the boiling point. The second half of the lunar month plunges the moon into cold, dark nights.0Y[2[X jk+s(z6N9x
Man has learned a great deal about the moon since the days when ancient man worshipped it as a goddess who ruled the night. Space flights made by the United States, the USSR, now Russia, and our Apollo moon landings, unlocked some of the moon's secrets, by enabling astronauts to collect the moon's soil and rocks, and to photograph the side of the moon invisible to us for scientific analysis. The primary goal of scientific studies of the data collected is to determine if, someday, man can actually inhabit the moon.

2006-3-23 10:00 graduate

Do you know that it once was law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed?
During the 6th Century, it was customary to congratulate people who sneezed because it was thought that they were expelling evil from their bodies. During the great plague of Europe, the Pope passed a law to say "God bless you" to one who sneezed. 
There still are some weird laws on the books. In Washington state, it is against the law to boast that one's parents are rich. In Maryland, it's illegal to play Randy Newman's "Short People" on the radio. In Alabama it is illegal to play Dominoes on Sunday. And in Minneapolis, double-parkers can be put on a chain gang.
An old statute in Kentucky states that men who push their wives out of bed for inflicting their cold toes on them can be fined or jailed for a week. A 100-year-old law in Willowdale, Oregon makes it illegal to swear during sex. An odd law in Minnesota makes it illegal to hang male and female underwear on the same washing line. In Melbourne, Australia it is illegal for men to parade in strapless dresses - but they are allowed to cross-dress in anything with sleeves.
An old law in Russia allows a police officer to "beat a peeping tom soundly." In Texas, two categories of men are exempt from peeping tom charges: men over 50 and men with only one eye.b0Ce]Z `9r;N:_#\
In Normal, Oklahoma you could be sent to prison for "making an ugly face at a dog."
And if you're in Hawaii and laughing at these odd laws, stop! In Hawaii it is forbidden to laugh after 10pm.

2006-3-23 10:01 graduate

Where did the dollar sign come from?
It is only appropriate that an Irish immigrant to the United States be the one credited with originating the dollar sign. Oliver Pollock sailed the high seas at the age of twenty-three, and settled in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. This young entrepreneur rapidly established himself as a wealthy and influential West Indies trader.9R/y5m5C|-u0C2[
Pollock moved his operation to Louisiana, where he amassed even more wealth as a trader, and as a plantation owner. His success enabled him to provide supplies to the Patriots' cause in the Revolutionary War, and to maintain close contact and a degree of influence with Congress. Pollock's success allowed him easily to purchase military supplies to support "the cause," as the Spanish Empire had an outpost in New Orleans, Louisiana. In his dealings with the Spaniards, Pollock used their currency, the peso.
In true Spanish tradition, Pollock used an abbreviation for pesos, yet his penmanship made the abbreviation appear to be the transposition of the letters "p" and "s." 
Prior to 1775, the fledgling nations monetary system was in disarray, and needed to be revamped. By 1775, Congress decided to rectify the situation by backing all of its legal tender with the most commonly circulated coins that were, coincidentally, Spanish coins minted in the New World. Americans then began trading with "Spanish milled dollars," later termed "dollars," as Americans shed the "pounds" that were the vestiges of British rule. 
Congressman Robert Morris, to whom Pollock addressed his billing records, perpetuated the use of the dollar sign, and was the first high government official to give his blessing to the "s" with the two lines through it.7E6bAJ\'\(pA)W+R.P
The appearance of the dollar sign in print, in a 1797 book by Chauncey Lee, signified the acceptance of the dollar as a purely American symbol.

2006-3-23 10:02 graduate

What is the coldest profession? /rP\?4V~U
The Adelie penguin, a species that inhabits Ross Island in Antarctica, ensures the survival of its species in a curious manner. Though scientists claim that this species mates for life, an exception is apparently made where nest building is concerned.
The female Adelie penguin, desperate to obtain the stones she uses to build her nest, visits the nests of bachelor Adelies, goes through the entire courtship routine, mates with him, and waddles off with the prized pebbles she worked for.
The harsh, frigid Antarctic climate makes it necessary for the female Adelie to use unconventional means to obtain the rocks she needs to build a nest for her offspring. Trees and grasses cannot survive in this climate, and the stones that the female penguin does find, are likely to be frozen solid in the ice or in the mud.
So rare are the pebbles the penguin needs that she sometimes even risks her neck by robbing another females' nest of the stones.
<IMG src="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/language_tips/2006-01/27/20020624_1564_penguin_1.jpg" align=right>This explains why the date and mate method is the one female Adelie penguins prefer. She follows the courtship ritual, which includes repeatedly dipping her head and, if the unattached male expresses interest in her, she lies flat on her back, as an invitation to mate. Once the two have mated, the female collects the stones she came for as a sort of payment, and returns home to her mate for life!
Sometimes, especially cunning female Adelies engage in the courtship ritual, minus the mating part, grab the rocks, and go home. According to Fiona M. Hunter of the University of Cambridge, the males of this species do not bear a grudge, and do not become aggressive when they get nothing for something. This researcher even observed one bold and masterful female make off with 62 stones from one single male in one hour, without engaging in anything but the head-bobbing ritual.

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