Exploding Trees In a scene from Mary Shelleys famous novel Frankenstein, one of the characters watches as a lightning bolt strikes a large oak tree. The tree is utterly destroyed in a gigantic explosion. This might be good story-telling, but could su...
Influenza is a common infection of the nose and throat, and sometimes the lungs. It is caused by a virus which passes from one person to another.The flu causes muscle pain, sudden high body temperature, breathing problems and weakness. It is most com...
Some scientists say time is governed by the movement of matter in our universe. They say time flows forward because the universe is expanding. Some say it will stop expanding some day and will begin to move in the opposite direction, to grow smaller....
Times when diseases spread throughout the world are called pandemics. The W-H-O says the next flu pandemic is likely to kill as many as six-hundred-fifty-thousand people in industrial countries. The greatest effect will likely be in developing countr...
Greasy Spoon Feifei: Youre looking very pleased and contented today, Diarmuid. Diarmuid: I am very happy today Feifei. Why? Because I had my breakfast at my local greasy spoon this morning. Feifei: Greasy spoon? I dont understand. How could you have...
The Psychology Of Imaginary Friends When you were young, did you have an imaginary friend? Approximately thirty percent of American children between the ages of three and six develop an imaginary companion. In many cases this fantasy friend is though...
The Siren Song of the Spotted Katydid A lonely male cicada scrambles through the top of a tree in eastern Australia. He chirps and then pauseslistening. Hes hunting for a mate. He chirps again and he hears itthe tell-tale click of a receptive female....
So, we have devices to mark the passing of time. But what time is it now. Clocks in different parts of the world do not show the same time at the same time. This is because time on Earth is set by the sun's position in the sky above. We all have a tw...
Humans have used many devices to measure time. The sundial was one of the earliest and simplest. A sundial measures the movement of the sun across the sky each day. It has a stick or other object that rises above a flat surface. The stick, blocking s...
Mystery of Time If you can read a clock, you can know the time of day. But no one knows what time itself is. We cannot see it. We cannot touch it. We cannot hear it. We know it only by the way we mark its passing. For all our success in measuring the...
Private and State Schools Helen: Whats the difference between state schools and private schools in the UK? First, Mr. Lenon explains, the main difference between private and state schools is money. Yes, there are two differences between a private sch...
Early humans hunted animals and gathered wild plants. They moved in groups or tribes from place to place in search of food. Then, people learned to plant seeds and grow crops. They learned to use animals to help them work, and for food. They found th...
Authentic Real English: Freak Out 反常反应 Feifei: Uh! William! William: Oh, its a long story. Feifei: No, go on. William: Well I invited some friends over to my house last night while my wife was seeing her mother. And, I dont know how it happen...
The first pictures of Earth taken from space showed a solid ball covered by brown and green land masses and blue-green oceans. It appeared as if the Earth had always looked that way -- and always would. Scientists now know, however, that the surface...
The Kodak company plans to stop selling traditional film cameras in the United States, Canada and western Europe by the end of this year. Sales of cameras for use only one time will continue. Kodak will also continue to sell its traditional thirty-fi...
