Genius tough he was, Leonardo da Vinci didn’t produce many paintings because he was a perfectionist and spent years on each one. Only seventeen of them survive, and they are all very valuable. Leonardo began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503 and finished it shortly before his death in 1519. Today many consider it the most famous painting in the world, and one of the most precious, but this hasn’t always been the case.
The Mona Lisa didn’t become well-known until the Symbolist movement in the mid-nineteenth century, when it was viewed as the embodiment of eternal femininity. The painting’s fame skyrocketed in the twentieth century, when it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911. The theft closed the museum down for a week. Pablo Picasso was one of the suspects, but it turned out the painting had been taken by a Louvre employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, who was apprehended two years later when he tried to sell it to the Ufizzi Gallery in Florence.
Perhaps the most important element of the painting is the gaze: it meets ours, while Mona Lisa’s posture and the visual impression of distance between sitter and observer that Leonardo created give her an almost divine inaccessibility.
Mona Lisa is a realistic woman and an ideal at the same time, full of contradictions. Dynamism, and a sense of movement, are always hailed as hallmarks of a masterpiece, and Leonardo succeeds in capturing dynamism in motion, rather than someone holding a halt smile. Complex paintings evoke complex responses – there are no easy analyses or interpretations. The painting continuously toys with our perceptions and emotions.
Speculations about the identity of the sitter also contribute to the painting’s fame, until 2005 when a library expert at the University of Heindelberg discovered a 1503 margin note written by Agostini Vespucci. The sitter is now confirmed as Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy Florentine silk merchant. The painting was commissioned to celebrate the birth of their second child. Detailed analysis of the painting has shown that she is wearing a typical garment, worn by women while pregnant or after giving birth.
Before then there had been much speculation about the woman’s identity, including the suggestion that the painting was meant as an ironic self-portrait.
Above all, it is the enigmatic smile that continues to hold the public imagination in both popular culture and the art world. It is a smile that seems to disappear when you look at it directly and Leonardo painted it with this intention. Professor Margaret Livingstone at Harvard University explains that “her smile is almost entirely in low special frequencies, and so is best seen by your peripheral vision,” and says that artists like Leonardo “discovered fundamental truths that scientists are only now unraveling.”

Bicycle History

A student of Leonardo da Vinci, named Giacomo Caprotti, created the original design for a bicycle. But a Frenchman named Monsieur Sivrac in the 1790s created the first bicycle. It was called the Célérifère (saylay-ri-fair). It had no pedals, so you had to use feet to ride it. It also had no handlebars, so you couldn’t direct. You would have to go straight. It was made out of wood.
The next step in bicycle evolution was the Laufmaschine. It was also known as the Draisienne and the Hobby Horse. A German man named Baron von Drais made it in 1817. Unlike the Célérifère, it had the ability to steer. Kirkpatrick Macmillan created the first bicycle with pedals in 1839. You would push the pedals back and forth which turned the wheel. In the early 1860s, a Frenchman named Pierre Lallement made the velocipede. It had two steel wheels. The one in front was slightly larger than the other. Its pedals were connected to the front wheel, so when you pedaled, the front wheel would rotate pulling the back one with it.
Bicycles with high wheels were very popular in the late 1800s. In 1871, the high wheel bicycle was invented; it was the first bicycle to be called a bicycle. They were the first all metal bicycle, because up to that date, light metal parts could not be made strong enough. They had one big wheel in the front and one small wheel in the back. They ran a lot more smoothly than bicycles before it but were a lot more dangerous. If you hit a rock or rut or sometimes even by applying the brakes, you would fly over the handlebars of your bike.
For the women with long skirts and dresses and the better dressed men, there was the tricycle. The tricycle was a three-wheeled machine that worked just like the bicycle only it was safer. However, it was harder to steer on turns. They were made in the 1880’s.
To make the high-wheeled bicycle safer, they switched the front and back wheels around, putting the smaller wheel at the front and the larger wheel at the back. This design made the bicycle less likely to tip forward. These bicycles were known as high wheel safety bikes.
Safety bikes were the next step in bicycle evolution. With stronger metals available, they were able to make a small sprocket and chain that was light enough for a human being to power. The safety bike had two wheels the same size. In 1888, an Irish veterinarian named Dunlop, invented the pneumatic tire. These tires were a lot more comfortable to ride on. The pneumatic tire design was sometimes used on safety bikes.
In 1920, the kid’s bike was introduced. Since adults were riding in automobiles, the market needed someone to buy their bicycles. The mountain bike was first mass-produced in the early 1980’s at a time when bicycling became popular for exercise and recreation. Although the mechanics of bicycles have improved over time, the basic concept of this people-powered machine has remained the same for hundreds of years.

Bicycle History

A student of Leonardo da Vinci, named Giacomo Caprotti, created the original design for a bicycle. But a Frenchman named Monsieur Sivrac in the 1790s created the first bicycle. It was called the Célérifère (saylay-ri-fair). It had no pedals, so you had to use feet to ride it. It also had no handlebars, so you couldn’t direct. You would have to go straight. It was made out of wood.
The next step in bicycle evolution was the Laufmaschine. It was also known as the Draisienne and the Hobby Horse. A German man named Baron von Drais made it in 1817. Unlike the Célérifère, it had the ability to steer. Kirkpatrick Macmillan created the first bicycle with pedals in 1839. You would push the pedals back and forth which turned the wheel. In the early 1860s, a Frenchman named Pierre Lallement made the velocipede. It had two steel wheels. The one in front was slightly larger than the other. Its pedals were connected to the front wheel, so when you pedaled, the front wheel would rotate pulling the back one with it.
Bicycles with high wheels were very popular in the late 1800s. In 1871, the high wheel bicycle was invented; it was the first bicycle to be called a bicycle. They were the first all metal bicycle, because up to that date, light metal parts could not be made strong enough. They had one big wheel in the front and one small wheel in the back. They ran a lot more smoothly than bicycles before it but were a lot more dangerous. If you hit a rock or rut or sometimes even by applying the brakes, you would fly over the handlebars of your bike.
For the women with long skirts and dresses and the better dressed men, there was the tricycle. The tricycle was a three-wheeled machine that worked just like the bicycle only it was safer. However, it was harder to steer on turns. They were made in the 1880’s.
To make the high-wheeled bicycle safer, they switched the front and back wheels around, putting the smaller wheel at the front and the larger wheel at the back. This design made the bicycle less likely to tip forward. These bicycles were known as high wheel safety bikes.
Safety bikes were the next step in bicycle evolution. With stronger metals available, they were able to make a small sprocket and chain that was light enough for a human being to power. The safety bike had two wheels the same size. In 1888, an Irish veterinarian named Dunlop, invented the pneumatic tire. These tires were a lot more comfortable to ride on. The pneumatic tire design was sometimes used on safety bikes.
In 1920, the kid’s bike was introduced. Since adults were riding in automobiles, the market needed someone to buy their bicycles. The mountain bike was first mass-produced in the early 1980’s at a time when bicycling became popular for exercise and recreation. Although the mechanics of bicycles have improved over time, the basic concept of this people-powered machine has remained the same for hundreds of years.

A Brief History of Shoes

Shoes were one of the first items man learned to make. When traversing rough, rocky terrain, humans quickly realized the importance of finding a way to protect their feet. Historical records of Chinese, Egyptians and other early civilizations all show mention of shoes. The Bible also has frequent references to footwear. Even fables and fairy tales passed down over the centuries were often based on shoes, including ‘Cinderella’, ‘Puss in Boots’, ‘Mercury’s Winged Sandals’, and many others.
The earliest people wore sock-like coverings on their feet. The first shoes with a rigid sole, a sandal style, were created by early Egyptians. Not unlike today, the quality of the shoes worn reflected the status of the wearer. Royalty wore sandals with a toe that extended upward in a spiral while lesser beings wore plain-toed sandals. Slaves, unfortunately, were not allowed to wear shoes at all and had to go barefoot.
It was the Greeks who made shoemaking more of an art form. They also introduced the world to heeled shoes.
The next advance in shoemaking was what is known as turned shoes, that is shoes that had the sole and upper sewn together and were then turned inside out to hide the stitching. During the Medieval era, pointed shoes became a fashion craze, but it soon got out of hand. Many governments passed laws that restricted shoes from having toes that extended more than two inches from the end of a person’s foot.
Other shoe extremes followed, including square toed shoes and extremely wide shoes known as bear claws. Another outlandish foot fashion was elevated shoes that would raise women as far as two feet off the ground. So many women fell and were injured, laws were again passed to restrict the impractical shoes.
Men’s heels became popular for the elite in the 17th and 18th centuries until the French Revolution. Heel heights returned to normal levels after that as a symbol of equality.
In the 1800s North America saw the beginnings of a simple form of mechanical shoemaking. This made it easier to make shoes to fit the right or left foot. In fact, it has now been nearly 1900 years since right and left shoes began to be differentiated, but it was difficult to produce them before the industrialized era began.
During the late 1800s, basketball became popular and brought about the invention of one of the alltime favorite shoes ever produced — the sneaker.
Next time you look at the huge variety of styles of footwear available today, you might want to stop and think about what our ancestors wore on their feet. It will make you grateful that you didn’t have to walk a mile in their shoes.

Genius tough he was, Leonardo da Vinci didn’t produce many paintings because he was a perfectionist and spent years on each one. Only seventeen of them survive, and they are all very valuable. Leonardo began painting the Mona Lisa in 1503 and finished it shortly before his death in 1519. Today many consider it the most famous painting in the world, and one of the most precious, but this hasn’t always been the case.
The Mona Lisa didn’t become well-known until the Symbolist movement in the mid-nineteenth century, when it was viewed as the embodiment of eternal femininity. The painting’s fame skyrocketed in the twentieth century, when it was stolen from the Louvre in 1911. The theft closed the museum down for a week. Pablo Picasso was one of the suspects, but it turned out the painting had been taken by a Louvre employee, Vincenzo Peruggia, who was apprehended two years later when he tried to sell it to the Ufizzi Gallery in Florence.
Perhaps the most important element of the painting is the gaze: it meets ours, while Mona Lisa’s posture and the visual impression of distance between sitter and observer that Leonardo created give her an almost divine inaccessibility.
Mona Lisa is a realistic woman and an ideal at the same time, full of contradictions. Dynamism, and a sense of movement, are always hailed as hallmarks of a masterpiece, and Leonardo succeeds in capturing dynamism in motion, rather than someone holding a halt smile. Complex paintings evoke complex responses – there are no easy analyses or interpretations. The painting continuously toys with our perceptions and emotions.
Speculations about the identity of the sitter also contribute to the painting’s fame, until 2005 when a library expert at the University of Heindelberg discovered a 1503 margin note written by Agostini Vespucci. The sitter is now confirmed as Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of Francesco del Giocondo, a wealthy Florentine silk merchant. The painting was commissioned to celebrate the birth of their second child. Detailed analysis of the painting has shown that she is wearing a typical garment, worn by women while pregnant or after giving birth.
Before then there had been much speculation about the woman’s identity, including the suggestion that the painting was meant as an ironic self-portrait.
Above all, it is the enigmatic smile that continues to hold the public imagination in both popular culture and the art world. It is a smile that seems to disappear when you look at it directly and Leonardo painted it with this intention. Professor Margaret Livingstone at Harvard University explains that “her smile is almost entirely in low special frequencies, and so is best seen by your peripheral vision,” and says that artists like Leonardo “discovered fundamental truths that scientists are only now unraveling.”

It is a common belief that the full moon causes people to act strangely and that during a full moon there are more violence, suicides, accidents, aggression, and depression. The purported cause is sometimes called the “lunar effect” or the “Transylvania effect.”
The words “lunacy” and “lunatic” come from the Latin word for moon, or lung. Based on this, some people argue that it has been known for centuries that (1) ___________ on people.
In spite of these beliefs and other folklore and tradition, modern scientific studies have proven that there is no correlation between a full moon and unusual human behavior. Scientists have studied violence, crime, birth of infants, major disasters, kidnappings, sleep walking, depression, psychosis, suicides, hospital emergency room admissions, drug overdose cases, and accidents. In all of the studies, (2) __________ on any of these incidents. In fact, in many cases, such as suicide and drug overdose, there were fewer cases during a full moon than during a new moon.
If scientists have proven there is no correlation between a Dill moon and strange behavior, why do (3) __________? You often hear people say, “Just ask an emergency room nurse, or a bartender, or a police dispatcher and they’ll tell you it’s true.”
Psychologists think that we believe in lunar madness because of folklore and tradition, the media, misconceptions, and selective memory. For example, (4) __________ that occurred during a full moon, yet forget that the same event also happened at other times.
We must also realize that if (5) __________, it doesn’t mean that one event has caused the other. If it’s raining outside and a football quarterback throws three touchdown passes in one game, it doesn’t mean that the rain caused him to complete the passes, any more than making three touchdowns caused it to rain. Just because (6) __________ doesn’t mean the full moon caused it.

Greece was, of course, the (1)__________ of the Olympics games and the people of Greece felt cheated and were very unhappy when they (2)__________ to Sydney the right to stage the Millennium Olympics Games in 2000. There was a belief among some in the Olympic Movement that Athens was not able to stage the games due to its infrastructure. But I suspect that this was (3)__________ a good move for Athens as the people were so enraged that they were (4)__________ to prove that not only could they stage amazing games in 2004, but they would do it in a modernized and appealing city.
The people of Athens had a (5)__________ to rally around and prove that Athens was a First Class City.
In usual Greek (6)__________ though, they did it in a way that stressed out the outside world watching who were convinced that it would never be done in time – forgetting that the Greeks usually get things done but in their own time. They did literally finish on time and even weeks before the Olympics some observers were (7)__________ chaos.
The Greek way is a more leisurely (8)__________ to life and to getting things done. The weather, no doubt, plays a big part as it is usually glorious, (9)__________ it does get almost unbearably hot in mid summer. This is why, no doubt, the whole place pretty much closes down and everyone leaves Athens for the islands and the seaside.
Athens has put in place as a result of the Olympics many (10)__________ infrastructure changes which make it a better city for a visitor. The new airport is slick, modern and very pleasant to travel through. There is now an inexpensive metro system that runs from the airport into town and also into the further suburbs near the sea. There are new modern highways and every single hotel, of all classes, has been refurbished or extended.
Even the 5 star Hilton was transformed into a funky new modern hotel with sushi restaurants and hip spa. The city had new walkways for tourists and all the traditional (11)__________ have been connected in a kind of “archaeological area” and are easier to walk between without fighting through the (12)__________ traffic. Most of the museums too have been updated, renovated and extended. and the tourist services seem better, more efficient and up-to-date.

Greece was, of course, the (1)__________ of the Olympics games and the people of Greece felt cheated and were very unhappy when they (2)__________ to Sydney the right to stage the Millennium Olympics Games in 2000. There was a belief among some in the Olympic Movement that Athens was not able to stage the games due to its infrastructure. But I suspect that this was (3)__________ a good move for Athens as the people were so enraged that they were (4)__________ to prove that not only could they stage amazing games in 2004, but they would do it in a modernized and appealing city.
The people of Athens had a (5)__________ to rally around and prove that Athens was a First Class City.
In usual Greek (6)__________ though, they did it in a way that stressed out the outside world watching who were convinced that it would never be done in time – forgetting that the Greeks usually get things done but in their own time. They did literally finish on time and even weeks before the Olympics some observers were (7)__________ chaos.
The Greek way is a more leisurely (8)__________ to life and to getting things done. The weather, no doubt, plays a big part as it is usually glorious, (9)__________ it does get almost unbearably hot in mid summer. This is why, no doubt, the whole place pretty much closes down and everyone leaves Athens for the islands and the seaside.
Athens has put in place as a result of the Olympics many (10)__________ infrastructure changes which make it a better city for a visitor. The new airport is slick, modern and very pleasant to travel through. There is now an inexpensive metro system that runs from the airport into town and also into the further suburbs near the sea. There are new modern highways and every single hotel, of all classes, has been refurbished or extended.
Even the 5 star Hilton was transformed into a funky new modern hotel with sushi restaurants and hip spa. The city had new walkways for tourists and all the traditional (11)__________ have been connected in a kind of “archaeological area” and are easier to walk between without fighting through the (12)__________ traffic. Most of the museums too have been updated, renovated and extended. and the tourist services seem better, more efficient and up-to-date.

Greece was, of course, the (1)__________ of the Olympics games and the people of Greece felt cheated and were very unhappy when they (2)__________ to Sydney the right to stage the Millennium Olympics Games in 2000. There was a belief among some in the Olympic Movement that Athens was not able to stage the games due to its infrastructure. But I suspect that this was (3)__________ a good move for Athens as the people were so enraged that they were (4)__________ to prove that not only could they stage amazing games in 2004, but they would do it in a modernized and appealing city.
The people of Athens had a (5)__________ to rally around and prove that Athens was a First Class City.
In usual Greek (6)__________ though, they did it in a way that stressed out the outside world watching who were convinced that it would never be done in time – forgetting that the Greeks usually get things done but in their own time. They did literally finish on time and even weeks before the Olympics some observers were (7)__________ chaos.
The Greek way is a more leisurely (8)__________ to life and to getting things done. The weather, no doubt, plays a big part as it is usually glorious, (9)__________ it does get almost unbearably hot in mid summer. This is why, no doubt, the whole place pretty much closes down and everyone leaves Athens for the islands and the seaside.
Athens has put in place as a result of the Olympics many (10)__________ infrastructure changes which make it a better city for a visitor. The new airport is slick, modern and very pleasant to travel through. There is now an inexpensive metro system that runs from the airport into town and also into the further suburbs near the sea. There are new modern highways and every single hotel, of all classes, has been refurbished or extended.
Even the 5 star Hilton was transformed into a funky new modern hotel with sushi restaurants and hip spa. The city had new walkways for tourists and all the traditional (11)__________ have been connected in a kind of “archaeological area” and are easier to walk between without fighting through the (12)__________ traffic. Most of the museums too have been updated, renovated and extended. and the tourist services seem better, more efficient and up-to-date.

The fastest snake in the world is the black mamba, which can reach speeds as fast as 10 to 12 miles per hour in short bursts over the ground. It has been known to (1) __________ people.
The black mamba is not only fast, agile, and ferocious, it is also one of the deadliest snakes in the world. Just two drops of its venom can kill you. Even a minor scratch can prove fatal. If bitten, a victim will usually die within four hours or less. Until an antivenin was (2)__________ in the 1960s, the bite of a black mamba was 100 percent fatal. It often takes as many as 10 vials of antivenin to (3) __________ a victim.
Running into a black mamba is hardly a pleasant (4) __________ . This slender snake is usually about 9 feet long, but it’s not uncommon to find one 10 to 12 feet long. It’s a nervous (5) __________ and often will not let a human (6) ___________ within 75 feet or so. However, it angers easily and if annoyed will raise its head and front body as much as four to six feet off the ground. It shakes its head from side to side while (7) __________ a long and very frightening hiss.
The black mamba never bluffs and is quick to attack. It will speed past you to get away while at the same time (8) __________ you numerous times. No (9) __________ of your body is safe because the black mamba’s head might be at your eye level when it raises its body.
(10) __________, there are no black mambas in the United States. You only have to (11)___________ if you go to parts of Africa such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zaire, and parts of South Africa. However, a snake that is just about as deadly as the black mamba is Australia’s taipan snake. Maybe Dorothy had it right when she said, “There’s no place like (12) __________.”

The fastest snake in the world is the black mamba, which can reach speeds as fast as 10 to 12 miles per hour in short bursts over the ground. It has been known to (1) __________ people.
The black mamba is not only fast, agile, and ferocious, it is also one of the deadliest snakes in the world. Just two drops of its venom can kill you. Even a minor scratch can prove fatal. If bitten, a victim will usually die within four hours or less. Until an antivenin was (2)__________ in the 1960s, the bite of a black mamba was 100 percent fatal. It often takes as many as 10 vials of antivenin to (3) __________ a victim.
Running into a black mamba is hardly a pleasant (4) __________ . This slender snake is usually about 9 feet long, but it’s not uncommon to find one 10 to 12 feet long. It’s a nervous (5) __________ and often will not let a human (6) ___________ within 75 feet or so. However, it angers easily and if annoyed will raise its head and front body as much as four to six feet off the ground. It shakes its head from side to side while (7) __________ a long and very frightening hiss.
The black mamba never bluffs and is quick to attack. It will speed past you to get away while at the same time (8) __________ you numerous times. No (9) __________ of your body is safe because the black mamba’s head might be at your eye level when it raises its body.
(10) __________, there are no black mambas in the United States. You only have to (11)___________ if you go to parts of Africa such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zaire, and parts of South Africa. However, a snake that is just about as deadly as the black mamba is Australia’s taipan snake. Maybe Dorothy had it right when she said, “There’s no place like (12) __________.”

Yes. That’s the answer. A zebra can be white with black stripes or it can be black with white stripes. In fact, there are zebras with dark brown stripes and zebras that are either all white or all black. Scientists (1) __________ there are two reasons for a zebra’s stripes. The first is camouflage. Zebra stripes break up the outline of its body, (2) __________it difficult for a predator to identify it. When a zebra is alone, moving among the tall grasses of the plains, it (3) __________ just like wind-blown grass and is difficult for a predator to (4)__________. A group of zebras will all huddle together, making it difficult for a predator to (5) __________ one zebra amid the mass of moving stripes.
The second reason is to cool the zebra in the hot African sun. Zebras have a shiny coat that can dissipate up to 70 percent of the sun’s (6) __________. The black stripes can (7)__________ hotter than the white stripes by as much as 50°F.
Although there are eight types of zebras in the world, the three most (8)__________ types are in Africa. Each type has a different style of stripes. The Grevy’s zebra is (9) __________ the most beautiful, because it has very thin and closely spaced stripes. The plains zebra has very wide vertical stripes that bend to become horizontal on the zebra’s rump. The mountain zebras have broad black stripes that extend down the legs but do not cover the off-white belly.
Every zebra in the world has a (10) __________ pattern of stripes. ‘There are no two (11)____________. Zebras recognize each other by looking at the pattern of stripes.
Although a zebra’s stripes make it a strikingly beautiful animal, they are not there for decoration but are designed to (12) __________ cаmouflage, cooling, and identification.

Greece was, of course, the (1)__________ of the Olympics games and the people of Greece felt cheated and were very unhappy when they (2)__________ to Sydney the right to stage the Millennium Olympics Games in 2000. There was a belief among some in the Olympic Movement that Athens was not able to stage the games due to its infrastructure. But I suspect that this was (3)__________ a good move for Athens as the people were so enraged that they were (4)__________ to prove that not only could they stage amazing games in 2004, but they would do it in a modernized and appealing city.
The people of Athens had a (5)__________ to rally around and prove that Athens was a First Class City.
In usual Greek (6)__________ though, they did it in a way that stressed out the outside world watching who were convinced that it would never be done in time – forgetting that the Greeks usually get things done but in their own time. They did literally finish on time and even weeks before the Olympics some observers were (7)__________ chaos.
The Greek way is a more leisurely (8)__________ to life and to getting things done. The weather, no doubt, plays a big part as it is usually glorious, (9)__________ it does get almost unbearably hot in mid summer. This is why, no doubt, the whole place pretty much closes down and everyone leaves Athens for the islands and the seaside.
Athens has put in place as a result of the Olympics many (10)__________ infrastructure changes which make it a better city for a visitor. The new airport is slick, modern and very pleasant to travel through. There is now an inexpensive metro system that runs from the airport into town and also into the further suburbs near the sea. There are new modern highways and every single hotel, of all classes, has been refurbished or extended.
Even the 5 star Hilton was transformed into a funky new modern hotel with sushi restaurants and hip spa. The city had new walkways for tourists and all the traditional (11)__________ have been connected in a kind of “archaeological area” and are easier to walk between without fighting through the (12)__________ traffic. Most of the museums too have been updated, renovated and extended. and the tourist services seem better, more efficient and up-to-date.

Yes. That’s the answer. A zebra can be white with black stripes or it can be black with white stripes. In fact, there are zebras with dark brown stripes and zebras that are either all white or all black. Scientists (1) __________ there are two reasons for a zebra’s stripes. The first is camouflage. Zebra stripes break up the outline of its body, (2) __________it difficult for a predator to identify it. When a zebra is alone, moving among the tall grasses of the plains, it (3) __________ just like wind-blown grass and is difficult for a predator to (4)__________. A group of zebras will all huddle together, making it difficult for a predator to (5) __________ one zebra amid the mass of moving stripes.
The second reason is to cool the zebra in the hot African sun. Zebras have a shiny coat that can dissipate up to 70 percent of the sun’s (6) __________. The black stripes can (7)__________ hotter than the white stripes by as much as 50°F.
Although there are eight types of zebras in the world, the three most (8)__________ types are in Africa. Each type has a different style of stripes. The Grevy’s zebra is (9) __________ the most beautiful, because it has very thin and closely spaced stripes. The plains zebra has very wide vertical stripes that bend to become horizontal on the zebra’s rump. The mountain zebras have broad black stripes that extend down the legs but do not cover the off-white belly.
Every zebra in the world has a (10) __________ pattern of stripes. ‘There are no two (11)____________. Zebras recognize each other by looking at the pattern of stripes.
Although a zebra’s stripes make it a strikingly beautiful animal, they are not there for decoration but are designed to (12) __________ cаmouflage, cooling, and identification.

The fastest snake in the world is the black mamba, which can reach speeds as fast as 10 to 12 miles per hour in short bursts over the ground. It has been known to (1) __________ people.
The black mamba is not only fast, agile, and ferocious, it is also one of the deadliest snakes in the world. Just two drops of its venom can kill you. Even a minor scratch can prove fatal. If bitten, a victim will usually die within four hours or less. Until an antivenin was (2)__________ in the 1960s, the bite of a black mamba was 100 percent fatal. It often takes as many as 10 vials of antivenin to (3) __________ a victim.
Running into a black mamba is hardly a pleasant (4) __________ . This slender snake is usually about 9 feet long, but it’s not uncommon to find one 10 to 12 feet long. It’s a nervous (5) __________ and often will not let a human (6) ___________ within 75 feet or so. However, it angers easily and if annoyed will raise its head and front body as much as four to six feet off the ground. It shakes its head from side to side while (7) __________ a long and very frightening hiss.
The black mamba never bluffs and is quick to attack. It will speed past you to get away while at the same time (8) __________ you numerous times. No (9) __________ of your body is safe because the black mamba’s head might be at your eye level when it raises its body.
(10) __________, there are no black mambas in the United States. You only have to (11)___________ if you go to parts of Africa such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zaire, and parts of South Africa. However, a snake that is just about as deadly as the black mamba is Australia’s taipan snake. Maybe Dorothy had it right when she said, “There’s no place like (12) __________.”

Yes. That’s the answer. A zebra can be white with black stripes or it can be black with white stripes. In fact, there are zebras with dark brown stripes and zebras that are either all white or all black. Scientists (1) __________ there are two reasons for a zebra’s stripes. The first is camouflage. Zebra stripes break up the outline of its body, (2) __________it difficult for a predator to identify it. When a zebra is alone, moving among the tall grasses of the plains, it (3) __________ just like wind-blown grass and is difficult for a predator to (4)__________. A group of zebras will all huddle together, making it difficult for a predator to (5) __________ one zebra amid the mass of moving stripes.
The second reason is to cool the zebra in the hot African sun. Zebras have a shiny coat that can dissipate up to 70 percent of the sun’s (6) __________. The black stripes can (7)__________ hotter than the white stripes by as much as 50°F.
Although there are eight types of zebras in the world, the three most (8)__________ types are in Africa. Each type has a different style of stripes. The Grevy’s zebra is (9) __________ the most beautiful, because it has very thin and closely spaced stripes. The plains zebra has very wide vertical stripes that bend to become horizontal on the zebra’s rump. The mountain zebras have broad black stripes that extend down the legs but do not cover the off-white belly.
Every zebra in the world has a (10) __________ pattern of stripes. ‘There are no two (11)____________. Zebras recognize each other by looking at the pattern of stripes.
Although a zebra’s stripes make it a strikingly beautiful animal, they are not there for decoration but are designed to (12) __________ cаmouflage, cooling, and identification.

The fastest snake in the world is the black mamba, which can reach speeds as fast as 10 to 12 miles per hour in short bursts over the ground. It has been known to (1) __________ people.
The black mamba is not only fast, agile, and ferocious, it is also one of the deadliest snakes in the world. Just two drops of its venom can kill you. Even a minor scratch can prove fatal. If bitten, a victim will usually die within four hours or less. Until an antivenin was (2)__________ in the 1960s, the bite of a black mamba was 100 percent fatal. It often takes as many as 10 vials of antivenin to (3) __________ a victim.
Running into a black mamba is hardly a pleasant (4) __________ . This slender snake is usually about 9 feet long, but it’s not uncommon to find one 10 to 12 feet long. It’s a nervous (5) __________ and often will not let a human (6) ___________ within 75 feet or so. However, it angers easily and if annoyed will raise its head and front body as much as four to six feet off the ground. It shakes its head from side to side while (7) __________ a long and very frightening hiss.
The black mamba never bluffs and is quick to attack. It will speed past you to get away while at the same time (8) __________ you numerous times. No (9) __________ of your body is safe because the black mamba’s head might be at your eye level when it raises its body.
(10) __________, there are no black mambas in the United States. You only have to (11)___________ if you go to parts of Africa such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zaire, and parts of South Africa. However, a snake that is just about as deadly as the black mamba is Australia’s taipan snake. Maybe Dorothy had it right when she said, “There’s no place like (12) __________.”

The fastest snake in the world is the black mamba, which can reach speeds as fast as 10 to 12 miles per hour in short bursts over the ground. It has been known to (1) __________ people.
The black mamba is not only fast, agile, and ferocious, it is also one of the deadliest snakes in the world. Just two drops of its venom can kill you. Even a minor scratch can prove fatal. If bitten, a victim will usually die within four hours or less. Until an antivenin was (2)__________ in the 1960s, the bite of a black mamba was 100 percent fatal. It often takes as many as 10 vials of antivenin to (3) __________ a victim.
Running into a black mamba is hardly a pleasant (4) __________ . This slender snake is usually about 9 feet long, but it’s not uncommon to find one 10 to 12 feet long. It’s a nervous (5) __________ and often will not let a human (6) ___________ within 75 feet or so. However, it angers easily and if annoyed will raise its head and front body as much as four to six feet off the ground. It shakes its head from side to side while (7) __________ a long and very frightening hiss.
The black mamba never bluffs and is quick to attack. It will speed past you to get away while at the same time (8) __________ you numerous times. No (9) __________ of your body is safe because the black mamba’s head might be at your eye level when it raises its body.
(10) __________, there are no black mambas in the United States. You only have to (11)___________ if you go to parts of Africa such as Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zaire, and parts of South Africa. However, a snake that is just about as deadly as the black mamba is Australia’s taipan snake. Maybe Dorothy had it right when she said, “There’s no place like (12) __________.”

Richard Branson (1)__________ to push for world domination (and now outer space domination) of all pop industries with the Virgin plans (2)__________ tours into space. Although this idea is not new (it’s been kicked around since 2004), the technology (3)__________ is becoming a concrete reality. In true Space-Race form, the Russians are also hard at work (4)__________ space ships that are suitable for passenger purposes. So far, no monkeys have been hurt in the making of this joke. Although Moon Landings are not yet on the Space Tour itinerary, the $200,000 price tag will buy you a larger-than-normal sized seat, as well as all the oxygen you can suck up. And yes, if he (5)__________ still with us on THIS earth, Sir Richard Branson (6)__________ on the first passenger list.

Stonehenge is surely Britain’s greatest national icon, (1) __________ mystery and power. Its original purpose is unclear to us, but some have speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities. It has also been called an astronomical observatory. (2) __________ claim that it was a sacred site for the burial of high-ranking citizens.
The question of who built Stonehenge is largely unanswered. The (3) __________ construction has been attributed to many ancient peoples, but the most captivating attribution has been to the Druids. This erroneous connection was first made around three centuries ago. Julius Caesar and other Roman writers told of a Celtic priesthood who flourished around the time of their first conquest (55 BC). By this time, though, the stones (4) __________ there for 2,000 years, and were already in a ruined condition. Besides, the Druids worshipped in forest temples and had no need for stone structures.
The best guess seems to be that the Stonehenge site (5) __________ by the people of the late Neolithic period and carried forward by people from a new economy. These “new” people, (6) __________ Beaker Folk because of their use of pottery drinking vessels, began to use metal implements and to live in a more communal fashion than their ancestors.

Richard Branson (1)__________ to push for world domination (and now outer space domination) of all pop industries with the Virgin plans (2)__________ tours into space. Although this idea is not new (it’s been kicked around since 2004), the technology (3)__________ is becoming a concrete reality. In true Space-Race form, the Russians are also hard at work (4)__________ space ships that are suitable for passenger purposes. So far, no monkeys have been hurt in the making of this joke. Although Moon Landings are not yet on the Space Tour itinerary, the $200,000 price tag will buy you a larger-than-normal sized seat, as well as all the oxygen you can suck up. And yes, if he (5)__________ still with us on THIS earth, Sir Richard Branson (6)__________ on the first passenger list.

Richard Branson (1)__________ to push for world domination (and now outer space domination) of all pop industries with the Virgin plans (2)__________ tours into space. Although this idea is not new (it’s been kicked around since 2004), the technology (3)__________ is becoming a concrete reality. In true Space-Race form, the Russians are also hard at work (4)__________ space ships that are suitable for passenger purposes. So far, no monkeys have been hurt in the making of this joke. Although Moon Landings are not yet on the Space Tour itinerary, the $200,000 price tag will buy you a larger-than-normal sized seat, as well as all the oxygen you can suck up. And yes, if he (5)__________ still with us on THIS earth, Sir Richard Branson (6)__________ on the first passenger list.

Hoop snakes do not bite their tails and roll downhill like a wheel when they (1)__________. This is a myth. It probably started because they often lie in a coiled position (2) __________ a hoop.
Although the king cobra rarely bites humans, it has enough venom (3) __________ an elephant. Of all the snakes in the world, only about 10 percent are poisonous. Yet many people kill a snake on sight without bothering to determine if it’s harmless or not.
The state of Hawaii has no snakes at all. In fact, there is a $25,000 fine for importing a snake of any type. Snakes like to eat (4) __________eggs, and Hawaii is known for its great variety of (5) __________ birds. Around 1950, the brown tree snake was accidentally brought into Guam, and since then the snakes have virtually wiped out the native forest birds of Guam. Twelve species of birds, some found nowhere else, have disappeared from the island. Hawaiian officials are fearful that the brown tree snake might slither into their state. (6) __________ were found years ago, but they were all dead. Nonetheless, Hawaii is keeping a careful eye out for the brown invader.

Richard Branson (1)__________ to push for world domination (and now outer space domination) of all pop industries with the Virgin plans (2)__________ tours into space. Although this idea is not new (it’s been kicked around since 2004), the technology (3)__________ is becoming a concrete reality. In true Space-Race form, the Russians are also hard at work (4)__________ space ships that are suitable for passenger purposes. So far, no monkeys have been hurt in the making of this joke. Although Moon Landings are not yet on the Space Tour itinerary, the $200,000 price tag will buy you a larger-than-normal sized seat, as well as all the oxygen you can suck up. And yes, if he (5)__________ still with us on THIS earth, Sir Richard Branson (6)__________ on the first passenger list.

There are many stories of children (1) __________ by animals, from Romulus and Remus to Tarzan. Most authorities believe these tales have no basis in truth and are simply legend or fiction. However, they admit that children (2) __________ from all social contact can become “ldquo;wild” children. One of the most famous is the “Wild Boy of Aveyron.”
In 1799 an (3) __________ boy was discovered running wild and naked in a forest in France. He survived by begging for food from farmers and stealing from their gardens. After roaming the area for two years, he (4) ___________ and put under the care of Dr. Jean Itard.
Dr. Itard named the boy Victor and taught him how to dress (5) __________ and perform simple chores, but he could never teach him to speak.
Socially isolated “wild” children have also been discovered in modern times. In 1975, a social worker discovered a girl who had been kept isolated in a small room (6) __________ about the age of two. Named Genie, she could not speak and had almost inhuman characteristics, including spitting, sniffing, and constant clawing. Scientists studied Genie for five years. Although Genie acted like an animal at times, she was still human. Perhaps we still have a lot to learn about dealing with the “wild” children in our society.

Since the mid-1990s, one of the greatest online challenges has been setting up voice chat over the Internet. Skype was founded by Niklas Zennstrom (a Swedish citizen) and Janus Friis (a Danish citizen) in 2003. (1) __________ of these brilliant young men were novices in the field. (2) __________ Skype, two computers need to install the free program. Then, using a microphone and speaker (or headset), people can talk to each other for free over the Internet. Aside from voice chat, Skype has an array of other features, such as text-chat, video-chat, and file-sharing functions. The program is used by individuals, companies, and even English teachers, who (3) __________ conversation classes through Skype.
But Skype is not a charity. It earns money by (4) __________ for premium services. You pay a fee to use your computer to call a regular telephone. Skype also charges a fee for its Skype Voicemail service. Still, these services are generally much (5) __________ than those offered by traditional telephone companies.
Skype continues to enhance its software while (6) __________ new ways for people to use its services. More people say “I’ll Skype you” instead of “I’ll call you.”

There are many stories of children (1) __________ by animals, from Romulus and Remus to Tarzan. Most authorities believe these tales have no basis in truth and are simply legend or fiction. However, they admit that children (2) __________ from all social contact can become “wild” children. One of the most famous is the “Wild Boy of Aveyron.”
In 1799 an (3) __________ boy was discovered running wild and naked in a forest in France. He survived by begging for food from farmers and stealing from their gardens. After roaming the area for two years, he (4) ___________ and put under the care of Dr. Jean Itard.
Dr. Itard named the boy Victor and taught him how to dress (5) __________ and perform simple chores, but he could never teach him to speak.
Socially isolated “wild” children have also been discovered in modern times. In 1975, a social worker discovered a girl who had been kept isolated in a small room (6) __________ about the age of two. Named Genie, she could not speak and had almost inhuman characteristics, including spitting, sniffing, and constant clawing. Scientists studied Genie for five years. Although Genie acted like an animal at times, she was still human. Perhaps we still have a lot to learn about dealing with the “wild” children in our society.

There are many stories of children (1) __________ by animals, from Romulus and Remus to Tarzan. Most authorities believe these tales have no basis in truth and are simply legend or fiction. However, they admit that children (2) __________ from all social contact can become “wild” children. One of the most famous is the “Wild Boy of Aveyron.”
In 1799 an (3) __________ boy was discovered running wild and naked in a forest in France. He survived by begging for food from farmers and stealing from their gardens. After roaming the area for two years, he (4) ___________ and put under the care of Dr. Jean Itard.
Dr. Itard named the boy Victor and taught him how to dress (5) __________ and perform simple chores, but he could never teach him to speak.
Socially isolated “wild” children have also been discovered in modern times. In 1975, a social worker discovered a girl who had been kept isolated in a small room (6) __________ about the age of two. Named Genie, she could not speak and had almost inhuman characteristics, including spitting, sniffing, and constant clawing. Scientists studied Genie for five years. Although Genie acted like an animal at times, she was still human. Perhaps we still have a lot to learn about dealing with the “wild” children in our society.

KIEV, Ukraine, Dec. 10 (UPI) — Ukraine says it intends to attract “extreme” tourists to Chоrnobyl, site of the world’s (1)__________ nuclear disaster, as part of an effort (2)__________ its tourism.
Anatoliy Pakhlya, head of the Ukrainian State Service for Tourism and Resorts, said Ukraine wants to develop all types of tourism, RIA Novosti reported Friday.
“Tours to Chоrnobyl are extreme tourism,” he said.
Plenty of curious people are looking for extreme adventures, he said.
“I think that the format of such tours can be expanded and, if we (3)__________ our cooperation with the Emergencies Ministry, the number (of tourists) could be increased,” Pakhlya said.
The explosion at the Chоrnobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 (4)__________ in a highly radioactive fallout over an extensive area, and a 19-mile exclusion zone (5)__________ atter the accident.
Extreme tours are also offered by Russia, where tourists can visit the infamous gulags and experience (6)__________ a prisoner, RIA Novosti reported. 159

Since the mid-1990s, one of the greatest online challenges has been setting up voice chat over the Internet. Skype was founded by Niklas Zennstrom (a Swedish citizen) and Janus Friis (a Danish citizen) in 2003. (1) __________ of these brilliant young men were novices in the field. (2) __________ Skype, two computers need to install the free program. Then, using a microphone and speaker (or headset), people can talk to each other for free over the Internet. Aside from voice chat, Skype has an array of other features, such as text-chat, video-chat, and file-sharing functions. The program is used by individuals, companies, and even English teachers, who (3) __________ conversation classes through Skype.
But Skype is not a charity. It earns money by (4) __________ for premium services. You pay a fee to use your computer to call a regular telephone. Skype also charges a fee for its Skype Voicemail service. Still, these services are generally much (5) __________ than those offered by traditional telephone companies.
Skype continues to enhance its software while (6) __________ new ways for people to use its services. More people say “I’ll Skype you” instead of “I’ll call you.”