August
Day 30
Mark Twain was the author of some of the greatest works of American English literature, such as Tom Sawyer, Life on the Mississippi, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
The earliest of Mark Twain's really famous novels was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This novel describes a boy who engages in much mischief, but who has a kind heart.
The story contains several scenes that are quite funny. In one of these, Tom's working at the boring task of painting a fence. He persuades several other boys to help him, by pretending that painting the fence is a fun and enjoyable activity.
Day 29
In 1999, the Nobel Prize for Peace was won by the organization known as "Doctors Without Borders". This is the English name for the organization, based in Belgium, which won the prize for its humanitarian assistance to people around the world, in areas that have been struck by disaster.
The organization helps people regardless of their nationality, race, religion, ethnicity, sex, or political opinions.
These volunteers include doctors, nurses, surgeons, anesthetists, laboratory technicians, and other medical workers.
There are also some non-medical volunteers who work for Doctors Without Borders in positions of administration or logistics.
They promise to abide by a code of professional ethics, and they promise to remain neutral in any conflicts within a disaster area.
The volunteers are witnesses who tell the world about the cruelty that is inflicted upon innocent people.
Chicago became notorious for organized crime during the Prohibition Era of the 1920s, when the sale of alcohol was illegal.
Mobsters such as Al Capone became rich by smuggling liquor, and many people were killed in conflicts between rival gangs of criminals.
The city has efficient transportation, and many beautiful parks along the Lake Michigan shoreline.
Chicago is famous for its many attractions, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum of Natural History, the Shedd Aquarium, the Sears Tower, and the "Miracle Mile" shopping district.
Another famous novel of Dickens is A Tale of Two Cities. This is a story of the violence and upheaval during the French Revolution. The story is famous for the heroic act of sacrifice that is made by one character for the benefit of the others.
Day 27
When the keys are turned in the ignition of the car, this creates a spark that ignites some gasoline vapor inside a cylinder. Then, the rapid expansion of this vapor pushes against a part called a piston. The movement of the piston then causes a turning motion in a shaft that is connected to the wheels.
One of these problems was air pollution, because car engines burn gasoline, which produces poisonous exhaust fumes.
The future is likely to bring many interesting new changes to the car. Improvements in the safety of cars, in fuel efficiency, and in the cleanliness of car emissions are continuing to be made.
The Mississippi River begins in the hills of northern Minnesota, near the Canadian border, and flows southward about 3700 kilometers, through ten states, before draining its water and silt into the Gulf of Mexico.
Near the mouth of the Mississippi River is another famous city, New Orleans.
Day 22
George Washington Carver is possibly the most famous agricultural scientist of all time.
The story of George Washington Carver's life is interesting and inspiring, as it shows how some people can achieve success despite adversity.
One problem for farmers in the southern United States was that the most widespread crops, cotton and tobacco, tended to remove nutrients from the soil.
When Carver died, in 1943, the American government made his birthplace a national monument.
One of the most famous features of New York City is its dramatic skyline.
New York has more tall buildings, called "skyscrapers," than any other city in the world.
New York is famous for much more than just its architecture.
The United Nations has its headquarters in New York City.
The bustling Times Square, located in the mid-town Manhattan area.
By far the most populous state of the United States is California.
Temperatures in Death Valley sometimes exceed 50 degrees Celsius.
California contains some of the largest cities in the United States. Within the greater Los Angeles area, one can find Hollywood, known as the movie capital of the world. Many rich people live in suburbs such as Beverly Hills.
Further north is the city of San Francisco, one of the most beautiful cities of the United States.
Day 21
In contrast to the dry interior areas, the northern coast of Australia receives a great deal of rainfall.
For example, many of the animals in Australia belong to a special category called the "marsupials".
In many marsupials, the offspring continue to develop, after being born, inside a pocket or "pouch" on the mother's body.
Kangaroos can travel at great speeds by hopping on their hind legs.
The koala lives in the branches of trees called eucalyptus trees.
The first people who lived in Australia were known as the Aborigines.
Aborigines' most famous invention is a curved hunting stick known as the "boomerang".
Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide
The old idea that the sun moved around the earth is known as the "geocentric" theory.
Some other Greek philosophers had suggested instead that the earth might travel around the sun. However, this idea, which is known as the "heliocentric" theory, was not widely accepted.
Kepler realized that the planets did not travel in circular paths, but instead, in paths that were elliptical, or oval, in shape.
Day 20
Another volcano, called Mauna Kea, is now dormant.
The temperatures are usually in the range of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius.
The United States built a naval base on the island of Oahu, at Pearl Harbor.
"The theory of evolution by natural selection".
The British navy was planning to send one of its ships, called the Beagle, on a voyage of exploration.
For example, some birds had long beaks that could reach insects hidden in the bark of trees.
When the book, The Origin of Species, was published in 1859, it was very popular and very controversial.
Jazz music, both old and new, is played on the radio and on home stereos.
It was based on African-American music that was derived in part from rhythms in western Africa.
The earliest jazz musicians were influenced by a music style known as "ragtime".
Day 19
These beverages are made by allowing a process called fermentation to occur.
However, the Islamic religion forbids alcohol
In cooler areas of Europe, people make beer by fermenting liquids made from water and various grains.
The process of fermentation is also used to make stronger drinks known as "spirits".
These drinks include vodka, whiskey, and rum.
The techniques for making good wine, beer, and spirits have been developed over hundreds of years, and require scientific precision.
Alcohol belongs to a category of drugs called "depressants"
It "depresses" the central nervous system, causing a person to feel less inhibited or restrained.