What were the Minoan cities like? Minoans built many cities which had paved roads connecting them. They also built fine palaces in each city. The most magnificent of these was at Knossos, in northern Crete. It had more than 1,000 rooms. They included luxurious apartments,...
What is the riddle of the Nile? The Nile River is in Egypt. Each year, the river begins to rise in July and continues until October. Then its level is 7.5 m above the level in May. During high-water season, the river spills over the...
Did the Minoans play sports? The Minoans were a sports-loving people. Boxing was a favourite sport both among boys and girls. Yet another was bull-leaping where one person caught hold of the bull’s head while the other somersaulted between the bull’s horns. A third person...
What is the difference between arteries and veins? Both are blood vessels but in arteries the blood goes away from the heart while in veins the blood returns to the heart. Arteries carry pure blood while veins carry impure blood. Arteries are located deep in...
What are microchips? Microchips are used to run computers. They were invented in the 1960s. A computer has an electronic brain which is made of tiny slices or chips of silicon. A microchip may have up to 250,000 parts which tell it how to function....
What is an albatross? The albatross is a big bird and has the greatest wingspan among all birds. Sailors believed it 4 was bad luck to kill an albatross and that it had supernatural powers as it could follow their ships for days and sometimes...
Who were the Amazons? The Amazons were believed to be an amazing race of bold, warlike women. It was thought that they came from the Caucasus Mountains and settled in Asia Minor. They were ruled by a queen and everything was run by women. Legend...
What is wax? Wax is a thin coating found in many fruits, vegetables, and leaves of plants. Animals too produce wax. Synthetic waxes are also available. Minerals and petroleum too contain wax. Beeswax is used to make candles, cosmetics, crayons and artificial flowers. Most of...
What makes bread dough rise? Bread is made using flour, water, sugar and yeast. Yeast is actually a group of single-celled organisms. Yeast consumes the sugar and the starch from the flour and begins multiplying. This produces carbon dioxide which appears as bubbles in the...
What is a satellite? A satellite is a body that revolves around a larger body and is held to it by the latter’s attraction. Moon is a satellite of earth. There are man-made satellites too. These are spacecraft circling the earth. Some are used for...
