Main Idea 1
Did you know that giraffes are the tallest animals in the world? They are unique in other ways, too. For one thing, they sleep only about 20 minutes each day and, usually, not more than five minutes at a time. (They have to remain alert for predators.) Also, every giraffe’s coat is unique and varies in color from white to nearly black, depending on what they eat and where they live.
The main idea of this passage is:
a. Giraffes don’t sleep very much.
b. Giraffes are unique animals.
c. There are many animals in the world.
d. No animal is taller than a giraffe.
b. Giraffes are unique animals.
Sir Isaac Newton was in his garden one day in 1665 when he noticed an apple fall from a tree. Newton wondered, "Why should the apple always fall to the ground? Why doesn't it go sideways or upwards but directly toward the Earth's center?" After much thought, Newton concluded that objects are pulled to the Earth through a force that he called "gravity," which means "heaviness in Latin." In 1687, Newton wrote a book about the science behind gravity.
Sir Isaac Newton discovered gravity.
Lucy would never get her room clean. It looked like a tornado had hit it. She couldn’t believe how much damage her friends had done. They pulled everything out and didn’t put anything back. Glue was spilled all over her rug, and fingernail polish was spilled on her new bedspread. They had even wiped their chocolate covered fingers on her curtains. Wow! What a mess.
Lucy's friends made a huge mess.
Some people think that some holidays celebrating love are nothing but clever ploys by marketers to sell candy, flowers, and stuffed animals. Who cares? In America, we celebrate two love themed holidays: Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day. Valentine's Day is celebrated in the winter, while Sweetest Day is celebrated in the fall. Valentine's Day is focused on bringing lovers together. Sweetest Day is purported to be for all the friends, relatives, and associates whose kindness we've enjoyed. Both occasions are great times to celebrate what's most important: the people we love.
There are two holidays where we can celebrate the people we love: Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day.
The first ukuleles were developed in Hawaii in the 1800s as a result of Portuguese influence. Native Hawaiians enjoyed music from a Portuguese instrument called the machete and adapted it to suit Hawaiian tastes. The ukulele spread to mainland America during the 1910s, where it became an immediate sensation. They quickly became very popular because they could be quickly and cheaply made from a small amount of wood. After the World Wars, plastic ukuleles revitalized the declining ukulele fad by making them even more affordable to the average American. Today, ukuleles are still enjoyed by many enthusiasts and come in a wide variety of shapes and sounds.
What is the central idea of today’s passage?
a. Plastic ukuleles are important classical instruments.
b. Ukuleles developed in Hawaii and are still popular today.
c. Portuguese instruments inspired the ukulele.
b. Ukuleles developed in Hawaii and are still popular today.
Screech! When a driver pushes on the brake pedal, it starts a process that causes the vehicle to stop in motion. We literally trust our brakes with our lives every time we get into a vehicle or cross at a busy intersection. How does this life-critical process work? It begins when the pedal is pushed. At this moment brake fluid is released into the braking mechanisms. As the fluid collects, this creates a leverage, which causes a friction to be applied. This friction will create a force that will cause the wheels to stop and allow you to reach your destination safely.
There are many steps to the process of a vehicle braking and stopping.
Although many people think a koala is a bear, it is not. The koala is a type of mammal called a marsupial. A kangaroo is also a marsupial. These mammals carry their babies in a pouch. The kangaroo’s pouch is on her stomach, but the koala’s pouch is on her back. Both feed their babies milk and keep them secure in their pouch until they are strong enough to survive on their own.
The koala and the kangaroo are both marsupials, but they have some differences.
Fellow Members of the Springfield Robotics Club: we have a problem. It has come to my attention that the workshop has been left an absolute mess on at least two separate occasions. Remember, that this is a shared space, so we must clean up behind ourselves after every meeting. It is in the spirit of keeping our club meeting space that we establish this rule: when you take a tool off the rack, put it back. If everyone puts their tools back immediately after using them, there will be minimal mess to clean up, and we won't get kicked out of the spot. So, if you like having a meeting place, and being part of our club, put your tools back.
Please remember to clean up at the Robotics Club when you are done!
Yellowstone National Park is mainly located in Wyoming, although three percent is located in the state of Montana. The Continental Divide of North America runs diagonally through the southwestern part of the park. The park sits on the Yellowstone Plateau, which is an average elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level. This plateau is bounded on nearly all sides by mountain ranges. There are 290 waterfalls that are at least fifteen feet in the park, the highest being the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River, which falls 308 feet.
The location and features of Yellowstone National Park
For most of human history, people thought that the Earth was the center of the Universe. But Nicolaus Copernicus changed this when he theorized that sun was the center of the universe. Interestingly, Copernicus had most of this figured out some time around 1514. His work was not described in written text until 1532. Yet, publication of this text was not completed until 1543 as he lay dying. Some scholars believe that Copernicus delayed publishing this work because it went against the Catholic Church's view that the Earth was at the center of the Universe.
Copernicus discovered that the sun was the center of the universe.`
Automation is the use of machines to reduce the need for human labor. In other words automation is when jobs done by people become jobs done by robots. Automation can be a good thing. Clothing, cars, and other manufactured products are available at good prices and in large supply because of automation. But automation can also be a bad thing. Because of automation there are over 700,000 robots in America that do jobs once performed by humans. The way of automation may not be best for humanity, but it is the course we are taking.
We are headed toward using automation, even though it takes away many jobs that were previously done by humans.
There are many types of deadly venom in the animal kingdom, but perhaps no stranger carrier than the platypus. The platypus is one of few venomous mammals. Male platypus carry a venom mixture in their ankles. This venom incapacitates victims with excruciating pain. Stranger still, the platypus is the only mammal that uses electroreception. That means that the platypus uses its bill to sense the electricity produced by the muscular movements of its prey. Electroreception is a sixth sense, different from seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling. Perhaps most odd, the platypus is the only mammal that lays eggs rather than giving birth to live young. What an odd creature indeed.
The platypus is an odd creature.
When we hear the term "reality" applied to a show, we might expect that the events on the show occurred naturally and were not scripted. This is not always the case. Many reality shows occur in unreal environments, like rented mansions occupied by film crews. Such living environments do not reflect what most people understand to be "reality." Worse, there have been accusations that events not captured on film were later re-created by producers. Worse still, some involved in the production of "reality" television claim that the participants were urged to act out story lines that were planned out by producers. With such accusations floating around, it's no wonder many people take reality TV to be about as real as the sitcom.
"Reality" TV shows do not actually show real-life events or environments.
My grandma may not look very strong, but with the help of hydraulic power, she can stop a car with her foot. How does hydraulic power work? First, fluid is rapidly released into a chamber through a valve. As the fluid collects, the valve is slammed shut. This causes a pressure spike, but since the chamber is sealed, the pressure has nowhere to go. The hydraulic mechanism channels the pressure and provides great power. And that's how, with the help of hydraulics, my grandma can stop a speeding car with one foot.
How hydraulic power works
What do you get when you cross a robot and an astronaut? A Robonaut! Robonauts are robot helpers designed to work side-by-side with astronauts. Work on the first Robonaut began in 1997, and by 2002 Robonaut B was revealed to the public. Robonaut B featured interchangeable lower bodies, like four-wheel mode or hydraulic legs. Yet scientists and engineers continued to improve Robonaut. In February of 2010, Robonaut 2 was released to the public. Robonaut 2 moved four times faster than the first Robonaut. An advanced version of Robonaut 2 was finally tested in outer space in 2011. Robonaut 2 functioned exactly as designed.
A Robonaut was invented, which combined a robot and an astronaut, and the invention is improving over time.