Author Archives: Cris

Mosquito

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Small but pesky.

  • Mosquitoes are insects from the family Culicidae, which is the mosquito family.
  • Many species of mosquitoes suck blood from vertebrates, such as humans and animals, which is a method of transferring disease to their hosts, although some are harmless as they are not blood feeders.
  • The term ‘mosquito’ comes from the Spanish or Portuguese words ‘mosca’ and ‘ito’ meaning ‘little fly’.
  • There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes.
  • Most female mosquitoes lay there eggs near or in water.

Mosuito, House, Killed, Dead, Hand, Indoor, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Mosquitoes often mate as soon as possible although the female mosquitoes won’t lay eggs until the climate has the right conditions.
  • Most mosquitoes live up to one to two weeks after they have become an adult.
  • Most mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs and they need sugar for energy, so they feed on nectar and other plant material.
  • Mosquitoes can be found nearly anywhere in the world, although they are absent from Antarctica.
  • Some mosquitoes carry life threatening diseases like malaria, dengue fever, or other viruses, and it is estimated that over two million people, every year, die from mosquito borne diseases.
Bibliography:
Mosquito, 2013 Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culicidae>

Kiwifruit

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Kiwifruit

An over sized grape.

  • Kiwifruit are also known as ‘kiwi’ or ‘Chinese gooseberries’, and have recently been branded as ‘Zespri’.
  • Kiwifruit are berries, better known as fruit, of vines, mostly from the species Actinidia deliciosa.
  • “Hayward” is the most common kiwifruit cultivar and the fruit measures 5-8 cm (2 to 3.1 inches) in length.
  • Kiwifruit from the Actinidia deliciosa species are native to southern China, although other species are found further afield.
  • The most common kiwifruit have furry, greenish-brown skin and green flesh, with small black seeds that are edible.

Kiwi Fruit, Green, Furry, Born, Cut, Whole, Ten Random Facts

  • Kiwifruit were introduced into New Zealand in the early 1900s and became popular there because of the ideal growing conditions.
  • The Chinese name of kiwifruit is ‘yáng táo’, and they have been called ‘kiwifruit’ by the world since the 1960s, after they were imported into America from New Zealand, where they needed a shorter, easier name (than ‘Chinese gooseberry’ which they were previously known as) to call them by.
  • In 2010, Italy was the top producer of kiwifruit in the world, producing 415,877 tonnes (458,426 tons), and then New Zealand, producing 378,500 tonnes (417,225 ton) of  kiwifruit.
  • Kiwifruit is high in vitamin C, having almost twice as much as an orange; vitamin K; and the protein dissolver, actinidain.
  • Often people who are allergic to bananas, latex, papaya and pineapple are allergic to kiwifruit due to actinidain in the fruit.
Bibliography:
Kiwifruit, 2013 Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwifruit>

C.S. Lewis

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C.S. Lewis

Read any of his works?

  • The full name of C.S. Lewis is Clive Staples Lewis.
  • C.S. Lewis was born on the 29 November 1898 in Belfast, Ireland and died on the 22 November 1963 at Oxford, England.
  • C.S. Lewis’ main writings were Christian apologetics (defending the Christian faith), and fantasy and children’s fictional literature.
  • C.S. Lewis was known as ‘Jack’ to his friends and family, after the loved “Jacksie”, a neighbourhood dog, which died when Lewis was four years old.
  • C.S. Lewis became an atheist when he was 15, and became a strong Christian at age 32, influenced by his close friend J.R.R. Tolkien and the writings of G. K. Chesterton.
C.S. Lewis, Author, Famous, Auther, Narnia, Balck and White, Photobucket, Man, Ten Random FactsCharles Dicken
Image courtesy of Photobucket
  • C.S. Lewis was a tutor at the Oxford University from 1925 to 1954.
  • C.S. Lewis married the American writer, Joy Davidman, in 1956, who died four years later.
  • C.S. Lewis shared ideas with J.R.R. Tolkien, and was part of a group called the Inklings, who discussed literature.
  • C.S. Lewis has written at least thirty books, and some have been translated into 30 languages and millions of copies have been sold.
  • C.S. Lewis is best known for his “Chronicles of Narnia” series, a set of fantasy books written for children.
Bibliography:
About C.S. Lewis, 2008 Harper One, <http://www.cslewis.com/about.aspx>

Mount Everest

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Mount Everest

A very, very, very, very large mountain.

  • Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world and its highest peak is 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) above sea level.
  • Mount Everest is located in the Himalayas and Everest’s peak is on the border of Nepal and China.
  • Mount Everest was named by Andrew Waugh, a Surveyor General of India, and the Royal Geographic Society, after Sir George Everest, Waugh’s predecessor, who actually opposed the idea.
  • The traditional name of Mount Everest is ‘Qomolangma’, sometimes spelled ‘Chomolungma’, in Tibetan, meaning ‘Holy Mother’, and ‘Zhumulangma’ or ‘Shengmu Feng’ in Chinese.
  • The first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, and they were part of the 9th British expedition.

Mount Everest, Asia, China, Tibet, Snowy, Cloudy, Scenary, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Mount Everest
Image courtesy of Bartmani/Flickr
  • On Mount Everest , the small black jumping spider, Euophrys omnisuperstes and a type of moss has been found at heights of 6,700 meters (22,000 feet) and 6,480 meters (21,260 feet) respectively.
  • Five thousand kilograms of rubbish has been removed from Mount Everest, on expeditions organised by climber Apa Sherpa.
  • There is very low oxygen at heights of 8000 meters (26,000 feet) or higher which makes it necessary for most climbers to use oxygen masks.
  • By the end of 2010, there were 5104 climbs of Mount Everest by 3142 people, and over 75% of these were in the last ten years (2001-2010).
  • In 1996, 15 people died whilst climbing Mount Everest; the most in one year, and 8 of those died in one day.
Bibliography:
Mount Everest, 2013 Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest>

Spider Plant

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Spider Plant

No, it is not a spider, it’s a spider plant.

  • Spider plants are an evergreen, perennial herb and are generally grown for their long arching foliage.
  • Spider plants are native to the African tropics and southern Africa.
  • Spider plants grow from 30 to 60 cm (12 – 24 inches) tall and are often grown in hanging baskets.
  • The scientific name for spider plant is chlorophytum comosum and they belong to the Asparagaceae family.
  • The most common spider plant species are variegated and have green leaves with a white stripe in the centre, or dark green leaves with white stripes on the outside.

Spider, Plant, Green, White Central Stripe, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Spider plants can be damaged by fluoride or boron.
  • Spider plants grow ‘babies’, called ‘plantlets’ along runners that grow from the main bush, giving the plant a spidery look.
  • Spider plants grow best in temperatures that are 18°C – 32°C (65°F – 90°F) but can grow at temperatures as low as 2°C (35°).
  • Spider plants are great indoor air cleaners, and 15 spider plants would purify the air of an average size house.
  • Spider plants grow quickly and produce small white flowers.
 Bibliography:
Chlorophytum Comosum, 2013 Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophytum_comosum>
VanZile, J n.d. Spider Plants (Chlorophytum) , About.com Houseplants, <http://houseplants.about.com/od/foliageplants/p/SpiderPlant.htm>

Cricket

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Cricket

“Howzat!?”

  • Cricket is a bat and ball game, played with two opposing teams of eleven players and is very popular in Australia, New Zealand, England, South Africa, India, and West Indies.
  • The main equipment used in cricket is a cricket bat, ball and wickets, as well as protective equipment for the players, especially the batsman and the wicket keeper.
  • There is no set size or shape of a cricket field, although it is usually played on a grassy, circular or oval shaped field, with a 20 meter (22 yards) rectangular strip, called the pitch, in the centre.
  • In cricket, a bowler throws a ball towards a batter, who is an opposing team member, who tries to hit the ball and then run along the pitch as many times as possible to score points, or runs.
  • If the cricket ball hits the wickets, the batter is out, and the next team member comes in to bat.  An innings in cricket generally occurs when most or all members of the team have batted, and then the two teams swap positions.
Cricket, Bat, Throw, Ball, Bowl, Game, Professional, Ten Random Facts, FlickrTest Cricket
Image courtesy of Eltpics/Flickr
  • Professional cricket generally has 20 to 50 overs, with one over every six balls.
  • Cricket originated in the 1500s, in Europe and became popular in England in the 17th century, with significant matches being held towards the end of the century.
  • The cricket bowling technique was originally underarm until it changed into roundarm in the 1800s, and than to overarm.
  • Cricket can’t be played if the field is wet, since players may slip on the wet ground, and the bounce of the cricket ball on the pitch is significantly affected.
  • Some English phrases have their origin in cricket, such as ‘bowled over’ and ‘had a good innings’.
Bibliography:
Cricket, 2013 Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket>
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