We can all be a little forgetful sometimes, help Ramu remember his password using a set of clues. Can you figure it out?
Have you ever forgotten a secret password? Well Ramu did, but he has certain clues to find it. Perhaps you could help him remember. Read the clues below and solve the mystery. Don’t forget to enter the answer below.
Have you heard an orchestra? It’s a large instrumental ensemble mixing instruments from different families, making melody. Let’s get to know more about them.
An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which mixes instruments from different families, grouped in sections. A full-size orchestra may sometimes be called a symphony orchestra and the number of musicians can vary sometimes, even being over a 100 musicians.
Recently, the Madras Music Association (MMA) Choir and Symphony Orchestra, in Chennai, invited students from schools across the city to attend a special musical instrument appreciation event. The students were introduced to the many different musical instruments that are a part of an orchestra.
Members of the orchestra were introduced — some who had been playing an instrument for many years and some youngsters (in Stds X and XII) who have been playing for the past three to four years. It only goes to show that you can pick up an instrument at any age and learn it. Musical instruments are divided into four families: string, wood wind, brass and percussion.
Much like actual families, instruments in each of these families have their own roles to play. Alone, they make a distinct sound so different from each other but when played together, they make beautiful melodies.
Playing an instrument
“Age plays an important role when it comes to learning an instrument,” says Augustine Paul, the MMA Music Director. “During the earlier years, a child’s mind is open, making it easier for him/her to control the fingers and muscles when playing an instrument. This is something that gets more difficult to do as you get older.” He adds that it is always good to have some form of extracurricular activity apart from studies, and learning an instrument is an excellent way of doing so, as it helps develop many skills.
“One of the best things about music is that gender doesn’t play any roles,” says Augustine. “There is no instrument that only boys can play or only girls can play. In fact, when you watch an orchestra come together, you see boys and girls come together too playing various types of instruments.”
There are many benefits of playing an instrument. At the appreciation event, children were encouraged to try out various instruments. Research has shown that playing an instrument can help in your studies, improve concentration and memory power, as well as develop IQ, thus making you smarter. But, how do you choose which instrument is the best for you? Well, Augustine says, one way to find out is to try and listen to the sounds of instruments that interests you, watch videos of how they are played and how it sounds when mixed with other instruments. If you like the way it sounds, then pursue it.. “Another key factor to help you decide is a good teacher,” he adds. “A teacher can not only teach you how to play an instrument well, but can also help motivate and inspire you to continue playing a particular instrument.”
Here’s a group of boys who went from attending robotics classes to being awarded in one of the world’s biggest robotics competitions. Let’s find out how they achieved this…
Wildfires, floods, snail racing and an astronaut who plays a duet from space are some of the things that caught the world’s attention. Read on, to find out what else has been happening.
Stay updated with the latest news from around the globe. Click on the hotspots to read.
July 29 is Global Tiger Day. The day is aimed at raising awareness of the importance of tiger conservation. Take some time out to celebrate the biggest cat species in the world.
As of 2016, there were 3,890 tigers in the world. The world rejoiced at the news as it was the first time in a century that tiger numbers had risen. India — home to 70% of tigers in the world — had more good news to share. As recently as last month, a tiger was spotted in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats, after eight years. The tiger population in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar tripled from 10 to 31 within 10 years.
The feats may seem small, but their significance is far greater. This is because, in the 1900s, when over 1,00,000 tigers roamed the earth, 97% of their population vanished due to poaching, loss of habitat, and climate change.
With so much to celebrate, it is fitting that we have a day dedicated to these apex predators, to do that and more. Every year, since 2010, July 29 is observed as Global Tiger Day.
It was during the Saint Petersburg Tiger Summit, in 2010, that it was decided to dedicate a day to promoting tiger conservation and efforts to protecting them and their habitats. At the Summit, the panel also declared their goal of doubling wild tiger population by 2022 — the next Chinese Year of the Tiger.
Why save tigers?
The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family. Its subspecies include the Royal Bengal tiger, Sumatran tiger, Siberian tiger, South China tiger, Malayan tiger and the Indochinese tiger.
Besides the fact that they look majestic, and that it would be a shame to see them only in the confines of a zoo or museum, tigers play an important part in the ecosystem.
The tiger is an apex predator, which means, it is at the top of the food chain. It preys on large herbivore mammals like deer, pig and cattle, preventing overgrazing of the vegetation, which in turn keeps the climatic conditions in check.
Thus, the presence of tigers in a habitat is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem. For example, the Gunung Leuser National Park, in Sumatra, stores over 1.6 billion tons of carbon and provides water to four million people. Local communities rely on its resources for their livelihoods. All these make it imperative to save the wild population of the Sumatran tigers that make up this ecosystem.
Action time
According to WWF India, here are a few things that you can do to ensure that tigers are not a thing of memories or folklore: (Click on the titles to read more)
Photos: Flickr, Wikimedia Commons
Do you know when to use “who” and “whom”? If yes, how well are you able to apply it? Take this quiz to find out.
We often get confused as to when to use “who” and when to use “whom”. In general, “who” relates to the subject of a sentence, and “whom” relates to, or works as the object in a sentence. As a simple rule to determine which word to use, substitute the personal pronoun “he/him” or “she/her” for “who/whom.” If “he” or “she” makes sense in the sentence, the correct choice is “who”. If “him” or “her” sounds correct, use “whom.”
Now see if you can select the correct option.
Habitats are homes, and everyone needs one! Plants, animals, and even humans choose habitats for different reasons, depending on their needs.
Just like you and me, animals and plants too need a place to live. Some choose their homes while others are born into it. These are habitats and it provides them with food, protection from predators and the weather, and a safe place to live and raise their young. The five major habitats are forest, desert, water, grassland and the Tundras.
Animals and plants that are found in a particular habitat have adapted to this climate and surroundings, making it possible to survive. For example, the spider monkeys live on trees and hence have flexible tails allowing them to grasp and balance along the branches. Or, a cactus in the desert has spines to enable it to collect and retain moisture. Some animals, like the beaver, are particular about the homes they live. So, they prefer to build it themselves. Others are not so fussy, they just find themselves a comfortable place and make it their home.
Let’s take a look at four animals and their habitats. And, while you are at it…solve the puzzles too.
Fox
The fox is a versatile animal and is able to live in the plains, mountains, the desert, and both urban and suburban areas. They can also change the types of food they eat. In the winter months, they create underground dens to live in. This is part of their overall ability to survive in a variety of different habitats. They enjoy their own company and hunt alone.
Manatee
Because of the way their bodies are designed, the manatee doesn’t do well in cold waters. So, you will find them where the waters are warm. Manatees are loners, but if they happen to come across another they are not hassled about it. In fact, they chirp a greeting in passing. Turtles, small sharks, flounder and oysters live around the manatee, as it poses no danger to them. Manatees are herbivores.
Zebra
Zebras are single-hoofed animals that are native to Africa. Zebras are closely related to horses and donkeys. Though they all live in Africa, each species of zebra has its own home area. Plains zebras live in the treeless grasslands and woodlands of eastern and southern Africa. The Grevy’s zebra lives in the arid grasslands of Ethiopia and northern Kenya and the mountain zebra is found in South Africa, Namibia and Angola.
Orangutan
Orangutans are found in Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. Orangutans prefer a habitat that exists along waterways and in lowlands because of their high dependence on fruit. The islands of Borneo and Sumatra have vast mountain ranges and Orangutans are rarely seen in elevations that exceed 500 m. An Orangutan’s normal habitat is the tropical rainforest.
Landing sites for aliens or geometrical wonders, one may never know. However, Peru’s Nazca lines continue to enthral and puzzle.
In the Nazca desert in southern Peru, South America, are a series of large ancient geoglyphs (a large design or motif on the ground, typically formed by rocks or stones, trees, gravel, earth).
Paul Kosok, a historian from Long Island University flew over the lines and discovered that some lines merged to form the shape of a bird. Another observation caused him to realise that the lines converged at the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Curious, he began to study the lines to find out how and why they existed. A German mathematician named Maria Reiche joined him and they said these lines were markers on the horizon to show where the sun and other celestial bodies rose on certain dates. It was Reiche who found that the etchings were clearer from the skies.
The lines are in a 500 sq km area and contain circles, squares, spirals, and other geometrical patterns. The single line etchings, at times, run for hundreds of km. The giant pictures survived the test of time because they were naturally protected.
This desert is one of the driest on Earth and maintains a temperature near 25 °C year round. The lack of wind has helped keep the lines uncovered and visible.
Alien links
It is believed that the Nazca people used simple tools and surveying equipment to make these lines.
A majority of the lines were formed on the ground by a shallow trench with a depth of 10 to 15 cm. They were made by removing the reddish brown iron oxide coated pebbles that cover the desert. Under the pebbles the clay earth is light coloured and when exposed, it is striking in its contrast with the surrounding land. This sublayer is high in lime, and in the morning mist it hardens, forming a protective layer that shields it from winds thus preventing erosion.
The Nazca people drew hundreds of simple, but large animal and human figures. The earthwork area covers an area of roughly 450 sq km, and the largest figure is about 1200 ft.
Nazca was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. Though it is a protected site, the lines have been facing threats for some time now. Pollution, erosion and deforestation are a constant worry, as is human interference.
Scroll through these images to see Nazca as it was then and now.
The FIFA World Cup has drawn to a close. Relive the action with this exciting spot-the-ball challenge.
And it’s a wrap on the FIFA World Cup 2018! What a tournament of surprises it was. After many unpredictable matches and a whole lot of breathtaking action, France emerged victorious and lifted the trophy.
Relive the action with this spot-the-ball challenge. Can you tell which ball was in the original photo and which ones have been added to distract you?
Brazil vs Belgium, Getty Images
Russia vs Croatia, Getty Images
England vs Croatia, Getty Images
France vs Croatia , Getty Images
Twinkle twinkle, little star. Imagine making your own lucky star. All you need are colourful strips of papers.
