Kids Questions & Answers

Many deserts-places, which have less than 25cm (10in) rainfall a year-are, in fact, dry for years and then a freak storm causes floods. Or heavy rains can transform some deserts, as in Namaqualand, South Africa, into a sea of flowers, bringing new life to seeds, which may have been dormant for years. Elsewhere, drought-resistant plants like cacti soak up rainwater …

Oases are places in deserts where there is fresh water. The largest oasis is the fertile valley of the River Nile in Egypt, which gets its water from the distant East African highlands.

The name Ark Royal goes back a long way in the annals of the British Navy. Sir Walter Raleigh, that famed Elizabethan seaman, had a great ship built which he called after himself, Ark Raleigh. She was launched in 1587. When the menace of the Spanish Armada loomed, the Crown bought her and she became Ark Royal. Probably the most …

The ceremonial drinking of tea has long been a time-honoured institution in Japan. The central idea of thee ceremony is the appreciation of the beautiful in life’s daily routine such as preparing a meal and tea, cleaning the house, working in the garden and so on. The ceremony is called in Japanese cha-mo-yu (which can be interpreted as ‘hot water …

A new industrial revolution began in the 1960s. one of its main centers is just south of San Francisco, California, USA. Here in Santa Clara County, a fertile fruit-growing region, is Silicon Valley. You won’t find this name on any map. Silicon Valley is the region between Palo Alto and San Jose where silicon chip computer technology was pioneered.

The sweet scent of flowers is designed to attract insects; who seek food in the shape of pollen and the fragrant-smelling nectar. This nectar is a solution of sugars produced in little sacs called nectarines at the base of the flower petal. The insects have a part in the process of fertilization. Almost all plants perpetuate themselves by mean of …

Maps must be revised all the time to take account of place name changes. Since 1950, many colonies have gained independence and changed place names that they associate with the past. For example, the French Colony of Upper Volta, which took its name from the River Volta, became independent in 1960, but it took 24 years before it was renamed …

Vanilla flavouring is something we are all familiar with. But did you know that we get vanilla from the vanilla orchid, which grows in Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean? What is more, the vanilla orchid is the only orchid which produces a useful product.

The largest single block of stone in the world is in Mount Olga National Park, Northern Territory, Australia. It is Ayers Rock. This huge monolith is over 2.5 km long and rises 348 m above the sand and gravel plains of the Great Plateau. It is oval-shaped and is built of water-worn pebbles of granite cemented by finer sands. Aboriginal …

Long ago, only the very wealthiest people could afford a proper chair to sit in. Poorer folk used rough benches, stools or the floor. At meals, therefore, the lord or lady of the manor used the chair, while the less important people used the benches. At meetings today, the person who is in charge of keeping order is said to …