Schooling around the world

School children in China spend more time at school than children in any other country. They have 251 schooldays a year – 59 days more than British children, and 71 more than American children. In the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Canada, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand children have 10, 11 or 12 years of education. In most African countries and parts of South America children spend just five or six years at school. Only two African countries, Gabon and Tunisia, have ten years of compulsory schooling. In Italy and China, children can legally finish school at the age of 14. In Myanmar, Angola and Pakistan, children are allowed to finish at the age of nine, after only four or five years at school. In several European countries, including Croatia, Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland, parents don’t have to send their children to school until they are seven years old – two years later than in many other countries.

Children’s firsts

The first English children’s book for entertainment was a collection of rhymes called A Booke in Englyssh Metre, of the Great Merchante Man called Dives Pragmaticus, very preaty for children to reade. It was printed in London in 1563. John Cotton’s Milk for Babies was printed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, America, in 1641 – 45. Pera Librorum Juvenile (Collection of Junevile Books) was compiled in Germany by Johann Christoph Wagenseil in 1695. The History of Little Goody Two – Shoes was published by John Newbery in London in 1765. Some experts believe it was written by the famous British poet and playwright Oliver Goldsmith. Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book was published in London in 1744. Some experts believe it was written by the famous British poet and playwright Oliver Goldsmith. Tommy Thumb’s Pretty Song Book was published in London in 1744. It contained well – known rhymes such as “London Bridge is falling”, “Hickory, dickory dock” and “Sing a song of sixpence”.

Top speeds

The Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race is rowed annually on the River Thames, London, and covers 6.8km. The Oxford crew won in 1998 in a record time of 16 minutes 19 seconds, equivalent to a speed of 25 km/h. Steam ships began carrying passengers across the Atlantic between Europe and the USA in 1838. In the early years, the journey could take 18 days or longer. Shipping companies competed with each other and the fastest ship carried a blue flag, or Blue Riband. There were separate Blue Ribands for westbound and eastbound crossings, and after 1934 an award, the Hales Trophy, was presented to the ship with the fastest average speed. In 1952 the newly launched liner SS United States won both the westbound and eastbound Blue Riband with the time of 3 days 10 hours 40 minutes, and the Hales Trophy with an average speed of 65.9 km/h. Cat – Link V, a Danish catamaran ferry, is the current Blue Riband and Hales Trophy holder.

World’s energy sources

The first oil wells were drilled less than 150 years ago but oil, and petroleum which comes from it, has become the most important energy source. Almost 36 percent of the world’s energy supply comes from oil. Most oil is found in the Middle East and has to be taken by tankers or pipelines to places where it is used around the world. Coal is the world’s second most important source of energy. It makes up over 28 percent of the total. Coal is a fossil fuel and is made from plants that lived and died 300 million years ago. The world’s local reserves will last about another 145 years. This is more than twice as long as gas (61 years) and almost four times as long as oil (38 years). The third main source of power comes from gas that occurs naturally beneath the Earth’s surface. It accounts for 24 percent of the world total.

Good and bad luck signs 1

The ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle. Some believe it is disrespectful, and unlucky, to walk underneath one because triangles symbolize the Holy Trinity. The bad luck is warded off by crossing the fingers or making a wish while under the ladder. Magpies are generally thought to be unlucky. This belief is said to come from the Bible, as the magpie was the only bird that refused to enter Noah’s Ark. In China, however, the magpie is a good omen, and should never be killed. Breaking a mirror is said to bring seven years bad luck. This idea may come from the old belief that your reflection is an image of your soul, so anything that charges the reflection may bring evil. The length of the period of bad luck may come from the Roman belief that life renews itself every seven years.

Good and bad luck signs

In the UK, people think black cats are lucky, particularly if they cross your path. The opposite is true in the USA and several European countries, where a black cat is seen as a bad omen. In the USA a white cat is very good luck, while in the UK it is a sigh of bad luck. A horseshoe is a piece of metal fixed to a horse’s foot. Some people think that if you find a horseshoe and the open space is facing you it will bring you luck. Traditionally, people also hang horseshoes above the doorway of their home to bring good luck. In many European countries, the horseshoe is hung downwards – that’s believed to let the luck flow out into the house. In Britain and Ireland, the shoe must be hung with the opening at the top to keep the good fortune.

Bridges types

An arch bridge is a very strong curved structure made of stone, concrete or steel. It is firmly supported on both sides. A bascule bridge has a central section that opens to allow tall ships to pass. London’s Tower Bridge is one of the most famous bascule bridges. A beam bridge is supported by the shore at both ends. This is the simplest and oldest type of bridge – a log across a stream is a very simple beam bridge. It is not very strong and may need to be strengthened by supports underneath. Cantilever bridge has two long arms held in place at the ends by anchors. Some can swing to let large ships through. Cantilever bridges are closest in length to suspension bridges. Suspension bridge is supported by steel cables fixed to high towers on the banks. All the world’s longest bridges are suspension bridges they are very strong.

The Empire State Building

It was built on the site of the Waldorf – Astoria Hotel and took 410 days at the rate of 41/2 floors a week to complete. The building was opened on 1 May 1931 by remote control, when President Herbert Hoover pressed a button in Washington DC. The workforce – 3400 at its peak – took seven million men – hours to complete the building. The cost was $40,948,900 including the land. It weighs 331,122 tonne, including a 54,431 – tonne steel frame, 10 million bricks and 662 tonne of aluminium and stainless steel. The Empire State is served by 73 lifts and contains 3,194,547 light bulbs, 80 km of radiator pipes and 113 km of water pipes. The lighting conductor was struck 68 times in the buildings first ten years. On St Valentine’s Day, couples can marry on the 80th floor. More than 2.5 million tourists a year go up to the observatories on the 86th and 102nd floors.