تطوير لغة الطلاب في بيئةجاذبة ممتعة وآمنة.
On December 5, San Francisco Airport (SFO) officials introduced LiLou, the newest member of the Wag Brigade, family, a group of friendly therapy dogs that roam the airport terminals to provide comfort to harried travelers. However, Lilou is not a canine, but a small breed of pig called Juliana. The two-year-old is the first pig to be certified with the SPCA, Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) Program, in the United States.
اقرأ المقالOn Monday, December 5, online retailing giant Amazon announced the opening of its first brick and mortar grocery store. Called Amazon Go, the Seattle-based store that is currently being tested by company employees, closely mimics regular convenience stores except for one thing — thanks to Amazon’s proprietary “Just Walk Out” technology, all purchases are handled electronically. This means that there are no cashiers, checkouts, or lines. Shoppers simply grab what they want and leave.
اقرأ المقالDuring the past 15 years, Yves “Jetman” Rossy has strapped on his jetpack — carbon fiber wings powered by four small engines — to conduct many heart-stopping stunts. The former Swiss Air Force pilot has soared across the Grand Canyon, circled Japan's Mt. Fuji and even flown alongside the world's largest commercial airplane, the Airbus A380. On November 25, the daredevil upped the ante when he and protégés Vince Reffet and Frédéric ‘Fred’ Fugen, flew in formation with eight Alpha Jets from the Patrouille de France, the precision aerobatics demonstration team of the French Air Force.
اقرأ المقالWith Christmas around the corner, Valentine’s Day is probably the last thing on your mind. However, don’t tell that to Motohiro Okai. The chocolatier who works at the Rihga Royal Hotel Chocolate Boutique L’éclat in Osaka, Japan, has been feverishly working to perfect an exclusive line of “shoes” that will delight even the most discerning man.
اقرأ المقالWith only about 1,800 specimens left in the wild, all giant pandas are precious. However, Qi Zai, a seven-year-old that resides at the Foping Panda Valley in China’s Shaanxi province, is even more so. That’s because he is amongst a handful of giant pandas known to have brown and white fur and the only such specimen in captivity. However, while the 220-pound Qi Zai is now the superstar of the animal world, life has not always been easy.
اقرأ المقالAfter shopping for deals in stores on “Black Friday”, or online on “Cyber Monday,” Americans and people worldwide, are preparing for “Giving Tuesday.” Now in its fifth year, the global event that is celebrated annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is the brainchild of the 92nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York City and the United Nations Foundation.
اقرأ المقالOn November 19, after two days aboard a Soyuz MS-03 spacecraft, NASA’s Peggy Whitson, along with Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and rookie ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, docked at the International Space Station (ISS). In doing so, America’s most experienced female astronaut became the oldest woman in space, breaking the former record set by Barbara Morgan who reached the ISS at age 55.
اقرأ المقالWhile full moons are always a delight to watch, the one scheduled to make an appearance on November 14 will be even more so. That’s because it is no ordinary full moon, but the brightest and biggest “supermoon” since 1948. The next time you will encounter this glorious a sight, will be on November 25, 2034.
اقرأ المقالWhile ancient scrolls hold many secrets, opening the delicate manuscripts is always a tricky endeavor. The situation becomes even worse when they are charred as was the case with the Ein Gedi scroll discovered by archeologists at the site of an ancient synagogue in Israel in the 1970’s. The animal skin document that resembled a lump of coal was extremely fragile, and therefore, never opened. However, the curators of the Israel Antiques Authority (IAA) preserved it in the hopes that some day, advances in technology would allow them to read what lay inside. Now thanks to a team led by University of Kentucky professor Brian Seales, that has become a reality.
اقرأ المقالHalloween dog parades, where pooches get to strut around in cute and creative outfits, are a common occurrence. However, few compare to the one held at Tompkins Square Park in New York City. Now in its 26th year, the competition, which doubles up as a fundraiser, attracts over 300 dogs and is famous for its outrageous, over-the-top Halloween costumes, many of which are custom-made by professional designers. This year was no exception.
اقرأ المقالOn August 27, NASA’s Juno mission completed the first orbital flyby of Jupiter. Traveling at a speed of 130,000 mph, the spacecraft passed about 2,600 miles above the gas giant’s swirling clouds. Though the space probe will be conducting 35 additional flybys before the mission ends on February 2018, this was its closest approach and hence, the most important for data collection. Juno did not disappoint.
اقرأ المقالIf you visit Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC, you may notice one of the zoo’s resident elephants, Shanthi, strolling around in stylish Teva boots. While the footwear makes the 9,000-pound pachyderm stand out among her peers, its primary purpose is to provide the 41-year-old relief from the side effects of arthritis, a chronic condition that causes painful inflammation and stiffness of joints.
اقرأ المقالRobots have come a long way since ancient Greek mathematician, Archytas, released a steam-powered wooden dove dubbed “The Pigeon” in 350 B.C. However, the terminator-type rigidity of the machines has hindered them from being useful at tasks like search and rescue operations. While researchers have recently created softer and more flexible robots, they still contain hard electric power and control systems — such as batteries and circuit boards.
اقرأ المقالResearchers have long attributed the evolution of human intelligence to the size of the brain. It turns out that while a larger skull certainly helped, it was the extra blood sucked in by the brain that transformed humans into one of Earth’s smartest species. The surprising revelation that overturns the previous, long-standing theory comes from a team of scientists at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa and the University of Adelaide in Australia.
اقرأ المقالHere is some exciting news for those living in the Western Hemisphere — today, September 30, marks the emergence of the black moon. While that may sound sinister and is even dubbed apocalyptic by some; it is just the moniker given to the second new moon in a month. And like all new moons, this one too will be invisible to the naked eye.
اقرأ المقالIf you think winter luge, where athletes lying on tiny sleds hurtle down slippery icy tracks is dangerous, you probably have never seen the “summer” version of the sport. Street luge is similar to its winter counterpart, except for one thing – competitors do not have the safety of a chute. Instead, they lay on their sleds and zip down paved streets to what seems like certain death!
اقرأ المقالFirst, there was KBG84, Japan’s hottest “girl” band whose 33 members have an average age of 84. And now, Japan Pom Pom, a unique cheerleading troupe made up of 28 sprightly grandmothers, whose ages range from 55 to the late 80s.
اقرأ المقالThe Pallas’s cat is a small-sized wild cat species that lives in the remote steppes and mountains of Central Asia. Excessive hunting of the animals that are coveted for their thick, lush, fur as well as the loss of habitat has drastically reduced their numbers in the wild. As a result, the beautiful animals have been on IUCN’s near threatened list of species since 2002. It is, therefore, no wonder that the recent sighting of the elusive cats in the mountains of Mongolia is causing such joy among conservationists and cat lovers worldwide.
اقرأ المقالIt is said that the classics never die. Be it movies, books, or in this case, the ghost-gobbling game, Pac-Man. In its 36-year existence, the Pac-Man has undergone numerous remakes and reboots. But this time, the game made a comeback on an entirely new, microscopic scale, to accommodate the equally tiny “Pac-Man” and “Ghosts.”
اقرأ المقالItalian shoe manufacturer Vibram is well known for its minimalist shoe designs. In 2005, the company revolutionized the footwear industry with the introduction of FiveFingers. Designed to replicate being barefoot, the shoes featured thin flexible soles that molded the wearer’s feet. Now, the company has done it again by collaborating with Japanese designer Masaya Hashimoto to create the wrap-around Furoshiki shoes.
اقرأ المقالThe world’s two largest pizza chains, Dominos and Pizza Hut, are constantly trying to come up with innovative gimmicks to retain existing customers and attract new ones. While Dominos woos fans by embracing high-tech concepts like delivery robots, Pizza Hut focuses on making the humble delivery box more exciting. In 2015, they introduced one that could transform into a movie projector and now, a pizza box that turns into a fully functioning DJ!
اقرأ المقالOn June 23, British voters stunned the world with their decision to leave the European Union. Almost immediately, Prime Minister David Cameron, who had lobbied hard against what has popularly become known as “Brexit,” announced his resignation, leaving officials scrambling to find a new leader.
اقرأ المقالToday, June 20, happens to be the first day of summer or summer “solstice.” Derived from the Latin words “sol” for “sun” and “sisto” for “stop,” it is the day when the North Pole is most inclined towards the sun. As a result, residents of the Northern Hemisphere enjoy the longest day of the year. The opposite, of course, is true for the residents of the Southern Hemisphere who will experience the shortest day of the year. What makes today’s summer solstice even more unique is that for the first time in many years, it coincides with a full moon.
اقرأ المقالMention sand art and the image that comes to mind is that of an intricately carved sculpture or design sketched on a beach surface. Though impressive, they are transient masterpieces that disappear with the first large wave or splash of rain. However, 24-year-old Tim Bengel’s sand art is permanent. That’s because the German artist uses the grit to “paint” his masterpieces on canvas. While the final product is certainly stunning, what is even more so is the way it is created.
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