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Category General Knowledge

Where was the city of Troy?

Until the 1850s many historians thought that the great adventures described by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey were all fables which had existed only in the poet’s imagination. But between 1870 and 1890 excavations carried out by as German businessman, Heinrich Schliemann, established not only that the great city had actually existed but that nine different Troys had stood on the Spot. Each city had been destroyed and a new one rebuilt during a period of 3,000 years.

Later excavations by other archaeologists confirmed Schliemann’s belief that these ruins were really the remains of Troy. The archaeologists also found that the great battles and siege in which this city, ruled by King Priam, was destroyed. Today we are certain that Troy did exist and that its towers rose from the summit of a hill called Hsarlik that now stands in Turkey by the waters of the Hellespont.

 

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Which is the most beautiful city in Japan?

The cities of Japan have grown extremely rapidly since the Second World War mainly because of the spread of new industries which provided work for people but made the cities rather ugly. One city escaped this fate: Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan founded by the Emperor Kwammu in A.D 794. For a thousand years Kyoto was the capital of the Japanese empire. During this time it became rich in monuments and the architecture of its buildings resembled that of Chinese cities. Kyoto has stout walls built all round it as a defence against attackers and the city was approached through eighteen gates in the walls. Inside were many gardens and temples of the Buddhist and Shinto religions.

Kyoto is also famous for its works of art and craftsmanship, especially porcelain and silks, and is today visited by many tourists.

 

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Where to find Africa’s largest national parks?

The animals of Africa, many of them belonging to species which are now rare, today live under special protection from the danger of being hunted into extinction.

These animals live in national parks, huge areas reserved for them in central and eastern Africa. With the aid of wildlife Fund, these parks have become great tourist attractions. Every year thousands of people come from all over the world to see the giraffes, elephants, lions, gazelles, rhinoceroses, hippopotamuses and reptiles which live in freedom in these reserves.

There are good tracks and smooth roads and visitors can drive for hundreds of kilometres through these national parks. Some of Africa’s most important reserves are in Kenya and Tanzania. The Serengeti National Part in northern Tanzania covers an area of 15,000 square kilometres and extends from Lake Victoria to Mount Kilimanjaro. It has the finest collection of plains animals in Africa and is especially famous for its lions.

 

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Where the optical illusion of mirages occurs?

Sometimes when the thirsty traveler makes his way through the burning sands of the desert a lake suddenly appears before him just over on the horizon. The traveler then makes haste to reach this totally unexpected and welcome place welcome place of refreshment. Of course, the lake is not really there and what traveler sees is a mirage.

For a long time people thought mirages were hallucinations, an unreal vision like a dream that some people experience when they are ill. Then it was perfectly well, who were not hungry or thirsty. It was then learned that mirages are an optical illusion, a trick played by the air.

The temperature of the air we breathe differs according to the altitude. In the desert, air is warmer near the ground, which can extremely hot on summer days, and grows cooler as it rises upwards. Warm air is less dense than cool air and acts as a mirror or pool of water to reflect light. The reflections are often seen upside down as trees are in a still pool of water to reflect light. The reflections are often seen upside down as trees are in still pool of water. The warm, dense air also reflects the sky and the shimmering effect on the ground looks like a lake or pool.

 

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Where can you find the gorilla?

The gorilla lives in the dense forests of equatorial Africa. It is the largest and most powerful of the ape family. The gorilla is extremely strong but it is a unduly disturbed. But other animals are very much afraid of it: few of them will dare to attack a gorilla because they know they would have the worse of the encounter.

A full-grown gorilla stands nearly 2 metres tall, with a massive body and very muscular arms and legs, and can weigh over 200 kilograms. Its jaws jut out and it has a broad, flattened nose and huge beetling eyebrows.

There are two main kinds of gorilla: the lowland gorilla that lives in the rain forests of western Africa, has a dark grey coat; the mountain gorilla which lives in the eastern regions of Zaire-Uganda borderland at altitudes of more than 3,000 metres, has black fur, Little is known about the ways of these big apes. This is because gorillas are very shy animals and also because they were first found only during the last century.

Gorillas usually live in groups which include both young and old. They build rough dwellings in trees a few metres above the ground. These dwellings look like platforms made of branches and twigs.

Gorillas do not spend all their lives in the trees. During the day they wander about on the ground looking for food. They feed on leaves, roots and fruit which the forest has in plenty. Gorillas walk in a crouching position, but every so often they stand up straight on their long hind legs.

 

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Where the wild peacocks are found?

Wild peacocks live together in large flocks in the forests of central Africa, India, Sri Lanka and southern Asia, They search for seeds to eat during the day, and at nightfall they fly up the trees where they perch and sleep.

Every peacock has several wives known as peahens. The female birds build their nests on the ground and lay from four to six whitish, sometimes spotted eggs. During the mating season the male utters a harsh raucous cry.

Peacocks were first brought to Europe in the days of Alexander the Great. At one time they used to be kept on many farms, but today they are usually found in zoos or public parks.

Peacocks are extremely beautiful birds with their brightly coloured plumage. The male bird makes a magnificent display when it opens up it opens up its huge fan-like tail to preen itself. The female is more dully coloured and does not have the large ornamental feathers.

 

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How does the desert rat live?

Desert rats can be seen during moonlit nights scampering and hopping about the desert sands. These animals, also known as jerboas, come out of their hiding places only after dark in search of food.

But they do not seem to be looking for food as they jump about. Their bodies are about 20 centimeters long and the tail, which ends in a tuft, is some 25 centimeters. The front limbs are extremely short while the hind pair are about six times as long. They are very funny to watch as they hop about on their long hind legs that look like those of kangaroos.

Desert rats live in burrows which they dig with their nails and teeth. They are shy animals and this, together with their agility, makes them difficult to catch. They live quite well in captivity, however, and are extremely clean in their habits. They have a sand coloured coat, as most desert dwelling animals have.

 

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Where you can find the most famous city on water?

The fame of Venice and its incomparable natural and artistic beauties was confirmed when a world-wide fund was opened to save its treasures. The enormous sums collected show the love felt in every part of the world for this Italian city, set on the water.

Venice is built on about 115 islands in the Adriatic Sea, 4 kilometres east of the mainland to which it is connected by road and rail. The city is interested by canals, the chief of which is the Grant Canal, and has nearly 400 bridges.

In addition to its canals and bridges, Venice is renowned for its churches and palaces. The most famous of these are St. Mark’s Cathedral with its tall campanile beside it built at one end of the Piazza San Marco, and the Doges Palace.

In the course of the centuries, innumerable artists have been inspired by Venice and in return they have left the results of their creative genius.

 

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Where you can find forests full of beech trees?

In parts of western Asia and all Europe as far as southern England, beech trees can be found growing in gardens and large avenues.

There are many different kinds of beech including the dark-leaved copper beech and the weeping beech, often to be seen in parks.

The best beeches are found in chalky soil some of them reaching from about 30 to 45 metres high. Many were first planted in the eighteenth century on huge estates.

The timber of the beech is heavy and hard and is extremely useful as firewood. It also has many other uses and is especially noted for making fine furniture and all sorts of different wooden articles.

 

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Which is the smallest state in the world?

Covering an area of less than half a square kilometre the Vatican City is the smallest state in the world.

Approximately half of its territory is occupied by famous constructions: the Basilica of St Peter standing at the head of a large square which is encompassed by Bernini’s magnificent colonnade; the Vatican palaces, the residence of the Pope; the Vatican museums, rich in works of art; and the Sistine Chapel. In the remaining area are garden, ships, squares, a railway station and an astronomical observatory.

 

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