Saturday, June 30, 2007

World’s Smallest School

An elementary school in China has just one teacher and one pupil.
Li Yongchun, 61, has been teaching at the school in Dasu village, Longjing region for over 25 years.
He explained: “At first, the school had more than 400 students, but in the ’90s, more and more families migrated from the mountain village to make a living outside, and there were just over 10 students left.”
“In 2000, the city education bureau decided to shut down the school after the graduation of the last student. New kids can register and board at another school in nearby Sanhe town, which is a two-hour drive away.”World’s Smallest SchoolBut the family of a third grader named Han Hongyang can’t afford the boarding fee, so she became the last remaining student.
“We have been like this for more than half a year. She is my only student, and I’m her only teacher,” says teacher Li.
Teacher Li teaches his student six subjects - Chinese, Mathematics, Korean, History, Geography and PE.
“During class breaks, we play badminton, ping pong and football, which is a bit hard for a 61-year-old,” says Li.

In another half a year, teacher Li is to retire, and the city education bureau says then it will send another teacher to take care of the only student till her graduation, reports City Evening Post.

Largest crocodile in the world

Largest crocodile
Largest crocodile
Largest crocodile
Largest crocodile
Largest crocodile

This is the largest crocodile ever displayed in the U.S. This is when he was alive and on display at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological park.

Friday, June 29, 2007

The Jewel of Dubai - The Rotating Tower

graceful rotation

Morphing into mesmerizing shapes under the sublime light of the moon, wooing romantic couples with a whir of the wind turbines, making the tenants slightly dizzy by the graceful rotation of their bedroom’s scenery - this is radical enough to attract scores of tourists, if successfully built. Jewel of Dubai A skyscraper built of rotating platters with built-in wind turbines.The tallest tower in the world to be Burj Dubai.

10 Reasons To Plant Trees

1. Trees save energy and money. Just three trees strategically planted around your home can cut your air conditioning bill in half.

2. Trees save tax payers. Trees in a city slow storm water runoff and reduce the need for storm sewers. Tree shade also help cool municipal buildings, lowering electricity bills.

3. Trees cool our cities. Urban "heat islands" are directly related to massive tree-cutting for development.

4. Trees clean our water and air. From low level ozone in our cities to pesticide and fertiziler runoff from our farms, trees absorb harmful pollutants.

5. Trees help community life. Tree planting and community based forestry can add significantly to a local community's sustainable economy while restoring the environment.

6. Trees protect soil. By holding soil in place with their root systems, by deflecting pounding rain with their canopies, and by adding nutrients each fall with their leaves, trees are crucial to keeping and improving our soil.

7. Trees provide habitat for species of many kinds -- including endangered species. A key project of American Forests is "Trees for Tigers" in the Russian Far East that is restoring habitat for the endangered Siberian tiger.

8. Trees can pay your "carbon debt". Planting just 30 Global ReLeaf trees will absorb the amount of carbon dioxide that is generated in the production of energy for the average American lifestyle each year.

9. Trees provide clean water and natural flood control. Forests act as natural reservoirs, and they protect watersheds, providing clean water for cities, bays and rivers.

10. Trees are a beautiful part of our lives. From striking individual trees that are of historic significance or are simply large and majestic, to a grove of trees in a city park, trees enrich our lives by simply being there. Trees are not just a key to the natural ecosystem -- trees are an essential part of community life.

World’s Oldest Car Headed For Auction

Car Headed For AuctionThe world’s oldest running car is set to cross the auction block at Pebble Beach in August.

The catchy-sounding De Dion-Bouton et Trapardoux was built in France in 1884, and amazingly, it’s a three owner car. Among its many credentials, “La Marquise” is a steam-powered four-wheeled car that is believed to have won the first automobile race.

Top speed on the car is a startlingly high 38 miles-per-hour, which must feel decidedly exciting given its primitive construction and solid rubber tires. To reach that heady speed, drivers need to first stoke the car with coal, wood, paper, or other readily combustible materials, and then wait for around a half-hour to generate enough steam for the car to get rolling.

The De Dion-Bouton et Trapardoux is expected to hammer for between $1.5 and $2 million