The Gobi is one of the greatest deserts of the world. It stretches from Northern China to South-East Mongolia. Its area is 1,300,000 square kilometers and this is more than the area of Peru. The word “gobi” means “waterless place” in Mongolian. The regions of the Gobi Desert, as commonly believed, have been virtually unchanged and anhydrous for 65 million years.
Since ancient times this desert was called Shamo desert.
The Gobi climate is sharply continental: the winter is very cold (the temperature drops to -55 ° C), and the summer is hot (the temperature rises to +58 ° C).
To prevent the expansion of the desert the government of China is implementing the project Green Chinese Wall. This is the largest greening project in the history of mankind.
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Mango is the fruit of a tree that grows in warm parts of the world. It is sweet and tasty. It is sometimes called “the queen (or king) of tropical fruits.” In Sanskrit, mango means “a great fruit”. Thousands of years ago mangoes were small fruits that tasted like pine needles. They grew only in some parts of Asia and India, and today they’re grown in most tropical countries. Many kings and nobles had their own mango groves. The source of great pride and high social status was the cultivation of their own varieties. According to custom, the most beautiful fruits – the best mangoes – were sent as gifts to high-ranking individuals and dear friends. Approximately in the 5th century BC, Buddhist monks brought mango to Malaysia and East Asia.
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Lakes are part of nature. It is very pleasant to lie on the grass on the lake shore, listen to the singing of birds, smell grasses. Besides, lakes are an extremely important element of the hydrosphere. There are about 117 million lakes On Earth. They are very different. There are giants and dwarfs among them.
The Great Lakes are a group of natural freshwater lakes in the middle of North America. These five lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario. They cover an area of about 245,660 square kilometers. The lakes were originally formed when glaciers retreated during the last Ice Age. Each one of them is special in some way. Lake Superior is the biggest as well as the deepest of the lakes. Lake Ontario is the smallest lake. Lake Erie is the shallowest, and Lake Huron has the longest shoreline. There are more than 30,000 islands in Lake Huron, including Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world.
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Dragonflies are flying insects with two pairs of see-through wings, huge eyes, and long bodies. They live near lakes, streams, and ponds throughout most of the world. There are about 2,500 species of dragonfly. Dragonflies are ancient insects, dating back before the beginning of the reign of the dinosaurs some 225 million years ago. Present–day dragonflies do not differ very much from their ancestors.
Dragonflies feed mostly on other insects. They are very fast and their large eyes allow them to spot prey above, below, in front, behind, and on both sides of them. They can fly at the speed of up to 57 km / h. Dragonflies are considered the most dangerous predators.
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Buckwheat is a unique cereal. It is unpretentious in the process of growing, it gives an excellent crop without any fertilizers, and “copes” with weeds itself, which simply do not grow among buckwheat plants.
The buckwheat originated on the western slopes of the Himalayas and later appeared in East Asia and the West. To Russia it was brought in the 13th century from Asia by the Tatars.
Buckwheat porridge is very delicious and nutritious. Buckwheat contains about 70% starch, 11-12% protein and 2-2.5% fat. It is also rich in iron, phosphorus, calcium, organic acids (citric, oxalic and malic) and vitamins B1 and B2.
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Penguins are flightless sea birds. Its torpedo–shaped body allows the bird to travel swiftly in water. They use their short flat wings like flippers. Penguins are the only birds that can swim but cannot fly. There are 18 types of penguins. They live in Antarctica, Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and South America. Penguins have a thick layer of fat that helps to protect them from the cold. A penguin typically has a black back and a white belly. Short, glossy feathers cover its body are waterproof and helps keep the bird warm.
Penguins live in nesting colonies, that can be enormous. In large groups they are safer from predators, such as skuas, sharks, killer whales, and especially leopard seals.
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Chestnuts are tall trees that produce sweet-tasting nuts and useful wood. There are four species of chestnut tree: American, European, Chinese, and Japanese.
Chestnut trees can grow to a height of about 30 meters. The bark has deep grooves. The leaves are shiny green and oval-shaped with pointed edges. The nuts are found inside green, cupshaped structures with a spiky shell.
In Geneva there is a tradition to declare the coming of spring when the first leaf appears on the “official chestnut tree”. The tradition is more than 2 centuries old. According to statistics, most often spring was announced in March. However, in 2002 the leaves appeared on December 29. 2006 was the most paradoxical year: first the spring was announced in March, and then again in October, as the tree suddenly blossomed again.
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