Aurora Borealis – wonderful lights

Auroras are dazzling displays of colored light that sometimes appear in the night sky. They can be seen in far northern and far southern regions. Auroras are named after Aurora, the ancient Roman goddess of the dawn.
An aurora constantly changes shape as the light moves across the sky. Its colors are determined by the different gases that give off the light.
The aurora borealis is visible only in the northern skies and is thus also known as the northern lights. The aurora australis occurs in the southern skies.
Auroras result from the interaction of Earth’s magnetic field with ionic gas particles, protons, and electrons streaming outward from the Sun. Solar storms result in magnetic disturbances that lead to coronal mass ejections of ionic charged particles in solar “winds.” As the magnetic particles pass Earth, the plasma streams interact with Earth’s magnetosphere. The magnetic interactions excite electron transitions that result in the emission of visible light.
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Hawaii and its capital Honolulu

In 1959, Hawaii became the fiftieth state of the USA, The Aloha State. Aloha is a Hawaiian word with several meanings. It is often used to mean “welcome,” “hello,” or “good-bye.” Hawaii is the most remote inhabited place on the Earth. By the way, it is the only state which territory is constantly increasing (due to volcanic eruptions). And it is the only U.S. state that is made up entirely of islands (132 islands and islets).
Mauna Kea is the highest mountain on the Earth – 4205 m above sea level and 5181 meters under water. he top of the volcano Mauna Kea is ideal for astronomical observations. There are NASA telescopes here.
Hawaiian alphabet consists of 12 letters: 5 vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and 7 consonants (H, K, L, M, N, P, W).
Niihau is “forbidden island” of Hawaii. The island’s population is 230 people. The Robinsons, whose ancestors bought the island from King Kamehameha IV over a century ago, own it. You can visit the island only if you have an invitation from a family member or native Hawaiians living on Niihau.
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Japan – Modern Nation of Ancient Traditions

Japan is made up of a string of islands that stretches for nearly 1,500 miles along the coast of northeastern Asia in the Pacific Ocean. The four main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku. Honshu is the largest of them.
Japan’s capital is Tokyo, one of the world’s largest cities.
Mountains cover most of the land. Some mountains are active volcanoes.
The country’s main language is Japanese. Shinto and Buddhism are the major religions.
People lived in Japan at least 10,000 years ago. According to legend, the emperor Jimmu founded the Japanese state in 660 BC.
In 1185 a samurai named Minamoto Yoritomo took control of Japan. In 1192 he took the title of shogun. His military government was called a shogunate. Japan had an emperor, but he held less power than the shogun.
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Cockroach – Indestructible Insect

Cockroaches are insects that have lived on Earth for more than 320 million years. There are more than 3,500 types of them.
Cockroaches have a flat, oval body that is black or brown. They have long powerful legs and can run very fast.
They are found nearly everywhere. Some kinds live outside, but others live indoors alongside humans. They like warm dark areas in homes, offices, ships, trains, and even airplanes.
They are related to crickets. These insects use the long antennas on their heads for feeling through dark places.
They are considered among the most hated household pests. Humans get rid of cockroaches with common poisons and traps.
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Wonderful morning dew

At dawn, tiny drops of water can be seen on grass and other plants. This moisture is called dew. Dew forms in the night air through a process called condensation. Air contains water vapor. In the evenings, when warm, moist air passes over cool surfaces, the air cools down. The water vapor in the air forms into small drops. The drops cling to cool surfaces such as leaves, flower petals, and grass. The time of night when dew begins to form is called dewfall.

Susan and her mother had come to the park for an early morning walk. The weather had been nice and warm recently. The nights were still, and there was hardly a cloud in the sky.
The park’s grass glittered and winked. “Are those diamonds?” Susan asked. It looked as if someone had sprinkled tiny diamonds all across the grass during the night.
Susan bent down to touch one of the glittering points. “It’s water!” she cried out in surprise. “How did it get here? Did it rain last night?”
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Mushroom – neither a plant nor an animal

Mushroom is a living thing that is neither a plant nor an animal. Mushrooms, molds, mildews, truffles, and yeasts belong to fungi. Fungi are found all over the world. They grow especially in mild, moist regions and in the tropics. Fungi can be found in the water, soil, and air. Some live on or inside plants and animals. They usually reproduce by forming tiny cells called spores. Wind, water, and insects carry spores away from the fungus that made them. If a spore lands in a damp place, it can grow into a new fungus.
Most fungi feed on dead plant and animal material. They are called saprophytes. They can ruin bread, cheese, fruits and vegetables, timber, textiles, paper, and leather. Parasites are fungi that get their food from living plants and animals.
Some fungi are so tiny that they cannot be seen with the naked eye. Some mushrooms can be 25 centimeters in diameter.
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Dandelion – bright yellow and fluffy white

Dandelions are plants with bright yellow blossoms that turn into round, fluffy seed heads. There are more than 1,000 species of dandelion. It grows mainly in the meadows, gardens, along roads, in gardens, forest edges, in the fields. Many people consider these wild plants to be weeds. They grew first in Europe and Asia and now they are widespread in North America. These plants survive the winter and regrow each spring. In spring and summer, each plant produces a single flower head that is made up of many tiny yellow flowers. After flowering, dandelions produce a head of seeds which can scatter widely in the breeze.
Since ancient times people eat dandelion leaves. In Italy you can find dandelion in supermarkets and markets and try it in restaurants. Goethe was a big fan of dandelion salad. The flowers of this plant are used to make jams and wine. There is even a novel by Ray Bradbury – Dandelion Wine. And opened buds are a source of “dandelion honey” which has bright golden color and is very thick. People may also make the roots into a coffeelike drink.
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