Clogs

Clogs are shoes or sandals that are made entirely of wood or have wooden soles and leather uppers. They are associated with the Netherlands and Sweden, where they are considered part of the national dress. In England, clogs were traditionally made of alder and were commonly worn by all classes throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The Lancashire cotton mill workers habitually wore clogs to avoid slipping on the wet floors in the cotton mills. How are clogs used in some styles of dance? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Basiliscus

Shortly after seizing control of the Eastern Roman Empire, Flavius Basiliscus alienated his supporters by promoting Miaphysitism—a doctrine which holds that in the person of Jesus there was but a single nature that merged both the human and the divine rather than a dual nature. Consequently, his rule lasted just 20 months. Earlier in his career, Basiliscus led the disastrous invasion of Vandal Africa, one of the greatest military operations in history. How many ships and soldiers were involved? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Life Savers

Life Savers is an American brand of ring-shaped mints and fruit-flavored hard candy known for its colorful packaging. It was created in 1912 by the father of the poet Hart Crane, Clarence Crane, who was in search of a new summer candy. The pill manufacturer he contracted to press his new line of hard mints found that production improved when the mints were stamped with a hole in the middle. What flavor of the candy exhibits “triboluminescence?” Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Tanglewood

Tanglewood is an estate and music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival. It has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home since 1937. Its summer school is one of the world’s preeminent training grounds for composers, conductors, instrumentalists, and vocalists. The name “Tanglewood” pays homage to what American author who spent time in the region? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Hannah Szenes

During World War II, Hannah Szenes was one of 17 Jews living in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine who were trained by the British army to parachute into Yugoslavia to help save the Jews of Hungary. She was arrested at the Hungarian border, imprisoned, tortured, and eventually executed. Szenes is regarded as a national heroine in Israel, where streets are named after her and her poetry is widely known. One of her songs was used to close versions of what film? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Winchester Mystery House

The Winchester Mystery House is a famous California mansion that is reputed to be haunted. Sarah Winchester, the widow of a gun magnate, began building the Winchester Mystery House in 1884 after a medium advised her to construct a house to appease the ghosts of all those killed by Winchester rifles. Construction continued for 38 years, since Sarah Winchester believed that if she stopped working on the house, she would die. What significance does the number 13 have in the mansion? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mount Everest

The peak of Mount Everest is 29,035 ft (8,850 m) above sea level, making it the highest point on earth. It is called Chomo-Lungma, or “Mother of the Universe,” by the Tibetans, and Devgri in Sanskrit, meaning “Holy Mountain.” The first confirmed ascent of the mountain took place in 1953, by Hillary of New Zealand and Norgay of Nepal; however, whether George Mallory had successfully ascended the mountain in 1924 before dying is a matter of controversy. What is the Death zone? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker, a celebrated ballet by Tchaikovsky, tells the story of a young girl whose Christmas gift of a nutcracker turns into a prince and leads her to a magical land. In 1954, George Balanchine choreographed and premiered his New York City Ballet version, which was later made into a feature film. Mikhail Baryshnikov choreographed another enormously popular version for the American Ballet Theatre. What novel instrument did Tchaikovsky use in the Nutcracker score? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

Mount Carmel

Mt. Carmel is a mountain ridge in Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Long an object of veneration, it was associated in biblical times with the lives of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. From the mountainside vineyards comes the renowned Mt. Carmel wine, and at the foot of Mt. Carmel is the port of Haifa. On its slopes are a Baha’ist garden shrine, with the tombs of Bab-ed-din and of Abdul Baha, and a 19th-century Carmelite monastery. What strategic role did Mt. Carmel play during WWI? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary

The Everglades

This marshy, low-lying subtropical savanna area in S. Florida extends from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. Characterized by water, sawgrass, palms, pine, and mangrove forests, the Everglades receives an annual average rainfall of more than 60 in. (152 cm), mainly in the summer. The wildlife-rich area is home to endangered species like the Florida panther, American crocodile, and manatee. In the late 1830s the Everglades was the scene of military operations against what Native American people? Discuss

Source: The Free Dictionary