The Express Tribune hi five - July 28

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Conquests of The Great Conquerors PAGE 2 Make an origami box PAGE 4

Bag a turtle PAGE 5

Chips or crisps? PAGE 6

r e G at Conqu e h T erors Your Proofness: Mahim Maher Master Storyteller: Sundar Waqar Creativity Analysts: Amna Iqbal, Essa Malik, Jamal Khurshid, Maha Haider, Samra Aamir, Kiran Shahid, Faizan Dawood, Anam Haleem, Umar Waqas


THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 28, 2013

2 The Great Conquerors Hi light H

Are you a history buff? Or do you like reading about war and past conquerors and their military tactics? From Alexander the Great’s campaigns to Tamerlane’s rule of territories, read about the conquests and personalities of some of the greatest conquerors.

ALEXANDER THE GREAT Alexander the Great was king of Macedon, a state in northern Greece. Alexander was tutored by Aristotle (Greek philosopher and important founding figure of Western philosophy) until the age of 16. Alexander’s legacy includes the cultural influence his conquests left behind. Plutarch in his book, Life of Alexander the Great, states: “Alexander had a great desire for knowledge, a love for philosophy and was an avid reader… Alexander’s most evident personality traits have been his violent temper and rash, impulsive nature.” He was undefeated in battle and is considered one of history’s most successful commanders. Alexander’s military tactics are taught in military schools around the world till today. Alexander died in Babylon in 323 BC from an illness.

Fun F u Fact: He fo founded some ttwenty cities that tw bo bore his name, most n no o notably Alexandria in n Egypt.

CHARLEMAGNE Called the ‘Father of Europe’, Charlemagne’s empire united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Roman Empire. In Einhard’s Life of Charlemagne, a biography, Charlemagne is described as a generous man who helped the poor and loved his family. According to Encyclopedia of World Biography, “Charlemagne supported the arts and letters to provide an educated clergy (a group of religious servants) that could undertake many of the administrative tasks of government and to win the acceptance of the church to unify the administration of the empire”. The intellectual traditions and educational institutions supported by Charlemagne greatly influenced the development of Western culture. Charlemagne believed in the power of education and expanded the number of schools to improve the quality of education. Charlemagne died aged 72 from a fever.

Fun Fact: Although he could not write, he spoke Germanic, Latin and Greek.

Area: By the age of 22, he had conquered Greece and set sail to Asia Minor. He entered Egypt as a liberator and continued to Persia where he fought a series of decisive battles and gained control of the entire Eastern Mediterranean coast. Seeking to reach the “ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea”, he invaded India and Pakistan. Alexander passed through the Khyber Pass in 326 BC, built a fleet of ships, and sailed down the Indus River to conquer what is now Punjab. It was in Punjab that Alexander’s soldiers refused to go any further east, prompting an enormously difficult march homeward through the harsh desert regions of Balochistan, Afghanistan, and Iran. This is also where his legendary horse Bucephalus was killed.

Area: Charles the Great, King of the Franks, ruled a European empire based mainly around France, Germany and parts of Italy. Charlemagne’s first campaign came at the age of 27, when the Pope sought his aid in repelling the Lombards (people belonging to Lombardi, city in Italy). From his capital of Aachen in modern-day Germany, he went on to fight 53 campaigns, most of which he led himself.


THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 28, 2013

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Hi light

TAMERLANE ‘Timur the Lame’ or ‘Taimur Lung’ in Urdu was so called because he walked with a limp since half of his body was paralysed. He was born in modern day Uzbekistan and was a Turko-Mongol ruler. During his lifetime Timur emerged as the most powerful ruler in the Muslim world after defeating the Mamluks of Egypt and Syria, the emerging Ottoman Empire and the declining Sultanate of Delhi. It is written in the Silk Road about Tamerlane: “He was steadfast in mind and robust in body, brave and fearless, firm as rock. He loved bold and valiant soldiers, by whose aid he opened the locks of terror, tore men to pieces like lions, and overturned mountains. He was faultless in strategy, constant in fortune, firm of purpose and truthful in business”. Tamerlane conquered Persia, Armenia, Georgia and part of Russia. Tamerlane died in 1405 on his way to an invasion of China.

GENGHIS KHAN Originally known as Temujin, meaning blacksmith, he was later named Genghis Khan meaning the ‘universal leader’. After his father’s death, Temujin’s family fell into poverty. The early success of the Mongol army owed much to the brilliant military tactics of Genghis Khan and his understanding of his enemies’ motivations. He employed an extensive spy network and was quick to adopt new technologies from his enemies. Genghis Khan had great physical strength and an unbreakable will. In all, Genghis conquered almost four times as much land as Alexander the Great and paved the way for his grandson Kublai Khan to become emperor of a united China. Genghis Khan died in 1227. The reason for his death is uncertain. Some believe he fell off his horse due to old age during a battle while others believe he was killed by the princess of Tangut (the state Genghis conquered in China) to avenge her people. He is still revered in Mongolia and in parts of China.

Fun Fact: He loved to play chess and invented his own version of the game called ‘Tamerlane chess.’

Area: He conquered West, South and Central Asia and found the Timurid dynasty. He was the great-great-greatgrandfather of Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire, which ruled parts of South Asia for around four centuries. Timur envisioned the restoration of the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan.

What would you like to see in Hi Five? Send an email to hifive@tribune.com.pk and let us know!

Fun Fact: In Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, Genghis Khan’s face is on the thousand-tugrik bill (Mongolian currency). Area: From the most brutal beginning possible, Genghis survived to unite the Mongolian tribes and conquerd territories as far apart as Afghanistan and northern China. Genghis was the founder and Great Khan (emperor) of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest continuous empire in history after his demise. He came to power by uniting many of the nomadic tribes of northeast Asia.


THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 28, 2013

Activity

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Origami Box Origami is the art of paper-folding and it’s loads of fun! In this issue of Hi Five, ToffeeTV. com’s Ayesha Mehmood teaches you how to make an Origami Box. Though Origami is traditionally done using paper with a certain thickness, you can always recycle paper!

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Instructions:

• Newspaper or Colour Sheet

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Take a square piece of paper and fold it in half as shown in figure 1. Unfold the paper and fold it again to the opposite side to make the crease, as shown in figure 2. — Now fold all four corners to the centre point as shown in figure 3(a) and 3(b). — Fold the opposite ends so that they meet in the centre as shown in figure 4(a) and 4(b). — As you can see, the shape has turned into a rectangle. Now you can fold the four corners as shown in figure 5(a) and 5(b). — Unfold the vertical flaps as shown in figure 6. - Now fold the vertical flap twice as shown in figure 7(a) and 7(b). — Unfold the horizontal flaps and fold it to the opposite side to give a square shape to the bottom of box as shown in figure 8. — Finally, fold the vertical flap inwards to complete the box as shown in figure 9(a) and 9(b). Your box is ready!! Go ahead and put your things in it!

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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 28, 2013

World wide weird

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Get your weekly dose of the unusual and funny from across the globe!

Say cheese! A three-year-old girl was able to speak her first words thanks to a diet of cream cheese. Fields Taylor was left mute by a rare disease known as Glut 1 Deficiency that caused a lack of glucose to flow to her brain. The condition had meant she was unable to speak but a new diet that consists of around four packets of cream cheese per week has led to her breaking her silence. “The first time I heard Fields say ‘mum’ it was just wonderful,” said her mother Stevie. “I didn’t really believe that something so simple as changing her diet could make such a big difference.” The 34-year-old stressed her daughter’s diet wasn’t unhealthy because she wasn’t allowed to eat sweets and cakes, or drink fizzy drinks. “It [cream cheese] doesn’t affect her weight either as she uses up every bit of fat she eats; she doesn’t store any of it,” Taylor added. There is currently no cure for Glut 1 Deficiency but children can benefit from a high fat diet, which makes the brain use the energy gained instead of glucose. METRO.CO.UK

Three-year-old smarter than… A three-year-old girl with a higher IQ than US president Barack Obama and British prime minister David Cameron has been accepted into the elite international intelligence group Mensa. Selena Janik from East Tennessee scored in the top one per cent of an intelligence test — well above the entry requirement of two per cent. Her parents decided to get her IQ tested after she proved to have a natural ability for math and reading. Eric Janik said he knew his daughter was special when she stopped crying just nine seconds after being born. “Everything comes naturally to her. She picks up a book and she’ll know it. She picked up my wife’s nursing book and asked her about the vascular system and stuff,” he added. While Selena’s talent proves she could be a bright spark when she grows up, she is not the youngest member to join the super intelligence group. London-born Elise Tan Roberts was just two years old when she joined the IQ society in 2009. She could name 35 capital cities, recite the phonetic alphabet and count to ten in Spanish — giving her an IQ of 156. The suggested score for admittance is 141 — which is ten more than reported IQ levels of David Cameron and Barack Obama in the adult test. METRO.CO.UK

Books and Movies

Bag a turtle We’re not sure what he replied when asked ‘Did you pack this bag yourself?’ but let’s hope it was a firm ‘no’. Stunned customs officials discovered the 10,000 turtles after stopping two Indian nationals at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport in Kolkata. Both men somehow managed to get the endangered turtles through security checks in China before arousing suspicion as they waited to pick up their bags. An official said: “10,043 numbers of exotic varieties of the turtles have been seized from two passengers, residents of Chennai, who were coming from China to Singapore, and landed at Kolkata airport.” The sea turtle is classed as an endangered species due to their numbers decreasing with increased pollution and a loss of habitat. They are also targeted by poachers for their eggs, meat, skin and shells. METRO.CO.UK

by Faiza Rahman

A strange house with many stories The old, grey Misselthwaite Manor stood alone on the moors in Yorkshire. It had over a hundred rooms, most of which were locked up. The many passageways inside were dark, their walls covered with giant, life-sized portraits of people who had lived there several years ago. At night, strong winds from across the meadows roared outside the walls. Sometimes, if you listened carefully, you’d hear someone’s quiet sobs echo in the house. People said strange things. Some said the master of the house was hardly ever seen, yet, he somehow hired scullery maids, housekeepers, butlers and gardeners. Others said that there was a secret garden here locked up for ten years, they key for which was hidden. Surly little Mary Lennox from India is

Angry Geese

Birds can be a handful when they’re angry — but would you take orders from a gaggle of geese? Police in China have come up with a new way of tackling crime after employing the geese to help maintain law and order. According to the People’s Daily newspaper, the crimefighting geese have been deployed in rural areas of Xinjiang province since earlier this year. They may lack the arms needed to make an arrest but that hasn’t stopped the birds replacing dogs as the force’s preferred animal in assistance. “Among all poultry, geese [are known] for being extremely vigilant and having excellent hearing,” said police chief Zhang Quansheng. “Geese are very brave. They spread their wings and will attack any strangers entering [someone’s] home. In some ways, they are more useful than dogs; a household normally keeps one dog [but] an intruder can poison the dog.” The use of geese is now being ‘actively promoted’ across the region following the success of the trial. DAILYMAIL.CO.UK

forced to live in this sad, cold house after her parents die. She is reduced to a few rooms, with a cheery Yorkshire maid to wait on her. With Martha’s help, Mary unlocks the manor’s secrets. She learns everything about the mysterious crying, and the locked up garden, and the strange master of the house! For those who love mysteries and fairytales, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden is the book to enjoy. The thrill element will keep you turning pages, and Mary’s struggle to settle down in the moors of a new country will keep you amused. Burnett’s novel, like Emily Bronte’s famous Wuthering Heights is based in the moors of Yorkshire, a North England county. All the lovely descriptions of life in the moors, the animals and the food will certainly give you something new to look forward to. So do grab a copy of The Secret Garden this weekend.

Do you have a favourite book that was made into a movie? Send an email about it to Faiza at hifive@tribune.com.pk


THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 28, 2013

Did you know?

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s n i g i r O d r o W Chips or crisps? What do you call the snack made from potatoes packed in colourful packets? Chips or crisps? Have you ever wondered what the difference between chips and crisps is? Well, British crisps are US chips, while British chips are US fries/French fries. Confused? Let’s look a little closer. In the Oxford English Dictionary, we see a food reference in 1769 defining ‘chips’ as slices or chunks of fruits or vegetables, such as apples or potatoes cut in various sizes and shapes. Fruit chips were typically dried or otherwise preserved, while potato chips were fried (French fries). Britain retained this usage, especially when referring to fish and chips. The United States developed its own vocabulary for variations on fried potatoes. By the mid-nineteenth century, fried potato slices were called potato chips. To avoid confusion with the already popular potato chip, Americans used a variety of terms for these potato sticks — German fried potatoes, German fries, French fried potatoes and French fries. Of which French fries or fries is retained till today. In the late nineteenth century, when deep-fried julienne potatoes (potatoes cut into thin strips) became popular in England, they were still called ‘chips’. When American-style potato chips were introduced in Great Britain in the 1920s, to avoid confusion with the established term ‘chips’ (US fries) they were called crisps.

How to say ‘Potato Chips’ in many different languages? Catalan Croatian Czech Danish Dutch Filipino Finnish French Hungarian Indonesian Italian Malay Norwegian Portugese Romanian Spanish Swahili Turkish

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Les patates fregides Krumpira čipu Lupínkový En kartoffelchip Aardappel chips Patatas chip Perunalastujen De pommes de terre Burgonya chip Keripik kentang Patatine di chip Cip kentang Potet chip Batata frita Cartof cip Patatas fritas Chip viazi Patates cipsi

Cool facts Triskaidekaphobia means fear of the number 13. Paraskevidekatriaphobia means fear of Friday the 13th (which occurs one to three times a year). In Italy, 17 is considered an unlucky number. In Japan, 4 is considered an unlucky number. Upper and lower case letters are named “upper” and “lower” because in the time when all original print had to be set in individual letters, the upper case letters were stored in the case on top of the case that stored the lower case letters. You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people in the world. Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds; dogs only have about ten. Our eyes are always the same size from birth but our nose and ears never stop growing. No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple. Dreamt is the only English word that ends in the letters “MT”.


THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 28, 2013

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Fun & games

Crossword

How carefully did you read this week’s issue of HiFive? If you think you are upto the task, try to solve our special crossword. The answers are all over HiFive! Put on your thinking caps, it is time to put the old noggin to work!

Across 4. You share your --------- — — with at least 9 million other people in the world. 6. In Italy, 17 is considered an --------- — — number. 7. Alexander fulfilled the Greek legend that whoever unraveled it would ----- — — the world. 8. Atilla the Hun was -------- — — at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. 10. By the age of thirty Alexander had created one of the ------- — — empires of the ancient world. 13. No word in the English language rhymes with month, -----------, silver, or purple. 15. Our --------- — — are always the same size from birth. 16. Our nose and ---------- — — never stop growing. 17. The early success of the Mongol army owed much to the brilliant military -------- — — of Genghis Khan.

Down 1. Atilla the Hun was one of the most ------- — — enemies of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires. 2. Genghis survived to ------- — — the Mongolian tribes and conquer territories as far apart as Afghanistan and northern China. 3. Cats have over one hundred ------- — — sounds 4. Alexander was eventually forced to turn ------ — — from India at the demand of his troops. 5. Alexander was ------ — — in battle and is considered one of history’s most successful commanders. 9. Genghis was the ------ — — and Great Khan (emperor) of the Mongol Empire. 11. The upper case letters were stored in the case on ----- — — of the case that stored the lower case letters. 12. Dogs only have about ------- — — vocal sounds. 14. ---------- — — is the only English word that ends in the letters “MT”.


THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, JULY 28, 2013

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