The Express Tribune hi five - March 23

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writings and Techonology, s people du arts of the In 3 PAGE 2hot Make a slings PAGE 4

one box Stuck in a ph PAGE 5

Seasons PAGE 6

Your Proofness: Sarah Munir Master Storyteller: Sundar Waqar Creativity Analysts: Jamal Khurshid, Essa Malik, Samra Aamir, Talha Ahmed Khan, Munira Abbas and Umar Waqas

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 23, 2014

Hi light

2 The Indus Valley Civilisation extended from what is today northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India.

Along with Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, it was one of three early civilisations of the Old World, and also one of the most widespread. The Indus Valley Civilisation was rich in culture, arts and technology and known for their planning, inscriptions and pottery. Let’s take a closer look at some of their creations.

The Indus Valley Civilisation flourished in the basins of the Indus River, one of the major rivers of Asia, and the GhaggarHakra River, which once coursed through northwest India and eastern Pakistan. At its peak, the Indus Civilisation may have had a population of over five million. Inhabitants of the ancient Indus river valley developed new techniques in handicraft (clay products, seal carving) and metal products. The Indus cities are noted for their urban planning, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large non-residential buildings.

Mohenjo-Daro

Well and drainage system

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The people of the Indus Civilisation were among the first to develop a system of uniform weights and measures for length, mass, and time. Harappans had remarkable engineering skills and developed new techniques to produce copper, bronze, lead and tin.

The Harappans also had a way with handicrafts and various sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewelry and figures made of terracotta and bronze have been discovered at excavation sites of what was the Indus Valley Civilisation.

The civilisation’s economy appears to have depended significantly on trade through major advances in transport technology. The Indus Valley Civilisation may have been the first to use wheeled transport which included bullock carts as well as boats. Most of the boats were probably small, flat-bottomed, perhaps driven by sail. According to archaeologists, based on their findings of the civilisation’s artifacts in different areas, it is believed that trade networks covered a huge area; Including Afghanistan, the coastal regions of Persia, northern and western India and Mesopotamia.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 23, 2014

3 The Harappans were famous for their artwork and mastery with clay, gold and metal.

Their seals, pots, figures and jewelry have been found in abundance. Terracotta figurines (a small figure) of cows, bears, monkeys, dogs and even women dancing have been discovered. One of the animals depicted on a majority of seals at sites has not been clearly identified, it is part bull, part zebra, with a majestic horn and has been a source of debate. Many crafts such as shell working, ceramics and bead-making were used to make of necklaces, bangles and other ornaments and some of these crafts are still practised in India and Pakistan today. Some toiletry items such as a comb were also found in Harappa which are similar to the ones still used in some areas of India and Pakistan. A harp-like instrument depicted on an Indus seal indicates the use of stringed musical instruments. The Harappans also made various toys and games, among them cubical dice (with one to six holes on the faces), which were found in Mohenjo-Daro.

Hi light

Cubicle dice

Clay pot

Clay seals

The Indus script (also Harappan script) is a mix of symbols produced by the Indus Valley Civilisation. Most inscriptions (engravings) are extremely short and not more than four or five characters in length, most of which are tiny . It is not clear if these symbols comprise a script used to record a language. In spite of many attempts at decipherment (convert), no underlying language has been identified. There is no known bilingual (speaking two languages) inscription and the script does not show any significant changes over time. The first publication of a seal with Harappan symbols dates to 1873. Since then, over 4,000 inscribed objects have been discovered. Each seal has a distinctive combination of symbols and there are too few examples of each sequence to provide a sufficient context. The symbols that accompany the images vary from seal to seal, making it impossible to derive a meaning for them from the images. There have, nonetheless, been a number of interpretations offered for the meaning of the seals.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 23, 2014

Activity

4 Slingshot Step 1

Slingshots have been a favourite toy for children across generations. Ayesha Mehmood shows you how to make a slingshot.

Take two pencils and stick them with tape. Leave at least a one-inch space from both ends.

Step 2

Supplies needed: •Pencils •Tape •Rubber band •Scissors

Repeat step one for two more pencils.

Step 3 Now place one set of pencils on top of another and tape them tightly together.

Step 4 Slide the rubber band in the space between the two pencils. Your slingshot is ready!

Want to watch a video guide for this?

Log onto Toffeetv.com and check out the activities section!

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 23, 2014

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

Six-seater Shoppers did a double-take as the customised super-pram appeared on the streets of Cambridge this week. One said: “It wasn’t clear whether the children were sextuplets or of different ages, all from the same family. It could be that the woman was a nanny taking them all out at once. Whatever they are, she certainly had her hands full.”

Dave Gobbett, who photographed the unusual sight, posted a picture on Twitter, saying: “Gotta love the sixseater buggy!” Will Black responded: “In Cambridge this is a buggy of little angels. Anywhere else it would be a wheelbarrow of kids.” METRO.CO.UK

World wide weird

5

It’s a dog’s life

A dog is thought to have become the most expensive in the world after selling for £1.16million (approximately Rs188,000,000). One Tibetan mastiff puppy – yes, apparently that giant bundle of fur is somehow still a puppy – on the left sold at a luxury pet auction in eastern China to a 56-yearold property developer for 12 million yuan. The dogs, with distinctive lionlike features, have become a status symbol of the country’s super-rich and are said to be lucky animals bringing health and security. A dog breeder told a local Chinese newspaper, “They have lion’s blood and are top-ofthe-range mastiff studs.” In 2011, a Tibetan mastiff called Big Splash sold for 10 million yuan (Rs157,000,000) then thought to represent the most expensive dog sale ever. METRO.CO.UK

Rained on A car that was submerged on the Somerset Levels, England for nearly two months has been listed for sale on eBay. The silver car which is an image of the winter flooding in the region, was recently reunited with its owner. Hubert Zajaczkowski, the owner now says he plans to sell the vehicle and donate the money to charity. The 21-year-old had been driving along a road near Muchelney on Christmas Eve when he was forced to abandon the car as water levels suddenly rose. After it submerged under several feet of water he was forced to leave his car behind and it became a symbol of the flooding. “It was shocking, seeing my car on television and in the international news. Everyone was talking about it, including the Prince of Wales.” For anyone wishing to purchase a car that is listed as ‘used/not working’ there is a starting bid of £155 (Rs25,000) and the auction ends soon. A good cause and not a bad deal, right? METRO.CO.UK

Stuck in a phone box Fire fighters rescued a woman trapped in a phone box after she dialled 999 from inside the kiosk. Crews rushed to the aid of the ‘distressed’ woman after she made an emergency call from inside the box. She claimed she was locked inside the phone box but when officers arrived at the scene in Bridgwater, Somerset, they could find no evidence of tampering and were able to release her easily. A spokeswoman from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “A fire appliance from Bridgwater was mobilised following a call from a woman, in distress, who was complaining of being stuck in the phone box that she was making her emergency call from, shortly after arriving the crew were able to release her easily. It appears she was in distress after reporting that someone had shut her inside the phone box, although this could not be verified on our arrival.” Whilst a little worried, the woman was released unharmed. Definitely, a strange place to be stuck in. METRO.CO.UK

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 23, 2014

Did you know?

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Word Origins Seasons Have you ever wondered why the four seasons are named winter, summer, spring and autumn and not something else? Winter derives from the ProtoGermanic word ‘wentruz’ meaning ‘wet’ and the Proto-Indo-European ‘wind’ meaning ‘white’ thus symbolising the winter weather. These words gave rise to the Old English ‘winter’ as the fourth season of the year and the name for the season has stuck around ever since. ‘Spring’ referring to a season rather than the many other meanings of the word, first sprang up in the 16th century. Starting in the 14th century, this time of the year was called ‘springing time’ in reference to plants springing from the ground but was eventually reduced to ‘spring’. Before the season was called these things, it was called ‘Lent’ in Old English. While ‘summer’ came from the Old English name for the season ‘sumor’, which in turn came from the Proto-Germanic ‘sam’ meaning summer. The origin of ‘fall’ as a name for a season, rather than the more common ‘autumn’, is not perfectly clear, though it’s thought that it probably came from the idea of leaves falling from trees and many plants, particularly the contraction of the English saying ‘fall of the leaf’. It first popped up as a name for a season in the later 16th century in England and became particularly popular during the 17th century, at which point it made its way over to North America. The season was first called ‘autumn’ in English in the 12th century, though it was a rarity until around the 14th century. Before calling the season ‘autumn’ or ‘fall’ in English, it was called ‘harvest’.

How to say ‘break time’ in different languages Catalan

:

Temps de descans

Croatian

:

Razbiti vremena

Danish

:

Pausetid

Dutch

:

Breken tijd

Filipino

:

Masira oras

Finnish

:

Taukoaika

French

:

Temps de pause

German

:

Pausenzeit

Haitian-creole

:

Kraze tan

Hungarian

:

Szünet ideje

Malay

:

Memecahkan masa

Norwegian

:

Pausetid

Polish

:

Czas przerwy

Portugese

:

Tempo de interval

Romanian

:

Pauză

Cool facts Fires require fuel, oxygen and heat to burn.

Different types of fuel include coal, oil and wood.

Flames are the part of a fire which we can see, they can be different colours, depending on the substance which is burning.

A candle flame typically burns at around 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 Fahrenheit).

Fire is very dangerous to humans as it can easily burn or blister skin. It is important to take safety precautions when using fire.

Fire is also very useful to humans for lighting, heating, cooking and more.

Scientists believe that humans began using fire to cook food in a controlled way around one million years ago.

Forest fires can be extremely destructive and are dangerous to both humans and wildlife.

Fires can be stopped in three different ways: -Removing the fuel source by exhausting it or taking it away.

-Removing the oxygen by smothering the fire.

-Removing the heat by absorbing it with water.

Fire extinguishers are often used to control fires by discharging water, foams, carbon dioxide, dry chemicals or other substances.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 23, 2014

7

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 2. Flames can be different ---------- depending on the substance which is burning.

6. Fire --------------- are often used to control fires by discharging water, foams, carbon dioxide, dry chemicals or other substances.

8. At its peak, the Indus Civilisation may have had a -------------- of over five million.

10. The Harappans were famous for their ----------- work and mastery with clay, gold and metal.

11. Fires require fuel, oxygen and ---------- to burn.

13. The people of the Indus Civilisation were among the first to develop a system of uniform ------------ and measures for length, mass, and time.

Down 1. Fire is also very useful to humans for ------------, heating, cooking and more.

2. A ----------- flame typically burns at around 1,000 degrees Celsius.

3. The Indus script (also Harappan script) is a mix of -------------- produced by the Indus Valley Civilisation.

4. Fire is very --------------- to humans as it can easily burn or blister skin.

5. Forest fires can be extremely ------------- and are dangerous to both humans and wildlife.

7. Different types of fuel include coal, oil and -----------.

9. The Indus cities are noted for their urban ---------------, baked brick houses, elaborate drainage systems, water supply systems, and clusters of large non-residential buildings.

12. Flames are the part of a fire which we can ---------.

THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, MARCH 23, 2014

Notable Entries for the Liberty Books Card Competition

Fahad Qaim

Zainab Nasir

Raja Umair Qaim

Noor Omer Bhatti Winner

Momina Omer Bhatti

Diay Qaim Winner