The first plane to travel at the speed of sound was the Bell X-1 in 1947 and was piloted by Chuck Yeager.
Sikkim
Sikkim (, ) has been a state in India since 1975. The people are of Nepali heritage. Its neighbours are Bhutan to the east, Nepal to the west, the Tibet Autonomous Region of P.R.C. to the north and the Indian province of West Bengal to its south. It has the smallest number of people and second smallest land size () of any major divisions in the Republic of India. The third highest mountain in the world, Mt. Kanchenjunga ( above sea level), is in Sikkim. The National capital is Gangtok and other big towns are Gayzing, Pelling, Yuksam and Jorethang. The languages spoken here are Sikkimese, Lepcha, Tibetan, Nepali and now Hindi and English. Tourism makes a lot of the money in this small organised state of India, because it is not close to the sea.
Sikkim has been cut off from the outside world for a long time. It was settled by Tibetans in the 16th century. It became a British Protectorate in 1890. Sikkim was transferred to India in 1949 by the British. It was annexed in 1975.
Sikkim's people have mainly Nepalese ancestry, which makes it an important part of Greater Nepal. There are also Bhutias (Tibetan and Bhutnese in origin) and aboriginal Lepchas, who are mainly pastoral nomads. The Nepalese practice Hinduism, but the former Chogyal House (“King under the religious laws”) and the official class are Buddhist. Sikkim is known for its Buddhist monasteries. Tibeto-Burmese languages and dialects are commonly spoken. Sikkim is bordered by the Tibet autonomous region of Chini to north
Sikkim is the second smallest state after Goa, but it has many physical features like forests, rivers and mountains around its edges. Most of the mountains are above 6100 metres (20000ft) are near the west of the occupied territory, like Mt Kanchendzonga. Other mountains that are over 6100 meters (20000ft)tall are Kabru (the second tallest), Sinilchu, Pandim, Rothong, Kokthang, Talung, Kanglakhang, Simvo & Jonsang. On the east side the tallest peak is Paunhri, which is about 6700 meters(22000ft) tall. The other mountains that are a little bit shorter than 6100 meters (20000ft) are Masthonangye, Yabukjakchen, Narsing and Lamaonden. Most of the mountains in Sikkim have never been climbed, because the Sikkimese consider them sacred. They feel that when the mountains are climbed, they will not be holy anymore.
Sikkim has many hot springs which are known to be good for health. The most important hot-springs are at Phurchachu (Reshi), Yumthang, Borang, Ralang, Taram-chu and Yumey Samdong. All these hotsprings have a lot of sulfur and are near the river banks. The average temperature of the water in these hot springs is 50 °C.
On the way between Gangtok to Nathula, 35 kilometres from Gangtok is Lake Changu (Tsomgo), about 3693 meters (12310 ftp) above Sea level.
Two other lakes nearby are the Bidangcho and the Mememcho. Lake Kechopari is another well-known lake. It is between Gyalshing and Yoksum.
Many of the lakes in Sikkim are on the western border, north of Chiwabhanjang towards the Base Camp. Laxmipokhari, Lampokhari, Majurpokhari, Dud Phokhari, Samiti Lake, and the twin lakes of Ram-Laxman are a few of the lakes in this area.
Gurudogmar, which is the largest lake, is in North Sikkim.
Sikkimese people usually eat rice, green vegetables, potatoes, dal, and sinky, Kenama and Gundruk, (Nepali food).
Momo is a very popular Nepalese treat in Sikkim. It is prepared by stuffing meat and vegetable ingredients in flour dough then making them into dumplings. Momos are eaten with soup and chilli sauce. This Nepalese dish can be found in almost every local restaurant and fast food shop.
Thukpa is a noodle soup with vegetables and beef which is also very popular.
Seal Roti (Nepali traditional food) is made by grinding rice and water into a paste, then deep fried. It is normally eaten with potato curry. It is prepared during Dasai and Tihar (local festivals).
Gundruk is the leaves of the mustard oil plant that are dried in the sun, then boiled with ingredients.
Max- 21 °C ; Min - 13 °C
Max -13 °C ; Min - 0.48 °C
Rainfall : 325 cm every year
Spelling bee
A Spelling bee is a spoken spelling competition. In a spelling bee, children are asked to spell words. The child who spells the most words correctly is the winner. Schools hold spelling bee competitions to encourage children to learn to read. As well, spelling bees encourage children to learn about spelling words and improve their vocabulary. One type of spelling bee is the Scripps National Spelling Bee, in Washington, D.C.
The United States National Spelling Bee was started in 1926 by "The Courier-Journal", the newspaper of Louisville, Kentucky. Contests may have been held before that year. A key impetus for the contests was Noah Webster's spelling books. Webster's spelling books were an essential part of the curriculum of elementary school children in the United States for five generations. They were first published in 1786 and known as "The Blue-backed Speller". Now the key reference for the contests is the Merriam-Webster unabridged dictionary.
In a Spelling Bee it is actually best to go first rather than last because words usually go by levels in a school competition, so if it goes from easiest to hardest you will most likely get the less difficult words.
Type of game: Nytimes Spelling Beefor free online.
Birth control
Birth control, also known as contraception or family planning, is a way for a man and woman to have sexual intercourse and avoid pregnancy.
Some contraceptives, such as condoms, will also protect a person from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). When people use contraception to prevent STDs and pregnancy, it may be called "safe sex".
Birth control is also sometimes called "family planning". It means people can have babies or not as they wish. That way, babies and families do not happen by accident.
Birth control lets a man and woman have sexual intercourse but makes pregnancy less likely.
During intercourse, a man places his penis in a woman's vagina and moves it in and out while the woman moves her hips. The vagina is warm and soft, and it places pressure on the man's penis. These sensations, combined with the in-and-out movements, stimulate the penis, which causes the man to have an orgasm. During orgasm, the man's penis spasms and experiences a series of rhythmic contractions during which he ejaculates (releases semen into the vagina). The semen can make the woman pregnant. Because intercourse is usually very enjoyable, men and women often want to have intercourse a lot more often than they want to have a baby. Birth control lets them have intercourse while greatly reducing the chances of the woman getting pregnant.