Language & Literature

How Did the Penguin Get its Name?

These days, we all know what a penguin looks like. Even if you haven’t seen a real, live penguin, I’m sure you have seen pictures, perhaps watched them in a film. It seems strange to think that people in Europe had no idea they existed for so many centuries! Perhaps you have wondered about that part of history.

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Food and Recipes, Popular

Why Do Americans Refrigerate Eggs and Many Other Countries Don’t?

Why do Americans Refrigerate Eggs

If you’ve ever been to USA, you will notice that they sell eggs in a different area of the grocery store than in many other countries. We are used to finding our eggs stacked on shelves, often near the baking supplies, but Americans refrigerate eggs in their stores. Find out why they do this, and how to safely prepare egg dishes.

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Poetry By You, Written By You

A Poem by Amber – Written by You

 

I’m Amber and I’m 14 years old. I love reading, writing, drawing and basically anything creative! When I’m older I want to be a freelance journalist – I think that would be quite fun! I like reading YA and my favourite authors are Suzanne Collins, J.K Rowling, Luisa Plaja and Cathy Cassidy.

My Teen and YA Book Review Blog  The Mile Long Bookshelf The Mile Long Bookshelf Facebook page.

@MileLongBookS on Twitter.

 

Featured Image NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

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Science, Nature and Tech

Why do we get Hiccups?

why do we get hiccups

Everybody gets hiccups (also sometimes spelt ‘hiccoughs’). Even when babies are still in the womb they hiccup, which can feel very odd to their mother! But why do we get them and how can you stop them?

What are Hiccups?

Hiccups are caused by the diaphragm (pronounced DYE-uh-fram). This is a large, dome-shaped muscle that sits at the bottom of your chest cavity, below your lungs. When we breathe in the diaphragm tightens, helping to pull air into the lungs, and when it relaxes it forces the air back out again. Sometimes the diaphragm becomes irritated and instead of tightening smoothly it does it in a jerky way, which makes air suddenly rush into your throat. This air is stopped when it hits the voice box and makes the opening between the vocal cords close very suddenly. This is what produces the sound of the hiccup.

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