Articles for Grade 3

Though “sliced bread” gets the credit, we all know that it is ice cream that deserves the honor of being the world’s best invention. That is probably why on July 9, 1984, former US President Ronald Reagan declared July, National Ice Cream Month, and the third Sunday of the month, National Ice Cream Day. According to Proclamation number 5219, the event should be observed “with appropriate ceremonies and activities.” This, of course. means eating as much of the creamy treat as possible....

To state that China has traffic issues is an understatement. A 2015 study conducted by navigation system maker TomTom revealed that the country is home to five of the top twenty most traffic congested cities in the world. Though Chinese authorities have tried to control the traffic flow with tactics that range from charging road tolls to building expressways with 50 lanes, nothing appears to be working. Now, some engineers are proposing an ingenious solution to ease the country’s traffic woes — An elevated bus that glides over cars!...

Today, June 20, happens to be the first day of summer or summer “solstice.” Derived from the Latin words “sol” for “sun” and “sisto” for “stop,” it is the day when the North Pole is most inclined towards the sun. As a result, residents of the Northern Hemisphere enjoy the longest day of the year. The opposite, of course, is true for the residents of the Southern Hemisphere who will experience the shortest day of the year. What makes today’s summer solstice even more unique is that for the first time in many years, it coincides with a full moon....

Mention sand art and the image that comes to mind is that of an intricately carved sculpture or design sketched on a beach surface. Though impressive, they are transient masterpieces that disappear with the first large wave or splash of rain. However, 24-year-old Tim Bengel’s sand art is permanent. That’s because the German artist uses the grit to “paint” his masterpieces on canvas. While the final product is certainly stunning, what is even more so is the way it is created....

On Monday, May 9, James Givens, a police officer in Cincinnati, Ohio, was sitting in his cruiser when he heard what sounded like a knock. He turned around only to find a goose pecking at the car door. This was highly unusual given that the birds typically preferred to observe humans from a distance....

Controlling and interacting with content on a smartphone or tablet is a relatively easy task given their large screens. However, the same is not true for smartwatches which are proving to be more of a fashion statement than a piece of useful technology. Now a group of researchers from the Human-Computer Interaction Institute’s Future Interfaces Group (HCII) at Carnegie Mellon University is trying to change that with an invention that transforms the arm into a touchpad....

About a year ago, on June 21, 2015, 80 of Italy’s finest chefs delighted visitors at the Expo Milan with a slice of the world’s longest pizza — A 1.59545 meter-long (about a mile) pie that they spent 18-hours crafting. On May 19, 2016, 250 masters of traditional Neapolitan pizza from across the world gathered at the beautiful bay along the Caracciolo seafront in Naples and outdid their achievement with a delicious pie that measured an impressive 1,853.88 meters or about 1.15 miles, long....

Zebra crossings — the alternating dark and light stripes on the road surface — are meant to alert drivers that pedestrians may be trying to get across. Unfortunately, they are not very effective. A 1998 study done by the Department of Traffic Planning and Engineering at Sweden’s Lund University, revealed that three out of four drivers maintained the same speed or even accelerated as they were approaching a crossing. Even worse? Only 5% stopped even when they saw someone trying to get across. Now a mother-daughter team in Ahmedabad, India have devised a clever way to get drivers to pay more attention — A zebra crossing with an optical illusion....

Laughter, be it a loud guffaw or a well-mannered giggle, is a universal way to express joy. But as it turns out, your chuckle reveals a lot more than the fact that you are happy. It enables listeners, even those that cannot observe you, instantly realize if you are having a good time with a close friend or laughing politely with a complete stranger....