Mary B. Woods
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Did you know . . . • People first used skis more than 8,000 years ago? • The first wheels were used in pottery-not for transportation? • Traffic jams often clogged the streets of ancient Rome? Transportation technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple transportation tools. They bundled logs together to make rafts. They used long poles and flat boards to carry heavy loads. Over the centuries, ancient peoples...
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Imagine watching a space shuttle on the launchpad, ready to blast off into orbit. Astronauts have embarked on some of the most amazing adventures and made incredible discoveries. Yet sadly some the most well-planned launches have ended in tragedy. In fifty years of space travel, space disasters have claimed the lives of more than twenty astronauts and one hundred space workers. In two of the worst disasters, space shuttles exploded, killing all the...
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Air disasters don't happen often, but when they do, they take a terrible toll. Airplane crashes usually lead to death and destruction. But quick thinking on the part of pilots, passengers, airport workers, and rescuers can help more people survive air disasters. With dramatic images and firsthand survivor stories-plus the latest facts and figures-this book shows you some of the world's worst air disasters up close.
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Did you know . . . • Ancient Romans invented a machine to harvest grain? • Farmers in ancient China destroyed the pests that harmed crops by bringing in their natural predators? • The ancient Mayans restored nutrients to the soil by planting corn and beans together? People learned to farm more than twelve thousand years ago. The first farmers used simple technology. They carried water to their crops by hand. They made farm tools from wood and...
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Did you know . . . • The ancient Maya built magnificent pyramid-temples? • Ancient Chinese builders created central home heating systems? • One ancient Greek monument was taller than a ten-story building? Construction technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth built simple structures. They made houses from wood, clay, and animal skins. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned more about construction. People in...
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For thousands of years, the perils of the sea have claimed uncountable numbers of victims. Bad weather, rocks and icebergs, equipment failures, human error, and many more types of tragedies have all sent ships to watery graves. While modern technology has made sea-going vessels safer and rescues easier, there still are terrible disasters that occur. With dramatic images and eyewitness accounts-plus the latest facts and figures-this book gives you...
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Did you know . . . • The Scythians used guerrilla warfare more than 2,500 years ago? • The Chinese general Sun-tzu wrote the first military manual in the fourth century B.C.? • Some ancient Greek warships had more than 150 oarsmen? Military technology is almost as old as human society. The first humans sometimes fought one another with sticks and spears. Over the centuries, early peoples developed more powerful-and deadlier-weapons. The ancient...
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Did you know . . . • Ancient cultures measured time accurately with water clocks? • An engineer in the first century B.C. designed an odometer to calculate distance traveled? • People computed the first values of pi about four thousand years ago? Computing technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used basic computing skills. They counted by carving tally marks in bone. They used body parts and basic tools to measure....
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From chemical leaks and oil spills to toxic pollution and nuclear accidents, environmental disasters are devastating for the people and animals in their wake. Such disasters can destroy the land and wipe out wildlife. They can contaminate buildings and even demolish entire communities. Scientists are still studying the long-term impact of environmental disasters and looking for new ways to mitigate them. With dramatic images and firsthand survivor...
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Did you know that people first used road signs more than 2,000 years ago? Did you know that Ancient Rome had its own postal service? Did you know that Egyptian writers used flakes of limestone for scrap paper? Pens, storytelling, alphabets-communication technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple communication tools. They painted on cave walls with twigs and animal fur. They carved simple pictures into bones...
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Did you know . . . • Doctors in ancient Peru performed brain surgery? • Ancient Greek doctors ran medical schools? • The ancient Indians knew how to protect people from smallpox? Medical technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used simple healing techniques. They developed ways to set broken bones. They learned which plants were good for treating colds, headaches, and stomachaches. Over the centuries, ancient...
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Did you know . . . • Ancient people used bows to drill holes and start fires? • The ancient Chinese built a machine to detect earthquakes? •The ancient Romans operated a factory for milling grain? Machine technology is as old as human society itself. The first humans on Earth used basic machines. They used stone axes to butcher meat. They use levers to pry roots and rocks from the ground. Over the centuries, ancient peoples learned to make more...
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A royal treasure buried for 3,000 years … On November 4, 1922, a British archaeologist named Howard Carter unearthed a buried staircase in Egypt's Valley of the Kings. At the bottom of the staircase was a door bearing the name Tutankhamen. That door led Carter to rooms filled with gold treasures and ancient statues. And deep in the tomb lay the mummy of a king, covered in jewels and sealed in a golden coffin. Carter's discovery was the first time...
14) Blizzards
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A winter snowfall can be beautiful. But if conditions call for dense snow, freezing temperatures, and bone-chilling wind, you are in for a dangerous blizzard. These blinding, swirling storms can shut down roads and damage buildings. Violent winds can thrash vehicles driving on icy roads. Snowdrifts can pile up to block streets or even cover houses. Blizzards can knock out power and threaten the lives of people stranded inside for days-or worse, those...
18) Avalanches
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[2007]
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Explains what avalanches are and how they occur. Describes the destruction they can cause and the rescue efforts often used to find people in the snow. Provides a history of major avalanches that have occurred since prehistoric times.
20) Disasters at sea
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Pub. Date
[2008]
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"With dramatic images and eyewitness accounts-- plus the latest facts and figures-- this book gives you a close-up look at disasters at sea"--P. [4] of cover.