Interesting Facts

Source: englishclub.com

Tags: english-club

1. The Suffix –stan Means Land 1:01
2. Pollyanna the Russian Reindeer 1:21
3. Black Friday is Also Buy Nothing Day 1:08
4. International Pilots Require English Proficiency 1:15
5. All Roads Lead To Rome 1:03
6. An American Football Game Has 11 Minutes of Action 0:57
7. A Day on Venus is Longer Than a Year on Venus 1:03
8. Alexander Graham Bell Preferred “Ahoy” To “Hello” 1:00
9. Accessible Currency for the Blind 1:25
10. Pumpkin is a Term of Endearment 1:19
11. Timbuktu Is a Real City 1:10
12. Spelling Errors in the US Constitution 1:12
13. Luxury Cars Abandoned at Dubai Airport 0:54
14. Lamborghini Started as a Tractor Company 1:01
15. Gaudy Does Not Come from Gaudí 1:09
16. The Diomede Islands: Tomorrow Island and Yesterday Isle 0:57
17. Ramparts Are Protective Barriers 0:56
18. Frogs Were Used In Pregnancy Tests 1:02
19. Beer Power 1:08
20. English is Jamaica’s Official Language 1:03
21. How To Name An Octopus 1:25
22. Canada Is Twice the Size of the European Union 0:57
23. Canadian Police Hand Out Positive Tickets 0:59
24. The First Ambulance Wheels Were Feet 0:59
25. Photographers Line Up For Manhattanhenge 1:32
26. New York City Was Once New Amsterdam 1:12
27. The Limit of the Human Memory 1:09
28. Six Feet Under Means Departed 1:04
29. Da Vinci’s Rule of the Trees 1:08
30. “Q” is the Second Least Common Letter 1:26
31. Habitat Loss is the Leading Cause of Extinction 1:09
32. Spring Fever is a Real Condition 1:05
33. The Difference Between White and Brown Eggs 1:01
34. Sarcasm Means To Tear Flesh 0:54
35. The Birthmark Theory 0:52
36. Shrink Is Slang for Psychiatrist 1:19
37. The Cover That Came Before the Book 0:59
38. Pica Means Magpie 0:59
39. Owls Fly Silently 0:57
40. Twitter Was Born from a Hackathon 1:22
41. Dolphins Get High on Puffer Fish 1:25
42. Air Rage Is Common In China 1:11
43. Fingernails Grow Faster Than Toenails 1:18
44. A Disaster Was a Bad Star 0:57
45. Santa’s Reindeer Must Be Female 1:15
46. Shortbread Means Crumbly Bread 1:02
47. Boy’s Kite Helps Build Niagara Bridge 1:29
48. Ben Franklin and the Turkey 1:22
49. Airplane Mode Saves Your Battery 1:21
50. Feathers Were More Valuable Than Gold 1:15
51. Windowless Airplanes 1:08
52. The Word “Scissors” is a Defective Noun 1:02
53. Keep Calm And Carry On 1:32
54. How the Ampersand Got its Name 0:59
55. Trailers Used To Come After the Film 0:57
56. Wisdom Teeth Don’t Make You Smarter 1:20
57. An English Breakfast Is A Full Breakfast 1:26
58. One World Trade Center Stands 1,776 Feet High 1:18
59. Switzerland Has A Square Flag 1:20
60. Caffeine Is A Natural Pesticide 0:53
61. “Spaghetti” Means Little Strings 1:14
62. Bangkok Is Sinking 1:07
63. “Hen” Is A Swedish Gender-Neutral Pronoun 1:10
64. Bees Are Neat Freaks 1:32
65. Goody Two Shoes Was A Goody-Goody 1:29
66. Cat Cafés Are On The Rise 0:51
67. Finnish Babies Sleep In Boxes 1:27
68. The Birthday Paradox 1:23
69. New Technology Prevents Ghost Goals At World Cup 1:33
70. The Recycling Symbol Is In The Public Domain 1:21
71. The King Of Fruit Is Stinky 1:14
72. Crocodiles Tear Up While Eating 1:09
73. Vultures Aren’t Just Ugly Birds 1:19
74. A Pretzel Is A Little Reward 1:18
75. “Nice” Hasn’t Always Been Nice 1:19
76. Squirrels Don’t Like Daffodils 1:14
77. Egg Decorating Is Serious Business In Ukraine 1:16
78. A Black Box Is Actually Orange 1:38
79. The Great Fire Of London Had Few Recorded Casualties 1:01
80. Einstein Was Born On Pi Day 1:08
81. The Word ‘Verb’ Is A Noun 1:18
82. Dr. Seuss Was Not A Doctor 1:08
83. A Road Built From Unsold Books 0:52
84. Humans Share 99% Of The Same DNA 1:05
85. Gold Medals Are Made Of Silver 1:09
86. Valentine Comes From The Word Valour 1:12
87. A Caruncle Helps You See 1:01
88. Figure Skaters Do Get Dizzy 1:25
89. The Army That Saved The Olympics 1:13
90. Red is The First Colour a Baby Sees 1:46
91. Martha Was The Last Passenger Pigeon 1:23
92. Engaging The 5 Senses With Wine 1:25
93. Tiny Tim Was Originally Little Fred 1:29
94. “Serendipity” Is Difficult To Translate 1:06
95. The Word “Run” Has The Most Definitions 1:03
96. “Selfie” Is The Word Of The Year 1:09
97. Charlie Chaplin’s Moustache Was Fake 1:25
98. Race Car Is A Palindrome 1:10
99. Bats Aren’t Blind 1:27
100. The Halloween Capital Of The World 1:15
101. Applesauce Is A Substitute For Oil 1:31
102. “Netherlands” Means Low-Lying Lands 1:29
103. An Asterisk Is A Little Star 1:37
104. Honey Does Not Go Bad 1:04
105. The Swing At The End Of The World 0:57
106. PPS Stands For Post Postscript 1:20
107. A Traffic Jam That Lasted Ten Days 1:06
108. Themed Restaurant True To Its Name 1:22
109. Smithsonian Donor Never Visited The US 1:36
110. Cows Have Accents 1:23
111. Shark Attacks Are Rare 1:35
112. The Language Of Whistling 1:34
113. “Nail House” Is A Neologism 1:41
114. The Spanish Flu Did Not Originate In Spain 1:33
115. A Man Was Buried Inside A Pringles Can 1:16
116. Two US Presidents Died on Independence Day 1:14
117. A Myth About Monarchs 1:27
118. Body Doubles Do More Than Stunts 1:22
119. Bill Gates Credits ‘Think Week’ For Success 1:16
120. Cicadas Spend Most of Their Lives Underground 1:46
121. The Dead Sea Is A Lake 1:27
122. Basements Are Rare In Tornado Alley 1:25
123. Preventing “The Bends” In Spacewalks 1:34
124. Peacocks Are Always Male 1:26
125. Mr. Bean Saves The Day 1:08
126. A Boat That Lived Up To Her Name 1:42
127. Yawning Is A Form Of Communication 1:37
128. Three Dogs Survived The Titanic 1:26
129. Jumbo The Elephant 1:32
130. You Need ID To Buy Gum In Singapore 1:27
131. The Evolution Of The Military Salute 1:57
132. A Dentist Invented “Cotton Candy” 1:40
133. Uppercase And Lowercase 1:27
134. The First Coupon 1:47
135. The Stamp Without A Name 1:50
136. Roses and Apples Are Related 1:27
137. The Vein Of Love 1:34
138. The Colour Orange Was Named After The Fruit 1:03
139. Your Brain Feels No Pain 1:28
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Magpies are birds that will eat almost anything, even things that are not food. People can have a similar habit called **pica**, where they crave and eat non‑food items such as dirt, paper, or cigarette ash. Most children stop this behavior before they start school, but if it continues it may be linked to a mental‑health problem that needs professional help. Pregnant women sometimes develop pica too, often because their bodies lack certain vitamins or minerals.

  • pica
    • Definition: An eating disorder described in the text where individuals have a strong desire to consume non‑food substances.
    • Example: People who suffer from pica may eat dirt, paper, or cigarette ashes.
  • cravings
    • Definition: Intense urges for substances, especially those that lack nutritional value, as mentioned in the text.
    • Example: Some humans experience cravings for substances with no nutritional value.
  • disorder
    • Definition: A psychological condition referenced in the text that can be associated with persistent pica and may need professional help.
    • Example: If pica persists, it may be related to a disorder that requires a mental health worker.
  • nutritional value
    • Definition: The worth of a substance as a source of nutrients, highlighted in the text as absent in some cravings.
    • Example: The substances some people crave have no nutritional value.
  • mental health worker
    • Definition: A professional mentioned in the text who provides assistance for psychological disorders like pica.
    • Example: A mental health worker can help someone whose pica is linked to an underlying disorder.
  1. According to the passage, what is a characteristic of magpies' diet?
    1. They only eat insects.
    2. They eat almost anything, food or not.
    3. They avoid non‑food items.
    4. They eat only seeds.
  2. In the text, what does the term “pica” mean in Latin?
    1. Hunger
    2. Magpie
    3. Craving
    4. Disorder
  3. Which of the following is NOT listed as a substance people with pica might crave?
    1. Dirt
    2. Paper
    3. Cigarette ashes
    4. Water
  4. At what stage do most children stop exhibiting pica, according to the passage?
    1. Infancy
    2. Toddler years
    3. School age
    4. Adolescence
  5. According to the text, why might pregnant women develop pica?
    1. To gain weight
    2. Due to a lack of certain vitamins or minerals
    3. To satisfy psychological disorders
    4. Because they enjoy non‑food items
  • Do you think people with pica should be judged or understood? Why?
  • Have you ever seen anyone eat something that is not food? What did you think?
  • Why might pregnant women develop cravings for non‑food items?
  • What could happen if a child continues to eat non‑food substances after school age?
  • Is it more important for doctors or mental‑health workers to treat pica? Explain your view.
  • Some people think pica is just a habit. Do you agree that it can be a serious disorder? Why or why not?
  • Imagine you are a doctor treating a patient with pica. What three steps would you suggest to help them?
  • If magpies could talk, what advice might they give people who have pica?
  • Would you feel comfortable telling a friend they might have pica? Why or why not?
  • How might a lack of vitamins or minerals lead to cravings for things like dirt or paper?
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100
2 years, 4 months and 5 days ago Level: Upper-Intermediate (B2)

Pica Means Magpie

Magpies are birds that will eat almost anything, whether it’s food or not. Some humans crave substances with no nutritional value. This eating disorder is called pica . Pica is Latin for magpie . People who suffer from pica have cravings for non-food substances, such as dirt, paper, or cigarette ashes. Most children outgrow this behaviour by the time they reach school age . If pica persists, it may be related to a psychological disorder that requires the help of a mental health worker. Pregnant women may also develop pica. Their cravings may stem from a lack of certain vitamins or minerals.

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