Polar bears live in the Arctic. Their preferred habitat is the pack ice of the Arctic Ocean. The ice edge and pressure ridges where fractures and refreezing occur provide the best hunting ground. Bears will travel as much as 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) north and south, as the ice melts and freezes. In areas where … Read more
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. There are several different styles of mountain biking, usually defined by the terrain, and therefore the type of bicycles employed. Styles have evolved rapidly. Since the 1980s, mountain bikes have had anywhere from 7 to 36 speeds, with 1 to 3 chain-rings … Read more
Ice skating is the recreation and sport of gliding across an ice surface on metal-bladed ice skates. The activity of ice skating has given rise to two distinctive sports: figure skating, which involves the performance of various jumps, spins, and dance movements; and speed skating and short-track speed skating, both of which are forms of … Read more
Bicycle, also called bike, two-wheeled steerable machine that is pedaled by the rider’s feet. Riding is easily mastered, and bikes can be ridden with little effort at 16–24 km (10–15 miles) per hour — about four to five times the pace of walking. The bicycle is the most efficient means yet devised to convert human … Read more
Toys are the objects that we play with. They can be anything from simple pieces of string and plastic to fancy dolls and flashy computers. They are popular pastimes for children that also serve an educational purpose, as they are useful for teaching children many skills that are important later in life, such as problem-solving. … Read more
Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. The very notions of fate and destiny imply a limitation of human freedom. And, while it is obvious that everyone’s freedom is limited due to circumstances, belief in … Read more
A globe is a sphere or ball that bears a map of the Earth on its surface and is mounted on an axle that permits rotation. Globes fall into two broad categories: terrestrial and celestial. Terrestrial globes are spherical maps of the world, and celestial globes use the earth as an imaginary center of the … Read more
The word “animal” comes from the Latin animalis, meaning ‘having breath’, ‘having soul’ or ‘living being’. The biological definition includes all members of the kingdom Animalia. In colloquial usage, the term animal is often used to refer only to nonhuman animals. Animals are categorised into ecological groups depending on how they obtain or consume organic … Read more
Zoos also called zoological gardens or zoological parks are places where wild animals are kept for public display. Most long-established zoos exhibit general collections of animals, but some formed more recently specialize in particular groups — e.g., primates, big cats, tropical birds, or waterfowl. Marine invertebrates, fishes, and marine mammals are often kept in separate … Read more