Siddhartha Basu

Preface

Know for Sure—a series of eight general knowledge books for students of classes 1 to 8—has been a carefully and has earned the trust of many for providing detailed and accurate information on a wide range of subjects. between knowing more and being sure of what we learn is by getting to the primary source of facts or by cross- checking these with sound references. Know for Sure has been doing this since its beginning while continuously updating itself to keep pace with this age of information boom. This year, the series has been thoroughly revised

Know for Sure is not just a bunch of questions and answers or just another bundle of facts which have to be answers. It is about going beyond a few select subjects that are taught in schools. It is also about becoming more aware of the world around us. Therefore, this series has been designed as an extension of the recommendations of National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and is aimed at bringing alive general knowledge in the classroom with quizzes, games, facts, surveys, word craft, activities, life skills, brain-teasers, lifestyles, stories, handicrafts, group discussions about value systems, and a whole lot more that can excite, engage, and educate a young mind.

The perspective of the series—India and the World—is aimed at kindling an all-round interest in subjects both familiar and unknown. While systematically dealing with subjects and areas recommended for learning, these books not only make quizzing fun and fascinating but also encourage learners to discover more.

The completely revised and updated Know for Sure, based on valuable feedback received from students, teach- ers, and principals of schools, is ready to provide an exciting knowledge tour with Knowy, the curious caterpillar.

Key features of the Know for Sure, 2019 edition: • Diverse and authentic content • Gradation of topics to provide various levels of challenge • Simple language and colourful illustrations to enhance the joy of learning • • • Introduction to the wonders of nature to create environmental awareness • • Challenging quizzes and brain- teasers to sharpen logical abilities of learners • Unusual and interesting bits of information to add new dimensions to the topics • Model test papers to help learners reinforce their knowledge • Complete answer key at the end of each book to encourage self-evaluation

With the hope that the Know for Sure series will enthuse you, we look forward to any suggestions that you may have to improve it. You may email the publisher at [email protected].

— Siddhartha Basu The Natural World

Things Around Me

Numbers and Logical Skills

Science and Technology

Language and Literature, Legends, and Myths Arts and Music

Sports

The World Around Us

Mixed Bag Front cover: (Siddhartha Basu): © Nitin Upadhye; Front and back cover, title page: (Northern lights): © Ken Phung/Shutterstock.com. Photos: pp. 4, 43 (Saturn): © Forplayday/Dreamstime.com; pp. 4, 56 (camel): © Zwawol/Dreamstime.com; p. 7 (Afghanistan): © Trentinness/Dreamstime.com, (China): © Yuri Yavnik/Dreamstime.com, (Peru): © Christian Ouellet/Dreamstime.com, (Egypt): © Sculpies/Dreamstime.com, (Vatican City): © Photka/Dreamstime.com, (Canada): © Luckyphot- ographer/Dreamstime.com, (Australia): © Bruce Whittingham/Dreamstime.com, (Kazakhstan): © Anton Petrus/Dreamstime.com, (Austria): © Hiro1775/Dreamstime.com,

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© Mrivserg/Dreamstime.com, (marathon): © Morgan Capasso/Dreamstime.com, (cricket): © Mitchell Gunn/Dreamstime.com; p. 26 (Keoladeo National Park): © Meinzahn/ Dreamstime.com, (Jim Corbett National Park): © Picstudio/Dreamstime.com, (Bandipur National Park): © Kasivisalatchi Ramakrishnan/Dreamstime.com, (one horned indian rhinoceros): © Nilanjan Bhattacharya/Dreamstime.com; p. 27 (post-its): © Haveseen/Dreamstime.com, (computer mouse): © Anton Starikov/Dreamstime.com, (lie detector): © Andrey Burmakin/Dreamstime.com, (cellphone): © Eldadcarin/Dreamstime.com, (microwave oven): © Fotografkinja/Dreamstime.com; p. 28 (odometer): © James Pintar/ Dreamstime.com, ( barometer): © George Kroll/Dreamstime.com, (altimeter): © Ioannis Kollidas/Dreamstime.com, (light meter): © Szerdahelyi Adam/Dreamstime.com,

- com, (Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747): © Tommy Beattie/Dreamstime.com; p. 32 (Prague): © Martin Maun/Dreamstime.com, (Cape Town): © Andrea Willmore/Dreamstime.com, (Kyoto): © Toneimage/Dreamstime.com, (New York City): © Giovanni Gagliardi/Dreamstime.com; p. 33 (Singapore): © F11photo/Dreamstime.com, (Bengaluru): © Noppasin

© Imagecollect/Dreamstime.com, (Chanel perfume): © Castaly/Dreamstime.com; pp. 41, 91 (Nishka Lulla): © www.bollywoodhungama.com (Nishka Lulla at Adidas’ ‘Celebrating com, (Juno): © Vjanez/Dreamstime.com, (Aurora Borealis): © Jakub Gojda/Dreamstime.com; pp. 44 (virtual reality programme): © Wave Break Media Ltd/Dreamstime.com,

© Picstudio/Dreamstime.com, (ostrich): © Johannes Gerhardus Swanepoel/Dreamstime.com, (bull): © Alberto Clemares/Dreamstime.com, (frog): © Michael Elliott/Dreamstime. com; p. 57 (Maori): © Patrimonio Designs Limited/Dreamstime.com, (Bhil): © Dddube/Dreamstime.com, (Cherokee): © Mitch Mitchell/Dreamstime.com, (Aborigines): © Dmitry Chulov/Dreamstime.com, (Inuits): © Photographerlondon/Dreamstime.com, (Masai): © Antonella865/Dreamstime.com; p.58 (Ikebana): © Delstudio/Dreamstime.com, (Matry- Ovchinnikov/Dreamstime.com, (Kindle): © Thitsanu Angkapunyadech/Dreamstime.com, (Ipod): © Dmyla/Dreamstime.com, (Apple watch): © Ifeelstock/Dreamstime.com,

Yakovlev /Dreamstime.com, (mushroom): © Petr Pokorny/Dreamstime.com; p. 68 (The Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC): © Wangkun Jia/Dreamstime.com, (The Hermitage, Russia): © Tupungato/Dreamstime.com, (Victoria And Albert Museum, London): © Jan Kranendonk/Dreamstime.com, (The New Acropolis Museum, Athens): © Roland Nagy/Dreamstime.com; p. 69 (Vatican Museum, Vatican City): © Pavel Losevsky/Dreamstime.com, (The Egypt Museum, Cairo): © Waiheng/Dreamstime.com, (Kunsthistorisches Museum): © Sergio Delle Vedove/Dreamstime.com, (American Museum of Natural History): © Andersastphoto/Dreamstime.com, (Metropolitan Museum of Ancient Greek Agora): © Sophie Mcaulay/Dreamstime.com; p.71 (Seti with Osiris and Isis): © Amanda Lewis/Dreamstime.com; p. 73 (brain): © Mkkans/Dreamstime.com; p. 74

(Somnath Temple, Gujarat): © Samrat35/Dreamstime.com, (Sé Cathedral of Santa Catarina, Goa): © Nataliia Sokolovska/Dreamstime.com, (Dilwara Temple, Mt Abu):

(Dafne Keen): © Denis Makarenko/Dreamstime.com, (C J Adams): © Starstock/Dreamstime.com, (Siddharth Nigam): © www.bollywoodhungama.com (Siddharth Nigam.jpg: CC Hello, friends! Let s start our adventures in Quiz Land this year with a quick tour around the world. Write the correct letters from the World tour relevant pictures in the blocks given alongside the clues.

a) Afghanistan f) Canada

ancient ruins, is also located here. 2. This is the second largest country in the

b) China g) Australia Switzerland.

located in this small country. c) Peru h) Kazakhstan of Giza, which is the only wonder of the

still in existence.

1.8 m above sea level. d) Egypt i) Austria

the seven continents. 8. This is the smallest country in the world and home to the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the pope. e) Vatican City 9. This is the most populous country in the j) Maldives world and is home to the Great Wall. 10. Kabul is the capital of this mountainous Fabulous fish

Titbits 1. They are named so for their bird-like beak, which they use to

They are found near coral reefs in the tropical oceans around

among the sea anemone, earning them the name of Finding Nemo led to their

Fish do not have eyelids. How do they sleep? Titbits

only 7.9 mm long. Dessert delights

1. This chilled and refreshing dessert gets its name from French. It is made of fruit juice, sugar and is similar to sherbet. o b

2. They are small, light cakes, which are crunchy outside and soft inside. They are usually made with almonds, sugar, and egg whites. m a r n

syrup, is often served in a tall glass. a f i

of sponge cake dipped in espresso and layered with mascarpone, chocolate, and sugar. i m Titbits layered pastry with a fruit

appeared in , published in London in 1718. t d

custard base. It is chilled in special dishes, with sugar sprinkled on top, and then caramelized just before serving. c m r é and sugar and is garnished with cardamom, raisins, saffron, pistachios, and almonds. h

from cookies or ice cream to cakes and candies.

u e e c 9. In this oven-baked custard, caramelized sugar is poured into

poured on top. l

twarog. Sometimes, potatoes are added to it. e n

made with rice cakes, called mochi, adzuki bean paste, and fruits. The paste is moulded into various attractive fruit shapes. a a h

k a

Titbits Traditionally, dessert is the dish that ends a perfect meal. The term Yummy!! dessert has been derived from an old French term , which All the good things are here! some countries, fruit or cheese are also served as dessert. Since desserts are usually high in calories, it is always good to have them in moderation. Nature’s fury

An earthquake is the sudden shaking of the A tsunami is a huge ground caused due to the change water wave triggered by in position of rocks below the surface of underwater earthquakes and volcanic the earth. The movement of rocks produce eruptions. The sudden force vertically powerful shock waves that can destroy cities, displaces the water column in a water body, break dams, and cause tsunamis, landslides, and resulting in large waves. Tsunamis can have volcanic eruptions. Every year some part of the world a highly destructive impact on the coastal experiences a powerful earthquake. The intensity of communities. A massive tsunami hit the an earthquake can be detected using an instrument called seismograph. The world’s largest earthquake occurred on people lost their lives. Valdivia, in Southern Chile.

A tornado is a Cyclones column of strong rotating generally originate over tropical oceans. They are marked or a pillar, which develops during by strong winds spiralling around a thunderstorms. The column reaches low pressure area. They are also called down from a cloud to touch the ground typhoons and hurricanes. They start and then moves along the ground at about of as disturbances in the ocean and sweep over islands and peninsulas with a wind speed destroy buildings and throw heavy objects high them strong winds and torrential rains. Hurricane Katrina, which struck the United States of America in recorded history struck the Manikganj district of Avalanches A occurs occur when massive slabs of snow break loose and race downhill banks onto land. The deadliest kinds rapidly. Sometimes, these snow

heavy rainfall or a broken dam. The Huang km an hour in a few

1938 in China were caused by avalanches, only a small amount He (Yellow River) and are of loose snow is considered to be the three shifted.

in history.

Droughts occur Can we forecast natural due to shortage of rain over disasters? a long period of time. They cause water shortage, crop damage, and depletion of groundwater. There are four types of drought: permanent drought, seasonal drought, unpredictable drought, and invisible drought. The Great Chinese famine

Quick occurred in the Bengal region during quiz Can you think of a As we know them for your best friend?

1. Chanakya

Kapil Dev

APJ Abdul Kalam

Lata Mangeshkar

8. Kapil Dev

Sarojini Naidu Titbits Special names given to people or places are called sobriquets. Political leaders are sometimes called by different names, based on their qualities. For example, American President Abraham Lincoln was known as ‘Honest Abe’. 12. Rahul Dravid Sporty know-how

on to a leather ball and attempt to throw it into the opposing

2. It is a popular sport in China. It was originally called whiff-whaff and ping-pong. It is played on a long,

In this sport a player strikes a small hard ball with

1. 2.

Titbits

volleyball, football, gymnastics, and an Afro-Brazilian martial art form called capoeira. The aim of the game is to keep the ball airborne on your side of the Poetry corner

1. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— by Samuel Taylor I took the one less traveled by, Coleridge

Frost

William from the lips of a dream. Wordsworth

weary,

While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, Writing poetry

in a poem, the words describe the subject of the poem so

poem can be about common or extraordinary things. It is the choice of describing words as well as the choice of the subject,

Y that makes a good poem. T

I In a poem, the lines need not always rhyme, but there should be a rhythm in the

V sound of the words, similar to those of a song.

I T

C All four paws tucked in A A furry streak crosses the green, Black, the arrow zeroes in.

write about anything that interests you or about something you know very well. For example, your pet, your room, your mother, your school bus, the birds chirping on your balcony, or how you felt one particular day.

2. Try to create a word picture. Then write it down. Read the lines to yourself again

replace the words for a better rhythm.

spellings and punctuation until you are done with your writing.

able to visualize the idea in your poem, you can be sure that your poem is

You can enhance your poetry skills by reading and writing more and more poems. Each time you write a new poem, try to make it as good as you can! WORD GAME Guess the proverb

let this weather stop us. really been cold for the past few days. I think we situations should motivate us even more. becomes slightly warmer.

W n h g i g e s t o h , t o g h t o i g .

should say that. You teacher all day, hoping were doing the same to our class teacher her class tests. throughout last year.

P o p w h i v n g s s o u s h l d t t h w s t e .

Yeah, Harry, I have Since I joined this school, noticed you generally hang out with only who enjoy discussing those three students. It must be so because you shows and gossip. share interests.

B d s f e a e r f c k t g t h r . Dressing sense

1. A baju kurung

2. A dirndl

3. A kimono baju kurung dirndl

4. A kilt

kimono thawb

kilt

6. Traje de luces

Traje de luces thawb

7. A boubou

8. A poncho

boubou poncho Keeping time

BCE, The Egyptians built the Egyptians used water the sundial around clocks BCE, which was a more amount of water drips into a container. This gives an idea of the time passed. The sundial, the shadow moves as ancient Greek and Roman astronomers tried to the sun moves across the sky, make more complicated and fancier clocks. like the hands of Some water clocks had door and a clock. windows, which opened to reveal

most elaborate clock towers was developed by the A sundial astronomer Su Sung, in

An Hourglass Drawing of Su Sung s clock tower was used to measure

of two glass bulbs placed one on top of breakthroughs that led to another, connected through a narrow tube. the development of accurate

mercury to run from the upper compartment into demonstrated that successive beats of a the lower compartment. Then, towards the mid- pendulum always take place in the same mechanical clock length of time, irrespective of the distance was developed. However, it was through which the pendulum swings. Seventy extremely inaccurate by as much years later, Dutch astronomer Christiaan

‘spring powdered clock’ was pendulum clock invented by Peter Henlein. a minute hand was added to the hour hand, and a mantle or shelf, which An hourglass later the pendulum made it popular among clock had a second the rich. hand.

Huygens’ pendulum clock Domestic The most electric clocks became accurate clocks in the hugely popular by that time. world, the atomic clocks, were The quartz clock was invented

F-1, a cesium atomic clock at the National is a tiny crystal of quartz, which controls the speed of the clock and makes it run accurately. Some electrical clocks have a digital display, where the hours, minutes, to be one of the most accurate clocks in the and seconds are shown as numbers. The Sinclair Company produced the is sometimes called the fountain clock, digital clock. because it uses a fountain-like movement of atoms to work.

A quartz clock

A digital clock

is important. But

calendar

Quick quiz Knowing reptiles

1. Reptiles are different from other vertebrates because they Titbits have dry scales covering their bodies. The 2. The reticulated python is the longest snake species tuataras known. are lizard- lungs. like animals found in a few islands of nests for their eggs. New Zealand. They live in underground burrows during the day and come out to feed at night. They are one of the few kinds 8. Saltwater crocodiles, the largest of all crocodiles, are of reptiles that can endure cold temperatures. harmless to humans.

frilled lizard anaconda gecko Gila monster green vine snake gharial Ladies who stand tall

a doctorate in aerospace engineering, and she died when the space shuttle Columbia exploded, along with six other astronauts.

most renowned political leaders of her time. She is known for her policies of liberalism and leadership during the

the poor for her charity, and she served them without holding

the problem of drivers, who had to put their hands out of car windows to clear water from the windshield when Around the world

8. Which country, along with Russia, borders the most

Titbits

and plants were different from the species found in other parts of the world. These strange animals inspired him to formulate the theory of evolution in his book . Today, the islands are a wildlife sanctuary and a national park. Sports in films

cycling baseball

rugby American football wrestling

boxing cross-country cricket

Azhar Moneyball Invictus Foxcatcher Mary Kom Bhaag Milkha Bhaag McFarland, USA The Program Draft Day National parks

Jim Corbett Keoladeo Ghana National Park National Park,

Kaziranga National Park, Bandipur National Park

Quick quiz Have you tried inventing something? Making life easier

when they were trying to develop a strong adhesive and found use for a weak glue instead.

two kilograms.

deduced that the stress of telling lies would cause

microwaves accidentally melted a candy bar in his pocket.

Titbits

restaurant. An angry customer at his restaurant sent back the potato fries made by Crum multiple times. Frustrated, Crum sliced the potatoes really thin and fried them. Surprisingly, the new variety not only made his customer happy but also led to the invention of one of the most famous snack foods in the world. Measure for measure

1. odometer 2. barometer

8. spirometer

9. seismometer 10. anemometer 11. crescograph 12. thermometer Riddle me numbers

s Then I spent half of what I had left on a new pair of Titbit jeans. Finally I was left with Shakuntala Devi was a

She could perform complicated calculations mentally in seconds. She has been mentioned in the .

three-quarters of the remaining distance. Yesterday, I travelled one-third of the remaining distance. I now have 21 km left to

the sum of the numbers in the four bubbles of each side is same.

corner.

7 1 7 3 either a block up or a block to the right, adding up numbers 9 1 given in the blocks along the way, what is the largest total 3 8 3

3 1 Titbits

A Fibonacci sequence is created when each number is the sum of its previous two digits in the The flying machines

Titbits Spoiler

An English scientist, named which is opened immediately after landing, to slow the Roger Bacon, had studied a aircraft down

is now called an ornithopter. Leonardo da Vinci’s Antenna drawing of a helicopter Receives and transmits radio signals to communicate with the control tower or with machines, including one resembling a modern another aeroplane helicopter. There were no suitable power sources or materials to make aeroplanes Upper deck during his time. very large aircraft that

a passenger cabin Flight deck From where the pilots control the aircraft

Windscreen A protective shield to provide good visibility Door Window

Nose Area having the weather radar, a device used to evaluate Nose landing weather conditions gear Retractable Cockpit of an aeroplane First/Business class cabin wheels that The most comfortable part of help in landing have control panels with dials the plane for special passengers to control navigation. Modern with costlier seats with several computer displays that can be adjusted The Wright brothers wings were gliders. carry a person into the designed and developed the air untethered was a hot In the early 20th century, air balloon, built by the these airships were the 1890s. popular for transport.

Have you watched the film

Passenger cabin s a fun film about the Economy class compartment history of aeroplanes and flying. that has the maximum Keeps the aircraft number of cheaper seats stable Rudder Fuselage Body of the Titbits aeroplane, having Tail a certain shape Rear part of the fuselage which makes it Atlantic Tailplane Horizontal wing of the plane that stabilizes the plane became the Cargo hold Compartment to store baggage and cargo a fuel produced from plant matter Wing Horizontal surface that helps instead of petroleum or other fossil fuels. keep the aircraft in the air

Navigation light Light signalling the direction in which the

green on the right wing (starboard), and white on the tail Turbojet engine

the aeroplane City-hopping

The capital of the Czech Republic, Prague, is

cities and a major cultural and economic

and rich architectural heritage. The famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart lived there, and his famous compositions like ‘Prague Symphony’ and performed here. Kyoto, was its capital for more than

centre of traditional Japanese culture, Buddhism, as well as of textiles. All Japanese try to go there at least

several historic temples and gardens.

Cape Town was

New York City is settlement in South Africa and is one of the largest and most hence known as the country’s ‘mother city’. Part of the city is situated on the iconic

is well known for Times Square, one of the and French heritage. busiest places in the world, and structures like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty. Singapore

Bengaluru, in Indian Silicon Valley as it has the

Garden City

Quick quiz Water plants

and can reproduce very quickly, which can cause oxygen depletion and

white petals. Some species of these plants are aquatic weeds.

temperate waters in the southern hemisphere. They grow in dense stands known as kelp forests, which are home to

This aquatic weed is found in tropical countries.

depleting the oxygen levels. They can also kill submerged plants

Titbits

The waterwheel plant is a species of water plants that feeds on small aquatic

shut on insects that trigger the long, sensitive hair surrounding each leaf. Olympics 2016

in history to win two singles gold medals in

8. Which player set the world record for scoring the fastest goal in an

Titbits Records in India

1. 2.

Hirakud Siachen glacier

Buland Darwaza

Jama Masjid

Sunderbans times

Bandra-Worli Sea Link

Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport 8. 9.

Chilka Lake Qutb Minar QUIZ YOURSELF 1

1. Who became the governor of the Reserve Bank of India in 2018? ______2. Which team won IPL 2019? ______3. Which Indian cricket team captain is also known as ‘Captain Cool’? ______4. Who is the author of the book A Suitable Boy? ______

6. Which chess piece can move only diagonally on either black or white squares? ______

______

sport? ______

14. What is the normal body temperature of humans in degrees centigrade? ______

______16. Which plant was used in ancient Egypt to make paper? ______

equestrian? ______18. In which state of India is the city of Leh located? ______

How many did you get right?

15–18: ; 11–14: ; 6–10: ; 1–5: WORD GAME

Q M J L ON SD

A Y Q Y U H

O RH O L U O K

R R S K J X L K

ANLRRDD K L

YOH MYYN H

U Y S U HZ

S V X ZS Z

O Q AOJ XNX

Q U L M

L U U M RN

K K Q R Y U K J