We use the ‘Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level Formula’ to present scores as per US grade level. See all the grade levels here. Following articles, stories and features are appropriate for people at reading level of Grade 8 (Age 13-14 years). More information about Flesch–Kincaid readability tests can be found here.
257 items in this section. Displaying page 15 of 26
Human Robots
Human Robots [Illustration by Shinod AP] March 27: At one time we considered robots as machines to do our work. But now we have begun to think of them differently. We want them to be more human than humans themselves! Or else why would the Japanese have designed a new robot to help humans interact with each other? One significant feature of most industrialised societies in the developed world is the breaking-up of the family and the rise of individualism....
IMAX the High-Tech Theatre
If you thought watching Jurassic Park in your local theatre was a fantastic experience…you haven’t seen anything yet! Imagine being surrounded by dinosaurs ten times larger than the regular movie-screen dinosaurs. For that is exactly what an IMAX screen will show. The IMAX theatre is all set to give ‘watching films on the big screen’ a whole new meaning. IMAX the High-Tech Theatre [Illustration by Navin Pangti] IMAX is coined from the word ‘maximum Image’....
Ralegan: The story of a rural dream come true
Ralegan is a small village with a total population of around 2,300. It has developed by leaps and bounds in a period of 20 years. The five principles adopted by this village are nashabandhi (non-addiction), nasbandhi, charbandhi, khurabandhi and shramadan. This village has attained worldwide recognition. During the 70’s, Ralegan was beset with a number of problems. Since it is located in the low-rainfall zone of Maharashtra, it had to face a severe water shortage, due to which farmers were forced to have only one crop in a year....
High-tech Crane Migration
As winter sets in, millions of birds leave their nests in the northern hemisphere and head towards warmer lands in the south. During spring, they once again wing their way back to their original nesting grounds. This yearly ritual is known as migration. While some birds are great travellers, flying from one country to another; others merely flap down from the high mountains to sheltered valleys for the winter. The Arctic tern (of North America) is the hardiest traveller of all....
Flightless Mosquitoes the Solution to Dengue Fever?
Where: Oxford, United Kingdom February 27, 2010 :Scientists have come up with a novel method to tackle the menace of dengue fever. They propose to breed mosquitoes that cant fly. The plan is to genetically alter the male of the species. These males will father a new generation of female mosquitoes with limited wing growth. The females will continue to transmit these genes, but only to female offspring. The male offspring will remain unaffected. Scientists feel this is a safe way to fight the spread of dengue – safer than the use of insecticides....
Why does a Kentish Plover Parent Desert its Family?
When couples exchange vows on the marriage day, they generally say ‘till death do us part’. For a species of shore-dwelling bird called the Kentish Plover, it is ‘till divorce do us part’. Indeed, birds of this species usually leave their partners after the incubation (hatching) of the eggs and usually it is the female who moves on, while the male stays on to look after the babies. A recent study conducted by Andras Kosztolanyi of the University of Debrecen, in Hungary, sheds light on the reason behind this behaviour....
Alive! American Plane Makes Miracle Crash-landing on Hudson River
Where: New York, USA January 16, 2009 : There were 150 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots on board US Airways flight 1549. The plane, an Airbus 320, was on its way to Charlotte in the state of North Carolina from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Less than a minute after take-off, the pilot reported a ‘double bird strike’ – meaning that birds, probably a flock of geese, had hit both the plane’s jet engines. Passengers could soon see flames near the engines, and they smelt fuel, while power went off inside the cabin....
Winner Juice
Winner Juice [Illustration by Sudheer Nath] October 28: Ask anyone who watched the recent Olympic Games, and they will tell you that it was the 28-year-old Japanese sportswoman, Naoko Takahashi, who won the women’s marathon. But you could say that the race was won by giant killer hornets, whose stomach juices were drunk by the athlete to improve her stamina phenomenally. A fascinating report by the ‘Telegraph Group’ of England, published in ‘The Hindu’ newspaper recently, stirred up a hornet’s nest in the world of sport with this announcement....
Insensitivities of people
There are so many sensitivities and insensitivities taking place around us. In this project we have tried to discover few of them. Indian sensitivities through our eyes: Insensitivity on the roads: So many accidents are taking place on Indian roads. Are we really sensitive towards those accident victims? Can a little help save those accident victims. Sensitivity regarding sanitary conditions on roads: Aren’t our roads acting as open toilets for men folk? Are we concerned only about the cleanliness of our homes....
Green Protection for the Taj Mahal
Where: Agra, India February 3, 2009 : ‘Ocimum tenuiflorum’ or ‘Ocimum sanctum’ is better known as Tulsi in Indian homes. It’s been used for centuries to prepare home remedies to cure coughs, colds and stomach disorders. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine, too. A tulsi plant, grown traditionally in many Indian gardens, is believed to purify the air around it. This has now been confirmed by environmentalists. The Tulsi plant releases high amounts of oxygen into the atmosphere, and this reduces the harmful effects of industrial pollution....