Who was Anne Frank?

   Anne Frank was a German-Dutch diarist. Born Frankfurt am Main, Germany, June 12, 1929. Died Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Germany, 1945.
   Anne Frank's diary, published as The Diary of a Young Girl (Het Achterhuis, 1947), is one of the most moving accounts of personal courage to come out of World War II. It records the invincible spirit of a young Jewish girl who endured many of the horrors of war and who died a tragic death before the age of 16.
   The diary of Anne Frank is an account of her experiences while hiding from German troops during the war. When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, the Frank family and four other people were hidden by Christian friends in a tiny apartment at the rear of an Amsterdam office building. For two years, Anne recorded the fears and emotional conflicts of people crowded together in secrecy. However, much of the diary describes humorous or joyful moments, including birthday celebrations and her first experience of falling in love. Many of the passages concern Anne's growing up, the discoveries she makes about herself and other people, and the beauty of life.
   Anne and the others in the group were discovered in 1944 and shipped to Westerbork prison in the Netherlands. After another move to Auschwitz concentration camp, the Franks were separated. Anne was sent to Bergen-Belsen, where she died of typhus. Her diary was made into a Pulitzer Prize play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett in 1956 and into a motion picture in 1959.

What is Folklore?

   Folklore, the things that make up the traditional culture of a people throughout its history. Folklore is usually handed down from one generation to another by word of mouth or by performance, rather than by writing. The forms of folklore that are mainly perpetuated through language include legends, myths, fairy tales, and poems, as well as proverbs, riddles, and figures of speech. Among the types that are passed down through action are music, dance, art, drama, rituals, crafts, cookery, and children's games. There is also a body of traditional practices and beliefs concerned with scientific or supernatural phenomena, which includes medicine, witchcraft, and prediction.
   Folklore is as old as human culture. It is created informally by a group of people for themselves, and it reflects their patterns of thought and behavior. Although a certain tale or custom may be created by an individual, its original author is not known and it is regarded as anonymous. As it passes from one generation to another, it is usually so modified that it can be considered the product of the community.
   Because folklore is preserved in memory, actual performance, and oral tradition, it rarely has a fixed form. Instead, it usually has an approximate pattern. The telling of a folktale or the performance of a folk activity may vary from group to group or even from one individual to another within the same group. Thus, there are often several versions of a folktale, folk dance, or folk song. Modifications are made not only to suit the tastes of a particular audience, but also to express the creative impulses of the tellers or performers. This flexibility distinguishes folklore from more cultivated literary or artistic creations.
   Folk materials are often used by writers, musicians, and artists in their works. For example, the ancient folk legend of a man who sold his soul to the Devil has been used and elaborated by many writers, including the English dramatist Christopher Marlowe in his play Doctor Faustus (about 1589), the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in his dramatic poem Faust (1808-1832), and the German novelist Thomas Mann in his book Doctor Faustus (1947). The story was also the basis of the famous opera Faust by the 19th-century French composer Charles Gounod.

What is functionalism (architecture)?

   In design, functionalism is the concept that objects or buildings should be planned in accordance with their actual uses, rather than for the sake of appearance. In a functional design the utilitarian requirements of a building or an object are not concealed by ornamentation. The modern practice is to keep the decoration a secondary factor and to make it-harmonize with the uses of the object or structure. To a large extent, modern architecture and the design of modern furniture and other objects are based on the principles of functionalism.
   The well-known functionalist motto "Form follows function" was originated by the late -19th-century architect Louis Sullivan. His approach was adopted and further developed by his student Frank Lloyd Wright and by such noted architects as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and Le Corbusier. Each has designed buildings of great geometric simplicity that integrate function with appearance.

What is fumigation?

   Fumigation is the use of gases, vapors, smoke, or fumes to drive out or kill harmful organisms. Fumigation is used to rid houses, office buildings, and warehouses of insects, mice, and other pests.    In agriculture it is used to destroy worms, insects, weeds, and fungi in the soil.
   Usually the area to be fumigated is sealed off and filled with a poisonous substance called a fumigant. The most widely used fumigants are gases, but liquids or solids that readily give off poisonous vapors are also used. Soil may be fumigated with applicators that inject a liquid under the surface. Common fumigants are formaldehyde and cyanide or chlorine compounds.
   Many fumigants are explosive, some are harmful to plants, and most are dangerous to inhale or swallow. Fumigants often are most safely handled by trained exterminators.

Richard Buckminster Fuller

   Richard Buckminster Fuller was an American inventor, engineer, and architect. Born Milton, Mass., July 12, 1895. Died Los Angeles, CA., July 1, 1983.
   Fuller's invention of the geodesic dome is sometimes considered the most revolutionary advance in architecture since the creation of the arch. The geodesic dome appears hemispherical but consists of triangular planes that are generally framed with metal pipe and covered with plastic sheeting. Although its light and flexible construction provides for great mobility and economy, i; is also strong and can resist high winds and heavy snow loads. As an enclosure for houses, stadiums, and possibly even entire communities, the geodesic dome can serve as a protection against bad weather and atmospheric impurities.
   Fuller achieved his first success in 1927 with his plan for a low-cost prefabricated house that was designed to hang from a central mast. His inventions include a unique three-wheeled automobile, a world map which was the first relatively free of distortion, and a circular aluminum seven-room dwelling, constructed to sell for only $6,400. Fuller also designed buildings for several U.S. exhibitions, including a dome for Canada's Expo 67. He designed weather stations for the armed forces in the Arctic and a greenhouse, in St. Louis, Mo., called the Climatron. His inventions
have been widely exhibited.

What is fuel injection?

Fuel injector

   Fuel injection is the direct injection of liquid fuel into the combustion chamber of an internal-combustion engine. Fuel injection is used primarily in compression ignition engines, such as the diesel engine. Fuel Injection systems are also used in some spark ignition engines, including the gasoline engine.
   The typical fuel injection engine has a separate fuel injection mechanism for each cylinder. The mechanism consists of a high-pressure pump, a nozzle, and a valve fitted into the wall of the cylinder. During the compression stroke the pump forces a small amount of fuel through the nozzle into the cylinder, where it ignites and burns. The nozzle sprays the fuel evenly through the air in the cylinder. The valve allows the fuel to enter but prevents the compressed fuel-air mixture from backing up into the fuel system.
   When a fuel injection system is used in a gasoline engine, it may completely replace the conventional carburetor. Alternatively, the fuel may be injected into the stream of air entering the cylinders, in a device called the injection carburetor. The principal advantage of a fuel injection system over the conventional carburetor and intake manifold system in a spark ignition engine is that it provides a more even distribution of fuel to the cylinders.
   Reaction engines, such as the turbojet engine, also use the fuel injection technique. In such engines the fuel is injected into the combustion chamber, where it burns continuously.

What is the fourth dimension?

 The fourth dimension is a concept used in mathematics and physics. Ordinary physical space seems to have just three dimensions; that is, every point in space can be located by giving just three numbers. However, mathematicians deal with abstract spaces that have any number of dimensions, from one to infinity. Each dimension can be used to represent a variable quantity. If a problem involves more than three variables, it can be considered in terms of a space of more than three dimensions.

Time as the Fourth Dimension. Physics deals with events that occur in space and time. Each event occurs at a certain location in space and at a certain point in time. The location in space can be defined by three physical coordinates, which correspond to the three spatial dimensions, or variables. The point in time can also be defined by a coordinate. In this sense, time is the fourth dimension, or fourth variable, of physics.
Galileo was the first mathematician to think of time geometrically. By using line segments to represent time intervals, he was able to use geometric proofs in physics. Time as a fourth dimension takes on a special importance in Einstein's theory of relativity. In this theory, space and time cannot be separately considered but must be thought of as a single four-dimensional entity. This entity is called space-time, or the space-time continuum.

Fountain of Youth

   The Fountain of Youth is a fabled spring said to have the power of restoring health and youth. When the New World was discovered, popular opinion placed the fountain's site sonewhere in the Wets Indies. Therefore the conquistador Juan Ponce de León readily believed a Caribe Indian legend of the rich island of Bimini, he renamed it Florida. However, is search for the Fountain of Youth was unsuccessful. His second expedition to the "island" of Florida ended in his death at the hands of hostile indians.

Fox terrier

wirehaired fox terrier

   The fox terrier is a small frisky dog originally bred to chase foxes out of burrows after hounds had driven the foxes inside. Today, fox terriers are popular as pet and show dogs. There are two breeds of fox terrier: the English and the American, which was developed from the English. The English fox terrier stands about 15 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs about 17 pounds. It has straight front legs and a long head with a tubular appearance. The ears are V-shaped and are folded downward toward the cheeks. Its upright tail is shortened soon after birth so that it will be 4½ inches long when the dog is fully grown.
   There are two varieties of English fox terriers: the  smooth-aired and the wirehaired. Both types have a hard wiry coat, which is primarily white with tan or black and tan markings. However, the coat of the smooth-aired fox terrier is shorter and flatter than that of the wirehaired. English fox terriers cannot be raised in packs but must have separate kennels because they fight with one another.
   American fox terriers are among  the most popular of purebred dogs, particularly in the midwester United States, where they are the most familiar house dog. They range in weight from 3 to 20 pounds. Their coat is shorter and smoother than that of the English fox terrier, and they have a dainty appearence. They also tend to be more affectionate and less inclined to fight than the English breed.

What is a Readfruit?

   The Osage orange is a common tree in parts of the United States. Farmers used to plant hedges of it on their farms. This tree bears fruits that look like green oranges. People often call them hedge apples. Hedge apples are pretty, but they are not good to eat. The Osage orange, however, has a cousin that bears big orange-shaped fruits that are good to eat. This cousin is the breadfruit tree.
   From its name it is easy to guess that bread can be made from its fruits. The fruits are not sweet like oranges and apples. Instead, they are starchy, like potatoes. If bread is to be made from it, a breadfruit is first sliced and dried. Then it is pounded up into flour. A breadfruit may also be roasted whole.
   The breadfruit tree grows only in very warm, wet lands. It is found chiefly on islands in the South Pacific. If a native of one of these islands is sitting under a bread-fruit tree, his dinner may drop into his lap.
   There are different kinds of breadfruit. Some kinds ripen at one time of year, some at another. In places where the trees grow, there is usually breadfruit to eat all the year around.

Bread facts

   The people of every land have their own kinds of bread. But all bread is alike in one way. It is made of flour and a liquid. The flour, as a rule, comes from grain. But it can also be made from potatoes, soybeans, peas, breadfruit, bananas, or some kinds of roots.
   Breads can be divided into two groups. Those in one group are light and more or less fluffy. They are raised, or leavened, breads. Others are thin and hard. They are unleavened breads.
   One way of making bread light and fluffy is to put yeast in it. The yeast gives off little bubbles of carbon dioxide. These bubbles puff up the dough.
   There are other ways of producing bubbles of carbon dioxide in bread dough. Baking powder can be used. So can sour milk and soda. Biscuits and other quick breads are made without yeast.
   Matzoth is one kind of unleavened bread. Graham crackers are another.
   Bread is a very important kind of food. It is sometimes called the "staff of life." Much of the bread we eat now is enriched. Vitamins and minerals have been added to it. Bread is so important that the word "bread" is sometimes used to stand for all our food. In the Lord's Prayer, when we say, "Give us this day our daily bread," we are really asking for all the food we need to keep us well and strong.