Module Book 1

01
BOOK ONE
l
a
r
e
n
e
G ledge
w
o
n
K
NATIONAL ACADEMI
C
O
L
N
H
T
M
A
A
C
L
AYS
DE
IA
INDIVIDUAL
CH
AL
LE
N
G
Brain Quiz
Writing
GROUP
Writing
Debate
Public Speaking
Group Challenge
CONTENT
12 Innovations Change World
Page 3-14
10 Endangered Species
Page 15-24
10 Highest Grossing Movies
Page 25-34
10 Natural Wonders World

Page 35-44
Whether its early mans first use

of fire or the birth of the space
shuttle, innovations have always
been the major catalysts behind
humankinds success. Some of
these breakthroughs brought
about immediate change, while
others humbly laid the
groundwork for important
developments down the road.
From pioneering inventions to
bold scientific and medical
advancements, here are the 12
innovations that have changed
the course of human history.
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
PRESS PRINTING
Prior to the rise of the Internet, no innovation did more for the spread of
knowledge than Johannes Gutenbergs printing press. Developed around 1440 in
Mainz, Germany, Gutenbergs machine improved on already existing presses
through the use of a mould that allowed for the rapid production of lead alloy type
pieces. This assembly line method of copying books enabled a single printing press
to create as many as 3,600 pages per day.
By 1600 they had created over 200 million new books.
The printing press not only made books affordable for the lower classes, but it
helped spark the Age of Enlightenment and the spread of new and often
controversial ideas. The printing press proved so influential in prompting
revolutions, religious and scientific thought, that Mark Twain wrote, What the
world is today, good and bad, it owes to Gutenberg.
3
Copyright 2015 by Malaysian Institute for Debate and Public Speaking. All rights reserved.
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
COMPASS
Magnetic compasses may have been made somewhat obsolete by satellites and
global positioning systems, but their impact on early navigation and exploration
was inestimable. Originally invented in China, by the 14th century, compasses
had widely replaced astronomical methods (looking at stars) as the main
navigational instrument for mariners.
The compass provided explorers with a reliable method for traversing the worlds
oceans, a breakthrough that ignited the Age of Discovery and won Europe the
wealth and power that later fueled the Industrial Revolution. Most importantly,
the compass allowed for interactionboth peaceful and otherwisebetween
previously isolated world cultures.
4
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
THE ELECTRIC BULB
While they are easy to take for granted, all it takes is a short power outage to
remind us of the importance of artificial lights. Pioneered in the early 19th century
by Humphry Davy and his carbon arc lamp, electric lights developed throughout
the 1800s thanks to the efforts of inventors like Warren de la Rue, Joseph Wilson
Swan and Thomas Alva Edison. It was Edison and Swan who patented the first
long-lasting light bulbs in 1879 and 1880, liberating society from a near-total
reliance on daylight.
Electric lights went on to be used in everything from home lighting and street
lamps to flashlights and car headlights. The complex networks of wires erected to
power early light bulbs also helped lead to the first domestic electrical wiring,
paving the way for countless other in-home appliances.
5
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
STEEL
While early human societies made extensive use of stone, bronze and iron, it was
steel that fueled the Industrial Revolution and built modern cities. Evidence of
steel tools dates back 4,000 years, but the alloy was not mass-produced until the
invention of the Bessemer Process, a technique for creating steel using molten
iron, in the 1850s.
Steel then exploded into one of the biggest industries on the planet and was used
in the creation of everything from bridges and railroads to skyscrapers and engines.
It proved particularly influential in North America, where massive iron ore
deposits helped the United States become one of the worlds biggest economies.
6
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
MAGNIFYING GLASS
Magnifying lenses might seem like an unremarkable invention, but their use has
offered mankind a glimpse of everything from distant stars and galaxies to the
minute workings of living cells. Lenses first came into use in the 13th century as
an aid for the weak-sighted, and the first microscopes and telescopes followed in
the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
Figures like Robert Hook and Anton van Leeuwenhoek would go on to use
microscopes in the early observance of cells and other particles, while Galileo
Galilei and Johannes Kepler employed the telescope to chart Earths place in the
cosmos. These early uses were the first steps in the development of astonishing
devices like the electron microscope and the Hubble Space Telescope. Magnifying
lenses have since led to new breakthroughs in an abundance of fields including
astronomy, biology, archeology, optometry and surgery.
7
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
TELEGRAPH
The telegraph was the first in a long line of communications breakthroughs that
later included radio, telephones and email. Pioneered by a variety of inventors in
the 18th and 19th centuries, the telegraph used Samuel Morses famous Morse
code to convey messages by intermittently stopping the flow of electricity along
communications wires.
Telegraph lines multiplied throughout the 1850s, and by 1902 transoceanic cables
encircled the globe. The original telegraph and its wireless successors went on to be
the first major advancements in worldwide communication. The ability to send
messages rapidly across great distances made an indelible impact on government,
trade, banking, industry, warfare and news media, and formed the bedrock of the
information age.
8
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
STEAM ENGINE
Cars, airplanes, factories, trains, spacecraftnone of these transportation

methods would have been possible if not for the early breakthrough of the steam
engine. The first practical use of external combustion dates back to 1698, when
Thomas Savery developed a steam-powered water pump. Steam engines were then
perfected in the late 1700s by James Watt, and went on to fuel one of the most
momentous technological leaps in human history during the Industrial
Revolution.
Throughout the 1800s external combustion allowed for exponential improvement
in transportation, agriculture and manufacturing, and also powered the rise of
world superpowers like Great Britain and the United States. The steam engines
basic principle of energy-into-motion set the stage for later innovations like
internal combustion engines and jet turbines, which led to the rise of cars and
aircraft during the 20th century.
9
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
ANTIBIOTICS
A giant step forward in the field of medicine, antibiotics saved millions of lives by
killing and preventing the growth of harmful bacteria. Scientists like Louis Pasteur
and Joseph Lister were the first to recognize and attempt to combat bacteria, but
it was Alexander Fleming who made the first leap in antibiotics when he
accidentally discovered the bacteria-inhibiting mold known as penicillin in 1928.
Antibiotics proved to be a major improvement on antiseptics. Nowhere was their
effect more apparent than on the battlefield: While nearly 20 percent of soldiers
who contracted bacterial pneumonia died in World War I, with antibiotics that
number dropped to only 1 percent during World War II. Antibiotics like
penicillin, vancomycin, cephalosporin and streptomycin have gone on to fight
nearly every known form of infection, including influenza, malaria, most STDs,
meningitis and tuberculosis.
10
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
PAPER CURRENCY
Throughout much of human history, money took the form of precious metals,
coins and even raw materials like livestock or vegetables. The inception of paper
money ushered in a bold new eraa world in which currency could purchase
goods and services despite having no intrinsic value. Paper currency was widely
used in China in the ninth century, but did not appear in Europe until the late
1600s. Spurred on by frequent shortages of coins, banks issued paper notes as a
promise against future payments of precious metals.
By the late 19th century many nations had begun issuing government-backed
legal tender that could no longer be converted into gold or silver. The switch to
paper money not only bailed out struggling governments during times of
crisisas it did for the United States during the Civil Warbut it also ushered in
a new era of international monetary regulation that changed the face of global
economics. Perhaps even more importantly, paper currency was the vital first step
in a new monetary system that led to the birth of credit cards and electronic
banking.
11
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
NUCLEAR POWER
Nuclear technology uses the energy released by splitting the atoms of certain
elements. It was first developed in the 1940s, and during the Second World War
to 1945 research initially focussed on producing bombs by splitting the atoms of
particular isotopes of either uranium or plutonium. In the 1950s attention turned
to the peaceful purposes of nuclear fission, notably for power generation.
There are over 435 commercial nuclear power reactors operable in 31 countries,
with over 375,000 MWe of total capacity. About 70 more reactors are under
construction. In addition to commercial nuclear power plants, there are about 240
research reactors operating, in 56 countries, with more under construction. These
have many uses including research and the production of medical and industrial
isotopes, as well as for training. Nuclear power stands on the border between
humanity's greatest hopes and its deepest fears for the future.
12
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
TRANSISTORS
A criminally underappreciated innovation, the transistor is an essential

component in nearly every modern electronic gadget. First developed in 1947 by
Bell Laboratories, these tiny semiconductor devices allow for precise control of the
amount and flow of current through circuit boards.
Originally used in radios, transistors have since become an elemental piece of the
circuitry in countless electronic devices including televisions, cell phones and
computers. The amount of transistors in integrated circuits doubles nearly every
two yearsa phenomenon known as Moores Lawso their remarkable impact
on technology will only continue to grow.
13
12 INNOVATIONS
CHANGE WORLD
INTERNET
Conceived by the US Department of Defense in the 1960s, the internet, together

with the World Wide Web, invented in 1989 by Brit techie, Tim Berners-Lee, has
shrunk the world like no other invention.
Newspaper, book, and other print publishing are adapting to website technology,
or are reshaped into blogging and web feeds. The entertainment industry,
including music, film, and gaming, is now the fastest growing online segment. The
Internet has enabled and accelerated new forms of human interactions through
instant messaging, Internet forums, and social networking. Online shopping has
grown exponentially both for major retailers and small artisans and traders.
Business-to-business and financial services on the Internet affect supply chains
across entire continents at a touch of a button.
By 2010, 22 percent of the world's population had access to computers with 1
billion Google searches every day, 300 million Internet users reading blogs, and 2
billion videos viewed daily on YouTube. In 2014 the world's Internet users
surpassed 3 billion or 43.6 percent of world population. The fact you are reading
this on the Internet says it all.
14
10 ENDANGERED SPECIES
CURRENT EFFORTS:
TIGER (PANTHERA TIGRIS)
World Wildlife Federation:

1972 Operation Tiger:
Global program to fund
conservation efforts for the
tiger in the Indian
subcontinent, Indochina,
and Indonesia
1973 - Indonesia, Bhutan,
India, Nepal, Bangladesh,
Malaysia, and Thailand ban
tiger hunting and created
new protection zones.
1993 Global Conservation
Strategy (GCS) is a captive
management program that
captures endangered tigers to
ensure their survival and/or
the recovery of wild
populations in the future.
This program decides how
the world captive
community can assist with
the transfer of captive
management information
and technology to other
countries. GCS works with
zoos around the world.
New studies indicate that there may be as few as 3,200 tigers left in
the wild. Tigers occupy less than seven per cent of their original
range, which has decreased by 40 percent over the past ten years.
REASON ENDANGERED :
Continuing deforestation and rampant poaching could push some tiger
populations to the same fate as its now-extinct Javan and Balinese relatives in other
parts of Asia.
Tigers are poached for their body parts, which are used in traditional Asian
medicine, while skins are also highly prized. Additionally, sea level rise, due to
climate change, threatens the mangrove habitat of a key tiger population in
Bangladeshs and Indias Sundarbans.
15
CURRENT EFFORTS:
POLAR BEAR (URSUS MARITIMUS)
WWF is supporting field

research to better understand
how climate change will
affect polar bears and to
develop adaptation strategies.
WWF also works to protect
critical polar bear habitat by
working with governments
and industry to reduce
threats from shipping and oil
and gas development in the
region and with local
communities to reduce
human-bear conflict in areas
where bears are already
stranded on land for longer
periods of time due to lack
of ice.
The Arctics polar bears have become the iconic symbol of early
victims of climate-induced habitat loss. Designated a threatened
species for protection by the Endangered Species Act in the US.
REASON ENDANGERED :
Global warming changes their habitat by causing ice platforms to move farther
apart and swimming conditions more dangerous. This results in scarcity in food
and led to lower population numbers.
The polar bear species will be extinct within the next 50 years if warming trends in
the Arctic continue at its current pace.
16
CURRENT EFFORTS:
September 2009 - the US
Fish and Wildlife Service
added the walrus to the
Endangered Species Act
under warranted but
precluded status..
PACIFIC WALRUS
(ODOBENUS ROSMARUS DIVERGENS)
The Arctics Bering and Chukchi Seas are home to the Pacific walrus,
one of the latest victims of climate change. In September 2014, up to
200 dead walruses were spotted on the shore of the Chukchi Sea on
Alaska's northwest coast
REASON ENDANGERED :
Global Warming - The extent and thickness of the pack ice has reached unusually
low levels in several recent years. The walrus relies on this ice while giving birth
and aggregating in the reproductive period. Thinner pack ice over the Bering Sea
has reduced the amount of resting habitat near optimal feeding grounds.
This more widely separates lactating females from their calves, increasing
nutritional stress for the young and lower reproductive rates. Reduced coastal sea
ice has also been implicated in the increase of stampeding deaths crowding the
shorelines of the Chukchi Sea between eastern Russia and western Alaska.
17
CURRENT EFFORTS:
Wildlife Conservation
Society:
WCS has been working with
local partners in coastal
Patagonia since the 1960s,
helping to create coastal
protected areas and advance
scientific research that help
support the health of the
Patagonian Sea, one of the
most productive bio-regions
in the Southern Hemisphere.
In 2008, WCS played an
instrumental role in two
conservation gains for the
Magellanic penguin in
Argentina: A ban on
commercial fishing at
Burdwood Bank and the
creation of a marine park at
Golfo San Jorge. Both are
key habitats for Magellanic
penguins and their prey.
MAGELLANIC PENGUIN
(SPHENISCUS MAGELLANICUS)
This medium-sized penguin makes its home along the coastlines of

South America, on both the Atlantic and Pacific shores. These
seabirds, also called Patagonian penguins, breed in Argentina,
Chile, and the Falkland Islands, and spend the winter off the coast
of Brazil, Uruguay, and Northern Argentina.
REASON ENDANGERED :
Once threatened primarily by oil spills, Magellanic penguins, now face a larger
threat as fish are displaced by warming ocean currents, forcing the birds to swim
farther to find food. Last year hundreds of Magellanic penguins washed up on
beaches around Rio de Janeiro, many emaciated or dead.
Scientists have speculated that changes in ocean currents or temperatures, which
may be related to climate change, could have been responsible for their movement
more than a thousand miles north of their traditional nesting area in the southern
tip of Argentina. Twelve out of the 17 penguin species are currently experiencing
rapid population decline.
18
CURRENT EFFORTS:
WWF aims to conserve
leatherback turtle migratory
pathways - by working with
fisheries to decrease bycatch,
by protecting critical nesting
beaches, and by raising
awareness so that local
communities will protect
turtles and their nests
LEATHERBACK TURTLE
(DERMOCHELYS CORIACEATHE)
The largest marine turtle and one of the largest living reptiles, the
leatherback turtle, has survived for more than a hundred million
years, but is now facing extinction. Recent estimates of numbers
show that this species is declining, particularly in the Pacific where
as few as 2,300 adult females now remain, making the Pacific
leatherback the world's most endangered marine turtle population.
REASON ENDANGERED :
Atlantic turtle populations are more stable but scientists predict a decline due to
the large numbers of adults being caught as bycatch and killed accidentally by
fishing fleets. Additionally, rising sea levels and higher temperatures on Atlantic
beaches pose a new threat to turtles and their offspring. Nest temperature strongly
determines the sex of offspring, and a nest warming trend is reducing the number
of male turtles.
19
CURRENT EFFORTS:
BLUEFIN TUNA (THUNNUS THYNNUS)
A temporary ban on the

global trade of bluefin tuna
would allow the
overexploited species to
recover. WWF is
encouraging restaurants,
chefs, retailers, and
consumers to stop serving,
buying, selling, and eating
endangered bluefin tuna
until this amazing species
shows signs of recovery.
The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a large migratory fish found in the
western and eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Bluefin
tuna is the source of the highest grade sushi.
REASON ENDANGERED :
Bluefin tuna fisheries are near collapse and the species at serious risk of extinction
if unsustainable fishing practices in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean are
not stopped.
20
CURRENT EFFORTS:
Conservation efforts have led
to an increase in the Virunga
population by 14 per cent in
the last 12 years, while the
mountain gorillas other
home, the Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest in
Uganda, has experienced
population increases of 12
per cent over the past
decade. Despite this success,
the mountain gorillas status
remains fragile, and WWF is
working to save the great
apes forest habitat in the
mountains of the heart of
Africa.
MOUNTAIN GORILLA
(GORILLA BERINGEI BERINGEI)
Scientists consider mountain gorillas to be a critically endangered

gorilla subspecies, with about 720 surviving in the wild.
REASON ENDANGERED :
War has been waged in areas around the park, with gorillas subject to related
threats such as poaching and loss of habitat. More than 200 live in the Virunga
National Park, located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo,
bordering Rwanda and Uganda.
21
CURRENT EFFORTS:
WWF, in collaboration with
the Mexican Fund for the
Conservation of Nature, has
designed an innovative
conservation strategy to
protect and restore the
Monarch butterflies
wintering habitat in Mexico,
so butterflies are protected
from extremes weather and
other threats.
WWF is also supporting
local communities to
establish trees nurseries that
are reintroduced to the
monarch butterfly reserve,
creating at the same time
new sources of income for
the owners of the monarch
forests.
MONARCH BUTTERFLY
(DANAUS PLEXIPPUS)
Monarch butterflies embark on a marvelous migratory

phenomenon. They travel between 1,200 and 2,800 miles or more
from the United States and Canada to central Mexican forests. There
the butterflies hibernate in the mountain forests, where a less
extreme climate provides them a better chance to survive.
REASON ENDANGERED :
Climate change threatens to disrupt the monarch butterflys annual migration
pattern by affecting weather conditions in both wintering grounds and summer
breeding grounds.
Loss of high-altitude pine and fir forest in Mexico.
22
CURRENT EFFORTS:
1998: WWF has been
involved in protection and
conservation of the Javan
rhino supporting forest
rangers to undertake
increased patrolling and
protection activities,
conducting surveys of the
rhino population, raising
awareness of the importance
of the rhinos to local
communities, and
supporting park
management.
Dec 2010: Highly trained
sniffer dogs were used to
search for traces of the
extremely rare Javan
Rhinoceros to better
understand their optimum
survival conditions.
JAVAN RHINOCEROS
(RHINOCEROS SONDAICUS)
Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (2009), the

Javan rhino is considered to be one of the most endangered large
mammals in the world with only two populations existing in the
wild, for a total number of less than 60 animals.
REASON ENDANGERED :
Highly prized as a commodity in traditional Asian medicine, Javan rhinos have
also been brought to the verge of extinction by the conversion of forest habitat to
farmland.
23
CURRENT EFFORTS:
WWF has been active in
giant panda conservation for
nearly three decades by
working working with the
Chinese government to
protect habitats through the
creation of reserves and to
help local communities
become less dependent on
forest resources. Over half of
the habitat where pandas live
is now protected, and
corridors are being
established to connect key
panda populations. The
1,600 remaining wild pandas
are still living in over 20
geographically separate areas,
and infrastructure
development is on the
increase, so theres still much
more to be done.
GIANT PANDA
(AILUROPODA MELANOLEUCA)
An international symbol of conservation since WWFs founding in

1961, the giant panda which numbers around 1,600 in the wild,
faces an uncertain future. Its forest habitat in the mountainous areas
of southwest China has become fragmented, creating a number of
small and isolated populations.
REASON ENDANGERED :
Habitat Loss:
Chinas Yangtze Basin region, which holds the pandas primary habitat, is the
geographic and economic heart of this booming country. Roads and railroads are
increasingly fragmenting the forest, which isolates panda populations and prevents
mating.
Forest destruction also reduces pandas access to the bamboo they need to survive.
The Chinese government has established more than 50 panda reserves, but only
around 61% of the countrys panda population is protected by these reserves.
24
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
AVATAR (2009)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$2,782,275,172
James Cameron
A Paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission

becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his
home.
AWARDS
Won 3 Oscars.
Another 73 wins & 101 nominations.
25
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
TITANIC (1997)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$2,185,372,302
James Cameron
A seventeen-year-old aristocrat, expecting to be married to a rich claimant by her

mother, falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated
R.M.S. Titanic.
AWARDS
Won 11 Oscars.
Another 106 wins & 59 nominations.
26
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
THE AVENGERS (2012)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$1,511,757,910
Joss Whedon
Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are
to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
AWARDS
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 31 wins & 65 nominations
27
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY

HALLOWS PART 2 (2011)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$1,341,511,219
David Yates
Harry, Ron and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their
effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.
AWARDS
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 48 wins & 75 nominations
28
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
IRON MAN 3 (2013)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$1,215,439,994
Shane Black
When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the
Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
AWARDS
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 40 nominations
29
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
TRANSFORMERS:
DARK OF THE MOON (2011)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$1,123,746,996
Michael Bay
The Autobots learn of a Cybertronian spacecraft hidden on the moon, and race
against the Decepticons to reach it and to learn its secrets.
AWARDS
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 10 wins & 36 nominations
30
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
LORD OF THE RINGS:

RETURN OF THE KING (2003)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$1,119,929,521
Peter Jackson
Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his
gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
AWARDS
Won 11 Oscars. Another 153 wins & 88 nominations
31
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
FROZEN (2013)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$1,112,629,935
Chris Buck
Jennifer Lee
When the newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally uses her power to turn things
into ice to curse her home in infinite winter, her sister, Anna, teams up with a
mountain man, his playful reindeer, and a snowman to change the weather
condition.
AWARDS
Won 2 Oscars. Another 71 wins & 54 nominations.
32
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
SKYFALL (2013)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$1,108,561,013
Sam Mendes
Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. Whilst MI6
comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how
personal the cost.
AWARDS
Won 2 Oscars. Another 66 wins & 93 nominations
33
10 HIGHEST GROSSING
MOVIES OF ALL TIME
DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)
Worldwide Gross
Director
$1,084,439,099
Christopher Nolan
Eight years after the Joker's reign of anarchy, the Dark Knight is forced to return
from his imposed exile to save Gotham City from the brutal guerrilla terrorist
Bane with the help of the enigmatic Catwoman.
AWARDS
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 43 wins & 82 nominations
34
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
GREAT BARRIER REEF,

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over
2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres over an
area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres. The reef is located in the Coral
Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from Outer Space and is the world's biggest
single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and
built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide
diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN named it
one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland.
35
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
NAMIB DESERT, NAMIBIA
The Namib is the oldest desert in the world estimated to be 80 million years old.
Lying between a high inland plateau and the Atlantic Ocean, the Namib Desert is
home to huge sand dunes with some measuring up to 380 metres high.
Throughout this vast and unforgiving landscape, a number of animals and plants
have adapted to life here, including the mountain zebra, gemsbok, short-eared
elephant shrew and Grant's golden mole.
There is also an extraordinary diversity of succulent plants, as well as the shrub-like
Welwitschia Mirabilis, which has only 2 leaves and can live for over 1,000 years!
36
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
RICHAT STRUCTURE, MAURITANIA
A mysterious 50km wide geological feature in the Sahara Desert. The Richat
Structure, also known as the Eye of the Sahara or Guelb Er Richat, is a prominent
circular feature in the Sahara desert near Ouadane, westcentral Mauritania. This
structure is a deeply eroded, slightly elliptical, 40 km in diameter dome. The
sedimentary rock exposed in this dome ranges in age from Late Proterozoic within
the center of the dome.
Frequently photographed by astronauts because it forms a conspicuous
50-kilometer wide bulls-eye on the otherwise rather featureless expanse of the
desert. Initially interpreted as an asteroid impact structure because of its high
degree of circularity, it is now argued to be a highly symmetrical and deeply eroded
geologic dome.
Spectacular hydrothermal features can be found at the Richat Structure.
37
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA
Jejudo is a volcanic island, 130 km from the southern coast of Korea. The largest
island and smallest province in Korea, the island has a surface area of 1,846 sqkm.
Known as Island of the Gods, it contains the natural World Heritage Site Jeju
Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes.
A central feature of Jeju is Hallasan, the tallest mountain in South Korea and a
dormant volcano, which rises 1,950 m above sea level. The island's mixture of
volcanic rock, frequent rains, and temperate climate, make it very similar to the
Hawaiian Islands in the U.S. The island offers visitors a wide range of activities:
hiking on Halla-san (South Korea's highest peak), catching sunrises and sunsets
over the ocean, viewing majestic waterfalls, riding horses, or just lying around on
the sandy beaches.
According to CNN, Jeju Island is home to the Manjang Caves which is actually an
extinct lava tube -the longest tube on Jeju Island, to be specific, at 13 kilometers
long. It encases the largest recorded lava column in the world, which stands at 7.6
meters tall.
38
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
MALIAU BASIN,SABAH
The mystical Maliau Basin is one of Malaysia's finest remaining wilderness areas.
Maliau means Land of the Giant Staircase in Murut language.
The reason Maliau Basin is called Sabahs Lost World is because of its almost
circular outer rim, with steep slopes and cliffs range, creating a natural barrier that
isolates the basin from the world. An impressive list comprising some 270 bird, 82
mammal and 32 amphibian species have been recorded in the rich ecosystem of
Maliau Basin.
Some flora and fauna, which are trapped in the basin for millions of years, may
have evolved into new species. Amongst the multitude of invertebrates, at least
two; a water beetle Neptosternus thiambooni and a crab Thelphusula hulu, have
been confirmed as new discoveries in biological science. Maliau Basin now in the
process of seeking World Heritage status. Keen visitors must obtain permission to
enter the Maliau Basin in advance from Yayasan Sabah.
39
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA, USA
The Grand Canyon is one of the most remarkable natural wonders in the world.
Located in the state of Arizona, USA, it is one of the deepest gorges on Earth with
an average depth of 1.6km and an average width of 16km. The canyon was carved
over the past 17 million years by the Colorado River as it drops over 670m along
the 277- 446 km length of the gorge.
For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native
Americans who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The
Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site and made pilgrimages to
it. The Colorado River continues to erode and form the canyon to its present-day
configuration.
The Grand Canyon is one of the most complete geologic columns on the planet.
40
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
THE WAITOMO GLOWWORM CAVES,

NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND.
More than 30 million years ago, the legend of Waitomo began with the creation of
limestone at the bottom of the ocean. Now these limestone caves stand as one of
New Zealand's most inspiring natural wonders and a must-see destination. The
cave is a habitat for a certain glow worm species found in New Zealand only. The
glowworms of the Waitomo caves are closely guarded by a Scientific Advisory
Group.
The journey through the Waitomo Glowworm Caves brings the visitor through
three different levels and begins at the top level of the cave and the Catacombs.
The levels are linked by the Tomo, which is a 16m vertical shaft made of limestone.
The second level is called the Banquet Chamber. The tour concludes with a boat
ride through the Glowworm Grotto. The boat takes the visitor onto the
underground Waitomo River where the glow worms create a spectacular tunnel of
living light.
41
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
AURORA BOREALIS
Auroras are one of the greatest natural wonders in the world. They are also known
as the Northern Lights, are naturally occurring lights that create intriguing and
spectacular displays in the sky. The aurora lights frequently appear as diffused glow
lighting up the horizon.
Auroral displays appear in many colours although pale green and pink are the most
common. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and violet have been reported. The
lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers,
arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.
The lights of the Aurora generally extend from 80 kilometres (50 miles) to as high
as 640 kilometres (400 miles) above the earth's surface.
42
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
CATATUMBO LIGHTNING, VENEZUELA
The Catatumbo Lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon in Venezuela. It occurs

only over the mouth of the Catatumbo River where it empties into Lake
Maracaibo. This relatively small area is considered to be the world's largest single
generator of tropospheric ozone.
Lake Maracaibo basin is surrounded by mountains that trap warm trade winds
coming off the Caribbean. These winds crash into cool air spilling down from the
Andes, forcing them up until they condense into thunderclouds creating an
average 28 lightning strikes per minute across a wide area - an energy burst that
could power all the light bulbs in Latin America.
After appearing continually for centuries, the lightning ceased from January to
April 2010, apparently due to drought. This raised fears that it might have been
extinguished permanently. The phenomenon reappeared after several months.
Catatumbo Lightning was approved for inclusion in the 2015 edition of Guinness
World Records, dethroning the Congolese town of Kifuka as the place with the
world's most lightning bolts per square kilometer each year at 250 bolts.
43
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
SOCOTRA ARCHIPELAGO, YEMEN
An extremely isolated land form around 37% of its plant life is found nowhere
else on earth. It has been described as "the most alien-looking place on Earth.
UNESCO reports that 37% of Socotras 825 plant species, 90% of its reptile
species and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world.
The entire flora of the Socotra Archipelago is so rare that it has been assessed for
the IUCN Red List, with 3 Critically Endangered and 27 Endangered plant
species recognised in 2004.
The site also supports globally significant populations of land and sea birds (192
bird species, 44 of which breed on the islands while 85 are regular migrants),
including a number of threatened species. One of the most striking of Socotra's
plants is the dragon's blood tree (Dracaena cinnabari), which is a strange-looking,
umbrella-shaped tree. Its red sap was thought to be the dragon's blood of the
ancients, sought after as a dye, and today used as paint and varnish. Also
important in ancient times were Socotra's various endemic aloes, used medicinally
and for cosmetics. The island was recognised by UNESCO as a world natural
heritage site in July 2008.
44
KNOWLEDGE OF WONDER
SOURCE
www. history.com
www.world-nuclear.org
internetsociety.org
45

Module Book 1

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Module Book 1

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

01

10 Natural Wonders World

Whether its early mans first use

THE ELECTRIC BULB

Cars, airplanes, factories, trains, spacecraftnone of these transportation

A criminally underappreciated innovation, the transistor is an essential

Conceived by the US Department of Defense in the 1960s, the internet, together

TIGER (PANTHERA TIGRIS)

World Wildlife Federation:

POLAR BEAR (URSUS MARITIMUS)

WWF is supporting field

This medium-sized penguin makes its home along the coastlines of

BLUEFIN TUNA (THUNNUS THYNNUS)

A temporary ban on the

Scientists consider mountain gorillas to be a critically endangered

Monarch butterflies embark on a marvelous migratory

Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List (2009), the

An international symbol of conservation since WWFs founding in

A Paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission

A seventeen-year-old aristocrat, expecting to be married to a rich claimant by her

THE AVENGERS (2012)

HARRY POTTER & THE DEATHLY

IRON MAN 3 (2013)

LORD OF THE RINGS:

DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)

GREAT BARRIER REEF,

NAMIB DESERT, NAMIBIA

RICHAT STRUCTURE, MAURITANIA

JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA

GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA, USA

THE WAITOMO GLOWWORM CAVES,

CATATUMBO LIGHTNING, VENEZUELA

The Catatumbo Lightning is an atmospheric phenomenon in Venezuela. It occurs

SOCOTRA ARCHIPELAGO, YEMEN

You might also like