Who won the 2010 FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award for being the best player of the tournament?

Uruguay striker Diego Forlan has been awarded the Golden Ball as the World Cup’s best player, and Germany forward Thomas Mueller won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals.

Forlan was voted the most outstanding player of the tournament by accredited media after leading his team to the semi-finals.

The 20-year-old Mueller, who helped Germany take third place with his five goals and three assists, also won the Best Young Player award. Forlan, Spain striker David Villa and Netherlands playmaker Wesley Sneijder also scored five times but each had one assist. Villa and Sneijder both failed to score in Sunday’s final, won 1-0 by Spain.

He became the 2010 World Cup's joint leading scorer with a spectacular volley on Saturday before striking the bar from a free-kick in the dying moments of Germany's 3-2 victory.

Forlan's tally of five goals left him level with Sneijder, Villa and Thomas Muller, but the German forward claimed the Golden Boot award because he racked up a higher number of assists (three) than the others.

Muller, 20, who was instrumental in Germany's 4-1 demolition of England and the 4-0 thrashing of Argentina, was also voted the tournament's best young player.

He was suspended for the semifinal as Germany lost 1-0 to Spain but returned to score his fifth goal of the competition in the third-place playoff.

As well as the World Cup trophy, Spain will also fly home on Monday with the FIFA Fair Play Award after collecting only eight yellow cards in the tournament.

Spain's Iker Casillas was awarded the Golden Glove prize for the best goalkeeper after conceding just two goals in the tournament.

Picture Credit : Google

Sadio Mane's goal against Crystal Palace creates Premier League history

By scoring in Liverpool's 3-0 Premier League victory against Crystal Palace in September 2021, Sadio Mane became the first player in the competition's history to score in nine straight matches against the same opposition.

Sadio Mane scored Liverpool's opener in their 3-0 victory against Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday, September 18, 2021. This goal was not only Mane's 100th goal for Liverpool in all competitions, but also the ninth successive occasion when he had scored against Palace in the Premier League. This goal thus made him the first player in Premier League history to score against a single side in nine straight matches.

Sadio Mane moved from Southampton to Liverpool in July 2016 and has been at the heart of Liverpool's attacking threat since then.

While playing in the Premier League (both for Southampton and now with Liverpool), Mane has taken a particular liking for Crystal Palace, scoring against them at will. In all, Mane has faced Crystal Palace in the Premier League on 14 occasions and has scored 13 goals.

Ten of these 13 goals have come in nine straight appearances against them while playing for Liverpool. This also means that 10 of the first 100 goals that he has scored for Liverpool in all competitions have come against Cystal Palace, his most against a single opponent for Liverpool.

Mane's first Liverpool goal against Crystal Palace came in their home ground Anfield. He scored the only goal in their 1-0 win in August 2017. There's been no stopping him since then as he scored at Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace's home ground) in March and August 2018; at Anfield in January 2019; at Selhurst Park in November 2019; at Anfield in June 2020; and at Selhurst Park again in December 2020.

He scored both goals in their 2-0 win at Anfield in May 2021 and scored for the tenth time against them in nine straight matches when the two teams faced each other at Anfield in September 2021.

Picture Credit : Google

When did Spain win the World Cup?

Spain lifted the World Cup for the very first time - and so far only occasion in their history - in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The 19th edition of the tournament was held in South Africa from June 11, 2010, with the final between Spain and the Netherlands played on July 11, 2010.

Spain topped Group H with six points. Despite losing their first game against Switzerland 0-1, they bounced back with 2-0 and 2-1 victories over Honduras and Chile respectively.

They took on Portugal in a heavyweight Round of 16 clash and came out on top 1-0 to progress to the quarters. They didn't let a goal past them throughout the knockout stages as they followed up the win over Portugal with similar 1-0 wins against Paraguay and Germany in the quarters and semis.

The final against the Netherlands at Johannesburg too finished 1-0 in favour of Spain after extra time.

Having scored just eight goals through the 2010 World Cup, Spain set a new record for the fewest goals scored by a World Cup winning team. Their defence and goalkeeper did a splendid job, conceding just two goals and maintaining five clean sheets in seven matches.

Honours and Awards

Losing semi finalists Uruguay and Germany produced the best player of the tournament and the top goal scorer respectively.

Uruguay's Diego Forlan (five goals) and Germany's Thomas Muller (five goals, three assists) took the Golden Ball and Golden Boot. Muller was also named the Best Young Player.

Spain's Iker Casillas deservedly took the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

Picture Credit : Google

Which are the children’s favourite translated works they have read?

Russian literature

Here is my list of translated works. Written in the Dutch language, "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank has been translated in more than 70 languages and needs no introduction. This beautifully written memoir showcases how difficult life was during the Holocaust. Anne's life in seclusion seems hopeless. Despite this, she always stays cheerful and happy. Unfortunately, this story doesn't have a happy ending, but teaches me to always stay cheerful against the adversities in life. The Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy, is best known for his two longest works ("War & Peace" and "Anna Karenina') which are regarded among the finest novels ever written. His stories are extremely powerful. They convey human values and morals in simple words. "War & Peace" is a literary work mixed with chapters on history and philosophy, while "Anna Karenina" is an account of the doomed love affair between Anna and Count Vronsky.

Not lost in translation

I enjoy reading books. The best translated works I have read till now are "The Little Prince", "The Dragon Rider", "The Rainbow Fish", "The Pied Piper of Hamelin", and "The Little Red Riding Hood". "The Rainbow Fish" is really good. It is a fiction translated from German into English by J Ellison James. The book is best known for its message on selfishness and sharing. The characters in this book help each other through thick and thin. The moral of this story is we should always be helpful. I enjoy reading this story because it has a good moral and reading this book also improves my vocabulary.

The Tin Soldier

Originally written by Hans Christian Andersen and retold by Russell Punter. "The Steadfast Tin Soldier' is a beautiful story about a one-legged tin soldier who comes alive at night and falls in love with a paper ballerina. But the jack in the box is jealous and pushes the tin soldier out of the window. He is found by a group of children who make a paper boat and place him on the river. He has to go through a sewage area and even gets eaten up by a fish! But he doesn't give up, and luck comes on his side. The original version had an unfortunate ending: the tin soldier and ballerina melted in a fireplace, but in the retold story, they lived happily ever after, which makes me like the latter one more than the original. The story's moral is whatever happens. if your intentions are good, you will succeed.

Pippi Longstocking

Astrid Lindgren's most famous and loved book, "Pippi Longstocking" was translated to English from Swedish. I enjoyed reading the book. Pippi is the strongest girl in the world. She stays alone with no grown-ups around. She has two pets, a monkey and a horse. Pippi is funny. She eats caramel candy instead of taking vitamins. She cleverly covers her mistakes as facts that others don't know. I like the thing finder game they play as it is similar to my favourite game treasure hunt.

A translation by Satyajit Ray

The best translated work I have ever read is "Braziler Kalo Bagh (The Brazilian Black Tiger), which is a Bengali translation by Satyajit Ray of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story "The Brazilian Cat". It is a great crime adventure story with some interesting plot twists. The protagonist here is Marshall King, nearly bankrupt and the only successor of his uncle Lord Southerton. Due to his financial problems and an invitation from his long lost cousin Everard King, who has returned to England after a long stay in South America, Marshall he goes to his house. There after some days of leisure he falls into a great trap set up by his cousin. Everard has called his cousin to his home and made arrangements to kill him in way that looks like an accident. Everard does this because he finds out that if Marshall dies he will become the next Lord Southerton. Luckily our protagonist escapes and Everard dies in the paws of his pet Tommy, a ferocious Brazilian tiger. The story is a great example of a crime adventure story. And also I have to admit that the great writer Ray has translated the story in his unqine writing style. This is truly the best translated work I have ever read.

A spiritual guide

The best translated work I ever read is "The Alchemist" originally written in Portuguese and later beautifully rewritten in English by Paulo Coelho. Santiago, a shepherd boy, wants to travel the world to collect wonderful treasures. On his way, he meets an alchemist in a life-changing encounter.

Coelho mixes spiritualistic views and magic in his book, which I found was pretty distinctive from all the other books I have read so far. His books will surely have a strong impact on everyone's lives.

This book stimulates and enhances the positive energy in me. I wish to read many similar books.

Scandinavian fiction

These are the best translated works I have ever read - The Martin Beck" series by Maj sjowall and Per Wahloo and The Crow Girl" by Erik Axl Sund. They are both Swedish novels. "Martin Beck" is a series of books collectively titled "The Story of a Crime". I recently started reading translated books and this is the first book I fell in love with. Martin Beck, the protagonist of series, is a fictional Swedish detective. He solves crimes and mysteries. I have read lots of detective and crime novels but this series is my personal favourite. Although it's a bit gory, it has lots of mysteries. Each book has a different storyline which makes it really good.

"The Crow Girl" is a crime and psychological horror novel. It is the Everest of Scandinavian crime fiction. This was my first time reading a psychological thriller and it actually scared me a little. It follows Detective Jeanette Kihlberg as tries to find the answers for the murder of a young boy.

The adventures of Amir Hamza

My favourite translated work is "The Adventures of Amir Hamza". It was originally written in Persian, by Ghalib Lakhnavi and Abdullah Bilgrami and translated in English by Musharraf Ali Farooqi. This is a major Indo-Persian epic. The book. falls under adventure and fairy tale genre. It follows an adventurer, Amir Hamza, who is under the Persian king and fights many campaigns. He goes to the supernatural

"The Pied Piper of Hamelin”

The "Pied Piper of Hamelin" is a book written by Robert Browning in the German language in 1248. The story was later translated into English. This is a superb story and it tells us that we should always keep our promises and never go back on our word and cheat anyone.

In this story, there is a town named Hamelin which ir infested by rats. So, the realm and fights enemies even there, and dies heroically. I love this book because it has a great deal of imagination and we can easily pass our time as this book is highly engrossing. It is like an odyssey of the Middle East. This book involves sages, prophets, spies, demons, mad emperors and so on. This novel reminds me of the story of King Arthur.

A French fairytale

One of the best translated works I have read is "Little Red Riding Hood". The story, a fairytale for children, has been translated from French to English by Sarah Ardizzone. The book has been short listed for UKLA children's book. In the story, Little Red Riding Hood is a girl, who lives with her mother. Once she leaves her house to visit her grandmother. On the way, she meets a big, bad wolf in the forest. She continues walking and reaches the house. Once she is there, she realises that something is different. She sees the wolf, who has dressed up as her grandmother. He tells her has eaten her grandma and now she is scared because she thinks he would eat her, too. In the end, the neighbours come and help her. The moral of the story is we should never talk to strangers. I enjoyed this story because it has good lessons.

"Old Arthur and "The Chess Players"

My most favourite translated works are "Old Arthur (written in English by Liesel Moak Skorpen, and translated to Tamil by Siragini and Athithan), and "The Chess Players (originally written in Hindi by Munshi Premchand and translated by T.C Ghai), "Old Arthur is a story about an old dog named Arthur, who works for a farmer. He helps the farmer, and does all his work skillfully. But as Arthur grows old, he can't work as efficiently as before. The farmer becomes angry with him day by day, and one day, decides to shoot the old dog. He somehow escapes and one day, a boy named William buys Arthur. He washes Arthur, gives him good food, and they soon become friends. The story couls with, "William and Arthur lived happily ever after. I read the translated Tamil version first. Though I later also read the original work in English, I'll never forget the Tamil version.

"The Chess Players is about two best friends Mir Sahib and Mirza, who play chess every day. The English East India Company invades Lucknow. But the friends are not worried. They are interested only in chess, and continue playing, hiding in an old mosque. One day. Mirza loses two consecutive matches and the two friends start arguing. The argument soon turns into a swordfight killing both the men, I like this story very much, and it has deep thoughts, and philosophical ideas.

A little girl with a free mind

The translated works I loved the most are "Totto Chan: The Little Girl at the Window and "Where the Mind is Without Fear.

"Totto Chan" originally written in Japanese by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, has been translated into more than 30 languages. As the title suggests, it is the story of a little girl named Totto Chan. It takes place during WWII. Totto is a really curious girl and is always asking questions, which results in her getting expelled from her school. She has an extremely active mind. For instance, one moment she is thinking of becoming a teacher and just ten minutes later she starts thinking of becoming a musician. This book describes her life and her journey in her new and extraordinary school.

"Where the Mind is Without Fear is a poem written by Rabindranath Tagore. Originally written in Bengali, it was translated into English by Tagore himself. This poem is masterpiece. This poem was written by Tagore during the Indian freedom struggle. It is an indication of what free India should look like.

Picture Credit : Google

What are the meaning, origin and usage of the word anglicise?

Anglicise

This is a verb, and it refers to the changing of a non-English word or a name to make it sound or look like English.

Origin:

Anglicise is said to have its origins in Medieval Latin - from Anglicus meaning "of the English. The word is said to have first been used in the early years of the 18th Century.

Example:

"You do know you get John when you anglicise Juan, right?" she told me.

Picture Credit : Google

What are the meaning, origin and usage of the word meme?

Meme

The word meme corresponds to an element of a culture or a system of behaviour that is passed from one individual to another either by imitation or by other non-genetic means.

The word has also come to denote images, videos, and pieces of text, often humorous in nature and sometimes with slight variations, that is shared rapidly by users of the Internet.

Origin

The word meme was introduced by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in 1976 in his popular book, The Selfish Gene He coined the word when looking for a new name to express a particular idea and arrived at it from Greek sources, and intentionally making it sound like gene.

The digital sense of the word has been around since 1997, when the practice of spreading certain images and text on the Internet was picking up rapidly.

Usage

The entire group was in splits after seeing the meme shared in response to the statement.

Picture Credit : Google

What are the meaning, origin and usage of the word doldrums?

Doldrums

The noun means the state of feeling sad or depressed; and a lack of activity or improvement.

Origin

The word finds its origins in the late 18th Century as doldrum, meaning "dull, sluggish person", thought to be borrowed from the word dull, on the pattern of tantrums.

Usage

Thanks to the pandemic, the economy is in the doldrums.

Picture Credit : Google

What are the meaning, origin and usage of the word nifty?

Nifty

Meaning:

Nifty means very good, skilful, deft, attractive and stylish. It's used as an adjective. If you describe something as nifty, you mean it is pleasing or cleverly done.

Origin:

Said to be of unknown origin, the term "nifty" has been in use in English from the mid-19th Century.

Example sentences:

Ardern's government has been applauded for her nifty handling of the pandemic.

He has chosen a nifty outfit for the party.

Picture Credit : Google

What are the meaning, origin and usage of the word anomaly?

Anomaly

Anomaly is a thing or a person which is different from what is usual or expected. It could also refer to an error or a mistake in a particular system.

Origins

The word 'anomaly derives from the Latin anomalia, meaning "inequality".

Examples:

1. The software detected an anomaly caused by the virus.

2. There was an anomaly in his blood test.

Picture Credit : Google

What is the life story of Stephen King?

A dusty box of fantasy horror fiction books that belonged to his father, who had left his family, turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Stephen King. The young author quickly devoured the entire set and hankered for more. Soon, he began writing his own stories and got started on the path to becoming one of the world's most acclaimed horror fiction authors.

Born on September 21, 1947 in Portland, Maine, King worked as a high school English teacher for many years, before he found success as a writer. In 1974, his first published novel "Carrie", about a friendless girl, who uses her telekinetic powers to take revenge on those who bully her, became an instant bestseller and was adapted into a big budget Hollywood film a couple of years later. The works that followed - "Salem's Lot", "The Shining" and "IT cemented his reputation as a bestselling writer.

The mysterious Richard Bachman

Wanting to know if his books could sell without riding on their authors fame, King started writing a few books under the alias Richard Bachman in secret.

He adopted the alias for four books ("Rage", "The Long Walk", "Roadwork", and "The Running Man"). They remained relatively obscure and no one suspected that their author was one of the most well-known and successful writers of the 20th century!

But Brown a bookseller, who had read many of King's books, was surprised to see the similarities between the two writer's styles. He was shocked to read Bachman's latest book, "Thinner' as it read like a classic King! Intrigued, he dug up further to discover that it was indeed King who held the copyright to the title of one of Bachman's books. He wrote a letter to King's agent, informing him about his discovery. And that's how he blew the lid on what may have been the biggest literary ruse of the century! Following the controversy, King decided it was time to say goodbye to his pseudonym. He announced that Bachman had died from 'a cancer of the pseudonym.'

Oh really?

  • Before becoming a teacher, King worked at an industrial laundry, and later part-time as a high school janitor.
  • On June 19, 1999, King was hit by a van while walking along a road near his summer home in Maine. He had to undergo multiple surgeries to repair his broken leg and shattered hip.

Picture Credit : Google

What are adjectives?

Adjectives are words that describe a noun or a pronoun in a sentence. Let's take a closer look at adjectives

Points to remember

  • Adjectives of quality describe the size, shape, colour, taste, and touch. They also describe qualities and feelings.

Examples: Long, black sweet, etc

  • Compound adjectives are adjectives that are made up of two or more words, usually with hyphens (-) between them.

Examples: Open-minded, well-mannered light-hearted, etc

  • Adjectives are formed by adding different suffies such as-al ful, -ive. -less, etc

Examples: Seasonal, respectful, attractive, useless, etc

  • Some adjectives are formed from existing words, including nouns.

Examples: Proud (from the noun pride); long (length): young (youth): belief (believe); etc.

  • Adjectives of quantity express an approximate quantity

Examples: Much, mast, whole, etc.

  • Adjectives of number express the exact number.

Examples: One, two, second third, etc.

  • When two nouns are compared, comparative adjectives are used.

Examples: It is easier to walk than drive through the forest the train journey takes longer than air travel

  • When more than two nouns are compared superlative adjectives are used.

Examples: The blue whale is the largest animal: Goa is the smallest State in India.

Did you know?

  • Some adjectives come in pairs!

Examples: The speech was short and sweet: Slow and steady wins the race:

I am sick and tired of eating the same food.

Picture Credit : Google

In which country Kilimanjaro volcano found?

Located in Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s tallest mountain at about 5,895 meters (19,340 feet). It is the largest free-standing mountain rise in the world, meaning it is not part of a mountain range.

Also called a stratovolcano (a term for a very large volcano made of ash, lava, and rock), Kilimanjaro is made up of three cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Kibo is the summit of the mountain and the tallest of the three volcanic formations. While Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, Kibo is dormant and could possibly erupt again. Scientists estimate that the last time it erupted was 360,000 years ago. The highest point on Kibo’s crater rim is called Uhuru, the Swahili word for “freedom.” The mountain is also known for its snow-capped peak; however, scientists warn that the snow might disappear within the next 20 years or so. 

In 1889, German geographer Hans Meyer and Austrian mountaineer Ludwig Purtscheller became the first people on record to reach the summit of Kilimanjaro. Since then, Kilimanjaro has become a popular hiking spot for locals and tourists. Because mountaineering gear and experience is not needed to reach the peak, tens of thousands of climbers ascend the mountain each year. The climb is still dangerous, however, because of the risk of altitude sickness—a condition climbers experience if they ascend too quickly, which can be deadly if not treated right away.

In 1973, the mountain and its six surrounding forest corridors were named Kilimanjaro National Park in order to protect its unique environment. The park was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site in 1987. A variety of animals live in the area surrounding the mountain, including the blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis).

Credit : National Geographic Society 

Picture Credit : Google

What happened in the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora?

Mount Tambora, also called Mount Tamboro, Indonesian Gunung Tambora, volcanic mountain on the northern coast of Sumbawa island, Indonesia, that in April 1815 exploded in the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history. It is now 2,851 metres (9,354 feet) high, having lost much of its top in the 1815 eruption. The volcano remains active; smaller eruptions took place in 1880 and 1967, and episodes of increased seismic activity occurred in 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Tambora’s catastrophic eruption began on April 5, 1815, with small tremors and pyroclastic flows. A shattering blast blew the mountain apart on the evening of April 10. The blast, pyroclastic flows, and tsunamis that followed killed at least 10,000 islanders and destroyed the homes of 35,000 more. Before its eruption Mount Tambora was about 4,300 metres (14,000 feet) high. After the eruption ended, a caldera spanning some 6 km (3.7 miles) across remained.

Many volcanologists regard the Mount Tambora eruption as the largest and most-destructive volcanic event in recorded history, expelling as much as 150 cubic km (roughly 36 cubic miles) of ash, pumice and other rock, and aerosols—including an estimated 60 megatons of sulfur—into the atmosphere. As that material mixed with atmospheric gases, it prevented substantial amounts of sunlight from reaching Earth’s surface, eventually reducing the average global temperature by as much as 3 °C (5.4 °F). The immediate effects were most profound on Sumbawa and surrounding islands. Some 80,000 people perished from disease and famine, since crops could not grow. In 1816, parts of the world as far away as Western Europe and eastern North America experienced sporadic periods of heavy snow and killing frost through June, July, and August. Such cold weather events led to crop failures and starvation in those regions, and the year 1816 was called the “year without a summer.”

Credit : Britannica 

Picture Credit : Google

What caused eyjafjallajokull to erupt in 2010?

The eruptions of Iceland's volcano Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 were apparently triggered by a chain reaction of expanding magma chambers that descended into the Earth, a group of researchers now says.

After nearly two centuries of dormancy, Eyjafjallajokull (AYA-feeyapla-yurkul) erupted many times over the course of 10 weeks. These outbursts spewed a huge plume of ash that generated extraordinary lightning displays, colored sunsets a fiery redacross much of Europe and forced widespread flight cancellations for days.

The eruptions began in 2010 when a fissure opened on the flank of Eyjafjallajokull in March, revealing that it was inflating with magma. An explosion then burst from the volcano's summit in April, and three more major explosions from Eyjafjallajokull rocked Iceland in May. Analysis of material spewed from the explosions suggests each one involved separate chambers loaded with magma of distinct ages and compositions.

To learn more about what caused this spate of eruptions, the researchers analyzed swarms of microearthquakes during the outbursts. The data suggests the first explosion was rooted in a magma chamber about 3 miles (5 kilometers) below the surface, while the three later major explosions stemmed from magma chambers at depths of about 7 miles (11.5 km), 12 miles (19 km) and 15 miles (24 km). 

Credit : Live Science 

Picture Credit : Google

When did Kilauea last erupt?

Shortly after approximately 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 20, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) detected a glow within Halema?uma?u crater at the summit of Kilauea volcano. The water lake that had existed at the summit of Kilauea since 2019 soon boiled away as an effusive eruption commenced. Three initial vents in the wall of Halema?uma?u crater cascaded lava flows into a growing lava lake on the crater floor.
After 5 months of activity, a decrease in effusion indicated that the eruption in Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kilauea was going to pause. HVO field crews did not observe any signs of lava lake activity on May 25, and reported no signs of active surface lava.
The next day Kilauea was no longer erupting. The crusted-over lava lake was last measured at 229 m (751 ft) deep and was stagnant across its surface.

Picture Credit : Google