"The question is, are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?" - Sir David Attenborough
This week's CST session focused on the animal kingdom. This was because Wednesday 4th October was 'World Animal Day'.
We began with introductions and asked members to say what their favourite animal is, which they have seen or would most like to see, which impresses them the most and so on.
IDIOMS
We asked members to complete the following phrases ...
- A bird in the hand is worth - TWO IN THE BUSH
- Ants in your - PANTS
- The birds and the - BEES
- Cat's got your - TONGUE
- Chicken - OUT
- Clam - UP
- Copy - CAT
- Dropping like - FLIES
- Eager - BEAVER
- Fishy - BUSINESS
- Hold your - HORSES
- Get the lion's - SHARE
- In the dog - HOUSE
- Kill tow birds with - ONE STONE
- Let the cat out of - THE BAG
- A little bird - TOLD ME
- Nest - EGG
- Pig - OUT
- Put the cat amongst - THE PIGEONS
- Rat - RACE
- Red - HERRING
- See no - EVIL, Hear no - EVIL, Speak - NO EVIL (THREE WISE MONKEYS)
- Straight from the - HORSE'S MOUTH
- Take the bull by - THE HORNS
- Until the cows - COME HOME
- While the cat's away - THE MICE WILL PLAY
'The quick brown fox jumps over the - LAZY DOG?' - IT CONTAINS ALL THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET
NATIONAL ANIMALS
We asked members to think about which animals are synonymous with particular countries, i.e. regarded as National Animals.
- Australia - RED KANGAROO
- Canada - NORTH AMERICAN BEAVER
- China - GIANT PANDA
- France - COCKEREL
- India - ROYAL BENGAL TIGER, KING COBRA
- Japan - KOI CARP
- Mauritius - DODO (extinct)
- Mexico - GOLDEN EAGLE
- Nepal - COW
- New Zealand - KIWI
- Russia - EUROPEAN BROWN BEAR
- Scotland - SHETLAND PONY
- South Africa - SPRINGBOK
- Thailand - ELEPHANT
- United Arab Emirates - PEREGRINE FALCON
- United Kingdom - BRITISH BULLDOG, LION
- United States - BALD EAGLE, AMERICAN BISON
- Wales - RED KITE, RED DRAGON :-)
MUSIC & PICTURE QUIZ
We then moved on to our Music & Picture Quiz ...
ROUND 1. Record breakers
1. The world's largest animal is what?
Who wrote 'Moby Dick' in 1851?
2. The world's tallest land animal is what?
How tall does a male one grow?
(They are HERBIVORES - Their long necks allow them to reach leaves, seeds, fruits, buds and branches high up in mimosa and acacia trees. They get most of their moisture from the vegetation they eat.)
3. The world's tallest dog, 'Zeus', was which breed?
How tall was he?
4. The smelliest animal in the world is what?
How far can it spray?
(Does anyone remember 'Pepe Le Pew'?)
5. What is the largest domesticated cat?
How many years have humans lived with cats?
6. What is the longest living land animal in the world?
What was the name of Charles Darwin's ship which sailed to these islands in 1835?
7. The world's biggest land animal is what?
How heavy does it get?
(African ones have larger ears; Indian ones have smaller ears.)
8. SONG. 'Nellie The Elephant', Mandy Miller - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIuvhz4SfCE
Show the following video clip - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P66mUNV3rKY
Which children's TV show was this on?
ROUND 2. Danger
9. The most deadliest animal in the world is what? (Aside from Humans!)
What disease do they pass on?
10. The most poisonous animal in the world is what?
(They are NOT found in the UK, though 'Portuguese Man O' War' are sighted in UK waters, with increasing regularity.)
11. The biggest land predator is what?
Which hemisphere are they found in?
12. The only venomous snake in the UK is what?
(They rarely fatally bite humans, but are a frequent killer of dogs.)
Who banished snakes from Ireland, according to legend?
13. Alligators can live up to how many years?
Complete the phrase, "See you later alligator...
14. True or false. The colour red angers a bull?
What is the name of a Spanish bullfighter?
15. True or false. You are more likely to be killed by a popping champagne cork than a poisonous spider?
A fear of spiders is called what?
16. True or false. Hippos can run faster than humans?
The TV sitcom character who imagined his mother in law as a hippopotamus was who?
17. According to the old adage, how many feet are you from a rat at any one time?
Which actor was famous for saying "You dirty rat!"?
18. 'Ben', Michael Jackson - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvGEZ4S_SuY
What was the name of his chimp?
ROUND 3. Speed
19. The slowest swimming fish in the world is what?
True or false. They can change gender?
20. Which bird can run faster than a horse?
How fast can it run?
21. The fastest animal in the world is what?
How fast can it run?
(Tarzan had a monkey named after this animal.)
(Ask members if anyone can do the 'Tarzan yell'?)
22. The slowest animal in the world is what?
How fast can it move?
What are the 'Seven Deadly Sins'?
23. Hummingbirds beat their wings how many times a second?
Why are they care called 'Hummingbirds'?
24. How many times per second can a Woodpecker peck?
Can members make the 'Woody Woodpecker' call?
25. How fast can a kangaroo move?
What species are they?
26. 'I Am The Walrus', The Beatles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tiPR7SCb2I
How old would John Lennon have been this week?
ROUND 4. Wierd and wonderful
27. What is the only mammal which can fly?
What horror character is associated with this creature?
28. Name this creature, which is a mammal that lays eggs?
29. Name this fish, which is amphibious (can survive in and out of water)?
30. How far can a mole tunnel in one night?
Which group had a hit with 'I Am A Mole And I Live In A Hole'?
31. Name this creature, which can change colour to camouflage itself?
Which group had a hit with 'Karma, Karma .........'?)
32. True or false. A cockroach can survive a nuclear war?
33. What do you call the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly?
Name some UK butterflies?
34. What makes a flamingo pink?
35. What do koala bears eat exclusively?
36. What do pandas eat exclusively?
37. Chimp and human DNA is different by what percentage?
38. The oldest living human ever was how old?
39. Which animals are the longest surviving on earth, i.e. they have been around for millions of years?
How many millions?
40. How many millions of years ago were dinosaurs made extinct?
Which dinosaur is this?
41. SONG. 'House Of The Rising Sun', The Animals - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fy7opKu46c
Which Bible story has animals saved from floods in twos?
ROUND 5. TV & Film
42. Who is this? He has a new series on TV starting this week?
What TV series was this, first broadcast in 1979?
43. Name the TV series and the vet?
44. Name the film and actor?
45. Name the TV show?
46. SONG. 'Bright Eyes', Art Garfunkel - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGyQmH9NZcw
Who wrote the book?
47. SONG. 'Albatross', Fleetwood Mac - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QooCN5JbOkU
What is the wingspan of an Albatross?
47. SONG. 'I Know An Old Lady', Burl Ives - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZnLxqUyFK8&t=59s
How many creatures were named in the song?
ANSWERS
1. Blue Whale
Herman Melville
2. Giraffe
A male can grow to 18 feet tall
3. Great Dane
7 feet 4 inches when standing on hind legs
4. Skunk
10 feet
5. Maine Coon
7,000 years
6. Galapagos Tortoise - 177 years old
'HMS Beagle'
7. African Elephant
7 tons
8. 'Blue Peter'
9. Mosquito
Malaria
10. Box Jellyfish
11. Polar Bear
Northern
12. Adder
Saint Patrick
13. 100
... In a while Crocodile."
14. False
Matador