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Very Fast TrainsA very fast train is an electrified train that runs on a dedicated line. A very fast train has an average speed of more than 250 km/h. It offers an obvious alternative to cars on crowded motorways and to air travel on crowded air routes.Very fast trains have been around for a long while. In Japan, the first very fast train, the so-called bullet train, first ran in 1964. Its route, the Hokkaido line, was from Tokyo to Osaka, a distance of 515 km. It achieved speeds of up to 300 km/h. The other national super train, the TGV (Train a’Grande Vitesse: meaning high-speed train), ran in France for the first time in 1983, on Paris to Lyon route. Super trains are generally expected to run at an average speed 270km/h. Spain’s super train, the Ave, has reached a top speed of 500km/h. No wonder very fast trains have spread throughout Europe, and the bullet train system has been extended in Japan.How are very fast trains able to attain such high speed? First of all, they have an efficient supply of energy through overhead electric lines. They have aerodynamic design to limit wind resistance at high speeds. Curves and climbs have been kept to a minimum. They also travel on lines especially built for their high speeds – there are no slower, more conventional trains on super train lines.Very fast trains are smooth-running and quiet. They have few delays. For examples, the average time for TGV trains to remain at stations is just a few minutes.That is, enough time to permit passengers to alight from and board the train. Planes travel at much faster speed than super trains, yet passengers spend a lot of time getting to airports, boarding the plane, and then leaving the airport and traveling to their local destination at the other end. On some routes in Europe it is faster to travel by super train than by plane.There are no super trains in Australia because of our vast distances and very small population. Elsewhere in the world, super trains travel between centers of great population. However, Queensland does have a tilt train, the next step down from the super trains. It achieves high speeds because it tilts as it comes into curves. As a result, the train does not have to slow down so much. However, it does not travel on a specially constructed line.

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The sense of taste is one of a person's five senses. We taste with the help of taste-buds in the tongue. There are four main kinds of taste: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. All other tastes are just mixtures of two or more of these main types. The surface of the tongue has more than fifteen thousand taste-buds (or cells). These are connected to the brain by special nerves which send the so-called 'tastes messages. When the tongue comes into contact with food of any kind, the taste-buds will pick up the taste. The nerves then send a message to the brain. This will make us aware of the taste. All this happens in just a few seconds. There are four kinds of taste-buds, each of which is sensitive to only a particular taste. These four groups are located in different parts of the tongue. The taste-buds for salty and sweet tastes are found round the tip of the tongue and along its sides. Sour tastes can be picked up only at the sides of the tongue. The taste-buds of the bitter taste are found at the innermost edge of the tongue. There are taste-buds at the centre of the tongue. The senses of smell and sight can affect taste. The good smell of food increases its taste. Similarly, attractive colours can make food appear tastier and more delicious. If food does not smell good or is dull-coloured, it will look tasty and may not taste good at all. Very hot or cold sensations can make the taste-buds insensitive. Food that is too hot or too cold, when placed in the mouth, will have no tastes at all.

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In their famous Indonesian – English dictionary, Prof. Woyowasito and the late Mr. Purwodarminto translated the word ‘arisan‘ as a saving club, while Prof. Dr. Bowman, a Dutch sociologist, defined it as “ROSCA”, the abbreviation of Rotating Saving Credit Association.
Arisan plays an important role in Indonesian society. We can save our money and someday we can withdraw our saving. Or we can get a certain sum of money as a loan, and repay it in installments, without any interest. We may say that we can get credit without difficulty and formal procedures. The money intended for arisan is commonly regarded as a savings.The purpose of arisan is to strengthen the bonds among participants. It shows the spirit of mutual assistance. Every member has the same chance to win the lucky number. He or she then will subsequently be the host or hostess for the next meeting.Arisan is not only found among Indonesians. I believe that it is also popular in many other parts of the world. Of course it has different name. The number of arisan members is not limited.