9781422275856

Ultimate Danger Ultimate Danger Ultimate

The Ultimate Book of

H.W. Poole

Ultimate Danger Ultimate Danger Ultimate

The Ultimate Book of

Ultimate Danger Ultimate Danger Ultimate

• D a n g e r • U l t i m a t e

The Ultimate Book of Dangerous Animals

The Ultimate Book of Dangerous Insects

The Ultimate Book of Dangerous Jobs

The Ultimate Book of Dangerous Places

The Ultimate Book of Dangerous Sports & Activities

The Ultimate Book of Dangerous Weather

Ultimate Danger Ultimate Danger Ultimate

The Ultimate Book of

H.W. Poole

Mason Crest Philadelphia • Miami

Ultimate Danger Ultimate Danger Ultimate

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2020 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN (series) 978-1-4222-4224-7

ISBN (hardback) 978-1-4222-4228-5 ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4222-7585-6 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress.

Developed and Produced by National Highlights Inc. Editor: Peter Jaskowiak Interior and cover design: Annemarie Redmond Production: Michelle Luke QR CODES AND LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY CONTENT

You may gain access to certain third-party content (“Third-Party Sites”) by scanning and using the QR Codes that appear in this publication (the “QR Codes”). We do not operate or control in any respect any information, products, or services on such Third-Party Sites linked to by us via the QR Codes included in this publication, and we assume no responsibility for any materials you may access using the QR Codes. Your use of the QR Codes may be subject to terms, limitations, or restrictions set forth in the applicable terms of use or otherwise established by the owners of the Third-Party Sites. Our linking to such Third- Party Sites via the QR Codes does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of such Third-Party Sites or the information, products, or services

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Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text, while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowl- edge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weav- ing together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, provid- ing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connect- ed to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminol- ogy used throughout the series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field. Contents Series Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Chapter 1: Dangerous Natural Environments . . . . . . . . . .9 Chapter 2: Dangerous Human-Made Environments . . . . . . . 23 Chapter 3: Dangerous Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Chapter 4: Dangerous Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Series Glossary of Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Further Reading and Internet Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Author’s Biography and Photo Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . .80

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Series Introduction The Ultimate Danger set explores hair-raising hobbies, crime-ridden cities, death- dealing hurricanes, and much more. But what makes something dangerous? The answer may depend on your perspective. For example, some people would say that guns are so inherently dangerous that having one in the house is unthinkable. But to those who feel comfortable around guns, it’s fine to have weapons in the house—even desirable!—as long as they’re stored properly. Or consider this: most Americans think of New Zealand as a faraway land with breathtaking scenery and . . . who knows, maybe surfing? The point is, Americans don’t know all that much about New Zealand, and it looks adorably harmless to us from so far away. But to New Some Information on Information Boxes Each entry in this set includes an information box that provides basic facts about that topic. Most are self-explanatory, but a few require a little bit of explanation. In Dangerous Animals , one category is called “IUCN Red List.” This refers to a database created by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The IUCN assesses the population levels of animal species, and also whether that population is growing or declining. Each species is given a designation, such as “Endangered,” “Vulnerable,” or, if it’s doing well, “Least Concern.” The Dangerous Places volume has chapters on dangerous cities and countries—both use population information from the World Population Review website. Almost by definition, the countries and cities covered here tend to be unstable, meaning good data can be difficult to come by. In addition, some countries don’t report trustworthy numbers, and movements of refugees can shift population levels rapidly. In the “Dangerous Countries” chapter, the information box also gives travel advisory information from the U.S. State Department, which assesses the safety (or lack thereof) of countries to help tourists decide whether or not to visit them. Countries are put into four categories, with increasing levels of danger:

• Level 1 (exercise normal precautions) • Level 2 (exercise increased caution)

• Level 3 (reconsider travel) • Level 4 (do not travel)

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Zealand’s indigenous Maori population, who were robbed and oppressed during two hundred years of imperialist rule, New Zealand may not seem quite as adorable. Given all that, it’s clear that “dangerous” is subjective. The term can also be a vaguely insulting one in some contexts. Consider the people of St. Louis, a city frequently included on lists of “most dangerous cities” due to its high rate of violent crimes per citizen. Many residents are annoyed about the city they love ending up on those lists. They’ll hold forth passionately about how the statistics are misreported, misunderstood, and just generally unfair. But not everyone finds “dangerous” to be insulting—for some, the word indicates something that’s a heck of a lot of fun. Three of this set’s six volumes ( Dangerous Jobs, Dangerous Places , and Dangerous Sports & Activities ) are partly or entirely devoted to dangers that humans actively pursue . Even those of us who would rather not dance with actual danger can’t get enough of TV shows and films that scare us, startle us, and let us experience danger at a distance. Some of us even read (and write!) books about the topic. So, without further ado, let’s check out the ultimate in dangerous creatures, activities, and events.

Series Introduction

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Words to Understand hypothermia: a dangerously low body temperature precipitation: water that falls from the sky, whether in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail proximity: nearness treacherous: extremely risky UV radiation: UV is short for ultraviolet; part of the light spectrum that is not visible to the eye; about 10 percent of sunlight is UV radiation

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Chapter 1

Dangerous Natural Environments W herever you’re reading this right now, whether at school or at home, it’s likely that you’re inside. But did you realize that the whole idea of “being inside” had to be created? Our ancient ancestors invented the notion of “inside” about a million years ago, when they started taking shelter in caves. Ever since, humans have been developing increasingly sophisticated ways to protect themselves from the dangers of the outdoors. The next step was making rough tents from animal skins. The first houses were built in northern Africa around 10,000 years ago. And it’s a good thing, too, because as you’ll see in this chapter, there’s a whole lot of danger to be found outside. The desert sun can kill you with dehydration or burn you with UV radiation . The thin air of mountaintops can permanently damage your brain. The sea can drown you, while outer space can freeze or boil you. Some animals will eat you, others will poison you, others . . . you know what, let’s just stay in our own cave and read about these dangers, instead!

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Beaches

Sea , sand , and surf are the words that describe many people’s ideal vacation. But beaches aren’t without their hazards, either. One of the most common hazards, of course, is the dreaded overexposure to ultraviolet radiation, better known as a sunburn. While highly unpleasant, sunburns are avoidable through the use of hats and sunscreen. In small doses, ultraviolet exposure isn’t especially harmful—in fact, we all need some sunlight to stay healthy! Repeated exposure over long periods,

Dangers: Beaches present risks of boat collisions, drowning, shark attacks, sunburns, and more. Did You Know? According to National Geographic , the United States averages 19 shark attacks per year.

however, is not safe and is strongly associated with skin cancer. Drownings are probably a more pressing danger for beachgoers. While it’s true that people can and do drown anywhere—including in backyard pools and even bathtubs—areas of open water such as oceans are the most common place where drowning occurs. The International Life Saving Federation estimates that lifeguards around the world make approximately one million rescues every year. Ocean bathers must share the water with critters who may not be so happy to meet them. Swimmers in Australia know to fear the box jellyfish, whose toxic tentacles can kill a person in three minutes or less. Coral reefs are home to stonefish, whose poisoned spines inflict horrifying pain on about a thousand beachgoers a year. Meanwhile, the website Tracking Sharks (www.trackingsharks.com) reported 101 shark attacks around the world in 2018. But don’t let the fear of sharks put you off your vacation too much. Although shark attacks are scary and dramatic, they are very rare. What’s more, about a quarter of them are described as “provoked,” meaning that the human approached the shark first, rather than the other way around. After “wear a hat” and “swim near lifeguards,” the top safety tip at the beach has got to be don’t mess with sharks . You’ll increase your survival rate right off the bat.

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Deep Sea

The depths of the world’s oceans are some of the last unexplored frontiers on Earth. Even in the 21st century, it’s likely that there are great discoveries to be made on the ocean floor in a variety of fields, including biology, geology, and even archaeology. One reason there’s still so much to learn is that the journey down to the ocean floor is extremely treacherous . In the words of the explorer and film director James Cameron, “there are a lot of ways to die [down there].” The human body is not

Dangers: Pressure- induced illnesses, drownings, and explosions can occur far from land. Did You Know? The deepest water in

the world is that of the Pacific Ocean’s

Mariana Trench, which goes farther down into the Earth than Mount Everest stretches into the sky.

built to exist in the high- pressure environment of the deep sea. Divers are at risk for a variety of problems, such as • barotrauma (involving damage to the ear) • decompression sickness (aka “the bends,” caused by rising to the surface too quickly) • oxygen toxicity (when pressure causes the body to take in too much oxygen) • pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) Deep-sea vessels can fare just as badly as humans, succumbing to the tremendous water pressure by breaking or even falling totally apart. Extraordinarily low temperatures can cause machinery to freeze, but if it gets too close to hypothermic vents, that same

A Chinese vessel known as Deep Sea Warrior.

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machinery can melt instead. Cables can get tangled or break, causing vessels to drift far off course. As unlikely as it sounds, vessels can even catch fire or explode.

Find out more about deep sea exploration.

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Deserts

Hot sun, scorching-hot sand, no water, no shade . . . there’s only one place this could be: the desert. About one-third of our planet is desert, and we get more all the time. Planet Earth is warming overall, and deserts are warming even faster than average. The forces of climate change are helping to create approximately 80,775 square miles (130,000 sq km) of new desert every year. That’s more and more land that can’t be farmed. People who live in or visit deserts need to be very aware of water—where it is, when it’s there, how to get it. According to a U.S. Army report, doing even moderate work in desert conditions will mean you need about 2.5 gallons (9.5 liters)

Dangers: Deserts present many risks, such as dangerous animals, dehydration, flash flooding, heat exhaustion, and sunburn. Did You Know? The world’s oldest desert is the Namib in southwest Africa; its name means “vast place,” and it has been dry for about 55 million years.

of water per day to stave off dehydration. On top of that, there’s the dangers of heat exhaustion and UV radiation exposure. And then there’s the wildlife—

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