Reference Question of the Month

Posted by Judy T.

March can be a bit dismal.  The weather is often cold and wet; there are no really big holiday celebrations (though we tip our hat to St. Patrick’s Day), and we remember Shakespeare’s warning “Beware the Ides of March.”  Rather than allowing ourselves to feel glum, we prefer to side with Emily Dickinson who called March “the month of expectation.”  With that in mind, we’re going to look ahead to longer days, warmer weather, vacations, and gardening.  Here are a few questions to help you look ahead:

1.  What state generates the most tourism dollars in the U.S.?

2.  What is the sunniest city in the United States?

3.  What country is the world’s top tourist destination?

4.  June 20 is the first day of summer this year and the longest day of the year (i.e., the sun is directly overhead at its most northern point at "high-noon" creating more sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere on this day than any other).  What is this day called?

5.  This insect takes in oxygen and, inside special cells, combines it with a substance called luciferin to produce light.  What is the name of this insect?

   6. Who wrote “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love”?

1. Domestic and international travelers to California spent $89.2 billion (2009) putting California at the top of the list for tourism dollars. Florida, New York, Texas, and Illinois round out the top 5. (U.S. Travel Association) 2. According to the National Climatic Data Center, Yuma. Arizona is sunny 90% of all days making it the sunniest U.S. city. It is followed by Redding, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. 3. France is number one followed by the United States and China. (World Tourism Organization) 4. Summer Solstice (Old Farmer’s Almanac) 5. Firefly (National Geographic) 6. Lord Alfred Tennyson in his poem “Locksley Hall”

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

In the Spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.