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2012 Editions (January-June)

2012/6.2, June 20 — Surface Reflections, Houston’s Water Wall, Worthy Causes and more

June 20, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM

This article, originally published in February 2007, has been digitized for all readers. Once you click ‘more’ on the next screen, you can zoom in on images to study the craftsmanship in detail.  [continue]

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IN SEARCH OF SUPPORT…
U.S. WOMEN’S WATER POLO TEAM POSES NAKED TO GAIN EXPOSURE
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Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. According to fortune.cnn.com, how much money do Americans spend on swimsuits annually?

a. $575 million b. $850 million c. $1 billion d. $1.4 billion

2. The latest book by broadcast journalist and author Lynn Sherr — Swim: Why We Love the Water — was published this past April. The book, observes amazon.com, is “a celebration of swimming and the effect it has on our lives.” Sherr has been best known as a correspondent on what national television program?

a. 20/20 b. 60 Minutes c. Frontline d. Nova

3. Blogging on TheHuffingtonPost.com, Marc Yaggi, executive director of the Waterkeeper Alliance, writes, “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently estimated that up to _____ people [in America] will become sick after swimming at their favorite beach or swimming hole this year. Despite nearly 40 years of Clean Water Act successes, polluted runoff, sewer overflows, and other human activities are threatening one of our favorite summer pastimes…” Fill in the blank.

a. 925,000 b. 1.75 million c. 3.5 million d. 5.5 million.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/6.1, June 6 — Hiding Headwaters, Step Lighting, Purposeful Travel and more

June 6, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM

Creating natural-looking cascades and waterfalls requires the deft handling of a range of technical and aesthetic details – the chief of which, observes watershaper , is effective concealment of the water’s source. Here, this specialist in ultranatural watershapes for residential and commercial clients discusses strategies he uses to hide the headwaters and conjure some distinctly ‘natural’ impressions.

This article, originally published in April 2002, is the first to be digitized for all readers. Once you click ‘here’ on the next screen, you can zoom in on images to study the craftsmanship in detail.  [continue]

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AWARD-WINNING ‘SWIMMING
POOL’ A DELIGHTFUL ANIMATED
SHORT WITH A SURPRISE TWIST
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New Push to Promote Swimming
Lessons for Minority Kids in U.S.

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. The U.S. government has launched a new campaign to encourage black and Hispanic children to learn how to swim. The campaign is sorely needed: USA Swimming Foundation research shows that some 70 percent of black children and 62 percent of Hispanic children can’t swim. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recently released annual childhood drowning report, black kids between the ages of five and 14 are ________ times more likely to drown than their white counterparts.

a. Two b. Three c. Four d. Five

2. Forty-year-old Erika Braun has qualified for the upcoming U.S. Olympic swimming trials, in advance of the London Olympics. In what event will she compete at the trials?

a. 50m freestyle c. 100m backstroke
b. 100m breaststroke d. 200m butterfly

3. The U.S. Justice Department recently announced that the deadline for implementing controversial new pool-accessibility standards is being postponed to Jan. 31, 2013. Now the government says enforcement of the new rules will be __________.

a. Incremental b. Immediate c. Flexible d. Retroactive.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/5.2, May 23 — Paladian Design, Conveyor-Belt Excavation, Hoover Dam and more

May 23, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM
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COIMBATORE, INDIA:
SACRIFICING ROOSTERS TO
MAKE SWIMMING POOL SAFE 
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Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. The U.S. Justice Department announced it is postponing the deadline for implementing controversial new pool-accessibility standards, which are designed to help the disabled more easily use public swimming facilities. (This is the second postponement by the government.) The most recent deadline was to have been May 21, 2012; what is the new date?

a. Dec. 31, 2012 b. Jan 31, 2013 c. March 31, 2013 d. May 31, 2013

2. Renowned college swimming coach “Skip” Kenney is retiring after 33 years heading up the swim program at a major California university. Which institution of higher learning benefitted from Kenney’s exceptional coaching abilities over the past three decades?

a. UCLA b. Stanford c. UC Berkeley d. USC

3. Organizers have announced that the 2014 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships will be held in what country?

a. USA b. Canada c. Brazil d. Australia

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/5.1, May 9 — Reducing Visual Noise, Excavating Tight Spaces, Halprin’s FDR Memorial and more

May 9, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM
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MAKE OLYMPIC POOLS GREEN:
FILL THEM TO THE COPING WITH APPLE’S CASH RESERVE BILLIONS!  [more]

Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. Veteran U.S. Olympic swimming champion Dara Torres, now 45 years old, is training to win a spot on Team USA in order to compete at the London Olympics. In how many Olympics has Torres — who brought home four gold, four silver and four bronze medals — already competed?

a. Three b. Four c. Five d. Six

2. Former U.S. Olympic swimming champion Matt Biondi — who garnered 11 Olympic medals (eight of them gold) during his career — was just hired to be a teacher at the private Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif. (The 46-year-old Biondi has a master’s degree in teaching.) In addition to coaching the school’s swim team, what academic subject will Biondi teach?

a. Mathematics b. History c. English d. Geography

3. A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey has shown that polar bears are capable of swimming huge distances — a skill that may be essential to their survival in this age of disappearing summer ice in their habitat. What was the longest swimming distance recorded by the study?

a. 45 miles b. 93 miles c. 158 miles d. 220 miles

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/4.2, April 25 — Building Stone Walls, Concealing Controls, Civic Fountain Woes and more

April 25, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM
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VANILLA ICE:
RAPPER AND SWIMMING POOL
BUILDER EXTRAORDINAIRE?! 
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Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. A fan of a famous entertainer recently snuck into the celebrity’s home in the Hamptons, New York, and — among other things — went for a swim in the pool. Who was homeowner?

a. Michael Feinstein b. Michael Bublé
c. Lady Gaga d. Sean “Diddy” Combs.

2. A foreign diplomat has been accused of fondling young girls at a swimming pool in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia. What country does the diplomat represent?

a. Argentina b. Japan c. Iran d. South Africa.

3. Four-time Australian Olympic swimming champion Murray Rose, who set 15 world records during his career, has died of leukemia at the age of 73. Why was his nickname “The Seaweed Streak”?

a. He always wore green swimming trunks for good luck.
b. He was limber and could perform amazing body contortions.
c. He adhered to a strict vegan diet.
d. He loved training in the ocean off Sydney.


To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/4.1, April 11 — Coloring Plaster, Hiding Plumbing, Fine Stonework and more

April 11, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM
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FILMMAKER JAMES CAMERON
MAKES A TITANIC DIVE INTO
THE OCEANS’ DEEPEST ABYSS 
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Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the four questions below.

1. While speaking recently at a Boys & Girls Club in Indianapolis, Olympic champion Michael Phelps said he’s looking forward to retiring from competitive swimming. He also revealed that once he retires, he wants to participate more in what sport?

a. Tennis b. Bowling c. Soccer d. Golf

2. The high-tech, one-of-a-kind submersible in which movie director James Cameron made his historic plunge to the deepest part of the Mariana Trench (see Ripples) took eight years to build. Where was the vessel constructed?

a. Japan b. New Zealand c. Australia d. Canada

3. After testing positive for the banned stimulant methylhexanamine, Czech Olympic swimmer Michal Rubacek was suspended by his country’s national swimming federation — a step that will prevent him from competing at the London Games. How long is the term of Rubacek’s suspension?

a. Two years b. Three years c. Four years d. Five years.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/3.2, March 21 — Mark Holden on ART, Working with Stone, Water on Capitol Mall and more

March 21, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM
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OBSESSED FAN BREAKS INTO
SINGER KENNY CHESNEY’S
HOME, RELAXES BY POOL
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Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the four questions below.

1. Five-time Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe, who has been attempting to make a comeback, recently failed to earn a spot on his country’s swim team for the upcoming London Olympic Games. What country is Thorpe from?

a. Canada b. New Zealand c. The U.K. d. Australia

2. The U.S. Justice Department has announced it is postponing implementation of a controversial new law mandating that all public swimming pools (including hotel pools) must install “lifts” or employ other measures to make the facilities accessible to the disabled. How long is the postponement for?

a. 30 days b. 60 days c. 90 days d. 6 months

3. The U.S. Olympic Committee has released a new handbook entitled “Recognizing, Reducing and Responding to Misconduct in Sport: Creating Your Strategy”; the handbook comes in the wake of a number of cases involving USA Swimming. What type of misconduct does the handbook address?

a. Racism and homophobia c. Physical and sexual abuse
b. Performance-enhancing drugs d. Hazing

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/3.1, March 7 — Dry-Stacked Stone, Hidden Ice Chest, Calatrava’s ‘Wave’ and more

March 7, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM
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KATE UPTON ON 2012 S.I.
SWIMSUIT ISSUE COVER

— KERFUFFLE ERUPTS!  [more]

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Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the questions below.

1. USA Swimming Foundation and a major oil company joined forces to bring Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones to Houston on March 7 to kick off the 2012 “Make a Splash” tour, a six-city water safety campaign that will educate children about the importance of learning how to swim. Indeed, this oil company has been involved with the issue of water safety for more than three decades. Which company is it?

          a. Shell       b. ExxonMobil       c. ConocoPhillips       d. Chevron

2. Seventy people — including 45 children — at a community swimming pool recently had to be rushed to the hospital because of chlorine fumes. In which Canadian province was the pool located?

          a. British Columbia   b. Alberta   c. Saskatchewan   d. Ontario

3. Portuguese Olympic swimmer Tiago Venancio, who has been training in Dubai, UAE, grew a long beard — which he then shaved off right before the Olympic trials. Why did he grow the beard?

          a. To stay warm, because the water in the Dubai pool is kept at
                a relatively low temperature.
          b. To show respect for Islamic traditions in Dubai.
          c. To deliberately slow himself down in the water, forcing him
                to swim harder to overcome the impediment.
          d. To impress a young woman he fancies; she told him she
                loves men with beards.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/2.2, February 22 — Spanish Colonial Details, Hiding Drain Heads, Sutro Baths and more

February 22, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM
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NEW MEMOIR BY FORMER
WHITE HOUSE INTERN SAYS
JFK AFFAIR BEGAN IN POOL
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Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the three questions below.

1. The site of the upcoming European swimming championships — scheduled to take place two months before the London Olympics — is being moved from Antwerp, Belgium, to Debrecen, Hungary. Why?

a. A dispute between Belgium’s French-speaking Walloons and
Dutch-speaking Flemings.
b. A budget shortfall of $525,000.
c. Hungary’s successful lawsuit brought before the High Court
of the Europe Union.
d. Ongoing problems with the Belgian electrical grid.

2. The Save Mart Supermarkets chain has launched a “Save Our Pools” campaign in one California city; the chain has pledged to match the first $500,000 raised by local residents, which will enable the city’s public pools to open this summer. Which city is it?

a. Fresno c. Oakland
b. Eureka d. Sacramento

3. Residents of Mumbai, India, just stood around and watched when a 7-year-old boy was spotted floating motionless in a swimming pool; the child did not receive medical attention until 45 minutes later and was pronounced dead. What reason did the bystanders give for their inaction?

a. The boy belonged to a lower caste.
b. None of the bystanders knew how to swim.
c. They said rescuing the boy was the job of the police.
d. They assumed the boy must already be dead.

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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2012/2.1, February 8 — Sharpening a Design, Budgeting Issues, Bellagio’s Fountains and more

February 8, 2012 WATERSHAPES.COM
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STEVEN TYLER SWIMS IN
THE NUDE, SHOCKS FELLOW
‘IDOL’ JUDGE JENNIFER LOPEZ
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Many water-related stories have been in the news of late — including reports connected to the four questions below.

1. A guest at a Holiday Inn Express was killed and several others were injured — one of them seriously — due to a carbon monoxide leak from the hotel’s indoor-pool heater. Allegedly, there were indications more than a week earlier that there was a problem with the heater. Where did this take place?

a. Boca Raton, Florida c. South Charleston, West Virginia
b. Gila Bend, Arizona d. North Bellmore, New York

2. Researchers have discovered that swimming under certain conditions can release the natural pain killer norepinephrine in the body and boost the immune system. Under what conditions do these benefits occur?

a. Swimming for brief periods in extremely warm water
b. Swimming for brief periods in extremely cold water
c. Swimming doing the sidestroke
d. Swimming outdoors under a full moon.

3. Also on the health front, researchers have determined that swimming helps lower the blood pressure in a particular demographic group. Which group?

a. Young children c. Middle-aged women
b. Teenagers d. Older adults

To find out how many you got right, click here.

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