Superlatives

II. Read one of the following articles, and then write a comment on it. (post a comment, click on COMMENTS)

• Tallest Woman Living

Sandy Allen was a 2.95-kg (6.5-lb) baby, and her abnormal growth began soon after her birth in June 1955. By the age of 10 she stood 1.905 m (6 ft 3 in) tall, and was 2.16 m (7 ft 1 in) by 16 years old. Sandy had a dream to break free of a world, that she felt she had outgrown. In her first letter to Guinness World Records in 1974 she wrote, "I would like to get to know someone that is approximately my height. It is needless to say my social life is practically nil and perhaps the publicity from your book may brighten my life." The accolade did help to bring about a reversal of fortunes for the Indiana secretary. First, there was an offer from film director Federico Fellini to take a role in his film Casanova in 1975, and then her first date with a 7-ft Illinois man. On July 14, 1977, she went into hospital for a pituitary gland operation to stop further growth. Nowadays poor circulation and weak leg muscles mean she is dependent on a wheel chair.

Taken from: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=48405

• Tallest man - living

Xi Shun (China, b. 1951), measured 7 ft 8.95 in (2 m 36.1 cm) as a result of six measurements taken on January 15, 2005, at Chifeng City Hospital, Inner Mongolia, China.

Beating the previous holder Radhouane Charbib (Tunisia) by just 2 mm (0.07 in), Xi Shun claims that his height was normal for his age until he was 16. As a comparison, his father stood at 5 ft 10.8 in (1.8 m) and his mother was 5 ft 2.8 in (1.6 m) tall.

In his late teens, he experienced a growth spurt that, while not normal, was seemingly without any cause. Doctors who examined him in 2005 discovered no evidence of gigantism or acromegaly, and could not explain why he grew so tall so fast (it took him just seven years to reach his record height).

Following a career in the Army – he was recruited for his basketball skills! – he returned to Inner Mongolia and works as a herdsman. He also hires himself out for publicity stunts for a local restaurant and tailor.

He currently resides with his father and brother at Chifeng.

Taken from: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=48406&Reg=1

• Gorilla Most Proficient In Sign Language

Short grunts, lots of chest beating, and the occasional ear-splitting shout for food. But enough about you … how do gorillas communicate? If it's 30-year-old Koko, the answer is by using American Sign Language, which she has been learning since the 1970s under the tuition of Dr Francine Patterson. Koko spends most of her time writing, drawing, or playing with dolls, and she can even boast about her special skill - when her trainer asked Koko whether she was an animal or a person, Koko replied, "Fine animal gorilla"!

Taken from:

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=51137

• Most Expensive Animal

The most expensive animals are racehorses. The largest amount paid for a yearling is $13.1 million on July 23, 1985, at Keeneland, Kentucky, USA, by Robert Sangster and partners, for Seattle Dancer.

Taken from: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=43448&Reg=1

• Smallest living dog

The smallest dog living, in terms of height, is a long-haired chihuahua called Danka Kordak Slovakia, who measured 13.8 cm (5.4 in) tall and 18.8 cm (7.4 in) long on May 30, 2004 and is owned by Ing. Igor Kvetko of Revúca, Slovakia.

Taken from: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=51213&Reg=1

• Largest Bicycle

The world's largest bicycle is "Frankencycle", built by Dave Moore of Rosemead, California, USA. It is 3.4 m (11.1 ft) high, with a wheel diameter of 3.05 m (10 ft).

When: June 4, 1989

Taken from: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=43651

• Longest Journey By Taxi

The longest taxi journey is one of 34,908 km (21,691 miles), with a (waived!) £40,210 (US$64,656) fare. Jeremy Levine, Mark Aylett, and Carlos Arrese traveled from London to Cape Town, South Africa, and back, from June 3 to October 17, 1994.

Taken from: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=43484&Reg=1

• Smallest Mobile Phone TV

The Korean company Samsung Electronics have developed a combination portable TV/mobile phone unit that measures just 92 x 51 x 36 mm (3.6 x 2 x 1.4 in). The SCH-M220 provides up to 200 minutes of continuous television-viewing time.

Taken from:

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=53503

• Most expensive hamburger

The most expensive burger commercially available is the db Double Truffle Burger, created by Chef Daniel Boulud (France) and is available on the menu of Bistro Moderne, New York, NY, USA for US$120 (£64.70). The burger was added to the menu in 2004 and is served exclusively during the black truffle season

Taken from:

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=58760