True or False?

by Tyra

Hey kids, let’s play a game! Below are 4 statements, and your job is to determine whether they are true or false. Answers and lore behind the subjects can be found on the next page.

1. The phrase “Bless you.” originated from The Middle East in 800 C.E.

2. NUS High students wrote an original song which was used for Orientation 2020.

3. A day on Venus lasts longer than a year on Venus.

4. Fibonacci is the best house in NUSH!

Answers!!

False. Although the origin of the phrase “bless you” is unknown, there are a few theories, the most popular one being that it came from Rome.

It started when the bubonic plague pandemic took place in Europe from 1346-1352. As sneezing was a common symptom of the mostly lethal plague, Pope Gregory I suggested that the phrase as a small prayer to protect someone from their death.

Another theory is that a sneeze was believed to separate the soul from the body, leaving it vulnerable to being captured by the devil. Thus, the phrase was uttered as a benediction, to prevent that from happening.
True! Take Me Somewhere was written by Spirit Committee 2020, and it can be found on Youtube via this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9K3qCNKVcw&

The song was made for NUSH students, despite being in different cohorts, to connect to and bond over. Its popularity rose as it was played multiple times over the course of Orientation 2025.
True. Venus has the second fastest orbital speed of 35.02km/s, trailing behind Mercury with a speed of 47.87km/s, and followed by Earth with a speed of 29.78km/s. Thus, Venus orbits the Sun every 225 Earth days, much faster than the Earth. Yet due to its slow rotation, a day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days. That’s 5832 hours!

Due to Venus’ bright appearance in the sky which symbolizes beauty, the Romans named the planet after the Roman goddess of love and beauty, also known in Greek mythology as Aphrodite. Venus is also the only planet named after a female god.
True…? Like most controversial questions, the answer to this statement is more of an opinion than a fact. The word “controversy” originates from the word “controversus” meaning “turned in an opposite direction”. This can be traced back to two Latin words, the prefix “contra-” meaning “against” and “vertere” meaning “to turn”, making the literal meaning of controversy “against to turn”.

Hope you’ve had fun playing True or False! 😀

References:

www.southernliving.com/news/why-we-say-bless-you-after-a-sneeze

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/feb/14/why-do-we-say-bless-you-notes-queries

www.rochesterfirst.com/news/national-news/why-do-we-say-bless-you-after-someone-sneezes/

www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/biology-and-human-anatomy/item/does-your-heart-stop-when-you-sneeze

Destruction of Chalasmos | ANTHIROS: Together We Thrive

https://science.nasa.gov/venus

https:public.nrao.edu/ask/which-planet-orbits-our-sun-the-fastest/

https://science.nasa.gov/venus/venus-facts

www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/controversy

www.oed.com/dictionary/controversy_n?tab=factsheet#8257374