In Great Expectations what first attracts Pip to Estella and then later attracts him when he learns of her manipulation of men?

Pip, having grown up in rather humble circumstances with a
rough sister as a mother and working-class surroundings, is dazzled by Estella's beauty
and grand circumstances.  She is a beautiful young girl who symbolizes a life of
education, money, ease and social contentment that he didn't even realize existed.  She
seems like she is completely out of his world, living in a  world that is completely
charmed and unattainable.  Her comment to him about his rough, dirty hands only
solidifies her essence of unattainablity; because of the seemingly huge gap in their
statuses, Pip feels, for the first time in his short life, that there is more out there
in the world.  He first falls for her because she represents everything that his life is
not that he wants it to become.  She is an end-goal; if he can be worthy of her love,
then he will have made his place in life.  So, she is less of a real person for him, and
more of a dream, a goal to be achieved.

Pip's love for her
remains steady despite the fact that he knows she despitefully uses men and has a cold
heart.  Why?  Well, he knows how she was raised.  He knows Miss Havisham, and from the
very beginning, was aware of Miss Havisham's rather insidious and pernicious influence
on Estella and her perceptions. He knew that Miss Havisham was breeding Estella to break
men's hearts, and to steel her own heart from the type of heartbreak that she herself
endured.  Because he knows Estella's background, it allows for understanding.  He also
spent so much time with her that he knows that isn't all that she is.  He can see her
potential, and have pity that she had such an unfortunate mentor fostering her emotional
needs.  He is attracted to her potential, and to her sub-obvious need for true, real
love in her life.  Plus, the old, strong pull of childhood fascination of her still
holds sway in his heart, long after he realizes that she has other plans in
life.

I hope that those thoughts helped; good
luck!

What is the tone?

Tone is generally determined by several factors.  In
Langston Hughes's poem "Harlem," tone can best be determined by his use of imagery. 
This work has a simple structure: it is a series of images which draw a picture of the
answer to a question he asks but never answers:  "What happens to a dream deferred?" 
The images that follow are possible answers to that question and full of sensory details
which lead to a feeling of hopelessness. 

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Does it dry up
like a raisin in the
sun?

Here we have the visual
and tactile image of something once full and ripe which is now shriveled and dried
up--like a dream deferred.

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Or fester like a sore—
And
then run?

This image is one
of a partially crusted but mostly open sore which has not healed; instead, it oozes its
ugly fluids and never really heals--like a dream
deferred.

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Does it stink like rotten
meat?

The image here is one
of a life-giving substance which is now inedible and has the look and smell of
decay--like a dream deferred.

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Or crust and sugar over—

like a syrupy
sweet?

Here I think of
something like maple syrup left to dry up on a plate--hard and crusty and no longer
smooth and usable--like a dream deferred.

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Maybe it just sags
like a
heavy load.

This image is one
of pure weight, a burden which will not be lifted.  Visually, the word "sag" depicts an
utter hopelessness--like a dream
deferred.

Or does
it explode?

Finally, all the
senses are invoked in this image--sound and sight and touch and smell and even taste, as
the smoke and dust of an explosion fills the mouth.  There is nothing left; all is
lost--like a dream deferred.

This structure of rhetorical
questions replete with sensory images and details is designed to create a growing sense
of hopelessness, which it seems to me is both the tone and the theme of this
poem.

Why is the American conception of race in Africa useless?Chapter 19 How Africa became black. Thank you

I think that the answer that you are looking for is to be
found on the second page of the chapter -- p. 377 in my copy.  What Diamond is saying is
that we tend to think of Africans as a bunch of homogeneous black people when in fact
there are many different kinds of people in Africa.

Diamond
argues that whites (up in the north) and blacks were both native to Africa.  Also,
however, he points out that there are two other groups of continental Africans that are
not physically similar to blacks.  These are the pygmies and the Khoisan.  Finally, he
says that there are Indonesians who are native to the island of
Madagascar.

Because of all this diversity, it is incorrect
for us to think of Africans as all being black (and that's without even talking about
the diversity of people who we would call black).

In what ways does "Do Not Go Gentle Into This Good Night" affect the reader?I specifically am interested in learning about the affect Thomas wanted...

It is apparent that Dylan Thomas does, indeed, wish his
readers to be affected by his words.  For, there is strong encouragement to not accept
death; the poet calls all to rage against death and not be complaisant when it bids
them.  So vehement is this urging that this villanelle is written in the imperative mood
with words of strong intent.  For instance, the very first stanza states that old age
should fight death all the way to the end--

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Old age should burn and rage at close of
death

Rage, rage against the
dying of the light.

Thomas
supports his contention that all should not die without a fight against the end by
citing what "wise men," "good men," and "wild men" do when faced with death.  With light
images, Thomas exhorts his readers to fight for the "lightning," the sun in flight," and
the "blinding sight of meteors."  Not until the last flicker of life, the last flicker
of the dying of the life, should people not rage against death, although it is a "good
death" in the romantic sense of rest and peaceful
darkness.

In his essay entitled "Do Not Go Gentle Into the
Night," Jhan Hochman discusses the pardoxical question, "Why rage against what is
"good"?  He proposes that the advice of the poet is given for the benefit of Thomas
himself rather than for his father (Thomas never sent the poem to him).  Thus, the word
gentle may refer to his father.

Thus,
concludes Hochman, "Do Not Go Gentle Into the Night" is a poem of paralysis and pain. 
His answer to"Why rage against what is good, what cannot be avoided--death--"is that by
struggling, by raging, the dying demonstrate their love of those who will be left
behind.  This, contends Hochman, is "the kind of demonstration that Thomas wants so
desperately from his father."

What was hanging in Leper’s window in A Separate Peace? What did it signify?

Behind the front window in Leper's house, there hangs a
gold star. The star announces to the world that "a son of the house (is) serving the
country."

Gene notices the gold star when he journeys to
the Lepellier residence after being summoned by a cryptic telegram from Leper. Leper,
enchanted by the descriptions of life in the ski troops branch of the military, had
recently enlisted, and Gene and his Devon School classmates had not heard from him until
Gene received the telegram. The telegram said,

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"I HAVE ESCAPED AND NEED HELP...I AM AT CHRISTMAS
LOCATION...MY SAFETY DEPENDS ON YOU COMING AT
ONCE."

Understanding that by
"Christmas location," Leper is referring to his home in upstate Vermont, and Gene goes
there immediately. As he approaches the "brittle-looking Vermont house, white...with
long and narrow windows like New England faces," Gene notices the gold star in one
window, and Leper himself standing in another. The juxtaposition of the two images, the
star and Leper, communicates an ominous fact. Leper, a "son of the house," is supposed
to be serving in the military, but obviously, he is at home.  Something is very much
awry, and Gene is soon to learn that Leper, unable to handle the reality of war and
soldiering, has suffered a mental breakdown, and is away without leave (Chapter
10).

Characterize Dee in "Everyday Use" according to her style, value and treatment of others

Dee is what one would deem as the opposite of the prodigal
daughter. She is the typical young woman who attains a higher level of education and
culture than the rest of her family and, instead of being thankful, rubs it
in.

As part of her new status and higher thoughts of
herself, the woman formerly known as Dee has suddenly experienced a "former self"
revival of Africanism and changed her name to Wangero to be cool and
fashionable.

Additionally, she overrides all the value of
objects and items in her "former self" house as museum pieces that she wanted to collect
as long as they remain usable "on everyday use."

However,
here is when we see a selfish, superficial, arrogant, and flippant girl, over-educated
for her capacity of thought and probably too unworthy of the good family that raised
her.

In not so many words, Dee is a woman who overrates
herself by underrating others, who chose a revival of her roots as a way to become
fashionable, and whose family values are non existent or have been traded for a
superficial interest in its monetary potential.

What is suggested by the existence of of "Colonies" where "Unknown" live?

The existence of the colonies in The Handmaid's Tale
implies several things. First it implies that parts of the world have been destroyed and
rendered uninhabitable or toxic. It is implied that this was through war and upheaval.
The other concept implied here is that there is a horrible, dangerous place that those
who refuse to follow the new government will be sent. The government is strict and
ruthless. Citizens trying to go against them or use their voice and speak up will be
punished. The word colonies usually has a positive connotation; however, in Atwood's
world, colonies are not new worlds to explore, but old places where people are sent to
labor, be punished and die.

What kind of scene described in the novel (including a quote) would be best to use?

Take your pick.  There are plenty of scenes that speak
volumes.  You could go with something seemingly ordinary, such as when Holden opens
Chapter 3 with "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw."  This line speaks volumes
because it is part of his development. He lies simply for the freedom of it; to be free
enough to lie, to be unaccountable, and in general, to be hidden from anyone he doesn't
want to be around.  We get the impression that he lies only to "phonies" because they
live inauthentic lives and wouldn't know truth anyway.  But he also lies because it
sustains his feelings of alienation (which, ironically, he shares with the nuns.) 
Holden is a skeptical truth-seeker in that he thinks most people are phony, but still
looks for truth or something good even though he can't quite decide if he does good
things or selfish things.  His overwhelming skepticism of the world justifies (to him)
his behavior.  And it's not really elitism.  Holden's self-isolation is also a way to
not be corrupted by the phonies of the world; and yet he wants or needs to connect with
people (Phoebe for example).  Hence, his desire to be a catcher in the rye (Chapter 22),
perhaps saving others like himself from becoming phonies (adults).  But this is also
part of his nature; is it selfishness or virtue to want this?  Or is it
both? 

How did the Europeans conquer and enslave the Africans, not the other way around?Can be found in Chapter 19, "How Africa Became Black"

The Europeans "won" because they had guns and technology,
literacy, and "better" political organization.  Diamond says this on p. 398 in my book. 
But those are proximate causes.  Diamond also says there are more basic reasons why
Europeans had these advantages.

1. Europeans had
   more animals that could be domesticated.  Most African animals can't be
   tamed.


2. Europeans had more plants that could be
   domesticated.  Between these two factors, Europe was able to have more agriculture
   sooner.


3. Africa has much less area than Eurasia -- this
   means Eurasia could have more societies and faster
   development.


4. Africa has a long north-south axis with lots
   of different climates.  This makes it hard for crops and such to spread through the
   continent.

In what respect is the ending of the story ironic? What kind of irony is this? What does it contribute to the meaning of the story?

There is irony at the end of the story for two reasons.
 The Arab, who is given a chance at freedom, chooses to travel alone to jail
instead.

When Daru returns home, having provided the Arab
with the means to escape, he is met with a threatening message on the chalkboard that
tells him, "You have handed over our brother.  You will pay for this."  While Daru has
defied the law in refusing to turn the Arab over to the law, and then given him the
wherewithal to escape, which the Arab ignores, Daru is going to be
punished.

The second example is situational irony: the
difference between what we expect to happen and what actually
happens.

This makes the entire story one long example of
irony.  Daru treats the Arab like a guest and will be punished for doing so.  Perhaps
the meaning it contributes is "no good deed goes unpunished" (Clare Boothe Luce).  This
is a rather cynical statement, but in this story, it seems that Daru, a man so happy
with his life, is undone by the kindness he shows a stranger.

What do you like about Virgil's Aeneid?

I like this question because my students have tended not
to like the Aeneid. I'm not sure why, because I really like the
poem. Of course, it's much better in Latin than in English, because Virgil has taken
such great care with the poem that practically every word is dripping with some sort of
symbolism or important meaning. So, one reason I like the Aeneid is
because it IS a poem that is deliberately filled with meaning and symbolism, and that
meaning and symbolism was directly related to the first century BCE Roman world in which
Virgil lived. Aeneas strikes me as a far more complicated character than his Homeric
predecessors Achilles or Odysseus. Aeneas is part Achilles, part Odysseus, part Jason,
part Augustus, part Marcus Antonius, and so on.

Another
reason I like the Aeneid is because the poem's hero is struggling
mightily to figure out what he is going to do with his life. Aeneas is tugged in many
directions and struggles with what he wants to do versus what his father wants him to
do, what his mother wants him to do, what his people want him to do, what his girl
friend wants him to do, and what the gods want him to do. Aeneas is trying to balance
his responsibility to all of these various forces and I think most humans face the same
challenges in our lives. Thus, as Aeneas himself says in Book 1, the Aeneid
is a poem where

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             ...virtue has its rewards, here
too

there are tears for events, and mortal things touch the
heart.

(A.S. Kline
translation)



Describe the process of mitosis that occurs during nuclear division.

In mitotic division, the chromosome material in the
nucleus is replicated. That is because the DNA which makes up the chromosomes can serve
as a template to make more DNA. By making a second set of chromosomes during interphase,
it will insure that at the end of mitotic division, each new daughter cell will have a
full set of chromosomes. This will allow the two cells to carry out life activities and
manufacture the proteins they need.  After interphase, prophase occurs. The centrioles
separate and a spindle begins to form.The nuclear membrane begins to disappear and the
chromosomes are coiled and thickened. Next is metaphase. In this stage, the doubled
chromosomes, called chromatids line up along in the equator of the cell. Their
centromeres in the center attach to the spindle fibers that have formed. Next is
anaphase. The doubled chromosomes separate and they  move toward opposite poles. Next is
telophase. The cell membrane pinches inward forming two separate cells. The nuclear
membrane reforms in each new cell enclosing the chromosomes. If its an animal cell,
cytokinesis occurs and the cell pinches in half. End result is two daughter cells, with
the exact chromosome number as the parent cell. If it is a  plant cell, a cell plate
forms separating the two cells. And cytokinesis insures that half of the cytoplasm goes
to each smaller but genetically identical cell.

Description Richard T. de George's "Moral Person View" and highlight a strength and weakness of his view.

Briefly, de George'smoral person viewrelates to
corporations, ascribing to them the knowing, willful intent of acting agents. As such,
de George contends, corporations have moral responsibility for their actions just as
knowing, willful, intentioned acting agents who are individual human beings have moral
responsibility for theirs. Corporations here, of course, are described in their legal
definitions as whole, unified entities. According to de George, a corporation that
suffers an oil spill or a radiation leak through intentional choices of will that were
known to bear undue risk are held morally accountable and responsible for the
consequences and results of the harm done by the spill or leak. If, on the other hand,
the corporate agent acts without knowledge, without willful intent, then it--the
entity--bears no moral guilt, thus no moral
responsibility.

A strength of de George's proposition is
that corporations are held responsible for acting according to the knowledge they
possess and for the consequences of being an agent with will and intention to act. A
weakness of the position is that, as opponents contend, corporations are legal entities
having legalrights but no moralrights. If corporations have no moral rights, the
argument goes, then corporations cannot logically have moral
responsibilities.

One serious difficulty with the whole
discussion is that corporations are a legal construct to facilitate
financial, tax, and other legal processes and proceedings. Outside of this framework
with its legally defined rights and responsibilities, the designation of
corporation has very little practical meaning. The entity that is
in reality the corporation are the board of directors and executive officers that
comprise the corporation, that assimilate the knowledge, that act upon their wills, that
form and express intent, and that comprise the agent(s) of action. These individual
human beings comprising the agent of will and intent and action that is the corporation
have moral responsibility jointly and individually as surely as
they individually and jointly have moral rights. Thus, the legal
entity of a corporation is comprised of individual human beings who cannot escape their
moral responsibilities under any guise.  

From The Crucible, explain Danforth's internal conflict.

As the trials progress, Danforth realizes that Abigail
Williams and the rest of the girls are duping the court and community (perhaps he knew
even from the beginning of the proceedings but chose to move forward). When Abigail
Williams absconds with her uncle's money, Danforth knows that he can no longer ignore
any doubts he might have had about Abigail's integrity. This knowledge forces him to
decide privately if he will continue with the trials and executions because that is
what the privileged in the community desire and because if he stops the trials, then
people will question his credibility and the justice of all previous
sentences/judgments. If Danforth proceeds with the trials, as a religious scholar, he
surely recognizes the personal spiritual danger in sentencing innocent people to
death; unfortunately, in the play as well as in real life, he and the other judges allow
their pride to rule their actions, and they refuse to postpone or stop the trials as
soon as they are aware of Abigail's running away. 

Why did the Reconstruction Period come to an end?

Civil War Reconstruction is one of those rare instances in
U.S, History by which one can neatly place an "era" of time neatly into an exact
beginning and ending date. This is due to the fact that Reconstruction begins when the
war ended at the surrender at Appomattox in 1865 and it officially ended upon the
ratification of the U.S. Congressional compromise in
1877.

Essentially the compromise is the solution to the
"controversial" presidential election of 1876. In this election neither the Democratic
nominee James Tilden or the incumbent Republican nominee Rutherford B. Hayes were able
to win because no one had earned more than half of the electoral necessary to carry
victory. The U.S. Constitution grants power to the U.S. House of Representatives to
solve such issues but it does provide specifics; it essentially empowers the House to
create such parameters to choose the President if the electoral college to do so. Due to
the continued contentiousness between northern and southern states since the Civil War
the Democrats, for the most part, represented the interests of the South and the
Republicans that of the North. In an effort to allow "fairness" the U.S. House created a
committee of fifteen to solve the outcome of this presidential
election.

The Committee of Fifteen, as they have since been
known as, was made up of seven Democrats, seven Republicans and a member of the Supreme
Court (who happened to be appointed by a Republican President). The results of the work
of this committee was the Compromise of 1877. The compromise, in brevity, made the
Republican Rutherford B. Hayes the president and in return the Democrats got Military
Reconstruction to end along with the removal of all troops that had been enforcing
national law since the conclusion of the Civil War in occupational manner in the former
Confederacy. This compromise ultimately ended Civil Reconstruction as we know
it.

How does Harper Lee use language to enhance characterization in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Harper Lee absolutely uses language to enhance
characterization in To Kill a Mockingbird. By "language" I assume
you mean the way people speak (their dialogue) in this novel.  This story takes place in
the South, so of course we would expect some southern dialect.  We get it from many
characters, but others have an entirely different way of speaking.  Those whose language
stands out include Calpurnia, Atticus, Miss Maudie, Bob Ewell, and
Scout.

Calpurnia is a puzzle, because she speaks in two
separate dialects.  For the most part, we hear Cal speak much like Atticus.  Later, we
discover that's because they were educated in a similar way and from similar
sources--the Bible and law books.  When she gets to church, though, we hear an entirely
different Calpurnia, one who speaks in the Negro dialect.  She makes that change, she
explains to Scout, because she doesn't want them to think she's "puttin' on airs."  Both
ways of speaking suit the two parts of Calpurnia's
life.

Atticus speaks in a rather formal langauge, generally
much more formal than those around him.  That comes from his early training in reading
but also from his work in the law.  This way of speaking suits him because it sets him
apart, somehow, as being an upright and educated man--one who would do what is right no
matter the cost.

Miss Maudie is a southern lady, but she
speaks her mind.  She's not one to gossip, but she's not afraid to raise her voice when
the "foot-washin' Baptists come glowering through with their condemning scriptures.  A
good contrast to Miss Maudie is Miss Stephanie, who is much less formal and mature in
her dialogue as well as her subject matter. 

Bob Ewell is
the least educated and respectful character in this group, and his dialogue reflects
that.  He's not only rude and rather cocky, but he's also woefully undereducated--as
when he mistakes appendicitis for ambidextrous in the courtroom.  His dialogue is a
perfect reflection of his character.

Scout is another whose
language matches her character.  She's sometimes irreverent and sometimes a hothead, and
her language reflects that--"Cecil Jacobs is a big wet he-en!"  When she's more
contemplative and serious, her language reflects that, as well, though she is still
young and sometimes gets it all wrong (as in the scene outside the
jailhouse).

If one were to select some passages of dialogue
for each of these characters, a reader could pretty quickly and correctly ascertain what
kind of person each one of them is, it seems to me.  This novel is an excellent example
of dialogue used to create and enhance character.

Is Sucker a living, breathing person, or might he be created out of a psychological need? Is he symbolic? Is Sucker real or not?give three pieces...

He could be a figment of the imagination of a teenager who
needs to vent his frustrations, but Sucker is way too black and white not to be a real
person.

First, Sucker did not come out of the midst of
nowhere: He was a baby when his parents died in a car crash. Hence, he has an origin- a
very real and human one at that.

Second, Sucker presents
characteristics that are very human and real: He sweats, reacts, fears, attaches
himself. Surely an imaginary person could do that but the chances of a real person being
like that are higher, especially someone who has experienced trauma and
co-dependence.

Third, Sucker changed and became bigger and
badder than Peter. He was clearly a developed person. I think that if Sucker had been
imaginary, a la "Fight Club" he would have met a specific demise once the character who
feeds it does not need it anymore. Seems like Sucker fared quite well without Peter,
instead of the other way around. That is significant that he is indeed a person who
changed.

In Chapter 6, Dill asked "Cross in it tonight?" to Jem and Scout. What does he mean by this in To Kill a Mockingbird?

When Dill says this to Jem and Scout, he is talking about
the moon.  Scout (as the narrator) has just mentioned that there was a very big full
moon out that night.  Dill asks the two siblings if there is a cross in the moon and
they tell him that only the lady is in the moon at that particular
time.

What they are talking about is sort of folk
traditions about what shapes you should be able to see in the patterns of light and dark
on the moon.  In modern US society, people sometimes talk about the man in the moon
because there is supposed to be a face there.  I have heard that the Japanese say you
should be able to see a frog there.  Apparently in Maycomb, you could see a lady and
sometimes a cross.

What does Shakespeare try to reflect in his work "Othello"?

One cannot know with certainty what Shakespeare had for
the purpose when he wrote the play "Othello," but a guess can certainly be extrapolated.
Since it is a tragedy, and he had written others, the simple definition or formula of
the tragedy is probably not the most important element in the play. One of the
interesting things about the play is that Othello's confidant is actually his undo-er.
And, the fact that Othello had completely put Iago in his confidence, it says a great
deal about how one should really know their trusted friends. This i snot one of the
elements that is common to many plays. There may be friends who are jealous of another,
but in this case, Othello's trust is completely misplaced and results in the death of so
many people, that most of the people in the play end up killed, maimed, or
injured.

What are the similarities and differences of Siddhartha by Herman Hesse and The Stranger by Albert Camus?

Both protagonists exhibit perfervid individualism--a
nonconformist, go-it-alone, alienated worldview.  Meursault and Siddhartha reject
mainstream religious doctrine and dogma in favor of lives devoted to simple pleasures.
 Both go through phases where they enjoy the company of women (Siddhartha eventually
abandons this).  Meursault loves the ocean, while Siddhartha finds peace in the river.
 In both, water is a symbol for life.  Both are bored by the ennui of work and see the
emptiness in materialism.

Siddhartha is much more actively
on a religious quest than Meursault.  Meursault is much more passive and static in his
daily life (he hates trips).  Obviously, the act of "murder" separates them: Meursault
is more unhappy with society than Siddhartha and, therefore, lashes out in violence.
 Meursault relishes his role of anti-christ in part II of the novel, while Siddhartha is
less of a rebel and outcast.  While Siddhartha finds a reconciliation in the spiritual
and physical while a ferryman, Meursault ultimately sees the world as a cruel, absurd
place.  Ultimately, The Stranger ends with a violent execution,
while Siddhartha ends with nirvana by the river (as polar opposite
as two novellas can be).

How might Frankenstein's rejection of his creature impact the creature in Frankenstein?

Your question is central to the theme of nature vs.
nurture in Shelley's
Frankenstein. 

Left on his own,
without any nurturing, the creature becomes a monster.  Without nurturing, he kills a
child, Victor's friend, and Victor's wife.  By the conclusion of the novel, he finds
meaning only in tormenting Victor.  Victor fails to be responsible and fulfill his role
as a nurturing influence for his creation, and the monster is the
result.

In contrast, Victor's family is nurturing.  Victor
is nurtured and achieves great scientific heights (though he practices irresponsible
science by doing so).  And Victor's family takes in an orphan and creates a woman
presented as perfect.  Victor's family is nurturing and caring and takes the raising of
even an orphan seriously. 

Thus, Victor's rejection of his
creation effects virtually everything that follows in the novel.  Clearly, the "natural
man" is inferior to the nurtured man.

What is an example of mood used in literature?

Mood is the feeling the audience receives from what the
author has written. Sometimes it encompasses the atmosphere of a
book.

As an 11th grader, I believe you have likely read by
now both Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a
Mockingbird.

In Romeo and
Juliet, the end of the beginning scene paints a picture of Romeo and Benvolio
talking with Benvolio seeking an answer to what is bothering Romeo. Throughout this
scene, we feel depressed for him, we wonder if he will be able to overcome confusion,
and we relate to rejection. This mood is melancholy or
depressing.

In the courtroom scene in To Kill a
Mockingbird, Atticus Finch begins to take off things that are making him too
hot that day. Now, it could have been just a hot day, or this could have been the most
important case he ever tried. I believe the latter. Atticus, the coolest lawyer
character in all literary history, sweat his way through this trial. He took off his
coat, unbuttoned the top button to his shirt and even loosened his tie. This makes us
evaluate the situation unconsciously and realize the TENSE moment he is dealing
with.

These two pieces are ones I would think any Junior in
the USA could relate to and had at least gone over in class. I hope the moods of sadness
and intensity are ones you can relate to in each of these
pieces.

What is a and b if ax+by=0 passes through the points (9,8) and (8,9)

ax+by = 0 passes through (9,8) and
(8,9).

Therefore the coordinates of the points  (9,8) and
(8,9) should satisfy the equation ax+by = 0.

(9,8)
:

a*9+b*8 =
0...........(1)

(8,9):

a*8+b*9
= 0...........(2)

Add the equations (1) and (2): 17(a+b) =
0  Or a+b = 0

Also eq(2) - eq(1)  gives: a-b =
0.

So

 a+b =0
and

a-b = 0.

Adding 2a = 0. Or
a = 0

Subracting 2b = 0. Or b
=0.

So there is no line like ax+by = 0 passes through (9,8)
and (8,9).

The line passing through Two
points:

 The line passing through 2 points (x1,y1) and
(x2,y2) is :

y-y1 = {(y2-y1)/(x2-x1)}(x-x1). Put (x1,y1) =
(9,8) and (x2,y2)= (8,9).

y-8 =
{(9-8)/(8-9)}(x-9)

y-8 =
-1(x-9)

x+y = 1.

Therefore the
line passing through (9,8) and (8,9) is :

x+y = 1  making
intercepts 1 and 1 on x and y axis respectively and this line cannot be reduced to the
form ax+by = 0 which is a line through origin (making zero intercepts on x and y
axis).

Discuss Ophelia's attitude toward Hamlet.ANSWER

A good place to start your research to answer this
question is Ophelia's soliloquy in  Act 3, scene 1:  "O, what a noble mind is here
o'erthrown!"

This is the only time we are allowed to know
Ophelia's thoughts, and this soliloquy occurs just after Ophelia and Hamlet interact on
stage for the first time in the play.  In this speech, Ophelia does not react angrily at
Hamlet's cruel treatment of her.  Instead, she seems intensely empathetic and aware that
great changes have taken place in him.  I do not believe that she is completely fooled
by Hamlet's act of insanity, even though she has loyally reported such actions to her
father.  But I do think it clear that she is aware that the Hamlet she once knew is no
longer.

In this soliloquy, she shows what Hamlet's
potential was--the Hamlet she had fallen in love with.  She despairs now, though, in
that he has lost his "noble mind" and that his reason is "blasted with
ecstasy."

Hamlet has not told Ophelia of his mission to
avenge his father's death.  He could not.  Ophelia would have dutifully reported this
plan to her father, who would have gone to the king.  But Ophelia is sensitive enough to
know that Hamlet is deeply troubled and that their relationship is essentially over.
 She prays to the heavens to restore him.  But deep down, she probably has no true hope
that their relationship could ever be renewed.  She is deeply hurt, helpless, and lost.
 Hamlet's advice "Get thee to a nunnery," is most likely very
sound.

What are ten important quotes from The Count of Monte Cristo and what are their meanings?

With Innocence and Revenge and the Strength of Love as
dominant in this work, here are some passages:

1. The young
first mate of the Pharaon returns to Marseille with its cargo. His
assumption of the position of the dead captain has raised the envy of others.  While
Morrel and Danglars watch Dantes, ..."how different was the expression in the eyes of
each of these two men as they gazed after Dantes' retreating
figure!"

2. At his betrothal feast, when congratulated on
his good fortune, Dantes, who unknowingly senses
fate, responds,

readability="11">

"....I cannot help thinking it is not man's lot
to attain happiness so easily.  Good fortune is like the palaces of the enchanted isles,
the gates of which were guarded by dragons.  Happiness could only be obtained by
overcoming these dragons, and I, I know no  how I have deserved the honour of becoming
Mercedes husband."

3. Insight
into the politically desirous Villefort come after Dantes is arrested and taken to
Prosecutor's office.  For, it seems that Edmund will be freed from any charges regarding
his transport of a letter to Elba.  But, as a second thought, the Prosecutor, Monsieur
de Villefort, asks him the address on the letter:

readability="12">

"To Monsieur Noirtier, Rue Coq Heron,
Paris."

These words fell on Villefort's ears with the
rapidity and unexpectedness of a thunerbolt.  He sank into his chair from which he had
risen to reach the packet of letter, drew the fatal letter from the bundle and glanced
over it with a look of inexpressible
terror.

4. After writing the
treacherous letter that causes Dantes to be arrested, the character of Danglars is
indicated in this passage:

readability="11">

When Napoleon returned to France, Danglars
understood the full significance of the blow he had struck at Dantes; his denunciation
had been given some sort of justification and he called this extraordinary coincidence
the Hand of Providence.  But when Napoleon reached Paris and his voice was once more
heard, imperious and powerful, Danglars grew afraid...He went to Madrid and was heard of
no more for a long time.

5. 
After the prisoner Dantes meets the Abbe Faria, the priest unravels the mystery of how
Dantes fell into such misfortune.  He tells Dantes, "You have a very noble heart and
simple mind that you had not your suspicions from the very outset."  But, after
disclosing the truth to his new friend, the priest regrets what he has
done

"Because
I have instilled into your heart a feeling that previously held no place
there--vengeance."

6. After
Dantes has discovered the treasure on Monte Cristo,

readability="7">

This night was for Edmond one of those delicious
yet terrible nights, of which this man of astounding emotions had alread spent two or
three in his lifetime.

7. As
an agent of Providence, The Count of Monte Cristo effects an extension of time on
Morrel's loan:

readability="6">

...it seemed to the poor shipowner like one of
those returns to good fortune which announce to man that fate has at last become weary
of spending her fury on
him.

8.  In Ch. 49, Monte
Cristo tells de Villefort,

readability="9">

"I ...have been taken by Satan ...when there he
said to me '...what wouldst thou have to make thee adore me?'..I replied, 'I wish to be
Providence myself, for I feel...the most sublime thing is to recompense and
punish."

9.  However, after
he learns that Edward de Villefort has been killed,
Dantes

...felt
he had passed the bounds of vengeance, and that he could no longer say, "God is with
me" 

10.  In his letter to
Maxillan at the end of the novel, Monte Cristo
writes,

Live
and be happy,...and never forget that, until the day comes when God will deign to reveal
the future to man, all human wisdom is contained in these words: 
Waitand hope!                                                                                               

What is the style of James Joyce?about the dead

Joyce said in correspondence that his goal was to betray
the paralysis of the Irish people; all of the stories touch on some form of paralysis,
whether emotional, psychological, physical, or moral, and none more explicitly than
“Araby,” especially its closing tableau. Second, Joyce sometimes used the concept of
“epiphany” or “revelation” about one of the major strategies of the stories. In this
story, "The Dead", the only possible “epiphany” would seem to take place in the reader:
the protagonists of these stories clearly remain blind to their own paralyses until the
end.

This closing piece from Dubliners 
is Joyce’s best-known story; it’s also the collection’s longest by
a good bit, and dividing the story into three main parts helps to focus class
discussion. The first section is made up of the conversation and events leading up to
the dinner (the night of the story is the Feast of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night); the
story’s middle section comprises the dinner, and Gabriel’s after-dinner speech; and the
closing section includes the breaking-up of the party, Gabriel and Gretta’s journey to
the Gresham Hotel, and the climactic scene that plays out there. The controversy over
the story’s conclusion centers on whether or not Gabriel has had an “epiphany”—hether
the day’s events, and his wife’s revelation, will show him that a change of heart is
needed; or whether, instead, he is hardening his heart against his wife and against
anyone who would challenge his image of himself.

The
controversy over the story’s conclusion centers on whether or not Gabriel has had an
“epiphany”—the day's events, and his wife’s revelation, will show him that a change of
heart is needed; or whether, instead, he is hardening his heart against his wife and
against anyone who would challenge his image of himself.

What is Hawthorne's tone toward the character of Goodman Brown and if the tone changes during the story, how?Give me evidence from the story if...

Since Goodman Brown's name is ironic, it seems that
Nathaniel Hawthorne maintains a rather skeptical tone toward his character, especially
in the beginning of the narrative.  For instance, as Goodman resolves "after this one
night I'll cling to her skirts and follow her to heaven," it is evident that he intends
to "tarry" not with his wife, but with temptation and may not be so good.  That he is
rather sanctimonious is also evinced by his feeling "himself justified in making more
haste on his present evil
purpose."

As Goodman proceeds, he expects
evil:

"There
may be a devilish Indian behind every tree," said Goodman Brown to himself; and he
glanced fearfully behind him as he added, "What if the devil himself should be at my
very elbow?"

Because he
suspects evil, Goodman does, indeed, discover it in the second traveller who
appears. Yet, he deludes himself, telling the old man with a staff who resembles him
that he is the "first of the name of Brown that ever took this
path..."

Repeatedly, Hawthorne in his skepticism suggests
the hypocrisy of Young Goodman Brown. When, for example, Goodman protests that his
father never ventured so far into the woods, the old man (who is the
devil) laughs,

readability="10">

"Well said, Goodman Brown!  I have been as well
acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; and that's not trifle
to say.  I helped your grandfather, the constable, when he lashed the Quaker woman
smartly through the streets of
Salem...." 

As they continue
on their path, the elderly man takes on the appearance of Goodman Brown's grandfather. 
But, in his guilt, Goodman resolves to return to Faith.  He applauds himself greatly,
and thinks hypocritically how clear a conscience he will have when he meets the minister
in the morning.  Goodman, then, turns from his "guilty purpose."  But Deacon Gookin and
others arrive for the initiations of a young woman.  Goodman is filled with
"uncertainty,"  "doubt," but after the mass, Goodman approaches the congregations with
whom he "felt a loathful brotherhood by the sympathy of all that was wicked in his
heart."

In the end, the tone of the narrative becomes one
that is almost tragic:  "it was a dream of evil omen for young Goodman Brown" as a
"stern a sad, a darkly meditative, a distruftful, if not a desperate man did he become
from the night of that fearful dream."  Young Goodman Brown has lost his faith on this
night in the primeval forest because he has deceived
himself.

According to Compton's Interactive
Encyclopedia,Romanticists held that absolute principles lead to personal
failure.  Since Hawthorne was certainly a Romanticist, it is consistent with his
thinking, then, that his tone regarding Young Goodman Brown would move from skepticism
to
disapproval.

 

Why is Mrs. Dubose lengthening the sessions each time in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Mrs. Dubose is a morphine addict. She knows she is about
to die. She wants to die free from addiction to that drug. However, because of her great
pain, this is difficult to do. The kids coming to read to her is one way she can at the
very least be distracted and hope that she can go longer in between doses. Most addicts
know that this begins the process of weaning themselves off of their addiction, put more
time in between consumption moments.

For the kids, this
just seemed mean at the time. They didn't understand what she was really working
towards. Once she does pass, Atticus reveals to them her great courage and what she was
trying to do in the end of chapter 11.

Why does Julia find it quite plausible that Winston trust O'Brien on the basis of a look in the Party member's eyes ?

The reason for this is that Julia is much more of an
impulsive and emotional person than Winston, in my
opinion.

Over the course of the book, we see that Winston
is more interested in political things than Julia is.  He wants to overthrow the Party
because he dislikes its political policies.  He wants to have more freedom and fewer
lies.  By contrast, Julia wishes the Party were gone so that she could have more fun on
a personal level.  She is not really interested in abstract ideas of
rights.

Because Julia has this sort of a personality, she
is more impulsive.  Therefore, we are told, she often judges people like that -- just on
some sort of a hunch.  Here is a line that shows
this:

She was
used to judging people by their faces, and it seemed natural to her that Winston should
believe O'Brien to be trustworthy on the strength of a single flash of the
eyes.

What is the purpose of adrenaline.

Adrenaline plays the role of a very important
neurotransmitter. In addition, adrenaline when released into the circulatory system, has
effects on all the major organs in our body.

This happens
when we encounter any stressful situation and to allow the body to be able to deal with
the circumstances, the sympathetic nervous system releases adrenaline to deal with the
stress.  Adrenaline is associated with the flight or fight state that we need to get
into to escape from many situations. This has evolved over evolution, as when faced with
predators, the survivors were those who were able to either fight them or run and seek
refuge. To accomplish this, the heart rate increases, the lungs beat faster to provide
more oxygen to muscles and more energy is released from the energy stores we have in our
body.

What are the moral conflcits in "The Minister's Black Veil"?

Your question is interesting because we are never told
explicity the reason why Mr. Hooper dons the black veil, except for it being a symbol.
Other authors, in particular Poe, have suggested that there was some kind of illicit
relationship going on, but there is no proof other than mere conjecture. When we think
about the conflicts in this story, what is fascinating to me is how Hawthorne used the
story to challenge Puritanism and the conventions of his time - it is this central moral
conflict that is the driving force of the story.

"The
Minister's Black Veil" exposes the hypocrisy and judgemental attitude of many Puritans.
It does this through pointing out that everyone has some form of
secret sin that we hide, perhaps even from ourselves. Consider Mr. Hooper's final
declaration regarding his black veil:

readability="10">

"When the friend shown his inmost hearth to his
friend; the lover to his best beloved; when man does not vainly shrink from the eye of
his Creator, loathsomely treasuring up the secret of his sin; then deem me a monster,
for the symbol beneath which I have lived, and
die!"

Hawthorne thus makes a
serious allegation about the form of religiosity that Puritans presented - in outward
aspect true and good, whilst on the inside sins and faults were harboured and not
exposed. It is man's inability to completely be honest and open about his failings and
sins that make the black veil so terrifying an image in the story, for everyone, at
least partially, acknowledges that they have a black veil guarding their faults just as
surely as Mr. Hooper does.

Thus this story seems to talk
more about hypocrisy and judgemental attitudes which are used often to hide and mask our
own secret sins. This is the moral conflict of the story that demands that we all
recognise our own black veils.

Besides the title, what are some symbols in Great Expectations?Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

In Great Expectations by Charles
Dickens, there are several
symbols:

• Satis
  House is, perhaps, the most salient of these symbols. 
  Satis, a Latin word, means satisfied; of course, the irony in this
  name is that Miss Havisham, the occupant of the house is anything but satisfied, nor is
  anyone else who comes there.


• The
  clocks arrested at twenty minutes to nine (8:40) are
  symbolic of Miss Havisham's spiritual death after having been jilted as she freezes time
  and refuses to change anything from that point.


• Miss
  Havisham's wedding dress and
  cake are symbolic of her physical decay and spiritual
  stagnation.


• Her wedding veil
  wraps around her like a shroud.


• The brewery
  in decay suggests the connection of commerce and wealth as well as the
  evils Dickens perceived in the Industrial
  Age.


• The crumbling stones and rusted
  gate of Satis House suggest the decadence of what Dickens considered a
  frivolous aristocracy.  That her relatives and the townspeople yet perceive the
  eccentric Miss Havisham as superior also indicates the reverence given to materialism
  which Dickens found offensive in his society.


• The
  mists on the marshes are symbolic of danger.  It is there
  that Pip first encounters the convict, and it is also on the marshes that Pip's life is
  threatened by Orlick at the sluice house.  Whenever Pip travels to and from London he
  must pass through the mists; this suggests that his development as a gentleman may have
  negative results.


• The prison
  ship represents what Robert Barnard in his essay "Imagery and Theme in Great
  Expectations" calls the transference of guilt from one character to another. 
  For instance, after his encounter with convict in Chapter One, Pip is ridden with guilt
  as he steals the food and file for Magwitch.  When he later returns to the marshes Pip
  is ridden with guilt for avoiding Joe on his visits and for his treatment of Biddy, as
  well as his feelings that "had some hand in the attack upon my
  sister."


• The names of
  characters are also symbolic: Estella, whose name means
  star, is an unobtainable as a star for Pip, but viewed by him as
  beautiful and desirous and one to be reached
  for. Pumblechook, who is pompous and fawning before the
  wealthy, symbolizes the rising middle class who wish to rise the higher social class. 
  When Pumblechook learns that Pip has acquired money, he congratulates him and treats him
  with a new respect.  Also, Bentley Drummle, a lout,
  represents the falsity of class distinctions as this coarse and crude man is allowed
  into what is seemingly polite society.  Magwitch's name
  suggests both his wicked past and his magical provision of Pip's "great expectations." 
  Pip's servant, whose name is Avenger suggests the
  pretensions of Pip in having a servant.  Avenger does not serve Pip at all; in fact, it
  is difficult for Pip to get him to do
  anything.


• Fire, which is
  often symbolic of cleansing, represents Miss Havisham's spiritual cleansing from her sin
  of vengeance against men as she is burnt after asking Pip his
  forgiveness.

Prove that log 5 (6)+log 6 (7)+log 7 (8)+log 8 (5)>4I've put the base the first and the number into bracket

log 5 (6) + log 6 (7) + log 7 (8) + log 8 (5) >
4

We know that log a (b) = log c (b) / log c
(a)

Let c be 10 ==> log a (b) = log b/ log
a

Then, let us rewrite:

log 6/
log 5 + log 7/ log 6 + log 8 / log 5

Since log x is an
increasing function, then f(x+1) > f(x) , then f(x+1)/f(x) >
1

==> log 6/ log 5 >
1.......(1)

==> log 7/ log 6 >
1.......(2)

==> log 8/ log 7 >
1.......(3)

==> log 5 / log 8 >
1......(4)

Now add (1) and (2) and (3) and
(4)

==> log 6/log5 + log 7/log6 + log 8/log 7 +
log5/ log 8 > 3

==> log 5 (6) + log 6 (7) +
log 7 (8) + log 8 (5) > 4

What is Browning's philosophy about the success and failure of life ?

Browning does indeed seem to have a philosophy about
success and failure in life. I would suggest that failure for Browning would be in not
even trying. This thought appears in a few of his poems such as the dramatic monologue
'The Last Ride Together' in which Browning writes 'Why, all men strive and who
succeeds?' This applies to love in this case.

In 'Andrea
Del Sarto' he writes 'Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp/ Or what's a heaven
for?' For Browning life and art is about striving for something that may be out of reach
but the action of striving is a kind of success in itself. Failure for the poet is in
not taking part at all. This reflects his own life in which he married someone that was
forbidden to marry and then caused a scandal by eloping abroad.
       

What comedy is there in Pride and Prejudice?

The comedy in Pride and Prejudice
comes from observing the behavior of particular characters, characters whose behavior
rings so true to life that their actions have a comic tone.  Two such characters, for
me, are Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Collins.

Both Mrs, Bennet and
Mr. Collins are very earnest.  It isn't their intention to be "funny."  Nevertheless,
Mrs. Bennet's constant worry over to whom she and Mr. Bennet will marry their daughters,
and the way she exclaims over every "high-born" person she meets, is funny.  For Mr.
Collins (whose constant reference to "The Lady Catherine de Bourgh" belies a social
climbing heart close to Mrs. Bennet's beneath his clergyman's frock) the humor of his
character is found in the incongruity between his role in life (clergyman) and his
actions (social climbing).

Both of these characters are
also perfect foils, which increases their comic value.  Mrs. Bennet wouldn't be nearly
so funny without Mr. Bennet's dry responses to her words of worry.  And Mr. Collins'
"suck-up" nature blooms more humorously in the presence of Lady de
Bourgh.

Comedy is definitely present in Pride and
Prejudice, but it must be found in the details of character behaviour,
especially the behaviour of Mrs. Bennet and Mr.
Collins.

For more on the irony and wit found in
Pride and Prejudice, please follow the link on "humor"
below.

What are some defenses to a charge of assault and battery?

There are a couple such as the aggressor defense and the
mutual combat defense. The aggressor defense is simply that the other party to the case
was the aggressor and that the defendant was merely acting in self defense. Perfect or
imperfect self defense can then be shown by proving that the use of force was necessary
and the amount of force used was appropriate.

The mutual
combat defense is one that states the parties engaged in the struggle willingly and were
mutually fighting. Law enforcement agencies are aware of this particular defense and
thus many times will charge the individuals with a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.
The mutual combat defense is harder to prove than the aggressor
defense.

Other defenses include the reasonable disciplining
of a child by a parent or gaurdian or that the conduct was necessary and lawful to
detain a suspect, prevent suicide, or to prevent escape of someone who is being lawfully
detained.

How does the dark side of humans play a role in the destruction of society in Lord of the Flies?

I'm assuming your question is more like what role does the
dark side of human nature play in the destruction of society in the novel Lord
of the Flies.  The simplest answer is that it's this darker side of human
nature which leads directly to all the death and destruction in the novel. This is a
highly symbolic work, and it's hard to escape Golding's point that a world without any
external controls (in this case, no adults and no real laws or restrictions) leads to
destruction because the inherent sin or evil in our nature will override any other
elements. 

Each of the boys represents part of who we are. 
Piggy is indicative of our intellectual selves, and when he wants to establish some
order on the island, he is mocked and ridiculed and ignored--and eventually killed. 
Simon represents the conscience or the soul of man, and he speaks the truth (that the
beast is them) but is not heard or believed; instead, he is also
killed.  That leaves Ralph, who is symbolic of our physical selves, and Jack, who
represents our inherent sin/evil/dark nature.  They are the last two elements to
survive, and one is nearly destroyed by the other.  In the end, Ralph is no longer the
leader, he is the hunted.  The dark side of ourselves (represented primarily by Jack) is
the most powerful part of who we are, says
Golding.

Thematically, then, the message is clear--the
strongest element in our beings, according to Golding, is that dark side inside us all;
and without the restraints and controls of a civilized world, that is the dominant
force, though it will inevitably lead to destruction. That's exactly what happens on
this island--until the miraculous and ironic rescue at the end.  It is the dark side of
human nature which destroys this microcosmic world.

Why did Eurasia have "better" kinds of plants that allowed for the onset of agriculture?I appreciate your time helping me out

If you are asking what characteristics of the plants made
them "better," the main answer is the size of the plants' seeds.  Diamond talks about
how many of the plants in the Fertile Crescent were among the wild plants that had the
biggest seeds.  Plants with big seeds are better because the seeds are the things that
people eat (if we are talking about grains).  You can find this in Chapter
8.

If you are asking why Eurasia had the plants rather than
some other place, the answer is luck.  One thing Diamond is trying to argue in this book
is that some places were just luckier than others in terms of plants and animals that
were available to them and in terms of their geography.

What are some comical satirical points made in "The Nun's Priest's Tale"?

The main point, or moral, of this beast fable is to beware
of empty flattery.  Chanticleer, to please his wife, goes into the barnyard and listens
to the fox's flattering words.  The fox grabs Chanitcleer and is about to make a clean
get-away when Chanticleer reverses the flattery role and is able then to escape from the
fox.  Some of the satire comes into play when Chanticleer's wife, Pertlet, dismisses
Chanticleer's dream.  His dream was a clear predictor of what happened when the fox
grabbed him, but Pertlet says it is just indigestion causing a bad night's sleep and he
should simply purge his system.  She goes on to ridicule him for even thinking there
might be something to the dream.  There is some satire, too, in another moral that might
be taken from this story and that is to think for oneself rather than be tempted to go
against one's better judgement.  Chanticleer lets his love of Pertlet guide him and
squelches his instinct to stay away from the fox when he should have followed that
instinct.

Determine the function of distance if velocity is y=lnt/t.

Given the velocity y = Integral
(dt/t).

To find the distance
function.

Le s(t) be the distance travelled in time
t.

Then velocity = ds/dt = Int
(1/t)

Therefore ds = Int (dt/t
)

We integrate both sides to get the distance function s(t)
:

Therefore s(t) = logt
+C.

Therefore the distance function s(t) travelled in time
t is given by:

s(t) = logt +C, where C is the constant of
integration which could be determined by the initial conditions.

Who is Chryseis ? How does a conflict start concerning her ?

Chryseis is the daughter of a priest of Apollo who is
taken as a concubine by Agamemnon when the Greek army conquered the city of Thebe. Her
father, Chryses, goes to Troy to beg Agamemnon for his daughter's release, bringing with
him a large ransom for her release. Agamemnon refuses to release Chryseis and sends her
father home without her. Chryses prays to Apollo for help in getting his daughter back,
and Apollo sends a plague down upon the Greek army, causing many of their men to die.
The leaders of the Greek armies eventually go to Agamemnon, with Achilles as their
spokesman. Achilles tells Agamemnon he will receive more than his share of the spoils of
the Trojan War after the Greeks defeat them if Agamemnon allows Chryseis to go home.
Agamemnon angrily agrees, but instead of waiting until after they defeat the Trojans, he
takes the concubine of Achilles, causing Achilles to pull out of the
war.

Distinction between Assessment Evaluation, Measurement and Test.Concept of Classroom assessment.

The definitions for each
are:

Test: A method to determine a student's ability to
complete certain tasks or demonstrate mastery of a skill or knowledge of content. Some
types would be multiple choice tests, or a weekly spelling test.  While it is commonly
used interchangeably with assessment, or even evaluation, it can be distinguished by the
fact that a test is one form of an assessment.

Assessment:
The process of gathering information to monitor progress and make educational decisions
if necessary. As noted in my definition of test, an assessment may include a test, but
also includes methods such as observations, interviews, behavior monitoring,
etc.

Evaluation: Procedures used to determine whether the
subject (i.e. student) meets a preset criteria, such as qualifying for special education
services. This uses assessment (remember that an assessment may be a test) to make a
determination of qualification in accordance with a predetermined
criteria.

Measurement, beyond its general definition,
refers to the set of procedures and the principles for how to use the procedures in
educational tests and assessments.  Some of the basic principles of measurement in
educational evaluations would be raw scores, percentile ranks, derived scores, standard
scores,
etc.

Reference:

Assessing
Learners with Special Needs: 6TH ED. By Terry Overton

How is the kite flying episode in the first third of The Kite Runner different than the one in the last third?

Hosseini  constructs the kite-flying episode in Chapter 7
to further develop the relationship between Amir and Hassan.  Though Amir is nervous,
Hassan continually encourages him, and the competition ultimately ends with Amir's
victory.  When Hassan takes the blue kite to run it for Amir in celebration, Amir's
focus shifts to his thoughts of Baba, whom he has finally made
proud. 

During this time, Amir loses track of Hassan, and
the scene that follows--in which Hassan is raped by Assef--is one of the most poignant
and disturbing in the novel.  For, Amir, a witness to this horrible act, is unable to
act in Hassan's defense.  Afterwards, Hassan returns home, traumatized both physically
and emotionally, holding the blue kite.  For the rest of the novel, Amir's guilt,
coupled with Hassan's presence and failure to ever mention the situation again, proves
to be too much for Amir; he ultimately constructs and executes a plan to drive Ali and
Hassan from Baba's home.   This episode serves as a reminder to Amir, and to readers, of
Hassan's unrivaled love for and commitment to Amir; Amir's failure to reciprocate is an
issue with which he is left to deal with for the rest of his
life. 

In Chapter 25, the final chapter in the novel, an
adult Amir buys Sohrab a kite and takes him out to run it.  After a tumultuous year in
which Sohrab refused to speak and even tried to commit suicide to avoid being placed in
an orphanage, this kite-running experience evokes Sohrab's first smile in Amir's
presence.  As Sohrab is Hassan's son, and as Amir has gone through many extraordinarily
difficult and trying situations with the child, this smile is what Amir refers to as a
"small, wondrous thing."  The novel closes with Sohrab and Amir running kites together
with the hope that both will move forward together from the difficulties that each has
endured. 

What details from "The Devil and Tom Walker" refer to the devil's dealings in America?

In Washington Irving's "The Devil and Tom Walker," there
are several mentions of the devil's influence or presence in America's "goings on." 
When he and Tom Walker initially meet in the woods, the devil explains
that

...Since
the red men have been exterminated by you white savages, I amuse myself by presiding at
the persecutions of Quakers and Anabaptists; I am the great patron and prompter of slave
dealers, andn the grandmaster of the Salem
witches.

In this way, the
devil admits his involvement in well-known events such as the Salem witch
trials.

Later in the story, the reader is told that the
devil is anxious to recruit Walker as a usurer because the devil considers them to be
his "{special} people."  In the economy of the time, working as a usurer was especially
lucrative, since

readability="19">

...money was particularly scarce.  It was a time
of paper credit.  The country had been deluged with government bills; the famous Land
bank had been established; there had been a rage for speculating; the people had run mad
with schemes for new settlements, for building cities in the wilderness; land jobbers
went about with maps of grants, and townships, and El Dorados, lying nobody knew where,
but which everybody was ready to purchase.  In a word, the great speculating fever which
breaks out every now and then in the country, had raged to an alarming degree, and
everybody was dreaming of making sudden fortunes from nothing.  As usual, the fever had
subsided; the dream had gone off, and the imaginary fortunes with it; the patients were
left in doleful plight, and the whole country resounded with the consequent cry of "hard
times."

Because of this, the
fact that the devil played a large role in American dealings is
clear.

What are the top three poems that make Robert Frost a best-loved poet?

The three most anthologized Frost poems are probably
"Birches," "The Road Not Taken," and "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening."  I like
these, but my top three would be "Design," " One Acquainted with the Night," and "After
Apple-Picking."

Frost is a 20th Century modern American
poet.  Though he often writes about modern themes such as loneliness, alienation,
desolation, he, unlike most modern poets, usually uses a strict structure.  Most of his
poems rhyme.  I think his structure and rhyme make him easy to remember and
quote.

Also, much of his appeal lies in his deceptively
simple lines.  Frost uses a simple vocabulary to convey his ideas, and yet the ideas are
quite complex.  A poem about ground being covered by snow becomes more a statement about
man's own desolation, as in "Desert Places."  A poem about trees in an ice-storm becomes
a statement of the desire to temporarily escape the world's troubles and woes, as in
"Birches."  A poem about two paths in the woods becomes a poem about individual choices,
as in "The Road Not Taken."  Most readers enjoy the depth of Frost's poems as well as
their simple elegance and well-crafted structure.

Verify if arcsinx + arccosx = pi/2 if -1

We'll associate a function f(x) to the expression (arcsin
x + arccos x).

If we want to prove that the function is a
constant function, we'll have to do the first derivative test. If the first derivative
is cancelling, that means that f(x) is a constant function, knowing the fact that a
derivative of a constant function is 0.

f'(x) = (arcsin x +
arccos x)'

f'(x) = 1/sqrt(1-x^2) -
1/sqrt(1-x^2)

We'll eliminate like
terms:

f'(x)=0, so
f(x)=constant

To verify if the constant is pi/2, we'll put
x = 1:

f(1)=arcsin 1 + arccos 1 = pi/2 +
0=pi/2

How do you find the intervals of increase and decrease for r(x) = sin xThe answer at the back of my textbook was (90( 4k - 1), 90 (4k + 1) for...

Consider the interval 90(k-1) to 90(k+1) degrees. Let us
give k= 0.

Then the interval is 90(0-1)degrees to 90(0+1)
degrees. Or

the interval is -90 degrees to +90 degrees. The
function r(x) sinx is increasing in this interval:

sin(-90)
= -1, sin (-60) =  -sqrt3/2, sin (150) = -1/2,  sin (0) =
0

sin (30) = 1/2, sin (60) sert3/2 , sin (90) =
1.

So in the interval -90 degree to 90 degree or in the
interval (-90 , 90) sin x is a contnuously
incresing.

Similarly in the interval (90(4k-1) , 90(4k+1) )
, k = 0,1,2,3..., sinx , being perodic after every 360 degree degree behavves exacly
similaly increasing.

Like that in the interval (90 degree
to 270 degree) or (90(4k+1 , to 90(4k+3) ) k = 0,1,2,3..., r(x) is decreasing
continuously.

Hope this helps.

Bottoms's Personality Traits. Hi, I'd like someone to please post four of bottom's personality traits with some detail and quotes from the...

Bottom is often considered to be the common man or to
represent the normal man's experience in the way that he embodies so many normal and
good traits.  He is one of the mechanicals and his name "bottom" refers to the skein
around which yarn is wound, you could of course take this to mean that he is the central
piece of the story, the part about which this "yarn" is
wound.

He is brave in a way, though he will acknowledge his
insecurities.

He makes mistakes and is willing to try to
get over them.

He is wise, wise enough at least to
understand that trying to go around explaining this dream he has had to anyone else
would be unwise and that he ought to take it as it was.

He
is also funny and has a wild imagination, wild enough at least that he is the only one
of the characters that can see the fairies and interact with
them.

If lg2, lg(2^x - 1) and lg(2^x + 3 ) are in A.P., calculate the value of x.

For the beginning, let's note the terms of the
sequence:

a1 = lg2

a2 = lg(2^x
- 1)

a3 = lg(2^x + 3 )

If the
given sequence is an a.p., then:

a2 - a1 = a3 -
a2

lg(2^x - 1) - lg2 = lg(2^x + 3 ) - lg(2^x -
1)

We'll use the quotient property of the
logarithms:

lg [(2^x - 1)/2] = lg [(2^x + 3 )/(2^x -
1)]

Because the bases of logarithms are matching, we'll use
the one to one property:

[(2^x - 1)/2] = [(2^x + 3 )/(2^x -
1)]

We'll remove the brackets and cross
multiply:

(2^x - 1)^2 = 2*(2^x + 3
)

We'll expand the square from the left
side:

2^2x - 2*2^x + 1 = 2*2^x +
6

We'll move all terms to one
side:

2^2x - 4*2^x - 5 =
0

We'll substitute 2^x = t

t^2
- 4t - 5  =0

We'll apply the quadratic
formula:

t1 =
[4+sqrt(16+20)]/2

t1 =
(4+6)/2

t1 = 5

t2 =
(4-6)/2

t2 = -1

Since
2^x>0, the only admissible solution is:

2^x =
5

x = log 2
(5)

Distinguish between anti-social and pro-social behaviorPsychology unit 2

Antisocial behavior is classified as a personality
disorder. There is a violation of the rights of others and a pattern of disregarding
those rights. Some authors use the term sociopathy to describe antisocial behavior.
Hallmarks of antisocial behavior include manipulation and deceit. In general, people
with antisocial behaviors do not conform to accepted social norms, they may destroy
property, harass others, steal, lie, and cheat in order to satisfy personal desires.
They are frequently in trouble with law enforcement for a variety of reasons stemming
from their behavior. They may also display a disregard for personal safety as evidenced
by, for example, driving habits.

Behavior that is pro
social are behaviors that are in sharp contrast to antisocial ones. Kindness,
consideration, and law abiding behaviors are evident. Individuals conform to and accept
the norms of the community in which they live.

DSM-IV-TR/p.
702,703

Who was betrayed in Shakespeare's Macbeth and why?Name the characters and who betrayed them and the reason why they were betrayed.

Betrayal is a huge part of Macbeth.
The play opens with a battle that is being fought because two of the Thanes (Lords) who
are supposed to be serving King Duncan have turned against him.  In the first act of the
play, he has put down the rebellion.

So, in this opening of
the play and throughout the rest of the play, betrayal is motivated by a desire for
power, to gain status, and for Macbeth, the central figure who betrays many, the desire
to become and remain King.

Macbeth betrays King Duncan (to
whom he has sworn allegiance) by killing him when he is a guest at his home.  Why?  To
gain the crown that Duncan wears.  He also betrays his friend Banquo. Why?  To retain
the power and position of being King.  The witches had prophesied that Banquo's children
would be kings, and Macbeth wants to prevent this by killing Banquo and his son
Fleance.  He misses Fleance, but gets Banquo.

And you could
also make a case that Macbeth betrays Macduff when he murders his family.  Why?  He is
afraid that Macduff will be the agent of his fall from
power.

So, Macbeth is the main betrayer in the play, and
his motivation is the gaining and maintaining of power.

What happens when Freak and Max try to get some lemonade in Freak the Mighty?

Kevin and Max decide to take in the Fourth of July
festivites, culminating in a fireworks display at the millpond. Along the way, the boys
get thirsty and decide to get some lemonade from one of the food-carts parked nearby.
Max yearns for "how clean it will taste." But before the boys can make their purchase,
Kevin--atop Max--spots a " 'Cretin at two o'clock.' " It is Blade and his gang of young
thugs. They begin to chase the boys, and Max runs through the crowd as fast as he can
with Kevin on board. When there is no where else to run, Kevin instructs Max to head out
into the slimy, mucky waters of the pond. Soon, Max is stuck in the mud, but when he
looks back, he sees Blade struggling to stay afloat. Blade's gang rescues him, and they
begin to throw rocks at the Kevin and Max, but when police sirens are heard, Blade "and
his punks are running away. Like snakes on sneakers..."

In "the Fox" by D. H. Lawrence, what is the theme of the story, and what does the fox symbolize?

The theme of this story is the danger of using coercion to
get someone to submit to one's will. From the time Henry arrives, he manipulates Nellie
and her relationship with Jill. On the surface, he appears harmless, but beneath, he is
like the fox, a cunning predator. Henry masterminds Jill's death right in front of
Nellie and Jill's father, knowing that neither of them will be able to hold him
responsible for Jill's death. Getting rid of Jill is essential to Henry's devious plan
to overpower Nellie. Nellie submits to Henry because she feels she has no other option,
and this is where the danger lies. Henry has taken away Nellie's free will, and even
though Nellie agrees to go to Canada with Henry, her heart is not in it. Henry has
manipulated the whole situation, and Nellie is going to resent him for
it.

The fox symbolizes male domination of women. Nellie is
unable to shoot the fox when she does catch up with it because she is mesmerized by his
"demon eyes". Nellie is unble to control the fox's destructive behavior just as she
cannot control Henry's.

What reason do social conservatives in Texas give for wanting to downplay Thomas Jefferson's role in U.S. History?

I agree that what the Texas Board of Education has done to
the state history curriculum with regard to Jefferson is not exactly in line with
traditional "conservative" thought.  It is, however, pretty much in line with
social conservative thought.  But since you are asking specifically
about the reasoning given for the change by the Texas Board itself, a little research
reveals some quotes given to news organizations by Cynthia Dunbar, a Board
member.

She claims the reason Jefferson's name was removed
from a list of world revolutionaries in state guiding questions was
because:

"The
Enlightenment was not the only philosophy on which these revolutions were
based"

Since his name was
replaced with religious figures like Thomas Aquinas and John Calvin, we can also
probably assume the Board members (at least, 10 out of 15, anyway) did not like
Jefferson's embrace of the Separation of Church and State, which, it should be noted, is
also a conservative value of limited government.

How does the study of microbiology contribute to environmental science?

Microbiology is the study of microscopic organisms such as
algae, bacteria, moulds, protozoans, viruses, and yeasts. All these organisms are
collectively called microbes.  They include algae, bacteria, moulds, protozoans,
viruses, and yeasts.

Fields of microbiology includes study
of many diverse subjects such as relationships between microbes and man, animals, and
plants;  the role of microorganisms in human and animal diseases and seek ways to
prevent and cure these diseases;  plant diseases and the role of microorganisms in soil
fertility, and spoilage of farm products by microorganisms; and use of microorganisms to
produce such products as alcoholic beverages and antibiotics, citric acid. All these
subjects provide insights to the environmental scientist to understand the process by
which the nature and quality of our environment is shaped. Knowledge of these subjects
also helps us to develop ways and means to preserve and protect the environment. For
example, microbes play an important part in sewage treatment and pollution
control.

EXPRESS the solution set for the inequality x^2 - 2x -3

We have the inequation x^2 - 2x -3 <=
0

x^2 - 2x -3 <=
0

=> x^2 - 3x + x - 3
<=0

=> x(x-3)+1(x-3)
<=0

=>
(x+1)(x-3)<=0

Now this is possible if either of
(x+1) and (x-3) is negative or 0.

For x+1 <=0 and
x-3 =>0

=>  x<=-1 and x=>
3

This gives no valid
values.

For x+1 =>0 and x-3
<=0

=>  x =>-1 and
x<=3

This is possible and gives us values of x
ranging from x= -1 to x=3.

The solution here
is [-1 , 3]

Which are the elements of the set A if they are solution of the inequality x^2 - 13x/3 - 10/3 > 0 ?

To determine the elements of the set, we'll sove the
inequality.

For this purpose, will solve first the
equation:

x^2 - 13x/3 - 10/3 =
0

3x^2 - 13x - 10 = 0

After
finding the roots of the equation, we could write the expression in a factored form
as:

3(x-x1)(x-x2)>0

So,
let's apply the quadratic formula to calculate the
roots:

x1 =
[13+sqrt(169-120)]/6

x1 =
(13+sqrt49)/6

x1 =
(13+7)/6

x1 =
10/3

x2 =
(13-7)/6

x2 =
6/6

x2 =
1

The inequality will be written
as:

3(x - 10/3)(x - 1) >
0

We'll divide by 3, both
sides:

(x - 10/3)(x - 1) >
0

Now, we'll discuss the
inequality:

- the product is positive if the factors are
both positive:

x -
10/3>0

We'll add 10/3 both
sides:

x >
10/3

and

x - 1 >
0

We'll add 1 both sides:

x
> 1

So, x belongs to the interval (10/3 ,
+inf.)

- the product is positive if the factors are both
negative:

x - 10/3 <
0

We'll add 10/3 both sides:

x
< 10/3

x - 1 <
0

We'll add 1 both sides:

x
< 1

So, x belongs to the interval (
-inf.,1)

Finally, the solution set of the inequality is the
union of the sets  above:

( -inf.,1) U (10/3
, +inf.)

So, the set A is the
union of intervals:

A =
{( -inf.,1) U (10/3 ,
+inf.)}

What techniques are evident in the short story "The Open Window"?"Open Window" by Saki

Saki's short story "The Open Window" employs the technique
of a frame story that has another within it.  Added to this structure, the narrative is
written as a tall tale with irony and
connotation.

CONNOTATION

Vera's
name is misleading for Framton Nuttel since the name Vera is a
derivative of the Latin word veritas, or truth.  The tall-tale that
she weaves revolves around the open window, which of itself connotes candor and
honesty.  The connotation of the name and the window contribute to the effect of Vera's
tall-tale as Nuttel gullibly becomes horrified when he views Vera's frightened
appearance as she sees the
men.  

IRONY

Vera's tale is
replete with verbal irony as she makes use of the open
window for her devious story as well as the Stappleton men away on a hunt to twist the
meaning of their day's adventure.  After Framton Nuttel panicks and runs off, Mrs.
Stappleton herself is faced with the irony of her guest's departure.  But, she remarks
superciliously in an example of situational
irony,

"A most extraordinary
man...could only talk about his illnesses, and dashed off without a word of goodbye or
apology...one would think he had seen a ghost."

Why do clavicle bones break so easy?

Clavicle bones break because they have evolved to.  Sounds
strange, I know, but they serve as a disconnect for impact trauma which would otherwise
travel all the way into the neck, potentially breaking it. 

When a person falls and catches themself on their arm, the
force from the impact goes up the arm and into the shoulder.  If the clavicle bone were
thicker, it would simply pass the shockwave along its length and into the neck.  Necks
(obviously) do not respond well to trauma, so instead the clavicle breaks and the force
is dispersed into the surrounding tissues.  Certainly a painful adaptation, but one
which, like a lizard's ability to tear free from its tail if the tail is caught, was
evolved to protect the more important parts of the body.

Write a short composition on Teacher's day in less than 150 words.Don't use very complicated words.

Another path you could take, possibly, would be to write a
narrative essay that does some of what the previous post suggested while actually going
through the bits of a teacher's day.  By following the framework of a teacher's actual
workday, you have a built in structure for the essay, giving you a beginning and an end,
and you could pick out the most important part of the day you want to emphasize.  This
could be tough in just 150 words though, but it is another
option.

By using the day as a framework for the story, you
give yourself an easy structure to work within.

Based on the description of Miss Maudie and her conversation with Scout, write a brief character analysis on Miss Maudie.Support your...

Much like Atticus Finch, Miss Maudie sets an example of
fortitude, integrity, and charity through her words and actions. When her house burns in
the night, she does not whine about her loss:

readability="6">

"Always wanted a smaller house, Jem
Finch."

Charitably, she tells
Scout not to worry about her, also, and is concerned that others in the neighborhood
could have been injured:

readability="23">

Only thing I worried about last night was all
the danger and commotion I caused....Mr. avery'll be in bed for a
week....

When Mrs. Merriweather criticizes Atticus
indirectly--"...there are some good but misguided people in this town"--and disparages
her maid, Sophy, Miss Maudie comes to the defense of Aunt Alexandra wrily asks her about
her husband,

"His food  doesn't stick going down, does
it?"

"Maudie, I'm sure I don't know what you mean," said
Mrs. Merriweather.

"I'm sure you do," Miss Maudie said
shortly.

Never afraid to
speak out against hypocrisy, Miss Maudie counters the fundamentalists by quoting
scripture back to them. Whenever the town gossip creates rumors, she stops her with a
cryptic remark.  After the Tom Robinson trial, as an anxious Aunt Alexandra mentions how
the events "tear him to pieces," Miss Maudie comforts her and castigates the pompous who
malign Atticus:

readability="8">

"Whether maycomb knows it or not, we're paying
the highest tribute we can pay a man.  We trust him to do right...The handful of people
in this won with background, that's who they
are."

Certainly, Miss Maudie
stands with Atticus Finch as one of the "handful of people with background."  Of noble
character, Miss Maudie knows the true meaning of charity, love, and
integrity.