If displacement is 72.1 m, initial velocity is zero and time is 0.735 s, find the acceleration.

Hello!
Probably a body moves with a uniform acceleration, denote it a. Then the speed changes uniformly, V(t) = V_0 + a t, where V_0 is the initial speed and t is the time in seconds since the initial moment. Because the initial speed is given to be zero, we have V(t) = a t.
Therefore the displacement from the initial position is equal to D(t) = (a t^2) / 2 (proving this requires integration or computing the area of a triangle but I hope you know this fact).
The unknown in our problem is a, to find it we multiply both sides of the equation (a t^2) / 2 by 2 and divide by t^2 and obtain the answer  a = (2 D) / t^2.
Numerically it is equal to  (2 * 72.1) / 0.735^2 approx 267 (m / s^2).
 
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/acons.html

Intermediate Algebra, Chapter 4, 4.2, Section 4.2, Problem 24

Solve the system of equations $
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

4x -8y =& -7 \\
4y + z =& 7 \\
-8x + z =& -4

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$.


$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

4x - 8y \phantom{+ 2z} =& -7
&& \text{Equation 1}
\\
8y + 2z =& 14
&& 2 \times \text{ Equation 2}
\\
\hline

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

4x \phantom{8y} +2z =& 7
&& \text{Add}

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

4x + 2z =& 7
&& \text{Equation 4}
\\
-8x + z =& -4
&& \text{Equation 3}

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

8x + 4z =& 14
&& 2 \times \text{ Equation 4}
\\
-8x + z =& -4
&& \text{Equation 3}
\\
\hline

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

\phantom{8x + } 5z =& 10
&& \text{Add}
\\
z =& 2
&& \text{Divide each side by $5$}

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

-8x + 2 =& -4
&& \text{Substitute } z = 2 \text{ in Equation 3}
\\
-8x =& -6
&& \text{Subtract each side by $2$}
\\
x =& \frac{-6}{-8}
&& \text{Divide each side by $-8$}
\\
x =& \frac{3}{4}
&& \text{Reduce to lowest terms}

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

4 \left( \frac{3}{4} \right) - 8y =& -7
&& \text{Substitute } x = \frac{3}{4} \text{ in Equation 1}
\\
\\
3 - 8y =& -7
&& \text{Multiply}
\\
\\
-8y =& -10
&& \text{Subtract each side by $3$}
\\
\\
y =& \frac{-10}{-8}
&& \text{Divide each side by $-8$}
\\
\\
y =& \frac{5}{4}
&& \text{Reduce to lowest terms}


\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



The ordered triple is $\displaystyle \left( \frac{3}{4}, \frac{5}{4}, 2 \right)$.

Why was he not purchased before Virginia?

When Olaudah's ship arrives in Barbados, he's taken ashore with all the other slaves. He gives a very detailed description of the process by which the slaves are bought and sold at the market place. It is a particularly harrowing experience for Olaudah; he sees friends and relations forcibly separated from each other, never to be together again. The slaves are not regarded as human beings; they are simply items of property to be bundled together in convenient lots for sale, even if it means keeping family members apart.
Olaudah, however, along with a number of other slaves, is not sold at the slave market. He mentions earlier that the slaves were terrified when the buyers rushed into the yard to make their purchases. Olaudah must also have been visibly agitated at what was happening. He appears to suggest that his extremely anxious appearance was the reason for his not being sold:

[W]hen I and some few more slaves, that were not saleable amongst the rest, from very much fretting, were shipped off in a sloop for North America.

"Fretting" in this context would appear to be mean anxious or extremely worried. That's not to suggest that the buyers at the slave market took pity on Olaudah and a handful of other slaves because they could see worry written in their faces; it simply means that they thought such slaves might be difficult to handle and control given their highly agitated state. The buyers might have concluded, then, that making those additional purchases would not have been worth the trouble.

Single Variable Calculus, Chapter 6, 6.1, Section 6.1, Problem 22

Sketch the region enclosed by the curves $\displaystyle y = \sin \left( \frac{\pi x}{2} \right)$, $ y = x$. Then find the area of the region.


By using vertical strips
$\displaystyle A = \int^{x_2}_{x_1} \left(y_{\text{upper}} - y_{\text{lower}} \right) dx$
In order to get the values of the upper and lower limits, we equate the two functions to get its point of intersection. Thus
$\displaystyle y = \sin \left( \frac{\pi x}{2} \right) = x$

By trial and error, we have $x = 1 $ and $x = -1$
Notice that the orientation between the graphs at $x < 0 $ differs from the graph at $x > 0 $. Let $A_1$ and $A_2$ be the area of the left most part and right most part respectively. So,


$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}
A_1 &= \int^0_{-1} \left[ \left(x - \sin \left( \frac{\pi x}{2} \right) \right) \right] dx\\
\\
A_1 &= 0.1366 \text{ square units}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$

For the area of the right most part.


$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}
A_2 &= \int^1_0 \left[ \sin \left( \frac{\pi x}{2} \right) - x\right] dx \\
\\
A_2 &= 0.1366 \text{ square units}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$

Therefore, the total area is $A_1 + A_2 = 0.1366 + 0.1366 = 0.2732$ square units.

Single Variable Calculus, Chapter 6, 6.3, Section 6.3, Problem 40

The region bounded by the curves $x = 1 - y^4, x = 0$ is rotated about the $x = 2$. Find the volume of the resulting solid by any method.

Let us use the water method together with horizontal strips to evaluate the volume more easy. Notice that the region rotated is about $x = 2$ has a cross section with outer radius $2$ and inner radius $2 - (1 - y^4)$. Thus, the cross sectional area is completed by subtracting the area of the outer circle from the inner circle. $A_{\text{washer}} = A_{\text{outer}} - A_{\text{inner}} = \pi(2)^2 - \pi (2 - (1 - y^4))^2$. Hence, the volume is..

$\displaystyle V = \int^b_a A(y) dy$

The values of the upper and lower limits can be determined by the points of intersection of the curves.



$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

1 - y^4 =& 0
\\
y^4 =& 1
\\
y =& \pm 1


\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$



Therefore, we have..


$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

V =& \int^1_{-1} \left[ \pi (2)^2 - \pi (2 - (1 - y^4))^2 \right] dy
\\
\\
V =& \pi \int^1_{-1} \left[4 - (1 + y^4)^2\right] dy
\\
\\
V =& \pi \int^1_{-1} \left[4 - 1 - 2y^4 - y^8\right] dy
\\
\\
V =& \pi \int^1_{-1} \left[3 - 2y^4 - y^8\right] dy
\\
\\
V =& \pi \left[ 3y - \frac{2y^5}{5} - \frac{y^9}{9} \right]^1_{-1}
\\
\\
V =& \frac{224 \pi}{45} \text{ cubic units}

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$

How does the following quote apply to the United States between 1980 and the present? It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven.

Although the two cities of Dickens's title refer explicitly to London and Paris, they also suggest that each city itself is comprised of two very different cities or worlds, separated by social class and economic inequality. The excesses of the Terror were a reaction to the impunity of aristocrats such as Monseigneur the Marquis St. Evrémonde in his killing of Gaspard's child.
In the contemporary United States, the Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality, has been rising steadily to levels unseen since the Gilded Age with CEOs making over three hundred times the wage of an average worker. While real wages for average workers are stagnating, the Republican-led Congress has passed tax cuts for large corporations and the very wealthy while weakening the social safety net and support for children, the poor, the elderly, and the sick in order to subsidize tax breaks for the wealthy. In response to this, the country is becoming politically fractured, with alt-right populists advocating authoritarianism and isolationism, and trying to turn back the clock on the rights of ethnic minorities, women, and LBGTQ people, and the left wing increasingly energized in defense of those rights.
While many of the poor struggle for access to basic healthcare and adequate food and water, the United States is also undergoing a wave of "techno-optimism," which assumes that the world is moving forward into a "heaven" in which AI and automation will somehow create a paradise on earth, an optimism very similar to the Victorian faith in "Progress."
As for incredulity, despite high educational attainment in the country, the majority of students are unable to distinguish real from fake news. Conspiracy theories, anti-vaccination movements, quack health fads, and other forms of incredulity and naive belief in unreliable sources flourish.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/justcapital/2017/10/10/what-is-just-when-it-comes-to-ceo-to-average-worker-pay/

Was Kunta Kinte's (in "Roots") pride as a Mandinka Warrior helpful or harmful during his lifetime?

It depends on one's perception of what is "helpful" and what is "harmful" in a slave system. 
Kunta Kinte (later, "Toby") insisted not only on retaining his identity, symbolized by his stubborn insistence on refusing his new name—but also identified as African. He never lost his sense of history; he did not identify with his slave status. His ability to remember his history created the possibility for Alex Haley to tell this story—his family's story—which is the history of many Black Americans and a history of America.
His pride was "harmful" because it led to severe abuse. The best-known scene in the miniseries version of Roots is when young Kunta Kinte, played by LeVar Burton, is whipped repeatedly for refusing to accept the slave name Toby. Later, Toby (played by John Amos) has his foot cut off to prevent him from running away. Punishments such as these were not unusual. There were also slave masters who inflicted cruelty on slaves simply because they could. So, there is no guarantee that Kunta Kinte's compliance would have resulted in less harm. A slave's health and life were maintained at the whim of a master.

Why does Jonas start to question his decision about leaving?

Near the end of Lois Lowry's novel The Giver, Jonas and the Giver make a plan for Jonas to leave the community and go Elsewhere. When his father announces that the toddler Gabriel is going to be released (meaning given a fatal injection), Jonas decides to leave earlier than planned so that he can take Gabriel with him and save his life. He steals his father's bike, with baby seat attached, and the two make their escape.
The two face many challenges, including hiding from search planes and Jonas twisting his ankle. However, what makes Jonas begin to doubt his decision to leave is when they start running out of food. He begins to think about the fact that nobody ever starves in the community and questions whether he made the right choice by leaving. Jonas comes to his senses when he remembers that if he were still in the community, he would be starved of love and emotion, and Gabriel would be dead.

What four countries make up the core region of Russia and the Near Abroad

Russia - or, officially, the Russian Federation - consists of a number of regions, so called, oblasts, krays and okrugs. Oblasts and krays are mainly defined territorially while Okrugs are mostly inhabited by indigenous peoples, such as Yakuts, Nenets and so on. These areas are located in the North and East of the country.
The term "Near Abroad" emerged in the early 1990's after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country that had consisted of 15 constituent republics. When those republics, the main of those being Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, got their independence, they actually became neighboring countries bordering the republic that was the core of the USSR - Russia. There is also another unifying term for those independent countries - FSU, Former Soviet Union, as the aggregate territory.
All other surrounding countries are considered the "Far Abroad" or the outside world.

Russia is its own sovereign nation; it is not composed of other independent countries. It does have four semi-autonomous regions, or okrugs. These are Nenetsia, Yamalia, Khanty Mansi, and Chukotka. These are remote regions located within the borders of the Russian Federation that operate more or less independently.
The Near Abroad is a term that refers to the former Soviet states that became independent after the fall of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991. There are fourteen countries other than Russia that were part of the Soviet Union. They include the following: the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan; the Baltic states of Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia; the Caucasus Mountain countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan; and the Eastern Slavic states of Belarus, Ukraine, and Moldova. Russia still considers these countries part of its sphere of influence and frequently asserts its political, social, and economic influence over them.
https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/22/magazine/on-language-the-near-abroad.html

Using the dimensions of listening effectiveness (empathic-objective, nonjudgmental-critical, surface-depth, polite-impolite, or active-inactive). Answer 1. How would you describe yourself as a listener when listening in class? 2. When listening to superiors at work? 3. When listening to your best friend? 4. When listening to parents? 5.When listening to a romantic partner? Please give examples.

There are four dimensions of effective listening. The first is empathic-objective. Empathic listening involves trying to understand the other person's feelings and experiences, while objective listening involves comparing what they are saying to an objective standard. The dimension of surface-depth is about whether the listener is only paying attention to the words in a superficial way or is paying attention to the deeper meanings behind them. The non-judgmental versus critical dimension relates to whether you are listening with a totally uncritical mind or whether you are listening to make a value judgment. Politeness versus impoliteness is about how you respond to the speaker--with politeness or not. Finally, active versus inactive is about whether you respond to the speaker by channeling back his or her thoughts and feelings (as you do in active listening).
When you are listening in class, you are likely trying to be more objective and thinking about the teacher's and other students' words in depth. It's also appropriate to think critically about what you're hearing in class to evaluate different points of view. You are likely listening politely and inactively (it is not necessary to channel feelings back to the speaker), though there are times, such as group work in class, when active listening is necessary. For example, if you are listening to a lecture in science class, you do not need active listening, but you might need critical listening when evaluating the answers your classmates give in class. 
When speaking to a supervisor, you are likely using objective listening, and it likely more on the surface (though it could be in depth). You are likely using polite listening and an inactive form of listening. For example, if your supervisor is giving you instructions, the conversation could involve polite listening that is objective and on the surface.
When speaking with a friend about a problem, you likely use empathic listening to understand that person's problems, and you also likely use nonjudgmental listening. You might also use depth listening to really think about what is going on for your friend, and you will likely be less polite with a friend than with a supervisor. If your friend is telling you about problems with her parents, you will also likely use active listening. For example, you can tell your friend, "I understand what you are feeling. You are feeling frustrated because your parents aren't listening to you."
With a parent, when, for example, speaking about their frustration over your grades, you might try to be empathic (understanding their point of view), though you may also evaluate what they say in a critical way. If they tell you that you can definitely get better grades, you might disagree with them. You could at times be polite or impolite, and if you practice active listening, it might help you in the conversation (saying things like, "I understand your frustration, as you think I could do better.").
Finally, with a romantic partner, who is speaking about his or her wish to see you more, you would likely try to be empathic, nonjudgmental, polite, and active, as a listener. You might also try to listen in depth to hear what is behind the person's words. For example, is that person just trying to convey how much she or he is committed to the relationship? 
 
 

Calculus: Early Transcendentals, Chapter 4, 4.8, Section 4.8, Problem 12

Newton's method for the equation f(x)=0 is given by x_{n+1}=x_n-\frac{f(x_n)}{f'(x_n)} where x_n is the nth iteration. In this case, we need to consider the number (100)^{1/100} as equivalent to solving the equation x^{100}-100=0 which means that f(x)=x^{100}-100 and f'(x)=100x^{99}.

It is now necessary to set up an iteration, and use an initial guess for the answer.
x_{n+1}=x_n-\frac{x^{100}-100}{100x^99} using the Newton's method formula
We can take any reasonable guess for the starting point, so we select x_1=1.1. This gives the iterations:
x_2=1.089079822
x_3=1.078403357
x_4=1.068187729
x_5=1.058964293
x_6=1.051816165
x_7=1.048027084
x_8=1.047165635
x_9=1.047128613
x_{10}=1.047128548
This last value (1.047128548) is correct to 8 decimal places.

What are some examples of word choice that convey the setting of "Through the Tunnel" by Doris Lessing?

Doris Lessing is very adept at conveying a setting through the use of few, carefully chosen words. In this story, we can see this skill at work. She describes the bay, for example, as "wild and rocky," two descriptors which immediately help us to understand that this is not a place where it is safe for children to bathe, but a cove where the tides crash in fiercely and where a person could easily be injured by the unpredictable sea. Likewise, the beach adjacent is "crowded"—putting these two elements together, we can interpret that the reason the beach is so crowded is because the bay area is not available for bathers; it is not a place where people would gather. The word "wild" is not used only once, either—in fact, Lessing uses it twice within the first couple of paragraphs in her story, emphasizing the fact that this is what she wants the reader to remember about the bay.

Word choices that convey the story's setting -- in fact the two different settings -- include the "wild bay" and the "safe beach."  We know, right away, that we are in a beachy, vacation setting based on words like "shore" and "holiday"; further, Jerry focuses on the swinging of his mother's "white, naked arm" and how she carries her "bright-striped bag" and, later, how she sits under her beach umbrella that "looked like a slice or orange peel."  Moreover, the narrator's descriptions of the wild bay and its unpredictability help to convey the sense of danger in this setting.  It has "rough, sharp rock" with water that "showed stains of purple and darker blue."  Even more notable are the description of rocks that lay on the ocean bottom as "discolored monsters" and the mentions of "irregular cold currents" that "shocked [Jerry's] limbs."  The water is a "solid, heavy blue," letting us know that the setting is, indeed, a large body of water.

What details does the writer include in paragraphs 8 & 9 to tell you about Jerry's personality?

"Through the Tunnel" is a coming of age story for young Jerry.  Readers are privileged to watch him gain mental and emotional maturity and independence.  Paragraphs 8 and 9 help establish Jerry's desire to gain some independence from his mother.  Jerry loves his mother, but he also desires to establish his own presence in the world.  Instead of being somebody's son, he wants to be his own person.  Paragraph 8 shows that desire.  

He ran straight into the water and began swimming. He was a good swimmer. He went out fast . . . 

Readers can see there isn't a hesitation in Jerry's movements away from his mother.  He's goes straight for the water and goes in fast and hard.  The paragraph shows that Jerry desires some freedom.  The paragraph also shows that Jerry is confident in his own abilities, and courageous enough to quickly move himself into a foreign and potentially dangerous area.  

. . . a middle region where rocks lay like discolored monsters under the surface, and then he was in the real sea, a warm sea where irregular cold currents from the deep water shocked his limbs.

Paragraph 9 shows that while Jerry does desire to be his own person, he doesn't yet have the courage to break all ties with his mom.  He still likes knowing that she is present in his life as a protector.  

He swam back to the shore, relieved at being sure she was there. . . 

Jerry may want to act tough and independent, but he secretly likes knowing his mom is there to protect and comfort him.  

What does Williams mean in "In Memory of an Aristocrat" when he writes: "There is only one true aristocracy. . . and that is the aristocracy of passionate souls"? Explain your answer using examples from "In Memory of an Aristocrat," "The Glass Menagerie," or both.

In reference to your quote from "In Memory of an Aristocrat," it is very likely that Tennessee Williams was referring to bohemian artists like Irene. The word "aristocrat" is associated with distinction and refinement. Williams's hypothesis is that the working-class artist has more to offer the world than the unimaginative aristocrat. Thus, the "aristocracy of passionate souls" consists of all who purposefully challenge the bounds of social decency through their promotion and creation of experimental and provocative art. These "passionate souls" challenge the status quo and so, are the true "aristocrats" and leaders of society.
In his time, Tennessee Williams was much influenced by Chekhov, who himself highlighted the virtues of the common man. Similarly, in many of Tennessee Williams' stories, the aristocrat classes are often portrayed in a negative light, while the working classes are often shown to be imaginative, open-minded, and socially aware in contrast. This is true for both "In Memory of an Aristocrat" as well as The Glass Menagerie.
In "In Memory of an Aristocrat," Irene is the bohemian artist and prostitute who lives to challenge the conventions of classical art. She navigates life on her own terms, and is as free and adventurous in her sexuality as she is in her art.
For the Annual Spring Display, Irene chooses to submit ten of her best works. The text tells us that her art is poles apart from those normally accepted by the Annual Spring Display in New Orleans. The event, after all, is sponsored by select artists who move only in the most prestigious of circles and live in studios "sparsely furnished with very beautiful things, great oval gilt-framed mirrors and inch-thick Oriental carpets."
In the end, all of Irene's art pieces are rejected; they are considered too provocative for public consumption. Furious, Irene makes a scene at the convention by displaying the largest of her art pieces herself. The narrator tells us the image of Irene storming the event (kicking and screaming obscenities) is antithetical to the image of gentility on display. It is quite obvious that Tennessee Williams admires Irene's raw energy and emotional honesty, though. She is what he terms an "aristocrat of the spirit," a passionate soul who celebrates human expression in all its forms.
That same admiration for the passionate soul is evidenced in The Glass Menagerie. In the last scenes of the play, Tom decides he will no longer allow his mother's aristocratic pretensions to cloud his future. While his decision to leave his dependent mother and sister is controversial, Tom's character exhibits a universal human desire for freedom.
Tom means to investigate life on his own terms; he means to judge his actions, not through the prism of conventional expectations, but through the lens of his own perceptions. In leaving, Tom demonstrates his desire to savor the opportunities life throws at him, no matter how uncertain and treacherous they initially appear. He wants to live in an exciting world "lit by lightning" rather than in a sterile world circumscribed by the fragile and illusory light of candles. In this way, Tom is similar to Irene: both are members of the "aristocracy of passionate souls," determined to live life on his own terms rather than those determined by others.

What is the difference and the similarity between Squeaky and Gretchen?

In Toni Bambara's "Raymond's Run," Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker (Squeaky) and Gretchen are competitors who live in the same neighborhood. They start their relationship as rivals but later begin a friendship.
Gretchen is the "new girl" in the neighborhood who has generated a rumor that she is going to win the first-place medal in the May Day race. This rumor stirs the competitive Squeaky to strive even harder to be able to beat her. Another motivator for Squeaky to want to defeat Gretchen is the fact that Mary Louise, a girl that Squeaky defended from beatings by others in Harlem when she first moved from Baltimore, has now decided to befriend Gretchen, and "talks about me [Squeaky] like a dog." Consequently, Squeaky thinks of Gretchen as a foe.
Despite the defection of her friends and Gretchen's confidence in winning the upcoming race, when they meet on Broadway, Squeaky causes Gretchen to back down. When Rosie makes derogatory remarks about Raymond and Gretchen puts her hands on her hips and is "about to say something," she hesitates and then says nothing. Previously, however, Gretchen has confidently issued "a smile, but not a smile" as a challenge to Squeaky. 
When Squeaky arrives at the park on May Day, she immediately looks around for Gretchen. As the race is about to begin, Squeaky sees Gretchen at the starting line, stretching and kicking her legs out in the manner of a professional runner. Undeterred by such a display of confidence similar to her own, Squeaky, nevertheless, runs past Gretchen who has her chin jutted out "as if it would win the race all by itself." The finish is close between Squeaky and Gretchen, but after the times are verified, Squeaky emerges as the winner. Afterward, Squeaky sees Gretchen who has also overshot the finish line in her supreme effort to win. As Gretchen walks back with her hands on her hips "like a real pro," Squeaky acquires respect for Gretchen because she realizes that she and Gretchen are not that different: "...she's good, no doubt about it." Gretchen nods to congratulate Squeaky and she gives the winner "as real a smile as girls can do for each other." Seeing this genuine smile, Squeaky realizes that Gretchen has good qualities. In her newly acquired admiration for the girl, Squeaky then wonders if Gretchen would like to help her coach Raymond who has run outside the fence alongside Squeaky and demonstrated that he, too, can run fast.  
 

Both Squeaky and Gretchen are similar in the sense that both are competitive girls who are focused on winning the race.
In the beginning, both are wary of each other. Squeaky dislikes Gretchen because a former friend has now taken up with the new girl. Mary Louise used to be Squeaky's friend, but she's now taken to gossiping about Squeaky behind her back. From the text, we can see that none of what Mary Louise says to Gretchen about Squeaky is complimentary. Gretchen's other side-kick isn't much better: Rosie is loud and often insensitive in her remarks about Raymond, Squeaky's mentally-handicapped brother.
However, one thing different between Gretchen and Squeaky is the way both girls relate to Raymond. Squeaky, being Raymond's sister, is very aware of her brother's presence in the background, whether before, during, or after the race. Even when she wins, Squeaky's thoughts center on Raymond; she thinks about coaching him and helping him to win medals. After all, she's won more than her fair share, but Raymond has none to his name. To Gretchen, however, Raymond is just another girl's brother. He doesn't figure much into her thoughts. The only thing she knows about Raymond is that Squeaky is extremely protective of him; she understands that Squeaky will never tolerate her treating Raymond badly (intentionally or unintentionally), so she keeps her distance from the boy.
So, Squeaky and Gretchen are similar in the way they approach winning but dissimilar in the way they relate to Raymond.
 
 

What does Ben Price do at the end of the story and why?

Ben Price is an ace detective who is hot on the trail of serial safecracker Jimmy Valentine. Jimmy has only just been released from a prison stretch for doing the exact same thing, but already he is up to his old tricks again. He has cut a swathe through a number of Midwestern banks, displaying his trademark efficiency and skill in breaking open the safes and making off with their contents.
But after Jimmy winds up in a small town called Elmore, he renounces his former life. He settles down, establishes a shoe-repair business, and gets engaged to a young lady whose father happens to own the town bank. Jimmy writes Ben a letter telling him that he has given up his criminal ways and now wants to go straight. This is the main reason why Ben does not arrest Jimmy when he catches up with him at the end. Jimmy promised that he would stop cracking safes. Strictly speaking, he reneged on that promise, but there was a good reason for it—he only broke into the bank's safe to save the life of a child trapped inside. Among other things, this selfless act indicates to Ben that Jimmy meant what he said about putting his criminal past behind him. He leaves Jimmy to get on with living the rest of his life as a model citizen.

At the end of the story, Ben Price leaves without arresting Jimmy. The likely reason for Ben's strange behavior can be found in the story.
During a vault-showing at the Elmore Bank, a little girl, Agatha, is locked inside the walk-in safe. Agatha's mother is frantic with worry that her child will die in the vault. Meanwhile, Annabel, Jimmy's fiance, begs Jimmy to save Agatha. Even though he knows that he risks exposing his true identity, Jimmy makes the decision to use his tools on Agatha's behalf.
By saving Agatha, Jimmy demonstrates that he is a changed man. Essentially, Jimmy risks the possibility of going to jail in order to save a little girl's life. Because of his heroic actions, Ben Price chooses not to arrest Jimmy. This is why Ben walks away at the end of the story.

What does Laura's mother do with the statue she finds in her drawer?

Laura's mother Alma finds a clay sculpture of a naked female torso in a drawer in her daughter's bedroom. She is sickened by what she sees. Alma had always looked upon her daughter's bedroom as a sanctuary of purity and virginity, a haven of relative peace that allowed her to escape Tut's masculinity. The peace and security that Alma once found in Laura's room has now been shattered; it has been destroyed by this symbol of transgressive sexuality.
Alma attempts to deal with the sudden trauma by dismissing the sculpture as nothing more than a lump of wet dirt. She destroys the sculpture, convincing herself that Laura did not really know what she was doing; she most likely copied it from a book without really comprehending its full import.

Are there examples of diction?

Diction can be defined as the style of speaking/writing that a person uses. It is determined by word choice. Based on that definition, yes, "The Devil and Tom Walker" uses diction, because the author has chosen specific words to tell the story. However, an author's use of diction is what separates good writing from bad writing. Diction serves a purpose. It has to fit with the story, characters, and target audience. When diction isn't properly used, readers can become distracted from the piece or even misinterpret entire messages within the text.
In "The Devil and Tom Walker," Irving uses a combination of formal and informal (or even colloquial) diction. The following is a good example of Irving using formal diction when describing a location.

Any one but he would have felt unwilling to linger in this lonely, melancholy place, for the common people had a bad opinion of it, from the stories handed down from the times of the Indian wars, when it was asserted that the savages held incantations here and made sacrifices to the Evil Spirit.

Notice words like "incantation" and "melancholy." Those words are not necessarily words that audiences wouldn't recognize and understand; however, they also are not words that are typically used in everyday conversation.
Contrast the previous narration with the following dialogue between Tom and the Devil.

"What are you doing on my grounds?" said the black man, with a hoarse, growling voice.
"Your grounds!" said Tom, with a sneer; "no more your grounds than mine; they belong to Deacon Peabody."

Notice that these words are much more common to everyday speech. Additionally, notice how the syllable count of the words falls off. Most of them are single syllable words. It wouldn't make sense to use the high formal language of the previous quote in a discussion between two men in the woods. This is especially true knowing that Tom is a miserly and miserable man to be around. He is gruff and rude, and formal diction simply wouldn't make sense from him.

In Night, who is Zalman and why is he important?

In the autobiographical story Night by Elie Wiesel, Elie is taken to a Nazi concentration camp and imprisoned there with many other Jewish men. They all remain at the camp until the war draws near its close. Knowing that the Allies are closing in, the Nazis force the residents of the camp to relocate to a nearby camp that is further from the front. They have the men run through a winter's night in the grueling cold after they have been starved, beaten, and tortured.
Zalman is one of Elie's fellow prisoners in the camp, who is unable to endure the torment of the run. He begins feeling sick with stomach cramps during their journey and is unable to go on, in spite of Wiesel urging him to continue. The man crouches down and is quickly knocked over and trampled to death by the crowd of prisoners. His death shows the cruelty and depravity of the Nazi soldiers, as well as how broken the Jewish prisoners had become. None of the men even stopped or parted to prevent Zalman's injury for fear of their own life. They had been so stripped of their humanity that trampling another person was nothing to them at the time.

In Elie Wiesel’s Night, Zalman is another prisoner at the camp. Late in the story, the men are forced to relocate to a different concentration camp due to the progress of the Allied soldiers, a deadly march they undertake in the middle of the night, very abruptly. During this march through the night, in which all the men are obviously horribly malnourished and weak, yet are still forced to march hours and miles through the night, Zalman begins to have severe stomach cramps. When he stops to try and recover, Elie tries to make him get up because he knows the Nazis will kill him for stopping. Because of his pain Zalman is unable to continue, but he is trampled by all the other men who refuse to stop out of fear.
This scene shows the cruelty of the German soldiers, as well as the pervasive fear of the prisoners. The Nazis were cold and cruel, willing to kill anyone at a moment’s notice. Perhaps worse is the fear the prisoners feel, a fear that drives them to pressing onward in spite of their own pain or the fact that they’re literally trampling a friend of theirs to death.

Zalman is one of Elie's fellow prisoners in the camp. One night, the Germans take the prisoners on a grueling forced march. During the march, Zalman gets sick with stomach cramps. He feels so bad that he says he can't go on much longer. Elie tries desperately to get him to keep moving; if he stops then it's almost certain that the Germans will kill him. But the Germans don't need to anyway, because after Zalman squats to the ground, the other prisoners, terrified of what will happen to them if they stop, trample him to death.
What's important about this episode is that it shows us the fanatical will to live that so many of the prisoners have. They're so fixated on their brutal struggle for existence that they kill one of their own, albeit inadvertently. The exhausting forced march that they endure that night is a metaphor for their experiences in the camp. Every day is a fight for survival and the only way they stand a chance of making it through their ordeal is to keep moving on, no matter how punishing or physically degrading. Zalman is unable to do this, and his tragic fate acts as a reminder of what happens to those no longer fit to survive in such a merciless environment.

Why do Putnam and Proctor get into an argument in The Crucible?

At first, Mr. Putnam and John Proctor argue about how dire the situation with the girls in Salem is. Proctor takes issue with the fact that Reverend Parris didn't consult anyone else in the village before he called for Reverend Hale, the witch hunter from Beverly. Putnam, however, has a sick daughter, and he says, "There be children dyin' in the village, Mister!"  And Proctor replies, "I see none dyin'. This society will not be a bag to swing around your head, Mr. Putnam." In other words, Putnam accuses Proctor of not taking the situation seriously enough, and Proctor accuses Putnam of trying to manipulate the village. 
Then, Putnam instructs Reverend Parris to tell Mr. Hale to look for witches when he arrives, and Proctor declares that Putnam cannot "command" the minister. Proctor again accuses Putnam of trying to rule. Putnam accuses Proctor of not caring about society since he hasn't been "at Sabbath meeting since snow flew," and Proctor blames his absence on the subject of Parris's sermons: "only hellfire and bloody damnation." Why would he want to come each Sunday to listen to the same negative sermon again and again?
Next, Putnam takes Parris's side when Parris accuses Proctor of being part of a faction to remove Parris from his position.  Putnam declares that this faction moves against Parris "and all authority," to which Proctor declares that he'd like to find this party and join it. 
Finally, Putnam and Proctor quarrel over land. Proctor mentions his intention to take some lumber home, and Putnam accuses him of removing lumber from his land. Proctor declares that he bought the land from Francis Nurse some years ago, Putnam declares that his grandfather willed the land to him, and Proctor accuses his grandfather of giving away land that didn't belong to him (a claim that Giles Corey supports). In short, Putnam and Proctor fight about anything and everything.  

College Algebra, Chapter 9, 9.5, Section 9.5, Problem 20

Prove that $3^{2n} - 1$ is divisible by 8 for all natural numbers $n$.

Let $P(n)$ denote the statement $3^{2n} - 1$ is divisible by 8

Step 1: $P(1)$ is true, since $3^{2(1)} - 1$ or $8$ is divisible by 8

Step 2: Suppose $P(k)$ is true. Now


$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}

3^{2(k + 1)} - 1 =& 3^{2k + 2} -1
\\
\\
=& 3^{2k} \cdot 3^2 - 1
\\
\\
=& 3^{2k} \cdot 9 - 1
\\
\\
=& 3^{2k} \cdot (8 + 1) - 1
\\
\\
=& 8 \cdot 3^{2k} + 3 ^{2k} - 1

\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$


By the induction hypothesis, we see that $3^{2k} - 1$ is divisible by $8$ and $8 \cdot 3^{2k}$ is clearly divisible by $8$ because the statement is in multiple of $8$.

So, $P(k + 1)$ follows from $P(k)$. Thus, by the principle of mathematical induction $P(n)$ holds for all $n$.

What are the five basic properties of language?

There is much disagreement over what specifically defines language. Some scholars define it by six properties: productivity, arbitrariness, duality, discreetness, displacement, and cultural transmission. (I have found some lists of five, but these often combine two of the various six into a single characteristic.)
Productivity means language has some purpose beyond making sounds, gestures, or markings. Language helps us accomplish tasks and share information.
Arbitrariness acknowledges that the words we speak, gestures we make, and markings we use in writing do not really represent what we are talking about. For example, the word "apple" is not really an apple, just a word we have assigned for discussing the fruit. There is an exception to this in speaking, though: onomatopoeic sounds—like crash, bang, and plop—directly mimick an actual sound.
Duality is the property of language that is at work when we create words or gestures which have meaning out of sounds which are otherwise meaningless. An easily recognized instance of duality is the use of prefixes and suffixes. For example, the sound re- on its own does not have any meaning, but when it is added to the beginning of a word in English, it means to do something again, as in revisit, retry, and review. 
Discreetness of language is somewhat connected to duality. The many sounds and symbols we use in language (like the sound re-) are understood to be separate entities from one another. We use the letter A when we mean to convey a certain sound, and we don't use other letters in place of it. Different languages may have different sets of sounds or symbols to work with, but it is this set of symbols and sounds which acts like a palette of distinct colors to make words from.
Displacement is at work when we talk about people, things, or ideas which are not presently happening around us. This flexibility is highly distinctive of human language. Most other animals are only capable of creating call sounds in response to present stimuli—food, danger, or a desire to mate, for instance. As humans, we can say things like, "I wonder what I'll have for dinner later," even if we are not presently hungry.
Finally, cultural transmission is a vital part of human language. While other animals are born with an understanding of their bodily and vocal languages, humans learn language through the process of enculturation. This aspect of learning language is of interest to many psychologists, and studying people who have not been exposed to language can provide deeper understanding of human development and the role language plays in our lives.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/language

https://www.sltinfo.com/key-properties-of-language/

Who is the only president to have someone elected after him and later be reelected?

That would be Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, and the only one to date to serve two non-consecutive terms of office. Cleveland won his first presidential election in 1884. This was a bitterly contested affair against the Republican candidate James Blaine. The Republicans targeted Cleveland with personal abuse over an allegedly scandalous past involving the fathering of an illegitimate child. But Blaine himself had been dogged for many years by allegations of graft and corruption and the Democrats made a great play of this.
When the votes were counted, Cleveland won by a whisker—just one quarter of one per cent. The final tally in the electoral college was slightly more comfortable:219-182. Cleveland's first term was characterized by reform. In particular, his administration pursued a policy of tariff reduction, as most Democrats believed that the government should not take more money from the people than was strictly necessary for its maintenance. Opponents, however, favored a high tariff to protect American business from foreign competition.
Inevitably, tariff reform galvanized Republican opposition to the first Cleveland Administration and formed a central plank of the party's platform at the 1888 election. Hampered by an inept campaign, Cleveland lost the election to the Republican Benjamin Harrison. Though Cleveland narrowly won the popular vote, he lost in the electoral college.
The Harrison Administration pursued a controversial economic policy that involved increasing the amount of money in circulation backed by silver. This was intended to help farmers and other small businessmen to pay off their debts more easily. The downside was that it would lead to an increase in inflation and effectively reduce the value of the dollar. Cleveland felt passionately about the issue, so much so that it brought him out of semi-retirement. He once more entered the political fray and was chosen by the Democratic Party to be its candidate for the 1892 election.
The campaign was a low-key affair on account of President Harrison's wife dying of tuberculosis. Once again, tariff reform was a major issue, with growing numbers of voters sick of persistently high prices for imported goods which they attributed to the Harrison Administration's protectionist measures.
The Cleveland-Harrison rematch ended in victory for the Democrat, edging out his Republican opponent by three percentage points in the popular vote and a comprehensive 277-145 majority in the electoral college, with the remaining 22 votes going to the Populist candidate James B. Weaver.
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/grover-cleveland

Grover Cleveland is the only president to have served two nonconsecutive terms. Defeating James Blaine in 1884, Cleveland was elected the first Democrat president following the Civil War. As Governor of New York when he began his campaign, Cleveland gained leverage after Blaine’s “Mulligan Letters” revealed corruption. The news of this conspiracy to extend federal favors to a southern rail company encouraged many Republicans to switch to the Democrat Party. Such party disloyalty, based on moral grounds, earned these new Democrats the unsavory title of Mugwumps (a term used to describe someone with a "holier than thou" attitude). Cleveland served as the twenty-second president of the United States from 1885 to 1889. In 1888, Cleveland lost the twenty-third presidency to Benjamin Harrison. Cleveland did win the popular vote; however, Harrison held 58.1% of the electoral vote. In 1892, the resilient Cleveland ran again, defeating Harrison and becoming the twenty-fourth president of the United States of America (1893–97).

What is the impact of the Renaissance on the modern age?

The Renaissance, which began in fourteenth century Italy, can be defined as the rebirth of intense interest in the classical texts of the Greek and Roman period. It coincided with humanism or a renewed interested in human beings as a central focus of study. Whereas earlier, the primary intellectual focus had been on the Christian God, along with the received authority of the Roman Catholic Church and the limitations of humans in the face of the divine, this emphasis began to shift.
Philosophers, such as Pico della Mirandola in his Oration on the Dignity of Man, affirmed the importance human beings in the universe, and especially, of human reason as a divine gift allowing humankind to flourish and offering it the possibility of moving up the chain of building. In his oration, he derived authority from both Christian and Classical sources.
In art, painters and sculptors moved away from solely depicting Christian themes and began to frequently depict themes from Greek and Roman history and mythology.
The Renaissance had an impact on the modern age because it placed an emphasis on human reason, leading ultimately to the Enlightenment and the privileging of the experiences and observations of the human mind (which developed into scientific empiricism) over the received authority of religion. Today, in most of society, we still privilege rationalism and the findings of science over the authority of religious tradition. For example, the majority of people in the Western world believe in the Big Bang theory of the origin of the universe over the origin narrative in the book of Genesis—even if they are Christian.
Finally, the re-introduction of Classicism into writing, art, architecture, and other arts continues to this day: many towns, for example, still have pillared or domed Neo-classic courthouses, many people still have a rudimentary knowledge of Greek myths, and Greco-Roman ideas of balance and harmony still inform modern aesthetics.

The Renaissance had an enormous impact on the modern age. The Renaissance's focus on humanism changed the way people view themselves. The printing press made books, newspapers, and magazines very popular, and without the written word, it is nearly impossible to imagine the Internet. The Renaissance was also remarkable in that it led to a rebirth in terms of scientific and mathematical thought. It was through the renewed emphasis on experimentation and through the renewed search for rational reasons for natural phenomena that allowed humanity to make the discoveries it did in the past five hundred years. The Renaissance also led to further educational strides. While medieval Europe had universities, they were more interested in training clerics than they in training what we would now call "scientists." The Renaissance also began a period of exploration; without this, Europe would not have conquered most of the known world. It is nearly impossible to imagine a world where the Renaissance never happened.

College Algebra, Chapter 9, Review Exercises, Section Review Exercises, Problem 70

Prove that Fibonacci number $F_{4n}$ is divisible by $3$ for all natural numbers $n$
Step 1: $P(1)$ is true, since $F_{4(1)} = F_4 = 3$ is divisible by $3$
Step 2: Suppose $P(k)$ is true. Now by definition of the Fibonacci sequence

$
\begin{equation}
\begin{aligned}
F_{4(k+1)} &= F_{4k + 4} = F_{4k + 3} + F_{4k+1}\\
\\
&= F_{4k + 2} + F_{4k + 1} + F_{4k + 1}\\
\\
&= F_{4k} + F_{4k + 1} + F_{4k + 1} + F_{4k + 1}\\
\\
&= F_{4k} + 3 \cdot F_{4k + 1}
\end{aligned}
\end{equation}
$

By the induction hypothesis, $F_{4k}$ is divisible by 3 and $3$. $F_{4k +1}$ is clearly divisible by $3$ since the statement is a multiple of $3$.
So, $P(k+1)$ follows from $P(k)$. Thus, by the principle of mathematical induction, $P(n)$ holds for all $n$.

How does the style of Silent Spring affect Rachel Carson's purpose in writing the book?

By writing a popular nonfiction book, Rachel Carson hoped to sound a wake-up call that would reach and affect the maximum number of people. She wanted to combine scientific evidence with compelling stories and vivid descriptions to make her text relatable.
While Carson provides ample, well documented empirical data, she also tells elaborate tales that read like classic folk tales or parables. Using devices of parallelism and inversion in the first chapter, she paints two mirror-image pictures of two possible scenarios.
In addition, Carson deploys a three-pronged rhetorical strategy with ethos, logos, and pathos to get her message across and stimulate the reader to take action. Combining appeals to reason (logos) and to emotion (pathos), she captures the reader's attention and persuades them of the value of the information. Through using ethos, an ethical or moral basis, she encourages them to take future actions rather than react with resignation to the unsatisfactory status quo, and thus participate in forestalling ecological apocalypse.

Though a learned biologist, Rachel Carson wrote her book in a style that is accessible to the general public. For example, she only included citations to research articles in an appendix at the end of the book (so that they wouldn't get in the way of the general reader), and her book often reads like a story. It begins with an allegory that explains to the reader how a pristine American town, resplendent with nature, is destroyed by a mysterious blight that silences the birds. Carson does not name this plight--which is the use of pesticides--but the allegory she establishes helps readers understand the information she is to present later in the book and quickly establishes the damage that pesticides have caused to the environment. She then establishes the story, in subsequent chapters, of how pesticides, not originally needed by farmers who planted a diverse set of crops, came to destroy the ecosystem. While she includes complex scientific information--for example about the structure of carbon compounds--the reader can still understand her main points, written in layman's terms and presented in a step-by-step manner, without understanding all of the science behind them. 

How does Jem and Scout's relationship change as Jem grows up in To Kill a Mockingbird?

At first, Scout is the "little sister" Jem takes to school and advises. At recess on the first day of school, for instance, a disgruntled Scout complains to Jem about her teacher Miss Caroline. Jem tries to allay her fears, telling her not to worry because his teacher says that Miss Caroline is introducing a new method of instruction called "the Dewey Decimal System." (He has mistaken John Dewey's pedagogical method with the system of arranging books in a library.)
In Chapter 7 Jem reassures Scout as she begins second grade, telling her school gets better as she advances.
Jem is the voice of wisdom to Scout at times. For instance, when Scout attacks Walter Cunningham by rubbing his nose in the dirt for causing her to be punished by Miss Caroline, Jem stops her and invites Walter home to eat with them at noontime.
In another instance, Jem scolds Scout for taking gum from the Radleys' tree's knothole.
As the protective older brother, Jem allays Scout's fears at times. In one instance, he tells Scout that she does not need to be afraid of Boo Radley because nothing can "get her" with Calpurnia and him at home during the day and Atticus there at night. As a result, Scout feels Jem is a "born hero" (Chapter 4).
Scout tags along with Dill and Jem, who are the architects of various schemes regarding Boo Radley. She acts as a lookout while Jem goes onto the Radley porch, for example, in Chapter 5. 
Scout gets used as the "test pilot" for some of Jem and Dill's ideas. For instance, when the boys have a large tire, they send Scout down the hill inside the tire first.
As Jem begins to mature, he is at times moody, and Scout must leave him alone, per instructions from Atticus. Nevertheless, Jem confides in Scout in Chapter 7, when he tells her about his pants that he has torn and abandoned as they were caught on the Radleys' fence. He shows Scout that the pants were sewn for him by Boo. Further, he shares his maturing perspectives. For instance, whereas he earlier told Scout to throw away the chewing gum left for them in the knothole, in Chapter 7 when Scout hurls the soap carvings onto the ground, Jem scolds her, saying, "These are good," and he later stores them in his keepsake trunk at home.
Although Jem changes, he remains loyal to Scout. Feeling Scout is justified in her actions, Jem allows Scout to fight her own battle with Francis in Chapter 9 after Francis calls Atticus a pejorative term.
There is camaraderie between Scout and Jem, as they both receive rifles for Christmas, attend church with Calpurnia, and go places together.
Although he remains brotherly, Scout finds Jem moody as he enters puberty:

His maddening superiority was unbearable these days. He didn't want to do anything but read and go off by himself. Still, everything he read he passed along to me, but. . . now for my edification and instruction.

The relationship between Jem and Scout becomes more divided when he is a teen and she is not. He is moodier, and he speaks in a condescending manner to and about Scout. At Tom Robinson's trial, Jem tells Reverend Sykes that Scout does not understand some of the language, questions, and answers given by the witnesses.
After the trial, Jem's ideas begin to alter. For example, he scolds Scout for having crushed a roly-poly (Chapter 25), and she attributes his superior attitude to "part of a stage he was going through." Further, Scout is angered by Jem's reporting of Dill's presence in Scout's room after he runs away.
The loyalty and love between Jem and Scout remains intact, nevertheless.

What are the four stages of human diseases?

Look at Table 11.i in the book, in which Diamond discusses how humans have historically picked up diseases from the animals they have domesticated, as well as wild animals, and how these diseases progress in humans. His four stages explicate the stages of "evolution of a specialized human disease from an animal precursor."
The first stage, according to Diamond, is illustrated by the many diseases that humans can pick up from pets and domesticated (e.g., farm) animals. The examples Diamond gives include cat scratch disease from cats and brucellosis from cows. We can also pick up diseases from wild animals, provided we're in contact with them.
The second stage is when a "former animal pathogen evolves to the point where it does get transmitted directly between people," causing epidemics. Diseases at this stage, however, will die out at a certain point, either because medicine has cured them or everyone has already had the disease and developed an immunity to it.
Pathogens which do not die out reach the third stage. These are pathogens which can become "killers of humanity" because they have not been eradicated, as most pathogens are, at the second stage.
Diseases which progress to the fourth stage have successfully evolved to a point where they are well-known and continuous diseases which are able to continuously adapt to resist being wiped out. Diseases at this stage have become limited to humans, have developed human-specific strains, and are sufficiently advanced in their evolutionary capacities that they can go on adapting to find better and better ways to survive and thrive.

Why was the book titled The Pigman?

The first sentence of chapter one alerts readers to the book's title.

Now, I don’t like school, which you might say is one of the factors that got us involved with this old guy we nicknamed the Pigman.

John tells his readers that at some point in the book, he is going to tell us about some old guy that he and Lorraine gave a very unflattering nickname too.
It turns out that this man is named Mr. Pignati. He turns out to be an amazing influence on both John and Lorraine, and with that last name, it makes sense that John and Lorraine might nickname him "The Pigman." But wait. It turns out that Mr. Pignati has a collection of ceramic pigs, so his nickname really makes sense. What's great about the nickname and the title is that is sounds completely unflattering; however, as John and Lorraine come to love Mr. Pignati more and more, the nickname winds up being a term of deep endearment. The book is titled the way that it is because the book is John and Lorraine's "memorial epic" that is dedicated to their dear friend Mr. Pignati -- The Pigman.

She’s got very interesting green eyes that scan like nervous radar—that is they used to until the Pigman died. Ever since then her eyes have become absolutely still, except when we work on this memorial epic.

How is life of Pi an allegory about fear?

I think it is possible to read Life of Pi as an "allegory of fear," so long as we take into consideration the multitude of things going on in Yann Martel's stunning novel. 
It is true that fear is working its way into Pi's mind as he attempts to process the strange world around him. He presumably has great fear for his mother as he watches her meet her end on the raft. And soon, he inherits the sum total of what fear remains, as he wonders whether or not he will survive. I think another important topic in Martel's work is trauma, and the curious way that the human brain works when it is subjected to intense duress. 
In the novel, Pi conjures up a world that might be fabricated purely from trauma. But his ultimate thesis is that the "fabricated" world may not be any less real than the "real" one. A boy alone on a raft exists only in the reality his mind creates; this is the fundamental teaching of phenomenology. 
And in this fantasy world, we come across a third fear that is more abstract; the fear he has for Richard Parker, which ultimately, is the fear he has of himself. And so our "Man vs. Wild" narrative gets curiously intermingled with a "Man vs. Self" story line, where the wild is the self, and proves just as terrifying in either format. 
Yes, fear is a central theme to Martel, taking its place alongside trauma, spirituality, imagination, and grief. 

One of the key themes in Life of Pi is the idea that life is a story. Fiction is quoted as being the "selective transforming of reality". We can apply this notion to Pi's trauma in the course of the novel and thus explore how Life of Pi is an allegory of fear. The bulk of the novel tells the tale of Pi, stranded on a lifeboat with a tiger, hyena, zebra and orangutan. As Pi is the first person narrator, the reader sees this account only through his eyes. However, in Part 3, Pi is rescued and interviewed by two investigators, to whom he tells a very different version of the story with human characters instead of animals. Parallels are drawn between his mother and the orangutan, the hyena and a cannibalistic French cook, and the zebra and a wounded sailor. Pi's mother and the sailor are devoured by the cook. Pi himself ultimately devours the cook. 
The latter version of the story is clearly the more believable but also the more unbearable. Pi challenges the investigators to say which is the better story. Pi uses the allegory of the shipwrecked animals in order to deal with his trauma and experience of fear. The same can be said for his devotion to religion - Pi posits that a life with religion is the better story, whether it is true or not. This is how Life of Pi can be read as an allegory of fear. 

What is the resolution for Breaking Dawn?

I believe that this question is asking about Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. This is the fourth book in the Twilight book series, and it is broken into 3 parts. The first part deals with Bella's honeymoon with Edward, and she becomes pregnant. Part 2 is interesting because it is told from Jacob's perspective. It's somewhat convoluted with a lot of narrative involving Jacob not knowing whether or not to kill Bella and/or the developing baby. In the end of part 2, Jacob imprints on the baby Renesmee.
Part 3 contains the rest of the rising actions, the climax, and the resolution. The Volturi are told about Renesmee, and they believe she is an abomination called an immortal child. The Volturi move to kill the child. The Cullens, Jacob, and his pack obviously do not want that to happen, so they begin preparing for the upcoming fight. Then in the most anti-climactic fashion ever, the fight never occurs. The Volturi show ready to fight, but Bella uses her newly acquired vampire powers to neutralize the Volturi's power. The Volturi realize that they were misinformed about what the baby is. Proof is offered that shows the Volturi that the hybrid child is no threat, and the Volturi leave. The Cullens return home, and the book closes out with Bella allowing Edward to read her mind for the very first time. Readers are left with a "and they lived happily ever after" feeling as the title of the chapter suggests.

Why does Conan Doyle entitle the story "The Adventure of the Speckled Band"?

The key to the solution of the mystery of Julia Stoner's death is the poisonous snake which Dr. Roylott sent through the ventilator between their rooms and had trained to come back up the bell-rope and through the ventilator when he blew on a whistle. The author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, obviously did not want, to use the word "snake," however, especially in his title. That would have given everything away. The big question in this "locked room murder mystery" is: How could a girl be murdered when she is sleeping inside a room with the door locked and the window sealed by iron shutters? Doyle coined the term "speckled band" to avoid using the word "snake" in the title and in the text. In fact, the word "snake" is only used near the very end.

“It is a swamp adder!” cried Holmes; “the deadliest snake in India."
"The discovery that this was a dummy, and that the bed was clamped to the floor, instantly gave rise to the suspicion that the rope was there as a bridge for something passing through the hole and coming to the bed. The idea of a snake instantly occurred to me, and when I coupled it with my knowledge that the doctor was furnished with a supply of creatures from India, I felt that I was probably on the right track." 

Julia Stoner must have seen the snake that bit her and caused her to die in agony in her sister Helen's arms. But Julia was dying, and her speech was incoherent. Instead of using the word "snake," she told her sister:

‘Oh, my God! Helen! It was the band! The speckled band!’ 

The term "speckled band" not only enables the author to avoid using the word "snake" but it serves as a red herring to keep the reader guessing. Dr. Roylott is obviously the prime suspect, but there seems to be a possibility that the "band" of gipsies may have been somehow responsible for Julia's death. The "band" of gipsies still spends some time on the land around Stoke Moran, so they might conceivably have some reason for wanting to kill Helen Stoner too. Dr. Roylott might still be involved, but he might have hired the gipsies to do his killing for him. The mystery is not completely resolved until Holmes and Watson hide in Helen's room and Holmes drives the snake back through the ventilator by whipping it with his cane.
Holmes confesses his mistake to his friend Watson near the end of the tale:

“I had,” said he, “come to an entirely erroneous conclusion which shows, my dear Watson, how dangerous it always is to reason from insufficient data. The presence of the gipsies, and the use of the word ‘band,’ which was used by the poor girl, no doubt, to explain the appearance which she had caught a hurried glimpse of by the light of her match, were sufficient to put me upon an entirely wrong scent.

A nurse in the ward scolds John for his emotional display. What is she afraid will happen to the Bokanovsky group who are there for their death training?

To properly understand the nurse's reaction to John's emotional display, it is necessary to understand the social structure of the society presented in Brave New World. Compliant citizens are created through Bokanovsky's Process. This process forces fertilized eggs to split, creating a variety of clones or identical twins. Each group of Bokanovsky children is raised in isolation from their parents. The society in Brave New World does not believe in family structure, so these clones grow up with no concept of father or mother. Monogamous relationships are shunned in favor of romantic encounters devoid of commitment or attachment, so there is no reason for any citizens to grieve when another dies. They live in a community of individual isolation, a seemingly paradoxical existence that serves as the backdrop for the scene that takes place in the hospital in Chapter 14. The nurse is afraid that John's attachment to his mother, a normal social construct for the "Savages," will undermine the socially acceptable view on death.
When John cries and falls to his knees as his mother is dying, he is exhibiting what the nurse views as "anti-social" tendencies. The irony Huxley is trying to get across with this scene is that a natural reaction born of human social connections is viewed as being a danger to society. The twins are conditioned to view death as a regular part of life. Adult characters throughout the book exhibit this belief by flippantly acknowledging death and showing a lack of concern when other characters die. John is the only one who is remotely upset about his mother's impending death, and his reaction, as the nurse feared, leads to chaos in the emotionless society.
Even the Bokanovsky twins have the ability to feel fear, so exposure to someone who grieves the loss of another life is a threat to their conditioning. The nurse rightly assumes that their way of life can only exist in a carefully crafted environment in which all reactions are monitored and controlled. The children go on death tours to get them used to the idea of death before they are old enough to have an established concept of it as something negative. When they grow up, they are expected to view the deceased not as personal losses but as contributors to society in a different way. For example, Henry notes while flying over a crematorium that he is delighted that the dead are cremated and turned into something as useful to society as phosphorous.

What is the name of the woman Piri's father is having an affair with?

Piri’s family moves to Long Island after his father saves enough money that allows him to pay for a down payment on a small house there. Piri does not like Long Island, because its social scene is totally different from the Harlem social scene that he is used to. It is while his family is living in Long Island that his mother talks to him about his father’s infidelity. She tells him that his father is seeing another woman called Ruthie. It seems that Piri too has known about his father’s infidelity, for he states that “I knew it, too, but I’d lie my ass off to make it a lie so that Moms wouldn’t have to make it any harder for herself.”
Piri struggles with race issues. He takes after his father and is darker skinned than all his siblings. Even though he is Puerto Rican, he is sometimes as black, much to his chagrin. As a child, he even suspects that his father maltreats him because of his dark skin. In trying to discover himself and his place in his society, Piri is entangled with the difficulties of street life, becomes a junkie and a criminal, and finally lands in jail.

What are two major differences between Karl Marx’s and Max Weber’s views of the Industrial Revolution and its aftermath?

Marx, a German who lived from 1818-1845, saw the industrial revolution as a force that reshaped individuals' relationship to the work setting, specifically separating the worker from his ultimate product. It reduced craft to labor by exploiting the worker as a cog, dehumanizing large percentages of humans.
Weber saw people as effected by economic realities, as responding to social position (prestige) but as harbingers of ideas that could affect their own behavior. He specifically felt that moral attributes such as a work ethic and frugality contributed to social movements.
Marx distinguished workers in the industrial revolution from pre-industrial worker (most agricultural) in which the working class had a full relationship to the product (or outcome) of his toil, in which workers had a steady interaction with their environment (as farmers or merchants). In other words, a farmer lived and worked on the same soil, raised animals from birth to maturity, and lived in a natural world where seasons governed his movements and responses.
This dehumanization posed by factory work changed society radically and exploited individuals economically. Marx viewed humanity both idealistically and realistically, acknowledging the reality of a capitalistic system but disparaging it for its ultimate inability to sustain itself. He essentially saw individuals as caught up in sweeping economic forces over which they had little control.
Weber, a sociologist who lived from 1864 to 1920, had a view of humanity that was based on moral imperative, viewing human behavior through the lens of ideas. Great ideas, such as Protestantism, combined with economic forces to drive changes in society. He trusted that human behavior was governed to a large extent by over arching ideas such as moral fortitude and frugality, governed by philosophies represented by symbols. People's response to symbols (such as their countries flag) was proof the individuals responded to forces beyond the economic.
Weber did not believe that governments had much effect on personal philosophy, but that class and status did, since people responded to ideas such as religious principles. Marx, on the other hand, saw humanity swept up in events in which dynamics of power and economic inequality exploited the weak. Thus, huge numbers of people had essentially no choice, as they lives were spent in servitude.
Marx's prediction that capitalism would ultimately fail due to the "withering of the state" was incorrect; however, his observation that capitalism is unsustainable is proving correct in the inability of human beings to solve environmental problems that may lead to worldwide collapse. He correctly viewed humans as efficient machines of production, which has led to overpopulation, which threatens their ability to sustain resources.
Weber's view of the industrial revolution—that it is governed by an idea, such as the promise of technology; the virtues of Protestantism—didn't fundamentally regard people's interactions with one another, or the state, as economic. Marx viewed a larger, sweeping arc of human development; to him, status was less important because most humans (workers) were exploited and even though some (the owners) had wealth—the system ultimately ruined (dehumanized) all classes. Status only mattered if you had power, or didn't—and even then, both sides were ultimately cogs in a machine meant simply produce and consume.
Marx saw the state as becoming more and more intrusive in people's lives. His analysis was correct but his solutions are flawed. Weber correctly interpreted individuals as acting in interests beyond the economic, and in predicting the rise of a middle class, but he failed to fully acknowledge the power of governments and economic structures to shape individual's beliefs through manipulation of information (media) and the inertia of maintaining the status quo (the tendency of the powerful to hold onto their power).

Karl Marx was a sociologist of a sort before there was such a discipline. Max Weber was one of the first self-conscious sociologists. Marx studied history and economic forces and tried to determine what effects these forces had on society, as did Weber later.
Marx saw history as a materialistic process which followed inevitable rules. He called it dialectical materialism. He was influenced by Georg Hegel, who believed that history could be described as a continuous process of conflict, called a dialectic, between thesis (the present arrangement of society) against antithesis (new forces clashing with the old) and resolving into a synthesis, which then becomes the new status quo.
Marx applied this to economic and political systems, seeing the rising class of the burghers during the Renaissance as the antithesis to the feudal system and class of landed nobility. During the nineteenth century, the steam engine made it possible to build large factories. This made production easier and allowed for masses of people to be employed doing the same thing over and over to make cheap products. This new class of workers, different from the old and smaller class of apprentice and journeyman artisans, Marx called the proletariat. He saw this new class as the antithesis to the bourgeoisie, or capitalist class. Marx expressed optimism that society would eventually find a synthesis which would create the greatest good for all; he labelled this communism.
Max Weber, coming after Marx, was more strongly influenced in his thinking by Kant and even Nietzsche and was much less optimistic about an eventual end of struggle. He saw religious ideas, specifically Protestantism, as essential to the rise of capitalism. For example, deferred gratification allowed people to save money and accumulate enough to expand their businesses. Where Marx saw basically two classes in conflict, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, Weber postulated a rising middle-class between these two, which slowed any progress toward inevitable revolution.
Whereas Marx was a strict materialist, Weber's Neo-Kantian philosophy emphasized moral principles, self-discipline, and autonomy. Essentially, Weber believed we have choices, whereas Marx felt that our ideas and culture are the result of inevitable economic forces.

This novel is about youth seeing evil. How does Bob Ewell impact Jem and Scout?

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Scout and Jem learn many unpleasant facts about Bob Ewell and his family. The Ewell family does not value education, they live off of public assistance, and the law often looks the other way where they are concerned. Atticus explains that they are, "the disgrace of Maycomb." Bob Ewell, described by Scout as a "little bantam cock of a man," impacts Scout and Jem in multiple ways.
The children learn more about society and where certain community members fall in the hierarchy of Maycomb County. Scout and Jem also learn that, although the Ewells are seen as uneducated and disgraceful, they still have higher standing than the black citizens. Jem feels that the jury could not possibly find Tom guilty after the way Atticus pleads his case. However, a harsh lesson is learned by the children when Tom is found guilty. Jem and Scout realize that even though Bob Ewell beat his own daughter, the community refuses to take the side of a black man.
After the trial, Bob Ewell threatens Atticus because his credibility and pride are damaged as a result of his testimony. Jem is afraid for his father, but Atticus consoles him by saying, "We don't have anything to fear from Bob Ewell." Atticus is wrong, as the reader soon discovers. Bob Ewell attacks Scout and Jem with the intent of killing them, then they are saved by Boo Radley. This encounter with Bob Ewell teaches the children how desperate a man can be to save his reputation, while it is a man with a bad reputation who saves them.

Holmes lists the "obvious acts" that he deduces from Mr Wilson's appearance. What are they, and how did Holmes make the deductions?

Holmes details several "obvious facts," noticing that Watson has been personally unable to deduce anything from his own perusal of Mr. Wilson. He says that Mr. Wilson
1. Has done manual labor at some time in his life; 2. Is a taker of snuff; 3. Is a Freemason; 4. Has been in China at some time; and 5. Has done "a considerable amount of writing" at some time in the recent past.
Watson, as usual, is astounded by these deductions, but Holmes explains that they are fairly obvious to somebody who pays close attention. Because Mr. Wilson's right hand is larger and more developed than his left, this indicates that he has been a manual laborer. Holmes doesn't actually explain how he can tell that Mr. Wilson takes snuff, but he does say that he wears an "arc-and-compass breastpin," which is a symbol of Freemasonry. Meanwhile, his right cuff is "shiny" and his left sleeve has a bare patch by the elbow, which Holmes deduces is from the position Mr. Wilson takes when writing at his desk. Meanwhile, there is a tattoo of a fish above the man's right wrist, which Holmes deduces must have been done in China because of the way its scales have been dyed pink; similarly, there is a Chinese coin hanging from Wilson's watch chain.
When he explains himself to Mr. Wilson, Wilson laughs, amazed at how apparently simple it all is, which prompts Holmes to observe that perhaps he should keep his reasoning to himself in order to preserve an air of mystery.

Calculus: Early Transcendentals, Chapter 6, 6.1, Section 6.1, Problem 28

Given y=1/4x^2, y=2x^2, x+y=3, x>0
Find the intersection point of y=2x^2 and y=-x+3.
2x^2=-x+3
2x^2+x-3=0
(2x+3)(x-1)=0
x=-3/2, x=1
Ignore the x=-3/2. The original problem states that x>0.
When x=1, y=2. The intersection point is (1,2).
Find the intersection point of y=-x+3 and y=1/4x^2 .
1/4x^2=-x+3
x^2+4x-12=0
(x+6)(x-2)=0
x=-6, x=2
Ignore the x=-6. The original problem states that x^0.
When x=2, y=1. The intersection point is (2, 1).
A=int_0^1(2x^2-1/4x^2)dx+int_1^2(-x+3-1/4x^2)dx
=int_0^1(7/4x^2)dx-int_1^2(1/4x^2+x-3)dx
=[7/4*x^3/3]_0^1-[1/4*x^3/3+x^2/2-3x]_1^2
=[7/12x^3]_0^1-[1/12x^3+x^2/2-3x]_1^2
=[7/12(1)^3-0]-[(1/12(2)^3+(2)^2/2-3(2))-(1/12(1)^3+(1)^2/2-3(1))]
=[7/12]-[8/12+2-6-1/12-1/2+3]
=[7/12]-[7/12-1/2-1]
=[1/2+1]
=3/2
The area enclosed by the given curves is 3/2 units squared.
The black graph is y=1/4x^2.
The red graph is y=2x^2.
The green graph is x+y=3=>y=-x+3.

f(x)=ln(x^2+1), c=0 Use the definition of Taylor series to find the Taylor series, centered at c for the function.

Taylor series is an example of infinite series derived from the expansion of f(x) about a single point. It is represented by infinite sum of f^n(x)  centered at x=c . The general formula for Taylor series is:
f(x) = sum_(n=0)^oo (f^n(c))/(n!) (x-c)^n
or
f(x) = f(c) + f'(c) (x-c)+ (f'(c))/(2!) (x-c)^2+ (f'(c))/(3!) (x-c)^3+ (f'(c))/(4!) (x-c)^4+...
To determine the Taylor series for the function f(x)=ln(x^2+1) centered at c=0 , we may list the f^n(x) as:
f(x)=ln(x^2+1)
Applying derivative formula for logarithmic function: d/(dx) ln(u) = 1/u *(du)/(dx) .
Let u = x^2+1 then (du)/(dx)=2x
f'(x) = d/(dx)ln(x^2+1)
       = 1/(x^2+1) *2x
       =(2x)/(x^2+1)
Applying Quotient rule for differentiation: d/(dx) (u/v) = (u' *v - u*v')/v^2 .
Let u = 2x then u'= 2
      v = x^2+1 then v'=2x  and v^2 = (x^2+1)^2
f^2(x) = d/(dx)((2x)/(x^2+1))
       = ( 2*(x^2+1)-(2x)(2x))/(x^2+1)^2
       =( 2x^2+2-4x^2)/(x^2+1)^2
      = (2-2x^2)/(x^2+1)^2
 
Let u =2-2x^2 then u'= -4x
      v = (x^2+1)^2
then  v^2 = ((x^2+1)^2)^2=(x^2+1)^4
and v'=2*(x^2+1)^(2-1)*2x=4x(x^2+1)
f^3(x) = ((-4x)(x^2+1)^2 -(2-2x^2)*4x(x^2+1))/(x^2+1)^4
        =(x^2+1)^2((-4x)(x^2+1) -(2-2x^2)*4x)/(x^2+1)^4
        =((-4x)(x^2+1) -(2-2x^2)*4x)/(x^2+1)^3
        =((-4x^3-4x) -(8x-8x^3))/(x^2+1)^3
        =(-4x^3-4x -8x+8x^3)/(x^2+1)^3
        =(4x^3-12x)/(x^2+1)^3
 
Let u =(4x^3-12x)  then u'= 12x^2-12
      v =(x^2+1)^3
then v^2 = ((x^2+1)^3)^2
              =(x^2+1)^(3*2)
              =(x^2+1)^6
      then v'=3*(x^2+1)^(3-1)*2x
               =6x(x^2+1)^2
f^4(x) = ((12x^2-12)*(x^2+1)^3 - (4x^3-12x)*6x(x^2+1)^2)/(x^2+1)^6
        =(x^2+1)^2((12x^2-12)*(x^2+1) -(4x^3-12x)*6x)/(x^2+1)^6
       =((12x^4-12)-(24x^4-72x^2))/(x^2+1)^4
       =(12x^4-12-24x^4+72x^2)/(x^2+1)^4
       =(-12x^4+72x^2-12)/(x^2+1)^4
 
f^5(x)=(-480x^3+28x^5+240x)/(x+1)^5
f^6(x)=(-240x^6+3600x^4-3600x^2+240)/(x+1)^6
Plug-in x=0 for each f^n(x) , we get:
f(0)=ln(0^2+1)
        = ln(1)
        =0
f'(0)=(2*0)/(0^2+1)
         =0/1
         =0
f^2(0)= (2-2*0^2)/(0^2+1)^2
         = 2/1
         = 2
f^3(0) =(4*0^3-12*0)/(0^2+1)^3
          =0/1
          =0
f^4(0)=(-12*0^4+72*0^2-12)/(0^2+1)^4
          = -12/1
          = -12
f^5(0)=(-480*0^3+28*0^5+240*0)/(0+1)^5
          =0/1
          =0
f^6(0)=(-240*0^6+3600*0^4-3600*0^2+240)/(0+1)^6
          =240/1
          =240
Applying the formula for Taylor series, we get:
ln(x^2+1) =sum_(n=0)^oo (f^n(0))/(n!) (x-0)^n
  =sum_(n=0)^oo (f^n(0))/(n!) x^n
= f(0) + f'(0) x+ (f'(0))/(2!) x^2+(f'(0))/(3!) x^3+ (f'(0))/(4!) x^4+...
=0+ 0*x+2/(2!) x^2+ 0/(3!) x^3+ (-12)/(4!) x^4+ 0/(5!) x^5+ (240)/(6!) x^6+...
=0+ 0*x+2/2x^2+ 0/6 x^3-12/24 x^4+ 0/120 x^5+ 240/720x^6+...
=0+0+ x^2+0-1/2x^4+0+1/3x^6
= x^2-1/2x^4+1/3x^6+...
The Taylor series of the function f(x)=ln(x^2+1) centered at c=0 is:
ln(x^2+1) =x^2-1/2x^4+1/3x^6+...
or
ln(x^2+1)= sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^(n+1) x^(2n)/n

Did the Europeans successfully control the Middle East?

As with most questions about history, there is no single yes-or-no response possible to this one. But the in-between answer I will give leans more toward "no" than "yes."
Both the lengths of time throughout history during which Europeans have controlled the Middle East and the extent of their control need to be taken into account. In the fourth century BCE, Alexander the Great conquered in a short time an enormous stretch of territory from the Bosporus to the Indus river in western India. His premature death meant the huge conquered territory was divided among his generals. Some areas reverted to Asiatic control relatively quickly; others did not. Parthia (present-day Iran) became independent of the Seleucid Empire (ruled by Alexander's successors) in 247 BCE. If we consider Palestine and Syria, however, these remained, with notable exceptions such as the Maccabean period, under Greco-Roman-Byzantine control until 636 CE, when they were taken over by the Arabs.
Apart from the brief periods of control by the Franks (Western Europeans) during the Crusades, it was not until Napoleon's period that Europeans again were to establish a foothold in the Middle East, first in Egypt and then in Palestine. The French were quickly expelled, but this began a period of indirect control of the weakening Ottoman Empire, primarily by Britain and then finally, between about 1900 and the end of World War I, by Germany.
With the Allied victory in 1918, the Ottoman Empire was disassembled, and the Arab territories became European protectorates. This meant that they were essentially European colonies, the British having broken their half-promises about independence to the Arab leaders who had fought on the Allied side to expel the Turks. But after a certain period of years the protectorates were to become independent. Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq came under British control; Syria and Lebanon, under French control. By the 1930s and 1940s, independence was granted to all these states, but the Europeans continued to exercise a degree of control in the oil-rich region through puppet leaders and economic leverage. In Egypt and Iraq in the 1950s, revolutions occurred in which the Arab monarchies set up by the British were overthrown, and socialist governments—often backed by the Soviet Union—were installed. In the early 1950s in Iran, the socialist government of Mohammed Mosedegh, which overthrow Shah Reza Pahlavi, a Western puppet, was then defeated by a counter-coup instigated by the CIA and British Intelligence, putting the Shah back in power for another 25 years until he was finally expelled by the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
The pattern through history—in antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the twentieth century—has been that Europeans have taken over the Middle East, held it for a period of time (parts of it even up to several hundred years), and then were driven out. The cultural influences of the Europeans, such as the Hellenistic features of the Middle East for several centuries after Alexander's conquests, have eventually been eroded, and the regions' native cultural character largely restored. In the twentieth century the period of direct European control did not last more than 40 years, starting in 1917–1918. By the 1960s, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt were fully independent countries. The developments since the Iraq War of 2003 have resulted in foreign control of much of the area, but this time, it was led by Americans, with only limited support from Britain and other English-speaking countries. In sum, European and US control over the Middle East has had limited success in terms of length of time and any attempt to impose Westernization on their societies. It has been an on-and-off affair not leaving deep roots and generally not lasting long.

How is greed represented in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness?

Greed is portrayed by Conrad as an integral part of the colonial project. It doesn't simply relate to the unscrupulous actions of a handful of greedy individuals; it's part and parcel of what it means to be a European colonialist in Africa. Whatever the Belgians and other colonists might say, they didn't come to Africa to bring the benefits of Western civilization to the poor, "benighted" natives: they came in search of riches. In search of those riches, they will do whatever it takes in order to achieve wealth—however brutal or degrading.
In Heart of Darkness, greed can be observed as corrosive to the soul—undermining whatever high moral standards or elevated notions of civilization the colonialists may have once shared. In one particularly revealing scene, Marlow makes a casual remark about the cannibalism of the men he's hired to help him aboard the ship. Back in England, the very idea of eating human flesh would be considered taboo, but out in the Congo, traditional Western values have been subverted by the imperatives of colonialism, which have manifested from greed.
All that matters to Marlow at this precise moment in time is that his hired shipmates can help him in his quest for riches. The fact that they also happen to be cannibals is of no importance to him whatsoever. So long as they don't eat each other in front of him, he doesn't really care.

Conrad represents greed by depicting the unscrupulous means the Company's employees exercise to attain massive amounts of ivory and increase their professional statuses. The Company itself is portrayed as an oppressive, inefficient bureaucratic machine used to collect foreign resources while simultaneously destroying and destabilizing native African societies. Marlow witnesses firsthand the effects of the Company's greed when he visits the various European stations established in Africa. Conrad also represents greed by depicting the immoral, conniving agents, who lie, cheat, and steal from the Natives and other employees to increase their personal wealth and status. For example, Marlow meets the General Manager; he is a greedy man hoping that Kurtz will die so that he will be the next man in line to gain the Company's recognition. He even sinks Marlow's ship to prevent Kurtz from receiving medical aid and necessary supplies. The character of Kurtz also represents the corrupting nature of greed. Marlow discovers that Kurtz is viewed as a god by the natives and conducts raids on other villages to attain large quantities of ivory. Kurtz's insatiable greed corrupts his soul, and he is responsible for committing unspeakable atrocities to increase his wealth and status. Overall, the Company and its agents are fueled by greed and completely destabilize and oppress the various African societies.

What does Ray Bradbury's "All Summer in a Day" suggest to you about the importance of an individual’s response to conflict?

One of the central conflicts to this story is between Margot and the other children. Margot used to live on Earth, and she remembers what the sun looks like. The other children do not remember because the sun only comes out once every 7 years, and they were too young to remember it. The other children hate Margot for her real memory of the sun. 

But Margot remembered.
"It’s like a penny," she said once, eyes closed.
"No it’s not!" the children cried.
"It’s like a fire," she said, "in the stove."
"You’re lying, you don’t remember!" cried the children.

On the day that the sun is going to finally come out, one of the boys that really hates Margot's experience suggests that Margot is going to see nothing today. He announces to the class that the arrival of the sunshine was all a big joke.  

"All a joke!" said the boy, and seized her roughly. "Hey, everyone, let’s put her in a closet before the teacher comes!"

After he makes that statement, the boy suggests that he and the other children lock Margot in a closet. That way she won't be able to go and experience the sunshine. I believe that this is the "individual response" that the question is asking about. The conflict between Margot and the other children is very real, and he suggests an action that further escalates the conflict. Perhaps the other children hate Margot as much as the boy and perhaps not; however, the boy's suggestion gives the children a way to physically vent their frustration against their conflict.  They give into a mob mentality. I think this story serves as a warning to readers about the dangers of mob mentality. Had the boy not suggested his individual response, the other children were not likely to take action against Margot. An individual's response to a conflict is very important because that individual response can quickly affect other people's responses. The individual needs to make sure that his/her responses inspire people to take positive actions rather than negative actions. 

What is the intention of the poet here? What do the colossal wreck and sands symbolize?

Shelley's intention is to show that political power is never permanent and that even the greatest, most powerful ruler will not survive forever; thus Shelley seeks to satirize politicians, or dominant rulers, and call the reader's attention to the passing of political power. The poem has a weighty theme, so Shelley has used the formal sonnet form. 
The "colossal wreck" is literally the giant remains of the statue of the once-powerful ruler Ozymandias, with the "shattered visage" (face and expression) and the now broken "legs of stone" which have parted from the body so that they are "trunkless." The adjective "colossal" is also used ironically and metaphorically to refer to the enormous power this "king of kings" once had but has now lost, as Ozymandias has succumbed to death. Even his statue lies wrecked in the "lone and level" sands, which will endure far longer than he did! We notice the alliteration in this line, suggesting something long-lasting, even eternal. Therefore, the "sands" symbolize the impassive natural world, which is stronger than any political power or whim, which lasts for a comparatively brief time compared to the earth, which has witnessed man's changing ideas and histories for centuries. 

How do you create games for Android?

To create Android applications, which include games, it is important to have some computer programming knowledge. The best place to start for beginners is learning Java or Action script. However, computer programming languages are not the only skills required in successful game development. Scripting and graphic design are also necessary skills for successful application development in Android and all other platforms.
Free softwares are available for Android games development. Eclipse is one of the free popular integrated development environments (IDE). The IDE comes prepackaged with the Java software development kit (SDK), which is extended by installing the Eclipse Android Development Tools (ADT). Using the ADT, developers can create Android games by coding the game’s actions and attaching the required graphics. The final project is saved with a .apk file extension, which is compatible with the Android framework. Note: (This is what I have used as a developer. The Eclipse IDE was replaced by Android Studio, which does the same thing).
There are softwares (Gamesalad and Appsgeyser among others) that provide drag and drop (no coding required) capabilities for Android development. However, their capabilities are limited and cannot measure up to hard-coded apps and games.
https://developer.android.com/studio/?gclid=CKuJ6snopc4CFUQq0wodOtgFOw

https://developer.android.com/studio/tools/sdk/eclipse-adt

https://marketplace.eclipse.org/content/android-development-tools-eclipse

What is the social content of Orwell's Animal Farm?

Like any good satire or allegory, and almost all of George Orwell's work, Animal Farm is full of social commentary. Though he dismissed the book as a "fairy story," Orwell wanted to show how even those popular movements that started with good intentions could become corrupted once they gained power. The pigs launch a revolution in the name of Animalism, an ideology that promotes equality to all animals and the end to exploitation by Man. We see at the beginning of the book that this set of ideas, based on a speech given by Old Major in Chapter One, is sincere and motivated by an honest desire to make a better world (or farm.) But once Jones is driven from the farm, the pigs assume leadership, and begin to use their power to enrich themselves and, most importantly, to pursue more power. The idealism of the early days of Animal Farm, exemplified by the singing of the revolutionary song "Beasts of England" and the Seven Commandments on the barn, quickly becomes corrupted as Napoleon consolidates his power through propaganda and violence. By the end of the book, the pigs are indistinguishable from the humans they overthrew, and the lives of the rest of the animals are, if anything, worse than they were before. Throughout the book, we see serious social commentary. The ability of the state to manipulate information is symbolized by Squealer. The ease with which "the masses" can be swayed by jingoism is represented by the sheep, who drown out dissent by bleating "four legs good, two legs bad" at public meetings. There are countless other examples--every character in the book is intended to say something about society.
Overall, the social message of this book can be interpreted in a number of different ways. You could argue that Orwell was simply denouncing all popular movements, which were doomed to fail because people (symbolized by animals in the book) are inherently corrupt. But Orwell was a democratic socialist for most of his adult life, including when he wrote Animal Farm. It can also be read as a fairly straightforward allegory for the emergence of brutal Stalinism from the communist revolution in Russia. There is no doubt that Orwell had the Soviet Union and the rise of Stalin in mind, and that Animal Farm is a critique of totalitarianism. But, especially when read in tandem with 1984, his other great dystopian novel, Animal Farm has an even more sobering warning: Unless we are vigilant in keeping human rights and liberties at the forefront of our politics, all of our political systems are subject to sliding into totalitarianism. 

Vanna has just financed the purchase of a home for $200,000. She agreed to repay the loan by making equal monthly blended payments of $3000 each at 4%/a, compounded monthly. How long will it take to repay the loan? How much will the final payment be? Determine how much interest she will pay for her loan. Use Microsoft Excel to graph the amortization of the loan (Hint: Graph outstanding principal versus month). How much sooner would the loan be paid if she made a 15% down payment? How much would Vanna have saved if she had obtained a loan 3%/a, compounded monthly? Write a concluding statement about the importance of interest rates and down payments when taking out loans.

1. The monthly payment on the mortgage is determined by the formula
M=P*(R/(1-(1+R)^(-N))) , where P is the principal (P = $200,000), R is the monthly rate, expressed as a decimal (R can be found as annual rate divided by 12:
R = 0.04/12 = 1/300 ), and N is the number of months in the terms of the mortgage. In the given example, we know the monthly payment M = $3,000, and we need to find how long it will take Vanna to pay off the loan (N).
Plugging everything given in the formula results in
3000 = 200,000((1/300)/(1-(1+1/300)^(-N)))
This simplifies to
4.5 = 1/(1-(301/300)^(-N))
From here,
1- (301/300)^(-N) =2/9
(301/300)^(-N) = 7/9
N=-log_(301/300) (7/9) = 75.52
It will take 76 months (rounding up) or 6 years and 4 months for Vanna to repay the loan.
To find the exact number of months and the exact final payment, prepare the amortization schedule. See the amortization schedule for the first several months in the attached file. In the B column, the remaining principal is shown after the payment is made each month. This is the amount from which the interest is taken. Some of the monthly payment goes to pay this interest, and that is the amount shown in column C. It is calculated as a monthly rate of 0.04/12 of the remaining principal. The part of the monthly payment that goes to reduce the principal is then calculated as the monthly payment $3,000 minus the interest portion. This amount is shown in column D, and it gets subtracted from the remaining principal. Then, the new remaining principal is entered in column B in the next row.
3. Assuming Vanna made payments for 75 months, the total amount paid would be
75*$3000 = $225,000. The interest she paid on the $200,000 loan is
$225,000 - $200,000 = $25,000. This is equivalent to 12.5% simple interest rate.
5. If she made a 15% down payment, the amount she borrowed would be 85% of $200,000, or $170,000. Repeating the calculations from question 1 for P = $170,000 results in N = 62.9, or 63 months. This means she would repay the loan one year sooner and pay less interest.
7. When writing the concluding statement, make sure to highlight that one should look for the least interest rate and try to pay as much down payment as feasible when taking out a loan!

What is the moral purpose and cultural significance of the story "The Nighingale"?

The moral of the story is that nature offers more beauty, variety, and power than the manmade, mechanized world. This is illustrated through the beautiful song of the real nightingale.
The nightingale's song is so beautiful that it thrills the Emperor of China and his court, but when the Emperor is presented with a mechanized, jeweled nightingale, he likes that one better because it is more beautiful. However, its song is more repetitive than the real nightingale's: lacking in spontaneity. And worse still, the imitation nightingale breaks.
The real nightingale's song has the power to cure the emperor's disease as he lays at the point of death. In fact, it seems to bring him back from death. The song also has a natural power, and the bird possesses a natural wisdom that a mechanized bird can't replicate.
The story was written in the nineteenth century, which was characterized by a culture that was increasingly driven by material consumption and the idea that joy can be found in man-made items. The story therefore challenges that assumption; it argues that true joy and healing come from the natural world, equally available to the rich and poor alike, as symbolized by the nightingale.

The moral of the story, I would argue, is that nature is always more beautiful than anything artificial. The Emperor, though initially enchanted by the sweet song of the nightingale, eventually loses interest in the little creature, becoming charmed and enraptured instead with a mechanical bird. But this shiny new toy, like all human artifacts, eventually breaks down. Yet what is natural, such as the beautiful song of the nightingale, will always endure.
The nightingale also represents truth as opposed to the falsity of the mechanical bird. When the Emperor listens to the nightingale's song, he's living according to nature, and his fidelity to the truth brings him great joy and happiness even in the midst of serious illness. Yet whatever enjoyment the Emperor derives from the toy bird is fleeting; like the toy itself, it cannot last.
Andersen wrote the story at a time of rapid industrialization in Europe. In this environment, nature was seen as an object, something to be used and exploited for human gain. The Emperor in "The Nightingale" briefly succumbs to the prevailing Western attitude towards nature, before returning to an understanding more at one with the world around us and all its joys and beauties.