A Ton of Crap
Page 9
DECIMALS
Addition and Subtraction with Decimals When adding decimals, it is important to line the decimals up. The numbers are then added in their respective rows starting from the right, and the decimal is carried over. So for example:
and
When subtracting decimals with multiple places, be sure to add zeros to the number with less digits. For example:
can also appear as
Now it appears as any other subtraction problem.
REPRODUCTION
Gametes There are two types of gametes, or sex cells, involved in human reproduction. The male gamete is called the sperm and the female gamete is called the ovum, or egg. The gametes are produced in organs called gonads. In the male, the sperm is produced in the testes, and in the female, the ovum is produced in the ovaries. Each gamete carries twenty-three chromosomes. The ovum carries only an X chromosome, and the sperm can carry either an X or a Y chromosome. During sexual intercourse, the gametes come together in fertilization. If both have an X chromosome, the zygote will grow to become a female. If the sperm has a Y chromosome, it will become a male.
GREEK
Classical Greek Classical Greek, or Ancient Greek, was widely spoken throughout the Roman Empire, and it is the language found in the works of Homer and all of the famous Athenian philosophers. There were three distinctive forms and dialects of the language based on the different tribes and their locations: Dorian (the coast of Peloponnesus), Aeolian (the Aegean islands), and Ionian (the west coast of Asia Minor).
LESSON 8C
ROME
The Roman Republic After the last king, Tarquin the Proud, was overthrown, a republican system based on elected magistrates was put into effect, and along with the Senate, there was a new focus on separation of powers and a system of checks and balances. The Roman Republic lasted from 500 to 30 b.c. During this time, Rome expanded throughout the Mediterranean and into North Africa, Greece, and the Iberian Peninsula. Toward the end of this time period, one of the most famous rulers, Julius Caesar, came to power and attempted to become a dictator of Rome.
SPEAKING
Volume The volume of a voice is a result of the pressure of the air that is blown past the vocal folds. The higher the amount of air, the higher the pressure will be and the louder the volume. The vocal cords must tense up to create such pressure and people who suffer from vocal fold paralysis are unable to raise the volume of their voice because they lack this pressure.
DECIMALS
Multiplying with Decimals Multiplying with decimals requires a few extra steps. Let’s take a look at a problem.
The first thing you do is start from the number on the bottom, the 0.6. Starting from the right, take the 6 and multiply it by each of the numbers on top, starting from the right and moving to the left.
6 × 6 equals 36, so you put the 6 down, and then place the 3 above the 4. After multiplying 6 by 4, you then add that three. So your problem now looks like this:
Then continue moving to the left until you have:
Do the exact same thing with the next digit on the bottom row. In this case, because it is zero, the result will be 000. You then add the two numbers you got, leaving 3276, and then count up the numbers that are behind decimals. In this case there are three total numbers behind decimals, so starting from the end of the number, you move to the left three spaces and your answer will be 3.276.
REPRODUCTION
The Male Reproductive System The role of the male reproductive system is to produce semen, which transports the sperm during sexual intercourse. The external structures of the male reproduction system include the penis, the organ used during sexual intercourse; the scrotum, a sac that holds and moderates the temperature of the testicles; and the testicles, which make testosterone and generate sperm. There are several internal structures involved in the male reproduction system including the epididymus, a tube that transports, stores, and matures the sperm; and the vas deferens, a tube that transports the mature sperm to the urethra, which gets urine and semen out of the body.
GREEK
Hellenistic Greek Hellenistic Greek, or Koine Greek, is traced back to the Hellenistic colonization created by the conquests of Alexander the Great. It was the first common Greek dialect, and it was developed from a mixture of the Attic dialect (a subdialect of Ionic spoken in Athens) and other Greek dialects. It became the lingua franca across the Mediterranean, meaning the common language among people who spoke various languages. This was also the language used in the translation of the Christian New Testament.
ROME
The Roman Empire The Roman Empire, which lasted from 27 b.c. to a.d. 1453, began when Octavian took control of the empire after Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators. The republic was never re-established, as the emperor held most of the power, but the Senate continued. Rome continued to expand, and by the time Trajan ruled (a.d. 98–117), the Roman Empire had expanded 6.5 million square kilometers. To better control the vast empire, authority was divided between four co-emperors. These divisions would ultimately divide the Roman Empire into a Western Empire and an Eastern Empire.
SPEAKING
The Pitch of a Voice The pitch of your voice is determined by the frequency of the mucosal wave, and by altering the tension of your vocal folds. Vocal folds have the ability to get longer and shorter, and this leads to the tension in the vocal folds. Tension of the vocal folds must be symmetrical and must be altered in this way. The notion of tension leading to pitch is similar to that of a guitar, in which as the string is pulled tighter the pitch is higher.
DECIMALS
Division with Decimals The process of dividing a whole number by a decimal is similar to any long division problem. Just remember to bring the decimal over and work it out normally. For example:
would be
The answer is 0.0362
When dividing a decimal by a decimal, the process requires one extra step. In order to divide, you need to make the divisor into a whole number by multiplying it by either 10, 100, 1000, or whatever is needed to make it whole, and whatever you do to the divisor, you must also do the dividend. So for example:
would become and then you would solve it normally.
REPRODUCTION
The Female Reproductive System The female reproductive system is responsible for producing the egg cells and hormones and transporting the egg cells to the site of fertilization; if conception occurs, the beginning stages of pregnancy take place. If fertilization does not happen, the system is designed to shed the uterine lining, or menstruate. The female reproductive system is located internally in the pelvis and consists of the vagina, the cervix, the uterus (the major organ that accommodates the growing fetus and pushes the fetus out during delivery), the fallopian tubes (the source of fertilization), and the ovaries.
GREEK
Medieval Greek Medieval Greek, also known as Byzantine Greek, was spoken during the Byzantine Empire from 600 to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It was the only language used in government and it is still the language used in the Greek Orthodox Church. Medieval Greek is considered to be the link between Ancient Greek and Modern Greek. Over time, neighboring languages and the languages of conquerors came to influence and shape the language.
LESSON 8E
ROME
The Fall of Rome The Western Empire of Rome collapsed in 476 with an attack from the Visigoths. In 1453, the Eastern Empire collapsed, thus ending the great Roman Empire. There were several contributing factors that led to the fall of Rome, including its grand size, making it hard to control its people; the influence and spread of the newly formed religion, Christianity; the spread of Islam; attacks from barbarians; inflation; and even lead poisoning.
SPEAKING
Diction Now that you understand how your voice works, it is important to know useful tools to help in using your voice. Diction means two things. It is the pronouncing of the words clearly so as to be understood by those listening to you, and it also relate
s to one’s choice of words while speaking or writing so that what you are saying relates to the audience or listeners and has meaning.
DECIMALS
Rounding Decimals Rounding with decimals is similar to rounding with any other kind of numbers. If the number in the thousandths is 4 or less, then that number is dropped and the number in the hundredths place remains. For example, 0.983 would be rounded to 0.98. If the number in the thousandths is 5 or higher, then the number is rounded to the nearest hundredth. For example, 0.986 would turn into 0.99. This same rule applies whether you are rounding from the tenths, the hundredths, or the thousandths.
REPRODUCTION
Fetal Development Immediately upon fertilization, the sex of the child is determined. In the first four weeks, neural tubes, the foundation of the nervous system, will develop and the heart and a primitive circulatory system will form. By the third week, the embryo has developed along with a placenta, and its heart begins to beat. By day 40, the embryo is the size of a raspberry and has five fingers on each hand, and its brain waves can be detected. By week 12, the fetus breathes amniotic fluid, exercises, sleeps, awakens, and can open and close its mouth. By week 21, the fetus now weighs one pound. By week 36, the baby will weigh anywhere from six to nine pounds. By week 38, its heartbeat can be heard from outside of the womb and the baby is ready to come out.
GREEK
Modern Greek Modern Greek refers to the language spoken from the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453 until now. There were two forms of the language spoken: Demotic and Katharévusa. Katharévusa was used for literature, scientific, administrative, and juridical purposes, and it was an imitation of the Classical Greek language. In 1976, Demotic was announced as the official language of Greece, and this is now known as Standard Modern Greek.
LESSON 8F
ROME
The Colosseum Construction of the Colosseum, one of the best-known monumental structures associated with Rome, began in a.d. 72 and was completed eight years later. The amphitheater could seat 55,000 spectators and was 159 feet tall. Free games were held in the Colosseum for the public, representing power and prestige, and the events included comedy acts and gladiatorial fights to the death with animals and other gladiators.
SPEAKING
Speech Impediments Speech impediments, or speech disorders, are disorders that disrupt the process of speaking normally. Speech impediments include stuttering, lisping, fronting (where “K” is replaced with “T,” “G” is replaced with “D,” “NG” is replaced with “N”) and gliding (“R” and “L” are replaced with “W” and “Y”). Speech disorders are developmental and occur because children develop different sounds at different stages during childhood.
DECIMALS
Finding the Percent of a Number Finding the percent of a number is very easy. If you are asked, “What percent of 98 is 32?” you must first divide 32 by 98. The answer is 0.32653061. Choose the first four numbers, and remember to round. You now have 0.3265. Then multiply this number by 100, leaving you with 32.65, and then round to the nearest whole number. So, 32 is 33 percent of 98.
REPRODUCTION
Asexual Reproduction What was just described was reproduction for humans; however, plants and even certain animals reproduce in a different way—asexually, or without a mate. This is done through mitosis. Mitosis is a process of cell division that involves replicating chromosome material. During asexual reproduction, genetic mixing does not happen, and it is sometimes referred to as cloning because the copies are identical.
GREEK
Useful Greek Phrases Here are some helpful phrases to use when traveling in Greece:
Hello (singular). Yia sou.
Hello (plural). Yia sas.
Thank you. Efharisto.
Excuse me. Signomi.
Please. Parakalo.
Where is the toilet, please? Pou ine i twaleta, parakalo?
Where is the beach? Pou ine i paralia?
Sorry, I don’t speak Greek. Signomi, ala then milao elinika.
How much is it? Poso kani?
LESSON 8 QUIZ
Which of the following didn’t lead to the fall of Rome?
The spread of Christianity
Lead poisoning
Attacks from barbarians
Attacks from the Byzantine Empire
What event led to the rule of a succession of emperors in Rome?
Caesar’s assassination
Octavian’s assassination
Construction of the Coliseum
The fall of the Western Roman Empire
What is diction?
Replacing the “K” sound with a “T” sound
Pronouncing words clearly
When the vocal folds tighten
The pitch of the voice
What is the result of the pressure of the air that is blown past the vocal folds?
Stuttering
Pitch
Volume
Gliding
What can 0.982 be rounded to?
0.983
0.98
0.99
1.98
What does 9.2 × 0.8 equal?
73.6
0.736
736
7.36
How many chromosomes does each gamete carry?
23
46
21
2
Which of the following is not part of the male reproductive system?
Epididymus
Vas deferens
Fallopian tubes
Urethra
The first common Greek dialect is known as:
Ionian
Koine
Dorian
Aeolian
The two forms of Modern Greek spoken today are:
Koine and Katharévusa
Demotic and Aeolian
Demotic and Katharévusa
Ionian and Katharévusa
ANSWER KEY: d, a, b, c, b, d, a, c, b, c
Lesson 9
HISTORY: The Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages, The High Middle Ages, The Late Middle Ages, The Black Death, Science of the Middle Ages, Inventions of the Middle Ages
LANGUAGE ARTS: Listening
How We Hear, Active Listening, Active Listening Barriers, Informational Listening, Reflective Listening, Tips for Being
a Good Listener
MATH: Measurement
The Metric System, The United States Custom Units, Length, Mass, Volume, Temperature
SCIENCE: Genetics
Gregor Mendel’s Plants, Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance, Inheritance Patterns, DNA, Gene Expression, Genetic Mutations
FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Bulgarian
About Bulgarian, Old Bulgarian, Middle Bulgarian, Modern Bulgarian, Dialects, Useful Bulgarian Phrases
LESSON 9A
THE MIDDLE AGES
The Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, followed the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and lasted from the fifth century to the tenth century. From 400 to 700, Europe was greatly divided, and there was a great migration of Germanic and Slavic people. Besides the increase in migration, this time period was marked by an economic decline. Many empires rose and fell during this time, never being able to achieve the status or success of the Roman Empire. It is also during this time that feudalism starts to appear.
LISTENING
How We Hear The ear is divided into three parts (the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear) that lead to the brain. The outer ear is made up of the eardrum and the ear canal. As sound travels down the ear canal, the sound strikes the eardrum and causes it to vibrate. The middle ear is a space behind the eardrum where a chain of three bones, called ossicles, are. This chain of bones connects the eardrum to the inner ear, and as these bones vibrate, the fluid in the inner ear, or cochlea, begins to move. The movement of the cochlea causes hair cells to move, which sends electric messages up the auditory nerve. From there, the message is sent to the brain, which interprets these signals
as sound.
MEASUREMENT
The Metric System Though there are many systems of measurement found throughout the world, the Metric System is one of the most common systems used worldwide, with the notable exception of the United States. The metric system is a decimal system that measures with a base of ten. Weight is measured in grams, volume is measured in liters, dimensions are measured in meters, and Celsius is used to measure temperature.
GENETICS
Gregor Mendel’s Plants Austrian monk Gregor Mendel is considered to be the father of genetics. In 1856, Mendel conducted a series of studies on pea plants observing seven traits he found in the plants: the color and shape of the seed, the color of the flower, the color and shape of the pod, the position of the flower, and the height of the plant. Mendel performed tests in hybridization and cross-pollination and found that the first generation of plants only resembled one parent, but in the next generations, dominant and recessive traits appeared.