Which is a major source of air pollution created by humans?

Air pollution is defined as the presence of or introduction of harmful or toxic substances into the air. 

Most of the air pollution that is created by humans is due to the emission of burning fossil fuels into the air.Fossil fuels are buried geologic deposits of organic materials, formed from decayed plants and animals that have been exposed to heavy pressures of and heat in the Earth's crust over hundreds of millions of years. Examples...

Air pollution is defined as the presence of or introduction of harmful or toxic substances into the air. 

Most of the air pollution that is created by humans is due to the emission of burning fossil fuels into the air. Fossil fuels are buried geologic deposits of organic materials, formed from decayed plants and animals that have been exposed to heavy pressures of and heat in the Earth's crust over hundreds of millions of years. Examples of fossil fuels include crude oil, natural gas, gasoline, and coal. When such fuels are burned and released into the atmosphere they block the Sun's radiation that reflects off of the Earth's surface. Thus, the radiation is not able to leave Earth's atmosphere and is converted into heat energy. This is one source of global warming. 

In Miriam Toews' A Complicated Kindness, Nomi talks with her old friend Sheridan whose “dad had been excommunicated” and whose mother had...

In the small town of East Village depicted in Miriam Toews' novel A Complicated Kindness, conformity is the rule and the expectation. A strict Mennonite community where certain traditions and customs are expected could be claustrophobic for some, and the youth of Toews' story are among those who chafe at the restrictions and customs to which they are expected to adhere. Nomi, the novel's young protagonist and narrator, is committed to maintaining the unity of her family. Nomi's older sister, Natasha, or Tash, is of an age where she can exercise her freedom to leave, and she promptly does with her boyfriend. The goal of family unity destroyed, Nomi can only wonder, somewhat rhetorically, why her parents failed so miserably:

"Why was Tash so intent on derailing our chances and sabotaging our plans to be together for goddam ever and why the hell couldn't my parents see what was happening and rein that girl in."

Tash, however, needed to escape and did. The strictures of the Mennonite community are too much for her to endure, so she leaves with Ian, her boyfriend, for the more carefree lifestyle of California. Furthermore, Nomi's mother is chafing to conform and senses that she is failing in that regard, which, as we learn, prompts her departure, leaving only Nomi and her father, Ray.

Which brings us to Nomi's observation regarding her mother's comment about Sheridan's father, that "...Sheridan's dad should have left town to save his mom the pain of having to pretend he was dead." Sheridan's father is not one of the town's more upstanding citizens, having been, Nomi points out, "excommunicated" from the Mennonite Church. In short, both Sheridan and Nomi are members of dysfunctional families, and efforts at adapting one's temperament and ambitions to the restrictions of this community's lifestyle are doomed to fail. Much better, the quote suggests, for the more dysfunctional among us to disappear than to try to fit in where conformity is highly unlikely to prevail, with the strains on those to whom we are closest that entails.

The “Account Balances.xls” data set has information on the account balances of customers at a bank’s four locations. We want to test the null...

(a) I do not have a current copy of Excel. The following are instructions that should get the Anova output:

(1) Enter the data in columns A,B,C, and D.(2) On the toolbar select Data -> Data analysis(3) Select Anova -> single factor(4) Enter the range A4:D23 (as it appears in your spreadsheet)(5) Select grouped by columns(6) Select or enter 0.05 for the alpha level(7) Check output range and type...

(a) I do not have a current copy of Excel. The following are instructions that should get the Anova output:

(1) Enter the data in columns A,B,C, and D.
(2) On the toolbar select Data -> Data analysis
(3) Select Anova -> single factor
(4) Enter the range A4:D23 (as it appears in your spreadsheet)
(5) Select grouped by columns
(6) Select or enter 0.05 for the alpha level
(7) Check output range and type in E2

You should get the following information:

F=2.352657462
p=0.0792776228
Factor:
df=3
SS=2551767.07
MS=850589.022
Error
df=72
SS=26031162.9
MS=361543.929
SXP=601.285231

(b) Do not reject the null hypothesis. `p > alpha ` . (.07>.05; the probability that you could have a group such as this by chance is greater than your level of confidence.)

Compare p to the alpha level. When `p <= alpha ` we reject the null hypothesis. 

(c) Our basic assumption is that the average values for each city (means) are the same. We assume that the spread of the data is the same for each city (variances.) The Anova test returns the probability that we could get samples from a group of cities that looks like the samples we got if the averages really were the same.

If that probability (p) is low  (lower than some expectation that we had before running the test) then we conclude the averages of at least two of the cities must be different (reject the null hypothesis.)

`x=4-y^2 , x=0` Find the x and y moments of inertia and center of mass for the laminas of uniform density `p` bounded by the graphs of the...

Consider an irregularly shaped planar lamina of uniform density `rho` , bounded by graphs `x=f(y)` , `x=g(y)` and `c<=y<=d` . The mass `m` of this region is given by:

`m=rhoint_c^d(f(y)-g(y))dy`

`m=rhoA` , where A is the area of the region

The moments about the x- and y-axes are given by:

`M_x=rhoint_c^d y(f(y)-g(y))dy`

`M_y=rhoint_c^d 1/2([f(y)]^2-[g(y)]^2)dy`

The center of mass `(barx,bary)` is given by:

`barx=M_y/m`

`bary=M_x/m`

We are given `x=4-y^2` ,`x=0`  

Refer to the attached image. The...

Consider an irregularly shaped planar lamina of uniform density `rho` , bounded by graphs `x=f(y)` , `x=g(y)` and `c<=y<=d` . The mass `m` of this region is given by:

`m=rhoint_c^d(f(y)-g(y))dy`

`m=rhoA` , where A is the area of the region

The moments about the x- and y-axes are given by:

`M_x=rhoint_c^d y(f(y)-g(y))dy`

`M_y=rhoint_c^d 1/2([f(y)]^2-[g(y)]^2)dy`

The center of mass `(barx,bary)` is given by:

`barx=M_y/m`

`bary=M_x/m`

We are given `x=4-y^2` ,`x=0`  

Refer to the attached image. The plot of `x=4-y^2` is red in color.

Let's evaluate the area of the region,

`A=int_(-2)^2(4-y^2)dy`

`A=2int_0^2(4-y^2)dy`

`A=2[4y-y^3/3]_0^2`

`A=2[4*2-2^3/3]`

`A=2[8-8/3]`

`A=32/3`

`M_y=2rhoint_0^2 1/2(4-y^2)^2dy`

`M_y=(2rho)/2int_0^2(4^2-2(4)y^2+(y^2)^2)dy`

`M_y=rhoint_0^2(16-8y^2+y^4)dy`

`M_y=rho[16y-8(y^3/3)+y^5/5]_0^2`

`M_y=rho[16*2-8/3(2^3)+1/5(2^5)]`

`M_y=rho[32-64/3+32/5]`

`M_y=rho[(480-320+96)/15]`

`M_y=256/15rho`

By symmetry, `M_x=0,bary=0`

`barx=M_y/m=M_y/(rhoA)`

`barx=(256/15rho)/(rho32/3)`

`barx=(256/15)(3/32)`

`barx=8/5`

The coordinates of the center of mass are `(barx,bary)` are `(8/5,0)`  

What evidence suggests that Eliezer is devoutly religious?

At the beginning of the novel, Eliezer mentions that he devoted his life to understanding the Talmud and studying Kabbalah while living in Sighet. Eliezer says that by day he would study the Talmud which is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism, and at night he would weep over the destruction of the Temple.Although Eliezer's father discourages him from studying Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah, he becomes friends with Moishe the Beadle who teaches...

At the beginning of the novel, Eliezer mentions that he devoted his life to understanding the Talmud and studying Kabbalah while living in Sighet. Eliezer says that by day he would study the Talmud which is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism, and at night he would weep over the destruction of the Temple. Although Eliezer's father discourages him from studying Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah, he becomes friends with Moishe the Beadle who teaches him the Zohar. Eliezer mentions that Moishe the Beadle would spend hours on end explaining the mysteries of Kabbalah. Even after Moishe the Beadle is deported by the Hungarian police, Eliezer continues to visit and pray in the synagogue. As the novel progresses, Eliezer becomes a prisoner who is forced to work in the inhumane concentration camps. He experiences horrific tragedies but continues to pray to God. Unfortunately, Eliezer loses his faith after witnessing innumerable tragedies such as the death of his father. 

In Animal Farm, how are Old Major's original commandments a vice?

In chapter one, Old Major gives the animals a number of commandments. Firstly, anything that walks on four legs is a friend, while anything that walks on two legs is an enemy. Secondly, the animals must not adopt the "vices" of man, like sleeping in a bed or wearing clothes. Thirdly, no animal must harm another animal. Finally, all animals are equal.

These commandments could be considered a vice because of their negative portrayal of...

In chapter one, Old Major gives the animals a number of commandments. Firstly, anything that walks on four legs is a friend, while anything that walks on two legs is an enemy. Secondly, the animals must not adopt the "vices" of man, like sleeping in a bed or wearing clothes. Thirdly, no animal must harm another animal. Finally, all animals are equal.

These commandments could be considered a vice because of their negative portrayal of humans. For Old Major, every man is a tyrant, just like Mr. Jones, but this ignores the many humans who demonstrate care and compassion toward animals.

In addition, Old Major does not realize that animals are also capable of tyranny. As we see through the character of Napoleon, for example, some animals are so driven by their own desire for power that they treat their fellow animals as cruelly as any human. Many of the pigs, like Napoleon and Squealer, also consider themselves to be superior to the other animals on the farm.

While Old Major hoped that expelling the humans would bring peace to the animals, it ultimately brought even greater tyranny.

`sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^n/3^n` Determine the convergence or divergence of the series.

To determine the convergence or divergence of the series `sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^n/3^n` , we may apply the Ratio Test.

In Ratio test, we determine the limit as:

`lim_(n-gtoo)|a_(n+1)/a_n| = L`

 Then, we follow the conditions:

a) `L lt1` then the series converges absolutely

b) `Lgt1` then the series diverges

c) `L=1` or does not exist  then the test is inconclusive.The series may be divergent, conditionally convergent, or absolutely convergent.

For the given series `sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^n/3^n`...

To determine the convergence or divergence of the series `sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^n/3^n` , we may apply the Ratio Test.

In Ratio test, we determine the limit as:

`lim_(n-gtoo)|a_(n+1)/a_n| = L`

 Then, we follow the conditions:

a) `L lt1` then the series converges absolutely

b) `Lgt1` then the series diverges

c) `L=1` or does not exist  then the test is inconclusive.The series may be divergent, conditionally convergent, or absolutely convergent.

For the given series `sum_(n=1)^oo (-1)^n/3^n` , we have `a_n =(-1)^n/3^n` .

 Then, `a_(n+1) =(-1)^(n+1)/3^(n+1)` .

We set up the limit as:

`lim_(n-gtoo) | [(-1)^(n+1)/3^(n+1)]/[(-1)^n/3^n]|`

 To simplify the function, we flip the bottom and proceed to multiplication:

`| [(-1)^(n+1)/3^(n+1)]/[(-1)^n/3^n]| =| (-1)^(n+1)/3^(n+1) *3^n/(-1)^n|`

Apply the Law of Exponent: `x^(n+m) = x^n*x^m` . It becomes:

`| ((-1)^n (-1)^1)/(3^n *3^1)*3^n/(-1)^n|`

Cancel out common factors `(-1)^n` and `(3^n)` .

`| (-1)^1/ 3^1 |`

Simplify:

`| (-1)^1/ 3^1 | =| (-1)/ 3 |`

          ` = |-1/3| `

          ` =1/3`

Applying ` |[(-1)^(n+1)/3^(n+1)]/[(-1)^n/3^n]|= 1/3` , we get:

`lim_(n-gtoo) | [(-1)^(n+1)/3^(n+1)]/[(-1)^n/3^n]|=lim_(n-gtoo) 1/3 `

`lim_(n-gtoo) 1/3 = 1/3 `        

 The limit value `L=1/3` satisfies the condition: `L lt1` .

 Therefore, the series converges absolutely.

Critically analyze "Dulce Et Decorum Est" by Robert Owen.

Robert Owen's poem "Dulce Et Decorum Est" is an influential and moving poem about the horrors of World War I, known at the time of the writing as the Great War. The poem marked a departure from traditional poems about war such as Felicia Dorothea Hemans' "Casabiana" and Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade." Such poems glorified war and honored the sacrifice warriors made without focusing on the trauma the soldiers experienced. Owen, who had himself seen battle and was hospitalized for what we would now call post-traumatic stress disorder, began writing a new type of war poetry that was brutally honest. This poem was specifically written as an answer to the jingoistic war poetry of the time that was being written by writers like Jessie Pope, the "my friend" of line 25. The poem describes trench warfare and an attack of mustard or chlorine gas and the death of a soldier who failed to get his gas mask on in time. The poem's format, which uses a very traditional iambic pentameter with alternately rhyming lines, is unorthodox because of its heavy use of enjambment and caesura and a number of places where the rhythm deliberately falters. Enjambment, where there is no punctuation at the end of the line and the thought continues onto the next line, and caesura, where there is a hard stop in the middle of the line, work together to make the poem sound less "poetic." The rhymes are less obvious, and the rhythm becomes less sing-songy. That effect combined with repetition of very hard or harsh, guttural consonants such as "d," "k," and "g" allows the sound of the poem to match the harsh reality that is being described. The emotions evoked by the poem are powerful. Owen uses sparse yet descriptive wording to create unforgettable images in readers' minds. Lines like "He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning," "And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, / His hanging face," and "bitter as the cud/ Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues" are some of the most evocative constructions in all English poetry and can hardly be read without a lump forming in one's throat, tears springing to one's eyes, or a churning sensation arising in one's stomach. The poem ends dramatically by repeating the Latin saying that typified the jingoistic and traditionalist war poetry: "How beautiful and right it is to die for one's country." Owen calls it a "Lie," with irrefutable credibility, and ends the poem with an unfinished line, symbolizing the untimely end of so many of England's finest young men who lost their lives in the war. Unfortunately, Owen himself was one of the men cut off prematurely; he died in action a week before the war ended. We will never know what additional contributions Owen could have made to literature and poetry had he survived, but we are indebted to him for his bravery in both his military service and in his writing. 

What is the climax of 'The Giver' by Lois Lowry?

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a dystopian novel about a seemingly perfect world in which choice, memory, and emotion have been taken from the human population.

The climax of this novel occurs shortly after Jonas, the protagonist, makes two discoveries: releasing others to Elsewhere actually means killing them; and Gabriel, an infant who has been staying with Jonas's family, will be released (killed) shortly.

In Chapter 20, Jonas decides to leave the community and...

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a dystopian novel about a seemingly perfect world in which choice, memory, and emotion have been taken from the human population.

The climax of this novel occurs shortly after Jonas, the protagonist, makes two discoveries: releasing others to Elsewhere actually means killing them; and Gabriel, an infant who has been staying with Jonas's family, will be released (killed) shortly.

In Chapter 20, Jonas decides to leave the community and take Gabriel with him. Doing so will release Jonas's memories of love, pain, color, and other strong feelings back to the humans in the community. The moment of Jonas's decision to leave is the climax of the novel. 

Leading up to that moment, Jonas has been discovering more about his community that makes him upset. His new knowledge comes from his training sessions with the former Receiver, or The Giver.

Following Jonas's decision, there is a chase as Jonas flees community leaders into Elsewhere, concluding with a final scene in which Jonas and Gabriel are starving and cold. Jonas has a vision of a warm cabin in the snow.

What are the positive and negative sides of applying scientific research methods to the study of history?

One positive is that one can form a hypothesis and test it.  History is best studied when one looks at the motives behind a character's or group's actions.  By examining this and the interactions between groups, one can get a good understanding of history and put it into a larger framework.

There are some drawbacks to this method, however.  People do not consistently behave, and there are no laws that consistently govern their behavior.  It...

One positive is that one can form a hypothesis and test it.  History is best studied when one looks at the motives behind a character's or group's actions.  By examining this and the interactions between groups, one can get a good understanding of history and put it into a larger framework.

There are some drawbacks to this method, however.  People do not consistently behave, and there are no laws that consistently govern their behavior.  It is nearly impossible to apply a theory or law to them when their actions change over time given different circumstances.  Also, events in history are not identical; in many cases it is hard to make exact comparisons.  One can make predictions, but it is hard to find trends that are nearly one hundred percent accurate.  Also, in history one cannot willingly repeat the experiment to test for accuracy.  In many cases one hopes that history does not repeat, though a lot of the same events reoccur, only with different people and circumstances. 

If you were Neville Chamberlain, how would you have handled Hitler’s remilitarization of Germany?

In 1938, Adolf Hitler annexed the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia after Hitler claimed Czech police attacked Germans living in the area. Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister, flew out to have a conference with Hitler to ask about Hitler's land grabs. Hitler assured Chamberlain that Germany did not desire any more territory. Chamberlain, trying to avoid war, believed Hitler and flew back to Britain where he infamously claimed that Britain had achieved "peace in its time."...

In 1938, Adolf Hitler annexed the Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia after Hitler claimed Czech police attacked Germans living in the area. Neville Chamberlain, the British prime minister, flew out to have a conference with Hitler to ask about Hitler's land grabs. Hitler assured Chamberlain that Germany did not desire any more territory. Chamberlain, trying to avoid war, believed Hitler and flew back to Britain where he infamously claimed that Britain had achieved "peace in its time." This was appeasement—Chamberlain gave in to what Hitler wanted.

Before one judges Chamberlain too harshly, remember he had a tough job—the British people had finished WWI within the last twenty years and no one wanted a new fight with Germany. Also, Britain was part of the worldwide financial depression. The British people probably did not want to fight a war to defend a foreign country. If I were Chamberlain, I would have led a propaganda effort showing Hitler as a European madman. This campaign would appear in newspapers and movies.  I would show the Sudetenland's residents' reactions to the takeover and I would have Czechoslovakia appear to be the victim. I would also increase military preparedness by increasing the size of the military budget. I would tell the British people that I was sending arms to Czechoslovakia so Czech people could defend themselves. I would also find a neutral third party to look into whether German citizens were really attacked in the Sudetenland. Of course, my reaction would be different than yours; for example, you may also consider sanctions similar to what the United States did against Russia after the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.  

What is an example of irony in Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian"?

It's a little tricky to identify irony in Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian," but there are a few interpretive claims you might make if you need to identify that particular literary device.

Situational irony occurs when the opposite of what we'd expect happens in a particularly interesting or critical way. For example, it would be situationally ironic if the firehouse (the building belonging to the people whose job it is to put out fires) burned down.

...

It's a little tricky to identify irony in Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian," but there are a few interpretive claims you might make if you need to identify that particular literary device.

Situational irony occurs when the opposite of what we'd expect happens in a particularly interesting or critical way. For example, it would be situationally ironic if the firehouse (the building belonging to the people whose job it is to put out fires) burned down.

You might argue that it's ironic that Leonard Mead continually thinks of the urban landscape he wanders in natural terms:

The street was silent and long and empty, with only his shadow moving like the shadow of a hawk in mid-country. If he closed his eyes and stood very still, frozen, he could imagine himself upon the center of a plain, a wintry, windless Arizona desert with no house in a thousand miles, and only dry river beds, the streets, for company.

Mead's thoughts paint a picture of a city being reclaimed by nature, with sidewalks "vanishing under flowers and grass." He uses this to emphasize the lack of a human presence in the city at night; people sit at home and watch television instead of going out or visiting friends. This is ironic because in Bradbury's vision, the industrialized, technological future actually leads humans to abandon their environment and make less of an impact on the landscape—the opposite of what we might expect. In short, our expectations about what progress should look like are reversed; this vision of progress looks like decline. By the same token, humanity's unnatural technological advances actually cause nature outside to flourish (the opposite of what we would predict).

It’s also ironic that the man we as readers identify as the most normal character in the story—the one who doesn’t want to sit at home and watch TV every night—is regarded by his society as deviant to the point of criminality: at the end of the story, he is taken away to the “Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies.” Though we regard Leonard Mead as natural (both in his behavior and in his affinity with the natural world), his society sees him as unnatural—the exact opposite of what we might expect.

What is one key characteristic of Anne Frank? Give five examples from the book that prove this.

One of Anne's key characteristics is her independence of thought.  

There are different settings where Anne's independently thoughtful traits are displayed.  One instance would be in keeping the diary itself. Anne uses her diary as a means to communicate her uniquely distinctive thoughts.  As a result of keeping the diary, she comes across as a independent human being.

Another instance of her independence can be seen in how she seeks to break away from...

One of Anne's key characteristics is her independence of thought.  

There are different settings where Anne's independently thoughtful traits are displayed.  One instance would be in keeping the diary itself. Anne uses her diary as a means to communicate her uniquely distinctive thoughts.  As a result of keeping the diary, she comes across as a independent human being.

Another instance of her independence can be seen in how she seeks to break away from her parents.  Even though the Frank family is immersed in the Holocaust, Anne does not change who she is.  She will often contradict her her mother in seeking to be her own person.  Anne also displays her autonomy of thought in how she defines herself against her sister. While she is loyal to Margot, it is clear that Anne does not want to be like her.  She wants to have her own identity, something that is repeated at different points in the narrative.  Anne does not change her demeanor for anyone.  Even when Mr. Dussel constantly strives for quiet, Anne does not relent in being who she is.  This is an example of her independence, something that does not allow her to conform to others.

I think that the final example of Anne's independence can be seen in how her thoughts grow over the course of the diary.  Anne is so independent in her thinking that she is able to freely talk about social injustice, moral dimensions of right and wrong, as well as the nature of human beings and their place in the world. This is one of the strongest examples of Anne's characteristic of being an independent thinker.

`int 1/(x^2-9) dx` Use partial fractions to find the indefinite integral

`int 1/(x^2-9)dx`

To solve using the partial fraction method, the first step is to factor the denominator of the integrand.

`1/(x^2-9) =1/((x - 3)(x +3))`

Then, express it as a sum of two fractions. 

`1/((x-3)(x+3))=A/(x-3)+B/(x+3)`

To solve for the values of A and B, multiply both sides by the LCD.

`(x-3)(x+3)*1/((x-3)(x+3))=(A/(x-3)+B/(x+3))*(x-3)(x+3)`

`1 = A(x+3)+B(x-3)`

Then, assign values to x in such a way that either (x+3) or (x-3) will be zero. So, plug-in x =...

`int 1/(x^2-9)dx`

To solve using the partial fraction method, the first step is to factor the denominator of the integrand.

`1/(x^2-9) =1/((x - 3)(x +3))`

Then, express it as a sum of two fractions. 

`1/((x-3)(x+3))=A/(x-3)+B/(x+3)`

To solve for the values of A and B, multiply both sides by the LCD.

`(x-3)(x+3)*1/((x-3)(x+3))=(A/(x-3)+B/(x+3))*(x-3)(x+3)`

`1 = A(x+3)+B(x-3)`

Then, assign values to x in such a way that either (x+3) or (x-3) will be zero. So, plug-in x = 3 to get the value of A.

`1=A(3+3) + B(3-3)`

`1=A*6+B*0`

`1=6A`

`1/6=A`

Also, plug-in x=-3 to get the value of B.

`1=A(-3+3)+B(-3-3)`

`1=A*0 + B*(-6)`

`1=-6B`

`-1/6=B`

So the partial fraction decomposition of the integrand is:

`int 1/(x^2-9)dx=int (1/(6(x-3)) -1/(6(x+3)))dx`

Then, express it as difference of two integrals.

`=int 1/(6(x-3))dx - int 1/(6(x+3))dx`

`=1/6 int 1/(x-3)dx - 1/6 int 1/(x+3)dx`

And, apply the integral formula `int 1/u du = ln|u|+C` .

`=1/6ln|x-3| -1/6ln|x+3|+C`

Therefore, `int 1/(x^2-9)dx=1/6ln|x-3| -1/6ln|x+3|+C` .

What is covered in chapter five of How Long, O Lord? by D.A. Carson?

D. A. Carson's How Long, O Lord? is a text which examines Biblical passages as they pertain to the suffering of mankind; it is written through the lens of Evangelical Christianity.

Chapter five, entitled "The Suffering People of God," deals with the particular sufferings of Christians who are confronted with growing "anti-Christian pressures" in the West and official persecution in other parts of the world. Carson says the most dominant type of suffering which Christians find "peculiar" is the suffering which is dealt out by God himself—a "fatherly" kind of punishment which is the hallmark of being a child of God and is done for our good so "we may share in his holiness" and steer clear of sin. 

One of the most interesting arguments made here is that many of God's punishments—including war, illness, financial troubles, death, and personal losses—are inherently considered evil and can easily be conflated as the work of Satan. Carson argues we must come to terms with these "ambiguities" so we do not find ourselves caught in a dualistic universe in which neither good nor evil can dominate our lives. In other words, experiencing suffering is not a good thing, but good things can arise out of it. Moving through suffering—and the difficulties of faith and steadfastness that it causes—allows us to become closer to God and more disciplined in our worship. Carson cites Romans 5: 3-4, in which Paul proclaims,

We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Thus, we gain access to maturity through our suffering, and we come to realize "there is no future in frustration."

Carson expands this discussion to talk about the persecution of godly individuals who are faced with the presence of evil; this sort of suffering transcends the minor annoyances of our everyday lives and involves "taking up the cross" to stand boldly and proudly as a Christian. As Christians, we must make decisions that cost us something in honor of Christ—again, as means of demonstrating faith and building a moral center around which our lives can be led. This is what Carson refers to as "the death of self-interest." To suffer because one is a Christian is to be deemed worthy of one's Christianity; leaders will be particularly faced with this challenge as they are forged in the fires of suffering—a reminder that there are "no shortcuts." 

The chapter closes with some "Questions for Further Study," most of which you must answer yourself: "Give practical examples from your own life of such discipline," "What opposition have you experienced because you are a Christian? Has it done you any harm—or any good?," "Do you want to be a Christian leader?" I hope this provides clarification on the chapter for you!

Why did America enter the First World War?

The United States had many reasons for entering World War I. The most important reason was Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare program was a danger to American lives and trade. Germany had already sunk several American merchant ships bound for Britain, and German attacks had killed hundreds of Americans before the declaration of war in 1917. The most famous German attack which almost pulled America into the war happened in 1915 with the sinking of the...

The United States had many reasons for entering World War I. The most important reason was Germany's unrestricted submarine warfare program was a danger to American lives and trade. Germany had already sunk several American merchant ships bound for Britain, and German attacks had killed hundreds of Americans before the declaration of war in 1917. The most famous German attack which almost pulled America into the war happened in 1915 with the sinking of the British ship Lusitania, which killed 128 Americans. After this sinking Germany pledged not to attack any more vessels unless they were explicitly purposed for war. Germany returned to unrestricted submarine warfare in 1917 in an attempt to force an early end to the war.  

Another outrage by Germany was the Zimmerman telegram, which was an attempt to get Mexico to attack the United States in order to distract the Americans long enough for Germany to win the war. In return, Mexico was supposed to get lands lost during the Mexican War. While the threat was not viable since the Mexican government was unstable, many Americans were outraged that Germany would even suggest this.

The United States had made many loans to the Allied powers before 1917. If the Allied powers lost the war, there was a strong chance that this money would never be paid back. British warships cut the German trans-Atlantic cable early in the war in order to make sure that only Allied-approved news made it to the United States. The Germans were portrayed as savages who committed atrocities in Belgium. When the Americans entered the war, soldiers enlisted to fight against the "Hun;" however, when they arrived in France, they reported few actual German atrocities. The war was barbaric on both sides.

Explain why Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church in the 1500's. What were some of the consequences of his actions? Include...

Martin Luther became a heretic according to the Catholic Church when he posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the church doors at Wittenberg. It was a common practice to post an academic challenge for others to read on the community bulletin board, i.e., the church doors. At the same time Luther posted his Theses, he sent a copy and a letter to the archbishop who passed the Theses on to the councillors at Aschaffenburg (later known as the University of Mainz). Considering the Ninety-Five Theses heretical, the councillors sent a copy to the pope, i.e., the Bishop of Rome.  

As was customary in academic circles of the 16th century, John Tetzel proposed his own anti-theses to Luther’s “innovations” in opposition to the “traditional teachings of the church.” To defend his Ninety-Five Theses from Tetzel’s anti-theses, Luther wrote the Resolutiones, which he sent to Bishop Scultetus of Brandenburg. Bishop Scultetus recommend that Luther keep silent and abstain from further writing on the subject fearing for Luther's standing in the Church. Luther agreed but “a new source of contention arose” in the person of Johann Eck, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ingoldstadt. Under the direction of Bishop von Eyb of Eichstatt, Eck carefully examined the Ninety-Five Theses and determined that 18 of the complaints were heretical. 

At this point, Luther was summoned by the pope to appear before the tribunal in Rome. There he was ordered to recant his heretical statements but refused saying, “I neither can nor will recant anything, for it is neither safe nor right to act against one's conscience.” 

Johann Eck’s challenges to his own understanding of scripture drove Luther from reformer to revolutionary. Luther was officially excommunicated in May, 1521, but was allowed to go home. Nevertheless, he was a wanted man. For his protection, he was kidnapped and hidden safely at Wartburg Castle by Prince Fredrick of Saxony. That, though, was not the end of the issue; the consequences of Luther's "reform movement" were many.

The most significant consequence of Luther’s protest would ultimately be the Protestant Reformation which destroyed Christian unity forever. The Universal, i.e., Catholic, Church, no longer held sway over all of Christendom, as Christian Europe was called, and it would never be able to reunite Christians under a universal Christian Church again. The World Christian Encyclopedia says there are 33,000 Christian denominations worldwide but some say only about 9,000 are protestant denominations.

Other serious consequences of Luther's movement are as follows:

The excommunication trial resulted in the Edict of Worms (1521) which officially banned reading or having possession of any of Martin Luther’s writings. It was never fully enforced in Germany, but numerous “heretics” were burned at the stake in the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands). 

Peasant Wars that had been going on in the Holy Roman Empire since 1492 continued, but peasants became more aggressive and violent, driven to fever pitch by their understanding of Luther’s ideas. After emerging from his hiding place at Wartburg in 1522, Luther saw the writing on the wall — “overthrow of the State and the Church as well as property rights and family.” By 1525, the Peasant Wars resulted in victories over the nobility giving peasant leaders confidence they could win their political ambition, i.e., to reorganize the entire Holy Roman Empire. To the surprise of the peasants, Luther sided with the princes and urged them to violently stop the uprisings.

Support for Luther among German princes lead to the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 in which German Princes were given the right to determine whether their local principalities would be Catholic or Lutheran. It was not freedom of religion for everyone. Only the leaders could choose a religion, but it was the beginning of religious choice. 

Calvinism, rather than Lutheranism, was taking hold in many places in Europe including the Netherlands, Scotland and France. In France, the Edict of January, 1562, gave Huguenots, the French protestants, freedom to worship in certain cities and Edict of Nantes of 1598 officially recognized the Huguenots and provided for freedom of conscience and worship where ever French protestant churches already existed. (The Edict of Nantes was later revoked by Louis XIV.)

In 1618, the European religious wars that followed Luther’s “revolution” began a period of conflict, known as the Thirty Years’ War, that 

pitted Protestant against Catholic, the Holy Roman Empire against France, the German princes and princelings against the emperor and each other, and France against the Hapsburgs of Spain. The Swedes, the Danes, the Poles, the Russians, the Dutch and the Swiss were all dragged in or dived in.

It was one of the most destructive conflicts ever in Europe. To end the war, the Peace of Westphalia signed by the various belligerents eliminated the prospect of Catholicism ever reuniting Christendom. Along with granting autonomy for the principalities of the Holy Roman Empire, one of the main tenets of the treaties was the recognition of Calvinism along with Lutheranism as a choice for all the principalities in the HRE (about 194 princes were present at the negotiating table). 

The Counter Reformation in the Catholic Church and the English Reformation are other consequences of the Protestant Reformation in Germany. A discussion of each would be far too lengthy here.

The outcome of Luther’s challenges of the Church not only affected life for Christians then, but also for all who profess any religion today. Acceptance and tolerance emerged from Luther’s conflict with the Catholic Church, and freedom of religion is practiced and/or guaranteed in many parts of the world today.

The following sentence is ambiguous. Provide two explanations which illustrate the different meanings of the sentence: "Please make sure you take...

The primary reason this sentence is ambiguous is because of the unclear placement and use of the word "right." In the English language, the word "right" can mean two very different things.

The first meaning of "right" relates to truth. To do something the "right" way is to do it correctly or as it was intended to be done. 

The second meaning of "right" is directional. It indicates which side one should physically move toward:...

The primary reason this sentence is ambiguous is because of the unclear placement and use of the word "right." In the English language, the word "right" can mean two very different things.

The first meaning of "right" relates to truth. To do something the "right" way is to do it correctly or as it was intended to be done. 

The second meaning of "right" is directional. It indicates which side one should physically move toward: "right" as opposed to "left."

Thus, the first meaning of the sentence instructs "you" to make the correct turn at the intersection. The second meaning of the sentence instructs "you" to turn right literally onto a particular street. 

Unfortunately, with this sentence standing alone, we don't have any context that could help us determine what meaning is actually intended. Thus, the sentence is a poorly constructed one as it leaves too much to interpretation.

How and why did agriculture develop differently in the middle colonies and in the southern colonies?

In both the middle colonies and the southern colonies, farming was an important economic activity. However, there were some differences between these regions.

In the southern colonies, farming was the main economic activity. There was very little industry in the southern colonies. The soil was fertile, and the climate was suited for farming. In the southern colonies, farmers grew tobacco, indigo, and rice. Many slaves were used on the large farms in the South.

In...

In both the middle colonies and the southern colonies, farming was an important economic activity. However, there were some differences between these regions.

In the southern colonies, farming was the main economic activity. There was very little industry in the southern colonies. The soil was fertile, and the climate was suited for farming. In the southern colonies, farmers grew tobacco, indigo, and rice. Many slaves were used on the large farms in the South.

In the middle colonies, there were a variety of economic activities. There was more manufacturing in the middle colonies than in the southern colonies. Farming was important, but it wasn’t the only economic activity. Farmers in the middle colonies were known for the grains they grew. Wheat was one crop that was grown and sold. The middle colonies are often called “the breadbasket colonies” because of the grain that was grown in this region. Slavery did exist in the middle colonies. However, since the farms in the middle colonies weren’t as large as the plantations in the South, there weren’t as many slaves in the middle colonies.

While farming occurred in both regions, there were some differences between the regions related to farming.

What is the plot of Burn Marks by Sara Paretsky? Who are the main characters?

Burn Marks is Paretsky's sixth novel with the main character V.I. (Victoria Iphigenia, or Vic) Warshawski, a Chicago-born private investigator. 

The characters include V.I., her on-again, off-again boyfriend, cop Michael Furey, her alcoholic Aunt Elena, and an old friend, Rosalyn Fuentes, who is running for a Cook County office.

Aunt Elena comes to Vic looking for a place to stay after arson has destroyed the downscale, single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel where she has been living.  Vic...

Burn Marks is Paretsky's sixth novel with the main character V.I. (Victoria Iphigenia, or Vic) Warshawski, a Chicago-born private investigator. 

The characters include V.I., her on-again, off-again boyfriend, cop Michael Furey, her alcoholic Aunt Elena, and an old friend, Rosalyn Fuentes, who is running for a Cook County office.

Aunt Elena comes to Vic looking for a place to stay after arson has destroyed the downscale, single-room occupancy (SRO) hotel where she has been living.  Vic finds a room for her and her companion, Cerise.  Not long after Vic settles them in a new room, Cerise is found dead elsewhere, and Elena disappears.  Vic is hired by an insurance company to find the arsonist before it makes payment to the building's owner.

In the course of her investigation Vic is discouraged and threatened by most officials she encounters, including the head of the arson division, a building developer, and the owner of the burned SRO. She isn't sure who presents the biggest threat: someone in the police department, Cook County politicians, or construction developers. Her relationship with Rosalyn (Roz) Fuentes is strained because of issues of trust.

Ultimately, Vic finds her aunt and rescues her from another arson, but not until she has survived various pursuits and attempts on her life. She uncovers corruption in which politicians and developers collude.

Burn Marks hits many social criticism notes: paternalism in policing and politics, the greed of real estate developers, and anger at the living conditions of the poor in urban America. 

Why was John Locke regarded as the father of classical liberalism?

Classical liberalism is the set of ideas most identified (within the United States at least) as "libertarianism." Classical liberalism formed in opposition to hereditary monarchy, particularly monarchy's absolutist variant.

Locke, writing in the late seventeenth century, articulated many of the ideas held dear by classical liberals. One was that every human being had certain rights that could not be taken away by a government without one's consent. This was because the government did not grant...

Classical liberalism is the set of ideas most identified (within the United States at least) as "libertarianism." Classical liberalism formed in opposition to hereditary monarchy, particularly monarchy's absolutist variant.

Locke, writing in the late seventeenth century, articulated many of the ideas held dear by classical liberals. One was that every human being had certain rights that could not be taken away by a government without one's consent. This was because the government did not grant people these rights in the first place. They were rather "natural rights," that is, they were inseparable from the human condition. So government by the consent of the governed was a fundamental belief of classical liberalism, and it followed that government should be as unobtrusive as possible into the lives of the people who gave it permission to govern. Taxes should be very low, government interference in the economy should be minimal (so as not to deprive people of their property rights), and government should be, as much as possible, a reflection of the will of the people—or at least those with property. Classical liberals also, like Locke, supported civil liberties like freedom of religion, due process in the courts, free press, and other institutions we would associate with modern liberal democracies. Locke's On Toleration was a touchstone for religious tolerance, and he generally favored the free press. So for these reasons, Locke is considered the founder of classical liberalism.

What is the role of wealth in the pot of gold?

The role of wealth is crucial in The Pot of Gold. The title of the play itself is both literal and figurative. Euclio, an old miser, hoards his pot of gold, constantly afraid that one day it will be stolen. Euclio is so covetous of his miser's hoard that it becomes an obsession, distorting his mind to such an extent that he becomes intensely paranoid. He regularly starts moving the pot of gold around...

The role of wealth is crucial in The Pot of Gold. The title of the play itself is both literal and figurative. Euclio, an old miser, hoards his pot of gold, constantly afraid that one day it will be stolen. Euclio is so covetous of his miser's hoard that it becomes an obsession, distorting his mind to such an extent that he becomes intensely paranoid. He regularly starts moving the pot of gold around and hiding it in different places in an increasingly desperate attempt not to lose it. However, despite his best efforts, it is eventually stolen; Strobilus, Lyconides' servant, is the one who makes off with it.

Phaedra, Euclio's daughter, like the titular pot of gold, also has great monetary value, indicating the economic worth placed upon marriageable young women at the time. Essentially, Phaedra is regarded as a piece of property to be bought and sold as part of a business transaction. However, in time, Euclio recovers his stolen pot of gold. And then he realizes that his daughter is valuable in herself, worth infinitely more than his miser's hoard. We see this when Euclio gives the pot of gold to Lyconides on his betrothal to Phaedra by way of a dowry.

Based on The Scarlet Letter, do we assume that we should be without flaw or sin? Should we never show that we have made a mistake?

In the final chapter of the novel, "Conclusion," the narrator says that "in the view of Infinite Purity, we are sinners all alike."  Therefore, despite the fact that some people try to live without sin—and some others pretend to do so—as human beings, we are fundamentally flawed and incapable of perfection.  If we were perfect, we would be gods.  The narrator claims that we are all sinners, every one of us, and so we cannot...

In the final chapter of the novel, "Conclusion," the narrator says that "in the view of Infinite Purity, we are sinners all alike."  Therefore, despite the fact that some people try to live without sin—and some others pretend to do so—as human beings, we are fundamentally flawed and incapable of perfection.  If we were perfect, we would be gods.  The narrator claims that we are all sinners, every one of us, and so we cannot ever be totally without sin or flaw in the eyes of God.

Further, the narrator says,

Among the many morals which press upon us from the poor minister's miserable experience, we put only this into a sentence: "Be true!  Be true!  Be true!  Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!"

In other words, more important than being sinless—which the narrator has already identified as an impossibility—the narrator claims that we should be honest about our sinfulness.  If we are all, at least, honest about our sinful natures (if not our specific sins), then perhaps we will be less likely to judge one another (as the Puritans in the story do) and the guilt we feel for our sins will not be allowed to eat away at us (as Dimmesdale's guilt done to him). 

What are the differences between Hamlet's and Macbeth's motivations and the choices they make to resolve the conflicts?

To answer this question, you have to think about their back stories a little bit. Hamlet was off in school at Wittenburg, and Macbeth was an officer at war. Hamlet returns from school because he finds out his father has died, ostensibly of natural causes, and Macbeth returns after a victory. Hamlet is grieving and confused, something that doesn't improve when his mother marries his father's brother. Macbeth is not confused or grieving, but he...

To answer this question, you have to think about their back stories a little bit. Hamlet was off in school at Wittenburg, and Macbeth was an officer at war. Hamlet returns from school because he finds out his father has died, ostensibly of natural causes, and Macbeth returns after a victory. Hamlet is grieving and confused, something that doesn't improve when his mother marries his father's brother. Macbeth is not confused or grieving, but he has a very high opinion of himself from his recent triumph. Macbeth has a wife who wants him to reach the highest status possible. Hamlet has a girlfriend whose loyalties are divided between him and her father -- and her brother, to a lesser extent. The point is, they're pretty different guys.

Hamlet's motivation comes from his father's ghost telling him that he was murdered. Macbeth's also comes from supernatural forces, the three witches. In both plays, these supernatural elements could be intervening simply to wreak havoc. Hamlet even questions whether the ghost is really his father. Macbeth, though, doesn't question the witches' motivation because what they promise him is power and the status his wife craves. In the end what Hamlet wants is revenge, and what Macbeth wants is to make his wife happy. 

In “The Defender of the Faith,” what does Sergeant Nathan Marx mean when he says that he had “grown an infantryman’s heart, which, like his...

Nathan Marx has served in the army during World War II for over three years, and he has seen horrible things. He has raced with the rest of the Ninth Army across Germany. Later in the story, he recalls some of what he saw in the forests of Belgium and in Germany: people dying, soldiers burning books from German farmhouses to survive, and the destroyed cities of Europe. To survive, he has hardened his heart....

Nathan Marx has served in the army during World War II for over three years, and he has seen horrible things. He has raced with the rest of the Ninth Army across Germany. Later in the story, he recalls some of what he saw in the forests of Belgium and in Germany: people dying, soldiers burning books from German farmhouses to survive, and the destroyed cities of Europe. To survive, he has hardened his heart. In this quotation, which is a simile, he compares his hardened heart to his feet. At first, a soldier's feet are raw and become sore from marching; however, over time, they harden and become callused so that they feel no pain. Like his feet, his heart is immune to pain because he has become so tough.

This figure of speech relates to the rest of the story because Marx comes to disdain and then hate Sheldon Grossbart, who tries to carve a softer path for himself in the army. Grossbart thinks Marx will protect him because they are both Jewish, but Marx rejects Grossbart's pleas for sympathy when he realizes that Grossbart has lied to him. Marx's first priority is thinking about the goals of the army and winning the war. He thinks like a hardened soldier, not like a civilian who has the luxury of feeling pity. In the army, Marx is no longer capable of sympathy but can only feel vindictive. 

Based on "The Love Suicides at Amijima" by Chikamatsu Monzaemon, provide information that can be used to write a background on the author and...

Chikamatsu Monzaemon was a drama writer who made his name writing historically themed dramas. Rather than being performed by actors in a theatre setting, Chikamatsu's work was chanted by storytellers. In many cases, his works were also told through rudimentary puppet shows and artistic backdrops. The author was born in 1652 in what is the modern-day Fukui prefecture of Japan. Although he became a famous playwright, Chikamatsu was born into a family of samurai warriors....

Chikamatsu Monzaemon was a drama writer who made his name writing historically themed dramas. Rather than being performed by actors in a theatre setting, Chikamatsu's work was chanted by storytellers. In many cases, his works were also told through rudimentary puppet shows and artistic backdrops. The author was born in 1652 in what is the modern-day Fukui prefecture of Japan. Although he became a famous playwright, Chikamatsu was born into a family of samurai warriors. After his father gave up his military career, Chikamatsu's family moved to Kyoto. It is not clear how Chikamatsu came to be interested in theatre, but he began writing Kabuki plays shortly after his move to Kyoto and eventually moved to Osaka to pursue his career.

There are actually two similarly titled stories by Chikamatsu, including "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki" and "Double Suicide at Amijima." "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki" marked a turning point in Chikamatsu's career. Previously, his work had focused on embellished historical tales of the nobility. "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki" and his newer works focused on everyday people, including average families, criminals and merchants. The dramatic tale of a double suicide was so popular that it inspired the author to write many others like it, effectively dividing his body of work into two distinct genres. Years later, he wrote "Double Suicide at Amijima," which focused on similar subject matter. Chikamatsu was so moved by the event that he finished his work almost immediately after he learned of it. Although the inspiration for Chikamatsu's earlier works is largely unknown, it is clear that the report of the actual double suicide "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki" was based on was responsible for sparking his interest in contemporary drama. When you consider that his early works were embellished stories of actual events, it becomes clear that Chikamatsu was more heavily influenced by the world around him than by fantasy or other works of fiction. From that point on, he continued to write about both historical and contemporary drama.

In Into the Wild, how does McCandless navigate the journey from dreams to reality?

I'm going to answer this question in a literal manner.  

McCandless's dream is to live on his own in the Alaskan wilderness.  He reveres stories by Jack London that seem to romanticize Alaska's rugged beauty and danger.  

McCandless doesn't immediately rush off to Alaska though.  He spends a great deal of time hitchhiking around the western United States living on nothing but rice and water for the most part.  I believe that McCandless...

I'm going to answer this question in a literal manner.  

McCandless's dream is to live on his own in the Alaskan wilderness.  He reveres stories by Jack London that seem to romanticize Alaska's rugged beauty and danger.  

McCandless doesn't immediately rush off to Alaska though.  He spends a great deal of time hitchhiking around the western United States living on nothing but rice and water for the most part.  I believe that McCandless used this time to "train" himself for his Alaskan adventure.  Once he felt ready to head up to Alaska, he navigated there in the same way that he had been getting around for the previous months.  He hitchhiked to Alaska.  McCandless's dream was to head to the Stampede Trail and survive for months out there.  The final person that helped McCandless get out there was Jim Gallien.  

McCandless navigated toward his dreams with a single-minded focus.  He traveled alone for much of the time.  He hitchhiked when able and got low-paying jobs as needed in order to pay for any meager supplies required. 

`1/4+2/7+3/12+...+n/(n^2+3)+...` Confirm that the Integral Test can be applied to the series. Then use the Integral Test to determine the...

`1/4+2/7+3/12+.....+n/(n^2+3)+........`

We can write the series as `sum_(n=1)^oon/(n^2+3)`

The integral test is applicable if f is positive , continuous and decreasing function on infinite interval `[k,oo)` where `k>=1` and `a_n=f(x)` . Then the series `sum_(n=1)^ooa_n` converges or diverges if and only if the improper integral `int_1^oof(x)dx` converges or diverges.

For the given series `a_n=n/(n^2+3)`

Consider `f(x)=x/(x^2+3)`

Refer to the attached graph of the function. From the graph we observe that the function is positive, continuous and decreasing on...

`1/4+2/7+3/12+.....+n/(n^2+3)+........`

We can write the series as `sum_(n=1)^oon/(n^2+3)`

The integral test is applicable if f is positive , continuous and decreasing function on infinite interval `[k,oo)` where `k>=1` and `a_n=f(x)` . Then the series `sum_(n=1)^ooa_n` converges or diverges if and only if the improper integral `int_1^oof(x)dx` converges or diverges.

For the given series `a_n=n/(n^2+3)`

Consider `f(x)=x/(x^2+3)`

Refer to the attached graph of the function. From the graph we observe that the function is positive, continuous and decreasing on the interval `[1,oo)`

We can also determine whether function is decreasing by finding the derivative f'(x) such that `f'(x)<0`  for `x>=1`

Now let's determine whether the corresponding improper integral `int_1^oox/(x^2+3)dx` converges or diverges.

`int_1^oox/(x^2+3)dx=lim_(b->oo)int_1^bx/(x^2+3)dx`

Let's first evaluate the indefinite integral `intx/(x^2+3)dx`

Apply integral substitution:`u=x^2+3`

`=>du=2xdx`

`intx/(x^2+3)dx=int1/u(du)/2`

Take the constant out and use the common integral:`int1/xdx=ln|x|`

`=1/2ln|u|+C`  where C is a constant

Substitute back `u=x^2+3`

`=1/2ln|x^2+3|+C`

`int_1^oox/(x^2+3)dx=lim_(b->oo)[1/2ln|x^2+3|]_1^b`

`=lim_(b->oo)1/2ln|b^2+3|-1/2ln|1^2+3|`

`=oo-1/2ln4`

`=oo`

Since the integral `int_1^oox/(x^2+3)dx` diverges, we can conclude from the integral test that the series diverges.

What is eudaimonia? What does the term translate to and what would be an example of it?

Eudaimonia does certainly play an important role in Aristotle's Nicomachean (and Eudemian) Ethics, but he is not the first (nor the last) philosopher to use that term. 

Democritus, the fifth-century natural philosopher, is the first to argue that eudaimonia does not consist of external goods. Plato claims that the person who is just and virtuous will be happy (eudaimon)—this requires both that the parts of the soul be in harmony (Republic) and that the individual approximate the divine harmony of the universe (Timaeus).

For Aristotle, there are two kinds of eudaimonia—the ultimate is the godlike virtue of theoria (contemplation) as laid out in Book X of the Nicomachean Ethics. However, the eudaimonia attainable by humans consists in exercising phronesis (practical wisdom) and living a life that involves not only exercising non-intellectual virtues, but also involves external goods and relationships. 

It is important to note that, even though the term is commonly translated as "happiness," it does not mean pleasure or subjective contentment but is better understood as complete fulfillment. For these reasons, the word is often best translated as "flourishing" or "well-being."

How can I identify exothermic and endothermic reactions? What am I supposed to ask myself?

In order to determine if a reaction is endothermic or exothermic you should ask yourself if energy is being transferred from the surroundings to the system or from the system to the surroundings.

Endothermic reactions absorb energy from the surroundings. A chemical ice pack that gets cold when two components are mixed and is then used to treat an injury is an example of an endothermic reaction. It cools your injured body part because heat...

In order to determine if a reaction is endothermic or exothermic you should ask yourself if energy is being transferred from the surroundings to the system or from the system to the surroundings.

Endothermic reactions absorb energy from the surroundings. A chemical ice pack that gets cold when two components are mixed and is then used to treat an injury is an example of an endothermic reaction. It cools your injured body part because heat is being absorbed from your body by the reaction system. The energy gained by an endothermic reaction system is equal to the energy lost by the surroundings.

Exothermic reactions release energy to the surroundings in the form of heat, light or electrical energy. Combustion is a common exothermic reaction, giving off heat and light. The energy gained by the surroundings as a result of an exothermic reaction is equal to the energy lost by the system. From a mathematical perspective you can determine if a reaction is endothermic or exothermic by the enthalpy change.  This is the energy transferred in a reaction and is designated ∆H. You can determine whether a reaction is endothermic or exothermic by the sign of ∆H:

If ∆H is positive, the reaction is endothermic.

If ∆H is negative, the reaction is exothermic.

What are some quotes about the Dwarves' reaction to Bilbo's plan in chapter 9?

Bilbo did not have much time to explain his plan to the dwarves. He formed the plan on the spur of the moment, taking advantage of the opportunity that presented itself when the Elvish chief guard and butler drank themselves into a stupor. Bilbo stole the chief guard's keys. Then he let all the dwarves out of their cells and gathered them at Thorin's cell. So it was only when they had already trusted him enough to leave their cells, and were all gathered together in the dungeon passageway, that he explained to them that he intended to pack them into barrels.

They quickly went from being impressed at his resourcefulness to complaining about the plan.

[Bilbo's] fears were quite justified, for they did not like it one bit, and started grumbling loudly in spite of their danger.

"We shall be bruised and battered to pieces, and drowned too, for certain!" they muttered. "We though you had got some sensible notion, when you managed to get hold of the keys.  This is a mad idea!"

"Very well!" said Bilbo very downcast, and also rather annoyed. "Come along back to your nice cells, and I will lock you all in again, and you can sit there comfortably and think of a better plan -- but I don't suppose I shall ever got hold of the keys again, even if I feel inclined to try."

That was too much for them, and they calmed down.  In the end, of course, they had to just what Bilbo suggested ...

They complained again when Bilbo went to pack them in.

Thorin had given a lot of trouble, and turned and twisted in his tub and grumbled like a large dog in a small kennel; while Balin, who came last, made a great fuss about his air-holes and said he was stifling, even before the lid was on.

`ln2/sqrt(2)+ln3/sqrt(3)+ln4/sqrt(4)+ln5/sqrt(5)+ln6/sqrt(6)+...` Confirm that the Integral Test can be applied to the series. Then use the...

For the series: `ln(2)/sqrt(2) + ln(3)/sqrt(3)+ ln(4)/sqrt(4)+ ln(5)/sqrt(5)+ ln(6)/sqrt(6) +...`, it follows the formula `sum_(n=2)^oo ln(n)/sqrt(n)` where `a_n = ln(n)/sqrt(n)` . To confirm if the Integral test will be applicable, we let `f(x) = ln(x)/sqrt(x)` .

Graph of the function `f(x)` :

 

Maximize view: 

As shown on the graphs, `f` is positive and continuous on the finite interval `[1,oo)` . To verify if the function will eventually decreases on the given interval, we may consider derivative of the function.

Apply Quotient rule for derivative: `d/dx(u/v) = (u'* v- v'*u)/v^2` .

Let `u = ln(x)` then `u' = 1/x`

      `v = sqrt(x)` or `x^(1/2)` then `v' = 1/(2sqrt(x))`

Applying the Quotient rule, we get:

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

           `= (1/sqrt(x) - ln(x)/(2sqrt(x)))/x`

           `= ((2-ln(x))/sqrt(x))/x`

          ` =((2-ln(x))/sqrt(x))* 1/x`

          `=(2-ln(x))/(xsqrt(x)) `

 or `(2-ln(x))/x^(3/2)`

Note that `2-ln(x) lt0` for higher values of x which means ` f'(x) lt0`.

Aside from this, we may verify by solving critical values of x .

Apply First derivative test: f'(c) =0 such that x =c as critical values.

`(2-ln(x))/x^(3/2)=0`

`2-ln(x)=0`

`ln(x) =2`

`x = e^2`

`x~~7.389`

Using `f'(7) ~~0.0015` , it satisfy `f'(x) gt0` therefore the function is increasing on the left side of `x=e^2` .

Using `f'(8) ~~-0.0018` , it satisfy `f'(x) lt0 ` therefore the function is decreasing on the right side of `x=e^2` .

Then, we may conclude that the function  `f(x)` is decreasing for an interval `[8,oo)` .

This confirms that the function is ultimately positive, continuous, and decreasing for an interval `[8,oo)`  . Therefore, we may apply the Integral test. 

Note: Integral test is applicable if f is positive, continuous , and decreasing function on interval `[k, oo)` and `a_n=f(x)` . Then the series `sum_(n=k)^oo a_n ` converges if and only if the improper integral `int_k^oo f(x) dx` converges. If the integral diverges then the series also diverges.

To determine the convergence or divergence of the given series, we may apply improper integral as:

`int_8^oo ln(x)/sqrt(x)dx = lim_(t-gtoo)int_8^tln(x)/sqrt(x)dx`

                                  or `lim_(t-gtoo)int_8^tln(x)/x^(1/2)dx`

 To determine the indefinite integral of `int_8^tln(x)/x^(1/2)dx` , we may apply integration by parts: `int u dv = uv - int v du`

`u = ln(x)` then `du = 1/x dx` . 

`dv = 1/x^(1/2) dx` then `v= int 1/x^(1/2)dx = 2sqrt(x)`

Note: To determine v, apply Power rule for integration `int x^n dx = x^(n+1)/(n+1).`

`int 1/x^(1/2)dx =int x^(-1/2)dx`

                ` =x^(-1/2+1)/(-1/2+1)`

                `=x^(1/2)/(1/2)`

                `=x^(1/2)*2/1`

                `=2x^(1/2)` or `2 sqrt(x)`

The integral becomes: 

`int_8^t ln(x)/sqrt(x) dx=ln(x) * 2 sqrt(x) - int 2sqrt(x) *1/x dx`

                    `=2sqrt(x)ln(x) - int 2x^(1/2) *x^(-1) dx`

                    `=2sqrt(x)ln(x) - int 2x^(-1/2) dx`

                   `=2sqrt(x)ln(x) - 2int x^(-1/2) dx`

                   `= [ 2sqrt(x)ln(x)- 2(2sqrt(x))]|_8^t`

                    `= [2sqrt(x)ln(x) - 4sqrt(x)]|_8^t`

Apply definite integral formula: `F(x)|_a^b = F(b) - F(a)` .

`[2sqrt(x)ln(x) - 4sqrt(x)]|_8^t =[2sqrt(t)ln(t) - 4sqrt(t)] - [2sqrt(8)ln(8) - 4sqrt(8)]`

                                        ` =2sqrt(t)ln(t) - 4sqrt(t) - 2sqrt(8)ln(8) + 4sqrt(8)`

                                        ` =2sqrt(t)ln(t) - 4sqrt(t) - 4sqrt(2)ln(8) + 8sqrt(2)`

Note: `sqrt(8) = 2sqrt(2)`

Applying `int_8^t ln(x)/sqrt(x) dx=2sqrt(t)ln(t) - 4sqrt(t) - 4sqrt(2)ln(8) + 8sqrt(2)` , we get:

`lim_(t-gtoo)int_2^tln(x)/sqrt(x)dx =lim_(t-gtoo) [2sqrt(t)ln(t) - 4sqrt(t) - 4sqrt(2)ln(8) + 8sqrt(2)]`

         `=lim_(t-gtoo) 2sqrt(t)ln(t) - lim_(t-gtoo)4sqrt(t) - lim_(t-gtoo)4sqrt(2)ln(8) + lim_(t-gtoo) 8sqrt(2)`

         ` = oo-oo -4sqrt(2)ln(8) +8sqrt(2)`

        `=oo`

The `lim_(t-gtoo)int_8^tln(x)/sqrt(x)dx=oo`  implies that the integral diverges.

Conclusion:

The integral `int_8^ooln(x)/sqrt(x)dx` is divergent therefore the series`sum_(n=2)^ooln(n)/sqrt(n)` must also be divergent. 

If the earth were one inch in diameter, how big would the moon be in inches

The diameter of Earth is 12742 kilometers. If the model that represents the Earth has diameter of 1 inch, then the scale is:

1 inch = 12742 kilometers

Expressing this as a ratio, it becomes 1:12742.

The diameter of the moon is 3474 kilometers. To determine the diameter of the model of the moon in inches, assign a variable that represent it.  Let it be x.

x inches  = 3474 kilometers

Expressing it as a...

The diameter of Earth is 12742 kilometers. If the model that represents the Earth has diameter of 1 inch, then the scale is:

1 inch = 12742 kilometers

Expressing this as a ratio, it becomes 1:12742.

The diameter of the moon is 3474 kilometers. To determine the diameter of the model of the moon in inches, assign a variable that represent it.  Let it be x.

x inches  = 3474 kilometers

Expressing it as a ratio, it becomes x:3747.

To solve for the value of x, set the two ratios equal to each other. Take note that when used in equations, the ratio should be in fraction form.

`x/3747=1/12742`

Isolating the x, the equation becomes

`x=1/12742*3747`

`x=0.2726`  

Therefore, the diameter of the model of the moon is 0.2726 inch.

How did the space and arms races impact society/population?

Following World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union became enemies for various reasons (see the reference for specifics and views from both sides of the conflict). This led to the "Cold War," which was a very scary time. 

The arms race was part of the Cold War. The US had developed the atomic bomb during World War II and had used it on Japan. The Soviet Union recognized that this was a very dangerous weapon and went to all lengths to develop their own. Soon, the US was developing more powerful weapons and the Soviet Union followed suit. This race led to the Mutual Assured Destruction doctrine (the apt acronym is "MAD"), where it was alleged that peace could be maintained if both sides knew that they and their enemies would both be destroyed. 

The space race was also part of this. When the Soviet Union launched a satellite in 1955, the US recognized that this could potentially become a new weapon. This eventually led to the race to the moon, which the US won in 1969. 

The arms race was distressing for many Americans. In the early days, the US government hid the fact of radiation effects and launched the famous "duck and cover" campaign where school children were instructed to get under their desks in the event of nuclear war. Later, public fallout shelters were created and the signs for them (see file) became a common sight. People even created bunkers and fallout shelters in their basements or back yards. 

The response to the space race was more positive as the US cheered their "team" onto victory. President Kennedy made a speech setting the goal of landing a man on the moon in the next decade and after Kennedy's assassination, President Johnson carried on that commitment. NASA embarked upon this ambitious goal by creating a series of missions that taught them what they needed to know in order to put a human being on the moon. Even though the space race was also about weapons, it was also about meeting a challenge and it was a less fearful experience than the arms race. 

The space race was abandoned after awhile and the Soviet Union disintegrated, ending the Cold War. The world switched from battles between giants to the David and Goliath of terrorism, where small groups of people learned how to disrupt the workings of large countries. MAD did not lead to peace, although the International Space Station brings nations together to work on science. 

What did Malcolm X mean by "homemade education" in his essay, "Homemade Education"? What did he learn?

In his essay, Malcolm X refers to how he became knowledgeable and informed through what he calls "homemade education."

In fact, as you mentioned, Malcolm's essay is titled "A Homemade Education." This by itself is noteworthy: Malcolm came to learn more by teaching himself than by relying on others to educate him. Malcolm himself had dropped out of school in the eighth grade after his teacher contemptuously dismissed his ambitions to become a lawyer.

As...

In his essay, Malcolm X refers to how he became knowledgeable and informed through what he calls "homemade education."

In fact, as you mentioned, Malcolm's essay is titled "A Homemade Education." This by itself is noteworthy: Malcolm came to learn more by teaching himself than by relying on others to educate him. Malcolm himself had dropped out of school in the eighth grade after his teacher contemptuously dismissed his ambitions to become a lawyer.

As time progressed, Malcolm came to feel his lack of an advanced education. He struggled to write proper sentences, and he experienced difficulty in understanding all that he read. In prison, he decided that it was up to him to make some needed changes. This was how his exploration into "homemade education" began. Essentially, Malcolm X began educating himself, first by taking hold of a dictionary from the prison library and then, copying pages out of the dictionary to improve his diction.

With each exercise, Malcolm found his comprehension improving, along with his command of the English language. To Malcolm, "home education" meant self education. After copying through the entire dictionary, Malcolm was able to explore other reading materials. Since he could now understand everything that he read, Malcolm found himself devouring other works that had until now, been off-limits to him.

Malcolm began reading books about ancient, modern, and American history; he also read abolitionist material, philosophical works, civil rights literature, and archaeological treatises about black history. Later, in conversation with an English writer, Malcolm X was asked where he went to college. Malcolm's answer was that his alma mater was "books, a good library." So, Malcolm X concluded that his own brand of "home education" propelled him beyond the level his previous teachers had envisioned for him.

What did Eddie see across the street from Cuca's restaurant?

The answer to your question can be found in chapter 4.

Eddie sees Mr. Stiles's red Toyota parked in front of the Azteca movie theater across the street from Cuca's restaurant.

Accordingly, the truck had been stolen while Eddie was working an errand for Mr. Stiles. When Eddie tells Jose about the red Toyota truck across the street from Cuca's, Jose suggests getting the truck back. Frightened, Eddie balks at the suggestion, leading Jose to...

The answer to your question can be found in chapter 4.

Eddie sees Mr. Stiles's red Toyota parked in front of the Azteca movie theater across the street from Cuca's restaurant.

Accordingly, the truck had been stolen while Eddie was working an errand for Mr. Stiles. When Eddie tells Jose about the red Toyota truck across the street from Cuca's, Jose suggests getting the truck back. Frightened, Eddie balks at the suggestion, leading Jose to accuse him of being afraid. In the end, on Jose's suggestion, Eddie agrees to call Mr. Stiles to let him know that his truck had been found.

Nervously, Eddie goes back into Cuca's restaurant to use the payphone. During his call, Mr. Stiles expresses his grief about Eddie stealing the truck. For his part, Eddie protests the unfair characterization of him as a thief. Eddie next gives Mr. Stiles instructions on how to get to the truck and then hangs up. When Eddie comes out of the restaurant, he sees Jose bent over near the truck and three teenage boys running away from him.

Eddie runs across the street to find that Jose has been stabbed in the shoulder and near his waist. The next morning, Eddie visits Jose in the hospital.

To whom, do you suppose, is Montresor telling this story?

Our only clue to whom Montresor is speaking is found in the second line of the story, when Montresor says, "You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance to a threat." It would be fair to assume Montresor is making a confession to another person who knows him well, perhaps a priest. The story that Montresor tells, his murder of Fortunato, takes place during Carnival, the...

Our only clue to whom Montresor is speaking is found in the second line of the story, when Montresor says, "You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance to a threat." It would be fair to assume Montresor is making a confession to another person who knows him well, perhaps a priest. The story that Montresor tells, his murder of Fortunato, takes place during Carnival, the night before the first day of Lent. Because he calls his family home a palazzo, it is fair to assume it is in Italy, where Carnival originated. As a result, it is plausible that Montresor is a Catholic confessing to a priest.

Furthermore, the story's final words, "In pace requiescat!" are Latin for "rest in peace!" Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church. 

It should be noted, though, that Poe was not a Catholic; not much is known about his personal religious faith or lack thereof.

How does Sodapop feel about being a Greaser?

All Greasers take some pride in being Greasers because they all take care of each other. Greasers are proud to belong to their group because they look out for each other. Darry, Soda, and Pony always left the door to their house open, even when they slept, because Darry wanted to provide shelter for boys who might have had nowhere else to go.

Soda accepts that he belongs with the Greasers and does not hesitate...

All Greasers take some pride in being Greasers because they all take care of each other. Greasers are proud to belong to their group because they look out for each other. Darry, Soda, and Pony always left the door to their house open, even when they slept, because Darry wanted to provide shelter for boys who might have had nowhere else to go.

Soda accepts that he belongs with the Greasers and does not hesitate to rush to the aid of another member. He joins in on the rumbles against the Socs and enjoys the companionship of his friends. Soda is not hung up on being a Greaser; instead, he ignores it altogether and embraces his life as an individual and a member of the group.  

It wasn't fair for the Socs to have everything. We were as good as they were; it wasn't our fault we were greasers. I couldn't just take it or leave it, like Two-Bit, or ignore it and love life anyway, like Sodapop, or harden myself beyond caring, like Dally, or actually enjoy it, like Tim Shepard (Ch. 3).

Where does the beast reside in Lord of the Flies? What is Golding suggesting about human beings?

Throughout the novel, the boys fear an imaginary "beast." They have numerous discussions in regards to the identity of the "beast" and where it resides on the island. While the older boys on the island try convincing the littluns that the "beast" doesn't exist, only Simon understands the true identity of the "beast." During an assembly, Ralph, Jack, and Piggy attempt to convince the littluns that the "beast" doesn't exist. When Simon attempts to give...

Throughout the novel, the boys fear an imaginary "beast." They have numerous discussions in regards to the identity of the "beast" and where it resides on the island. While the older boys on the island try convincing the littluns that the "beast" doesn't exist, only Simon understands the true identity of the "beast." During an assembly, Ralph, Jack, and Piggy attempt to convince the littluns that the "beast" doesn't exist. When Simon attempts to give his insight on the matter, he cannot seem to find the words to express his thoughts. Golding writes, "Simon became inarticulate in his effort to express mankind’s essential illness" (126). Through Simon's interpretation, Golding suggests the "beast" is actually mankind's inherent evil. Golding believed all humans are inherently wicked and the only thing that prevents individuals from acting on their primitive instincts is structured society. In his novel, the boys gradually descend into savagery because there are no rules and regulations to prevent them from harming one another. According to William Golding, the “beast” essentially resides in a person’s soul.

What are ten things that symbolize Mildred in Fahrenheit 451?

Mildred represents the kind of typical member of society that the government wants. She can read, but doesn't understand difficult or profound texts, and she is a true hedonist. The government wants everyone to be so caught up in entertaining themselves that they are distracted from the real, difficult questions in life. There are several things Mildred has or does that symbolize the society's hedonist lifestyle. Here is a quick list:

1. Sleeping pills to avoid life: Montag stumbles onto an empty bottle of his wife's sleeping pills one night after work and remembers that it was full when he had left. Since Mildred represents the typical member of this society, it can be assumed that everyone has sleeping pills.

2. The stomach-pumping machine: It is used to revive her after she takes a whole bottle of pills. Machine operators come to pump people's stomachs rather than doctors because, as the operator tells Montag, "We get these cases nine or ten a night. Got so many, starting a few years ago, we had the special machines built. . . . You don't need an M.D." (15).

3. Her bed: Mildred is always in bed when Montag comes home from work. Her life revolves around her parlor shows, the kitchen, and her bed. She does not have a job.

4. The Parlor Walls: These are TVs that play shows that are not unlike soap operas. No one ever really knows what the plot of the show is, but it continues every day. The trend is to get a TV wall for each of the four walls in a parlor. This way, the person can be completely surrounded by the shows and block out real life.

5. The Script: Mildred has a script for the TV show that she watches. The technology is programmed to include the audience in the show so they feel as if they are a part of it. This sucks audiences even deeper into life-like distraction.

6. The Seashells: These are "thimble radios tamped tight" in her ears that send music, ocean sounds, or anything else that is transmitted by radio frequency (12). Mildred uses these as yet another distraction from life.

7. Her Beetle: This is the car in which she drives so fast she can accelerate her cares away. She takes her aggression and frustration out on the road. Sometimes people get killed because drivers only care about how fast they are driving, not about anyone else. Mildred says, "Sometimes I drive all night and come back and you don't know it. It's fun out in the country. You hit rabbits, sometimes you hit dogs" (64).

8.  Two-thousand dollars: This is the cost of a TV wall for the parlor. Mildred wants a fourth TV to complete her set, but Montag just got her the third one recently and they each cost the same as one third of his yearly pay.

9. The phone: Mildred uses it to call the authorities to report that her husband has books. This is what everyone in the community does in order to keep books out of their society. 

10. The atomic bomb: Mildred is blown to bits with the rest of the city when the bomb hits. It's as if she was already headed for destruction by the way she was living.

Who was talking to the old man?

The narrator of this brief story does not identify himself, but there are indications that he is one of the many foreigners who volunteered to help the Republican (Loyalist) cause during the Spanish Civil War, which broke out in 1937 and ended with the victory of the Fascist forces led by General Francisco Franco, aided and abetted by fascist Germany and fascist Italy in what is generally considered a prelude or rehearsal for World War II. Ernest Hemingway dramatized the Spanish Civil War in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). In that excellent novel the hero Robert Jordan is an American schoolteacher who is fighting alongside Loyalist Spanish guerillas, and it would seem that the narrator of "Old Man at the Bridge" is someone like Robert Jordan. The narrator tells us:

It was my business to cross the bridge, explore the bridgehead beyond and find out to what point the enemy had advanced. I did this and returned over the bridge. There were not so many cars now and very few people on foot, but the old man was still there.

Although the dialogue is in English, the reader is to understand that the two men are really speaking Spanish. The old peasant certainly would not know English. The narrator's Spanish/English is somewhat constrained because he does not know the language well. We can tell this because he speaks to the old man in short sentences using a limited vocabulary, although his explication to the reader is in proper English, as in the long sentence:

It was my business to cross the bridge, explore the bridgehead beyond and find out to what point the enemy had advanced.

He would not have tried to say this to the old man in Spanish/English because he wouldn't have known how to say it in Spanish, and the old man would never have understood anyway. An example of the narrator's stilted Spanish is the following:

"What politics have you?"

This is the way the question would be translated from Spanish into English if it were a literal translation. Hemingway does this sort of thing with dialogue all the way through For Whom the Bell Tolls, and he also does it in his long story "The Old Man and the Sea" (1952). He does it very well. The reader is made to feel that he is hearing people speaking in Spanish when the dialogue is actually in English.

So the best answer is that the narrator is an American volunteer working for the Loyalist cause and trying to carry on a conversation with a aged native Spanish speaker while his attention is mainly focused on the area on the other side of the bridge, where he expects to see the Fascist army appear momentarily. The narrator has obviously been in Spain for some time and has seen fighting, air raids, artillery shelling, fleeing civilians, countless corpses, and other grim aspects of the Spanish Civil War.

I was watching the bridge and the African looking country of the Ebro Delta and wondering how long now it would be before we would see the enemy, and listening all the while for the first noises that would signal that ever mysterious event called contact, and the old man still sat there.

Why did the weavers like Silas Marner develop eccentric habits in the novel Silas Marner?

Before the Industrial Revolution, being a weaver was a solitary and isolated occupation. Furthermore, without human contact, people often develop odd ways to compensate for their loss of socialization.

In the time of the setting of Eliot's novel, also, people were anything but peripatetic; instead, they stayed close to where their parents lived.

To the peasants of old times, the world outside their own direct experience was a region of vagueness and mystery. . . a...

Before the Industrial Revolution, being a weaver was a solitary and isolated occupation. Furthermore, without human contact, people often develop odd ways to compensate for their loss of socialization.

In the time of the setting of Eliot's novel, also, people were anything but peripatetic; instead, they stayed close to where their parents lived.

To the peasants of old times, the world outside their own direct experience was a region of vagueness and mystery. . . a settler, if he came from distant parts, hardly ever ceased to be viewed with a remnant of distrust (Chapter 1).

Weavers were sometimes not considered members of the community. At any rate, they often lived outside a village and among superstitious people, and the "questionable sound of the loom" held a "half-fearful fascination" for boys of the village, who would peep into the window of the weaver and taunt him (Chapter 1).

Because of the repetitious nature of this indoor occupation, the weaver seemed odd compared to those who lived an agrarian life. His life reduced itself to "the mere function of weaving" (Chapter 1), and he appeared pale and strange in comparison to the men who worked outdoors.

Knowing, then, that they were viewed with some suspicion, weavers may have tended to become more introverted, talking little to those to whom they made deliveries of their linen and being mistrustful of other people.

Why is it important that Williams doesn't die in The Hunt For Red October?

For most readers, keeping Williams alive is important because he is one of the "good guys."  Williams and Ramius are both shot by Loginov, who is trying to destroy the Red October.  We want Williams to survive for the simple reason that we see no reason for him to die.  Williams is also important to the plot, and he needs to stay alive in order to help Jack Ryan and Ramius fake the destruction of...

For most readers, keeping Williams alive is important because he is one of the "good guys."  Williams and Ramius are both shot by Loginov, who is trying to destroy the Red October.  We want Williams to survive for the simple reason that we see no reason for him to die.  Williams is also important to the plot, and he needs to stay alive in order to help Jack Ryan and Ramius fake the destruction of the Red October, so that the United States can secretly bring it back to study. The reason that Williams is so important to Jack's mission is the fact that Jack Ryan doesn't speak Russian.  Williams does, and many of the crew and officers of the Red October do not speak any English.  Williams needs to stay alive so that Ryan has a way of communicating his needs with various crew members.  Williams is also a security blanket for Ryan.  Since Williams understands Russian, the Russian crew isn't able to say anything subversive that goes against what Ryan wants to happen. 

"Excuse me, Commander," Kamarov said. "Do you speak Russian?"

"Sorry, Lieutenant Williams here does, but I do not. A group of Russian-speaking officers was supposed to be here in my place, but their helicopter crashed at sea last night." Williams translated this. Four of the officers had no knowledge of English.  

Where in "Killings" can I find multiple pieces of textual evidence to make the argument that Matt is going to regret his decision to kill Strout?

Although it is clear in “Killings” that Matt and his friend Willis have devised an elaborate plan to kill Strout, Dubus includes subtle clues that clearly indicate Matt’s reluctance to go through with it. The strongest of these clues can be found at the point in the story where Matt is waiting for Strout to get out of work on the night they plan to kill him: if Strout comes out alone, the plan will...

Although it is clear in “Killings” that Matt and his friend Willis have devised an elaborate plan to kill Strout, Dubus includes subtle clues that clearly indicate Matt’s reluctance to go through with it. The strongest of these clues can be found at the point in the story where Matt is waiting for Strout to get out of work on the night they plan to kill him: if Strout comes out alone, the plan will go forward; however, if Strout leaves the bar with friends, the plan will be aborted. Apparently, Matt hopes for the latter, and has been thinking along these lines for the past week (para. 79). However, when Strout leaves the bar alone, the plan goes into action; now that the wheels have been set in motion, there is no turning back.

At Strout’s house, Matt silently takes in the trappings of Strout’s life, noting the “presence” of Strout’s unnamed girlfriend, who has been alluded to several times in the story. Although Dubus tells us nothing about the girl other than the fact that she is Strout’s girlfriend, Matt seems to fixate on this. When he arrives home after the killing to tell Ruth that it is done, he brings up the girlfriend again as he relives the details of the night. It is clear that Matt will continue to wonder about this mysterious woman who will never know what has happened to her boyfriend. It is also clear that Matt will never forget the details of the two hours spent on the killing: the lies told to Strout, the dropping of the suitcase, the sudden darting movement, the explosion of the two gunshots (para. 166).

Why is the Magna Carta important?

Although it was written just over 800 years ago, Magna Carta remains important today largely because it was the first statement of the idea of limited government in the modern world. 

Before Magna Carta (and, in many places, for a long time afterwards) governments were above the law.  Governments were controlled by monarchs who had absolute power.  There were no laws that monarchs had to obey.  A monarch and his or her government had no...

Although it was written just over 800 years ago, Magna Carta remains important today largely because it was the first statement of the idea of limited government in the modern world. 

Before Magna Carta (and, in many places, for a long time afterwards) governments were above the law.  Governments were controlled by monarchs who had absolute power.  There were no laws that monarchs had to obey.  A monarch and his or her government had no limits.  They could do anything that they wanted to do and there was nothing that could stop them. 

Magna Carta was, in a sense, the beginning of the end of this idea.  Among other things, Magna Carta set out a number of rules that the king of England agreed to obey.  Most famously, it established that no “free man” (though this was a small group at the time) could be punished for any crime unless they had been tried and convicted by a jury of their peers. 

Even after Magna Carta, monarchs had much more power than we would let our governments have today.  However, Magna Carta started the trend toward limited government.  It set out the idea that even the government has to obey laws.  This is a very powerful idea, one that has shaped the world in which we live today.

What signs did John receive to guide his journey to the east in "By the Waters of Babylon"?

In Stephen Vincent Benét's "By the Waters of Babylon," John (the protagonist) is going on a journey of discovery. This is the final step of his initiation as a priest for his tribe. When John feels he "is a man at last," he tells his father, who is also a priest, that he is ready to go on his journey. John's father worries about his son's very strong dreams about the Place of the Gods,...

In Stephen Vincent Benét's "By the Waters of Babylon," John (the protagonist) is going on a journey of discovery. This is the final step of his initiation as a priest for his tribe. When John feels he "is a man at last," he tells his father, who is also a priest, that he is ready to go on his journey. John's father worries about his son's very strong dreams about the Place of the Gods, in which John sees the gods walking. John's father cautions him that these dreams may "eat you up." For this reason, it really should not surprise readers that John ultimately feels he should go to the Place of the Gods for his journey, even if it is forbidden.

Once John begins his journey, he fasts and waits for a sign about where he ought to go. To end his fast, John manages to kill a panther by shooting an arrow through its eye. He also sees an eagle flying east. John reasons that if animals are traveling east, he can, too, even if it breaks his tribe's traditions.

What are the symbolic connections between the ibis and Doodle?

In "The Scarlet Ibis," there are a number of symbolic connections between the ibis and Doodle. Firstly, in the opening lines of the story, Brother remembers seeing an ibis come to a tree, and it is that memory which triggers the memory of Doodle. For Brother, the arrival of this bird is linked to the arrival of his little brother.

Secondly, the ibis is an unusual, tropical bird which stands out from others, and Doodle...

In "The Scarlet Ibis," there are a number of symbolic connections between the ibis and Doodle. Firstly, in the opening lines of the story, Brother remembers seeing an ibis come to a tree, and it is that memory which triggers the memory of Doodle. For Brother, the arrival of this bird is linked to the arrival of his little brother.

Secondly, the ibis is an unusual, tropical bird which stands out from others, and Doodle has a similar quality. His physical weakness and fragility, for example, make him different from other boys. Note, at the end of the story, how Brother refers to Doodle as my "fallen scarlet ibis." Through this phrase, Brother is alluding to this unique quality about his brother and his strong desire to protect him, just as you would protect a special, endangered bird.

Finally, toward the end of the story, the scarlet ibis dies and Brother insists on burying the bird. The death of the ibis not only foreshadows Doodle's death, it makes an important point about beauty. Namely, we cannot always protect the beautiful and the fragile. This idea applies directly to Doodle; Brother, no matter how hard he tries, cannot save him from death.