Where does transcription take place?

The genetic code is located in the nucleus of a cell in material known as chromatin. This material condenses to form chromosomes which are made of DNA. 

DNA contains the organism's genome and must be faithfully copied in order for cells to be able to produce proteins at organelles known as ribosomes in the cytoplasm.  DNA does NOT leave the nucleus of the cell. 

In a process known as transcription, which occurs in the cell's nucleus, another nucleic acid known as messenger RNA or mRNA can copy the DNA blueprint. It can make a  strand complementary to either side of the DNA double helix.  Once transcription is completed, the messenger RNA transcript can be taken to a ribosome where translation resulting in protein synthesis occurs.

When mRNA transcribes DNA, it follows the rules of base pairing that apply to DNA with one exception- messenger RNA lacks the base thymine and so the base uracil is substituted. The rules are --if DNA has the base adenine (A), the mRNA complement would be uracil (U). If DNA has the base thymine ( T), mRNA has the complement adenine ( A). If the DNA has the base cytosine (C), the mRNA complement is guanine ( G) and finally, if the DNA has the base guanine (G), the mRNA has the complement cytosine (C).

If the DNA code reads--                         TAC GGA then the mRNA would form the complementary strand which reads:   AUG CCU 

I have placed the mRNA transcript below the DNA blueprint to see how the rules of base --pairing apply in transcription. 

To conclude, transcription is when the DNA genetic code is copied into messenger RNA. This process occurs in the cell's nucleus.

What is this book about?

The Red Scarf Girl is author Ji-li Jiang's memoir of her experiences during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The Cultural Revolution was a socio-political movement which took place from 1966 to 1976. Communist leader Mao Zedong wanted to destroy the Four Olds (old customs, culture, habits, and ideas) and create a new, purely communist China. The Red Guard was made up of young people who supported this cultural shift and served as a paramilitary alliance for Chairman Mao. They were a revolutionary youth group and sought to destroy manifestations of the Four Olds. Their actions included burning old books, destroying temples and religious sites, and ransacking museums. They also physically attacked people suspected of capitalist sentiments. 

The book begins around the same time that the Cultural Revolution has begun, and many young people are feeling the excitement and opportunity of being chosen to serve their leader. Ji-li wants to audition for the Central Liberation Army Arts Academy and is even nominated to join the Red Guard, but her family has a political history which presents challenges. Because her grandfather is a landlord, and her father has been called a Rightist, her family is criticized as part of the Four Olds. Their home is raided for evidence of the Four Olds and a bourgoisie lifestyle. Ji-li feels shame among her peers because of her family's "black" political history. Eventually Ji-li is sent to work in fields, and is urged to criticize her father for being a Rightist. Instead, she allies with her father and takes care of him rather than betray him. This book reveals the intense personal struggles young people experienced at the time of the Cultural Revolution and that many were torn between familial ties and the prospect of honor in serving a New China.

In the title of the poem 'Do not go gentle into that good night', is 'gentle' an adjective referring to the poet's father or an adverb referring...

Your second suggestion is correct; the word "gentle" is used here as an adverb. Thought normally one would use the word "gently," Thomas is using the word in a poetic context. But it begs the question, why did he use the word "gentle" and not "gently" as one would expect? I have loved this poem for a long time and always appreciated the use of the word "gentle" and was never bothered by its problematic grammar, if indeed there is even a problem!

But I did some research online and found a fascinating discussion where someone asks if this indeed grammatically correct. The response is intelligent and thorough and also offers information about the poem. In part, the responder says:

"At first glance, Thomas could have chosen to phrase his exhortation “Do not go gently into that good night,” and it would apparently have meant much the same as “Do not go gentle into that good night”. 

However, the situation that gave rise to the poem indicates to me that Thomas preferred ‘gentle’ to ‘gently’ because he wanted to underscore his desire for his father’s lack of gentleness to be an existential state in the face of approaching death – perhaps with the underlying hope that by fighting against oncoming death, his father might actually prolong his life; his father was not actually on his deathbed at the time the poem was composed. 

‘Gentle’ as it is used here is therefore a synonym for ‘meek’ or ‘submissive’."

I like this very much: the clarification that "gentle" is a synonym for "meek" or "submissive" as it emphasizes Thomas' wishes for his father to prepare himself for death, and to not give into it (or the pain or indignity that might come with it), and to fight to stay alive. It is often said that one's emotional and psychological state have a great deal to do with one's ability to stay heathy. Of course, there are exceptions, as when severe illness or accidents cause a sudden death. But Thomas is here contemplating not just his father's attitude towards aging and death, but very likely his own. He is recommending approaching death with the same passion and optimism with which one approaches life.

What is incongruous about Mr. Martin's boasts to Mrs. Barrows?

The whole plot of "The Catbird Seat" hinges on the incongruity between Mr. Martin's character and his boasts to Mrs. Barrows when he comes to her apartment. He is in reality a very conservative, quiet, thoughtful, studious, mild-mannered man whose job as head of a filing department seems suitable to his inhibited personality. Ulgine Barrows is astonished by his behavior. He asks for a Scotch-and-soda and lights a cigarette.

"Well," she said, handing him his drink, "this is perfectly marvelous. You with a drink and a cigarette."

Mr. Martin had come there with the intention of murdering the woman, but he realizes the incongruity himself and decides to exaggerate it. 

"Here's nuts to that old windbag, Fitweiler," he said, and gulped again.

He tells her he takes heroin and that he will be "coked to the gills" when he bumps the old buzzard off. Ironically, bizarre behavior brings out the conservative side of Ulgine Barrows' character. She is amazed, indignant, defensive of their employer. She soon asks Martin to leave.

"Not a word about this," he said, and laid an index finger against his lips.

As expected, Mrs. Barrows comes charging into the office the next morning and has a long talk with Mr. Fitweiler. She doesn't realize that she has been tricked by Mr. Martin's performance and that he is in the catbird seat. Mrs. Barrows only reinforces Mr. Fitweiler's impression that she has lost her mind when she becomes hysterical. She brings about her own downfall when she glares at her employer and asks: 

"Can't you see how he has tricked us, you old fool? Can't you see his little game?"

How does Hazel and Augustus's relationship differ from that of other teens? How is it the same?

Hazel and Augustus's relationship differs from that of other teens because of their cancer and consequent life experiences. Both continue to face terminal illness so they have grown up quickly. They have tackled serious questions about mortality and the meaning of life in ways most teens never need to. They also have learned to make every moment special because they don't have that many of them compared to other teens.

But like other teens, they each begin by wondering if the other is truly attracted. The question of "Does he/she like me?" is as true for them as it is for any teen couple. They also share a quirky sense of humor.

Like other teens, they physically desire each other. But they must overcome physical restraints unique to their situation: Hazel's necessary oxygen tank and Augustus's amputated leg. But their ability to work through these difficulties shows their deep commitment and love for each other.

What is the probability of 45 children in a class having their birthday on the same day of the week?

Probability is the measure of the likelihood that an event occurs. The problem requires you to determine what the probability is of 45 children being born on the same day of the week.

There are 7 days in a week. In a regular year there are 365 days which is equivalent to 52 whole weeks and one odd day. In a leap year there are 52 complete weeks and 2 odd days. The problem does not provide any information on whether the children are born in the same year, or if that is the case, which year they were born in. As a result, to determine the required probability we need to assume that each day of the year has an equal chance of being one of the seven days of the week, though this is not the case in reality.

Having assumed that each day has a probability of being a particular day of the week of 1/7, the probability of each of the 45 students having their birthdays on any particular day of the week is (1/7)^45. But as there are 7 days in a week, the probability that the children have their birthdays on the same day of the week is 7*(1/7)^45 = 1/7^44.

The required probability that 45 children have their birthdays on the same day of the week is approximately 1/7^44.

I'm writing a research paper in history which is meant to be between 3000 and 4000 words. So I'm going to need a topic that I can not only sustain...

I have a few ideas for you that might help you narrow your topic to a suitable range and inquiry. As I can see you realize, both of your topics are enormous and virtually unmanageable without narrowing your focus.

The first idea that came to mind was an inquiry into why it took so very long for the United States to enter World War II. As I'm sure you know, we did not enter the war until we were attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor at the end of 1941. You might want to ask what took us so long.  What were the politics that kept us out of the war?  And I assure you, there were politics.  So that is one inquiry.

Another that struck me is an inquiry into how the "peace" after World War I created the circumstances that led to World War II.  There are many reputable and credible historians who maintain that this is the case, and your research on this issue, I promise you, would be very interesting.  You may or may not think this is the case, but you can support your opinion with good research. 

As for the Cold War, a similar idea occurred to me, which is to wonder how the peace of World War II led to the Cold War. I think you will be able to find relationships between the two in your research, and this, too, is an interesting question.

Finally, the relationship of Russia with the rest of the world is likely the consequence of the Cold War.  Its paranoia, its defensiveness, its very government might all be the results of its Cold War with the United States and other nations.  This is a question you can answer through good research.

You will notice that these ideas focus on some relationship from one period or event to the next.  In my opinion, this is the strength of history, allowing us to see these relationships and learn from them. Nothing in history happens in a vacuum, and if you can tease out these relationships, you will be well on your way to doing history as it is meant to be done.  

Can someone explain "The Lumber Room" by Saki???

Nicholas has a plan.  He cannot have the rest of the family around when he initiates this plan. So, the rest of the family is taking a trip to the sands at Jagboroug.  Nick is not invited.  In fact, the trip is meant to be a punishment for Nicholas.   Everyone else is sent with the idea of having fun, but Nicholas has to stay home.  Nicholas plans it this way.  He creates an altercation with his caretakers.   He tells them that his bread-and-milk has a frog in it.   

“Older, wiser, and better people had told him there could not possibly be a frog in his bread-and-milk and that he was not to talk nonsense…” (pg. 1)

He continues his complaint.  There is, in fact, a frog in his bread-and-milk because he put it there himself.  So, for a punishment, his cousin’s aunt has arranged for his younger brother and his two cousins to take a trip to Jagborough.  Nick is to be left behind.

They expect a few tears from Nick, but he seems content as they drive off. In fact, he has planned this.  His so-called aunt, because we, the reader, do not really know his relationship to this woman, tries to make him feel bad, telling him that the other kids will have a wonderful time running and playing on the sand.  But Nick tells her that the kids will not have a good time, and Bobby will definitely not run because his boots are too small and hurt him. The “aunt” asks him why she hasn’t been told about the boots.

“He told you twice, but you weren’t listening.  You often don’t listen when we tell you important things.” (pg 2)

With that comment, the aunt increases the punishment and tells Nicholas that he cannot go into the gooseberry garden. Nicholas expected this.  He puts on a face that assures the aunt that he has every intention of going into the gooseberry garden that morning.  So, she stations herself in the garden within watchful range of the two possible doors.  Nicholas makes two sorry attempts to get into the garden, but he can never avoid the watchful eyes of his aunt.  However, he has now confined her to a single area, and he can move on.

“… he had no intention of trying to get into the gooseberry garden, but it was extremely convenient for him that his aunt should believe that he had:….” (pg 3)

While his aunt is busy policing the garden, he initiates his plan to get into the lumber-room.  It is a place the children are not allowed.

“Often and often Nicholas had pictured to himself what the lumber-room  might be like, that region that was so carefully sealed from youthful eyes and concerning which no questions were ever answered.”(pg 4)

He has done some research. He knows where the key is, and although he has not had much practice using keys, he has been able to practice on the school room door.  Inside he finds a “storehouse of unimagined treasures.” (pg 4). There is a framed tapestry that especially fascinates Nicholas.  It is a picture of a man hunting a deer, but there are four wolves closing in on his kill.  The man only has two arrows left.  Nicholas is fascinated with the scene.  There are other items also: candlesticks in the shape of snakes, a teapot shaped as a duck, a carved group of brass figures, and a book of colorful birds.  While he is admiring these items, he hears his aunt’s voice calling him.

He comes out into the front yard.  In the process of looking for Nicholas in the gooseberry garden, the aunt has slipped into the rainwater tank.  She can’t get out because the sides are too slippery, and she needs Nicholas to get her a ladder from the gooseberry garden.  Nicholas knows he can now tease his "aunt". He responds that he isn’t allowed in the gooseberry garden so he cannot get the ladder for her.  She tells him it is Ok, but he, teasingly, says that she doesn't  sound like his aunt. 

 “You may be the Evil One tempting me to be disobedient.  Aunt often tells me that the Evil One tempts me and that I always yield.  This time I’m not going to yield.” (pg 6)

She finally promises him strawberry jam with his tea if he gets the ladder.  Nicholas cannot resist the temptation to tease her even more. He responds that he now knows she is the Evil One because his aunt told him that there wasn’t any strawberry jam. He looked in the pantry and saw that there were four jars of strawberry jam.  Now if his aunt didn’t know they were there, then the person he is talking to had to be the Evil One.

“Oh Devil, you have sold yourself!” (pg 6)

He never does get her out of the rainwater tank.  He walks noisily away and the kitchen maid has to rescue her.  Tea that afternoon is very silent.  The other children have returned from their Jagborough adventure and have had a terrible time.  The tide was at its highest, so there was no sand, and Bobby was in a terrible mood because his feet hurt.  Nicholas is silent because he is deep in thought.  He thought that maybe the hunter and his dogs did escape the wolves by letting the wolves feast on the deer.

My copy of the story comes from the internet, so my pages may not coincide with your copy.  However, the pages are sequential and you should be able to find the quotes.

Why had Charles sneaked their cow down the mountain to the Stevens' place?

Lyddie and Charles run the farm in their father's absence. Their mother's mental health is precarious, and she is not much help around the farm. Lyddie and Charlie take it upon themselves to breed the cow each year as their father had done when he still lived with them. For breeding, they make use of their neighbor Mr. Stevens' bull. Because of some odd ideas their mother has, she has told them not to associate with the Stevenses. The Stevenses are Quakers, and their mother's religious prejudices cause her to think that they are "heathens" and that to associate with them would be to "have truck with the devil." In addition, the Stevenses are abolitionists, and Lyddie's mother doesn't approve of them for that reason as well. So Lyddie and Charlie don't let their mother know that they are breeding their cow with the Stevenses' bull. Selling the calves each year is one of the few sources of income the family has, and the children know, even if their mother doesn't, that the family would not be able to survive without the cash they earn from selling the calves.

According to Marxist ideology, exactly how do transgender individuals resist capitalism or consumerism in today's world?

We can certainly suppose that, if Marx were alive today, he might have advice for such resistance. This seems entirely logical considering how capitalism has even firmer roots and dominion than it did in his time. 

Marx thought that economics was the driving force of history and ideology. So, it stands to reason that resisting certain economic trends and practices is a way of practicing social rebellion. 

Marx thought that capitalism would decline by itself. But, let's consider how to affect social changes within capitalism with a teleology of moving towards including socialist practices. In terms of facilitating change and resistance within the existing system, I think he would suggest that it would be useful to challenge heteronormativity and traditional notions of gender and relationships at the political, economic, and information levels. So, one way would be for a transgender person to get elected and thereby, be in a position to enact laws which, for example, prohibit businesses from discriminating (i. e., not hiring or paying less) against the transgender community. This would be a political and economic strategy. It would be well to enact laws which make pay equal regardless of gender. Again, this is an economic tool that could affect an ideological change in culture. 

It would also be useful for the transgender community to create awareness. This includes but goes beyond demonstrations and protests. Achieving positions in education is a useful way to express and teach progressive views, empathy, and love. Thus, subsequent generations would have exposure to these issues and would be sensitive to them. It would also be useful to utilize social media in boycotting businesses which denigrate or criticize transgender people. It stands to reason that Marx would find social media an extremely useful tool in providing information and in forming an online "class" of people who can support and share progressive ideas. In this age, social media is a great way to expose corrupt business practices but also to humanize marginalized groups. In addition to challenging or boycotting intolerant CEOs and the ignorant powers that be, it is as important to portray transgender people in more common ways, thus erasing the "abnormal" notion of this marginalized community. Consider a commercial during the Superbowl which features a homosexual couple or a transgender group, rather than the traditional nuclear family. 

Pursuing transgender rights does not necessarily need a socialist revolution, but it is a social movement. And, achieving these rights could be helped by having more influence in the world relating to economics: advertisements, entertainment, the university, and business practices. 

What are the two customer reactions when Marguerite weighs their goods on he scale?

In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Marguerite assists customers who buy goods at her grandmother's general store. The store is the hub of her family life in Stamps, and she describes it as her "favorite place to be." She discovers a "simple kind of adventure" in accurately measuring ladles of "flour, mash, meal, sugar or corn" prior to weighing them on the scale for customers.

This process turns into a sort of game or test for Marguerite. Depending on what the scale reads, she receives two types of responses. When she's precise with her estimations, the customers compliment her by saying:

"Sister Henderson sure got some smart grandchildrens."

When the scale shows that her measurements are short, the customers chide her:

"Put some more in that sack, child. Don't you try to make your profit offa me."

If Marguerite is off in her judgment, she imposes penalties upon herself by restricting access to her favorite treats, namely Hershey's Kisses and canned pineapple rings.

What is the relation between the theme and the characters in the story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"?

In this Irving story, the relationship between characters and themes is that the characters are very representative of the themes themselves.  

Two themes present within "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" are greed and gluttony.  The best character to illustrate those two themes is Ichabod Crane.  The guy is greedy to a fault.  He's a poor school teacher, so he doesn't have a lot of money.  That might be one reason why he is envious, but I have the feeling that Crane would be greedier even if he was the richest guy in town. Ichabod wants everything.  He wants food.  He wants money.  He wants the girl, and the only reason he wants her is because she's rich.  He's a very self-centered guy, which is surprising considering his profession.  As for gluttony, yes, Crane is a glutton.  He eats everything in sight and even fantasizes about eating.  For example, here is what he is thinking about when walking through a forest.   

"of dainty slapjacks, well buttered, and garnished with honey or treacle, by the delicate little dimpled hand of Katrina Van Tassel"

Wealth is another theme present in the story.  You could choose Crane to illustrate the antithesis of wealth and Baltus as the prime example of a character illustrating wealth.  Crane is skinny and poor.  Baltus is fat and rich. 

One last theme.  The power of the supernatural.  Use the Headless Horseman for this one.  

How effective was the policing of the Trafalgar Square riots

The Trafalgar Square riots took place on November 13, 1887, as London's poor, centered in the East End, joined forces with middle class socialists in an event later referred to as "Bloody Sunday." The riots were in part a protest against poverty and the abrogation of civil rights under British rule in Ireland. In addition, an economic disturbance called the Long Depression had affected Britain since 1873, creating unemployment in rural areas. As a result, people flocked to London, and conditions in the city were overcrowded. The working class in London faced high unemployment, and they began to protest in the mid-1870s in Trafalgar Square because it was seen as the meeting place of the poor people in the East End and the wealthier residents of the West End. 

On November 13, 1887, approximately 10,000 people began to protest in Trafalgar Square at a meeting organized by the Social Democratic Federation (SDF), surrounded by even greater numbers of spectators. About 2,000 policemen and 400 troops, including both cavalry and infantry, were involved in attacking the protestors, many of whom were injured by horses and by police truncheons and cutlasses. The reaction of the police only brought about further demonstrations. At a later protest held on November 20, a bystander named Alfred Linnell was killed by a horse. As a result, there was general outrage against the tactics the police used in quelling the riots. At Linnell's funeral on December 18, the leader of the Socialist League, William Morris, gave a speech denouncing the police and supporting protests.

In Pride and Prejudice, chapter 17, how does Elizabeth's conversation with Mr.Collins about the Netherfield ball backfire?

Everyone in the Bennett household was filled with excitement and anticipation about the upcoming ball at Netherfield held by Mr. Bingley.  Elizabeth was looking forward to the occasion, and had plans to dance with Mr. Wickham.  In fact, Elizabeth's excitement caused her "spirits [to be] so high on the occasion that, though she did not often speak unnecessarily to Mr. Collins, she could not help asking him whether he intended to accept Mr. Bingley's invitation."  She asked him if it would be proper for him to attend such a festive event as a clergyman.  Mr. Collins insisted that there would be no problem at all with him attending the ball.  In fact, he intended to dance with all of the Bennett sisters at the party.  He requested that Elizabeth save "the first two dances" for him.  It was then that Elizabeth realized that her cousin's sights were set on her.  He favored her as a possible wife over all her other sisters.  She regretted having asked him the question. 

In Romeo and Juliet, how does Shakespeare present characters who are in love?

Perhaps the most well-known love story in history, Romeo and Juliet derives its classic struts from themes that resonate with audiences across time, distance, and culture: much as the love between the title characters transcends the many obstacles they face. Shakespeare's use of language in this play to convey emotion is heightened by the urgency and time span of the lovers' relationship; they fall in love instantly, and are forced to separate because of a feud between their families. This urgency and forbidden quality is seen throughout their dialogue, even when they are talking of other things. 

For example, Romeo scales the orchard walls to observe Juliet on her bedroom balcony, and he compares her to the sun, urging it to rise quicker than nature allows when he says: "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, that is already sick and pale with grief. Her vestal livery is but sick and green: cast it off!"

Juliet overhears Romeo and says "My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of they tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound." Again, the emphasis upon urgency and the fast passing of time is emphasized here. 

Shakespeare also uses symbolism related to the cosmos to express the timeless nature of their love, and also to underscore the theme of fate that governs them, the famous "star-cross'd lovers" as the narrator calls them. The cosmological symbols of stars, the sun and the moon are used throughout the play. In the scene described above, there is further reference to the moon when Romeo swears a promise to Juliet by the moon, and she responds: "Swear not by the moon, th'inconstant moon, that monthly changes in her circled orb, lest that thy love prove likewise variable." Here we also see a reference to Romeo's fickle nature, as he had just left a relationship with Rosalind the day before. 

Romeo refers to Juliet with imagery of the sun and the daytime; but Juliet refer to him with the language of the moon and nightfall. Interestingly, in doing so, they also criticize the opposing celestial body. We see this above when Romeo praises Juliet as the "fair sun," and calls the moon "envious" and "sick." Juliet later refers to Romeo with imagery of the night sky when she is waiting for him to arrive ("take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine, that all the world will be in love with night, and pay no worship to the garish sun." She also says "Come, night. Come, Romeo. Come, thou day in night." ) This is a clever and complex use of language that suggests they are are two separate beings who, when merged together, make a "whole." Also, the oppositional challenges of their love are no match for the strong attraction they feel (and perhaps the source of the idea that "opposites attract").

What explanation does Miss Maudie give Scout concerning Boo Radley and why he stays in the house?

Miss Maudie helps to ground the children's unrealistic fantasies regarding Boo Radley in Chapter 5. After Scout asks Miss Maudie if she thinks Boo Radley is still alive, Maudie first answers by correcting Scout that his name is Arthur and that of course he's alive because he hasn't been "carried out" yet (Lee 48).

Maudie then talks with Scout about the real reasons that Boo stays inside. She starts with, "Arthur Radley just stays in the house, that's all... Wouldn't you stay in the house if you didn't want to come out?" (Lee 49). She later explains that Mr. Radley was a "foot-washing Baptist" and that "the Bible in the hand of one man is worse that a whiskey bottle in the hand of [a good man like Atticus]" (Lee 49-50). Maudie suggests that the Radley family's strict definition of sin and their wish to limit Arthur from coming into contact with temptation might factor into why he is shut away.

Finally, Maudie ends on a note of uncertainty. She says, "I remember Arthur Radley when he was a boy. He always spoke nicely to me, no matter what folks said he did... The things that happen to people we never really know. What happens behind closed doors, what secrets--" (Lee 51). As Maudie and Scout shift their conversation back to Atticus, Maudie has shown Scout why the rumors about Boo Radley have grown and persisted. Since people don't know the full story about Arthur, they've made it up. But, the reason Boo stays inside, according to Maudie, likely has to do with his strictly religious parents and his family's private habits about which we can't fully know.

Give two reasons why you dislike a character in the short story,"The Nightingale And The Rose" .

In the short story, “The Nightingale and the Rose”, the most unlikable character is the young girl.  She first teases the young student by telling him that she will dance with him if he brings her a red rose.  He is sad and crying because he cannot find a red rose.  She obviously doesn’t care for the young student because she has set him up for failure. Then, when he does find a red rose, thanks to the ultimate sacrifice of the nightingale, she rejects it because,

                “It will not go with my dress.” (pg 8)

She tells the young student that the Chamberlain’s nephew sent her jewels, and jewels cost far more than flowers.  They cost more?  She is obviously very materialistic.  Finally she reinforces her insult by telling him that his shoes do not have silver buckles like the Chamberlain’s son.  By the end of the story, she has caused the death of the nightingale, who believed so fervently in the true love the young student had for this girl, and she sent the young student back to his books in the belief that love was unpractical.

What did the Florida landscape look like to Paul?

Paul’s opinion of Florida’s landscape changes as he and his mom drive closer to Tangerine. At first, Paul passes “miles and miles of green fields overflowing with tomatoes and onions and watermelons.” The landscape is so lush and beautiful that Paul wants to jump out the car and run through the beautiful fields.

As Paul and his mom get closer to Tangerine County, they see perfectly symmetrical tangerine fields that look like “squares in a million square grid.”

Eventually, once they get extremely close to their new home, the landscape changes to manicured lawns and expensive yet soulless housing developments. The wild beauty of the farmers’ fields yields to perfect but boring suburbs.

This change foreshadows one of the novel’s main themes, the difference between the “old” Florida and the “new” Florida. The old Florida has natural beauty; the new Florida has fancy developments. Paul is part of the new Florida, but desperately wants to connect with the old Florida. He feels more at home in nature than in his brand-new house.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, how has Mayella Ewell lost her innocence?

Mayella Ewell probably lost her innocence at a very young age by having an abusive father like Bob Ewell.  Mayella was only 19 in the novel, but had led a very hard life.  She was the sole caregiver for her six brothers and sisters and had a lot of responsibility forced upon her in her short life.  A mother was not mentioned in the novel, so it was unsure of the circumstances that surround the family and where all the kids came from. It is possible, but never mentioned in the novel, that some of the children could be products of incest. 

When Mayella Ewell lied on the witness stand, she really showed her lack of innocence and her need to just survive.  Fearing her father, she testified that Tom Robinson raped her.  If Mayella had told the truth, the possibility of getting out of her situation might have been possible.  However, Mayella showed signs of abuse and understood what would probably happen to her if she told the truth. Mayella also had to lie because it was such taboo to have relations with a black man. Because of her horrible life, Mayella was desperate for love. She lured Tom Robinson into her house and attempted to kiss him. 

Mayella is a sad, sad character who was a product of poverty and abuse. Mayella definitely had to grow up fast as a child of Bob Ewell’s. The hardships she probably endured throughout her life left her fearful and experienced beyond her age.

Explain 3 reasons why many people felt that America should not be involved in the Vietnam War?

There were many reasons why some people thought that the United States should not be involved in the Vietnam War.  Let us examine three of those reasons:

1. Some Americans thought that the Vietnam War did not concern the US.  It was being fought in a tiny country far from the United States.  Vietnam was not important and so the US should not have fought a war because of that country’s fate.


2. Some Americans thought that communism really was not that much of a threat.  The Vietnam War was fought in hopes of preventing the spread of communism.  Some Americans argued that communism was not such a bad thing that it was worth it to fight a war to stop communism in which tens of thousands of Americans and a million or more Vietnamese would die.


3. Some Americans thought that the US was conducting the war in an immoral way.  They felt that the US military was killing innocent people during its operations.  They felt that it was ruining Vietnam by using things like Agent Orange.  In general, they felt that the US was trying to win the war regardless of the cost to the Vietnamese and they felt that that was wrong.

For all of these reasons and more, some Americans thought the US should not be involved in the Vietnam War.   

Which ghost does Scrooge fear the most and why?

Of all the ghosts who visit Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, it is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come who he fears the most. As we see from the text, Scrooge's legs tremble when he sees the ghost so he can barely stand to follow it.

One of the reasons why Scrooge fears this ghost so much comes from its physical appearance. It looks like the Grim Reaper; it is a hooded figure which does not speak and Scrooge knows that, behind its "dusty shroud," are a pair of "ghostly eyes intently fixed on him." 

Another reason for Scrooge's fear derives from the nature of the images which the ghost shows to him. These are, arguably, the most frightening because they predict such a bleak future for Scrooge, if he does not change. In this grim future, there is nobody to mourn Scrooge's death and all of his possessions are taken by his charwoman and sold in Old Joe's shop. He also visits Bob Cratchit and his family who are consoling themselves after the sad passing of Tiny Tim. Finally, Scrooge visits his own grave and this prompts his desperate plea that the future might yet be saved:

"But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!''

But the ghost makes no answer, and this heightens Scrooge's sense of fear and despair. Scrooge's only option to prevent these travesties is to repent of his past life and make good on all the bad deeds he has thus committed. Scrooge may have feared the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come the most but his visions were not in vain. They, arguably, taught him the most important lessons of all. 

How can romantic attraction be a trap in The Odyssey?

In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus frequently suffers from the trap of romantic attraction. The best example of this is his encounter with the goddess Circe. After Circe uses magic to turn Odysseus' men into swine, he confronts her. When her magic does not work (Hermes gave him an herbal antidote), she attempts to use her beauty to take Odysseus to bed, where she intends to steal his manhood. Under advice from Hermes, Odysseus turns the tables by forcing Circe to swear by the gods she will not take his manhood. However, Odysseus still goes to bed with her, and he quickly forgets his quest to return home. Ultimately, he spends a year at Circe's house before he finally continues on his journey.

Another example you should consider is Calypso's attraction to Odysseus. After Odysseus floats to her island following a shipwreck, the beautiful goddess falls in love with him and refuses to let him leave. Due to her attraction, Odysseus was unable to leave her island for seven years.

What is the effect this quote from To Kill a Mockingbird on the reader? "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his...

Atticus tells Scout that you never really understand someone until you see things from that person’s point of view. This is because Scout has been having a hard time learning empathy. The effect of this conversation is to help the reader understand some of the characters in the book, and add to our understanding of Atticus’s personality.

When Scout goes to school, she has a difficult time. She does not understand her new teacher. The teacher does not try to get to know her students, and punishes Scout on the first day.

Scout first catches the teacher’s attention because she can read and write. Then she gets her ire up by trying to give her advice.

If I could have explained these things to Miss Caroline, I would have saved myself some inconvenience and Miss Caroline subsequent mortification, but it was beyond my ability to explain things as well as Atticus, so I said, “You’re shamin‘ him, Miss Caroline. Walter hasn’t got a quarter at home to bring you, and you can’t use any stovewood.”(Ch. 2)

Miss Caroline whips Scout with a ruler for talking too much.  This and the fact that the teacher told Scout not to read with her father caused her to not want to go to school. This is why Scout got the lecture about thinking about other people’s perspectives.

The fact that Atticus is able to explain to Scout how Miss Caroline feels helps the reader understand that Atticus is an empathetic and compassionate father. Scout is going to need the skill of empathy as well during the difficult period that will be coming with the trial of Tom Robinson. Atticus can understand how people feel, and is well-respected in the community normally. He will be able to handle the heat that comes with the trial, and he is trying to make sure his children can too.

What is one example of verbal irony in Act 2 of Othello?

In Scene 3, Michael Cassio and Roderigo get into a fight and enter the scene where Montano intervenes and tries to stop the two. Michael, who is inebriated, then turns on Montano and starts a fight with him, injuring the governor. Roderigo has in the meantime run away and raised the alarm. Othello arrives at the scene and stops the altercation. He then asks Iago to explain the reason for the brawl. Iago recounts the following:

I do not know: friends all but now, even now,
In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom
Devesting them for bed; and then, but now--
As if some planet had unwitted men--
Swords out, and tilting one at other's breast,
In opposition bloody. I cannot speak
Any beginning to this peevish odds;
And would in action glorious I had lost
Those legs that brought me to a part of it!

Iago assumes a position of innocence and declares that the two men had just recently been on very friendly terms, getting ready for bed as a bride and a groom would do, peacefully. He furthermore states that their moods had undergone a very sudden change as if they had been affected by some planet that had made them act like idiots. They had drawn their swords and were involved in a bloody duel. Iago states that he does not know what could have possibly started the quarrel but that he wished that he had lost the legs that brought him to the scene for there would have been greater honour in not witnessing such a distasteful display.

This extract is thick in verbal irony, for it is Iago who had, with Roderigo, planned the brawl. He had previously told Roderigo that Desdemona was in love with Cassio and would therefore be an obstacle in Roderogo's plans to win her hand. Cassio had to be gotten rid of. He then told Roderigo to offend Cassio in some way and start a quarrel with him. He, Iago, would take care of the rest.

The scheming Iago then coerced Cassio into drinking some wine, even though Cassio had told him that he gets drunk much too easily and had already imbibed. Cassio is then in a drunken state and when he leaves for bed, Roderigo upsets him and they appear at the scene, fighting. The irony lies in the fact that Iago knew exactly why the brawl happened for the reasons mentioned above.

It also ironic that Othello repeatedly refers to Iago's honesty when he is anything but honest and is hell-bent on destroying both Cassio, Othello and Roderigo through his plotting, scheming and manipulation.

What are the awards won by John Keats ?

John Keats, who died tragically young at the age of 26, is now regarded as one of the finest of the Romantic poets. Like other Romantics, he was not famous or even particularly well known in his lifetime; nor did he win any awards. However he did publish a number of works that won the respect and praise of various fellow poets and literary critics. He wrote a total of 150 poems, including sonnets and some longer works such as "Endymion," which was a failure when it first appeared in 1818, but is now thought to be one of his finest works. Nearly all of his writing was published within the three years before his death of tuberculosis. This was a not uncommon disease in the late 19th century in England; and Keats was in frail health in his youth, as well as being poor. He was ordered by his doctor to live temporarily in a warmer, drier climate in an attempt to improve his health (a common treatment for tuberculosis then), but he continued to decline and died in 1821, only a year after some of his most famous works were published.

One of his most famous poems is "To Autumn" the first line of which gave inspiration to the author Neil Gaiman for his Sandman series, one of which is titled Season of Mists. His sonnet "Bright Star" was written for his lover Fanny, and the film Bright Star, directed by Jane Campion, is the story of his brief life, career and the woman he loved.

What is the major conflict and setting of The Lord of the Flies novel by William Golding?

With the setting of an island away from civilization and its influences, the main conflict in Golding's Lord of the Flies is between the main characters and the inherent evil that emerges within their hearts when they are involved in scenes of violence that occur in the absence of societal law and order. 

Ralph

• After being chosen leader, Ralph struggles to have the boys maintain the signal fire and build shelters. But, sometimes the power that Ralph holds stirs some atavistic feelings in Ralph: "The knowledge and the awe made him savage."


• Ralph is ready to fight with Jack over his letting the fire go out.


• When Ralph goes on a hunt with Jack he throws his stick at the boar, striking it on the nose.

"I hit him all right....I wounded him"....[Ralph]felt that hunting was good after all.

• Ralph becomes involved in the beating death of Simon and does nothing to stop it. Afterwards, he does feel guilty and talks with Piggy about it.


• When the hunters come after him, Ralph battles with his attackers


• After battling his attackers, Ralph decides to try to reason with Jack, but on the way he runs across the pig's skull and kicks it, taking the spear on which it was impaled.


• Ralph knows that Jack and the hunters intend to kill him. He lies in the darkness, faced with the horrors of death and evil.

Jack

• Jack is immediately defiant and challenges Ralph's leadership


• He denounces the power of the conch and has no respect for order


• He breaks from Ralph and forms his own tribe


• Jack and the hunters steal the fire and Piggy's glasses


• Jack and the hunters perform brutal rituals, pretending that one boy is the pig, striking the boy


• He and the hunters paint their faces, as they "understood only too well the liberation into savagery that the concealing paint brought."


• He and the hunters perform the hunting ritual with Simon, who is beaten to death


• He and the other hunters search for Ralph, inflicting pain on SamnEric and others


• Jack and the others set fire to the entire island in their desire to kill Ralph.

Piggy

• Piggy decries violence, but is ineffective in fighting it.


• He is victimized as Jack steals his glasses


• He rationalizes when Ralph confronts him with their having witnessed Simon's death.


• Piggy later is brutally killed by Roger.

Simon

• Simon recognizes the evil in men, the "beast," but he is unable to articulate this evil.


• He falls into the mouth of the Lord of the Flies


• He is beaten to death by the hunters, falling victim to violence

Roger

• He initially controls his violent desire to hit Henry with rocks because of his conditioning, but this part of civilization soon wears off


• When the boys climb the mountain to find the beast, Roger goes behind Ralph, rapping a stick upon the rocks, threateningly.


• He exhibits sadism, hurling a boulder upon Piggy, laughing.


• Roger champions anarchy and gets carried away in the hunt for Ralph as the island is almost entirely burned.

Which 3 symbols in the novel Lord of the Flies are best used to enrich the themes of the book?

Conch: The conch symbolizes democracy, order, and civility throughout the novel. During the assemblies, the person holding the conch has the right to speak. This represents the democratic process of granting equal voice to any individual on the island, even a littlun. When someone is holding the conch, they are the only person allowed to talk. If any of the boys attempts to interrupt the person speaking, the conch is held in the air, and everyone becomes silent. As Ralph says, it's the same as "Hands Up" in school. Whenever an assembly is called, the conch is blown. The conch signals the boys to come to the assembly. Piggy and Ralph value the conch which represents their affinity for civilization while Jack dismisses the significance of the conch.

Ralph's Hair: His hair symbolizes savagery and barbarism on the island. The longer Ralph's hair gets, the further he grows apart from civilization. Ralph's hair is a daily reminder that he is on an abandoned island surrounded by boys who are slowly descending into savagery. Ralph is continually pushing his hair back out of his face, which represents his growing angst with the immorality on the island and his departure from civilization.

The Beast: The boys fear the unknown beast throughout the novel. Towards the beginning of the novel, the littlun with a mulberry birthmark comments that he saw a snake like "beastie." The image of a snake alludes to the serpent in the Garden of Eden. As the novel progresses, the boys debate on the existence of the beast and discuss its actual identity. The beast symbolizes the inherent evil individuals possess on the island. Only Simon realizes the true nature of the beast. Golding suggests that humans are inherently evil and without restrictions and regulations, primitive savage nature reigns.

Why is potassium (K) is the most reactive metal of all metals? How can we judge the reactivity of metals?

Potassium is in the most reactive group of elements, the alkali metals, but it's not the most reactive metal within the group.

The alkali metals, Group 1A, are the most reactive metals because they have one valence or outer electron. They lose this electron very easily, forming ions with a charge of +1. Within the alkali metals family, reactivity increases with increasing atomic number. This makes Francium the most reactive, followed by cesium, rubidium, potassium, sodium and lithium. Francium is almost non-existent in nature so cesium is the most reactive metal of those observed.

The reason for the trend of increasing reactivity with increasing atomic number within the alkali metals family has to do with the increasing number of electrons. Each element going down has an additional full electron energy level. Inner electrons repel the outer valence electron, making is less attracted to the nucleus and easier to remove. Francium is the largest atom within the group and has the least attraction between its valence electron and the nucleus so it loses an electron more easily than the other alkali metals. This same strong reactivity because of one valence electron is true of potassium, as well.

In the book Lyddie, how is Lyddie's character trait of being brave affected by the setting?

As the novel opens, the setting is the Worthen farm, located in an isolated part of Vermont. The Worthens live in the country with no close neighbors. This means that wild animals pose a danger to the family. Indeed, a black bear pokes its nose into the Worthen cabin in chapter 1, and this allows Lyddie's bravery to shine. She orders her family up into the loft while she stays below, maintaining direct eye contact with the bear. Her willingness to face danger in this way would not have been possible if the setting was a more urban location. 

Lyddie also displays bravery by refusing to go with her mother to Uncle Judah's to await the end of the world. She insists on staying and keeping the farm going with only her and Charlie to do the work. This means that when Charlie leaves for two weeks to bring his mother and sisters to Uncle Judah's, Lyddie is all by herself and must "tend to the cow and horse and protect the house from the wild critters." Staying alone in a modern suburban setting can be scary for teens; for Lyddie to be in the house all by herself for two weeks when the nearest neighbor's house is not even visible from their home requires bravery. 

After Lyddie leaves home to go to work, the other settings require bravery as well. She has to endure sixteen-hour work days at the tavern serving a mistress who is not very kind and sleeping in a windowless hallway. At the textile mill, she faces loud, potentially dangerous equipment and an unethical overseer. These harsh conditions are thankfully beyond what an average American teen today has to face. Bravery means being willing to face danger or pain, and Lyddie shows she can do that whether at home on her own farm, at the tavern, or at the Concord Corporation. 

Why is Plato (greek philosopher) famous?

Plato was a 4th-century BC Greek philosopher who gained perpetual notoriety for his contributions to the study of ethics and metaphysics. Plato was a student of Socrates--the Father of Western Philosophy--and his Dialogues are the primary resources for the study of Socrates' life and beliefs (Socrates did not write anything himself). 

Plato devoted his work to the study of the "forms," which were transcendent ideals such as Justice, Beauty, Truth, and Goodness. He placed an emphasis on the pursuit of virtue, which believed was the true path to happiness.

Plato founded his famed Academy in Athens circa 380; this center of learning became the model for the medieval and modern university system. Of Plato's many students, Aristotle is by far the most famous and influential. In addition to his own contributions to philosophy, Aristotle tutored Alexander the Great.

Did Adolf Hitler die during the Holocaust?

In a bitter twist of irony, Adolf Hitler died the day after the last concentration camp, Dachau, was liberated by American forces. So Hitler did not die "during the Holocaust." Hitler, was, in fact, the architect of an elaborate scheme to wipe out the population of Jews in Europe. He did this through a system of concentration and death camps. This experience has been called the Holocaust, which is a word of Greek derivation to describe an offering by burning.

Adolf Hitler, with Soviet forces closing in, chose to end his own life rather than to account for the crimes he had committed against humanity. He committed suicide on April 30, 1945. The last concentration camp was liberated on April 29, 1945. Both of the events marked the end of a very dark chapter in the history of the world.

What were the examples of civil disobedience mentioned from the letter Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote while he was in a Birmingham jail?

Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote a letter while he was in a jail in Birmingham. This letter was directed to his fellow clergy. In this letter, Martin Luther King, Jr. talked about the need to protest in order to bring about changes in our society. He indicated that it wasn’t the protesters that were causing tensions in the South; rather, it was the unjust laws that existed. He said the protesters needed to bring the injustices into the open for any changes to occur.

Martin Luther King, Jr. believed in using nonviolent methods of protesting. These included marches, boycotts, and sit-ins. Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted his fellow clergy to know that if they felt his nonviolent methods were extreme, they should look at what some people in the Civil Rights Movement were beginning to advocate. His actions were far less aggressive than the actions being suggested by other groups. Martin Luther King, Jr. was hoping his fellow clergy would support his efforts to end the injustices that existed in the South.

What are some of Buddy's traits in "A Christmas Memory" as in his appearance, actions, private thoughts, and reactions of others?

In Truman Capote’s nostalgic short story “A Christmas Memory” the reader experiences Buddy at three distinct ages. Buddy, who narrates the story is an adult looking back twenty years with longing for a time gone by. He is a man who is demonstrating his emotions for his dear friend, his distant cousin.

For most of the story, the reader is exposed to Buddy, the seven year old boy, who is best friends with a child-like woman in her sixties. Because of his age and her emotional status the two are able to relate to each other and become inseparable friends. Descriptions of Buddy are overshadowed by distinct descriptions of his cousin. Buddy’s traits are implied by his actions. When his cousin gets excited about something, Buddy is caught up in her emotions and proceeds to help her with any adventure that is of importance to her. Upon her request, he pushes the carriage when they pick pecans and choose a Christmas tree. He defers to her, yet when she needs comforting he is kind and attentive to her needs. He lovingly tolerates her quirks.

On Christmas, Buddy does show his dislike for the presents he receives from the other adults in his life but he is pleased with the kite his cousin makes for him even if she gives him the same present every year. This shows another side of his personality.

As the story concludes, the reader meets Buddy in the character of a school aged boy who was sent off to military school. He corresponds with his cousin on a regular basis, and expresses his dismay that although he lives elsewhere,, home is where his friend is. This shows his attribute of devotion to his cousin. He is deeply moved when he receives word of her death. From all of these things we can imply that Buddy is a person who was devoted to his friend, who has a tender heart, and who looks back at his childhood with fond memories in spite of the other adults who lived in the same house.

Is wood a compound, mixture, or element?

Any material can be classified as either an element, a compound or a mixture, depending on its properties. An element is composed of identical atoms and cannot be further divided. An example is copper. A block of copper will contain only atoms of copper and any division of this block will still yield copper. A compound is composed of elements in a certain fixed ratio and has different properties than its constituent elements. An example is carbon dioxide (CO2), which is made up of oxygen and carbon in a 2:1 ratio. A mixture is composed of two or more elements or compounds in a non-fixed ratio and can be divided into individual constituents. An example is trail mix, which can be easily separated into constituents. 

Wood is an example of a mixture. It contains cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose, in a variable ratio. Wood can actually be classified as a heterogeneous mixture, since the constituents are distributed non-uniformly.

Hope this helps.

In a paragraph, explain how the single remaining commandment in chapter 10 sums up the attitude of the pigs that enables them to break all seven...

This is a great request. Let's start with the wording of that one commandment in chapter ten. 

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

This commandment is the diametric opposite of what is stated in the beginning of the book. "No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal." In fact, the last commandment is of Animalism: "All animals are equal." 

When Napoleon added the words,"more equal," he did two things.  First, he still had the idea of equality.  The less educated of the animals might still believe that there is equality.  Hence, the semblance of equality is present.  Second, by stating that some animals are more equal than others, Napoleon is able to do whatever he wants.  The simple reason for this is based on the fact that he and the other pigs are more equal than others.  They are a special class.  Therefore, they can dress the way the want, do what they want, interact with whom they want, and rule themselves.  This makes null all the commandments. 

In the Bronze Bow, how was the conflict resolved?

The primary conflict in Elizabeth George Speare's novel The Bronze Bow is the internal conflict Daniel experiences with himself. He has become so consumed by hatred of the Romans and his desire for revenge that he cannot lead a normal life. Even an insignificant encounter with a Roman soldier can ruin his mood for days, and his exaggerated reaction to a soldier results in a serious wound that could have been fatal. His outburst at Leah when he learns she has taken a gift from a Roman soldier sends her plunging into mental and physical illness to the brink of death. And he throws away the chance he might have to marry Thacia because of his vow for vengeance.

Although Daniel thinks the Romans are to blame for the difficulties in his life, the fact is, his own hatred is what makes him miserable. Jesus is the one who shows him that love is the only thing stronger than hate; only love is strong enough to bend a bow of bronze. Daniel tells Jesus he will give him everything he has and will follow him, but Jesus asks him if he can give up his hate. Daniel thinks he cannot do that. But when Thacia calls Jesus to Daniel's home to heal Leah, Daniel experiences the love of Jesus toward himself, even after he has rejected Jesus, and he decides he wants to stop fighting and follow Jesus. He realizes that "to know Jesus would be enough," and "almost with the thought the terrible weight was gone." Daniel is able to give up his hate when he is touched by the love of Jesus and decides to follow him.

What is Juliet's relationship to Romeo?

Juliet's relationship to Romeo changes throughout the play.  In the beginning, the two do not know each other, but are enemies by virtue of the hatred that their respective families share.  They meet toward the end of Act 1; after that meeting, they fall madly in love (or in lust, depending on who you ask!) and their relationship changes to one of infatuated teenagers.

When they agree to, and carry out, a secret wedding the following day, their relationship changes once more to that of husband and wife.  Unfortunately, other than consummating the marriage, they have little interaction as husband and wife.  After Romeo kills Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, to avenge Tybalt's murder of Romeo's best friend, Romeo and Juliet move to extremely-forbidden lovers.  After a night spent together, they must depart, as Romeo is now banished from the town in which both were raised. At this point, their relationship changes to that of separated lovers.  

The Friar works with Juliet to hatch a plan to return the duo to each other, but, unfortunately, the plan does not work.  In the end, they end up killing themselves -- here, they are both partners in a double suicide. Thus, the relationship between Romeo and Juliet evolves and morphs several times over the course of their several-day courtship, marriage, and death.

Why do our cells need to do cellular respiration in order to survive?

All the cellular functions require energy and cells have no direct way of getting energy. Similar to us, cells also need to consume food and then obtain energy out of it. Cellular respiration is the process by which we all get energy. This process can be represented by the following chemical reaction:

In this process, glucose is broken down in presence of oxygen and the resultant products are carbon dioxide, water and energy (in the form of ATP or adenosine triphosphate molecules). ATP molecules further break down into ADP (or adenosine diphosphate) along with the release of energy. It is this energy that cells use to carry out their operations. Thus, cellular respiration is essential for cells' survival and functioning.

Hope this helps. 

Prove that if two non-vertical lines are perpendicular, then the product of their slopes is -1.

One way to prove this is by using Pythagorean theorem.

Let's label the coordinates of point of the intersection of the two perpendicular lines as . Then, since the lines are perpendicular, if we pick any point on the first line with the coordinates , and a point on the second line with the coordinates , the line segments connecting these three points will form a right triangle, with the right angle at the point .

The lengths of the sides of a right triangle must obey Pythagorean theorem. So, for our right triangle, the hypotenuse is the segment connecting points 1 and 2 an it has the length

The other sides' lengths are the distances between the point of the intersection of the two lines and points 1 and 2, respectively. They are equal

and

According to Pythagorean Theorem, . If we now plug in the expressions for the d's in terms of the coordinates x and y, then by doing a lot of algebra, we can show that the resultant equation will lead to the required relationship between the slopes.

First, rewrite the equation above as

For now, I will work with the part of the equation that involves x-coordinates only, because the part involving y-coordinates will be identical.

The part involving x-coordinates is

The first two terms make up a difference of two squares and can be factored as such:

Opening parenthesis and combining like terms in square brackets, we get:

Notice that these two terms have a common binomial factor, which can be factored out:

, or

Again, working with the y-coordinates will yield identical result, so the equation of Pythagorean Theorem will become

The factor of 2 can be canceled, and now we can separate the coordinates:

Divide both sides by :

We can recognize that the left side is the slope of the line passing through the points with the coordinates  and (let's call it  ), and the right side is the negative reciprocal of the slope of the line passing through the points with the coordinates and   (call it ). So what we get is

, which can also be written as

The product of the slopes of the two perpendicular lines is -1.

What were the advantages to trade being brought back in Western Europe, in the Middle Ages?

The advantages to Europe of trade during the long period of history known as "the Middle Ages" were considerable. European and Asian traders, operating mainly along the already-established "Silk Road" routes connecting Asia, the Middle East and Europe, established colonies along those enormously long routes that became important centers of learning as well as trade, and that facilitated the development of diverse cultures. More tangibly, the Europeans reaped enormous dividends from Silk Road trade routes in terms of imports from Asia of spices, silk and other textiles, precious metals like silver and gold, and various agricultural commodities like grapes, cucumbers, carrots, and onions. Agricultural techniques that made irrigation of fields more efficient were imported from Asia, as one of the most significant developments of the age: paper. While Johannes Gutenberg's printing press is appropriately considered one of the most important inventions in history, its practical utility would have pretty limited had the Chinese not invented paper, and had that invention not found its way to Europe through these same trade routes.

Europe benefited enormously from trade with other regions of the world during the Middle Ages. The Chinese, in particular, were very advanced in areas like science, agriculture and development of textiles. All of the above-mentioned imports contributed to Europe's development and prosperity. That particularly deadly bacterial and viral infections similarly made the transit across Eurasia does not diminish the legacy of trade between Europe and Asia.

How is Mathilde Loisel presented up until the loss of the necklace in the story The Necklace?

Mathilde Loisel is presented as a spoiled, selfish woman up until she loses the necklace and she and her husband are forced into poverty. From the beginning, she makes it clear she has married below her status, even though her parents were poor artists. She complains constantly of being poor, even though she has a nice home, goes out often, and even has a servant.

The best example of her selfish attitude is when her husband brings home the invitation to the party, which he has worked hard to get. He is so excited to give it to her, and instead of being excited, she is upset because she has no fancy clothing to wear to it. Then, the reader sees into her thoughts to learn that when he asks how much she needs for a dress, she debates the maximum she can ask for before he will flat out say no. She is not happy with anything he does for her.

How might psychologists approach a study of childhood happiness and wellbeing differently from sociologists?

On the whole, psychologists tend to tackle issues from the perspective of the individual mind, while sociologists tend to look at societies or cultures as a whole.

When it comes to the specific issue of childhood well-being and happiness, a psychologist might study factors that contribute to the mental health of children (for example, having caring and warm adults that they can attach to in early childhood, which is currently considered a critical factor to a good upbringing). In many cases, although not all, these factors tend to be typical to most children, unless the psychology of only a very specific group is being studied. These are questions of cognitive health and development.

A sociologist, however is more likely to study the ways a society contributes to the happiness of their children. For example, a sociological study on the same subject might look at ways in which many Latin cultures support this need by surrounding the child with many family and community members, including grandparents and neighbors. These are questions of societal mores and mannerisms.

Does money motivate people to work hard?

As a general matter, I would say that money can and does motivate people to work hard.  But there are limits to this, and there are so many other important forms of motivation.

In today's world, we all have needs and desires that can be satisfied only with money. A roof over our heads, food on our tables, heat, electricity, and new shoes or a movie must all be paid for. To the degree that more money will help us to meet those needs and desires, most of us are likely to be willing to work harder.  And certainly, few of us are willing to work harder without being compensated with more money.  Few people are going to volunteer to work overtime for free or agree to produce 25% more in sales without a commission. 

On the other hand, there is, I think, a point of diminishing returns. For example, if I work too many hours and cannot sleep enough or be with my family, much less enjoy some leisure activity, offering me even more money is not going to motivate me very well. Similarly, in some jobs, people have physical limits that they will hit, and all the money in the world is not going to persuade them to push beyond their own endurance or strength.  No matter how much money you offer me, I can only dig so many ditches in a day, and I have no interest in killing myself or putting myself in the hospital trying to work that much harder. 

It is also important to realize that money is not the sole motivation for workers.  All of us are highly motivated by recognition, appreciation, a pleasant workplace, and challenging work. Most of us will work harder if these are provided than if they are not, and employers who are capable only of throwing money at their employees, without providing these other motivations, are missing out on the hard and good work they could be getting from their employees. 

With what internal conflict does the speaker struggle in "The Raven"?

The speaker in "The Raven" is agonizing over the death of a beloved maiden named Lenore. He finds it so painful to remember her that he is struggling not to think about her. But he keeps remembering her throughout the poem, and the raven who intrudes into his home and takes up permanent residence only keeps reminding him of his great loss. He transfer his internal struggles to a dialogue with the black bird. But the raven only makes the speaker's suffering worse by giving him nothing but what appear to be nihilistic answers.

In the opening stanza the speaker is trying to forget Lenore by immersing himself in books.

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “
“'Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
Only this, and nothing more.”

At one point in the poem the speaker asks the bird if there is balm in Gilead. This is the same as asking if there is any hope to be found in traditional religion as promised in various places in the Bible. The speaker is still thinking about the lost Lenore. What troubles him the most about losing her is the thought that she is gone forever--who knows where? This is the thing that troubles most people who have lost a loved one. When King Lear's beloved daughter Cordelia dies, the old man speaks an unusual line which expresses that obvious but somehow unbelievable truth:

Thou'lt come no more,
Never, never, never, never, never.     (5.3)

The raven knows only one word. But that one word seems all too appropriate to the speaker's thoughts and feelings. Therefore the bird itself comes to symbolize the speaker's sense of hopelessness. The bird refuses to leave. By perching on the bust of the goddess of wisdom, Pallas Athene, the bird further represents the cold, hard truth that Lenore is dead and it is useless to imagine any way in which the speaker could ever be reunited with her. In the end the speaker is totally defeated in his internal struggle to "find surcease of sorrow, sorrow for the lost Lenore." He gives in to eternal grief. Nothing can relieve his anguish but his own death.

And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!

Edgar Allan Poe's wife Virginia, whom he married when she was only thirteen, was still alive in 1845 when he published "The Raven," but she was in poor health and died of tuberculosis in January of 1847. It seems likely that he was expressing his feelings about his pending loss of Virginia in "The Raven."

What are the differences between Napoleon's and Snowball's behavior in Animal Farm?

In the initial characterization of the two, the author clearly draws a contrast between Snowball and Napoleon. He gives us insight into their general demeanor and personalities. This is obviously also an indication of how they would behave. The text states:

Pre-eminent among the pigs were two young boars named Snowball and Napoleon, whom Mr. Jones was breeding up for sale. Napoleon was a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way. Snowball was a more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive, but was not considered to have the same depth of character. 

From these descriptions, it is clear that Napoleon was quite secretive and since he was 'fierce-looking,' one can assume that he intimidated the other animals. Snowball, on the other hand, was much more lively and a good speaker. He could generate ideas at a whim. The fact that he is described as not having the same depth of character as Napoleon suggests that he came across as somewhat shallow whilst Napoleon seemed to be a deep thinker. The significance of this contrast is expressed in the manner in which they later conducted affairs on the farm.  

Snowball was keen to educate the animals and adopted a practical approach. he tirelessly worked at creating a variety of committees so that tasks could be better organized. These, however, were a failure since the larger proportion of animals were not intelligent and could not completely relate to the purpose of Snowball's efforts. The reading and writing classes were, however, a great success.   

Napoleon, on the other hand, showed no interest in Snowball's activities. It was more important to him that the young should be educated rather than wasting time on teaching the older animals something new. Although Napoleon's approach seems to make sense initially, we discover that his motive for this approach was quite sinister. He took Jessie and Bluebell's puppies under his wing soon after they were weaned and kept them hidden. He assumed responsibility for their upbringing. Napoleon's purpose in this was not born from a generous desire to help but was informed by malicious and selfish intent. Once the puppies were grown, he used them to do his evil. At his command, they chased Snowball off the farm and executed animals during his bloodthirsty purge.

Napoleon's purpose in this was not born from a generous desire to help but was informed by malicious and selfish intent. Once the puppies were grown, he used them to do his evil. At his command, they chased Snowball off the farm and executed animals during his bloodthirsty purge. It is noticeably apparent that Napoleon realised that the young could be easily influenced and fed whatever propaganda he desired to. They could become tools and would be used as puppets in his hands.

Snowball noticeably made an effort to improve the lives of all the animals, whilst Napoleon was generally uninvolved. It was Snowball who had strategized to beat Mr. Jones and his men when they invaded the farm. He encouraged the animals and also spoke about them being prepared to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others. Napoleon remained silent.

Napoleon's only real contribution after the Rebellion came from his opposition to all Snowball's ideas. Whilst Snowball won much support at meetings, Napoleon had in the interim taken to influence the sheep to disrupt him whenever it became clear that he was winning an argument as noted in the following excerpt:

At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times. He was especially successful with the sheep. Of late the sheep had taken to bleating "Four legs good, two legs bad" both in and out of season, and they often interrupted the Meeting with this. It was noticed that they were especially liable to break into "Four legs good, two legs bad" at crucial moments in Snowball's speeches. 

It is obvious that Napoleon's actions were directed at serving himself, whereas Snowball acted in the general interest. This fact is pertinently illustrated by Napoleon's repeated rejection of Snowball's ideas. He, for example, urinated over Snowball's meticulous plans for a windmill.

Napoleon produced no schemes of his own, but said quietly that Snowball's would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time.

The difference in the two pigs' actions and thinking becomes plain in their disagreements about defence. Napoleon wanted to procure firearms for their own use whilst Snowball insisted that animals on other farms should be encouraged to rebel. Clearly, Napoleon's thinking was quite insular whilst Snowball displayed a wider perspective. Napoleon's selfishness comes to the fore when he finally has an opportunity to get rid of Snowball. At a time when Snowball wished to finally present his masterpiece (the windmill) Napoleon called upon his dogs to chase him off the farm. He barely escaped.

In the end, Napoleon became the tyrannical master of the farm. He claimed Snowball's ideas as his own and demonized him, using him as a scapegoat, in his absence, for everything that went wrong on the farm. Ultimately, Napoleon had become a much worse copy of the dictatorial Mr. Jones.

How is the human propensity to seek pain exemplified in Edgar Allan Poe’s poem "The Raven"?

This poem is a fascinating example of first-person narration, as well as  powerful exploration of the human capacity for self-induced suffering. The narrator is grieving a lost love, Lenore, and believes the raven who has come to visit may hold answers to his questions about death and the afterlife. We know that the narrator is somewhat indulgent in his grief, as he tries to use books to distract himself ("vainly I had sought to borrow from my books surcease of sorry") but his first reaction when confronted with the tapping noise outside, after realizing it is not a human visitor, is to whisper "Lenore" as if perhaps her ghost may be there. He is haunted by her memory.

He wishes to be reunited with Lenore, who he assumes is in heaven (as suggested by the line "for the rare and radiant maiden whom the angles name Lenore"). Since the raven never gives any answer but "nevermore," the protagonist does have it in his power to craft his questions so that this answer is a positive, rather than a negative, option. But his questions invariably lead to the answer "nevermore" being a response full of finality, sadness and loss of hope.

He asks the raven, as some kind of psychopomp or spiritual messenger, to help him forget Lenore, but is told this will never happen. He asks if he will be reunited with her, and is given the same answer. He then requests that the bird leave him alone, and the response "nevermore" indicates the bird still sits there above his door, a content reminder of his own mortality, and the lonely death that awaits.

In The Lovely Bones, what is George Harvey thinking and why might he pursue those actions?

In Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones, the character George Harvey is the antagonist in the story. He is a 36-year-old sexual predator, a serial killer, and a rapist. He has raped and murdered Susie Salmon not far from her home. It is difficult to say for certain what George would be thinking because the psychology of a criminal and a pedophile is a complicated one. However, Susie gives information on George’s past that may help the reader understand what might have shaped him into the person he became. His mother taught him to shoplift and commit petty crimes at a young age and his father wasn’t typical but taught him how to build things. The family was always on the move, so young George had little security. George missed having a steady and safe home life, and this can be seen in his job of building dollhouses. Therefore, his actions of building and killing women come in part from his unhappy childhood and his lack of control over his own world.

Why red colour is used as danger signal

Where human intent is involved, red is used to indicate (potential) dangers because it is relatively easier to see or distinguish compared to other colors. Red light, which is what our eye detects as the color red, is scattered the least by air molecules. Red light has the largest wavelength and so is more easily perceptible even through harsh weather, low lighting or overcast skies, and across distance. This means that even if it's very rainy or dark out, you'll have an easier time seeing a red object than one of another color to indicate danger.

Humans have also evolved to associate the color red as danger, though the origins of this are difficult to determine. Many plants and animals in nature use bright coloring as a means of warding off predators by either intimidation or indicating a poisonous quality. For example, poison dart frogs come in a variety of colors, all quite bold. This sends a signal to other animals that they are not good for eating. Many poisonous berries are of a bright red color, and this association lead to the myth that tomato fruits were poisonous.

Based on cultural associations with color, red may not be the color of choice for signalling danger. Alternately, the color red may have meanings that seem to contrast with the idea of danger. In the United States, red indicates both love and danger. 

What are some reliable sources that can be used to back up statements in a research paper dealing with identity stereotypes and racism? Books and...

Great topic. I can help give you a great source on identity stereotypes.  I have been teaching gender stereotypes in my media class for about ten years now.  I feel that the best current source for information on and examples of gender stereotyping is "The Representation Project."  I'll post the link below. 

The site has a lot of great stats and infographics.  The project's two big endeavors have been two award winning documentaries.  The first was the MissRepresentation film.  It focused squarely on female gender stereotypes, sexual objectification of women, and the consequences of both.  This past year, the Representation Project released the same kind of documentary about men and boys.  It is called The Mask You Live In.  It focuses on how the media typically sends boys and men the message that they have to be hyper masculine, violent, and emotionless voids.  

Adding on to my previous post, I can recommend a fairly solid website that focuses on racial, ethnic, and gender stereotyping in the media.  The website organization is "The Critical Media Project."  What's good about this site is that it doesn't focus only on a single type of stereotyping.  It has information and related links about gender stereotyping, racial stereotyping, and ethnic stereotyping.  It's a credible resource as well, because it is associated with the University of Southern California.  

In "The Most Dangerous Game", what roles do chance and coincidence play in the story?

Chance or coincidence plays a large role in that Rainsford happened to fall of his boat, and happened to be a famous hunter.

Chance or coincidence do seem to play a role in this story.  The first coincidence is that Rainsford, a renowned hunter, happened to fall off his yacht close enough to swim to the island, after dropping his pipe.  That is definitely odd!  Rainsford would happen to fall of near and island, and that island.  He knew the island was there because he had been warned that it was dangerous, although the only source of the danger was vague sailors’ rumors.

He leaped upon the rail and balanced himself there, to get greater elevation; his pipe, striking a rope, was knocked from his mouth. He lunged for it; a short, hoarse cry came from his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. 

The sailors likely fear the island because their fellows keep ending up disappearing near there.  Once Rainsford washed up on the island, another coincidence is that the island’s only inhabitant is an avid hunter.  Rainsford is not just a famous hunter; he is a writer of several hunting books.  When he runs into Zaroff, the general knows exactly who he is.  If Zaroff hadn’t been a hunter, or if Rainsford hadn’t been either, or if Rainsford had not written books on the subject, Zaroff would not have known who Rainsford was.

"It is a very great pleasure and honor to welcome Mr. Sanger Rainsford, the celebrated hunter, to my home." …

"I've read your book about hunting snow leopards in Tibet, you see," explained the man. "I am General Zaroff."

Zaroff was bored, and desperate to find better game.  Hunting animals was nothing to him anymore.  Hunting ordinary humans was getting dull. What he needed was an expert hunter, trained in evasion and traps, to make the game interesting.  Rainsford fit the bill perfectly, and Zaroff was practically salivating at the prospect of hunting him.  If Rainsford had not called Zaroff a murderer, he might have hunted with him instead of being his prey, but we will never know.  Rainsford was the perfect prize, after all.

What do you like about this poem?

This question is asking for an opinion about Maya Angelou’s poem “Caged Bird.” This means you have to assess and analyze the poem to determine what you find appealing about it.

Personally, I enjoy Angelou’s use of vivid imagery when describing the free bird and the caged bird. When I read her descriptions of the birds, I can feel the carefree freedom of the free bird as it soars through the air. On the other hand, I can feel the desperation of the caged bird as it paces with clipped wings in its cage. Because Maya Angelou is so masterful in her descriptions, I experience the breeze as the free bird “leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream.” When the caged bird sings,in spite of its circumstances, I identify with its song, “for the caged bird sings of freedom.” The imagery evokes emotions within me.

Others might like the lyrical writing, or the message of the poem. Even though the question asks for an opinion, it is important to use the text to validate your choice.

In linguistics, what is Constraint-based Grammar? Why is it identified with the feature of reversibility?

Linguistic knowledge is innate, implicit, and shared by every member of our species. Moreover, any language in the world is acquired rapidly and effortlessly in a comparatively short period of time by a human child, after he or she is exposed to an environment in which that language is spoken. Within less than three years of time after birth, the child begins to infer, deduce and generalize language-specific rules from a very limited language input. Noam Chomsky calls this the problem of “poverty of stimulus”. It is limited as there is an absence of negative and positive feedback for a lot of linguistic rules. Yet, the child never makes structure independent errors ever (Chomsky, 1971). Acquisition of language, thus, is not much of a problem for a child even at the age of 2-3 years. However, it is quite a task for the language researcher, who already knows so much about the structure of a given language, to decode the rules of this complex system and explicitly define it to make machines learn the human language.

Constraint-based grammars or constraint-based theories of grammars express this implicit linguistic knowledge in the form of well-defined, explicit mathematical rules or algorithms. They have gained popularity in the field of Computational Linguistics and more so in Natural Language Processing (NLP). Constraint-based grammars are developed for languages other than English also. The formal, uniform, context-dependent rules written in clear linguistic terminology are used to analyze given text of a language. Constraints are introduced at different grammatical levels (word, phrases, sentences, etc.) and tags are applied to tokens (of a particular type) in the text before parsing and semantic interpretation take place.

Constraint-based grammar formalisms used to have one major drawback earlier. Although they could help in language analysis using computational and mathematical models of grammar, they failed to accommodate the learnability theories of language. Lexicalized, Well-Founded Grammars (LWFG) are an improvement over the traditional Constraint-based Grammars, which take into account the learnability factor and, thus, aid in understanding a language system deeply. Constraints are introduced at the semantic level, which allow interpretation of a text during syntactic parsing.

An important feature of the Constraint-based grammars is that they take information from different levels of linguistic analysis. Complex language structures are described and built one by one from smaller structures at various steps. Such a description is uniform and the resulting structure is consistent and independent of the order of the steps. In other words, these grammar formalisms use a linguistic base system in which the type of constraints that are applied are important and not the order in which they are applied. In this way, Constraint-based Grammars are reversible.