The biggest obstacle to a system of national health care in the United States is that A. other industrialized nations’ national health care...

There are two possible answers to this question so I suggest that you consult your textbook and/or your class notes to see which one your teacher thinks is the best answer.  I would argue that Option D is the best answer, but Option A is also possible and is, in fact, connected to Option D.

National health care provided by the government would be immensely expensive.  It might not be more expensive than what we have now, but the costs would be easier for people to see.  Such a program would inevitably raise taxes and would make people very unhappy.

This is how Option A leads into Option D.  One reason why national health care would be “too expensive” for Americans is because our political culture is one that does not accept high levels of taxation.  Other industrialized countries’ people are willing to pay higher taxes for such systems.  In addition, the idea of the government providing health care generally goes against our political culture.  We think that it is better for private businesses to provide things like health care and so most Americans reject the idea of a national system along the lines of Britain’s National Health Service.

I think, then, that Option D is a better answer than Option A, but you should check your class materials to be sure.

What is the setting of this story? What feature of the place seems to be the most memorable? What details suggest when the story takes place?

The setting of the story is New York near the Catskill Mountains.  The beginning and end of the story take place in a village "at the foot of these fairy mountains" ("Rip Van Winkle").  It is a place where one can see

"light smoke curling up from a village, whose shingle-roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland melt away into the fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village of great antiquity, having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists, in the early times of the province."

The Catskill Mountains are a memorable feature in the story.  They are described as being "west of the river, swelling up to a noble height, and lording it over the surrounding country."  The narrator describes the vibrant colors of nature in the Catskills.  The simplicity of the village is also memorable.  Both the village and the mountains are prominent places in the story.

When the story begins, it takes place in a time "while the country was yet a province of Great Britain."  Rip Van Winkle sleeps for twenty years.  When he wakes up, the Revolutionary War has already occurred and the United States has been formed.  He sees a new flag flying in the village instead of the British one.  He spots a familiar sign, but notices that

"the ruby face of King George, under which [Rip] had smoked so many a peaceful pipe... was singularly metamorphosed. The red coat was changed for one of blue and buff, a sword was held in the hand instead of a sceptre, the head was decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was painted in large characters, GENERAL WASHINGTON."

A man in the village speaks about the "rights of citizens—elections—members of congress—liberty—Bunker’s Hill—heroes of seventy-six—and other words, which [are] a perfect Babylonish jargon to the bewildered Van Winkle."  He does not know what the man is talking about.  He has no idea that his village is no longer located within a British colony.

What apparatus can be used to measure the amount of water lost when boiling it?

Boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid (water, in our case). The process is characterized by molecules escaping the liquid by possessing sufficient kinetic energy. This process happens all the time, but in such low occurrences that other molecules (some of which may be already present in the air) return to the liquid. By increasing the temperature of the liquid (or more accuratley, by increasing the internal energy of the liquid), these molecules start to have more kinetic energy, escaping the liquid more easily.

When such molecules escape the liquid, as long as you ensure that they don't return to the liquid, the liquid will lose mass.

So, to measure the amount of water lost to boiling you just need a weighing scale. Measure the initial mass of the water you have and then measure the final mass you have after boiling it. The difference between these values represents the mass of water lost.

Remember that this process of heating and vaporizing is continuous, so you'll be losing mass at increasing rates as you heat the water.

How can I make a story about the opposite of Penelope? In my story, I want her be a more independent person, and show her coming to terms with...

To create a story about the opposite of Penelope, a writer would probably have to place her in a different culture than the world of Bronze Age Greece. The world that Homer creates depicts married women as under the protectorship of their husbands or, in the case of Penelope, her now-mature son Telemachus (given that Odysseus has been away from home for twenty years).

To portray Penelope as more independent, one could take Sophocles' character Antigone as a model. Antigone is unmarried and defies King Creon's order not to bury her brother Polyneices. For this "crime," Antigone is sentenced to death.

Another possible model for a more independent Penelope would be to transform her into a barbarian female like Euripides' character Medea. After Medea's husband divorces her, she takes revenge on him by poisoning his new bride and killing her own children (Medea's own children).

As for the notion that Penelope has not come to terms with Odysseus' marital infidelities, we should keep in mind that both Calypso and Circe are divinities. Odysseus was essentially Calypso's love slave and in Odyssey 10 the god Hermes had directed Odysseus to sleep with Circe:

Then she’ll invite you to her bed, and don’t refuse the goddess’ favours, if you want her to free your men, and care for you too.
(Kline translation).

Furthermore, in Odyssey 23, Odysseus tells Penelope all about his various adventures, including his sexual escapades with Calypso. So, Homer seems to suggest that Penelope has "come to terms" with Odysseus' extramarital affairs. After all, when Odysseus tells his story, Penelope reports that "she loved to hear it all".

The chain of custody, along with evidence tagging and labeling, is an example of _____. a) a protocol b) a control c) an evidence collector...

The best answer is (a) a protocol.

A protocol is a system of procedures that an organization sets in place, to ensure that certain steps are taken as a matter of routine, so that similar results are reached every time.  In the criminal legal system, the method of handling evidence requires a protocol, so that when the case eventually comes to trial, the prosecutors can assure the judge and jury that the evidence is in the same state as when it was initially found, and that nobody has tampered with it in the interim.  There are very specific steps set out for picking up a piece of evidence, for the way it is handled, the way it is transported to a storage facility, and the way it is stored until trial.  By following all the steps of this protocol, the prosecution has one less problem to deal with at trial.

If the protocol is not followed, that does not automatically mean that the prosecution would lose its case.  However, it could raise suspicions about the validity of a key piece of evidence and, if the evidence is questioned, then an otherwise guilty defendant could get released.

An argument might be made that the answer could be (b) a control, since all these steps are a way of controlling the validity of the evidence.  But protocol is a better answer.

What was the device called which Faber had given Montag in order to communicate with him?

In Part Two "The Sieve and the Sand" of the novel Fahrenheit 451, Montag travels to Faber's house trying to find meaning in the texts he is reading. Faber is hesitant to help Montag because he fears that the government will arrest him. Montag suggests that they make copies of books and distribute them. Then, Faber makes the suggestion that they should "plant" the books in the homes of firemen to destroy the entire system. Faber tells Montag he is only joking, and then admits to him that he is a complete coward. Before Montag leaves, he asks Faber if there is any way he can help him with Captain Beatty. Faber opens his bedroom door and leads Montag down a small hallway to a room with tools, gadgets, and various mechanical devices. Faber gives Montag his two-way listening device called the "green bullet." The green bullet resembles a Seashell radio and allows Faber to not only communicate with Montag but also listen to his conversations. Later that night, Faber reads Montag the book of Job via the green bullet.

How were relations between Great Britain and the colonies affected by the revolutionary war?

The relationship between Great Britain and the colonies was at its worst during the American Revolution. Up until the early 1700s, Great Britain whose attention was on domestic issues at home and the war in France, had mostly ignored the day to day affairs of the colonists. Because of this, the colonists developed a keen sense of independence. Once Britain could turn its attention to the colonists, they began to impose trade restrictions and taxes on them. This began the deterioration of their relationship that led to the Revolutionary War. During the war of course, their relationship completely deteriorated. The colonists rejected the rule of the monarchy and insisted they would govern themselves. The colonists rejected trade and governance from Great Britain then actively began to fight them on American soil as Great Britain sent soldiers to reclaim the land for the king. Great Britain demanded that because of their financial support when the colonists originally settled in America, they had every right to rule over them, making whatever demands they saw fit. Therefore, the relationship between them was one of opposing sides during the war.

What is Lord Capulet's reaction when Juliet says she will marry Paris?

Lord Capulet is a father who demands to exercise his right to marry off his daughter to whomever he pleases. By law, Lord Capulet owns his family and may dispose of anyone in any manner he sees fit. At the end of Act III, Juliet is told that she must marry Paris on Thursday--just a couple of days away. She panics and asks for more time, but this only infuriates her father who threatens to kick her to the streets if she doesn't marry Paris. Since Juliet is already married to Romeo who is banished, she seeks help from Friar Laurence. The Friar devises a plan to get Juliet out of marrying Paris, but she must pretend that she is now willing to marry him. Hence, Juliet goes back to her father and says that she repents of her disobedience and will be ruled by him now. Capulet's first response is to send for Paris and move the wedding date up, as shown in the following passage:

"Send for the County; go tell him of this.

I'll have this knot knit up tomorrow morning" (IV.ii.22-23).

Lord Capulet must not want to give Juliet time to change her mind about marrying Paris, so moving the wedding to the next morning becomes his solution. Lord Capulet is happy that he seems to be getting what he wants and he even appreciates the Friar for (seemingly) setting his daughter straight. Lord Capulet tells his wife that he will not sleep this night because he will take care of everything for the wedding celebration. Capulet is so happy he also says, "My heart is wondrous light,/Since this same wayward girl is so reclaim'd" (IV.ii.46-47).

What is Romeo and Juliet's destiny?

We learn in the Prologue to Romeo and Juliet, delivered by the Chorus, that the love affair that blossoms between the title characters will not end happily for them:

A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;
Whose misadventure's piteous overthrows
Doth, with their death, bury their parents’ strife.

"Star-cross'd" here means something more than "unlucky." It basically means that Romeo and Juliet are doomed to die by fate. So their destiny is to meet, to fall in love, and to die as a result of their love. At the same time, their deaths will "bury their parents' strife." In other words, the feuding Capulets and Montagues will be reconciled by their grief. It took the deaths of these two young lovers to make them realize how destructive their mutual hatred really was. 

Some might think that discovering that the two lovers are destined to die in the Prologue lessens the suspense of the play. But it also creates a sense of dramatic irony that is absolutely heartbreaking. Romeo and Juliet's love is tender, genuine, and eloquently expressed, and knowing that it is doomed makes their declarations of love and of hope all the more poignant. We know that they cannot escape their destiny, yet we find ourselves rooting for them until they meet their tragic end together.

In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, what is a flapdoodle?

"Flapdoodle" is a slang word used by Mark Twain in the 25th chapter of Huck Finn. The king and the duke are con men who are trying to bilk the Wilks' daughters out of their inheritance, $6000 in gold. They put on a great show of sorrow over Peter Wilks' death, claiming to be his long separated brothers from England. Huck sees the whole show put on by the king and duke as so much "flapdoodle," a word which could be replaced by baloney, balderdash, hogwash or similar slang words, meaning outrageous, obvious lies.

The word seems to have been common slang that was in use at the time of Twain's writing "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." Twain uses the word to great comic effect, because of the sound of the word itself, a nonsense word, like something a child might make up.

If man evolved from ape, then why are there still apes? Why haven't all apes evolved into humans?

This is a misconception that human beings evolved from apes. Human beings and other modern primates, including apes, shared a common ancestor a few million years ago. From that common point, the species diversified into a number of different directions. This speciation resulted in slightly different species (in the very beginning), which ultimately evolved into totally different species over time. Different environmental conditions, predators, etc. caused some species to evolve in a particular way, while the others had totally different conditions to live in. 

Explain breathing out?

We breathe in and out by changing the volume of our chest cavity. To breathe in, we must enlarge the chest cavity to create suction which draws air into the lungs. To enlarge the chest cavity, we contract muscles between our ribs, called intercostals, and our diaphragms. The diaphragm is a large flat muscle that forms the floor of the chest cavity. Contracting the diaphragm results in the floor of the chest cavity moving downward. Contracting the intercostals results in the ribs moving up and outward. Both these actions increase the volume of the chest cavity.

To breathe out, we simply relax the intercostals and the diaphragm. This causes the volume of the chest cavity to decrease, which pushes the air out of the lungs. When a healthy person is at rest, breathing out requires no work. However, sometimes we need to exhale quickly (such as when we are exercising) or forcefully (such as when we are sick). In this case, the abdominal muscles can be contracted which push the internal organs up against the diaphragm. There are also internal intercostal muscles which can actively pull the ribs down. These two actions cause breathing out to occur with more force and in less time than with simple muscle relaxation.

Who is Perpich and why does Brian think about him in Hatchet?

Perpich was Brian’s English teacher, and Brian values his advice.

Brian is involved in a plane crash in the Canadian wilderness.  The pilot has a heart attack and dies, and Brian goes down with the plane but survives.  In the beginning, Brian is stunned.  He has nothing with him but a hatchet, and he has to figure out how to survive on his own.

In this time of difficulty, Brian grasps at straws for ways to help him survive.  He remembers the advice of one of his teachers, a man he seems to respect.

Brian had once had an English teacher, a guy named Perpich, who was always talking about being positive, thinking positive, staying on top of things. That's how Perpich had put it—stay positive and stay on top of things. Brian thought of him now— wondered how to stay positive and stay on top of this. (Ch. 5)

It is difficult to stay positive when you are a kid all alone in the wild.  Brian has only the clothes on his back and the hatchet.  He has a few survival skills, but most importantly he has cunning and ingenuity. 

Brian’s teacher Mr. Perpich also taught him the value of staying motivated.  Of course, survival is a good motivator.  You stay motivated or die.

I have to get motivated, he thought, remembering Perpich. Right now I'm all I've got. I have to do something. (Ch. 5)

Brian realizes that no one is coming to save him, at least not soon.  He has to rely on himself.  This requires remembering his English teacher’s advice about life. He must stay positive, because it is easy to get overwhelmed with fear and worry.  He must also keep motivated to survive.  Without motivation he will just give up, and giving up means he will die all alone out in the wilderness.

Of what are cellular materials composed?

Cellular materials are composed of four major biomolecules. The four main biomolecules are proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. The structure and function of each type biomolecule are briefly described below.

• Proteins are composed of monomers called amino acids. Amino acids are composed of a central carbon atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group, and an R-group that differentiates one amino acid from another. Proteins are accredited with being the most structure of a cell. Proteins are also found interspersed throughout the cell membrane. Here, proteins serve as channels through which particles enter and exit the cell. All enzymes are also proteins. Enzymes serve as biological catalysts for reactions.


• 
  Lipids are commonly known as “fats”. Lipids are composed of a glycerol and fatty acid chains. The cell membrane is composed of a phospholipid bilayer. Lipids serves as energy-storage units for a cell. Cholesterol and other sterols are also composed of lipids.


• 
  Nucleic acids are composed of nucleotides. Nucleotides are composed of a 5-carbon sugar (either deoxyribose or ribose), a phosphate group, and a nitrogen base. Nucleic acids are responsible for housing all genetic information within a cell. Both RNA (ribose nucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribose nucleic acid) are composed of nucleic acids.


• 
  Carbohydrates are composed of monosaccharides. Monosaccharides are largely composed of the atom carbon. In cells, carbohydrates serve as an energy resource. Carbohydrates, such as chitin and cellulose, also provide structure in the cell walls of fungi and plants.

What can you say about the adopted selves in Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest?

The adopted selves in The Importance of Being Ernest are traditionally thought of as Oscar Wilde's commentary on the pretensions of Victorian society. Victorian society was highly moralistic and very structured. Every person had their role and were expected--even assumed--to not deviate from it. People married and had children, never stepping out on their spouses and not, under any circumstances, engaging in "immoral" behavior. Wilde himself was a living example of how untrue this was. He was married but carried on affairs with men, eventually initiating an arrest, imprisonment, and trial for "gross indecency" with men. He was an accepted member of high society and a socialite as well as a Protestant with Catholic leanings. He was a study of duality himself. 

The Importance of Being Ernest mocks Victorian expectations that everyone was what they seemed to be. In the play, almost no one is what they seem--or even necessarily what they think they are. Jack poses as Earnest when he goes to the city so he can do what he pleases on the pretense that he is helping keep his little brother Ernest in line; in reality, he "becomes" Ernest and goes partying. Algernon, who poses as the made-up cousin Ernest of Jack to woo Cecily, turns out to, in fact, be named Ernest. Algernon normally uses a made-up friend Bunbury as an excuse to leave the city and visit the country to do what he pleases. When they slip into their alternate realities, the lies become their realities. Wilde knows from experience that this is a reality of Victorian society; he's merely exposing it--confusingly yet comically. Such behavior and illusions would be necessary for many, if not most, Victorians to maintain sanity in such a restrictive society. 

Another way of looking at the question is that Wilde was commenting (perhaps) on the fact that art imitates life and vice versa. Reality, in this play, follows imagination. Take, for example, the fact that each of the friends decide to have themselves christened "Ernest"--Jack, in love with Gwendolyn, who thinks his name is Ernest, solves the problem by deciding to have his name changed; and Algernon, having conspired to meet Jack's cousin Cecily and already posing as Ernest to meet her--and having learned that she is particularly drawn to the name--decides to have his name changed, as well. We also have the example of Cecily whose fictitious realities, created and written to escape the boredom of her life, are more real to her than her actual life. 

What is the full story that neither Mrs. Slade nor Mrs. Ansley knows?

In Edith Wharton's "Roman Fever," both Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley have incomplete information of the events that took place years ago in Rome that one moonlit night. Mrs. Slade feels she has the upper hand because she knows that she and not Delphin, her fiancé, wrote the letter to Mrs. Ansley. However, Mrs. Ansley knows the bigger secret--that she did actually go to meet Delphin and had his daughter. The full story is the combination of both women's stories and secrets. Wharton masterfully uses the symbol of knitting to show how the stop threads or details are woven together to make a complete story. The irony is that each woman feels as if she has the upper hand because she knows the story, but they later find out that each only knows part of the story.

Does diffusion require energy? Explain.

Diffusion is a form of passive transport, which implies that it does not require the use of energy.

Diffusion is defined as the movement of particles from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. In other words, particles experiencing diffusion move “down their concentration gradient." This movement is the result of the random kinetic motion of the particles within a substance. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. All particles are in constant, random motion. It is this motion that results in the diffusion of particles from an area of high to low concentration until a state of equilibrium has been reached.

On the other hand, energy is required in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) when particles move from areas of low centration to areas of high concentration. This form of transport is known as active transport. When occurring in a cell, active transport utilizes a protein carrier that is embedded within the cell membrane.

What is a hyperbole in "The Fall of House of Usher?"

A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally.  My son likes to use hyperbole when he is hungry.  "Dad, I am so hungry!  When are we going to eat?  I'm starving!"  Of course I know it's hyperbole.  I fed him 3 hours earlier.  He's not literally starving.

In Edgar Allen Poe's story, "The Fall of the House of Usher," there are couple of statements that use hyperbole.  The first one is from the opening sentence.  

During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, . . .

The day couldn't possibly have been soundless.  That's an exaggeration of how quiet the day might have been, but unless the day is without an atmosphere, there is sound.   

Another hyperbole from this story that teachers like to use is the following:

I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain— upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows— upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees—with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium . . 

The statement is an exaggeration that helps the reader understand just how incredibly bleak the scene looks.  It's so bad that he can't find words to express the depression that he feels.  He can't even compare it to anything that he has ever felt before.  That's bleak all right. 

Can I get a detailed summary of The End of Poverty?

The End of Poverty by Jeffrey D. Sachs argues from an economic perspective that globalization offers a possible solution to global poverty. The book provides a road map to how the world might, given the political will to do so, end global poverty by 2025. He supports the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals to end extreme poverty and recommends a methodology he term "clinical economics", which begins with a diagnosis of the specific causes of poverty in individual countries.

The first chapter of the book analyzes four nations which he suggests typify four major patterns of development, Malawi, Bangladesh, India, and China which represent four rungs on the climb out of global poverty, with Malawi at the bottom rung and China at the top, having moved from the lower rungs to a position of a middle-income nation in a short time period.

Next, Sachs surveys the geographical distribution of extreme poverty, showing that it clusters unequally across the globe, with the highest proportion of the extreme poor living in Africa, and the next highest in South Asia. His third chapter looks at the historical causes of the rise of prosperity in Europe. Next he investigates why some countries have remained trapped in poverty. 

After diagnosing the causes of poverty, he offers a detailed plan to end global poverty, emphasizing financial commitments by the rich world to stimulate economic growth. 

What words show Frankenstein's creator's fear in Chapter 5?

Once Victor recovers from the nervous fever he contracted immediately following (and as a result of) the "birth" of his creation, he claims, "I had conceived a violent antipathy even to the name of natural philosophy.  When I was otherwise quite restored to health, the sight of a chemical instrument would renew all the agony of my nervous symptoms."  In other words, the fear of his creature, the fear of what Victor himself had done, perhaps even the fear of what might happen as a result of his experiment, had caused Victor to turn from his favorite subject, the interest that has sustained him since childhood, in pain.  

And although Henry Clerval, his best friend, can tell that Victor is tormented by any reference to his scientific pursuits, Victor says, "I could never persuade myself to confide to him that event which was so often present to my recollection, but which I feared the detail to another would only impress more deeply."  Victor works hard to forget what he has done because it causes such anxiety for him, so he cannot even confide in the one person who is most likely to sympathize with and comfort him.

What is a word that describes Walter Cunningham?

Generally, choosing the right word to state or describe something means to use good diction. The word you choose to describe Walter Cunningham should be based on what you know about him, and we probably learn the most about Walter in chapters two and three.

In chapter two we learn that Walter Cunningham regularly comes to school without any lunch or lunch money because his family is so poor. So, one word to describe him could be poor, impoverished, or hungry.

In chapter two he also turns down lunch money from Miss Caroline because he knows he will be unable to repay it. Scout explains that the Cunninghams never take anything they cannot repay. This behavior could be described as proud, responsible, prudent, or dignified.

In chapter three, Jem invites Walter back to lunch at the Finch house. Here Walter eats a lot (he is pretty hungry after all!), but he is also very polite and speaks with Atticus about farming. From this we can gather that he is responsible (he helps out on his family farm), he is respectful, and we are reminded how hungry he is. All of those could be words to describe Walter.

In choosing just one word, you might want to look at a word that is supported by at least two examples in the text.

Why did Numa forbid all graven images of deity and create a Roman "Sabbath" day?

According to Plutarch, Numa did not allow for graven images because he subscribed to the Pythagorean belief in the omnipotence of deity. According to Pythagoras, such a deity can only be comprehended and worshiped through the intellect. Because of the supreme characteristic of this being, he reasoned that it would be impious to fashion God in the image of man or beasts.

...they made no statues in bodily form for them, convinced that it was impious to liken higher things to lower, and that it was impossible to apprehend Deity except by the intellect. Their sacrifices, too, were altogether appropriate to the Pythagorean worship; for most of them involved no bloodshed, but were made with flour, drink-offerings, and the least costly gifts.

Numa also instituted a Roman Sabbath or 'holiday' because he supported the Pythagorean practice of separating divine worship from the performance of temporal duties. Numa believed that, in order to fully appreciate the importance of religious ceremonies, the people had to carve out time apart from their daily activities.

At all public and solemn processions of the priests, heralds were sent on before through the city, bidding the people make holiday, and putting a stop to all labour. For, just as it is said that the Pythagoreans do not allow men to worship and pray to their gods cursorily and by the way, but would have them go from their homes directly to this office, with their minds prepared for it, so Numa thought that his citizens ought neither to hear nor see any divine service while they were occupied with other matters and therefore unable to pay attention.

Find the limit of (5^x - 6^x)/(7^x - 8^x) as x tends to infinity.

Hello!

Consider `x->+oo` and `x->-oo` separately.

For `x->+oo,` we have an indeterminacy of the type `oo/oo.` To resolve it, divide all terms by the most rapid increasing one, `8^x:`

`((5/8)^x-(6/8)^x)/((7/8)^x-1),`  `x->+oo.`

`(5/8)^x,` `(6/8)^x` and `(7/8)^x` tend to zero as `x` tends to `+oo,` and `(5/8)^xlt(6/8)^x.`

So we obtain `(-0)/(-1) =` +0. This is the limit as `x->+oo.`

For `x->-oo,` there is  `0/0`  and the "main" term is `5^x,` divide by it:

`(1-(6/5)^x)/((7/5)^x-(8/5)^x),`  `x->-oo.`

`(6/5)^x,` `(7/5)^x,` `(8/5)^x` tend to zero as x tends to `-oo` and `(7/5)^xgt(8/5)^x.`

So the result is `(1)/(+0)=+oo.` This is the limit for `x->-oo.`

The answer(s):

`lim_(x->+oo) (5^x-6^x)/(7^x-8^x)=+0,`

`lim_(x->-oo) (5^x-6^x)/(7^x-8^x)=+oo.`

In paragraph 36 of "Civil Disobedience," Thoreau distinguishes among different types of taxes. Why?

Through this essay, originally titled “Resistance to Civil Government,” Thoreau explained his individual non-violent tax protest that resulted in him spending one night in the county jail. Here in this paragraph, he described the kinds of taxes he did pay: the highway tax and the school tax. These taxes made sense to him, for he was in favor of keeping good roads and providing for the education of children.

The one he had not paid – and ended up never paying during his lifetime – was the Massachusetts poll tax. Every man of voting age was supposed to pay $1.50 per year in order to be allowed to vote in elections, or to be able to “go to the polls.” Since Thoreau had no intention of ever voting in these elections, he didn’t believe the tax applied to him. Besides, it was unclear what the state needed this money for. Authorities could use the funds to send fugitive slaves back to southern states. Or, they could use the money to support the newly-begun war with Mexico. Thoreau was opposed to both of these initiatives. Therefore, the fact that the money was untraceable was yet another reason to oppose the poll tax. Shouldn’t citizens know where their payments were headed? As he wrote:

I do not care to trace the course of my dollar, if I could, till it buys a man or a musket to shoot one with – the dollar is innocent – but I am concerned to trace the effects of my allegiance.

He couldn’t control where his $1.50 would go, if he paid it. But he could always control which way his own moral compass pointed. His adherence to this higher law meant that his loyalties lay first with himself, and not with the political region in which he lived.

In "Sweat," why does Sykes consider Delia a hypocrite for washing the clothes of white people? Do you agree with him?

Delia's husband, Sykes, considers her to be a hypocrite because she is working on Sunday.

Sykes reveals his attitude about Delia's "hypocrisy" in the story's exposition. After she reorganizes the clothes that he has disturbed, Delia goes back to washing them.  Sykes initiates an argument with Delia. She responds that she does not want to verbally spar with him because she has just come from "taking sacrament at the church house."  In response, Sykes rebukes Delia. He contends that while she has "comes from de church house on a Sunday night," Delia is "nothing but a hypocrite" because she worships at church all day and then "come home and wash white folks clothes on the Sabbath." Sykes believes that Delia is disingenuous in her faith because she works on the day where no work is to be done, and considers her a hypocrite.

I am not inclined to believe any of Sykes's critiques of Delia.  His cruelty and savage behavior towards her makes him a odd source from whom to take spiritual critique.  I think that another reason that Sykes cannot be taken very seriously is because he benefits from her toil.  Delia directly affirms her position as a significant contributor to the family's financial well- bring:  "Mah tub of suds is filled yo' belly with vittles more times than yo' hands is filled it. Mah sweat is done paid for this house and Ah reckon Ah kin keep on sweatin' in it."  Delia has to work on the Sabbath in order for Sykes to enjoy the life that he does. Sykes has not given her much of an option in terms of being an equal and contributing member of the household. Therefore, it is difficult to agree with his claim that Delia is a hypocrite.

Were the things that Martin Luther King was fighting for important?

As Martin Luther King said in many of his speeches, most famously at the March on Washington, he was fighting to redeem a promise that the United States had made at its founding. This promise was that all people were equal, and ought to be treated that way under law. So I would argue that it is almost impossible to argue that the things King was fighting for were not important. Part of his appeal at the time and since is the way that his rhetoric appeals to American values, contrasting the realities of racism and racial discrimination with the things that Americans want to believe about themselves. Moreover, while King has been made "safe" by decades of veneration, many of the things he argued for, especially late in his life, are controversial (but no less important) today. He vehemently opposed the Vietnam War, he advocated for a stronger social safety net and a welfare state, and he fought for workers' rights, including those of white workers. It was a sanitation workers' strike, in fact, that brought him to Memphis in April of 1968, when he was assassinated. In short, the battles King fought were battles over the soul of America, and whether it could live up to its promises. They were, and are, important to say the least.

What does Benvolio do about Rosaline?

Benvolio, Romeo's cousin, sees that Romeo is clearly hurting over his obsession for Rosaline.  Romeo's brooding causes Benvolio to take several actions.  First, he tries to convince Romeo to look at other women.  Benvolio mentions that there are many women out there, and he suggests that Romeo consider them. 

When this does not work, Benvolio changes tactics.  When Mercutio is able to secure tickets to the Capulet party -- where Rosaline will be in attendance -- Benvolio instead suggests that Romeo forget about whatever ill omens he might be feeling regarding the party, and that he attend.  While his intentions in doing so are good, we know that Romeo's omens are all too accurate, and that attending the party and meeting Juliet will ultimately bring about Romeo's demise.

Sample size (n)=4 a) What are the control limits for the mean chart b) What are the control limits for the range chart c) Is the process in...

When answering a question of this nature, we need to ask ourselves the type of data we have?

1.Continuous or discrete? 

From the sample size we can safely assume is it Continous.

2. What is our sample size, n?

n=4

3. Based on the above sample size, which chart will be used to obtain the control limits? 

A sample size 2<n<10 uses Xbar-R Chart.

Now we have identified which chart we are using, we can answer our questions:

1. Control limits for the mean chart: 

The equation of the lower control limit from Xbar-R chart: `barX-3(barR)/(d_2)`

` `

`barX =0.3631`

`barR =0.0837`

` `

`d_2 = 2.059`

The lower control limit = 0.241

The equation of the upper control limit from Xbar-R chart: `barX+3(barR)/(d_2)`

The upper control limit = 0.485

2. The control limit for the range chart: 

`D_3 = 0, D_4 =2.282, bar_R = 0.0837`

The equation of the lower limit from Xbar-R chart: `D_3barR`

 lower  control limit = 0

The equation of the upper limit from Xbar-R chart: `D_4barR`

upper control limit = 0.191

3. Is the process in control? 

The R-chart determines if the system or process is in control. If the R chart is out of control, then the process is not stable.

SUMMARY: 

a) (0.241, 0.485)

b) (0, 0.191)

c) Depends on stability of R chart.

How do books 1-4 of The Odyssey prepare us for the introduction of the hero Odysseus in Book 5?

Like all good epics, Homer's The Odyssey starts in media res, and so we come to the story in the middle of things. As such, we don't get to directly meet our hero, the wayward and wandering Odysseus, until Book 5. Homer uses this narrative to set the stage for Odysseus' future heroism. 

Homer establishes context in a few ways. First, he describes the degradation of Odysseus' home in Ithaca. By outlining the extent of the suitors' depravity and the oppression of Penelope and Telemachus, Homer clearly signals the decay of a king-less Ithaca. As such, we are well aware that Odysseus is needed, which in turn makes us more anxious to finally meet the man.

Additionally, throughout these books we hear vague and mysterious snippets of conversations regarding Odysseus. Whether we're hearing the gods arguing about him on Mt. Olympus, or listening to Menelaus discuss his potential whereabouts, we're constantly hearing about the king of Ithaca without actually meeting him. In this way, we are able to establish vague inklings of the lost king's fate, although we're never able to say for sure what he's up to. This also increases our anxiety for meeting the king, and it only makes it that much more exciting when we actually meet him well into the poem during Book 5.

What was Malcolm X's main accomplishment?

While it can be difficult to distil a complicated and powerful life into a single greatest achievement, given the power of the legacy that remained after his assassination, it seems reasonable to claim that the authorship of his autobiography, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, remains his greatest single accomplishment.

The Autobiography of Malcolm X, published in 1965, has been upheld by various literary scholars and sociologists as one of the most important books of the 20th century. The work has helped ensure that many of the powerful messages Malcolm X advocated for have remained accessible to those who become aware of the problem of social inequality in the decades following his death. Malcolm X recognized that it was vitally important for people to have a voice with which to express their own identity, and his autobiography stands as a testament to the power of this expression, introducing many readers to the issues of race and politics in American society.

Consider "Imperialism": Do you have a hard time linking it to the Western way of life? Does it fly in the face of truth, Justice and the American...

There appear to me to be two distinct questions here.

First, you have to talk about how you perceive the term “imperialism” and whether it makes you uncomfortable to think about Americans and Europeans engaging in imperialism.  One way to define “imperialism” is to say that it is what happens when a powerful country takes control of a less powerful country and uses that second country to benefit itself.  In other words, you can say that this is a very selfish and even immoral activity.  A country is using its power to take away another country’s freedom and to use that country for the imperial country’s own good.

If you perceive imperialism as immoral, then do you have any problem with saying that Western countries (ourselves and countries “like us”) have been imperialistic?  Some people do not like to admit that the United States could do anything that is selfish and immoral.  Do you feel this way?  Do you feel that imperialism contradicts our values as Americans?  Do you feel that it is fair to say that the West has been (and is) imperialistic?  In other words, this part of the questions is asking you whether you think that imperialism is incompatible with our values and whether you think we really have been (and are) imperialistic.

Now, the second part of this question has to do with whether you think that imperialism has been a good thing or a bad thing overall.  Has it helped the countries that have been controlled by others or has it hurt them?

Imperialists living 100 years ago or so thought that imperialism was a good thing for the subjugated people.  Rudyard Kipling, in his famous poem “The White Man’s Burden,” said that the white people went out to work hard to help the people they conquered.  He said that the white people were doing their best to civilize the non-white, non-Western peoples.  Do you agree with this idea in any way?  For example, you could argue that British control of India was a good thing because when the British came in, India was made up of a large number of monarchical states and now it is a democracy.  It also has a much better educational system than in had before the British came.  As another example, the US built port facilities and things like sewer systems in places in the Philippines.  Thus, they helped build the Filipino economy and to improve the health of some Filipinos.  Some modern historians, notably Niall Ferguson (see link below) still believe that this is the right way to characterize imperialism.

Would you agree that imperialism was, overall, a good thing for the people who were subjugated by imperial powers?  Would you, instead, say that the Western powers acted selfishly when they took and used empires for their own good? Would you say that it was, on the whole, a bad thing that they destroyed the indigenous people’s native cultures and took away their freedom to choose their own destinies?  These are the questions you are being asked to deal with here.

I need to write a very small essay/paragraph about Anne Cannon, the astromator who became deaf in the 30's. I just need the major points of her...

Anne Jump Cannon was born to a wealthy family in 1863.  Her mother instilled in young Anne an appreciation of astronomy as she taught her about the constellations.  Anne grew up and went to Wellesley College to take courses in physics and astronomy.  While there, Anne became seriously ill with scarlet fever.  She recovered from it, but the illness caused almost complete hearing loss.  She still continued her studies and graduated with a degree in physics in 1884.

Anne was disappointed to find that there were "limited career options open to women" in her field of study.  She also faced limitations because of her deafness.  She began taking graduate courses at Wellesley, and eventually went to Radcliffe College.  She obtained a master's degree from Wellesley.  

Anne began working at the Harvard College Observatory, where her job was to "reduce data and carry out astronomical observations."  Anne Cannon eventually took over data analysis and star classification, where she created her "own scheme which resulted in the famous OBAFGKM classification which is still used today."  She discovered about three hundred stars and was an innovator in the field of astronomy.

How is Bilbo a hero in "The Hobbit"?

Bilbo is a hero in multiple ways in The Hobbit. He shows his heroism most in Mirkwood and the Lonely Mountain. First, Bilbo rescues his friends from the spiders in the forest. When his friends stray from the path to ask the Wood-elves for help, they are captured by the giant spiders. Bilbo puts on the One Ring, making him invisible, and then goes after his friends, freeing them from their web prisons and killing a lot of the spiders with his sword, which is when his sword gets its name, Sting. After being rescued from the spiders, the dwarves are then captured by the Elves, and Bilbo follows after them, still invisible. He then rescues his friends from the Wood-elves' prison.

Later, he finds the hidden path leading up the mountain toward the secret entrance of the Lonely Mountain. After realizing how to get into the mountain, he is sent to face Smaug, where he saw a bare spot on Smaug's belly - the one vulnerable spot on the dragon's entire body - which helped Bard the Bowman kill the dragon a little later. He also sacrificed his own share of the treasure when he took the Arkenstone and sneaked down to give it to Bard and Thranduil in an effort to end the war.

In the end, Bilbo shows many qualities of a hero: bravery, intelligence, sacrifice, etc. Without him, the quest for Erebor would have failed entirely.

What is the cliffhanger in Chapter Two of Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas?

A cliffhanger in literature is a point in the story when the reader experiences suspense and will, most likely, desire to continue reading.  The cliffhanger you refer to in Chapter 2 of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas involves what Bruno sees outside of his window at the very end of the chapter.  

His eyes opened wide and his mouth made the shape of an O, his hands stayed by his sides because something made him feel very cold and unsafe.

The reader is most definitely left in suspense because we are not told exactly what Bruno sees.  We are only told of Bruno's reaction.  Bruno opens his mouth in the typical childlike gesture of surprise.  As a continuation of the reaction, Bruno reveals that he does not feel safe.  We have to wait until Chapter 3 to find out the truth.  In fact, what Bruno sees is not even revealed until far into Chapter 3.  What has Bruno seen?  Bruno has seen Auschwitz, the concentration camp.  Bruno has seen the fence with the prisoners behind it.  Bruno has seen the people wearing "the striped pajamas."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." How accurate is this statement?

The phrase “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” has been attributed to Martin Luther King's famous civil rights document “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” King was writing to a group of Birmingham clergymen who had published a letter in a newspaper criticizing his decision to defy the law and hold a civil rights demonstration in Birmingham.

King's intent was to draw attention to the fact that if the government is permitted to discriminate, particularly through segregation, in one place, they are likely to be permitted to do it in others. If African-Americans were to simply accept segregation as it was forced upon them, no change for the better would be possible. Therefore, nonviolent protest, even in defiance of established law, was necessary to fight injustice.

In this sense, the phrase is correct. Allowing segregation, or any other injustice, to stand in one place establishes a precedent that can be repeated anywhere else. Precedent, aside from existing as a legal justification, is also frequently used to justify acts by other governmental entities (cities, counties, states) and even private parties (such as business owners).

By protesting segregation in Birmingham, King and his demonstrators helped set a new precedent that fought injustice. This precedent was part of chain of events that helped change American ideas about race-related values. As we have seen from recent events, this process is still not perfect.  

What kind of war is a civil war?

The term "civil war" is a bit misleading if you ask me.  At no point should anybody ever consider war to be civil.  Oh certainly civil gentlemen may fight in the war, but their actions are far from civil when the end goal is to kill more opponents than the opponent can kill.  There's nothing civilized about destroying your opponent by killing.  There's nothing civilized about killing.  

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "civil war" as a war being waged "between opposing groups of citizens of the same country."  

A civil war is a war like any other war.  There's violence and bloodshed.  The difference is that it's being fought between fellow countrymen.  Often a civil war will pit family member against family member and friend against friend.  That is the case in "The Sniper."  The text tells the reader that a civil war was being fought.  

"Republicans and Free Staters were waging civil war."

Then over the course of the next 1000 words or so, the reader reads a riveting narration of the cat and mouse game being fought between two enemy snipers.  The main character sniper is wounded, but he is ultimately victorious.  Unfortunately, his victory is quickly turned into a hollow victory.  

Then the sniper turned over the dead body and looked into his brother´s face.

The enemy sniper turned out to be his brother.  So while the sniper may have won this battle and killed the enemy, what good did it do him?  That's a powerful point that the author is raising about civil war.  There are no real winners.  

What is expected and unexpected in John Green's The Fault in Our Stars?

Hazel Grace meets Augustus Waters in the first chapter of Green's The Fault in Our Stars. The first step to their expected romance can be found in Hazel's attraction to Augustus, which is expressed as follows: 

"Look, let me just say it: He was hot. A nonhot boy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a hot boy . . . well" (9).

The next thing that needs to happen in order for the expected love affair to start is for Augustus to declare his attraction to Hazel, which he does as follows:

"'Why are you looking at me like that?' Augustus half smiled. 'Because you're beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existences'" (16).

Augustus declares that he won't deny himself of simple pleasures, which also suggests that he won't allow anything he wants in life to get away. This subtle hint foreshadows that he won't let Hazel get away; therefore, the romance can be predicted and expected from this point going forward.

As stated in the previous answer, the death of Augustus is unexpected based on the fact that Hazel's condition seems to be worse than his throughout the novel. Another unexpected twist to be discussed, then, is the way Hazel and Augustus are treated when they meet her favorite author Peter Van Houten in Amsterdam. 

From emails apparently sent by Van Houten, the kids believe they are cordially invited to meet the author of An Imperial Affliction. Unfortunately, they discover that the one being cordial to them is not Van Houten but Lidweij, his assistant. Even though Van Houten does not invite Hazel and Augustus to meet him, it is completely unexpected for him to treat the kids with such angst and disrespect--especially when he says the following:

"Sick children inevitably becomes arrested: You are fated to live out your days as the child you were when diagnosed, the child who believes there is life after a novel ends. And we, as adults, we pity this, so we pay for your treatments, for your oxygen machines. We give you food and water through you are unlikely to live long enough . . . You are a failed experiment in mutation" (192-193).

No one expects an adult to speak to dying children like this. Even though Van Houten is a sorry excuse for a man, he crosses a line by saying what is in the above passage.

Furthermore, it is unexpected to see Hazel stand up for herself with such gusto when she holds Van Houten to task as follows:

"Listen douchepants . . . you're not going to tell me anything about disease I don't already know. I need one and only one thing from you before I walk out of your life forever: WHAT HAPPENS TO ANNA'S MOTHER?" (193).

The situation escalates quickly, and Augustus ends it by taking Hazel out of the house immediately. This scene between Van Houten and Hazel is certainly unexpected; however, the strength of the expected love and bond between the young lovers supports Hazel through this disappointing meeting.

In the short story "There Will Come Soft Rains," if you were to think back to the story in the days and weeks to come, what image do you think will...

In terms of broad geographical perspective, the image that stands out is of this one remaining house amidst a city that has been destroyed. The house is the only one left, and is surrounded by rubble. From a distance, the city (what is left of it) glows from the radioactivity caused by the bomb. This is an apocalyptic image and suggests how technology (atomic bombs) can destroy civilization: 

The house stood alone in a city of rubble and ashes. This was the one house left standing. At night the ruined city gave off a radioactive glow which could be seen for miles. 

Another striking image is described in the next paragraph. The family had been outside during the blast. They were destroyed but the blast left white silhouettes on the western side of the house. This gives a poetic yet morbid image of what was left of these people. The silhouettes are like anonymous tombstones, the only remains of the family: 

The entire west face of the house was black, save for five places. Here the silhouette in paint of a man mowing a lawn. Here, as in a photograph, a woman bent to pick flowers. Still farther over, their images burned on wood in one titanic instant, a small boy, hands flung into the air; higher up, the image of a thrown ball, and opposite him a girl, hands raised to catch a ball which never came down. 

There is also the morbid image of the robotic mice carrying the dead dog away. And there is the final image of the one remaining wall of the house after the rest has burned to the ground: 

Dawn showed faintly in the east. Among the ruins, one wall stood alone. Within the wall, a last voice said, over and over again and again, even as the sun rose to shine upon the heaped rubble and steam: "Today is August 5, 2026, today is August 5, 2026, today is…" 

Even though the family had been gone prior to the start of the story, the devastation feels more complete and more lonely with just one wall remaining. And the last remaining voice announcing the date, even though it is robotic, seems more lonely as well. 

What are the dynamics of power between Antonio and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice?

The power dynamic between Antonio and Shylock seems to change over the course of the play. In the start Antonio would certainly have a far higher social standing and would therefore be in a position of power over Shylock. As a successful Venetian merchant he would stand well above a Jewish moneylender.

Things change slightly when Antonio needs to borrow money on his friend's behalf. Now they are on a more even footing. The two are engaged in a business deal together. Antonio even agrees to give his life if things go poorly.

Some might say that towards the end of the play Shylock is in a position of power over Antonio. Since the merchant cannot repay him, the moneylender is now in a position to take the old man's life. I would argue this is not the case. As we see from Portia's skilled rescue, the society they live in will not allow a man such as Shylock to have control of a man such as Antonio. If the business deal were to go well for Antonio he would get want he wanted, but if things go poorly for him, he can always go back on his deal, either by trickery or by trade.

This demonstrates that no matter the business advantages he may have, Skylock will never be able to assert true power over his Christian neighbors. 

What are the lines of reasoning used by the Prince of Morocco and Arragon in justifying their choice of casket?

The Prince of Morocco is first to choose. After some reasoning about what he deserves and the promises held by each casket, he makes the following observation:

One of these three contains her heavenly picture.
Is't like that lead contains her? 'Twere damnation
To think so base a thought: it were too gross
To rib her cerecloth in the obscure grave.
Or shall I think in silver she's immured,
Being ten times undervalued to tried gold?
O sinful thought! Never so rich a gem
Was set in worse than gold. They have in England
A coin that bears the figure of an angel
Stamped in gold, but that's insculp'd upon;
But here an angel in a golden bed
Lies all within. Deliver me the key:
Here do I choose, and thrive I as I may!

He firstly reasons that thinking that the lead casket contains Portia's picture would condemn him to the everlasting fires of hell for it is such a despicable thought. The idea of her body being wrapped in a cloth made of lead in her burial chamber (the casket) is too detestable to even consider.

He then rhetorically asks if he should rather consider her enveloped in silver, which is ten times less valuable than gold. He believes that such reasoning is sinful and should not be considered since she is a priceless gem which could never be set in an element less valuable than gold.

The prince recalls that they have a coin of gold in England which has the figure of an angel stamped on its face, it is sculpted into the coin but here he is confronted by a casket in which an angel (Portia) lies on a bed of gold. The Prince has no qualms that the gold casket is most definitely the right one, for it is not a gross element and, of the three, is the most valuable and is therefore the right choice for it adequately reflects Portia's value.

His choice is the wrong one and the inscription he finds on the scroll within reads:

All that glitters is not gold;
Often have you heard that told:
Many a man his life hath sold
But my outside to behold:
Gilded tombs do worms enfold.
Had you been as wise as bold,
Young in limbs, in judgment old,
Your answer had not been inscroll'd:
Fare you well; your suit is cold.

The Prince learns that he has been fooled by gold's false glitter for what appears valuable and good from the outside is not always so. He then graciously takes leave.

The Prince of Arragon considers the three caskets and when he reads the inscription for the one of lead, responds:

'Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath.'
You shall look fairer, ere I give or hazard.

He rejects the lead casket since he is not prepared to risk and give all that he has for a metal that is so dull. The word 'fairer' is ambiguous since it could refer to the dullness of lead or to the fact that Portia is not beautiful enough for him to risk all, or both.

He then peruses the gold casket and says:

'Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire.'
What many men desire! that 'many' may be meant
By the fool multitude, that choose by show,
Not learning more than the fond eye doth teach;
Which pries not to the interior, ...

... I will not choose what many men desire,
Because I will not jump with common spirits
And rank me with the barbarous multitudes.

The Prince displays some wisdom in rejecting the gold casket since he believes that the gold casket is chosen 'by show' i.e. what it represents and not what it really is. He reasons that the 'multitude' will make such an unwise choice for it is in the nature of common people to choose that which shows the most promise but may have nothing. He will not choose 'what many men desire' because he is different and will not associate with the savage mass of ordinary people.

When he looks at the silver casket he exclaims:

'Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves:'
And well said too; for who shall go about
To cozen fortune and be honourable
Without the stamp of merit?

The Prince goes into a speech describing the dishonour of cheating fortune and obtaining an advantage which one does not deserve, either through corruption or some other underhanded means. He believes that there is greater honour to receive that which one has worked for and acquired through hard work and dedication (what one deserves). For this reason he asks that he be deemed to have abandoned everything - 'I will assume desert' and in this, will claim what he deserves. He therefore chooses the silver casket, believing that he deserves Portia.

He has also chosen wrongly for he procures the image of a fool's head from the casket, stating that he has been foolish in making this choice. The Prince and his entourage leave immediately, with not so much as a word.

What are some regional-specific idioms in Huckleberry Finn?

The first chapter is loaded with regional idioms. 

The book begins with this statement: "YOU don't know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer." The narrator is Huck himself, and the idiom is "without you," meaning "unless you." 

Huck says that the book was by Mr. Mark Twain who told the story (of Tom Sawyer) "with some stretchers," meaning "lies." 

He explains that at the end of the book, he and Tom had gotten rich from the treasure they found: "It was an awful sight of money when it was piled up," meaning it was a lot of money and looked really impressive when it was piled up. 

Huck tries to take up the civilized life with the Widow Douglas, but "when I couldn't stand it no longer I lit out," meaning he left. 

Tom brings him back home, but Huck is still restless: "After supper [the Widow Douglas] got out her book and learned me about Moses and the Bulrusher." "Learned me" is a regional idiom for "taught me." 

Her sister, Miss Watson, comes to live with them "and took a set at me now with a spelling-book. She worked me middling hard for about an hour." That is, she was determined to teach him to spell, and worked him fairly hard at it for about an hour. 

In Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, why is Elizabeth pleased to find that Miss de Bourgh is "thin and small"?

By Chapter 28 of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth sees Miss Anne de Bourgh for the first time, Elizabeth has already formed a very negative opinion of Darcy. She has already decided he is an excessively prideful man who mistreats everyone he feels is beneath him. Her opinion of Darcy has especially been formed by Mr. Wickham's account of Darcy, from whom she also learns that it is expected of Darcy to marry Miss Anne de Bourgh.

In Chapter 16, we learn that, according to Wickham, Darcy disregarded his late father's will and refused to give Wickham the living at Pemberley promised by the late Mr. Darcy. Wickham's argument is that Darcy refused out of a general, intense dislike of Wickham fueled by jealousy; Darcy was jealous of his own father's devoted fondness for Wickham. When Elizabeth hears this, she draws the conclusion that Darcy is capable of "descending to such malicious revenge, such injustice, such inhumanity" (Ch. 16). On the same evening that Wickham informs Elizabeth of Darcy's alleged mistreatment of Wickham, Wickham also informs Elizabeth that Lady Catherine de Bourgh is the sister of Darcy's late mother and that Darcy is expected to marry Miss Anne de Bourgh to unite the Pemberley estate with the Rosings estate.

Hence, when Elizabeth sees Miss de Bourgh for the first time while visiting Charlotte at Hunsford, the living at Rosings Park, Elizabeth is very pleased to see that Miss de Bourgh is "thin and small." Elizabeth thinks to herself that Miss de Bourgh "looks sickly and cross," and because Elizabeth thinks Miss de Bourgh looks like such an unpleasant person, she feels that Miss de Bourgh will make a very suitable wife for Darcy--the type of wife she feels Darcy deserves.

What is the summary of paragraphs 1 through 17 of "Self-Reliance"?

Emerson opens this essay by talking about some original ("unconventional") lines he had read by a painter. It is the sentiment, more than the subject of the lines themselves, that leaves an impression (on Emerson and on people in general). He lists other great thinkers and geniuses such as Plato, Moses, and Milton. Emerson adds that too often we each dismiss our own individual genius. He implore the reader to listen to his/her own inner voice. He adds that we actually recognize our own individual thoughts in the words of such geniuses. These are thoughts we (too often) disregard because they are our own. The sentiment that struck Emerson (regarding the painter's text that he read) is that we all have these individual insights of genius, if only we would listen to the inner voice in each of us. 

The first phrase in the third paragraph illustrates Emerson's main theme: "Trust thyself." Emerson notes that younger boys, irresponsible and indifferent to consequences, sometimes say what first comes to their minds. The problem is that as boys become men, they stop acting so spontaneously and start speaking, acting, and thinking according to social customs. This strays from the lesson of trusting one's self. 

The individual genius that each man (person) hears fades when we enter society. Emerson champions solitude and the transcendental method of going above and beyond social institutions. Therefore, the truly self-reliant person is a "noncomformist." People are too quick to "capitulate to badges and names, to large societies and dead institutions." In other words, people are too quick to simply absorb some social worldview. It would be better to think for one's self than to simply accept some social worldview. In this respect, Emerson is also skeptical of tradition and the way it brainwashes subsequent generations. 

This self-reliance is not easy. "For non-conformity the world worships you with displeasure." Thinking unlike the majority of the population will make you stand out. Emerson basically says, get used to this. He also says not to worry about sounding odd or inconsistent. In fact, he actually encourages inconsistency. It shows the ability to have different perspectives. Great men/thinkers have historically been misunderstood, so being misunderstood should not cause anxiety. The self-reliant person must be bold enough to ignore social institutions and trust his/herself. Emerson says this is the "nature" of genius. 

What was the history of Reconstruction?

Reconstruction is the name given to the process of "reconstructing" the South. This meant determining how, under what conditions, and with what significant changes the South could reenter the Union. This process was hotly contested, involving both a contest over federal authority and a redefinition of basic rights for African-Americans in the South. 

Reconstruction really began as early as 1864, when President Lincoln proposed a plan by which former Confederate states could be readmitted into the Union if ten percent of voters eligible in the 1860 election swore loyalty to the United States government. This so-called "Ten Percent" plan was countered by a more punitive plan known as the Wade-Davis Bill that, while pocket vetoed by Lincoln, marked the battle lines for Reconstruction by making basic rights for African-Americans a condition for readmission. Lincoln himself moved toward this position before his death, seeming to advocate suffrage for African-American veterans in the Union Army. 

After Lincoln's assassination, President Andrew Johnson had little interest in protecting the rights of freedmen. He extended amnesty to most Confederates, including their leaders, and vetoed legislation passed by Congress, including an extension of the Freedmen's Bureau and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, that extended basic rights to African-Americans. "Radical" Republicans in Congress impeached Johnson for violating the Tenure of Office Act, and afterwards seized control of what became known as "Congressional" Reconstruction. In 1867, they divided the South into military occupation districts, using federal troops in some areas to force compliance, and mandating that Southern states ratify the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. 

On the local level, African-Americans made considerable strides in politics, getting individuals elected to local and state offices as well as to Congress. Many schools were built, and local organizations sustained black civic and political life. But without owning land, most remained locked in poverty, working as sharecroppers and tenant farmers who could barely make enough to meet the considerable debts they piled up. They also faced violent retribution from the Ku Klux Klan and other terrorist groups that emerged during Reconstruction to try to preserve white supremacy. 

By the 1870s, Radicals began to lose control of Congress, and Southern Democrats, through a mixture of violence, fraud, race-baiting, and compromise, regained control of Southern state governments. By the time the Compromise of 1877 ended federal occupation of the last handful of Southern states, Reconstruction was already ended in most of the South. Its end paved the way for the establishment of Jim Crow governments, founded on the principle of white supremacy, that would endure until the 1960s. While black political activism was a lasting legacy of Reconstruction, so was violence, poverty, and discrimination. 

Who is the speaker and what is subject of the poem "Caged Bird"?

"Caged Bird" is a poem by Maya Angelou. It consists of six stanzas, of which two discuss the thoughts of the "free bird" and four the thoughts of the "caged bird." The poem is written in the third person and the speaker is not identified. The point of view is omniscient. The speaker has access to the minds and interior thoughts of both birds. The birds are presented as highly anthropomorphized with both birds having human thoughts and feelings, albeit with the caged bird being the more humanized of the two. While the free bird sings of ordinary events in the life of birds, the speaker states:

for the caged bird   

sings of freedom

While on the literal level, this poem compares and contrasts two types of birds, on a metaphorical level this is a poem about black people in the United States. The "caged bird" is a reference to slavery and to the white oppression of black people. The song of the caged bird is artistic creation, particularly the musical and literary creations, of African-Americans.

What are some quotes that support the theme "It's a sin to hurt an innocent person" in To Kill a Mockingbird?

There are a number of places where this theme occurs. 

First, the title of the book comes from the words of Atticus who says that it is sin to kill a mockingbird.  He says these words in the context of Jem and Scout getting air guns.  Atticus says that they should never shoot mockingbirds.  Jem and Scout are perplexed. So, Scout asks Ms. Maudie. Ms. Maudie explains that Atticus right, because mockingbirds only do good. Here is the excerpt:

“Your father’s right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”

To be sure, these words do not speak directly of the evils of hurting innocent people, but the lesson is there and develops.

Second, in a stern conversation between Atticus and Jem, Atticus says that when a white man harms a black man, the white man is trash.  These words come in the context of the trial of Tom Robinson, where people are harming an innocent man – Tom Robinson. Here are the words:

As you grow older, you’ll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don’t you forget it— whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, that white man is trash.”

Finally, arguably the strongest words on this topic come during the trial. Atticus says that he pities Mayella, but his pity does not extend as far as harming an innocent man. Here are the words of Atticus:

“I have nothing but pity in my heart for the chief witness for the state, but my pity does not extend so far as to her putting a man’s life at stake, which she has done in an effort to get rid of her own guilt.”

How does O. Henry’s use of irony create a humorous tone?

My favorite use of irony in "The Ransom of Red Chief" is the verbal irony that happens at the end of Bill and Sam's letter to Ebenezer Dorset.  

These terms are final, and if you do not accede to them no further communication will be attempted.

Two Desperate Men.

Remember that Bill and Sam are two "hardened" criminals that have kidnapped a child.  They are dangerous men presumably because they are desperate enough to try anything . . . including kidnapping. At least that's the message that would be sent if the kidnappers were anybody other than Bill and Sam and the victim was anybody other than Johnny Dorset.  In this case, Bill and Sam are desperate to get rid of Johnny.  They are at their wits end.  They are scared of Johnny and desperate to escape his enthusiasm.  

The other irony that is humorous to me is situational irony.  I mentioned before that Bill and Sam are criminals that are willing to kidnap a young boy.  They should be cruel enough to control and scare little Johnny Dorset.  That's what readers would expect to happen; however, the absolute opposite is what happens. Bill and Sam actually cower from Johnny and have zero control over this kid.  Ironically enough, they don't get any ransom money.  In fact Bill and Sam end up paying Ebenzer to take his kid back.  So for all of their trouble, Bill and Sam actually lost money.  That story is hilarious, because everything that happens is ironic.  

Why was it important for the Articles of Confederation to limit the power of the government?

It was important for the plan of government created by the Articles of Confederation to limit the power of the federal government. We had just fought a war against Great Britain because we felt the British government had abused its power and violated the rights of the colonists. Thus, to ease the fears of the American people about having too strong of a government, we needed to create a plan of government that limited the power of the federal government.

The plan created by the Articles of Confederation did this. It created a weak federal government. The federal government was unable to tax its people. It couldn’t require people to join the military. The federal government was also not able to control trade. The power of executive branch was limited. A three-person committee ran the executive branch instead of having one person in charge of the executive branch.

While the creation of a weak federal government eventually caused problems for our country, it was something that needed to be created because of our negative experiences under British rule with a strong leader and a powerful government.

In The Bronze Bow, in what ways does Jesus appeal to Daniel in Chapter 15?

In Chapter 15, Daniel begins to travel routinely to Capernaum in the mornings and nights the hear Jesus preach. Although Daniel does not always understand what Jesus is talking about, there is hope and promise in Jesus' messages which appeal to Daniel. Daniel enjoys traveling in the mornings to see Jesus because the scenery is alive and there is much anticipation to hear Jesus speak to the crowds. Daniel tells his sister that there is a stillness in Jesus' deep, steady voice which makes his messages unforgettable. He mentions that in the mornings when Jesus speaks, nothing seems impossible. Daniel believes that the kingdom of God is nearer whenever he listens to Jesus. He is not sure if Jesus has been training for an upcoming battle with the Romans, but Daniel knows that Jesus has the strength of God in him. Daniel does not fully understand Jesus' plans or his messages, which is why he continually returns to listen to Jesus speak. Jesus is an intriguing figure who appeals to Daniel, and Daniel wishes to unlock the secrets in Jesus' messages.

Why did Tom and Becky decide to go for a picnic?

Interesting question! In the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Tom and Becky decided to go for a picnic.

When Becky first instigated the idea, her motives were quite different. At the time, she was upset with Tom. He was talking to another girl (Amy Lawrence), despite their “engagement” and his declaration of love to her. Consequently, she wanted to gain his attention and get revenge. As the text shows:

“she [Becky] glanced ever so furtively at Tom, but he talked right along to Amy Lawrence about the terrible storm on the island”

However, Tom and Becky’s relationship was eventually mended. Consequently, the picnic soon had a different purpose. Although the purpose was not initially revealed, Tom and Becky were quite excited. As the text reveals:

“The child’s [Becky] delight was boundless; and Tom’s not more moderate.”

Eventually, the readers ascertain the reason for the picnic. For Tom and Becky, the picnic represented their “wedding.” Becky even saved a piece of their “wedding cake” to keep for later.

Thus, the picnic served multiple purposes. Initially, Becky instigated the idea for revenge and to gain Tom’s attention again; however, as the book progressed, it is clear that the picnic became their “wedding” in the children’s minds.

How did Feudalism impact the lives of people living in Western Europe?

For much of the Middle Ages, Feudalism dominated the lives of those who lived in Western Europe. But its impact on individuals depended chiefly on their social position. The king or ruler, for example, sat at the top of the feudal chain and brought great benefits. By distributing his kingdom among his nobles, he received the loyalty of these men and the guarantee of an army during times of war. 

Similarly, the noblemen beneath the king also derived many benefits from the feudal system. The king granted them lands and titles while they received the loyalty of those below them, namely knights.But there were some drawbacks to this situation, as demonstrated by this primary source from 1110 in which a man called Bernard Atton did homage to his lord:

And the lord may take the revenues and the products of the year, if the relief is not paid to him, and also money rents. 

In other words, this relationship could cost a tenant financially, if he did not pay the necessary tax, like the right to inherit a piece of land, at the right time. (You can see more examples of these rules in the first reference link provided).

But, the vast majority of people in Western Europe were neither kings nor noblemen and, for them, life under Feudalism was very tough. While peasants and serfs (unfree peasants) had a right to their land and to protection from their lord, they had very little social and economic freedom. Serfs, for example, could not leave their manor without permission and had to pay taxes to their lord for basic rights. If a serf married, for example, he had to pay a tax to his lord called a merchet. Similarly, the heriot, or death tax, was owed to the lord when a serf died. 

Serfs also had to work on their lord's land, or demesne, to produce food for his family, while simultaneously working their own land for the same reason. The serf did not benefit from any surplus produce: this was sold at market and the money given to the lord. 

This situation was only alleviated when the Black Death hit Western Europe in 1347. The high death toll, which historians estimate is between one-third and one-half of the European population, created better opportunities and higher wages for peasants, as the high death killed so many existing workers. This has led some historians to call this period, "The Golden Age of the Labourer," though this is a hotly-debated topic. You can read more about it in the second reference link provided.