2849 résultats pour "fora"
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Pennsylvania - USA History.
B Rivers and Lakes There are three major river basins in Pennsylvania: the Susquehanna, the Ohio, and the Delaware. Together they drain more than 90 percent of Pennsylvania’s landarea. Most of eastern and central Pennsylvania is drained by the Susquehanna and Delaware systems. The western part of the state is drained by the Allegheny andMonongahela rivers, which join at Pittsburgh to form the Ohio. In addition to the three major river basins, short streams flowing into Lake Erie drain the north...
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National Socialism .
VII THE PARTY IN THE REICHSTAG The movement grew rapidly, recruiting thousands of discharged civil servants, ruined shopkeepers and small-business owners, impoverished farmers, workersdisillusioned with the Socialist and Communist parties, and a host of frustrated and embittered young people of all classes, brought up in the postwar years and withouthope of personal economic security. In the Reichstag elections of 1930 the National Socialists polled almost 6.5 million votes (more than 18 perce...
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Moscow (city, Russia) - geography.
V RECREATION About 30 percent of Moscow’s territory is occupied by parks and public gardens, which were important elements of Soviet city planning. Gorky Park, which providesactivities such as amusement rides and boating, sits on the right bank of the Moscow River; the park’s display of a retired Soviet space shuttle dominates the riverside.The Moscow Zoo is located just west of the city center. The Botanical Gardens, administered by the Russian Academy of Sciences, offers a diverse display of...
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Christmas.
The new custom of Christmas gift giving allowed the marketplace to exert an unprecedented influence on holiday celebrations. Commercial innovations such asdepartment stores and mass advertising further expanded the custom of exchanging Christmas gifts. Seasonal retail sales helped fuel the economy, causing merchantsand advertisers to become some of the season’s most ardent promoters. Many holiday celebrants regretted these changes, however, and began voicing the nowcommon lament that Christmas h...
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Autism.
may also repeat body movements, such as spinning, rocking, or flapping hands. When upset or excited, they may also harm themselves by skin-biting or head-banging. They may also show significant aggression toward other people or inanimateobjects, or may have episodes of extreme anger or frustration. D Associated Symptoms Some children with autism show other symptoms that do not contribute to the diagnosis of autism itself. Sensory sensitivity is quite common, especially to some textures, sounds,...
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French Revolution.
B2 Assembly of Notables and Estates-General To pressure the parlements into accepting the plan, Calonne decided to gain prior approval of it from an Assembly of Notables—a group of hand-picked dignitaries hethought would sympathize with his views. But Calonne had badly miscalculated. Meeting in January 1787, the assembly refused to believe that a financial crisis reallyexisted. They had been influenced by Necker’s argument that state finances were sound and suspected that the monarchy was only...
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French Revolution .
B2 Assembly of Notables and Estates-General To pressure the parlements into accepting the plan, Calonne decided to gain prior approval of it from an Assembly of Notables—a group of hand-picked dignitaries hethought would sympathize with his views. But Calonne had badly miscalculated. Meeting in January 1787, the assembly refused to believe that a financial crisis reallyexisted. They had been influenced by Necker’s argument that state finances were sound and suspected that the monarchy was only...
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Harry S.
B2 Presiding Judge Political machines, such as the Pendergast organization, were common to both parties in the 1920s. They were based on the spoils system, in which winning politiciansgave government jobs to those loyal party members who had helped them get elected. Using government jobs as rewards, politicians created efficient (and oftenalmost unstoppable) vote-getting “machines,” in which party loyalty was often more important than doing any work. Without local machine support a political ca...
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Harry S.
B2 Presiding Judge Political machines, such as the Pendergast organization, were common to both parties in the 1920s. They were based on the spoils system, in which winning politiciansgave government jobs to those loyal party members who had helped them get elected. Using government jobs as rewards, politicians created efficient (and oftenalmost unstoppable) vote-getting “machines,” in which party loyalty was often more important than doing any work. Without local machine support a political ca...
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Lesotho - country.
V GOVERNMENT Under the terms of the constitution of 1965, which was suspended in 1970, Lesotho was a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature. After a coup in 1986,legislative and executive powers were vested in the king but actually exercised by a 6-member military council and a 20-member council of ministers. In 1993 Lesothoadopted a new constitution that redefined the role of the monarchy and altered the legislative branch of the government. The king, who is head of state, has no...
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Oliver Cromwell
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INTRODUCTION
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), leader in the English Revolution (1640-1660) and the first commoner to rule England.
as well as to the abolition of the House of Lords. He was an active member of the High Court of Justice set up for the king’s trial and boldly signed the king’s deathwarrant. For Cromwell, Charles’s execution was a divine judgment against a tyrant. Following the king’s execution, the Commonwealth of England was formed, ruled bya Council of State that included members of the Rump Parliament. For the next two years Cromwell remained a soldier in service to the state. The new Commonwealth had power...
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Oliver Cromwell.
as well as to the abolition of the House of Lords. He was an active member of the High Court of Justice set up for the king’s trial and boldly signed the king’s deathwarrant. For Cromwell, Charles’s execution was a divine judgment against a tyrant. Following the king’s execution, the Commonwealth of England was formed, ruled bya Council of State that included members of the Rump Parliament. For the next two years Cromwell remained a soldier in service to the state. The new Commonwealth had power...
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Water - chemistry.
flourides in drinking water has been found to reduce tooth decay. See Fluorine. Seawater contains, in addition to concentrated amounts of sodium chloride, or salt, many other soluble compounds, as the impure waters of rivers and streams areconstantly feeding the oceans. At the same time, pure water is continually lost by the process of evaporation, and as a result the proportion of the impurities that givethe oceans their saline character is increased. See Ocean and Oceanography. VII WATER...
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Cloning - biology.
found that such embryo cells are totipotent (able to give rise to all the different cell types in the body). Exploiting this characteristic, scientists developed three techniques to clone embryo cells: blastomere separation, blastocyst division, and somatic cell nuclear transfer. A Blastomere Separation In blastomere separation, scientists fertilize an egg cell with a sperm cell in a laboratory dish. The resulting embryo is allowed to divide until it forms a mass of aboutfour cells. Scientist...
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Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
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INTRODUCTION
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's work combined Russian and European influences.
The period of his connection with von Meck was one of rich productivity for Tchaikovsky. To this time belong the operas Eugene Onegin (1879), The Maid of Orleans (1881), Mazeppa (1884), and The Sorceress (1887); the ballets Swan Lake (1877) and The Sleeping Beauty (1890); the Violin Concerto in D Major (1878) and the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Major (1881); the orchestral works Marche Slave (1876), Symphony No. 4 in F Minor (1878), Capriccio Italien (1880), Serenade (1881), the 1...
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Hungary - country.
Northern Hungary lacks sufficient water, especially between July and October, when precipitation levels are typically low. Canals irrigate the Great Hungarian Plain,which is subject to drought. Because of the country’s mainly flat terrain, only limited water resources can be harnessed for hydroelectric power. F Environmental Issues Rapid industrialization in Hungary following World War II contributed significantly to a number of major environmental problems, including air, water, and soil pollu...
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George Washington
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INTRODUCTION
George Washington (1732-1799), first president of the United States (1789-1797) and one of the most important leaders in United States history.
A2 Promotion This was Washington’s first experience with the difficulties of raising troops while lacking equipment, clothing, and funds. Apparently he thought his efforts worthy ofsome recognition and successfully applied to Dinwiddie for a lieutenant colonel’s commission. He left Alexandria, Virginia, early in April with about 150 poorly equippedand half-trained troops. A3 First Battles Before he had advanced very far, Washington received news that the French had driven Trent’s men back from...
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George Washington.
A2 Promotion This was Washington’s first experience with the difficulties of raising troops while lacking equipment, clothing, and funds. Apparently he thought his efforts worthy ofsome recognition and successfully applied to Dinwiddie for a lieutenant colonel’s commission. He left Alexandria, Virginia, early in April with about 150 poorly equippedand half-trained troops. A3 First Battles Before he had advanced very far, Washington received news that the French had driven Trent’s men back from...
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George Washington
A2 Promotion This was Washington’s first experience with the difficulties of raising troops while lacking equipment, clothing, and funds. Apparently he thought his efforts worthy ofsome recognition and successfully applied to Dinwiddie for a lieutenant colonel’s commission. He left Alexandria, Virginia, early in April with about 150 poorly equippedand half-trained troops. A3 First Battles Before he had advanced very far, Washington received news that the French had driven Trent’s men back from...
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New Brunswick - Geography.
Grand Lake, the largest lake in New Brunswick, is in the lowlands, east of Fredericton. Most other lakes are located in the northern and southwestern parts of NewBrunswick. D Climate New Brunswick has a continental climate that is moderated by maritime influences in the coastal areas. As a result, coastal regions are slightly warmer in the winter andslightly cooler in the summer than are interior regions. Annual temperature variations are large, with the January mean usually at least 25 to 28°C...
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New Brunswick - Canadian History.
Grand Lake, the largest lake in New Brunswick, is in the lowlands, east of Fredericton. Most other lakes are located in the northern and southwestern parts of NewBrunswick. D Climate New Brunswick has a continental climate that is moderated by maritime influences in the coastal areas. As a result, coastal regions are slightly warmer in the winter andslightly cooler in the summer than are interior regions. Annual temperature variations are large, with the January mean usually at least 25 to 28°C...
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Fascism.
values as coming before a radical political transformation. Others argue that a radical political transformation will then be followed by a change in values. Fascists claimthat the nation has entered a dangerous age of mediocrity, weakness, and decline. They are convinced that through their timely action they can save the nation fromitself. Fascists may assert the need to take drastic action against a nation's 'inner' enemies. Fascists promise that with their help the national crisis will end an...
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Argentina - country.
Patagonia lies in the rain shadow of the Andes and so receives little moisture. As a result it is used primarily for grazing sheep, although some crops are grown on smallfarms in irrigated valleys. Several major oil fields also are in Patagonia. At the southern tip of Patagonia is Tierra del Fuego, a large mountainous island shared byArgentina and Chile. B Rivers and Lakes Most of Argentina’s rivers empty into the Atlantic Ocean. Three rivers—the Paraná, Paraguay, and Uruguay—flow generally sou...
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Honey Bee - biology.
B Reproduction and Development The queen controls the sex of her offspring. When an egg passes from her ovary to her oviduct, the queen determines whether the egg is fertilized with sperm from thespermatheca. A fertilized egg develops into a female honey bee, either worker or queen, and an unfertilized egg becomes a male honey bee, or drone. The queen lays the eggs that will develop into more queens in specially constructed downward-pointing, peanut-shaped cells, in which the egg adheres to the...
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From Bulfinch's Mythology: Cupid and Psyche - anthology.
waters, and fast by, a magnificent palace whose august front impressed the spectator that it was not the work of mortal hands, but the happy retreat of some god.Drawn by admiration and wonder, she approached the building and ventured to enter. Every object she met filled her with pleasure and amazement. Golden pillarssupported the vaulted roof, and the walls were enriched with carvings and paintings representing beasts of the chase and rural scenes, adapted to delight the eye of thebeholder. Pro...
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Switzerland - country.
formation over higher elevations. The wind reverses direction about sundown and moves down the valley as a cool downdraft. The foehn, which occurs during the wintermonths, is a dry and relatively warm airflow that is drawn northward over the Alps. The foehn can quickly melt snow and ice, increasing the risk of mudslides andavalanches. D Natural Resources Waterpower is the chief natural resource of Switzerland. The principal source of water is runoff from the considerable annual precipitation th...
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Classification - biology.
species based on the fewest number of shared changes that have occurred from generation to generation. IV HISTORY OF CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS Classification is one of the oldest sciences, but despite its age it is still a vigorous field full of new discoveries and methods. Much like other fields of science, greatthinkers have shaped the course of classification. One of the earliest classification schemes was established by Greek philosopher Aristotle, who lived in the 300s BC. Aristotle believe...
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Rain Forest.
dropped into the heart of the forest by helicopters. Suspended from the crane’s long, movable arm is a large gondola that functions as a mobile treetop laboratory.Moving from tree to tree, forest researchers collect specimens, conduct experiments, and observe life in the canopy frontier. The highest stratum of the rain forest is made up of the emergent trees, those individuals that stick up above the forest canopy. Emergents, which do not form acontinuous layer, are usually the giants of the for...
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Odyssey Greek The epic poem by Homer that
describes the adventures of Odysseus on his homeward
voyage to Ithaca after the Trojan War.
turn his men back into their human forms. Under her spell, he dallied for a year on the island of the sorceress, who gave him warnings about the perils he would encounter on his way home. Odysseus in the Underworld - Mythology. After suffering under the spell of the witch-goddess Circe for a year, Odysseus and his crew grew restless and wanted to leave. On the advice of Circe, Odysseus and his crew visited the Underworld (1) to consult the ghost of the blind seer Tiresias. Tiresias had many wa...
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Greek Art and Architecture - history.
powerful independent city-states. From 334 to 323 BC, Alexander the Great extended his father's empire into Asia Minor (now Turkey), Syria, Egypt, Persia, Afghanistan, and as far as India. D The Hellenistic Period (323-31 BC) Although Alexander the Great extended Greek civilization far beyond the Greek mainland and the boundaries of the Aegean Sea, his empire did not survive his death in 323.After Alexander died, his generals and successors divided the empire into a number of kingdoms: Ptolem...
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Wetland.
Other plants and animals have special adaptations suited for living in a wet environment. Most emergent plants have air spaces in their stems that enable oxygen to betransported to roots that grow in sediments with no oxygen. Some of the trees that grow in swamps form a set of roots above the soil surface or above the water thatallows them to get oxygen to the lower roots. In saltwater wetlands, specialized cells can limit the amount of salt that enters a plant, or specialized organs can excrete...
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Coral Reef.
sensitive to particles of mud or sediment settling on them, which means that corals rarely grow close to rivers or other sources of sediment. In the sea, light is filteredout by depth, so reef-building corals can only grow in relatively shallow water. Even in the clearest oceans few reef-building corals grow below a depth of 80 to 100 m(260 to 328 ft). Although corals need nutrients, they cannot thrive in areas where there are large amounts of nutrients. Typically, microscopic organisms in the p...
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Butterflies and Moths - biology.
The smallest butterflies are certain blues that have wingspans of a mere 0.7 cm (0.25 in). The largest are the female giant birdwings of Papua New Guinea, whichmeasure up to 30 cm (12 in) across. Moths range in size from tiny Microlepidoptera, several groups of small moths with wings no more than 0.16 cm (0.06 in) across, togiant silk moths, such as the atlas moth, which may exceed 30 cm (12 in) in wingspan. IV REPRODUCTION AND LIFE CYCLE Butterflies locate potential mates by sight, identifyin...
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Québec - Geography.
facilities. Tributaries south of the St. Lawrence include the Richelieu, the Saint-François, and the Chaudière rivers, which are only a few hundred kilometers long. TheRimouski and Matane rivers, also south of the St. Lawrence, are popular areas for recreation and salmon fishing. In the Canadian Shield, the longest rivers are theRupert, Eastmain, Grande Baleine, and La Grand-Rivière, which is the site of a huge hydroelectric complex. C Coastlines Québec has two systems of saltwater coastline. O...
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Québec - Canadian History.
facilities. Tributaries south of the St. Lawrence include the Richelieu, the Saint-François, and the Chaudière rivers, which are only a few hundred kilometers long. TheRimouski and Matane rivers, also south of the St. Lawrence, are popular areas for recreation and salmon fishing. In the Canadian Shield, the longest rivers are theRupert, Eastmain, Grande Baleine, and La Grand-Rivière, which is the site of a huge hydroelectric complex. C Coastlines Québec has two systems of saltwater coastline. O...
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Native American Languages.
From Nahuatl, spoken in Middle America, come avocado, cacao, cocoa, chile/chili, chocolate, coyote, tamale , tomato , and many others. Contributions from South American languages include jaguar, cashew, tapioca, and toucan from Tupinambá; alpaca, condor, jerky, llama, puma, and quinine from Quechua; and barbecue, canoe, guava, hammock, hurricane, iguana, maize, papaya, and potato from Maipurean (Arawakan). Native American languages, in turn, have borrowed words from European language...
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Television.
A charge-coupled device (CCD) can be much smaller than a camera tube and is much more durable. As a result, cameras with CCDs are more compact and portablethan those using a camera tube. The image they create is less vulnerable to distortion and is therefore clearer. In a CCD, the light from a scene strikes an array ofphotodiodes arranged on a silicon chip. Photodiodes are devices that conduct electricity when they are struck by light; they send this electricity to tiny capacitors. Thecapacitors...
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Fiji Islands - country.
the early 1990s. Fishing is done mainly at a subsistence level, but commercial fishing is increasing. The country also receives income from the sale of licenses to foreignvessels to fish in Fiji’s exclusive economic zone. Industry, including mining, manufacturing, and construction, employs 34 percent of Fiji’s wage earners and, in 2006, contributed 26 percent of GDP. The governmentinstituted tax-free incentives in 1988 that created a flourishing garment industry. Ready-made garments are now the...
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Sexually Transmitted Infections.
D Genital Herpes Genital herpes is caused by infection with the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Most cases of genital herpes are due to HSV type 2. Some cases, however, result from genitalinfections with HSV type 1, a common cause of cold sores. Genital herpes causes recurrent outbreaks of painful sores on the genitals, although the disease oftenremains dormant with no symptoms for long periods. In the United States, one in five individuals over the age of 12 is infected with HSV type 2, and the va...
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Middle East - Geography.
though overall they have improved considerably since the 1970s. This variation reflects the different levels of wealth and development in countries of the Middle East. Inthe highly developed country of Israel the infant mortality rate was 8 deaths per 1000 live births in 1997. By comparison, the rate per 1000 live births was 71 in less-developed Egypt and 75 in Yemen. A Ethnic Groups and Languages Arabs make up the majority of the people of the Middle East, accounting for almost the entire popu...
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Jerusalem - geography.
There are many other artifacts in the city, tied to various periods of history; those of Canaanite, Israelite, Greek, Roman, Arab, Crusader, and Ottoman origin areamong the more prominent. Modern attractions include the Israel Museum (completed in 1965), which houses the Shrine of the Book, where the Dead Sea Scrolls areexhibited; the Rockefeller Museum (opened in 1938), which contains archaeological finds; the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum; the Museum of Biblical Archaeology; theMuseum of Islamic...
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Water Pollution.
Cryptosporidium in the water supply of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sickened more than 400,000 people and killed more than 100. H Thermal Pollution Water is often drawn from rivers, lakes, or the ocean for use as a coolant in factories and power plants. The water is usually returned to the source warmer than when itwas taken. Even small temperature changes in a body of water can drive away the fish and other species that were originally present, and attract other species in placeof them. Thermal pol...
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Liechtenstein - country.
principal crops are corn, potatoes, barley, wheat, and vegetables. Grapes are grown for wine production. Cattle and sheep are raised for meat and dairy products. B Manufacturing Liechtenstein has few raw materials and must import more than 90 percent of its energy sources. Consequently, Liechtenstein has no heavy industry. Instead, theprincipality has developed a number of efficient, small-scale industries that manufacture specialized goods such as false teeth and dental supplies, pharmaceutica...
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Greek Mythology.
world in search of her; as a result, fertility left the earth. Zeus commanded Hades to release Persephone, but Hades had cunningly given her a pomegranate seed toeat. Having consumed food from the underworld, Persephone was obliged to return below the earth for part of each year. Her return from the underworld each yearmeant the revival of nature and the beginning of spring. This myth was told especially in connection with the Eleusinian Mysteries, sacred rituals observed in the Greektown of Ele...
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Environment.
escape into space of the infrared energy radiated back out by Earth. This process is referred to as the greenhouse effect. These gases, primarily carbon dioxide,methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor, insulate Earth’s surface, helping to maintain warm temperatures. Without these gases, Earth would be a frozen planet with anaverage temperature of about -18°C (about 0°F) instead of a comfortable 15°C (59°F). If the concentration of these gases rises, they trap more heat within theatmosphere, caus...
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Silk Road - History.
and high in value because they were carried on the backs of the limited number of camels in each caravan. Thus, of necessity they were luxury items, not bulky rawmaterials or essential goods for daily use. The oases and towns along the route, which were located in or near remote areas, profited from the Silk Road trade and reliedon it for their existence. The great empires of Persia, China, and Rome, however, could easily have survived without the commerce in luxury goods. V SPREAD OF RELIGION A...
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Acid Rain.
the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, a quarter of the lakes and ponds are acidic, and many have lost their brook trout and other fish. In the middleAppalachian Mountains, over 1,300 streams are afflicted. All of Norway’s major rivers have been damaged by acid rain, severely reducing salmon and trout populations. E Plants and Animals The effects of acid rain on wildlife can be far-reaching. If a population of one plant or animal is adversely affected by acid rain, animals that feed on tha...
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Colonialism and Colonies.
by plundering the riches of existing civilizations in the Americas and by seizing the area’s mineral wealth through mining. These practices were promoted by the policy of mercantilism that many European colonial powers adopted. Those who advocated mercantilism believed that exports toforeign countries were preferable both to trade within a country and to imports because exports brought more money into the country. They also believed that thewealth of a nation depended primarily on the possession...
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Colonialism and Colonies .
by plundering the riches of existing civilizations in the Americas and by seizing the area’s mineral wealth through mining. These practices were promoted by the policy of mercantilism that many European colonial powers adopted. Those who advocated mercantilism believed that exports toforeign countries were preferable both to trade within a country and to imports because exports brought more money into the country. They also believed that thewealth of a nation depended primarily on the possession...
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Statistics
I
INTRODUCTION
Statistics, branch of mathematics that deals with the collection, organization, and analysis of numerical data and with such problems as experiment design and decision
making.
Professional pollsters typically conduct their surveys among sample populations of 1,000 people. Statistical measurementsshow that reductions in the margin of error flatten out considerably after the sample size reaches 1,000.© Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The raw materials of statistics are sets of numbers obtained from enumerations or measurements. In collecting statistical data, adequate precautions must be taken tosecure complete and accurate information. The first problem of...