A Ton of Crap (27 page)

SPEAKING

Speech Impediments
Speech impediments, or speech disorders, are disorders that disrupt the process of speaking normally. Speech impediments include stuttering, lisping, fronting (where “K” is replaced with “T,” “G” is replaced with “D,” “NG” is replaced with “N”) and gliding (“R” and “L” are replaced with “W” and “Y”). Speech disorders are developmental and occur because children develop different sounds at different stages during childhood.

DECIMALS

Finding the Percent of a Number
Finding the percent of a number is very easy. If you are asked, “What percent of 98 is 32?” you must first divide 32 by 98. The answer is 0.32653061. Choose the first four numbers, and remember to round. You now have 0.3265. Then multiply this number by 100, leaving you with 32.65, and then round to the nearest whole number. So, 32 is 33 percent of 98.

REPRODUCTION

Asexual Reproduction
What was just described was reproduction for humans; however, plants and even certain animals reproduce in a different way—asexually, or without a mate. This is done through mitosis. Mitosis is a process of cell division that involves replicating chromosome material. During asexual reproduction, genetic mixing does not happen, and it is sometimes referred to as cloning because the copies are identical.

GREEK

Useful Greek Phrases
Here are some helpful phrases to use when traveling in Greece:

Hello (singular).
Yia sou.

Hello (plural).
Yia sas.

Thank you.
Efharisto.

Excuse me.
Signomi.

Please.
Parakalo.

Where is the toilet, please?
Pou ine i twaleta, parakalo?

Where is the beach?
Pou ine i paralia?

Sorry, I don’t speak Greek.
Signomi, ala then milao elinika.

How much is it?
Poso kani?

1. Which of the following didn’t lead to the fall of Rome?
   

   1. The spread of Christianity
      
   2. Lead poisoning
      
   3. Attacks from barbarians
      
   4. Attacks from the Byzantine Empire
      

2. What event led to the rule of a succession of emperors in Rome?
   

   1. Caesar’s assassination
      
   2. Octavian’s assassination
      
   3. Construction of the Coliseum
      
   4. The fall of the Western Roman Empire
      

3. What is diction?
   

   1. Replacing the “K” sound with a “T” sound
      
   2. Pronouncing words clearly
      
   3. When the vocal folds tighten
      
   4. The pitch of the voice
      

4. What is the result of the pressure of the air that is blown past the vocal folds?
   

   1. Stuttering
      
   2. Pitch
      
   3. Volume
      
   4. Gliding
      

5. What can 0.982 be rounded to?
   

   1. 0.983
      
   2. 0.98
      
   3. 0.99
      
   4. 1.98
      

6. What does 9.2 × 0.8 equal?
   

   1. 73.6
      
   2. 0.736
      
   3. 736
      
   4. 7.36
      

7. How many chromosomes does each gamete carry?
   

   1. 23
      
   2. 46
      
   3. 21
      
   4. 2
      

8. Which of the following is not part of the male reproductive system?
   

   1. Epididymus
      
   2. Vas deferens
      
   3. Fallopian tubes
      
   4. Urethra
      

9. The first common Greek dialect is known as:
   

   1. Ionian
      
   2. Koine
      
   3. Dorian
      
   4. Aeolian
      

10. The two forms of Modern Greek spoken today are:
    

    1. Koine and Katharévusa
       
    2. Demotic and Aeolian
       
    3. Demotic and Katharévusa
       
    4. Ionian and Katharévusa
       

ANSWER KEY: d, a, b, c, b, d, a, c, b, c

HISTORY:
The Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages, The High Middle Ages, The Late Middle Ages, The Black Death, Science of the Middle Ages, Inventions of the Middle Ages

LANGUAGE ARTS:
Listening
How We Hear, Active Listening, Active Listening Barriers, Informational Listening, Reflective Listening, Tips for Being
a Good Listener

MATH:
Measurement
The Metric System, The United States Custom Units, Length, Mass, Volume, Temperature

SCIENCE:
Genetics
Gregor Mendel’s Plants, Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance, Inheritance Patterns, DNA, Gene Expression, Genetic Mutations

FOREIGN LANGUAGE:
Bulgarian
About Bulgarian, Old Bulgarian, Middle Bulgarian, Modern Bulgarian, Dialects, Useful Bulgarian Phrases

THE MIDDLE AGES

The Early Middle Ages
The Early Middle Ages, also known as the Dark Ages, followed the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and lasted from the fifth century to the tenth century. From 400 to 700, Europe was greatly divided, and there was a great migration of Germanic and Slavic people. Besides the increase in migration, this time period was marked by an economic decline. Many empires rose and fell during this time, never being able to achieve the status or success of the Roman Empire. It is also during this time that feudalism starts to appear.

LISTENING

How We Hear
The ear is divided into three parts (the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear) that lead to the brain. The outer ear is made up of the eardrum and the ear canal. As sound travels down the ear canal, the sound strikes the eardrum and causes it to vibrate. The middle ear is a space behind the eardrum where a chain of three bones, called ossicles, are. This chain of bones connects the eardrum to the inner ear, and as these bones vibrate, the fluid in the inner ear, or cochlea, begins to move. The movement of the cochlea causes hair cells to move, which sends electric messages up the auditory nerve. From there, the message is sent to the brain, which interprets these signals as sound.

MEASUREMENT

The Metric System
Though there are many systems of measurement found throughout the world, the Metric System is one of the most common systems used worldwide, with the notable exception of the United States. The metric system is a decimal system that measures with a base of ten. Weight is measured in grams, volume is measured in liters, dimensions are measured in meters, and Celsius is used to measure temperature.

GENETICS

Gregor Mendel’s Plants
Austrian monk Gregor Mendel is considered to be the father of genetics. In 1856, Mendel conducted a series of studies on pea plants observing seven traits he found in the plants: the color and shape of the seed, the color of the flower, the color and shape of the pod, the position of the flower, and the height of the plant. Mendel performed tests in hybridization and cross-pollination and found that the first generation of plants only resembled one parent, but in the next generations, dominant and recessive traits appeared.

BULGARIAN

About Bulgarian
Bulgarian is a South Slavic language spoken by 9 million people today. It is the official language of the Republic of Bulgaria, though there are also Bulgarian-speaking minorities in neighboring countries such as Greece, Turkey, Macedonia, and the Ukraine. Bulgarian is believed to be the first Slavic language that was written, and the language evolved in three periods: Old Bulgarian, Middle Bulgarian, and Modern Bulgarian.

THE MIDDLE AGES