A Ton of Crap (36 page)

An Irrational Constant
Pi is an irrational constant, which means that it cannot be expressed as a fraction or ratio of two integers. Pi is also a transcendental number, meaning that it is not the root of any algebraic numbers. When pi is calculated out into numbers, the decimal representation does not repeat or end. For example, the number truncated to 50 decimals is 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419716939937510. So for basic mathematic equations, many people shorten pi to 3.14.

NATURAL DISASTERS

Tsunamis
Tsunamis are caused by shifts in the seafloor, and are generally the results of earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions. For a tsunami to occur, the earthquake must occur near or under the ocean, with vertical movements in the seafloor. Large amounts of energy are dispersed in an upward bottom movement, and a wave forms. The largest tsunami ever recorded had waves up to 1,640 feet high and occurred in Alaska in 1958.

PORTUGUESE

Portuguese Today
Around 240 million people speak Portuguese today, and it is the official language of nine countries. Portuguese is the most widely spoken language of the Southern Hemisphere. Attempts have been made to turn Portuguese into an official language of the United Nations; however, it has faced several challenges, such as the fact that many Portuguese speakers all live on the same continent.

THE RENAISSANCE

Advancements in Technology and Science
Not only was the Renaissance a time of great achievements in art, but there were also great advancements made in technology. It is during this time period that the first portable clocks, eyeglasses, printing press, microscope, telescope, and even the first flush toilet were created. With the rise of technology and science, ideas such as gravity and the ability to study the universe led to the notion that the universe was not simply centered around mankind.

VISUAL LITERACY

The Power of Photography
Photography is one of the greatest sources for understanding past events, and helps tell the story of what occurred in ways other methods cannot. A photograph is not just a still of everyday life, but rather a scene that was specifically chosen and highly edited. With every photograph comes the opinion of the photographer. It is a natural part of photography, because the photographer chooses what should and should not be seen in the photograph. Understanding how to interpret photographs leads to visual literacy.

PI

The Not-So-Accurate Pi
Less accurate depictions of pi can be found in sources as early as the Bible, which states that pi equals 3. More recently, the Indiana Pi Bill of 1897 was an attempt to turn into law the notion that pi equaled 3.2 in the state of Indiana. The bill never passed the Indiana General Assembly, and never became a law.

NATURAL DISASTERS

Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanoes are mountains that were formed from folded continental plates. The magma that is erupted from the volcano comes from 150 kilometers below the Earth’s crust, where there is enormous pressure. This pressure forces the magma to rise, creating the eruption. When magma is released, it is then referred to as lava. Volcanoes do not always have to erupt from the top. Mount St. Helens was a volcano that erupted from the side.

PORTUGUESE

Useful Portuguese Phrases
Here are some helpful phrases to use when traveling to a Portuguese-speaking country:

Hello.
Olá.

Goodbye.
Adeus.

Good day.
Bom dia.

Good evening.
Boa tarde.

Yes.
Sim.

No.
Não.

Thank you.
Obrigado.

How much?
Quanto?

I don’t speak Portuguese.
Eu não falo
Português.

Hey, ref! Where’s the penalty?
Oí, árbitro! Cadê o penalty?

Brazil is magnificent!
O Brasil é lindo maravilhoso!

1. Which of the following is true?
   

   1. The Northern Renaissance took place in Rome and the High Renaissance took place in Florence.
      
   2. The Early Renaissance took place in Florence and the High Renaissance took place in Germany.
      
   3. The Early Renaissance took place in Florence and the High Renaissance took place in Rome.
      
   4. The Early Renaissance took place in Rome and the High Renaissance took place in Florence.
      

2. What was one quality of Northern Renaissance paintings?
   

   1. They were more realistic.
      
   2. They were more idealized.
      
   3. They were religion oriented only.
      
   4. They were sponsored by the Medici family.
      

3. What is visual literacy?
   

   1. A method of teaching how to take
      photographs
      
   2. A method of teaching how to read on television screens
      
   3. A method of teaching how to create typography
      
   4. A method of teaching based on the principle that visual images are a language that must be learned
      

4. Which of the following aids in understanding visual literacy?
   

   1. Color
      
   2. Typography
      
   3. Photographs
      
   4. All of the above
      

5. Which of the following is a formula for pi?
   

   1. Area/diameter
      
   2. Circumference/diameter
      
   3. Diameter/area
      
   4. Area/circumference
      

6. What is a transcendental
   number?
   

   1. A number truncated to 50 decimals
      
   2. A number that is not the root of any
      algebraic numbers
      
   3. A number that cannot be expressed as a fraction or ratio of two integers
      
   4. Number that has less than ten digits
      

7. What is the difference between sluffs and slabs?
   

   1. Sluffs are avalanches of loose snow and slabs have a strong layer on top of a weak layer.
      
   2. Slabs are avalanches of loose snow and sluffs have a strong layer on top of a weak layer.
      
   3. Sluffs are tropical storms; slabs are hurricanes.
      
   4. Sluffs are hurricanes; slabs are tropical storms.
      

8. Typhoons
   and
   cyclones
   are other words used to describe:
   

   1. Avalanches
      
   2. Tsunamis
      
   3. Tornadoes
      
   4. Hurricanes
      

9. What letters were added in the Portuguese Language Orthographic Agreement of 1990?
   

   1. q, x, and b
      
   2. k, w, and y
      
   3. k, w, and c
      
   4. q, x, and y
      

10. The closest language to Portuguese is:
    

    1. Spanish
       
    2. Galician
       
    3. Leonese
       
    4. Mirandese
       

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

HISTORY:
The Ming Dynasty
Founding of the Ming Dynasty, The Early Reign, The Golden Age of the Ming Dynasty, The Decline and Fall of the Ming Dynasty, The Economy of the Ming Dynasty, The Great Wall of China

LANGUAGE ARTS:
Braille
The History of Braille, Derivation, How Braille Works, Reading with Touch, Grade II Braille, Grade III Braille

MATH:
Angles
What Is an Angle?, Different Types of Angles, Complementary and Supplementary Angles, Measuring Angles, The Trigonometric Functions, Positive and Negative Angles

SCIENCE:
The Solar System
What Is the Solar System?, The Planets, The Sun, The Asteroid Belt, The Milky Way, Dwarf Planets

FOREIGN LANGUAGE:
Dutch
The Origins, Dialects, Changes to the Language, Polder Dutch, Dutch Today, Useful Dutch Phrases

THE MING DYNASTY

Founding of the Ming Dynasty
The Yuan Dynasty, led by Mongols, left the economy and state of agriculture in shambles. A group of peasants, the Han Chinese, who were discriminated against during the Yuan Dynasty, rose up and revolted. Zhu Yuanzhang came to lead the group of rebels, and as the last Yuan leader fled north, Zhu Yuanzhang founded the Ming Dynasty. Zhu took control of the capital city, Yuan, officially ending the Yuan Dynasty.

BRAILLE

The History of Braille
Braille was invented in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. The system was originally based on a military code created by Charles Barbier that Napoleon had ordered so that soldiers would be able to communicate at night in silence. Barbier’s code was rejected as too difficult. In 1821, Barbier visited the National Institute for the Blind in Paris, France, and it is there that he met Louis Braille. Braille simplified Barbier’s code and created the six-dot cell, which would turn into Braille.

ANGLES

What Is an Angle?
Angles are used in geometry. An angle is formed when two rays, an order of points in a line, share the same endpoint. The size of an angle refers to the value of the arc between the two lines, or the value of the rotation. There are five basic types of angles to know: acute, right, obtuse, reflex, and perigon.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM

What Is the Solar System?
The solar system consists of the Sun, the Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus, the moons orbiting the planets, dwarf planets, and the asteroid belt. The solar system has an elliptical shape and is always in motion. The largest object in the solar system is the Sun, which all other objects in the system orbit around. The solar system is believed to be about four billion years old.

DUTCH

The Origins
Dutch is a part of the West Germanic dialect, and more specifically, it is a West Low Franconian language. Dutch can be traced back to a.d. 500, when Old Frankish was split by the High German consonant shift. The Dutch language is broken down into periods: Old Dutch, which lasted from 500 to 1150; Middle Dutch, which lasted from 1150 to 1500; and Modern Dutch, which began in 1500 and is still spoken today.

THE MING DYNASTY

The Early Reign
When he came to power, Zhu Yuanzhang instituted a series of policies aimed to reduce the burden on the peasants, and placed great attention on punishing court officials involved in corruption and ending corruption. When Zhu Yuanzhang died, his son came to power; however, his son was soon overthrown in a coup led by Zhu Di, who would come to be known as Emperor Chengzu. The reign of Emperor Chengzu would be considered the most prosperous time in the Ming Dynasty.