A Ton of Crap (17 page)

Collapse of the Ottoman Empire
In 1908, a nationalist and reformist group called the Young Turks forced the restoration of the 1876 constitution. In 1909, the sultan was deposed by Parliament, and replaced by Muhammad V. In the two Balkan Wars, Turkey lost nearly all of its European territory. During World War I, Turkey aligned with the Central Powers, and in 1918, the resistance collapsed, thus ending the Ottoman Empire.

LANGUAGE

Syntax
Syntax is the study of the rules and principles for constructing sentences. There are many theories relating to syntax. One of the most well-known theories is Noam Chomsky’s transformational grammar, which recognizes the relationship between the different elements of a sentence and the variety of sentences in a language, and then uses rules to express the relationship.

CHINESE MATHEMATICS

From the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty
Starting in the mid-
fourteenth century, the Ming Dynasty turned away from math, which led to a great decline in its studies. At the end of the sixteenth century, however, mathematical principles from the West spread throughout China. By the time of the Opium War of 1840, Western math was all the Chinese focused on and learned until in the nineteenth century, Chinese mathematicians created new developments in algebra. During the Ming Dynasty, use of the abacus became very popular.

THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Unlike asthma, which can be treated with medications, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a narrowing of the airways that will gradually grow worse over time. It is a co-occurrence of emphysema and chronic bronchitis that is usually caused by an irritation of the lungs. The most common cause of COPD is smoking cigarettes. This can lead to wheezing, shortness of breath, a rapid breathing rate, and a chronic cough. Symptoms usually don’t appear until significant lung damage has occurred.

GERMAN

Useful German Phrases
Here are some helpful phrases to know when traveling to a German speaking country:

Good morning.
Guten morgen.

Hi.
Hallo.

I’m lost.
Ich habe mich verlaufen.

Where is the bathroom?
Wo ist das Badezimmer?

How much is this?
Was kostet das? / Wie teuer ist das?
(formal / informal)

Do you speak English?
Sprechen Sie Englisch?

What time is it?
Wieviel Uhr ist es? / Wie spät ist es?
(formal / informal)

1. One of the reasons the Ottoman Empire was so successful was because:
   

   1. They won the two Balkan Wars.
      
   2. It was tolerant of other religions, allowing a wide variety of people to unify.
      
   3. The Young Turks forced a restoration of the constitution.
      
   4. Turkey aligned themselves with the
      Central Powers in World War I.
      

2. At its peak, the Ottoman Empire included:
   

   1. Canada, United States, Mexico, Egypt, Syria, and France
      
   2. Spain, Italy, Germany, Romania, Egypt, and Bulgaria
      
   3. Hungary, Transylvania, Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Greece
      
   4. Hungary, France, United States, Egypt, and Greece
      

3. A word like
   dog
   , which can only mean one thing, is an example of:
   

   1. A lexeme
      
   2. Syntax
      
   3. Noam Chomsky’s transformational
      grammar
      
   4. Articulatory phonetics
      

4. What is acoustic phonetics?
   

   1. The study of the speech from the vocal tract of a speaker
      
   2. The study of speech as it is transmitted from speaker to listener
      
   3. The study of the perception and reception by the listener
      
   4. None of the above
      

5. Which of the following is NOT one of the four elements described in
   Precious Mirror of the Four Elements
   ?
   

   1. Matter
      
   2. Water
      
   3. Heaven
      
   4. Earth
      

6. Which of the following were advancements made during the Tang Dynasty?
   

   1. Algebra
      
   2. Binomial theorem
      
   3. Geometry
      
   4. All of the above
      

7. What is the first defense in protecting the respiratory system?
   

   1. The lungs
      
   2. The nose
      
   3. The nasal cavity
      
   4. B and C
      

8. What is the most common cause of COPD?
   

   1. Wheezing
      
   2. Smoking
      
   3. Asthma
      
   4. Coughing
      

9. The history of the German language can be broken down into:
   

   1. Old German, Old Saxon, Modern German
      
   2. Old German, New Old German, Modern German
      
   3. Old German, Middle German, and Modern German
      
   4. Old German, New Middle German, Old Middle German
      

10. From 1050 to 1350, what replaced Latin in official writings?
    

    1. Middle High German
       
    2. Middle Low German
       
    3. Old Saxon
       
    4. Modern German
       

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

HISTORY:
The Magna Carta
King John of England Taxes His People, King John and the Pope, The Creation of the Magna Carta, Clause 61, The Magna Carta Today, Lasting Effects of the Magna Carta

LANGUAGE ARTS:
Reading
Literacy, Speed Reading, Subvocalized Reading, Lexical and Sub-lexical Reading, Rapid Automatized Naming, Reading
Disorders

MATH:
Scientific Notation
What Is Scientific Notation?, Example of Scientific Notation, Scientific Notation with Negative Integers, Going from Scientific Notation to Decimal Notation, Order of Magnitude, Engineering Notation

SCIENCE:
The
Digestive System
The Mouth, The Esophagus,
The Stomach, The Small Intestine, The Large Intestine, Other Organs

FOREIGN LANGUAGE:
Polish
The Origins, Dialects, Kashubian, Polish Grammar, Polish Today, Useful Polish Phrases

THE MAGNA CARTA

King John of England Taxes His People
King John came to power in 1199 and became one of the most controversial monarchs in the country’s history. Though never liked as a ruler, it was after a failed attack on France that King John set in motion the events leading to the creation of the Magna Carta. The mission against the French proved costly, and King John raised taxes on his people, causing outrage.

READING

Literacy
Literacy is the ability to use and understand the symbols of a writing system, be able to interpret what the symbols represent, and then be able to replicate those symbols so that others can understand them and come to the same conclusion. Illiteracy is not having the ability to understand what the symbols represent and derive the meaning.

SCIENTIFIC NOTATION

What Is Scientific Notation?
Scientific notation is a method of writing numbers that makes them easier to work with. These numbers can be any value, and this system is typically used because the numbers are too big or too small. By simplifying normal decimal notation, one can then apply them to other equations and formulas with ease. This is a typical example of scientific notation:

x
 + 10
y

x
is a real number, and
y
is an integer representing how far you have to move the decimal point.

THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

The Mouth
When a person eats, the saliva in their mouth has enzymes that start to break down the chemicals in the food. As your teeth chew the food, you begin to further break it down into a mushy substance. The tongue then rolls this substance into a ball, and the food is now called bolus, meaning a substance that is broken down to the point that is ready to be swallowed.

POLISH

The Origins
Polish is a West Slavonic language. During the Middle Ages, as the proto-Slavonic tribes settled in Europe, three groups emerged: West, East, and South. The Polish language began to emerge during the tenth century, when the first Polish state was established. As Christianity spread through the land, the Polish adopted the Latin alphabet, which allowed people for the first time to write Polish, a language that until then had only been spoken. Over time, additional letters were added.

THE MAGNA CARTA

King John and the Pope
In 1207, King John fought with the pope over who should become Archbishop of Canterbury. As a result, the pope excommunicated the king, leading to increased tensions between the king and his people. Though the king would come to apologize to the pope, the pope was wary, and in 1214, the pope proclaimed that should anyone try to overthrow King John, they would be legally allowed to do so. That year, King John lost another battle against the French, resulting in England losing its possessions to France.