Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Primary education

Aestheticism

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), English

This fragment, written by Oscar Wilde, belongs to the first lines of The Picture of Dorian Gray, and it describes the room where Dorian Gray's painting stands on an easel. The famous artist Basil Hallward, author of the painting, is showing it to his friend Lord Henry Wotton, a well-known wit and hedonist, who admires the beauty of Dorian and wants to meet him. He also wants Basil to exhibit the painting at the Grosvenor, which Basil refuses to do, as by doing so, Basil believes, he will show the world his inner soul.

The Preface and the Aesthetic Movement

Oscar Wilde's preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray consists of a list of aphorisms that deal directly with art,... Continue reading "Analysis of the Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray" »

Adulterate

(v.) to corrupt, make worse by the addition of something of lesser value

• Synonyms: contaminate, pollute, sully
• Antonyms: purify, purge, expurgate

Ambidextrous

(adj.) able to use both hands equally well; very skillful; deceitful, hypocritical

• Synonyms: versatile, facile
• Antonyms: clumsy, all thumbs, maladroit

Augment

(v.) to make larger, increase

• Synonyms: enlarge, supplement, amplify
• Antonyms: decrease, diminish

Bereft

(adj., part.) deprived of; made unhappy through a loss

• Synonyms: bereaved
• Antonyms: replete, well provided

Deploy

(v.) to position or arrange; to utilize; to form up

• Synonyms: station, organize

Dour

(adj.) stern, unyielding, gloomy, ill-humored

• Synonyms: harsh, bleak, forbidding, saturnine
• Antonyms: cheery, inviting, genial

Fortitude

(n.)

Medical Expenses

• Expenses for diagnosis, cure, relief, treatment, or prevention of disease for the taxpayer, spouse, and dependents.
• Gross Income Test and Gross Return Test are waived.
• Divorced Parents: The parent who pays the expense gets the deduction.
• Amounts must be paid in the year the expense is claimed.
• Medical expenses are deductible in the year actually paid.
• Medical expenses are deductible when insurance reimbursements are in excess of 10% of Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).

Travel Costs for Medical Care

• Automobile: 23.5 cents/mile, plus parking and tolls.
• Meals:
  • 50% deductible for travel to and from a facility.
  • 100% deductible at the facility.
• Outpatient Care: No deduction for travel.
• Lodging: $50 per person, subject to conditions:
  • Travel must be

Understanding Intonation in Speech

Stress-timed Rhythm: In stress-timed languages, the time between stressed syllables is roughly equal. Unstressed words are often reduced in both quality and quantity.

Syllable-timed Rhythm: In syllable-timed languages, each syllable takes approximately the same amount of time. Vowel quality remains consistent across both accented and unaccented syllables.

Functions of Intonation

Attitudinal Function

Intonation expresses attitudes and emotions, such as shock, pleasure, anger, interest, boredom, seriousness, or sarcasm. This is primarily conveyed through tone.

Grammatical Function

Intonation helps identify grammatical structures, similar to punctuation in writing. It marks the beginning and end of grammatical units... Continue reading "Understanding Intonation: Functions and Timing in Speech" »

Vocabulary Distinctions

1. Build vs. Construe

   • Build: To make something by putting bricks or other materials together.
   • Construe: To understand the meaning, especially of other people's actions and statements, in a particular way.

2. Freeze vs. Congeal

   • Freeze: To make food last a long time by storing it at a very low temperature so that it becomes hard.
   • Congeal: To change from a liquid or soft state to a thick or solid state.

3. Human vs. Humane

   • Human: Of or typical of people; a man, woman, or child.
   • Humane: Showing kindness, care, and sympathy towards others, especially those who are suffering.

4. Answer, Reply, and Response

   • Answer: A reaction to a question, letter, phone call, etc.
   • Reply: To answer; to react to an action by someone else.
   • Response: An answer or reaction.

City Versus Country Living: Pros and Cons

Living in a city is often considered essential today. However, living in the country is also beneficial. On the one hand, in a city, you have everything you need very near your house. Nevertheless, in the country, if you need a supermarket, for example, you have to travel several kilometres to find one. Also, in a city, there are more possibilities to get a job than in the country.

On the other hand, living in the country offers many advantages; for example, you have more peace and you can enjoy the landscape. However, in the city, everything makes noise, and you do not have a natural landscape. In my opinion, it is better to live in a city because all my friends are here.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Control System Fundamentals

A controller actively changes the motor output to move the system closer to a desired value, known as the set point.

Stepper Motors

Steppers are motors that rotate a specific number of degrees in response to control pulses. The number of degrees in each step is motor-dependent, typically ranging from 1 to 30 degrees.

Steppers commonly used with Arduino include:

• Bipolar: Typically with four leads attached to two coils.
• Unipolar: Five or six leads attached to two coils.

The Role and Skills of an Engineer

Engineering Purpose

Engineers work with people and negotiate with others to build projects. They must convince stakeholders to build according to their design and direction.

Essential Engineering Skills

• Project management
• Team

Oral Diseases Associated with HIV

Group 3: Lesions Associated with HIV

• Bacterial infections (e.g., Actinomyces israelii, Escherichia coli pneumonia)
• Cat-scratch disease
• Drug reactions (ulcerative, toxic epidermal necrolysis)
• Fungal infections (e.g., Cryptococcus neoformans, Geotrichum candidum)
• Neurological disturbances (e.g., facial palsy, trigeminal neuralgia)
• Viral infections (e.g., cytomegalovirus)

Kaposi's Sarcoma

Multifocal, vascular neoplasm.

• Decreased immunocompetence activates the latent virus.
• Palate and gingiva are the most common sites.
• Painless red macules progress to nodular lesions.

Differential Diagnosis

• Hemangioma
• Varicosity
• Bacillary angiomatosis
• Pyogenic granuloma

Treatment

• Intralesional injections of vinblastine 0.1 mg/cm² or 0.2 mg/mL saline.

A Circuit

A circuit is an unbroken loop of conductive material that allows electrons to flow through continuously without beginning or end. If a circuit is ”broken,” that means its conductive elements no longer form a complete path, and continuous electron flow cannot occur in it. The location of a break in a circuit is irrelevant to its inability to sustain continuous electron flow. Any break anywhere in a circuit prevents electron flow throughout the circuit.

A Fuse

A fuse element acts as a sacrificial device to provide overcurrent protection. Most fuses include a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows, which interrupts the circuit in which it is connected.

Electromotive Force (EMF)

To move electrons in a conductor in a... Continue reading "Fundamentals of Electronics: Circuits, Components, and Arduino" »

Wartime Policies and the Search for Principle

Quota Acts, Depression, and Declining Arrivals

The Quota Acts ended the new immigration, and arrivals from Northern and Western Europe, including the United Kingdom, declined. The Depression of the 1930s put a stop to mass immigration. During that decade, half a million Mexicans were deported. Nazi and fascist regimes caused the massive arrival of refugees. Congress, under special laws, admitted 250,000 of them as non-quota immigrants, but many more were turned away (including 20,000 Jewish children).

Labor Programs, Internment, and Postwar Resettlement

During World War II, the government imported temporary labor from Mexico under the Bracero Program due to wartime labor shortages and lifted the ban... Continue reading "Wartime U.S. Immigration Policies and Quota Reforms" »