494 résultats pour "low"
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Aboriginal Australians - history.
Current archaeological evidence suggests that human occupation of Australia began around 50,000 to 60,000 years ago. The first settlers are believed to havemigrated from Southeast Asia in gradual stages, by way of the islands of Indonesia. Around 50,000 years ago sea levels were as much as 120 m (390 ft) lower thanthey are today, and Australia was joined with New Guinea and Tasmania to form one giant landmass called Sahul, or Greater Australia. Scholars believe that the firstmigrants to Sahul ca...
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In-Line Skating.
the foot using a combination of laces and buckles. Many skaters prefer a simple closure system that has laces on the lower portion of the skate and a buckle at the top.The boot liner is made of a soft, padded, cloth portion that fits inside the outer shell. Boot liners should be vented, which keeps the feet cool by allowing perspiration toescape during strenuous workouts or long trips. Attached to the bottom of each skate is the wheel frame. The frame houses from three to five wheels. The wheels...
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Jakarta - geography.
voluntary movement of families to Indonesia's less populated islands). Jakarta is a magnet for migrants from other areas of Indonesia; during the late 1980s an estimated 250 migrants arrived daily. Most were between the ages of 15 and39 years, many with six years of education or less. There is also a significant number of commuters and seasonal migrants who work in government, manufacturing,and services. In addition, many of these temporary residents are engaged in informal employment as drivers...
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Alzheimer's Disease.
compared residents of Ibadan, Nigeria, who eat a mostly low-fat vegetarian diet, with African Americans living in Indianapolis, Indiana, whose diet included a variety ofhigh-fat foods. The Nigerians were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to their U.S. counterparts. Some researchers suspect that health problems suchas high blood pressure, atherosclerosis (arteries clogged by fatty deposits), high cholesterol levels, or other cardiovascular problems may play a role in the devel...
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Antigua and Barbuda - country.
The monetary unit of Antigua and Barbuda is the East Caribbean (EC) dollar of 100 cents (2.70 East Caribbean dollars equal U.S.$1, a fixed rate since 1976). VI ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS The growth of the tourist industry has created some environmental problems, including uncontrolled disposal of sewage from hotels on the beach. Hotel developmentalso threatens the Antiguan mangrove trees. Water management is another major area of concern because of limited natural freshwater resources. Coral reefs...
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From Bulfinch's Mythology: Hercules - anthology.
'…amidst the gardens fairOf Hesperus and his daughters three,That sing about the golden tree.' The poets, led by the analogy of the lovely appearance of the western sky at sunset, viewed the west as a region of brightness and glory. Hence they placed in it theIsles of the Blest, the ruddy Isle Erytheia, on which the bright oxen of Geryon were pastured, and the Isle of the Hesperides. The apples are supposed by some to bethe oranges of Spain, of which the Greeks had heard some obscure account...
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From Paradise Lost, Book I - anthology.
At once as far as angels ken he viewsThe dismal situation waste and wild,A dungeon horrible, on all sides roundAs one great furnace flamed, yet from those flamesNo light, but rather darkness visibleServed only to discover sights of woe,Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peaceAnd rest can never dwell, hope never comesThat comes to all; but torture without endStill urges, and a fiery deluge, fedWith ever-burning sulphur unconsumed:Such place Eternal Justice had preparedFor those rebellious,...
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San Diego - geography.
Qualcomm Stadium is the home of the San Diego Chargers, playing major league football. PETCO Park is the home of the San Diego Padres, playing major leaguebaseball. Major sporting events in the city include a professional golf tournament in February, hydroplane races on Mission Bay in late summer, and the Holiday Bowlpostseason college football game in December. VI ECONOMY The total value of all the goods and services produced in San Diego make it one of the most powerful economies in the worl...
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Book
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INTRODUCTION
Kelmscott Chaucer
The Kelmscott Chaucer was published in 1896 by William Morris' company, the Kelmscott Press.
B Medieval European Books Illustration of Saint Mark in the Ebbo GospelsThis is a page from the illuminated manuscript known as the Ebbo Gospels (about 816-835). It depicts Saint Mark lookingheavenward for inspiration as he writes his gospel account, and is drawn in an expressive, energetic style typical ofmedieval art of that period. The full name of the Ebbo Gospels is the Gospel Book of Archbishop Ebbo of Reims. This pagemeasures about 25 by 20 cm (about 10 by 8 in).Bridgeman Art Library, Lo...
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From Bulfinch's Mythology: Proserpine - anthology.
the furrow, the seed failed to come up; there was too much sun, there was too much rain; the birds stole the seeds—thistles and brambles were the only growth.Seeing this, the fountain Arethusa interceded for the land. 'Goddess,' said she, 'blame not the land; it opened unwillingly to yield a passage to your daughter. I can tellyou of her fate, for I have seen her. This is not my native country; I came hither from Elis. I was a woodland nymph, and delighted in the chase. They praised mybeauty, bu...
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Laser.
their atoms into laser light. Consequently, they are the most powerful continuous wave (CW) lasers—that is, lasers that emit light continuously rather than in pulses. C Liquid Lasers The most common liquid laser media are inorganic dyes contained in glass vessels. They are pumped by intense flash lamps in a pulse mode or by a separate gas laserin the continuous wave mode. Some dye lasers are tunable, meaning that the color of the laser light they emit can be adjusted with the help of a prism lo...
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Stroke.
IV DIAGNOSIS The symptoms typical of a stroke can also be caused by other conditions, including brain tumors, various infections, and overdoses of certain drugs. A patient that hasstrokelike symptoms may undergo a battery of imaging techniques to rule out other medical problems and confirm that a stroke has occurred. The key imagingtechnique used in diagnosing strokes is computed tomography (also known as CT or CAT scanning), which employs X rays to obtain images of the internal structures oft...
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Federal Reserve System.
and their powers were also expanded. For example, discount rates now had to be approved periodically by the board. Sales and purchases of governmentsecurities—the open-market operation that previously had been managed solely at the discretion of the presidents of the reserve banks—were centralized in the FederalOpen Market Committee (FOMC), consisting of the seven governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four other reserve bank presidentsserving on a rotating basis....
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Depression (psychology).
IV CAUSES Some depressions seem to come out of the blue, even when things are going well. Others seem to have an obvious cause: a marital conflict, financial difficulty, or somepersonal failure. Yet many people with these problems do not become deeply depressed. Most psychologists believe depression results from an interaction betweenstressful life events and a person’s biological and psychological vulnerabilities. A Biological Factors Depression runs in families. By studying twins, researche...
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Kiribati - country.
mainly from Japan, the European Union (EU), and Australia. Kiribati’s only major exports are copra (dried coconut meat), cultivated seaweed, and fish. The United States, Australia, and New Zealand are the leading purchasers ofthe country’s exports. Despite the cultivation of crops for local consumption, Kiribati is heavily dependent upon imported foods. Other imports include machinery andequipment, manufactured goods, and imported fossil fuels, which supply most of the country’s energy. Australi...
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Petit essai d'historiographie : Race et Histoire, Claude LEVI-STRAUSS
George Duthuit Peggy Guggenheim., ou encore trois grands de l'ethnologie américaine, Robert Lowie A.L.Kroeber etle retraité Boas ; mais la rencontre décisive du linguiste Jakobson lui fait prendre conscience du potentiel de laméthode structurale. Il enseigne alors au Etats-Unis avant de rentrer en France en 1947, via Londres. L'annéesuivante, il est nommé chercheur au CNRS et soutien sa thèse sur Les structures élémentaires de la parenté (1949) devant le doyen de la Sorbonne, Davy, président du...
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Warsaw - geography.
VI ECONOMY In addition to serving as Poland's leading administrative center, Warsaw is also a center for science, research, and higher education. Since World War II the city'sindustrial base has been developed, with diverse plants producing steel, cars, tractors, and consumer electronics. Warsaw is the second most important industrial regionin Poland (after Katowice in the south). Warsaw, more than anywhere else in the country, has benefited from the boom in construction and commerce that foll...
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From The Hunchback of Notre Dame - anthology.
If then we were to attempt to penetrate through this thick and obdurate bark to the soul of Quasimodo; if we could sound the depths of this bungling piece oforganization; if we were enabled to hold a torch behind these untransparent organs, to explore the gloomy interior of this opaque being, to illumine its obscure cornersand its unmeaning cul-de-sacs, and to throw all at once a brilliant light upon the spirit enchained at the bottom of this den; we should doubtless find the wretch in some mi...
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Statistics
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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...
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Asia - geography.
the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain system. The Pacific Ocean plate drifted westward, scraping along the Eurasian plate and slipping under its coastal edge. This created the islands of Japan, Taiwan, the Kurils, theRyūky ūs, and the Philippines. Southeast Asia lies at the intersection of the Eurasian, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean plates. Over time the contact between these platescreated the mountain ranges of mainland Southeast Asia. The continued slow movement of the plates causes fr...
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Asia - history.
the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain system. The Pacific Ocean plate drifted westward, scraping along the Eurasian plate and slipping under its coastal edge. This created the islands of Japan, Taiwan, the Kurils, theRyūky ūs, and the Philippines. Southeast Asia lies at the intersection of the Eurasian, Pacific Ocean, and Indian Ocean plates. Over time the contact between these platescreated the mountain ranges of mainland Southeast Asia. The continued slow movement of the plates causes fr...
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Political Parties in the United States.
quickly enabled the Republican Party to overpower the Know-Nothings. Although the Republicans lost their first campaign for the presidency in 1856, they triumphed in1860 with former congressman Abraham Lincoln. The Republican victory resulted in part from the division of the Democratic Party into Northern and Southern factions,each of which ran its own presidential candidate, and in part from their success at attracting Whigs and Know-Nothings who had opposed the Republicans in 1856.During the C...
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Babylonia - USA History.
Pharmacology, too, doubtless had made considerable progress, although the only major direct evidence of this comes from a Sumerian tablet written several centuriesbefore Hammurabi. C Legal System and Writing Law and justice were key concepts in the Babylonian way of life. Justice was administered by the courts, each of which consisted of from one to four judges. Often theelders of a town constituted a tribunal. The judges could not reverse their decisions for any reason, but appeals from their...
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Venus (planet) - astronomy.
level winds circle the planet at 360 km/h (225 mph), making a complete rotation in only four days. These winds are said to super-rotate because they travel muchfaster than the rotation of the planet itself. These high-speed winds cover the planet completely, blowing toward the west at virtually every latitude from equator topole. The motions of descending probes, however, have shown that the bulk of Venus’s tremendously dense atmosphere, closer to the planet’s surface, is almoststagnant. From th...
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Anatomy.
The body defends itself against foreign proteins and infectious microorganisms by means of a complex dual system that depends on recognizing a portion of the surfacepattern of the invader. The two parts of the system are termed cellular immunity, in which lymphocytes are the effective agent, and humoral immunity, based on theaction of antibody molecules. When particular lymphocytes recognize a foreign molecular pattern (termed an antigen), they release antibodies in great numbers; other lymphocy...
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Kuwait (country) - country.
Oil revenues have allowed Kuwait to build an extensive educational system, yielding a literacy rate of 84 percent. Public school is free and compulsory from the age of 6to 13, and several private schools also teach this age group. Kuwait University (founded in 1966) is also free and offers programs in a wide range of professional andscientific fields at several campuses. Both the extensive library system at Kuwait University and the collection at Kuwait National Museum (1957) were heavily damage...
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Telecommunications.
commonly referred to as wireless communications, use technologies such as cordless telephones, cellular radio telephones, pagers, and satellites. Wirelesscommunications offer increased mobility and flexibility. In the future some experts believe that wireless devices will also offer high-speed Internet access. C Wires and Cables Wires and cables were the original medium for telecommunications and are still the primary means for telephone connections. Wireline transmission evolved fromtelegraph...
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Hong Kong - geography.
higher than China’s average standard of living. In 2006 Hong Kong’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was $27,679.20, although much of the wealth isconcentrated into relatively few hands. IV ECONOMY Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s most important economic centers is based on several factors. It is located midway between Japan and Singapore, and it liesastride the main shipping and air routes of the western Pacific. It also has long served as a major port of entry and trade for...
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Leichtathletik (Männer): Medaillengewinner der Olympischen Sommerspiele.
1896 Thomas Burke, USA 54,2 Herbert Jamison, USA 55,2 Charles Gmelin, GBR 55,6 1900 Maxwell 'Maxey' Long, USA 49,4 William Holland, USA 49,6 Ernst Schutz, DEN - 1904 Harry Hillman, USA 49,2 Frank Waller, USA 49,9 Herman Groman, USA 50,0 1906 Paul Pilgrim USA 53,2 Wyndham Halswelle,GBR 53,8 Nigel Barker, AUS 54,1 1908 Wyndham Halswelle, GBR 150,0 1912 Charles Reidpath, USA 48,2 Hanns Braun, GER 48,3 Edward Lindberg, USA 48,4 1920 Bevil Rudd, RSA 49,6 Guy Butler, GBR 49,9 Nils Engdahl, SWE 50,0 1...
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Cat.
I
INTRODUCTION
Cat, small, mainly carnivorous animal, Felis silvestris catus, member of
D Coat Colors The domestic cat's original coat color was probably grayish-brown with darker tabby stripes, a color that provides excellent camouflage in a variety of environments. Allother coat colors and patterns are the result of genetic mutations; for example, solid coat colors such as black and blue are the result of a gene that suppresses tabbystripes; an orange coat is the result of a gene that transforms black pigment to orange; and a solid white coat is the result of a gene that complet...
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Cat - biology.
D Coat Colors The domestic cat's original coat color was probably grayish-brown with darker tabby stripes, a color that provides excellent camouflage in a variety of environments. Allother coat colors and patterns are the result of genetic mutations; for example, solid coat colors such as black and blue are the result of a gene that suppresses tabbystripes; an orange coat is the result of a gene that transforms black pigment to orange; and a solid white coat is the result of a gene that complet...
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Tanzania - country.
The population of Tanzania (2008 estimate) is 40,213,162, giving the country an overall population density of 45 persons per sq km (118 per sq mi). Yet the populationdistribution is irregular, with high densities found near fertile soils around Kilimanjaro and the shores of Lake Malawi, and comparatively low density throughout much ofthe interior of the country. In the late 1960s and 1970s the Tanzanian government resettled most of the rural population in collective farming villages as part of i...
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Glacier.
covered. In spring the snow cover begins to melt in the lower reaches, exposing the ice surface. As temperatures increase, the melting moves up the glacier. Thesnowline is the highest position the melting reaches during the year. Firn is old granular snow. The firn limit may not exactly coincide with the annual snowline since insome years rapid melting leaves behind firn patches below the snowline. Some glaciers exhibit features called ice streams and icefalls. Ice streams are valley glaciers th...
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Volcano.
before eruption. Very violent explosive eruptions are called Plinian eruptions, after Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. These eruptions can last for several hours to daysand eject a large amount of pyroclastic material. Some volcanoes can produce much more energetic eruptions that eject materials farther from the vents because oftheir andesitic and dacitic composition. Andesitic and dacitic lava is generally thicker than basaltic lava. Stiff lava generally produces more-explosive eruptions. B No...
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Sexual Harassment.
A person who believes he or she has experienced sexual harassment on the job has a limited period of time in which to file a complaint with the EEOC. After the EEOCinvestigates the matter, it issues a right to sue letter, regardless of its conclusions about the matter. The victim then has 90 days to file a lawsuit against the employer in federal court. If he or she is successful in the lawsuit, the victim can receive up to $300,000 in compensatory damages for each incident of unlawful harassme...
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Skiing.
Safety is very important to all skiers, and all Alpine resorts have a ski patrol. The ski patrol’s responsibility is to take care of injured skiers, to mark hazardous spots ontrails, to make sure that trails are in good condition before opening them, and, at times, to act as traffic police in congested areas. Skiers are also responsible for takingtheir own safety into consideration, as well as that of others. Anyone who participates in the sport should be aware of the Skier’s Responsibility Code...
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Terrorism.
exploitation, ethnic discrimination, and religious persecution. Perceived inequities in the distribution of wealth and political power have led some terrorists to attempt tooverthrow democratically elected governments. To achieve a fairer society, they would replace these governments with socialist or communist regimes. Left-wingterrorist groups of the 1960s and 1970s with such aims included Germany’s Baader-Meinhof Gang, Italy’s Red Brigades, and the Weather Underground ( see Weathermen) in the...
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Public Education in the United States.
opportunities for them to break out from whatever social or economic circumstances constrained their development. IV HIGHER EDUCATION During the 20th century participation in higher or postsecondary education in the United States increased as dramatically as it did in American high schools. At thebeginning of the century about 2 percent of Americans from the ages of 18 to 24 were enrolled in a college. There were fewer than 1,000 colleges then, with enrollmenttotaling about 157,000 students. N...
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September 11 Attacks - U.
around and flew it back toward Washington, D.C. Flying low and fast, the airplane hit the Pentagon at 9:37 AM. In a bit of good fortune, the plane crashed into the west side of the building, which had recently been reinforced with stronger construction and blast-resistant windows in order to withstand a terrorist attack. Even so, theplane penetrated three of the Pentagon’s five concentric rings, taking a chunk out of the building and incinerating dozens of offices and the people who worked in t...
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Blacks in Latin America.
Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean the slave population declined at the astonishing rate of 2 to 4 percent a year; thus, by the time slavery was abolished, theoverall slave population in many places was far less than the total number of slaves imported. The British colony of Jamaica, for example, imported more than 600,000slaves during the 18th century; yet, in 1838, the slave population numbered little more than 300,000. The French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti)imported mo...
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Communism.
In Britain, Robert Owen, a philanthropic Welsh manufacturer, strove against the social problems brought about by the Industrial Revolution and sought to improve thewelfare of workers. As manager of a cotton mill, he enhanced the environment of his workers by improving their housing, modernizing mill equipment for greater safetyand sanitation, and establishing low-priced stores for the workers and schools for their children. Owen believed that workers, rather than governments, should createthe in...
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Communism .
In Britain, Robert Owen, a philanthropic Welsh manufacturer, strove against the social problems brought about by the Industrial Revolution and sought to improve thewelfare of workers. As manager of a cotton mill, he enhanced the environment of his workers by improving their housing, modernizing mill equipment for greater safetyand sanitation, and establishing low-priced stores for the workers and schools for their children. Owen believed that workers, rather than governments, should createthe in...
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Bird.
I
INTRODUCTION
Bird, animal with feathers and wings. Birds are the only
B Physical Adaptations for Flight The internal body parts of all birds, including flightless ones, reflect the evolution of birds as flying creatures. Birds have lightweight skeletons in which many of themajor bones are hollow. A unique feature of birds is the furculum, or wishbone, which is comparable to the collarbones of humans, although in birds the left and rightportions are fused together. The furculum absorbs the shock of wing motion and acts as a spring to help birds breathe while they...
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Bird - biology.
B Physical Adaptations for Flight The internal body parts of all birds, including flightless ones, reflect the evolution of birds as flying creatures. Birds have lightweight skeletons in which many of themajor bones are hollow. A unique feature of birds is the furculum, or wishbone, which is comparable to the collarbones of humans, although in birds the left and rightportions are fused together. The furculum absorbs the shock of wing motion and acts as a spring to help birds breathe while they...
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Prison.
Furthermore, experts disagree about whether imprisoning criminals actually prevents further crime. Some critics charge that American prisons simply warehouseviolence—meaning that U.S. prison inmates are confined and incapacitated in large numbers, with little or no effort made to rehabilitate them. Critics have labeled theresult of this process turnstile justice, referring to the fact that most inmates are chronic and persistent offenders and return to prison following conviction for new crime...
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Railroads.
III GAUGES The gauge of track is the distance between the inner edges of the rails at points 1.59 cm (0.626 in) below the top of the heads. In the United States, Canada, theUnited Kingdom, Mexico, Norway, Sweden, and much of continental Europe, the standard gauge is 143.51 cm (56.5 in). Why this measurement became the standard isa matter of speculation. Probably the tradition is inherited from early tramroads built to accommodate wagons with axles 1.5 m (5 ft) long; some of the early edge rail...
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George Washington
I
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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Memory (psychology).
memory span —how many items people can correctly recall in order. Researchers would show people increasingly long sequences of digits or letters and then ask them to recall as many of the items as they could. In 1956 American psychologist George Miller reviewed many experiments on memory span and concluded that peoplecould hold an average of seven items in short-term memory. He referred to this limit as “the magical number seven, plus or minus two” because the results of thestudies were so consi...