Jamaican songbird Tessanne Chin (centre) is surrounded by love

CONTRIBUTED
Jamaican songbird Tessanne Chin (centre) is surrounded by love from Digicel during a courtesy call to the telecommunications company’s Kingston headquarters. In the circle are
(left) Annalise Harewood, recharge head; Shaun Birch, senior social media marketing executive;Tahnida Nunes, sponsorship manager; Monique McLeod, marketing communications
executive; and Ayesha Dawes, social media marketing executive. During her visit, as a token of support, Tessanne was presented with phones for herself, and her management
team.They will also use Digicel’s roaming package during her visits to the United States to take part in the US talent show,‘The Voice’.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
11
yl:english language
Let there be agreement!
NATASHA THOMAS-FRANCIS
Our team has lost every game this year.
Contributor
HELLO, ALL. I’m sure that by now you have
had enough time to get settled into your fifthform year (those of you still in school) and are
well aware of what is expected of you as you
embark on your CXC journey.
Last week, we started our lesson on
subject-verb agreement; you were given three
rules. Have you been applying them to your
writing and speech? This week, I wish to
continue that lesson with some other rules.
Sometimes when the members are seen as
functioning independently, these collective
nouns may be plural.
My family have great fortunes. (members of
my family)
The committee lead very different lives.
(members of the committee)
4. When the verb comes before the subject,
as in ‘there’ or ‘here’ sentences, it agrees with
the subject that immediately follows the verb.
Some collective nouns in this group are:
family, team, crew, class, government,
committee
There is a box on the top of my desk.
Make two sentences of your own using
these collective nouns.
There are many flowers in Mrs Brown’s front
garden.
11. Some nouns have the same singular and
plural form. They take the singular or plural
verb depending on the meaning.
There are two red toy trucks and an old doll in
the box.
There goes the new boy from next door.
This species of monkeys lives only in Africa.
5. Subjects joined by and take a plural verb
(except for in the case of rule number 2).
My uncle and aunt reside in London.
Both the young child and his mother were
frightened by the fire.
6. Several, many, both, few are plural words
and take a plural verb.
Both are happy with the grades they received.
RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tivoli Gardens player Keammar Daley skips a challenge from Ranike
Anderson of Arnette Gardens in their Premier League match at the
Edward Seaga Sports Complex on Sunday, September 29.
Where are my scissors?
On the other hand, some nouns look plural
with – s but they take a singular verb. For
example, physics, mathematics, news,
politics, statistics, ethics, measles, mumps.
Many were repelled by the sight of the dead
dog in the road.
Mathematics is seen as very difficult for many
students.
Few students have failed their exams.
Statistics requires complicated methods.
7. Some nouns are always plural and always
take a plural verb.
Trousers, pants, shorts, briefs, jeans
Glasses, sunglasses
Scissors, pliers, tweezers
8. Some words such as none, any, all, more,
most, some, majority, half, may take either
singular or plural verbs, depending on the
meaning.
My pants are old.
12
Either the man or his wife knows the way to
the restaurant.
9. When subjects are joined by words such as
Some nouns in this group are: species,
series, deer, fish, sheep.
Can you think of any other sentence you
could form using these kinds of nouns?
Either the man or his friends know the answer.
12. Expressions stating amount of time,
money, weight, volume are plural in form but
take a singular verb as in:
Either the children or the man knows the
answer to the problem.
Two months is a long time.
In the first and third sentences, the subject
closer to the verb is singular (his wife and the
man, respectively) so the verb is singular
(knows). In the second sentence, the subject
closer to the verb is plural (his friends) so the
verb is plural (know).
All the money has been stolen.
All of the students know the rules.
Last year shorts were in fashion.
neither, either, not only, the verb must agree
with the closer subject.
There are many species of monkeys.
10. Collective nouns are usually singular
when regarded as a unit.
My family lives in Manchester.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
One hundred thousand dollars is a lot of
money to squander.
I hope you were able to understand these
rules. Practise using them in your speech and
writing. In next week’s lesson, you will do
some activities which will allow you to apply
them. Until then, God bless!
Natasha Thomas-Francis teaches at Glenmuir High
School. Send questions and comments to
[email protected]
yl:english literature
The Day the World
almost Came to an End
BERYL CLARKE
Contributor
THIS WEEK we will begin discussing The Day the World
almost Came to an End. This, too, is a short story and if you
have not yet read it, you are in for a treat. The Pearl Crayton
narrative (like The Man of the House) is told by a child – in
this case a 12-year-old girl. The story revolves around the
church and the hold that it has on its followers. Our storyteller
is a member of a Christian family but openly declares that she
is a sinner, she is someone who finds sinning ‘delicious’.
The writer is female and American, whereas the writer of The
Man of the House is male and Irish. Pearl Crayton is black and
the setting of her story reflects this. When I read it several
years ago, I was reminded of an incident about which my
grandmother had told me. It was about the reaction of
someone she knew very well, who had run screaming
‘judgement a come, judgement a come’ through her
community when an early airplane had flown overhead. The
similarity of response is clearly based on Christian teaching
about the end of the world.
Before we continue, there a few questions I would like you
to answer.
Is the speaker describing something that has happened or
something that is happening? How do we know this?
What is the relationship between the church and its
members?
What does Rena mean when she tells her cousin to ‘get
some religion’?
What convinces the speaker that the world was coming to
an end?
What do we learn about those persons who interpreted the
occurrence of an eclipse as the end of the world?
What is Daddy’s role in this story?
Our story is set on a plantation. The families who live there
were probably the descendants of those who had worked as
slaves on a cotton plantation. As in the Caribbean, the church
would have played an integral part in the people’s lives. The
description we get here shows that the church had a strong
hold on its members, directing their lives, being mother,
teacher and chastiser. Do you recognise from this just how
strongly the church could control them?
It does appear that our narrator is something of a rebel who
knows that she is not conforming to the religious teachings
Black River High School’s Odari Phillips (second right) looks on as students from upper sixth form
solve a problem.
but is determined to hold out. She is aware that she is in a
precarious position but hopes to get away with it for a very
long time. The fear that the church has tried to instill in her
has not been enough for her to give up enjoying sin but, as we
will see, it has laid the groundwork.
In order to give you some time to read this tale, if you have
not had the fun of doing that yet, and also to give you time to
answer the questions above, we are going to turn our attention
to something else. Each year, I like to share what follows
below with you. You will be given the rest in another lesson.
This, I hope, will help you to write good essays.
COMMENT: This means that you should give a judgement or
opinion about something. You could be asked to comment on
the importance of dreams in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer
Night’s Dream.
COMPARE: Tells you to examine (look closely at) or judge one
thing against another to show how they are the same or how
they are different. For instance, you may be asked to choose
TWO books and compare how a major character in EACH is
affected by his upbringing.
CONSIDER: This advises you to think about a situation
carefully; that is, to examine all the facts of a situation before
coming to conclusions.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
CONTRAST: Here the question requires that you examine or
judge two people or things in such a way that their differences
are made clear.
DESCRIBE: Wants you to say what someone or something is
like. You would explain and give illustrations. For example,
describe the opening scene of the play. This would demand
that you say what the setting is, what is on the stage, how the
characters dress, how they relate to each other, what is their
physical appearance, and so on.
DISCUSS: This is to talk or write about details of something
with someone else; that is, to share your ideas about
something/anything in an organised manner. A question such
as ‘Discuss what these difficulties reveal about the characters
involved in the relationship’ requires you to align the
action/reaction of the one facing the difficulty with the
difficulty in order to see whether the person panics or deals
calmly with the situation. This is how you can decide on the
person’s character.
Have a great week, and God bless!
Beryl Clarke is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments
to [email protected]
13
yl:principles of business
Organisational structure of
business: the sole trader
YVONNE HARVEY
7. All profits belong to him as the sole owner.
Contributor
8. Many sole traders are assisted by family members and paid
employees who are few in number.
IT’S GOOD to be with you all again. I will begin by stating the
specific or learning objectives for this unit. As candidates you
should be able to:
9. Sole traders often have to work long hours, rarely taking
breaks or vacations.
1. Identify and state the characteristics of various forms of
organisational units.
10. Lack of continuity, meaning that if he dies the business is
likely to come to its end.
2. List and discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages
of different forms of organisations.
11. The sole trader may do business under his own name. If he
uses any other name, it must be registered with the Registrar of
Business Names.
3. Identify regulatory practices instituted by governments for
the setting up of various forms of business enterprises.
12. Capital is normally raised from personal savings,
inheritances and loans from family members and close friends.
4. List and explain the major functional areas in business.
5. Identify and interpret formal and informal relationships
existing among employees of an organisation.
LEGAL ASPECTS
6. Construct and interpret organisational charts.
There are virtually no legal formalities for this type of
business. However, depending on the type of business, a
permit or a licence may be required.
7. State the effects of growth on the organisational structure.
8. * State the nature and role of a management information
System (MIS).
9. * Discuss the benefits of MIS in a business.
*For general proficiency only
There are TWO sectors in a mixed economy: the private
sector and the public sector. The main forms of organisational
units vary from small to large businesses and fall under the
TWO sectors as follows:
PRIVATE SECTOR
PUBLIC SECTOR
sole trader
state corporations
partnerships
nationalized industries
companies
(private and public)
government departments
co-operatives
local and municipal
authorities
We will now begin looking at these forms of businesses
starting with the sole trader.
THE SOLE TRADER
The sole trader is the simplest, most common and oldest
form of business where only one owner exists. This type of
business is also known as the sole-proprietor business.
14
The business and its owner are inseparable.
JERMAINE BARNABY/PHOTOGRAPHER
St Jago’s Matthew Fisher (left) is challenged for the
ball by Excelsior’s Christopher Thorpe during
return-leg action in the ISSA/LIME Manning Cup
football action at the Courtney Walsh Oval on
Saturday, September 28.
Examples include retailers, restaurant owners, barbers, taxi
drivers, dressmakers, etc.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SOLE TRADER
1. The owner and the business are one and the same, they are
not separate entities.
2. They are mostly small businesses that are established with
very little capital.
3. Sole-trader businesses are easy to establish as there are
very few legal requirements.
4. This type of business is usually financed by the owner.
5. The owner makes all the decisions and manages the
business himself.
6. The owner bears all the risks and has unlimited liability.
Unlimited liability means that his liability in the business is not
limited to his investment in it but may involve him having to
sell his personal belongings to help out the business.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
ADVANTAGES OF THE SOLE TRADER
1. The business is simple and easy to start.
2. Decision making is quick and easy.
3. There is close, personal contact with employees and
customers.
4. Flexibility of the business in its opening hours and in what
is produced and sold.
5. Profits do not have to be shared.
6. Longer opening hours benefit customers.
7. Businesses of this type are usually easy to manage.
Although there are many advantages of this type of
business, there are quite a number of disadvantages. It would
be good for you to do some research and see what
disadvantages of the sole trader you can come up with. Next
week, I will begin the lesson by listing them for you and then
proceed to look at partnerships. Take care until then.
Yvonne Harvey teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and
comments to [email protected]
yl:office administration
The office(cont’d)
word-processing
HYACINTH TUGMAN
Ergonomics is the science of designing the job, equipment
and workplace to fit the worker. Proper ergonomics design is
necessary to prevent –
Contributor
DISADVANTAGE OF DECENTRALISATION
THE SIZE of the organisation does impact on the nature of the
duties and responsibilities an employee is given. For example,
in a large organisation an employee’s task will be more
specialised and specific to the department in which he/she
works. In small organisations, however, employees’ duties and
responsibilities will be more extensive and varied. For
example, a receptionist may perform multiple tasks such as
receiving and distributing mail, being in charge of accounts
payable and receivable and even cleaning up the office.
Can create duplication of equipment and labour; these can
lead to a strain on the company’s resources (human and
equipment).
Centralisation: refers to an arrangement whereby office
services which are used by all department or sections, for
example computing, filing, mail handling and reprographics
data processing, are organised at some central point, usually
under the direction of a supervisor or manager.
write letters and messages
ADVANTAGE OF CENTRALISATION
Better control over quality of work.
Greater focus on standardisation of work.
Untrained personnel can cause equipment to break down
due to improper use; this can lead to the loss of productivity.
USE OF COMPUTER/SOFTWARE IN BUSINESSES
spreadsheet
ERGONOMICS
Repetitive strain injuries which can develop over time and
can lead to long-term disability.
Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Back injury.
Office workers use computers to perform many tasks:
TYPES OF OFFICE EQUIPMENT
send and receive emails
Computer - Some of the many tasks performed by the
computer have already been mentioned above.
access saved data
Guillotine - Used to cut paper to precise specifications.
share the use of relevant files
make calculations using spreadsheet
Staff become more specialised and skilled in carrying their
job functions.
Computer software is the non-physical or intangible part of
a computer system which tells the hardware parts what to do,
such as the CPU, monitor, and keyboard.
Equipment kept at one place instead of being spread around
the building.
Software is divided into two main groups - System software
and application software.
Shredder - Shreds documents that may compromise the
company’s security or privacy.
Risograph - Copies documents on a large scale where
hundred or thousands of copies of the same document is
desired.
Fax machine - Receives and sends information electronically.
Administration control can be more effective.
System software consists of operating software and utility
programs.
Next week I will complete the last section of this unit. Your
assignment is to identify other office equipment, give their
function and name some operating software.
DISADVANTAGE OF CENTRALISATION
Application software is known as productivity software. They
are designed to perform specific tasks such as:
Hyacinth Tugman teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and
comments to [email protected]
Noisy machinery is located in one place.
Time is wasted when staff has to leave department and wait
to be served in centralised office.
Rupert Green,
overall male
champion of the
Race for Hope 5K
run, is elated to
receive a Huawei
Y210 Smartphone
from LIME’s
Corporate
Communications
Manager Elon
Parkinson (left) on
Sunday, September
29, 2013 at Hope
Gardens.The race
was held to raise
funds for the zoo.
Sometimes files are being used by other departments and
that prevents quick access to needed services; this could result
in serious delays.
Could prevent other staff member from developing those
skills performed in the centralised department, for example
staff members in the other departments may not learn to type,
file documents or use specialised machinery, etc.
Decentralisation: refers to a situation where various office
services that support the organisation’s operation are located
in each department throughout the company. For example,
duplicating equipment, computer and filing facilities can be
found in almost every department. Everyone in the department
may have access, or just one or two individuals.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
15
yl:history
Factors motivating European
exploration in the 1500s
DEBBION HYMAN
Contributor
AT THE end of the lesson you should be able to outline five
factors that motivated Europeans to explore and settle in the
Caribbean up to the end of the 17th century.
Concepts:
Wind systems, technology, trade, religion, national rivalry.
WIND SYSTEM AND OCEAN CURRENTS
The trade winds were important in European exploration as
this was the wind system which would take the Europeans from
Europe to the Americas. The currents, specifically the north
equatorial current and the south equatorial current (they flowed
east to west), were equally important as they took the ships
back out of the Caribbean.
TECHNOLOGICAL
The 15th century witnessed dramatic improvements in
navigational technology. This improvement would aid in
European exploration. The improvement in navigational
technology was aided by the Renaissance – a historical period
characterised by immense learning and discovery. This entailed
an increase in ideas in science, politics, religion and
geography. Europeans had developed remarkably seaworthy
ships and had learnt how to build ships large and strong
enough to sail in any waters. Their cartographic skills as well
improved to the point where Europeans had accurate maps of
the known world. Before, sailors had to rely on hand-drawn
maps which were usually inaccurate.
In addition, they developed new navigational instruments
such as the compass and the astrolabe. The compass showed
in what direction a ship was moving and the astrolabe used the
sun or star to ascertain a ship’s latitude. Other devices included
the quadrant, hourglass, sextant, sundial and cross-staff. In
addition, there was an improvement in ship designs; bigger
ships were built that could carry a larger amount of traded
goods. These ships were known as carracks. These new
technologies provided the Europeans with the catalyst to
undertake exploration.
TRADE
Another factor influencing European exploration in the 15th
century was trade and, by extension, their eventual settlement
in the Caribbean. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the
Caribbean, their area of trading focus was the East. European
products such as linen cloth, wine, furs and woollen goods
were exchanged for jewels, ivory, gold, perfume, cotton, silk,
coffee, dye and spices. Merchants, adventurers and
government officials were optimistic of finding precious metals
and expanding the areas of trade, especially for the spices of
the East. Many of these spices were used to preserve meat, as
well as to add flavour to food. Arab traders who had a
monopoly on the trade route primarily provided these spices.
These overland trade routes were quite dangerous since they
were plagued by bandits. Caravans that could take very little
goods and experienced a long journey also traversed the route.
The Portuguese thus sought to achieve a sea route to the East
to trade with India and China for these spices. They sought to
gain access to the spice trade by sailing eastwards through the
Indian Ocean. Later, the Spanish, in an aim to decrease
Portugal’s trade in the East, sought to find an alternative trade
route to the East. This demonstrated the national rivalry
between the various European countries. This desire to find an
alternative trade route to the East would witness Christopher
Columbus reaching the Caribbean.
DESIRE FOR MINERAL WEALTH
The Europeans carried out exploration in the hope of finding
mineral wealth. In the 15th century, most European countries
measured their wealth in the amount of gold and silver
(bullion) that they physically held. It was, therefore, in the best
interest of each country to secure as much of the world’s
bullion as possible. Since this theory held – that one nation
could only prosper at the expense of another – voyages of
exploration were seen as necessary to find new lands and
untapped reserves of bullion before other competing nations
could find them.
RELIGION
Lastly, one other factor influencing European exploration in
the 15th century was religion. The Spanish and Portuguese by
1492 had driven the Muslims Moors out of Europe. The
Catholic faith was an integral part of European life and, as
such, they had a deep desire to spread the faith to ‘pagan’
peoples. Religious zeal was high among the adventurers who
went out to explore on behalf of their nation.
Debbion Hyman teaches at St Hugh’s High School. Send questions and
comments to [email protected]
Power of Faith’s
goal defence
Jossette
Wedderburn (left)
intercepts a pass
intended for
Lighthouse’s Keysha
Osbourne during
the final of the
Power of Faith
Ministries (PFM)
Church Netball
League at the PFM
Sports Complex
recently. Power of
Faith defeated
Lighthouse
Assemblies 30-16 in
the final.
16
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
yl:geography
School-based assessment
MESHECH GREEN
Contributor
IN THIS lesson, I will continue with strategies to best
complete the other sections of the SBA; these will include
method of data collection. At the same time, I will show you
how to integrate well-presented illustrations, as well as how to
ensure that the data you present is seen as quality data.
Remember that you are going to stay focused on the task at
hand to earn as much as possible of the 20% that the SBA
values.
METHOD OF DATA COLLECTION
There are TWO ways of writing your methodology (also
referred to as method of data collection) and we shall examine
both ways. I should remind you that this section of the SBA
values four easy-to-earn marks and here is how you will earn
them all. First, let us look at what is required by the syllabus.
The profile dimensions of the methodology fall under practical
skills and knowledge, valued at two marks each, by stating
HOW, WHERE and WHEN the data was collected. This can be
written in any order in small paragraphs. You can also write
HOW, WHERE and WHEN as subheadings within the
methodology.
Observations
WHEN AND WHERE
Sampling (convenient or random).
This falls under the KNOWLEDGE profile and values one
out of the two marks. All you need to do is state:
Secondary sources can be included on a minimal scale in
cases where you have to search textbooks, statistics,
newspaper articles, government publications, etc, for
supplementing the research. The evidence will be seen in the
presentation and analysis section. Therefore, to get the two
marks, you should write something like this:
“Data was collected using a questionnaire (see Appendix 1).
Data collected include the number of workers and their
proximity to the plant. Random persons were also chosen to
participate in the study,”
or
“To gather data, an observatory study was carried out to
obtain the times of arrival of the workers. The data collected is
shown in the instrument (see Appendix 1) ...”
This data will be presented in various forms of illustration
(charts, pictures, graphs, etc) and this is what the examiner
looks at as evidence that you had carried out the investigation.
HOW
Earning the full points for
practical skill requires that you
provide a clear statement on HOW
data was collected. This ‘how’
speaks to getting data from a
primary source. Primary sources
are simply original data sources
from which the candidate
designs an instrument, like a
questionnaire, to get necessary
information. The objective is to
collect quality data that will be
presented in a quality manner.
The candidate should state how
the data was collected and
refer to the instrument used.
Credit is given if the
instrument is listed in the
appendix. Instruments can be
designed as one of the
following forms to collect
primary data:
1. The TIME of day.
2. The DAY of the month and the MONTH of the year the study
was carried out, or the PERIOD (range of times and days in
the months of the year).
3. The geographic location (‘address’) of the study area.
It will still take the same form as previously mentioned. Easy
mark, isn’t it? Of course it is. Here is an example:
“On September 24, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. a field study was
collected to look at the factors influencing the location of
Southern Foods Processors Limited.”
By mentioning the geographic location of the study, the
student has fulfilled the “WHERE” requirement to earn the
additional mark.
For the next lesson, we will look at some types of data
sources that we can construct to collect data for completion of
the SBA. Until then, remember that your fears, your doubts
and your insecurities are all lined up like a firing squad, ready
to shoot you out of the sky, but don’t lose heart. While they’re
not easily defeated, they are far from invincible. Therefore,
stay focused at scoring 36/40, minimum.
Meshech Green teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and
comments to [email protected]
Questionnaires and
Interviews
Surveys
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
17
yl:biology
Studying the environment
MONACIA WILLIAMS
Contributor
HOW WAS your week? Was it good? I hope so. This week, we
will continue our study of the environment and look at some
more of the pieces of equipment that are used in ecological
studies. Remember that we have already looked at some of the
ways in which we can capture animals. We will not be
capturing any this week, but counting.
One of the most-used pieces of equipment is the quadrat.
Notice carefully how the word is spelt; do not confuse it with
the word quadrant! What is a quadrat?
A quadrat is a square of a known area, usually 1m2, made
out of wood or metal and string. The wood or metal is used to
create the frame and the string is placed at measured intervals
on the frame to form individual squares (see Figure 1). It is
most commonly used for estimating the density of plant
populations, but it can also be used for estimating the density
of slow-moving or sessile animals, for example those on the
rocks of the seashore. Quadrats are also used to estimate the
frequency of organisms as well as percentage cover.
In order for the results obtained from the use of the quadrat
to be accurate, certain conditions must be met. These include:
The size of quadrat to be used.
The number of quadrats to be used.
The placing or positioning of the quadrats.
At this level of your studies, the third point is the most
important for you. In order to reduce bias, the placing of the
quadrats should be done randomly. In other words, you
cannot look for what you are trying to find and then place the
quadrat over it to make your numbers look good! Doing this
introduces bias and your results will not be scientifically
reliable. Bias can be prevented by dividing the area to be
studied into squares and using random numbers as
coordinates; random numbers can be obtained from random
number tables. If random numbers 3, 4 are generated, then
walking three squares from one corner in a straight line along
the edge and then four squares down into the field would
indicate the position to place the quadrat.
The density of a particular species can be determined using
the methods below.
Figure 1
18
Species density: The average number of organisms belonging
to a particular species captured in 1m2 found using a 1m2
quadrat.
Below is an example of how this is done.
E.g.
Quadrat throws:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1
Organisms:
12
8
13
9
10
11
7
6
regular intervals along the line and the species within the
quadrats are recorded.
LINE TRANSECT
4
10
Total number of organisms = 90
Density = 90/10 = 9 per m2
A quadrat can also be used to determine percentage cover.
Percentage cover is the area out of one hundred parts that is
occupied by the organism. It is used to describe the
distribution of organisms whose individual units cannot be
easily counted. These include organisms such as grass,
lichens and small molluscs on the seashore. It is the
proportion of a measured ground area covered by that portion
of the organism that is above the ground.
ESTIMATING POPULATIONS
Figure 2
Not only is it almost impossible to count the total number
of individuals in a population, it could also cause
unacceptable levels of damage both to the organisms and
their habitats. However, this is information that scientists need
to know in order to study different populations of organisms;
hence, estimates of population numbers have to be made.
How is this done? It is done using sampling methods. Let us
look now at some of these:
TRANSECTS
Transects are useful for estimating populations where one
type of habitat is changing to another, for example along a
shoreline moving from the water on to land. It can also be
used to show zonation of species (zonation describes the
geographical habitat of a particular species). A transect is a
straight line crossing an area recording all the species that
actually touch the line as it crosses the area. Alternatively, the
line can be marked at regular intervals, for example every 5 to
10m, and the organisms present at these points recorded.
The transect can be formed using a rope or a piece of string
or a wire; a rope is more commonly used since it is not only
flexible but also strong. The line transect can be converted to
a belt transect by placing a second line at a measured
distance, usually 0.5m2 from the first. All of the species within
the two lines are then recorded. The two types of transects can
also be used for the placing of quadrats. These are placed at
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
Figure 3
See you again next week. Take care!
Monacia Williams teaches at Glenmuir High School.
Send questions and comments to [email protected]
yl:chemistry
Distinguishing between
solute, solvent and solution
FRANCINE TAYLOR-CAMPBELL
Contributor
Solute – The substance that dissolves in a solvent.
Solvent – The substance that dissolves the solute.
Solution – A uniform mixture formed when a solute dissolves
in a solvent.
The solution formed can be dilute (contains small amount
of solute) or concentrated (contains large amounts of solute).
A saturated solution is a very concentrated solution that
contains the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved
in it. On cooling a hot saturated solution, crystals of the solute
will come out of solution.
Solubility – The amount of solute that can dissolve in 100g
of water at a specific temperature.
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT AFFECT THE
SOLUBILITY OF A SOLUTE?
The extent of solubility depends on:
The temperature of the solution – solubility increases as
temperature increases, so more solute will dissolve. Likewise,
when temperature is decreased solubility decreases. For
example, more sugar will dissolve in hot water than in cold
water.
The amount of solute added – as more solute is added to a
solution, less will dissolve. At some point, no more solute will
dissolve and the solution is said to be saturated.
The surface area of the solute (crushed or large particles) –
smaller particles having a larger surface area will dissolve
more quickly than larger ones.
SEPARATION OF MIXTURES (CONTINUED)
Chromatography – The process used to separate or identify
two or more substances from a mixture. This depends on the
solubility of the substances in different solvents. For example,
to separate the components of ink or pigments in plants.
Substances are identified based on the distances moved by
the different spots in the particular solvent (example ethanol).
Each component has a different Rf value.
Solvent front is the furthest distance moved by the solvent.
The number of spots indicates the number of components
in the mixture. Spots that appear colourless can be sprayed
with a visualising or locating agent.
Pure substances will only have one spot.
FRACTIONAL DISTILLATION
OF CRUDE OIL
RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Denham Town High School’s Orlando Brown (left) tussles for the ball with Starrdale Harriott of
St Catherine High in their Manning Cup encounter at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex on Friday,
September 27.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
Crude oil consists of a mixture of hydrocarbons with
different boiling points. It is a source of fuel with the different
fractions or components having different uses. Hydrocarbons
are organic compounds containing carbon and oxygen only.
Different hydrocarbons are collected at different levels
based on their boiling points. Fractions that are more volatile
(having lowest boiling point) are collected at the top of the
column.
Francine Taylor-Campbell teaches at Jamaica College. Send questions
and comments to [email protected]
19
yl:mathematics
CLEMENT RADCLIFFE
Contributor
HAVING REVIEWED this topic, let us
complete it by checking the answers to last
week’s practice exercise. If you are having
difficulty, you may check the information
presented previously.
1. Calculate the value of 61/2 x 5/3 + 3/4.
Solution: 61/2 x 5/3 + 3/4.
The first step, of course, is to evaluate the
product according to BOMDAS.
... 61/2 x 5/3 = 13/2 x 5/3 = 65/6.
Completing 65/6 + 3/4 = 130/12 + 9/12
Converting both to fractions of 12
= 139/12
2. Simplify 31/3 - 15/8 ÷ 11/3
Solution: Using the order indicated by
BOMDAS, we evaluate within the brackets by
first converting the fractions:
31/3 -15/8 = 10/3 - 13/8
(LCM of 3 and 8 is 24)
= (8 x 10) - (3 x 13) = 80 - 39 = 41
24
24
24
Dividing next, 41 ÷ 4 = 41 x 3 = 41
24 3 24 4 32
3. Find the value of: 18.45 - (3.75) 2
brackets and so the denominator could have
been first evaluated.
The lesson this week will continue with a
review of selected areas of CONSUMER
ARITHMETIC. Some popular topics are cost
price, selling price, discount, sales tax, hire
purchase, simple and compound interest.
The concept of percentage is fundamental
to these topics as our review will illustrate.
The following extract was taken from the
syllabus:
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
– Convert among fractions, percentages and
decimals
CONTENT
– Conversion of percentages, and decimals
to fractions .
– Conversion within the metric scale and
currency conversion.
DEFINITION
Percentage is a fraction with its denominator
being 100 ... a % = a/100
It should be noted that a percentage may
be expressed as a decimal fraction or as a
vulgar fraction.
For example, 25% = 25/100 = 1/4 = .25
4. Calculate the value of: 4 1/3 - 15/6
21/2 x 22/3
Solution: The line represents brackets and so
the numerator may be evaluated first.
41/3 - 15/6 = 13/3 - 11/6
The LCM of 3 and 6 is 6
I will illustrate by looking at three
situations in which the problems may be
presented:
(A) Finding the value representing a certain
percentage.
= ( 2 x 13) - (1 x 11)
6
= 26 - 11 = 15/6
6
Evaluating the denominator we first
convert to fractions:
5/2 x 8/3 = 40/6
Dividing: = 15/6 ÷ 40/6 = 15/6 x 6/40 = 3/8
N.B. The line in the question represents
The school paid $27,000 less.
N.B. The amount the school paid may also be
found as follows: 85/100 x $180,000 =
$153,000.
Solution: Cost price is $6,300. Since the tax
is 17.5%, then 17.5/100 x $6,300 =
$1,102.50
The cost price represents 100%, therefore,
if there is a discount of 15%, then the selling
price is 85%.
The amount paid less is $180,000 $153,000 = $ 27,000.
... The amount paid is $6,300 + $1,102.50
= $7,402.50
The next situation is
(B) Finding percentages, given the values.
Example 1:
Express 3m as a percentage of 8m.
(a) 30% (b) 37.5% (c) 62.5% (d) 130%
– Convert from one set of units to another.
Solution: 18.45 - (3.75) = 18.45 - (3.75 x
3.75) = 18.45 - 14.06
= 4.39
2
20
Direct numbers
Example 1: Find 20% of $1,200.
Solution: 20/100 x $1,200 = $240.
This is the basis of finding values such as
profit and loss, sales tax, general
consumption tax, discount, etc.
Example 2:
Schools were offered a 15% discount on
the purchase of football gear. If a set of gear
is valued at $180,000, how much less was
paid?
Solution: 15% of $180,000
= 15/100 x $180,000
= $27,000.
Example 2:
A set of tools is priced at $6,300 plus GCT
(General Consumption Tax) of 17.5%. How
much is actually paid for the tools?
Solution: 3/8 x 100 = 37.5%
The answer is (c).
This is the basis of finding values such as
percentage loss or gain, percentage tax,
discount, etc.
Example 2:
A radio cassette, which cost $5,000, was
sold for $4,500. Find the percentage loss.
Solution: Profit = Selling price - Cost price
= $4,500 - $5,000 = - $500. The loss = $500
The percentage loss = Loss/Cost Price x 100
500/5000 x 100 = 10%
... The percentage loss is 10%.
Please note that percentage gain and loss
are calculated as a fraction of cost price. A
common error is to use the selling price.
The third situation is:
(C) Problems involving percentages.
Example 1:
If 30 % of a number is 69, then the
number is
(a) 90 (b) 230 (c) 189 (d) 139
Solution: If 30 % of a number is 69, then the
number is equivalent to 100%.
100% represents 100/30 x 69 = 230
The answer is (b).
This is the basis of finding values such as
cost price and selling price, hire purchase,
etc.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
N.B. As the amount represents 117.5%, you
could also have found it as follows:
117.5/100 x$6,300=$7,402.50
In summarising, the following points should
be noted:
Percentage is a fraction of 100.
The whole is represented by 100%.
If the whole is increased by x%, then the
value becomes (100 + x )%.
If the whole is reduced by x%, then the
value becomes (100 - x )%.
Now for your homework.
1. Mr King bought a motor car for
$1,900,000. The value of the car depreciated
by 5% each year. Calculate the value of the
car after two years.
2. In a certain country electricity charges are
calculated based on the following table:
Fixed charge
Charge per kwH used
$3.50
15 cents
(i) Calculate the electricity charges for a
customer who used 1200 kwH.
There is a government tax of 17.5% on the
electricity charges.
(ii) Calculate the tax on the customer’s
electricity charges, giving your answer to the
nearest cent.
(iii) Calculate the total amount paid by the
customer.
Clement Radcliffe is an independent contributor.
Send questions and comments to
[email protected]
yl:social studies
MAUREEN ROWE-CAMPBELL
Contributor
PREPARING FOR PARENTHOOD
IT HAS been said that it’s the most
remarkable journey when one becomes a
parent; it is a positive, transformative
experience as it brings new opportunities,
challenges and responsibilities. When
preparing to become a parent it is necessary
to prepare physically, mentally, educationally
and emotionally. The ability to make
informed decisions about childbirth,
newborn care and parenting practices is a
critical investment in the attachment
relationship between parent and child.
Education is a key component for the difficult
decisions required of parents and is an
ongoing process, as each stage of growth
and development brings new joys and
challenges to both parents.
When preparing for the birth of a child, it
is easy to get caught up in the material
things associated with pregnancy, childbirth
and newborn care. Tiny infant clothing, the
latest maternity fashions and other baby
resources can all be part of preparing for
parenthood, but the lasting investment of
preparation involves becoming informed in
order to create a peaceful, loving environment in which to grow, birth and care for a
new life.
Everyone can read parenting books and
consult with family and friends, but nothing
can really prepare one for parenthood, the
birth of one’s first child and the impact he or
she will have on his/her parents’ lives. When
a baby is first brought home, the person
suddenly realises that he/she is a parent.
PHYSICAL READINESS AND HEALTH
Being a new parent is physically
demanding and potentially stressful. It is,
therefore, important for a woman to reach a
stage of physical readiness to bear children.
Biological immaturity can cause serious
complications.
EDUCATION
It is necessary to establish a career before
deciding to have children. This will help
adults to be more economically ready to
cope with the financial needs of child
rearing.
Emotional and Psychological Preparation
Parents should reach a certain level of
maturity and have certain life experiences to
prepare them for the job of raising children.
Becoming a parent
understand and learn in a non-judgemental
way.
CONTRIBUTED
Catherine Goodall, trade marketing manager, Pepsi-Cola, relaxes with
dancehall entertainer QQ during the ‘Young and In Charge’ event at the
Liguanea Club recently.
The newborn of human beings is entirely
dependent on other people to provide for all
its needs. Parents must, therefore, prepare
for increased mental strain and physical
exhaustion.
Adequate Financial Resources
Parents must meet the basic financial
needs of the child, providing food, clothing
and shelter.
Effective Parenting
LOVE AND WARMTH
No matter how hard it is, how tired or
overwhelmed a parent is or may be feeling,
he/she has to give love like no other. There
tends to be a love and warmth that only a
parent can have for a child. Children know
when they are loved as parents tend to show
interest and concern for their safety,
happiness and achievement. Words and
actions of parents affect children’s
developing self-esteem more than anything
else. Praising their accomplishments,
however small, will make them feel proud.
DISCIPLINARY SKILLS
It is important that children know the
behaviour required of them and the sanctions
if they do not conform. Discipline is
necessary to maintain control in the home.
The goal of discipline is to help children
choose acceptable behaviours and learn selfcontrol. Establishing house rules will help
children to understand expectations and
develop self-control. Effective parents are
responsible for correcting and guiding their
children. How this corrective guidance is
expressed makes all the difference in how
children receive it. When confronting
children, it is necessary to avoid blaming,
criticising or fault-finding, which undermines
self-esteem and can lead to resentment.
Instead, it is important to strive to nurture and
encourage, even when disciplining them.
Make sure they know that although better is
expected of them, they are loved no matter
what.
SOCIALISING SKILLS
COMMUNICATION AND
PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS
In society parents are the main socialising
agents. Children live what they learn, and
there is no better place for children to learn
the norms, mores and values of their society
than at home. It is, therefore, important that
parents display good attitudes, appropriate
behaviours and, therefore, be good role
models.
Children cannot be expected to do
everything simply because their parents ‘say
so’. They want and deserve explanations as
much as adults do. If time is not taken to
explain certain things to them, they will
begin to wonder about values and motives
and whether they any rights. Parents should
reason with their children and allow them to
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
Expectations should be made clear. If
there is a problem, it should be described,
the feelings associated with it should be
expressed, and the children should be
invited to work on a solution to the problem
with their parents. Also, there must be
consequences. Furthermore, parents need to
be open to their children’s suggestions, for it
is believed that children who participate in
decisions will be more motivated to carry
them out.
NUTRITION AND HEALTH
Parents must understand the nutritional
needs of growing children. Healthy diet and
exercising is a must for all growing children,
and habits learnt in childhood will remain as
children grow older.
MONEY MANAGEMENT
Parents are the providers for their
children. This is so as society looks to
parents to fulfill their obligations regarding
the proper care, nurturing and socialisation
of their offspring. Parents must meet
expected needs and be prepared for the
unexpected. They must be able to budget, be
thrifty and know from where the next money
for spending will be coming. It is, therefore,
clear that the most significant role in each
family, as well as the greatest responsibility,
rests with parents.
Activities
a. State THREE characteristics of a good
parent.
b. Outline THREE factors necessary when
preparing for parenthood.
c. Suggest TWO ways in which parents who
are not carrying out their duties may be
forced to do so.
d. Explain why these suggestions will be
successful.
Maureen Rowe-Campbell teaches at St Hugh’s High
School. Send questions and comments to
[email protected]
21
yl:infomation technology
Memory storage media & the unit of storage
NATALEE A. JOHNSON
Contributor
GOOD DAY, students. This is lesson five
of our series of IT lessons. In this week’s
lesson, we will be looking at memory
storage media and unit of storage. By the
end of this lesson, you should be able to
distinguish between at least two types of
memory and the unit of storage relating
to a particular storage device.
MEMORY STORAGE
The purpose of memory is to provide
storage for data, instruction and the
result of processing. There are four main
categories of memory storage chips:
Random access memory (RAM)
Read-only memory (ROM)
Cache
Buffer
A memory chip is a chip that holds
programs and data, either temporarily or
permanently. Let us now look at each of
these categories.
RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY
(RAM)
RAM, or primary storage, is the chip
that is located nearest to the CPU and
referred to as being volatile. RAM is
considered to be volatile in that its
content is erased whenever the flow of
electricity to the processor is terminated.
This is why your teacher will often
remind you to save your work frequently.
Even if you have auto-save recovery, the
computer will only recover up to a
particular point.
RAM performs three main functions:
Stores data for processing
Stores instructions for processing the
data
Stores processed data (information)
that is waiting to be sent to an output or
secondary storage device.
READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM)
A ROM chip stores data permanently
or is oftentime referred to as being nonvolatile. The information on a ROM chip
is stored on it by the manufacturers and
cannot be modified or erased by the
user. The processor can read and
retrieve the instructions and data from
the ROM chip, but its content cannot be
changed. Whenever you turn on your
computer and your computer is booting
up, messages are made possible by the
information in ROM.
There are several variations to ROM:
PROGRAMMABLE READ-ONLY
MEMORY (PROM)
The PROM chip is left blank by the
manufacturers and written to by the
customer. Once written to the chip, it
becomes read-only memory.
ERASABLE PROGRAMMABLE
READ-ONLY MEMORY (EPROM)
EPROM is a reusable PROM chip that
can be erased by a special ultraviolet
light. EPROM holds its content until
erased and new instructions can be
written on it. To reprogram an EPROM
chip it has to be removed from the
computer.
ELECTRICALLY ERASABLE
PROGRAMMABLE READ-ONLY
MEMORY (EEPROM)
The EEPROM chip is similar to an
EPROM-chip except that it is erased by
applying electrical pulses to the chip,
making it possible to reprogram it
without removing it from the computer.
CACHE MEMORY
Cache memory is a special highspeed memory designed to supply the
processor with the most frequently
requested instructions and data.
Instructions and data located in cache
memory can be accessed many times
faster than instructions and data located
in main memory. The more instructions
and data the processor can access
directly from cache memory, the faster
the computer runs as a whole.
BUFFERS
A buffer is an internal memory area
used for temporary storage of data
records during input or output
operations. For example, most modern
printers are equipped with buffers that
store information or data to be printed.
Now that you are familiar with the
different memory chips, let us now look
at the different units of storage available
and key terms associated with units of
storage.
UNITS OF STORAGE
Definition of key terms
Bit – this is the smallest unit of
storage in a computer which is usually 0
or 1.
Byte – this is comprised of eight bits.
Word – this is the amount of bits the
computer can process in one operation.
Word size/length – this is the number
of bits in a word.
Bi-stable device – this is a device
which exists in two possible states. This
device is similar to a light switch which
can either be on or off.
Once you are considering purchasing
a RAM chip (memory), hard drive or a
flash drive you will first need to consider
the size or the number of bytes the
storage medium has. Let us now
examine larger units of storage by the
byte table shown below.
We have come to the end of this
lesson. See you next week, and
remember that if you fail to prepare you
should be prepared to fail.
Natalee A. Johnson teaches at Ardenne High
School. Send questions and comments to
[email protected]
yl:principles of accounts
ROXANNE WRIGHT
Contributor
THIS WEEK, I will present another lesson on the
double-entry accounting and will take an in-depth
look at where transactions are given along with the
account to be debited and the account to be
credited. I will also give the reasons each is done.
Double-entry system for assets,
liabilities & capital - Part 4
Below is a presentation of how the above entries
would appear in the double entry record:
1. Accounts are assigned balances based on their
classification or type.
2. To increase an account, an amount is placed on
the balance side.
3. To decrease an account, the amount is placed on
the side opposite, the balance.
4. Each transaction must have equal debits and
credits.
5. The accounts difference is the difference between
the total debits and total credits recorded in the
account.
6. Finding account balances:
When total debits are greater than total credits,
the account has a debit balance.
When total credits are greater than total debits,
the account has a credit balance.
The following information will be used in the next
presentation. You are, therefore, asked to get
familiar with it.
BALANCE ACCOUNTS
When balancing an account we must always
remember that:
22
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | OCTOBER 8-14, 2013
When both total debits and total credits are
equal, the account has a zero balance.
Special assignment just for you
Worked Example (in box below)
You are required to open asset, liability and
capital accounts and record the following
transaction for June 2012 in the record of Homer
Wint:
This is a suitable point to break. Next week, I will
publish the answer to the above question and
continue to highlight the double-entry system for
assets, liabilities and capital (part 5).
Roxanne Wright teaches at Immaculate Academy.
Send questions and comments to [email protected]