yl:principles of business
The role of government –
YVONNE HARVEY
Contributor
KNOW you have all been enjoying the
I
discussions on exam-type questions that I have
been presenting over the last few weeks. For
this week, the question is a Profile 3 question
based on the role of government. As usual, I
encourage you to revise the area first and then
attempt the question before looking at my
guidelines and answers. Here’s the question:
(a) Define ‘government’. (2 marks)
(b) Outline three responsibilities of government
in an economy. (6 marks)
(c)(i) Define a ‘tax’. (2 marks)
(ii) State two purposes of taxation. (2 marks)
(iii) Distinguish between progressive and
regressive taxes. (4 marks)
(d) Discuss the impact of government provision of:
(i) Health care
(ii) Education (4 marks)
Total marks: 20
Now that you have answered the question you
can have a look at my guidelines for the answer
and the example of an answer.
(A) GUIDING YOUR THOUGHTS
Think of how a government comes about and
what it does. This can be used to define them.
ANSWER
Government can be defined as a group of
appointed officials whose duty it is to carry out
the will of the people as expressed in Parliament.
(B) GUIDING YOUR THOUGHTS
Think about some of the main or overall things
that a government does for other economic agents
in the economy. The syllabus lists a number of
roles of a government. See page 28.
ANSWER
One of the responsibilities of a government is
the security of the state. In this responsibility, the
government must ensure protection of the country
from attack by other countries by providing army,
navy and air force protection and by attempting to
keep a peaceful working relationship with other
countries.
The government is also involved in the
protection and general welfare of the citizens of
the country. This involves protecting the rights of
12
Profile 3 questions
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth and Culture, Sydney Bartley (right), dances
up a storm with, Port Antonio High School fifth-form student D’Andre Dennis during a
visit to the school on April 26.
citizens by passing laws and enforcing them
through the provision of the police, etc. It also
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013
protects citizens by providing social services and
infrastructure to benefit them.
Protection of the environment is also a
responsibility of the government. There are laws
against the dumping of waste and zoning laws
that indicate the geographical locations in which
industries are allowed to be set up.
(C)(I) - (III) GUIDING YOUR THOUGHTS
Taxation is the process of paying a tax or taxes.
Governments require taxes for a number of
purposes or we can say that taxation has a
number of roles.
ANSWERS
(i) A tax is a compulsory payment made to
governments. It provides a major part of the
government’s income.
(ii) One purpose of taxation is to redistribute
income from the higher income groups and to cut
down on the importation of goods and services.
Also the provision of social services expenses
comes from taxation.
(iii) Progressive taxes are taxes that rise as the
income rises, not only in amount but also in
percentage. It reduces the income of the higher
incomes substantially. On the other hand,
regressive taxes take a smaller proportion or
percentage of larger income earners than smaller
incomes. Taxes on goods and services are by
their nature regressive.
(D)(I) AND (II) GUIDING YOUR THOUGHTS
This part of the question requires that you look
at how certain provisions by government affect the
country.
ANSWERS
In terms of health care, provisions by the
government ensure that a population is healthy
and does not get sick. Such a population will be
more productive and this will benefit the country.
The provision of education ensures that the
population is numerate and literate and that it is
developed at different stages. Education is
subsidised or free and this cuts down on the cost
to individuals and so more persons can access it.
My friends, we have come to the end of this
lesson already. Remember to look at other
questions from past CXC papers and also the
ones in your textbooks. Bye, until next week.
Yvonne Harvey teaches at Glenmuir High School.Send
questions and comments to
kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
 yl:principles of accounts

Sole
trader
adjustments
ROXANNE WRIGHT
Contributor
BELOW IS a worked example.
SOLUTION:
QUESTION i.
The following balances were taken from the books of Allan Bellefonte at December 31, 2011 ALLAN BELLEFONTE
Trading account for the year ended December 31, 2011

ii.
ALLAN BELLEFONTE
Profit and loss account for the year ended December 31, 2011

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Stock at December 31, 2011, was valued at $38,880.

During the year Bellefonte took goods costing $2,600 from stock for his own use. No
entries have been made in the books.

A provision for doubtful debts account is to be opened and calculated at the rate of 5% of
trade debtors at December 31, 2011.
ALLAN BELLEFONTE

Depreciation at the rate of 20% per annum on cost is to be charged on the motor vehicles.

The rent account includes payments of rent $2,400 for 3 months ended January 31 2012. Balance sheet as at December 31, 2011

A garage bill for $1,200 for vehicle repairs was owing at December 31, 2011.

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO PREPARE THE:

i. Trading account for the year ended December 31, 2011.
ii. Profit and loss account for the year ended December 31, 2011.

Balance sheet as at December 31, 2011.

Visit with me again next week. See you then.

Roxanne Wright teaches at Immaculate Academy. Send questions and comments to

kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013 13

 yl:history

Preparing for the exam

DEBBION HYMAN writing a lot is a good way to study for history. PREPARING FOR THE MULTIPLE-CHOICE features or that tie related ideas and observations
Contributor Create illustrations of historical concepts. For PAPER together. These are the items that most commonly
I GUYS, the history examination will consist appear on multiple-choice exams.

H
of two papers – Paper 01 and Paper 02.
Paper 02 is a written examination and you
will be required to answer three questions; one from
each section of the syllabus. The questions that you
will answer will be based on the themes for which
you have prepared during classes. Paper 01 will
consist of 60 multiple-choice items. These will
cover the 10 core topics as outlined on the syllabus.
By this juncture you should have started studying
for your examination. This week’s lesson will focus
on skills that you can incorporate that will make
your exam preparation easier. Below are some
helpful tips:

Know your best learning method. People learn
in different ways. It is best to figure out which way
you learn best. Perhaps you learn best by seeing
words and concepts in front of you. If so, then
example, if studying about the layout of a typical
18th-century British-Caribbean sugar plantation
and how it displays self-sufficiency, you could
create a web map/semantic map in which you detail
the information you would provide in such an essay.
This will result in you developing knowledge in
your memory. Also, you will probably end up with
lots of notes from which to study. Visual learners
benefit from writing things down as it helps them to
remember better. This, in turn, helps them perform
better on tests.

If you are an auditory learner, it is best to
study using audio notes. For example, you could
record any important historical terms, events and
concepts on a sound recorder. You could then
schedule in your study time to listen to these
recordings. If you are a tactile learner, use flash
cards to study for history exams.
Studying for a multiple-choice exam requires a
specific method of preparation which is distinctly
different from an essay exam. Multiple-choice
exams ask a student to recognise a correct answer
among a set of options that include three wrong
ones (called distracters), rather than asking the
student to produce a correct answer entirely from
his/her own mind.
To prepare for a multiple-choice exam, consider
the following steps:

Begin studying early. Multiple-choice exams
tend to focus on details and you cannot retain many
details effectively in short-term memory. If you learn
a little bit each day and allow plenty of time for
repeated reviews, you will build a much more
reliable long-term memory.

Pay particular attention to fundamental terms
and concepts that describe important events or

As you study your class notes and your
assigned readings, make lists and tables.
Concentrate on understanding multistep processes,
and on ideas, events, or objects that form natural
sequences or groupings. Look for similarities and
differences that might be used to distinguish correct
choices from distracters on an exam.

Do not simply memorise a book or your
teacher’s definition of a particular concept. Rather,
rephrase in your own words as this will result in
you really understanding what the definition(s)
mean.

Practise on sample questions if you have
access to a study guide or past exam papers.
Debbion Hyman teaches at St Hugh’s High School. Send
questions and comments to
kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

yl:english literature
BERYL CLARKE The prose questions are to be found in section three. Here, there

Study
Contributor will be six questions. You must answer one. There will be two on
I, STUDENTS! Examinations are here and I hope you are all

H
Songs of Silence, two on the Wine of Astonishment and two on the
ready, having prepared well for anything that CXC ‘throws’ at short stories, one of which will be named.
you. Briefly, let me remind you of a few things. In A
Midsummer Night’s Dream the themes include love, love’s difficulty, Overall, you must do three questions on this paper, each worth 35
dreams and magic. The love potion is integral to the way the play marks. In addition to the 25 marks which will be awarded for content
develops and ends. The workmen who dramatise a farcical tragedy to and argument, a maximum of 10 marks is allowed for structure,

celebrate the duke’s nuptials cannot be overlooked as well. They bring
humour and underscore in their choice of drama the underlying
darkness of this play. Please pay close attention to the way the women
are treated by their male partners.
In Old Story Time, we find colour and class prejudice, superstition,
friendship and love. Please remember that in the drama section of the
exam you will be able to choose one play on which to answer a
question.
The English literature exam consists of two papers. Paper one is
the one we call unseen because the questions will be set on a poem
and a prose extract and a drama extract that you are not likely to have
seen before. There will be 15 short-answer questions and all are
complusory! There will be 20 marks for each genre/mode – so a total
of 60 marks will be allocated to this paper, which will contribute 36
per cent of the whole exam. You will have one and a half hours to
complete the entire paper.
time!
Paper two has 12 essay questions. This is a change from last year’s
as well as the January paper. The paper is divided into three sections.
Section one deals with drama. There are two books, A Midsummer
Night’s Dream and Old Story Time in this section. Two questions will
be set on each of them and you must answer one of the four. Thirty-
five marks are allocated for this section and each of the other two
sections from which you will answer questions.
Section two has the poetry questions. Here, you will be given two
comparative questions to answer one. Please remember that in
responding to a question on poetry, you need to use information from
two poems.
development and competence in the mechanics and language.
Please make sure to brush up on your knowledge of literary devices,
including your ability to recognise the writer’s purpose in using them.
Remember to organise your essays according to the way the questions
are set, without skipping lines or putting down your information as if
you are making notes. You will be writing essays. This means that for
each question that you answer on paper two you should begin with an
introduction, then three or four paragraphs in which you develop
separate points as required, then you should close with a conclusion.
Do not wait until you get into the exam to categorise the poems and
short stories. Please do so now if you have not done so already. By
this I mean group or classify them according to their themes. You
would, for instance, put God’s Grandeur and A Stone’s Throw together,
concentrating on the ways in which they are alike and those that show
that they are different. Stick to the works on the present syllabus. Now,
go into the exam room and do your best! God bless!
Beryl Clarke is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to
kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

14 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013

 yl:geography

MARJORIE HENRY smaller rock fragments and pebbles, by skips and jumps, is

Test
Contributor called
OR THE last few lessons, I have been sharing with you

F
A. Saltation
information to satisfy specific objective 11 under Section B. Traction
II - Natural Systems of the geography syllabus. To help C. Suspension
you as you revise the topic, I have constructed some multiple- D. Solution

yourself
choice items for this week’s lesson. I encourage you to attempt
all 20 items without referring to your textbooks or your notes. 15. The following are causes that result in the river
Read each item carefully and make sure that you understand depositing its load except
the stem. Reflect on the answer and as you read through the A. Reduction in stream gradient
options identify the one correct one; the key. Do not be drawn B. Decrease in volume
away from that correct answer by the distracters. Remember C. Increase in velocity
now that it is not a guessing game that you are playing. D. Overloading
B. Attrition
C. Cavitation
Select the most suitable answer for each of the following 16. The order in which the materials are deposited by the
D. Abrasion
items: river is
1. Rivers are able to do their work because A. Muds, silts, sands, gravels, pebbles and boulders
8. The rate at which running water will erode depends on the
A. They carry much material B. Pebbles, gravels, boulders, silts, muds, sands
following factors except
B. They have a great volume of water C. Gravels, sands, pebbles, boulders, muds and silts
A. Gradient and velocity
C. They flow swiftly D. Boulders, pebbles, gravels, sands, silts and muds
B. Weather condition
D. They possess energy
C. Stream size
D. Nature of the load 17. Much deposition of the river occurs
2. Which best describes the river’s load? A. On the inside bend of the river meander
A. Material in solution B. On a flood plain
B. Material in suspension 9. The load carried by a stream is derived from the following
C. At the mouth of the river
C. Eroded material it carries sources except
D. At the lower curse of the river
D. The traction load A. The action of weathering on slope
B. Erosion of the river bed
18.
3. On what does the erosive power of the river depend? C. The volume of the river
(i) They have a powerful swash
A. The amount of water present D. Solution of soluble rocks
(ii) They carry large amounts of sediments
B. The load being carried by the river (iii) They are spaced well apart
C. The speed of the river 10. The maximum load that a river can carry is called
D. The energy of the river A. Capacity
The description above refers specifically to
B. Capillarity
A. Waves
4. The erosive process of the river that results in the C. Competence
B. Constructive waves
formation of a narrow deep channel and valley is D. Cavitation
C. Surges
A. Vertical down cutting D. Destructive waves
B. Lateral erosion 11. The so-called invisible load refers to material that are
C. Headward erosion carried in
19.
D. Lateral undercutting A. Suspension
(i) They are closely spaced
B. Saltation
(ii) There is little forward motion (swash)
5. The chemical or solvent action of water on soluble or C. Solution
(iii) There is a power backwash
partly soluble rocks with which the river comes into contact D. Solifluction
is called
The description above refers specifically to
A. Solution 12. Calcareous rocks are very susceptible to
A. Waves
B. Corrasion A. Suspension
B. Constructive waves
C. Attrition B. Solifluction
C. Surges
D. Cavitation C. Saltation
D. Destructive waves
D. Solution
6. The other name for the process of corrasion is
20. The following features are formed by wave erosion
A. Corrosion 13. The sliding, pushing and rolling of fragments, big except
B. Attrition pebbles and boulders along the riverbed is called A. Spits
C. Cavitation A. Saltation B. Cliffs
D. Abrasion B. Traction C. Caves
C. Suspension D. Arch
7. Name the process of river erosion that results in material D. Solution
being broken down in size and made easier to transport. Marjorie Henry is an independent contributor. Send questions and
A. Corrosion 14. The downstream movement of bottom load comprising comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013 15

 yl:office administration

Get in gear 3.(a) Must be (i) well spoken (ii) friendly (iii) able to work well under pressure (iv) sensitive to the needs
of people of all ages (v) pleasant (vi) computer literate.
HYACINTH TUGMAN
Contributor
(b) Application for employment, curricular vitae, payroll authorisation records, including direct deposit,
ELLO, STUDENTS. I hope you are in high gear for your upcoming examination as the time draws

H closer. This week, I will answer the questions that you did last week. I will not repeat the questions.
Good luck.
vacation records, contract of employment, training acknowledgements, performance evaluation,
termination notice, benefits information, internal complaints/grievances.

Personal records contain sensitive data on employees which may relate to health, family connections or
1.(a) Four reasons for good communication in a business.
medical reports, hence unauthorised persons should not get hold of these records.
(i) To provide information
(ii) To give or receive instructions
(c) (i) give immediate attention, (ii) make visitors feel welcome and comfortable
(iii) To encourage and praise
(iii) follow up if they are kept waiting (iv) offer seat and reading material.
(iv) To set procedures
(v) To discuss and evaluate
Create a good impression for your company - (i) be professional (ii) keep
reception area tidy (iii) answer telephone promptly (iv) be knowledgeable about the
(b) Three methods of communication - (i) Oral - (conversation and meetings)
business.
(ii) Electronic - (teleconference, video conferencing) (iii) Written - (letters, reports) (iv) Visual ( graphs,
signals)
4. (a) Characteristics of a good filing system (i) simple to operate (ii) provide security for
files (iii) provides for tracing files (iv) has a retention policy.
(c) Characteristics of good communication.
(b) Retention - Length of time each document or record will be retained as an active record.
Microfilming - Film on which material are photographed at reduced size.
Chronological order - Filing documents in date with the most recent on top.

(c) Blagrove Yvonne, Mrs

Bourke Patrick (Sir)
Bridgeview Country Club, The
Green, Neville (Dr)
Harvey, Kirk L
Reid C. D. & Co Ltd

5.
STANDING ORDER
An instruction a bank account holder (the payer) gives to his or her bank to pay a set amount at regular
intervals to another (the payee) account.

2. Letter of application – CREDIT CARD

A small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows the holder to purchase goods and
services with a promise to pay for these at a later date.
234 Bellevue Heights
Kingston 10
DIRECT DEBIT
May 7, 2013 Is a financial transaction in which one person withdraws funds from another person’s bank account.
Before the payer’s banker will allow the transaction to take place, the payer must advise the bank that he or
The Human Resource Manager she has authorised the payee to directly draw the funds.
Technology Plus
205 Grenada Crescent 6
New Kingston (a) Services offered by travel agents – preparing itinerary, making reservations - hotel/car, preparing
tickets.
Dear Sir Madam,
(b) Reasons for a travel folder – to keep track of planned trips, ensure that all documents are in one place.
The body should state that you are interested in the position advertised, give your educational
attainments and request an interview. Question 7 and 8 will be answered in my next lesson. Hope you got all correct.

Be sure you have the correct format for letter writing. This example is a blocked style letter. See you next week.

Yours faithfully,
René Brackett (Miss) Hyacinth Tugman teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

16 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013


More questions on
patterns of inheritance
MONACIA WILLIAMS
Contributor
ELLO AGAIN, students! How are you this week? I intend
H
to complete the question we started last time. I certainly
hope that you used the opportunity to write your own
answers to the parts of the question that were not done. If you
did, you can now see how your answers compare with those
with which I will provide you.
We will begin at part (b) where we had stopped.
(b) Selective breeding programmes are deliberately used to
control the characteristics of a population of organisms. This
process is called artificial selection.
Explain how this process is different from natural selection.
What do you need to know to answer? You need to know the
meaning of the terms ‘breeding programmes’ and ‘natural
selection’. The introductory statement has provided you with
information that can be used in writing an answer, since it
defines for you the term ‘artificial selection’. Remember, too,
that artificial selection is also known as selective breeding.
Having refreshed your memory, let us put together an
answer:
Artificial selection uses human intervention to determine the
characteristic that is to be passed on or enhanced in future
generations. In natural selection, variation has to exist among
the organisms before the action of the environment can exert
pressure on the characteristic that is selected. The selected
characteristic that is passed on provides the organism with an
improved chance of survival, because it makes it better able to
survive the environmental change that exerted the pressure. In
artificial selection, the characteristic that is selected to be passed
on does not usually have anything to do with the environment, it
usually does not give the organism any survival benefit and it is
usually some characteristic that is beneficial to man, for example
crops that grow faster, have greater yield, cows that produce
more milk, cows that produce more and better quality beef per
kilo of feed. In artificial selection, the process is fairly rapid,
while in natural selection the process is slow.
(c)(i) Genetic engineering is used to change the
characteristics of organisms. How does genetic engineering
differ from artificial selection?
(ii) List two concerns people might have about using genetic
engineering to alter characteristics of organisms.
LET US LOOK AT SOME POSSIBLE ANSWERS
If you are not careful, you might confuse artificial selection
and genetic engineering; but if you remember your theory, you
will remember the difference.
ANSWER
In artificial selection, the reproductive process is involved.
Gametes are produced and are fertilised, naturally or artificially,
between the chosen organisms. Genetic engineering involves
manipulation, not at the gamete level but at the level of the
gene. It is the deliberate changing of the genotype of an
organism by humans. This means that new organism can be
formed from altering the genotype of a somatic cell that has
been altered.
(c) (ii)
The word ‘list’ in the question indicates that answers must be
short and to the point.
LET US SEE WHAT COULD BE WRITTEN:

The outcomes are not always certain.

The long-term effects of engineering are not yet known.

Genetically engineered traits could become transferred to
other related species.

Changes might be made to crops to benefit rich countries
rather than poor ones.

Humans might be tempted to develop organisms for their
own needs rather than the benefit of all.
You could also add any other moral or ethical issues;
remember that you were asked to give two, so do not waste
valuable time giving more. You will not get extra marks for
giving more than two. Make the answers brief and to the point.
I am now going to add a few other questions on genetic
engineering. See how well you can answer them.
QUESTION
(i) What is genetic engineering?
This is basically memory recall, it is asking for a definition. If
you have studied your definitions you should have no problem
providing an answer.
TWO POSSIBLE DEFINITIONS ARE:

The deliberate changing of an organism’s genotype by
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013
yl:biology
humans.

The removal of a gene from one living organism and the
insertion of it into another.
QUESTION
(ii) Give one advantage of genetic engineering.
Any one of the following answers can be given:

Traits change more rapidly.

Individual traits can be targeted.

Any organism can be used, unicellular and multicellular
QUESTION
(iii) Suggest one problem that could arise from genetically
modifying an organism.
ANSWER
The new trait could cause the organism to react to its
environment differently by changing its niche.
(iv) Suggest one reason it is possible to successfully transfer
genes from one species to another, yet species under normal
conditions do not interbreed.
To answer this question you will need to remember your
theory. If you were successful in providing answers to the
questions above, this one should offer no problems.
Remember that the transfer of genes between organisms is
genetic engineering, and that genetic engineering takes place at
the level of the gene, and at this level all organisms are similar.
ANSWER
Organisms are similar at the level of the gene, hence transfer
of material can take place without problems at this stage.
The genetic make-up of organisms is similar at the DNA
level, hence transfer of material can take place here.
I hope that these questions have helped you to better
understand the concepts.
See you next week!
Monacia Williams teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and
comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
17
 yl:social studies

Our role in the

integration
process
MAUREEN CAMPBELL
Contributor

OBJECTIVES
1. EXAMINE THE role of individual citizens, business organisations and government in the integration
process.
2. Explain the role of regional agencies in the integration process.

ROLES OF CITIZENS
Citizens in the Caribbean region must be made aware that every member state in CARICOM must know
that they are not only citizens of a country but they are also members of the region. The integration process
is proving to be a major concern for the region as there are still conflicts that are reoccurring in the region.

1. Citizens must be informed of their role in CARICOM. It is the citizen’s responsibility also to be
cognizant of the culture, activities and other significant events happening in the region.
2. They must willingly invest in local and regional business, becoming great entrepreneurs.
3. They should support by buying goods produced in the region.
4. Show solidarity not only in their individual country but in the CARICOM region.

ROLES OF BUSINESS ORGANISATIONS

Entrepreneurs are very vital in the integration process.
1. They must ensure that there is good, striving, healthy competition in the region.
2. They should ensure the quality and quantity of goods and services produced so that they can compete
on the international market.
3. There will also be the need for businesses to have a wide choice of goods and have aggressive
advertising campaigns so that the CARICOM market can be visible on the international scene.
4. Businessmen must make use of opportunities for investment in the region. When this happens, loyalty
will be promoted and this will engender/encourage regional support.
5. There must be opportunities provided for investment and employment. Employment must be viewed as
one of the central role of the integration process, since it will make visible the contribution of citizens as
they provide goods and services.

ROLES OF THE GOVERNMENT

It is the role of the government to ensure that the citizens from the CARICOM community are given
greater recognition throughout the region. Work permits and qualification recognition are vital for the
feeling of oneness and cooperation.
1. The education of citizens about the objectives and benefits of integration must take place. Education is
the most effective way to bring about change as citizens and students are made aware of the benefits of
integration.
2. Heads of government must ensure that legislation for this process is void of all forms of
ACTIVITY:
discrimination.
3. Policies must be enacted which will make it less bureaucratic for work and travel in the region. Research and explain ways in which three of the agencies within CARICOM have recently helped or
responded to the needs of CARICOM citizens and with what success.
4. The harmonising of policies/agreements will be beneficial to the integration process.
5. All protocols must be honoured, ensuring that treaties signed are observed and efforts made to think Maureen Campbell teaches at St Hugh’s High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
about the region in spite of particular territories.

18 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013


NATASHA THOMAS-FRANCIS
Contributor
ELLO, CLASS! Last week, we examined
H the skills needed to write a coherent
summary of an extended piece. This
week, I want to challenge you to use those
skills to write a summary of your own. The
extract comes from the May-June 2007 CXC
English A Paper 02. Follow the instructions
below:
Read the following extract carefully and then
write a summary of it in not more than 120
words and, as far as possible, in your OWN
words. Your summary must be in continuous
prose and in paragraph form. Only the first 120
words of your answer will be read and
assessed.
Since the beginning of civilisation, they
have served as marks of identification, spiritual
protection and decoration. Now, at the cusp of
another millennium, tattoos and other varieties
of body markings are resurfacing as a popular
form of individual self-expression.
Tattoos are timeless and can be as unique as
the bearers they adorn. They don’t fade away
like favourite T-shirts or get lost or broken like
school rings. They stay with you forever, until
death. They become a part of you from the day
you sit in the artiste’s chair, etching your
emotions alongside the needle’s sting,
transforming an instant of your life into a
symbol for the world to see.
Tattoos and other body markings arrived in
the Caribbean with African slaves and
indentured workers from China and India. They
were sometimes the only permanent keepsakes
of people snatched from their ancestral places.
The Caribbean’s original Amerindian
inhabitants also used tattoos to mark spiritual
milestones. The Taino of the North Caribbean
islands, for instance, used vegetable dyes to
affix images of their guardians on their skin.
These images also indicated an individual’s
lineage, or his or her social position. Each
tattoo was both a personal history book and a
mark of belonging.
Over the centuries, however, tattoos and
other forms or bodily adornments have
mutated, exchanging religious and cultural
significance for individualist associations.
Sometimes the mark of individuality has been
confused with rebellion and nonconformity,
often alluding to a stain of bad character.
Tattoo wearers seemed wild, dangerous, even
just plain bad.
Summary
writing –
combining the
main ideas
Delbert Gayle, captain of the Wolmer's Boys' School cricket team, shares a light
moment with his principal, Dr Walton Small, and JIIC's Customer, Experience
and Innovation Manager Elizabeth Chung, after his team won the JIIC KO trophy
recently.
But today, tattoos have come full circle.
Celebrities, writers, lawyers, housewives, all
proudly display their marks of rebellion. An
entirely new perception of the art of tattooing
has arisen, which is more than just a
preoccupation with style. The re-discovered
form of expression has spawned an entire sub-
culture of individuals among us. They carry
this common bond of distinctions through
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013
yl:english language
The passage is about the history and
significance of tattoos and other forms of body
markings over the centuries. To assist you to
write your summary, I want to highlight the
main points which can be identified in the
passage:

Tattoos are permanent markings which
have been around from the beginning of
civilisation.

They were bought to the Caribbean from
Africa, China and India, but the Amerindians
wore them even before.

They were used by people in the
Caribbean for religious, ethnic and cultural
practices.

Over the years, they came to be personal
expressions identified with rebellion and
defiance.

Attitudes have changed towards tattoos
and today they have become acceptable as
marks of uniqueness and difference.
Now I want you to combine these ideas,
rephrase them in your words and produce a
coherent summary. Before we wrap up our
discussions on summary writing, I want to
leave with you some reminders and guidelines
which must be followed:

Observe the stated length of your
response (normally 120 words).

Read questions for theme and specific
tasks to be done.

Read the instruction given and do not
assume that every year it is identical.

Recognise the fact that summary writing
comprises reading and writing skills
(comprehension and composition skills).

Appreciate some of the basic features of
summary writing:
- using your own words as far as
possible
- using standard English with
clarity and conciseness
- responding to the rubric of the
question with its implications for
audience, purpose and
situation/context
- using connectives to achieve
fluency of writing/reading
- observing correct mechanics of
the language
their daily routines. Via the images on their I hope that the guidance you have received
forearms, shoulders, ankles, or torsos, they has helped you in your preparation on this
connect to each other, announcing to the world topic. As you inch closer to the English A
that it is OK to be unique and different. exam, focus on the task ahead and reread all
the lessons presented in this series.
Adapted from ‘Pictures made flesh’.
Caribbean Beat, July-August 2003. Natasha Thomas-Francis teaches at Glenmuir High
TOTAL: 30 MARKS School. Send questions and comments to
kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
19
 yl:information technology

Types of wireless media

NATALEE A. JOHNSON short distances from fixed and mobile There are some other terms associated with communication of
Contributor devices, creating personal area networks. which you may have heard before, such as bandwidth which relates to
OOD DAY, students. This is lesson 33 in our series. In this It can connect several devices, communicating via a cell phone. Let us now examine such terms.

G week’s lesson, we will continue to look at data communication

and network.
overcoming problems of synchronization.

WIRELESS FIDELITY (WI-FI)

BANDWIDTH
This is a data transmission rate or the maximum amount of
A wireless network refers to any type of computer network that is information (bits/second) that can be transmitted along a channel.
wireless and is commonly associated with a telecommunications This is a trademark of the Wi-Fi group for certified products based
network whose interconnections between nodes is implemented on the IEEE 802.11 standards (which is an organisation dealing with
without the use of wires. Wireless telecommunications networks are local area networks and TYPES OF BANDWIDTH
generally implemented with some type of remote information metropolitan area networks). This
certification warrants interoperability BROADBAND
transmission system that uses electromagnetic waves, such as radio
between different wireless devices. This is the bandwidth that includes microwave, satellites, coaxial
waves. Examples include:
Wi-Fi is used by most personal cable and fibre optic channels. It describes a technology that provides
computer operating systems, many bandwidth that is greater than that provided by ordinary telephone lines;
(1) SATELLITE video game consoles, laptops, smart that is, greater than 64 kilobits per second. It is used for very high-speed
This is man-made equipment that orbits around the earth or the phones, printers and other peripherals. computers whose processors communicate directly with each other. The
moon. It acts as a relay station in outer space. It accepts signals greater the bandwidth the greater the data carrying capacity.
beamed to it from a point on earth and then reflects the signal to HOTSPOT
another point. It can transmit data that includes text, voice, pictures NARROWBAND
and video. A hotspot is a physical location that
This is a term used to describe data that is transmitted at a slow
offers Internet access over a wireless
speed (just over 10 characters per second), for example, telegraphed
LAN through the use of a shared Internet
ADVANTAGE transmission.
connection and a single router.

No distance limitation.
A router is a device in computer VOICEBAND
networking that forwards data packets This is the bandwidth of a standard telephone line and it is used often
DISADVANTAGES
to their destinations, based on their for microcomputer transmission; the bps is between 110 and 9,600.

Very expensive to set addresses.
up.

Not suitable for rapid COMMUNICATION MODES
exchange of data because The three basic transmission modes or directions are:
delays occur when data are sent thousands of miles up into space. SIMPLEX
MODEM This is where data is transmitted in one direction. An example in
The term modem is short for modulator - demodulator and is an computing is the interface between the keyboard and the computer, in that
(2) MICROWAVE
electronic device that can convert digital signals into analog signals key codes need only be sent from the keyboard to the computer system.
These are very high-frequency signals that can be transmitted and vice versa. For example, a modem at one computer converts the
through space. In this communication channel, the medium is not a digital signals produced by the computer to analog signal for
solid substance but air itself. HALF-DUPLEX
transmission along a telephone line. The speed of a modem is
This channel can send and receive data, but not at the same time.
measured in bits per second (bps). The process of converting digital
An example of this would be the use of a ‘walkie talkie’. Only one end
ADVANTAGES signal to analog is called modulation, whereas the process of
transmits at a time; the other receives.

Travels at the speed of converting analog signal to digital signal is called demodulation.
light.

Transmits both analog DIFFERENT TYPES OF MODEM DUPLEX
This is where data can travel in both directions simultaneously.
and digital signal.
There is no need to switch from transmit to receive mode as in half-
duplex. It is like a two-way bridge on a two-lane highway.
DISADVANTAGE

Cannot travel around OTHER MEANS OF TRANSMISSION
bend.
Point-to-point transmission - this is a direct link between two
(3) INFRARED objects (such as computers) in a network.
This is a wave of light that is in the area beyond the visible part of
Broadcast - this is the transmission of data to all connected
the colour spectrum. While it is invisible to the human eye, infrared is stations simultaneously.
often used to enhance visibility when using night-vision devices.
We have come to the end of this lesson. See you next week, when
we will begin to look at terms associated with the Internet. Remember
TYPES OF WIRELESS NETWORK TECHNOLOGY that if you fail to prepare, you should be prepared to fail.
BLUETOOTH
Natalee A. Johnson teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and
Bluetooth is an open wireless protocol for exchanging data over comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

20 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013

 yl:chemistry

Alcohols and acids

FRANCINE TAYLOR-CAMPBELL
Contributor
IMPORTANT POINTS

Alcohols can be prepared by the hydration of alkenes.

Alcohols have the general formula Cn H2n+1OH.

Ethanol, a type of alcohol, can be made by the process of
fermentation. Enzymes in yeast feed on sugars, converting
them to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The percentage of
ethanol produced using fermentation cannot rise above 15
per cent since the ethanol poisons the yeast. To get a higher
percentage of ethanol distillation is used.

Ethanol is used as a solvent in the perfume industry, as
fuel in spirit burners or mixed with petrol to produce gasohol
to be used in vehicles.

Alcohol can modify the way your body functions. It is a
depressant and helps to dull the senses and slows down the
body’s reaction time. This can result in accidents.

Alcohol is also addictive and can lead to social and
emotional problems. When taken in large quantities, alcohol
can also damage the liver, leading to poisoning and death.

Carboxylic acids are generally weak and have the formula
Cn H2n=1COOH.

Alcohols and carboxylic acids combine to produce esters
which have the general formula RCOOR, where R is an alkyl
group such as CH3 and C2H5.
REACTIONS OF ALCOHOLS (USING ETHANOL)
1. Alcohols burn in air or oxygen to produce carbon dioxide,
heat and energy.
2C2H5OH (l) + 7O2 (g) =========== 4CO2 (g) + 6H2O (g)
2. Alcohols react with metals such as Na, Li, Mg and Ca to
yield hydrogen gas and to form salts called alkoxides. The
reaction is similar to the reaction of metals with water
because of the presence of -OH.
(H2O can be written as H - OH)
2Na (s) + 2C2H5OH (l) ======= 2C2H5ONa (aq) + H2 (g)
sodium ethoxide
3. Alcohols can be oxidised to organic acids using powerful
oxidising agents such as acidified potassium dichromate (VI)
or acidified potassium permanganate (VII) solution.
C2H5OH (l) + 2[O] ====== CH3COOH(aq) + H2O (l)
Ethanoic acid
The oxygen is from the oxidising agent. If potassium
permanganate is used, it the reaction mixture changes from
purple to colourless and if potassium dichromate is used, the
mixture changes from orange to green as the dichromate VI ion
is reduced to green chromium III ion. This forms the basis for
the breathalyzer test for drunken drivers.
4. Alcohols can undergo dehydration reactions to the
corresponding alkene using concentrated sulphuric acid
(1700C) or passing the vapour activated alumina (Al2O3)
C2H5OH (l) ========== C2H3 (g) + H2O
This reaction effectively removes water from the alcohol to
form the alkene.
5. Alcohols react with acids to form esters.
C2H5OH + CH3COOH =========== CH3COOC2H5 + H2O
Ethylethanoate
Francine Taylor-Campbell teaches at Jamaica College. Send questions and
comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

Dr Fay Brown, associate

research scientist at Yale
Child Study Center &
Director, Child and
Adolescent Development,
School Development
Program,Yale University,
USA embraces a member of
Hopewell High School’s
Fingers of Praise after the
group’s stellar performance
at the opening ceremony of
the Nathan Ebanks
Foundation 7th Annual
Special Education Needs
Conference & Learning Expo
held recently at the Jamaica
Conference Centre. Dr
Brown made the keynote
presentation on ‘The Whole
Child Approach for Effective
Teaching and Learning:A
Paradigm Shift’, which
encouraged participants to
foster students’ total
development, not just
academics.

YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013 21

 yl:mathematics

Statistics
CLEMENT RADCLIFFE
Contributor
You will notice the following:

Any value between 0 and 29 can be assigned to a class without difficulty.

Of necessity, the bars will touch.

0.5 is added and subtracted from the class intervals to obtain the class boundaries
WE WILL continue the review of statistics with these.
The frequency polygon is constructed by joining the midpoint of the top of the each bar.

1) Express the following scores in a Frequency Table and plot the Histogram. Using the above, please attempt the following:
22, 15, 0, 22, 11, 9, 0, 14, 20, 9, 16, 5, 11, 24,16, 5, 11, 24, 5, 5, 22 , 15, 9, 9, 11
The table below shows the height of orange seedlings on a farm.
SOLUTION
Since the values range from 0-24, it would be inappropriate to construct a histogram with 25 bars.
Using grouped data as follows: 0-3, 4-7, 8-11 etc, we construct the table by first doing the tally.
A. Express the above with respect to class boundaries.
B. Draw the histogram and frequency polygon to represent the data.

SOLUTION
A.

ALYSIS OF DATA
The aim is to arrive at informed decisions from the data. The following is one way in which this may be
done-:
(A) Measures of central tendency or average.
These are the values which best represent the data namely mean, median or mode.

EXAMPLE
The scores obtained by a class of ten students in a test were:
3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 6, 6, 7, 11, 12.
(2) The table below shows the number of inches of rainfall which fell over a period of time.
CALCULATE
I. The modal mark
II. The median mark
III. The mean mark
Using a scale of 2 cm to represent 5 inches on the x axis, and 1 cm to represent 1 day on the y
axis, construct the histogram to represent the data. SOLUTION
I. The modal mark or mode is the most frequently occurring mark. In this case, it is 4.
SOLUTION Answer: 4
II. The median mark is the middle value when scores are arranged in order of size. When there is an odd
number of scores; it is the single middle value. However, it is the average of the two middle scores when the
number of scores is even.
From the values given, the 5th mark is 4 and the 6th mark is 6.
The median mark is the average of the 5th (4) and 6th (6) values as there is an even number of values
(10). The median is = 4+6 = 5
2
Answer : 5

III. The mean mark = Sum of scores = 3+3+4+4+4+6+6+7+11+12

Number of scores 10
Mean mark = 60 = 6
10
Answer : 6
Please note the following with respect to Question 2: As the average is the value which best represents the group, you should be able to determine when it is

The table only records rainfall to the nearest whole number and this is unrealistic. appropriate to use any of the three – the mean, the median or the mode.

Class boundaries are recommended when the values are continuous variables.

Class Intervals are converted to class boundaries as follows: Clement Radcliffe is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com

22 YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | MAY 7-13, 2013