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IAN ALLEN PHOTOGRAPHER
Vere Technical’s Sabina Allen (right) and Shardia Lawrence celebrate a quinella in the girls’ triple jump Open. Allen placed first with a leap of 12.83 metres, while Lawrence cleared 12.40 metres at the National Stadium recently. YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
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yl:biology
Excretion MONACIA WILLIAMS Contributor
ELLO AGAIN, students, how are you this week? I don’t know why I am asking because I know that you are good and on top of the world! After all, what do you have to worry about? OK, OK, do not crucify me! I was just kidding! The entire world is on your shoulder! Guess what, I am here to help you bear the weight as we go through yet another characteristic of living, this time the characteristic is living organisms excrete.
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Unfortunately there is some misconception about what the word excretion means, as there is a tendency to confuse it with defaecation. So, the first thing that we will address is the definition.
DEFINITION Excretion is the removal of waste products that are produced as a result of the cell’s metabolism. This is what makes the distinction; the products must be produced from metabolism. Remember what metabolism is? Metabolism covers all the chemical reactions that take place within the cell. Defaecation serves to get rid of undigested food from the body. Do not confuse the two! The waste products that are produced are known as excretory products. Some of these products are toxic (poisonous to the body) and if they are allowed to accumulate and remain in the body, they can damage and eventually kill body cells. It follows then that these cannot be allowed to accumulate in the body and must be removed as soon as they are produced. Another misconception is that only animals carry out excretion. Think about it, if excretion results from metabolism and both plants and animals carry out metabolism, then both must carry out excretion. We will look first at the excretory products of animals and then turn our attention to the plants.
EXCRETORY PRODUCTS OF ANIMALS
yl:chemistry
Remember that these are produced from metabolic activity taking place in the cells. We have already looked at some of these metabolic
activities when we did our studies on digestion and respiration, so the products that are produced should be familiar to us. Let me remind you as we look at them.
FROM RESPIRATION Two products are produced. Do you remember the equation? Of course you do! If you don’t, go back to that lesson and revise. These products are: Heat Carbon dioxide
FROM RED BLOOD CELLS Red blood cells do not live for very long. Do you remember why? Of course you do! This is because they do not have nuclei and the nucleus is needed to govern the activities of the cell. After about three months, the red blood cells can no longer serve their purpose and are destroyed in the liver or the spleen. Red blood cells contain haemoglobin; haemoglobin is a protein molecule which contains iron. After the cells die, the protein is converted to amino acids which are used by the body. The iron is stored to be used again. Only the bile pigments remain and these are used to form bile to be used in digestion and excreted afterwards.
FROM PROTEIN METABOLISM Proteins, when digested, are converted to amino acids. Not all the amino acids are used by the body. Excess amino acids are deaminated in the liver. Deamination removes the amino group (NH2) which is then converted to urea, and after that to urine, an excretory product.
EXCRETORY PRODUCTS FROM PLANTS Plants do not produce as many excretory products as animals. What they do produce, they get rid of in two ways: 1. By releasing them to the surroundings 2. By depositing them within their cells.
Examination review FRANCINE TAYLOR-CAMPBELL Contributor
Examine the questions below. 1. Metals, both in the pure state and as alloys, are used in the making of many items. (a) Give one use each for copper and lead other than for making containers. Give the physical (4 marks) property that makes each metal suitable for the use specified. (b) For one named alloy of aluminium state (i) the main constituents of the alloy (ii) a reason for the use of the alloy instead of the pure metal. (3 marks) 12
Carbon dioxide, a product of respiration and oxygen, is a product of metabolism. Remember that the carbon dioxide can be used in photosynthesis but if all of the carbon dioxide is not used in photosynthesis, then the excess is excreted to the surroundings through the stomata. Much more oxygen is produced in photosynthesis than is used in respiration, so the excess is also excreted through the stomata. Other excretory substances produced by plants Waste pigments - these are excreted through leaf fall (the leaves change colours prior to falling from the trees) Insoluble wastes, for example calcium oxalate found as crystals in the leaf, are also excreted through leaf fall. Oils and alkaloids are stored in leaves, bark, flowers, fruits and seeds. Plants such as citrus, pimento (fruits/leaves), cinnamon (leaves and bark) and eucalyptus (leaves) are common examples. These stored products are used as dyes, oils for perfumes and medicines. The milky-white substance in the stems of the oleander plant (Nerium oleander), as well as the stem of the allamanda and plants of the family Euphorbiaceae, contains alkaloids. Some of these alkaloids are poisonous (did you know that goats will not eat these plants as they know instinctively that they are poisonous?) and some are used in medicine, for example quinine, codeine and morphine. Some waste products are transported to structures within the plant that are dead, for example tannins to the bark, dyes to the xylem. These substances serve as means of preservation and protection and also provide useful products to man. Interesting, isn’t it? I bet you never thought of some of these things before this! Biology is fun, isn’t it! Enjoy it! See you next week as we continue our study. Monacia Williams teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
(c) If you were provided with containers made of the metals aluminium, zinc, copper, magnesium and lead, state, giving a reason in each case, which one(s) (i) would not be suitable for use as cooking utensils (ii) would be suitable to store - sodium hydroxide solution - a solution of iron (II) sulphate (9 mks) - citrus juice (d) Describe the role of the following metals: iron, magnesium and zinc in living systems. (3 mks)
ANSWERS 1. Copper is used to make electrical cables as it is a good electrical conductor. Lead is used to make protective shield to protect from X-ray and radioactivity, as the radiation cannot penetrate through the lead. (b) Magnalium is an alloy of aluminium consisting of 70% Al and 30% Mg. It is used in the construction of aircraft as it is just as light as aluminium but stronger and more corrosion resistant. (c) Magnesium and zinc would not make suitable cooking utensils as they would react with the solutions in the containers and make people sick.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
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yl:history
Popular protests in the 1930s
DEBBION HYMAN Contributor
OBJECTIVES AT THE end of the lesson, you should be able to describe the consequences of the protests. The protests that occurred throughout the British Caribbean in the 1930s resulted in several fundamental changes for the region. These included: a) the formation of mass political parties and b) the formation of trade unions. Mass political parties were formed, designed in conjunction with trade unions, to press for political, social and economic advancement. Examples of these were the People’s National Party under Norman Manley in Jamaica and the Barbados Progressive League under Grantley Adams. The protests led to the formation of trade unions to enable concerted action among workers to achieve higher wages and better conditions of work. One must remember that trade unions were not recognised in many territories before 1930. This meant they did not have much power to protect the interest and improve the working conditions of workers. For example, picketing was not permitted and companies could sue trade unions for damages incurred during a strike. Within five years after the labour unrest, however, there were 58
registered trade unions with a total membership of 65,000 workers in the British Caribbean. Undoubtedly, such a shift benefitted the fledgling trade union movement. The benefits derived from its formation are outlined in the above semantic map. Example of trade unions formed in the British Caribbean 1. British Guiana Labour Union - 21 July 1922 2. Trinidad Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union - 15 September 1937 3. Jamaica Hotel Employees’ Association - 1 December 1937 4. Bustamante Industrial Trade Union - 23 January 1939 5. Barbados Workers’ Union - 4 October 1941 6. Dominica Trade Union - 31 December 1945
THE MOYNE COMMISSION The upheavals of the 1930s were a concern of the colonial office in Britain. This led to a commission visiting several British Caribbean territories. The commission, headed by Lord Moyne, was responsible for investigating social and economic conditions that occurred during the 1930s. Popularly called the Moyne Commission, it was also to make recommendations. For a period of 15 months, from September 1938 to June 1939, the commission took formal evidence, oral and written, made on-the-spot investigations of conditions in housing, agriculture, hospital, schools, prisons, factories, lunatic and leper asylum, orphanages and land settlement.
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All the metals mentioned can be used to store sodium hydroxide solution. However, only copper and lead containers could be used to store a solution of iron (II) sulphate. Comment: Based on the reactivity of the metals, none would be more reactive than sodium so that it could displace it from solution. Copper and lead are less reactive than iron and would not be able to displace it from solution. Copper would be suitable to store citrus juice. Comment: Citrus juice contains a weak acid and only metals that would not react with it could be used.
FINDINGS OF THE COMMISSION a) Too much attention was being paid to how things were done in Britain and not enough to how things would/should be done in the Caribbean. b) The ordinary people, especially the ordinary black people, lacked health, wealth and proper elementary education. c) There was too much of a gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MOYNE COMMISSION a) The establishment of a West Indian Welfare Fund, a sum of 20,000,000. The objective of this fund was to finance schemes for the general improvement of education, health services, housing, slum clearance, the creation of labour departments and provision of social welfare facilities. b) Gradual progress to self-government through gradual participation of people in decision-making progress. c) Propose compulsory registration of trade unions and government audit of their funds. d) Agriculture to be diversified further. Debbion Hyman teaches at St Hugh’s High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
(d) Iron is an essential metallic element which forms part of the haemoglobin structure found in red blood cells. In plants, it is also necessary for the formation of chlorophyll. Magnesium is also an important component of the chlorophyll molecule in plants. Zinc is a trace element needed for certain enzymatic activities. Francine Taylor-Campbell teaches at Jamaica College. end questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
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yl:mathematics
Simultaneous equations CLEMENT RADCLIFFE Contributor
S WE continue the review of matrices, we will complete the presentation on solution of simultaneous equation.
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YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
yl:office administration HYACINTH TUGMAN Contributor
JOB OFFER AND ACCEPTANCE If your application and your interview were good enough to make a positive impression on the interviewers, you may be offered the job. In some organisations you may be asked to wait for a while outside the interview room while a decision is being made. You are then told whether you are to be offered the job. Otherwise, you should be told how you will be informed of the decision – by telephone or email. You should also be told when you can expect to hear the result.
Recruitment & orientation part 3
RESIGNING You may wish to stay with one employer for many years, but the day may come when you decide that you need to broaden your experience or need a change. The procedure for resignation is - inform your immediate supervisor - write a letter stating that you are terminating your employment (this should include the reason you are leaving). Here are some questions which will give you some practice.
The offer letter should confirm the details discussed in the interview, which will, if you accept the offer, be included in a contract. Usually, two copies of the letter are sent, one for you to sign and keep and return the other to the organisation if you wish to accept the offer.
1. The post office may not be seen as an active entity these days, however, it still offers some valuable services. List as many services offered by the post office as possible and give examples of when they may be used.
The procedure may be less formal in a small company. You may receive a telephone call or letter offering you the job with basic details. In this case you will reply, either accepting or rejecting the offer.
2. Give at least three reasons a telephone operator should get basic information from a caller before transferring the call. 3. The telephone operator has been asked by Mrs Angella Walker, marketing manager, to place a person-to-person call to Mr Alphanso Wilks at the head office in Kingston. How should the telephone operator proceed?
STARTING TO WORK When you start your new job, you are likely to be on probation. This is a two-way trial for the employer to make sure that you can do the job and ‘fit in’ with the team, and for you to find out whether you like the work and the organisation. Probation is usually a three -to sixmonth period.
4. The human resource manager has asked you to make arrangements for a departmental meeting to be held in the board room on the third Thursday of next month. What arrangements would you make for such a meeting?
INDUCTION Your offer letter will have provided you with information regarding to whom you should report and when. This is usually the human resource officer who will start your induction. This is a process that goes on throughout your probation period. It may include training and any other additional skills you may need to do the job. The officer will go over the conditions of service with you to ensure that you are familiar with them, especially disciplinary procedures, grievance procedures, lunch and any other matter that may be relevant to the organisation. You will also meet the manager/supervisor
who will tell you more about your job.
5. State four good qualities that would make a young man/woman qualify for the position of a receptionist. 6. Give at least three reasons it is important for organisations to hold meetings.
GLADSTONE TAYLOR/PHOTOGRAPHER Young men enrolled in the Youth Upliftment Through Employment programme participate in an exercise during a Peace and Love in Society (PALS) conflict resolution workshop held recently inside the sports club at The Gleaner’s North Street, Central Kingston offices. The workshop was one of seven held over the last week by PALS.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
This is all for this week. Remember to work hard as your exams will soon be here. Hyacinth Tugman teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
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yl:principles of accounts
Control accounts & subsidiary ledgers ROXANNE WRIGHT Contributor
T IS important for you to acknowledge and remember that you are definitely getting closer to your final examination date and that your full preparation is key to success.
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Below is a worked example. I encourage you to read the question first, attempt to answer it, then when you are finished check your answer with the one provided. Be diligent in assessing your work and make the necessary correction where necessary. Remember, the mistakes you make now, when corrected will assist you to not make them again.
WORKED EXAMPLE Gladys balanced her Purchases Control Account on September 30, 2011 and it showed a credit balance of $64,800. The individual suppliers’ balances were then listed and they totalled $63,930. The records were examined and the following errors were found and corrected: 1. Trudy allowed prompt payment discount $90 to Gladys. This was treated as a credit entry in Trudy’s account. It was entered correctly in the Cash Book. [>1]
CAN YOU REMEMBER? What is the difference between Capital Expenditure and Revenue Expenditure?
2. The Purchases Day Book was over-added by $600. [>2] 3. Goods costing $3,450 were bought from Collins on credit but no entries were made in any of the books. [>3]
LET US REMIND YOU:
4. Stanley’s credit balance of $450 was omitted when the suppliers’ balances were listed. [>4]
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO: a. Draw up an adjusted Purchases Ledger Control Account. b. Prepare a statement, with a heading, to reconcile the original total of the suppliers’ balances with the adjusted Purchases Ledger Control Account balance.
REASONING:
SOLUTION a. Visit with me again next week when the presentation will be Trial Balance, Errors & Suspense Account. See you then.
GLADYS DR.
PURCHASES LEDGER CONTROL ACCOUNT
CR. Roxanne Wright teaches at Immaculate Academy. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
EXAMINATION PREPARATION TIP b. STATEMENT TO REFLECT AMENDED BALANCE OF PURCHASES LEDGER CONTROL ACCOUNT
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As you get closer to your examination, to assist with your preparation, I remind you that: If you feel the need for silence while revising, try to make it possible. If you like to work in music, get headphones and listen to your favourite album while at work. Try to listen to something that is familiar and ‘one of your favourites’. This will help to put you in a positive frame of mind during your revision session. It will also reduce the risk of distraction. Get a good night’s sleep. A review of topics of your ‘strong’ and ‘weaker’ areas would be quite beneficial when done regularly.
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
yl:principles of business YVONNE HARVEY Contributor
I, EVERYONE. I sincerely hope that you are all enjoying the lessons on marketing. It is a fairly long unit so we are still on it. This week we will look at discounts and consumerism. Enjoy and remember to do some additional reading.
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CASH, TRADE AND QUANTITY DISCOUNTS A discount is a reduction in the price of a good or service, allowed by the producer or trader to their customers. Discounts are normally given if the supplier feels that it will result in larger orders or if it is felt that if the discount is not given, the order will not be made.
Discounts & consumerism
THE CASH DISCOUNT This is the best-known form of discount and its purpose is solely to encourage customers to pay their accounts quickly and increase the rate of turnover, hence profits. Usually firms with large stocks allow discounts. All persons benefit from a cash discount when there is a sale, however, cash discounts are also given to customers if they pay for goods or services within a specified period of time as stated in the sales agreement. For example, an individual may be told that if he pays within a month he will be entitled to a 15% discount.
They check to see that all goods are in a saleable condition, ie, properly packaged and labeled, and that their weights and measures are accurate. They work with the Ministry of Health to inspect food production and selling establishments to ensure that workers have food handler’s permits and that their places are clean and sanitary. Very important, the Bureau of Standards informs the public about goods imported that either meet or do not meet international standards of quality.
THE TRADE DISCOUNT
THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN Afinuke Oladele accepts award for excellence from her school,Wolmer’s Girls, for doing well in her CSEC exams. This is a standard she has maintained while completing her tenure in sixth form.
THE QUANTITY DISCOUNT
It should be noted that these discounts are calculated in percentage terms though, in fact, the discount is finally put in money terms.
QUESTIONS 1. Mr X buys goods to the value of $240 retail but is allowed 25% trade discount on the invoice,
to be aware and alert of the safety of products before a purchase is made to collect all information and facts available about a product or service in order to keep up with changes and innovations in the market place to think through and make decisions independently about matters that will affect their choices of goods and services to speak out and to inform producers and governments of their needs and expectations to make complaints and inform businesses about their dissatisfaction and satisfaction with a good or service to be a fair and ethical consumer and not to engage in dishonest practices which, in the long run, will result in higher prices to show respect for the environment and thus avoid waste, littering and contributing to pollution
These are government agencies which try to help to protect consumers by ensuring that goods produced meet certain minimum requirements, with regard to quality and basic raw materials. They also monitor the quantity of goods traded in the country.
Cash discounts are deductable on the amount due after the trade and quantity deductions have been taken out.
A quantity discount is an additional discount and is deductable from the invoiced price. It is often allowed when large orders are made. Quite often, several rates of quantity discounts are quoted, the greater the amount being ordered, the greater the quantity discount.
THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONSUMER
THE BUREAU OF STANDARDS
In certain circumstances, a customer who has been sent slightly damaged or imperfect goods may receive a rebate which amounts to a discount.
This is a discount which manufacturers or wholesalers allow to their customers ‘within the trade’, ie, to the retailers. The trade discount is deductable no matter when the account is paid. They are given to boost sales and increase profits.
Along with these rights come certain responsibilities.
plus 2% cash discount. How much does he have to pay? 2. A retailer buys goods worth $200 from a wholesaler and is entitled to a 25% trade discount. What will this discount be?
CONSUMERISM This refers to anything that is done to protect the consumer. There are a number of government and non-government organisations involved in protecting the consumer, but the best thing is for the consumer to protect him/herself. Self-
protection involves knowing rights and responsibilities, shopping wisely and making use of the channels of redress if and when necessary.
THE RIGHTS OF THE CONSUMER the right to redress the right to consumer education the right to safety the right to be heard the right to be informed the right to choose the right to basic needs the right to a healthy environment
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
An ombudsman is a government-appointed official whose duty is to investigate malpractices, maladministration and injustices brought to his notice. This office deals with complaints made by individuals who claim that they have been victimized or unfairly treated by government departments or agencies. The ombudsman will set up an enquiry to investigate the truth. If the department or agency is at fault, then the individual would be compensated. It would be good if you could write some notes on the Consumer Affairs Commission (CAC). Bye for now. Yvonne Harvey teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
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A ‘ Midsummer Night’s Dream’ BERYL CLARKE Contributor
HE IDEA that this group of labourers in A Midsummer Night’s Dream could come up with a suitable piece of drama, organize and rehearse and perform suitably for their intended audience seems ludicrous, and so it turns out. However, there is sufficient comedy in their scenes to keep any audience enthralled.
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Laughter is certainly not created by Bottom and his cronies alone; by no means! Puck contributes substantially to this area. In our last ‘class’ we mentioned the hilarity his action causes when he puts a donkey’s head on Bottom. His conduct is cruel and normally an audience would have condemned him and been upset with him. The reaction, however, has more to do with the comic character of Bottom and less with Puck’s deed; and let us not forget that all of this is supposed to be happening in a dream. As we watch the mechanicals rehearse we see that Bottom continues in his old ways; he mixes up the words ‘odours’ and ‘odious’. Something in his acting attracts
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Puck who remarks, “A stranger Pyramus than e’er played here.” It is at this point that Bottom leaves the stage and Puck gets the chance to work his mischief. Do not tell me that you would not have been frightened and surprised to see this transformation! No wonder the other actors run from the stage. The audience must have laughed uproariously. You see, the use of masks to conceal or portray characters was common to theatregoers in the time in which this play and others were written and dramatised. What is even more amusing is the fact that Bottom does not realise that he is now masked and believes that his fellow actors are playing a trick on him; that they are trying to frighten him. The irony is that he is the one who, by his changed appearance, is terrifying them. That he should say: What do you see? You see an ass head of your own, do you? When Snout asks him what it is that he sees on him tells us of the esteem in which he holds himself. It is truly comic to see and hear him with Titania’s fairies.
What possible message could this mask convey to the audience about Bottom? I am sure that you can find an answer. Puck, as we are aware, is employed by Oberon primarily in a scheme to get the changeling from his wife. He interferes with Bottom after putting the magic/love juice on Titania’s eyes and this causes her to fall immediately in love with Bottom as he is the first person/thing she sees when she awakes. The idea of this dainty creature falling madly in love with a coarse, big ass headed thing/ person is so ridiculous that it must cause laughter. As ‘full of himself’ as Bottom is, he does briefly seem to question her declaration. Mark you, he is unaware of the change in his appearance but he should have seen the great natural difference between them. This, like much else in the play, raises questions about the nature of love. We will return to this in the future. Have you noticed that, unlike Bottom whose actions that trigger mirth are born out of feelings of self-importance, ignorance and misunderstanding, Puck
YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
appears malicious? This is especially apparent when having bungled in applying the love-in-idleness to Lysander’s eyes instead of Demetrius’, he enjoys the resulting conflicts between the two men and then between the two women. He even seems to find pleasure in frightening the actors out of their senses. It is now time for you to do the following: o In your study groups dramatise the scene when Titania awakes and declares her love for Bottom. o Illustrate the scene in which the scared actors flee from Bottom. o Write a dub poem or a dialect featuring the tangled love relationships in this play. Magic plays a major role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It will not in your exams success, however, unless it is the magic of hard work. God bless! Beryl Clarke is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
yl:social studies MAUREEN CAMPBELL Contributor
ARIBBEAN COUNTRIES are very vulnerable in a number of ways. Their relative openness and concentration on a small range of products, exogenous changes in the terms of trade, have had significant effects on their fiscal and external positions. Many countries in the region rely on preferential trading arrangements for their exports. They are, therefore, likely to be facing a progressive erosion of these preferences as globalisation takes hold on all areas of our well-being and development.
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MAJOR CHALLENGES Natural disasters, such as hurricanes, have the potential to cause serious setbacks for these countries. Small size, small national markets with high level and cost of imports and low value of exports. Thus, they depend heavily on imports to support local production and satisfy consumer demands. Lack of diversification: Because they are small, CARICOM economies lack a diversified range of domestic resources.
Challenges facing the region Unemployment and underemployment. Perpetual high levels of indebtedness and shortage of capital. Volatile economies, with low levels of production and productivity. Poverty. The loss of citizens through migration. A rise in drug trafficking and crime. Shortage of skilled workers and inadequate technology. Difficulties in accessing markets of developed countries and economies extremely vulnerable to external shocks such as fluctuations in international commodity prices or policy changes abroad. According to Anneke Jessen and Ennio Rodr’guez, Caribbean countries must attain higher and more sustainable economic growth rates while consolidating their individual adjustment
MATHEMATICS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14
programmes, most of which were initiated in the late 1980s. Improved export performance and the creation of attractive conditions for private investment will be key in this respect. They must do so in the context of an ever-more globalised and competitive world economy, major transformations in North-South and regional trading relationships and the gradual erosion of trade preferences in their principal export markets. They must, at the same time, confront a number of social problems that directly impinge on the region’s future development potential. Prominent among these are deficiencies in national education systems, high unemployment levels, persistent poverty and growing problems of (often drug-related) crime. Poverty, unemployment and inequality weaken the capacity of governments and civil society leaders to manage change effectively both at the national and regional levels. They also provide a fertile breeding ground for criminal activities. In the past decade, some Caribbean countries have witnessed an alarming rise in criminal violence, much of it drug-related. If left unattended, this could pose severe problems not only for the tourism industry but for any strategy aimed at creating a business environment conducive to attracting local and foreign capital. In light of their vulnerabilities and the risks to the economic outlook, Caribbean countries will need to take stronger measures to preserve the economic gains made. They will need to accelerate policy actions in a number of areas to address the challenges they are facing.
THE INTEGRATION MOVEMENT
KEY Inner Circle: OECS countries (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States) Innner and second circle: CARICOM countries (Caribbean Community) Inner circle, second and outer circles: ACS countries (Association of Caribbean States)
CARIBBEAN FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION (CARIFTA) In 1965 Antigua, Barbados and Guyana initiated CARIFTA by signing the Treaty of Dickenson Bay. In 1968, with the Treaty of St John’s at the fourth Heads of Government Conference held in Bridgetown, Barbados, on October 23-27, 1967, it was agreed to establish CARIFTA formally, and to include as many Commonwealth Caribbean countries as possible in the new arrangement of December 1965. This was to be the beginning of what would become the Caribbean Common Market, towards the achievement of a viable economic community of Caribbean territories.
WEST INDIES FEDERATION (WIF) WIF was established in 1958, comprising the following 10 territories: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, the then St Kitts-NevisAnguilla, St Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago. It was established by the British Caribbean Federation Act of 1956 with the aim of establishing a political union among its members. The WIF came to an end in 1962 after Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago withdrew and obtained their independence status in 1962.
It was at the seventh Heads of Government Conference in November 1972 that the Caribbean leaders decided to transform CARIFTA into a Common Market and establish the Caribbean Community of which the Common Market would be an integral part.
CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (CARICOM) It was at the eighth Heads of Government Conference of CARIFTA,
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held in April 1973, in Georgetown, Guyana, that the decision to establish the Caribbean Community was brought into realization. The original signatories to the Treaty were Prime Ministers Errol Barrow for Barbados; Forbes Burnham for Guyana; Michael Manley of Jamaica; Eric Williams for Trinidad and Tobago. By the end of 1974, all other members of CARIFTA had signed the agreement to become full members of CARICOM.
ACTIVITIES 1. Name the countries that were involved in the West Indies Federation and in CARIFTA. 2. Suggest three reasons Caribbean countries need to integrate. Explain your answer. 3. Suggest three ways in which Caribbean countries can integrate and give reasons for your answer. 4. State five ways in which Caribbean countries have integrated giving appropriate examples. 5. Use a diagram to illustrate the major stages in the integration movement in the Caribbean. Maureen Campbell teaches at St Hugh’s High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
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yl:english language
Summary writing
Combining the main ideas NATASHA THOMAS-FRANCIS Contributor
ELLO, CLASS! Over the last few weeks we have been examining 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 2011 CXC English A Paper 02. Follow the instructions below:
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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. If this limit is exceeded, only the first 120 words of your answer will be read and assessed. People generally take the brain and its functions for granted, especially in the first forty years of life. Even though the brain is considered to be one of the most important organs in the human body, we don’t pay much attention to keeping it fit and healthy. This is an understandable situation since life usually forces us to be active on many levels in our younger years, but we need to pay more careful attention to brain health, especially in light of the demands of modern life. Generally, when people think about staying fit, they only focus from the neck down. However, the health of your body should also include your brain. A healthy brain plays a critical role in almost everything you do: thinking, feeling, remembering, working, playing, and even sleeping. Improving your brain health can protect you from dementia, increase your memory and sharpen your concentration. There is much that can be done to keep the brain healthy at any age. Lists widely offered include simple, and even funny things, like brushing your teeth with the unfamiliar hand, or showering in the dark, walking and gardening, all of which are low or free of cost. Recommended routines include physical activity, which increases the flow of blood to the brain; maintaining social contacts and having intelligent conversations; sleeping well. On the other hand, there is a list of things to avoid. Examples from that list include that you should be careful not to drink to excess, you should not ignore any changes in your physical or mental health, try not to be isolated in your home, and certainly do not entertain the idea that you are too old to take up something new. The most outstanding of all the recommendations is physical activity. Physical activity is one of the best ways to promote the growth of new brain cells and keep the brain healthy. Exercise increases levels of brain chemicals that encourage the growth of nerve cells and this
explains to some extent why aerobic activity enhances memory skills and why moderately strenuous activity is strongly associated with successful brain ageing. An interesting form of physical activity is dance. Learning a dance can nourish brain cells, which translates to cognitive skills in the real world, and dancing requires twists and turns that strengthen the brain connections. There is always the caution attached, that you use common sense when increasing physical activity. Extra care is necessary when you have not exercised for a long time, and it is very important to consult with your doctor or health- care provider before starting an exercise programme or increasing your activity. ‘Keeping Your Brain Healthy’ The Barbados Advocate, October 4, 2009, p.26. Finally, before I close this discussion on summary writing I wish to leave with you some guidelines which must be noted: Observe the stated length of your response. Read questions for theme and specific tasks to be done. Read the instruction given and do not assume that every year it is identical. Recognize 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 I hope that the guidance you have received has helped you in your preparation on this topic. Natasha Thomas-Francis teaches at Glenmuir High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
GLADSTONE TAYLOR/ PHOTOGRAPHER
Rainford Wint presents the award for top school in the female category to St Jago High, represented by Natalliah Whyte.The Camperdown Classic presentation ceremony was held at Dixie Lee’s restaurant, Portmore Pines Plaza, recently.
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YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
yl:geography
Limestone
part 2
MARJORIE HENRY Contributor
N THE last lesson, I started to share information on aspects of the limestone environment. I highlighted one of the specific objectives for this topic as stated in the syllabus, namely, that of ‘explaining the processes operating in limestone landscapes and the formation of karst landforms in the Caribbean’. The processes named in the last lesson are carbonation and evaporation/deposition. These processes lead to the formation of various features both on the surface and underground, in regions that have a large area of limestone. Together these features produce a very distinct type of topography referred to as KARST.
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You must be able to distinguish between surface features and underground features – define each and explain how each is formed. The surface features include the formation of clints (outcrops of bare rock) and grikes (the gaps between the rocks where the joints are located) on plateau surfaces; limestone pavements, depressions – for example, dolines and swallow holes (or sinks) and dry valleys. Underground features include caves, caverns, stalactites, stalagmites and pillars. You must learn about all these features, so my advice to you is to read on them from any available source. As you read, focus on the karst landforms in the Caribbean, as stated in the specific objective of the syllabus. Have you ever taken a ride across the hilly regions of the island, travelling through parishes such as St Ann, Trelawny and Manchester? Have you ever noticed how the ride takes you up and down numerous valleys and hills? How many rivers did you see? If you have travelled by air across the island, have you ever looked down to see the nature of the land? If you have never travelled through these regions of the island, take some time to do so as this provides you with an opportunity to observe some features of the karst topography. A hummocky surface is dominant, so causing you to be travelling down the many valleys and up the many hills. There is almost a complete absence of surface streams in this area of the island. These are features typical of limestone areas. In the previous lesson I mentioned that most of Jamaica, particularly the central area, is made up of limestone rocks. It follows then that the karst topography would be present in that area. There are three types of karst landscapes, namely, tropical karst, cockpit karst and temperate karst. The most common types found in the Caribbean are tropical karst and the distinct cockpit karst found in the central area of Jamaica. The text The Caribbean Environment for CXC Geography written by Mark Wilson, tells us how this landscape is formed. The limestone has a criss-cross pattern of joints. The rock nearest to the joints is dissolved fastest because this is where water collects. A deep, star-shaped depression is formed where two joints meet. Small hills remain away from the joints. Where the jointing is regular, the hills are arranged in rows. The criss-cross pattern results as the joints and faults are at right angles. I mentioned earlier about the hummocky surface you would travel on if you were to go on a trip across the central area of the island. This is the cockpit karst. A view from the air gives the impression of a basket of eggs. In fact, the term ‘basket of eggs’ topography is used to describe the cockpit landscape. The cockpits are formed on the white limestone and this type of limestone covers more than 70% of the area of Jamaica. It is more strongly jointed and more easily dissolved. In preparing for the examination, not only should you be able to define each feature and say how it is formed, but you should also be able to draw diagrams of them. Practise these and remember to label them properly. On the other hand, you can be given diagrams or photographs to identify the features, so familiarise yourself with them as you read and as you practise drawing and labelling them. As you are preparing yourselves for your external examinations, I share with you this study tip: ‘Short, repeated study times are better than one long session’. References: Geography for CSEC - Jeanette Ottley et al Geography for CSEC - Nelson Thornes The Caribbean Environment For CXC Geography - Mark Wilson Marjorie Henry is an independent contributor. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
Contributed Junior Johnson, a student at McGrath High School, demonstrates the process of electrolysis using copper sulphate solution. McGrath, one of the six schools under the Centres of Excellence programme run by the Jamaica National Building Society and The Victoria Mutual Building Society, has seen an improvement in performance in core science subjects.The school’s science lab was refurbished and retooled under the Centres of Excellence programme. YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012
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yl:information technology
Writing arrays using the Pascal code NATALEE A. JOHNSON Contributor
OOD DAY, students. This is lesson 31 of our series of The Gleaner’s IT lessons. In this week’s lesson, we will conclude looking at writing arrays using the Pascal code.
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TO OUTPUT ELEMENTS OF AN ARRAY
USING AN ARRAY TO ACCEPT AND OUTPUT STRING VALUES
Remember, once you accept values from the user by means of a ‘for loop’ when you want to output the values you use a ‘for loop’ comprising of the same array name, counter and size as shown below. See example below of a program segment.
Example This program is designed to accept and output the names of four students in an array called names.
An example of a program segment for outputting three scores, based on the example given in the previous lesson.
Program StudentNames; Uses wincrt;
EXAMPLE 2 To find the total of a set of values in an array list
LINEAR SEARCH OF AN ARRAY Program SearchingArrays; Uses wincrt; var ScoresSearch: Array [0..4] of integer; counter, SearchValue:integer;
We have come to the end of this lesson. Remember, if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Natalee A. Johnson teaches at Ardenne High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com
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YOUTHLINK MAGAZINE | APRIL 17-23, 2012